"......"
Silence.
Outside Fusheng City, two young-looking cultivators stood in silence.
Two incense-sticks' worth of time had passed, yet Fusheng City had not responded in any way to Mr. You's words.
"Today, the two of us specially visited Fusheng City. Open your gates!"
Mr. You called out loudly toward Fusheng City again.
Still no response.
"Mr. You?"
Chen Yan probed, turning to the man standing beside him.
Mr. You waved his hand calmly:
"It probably isn't that they're refusing to open the gates. Is it possible that everyone inside Fusheng City is dead?"
"......"
Chen Yan did not know what to say.
"Let me test it."
Mr. You flicked his finger lightly. Massive streams of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy gathered and condensed in front of him until they formed a spirit body that looked exactly like Mr. You.
This is an external body "divine art" only a cultivator above the Divine Ability Realm can use.
Through a link with the cultivator's innate spirit qi, it allows complete sensory sharing between the original body and the external spirit body.
However, this external body is nowhere near the main body's level in terms of cultivation or total spirit qi. Many more profound techniques cannot be performed through it.
For a cultivator like Mr. You, whose cultivation currently rests at the peak of Dao Union, his external body could at best reach roughly the peak of the Unity Realm.
Then Mr. You's spirit body flew through the air toward Fusheng City.
A beam of golden light rose from within the city and instantly shattered Mr. You's spirit body, dispersing it back into heaven-and-earth spirit qi.
"Heh..."
Mr. You chuckled lightly, looking supremely confident as if everything was under control, hands clasped behind his back while he gazed up at Fusheng City.
Then he suddenly turned and walked toward the forest behind them.
"Mr. You?"
Chen Yan was a little surprised and called after his retreating figure.
"Who cares about getting into that broken city."
Mr. You replied without turning his head.
...
Chenping Continent, Kongshan Sect, Kongyuan Mountain.
"Greetings, Elder Zhao!"
"Elder Zhao!"
A boy wearing a gilded cloud-and-crane daoist robe with a yellow overcoat walked toward the Alchemy Hall. Kongyuan Mountain disciples nearby bowed and saluted him.
Zhao Bin.
The current True Dharma Elder on Kongyuan Mountain, and the sole personal disciple of Yue Chi.
He broke through to the Passable God Realm three years ago. Two months prior, the Alchemy Hall elder of Kongyuan Mountain in charge of external affairs died in battle in the Dongxiong Mountain Range during the war against the Coiling Dragon Sect. Zhao Bin had taken over the post.
Zhao Bin's actual age was around fifty now.
Breaking through to the Passable God Realm at about fifty years old is roughly the average age among elder personal disciples of the Five Great Sects to reach that realm.
Anyone who breaks through before forty can be called a top genius of the cultivation world.
And someone like Qin Qingyu, who condensed her innate true energy and reached the Myriad Transformations Realm at thirty-four, is an extraordinary prodigy—a talent fit for ascension.
Kongyuan Mountain disciples held a favorable impression of their current external affairs elder.
The main reason was Zhao Bin's recent record in punitive campaigns against other sects—he had achieved conspicuous military merits. Seven Passable God Realm cultivators and nearly a hundred Qi Sea Realm cultivators had fallen by his hand.
Some speculated this was also the true purpose behind Patriarch Kong's call to "remind the world of the might of ascension long forgotten."
That is, to unearth the sect's genuinely usable talents through war.
"Uncle Lin!"
Upon entering the Alchemy Hall, Zhao Bin called out loudly within.
"Oh, isn't this Elder Zhao?"
A middle-aged man with whitening temples slowly descended from the second-floor steps, a cattail fan in hand, looking rather languid.
Lin Qifeng, the fifth disciple of Sect Leader Yun Yichen and the Alchemy Hall elder of Kongyuan Mountain.
He broke into the Passable God Realm and became the Alchemy Hall elder fourteen years ago.
Now his cultivation sat at the mid-stage of the Passable God Realm.
Back in Chen Yan's generation of prodigies, Kongshan Sect alone already had several cultivators whose realms surpassed Lin Qifeng by a significant margin.
For example, Chu Xiyao of Qingchan Peak and Jiang Ling of Yibai Peak had both reached the late Passable God Realm, while Huang Cheng of Linwu Mountain had reached the mid-stage of the Passable God Realm.
If Zhao Wuduan, Qin Yue, Lin Xinyang, and Wang Chenfeng—those who died in the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm—were still alive, their cultivation would likely be at least mid-stage Passable God Realm by now.
As for Li Haowen...
Lin Qifeng's mind produced that sullen face; it was hard to reconcile with the energetic, upright youth of fifteen years ago.
Li Haowen's cultivation still lingered in the early Passable God Realm.
But his real combat strength was far above an ordinary Passable God Realm cultivator.
Like the time before the Coiling Dragon Sect's main hall, with a single sword he easily killed the Training Grounds Elder, causing the steadfast disciples resisting before the main hall to collapse into panic.
His achievements had even been personally commended by Sect Leader Yun.
However, Li Haowen's attempt to spare prisoners of war had been concealed by Yue Chi.
There were two reasons Li Haowen remained in early Passable God Realm.
One, he could not obtain the abundant cultivation resources available to Chu Xiyao and Jiang Ling on their respective peaks while stationed on Yuanhua Mountain.
Two, his morale had never recovered since his master Wei Mian died.
A few years ago, Li Haowen had come to visit Lin Qifeng at Kongyuan Mountain.
They had discussed matters regarding Chen Yan's life.
"Master Lin, don't tease me."
Zhao Bin looked a little embarrassed, scratching the back of his head as he laughed at Lin Qifeng.
"What brings you to the Alchemy Hall today? Helping me refine pills?"
"It's important."
Zhao Bin lowered his voice, and after ensuring no other Alchemy Hall disciples were near, he spoke to Lin Qifeng:
"My master said Patriarch Kong plans to eliminate the remaining followers of Huo Mu."
Lin Qifeng frowned at this:
"Eliminate Huo Mu's remnants, at a time like this?"
His brow tightened:
"The sect already lacks manpower. And Patriarch Kong isn't someone who can't control the situation. Why?"
"Who dares to presume Patriarch Kong's intentions?"
Zhao Bin replied:
"There is another matter. My master recently plans to sweep up the rogue cultivators inside the borders of the Qingque Kingdom. I heard there is a Passable God Realm cultivator named Ding Qiu who has become quite powerful recently and once had enmity with Kongshan Sect. My master's idea is to take him down first."
"And then?"
"Regarding the suppression of Ding's bandits, my master currently has two candidates. One is you, Master Lin. The other is Li Haowen. I wonder, Master Lin..."
"I won't go. Whoever wants to go can go."
Lin Qifeng said.