Sun Cu… Lin Yan silently repeated the name in his mind. A Rank 5 Peak lone cultivator, a figure standing at the very top of the Western Desert among mortals. His reputation was widespread, and many of his deeds were well known.
But what Lin Yan remembered was not the current Sun Cu—it was the future Sun Cu.
In the original novel, Fang Yuan had mentioned him briefly. At that time, Fang Yuan had already left the Southern Border, obtained the Hu Immortal Blessed Land, Inside it was Dang Hun Mountain, but during an earth calamity, the mountain was severely damaged and needed to be repaired.
There were several methods to solve this. One of them was to find Sun Cu of the Western Desert. At that time, Sun Cu had just advanced to Rank 6 Gu Immortal not long ago. He possessed the Fossil Immortal Gu, was skilled in shaping terrain, often building cities and structures, and had a beloved great-granddaughter.
Of course, Fang Yuan did not choose this path in the end. Dealing with a Gu Immortal was far too risky. Instead, he chose the third option, went to Northern Plains, and sought the Landscape as Before Immortal Gu from Tai Bai Yun Sheng, who had not yet achieved Immortal Ascension.
Fang Yuan obtained Hu Immortal Blessed Land was already six or seven years after the beginning of the story. Calculating the timeline, it was about fifteen years from now, which happened to coincide with the period of Sun Cu's Immortal Ascension.
"So that's how it is."
Lin Yan let out a quiet sigh. This news was most likely true, but he did not think it was a wise move to interfere with a Rank 5 Peak expert who was on the verge of ascending.
It was obvious that someone was trying to stir things up, using other Gu Masters as tools to disrupt Sun Cu.
After careful consideration, Huang Ming finally gave up the idea. The Huang Family had too much at stake. Provoking a lone cultivator at that level would bring endless trouble.
The other Family Elders also voiced their opposition, reinforcing the decision. Lin Yan secretly felt relieved. Gu Immortals were not existences one could provoke lightly. What he feared even more was unknowingly interfering with fate and causing larger, uncontrollable changes.
At least before Fang Yuan's rebirth, it was better to remain low-key and avoid standing out too much.
None of their original goals were achieved, and the Huang Family returned with lingering unwillingness. As for the Zhang, Cai, and Wei Families, their caravans did not travel together on the way back. Each departed at different times, wary of one another.
Passing through the white corridor once more, Lin Yan stepped back into the vast desert. Looking at the endless yellow sand, he felt a mix of thoughts before turning and heading to meet Huang Ming.
"You want to go out and travel?"
Huang Ming was clearly surprised and showed hesitation. Lin Yan was the Family's hope, the strongest among the younger generation. If something happened to him outside, the loss would be too great.
"Yes," Lin Yan replied calmly, his tone steady. "My cultivation has reached a bottleneck. I want to travel through the Western Desert and broaden my experience."
In truth, Lin Yan had another goal. He wanted to explore the Thousand Wishes Tree. His dream-based deduction of a Human Path Gu to improve aptitude had reached a critical stage and was only one step away from completion.
Huang Ming fell into thought. In the end, he could not find a strong reason to stop him. With Lin Yan's current battle strength already comparable to Rank 4, there should not be any major danger.
He nodded slowly and said, "Going out to gain experience is a good thing. Before I took this position, I also traveled the Western Desert for five years."
"Thank you for your permission."
Lin Yan felt satisfied but did not show it. He cupped his fists in thanks, then turned and left without hesitation.
The Huang Family caravan turned back and began heading toward Sandwell Oasis. Two hours later, the entrance of the Ten Thousand Li Silk Corridor suddenly appeared, and a sinister-looking middle-aged Gu Master stepped out. It was none other than Zhang Bai, the Zhang Family Head, whose cultivation had reached Rank 5.
Zhang Bai first looked toward the direction where the Huang Family caravan had departed, then slowly turned his gaze toward the path Lin Yan had taken alone. A cold sneer appeared on his face as he said, "If heaven gives you a chance and you don't take it, you will suffer for it. I have finally waited for this opportunity, and this little beast actually dares to travel alone."
During the battle at Ember Passage Ridge, he had already felt the threat Lin Yan posed. Since then, he had been waiting for a chance to eliminate him.
Therefore, while staying in the Ten Thousand Li Silk Corridor, he had deliberately invited a Rank 5 Wisdom Path Gu Master, paying a considerable price to deduce a suitable opportunity to make a move.
The result of that deduction was clear—once the Huang Family left the Ten Thousand Li Silk Corridor, if he followed, the opportunity would naturally appear.
And now, it had appeared right before him.
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