Chapter 1675: A Pair of Teacher and Disciple (Part One)

Dong Fuyi could hardly believe his eyes. He had searched year after year, yet never found a trace of his only disciple. How could this reunion happen so unexpectedly?

He scanned the figure again. The youth in green truly cultivated the True Scripture of Gui Water; there was no mistaking it. Although many coveted this manual, almost no one could successfully cultivate it even if it were given to them. Those who targeted the Five Immortals Sect simply refused to believe this, and the sect never bothered to explain—revealing such a weakness would only make it easier for enemies to sever their inheritance.

Dong Fuyi had only been away for two days chasing the enemy. How could his disciple have returned to the sect in that time and resolved the crisis with the other Spirit Transformation cultivator? As for the status of the sect’s guardian master, he didn’t know. Gu Jiuqi and another had gone to check the spatial barriers, while the rest had followed the trail into the chaotic space.

Li Yan was jolted from his meditation. He looked up at the sky as if trying to see through the roof.

‘Who is it? To break my restriction so quietly!’

That was his first reaction. In his heart, he felt the voice sounded familiar! He almost blurred into motion to investigate, worried about the four women in the neighboring rooms.

“Brat, keep it quiet. I am Dong Fuyi. You wouldn’t fail to recognize your own master, would you?”

Just as Li Yan was about to charge out, the voice rang in his mind again. This caused his blurring form to solidify instantly.

“Dong Fuyi? Mas… Master?”

Li Yan froze on the spot. Just like Dong Fuyi had when he first saw him, Li Yan’s expression went blank.

In the air above the Malevolent Spirit Sect, Li Yan saw a tall figure floating quietly, a pair of ancient eyes watching him. Li Yan felt dazed. The tall figure was an old man in grey robes. His appearance hadn’t changed much from the tall old man Li Yan had seen in his mind when he first entered his Sea of Consciousness.

It was this person who had told him his life was on the line, who had truly set him on the path of immortality, who had taught him about the existence of immortals and spirit roots.

Dong Fuyi’s aura was somewhat withered. He was covered in bloodstains, and his grey robes were torn in several places, particularly around the collar where there was a large patch of blood. But the look he gave Li Yan was full of joy and concern. As Li Yan stopped, the smile on Dong Fuyi’s face deepened. His spirit became sharp as he sized Li Yan up.

“Hm, I didn’t expect you to have reached the Mid-stage Spirit Transformation… No, wait. Your True Scripture of Gui Water is at the Initial-stage Spirit Transformation, but your external five elements and physical presence suggest the Mid-stage. Brat, have you cultivated other techniques?”

As Dong Fuyi sized Li Yan up, he instantly saw through his realm. He was very satisfied; Li Yan had actually broken through to Spirit Transformation without any guidance.

Dong Fuyi’s perception of the five elemental laws had reached an incredible level. Although Li Yan hadn’t dropped his concealment, they shared the same source. Dong Fuyi didn’t even need his cultivation to see through Li Yan; he only needed to look at how Li Yan interacted with the surrounding elements to know his true realm.

But then he noticed the discrepancy. The density of Li Yan’s Kui Water magical power didn’t perfectly match his resonance with the world’s elements.

Li Yan was surprised that his master could see his true cultivation at a single glance and even detect the differences between his techniques. He could also sense an exceptionally familiar Kui Water power coming from the old man. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see his master’s resonance with the world.

Dong Fuyi spoke with no formality, as if they were a pair who had been together for a long time. He immediately asked about the strange cultivation. Li Yan, having confirmed the identity through that undeniable Kui Water power, knelt in the air.

“Li Yan greets the Master. This disciple is practicing a body tempering technique simultaneously and broke through with it first.”

After bowing, Li Yan answered without hesitation. Dong Fuyi flicked his hand, a chuckle escaping him.

“It has been hundreds of years, yet our formal apprenticeship ceremony is this simple. This is our first true meeting, so there is no need for such formalities. It is enough that we are both alive. However, your cultivation is quite impressive. To choose the most difficult path of Dual Dharma-Body Cultivation! To have your body tempering technique break through before your True Scripture of Gui Water… this technique must be incredibly strong. Is it the technique from your Tianli Clan companion’s people?”

Li Yan felt a gentle force lift him. He sensed a terrifying power from that force, something he couldn’t even hope to match. He stood and remained with his hands at his side.

“Master is wise!”

“You must have returned just the day before yesterday. Where are the other Spirit Transformation cultivators?” Dong Fuyi didn’t dwell on his cultivation and asked about the others.

“The Malevolent Spirit Sect’s master and the other experts of the continent have gone to find the enemies who sealed the sect. The six who came here have all been slain! Master, was the mysterious cultivator who appeared that day you?”

Li Yan was naturally sharp. Seeing Dong Fuyi’s bloodstained robes and unstable aura, he guessed as much.

“Oh? All six slain? Did you perform a soul-search on them?” Dong Fuyi didn’t answer and asked another question instead.

“It was a stroke of luck. This disciple arrived just in time. The situation was dire, and this disciple, unaware of the details, assumed they were simply enemies of the sect and killed them. Thus, no soul-search was performed!”

Hearing Li Yan’s unhesitating answer and the phrase “stroke of luck,” Dong Fuyi felt a weight lift. But then another thought occurred to him.

‘Wait… this brat’s reactions are too fast now. He isn’t that dull, wide-eyed youth I saw back then. He understood instantly that I was worried about the Malevolent Spirit Sect learning about his identity and the Five Immortals Sect!’

Dong Fuyi nodded, surprised by Li Yan’s mental acuity.

“It seems you’ve guessed their origin. There were indeed two of us who appeared the other day. Where have you come from? They said that after your battle with Xue Longzi, you entered the chaotic space. I went to the Tianli Clan’s territory with your Martial Uncle Qian Chong. We deduced you might have used the Five Elements Chaotic Wind and the Quaking Cosmos technique to drag that Spirit Transformation sword cultivator into the void. We tracked you, but couldn’t find a trace. Where have you been all these years?”

Dong Fuyi briefly answered before pressing for his own answers. He had searched far too long for this boy.

Li Yan realized that his master was indeed one of the mystery helpers, meaning he didn’t have to worry about that particular secret anymore. He also realized that when Martial Uncle Qian Chong visited the sect, his master was likely there too, just hidden from Zhao Min. Furthermore, his master’s cultivation was terrifyingly high. According to Zhao Min, they had come after he had already been missing for decades.

Li Yan then began to recount his experiences after the battle with Xue Longzi. He left out the details regarding the “Earth-True Domain” and Mu Guyue for now. He focused on the major events, wanting to get his master up to speed so he could ask his own questions.

Half an hour later, Dong Fuyi finally understood Li Yan’s journey.

“So you went to the North Pastoral Realm. No wonder I couldn’t find a trace of you in the mortal realm. This time, you returned through the Return-Home Trade House; that is a useful shortcut. That organization is not simple. To think you could establish a connection with them… but your return was timely. Not only did you save the sect, but we have finally met.”

Dong Fuyi sighed. He had been tearing the mortal realm apart looking for him while the boy was already in the Immortal Spirit Realm.

“Does Master know of the Return-Home Trade House?” Li Yan asked, his eyes flashing.

“I know a bit. They have Grand Completion (Great Ascension) cultivators backing them. But let’s not talk of that. Let’s talk about the enemies who came this time. You must know who they are…” Dong Fuyi shifted the topic. The trade house wasn’t an enemy, so they needed to focus on the immediate threat.