Two Days Later.

Xu Mo had successfully consolidated his newfound strength, but his body had begun to show faint signs of aging. His once-smooth jawline now bore the beginnings of a beard—tiny strands of hair poking through. Among his long black locks, a few silvery strands had appeared like threads of moonlight woven into darkness.

Sitting cross-legged, both Xu Mo and Su Wenqing were immersed in cultivation. Their auras grew stronger with each passing moment. Su Wenqing's breakthrough, however, was vastly different from his own. Her rise in cultivation came with trembling energy, subtle pulses, and the soft hum of qi harmonizing through her veins. Unlike Xu Mo's silent advance, hers carried sound—faint groans of strain and the crisp rush of energy flowing freely.

She was about to reach the third level of the Foundation Building Stage.

Xu Mo felt no envy—at least, not in a way he could acknowledge. Due to the first stage of his Dao of Silence, he could not give voice to his inner emotions. He had to maintain a humble, grounded demeanor. Even if envy bubbled up quietly in his heart, he was forbidden from expressing it, whether in words or gestures. All he could do was soothe his heart and remind himself that if an opportunity was meant for him, it would find him—sooner or later.

This was the First Stage of the Dao of Silence: Quiet Heart.

Looking back, he wanted to punch his past self. He had completely misunderstood the Dao of Silence, mistaking it for the Dao of Loneliness. The answer had always been right in front of him, yet he had wandered off-path for months, letting his growth stagnate. By now, he should've already reached the third or fourth stage of the Dao of Silence.

Back then, fate had played him like a fool. He'd been tricked so often, abandoned so thoroughly, that he convinced himself the Dao of Silence was about severing ties, isolating oneself, and walking the lonely path. It was sheer luck—a miracle, really—that he had managed to even touch the threshold of this Dao.

His body had undergone reformation during his enlightenment. His once-plain appearance now carried an edge—like a devilishly handsome rogue from some forbidden tale. Perhaps it was because the Dao of Silence brushed against the darker side of cultivation. Though not part of the Demon Dao, it certainly shared similarities. While the Demon Dao was associated with deep purples and blacks, the aura of his Dao gave off a purer, more chilling form of darkness—an eerie silence that could swallow a scream before it ever escaped the throat.

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And of course, legends claimed demons were alluring—beautiful and seductive. Xu Mo had never met one, but given how most cultivators he'd seen were already ridiculously good-looking, he often wondered what basis people had to slander Demon Dao followers as if they were some twisted anomaly.

Thanks to the reformation, his physical strength had doubled—maybe even tripled. He wasn't certain by how much, but he was confident now that he could withstand the attacks of a first-level Foundation Building cultivator. Before, such an impact would've reduced him to a cloud of blood mist. According to the technique hall's records, Foundation Building cultivators were a different breed altogether. Only one in ten cultivators reached this realm. It marked a qualitative transformation—a solid foundation from which one could ascend through the nine levels of Foundation Building, each dependent on talent and spiritual accumulation.

A sudden glow caught his attention. Xu Mo raised a hand to shield his eyes as a brilliant green light erupted from the cauldron in front of Su Wenqing. She had just finished refining something, her eyes wide open, focused. A pill shot out of the cauldron, spinning through the air like a playful child who had just escaped its bath.

"Hey!" she shouted, lunging forward to catch it. But before she could even stand up straight she was forced to sat back down.

Boom!

A thunderous wave of qi burst out as Su Wenqing's cultivation broke through to the third level of Foundation Building. The talisman lighting the underground chamber flickered and dimmed. But the radiance from the pill alone was enough to illuminate the spiral staircase leading up from their chamber.

Xu Mo moved fast. He snatched an empty bottle from his inventory and, before the pill could dart through a crack in the stone wall, trapped it with a quick flick of his hand. The cork clicked into place.

Su Wenqing, however, didn't react. She stayed seated, her breathing deep and rhythmic, consolidating her cultivation. The pill could have escaped, and she wouldn't have cared. It was valuable, yes, but not beyond her reach now. As an Inner Sect disciple, her monthly allowance had increased tenfold—from ten low-grade spirit stones to ten mid-grade ones. A rank two pill like this one cost around one mid-grade spirit stone, easily affordable even without factoring in mission rewards.

One Day Later.

Xu Mo lay on his side, resting his head on his right hand, completely still. His eyes were fixed on the ground, watching a group of tiny insects moving food materials into a crack in the floor—likely their nest.

"How do you little creatures see in the dark?" he murmured. "And do you have cultivators among your kind too?"

It was an odd question, especially spoken aloud. He sounded like a madman talking to insects, as if expecting an answer. Maybe he was going a little crazy. Still, the thought fascinated him. Beast tamers somehow understood animals—perhaps insects were no different. He mentally noted the idea: If I have the talent and time, I'll study beast taming. Could be useful.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed movement. Su Wenqing had opened her eyes and was staring at him.

"…You're talking to ants now?" she asked, arching a brow.

Xu Mo blinked, then gave a small, sheepish nod. "How did you recognize me?"

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