Ten Years

Time flies like an arrow.

In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed.

Ten years is an incredibly long time for mortals, but for cultivators, it is merely a period of seclusion and meditation.

For the past decade, the major powers on Canglan Star have continued to prepare for the invasion of cultivators from beyond the realm.

Each faction distributed its treasured resources to its disciples, aiming to maximize its strength before the invasion.

Due to external enemies, the major powers have not had any major conflicts in the past decade.

Meanwhile, Xingfeng Sect continued to sell weapons to various factions.

Today, all factions on Canglan Star, regardless of size, are equipped with firearms produced by the Xingfeng Sect.

In addition to firearms, Xingfeng Sect also sells a variety of heavy weapons.

For example, rocket launchers, portable grenade launchers, etc.

Although these equipment items are much more expensive than firearms, they still attracted many forces to compete for them.

In the Northern Frontier, at the Xingfeng Sect, within the Cabinet.

Several cultivators from other factions were discussing weapon orders with Liu Qian.

At this moment, Liu Qian sat in the main seat, dressed in a blue robe, looking like a Confucian scholar.

Compared to ten years ago, Liu Qian has many more gray hairs at his temples.

He is now sixty years old.

In the Painting Scroll World, mortals generally have very short lifespans, often reaching the end of their lifespan around the age of sixty.

However, Liu Qian's condition was due to long-term use of elixirs.

Sixty years old only made him look a little old.

"Manager Liu, could you lower the price a bit? As you know, we're a small force, and we've spent a lot of Spirit Stone training our disciples in recent years."

A representative of a faction spoke respectfully to Liu Qian. Although he possessed the cultivation of Foundation Establishment, he showed great respect to Liu Qian, a mere mortal.

Liu Qian picked up the tea on the table, took a sip, and said with a smile:

"Sect Leader Qian, your Golden Turtle Sect is no small force. In the Northern Region, apart from those top forces, your Golden Turtle Sect is the strongest."

Upon hearing Liu Qian's words, the Sect Master of the Golden Turtle Sect gave an awkward smile:

"In the Northern Region, our Golden Turtle Sect is indeed not a small force, but compared to your sect, we are nothing."

Several leaders of the surrounding factions also spoke up.

"That's right. Your sect is now the number one power besides the Cultivation Alliance. In the future, when cultivators from beyond the realm invade, we will still have to rely on your sect."

"I heard that the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion recently re-ranked your sect, placing it second. I believe this ranking is inaccurate. Although the Cultivation Alliance is strong, your sect has Sect Master Chen."

"Sect Leader Chen was able to defeat even a demon god in the late Nascent Spirit Transformation, making him arguably the strongest person on Canglan Star. Your sect should be ranked number one!"

Various compliments came from their mouths.

Now, every cultivator on Canglan Star knows the name Chen Beijing.

Defeating a late-stage Spirit Transformation while only at the Nascent Soul Realm was a feat that completely overturned the long-held understanding of the cultivators of Canglan Star.

"The price can be reduced by another 10% at most. If you're not willing, then leave." Liu Qian really didn't want to hear these people's flattering words anymore.

Almost every force that comes to the Xingfeng Sect to buy weapons does this: they either shower Xingfeng Sect with praise or their sect leader with compliments.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room showed expressions of joy.

Although it's only a 10% reduction, it still saves them a lot of Spirit Stone.

"Thank you so much, Manager Liu! Thank you so much, Manager Liu!" Everyone expressed their gratitude to Liu Qian.

After the matter was discussed, the leaders of all the factions left the cabinet.

Not long after those people left, a middle-aged man wearing power armor strode in.

A little girl was also with the big man.

The little girl looked to be only about eight years old.

As soon as the little girl entered the cabinet, she ran up to Liu Qian and greeted him warmly.

Uncle Liu!

Liu Qian smiled kindly.

"Feng Nuo, what brings you to your uncle's place today?"

The little girl smiled sweetly, "Daddy went back to the inner gate today, so I came with him."

Liu Qian then looked up at the middle-aged man in front of him:

Why did you suddenly come back?

The middle-aged man before them was none other than Wang Hu.

Ten years have passed, and Wang Hu's appearance hasn't changed much, except that his face shows some signs of vicissitude, which is also due to his status as a martial artist.

Martial artists live longer than ordinary people.

As for the little girl, she was naturally Wang Hu's daughter.

The year after Wang Hu's marriage, Wang Hu wife gave birth to his child.

The girl was named Wang Fengnuo, a name that sounds like a boy's name.

But Wang Hu still gave her this name.

"Wind" represents "the Xingfeng Sect," and "promise" means "commitment."

The meaning is simple and clear: her loyalty to the Xingfeng Sect will be her promise for the rest of her life.

Wang Hu said with a smile:

"The construction of the new city requires a batch of supplies, so I came back to get them myself."

Wang Hu has been focusing on building a new city recently.

The original Xingfeng City was too small, so a few years ago, Liu Qian and others decided to build a large city specifically for cultivators.

This was intended to facilitate the relocation of cultivation forces to the Northern Territory.

Because of the invasion of cultivators from beyond the realm, many forces in the outer seas have chosen to join the Xingfeng Sect.

Some of these factions chose to move to the North.

After all, they only felt safe when they were in the Northern Territory with the Xingfeng Sect headquarters.

This has led to a rapid increase in the number of cultivators in the Northern Territory in recent years.

Building a city for cultivators is necessary.

"Since you're back, stay a few more days. Feng Nuo is already eight years old and hasn't seen you much," Liu Qian said.

Wang Hu nodded. "Yes, I'll stay for seven days this time. By the way, how is the sect leader doing?"

Upon hearing Wang Hu mention Chen Feng, Liu Qian's expression turned serious.

"Three years ago, the sect leader would check on the Xingfeng Sect every now and then via mobile phone, but there has been no news since then. It seems that we have reached a critical moment in our cultivation."

Wang Hu sighed, "I wonder how long the sect leader will be in seclusion this time."

Liu Qian said with a smile:

"Senior Zhengjiao once told me that breaking through to the Spirit Transformation is no simple matter for a cultivator; it's quite normal for some to spend hundreds of years in seclusion."

Wang Hu's expression darkened; "If the sect leader truly goes into seclusion for hundreds of years, I'm afraid we'll never see him again."

For hundreds of years, only cultivators at the Golden Core level could live this long.

For ordinary people, this would be several lifetimes.

Liu Qian comforted him, saying:

"Don't worry, even if you die tomorrow, the sect leader will definitely come out to see you one last time."

Wang Hu angrily retorted, "Are you cursing me to die?"

The two of them immediately burst into laughter.

Just then, a loud explosion suddenly rang out in the sky!

Although the explosion was far away from the Xingfeng Sect, everyone in the Xingfeng Sect heard it.

"This is..." Liu Qian sat up abruptly.

Wang Hu exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that the sect leader is about to undergo tribulation?"

The two quickly left the cabinet.

As soon as they stepped out the door, they saw streaks of light heading towards the great forest.

"Let's go!" Liu Qian said.

A space carrier soon flew in from the sky and then carried the two of them and Wang Fengnuo towards the great forest.

The outskirts of the great forest.

When Liu Qian and Wang Hu arrived here aboard the space carrier, many cultivators from the Xingfeng Sect had already gathered around.

When these people saw Liu Qian arrive, they all greeted him warmly.

"Greetings, Manager!"

Liu Qian scanned the crowd and asked one of them:

What's going on here?

The cultivator immediately replied:

"Reporting to the steward, if I am not mistaken, someone should be undergoing the Spirit Transformation Tribulation!"

This cultivator possessed the Golden Core cultivation level and was Elder Meng, who joined the Xingfeng Sect a few years ago along with Zuo Poxing and He Menghan.

Elder Meng had been staying at the Xingfeng Sect headquarters for a long time, but he didn't hold any official position.

Currently working at a nuclear plant, assisting with production-related tasks.

Just then, a female voice rang out from afar. "It's Senior Zhengjiao undergoing his tribulation."

Looking in the direction of the sound, Liu Qian saw a girl in a yellow dress standing not far away.

This girl was naturally Yin Yin.

Liu Qian immediately went to Yin Yin's side and asked:

"Yinyin, you said Senior Zhengjiao is undergoing tribulation? Why didn't he notify me beforehand?"

Yin Yin has hardly changed at all compared to ten years ago; she still looks like a young girl.

Upon seeing Yin Yin, Wang Fengnuo, who was standing next to Wang Hu, immediately exclaimed with joy;

"Sister Yinyin!"

Yinyin gently patted Wang Fengnuo's head. "Fengnuo, be good."

Touching Wang Fengnuo's head reminded Yin Yin of Chen Feng, her brother used to touch her head like that.

"Yinyin, tell me quickly!" Liu Qian said anxiously.

Upon hearing this, Yin Yin finally turned her gaze towards them and replied:

"Senior Zhengjiao just told me that too."

"Won't there be any danger?" Liu Qian asked again.

Although it wasn't Chen Feng who was undergoing the tribulation this time, Liu Qian was somewhat disappointed.

But he was still very concerned about Zhengjiao's tribulation.

"Don't worry, Senior Zhengjiao told me that he'll have no problem with his tribulation this time," Yinyin said casually.

At this moment, the thunder in the sky grew louder and louder.

The place where Zhengjiao underwent his tribulation was far from here; all the people could see was the constantly rolling thunder in the sky.

Many cultivators had already sat cross-legged nearby and begun their cultivation.

The higher the cultivation level of a cultivator, the more abundant the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi they attract during their tribulation, which is of great benefit to lower-level cultivators.

The thunder continued. Liu Qian and Wang Hu returned to the space carrier and began to watch the tribulation process through satellite images.

Satellite images show that one-third of the forest is covered by thunderstorms, and the satellites cannot see what is happening inside.

Just then, Liu Qian's phone rang. It was Ge Yunxuan calling.

"What's wrong, Yunxuan?" Liu Qian asked directly.

Ge Yunxuan's solemn voice came from the phone:

"Has something happened in the Northern Territory? Cultivators from various forces in the Southern Region and other regions are heading towards the outer sea."

"Have they entered the open sea?" Liu Qian asked.

Ge Yunxuan shook his head. "No, they were stopped by our people. I'm about to take them over now."

Liu Qian said, "Something has indeed happened in the Northern Territory. Senior Zhengjiao is currently undergoing his Spirit Transformation Tribulation."

Ge Yunxuan was startled. "Senior Zhengjiao is about to break through to the Spirit Transformation? No wonder all these major forces have mobilized."

Breaking through to the Spirit Transformation is possible for both Demon Race and humans.

When one breaks through to this level, extremely powerful phenomena will occur.

It could even affect the entire Canglan Star.

Lower-level cultivators might not be able to sense it, but top-level cultivators can feel the changes in the world.

"Should we let them enter the outer sea?" Ge Yunxuan asked.

Liu Qian said decisively:

"Not a single person can be allowed in! From this moment on, the outer sea will be sealed off, and all space-based weapons will be placed on combat readiness."

At this time, Liu Qian naturally wouldn't allow cultivators from other domains to come to the outer sea.

Even though Xingfeng Sect currently holds a very high position on Canglan Star.

However, it's hard to guarantee that someone won't take the opportunity to cause sabotage.

"Okay, I understand." Ge Yunxuan then hung up the phone.

Southern Region, entrance to the Stormy Sea.

Dozens of magic ships have gathered here, and these ships are filled with cultivators from various forces.

These cultivators ranged in cultivation levels, from Nascent Soul to Foundation Establishment.

At the entrance to the Stormy Sea, cultivators from the Xingfeng Sect were stationed.

On one of the Dharma ships, an elder at the Nascent Soul stage stepped forward and said:

"We only wish to go to the outer sea to observe the Spirit Transformation undergoing tribulation; we have no ill intentions. Why won't you let us pass?"

This old man was an elder from a powerful force in the Northern Region.

He was very dissatisfied with those who were blocking his way.

The cultivators of the Xingfeng Sect guarding the entrance to the Stormy Sea were at most at the Golden Core stage.

Among the cultivators of the Xingfeng Sect, a middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe stepped forward and said:

"Without orders from within the sect, no force or individual may set foot on the outer sea."

The middle-aged man was a steward of the Xingfeng Sect, possessing the cultivation of the Golden Core Realm, and was specifically responsible for guarding the entrance to the Stormy Sea.

Despite the presence of several Nascent Soul Cultivator on the other side, the middle-aged man remained completely calm.

Because behind him stands the Xingfeng Sect.

"Hmph, do you think a mere Golden Core cultivator like you can represent the Xingfeng Sect?"

The Nascent Soul Cultivator had spoken earlier coldly addressed the cultivators of the Xingfeng Sect.

The others didn't say anything, but it was clear they didn't want to leave either.

They didn't want to offend the Xingfeng Sect, but seeing someone undergoing the Spirit Transformation Tribulation was a rare fortuitous opportunity for them.

As long as they get close to the area of the lightning tribulation, they can absorb a certain amount of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

When Spirit Transformation cultivator undergoes tribulation, the primordial energy of heaven and earth is at its purest.

Even a low-level cultivator who inhales just a trace of it will have a higher chance of breaking through to a higher realm later.

This was a rare opportunity, and they naturally didn't want to miss it.

The deacon of the Xingfeng Sect still shook his head:

"No one may set foot in the Stormy Seas without permission from within the sect. Any attempt to force entry is tantamount to declaring war on the Xingfeng Sect!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

The phrase "start a war with the Xingfeng Sect" carries immense weight.

Even the Nascent Soul stage expert who had spoken earlier changed his expression.

"Your Xingfeng Sect is far too domineering! Spirit Transformation cultivator's breakthrough is of great benefit to us. In the past, when senior Nascent Spirit Transformation from major powers broke through, they would invite us to observe. Doesn't your Xingfeng Sect have any sense of responsibility at all?"

The Nascent Soul Cultivator immediately resorted to moral blackmail.

He dared not fall out with the Xingfeng Sect, but he also did not want to miss this fortuitous opportunity.

Just then, a cold voice rang out from afar:

"Overbearing? My Xingfeng Sect is overbearing, so what can you do about it?"

In the distance, hundreds of space carriers flew over.

These hundreds of space carriers immediately surrounded the group of cultivators present.

Ge Yunxuan stood on the foremost aerospace carrier, coldly observing a group of cultivators outside the stormy sea.

Upon seeing Ge Yunxuan, the steward of the Xingfeng Sect immediately bowed respectfully.

Fan Long greets Elder Ge!

Ge Yunxuan looked at the cultivator named Fan Long and said:

"Fan Long, you've been a member of the sect for quite some time now, why are you so hesitant in your actions? These people aren't heeding your warnings, just report it directly to Taiyi and take action."

Upon hearing this, Van Long immediately knelt down:

"It was my fault, Elder. Please punish me."

Ge Yunxuan ignored Fan Long and instead looked at the cultivators from other regions who had arrived, coldly saying:

"If you don't leave within ten breaths, then none of you are leaving!"