Chapter 286 - 248: Revisiting an Old Place, Mysterious Array

Chapter 286: Chapter 248: Revisiting an Old Place, Mysterious Array

After arriving in the Canglan Cultivation Realm, Xu Chang’an didn’t stop. Instead, he headed toward the territory where the Immortal Mist Sect was located.

He disguised himself as a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, piloting a magical artifact as he traveled by Yukong at an unhurried pace.

Along the way, although he hid his cultivation, he released his Demon Sense to appreciate the magnificent landscape.

He passed through one country after another, observing the lives of ordinary mortals, which were filled with the aura of the Red Dust.

He saw Junior Cultivators at Early-stage Qi Refining who dared to establish Daoist temples among mortals and enjoy local renown.

He saw Mid-stage Qi Refining Cultivators scrambling all over for a single Middle-grade Magical Artifact.

He saw Late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators fighting to the death, risking everything for a chance at Foundation Establishment.

The Cultivation Realm didn’t just belong to High-Tier Cultivators; it belonged to countless ordinary ones as well.

In the ordinary mortal world, a Qi Refining Cultivator could be called an Immortal Master. But in the Cultivation Realm, they were just the most common of Junior Cultivators.

In a desolate region, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could start a family and become its patriarch. But within a Sect, they could only serve as an ordinary Elder.

A Core Formation Cultivator had a lifespan of a thousand years, was called a Zhenren, and could establish their own sect. Yet in a top-tier Sect, they were nothing more than a common Elder.

Only a Nascent Soul True Monarch, with a lifespan of three thousand years, could sit back and watch the world’s tides turn!

Even in the vast Canglan Cultivation Realm, they were the true top-tier Cultivators! Their every action and every move affected the peace of an entire region!

The Immortal Mist Sect, one of the four great top-tier sects, held immense prestige, with countless Affiliated Sects and families under its sway.

Immortal Mist Immortal City was an Immortal City under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Mist Sect.

It served as the trading hub for the Immortal Mist Sect’s vast territory, which spanned hundreds of thousands of li.

With his memories from a past life, Xu Chang’an was extremely familiar with this place.

He entered Immortal Mist Immortal City not only to sell some resources but, more importantly, to gather information.

Information about his Dao Companion from his past life, Cyan Spirit Zhenren!

Xu Chang’an rented a cave residence within Immortal Mist Immortal City.

During this time, he disposed of many resources from Foundation Establishment Cultivators in batches. He converted these resources into elixirs and Spirit Plants.

He didn’t touch the resources of Nascent Soul True Monarchs and Core Formation Zhenren.

His main purpose was to gather information. If he were to sell resources at the Core Formation level or higher, it would be far too conspicuous, even in a place like Immortal Mist Immortal City.

While selling his resources, Xu Chang’an also made a point to inquire about the Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the Immortal Mist Sect.

Inside the cave residence.

’In the last century or so, the Immortal Mist Sect hasn’t had any newly promoted Nascent Soul True Monarchs!? That can’t be right. If Nian’Er was around, with her accumulated foundation back then, she should have had an extremely high chance of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm within a hundred years! Could it be...’

’Nian’Er is still in the Core Formation Realm!?’

Xu Chang’an pondered continuously.

Following this, Xu Chang’an changed his approach and began to inquire about the Core Formation Zhenren of the Immortal Mist Sect.

Xu Chang’an was very patient, mostly gathering information indirectly. He collected bits and pieces of information in different places, in different settings, and from different Cultivators.

After more than half a month of this, he had indeed gathered a lot of information!

In the last hundred-plus years, the Immortal Mist Sect had seen nine new Core Formation Zhenren.

Having not found the information he was looking for, Xu Chang’an continued his search. This went on until one day, he learned of a certain situation from the mouth of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"Cyan Spirit Zhenren of the Immortal Mist Sect disappeared over a hundred years ago!"

"Cyan Spirit Zhenren’s Dao Companion, Master Chunyang, perished over a hundred years ago! The timing should be almost identical to when Cyan Spirit Zhenren disappeared!"

Master Chunyang was Xu Chang’an’s title in his previous life.

The Immortal Mist Sect kept Life Tokens for Core Formation Zhenren like them. These Life Tokens had no other function; if a Cultivator perished, their Life Token would shatter. This was how the sect kept track of the life-or-death status of its members who were traveling abroad.

’Nian’Er disappeared!?’

Xu Chang’an’s brows furrowed tightly.

Since they said she ’disappeared’, it clearly meant that Nian’Er’s Life Token within the Immortal Mist Sect had not shattered.

This outcome was neither good nor bad.

It was better than the worst-case scenario Xu Chang’an had imagined, but not by much.

A Life Token contained a sliver of a Cultivator’s Divine Spirit. If a Divine Spirit was separated from the body for too long, it would weaken. Although the special material of a Life Token could nourish the Divine Spirit, it was generally only effective for about a hundred years.

Once a hundred years passed, the Divine Spirit would dissipate, and the Life Token would shatter on its own!

This appeared no different from a Cultivator’s death!

In other words, after a century, the Life Token lost its ability to determine life or death!

Generally, when Cultivators traveled abroad, they wouldn’t do so for more than a hundred years—with the exception of Nascent Soul True Monarchs!

Under normal circumstances, the Life Token was certainly sufficient!

One simply needed to leave a new sliver of their Divine Spirit in the Life Token each time they returned to the Sect.

’The news of Nian’Er’s disappearance must have started spreading a hundred years ago. Now that a century has passed, no one can be certain whether she is alive or dead!’

Xu Chang’an’s feelings were quite complicated.

After learning this news, he didn’t immediately try to confirm it.

Instead, he sought out several other sources of information to verify it repeatedly. In the end, he even spent a considerable sum of Spirit Stones to purchase confirmation from the Celestial Knowledge Tower in the Immortal City.

The final intelligence he obtained was that Cyan Spirit Zhenren of the Immortal Mist Sect had disappeared one hundred and twelve years ago.

The Immortal Mist Sect had dispatched several Core Formation Zhenren to search for thirty years to no avail, eventually giving up!

In the same year that Cyan Spirit Zhenren disappeared, her Dao Companion, Master Chunyang, died.

Cyan Spirit Zhenren’s disappearance and her Dao Companion’s death. The two events were suspected to be deeply connected!

Once the news was confirmed, Xu Chang’an did not remain in Immortal Mist Immortal City any longer.

He left the Immortal City, revealing the cultivation of an Early-stage Core Formation cultivator, and traveled by Yukong toward the southwest.