Chapter 862: Chapter 545: Mysterious Immortal (2) The lava splattered, dragon scales shattered, and blood spilled into the void as he frantically vented the haunting gloom in his heart. The Sun-Eroding Cry quietly watched the figure battling with a group of dragons in the sea of fire, looking like a mad demon. It shook its head slightly, did not speak again, turned around and stepped forward, its figure gradually dissipating in the distorted heat waves. Accepting Jun Huang as a formal disciple and announcing it to the Great Universe is no small matter. He needs to personally prepare, consider the list, and arrange the ceremony. As for whether this news would be a stimulus or provocation to the Ancient Clan, who had just lost most of their young prodigies and were immersed in grief and anger, it was no longer within his scope of consideration. He never really cared about others’ opinions. The Great Universe was in turmoil due to the dramatic changes in the Heaven Burial Palace, with surging undercurrents during these chaotic times. Chu Zheng had already used the Shape-Shifting Divine Power to disguise himself as an ordinary cultivator and quietly infiltrated the Near Immortal Realm, in the Falling Leaves Heaven. From the commencement of the Heaven Burial Ceremony to the fierce end of the Heaven Burial Palace, not even twenty years had passed yet. For cultivators who often go into seclusion for a century, it was just a brief meditation, a moment in time. Falling Leaves Heaven seemed unaffected by the storm in the distant depths of the universe, as tranquil as ever, with many news still unreported. The major families continued to divide their territories, maintaining superficial order and balance, with occasional clan wars. The sunlight filtered through the sparse Spirit Wood leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground. The air was filled with a faint fragrance of grass and wood and spiritual energy, as if nothing had changed. Chu Zheng proceeded forward, concealing his aura to the utmost, like an otherwise ordinary cultivator. He soon returned to the remote mountain range where he departed years ago and found the cave dwelling heavily restricted by his array spells. The Heaven Burial Competition began hastily back then, and he only managed to leave a few brief instructions with Zheng Ping and Chu An before entering the heart of the storm that swept through the universe, leaving for nearly twenty years. Now that he returned, he wasn’t even sure if the two were still guarding this place or if they had encountered any accidents. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍 As emotions stirred, Chu Zheng swiftly passed through the perimeter arrays. His fingers danced, unraveling layers of complex restrictions, opening the cave dwelling. Inside the cave, the light was soft, and the spiritual energy was dense, more intense and pure than outside. Evidently, the Spirit Gathering Array he set up had been operating well. Almost the moment the stone door opened, two figures sitting cross-legged on meditation mats abruptly awoke. They quickly rose, their sharp gazes instantly directed at the entrance, their mana already readied. But when they saw the familiar figure gradually entering, shedding his disguise, revealing his familiar face, all vigilance and sharpness instantly transformed into disbelief and joy. “Master!” Zheng Ping stepped forward to salute, with barely restrained excitement. “You have finally returned.” Chu An followed forward, her voice crisp, her eyes also filled with joy, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. During the days when Chu Zheng hadn’t returned, her heart was constantly on edge, unable to find peace in food or rest. Chu Zheng looked over the two, nodding slightly, his heart relaxing a bit. When he left back then, he left them with a specially crafted Lifebound Jade Token connected to his aura. If he perished, the jade token would shatter, and they could leave at will, seeking another path. If they didn’t wish to wait for him, they could leave on their own accord. It now seems that neither had any intention of leaving. After a conversation, Chu Zheng found out that in nearly twenty years, neither had left this cave even once. They faithfully remembered his instructions, cultivating here in peace, rarely venturing out to gather information, for fear of bringing unnecessary trouble and exposing this place. For cultivators like Zheng Ping and Chu An at their age and cultivation level, resisting such a long solitude and steadfastly keeping to a closed-off retreat requires an uncommon level of determination. Chu Zheng carefully examined the two before him. In nearly twenty years, under the nourishment of abundant spiritual energy and top-level cultivation techniques, both had undergone considerable changes. Chu An seemed to have grown taller again, her figure delicate and graceful. When she stood still, there was a faint spiritual light floating around her body, her slender eyebrows curved like new moons, and her eyes became increasingly bright, clear and deep like a cold star reflecting in an icy pool. Compared to before, her skin seemed even whiter and more translucent, like fine bone china, faintly glowing, showing the purity and significant improvement in her physique. Most surprising to Chu Zheng was that when his divine sense scanned, he found in Chu An’s dantian an immaculate, radiant golden core, glowing brilliantly. Nine Orifices Golden Core. She had managed to condense the highest quality Nine Orifices Golden Core solely through her own insights, without any guidance. This level of comprehension and talent far surpassed the ordinary prodigies. However, nearly twenty years had passed, yet her cultivation remained in the late-stage Golden Core, not reaching perfection. Relative to her prior progress speed in cultivation, it was notably slower. Evidently, as a Qi Cultivator, due to the long retreat in this place, lacking external trials and corresponding calamities, her cultivation faced a bottleneck. She needed to actively face trials and tribulations to progress further. As for Zheng Ping, his changes were more apparent and astonishing. His already robust body seemed to have become even more robust, with muscles like coiling dragons under his ancient bronze skin, bulging and fluctuating, clearly defined lines that seemed to contain explosive strength, faintly glimmering with a layer of tough dark-golden sheen, showing he had honed his physical body refinement to an extremely advanced realm.