Belonging to Me

……

Qingmu Peak.

Lin Fan sat cross-legged inside a rather plain-looking cave dwelling. In front of him lay the resources he had just received as an outer disciple.

Several bottles of pills.

A low-grade immortal sword.

And a copy of the Azure Wood Immortal Art, which could be cultivated all the way to the Celestial Immortal Realm.

To an ordinary new disciple, these items were already extremely valuable.

Yet Lin Fan’s expression remained largely unchanged.

“The Taiyi Immortal Sect.”

“I’ve finally made it in.”

He spoke in a low voice.

The next moment, an aged voice slowly echoed from the depths of Lin Fan’s sea of consciousness.

“It’s nothing more than an immortal sect in the Eastern Wasteland.”

“With your great fortune and this Emperor’s guidance, entering the Immortal King or even the quasi-Immortal Emperor Realm in the future will be no problem. There’s no need to lose your composure over these things.”

A smile appeared in Lin Fan’s eyes. “Master is right.”

Deep within his sea of consciousness, an old man dressed in a black-and-gold imperial robe sat cross-legged upon a shattered throne. His figure was so faint and indistinct that it seemed he might dissipate at any moment.

Emperor Cangxuan.

A name that had long since vanished into the river of history.

Several years ago, Lin Fan had accidentally fallen into an abandoned secret realm and inadvertently awakened the remnant soul of an emperor hidden inside an ancient ring.

From that moment on, his life had completely changed.

Ordinary cultivation techniques always produced extraordinary results in his hands.

Whenever he casually entered a mountain range, he would discover ancient ruins that other cultivators had spent tens of thousands of years searching for without success.

Even when he encountered life-or-death crises, he would ultimately escape danger through one coincidence or another.

Apart from Lin Fan’s own tremendous fortune, all of this was inseparable from Emperor Cangxuan’s guidance behind the scenes.

Lin Fan understood this very clearly.

As long as he continued to follow the path arranged by the remnant soul of this emperor, he would inevitably stand at the pinnacle of the entire immortal path in the future.

“Master, you saw that Ye Chuan today as well, didn’t you?” Lin Fan suddenly asked.

Emperor Cangxuan remained silent for a moment.

“I did.”

“Twenty years old, at the peak of the Golden Immortal Realm, and even rated number one throughout the ages by the Immortal Spirit Stele.”

A complicated look flashed through Lin Fan’s eyes.

Before entering the Taiyi Immortal Sect, he had always believed that he was the true chosen one of this era.

He possessed the protection of tremendous fortune.

He also had the personal guidance of a remnant emperor.

No matter where he went, he could easily obtain opportunities beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

But after Ye Chuan appeared, he felt for the first time that his own radiance had been completely overshadowed by someone else.

Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine levels on the Stairway of Inquiry.

Nine tolls of the Fortune Bell.

A golden dragon protecting his body.

Any one of these phenomena would have been enough to shake the entire Taiyi Immortal Sect!

Yet now, hardly anyone was discussing them.

All the disciples’ attention was focused on Ye Chuan, who had just defeated Huang Wuya.

“Master, how do you think I compare to Ye Chuan?”

Lin Fan had finally asked the question that troubled him most.

Emperor Cangxuan did not answer immediately.

After a long while, he slowly said, “In terms of your current cultivation realm and combat power, you are far inferior to him.”

“However, the path of cultivation is long.”

“Someone who is ahead today will not necessarily remain ahead forever.”

“You possess the protection of nine-colored fortune, as well as the Azure Lotus Dao Seal and this Emperor’s personal guidance. As long as nothing unexpected happens, you will at least be able to enter the quasi-Immortal Emperor Realm in the future.”

The gloom in Lin Fan’s eyes gradually faded.

“In other words, I can surpass him in the future?”

“Of course.”

Emperor Cangxuan’s tone carried the absolute confidence of a former emperor.

“There is no one in this world who is truly beyond pursuit.”

“The fact that Ye Chuan is so powerful now only proves that he obtained some earth-shaking inheritance ahead of time—or that he is the reincarnation of some supreme powerhouse.”

“Even if he is the reincarnation of an emperor, I have nothing to fear.”

“Once you truly obtain the power left behind by the Azure Lotus lineage, you may still overtake him from behind.”

Lin Fan nodded slightly.

Just then—

Footsteps suddenly sounded outside the cave dwelling. A steward from Qingmu Peak stopped at the entrance.

“Lin Fan.”

“The Sect Master has issued an order. Ancestor Yue will summon you at the Moon God Palace tomorrow. Make your preparations in advance.”

Lin Fan’s heart stirred.

“Ancestor Yue?”

“That’s right.”

The steward’s voice carried clear envy.

“Our Ancestor has been sleeping for more than a hundred thousand years. Normally, even the peak masters may not get the chance to see her.”

“You’ve only just joined the sect, yet you’ve already received a summons from the Ancestor. It’s likely related to the phenomena that appeared during today’s examination.”

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Lin Fan cupped his hands solemnly. “Thank you for informing me, Steward.”

After the other man left, Lin Fan immediately activated the formation around the cave dwelling.

“Master.”

“It seems our guess was correct.”

The remnant soul of Emperor Cangxuan emerged from the ancient ring, a faint smile appearing on his face as well.

“Yue Qingyi once owed the Azure Lotus Immortal King an enormous debt of gratitude.”

“Since you possess the Azure Lotus Dao Seal, she naturally cannot stand by and do nothing.”

“If my memory serves me correctly, Yue Qingyi also possesses a Lunar Guardian Soul Pact.”

Lin Fan’s gaze sharpened.

“A soul contract?”

“That’s right.”

Emperor Cangxuan nodded lightly.

“That was a special contract left behind by the Azure Lotus Immortal King.”

“Once the contract is established, the souls of both parties will become connected. Their cultivation insights can be shared, and if either of them encounters danger, the other can sense their location.”

“Most importantly, Yue Qingyi will be unable to disregard the contracted party’s safety.”

Lin Fan’s breathing quickened slightly.

Yue Qingyi was an Immortal King.

If he could sign such a soul pact with her, it would mean that he would possess an Immortal King-level protector from then on.

Throughout the entire Eastern Wasteland, how many people would still dare to truly make a move against him?

Emperor Cangxuan continued, “The Azure Lotus Immortal King left behind that soul pact precisely to care for his descendants or inheritors.”

“Now that the Azure Lotus Dao Seal has awakened within you, Yue Qingyi is most likely summoning you tomorrow to fulfill the promise she made back then.”

At last, the corners of Lin Fan’s mouth lifted.

“With an Immortal King protecting me, along with Master’s guidance, my cultivation speed will surely increase again.”

“Ye Chuan may be powerful now, but he is ultimately only one person.”

“Once I completely obtain the Azure Lotus inheritance, I may not be unable to catch up with him.”

Emperor Cangxuan nodded in satisfaction.

“It’s good that you can maintain such a mindset.”

“Remember, a true chosen one will not doubt himself simply because he has fallen behind for a time.”

“And once that soul contract is signed, you and Yue Qingyi will be like Dao companions. You can also cultivate together using the dual-cultivation method I taught you.”

Lin Fan asked, “But Master, Yue Qingyi is so cold and aloof…”

“It doesn’t matter. Yue Qingyi herself does not understand the soul pact’s powerful effects. Once the time comes, so long as you make a demand, she will be unable to refuse.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Fan’s eyes lit up.

He could hardly wait for tomorrow.

This contract was meant for him!

……

The next day.

Moon God Palace.

Lin Fan arrived outside the great hall early in the morning.

Today, he had changed into a clean blue robe. His aura was restrained to perfection—not so sharp that he appeared overbearing, yet not so ordinary that he would be overlooked.

Emperor Cangxuan was likewise concealed deep within the ancient ring.

Unless Yue Qingyi actively investigated Lin Fan’s soul, it would be difficult for her to discover that a remnant emperor’s soul was hidden within him.

“Don’t be nervous.”

Emperor Cangxuan reminded him from within his sea of consciousness, “Since Yue Qingyi summoned you of her own accord, it already proves that the Azure Lotus Dao Seal has attracted her attention.”

“Once the soul contract is complete, your standing in the Taiyi Immortal Sect will be at least no lower than that of the Dao Children. Yue Qingyi might even keep you by her side.”

Lin Fan nodded slightly.

He was just about to enter the main hall when a languid voice came from the distance.

“Ye Chuan, why did you come so early?”

“I haven’t even woken up yet.”

Lin Fan turned around.

Ye Chuan was slowly making his way up the white jade steps of Moon God Peak with Lan Xiaoke and Fox Li.

Lan Xiaoke was clinging to Ye Chuan’s back.

Her silvery-white hair was somewhat disheveled, and her eyes were half-closed. It was obvious that someone had dragged her out of bed before she was fully awake.

Fox Li walked beside them, still holding a bag of freshly picked immortal fruits.

A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Fan’s eyes.

…

The person Yue Qingyi had summoned wasn’t just him?!

Why?

The inheritance clearly belonged to him!

“Holy Son Ye.”

Upon seeing Ye Chuan, Lin Fan had no choice but to take the initiative and cup his hands in greeting.

Ye Chuan glanced at him.

“You’re… Lin Fan?”

“You’ve heard of me, Holy Son?”

“I just heard Huang Wuya mention you.” Ye Chuan replied casually.

After dividing up the items from the spatial ring yesterday, Huang Wuya had come over and told him that Yue Qingyi would be summoning both of them the next day.

As for what was so special about Lin Fan, Ye Chuan hadn’t paid much attention.

Someone blessed with tremendous fortune.

He had seen plenty of people like that before.

They would find treasures while walking down the road, fall off a cliff and obtain an inheritance, or casually enter a secret realm and acquire its most precious treasure.

But no matter how powerful one’s fortune was, it held little meaning before absolute strength.

The doors of the Moon God Hall slowly opened.

Silvery moonlight spilled out from within. Yue Qingyi was seated on a jade platform at the very depths of the hall.

“Come in.”

Lin Fan took a deep breath and entered the hall first.

Ye Chuan followed behind with Lan Xiaoke, who was already on the verge of falling asleep, in his arms. Fox Li came along with them.

Yue Qingyi looked at Lin Fan first.

She said nothing. She merely raised a finger, and a strand of Immortal King consciousness immediately enveloped his body.

Lin Fan’s heart tightened slightly!

Emperor Cangxuan immediately concealed all his aura as well, completely merging into the depths of the ancient ring.

A moment later, Yue Qingyi withdrew her consciousness.

“The Azure Lotus Dao Seal.”

“Nine-colored fortune.”

“And another soul aura that does not belong to you.”

Lin Fan’s pupils contracted slightly. Emperor Cangxuan also fell silent within his sea of consciousness.

Yue Qingyi had indeed discovered his existence. However, she did not expose him directly. She only regarded Lin Fan calmly.

“You do share a certain affinity with one of this seat’s old acquaintances.”

Lin Fan suppressed the turmoil in his heart and bowed respectfully.

“This disciple does not know who that senior is. I merely happened to obtain this Azure Lotus Dao Seal when I was young.”

Yue Qingyi did not expose his lie.

“Your Dao heart is sound, and your fortune is sufficiently strong.”

“If you continue cultivating along your current path, you may have a chance of becoming an Immortal King in the future.”

Lin Fan’s heart immediately leaped with joy.

An Immortal King’s personal evaluation naturally carried a significance far beyond that of anyone else’s.

Emperor Cangxuan also spoke within his sea of consciousness.

“She has acknowledged that you possess the qualifications.”

Yue Qingyi’s gaze shifted to Ye Chuan.

Ye Chuan asked, “Fairy Yue, why did you call me here?”

“To sign a contract. A soul contract.” Yue Qingyi answered with exceptional directness. “I hope you can remain here.”

“You hope I can remain here?” Ye Chuan asked in confusion, but said nothing more.

Whatever contract she was talking about had nothing to do with him. Why had she called him here?

A hint of anticipation that he could no longer suppress appeared in Lin Fan’s eyes.

It really was a soul contract.

Everything was exactly as Emperor Cangxuan had predicted.

Yue Qingyi raised her fair palm.

A silver-white moon disk slowly rose from her palm. Countless fine soul threads coiled around the center of the disk.

Every soul thread was condensed from pure Immortal King laws. Once intertwined, they formed an extremely complex contract seal.

“This is the Taiyin Soul Contract of Dao Protection.”

“Once the contract is established, the souls of both parties will become connected, and you will also be able to share insights into cultivation to a certain extent.”

Yue Qingyi’s voice slowly echoed through the hall.

The more Lin Fan listened, the more excited he became.

Sharing cultivation insights with an Immortal King!

That alone would be enough to increase his cultivation speed countless times over!

Moreover, Yue Qingyi was the highest-ranking Ancestor in the Taiyi Immortal Sect!

Once the contract was completed, his status within the Taiyi Immortal Sect would undergo a complete transformation!

Emperor Cangxuan was also highly satisfied.

“This is the soul contract I told you about.”

“Do not resist later. Simply allow the Azure Lotus Dao Seal to resonate with it.”

“Once the contract is complete, Ye Chuan’s identity as Holy Son will no longer mean much.”

“With an Immortal King Ancestor standing behind you and me personally guiding you in the future, you will catch up to him sooner or later.”

Lin Fan glanced at Ye Chuan without revealing any emotion.

Ye Chuan still showed little interest. He merely pinched Lan Xiaoke’s cheek, finding it soft and rather pleasant to the touch.

This caused a faint sense of superiority to rise in Lin Fan’s heart.

Ye Chuan might indeed be stronger than him at present.

But opportunities did not always favor the same person.

From this day onward, he would possess an Immortal King as his protector!

“Begin.” Yue Qingyi waved her hand.

The Taiyin Soul Contract of Dao Protection slowly rose to the center of the hall, and countless silver-white soul threads extended outward with it.

Lin Fan immediately activated the Azure Lotus Dao Seal in his chest.

A nine-petaled azure lotus blossomed.

Rich life laws surged from his body and produced a faint resonance with the soul contract in the center of the hall.

The silver-white soul threads seemed to be drawn by it and indeed moved a short distance toward Lin Fan.

The corners of Lin Fan’s lips lifted slightly.

It worked!

Emperor Cangxuan also laughed within his sea of consciousness.

“I told you. This contract was originally prepared for the inheritor of the Azure Lotus.”

“Yue Qingyi probably summoned Ye Chuan so that the Holy Son could personally witness your rise in status.”

Lin Fan found this explanation quite reasonable.

Perhaps Yue Qingyi also wanted to use this opportunity to tell Ye Chuan that, apart from him—the number one Holy Son throughout the ages—the Taiyi Immortal Sect possessed other peerless talents worthy of nurturing.

But in the next second—

The silver-white soul threads, which had already drawn close to Lin Fan, suddenly came to a halt.

The Azure Lotus Dao Seal continued radiating light.

Yet the Taiyin Soul Contract of Dao Protection seemed to have sensed the presence of something even more important. The entire contract seal began to tremble violently.

The smile on Lin Fan’s face stiffened slightly.

“Master, what’s happening?”

Emperor Cangxuan did not answer immediately.

He could clearly sense that the soul contract was actively breaking free from the attraction of the Azure Lotus Dao Seal.

Then—

All the silver-white soul threads simultaneously changed direction. They bypassed Lin Fan, who stood in front of them, and flew toward Ye Chuan on the other side.

They moved with incredible speed.

Ye Chuan had not even reacted when one of the soul threads wrapped around his wrist.

“Hm?”

He lowered his head and glanced at it.

What was this supposed to be?

The power of chaos within his body instinctively began to circulate, preparing to devour the law that had approached him.

Yue Qingyi’s expression changed slightly.

“Don’t devour it.”

Ye Chuan paused.

In that brief moment, all the remaining soul threads had already wrapped around him. Between him and Yue Qingyi, they formed a long river of silver-white laws.

The moon disk at the center of the hall burst into unprecedented radiance.

The once-pure silver-white soul mark began to develop a ring of black-and-gold patterns around its edges when it came into contact with Ye Chuan’s power of chaos.

Lunar Yin and chaos intertwined.

The entire Moon God Peak began to tremble violently.

The Azure Lotus Dao Mark on Lin Fan’s chest was still glowing.

But the Lunar Yin Guardian Soul Pact had completely disregarded him. All its power was converging on Ye Chuan and Yue Qingyi!

“Impossible!”

For the first time, Emperor Cangxuan lost his composure.

“This Soul Pact was left behind by the Azure Lotus Immortal King. It should have chosen the person bearing the Azure Lotus Dao Mark first.”

“Why would it choose Ye Chuan?”

The smile vanished from Lin Fan’s face, too.

All he could do was watch as Ye Chuan and Yue Qingyi merged as one.

That was supposed to be mine!