They ate solemnly and chatted casually on the deck of the ship. "What is your goal once you arrive in the city?" Lao asked. "I don’t have any goal at all yet!" "How about coming with me to the sect later, I’m sure your talent will be extraordinary if trained by the right person!" "That sounds good, what sect do you train in?" "The Star Constellation Sect, later I’ll take you to meet an elder, so it will be easier for you to enter. If you go through the general route, it will be a little difficult, especially since a competition will be held soon, so there will be no new disciple admissions! The Hong Clan itself has five entrance tickets there, because our Clan is a permanent sponsor. Four have already been used, and coincidentally, one is left, so with my recommendation, you will directly become an inner disciple. I’m sure of it." "Thank you so much for your help, Brother Hong, now I have a purpose!" Chen Nian replied. 'This is the beginning where I must gather strength. To fight

Chen Nian vanished from his spot, using Lightning Steps with near perfection. To onlookers, it appeared as though he teleported from one place to another—the swift movement impossible for ordinary eyes to follow.Slash! He tore open the back of another man who hadn’t anticipated his arrival.Hong Fan did the same, carving his sharp blade across an enemy’s chest, spilling crimson ink onto the ground.Two remaining men tried to flee, realizing they could no longer fight. But thoughts don’t always align with reality. Chen Nian’s sword cut across one man’s neck, sending his head rolling. With a kick to the other’s back, he sent him sprawling across the dirt.Chen Nian quickly pulled off the man’s hood, revealing an aged face, perhaps in his forties. The man bit down on the poison hidden beneath his tongue—meant to conceal any information. Likely all members of this mysterious group carried such poison in their mouths, so that if defeated, they could instantly commit suicide.Meanwhile, Zh

Chen Nian did not forget to search for treasures that could aid his cultivation inside Guo Long’s treasure vault while waiting for everyone to recover from the nerve-paralyzing poison.He found heaps of gold coins piled high—as expected of a wealthy man. However, such a fortune in gold could only buy at most two rare resources. To ascend to higher realms, one needed far greater resources, and that required a tremendous amount of gold.Chen Nian left the treasure vault and returned to check on Hong Fan and Hong Lao’s condition."Where have you been, brother?" Hong Lao asked as he stood, ready to return home."Gathering a bit of wealth for provisions! Better than letting rats have it if left unused," Chen Nian replied with a grin."Very well, I understand. Let’s return. Father has already gone ahead with Zhong Guang and the others.""Let’s go!"They departed from Guo Long’s residence and made their way back to the Hong Clan.That very day, the destruction of the Guo Residence spread thr

The battle still raged under the scorching sun, in an open field with no shade whatsoever.The three remaining men glared at Chen Nian with deep hatred. How could they not? Their mission had been thwarted and was on the verge of failure. This could not be tolerated—but their opponent was far too formidable. At first, they had not taken him seriously, even underestimating the youth who gave off no sign of power at all. Yet reality had shattered all their assumptions.The world was not joking when it gave birth to a talent like Chen Nian. He appeared weak, yet in truth was exceedingly strong. Of course, every strength had its limits. If one could force him to reveal his full potential, that person would be considered incredibly difficult to handle—at the very least, extremely powerful.Hong Lao himself was awestruck by his brother’s power. In their previous fights, he had not paid much attention. But now, holding the two horse reins in his hands, he watched intently every swing, every s

‘Where does Hong Fan’s confidence come from, sending a young man without cultivation? Isn’t this the same as disgracing his clan? Or does he perhaps possess some great secret?’ Elder Dai pondered for a long time, trying to piece things together. But still, he found no answer to the question in his heart. It seemed like a dead end."I will grant you a chance. Come inside, we shall test your talent!""I don’t think that’s necessary, Elder," Chen Nian spoke first."Why, brother!?" It was not Elder Dai who asked, but Hong Lao."I feel that my talent is too low anyway. Rather than disappointing everyone, it’s better that I simply walk my own path. I don’t need to prove to others that I am strong, a genius, or untouchable. None of that matters, Lao. This elder, I’m certain, would not accept me even if my talent were high, because the real obstacle is cultivation. Talent means little without cultivation. But if I had both cultivation and high talent, the elders would likely fight each other