From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm golden hue on the green tiles and white walls of Qingluo Town. The streets remained clean and tidy, and the occasional townspeople passing by would cast friendly smiles or curious glances at Yao Mengkang.

This overly harmonious scene did not relax Yao Mengkang; on the contrary, it made him even more tense.

He walked along the main street toward the only place in the center of town where smoke was rising from a chimney.

The closer to the center, the greater the distance between the houses appears to be.

Finally, in a relatively open space in the center of the town, Yao Mengkang spotted his target.

It was a rather large courtyard, with walls made of stones of varying sizes. They were quite old, covered with dark green vines, and in some places the plaster had peeled off, revealing the rammed yellow earth underneath, making it look very dilapidated.

The courtyard gate was wide open, and above the gate hung a wooden plaque with blurred characters eroded by wind and rain, but the three simple characters "Blacksmith Shop" could still be barely made out.

At this moment, a particularly thick plume of grayish-white smoke, carrying the scent of charcoal and rust, was billowing out of a chimney behind the courtyard, rising straight into the darkening sky.

And right beside that dilapidated courtyard gate, a tall figure was lurking furtively.

He was a boy.

A boy whose pupils constricted at first glance.

The boy looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with healthy bronze skin, regular features, and one could even say he had a somewhat honest and handsome appearance.

But what really caught people's attention was his physique—he was definitely over two meters tall, standing there like a moving hill!

He wore a faded, obviously too-small coarse cloth jacket, and his bare arms and part of his chest showed muscles that bulged like cast iron, with distinct lines and an explosive power.

Those muscles weren't the result of deliberate, meticulous training, but rather a natural, innate strength and robustness, brimming with primal power.

However, in stark contrast to this body, which could be described as a "murder weapon," is his expression and posture at this moment.

He was slightly hunched over, as if trying to make himself less conspicuous, his angular face filled with struggle and anxiety.

He would peek into the yard from time to time, then shrink back like a startled rabbit, rubbing his large, fan-like hands together, pacing back and forth, looking like he wanted to go in but didn't dare.

This extreme contrast instantly aroused Yao Mengkang's vigilance and interest.

He keenly sensed that the aura surging within the young man had reached the Spirit Sea Realm!

Moreover, the sheer volume and solidity of that spiritual energy far surpassed any Spirit Sea Realm cultivator he had encountered before, including those so-called Boundless Spirit Sea cultivators like Zhao Yu!

Compared to this young man, Zhao Yu and the others' spiritual seas were like small streams compared to a great river!

Such a young Spirit Sea Realm expert is hiding in this strange, isolated town, lingering at his own doorstep like a child afraid of being scolded.

Yao Mengkang recalled the townspeople whose auras were no different from ordinary people and who knew almost nothing about the cultivation world. His sense of unease reached its peak. There was definitely something wrong with this town.

He suppressed his aura, adjusted his expression, and tried to make himself look less threatening, even though it was difficult to do so with all the blood on him, before walking towards the boy.

"Young man."

Yao Mengkang stopped a few steps away from the boy, cupped his hands in greeting, and spoke in a calm tone.

"Excuse me, is this a blacksmith shop? I'm just passing by and my weapons are a bit damaged. I'd like to see if they can be repaired."

The burly youth was clearly startled; his massive body trembled violently, like a frightened bear.

He turned to look at Yao Mengkang, his eyes initially filled with panic. But after seeing Yao Mengkang's disheveled appearance and the cracked longsword in his hand, the panic subsided, replaced by a simple doubt and a trace of... sympathy.

"Yes, yes, this is my family's blacksmith shop."

The boy's voice was unexpectedly deep, but it carried a lingering naiveté and honesty.

"But...but my dad seems to be in a bad mood today, so I...I'm a little hesitant to go in..."

His voice trailed off as he spoke, and he glanced into the yard again, then shrank back.

Yao Mengkang's heart skipped a beat, and he followed up by asking:

"Young man, why are you afraid to go in? Have you done something to anger your father?"

The boy blushed and scratched his head sheepishly; the gesture, combined with his burly physique, had a strangely comical quality.

"Well, it's nothing... I just went fishing in the back hill today and got so engrossed in playing that I forgot the time and came back late... My dad hates it when I miss meals, he's definitely going to beat me up..."

As he spoke, he subconsciously touched the back of his head, as if he could already feel the pain.

Yao Mengkang was both amused and exasperated by his appearance.

A genius boy with such a powerful aura, who would be sought after by major powers in the outside world, actually dared not enter the house for fear of being beaten if he came home late?

The contrast is too great.

"Between father and son, there's no such thing as a grudge that lasts overnight."

Yao Mengkang gently advised the boy while carefully observing his reaction.

"Your father was probably just worried about you; he would have said a few words, but he wouldn't have actually done anything drastic."

Upon hearing this, the boy's conflicted expression lessened slightly, but the fear in his eyes remained evident.

He glanced at Yao Mengkang, then at the broken knife in his hand, and suddenly his eyes lit up, as if he had found a lifeline:

"Oh right! You're here to get your knives repaired, right? Well, then come inside with me! With guests around, my dad might be too embarrassed to beat me up in front of them!"

As he spoke, he seemed excited by this "brilliant" idea, straightening his slightly hunched back as if he had suddenly gained immense confidence.

Without a word, he reached out his large hand, somewhat clumsily but enthusiastically trying to grab Yao Mengkang's arm:

"Come on, come on, I'll take you to see my dad! My dad's blacksmithing skills are amazing, he'll definitely be able to fix your knife!"

Yao Mengkang initially wanted to decline again or try to find out more, but seeing the boy's enthusiasm and naivety, he knew this was an opportunity to learn more about the strange blacksmith shop and the mysterious boy, so he nodded in agreement.

"Then... I'll trouble you, young man. May I ask your esteemed name?"

"My name is Wang Tiezhu!"

The boy grinned, revealing a simple and honest smile.

"And you? What's your name? Where are you from? How did you get these injuries? Does it hurt?"

As he pulled Yao Mengkang into the courtyard, he bombarded her with questions, his tone filled with pure curiosity and concern.

"My name is Yao Mengkang. I come from... a very far place. I encountered some unexpected events along the way."

Yao Mengkang gave a brief answer, but his mind was racing. Wang Tiezhu... the name was indeed simple and unassuming, perfectly matching his appearance and temperament.

Judging from his innocent conversation and childlike nature, he seems to be just a simple-minded and powerful boy who is completely unaware of the town's abnormality and his own special nature.

The two walked into the courtyard while talking.

The yard was piled with coal, iron, and semi-finished farm tools. Although the stove in the corner was extinguished, a lingering heat could still be felt.

Directly opposite the courtyard gate is a spacious main room that also serves as a workshop. The room is somewhat dimly lit, and you can vaguely see some blacksmithing tools hanging on the wall.

Just as Yao Mengkang stepped into the main room, before he could even take a good look at the furnishings—

"belch--!!!"

A loud, earth-shattering hiccup, like a muffled thunderclap and carrying a strong smell of alcohol, suddenly came from the shadows deep in the main room!

The sound was so loud and abrupt that it seemed to shake the roof beams, causing dust to fall from them!

Wang Tiezhu, who had just straightened his back because "there were guests with him," turned deathly pale upon hearing this. His massive body trembled visibly, and his eyes were filled with extreme fear.

"Father, Father! I...I've brought a guest! A knife repairman!"

He shouted something incoherently, then suddenly shrank his neck as if a ferocious beast was chasing him. He no longer cared about Yao Mengkang, and with an agility and speed completely disproportionate to his size, he darted out of the side door of the main room and disappeared into the backyard, leaving only a series of hurried footsteps.

Yao Mengkang was taken aback by this sudden turn of events, then his heart tightened, and he immediately focused all his attention on the direction from which the hiccup sound came.

He strained his eyes and peered into the shadows deep within the main room.

The moment Yao Mengkang's gaze fell on that figure, his hair stood on end, and his heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand!

His eyes widened, his pupils contracting to pinpoints in extreme shock!

What...what is that?!

Using the last rays of the setting sun filtering through the door and window, Yao Mengkang could see the presence clearly, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!