Reborn Medicine King

Fang Xiang said, "Let me settle down a bit more, then we can move. We mustn't be careless."    

Wan Chengfeng replied, "With Younger Brother Jiang having a top-tier ally by his side, what are you worried about? Could this place be more dangerous than the restricted zone?"    

Fang Xiang looked serious. "The guy in the restricted zone watched us enter but couldn't follow. Do you think this Thunder Sect is weak?"    

Fang Xiang's words caught Wan Chengfeng off guard, but he had a point. As for Jiang Fann, though he appeared calm, only he truly understood how terrifying the entity outside was. It was beyond his comprehension.    

He still remembered the time he first came to the upper realm, encountering a massive celestial being in the starry sea, which left him in awe. But this time, he felt only immense pressure.    

The restricted zone was far more dangerous than he had imagined, incomparable to other perilous places. He glanced at the Thunder Sect's gate and then into the distance. Everything was quiet, as if an ancient power lay peacefully here. Yet, the surrounding spiritual strength was quite potent, and it felt oddly familiar, though he couldn't recall where he had sensed it before.    

Wan Chengfeng was eager to give it a try. After all, his skills were a bit more advanced, and he understood well that the greater the risk, the greater the opportunity.    

Once Jiang Fann fully recovered, he stood up and used his Golden Eye of Fire to scan the surroundings. He soon noticed that behind the three of them, the landscape stretched endlessly. Surprisingly, there was a city in the distance, but it was too far to discern what was happening there.    

Wan Chengfeng followed Jiang Fann's gaze and was also taken aback when he saw the city.    

"Could that place also be within the Dry Thunder Sect's domain?"    

"Maybe it's just where the relatives of the sect's disciples live. I wonder if there are any practitioners still residing there."    

This small world had a perfect natural order and was unaffected by the outside. Logically, when the Dry Thunder Sect secluded itself, it wouldn't have left behind just its traditions and buildings. Practitioners living in this small world wouldn't be an issue.    

"Why don't we head over there and check it out?"    

"I think that's a good idea!"    

After calming down, Fang Xiang turned to the other two, clearly having overheard their conversation. Seeing the distant city, Fang Xiang said directly, "We can set off now."    

Using his Divine Eye, Jiang Fann confirmed there were no special restrictions nearby, making everything seem quite peaceful, as if there was no danger at all.    

The three of them set out, choosing not to head directly toward the Dry Thunder Sect's mountain gate but instead toward the distant city. After all, they had plenty of time, and there might still be powerful adversaries lying in ambush outside, so they weren't in a hurry to leave.    

As they approached the city gate, just a few hundred yards away, the three of them were surprised to find guards stationed there. It seemed that people actually lived in this small world.    

The guards leaned lazily against the gate and walls. One of them seemed to notice the trio, initially stunned before exclaiming in surprise. The other guards quickly turned their attention to the newcomers, their eyes wide with disbelief, clearly shocked by the appearance of the three.    

In the next moment, the guards moved forward, forming a line, and then astonishingly knelt before Jiang Fann and his companions, muttering something under their breath.    

With about a hundred yards still to go, Jiang Fann, who was leading, suddenly stopped. Directly in front of him was a barrier, not newly formed, but one that had always been there, blocking their path.    

The three of them channeled their spiritual strength to sense the power of the barrier, finding it nearly tangible and impossible to pass through directly.    

Meanwhile, one guard quickly left the wall, running into the city, while the others remained kneeling, their expressions devout.    

Fang Xiang attempted to break through the barrier but found it unyielding. Even at full strength, it didn't budge an inch, showing no signs of change. With his abilities, crossing it seemed impossible.    

Wan Chengfeng watched the kneeling guards, puzzled by their actions.    

"Why do they seem like they're worshipping a deity? Do they think we're some kind of mystical monks?"    

Jiang Fann tried using his spiritual sense to penetrate the barrier and discovered it wasn't affected. He sensed the guards' abilities and realized they had no spiritual strength; their Qi Sea was completely empty, as if they'd never trained.    

"Mere mortals?"    

Wan Chengfeng was equally puzzled. "Mere mortals? Could it be that the art of cultivation hasn't been passed down here? How is that possible? This is supposed to be an ancient, prestigious sect."    

Fang Xiang chimed in, "The barrier's power is strong. We might not be able to pass through easily, and it's likely that people outside can't come in either. That's probably why we can't see anyone from this side. I wonder what the ancient sect intended with this."    

Jiang Fann shifted his gaze from the guards and infused his own spiritual strength into the barrier. He sensed the energy above, feeling as if his power vanished into thin air.    

"What incredible power."    

Marveling at the strength, Jiang Fann began to use his strength of array breaking to try and assimilate the barrier's energy. The conversion started, but at a very slow pace. At this rate, it would take days to complete, and that’s if Jiang Fann didn’t rest.    

Just then, a carriage emerged from the city, surrounded by a group of guards, indicating someone important was inside.    

A man appeared from the carriage, an elderly gentleman dressed in fine clothes. He was well into his seventies, trembling slightly and needing assistance to walk. After stepping out, he straightened his attire before approaching Jiang Fann and his companions with a reverent and respectful demeanor.    

Upon reaching them, the old man immediately knelt down in a formal gesture of respect. "Greetings to the three immortals!" he exclaimed, utterly convinced of their identities, without a hint of doubt. Jiang Fann worried the man might not be able to stand back up after kneeling.    

The elderly man was visibly moved, looking up at the trio with an intensity that made them slightly uneasy. Jiang Fann spoke, "Please, sir, stand up. Are you referring to us as immortals?"    

"You emerged from the sacred mountain, so you must be immortals. Our ancestors have blessed us; finally, someone has descended from the mountain..." he replied. They all understood that the "sacred mountain" he mentioned was the Thunder Sect, though it seemed something significant had occurred there.    

Jiang Fann got straight to the point, asking, "We're not immortals, just cultivators here for training. Are there any other cultivators in your town? Why hasn't anyone practiced cultivation?"    

The old man responded, "I don't understand your meaning, immortal. Please, guide us."    

He seemed sincere, not deceitful. Wan Chengfeng then asked, "Before us, have any other immortals appeared?"    

The old man replied, "It's been countless years since any immortals descended. It's only been a legend, and I never imagined I'd witness such a sight in my lifetime. I can die without regrets now..."    

Jiang Fann asked, "Did your ancestors leave any other words behind?"    

The elder shook his head. "No, sir. Aside from those legends, our ancestors didn't leave much. We have some ancient books without words stored at my place. You three are welcome to come by, and I'll show them to you."    

"Besides this town, are there any other towns around here?"    

The elder nodded without hesitation. "Yes, there's another town, but their ancestors didn't leave anything either. It takes three days by carriage to get there, so we rarely interact. Only traders travel between the two towns to exchange local specialties. I can personally take you there if you'd like."    

Despite the offer, Jiang Fann and his companions had no intention of crossing the barrier, not that they could at the moment. Jiang Fann needed a few days to even consider it.    

"Alright, you can head back for now. When I need to see you, I'll have the guards find you."    

With that, the three said no more and turned to leave, not lingering by the barrier for long. The elder respectfully saw them off, maintaining his deference throughout.    

Once behind a tree, the three vanished from human sight, and the elder returned to his carriage to head back to town.    

Jiang Fann and his companions, standing behind the tree, pondered the vast area before them, puzzled.    

"Could this barrier be to prevent people from accidentally stumbling upon the mountain gate? But the civilization here seems uninterrupted. Why have they lost even the methods of cultivation?"    

"There must be a reason behind it, but they probably don't know. Without stepping into the realm of cultivators, human life is just too short."    

Wan Chengfeng looked at Jiang Fann. "So, should we try to find a way through the barrier to see what's going on? I'm quite intrigued by the old man's mention of the book without words. Back at my sect's library, I came across ancient texts like that. They were blank, but with special techniques, their secrets could be revealed. Maybe it's the same here, but since they're not cultivators, they have no idea what's really going on."    

Fang Xiang said, "If there's a way to get through, it's fine, but I just tried. Even with all my strength, I couldn't budge that barrier. It's definitely something left by someone powerful, so it's up to you two to figure it out."    

Jiang Fann replied, "I do have a way to get through. It's not difficult for me."    

Wan Chengfeng stood up. "Then what are we waiting for? Those people are just ordinary folks. If they can survive here, we shouldn't have anything to worry about. There shouldn't be any problems we can't handle."    

"Hold on," Jiang Fann cautioned. "I plan to first harmonize with the energy of the barrier. If anything unexpected happens, we'll be prepared."    

Wan Chengfeng, knowing Jiang Fann's method of harmonizing energy, didn't object. Instead of working on the energy near the city, Jiang Fann headed in another direction. Since it was all part of the same energy barrier, it made no difference to him.    

Meanwhile, Wan Chengfeng and Fang Xiang stayed behind the tree, quietly honing their skills. The environment here was perfect for their training. On the other side, Jiang Fann was still reflecting on his experiences in the restricted area while assimilating his energy. This encounter served as a real wake-up call for him; he realized he needed to boost his combat abilities quickly due to the many uncertainties that lay ahead.