Outside the other courtyard,
Leading Military Officer Yun Tiansheng wrapped his shoulder blade with a strip of white cloth, furrowing his brow at the sight of his cousin, who had been missing for a day and was believed to have perished in the jaws of demons:
"Are you alright? When you weren’t seen yesterday, Father even sent others to search for you."
"Thank you to Second Uncle and Third Brother for your concern." Yun Zhuosheng didn’t expect to encounter his usually imposing third brother outside the other courtyard. A flicker of guilt passed through his eyes as he began to cover up:
"My younger brother’s arm was bitten off by a beast and swallowed. I chased it for a long time and struggled with it before I managed to kill it and reattach my arm. I consumed too much True Qi on the way back, so I meditated for a while, and that’s why I returned late." Yun Zhuosheng lifted up his unhealed arm, showing the crisscrossed bite marks, fierce and distinct.
Yun Tiansheng glanced at it, his facial expression still unchanged, but then he flicked his sleeve,
"Take this!"
"This is a Revitalizing Pill bestowed by our superior. It will help with your injury. Go back and take it."
Yun Zhuosheng clumsily caught the Small White Jade Bottle, "Thanks... thank you, Third Brother!"
Yun Tiansheng nodded and grunted in response, then stepped aside.
"Go in."
Yet Yun Zhuosheng hesitated again, "Third Brother... Aren’t you curious why I’ve come to see our superior?"
"You came here, so you must have important matters. There’s no need for you to tell anyone else, including me. Just show the General the proper respect, and do not overstep your bounds."
"Go now!"
Yun Zhuosheng bowed his head.
"Thank you for the lesson, Third Brother."
After that, he walked into the other courtyard, through the long passageway, and into the great hall.
At that moment, a green silhouette with a hand resting on the back of a chair caught his eyes.
Upon seeing this figure, Yun Zhuosheng felt as if he was facing a mountain. His breath caught, his face tense, he hurriedly stepped forward to pay respects, his head bowed deeply.
"Commoner Yun Zhuosheng, greetings to the superior!"
At this moment, Chen Yuan turned around, his face bearing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, "I’ve seen you before."
When returning to Jingguan City from Tianxiong Pass, he had passed by a derelict temple in the wilderness. This man seemed to be escorting a father and daughter back to the Yun Family at the time; they didn’t interact much, but it happened now that they were coincidentally brought together.
Yun Zhuosheng looked up and saw Chen Yuan’s seemingly amused expression, his gaze suddenly tensed. He recalled not allowing his cousin to send food and fleeing from demons without caring for this person. Now, filled with unease and regret, he worried whether this superior still remembered.
"May the superior forgive me, for I did not recognize you at that time..."
He was still speaking when Chen Yuan interrupted him,
"There’s no need to be so nervous. This General wouldn’t trouble you for such matters. It is only right to look after oneself in the Worldly society. What crime is there to speak of? The Yun Family’s presence in Guang’an Prefecture alone is worthy of my additional regard." Saying so, Chen Yuan leaned on the chair back and loosened his eyebrows, "Stand up and speak. What’s the matter?"
Yun Zhuosheng stood up, his expression shifting as he took a deep breath, gathering his courage to speak quickly: "I, the commoner, dare to offer a treasured discovery to the superior."
Chen Yuan had assumed this Yun Family youngster came with a request, but hearing this answer, he raised his eyebrows and rubbed the back of the chair, showing a trace of interest.
"What treasure?"
Seeing this reaction, Yun Zhuosheng also calmed his nervous heart and began to retell what he had witnessed below a cliff after chasing a demon following the previous day’s battle.
"Superior, after you demonstrated your divine might at Wind Howling Ridge yesterday and defeated the Devil Race army, the demons fled. In the battle with the Demon Soldiers earlier, a beast unfortunately bit off half of my arm..."
Saying so, the Yun Family’s descendant showed his wounded arm and continued:
"Our Yun Family’s Cultivation Technique... Consequently, I pursued that demon northwest for forty miles and finally slew the beast. Afterwards, I inadvertently entered a cliff..."
Yun Zhuosheng first described feeling an intense concentration of Essence Qi in the cliff area and then finally got to the main point.
"At that moment, I felt there must be treasures nearby, so I went to investigate. Since it was nearly impossible to see inside, I carefully sensed the changes in the concentration of the Essence Qi. Finally, after a long search in the mist, I saw on the cliff wall a plant-like green jade, incredibly beautiful in a way I find hard to describe."
Recounting, Yun Zhuosheng was lost in the memory, awkwardly describing his shock at that moment, distinctly remembering the scene,
"The Essence Qi there was like an ocean. I couldn’t control my emotions at that time and was about to reach for it when the plant turned into a dragon and flew away, vanishing into the cliffs."
"So, I immediately came to report to the superior!"
After finishing, he lowered his head, yet couldn’t help but look up to gauge Chen Yuan’s reaction.
Chen Yuan withdrew his hand, which was resting on the chair back, and dropped his jesting demeanor.
He had seen many treasures and initially didn’t take the other’s words seriously, but as he listened, and saw the earnestness in the other’s eyes, he grew serious.
"Did you see it clearly?"
"I dare not deceive the superior; I’m absolutely certain." Yun Zhuosheng quickly responded.
Chen Yuan could tell if someone was lying. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly asked: "You are of the Yun Family; why didn’t you tell them?"
As the words landed, Yun Zhuosheng seemed to be poked at his inner thoughts, appearing slightly flustered, "One should be virtuous to possess treasures, and I think only the superior is worthy."
"I want to hear the truth!" Chen Yuan’s brows knitted.
Yun Zhuosheng fell to his knees, his head down, "This humble one cannot enjoy such a fortune. I am just a member of a side branch of the Yun Family, with a meagre cultivation base. I merely seek refuge in these chaotic times, hoping to gain the superior’s favor."
He had his own ulterior motives.
With his own strength so meager, to only watch a treasure fly away before his eyes was something he naturally couldn’t accept. Even if he truly told his main family, he estimated he would likely only be able to watch on as well; not to mention whether he would actually get his hands on it. As for the benefits that could come to a child of the fifth branch like himself, whether he would be able to evade the scrutiny of this mighty figure’s Dharma Eye was another matter entirely.
Better to seize the opportunity all at once!
Speaking of Guang’an Prefecture, who currently held the most power and prestige, the person before him was second to none, his abilities reached the sky, and his fierceness from yesterday was still vivid in his memory.
Chen Yuan glanced at this member of the Yun Family’s descendants, who had only reached the Qi Refining Peak.
It was reasonable for him to strive for personal profit. It would be fine as long as he spoke up. With that, a smile crept into Chen Yuan’s eyes.
"Well done!"
"If it is true, what would you think of this General rewarding you with a stroke of good fortune?"
"Lead the way!"
As he spoke, qi billowed from beneath his feet, wrapping around the Yun Family descendant as they soared from the hall towards the sky, vanishing in a flash, transforming into an escape light flying towards the west.
About the time it takes for one pot of tea to brew later, Chen Yuan arrived at the cliff shrouded in mist as pointed out by Yun Zhuosheng.
Chen Yuan surveyed the surrounding mountains. This place was suited for gathering wind and collecting qi, with mist that didn’t disperse for a long time, accompanied by a waterfall that plunged directly over the cliff, like a Hidden Dragon in the abyss.
He stood upon the clouds, his eyes radiating golden light, which suddenly intensified as two beams of golden light pierced the mist, illuminating the inside of the clouds.
Beneath the Dharma Eye, he saw specks of light in various colors lingering deep in the abyss, the Essence Qi of the heaven and earth was indeed denser here than the outside world; one’s cultivation speed could multiply if practicing here.
This left him somewhat astonished.
Given the proximity to Guang’an City, such an extraordinary place should have been claimed by someone long ago.
Could it be that the geomantic layout of this land has just recently taken shape, giving birth to that treasure?
His mind racing, Chen Yuan rode the clouds, swiftly following the cliff edge, his Magic Eye Golden Light ceaselessly scanning.
minutes later, Chen Yuan’s Dharma Eye swept over a section of the cliff, and his gaze suddenly intensified.
Through the mist with the Dharma Eye, he saw a dark pool beside which stood a crystal-clear small tree only as tall as a man, with branches like coiling dragons shimmering in dazzling green light, dense Essence Qi undulating and emitting from it.
Under the Magic Eye Golden Light, this small tree was not really a tree, but made up of something resembling Tao Qi, with divine patterns flickering within.
He suddenly felt a profound sense of fortunate enlightenment.
This object was transformed from the Dragon Vein of the land; it didn’t exist before, but when the Devil Race breached the barriers, the ephemeral Luck of the world dissipated.
It seemed that among the Luck Pei Yanhu mentioned, such a manifestation of heaven and earth was indeed one of them.
Without further ado, he raised his hand, and the Nine Marvels Thirty-Six Mountain Demon Suppression Tower emerged spinning from his palm, then he tossed it into the mist below the cliff. The tower spun rapidly as it enlarged, plummeting downward.
And for himself, his feet sank as he shot down like a comet.
Soon after, the mist below boiled like a cauldron, followed by a high-pitched dragon’s cry rising from the cliff.
Then, green light shone brilliantly, and a thunderous rumbling resounded.
Nearby mountain walls vibrated intensely, and chunks of rock tumbled down with a loud clatter, creating an impressive momentum.
It was like an earth dragon rolling underneath, and the cliffs on both sides exploded open with cracks and collapsed thunderously towards the bottom of the abyss.
High above the clouds, Yun Zhuosheng watched in trepidation; even this great individual couldn’t subdue the treasure in an instant, and his own earlier desire to possess it seemed rather laughable now.
"Zheng"
Suddenly, a fierce Dragon Head resembling a towering tree emerged from the mist, emitting a high-pitched dragon’s cry, attempting to escape.
At that moment, a cold snort came from below.
A sound like an air explosion echoed as golden Divine Chains soared, tightly entwining the "Dragon Head", and then with a violent pull, dragged it downward.
The "Dragon Head" cried in pain as it rapidly plummeted.
This was followed by a humming vibration, and the reverberations spread throughout the cliff.
After about half an hour, the noise finally ceased.
Shortly after, a figure soared into the sky and landed upon the cloud tops.
At this moment, Chen Yuan was radiating Essence Qi powerfully, his eyes shining with divine light, exuding an overwhelming presence as he glanced at Yun Zhuosheng.
He reached out with a claw-like grab towards him, drawing him in close.
"General!" Exclaimed Yun Zhuosheng, his face turning pale with surprise.
But in the next second, he saw golden light shooting from Chen Yuan’s eyes, converging on his forehead, turning into a spot of gold lacquer. Chen Yuan’s hands moved like lightning in front of his governing vessel, patting several times.
A few cracking sounds erupted from within the body of the Yun Family descendant.
Then, Chen Yuan flicked his sleeve and a bottle flew out, "The General keeps his word; the rest is up to you now."
Saying this, he placed the person onto the land and, with a flash, disappeared from the spot.
For Yun Zhuosheng, the feeling of his governing and conception vessels being incredibly smooth, the heat in his forehead, and True Qi surging towards the Twelve Story Building brought joy to his face.
He was about to achieve the Profound Body!

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