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"We have now left Fengyuan territory. Fellow Daoist Lei, everyone, farewell."

Not long after.

The windmill slowly came to a stop in a relatively flat, hilly area far from the border.

Zhou Yuan turned around and spoke to Lei Wanhe, Nie Ying, and the others inside the car.

"Senior Zhou, we will never forget your life-saving grace! If you ever need anything in the future, the entire Huangfeng Valley will do everything in our power!" Lei Wanhe quickly bowed again, his words sincere. The others also expressed their gratitude once more.

"It was nothing, don't worry about it. Take care, everyone."

Zhou Yuan nodded, his expression calm.

He put away the Wind Chariot, and with a flicker of his body, he transformed into a faint blue rainbow, soaring into the sky towards Tian Tian City in the Yu Kingdom.

In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the horizon.

Gazing in the direction where Zhou Yuan disappeared, Lei Wanhe and the others stood there, speechless for a long time, still shaken by the events of the day.

"Fellow Daoist Lei... is that Senior Zhou really... really a disciple of Yellow Maple Valley, and your junior disciple?"

Once Zhou Yuan's aura had completely dissipated, Tang Minghua of the Hidden Moon Sect couldn't help but speak again, his voice still filled with disbelief.

Although Lei Wanhe had mentioned it before, witnessing Zhou Yuan's extraordinary abilities firsthand still felt like a dream.

Shi Qiyun of the Giant Sword Sect and Qian Huan of Tianque Fortress also looked at Lei Wanhe with curiosity and inquiry in their eyes.

Lei Wanhe took a deep breath, nodded slowly, and a complex emotion appeared on his fat face: "That's right. When Senior Zhou became my junior brother Li Huayuan's disciple, he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage."

"Although he was exceptionally talented, he was quite low-key. Who would have thought that in just a hundred years, he would have passed away... Alas, the world is truly unpredictable, and fate is cruel."

His words carried a hint of pride, but more so a sense of melancholy and distance as he faced his deceased friend who had grown into a towering figure.

"Two hundred years, from Foundation Establishment to mid-Nascent Soul stage..." Shi Qiyun murmured to himself, his eyes filled with amazement and longing. "Such a cultivation speed, let alone in Yue Kingdom, it's probably unparalleled in the entire Tiannan cultivation world for thousands of years. Senior Zhou's talent is truly astonishing!"

"With such power at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, slaying three Nascent Soul cultivators as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, his true strength is probably no less than that of some veteran mid-Nascent Soul cultivators, or even..."

Qian Huan interjected, his tone filled with awe, "Breaking through to the late Nascent Soul stage and achieving the rank of Great Cultivator is probably a foregone conclusion!"

Nie Ying's beautiful eyes flickered, and she said softly, "That's not all. With Senior Zhou's age and such astonishingly fast cultivation speed, in the future... there might very well be a chance he can reach the Nascent Soul stage!"

"Nascent Soul stage?!" Everyone was shocked upon hearing this.

The Tiannan region hasn't produced a Nascent Soul cultivator for who knows how long!

Legend has it that tens of thousands of years ago, a remarkably talented Nascent Soul cultivator appeared out of nowhere, though he only stayed in the world for a short time.

However, with his unparalleled cultivation, he forcibly integrated the righteous and demonic paths that were constantly in conflict at the time, becoming the true and undisputed ruler of Tiannan!

The reason is simple: in the face of the absolute power of the Nascent Soul stage cultivator, any Nascent Soul cultivator, even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, is nothing more than a slightly larger ant, utterly unable to withstand it.

If Zhou Yuan could really reach that point... Just thinking about it made everyone feel excited, yet at the same time, they also felt a sense of unreality and illusion.

"We'll see..."

Lei Wanhe shook his head, snapping out of his shock, and sighed softly, "The Nascent Soul Realm is ethereal and beyond our comprehension. Right now, we can only hope that Ancestor Linghu and Junior Nephew Liu Jing can persuade Senior Zhou to return to Huangfeng Valley, even if it's just to show up in name. That would be a great blessing for Huangfeng Valley."

He didn't actually have much hope.

Given Zhou Yuan's current strength and his indifferent attitude, he clearly doesn't have much attachment to Huangfeng Valley.

If they really wanted to go back, why wait until today? However, this is, after all, the greatest hope that the entire sect, especially now in these turbulent times, can grasp.

After a few more moments of discussion, the group each took flight and headed towards a safer area behind the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, preparing to report as soon as possible the defeat at the front, the encounter with the mysterious black-robed cultivator, and their chance meeting with Zhou Yuan.

……

After Zhou Yuan parted ways with Lei Wanhe and the others, he did not delay. He activated the Wind and Thunder Wings to their fullest extent, transforming into a faint, ethereal streak, and headed straight for Tian Tian City in Yu Kingdom.

He was thinking of Yuan Yao and Yan Li, who were left in the pavilion in the city.

Previously, he went to the Cangkun Ruins with Nanlonghou and others, thinking that he could return in a month or so. However, he encountered a series of unexpected events, which delayed him for a longer period of time. He was also drawn into the vortex of the great battle between Mulan and Tiannan.

Now that war has broken out and the front lines are in disarray, Tiancheng, as the core city of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, has probably entered a state of war preparedness. He needs to bring the two women out as soon as possible and return them to the relatively safe Ling Shu Mountain in Dongyu Kingdom.

Several days later, the majestic outline of Khotan City reappeared on the horizon.

The airspace restrictions that were originally designed for low-level cultivators have been lifted above the city, making it easier for high-level cultivators and patrol teams to move around quickly.

However, what replaced it was the massive protective array that covered the entire city—part of the restrictions of the "Shangyuan Extinction Array" had been activated. Spiritual light appeared on the city walls, runes flowed, and squads of brightly armored cultivators patrolled back and forth, with strict vigilance, clearly indicating that the city had entered a state of war.

Zhou Yuan activated his escape technique several miles from the city gate and proceeded on foot.

At the city gate, the checks were several times stricter than before. Not only were low-level cultivators required to have their identities carefully verified, but even the occasional high-level cultivators would be stopped and questioned.

"Excuse me, sir, please wait a moment!"

A general with a cultivation level at the mid-stage of Core Formation saw Zhou Yuan approaching and sensed the unfathomable spiritual pressure emanating from him. Not daring to be negligent, he stepped forward, cupped his hands, and spoke respectfully yet with a serious, businesslike tone: "These are extraordinary times. May I ask which sect you come from, senior? What brings you into the city? Please cooperate with the registration process."

"Zhou Yuan, a rogue cultivator. Enter the city to pick up the person." Zhou Yuan's words were concise and to the point.

"A rogue cultivator?"

Upon hearing this, the Core Formation general frowned imperceptibly.

Normally, if a Nascent Soul stage cultivator wanted to enter the city, no one would dare to stop him; he could simply register.

But now, during a major war, with the front lines in disarray, spies and traitors are rampant.

The fact that a stranger, a rogue cultivator with a cultivation level as high as the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, is trying to enter the core city of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance at this sensitive moment raises serious concerns about his identity and purpose.

"So it's Senior Zhou."

The man was even more polite, but his attitude remained firm: "Please forgive me, senior. The situation is tense right now. The alliance has ordered that the identities of any unfamiliar high-level cultivators entering the city must be verified."

"Please wait a moment, senior. I need to inform the elders of the alliance to verify your identity before you can enter the city. This is for the safety of the city, and I hope you understand."

Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, but did not get angry.

Strict checks during wartime are to be expected.

However, since he is not well-known and is a rogue cultivator, the verification process will probably not be quick.

Just as he was about to receive the communication talisman and contact his superior—

"Brother Zhou?! What a coincidence to meet you here!"

A loud voice, filled with surprise, came from inside the city gate.

A streak of earthy yellow light flew out from the city. When the light faded, a tall, rugged old man wearing an inconspicuous gray robe appeared. He was none other than Lu Weiying, the elder of the Tianji Sect who had met Zhou Yuan several times and had helped him refine the Wind and Thunder Wings!

"Fellow Daoist Lu, how have you been?" Zhou Yuan smiled when he saw an acquaintance.

"Greetings, Senior Lu!"

When the general who had reached the Golden Core stage saw Lu Weiying, he immediately bowed and paid his respects.

"No need for such formalities."

Lu Weiying waved to the general, then looked at Zhou Yuan and smiled, "Brother Zhou, are you going into the city? Perfect, I also need to go out of the city on some business. With me as your guarantor, there's no need to verify your identity anymore, right?"

His last words were addressed to the captain.

"With Senior Lu vouching for us, there's naturally no need for further investigation! I apologize for my rudeness, Senior Zhou!"

The Core Formation cultivator breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped aside to make way.

With Lu Weiying, a Nascent Soul Elder of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, personally vouching for him, he naturally had no more doubts.

"Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Lu." Zhou Yuan cupped his hands in greeting to Lu Weiying.

"Haha, Brother Zhou, don't be so polite! Please come into the city! When I'm done with my business, I'll definitely have a good drink with you and catch up!" Lu Weiying laughed heartily.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lu Weiying hurriedly flew away on his escape light. (Highly recommend "I Have an Equipment Slot in Huangfeng Valley!"! Click to go directly to the story world.) It seemed he truly had urgent business. Zhou Yuan, on the other hand, smoothly entered Tiantian City and headed straight towards Juxian Garden.

Inside Juxian Garden, there were still restrictions protecting it, but the atmosphere had become much more somber.

Zhou Yuan quickly found the bamboo house he was renting, which was well protected.

He cast a spell to enter the space, and Yuan Yao and Yan Li, sensing his presence, immediately awoke from their meditation and joyfully came to greet him.

"Brother Zhou, you're finally back!" Yanli rushed over, her beautiful eyes filled with concern. "We heard there was a defeat at the front, and Fengyuan Kingdom has fallen. We were so worried about you!"

"Brother Zhou, is everything alright?" Yuan Yao asked softly, carefully examining Zhou Yuan. Seeing that he was breathing steadily and showed no signs of injury, she was slightly relieved.

"Everything is fine, I'm sorry to have worried you."

Zhou Yuan offered a few words of reassurance, without elaborating on the dangers of the journey, "This place has become the front line; we should not linger. We must set off immediately and return to Dongyu Kingdom."

The two women naturally had no objections and quickly packed their belongings.

Zhou Yuan led them away from Juxian Garden. After leaving the city, he summoned the Wind Chariot, carried the two women, and transformed into a white rainbow, speeding towards the direction of Ling Shu Mountain in Dongyu Kingdom.

About half a day after Zhou Yuan left Tiancheng.

"Boom!"

A low, deep fluctuation of magical energy emanated from the city gate, and another group of cultivators entered the city, looking travel-worn.

This group of cultivators numbered about twenty, most of them dressed in uniform black attire with a ferocious ghost head pattern embroidered on their chests. Their aura was chilling, and they were cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect, one of the six sects of the demonic path!

This group of cultivators numbered about twenty, most of them dressed in uniform black attire with a ferocious ghost head pattern embroidered on their chests. Their aura was chilling, and they were cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect, one of the six sects of the demonic path!

The leader was a middle-aged man in black robes whose face resembled Wang Tiangu by five or six points, but whose temperament was more sinister and profound, and whose cultivation had reached the early stage of the Nascent Soul stage.

He is none other than Wang Tiansheng, the current leader of the Ghost Spirit Sect and Wang Tiangu's elder brother!

Wang Tiansheng's face was ashen, his eyes were bloodshot, and he exuded suppressed anger and killing intent.

Not long ago, his trusted confidant, who was left in the sect's forbidden area to guard the soul tablets of important clansmen, came in a panic to report that his younger brother, Wang Tiangu, the deputy sect leader of the Ghost Spirit Sect, had his life soul tablet completely shattered!

This means that Wang Tiangu has died and his soul has been scattered!

At the same time, the secret soul tablet of Yun Xiaotian, another elder in the sect who was extremely well hidden and whose existence was only known to a very few high-ranking members, was also shattered!

Within one sect, two Nascent Soul elders have fallen one after another, one of whom was the deputy sect leader and the other was a hidden ace!

This was a devastating blow to the Ghost Spirit Sect, resulting in extremely heavy losses!

Wang Tiansheng was shocked and furious, and immediately mobilized all available resources to investigate.

By planting spies among the Nine Kingdoms Alliance and some independent cultivators, and combining this with some of Wang Tiangu and Yun Xiaotian's recent secret movements, they finally found some clues.

His younger brother Wang Tiangu and Yun Xiaotian both seemed to have had contact with the rogue cultivator Nanlonghou before they disappeared.

And it seems they were involved in a secret operation, with their target being an ancient ruin deep within the Mulan Grassland!

Among the companions, there seemed to be several other Nascent Soul cultivators, one of whom was a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator named "Zhou Yuan".

Now, none of the eight Nascent Soul cultivators who participated in that treasure hunt, including his brother and Yun Xiaotian, have shown up; they have all vanished without a trace!

On the contrary, there were no reports of large-scale killings of Nascent Soul cultivators from the Southern Plains from the Mulan Grassland.

This is absolutely not normal!

Wang Tiansheng immediately focused his suspicions on Marquis Nanlong and the rogue cultivator named "Zhou Yuan"!

In his view, it was highly likely that Marquis Nanlong and Zhou Yuan had set a trap together, killing the other treasure hunters, including his brother, and taking all the treasure for themselves!

"Go! Immediately issue the highest-level bounty in Tiancheng and the surrounding markets! Offer a reward for Marquis Nanlong and that rogue cultivator named Zhou Yuan! Anyone who can provide definite information will be rewarded with 100,000 spirit stones and the position of Guest Elder of the Ghost Spirit Sect!"

Wang Tiansheng gritted his teeth and gave an order to a trusted elder behind him, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

"Yes, Sect Master!" the elder replied sternly.

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

Wang Tiansheng believed that as long as these two continued to operate in Tiannan, they would eventually slip up!

……

Shortly after the Ghost Spirit Sect issued the bounty.

In the heart of Tian City, there stands a magnificent stone palace, heavily guarded and shrouded in layers of restrictions.

A dozen or so high-level cultivators from the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, each possessing a powerful aura and at least at the early Nascent Soul stage, were gathered together.

The atmosphere inside the hall was heavy, as the high-ranking officials of the Nine Nations Alliance were holding an emergency meeting to discuss how to deal with the invasion of the Mulan people and the collapse of the front lines.

Besides these Nascent Soul elders, several Core Formation cultivators who had just retreated from the border and were still in shock stood on one side of the main hall. Among them were Lei Wanhe, Nie Ying, Shi Qiyun, Tang Minghua, and Qian Huan.

They were summoned specifically to report on their observations from the front lines.

At the head of the main hall, an old man with a face like purple jade, eyes that gleamed with a sharp light as they opened and closed, and dressed in a purple Bagua Daoist robe, spoke in a deep voice, loud and clear, with an imposing aura: "You just said that the one who saved you was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator named Zhou Yuan? Could you elaborate?"

This person is none other than Wu Peng, the Grand Elder of the Beiye Sect, another major sect in the Nine Kingdoms Alliance that is on par with the Huayi Sect!

His cultivation level has reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and he holds a prestigious position and wields considerable influence within the Nine Kingdoms Alliance.

Lei Wanhe took a deep breath, stepped forward, and respectfully replied:

"Reporting to Senior Wu Peng, it is absolutely true. If it weren't for Senior Zhou's timely intervention, we juniors would have already perished at the hands of Master Mu Lan. Senior Zhou possesses great supernatural powers; in just a few moves, he froze and killed Master Mu Lan, who was at the early Nascent Soul stage."

Wu Peng nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

Nie Ying continued, her voice clear yet tinged with lingering fear: "Not only that, but later during our retreat, we encountered two black-robed cultivators. Their auras were sinister and eerie, unlike the Mulan mages, but more like demonic cultivators..."

"They not only committed massacres and captured souls! Senior Zhou struck again, unleashing his incomparably sharp golden flying sword and supreme Yang lightning technique. In just over ten breaths, he annihilated both black-robed cultivators, whose cultivation was also at the early Nascent Soul stage, destroying them completely, body and soul!"

"Soul capture?"

"A black-robed cultivator? Not a Mulan person?"

"Early Nascent Soul stage, wiped out in just a dozen breaths?"

A low murmur arose in the hall, and many Nascent Soul cultivators showed expressions of surprise and doubt.

A gaunt old man in a green robe, sitting below Wu Peng, suddenly spoke up: "What they say is probably true. A few days ago, one of my fellow cultivators in the early Nascent Soul stage, who was guarding Fengyuan Kingdom, was killed by a black-robed cultivator. According to the disciples who escaped, the black-robed man was very strange... It seems that the Mulan people have invited some unclean outside help this time."

These words made the atmosphere in the hall even more solemn.

The Mulan people are already quite strong, and if they were to be aided by demonic cultivators with unorthodox methods...

This battle will be even more difficult.

"Where is Zhou Yuan now?"

Wu Peng looked at Lei Wanhe.

"After Senior Zhou escorted us to a safe area, he left alone, seemingly heading towards Tiantian City to pick someone up."

Lei Wanhe answered honestly.

"Kiantian City?"

Wu Peng pondered for a moment and sent someone to investigate.

The news arrived shortly afterward.

"Everyone, that Fellow Daoist Zhou has already left Tiantian City. However, I just heard some news that the Ghost Spirit Sect previously issued a bounty, ordering the entire Tiannan region to search for Fellow Daoist Zhou..."

Wu Peng took out a jade slip and said.

"What? The Ghost Spirit Sect has put a bounty on Senior Zhou?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Qiyun and the others were all taken aback.

"That is indeed true."

Another elder from the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, responsible for intelligence, nodded in confirmation: "The bounty was just issued recently, and the reward is extremely high. The Ghost Spirit Sect seems to believe that Marquis Nanlong and Zhou Yuan joined forces to kill several Nascent Soul cultivators, including the Ghost Spirit Sect's Vice Sect Master Wang Tiangu."

Upon hearing this, the cultivators in the hall reacted with varying expressions. Some were surprised, some were puzzled, and some seemed thoughtful.

"To be able to easily kill three Nascent Soul cultivators in succession... this Fellow Daoist Zhou's strength is probably more unfathomable than we imagined."

Wu Peng said slowly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, "The Ghost Spirit Sect has probably kicked a hornet's nest this time. Offending such a terrifyingly powerful, elusive, and unaffiliated mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator... hehe, they're probably going to have a lot of headaches in the future."

Upon hearing this, many of the other Nascent Soul cultivators also revealed expressions of understanding or schadenfreude.