[If truth be told, Ye Yu had spent very little time in the world of cultivation.]

[He hadn’t read many manuals.]

[But if he included the scenes from his dreams, then Ye Yu’s experience would be considered quite extensive.]

[He had read perhaps seventy or eighty demonic manuals, if not a hundred.]

[There had never been a manual like this Nine Nether Body Refinement Technique that only trained the physique without increasing spiritual power.]

[This made Ye Yu feel something was off.]

[But then he remembered, this was the East Sea Continent.]

[Not the familiar Central Continent.]

[Perhaps there were some differences in the manuals.]

[Ye Yu shook his head.]

[He decided not to dwell on this issue for now.]

[A few days later, while Ye Yu was eating, he suddenly saw a chubby senior being beaten up by two others.]

[The kid just covered his face with his hands, taking the beating without fighting back.]

[But his hands occasionally flashed with a stream of light.]

[This piqued Ye Yu’s interest.]

[Moments later, the attackers left, and the chubby kid struggled to get up.]

[He noticed an extra meal in front of him.]

[This made him very confused.]

[Ye Yu calmly explained that he felt a bit sorry for him getting bullied, so his compassion overflowed.]

[If he didn’t mind, perhaps they could become friends.]

[This simple, non-emotional speech made the chubby kid’s eyes redden slightly.]

[They were all only thirteen years old, still immature, and easily trusting others.]

[Within just two hours, Ye Yu easily extracted a lot of useful information from him.]

[The chubby kid’s name was Shi Aotian.]

[This name had a certain protagonist vibe to it.]

[And Shi Aotian’s short life so far had been quite extraordinary.]

[He was a prince of a nation, raised in luxury, but his personality was not arrogant.]

[He was extremely gentle.]

[His cultivation talent was also very high.]

[At thirteen, he had already broken through to the early Foundation Establishment stage.]

[He was clearly one of those ‘other people’s children’ that parents always talked about.]

[Half a month ago, Wuxinzi had taken Shi Aotian from the palace.]

[He had told him the same story as Ye Yu.]

[Claiming Shi Aotian was destined to be the future lord of the demonic path, revered by all.]

[After this flattery, he had also been given a Nine Nether Body Refinement Technique manual.]

[Shi Aotian had felt quite excited at that time.]

[But the longer he stayed in this temple, he eventually discovered.]

[Wuxinzi didn’t just say this to him.]

[He said the same thing to everyone.]

[In two months’ time, if they could master the Nine Nether Body Refinement Technique, they would receive a reward.]

[The reward was being taken by Wuxinzi to the temple at the back of the mountain for personal instruction.]

[If they lacked the comprehension to master the technique, they would be sent home by Wuxinzi.]

[However, regardless of the outcome, Shi Aotian never saw those people again.]

[There was once a very beautiful senior sister.]

[Shi Aotian had been infatuated with her for a long time.]

[But before they could speak, she mastered the Nine Nether Body Refinement Technique and was taken to the temple at the back of the mountain by Wuxinzi.]

[She didn’t come out for several days.]

[Shi Aotian didn’t want to lose his first love just like that.]

[So when Wuxinzi went out, he quietly went to the back of the mountain, intending to boldly confess his feelings.]

[But before he could enter the temple, he found a huge pit in a hidden spot.]

[In the pit were dozens of bodies piled up in disarray.]

[The senior sister was among them.]

[Her body was horribly mutilated, and her face was twisted in agony.]

[Seeing this, Shi Aotian quickly returned to the front temple.]

[He stayed in his room for two days without coming out.]

[During this time, Shi Aotian realized one thing.]

[He could find another first love.]

[But if he lost his life, he would lose everything.]

[So, Shi Aotian decided to escape this hellish place.]

[He immediately discussed with his fellow disciples to see if they could escape together.]

[But the other two disciples didn’t believe him at all.]

[They thought Shi Aotian was deliberately lying to affect their mentality.]

[So they told Shi Aotian to get lost and stop affecting their cultivation.]

[But the persistent Shi Aotian knew what it meant to be relentless.]

[He kept pestering the two, explaining and preventing them from practicing the Nine Nether Body Refinement Technique.]

[The two became increasingly annoyed and more convinced that Shi Aotian was a stumbling block to their becoming the lord of the demonic path.]

[Finally, unable to bear it any longer, they beat Shi Aotian up.]

[Yes, that’s exactly what had just happened.]

[After learning all this information, Ye Yu’s face turned ashen.]

[Damn you, bastard.]

[Is the lord of the demonic path so worthless?]

[Does everyone look like one to you?]

[Scum!]

[However, Ye Yu then remembered something.]

[He had once read an ancient text in the Earth Fiend Sect.]

[It recorded a technique for possession, using a broken soul to seize a talented body.]

[If the soul to be possessed was too powerful, then the body to be possessed had to be strong enough to contain the soul.]

[Otherwise, the new body could easily be torn apart by the powerful soul and thus be unusable.]

[Perhaps this is the real reason why everyone is made to practice the Nine Nether Body Refinement Technique.]

[Seeing Ye Yu remain silent, Shi Aotian immediately covered his head and said, Junior brother, I swear I’m telling the truth. Please don’t hit me.]

[Hearing this, Ye Yu felt both amused and exasperated.]

[He then asked Shi Aotian, Since you are already at the Foundation Establishment stage, why didn’t you fight back when you were being beaten?]

[And what was that flicker of light on your arm?]

[Shi Aotian lowered his head slightly and claimed, He couldn’t fight back because if he did, people would die.]

[He didn’t want to kill anyone.]

[The flicker of light on his arm was the defensive state of his family’s secret cultivation technique, the Void Breaking Technique.]

[It could deflect some of the force of the blows.]

[However, the remaining force still caused him considerable pain.]

[Ye Yu walked up slowly and slapped Shi Aotian across the face.]

[If you’re afraid of pain, then don’t take a beating anymore. Start hitting others instead!]

[Beat them until they submit!]

[If they’re willing to beat you to death, why aren’t you willing to do the same to them?]

[Hearing these words, Shi Aotian stood there for a long time, unable to process them.]

[A month and a half later.]

[Wuxinzi came to the front temple to find Shi Aotian, asking him how he had progressed with the Nine Nether Body Refinement Technique as the agreed time had arrived.]

[Before Shi Aotian could respond, Ye Yu stepped forward and told Wuxinzi, I have already completely mastered the Nine Nether Body Refinement Technique, completing the task ahead of schedule.]

[Ye Yu’s proactive approach earned him a look of approval from Wuxinzi, who then disgustingly remarked, Disciple, I knew from a young age that you were no ordinary person.]

[You haven’t disappointed me at all.]