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

December 26th, late at night.

The lights were still on in the small courtyard in front of the gate.

Qin Huairu sat on a chair in the main room, holding a needle and thread, sewing a cotton-padded coat. It was for Chen Yu; winter was coming, and he was always out and about, without even a thick coat.

Ding Qiunan sat next to her, holding a medical book and reading it, but her eyes kept drifting towards the door.

"Don't worry, he'll come back," Qin Huairu said softly, as if comforting Ding Qiunan, and also as if comforting herself.

Ding Qiunan nodded, but the worry in her eyes was impossible to hide.

There was a sudden knock on the courtyard gate.

The two stood up at the same time. Qin Huairu quickly walked over and opened the door—

Chen Yu stood outside the door, covered in blood, his face pale, but his eyes were still bright.

"Chen Yu!" Qin Huairu exclaimed, supporting him. "Are you injured?"

"It's nothing, just a superficial injury," Chen Yu forced a smile. "Let's go inside and talk."

Behind him followed another person—Hua Tianxiong.

Qin Huairu looked at him warily. Chen Yu said, "He is... a friend for now."

Hua Tianxiong nodded slightly but did not speak.

Everyone went inside. Chen Yu sat down, and Qin Huairu quickly fetched water to wash him. Ding Qiunan went to the kitchen to heat up the food.

Hua Tianxiong stood to the side, looking at the simple little house, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

"Is this where you live?" he asked.

"Yes," Chen Yu said, "It can't compare to your grand hall, but someone is waiting for me here."

Hua Tianxiong remained silent.

A moment later, Qin Huairu brought hot water to clean Chen Yu's wounds. He had several wounds, but none were deep. The most serious was the blow to his chest, which broke two ribs, but they had already set on their own.

"You're always like this, it makes people worry." Qin Huairu's eyes were red, but her movements were very gentle.

Chen Yu held her hand: "It's alright, I'm tough."

Ding Qiunan brought over the heated food—steamed buns, pickled vegetables, and a bowl of hot soup. Chen Yu and Hua Tianxiong were both hungry and began to eat heartily.

After finishing his meal, Chen Yu recounted what had happened on the battlefield—the white-haired old man, the damaged seal, the Fire Pearl, and Hua Tianxiong's assistance.

Qin Huairu was terrified and gripped Chen Yu's hand tightly.

Ding Qiunan's face also turned pale, but more than that, she was worried.

Hua Tianxiong sat to the side, remaining silent throughout.

"Who is that person?" Chen Yu asked Hua Tianxiong.

Hua Tianxiong shook his head: "I don't know him. But judging from his cultivation style, he doesn't seem to be a cultivator from the Central Plains. He's probably from overseas."

"abroad?"

"Yes. Some cultivators live in seclusion overseas, and their strength is unfathomable," Hua Tianxiong said. "He's at the ninth level of the Golden Core stage, just one step away from the Nascent Soul stage. Such people are rare even overseas."

Chen Yu remained silent. He was at the ninth level of the Golden Core stage, while he was only at the fifth level; the difference was too great.

Why did he break the seal?

"I don't know," Hua Tianxiong said, "but it's definitely not for the treasure. Once the seal breaks, the ferocious beast will break free, and the entire world will be doomed. What exactly does he want?"

No one can answer that.

As night deepened, Hua Tianxiong rose to say goodbye. Chen Yu called after him, "Where are you going?"

"Find a place to stay," Hua Tianxiong said. "I'm leaving Beijing tomorrow."

"Back to Southeast Asia?"

"No," Hua Tianxiong shook his head, "I'm going to find that person."

"Looking for him? What for?"

"Get to the bottom of this." A cold glint flashed in Hua Tianxiong's eyes. "He almost destroyed the seal and almost killed me on the battlefield. This debt cannot be left unpaid."

Chen Yu was silent for a moment, then took out the Fire Pearl from his pocket and handed it to him: "Here, take this back."

Hua Tianxiong was taken aback: "You..."

"This belongs to your Vulcan Temple," Chen Yu said. "I used it to reinforce the seal once, that's enough. You can keep the rest for yourself."

Hua Tianxiong stared blankly at the Fire Pearl for a long time before taking it.

"Chen Yu," he suddenly said, "what happened before was my fault."

Chen Yu smiled: "It's all in the past."

Hua Tianxiong nodded, turned around, and disappeared into the night.

Chen Yu returned to the house, and Qin Huairu and Ding Qiunan both looked at him.

"He's gone?" Qin Huairu asked.

"I'm gone."

"Is he...trustworthy?"

Chen Yu thought for a moment: "I don't know if it's credible or not, but we're all in the same boat now."

The next few days seemed to return to normal.

Ding Qiunan continued to come to the courtyard every day to study medicine, while Qin Huairu continued to work at the shop. Chen Yu spent his days with them and his nights cultivating in his own little world.

But the three cracks on the seal remained on his mind.

"I need to find a way to fix it," he thought.

He retrieved the legacy left behind by Huo Lingzi and carefully searched for information about the seal. Finally, he found a clue in a miscellaneous note—

"The seal is centered on the Five Elements Spirit Pearls, supplemented by the power of the Four Symbols. If the seal is damaged, it must be repaired with items of the Five Elements. The Fire Pearl can repair the Fire Element, the Green Wood Pearl can repair the Wood Element, the Metal Essence Pearl can repair the Metal Element, the Water Pearl can repair the Water Element, and the Earth Pearl can repair the Earth Element. Only when all five pearls are gathered can it be completely repaired."

Five beads! He only has the Fire-Separating Bead now, which belongs to Hua Tianxiong. The other four are unheard of.

"How are we supposed to find it?" Chen Yu said with a wry smile.

He continued reading: "The five pearls are scattered throughout the world, each with its own owner. The fire pearl is in the Temple of the Fire God, the wood pearl is in Shennongjia, the gold pearl is in Kunlun Ruins, the water pearl is in the East Sea, and the earth pearl is in the Zhongyue Temple."

There's a clue!

Chen Yu's spirits lifted.

The wooden bead is in Shennongjia, the gold bead is in Kunlun Ruins, the water bead is in the East China Sea, and the earth bead is in Zhongyue Temple. Although we don't know their exact locations, at least we have a direction.

He decided that once he recovered from his injuries, he would set off to find the beads.

January 3rd, just after the New Year.

Chen Yu was cultivating in his small world when he suddenly sensed movement outside the courtyard. He exited the small world and opened the courtyard gate—

An elderly man in a gray robe stood outside the door, his expression solemn.

"Elder, what's wrong?"

"Benefactor Chen, something has happened at the Xuanming Palace," the gray-robed elder said. "After returning from the battlefield that day, our people have been disappearing one after another. As of today, five have gone missing."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat: "Was it done by that white-haired old man?"

"I'm not sure. But it's definitely related to him," said the gray-robed elder. "I'm here to warn you to be careful."

Chen Yu nodded: "Thank you. You all take care too."

After the gray-robed old man left, Chen Yu fell into deep thought.

Is the white-haired old man still active? What is he looking for?

Could it be... that he's also looking for the Five Pearls?

Chen Yu thought about it more and more and it seemed plausible. Perhaps the attack that day was intended to break the seal and force out the Five Elements Spirit Pearls? But he could have simply seized the Spirit Pearls directly, so why attack the seal?

Can't figure it out.

But in any case, he had to pick up the pace.

That evening, he called Qin Huairu and Ding Qiunan together and told them his plan—to find the Five Pearls and repair the seal.

"Are you leaving again?" Qin Huairu's face turned pale.

"We have to go." Chen Yu grasped her hand. "If the seal isn't repaired, the ferocious beast will break out in three years, and everyone will die."

Qin Huairu remained silent.

Ding Qiunan suddenly said, "Brother Chen, I'll go with you."

Chen Yu was taken aback: "You?"

"Although I'm a burden, I can take care of you," Ding Qiunan said. "Besides, I also want to see the outside world."

Chen Yu shook his head: "It's too dangerous. You stay here with Huai Ru."

"But……"

"No buts." Chen Yu said firmly, "When I get back, I'll test your medical skills."

Ding Qiunan lowered her head and stopped speaking.

The next morning, Chen Yu bid them farewell and embarked on his journey to find the Five Pearls.

Our first stop was Shennongjia.

There are wooden beads there.