Chapter 18 Part 2

It was said that the Lin Xian Sect was the dream of every cultivator, just as scholars in the mortal world dreamed of passing the imperial exams—cultivators dreamed of becoming the Chief Disciple of an Immortal Sect…

In short, those three words, “Lin Xian Sect,” had once stirred Lian Yunzhi’s heart. If not for his severe maladaptation—leaving Xiaoze State left him weak and his spiritual energy chaotic—he might have long since fought tooth and nail to join the Lin Xian Sect.

But why would someone from the Lin Xian Sect appear in Xiaoze State?

“Oh? Lin Xian Sect?” Lian Yunzhi feigned keen interest. “I hear you’re the greatest sect under heaven.”

Feng Yuan’s eyes widened. “Senior actually knows of the Lin Xian Sect?! Most people here haven’t even heard of our sect!”

Lian Yunzhi smiled. “What brings you here?”

Feng Yuan: “Our Eldest Senior Brother brought us here for training…”

Lian Yunzhi: “Eldest Senior Brother? He must be impressive. What’s his cultivation?”

Feng Yuan: “Of course our Eldest Senior Brother is impressive—he’s—”

“Feng Yuan!” A clear, cold voice suddenly cut in, interrupting him.

Lian Yunzhi turned to look.

A Golden Core cultivator in the same white Daoist robes as Feng Yuan approached gracefully, followed by several similarly attired Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Lian Yunzhi eyed the leader—Peak Golden Core.

“Senior Brother Feng Xi!” Feng Yuan waved excitedly at the newcomer. “I was nearly eaten by a demon beast just now, but this kind Senior saved my life!”

“Thank you, Dao Friend, for the rescue,” the Golden Core cultivator said as he offered an ornate Storage Bag. “A small token of appreciation—please accept it.”

Lian Yunzhi casually took the Storage Bag and stowed it away. “Are you their Eldest Senior Brother?”

“I am Feng Xi, Feng Yuan’s fellow sect disciple, but not the Eldest Senior Brother,” the Golden Core cultivator replied coolly.

Sensing the man’s reluctance to elaborate, Lian Yunzhi nodded in farewell and turned to leave.

“Senior!” Feng Yuan suddenly poked his head out from behind Feng Xi, blushing as he whispered, “You haven’t told me your name yet!”

“Next time,” Lian Yunzhi refused with a smile. “I’ll tell you my name when we meet again.”

.

Lian Yunzhi departed briskly, but a seed suddenly appeared beneath Feng Yuan’s feet. It quietly pushed through the soil, its roots and sprouts clinging to the sole of his shoe.

At the same time, an identical seed used its green sprout to climb onto Lian Yunzhi’s ear, relaying the voices to him.

“He’s so beautiful…”

“A Golden Core in his twenties—this backwater has geniuses too, huh.”

…

“Indeed a genius, but far from Eldest Senior Brother.”

“True! Eldest Senior Brother is the same age but already at Golden Core Peak!”

“Eldest Senior Brother can even slay Nascent Souls beyond his level!”

“Why compare him to Eldest Senior Brother? Eldest Senior Brother is the Linxian Sect Chief Disciple!”

Linxian Sect Chief Disciple?

Lian Yunzhi halted.

What was a lofty Linxian Sect Chief Disciple doing in Xiaoze State? Surely not just training his juniors?

Twin Mutual Speech Grass died quickly once separated. The tender sprout in Lian Yunzhi’s ear had begun to wither and yellow, but before it fully perished, he heard Feng Xi’s final words—

“The Chief Disciple gave us seven days, saying he needed to handle some matters alone outside. Time’s up—we should head out too.”

Lian Yunzhi plucked the dead wilted sprout from his ear, crushed it between his fingers, and tossed it to the ground. He hurried toward the secret realm’s exit.

Seven days?

Exactly when he had sensed something and emerged from seclusion.

Handle some matters?

What matters required the Lin Xian Sect Chief Disciple to handle alone, away from his juniors?

Lian Yunzhi’s heart pounded wildly. Suddenly, he had a feeling:

The “sense” he’d had days ago during seclusion wasn’t a breakthrough in his realm—it was a faint premonition that Xiaoze State was about to undergo a great change.

This was no good change. It might upend Xiaoze State entirely, even shatter the long-stable balance of the Four Great Families…

Lian Yunzhi’s steps slowed.

Wait.

Hadn’t he long thought Xiaoze State rotten to the core? Hadn’t he wished years ago that some force would instantly wipe out the Four Great Families or make them collapse overnight?

Though he was a Lian clansman, he hadn’t returned home in over a decade and cared nothing for the Lian Family’s rise or fall. Even if it crumbled, it had nothing to do with him.

If this “change” meant the Lin Xian Sect sending people to take over Xiaoze State (Lian Yunzhi believed they could easily manage it, even with the Nascent Soul Restriction), then based on how the Lin Xian Sect governed its subordinates, the people of Xiaoze State wouldn’t fare worse than before.

—At the very least, Lin Xian Sect disciples couldn’t kill wantonly or casually strip others’ Spiritual Roots.

Lian Yunzhi stepped out of the Hongshan Secret Realm.

A dense swarm of paper cranes crashed over him like a tidal wave.

Lian Yunzhi casually opened one from Fang Tianxin.

【Run! Mu Cheng is back! Mu Family destroyed! The entire Mu Mansion has been razed! Run—run as far as you can!】

Lian Yunzhi’s heart jolted violently!

Just then, a somewhat familiar excited voice sounded from behind him.

“Look! Eldest Senior Brother has come to pick us up—”

Lian Yunzhi felt his scalp tingle, goosebumps racing from the back of his neck down his spine.