Su Chen was flying at full speed, keeping a low altitude. His robe fluttered behind him, and the wind swept through his slightly long hair. He carefully avoided areas where he sensed human cultivators hiding. As for the spirit beasts, they were few and far between in this part of the forest.
Before long, he reached the forest's edge — but the sky ahead was already crowded. Dozens of figures floated in the air, gathered from various regions. Many of them wore matching robes, indicating they belonged to the same sects or prominent families.
Su Chen immediately descended into the forest, avoiding the open sky. He had no intention of drawing attention. Flying high at this moment was dangerous — especially since some of the powerful cultivators in the area might not be affected by his outsider aura. If they sensed his presence as an outsider, things could turn ugly quickly.
He landed quietly, touching the ground without a sound. Then, extending his spiritual sense, he began to search for an area where only Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators were gathered — a zone where his presence wouldn't stand out too much.
After locating such a spot, he adjusted his robe, kept his head down, and calmly began walking toward them.
Thud—thud.
With steady, unhurried steps, Su Chen approached the scattered group of cultivators. He kept his presence low, blending in naturally, while listening in on their conversation without drawing attention.
"Hey… have you heard?" one of the casual cultivators said in a hushed tone, his face unusually serious. "The six major pillars of the Central Continent… they've all sent people here."
"Really?" the other man leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I heard the same thing. Azure Cloud Sect, the Shen Clan, Tranquil Heart Temple… even Radiant Sun Sect and Black Tortoise Gate. And of course, Thousand Peaks Pavilion."
The first cultivator nodded. "Yeah. All six of them. It's not just a rumor anymore."
Another man, older and more composed — likely a Core Formation cultivator — joined in. "There are whispers… they say a tomb has been discovered here. Possibly one left behind by a cultivator from the God Transformation Realm."
His voice dropped as he glanced around cautiously, checking to make sure no one else was eavesdropping.
"A God Transformation expert?" one of the juniors asked, clearly skeptical. "That realm is a legend even among top sects. Do you really think such a person existed in this region?"
The older man nodded thoughtfully. "There's an old story. A thousand years ago, an ancestor of the Thousand Peaks Pavilion is said to have broken through to that level. After that, the sect rose rapidly and became one of the strongest in the entire world."
The older cultivator continued, his tone carrying a mix of reverence and caution.
"And that ancestor… he didn't just vanish. According to the old records, after reaching the God Transformation Realm, he ascended to the Upper Realm. But before he left, he supposedly sealed his inheritance inside a hidden tomb — somewhere in this forest."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"It's said that whoever inherits it might have a chance to follow in his footsteps."
One of the younger cultivators whispered, eyes wide, "So the tomb really might exist… and if it does, no wonder all the top sects are here."
He paused, then added, "Whether the tomb belongs to that figure or not, no one can say for sure. But something significant has definitely appeared here. Otherwise, why would the major sects and clans all show up at once?"
The group fell silent for a moment, tension thick in the air.
Su Chen remained quiet, absorbing everything.
His expression didn't change, but deep down, he knew — there was something wrong here.
Hehe… it shouldn't be like this. He could smell a conspiracy from here.
Don't forget — he had great experience in this field.
"Hehe… no way this is just a coincidence."
These people might not know anything, but he knew. A Sacred Heart Lotus blooming in the forest in four days, and at the same time, a tomb inheritance left behind by an expert who had ascended to the Upper Realm suddenly appears?
Yeah… there was definitely something wrong here.
But that had nothing to do with him.
"If I stay here, then it'll have a lot to do with me," Su Chen thought, calmly turning and walking in the opposite direction of the Brightfire Expanse forest range.
His expression was relaxed, his steps steady. No one stopped him. No one questioned him. In fact, no one even noticed him.
Thanks to the effect of the outsider aura, his presence blended seamlessly with the surroundings. Unless he actively revealed himself, most cultivators wouldn't even realize he was there — and frankly, why would he go out of his way to do that?
Just as Su Chen was peacefully crossing a restricted area, a faint voice caught his attention — not through his ears, but through the subtle vibrations in the plants nearby. He was using a sensory technique to scan his surroundings, and unintentionally picked up something odd.
"Young Master Ye Chen… a-ann... have mercy..."
It was the voice of a young woman — a teenager by the sound of it, and there was a tremble in her tone that made the context very clear.
Su Chen's eyelid twitched.
He instantly understood what kind of "event" was going on inside the nearby tent.
Ghop… ghop…
The sounds confirmed it.
He frowned and tried to withdraw his senses. He wasn't the kind of person who'd eavesdrop on someone's private activities — especially not something like this. But just as he was about to disconnect, a voice made him pause.
"Celestial Fairy… Celestial Fairy… I will definitely make you mine. Once I do, the path to the Upper Realm will open for me!"
The speaker's voice was filled with obsession, fantasy, and an eerie sense of conviction.
Su Chen's brows lifted slightly.
This guy's clearly in a delusion.
But that name — "Celestial Fairy" — made him pause. Someone who could open the path to the Upper Realm? A woman so beautiful that a young master had fallen into madness just thinking about her?
That didn't sound ordinary.
Su Chen resumed walking without hesitation, but his thoughts were moving quickly.
"Ye Chen, huh?" he mused.
Thousand Peaks Pavilion. A young master. Clearly infatuated with a mysterious woman referred to as the Celestial Fairy — a woman whose beauty and status may very well tie her to the Upper Realm.
And more importantly...
That surname.
Ye.
Su Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. "That's a classic protagonist surname."
A young master named Ye, lost in obsession over a celestial beauty, cultivating furiously in her name... It had all the red flags. If this Ye Chen really was a protagonist-type character, then trouble wasn't far behind.
"Better keep my distance from this walking plotline," Su Chen muttered under his breath, adjusting his pace slightly — just enough to make sure he wouldn't accidentally cross paths with a main character-level disaster.