As the first rays of dawn pierced the sky, Cloudhill City stirred to life, its eastern quarters buzzing as people came and went.
Wu Yuan stood in the shadow of a five-story building, watching as an elegant woman and a lively young girl appeared – his mother Wanqin, and his little sister, Wu Yijun.
Wu Yijun already had her breakfast. After Wanqin walked her to the mansion gate, she left the Wu Mansion followed closely by two guards.
My family. A smile tugged at Wu Yuan’s lips as warmth spread through his heart.
He had returned to Cloudhill City to see his family, but did not reveal himself. After all, as far as the public knew, Wu Yuan was supposed to be training up on the mountain with The Rain Hierarch. Why would he suddenly appear at the foot of the mountain?
Only The Rain Hierarch, Sect Elder Huan, and Zhao Baifan know about my journey through the world. Though they wouldn’t leak such a secret, I’d better stay hidden.
Even if he did show himself, not many people would connect Wu Yuan with Shadow Blade, mostly likely dismissing it as a coincidence.
But this will occur again in the future. Once is a coincidence, but every time? Some astute observers would inevitably start getting skeptical. It’s best to be cautious.
Wu Yuan’s figure melted into the shadows as he silently disappeared from the Wu Mansion.
From the foot of Cloudhill, he took an unconventional route as he scaled the mountain. Finally, he arrived at the Cloud Martial Hall.
“Senior Brother Wu!”
“Good to see you, Senior Brother.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen Senior Brother Wu.”
“Rumor has it that Senior Brother Wu has been cultivating in seclusion with The Rain Hierarch. He seems different now.” Disciples of the martial academy whispered among themselves as they saw him passing by.
Despite his two-month absence, Wu Yuan’s reputation in the Cloud Martial Hall remained as strong as ever.
“Where’s Instructor Zhao?” Wu Yuan asked a few students.
“She’s in the Ninth Martial Grand Hall.”
Soon after, he arrived at a martial chamber on the second floor of a martial grand hall.
“Instructor Zhao, I’m back,” Wu Yuan found Zhao Baifan.
“Wu Yuan?” Zhao Baifan, who was in the midst of meditating, turned around. Her eyes radiated a sense of relief, as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “You’re finally back. I’ve heard no news of you during your two-month journey through the martial world. I’ve been worried.”
“If Instructor Zhao had heard any news of my exploits, I’d probably have trouble making it back,” Wu Yuan grinned cheekily.
“Enough with the jokes!” Zhao Baifan glared at him, then burst into laughter and asked, “How was your experience?” Zhao Baifan could not put on the airs of an instructor when speaking to Wu Yuan.
“The martial world is cruel, yet fascinating,” Wu Yuan smiled, “But it still can’t compare to the tranquility of Cloudhill.”
“Mm, such enlightenment shows that you’ve experienced much on your journey.” Zhao Baifan sighed, “In my younger days, I too used to rule a region. But I soon grew tired of the deception and trickery, and requested to return to the mountain. Eventually, I became an instructor at the Cloud Martial Hall.”
“It is much more peaceful here,” Zhao Baifan added.
“Instructor Zhao, you’ve got great potential to become a Savant expert.” Wu Yuan said sincerely.
This was not flattery, but heartfelt admiration. Without the aid of potent natural treasures, one’s martial skill had to reach a high level in order to tap into the deepest potential of the body to eventually become a Savant expert, or a Grandmaster.
To instruct a student is to also instruct oneself.
Zhao Baifan was relatively young, possessing a commendable focus on cultivation. The odds of her becoming a Savant expert in the future were high.
…
Meeting Zhao Baifan was synonymous with announcing his return to the sect’s higher-ups. Therefore, after taking his leave, Wu Yuan immediately returned to his long-missed private courtyard house and issued some instructions to his servants.
Walking up to the second floor, he first inspected six small contraptions he’d set up prior to his departure.
No evidence of tampering. Wu Yuan nodded slightly. It seems that no one has visited the second floor during my absence.
He strode directly into the storage room, retrieving the perfectly intact Chu-Jiang Token from a hidden compartment. After placing it into his storage artifact, Wu Yuan finally allowed himself to relax.
Just what secrets does the Chu-Jiang Token hold? He flipped his palm to reveal a stack of scrolls. I hope the information from the Pleiades Guild doesn’t disappoint.
He sat down and began to read.
The Chu-Jiang Empire, established by Heavenly Ranker Chu Yue in the Eastern Martial calendar year 2558, gradually expanded its reign from the Chu Continent…
The beginning delved into the history of the Chu-Jiang Empire’s expansion, not much different from the history of the Great Jin Empire. A Heavenly Ranker established a nation and rapidly expanded its influence across several continents.
Hmm? Wu Yuan’s eyes lit up as he read a particular passage.
Grandmasters emerged from every generation of the Chu royal family. The numerous experts produced by the Chu-Jiang Empire was a highly abnormal phenomenon. After the empire crumbled, the world learned that the royal family of the Chu-Jiang Empire possessed a special immortal relic, commonly referred to as the Chu-Jiang Secret Realm or the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm…
Legends speak of great secrets hidden within the Chu-Jiang Secret Realm, which brims with countless natural treasures and immortal legacies. The Chu-Jiang royal family ascended to power through these immortal inheritances… The Chu-Jiang Secret Realm, like many immortal relics, is not easily accessible. Only with the key, the Chu-Jiang Token, can it be opened.
Ever since Great Jin vanquished Chu-Jiang, the Chu-Jiang royal family scattered, and countless books and scriptures were dispersed across the world. Only then did the news of the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm spread.
There are eighteen Chu-Jiang Tokens in total. The Chu-Jiang Secret Realm can only be opened when at least six of the Chu-Jiang Tokens are gathered.
It can be opened once every hundred years. The next possible opening, according to conjecture, will occur after August of the year 3227 in the Eastern Martial calendar…
Heavenly Rankers are prohibited from entering. Each Chu-Jiang Token permits the entry of three individuals, but only one of them can be an expert who has reached their body’s genetic physical limit…
From the information currently available, of the eighteen Chu-Jiang Tokens, the Great Jin Empire has at least three, the Baijiang Kingdom has at least two, the Cloudstride Sect has at least one, the Starcom Consortium has at least two, the Ninedeaths Circle has one, and Grandmaster Shadow Blade has one. The remaining Chu-Jiang Tokens are unaccounted for.
Wu Yuan set down the document. It was not particularly detailed, providing no information about the specific location of the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm, what treasures existed within, or how dangerous it was. However, it gave Wu Yuan a general idea of the function and origin of the Chu-Jiang Tokens.
Presumably, the Pleiades Guild also has a Chu-Jiang Token. If Li Yan is willing to pay a price for me to bring two Savant experts inside, it suggests he has a certain level of confidence in making a profit.
Back then, when the Chu-Jiang Empire was overthrown, the last Chu Emperor fought to his death in the imperial city. Before the final battle in the imperial city, the royal family scattered.
The Chu Emperor probably distributed the many treasures within the royal family to various branches. And since the Great Jin Empire surrounded and pursued them, it is possible that Great Jin ended up with more than just three Chu-Jiang Tokens.
Chu Ping of the Baijiang Kingdom, although only a distant branch of the royal family, is the only publicly known Grandmaster expert of the Chu family today. Certainly, many of the survivors of the Chu-Jiang royal family have rallied to him.
The Cloudstride Sect, too?
The number of Chu-Jiang Tokens fell within his expected range.
The Pleiades Guild could deduce the approximate opening time and were willing to share this information with Wu Yuan, suggesting the information wasn’t particularly valuable.
When the time comes, all forces will likely send their Grandmaster experts. If I head there?
It’d be risky! The danger lay not only in the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm itself, but also in the other participants of the treasure hunt, such as the Grandmasters dispatched by Great Jin. If they identified Wu Yuan as Shadow Blade, they would surely seize the opportunity to strike.
If a Grandmaster from the Cloudstride Sect were to participate, it will most likely be The Rain Hierarch. If she’s alone… Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.
For now, Wu Yuan didn’t believe it was the right time for him to come clean with the two Hierarchs just yet. Neither Bu Yu nor Huan Jian had even met Wu Yuan, and there was no substantial foundation of trust.
Why should Bu Yu and Huan Jian trust a 16-year-old’s claims of attaining Grandmaster-level strength after just two years of solitary cultivation? Could Wu Yuan be an old monster in disguise? Any normal person would have doubts. And Wu Yuan had no way to explain himself.
Between now and next August, I have a year and a half to significantly bolster my strength. My current worries stem solely from my inadequate strength to face off against several Grandmasters. In a year and a half, my physical constitution will improve significantly. At that time, I’ll make a decision depending on the circumstances.
His curiosity about the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm fueled his desire to enter it. But the treasures within were secondary. What mattered most was his longing to explore the deep, hidden secrets of this world.
…
After he met with Zhao Baifan, Wu Yuan had another private meeting with Sect Elder Huan.
After the sect elder confirmed everything was fine, Wu Yuan resumed his cultivation routine at Cloudhill, tempering his body and honing his skills.
However, since reaching the pinnacle of the second level of Environmental Mastery, Wu Yuan’s attempts to further sense his surroundings yielded meager progress. That was because he could merge with his environment with a single thought. No matter how unique the environment was, it failed to stimulate him anew. It felt as though the progression of his skills had reached a bottleneck. He could only strive to improve his physical constitution.
Throughout the passing of spring and the arrival of another blazing summer, the summit of Cloudhill remained pleasantly cool.
Late one night, Wu Yuan Visualized the black pagoda in his upper dantian lobe, fortifying his soul as per his usual routine. Despite making slower progress over the past two years, he never slacked off, Visualizing the black pagoda habitually.
With the continual strengthening of his soul, Wu Yuan’s mental processing, analytical abilities, and memory far exceeded those of ordinary people. His martial skills advanced at an astonishing pace.
Essence, qi, soul! The soul is the most important.
As his soul grew stronger, the duration of each Visualization session lengthened.
This day, as he persisted with his Visualization practice, he felt himself becoming more and more lucid. Unlike before, he didn’t grow groggy or exhausted when reaching his limit.
When night fell and all was still, Wu Yuan felt an increasing tranquility within him, sharpening his perception of his surroundings.
Hmm? Even with closed eyes, it felt as if they were wide open, with his mental consciousness effortlessly flowing around the objects in the hall like water.
Soul sense flows like water, yet can be gathered in a palm.
A thought suddenly flashed through Wu Yuan’s mind. Instinctively, he made an attempt.
Whoosh~ To his amazement, a chair in the corner of the room began to waver and levitate where he gathered his consciousness, as if a hand was gripping it!
Could it be that my soul has become strong enough to manipulate objects from a distance? A wave of astonishment washed over Wu Yuan’s heart.
He opened his eyes, staring at the suspended chair. But as his concentration wavered, the chair fell from mid-air with a clunk.