In the center of Sisheng County, there is a majestic mountain called Sisheng Mountain. This mountain soars into the clouds and is shrouded in mist all year round, just like a fairyland.
Legend has it that this is the Daoist temple of the four great families' ancestors. After their deaths, their bodies were buried on the mountaintop, and their essence and blood were transformed into the spiritual pool at the summit, a truly great destiny.
The Four Sacred Mountains are exceptionally steep, with winding mountain roads that are sometimes as steep as walls and sometimes as deep as abyss.
The sacred mountain is home to a large number of magical beasts, making it fraught with danger; reaching the summit will not be easy.
Every ten years, they hold a grand competition, inviting the most outstanding talents in the Four Saints County to compete. Whoever can reach the summit of the Four Saints Mountain and obtain the Four Sages' Token will win the championship and become the number one person of the new generation in the Four Saints County.
On the day of the holy assembly, the area at the foot of the Four Sacred Mountains was packed with people, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
Prodigies from all over the Four Sacred Counties gathered together. Some were scions of prestigious families, while others were lone cultivators venturing out on their own.
They hope to stand out in this grand event; those with exceptional talent will be recruited by the four major families if they take a liking to them.
The appearance of the powerful figures from the four major families caused a great stir and cheers from the surrounding area.
The most powerful family in the Four Saints County is extremely rare to encounter, let alone observe up close, causing countless men and women to gasp in astonishment.
The Liu family was led by patriarch Liu Qingtian, with Feng Xi and Liu Wanqing following closely behind. Lin Fan yawned lazily, still sleepy-eyed, as he hadn't been able to sleep in for a long time.
"Liu Qingtian, the Liu family is in such a mess, yet you're still alive. You're really tough," the Bai family head sneered.
The two companies have a long-standing feud and have disputes over business and resources.
"Heh, you're not dead yet, so how could I be dead before you?" Liu Qingtian said coldly.
“I’m very lucky. My children are very filial. If there are no problems, they can take care of me in my old age and see me off when I die. You might not be able to, hahaha…” The head of the Bai family laughed, attracting strange looks from those around him.
The news that Liu Mengli was framed by a concubine's daughter and stripped of her spiritual veins had already spread throughout the Four Saints County. No matter how the Liu family tried to refute it, it had become a topic of conversation for everyone.
Lin Fan clicked his tongue, sensing several strange gazes. He looked up and saw the young members of the Bai, Qin, and Lin families all staring at him with curiosity.
Liu Mengli was already famous in the Four Saints County. She had been the focus of attention since Luo Siyao became pregnant, and the news of her possessing a divine spiritual vein spread, which shocked the Four Saints County even more.
They seemed to see a supernova rising, and they believed that as long as she didn't encounter any accidents before she grew up, her future achievements would surely surpass those of her parents.
When they heard that she had become a cripple, some people cheered, while others felt sorry for her. Until a month ago, she made a strong comeback, which once again attracted the attention of all parties in Sisheng County.
The Liu family has undergone tremendous changes, with two factions vying for power and the other three families keeping a close eye on her situation.
As the pride of the Liu family, she was always the center of attention wherever she went. However, the boy next to her, who kept yawning and looked like he hadn't woken up yet, was somewhat ruining the atmosphere.
They were all wondering why Lin Fan could walk side by side with Liu Mengli, and what his extraordinary qualities were.
Lin Fan ignored their gazes. He hadn't slept for over half a month and really wanted to find a place to lie down and sleep for a while.
"Uncle Liu, it's been a long time." Qin Tian walked over, his gaze falling on Liu Wanqing and Feng Xi, and greeted them, "Mengli, Wanqing, it's been a long time."
Fengxi didn't look at him, but subtly moved away from him, leaning towards Lin Fan.
"Long time no see!" Liu Wan said calmly, her expression unchanged, showing no enthusiasm.
Seeing Feng Xi's expression and the way she looked at Lin Fan, Qin Tian's eyes turned slightly cold as he asked, "You're Lin Fan?"
Seeing that he was not getting along well with others and wanted to vent his anger on him, Lin Fan said, "Grandpa is here!"
"Pfft"
Fengxi couldn't help but laugh out loud; her brother was as cunning as ever.
Qin Tian's face stiffened; he was very unhappy about being ridiculed by Lin Fan.
Clearly, no one from the Liu family had told him about Lin Fan. Qin Tian only knew that there was such a person who often hung around the eldest daughter of the Liu family. Seeing him in person today made him very angry.
Liu Qingtian and Qin Huaisheng, the head of the Qin family, were talking in front of them. Their topic was who was the most likely to win the championship in this Four Saints Gathering.
A powerful aura descended from the sky, instantly whipping up a strong wind and darkening the ground.
When everyone looked up, they saw a giant roc in the blue sky, with wingspans of hundreds of feet. With a casual flap of its wings, it created a strong wind.
A sharp bird cry rang out, and to everyone's astonishment, two people stood on the roc's back: Gu Yancheng and Liu Sanbian.
Gu Yancheng's preemptive strike immediately overshadowed the four major families, sparking much discussion among the crowd.
The four family heads didn't say much; they all knew Gu Yancheng's identity and that he had some right to act arrogantly.
"Who are you, kid, daring to put on airs in front of the four great families?"
At this moment, a rogue cultivator stepped forward and shouted loudly.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yancheng looked coldly at the rogue cultivator and raised his hand to launch a powerful attack. Seeing this, the rogue cultivator hurriedly mobilized his spiritual power to protect himself.
However, Gu Yancheng's attack pierced through his defenses, passing through his chest and killing him instantly.
The powerful members of the four major families turned a blind eye to this, thinking that it would be pointless for such a hothead to die.
The other families and minor sects were shocked. The rogue cultivator, who was at the fifth level of the Nascent Soul stage, couldn't withstand a single blow from the young man on the Roc, who was at least at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.
Strangely, none of the four major families spoke up, indicating that the young man's background was not simple, at least not lower than theirs.
Gu Yancheng turned his gaze to Lin Fan. Of all the people here, only this lazy young man was someone he couldn't see through.
"You are Lin Fan?" he asked.
Lin Fan rolled his eyes. Good grief, one after another they all want to cause trouble for him. He's the villain, he should be the one causing trouble for others.
"Why are you calling me grandpa?" he yawned, his words utterly rude.
"They're asking for it!" Qin Tian muttered.
As the young master of the Qin family, he naturally knew Gu Yancheng's identity. Xuanwu Heavenly Sect was a first-class sect in Zhongzhou, and its strength required the four major families to unite to barely contend with it.
Lin Fan's answer surprised everyone present. They looked at him strangely. Didn't he see someone who spoke rudely get killed? Wasn't he afraid of death?
Just when they thought Gu Yancheng was about to make another move, they saw that he was calm and his eyes were cold.
"I've heard you're from the Cloud Peak Immortal Palace?" Gu Yancheng sneered, his eyes revealing a strange look, his expression like a cat playing with a mouse, full of mockery.
"What, you have a problem with that?" Lin Fan asked casually, picking his ear.
Gu Yancheng said, "I am Gu Yancheng, one of the four chief disciples of the Xuanwu Heavenly Sect. I have never heard of the Cloud Peak Immortal Palace!"
"Where did this bumpkin come from? It's normal that you haven't heard of me. In this vast world, not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can glimpse even a fraction of my existence!" Lin Fan retorted.
Gu Yancheng wasn't angry. Instead, he tossed out a portrait and said, "Lin Fan, a traitor to the Qingxiao Sect of the Northern Region, right?"
The portrait drifted down, and the person depicted did indeed bear a striking resemblance to Lin Fan, with the same name.
The Liu family was surprised. Wasn't this the Cloud Peak Immortal Palace? How did they suddenly become disciples of a sect in the Northern Region?
Liu Wanqing slightly parted her lips, a mocking expression on her face, and looked at Fengxi triumphantly.
Liu Qingtian and the Grand Elder had different expressions; they remained silent, each harboring their own secrets.
Lin Fan ignored the portrait, but glanced at Gu Yancheng and said, "You don't know my background, but I know your whole story!"
Gu Yancheng didn't see any panic or attempt to hide anything on Lin Fan's face; instead, it aroused his suspicion.
I've investigated him thoroughly. His sect only has a Nascent Soul stage leader and elders. What gives him the confidence to be so calm in front of me?
"Oh, then tell me!"
Lin Fan clapped his hands, and a lion's roar came. Then they saw a thundercloud lion coming on a five-colored cloud, powerful and domineering, its aura no less than that of the roc.
He transformed into a streak of light and landed in front of the carriage, sitting there lazily, level with Gu Yancheng.
"The cultivation technique you practice is the Purple Flame Heavenly Art, and you are a disciple of True Master Ziyang. If I remember correctly, your master has a hidden injury and has been trying to find the Ice Soul Divine Marrow for many years. Am I right?"
Gu Yancheng remained expressionless and said calmly, "Many people know about this, there's nothing to say. If you think you can survive on this, you're just being naive."
"Hahaha..." Lin Fan laughed heartily, leaving Gu Yancheng completely bewildered, wondering what he was up to.
"Then let me tell you something that others don't know. Your Xuanwu Heavenly Sect's Qingxuan Ancestor is nearing the end of his life. Whether he can survive this year is another matter. If he passes away, it's unclear how many years you will live."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yancheng suddenly struck out with his palm, intending to kill him.
Lin Fan waved his sleeve, deflecting the palm print into the distance, effortlessly resolving the issue.
"So, do you still think you know my identity now?" Lin Fan retorted sarcastically.
"A frog at the bottom of a well can never know the vastness of the ocean!"
Gu Yancheng's face was gloomy. What Lin Fan said was a secret that the Xuanwu Heavenly Sect was determined to keep to the death. Even among the sect's elders, very few knew about it, let alone outsiders.
"Elder Lin, can you kill him?" he transmitted his voice.
Lin Sanbian carefully examined Lin Fan, and finally shook his head, not making a move easily, saying, "This old servant cannot see through him, and is not confident in killing him."
"Young Master, he even knows the Heavenly Sect's top secrets, so his identity is probably not that simple. If he truly has a powerful sect behind him, and our actions have angered them, I'm afraid the future..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but it served as a reminder that if they angered the forces behind Lin Fan, the news that the Qingxuan Ancestor of the Xuanwu Heavenly Sect was about to pass away would undoubtedly be a disaster for them.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yancheng immediately turned his gaze to the person below, his eyes unfathomable, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.
"Kill them all, kill them all, and your Xuanwu Heavenly Sect's secret will be preserved." Lin Fan patted the Thunder Cloud Lion's head, signaling it to step back and let Gu Yancheng unleash his full power.
Gu Yancheng's face turned ashen. If Lin Sanbian alone were to kill everyone, they might even have to stay.
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