Chapter 209: You Came to Find Me?

In the Wushan Mountains, Lu Yan suddenly halted mid-flight.

He stopped in his tracks and instinctively looked up at the sky.

For some unknown reason, in that brief instant just now, he had sensed an unfamiliar gaze crossing space and time to look directly at him.

That gaze carried no hostility, nor did it bear the condescension of looking down from above. It felt more like a brief, coincidental meeting of eyes while walking down the street.

But when Lu Yan tried to trace the source of that gaze, he found it vanishing like a dream, like an illusion blown away by the wind.

“Was it a hallucination… or something else?”

A hint of wariness rose in Lu Yan’s heart.

If this had been a few versions ago, he might have dismissed the sensation as mere illusion.

But ever since coming into contact with the only will of this world—the Version Heavenly Dao—Lu Yan knew that any anomaly might be a product of some high-level being’s arrangement.

Especially now that the text prompts of the Cultivation Version had changed, any abnormality warranted extreme caution.

Looking back in the direction of Nine Nether Immortal City, the towering city shrouded in mist had already vanished from view.

Having left the massive spiritual vein, the surrounding spiritual energy had also faded from dense to sparse.

Now that he had fully departed from Nine Nether Immortal City, Lu Yan could finally settle down and consider his current situation.

“Using Nine Nether Immortal City to secure my footing is no longer viable. All major factions have gathered there, turning it into a massive source of trouble.

“Once I get involved, if my true strength is exposed, the factions will inevitably start probing—and even hunting me.

“The only remaining way to leverage Nine Nether Immortal City’s value would be to return just before this version ends and have Li Hao allocate me some cultivation resources.

“Once the version updates, I’ll switch to a low-powered version. That way, I won’t have to worry about exposure.”

He paused, then thought again.

“But before that, I need to find a way to locate an Immortal in this Cultivation Version and have them eliminate the hidden dangers left on me by the Longevity Version.”

That was the primary concern weighing on Lu Yan’s mind.

As for where Immortals might appear in the Cultivation Version, the only confirmed locations would be the Ten Great Orthodox Sects.

These sects had the ability to erase traces of their presence across different versions. Combined with what Zhao Huowang had said, there was no doubt in Lu Yan’s mind that Immortals existed behind them.

But getting in contact with those Immortals was a tricky matter.

“Maybe… I can start with the Clear Wutong Sect.”

With that thought, Lu Yan determined his direction and transformed into a stream of escape light, flying toward the sect’s mountain gate.

Half a day later, outside the Clear Wutong Sect’s gate.

In the distance, mountain peaks towered into the clouds, and atop them were countless immortal-like buildings shrouded in spiritual mist. Cultivators in blue robes rode magical artifacts between the clouds, creating a scene akin to a celestial realm.

This was Lu Yan’s second visit to the Clear Wutong Sect. Yet, as he gazed at the grand immortal palaces nestled among the mountains, his eyes still revealed a hint of awe.

This time, however, his awe wasn’t directed at the sect’s mystical beauty, but rather at a grand array hidden within these mountains.

Every single building within the sect, every pavilion, hall, and even the peaks themselves were all nodes of the sect’s Mountain-Guarding Array.

These countless and complex formation nodes were connected through the spiritual veins that ran through the mountain range, forming an enormous array that could envelop the entire region.

This formation seemed to form a space of its own, dividing this stretch of heaven and earth from the outside world—like a mythical blessed land from ancient tales.

Back then, Lu Yan’s cultivation had been shallow, and his perception limited. He hadn’t even realized the existence of this array.

But now, he could clearly sense its terrifying nature.

If this Mountain-Guarding Array were to activate, the enemy would be crushed not merely by a formation—but by an entire world.

Forget Nascent Soul cultivators—even a legendary Soul Transformation Dao Lord might not escape its suppression.

“A Sixth-Grade Formation… No, it might even be above Sixth Grade!”

Lu Yan had once swept through an entire world in the Apocalypse Version, single-handedly battling tens of millions of zombies and even resisting a cross-version invasion by a World Unique Being.

Though he didn’t speak of it often, this experience had given him a certain pride—a habit of being untouchable.

Even now, with the Human Emperor Banner restricted and facing the high-energy Cultivation Version, that pride remained.

But the moment he truly faced one of the Ten Great Orthodox Sects, and experienced the weight of its grandeur, the pride that had once allowed him to sweep a world… finally faded.

In front of a sect like this, even with the Human Emperor Banner, he was nothing more than a slightly larger ant.

“If this is only the external Mountain-Guarding Array, how transcendent must the Immortals be?

“Can I really uncover the existence of an Immortal by seeking out Ji Xingyao’s help?”

Lu Yan’s thoughts grew heavy.

Back in the previous Cultivation Version, Lu Yan had helped Ji Xingyao by offering a photograph and a few Solar Stones, which had alleviated the damage to her cultivation foundation and formed a strong rapport between them.

But those few Solar Stones had not been enough to completely heal Ji Xingyao. She needed a much larger supply.

Having just returned from the Apocalypse Version, Lu Yan had anticipated this, and had Li Hao gather a large stockpile of Solar Stones before leaving that version.

Now was the perfect time to use them.

Lu Yan’s original plan was to give Ji Xingyao a portion of the stones to help her restore her foundation.

As a talented true disciple of the Clear Wutong Sect, she would surely advance to the Golden Core Realm once healed.

A Golden Core true disciple, even among the Ten Great Sects, held some standing—and might have access to certain secrets about the Immortals.

But now that Lu Yan had glimpsed even a corner of the sect’s true strength, he felt slightly shaken.

Still, since he had come this far, there was no reason to turn back.

At the mountain gate, numerous cultivators were queued up for registration. Lu Yan joined the line.

“Name?”

Behind the desk sat a middle-aged cultivator at the peak of Qi Refining. His tone was lazy and indifferent.

“Lu Yan.”

“What’s your purpose in visiting the Clear Wutong Sect? Do you have a recommendation token from a sect disciple?”

The routine question was barely out of his mouth when the clerk caught a glimpse of Lu Yan—and his pupils shrank.

He sat bolt upright, suddenly alert.

The name “Lu Yan” had seemed vaguely familiar when he spoke it, but he couldn’t place it—until he laid eyes on the man in front of him.

Two years ago, a young cultivator at mid-stage Qi Refining had entered the sect using a Scripture Transmission Token. That very token had been issued by this clerk.

Back then, he had assumed Lu Yan had connections and treated him with flattery.

But months later, a few inner disciples came to investigate whether someone had used a token to enter the sect.

It was only then the clerk learned the truth.

That token hadn’t come from some random Golden Core elder—it had belonged to none other than the true disciple Ji Xingyao.

After Ji Xingyao recovered some of her foundation, she had challenged and extorted several offending disciples, and eventually exchanged the spoils for a Scripture Transmission Token through underground channels.

This matter was covered up for months. But when it was finally exposed, many disciples searched for the person who had used the token.

Their investigation eventually led them to this very clerk, who found Lu Yan’s name in the entry records.

They even searched the surrounding regions for him but failed to find a trace.

And once Ji Xingyao’s condition deteriorated again and she secluded herself in isolation, the senior disciples went back to their usual power struggles, and no one cared about some mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

What stunned the clerk now was—in just two years, this young cultivator had advanced to Foundation Establishment.

“He must’ve obtained some hidden opportunity in the Scripture Repository!”

Having been stuck at peak Qi Refining for most of his life, the clerk couldn’t help but feel jealous—but he suppressed his emotions and kept a calm expression.

Lu Yan glanced at him with slight surprise.

With his enhanced divine soul perception, he could clearly read the changes in the man’s emotions.

Back in the Apocalypse Version, Lu Yan had used the moonlight spiritual energy gifted by a supreme will to advance his soul to the peak of Foundation Establishment.

His divine soul, refined through the transformation of the Supreme Dao Foundation, was already far beyond average cultivators. Now, it was comparable to that of a Golden Core elder.

No minor emotion could escape his notice.

Lu Yan quickly deduced that this probably had something to do with Ji Xingyao. But he wasn’t bothered.

The kind of trouble surrounding her likely involved no more than Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even without the Human Emperor Banner, Lu Yan could handle them with ease.

Plus, with Ji Xingyao’s status as a true disciple, there was no need to worry about such small matters.

“I’m here to visit a friend.”

His tone was calm and indifferent.

Foundation Establishment cultivators held a certain level of status. The sect didn’t perform too many checks on them. After a few symbolic questions, the clerk handed Lu Yan a jade token.

“This is your temporary jade token. You can stay in the sect for up to a month. If it expires, return here to renew it.

“Next!”

Lu Yan took the jade token and walked confidently into the sect.

Once he was out of sight, the clerk ignored the line behind him and quickly pulled out a transmission sword talisman from his storage pouch.

This talisman had been given to him during the investigation two years ago. He was told to use it if Lu Yan ever resurfaced—it would directly notify the true disciples.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If he could provide timely information and please one of the true disciples, he might even be rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill—a chance to step into Foundation Establishment himself.

“Shao Shang’s parents are both Golden Core cultivators. Their family has resources, but they always look down on bottom-tier disciples. If I report to him, he’ll probably just toss me a few spirit stones.”

“He Wudao was born at the bottom. Even after becoming a true disciple, he lacks support and struggles with his own cultivation. He wouldn’t waste a Foundation Establishment Pill on me. So he’s not a good option either.”

Thinking carefully, a name suddenly came to him.

“Su Yan! Her reputation used to be poor, but over the past year, her cultivation has soared. She frequents top-tier caves and spiritual grounds as if they were common.

“If I send the message to her, I might actually gain something!”

With that, the clerk stopped hesitating and inscribed Su Yan’s name on the sword talisman.

The talisman transformed into a stream of light and shot deep into the sect.

Meanwhile, inside the Clear Wutong Sect.

After wandering around for a while, Lu Yan realized something very awkward.

He didn’t know where Ji Xingyao’s cave-dwelling was.

Nor did he have a way to contact her.

This left Lu Yan in a bit of a bind.

The sect’s territory was vast, self-contained like an entire world. Wandering aimlessly could land him in a restricted area.

He had no acquaintances within the sect. After thinking for a moment, Lu Yan decided to head toward the sect’s marketplace to gather information.

Just then, from a distant mountain shrouded in spiritual mist, a flash of light passed swiftly beside Lu Yan and flew toward the mountain gate.

The sect was filled with cultivators flying to and fro, so Lu Yan didn’t pay it much attention.

The next second, however, a surprised voice rang in his ear.

“Huh?”

The light faded, revealing a beautiful figure.

She wore a flowing lavender celestial dress, light as mist and cloud.

Her face was like an autumn moon, brows like distant mountains. Her eyes shimmered with an endless charm. Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, casually tied with a silver hairpin, adding a touch of lazy elegance.

Though her appearance was different from the version he knew, Lu Yan instantly recognized her.

This was Su Yan—the woman with whom he had once shared a night of “deep and shallow interaction” in the Urban Version.

Compared to the sophisticated socialite she had been, Su Yan in this Cultivation Version perfectly embodied the image of a celestial fairy.

But having explored her depths firsthand, Lu Yan knew all too well that this fairy image was nothing more than a polished front—a tactic for playing hard to get.

Unlike Lu Yan’s calm reaction, Su Yan was visibly delighted.

That night of passion had brought her many benefits.

Thanks to the gifts Lu Yan had casually given her, Su Yan had rented Dao Lord caves and spiritual grounds multiple times over the past year, rapidly increasing her cultivation.

Her fame had grown, and she had leapt from the bottom of the true disciple rankings to one of the top contenders.

Everyone believed her success was due to talent and fortune—but only Su Yan knew the truth.

Over the past year, she had burned through everything Lu Yan gave her.

Without new support, her cultivation would soon stagnate. And once that happened, she’d quickly lose her place in the rankings—an outcome she absolutely couldn’t accept.

She had tried to find Lu Yan several times, hoping for more assistance.

But to her dismay, she didn’t even know his full name.

Just when she was about to give up, fate led her to encounter this mysterious benefactor again—right within the Clear Wutong Sect.

In that moment, Su Yan completely forgot about the message she had just received from the sword talisman.

All her focus shifted to Lu Yan.

With a charming smile on her face, she gracefully approached him. Her red lips parted as she exhaled a fragrant breath and said sweetly:

“Lu Gongzi, you came to find me?”

(End of Chapter)