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"Seven times?" Wang Li\'s brows furrowed. That was unusual. While the Nascent Soul breakthrough was a significant hurdle, seven failed attempts for someone with Shi Feiyan\'s talent were highly unexpected. "Did you encounter any difficulties absorbing the Nascent Soul Condensation Pellets I provided?"

"Thank you for those, Patriarch," Shi Feiyan bowed her head slightly. "They were invaluable. However, for some reason, my attempts at breaking through have all failed.

Wang Li then asked, "Have you encountered any specific issues during these attempts?"

Shi Feiyan shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "No, Patriarch. Everything seems to be going well initially. I can condense the spiritual energy and feel myself approaching the threshold, but then… a strange blockage occurs. It\'s like hitting an invisible wall."

"An invisible wall," Wang Li repeated thoughtfully. There was something off about this situation. Shi Feiyan possessed a strong spiritual root talent, evident from her rapid cultivation progress. For her to be consistently thwarted at the Nascent Soul threshold was highly suspicious.

"May I?" he asked, extending a hand towards her.

Shi Feiyan hesitated for a moment, her cheeks burning even brighter. However, she remembered the immense debt she owed him and the sincerity in his voice. With a small nod, she placed her soft hand within his grasp.

The moment their skin touched, a surge of spiritual energy flowed from Wang Li, coursing through Shi Feiyan\'s meridians. He wasn\'t probing for secrets but conducting a meticulous examination of her internal state. His powerful spiritual sense, honed to a razor\'s edge, delved deep into her core, tracing the flow of energy through her body.

As he explored, a frown creased his brow. Everything seemed normal at first. Shi Feiyan\'s core was healthy, her spiritual reserves impressive. She possessed the necessary foundation for the Nascent Soul breakthrough. Yet, there it was – an anomaly.

A thin, almost imperceptible barrier nestled around her nascent core, a barrier that pulsed with a faint, yet strangely familiar, demonic aura. It was a meticulously crafted seal, designed to impede the flow of spiritual energy at the crucial moment of breakthrough.

Wang Li\'s eyes narrowed. This was no natural block; it was a deliberate sabotage. Someone, with a cunning understanding of cultivation and a malicious intent, had placed this seal on Shi Feiyan\'s core.

The realization sent a jolt of anger through him. Who would do such a thing? And why target Shi Feiyan specifically? The answer, he suspected, might lie in her past association with the Stone Mountain Sect. Perhaps an enemy from that time, harboring a grudge, had sought to cripple her potential.

He gently withdrew his hand, his expression thoughtful. "Shi Feiyan," he said, his voice low and serious, "the reason behind your failed breakthroughs is not due to a lack of talent. You have a powerful seal placed on your core, restricting your spiritual flow at a critical juncture."

Shi Feiyan\'s eyes widened in disbelief. "A seal? But how? Who would do such a thing?" Her voice trembled with a mix of fear and betrayal.

Wang Li couldn\'t offer a definitive answer yet. "I don\'t know the perpetrator," he admitted, "but I can assure you, we will find out. And more importantly, I can remove this seal."

A glimmer of hope sparked in Shi Feiyan\'s eyes. "You can remove it, Patriarch?"

"Indeed," he said, a confident smile gracing his lips. "The seal is well-crafted, but not impenetrable. With a bit of effort, I can dismantle it and free your potential."

Relief washed over Shi Feiyan. The burden she had unknowingly carried for so long, the frustration of failed attempts, now had a clear explanation and a path to resolution. "Thank you, Patriarch," she whispered, her voice thick with gratitude. "You are not just my benefactor, but my savior."

Wang Li chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Let\'s not get carried away, Shi Feiyan. This is merely a minor setback. Once the seal is removed, your breakthrough will be imminent. Consider this a way to further refine your cultivation and emerge even stronger."

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Now, tell me everything about your past in the Stone Mountain Sect. Perhaps a clue lies there, waiting to be discovered."

Shi Feiyan, her voice trembling slightly, recounted her past. She spoke of her childhood training within the Stone Mountain Sect, the rigorous cultivation techniques she mastered, and the camaraderie she shared with her fellow disciples.

As she delved deeper, detailing the various cultivation techniques practiced there, Wang Li listened intently, his brow furrowing in concentration.

Despite her detailed account, no mention of any encounters with demonic entities or rituals surfaced. This left Wang Li perplexed. The intricate nature of the seal suggested a deliberate act of sabotage, one fueled by a malicious intent. But who, and why, would target Shi Feiyan?

A sudden spark ignited in his mind, a memory resurfacing from the murky depths. "Shi Feiyan," he interjected, a hint of suspicion coloring his voice, "was there ever a time, during your tenure at the Stone Mountain Sect, when you had any physical contact with Ye Fan, the delegate sent by the Azure Peak Sect?"

Shi Feiyan frowned, her brow creasing in an effort to recall. A beat of silence hung in the air before her eyes widened in realization. "Ah, yes, Patriarch," she confirmed, "there was a handshake during our first meeting." Shame flushed her cheeks as she added, "I did find it strange and recoiled almost immediately, but that was the only instance of physical contact with him.

A smile, tinged with a hint of satisfaction, played on Wang Li\'s lips. This could be the missing piece of the puzzle.

"A handshake," he echoed, his voice devoid of surprise. His earlier frown smoothed out, replaced by a knowing smirk.

He leaned forward, his gaze holding hers. "Shi Feiyan," he began, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "Ye Fan shaking your hand wasn\'t a simple greeting. It was a calculated move, a sinister act disguised as courtesy."

Shi Feiyan\'s heart pounded in her chest. "What do you mean, Patriarch?" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

"That handshake, Shi Feiyan," Wang Li explained, "was a conduit for his demonic energy. He used it to inflict you with a subtle seal, a barrier designed to impede your progress at the Nascent Soul threshold."

Shi Feiyan\'s eyes widened in disbelief. "Ye Fan? But… why? We barely interacted! In fact, I considered him a hero at the time."

Wang Li chuckled, a dark edge to his laughter. "Ah, Shi Feiyan," he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "sometimes, the most dangerous foes aren\'t fueled by hatred, but by… desire."

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a seductive murmur that sent shivers down Shi Feiyan\'s spine. "Let\'s be honest," he purred, his gaze lingering on her features, "you are a strikingly beautiful woman, Shi Feiyan. Perhaps Ye Fan, upon setting eyes on you, was captivated. Perhaps he sought to… claim you as his own."

Shi Feiyan\'s cheeks burned a fiery crimson. Here was Wang Li, a powerful cultivator and her benefactor, openly complimenting her beauty. It was unexpected and slightly… thrilling. But his words sent a shiver of revulsion through her.

"Claim me?" she spat, her voice laced with disgust. "He wished to block my cultivation just to gain my favor. What a despicable act!"

"Think, Shi Feiyan," Wang Li urged, his gaze steady. "After repeated failures to reach the Nascent Soul Realm, wouldn\'t you become desperate for a solution?"

Shi Feiyan\'s eyes widened with a horrifying realization. "He was hoping to… exploit my desperation?" she choked out, the betrayal echoing in her voice.

"Precisely," Wang Li confirmed, his voice firm. "He would offer his assistance, perhaps even a \'cure\' for your block, all the while manipulating you for his own gain."

The weight of this revelation crushed Shi Feiyan. Hatred, raw and untamed, burned within her.

Wang Li\'s lips curled into a satisfied grin.

"Fear not, Shi Feiyan," he soothed, his voice laced with a deceptive sincerity. "This seal will be dismantled. Your potential will be unleashed. Once you break into the Nascent Soul Realm, you\'ll be an unstoppable force. And Ye Fan? He will face the consequences of his treachery."

A wave of gratitude washed over Shi Feiyan. "Thank you, Patriarch," she whispered, her voice trembling with sincerity. "Without your help, I might have remained trapped in this stagnant state for who knows how long."

Wang Li nodded, his eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement. "The seal will be removed, Shi Feiyan. However, there\'s one caveat."

Her heart skipped a beat. "A caveat, Patriarch?"

"Indeed," he confirmed. "The seal is intricately woven into your core. To dismantle it with precision and avoid any repercussions, I\'ll need direct access to the area surrounding your Dantian."

He paused, his gaze flickering down to her abdomen.

Shi Feiyan\'s cheeks flushed crimson. The implication hung heavy in the air.