Before the gates of Cangzhou City.
Several figures, dressed in ordinary clothing but standing tall and exuding an aura of cold severity, appeared.
"Cangzhou City, according to our investigation, several months ago, a young man here massacred an entire Precelestial family."
"Although the boy's appearance and build differ greatly from the one who killed Xuan Ming and the others in the Sacred City, based on the information we've tracked down, it's highly likely that he is the same person who caused the endless storm in the Sacred City."
One of the figures gazed at the city gate ahead and spoke slowly.
"That's right. The news from the Sacred City says that the person there was surnamed Lu and had close ties to Tianji Tower. More than two years ago, Tianji Tower ranked the Hidden Dragon List for the last time. Among those talents was a remarkable young man, also surnamed Lu, and he came from Cangzhou."
The second figure added.
"Over two years ago, he was only at the Tendons and Bones Realm, and yet in just two years, he triggered Thunder Tribulation and entered the Precelestial Realm. There wasn't even a period of weakness after his breakthrough. He was able to slay Xuan Ming and the others and defeat the Third Holy Lord right after enduring the tribulation. I can't believe that such a peerless genius has emerged from the outside world."
The third figure spoke in a tone filled with disbelief.
"I think it's not just that he has great fortune. This boy must have other great secrets. Otherwise, it’s hard to explain why he can grow so strong in defiance of common sense."
Hearing these words, the others' eyes lit up slightly, finding the reasoning sound.
However, the leading figure coldly remarked, "Don’t get any ideas. No matter what secrets he carries, this person is someone we cannot afford to provoke now. Before we left, the leader instructed us: our mission is solely to investigate the deaths of Xuan Ming and the others and to understand the current power dynamics of the world. We are not to stir up trouble. Understood?"
The other figures, though proud, responded immediately, not daring to show any disrespect toward the person in front of them. After all, their abilities were all taught by this individual.
"Elder You, what should we do now?" one person asked.
"First, let's enter the city and see if we can find out anything about that boy’s background."
The figures withdrew their intimidating auras and slipped into the city undetected.
Though Cangzhou City was well-guarded, to these mysterious individuals, the defenses were nothing. Once inside, they split up to gather information.
Later that night, they leapt over the city walls and gathered outside the city.
"None. I interrogated a few arrogant young masters from some noble families, but got nothing useful."
"Same here. I used extreme methods on a family patriarch, yet he still claimed to know nothing about the boy's true identity."
"I checked out the City Lord's residence but also found nothing."
The figures exchanged information, all realizing that no one in Cangzhou City seemed to know the origins of the boy named Lu Qing from the Hidden Dragon List.
"Could it be that this Lu Qing isn't actually from Cangzhou?" one figure questioned in confusion.
"Impossible. The Hidden Dragon List is connected to the mysterious workings of fortune. Tianji Tower would not have deliberately left incorrect information on the list," Elder You shook his head. "There’s only one possibility—Lu Qing must have been cultivating in a place more remote than the city."
"Elder You, what should we do next?"
"Let’s move on and investigate elsewhere. Did you all clean up after yourselves?"
"Everything is taken care of. By the time anyone realizes what’s happened, we’ll be long gone."
The figures vanished quietly into the night.
It wasn’t until late into the night that commotion stirred in the city. One noble family discovered that their patriarch had died silently at the bottom of a dried-up well. Other families found that several of their disciples had also perished mysteriously in their homes. Even the maids and servants nearby had met untimely deaths.
The City Lord's residence also reported the death of a high-ranking guard without any trace of the culprit.
The entire city of Cangzhou was thrown into turmoil, and even the City Lord himself was alerted.
But, in the end, they would find nothing.
The perpetrators had already long since left Cangzhou, disappearing without a trace.
As for Lu Qing, he knew nothing of the events in Cangzhou City. Since successfully setting up his formation, his life had once again become leisurely.
Apart from his daily cultivation, he would occasionally check on the situation in his medicinal fields.
With the Gathering Spirit Monument continuously concentrating Earth Energy and Spiritual Energy, the fields seemed to change daily. After only a few days, the Spiritual Energy in the area had grown as dense as that of Azure Dragon City.
During this time, the happiest being was none other than the thousand-year-old ginseng. Nourished by the rich Earth and Spiritual Energy, it seemed to have grown slightly plumper, and even its intelligence appeared to be developing.
By the fifth day, Lu Qing noticed that the concentration of Earth and Spiritual Energy gathered by the monument had reached a peak and could no longer increase.
Still, Lu Qing was more than satisfied. After all, the Gathering Spirit Monument was refined from ordinary jade, and it naturally had its limits. To have reached this level of condensation was already quite impressive.
Realizing that the monument had reached its limit, he began to cultivate the remaining plots of land next to the medicinal fields.
"'Yan' senior, what should I prioritize planting in these newly opened fields?"
After finishing the cultivation of the new spiritual fields, Lu Qing asked for advice.
"Yan," a being that had lived for tens of thousands of years and held an esteemed position in the Li Huo Sect as a master of both artifact forging and alchemy, was someone Lu Qing often consulted.
"Your fields are still too young, with shallow foundations and insufficient Spiritual Essence. I fear they won’t be able to sustain the growth of rare medicinal herbs. I suggest you start by planting some Spiritual Valley crops."
"Yes. Though it may not be as precious as Spiritual Herbs or Grasses, it is easy to cultivate. The Spiritual Essence in Spirit Rice is mild and easy to absorb. I noticed you're building a foundation for Xiao Yan—this crop would be ideal for nourishing her body."