Who Is Xiao Yuanjun? I Don't Know Her!

Then, regardless of whether Dongfang Caibai agreed, Li Huixi moved to take her away.

True Lord Xuanqing Tianhua descended from the sky.

"Please wait, Lesser Sovereign. The Bian Kingdom's imperial family has been wiped out. I hope you might save one or two of them, lest the kingdom descend into chaos."

Li Huixi stopped at those words and nodded. "That is easily done."

Li Huixi reached toward the midday sun and gently nudged it.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the scene in the main hall began to rewind. Only when the Bian Emperor, who had been blasted into a mist of blood, was restored did the reversal stop.

The sun shifted, and time turned backward.

Of all the True Lords beneath heaven, only Li Huixi, the Heaven-and-Earth Lesser Monarch who held the [Sun-Moon Wheel] fruition, possessed such means.

Li Huixi withdrew his hand, then noticed that Dongfang Caibai and Zhang Yuan were linked by national fortune. He slashed through the air, severing their karma inch by inch.

Golden light streaked away.

Driving the Golden Carriage, Zhang Yuan left the Bian Kingdom's Capital City. Avoiding the direction of Cloud Province City, he picked a direction at random and barreled straight ahead, flying with Sky Traversal for three full days and nights before stopping to rest.

"After flying for so long, even if I haven't covered a hundred and eight thousand li, I should have covered eight thousand. I've probably left the Bian Kingdom's territory by now. I should be safe."

Zhang Yuan landed, looked around, and drew a deep breath.

He had escaped the Bian Kingdom and was no longer bound. Even breathing felt much easier.

While flying earlier, he had spotted a huge city ahead. It would be a good place to rest his feet and ask where he was before making further plans.

After confirming the direction, Zhang Yuan cast [Severing Past and Present, Leaving No Trace] on himself, then strode forward.

Notably, even after three days and nights, [Myriad Coexistence] remained active. Through their karmic connection, he could roughly tell that things were peaceful on Xiao Yuanjun's end. Clearly, she had escaped as well.

Although he was now completely free of his shackles, as a cultivator who favored caution, he still had to keep obscuring heaven's secrets and concealing his karma at all times.

When he reached the city gate, he found that the huge city was called Jianning. Heavily armed Outer Dao guards watched the entrance, and everyone entering, cultivator or mortal, had to undergo questioning and inspection.

Zhang Yuan had intended to use his old method and slip into the city under the effects of his Divine Ability. But when he looked up and spotted a middle-aged man standing atop the city wall, that idea instantly vanished like smoke.

This middle-aged man was a Foundation-Building Heavenly Being!

When Xiao Yuanjun had been at Tenth-Turn Qi Refinement, her [Severing Past and Present, Leaving No Trace] could indeed fool a Foundation-Building Heavenly Being's eyes.

But Zhang Yuan's true cultivation was only at Six-Turn Qi Refinement. The effect of his [Severing Past and Present, Leaving No Trace] fell far short of Xiao Yuanjun's own casting. He most likely could not hide from a Heavenly Being's gaze.

[Myriad Coexistence] could mount Divine Abilities, certainly, but their power depended on Zhang Yuan's own cultivation, Daoist attainment, and understanding of those abilities.

He considered it briefly.

Zhang Yuan decided to approach and take a look. If entering the city required no travel permit, an unregistered person like him might still have a chance.

In front of the city gate, a young cultivator at perfection-stage Outer Dao Foundation Establishment held a portrait and compared it with those entering. After a cursory glance, he readily let them through.

There's a chance.

Zhang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. The strict security seemed to be just for show. Most likely, it was another task handed down from above that they had no choice but to carry out.

Zhang Yuan strode forward.

"Halt!" the gate guard barked.

"Fellow Daoist, is something wrong?" Zhang Yuan asked, puzzled.

None of the people ahead had been stopped. Why had the guard singled him out?

Has this gate guard opened a heavenly eye?

The gate guard did not answer. Instead, he carefully compared Zhang Yuan against the portrait. After confirming that they looked nothing alike, he gave Zhang Yuan an odd look.

It was not that he had opened a heavenly eye. Zhang Yuan's bright red Wedding Garment was simply too conspicuous. He could hardly avoid inspecting him carefully.

"Go through," the gate guard said.

Zhang Yuan nodded. As he passed the guard, his gaze flicked toward the portrait in the man's hand, curious about whom it depicted.

The city gate was heavily guarded, yet they checked no travel permits and asked about no one's origins. They only compared people with the portrait.

Who could be in that portrait to put such a huge city on guard...

Huh? Xiao Yuanjun?

Although the face in the portrait was extremely blurred, Zhang Yuan recognized her at a glance from that tattered Gray Daoist Robe, patched and mended all over. The portrait undoubtedly depicted Xiao Yuanjun!

Xiao Yuanjun is wanted in this city?

Zhang Yuan wiped the nonexistent cold sweat from his forehead.

He remembered now. Besides [Greatest Qi Refiner of All Time] and [Heaven-Defying Comprehension], Xiao Yuanjun also had the tag [Target of the Great Clans' Pursuit].

This city had a grudge against Xiao Yuanjun.

As Xiao Yuanjun's only disciple, was it too dangerous for him to come here?

No, no. Who is Xiao Yuanjun? My Master is the Bian Kingdom's [Perfect Self Celestial].

With a calm expression, Zhang Yuan walked into Jianning City.

As long as he said nothing, who would know that he was Xiao Yuanjun's disciple? It was no great problem.

Using the little silver he had left, he found a cheap inn at random.

Zhang Yuan sat cross-legged and first checked [Heavenly Vision].

[Heavenly Vision]

[1. None.]

[2. None.]

[3. None.]

[Heavenly Vision] could deduce the future, but only at critical junctures would it reveal three predetermined futures. At all other times, it remained unknown.

To Zhang Yuan, however, an unknown state was the safest. After all, when predetermined futures appeared, he was about to die in the vast majority of cases—and his death was usually certain.

"Safe."

After confirming that there was no danger, Zhang Yuan casually activated [Read People].

The [Read People] talent was useful too. As long as he did not look directly at a Golden Core True Lord, keeping it active at all times helped him judge other people's cultivation, identity, and condition.

Finally, Zhang Yuan took a deep breath and looked just beyond [Read People].

He had awakened [Heavenly Vision] as a mortal, then gained [Read People] at Third-Turn Qi Refinement.

Following that pattern, every time his Dao Status underwent a qualitative transformation, he would gain a chance to choose a talent!

Just as expected, a small plus sign had appeared after [Read People], waiting for Zhang Yuan to click it.

With a light tap, three talents came into view.

[Certain Gain: You are greatly favored by Heaven and Earth and have also obtained a small portion of the Bian Kingdom's national fortune. Your fortune soars to the heavens. Every time you fish, you will obtain an unexpected reward, including but not limited to Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Baleful Forces, cultivation methods and spells, ancient cultivator inheritances, and more.]

[Innate Immortal Physique: You have lost your Immortal Spiritual Root, but this misfortune has become a blessing, awakening an innate immortal physique. From now on, your aptitude for the Outer Qi Refinement Path will exceed that of an Immortal Spiritual Root a hundredfold.]

[Immaculate Primordial Spirit: Your willpower is incomparably steadfast and has transcended the bounds of mortals. Spiritual sense and Primordial Spirit influences below the level of a Golden Core True Lord will have no effect on you.]

The previous [Heavenly Nobility] and [Fallen Prodigy] were gone, replaced by three entirely new talents!

Zhang Yuan's eyes flickered.

All three talents were far beyond his expectations. Each would be enormously helpful to his upcoming plans. Unfortunately, he could only choose one of the three. That was a pity, and he would have to weigh them carefully before deciding.