His hand still held the last pill given to him by Roland, and in the three days that had passed, Feng Yi had just begun to vaguely realize that Roland's potion indeed had no side effects. However, it somewhat seemed to have overdrawn the little vitality he had left, accelerating the breakdown of his body.

He wondered if he would ever need to use this last pill.

This time, Feng Yi only walked for a few minutes before feeling unwell. He decided to expend some Mental Power to arrive directly via instant movement. While this pretense would to some extent cause a decline in brain power and slow his reflexes, making it difficult to keenly judge key words in Wu Tian's speech, it was all relative, just like the difference between his normal self and himself after a night without sleep.

But that was enough; he was tired.

Feng Yi slowly placed two fingers on his forehead, where the invisible rhythm quickly spread outwards from him. Under the true rhythm, the endless purple mist swirling around Immortal Mountain seemed to return to calm under the pressure of Quantum Resonance.

As his figure vanished, Feng Yi appeared instantly in front of the Jade Clear Sect's reception hall.

"General Feng, the Sect Leader has been waiting for you for a long time." The moment Feng Yi appeared, surprise flashed in the disciple's eyes but was swiftly replaced with respectful gestures inviting Feng Yi graciously inside.

"Thank you," Feng Yi responded with a nod.

A good while passed before Feng Yi finally made it to the high peak pavilion enveloped in mist and clouds. Surrounding the pavilion were green pines and the sounds of birds and fragrances of flowers, akin to a world from a painting.

His gaze swept over the area to see Wu Tian sitting in the center of the pavilion, with four Protectors standing behind him—Mingfei, Zhan Yu, Butterfly, and Protector Jin.

A strange flicker crossed Feng Yi's eyes; Mengdie had changed her attire. Even the light veil had disappeared, replaced by a beauty that was even more stunning.

"It's been a few days since we last met, General. I trust you've been well?" Wu Tian said leisurely, motioning for Feng Yi to take a seat and join him for tea and chess.

Feng Yi didn't know what this old trickster was plotting, so he silently took his seat and casually said, "The countenance is a reflection of the heart, and the heart is steadied by breath. Do I look like I've been well to you?"

At this moment, the Protectors exchanged glances, noticing the change in Feng Yi's aura, especially his pale complexion. This caused Mengdie to sway slightly, her lips curving upward as if she wanted to say something.

"Ha ha ha ha, General Feng truly speaks his mind. After what you just said, I don't even know how to continue the conversation."

"Heh, if you're at a loss, why not get straight to the point? I doubt the Sect Leader invited me here just to enjoy the scenery."

"No worries, no worries; shall we first play a game of chess?"

Looking at the chessboard that had already been set up, Feng Yi's eyes grew more complicated... It was said that reclusive experts often took to discussing philosophy over chess. Was he going to be part of such an occasion? Feng Yi didn't see himself as any kind of expert, but there was a saying to go with the flow. He had practiced this Huaxia chess before, and so he said, "Sect Leader, after you."

"Since you are the guest, General, please, you first."

As Wu Tian spoke, Mengdie walked over silently and poured the tea to the brim.

Feng Yi's expression was quite peculiar, "Why is Miss Mengdie not wearing her veil?"

"General might not be aware, but Mengdie is now a junior Protector of the Jade Clear Sect. What, do you prefer the junior Protector with a veil partially concealing her face?"

Feng Yi's expression clearly read 'awkward', as his question had prompted a counter-question from Wu Tian. He said, "The Miss Mengdie I know has always worn a veil before others, hence my curiosity. I hope my offense will be forgiven—but my congratulations are not absent. Little confu... cough!" Feng Yi almost called her 'little confused sister', but caught his slip and promptly corrected himself with a serious tone, "Miss Butterfly, congratulations on becoming a junior Protector."

This guy is rotten to the core, always teasing girls, but fortunately, he's quick-witted enough to elicit a laugh from Protector Jin for no obvious reason.

Mengdie turned her deep gaze upon hearing the sound, her clear eyes blinking slowly without a word.

Just as Feng Yi was about to make his chess move, preparing to strike a blow, Wu Tian spoke quietly, "General, what do you think martial arts are?"

Feng Yi was slightly taken aback, the chess piece still hanging in the air. He fell silent for several breaths and then said, "I am martial, I am the way; without me, there is no martial, and without me, there is no way." After speaking, he decisively placed the chess piece onto the board. At this moment, Feng Yi had already faintly guessed that Wu Tian's purpose was not to play chess, but to discuss the way.

"Sect Master, what, then, do you think is the way?"

"The way naturally arises, born from the heart. From one comes two, then four symbols and eight trigrams, and all things that grow and thrive can be the way." While speaking, Wu Tian made his move, moving a knight in a commonly used two-steps-forward, one-step-aside pattern.

The protector, on the other hand, remained silent, listening intently to their conversation. It seems that their exchange was much more captivating than the chess game itself. Wu Tian posed another question, "Then, I shall ask the General, if martial is just martial, beginning with the fundamentals and not following the natural way, how can one claim to understand martial arts?"

"Within martial lies the way, and the way is indeed martial; day and night interchange, yin and yang intertwine, a butterfly dreams, a leaf signals the fall, flowers bloom and wither; all these can be called the way. This vast world is like blossoms in the palm or three thousand dream butterflies, constantly changing and endlessly wondrous. How can it not be called the way?"

One could say that this was his initial understanding of the Third Rhythm.

"Interesting, interesting..." Feng Yi's words undoubtedly left Wu Tian pondering for a long time, and even the profoundly enlightened Mengdie furrowed her brows after his breezy words, as if grasping a deeper meaning.

When Feng Yi posed his question again, several moves had already been made on the chessboard, "What is the way?"

"Heaven, Earth, and Man—they are the way—but what is the way?"

"Not holding onto material objects, not dwelling on thoughts, not getting stuck in forms—all can be called the way. I am a soldier, not a martial artist, but I too have some personal insights into the natural flow of the way."

"General Feng has good insights, but..."

"But what?" As he spoke, there was a sudden snap, and Wu Tian's knight was casually captured by Feng Yi, without any polite hesitation.

"Last night, I observed the stars and suddenly noticed a great tree in the southwest about to fall. It seems that the Federation's mighty tree is likely to topple, with a star resembling a general threatening to tumble."

Listening to the hidden meaning in Wu Tian's words, Feng Yi nodded continuously amid laughter... as if listening to a story that had nothing to do with him, utterly indifferent, yet at the same time conveying the grand ambition of one who can swallow mountains and rivers with his aura, free-spirited and unconstrained, until Wu Tian finished speaking. Only then did Feng Yi shake his head with a light smile, "Life is not an eternal thing, and I am not a good recorder. I seldom contemplate what has passed, what I have gained or lost, but my insights are no less than anyone else's, and my vision is just as long. I do not wish to spark another war due to my problems."

Everyone was listening quietly...

Of course, General Feng's words referred to the troubles brought on by the Jade Clear Sect, yet he never cared much about these issues. His deep gaze looked toward the sky, seemingly peering into the dark depths of the universe, his gaze crossing through time.

"There's no need for misunderstandings, I am neither a saint nor broad-minded, but I simply cherish everything around me more. I have had comrades-in-arms, friends, and family; some have died in battle, others in hospital wards, and this makes me cherish the hard-won peace even more. After they were gone, I would often ponder the fragility of life and reminisce about my time on the battlefield. When alone, I can still faintly hear the roll call in the barracks. Having lived through these experiences, what I think about now is no longer about hatred. As a high-ranking general, I carry more than the soldier, so when I step off the battlefield, the first thing I think about is securing more benefits for the soldiers and their families who have served."

"General, you are indeed a national hero; your vision and magnanimity are truly admirable," Wu Tian expressed his sincere admiration.

"Hero is a foolish word," Feng Yi said. "There is no such thing as generosity or nobility in this world. Rather than discussing grand principles, within this limited time, I simply act according to my heart, in what I believe to be right. And the reason for my actions is not to avoid more sacrifices but to prove that the sacrifices made have value—fortunately, the war is over. Over the years, I have often been busy traveling, grown tired, and become numb, but perhaps the outcome isn't too bad."

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