Chapter 467: The Qian Kingdom Again

At the foot of Crimson Dragon Mountain, Lin Fan cast one last glance at the peak before turning away without looking back.

He had been consumed by deep self-doubt ever since hearing about Xu Sanyan’s atrocities in Qian Prefecture. The news had plunged him into a daily state of confusion.

Five entire cities, over a million lives, reduced to nothing but bones—all for the sake of breaking through a single realm?

And he had become Xu Sanyan’s accomplice!

Lin Fan now understood why Xu Sanyan had tasked him with collecting soul crystals: to power that sinister formation.

Yet he still couldn’t fathom how Xu Sanyan could commit such horrors. Did he possess no shred of conscience?

Lin Fan resolved to leave the Holy Sect. As for the holy son’s past kindness, that debt had been repaid after this incident. From now on, they owed each other nothing.

With nowhere else to go, he chose a direction and strode away, intending to wander the world.

That direction led straight toward the Capital City of the Qian Kingdom.

Shangyin Mountain.

Today was a day of great celebration on Shangyin Mountain. Mo Xianxian, renowned throughout the world for her peerless beauty and widely regarded as the most beautiful woman of her era, was finally getting married.

Her groom was Huan Xi’er, the biological son of her adoptive father, the Dragon-Taming Daoist.

This was the same Huan Xi’er who had once been driven mad by soul loss, only to have his soul restored in the Hundred Saints Secret Realm. However, through a twist of fate, he had also absorbed the soul and spirit of Zuoqiu Zhen, the sixth member of the Huai Lake Seven Heroes, along with an Ancient Living Soul. Now, three souls resided within a single body. Though Huan Xi’er’s consciousness dominated, he inevitably remained influenced by the other two.

Still, the fact that he was no longer mad was a blessing in itself.

Mo Xianxian sat rigidly on the bed, her face veiled beneath a red bridal veil. Though today was her wedding day, she felt none of the joy she had imagined. Instead, she felt numb.

After decades of preserving her chastity, she had been defiled by the ghost king and Xu Sanyan in the Hundred Saints Secret Realm. That experience had left deep scars on her heart, and the mere memory of it brought her unbearable pain.

Now that the ghost king was dead, only Xu Sanyan remained. Yet, fate had dealt her another cruel blow…

Mo Xianxian recalled the recent news: Xu Sanyan had broken through to void harmony. Her chances of revenge seemed to have dwindled to nothing.

“Xu Sanyan!”

Mo Xianxian murmured unconsciously, her maid beside her lowered her head, pretending not to hear, but inwardly scoffed, What’s wrong with Miss? On her wedding day, she’s still muttering that wild man’s name?

Meanwhile,

The Dragon-Taming Daoist held the letter in his hand, his gaze wavering with indecision.

Emperor Qian’s words rang true: this calamity was spreading too far. If left unchecked, it would bring ruin to everyone.

Seeing her husband’s troubled expression, the Madam suggested, “This matter is grave. We should investigate after the wedding, but it’s best not to alarm the Sect Leader yet. We’ll inform him once we have a clear understanding.”

“Hmm…” The Dragon-Taming Daoist nodded slowly. “They should come with me to broaden their horizons.”

“Yes, that’s only right,” the Madam agreed without objection.

She understood her husband’s intention. Though the world knew Huan Xi’er was their child, societal norms had prevented them from publicly acknowledging him. Now that Huan Xi’er had regained his sanity, it was time for him to show his face to the world.

For the Dragon-Taming Daoist’s wife was her own maternal aunt.

“Aaaah~!!”

The ghost’s mournful howl echoed through the tunnel, carrying far into the distance.

Xu Sanyan stopped, listening to the sound coming from behind the stone gate. He suddenly asked, “Can you understand me?”

It must possess some intelligence. If it didn’t, who painted the murals on the palace walls? The question was whether it could communicate.

“Aaaah~!”

The howling persisted unabated. Xu Sanyan shook his head slightly, disappointed. Perhaps it did have intelligence, but of a limited kind. What a pity. If only he could communicate with it.

He wanted to ask about the origins of these people who had appeared in the world after the light rain that had fallen twenty thousand years ago.

In Xu Sanyan’s mind, only two beings might know the answer: this ghost before him and the young woman in the Hundred Saints Secret Realm, the great elder of the Yaotian Holy Sect. Both had lived exceptionally long lives, practically immortal.

Xu Sanyan retrieved half a toenail from deep within his storage pouch. The dark red nail polish still gleamed, and the semicircular cut was perfectly neat. He wondered why someone who had reached such a realm would still need to trim their nails.

Lost in thought, Xu Sanyan brought the fingernail to his nose and sniffed. It had no scent. He casually tossed it back into his storage pouch, deciding to keep it as a memento.

This was a truly significant keepsake—a toenail from a revered sage. Such a thing was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

“Sigh… You being so useless really complicates things for me,” Xu Sanyan muttered, tilting his head as he pondered whether to release the ghost.

Releasing it seemed pointless. It would only create more trouble for him, serving no purpose beyond keeping him occupied. If it could communicate, it might have some value.

Xu Sanyan shook his head and addressed the stone door: “Hey, don’t blame me for not letting you out. It’s your own fault for being so useless. Not only are you completely ineffective, but you even tried to kill me! Put yourself in my shoes—I’m being downright merciful by not killing you outright. How could I possibly release you? Right?”

“Aaaahhh!!”

The ghost inside seemed to understand his words, its roars growing more frantic as it pounded against the stone door. The pale golden restriction flickered, sealing it securely.

“Oh, so you’re threatening me now?” Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow, then pulled down his pants and urinated against the door. “Here’s a little gift for you. Until next time, if fate allows.”

With that, he ignored the ghost’s continued roars and didn’t even glance back as he walked away.

Though the act was unbecoming of his status, Xu Sanyan reminded himself that he was still just a young man in his twenties. A bit of impulsive behavior was only natural, especially since no one had witnessed it.

A yin wind brushed past Xu Sanyan’s hair, lifting only a few stray strands before they were enveloped in spiritual power and crushed into nothing.

The yin wind posed no threat to him whatsoever.

Stepping out of the palace, Xu Sanyan found the outside world still shrouded in gloom. He soared through the air, heading back to the spot where they had entered. The formation was weakest there, making it the easiest point to break through.

Though entering had been remarkably easy, exiting was a different matter. This place seemed more like a one-way teleportation array—designed for entry only. To escape, they would need to exert considerable effort.

After an indeterminate amount of time, a faint, dark light appeared ahead, as if a path to another realm had been opened. Through the passage, Xu Sanyan could glimpse the flora and fauna of another world. He glanced back one last time at the Ghost Realm before turning and leaving.

Whoosh—

The scene flashed before his eyes, and Xu Sanyan found himself standing firmly on solid ground. He surveyed the empty surroundings, shook his head with feigned sorrow, and sighed dramatically.

“Alas…”

A hundred people had entered, yet only he remained. Truly, the world is ever-changing…

“Yue Clan City…”

Xu Sanyan glanced back in the direction he had come from, considering whether to wipe them out while he was at it.

After a moment’s hesitation, his heart softened. He sighed softly, “Ah… let it go. I’ll just consider it a good deed.”

A single change of mind had saved the lives of over a hundred thousand people. Who could still call him a bad person?

With that, he soared toward the Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect, intending to investigate what exactly this Earth Qi Spirit Essence was.

Several days later, on Crimson Dragon Mountain,

Xu Sanyan found the Mad Daoist, drunk as ever. “Hall Master, I have a question.”

“Speak,” the Mad Daoist replied without even lifting his eyelids, leaning against a corner and tilting his head back to pour wine into his mouth.

“Have you ever heard of the Earth Qi Spirit Essence?”

The gourd of wine paused at the Mad Daoist’s lips. He opened his eyes and looked at Xu Sanyan. “Where did you hear of such a thing?”

Hearing no denial, Xu Sanyan’s face lit up. “You know about it?” he pressed eagerly.

“The so-called Earth Qi Spirit Essence is the Earth Dragon Vein, what people commonly refer to as…” The Mad Daoist turned to face him. “…the Dragon Vein.”

Xu Sanyan’s eyelids drooped. “In the Qian Kingdom?”

“In the Qian Kingdom.”

The Qian Kingdom again…

(End of the Chapter)