An Acquaintance

"Han Tianling overestimated himself."

"Of all the things he should not have done, he should never have pitted his Divine Intention against Xu Fan's."

"In a head-on fight, it might have been an even match. But Han Tianling relied on the Divine Intention he had condensed from three kinds of Martial Dao True Intention, hoping to suppress Xu Fan and seize the upper hand from the start."

"In the end, he reaped what he sowed."

Tie Shan shook his head slightly.

Perhaps Han Tianling had not expected Xu Fan's "spirit" to be so powerful, either.

With a single probe, he had tried to use the terrain to pressure his opponent and gain the upper hand. Instead, his cleverness had backfired, and he had never had another chance to strike.

In a duel between Great Grandmasters, even the slightest opening was often enough to prove fatal.

Clearly, Xu Fan far surpassed Han Tianling in both combat experience and decisiveness.

"Lord Pacification Commissioner, could you tell what martial art that streak of silvery-white light was?"

Huang Tianfu nodded in agreement, then asked.

The technique was immensely powerful and contained a terrifying Divine Intention, but it did not resemble any known Celestial Person inheritance. At least, he could not discern its origins.

Since ancient times, there had only been nine Celestial Person Divine Weapons in the world.

Aside from the Six Directions Mystic Turtle Armor, whose whereabouts were unknown, the other eight Celestial Person Divine Weapons were either dormant or damaged. None had a Celestial Person martial art that matched Xu Fan's.

Yet a Celestial Person was generally born once every thousand years.

Some had also left inheritances, but unlike the Celestial Person Divine Weapons, their lines of succession had not remained unbroken. Most had vanished into the long river of history.

"It contained the Moonlight Yin Sha True Intention. There were some similarities to the Yin Moon Celestial Person from ten thousand years ago."

Tie Shan pondered, somewhat uncertain.

With only one True Intention and one technique to go on, he could only guess; he could not confirm anything.

But in his heart, he already felt it was eight or nine parts out of ten.

"That is certainly possible."

"More than a year ago, a strange phenomenon appeared over Peach Blossom Spring Lake, and Emperor Flow Serum, which appears once every sixty years, fell into the lake. Could it have been caused by a Celestial Person inheritance emerging?"

Huang Tianfu nodded slightly, recalling the Yin Moon Celestial Person.

That was the first being to attain Celestial Personhood after the nine original Weapon Lords, though she had not forged a Celestial Person Divine Weapon.

The Celestial Persons who appeared afterward had likewise ceased using Celestial Person Divine Weapons to leave their inheritances.

Thus, they were not widely known.

Emperor Flow Serum appeared once every sixty years. It was the essence of the great yin and fell at random, so its appearance at Peach Blossom Spring Lake was already quite telling.

"That would explain it."

Tie Shan felt as if the clouds had suddenly parted.

It was just a pity. With an ordinary Celestial Person inheritance, reaching the Land Immortal realm was no problem.

But going a step further depended on the individual.

As for the position of Celestial Person, like those Weapon Lords, one would lose the right to compete for it.

The Weapon Lords, however, had the support of Celestial Person Divine Weapons and could possess combat strength at the Celestial Person level.

Xu Fan's acquisition of a Celestial Person inheritance and his recent performances were enough to prove his exceptional talent, yet he should not have cultivated the Celestial Person's path.

"What a pity."

But on further thought, Xu Fan had been born a fisherman. Without the Celestial Person inheritance, he might well have died on Peach Blossom Spring Lake.

It was the will of heaven; every sip and every bite had its appointed fate.

"Not necessarily a pity."

Huang Tianfu smiled faintly.

He had guessed what Tie Shan was thinking. It seemed the big fellow thought very highly of Xu Fan.

"Of all those in the world who can become Land Immortals, which one does not have exceptional talent and astonishing fortune?"

"Not to mention that one must go a step further before one is qualified to compete for the position of Celestial Person."

"Even the Wedding Robe Ancestor of the Chaotic Demon Sea managed to escape the clutches of so many powerful experts and become a Land Immortal. Was he not also favored by heaven?"

"A Celestial Person inheritance is not like being a Weapon Lord. It is merely an admission ticket to the Land Immortal realm; what one achieves still depends on the individual."

How many powerful experts were there in the world?

Grandmasters, Divine Intention Great Grandmasters, and Primal Core experts were beyond counting.

Yet all Land Immortals were on the Earth Ranking, and even now, there were fewer than a hundred.

One had to remember that a Land Immortal lived for five hundred years!

With five hundred years of accumulation across the Divine Continent of the Vast Land, an entire era could not produce a hundred of them.

"Come, let's meet this inheritor of a Celestial Person."

Tie Shan wholeheartedly agreed.

He sprang up and strode toward the center of Peach Blossom Spring Lake.

On the island.

Xu Fan chose not to loot the corpse, leaving Han Tianling some dignity. After all, he was a True Disciple of Saber-Nurturing Valley.

Everything he had learned came from Saber-Nurturing Valley.

Leaving aside whether he had brought any cultivation methods or martial arts with him, even if he had, they would not let an outsider like Xu Fan learn them.

Since Saber-Nurturing Valley had not chosen to stand up for Han Tianling, Xu Fan would show them some consideration in front of everyone.

He then raised his head slightly and looked at the two men approaching through the air.

"Brother Xu, what a powerful Divine Intention. It truly took us by surprise."

Huang Tianfu and Tie Shan landed, and Huang Tianfu said with a smile:

"I am Huang Tianfu, an observation officer of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. I have long admired your name, Brother Xu, and seeing you today has truly left me in awe."

A stiff smile tugged at Tie Shan's solemn face. "Tie Shan of the Northern Pacification Office, Pacification Commissioner of Lingnan Circuit."

"You flatter me."

Xu Fan cupped his hands slightly and added:

"May I ask what brings you two here...?"

Though he did not know the two men, he lived in Qin State and was naturally familiar with the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the Northern Pacification Office.

Both were among Qin State's powerful agencies.

The Northern Pacification Office supervised the martial world, arrested wanted criminals, and maintained a balance among the various sects and Aristocratic Clans.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau, meanwhile, monitored the realm. The two shared information, and although the bureau generally did not intervene, its powerful experts were likewise as numerous as clouds.

Even Celestial Person sects would show them some respect.

"Brother Xu, you're forthright, so we won't stand on ceremony either."

Huang Tianfu and Tie Shan exchanged a glance, and Huang Tianfu said with a smile:

"Once your martial cultivation reaches a profound level, you need more resources. A noble title, beautiful women-Qin State can give you all of these."

Quite a few major powers were watching this place, and it would not be long before they began visiting him one after another.

Those from major powers naturally had a discerning eye.

Even if they could not see the possibility that Xu Fan possessed a Celestial Person inheritance, they had seen Han Tianling's crushing defeat.

Before long, the Hidden Dragon Ranking would be updated, and Xu Fan was certain to be listed.

"Indeed. With your current strength, so long as you join the Northern Pacification Office, I can submit a petition to the commander and have you take the post of Pacification Commissioner of Lingnan Circuit."

Tie Shan made the promise solemnly, his expression sincere, hoping to win Xu Fan over.

This was a genius with an excellent chance of becoming a Land Immortal in the future, a foundation for a nation's future.

As long as Xu Fan was willing to join the Northern Pacification Office and Qin State, what did it matter if Tie Shan gave up his post as Pacification Commissioner?

"Thank you. I will give it careful consideration."

Xu Fan pondered briefly and did not refuse outright.

Having a major power at his back was naturally an excellent thing.

After this battle, it seemed likely that not only Qin State, but also the seven states and the major sects would learn of him.

Since that was the case, rather than toil away cultivating on his own, he might as well join a major power and see how it went. He could also gain its protection.

Since Peach Blossom Spring Lake had a Spirit Vein, the other major powers surely possessed better ones, and he could also gain a deeper understanding of this world.

"Then we'll await your good news, Brother Xu."

Huang Tianfu and Tie Shan did not press him. Each took out a token and handed it to Xu Fan before leaving.

After the two men departed, a barefoot beauty of peerless appearance came across the lake.

Silver bells were tied around her ankles, making a clear, pleasant sound.

She turned out to be an acquaintance.

"Yu Qing greets you, young master."

Yu Qing's face was still covered by a light veil. With a graceful figure and robes whiter than snow, she came before Xu Fan, curtsied, and said with a soft laugh:

"This humble woman has come at the Jade Maiden Society's behest."