Jianjing, the capital of the State of Qi, was the closest city to the Jiulong Mountains. This city has a long history and is said to have been established by the Great Zhou Dynasty eight hundred years ago. After the fall of the Great Zhou, the State of Qi took over this land and made it their capital. Now, over eight hundred years later, the city's territories have expanded to nearly ten times the original size, housing a population of over twenty million people, including the poor, scholars, nobles, and those from the rivers and lakes, mingling together.
At this time, on a government road three hundred miles from Jianjing City.
Ding Yan walked slowly along the sandy official road. His face was full of dust, and his green robe was covered with a thick layer of ash. Behind him, eleven-year-old Ding Chen carried a felt hat, his face also covered in a thick layer of dust.
One year!
The two of them had been traveling and camping like this for a year. Apart from the time when Ding Yan flew through the air when they had just left the State of Zhao, the rest of the journey was almost entirely on foot.
Ding Chen didn't understand why his uncle chose to walk instead of using his extraordinary abilities to fly, especially after witnessing his uncle's incredible methods. He had asked his uncle about this question, but the answer he received is still incomprehensible to him. "Some paths require you to walk them yourself. If you don't walk them, you'll never understand," was the answer Ding Yan gave.
After walking for a long time, Ding Chen began to feel tired. Yet, he didn't say anything and gritted his teeth to continue, all because of something he had said a year ago.
A year ago...
When Ding Chen had just left the State of Zhao, he was in an excited state because his uncle was a celestial being! A real celestial being! Even the fairy teachers in the State of Zhao would be scared off when they saw him.
"Is Uncle really a celestial being?"
Ding Yan stopped, turned around and asked, "What is a celestial being?"
Ding Chen was stunned. In his understanding, a celestial being was someone who was high above, capable of anything, and spent their days sitting in a temple enjoying incense. But what a celestial being truly was, Ding Chen had never really thought about it.
"A celestial being is someone like Uncle who can fly in the sky!" Ding Chen said after thinking for a while.
Ding Yan smiled, patted Ding Chen's head, and said nothing.
"Uncle, can I become a celestial being too?" Ding Chen asked with longing.
Ding Yan was taken aback, as if recalling something, and fell silent for a long time before saying, "Do you really want to become a celestial being?"
Ding Chen nodded, his eyes filled with eager hope.
"I want to be like Uncle, to right wrongs and help the weak and oppressed!"
"Just for that?"
"Yes!"
...
"If the heart is not firm, there is no way to seek immortality!"
This sentence was spoken by Ding Yan's master in his past life. After more than a thousand years of cultivation, Ding Yan deeply agreed with this sentence. Cultivators defy the natural order! Without a firm heart, becoming immortal is hopeless.
During the journey, Ding Yan didn't help Ding Chen even once. If Ding Chen showed the slightest sign of giving up or laziness, Ding Yan wouldn't teach him the path of cultivation. Conversely, if Ding Chen persisted and made it to the vicinity of the Jiulong Mountains, then Ding Yan would pass on his cultivation techniques to him.
Five days later.
The figures of the uncle and nephew appeared outside of Jianjing City. After more than a year of training, Ding Chen looked more spirited, exuding an aura that surpassed others of his age.
"It's such a big city..." Standing outside the city gate, Ding Chen couldn't help but remark.
Ding Chen was born in the State of Zhao, which was just a small country compared to the State of Qi. Both in terms of population and the power behind it, they were not comparable. The capital of the State of Zhao was like a small county in comparison to Jianjing, the capital of the State of Qi.
Ding Yan remained expressionless. In his previous life, he had even seen celestial signs, so this kind of city would naturally not draw even half of his attention.
"Let's go in." After tossing two copper coins and paying the entry fee, Ding Yan took Ding Chen into Jianjing.
Jianjing was extremely bustling.
Ten horses rode side by side on the bluestone streets, with shops and vendors lining the streets, and soldiers patrolling back and forth, creating a vibrant scene in Jianjing.
"Uncle, where are we going?" Ding Chen asked.
"To the inn," Ding Yan answered.
"Are we not going to the Jiulong Mountains?"
"I have some business to attend to," Ding Yan didn't elaborate.
After checking into the inn, Ding Yan realized that the expenses in Jianjing were extremely high. With the remaining silver on him, it would only be enough for the two of them to stay for two days. Originally, Ding Yan didn't have much worldly wealth. The silver he had left had been mostly spent from looting an official government office back in the State of Zhao six or seven years ago.
After a simple meal, Ding Yan had Ding Chen stay in the room to rest, and he went out alone.
"I have to go to the palace." Ding Yan closed his eyes, and his powerful divine sense spread out like a tide.
The entire situation in Jianjing was reflected in Ding Yan's mind in an instant.
"Mm?" Ding Yan suddenly opened his eyes and glanced back at the location of the inn, a puzzled expression flashing in his eyes.
Just now, as Ding Yan's divine sense spread out, a pure yin aura flashed and disappeared at the location of the inn, as if sensing his divine sense. Su's speed was so fast that Ding Yan almost had a feeling of illusion.
"This aura again…"
As a scattered immortal, Ding Yan's divine sense is extremely powerful, coupled with his experiences in the Illusory Nine Heavens, which makes his divine sense almost equivalent to a calamity-scattered immortal. Many things that are imperceptible to other scattered immortals, he can also vaguely sense.
In Ding Yan's perception, this pure yin aura has been following him for six years, just extremely discreet, to the point that he initially thought he was mistaken. However, with the passage of time, the frequency of this aura's appearances has increased, to the point that it has appeared no less than a hundred times to this day.
After a moment of contemplation, Ding Yan lightly stepped on the ground, and a breath entered the street through the soles of his feet. After doing all this, Ding Yan didn't pay attention to that aura, but turned and walked towards the location of the imperial palace.
With the observation of his divine sense just now, Ding Yan naturally would not go in the wrong direction.
After Ding Yan had been away for a long time, that aura appeared again, but cleverly avoided the position where Ding Yan had been previously standing, and appeared in the inn's corridor. The aura was elusive, and from a distance, it looked like a shadow, hazy. After the appearance of this aura, it began to move up the corridor, and with each step, the shadow became clearer. By the time it reached the top of the stairs, the hazy aura had completely disappeared, replaced by a beautiful woman.
At the same time, as Ding Yan was walking towards the imperial palace on the road, he suddenly stopped, turned back to look in the direction of the inn, a look of surprise and doubt flashing in his eyes.
"How could it be her?"
This pure yin aura has always been elusive, and Ding Yan has tried many times to detect it. But gradually, Ding Yan discovered a problem. It seemed like this aura simply wanted to avoid him.
After understanding this, Ding Yan left a divine sense on Ding Chen's body, and not only that, when he left earlier, it seemed as if he had tampered with the bluestone on the street, but in fact, he had left a divine sense before leaving the inn.
Originally, this divine sense was left by Ding Yan to protect Ding Chen, after all, Ding Chen was only eleven years old, and Ding Yan was not very reassured to leave him alone in the inn.
However, accidentally, he actually observed the true form of that pure yin aura!