"I really don't want to know what the 'mysterious encounter' is!" Wang Xuan resisted temptation and the urge to listen to Old Chen's tales about "mysterious encounters." He figured this must be a deep pit filled with allure, with Old Chen wanting him to explore it while also hoping to use Wang Jiaozu for free—no way!

"You think too much," Old Chen shook his head, then sighed, "The young people today have such complex thoughts; we from the seventies were much simpler."

Wang Xuan shot him a glance. "If you truly represent that generation, would it still be simple? You're insulting an entire generation!"

Old Chen wanted to take a swing at him, but medical staff arrived to check on him, forcing him to hold back.

After a long wait, he finally sat up. "Forget it, since you don't want to hear about that, let's not discuss it. Your issues are not hard to resolve. The moment I woke up, I contacted someone discreetly and mentioned this matter."

Wang Xuan kept his cool, thinking it wouldn't be long before Old Chen would voluntarily reveal the mysterious encounter.

At the same time, he was amazed—was Old Chen planning to resurrect early? To inform that person on his first day back must mean a lot of trust. It seemed Old Chen was also worried about that person's concerns, indicating a deep relationship.

He couldn't help but ask, "Old flame?"

Just then, Qingmu walked in, twitching his lips—did he really have to add "old" to "flame"? Wang Jiaozu was getting a bit too carried away; it was only a matter of time before Old Chen took him down a peg. Qingmu guessed that Old Chen probably needed something from him, which is why he was being restrained.

Old Chen gave him a blank look. "That's a friend of mine who works in a relevant department. I trust her completely. She wouldn't leak my news ahead of time, and I had her look into some matters."

Wang Jiaozu, whose spiritual power was incredibly strong, sensed danger and straightened up to listen intently.

"Do you know who wants to kill you?" Old Chen asked.

Wang Xuan shook his head, surprised that they figured it out so quickly. Old Chen's old flame must have considerable influence!

"They wouldn't have been targeting me for long, would they?" He hesitated, feeling a bit anxious.

Old Chen assured him he was overthinking it. "In the past, you never entered their sights. This time, it was mainly triggered by other events that led to your causal connections being analyzed."

"Who exactly wants me dead?!" Wang Xuan couldn't hold back any longer. Having faced assassination attempts two or three times already, he was fed up.

"Take a guess," Old Chen smiled.

"Wu family?" Wang Xuan proposed this immature guess. He thought it might be possible, but it shouldn't be to such an extent.

Regarding his past, there weren't many connections with the New Star financial group, aside from his past with his ex-girlfriend, Ling Wei.

Last time, Ling Wei and the Wu family's young man had dined at the Golden Years Restaurant, fostering their connection and introducing their families. Wang Xuan had coincidentally run into them and had a brief confrontation with the irritable Wu Yin.

"Close enough," Old Chen nodded, then delivered a piece of news that left Wang Xuan astonished. "That young man from the Wu family had an incident recently and almost died, requiring some artificial organs."

Wang Xuan was shocked; things were getting serious, but what did it have to do with him?

"This small matter wouldn't attract the attention of the relevant departments over in New Star. However, once two financial families are involved, it becomes impossible not to investigate," Old Chen explained, detailing the events.

The young man from the Wu family had been maliciously targeted, almost losing his life, which naturally warranted a thorough investigation.

"The involvement of another family's young man made the relationship between the two families extremely tense, but fortunately, it was resolved quickly."

Ling Wei had a crazed pursuer who showed signs of obsession back in middle school. Ling Wei likely returned to the Old Earth to escape that person.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan felt a chill. "I ran into a psychopath; he wants to kill not only the young man who met Ling Wei's family but also me, her ex?!"

What kind of terrifying mindset was that? It was utterly unpredictable; no wonder he couldn't guess—the Wu family didn't seem to be targeting him at all.

Now it seemed the Wu family was not just innocent but had become the biggest victim.

"This guy is really extreme. To prevent him from retaliating against society, once I get to New Star, I'll definitely crush him!" Wang Xuan was filled with killing intent, determined to annihilate that person, even if it meant leaving behind a mess of limbs and blood.

"You probably won't be able to kill him in the next few years. He's been confined by the Song family and has received some compensation from the Wu family, temporarily burying this matter. Unless little Song breaks out early, you shouldn't expect anything in the short term."

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After mentioning this, Old Chen shifted to discuss the matter of someone wanting to keep him in the Old Earth.

"Old Ling, right?" Wang Xuan asked casually, already aware of this issue. His classmate Kong Yi from the experimental class had warned him at their last gathering that the Ling family wanted to keep him on the Old Earth.

As someone who had pursued Ling Wei, Kong Yi had no desire to take the blame. That night, he made things clear to Wang Xuan, and the two had gotten along pretty well, reminiscent of burying the hatchet.

Ling Wei's father, Ling Qiming, had a strong presence; even during Wang Xuan's student days, he had seriously talked to him, leaving a deep impression.

Back then, Old Ling had still been reasonable. Although he had spoken sternly, he hadn't targeted Wang Xuan afterward. Old Ling had even explicitly stated that after graduation, they would be separated across the stars, with no future for him and Ling Wei.

It seemed Old Ling had already planned to keep him in the Old Earth, blocking his path to New Star.

Old Chen nodded. "Old Ling did indeed send a word, but it was only a symbolic mention. He probably thinks you, a young kid from the Old Earth, lack the energy to reach New Star. He didn't use powerful connections to ensure you'd be blocked."

He paused slightly before continuing, "There are others who want to keep you firmly in the Old Earth for three years, which surprised me. When I had my friend investigate, she was also taken aback."

"Who?" Wang Xuan was shocked—was there someone working harder than Old Ling? He considered himself law-abiding and low-profile, so why was he always under scrutiny?

"The Zheng family," Old Chen informed him.

Wang Xuan was puzzled. Was this another super family from New Star? He had no prior interactions, at least none that he could recall.

"The Origin Life Research Institute was founded by Ms. Zheng from the Zheng family," Old Chen reminded him gravely.

"The underground testing site in the Great Khingan Mountains?!" Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan felt a chill down his spine and had some ominous associations, sensing something was off.

"Recently, some people from the Zheng family personally visited the underground testing site in the Greater Khingan Mountains. According to my friend, several of them returned with... some mental issues." Old Chen's expression turned serious as he spoke.

"Could it be that these mentally unstable people are using their connections to keep me in the Old Earth for three years?" Wang Xuan's scalp tingled at the thought.

"Yes!" Old Chen's expression was extremely grave.

"Is it her... who wants to confine me to the Old Earth for three years?" Wang Xuan felt a heavy pressure weighing down on him.

Old Chen silently nodded, confirming his suspicion.

Wang Xuan was truly taken aback. Why? What was her motive? What significance did this three-year period hold?!

"Older women have boundless powers; why would she keep me?" Wang Xuan felt a strong sense of unease mixed with confusion. He reflected that he hadn't done anything wrong to her and had even helped her, especially by releasing her residual spiritual energy.

Feeling anxious, Wang Xuan said, "Old Chen, you need to arrange something quickly. Book me a ticket! I want to escape the Old Earth as soon as possible! If she can interfere with the current world, I don't know what might happen if I'm trapped here for three years!"

"She was the first one you released after opening your inner realm, right?" Old Chen asked.

Wang Xuan nodded. That underground area was marked with traces of lightning strikes, charred and desolate, as if it had experienced a terrifying explosion during a transformation event.

"She was not only the first transcendent I encountered but also the one who left the most traces behind," Wang Xuan said.

The woman was unique, leaving behind a complete physical form, resting in a bamboo boat carved from the rare and precious Transcendence Divine Bamboo.

Old Chen nodded. "The first powerful woman to revive because of you and leave her physical form behind must have been extraordinary."

He continued, "This might just be the beginning. Think about it: you released more than one transcendent. Moreover, those who can enter their inner realm like you were quite special in ancient times. I believe her seeking you has its reasons. The traps or schemes left behind by the ancients are beginning to stir, and we can expect certain matters to gradually unfold."

Wang Xuan's demeanor turned somber. "Old Chen, don't scare me. If I think deeply about this, it's truly terrifying. Don't speak carelessly!"

Old Chen shook his head. "I'm not speaking carelessly. This matter is not just terrifying; it's complex and deep. It's not just her; the others likely have their own intentions. Especially that formidable red-clad female demoness; she clearly wants to approach the current world, even willing to break through from some special realm! And you, being able to open your inner realm by yourself, may have some significance."

"Enough! Just book me a ticket. Can't I hide in deep space?!" Wang Xuan was feeling anxious.

Old Chen reminded him, "What if she comes to find you in deep space? Remember, you made me take her around for a long time; she's already familiar with it."

Wang Xuan felt a pit opening beneath him; he was genuinely worried. After thinking carefully, he said, "Old Qing, how about giving me that bone from the sword immortal? I think she would be the best; taking her to the starry sky to experience the infinite wonders should be safer."

Qingmu, who had been quietly listening, shot him a disdainful glance but immediately got up to retrieve the bone.

Wang Xuan was indeed concerned about what the woman intended to do. After much thought, he realized that the sword immortal was relatively easy to get along with and quite powerful; having her with him should provide a lot of security.

The ghost monk wasn't chaotic, but in times of trouble, the old monk ran faster than anyone; he was simply too good at assessing situations!

The female sword immortal was beautiful and ethereal, seemingly aloof and detached from the world, yet she had a bit of pride and enjoyed flattery. Even if she could be a bit petty, it was manageable—just give her compliments!

Most importantly, the sword immortal was very responsible; she dared to confront formidable foes like the red-clad demoness without flinching, making her far more reliable than the old monk.

Qingmu returned with a jade box, displaying a respectful demeanor as he carefully placed it on the table.

Wang Xuan immediately opened it, revealing a hand bone that appeared charred on the outside but shone with a faint golden glow inside.

"Why am I feeling a bit drowsy?" He was puzzled; as soon as he opened the box, he felt a wave of sleepiness wash over him, glancing outside to see that it was barely dark.

Old Chen, feeling suspicious, thought about his recent research on dream transmissions, and this situation resembled that. He was suddenly alarmed—if the sword immortal could influence the current world this early, things were indeed serious!

In a daze, Wang Xuan noticed that the golden part of the bone flickered weakly three times. He suddenly shivered, the drowsiness lessening. "Fairy, are you trying to talk to me about the three-year period too?"

The bone emitted a faint golden glow, as if responding to him.

Old Chen felt overwhelmed, believing this matter was far from simple. The depth and terror involved were immense. He didn't want to get mixed up in this; he quickly pulled Qingmu away to escape.

"Master, don't let anyone see us!"

"It's fine, it's dark now; no one will spot me. For now, keep your distance from Wang. I sense a major issue!" Old Chen decisively vanished.

Wang Xuan felt increasingly drowsy, on the verge of falling asleep. He was restless, trying to stay awake. What did these transcendent beings want to do? What would the world be like three years from now? What terrifying events awaited?!