In a stretch of forest within the Hundred Bend Gorge, the trees and grass were coated in a layer of frost. Cold energy permeated the area, blanketing the land.
Lin Ran stood at the center, his head tilted up as he gazed at the star-studded night sky. His chest heaved, his eyes filled with shock, and it took a long time before he gradually calmed down.
"He's clearly not at the Heaven Martial Realm, yet he can soar through the sky? Could it be that he's mastered the Elder of Void Flight's ultimate technique?"
Lin Ran's brow furrowed tightly. He didn't continue the chase, but instead turned back. It wasn't that he didn't want to pursue — after witnessing Chu Feng's various tricks, he wished he could seize them all for himself. Unfortunately, facing a Chu Feng who could fly freely through the air, there was absolutely nothing he could do.
When Lin Ran returned to where Gong Luyun was, he found that the claw marks Chu Feng had left, along with the massive crater, were all still there. However, something had changed from when he'd left before. Six thin jets of water were now spurting from the crater and the claw marks.
"Just how much force was behind that single finger strike, to have pierced all the way through to the underground water?" Lin Ran's brow knitted tight, his eyes filled with astonishment.
"Grandpa, could it be that what he used was truly the legendary Secret Technique?" Gong Luyun came over and asked, because he still remembered the terrifying aura that had radiated from Chu Feng when he'd unleashed that move.
"Although I've never witnessed one with my own eyes, I've studied Secret Techniques extensively. Whether you judge by the aura or the power, what the gray-robed gentleman used was undoubtedly a Secret Technique."
"Moreover, this man not only commands a Secret Technique but also possesses an extremely powerful movement martial art." Every time Lin Ran recalled the scene of Chu Feng treading through the air before him, his face was filled with envy.
Given his own high cultivation, he should have been able to completely suppress Chu Feng. But the techniques Chu Feng wielded were far too mysterious and profound, making his heart itch with frustration.
"He commands other techniques as well? What kind of techniques exactly?" Gong Luyun asked out of curiosity.
"Don't worry about that. After all, they're his techniques. But if I manage to obtain a Secret Technique in the future, I'll definitely pass it on to you."
"Luyun, your talent is decent, but it's far from top-notch on the Nine Provinces Continent. You must know your limits. That gray-robed gentleman wouldn't have attacked you without reason — he must have some connection to that Chu Feng. Be careful in the future," Lin Ran warned.
"That mysterious gray-robed gentleman has a connection to Chu Feng?" Though he found it suspicious, once Gong Luyun thought about the fact that such a powerful figure who wielded so many extraordinary techniques was somehow connected to Chu Feng, he still found it hard to accept.
"It's only a guess, but it's quite possible. That gray-robed gentleman infiltrated this place, and I'll have a hard time catching him. Even if I report to the Prince's Manor, they likely won't be able to do anything about him either."
"Furthermore, according to the rules, with our status, we can escort you inside but cannot linger — to prevent him from attacking you again. You should give up on this herb hunt," Lin Ran said.
"Grandpa, but..." Hearing this, Gong Luyun's expression changed dramatically.
"No buts. What matters more — your miserable little life or those few Mystic Medicines? Do you want to end up like those worthless friends of yours, reduced to a pile of rotting flesh and blood?"
Lin Ran scolded him sternly, then added, "With me around, do you really think you'll lack cultivation resources? Don't worry — I've already applied to the Manor Lord to bring you into my Qilin Prince's Manor. When that happens, all of my abilities can be passed on to you."
"Thank you for your great kindness, Grandpa." Hearing this, Gong Luyun immediately went from worry to delight, overjoyed beyond belief. The Qilin Prince's Manor was the true overlord of Qingzhou.
"Let's go back. I'll protect you from the shadows." Lin Ran smiled and waved his hand, looking very kind and warm, his eyes filled with affection.
Gong Luyun didn't dare to argue further. With a joyful heart, he headed back the way he'd come, no longer worried in the slightest with Lin Ran watching over him from the shadows.
After Gong Luyun had gone far enough, Lin Ran pulled a letter from inside his robe. He opened it, and several lines of elegant handwriting were written inside.
"Lord Lin Ran, do you still remember the woman who saved your life outside Xuanwu City twenty years ago, and lost her innocence to you?"
"Though I am now the wife of the Lord of Xuanwu City, Luyun is the child between you and me — he is not Gong Changshan's son, but yours."
"I had not intended to tell you this, for to a man of your standing, a woman like me is hardly worth mentioning. But Luyun is, after all, your own flesh and blood."
"Gong Changshan is stubborn and insistent on sending Luyun to cultivate at that second-rate Azure Dragon Sect, wasting Luyun's excellent talent. I hope, my lord, that for the sake of your own flesh and blood, you will take Luyun away from that wretched place and give him a bright future."
After reading the letter, Lin Ran folded it reluctantly, not placing it into his Universe Bag but tucking it back into his robe. With a nostalgic tone, he murmured: "I searched for you for twenty years, and now not only have I found you, but you've also given me such a surprise. Don't worry — I won't let our son go unnoticed."
While Lin Ran reminisced about his beloved, Chu Feng was still walking through the sky. By now he had reached the clouds, running among them like a dragon, rising and tumbling, flipping up and down ceaselessly.
"Haha, this is what it feels like to soar through the sky — this is incredible!"
Chu Feng was wild with excitement. Although this wasn't his first time taking to the sky, compared to riding atop a white-headed eagle, freely roaming the heavens on his own was far more thrilling.
"Hm? What's that?" Suddenly, under the moonlight, Chu Feng spotted a mountain peak ahead, so tall that its summit was lost in the clouds.
Moreover, at the peak of that mountain, Chu Feng could actually see lamplight. Through the haze, there appeared to be some kind of structure. When he drew closer, he indeed discovered a palace sitting atop the peak — someone actually lived there.
This surprised Chu Feng, because the mountain was extraordinarily steep — practically vertical, like a stairway to heaven.
With such a shape and such a height, without a certain level of cultivation, it would be nearly impossible to climb up here, let alone construct a palace at the summit.
After all, the Hundred Bend Gorge was a restricted area. It was only open for a little over ten days each year, after which no one was allowed to set foot inside. Who would build a palace in a place like this?