The old monk, dressed in gray robes, with a shiny bald head, floated away gracefully.

Both Wang Xuan and Old Chen's faces twitched slightly as they watched his glistening head, but neither spoke.

"Little Wang, I traveled deep into the void for you; how will you repay me?" In the end, Old Chen couldn't hold back and spoke first.

Wang Xuan quickly patted himself down and said, "Old Chen, behave normally. You're of a certain age now; you've made my skin crawl."

"Tell me, am I not shielding you from disaster?" Old Chen glared at him, demanding an explanation.

Wang Xuan felt a bit guilty about this, as he had casually said a couple of things before, not expecting the female practitioner to actually seek out Old Chen.

"Old Chen, you can't put it that way. A few days ago, Qingmu and I were discussing this, and we both agreed: with great power comes great responsibility. You're one of the leaders of the organization, and this truly highlights your capabilities and responsibilities. Qingmu also expressed his deep agreement."

Old Chen looked at him seriously, even revealing a semblance of respect. It made him want to hit him!

With a sigh, Old Chen gazed into the distance, looking a bit lost, and finally, with a hint of melancholy, said, "You don't understand how deep this pool is. You can't imagine how terrifying the truth behind the ascension in the Pre-Qin period is. I truly paid a heavy price this time."

Wang Xuan was surprised; he too had felt a chill last night and had developed a new perspective on the matter of ascension. Now, seeing Old Chen like this, it seemed he had already realized something.

Quickly, Wang Xuan figured it out. The exploration organization cooperated with the state, which was semi-official, naturally privy to many secrets that ordinary people couldn't imagine—possibly even the truth of history.

After all, who could investigate everything more thoroughly than the state? Historical documents and rare texts certainly recorded something.

"That era was truly vast and profound. It wasn't just history; it was a dazzling poem that moved heaven and earth, shaking the stars and moon," Old Chen's words were heavy, and even his sigh seemed desolate, carrying a sense of powerlessness.

"The emergence of the female practitioner is a very bad omen. Her return means... forget it, I can't say," Old Chen rubbed his temples, appearing quite fatigued. "You're still young; you don't know how serious this matter is."

Wang Xuan felt a bit uncomfortable seeing Old Chen in this low spirit. The usual calm and composed Old Chen was entirely different now, utterly exhausted.

"Don't think this is a small matter; if mishandled, it could lead to significant troubles. So, I took her far into the void, hoping to find solutions. Unfortunately, I failed and was unwittingly guided back."

As he spoke, Old Chen looked a bit sad, patting Wang Xuan's shoulder and said, "Little Wang, the future belongs to you young people. If... I am not around in the future, your generation must find ways to uncover some secrets of the old arts, trace back the path that has disappeared through the rivers of history—perhaps it could be called a shortcut!"

Wang Xuan felt a chill. Did Old Chen think he was dying?

"Life is full of ups and downs; no one knows how they will end!" Old Chen lamented, gazing at the sky. In the dawn glow, a faint golden aura surrounded him.

Wang Xuan had not noticed this before, but now he saw that although Old Chen looked haggard, he stood straight with an indescribable aura.

"Master, don't push yourself; if you can't obtain the female practitioner's ascension methods, it's not the end. Wang Xuan's rapid progress might..."

Qingmu arrived just then, overhearing Old Chen's lament, so he called out from outside the courtyard, urging him not to be too stubborn and walked in briskly.

When he saw Wang Xuan, he immediately wished to shut his mouth and wanted to disappear, not daring to look at Old Chen.

Wow, Old Chen is really holding back a big move! Wang Xuan was dumbfounded.

He felt speechless, realizing that the faint golden aura around Old Chen instantly faded away, along with all the uprightness and righteousness.

In truth, Wang Xuan was not truly convinced and had not immersed himself in the act. Now that he witnessed it firsthand, he found himself wanting to hit Old Chen.

"Old Chen, you truly are something," Wang Xuan sighed.

Old Chen didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed; the so-called sadness and melancholy vanished instantly, and he regained his calm and composure. He shook his head and said, "This is the ebb and flow of life; the trajectory changes at any moment."

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He looked at his disciple and said, "Qingmu, how old are you? Why are you still so impulsive, letting Little Wang laugh at you?"

What could Qingmu say? After deep discussions with Old Chen, he had only just begun to grasp Old Chen's intentions.

Wang Xuan glanced at Old Chen and, seeing him so haggard, felt no sympathy. His colleague was tough; he had held on for so long to get the female practitioner's methods, refusing to find a successor. That was enough of a struggle!

He leaned over and asked quietly, "Is there really an ascension method?"

Qingmu couldn't take it anymore. "Alright, Little Wang, be a good person. Don't provoke Old Chen."

Wang Xuan shot him a glance and said, "If I were you, I'd turn around and leave. You're really taking your master's place. I feel like it's about to be your turn."

"You shut up!" Qingmu felt a shiver, stepping back a few paces.

Then, he felt a wave of unease; his mental domain was under some pressure, and cold sweat broke out.

At the same time, Old Chen let out a sigh, feeling something. "I sense that the heavenly fairy has left; she no longer exerts her mental pressure on me."

It must be said that Old Chen was truly strong; even during the day, he could sense whether the female practitioner had departed.

But he was also startled, glancing at Wang Xuan. Had this kid really said something that came true? It seemed there was a bridge connecting him with the female practitioner!

"This is real... Is it my turn now?!" Qingmu thought he might cry, having been entirely right about what Wang Xuan said days ago.

Wang Xuan became serious. Did the female practitioner not even need to enter dreams anymore? Could she exert such control during the day? That was truly unsettling.

Old Chen's expression was complex, filled with relief and regret. First, he felt unburdened, then he sighed again; he had persevered until now, but in the end, it was still empty.

Wang Xuan said, "Old Qing, hurry to the Greater Khingan Mountains. Don't be like Old Chen, messing around. I think you should take Jin Chuan and Qian Lei with you. The more people, the greater the strength, and you can share the burden if anything happens."

Qingmu shot him a glare, wanting to say, wasn't Jin Chuan the one who snatched the opportunity from you? And didn't Qian Lei seem to have asked you for stones before?

However, he still agreed in his heart; he definitely needed to find people to help him tackle the Greater Khingan Mountains, or he would probably struggle alone.

Old Chen spoke up, "These days, I have been respectfully and earnestly communicating with that heavenly fairy, and I have gone sleepless for this. I feel she is understanding. Qingmu, you should go."

What else could Qingmu say? He couldn't retort against his master. The old man had suffered without reason and was now trying to save face, ultimately leaving the "inheritance" for his disciple.

In the courtyard, only Old Chen and Wang Xuan remained, staring at each other until Old Chen smiled first.

"Little Wang, speak up. You have many secrets. Even the female practitioner sees you in a different light. However, she has finally left, returning to the underground."

Old Chen regained his former calm and composure, though his tone remained even, it emanated an invisible pressure.

Wang Xuan remained silent, calm and quiet.

"Don't deny it. I know how strong you were when you just graduated. When you easily defeated two assassins trained in Iron Sand Palm that night, you had just returned from the Greater Khingan Mountains. At that moment, I knew you were shrouded in mystery," Old Chen began, revealing no emotional fluctuations.

He continued, "Your strength has surged tremendously, defeating Sun Chengkun this time, even startling Qingmu. Although he hasn't said much, he's unsettled by your rapid growth. If this keeps up, even I might be left astounded."

Clearly, Old Chen was still composed, which indicated his exceptional strength—he was a rare super expert!

Wang Xuan sighed; he knew this situation would arise sooner or later. His strength was indeed rising too quickly, and those around him would notice sooner or later.

Old Chen clearly aimed to unearth what secrets Wang Xuan held!

"Old Chen, if I tell you I really don't have an ascension method, would you believe me?" Wang Xuan said, looking serious

.

"Then what's the mystery surrounding you?" Old Chen asked.

"There is a secret, but it's not universal. If I share it, others won't be able to do it; it would only lead to greater trouble," Wang Xuan lamented, remaining calm and unafraid.

Old Chen shook his head, patting his shoulder. "Don't overthink. I won't force you, but you might want to consider whether to share it. You don't have to rush to answer me; tomorrow, I'll invite you fishing, and we can discuss it then."

Then he cautiously added, "Don't cause trouble. You must not overthink; that heavenly fairy has surely returned to the underground, and won't come out again since her physical body is there."

Wang Xuan didn't care at all, even laughing. "Old Chen, you're overthinking. Just sleep well tonight. You've stayed up for so many days."

At that moment, Old Chen's eyelids twitched violently. Why did he feel an ominous premonition?

He quickly called Qingmu to check where he was. Surely he hadn't returned nearby again, had he?

Wang Xuan said, "Where do you think I'm going? Am I that kind of person? With the female practitioner gone, would I still be able to summon her back? I'm worried she'll trouble me!"

Old Chen nodded; that made sense. He also thought Wang Xuan wouldn't be able to handle the female practitioner.

Next, Wang Xuan and Old Chen began talking about Pufa Temple.

"Old Chen, do you know the history of this temple? What great events have happened here? I feel like although it's sacred and solemn, it lacks a bit of Buddhist aura?"

Old Chen shook his head, yawning. He said he really didn't know and wanted to go take a nap; finally, he could have some peace.

Before long, Wang Xuan sought out an old monk in the temple, asking about the history of this ancient site, what legends existed, and what major events had happened.

The old monk spoke at length, mentioning many almost mythical tales. He said that Pufa Temple once had a holy monk with profound attainments, ultimately achieving the fruit position of a Bodhisattva!

Wang Xuan focused intently, filtering out valuable information, and finally, he heard a historical event that left him shaken.

Three hundred years ago, an earthquake occurred in this area of Pufa Temple, causing ancient temples and pagodas to collapse.

"So, what you're saying is that the so-called millennial ancient temple, although it has such a long history, is actually no more than three hundred years old at most?"

The old monk sighed, a bit melancholic, shaking his head. "These buildings are only a few decades old."

"What?" Wang Xuan was astonished.

"Decades ago, people from the New Star area were digging up various relics beneath the Old Earth and were equally interested in ancient temples and Daoist sites. Some elders in wealthy families believed in Buddhism and Daoism, willing to spend huge sums to 'relocate' an entire temple or Daoist site."

Hearing this, Wang Xuan suddenly realized what was happening.