Chapter 400: Profound Understanding

With the deal struck, Xu Sanyan reached out and drew the five soul crystals from the table into his hand.

“I’ll depart early the day after tomorrow. Please inform me of any instructions from my mother-in-law.”

The First Madam, already prepared, produced a letter and handed it to Xu Sanyan. “Upon arriving in Plum City, simply deliver this letter to the Li Clan’s chief steward. He will handle all arrangements.”

Plum City, built by the Li Clan, rivaled Thousand Autumns City in scale.

“Understood,” Xu Sanyan replied, tucking the letter away before turning to take his leave.

The clan head’s earlier decree forbidding entry and exit applied only to commoners. Individuals of the First Madam’s and Xu Sanyan’s status were exempt, so neither bothered mentioning it.

Back at his residence, Xu Sanyan retrieved a Blood River Stone and clenched it in his hand. Spiritual power flowed through him, drawing the stone’s malevolent qi into his body. His skin immediately reacted, fine crimson threads rising beneath its jade-like surface, resembling dark red worms writhing beneath his flesh.

Moments later, the malevolent qi dissipated. Xu Sanyan slowly opened his eyes. The Blood River Stone’s effects were minimal—a slight improvement, but barely better than nothing.

Early the day after tomorrow, Xu Sanyan, fully prepared, set out alone.

Yesterday, Xu Sanyan used more pool milk, further enhancing his physical strength. He also tested the Blood River Stone, confirming his suspicions that its effects were far inferior to the pool milk.

Xu Sanyan focused his mind and stepped out of the Great Formation, his expression immediately tensing. He knew countless ghost beasts lay in ambush outside, waiting for him to walk into their trap.

A gentle breeze swept past Xu Sanyan’s feet, and his figure vanished into the dense fog with the wind’s momentum. Even if ghost beasts pursued him, they couldn’t catch up and were forced to retreat in frustration.

Shortly after Xu Sanyan’s departure, the great elder rushed into the Wang Clan Head’s room, whispering urgently, “Disaster! Disaster!”

The Wang Clan Head rubbed his temples wearily. Not a single piece of good news had reached him in recent days, only a relentless stream of bad tidings.

“What is it now?” he asked.

The great elder struggled to calm his panic and blurted out, “The Li Clan just sent a distress signal! They’re under attack by a flesh giant and likely won’t hold out much longer. Their formation is about to collapse!”

“What?!”

The Wang Clan Head shot to his feet, his voice filled with disbelief. “Weren’t they still at Sui Xin Temple two days ago? How could they be at the Li Clan today?”

The Wang Clan Head wasn’t concerned about the Li Clan’s survival—he’d rather see them wiped out. His real worry was for himself. The Li Clan’s territory bordered the Wang Family’s, not exactly close, but not far either.

Now that the flesh giant had annihilated the Li Clan, would the Wang Family be next?

“What did the Supreme Harmony Gate say?” the Wang Clan Head asked, turning to his great elder.

The great elder shook his head. “They agreed to join forces, but only if our Wang Family takes the lead and tests the monster’s strength first. They’ll act when the opportunity arises.”

“Hmph, they’re playing a shrewd game,” the Wang Clan Head sneered, a flicker of malice crossing his refined features. Since cooperation was impossible with everyone harboring their own agendas, they would each rely on their own methods and see who survived to the end.

“Send word to prepare for evacuation. We’ll find a way to escape the Chaotic Cloud Mountains while the mist lingers. We’ll return when it clears.”

The Wang Clan Head’s voice was resolute. The monster’s current assault on the Li Clan bought them precious time to flee.

Lost wealth could be reclaimed, but lost life meant losing everything. The Wang Clan Head understood this principle deeply.

The great elder’s expression turned grave. “What about the ancestor…?”

The Eighth-Generation Ancestor of the Wang Family, kept alive by the Great Formation, was confined to the ancestral hall and could not be moved. The once-indispensable pillar of the clan had become a burden.

The Wang Clan Head gritted his teeth. “Leave some meat for the ancestor. The rest is up to fate.”

The great elder nodded silently. There was no other choice.

The “meat” the clan head referred to was the bloodline of the Wang Family’s collateral branches.

The great elder turned to carry out the orders.

Xu Sanyan, unaware that he was walking into the tiger’s den, remained focused on his journey.

A day and a night passed without him encountering any significant danger. His only worry now was whether he had taken the wrong path.

Suddenly, the secret realm fruit on his back stirred. Xu Sanyan immediately sensed it, wondering if Lin Fan had emerged.

Sure enough, a young man clad in animal skins plopped down on the ground, his eyes darting around with a hint of confusion. When his gaze landed on Xu Sanyan, he immediately brightened.

“Ah, Holy Son!”

Xu Sanyan sized up the young man he hadn’t seen in so long. Lin Fan had changed dramatically since their last meeting. His features were now more rugged, his aura more profound, and he had grown considerably taller.

Though his cultivation level remained at the Dao Seeking Realm, his strength had undoubtedly increased.

“How was your stay inside?” Xu Sanyan asked with a smile.

This kid sure has good fortune, he thought. To come out unscathed and seemingly with significant gains.

Lin Fan scratched his head sheepishly. “It was pretty good inside. The only trouble was having to eat every day.”

Lin Fan added silently to himself, It would be even better if that woman didn’t force me to sleep with her every night…

Suddenly, a sharp, whistling sound cut through the air beside him. A shadowy figure lunged at Lin Fan with blinding speed, leaving him barely any time to react.

Xu Sanyan stood motionless, his expression unchanging. With his cultivation level, he had long since detected the hidden ghost beast but remained silent, wanting to observe how Lin Fan had changed.

The stench of decay filled the air. Lin Fan’s face turned cold. Though the ghost beast’s attack was sudden, he quickly regained his composure. With a twist of his waist, he contorted his body at an impossible angle, narrowly evading the beast’s strike.

Having just emerged from the secret realm, Lin Fan’s spiritual power had yet to recover, leaving him no choice but to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

His eyes focused intently on the pacing ghost beast, Lin Fan made no move to call for Xu Sanyan’s help.

Whoosh!

The ghost beast’s patience snapped, and it charged again. This time, Lin Fan was prepared. He dodged the attack and seized the opportunity to counterstrike, the two clashing in a chaotic melee.

Xu Sanyan didn’t interrupt them, simply standing aside to observe. If Lin Fan were to be killed by the ghost beast, so be it; there would be no loss.

Bang!

A dark mass flew backward, crashing heavily into a tree. The man-thick Ancient Tree snapped in half at its trunk.

Awoo~

The ghost beast struggled to rise, but Lin Fan pressed his advantage, unleashing a relentless barrage of punches that reduced it to a bloody pulp before finally stopping.

Huff…

Lin Fan exhaled deeply, collapsing to the ground and clutching his pounding heart.

Xu Sanyan watched silently. Lin Fan’s physical strength now seemed roughly equivalent to someone who had received three or four blessings. It appeared he had indeed gained significant benefits.

“How did you obtain this power?” Xu Sanyan asked, his curiosity piqued.

Lin Fan hesitated, his lips twitching as if struggling to speak. But under Xu Sanyan’s persistent questioning, he finally whispered, “I… sold my body for it…”

Xu Sanyan lowered his gaze momentarily, then gently patted Lin Fan’s shoulder without further comment. He understood all too well.

Those primitive humans truly reeked of body odor and never brushed their teeth.

(End of the Chapter)