The Intimidating Spirit Sense

That night, clad in a black robe and wearing the mysterious mask, Yang Fan merged with the shadowed streets of Wuliu Town. In a state of heightened awareness, he entered a mode of omniscience, able to perceive every movement within several hundred meters. His form was as elusive as a wraith, unnoticed by the ordinary mortals around him.

During this time, Yang Fan realized that the once ever-present shadowy figures monitoring Wuliu Town had vanished without a trace. Some time ago, when his "Universal Love Medical Hall" had just opened, he had noticed quite a few suspicious characters in town, many of whom had been sent by Yang Guang and the fat man Li to keep an eye on him. In addition, there had been agents from the prestigious Yang family in the capital watching him from the shadows. However, in recent days, for reasons unknown, even those from the Yang family had quietly withdrawn.

"The world of cultivation may seem calm on the surface, but underneath, hidden currents surge and powers shift. Even a massive force like the Yang family in the capital cannot escape these changes," Yang Fan mused, his mind racing. He suspected the Yang family was preoccupied with something far more pressing and had no time to concern themselves with minor issues in this remote corner of the Yuanyang Kingdom. After all, the Yang Clan Fortress, his family's base, was nothing more than a small clan in a backwater region—too insignificant to truly capture their attention.

His thoughts inevitably drifted back to the mysterious "Unnamed Ghostly Forest," where dark energy had been slowly awakening. That fateful day, two Core Condensation stage cultivators from the Yang family had perished within that forest for no apparent reason. Surely, the Yang family wouldn't let such a matter go unanswered.

As to how the prestigious Yang family might resolve this incident, Yang Fan could only speculate, but one thing was certain: he wasn't foolish enough to return to that cursed forest.

"That hot potato is theirs to handle. As for me, a humble cultivator in the Qi Refinement stage, I'd better focus on my cultivation, diligently run my medical clinic, and quietly gather strength," Yang Fan thought as he melted into the darkness, soon leaving Wuliu Town behind.

Once he reached a secluded spot, he summoned his azure-hued flying sword. With a quick gesture and a whispered incantation, his figure gracefully rose into the air, balancing atop the sword.

A low hum resonated as the three-foot-long sword emitted a brilliant, rounded glow. It expanded, now just large enough for Yang Fan to stand firmly upon. With a burst of radiance, the sword shot into the sky, covering a great distance within mere breaths.

The cold night winds buffeted him as he ascended higher and higher, soon leaving the ground far below. From this height, the trees and buildings shrank until they appeared no larger than ants. The higher he soared, the more expansive the world below seemed.

For the first time since the loss of his Core Condensation cultivation, Yang Fan dared to fly so freely.

Like a fish diving into an endless sea or a bird soaring in an infinite sky, at that moment, he was no longer the fallen genius. He had been reborn as a rising cultivator of the demonic path—now known as Shi Qianhan.

As he flew, his eyes gleamed with a dark light, and a faint killing intent exuded from him, though he held it in check. Within his dantian, the pure demonic energy surged and flowed ceaselessly, sustaining his flight. Though Yang Fan was still at the late stages of Qi Refinement, his flying sword, the Azure Edge, was deeply connected to his spirit. Coupled with the strength of his soul, which surpassed even that of cultivators at the peak of Core Condensation, his flight speed was comparable to that of early-stage Core Condensation cultivators.

After only a moment, he concealed his demonic aura to avoid drawing the attention of nearby cultivators. After all, in the region around Yang Clan Fortress and Yuwu Mountain Villa, righteous cultivators still held sway.

After flying for about an hour, the landscape below him began to change. The once-flat ground became dotted with hills, and the straight roads began to wind and twist. If he had taken the overland route, it would have taken at least two full days to reach Yuwu Mountain Villa. 

Having visited the villa once or twice before, Yang Fan was familiar with the route, so he had no trouble navigating.

As he neared a certain area, a faint whistling sound echoed ahead. His sharp senses reacted instantly, causing him to change direction. Soon, a blue light streaked by, and a woman dressed in elegant palace attire, graceful and poised, flew past about a hundred meters away.

The woman, likely in her late twenties, glanced curiously at Yang Fan. His cold, indifferent expression, paired with an aura of lethal intent, made her instinctively wary.

Yang Fan, with a mere sweep of his spirit sense, noticed the woman's cultivation level. His eyes glinted, and he unleashed a sudden wave of spiritual pressure upon her.

The palace-dressed woman's face paled as she felt the overwhelming pressure of his spirit force. Though her body momentarily froze, she managed to stabilize herself, suppressing the panic within her heart.

"Core Condensation, Great Perfection!" she gasped, her face ashen with shock. She quickly called out, "Please, Daoist friend, do not misunderstand—I have no ill intentions!"

"Hmph!" Yang Fan snorted coldly. With a single flick of his spirit, he retracted the pressure. Without sparing her another glance, he continued forward, his icy demeanor unwavering.

Watching the terrifying figure depart, the woman let out a long breath, her face still pale with lingering fear. 

"How terrifying... His power is beyond comprehension. He must be a ruthless cultivator from the demonic path..." she murmured, her body trembling slightly. The pressure she had felt from Yang Fan's spirit sense was clearly that of a cultivator at the pinnacle of Core Condensation. In a battle with someone of his level, she would stand no chance. Worse still, he could have easily killed her.

Not daring to linger, the woman sped off, looking back nervously to ensure he wasn't following.

After flying several miles, Yang Fan finally exhaled a breath of relief. "Her spiritual strength was nothing compared to mine. Could it be that my soul isn't merely at the late Core Condensation stage but has already reached Great Perfection?" 

Extending his spirit sense, he covered the area around him and murmured, "I can now spread my spiritual perception across a mile. This might already be the limit for Core Condensation cultivators."

Reflecting on the earlier encounter, Yang Fan realized that his proactive use of spirit sense had immediately quelled the woman's will to fight. 

Indeed, there was a significant gap between the middle stages and the Great Perfection of Core Condensation. If it had come to a real battle, even three or four Qi Refinement stage cultivators would have been slaughtered by her with ease. But in the face of Yang Fan's overwhelming spirit, she had stood no chance.

After another hour of flying, he was only a few dozen miles from Yuwu Mountain Villa. Choosing a secluded spot, he descended to the ground, retracted his sword, and began walking at a leisurely pace.

As dawn broke, he left the main road and entered the rolling hills surrounding the villa.

The rising sun bathed the landscape in soft light, and after some time, Yang Fan saw the silhouette of a grand estate perched halfway up a mountainside, shrouded in cool morning mist. Majestic and ancient, the estate exuded a mysterious and venerable charm.

He knew this was Yuwu Mountain Villa.

After crossing a few hills and fording a small river, Yang Fan finally arrived at the gates of the magnificent villa, its walls gleaming like jade.

"Master Yang, please enter. We've been expecting you for some time," greeted two servants in the early stages of Qi Refinement, standing respectfully at the entrance.

Yang Fan was slightly surprised that they recognized him. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were the same two attendants who had accompanied Chu Yuyan to Wuliu Town a while back.

Nodding slightly, he said, "Lead the way."

He understood that Yuwu Mountain Villa was a place of strict hierarchy, where family bloodlines were meticulously controlled. The Chu family held a status akin to nobility or royalty here, while other cultivators fell into ranks of disciples, guests, or servants.

"Bring out the sedan for Master Yang," one of the servants called out.

Soon, a palanquin carried by four men arrived.

"Please, Master Yang," one servant said reverently, his eyes filled with genuine respect, having witnessed Yang Fan's remarkable healing abilities firsthand.

"A sedan chair?" Yang Fan was momentarily taken aback but accepted the offer without hesitation, stepping into the palanquin with ease. As he settled in, he thought to himself, "This Yuwu Mountain Villa certainly knows how to live in comfort..."