The letters over these years had always included Zhou Bingyun, but suddenly, eight years ago, after delivering a letter saying she was going into seclusion, there was no further news, and no one else mentioned it.

At that time, he vaguely suspected that the young lady might have encountered misfortune.

After all, her seclusion came too suddenly, although it’s quite normal for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to go into seclusion for ten or more years.

The Immortal Cultivation Realm is unpredictable; this is the norm. Li Erniu, Shen Lie, and Wei Buyi being able to die of old age is already more than many cultivators.

"Master Lin, this is what the young lady left before she passed. As her father, I thought if Master Lin still remembered her, I should give it to you."

A bundle of partially unwritten Jade Scrolls appeared before him. As he probed with his Divine Sense, the neatly written scripts on these scrolls recorded Zhou Bingyun’s knowledge on various Spirit Beasts and Spirit Insects.

However, the last part remained unfinished.

"Thank you!"

After receiving these Jade Scrolls, Lin Chang’an remained silent for a while. How could he not understand the former bond they shared?

But with the turbulence in the Immortal Cultivation Realm, bearing the opportunities he had, how could he be content without planning for Core Formation?

Unexpectedly, this separation turned out to be a final farewell.

"Li Huo Palace Tribulation Cultivators!"

Lin Chang’an, with a calm expression, inquired about the identities and backgrounds of these Tribulation Cultivators.

This time, he didn’t stay long at the Zhou Family of Beast Tamers, only took a glance at Zhou Bingyun’s memorial tablet, left a word that he had formed his core, and then turned to depart.

...

Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

The former territory of Li Huo Palace had long been supplanted by various families and the forces of the Profound Sound Pavilion.

And many of the direct disciples left by the Li Huo Palace had either gone into hiding as Tribulation Cultivators or traveled far away, changing their identities to start anew.

Among them was a group of remaining evils from the Li Huo Palace, six Foundation Establishment Cultivators working together, hiding in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, becoming notorious Tribulation Cultivators.

"Hmph! Stubborn, dare to resist!"

With a displeased snort, deep in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, a pair of grandfather and grandson lay in a pool of blood.

The older one was clearly at Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, and the younger one was at Qi Refining Perfection. It was evident that the grandfather and grandson entered the Cloud Mist Mountain Range intending to plan for Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects.

But they encountered the Tribulation Cultivators.

"Alright, clean it up quickly, let’s go back."

Tian Yuan said with displeasure. Once a high and mighty disciple of Li Huo Palace, he now ended up in such a situation, claiming not to feel aggrieved was false.

"Senior Brother, you say our days are quite carefree, should we not go to the Demon Beast Abyss to look for the sect leader and them? I heard they aren’t doing well either..."

This junior with the surname Gan joked with a smile, but this Senior Brother Tian fell into silence.

"Let’s discuss with our fellow junior brothers once we get back, see if we should seek out the sect leader or live incognito." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

While the two were cleaning the battlefield, the sudden sound of a cow’s moo made them jump. Only then did they realize a figure riding a cow had somehow appeared in front of them.

"Se... Senior!"

Lin Chang’an looked at the two with a calm demeanor but said in a gentle tone:

"Both young friends also hail from such a major sect as Li Huo Palace; why have you now fallen to being Tribulation Cultivators?"

As his gentle voice reverberated, the two of them turned pale. Among them, the junior with the surname Gan nervously swallowed.

This cultivator standing before them, whom they could not probe, likely had at least the Fake Pill Realm strength.

"Se... Senior, we were forced to..."

However, before they could finish speaking, Lin Chang’an, with a calm expression, gently raised his hand, sending two Sword Auras flashing towards them.

"Core Formation Cultivator! Senior, spare us!"

Under the terrifying pressure, the two were utterly terrified. Their usually powerful Spiritual Artifacts, under the Sword Aura’s might comparable to a lower-grade Magical Treasure, were no better than paper.

The Mana Shield shattered instantly, and the next moment, their Spiritual Artifacts emitted an ear-piercing screech, knocked flying with a bang, clearly severely damaged.

If it happened again once or twice more, they would probably be outright scrapped.

Yet before the two could react, Lin Chang’an’s figure already appeared behind them.

"Two young friends, eight years ago, a Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator of the Beast Tamer Zhou Family, was she severely injured by you?"

"Senior, spare us, we are wronged..."

However, under their miserable cries, Lin Chang’an, wearing a gentle smile, used Sword Qi to cripple their cultivation foundations.

Then, for the first time, he tried this living cultivator memory probe.

"Li Huo Palace disciples, six fellow junior brothers teamed up around this area to be Tribulation Cultivators, gathering cultivation resources..."

Within their memories, after he searched through an incident of a Tribulation Cultivation action eight years ago, Lin Chang’an’s face changed, and the Sword Aura in his hand flickered.

Instantly putting the two to death under his palm.

"Seems you died deservedly."

After confirming that he had found the right people, Lin Chang’an’s brow carried a hint of evil energy.

For a Core Formation cultivator like him to kill a few Foundation Establishment cultivators was merely a matter of easy prey, with no remorse whatsoever.

His cultivation principles did not dictate that, upon reaching Core Formation, he must only seek out Core Formation opponents.

"Four more to go. It seems my fate truly clashes with Li Huo Palace."

Back then, he wanted to join the Li Huo Palace Immortal Sect but was rejected due to his qualifications and age, leading to many conflicts thereafter.

...

These six people were indeed smart, relying on an array they once obtained from the sect to hide constantly within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

Moreover, being from the same sect and cultivating joint attack techniques made them difficult for ordinary Foundation Establishment clans to handle.

However, that night, the array within the valley suddenly flickered with firelight.

"A... a Core Formation cultivator!"

"Senior, our Li Huo Palace Ancestor is a late-stage Core Formation cultivator. Please think carefully, senior!"

"Spare us, senior, we are willing to become slaves..."

Under the night sky, the firelight within the array extinguished, and the Tier Three Spirit Pet, Phoenix Cry Bird, landed on Lin Chang’an’s shoulder.

By this time, the other four Foundation Establishment cultivators in the valley had died tragically, their faces filled with fear and regret in their final moments.

They never expected that a tribulation act eight years ago would provoke such a formidable enemy today.

"Core Formation crushing Foundation Establishment, it was indeed a one-sided match."

Under Lin Chang’an’s calm gaze, it was completely forgotten that while he hadn’t been in Core Formation for long, the attack power of a Sword Cultivator of his tier was famously strong.

Even his ’Sword Shadow Following Heart’ Divine Technique could gather three Sword Auras in the early stage of Core Formation, each with power comparable to a Tier Three Lower Grade Magical Treasure.

With such strength, at the early stage of Core Formation, few could match him.

As autumn leaves fell, after Lin Chang’an had executed the six people, he quietly sighed.

"Old friends are withering away like leaves in the wind."

His silhouette in the darkness seemed even lonelier, a part of every powerful cultivator’s journey.

...

Two days later, in the Zhou Family ancestral hall, there were six heads of Foundation Establishment cultivators, discovered only the following day.

Afterward, the Zhou Family Patriarch Zhou Renmao, upon seeing this, drank excessively.

Subsequently, various rumors spread.

The legendary Loose Cultivator, Master Lin, provoked by love, and other tales.

But without exception, this time Lin Chang’an and the Profound Sound Pavilion returned and stabilized the Yue Kingdom once more.

Simultaneously, Cyan Bamboo Mountain Market’s Beast Taming Zhou Family, Qingshui Bay’s Li Family, and the Shen couple formed good relations, with the three parties formally allying.

For a time, they became an undeniable force within a hundred-mile radius.

...

At this time, Lin Chang’an was venturing deep into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range with two Spirit Pets.

"I didn’t expect the miasma to become so dense. The depths of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range are now practically a haven for poisons."

The deeper he went, the more anxious Lin Chang’an became. In under fifty years of absence, the miasma in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range had thickened several folds.

If not for his unique cultivation technique, a self-healing body immune to poisons of the same tier, he might have hesitated to venture deeper.

In the current area he was in, an ordinary Core Formation cultivator would likely start preparing to retreat.

"According to fragments of Blood Evil Master’s memory, not far ahead is the territory of Tier Three Middle Stage poisonous insects."

Gazing ahead, he saw a dark, damp valley, causing Lin Chang’an to squint his eyes.

Although Blood Evil Master’s memories were over a hundred years old, to demons or poisonous insects, territorial instincts were predominant.

Just like human cultivators, once they occupy a spirit vein, they would naturally regard it as their territory, reluctant to relocate easily.

"And they are two Tier Three Middle Stage poisonous insects at that."

At this moment, the Phoenix Cry Bird on Lin Chang’an’s shoulder seemed to sense something and showed a greedy expression.

These poisonous insects that others, demons, or cultivators dreaded were natural food for the Phoenix Cry Bird.

Even for Lin Chang’an, being immune to poisons of the same tier, the biggest threat from poisonous insects was gone. The remaining combat threat was likely less than an ordinary Tier Three Early Stage demon beast.

"Don’t overeat this time; both those wood attribute demon cores are meant for me."

Under Lin Chang’an’s warning, the Cyan-Horned Bull glared with bull eyes at its master and the pesky bird.

Damn it, with only Tier Two Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation, what was it supposed to do!