Chapter 399: 9 Forms of Breaking Illusion

“Besides that, there is a Fist Technique I must pass on to you.”

As his voice faded, the old man slowly raised his right palm, gathering a ball of soft light in its center. “This Fist Technique is called ‘Breaking Illusion.’ It consists of nine stances and possesses immense power. I hope you can fully master it.

“Watch closely.”

The old man moved, throwing a punch.

In Yang Xun’s eyes, his grandfather seemed frail and aged, yet this punch carried a steadfastness as immovable as a mountain. Wherever the wind of his fist swept past, the grayish-white space trembled slightly, as if its very foundation had been shaken by the force.

“First stance, Opening Posture.”

The old man’s movements were unhurried, but every punch stirred up subtle fluctuations in the airflow, leaving faint, ethereal traces in the grayish-white space.

“Second stance, Piercing Clouds.”

“Third stance, Splitting Stones.”

Each punch was faster and heavier than the last. By the final few punches, the afterimages left by the wind of his fists blurred together into a continuous stream.

Yang Xun stood a few steps away, his eyes locked onto his grandfather’s every movement. He engraved the trajectories of the Fist Technique, the timing of the force, and the coordination of True Qi into his mind.

It was unknown how much time passed before the old man’s movements finally stopped.

“The nine stances are complete. The rest depends on your own comprehension,” he said, his voice lower than before and carrying a fading gentleness. “Alright, child, go back now. You still have your own path to walk.

“Remember, the Breaking Illusion Fist Technique consists of nine stances, and each has its unique characteristics. Once you fully master all nine, you will be able to break the second seal with your own strength.”

“Grandpa, when can I see you again?” Yang Xun’s voice carried a trace of imperceptible urgency.

The old man’s figure was fading, like smoke scattering in the wind. “When you gather the sixth Origin Qi and unlock the sixth slot, I will appear again.”

After saying this, the smile on the old man’s face slowly faded. His entire body dissolved into tiny motes of light and vanished into the grayish-white space. Yang Xun stood in the emptiness, watching the lights completely disappear.

The Blood-colored Dragon Egg remained suspended in the center of the glow. Its three slots emitted a soft luster, like three ignited stars.

“Grandpa… I will finish walking this path.”

An unknown amount of time later, the grayish-white space began to slowly fracture. Like the surface of a pond disturbed by a thrown stone, ripples spread outward, growing larger and larger until they churned his entire field of vision into a blur of light and shadow.

The last thing to flash before him was a blinding white light.

Yang Xun snapped his eyes open.

“HUFF!” He panted heavily. What entered his sight was a familiar bedside lamp, its light soft and warm.

He had finally returned.

He turned his head. His vision was a bit blurry, but it soon came into focus. Xu Yue was sitting in a chair by the bed, her head resting near his hand. Her hair hung loose, and her eyes were puffy—she had clearly been crying for a long time. She wore a light gray loungewear set. She looked as though she had lost a noticeable amount of weight, and the distinct dark circles under her eyes made it obvious that she hadn’t slept well recently.

Yang Xun didn’t want to wake her, but the moment his hand twitched, Xu Yue stirred awake.

She groggily opened her eyes. When she saw Yang Xun looking at her with a smile, she froze as if rooted to the spot. Then, her eyes instantly turned red.

“You’re awake… you’re finally awake…” Xu Yue’s lips trembled slightly, her voice hoarse and choked with emotion.

Looking at Xu Yue’s bloodshot eyes, Yang Xun reached out and gently stroked her hair. “Don’t cry,” he said softly. “I’m fine now, aren’t I?”

“You have no idea how worried I was. You truly scared me to death.”

“How many days… have I been asleep?”

“Two days.” Xu Yue held his hand, unable to suppress the tremor in her voice.

Yang Xun shifted his body, trying to sit up, but Xu Yue hurriedly pressed his shoulders down. “Don’t move around. You just woke up and need rest.”

“I’m sorry for making you worry.” Seeing how red her eyes were filled Yang Xun with deep self-blame.

Xu Yue shook her head and buried her face in his palm. Hot tears dripped onto his hand. “As long as you’re okay.”

She gripped his fingers so tightly that her knuckles turned white, terrified that he would disappear if she let go.

Yang Xun propped himself up on the edge of the bed and slowly sat up, reaching out to pull her into his arms. Xu Yue didn’t resist. She obediently leaned against his chest, pressing her forehead against his collarbone, her shoulders still trembling slightly.

After leaning in his embrace for a while, Xu Yue finally lifted her head and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “You scared me to death. Sun Rao said you got injured outside. By the time I rushed back, you were already unconscious. Even the doctors couldn’t explain exactly what was wrong with you, so all I could do was stay by your side.

“When I saw you lying in bed with a deathly pale face, barely even breathing, I thought you…”

Before she could finish, her tears fell like rain.

Yang Xun looked down at her and reached out to tuck her stray hair behind her ear, trying to keep his tone as light as possible. “With such a wonderful wife, how could I ever be willing to die? I will stay by your side forever.”

“Really?” Xu Yue looked up at him, as if trying to confirm the truth in his words.

“Really.” Yang Xun clenched his fist, released it, and clenched it again. “Look, I have my strength back. Later, I can even pick you up and spin you in circles.”

Xu Yue couldn’t help but let the corners of her lips curl into a smile at his words. Then, she quickly reined it in and glared at him with feigned sternness. “If you ever dare do this again, I’ll lock you in the house for a month and forbid you from going out.”

“As you command!” Yang Xun responded with a laugh. He was about to say something else when he remembered an important matter. “By the way, did your business trip go smoothly?”

Xu Yue sat up straight. At the mention of company affairs, her expression visibly relaxed.

“Very smoothly,” she said, her tone carrying a rare lightness. “We signed with two distributors outside the province. We expect to be able to supply goods to other provinces by next month.

“Xu’s Beauty Industry has seen steady sales growth over the past two months. Our sales revenue has more than doubled compared to last quarter. We’ve become the dark horse of the industry this year.”

As she spoke, an irrepressible high-spiritedness shone in her eyes. Then, she pursed her lips a bit bashfully. “I originally wanted to go on a trip with you, but I really can’t step away from the company right now. It might… have to wait a while.”

“We can go traveling anytime.” Yang Xun waved his hand dismissively. “I’ll be very busy these next few days anyway. Yangyuan Residence is about to open soon. If I, the boss, ran off, Sun Rao would definitely scold me.”

Xu Yue let out a chuckle at his remark. “Speaking of which, Sun Rao is quite responsible. She kept watch by your bed the whole time before I returned. I also heard she personally recruited all the staff for Yangyuan Residence. She really is a capable helper.”

Yang Xun glanced at her, somewhat surprised. “You don’t mind?”

“Now that you mention it, having such a young and beautiful female manager by your side does make me a little uneasy!” Xu Yue looked thoughtful, her face completely serious.