Teacher Black Soil, please teach Xiao Fang.

"I'm truly foolish, really..."

"Knowing full well he couldn't possibly win, yet still pretending not to understand..."

"But at least I forced his true self to take action, so it wasn't a total loss, heh..."

Hu Fangyuan bitterly comforted himself, though the disappointment in his eyes was impossible to hide.

He felt as though he'd been set up by Chen Yi, yet he had no proof.

First, Chen Yi deliberately held back, leaving openings to let Hu Fangyuan gain a slight advantage. Then he proposed a wager, luring Hu Fangyuan into recklessness. Once hooked, Chen Yi didn’t even bother pretending anymore—he unleashed an invincible momentum, crushing Hu Fangyuan’s three divine killing techniques in succession, cornering him into doubling down. Forced to burn his Origin Dao Traces to activate a forbidden art, Hu Fangyuan watched helplessly as that bastard’s true self intervened, seizing the Spring-Autumn Cocoon and refining it in an instant...

It was all too coincidental. If not for the fact that Chen Yi had genuinely tried to stop him from burning his Origin Dao Traces midway, Hu Fangyuan would’ve been certain this was all a carefully laid trap—a classic "invite the enemy into a jar" scheme.

Then again, it could’ve just been an act. After all, was there anything Chen Yi wouldn’t do?

Hu Fangyuan spared no malice in his suspicions.

"Hey, Black Dirt, are you mentally chirping at me?"

Chen Yi strode over, resting a massive halberd on his shoulder, his tone teasing. "Be a good sport—you lost."

Hu Fangyuan’s lips twitched. He simply raised a middle finger in salute. "Who the hell can outplay you?!"

Smack!

Fast as lightning!

Chen Yi flicked a condensed remnant of Origin Dao Traces straight into Hu Fangyuan’s face, grinning amiably. "Don’t say I bullied you. These are your own Dao Traces—I only kept about two and a half tenths. Now, you’ve got two choices."

"One: Take this remnant. Spend some time refining it, and it might still be usable."

"Two: Pretend you won this round. That Five-Finger Fist Heart Sword of yours had some merit—I learned a thing or two. As a bonus, I’ll convert fifty Golden Immortals for you."

"Which’ll it be?"

On the surface, it seemed like a choice. In reality, Hu Fangyuan had no choice at all.

Origin Dao Traces were unique. Once burned, all traces of that Dao path vanished from one’s cultivation journey—an irreversible loss. The only option was to start anew, forging a fresh set of Dao Traces.

Of course, aside from that critical factor, the remnant still held immense value. With proper handling, it could nurture at least one Great Luo Immortal... if not for the fact that Chen Yi had already "licked" it.

He’d reshaped the remnant in his own image. Even if Hu Fangyuan took it back, he’d need to expend tremendous effort to purify it.

But refining something tainted by Chen Yi’s will? A thankless task!

So, the choice was obvious—fifty Golden Immortals.

"At least you’ve got some conscience left."

Hu Fangyuan chose to forgive him.

Given his understanding of Chen Yi, the fact that the guy hadn’t taken everything and then some was already a miracle. Now he was even offering fifty Golden Immortals? It was like a starving dog suddenly swearing off feces!

"What’s that muttering about?" Chen Yi side-eyed him, then pointed at the remnant. "This thing’s mine now, right? Do me one more favor—impart some wisdom to a kid, explain cultivation basics, and we’ll call it even."

Hu Fangyuan: "..."

I knew it. I freaking knew it!

Of course he wouldn’t just take without giving. Behind every "kindness" lurked another demand!

"That Fang Fan kid, right? Bring him out. I’ll enlighten him."

Hu Fangyuan forced a benevolent smile.

What else could he do?

Trapped like a fish on the chopping block, his only option was cooperation.

Chen Yi nodded. "Good. Step forward, Little Fang. Ask whatever you’re curious about."

With that, he retreated a few paces, pretending disinterest while secretly eavesdropping.

After all, this was a Supreme Primordial—a being countless cultivators would kill just to glimpse, let alone receive personal guidance from.

Sure, Chen Yi was more of a "pilot" these days, far removed from the nitty-gritty of cultivation theory, but listening couldn’t hurt. Cross-referencing knowledge never hurt—he was always eager to learn!

"Junior Fang Fan pays respects to Senior Hu!"

Fang Fan was impeccably polite. After settling onto a small stool, he bowed deeply.

Truth be told, while the Venerable One (Chen Yi) was mighty, his explanations on cultivation were often vague, riddled with gaps and outright errors. Following his methods wouldn’t just risk divine annihilation—it’d practically guarantee a qi deviation...

So, the Venerable One was best revered from afar. For actual cultivation guidance, Fang Fan sought others.

Hu Fangyuan’s eye twitched at the sight of the purple halo floating behind Fang Fan’s head. He managed a strained smile.

"No need for formalities. Any doubts you have, I’ll clarify."

"My questions might be... numerous," Fang Fan admitted sheepishly, bowing again. "May Senior preach the Dao, dispelling the fog shrouding my path. This junior is eternally grateful."

Polite children were always endearing.

Though Hu Fangyuan loathed Chen Yi, he found Fang Fan rather likable.

Forming a karmic bond with a youth recognized by a Chaos Supreme Treasure wasn’t a bad deal. If only his backer weren’t that detestable scoundrel...

"The Dao begins with observation..."

After a brief pause, Hu Fangyuan effortlessly expounded the essence of the Dao.

A Supreme Primordial stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a Dao Ancestor, their comprehension of the Dao perfected to the point where their words became law—they were the Dao itself.

Hu Fangyuan’s speech flowed like blossoming lotuses. Fang Fan listened, entranced.

An ordinary True Immortal would’ve dozed off quickly—the increasingly profound Dao principles were beyond their grasp.

It was like a university professor teaching elementary school: simple arithmetic? Easy. But equations, functions, limits, derivatives, multivariate calculus, differential equations, algebra, topology... What kind of elementary student could follow that?

Fang Fan, however, was no ordinary True Immortal.

With the Myriad Mysteries Ring—a treasure housing infinite realms, each stratified into nine layers, ascending from mortality to Dao Ancestor—he could be considered a reincarnated Dao Ancestor in spirit.

Not only did he comprehend Hu Fangyuan’s teachings, but he could also immediately apply the knowledge.

So, getting one-on-one tutoring from a Dao Ancestor-level entity? He’d struck gold.

This was the supercharged booster his beloved Venerable One had hooked him up with. Used well, he’d soar to the heavens in no time.