Suddenly, one of the four asked with some uncertainty, "You are... Li Yan... Junior Brother Li?"
The speaker was of average height and appeared to be in his early twenties. He had a square face, a dark complexion, and was clean-shaven, with what seemed to be a constant, faint smile on his lips.
After speaking, he stared at Li Yan, looking him up and down as if he wasn't entirely sure.
When he spoke, the other three were stunned for a moment, then turned to look at the dark-faced youth with doubt.
"Hahaha, Senior Brother Du, you're as dashing as ever, and your skills have greatly advanced. This is truly worthy of congratulations. After so many years, you still recognized your junior brother at a glance."
Li Yan also broke into a smile. This person was none other than Du Sanjiang, who, like him, had entered the Four Symbols Peak as a Qi Condensation disciple under a Golden Core Elder.
Li Yan remembered him vividly. Back when they were competing for a spot in the Secret Realm, Du Sanjiang, at the Great Perfection of the tenth layer of Qi Condensation, had forced him to use all his wits, nearly defeating him. In the end, he had only won through strategy.
Du Sanjiang had always given him the impression of being exceptionally powerful, and now he had long since succeeded in Foundation Establishment . Li Yan's Divine Sense was extremely powerful, and he could faintly detect an incredibly pure glimmer of Spirit Power moving unstably within Du Sanjiang. This was a sign of an exceptionally profound foundation.
Seeing that Li Yan recognized him, Du Sanjiang smiled slightly and said to the other three, "It is Junior Brother Li whose cultivation has progressed at lightning speed. I am truly no match. Oh, this is Li Yan from Little Bamboo Peak , Junior Brother Li. We haven't seen him for several years, and now he's here today. It seems he has come looking for Martial Uncle Wei." Du Sanjiang first addressed Li Yan, then turned to introduce him to the other three.
Li Yan was still amazed at Du Sanjiang's cultivation. Calculating the time, for Du Sanjiang to have reached this stage, Li Yan guessed he must have achieved a seventh-rank Foundation Establishment, or perhaps even higher.
The realm Du Sanjiang displayed was also that of Mid-stage Foundation Establishment . Li Yan remembered that when he left the sect, Du Sanjiang had been in the process of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm, quite some time after Li Yan himself. He hadn't expected his progress to be so rapid as well.
Li Yan knew his own situation was unique; he had broken through repeatedly due to a series of life-and-death situations, supplemented by the unique cultivation method from the Gui Water Immortal Sect . This Du Sanjiang must also have some unknown secrets.
Du Sanjiang had guessed Li Yan's purpose in a single sentence. He appeared simple and honest, but his mind was meticulous. He had figured out Li Yan's intentions almost immediately upon seeing him.
Hearing Du Sanjiang's words, the other three cultivators quickly cupped their fists in greeting. They were all disciples of Four Symbols Peak and had all, to some extent, heard of Li Yan's name.
It was just that Li Yan had always been a mysterious figure who rarely interacted with others. After returning from the Secret Realm two years ago, he had seldom been seen, and everyone assumed he had gone into seclusion.
Li Yan hurriedly greeted each of them in turn, while also making a mental note about Du Sanjiang. 'Judging from Senior Brother Du's appearance alone, it's hard to associate him with words like 'quick-witted'. This man is a classic case of great wisdom appearing foolish. His intelligence is definitely not inferior to that of geniuses like Senior Brother.'
As he was thinking this, Du Sanjiang was having similar thoughts. He had just examined Li Yan carefully, his Divine Sense sweeping over him several times, yet he was still hesitant.
'This kid was several minor realms below me back in the Qi Condensation stage. Later, I heard that while I was still in seclusion, he had already succeeded in Foundation Establishment. And now he's actually advanced to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment.
But... this doesn't match the rumors at all. How could a third-rank 'Combatant's Way Foundation Establishment' level up again in just a few short years? Strange, truly strange...'
For a moment, great waves surged in Du Sanjiang's heart. Given his status, he was of course aware that this Junior Brother Li also possessed the worst of cultivation aptitudes: Miscellaneous Spirit Roots .
"Senior Brother Du, your eyes are like torches. I have indeed come to find my master! But I wonder, where is my master now?"
"Oh, Martial Uncle Wei is the one in charge of 'Windy Cool Mountain,' so of course he is stationed here. I wonder why Junior Brother Li has come from Martial Uncle Hua's side?
Hahaha, I'm just following procedure. Any cultivator who comes here, unless they were originally stationed at 'Windy Cool Mountain,' must be questioned about their past. If it's inconvenient for Junior Brother Li, you can just explain it directly to Martial Uncle Wei."
Du Sanjiang's words were quite polite, but it was his duty, so he still asked according to convention. As clever and perceptive as he was, how could he easily offend Li Yan?
Martial Uncle Wei was the one in charge here, and they were a true master and disciple. He just needed to explain the rules. Why would he go out of his way to cause trouble?
"Oh, I was sent out on a mission by my master two years ago. I only recently returned and ended up on Martial Uncle Hua's side. It was on her instruction that I learned my master was here, so I came to report."
Li Yan could now lie without blushing or his heart skipping a beat. He spoke as if it were fact.
After hearing this, Du Sanjiang turned to look at the other three. None of them were the type to rigidly follow rules. Were they really going to make Li Yan show proof, verify his identity, and go through all the procedures before letting him pass?
The three of them laughed. "How can Junior Brother Li be compared to those conscripted cultivators? Martial Uncle Wei's mission is what's important."
Aside from the four of them who had come over, there were more than a dozen other cultivators sitting cross-legged in the distance. They must have been ordered to strictly guard the other teleportation formations, which was why they hadn't approached.
Li Yan's eyesight was excellent. With a single sweep of his surroundings, he discovered that all the cultivators here were from the Malevolent Spirit Sect . He saw the emblems on their sleeves and noted that every single one of them was from Four Symbols Peak. This point struck Li Yan as odd.
Subsequently, after whispering a few words with the other three, Du Sanjiang personally led Li Yan out of the valley.
After leaving the valley, Li Yan realized that the teleportation formation for "Windy Cool Mountain" was located at the very rear of the entire mountain range. Windy Cool Mountain covered an area of about a hundred li, which, in the eyes of a cultivator, was not very large at all.
The entire Windy Cool Mountain was enveloped in a grand formation, and there was a no-fly restriction in the sky above it. No cultivator could fly over the mountain range, though this "no cultivator" likely did not include high-level cultivators whose magic power was strong enough to resist the grand formation.
Within the Windy Cool Mountain grand formation, however, there were no flight restrictions. After coming out of the valley at the rear, the two of them first passed through a dense forest that stretched for a full thirty li before large and small mountain peaks reappeared.
The journey was sparsely populated. From time to in time, Li Yan could feel Divine Senses sweeping towards them from various directions. Among them, Li Yan sensed the presence of three Golden Core-level Divine Senses. On the surface, Li Yan remained expressionless, continuing to chat about various topics with Du Sanjiang, but his heart was in turmoil.
'In just a thirty-li stretch, there are three Golden Core cultivators secretly guarding this place, and that's not even counting the hidden sentries. From this, it's clear that the situation here is not as calm as it seems. Could it be that the Demon Clan is not far from here?' For a moment, many thoughts raced through Li Yan's mind.
Du Sanjiang was also a sensible person. He chatted with Li Yan about old times and some news about the current situation with the Demon Clan, but he never touched upon topics like why Li Yan had come or where he had been all these years.
When the two spoke of the Secret Realm, it brought back many memories. Thinking of their fellow disciples who had perished there, and the current close alliance between the Four Great Sects , the demonic beasts of the Secret Realm, and the Malevolent Spirit Sect, they could only lament the impermanence of the world.
During this time, Li Yan once again witnessed Du Sanjiang's meticulousness, which was completely at odds with his appearance. When speaking of the Demon Clan, he would only give generalities, hinting but never revealing. Whenever they reached a key point, he would easily brush past it.
Du Sanjiang was also very curious about Li Yan's cultivation realm. He indirectly asked if Li Yan had encountered any powerful cultivators during his years away, and what differences their cultivation methods had compared to the Malevolent Spirit Sect's.
On the surface, it seemed Du Sanjiang was just curious and trying to broaden his horizons, but Li Yan, of course, understood the underlying meaning as clear as day.
If it were a hot-blooded young cultivator, faced with his sincere gaze, they would surely recount the powerful cultivators they had met on their travels, describing their cultivation methods in detail and where their strengths lay. Then, Du Sanjiang could easily deduce Li Yan's strength from this. Even if Li Yan exaggerated the opponent's strength, Du Sanjiang would naturally have his own judgment.
But Li Yan was not an easy person to deal with. He just smiled and shook his head gently, indicating that the places he went were not particularly dangerous, and that he had spent most of his time hidden, acting in secret.
At this, both of them saw through each other, knowing that neither was an ordinary person. They then changed the subject.
After exiting the dense forest, what appeared before Li Yan were the eaves and corners of buildings, half-hidden among the mountain peaks. From a distance, he could see many houses and buildings had been constructed here. Judging by the aged color of the tiles on the eaves that were just visible among the towering mountains, Li Yan guessed that these buildings were by no means recent constructions.
"This place, like the 'Sword-Washing Pavilion' you came from, is a branch of the Ten-Pace Courtyard ," Du Sanjiang explained casually, as if sensing Li Yan's doubt.
Hearing this, Li Yan realized it was just as he had suspected. But he merely smiled and nodded at Du Sanjiang, not pressing for confirmation. After their journey together, both knew the other was a calm and steady person. If one wanted to say something, they would do so without being asked.
As expected, Du Sanjiang did not explain further. He felt it was best for Martial Uncle Wei to decide whether to tell Li Yan about the matters here. Otherwise, if this Junior Brother Li was to be sent to another place after reporting to Martial Uncle Wei, then some of the secrets here could naturally not be revealed to him, lest he accidentally let something slip.
Between these scattered mountain peaks, the two of them twisted and turned, flying for a short while longer before Du Sanjiang brought Li Yan to a stop in front of a Cave Residence halfway up a mountain.
Gazing at the mist-shrouded cave before him, Li Yan looked around. The environment was quite elegant. He thought to himself, 'It seems this is the place.' He couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
As expected, upon arriving, Du Sanjiang immediately took out a Voice Transmission Talisman. After whispering a few words into it, he flicked his hand, and the talisman transformed into a fiery snake, plunging headfirst into the mist.
The two then stopped talking and stood quietly. After just a moment, the mist in front of the cave roiled violently, revealing a passageway. At the end of the passageway was a large cave entrance.
With a rumbling sound, the great door opened inward, and a familiar, deep voice came from within. "So, Li Yan has returned. Sanjiang, you may leave. Li Yan, you come in!"
After hearing this, Du Sanjiang first responded respectfully, "Yes," then smiled and cupped his fist at Li Yan. "Junior Brother Li, we'll talk again when we have time!" With that, he flew down the mountain.
Li Yan watched Du Sanjiang leave before straightening his clothes again and striding towards the cave entrance.