'If I had been a rogue cultivator back then, I would definitely have fled at the first opportunity,' Li Yan thought to himself as he listened to the deep helplessness in Zhuo Lingfeng's calm words.
"Fellow Daoist Zhuo, you were certainly bold to dare enter such a perilous land with your cultivation back then!"
A strange glint flashed in Li Yan's eyes, while a wry smile appeared on Zhuo Lingfeng's face.
"With my strength at the time, my combat power among those of the same rank could only be considered average. I had no magical treasures, no medicinal pills. To be out there was almost certain death. Going there might have offered a sliver of life! However... I still underestimated the dangers of the 'Land of the Setting Sun.' I had only been inside for half a day when I was struck by an unknown, powerful light. Although I had protected myself with the best defensive talismans before entering, they were instantly turned to ash, and my physical body was almost completely shattered. I lost consciousness right then..."
Zhuo Lingfeng paused, his face twitching slightly. It was clear that the memory was something he still didn't want to recall.
Li Yan said no more and listened quietly.
"When I woke up again, I found myself lying on a flying magical treasure , already over a sea with no Spiritual Energy. Later, I learned that it was the legendary Sea of the Northern Abyss . The one who saved me was my future master, one of the Guardian God Monks of the Shamen Temple on the Wind God Continent, God Monk Konghai. He was traveling and passing through the Forsaken Continent . Hearing about its several perilous lands, he became interested in exploring them. It was a coincidence that he saw me on the verge of death in the 'Land of the Setting Sun' and saved me on a whim. But at that time, it was right when the Demon Clan was invading. After God Monk Konghai came out, he didn't want to get involved, and at the same time, he was in a hurry to bring news of the Demon Clan's appearance back to the Wind God Continent. My injuries at the time were not something that could be healed in a short period. If he had left me, his earlier rescue would have been in vain. God Monk Konghai had no time to stay and heal me, so he simply took me with him. When he saw that I had woken up, he told me about some of the details of my rescue. At that time, even if I wanted to go back, I wouldn't have been able to survive in the Sea of the Northern Abyss, even at my peak condition. Moreover, when I heard he was returning to the Wind God Continent, the thought of leaving with him grew stronger. Thus, after a long journey through the chaotic flow space, I arrived on the Wind God Continent!"
At this, Zhuo Lingfeng let out a soft sigh. In that sigh, Li Yan seemed to hear a farewell to a past life.
"Then why did you join the Shamen Temple?" Li Yan felt that if Zhuo Lingfeng was just looking for a strong backer, there were other great sects on the Wind God Continent. Why did he have to enter monastic life? Could it be that God Monk Konghai had brainwashed him along the way?
"Entering Shamen Temple... I suppose it was my destiny! The Wind God Continent is plagued by Wind Beasts. With my unknown origins, it would have been no problem to join some small sects. But to enter a large sect with an unknown identity and already possessing cultivation was undoubtedly as difficult as ascending to heaven. And once in a small sect, if I didn't reach Core Formation one day, I would basically be cannon fodder, often sent to dangerous places to clear out Wind Beasts. Given my lack of understanding of Wind Beasts at the time and my meager strength, joining a small sect would have been tantamount to suicide. But as for continuing as a rogue cultivator, I was truly unwilling. The meager cultivation resources would have kept me stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage. Besides, Fellow Daoist Li, you know my story. Wuding has returned to her clan, and my last worry has been laid to rest. I was already disheartened by worldly affairs, so when I met God Monk Konghai, the thought of becoming a monk had already taken root. On the way, I begged him to accept me as an Outer Sect Disciple. What I didn't expect was that he would directly accept me as a Nominal Disciple. It was only after I successfully formed my core that I was formally initiated into his sect."
Zhuo Lingfeng did not hide his experiences, telling Li Yan almost everything.
"Fellow Daoist, you drifted for half your life on a rugged path. To meet a divine monk between life and death and to be favored by him to enter the Buddhist faith, this is truly your immortal fortune. Senior Brother Wuyi is still struggling in the Pseudo-Nascent Soul Realm , seeking a breakthrough!" Li Yan said with a faint smile.
When Li Yan had met Zhuo Lingfeng, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator with few resources. Li Wuyi was already at Core Formation then. Now, Zhuo Lingfeng had achieved Nascent Soul Formation first. The path of immortality was truly unpredictable. Zhuo Lingfeng had been trapped by love for the first half of his life. Once he let go, and with the support of Shamen Temple's cultivation methods and medicinal pills, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.
"Hehehe... Fellow Daoist Wuyi is intelligent. Forming his Nascent Soul is only a matter of time. I do not believe he will stop at the Golden Core realm. And are you not also blessed with great immortal fortune, Fellow Daoist?" Zhuo Lingfeng's eyes swept over Li Yan. Seeing the conversation turn back to him, Li Yan was speechless.
"Fellow Daoist Zhuo previously said you had something to ask. Are you asking about Huchen Wuding?"
"Amitabha. I should not ask about this matter. All things arise from karmic connections, all are tied to fate. When karma arises, it perishes; when karma is born, it is already empty. My karmic connection with her has been extinguished. To have this thought again is already a delusion!" Zhuo Lingfeng pressed his palms together, his face showing shame.
"Fellow Daoist, you need not be so rigid. Doesn't Buddhism speak of letting all things follow their karmic course?"
"Well said, well said. Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for clearing my confusion. This old monk was too attached!"
Li Yan waved his hand at him.
"Huchen Wuding has now successfully formed her core. We met once several decades ago, and at that time she was already at the Mid-stage Golden Core . I imagine her cultivation is even more profound now. She has taken control of the entire Huchen Family and even searched for you everywhere..."
Li Yan then briefly recounted his meeting with Huchen Wuding. After finishing, Li Yan paused for a moment.
"With your current strength, Fellow Daoist, you could already cross realms to find her. Why have you not gone back? That Huchen Ancestor has long since vanished. It is unknown whether he ascended or perished during his ascension!" Li Yan pondered for a moment, asking a question on Huchen Wuding's behalf.
"Amitabha. My worldly bond with Wuding is already severed. To hear news of her from you, Benefactor, has already extinguished my last trace of delusion. Thank you, Benefactor!"
As Zhuo Lingfeng said this, he pressed his palms together at the side of the table and gave Li Yan a slight bow.
Li Yan noticed that this time, Zhuo Lingfeng had addressed him as "Benefactor" instead of "Fellow Daoist." He understood that this was Zhuo Lingfeng telling him that from now on, he had completely severed his ties with the Huchen Family. He just listened. If he ever met Huchen Wuding in the future, he could tell her about Zhuo Lingfeng's situation. Whether she could come to the Wind God Continent would be her own business.
"Please forgive this old monk's impoliteness, but why has Fellow Daoist Li come to the Wind God Continent this time?" Zhuo Lingfeng had always been puzzled and extremely curious as to why he would see Li Yan here.
"Oh, I have a fellow sect member who is from the Tianli Clan. I am going to the Tianli Clan to find her this time," Li Yan answered briefly, without revealing Gong Chenying's identity.
"I see. The Tianli Clan is quite far from here, and they are a major clan in this realm! It seems Fellow Daoist Li is going to assist your fellow sect member!" Zhuo Lingfeng said slowly, seemingly lost in thought. But as he spoke, Li Yan's brow furrowed.
Zhuo Lingfeng immediately noticed the change in Li Yan's expression and was puzzled.
"What is it, Fellow Daoist Li?"
"Listening to you, Fellow Daoist, could it be that something has happened to the Tianli Clan?" Li Yan picked up his tea, but did not drink it, merely swirling the cup gently in his hand.
"Oh? Could it be that Fellow Daoist is not going to assist them and does not know what has happened to the Tianli Clan recently?"
Li Yan's face remained calm.
"I hope Fellow Daoist will enlighten me!"
"Fellow Daoist Li, you are too polite. It was only because of your words that I remembered what has happened to the Tianli Clan in recent years. I believe Fellow Daoist Li already knows that the Wind God Continent is plagued by Wind Beasts, so the area where the Tianli Clan is located also has Wind Beasts appearing. The Tianli Clan are the original inhabitants of the Wind God Continent, so they have occupied a strategically vital, resource-rich, and perilous land since ancient times. They are surrounded by three clans of Wind Beasts, but it is only a semi-encirclement. The other directions are blocked by endless natural barriers. Even with those natural barriers, the ancestors of the Tianli Clan were not at ease. They set up layers of dangerous restrictions based on the different features of the terrain, generation after generation. Different types of Wind Beasts are actually like fire and water to each other. They are born cruel and bloodthirsty, and in the past, they would never join forces. For a place like the Tianli Clan's, rich in cultivation resources and coveted by several Wind Beast clans, the three clans would only take turns attacking. Whichever clan conquered it would claim that territory. Otherwise, they would start killing each other, driving out or slaughtering all other Wind Beast species. It's just that the strength of these three clans is more or less the same. To kill a thousand enemies, one must lose eight hundred. So they have always been wary of each other. However, for some reason, starting from over ten years ago, the Tianli Clan was suddenly attacked by the three Wind Beast clans in a joint effort. Even though the Tianli Clan is powerful, this situation has never happened before. They only have the ability to fight against two clans at the same time. With three clans joining forces, the Tianli Clan was immediately at a disadvantage. Moreover, the three Wind Beast clans' attack methods were completely different from before, a completely suicidal, self-destructive style of attack, regardless of casualties. From over ten years ago until now, this brutal war has not stopped for a single day. As a result, both sides have suffered heavy casualties. Although the Wind Beasts are the aggressors and have suffered more deaths, they are relentless. The Tianli Clan no longer has any time to rest and recuperate. Today, the Tianli Clan has already lost thirty percent of its settlements and feels like an arrow at the end of its flight! Although the Wind Beasts are in a similar state, they are a coalition of three clans, so their numbers still exceed the Tianli Clan's, and they still have the strength to attack."
Hearing this, Li Yan's expression changed at once. The change in his expression was noticed by Zhuo Lingfeng.
"Amitabha. Since Fellow Daoist Li is going to see that fellow sect member alone, I imagine her cultivation is not low, so there is no need to worry too much."
Zhuo Lingfeng offered a word of comfort. In fact, he had other thoughts in his heart but did not voice them. The Tianli Clan had many Nascent Soul cultivators, but they had been beaten so badly by the Wind Beasts that they had lost a small half of their settlements. Li Yan, after all, was only one person. Although his cultivation could be of some help, the effect would likely be limited. So, if his fellow sect member was fine, Li Yan should try to take her away instead of helping the entire Tianli Clan.
But he couldn't say this out loud. Firstly, his relationship with Li Yan wasn't that deep. Secondly, the Tianli Clan had a strong sense of community, and he couldn't suggest that a clan member should leave.
"Does Fellow Daoist Zhuo know if there are any Spirit Transformation cultivators in the Tianli Clan at present?"
Li Yan had asked Wei Zhongran about this before, and Wei Zhongran had told him at the time that there were none left. The reason was that about several hundred years ago, a Fifth-rank Wind Beast was born in the "Wind-Iron Beast" clan. This alarmed the Tianli Clan's Great Priestess. The "Wind-Goose Beast" clan, one of the three clans surrounding them, already had a Fifth-rank Wind Beast. The Great Priestess and that beast were a mutual deterrent and would not easily fight.
But suddenly, the "Wind-Iron Beast" clan's strength had greatly increased. This time, she was not confident she could deal with two Fifth-rank Wind Beasts at the same time. But that Great Priestess of the Tianli Clan was a ruthless person. She actually wanted to take the opportunity to severely injure the "Wind-Iron Beast" clan's Fifth-rank Wind Beast while its cultivation was not yet stable.
However, for some reason, the news was leaked. When she infiltrated the "Wind-Iron Beast" clan, what awaited her was a trap set by two Fifth-rank Wind Beasts. The Fifth-rank Wind Beast from the "Wind-Goose Beast" clan had actually joined forces with them!
And just as the two Fifth-rank Wind Beasts were looking at the exposed Tianli Clan Great Priestess with mockery, they discovered that she was actually smiling.
This immediately gave the two Wind Beasts a bad feeling. But before they could react, the Tianli Clan Great Priestess attacked in an instant, and it was a simultaneous punch aimed at each of them.
Where the Great Priestess's fists passed, the entire space instantly collapsed. That was the supreme power of the seventh level of the Qiongqi Purgatory Art , and it was the Great Priestess's full-powered strike.
"I knew you would come. Let's go together!"
The words spoken with a smile by the Great Priestess made the two demons' hearts pound with fear, and they simultaneously let out a blood-curdling screech.
"No!"
They instantly understood the Tianli Clan Great Priestess's plan. It wasn't that they had received news of her sneak attack; this was her trap. She wanted to take advantage of the three of them being gathered together to launch a heaven-shaking, full-powered attack of a Spirit Transformation cultivator, regardless of the consequences.
There were only two possible outcomes:
The two Fifth-rank Wind Beasts could either take her attack head-on, in which case all three would be instantly repelled by the rules of Heaven and Earth of the Wind God Continent, and who knows where they would be teleported. The most terrifying thing was that they would be attacked by the rules of the lower realm's Heaven and Earth, because their cultivation was no longer permitted in the lower realm. The power of that kind of attack was incomparable even to a Spirit Transformation Heavenly Tribulation. If things went wrong, they could perish on the spot.
But if the two demons did not take the Great Priestess's full-powered strike, before she herself was teleported away, their protective light shields would be no match for the world-destroying power of the seventh level of the Qiongqi Purgatory Art . They would be beaten to a pulp.
This was the Tianli Clan Great Priestess's plan: to exchange her one life for the lives of two Fifth-rank beasts. As for where they would be teleported, she no longer cared. Besides, if that Fifth-rank "Wind-Goose Beast" hadn't come, she could have really severely injured a newly advanced Fifth-rank Wind Beast. After all, it takes more than a moment to master the comprehension of the rules of Heaven and Earth.
This was the Great Priestess's complete chain of plans, one link after another, interlocking and seamless!