Reborn Medicine King

"So, you've been waiting for me here, huh? But that's not a place you can just wander into. Besides, you've just made a breakthrough. You should focus on stabilizing your progress instead of risking it in dangerous areas."    

Wan Chengfeng replied, "I've been in seclusion for months, and I'm close to reaching the second level of the Reincarnation Realm. Plus, I'm not a direct disciple of the Valley, so you don't need to worry too much about me. I know what I'm doing."    

Hearing this, the old man gave him a good knock on the head. "You think you know what you're doing? If you did, you wouldn't have been stuck in that ant nest for two hundred years. If not for that, you wouldn't be at your current level."    

Wan Chengfeng wasn't upset; he understood his grandfather's concerns, given the high hopes placed on him back then.    

"That girl Wan Xin has great potential too, and she's better suited to inherit the ancestor's teachings. I'm more of a wanderer. Younger Brother Jiang isn't just anyone, and if I go into the restricted area with him, I might improve my skills even further. Then, if the Valley faces trouble, I can help."    

The old man was clearly displeased. "Even if something happens to the Valley, it's not up to you to hold it up. Your father and I just want to see you improve steadily. With your talent, you're the most likely in the family to reach the Celestial Realm. Now that you're back, you should stay and train in the Valley. I'll personally guide you."    

After speaking, he turned to Jiang Fann: "Young man, you're welcome to train here in the Valley anytime. Stay as long as you like, make yourself at home. I'll guide you in your training."    

With that, he released his aura, revealing his mastery at the ninth level of the Reincarnation Realm. It was clear that this old man's strength far surpassed any expert Jiang Fann had encountered. His presence was on par with the likes of Zhu Rong, marking him as one of the top masters in the realm.    

Before Jiang Fann could respond, Wan Chengfeng interjected, "Jiang, since you're new here, let me show you around. We can discuss other matters later." He gave Jiang a knowing look, signaling him to leave.    

Understanding the cue, Jiang Fann quickly followed him out of the temple. The old man didn't stop them. After they left, he turned to Wan Xin and said, "Keep an eye on them for the next few days. We can't have them causing trouble in the Valley. Your uncle's return seems to have a purpose."    

Wan Xin chuckled softly. "Are you worried about Uncle?"    

The old man replied, "Why would I worry about him? I just don't want him taking unnecessary risks. He's already made great progress reaching the Reincarnation Realm. There's no need for him to push further recklessly. As for the young man with him, do you know anything about his background?"    

Wan Xin shook her head. "We only crossed paths a few times in that secret realm. All I know is that he's impressive. Based on how the young folks there talked about him, he doesn't have many peers. Over a year ago, he dared to stand up to a prince, so he must have a solid background. When I first met him, his level was much lower, but now it seems his strength has increased significantly."    

"A practitioner at the Dao Understanding Stage—how strong can he really be?"    

At that moment, a middle-aged man's voice came from outside the door.    

"Not necessarily," he replied, as a tall figure walked into the temple, appearing before the two of them.    

Wan Chengfeng bore a slight resemblance to this man.    

Upon seeing him, Wan Xin quickly approached. "Grandfather..."    

This man was Wan Chengfeng's father, Wan Peng, the current Valley Lord of this generation. Although his skills weren't quite on par with the elder, they were close.    

The elder spoke up, "Why do you say that?"    

"Because I've heard some things. These young people are all quite formidable. Jiang Fann, in particular, has a mysterious ally at the peak of the Reincarnation Stage. Plus, their ability to locate Gan Lei Sect shows they have incredible luck. Another one among them has already been taken in by the high ranks of the dynasty, as he's become the Holy Son of Gan Lei Sect."    

The elder was somewhat surprised. "An ally at the peak of the Reincarnation Stage? I didn't realize that young man had such capabilities. No wonder the Central Dynasty suddenly withdrew the bounty—it turns out it's because the Holy Son of Gan Lei Sect has emerged, and he's a friend of Chengfeng's."    

Wan Peng chuckled, "There's more to it than that."    

As he spoke, a unique piece of spiritual jade appeared in his hand, similar to the one the high-ranking member of the Heavenly Pavilion used during a conversation with Fang Xiang back in the day.    

The old man looked puzzled, "The Starsea Ranking? What's the purpose of that?"    

Wan Peng infused the jade with spiritual strength, and a ranking appeared above it.    

The old man examined it, still confused, "Chengfeng isn't on there anymore. I haven't looked at this in decades."    

Wan Xin leaned in, pointing at the 90th position with a look of surprise, "This Jiang Fann, could it really be that Jiang Fann?"    

"Ninetieth! How is that possible?" The old man was clearly skeptical.    

Wan Peng explained, "If he can have a cultivator at the ninth level of the Reincarnation Stage as a follower, he's definitely not simple. He's certainly not a cultivator from the upper heavens. It's not a bad thing for Chengfeng to travel with him."    

The old man frowned, "So, I've underestimated him?"    

Wan Peng asked the old man, "What did Chengfeng say when he got back?"    

"He wants to take that kid to the inner valley."    

Wan Peng smiled, "Then let them go."    

The old man replied bluntly, "I'm not clearing the path for them. If they can't even get in on their own, going there would be a death sentence. At most, I'll turn a blind eye if they try any tricks."    

Upon hearing this, Wan Xin immediately said, "I'll go keep an eye on them right now." With that, the young girl quickly left the temple, seemingly in a hurry.    

Wan Peng turned to the old man and said, "Father, it's best if we don't get involved in the young folks' affairs. Chengfeng is destined not to stay here forever; it's only a matter of time before he leaves. Let's focus our attention on Xin'er."    

The old man looked toward the temple entrance, a hint of resignation in his eyes. "That girl seems a bit restless too..."    

In the valley, Wan Chengfeng and Jiang Fann were watching the temple with a sense of mystery. Jiang Fann was surprised by the important figure who had just entered the temple, feeling a significant pressure from him.    

"You look a lot like that guy."    

"Of course, he's my dad! I wonder what they're discussing..."    

Jiang Fann asked, "Without their permission, are we unable to enter the restricted area?"    

Wan Chengfeng shook his head. "I just don't want them to worry. Since I'm back, I definitely want to go in. I have a rough idea of where the entrance is. If we team up, we can get in without them knowing."    

"Aren't you afraid they'll catch us?"    

Wan Chengfeng laughed, "No need to worry about that. As long as we have the skills to get in, they'll probably understand."    

"Aren't you going to see your dad?"    

"It's better not to meet him just yet. Once we're out of the restricted area, I'll see him and finish receiving the rest of the spiritual strength from last time."    

As they were talking, Maxine walked out of the temple, scanning the surroundings as if searching for something. Soon, he headed toward other buildings, leaving the area.    

Max pulled Jiang Fann aside, leading him back into a dense forest within the valley before stopping.    

"If we show up now, the clan members will definitely swarm us. Let's wait until nightfall to make our move. You should prepare too; I might need your strength to break the array. It won't be easy to open that barrier with just my power."    

"No problem," Jiang Fann replied, and the two sat down to rest.    

A few spirit beasts wandered over from the forest, lying quietly around them without causing any disturbance. Max produced some fruit from who knows where and fed them, clearly having a good relationship with the creatures.    

As night fell, the old man didn’t search for them, nor did the clan prepare a welcome feast. Max didn’t seem to care about any of that; his focus was on sneaking into the restricted area of the valley with Jiang Fann, hoping to gain some benefits there.    

Max woke Jiang Fann, and they stealthily suppressed their presence, which Jiang Fann found somewhat amusing.    

After all, this is the Mystic Valley, the territory of the Wanshengfeng family.    

"Follow me."    

Wanshengfeng dispersed the spirit beasts and led Jiang Fann to the edge of the valley, moving towards the northeast. He was clearly very familiar with the area.    

About ten minutes later, they arrived at a cliff. Wanshengfeng looked around to ensure no one was nearby before saying to Jiang Fann, "This is it."    

Jiang Fann wasted no time and activated his Divine Eye, examining the cliff. He discovered it was actually a barrier, not a solid object, distinctly different from the other directions. This must be the entrance to the restricted area that Wanshengfeng mentioned.    

Wanshengfeng said, "I'll keep watch for you. You can start assimilating the spiritual strength. With your current level, you should be able to finish before dawn, and then we can proceed."    

Jiang Fann didn't refuse. He went straight to the barrier and began infusing it with his spiritual strength, employing the Strength of Array Breaking. Unfortunately, the effect was slightly less than before because he couldn't harness the power of his companion, who was still adapting to changes after awakening.    

However, Jiang Fann was already very familiar with the Strength of Array Breaking, so the assimilation speed wasn't significantly affected. As he continuously released his spiritual strength, he gradually sensed changes in the barrier's aura. The core of the barrier's power wasn't within the valley but on the other side.    

With this discovery, Jiang Fann turned to Xiao Ai and Lin Zhan, "Do you want to go inside the barrier to check out the situation? This area seems isolated from the rest of the valley, yet it's closely connected."    

Lin Zhan replied, "I'll go take a look myself. Xiao Ai should stay here to assist you. We might need to break through the array at some point."