Taiyun City

Chen Yan didn't take the old man's words too seriously, treating it as if he had just heard a story.

He was just a nobody who had spent over twenty cycles, hundreds of years, to finally break through to the Martial Spring Realm.

Someone was born into the Martial Spring Realm?

Perhaps, but that was too far removed from him.

"Let's get back to business, senior."

Chen Yan urged the old man behind the counter.

The old man nodded, took out a booklet from beside the counter, and began to flip through it.

"Hmm, for the Sect missions currently posted to Taiyun City, there's only one that Qi Condensation Realm disciples can accept."

"What mission?"

"It's an attendant mission posted by Lu Li of Qingchan Peak."

The old man said.

The Empty Mountain Sect, in front of the mountain gate.

Chen Yan hadn't been here in years.

He remembered the last time was when he tried to escape the Outer Court calamity with Cheng Ziying.

According to the timeline, that was more than two years from now, something that hadn't happened yet.

Chen Yan and Cheng Ziying had tried to escape the Empty Mountain Sect more than once, but each time they were intercepted by a man carrying a large saber and wearing coarse cloth.

That man's cultivation level was at least in the mid-stage of the Martial Spring Realm.

Chen Yan remembered the oath he made to that man back then.

He had sworn that he would kill him.

Now, after so many cycles, that bone-chilling hatred had also gradually faded.

What had also faded was his fear of Lu Li.

The memory of being pierced by him with a Kongshan Finger, watching his organs and blood slide out of his body, was a nightmare that had plagued Chen Yan through many cycles, unable to forget.

"Is this what they call running into an old enemy..."

Chen Yan muttered to himself.

Lu Li was going to Taiyun City to visit the Cloud King's Mansion.

This was because a while ago, an Elder of Xingtian Gate had passed through Taiyun City while traveling.

Xingtian Gate was also one of the five great Sects of Chenping Continent, and its influence was even greater than that of the Empty Mountain Sect.

Such a prominent figure had briefly stayed in Taiyun City for a few days, so King Yun, Qin Ming, couldn't neglect him and personally hosted a banquet at the Cloud King's Mansion.

At the banquet, the Xingtian Gate Elder unexpectedly took a liking to the cultivation talent of the little county princess of the Cloud King's Mansion, believing that Qin Yue, Qin Ming's daughter, had the aptitude to inherit his cultivation techniques.

He wanted to take Qin Yue back to Xingtian Gate.

In the region of Chenping Continent, to be favored by Xingtian Gate, one of the five great Sects, was a great honor, even if you were a county princess.

But King Yun hesitated because of this matter.

Because this was indeed a good thing.

However, Taiyun City, and even the entire Qingque Kingdom, was completely within the sphere of influence of the Empty Mountain Sect.

This Xingtian Gate Elder might genuinely be eager to find talent, but his actions were undoubtedly a slap in the face to the Empty Mountain Sect.

This was because Qin Yue was the county princess of the Qingque Kingdom, and the entire Qingque Kingdom was completely dependent on the Empty Mountain Sect.

King Yun, Qin Ming, as a prince, understood some principles.

Therefore, King Yun, Qin Ming, did not immediately make a decision about his daughter's future but wrote a letter to the Outer Court disciple stationed in Taiyun City.

The Empty Mountain Sect would absolutely not tolerate the county princess of the Qingque Kingdom being accepted into Xingtian Gate.

But the Empty Mountain Sect was also reasonable and valued its reputation.

If Qin Yue ultimately couldn't go to Xingtian Gate, it would undoubtedly mean she had lost a great opportunity.

After all, she could have become a personal disciple of the Xingtian Gate Elder.

Although a personal disciple of a venerated master was not the same as a personal disciple of an Elder, their status was still far superior to that of ordinary Inner Sect Disciples.

For this reason, the Empty Mountain Sect decided to have a certain Inner Sect Elder from Qingchan Peak take Qin Yue as a disciple as compensation.

Lu Li was going today to represent Qingchan Peak and personally convey the Empty Mountain Sect's decision to King Yun, Qin Ming, and County Princess Qin Yue.

However, for a cultivator in the Martial Spring Realm, and a lecturer in the Scripture Hall at that, to go to Taiyun City alone would be rather undignified.

Furthermore, Lu Li had only recently been transferred to Qingchan Peak and was not yet firmly established in the Scripture Hall there.

With no one reliable at his side, he had no choice but to post a Sect request at Shang Gong Hall, looking for a few Qi Condensation Realm disciples to accompany him on his visit to King Yun.

Soon, Lu Li and three other disciples arrived at the mountain gate one after another.

Lu Li, dressed in a blue robe, stood before Chen Yan. His appearance had not changed significantly from Chen Yan's memory; he still looked gentle and refined.

The other three disciples were two males and one female, making it three males and one female including Chen Yan.

All three disciples were at the early stage of the Qi Condensation Realm. One male and one female came from the Outer Court of the Sect, while the other male disciple hailed from Yuanhua Mountain.

The disciple from Yuanhua Mountain seemed to look down on the disciples from the Outer Court, acting as if he wanted to draw a clear line between them.

Only when he noticed the gilded cloud crane pattern on Chen Yan's sleeve did he show a slight bit of goodwill towards Chen Yan.

It was laughable, as he was roughly the same age as the other two cultivators from the Outer Court, and their cultivation levels were also only at the early stage of the Qi Condensation Realm.

They were pretty much the same.

"Since everyone is here, let's set off,"

Lu Li said, looking at the four disciples before him and nodding slightly.

After leaving the mountain gate and reaching the foot of the mountain, they rented several Spirit Horses from the stable at the foot of the mountain and then set off towards Taiyun City.

Taiyun City was the largest city in the western region of the Qingque Kingdom, an important hub, and also the city with the most immortal cultivation families.

Within the Qingque Kingdom, there were a total of fifteen immortal cultivation families, seven of which were located in Taiyun City.

This was also because Taiyun City was very close to the Empty Mountain Sect.

Although these immortal cultivation families were referred to as mortal immortal cultivation families, the strongest individuals within these families were usually only at the Qi Condensation Realm.

However, for mortal martial artists, the Qi Condensation Realm was already like a banished immortal from heaven.

After all, a cultivator at the Body Tempering Realm could easily defeat any martial arts grandmaster in the secular world.

Just by being invulnerable to blades and spears, they could stand in an invincible position.

A few hours later, Lu Li and his group of five arrived at the foot of Taiyun City's city walls.

The city walls were fifteen meters high and five meters wide. Two towers were erected in front of the city gate, which could be used for pouring oil and throwing stones.

In reality, these defensive structures were merely for show.

This was because the royal family of the Qingque Kingdom was completely subservient to the Empty Mountain Sect, prioritizing the Sect's interests over their own.

Therefore, for the three thousand years since the Qingque Kingdom was founded, the royal family's rule had always been supported by the Empty Mountain Sect.

Above the city gate, carved in bold, flowing black characters on a brown background, were the three large characters "Taiyun City."

"Greetings, Immortal Master!"

The soldiers guarding the city gate immediately bowed and saluted upon seeing Lu Li and his group.

It wasn't just the soldiers; even within the city, the crowds were bustling.

However, a vacuum area would always automatically form around Chen Yan and the others.

No common folk dared to approach them.

This was the genuine reverence that mortal disciples felt towards cultivators.