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Chapter 444 Yuan Tiangang, Li Chunfeng!
Fang Qingyu stood in the middle of the ancient street, bustling with people.

The surrounding noise surged and receded like the tide, leaving only a brief blank space in his heart.

A paradise on earth?

This was the first thought that flashed through his mind.

A special space similar to Longyuan Martial Arts School, which is based on reality yet independent of it.

But the next moment, he rejected the idea himself.

wrong.

As far as the eye can see, there are rows of green brick and gray tile buildings with upturned eaves and wooden structures.

Pedestrians thronged the streets, most dressed in ancient costumes made of hemp or coarse silk, with wide robes and sleeves, or with their hair tied up and wearing headscarves, or with their hair in a bun.

The air was filled with a complex smell, a mixture of earth, livestock, food, and a faint coal odor.

It is completely different from modern cities.

The shouts, the haggling, and the sound of wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs that reached my ears carried an unfamiliar, ancient charm.

Just a few seconds standing here.

Fang Qingyu then experienced a strong sense of temporal and spatial dislocation.

It felt as if I had truly stepped through that stone gate into a real, ancient town.

Is this what the inside of the Martial Arts Wall looks like?
A sense of absurdity arises spontaneously.

But Fang Qingyu took a deep breath and quickly suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

He believed in Hong Qitian; the old man would never speak without reason, much less harm him.

The most urgent task is to integrate into the environment and acquire information.

Fang Qingyu immediately realized how conspicuous his federal standard combat uniform was.

Many pedestrians around were casting curious, surprised, or even slightly wary glances at them.

Fang Qingyu lowered his eyes slightly.

Without making a sound, they moved towards a less crowded area on the street.

"I need to change my clothes first," Fang Qingyu thought to himself.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, an even stranger and more ridiculous association popped into my head.

Does this mean I've time-traveled again?
After all, according to what Old Master Hong said.

I'm afraid I'll have to stay here for quite some time.

The environment is unfamiliar, the times are different, and the goals are unclear.

It really does have a bit of the feel of a time traveler's first arrival in another world in those novels.

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

cross?

Even if such a possibility existed, he would never do it.

There are too many people and things I care about outside.

Moreover, the war between the Federation and the Ghosts is still at a critical moment.

"Find a legacy as soon as possible, then leave."

Fang Qingyu's eyes regained their clarity.

He composed himself and began to think about how to get a set of clothes that would fit the times.

money?
He patted his pockets; federally issued banknotes and bank cards were clearly worthless here.

He had just noticed that street vendors mostly used copper coins and silver coins for transactions, and occasionally he could see people taking out paper vouchers that looked like banknotes.

Turning lead into gold? He can't. Mining and treasure hunting? Unrealistic.

Theft and robbery are even less likely.

Fang Qingyu couldn't help but laugh helplessly.

A dignified fifth-tier Martial God, one of the top combat forces of the human race, might be stumped by the most basic life problems in this seemingly ancient illusion.

Penniless, he couldn't even afford a set of coarse cloth clothes to cover his body.

This is unlike those novels where characters who time-travel can immediately become powerful and incredibly wealthy.

The gap is just too big.

"never mind."

Fang Qingyu shook his head.

Discard those unrealistic ideas.

Since there's no way to buy clothes.

Then first make sure you can observe and collect information to the maximum extent possible.

With a slight thought, an extremely faint force field quietly enveloped him.

This is a sophisticated manipulation of one's own sense of existence.

It doesn't completely hide itself, but rather significantly reduces its prominence in the perception of ordinary people.

Unless someone is deliberately looking for him, passersby will subconsciously ignore his unusual attire.

It was as if he were just a roadside stone.

An insignificant shadow.

Having done all this, Fang Qingyu stepped forward.

My gaze swept across the street signs and quickly settled on a bustling place.

A tavern with a rather large storefront.

Taverns and teahouses have always been places where information converges, serving as the best window to understand a place's customs, traditions, and current events.

Fang Qingyu walked calmly towards the tavern.

The waiter at the door was enthusiastically calling out to attract customers. When his gaze swept over Fang Qingyu, he paused slightly, a faint hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, as if he thought the man's clothes were strange.

But the next moment, that thought seemed to be blown away by the wind, and he continued to greet the next guest with a smile.

Fang Qingyu walked straight into the store.

The shop is quite spacious, with more than a dozen elm wood tables and benches, which are about 70-80% full at the moment.

Some burly men drank heavily and played drinking games, while a few scholars chatted in hushed tones, and some traveling merchants rested and drank alone.

The waiters, carrying food and drinks, moved about busily, their feet barely touching the ground.

No one paid much attention to Fang Qingyu as he walked in.

Fang Qingyu was happy to do so. He quietly walked to an empty seat near a corner, sat down, leaned against the wall, and lowered his eyes, seemingly resting.

In reality, it was capturing all the conversations inside the store.

At first, what reached my ears were mostly trivial matters of daily life or bargaining in business dealings.

"Manager Zhang, the price of rice has gone up by three coins recently, making life increasingly difficult."

"Sigh, who can argue with that? I heard there's some unrest on the canal route, which caused the delays."

"Wang Po, has your Sanlang's marriage been arranged? I've met that young lady; she's very quick and efficient."

"It's settled, it's settled. We'll just have to wait until next month to accept the betrothal gifts."

These sounds, though noisy, vividly depict a scene of everyday life in the city.

Fang Qingyu listened patiently, filtering out the useful information.

Gradually, he gleaned several key place names and era names from these fragmented conversations.

"This year's situation is much better than back in the first year of the Zhenguan era."

"Indeed, with the Holy Emperor on the throne, we finally enjoyed a few years of peace."

"I've heard that the peonies in Luoyang are in excellent bloom, but unfortunately it's a long way away."

Zhenguan?

Fang Qingyu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Anyone who has studied history will be familiar with this era name.

The reign title of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin.

The famous Reign of Zhenguan in history.

Is this the early Tang Dynasty?!

Is the world inside the Martial Arts Wall a simulation of the Tang Dynasty more than a thousand years ago?
Fang Qingyu suppressed his surprise and continued to listen attentively.

If it's just about simulating the customs and culture of the Tang Dynasty.

While astonishing, it is still understandable.

But Old Master Hong said that this place can directly reach the source, so it must not be that simple.

Just then, the hushed conversation of the guests at the next table caught his attention.

The two men sitting at the table were both around thirty years old, dressed in close-fitting clothes, with swords at their waists. Their hands were calloused from martial arts training, and their demeanor was much more composed than that of ordinary people. They seemed to be wandering knights or bodyguards with some skill.

One of them lowered his voice and said to his companion, "Brother Li, you come from Chang'an. Do you know anything about the strange things that have been happening in the city lately?"

The man addressed as Brother Li took a sip of his wine, his expression slightly grave. He nodded slightly and lowered his voice even further: "You've heard about it too?"

"It's not just something I've heard; there are rumors circulating in the underworld, and they're making it sound very mysterious."

The man leaned forward and asked curiously, "It's said that things aren't peaceful in Chang'an. It seems that even the Celestial Master Yuan and Lord Li Chunfeng of the Imperial Observatory are investigating something together? Is that true?"

Yuan Tiangang! Li Chunfeng!
These two figures are legendary figures in Tang Dynasty history, especially closely associated with metaphysical deduction and mysterious events.

Are they also in this world, and are they working together to investigate something?
Fang Qingyu's mind instantly became highly focused.

All attention was drawn to that table.

Upon hearing this, the man surnamed Li's expression changed slightly. He subconsciously looked around before leaning closer to his companion and whispering, "Shh! Be careful what you say! How can you and I comment on matters of that level? It involves far too much!"

He paused, his tone unusually serious: "Brother Wang, we've known each other for many years, and I must offer you a word of advice today. If you still have relatives and friends in Chang'an, if you can extricate yourself soon, you'd better find a reason to persuade them to leave the capital for the time being. Otherwise, the consequences could be unpredictable!"

Upon hearing this, the man surnamed Wang's expression instantly turned serious, his eyes revealing surprise and a hint of lingering fear.

He clearly trusted this Brother Li immensely. Upon hearing this, he nodded heavily, raised his wine glass, and solemnly toasted him with tea instead of wine, everything understood without words.

After that, the two tacitly stopped talking about the matter and instead began to discuss some trivial matters in the martial arts world.

However, this is just a brief exchange.

For Fang Qingyu, the amount of information was already sufficient.

This place is not only from the early Tang Dynasty, but also a specific point in time where the legendary figures Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng coexisted, and where mysterious events occurred.

This place is the original martial arts training ground.
It's almost obvious where this place is without even thinking.

It is highly likely that it is the legacy of Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng.

To obtain clues, and ultimately, the inheritance.

Chang'an City, Yuan Tiangang, and Li Chunfeng are undoubtedly the key to everything.

The goal is clear.

Fang Qingyu did not linger.

He quietly got up and left the noisy tavern without a sound, just as he had come.

Once outside in a secluded spot, his figure flickered slightly and vanished completely from the place.

The next moment, he appeared high in the sky outside the town, with a miniature ancient town and fields below him.

A fierce wind howled high above as he looked down at the vast land below, discerning his direction.

I was at the tavern just now.

Fang Qingyu also overheard the approximate location of Chang'an.

The speed of a fifth-tier martial god is unleashed at full power.

Fang Qingyu transformed into an invisible stream of light and sped off forward.

During the flight, the faint cries for help coming from a mountain ridge below caught his attention. After a quick probe with his senses, he understood the situation.

A group of about thirty or forty bandits are attacking a group of merchants and civilians.

Many people have already fallen in pools of blood.

This kind of thing happens unexpectedly.

Fang Qingyu naturally wouldn't pretend he hadn't seen it.

For him, it was just a simple matter of lending a helping hand.

Fang Qingyu flashed and landed suddenly on the open ground in front of the mountain stronghold like a meteor.

It landed as lightly as a feather, without stirring up a speck of dust.

The bandits who were committing violence only saw a blur before their eyes, and a figure shrouded in a faint light appeared in the scene, whose face could not be seen.

Before they could react, or even ask any questions...

Then he felt an invisible, immense force descend upon him.

Bang bang bang.
A series of muffled thuds rang out, and all the bandits, who were holding weapons and had fierce expressions, instantly broke their bones and fell to the ground dead, without even being able to utter a scream.

In an instant.

The vicious mountain bandits were all killed.

Only the terrified, ragged survivors remained in the arena.

They were stunned for a moment, then realized that they had encountered a legendary immortal master who had come to their rescue. They all knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, crying out in gratitude:

"Thank you so much, Immortal Master, for saving my life!"

"Thank you, divine being! Thank you, divine being!"

"Waaaaah, I'm saved!"

Fang Qingyu waved his hand in the dim light.

The voice was calm: "No need for formalities, let's go quickly, this place is not safe to stay."

His intention was to get these people to leave as soon as possible.

Then he took some money from the bandits and continued on his way to Chang'an.

However, just as Fang Qingyu's gaze swept over the group of kneeling people...

The pupils suddenly shrank.

In his field of vision, the titles that appeared above the heads of those common people.

They were all normal refugees or villagers.

Only one person stood out conspicuously.

It was a young man hiding at the back of the crowd, with his head down the whole time.

His title was the same color as the Ghost of Fate.
is black.

But the writing above his head was something Fang Qingyu had never seen before.

【Shiki - Mossy Tongue】!
This is not a ghost.

Fang Qingyu made the decision instantly.

Any kind of spirit, even the royal species whose form is closest to that of a human.

They will all be somewhat different from humans.

The person in front of us was exactly the same as a normal person, without any abnormalities.

They even looked slightly healthier than those emaciated refugees.

Is this a completely new kind of monster?

Fang Qingyu stopped in his tracks.

With a flash, he appeared before the group of refugees like a ghost.

A faint light enveloped him, obscuring his features and allowing one to perceive only an aura of otherworldly grace.

The people thought Fang Qingyu had changed his mind.

He then wanted to kneel down again.

However, Fang Qingyu simply waved his hand.

A gentle force lifted the kneeling people up.

Looking at them, he said softly, "I'm not looking for you, go on your way."

Upon hearing this, the refugees were both surprised and awestruck. They repeatedly bowed and thanked each other, then helped one another and eagerly headed down the mountain path.

Only the young man with the jet-black title seemed to be a beat slower in his movements.

He mingled in the crowd, head down, trying to slip away.

"You, stay."

Fang Qingyu's voice rang out calmly, pointing to the young man.

The crowd fell silent. Everyone stopped and looked at the young man with confusion, then at Fang Qingyu, who was shrouded in a faint light, with awe, wondering why the immortal master had left him behind alone.

The young man's body stiffened abruptly. He slowly raised his head, his face showing just the right amount of bewilderment and fear: "Master Xianxian? You called me?"

His performance was flawless.

The innocence and fear in their eyes can fool almost anyone.

Fang Qingyu stopped wasting words and went straight to the point, his voice clearly reaching the other's ears: "Corpse Demon?"

Those two words instantly froze the bewilderment on the young man's face.

Then, like the receding tide, it was replaced by an extreme chill and ferocity.

His pupils were instantly filled with pure black, with not a trace of white in his eyes. He stared intently at Fang Qingyu, his voice becoming hoarse and distorted, like sandpaper rubbing together.
How did you figure that out?!

At the same time, his body underwent changes.

The skin loses its color at a visible rate, becoming ashen, dry, and developing eerie patterns resembling moss or fungal patches.

Nails grow long and black, teeth become sharp.

A thick, foul stench and a chilling aura could no longer be concealed and rushed towards us.

The refugees who had not yet gone far away saw this horrifying scene and immediately screamed in terror, scrambling down the mountain.

Fang Qingyu was standing ten meters away from him.

He watched all these changes quietly, his eyes filled with a sense of inquiry.

"interesting."

He whispered to himself.

This monster called the Corpse Demon is actually only roughly equivalent to a first-tier martial artist; it's not very strong.

But Fang Qingyu didn't notice it before he transformed.

However, the reason this ghoul was able to conceal its presence right under Fang Qingyu's nose was not due to a difference in strength, but rather because of the capabilities of this system.

This was the first time Fang Qingyu had met him.

That's really quite interesting.

The corpse demon was enraged when it saw that Fang Qingyu not only showed no fear, but instead looked as if he were examining something new and interesting.

It let out a low growl, baring its sharp teeth:

"It would have been one thing if you had disturbed me while I was absorbing these blood delicacies, but you even dared to leave me alone. I don't know whether to say you're incredibly bold, or if you think you're invincible after transcending the mortal realm?"

Fang Qingyu caught the word "transcending the mortal realm" and his heart stirred slightly. It seemed to be a name for a certain state of being.
But he was more concerned with another question, so he interrupted the other person directly and asked seriously, "Do all you ghouls have such intelligence as you?"

They are able to communicate and have clear emotions and purposes.

This is much smarter than most low-level ghosts.

The ghoul was taken aback by the question, seemingly not expecting it, and then let out a strange laugh, full of mockery:
"So, you don't even know who I am? How laughable! How pathetic!"

"But it's okay."

It arched its back, poised to pounce, a cruel smile spreading across its ashen face. "I'll soon show you what it means to wish you were dead! Your flesh and blood must be..."

Its harsh words were not yet finished.

Fang Qingyu had lost his patience.

It seems that asking normally won't get me an answer.

He slowly raised his right hand and gently pressed it down on the approaching ghoul.

It was as if he had merely brushed away a speck of dust from his sleeve.

The ghoul that had just unleashed its ferocious aura was instantly struck by an invisible mountain.

"Oh!"

It was suddenly slammed to the ground, its limbs and torso pressed tightly against the ground, unable to move even a finger.

That twisted and ferocious face.

I was instantly filled with boundless terror and disbelief.

It couldn't understand why it wasn't facing an ordinary cultivator in the Transcendent Realm.

How could this be? How could it possess such an irresistible, heaven-like power?!
Fang Qingyu slowly walked up to it.

Looking down at the completely suppressed ghoul.

"It seems we still need to find a different way to communicate."

His tone was flat, as if he were stating a fact.

Immediately, Fang Qingyu slightly raised his hand, and an invisible force swept up the immobilized corpse ghost. With a flash, he transformed into a stream of light and soared into the sky, disappearing into the distance in an instant.

……

At the same time, thousands of miles away.

Chang'an City.

It was located on the main pavilion of the tallest restaurant in the city.

Two people were sitting by the window.

A man dressed in a purple Taoist robe, with white hair, a gaunt face, and deep, ancient eyes that seemed to see through all things in the world, was none other than Yuan Tiangang, the renowned Director of the Imperial Observatory.

The other person was slightly younger, around middle age, wearing a blue official robe, with a refined yet unrestrained demeanor and bright eyes; he was none other than Li Chunfeng of the Imperial Observatory.

A cup of tea sat before them, but neither of them drank it. Instead, they leaned against the railing, gazing down at the most magnificent and prosperous city in the world.

The streets were bustling with traffic and people, and the market was well-organized, presenting a prosperous scene.

Looking at the scene before him, Li Chunfeng's eyes revealed a hint of nostalgia and admiration. He said softly, "No matter how many times I see it, the magnificent scenery of Chang'an is always captivating and never gets old."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tiangang, who was standing nearby, coughed lightly, his aged voice calm and unwavering: "A reincarnation projection can only be seen once every hundred years. If you can still get tired of it, it only means that your Dao heart is unstable and you are too fickle."

Li Chunfeng was so taken aback by these words that he almost knocked over his teacup. He glared at his old friend with annoyance and said, "Brother Yuan, we finally have some free time to drink and enjoy the company of others here for a while, watching the world go by. Why be such a spoilsport?"

Yuan Tiangang slowly turned his head, his eyes, which seemed to have seen through the ways of the world, looked out the window. His gaze seemed to penetrate the surface of prosperity and see something deeper.

His face showed no joy, but rather a faint worry.

"idle?"

He shook his head slightly, his voice lowering.

"I would rather you and I never have to come out."

"Whether a true hero is able to inherit our mantle soon, or we let this projection remain silent forever, so that we may never again witness the calamity that the human race's flame may face."

"Either way would be more satisfying than the current state of uncertainty, which seems both real and unreal."

"Are you right?"

The slight teasing on Li Chunfeng's face gradually disappeared.

He followed Yuan Tiangang's gaze and looked towards the bustling city of Chang'an.

After a long silence, he sighed softly and said nothing more.

(End of this chapter)