Life in Daoxiang Village continued as before, yet Hu Feng was like a seed poised for growth. Harbouring a dream of cultivating immortality, whenever he finished his daily chores, he would always find a secluded spot to mimic the immortals as described by the elders: practicing stances in horse stance, swinging a wooden stick, and figuring out how to temper his physical strength and agility on his own.
One afternoon, Hu Feng headed into the mountains as usual, hoping to gather more dry firewood for his family.
As he walked deep into the mountain forest, a ethereal and illusory sound suddenly drifted to his ears like celestial music, strand by strand, captivating his heart and mind.
Driven by curiosity, Hu Feng dropped his bundle of firewood and followed the sound.
Parting layer after layer of thorns, he saw a White-robed Elder sitting cross-legged in a recessed cave in the mountain cliff. A faint glow emanated from the elder's entire body, and his robes fluttered without any wind. Hovering before the elder was an object glowing with a dazzling radiance—it turned out to be an archaic secret manual whose pages turned automatically, as if whispering to someone.
Hu Feng did not even dare to let out a deep breath, hiding behind a tree to watch in secret. After a long while, the elder slowly opened his eyes, his gaze seeming to pierce through everything. "Little fellow, you've been peeking for quite a while. Why don't you show yourself?"
With a blushing face and trembling all over, Hu Feng stepped out. "Gr... Grandfather, I had no intention of offending, I was merely drawn here by the sound."
The elder looked him over closely and laughed with amusement. "You have an affinity with my Astral Spirit Formula. Daoxiang Village cannot trap someone with spiritual roots like you. Take it and cultivate diligently, and do not let your innate talent go to waste."
With that, the manual floated directly into Hu Feng's hands.
Surprised and delighted, yet somewhat bewildered, Hu Feng asked, "Grandfather, what is a spiritual root? And how does one cultivate this manual?"
The elder patiently explained, "Spiritual roots are the foundation of cultivating immortality, naturally endowed with the ability to absorb spiritual energy. Your spiritual roots are extraordinary, and you will naturally perceive them in due time. This Astral Spirit Formula requires you to calm your mind and concentrate, guiding spiritual energy into your body according to the formula to make it your own."
Nodding in a way that showed he only half understood, Hu Feng knelt and kowtowed in gratitude to the elder.
When he raised his head again, the elder had already transformed into a streak of light and vanished without a trace.
Clutching the manual as he returned home, Hu Feng spent the entire night sleepless, his heart and mind completely consumed by thoughts of cultivation.
Once his parents fell soundly asleep, he crept stealthily to the woodshed. Following the instructions in the Astral Spirit Formula, he closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and attempted to sense the spiritual energy.
At first he had no clue what to do, but by the break of dawn, he finally felt a trace of delicate coolness slowly flowing into his body, tingling and pleasant like fragments of starlight.
Overjoyed, Hu Feng from then on hid away to practice in intense seclusion every day while his parents were out working in the fields.
Time flew by, and several months passed. Hu Feng achieved modest success in his cultivation, not only increasing his strength dramatically but also sharpening his senses significantly.
While the children of the village were playing, he could leap forward a distance of several zhang with a single bound, drawing gasps of awe from everyone.
Yet life at home grew increasingly difficult. The severe drought that summer caused crop yields in the fields to plummet, leaving his parents constantly furrowing their brows in worry. Seeing this and feeling it deeply in his heart, Hu Feng resolved to use what he had learned to help his family.
He slipped into the mountains by night, hoping to hunt some hares and mountain chickens to exchange for money. Deep within the mountain forest, Hu Feng concealed his figure and reined in his aura, as if merging completely with the night.
Before long, he spotted a hare.
Just as he was about to make his move, he suddenly heard groans of agony. Following the sound, he found a youth in black lying in a pool of blood, his legs heavily wounded and the grim carcasses of several Monster Beasts scattered around him.
"Brother, how are you holding up?" Hu Feng hurried forward to lift the youth up.
With a pale face, the youth gritted his teeth and said, "I was ambushed by Monster Beasts and fought my way out at the cost of my life, but my leg was bitten... Thank you for saving me!"
Hu Feng tore off a strip of his own clothing and bandaged the wound simply. "Don't speak for now, I'll carry you down the mountain to see a doctor." Carrying the youth on his back, he ran frantically all the way to the village clinic.
Once the youth's injuries had stabilized, Hu Feng learned that his name was Zhao Yu, hailing from the Rosy Clouds Sect, and that he had been ambushed by Monster Beasts while out on a trial journey.
Filled with gratitude, Zhao Yu said, "Brother Hu, such a life-saving grace is hard to repay. Seeing that your martial prowess is extraordinary, you are cut out to be an immortal cultivator. Why not come back with me to the Rosy Clouds Sect? There are countless immortal techniques and secret manuals there, which will surely help you set foot on the path of immortality."
Hu Feng's eyes lit up, but thinking of his parents at home, hesitation showed on his face.
Seeing right through his thoughts, Zhao Yu said, "Bring your family along with you. The Rosy Clouds Sect will make proper arrangements for them. With your aptitude, once your cultivation achieves success, you will enjoy endless wealth and glory—why worry about not being able to look after your family?"
Moved by the idea, Hu Feng went home to discuss it with his parents.
Although reluctant to part with him, his parents knew their son held lofty ambitions and nodded through their tears, though they were unwilling to leave the village.
A few days later, Hu Feng paid his final respects to his parents and set off with Zhao Yu. All along the way, Hu Feng gazed at the unfamiliar scenery, his heart filled with yearning and trepidation.
Perched upon a fairy mountain wreathed in clouds and mist, the Rosy Clouds Sect featured red walls, golden tiles, and pavilions carved of jade, resembling a realm of immortals.
During the initiation ceremony, the sect leader personally tested Hu Feng's spiritual roots and could not help showing a look of delight. "It is actually a supreme-grade spiritual root! To think that Daoxiang Village hid such an uncut gem."
From then on, Hu Feng formally entered the Rosy Clouds Sect, taking Elder Yuji Zi of Rosy Clouds Peak as his master and ranking sixth among his martial brothers.
Upon first entering the sect, there were numerous rules and techniques to learn. Hu Feng rose at the crow of the rooster every day, practicing swordsmanship and mental arts bitterly until late into the night.
Though some fellow disciples were jealous of his aptitude and tried to trip him up behind his back, Hu Feng never minded, focusing solely on his cultivation.
During a sect sparring tournament, Hu Feng took the stage and unleashed the Astral Spirit Formula. His spiritual energy transformed into dazzling starlight, stunning the entire audience as he defeated opponents all the way through to win first place, making everyone look at him in a new light.
As his cultivation deepened, Hu Feng was exposed to more profound techniques. Intent on nurturing his disciple, Yuji Zi found the Nine Yang True Formula and the Red Sun Sword in the sect's secret repository and bestowed them upon him. Hu Feng spent day and night pondering and refining them.
Relying on his resolute disposition and extraordinary talent, within a few years he rose from an outer disciple to the ranks of core disciples, and his reputation gradually grew.
Every time a letter was sent back home, his parents were filled with boundless pride, and Daoxiang Village gained a measure of glory because of him.
Yet Hu Feng knew deeply that this was merely the beginning. The pugilistic world was treacherous and unpredictable, and the path of immortality was long and distant. Only by attaining greater strength could he protect those he cherished and safeguard that peace within his heart.