Moving south from Heavenly Star Province lies Jian State of Mountain Country.
This state is shunned by heaven and earth, bereft of Immortal Sects' presence, devoid of tranquil Spiritual Energy; only a few insignificant sects rejected elsewhere have managed to take root here, with the strongest rely at the Spirit Void Realm.
Under the blazing sun, amidst endless white clouds,
A Daoist in blue robes strolls leisurely into Jian State.
In one hand, the Daoist toys with a luminous, translucent Elixir Pill; at his side follow seven conspicuous birds.
It is none other than Lu Qingfeng.
The 'Seven Birds' in the 'Seven Beasts Small Divine Number' actually refer to the phoenix, green phoenix, roc, peacock, white crane, swan, and xiao niao of the 'Five Insects, Seven Birds, and Nine Beasts'; divine beasts all.
With Lu Qingfeng's cultivation level, he clearly cannot enslave these Seven Birds, not even managing to procure their feathers. Instead, he travels far and wide to find birds rumored to carry the bloodlines of the 'Seven Birds'—the Red Bird, Luanniao, Iron Feathered Flying Eagle, Five-Colored Bird, white crane, wild goose, and Divine Cat Hawk—and tas them for his use.
For the current Lu Qingfeng, this proves quite sufficient.
However, the procession is sowhat grand—
The Divine Cat Hawk perches on Lu Qingfeng's left shoulder, asleep. The Divine Cat Hawk is in fact the very owl Lu Qingfeng knows of, identical in appearance and habit, sleeping during the day.
On the right shoulder, the Five-Colored Bird occasionally unfurls its brilliant plumage, stretching its vocal cords.
The other birds, including the Red Bird, Luanniao, Iron Feathered Flying Eagle, white crane, and wild goose with their enormous body sizes, either follow high in the skies or march diligently behind Lu Qingfeng.
Playing with the Elixir Pill in his left hand, Lu Qingfeng arrives at a city.
"Taifeng City."
Lu Qingfeng raises his eyes, entering the city and after making several turns, stops before a mansion.
"Han Mansion."
"This is the place."
With a flicker, Lu Qingfeng vanishes into the mansion.
...
In Han Mansion,
Mr. Han is on his deathbed, his visage withered, sitting cross-legged in the ancestral hall.
Behind him, eight of the most outstanding mbers of the second, third, and fourth generations of the Han Family kneel on the ground, their faces filled with grief.
"The cycle of life and death is the natural order for all. I, Han Lin, have had the fortune to et two benefactors in my life—a stroke of imnse luck. Having lived 312 years, what more can I ask for?"
Mr. Han's voice is hoarse, his eyes lifting to gaze at the two highest morial tablets enshrined above, a look of reminiscence in them.
Then there's a prolonged silence.
One of the best of Mr. Han's great-grandchildren, Han Li, raises his head and sees the desolation on his great-grandfather's figure, feeling unbearable sadness in his heart.
"Father."
The kneeling elder at the forefront calls out softly.
"Oh—"
Mr. Han seems to awaken from a deep dream, suddenly revitalized, his eyes becoming clear from their previous murkiness.
A flicker of life before the end!
Seeing this, the elder who spoke does not feel the slightest joy; instead, his heart falls deeper into the abyss.
But then, Mr. Han turns around, his relaxed face wearing a smile, "My achievents in this life owe everything to my benefactors Sun Jiu and Guang Yuan. Master Sun Jiu led to the Daoist path and t his end in the belly of a minor demon. After reaching the Foundation Establishnt Stage, I slew that demon. Master Guang Yuan took in when I was insignificant, teaching with care, passing on the Supre Skill with deep affection. With the Supre Skills and the Wanxiang Puppet bestowed by the master, the Han Family managed to establish itself in Taifeng City."
"It is a pity that I, his disciple, am dull-witted. Despite possessing the Magic Gate, I ultimately cannot escape death. The revenge for Master Guang Yuan must now be sought by you all."
Having spoken so much, Mr. Han appears tired.
"Father."
"Grandfather."
"Great-grandfather."
Seeing this, the eight kneeling elders, middle-aged n, and youths call out softly, with the leading man in a black robe tremblingly saying, "Father, rest assured, as long as the Han Family exists, we will instruct the younger generations to never forget the great kindness of our two masters. If any descendant becos a Jiedan True Man, they will return to our ancestral holand and slay the Demon King to avenge the blood feud!"
As Han Lin's son, Han Chun knows what his father cannot let go of the most.
"As it should be."
"Good——"
Mr. Han's heart was serene, eyes looking forward, as if seeing his once glorious ntor Guang Yuan approaching once again. The ntor, just like the old tis, wore a blue robe Daoist garnt, with a spirited and handso presence. And he felt as if he had returned to three hundred years ago, when he was still the young True Qi Realm cultivator guarding Panlong Mountain, his heart filled with fear of the unknown and anxiety for the future.
"Master."
Han Lin stood up, kneeling to the ground towards the young man outside the door, his eyes already brimming with hot tears.
"Sigh."
Lu Qingfeng sighed softly, standing in front of Han Lin.
Back when they first t, the enthusiastic young man who wished to stay in Panlong Mountain, striving for a transcendental cultivation path, was now aged and stooped.
It just makes sense.
At their first eting, Han Lin was already twenty-two years old.
Eleven years of teaching on Panlong Mountain.
Then the sixth, seventh, eighth generations to the current separation of two hundred and seventy-six years.
Calculating carefully, Han Lin was now three hundred and nine years old. With his Foundation Establishnt and Essence Cultivation Realm level cultivation, it was no small feat that he had managed to hold on until now.
By the ti Lu Qingfeng arrived, Han Lin was prostrated on the ground, and when he looked up again, his eyes were full of longing, unwillingness, mixed with a touch of resentnt, which ultimately settled into silence.
"Dad!"
"Grandpa!"
"Great-grandfather!"
In the ancestral hall, cries echoed.
...
"The road to cultivation has progress but no retreat."
"Either succeed or die, only leaving behind a heart full of regrets."
Lu Qingfeng walked out of the Han Mansion, feeling sowhat heavy in his heart.
Having returned to Heavenly Star State, Lu Qingfeng had early on been deducing the whereabouts of the eight disciples on Panlong Mountain. Initially, after being killed by a palm strike from the Hun Mountain Demon King and being resurrected, he had sent to each of the eight disciples a Level 6 Puppet and a Side Door Level Skill, instructing them to leave Heavenly Star State quickly.
Unfortunately, along the way, the three Foundation Establishnt disciples Wang Qianchao, Zhou Dayu, and Zheng Yuncheng acted carelessly and were ambushed and t untily deaths. Together with them, the Zhang brothers Zhang Mu, Zhang Lin, and Zhang Sen also t a violent end.
Only Han Lin was cautious, and with good fortune, took with him the Fetal Breathing Realm junior brother Wang Li, crossing tens of thousands of miles of wilderness to settle in Taifeng City of Jian State, Mountain Country.
On the way, Han Lin was injured, his foundation damaged, originally hopeful to reach the Spirit Void Realm, yet ultimately was stranded at the Foundation Establishnt and Essence Cultivation.
Wang Li, over two hundred years ago, had cultivated to the Foundation Establishnt Stage and then departed from Taifeng City to wander afar. Now his whereabouts were unknown. Lu Qingfeng could only deduce that Wang Li was still alive, sowhere in the south, but could not pinpoint his exact location.
Eight disciples.
In the end, he only managed to see Han Lin, and that too at his dying monts. Lu Qingfeng's cultivation was limited; he could not turn back the tides of fate.
...
Now that Han Lin was deceased, Lu Qingfeng did not linger in the Han Mansion.
Leaving Taifeng City, he sought a place for secluded cultivation.
He had hurried over from Yuanwu Country's Heavenly Star State to Jian State of Mountain Country, just to see the disciple he had taken in casually. With this matter concluded, he sunk back into cultivation.
Throughout his journey, Lu Qingfeng held the 'Bone Marrow Nourishing and Essence Boosting Pill,' constantly probing with True Yuan.
This was a Second Rank Elixir, useful for those at the Nourishing Yuan and Body Refining Realms.
Lu Qingfeng attempted using the Derivation Technique to analyze if it had any effect on the Elixir Pills. Traveling and cultivating in seclusion, after a little over three months—
[Derivation Technique: Bone Marrow Nourishing and Essence Boosting Pill]
[Magic Gate: Bone Marrow Nourishing and Essence Boosting Pill Refining thod, Experience Value: Three hundred]
"Indeed!"
A great joy appeared on Lu Qingfeng's face.
As he expected, the Derivation Technique analysis was effective on the Elixir Pills as well. With just one Elixir Pill, he could analyze the refining thod.
"From now on, focus on cultivation primarily and seek Elixirs and treasures as a secondary focus."
Lu Qingfeng settled on a plan.
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