Zhong Cheng sought recognition and received it—he got slapped down by his sister yet again. This time, when he got up, he ignored her completely and began practicing the Snake Crane Eight Scattering Hands, gradually generating the sound of wind and thunder.
Zhong Qing hesitated; seeing her brother in this state, she found it hard to intervene. In fact, she sensed something was off—Zhong Cheng seemed to have truly gained insight. After six years of practicing those techniques, had he finally found his way? A flicker of surprise crossed her face. Was Old Wang indeed exceptional, providing real insight into the essence of this martial art?
Nearby, the elderly man was also practicing. His chest emitted a faint glow, and from his mouth, a hazy dragon-shaped illusion flew out, splitting a nearby stone in two with a soft thud.
"What have you comprehended?" Zhong Qing asked politely, as the old man was supposed to be her protector.
The old man sighed deeply, seeming moved. "Some people are truly gifted, well-suited to this path. I wish to follow him for a while."
Zhong Qing could hardly bear it, witnessing her foolish brother practicing the Old Technique at the expense of his sister, while seeing the sincere respect the elderly man had for Old Wang. She felt everyone around her had been "poisoned" by admiration.
Unable to restrain herself, she delivered a couple more slaps to her brother. "I'm only seventeen; it's not too late! One day, when I ascend to immortality, I'll call her Little Zhong, and she won't dare glare back at me!" Zhong Cheng thought to himself, trying to bolster his confidence after the hits.
Wang Xuan hadn't been exaggerating; his insights stemmed from his own experiences. But mainly, it was due to the two men's years of accumulation. The elderly man had practiced this martial art for decades, and after being guided, all his accumulated insights erupted forth.
As for Zhong Cheng, having trained for six years in the Snake Crane Eight Scattering Hands, he had a solid foundation. He was just a paper-thin barrier away from mastering two forms, and now, fully believing in Wang Xuan's words, he practiced with the most sincere heart, achieving success naturally.
At this moment, several representatives from large organizations surrounded Wang Xuan, being even more courteous than they had been at the funeral home. The middle-aged men from various financial groups approached him with friendly smiles.
Previously, they had only engaged with Guan Lin at the funeral, without directly interacting with Wang Xuan. Now, having lowered their guards, they came to him primarily because of how terrifying his combat abilities had proven—he had easily flipped Zhou Wei, a seasoned master, in mere moments.
Zhou Wei was a formidable expert, yet he had been sent flying with a single powerful kick to the chest. An ambulance had taken him away, and if things had gone poorly, he might have followed Olesha to the afterlife, necessitating another memorial.
The middle-aged men laughed, engaging Wang Xuan in light conversation and naturally introducing themselves. They dropped their pretenses, directly expressing a desire to collaborate and enthusiastically offering assistance with any needs he might have.
Did they have any golden bamboo slips from the pre-Qin period? Wang Xuan mused internally but kept his mouth shut, smiling in response, not making any demands. He understood that while these men were not at the top of their respective organizations, their statuses were significant, and they were not the type to forget a grudge.
If he took something from them, he would likely have to repay them in kind. This was an era of advanced technology and starships roaming the cosmos, where the financial groups controlled vast resources. In their eyes, masters were merely a means to an end.
If it weren't for the fact that the Secret Realm truly required physically resilient individuals, they probably wouldn't have sought Wang Xuan out. Regardless of whether they were from the New Technique or Old Technique realm, these financial groups prioritized research into longevity over the pursuit of martial prowess.
Of course, those close to the extraordinary would evoke caution; they believed such "individuals" required monitoring due to their overwhelming assassination capabilities.
"Master Wang, so young and talented! Truly a remarkable prodigy of the Old Technique realm! Meeting you feels like seeing a younger Old Chen; both are rare talents! It's a pity that soon, we'll be bidding farewell to Old Chen," one middle-aged man remarked, expressing enough respect while casually mentioning Fate Soil Chen.
Guan Lin's expression darkened instantly. She wanted to say, "Even if you've been dead for decades, Old Chen will still be fine. He's long-lived! I guarantee you'll get a ‘surprise' later!"
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Regardless, the men were quite courteous, offering Wang Xuan high praise and handing him their business cards. Wang Xuan returned the smiles, enjoying the amicable atmosphere. Everyone knows how to play nice.
His mental energy was vibrant, and his perception keen; he could sense that their enthusiasm was superficial, masking a certain distance. Compared to Old Wu, who had spent days getting to know him and genuinely wanted to form a connection, these men were less emotionally invested.
Guan Lin stepped in and interrupted, "Little Wang is excellent; he's my recognized younger brother, and he'll be escorting Chen Yongjie to Beijing for recovery. You can ease up on your plans."
The men had hoped to engage Wang Xuan directly about exploring the Secret Soil but had to hold off for now due to Guan Lin's intervention.
As the gathering concluded, everyone began to leave. Even Big Wu didn't have a chance to speak to Wang Xuan before Guan Lin whisked him away on a starship.
---
Inside the starship, the middle-aged men from the financial groups chatted casually.
One of the men suddenly voiced, "Do you think Chen Yongjie will actually die? I find this suspicious!" The others looked at each other, sensing the gravity of the situation. After a moment, someone nodded in agreement. "It's indeed questionable. His organs were shattered into hundreds of pieces, yet he's still holding on. Could he have even touched the extraordinary realm?"
They all became serious, pondering the implications. Some believed that Chen Yongjie might not be dead after all, and he could be looking to deepen cooperation with relevant departments on the Old Earth.
"So, Olesha's ‘accident' wasn't just sentimentality at play!" They thought deeply about the matter.
"If Chen Yongjie survives, we should find an opportunity to speak with him, inviting him personally to explore that Secret Realm. It's not like we haven't collaborated before," one suggested. They felt confident; in this era, even if immortal beings returned, they could be dealt with using super battleships. Even if Chen Yongjie had surpassed the grandmaster realm, it was no big deal.
"Old Chen should understand the nature of this era; if irreconcilable contradictions arise, even the strongest can be taken down."
"Before that, we must show Chen Yongjie the respect he deserves. In this complex world, it all boils down to interests. I believe we can find a mutually acceptable path, especially since Old Chen is a wise man."
---
Fate Soil Chen was preparing to leave for Beijing to officially deepen cooperation with relevant departments. Before he departed, he had extensive conversations with Wang Xuan.
"Head to New Star; there are many opportunities. Guan Lin brought me a book that made me realize practitioners must actively approach the extraordinary," he advised.
"Have you discovered anything new?" Wang Xuan asked, looking at him intently.
Old Chen became serious. "The Gathering Herb realm talks about harvesting the great medicine within ourselves, but after reading that book, I have my doubts. It seems the ancients hinted that interacting with various secret medicines and extraordinary objects in reality greatly benefits the Gathering Herb realm."
His main concern was whether the same should apply to other realms as well. Fate Soil Chen sighed, "All sorts of texts are in the hands of the New Star financial group, including Earth Immortal Grass and longevity liquids; there are countless opportunities. While you're young, you should go explore."
Wang Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Why do I get the feeling you want me to leave immediately?"
"It all starts from a mysterious encounter thirty years ago…" Old Chen couldn't help but bring it up again.
"Stop!" Wang Xuan turned to Qingmu. "Old Qing, pilot the ship and take me to the small temple where the Sword Immortal rests."
Old Chen's enthusiasm waned as he waved his hand. "Qingmu, use Guan Lin's ship; no one will track us."
Before long, Qingmu piloted the ship, dropping Wang Xuan off in a desolate mountain range eight hundred miles away, a place rarely visited by people.
This overgrown, thorny wilderness didn't seem like the resting place of an immortal. Wang Xuan searched for a long time before finally spotting the remnants of the small temple on a low hill, now covered in wild grass and rubble half-buried in the soil.
"This is it!" After carefully examining, he confirmed it was the same place from his dreams where the Sword Immortal had shown him the ruins.
Just as Wang Xuan retrieved the jade box containing the Feathered Immortal Bone, his eyelids grew heavy, and he dozed off.
In his dream, he saw the female Sword Immortal again—still ethereal and otherworldly, walking gracefully toward him. This time, however, she didn't scorn him or strike him with her sword. Instead, she asked him to carry away some… dark thunder tribulation marks left on the immortal bone.
Wang Xuan thought to himself, "The Sword Immortal is stingy, giving me only some dark stuff before parting?"
Suddenly, the female Sword Immortal brandished her sword at him, and surprisingly, she could hear his thoughts. Annoyed, she demonstrated once more, leaving the tribulation marks on him to ensure his safety.
Wang Xuan was astonished and began to sing her praises. "Immortal, your grace is ethereal, your beauty unparalleled, captivating time and mesmerizing heaven itself. Your powers are unmatched, capable of subduing the red-dressed demoness with a single hand!"
Upon hearing this, the female Sword Immortal's expression soured again, and she turned away, but as she did, her lips curled into a smile at his words, revealing a rare, radiant grin as she floated away in her moon-white dress.
Before waking from his dream, Wang Xuan saw her wave goodbye, proud and gradually fading from view. In the final moments, a flicker of light caught his eye, and he glimpsed the Inner Landscape—seeing a dazzling sword light piercing the heavens, another Sword Immortal battling fiercely against a formidable foe.
He jolted awake, wanting to help but found nothing—he was back in the real world.
"I'll definitely come back here to wait for you in three years!" Wang Xuan murmured to himself, uncertain about what would happen then, but he felt that the Sword Immortal wouldn't harm him and wished to ensure his safety.