Li Hentian, it turned out, was the Chief of the Three Grand Elders of the Qiankun Sect, holding the deep trust of Gu Dan. Back then, Gu Dan went alone to the Southern Barbarian Heaven Wolf Mountain to slay the Crimson Fiend; meanwhile, Li Hentian ambushed the Southern Barbarian Heavenly Soldiers who entered the Water Cloud Kingdom at Blood Rain Mountain. Gu Dan killed the Crimson Fiend, and Li Hentian slaughtered the Southern Barbarian Heavenly Soldiers at Blood Rain Mountain until the rivers ran red!

"Not long after your father went missing in Hidden Dragon Abyss, Li Hentian suddenly went there alone. Of the five minor families and three Heavenly Soldier Sects surrounding Hidden Dragon Abyss, three were blood-bathed by Li Hentian. The Old Madam of the Du family was also gravely injured by him; had she not been rescued by people from the Guiyuan Sect, the Du family would have been wiped out by Li Hentian long ago."

"Li Hentian was ferociously cruel, killing many from the Guiyuan Sect, and forcefully broke through the encirclement. Afterward, the heavily injured Li Hentian, perhaps blaming the Qiankun Sect for not assisting him, defected from the Qiankun Sect. The Guiyuan Sect and the Du family searched everywhere for Li Hentian’s whereabouts, engaging him multiple times, but never gaining any advantage. Ten cycles ago, Li Hentian suddenly vanished, and no one has heard from him since."

Xiao Shu gazed deeply at Ji Changkong, slowly recounting the tale of Li Hentian. This secret history was distant, and both involved parties had deliberately kept it concealed, so few knew the truth.

"What does this have to do with my mother?"

"Over twenty years ago, Li Hentian descended Heaven Mountain with a young girl. Someone once saw that young girl together with your father. Later, your father vanished in Hidden Dragon Abyss, and it was rumored that the young girl also visited Hidden Dragon Abyss once. Shortly after, Li Hentian blood-bathed the sects and families near Hidden Dragon Abyss, including the Du family. I know your father; he was a man who despised troubling others. Li Hentian’s visit to Hidden Dragon Abyss certainly wasn't because of your father."

"Li Hentian, Li Hentian... where could he be?"

Ji Changkong frowned, pondering deeply. According to Xiao Shu, Li Hentian must be the most critical figure. If he could only be found, the circumstances of that time could be uncovered. It was a pity Li Hentian had vanished for years, his tracks unknown to anyone.

"In all these years, has there been any stranger around you who showed you particular concern?"

Xiao Shu hesitated for a moment, then said, "As long as Li Hentian lives, he must be close to you. Because you are the child of Haotian and that young girl. Think carefully."

Luo Tian!

A shock jolted through Ji Changkong’s heart. With almost no pause, the image of Luo Tian immediately surfaced in his mind.

Thirteen years ago, Luo Tian suddenly appeared, brewing Bitter Ferry and Fire Dragon Burn for him sequentially, seemingly watching him from the shadows all along. Tuoba Lie, He Haoran, Chen Yihui—these were all renowned figures, yet before Luo Tian, each was cautious and trod as if on thin ice.

"What kind of person is that Li Hentian, what is his temperament?" Ji Changkong asked.

"Cold, solitary, and tight-lipped," Xiao Shu urged. "Have you met him?"

It must be him, Ji Changkong thought inwardly, though he showed little emotional change on his face. Instead, he frowned and shook his head, "I haven't met this person. You seem very anxious to find him?"

"There are some matters my Xiao family wishes to trouble him with, but we suffer from not knowing his whereabouts," Xiao Shu stared intently and sighed softly.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?" Ji Changkong asked again.

"Nothing more. That’s all I know. After your father entered Hidden Dragon Abyss, he never reappeared. Our Xiao family also inquired about news of your father but gained nothing," Xiao Shu shook his head, seemingly disappointed that he hadn't gleaned any information about Li Hentian from Ji Changkong.

"Then let’s leave it at that. Thank you for the news. I'll be going now." He had no intention of delving deeper with Xiao Shu. After saying this, Ji Changkong frowned and started walking out.

Xiao Shu opened his mouth, as if there were more to say, but he seemed to be holding back due to some concern and ultimately remained silent.

Xiao Shu appeared desperate to learn Li Hentian's location. Towards the uninvited Xiao Shu, Ji Changkong maintained a seven-tenths wariness and dared not say much more. He was no longer a child ignorant of worldly affairs; having experienced so much, he possessed his own thoughts and was far more cautious than before.

Li Hentian, the matter of the Du family—it had profoundly shocked him. He hadn't expected the Du family to be connected to his parents' disappearance. Earlier, having unintentionally killed Du Shaofeng, he had carried a persistent guilt, after all, the Moon Heart Stone and Sun Heart Stone he obtained were a stroke of luck picked up from Du Shaofeng.

After learning from Xiao Shu today about the involvement of the Du family's Old Madam and his parents' disappearance, a strange thing happened: the guilt that had always troubled him vanished instantly. On the contrary, he felt an underlying thrill of retribution.

Old Luo, where on earth are you?

From the moment he understood that Luo Tian was Li Hentian, he had been calling out inwardly. That cold, taciturn old wine-brewer turned out to be the infamous fierce demon renowned across the land. This discovery had dealt him a massive shock, one he struggled to assimilate immediately.

He desperately wanted to see Luo Tian right now and ask him what exactly happened back then, and whether his parents were still alive. Unfortunately, he had already left Qingyan Mountain and the Ji family. Luo Tian had said that no matter where he was, he would find him.

If you truly are Li Hentian, you must be able to find me? The Du family! If he couldn't find Old Luo, he would visit the Du family first. The Du family—there should be whispers, traces remaining there, right? His mind was a chaotic mess of musings. He planned to leave the Water Cloud Kingdom and travel toward Hidden Dragon Abyss on the border of the Tianwu Kingdom.

That place was originally the ancestral ground of the Ji family.

Gaoyang City, the northernmost city in the Water Cloud Kingdom.

Traveling north from Gaoyang City led directly to the Great Chu. To the northwest of Gaoyang City lay the Tianwu Kingdom.

The area northwest of Gaoyang City was a mass of lofty mountains and ridges. Among some spiritual mountains and blessed lands, ancient Heavenly Soldier Sects were not scarce. The Tianxin Sect, one of the Six Great Sects, resided within those undulating mountains.

On a cloud-piercing peak, Luo Tian stood alone, his indifferent gaze fixed upon the vast white mist, his expression blank.

Beside him lay a ground littered with corpses. These bodies were utterly scorched, pitch-black, all their moisture completely desiccated.

After an unknown period, Chen Yihui, the third shopkeeper of the Chen family, quietly appeared.

"Elder Li..."

Chen Yihui stopped at a distance and called out softly.

Li Hentian turned, casting a cold look upon Chen Yihui. "Did you find out?"

Nodding, Chen Yihui looked somewhat crestfallen. "The Mani Sect of the Western Regions, the Shadowless Sect, and Sunset Cloud Island of the Eastern Sea—a combined force. The King of Darkness from the Mani Sect, and the Island Master of Sunset Cloud Island personally made a move, wreaking havoc in our Chen family, robbing the Sky Origin Spider, Sun Radiance Bow, Heaven Splitting Sword, and most of the spiritual treasures displayed at the Spirit Treasure Shop."

"Mani Island, Shadowless Sect, Sunset Cloud Island..." Li Hentian murmured lowly.

"The King of Darkness fled towards the Western Regions with the Five Demons, and the Sunset Cloud Island Master retreated eastward underground. My father and the others went to pursue the Sunset Cloud Island Master. Auntie Huangpu took the domestic experts to continue pursuing the Five Demons. However, the King of Darkness and the Five Demons entered the Tianwu Kingdom, and to avoid embarrassing the Tianwu Kingdom, Auntie Huangpu could not act openly; her movements were heavily restricted. Furthermore, Auntie Huangpu alone might not be able to stop the King of Darkness and the Five Demons."

"Huangpu Tong?"

"Yes, she is still pursuing the King of Darkness. I hope Elder Li can lend the Chen family a hand."

"Very well."

"Elder Li, be careful. The direction the King of Darkness and the Five Demons fled seems to pass through Hidden Dragon Abyss, passing by the Du family..."

Li Hentian knitted his brow, nodded indifferently. "Very well. Changkong is grown now; the reckoning with the Du family can continue."

"Changkong visited the Spirit Treasure Gathering. According to our intelligence, the treasure of the Du family’s Old Madam, that young man named Du Shaofeng, it seems... was killed by Changkong..." Chen Yihui said cautiously.

"Killed well!" Li Hentian let out a light shout, sounding somewhat excited, and asked, "What was Du Shaofeng’s cultivation level?"

"Five Elements Heaven."

"Hmm!"

Li Hentian showed a hint of confusion, muttering, "What's going on? It shouldn't be this fast; he couldn't possibly be this strong..."

After a while, seeing Chen Yihui still lingering, Li Hentian waved his hand indifferently. "I know everything now. You may go."

Chen Yihui bowed respectfully and then quietly withdrew.

Outside Tianshui City.

Leaving Tianshui City under the cover of night, Ji Changkong set off alone toward Gaoyang City. He didn't take the official road nor did he ride a horse, instead traveling through the mountain forests.

His divine soul was released, his spiritual sense extending outward, mapping the various life fluctuations in the mountains into his mind. As he moved through the forest, the worldly vital energy from the environment slowly flowed toward him, gathering in the Heaven Origin Pearl inside his body.

After leaving the Ji family, he had made increasing his cultivation realm his primary goal, never neglecting to temper himself.

The Tai Xu Secret Record was extremely marvelous, a secret technique for Heavenly Soldiers that allowed one to merge with heaven and earth. As long as the heart remained still as water and the divine soul clear, it seemed one could gather worldly vital energy for one's use at any moment.

Coupled with the Heaven Origin Pearl, the speed at which his body gathered vital energy was even faster.

Walking through the mountains, he could feel his body undergoing changes every moment. Invisible vital energy amassed in the Heaven Origin Pearl, which then dispersed that energy into his body, causing the strength contained within him to continually grow.

Bang, bang, bang!

When the mood struck him, in uninhabited wildernesses and fields, Ji Changkong’s chest swelled as he unleashed the Heavenly Thunder Force. Moving nimbly among the mountains, dodging and weaving, Ji Changkong increasingly found his internal force surging, seemingly inexhaustible.

At night, lightning flashed and thunder roared; a downpour seemed imminent.

Lost in the Heavenly Thunder Force, Ji Changkong was completely unaware of the abnormality around him. His fierce Heavenly Thunder Force struck passing stones and dead old trees with casual blows.

With another casual palm strike, he hit a withered old tree.

Boom, boom, boom!

Suddenly, the flow of vital power shifted, and the sound of thunder roared within his arm. At that very moment, a bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, striking Ji Changkong's body directly.