A yellow paper appeared in front of Fang Yichi, engraved with several strange orange symbols, looking like living flames. Upon seeing it, he was stunned, wondering what it was. But soon, the answer came to his mind.
"Disciple, this is called a talisman. There are various types, each with different functions. The one before you is a talisman made with the blood of a beast with a fire attribute. Place it on the fish's flesh, and it will automatically cook, even underwater."
Upon learning this, Fang Yichi was amazed, finding cultivation more and more mysterious. Grabbing the talisman and looking closely, he noticed that the symbol was indeed made of blood.
"How is this even made? I get that cultivators are beings beyond comprehension, but it's hard to believe they can embed something like this onto a little piece of paper," murmured Fang Yichi, who knew nothing about talismans but admired the craft.
"Grumble."
His admiration was dispelled when his stomach growled. Regaining clarity, Fang Yichi placed the talisman on the fish.
In the next second, he saw the fish's temperature rise, as if it had been thrown into boiling water. 'Isn't that literally what's happening?' he thought, scratching his head.
Soon, he began to salivate again. The fish gave off a mouthwatering, delicious aroma. Without wasting time, he squatted down.
He removed the talisman and sank his teeth into the fish's skin, tearing off a piece from the ribs. The taste was delicious, even without any seasoning.
"This is so good!" It was the best food he had ever tasted. Nothing else compared. Turning into a ravenous glutton, Fang Yichi began eating rapidly. After stuffing himself, he lay down on the lake's ground.
Since he could breathe underwater, he fell asleep without worrying about anything else.
After a few hours, Fang Yichi woke up again. His skinny physique had recovered a bit thanks to the nutrition, though his face remained the same.
"Time to get back to this damn training!" he said with determination. This time, he would overcome the pressure and reach the waterfall.
With this decision, he continued from where he had stopped: four hundred steps. Advancing was easier this time; it didn't seem so hard. With each step, the waterfall drew closer.
But that happiness didn't last long. When he reached step seven hundred and forty-nine and took the next step...
He heard crying noises coming from all directions. His brain froze at that instant, trying to understand what was happening.
Covering his ears, he noticed several white flowers... crying. It was irritating. Instinctively, Fang Yichi took a step back, and the sound ceased.
'This training is hell! Besides the pressure, now I have to deal with some damn crybabies?'
He was angry, very irritated. This training was more chaotic than he had imagined. His master truly didn't hold back. 'That sunrise scene... was it preparation to stabilize my mental state?'
He sighed. His mind was now shaken. The flowers had damaged his focus, and he needed time to recover.
***
After regaining his mental state, Fang Yichi once again took a step—seven hundred and fifty. The crying instantly returned.
This time, he wasn't caught off guard, as he was already expecting this crap. Keeping his mind firm, he took a few more steps forward. The crying intensified. There came a point when his eardrums began to tremble. Fang Yichi went crazy and slapped his own ears without thinking about the consequences.
... The sound of the slap echoed through the water, and at the same time, blood began to drip into it. Red liquid gushed from Fang Yichi's auditory system, and even at that moment, he was still trembling, because even with his eardrums ruptured, the crying didn't stop.
"I hate this!" he began cursing. And the next moment, he felt his ears being healed by the water. This left a question mark over his head. For a moment, even the crying ceased.
"This damn thing has healing capabilities?" Fang Yichi was shocked. And just as he was about to say something, the damned sound returned.
"Shut up!" he growled at the flowers, which seemed offended and cried even louder. His fists reacted, clenching so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh.
"I'm going to destroy them!" Fang Yichi was not in a good state. It affected him more than he realized. While in this lunatic state, his master spoke:
"Fang Yichi, what are you doing? Where is the patient person? Why are you acting so impulsively? Where's your patience in using your brain?"
That voice pulled him out of his madness. "Master?" he had many emotions at that moment. But in the end, he took a deep breath.
'She's right... It's not in my nature to act like this. I was impulsive, acted based on intrusive thoughts. If this were the wild, I'd be dead. This training isn't bad... She really crushes you in every way.'
He smiled, calming his mind and becoming peaceful. The crying was still happening, as irritating as before. But Fang Yichi's mentality had changed.
"Haa..." Sighing once again, he began closing his eyes, entering a state of concentration. 'Remember that day, when you only had one arrow to fight the wild animal.'
He began recalling his teenage memories, when he went to the Shrouds alone, with only a bow and arrow. On his first hunt, he missed every shot, but on the last one...
He hit. That moment was one of the most remarkable of his life. After that, he kept refining the art of archery more and more. But even so, that feeling never returned.
'Now it's time to activate it again! Breathe deeply! Don't think about anything! Forget everything!'
Trusting in that mantra, he entered a subconscious state where nothing around mattered. Fang Yichi was oblivious to everything.
He even forgot his thoughts. He was like a puppet. But suddenly, he began moving forward.
His steps were in tune with the waters. The ribbon that held his hair came loose, and soon it fluttered upwards with the force of the water.
Fang Yichi, in this state, walked toward the waterfall with an unyielding posture. He was an immortal indifferent to everything, moving only based on his purposes. The annoying plants cried, but they had no effect on him; the water pressure was insane, but he endured.
Soon, with an unwavering posture, he walked, and after some time finally crossed the remaining steps, reaching the waterfall. The moment he passed it, all the water disappeared.