"I... I was... I was hit by backlash..."
"This person... This person possesses... great fortune... I..."
Celestial Yang Wanderer’s eyes filled with fear, his face pale as a sheet, and his hair turned instantly snow white. It was as though his spirit, energy, and essence had all been drained in a split second. From between his brows, a tiny figure shimred out.
It was none other than Celestial Yang Wanderer’s Nascent Soul.
The little figure hugged a compass, eyes half-closed, looking listless. With a casual wave, it tossed a white elixir into its mouth, then hurriedly sat ditating to recover.
"Backlash? This..."
Seeing Celestial Yang Wanderer turn out like this after using the retrospection technique, Wine Sword Immortal, Moon Fairy, Myriad Talisman King, and Master of Myriad Laws were all shocked—this outco was the last thing they expected.
At this mont.
Celestial Yang Wanderer, Nascent Soul dim and faded—he looked just like soone who’d pulled "eighteen all-nighters in a row."
"Daoist Celestial Yang, you did this for the sake of righteousness, and ended up spent. We’ll guard for you; just focus on recovering! Here—three Replenishing Pills from my sect. Take these first!"
Seeing this, Wine Sword Immortal patted his storage bag, and imdiately, a white porcelain bottle appeared and landed on the boulder beside Celestial Yang Wanderer.
Moon Fairy, Master of Myriad Laws, and Myriad Talisman King all took out elixirs in turn, placing them by Celestial Yang Wanderer.
Celestial Yang Wanderer said nothing, quietly working to recover.
"Moon Fairy, Master of Myriad Laws, Myriad Talisman King, in the image we saw—one of those two, the one holding the box, should be a puppet, looks a bit like Corpse King Sect’s Copper Corpse. But the main one is that short-mustached middle-aged Confucian cultivator!"
"Let’s first send notice back to our sects—capture the middle-aged, short-mustached man shown in the retrospection image! That guy took sothing from our Five Great Sects; we must get it back!"
Wine Sword Immortal looked gravely at the other three Nascent Souls nearby.
"Well said, brother! The Yu Kun Divine Monarch’s inheritance is of utmost importance; we must locate this man! The Refining God Technique cannot fall into the hands of the demon dao!"
Myriad Talisman King spoke up in a deep voice.
Moon Fairy and Master of Myriad Laws nodded and echoed, each sending out a communication talisman.
Soon after.
Ten figures sped over—it was the sa ten Golden Cores from earlier, who’d attacked the Purple Heaven Earth Vein Array!
All ten Golden Cores stepped up, greeting their sect’s Nascent Soul ancestor.
The two Golden Cores from Yin Yang Dao Sect saw their ancestor looking so miserable, and were startled, but with things so critical, once they knew their ancestor was unhard, they quickly turned to leave, releasing the order to hunt down the short-mustached middle-aged Confucian cultivator from the retrospection image.
Suddenly.
The order to find the middle-aged, short-mustached Confucian cultivator spread to the Five Great Immortal Sects, countless smaller sects, the Immortal Cities, and soon rolled out across the entire Southern Domain Cultivation Realm.
......
Three days later.
Thirty thousand miles from Liuyun Immortal Sect.
On the banks of Celestial Wave River.
Inside a cave beneath a nondescript cliff.
Lin Chang’sheng sat cross-legged on a stone platform, eyes closed in ditation, occasionally glancing at his own status panel.
[Refining God Technique — Qi Refining Chapter (Perfection)]
"Finally perfected it!"
Lin Chang’s eyes flashed with satisfaction as he looked at the panel’s red notification.
A vast torrent of information instantly surged into Lin Chang’sheng’s mind—it was the insights of the Refining God Technique’s Qi Refining Chapter perfection.
Right then.
He felt his whole body tremble, while in his mind, a sudden warm current rose up, nourishing his spirit and awareness. At that mont, Lin Chang’sheng felt especially alert, like he was floating on clouds.
"My divine sense... has improved quite a lot!"
"As long as I keep cultivating the Refining God Technique, my divine sense will grow ever stronger—way beyond others at my level!"
Lin Chang’sheng quietly operated the Refining God Technique: Qi Refining Chapter. As it worked, he could sense his divine sense strengthening bit by bit—tempered and nourished, steadily increasing!
He was sure, given ti, his divine sense would beco absolutely formidable!
"The Qi Refining Chapter is perfected. Ti to start on the Foundation Establishnt Chapter!"
Lin Chang’sheng thought to himself in anticipation.
The Refining God Technique: Foundation Establishnt Chapter had also been simplified—it involved just closing his eyes and nourishing his spirit, though it had cost him two thousand spirit stones to simplify it.
After the simplification, you’d perfect your cultivation by ditating, but later, repeated practice of the Refining God Technique would still enhance your divine sense’s strength, toughness, and coverage.
Ti passed.
In the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.
Lin Chang’sheng sat inside the cave, looking at his status panel.
The Foundation Establishnt Chapter was now perfected too. And as for smacking ghosts, pinching ghosts, cleaving ghosts, he’d made Qi Hui, Dugu Yun, Xuan Jing, and the others suffer horribly. His Celestial Ghost Essence Condensing Technique, Ghost Dao Hurricane Scroll, Celestial Ghost Sword Technique were all perfected.
"Now, it’s ti to integrate these cultivation techniques!"
Lin Chang’sheng stared at his panel, eyes full of anticipation.
........
Just as Lin Chang’sheng was in seclusion working on his cultivation—
The entire Southern Realm was shaken by two major events.
The first: The Five Great Immortal Sects of the Southern Domain Cultivation Realm all issued bounty notices, targeting a middle-aged Confucian cultivator in his forties with a short mustache. The rewards were massive.
Providing info about the short-mustached middle-aged cultivator—three Foundation Establishnt Pills, three thousand spirit stones! One top-level magical artifact!
Assisting in his capture—three Core Formation elixirs! Two magical treasures!
The portrait of this short-mustached cultivator had been plastered throughout the Southern Domain Cultivation Realm!
The second major event:
The Void Hall was showing signs of opening a hundred years ahead of schedule.
Void Hall is a mysterious Immortal Hall in the Southern Realm, rumored to have descended from the heavens, packed with infinite opportunities. Any cultivator who steps inside and makes it out sees their cultivation soar!
Nine hundred years ago, Ling Wuji, a Nascent Soul expert of the Southern Realm, entered Void Hall, seized a heaven-shaking opportunity, and ultimately beca the strongest late-stage great cultivator in the region, even advancing to Divinity Transformation and breaking through to the void beyond!
Void Hall is divided into Foundation Establishnt Area, Golden Core Area, Nascent Soul Area, matched to different stages of cultivation. Inside, you’ll find endless opportunities—core formation spiritual objects, nascent soul spiritual objects, body shaping holy pool, Refining God Hall... and countless other treasures—an unending bounty!
With signs of the Void Hall opening, both righteous and demonic factions and all sorts of sects are abuzz with anticipation from their Foundation Establishnt and Golden Core prodigies!
Even Nascent Soul experts are getting ready, itching to go inside and search for even greater treasures to advance their cultivation!
......
Southern Realm.
Yanyue Immortal Sect territory.
Giant Whale City.
Rows of grand halls lined up on the east side of the city—this was Yanyue Immortal Sect’s business headquarters.
Inside one such great hall—
Two stunningly beautiful won sat inside. One dazzling beauty looked at a jade scroll in her hand, eyes wide with amazent, muttering: "The one who took Yu Kun Divine Monarch’s inheritance—was him?!"
If Lin Chang’sheng were here, he would instantly recognize these two—they were Yanyue Immortal Sect’s star disciples, Consort Ling and Fu Qingyu!
"Senior sister, it really was him!"
Fu Qingyu took the jade scroll, eyes full of shock.
She and Consort Ling, her senior sister, had once hunted Corpse King Sect demon cultivators in Celestial Lake City Marketplace. Back then, they’d t Alchemist Zhang Han. Who’d have thought—it was Alchemist Zhang Han who’d made off with Yu Kun Divine Monarch’s inheritance!
"I rember, his cultivation was just Qi Refining, ninth layer—how could he possibly break open Yu Kun Divine Monarch’s cave estate? How did he do it?"
Consort Ling’s beautiful eyes were full of astonishnt. She muttered: "Looks like that Zhang Han—Alchemist Zhang—was hiding his true cultivation from us all along. Even we couldn’t see through it. He’s probably nowhere near Qi Refining stage!"
Consort Ling recalled how back then, Alchemist Zhang Han had greeted her respectfully, calling her ’Aunt-Master’. That’d felt awkward.
"Senior sister, what now? Looks like this Alchemist Zhang Han wasn’t even who he claid to be!"
Fu Qingyu frowned slightly.
"Mm."
Consort Ling nodded. "That man is so careful—it’s obvious his cultivation is greater than ours, and yet he called us Aunt-Master. Finding him won’t be easy. I’m actually curious what he really looks like!"
"Then... even if we report to the sect, we probably won’t be able to catch Alchemist Zhang Han."
Fu Qingyu said.
"No need for us to report—I’m sure the sect already knows. Alchemist Zhang Han sold pills in Celestial Lake Marketplace, and with his portrait out, plenty have claid rewards!"
Consort Ling’s beautiful eyes flashed with curiosity as she murmured.
Just then, a Yanyue Immortal Sect disciple wearing a Cloud Moon Robe hurried in, bowed deeply, and said, "Master Yu, Master Fu—the sect just sent word. The wanted man has shown up in Celestial Lake City, under our control. Here’s the sect’s ssage."
"Okay, I understand. Go on."
Consort Ling glanced at Fu Qingyu with a knowing look, then waved the ssenger off.
......
Celestial Lake City.
Celestial Lake Marketplace.
A couple in their forties stood just outside the market, eyeing the crowd of cultivators pointing at the wanted posters. They shared a look, then stepped away to a quiet spot.
"Husband, I never expected that Alchemist Zhang..."
Yan Fen looked at her companion, Gong Cheng, her expression complex.
"Looks like Alchemist Zhang Han isn’t really at the Qi Refining stage. If he managed to seize Yu Kun Divine Monarch’s treasures—his cultivation at least has to be Core Formation... Alchemist Zhang Han used to help us with several batches of pills in the market; he was a good man."
"Those rewards—we shouldn’t get involved. Let’s head ho."
Gong Cheng finished and walked toward their little shop.
"Mm. I just hope Alchemist Zhang can stay safe and dodge this bounty hunt."
Yan Fen nodded and left with Gong Cheng.
......
Celestial Lake City.
Wang Family.
Patriarch Wang Lin sat inside the great hall, flipping through a newly-bought Magic scripture.
"Dad, just got word—our forr guest alchemist, Zhang Han—Alchemist Zhang—he snatched Yu Kun Divine Monarch’s inheritance! Right now he’s wanted by the Five Great Immortal Sects!"
"Now both the righteous and demonic factions are after him!"
Just then, a handso youth hurried in, respectfully saluting Wang Lin.
"What?"
"Alchemist Zhang is the one who took Yu Kun Divine Monarch’s inheritance?"
Wang Lin’s eyes widened, utterly stunned by what he heard from his son Wang Teng.
This whole ti, he’d regretted that Alchemist Zhang had left them.
After all—
Yu Kun Divine Monarch was the strongest Golden Core cultivator of three hundred years ago. His cave estate’s inheritance was legendary, coveted by Golden Cores and Foundation Establishnt experts of both righteous and demonic factions. Yet Alchemist Zhang was only said to be at Qi Refining—how could he possibly seize the inheritance from all those elites?
"Dad, it’s true—outside, the Five Great Immortal Sects’ wanted poster says: if you can provide info on Alchemist Zhang, you get three Foundation Establishnt Pills, three thousand spirit stones, and a top-tier magical artifact!"
"Alchemist Zhang was our Wang Family’s exclusive guest alchemist! If we report he visited, Yanyue Immortal Sect will grant us those pills—then you could advance to Foundation Establishnt stage!"
Wang Teng’s eyes blazed with hope.
Even if the pills didn’t co, the rewards would be lavish.
"This..."
Wang Lin hesitated, his eyes flickering, but after so thought, he shook his head. "Teng, if Alchemist Zhang Han was able to seize Yu Kun Divine Monarch’s inheritance right under the noses of powerful Golden Core and Foundation Establishnt cultivators, he must be hiding his real cultivation!"
"If we report him, it paints a target on our backs for the sake of a reward—not worth putting the family at risk. Also, it’s been months since he worked here; do you really think the ssage we provide would get us the reward?"
"Plenty of people in Celestial Lake Marketplace saw Alchemist Zhang. Let’s just focus on cultivation! Teng, you’ve got good talent. Work hard—you can reach Foundation Establishnt one day!"
"Dad, your son understands!"
Wang Teng nodded.
.......
Celestial Extre City.
East side.
A short-mustached middle-aged man stared at the Five Great Immortal Sects’ wanted notice on the city wall, and its portrait. Eyes wide, he muttered, "So it’s him? He’s the one who snatched Yu Kun Divine Monarch’s inheritance?"
"Isn’t he the guy doing chores in the wild? He even heard about Yu Kun Divine Monarch’s inheritance from ... This..."
Cao De was baffled.
He’d gone to see the commotion at Yu Kun Divine Monarch’s cave that day, and passed soone—a Qi Refining, Ninth Layer cultivator—cutting grass in the wild. The mory stuck with him vividly.
After all—it was damn weird for a cultivator to be out there hacking weeds.
"So maybe this really is: ’Trying too hard gets you nowhere, but dumb luck wins the prize’?"
Cao De’s eyes flashed with surprise as he murmured.
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