"Heh, Young Master Ye wouldn't know that. Ghost Valley disciples all have their specialties, and most use custom-made swords. Chen Feng excels in speed, which is why the 'Ghost Wail' is so swift," Wang Long, in full control of the situation, didn't mind explaining it to Ye Xiu.

"Alas, what a pity. I wanted to study for ages, but now I don't even have a weapon, how can I go to the battlefield? A tragedy!" Ye Xiu was genuinely disappointed, realizing everything he had learned might be useless in this era.

"Indeed, Feng'er’s sword is considered the fastest in the Valley, boasting the most techniques. I must admit that," Wang Long felt a familiar tremor of fear just thinking of Chen Feng. "However, Young Master Ye’s speed is commendable. If Feng'er were to use a killing move, most people likely wouldn't be able to evade it."

"Oh! Is that so." Ye Xiu had no true understanding of the terrifying nature of Chen Feng's sword techniques; surviving just then had been pure, instinctual luck.

Wang Long performed a quick calculation, a plan forming in his mind, and spoke to Ye Xiu: "Last night, I dreamt of entering the Four Heavens Tower, guided by the spirits of our Ghost Valley predecessors. The astral anomalies of the previous day must have heralded many strange occurrences. Your arrival at Ghost Valley at precisely this moment—it is destiny. Perhaps you can bring about a change for the Valley."

"It can't be that mystical, can it? The stars shifted just because I arrived." Ye Xiu was skeptical of the old man, yet the fact that he had time-traveled gave him pause. "Me, an ordinary person, how could I bear the burden of deciding the fate of the entire Ghost Valley lineage?"

"This is the will of Heaven; you neither know nor can you change it." Wang Long's face was clouded with sorrow. He stood up and sighed, "Today's appearance of 'blood light' is an excellent omen. Change manifests like this: if you hadn't come, many things wouldn't have happened; because you arrived, this event occurs. This is predestination within flux."

"What's this about 'blood light' out of nowhere? Alas." Ye Xiu tried to comfort Wang Long. "By the way, what is this Four Heavens Tower? I’ve never heard of it."

Wang Long took a deep breath and spoke slowly: "The Four Heavens Tower of Ghost Valley is the sanctuary where the spirit tablets of our heroic ancestors are enshrined. No one knows the passage to it except the Valley Master. Furthermore, the four ultimate disciplines of Ghost Valley are hidden there. Inside, the realm is illusory and ethereal, both real and false, faintly visible, divided into four domains guarded by the Four Heavenly Lords of the East, South, West, and North. When I first assumed the role of Master, I could only gain recognition from the Gate Lords in the Mind Arts and Mystic Arts sects to learn those two ultimate disciplines."

Ye Xiu listened, utterly captivated, making no interruptions. If he could enter that place, it would undoubtedly benefit his cultivation immensely.

"I have no sons under my knee. I had hoped Feng'er could shoulder the position of Master, having achieved mastery in the Sword Arts Gate. It is only his current disposition that prevents me from entrusting the heavy burden to him." Wang Long looked meaningfully at Ye Xiu, his eyes filled with expectation, "But Ye Xiu!"

"No way, you've chosen me? I know nothing and have no foundation," Ye Xiu was naturally sharp, but assignments like this gave him headaches. "Forget it, I absolutely can't do it, I'm just... just..."

"Young Master Ye, since you share a destiny with Ghost Valley and are the bearer of change, entrusting the future of Ghost Valley to you will surely bring peace and prosperity to the region." For Wang Long to utter such words proved he had pondered this for a long time. He knew Ye Xiu would agree, just as he knew Chen Feng would inevitably bring disaster to Ghost Valley.

"Hoo..." Ye Xiu was speechless. It seemed there was no turning back from this forced undertaking, yet who doesn't yearn for strength?

"Alright, I accept. It’s settled!" As Ye Xiu spoke, he rose from his couch, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, and immediately knelt before Wang Long to salute: "Ye Xiu pays respects to Master."

"Good, good. Ye Xiu, rise quickly." Wang Long's smile held a sense of release mixed with a shade of worry. "In the next few days, your Master will impart all the Mystic Arts and Mind Arts I have learned in my life. When your injuries heal, I shall accompany you through the Ghost Insight Stone Gate to reopen the Four Heavens Tower."

"Thank you, Master." Ye Xiu replied loudly, standing up. It felt as if a beast was awakening within him, a force he needed to suppress so that no one else could detect it.

On the training grounds, Chen Feng wildly swung the Gui Shan sword techniques, a killing aura already enveloping the surrounding wilderness.

"Senior Brother! Why are you doing this?" Wan'er cast aside all caution and rushed right up to Chen Feng. "You did it on purpose, didn't you! You wanted to kill Ye Xiu."

"Hmph! What nonsense are you speaking, Junior Sister." Chen Feng was already bristling with unspent anger, and seeing Wan'er only made him more irritable. "That brat was just unskilled; if he loses his life, no one else is to blame."

"Slap..." Wan'er delivered a heavy slap across Chen Feng's face and flung her hand away. "I never imagined you were this kind of person. I never want to see you again."

Chen Feng was, after all, a man. Being struck by a woman in front of so many junior brothers shattered his pride: "Why are you defending that fellow? He’s only been here a few days, and you’re already so fond of him!"

"Senior Brother, you..." Another slender figure appeared at the doorway—it was Hong'er. She couldn't believe what she heard, a look of deep disappointment washing over her. "Senior Brother, so you never liked me after all..."

"Hong'er." Wan'er's anger had dissipated after that slap, but now seeing Hong'er, she felt at a loss for how to face her.

"Yes, I like Wan'er, and I love only Wan'er." Chen Feng went completely mad. He raised his sword to the sky and roared, "Ye Xiu, you wretch!"

"Wuwu..." Hong'er couldn't bear such a blow. Seeing the man she loved so desperately in such a state broke her heart.

"Hong'er, let me explain." Wan'er rushed out after him, yet felt utterly powerless.

Several days passed, and the atmosphere throughout Ghost Valley seemed to have shifted dramatically.

There was virtually no meaningful interaction between Chen Feng, Wan'er, and Hong'er, and Chen Feng no longer held the same authority among the other junior brothers as he once did.

Wang Long knew that the day of the variable was fast approaching. He took Ye Xiu into seclusion in the side hall, forcefully pouring the intricacies of the Mystic Arts and the theories of Mind Arts into Ye Xiu’s mind.

Ye Xiu studied with fierce dedication, aware that this was his destiny and a golden opportunity to reshape it. He was also intrigued that the art of Mystic Formation originated from the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams; having over a decade of foundational knowledge made mastering it surprisingly easy.

As for the Mind Arts, it was essentially what later generations called discerning human nature. The true marvel lay in projecting the Eight Trigrams patterns onto the dynamism of a person’s gaze, deeply involving the calculation of fate. As the saying goes, the eyes are the window to the soul; mastering the opening and closing of this window naturally grants command over the whole situation.

"Ye Xiu, I truly didn't misjudge you. In just a few days, you have achieved so much." Wang Long felt truly relieved, realizing he finally had a successor.

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