However, the people present were all very perceptive. Of course, they all noted that there might be a tricky problem that Zhang Mu did not want to mention.
Yet, with one accord, no one asked about what the problem was.
When it was two o’clock in the morning, the ordinary people on the mountain exited the party and went back to their places to rest first. Thus, the number of people there reduced a lot.
Seeing Zi Yan yawn, Zhang Han got up and said, “My wife is tired. We’re gonna turn in.”
“Well, I…” Zi Yan still wanted to spend more time with the family.
Zhang Mu waved and said, “You can go back and have some rest. We’ll just have a few more drinks and then go to sleep as well.”
“Okay.”
Zi Yan nodded slightly. She was indeed a little heavy-eyed.
“Grandpa, Grandma, and Great-Grandpa, we’ll go back to sleep now. Bye-bye.”
After bidding goodbye, Mengmeng and his parents went back to the castle to rest.
The drinking celebration lasted till dusk. During these hours, many people went off to rest. The people who had followed Zhang Mu here were also led to the guest rooms Zhao Feng had arranged for them.
In the end, only more than 20 people were at the party, drinking. They did not leave until five o’clock in the morning.
Seeing that Zi Yan had fallen asleep, Zhang Han got up and jumped off the balcony.
“Han, what realm are you in now? You’re very close to the Elixir Realm, aren’t you?” Zhang Mu asked.
He then took out a crystal-white gem. “This stone is called the Qi-Gathering Stone. It is found in the Northernmost Sea. It has absorbed the cold Qi in seawater for 100 years and been baptized by heaven and earth before it became this magic stone. This can help you break through the Elixir Realm.
This was the real gift that Zhang Mu had reserved for his grandson.
“Grandpa, this is very nice of you.”
Zhang Han smiled and said, “But I don’t need this. The Sky-suppressing Stone is already very good. It can strengthen the formation here for the time being, but I still need some other treasures. Grandpa, I was wondering if you have any of the things I want.”
“Tell me about it. Well, don’t bother. I’ll just show you everything I have.” Zhang Mu waved his right hand, and dozens of various gems appeared. Among them, there were five sixth-tier gems, and the rest were basically at the fifth tier.
“These are exactly what I need. I want these three sixth-tier gems and the 19 fifth-tier gems. Coupled with the blood of the vampires, I can strengthen the Star Formation of the Five Elements for some time. Even if someone at the Elixir Realm Middle-Stage arrived, he would not be able to get past it,” Zhang Han remarked. He was confident this time.
“Why bother to strengthen the formation?” Zhang Guangyou burped and inquired. “Even if someone from the Kunlun Immortal World came, he would not be a match for you.”
“Normally, whoever comes here will be doomed. But the situation we’re facing is not normal. Nan Feng has the Nirvana Tree, so he must also have other treasures. Besides…” As he said this, Zhang Han glanced at Zhang Mu and the others. “I guess the Deep Valley has also had some knotty issue at hand. Grandpa, given your character, you surely would go back to fight. Your life would be on the line. Although I haven’t been with you for a long time and our relationship is not profound, I’ll do anything to make my father happy. This time, I will go to the Kunlun Immortal World with you and try to solve the problem in just a few days.”
“Well…”
The square-faced man next to Zhang Mu smiled wryly. “Brother Mu, Zhang Han has volunteered even before you could ask him to. To be frank, we really need him now. He is on good terms with Lord Nan Shan.”
“Alas.”
Hearing this, Zhang Mu sighed deeply and said, “Han, you don’t have to intervene in this matter. This matter not only involves Nan Feng and me but also the Deep Valley and more than a dozen forces. This time, we came down here for two purposes. One is to reunite with you and other family members. The other is to look for our last way out. As those people have said, the Deep Valley is in great danger now. If we have to retreat, we may hide in the Ancient Mine. But after we saw your unmatched strength, I think that the secular world may also provide a shelter for the Deep Valley.
“But you can’t solve the problem even if you go to the Holy World.”
Zhang Mu shook his head with chagrin before saying, “But I appreciate that you’re willing to do this for me.”
“What on earth could make the Deep Valley be targeted by more than a dozen forces? What about the master of the Deep Valley? Now that he is at the peak of the Elixir Realm, can’t he withstand the attacks?” Zhang Guangyou asked, puzzled.
“Deep Flame has been trapped in the Northernmost Sea. The immediate cause of this matter was that a crystal stone vein appeared in the Deep Valley. That was two years ago. On that day, frost stretched for thousands of miles. Then, on the west of the Deep Valley, the crystal stone vein appeared out of nowhere. It should have been hidden there for thousands of years. Strange phenomena were perceived when the crystal stone vein showed up. The energy in the frosty crystal stones is much purer than that in ordinary crystal stones. The crystal stone with this property can provide cultivators with the energy supply for a new round of cultivation. The crystal stones vein has about 10,000 pieces of such stones. Among them, there are hundreds of high-grade crystal stones, 3,000 medium-grade ones, and the rest are low-grade.
“At that time, the Deep Valley had just been established. There were other forces’ spies in the valley. Thus, the news quickly got out and attracted the attention of more than a dozen forces. However, most of them were led by the elders at the Elixir Realm Last-Stage. It seemed that only three cultivators at the peak of the Elixir Realm knew about this discovery. They went to trap Deep Flame and sent their men to destroy the Deep Valley. They claimed that they were on the expedition initiated by Nan Feng, the Third Prince of the Wind Snow Temple, to settle accounts with me! But that was just an excuse.”
“Humph,” the square-faced man sneered and said, “the frosty crystal stone vein will soon take shape. Then, if we can’t hold out against their attack, we will also spread the news.”
“Now, we’ll just wait and see how many frosty crystal stones the Deep Valley can seize. It’s not easy to extract the stones anyway.” Zhang Mu heaved with a sigh. “Therefore, I brought people out in advance to look for a place we can retreat to. Han, your strength is so strong in the secular world that it is also a deterrent to the Kunlun Immortal World. But things will be different if you enter the Kunlun Immortal World. When they hear the news, they will do anything to kill you. Thus, you shall never ever go to the Kunlun Immortal World.”
“There is no place on this planet that I can’t go.” Zhang Han raised his eyebrows slightly.
“I understand. You are young and arrogant. But you are only in your 30s, you need to lay low. I also believe that one day, you will become a dauntless hero. I have no requirements for you but this one. I want Nan Feng dead. If I can’t make it happen, you will be the one to do the job.”
Everyone sensed a trace of desolation from Zhang Mu’s words. They could tell that in his heart, he knew he might not be able to fulfill his wish.
“You’re being a little pessimistic.”
Zhang Han raised his head, gazed at Zhang Mu, and said slowly, “Don’t worry. You will be fine. I can keep the Deep Valley safe as well, but I want half of the frosty crystal stones.”
“What?” Zhang Mu’s brows pulled together. “Didn’t you understand what I said? You can’t go up there, because you are now an enemy of more than half of the sects in the Kunlun Immortal World!”
By saying that, he was also questioning Zhang Han about his strength. Zhang Mu admitted that he was powerful in the secular world. But if he went to the Kunlun Immortal World, there were a lot of people who could kill him, so Zhang Mu thought he should not go there.
But only Zhang Han knew how amazing his strength was.
He had successfully refined his skin, tendons, muscles, bones, and blood, completing the refining process. In the past five years, how could Zhang Han have stopped cultivating? In fact, he had worked harder than many people.
This meant that Zhang Han already had five supernatural powers granted by the Athanasia Demon Gong. Plus the Star Map and Thunder Sea, now, he had six supernatural powers even before entering the Elixir Realm.
With his current strength, he would not be able to defeat anyone if he went to the Kunlun Immortal World. However, Zhang Han’s strength had reached the top of the Innateness Realm. Once he entered the Kunlun Immortal World, he would directly break through to the Elixir Realm and condense the Immortal Body. Then, his strength would have a qualitative leap.
The refining of skin, tendons, muscles, bones, and blood was just part of the condensing process. The biggest change would take place after the Immortal Body was formed.
The Immortal Body could be compared to the Innateness in the cultivation system. It was just a starting point.
After the breakthrough, what kind of strength would Zhang Han have in the Kunlun Immortal World?
After all, the Kunlun Immortal World was not anything like the martial arts world. It was a real Cultivation World, though it was a relatively low-grade one.
It would be like releasing the dragon back into the ocean.
Only in an environment like that could Zhang Han really display a small portion of his power.
If it weren’t for Zi Yan and Mengmeng, Zhang Han would have forced his way to the Kunlun Immortal World long ago.
Now that he had different pursuits, his way of doing things had changed drastically.
Hearing Zhang Han’s words, Dong Chen hesitated for two seconds and then said with a smile, “Just let him have a try. Brother Mu, you have no idea that when I saw Han for the first time, he stayed with Zi Yan and Mengmeng all the time and led an idle life. At that time, he was, perhaps, just a Grand Master, wasn’t he? I thought he was lazy, but what happened next gave me a hard slap in the face. This guy was actually pretending to be weak. In just two years, he became a half-step to the Elixir Realm and overturned the Wind Snow School. Alas, who could explain it? Life is unfair. God simply created him with such heaven-defying gifts. That was five years ago. Now five years have passed, and I am also a half-step to the Elixir Realm, but I can’t resist one strike from this guy.”
He became very emotional, feeling quite aggrieved.
Then, as if thinking of something, he continued, “Life is not treating me well. The Heavenly Knights Sect belongs to your Zhang family. However, this guy hooked up with Lord Nan Shan and obtained countless resources from him. Every time he had a big haul, he did not want to share with me unless I begged him. Regarding this matter… Brother Mu, you gotta punish him.”
“How can I not know what kind of person you are?” Zhang Mu taunted, shooting a glance at Dong Chen. But from the look on his face, he started to consider this as well.
“It took him only two years to be a half-step to the Elixir Realm?”
“Is it true?”
The square-faced man doubted, “It’s impossible for anyone at the Innateness Realm to be a half-step to the Elixir Realm in two years.”
“Nothing is impossible.” The Third Elder replied calmly, “The one sitting in front of you is a real freak. It did take him just two years to be a half-step to the Elixir Realm. You don’t believe it because you have no idea what kind of opportunity he’s got.”
“What opportunity?” Looking at their dead serious face, the square-faced man already believed in more than half of what they said. He couldn’t help but be more curious about that opportunity. He was ready to be awestruck.
“The opportunity was…”
The Third Elder lowered his voice as if he was afraid that someone would be eavesdropping. He spoke more slowly as well.
Just as everyone focused their attention on the Third Elder and even leaned towards him…
He admitted, “I don’t know either.”
“F*ck!”
These people cursed inwardly.
“It’s true that it only cost me two years. That was the beginning of all this. It was also thanks to the Thunder Yang Tree.”
Zhang Han replied, “But that’s nothing. Some people are already in the Elixir Realm or even the Yuan Ying Realm the day they are born. At first, I planned to go to the Kunlun Immortal World to solve the problem for you, or to bring you to the secular world. You can also go and stay in the Ancient Mine or the King’s Domain. Now, frosty crystal stones have appeared in that world. All the more reason for me to pay a visit to it.”
Frosty crystal stones were indeed as amazing as Zhang Mu had said. The people in Mount New Moon and the Heavenly Knights Sect had absorbed too many ordinary crystal stones. Their bodies were growing more and more immune to ordinary energy, so the absorption was getting more and more inefficient. If they could lay hands on the crystal stones that could allow others to directly absorb the energy inside, they would be able to start the second round of cultivation.
What was more, this kind of frosty crystal stone was extremely beautiful. Each piece was the size of a palm. And each contained a crystal snowflake inside. Zhang Han had already thought it through. He would give Mengmeng and Zi Yan those peerlessly exquisite frosty crystal stones as New Year presents.
“Are you sure you mean business? But your strength…” Zhang Mu looked hesitant. He did not directly refuse Zhang Han’s offer as he did at the beginning.
“When I enter the Kunlun Immortal World, my strength will immediately soar to the Elixir Realm,” Zhang Han said with a calm expression.
“But the strength of those who enter the Elixir Realm are not all the same. The Elixirs people can condense inside them vary in size. The diameter of the Elixir is measured by inches. Every inch can make a world of difference. It’s a relatively obscure term. Most people can only have a four-inch or five-inch Elixir. The six-inch ones are relatively rare. Those with six-inch Elixirs can reach the peak of the Elixir Realm. Those with seven-inch Elixirs can become the strongest senior. As for those with eight-inch Elixirs, I’ve never heard of any. Legend has it that after breaking through the Yuan Ying Realm, the one with an eight-inch Elixir rose into the void and left the planet. Those with nine-inch Elixirs have not appeared for thousands of years, not even in the Kunlun Immortal World,” Zhang Mu said slowly. “In fact, the size of one’s Elixir can be roughly sensed when one is in the Innateness Realm. It is the so-called dantian. You can carefully feel it and simulate the process. Perhaps I can tell how large it.”
