Chapter 1673: Guests Arrive from All Directions (Part One)

From Zhao Min’s narrative, Li Yan deduced several shocking answers. Zhao Min also mentioned how they were stunned by the sudden disappearance of the Secret Realm at that time.

Li Yan had originally planned to ask her about the Secret Realm harvests in recent years to get news of Ping Tu. But now, there was no need to ask. He knew the origin of the Secret Realm all too well, and the time of Martial Uncle Qian Chong’s appearance coincided perfectly with the realm’s disappearance.

The fact that the martial uncle could find Zhao Min meant he had either met the Divine Will clone at the Sacred Demon Palace or received its memories.

Li Yan immediately formulated a hypothesis: the Yellow-robed Daoist was likely Martial Uncle Qian Chong’s true body. He must have healed Senior Ping Tu’s injuries and then taken the Secret Realm away. No wonder the four great sects couldn’t find a trace of it.

‘If it truly was Martial Uncle Qian Chong’s true body, did Senior Brother Bu Chong also encounter him?’ Li Yan wondered.

He had finally received another piece of good news. Since his return two days ago, he hadn’t had the chance to enjoy the unexpected joy of reuniting with his family. Instead, massive events had appeared one after another, leaving him exhausted. Li Yan felt as though he had been away from the mortal realm for tens of thousands of years; otherwise, why would all these major events suddenly converge before him?

Now, he finally knew the reason behind the Secret Realm’s disappearance and the existence of the True Essence Pill—it was all related to Martial Uncle Qian Chong.

He heard that Senior Sister Ying’s True Essence Pill had already been used to help the Third Elder of the Tianli Clan successfully reach Spirit Transformation. Li Yan didn’t feel it was a waste; once a gift was given, it was Gong Chenying’s to dispose of. Furthermore, only if the Tianli Clan was stable would Gong Chenying be free of worries and able to follow him out of the lower realm in peace.

“You intend to give the True Essence Pill to Junior Sister Bai. Do you know the true utility of that pill?” Feeling much better, Li Yan couldn’t help but pull Zhao Min into a light embrace.

“There is no reluctance. Junior Sister Bai is very respectable,” Zhao Min leaned into his embrace, a sense of peace finally settling over her. She certainly understood the efficacy of the True Essence Pill—it was a supreme treasure capable of assisting one in reaching Spirit Transformation. This was also the first time she had been so close to Li Yan in the two days since his return.

The familiar scent of him made her feel dazed. No matter how she had envisioned their reunion, she never expected it to happen in such a manner.

Li Yan continued to ponder the information Zhao Min had provided, wondering if there were more hidden secrets behind it. Giving away two True Essence Pills and a Nine Yang Profound Bird egg… Li Zhaoyan had yet to hatch the bird, but once successful, it would surely be a high-rank demonic beast. This was a heavy greeting gift indeed.

“How is Zi Kun? He and Qianji stayed together in the North Ice Continent for years; their friendship must be very deep. Qianji’s death must have been a massive blow to him. He might find it even harder to accept than us,” Zhao Min asked, pulling away slightly from his thoughts.

She was also very saddened by Qianji’s death. He had sacrificed himself for the Malevolent Spirit Sect. But such was the path of cultivation; no one could guarantee how long they would walk it.

“Zi Kun experienced a sudden breakthrough during the battle. Because his mind was stimulated, he suffered from symptoms of cultivation deviation. I have already smoothed out his chaotic magical power; he only needs to heal and stabilize his realm on his own. Furthermore… Qianji hasn’t truly perished. Zi Kun used to be a soul-devouring demonic beast; he originally cultivated by devouring other soul-bodies. Thus, he possesses the soul-seizing divine ability. When Qianji fell, he immediately sensed the dissipating soul and managed to pull one Hun and two Pos into his body.

While I was in the Immortal Spirit Realm, I obtained a supreme pill capable of repairing the soul. It was a stroke of extreme luck. After checking Qianji’s soul, I found there is a great chance for him to awaken and restore his complete soul. It might take around five hundred years, but… that is already an excellent result,” Li Yan said softly, looking down at Zhao Min.

This time, it was Zhao Min’s turn to be shocked. She turned around fully, her dark eyes wide with utter disbelief. “Qianji didn’t truly die?”

In response to her shock, Li Yan offered a smiling nod. A light smile soon broke across Zhao Min’s face, her lips curving upward.

Too much had happened in these two days, including the greatest surprise of all—Li Yan’s return. But everyone’s heart had remained heavy. With Bai Rou’s Sea of Consciousness on the verge of collapse, they faced the possibility of losing two Nascent Soul cultivators. This had left many in a state of profound anger and grief. But now, a completely unexpected piece of good news had arrived—a miracle of rebirth.

“By the way, you mentioned that Qianji and Zi Kun were ‘staying’ in the North Ice Continent. What was that about?” Li Yan asked, puzzled. He had left some Snow Mosquitoes there when he went to the Wind God Continent. It made sense for Qianji to go check on his kin, but Zhao Min had used the word “staying,” and even Zi Kun, who cultivated fire arts, was there. Li Yan sensed that something significant had occurred.

“Senior Sister Ying knows the most about that. She spoke with Zi Kun and the others several times during her travels between the two continents. I only know the general situation. After both of them reached the 4th rank, they planned to tear through the sky from the Tianli Clan’s territory to find you in the chaotic space. But on their way, they discovered that people were secretly traveling to and from the Desolate Moon Continent. Their goal was strange: they were looking for Miscellaneous Spirit Root cultivators…”

Zhao Min then recounted what she knew. Initially, Li Yan listened with a smile, but his expression grew increasingly solemn as she continued. By the time she finished, his heart was in turmoil.

“Let’s go find Senior Sister Ying,” Li Yan said. He felt that this matter had taken a serious turn.

Since Zi Kun needed to recover, they couldn’t disturb him. The best option was to find Gong Chenying and ask for more details.

Back at the bamboo courtyard, Li Zhaoyan stepped forward to greet her parents upon their return. However, she saw that her father was lost in thought; he merely nodded to her and kept his head down. Zhao Min, on the other hand, whispered to her, “Go check on your teacher’s condition again. If there is any abnormality, report to us immediately.”

Li Zhaoyan knew her parents had something private to discuss. Initially, she felt a bit slighted that her father hadn’t shown her much affection since his return, barely speaking a word to her. But seeing the situation, she realized something was amiss and her face flushed slightly. She stole a look at her parents’ expressions, wondering if she had guessed correctly.

Just then, a fresh scent filled the air as Gong Chenying, dressed in her blue hunting attire, appeared in the courtyard.

“What happened?” she asked Li Yan immediately. She had been helping the Second Senior Brother recover, but Li Yan’s voice had bypassed the formations and echoed directly in her mind. His brief words told her to return at once, signaling urgency.

“Let’s talk inside,” Li Yan said, leading the way to the cultivation room. The two women followed quickly. A moment later, the doors shut, and an invisible restriction enveloped the room.