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

The aura pressed down like a mountain, and Chen Yu and Hua Tianxiong's expressions changed drastically at the same time.

Nine levels of Golden Core!

The white-haired old man slowly descended from the sky, landing in front of the small temple. He was still wearing that gray robe, his face was stern, and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. When he saw the five spirit pearls in Chen Yu's hand, a hint of greed flashed in his eyes.

"With all five beads gathered, it saves me a lot of trouble," he said calmly. "Hand them over, and I might spare your lives."

Chen Yu put the five beads into his pocket and said coldly, "Dream on."

The white-haired old man laughed, a cold laugh: "Then don't blame me for being impolite."

He raised his hand and unleashed a palm strike, a force as powerful as a tidal wave!

Chen Yu and Hua Tianxiong attacked simultaneously, fully activating the Four Symbols Ritual Artifacts and the Blazing Fire Pearl to withstand the blow.

"boom!"

The two were forced back seven or eight steps by the shock, their blood churning. The white-haired old man, however, remained completely still.

The ninth level of the Golden Core stage is far stronger than the fifth level.

"Is that all you've got?" the white-haired old man sneered. "Then you can all go die."

He attacked again, this time with even greater ferocity. His palm strikes transformed into countless black blades, shooting down like a tidal wave!

Chen Yu gritted his teeth, pushing the Azure Dragon Cauldron's protective barrier to its limit to withstand the attacks of the sharp blades. Each strike of the blade caused the barrier to flicker violently, and more and more cracks appeared.

"We can't hold on like this!" Hua Tianxiong shouted. "We have to find a way!"

Chen Yu's mind raced. A direct confrontation with someone at the ninth level of the Golden Core stage was definitely out of the question. He needed to rely on external force—

He looked at the five beads in his hand. With all five beads gathered, they could form a Five Elements Grand Array!

"Lord Hua, protect me for a moment!"

Chen Yu sat down cross-legged and summoned five spirit pearls, which floated around him. The wood pearl was green, the gold pearl was white, the water pearl was blue, the fire pearl was red, and the earth pearl was yellow, their five colors shining brightly together.

Following the method passed down from the Fire Spirit Child, he formed hand seals, drawing upon the power of the five beads—

Instantly, five-colored light surged, transforming into a massive light shield that enveloped him. The white-haired old man's black blade struck the light shield, but was actually deflected!

"The Five Elements Grand Formation?" The white-haired old man's expression changed slightly. "You actually know this formation?"

Chen Yu did not answer, but instead activated the great formation with all his might. The five-colored light grew brighter and brighter, gradually condensing into five giant dragons—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and Yellow Dragon—which circled around him and let out earth-shattering roars.

"go!"

Five giant dragons simultaneously pounced on the white-haired old man!

The white-haired old man sneered, his hands forming a hand seal. Black energy surged around him, transforming into a gigantic black dragon that clashed with the five other dragons.

"Boom!" "Bang!" "Roar!"

The entire Zhongyue Temple was shaking; countless cracks appeared in the ground, and surrounding buildings collapsed. Tourists scattered in terror, thinking it was an earthquake.

Chen Yu gritted his teeth and poured all his true essence into the great formation. The five giant dragons and the black dragon were evenly matched, but they were constantly draining his true essence.

Hua Tianxiong watched in alarm. He wanted to help, but he couldn't get involved. In a battle of this level, his intervention would only cause chaos.

"Chen Yu, hold on!" he could only shout.

Chen Yu could no longer hear. His entire focus was on the great formation; his senses were gradually blurring, leaving only a sliver of unwavering resolve—

Can't lose!

We absolutely cannot lose!

The black dragon suddenly roared, expanded several times its original size, and bit the green dragon!

The Azure Dragon let out a miserable cry and vanished into azure light.

Chen Yu spat out a mouthful of blood, but gritted his teeth and continued to activate the great formation.

The white tiger charged forward, only to be swept away by the black dragon's tail.

The Vermilion Bird spewed out flames, which burned the black dragon, causing it to scream in agony, but the flames were quickly extinguished by the black mist.

Xuanwu withstood the dragon's bites, and countless cracks appeared on its shell.

Huanglong rammed into Jiaolong, and both were injured.

The five giant dragons vanished one by one.

Chen Yu was bleeding from all seven orifices and his consciousness was beginning to fade.

"Chen Yu!" Hua Tianxiong shouted, "Let's retreat! Better to live than die!"

Chen Yu did not respond. He stared intently at the white-haired old man, his eyes filled with resentment.

We cannot withdraw.

He withdrew, and the five pearls fell into his hands. The seal will surely be broken, and the world will be in chaos.

Qin Huairu, Ding Qiunan, He Yuzhu, Aunt Zhang... everyone will die.

He exerted all his strength, pouring his last wisp of true energy into the great formation—

The five-colored light shone again, but this time, it did not transform into a giant dragon, but instead condensed into a huge five-colored pillar of light that shot straight into the sky!

A beam of light pierced through the clouds, illuminating the entire Songshan Mountain!

The white-haired old man's expression changed drastically; he tried to dodge, but it was too late.

The beam of light crashed down, engulfing him!

"ah--!"

Amidst screams, the white-haired old man's body began to dissolve. He struggled desperately, but the five-colored light, like a festering sore, slowly devoured his life force.

"No—I'm not reconciled—!"

As the last word fell, his body completely dissipated, turning into ashes.

The black dragon, having lost its support, also collapsed with a crash.

Chen Yu watched this scene and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Then, everything went black, and he fainted.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Yu slowly woke up.

All he saw was darkness—not the Small World, nor the Zhongyue Temple, but an unfamiliar place. He lay on a stone bed, surrounded by rough rock walls, with a faint glow of fireflies overhead.

"You're awake?" Hua Tianxiong's voice rang out.

Chen Yu turned his head and saw Hua Tianxiong sitting next to him, his face pale, but his eyes filled with relief.

"Where is this?"

"In the heart of Mount Song, in a cave," Hua Tianxiong said. "You were unconscious for three days and three nights; I carried you in."

Three days and nights?

Chen Yu struggled to sit up, his whole body aching, his true energy completely depleted. He looked inward at his dantian; the golden core was still there, but it was dim and lifeless, and would take a long time to recover.

"That white-haired old man..."

"He's dead," Hua Tianxiong said. "Your five-colored beam of light blasted him to smithereens. Chen Yu, that move of yours was too powerful."

Chen Yu smiled wryly. It was powerful, but the price was high. His golden core was almost completely drained, and he would need at least six months to recover.

"Where are the five beads?"

"Here you are." Hua Tianxiong pointed to his arms. "Even when you were unconscious, you were still holding on tightly. I couldn't pry you off."

Chen Yu looked down and saw the five spirit pearls lying quietly in his arms, their light much dimmer, but still there.

He breathed a sigh of relief and put the spirit pearl into his small world.

"Thank you, Lord Hua."

Hua Tianxiong waved his hand: "Don't thank me. You earned it all yourself."

He paused, then said, "Chen Yu, I've made up my mind."

"Decid what?"

"Disband the Temple of Fire God," Hua Tianxiong said. "After all this, I've seen things clearly. What inheritance or treasures are all illusions. What truly matters is being alive and being able to help those who need it."

Chen Yu looked at him for a long time, then nodded: "It's good that you think that way."

Hua Tianxiong smiled and said, "If you need any help in the future, feel free to contact me anytime."

"it is good."

The two rested in the cave for three days. Chen Yu took Qi-Nourishing Pills every day to slowly recover his true energy. Hua Tianxiong went out to gather information and find some food.

Three days later, Chen Yu was able to walk with difficulty.

"I'm going back to Beijing," he said to Hua Tianxiong.

"I send you."

"No need," Chen Yu shook his head. "You go about your business. See you again sometime."

Hua Tianxiong nodded and patted him on the shoulder: "Take care."

Chen Yu stepped out of the cave; the sun was shining brightly outside.

Mount Song remains majestic, and the incense at the Zhongyue Temple continues to burn brightly. To ordinary people, that earth-shattering battle was merely an earthquake.

He took a deep breath and started walking down the mountain.

January 31st, evening.

The small courtyard in front of the gate.

Qin Huairu was cooking in the kitchen when she suddenly heard the sound of the courtyard gate being pushed open. The spoon in her hand fell into the pot again. Ignoring the heat, she turned and ran.

At the entrance of the courtyard, Chen Yu stood there, his face pale but his eyes bright and a smile on his lips.

"I'm back," he said softly.

Qin Huairu rushed over, hugged him tightly, and burst into tears.

"I'm back... I'm finally back..."

Chen Yu gently patted her back, a sense of unprecedented peace welling up in his heart.

No matter how much hardship we face, as long as someone is waiting, it's all worth it.

The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen.

Ding Qiunan stood at the door, looking at them with a warm smile on her face.

As the sun sets, a peaceful atmosphere pervades the courtyard.

True peace has only just begun.