Master of Heaven and Earth - -

Autumn winds and falling leaves marked the passage of over a month, and Leng Yan’s injuries had finally healed. After a night of cultivation, filled with energy, he stepped out of Ziyang Palace just in time to see Xuelan approaching with a porcelain bowl in her hands.

“You’re out? Here, I have a bowl of unification soup for you. Come drink it!” Xuelan said with a smile upon seeing Leng Yan.

“Thank you!” Leng Yan took the porcelain bowl and drank it down, then placed the bowl on a stone table beside him. “Xuelan, I’m all better now, so you don’t need to keep making these for me!”

“That’s not acceptable. Yunyao entrusted me to take care of you, I…” Xuelan began, but suddenly realized she had mentioned Shui Yunyao’s name. She quickly stopped and cautiously looked at Leng Yan.

“Don’t worry, I’m not that fragile. I will bring Yunyao back for sure, but I need to wait until I have the strength to protect her!” Leng Yan said firmly.

“Uh-huh!” Xuelan nodded, lowering her head, but there was a hint of jealousy in her tone.

Using his spiritual awareness, Leng Yan quickly located Fat Guy. After conveying a few words to him, he sat down beside him and waited.

After a while, Fat Guy came over with a group of more than a dozen men and women. Noticing that Leng Yan was busy, Xuelan said, “I’ll go back to my room to cultivate for a while!” With that, she turned and went back inside.

Fat Guy approached with his companions and said, “Senior Brother, these are the brothers and sisters I’ve recruited!”

“Good!” Leng Yan glanced over. Most of them were at the initial stage of the unification realm, which was quite respectable.

These individuals had previously followed Fat Guy to the underlands and witnessed Leng Yan’s wild demeanor. Now, seeing him with a calm expression created an unexplainable pressure among them.

“Since you have chosen to follow me, I won’t let you suffer. Each of you will receive two hundred thousand spirit elixirs.” With a wave of his hand, more than ten storage bags flew into their hands.

Two hundred thousand is no small amount. Leng Yan’s generosity instantly boosted their goodwill toward him.

“The benefits are yours! Now, I’ll lay it out plainly. Be loyal to me, and we are all in this together. Betray me, and I’ll ensure you turn to ashes!” As Leng Yan spoke, his aura surged, causing even more pressure to weigh on the group.

At that moment, Leng Yan resembled a fierce beast, with fierce light shooting from his eyes. His imposing aura pressed down on them like a towering mountain, making it difficult for them to breathe.

“Senior Brother Leng Yan, they’re all very reliable, you can rest assured!” Fat Guy was the first to withstand the pressure and spoke up.

Leng Yan smiled appreciatively and said, “That’s good to hear. From today onwards, you will stay on Amethyst Peak! Later, let Fat Guy take you to choose your cultivation rooms!”

“Thank you, Senior Brother Leng Yan!” The group was immediately overjoyed. The essence power on Amethyst Peak was much denser than in other places, making cultivation here much more efficient!

“Has there been any news from the Five Elements Sect recently?” Leng Yan asked.

Fat Guy understood that Leng Yan was inquiring about the attitudes of various factions toward him. He organized his thoughts and replied, “Most factions know about your situation in the underlands and want to win you over. However, Shui Yunyao has already offended you, and she’s intent on getting you out of the picture. She has several experts capable of defying the heavens and changing fate by her side, so you need to be careful! Additionally, Guo Zheng and Ji Long seem to have ulterior motives concerning you, likely wanting to obtain a cultivation technique that could double their combat power!”

“Guo Zheng and Ji Long, huh? Go on!” Leng Yan had a feeling that the Five Elements Sect was not to be underestimated.

“Furthermore, Jin Kuang and Zhong Yong and his wife learned that you returned safely and initially planned to eliminate you. However, after witnessing your solo battle against the heaven and earth dharma form without defeat, they got scared and halted their plans. But I don’t believe they will give up easily!” Fat Guy continued.

“Got it. You all can go rest now! Hurry up and focus on improving your strength; that’s how you can survive longer. By the way, I have a few techniques for you to cultivate secretly, so don’t make it public!” With that, Leng Yan handed over jade slips containing the Seven Emotions and Six Desires technique and the Nine Yin Fiend God technique to Fat Guy, instructing him to teach the others.

Fat Guy took the jade slips, and upon probing their contents with his spiritual awareness, he was immediately taken aback. “These are the top-level cultivation techniques of the Corpse Yin Sect and the Demon Desire Palace. Senior Brother, are you really passing these onto us?”

His voice trembled slightly, revealing his inner shock. Leng Yan smiled faintly and said, “I’ve said before, those who follow me will surely receive their rewards!”

“Thank you, Senior Brother…” The group was overjoyed and hurriedly expressed their gratitude.

“This cultivation technique and the Nine Yin Fiend God technique both belong to the Demon Sect. Although their power is unmatched, they are shunned by the righteous path, so be careful when cultivating them,” Leng Yan warned.

“I’ll take you to Yin Mountain to practice the Nine Yin Fiend God technique. Just find a time to gather the Spirit of Desire in the mortal realm together,” he continued, his tone serious. “Remember, aside from those present, no one else can know about this matter!”

“Understood, Senior Brother!” Fat Guy and the others nodded in agreement.

Leng Yan gave Fat Guy a nod, and he understood immediately. “Senior Brother, we will take our leave now.” With that, he led the others to choose their cultivation rooms.

As soon as they left, Leng Yan looked up at the sky above Amethyst Peak and saw a powerful sword qi descending from the heavens.

As the sword light dissipated, a cold-faced figure emerged, addressing Leng Yan, “Leng-Ge, we meet again!”

“Yi-Ge, it’s been a while! Your progress in the sword way has been impressive!” The person before him was Yi Shuihan, with whom Leng Yan had previously competed.

Yi Shuihan always wore a neutral expression, responding nonchalantly, “Compared to you, Leng-Ge, I still fall short. In less than two years, you’ve already managed to battle the heaven and earth dharma form alone. Your rate of cultivation leaves me in awe!”

“Let’s skip the flattery; I see no point in continuing with that. Yi-Ge doesn’t visit without a reason. I’m curious what brings you here,” Leng Yan replied, still wearing a subtle smile.

“Alright, I’m not one for unnecessary talk either. I’ll get straight to the point! I hope you can help me with something,” Yi Shuihan said.

“Help? What kind of help do you need?” Leng Yan asked.

Yi Shuihan replied calmly, “I need your assistance to explore a mansion left behind by a sword path ancestor.”

Leng Yan paused for a moment, maintaining his smile. “Since Yi-Ge has asked, I’ll be straightforward to avoid future complications.”

“You mean to discuss the benefits involved?” Yi Shuihan inquired.

Leng Yan remained silent but nodded with a smile.

“Everything we obtain-magical treasures, elixirs, materials-I won’t take any; they’ll all belong to you! What do you think?” Yi Shuihan proposed.

“If Yi-Ge isn’t interested in magical treasures or elixirs, then what is the purpose of visiting that mansion?” Leng Yan asked cheerfully.

“Swordsmanship inheritance! That is my absolute goal-nothing else matters to me!” Yi Shuihan declared.

Leng Yan quickly assessed the pros and cons of this venture and responded, “Alright, I agree! When do we set out?”

“Three days from now!” Yi Shuihan replied succinctly.

“Great, we’ll depart in three days!” Leng Yan smiled.

“Then I’ll excuse myself; I will come to find you in three days, Leng-Ge!”

With that, Yi Shuihan transformed into a dazzling beam of sword light, his sword qi radiating fiercely as he soared into the sky. Watching him disappear, Leng Yan felt an increasing sense of mystery about this man.

Previously, Leng Yan could sense Yi Shuihan’s realm, but now, apart from the overwhelming sword qi, he couldn’t discern anything else!

As he entered Ziyang Palace, Xuelan approached him with a bright smile, saying, “Finally, I can leave this place! I’ve been nearly suffocated from boredom!”

Leng Yan paused for a moment, then slapped his forehead in realization, feeling a pang of concern: he had completely forgotten about having this person following him. Would this turn out to be a blessing or a curse?