"Senior Da Huang? You’re back so soon?"
Chen Chang'an and Gu Xian'er had only been on their way to Tianshui Lake for less than a day when Da Huang caught up to them.
Chen Chang'an glanced at Da Huang, noticing that his speed seemed to have increased slightly.
"You’ve gotten faster. I thought I’d have to wait another two days or so for you," Chen Chang'an remarked with a faint smile.
"That Celestial Spirit Fruit really is something. I feel a lot stronger, so naturally, my speed improved," Da Huang replied cheerfully.
"Everything settled?"
"Yep, all taken care of. No loose ends, don’t worry," Da Huang nodded with a grin.
Gu Xian'er listened in confusion. What had been settled without any lingering concerns? Weren’t they just delivering the Celestial Spirit Fruit to Chen Yunxuan?
Good job. Our years of unspoken understanding are still intact," Chen Chang'an said with a smile.
"Pfft, as if I don’t know you. You didn’t lift a finger because you were waiting for me to handle it," Da Huang retorted with a disdainful snort.
"Young Master, Senior Da Huang, what are you two talking about?" Gu Xian'er asked curiously.
"Nothing much. Just took care of the Gao family."
Took care of the Gao family?
Gu Xian'er was stunned. She had been with Chen Chang'an the entire time and hadn’t seen him leave any instructions. How had Da Huang understood his intentions so perfectly?
Understanding?
How long did it take to develop such a rapport?
Chen Chang'an had done and said nothing—merely refrained from acting himself—yet Da Huang knew to clean up afterward.
This alone proved just how well Da Huang understood Chen Chang'an’s temperament.
"How’s that kid Chen Yunxuan doing lately?" Chen Chang'an asked.
"His cultivation’s improving well too. When I found him, he’d already reached the ninth level of the Transcendent Realm."
"Heard he’s planning to participate in some Four Domains Martial Assembly, challenging the true powerhouses of the four domains."
"The kid’s got ambition and a mind of his own."
"You only told him to become the Northern Domain’s top cultivator, but his goal is to be number one across all four domains."
"With the Celestial Spirit Fruit now, I’d say it won’t take him more than a month to claim that title."
Even Da Huang couldn’t help but marvel at Chen Yunxuan’s monstrous progress. He’d originally estimated it would take the kid at least a year to reach this point—under the best circumstances.
Yet now, it seemed Chen Yunxuan would stand at the pinnacle of the four domains in less than half a year, becoming their strongest cultivator.
"That kid’s dead set on coming to the Central Heaven Domain to find you. You’re his ultimate goal," Da Huang said with a chuckle.
"His goal should be getting stronger, not chasing after me."
"He should have his own life, his own experiences."
"Ah well, I’ll tell him that if we meet again someday."
"Da Huang, after consuming the Celestial Spirit Fruit, can you break through the bottleneck of the ninth rank?"
At this, Da Huang shook his head helplessly. Though the Celestial Spirit Fruit was remarkable, surpassing the ninth rank was no easy feat.
In the Profound Mystic World, no existence had ever transcended the ninth rank.
Da Huang was the only qilin in the Profound Mystic World, possessing divine beast bloodline, which granted him a far longer lifespan than ordinary spirit beasts.
Even so, for countless years, he had remained stuck at the ninth rank without progress.
"Take it slow. There’s always a way. You’ve got plenty of life left—you won’t drop dead anytime soon," Chen Chang'an teased.
"Thanks. You’re just full of comforting words."
"Are you even human? At best, I’m comforting a dog."
"Piss off."
Da Huang shot Chen Chang'an a glare and refused to engage further. Who knew what nonsense this bastard would spout next?
Tianshui Lake, Lin Family
On this day, all core members of the Lin family had gathered, standing respectfully as they awaited the emergence of one individual.
"The Ancestor emerges from seclusion today. Do you think he succeeded in his breakthrough?"
"Hard to say, but after so many years in seclusion, he must have gained something."
"Our Lin family owes its status as Langya’s foremost clan entirely to the Ancestor’s efforts."
"Back in the day, the Void Comprehension Realm was enough to dominate Langya. The Ancestor single-handedly raised that standard to the Supreme Realm."
"If the Ancestor breaks through to the Immortal Realm, even Langya won’t be able to contain our Lin family anymore."
"Indeed… the Immortal Realm. What an unfathomable level of power!"
To the Lin family, Lin Xiangliu was in a league of his own.
The family had never produced a single Supreme Realm cultivator before. Even now, despite Lin Xiangliu’s guidance, most members still lingered in the Void Comprehension Realm.
In truth, the Lin family’s exalted status was entirely due to Lin Xiangliu’s personal strength. Even other regional clans treated them with deference.
To the Lin family, Lin Xiangliu was nothing short of a deity—the very foundation of their standing.
A century ago, Lin Xiangliu had declared he would enter seclusion for a hundred years, regardless of success or failure. These past few days marked the end of that period, and the family dared not slack in their preparations.
All core members had gathered early at Lin Xiangliu’s secluded retreat, awaiting his emergence.
"Look! What’s that in the sky?"
Suddenly, someone noticed dark thunderclouds gathering overhead.
"A breakthrough! The Ancestor is breaking through!"
"Records state that transcending to the Immortal Realm summons heavenly tribulation. Surviving the tribulation’s trial grants one the Immortal Realm."
"Our Lin family will finally have an Immortal Realm powerhouse!"
"The Ancestor is peerless—a genius unseen in a millennium!"
As the crowd marveled, the thunderclouds grew denser, their oppressive aura sending shivers down everyone’s spines.
"Everyone, retreat! The heavenly tribulation’s power is immense. Do not linger here—fall back at once!"
At the family head’s command, all core members withdrew ten li away, not daring to remain within the tribulation’s range.
"Such terrifying heavenly tribulation… Will the Ancestor truly overcome it?"
"I… I believe in the Ancestor. He will surely prevail."
"But I’ve heard many have perished under this tribulation, never crossing the threshold to the Immortal Realm."
"Those were ordinary people. How could the Ancestor be compared to them?"
"Exactly. The Ancestor is in a class of his own."
Though they spoke confidently, unease lingered. After all, those who reached the Immortal Realm were anything but ordinary.
"So it’s heavenly tribulation descending."
"It seems Lin Xiangliu is attempting his Immortal Realm breakthrough."
"A thousand years to reach the Immortal Realm… In the end, it’s still a bit slow."
Chen Chang'an had already arrived at Tianshui Lake. The moment he saw the heavenly tribulation gathering, he knew it could only be Lin Xiangliu’s doing.
In all of Langya, no one else stood a chance at reaching such a realm.
Da Huang also sighed. Given what he knew of Lin Xiangliu’s talent, a millennium to reach the Immortal Realm was indeed somewhat sluggish.
"Perhaps he was held up by some matters, which slowed his cultivation progress a bit."
"Regardless, he’s still taken the first step."
"I just wonder if that kid Wu Mingdao has already broken through to the Immortal Realm by now," Chen Chang'an remarked with a faint smile.
"Wu Mingdao? That kid is stubborn as a mule—he’s probably faster than Lin Xiangliu," Da Huang chuckled in agreement.
Gu Xian'er, listening nearby, couldn’t help but sigh in amazement.
Taking a thousand years to reach the Immortal Realm was actually considered too slow?
This was the legendary Immortal Realm, the true threshold of becoming a powerhouse. Countless people spent their entire lives without ever attaining such heights.
"Let’s wait. There’s no rush to go until after the heavenly tribulation passes!"