The Beihan Region was extremely vast. It had thirty six states and was as large as dozens of Earths. Countless races, humans, sects and families lived there.
But above all were undoubtedly the Top Ten, the eight powerful families and the six Grotto-heavens.
Those were the real heavy hitters of the Beihan Region! Other than the royal family, no one could compete with them. Nothing could scare those top forces; they had been on top of the world for thousands of years.
However, they had lost their place that day.
"I heard that something happened in the Yan State and five Perfected Cultivators died."
"Really? A Perfected Cultivator is a superior being. Only one of them dies in decades. How can someone kill five in a row? Who did that? The Sect Master of the Xukong Grotto-heaven? The King of the Violent Apes? Or the leader of the Bloodblade Fighters?"
"None of them. It's a Chinese Perfected Cultivator called Chen Fan."
"What?"
Everyone was shocked.
The battle outside Old China Town had been too astonishing.
The entire Beihan Region was divided in only thirty six states and Chen Fan had almost killed all the Perfected Cultivators of a state in one go. How could the world not be frightened? Even the strong races and families had to respect the Chinese after that.
But this wasn't the only thing.
"Also, that Chinese Perfected Cultivator has probably become a mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator at such a young age."
"Seriously?"
A mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator.
Such an Overlord was someone like the leaders of the Top Ten and the eight powerful families. Even the Sect Masters of several Grotto-heavens had yet to reach this level. There were only a few of such Overlords in the entire Beihan Region. They were cultivators that stood on top of the region!
"Weren't the Chinese cursed by the royal family of the Beihan Region? It should be impossible for them to have a Golden Core Cultivator. Why do they have such an Overlord?"
Countless people were confused.
Many of them looked at one another.
"Are we going to have another powerful race?"
In the Tianmang Grotto-heaven of the Shang State.
Manggu was cultivating in Tianmang Mountain.
Beams of crimson light penetrated his body like swords. Those lights were formed by the energy the entire Tianmang Mountain had produced in the past centuries. They were optimal for strengthening bodies, which was why the Tianmang Sect had relocated their mansion to that place.
Looking closely, Manggu was brawny, and he wasn't moving at all. A bright bronze Essence Core spinned inside his body, which had five shallow lines etched on it.
"Chi Fenkong was called the first fire talent in the thirty six states in the past. He went through four Thunder Tribulations at once and completed a mid-grade Golden Core. Even Lord Beihan was stunned by him and granted him a supreme cultivation art in person, appointing him as the Lord of the Yan State. If Manggu really survives after the Thunder Tribulation, he will become more powerful than Chi Fenkong. The other five Grotto-heavens will be no match for the Tianmang Grotto-heaven."
The Grand Elder of the Tianmang Sect also caressed his long beard.
Even though the six Grotto-heavens were on an equal footing, they competed with each other in secret. If Manggu attained a fifth-grade Golden Core, he would become the most powerful cultivator of the younger generation in the Beihan Region. Such a talent was rare even outside of the region; only the descendants of the heavenly sects could surpass him.
While the elders were chatting…
A beam of light suddenly flew into the Grand Elder's hand. He looked and was immediately frightened.
"What's going on?" everyone wondered.
The Grand Elder said, "There's a new Perfected Cultivator in the Yan State. He killed five Golden Core Cultivators and forced Chi Fenkong to retreat. The Tianji Grotto-heaven has already listed him as one of the heavy hitters. From now on, there will be one more race in the Top Ten, and that man… I heard that he's Chinese and is well under a hundred years of age!"
"What?"
Everyone at the Tianmang Hall was stunned.
Not only the Tianmang Grotto-heaven.
All the other Grotto-heavens, sects and races received the news.
"How is that possible? A powerhouse who's a hundred years old? And Chinese? This sounds like something from a myth. Are you sure about this?" a Perfected Cultivator doubted.
In fact, many people were doubtful about the news. Such a powerful cultivator was rare in the Beihan Region, and one that was below the hundred year-old mark was even more astonishing.
Even the most outstanding elites in the region entered the Golden Core Level at the age of eighty and could only reach the mid-stage of the Golden Core Level after two hundred years of cultivation. Besides, the Chinese were known to have low-ranked blood.
"A Perfected Cultivator of the Tianji Grotto-heaven was there at the time and saw it with his own eyes. He gauged the man's level with the 'Small Tianji Art.' According to him, if that man isn't a mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator, he must also be a top sixth-grade Golden Core Cultivator!" someone said.
Everyone was speechless after such a response.
The Perfected Cultivators of the Tianji Sect practiced the Tianji Secret Arts to measure everything in the world. They were never wrong. So, people began to believe that Chen Fan was indeed a mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator.
After all, there were only around twenty heavy hitters in the entire Beihan Region and only one had a sixth-grade Golden Core.
The most powerful Overlord in the Beihan Region, Sword King!
In the Xuanming Grotto-heaven.
Lin Wuhua quickly shut herself in after receiving the news.
"Sister Mu, do you think Senior Chen is Perfected Cultivator Chen?" Yun Yier said.
"According to the news from the royal city, Senior Chen has slaughtered three troops of the royal family," Mu Hongti said with hatred in her eyes. The royal family took all of their people, so both of them hated the White Python Guards and the Zhao family right then.
"If Senior Chen were still here, he would be as powerful as Perfected Cultivator Chen. What a shame…" Yun Yier said.
The two of them sat opposite to each other and cried.
In the Xuanming Grotto-heaven, the Yin Yang Grotto-heaven, the Silver Spirits, the Chu family… Many talents went silent and immediately shut themselves in to cultivate right after hearing about Chen Fan.
A Chinese heavy hitter, less than a hundred years of age.
That was too shocking.
Gu Lingzi, Chu Tianyu, Bai Linger… Countless elites had set Chen Fan as their goal. The Sect masters of the Grotto-heavens, as well as the leaders of the families, had started to think about how they could establish a good relationship with him.
At this moment, Chen Fan was extremely famous in the Beihan Region!
At the Sky-Swallowing Palace in the royal city.
"Are you sure?"
Zhao Duluo sat on his chair with a serious face. He was wearing a robe and a seven-pearl crown on his head.
The Chief of the Intelligence Department bowed and replied,"It's from the government of the Yan State. That Chinese Perfected Cultivator is indeed powerful. He killed five Golden Core Cultivators in a row and Chi Fenkong isn't confident that he can win."
"We asked the Tianji Grotto-heaven. One of their elders went past Old China Town at that time."
"A mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator who's less than a hundred years old!"
Zhao Duluo frowned. Even he was a bit jealous.
He was born in the royal family with the blood of the Sky-Swallowing Python. He had been taught by the top masters since he was young and had taken countless Spirit Pills and Spirit Medicines. And yet, he had only reached the Golden Core Level when he was ninety and was currently still half a step away from the mid-stage at three hundred years old.
"Your Majesty, Chi Fenkong has already sent us six urgent messages. He and the government might not be able to withstand the attacks from the Chinese. They requested the royal family to send help, or we'll lose the Yan State," the Chief said.
"Hm…"
Zhao Duluo paced slowly.
As the Prince of the royal family, it was easy for him to deal with a normal Perfected Cultivator, but killing a mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator was a bit difficult for him.
"Your Majesty, Chi Fenkong also said that the man has the power of crushing the air, but we don't really think it's true. This is a Grand Divine Power that only Sword King and a few others in the Beihan Region know. Even if he's a mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator, it's impossible that he knows it too…" the Chief of the Intelligence Department suddenly said.
"What? Crushing the air?"
Zhao Duluo was anxious.
He quickly asked someone to bring him footage of Chen Fan. He froze when he saw the Chinese young man with black hair and black eyes. That man in there looked the same as the one he had met before.
"It's him…"
"Chen Beixuan!"
Zhao Duluo widened his eyes.
Sword King had asked him to go after Chen Fan back then, but not even the White Python Guards and the other two troops were able to find him. In the end, Zhao Duluo even thought Chen Fan had run away from the Beihan Region. Besides, the power Chen Fan showed during the battle in the Juehan Grotto-heaven wasn't threatening; it was only at the level of a normal Perfected Cultivator.
But a mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator under a hundred years old was too terrifying, especially one who held a grudge against the royal family.
"Ask the commanders of the three troops to come. I have to meet Sword King and tell him about this immediately."
Zhao Duluo got up and went quickly to Sword Palace.
That day, the royal family was shaken. A Sword Qi flashed across the sky and turned into a beam of white light that flew for three days!
While the entire Beihan Region was stirred…
Chen Fan was oblivious to the wake caused by his actions. He had returned to Old China Town with countless Chinese cultivators around him. There was a feast in the city that day; the tables had been placed around the entire moat. The Ancestral Temple even asked all the cultivators and ordinary people to celebrate together.
All the families decorated their homes and placed colorful lanterns while beaming.
The Chinese had never been so happy before.
As the hero of the battle, Chen Fan had received compliments from countless people. His neighbors, Auntie Liu, Butcher Zhang and Wang Xiucai, all of them paid him a visit. Many friends he had met in the past six months, including the classmates at the Taishi Pavilion, were there to congratulate him.
Xiao Mang was thrilled.
She went around Old China Town with Chen Fan until midnight.
After that, Chen Fan went to the Ancestral Temple with Xiao Mang. The elders and all the seniors had already gathered there, waiting for him to arrive.
"Greetings, Perfected Cultivator Chen!"
Xiao Mang was stunned after seeing dozens of Chinese Connate Cultivators, including Xie Changying and Qin Luo, bow at the same time.
She could finally feel how mighty her brother was.
Chen Fan didn't care about manners at all. He waved and asked them to sit down immediately. Then, the Grand Elder, Xie Changying, asked, "I wonder, do you also go by the name Chen Beixuan?"
Everyone went silent.
Xiao Mang was also startled.