69novels Page 127
Page 127
They came for that thing your grandfather left behind.
Xu Si, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, lazily added, with a hint of amusement:
"Oh, by the way, the little girl who tricked you out and almost buried you alive, her name is Liu Yanyan, right?"
We've caught them; they're 'chatting' next door.
Don't worry, we'll soon be able to get her to talk and find out who's behind it all.
A series of messages struck Zhang Chulan's heart like a heavy hammer.
Grandpa's name was a lie; he left behind a treasure that would lead to his death, and he himself was now being targeted by a massive, evil organization…
His mind was in chaos. Fragments of a blurry memory kept flashing back of that rainy night from his childhood, when his grandfather collapsed in front of him covered in blood. At the same time, there were also fragments of two even blurrier, faceless figures seemingly talking quietly nearby...
He clutched his head in anguish, his fingers digging into his hair, his voice hoarse and trembling:
"My grandfather...how did he die? You must know! Tell me! Please, tell me!"
Xu Xiang's gaze became extremely complex, filled with regret, reminiscence, and a heavy sense of helplessness.
He remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head, repeating the words he had said to Zhang Chulan countless times:
“When you’re truly grown up and have the ability and mindset to take on all of this, I will naturally tell you. Right now, knowing too much won’t do you any good.”
Hope was dashed once again.
Zhang Chulan slumped into a chair, utterly dejected, as if all his strength had been drained away.
He didn't know how he walked out of the Nadutong Company gate.
The cold wind of the night blew on my face, carrying a biting chill.
He walked aimlessly down the empty street, the streetlights casting long, lonely shadows.
Feng Baobao followed silently a few steps behind him, like an emotionless guardian ghost.
His worldview was completely destroyed and forcibly rebuilt tonight.
Grandpa's identity, the so-called treasure, the possibility of memory erasure, the Quanxing's pursuit, and this unfathomable "Na Du Tong" company...
Everything felt like a mountain, pressing down on him and making it hard for him to breathe.
He felt immense fear and confusion; the road ahead seemed shrouded in thick fog, with not a glimmer of light in sight.
But in the deepest recesses of this cold fear and confusion, a faint yet stubborn flame was quietly ignited by tonight's encounter—
It was a yearning for the truth, a discontent with one's own fate, and a fierce determination to tear through all the fog and take control of one's own life.
He knew that his carefully concealed, longed-for ordinary college life had come to a complete end tonight.
He stood at the crossroads, gazing at the sparsely trafficked road in front of him and the neon lights of the city in the distance.
A choice had to be made.
Is it to continue being protected by Uncle Xu and this "Na Du Tong" company, just like it has been for the past ten years, change a name, escape to another unfamiliar city, and continue to live in constant fear and hiding?
Or... turn around and step into that bizarre, dangerous world of supernatural beings behind you, a world that holds all the answers, to face the pursuers, to find the truth about your grandfather, and to reclaim what belongs to you.
The night wind blew by, carrying an unknown aura.
His choice will determine the direction of his future path.
Chapter 147 Breaking Through the Innate Realm
While Zhang Chulan and Xu Xiang were talking, on a remote, untouched peak in China, clouds and mist swirled, and a fierce wind howled.
Zhang Yunyuan sat cross-legged on a blue stone, his eyes slightly closed. His aura blended subtly with the surrounding mountains and land, as if he were no longer flesh and blood, but had become part of the rocks, merging into this natural world.
He had been sitting here in meditation for three days. The primordial Dao Qi within his body, which had already reached the pinnacle of acquired nature and was incredibly profound, was now like a surging river, repeatedly crashing against the invisible yet resilient barrier in the darkness—the chasm between acquired and innate nature.
As if sensing something amiss, a deep rumble of thunder rolled across the heavens, not a sign of rain, but rather a resonance of the primordial energy of heaven and earth!
Zhang Yunyuan's tightly closed eyelids trembled violently!
The next moment, it was as if all the pores and acupoints on his body opened instantly, and the sparse yet pure innate Qi in the world surged into his body like rivers flowing into the sea!
At this moment, the vast acquired primordial Dao Qi within his body underwent a fundamental transformation, becoming more condensed and spiritual, carrying a hint of majestic heavenly power!
"boom--!"
A deafening roar, audible only to himself, exploded deep within his soul! The formidable barrier that had troubled him for so many years crumbled in response!
The realm of the lower realm of the innate has been achieved!
In an instant, the air within a radius of ten feet centered on him suddenly froze, followed by a faint crackling sound!
Thin, yet incredibly refined, silver arcs of electricity spontaneously arose, flowed, and flickered from his body!
It wasn't that he actively activated the lightning technique, but rather that after breaking through to the Innate Realm, the purest and most refined Innate Qi within his body naturally manifested, attracting the power of lightning between heaven and earth!
He seemed to be enveloped in a faint field of lightning, exuding an aura of majesty that kept evil spirits at bay!
He slowly opened his eyes, the chaos in them fading away, replaced by a clarity and profundity that seemed to penetrate the void.
With every gesture, he seemed to be able to influence subtle changes in the surrounding environment, and his ability to perceive and control the Qi of heaven and earth was enhanced by more than ten times!
This is a leap in the level of life!
However, just as he was immersed in the new experience brought about by breaking through the realm, another change occurred!
In his mind, the vast memory inheritance that originated from the mysterious old man in the Nine-Bend Cave and had been dormant and restricted by layers of restrictions actually resonated with him as he broke through his realm!
He originally thought that those memories were all there was, but who knew that as his cultivation level increased, he would be able to read information that he couldn't read before.
Those were deeper, older fragments of information, like sediment rising to the surface, surging into my mind.
These fragments of memory reveal an even more astonishing secret:
The old man left behind not only methods for using "Qi," but also some vague records about another kind of existence—
They were a group of beings who transcended the realm of ordinary Qi practitioners; they called themselves... Immortal Cultivators!
Fragments of memory, discontinuous and blurry:
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth has not always been so scarce. In a much more distant era, there was a glorious civilization of cultivation.
However, as time went by and the environment changed dramatically, the spiritual energy gradually dried up.
Those true cultivators discovered that staying in this increasingly "tainted" mortal world not only prevented them from improving their cultivation, but also caused their cultivation to gradually decline and even accelerated the loss of their lifespan!
Ultimately, they made their choice: to live in seclusion!
With their extraordinary abilities, they found the remaining blessed lands and grottoes in the world, and at a great cost and with profound formations, they completely concealed and isolated them from the world, forming a "pure land" independent of the secular world.
These places are just as secretive and mysterious as the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley, and may even surpass it!
Ordinary extraordinary people would never find the way to it even in their entire lives.
"I see...I see!"
Zhang Yunyuan's eyes flashed with a sharp light, like two bolts of cold lightning piercing through the clouds!
The answer we've been searching for—the deeper truth about Wugensheng and the Jia Shen Rebellion—seems to have finally found a direction!
"This world truly possesses powers that transcend the mundane!"
It hasn't been cut off, it's just been hidden!
"An indescribable excitement and determination welled up in his heart."
Although finding the secluded places of these cultivators would be extremely difficult, like finding a needle in a haystack, he finally had a clear goal!
"No matter what, I must find them! I will never let them go..."
Just then, a discordant buzzing vibration interrupted his surging emotions.
He frowned slightly and took out a specially made satellite phone from the inner pocket of his Taoist robe.
The screen displayed the words "Xu Xiang".
Pressing the answer button, Xu Xiang's respectful yet slightly urgent voice came through, briefly reporting on Zhang Chulan's attack by Quanxing and his return to the company.
After listening, Zhang Yunyuan's excitement and sharpness gradually subsided, and he regained his usual calm and profound demeanor.
He gazed at the surging sea of clouds below and spoke softly:
"Okay, I understand. I'll come find you right away."
Before he finished speaking, his figure swayed slightly, and the lightning around him suddenly receded. The next moment, he had disappeared from the summit, leaving only the howling mountain wind, as if no one had ever stayed there.
Xu Xiang's office at the Beida District branch of Nadutong.
The door was pushed open silently, and Zhang Yunyuan walked in slowly.
He did not disguise himself, but appeared with his original face and demeanor.
She has the appearance of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old, but possesses a temperament that is completely inconsistent with her looks.
His posture was upright, his Taoist robe fluttered slightly, his eyes were like cold stars, and although his aura was restrained, he had an imposing presence that made people dare not look directly at him. It was the oppressive feeling that naturally came after breaking through to the Innate Realm.
Xu Xiang, who was in the office, immediately stood up, his expression extremely respectful, even showing a hint of awe: "You've arrived."
Xu San and Xu Si, who were standing to the side, had obviously already seen his true face before. They bowed and greeted him solemnly, saying, "Greetings, Daoist Yunyuan!"
Zhang Yunyuan nodded slightly, his gaze fixed directly on Xu Xiang, getting straight to the point:
"Old Xu, how's Zhang Chulan doing? Has he decided to join the company?"
Xu Xiang quickly replied, "I'm still considering it. That child is thoughtful and needs time to process things."
But knowing him as I do, don't worry, there won't be any problems. He knows what's important and what's urgent.
Zhang Yunyuan hummed in agreement, unsurprised by the answer. His tone shifted, becoming slightly cold:
"Have you found out who bombed my senior brother's grave?"
Xu Si, who was in charge of intelligence and operations, stepped forward and replied:
"We've found out. It was a group of professional tomb raiders ordered by Lü Liang of Quanxing. We've already apprehended the perpetrators."
However, according to their account, they found nothing; the grave mound... was ridiculously hard, impossible to break open.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunyuan's lips curled into an undisguised contempt:
"With their meager skills, do they think they're worthy of breaking the restrictions I personally set up?"