Starting Cultivation During a Trip

Qin Ancient Town.

A remote region in Jiangnan, named after a high platform was placed here during the Qin Shi.

On highway 233, a silver-white car sped past with a piercing whistling sound. Not far away, glittering waves appeared before them, with a hint of red sun leaping out. Occasionally, birds dashed across the sky, accentuating the distant long sails.

"What a beautiful view, what a pristine lake!"

Li Miaoyin brushed up her wind-tousled hair, looked at the scenery outside the car window, and couldn’t help but say.

"This is the third largest freshwater lake in Jiangnan Province." Zhang Fan whispered.

During the Song Dynasty, Shen Kuo recorded that giant clams emerged from this lake during the Qin Shi, with pearl light floating in the air illuminating hundreds of miles, turning the vast night into day, hence the name Pearl Lake.

Legend has it that beneath this lake lies an ancient city, the ruins of old.

In ancient times, Water Race dragons once gathered here, later surging monstrous waves and flooding, submerging nearby city pools.

Thus, until today, the legends of dragons hidden in Pearl Lake persist.

In recent years, media captured the natural phenomenon of "dragon sucking water" above the lake, faintly visible across the sky, where a massive dark shadow flashed by, yet upon replay, the shadow became three little birds.

"Old Ge, how are things going over in Yujing City?"

At that moment, Zhang Fan changed his tone, suddenly asking.

In the Red Sun Building incident, Ge Shuangxiu and Xu Zhixia were the sole survivors; in the eyes of the Jiangnan Province Daoist Alliance and the Ge Family, they were survivors and suspects alike.

After all, everyone else died—why were you two the only ones left alive?

For this reason, that night, as Ge Shuangxiu and Xu Zhixia walked out of the Jiangnan Province Daoist Alliance, they were under surveillance.

"I wouldn’t dare act with you if I weren’t relieved from surveillance." Ge Shuangxiu responded casually.

He was originally part of the Ge Family, with Ge Zhenyan being his only apparent backing.

Judging from the interests, his suspicion was lessened much, and after the incident, the Ge Family conducted an internal examination on him. Regardless of doubts, at least the surveillance was temporarily lifted.

"Xu Zhixia wasn’t so lucky." Ge Shuangxiu said solemnly.

"Though she’s part of the Xu Family, she joined halfway."

"Thus, her suspicion is high."

"Xu Zhixia?"

At that moment, Li Miaoyin’s voice sounded from behind as she leaned over, her clear eyes fixed on Zhang Fan.

"Isn’t she your ex-girlfriend? You two have quite the fate, can’t seem to shake her off, right?"

Li Miaoyin’s lips curved slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

"What are you saying? I have nothing to do with her." Zhang Fan pouted.

"Sister-in-law, I can prove that. That night, if I hadn’t persuaded him, he was ready to silence even Xu Zhixia." Ge Shuangxiu vouched for Zhang Fan.

Since that day, Zhang Fan and Li Miaoyin treated his Primordial Spirit like air, changing how he addressed Li Miaoyin.

"You won’t be as ruthless with me, will you?" Li Miaoyin looked at Zhang Fan again.

"When did I ever want to silence her." Zhang Fan rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, she’s in the past, you..."

"Me what?" Li Miaoyin looked at Zhang Fan, half smiling.

"Ahem, ahem..."

At that moment, Ge Shuangxiu cleared his throat twice. In front of these two, he always felt he entered a void of non-existence.

"Not just your ex, even her mom is under surveillance."

Compared to Ge Shuangxiu, Xu Zhixia’s situation was worse, after all, she was an unexpected character that inserted herself midway. If leaks of information were suspected, she would certainly be the prime suspect.

Moreover, early on Xu Zhixia had infiltrated the Wuwei Sect, but only briefly due to her low rank.

These experiences left more suspicions on her.

"Can you just say her name? Stop calling her ex all the time." Zhang Fan pouted and looked down at his phone, trying to keep his eyes out of Li Miaoyin’s gaze.

"Hmm!?"

At that moment, Zhang Fan’s eyes lit up as he scrolled to a special post on social media.

"Warm congratulations to Beizhang flag courtyard’s middle-aged and young backbone seminar for successful completion."

"Zhang Wuming!?" Li Miaoyin’s gaze swept over, also noticing the post.

Three days after Zhang Fan returned from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, he remembered Zhang Wuming had left. Fortunately, he had left contact information, confirming the other party had safely left as well.

Swoosh...

In just a blink, the post was deleted.

Five seconds later, Zhang Wuming posted a new social media status.

"Warm congratulations to Zhang Family flag courtyard’s middle-aged and young backbone seminar for successful completion."

In addition to text, it came with a confetti emoji.

"That’s quite interesting." Zhang Fan said blandly.

"After South Zhang’s extinction, there’s only one Zhang Family in the world, so how can there be a north and south division? He almost slipped up." Li Miaoyin said solemnly.

"You’re right, there should only be one Zhang Family in the world." Zhang Fan said coldly.

"Why are you still in contact with him?" Li Miaoyin looked at Zhang Fan.

In the Hundred Thousand Mountains, Li Miaoyin had harbored misgivings towards Zhang Wuming. This person, though seemingly of ordinary cultivation, was deep and astute in reality.

Among those Beizhang disciples who hadn’t been enshrined or titled, Zhang Wuming was definitely an anomaly, a hidden aberration.

"Isn’t that nice? We’ve gone through hardships and survival together." Zhang Fan chuckled, "Consider him a comrade."

"You want to control Beizhang through him..." Li Miaoyin seemed to have guessed something.

"Miaoyin, since he’s a comrade, don’t scheme, let things run their course." Zhang Fan chuckled, interrupting Li Miaoyin’s guess.