The next day, the two set out on a new journey.

　　At noon, they stopped at a small roadside eatery to replenish their strength. The moment Yichen sat down, he began eating like a whirlwind. Bowl after bowl disappeared at astonishing speed, and soon the empty bowls were stacked high beside him.

　　Qing Nianli stared at the towering pile of bowls, inwardly groaning: How can he eat this much? At this rate, I really won’t be able to afford to keep him.

　　When Yichen had finally eaten his fill, Qing Nianli could not help asking, “Yichen, do you always eat this much?”

　　Yichen patted his stomach and grinned. “Yeah. When there’s food, you eat more—just in case.”

　　Her curiosity deepened. “Why is that?”

　　A fleeting dimness passed through Yichen’s eyes. “I went through some hard times. You never know when there won’t be anything to eat, so when there is food, I eat as much as I can.”

　　A surge of sympathy rose in Qing Nianli’s heart. She asked softly, “What did you go through?”

　　Yichen paused, then continued. “When I was young, I cultivated by pushing every realm to its absolute limit. In that process, I discovered that beyond perfection there was still another state—a domain. Out of curiosity, I touched that domain and perfected it as well before moving on to the next realm. Later, my master told me it was the Mythic Domain. My master spared no expense, giving me all the heavenly treasures he had gathered to aid my cultivation. But I didn’t want to trouble him endlessly, so I slipped away on my own.”

　　His gaze grew distant, as if sinking into memory.

　　“For a long time after that, I lived by ‘eating the mountains when I saw mountains, drinking the waters when I saw waters.’ Sometimes my luck was bad and I couldn’t find anything, so I went hungry. That hunger… it was truly unbearable.”

　　Qing Nianli frowned slightly. “But there are plenty of animals in the mountains. Why didn’t you hunt?”

　　Yichen sighed softly. “I didn’t want to take lives lightly. Aside from ferocious beasts, I’ve never killed any other living creature. Only when such beasts appeared could I eat my fill.”

　　“Did those beasts appear often?” she asked.

　　Yichen shook his head helplessly. “Of course not. They don’t show up every day. Most of the time, I had to wait for a very long time, starving, before encountering even one. Those days of waiting were extremely hard.”

　　Qing Nianli looked at him with aching sympathy. “Yichen, you’re too kind. But that kind of life is far too harsh.”

　　Yichen smiled faintly. “I don’t regret it. I’ve always believed that every life has its own meaning and value. Unless there is absolutely no other choice, I don’t want to harm them.”

　　As she looked into his eyes, an image suddenly surfaced in Qing Nianli’s mind—the scene of Yichen “battling” that chicken. In that instant, realization dawned.

　　She finally understood why, with Yichen’s strength, he could not even catch a mere mortal chicken. It was not because he lacked ability, but because the kindness deep in his heart refused to harm living beings.

　　He could easily have subdued the chicken, yet he chose such gentle—almost laughable—means to deal with it.

　　If he could show such compassion and restraint even toward an ordinary chicken, then his kindness was truly pure and sincere.

　　Qing Nianli seemed to glimpse Yichen’s soft and benevolent heart—a heart whose goodness had not been worn away even in the cruel world of cultivation.

　　His kindness compelled him, instinctively, to choose respect and protection when facing weaker lives, rather than wanton plunder and harm.

　　Such kindness might seem naïve to many, but to Qing Nianli, it was an incomparably precious quality.

　　She was moved by this goodness and felt, more than ever, that Yichen was someone worthy of deep cherishing and care.

　　They looked at each other, and in one another’s eyes they saw understanding and resonance. In that moment, a warm and beautiful emotion flowed quietly between them.

　　Qing Nianli clasped his hand. “You’re truly wonderful, Yichen. From now on, with me here, you won’t have to endure days like that again.”

　　Yichen looked at her, his heart brimming with gratitude.

　　“By the way,” Qing Nianli added, “you’re really incredible. To discover and cultivate the Mythic Domain at such a young age…”

　　Yichen smiled slightly. “That was all in the past. Looking back now, it fills me with reflection.”

　　“No matter what,” she said gently, tightening her grip on his hand, “you’re truly remarkable.”

　　In her heart, Qing Nianli was filled with awe and admiration for Yichen.

　　His independence was resolute and unyielding. He was like a solitary pine standing proudly amid wind and rain, able to grow strong without relying on anyone.

　　From the moment he decisively left his master to wander alone, to his calm composure in the face of countless hardships, Qing Nianli saw the powerful inner strength and firm conviction within him.

　　Like a lone traveler forging ahead on the path of cultivation, his independence left her deeply shaken.

　　As for the Mythic Domain—it was, in Qing Nianli’s mind, a dreamlike and unreachable existence. A realm spoken of only in legend, one that almost no one in the Upper Realm could ever touch. Its height forced all others to look up in awe.

　　She knew how inconceivable it was to enter the Mythic Domain—yet Yichen had done it. This only deepened her admiration.

　　Regarding Yichen’s strength, Qing Nianli understood clearly that although he appeared to be only at the Nascent Soul Realm, the Nascent Soul empowered by the Mythic Domain was, to her, like a bottomless and mysterious vortex.

　　It was nothing like an ordinary Nascent Soul. It seemed to contain an inexhaustible source of power, constantly radiating waves that stirred the heart with dread.

　　Such strength, transcending conventional realms, made Yichen seem like a god standing upon the clouds.

　　He could effortlessly touch upon rules and Dao laws that others of the same realm would never dare to imagine. Those profound and abstruse principles appeared as natural to him as everyday sights. The obscure Dao rhythms became clear under his comprehension, allowing him to perceive subtleties invisible to others.

　　Even challenging foes beyond his realm seemed effortless to him.

　　Relying on the unique advantages of his Mythic Nascent Soul, he could display astonishing resilience and combat power when facing higher-realm opponents.

　　He could shatter the barriers between realms, standing proudly against powerful enemies and forcing them to fall in shock and disbelief.

　　Such strength across realms made Yichen a singular existence, shining brilliantly in the world of cultivation.

　　Compared to him, others seemed dim and insignificant.

　　Qing Nianli realized that Yichen’s future was boundless. His talent and strength far surpassed the ordinary, granting him not only dominance among his peers but also the foundation to challenge even higher realms.

　　To her, Yichen was like a mysterious tome that could never be fully read—each deeper understanding revealing new surprises and awe.

　　His wisdom and courage complemented one another perfectly, enabling him to face complex situations with ease.

　　Qing Nianli believed that, with time, Yichen would surely become a legend of the cultivation world, revered and celebrated by all.

　　And to be able to walk alongside him—this made her feel unimaginably fortunate.

　　She was willing to remain by his side, to witness his ascent step by step, until he stood at the peak as a figure who commanded the attention of the entire world.

　　Without even realizing it herself, Yichen had already become more than a mere companion in her heart—he was the one she cherished most.

　　She looked forward to writing a glorious chapter together with him, leaving their own unique mark upon this vast and magnificent cultivation world.

　　Qing Nianli gazed quietly at Yichen. In the sunlight, his figure seemed to radiate a distinctive charm.

　　Every gesture, every smile of his made her heart tremble slightly. She knew that she harbored a special admiration for him, an emotion quietly budding within her like a flower yet to bloom.

　　Yet whenever that feeling threatened to overflow, the image of her father would involuntarily flash through her mind.

　　In that instant, her expression would grow complex, words lingering unspoken in her throat.

　　She silently pressed those emotions down, hiding them deep within her heart, leaving behind a mysterious foreshadowing—waiting for some future day when she could face Yichen openly and speak of it all.