Xi Mengquan’s home, a thatched cottage, was once the residence of an elderly relative, the old musician who initially taught him to play the zither, who passed away just last year.

After turning ten, Xi Mengquan learned to sell herbs grown by the elders from a passing caravan, thus supporting the entire village’s livelihood.

During this time, he witnessed how sect disciples treated ordinary people in the city, which made him abandon the idea of joining one.

Chen Kuang curiously asked, "How did you start cultivating then?"

Xi Mengquan replied, "From the moment I first touched the zither strings and heard my first note, Spiritual Qi naturally gathered, and I understood the path of cultivation."

Chen Kuang: "..."

Excuse me, farewell.

He thought he had an advantage, already considering himself a genius among heroes, never expecting there was someone even more exceptional.

He needed to activate the "Fetal Breathing Technique" passively and have Grandmaster Huo Hengxuan guide him before he could formally begin his path of cultivation.

Xi Mengquan, on the other hand, needed no instruction, cultivating automatically.

Is this how a Saint starts out?

Sure enough, it’s leaps and bounds ahead.

Chen Kuang was momentarily speechless, continuing to teach back the knowledge that belonged to Xi Mengquan.

After slicing the sky open, Chen Kuang cautioned Xi Mengquan never to speak of it to anyone, pretending as if it never happened, and settled in the village.

To the other elders in the village, Chen Kuang claimed to be a teacher, staying out of appreciation for Xi Mengquan’s talent, guiding him.

The elders were exceptionally warm-hearted, bringing fruits and vegetables daily, praising Xi Mengquan’s wisdom and talent to Chen Kuang.

While Chen Kuang’s status bar still showed no activity.

Remarkably, he was genuinely at leisure, feeling so comfortable that he didn’t want to move.

But he knew this was only a temporary measure, even if he were on another timeline, he couldn’t wait two thousand years; so many changes could occur over such a length of time.

Even enough to erase someone entirely.

Unfortunately, since that day, Chen Kuang hadn’t succeeded in slicing open space with "Void-Slaying Sword" again.

Nor did he dare to randomly try slicing towards the sky again...

Nevertheless, amidst the repeated, dull reviews, Chen Kuang’s understanding of "Five Tones" grew deeper.

As seasons changed, five years quietly passed.

...

Outside, the drizzle persisted.

Xi Mengquan routinely sat under the eaves, cross-legged before the tea table, peacefully and calmly brewing tea for himself.

He was now eighteen, bearing completely the visage of youth.

His appearance became rather modest, lacking the feminine qualities of earlier years, yet still handsome.

In the past five years, he learned to use his music to attract animals and found a herd of deer in the mountains near the village.

By harvesting deer antlers, Xi Mengquan made a fortune, renovating the village and building a courtyard, providing for several elders.

Of course, such actions naturally attracted a group of disreputable people.

In earlier years, when Xi Mengquan’s cultivation was inadequate, Chen Kuang would interfere to resolve issues, though he preferred witnessing Xi Mengquan first getting bruised and battered before stepping in.

Teaching too much cunning!

Chen Kuang’s schadenfreude didn’t last long; the following year Xi Mengquan advanced to the Innate Realm, making him impervious to the common riffraff of Jianghu.

But Chen Kuang quickly found new amusement.

He started wandering around and provoking cultivators under various absurd excuses.

Initially targeting loose cultivators, later extending to martial sects!

He would always leave his name and origin—Xi Mengquan, from West Suburb River Cloud Village.

Xi Mengquan was thus forced to address myriad strange challengers out of the blue.

And the culprit simply sat nearby, enjoying sunflower seeds and the spectacle, wishing to applaud... leaving Xi Mengquan frustrated yet unable to confront him.

Xi Mengquan couldn’t fathom Chen Kuang’s cultivation level.

On the surface, Chen Kuang had reached the Moon Embrace Realm four years ago, his every gesture in harmony with the Way of Heaven, able to resonate with all things.

Yet Xi Mengquan couldn’t see his limits.

Ultimately, someone realized Chen Kuang was merely using Xi Mengquan’s name to stir trouble and tried to capture him.

They almost mobilized an entire sect, even inviting a Grandmaster.

But after only one move from Chen Kuang, the opponent conceded and left in disgrace!

Xi Mengquan set down the teapot, looking towards the other side at the white-clad figure playing the zither on the rooftop in the rain.

The rain seemed to grow heavier.

Yet the rainwater around that white figure avoided him, and there was no trace of Spiritual Qi on his body.

Xi Mengquan instinctively felt that if Chen Kuang wished, he could directly ascend to the Grandmaster Realm.

But for unknown reasons, Chen Kuang seemed to deliberately remain in the Moon Embrace Realm.

Chen Kuang sat on the rooftop, eyes closed, strumming an ancient zither.

Upon closer look, one would notice that the wooden zither on his knees lacked strings entirely.

This zither was an authentic ancient instrument he purchased recently.

Nearly a thousand years old, crafted from top-grade wood, its value should be immense; however, it has a fatal flaw, it lacks strings.

Reportedly, during wartime, its strings were all severed, without original strings to restore it, any attempt to reattach was deemed inadequate, compounded by its original owner’s fallen fortunes, leading to its final sale price being merely one hundred taels of gold.