Reunion with Li Muwan

Lin Che gave a bitter smile. If he could have returned, how could he possibly have spent a hundred years living in that world filled with slaughter and brutality?

Entering and leaving the Ancient God's Land both required special hand seals. This set of seals could only be used at the vortex before the final checkpoint; otherwise, it would be difficult to leave the Ancient God's Land successfully.

"This man actually suppressed a Core Formation expert here with nothing but his aura. Could his cultivation have already reached the Nascent Soul Stage?"

Among the Heng Yue Sect disciples, a young man in a yellow Daoist robe stared at Lin Che in the distance with a face full of shock, a trace of horror flashing through his eyes.

"His cultivation is not at the Nascent Soul Stage, but... the Nascent Soul Transformation stage... I never expected such a small Zhao Kingdom to possess an expert at the Nascent Soul Transformation stage."

As Wang Lin stood there in shock, Situ Nan's voice echoed in his mind from within the Heaven Defying Bead.

It was not difficult to tell from his tone that even he had never expected an expert at the Nascent Soul Transformation stage to appear in the tiny Zhao Kingdom.

"The Nascent Soul Transformation stage?"

Wang Lin asked with a puzzled expression, "Senior Situ, what kind of realm is the Nascent Soul Transformation stage? Why have I never heard of it?"

"I told you before that the cultivation world is extremely vast. There are quite a few stronger than those at the Nascent Soul Stage. Above the Nascent Soul Stage is Soul Transformation Stage, above Soul Transformation Stage is the Nascent Soul Transformation stage, and above that lies Ascendant."

Situ Nan answered in a strange tone. Lin Che had reached the Nascent Soul Transformation stage before even reaching a hundred years of age. This fellow's talent was rare in the world—perhaps even utterly unparalleled!

"It really is you, Senior Brother Lin Che~"

At that moment, Li Muwan, who had been watching the match earlier, suddenly had tears well up in her eyes and hurried toward Lin Che.

Lin Che noticed Li Muwan as well. He remembered this woman very clearly. After leaving the Ancient God's Land, he had chosen to enter secluded cultivation in Fire Ember Country to stabilize the realm he had just broken through to, and he had happened to save Li Muwan when she was being pursued and on the verge of death.

The two had cultivated together for more than ten years. During that time, Lin Che had repeatedly taught Li Muwan alchemy techniques, control over flames, and more.

When they parted, he had told her where his sect was located. If fate allowed, they would naturally meet again at the Heng Yue Sect. He had not expected Li Muwan to truly find this place several years later.

As a transmigrator, Lin Che naturally understood Li Muwan's character. She also possessed peerless beauty: flowers were her features, birds her voice, the moon her spirit, willow branches her bearing, jade her bones, ice and snow her skin, autumn waters her poise, and poetry her heart.

Li Muwan raised her head and stared blankly at Lin Che. A faint blush rose on her lovely face as she softly said, "I knew you would definitely return... Senior Brother, you really didn't lie to me."

Lin Che smiled faintly, then looked at Huang Long Zhenren, the Heng Yue Sect's patriarch, beside him.

Huang Long Zhenren appeared to possess only Core Formation cultivation, but he was actually Lu Yun, the incarnation of the fifth-generation Vermilion Bird of the Vermillion Bird Sect within the Four Saint Sect. Concealed beneath the identity of the Heng Yue Sect's leader, he possessed terrifying strength.

Not to mention Pu Nanzi, the leader of the insignificant Xuan Dao Sect—even the entire Vermillion Bird Star was as fragile as an ant before him. He had even reached the realm of the Five Signs of Celestial Decay.

However, Huang Long Zhenren had not revealed a single thing to him concerning his former self. He had merely provided assistance during his cultivation and told him nothing else.

Lin Che had not asked about it either. After all, his current realm was still far beneath the Five Signs of Celestial Decay.

Huang Long Zhenren took Lin Che by the wrist and brought him to the Heng Yue Sect's main hall, asking what exactly had happened over the years.

Lin Che answered truthfully and recounted everything that had happened to him in the Ancient God's Land. Over the past hundred years, he had not only obtained many magical treasures.

He had also raised his cultivation to the early Nascent Soul Transformation stage, making him one of the upper-tier figures on Vermillion Bird Star.

Likewise, the conception he had comprehended when breaking through to the Soul Transformation Stage was completely different from that of others. His conception was called God-Slaying. Through unceasing slaughter, its power had grown ever more formidable, to the point where it could even be considered Extreme Realm Divine Sense.

When Huang Long Zhenren learned of the hardships Lin Che had endured over the past hundred years, his heart ached as well. Back then, Lin Che had been his most outstanding disciple. If he had not been sucked into the spatial rift, he likely would not have become what he was today.

"You've suffered these many years, Che'er. Tell your master what you want. Your master will absolutely not refuse."

Lin Che shook his head and declined. "No need. I'm not interested in those things."

As a Third-Grade Cultivation Nation, Zhao Kingdom's spiritual energy was exceedingly weak. If he wished, he could freely drain all the spiritual energy within Zhao Kingdom. Even the lives of the beings here rested upon a single thought from him.

Liu Wenju could not help asking, "Lin Che, your realm... is it truly the Spirit Severing Stage?"

"If it is... could you settle here for a hundred years and make Zhao Kingdom a Four-Grade Cultivation Nation, strengthening the nation and defending against foreign invasions?"

With one hand behind his back, Lin Che replied in an indifferent voice, "I have now broken through to the early Nascent Soul Transformation stage. If I were to remain here for a hundred years, Zhao Kingdom could directly rise to become a Fifth-Grade Cultivation Nation. However, if I leave, the resources of a Fifth-Grade Cultivation Nation will likely be seized by others."

"The Nascent Soul Transformation stage!"

The Heng Yue Sect elders were all stunned, scarcely daring to believe their ears. Lin Che was not even a hundred years old, yet he had already reached the nearly invincible Nascent Soul Transformation stage. Was this truly a realm a human could attain?

Huang Long Zhenren was far calmer. It seemed he had long known that Lin Che had broken through to the Nascent Soul Transformation stage, and he did not display the same astonished expression as the others.

Lin Che moved his fingers slightly, gathering a cluster of golden light at his fingertips before sending it into the bodies of the Heng Yue Sect's patriarch and elders.

"Although I cannot settle here, I have left spiritual energy seeds condensed from the energy of heaven and earth within the bodies of all the elders. If any of you can reach the late Nascent Soul Stage in the future, I will personally enlighten you into gods."

Feeling the energy within their bodies, Liu Wenju and the others were overjoyed. They immediately bowed to Lin Che. "Thank you, Senior."

Lin Che waved his hand and replied calmly, "There is no need for such courtesy, Elders. I, Lin Che, am ultimately Master's personal disciple. By seniority, I am your martial nephew."

Huang Long Zhenren nodded in gratification. Even after breaking through to the Nascent Soul Transformation stage, Lin Che had retained his original heart. He was indeed worthy of being his disciple.

"Senior Brother, after you... left that year, did you continue cultivating in Fire Ember Country?"

Li Muwan pressed her tender lips together and asked in a soft voice.

"Yes." Lin Che nodded. "After I left the Ancient God's Land that year, my cultivation rose to the Nascent Soul Transformation stage. However, Chu Country's spiritual energy was too thin to support the stabilization of my realm, so I prepared a cave dwelling in advance for cultivation. My cultivation has now stabilized."