I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

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That evening, Zhou Yuan did not linger in the elegant residence arranged for him at the Qin residence.

Protecting a mortal family like the Qin family was merely a trivial matter for him.

He came to Vietnam this time.

There are more important things to do.

According to the original story, deep within the seemingly prosperous and peaceful capital of Yue Kingdom, there lies a heretical organization called the "Black Fiend Cult".

This sect operates in secrecy and uses cruel methods. It often kidnaps rogue cultivators and low-level cultivators for blood sacrifices to improve the cultivation of the sect's higher-ups.

Zhou Yuan was not some kind of moral guardian who took it upon himself to uphold justice.

If it doesn't concern him, he won't bother with how these evil cultivators do evil in secret.

However, this time the situation is different.

The true mastermind behind the Black Fiend Sect, who is also the supreme ruler of the mortal realm of the Yue Kingdom—the Yue Emperor—possesses something he is determined to obtain!

The Fragmented Map of the Void!

This fragment of the map is related to the mysterious and unpredictable Void Palace in the Chaotic Star Sea, a place brimming with opportunities!

The Void Heaven Palace only opens once every few hundred years in a certain place in the Chaotic Star Sea. The palace contains countless treasures, including legendary items such as the "Void Heaven Cauldron" and the "Heaven-Mending Pill".

To enter and explore the Void Heaven Palace, a fragment of the Void Heaven Palace map is almost essential!

……

The royal family of Yue Kingdom is under the supervision of seven factions, who explicitly forbid the cultivation of immortal techniques to prevent the emergence of uncontrolled forces of immortal cultivators.

But this Yue emperor was clearly unwilling to be a puppet of the seven factions forever.

He somehow obtained a portion of the legacy of the skeleton (Extremely Brilliant) that perished in the Spirit Stone Mine, and secretly cultivated several rather vicious evil arts.

They secretly cultivated the Black Fiend Cult, intending to break free from the control of the Seven Sects, and even coveted immortality.

Zhou Yuan's trip to the capital had a clear objective: to kill the Yue Emperor, seize the fragments of the Void Heaven Palace map from him, and obtain other possible benefits!

At the same time, he also planned to take this opportunity to "rescue" Han Li from the perilous front-line camp.

The method was simple: he would send a message to his master, Li Huayuan, reporting that he had discovered traces of suspected cult activities in Kyoto, which might involve demonic paths or powerful evil cultivators, and requesting that the sect send people to assist in the investigation.

During the interrogation, he could specifically mention that Han Li was meticulous, cautious, and worked well with him, making him a suitable candidate for carrying out such infiltration and investigation missions.

In this way, Li Huayuan would likely take advantage of the situation and transfer Han Li from the front lines to assist him. This would both give Han Li a legitimate reason to escape and be perfectly reasonable.

However, this matter should not be rushed.

Having just arrived in Vietnam and barely settled in, his hasty request for help inevitably aroused suspicion.

I need to wait at least ten days to half a month, until I can use my identity as "Qin Yuan" to "move around" in Kyoto a little and find out some "clues" before I can send a message.

That's when it looked natural.

As night deepened, Zhou Yuan changed into an inconspicuous blue robe and quietly left the Qin residence, strolling along the streets of Yuejing East City.

The city lights are dim, the night market is bustling, and the hustle and bustle of mortals intertwine with the tranquil and mysterious world of cultivation in the night of this ancient capital.

As he walked, he remembered another thing mentioned in the original story.

In this capital city, besides the Black Fiend Sect, there is also a pair of rogue cultivators, a grandfather and grandson, surnamed Xiao, living in seclusion.

They opened a restaurant called "Xianyun Inn" in Dongcheng District as a cover.

In the hands of the grandfather and grandson was a rather mysterious animal skin book, on which was recorded an unnamed technique for concealing one's breath.

This technique is extremely effective at concealing one's aura, far surpassing ordinary methods of breath concealment, and it has a good concealing effect even on Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Zhou Yuan's mind stirred slightly.

Although he is quite strong now, it would never hurt to have another advanced technique for concealing his breath.

Moreover, this scroll of animal hide also contains a demonic script that records an even more powerful demonic escape technique.

Next, Zhou Yuan casually inquired about the location of "Xianyun Inn" from several shop assistants who seemed to be well-informed on the street, and soon found his target in a relatively quiet alley in the East District, but close to the main road.

It was a three-story wooden building with upturned eaves and brackets, several strings of red lanterns hanging above it, and a black plaque with gold characters that read "Xianyun Inn" above the door.

It was dinnertime, and the inn was brightly lit. The sounds of diners chatting and the clinking of cups and plates could be faintly heard. Business seemed to be doing well, but it wasn't too noisy.

Zhou Yuan stepped into the inn.

The lobby was spacious, with a dozen or so tables and chairs, about six or seven tenths full of guests. His gaze went straight to behind the counter.

Inside the counter stood an elderly man with gray hair, a thin face, and dressed in a simple cloth robe. He was fiddling with an abacus, looking no different from an ordinary innkeeper.

However, under Zhou Yuan's powerful divine sense, comparable to that of the early stage of Core Formation, the old man's seemingly sophisticated concealment technique was completely ineffective.

He could clearly "see" the fluctuations of magical power at around the ninth level of Qi Refining flowing within the old man's body! Although the old man tried his best to conceal it, he could not hide it from Zhou Yuan's divine sense.

Beside the old man sat a girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old, with a round face and bright eyes, wearing her hair in two buns. She was looking at a book that looked like an account book.

The girl also had faint magical energy fluctuations, around the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, which were also concealed by a concealment technique.

"It really was them." Zhou Yuan knew it in his heart and walked to the counter without showing any emotion.

"Manager, please give me a quiet private room," Zhou Yuan said calmly, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the old man.

"Alright! Please come upstairs, sir. Room number three is still available; it's quiet and faces the street."

The old man looked up at the sound, a professional smile on his face, and prepared to ask the waiter to lead the way.

However, the moment he looked up and met Zhou Yuan's gaze, a terrifying divine pressure, vast as an abyss and condensed as a substance, like a towering wave suddenly rising from the calm sea, silently yet domineeringly enveloped him!

The oppressive aura was controlled with extreme precision, targeting only the old man; the girl beside him and the other mortal diners in the hall were completely unaware of it.

But in the old man's perception, it was as if he were being stared at by a prehistoric behemoth, causing his mind to tremble violently and his internal magical power to almost come to a standstill.

His face turned deathly pale instantly, and his eyes were filled with indescribable horror!

This...this is at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

His proud nameless concealment technique was completely useless against the opponent!

Zhou Yuan didn't say much, but he gave the old man a deep look. His gaze was calm and unwavering, yet it made the old man feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Then, Zhou Yuan turned around and walked straight towards the stairs, his steps unhurried, as if everything just now was an illusion.

The old man froze on the spot, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

"Grandpa, what's wrong? You look terrible."

The little girl beside him noticed the old man's unusual behavior, put down the account book, and asked with concern, tugging at the old man's sleeve with her little hand.

The old man suddenly came to his senses, glanced at Zhou Yuan's figure disappearing around the corner of the stairs, then looked at his bewildered granddaughter beside him, a struggle and a decision flashing in his eyes.

He knew that since the other party had come knocking on his door and displayed such terrifying strength and the ability to see through his cultivation level, there was no way to avoid it. The other party did not retaliate on the spot, but went to a private room, clearly wanting to talk privately.

"Shh, don't speak!"

The old man took a deep breath, suppressing his fear, and whispered to his granddaughter, "Come with me, we have... a distinguished guest."

He pulled his puzzled granddaughter up, quickly walked out of the counter, and headed upstairs, his steps slightly unsteady.

Upon arriving at the door of VIP room number three, the old man hesitated for a moment before gently knocking.

"Come in."

Zhou Yuan's calm voice came from inside.

The old man pushed open the door and led his granddaughter inside. Zhou Yuan was already sitting comfortably in the main seat, the table empty. When he saw the old man enter, Zhou Yuan merely raised his hand casually.

"Squeak—"

The door to the private room opened automatically without any wind.

Gently close them.

Immediately afterwards, a faint, almost invisible ray of light flickered on the door frame, completely isolating the inside and outside from sound and divine sense probing.

The private room fell silent, with only the old man's heavy breathing and the girl's curious yet slightly uneasy gaze.

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