Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

After circumventing for several hundred li, Wang Chen silently sneaked back into Dongwu Stockade.

The first thing he did upon returning to the underground chamber was to remove the Thousand Mechanisms Changing he wore on his face.

Wang Chen's face was as pale as paper, completely soaked with sweat.

He felt relieved that he had changed his appearance before heading to Wind-Thunder Valley; otherwise, his guise as "Wan Xiu" would have been compromised, and the recently settled foothold would have had to be abandoned as well.

It really is tough being a loose cultivator!

Back when he was muddling along within the Cloud Sun Sect.

Although he had encountered petty people causing trouble, it was much more stable than his current dire straits.

Now, with the Cloud Sun Sect gone, facing oppression from Guiyuan Gate and bullying from Five Peaks Mountain, a powerless and insignificant loose cultivator could only rely on their own strength to fight for their life.

Recalling the clash with the cultivators from Five Peaks Mountain, a wave of anger couldn't help but surge in Wang Chen's heart.

This was unbearable!

At the time, he had been extremely forbearing, retreating step by step, with the intention to defuse the situation peacefully.

But Wang Chen's forbearance and retreat only encouraged the other party to be more aggressive and overbearing!

He had truly witnessed the arrogance and conceit of sect disciples towards loose cultivators from the Outer Domain.

Taking a deep breath, Wang Chen sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing and expel the residual sword qi from his body.

It took a full three days for Wang Chen's injuries to fully recover.

His injuries were quite severe this time; if not for his robust Heavenly Dragon Vajra physique, it would have been normal to need a year or even half a decade to recuperate.

And if a cultivator frequently sustained injuries, even if they fully healed each time, their foundation would suffer irreversible damage, not only increasing the difficulty of their cultivation but also shortening their lifespan.

Wang Chen's lifespan was not shortened, but this experience served as a wakeup call.

The Outer Domain was different from the sects, filled with too many unforeseeable dangers, and enemies could come from all directions.

His actions in the future must be even more cautious!

Donning a new robe and once again wearing the Thousand Mechanisms Changing, Wang Chen transformed back into loose cultivator Wan Xiu.

As soon as he stepped out the door, he saw Lady Chen from the neighboring house.

"Taoist Friend Wan, good morning,"

she said, carrying a basket and greeting Wang Chen with casual ease, "Is your seclusion over?"

Wang Chen smiled, "Yes, it is."

This Lady Chen from the Chen family made him inadvertently think of another Lady Chen.

He wondered how she and her daughter were doing now.

But Wang Chen didn't dwell on it, the thought merely flashing through his mind.

After all, he was doing well just to take care of himself nowadays; he could hardly afford to be distracted with other concerns.

After saying goodbye to Lady Chen, Wang Chen first went to a breakfast stall for a bite and then strolled half a circuit around the stockade before ending up at the tea house he frequented.

As usual, he ordered a pot of spiritual tea and a plate of pastries, tasting them while listening to the tea patrons chat and gossip around him.

Only then did he learn that he had sparked quite an uproar.

"Have you all heard? Something major happened at Five Peaks Mountain!"

"I heard about it last night. One of the Heaven Cloud Seven Beauties, Liu Yingxiu, was killed. Is it true?"

"It's true, they say Liu Yingxiu could match a Primary Tier Purple Mansion and was a Golden Core seed of Five Peaks Mountain."

"Five Peaks Mountain is almost going mad; they suspect it was someone from Guiyuan Gate!"

"Hasn't Guiyuan Gate always had frictions with Five Peaks Mountain? It's quite possible!"

"Shh, keep it down."

"Alas, let them fight their own battles, but who knows if it'll affect our Dongwu Stockade."

"Even in this poor and remote place, we have to be considered worthy by others!"

The tea house patrons were so animated that their spittle flew as they spoke, each showing an excited and agitated expression.

They even began to analyze the outcome of a war that might break out between the two major sects, as if Five Peaks Mountain and Guiyuan Gate were about to clash, and the situation in the Heaven Cloud Mountain Range was on the verge of another major change!

These tea house patrons had no idea that the culprit behind Liu Yingxiu, the fallen Golden Core seed's downfall, was sitting right beside them.

Wang Chen finished his third pot of Spiritual Tea before leaving the tea house.

By now, he was very clear that the Sword Cultivator from Five Peaks Mountain was no ordinary character.

One of the Heaven Cloud Seven Beauties, a disciple of a Golden Core True Person, a direct descendent from the main lineage of Five Peaks Mountain...

He was practically a carbon copy of Xie Yaoxiu!

With such a figure compelled by Wang Chen to self-destruct, one could imagine the reaction from Five Peaks Mountain.

Wang Chen estimated that he was likely already being hunted by the sect.

As the saying goes, the more lice you have, the less you itch, and with his previous experience of being wanted by Guiyuan Gate, Wang Chen felt no turmoil inside.

He even felt like laughing.

Because the blame for Liu Yingxiu's demise might very well be pinned on Guiyuan Gate.

Five Peaks Mountain and Guiyuan Gate had always been at odds, with frequent skirmishes between their disciples. Although there had never been a war between the sects, Five Peaks Mountain had often rallied for Cloud Sun Sect and caused trouble for Guiyuan Gate.

After Cloud Sun Sect fled, Five Peaks Mountain took over some of their areas under Upper Sect's mediation as a former ally, taking quite a share of the spoils.

The most crucial thing was that their territories were now right next to each other, without Cloud Sun Sect as a buffer. The animosity between them was bound to intensify greatly.

It was entirely reasonable for Guiyuan Gate to plot against Liu Yingxiu, a future Golden Core seed!

If the two sects really started fighting, Wang Chen would find it hard not to laugh.

He had the Thousand Mechanisms Changing mask to disguise himself and was not afraid of being recognized outright, with his only fear being the Heavenly Secret Technique of high-tier Cultivators.

The Heavenly Secret Technique could trace effects back to their causes and was incredibly powerful.

But cultivating this profound technique was costly, as each use would diminish one's lifespan and cultivation level. Because of this, high-tier Cultivators with the Heavenly Secret Technique were very rare, usually nurtured specifically by major sects.

Moreover, the Heavenly Secret Technique was not infallible. It was affected by many factors, and the outcome often differed from the truth.

Liu Yingxiu's status was significant enough to warrant Five Peaks Mountain's sages to divine his fate. Your journey continues with m v|l-e'm,p y r

Otherwise, the sect's face would be lost.

This could be the greatest danger Wang Chen might face. He only hoped that the Evil-Repelling and Rebirth Talismans he had used earlier could really confuse the divine tracing his actions.

Otherwise, he'd have to go on the run again!

After returning home, Wang Chen secluded himself again.

He spent two days adjusting his condition to its peak, then crafted a new batch of talismans.

Among them were dozens of Seal Town Talismans.

The Seal Town Talisman is one of the highest ranking talismans in the Primary Tier, and also one of the most difficult to refine.

Its purpose is to suppress items with sentience and malevolence.

Most Cultivators have no use for it.

Wang Chen's intention in refining the Seal Town Talismans was to subdue the Flying Sword that originally belonged to Liu Yingxiu!

After completing all his preparations, he took out the Flying Sword from his Storage Bag.

Hum~

As soon as the Flying Sword was taken out, it immediately emitted a low humming sound, with faint sparks of electricity flickering on the blade.

It displayed exceptional sentience.

Without Wang Chen's control, it suddenly suspended itself in the air, looking as if it was about to fly away on its own!

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The first update is here.