Qingshan Town

Zhang Nian carefully calculated the time. Even if the person from Soul Hall traveled without rest to the nearest city with a Spatial Wormhole, then headed to Central Plains to find Soul Hall's headquarters and managed to meet those Heavenly Venerables, the whole process would take at least two or three months. Gathering people and setting out from Central Plains for the Jia Ma Empire would take at least another month, even if a Dou Sheng Expert opened Spatial Wormholes all the way there. In two or three months, he ought to have broken through to Dou Sheng, perhaps even reached a higher realm. Besides, based on his current Dou Qi, he already had over sixty million.

Counting only the boost from Cailin, if she cultivated eighteen hours a day, that would amount to 300*18*3000*30=48600w in Dou Qi per month, or 145800w in three months. Zhang Nian still didn't know how Dou Qi was divided at the Dou Sheng level, but this ought to be more than enough. What's more, he had a divine treasure like Nanming Li Fire. And if Cailin and his other remaining disciples' affection for him increased during that time, his cultivation speed would only grow faster. There shouldn't be any problems.

Inside Zi Yan's cozy little room, her tender little left hand held a purple medicinal herb, while her right held a golden-edged nut. She gobbled them down one after another, juice dribbling from her mouth.

"Master's so generous today! Hehe, I've got something tasty to eat, too~"

"Knock, knock~"

Someone rapped on the door. A flicker of displeasure crossed the girl's delicate face, and she called toward the entrance, "Who is it?"

The maid Mingyue cracked open the door and saw her mistress sitting on the edge of the bed, eating something unfamiliar. She was startled. She had heard that the Saint had bestowed some good things, and had planned to take advantage of the moment to say something suggestive, like Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong. But now, she'd worried for nothing...

"Sorry, we heard a lot of noise inside and thought you might have an upset stomach. We'll close the door now."

Caixia had noticed Mingyue standing there without a word for some time, and was afraid Zi Yan would get angry. She pulled Mingyue back and hurriedly shut the door. The two sighed outside. Judging by the way their mistress was, they probably wouldn't have a chance anytime soon. She was nothing but a little glutton...

"I think we should give up. Besides, our mistress looks like a child right now. How could the Saint possibly bring himself to touch her...?"

"Maybe..." Mingyue had just started to speak when Caixia raised a hand to cover her mouth. How could she say such things carelessly? If someone overheard, they'd be in serious trouble. "Don't say things like that again. It'd be awful if someone heard."

Mingyue nodded anxiously and glanced around. Once she was sure no one was there, she patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. They exchanged a look, both seeing the helplessness in the other's eyes, then shook their heads and stood quietly by the door, waiting for Zi Yan to summon them.

After his meal, Zhang Nian remembered a Secret Realm that Xiao Yan had once explored. It held a Flying Dou Technique and a few other things. Of course, the Flying Dou Technique was what he wanted most. After all, no martial art was flawless, but speed could overcome anything—that was the principle.

Spatial abilities were certainly wondrous, but when everyone was at roughly the same level, they weren't as useful. At times like that, one had to rely on other means, such as speed or soul power. There wasn't a good way to cultivate the soul just yet, so speed was his only option. According to his memories, movement Dou Techniques combined with other items could have unexpected effects. The Seven-Colored Poison Scripture would also come in handy when he recruited Xiao Yi Xian in the future. After all, the Woeful Poison Body was a rare and powerful constitution.

With that thought, Zhang Nian decided not to sit around any longer. He found Cailin and gave her a few instructions. The destination wasn't far; with his current strength, he could open a Spatial Wormhole and travel between the two locations in a single day.

"Cailin, I won't be gone long. You can handle all the sect's affairs while I'm away."

"All right, Master." Cailin nodded slightly. A day wasn't long, especially for cultivators. It would pass in the blink of an eye.

After that, Zhang Nian went to the mountain gate. He carefully sensed the space around him, used the map of the Jia Ma Empire in his hand to determine the general direction, then used spatial energy to pinpoint his destination.

A moment later, his eyes suddenly opened, and the corner of his mouth curved into a confident smile. "Heh, found it."

A mysterious fluctuation rippled through the air, and the space around him turned illusory. As everything blurred, the space before him seemed to be torn open by an invisible pair of hands. Zhang Nian immediately plunged into the Spatial Wormhole.

Another space

Qingshan Town

"Gasp~"

Countless passersby stopped to stare at the spectacle in the sky. A seven-colored aurora had appeared overhead, rippling like waves. The clouds floating above them gradually turned illusory. Some onlookers who didn't understand what was happening thought their eyes were playing tricks on them. They rubbed them, then realized the problem wasn't with their vision.

Then the sky split open, and a dark hole slowly widened. A figure emerged from it. Only then did the people below realize that a powerful expert had arrived. They scattered in every direction. Zhang Nian had no interest in them; in his eyes, they were no different from ants.

As he recalled, the Secret Realm was hidden in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. The treasure cave wasn't hard to find, either, since it was tucked away in a cliff face.

He searched along the mountain range and soon spotted an obvious cave. Instead of rushing inside, he released the Dou Qi in his body, displaying the full strength of a three-star Dou Zun. Before long, the snakes, insects, and mice inside scattered in all directions. That was how Magical Beasts sensed danger: faced with an expert like Zhang Nian, they instinctively fled.

Walking through the quiet, dark cave, he opened his palm and controlled the temperature of Nanming Li Fire. Its warmth dispelled the faint chill in the cave. Zhang Nian's footsteps echoed through the silent passage.

After carefully sensing the area, he found no significant danger ahead. He rose into the air, turned, and shot straight toward the innermost chamber. With a casual slap, he smashed the stone door before him, revealing another world beyond.

It was a vast stone chamber, sparse and empty, with only a few simple furnishings. Moonlight Stones were embedded in the ceiling for illumination. In the center stood a chair, with a skeleton sitting upon it. None of this frightened Zhang Nian.

Ignoring the gold and other valuables beside it, he fixed his gaze on the three stone boxes arranged on the Bluestone Platform before the chair. With a slight wave of his hand, he drew three black keys from the skeleton's palm. They floated over and landed steadily in his own.

He smiled and opened the first two stone boxes in turn. Inside were the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture and the Flying Dou Technique, Wings of the Eagle. The final box contained the High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique, Mad Lion Roar.

He then looked at the skeleton's arm. If he remembered correctly, Xiao Yan had accidentally broken its left arm, revealing a fragmentary map of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame hidden inside. Could it be...?