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Chapter 341: Disciple of the Heavenly One Sect
Lan Chang'an was well aware that ancient battlefields often harbored dangerous spatial rifts, which frequently caused abnormal spatial fluctuations.
It was precisely because the space in this forbidden zone was unstable that a spatial node to the Great Qing had managed to exist here.
After waiting half a day, he detected no anomalies and finally set off, leaving the hidden cavern where the Tinghai Pavilion’s formation was located.
This location was concealed by a high-level formation, and the stone walls around it were infused with materials that blocked spiritual sense, making it extremely difficult to detect.
Using the memory route from True Monarch Shazhai, Lan Chang'an successfully navigated through the labyrinth-like underground tunnels and emerged into the open air.
In front of him, the ashen sky and dim, murky sun of Ten Thousand Demons Valley came into view.
"The spiritual energy here is polluted. Only demonic creatures and certain mutated beasts can survive."
Lan Chang'an had already noticed that his Evergreen Technique was difficult to circulate.
The air was filled with demonic energy, baleful energy, and turbid qi, all of which tainted the natural environment.
His mana recovery relied entirely on spirit stones and pills.
Navigating carefully, Lan Chang'an flew toward the valley’s outskirts, avoiding certain regions due to their extreme danger.
Thankfully, with the marked maps in his memory, he could bypass most hazards.
For an ordinary Core Formation cultivator, venturing into this place would mean a death rate exceeding seventy percent.
Even True Monarch Shazhai, despite his expertise, had only explored parts of the valley—most of its depths remained unknown.
In the Great Yuan, no one dared claim they fully understood the forbidden zone of the Central Region.
Ten Thousand Demons Valley was just one of many—it was dangerously close to the Forbidden Abyss, the site where ancient demon overlords had been sealed away.
Along his journey, Lan Chang'an noticed several tainted third-rank and even fourth-rank spiritual veins.
"What a waste."
He concealed his aura, maintaining a safe distance.
These spiritual veins were useless to human cultivators—they had long since been infested by powerful demonic creatures and mutated monstrosities.
Two days later, after slaying two third-rank demonic beasts, Lan Chang'an finally exited the depths of Ten Thousand Demons Valley, approaching its outer regions.
The valley’s outskirts had already been explored by human cultivators, significantly reducing the danger level.
But then—
Lan Chang'an sensed a powerful demonic aura surging from the valley’s depths, rapidly approaching his location.
"Not good! A fourth-rank demonic beast!"
Even from afar, his soul shuddered in alarm.
Inside his spirit pet pouch, the Earth Burrowing Rat and Profound Water Turtle became visibly uneasy.
A fourth-rank demonic creature moved at terrifying speeds.
Its deep, guttural roar echoed through the valley, carrying the resonance of a dragon’s might.
"A corrupted dragon-blooded creature?"
Lan Chang'an was shocked—even if he used Blood Escape, he wouldn’t be able to outrun it in time.
In a forbidden zone like Ten Thousand Demons Valley, using Blood Escape would be suicidal—the intense life-force fluctuations would make him a glowing beacon in the darkness, attracting even more demonic beasts.
Within moments, the air around him darkened, filled with swirling black-yellow sand and the stench of blood-tinged demonic wind.
A massive creature, stretching over twenty zhang long, emerged in his spiritual perception.
Its body was covered in thick, brown-yellow scales, radiating a monstrous aura reminiscent of ancient divine beasts.
"A Corrupted Stoneheart Dragon! Who provoked such a terrifying creature from deep within the forbidden zone?"
Lan Chang'an could sense its rage through its dragon-like roar.
Its scales bore several faint scars, though no blood was visible.
This creature carried the remnants of a heaven-grade bloodline, and its corruption had only intensified its brutality.
Even Nascent Soul True Monarchs would avoid provoking it.
Inside his spirit pet pouch, the Earth Burrowing Rat chirped anxiously—both fearful and tempted.
The Stoneheart Dragon’s core, its Stone Heart Essence, was a priceless treasure for earth-attribute cultivators and beasts alike.
"No time for greed—run!"
From True Monarch Shazhai’s memories, Lan Chang'an knew enough about Corrupted Stoneheart Dragons to realize—he had no chance against it.
Whoosh!
The Stoneheart Dragon’s crystalline yellow eyes locked onto the bald-headed blue-robed youth.
With a blur of motion, it transformed into a shadowy streak, its dark-yellow enshrouding aura swirling violently.
A moment later—
A massive dragon claw, coated in black-yellow toxic mist, tore down from the clouds, slamming toward Lan Chang'an’s skull.
But—
Lan Chang'an was both a body and a qi cultivator.
Activating a superior-grade third-rank Wind Escape Talisman, he transformed into a whirlwind, dodging the attack at an unexpected speed.
Knowing he couldn’t outrun it, he immediately counterattacked.
Summoning his quasi-fourth-rank puppet and an eager Earth Burrowing Rat, he prepared for battle.
Emerging directly beneath the dragon’s belly, Lan Chang'an lashed out with a lightning rope magical treasure, its length stretching over ten zhang, crackling with thunderbolts.
He whipped the cord around the dragon’s neck, while simultaneously kicking its underside with full force.
At the same time—
His Green-armored puppet and Earth Burrowing Rat struck from both sides, launching explosive close-range attacks.
The Stoneheart Dragon trembled violently, its neck bound by the lightning rope, while simultaneous attacks landed on its stomach.
It let out a thunderous roar—it had never expected such a small creature to dare fight it head on.
With a mighty thrash, the terrifying force of its dragon body sent black-yellow winds howling, forcefully shaking off the lightning rope and hurling Lan Chang'an’s group backward.
Both sides separated, creating distance.
Sizzle!
The Stoneheart Dragon’s scales smoldered where the lightning rope had burned it, while its stomach bore minor wounds.
Lan Chang'an barely steadied himself, his palms bleeding from gripping the rope too tightly.
The dragon’s crystalline yellow eyes, filled with baleful energy, flashed with a trace of hesitation.
But it wasn’t him that it feared.
Lan Chang'an realized—
The dragon wasn’t hesitating because of their attacks.
Their assault had barely scratched it—the previous faint scars on its body were deeper than what they had inflicted.
Something else was lurking nearby.
Something even the Corrupted Stoneheart Dragon had to be wary of.
...
Hundreds of zhang away, hidden within the wind-blown dust and floating sand, a young man in a green silk robe with pale cyan eyes hovered in the shallow layers of the void.
Jing Wufeng looked disheveled, his robe and hair slightly messy, and his face a bit pale.
Retrieving a white jade bottle, he drank a mouthful of Thousand-Year Spirit Milk, rapidly restoring more than half of his depleted mana.
The Heaven Token had no detailed maps, and he had accidentally wandered into the Corrupted Stoneheart Dragon’s territory, triggering its pursuit.
This particular demonic dragon had both powerful abilities and extreme defenses—a terrible matchup for him.
Jing Wufeng possessed the Voidless Dao Body, which granted him unparalleled mobility through spatial and wind-element techniques.
Yet no matter how fast he was, even if he exhausted his mana or ran himself to death, he still couldn’t truly threaten the creature.
"Huh! That bald Core Formation cultivator actually survived the Corrupted Stoneheart Dragon’s attack?"
Jing Wufeng’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Immortal Golden Dan, Body Qi Dual Cultivation, Mutant Earth Rat Demon, Quasi-Fourth Rank Puppet ......”
"Could he be a prodigy from one of the Deity Transformation Holy Lands?"
Jing Wufeng stroked his chin, his eyes flickering with thought.
If it weren’t for the fact that the first trial of the Heavenly One Sect’s disciple selection allowed only one challenger per province, he might have mistaken this bald cultivator for one of the other eight monstrous geniuses of the Heavenly One Sect.
"Your Excellency, quite the move redirecting disaster onto others!"
A cold male voice rang through the shallow void layer.
Jing Wufeng’s expression froze.
Have I been discovered?
From a distance, the blue-robed bald youth was staring directly at him, his gaze unfriendly.
At the same time, the Corrupted Stoneheart Dragon’s icy eyes also locked onto his hidden position.
Under the pressure from both sides, Jing Wufeng had no choice but to grit his teeth, let out an awkward chuckle, and reveal himself.
"Fellow Daoist, we are both Immortal Golden Dan cultivators. Why not work together to—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the blue-robed youth—who had clearly reached the threshold of Nascent Soul and possessed the combat strength of a sect’s top prodigy—immediately withdrew his puppet and beast companion.
Then, without a single word, he activated a movement talisman and vanished like a streak of light, escaping with fluid and practiced motion.
"Eh… wait a moment!"
Jing Wufeng stood stunned.
For a cultivator this powerful to flee so decisively—his skill in running away was almost artistic.
…
After flying hundreds of li away, Lan Chang'an finally confirmed that the Corrupted Stoneheart Dragon wasn’t pursuing him, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
He also calmed the Earth Burrowing Rat, which was still restless inside his spirit pet pouch.
The Earth Burrowing Rat was nearing the peak of the third-rank, and after refining Five Element Earth infused with innate turbid qi, its overall quality had reached the level of an earth-grade bloodline beast.
Unlike Lan Chang'an, it wasn’t restricted by the lifespan constraints of the Evergreen Technique, so its cultivation speed naturally outpaced his own.
For beasts ascending to the fourth rank and achieving human form, the breakthrough process differed from human cultivators—they didn’t require Infant Transformation Pills.
A Stoneheart Dragon, bearing True Dragon lineage, had a core known as the Stone Dragon Heart.
If slain, its essence core and life essence pill would be a major opportunity for the Earth Burrowing Rat, potentially allowing it to achieve transformation.
However, Lan Chang'an hadn’t even considered fighting for it.
He was well aware of the demonic dragon’s background—even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would struggle to kill it within Ten Thousand Demons Valley’s harsh terrain.
According to rumors in True Monarch Shazhai’s memory, this Corrupted Stoneheart Dragon had special origins and was connected to a major figure in the Great Yuan’s upper echelons.
In a place like Ten Thousand Demons Valley, with so many hidden threats, Lan Chang'an wasn’t willing to risk everything.
Besides, he didn’t trust that mysterious green-robed foreign cultivator.
"That person’s aura still carries foreign traces. Could it be that other regions of Heaven Honoured Continent also have spatial nodes leading to the Great Yuan?"
Lan Chang'an was certain—the man was not a native cultivator of the Great Yuan.
That alone was reason enough to stay on guard and keep his distance.
Half a day later, Lan Chang'an reached the outer perimeter of Ten Thousand Demons Valley, preparing to exit through a safe passage.
"Fellow Daoist, please wait."
The sound of wind whipping past was followed by a green-robed figure swiftly approaching.
Turning around, Lan Chang'an saw Jing Wufeng, whose movement techniques surpassed any Core Formation cultivator he had ever encountered—even the Peacock Saintess was nowhere close.
But what truly shocked Lan Chang'an was that this foreign cultivator had actually managed to escape unharmed from the Corrupted Stoneheart Dragon’s pursuit.
Even stranger, his mana aura remained incredibly stable and abundant.
For Lan Chang'an, despite the Evergreen Technique’s longevity and deep reserves, escaping a Nascent Soul cultivator or a powerful beast would still leave him fatigued and drained.
Yet this Jing Wufeng looked as if he had barely exerted himself.
"I am Jing Wufeng. I did not intend to shift disaster onto you earlier."
The green-robed youth spoke politely, displaying no arrogance.
"May I ask how to address you, Fellow Daoist?"
"My surname is Xiang."
Lan Chang'an replied casually, maintaining vigilance and keeping his distance.
"Ah, so it’s Immortal Xiang."
Jing Wufeng smiled, carefully examining the blue-robed, bald-headed youth.
"Why have you chased after me, Fellow Daoist Jing?"
Lan Chang'an asked flatly.
"To be honest, I am not from the Great Yuan, as you likely already noticed."
Jing Wufeng’s expression was calm and forthright.
"I come from another province and accidentally entered an ancient ruin. Through a spatial rift, I ended up here."
"Since you are a native of the Great Yuan, I wish to ask you for some information."
He cupped his hands in respect.
"Of course, I am willing to offer compensation."
Lan Chang'an narrowed his eyes, neither fully believing nor denying his words.
"I see, I’ve read of such cases in ancient records. Didn’t expect to encounter one myself."
Not wanting to press the issue, he remained neutral.
The information that Jing Wufeng inquired about included the map route of the forbidden zone in the Central Region, the situation of today's Great Yuan, and the distribution of forces.
All of which Lan Chang'an already knew from True Monarch Shazhai’s memories.
"This jade slip contains what you need."
Lan Chang'an copied the information onto a jade slip with ease.
As for payment, he didn’t care—these were common-knowledge details among Core Formation cultivators.
Faced with a mysterious, unfathomably strong outsider, Lan Chang'an saw no harm in earning some goodwill.
…
"The three great cultivation factions of the Great Yuan—Ghost Palace, Sword Pavilion, and the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects…"
Jing Wufeng scanned the jade slip with his spiritual sense, deep in thought.
Unlike Great Qing, the Great Yuan had no orthodox sects at all.
Ghost Palace, ruling the Northern Region, was the supreme power of the heretical paths.
Sword Pavilion, the dominant force in the Southern Region, was a warlike faction, ruthless and fond of conquest—far from benevolent.
The Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects, which controlled the coastline, monopolized sea trade routes and had long-standing ties with pirate organizations, frequently engaging in plundering and pillaging.
While the Great Yuan had a rich cultivation civilization and abundant resources, it was far crueler than Great Qing.
But for a true powerhouse, that was an advantage rather than a disadvantage.
A subtle smile played on Jing Wufeng’s lips.
Flipping his palm, he revealed two items:
A severed claw from a powerful demonic beast, and a corrupted scale from the Stoneheart Dragon.
"These two materials shall serve as payment for the intelligence I requested."
"You are very generous, Fellow Daoist Jing."
Lan Chang'an accepted the two materials, his expression shifting slightly.
The Stoneheart Dragon’s scale was a high quality fourth-rank material, suitable for refining magical treasures, crafting puppets, or even creating fourth rank spirit talismans.
The demonic claw, being a critical part of a formidable demonic beast, was also comparable to the fourth-rank level.
Trading non-classified information for two fourth-rank materials—Lan Chang'an had profited immensely.
After this exchange, the atmosphere between the two cultivators eased considerably.
They now had a preliminary understanding of each other’s temperaments.
"That Stoneheart Dragon—would Fellow Daoist Xiang be interested in hunting it someday?"
Jing Wufeng inquired casually.
Lan Chang'an remained expressionless, replying with deliberate indifference:
"A corrupted Stoneheart Dragon’s heart and essence core are tainted. They hold no value for human cultivators like us."
But Jing Wufeng merely chuckled and exposed the truth.
"Indeed, for human cultivators, they are useless. However, your mutated earth-element beast companion’s inner core contains Earth Fiend Turbid Qi…"
"For it, the Stoneheart Dragon’s heart and essence core are peerless nourishment."
Lan Chang'an fell silent for a few moments.
This man’s insight was terrifying.
His Earth Burrowing Rat had only briefly revealed itself, yet Jing Wufeng had already deduced so much.
He wasn’t wrong—the Stoneheart Dragon’s heart, if purified, could serve as a key resource to aid the Earth Burrowing Rat’s transformation.
Unlike humans, beasts followed a different cultivation path.
They didn’t form Nascent Souls—instead, they condensed Essence Spirit Cores, merging their essence and soul into a single core.
As a result, this granted fourth-rank transformation-stage beasts immense resistance to soul-related technique and opened up more natural aptitudes inherited from the bloodline.
The Stoneheart Dragon’s Essence Spirit Core was equivalent to the Tianying Fruit that Lan Chang'an wanted—it could be directly consumed or refined into a elixir suitable for beasts to take,which would help them advance to the fourth stage of transformation.
And since the Stoneheart Dragon was a heavenly bloodline beast and carried True Dragon blood, its benefits far surpassed ordinary transformation-stage demon kings.
"Even if two Nascent Soul cultivators joined forces, they would struggle to kill that Corrupted Stoneheart Dragon, let alone us two Core Formation cultivators."
Lan Chang'an shook his head.
Strength was one factor, but the harsh environment of Ten Thousand Demons Valley made such a battle far too risky.
More importantly, he did not fully trust Jing Wufeng.
This foreign cultivator’s background was unclear, and his true intentions were unknown.
"It’s certainly difficult now," Jing Wufeng nodded, acknowledging Lan Chang'an’s concerns.
"But with proper preparation, the opportunity might present itself in the future."
He then offered an enticing deal:
"If Fellow Daoist Xiang ever decides to take on the hunt, you may invite me to join."
"And should we succeed, the Stone Dragon Heart and Essence Spirit Core will be yours."
Lan Chang'an’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Fellow Daoist Jing, you’re incredibly generous. You wouldn’t be offering this assistance for free, would you?"
"Of course not," Jing Wufeng admitted with a light chuckle.
"I only ask that Fellow Daoist Xiang grant me a single favor in the future."
"If the need arises, I may request your aid for one task within the Great Yuan."
Lan Chang'an did not immediately agree.
"I’ll consider it."
At the very least, he needed to wait until his Earth Burrowing Rat reached the peak of the third rank and his quasi-fourth-rank puppet was fully upgraded into a true fourth-rank puppet.
Only then would he revisit the idea.
"Very well. I’ll await your decision, Fellow Daoist Xiang. No pressure."
Jing Wufeng responded cheerfully.
Before leaving, the two cultivators exchanged contact methods in the largest immortal city of the Great Yuan’s Central Region.
Then, with a gust of wind, Jing Wufeng vanished, disappearing in mere breaths.
Lan Chang'an watched carefully, his eyes gleaming with deep thought.
"This man is no ordinary cultivator…"
His movement techniques were so profound that they rivaled True Monarch Shazhai’s water-escape technique.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Lan Chang'an turned toward a different direction, heading out of Ten Thousand Demons Valley.
…
Seven days later.
Lan Chang'an finally exited the forbidden zones of the Central Region, having passed through numerous ruins left behind by ancient battles.
The spiritual energy in these areas was severely depleted, leaving them as nothing more than wastelands of decay.
As he continued on his journey, traces of human cultivators became more frequent.
Many cultivators from across the Great Yuan were exploring the outskirts of the central forbidden zones, conducting archaeological investigations and searching for relics.
For the first time since arriving, Lan Chang'an felt like he was stepping into the actual cultivation world of the Great Yuan.
Compared to the Great Qing, the Great Yuan’s Central Region was resource-poor but immensely vast—nearly three times larger than the Eastern Region of the Great Qing.
Even the weakest province in the Great Yuan surpassed the Great Qing’s Core Region, where the Ten Xuan Sects were located, by at least an entire tier in cultivation strength.
As he distanced himself from the forbidden lands, the spiritual energy in the air gradually became more active.
With a boost in environmental stability, Lan Chang'an’s travel speed increased significantly.
Three days later.
Lan Chang'an entered the territory of Wanfeng Sect—the strongest sect near the central forbidden zone, ruled by a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
Wanfeng Sect commanded multiple cultivation nations, overseeing two Nascent Soul-level sects, numerous Core Formation-level sects acting as vassals, and had countless cultivation families under its influence.
Just the territory governed by Wanfeng Sect was comparable in scale to the peak-era Righteous Dao Alliance from the Great Qing.
"First, I need a place to settle and transition into the local scene."
Lan Chang'an maintained his bald-headed, blue-robed appearance, deliberately concealing his true strength, keeping his cultivation suppressed at mid-Core Formation to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.
Half a day later.
He arrived at Wuyou City, a high-tier immortal city known for its prosperous trade and commercial atmosphere.
According to True Monarch Shazhai’s memories, Wuyou City was jointly managed by Wanfeng Sect’s vassal sects and cultivation families.
Here, the highest-level cave abodes available were mid-grade third-rank, with some superior-grade third-rank estates available at a high cost.
Lan Chang'an rented a mid-grade third-rank cave abode, planning to stay for a while.
His goal was to integrate into local society, familiarize himself with the power dynamics, and then seek out a more permanent base with a fourth-rank spiritual vein.
A superior-grade third-rank spiritual vein was already insufficient for his ambitions.
Lan Chang'an needed a fourth-rank spiritual vein—essential for his breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm.
Fourth-rank spiritual veins were exclusively controlled by Nascent Soul-level forces.
Unlike Great Qing’s Wangyue Immortal City, which allowed loose cultivators to access high-tier resources, the Great Yuan had no such neutral zones.
Here, weaker factions inevitably had to submit to stronger ones—there was no room for independent, neutral cultivators.
Even Wangyue Immortal City, which allowed cultivators to borrow its fourth-rank spiritual veins for Nascent Soul formation, required oath contracts and significant contributions.
Lan Chang'an estimated that he had 60-70 years before he reached peak Core Formation and attempted his Nascent Soul breakthrough.
Thus, he needed to start laying the groundwork early, securing a sponsorship from a Nascent Soul-level force.
Otherwise, even if he gathered all necessary Nascent Soul resources, he would still lack a place to successfully undergo the process.
…
In Wuyou City, inside his third-rank cave abode, Lan Chang'an finally released his long-restrained Green-armored puppet.
The moment it activated, two pale-green ghostly flames ignited in its eye sockets, and a voice filled with excitement echoed:
"This world truly differs from the Great Qing! The spiritual energy here is of a higher grade… In my lifetime, I actually have the chance to leave Great Qing and come to a more prosperous cultivation realm!"
The ghostly spirit within the Green-armored puppet—Puppet Master Wei—spread his spiritual sense outward, examining the vast cultivation civilization of Wuyou City.
"Puppet Master Wei, this land is rich in resources. I've recently obtained several fourth-rank materials, which might accelerate your advancement to a true fourth-rank puppet."
Lan Chang'an took out the fourth-rank materials he had obtained—both from True Monarch Heavenly Net’s spoils and from Jing Wufeng’s payment.
For now, he held back the Lingxu Ancient Pillar fragment, which contained precious spatial materials.
Puppet Master Wei inspected the new materials with great satisfaction.
"Not bad! My puppet body is now only one step away from achieving fourth-rank quality. All that remains is for my puppet spirit to reach Nascent Soul level, and I can finally attain a complete fourth-rank puppet form!"
Because Lan Chang'an’s second-life divine soul had continuously nourished the Green-armored puppet, Puppet Master Wei's spirit consciousness had stabilized, and his puppet spirit growth had accelerated.
By Lan Chang'an’s estimate, the puppet spirit would likely reach Nascent Soul level within 60-100 years.
"Immortal Lan, do not forget our agreement from back then."
Puppet Master Wei’s tone grew serious.
Lan Chang'an’s expression hardened as well, nodding solemnly.
"Puppet Master Wei has aided me greatly in refining a true fourth-rank puppet and passed down the Thousand Mechanisms Sect’s core puppet techniques. I will, of course, uphold my end of the bargain."
According to the agreement back then:
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Puppet Master Wei made every effort to help Lan Chang'an build a true fourth-rank puppet and teach the Thousand Mechanism Sect's core puppet techniques.
Once the fourth-rank puppet was completed, Puppet Master Wei would use the puppet as his new body and personally return to settle an old vendetta.
Lan Chang'an would support and assist in this endeavor.
Their agreement was set in stone—and one day, it would have to be fulfilled.