Chapter 195: A Master and Disciple's Legacy; The Weight of Failure. Unveiling the Dao—the Cauldron of One's Strongest Will.

Guo Xiaomei and Yang Wei soared through the End Mountain region on their swords.

The air between them remained as still as a pond on a windless day.

Guo Xiaomei didn't utter a word about the risky wager Yang Wei had made with Elder Qian. She figured it wasn't her place to meddle, and even if she tried to warn him about the consequences of staking his spirit root, it wouldn't change a thing – the deal was done.

Not one to bask in awkward silence, Yang Wei finally broke the ice. "Sister Guo, are you okay?" he ventured, hoping to gauge her mood.

Guo Xiaomei remained silent, her gaze fixed ahead as the wind whipped her qipao and robes around in the high-speed breeze. Just when Yang Wei thought she might be seething with anger, Guo Xiaomei spoke up.

"Do you know why Elder Qian decided to enter eternal seclusion?" she asked, her voice soft yet laden with emotion.

Yang Wei shook his head. "No clue."

"It's because she feels like a failure as a teacher. She's had over twenty direct disciples, including Zirou and I, and not one of us has managed to master the inheritance she passed down. For her, that's the ultimate test of a master-student relationship. If a student can't grasp the foundation laid down by their master, they can never truly progress."

Yang Wei listened in silence, noticing the strain in Guo Xiaomei's voice. It was clear this topic weighed heavily on her heart.

Despite the difficulty, Guo Xiaomei pressed on, revealing more of Elder Qian's inner turmoil. "At first, she blamed her disciples for their lack of success. But after teaching Zirou and I, her best students, she started doubting if she was cut out to be a master. She feared her legacy, the fruit of her years of labor, would die with her."

Tears welled up in Guo Xiaomei's eyes as she continued, "No cultivator creates a technique only to let it fade into obscurity. They want it to live on through worthy successors, preserving their hard work for generations to come."

Wiping away her tears, Guo Xiaomei explained, "Elder Qian accepted that she might take her knowledge of the Dao of Spirit-forging Alchemy to the grave. That's why she chose eternal seclusion – it's as close to death as she'll get."

Yang Wei realized Guo Xiaomei had finished speaking, but he was at a loss for words.

So, they've been apart for over two hundred years? That's a long time to feel like failures. Sigh~ I get where they're coming from though. One doubts her own learning skills, while the other doubts her teaching abilities. That's rough.

He kept his gaze on her, searching for the right thing to say. Eventually, he stopped overthinking and acted on instinct. Speeding up his sword, he flew alongside Guo Xiaomei, matching her pace.

"I think I understand the favor you're asking of me," he said, breaking the silence.

Guo Xiaomei blinked back her tears. "You do?"

"Never mind, little buddy," he said affectionately.

Tianyi barked a few times in response, as if trying to tell his master something.

Though Yang Wei couldn't understand his dragon's chirps, he guessed, "You're saying I should focus on mastering the Dao of Spirit-forging Alchemy?"

Tianyi nodded enthusiastically.

Yang Wei laughed and gave Tianyi a playful tap on the nose. "You're a clever one, my friend."

Yang Wei placed the inheritance on the table before him, eyeing it thoughtfully. "Last time I opened this, it was like staring at a maze of complex formulas. I've been taking my time breaking them down and piecing them back together to grasp the real concept."

With a nod, he unfurled the scroll.

The words glowed with a serene golden light, then they detached from the parchment, floating in the air as a web of intricate golden energy scripts. "Hm, it seems I've got my work cut out for me," he muttered, scanning the array before him.

"The first step seems to be rearranging this mess," said Yang Wei, earning an agreeing bark from Tianyi.

The young man's fingers danced over the energy scripts, reshuffling them like a master puzzle solver. Hours ticked by as he meticulously sorted and aligned the glowing symbols.

Finally, after eight long hours, Yang Wei leaned back a bit as he felt a sense of accomplishment. "There we go," he spoke with satisfaction. "Now it's starting to click."

He paused, reflecting on what he'd uncovered. "This inheritance... when one cultivates it to its fullest potential, they can transform their spirit root into a cauldron that becomes their entire world." He paused for effect. "The stronger their will, the stronger the cauldron becomes.

So, to gain a cauldron of endless strength capable of withstanding the refinement of any item, one must first possess an inextinguishable will, achieved only through harmony of mind, body, and spirit."

Yang Wei paused when he noticed some texts were still disarranged. Quickly fixing them, he said, "The Dao of Spirit-forging Alchemy has four levels. At the first level, one must shape the world through the mind and heart. In the second level, one must understand the physical and spiritual, undergoing transformative body refinement to become a harmonizer.

The third level is all but darkness, where one must find the bridge between life and death to truly transform the mind and heart. And finally, the fourth level directly correlates with transcending self and achieving unity with infinity."

Halting his reading, he remarked, "Honestly, it looks clear and oddly familiar, but at the same time, it feels like it's missing something." Yang Wei looked at Tianyi and asked, "What do you think?" Tianyi simply nodded, as it was the only response it could give to something so profound.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Mu Lin entered elegantly. She silently stared at him, and Yang Wei did the same.

As expected, the prideful jade-like beauty wasn't smiling.