"We still don't know where the Source is."

The night was hazy. Chen Nan glanced around, gently closed the door, and walked outside.

"Since it's a forbidden area, it must be in a hidden place. The direction of the Illusion Realm entrance—I didn't see anything special when I came in earlier. It should be right to go further inside." Chen Nan turned his back to the Illusion Realm entrance and walked deeper in.

Knowing well that the Liu family's Illusion Realm was full of experts, Chen Nan was extra careful on his way.

He tried his best to hide his aura, avoiding inhabited places, steering clear of all the houses, and continued deeper into the Illusion Realm.

This Illusion Realm of the Liu family was vast. After proceeding for about three kilometers, there were no more houses ahead, just an endless forest. With this, Chen Nan breathed a sigh of relief. Since there was no one living ahead, it meant he didn't need to be as cautious as before.

"The Life Source should be in this forest, right?" Chen Nan muttered to himself, a little excited, and quickened his pace inward.

At first, there were still sounds of crickets and birds in the forest, but the further he went, the quieter it became.

After about a kilometer, the forest was dead silent, eerily so, devoid of life. When he looked ahead, a huge stele stood erected with eight large characters inscribed on it—Liu Family Forbidden Area, Trespassers Will Die!

"It seems even the Liu family members can't enter at will. This must be the Life Source without a doubt."

Ignoring the warning on the stele, Chen Nan strode inside.

The aura ahead grew increasingly cold, as if entering the Underworld, sending a chill down one's spine, making one feel uneasy. The trees here were equally enormous; it took several people to wrap around the massive trunks, and the crowns spread, cutting off the forest from the sky.

These were likely thousand-year-old ancient trees, or even older.

After walking a few hundred meters further, Chen Nan saw an ancient well.

It was a very old well, its mouth constructed with piled stones. Strangely, while every other place was covered with moss, this ancient well was bare, with nothing but stones.

Could this well be the Life Source?

Chen Nan wondered silently, excitement surging within him, and quickened his steps toward the ancient well.

When he was two meters away from the well, Chen Nan slowed his pace, heightened his vigilance, and moved cautiously to the edge of the well, peered down into it. Inside was pitch-black; despite Chen Nan's cultivation, he couldn't see clearly what it was like.

"The Life Source shouldn't be so lifeless, should it?"

Chen Nan muttered to himself, scratching his head as he looked into the dark ancient well, confused, when a voice came from behind—

"Young Master Chen, our Liu family treats you as an honored guest, but it seems inappropriate for you to intrude upon our family's forbidden area in the dead of night?" A woman's voice came, the purple mist wafting as Liu Ziyuan slowly approached from behind.

He was actually followed by her!

Chen Nan was surprised; Liu Ziyuan's cultivation was too formidable. She followed behind him, yet he didn't notice at all.

Turning around, Chen Nan wore a faint smile, "Miss Ziyan, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I just couldn't sleep at night and came out for a walk. I didn't expect to accidentally wander into the forbidden area. Please forgive me."

"Out for a walk?" Liu Ziyuan smiled lightly as she came forward, "Ziyan remembers, I reminded Young Master Chen at that time, our Liu family enforces a curfew at night, and no one may go out. Although Young Master Chen is an esteemed guest, you cannot break our family's rules. So, did Ziyan remember it wrong, or did Young Master Chen forget this?"

"This..."

Chen Nan smiled apologetically, "Miss Ziyan is right, I was too careless, seeing the beautiful night in this Illusion Realm, I momentarily forgot the rules."

"Young Master Chen is an esteemed guest, and our Liu family should give some respect. However, next time, do not trespass into the forbidden area." Although Liu Ziyuan spoke generously, her tone was somewhat cold, implying to Chen Nan that if he dared to trespass the forbidden area again, the Liu family would not let it go easily.

Chen Nan had no choice but to leave the forbidden area with her.

After all, in terms of cultivation, he was no match for Liu Ziyuan and had no chance to investigate whether this ancient well was indeed the Life Source.

After leaving the forest, Liu Ziyuan said to Chen Nan, "Actually, this ancient well is not the Life Source."

"Miss Ziyan might as well say it all at once." Chen Nan said.

Liu Ziyuan smiled faintly, "Tiantian has already mentioned that you came seeking the Water of Life. If your intrusion just now was to find the spring water, then you needn't have done so, because the Family Head will discuss it with you tomorrow. Besides, without the Family Head's consent, you won't find the Life Source."

"Miss, there is a misunderstanding, I really did accidentally enter the forbidden area, not wanting to take the spring water." Although both parties knew well, Chen Nan absolutely would not admit it.

After returning to his lodging, Liu Ziyuan bid farewell and left, and Chen Nan did not go out again.

After the earlier incident, he was well aware that all his actions were probably under the surveillance of the Liu family, making it impossible to take the spring water by himself.

...

The next morning, Liu Ziyuan brought some Spirit Fruit to him.

This was the Liu family's breakfast.

Around eleven in the morning, Liu Ziyuan appeared again at Chen Nan's door, saying the Family Head requested to see him.

Chen Nan followed her out of the room, contemplating the Liu family's mannerisms—it was spectacularly ostentatious. They let him stay outside for half a day yesterday and only arranged accommodation by nightfall. And now, almost noon, the Family Head was finally planning to meet him.

"If it weren't for the spring water, I wouldn't bother meeting you."

Chen Nan muttered, but when Liu Ziyuan heard this, she immediately turned back, and Chen Nan quickly fell silent, knowing this was not the time to offend her.

After a few turns and several hundred meters of walking, they finally arrived in front of a pavilion. Inside, a middle-aged man was sitting by a stone table, with a chessboard laid out before him.

"This is our Family Head," Liu Ziyuan said and then turned to leave.

Chen Nan stepped forward a few steps, cupped his fist in greeting. At this point, Liu Zhong gestured to the stone stool opposite him and then picked up a chess piece, setting up a central cannon.

What is it with this Liu family and their love for chess?

Recalling last night's white-haired elder, Chen Nan scratched his head, walked to face Liu Zhong, and instead of defending with a knight, he also set up a central cannon.

Point against point, a display of aggressive dominance.

Liu Zhong couldn't help but frown, raising his head to glance at Chen Nan, then jumped a knight to defend.

While Liu Zhong was highly skilled at chess, there was a notable gap when compared to the white-haired elder from the previous night. Thus, Chen Nan eventually offered him a draw despite having a significant advantage.

After the game concluded, Liu Zhong couldn't help but regard Chen Nan with newfound respect.

A moment later, he stared at Chen Nan and said, "To put it bluntly, you can have the spring water, but you must exchange it with your life."

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