Obviously, at least up until now, everything had been progressing according to Chen Yan’s plan.

Chen Yan felt that ever since he had returned to this era eight thousand years ago, everything he had experienced had gone extremely smoothly.

He had only needed to save-scum once, back when he was breaking through to the Energy Channeling realm and restoring his cultivation.

But Chen Yan wasn’t surprised by this. He didn’t think that his long stretch without save-scumming was due to good luck or any other reason.

Rather, it was because of his cunning and experience.

If it had been his original self from the very beginning, wasting away in the outer court of the Kongshan Sect, he probably would have died countless times over within those few years.

Even if he had possessed the same Unity realm cultivation, lacking cunning and experience, when facing those Grand Elders of the Mirage Palace four years ago, if he hadn’t been as experienced as he was now, he would surely have been exposed long ago.

As for whether he had actually been following the original historical route...

Chen Yan wasn’t sure either.

He was simply doing his best to retrace the path according to his memory of Chenping Continent’s history from eight thousand years ago.

If there was any irreparable mistake, he supposed he would only find out the next time he save-scummed.

Chen Yan suddenly thought of Mr. You.

Back at Moxu Mountain, Mr. You had told him that he would go collect the Heavenly Summit Mirror fragments from the Five Great Sects, then help him glimpse the future.

Because since the him from eight thousand years in the future believed in him, the current him was also willing to lend a helping hand.

Probably, at the Dao Inquiry Assembly of Chenping Continent two months from now, he would see Mr. You again.

Thinking this, Chen Yan stepped into the courtyard and sat down on a chair in the small yard.

Little Su sat across from him at the stone table.

Chen Yan’s gaze fell on the envelope in his hand. The sealing wax used to seal the envelope bore the stamp of the Weaving Dreams Tower of the Mirage Palace.

Then, Chen Yan tore open the envelope.

There were two sheets of paper inside the letter.

One of them was Zhou Jinyun’s letter.

The quality of the other sheet of paper was far superior to Little Zhou’s letter.

Because it was Zhou Jinyun’s letter of recommendation.

The edge of the recommendation letter was adorned with a deep green Weaving Dreams Tower pattern, and the content written on it was very simple:

“Recommending rogue cultivator, Su Hongzhen, as a Dao Inquirer for the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry.”

Below it was the signature:

“Mirage Palace, Daomen Xingzou, Zhou Jinyun.”

Then, Chen Yan opened Zhou Jinyun’s letter:

...

This letter meets you as if face-to-face.

Since our parting that day, nearly four years have passed in the blink of an eye.

This junior still remembers Senior’s instructions from before. I have specially enclosed a letter of recommendation. Simply present this letter to the Star Heaven Sect supervisor stationed at Heavenly Summit Mountain who is presiding over this session of the Dao Inquiry Assembly of Chenping Continent, and Little Su will be eligible to participate in the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry.

At that time, this junior will also accompany the Mirage Palace delegation to the Dao Inquiry Assembly of Chenping Continent.

I look forward to reuniting with you both at Heavenly Summit Mountain.

Zhou Jinyun

Written

...

A very brief letter, but it was very much in Zhou Jinyun’s style.

During the time he had spent with Zhou Jinyun, Chen Yan had come to know her personality well.

Compared to Little Su, Little Zhou was indeed even less talkative, and probably because she came from a major sect and was a top-tier genius whose talent could overshadow the entire Chenping Continent, she also carried quite a bit of pride.

But this child’s heart was indeed very delicate.

However, from this letter, Chen Yan did not see Little Zhou write anything about her current situation or the internal affairs of the Mirage Palace.

That was also normal; such things naturally couldn’t be casually written down on paper.

When they reached Heavenly Summit Mountain, he would have a good chat with that child then.

Thinking this, Chen Yan raised his head and handed the recommendation letter and Little Zhou’s letter toward Little Su.

The young man, dressed in a cyan daoist robe with a clear facial contour and a hint of carefree spirit in his brows, took the letters Chen Yan handed him. After a few seconds, he had read the letter from beginning to end.

Then, he read it again.

“There are only two months left until the Dao Inquiry Assembly of Chenping Continent begins.”

Chen Yan said:

“We need to set out as soon as possible. For this Dao Inquiry Assembly of Chenping Continent, I won’t interfere with you; I’ll just stay in the shadows. And you could say this is your first formal interaction with the cultivation world of Chenping Continent. Understand?”

Upon hearing this, Su Hongzhen nodded, then folded Zhou Jinyun’s letter, a hesitant expression on his face:

“Brother, there’s actually one thing I don’t quite understand.”

“What is it?”

“You said that for the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry, only the champion of Heavenly Summit Mountain can enter the Heavenly Summit Palace, and everyone else gets no reward at all. So why do so many cultivators flock to the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry with such eagerness?”

Su Hongzhen asked.

“Well, everyone has their own reasons, I suppose.”

Chen Yan replied:

“The Dao Inquiry Assembly of Chenping Continent is the grandest cultivation event on Chenping Continent, held once every ten years. I’m sure Little Zhou told you that a few years ago.”

Su Hongzhen nodded.

Then, Chen Yan continued:

“For the Five Great Sects, the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry is naturally very important. The reason the Five Great Sects are the Five Great Sects is twofold: first, their absolute dominance over the cultivation world of Chenping Continent, and second, their widespread reputation.”

Pausing for a moment, Chen Yan went on:

“And this Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry is the best opportunity for the Five Great Sects to spread their fame far and wide.”

“But... only Martial Spring realm cultivators can participate in the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry. How can it be the best opportunity for the Five Great Sects to spread their fame?”

Clearly, Su Hongzhen didn’t quite understand Chen Yan’s words.

“Looking at the entire cultivation world of Chenping Continent, how many cultivators are in the Lower Three Realms, how many in the Middle Three Realms, and how many in the Upper Three Realms? Do you know?”

Chen Yan asked in return.

“No.”

Su Hongzhen shook his head.

He had indeed never looked into these matters.

“Roughly speaking, on average, for every fifty thousand cultivators in the Lower Three Realms, one reaches the Middle Three Realms. And for every hundred thousand cultivators in the Middle Three Realms, one reaches the Upper Three Realms.”

Chen Yan continued:

“Little Su, you need to understand that the Martial Spring realm is often the ceiling that the vast majority of cultivators in this world will never reach in their entire lives.”

Just like Chen Yan had once been.

“Sparring and battles between cultivators in the Qi Sea realm, or even the Passable God realm and above, are far too distant from the vast majority of cultivators in this world. Therefore, if they want to gain fame among these cultivators, limiting the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry to the Martial Spring realm is the most suitable approach.”

Chen Yan said.

As for the age limit of the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry, it had already been mentioned before.

It was because, back in the day, cultivators on Heavenly Summit Mountain had to break through to the Martial Spring realm before the age of twenty.