Ten Years, A Summons

Beiyang County.

A major event has recently occurred.

The young master of the Chen's had a strange encounter while traveling, and upon returning to the Chen Household, he killed his uncle Chen Xun and two guards, causing quite a stir.

The cause and effect gradually came to light.

Only then did the world realize that Chen Xun had sent someone to kill Chen Fan, but unexpectedly, Chen Fan benefited from the misfortune by consuming a magical fruit, which greatly increased his strength, allowing him to kill even the Chen Household guards who had some martial arts skills with a single punch.

It was considered a strange story for a time.

Not long after.

In an inconspicuous mountain valley more than a hundred miles from Beiyang County, dozens of corpses were discovered, their deaths identical to those of Chen Xun and his two guards in the Chen Household.

They were all killed by a single punch.

It is speculated that Chen Fan was responsible.

Yuzhou City.

The Demon Suppression Bureau Division.

The chief official frowned as he listened to his subordinate's report. "Chen Fan has become a disciple of the Spirit-Subduing Daoist of Dragon-Trapping Mountain?"

"Yes."

"Spirit-Subduing Daoist values Chen Fan highly, seemingly because Chen Fan has excellent aptitude and has also consumed the Spirit-Opening Fruit."

The subordinate reported.

"Spirit-Opening Fruit?"

"I see, no wonder my strength has increased so much."

The official in charge suddenly realized something, picked up his pen, and wrote it down in the book—

"In the ninth month of the Gengyin year, Chen Fan of Beiyang County ate the Spirit-Opening Fruit and his strength increased greatly. He killed dozens of people, entered Dragon-Trapping Mountain, and became a disciple of the Spirit-Subduing Daoist."

Immediately.

He tossed the books down to his subordinates and said loudly, "Take them and put them in storage."

"Yes."

The subordinate stepped down.

The only one left was the Chief Envoy, whose expression of bewilderment had vanished, replaced by a series of shifting thoughts. He seemed to utter the words "Chen Fan," "Spirit-Opening Fruit," and "Spirit-Subduing Daoist" indistinctly.

Then he shook his head.

Spirit-Subduing Daoist is a top-tier expert in Yuzhou Prefecture and the surrounding prefectures. Several of his disciples even serve as heads of the Demon Suppression Bureau in the surrounding prefectures. It's clearly not worth risking offending such a figure for a task assigned from above.

"It's better to avoid trouble."

He silently resolved to completely put the matter out of his mind.

Dragon-Trapping Mountain.

The young man sat at the head of the table, while an elderly man in a dark blue Daoist robe stood trembling with fear.

If the magistrate of Yuzhou City were here, seeing the old Daoist priest in such a state, he would be so shocked that his eyes would widen, and he would be even more glad that he did not continue to investigate Chen Fan.

This old Daoist priest was none other than the abbot of the Flying Spirit Temple in Dragon-Trapping Mountain, one of the top Daoist cultivators in the surrounding thousand-mile radius.

Spirit-Subduing Daoist.

However, at this moment, the Spirit-Subduing Daoist Jiang Ling's face turned pale, and he respectfully said to the young man at the head of the table, "The people from the Demon Suppression Bureau of Yuzhou City have been sent away as you instructed, senior."

"Just call me Chen Fan."

"For the next ten years, you will be my teacher."

The young man said calmly.

Yes, yes.

"Chen Fan".

The Spirit-Subduing Daoist dared not disobey and quickly agreed.

"Alright."

"Teacher, you can go down now. Just do as usual and don't give anything away."

The boy waved his hand.

The Spirit-Subduing Daoist repeatedly agreed and obediently withdrew.

Dragon-Trapping Mountain.

Inside the Flying Spirit Temple.

Lu Qingfeng quietly sensed that the shackles and constraints caused by borrowing the identity of 'Chen Fan' had completely disappeared, and he felt a sense of ease throughout his body.

They couldn't help but marvel.

"Immortal Qin is indeed extraordinary. This Succession Token cause and effect. Even at the most superficial level, it is still beyond the reach of ordinary people."

Lu Qingfeng's eyes were bright.

He possesses the 'Invert-Grand-Void Glazed Wall,' which allows him to conceal his true nature and avoid being ostracized by the Chunshen Realm. Logically speaking, there's no need to use the 'Succession Token' and waste effort.

However, firstly, Lu Qingfeng's caution meant that having an extra layer of protection was naturally a good thing. After all, the Ancient Sorrow cultivators used the 'Succession Token' to conceal their secrets and feign their origins, so only a few were discovered, making it a relatively safe method.

Secondly, the Invert-Grand-Void Glazed Wall can only conceal the secrets of heaven, but cannot change them. Once Lu Qingfeng reveals his strength, he will inevitably be exposed sooner or later. Using the identity of 'Chen Fan' provides some loopholes, but at least it gives him a foothold.

Therefore.

Lu Qingfeng quickly resolved Chen Fan's obsession—

To avenge himself, to avenge his father, and to join the immortal sect.

Lu Qingfeng killed three people in the Chen Household to avenge his own death. Killing the bandits was to avenge his father's death. Later, at Dragon-Trapping Mountain, he revealed his True Person strength, easily Spirit-Subduing Daoist, who was only at the Spirit Void level, and forcibly making him his disciple.

This can be considered the completion of the last layer of obsession.

From then on.

In the Chunshen Realm.

He could then travel using the identity of Chen Fan from Beiyang County.

"The Chunshen Realm territory is divided into Nine Provinces, with boundless borders. Even the top immortal, demon, and Demon Gate cannot completely control it. By concealing their heavenly secrets and changing their origins, the chances of being discovered are almost zero. Even if they reveal their cultivation at the Third Realm in the future, the world is so vast that they may not attract attention. Fourth Realm cultivators are even more outstanding in their respective regions, and there are countless mysterious Third Realm cultivators in the world."

"If we were to kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free, I fear that before the Immortal Qin even arrive, the Chunshen will be thrown into chaos from within."

Lu Qingfeng knew this clearly.

As long as one is not intercepted or killed upon entering Chunshen Realm, the possibility of being exposed and dying later is extremely small.

"Many Ancient Sorrow cultivators entered the Chunshen Realm to seek out secluded places for cultivation until they reached the Fourth Realm and had enough power to protect themselves before emerging. Some sought fortuitous opportunity, some established sects, and some expanded their territories."

Lu Qingfeng pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Seclusion and cultivation are not suitable for me. I am currently at the Spell Gathering Realm, and I still need to condense the Ninefold Astral Baleful. Ideally, I should also find a top-grade spiritual tree to Foundation Establishment for the 'Mortal-World Longevity Method'."

The Ninefold Astral Baleful is not easy to find.

However, Lu Qingfeng had already sent an avatar into the Chunshen Realm, where he established a considerable base. His disciples and followers were scattered throughout the land, searching for Astral Fiend and reporting back. Over the past five hundred years, he had indeed found several places with Earth Baleful Yin Vein Qiantian Astral Qi.

"Let's take a ten-year break first."

"Then we'll head to the Sea of No Delusion."

Clear your mind.

Lu Qingfeng then temporarily settled in Dragon-Trapping Mountain, cultivating while learning about the situation in all directions.

Time passes.

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

This day.

Dongxiang Province.

Two middle-aged men, one fat and one thin, emerged from the cave abode.

One of the slightly overweight middle-aged men spoke up, "Ten years. If Guangyuan hadn't died, his injuries should have healed by now."

"Should we call him now?"

"Will he really come to help?"

The thin, middle-aged man frowned.

"Let's give it a try."

"It would be best if he came. If we kill him, there will be one less person to share the spoils of the battle in the Chunshen Realm with us. If he doesn't come, it won't be a big loss for us either. It's just something we did on the side anyway."

The slightly overweight middle-aged man grinned.

Ao Yin looked at his eighth brother Ao Pi and nodded, saying, "That's fine. If the communication Mnemonic he left behind is a trick, he won't amount to anything in just ten years."

As he spoke.

He then moved his lips slightly, silently reciting the Mnemonic Lu Qingfeng had given him in the Eight Trigrams diagram. An unknown ripple appeared in the void, which then traveled far away.

"Alright."

"Now we're just waiting for this kid to come to us."

Seeing this, Ao Pi's face revealed a wicked and ferocious expression. "That old Ao Zhan is so ignorant of the times! That lowly maid Ao Le should have been my wife, but she was married off to a lowly mortal. This is a clear insult to me, an insult to my Wu River Dragon Palace. Whether he comes from Guangyuan or not, I will take his life in the Chunshen Realm!"

"After returning to Ancient Sorrow, I will take the newly widowed Ao Le as my concubine. After a thousand years apart, I imagine it will be a unique experience."

Ao Pi recalled the timid, mute girl from the Wu River Dragon Palace who used to avoid them when she saw them, and then he thought of Ao Le, who was now married in the Min River.

His eyes gleamed with lust, then a hint of regret appeared on his face. "If I had known this lowly maid would grow up to be so beautiful, I shouldn't have let her go back then."

"Ha ha!"

"Back then, Ao Le was just a tiny little girl. Not to mention that you and I were too young to think of this, even if we had the intention, I, as her brother, couldn't bring myself to kiss such a little girl."

Ao Yin smiled jokingly.

Upon hearing this, Ao Pi's mind flashed back to Ao Le's childhood appearance. He paused for a moment, then nodded repeatedly, saying, "Seventh Brother is right. The little girl is really boring; women are much more alluring these days."

The two brothers looked at each other and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The sound echoed through the mountains and fields, startling the birds and beasts into panic.

Somewhere in Dongxiang Province.

Cave abode in the mountains.

Lu Qingfeng sat cross-legged in the middle.

This place is countless miles away from the Western Extremity Province, so it is naturally not Lu Qingfeng's main body, but his clone Luofuzi.

However, the two are one and the same, like brothers.

They don't distinguish between each other.

Before him floated a Golden Lotus, shimmering with a faint Golden Light. A profound mystery lay hidden within. As Lu Qingfeng continued to comprehend it, he saw three faint clusters of light within the Golden Lotus's many seeds. The mystery was all contained within, but no matter how Lu Qingfeng tried to understand, the clusters of light remained hazy, seemingly both close at hand and infinitely distant from the profound mystery within.

"Really."

"The main body has not yet advanced to the Nascent Primordial Spirit, and only the clone possesses Primordial Spirit- level combat power, but it is still somewhat inferior to a traditional Fourth Realm cultivator. It is extremely difficult to comprehend these three Scattered Character from the Golden Lotus."

Lu Qingfeng shook his head.

Five hundred years ago.

This clone arrived in the Chunshen Realm and, under the name 'Qing Yuanzi,' established a foothold in the Sea of No Delusion between the three eastern states. Based on Whitehead Island, he became quite famous. Over two hundred years ago, he successfully refined the fifty-fifth layer of the Earthly Fiend Restriction of the 'Three Radiance Heavenly Xin Swords,' making his combat power comparable to Primordial Spirit cultivator, further enhancing his reputation.

Ten years ago.

After successfully vying for the rare Golden Lotus with the Soul-Slaughter Old Man in the Sea of No Delusion, Lu Qingfeng swiftly traveled to Dongxiang Province to search for the brothers Ao Yin and Ao Pi. Unfortunately, upon their arrival, the two brothers had not yet used the 'Succession Token' to conceal their divine secrets, allowing Lu Qingfeng to deduce their location. However, their divine secrets soon became obscure. By the time Luofuzi's clone arrived, the two brothers were nowhere to be found.

So be it.

Lu Qingfeng then controlled his clone to remain on the spot.

While waiting for the right opportunity, he also cultivated his skills.

Cultivating through clones requires no Cultivation Method.

Simply refine the internal restrictions and accumulate Law Power. This process is slow. Back then, with the help of the Dragon Transformation Pool, I refined five layers of restrictions in one go.

But after arriving in the Chunshen Realm—

More than two hundred years ago, he refined one layer of the restriction, and now he can only refine one layer of the restriction.

Reaching just the fifty-fifth level, he can only fight against an ordinary Primordial Spirit cultivator. With the help of his eighth-tier Law Artifact, he can at most gain a slight advantage.

The renowned Soul-Slaughter Old Man of the Sea of No Delusion was actually only at the first stage of the Primordial Spirit Stage, the Spirit-Nourishing Realm. His Soul-Slaughter Black Cord looked powerful, but it was still a step short of being a seventh-tier Law Artifact.

Naturally, nothing could be done to Luofuzi.

However, Luofuzi was also helpless against the Soul-Slaughter Old Man.