Eastern: I love doing good things-Chapter 186 : The darkness is approaching.

When a person reaches the lowest point in life, home becomes the final refuge.

Chongwu Hou returned here. He could no longer protect the Yan Kingdom, but he would guard Jianghai State until his last breath.

As soon as he landed, Chongwu Hou saw Qin Hai, who was sitting cross-legged, focused on his cultivation. Seeing this old companion who had followed him for over a hundred years, Chongwu Hou finally showed a pleased smile. "Qin Hai..."

Hearing this familiar voice, Qin Hai's body trembled, and he looked up, his expression filled with disbelief. His tone even became urgent:

"Chongwu Hou, you've returned?"

"Yes..." Chongwu Hou nodded, his gaze gently sweeping around, then he asked with concern, "Has everything been well in Jianghai State while I've been gone?"

"Yes, everything is great!" Qin Hai replied as he stood up to offer his respects.

Chongwu Hou stopped him from bowing: "No need for formalities between us. By the way, where is Fang Yuan?"

Upon hearing Fang Yuan's name, Chongwu Hou's smile grew even brighter. He recalled the terrifying speed at which Fang Yuan cultivated, and muttered to himself, "By now, Fang Yuan should have broken through to the fifth realm, right? No, with that kid's talent and effort, he might have already reached the sixth realm."

"Well..."

Seeing Qin Hai's hesitation, Chongwu Hou's expression turned shocked. "Wait, don't tell me, Fang Yuan has already broken through to the seventh realm? It hasn't been long, right?!"

Qin Hai hurriedly shook his head. "No, not yet."

Chongwu Hou let out a sigh of relief. "I knew it. There's no way anyone can cultivate that fast..."

"Fang Yuan has become a Grandmaster," Qin Hai's voice was soft, but it struck Chongwu Hou like a thunderclap.

Chongwu Hou's words immediately caught in his throat, and his expression stiffened.

A Grandmaster?

A Grandmaster!

Chongwu Hou felt his heart race... even though he no longer had a heart, "I remember I was only gone for two or three months to defend the border."

"In just two or three months, he went from the peak of the fourth realm to a Grandmaster?!" Chongwu Hou unconsciously raised his voice.

"Yeah," Qin Hai answered firmly, clearly not surprised by his former master's bewildered reaction. After all, this news was so shocking that anyone would be dumbfounded.

"I... really don't know what to say..."

Chongwu Hou muttered to himself. He was once hailed as the greatest genius in Yan Kingdom in a thousand years, but even then, it had taken him hundreds of years to become a Grandmaster.

How did Fang Yuan achieve such a feat in just a few months? Just the process of forming the Dao Body would have taken much longer!

But now was not the time to be shocked by these things. Fang Yuan becoming a Grandmaster... meant that Yan Kingdom had gained another top-tier combat power in these turbulent times!

This was great! This was truly great!

With this, if the Grandmasters of the Ice Plains dared to invade again, then...

Suddenly, Chongwu Hou froze, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. He realized that the current situation in Yan Kingdom could not be solved just by having one more Grandmaster.

He was aware that there were already four Grandmasters from the Ice Plains, and Fang Yuan's arrival would not even solve their immediate crisis.

"So, where is he now?" Chongwu Hou regained his composure and asked.

Qin Hai was about to answer when a familiar voice rang out: "Yo, Chongwu Hou, long time no see!"

Looking up, a youthful figure descended from the sky.

Compared to a few months ago, the young man's aura had grown exponentially, so much so that Chongwu Hou could no longer gauge his depth.

"Master Fang," Chongwu Hou cupped his hands in salute.

"It's all thanks to your guidance, Master, that I've had the fortune of becoming a Grandmaster," Fang Yuan returned the salute and even bowed. His words were not empty politeness, but a heartfelt gratitude. Without the jade slip left by Chongwu Hou, he would not have reached this point.

"To become a Grandmaster in just a few months is no mere stroke of luck," Chongwu Hou laughed, his eyes full of admiration.

Fang Yuan didn't dwell on this topic but instead asked, "Why have you returned in the Yin God state, Master?"

Chongwu Hou sighed. "There have been changes in the Northern Border."

He then shared the situation in the Northern Border.

Originally, Chongwu Hou didn't plan to tell anyone in Jianghai Palace, as it would only add to their troubles. However, now that Fang Yuan had reached such a level of cultivation, he felt he had the right to know these things.

"Zhuoyang Hou has rebelled, the Northern Border has fallen, and even your physical body..."

Qin Hai gasped, his fists clenched instinctively.

Even though he was just a small member of the Chongwu Guards, he knew that the country's collapse and the destruction of their homeland were likely imminent.

Fang Yuan, however, remained calm, simply asking, "What about the old emperor? What's his plan?"

"Who knows?" Chongwu Hou smiled bitterly, his gaze dimming. "When I reported to him, the old emperor simply said, 'Get lost.'"

"He's probably already given up on Yan Kingdom."

Given up?

Fang Yuan felt that things were not as simple as they seemed. Though he had never met Emperor Yanwen, the way he controlled the martial artists within Yan Kingdom through spiritual energy showed that he was someone with great ambitions.

Such a person would give up their power? Even if he did give up, there must be a greater temptation behind it.

As Fang Yuan was pondering, a series of thunderous sounds suddenly came from the sky.

He looked up to see layers of dark clouds rapidly forming in the northwest, casting a shadow over the land. The darkness spread, growing ever closer.

Without a doubt, this was a celestial phenomenon. Such events typically happened either when a martial artist was cultivating or when they were in battle.

Looking at the vast range of dark clouds... even Fang Yuan's own cultivation had never caused such a grand spectacle. It was so wide that he couldn't even pinpoint its location.

No matter what had happened, it was clear this was not a small matter.