To comprehend all laws and attain immortality

Chapter 336 Revisiting the Western Continent

"The Qin state?"

Qi Zongyuan frowned slightly, saying with concern, "The Western Continent is currently in chaos. Elder, going there... would be far too dangerous."

When Gu Fan last went to Xizhou, it was at the invitation of the Chen and Qin states, and he was there as a distinguished guest, so naturally no one dared to make a move against him.

Going alone is a completely different story.

If Chen Guo discovers this and secretly takes action, and something goes wrong, the Lingxiao Sect will lose a pillar of strength, and the plan he and Qi Zongyuan just discussed will completely fall apart.

"It is precisely because of the chaos in the Western Continent that I am going there."

Gu Fan chuckled and shook his head, meeting Qi Zongyuan's surprised expression, and whispered the true purpose of his trip.

Qi Zongyuan grew increasingly shocked as he listened, his eyes widening in disbelief as he asked, "Elder, are you truly confident you can accomplish this?"

"I'm not absolutely certain," Gu Fan said calmly, spreading his hands. "But there's no loss on this trip. If the Sect Leader grants my permission, I'm prepared to give it a try."

"In that case," Qi Zongyuan nodded emphatically and said in a deep voice, "This matter is entirely entrusted to the elder."

Gu Fan returned to Lingxu Cave Heaven, gave some instructions to his three disciples, and then prepared to set off for Xizhou.

Song Lian's injuries have not yet healed, and she needs to stay in seclusion to recuperate.

Qi Lingyun took over the management of the second floor of Chenxing Pavilion, while Lin Chen was in charge of all the affairs on the first floor.

With the nourishment of the Heaven-Mending Elixir and the tempering of his foundation by the Taiyin Refining Technique, Lin Chen's spiritual root aptitude steadily improved. Although it had not yet reached the top grade, the gap was already extremely small.

After entering the Qi Refining stage, his astonishing comprehension was fully revealed in the Dao of Talismans and the Dao of Arrays.

When choosing a cultivation method for Foundation Establishment, Lin Chen insisted on cultivating the "Great Luo Inner Realm Heaven-Reaching Profound Chapter," which made Gu Fan both happy and worried.

It is a joy to see that the tradition of Wendao Peak has been passed down to future generations.

What worries him is that he fears Lin Chen will suffer the same fate as Xuanji Zhenren and be trapped in the Golden Core stage for life.

Therefore, after each lecture, Gu Fan would assign a large amount of homework for Lin Chen to study on his own, some of which even touched on the third-order array, slightly exceeding the limits that Lin Chen could grasp.

Despite the hardships of cultivation under such high pressure, Lin Chen gained a great deal from his long-term exposure to this environment.

Upon learning that Gu Fan was going to Xizhou, Qi Lingyun and Lin Chen saw him off together at Wendao Peak.

Gu Fan tossed a jade slip to Lin Chen and instructed, "I will return in less than two months. Study the lessons in this jade slip carefully, and I will personally test you when I return."

"Disciple obeys." Lin Chen respectfully accepted the gift.

Gu Fan then looked at Qi Lingyun: "Now that you have the ancestral energy of the Mysterious Female, you should put more effort into your cultivation. The current stability in the Eastern Continent is destined not to last long."

Qi Lingyun lowered her head and said in a low voice, "This disciple understands."

She felt deeply guilty about Song Lian's injury.

Gu Fan brought back three strands of Xuanpin Ancestral Qi from the Liangyi Hall. He gave two strands to Yang Mengyun and Meng Wei, and the remaining one was originally supposed to be given to Song Lian.

At that time, Qi Lingyun was stuck at the Foundation Establishment bottleneck, only a step away from the later stage, and the next outbreak of the Soul Abyss was far away.

Song Lian then gave the Xuanpin Ancestral Qi to Qi Lingyun and went to the Fallen Soul Abyss to gather Qi, which is why she was ambushed by the demonic path.

Gu Fan noticed her low spirits and comforted her, "Your senior sister will recover after several years of seclusion. There's no need to blame yourself too much. Why don't you take over her duties at Chenxing Pavilion?"

"Disciple understands, and will certainly not disappoint Master." Upon hearing this, Qi Lingyun's expression softened slightly.

On the sea of ​​clouds and mist, Gu Fan sped along in his escape light, pondering the situation in the Western Continent.

Thirty years ago, not long after Gu Fan returned to his sect from the Western Continent, he heard the news that Xie Linyuan had successfully formed his Nascent Soul.

He kept his promise and displayed a fearless attitude, making the Nascent Soul cultivators hesitate to act against him. Then, in front of everyone, he destroyed the Reincarnation Lotus from the ground up.

However, this battle severely damaged the vitality of the Rebirth Sect.

Although the dismissed disciples were recalled, those Golden Core cultivators who chose to retreat at the last minute found themselves in an awkward position and were gradually marginalized in subsequent arrangements.

Among them, Duan Chen and An Hun were the most destitute, retaining only the empty titles of elders and no longer wielding any real power.

Taking advantage of the internal strife in Qin, the State of Chen expanded its territory by forcibly occupying hundreds of miles of land surrounding the Filthy Cauldron. The Rebirth Sect was unwilling but powerless to expel them.

In addition, there were also undercurrents within the Chu state.

The Huang family, one of the three great immortal clans, had their Nascent Soul ancestor seemingly critically injured and dying in the Liangyi Hall. After years of concealment, they could no longer delay and news of his passing was finally released.

Now the Huang family retains only the name of an immortal clan, but there is no longer a Nascent Soul True Monarch to oversee them, and their control over the subordinate clans is gradually weakening.

Fortunately, the Mo family, to which Mo Siliang belonged, had long maintained good relations with the Qin state through trade. The two families took the opportunity to secretly form an alliance and jointly restrain the ambitious Chen state.

Although a major war has not broken out, small-scale skirmishes along the border have never ceased.

This is why Qi Zongyuan was worried that Gu Fan might be in danger.

However, Gu Fan himself was not too worried.

After thirty years of secluded cultivation, he has enlightened thirty-two acupoints in the "Great Luo Inner Landscape Heavenly Mystery Chapter", reaching the realm of Xuanji Zhenren before his death.

The "Star Observation Method" also allows one to visualize ninety-six stars, making one's spiritual consciousness increasingly profound.

With the support of his divine soul, his God-Slaying Technique has advanced by leaps and bounds. Now, with a thought, he can condense two invisible soul blades.

Cultivators below the Golden Core stage will have their souls shattered and perish instantly if their consciousness is invaded by a soul blade.

After being illuminated by the Heaven-Burning Fire Array, the Divine General Dharma Form controlled the spiritual fire, and he was fearless below the Nascent Soul stage.

As for encountering a Nascent Soul cultivator... of course, I'll just run away in my Flying Star Wheel.

Several days later.

Gu Fan arrived at the coast of Chen Kingdom, slowed down his escape speed, concealed his aura and appearance, and quietly sneaked into the country, speeding towards Duyou City.

Upon arriving outside Duyou City, the entire city's appearance was completely different from what it had been thirty years ago.

The layout of the streets and buildings remains the same, but the people in the city look relaxed and smile. The resentment that had been building up in the past has completely dissipated, and everywhere exudes peace and tranquility.

Gu Fan quietly entered the city, transforming into a refined young gentleman, strolling leisurely through the streets and alleys, and quietly listening to the idle chatter of the common people.

After half a day of investigation, he had figured out the reason.

After the Rebirth Sect destroyed its old system, the custom of using Rebirth Talismans was preserved in the Qin State.

However, the new Rebirth Talisman is different from the previous one. It does not require ordinary people to build a temple at the age of sixty. Instead, people should accumulate good deeds after receiving the Rebirth Talisman and burn it at the grave after they pass away.

The Rebirth Cult claims that the new Rebirth Talisman has stronger protective power, and therefore it has been warmly welcomed by the public.

Gu Fan also saw a new Rebirth Talisman. It was indeed much more exquisite in terms of printing and materials, but the materials had been changed to mortal materials, and it no longer had any effect of absorbing lifespan.

Seeing this, he nodded to himself and then went straight to the upper city. After revealing his identity, an elder of the Rebirth Sect quickly came forward to greet him.

"It's been many years since we last met, and you're even more impressive than before."

The newcomer, with his white hair, was none other than Elder Yunhe from back then.

"Fellow Daoist, you flatter me." Gu Fan returned the greeting with a cupped hand and asked directly, "I wonder if True Monarch Xie is in the sect?"

Yun Heping said calmly, "I have already sent someone to inform the sect leader. Fellow Daoist, you may come with me."

The two walked side by side in mid-air, chatting idly along the way.

Gu Fan learned that the internal structure of the Rebirth Sect had already been reorganized.

The positions of High Priest and Holy Maiden were completely abolished. Under the leader, seven Golden Core Elders jointly discussed religious affairs. If an elder passed away, he or she could recommend a qualified person to succeed him.

As for the seven Golden Core elders, they were naturally the ones who stepped forward on the day of the sacrificial ceremony.

A moment later, Gu Fan arrived in front of the rebuilt Reincarnation Hall.

Stepping inside, one sees that the lotus pond in the hall has been filled in, and in its place stands a white jade sculpture about ten feet tall, with a gentle and beautiful face and a graceful and elegant figure; it is none other than Yun Shuwan.

Beneath the statue, a figure stood quietly with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the stone statue.

Hearing footsteps, she slowly turned around, a faint smile playing on her lips.

It was none other than the Nascent Soul True Monarch, Xie Linyuan.