3: Chapter 3: I wanted to play it safe and develop my character.

A night passed.

Ye Fan woke up from meditation and exhaled a breath of turbid air. This one night of Cultivating was equivalent to several months of hard work by the original owner; his Meridians had widened by nearly thirty percent, and he was only a hair's breadth away from Late-stage Foundation Establishment.

However, he had no time to rejoice. The golden scroll in the sky was still there, and with the three-day countdown, only two days remained.

"Low profile, must keep a low profile." This was the first rule he had set for himself.

Before his strength was sufficient for self-preservation, the Yin-Yang Dao Body absolutely could not be exposed. In public, he had to maintain the original owner's image of a "mediocre Aptitude, just got slapped in the face" loser.

The problem was, there had to be a reason for the improvement in his cultivation base; otherwise, it would sooner or later arouse suspicion.

"A fortuitous encounter?" This was the most cliché yet practical excuse in the Cultivation World. The key was to fabricate a fortuitous encounter of the right level—enough to explain his rise, but not enough to attract covetousness that exceeded his ability to handle.

It would be best if it were a one-time thing that improved his Aptitude, something others couldn't snatch even if they were jealous. He put this thought aside for now; what was most urgent was the announcement of the physique list in two days. Ye Fan was most afraid that the Yin-Yang Dao Body would rank too high and he would be directly pushed to the forefront of the storm.

"According to the Legacy information, this Physique probably won't rank low..." He could only pray that the golden list's judging criteria wasn't just based on the theoretical potential of the Physique itself. If the ranking was truly too high, he would have no choice but to run away early, leave the Yuqing Sect, and find a place to hide and develop.

But running away was the worst possible plan. No matter how bad the Yuqing Sect was, at least there was food to eat and a place to Cultivate.

Knock, knock, knock.

The courtyard door was knocked upon.

Ye Fan quickly adjusted his expression, making himself look pale and his aura floaty, like someone whose injuries had yet to heal, before slowly going to open the door.

Outside the door was a youth wearing gray servant robes, around fifteen or sixteen years old, holding a wooden food box and keeping his head down, not daring to look at him.

"Ye, Senior Brother Ye... breakfast."

Ye Fan rummaged through the original owner's memories. This youth was named Wang Xiaoshi, and he was often bullied by the original owner. He originally wanted to be amiable, but on second thought, he needed to maintain his persona of being "heavily injured, humiliated, and in a bad mood."

Thus, his face darkened, and he snatched the food box away: "What are you dawdling for? Get lost!"

"Yes!" Wang Xiaoshi acted as if he had been granted amnesty and ran off without looking back.

Ye Fan shook his head and carried the food box back. Clear porridge, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables—was this the treatment for an Inner Sect Disciple while recovering from injuries? He didn't mind, though, and finished it in a few mouthfuls.

After eating, he planned to make a trip to the Scripture Pavilion. First, to observe the Sect's movements, and second, to check for information on special Physiques to see if he could find a method to conceal his aura.

Walking along the way, the Disciples he encountered were all discussing the golden list.

"The Sect Head and the Elders argued all night in the Discussion Hall!"

"They must be screening for Disciples in the Sect with special Physiques!"

"If you ask me, the most promising one is Senior Brother Zhao; I heard he has a Green Wood Spirit Body."

"Spirit Body? I'm afraid that's just bottom-tier; Saint Bodies, God Bodies, and Dao Bodies are the ones competing for the top spots."

Ye Fan walked past with his head down, silently listening to every word.

The Sect was going to screen for special Physiques; this was a double-edged sword. Being discovered might mean being "protected" and cultivated with concentrated resources, but it could also mean being completely controlled and reduced to Sect property. Given the original owner's popularity and status, the latter was more likely. He could not let them find him.

He arrived at the Scripture Pavilion, a seven-story tower with many Disciples entering and leaving. Ye Fan walked in with his head down and headed straight for the area storing miscellaneous discussions and strange tales.

He quickly flipped through a few books and learned about this world's classification of special Physiques: Extraordinary Talent, Spirit Body, Treasure Body, Battle Body, Saint Body, God Body, and Dao Body. The Yin-Yang Dao Body was classified in the top-tier "Dao Body" level, alongside the Chaos Dao Body and the Space-Time Dao Body. The descriptions were vague, but all of them were written as "Heaven-Defying," "Taboo," and "Rare throughout history."

It really was a top-tier Dao Body. Ye Fan smiled bitterly in his heart; it seemed hoping for a low ranking was unlikely.

He flipped through a few more books on hiding Physiques, but most methods were crude or required special treasures. Just as he was disappointed, his gaze was drawn to a record on one page.

"Turtle Breath Essence Concealment Technique" — created by an ancient Black Turtle. Mastering it allows one to deeply conceal Qi and blood and restrain divine radiance, making it undetectable unless one's cultivation base far exceeds the practitioner's. However, the drawback is that when in operation, one's aura is almost cut off, appearing as if in a state of suspended animation; one cannot fight or Cultivate.

Cannot fight and cannot Cultivate? Then what would I need it for?

But a flash of inspiration struck Ye Fan. The Yin-Yang Two Qi of the Yin-Yang Dao Body inherently possessed the ability to harmonize and transform. Could he modify this technique? Instead of seeking suspended animation, he could simulate a "mediocre" and "disorderly" aura? He immediately began to try.

After failing seven or eight times, an hour later, his body flickered slightly. A faint layer of aura like water ripples covered his entire body, and his temperament instantly changed—the previous trace of spiritual elegance and profundity vanished, replaced by a feeling of floatiness, mediocrity, and a hint of gloom, perfectly fitting the image of a "heavily injured, useless person."

"Let's call it the Yin-Yang Breath Concealment Technique." Ye Fan gave this crude technique a name; it should be enough to cope with ordinary investigations.

He was just preparing to continue flipping through books when, suddenly, an indescribable palpitation swept through his entire body. It wasn't a Divine Sense probe, but more like a resonance from the depths of his Soul.

The ancient books beside him moved without wind, flipping pages with a rustling sound. The books on the shelves related to cultivation and Physiques were all trembling.

The two strands of Yin-Yang Two Qi inside his body suddenly accelerated their circulation, becoming unusually active. Other Disciples in the Scripture Pavilion also exhibited strange phenomena; some had faint flame phantoms rising from their bodies, and others had tender shoots sprouting from the stone slabs beneath their feet.

"It's the golden list!"

Ye Fan forcibly suppressed the boiling Qi and blood in his body, maintained the Yin-Yang Breath Concealment Technique, and looked toward the sky through the window.

The golden scroll was emitting a light even more brilliant than yesterday. Endless Dao runes were flowing crazily, emitting a grand and profound Dao sound.

"Hum—"

In the center of the golden list, below the "physique list," the originally blank area rippled like water. Archaic golden characters appeared one by one, from bottom to top.

The first to appear was the one at the very bottom, the one-hundredth place:

[One-Hundredth Place: Thick Earth Spirit Body]

[Owner: Shi Gandang (Southern Wilderness, Rock Sect)]

[Physique Characteristics: Body harmonizes with earth veins, infinite strength, superb defense; Potential: Low Grade Earth Rank]

The entire Cultivation World was silent for a moment, then erupted into an uproar.

It had started! The golden list had really started to announce! Even the names and affiliated Sects were written clearly!

Ye Fan's heart pounded. This meant that once one was on the list, there would be no more secrets to speak of; they would be directly exposed before the entire world.

His gaze was fixed tightly on the golden list, watching the information for the one-hundredth place slowly solidify. Immediately after, the information for the ninety-ninth place began to appear as well.

The gears of fate were turning faster, and he, Ye Fan, could only clench his fists. In a corner where no one could see, he silently operated that crude concealment technique, waiting for the unknown to descend.