Starting Cultivation During a Trip

"Let’s get Old Li out for a chat."

That day, Zhang Fan took out his phone and dialed Li Yishan’s number. After being stuck at home for three days, he was really feeling trapped.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off..."

A mechanical voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Switched off?"

Zhang Fan was taken aback and looked up at the clock on the wall; it was just past ten in the morning, why would it be switched off?

"Daddy’s daddy is a demon, daddy’s mommy is a demon..."

Just at that moment, the phone rang, and Zhang Fan looked down to see Fang Changle’s name displayed on the screen.

"Hello..."

"Where are you?" Fang Changle’s voice came through from the other end.

"I’m at home, I haven’t been anywhere these past two days."

"Let’s meet at the Invisible Mountain Cafe!"

"Now?"

"Yes, now!"

"Alright!"

Zhang Fan hung up the phone, went straight out, hailed a taxi, and headed directly to the Invisible Mountain Cafe. When he arrived, Fang Changle had already been waiting for quite some time.

"What’s the situation now?" Zhang Fan sat down and asked directly.

"It’s temporarily over."

Fang Changle said gravely, "A couple of days ago, another Celestial Master from the Qiu family arrived."

"Did they go to Qin Ancient Town?" Zhang Fan asked.

"Yes!"

Fang Changle nodded. The Qiu family had only two Celestial Masters, and Qiu Shangqing was the youngest with a promising future. Now that he died in Jiangnan Province, in Qin Ancient Town, it naturally caused a stir in the Qiu family.

Besides, their losses weren’t just a Celestial Master; Qiu Buyi and Qiu Wanmian were also lost.

Qiu Wanmian was one thing, but Qiu Buyi was a promising candidate who trained in Innate Skill and might have had a chance to comprehend the Celestial Master Realm in the future, but now he’s also dead.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the Qiu family suffered the hardest blow this time.

"The Ge family also sent people, and the Daoist Alliance Headquarters dispatched six task forces."

From the information Fang Changle revealed, it was clear that this was an exceptionally large operation.

"What’s the conclusion?" Zhang Fan asked further.

"What other conclusion could there be? Naturally, the Wuwei Sect are causing trouble. The Daoist Alliance has already commenced a major purge in Jiangnan Province, deploying many experts."

Such a conclusion was not unexpected, as the root of this event was Chen Dragon, who was originally a member of the Wuwei Sect.

"That’s the public conclusion..." Fang Changle looked around and lowered his voice.

"And privately?"

"South Zhang... they’re starting to investigate up top. Someone from this lineage is still alive; you should know what that means."

Zhang Fan remained silent, for he certainly knew what it meant. The White Crane Temple would not rest, and the Northern Zhang Lineage would naturally be relentless as well.

However, matters concerning South Zhang couldn’t be brought to light.

"In the recent time, it’s best for you to act low-key. Don’t reveal yourself, and also rethink about any loose ends you haven’t dealt with." Fang Changle reminded.

He knew Zhang Fan inside and out and always thought of his welfare.

"I understand." Zhang Fan nodded.

"Also, Lou Hechuan has been dismissed." Fang Changle dropped another bombshell.

"Chairman Lou?" Zhang Fan was stunned.

"With such a major incident in Jiangnan Province, as the President of the Jiangnan Province Daoist Alliance Headquarters, he can’t escape responsibility. He will soon be escorted to Shangjing for investigation."

With that said, Fang Changle paused slightly and lowered his voice.

"Old Building is in danger this time, even if he can completely get out of it, he will probably have to take early retirement."

"A huge blunder, someone has to take the fall." Zhang Fan murmured softly.

Lou Hechuan’s downfall was both unexpected and yet perfectly logical.

"This blame is too heavy for him to bear." Fang Changle shook his head.

"What about the Jiangnan Province Daoist Alliance? Who will take over?" Zhang Fan asked.

"Currently, the Vice President is acting as President." Fang Changle said gravely.

"Vice President?" Zhang Fan was puzzled; despite having dealt with the Jiangnan Province Daoist Alliance multiple times, he had never encountered any Vice President.

"We interrupt with a breaking news..."

At that moment, a broadcast blared from a nearby television, and Zhang Fan instinctively turned to look. He saw an aerial view of a mansion reduced to charred ruins on the screen.

"Last night, a fire broke out at residence number seventy-three on Yangming Dao..."

Buzz...

As the broadcast continued, Zhang Fan’s face changed dramatically, and the cup in front of him shattered suddenly, spilling coffee all over the table.

"Zhang Fan, what are you doing?" Fang Changle was startled by such a reaction and exclaimed.

Zhang Fan’s gaze was as sharp as a blade, locking onto the television screen with fierce icy intent on what was once a calm face.

"That’s Li Yishan’s home!"

...

Shangjing City.

Immortal Concealment Road, Daoist Alliance Headquarters.

At the end of the corridor, in the deepest office, on a solemn and ancient altar, two tablets were enshrined, each with a name written on it:

The left tablet prominently stated, "Huo Dharma King’s Position."

The right tablet prominently stated, "Yuan Tiandu’s Position."

At this moment, Fan Lingzhou and Yue Cang Peak dared not breathe and stared intently at the altar above.

As assistants to Jiang Wansui, they naturally knew what this moment signified.

"President, the people of South Zhang are not all dead. According to the scene, it looks like..." Fan Lingzhou hesitated but still spoke.

"Seems to be the methods of the Divine Oracle."

In front of the desk, an old man with gold-rimmed glasses was hunched over, elegantly writing with a brush.

This person was none other than the Observatory Master of the White Crane Temple, and the current President of the Daoist Alliance Headquarters, Jiang Wansui.

"Zhang the Second has been dead for many years..." Jiang Wansui’s pen slightly paused, speaking without lifting his head.

"The third of their family may still be alive... but unfortunately, also barely hanging on. Having used this oracle, he won’t live long either."

"Zhang Tianyang!?" Yue Cang Peak couldn’t help but say, "President, do you want to..."

"No need. Leave him, he still has his uses. The key figure among the South Zhang is Zhang Lingzong, as well as that master of South Zhang..." Jiang Wansui said indifferently.

"Zhang Lingzong is still in Ailao Mountain at the moment..."

"As for that master of South Zhang, only Vice Observatory Master Huo has fought him before..." Fan Lingzhou instinctively looked up at the tablet of the Huo Dharma King.

"That will suffice." Jiang Wansui said blandly.

Buzz...

At this point, the candles in front of the two tablets flared up suddenly.

These candles were extremely peculiar, about three inches and seven in length, with nine orifices on them. Strange runes wound atop, and the flames they emitted were a blinding white.

Buzz...

As soon as the flames ignited, two ethereal figures slowly emerged, akin to a Primordial Spirit, yet not fully formed.

"The two Vice Observatory Masters!" Fan Lingzhou couldn’t help but call out.

"Jia Sheng Gui Si is indeed no ordinary feat..." Yue Cang Peak was deeply shocked.

He had not expected that these unassuming candles would truly possess such heavenly abilities, capable of reviving the dead and re-congregating the Primordial Spirits of the two Celestial Masters.

"Zhang Tian Sheng really was a prodigy. These two candles were made from the corpses of cultivators trained in Jia Sheng Gui Si..."

"To find these two corpses, Xu the Sixth must have dug up countless ancient tombs before unearthing them from time’s burial."

"Alas, he left behind only two." Fan Lingzhou couldn’t help but say.

These two candles could be considered rare exotic treasures, a legacy Zhang Tian Sheng left for the Coffin Lifting Association.

The day the Celestial Master of Thunder Prison died in Ailao Mountain, Jiang Wansui hadn’t spared them, but now, for the sake of the two Vice Observatory Masters, he didn’t hesitate to use the last two candles.

"The three runes Zhang the Second developed for the Ten Thousand Evils Tribulation Aspect are what really matter; as for the candles, so long as you find someone cultivating Jia Sheng Gui Si, they too can be crafted." Jiang Wansui said lightly.

"According to our information, there are currently three practitioners of Jia Sheng Gui Si alive." Fan Lingzhou said gravely.

If they could capture these three individuals, they could produce three candles.

"No, there are four people." Jiang Wansui corrected calmly.

"Four people!?" Fan Lingzhou and Yue Cang Peak exchanged glances, both revealing expressions of surprise.

"Life and death are determined by fate, but among these four, who will receive the heavens’ favor?" Jiang Wansui murmured softly to himself. With a flourish, he completed his writing on the paper in front of him, inscribing four grand characters:

Only Those Who See the Technique!