MASTER OF NONE

The Absolute Void

Chapter 7:

At the sudden sound of Ye Cheng’s voice, Ye Feng’s entire body went rigid. His hands clenched so violently that his fingernails sliced into his palms, causing dark crimson blood to drip quietly onto the floor.

Behind him, Mo Qingxue’s sharp eyes caught the sudden burst of raw, untamed hatred, but she remained silent, keeping her head low. Suppressing the absolute fury raging in his chest, Ye Feng turned his back to the entrance and calmly followed the maid up the wooden stairs.

Down in the lobby, Ye Cheng’s eyes casually drifted toward the staircase. His brow furrowed slightly as he stared at the masked youth’s retreating back. Why does that person look so familiar? he wondered, a brief flicker of suspicion entering his mind.

He turned his arrogant gaze to the trembling innkeeper. "Who are those two?"

"Oh, just some ordinary travelers who just checked in, Young Master Ye," the innkeeper replied obsequiously, bowing low.

Ye Cheng scoffed internally, dismissing the thought. There is no way that could be Ye Feng. Mother went to great lengths and spent a fortune hiring those three assassins. Two 8th-Stage Qi Refining experts and one at the Peak Stage—there is absolutely no logical way that useless bastard could have escaped them. He’s undoubtedly rotting in a beast’s stomach by now.

Upstairs, the maid politely guided them to their respective rooms before bowing and taking her leave.

The moment the door closed, Mo Qingxue stepped into the space between their rooms, her voice a quiet murmur. "Do you know the man who just walked in downstairs?"

Ye Feng stopped, his back to her. "Why do you ask?"

"It felt as though there was a history between you two," she noted, her natural curiosity slipping through her usual compliance. "Who exactly is he?"

Slowly, Ye Feng turned around as he removed his mask. He looked at Mo Qingxue straight in the eyes.

The expression on his face was entirely vacant of human emotion—it was a dead, hollow mask, yet it carried an unbearable, suffocating weight. A thick, blood-red murderous aura gradually seeped from his pores, dropping the temperature in the corridor to near freezing.

Leaning forward slightly, his voice dropped to a low, predatory whisper that rattled her soul. “Listen closely, Mo Qingxue. Not every door is meant to be opened. Some questions are punishments disguised as curiosity. I asked for you to serve me, not to interrogate me.”

The sheer pressure of his killing intent created a terrifying illusion in her mind—for a split second, she felt a phantom blade piercing through her neck, making her believe she was already dead.

Mo Qingxue’s knees hit the floor instantly, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. What an absurdly dense killing intent! she screamed in her mind, breaking into a cold sweat. Even though my true cultivation realm is vastly superior to his, that gaze... it genuinely felt like I was staring into the jaws of a god of death.

Aloud, she kept her eyes glued to the floor. "Forgive me, Master. It will not happen again."

Ye Feng withdrew his aura as quickly as it had appeared, his face returning to its calm, calculated state. "Do not worry about it. For the next few days, I will be entering a state of absolute seclusion. Feel free to familiarize yourself with the county."

Without waiting for her reply, he stepped into his room and locked the door behind him.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Ye Feng began to map out his immediate strategy. If I can successfully pass the evaluation and join the Alchemist Association, I will secure a formidable shield against the Ye Clan. Even if it is merely a small local branch, the clan wouldn't dare openly offend them. The profession of alchemy holds immense renown and political weight in the cultivation world. The only variable... is that I currently know absolutely nothing about refining pills.

He closed his eyes and called out internally. System, are you active?

[Affirmative, Host. How can the System assist you?]

Do you possess any resources regarding alchemy?

[The System Mall contains various comprehensive modules, including a vast repository of Alchemy Experiences available for purchase.]

Ye Feng’s mind whirred. The more I use this, the more complex it becomes. System, state your exact operational features.

[The Host currently possesses limited access to the core architecture due to a low cultivation realm. However, three primary modules are fully unlocked: The Exchange Mall, The Inheritance Sanctuary, and The Temporal Void.]

I understand the Exchange Mall, Ye Feng mused, analyzing the terms. What are the purposes of the Inheritance Sanctuary and the Temporal Void?

[The Inheritance Sanctuary allows the Host to select a phantom mentor from a list of historical masters. These mentors will directly guide the Host in mastering any technique or skill purchased from the Exchange Mall for a designated period.]

Superb, Ye Feng thought, a trace of dark satisfaction entering his mind. While hiding in the forest, I spent days attempting to comprehend the Thunderclap Sword Art to no avail because I lacked proper guidance. With a master directly projecting their insights into my mind, my progression rate will skyrocket.

And what of the Temporal Void? he questioned.

[The Temporal Void is a localized dimensional anomaly. For a specific point cost, the Host’s consciousness can be transported into an isolated pocket realm where the time ratio is precisely 1 to 1000 compared to the mortal plane.]

Ye Feng’s eyes narrowed in shock. One to a thousand? So you are telling me that a single second in the real world equates to nearly a thousand seconds inside that realm?

[Correct, Host. One day in the mortal plane is equivalent to roughly three years of uninterrupted training inside the Temporal Void.]

An absolute cheat, Ye Feng calculated, his pragmatic mind immediately seizing the advantage. I was deeply concerned that I wouldn't have sufficient time to master the fundamentals of alchemy before the exam, even with a mentor's guidance. But with the Temporal Void, if I can secure just three days of real-world time, I will effectively have years to perfect the craft.

"System, open the Temporal Void interface," he commanded.

[Error. Host possesses insufficient points to initialize the transfer.]

"Ah, I almost forgot." Ye Feng reached into his coat and pulled out the glowing Level 4 Star Core he had extorted from Mo Qingxue. System, absorb and convert.

A brilliant beam of light enveloped the core, dissolving it instantly into the system panel. On his holographic display, his point total surged beautifully up to 3,000—but a fraction of a second later, the numbers violently glitched and dropped to a meager 1,950 points.

Ye Feng’s face darkened. "What is the meaning of this? My total clearly hit three thousand. Why did it suddenly plummet to nineteen-fifty?"

[Alert. The Host did not personally slaughter the beast to harvest the Star Core. Sourcing materials through third-party entities incurs a mandatory 35% processing penalty.]

Ye Feng let out a low, disappointed sigh, rubbing his temples. I assumed any core would suffice. He quickly mastered his frustration, his logical mind taking over. A thirty-five percent penalty is irritating, but still acceptable as long as I use Mo Qingxue to harvest high-level cores for me...

[Correction, Host. This was a introductory variance. Future attempts to exchange cores not directly slain by the Host or the System's direct assistance will trigger a permanent 200% punitive fine, reducing your overall point balance. Third-party exploitation is strictly forbidden.]

Ye Feng’s gaze grew cold. So I cannot rely on a loophole. If I want points, I must hunt the beasts myself. Fine.

Shaking off the setback, he refocused on the immediate task. "System, access the Temporal Void."

A sleek, translucent blue panel materialized before his eyes:

[TEMPORAL VOID RECHARGE INTERFACE]

Cost per Domain Day: 150 Points

Current Balance: 1,950 Points

Please input the desired duration for temporal acceleration.

"To think a single day costs that much," Ye Feng muttered. He didn't hesitate. "Recharge three days."

[Deducting 450 Points. Initializing Temporal Void Transfer.]

Instantly, a massive, swirling black vortex manifested in the center of the room, exerting a powerful gravitational pull that sucked Ye Feng’s consciousness inside.

He fell into an absolute, terrifying expanse. There was no light, yet he could see; there was no solid ground beneath his feet, yet he remained stable. It was a realm of utter, pristine nothingness—an infinite, silent vacuum where gravity, air, and matter ceased to exist. Only pure space remained.

Ye Feng looked around the silent dark. "When you called it a special realm, I expected at least some scenery. But at the very least, it is profoundly quiet."

Settling his mind, he spoke clearly into the void. "System, initialize the Inheritance Sanctuary. Show me the available alchemy mentors."

A rows of holographic portraits flickered into existence before him. Ye Feng calmly scrolled through the legendary figures, ignoring basic instructors until his eyes locked onto a specific image.

It was a man with long, silver-white hair. Despite his white hair, his face possessed the sharp, youthful features of someone in his late thirties, radiating an aura of supreme, unbothered wisdom. Beneath his portrait, a single, gold-plated title stood out in sharp relief:

[SAINT-GRADE ALCHEMIST: MU CHEN]

Without a moment's hesitation, Ye Feng pressed the image.

[Selection Confirmed. Summoning Saint-Grade Alchemist, Mu Chen. Commencing inheritance sequence.]

Suddenly, an immense, billowing torrent of thick, ethereal purple smoke erupted within the void, completely enveloping Ye Feng’s vision. As the smoke slowly began to dissipate, a tall, majestic silhouette began to materialize in the dead silence.