The morning sun slowly climbed above the endless forests of the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
Golden light filtered through the towering trees, scattering patches of warmth across the quiet campsite.
Most of the mercenaries had already awakened.
Some sharpened their weapons.
Others checked supplies before the day’s journey.
Nearby, the Little Fairy Doctor was carefully sorting medicinal herbs collected during the previous day’s expedition, occasionally giving instructions to members of her herb-gathering team.
Everything appeared peaceful.
Yet beneath that calm surface, fate had already begun to shift.
Inside a secluded corner of the camp, Xiao Feng slowly opened his eyes.
A gentle stream of Dou Qi circulated through his meridians before gradually returning to his dantian.
His cultivation had stabilized once again.
Although the increase in strength wasn’t dramatic, every cycle of cultivation deepened his foundation a little further.
Compared to explosive breakthroughs, Xiao Feng preferred this feeling.
Steady.
Solid.
Without hidden flaws.
After all, a tower could only stand as high as its foundation allowed.
As he stood, a familiar voice echoed inside his mind.
[Diary Influence Reward Available.]
[Reward: Dao Heart Tempering Art.]
Xiao Feng paused.
“Another cultivation technique?”
The reward entered his mind without delay.
Unlike offensive techniques or movement arts, this inheritance contained no killing methods.
It was a method for tempering one’s state of mind.
The stronger one’s Dao Heart became, the harder it would be for illusions, emotions, heart demons, or external influences to shake one’s convictions.
Reading through the inheritance, Xiao Feng couldn’t help nodding.
“This…”
“…is far more useful than it appears.”
In his previous life, he had seen countless talented people fail.
Some were consumed by arrogance.
Others by fear.
Many simply lost themselves after obtaining power.
Cultivation strengthened the body.
This technique strengthened the person.
Without hesitation, Xiao Feng began circulating the first cycle of the Dao Heart Tempering Art.
There were no dazzling lights.
No roaring energy.
Only silence.
The surrounding sounds gradually became clearer.
The rustling leaves.
The distant cries of magical beasts.
The flowing stream nearby.
For a brief moment, his restless thoughts became astonishingly calm.
The feeling vanished as quickly as it came.
Yet Xiao Feng smiled.
That single moment was enough to prove the inheritance’s value.
Elsewhere in the camp…
Xiao Yan was currently receiving another lecture.
“You were distracted.”
Yao Lao’s voice carried its usual calm authority.
“Exactly.”
“…”
“You’ve been looking in his direction three separate times.”
Xiao Yan scratched his head awkwardly.
“I was just curious.”
Yao Lao folded his arms.
“Curiosity isn’t a problem.”
“Losing focus is.”
Xiao Yan sighed.
His teacher somehow noticed everything.
Even things Xiao Yan himself didn’t realize.
Not far away, the Little Fairy Doctor secretly glanced toward Xiao Feng.
Since discovering the hidden cave, she found herself observing him more often than before.
Not because he had done anything extraordinary.
Quite the opposite.
He remained surprisingly ordinary.
He cultivated quietly.
Read whenever he had free time.
Asked strange questions that made people think.
Sometimes he would stare at a medicinal herb for several minutes before smiling as though he had solved some great mystery.
He didn’t behave like the mysterious owner of a diary capable of revealing the future.
Yet somehow…
That contradiction only made him more difficult to understand.
After breakfast, the mercenary group prepared to continue their journey.
Maps were unfolded.
Routes were discussed.
Scouts reported the movements of nearby magical beasts.
Everything proceeded according to plan.
Almost.
One experienced mercenary approached the Little Fairy Doctor.
“Doctor.”
She looked up.
“What is it?”
“We found another path leading deeper into the mountain.”
Several nearby mercenaries immediately became interested.
“Treasure?”
“Maybe.”
“Danger?”
“Definitely.”
The camp became lively with discussion.
Some wished to investigate.
Others preferred avoiding unnecessary risks.
Standing nearby, Xiao Feng quietly listened.
He had no intention of interfering.
The original story had already changed enough.
There was no need to force every event.
Sometimes allowing people to make their own choices created the greatest changes.
The discussion eventually ended.
The group decided to remain on their original route.
The unknown path would be explored another day.
For most people, it was a simple decision.
For Xiao Feng… You are reading on g.com, the official source.
It was another reminder.
The future no longer followed fixed lines.
Every choice created countless new possibilities.
Even small decisions.
That evening, after the camp settled down, Xiao Feng opened the diary once more.
He dipped the brush into ink before writing slowly.
Diary Entry #8
Today’s reward was a Dao Heart cultivation method.
Ironically, techniques that strengthen the mind may be rarer than techniques that destroy mountains.
Strength is easy to pursue.
A calm heart is much harder.
People often believe becoming stronger means defeating others.
I’m starting to think the hardest opponent is yourself.
Power without self-control eventually becomes another kind of weakness.
Maybe that’s why so many experts fall despite reaching incredible heights.
Not because they lacked talent.
Because they forgot why they started walking in the first place.
Far away, every diary reader quietly finished reading the latest entry.
No shocking secrets.
No hidden treasures.
Only a few simple sentences.
Yet those sentences lingered far longer than many grand revelations.
Inside the black ring, Yao Lao slowly closed the diary.
A thoughtful expression appeared on the old alchemist’s face.
“Power without self-control…”
He had lived for centuries.
He had witnessed the rise and fall of countless geniuses.
How many of them had failed for exactly that reason?
Perhaps…
More than he cared to admit.
Nearby, Xiao Yan noticed his teacher had become unusually quiet.
“Teacher?”
“Hm?”
“You look like you’re thinking about something.”
Yao Lao smiled faintly.
“I am.”
“What?”
The old alchemist looked toward Xiao Feng, who had already closed his diary and returned to reading another ancient book.
“…A question.”
Xiao Yan blinked.
“What question?”
Yao Lao shook his head.
“If I answer it now…”
“…you wouldn’t understand.”
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes.
“…You old people really enjoy speaking in riddles.”
For the first time that day, Yao Lao laughed openly.
The sound echoed softly through the quiet forest.
Above them, the stars gradually filled the night sky.
The expedition was nearing its end.
None of them realized it yet.
But when they finally left the Magic Beast Mountain Range…
None of their futures would be quite the same as before.