Chapter 531: Chapter 521: Have We Met Before? I’ve Been Waiting for You for a Very, Very Long Time

The three of them traversed the void and arrived at a place known as the Little Immortal Realm.

After stepping into this Little Immortal Realm, one would find it quite peculiar. The sky was dark and devoid of light, a murky gray throughout. The ground was cracked, with gigantic fragments of stone scattered sparsely upon the gray earth.

At the center of the gray earth, a massive altar rose from the ground.

However, this gigantic altar had already been split in two, cleaved into halves.

The altar was constructed from ancient, rugged stone blocks and towered a thousand meters high. A closer look would reveal that the surface of the stones was covered in pitch-black runes, with various depths of marks etched across.

Standing upon one of the stones atop the altar was a lone figure, becoming the only entity in this space.

The man in black clothing had his hands clasped behind his back, his deep, serene eyes staring into the void ahead, as if waiting for something.

In the next moment, the void in front of him twisted, and three figures slowly emerged from the spatial rift, standing opposite the man in black.

Lu Chen met the gaze of the man in black, his heart trembling as he felt that this man had been waiting for them all along.

Behind Lu Chen, Yuan Yun and An Daoshan measured the aura of the man in black as well.

Judging by his cultivation aura, the man hadn’t even reached the Unity Realm, merely at the Sacrificial Dao Realm, which made him appear pitifully weak in their eyes.

....

"Lu Chen...."

Fang Yuan stared directly at the man in white, his gaze tranquil, his pupils showing no sign of disturbance, as if their arrival was of no surprise to him.

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen’s pupils narrowed slightly in wonder, "This should be our first meeting, right? Do you recognize me?"

Yuan Yun and An Daoshan behind him were equally shocked.

The elder brother hadn’t appeared for a very long time, and on top of that, he’d always worked for the lord in secret. The lord had concealed all cause and effect regarding the elder brother, so no one knew his real name except for those few familiar with him.

This young man who appeared from nowhere directly called out the elder brother’s name, truly astonishing them.

"We are not meeting for the first time."

"We’ve met many times."

Fang Yuan, without reservation, directly faced Lu Chen, speaking in a haunting tone, with black flames flickering in his pupils.

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen furrowed his brows, searching his memories, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t retrieve any recollection of the man in black before him.

From the intelligence he had received, all he knew was that this man in black was named Fang Yuan, closely associated with the River Guardian, and that his background was not complex, with no friends, a solitary figure, making him a very suitable pawn.

"But I don’t remember meeting you," Lu Chen said with rising interest, addressing Fang Yuan.

...

"That doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m willing to join you."

Fang Yuan’s gaze was piercing as he looked at Lu Chen, speaking each word deliberately.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yun and An Daoshan exchanged bewildered looks, and Lu Chen paused, responding, "Do you know why I’ve come for you?"

Hearing this, Fang Yuan shook his head, saying, "I don’t know."

"But I am willing to join you."

"I know you come from a powerful force. As you can see, my cultivation is weak. I need a sponsor who can help me ascend to a higher position."

"This is an invaluable opportunity for me."

In Fang Yuan’s tone, Lu Chen couldn’t detect any emotional fluctuation and couldn’t discern the truth of his words.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Chen said, "Since we’ve come to this point, there’s not much else to discuss."

"How is your relationship with the River Guardian of the River of Time?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Yuan replied, "It’s alright, he trusts me quite a bit."

After getting this satisfactory answer, Lu Chen wasn’t in a hurry to take out the item and continued, "I want you to deliver something to that River Guardian personally and make sure it’s in his hands."

"We can accept you, allowing you to join us."

Hearing this, Fang Yuan nodded without hesitation, "Alright, give me the item."

Hearing the decisive tone from the other party, Lu Chen began to suspect a trap. To be cautious, he continued, "To ensure the task’s completion."

"I will plant a Slave Seal on you, and after you complete the task, I’ll remove it. How about that?"

He was also worried the other party might be faking compliance, so planting a Slave Seal was the safest option.

As soon as these words were out, Fang Yuan opened up his Sea of Consciousness, saying, "Go ahead."

Seeing this, Lu Chen was momentarily stunned, then planted the Slave Seal deep within Fang Yuan’s Sea of Consciousness.

Once the Slave Seal was planted, no matter what trickery the other might attempt, it would be useless.

With the Slave Seal in place, all of his actions were beyond his control, and his life and death were at the discretion of another.

Seeing the elder brother effortlessly plant the Slave Seal, Yuan Yun and An Daoshan behind him were dumbfounded. Why did the elder brother manage this with ease?

Why did they always encounter those who would rather die than yield?!

They looked at Lu Chen with admiring eyes, truly deserving of being the elder brother, succeeding in one move!

.....

After the Slave Seal was planted, Lu Chen placed full trust in Fang Yuan, laughing as he said, "You’re a smart person."

As he spoke, Lu Chen took out a black wooden box from his sleeve and handed it to Fang Yuan.

Upon seeing the black wooden box, a barely noticeable ripple flickered in the depths of Fang Yuan’s pupils, yet Lu Chen, ever meticulous, caught it. He asked, "You seem... excited?"

In response to this inquiry, Fang Yuan replied without hesitation, "An opportunity lies right in front of me. Who could contain the excitement in their heart?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen also burst into laughter, handing the black box to Fang Yuan.

After receiving the black wooden box, Fang Yuan gripped it tightly with his five fingers and asked Lu Chen, "Can I open it and take a look?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen furrowed his brows, saying, "No."

"If I don’t even know what’s inside, on what grounds do I present this ’gift’?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen felt it made sense, though he still sensed something was off, even if he couldn’t pinpoint precisely what it was.

But since the Slave Seal had already been planted, there was nothing more to worry about. Once the task was completed, erasing his memory using the Slave Seal would suffice, and he said, "Look, then."

With those words, Fang Yuan gradually opened the wooden box. Upon seeing the contents, his pupils contracted sharply, yet he quietly composed himself, closed the box again.

......

"You’ve had a look, it’s time to set off."

"With the River of Time currently sealed, you won’t be able to enter on your own."

"Allow me to send you in."

Lu Chen said to Fang Yuan.

With those words, Fang Yuan remained standing there, staring at Lu Chen, unmoved.

"What do you mean?" Lu Chen asked, frowning.