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第五卷 天云十二州 第一千零八十八章 雄霸幽州

Fang Xiu nodded repeatedly, his eyes aglow with determination. "You've been through so much hardship in these years, hiding from others. They have already suffered enough."

"Only the old patriarch," said the man in white robes named Zicoshu hesitantly.

"How so?" The gray-robed elder turned to him, his eyes flashing with sharpness.

Their gazes met, and even though the man was a late-stage元婴 cultivator, he couldn't help breaking out in cold sweat. He quickly lowered his head. "Old patriarch, forgive me. I just have some doubts—does the city of Xuanxu really contain that kind of thing?"

"Hmph, as old man has said before, this information came from the ancestral records of the Luo family. It's vague and incomplete, but it took a lot of effort to decipher. There were signs a hundred years ago, but I secretly verified it for so long that it was absolutely foolproof," the gray-robed elder said calmly. His face showed no anger; this matter concerned the rise and fall of the Luo family, and his nephews' concerns were understandable.

Hearing such a definitive answer from the old patriarch, the Luo family elders were all delighted. Just as they were about to speak, a man dressed in white robes stepped forward. "Young master, you are safe. It's wonderful."

"Come inside and sit down," said Lin Xuan with a smile. After years apart, Landy still looked beautiful, but her cultivation hadn't changed much. This was not surprising; after entering the condensation core stage, one's progress naturally slowed.

Landy obediently led him to a pavilion in the courtyard. "Young master, you needn't be so formal here. There are no outsiders."

"Thank you," Landy replied with a smile as she sat down opposite Lin Xuan.

A small tea table was placed between them. Landy personally brewed some spirit tea and offered it to him. "Please enjoy this tea. It may not be rare, but it can help alleviate fatigue."

Lin Xuan nodded and took a sip. The taste was indeed good; while it didn't enhance his magical power, it did replenish his physical energy. "Haha, your illusion technique is truly amazing. No wonder the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect couldn't do anything about you," Landy said with admiration in her eyes.

She hadn't asked about how Lin Xuan had become enemies with the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect; as a subordinate, she shouldn't pry into her master's secrets. She handled this well.

Lin Xuan nodded approvingly but didn't plan to hide anything. This woman was bound by a blood pact and would never betray him in this life. He briefly explained their conflict with the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect. Landy's face showed surprise as she listened intently.

Later-stage old monsters had powers far beyond those of middle-stage cultivators, and the other party being a seat of the Buddha Hall of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect was undoubtedly much stronger than peers.

Young master is simply too powerful!

In the cultivation world, strength ruled. Landy already admired young master greatly; this feeling only deepened now.

"This is just a minor matter. No need to be surprised," said Lin Xuan curiously. "Why did you come here from Youzhou? What's your true purpose?"

"I apologize, Young Master," Landy lowered her head, speaking hesitantly. This was something she had done on her own initiative.

"Ah?" Lin Xuan wasn't surprised; he seemed to have anticipated this. He rubbed his forehead and looked at her with a playful expression: "You wanted to establish a branch here? If I'm not mistaken, you've performed quite well in Youzhou, which is why you're thinking of expanding further."

"Young master's wisdom astounds me," Landy was both surprised and admiring. Only she and a few senior figures knew the true purpose of their visit; none of the disciples, including Zheng Wei, had ever spoken about it. Lin Xuan had anticipated this, showing that his intelligence matched his cultivation speed.

Lucky for her, she remained loyal to Lin Xuan without any second thoughts. If she had lied just now, Landy felt a shiver down her spine.

She took a deep breath and calmed herself before narrating the events since their separation.

It turned out that Youzhou was almost entirely under the control of the Xuanxu Pavilion, with no other forces able to challenge it.

This wasn't surprising. With the fall of the Extreme Demon Patriarch, the Spirit Medicine Mountain and Azure Cloud Mountain had left, leaving only two powerful local factions: the One Line Canyon and Thunder Cloud Manor.

However, before Lin Xuan left Youzhou, he paid visits to both, killing their late-stage元婴 elders and eliminating several condensation core cultivators as well. He was eradicating potential threats in their infancy.

Lin Xuan was clearing a path for his subordinates' forces. As a result, the balance of power had shifted, with the Xuanxu Pavilion surpassing One Line Canyon and Thunder Cloud Manor.

Moreover, both factions now revered Lin Xuan as their leader, making it easier to coordinate and cooperate. The two major elders were dead, leaving the position of patriarch vacant. Without external enemies, internal strife was inevitable.

Thus, Landy took advantage of this situation, teaming up with the Heavenly Surge Sect to set a trap that eliminated the main forces of both factions. Some surrendered while others fled.

Youzhou was an untamed land, and other states' cultivators didn't care about it much. Taking full advantage, Landy expanded her influence greatly. Now, the entire Youzhou cultivation scene bowed to the Xuanxu Pavilion, making them a major force there.

However, compared to the Cloud State, the Xuanxu Pavilion was still only fourth-rate at best. Although they had many cultivators and hundreds of condensation core existences, without any late-stage元婴s, their numbers were just cannon fodder.

Lin Xuan placed his hand on the table and tapped it gently as he looked at Landy. "Landy, you might have forgotten one reason for coming here."

Their eyes met, and Landy felt her heart race as if everything in her mind was exposed. She quickly knelt down. "Young master, forgive me. I did have a personal motive—Youzhou is an untamed land with resources that can't compare to the Cloud State. My abilities are limited; staying there would mean no chance of condensation for my entire life. But here in the Cloud State, even if it's slim, there might be some hope."

"There's no need to apologize," Lin Xuan said with a smile. "Who doesn't want their cultivation to progress? You're right. Both you and Xin'er have mediocre abilities. If you stayed in Youzhou, even with the support of the Xuanxu Pavilion, you wouldn't have any chance at condensation. Moving here is indeed a smart choice."

"Thank you, Young Master," Landy was overjoyed, her face filled with gratitude as she bowed deeply.

"But Landy, don't be too optimistic. The Cloud State isn't comparable to Youzhou. I'm under the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect's warrant, so I can't offer any help. Our relationship must remain secret; you must rely on yourself to establish a foothold and advance—every step will be fraught with difficulties."

The next day: "That... that, Hundred Refinements is about to fall off the recommendation list again," said Huan Yu in despair. "If any fellow cultivators have spare recommendation votes, please support me. Thank you." (To be continued)

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