Chapter 7 - The Orphan, Ye Meng
Xin Yang walked out of his inn room feeling dejected, he had been studying the Realm Creation technique for the past few months but had not made any progress. The technique was unlike any other he had encountered before and he couldn't figure out how to practice it. Frustrated, he decided to take a walk in the city to clear his mind.
As he strolled through the streets, he came across a large crowd gathered around an arena. Curious, he made his way through the crowd to see what was happening. In the center of the arena stood two young men, one of them looked to be in his late teens, while the other appeared to be around the same age as Xin Yang.
"Hey, what's this gathering for?" Xin Yang asked the person next to him.
"Are you new to this city?" The man replied, squinting his eyes.
"Yeah, just got here a couple of days ago," Xin Yang said.
"Well, it's just a fight between the trash Ye Meng and Li Wan," The man said, nonchalantly.
Xin Yang was confused, "Trash?" he asked.
"Ah, forgot you're new to the city," the man said, "well Ye Meng was once a genius who reached the peak of foundation establishment at the age of 15, but after that, his cultivation realm started to regress. He's now 17 and a Qi Gathering 1st stage. His fiancée annulled the engagement to go to Li Wan, who was the city's 2nd genius. Ye Meng can no longer cultivate for some reason. Maybe he did some evil things and the heavens did its justice. That's the brief of what happened now."
Xin Yang was intrigued by Ye Meng's story and decided to watch the fight. As he watched, he couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy towards Ye Meng. He knew what it felt like to hit a roadblock in one's cultivation journey, and he couldn't imagine how much more difficult it must be for someone who once had such great potential.
As he watched the fight between Ye Meng and Li Wan, he couldn't help but notice Ye Meng's hopeless expression. Despite his obvious defeat, Ye Meng continued to fight on, determined to not give up.
Xin Yang realized that he could relate to Ye Meng's determination and decided to approach him after the fight.
As Ye Meng sat alone, nursing his wounds, Xin Yang approached him and introduced himself.
"Hello, my name is Xin Yang. I couldn't help but notice your determination during the fight and I wanted to offer my help."
Xin Yang offered.
Ye Meng looked up at Xin Yang with a mix of surprise and gratitude in his eyes.
"Thank you, my name is Ye Meng. I appreciate your offer but I fear it's too late for me, my cultivation has been stagnant for months and I can't seem to break through." Ye Meng said with a sigh.
"I understand how you feel; I've been struggling with the same thing myself. But I believe that with the right guidance and approach, we can overcome our roadblocks and reach new heights." Xin Yang said, with a determined look in his eyes.
Ye Meng was hesitant at first, but he could see the sincerity in Xin Yang's eyes and decided to give it a try.
Together, Xin Yang and Ye Meng worked hard to overcome Ye Meng's cultivation issues and eventually, Ye Meng was able to break through to the next realm.
Thanks to Xin Yang's guidance, Ye Meng was able to regain his confidence and once again become
On top of the arena, Ye Meng is getting thrashed by Li Wan, he can't even get a chance to counterattack, well Li Wan's cultivation realm is Qi Gathering 3rd stage, while Ye Meng's only Qi Gathering 1st stage.
"Pathetic, where's your arrogance now? Genius" Li Wan sneered at Ye Meng, who was thrown out of the arena, clutching his chest while grinding his teeth, 'I will regain my dignity one day, I swear' Ye Meng swore, for the hundredth time.
While everyone is dispersing and throwing small insults at Ye Meng, Xin Yang stayed there, staring at Ye Meng, no one knows what's he thinking.
…
Xin Yang sat in his room, deep in thought as he considered his next move. He had heard about a young man named Ye Meng, who was once a prodigy but had fallen from grace. Despite his current struggles, Xin Yang saw potential in Ye Meng and decided to reach out to him.
He ventured out of the inn and asked around the city for the location of Ye Meng's clan. Eventually, he found himself standing in front of the grand gates of the Meng clan. The gatekeeper, a burly man with a scar over his left eye, questioned Xin Yang's intentions.
Xin Yang thought quickly and decided to play it cool. "Tell Ye Meng that one of his old friends wants to see him," he said confidently. The gatekeeper sneered inwardly, thinking that Ye Meng didn't have any friends left, but he went inside to fetch him nonetheless.
A few moments later, Ye Meng emerged from the clan house, looking bruised and bandaged. Xin Yang could see that he had hit rock bottom. Without hesitation, he approached Ye Meng and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Ah, Brother Ye, look at you," Xin Yang said with a hint of sarcasm. "Last time I saw you, you were all aloof and unique. Now you're just blend and so...basic?"
Xin Yang led Ye Meng back to his inn room, hoping to offer him some support and guidance. Ye Meng, still confused and unsure of what was happening, followed along obediently.
…
Xin Yang and Ye Meng stood in silence, both deep in thought. Suddenly, Ye Meng looked up at Xin Yang with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. "Why are you here? Did the patriarch or one of the elders send you to get rid of me?" Ye Meng asked dejectedly, resigned to his fate as a pariah within his own clan.
Xin Yang shook his head, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "No, I assure you, I'm not here to harm you. In fact, I believe I can help you," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of mystery and intrigue.
Ye Meng's eyes widened in surprise. "Help me? How? I'm a trash that can no longer cultivate," he said, the bitterness and self-loathing clear in his voice.
Xin Yang's smile grew wider as he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I know why you can't cultivate. I know what's holding you back," he said, his words heavy with meaning.
Ye Meng's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What do you mean? How do you know that?" he asked, his voice tinged with both hope and caution.
Xin Yang's expression grew serious as he began to speak. "I know that you were attacked by a group of black-robed cultivators while training in the Dark Jade Forest. They forced you to eat a pill and took everything you had. But I also know that what they did was not an act of malice, but rather a means of unlocking your true potential," he said, his words carefully chosen to pique Ye Meng's interest.
"My true potential? What are you talking about?" Ye Meng asked, his voice filled with confusion and uncertainty.
Xin Yang leaned in even closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "You have a special physique, Ye Meng. One of the rarest in ancient times. The Heavenly Devouring Physique. And I believe that with my help, you can unlock its true power and become stronger than you ever thought possible," he said, his words filled with conviction and passion.
Ye Meng stared at Xin Yang in disbelief. "That can't be. When I tested my talent, the slab didn't tell me anything about a physique. Are you sure you're not just trying to trick me?"
Xin Yang could see the skepticism and doubt in Ye Meng's eyes, but he knew he had to push forward with his plan. He stood tall and confident, his voice filled with conviction as he spoke. "Ye Meng, I understand your doubts. But let me ask you this: have you ever heard of the Heavenly Devouring Physique? It's one of the rarest and most powerful physiques in existence, even in ancient times. And I believe, without a doubt, that you possess this physique."
Ye Meng's eyes widened in surprise, but Xin Yang could see a glimmer of hope and excitement in them. "It's true that the talent testing slab didn't detect anything out of the ordinary about you. But that's because it's not designed to detect this type of physique. Think about it, you've always had an innate talent for cultivation, but something happened to you in the Dark Jade Forest that caused your cultivation to regress. I believe that this event was the key to unlocking your Heavenly Devouring Physique."
Xin Yang could see the gears turning in Ye Meng's mind as he processed this information. He knew it was a lot to take in, but he also knew that Ye Meng was a smart and ambitious young man. He continued, "You have two choices, Ye Meng. You can either choose to believe that I'm trying to trick you, or you can choose to trust me and let me help you unlock your true potential. I can see the greatness in you, Ye Meng. And with the Heavenly Devouring Physique, you could become one of the most powerful cultivators in the world."
Xin Yang could see the fire in Ye Meng's eyes as he considered his words. He knew he had him hooked. "So, what do you say, Ye Meng? Are you ready to unlock your true potential and become the greatest cultivator of all time?"
Ye Meng stood there for a moment, his mind racing with thoughts and possibilities. Finally, he looked up at Xin Yang and said, "I'm ready. Let's do this."
Xin Yang hid his inner satisfaction as Ye Meng's expression of skepticism turned to a hint of hope. "Are you sure you're not just trying to trick me?" Ye Meng asked.
"I assure you, I am not," Xin Yang replied with a serious tone. "But I do require your assistance. Is there a library in your clan house?"
Ye Meng nodded, still confused but willing to trust his newfound acquaintance. "Yes, we have a library."
"Excellent," Xin Yang said. "And may I ask, how are your relations with your parents?"
A sadness washed over Ye Meng's face as he replied, "They are no longer with us. They were murdered by the current patriarch out of jealousy and greed for power."
Xin Yang felt a twinge of remorse for Ye Meng's loss, but quickly pushed it aside as he realized the opportunity this presented for his own plans. "I am sorry for your loss, but have patience. One day, you will have your revenge." He followed Ye Meng to the clan library, excited for the potential of what lay ahead. And thus, the chance encounter between two of history's strongest monarchs began.