Chapter 135: Invitation To Chu-Jiang (2)

Chapter 135: Invitation To Chu-Jiang (2)

As the first rays of dawn pierced the sky, Cloudhill City stirred to life, its eastern quarters buzzing as people came and went.

Wu Yuan stood in the shadow of a five-story building, watching as an elegant woman and a lively young girl appeared - his mother Wanqin, and his little sister, Wu Yijun.

Wu Yijun already had her breakfast. After Wanqin walked her to the mansion gate, she left the Wu Mansion followed closely by two guards.

My family. A smile tugged at Wu Yuan's lips as warmth spread through his heart.

He had returned to Cloudhill City to see his family, but did not reveal himself. After all, as far as the public knew, Wu Yuan was supposed to be training up on the mountain with The Rain Hierarch. Why would he suddenly appear at the foot of the mountain?

Only The Rain Hierarch, Sect Elder Huan, and Zhao Baifan know about my journey through the world. Though they wouldn't leak such a secret, I'd better stay hidden.

Even if he did show himself, not many people would connect Wu Yuan with Shadow Blade, mostly likely dismissing it as a coincidence.

But this will occur again in the future. Once is a coincidence, but every time? Some astute observers would inevitably start getting skeptical. It's best to be cautious.

Wu Yuan's figure melted into the shadows as he silently disappeared from the Wu Mansion.

From the foot of Cloudhill, he took an unconventional route as he scaled the mountain. Finally, he arrived at the Cloud Martial Hall.

"Senior Brother Wu!"

"Good to see you, Senior Brother."

"It's been a while since we've seen Senior Brother Wu."

"Rumor has it that Senior Brother Wu has been cultivating in seclusion with The Rain Hierarch. He seems different now." Disciples of the martial academy whispered among themselves as they saw him passing by.

Despite his two-month absence, Wu Yuan's reputation in the Cloud Martial Hall remained as strong as ever.

"Where's Instructor Zhao?" Wu Yuan asked a few students.

"She's in the Ninth Martial Grand Hall."

Soon after, he arrived at a martial chamber on the second floor of a martial grand hall.

"Instructor Zhao, I'm back," Wu Yuan found Zhao Baifan.

"Wu Yuan?" Zhao Baifan, who was in the midst of meditating, turned around. Her eyes radiated a sense of relief, as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "You're finally back. I've heard no news of you during your two-month journey through the martial world. I've been worried."

"If Instructor Zhao had heard any news of my exploits, I'd probably have trouble making it back," Wu Yuan grinned cheekily.

"Enough with the jokes!" Zhao Baifan glared at him, then burst into laughter and asked, "How was your experience?" Zhao Baifan could not put on the airs of an instructor when speaking to Wu Yuan.

"The martial world is cruel, yet fascinating," Wu Yuan smiled, "But it still can't compare to the tranquility of Cloudhill."

"Mm, such enlightenment shows that you've experienced much on your journey." Zhao Baifan sighed, "In my younger days, I too used to rule a region. But I soon grew tired of the deception and trickery, and requested to return to the mountain. Eventually, I became an instructor at the Cloud Martial Hall."

"It is much more peaceful here," Zhao Baifan added.

"Instructor Zhao, you've got great potential to become a Savant expert." Wu Yuan said sincerely.

The number of Chu-Jiang Tokens fell within his expected range.

The Pleiades Guild could deduce the approximate opening time and were willing to share this information with Wu Yuan, suggesting the information wasn't particularly valuable.

When the time comes, all forces will likely send their Grandmaster experts. If I head there?

It'd be risky! The danger lay not only in the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm itself, but also in the other participants of the treasure hunt, such as the Grandmasters dispatched by Great Jin. If they identified Wu Yuan as Shadow Blade, they would surely seize the opportunity to strike.

If a Grandmaster from the Cloudstride Sect were to participate, it will most likely be The Rain Hierarch. If she’s alone... Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

For now, Wu Yuan didn’t believe it was the right time for him to come clean with the two Hierarchs just yet. Neither Bu Yu nor Huan Jian had even met Wu Yuan, and there was no substantial foundation of trust.

Why should Bu Yu and Huan Jian trust a 16-year-old’s claims of attaining Grandmaster-level strength after just two years of solitary cultivation? Could Wu Yuan be an old monster in disguise? Any normal person would have doubts. And Wu Yuan had no way to explain himself.

Between now and next August, I have a year and a half to significantly bolster my strength. My current worries stem solely from my inadequate strength to face off against several Grandmasters. In a year and a half, my physical constitution will improve significantly. At that time, I'll make a decision depending on the circumstances.

His curiosity about the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm fueled his desire to enter it. But the treasures within were secondary. What mattered most was his longing to explore the deep, hidden secrets of this world.

...

After he met with Zhao Baifan, Wu Yuan had another private meeting with Sect Elder Huan.

After the sect elder confirmed everything was fine, Wu Yuan resumed his cultivation routine at Cloudhill, tempering his body and honing his skills.

However, since reaching the pinnacle of the second level of Environmental Mastery, Wu Yuan's attempts to further sense his surroundings yielded meager progress. That was because he could merge with his environment with a single thought. No matter how unique the environment was, it failed to stimulate him anew. It felt as though the progression of his skills had reached a bottleneck. He could only strive to improve his physical constitution.

Throughout the passing of spring and the arrival of another blazing summer, the summit of Cloudhill remained pleasantly cool.

Late one night, Wu Yuan Visualized the black pagoda in his upper dantian lobe, fortifying his soul as per his usual routine. Despite making slower progress over the past two years, he never slacked off, Visualizing the black pagoda habitually.

With the continual strengthening of his soul, Wu Yuan's mental processing, analytical abilities, and memory far exceeded those of ordinary people. His martial skills advanced at an astonishing pace.

Essence, qi, soul! The soul is the most important.

As his soul grew stronger, the duration of each Visualization session lengthened.

This day, as he persisted with his Visualization practice, he felt himself becoming more and more lucid. Unlike before, he didn't grow groggy or exhausted when reaching his limit.

When night fell and all was still, Wu Yuan felt an increasing tranquility within him, sharpening his perception of his surroundings.

Hmm? Even with closed eyes, it felt as if they were wide open, with his mental consciousness effortlessly flowing around the objects in the hall like water.

Soul sense flows like water, yet can be gathered in a palm.

A thought suddenly flashed through Wu Yuan's mind. Instinctively, he made an attempt.

Whoosh~ To his amazement, a chair in the corner of the room began to waver and levitate where he gathered his consciousness, as if a hand was gripping it!

Could it be that my soul has become strong enough to manipulate objects from a distance? A wave of astonishment washed over Wu Yuan's heart.

He opened his eyes, staring at the suspended chair. But as his concentration wavered, the chair fell from mid-air with a clunk.