The spiritual energy of the entire Beiyuan County was drained in less than a day, leaving the cultivators of the county deeply worried.

Nan Xiangtian, the head of Beiyuan County's number one family, the Nan Family, went straight to the County Governor's mansion.

"Brother Wu, do you have any idea what's causing this strange phenomenon?"

"Has some great personage arrived in our Beiyuan County recently?"

"If such a person is truly here, please inform me, Brother Wu, so I can instruct my clansmen to act with caution and avoid causing any offense."

Seeing Nan Xiangtian's grave expression, Beiyuan County Governor Wu Chengfeng could only give a helpless, bitter smile.

He too was completely in the dark, with no clue why the surrounding spiritual energy had suddenly vanished without a trace.

"Brother Nan, I am truly unaware of anything regarding this matter."

"And I haven't heard of any powerful expert gracing our Beiyuan County with their presence recently."

"Could it be that a peerless genius has been born in our Beiyuan County?" Wu Chengfeng said with a frown.

"Oh? If that's truly the case, we must investigate thoroughly. Anyone who can cause such a stir is destined to become a titan. Befriending them early will surely yield great rewards in the future!" Nan Xiangtian said, his voice tinged with excitement.

"Indeed. Whatever the cause, we must get to the bottom of it."

"How about this: we investigate together. Whoever finds something first will inform the other."

"Deal."

As Nan Xiangtian and Wu Chengfeng prepared to investigate the reason for the disappearing spiritual energy, Liu Mengyan and her companion had not yet left Beiyuan County.

The moment the spiritual energy was inexplicably drained, their first thought was of the Chen Family's Ancestor, Chen Changan.

"This is terrifying, Clan Uncle. Just what level has the Chen Family Ancestor's cultivation reached?"

Liu Mengyan was truly frightened now. If the Chen Family Ancestor was the vengeful type, could the Liu Family escape unscathed?

"It's unfathomable, immeasurable."

"The spiritual energy vanished shortly after we left the Chen Family. We've been traveling at full speed and are now on the verge of leaving Beiyuan County, yet I still can't sense the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy."

"This means he drained the entire Beiyuan County of its spiritual energy in such a short time," Liu Chengfeng said, his expression tense.

"Clan Uncle, I don't understand. Why would he do this? Draining Beiyuan County's spiritual energy can't be good for the Chen Family either, can it?"

"It will probably take quite some time for this much spiritual energy to recover," Liu Mengyan asked, confused.

"A warning. In my view, this is a warning to us, and also a warning to all of Beiyuan County."

"When such a disturbance occurs in Beiyuan County, people will inevitably investigate. Eventually, they will learn that the Chen Family's Ancestor has returned!"

"By then, the news will have spread throughout the entire Great Zhou Kingdom."

"The Chen Family... they're building momentum for their rise!"

"It seems that before long, the Chen Family will reclaim its position as the number one family in the Great Zhou Kingdom, and perhaps even..."

"Even what?"

"The Chen Family no longer cares about the Great Zhou Kingdom at all."

Liu Mengyan found Liu Chengfeng's analysis to be very reasonable.

It had to be so. Otherwise, why would a figure like Chen Changan need to create such a scene?

"Sigh, if only our Liu Family had such an ancestor."

"Clan Uncle, do you think there's any way to salvage the situation?"

"This great tree that is the Chen Family... do we, the Liu Family, still have a chance to latch onto it?" Liu Mengyan asked worriedly.

Hmm?

Her words sparked an idea in Liu Chengfeng's mind. That's right, why hadn't he thought of that?

"We must hurry back to the Liu Family and report this to the family head. We absolutely cannot let anyone else get ahead of us."

"Quickly, let's go!"

"Right!"

The two of them traveled at full speed, striving to return to the Liu Family in the shortest time possible.

Yangui City, Chen Family Residence

"Awesome!"

"So, this is what cultivation feels like?"

Chen Changan's cultivation session hadn't been long, but it had given him a taste of a different side of life.

No wonder everyone wanted to cultivate. Having energy and a cultivation base in your body really did make you feel different from the ordinary.

It was just a pity that Chen Changan, who had no intention of stopping his cultivation, discovered he could no longer absorb any spiritual energy.

It seemed the energy his body could hold had reached its limit.

Pushing open the door, Chen Changan took a deep breath. It was as if the entire world had changed in that single moment.

"Big Huang, what do you think? Am I a super genius or what?"

"It's only been a short while, and my cultivation has already broken through to the first level of the Condensing Yuan Stage. Impressive, right?" Chen Changan said to Big Huang with a smug grin.

"You've been accumulating for ten thousand years, so breaking through to..."

"Wait, your cultivation only broke through to the first level of the Condensing Yuan Stage?"

"How is that possible?"

Big Huang's brow furrowed. It stared intently at Chen Changan, sizing him up. He was really only at the first level of the Condensing Yuan Stage?

This doesn't make sense!

Chen Changan had absorbed such a vast amount of spiritual energy. How could he only be at the first level of the Condensing Yuan Stage?

"Did you deliberately suppress your cultivation?" Big Huang asked curiously.

"No, the spiritual energy I absorbed was only enough to get me to the first level of the Condensing Yuan Stage."

"And it seems there's a problem with my body again. I tried using a spirit stone, but I can't absorb any spiritual energy at all," Chen Changan said, shaking his head helplessly.

Strange!

Truly strange!

Is there anything normal about this kid?

"Attack me. I want to see what your combat power is like," Big Huang said after a moment of thought.

"Oh? Then you can't fight back."

"Hurry up! What are you afraid of? Even your master can't kill you. You think I have what it takes?" Big Huang said impatiently.

"Alright!"

Chen Changan wasted no more words. Using his finger as a sword, he pointed, and a stream of sword qi shot straight toward Big Huang.

It was fast and immensely powerful.

Although this power couldn't harm Big Huang in the slightest, it was still enough to give it a huge shock.

Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

"Freak!"

"Damn it, your cultivation is only at the first level of the Condensing Yuan Stage, but the power of that sword strike just now was comparable to the Transcendent Stage!"

"Do you understand what that means?"

"Your combat power spans two entire major cultivation realms!"

"If you become a Great Emperor, who under the heavens could possibly be your opponent?"

"Even your master probably wouldn't be able to withstand a single blow from you!"

Hearing Big Huang's words, Chen Changan's eyes lit up. Not even his master would be a match for him?

Wouldn't that mean he could make his master do whatever he wanted?

"What crazy ideas are you getting, you brat?"

"Aren't you afraid your master will put you under house arrest and forbid you from ever cultivating again?"

Seeing the look in Chen Changan's eyes, Big Huang knew this bastard was up to no good.

"Sigh, what a pity. It looks like I can't raise my cultivation level for now," Chen Changan sighed helplessly.

"In my opinion, your problem lies with that Fetal Pearl."

"If you can find the remaining eight Fetal Pearls, your future path of advancement should be completely smooth."

"I've got to say, you're a ruthless one, kid. You expelled your own talent for cultivation right from the womb. I've lived for so many years and I've never seen anyone as bizarre as you," Big Huang mocked.

Chen Changan paid no mind to Big Huang's mockery. What he wanted most right now was to find the other eight Fetal Pearls.

The only one whose location he currently knew was in the hands of the Great Zhou imperial family!

"You know, my master went through so much trouble all these years. Why didn't she just come to the Chen Family and ask?"

"It's really been hard on the old lady," Chen Changan said with a smile.

"Old lady?"

"Chen Changan, the thing your master hates most is people calling her old."

"What's there to be afraid of? My master isn't here."

Before the words had even left his mouth, a sudden chill ran down Chen Changan's spine. The familiar sensation made his heart skip a beat.

Damn, what's going on?

My master hasn't been following me this whole time, has she?

---

Proofreader: Peter Pan