Su Hongzhen was like a dark horse, standing out from the crowd during that Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry.
With just one person and one sword, not a single Dao Inquirer at the Heavenly Summit Mountain could last three rounds against him.
This included the Dao Inquirers from the Five Great Sects as well.
However, at that time on Heavenly Summit Mountain, the high-level Myriad Transformations Realm elders with profound cultivation could clearly see it.
Su Hongzhen was holding back.
Everyone knew that Su Hongzhen was a Rogue Cultivator, and his relationship with the Mirage Palace was quite close.
A swordsman with such stunning talent undoubtedly deserved to be called one with the potential to Ascend to Immortality.
Normally, when a Rogue Cultivator produced a genius with the hope of Ascending to Immortality, if they didn't quickly find a major sect powerful enough to shelter them from the storm, they were very likely to meet an early demise.
Yet, no one dared to provoke Su Hongzhen.
Everyone believed it was only a matter of time before Wu Yi broke through the mortal dust and achieved Ascension to Immortality.
As for the other four great sects, they were likely to fall even further behind.
After that Dao Inquiry Assembly of Chenping Continent concluded, Su Hongzhen, as expected, won that Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry and became the champion of that session.
Perhaps there was much resentment in the hearts of those he defeated at the time, but after Su Hongzhen Ascended to Immortality, the runner-up who lost to Su Hongzhen in that Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry began to take pride in having lost to Su Hongzhen.
Wind Ravine Valley's Supreme Martial Pacification Elder of that time, who was also the delegation envoy for Wind Ravine Valley's mission then, the Martial Elder of Yinli Ravine, also had the opportunity to make contact with Su Hongzhen at that time.
During casual conversation, the eighteen-year-old Su Hongzhen talked with that Supreme Martial Pacification Elder of Wind Ravine Valley about his past.
For example, the top-grade spiritual sword he wielded at the time was a gift from a great Senior during his travels in a small, remote place in the Western Region of Chenping Continent.
As for the name of that small place, it's unknown whether Su Hongzhen didn't mention it, or whether that Supreme Martial Pacification Elder of Wind Ravine Valley didn't remember it.
In any case, compared to the possibility of the young man before Chen Yan now merely sharing a name with that famously celebrated number one sword immortal of Chenping Continent, the possibility that he *is* the Falling Star Realman himself is clearly greater.
Or rather, the possibility that he *is* the Falling Star Realman is almost certain.
This also means the current timeline is, with extremely high probability, eight thousand years before the complete collapse of the natural laws of Chenping Continent.
Chen Yan's state of mind was very calm, because as long as he could recover his cultivation, he would naturally obtain a truly definitive answer.
As for what to do at this very moment...
"Go pack your things. Get some good rest. At the latest, the day after tomorrow, we'll set off for Yunxi."
Chen Yan said calmly.
"Got it, Brother!"
Upon hearing this, Su Hongzhen immediately became happy. He started walking towards the direction of his room, but halfway there, the young man seemed to suddenly remember something and stopped in his tracks:
"Brother, I don't have any luggage!"
...
Yunxi Country, Mei River Prefecture.
On the surface of a calm river dozens of *zhang* wide, a small boat drifted slowly right down the river's center.
A hawk soared across the sky.
Four people sat in the small boat: an old man, a young man, a young woman, and a girl.
Their attire was not that of ordinary folk; they wore daoist robes.
All were deep cyan daoist robes.
"This Mei River is the fourth largest river in the southeastern part of the Western Region, stretching over six thousand *li*, eventually converging into the Ming River and emptying into the sea at the southwestern corner of the Southern Region."
The old man sitting at the very front of the small boat explained to the other three on the boat:
"Compared to other rivers in the southeastern Western Region, this Mei River is more placid and stable, rarely experiencing flood disasters. Precisely because of this, over twenty secular kingdoms, large and small, have been established along the banks of the Mei River basin. This Yunxi Country is one of them."
"Protector Huang, so the Kang Family we're seeking here in Yunxi Country this time is actually..."
The young man couldn't help but ask.
"It's a martial arts family."
The old man, addressed as Protector Huang by the young man, replied.
"A martial arts family?"
The young woman also dressed in deep cyan daoist robes tilted her head, revealing a puzzled expression.
"Meaning worldly martial artists. Those who practice martial arts have abundant vital energy and blood, far exceeding ordinary people. They are held in high esteem by mortal disciples in the mundane world."
Protector Huang continued his answer.
"Then, are those people who practice martial arts strong?"
"That's hard to say. It depends on who you compare them to."
Protector Huang went on.
"Compared to immortal cultivators?"
The young man asked.
"The most top-tier martial arts grandmasters in this world are absolutely no match for a cultivator above the late-stage Body Forging Realm, not even for a single exchange."
After a moment of contemplation, Protector Huang answered.
This made both the young man and the young woman beside him show even more bewildered expressions:
"If that's the case, then why is Elder Zhang so insistent on having you, Protector, take us to the Kang Family to recruit a disciple?"
"It's a long story..."
Protector Huang paused briefly, then continued:
"This traces back sixty years. Elder Zheng once encountered a clansman of the Kang Family here in the southeastern Western Region. That Kang clansman helped Elder Zheng, who was in distress at the time, escape his predicament. So, Elder Zheng wanted to take him as a disciple.
"But after observing for a period, the Elder discovered that Kang clansman truly had no talent for immortal cultivation whatsoever, not even enough to step through the sect's main gate. With no other choice, Elder Zheng made an agreement with him: sixty years later, he would accept a descendant of the Kang Family with acceptable talent as his disciple."
"But what if, when we come this time, the Kang Family still doesn't have a clansman with decent talent?"
The young man asked.
"Well..."
The young man's question left the old man somewhat unsure how to answer.
Then, after a moment of thought, the old man gave his answer:
"Then we'll wait another sixty years."
The small boat continued to drift on the river, heading towards a fork in the Mei River.
Following this tributary straight ahead, they could reach Jiangdu Prefecture in less than two days.
The hawk in the sky circled round and round.
The slightly older young woman looked back at the younger girl sitting beside her, who appeared to be only about thirteen or fourteen years old, lightly closing her eyes as if in a deep sleep:
"Shiyu?"
The girl didn't respond at all.
"Shiyu!"
The young woman raised her volume a bit, calling towards the girl, and gently patted her shoulder.
The girl's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"What is it, Senior Sister Feng?"
A quiet and gentle voice sounded.
"At least show some proper attitude while carrying out a sect mission. Don't keep sleeping!"
The young woman addressed as Senior Sister Feng admonished.
"Mm, I understand."
The girl nodded.
Then she lifted her head, gazing towards the sky.
The hawk that had been circling overhead just moments ago was now flying into the distance.
Flying farther and farther away.