In the early morning, a thin mist filled the forest, and all of creation stirred with the thrum of awakening life.

Within a man-made pool, the incredibly steady beat of a heart pulsed from a powerful physique—a clear sound that echoed for a hundred meters in every direction.

After a long while, the heartbeat gradually slowed. With a great SPLASH of water, a naked man emerged from the mist.

His body was suffused with a potent Water Spirit Power. With each breath, he drew it in, wisp by wisp. Once all the Water Spirit Power was absorbed, his features became distinct, revealing a face that was both heroic and vibrant with life.

This man was none other than Fang Qingyuan. He had been cultivating here, and now that his session was complete, he brought the three-day practice to an end.

Fang Qingyuan circulated his energy to evaporate the water from his skin, then donned the robes of the Qingyuan Sect’s Sect Leader before stepping outside to call for Jinbao.

He had been cultivating the Five Elements Undying Body. This location, hundreds of miles deep within the Barbaric Wilderness and a thousand miles from the Qingyuan Sect, had been chosen for one simple reason: its environment was perfectly suited for his needs.

Cultivating the Five Elements Undying Body required a Five Elements Spiritual Land. The Spiritual Land where the Qingyuan Sect was located possessed a metal attribute, so to cultivate the other four elements, Fang Qingyuan had to find other suitable places.

He could either rent land from another sect or find a Spiritual Land on his own. Fang Qingyuan was unwilling to cultivate within another sect’s territory, as it would cost a great number of Spirit Stones, not to mention the numerous other inconveniences.

That was why Fang Qingyuan had come here. After having Jinbao drive off the demon beast that occupied the area, he had seized the place for himself.

In the Barbaric Wilderness, it was exceedingly common for demon beasts to fight over territory. For a human Cultivator to seize a place, however, would invite all manner of retaliation. And while Jinbao was Fang Qingyuan’s Companion Beast, the native beasts of the wilderness made no such distinction.

Thus, while Fang Qingyuan cultivated, Jinbao stood guard outside. As time passed, Jinbao’s restless nature got the better of him. He thrashed every demon beast, large and small, in the vicinity and even acquired several new lackeys in the process.

A moment later, Jinbao’s massive form came bounding over. He now stood over twenty feet tall, and here in the Barbaric Wilderness, he seemed far more ferocious and savage than he ever did in the Immortal Mansion.

Before Fang Qingyuan, however, Jinbao was still the same simple-minded brute, showing none of the tyrannical might that made him a feared overlord in the eyes of the other demon beasts.

Having summoned Jinbao and sensing that his Five Elements Undying Body had advanced another stage, Fang Qingyuan felt a sense of ease.

Seven years had now passed since the Artifact Talisman Alliance upheaval. In that time, the Qingyuan Sect had slowly established a firm foothold in the region, becoming an influential power among the dozen or so neighboring sects.

Fang Qingyuan leapt lightly, landing on Jinbao’s shoulder like a withered leaf. He then concealed his own aura within Jinbao’s bestial presence, blending in seamlessly.

At a signal from Fang Qingyuan, Jinbao bounded forward, and all beasts scattered in his wake.

With his current combat strength, within a radius of several hundred miles of the wilderness border—a Land Realm devoid of any Golden Core Demon Beasts—Jinbao was the undisputed overlord.

The few Late-stage Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts that could have rivaled Jinbao had been soundly beaten with covert assistance from Fang Qingyuan, forcing them to either flee the territory or go into hiding.

The reason he hadn’t killed these Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts to use as compost in the Immortal Mansion was a matter of pragmatism. Fang Qingyuan considered the local ecosystem; if he killed one beast, another would simply arrive to take its place. He would then have to go through the trouble of subduing it all over again, which was far too troublesome.

Like a living war chariot, Jinbao crashed through the forest. In a little over two hours, he had covered hundreds of miles. Suddenly, the trees gave way, and a boundless plain stretched out before Fang Qingyuan.

Leaving the chaos of the Barbaric Wilderness behind, he was greeted by the sight of orderly, square fields laid out in a perfect grid. The boundaries were sharp and clear. It was the height of the autumn harvest, and a sea of gold covered the land.

Signs of human planning were everywhere. A single variety of rice had been planted across the hundred-mile plain, its heavy heads of grain already bending the stalks. In another day or two, it would be ready for harvest.

Once they arrived here, Jinbao could no longer be so brazen. He shrank his form and allowed Fang Qingyuan to summon a Spiritual Boat to carry them both toward the Qingyuan Sect’s domain.

He had traveled on Jinbao’s back to avoid the poisonous miasma that hung in the skies above the Barbaric Wilderness. But now that they had reached the lands of men, Jinbao could no longer act with the same reckless abandon.

As the Spiritual Boat swept over the farmland, some of the farmers looked up, their eyes filled with envy. A few patrolling Qi Cultivation Cultivators also watched the vessel disappear into the distance before turning their gaze back toward the Barbaric Wilderness to resume their vigil.

After flying for several hundred more miles, the solitary peak of the Qingyuan Sect, towering into the clouds, came into sight.

Like a weary bird returning to its nest, the Spiritual Boat passed silently through the Mountain Protection Array and descended upon the summit.

After seven years of construction, the foul-smelling cavern of before was gone. In its place stood various buildings nestled among the clouds on the mountaintop, lending the place an air of Daoist elegance.

After stowing the Spiritual Boat, Fang Qingyuan let Jinbao go off and play on his own while he made his way to the Sect Leader’s Quiet Chamber.

Several letters lay quietly on the table, having accumulated during his days in seclusion. He casually opened them and began to read. A moment later, his brow furrowed, and he summoned Mao Cheng.

Seven years had passed, and Mao Cheng looked somewhat older. He looked at Fang Qingyuan, who had hardly changed in all that time, and felt a pang of envy. He then spoke respectfully: