Old Chen leaned out the window but still saw nothing. Instead, he was splashed in the face by raindrops shaken off the branches of a large tree swaying in the autumn wind.
Qingmu went into the courtyard, holding a high-powered telescope to scrutinize the sky. In the end, he only spotted two crows flapping their wings as they flew away into the distance.
"Did you see anything? Is there really something up there?!" Old Chen's eyes gleamed oddly, resembling a cat's eyes glowing in the dark. He yanked Wang Xuan back into the room, excitement etched across his face.
"There really is a faint golden light, floating among those clouds," Wang Xuan said, peering through the telescope, but it still appeared vague.
Qingmu wanted to pilot a small ship into the air, but Old Chen quickly stopped him. "Don't be reckless. We mustn't act hastily; this might be... a secret path!" Old Chen whispered, unusually agitated, the blood surging within him almost causing the wound on his forehead to burst open.
Even someone of his level found it hard to contain his excitement; his heart raced, wishing to ascend to the clouds immediately to uncover the truth.
"Heavenly Herb!" Old Chen speculated, connecting it with something he had read in an old manuscript.
Qingmu's heart trembled. Was another secret path emerging?
The decline of The Old Technique in this era was largely due to the disappearance of several secret paths, severing access to extraordinary properties!
Old Chen's eyes shone with fervor. "We have plenty of time; we must wait quietly. We cannot startle the Heavenly Herb into fleeing!"
Wang Xuan was taken aback. "This thing can run away? Is it a plant or a living creature?"
Old Chen shook his head. "We must observe closely and act with patience. The Heavenly Herb is too mysterious; even the ancestral temples of various sects have limited and vague records about it."
Qingmu could no longer resist and went outside, attempting to use high-tech methods for careful investigation, but he ended up disappointed, having found no clues.
Wang Xuan's eyes grew sore as he fixated on the golden light swaying among the dark clouds, shimmering with flickers of gold, yet it remained unchanged, suspended in place.
"Could it still be immature?" Old Chen's face turned a shade of green as he recalled the records; the more one yearns for it, the less attainable it becomes. Suddenly, he thought it might just be lingering on the horizon amidst the chaos of humanity.
"What would happen then?" Wang Xuan felt anxious. Discovering the Heavenly Herb and missing it would bring lifelong regret.
"It would vanish on its own, only to reappear when mature," Old Chen said gravely, his mood darkening. He believed that what they were seeing today was likely such a scenario.
"This is too strange." Wang Xuan was confused. How exactly was the Heavenly Herb born?!
Old Chen sighed. "It's hard to explain. These secret paths are incredibly mysterious!"
According to the vague mentions in the manuscript, if the Heavenly Herb were to mature, it would probably fall to the ground automatically.
For the rest of the morning, Wang Xuan wandered around the estate, craning his neck skyward, completely absorbed in watching for the Heavenly Herb.
He was fully concentrated, his eyes strained and his neck stiffening, yet he remained fixated on the lightning-filled clouds, occasionally stretching to ease his muscles.
During this time, many people in the estate observed him in secret. Some remarked that success wasn't coincidental; one had to calm down and focus, and it was evident that he was destined to become a master at such a young age.
"Did you see? He's been at this for an entire morning without distraction, contemplating his own path. Observing the clouds, he must be gaining insights, and when he stretches, it's clear he's on the verge of mastering something!" someone exclaimed.
During this period, Qingmu reminded Wang Xuan that many people were watching him.
Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan quietly turned around, seizing the opportunity to sneak into the kitchen for a drink of tomato juice. When he looked up at the sky again, he accidentally spat out a mouthful of "blood foam," staining his clothes.
Afterward, he still had half a mouthful left, which he found quite tasty, and he swallowed it down.
"It seems he suffered serious injuries from last night's battle; he's still spitting blood," someone commented.
"If a person like him doesn't become a master, then there truly is no justice in the world! He's been so dedicated, even with injuries, still pondering his own path!" another person remarked.
Different observers saw various things, but they all agreed that he was a young man with a strong drive and remarkable perseverance.
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Moreover, Wang Xuan did indeed cooperate. After craning his neck until it ached, he would stretch his body and practice some profound secret techniques.
While he was "spitting blood," Big Wu appeared, looking quite worried and fearing that Wang Xuan's internal organs might be seriously compromised—Old Chen had been a cautionary tale!
In his youth, Chen Yongjie had overstrained himself practicing the supreme Taoist arts, leading to latent issues within his organs that ultimately culminated in an explosion years later in the Pamirs.
Wu Yin wanted to find someone to check on Wang Xuan, but he politely declined her offer, thanking Big Wu and insistently keeping the cloth stained with tomato juice that had brushed against his mouth.
He didn't suspect Big Wu's intentions were malicious; he merely worried that the cunning Old Wu might take it to analyze.
Big Wu shot him a fierce glare but ultimately didn't confront him, strutting away in her high heels, her elegance undeniable.
"Breaking news: After verification, the F-class ship that crashed in the outskirts of An City belonged to New Star. Among the deceased was Mr. Olesha..."
As noon approached, a bombshell of news emerged: the grandmaster from the New Technique realm, Olesha, had died in the crash!
Olesha was considered a legendary figure, initially very low-profile. He had once walked the path of The Old Technique but mysteriously disappeared. When he re-emerged years later, he had already become a grandmaster of the New Technique realm.
He even attempted to venture into the extraordinary realm two years ago, but unfortunately, he was severely wounded and could never step into that realm again.
Of course, this was all a deliberate false message released by Olesha himself; the truth was, two years ago, he had succeeded!
"The number one figure in the New Technique realm has died in a crash?!" Many were astonished. Although some had known since morning, most were just finding out.
Ordinary people from the Old Earth didn't pay much attention; they hardly understood Olesha, let alone the New Technique. If it weren't for the Green Ridge battle, which gradually revealed the state of that realm, they wouldn't have known anything.
"What a tumultuous time; the first person of the New Technique realm has actually died?"
In this era, certain powerful figures in the conglomerates had close ties with the upper echelons of the New Technique realm due to the promise of extending life for several years.
Thus, this incident had a significant impact within specific circles, causing a huge stir among relevant groups.
By noon, after repeated confirmations from relevant parties, it was indeed verified that Olesha had perished, and soon after, an obituary was released.
Reactions varied greatly, and the situation continued to escalate with numerous reports following up.
Eventually, there was so much news that even ordinary people began to learn about Olesha, who seemed incredibly powerful—potentially the strongest individual among humans.
Old Chen scoffed upon seeing the news, saying, "He was killed by me!"
Qingmu sighed, "I didn't expect that after his ‘air disaster,' he would maintain his reputation."
Of course, this was merely his one-sided view; powerful factions were well-informed and already knew the hidden truths.
Now, many believed that Qingmu was certainly behind this; he was avenging his master by sending Olesha to his end with an energy cannon!
Qingmu's ruthless reputation soared, regarded as fierce, decisive, and audacious!
However, many also viewed him as loyal and spirited, willing to risk everything for revenge, unafraid to take down even the emperor.
Once the obituary was released, pressure mounted to thoroughly investigate the truth, as it was deemed unacceptable for the number one figure in the New Technique realm to die under unclear circumstances—this was clearly an attempt to make Qingmu pay!
A strong female figure from the Old Earth responded secretly to the pressure, questioning the others.
Why was Olesha in the outskirts of An City? Chen Yongjie was gravely ill, yet they weren't satisfied, audaciously attacking on a rainy night—how bold could they be?
Chen Yongjie had considerable prestige in the Old Earth; he was supposed to pass quietly, yet some were overly arrogant, trying to end his life early. What did they think this place was?
Of course, these were private responses from the powerful female figure through hidden channels and couldn't be made public.
Not long after, relevant authorities expressed deep regret over Olesha's death in the crash.
When Qingmu learned a snippet of this through special channels, he broke out in a cold sweat, fully imagining that after the incident exploded, a series of clashes had already occurred in the shadows, and he had nearly been directly killed!
Old Chen comforted him, saying, "It's all right!"
---
After Olesha's death became public, representatives who had originally planned to leave the suburban estate and head back were astonished to realize that their waiting was not in vain.
Now they needed to travel from the outskirts to An City to finally attend a memorial service.
Many displayed expressions of disbelief; having missed Chen Yongjie's funeral, they now found themselves confronted with the obituary of the top figure in the New Technique realm, which was indeed surreal.
Some couldn't help but exclaim that fate was unpredictable; Old Chen had literally outlasted his greatest enemy, stubbornly refusing to die first!
"This time, we won't be returning empty-handed with the wreath we bought for Old Chen; just have the shop owner rewrite the elegy and ship it to An City!"
Some felt this was quite fantastical; the events of the past few days had indeed been strange.
Old Chen also sighed, "Qingmu, do you think you should send a wreath for Olesha? He was quite formidable; it'd be a sign of respect."
Qingmu: "?!"
---
By noon, the guests at the estate had mostly departed, heading to An City to pay their respects to Olesha. Many felt that this time they would definitely not be making a wasted trip!
Wang Xuan hadn't eaten lunch, still gazing skyward, focused intently on that Heavenly Herb.
Zhong Cheng came running breathlessly, waving from a distance and flashing a bright smile at him.
Wang Xuan glanced at him, knowing that despite the boy's innocent-looking eyes, he was definitely no naïve youth, and he didn't want to engage.
"Brother Wang, I've come to consult you! I brought a secret manual. You have to tell me how you've progressed so quickly!" Zhong Cheng said urgently, shaking the manual in his hand.
Wang Xuan continued to look up at the sky, ignoring him. Was Master Wang in need of a manual? Unless it was a peerless secret or a golden bamboo scroll!
Then, he casually noticed that Zhong Cheng's manual was somewhat large, comparable to a big photo album.
Moreover, the manual seemed to lack the weight of history and the sedimentation of time; it felt too modern, as if it had just been produced recently.
At the same time, Wang Xuan saw Little Zhong sprinting toward him with long legs.
"Well, let me take a look and give you some pointers," Wang Xuan said decisively, reaching out to take it quickly.
Zhong Cheng was astonished; Brother Wang's speed was incredible. Just a moment ago, he had been nonchalantly looking at the sky, yet suddenly, the manual was in his hands—he hadn't even seen the motion!