"The Great Prairie!" A wave of complicated emotions washed over Li Jun in that moment. "Daochi, let's go." Teng Qingshan patted the Six-Legged Daochi.

"Roar~~" The Six-Legged Daochi immediately let out an excited roar and rapidly ascended, soaring high into the air. Perched on the back of the Six-Legged Daochi, Teng Qingshan looked down upon a grassland tribe gathered in distant yurts on the vast plain.

He remembered when he had walked across this Great Prairie years ago, comprehending the Earth Elemental Fist, and had begged for food and water from numerous nomadic tribes. That life, akin to an ascetic monk, remained vivid in his memory.

"Teacher, is this your homeland?" Yang Dong also gazed down, marveling, "This Great Prairie, so few people. For billions of people, how vast must this prairie be?

Jiuzhou is truly immense!" "En." Teng Shou nodded as well. "Ah Dong, Ah Shou." Teng Qingshan looked far to the south and smiled faintly, "This Great Prairie is only the northern part of Jiuzhou.

Teacher's true home... is in the central region of Jiuzhou, the most prosperous area—Yangzhou!

It’s still one or two thousand li away, but at the speed of the Six-Legged Daochi, we should arrive in Yangzhou by this time tomorrow." Teng Qingshan turned to look at Li Jun: "Xiao Jun..." "Hm?" Li Jun looked at Teng Qingshan quizzically. "Are we heading to Yangzhou now, or to Mount Tianshen?" Teng Qingshan inquired.

Returning this time, deep down, he did not wish to expose his whereabouts. However, the Tianshen Palace was his wife's sect; if his wife, Xiao Jun, truly wanted to visit the sect, Teng Qingshan would not stop her.

Although reluctant to reveal himself, the Tianshen Palace was a profound, hidden sect; they shouldn't leak his location. "No, let's go to Yangzhou," Li Jun replied with a smile and a shake of her head; she understood Teng Qingshan's thoughts.

"You won't see your master, then?" Teng Qingshan asked with a smile. "No hurry," Li Jun smiled slightly.

"The core of my Tianshen Palace is within Jiuzhou, not the Great Prairie. Mount Tianshen is merely one branch of my Tianshen Palace.

Although the 'Tianshen' of Mount Tianshen is my elder, he is not my master. My master resides in Qingzhou, Jiuzhou." Teng Qingshan suddenly nodded in understanding.

Those close to Li Jun in the Tianshen Palace were the female master who rescued her and imparted the cultivation method, and the 'Beast King' Wu Hou, who taught her beast language. Whoosh~~ Ten thousand zhang high, above the clouds.

The Six-Legged Daochi continued to fly south at an astonishing speed. * August 12th: Teng Qingshan's battle with the Heaven Wind War God.

August 13th: Teng Qingshan and his group departed from the Duanmu Continent aboard the Undying Phoenix and the Six-Legged Daochi. August 28th: After flying for half a month, crossing over a sea expanse of more than a hundred thousand li, Teng Qingshan and his group finally reached the northern coastline of the Jiuzhou Great Prairie aboard the Six-Legged Daochi.

Then, after more than a day of flying across the vast prairie—with a one-hour stop for the Six-Legged Daochi to rest midway—they sped across Yanzhou and Yuzhou, finally arriving above Yangzhou by the afternoon of the next day. "So many people, so many." "The Yu City we just saw is huge, much larger than our Nanshan City." Teng Shou and Yang Dong peered down through the mist, clicking their tongues in amazement.

Teng Qingshan and Li Jun, however, were deep in conversation. "Qingshan, we've reached Yangzhou.

What do we do now?" Li Jun inquired. Teng Qingshan looked down, his gaze distant: "Honestly, the very first thing I want to do is see my parents, see my master, my sister Xiaoyu, and the clansmen of my Teng family!" 'Homesickness like an arrow' perfectly described Teng Qingshan's current mood; after fleeing for nearly four years, he had finally returned!

"But, I know I can't openly go see them right now." Teng Qingshan's eyes were deep and low, "The previous battle at Dayan Mountain, because of the destruction I caused, resulted in the Qinghu Island suffering heavy losses among its Xiantian experts. Twelve died, only nine remain!

With such a massive loss, Qinghu Island certainly wishes to kill me immediately! That was clear from the nationwide manhunt back then!" "Perhaps time has passed, and the full-scale pursuit has ended.

But... monitoring the Guiyuan Sect, monitoring my Teng clan, and secretly searching for my whereabouts across the world—they must be doing that!" Teng Qingshan understood this perfectly.

Li Jun nodded: "Yes, Qinghu Island has definitely been looking for you. Even when you fled to the Great Prairie, Qinghu Island was still searching." "I don't care about the others in Qinghu Island, only one person—the legendary 'Blind Sword Saint' who has achieved Great Perfection in the Void Realm!" Teng Qingshan's eyes sharpened as he spoke solemnly, "Right now, I am still no match for this Blind Sword Saint.

Therefore, I cannot openly return to Guiyuan Sect!" "After all, back in Wucheng in Yuzhou, when Zhao Danchen and three Xiantian Golden Core experts from the Yu Emperor Sect simultaneously hunted me, I still managed to escape. I even exchanged blows with Zhao Danchen back then!" "He must assume I have reached the Xiantian Golden Core realm!" "A Xiantian Golden Core at eighteen years old!

I suspect the Island Master of Qinghu Island, and that Blind Sword Saint, may never dare forget my existence," Teng Qingshan stated coldly. There was no doubt about this; if one of his enemies, say, from Qinghu Island, had an eighteen-year-old Xiantian Golden Core expert, he too could never rest easy!

Such a genius—if not killed, how could one feel secure? "What's more, I have now reached the Void Realm!" Teng Qingshan shook his head, "If that wretched blind man from Qinghu Island knew I had reached the Void Realm!

A Void Realm expert at twenty-one years old? Hah...

never before seen in the entire Jiuzhou, ancient or modern. I fear that wretched blind man would be so terrified he wouldn't dare sleep, and would stop at nothing, paying any price, to eliminate me!" "Even other sects, knowing there is a twenty-one-year-old Void Realm expert, might not help me, even if they aren't against me!" Genius draws admiration.

But... if one surpasses the scope of 'genius,' they become a demon, a monster!

"I understand," Li Jun took a deep breath. "So, I must hide my identity for now, only making arrangements in secret, only meeting my parents in secret, only contacting my master in secret." Teng Qingshan sighed faintly, then smiled, "Now that I've reached the Void Realm, my integration with the Metal and Fire elements has drastically changed my aura.

Even the Tianshen of Mount Tianshen, who has met me before, probably wouldn't dare confirm it's me. As for the Blind Sword Saint and the others, they have never seen me, let alone recognized me." Teng Qingshan was very confident.

In three or four years, especially after reaching the Void Realm, his integration with Metal and Fire elements had caused his aura to change drastically. As for his appearance?

His looks had naturally changed slightly over the past four years. As long as Teng Qingshan employed a small trick or two, he could make it impossible for others to recognize him.

"What do we do now?" Li Jun inquired. "First thing: get money!" Teng Qingshan looked down at the vast expanse of Yangzhou below, "Everything is easier to handle when you have money!" ** Teng Qingshan casually toured the prefectural city of 'Xuyang Commandery' in Yangzhou alone.

The Qinghu Island outpost in Xuyang Commandery was precisely within the Prefectural Governor's Residence. With Teng Qingshan's methods, it took less than half an hour to thoroughly ransack the Prefectural Governor's Residence.

He left quietly with a bundle in hand. On the morning of August 30th.

Nanxing Commandery City, Yangzhou. Dressed in fine silks and robes, with a slightly altered appearance, as if they were a wealthy young master and his lady, Teng Qingshan and Li Jun stood before a lavish mansion.

Beside them were seven other people. A slightly stout, yellow-robed elder smiled, "Master Li, the furnishings in my residence are all new; it was renovated just two years ago.

If I didn't urgently need liquid capital for my business, I truly wouldn't part with this mansion in Nanxing Commandery." "Master Li, Master Wang's mansion here is considered first-rate in our Nanxing Commandery," chimed in the agent from the real estate office with a grin, "If it weren't for an urgent matter, why would the price be so low? Master Li, if you miss this opportunity, it will be hard to find such a good place again." "You certainly have a silver tongue," Teng Qingshan smiled faintly, glancing at the agent.

"How about this: one hundred and twenty thousand taels of silver, in ready bank notes—bank notes specifically for Yang Salt—that's the price. If you agree, we sign today, and I'll pay with the notes." The yellow-robed elder laughed heartily: "Master Li, you're quite the negotiator!

Very well, Master Li is so straightforward, we agree to that price—one hundred and twenty thousand taels!" The agent nearby also showed delight; despite having to hand over most of the commission to the Commandery Governor's Office, he still earned a substantial amount from such a large deal. And just like that, the deal was concluded.

The maids and guards within the mansion all remained, but the entire estate was slightly modified by Teng Qingshan that same night. He ordered the walls of one courtyard completely demolished and the area flattened to create a large martial arts training ground, issuing a strict order—no maid or guard was allowed inside the inner courtyard.

Violation meant certain execution! "Where did our Master come from?" "Who knows?

I heard Master Li bought this mansion without even blinking, paying with ready silver." Two guards patrolled the estate, whispering among themselves, "Just now, Xiao Cui momentarily forgot the rules and actually tried to walk into the inner courtyard. She was kicked out by that man who moves like a wild beast right at the entrance to the inner courtyard.

Luckily, her life was spared." ... After Teng Qingshan's slight modifications, the Li Residence was structured so that Teng Qingshan and his group lived in the inner courtyard, while the outer courtyard housed the maids and guards.

Teng Qingshan and the others ate together by the pond in the outer courtyard's garden. "Whoosh~~ Whoosh~~" In the training ground within the Li Residence's inner courtyard, the expansive area featured a large pit in one corner.

A crude shelter had been erected over the pit for protection from wind and rain, where a monstrous, ferocious demon beast, the 'Six-Legged Daochi,' lay asleep. It only opened its eyes to watch closely when Teng Qingshan practiced his fists on the training ground each day.

Beside the training ground, in a quiet meditation room. Li Jun and Teng Qingshan sat cross-legged.

"It worked, Qingshan, this Fire Red Lotus seed is miraculous. The first strand of Xiantian true essence has already formed in my Dantian," Li Jun exclaimed happily, opening her eyes to tell Teng Qingshan.

Teng Qingshan couldn't help but smile upon hearing this: "Xiao Jun, among the 42 people who consumed the lotus seed on the Duanmu Continent, a staggering 41 reached the Xiantian realm. Only one failed...

meaning, as long as your 'spirit' isn't ridiculously weak, you can reach Xiantian." "Qingshan, have you reached 'Body Fused with Heaven and Earth'?" Li Jun inquired. "Almost," Teng Qingshan smiled faintly, "Reaching 'Body Fused with Heaven and Earth' will be the signal for me to go to the Guiyuan Sect!"