318: Chapter 318 Paying Homage to Yu Xu

Another month passed. It had already been six and a half years since Chen Changqing and the other left Yan Country. On this day, outside Yan Country, two figures appeared from not far away.

"Six and a half years. I didn't expect this trip to take a full six and a half years," Li Qingling said as she looked at Chen Changqing beside her, then turned to gaze into the distance at the entire Yan Country with a heart full of emotion.

"Indeed! Going out on this trip, both of our strengths have greatly advanced. Now in Yan Country, those who can defeat me can be counted on two hands," Chen Changqing smiled and said.

Li Qingling pinched him and smiled, saying, "I know you are amazing now. I have also cultivated the first layer of the Zhou Tian Stars, condensing stars within my Sea of Consciousness, and my Divine Soul has also grown twofold. Even the Divine Soul of a Pseudo-Core Realm Expert might not be stronger than mine. I really want to find someone to test it out right now."

As the two spoke, they headed in the direction of Yan Country.

Along the way, they passed by many places, only to discover that there were far fewer auras within the native territory of Yan Country.

Most of them were at the Foundation Establishment level.

Could it be that some major event had occurred during the time they left Yan Country?

The two subsequently headed toward a marketplace.

After entering the marketplace, they found it very desolate. Furthermore, almost everyone walking on the streets were Qi Refining Cultivators, and not a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator was to be seen.

They casually found a Qi Refining Cultivator to ask.

Only then did they learn that Yan Country no longer restricted local Cultivators from leaving Yan Country to seek Opportunities. Those Cultivators who were able to leave had already left, while some who were unwilling to leave remained in Yan Country.

Aside from their Chen family, there were also quite a few Purple Mansion forces, and even Golden Core forces, all harboring their own agendas.

For example, the Lihuo Sect of Cang Prefecture back then; aside from traveling through Tang Country, Master Yanhuo's primary objective was to find a region where the Lihuo Sect could develop long-term.

Although Tang Country was vast, its cultivation resources were likewise limited, and more than half of them were located within hazardous areas. However, Tang Country still did not prevent Cultivators from other cultivation worlds from heading there to seek Opportunities, as long as they did not cause trouble.

Besides that, Chu Country and Zhao Country likewise did not prevent Cultivators from other cultivation worlds from going there.

After all, the territories of these three cultivation worlds were so vast that they themselves could not fully manage them all. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many Golden Core forces underneath them.

It was just that the Nascent Soul forces of these three countries possessed absolute authority, and the subordinate Golden Core forces dared not disobey. Otherwise, at the very least, they would suffer some punishment, and at worst, they might be directly eradicated.

As for external forces like them who wanted to gain a foothold within the territory of the three countries, one option was to lease territory from them, and the second was to offer a portion of resources as tribute every year.

Since most areas within the three countries were hazardous regions, the leased territories were generally also very dangerous. Therefore, these external forces not only needed enough Spirit Stones to lease the territory, but they were also responsible for clearing out the Yao Beasts within it.

Consequently, these external forces were essentially working for the three countries of Tang, Chu, and Zhao.

After all, they had to contribute both money and effort, while also ensuring an annual tribute of resources. On top of that, if the lease period expired and they didn't have enough Spirit Stones to continue leasing, they would have to hand the territory over to the nearest Golden Core force and let them send people to take over.

This approach was indeed unfair to external forces. However, being able to gain a foothold within these three countries was already sufficient for many forces.

At the very least, they could obtain other resources impossible to acquire in other cultivation worlds, even Purple Mansion spiritual objects.

In merely half a month, Chen Changqing and the other returned from Yizhou to Cang Prefecture.

Passing through Cang Prefecture City, Chen Changqing and Li Qingling took the Opportunity to head to the Yuxu Sect to pay respects to their respective Revered Masters.

Arriving outside the mountain gate of the Yuxu Sect, the two took out their tokens, and the mountain-guarding Disciples immediately let them pass without daring to obstruct them.

"Brother, I will head to Baicao Peak first to greet Revered Master. Once I'm done, we'll meet up and head to Wanxiang Peak together," Li Qingling said.

Chen Changqing nodded. His destination was Yuxu Peak, which was a different route from Li Qingling's, and he also needed to make a trip to Wanxiang Peak.

After all, Dong Tianheng had helped him quite a bit when he was alive, even though he had once scammed him.

The two departed in separate directions. Along the way, quite a few inner Sect Cultivators saw Chen Changqing and looked at him with confusion and strangeness in their eyes.

They didn't know who this unfamiliar Purple Palace Cultivator was. They only assumed he was a Junior Martial Uncle from the Sect who had been traveling outside, except that the aura emitted by this Junior Martial Uncle was extremely powerful—so powerful that just a glance made them feel a stinging glare.

Just as Chen Changqing was heading in the direction of Yuxu Peak, streaks of Divine Sense swept toward him—about seven in total. One of them was terrifyingly immense, evidently belonging to a Golden Core Master, and this gaze came from within the Yuxu Hall.

"Not bad. I haven't seen you in decades, yet your cultivation has actually risen to such a level," an aged voice sounded beside Chen Changqing's ear.

Chen Changqing was startled. Then, while cupping his fists in salute, he transmitted his voice: "Revered Master."

Immortal Master Yuyuan nodded inside the grand hall.

"Disperse," he said. Those six strands of Divine Sense immediately withdrew, no longer probing Chen Changqing.

Before long, Chen Changqing arrived outside the grand hall.

"Come in!" Immortal Master Yuyuan's voice came from inside the hall.

Chen Changqing cupped his fists in salute, and only then slowly walked into the grand hall.

Inside the grand hall, besides Immortal Master Yuyuan sitting in the primary seat, three Purple Palace Cultivators were standing below. One of them Chen Changqing recognized: Master Yuzhen.

Seeing Chen Changqing once more, Master Yuzhen was startled by his aura, but he quickly reacted and nodded at him.

After exchanging greetings with the others, Chen Changqing looked toward Immortal Master Yuyuan in the primary seat.

"Revered Master, this Disciple has returned from traveling and dropped by to see Revered Master," Chen Changqing said. Speaking of this, he seemed to only just remember that he had previously taken another Revered Master.

It would have been fine if he hadn't thought of it, but thinking of it felt somewhat odd.

However, he was merely a Named Disciple of Immortal Master Yuyuan, so it should logically be fine.

"Mn, I haven't seen you in decades, yet your cultivation has already reached the fifth level of the Purple Mansion. Not bad, not bad. Even though this old man has cultivated for nearly a thousand years, it is my first time seeing a Prodigy like you," Immortal Master Yuyuan stroked his beard and smiled.

"What?" Master Yuzhen was dumbfounded. Did he hear wrong? This Junior Brother Chen was already at the fifth level of the Purple Mansion?

The other two didn't quite understand and didn't show any surprised expressions, but it was their first time seeing this person, and his cultivation was only a fraction weaker than theirs.

"Revered Master flatters me. This Disciple was simply lucky. Had I not encountered some Opportunities in Tang Country, I truly wouldn't have been able to reach this level," Chen Changqing said modestly. Previously, his cultivation had already reached the fourth level of the Purple Mansion, but few people knew about it. Therefore, he intended to conceal this situation, claiming that he was only at the third level of the Purple Mansion when he headed to Tang Country, and that it was because of Tang Country that he could reach the current fifth level of the Purple Mansion.

In fact, he had already hidden his aura before coming. The Breath-Hiding Technique he cultivated was such that even a Pseudo-Core Realm Expert couldn't detect his aura. Yet he hadn't expected that in front of this Revered Master, he couldn't even manage to conceal it. Actually, besides paying respects to Revered Master, coming here was also to use him to test just how far his Breath-Hiding Technique could reach.