Yi Mountain City.
A towering fortress stood firmly against the mountain, with streams of light flowing over it. A middle-aged man, clad in black-gold spirit armor, stood upon a golden shuttle, his sharp gaze under furrowed brows fixed on the distant horizon—keen as a falcon's.
His armor, dark and glistening with black-gold scales, blended seamlessly with the golden bow on his back. Beneath him, his diamond-shaped flying shuttle radiated a sharp golden Astral Qi.
Years of experience had tempered his once-unchecked ambition. His gaze was now slightly lowered, his eyes half-closed, with a calmness that concealed his sharp resolve, his spirit refined and poised for action.
Li Xuanfeng rose on the wind from the city walls, hovering for a moment. In the distant sea of trees, demons circled but showed no sign of advancing. He returned to the wall where a group of young, unfamiliar faces approached him from below.
Only one middle-aged man moved forward, his appearance dignified and scholarly. He spoke softly, "Brother Feng, Fairy of the Autumn Lake is waiting in the city."
Most of those who had followed him south all those years ago had married, had children, and become casualties in repeated battles, devoured by demons. Only Fei Yihe remained at his side, now in his seventies, yet still cautious of taking a higher step in his cultivation.
Although the Azure Pond Sect had never commented directly, the tragic massacre of the Fei Family years ago still remained vivid in his memory, so Fei Yihe dared not act recklessly. Li Xuanfeng nodded, not surprised at all.
If Ning Wan has come, then the Daoist Master must have emerged from seclusion.
Li Xuanfeng's armored boots rang crisply as they struck the ground. Riding the wind down, he soon spotted a woman standing by a small stall in the marketplace, gazing at the wares with interest.
Ning Wan had a unique presence. Although she used an Azure Pond's spell to mask her cultivation, Li Xuanfeng, with his Spirit Eye Perception, sensed her cultivation level with a mere glance. With their cultivation close in level, he approached and greeted her softly, "Xuanfeng greets Senior."
Ning Wan, now at the peak of Foundation Establishment Realm and nearing the Purple Mansion Realm, looked back at him with a gentle smile.
"Not bad... So, when are you planning to enter seclusion for your breakthrough?"
Li Xuanfeng, who had been refining his cultivation since reaching the mid-Foundation Establishment Realm long ago, responded, "I fear my foundation may be unstable... there is no rush for a breakthrough."
Ning Wan nodded, smiling brightly.
"I have seen your archery skills! Thinking back, when that Golden Tang Gate disciple came south all those years ago, it was you who defeated him, was it not?" she asked with a knowing smile.
Li Xuanfeng had not expected her to bring up old events, but now it mattered little. He murmured an apology, while Ning Wan nodded and said, "You were so young then, yet you had already grasped the essence of the bow... At the time, I thought it was a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator's doing, influenced as I was by Man On Creek or Jiang Boqing's influence. But... it seems fate works strangely, and it led us to cross paths here."
Remembering those days, Li Xuanfeng felt a pang of melancholy, though he showed no outward change in his expression. Ning Wan continued, "There is some news I should share with you."
"I will be glad to hear it," Li Xuanfeng quickly replied, instantly focusing his attention on her.
Ning Wan shook her head and said, "From the overseas Crimson Reef Island, there was a female cultivator of the main bloodline, named Guo Hongyao. She flew to your family's territory and caused quite a scene... Apparently, she wanted to take someone as her disciple, but things did not go well on either side, and they parted on poor terms."
"Crimson Reef Island..?"
The mention of family matters instantly grabbed Li Xuanfeng's attention.
Ning Wan gave him a knowing look, speaking softly, "As she returned overseas, the female cultivator suffered a severe ambush, barely escaping her own territory with her life. She managed to escape with talismans, but her prized artifact was stolen. The perpetrator was outrageously bold, and Crimson Reef Island has already dispatched people to investigate."
Ning Wan's lips curved in a slight smile, clearly amused by the news. Then, she suddenly added, "With the Green Pine Temple Ruins involved, the Crimson Reef Island will likely not investigate thoroughly. The injury to that female cultivator though, will likely set her back for decades with little hope of progress."
Li Xuanfeng froze momentarily, his brows knitting in thought.
"To have robbed a direct disciple of an immortal sect on their own turf... Who would be so daring?"
Ning Wan smiled without responding. The two flew together for a while, then landed in unison in front of Yuan Su's cave dwelling, as if by mutual understanding. They passed the oddly-shaped bronze beasts in the courtyard, surrounded by a swirling white mist that chilled their ankles. Daoist Master Yuan Su lay relaxed on a stone platform up ahead.
"Greetings, Daoist Master!"
The both of them greeted as they cupped their fists respectfully.
Daoist Master Yuan Su's face appeared smooth and round, always lacking any sense of intimidation, and now seemed even more otherworldly. A faint golden seal swayed at his waist.
Li Xuanfeng and Ning Wan bowed respectfully. With a wave of his hand, Yuan Su gestured for them to rise, asking, "Wan'er... how are matters proceeding?"
Ning Wan answered with deference, "Honored Ancestor, those who were suspected of bearing a thread of fate have all received the news of Green Pine Temple and have each made their way to the sea. No complications..."
"Hmm."
Yuan Su nodded, his fingers resting on the seal.
"After all, the descent of Fruition Attainment from Mount Luoxia has drawn together a few threads of fate—it is to be expected. If these individuals can stand out, whether they truly bear a thread of fate or not, at least they have some skill... They should be able to bring back something from the ruins."
Ning Wan nodded and continued in a soft voice, "However... there is one major development. Daoist Master Suiguan recently visited Crimson Reef Island and then Golden Feather Sect, where Zhang Tianyuan personally saw him off with great respect."
Daoist Master Suiguan was a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator who had mysteriously emerged from the lifeless, emerald waters of the Azure Pond Grotto Heaven. Yuan Su's expression darkened at the news, muttering, "What is he up to now?!"
Yuan Su found dealing with Suiguan exasperating. While Chi Buzi, despite his foul temper, was at least a familiar face and manageable with his not-so-high cultivation, Suiguan was utterly unpredictable.
Yuan Su had hidden himself in Yi Mountain City and even gone into seclusion to avoid encountering Suiguan. Now, upon hearing of him again, his expression soured. After a brief pause, Ning Wan hesitated, then continued somewhat awkwardly, "It is rumored, according to the Chi Family, that he... took a portion of..."
She abruptly stopped speaking, but Yuan Su waved his hand, speaking softly, "Go ahead... say it freely."
As such, Ning Wan continued, "...a portion of Profound Radiant Dual Essence Qi."
Yuan Su sat up, contemplating this information for a moment, then remarked, "Ah... yes, it must be Profound Radiant Qi. Only something of that nature would compel Suiguan to personally make the trip to Golden Feather Sect... He is at the peak of the Purple Mansion Realm... could he be attempting to break through to the Golden Core Realm?"
He made this deduction before furrowing his brows and reconsidering, "No... that does not seem right."
The two below remained silent. Yuan Su soon regained his composure, falling quiet before he looked over to Li Xuanfeng and nodded approvingly, "Not bad... You are progressing faster than I expected."
"All thanks to the Daoist Master's guidance," Li Xuanfeng responded politely as he offered his thanks. Over the past decade, Yuan Su had indeed been generous to him, providing spirit armor, precious medicines, Golden Stone Qi, and secret techniques—essentially treating him as a junior disciple.
If not for the sensitivity of these items, which Yuan Su had bestowed upon him directly, Li Xuanfeng would have sent some of them to his family. In fact, Yuan Su's kindness only made him feel more uneasy.
Yuan Su watched him thoughtfully for a moment, then said softly, "Very well. Your current strength is respectable enough to carry some authority. Take a trip to the Eastern Sea and handle two matters for me."
Li Xuanfeng was overjoyed, responding eagerly, "Daoist Master, please give me your instructions!"
He was overjoyed for two reasons. First, he had been confined to this place for decades, and now he finally had the opportunity to venture out. Second, Yuan Su finally had a task for him. Without a purpose, the powerful spells and spirit treasures he had received felt almost burdensome, yet refusing them had never been an option.