Both of them possessed Foundation Establishment Cultivation, and neither was an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Song Xianglan carried a Tier Three Card bestowed by Zi Xi, while Song Yu’Er possessed a treasure given by Li Chang’an. With these, they could kill even a Golden Core Cultivator. As long as they were cautious, they would generally be fine.
"Xianglan, which Secret Realm do you want me to go to?" Song Yu’Er asked curiously.
"The Ten Thousand Valleys Secret Realm," Song Xianglan replied, her voice crisp as she revealed her destination.
The Ten Thousand Valleys Secret Realm was a newly formed Secret Realm that emerged after the third earthquake. Filled with countless canyons of all sizes, it rightfully earned the name "Ten Thousand Valleys." Because it was new, the Secret Realm was fraught with danger, but the sheer number of treasures within was staggering. Almost every day, news spread of cultivators obtaining treasures. Opportunities always coexisted with crises.
"What do you think, Yu’Er?" Song Xianglan asked with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Song Yu’Er didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she subconsciously glanced at Li Chang’an. She was somewhat tempted, but she knew his personality well, fully aware that he wouldn’t let her go to such a dangerous place.
However, Li Chang’an didn’t reject Song Xianglan on her behalf. He simply asked, "Xianglan, why do you want to go to the Ten Thousand Valleys Secret Realm? Is it a sudden impulse, or have you been planning this for a while?"
"This... I suppose it’s a sudden impulse," Song Xianglan replied after a moment of thought, telling Li Chang’an that she hadn’t planned it for long.
More than ten days ago, she had been planning to enter secluded cultivation but suddenly felt that endless seclusion was a bit dull. Thus, she went to the Sect’s Library to read through the cultivation stories of their predecessors in order to change her state of mind. She discovered that many of them were able to reach great heights because they had experienced countless hardships and obstacles. Her own life, on the other hand, was entirely too peaceful. She had lived under Zi Xi’s protection year-round; before reaching Foundation Establishment, she had barely stepped out of the Sect, and even after her breakthrough, she had hardly gone out to temper herself. Because of this, she developed the desire to gain real-world experience.
Right when she had this thought, she happened to overhear several Purple Mist Sect disciples discussing the Ten Thousand Valleys Secret Realm. Consequently, the idea of going there formed in her mind. Originally, she had planned to go alone, but right before setting off, she happened to see many senior brothers and sisters departing in groups.
"At that time, the thought of inviting a few fellow disciples crossed my mind," Song Xianglan explained slowly. "But those I am on good terms with all happen to be busy recently. So, I came looking for Yu’Er."
In summary, the reason she sought out Song Yu’Er was due to a series of coincidences. Every single event had happened just at the right moment, prompting her to naturally form the next thought, ultimately leading her to Changqing Mountain. In her eyes, these coincidences were nothing out of the ordinary. She hadn’t noticed anything unusual, and neither had Song Yu’Er.
But Li Chang’an caught the underlying issue. These coincidences were clearly the result of Tier Four Divination methods. If a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Song Xianglan was targeted by a Tier Four Divination Grandmaster, no amount of Protective Treasures bestowed by Zi Xi would be of use; she would eventually be schemed against until her death. She wouldn’t even realize she had died from Divination methods, only believing it to be a tragic accident.
Li Chang’an saw through the crux of the problem, thinking, "Song Xianglan is just the bait. Their true target is Yu’Er."
"Elder Li, is there a problem?" Song Xianglan asked softly, sensing that the atmosphere wasn’t quite right.
Li Chang’an shook his head. "It’s nothing. Rest on Changqing Mountain for a couple of days first. I need to look into the situation at the Ten Thousand Valleys Secret Realm."
"Alright," Song Xianglan replied without overthinking it, assuming he simply couldn’t stop worrying about Song Yu’Er. The Spiritual Power concentration on Changqing Mountain was close to Tier Four, more than enough for her cultivation. Even if she were to stay here indefinitely, it wouldn’t be an issue.
A short while later, Li Chang’an left Song Yu’Er’s cave dwelling and returned to his own. With a sweeping wave of his hand, the doors of his cave dwelling instantly sealed shut.
Li Chang’an sat cross-legged deep within his cave dwelling, his expression icy as he thought, "I’d like to see who dares to use Divination methods against my people!"
Dozens of streams of Spiritual Light flew out from his Storage Pouch, transforming into various supplementary Divination treasures. Even the lowest among them was Quasi-Tier Four in quality! That piece of Turtle Shell, which was of Tier Four Middle Grade, floated right in the center, surrounded by the rest of the treasures as they bobbed up and down in front of him.
Li Chang’an formed hand seals, holding nothing back as he unleashed his Tier Four Middle Grade Power of Divination. A profound and majestic aura instantly flooded the entire cave dwelling. In the next instant, his eyes shimmered with brilliant silver light, looking as if they could see right through the firmament itself.
Above the deep, boundless firmament, two thin, long threads suddenly materialized. The ends of these two threads were connected to Song Yu’Er and Song Xianglan respectively.
Li Chang’an’s gaze was cold as he traced the threads backward, and in the blink of an eye, he saw a majestic, imposing Sect.
The Purple Mist Sect!
The origins of the two long threads lay deep within the Purple Mist Sect, both stemming from the same cultivator. This cultivator wore a long robe and had a gaunt figure. Like most Divination Masters, his aura was not robust, faintly exuding a sense of frailty.
The path of Divination defied the heavens itself. Practitioners frequently suffered backlashes and lost portions of their lifespan at the drop of a hat, so very few of them were in good health. A Divination Master as vigorous and energetic as Li Chang’an was incredibly rare.
Li Chang’an recognized the man, thinking, "So it’s him!"
This person was named Xun Yuanjia, an expert with Golden Core Peak Cultivation. He possessed considerable talent in the art of Divination and had become a Tier Four Grandmaster a few years ago. Since it hadn’t been long since his breakthrough, he wasn’t particularly famous. The only reason Li Chang’an knew of him was because of his master.
Years ago, Xun Yuanjia’s master had accurately predicted the first earthquake, leaving behind the words: "The Earth Dragon turns over, opportunities emerge in the world." Many years had passed since then, and his master had long since died after reaching the end of his lifespan. Rumor had it that right before his death, his master had performed a final divination for the entire Cultivation Immortality Realm. He seemed to have glimpsed a truly terrifying scene, his face twisting in horror, but before he could say a word, he breathed his last.
Li Chang’an prepared to continue his deductions, wondering, "This Xun Yuanjia stays inside the Purple Mist Sect year-round and has never crossed paths with Yu’Er. Why would he target her?"
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure.
Liu Xuanfeng!
Li Chang’an instantly understood everything, thinking, "I see."
The man’s target wasn’t Song Yu’Er at all, but rather Li Chang’an himself. Because Li Chang’an was protected by a treasure and couldn’t be targeted by Divination methods, Xun Yuanjia had shifted his aim to Song Yu’Er.
At this moment, Liu Xuanfeng was visiting Xun Yuanjia to ask about this very matter.
"Grandmaster Xun, how is the situation?"
"Rest assured, Daoist Liu," Xun Yuanjia said with a confident smile. "Within ten days, that Song Yu’Er will definitely run into trouble. When Li Chang’an goes to save her, it will be the perfect opportunity for you to strike."
"Thank you for creating this opportunity for me, Grandmaster Xun," Liu Xuanfeng replied, a smile breaking out on his face as he immediately handed over a Storage Pouch.
Xun Yuanjia accepted the Storage Pouch and warned, "Daoist Liu, please keep this matter a strict secret."
"Do not worry, Grandmaster Xun. This matter will absolutely not implicate you. Even in death, Li Chang’an will never know that you were the one targeting him!"