After hearing about someone achieving Foundation Establishment at age four in the ruined temple, Li Xuanxiao had come all the way to this place.
Upon inspection by Di Nü Feng, it was confirmed that Fanyue's reincarnation was indeed here.
However, they could only detect the general location but not the specific individual.
Still, Li Xuanxiao was fairly certain it was Cheng Tianyou.
Though he couldn't be 100% sure.
Thus, he decided to investigate first.
Little did he expect this investigation to reveal Cheng Tianyou's numerous deeds—helping the weak, robbing the rich to aid the poor, managing floods, curing plagues, beating up misbehaving young masters... So many that the storyteller at the teahouse couldn't finish recounting them even in three days and nights.
Li Xuanxiao was utterly baffled.
After finishing his tea, Li Xuanxiao paid and left in a hurry.
Over three months later.
After extensive surveillance and investigation,
Li Xuanxiao confirmed he hadn't mistaken—Cheng Tianyou was indeed Fanyue's reincarnation.
What's more, the other party retained memories from his past life.
Normally, reincarnation isn't pursued.
That's Mount Shushan's rule.
But if you reincarnate and keep your memories,
that violates the regulations.
And your reincarnation is just absurd—getting a second chance?
Li Xuanxiao prepared his assassination plan.
Originally, he intended to arrange an unnoticed accident to kill Cheng Tianyou.
But soon, he found this plan ineffective.
It was as if fate itself opposed him, preventing Cheng Tianyou's death.
For example, Li Xuanxiao tried to stage a drowning incident.
Cheng Tianyou often passed by the river.
Yet, during that period, Cheng Tianyou simply stopped taking that route.
Li Xuanxiao changed tactics, planning to make Cheng Tianyou severely ill.
Essentially, poisoning him.
The poison was administered, and Cheng Tianyou did fall ill.
But within a day, he was perfectly fine again.
As if he'd taken an antidote.
Subsequently, Li Xuanxiao tried various methods.
Yet, all his schemes ended in failure.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully,
Li Xuanxiao realized he'd never encountered such a situation before.
It almost felt as if the Heavenly Dao itself was protecting Fanyue's reincarnation.
Looking up at the sky, Li Xuanxiao clenched his fist.
"I'll kill him no matter what—even the Heavenly Dao won't stop me!"
If assassination failed, he'd just kill openly.
Having decided, Li Xuanxiao changed his approach.
Originally, he wanted Fanyue to die in an accident—the safest method.
But now, accidents kept failing or being thwarted.
So, he'd have to do it himself.
Leave it to Di Nü Feng?
Given her intelligence, handling this target...
Li Xuanxiao had zero confidence.
Having experienced a previous inexplicable death and a failed possession attempt that backfired,
Cheng Tianyou was far more cautious in this life.
Two Nascent Soul guards from the Cheng family secretly followed him at all times.
Though Cheng Tianyou appeared to wander freely outside, he only visited places he deemed safe.
Most days, he cultivated within the family compound, never going out at night.
Li Xuanxiao chose an excellent ambush location.
That day, after visiting the city's elderly, Cheng Tianyou prepared to return home to cultivate.
The moment he took a step forward,
an indescribable feeling surged in his heart—as if eyes were boring into his back.
His hairs stood on end, a chill creeping up his spine.
Startled, he halted immediately.
Distant noises sounded strangely muffled, as if from another world.
The familiar alley before him was eerily silent.
No wind, no movement.
Cheng Tianyou quickly took a detour.
For some reason, he felt uneasy today—better return quickly.
The two Nascent Soul guards flanked him.
"Wait! Have we... walked this path before?"
Realization struck Cheng Tianyou.
"A mere trap formation? I'll break it!"
One guard summoned a glowing treasure hammer, intending to force his way out.
The formation's aura seemed weak, giving the illusion it'd shatter easily.
The trap formation, once broken, instantly transformed into a killing formation.
A triple-layered design: trap, kill, and teleportation formations.
Based on the ancient "Three Talents Formation" principle.
Cheng Tianyou recognized it immediately.
The guard's shoulder was pierced—
Just as Cheng Tianyou assumed his death inevitable, the killing formation shifted abruptly.
Like a beast's maw, it swallowed the guard whole, vanishing without a trace.
After a long struggle,
Cheng Tianyou barely escaped, disheveled.
As he activated a teleportation talisman to flee,
a flying kick smashed into his face.
Li Xuanxiao retreated lightning-fast as a blinding thunderbolt struck where he'd stood.
The clear sky darkened, thick clouds churning like an enraged beast, lightning coiling within.
Li Xuanxiao's eye twitched.
"Not even pretending anymore?!"
"Don't kill me! Why attack a child?!"
"Fanyue, you think a new identity fools me? Die."
Li Xuanxiao unleashed two Crane Summit Silver Needles.
Fanyue's current cultivation couldn't possibly block them.
Yet, the needles rebounded as if repelled by an invisible force.
Frowning, Li Xuanxiao saw a phantom shield protecting Fanyue.
Meanwhile, the heavenly tribulation's pressure above grew increasingly oppressive.