Chapter 236: Journey to Qingzhou

As the spatial rift in the sky slowly healed, that ethereal voice also gradually faded away.

After Liu Zong's previous attack had been blocked by the mysterious figure who suddenly appeared, the fleeing crowd around the plaza had ground to a halt. Upon hearing that the savior was actually the Alliance Master of the Martial Dao Gate, they were so shocked that their jaws nearly hit the ground.

"What on earth is the background of this kid, that he could actually move the Martial Dao Gate to personally step in and save him?!"

"Did you not hear just now? Because of him, the Martial Dao Gate has chosen to stand against the Profound Sky Temple and the Wind and Cloud Pavilion. That is truly insane!"

"No wonder I noticed the factions within the empire acting so tense lately. It turns out that because of this fellow, a war between the empire's three major powers is about to erupt!"

"Judging plainly from the words of the Martial Dao Gate's master earlier, they are willing to offend two factions of equal strength just for him. Could it be that they truly believe this young man named Yang Yan possesses such extraordinary talent and potential that he will grow into a powerhouse capable of rivaling two super factions in the future?"

A wave of intense uproar once again broke out across the grounds.

Although Yang Yan's performance earlier had been exceptionally brilliant, displaying a level of cultivation talent they had never witnessed in all their years, genius was never a scarce commodity for factions like the three major sects of the empire.

For centuries, the three major sects had dominated the cultivation world of the Feiyun Empire, standing like three towering mountains that suppressed every single cultivation sect within its borders. Under this absolute suppression lasting hundreds of years, no one dared harbor even a trace of disrespect toward the three major sects, who remained unshakable, god-like entities in the eyes of all cultivators in the Feiyun Empire.

Therefore, even though the cultivation talent Yang Yan displayed was extraordinary, it was still not enough to make them believe the Martial Dao Gate would choose to go to war with the Profound Sky Temple and the Wind and Cloud Pavilion on his account.

After all, Yang Yan's current strength was still far too removed from being able to sway the outcome of a battlefield between the two sides. Once the three major sects went to war, the decisive factors would not be powerhouses of the Spirit Communication Realm, nor those of the Spirit Sea Realm, but truly and genuinely powerhouses of the Life-Forgetful Realm!

Only beings of that tier could truly be called supreme grandmasters possessed of heaven-shaking and earth-shattering capabilities. This was easily seen from the fact that a fraction of power summoned by tearing through space had effortlessly blocked Liu Zong's full-strength attack. The gap between Life-Forgetful Realm powerhouses and Spirit Sea Realm powerhouses was even greater than the gap between Spirit Sea Realm and Spirit Communication Realm powerhouses!

Given Yang Yan's current strength, even if he could barely handle Spirit Sea Realm experts, daydreaming about contending with a Life-Forgetful Realm expert was as unrealistic as a fool talking in his sleep.

Furthermore, Liu Zong had only just stepped into the Spirit Sea Realm, still separated from the Life-Forgetful Realm by a vast chasm. For Yang Yan to cross such a gulf in so short a time was harder than ascending to the heavens.

Most people, however, adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward this matter. After all, the empire's three major powers were far too distant from them, and they lacked both the strength and the qualification to intervene in the choices made between the major powers. They also knew that over the coming period, the distribution of cultivation forces within the Feiyun Empire might well shift because of the young man standing before them.

Meanwhile, Liu Zong, who remained in mid-air looking rather disheveled, let out a long sigh of relief only after the voice in the void completely vanished. Cold sweat already covered his head. To him, the pressure exerted by a Life-Forgetful Realm powerhouse was far greater than what Yang Yan could impose, because the stage immediately following the Spirit Sea Realm was the Life-Forgetful Realm, making the chasm between the two realms even more palpable and direct to him.

When the master of the Martial Dao Gate had appeared earlier, Liu Zong had not doubted for a second that if the other party wished to take his life then and there, he would have been utterly incapable of resistance. And that was merely a fraction of power summoned through space by a Life-Forgetful Realm powerhouse. One could easily imagine that if a true, living Life-Forgetful Realm expert were to stand before him face-to-face, he probably wouldn't even have the courage to speak.

"Little friend Yang Yan, the old man was rash earlier. I sincerely hope little friend Yang Yan will not hold it against me!"

Liu Zong's complexion was extremely unsightly. After a long moment, he managed a forced, dry smile and cupped his fists toward Yang Yan with great difficulty.

That the head of the Liu Clan—a powerhouse who had reached the Spirit Sea Realm—would apologize to a mere seventeen-or-eight-year-old youth to his face did not surprise the onlookers. At this moment, everyone understood what kind of terrifying backing stood behind Yang Yan. If this Liu Zong were to remain unappreciative of the situation and cause Yang Yan the slightest harm, the Liu Clan would likely vanish completely from the lands of Shangzhou within a few days.

During their previous battle, although he could sense that the backing behind the youth was undoubtedly extraordinary, he had never imagined that the boy could be entangled with the empire's three major powers, let alone summon the master of the Martial Dao Gate to personally intervene.

The reason he had previously appeared so furious and lost his composure was entirely because the strength Yang Yan displayed had injured him and caused him to lose face in front of a vast crowd in Shangzhou.

Yet once the master of the Martial Dao Gate made his move, his lost reason instantly returned. He could not possibly use the entire Liu Clan as a gambling chip again. To choose to apologize to Yang Yan now was, truth be told, a forced maneuver; the power and potential demonstrated by the youth before him were realms he could never hope to reach.

Though the Liu Clan had not yet sworn allegiance to any of the three major sects, whichever faction ultimately came out on top possessed the strength to obliterate them effortlessly. He had no wish to be drawn into the struggle between the three major sects, nor did he wish to offend any of them.

Apologizing to Yang Yan at this moment was therefore merely an expedient measure.

"Clan Chief Liu is too polite. This junior cannot bear such a grand gesture from you. If there is nothing else, I wish to take my friend back to Jinzhou; I truly dare not stay another day in a place like Shangzhou."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yan let out a cold laugh.

"Little friend Yang Yan jests. No matter what, your friend still belongs to the Liu Clan. Why don't you stay in Shangzhou for a few more days, so we may fulfill our duty as hosts?"

Liu Zong naturally caught the sarcasm in Yang Yan's words, but he dared not neglect the instructions of the Martial Dao Gate's master by the slightest margin. Even though trying to warm a cold shoulder felt humiliating these days, he had no other choice.

"Forget it. I have matters to attend to back home and will not linger in Shangzhou. Let us part ways here!"

Yang Yan smiled upon hearing this. Without waiting for Liu Zong to reply, he gave a wave of his hand, causing the massive Snow-Winged Ice Dragon soaring in mid-air to rapidly shrink until it turned into a cute, pale-blue creature about the size of a gecko, which burrowed straight into his sleeve. With a flick of his toes against the ground, his figure flashed before Liu Zhengqing.

"How is it, Zhengqing? Are you coming with me?"

Liu Zhengtian had by now recovered from the shock of the earth-shattering battle just past. He looked at Yang Yan as if viewing a monster, but upon hearing the question, he paused and cast his gaze toward the elderly man not far away—his grandfather, Liu Zhenlong.

Seeing this, Yang Yan naturally understood Liu Zhengqing's hesitation. He stepped forward a few paces and bowed respectfully to the old man.

"I have previously heard a thing or two about the grievances between senior and the Liu Clan. Today, you must have witnessed the true face of the Liu Clan with your own eyes, Senior. If Zhengqing remains in such a family, he will surely never achieve proper growth."

Given his relationship with Liu Zhengqing, Yang Yan naturally maintained a measure of respect for the elder.

Upon hearing these words, Liu Zhenlong fell silent for a long moment before letting out a profound sigh. Cloudy tears welled up in his aged eyes. He stared blankly at Liu Zhengqing before him, repeatedly stroking the boy's head.

"Indeed... For so many years, I blame myself for being blinded by greed, still harboring the delusion of one day returning to the Liu Clan to place my parents' memorial tablets in the ancestral hall for worship. Because of that, I was excessively strict with Zhengqing since childhood, denying him even the slightest taste of familial warmth. All these years, I never once asked how he felt, nor did I ever ask if he was truly willing to return to this so-called Liu Clan. Now, I see that I was truly wrong. Just as little friend says, such a clan is simply not worth it. If my parents' spirits could see this from the netherworld, they would likely be deeply ashamed to be associated with such a family."

Liu Zhenlong did not attempt to hide his words, allowing them to echo clearly through the surroundings. Those nearby who had been unaware of the inside story began questioning those around them, and upon learning the truth, they all looked upon Liu Zhenlong with deep sympathy. Though they dared not openly disparage the disgraceful actions of the Liu Clan, their sideways glances toward Liu Zong carried an unmistakable disdain and contempt.

Facing Liu Zhenlong's public smacking of the Liu Clan's face, the members of the clan dared to feel anger but not to voice it. Furthermore, everything he spoke was the absolute truth; they could find neither reason nor excuse to refute him.

Regarding the incident from several decades ago, although the Liu Clan had handled it with utmost secrecy, rumors had inevitably leaked out. The perpetrator of that deed had been the previous clan chief, not the current Liu Zong.

"Grandfather!"

Hearing these innermost thoughts from the old man, Liu Zhengqing could no longer hold back tears of joy. For over a decade, he had never been as happy as he was today. Looking at his grandfather's smiling face, his heart was filled with boundless delight.

For more than ten years, he had never seen the elder laugh so uninhibitedly. It was a release—proof that the obsession weighing on his heart had truly been laid down. From now on, he could live out the rest of his days free of burdens, enjoying the simple warmth of family.

"Let's go!"

When Liu Zhengqing's emotions had gradually stabilized, Yang Yan smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Mn."

Liu Zhengqing smiled back at Yang Yan, then reached out to pull Liu Zhenlong along. Exchanging a glance with Yang Yan, the two tapped their toes against the ground and flashed away into the distance.

The crowd watched with complex gazes as the three figures gradually faded into the distance, a myriad of mixed emotions churning in their hearts. Even Liu Zong, the head of the Liu Clan, wore an exceptionally grim expression.

He was aware of the incident perpetrated by the former clan chief. Though he had privately considered it somewhat improper, once he assumed the position of chief, he had cast it out of mind; branch family members lacking cultivation talent held zero value to him, and he saw no reason to dispatch men to track down such a person and bring them back into the Liu Clan.

Yet now, the clansman he had abandoned possessed both strength and backing that the entire Liu Clan was powerless to shake—and all of this could originally have belonged to him.

Harboring a hint of bitter regret, Liu Zong let out a sigh a moment later. Without lingering, he flashed away in the direction of the Liu Clan's domain in Shangzhou.

Along the journey, Yang Yan and Liu Zhengqing appeared quite relaxed, chatting and laughing freely. After such a separation, they naturally had countless things to say to each other.

During the journey, Liu Zhengqing repeatedly asked Yang Yan about what had happened after he was carried off by the Snow-Winged Ice Dragon. Yang Yan answered everything without reservation, placing absolute trust in Liu Zhengqing.

"You brat... Who would have thought that in just half a year since leaving Jinzhou, you would have experienced so much?"

Liu Zhengqing sighed inwardly as he listened.

Yang Yan's recounting was rather plain, but Liu Zhengqing could easily read between the lines to sense the life-and-death trials hidden within.

Perhaps to most people, they only saw the strength Yang Yan displayed and his astonishing cultivation talent, never pausing to consider the efforts and prices Yang Yan had paid behind the scenes to attain them. After all, the kind of power forged on the brink of death was not something everyone had the courage to choose.

After all, a person only had one life.

Risk and reward always coexisted; power was never gained for nothing. If one wished to rapidly elevate their strength, they had to bear the extreme dangers brought by the consequences of that growth. Survive it, and you would leap over the dragon's gate, far surpassing your peers; fail to endure it, and your soul would scatter into nothingness, turning into a patch of yellow soil and vanishing from this world forever.

Fortunately, his good friend had persevered and reaped rewards matching his trials.

Although the two had parted ways for less than half a year, they could both distinctly feel each other's growth. That growth was not merely something accumulated through the passage of time; it stemmed from the depths of their souls—a maturation of character forged through continuous trials and experiences, unobtainable through mere time alone. Though half a year could hardly be described as a complete change of the world, for both Yang Yan and Liu Zhengqing, it represented a profound transformation. Fortunately, the change was positive; they were more mature than before, no longer prone to emotional impulsiveness.

In contrast to the warm reunion between the two brothers, Qing'er had remained silent the entire time, seemingly unwilling to interrupt their reminiscing.

Liu Zhengqing had also learned of Qing'er's identity from Yang Yan's earlier narration. A girl of roughly his own age was not someone he dared to view with ordinary eyes, as he could sense a faint, oppressive aura emanating from her body—the spiritual pressure exclusive to a Spirit Communication Realm powerhouse.

Traveling and chatting happily made the time pass exceptionally quickly. Before they knew it, the group had returned to the borders of Jinzhou.

Upon returning to Jinzhou, Yang Yan first made a trip to the Qingxuan Sect, settling Liu Zhengqing and some old remnants of the Liu family onto青山 (Qingshan Mountain). Afterward, he began planning his upcoming trip to Qingzhou.

He had not mentioned this matter to anyone; apart from his father, no one knew his true background, so Yang Yan traveled to Qingzhou in absolute secrecy.

For this journey to Qingzhou, Yang Yan naturally had to make thorough preparations. Previously, he had coveted the Jade Sword Pavilion's "Four-Sword Annihilation Spirit Formula." Although it was only a Profound-grade cultivation technique, Yang Yan estimated that when stacked together, its power would not be inferior to the Three Imprints of Shattering.

With this idea in mind, Yang Yan acted immediately, beginning his cultivation strictly according to the contents of the scroll.

As he delved deeper, Yang Yan could not help but feel astonished by the peerless creator of the Four-Sword Annihilation Spirit Formula, marveling at such heaven-defying ingenuity.

Recalling Leng Yuetian, who had wielded a sword formula during the Qingxuan Sect selections, Yang Yan now found it utterly dogshit, completely failing to grasp the true mysteries of sword arts.

And yet, even so, it had nearly cost Yang Yan his life back then, which readily demonstrated the ferocious power of the Four-Sword Annihilation Spirit Formula.

The wondrous aspect of this sword technique lay in the fact that once one reached the Spirit Communication Realm, physical swords were no longer required for execution; blades could be formed directly from one's own spiritual energy and released at will. Furthermore, all four stances were fierce, domineering, and blazing with edge, demanding smooth, unbroken execution in a single breath to unleash the technique's maximum potential.

As the saying goes, mastery in one area aids understanding in others. Having witnessed all manner of martial arts and cultivation techniques by now, Yang Yan grasped the intricate Four-Sword Annihilation Spirit Formula within a remarkably short time.

Because his Moon Shadow Frost Blade had never been repaired, its quality remained at the High-Grade Spirit Artifact level. For Yang Yan's current standing, such an artifact offered very limited utility, and he feared the Moon Shadow Frost Blade might be completely destroyed in battle. As his opponents grew increasingly stronger, even if their physical bodies weren't as formidable as his, shattering a High-Grade Spirit Artifact was a relatively easy feat.

Moreover, deep down, Yang Yan felt a mysterious connection binding him to the Moon Shadow Frost Blade—a faint, subtle thread that drove his urgent desire to repair it.

"It seems after this trip to Qingzhou, I must find time to visit Dalin City once more."

An inward sigh echoed in Yang Yan's mind.

Over the next seven days spent lingering in Jinhuan City, apart from practicing the Four-Sword Annihilation Spirit Formula, Yang Yan dedicated all his time to absorbing energy from the seal within his body to consolidate his strength.

He was currently at the peak of the fifth layer of the Spirit Communication Realm, on the verge of breaking through at any moment. What he urgently needed now was power; after his battle with Liu Zong, this conviction had only intensified.

Because of him, the Martial Dao Gate was now locked in a mortal struggle with the Profound Sky Temple and the Wind and Cloud Pavilion. As the central figure, he naturally could not stand idly by. The war was on the verge of breaking out, leaving him with very little time.

Once the two allied factions defeated the Martial Dao Gate, they would inevitably waste no time in hunting down and utterly eliminating Yang Yan. When that day came, not only Yang Yan himself, but his father and the entire Zhang family would be implicated.

That was the outcome Yang Yan wished to see least of all.

To protect everything, he had to possess sufficient strength.

Seven days later, after merely bidding farewell to his father Zhang Tai, Yang Yan set off for the borders of Qingzhou. This time, he intended to travel entirely alone, choosing not to inform Liu Zhengqing or Qing'er. To speak the truth, for one, he did not want anyone other than his father to know his true lineage—not out of a lack of trust in his companions, but because he preferred to shoulder that pain alone, unwilling to drag those close to him into misery.

Whatever he alone could bear, he would carry himself. Furthermore, his father's affair was far too bizarre; the forces involved were certainly not as simple as they appeared on the surface. Investigating the truth would inevitably plunge one into perilous danger. Even with Yang Yan's current strength, he dared not claim he could easily exact revenge. Thus, telling Qing'er and Liu Zhengqing would only serve to burden them with psychological stress for nothing.

The Kunyang Sect of Qingzhou held a status equivalent to that of the Qingxuan Sect in Jinzhou, occupying an unshakeable, dominant position in the Qingzhou cultivation world. That was Yang Yan's destination this time.

The master of the Kunyang Sect in Qingzhou was named Sun Tianyang, the sworn elder brother mentioned in his father's blood-written letter. When his father had been hunted down by enemies, his very first thought was to flee to Qingzhou and seek help from Sun Tianyang. Unfortunately, before he could even reach the borders of Qingzhou, he had been ambushed and killed halfway.

From what Yang Yan had gathered, ever since the tragedy befell his father, this so-called sworn elder brother had never once investigated the cause of his death—at least, not to his knowledge. Therefore, he had to exercise utmost caution during this trip to Qingzhou.

It wasn't that Yang Yan deliberately wanted to suspect his father's sworn brother; rather, having undergone numerous trials, he had come to deeply appreciate the malice inherent in the hearts of cultivators, especially when traveling alone. A little caution never hurt.

Qingzhou bordered Jinzhou, so it took Yang Yan less than half a day to reach the borders of Qingzhou.

Upon arriving, he did not rush directly to the Kunyang Sect, but instead found a nearby inn to settle in.