Chapter Fifteen: The Principles of Survival

“This little brat dares to gamble his life against mine?”

Facing Ye Yun’s nearly frenzied, unrelenting assault, Wu Jiang—who prided himself on surviving countless battles—could not help but feel a tremor of fear arise within his heart.

“If not for some protective treasure, any one of the six palms I struck him with earlier would have been enough to claim his life several times over!”

The fight dragged on and Wu Jiang, unable to gain the upper hand, began to grow wary. Fearing unforeseen changes, he considered retreat, shifting his stance to both fight and withdraw, seeking a chance to break free from the melee.

His eyes scanned his surroundings, only to discover that the other silver-haired youth had vanished. He guessed the young man was lying in ambush, ready to strike at any moment.

With this in mind, Wu Jiang’s urge to escape only deepened. Without hesitation, he stepped lightly backward more than ten feet, then spun around to flee, shouting, “We’re not far from Flying Dragon City! I’ll return now and summon reinforcements! Brat, you won—”

Before he could finish, Ye Yun executed the Roc Soars to Heaven technique, shadowing Wu Jiang’s every move. In a flash, Ye Yun appeared behind him, his hand slicing through the air like a blade, slashing viciously at Wu Jiang’s neck.

Wu Jiang barely managed to dodge, yet with a sickening sound, his arm was severed by Ye Yun’s palm, blood spraying.

“Aaah—!”

Wu Jiang’s scream of agony was abruptly cut short as Ye Yun’s fist crashed into his temple, caving in his skull like a ripe melon.

The slaughter ended. Ye Yun staggered, his legs weak beneath him, dizziness clouding his mind. He dropped heavily to the ground, gasping for breath, even as he focused on channeling the Scarlet Flame Demon Art to suppress his injuries.

His victory had been won by sheer ferocity and determination. Had Wu Jiang not wavered, had he withstood Ye Yun’s relentless onslaught, the outcome could have easily been reversed.

Of course, that was only one reason. Without the Dragon Phoenix Pendant gifted by his master, Ye Yu, he would have been slain at the very start.

Moreover, the Scarlet Flame Demon Art had proven its might—the depth of his inner energy far surpassed that of other cultivators at the same level.

Such are the benefits of a profound cultivation method!

“Yun’er, do you understand now?”

Ye Yu’s presence appeared soundlessly behind him.

He had observed the entire battle, yet even when Ye Yun was in danger, he had not intervened.

If Ye Yun were forever shielded beneath his master’s wings, no matter how extraordinary his talent, he would never truly grow. Only after enduring the tempering of life and death can one truly mature and become strong.

Under Ye Yu’s guidance these past years, Ye Yun had never taken the lofty doctrines of books to heart. Though he had now killed with his own hands, apart from some discomfort, his heart bore no guilt or burden.

When his master questioned him, Ye Yun pondered for a moment, then replied, “I lack battle experience, so I made many mistakes and was forced into a passive position. If I had more practice, I could have killed Wu Jiang without so much trouble.”

Hearing this lucid analysis, Ye Yu nodded with satisfaction and asked with a smile, “Tell me, why do you cultivate?”

Ye Yun thought for a moment before answering, “I want to become powerful, so that my parents and my master can live long lives—live forever, and stay with me always!”

No grand ambitions, no vows of invincibility—at eleven, what weighed most on Ye Yun’s heart were his parents and his beloved master, Ye Yu.

To him, they were his dearest kin. He could lose everything else, just not them.

Even after three years, Ye Yun still remembered his master’s words—there is no pain in parting like that of life and death.

Whenever he thought of the day his parents or master might die, his heart twisted in agony. He would rather take a hundred more blows from a master like Wu Jiang than bear the pain of losing his loved ones.

Though he had never truly experienced it, the mere thought brought him heartache.

Ye Yun’s answer stunned Ye Yu for a moment, but then he said, “All living things must die, unless one becomes immortal and matches heaven’s lifespan.”

“In that case, I’ll cultivate to become immortal, and bring my parents and you, Master, to immortality as well!” Ye Yun replied with a bright smile.

Ye Yu’s heart warmed at this, and he reached out to stroke his disciple’s hair. “Becoming immortal is no easy feat. First, you must learn to survive. If you die, what hope is there of joining the ranks of immortals?”

“The strong speak with power; the weak can reason with the strong for a lifetime, and still be ignored—at a flick of the finger, the strong can erase the weak. Remember this: once you know another is your enemy, there’s no need for words—strike them down, give them no chance to harm you. That is the surest way.”

Ye Yun nodded, understanding the lesson. Just as today, there had been no reasoning with Wu Jiang—their enmity meant only one would walk away alive.

What Ye Yun did not realize was how his character and thinking were being shaped by Ye Yu’s influence. He cared nothing for the constraints of tradition or morality; his methods were ruthless—if not an enemy, fine, but if so, then life and death must be decided.

But a thought occurred to Ye Yun, and he asked, “Master, what if I can’t defeat my enemy?”

Ye Yu raised an eyebrow, replying, “I told you when you were younger: if you can’t win, endure first, and wait until you can.”

“And what if my enemy doesn’t give me a chance?” Ye Yun pressed on.

Even Ye Yu, calm as a mountain, was momentarily stumped. In the seven centuries since reaching mastery, few in the world could match him—he had never worried about such a problem.

Yet he could not leave his disciple’s question unanswered. After a moment’s thought, he said, “If your enemy gives you no chance, you must create your own. As long as you survive, there will always be opportunities. Be flexible and clever in all things.”

The little grove was not far from Flying Dragon City, and it was unwise to linger. With a flick of his finger, Ye Yu summoned a flame that fell upon Wu Jiang’s corpse, reducing it to ashes in an instant.

Ye Yun had expected his master to take him away, but instead, Ye Yu led him into Flying Dragon City itself.

“The lands for ten thousand miles around Cloudwater City belong to the Ye clan. Hurting our own would be a mistake. The Wu clan of Flying Dragon City has always been our enemy. From here, your path of cultivation and trials truly begins.”

Upon entering the city, Ye Yu purchased a residence.

“Your performance in the last two trials has pleased me greatly. From today, I will begin teaching you the martial arts of the Totem Combat Method!”

Ye Yu’s efforts to lay a solid foundation for Ye Yun were meticulous. Each step was gradual—building from the simple to the profound, allowing Ye Yun to experience each subtlety firsthand.

Hearing that he could now study advanced martial arts, Ye Yun was exuberant, his spirits soaring.

Knowing his disciple’s thirst for martial arts, Ye Yu wasted no time, demonstrating the techniques right there in the courtyard.

As the founder of the Ye clan, Ye Yu had long transcended mere martial arts to enter the realm of true mastery—martial arts refined into martial Dao, the mark of a true grandmaster.

When he performed the Nine Forms of Dragon Fist, even though he infused no inner force, the air seemed to surge, as if he had truly become a dragon, displaying unrivaled might.

“Dragon Fist, First Form—Probing Claw!”

“Dragon Fist, Second Form—Swinging Tail!”

“Dragon Fist, Third Form—Infinite Changes!”

…

The set was profound and ever-changing, far superior to the Seventy-Two Forms of Empty Fist. Though named dragon fist, it was not limited to mere punching techniques; each move hinted at divine resonance, as though a dragon soared through the nine heavens, peerless and majestic.

“Yun’er, the Totem Combat Method is the highest martial art I can pass to you, but there are countless cultivation techniques, martial skills, and even divine arts in this world that surpass it. If you find greater methods in the future, your accomplishments will be even higher,” Ye Yu said.

The reason he had not taught Ye Yun advanced martial arts from the start was twofold: to ensure a solid foundation and because the more profound the technique, the higher the requirements. Without exceptional talent, one could not master them.

In Ye Yu’s eyes, Ye Yun’s talent and comprehension were both first-rate. Passing on the Totem Combat Method almost felt like burying a true genius.

If the Nine Forms of Dragon Fist were leagues above the Seventy-Two Forms of Empty Fist, then the Scarlet Flame Demon Art was even further beyond Ye Yu’s own Heaven and Earth Heart Method.

At this point, Ye Yun’s cultivation method was so advanced that the Totem Combat Method’s martial arts seemed almost inadequate as a match.

But Ye Yun knew none of this. Within a single day, three years after his journey began, his life had reached a turning point—not only had he grasped the essence of survival, he had also begun to study the highest forms of martial arts…