Arrival at Feng Ling

Early the next morning, the cultivator teams from the three towns gathered at the southern gate of White Stone Town.

There were four from White Stone, three from Willow Leaf, and five from Qinghe—a total of twelve cultivators.

Among them, the leaders from White Stone and Willow Leaf were both at the Third Level of Qi Gathering.

Although Qinghe Town had the most cultivators, its leader was only at the Second Level of Qi Gathering, while the remaining four were all at the first level.

"Lin Yu of the Lin Family in Willow Leaf Town greets Fellow Cultivator Lingrui."

The Lin Family cultivator, a man in his early thirties, spotted Yang Lingrui at once and stepped forward to greet him.

More than three years ago, Yang Lingrui had successfully condensed his Qi Mansion. The Yang Family had hosted a banquet and invited the entire town.

He had attended with his elders and met Yang Lingrui once.

In just three years, he has reached the Third Level of Qi Gathering. Though his third-level aura is still somewhat unstable, such talent is truly extraordinary, Lin Yu thought.

Before he left, the elders of his family had instructed him that exploring the ancient tomb was secondary. Their foremost priority was to build good relations with the Yang Family, which would greatly benefit the Lineage's future development.

Yang Lingrui smiled and nodded in response. "Greetings, Fellow Cultivator Lin. It has been a long time. Your cultivation has grown much more refined and robust. It seems the fourth level is not far away."

"Ah, it is only the clumsy effort I have accumulated over the years. I cannot compare with you, Fellow Cultivator."

Lin Yu waved his hand, but inwardly he was even more startled.

He had deliberately suppressed his aura, yet Yang Lingrui's senses were so sharp that he had seen through him at a glance.

"Lü Liang of the Lü Family in Qinghe greets the two seniors."

While the two were speaking, Lü Liang seized the chance to step forward and pay his respects.

He was the leader of Qinghe Town's group. Though he looked to be over forty, he still had to address the two younger men as seniors.

Such were the rules among cultivators: only cultivation realm mattered, not age.

In this circle, trying to lord one's age over others simply would not work.

"Is it only you from Qinghe this time? Is the Zhang Family still keeping Sanglu Valley closed?" Lin Yu asked.

Lü Liang hurriedly replied, "That is so. The town chief has also visited Sanglu Valley several times, but he was never able to enter the Zhang Family."

"How strange. With the Zhang Family's strength, even without their Patriarch, they still have three cultivators. They are among the foremost forces in the region. Why would they act this way?"

Lin Yu was deeply puzzled.

The Zhang Family's influence in the Qinghe Town region was comparable to that of the Yang Family between the two towns.

Given the current situation, they should have been fully capable of expanding their influence further, just as the Yang Family had done.

Why were they now determined to cling to that valley, even giving up the chance to explore an ancient tomb?

As the two spoke of the Zhang Family, Yang Lingrui listened quietly at the side without saying a word.

They did not know that Zhang Chen was already dead, which was why the Zhang Family's actions puzzled them.

The Yang Family had also discussed this matter internally and reached two conclusions.

The first was based on Yang Lingrui having killed Zhang Chen. That act might have made the Zhang Family feel threatened from outside, and with Zhang Tianqi summoned away by imperial decree, the Zhang Family had chosen to close the valley for self-preservation.

The second concerned the precious jade Zhang Chen had carried.

Elder Yu had examined it carefully. Its forging methods did not seem modern, but rather from ancient times, while its condition was remarkably new.

That meant it had not been passed down through the Zhang Family line, but had come from elsewhere.

Combined with Sanglu Valley being sealed off, Yang Lingqing guessed that some other secret was likely hidden within the valley—enough to make the Zhang Family stay holed up there for so many years, refusing to expand even when faced with such an excellent opportunity.

At this moment, the two men who had been chatting both looked toward Yang Lingrui.

The Yang and Zhang Families had some disputes over mineral resources, and the surrounding families had heard more or less about it.

Thus, when the Zhang Family closed the valley, everyone naturally thought of the Yang Family.

"You two need not look at me. My family abandoned that distant northern mine as soon as the bandit trouble began. It has remained unattended ever since, and we have long had no dealings with the Zhang Family."

Yang Lingrui smiled and shook his head. "So my family is equally in the dark about this."

Hearing this, the two understood. After all, the Yang Family's withdrawal of miners and laborers was no secret.

Moreover, when they had been attacked by bandits midway that day, it had been White Stone's forces that sent troops to rescue them.

As the three spoke, Zhao Qi stood silently behind Yang Lingrui the entire time.

With his head slightly lowered and his hands folded before him, he took in all the conversations of the surrounding cultivators.

Before they set out, Elder Yu had specifically instructed him that, given his cultivation realm, if a conflict arose, he would most likely be unable to help Yang Lingrui.

Thus, his tasks for this journey were threefold: first, protect himself; second, observe and listen more, helping Yang Lingrui spot omissions and fill gaps; and lastly, broaden his horizons.

"Hahaha, apologies for keeping everyone waiting."

After everyone had become acquainted, Gao Hui appeared at the right time, distributed maps to them, and handed Yang Lingrui the seal representing White Stone Town.

"The journey ahead is long. I hope you will all take great care. Gao wishes each of you blessings and good fortune, with lucky stars watching over you."

"Thank you, Town Chief Gao, for your auspicious words."

The group immediately set out toward Feng Ling Town.

At the same time, the cultivator teams from several other towns also departed from their respective places for Feng Ling Town.

Among them, the strongest was undoubtedly Cuixi, the foremost town under Wangyue City.

Of the eight towns, Cuixi Town was closest to Wangyue City, and it was the largest in scale and population.

Those things were one matter, but more importantly, the Li Family stood within Cuixi's territory.

The Li Family had an ancestor at twelfth-level Qi Gathering perfect completion overseeing it. Below Condensing Essence, none could rival him.

This time, the Dynasty's decree had originally ordered him to the east to suppress unrest. However, because the Li Family had sect backing, they worked through those connections and ultimately sent two Late Qi Gathering cultivators instead, keeping their ancestor behind to stabilize the family foundation.

The Li Family sent three cultivators on this journey: one at the Qi Gathering Mid-stage and two at the Qi Gathering Early-stage.

The one at the Qi Gathering Mid-stage was Li Cheng, who was acquainted with Elder Yu and had once purchased Yang Family goods at the marketplace.

His cultivation had improved further since then, and he had already reached the peak of the Sixth Level of Qi Gathering.

His purpose in exploring the ancient tomb this time was also to seek an opportunity for his own breakthrough.

Half a month later, cultivators from the seven towns arrived in Feng Ling one after another.

Because of this matter, Feng Ling Town's chief, Duan Yong, had specially built a separate courtyard outside the town for them to rest and recover.

"Young Master Li! Welcome, welcome!"

The Cuixi Town team arrived last, and Duan Yong personally left the town to receive them.

"Town Chief Duan, I trust you have been well."

Li Cheng cupped his hands and teased, "Have you gotten used to Feng Ling Town? No problems with the local water and soil, I hope?"

"Hahahaha, Young Master Li still enjoys taking shots at me. What is there to get used to? Having a safe place to settle is better than anything else. What could I possibly be dissatisfied with?" Duan Yong laughed heartily.

From this exchange, it was clear that the two were old acquaintances and shared a close friendship.

"Let us talk as we walk. What is the story with this ancient tomb?"

"No problem. You fellow cultivators have had a long journey. Please follow me."

On the way to the courtyard, Duan Yong told Li Cheng about the ancient tomb.

The tomb had been discovered a month ago. By the time Duan Yong went to inspect it, the entrance had already appeared.

"I interrogated that group of tomb raiders several times and confirmed they had no particular background. But the restrictions at the entrance are incredibly formidable. Feng Ling Town cannot break them on its own," Duan Yong said.

Li Cheng considered this. "The ancient tomb appeared here. Does the sect on the mountain have no interest in it?"

"Solitary Moon Mountain did indeed send someone. It was even a high-level Condensing Essence cultivator. Only, well..."

Duan Yong's expression turned somewhat awkward, and he hesitated.

Seeing his expression, Li Cheng understood. "I see. They looked down on it, didn't they?"