In the Northern Wilderness, within the Fuliu Star Region, stands the Xuanqing Dao Sect.

“Master, the soul lamp of Junior Uncle has lit up!”

Today, a core disciple on duty at the Soul Destiny Palace discovered this and rushed to the Elder’s Hall in a panic.

“Nonsense! Your Junior Uncle has been dead for over a hundred years,” an elder inside scolded while brewing tea.

“It's true! If you don’t believe me, go and see for yourself.”

This was a significant matter, and the core disciple only dared to report after multiple confirmations.

Upon hearing this, the elder almost choked on his tea, his eyes widening. “Is it true?”

At the Soul Destiny Palace, a faint light shone from a soul lamp in the corner, confirming the news.

The elder’s body trembled slightly with excitement, but he also felt a twinge of anxiety, fearing this possibility might shatter and lead to despair once more. “Has the soul lamp reignited? Is Junior Brother really alive?”

“What should we do, Master?” the core disciple inquired.

“Investigate!”

A glimmer of hope sparked in the elder's eyes as he clenched his fists, his expression serious. He was Dong Wenjun, the protector elder of the Xuanqing Dao Sect, holding a high status and significant influence.

Over a hundred thousand miles away from the Xuanqing Dao Sect lay an ancient forbidden zone called Tianyuan.

A century ago, strange phenomena appeared in Tianyuan, with claims of a heavenly treasure falling into the forbidden zone.

As a result, many sects from the Northern Wilderness entered Tianyuan.

The Xuanqing Dao Sect sent over ten powerful elders and dozens of core disciples.

Among them was a newly appointed inner sect elder named Chen Qingyuan, considered the strongest of the younger generation and highly anticipated by his seniors.

Once they entered Tianyuan, many of the sect's elites disappeared without a trace and fell in battle.

The Xuanqing Dao Sect suffered the worst, losing its entire contingent.

A hundred years later, the lighting of Chen Qingyuan's soul lamp sent the upper echelons of the Xuanqing Sect into a frenzy. “He’s finally come out!”

Near Tianyuan, a young man in a green robe stood by a lake, taking a deep breath.

His clothes were dusty, and he emitted no trace of spiritual energy.

This young man was Chen Qingyuan, thought to have been dead for over a century, once an extraordinary prodigy and the closed-door disciple of the Sect’s Grandmaster before his passing.

Despite his young age, Chen Qingyuan held a high status. All the elders of the Xuanqing Sect had to call him Junior Brother, while core and inner disciples referred to him as Uncle Master.

“I never want to go back in there again,” Chen Qingyuan said, glancing at the dark forest that concealed an ancient abyss, holding its own mysteries.

As he uttered these words, an ancient female voice reached his ears: “Young man, don’t forget our agreement.”

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At the sound of it, Chen Qingyuan shivered and quickly fell silent.

The hundred years spent in Tianyuan were not to be revisited lightly. His survival was due to an agreement made with a terrifying presence within the forbidden zone.

What puzzled Chen Qingyuan was why he had been able to escape death. Could it be because he was handsome?

While this possibility was slim, it wasn’t entirely out of the question. “Sigh!” he said, gazing into the distance. “My cultivation is gone, and it’s at least a hundred thousand miles back to the Xuanqing Sect. How will I get back?”

If he were to walk, it would likely take a lifetime.

“Forget it, I’ll just take a nap first!”

Too lazy to walk any further, Chen Qingyuan found a cool spot and lay down.

Before long, he drifted into a deep sleep.

It must be said that in such a desolate wilderness, Chen Qingyuan dared to act this way despite his lost cultivation. This indicates that although his power was diminished, he likely had hidden trump cards; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so bold.

An hour later, Dong Wenjun arrived at the location with a group of people.

When Dong Wenjun saw Chen Qingyuan lying in the shade, he trembled with excitement, his lips quivering, desperate to shout out. However, he feared it might be an illusion, standing frozen in place, ripples of emotion swirling in his eyes.

“Junior Uncle, wake up!”

Some disciples hurriedly stepped forward, calling out.

Chen Qingyuan slowly opened his eyes and saw everyone gathered around him.

In the next moment, he locked eyes with the gray-haired Dong Wenjun, both expressing joy, and he softly called, “Brother Dong.”

Hearing that familiar voice, Dong Wenjun seemed to snap back to reality, rushing to Chen Qingyuan’s side, cautiously reaching out to grasp his arms. “Junior Brother, is it really you?”

“It’s me.” Chen Qingyuan smiled. “But take it easy, that hurts!”

Dong Wenjun quickly released his grip and examined him closely.

“Junior Brother, what happened to your cultivation?”

Dong Wenjun hadn’t noticed this before, but now he probed carefully and discovered that there was not a trace of spiritual energy in Chen Qingyuan’s body, and he had no cultivation whatsoever.

“Became a waste.” Chen Qingyuan’s emotions were surprisingly stable, with a smile lingering at the corner of his mouth.

Normally, if a cultivator became a waste, it would be worse than death.

However, Chen Qingyuan seemed indifferent, as if it were not a big deal.

His hundred years in the forbidden zone had not been without gain.

“Ah? This…” Dong Wenjun was taken aback, a hint of pity in his eyes.

“Let’s not talk about that. Let’s head back first!” Chen Qingyuan waved his hand, interrupting the conversation.

“Alright.” Dong Wenjun nodded, realizing this was not the place for such discussions.

He then took out a protective artifact, shielding Chen Qingyuan as they headed towards the Xuanqing Sect.

The Xuanqing Sect was able to locate Chen Qingyuan thanks to the guidance of the soul lamp.

Soon, Chen Qingyuan finally returned to the Xuanqing Sect.

With towering mountains and swirling clouds, he gazed at the beautiful scenery, a deep joy spreading across his face.

“Finally home.”

Chen Qingyuan had grown up in the Xuanqing Sect. Unfortunately, he had just been taken as a disciple by the Grand Elder when his master passed away.

Thus, he had trained under the guidance of many senior brothers and sisters, forming strong bonds with them.

In the discussion hall, it was packed with elders of the Xuanqing Sect. This meeting was crucial, and core disciples were not qualified to attend.

Chen Qingyuan was brought into the hall, looking at the familiar faces and cupping his hands in greeting: “Greetings to all my brothers and sisters.”

The sect leader, Lin Changsheng, was Chen Qingyuan’s eldest senior brother.

“Junior Brother, how did you survive?” Lin Changsheng, seated in the main position, already had a rough idea of the situation.

“Sigh, it’s a long story and hard to explain.”

Standing in the center of the hall, Chen Qingyuan felt uncomfortable under the gaze of dozens of eyes.

“We have plenty of time, so take your time explaining!” Lin Changsheng’s expression was serious. “Tianyuan is not to be entered lightly.”

As Chen Qingyuan recalled the tragic deaths of his companions, his face grew somber.

“Junior Brother, for safety’s sake, we must examine your physical condition,” Lin Changsheng said sternly.

“Understood, go ahead and check!”

The Xuanqing Sect was worried that Chen Qingyuan might have been possessed; if not handled carefully, it could pose a risk to the sect.

Seeing this, Chen Qingyuan slowly began, “On that day, we entered Tianyuan…”

He then recounted the narrative he had long prepared.

In summary, they had entered Tianyuan and encountered various traps and unknown dangers, with only Chen Qingyuan surviving. He had used a secret technique to feign death and spent a hundred years finding his way back.

Though he had escaped death, the backlash from the secret technique had left him with no cultivation and severed his spiritual root.

As the elders listened, they fell into deep thought. They were unaware of the conditions within Tianyuan and could not determine the truth of Chen Qingyuan’s words.

“Only you survived, sigh,” Lin Changsheng lamented.

Originally, everyone had held onto a sliver of hope that perhaps the others, like Chen Qingyuan, had faked their deaths to escape.