2: You are cursed.

Jiang Ye slowly got up, muttering, "Ah... my head hurts so much. Uncle, wait a moment. Let me recover a bit before I help you wipe away the Formation."

"It's over, it's all over!" The middle-aged man's face was filled with disappointment, and a hint of despair flashed in his eyes, as if his last hope had been shattered.

Just then, the blurry Formation on the ground suddenly lit up. The patterns of the Formation gradually became clear and visible, emitting a faint glow.

Jiang Ye's eyes widened, and he asked curiously, "Huh? Why did it suddenly light up?"

Gritting his teeth, the middle-aged man pointed at Jiang Ye in a rage and cursed, "You bastard! You brat! You..."

Jiang Ye looked bewildered and scratched his head, saying, "Uncle, why are you cursing at me? Watch out, or I'll beat you up!"

"Hahaha! You'll beat me up?" The middle-aged man thought for a moment, then waved his hand and said in a cold tone, "Death is at your doorstep! Not just you, but your family won't survive either. Now, look at your arms."

"Huh?" Jiang Ye froze for a moment, then pulled up his sleeves. Seeing his arms covered in complex black markings, he was so terrified that he collapsed onto the ground, his face turning pale.

"How could this happen? What are these marks on my hands?"

The middle-aged man looked at him coldly and said with a hint of intimidation, "You have been cursed, and your family will die along with you!"

"What? How can this be? I don't want to die, and my parents don't want to die either. You have a way to save us, right? I'm begging you!" Jiang Ye's voice carried a sob, his eyes filled with fear.

"Hmm? Why is there a smell of urine?" The middle-aged man wrinkled his nose and looked down at Jiang Ye's crotch, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha! You actually wet yourself from fear?"

"Wuwuwu... Uncle, please save me. I don't want to die, I don't want to die... Wuwuwu..." Jiang Ye looked at the marks on his arms, tears streaming down uncontrollably. He curled into a ball, looking utterly helpless.

"Enough! I just praised you for being brave, and now you're crying and even wet your pants. You're a disgrace to men."

Jiang Ye wiped away his tears and said in a trembling voice, "Then do you have a way to save me? I'm only eight years old, and I don't want to die so young. My mother said that when I grow up, she'll help me find a wife so I can give her grandsons."

The middle-aged man cleared his throat and said, "Ahem! It's not impossible if you want to live, but you have to listen to me."

Jiang Ye nodded hurriedly, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes. "Okay! I'll listen to you. What do I need to do to stay alive?"

"Only by cultivating and becoming stronger can you continue to live. The stronger you are, the longer you will live."

"Really? But... I'm only eight. Others aren't sent to those Sects to Cultivate until they're thirteen. Can I live until then?" Jiang Ye hesitated, his eyes full of worry.

"Well... I'll teach you. You won't learn a damn thing in those places anyway; you'd just die faster." The middle-aged man waved his hand, his tone filled with disdain.

Jiang Ye scratched his head and asked in confusion, "But after Brother Tianyang from our village came back from cultivating at a Sect, didn't he become very powerful?"

The middle-aged man sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Sigh! Let's start now. I'm afraid you won't even make it past tomorrow before you die."

With that, he raised his hand, pressed two fingers together, and tapped Jiang Ye's forehead. A flood of information surged into Jiang Ye's memory like a tide.

An hour later

The middle-aged man withdrew his hand and continued to intimidate him, "Alright, now Cultivate according to the Body Refining Cultivation Technique I gave you for four hours first. You must learn it quickly, or you'll die, and your parents will suffer along with you."

"Okay, I'll Cultivate right away. I don't want to die!" Jiang Ye nodded nervously, then sat cross-legged on the ground according to the contents of the Body Refining Art and began to Cultivate earnestly.

Four hours later

Jiang Ye's entire body glowed with golden light as the Pure Yang Power within him was slowly guided out to nourish his whole body. The middle-aged man observed silently from the side, preparing to help him gradually awaken his Pure Yang Body.

After a while, the middle-aged man withdrew his Magic Power and said calmly, "Alright, that's enough cultivation for today. Your small body won't be able to take any more. Starting tomorrow, come here every day to Cultivate. If there's anything you don't understand, ask me immediately."

Jiang Ye nodded. Although his body was exhausted, a trace of determination had appeared in his eyes. He knew he had to become strong to survive so that his family wouldn't be dragged down by him.