"This is the true treasure. If I could take it away, I would be able to comprehend Grand Sage Red Pine's supreme Sword Intent day and night."
Inside the Ancient Tomb beneath Mount Ba Ling, Yan Kuan looked at the stone wall before him, which continuously emitted astonishing Sword Intent. A trace of unwillingness showed in his eyes.
He had tried several times to approach the Sword Sharpening Stone earlier, but all had failed due to his insufficient cultivation. Though the treasure mountain stood before him, beyond his reach, making him somewhat frustrated, he was not overly stubborn about it.
"Since I can't get the Sword Sharpening Stone, I'll leave it here for now. I've been out for so long; it's time to go out and let them know I'm safe."
Yan Kuan gave up trying to approach the Sword Sharpening Stone again. With a thought, he broke into a swift run toward the direction from which he had come.
Time passed unnoticed while cultivating in the underground ancient tomb. He had cultivated here for so long without sending word home; his father and mother were probably worried sick.
"Young Master."
When Yan Kuan emerged outside, the bodyguards who had accompanied him all revealed looks of delight. Judging from the various traces of discarded supplies and waste they had left around the hillside, Yan Kuan had been gone for quite some time.
"I was gone for half a month, and you already notified... I understand."
Yan Kuan learned from them that he had been missing for over half a month. A few things had happened during that time, forcing them to notify his parents.
This was mainly because Yan Kuan had remained out of contact for so long. While they waited anxiously at Mount Ba Ling, they had spotted a group of tomb raiders from afar. Neither side had directly contacted the other, but the incident inevitably made the bodyguards anxious. So, the next day, they went into town and called Old Yan and Ms. Xiao.
"Dad and Mom have both arrived in Baling Town? That works too. I plan to make Mount Ba Ling a long-term base, and I'll need their help handling some of the arrangements here."
After thinking it over, Yan Kuan did not blame the bodyguards. They had merely been doing their duty, and having his parents come over would also benefit his future plans.
Jiujiang, known in ancient times as Jiangzhou, was hailed as the mouth of three rivers, a thoroughfare linking seven provinces, and the very brow and eye of the realm. It was known as Jiangxi's northern gateway, and its location was of great strategic importance.
After leaving Mount Ba Ling, Yan Kuan pondered for a long while before heading to Jiangxi. Rather than going straight to Mount Lu in search of the Underground Palace, he stopped in Jiujiang.
At a mountain villa outside Jiujiang, not far from Mount Lu, the mountains and waters complemented one another. The scenery was beautiful, and the environment pleasant.
Yan Kuan stood at a distance and observed quietly, a strange glint appearing in his eyes. During his time at the Eight Trigrams Sect, he had put considerable effort into its feng shui arts, allowing him to see far more in the terrain and earth veins of mountains and rivers.
Although this was the End of Dharma era, this region before him absolutely qualified as a spiritual land for cultivation. Faint dragon energy rose here, drawing over a stream of essence from the Violet Dragon Vein rising within distant Mount Lu. In this End of Dharma era, that was exceedingly precious and could aid cultivation.
More importantly, the layout of the villa district before him also concealed profound mysteries. On the surface, the homeowners here were independent, bearing different surnames. Yet everyone living here belonged to the same clan. An ancient cultivation clan had secluded itself here, and the arrangement was deeply significant.
"So this is demon aura!"
Yan Kuan watched the various chaotic auras from afar. There were quite a few living beings within the villa district. Although most took human form, closer examination revealed that some belonged to the same clan and carried an aura unlike that of ordinary humans.
According to the information Yan Kuan had, the ancient clan rooted in Jiujiang was a branch of the legendary Great Xia Dragon-Sparrow, calling itself the King of Jiujiang.
Of course, such claims were only worth listening to. This was the End of Dharma era, after all. The authorities were the strongest, and every demon and monster had to step aside.
Yan Kuan tilted his head as he examined the villa district. The scenery here was beautiful, with mountains behind and water beside it, while ambient essence suitable for breathing cultivation flowed through the area.
After pondering for a moment, he leaped away, choosing not to enter the villa district or make contact with the Dragon Finch Clan of Jiujiang.
Although most of the Jiujiang Dragon Finch Clan were no different from humans and possessed only faint Demon Blood, the clan called itself the King of Jiujiang and behaved rather arrogantly.
While observing Jiujiang's terrain over the past few days, Yan Kuan had also witnessed the conduct of this clan's members. They were not easy to get along with. His current strength was too low, and he could not afford to provoke sects and ancient clans with such deep foundations. It was best to avoid contact for now if possible.
"Such pure essence. What a pity it's all being drawn into the Underground Palace beneath the villa district."
At the foot of a mountain outside Jiujiang near Mount Lu, in a low valley some distance from the villa district, Yan Kuan stood at a particular terrain node. With his Fiery Golden Eyes active, he could see far more. A considerable amount of violet essence followed the terrain and was continuously drawn deep underground beneath the villa district ahead.
Yan Kuan greatly wanted to obtain some of that pure essence to aid his cultivation, but after thinking for a while, he ultimately abandoned the tempting idea. The Dragon Finch Clan was simply beyond his ability to provoke right now. Though he possessed a Great Power Supreme Treasure like the Trigram Treasure Box, they also possessed Secret Treasures at the leader level.
Moreover, the Jiujiang Dragon Finch branch had quite a few powerful experts, including senior elders of the Four Extremities Realm. They might have been only a minor force in the Big Dipper, but on Blue Star in this End of Dharma era, they were a top-tier power. No wonder they dared call themselves the King of Jiujiang.
"King of Jiujiang? I'll first make a trip through Mount Lu, then visit the various famous mountains. I should be able to find some independent cultivators."
Yan Kuan followed the course of the earth vein, heading into the depths of Mount Lu in the direction opposite the villa district.
Yan Kuan had come to Jiujiang this time partly to locate the precise location of the underground palace beneath Mount Lu, making it easier to search for treasure here in the future. On the other hand, he also wanted to find fellow cultivators to exchange insights with.
The path of cultivation could not avoid wealth, companions, methods, and land. Although Yan Kuan currently lacked neither wealth, methods, nor land, he had rarely interacted with cultivators beyond his own circle. His understanding of Blue Star's cultivation world came only from written knowledge, and that was not a good thing.
Blue Star's cultivation world might have declined, but even a rotten ship still had three pounds of nails. Cultivation was already difficult in this End of Dharma era. If he continued to shut himself away and refused to interact with the outside world, would he not merely be making cultivation harder for himself?
Of course, Yan Kuan had his own considerations. Though he intended to make contact with the cultivation world, he wanted nothing to do with ancient clans possessing inheritances like the Jiujiang Dragon Finch Clan.
Such ancient clans had deep foundations. Who knew what connections and strength they possessed? If things went wrong and they turned hostile, Yan Kuan could not handle them in his current state. Independent cultivators, on the other hand, were easier to deal with. Most lacked the strength and foundations he now possessed, making them much easier to manage.
As for treasured lands like Mount Lu, which still contained dragon energy and earth veins capable of drawing essence for cultivation, there would surely be some independent cultivators unwilling to abandon them. That was another reason Yan Kuan had come here. If he searched carefully, he should be able to achieve his goal.
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