The Dark Kid Han Li?

At the gates of Auspicious Origin City

Before Fang Yu and the three from Mount Meng could join the sea of people flowing into Auspicious Origin City, a faint sound of hoofbeats suddenly came from behind them. It drew closer and closer, becoming increasingly distinct.

Hearing it, many people who were familiar with the situation moved aside, clearly intending to let the riders behind them pass first.

"Who's that? So arrogant."

Seeing this, Meng Shan the Fifth's spoiled temper flared up. She snorted and muttered in displeasure.

"Shh, miss, keep your voice down. That is the eldest young lady of the Mo Residence, of the Flood Dragon Association. Unlike the other young ladies of Auspicious Origin City, who stay in their chambers embroidering, practicing the four arts, and the like, this young lady has never cared for needlework. She only loves wielding spears and sticks, and she has learned quite formidable martial arts from experts of the Flood Dragon Association."

"Every few days, she leaves the city to hunt. Because she is as beautiful as a celestial maiden, the young masters of Auspicious Origin City are driven mad with longing for her. Every day, they ride with hawks and hounds at their heels, hoping to gain an advantage through proximity and win her favor."

A passerby nearby spoke in a low voice.

Before he had finished speaking, more than a dozen people riding horses of various colors came rushing over, with Yellow Dragon among them. At their head were a man and a woman. The man was a handsome young man with swordlike brows, bright eyes, and a slender build. The woman wore fiery red hunting attire and a purple cape over her head, concealing her lovely face.

In the blink of an eye, the riders crossed the sea of people and entered the city gates, vanishing from sight.

Fang Yu found the scene rather familiar. In his memories, the original owner of this body, Fang Qingwei, and the young masters and ladies of Dragon Abyss City had been much the same.

Afterward, the crowd outside the city gates gathered again and surged into Auspicious Origin City.

"Let's go. We should rent a courtyard first. Staying at an inn would be too inconvenient."

After reentering Auspicious Origin City, Fang Yu was the first to make the suggestion.

"What Fang Han said makes sense. Staying at an inn really would be inconvenient."

Meng Shan the Fifth nodded lightly, becoming the first to agree.

Seeing this, Meng Shan the Third in blue and Meng Shan the Fourth, who did not think highly of Fang Yu, could only nod in agreement. To them, an inn and a courtyard were more or less the same.

The group then went to the real estate agency in Auspicious Origin City and found a courtyard that had stood vacant for a long time.

It was said to have once belonged to a famous wealthy man of Auspicious Origin City. However, that man had suddenly died a violent death, turning the courtyard into a haunted house, a cursed residence. To this day, no one had dared rent it.

But to cultivators, it was nothing at all. In fact, they found the surroundings quite pleasant. It covered several acres and had pavilions, towers, gardens, and a small lake—everything one could need.

"Interesting. Could it really be haunted?"

Meng Shan the Third, the most lively of the group, wore a puzzled expression.

"Probably not. So-called ghosts are merely yin souls burdened with resentment and unable to enter reincarnation. Even if there really is one, any random spell from us would destroy it."

Meng Shan the Fourth spoke carelessly. Afterward, he smugly glanced at Fang Yu, who was being accompanied by Meng Shan the Fifth in the distance.

Fang Yu did not care about his words in the slightest. After casually flattering him a few times, he brushed off the persistently clingy Meng Shan the Fifth and found a room to rest on his own.

As far as he was concerned, if the Five Friends of Mount Meng truly helped him obtain a suitable lightning-attributed cultivation technique, he would certainly grant them a fortunate opportunity in the future. At the very least, helping the five of them establish their foundations would not be a problem.

But if they harbored ill intentions and intended to seize his body once his cultivation had made some progress, he would not show them any mercy either.

Hopefully, the five of them don't mean any harm.

As for Meng Shan the Fifth, he had no interest in her whatsoever. She was not even as likable as Zhang Xiuer, and her looks were inferior even to the warming-bed maids of the Fang Family.

After finding a suitable room, Fang Yu tidied it up a little, then lay down on the completely bare bed. Although he closed his eyes to rest, he did not let down his guard in case anything unexpected happened.

After entering the Breath Realm, nothing within a radius of ten zhang could escape his senses, not even the slightest movement of wind or grass. Besides, there were the three from Mount Meng. Aside from the Fifth, the other two were both above the tenth level of Qi Refinement, making them experts among independent cultivators.

Their divine sense also extended roughly ten zhang, comparable to the Breath Realm. That showed the two had some similarities.

The difference was that they could use spells, while he could only fight with martial arts. Although he was confident he could kill all three, that was only if they did not use defensive spells and allowed him to get within ten zhang.

If they did not use defensive spells or magical artifacts, he felt that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would struggle to escape death if he got close enough.

Still, that was only Fang Yu's own speculation. He could not guarantee whether he could truly accomplish it. The only thing he could guarantee was that, with a single thought, he could return to the The Great Primordial World at any time. There were no concerns regarding his safety.

Even body possession required time, and the preparations were hardly brief. Therefore, he had no need to worry too much.

Still, it was best to remain on guard.

And so, Fang Yu and the three from Mount Meng temporarily settled in the courtyard. At night, they rested or practiced martial arts, while during the day, Meng Shan the Third dragged Fang Yu to the Xiang Family Restaurant for feasts.

Meng Shan the Third dragged him along not because they were particularly close, but simply because he wanted an excuse to attend a feast.

Meanwhile, Meng Shan the Fourth accompanied Meng Shan the Fifth every day as she shopped and wandered around. As for Fang Yu and Meng Shan the Third, he could not be bothered with them.

Meng Shan the Fifth could also tell that Fang Yu had no interest in her, so she gave up. In her depressed mood, she simply allowed Meng Shan the Fourth to accompany her.

One day, after practicing martial arts all night, Fang Yu had barely lain down to rest for half an hour when Meng Shan the Third in blue barged into his room as usual and dragged him up. They left the courtyard and headed for the Xiang Family Restaurant.

But this time, they encountered a dark-skinned kid. Beside him stood a burly man. The strange pair cleared much of Fang Yu's drowsiness.

Especially when he saw the dark-skinned kid's fear and anxiety toward Meng Shan the Third in blue, Fang Yu became even more certain of his guess. Breaking from his usual behavior, he pulled the man in blue to a window-side table and sat down.

"Ah, so you noticed it too. The kid next to them should also be a cultivator. Unfortunately, his cultivation is a little too low. Could he also be here for the Ascension Conference? But with only that much cultivation, he has no hope at all."

For once, Meng Shan the Third did not start eating as soon as the dishes arrived. Without the slightest concern for his image, he spoke quietly to Fang Yu beside him.

"Perhaps he came with an elder to broaden his horizons. What level is he at?"

Fang Yu replied with a faint smile.

"Seventh or eighth level of Qi Refinement, I'd say. Not bad for his age."

Meng Shan the Third answered casually. Then he began devouring the food with great relish, making Fang Yu rather envious.

After reaching the Divine Strength Realm, one needed to begin fasting. It was not that one could eat nothing at all, but one could only consume pills rich in vital energy.

For example, the Foundation Establishment Pill on him was a top-grade human-tier pill. Even experts of the Divine Ability Secret Realm in the Eclosion Sect would find it difficult to refine. It contained abundant vital energy, strengthened one's qi and blood, enhanced the mind, condensed the blood essence, and allowed one to break into the Divine Ability Secret Realm more quickly.