Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

September 15th, evening.

Deep in the dense forest behind Eagle Mountain.

Chen Yu followed the marks left by Abbot Zhou, spreading his spiritual sense to its fullest extent, covering a radius of a hundred feet. As dusk fell, the forest grew dimly lit, filled with the chirping of insects and birds, but to him, these sounds faded into the background. He only wanted to find that familiar figure.

After crossing a ridge, a hidden cave appeared ahead. The entrance was covered by vines and was almost invisible unless one looked closely. Chen Yu probed the cave with his spiritual sense and sensed two familiar auras—Abbot Zhou and Qin Huairu.

He pushed aside the vines and entered the cave. The cave was not deep, only about ten meters long. At the end, an oil lamp was lit. In the dim yellow light, Qin Huairu was curled up in a corner, while Abbot Zhou sat beside her, chanting scriptures in a low voice.

"Huai Ru!"

Qin Huairu suddenly looked up, and the moment she saw Chen Yu, her eyes reddened, and she threw herself into his arms.

"You're back...you're back..." she repeated, her voice choked with emotion, her hands gripping his clothes tightly as if he would disappear if she let go.

"I'm back, everything's alright." Chen Yu gently patted her back. "Those people have been dealt with, they won't be coming for a while."

Abbot Zhou stood up, put his hands together in prayer, and said, "Amitabha, I am relieved that Benefactor Chen has returned safely."

Chen Yu released Qin Huairu and bowed deeply to Abbot Zhou: "Thank you for taking care of Huairu, Abbot Zhou."

"You're too kind, benefactor." Abbot Zhou shook his head. "However, those people came for you. Although they retreated this time, I'm afraid they won't let it go. What are your plans, benefactor?"

Chen Yu remained silent for a moment. Abbot Zhou was right; the Fire God Temple wouldn't give up after just one failure. After that Qi Refining Stage 9 leader escaped, the next one to come might be the Temple Master himself—a Foundation Establishment Stage expert.

With his current cultivation level, at the peak of the first level of Foundation Establishment, his chances of winning against a mid-Foundation Establishment opponent are less than 30%.

"I need time," Chen Yu said. "Time to cultivate and improve my cultivation level."

Abbot Zhou nodded and looked at Qin Huairu: "Then this female benefactor..."

Chen Yu also looked at Qin Huairu. Leaving her outside alone was too dangerous. But taking her back to the cave? Although there were no enemies in the cave, the environment was unfamiliar, and it was worrying to leave a woman without cultivation alone.

Suddenly, a thought struck him—a small world!

The upgraded miniature world covers a hundred acres, with bamboo houses, streams, and forests, making it perfectly suitable for Qin Huairu to live in. Moreover, it is absolutely safe there; no one but him can enter.

"Huai Ru, I'll take you somewhere." Chen Yu took her hand.

Qin Huairu was taken aback: "Where to?"

"A place...where only I can go." Chen Yu looked at Abbot Zhou. "Abbot Zhou, let's go back to the temple first. I have some things to take care of."

The three returned to the Fire God Temple under the cover of night. Abbot Zhou arranged a quiet meditation room for them in the backyard, closed the door, and left.

Chen Yu pulled Qin Huairu down to sit and looked at her earnestly: "Huairu, I'm about to tell you something. It might be hard to accept, but you have to believe me."

Qin Huairu nodded: "I believe you."

Chen Yu took a deep breath, and with a thought, he brought Qin Huairu into the small world.

The scene before my eyes changed instantly—from a simple meditation room to a paradise filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers. Blue skies and white clouds, green mountains and clear waters, the air filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, bamboo houses in the distance, streams nearby, and vast fields of sacred fields planted with various medicinal herbs.

Qin Huairu stared blankly at everything, her mouth agape, speechless for a long time.

"Where...where is this?" Her voice trembled.

"My world," Chen Yu said, "a small world that belongs only to me."

Qin Huairu slowly turned around, looking at everything around her, her eyes filled with disbelief. She squatted down and touched the grass on the ground; it was real. She walked to the stream, cupped her hands in the water, and found it cool and sweet. She looked up at the sky; clouds were drifting by, and birds were flying by.

"This isn't a dream..." she murmured.

"It's not a dream." Chen Yu walked to her side. "From now on, this can be your home too."

Qin Huairu turned to look at him, and tears welled up again—but this time they were tears of joy.

"Chen Yu, who...who exactly are you?"

"She's yours." Chen Yu pulled her into his arms. "No matter who I am, I'll always be yours."

The two stayed in the small world for a long time. Chen Yu showed her around the bamboo house—the living room and kitchen on the first floor, and the bedroom and cultivation room on the second floor. Qin Huairu touched the walls of the bamboo house, looked at the scenery outside the window, her eyes full of novelty and joy.

"This place is wonderful," she said softly. "Even better than that little courtyard near the front gate."

"You can come here often from now on," Chen Yu said, "but you have to promise me one thing."

"What?"

"We can't tell anyone outside, not even Brother Zhu or Uncle San. This is our secret."

Qin Huairu nodded solemnly: "I understand."

That evening, they returned to their meditation room. Abbot Zhou had prepared a vegetarian meal, simple dishes, but Qin Huairu ate with relish—she was indeed hungry after wandering around the small world for so long.

After the meal, Chen Yu said to Abbot Zhou, "Abbot Zhou, I would like to stay at the temple for a while longer, maybe ten days to half a month."

Abbot Zhou nodded: "Please do as you please. I will tell everyone that you have already left."

In the days that followed, Chen Yu began a period of intense training.

During the day, he would accompany Qin Huairu for walks in the nearby mountains and forests, picking wild vegetables and fruits, and teaching her to identify simple medicinal herbs. At night, he would enter his small world, adjust the time flow to the highest ratio of one to ten, and cultivate all night long.

Ten days in the small world equals only one day in the outside world.

Thirty days in the small world are equivalent to only three days in the outside world.

Chen Yu consumed all the Qi-Nourishing Pills, and with the rich spiritual energy of the small world, his cultivation level steadily improved.

Foundation Establishment Stage 1 Peak... Foundation Establishment Stage 2 Early Stage... Foundation Establishment Stage 2 Mid Stage...

When the last Qi-Nourishing Pill was used up, his cultivation level had stabilized at the late stage of the second level of the Foundation Establishment stage.

When I opened my eyes, ninety days had passed in the small world—nine days in the outside world.

Chen Yu stood up, feeling the surging true energy within his body, which was more than twice as strong as before. If he were to face a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator again, he would have at least a 50% chance of winning.

Once outside the small world, it was early morning. Qin Huairu was hanging clothes to dry in the yard. Seeing him come out, she ran over with a smile: "You're out? Are you hungry? I'll go get you some porridge."

Chen Yu watched her busy figure, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. For these nine days (ninety days in the small world), he devoted himself to cultivation, while she stayed outside to watch over him, cooking, washing clothes, and waiting for him to come out every day.

These days are wonderful.

But the enemy won't give him much time.

Sure enough, that afternoon, Abbot Zhou hurriedly returned from outside, his face grave: "Benefactor Chen, a group of more than a dozen people have come down the mountain, and they don't seem to be ordinary tourists."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. The people from the Temple of Fire God had finally arrived.

He looked at Qin Huairu, whose face was pale but whose eyes were firm.

"Huai Ru, go into the small world," Chen Yu said. "Don't come out unless I call you."

Qin Huairu nodded and took his hand: "You...you must be careful."

With a thought, Chen Yu sent her into the small world. Then he turned around and strode down the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, a dozen men in black were walking uphill. The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties with a square face, sharp eyes like an eagle, and a powerful aura emanating from him—mid-Foundation Establishment stage!

Chen Yu stopped twenty meters away from them and stared coldly at them.

The middle-aged man was also sizing him up. After a moment, he slowly spoke: "Chen Yu? I am Hua Tianxiong, the Palace Master of the Fire God Temple."

"I've heard so much about you," Chen Yu said casually.

Hua Tianxiong stared at him: "Hand over the Four Symbols Ritual Artifacts and the secrets of the Cave Heaven, and I may spare your life."

Chen Yu laughed: "Palace Master Hua, do you think that's possible?"

A cold glint flashed in Hua Tianxiong's eyes: "Then don't blame me for being impolite."

He waved his hand, and the men in black behind him rushed up at the same time—all of them were experts at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining!

Instead of retreating, Chen Yu advanced, his figure as swift as lightning, rushing into the crowd.

The second level of the Foundation Establishment stage completely overwhelms the Qi Refining stage.

One palm strike, one kick, two blows; in less than a minute, all the dozen or so men in black had fallen to the ground.

Hua Tianxiong's expression changed slightly: "Second level of Foundation Establishment? It seems I underestimated you."

Without further ado, he flashed forward and pounced on Chen Yu!

The two clashed instantly!

In the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, Hua Tianxiong had the advantage in terms of realm against the late-Foundation Establishment stage (Chen Yu was at the late second level, close to the mid-stage). However, Chen Yu was empowered by the Four Symbols Ritual Artifacts: the Azure Dragon Cauldron for protection, the Vermilion Bird Lantern Mirror for attack, the White Tiger Cong for enhanced power, and the Black Tortoise Armor for solid defense. As a result, they fought to a standstill!

"boom!"

"Bang!"

The two fought from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, breaking trees and cracking rocks in their path, creating a terrifying spectacle.

Chen Yu became more and more adept at the fight, his four powers working together exquisitely, gradually gaining the upper hand.

Hua Tianxiong was increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. This young man, despite being of a lower cultivation level than him, possessed astonishing combat prowess!

He feinted an attack, then retreated, his face ashen. "Chen Yu, I'll remember you. I'll let you go for now, but I'm determined to have the Four Symbols Ritual Artifacts!"

After saying that, he turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the dense forest.

Chen Yu didn't chase after him. Even if he did, he couldn't stop him; if a Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator wanted to leave, he couldn't stop him.

But this battle greatly boosted his confidence.

Even in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, this is nothing special.

Give him a little more time. Once he breaks through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, Hua Tianxiong will be no match for him.

Chen Yu turned around and walked up the mountain.

In her little world, Qin Huairu was still waiting for him.