"What's the matter?" Xu Lai asked.

"Emper… Young Master."

Taotie almost blurted out 'The Supreme Emperor' but quickly changed it to 'Young Master'. He knew The Supreme Emperor didn't wish to reveal his identity, likely to keep this last sanctuary from being disturbed.

After all, if other cultivators from the Immortal Domain learned that this had been The Supreme Emperor's former sect, it wouldn't take an hour before the place was swarming with people. Who wouldn't want to witness the bearing of The Supreme Emperor in his youth? Fervent admirers would likely trample the entire mountain flat!

"Young Master, the old man said he saw a Jade Slip on this stone gate. It had a divination about you on it," Taotie said, his brow furrowed. "There's also a character on it…"

Xu Lai didn't ask what character it was.

His gaze fell upon it, and his pupils suddenly contracted. The character was 'Yu'.

His master's surname was Yu.

His senior sister's surname was also Yu.

What startled Xu Lai wasn't the surname, but the handwriting…

It was his senior sister's handwriting!

But the character wasn't written; it looked as if it had been imprinted, and not long ago.

Could his senior sister still be alive!?

Xu Lai, who rarely let his emotions show, took a sharp breath and invoked the Retrocognition Technique.

Spiritual Power drained from him rapidly as time in the area flowed backward. Scenes appeared in the void, flashing past like a film being rewound at high speed.

One month ago.

Two months ago.

Half a year ago.

One year ago.

Two years ago.

Tracing time back two and a half years, Xu Lai finally saw who had left the character on the stone gate.

It was a middle-aged man.

The man arrived here supporting a woman who was cradling an infant in swaddling clothes.

At that time, the mountain range where the old site of the Heavenly Court stood was still completely bare, without a single plum tree in sight.

"It's the fruit farmer from the foot of the mountain," Xu Lai exhaled, a self-mocking look on his face.

Of course. Senior Sister has been dead for 100,000 years, and yet I'm still harboring such unrealistic fantasies. After all, the lifespan of even an Immortal Venerable Realm cultivator was only about 100,000 years. And in the Immortal Domain, cultivators of that realm were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Ye Meizi, however, was utterly stunned.

Time can actually be traced back several years? That kind of divine skill is probably something only those legendary great figures are capable of! Just who is this young master before my eyes…?

As Ye Meizi reeled in uneasy shock, he saw through the ethereal light screen as the brawny, middle-aged man pressed a Jade Slip against the stone gate, leaving behind the character 'Yu'. The man then hung a Jade Pendant on the gate before leading his wife back down the mountain.

"It was this Jade Pendant!" Ye Meizi pointed excitedly at the second Jade Pendant. "This is where I saw the divination! It said that Emperor Qingfeng would come to the Eastern Desolate Domain this year."

As he spoke, his heart suddenly began to pound wildly. He stared dazedly at the young master before him as a terrifying conjecture took root in his mind. But just as quickly, Ye Meizi shook his head, tossing the unrealistic thought away and sneering at himself.

Ye Meizi, oh Ye Meizi, what are you thinking? Emperor Qingfeng is so high and mighty; how could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like me ever hope to meet him?

***

Meanwhile, beads of cold sweat formed on Taotie's forehead.

Who predicted The Supreme Emperor's movements more than two years in advance and even imitated his senior sister's handwriting to leave that character? What on earth are they planning?

Xu Lai wanted to know the answer as well, so he walked down the mountain to speak with the fruit farmer.

At the foot of the mountain stood a thatched cottage. The fruit farmer, a brawny, middle-aged man, was holding his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, chatting with her endlessly, his smile full of happiness. Inside the cottage, a handsome woman was steaming dinner, her eyes filled with a gentle smile as she watched her husband and daughter outside.

The family of three were all ordinary people, without a trace of Spiritual Energy in their bodies. Xu Lai wanted to know who had instructed them to leave the character and the divination on the stone gate. Those two Jade Pendants were definitely not something an ordinary person could possess; they had to be at least from the Immortal Venerable Realm.

"Husband, we have a visitor," the woman said upon seeing Xu Lai. Her expression changed, and she instinctively called out, "Niuniu, come back inside!"

Little Niuniu's face went pale, and the two-and-a-half-year-old scrambled inside to hide in her mother's embrace.

The brawny middle-aged man's expression turned to ice. He gripped the iron shovel beside him and roared, "You bastards! We just paid you protection money last month, and now you're back for more! This is outrageous!"

Xu Lai hadn't noticed it before, but there was a slightly menacing, scarred-over knife wound on the man's wrist.

"Friend, you're mistaken," Xu Lai said, not angered by the outburst. "I am not a thug, nor am I here to demand money from you."

"Hmm?" The middle-aged man remained wary. But as he looked at Xu Lai's eyes, he saw that while they were deep, they were also clear and pure. He asked doubtfully, "Really? Swear by Emperor Qingfeng, and I'll believe you!"

In the Four Immortal Domains, Emperor Qingfeng was a divine being, venerated by countless cultivators and mortals alike. Innumerable shrines were built in his honor, with endless offerings of incense. Even the most shameless ruffians and hardened scoundrels would not dare to casually swear an oath in Emperor Qingfeng's name.

Xu Lai rubbed his temples, exasperated. "I swear in the name of Emperor Qingfeng. I am only here to ask you a few questions, my friend. I mean no harm."

"Whew, that's good then." The man let out a sigh of relief and said apologetically, "My apologies, Young Master. My wife and I planted plum trees over several of these mountains, but we're constantly being extorted by local thugs."

"It's no matter," Xu Lai said. "If I may be so bold, do you know who the original owner of this mountain range was?"

"I don't," the man said, shaking his head. "I was a refugee, exiled from my homeland. I met my wife on the road, and later we ran into a Taoist priest. He gave me two Jade Pendants and told me to hang them on that broken stone gate. Then he told me to come here and plant plum trees, saying I could live the rest of my life without worrying about food or clothing."

The man's expression turned bitter. "This place truly is a treasure. The plum trees grow incredibly fast. But there are so many thugs, and the money they demand keeps increasing."

After offering a few words of comfort, Xu Lai asked, "May I ask, friend, do you remember what that Taoist priest looked like?"

The man shook his head. "I don't. He appeared and vanished in a flash, like an immortal."

"And the flowers in front of the tombs on the back mountain? Did you place them there?" Xu Lai asked again.

"That was my wife," the man explained. "She said that even though this land is ownerless now, those tombs must belong to the former owners. Since we're using their land, we should go and pay our respects every year."

Xu Lai said nothing. He simply nodded and said, "Thank you."

The man looked puzzled, not understanding what this mysterious young master was thanking him for.

Xu Lai tilted his head and looked toward the thatched cottage. The two-year-old girl was peeking out from behind her mother, blinking her big eyes at him. He couldn't help but make a funny face.

The little girl burst out laughing and made a funny face back.

Withdrawing his gaze, Xu Lai spoke. "Friend, your daughter has a spiritual root, and her aptitude is quite good. Have you never considered letting her cultivate?"

"A spiritual root…" The middle-aged man's expression changed, and he bowed hastily. "So the young master is a cultivator! Please forgive our negligence."

"There was no negligence," Xu Lai said.

The man sighed. "I won't be ashamed to admit it to you, Young Master. It costs three thousand taels of silver for my daughter to even enter an Immortal Gate, with no guarantee that she'll be able to stay. I'm working hard to save up the money."

Xu Lai chatted with the man for a few more moments before turning to leave.

At the sect gate, Taotie came forward to meet him. "Young Master," he asked respectfully, "did you find any clues?"

Xu Lai shook his head. The man had no idea who the mysterious Taoist was. It seemed this lead was a dead end.

Taotie scratched his head. He was a simple brute and had never liked using his brain. In a situation like this, he would have long since asked Baize, the Second Divine General, for help.

"It's fine. There's no rush," Xu Lai said coolly. "The other party must have some scheme. They'll be back."

SWISH, SWISH, SWISH—

Just then, dozens of streaks of light shot across the distant sky, led by none other than Chen Beiming, the pride of the Liuyun Sect. He landed on the ground with an arrogant air. Standing beside him was a middle-aged man who bore a resemblance to him. Behind them were twelve elders, who made no effort to conceal their terrifying realm pressure. They looked at Xu Lai's group as if they were already dead. These elders all wore pure white robes embroidered with flowing clouds on the chest.

"The City Lord of Qiuyue City, Chen Xian!" Ye Meizi's face went deathly pale. "And the twelve Elders of the Liuyun Sect…"

Their menacing approach made Ye Meizi incredibly tense. He whispered, "The Elders of the Liuyun Sect are all in the Golden Core Realm, and the City Lord of Qiuyue is at the Half-Step Nascent Soul Realm! Young Master Xu, we have to run! They're up to no good."

"Run?" one of the Liuyun Sect Elders sneered. "And where would you run to?"

"City Lord Chen, did you really summon all twelve of us just to deal with a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator? Young Master Chen could have handled this alone."

Another Elder chimed in, "City Lord Chen, just don't forget the three Spirit Veins you promised us."

Chen Beiming and his father, Chen Xian, exchanged a look, neither of them mentioning the 'Spiritual Wine Jar'. After learning what happened from his son's attendant, Chen Xian grew fearful that the young man had a powerful background. He had thus paid a great price to invite the twelve Elders from the Liuyun Sect. This way, even if their opponent had backing, he could pull the Liuyun Sect in to face the consequences with him. After all, the Supreme Elder of the Liuyun Sect was once one of the Heavenly Court's Heavenly Soldiers. With that connection, couldn't they do as they pleased in the Eastern Desolate Domain?

"Fellow Daoists, I seem to have lost a valuable treasure in the teahouse just now. I suspect you three stole it," Chen Beiming said with a brilliant smile. "So, if you'll just hand over all of your storage magical treasures."

Xu Lai stood with his hands behind his back, saying nothing.

Taotie sneered, "You fly. You've been buzzing around behind us for half the day. Turns out you just wanted to kill us for our treasures."

In the Cultivation World, the strong preyed on the weak. Murder for treasure was a common affair.

"My friend, you're mistaken," Chen Beiming said, shaking his head. "I am simply here to retrieve my lost treasure. If you refuse to cooperate, then don't blame me for being discourteous."

Ye Meizi looked toward City Lord Chen Xian, clasped his hands, and said in a trembling voice, "I have long heard of City Lord Chen's impartiality. Sir, we certainly did not take your son's treasure. I implore you to see the truth!"

Chen Xian frowned but remained silent.

Chen Beiming thought his father's heart had softened and was about to urge him on, but then he heard his father's emotionless voice.

"Beiming, I've taught you a million times. If you're going to kill someone, just kill them. Stop dithering."

Chen Xian stated flatly, "Elders, please make your move. Once this is done, the three Spirit Veins are yours!"

As he finished speaking, the twelve Elders of the Liuyun Sect all burst into hearty laughter. "That's right! A person must be ruthless. Young Master Chen still has much to learn."

Chen Beiming nodded eagerly, indicating he had learned his lesson.

Ye Meizi was petrified with terror. With twelve Golden Core Elders attacking at once, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like him would be killed in an instant, without even a body left to bury. He cried out anxiously, "Young Master Xu, we have to go! Now!"

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