Li Tan had already harbored doubts about the old man’s identity before, but due to his self-confidence, he tentatively believed the other was genuinely an ordinary person. However, after this incident, all his previous guesses were completely overturned.
The old man was clearly a cultivator, and not just any cultivator—he was a formidable one. When he attacked Li Tan earlier, he had deliberately held back his strength, essentially faking his power level, clearly not intending to kill at first. In other words, he had only wanted to test Li Tan. He simply hadn’t expected that Li Tan’s strength—or rather, his combat experience—would be so impressive.
Though Li Tan had emerged victorious, the lightning-fast battle had left him drenched in sweat. This old man was incredibly powerful! Drawing from his experience and the inability to assess the opponent’s strength, Li Tan could now confirm that the old man’s cultivation level surpassed the Xiantian realm—meaning he was a Master-level expert from the Tianlang Sect. Apart from Zhang Zhi, whose capabilities remained uncertain, only one person fit this description—the Supreme Elder mentioned earlier.
Why would such a revered Supreme Elder come to a place like this and work as a cook?
Li Tan couldn’t wrap his head around it. Under these circumstances, of course, he couldn’t go asking questions outright, so he felt a bit frustrated with curiosity and decided to first listen to what the old man had to say.
Despite being defeated by a junior, the old man showed no sign of anger, remaining very composed. His broad-mindedness earned him a bit more respect from Li Tan.
The old man sat himself down on the bed, took a swig from the gourd at his waist, and said comfortably, “Kid, what’s your current cultivation level? You must have already reached Qiantian, right?”
“No, I only broke through not long ago.”
Li Tan sat on a chair and told the truth.
Though the old man had already guessed, hearing it confirmed directly still startled him slightly. “A Qiantian cultivator under twenty years old, and also a Second Star Alchemy Master? Just who exactly are you?”
Knowing about his status as a Second Star Alchemy Master, the old man must have specifically gone to ask Zhang Chenghuan and others about Li Tan beforehand. However, due to the rushed circumstances and mutual understanding, Li Tan hadn’t revealed any information related to his origins.
Since he hadn’t exposed it before, Li Tan now had no intention of doing so either, to avoid unnecessary trouble.
He was a reincarnated soul, and his current background was merely that of the eldest son of an obscure minor family. If he revealed the truth, it would be impossible to explain his cultivation level and alchemical skills. Thus, Li Tan smoothly evaded the question: “I once had a master, but he never acknowledged me. Not long ago, he left to travel the world, telling me to find my own path.”
The old man was skeptical but had no evidence to prove Li Tan was lying, so he could only accept this explanation. Thoughtfully, he murmured, “I wonder what kind of senior could have trained a disciple like you.” How he would interpret it was beyond Li Tan’s concern. Whenever asked, he would simply reply, “My master forbade me from saying.”
The old man seemed to know that asking further would yield nothing, so he dropped the matter. However, his gaze suddenly turned sharp as he stared at Li Tan and sternly asked, “Then tell me, kid, why have you come to our humble Tianlang Sect?”
It seemed this was the main purpose of the old man’s visit tonight. His objective was simple: to abduct Liu Yong. However, this involved the black-clothed men, something Li Tan couldn’t clarify or disclose.
With a bitter smile, he replied, “I merely wanted to find a quiet place to cultivate.”
“Just that simple?”
The old man clearly didn’t believe him.
Li Tan met his gaze firmly. “Just that simple. Otherwise, what treasures do you think your sect possesses that would be worth my great efforts to obtain?”
The old man was momentarily stunned, but upon reflection, it indeed made sense.
Li Tan was now a Qiantian-level expert and a Second Star Alchemy Master of the Alchemy Pavilion. Anything his sect possessed could easily be obtained by someone like him through other means. There was no need for him to sneak in personally.
This was probably the issue the old man was most concerned about. Now that he had his answer, he immediately relaxed, his expression returning to its previous indifferent state. “Fine, fine. Do whatever you want, just don’t cause us any trouble.”
With that, the old man rose and walked toward the door.
“Wait a moment! May I know your honorable surname, sir?”
Considering they would be spending some time together, Li Tan asked.
While walking, the old man answered, “Zhang. Zhang Zhenshan!”
Then he quickly disappeared into the thick night.
Li Tan muttered the name a couple of times to memorize it, then bitterly surveyed his surroundings.
The house, already bare and destitute, now had two holes in the walls. The cold evening wind howled in, making him shiver. It was indeed pitiful.
With a helpless sigh, Li Tan found a couple of wooden boards to temporarily block the gaps, then focused and entered a cultivation state.
Time quickly passed into the next day. Li Tan ended his cultivation session, but his cultivation level remained almost unchanged.
His initial leap from an ordinary person directly to the peak of Houtian had been thanks to over a decade of accumulated foundation. Now that this foundation had been exhausted, without external assistance, his progress would no longer be so rapid.
However, for now, it was not urgent. With the remaining spirit stones inside the Desolate Tower, advancing to the middle stage of Qiantian was no problem. Then, about a month later, the ancestral tomb excavation would occur. If everything went as expected and he obtained the items inside, he could quickly break through to the peak of Qiantian. After that, preparations for the elixir needed to challenge the Master realm would come—matters for the future, not pressing now.
Li Tan stretched lazily, pushed over what used to be the “door,” and walked out into the bamboo forest. The morning sunlight felt very pleasant.
Following Elder Su’s instructions, he now needed to take the wooden token to Room 4 for registration and to collect the necessary tools for his assigned tasks.
Probably because he woke up early, Li Tan encountered no one on the way, smoothly completing the registration under the odd gaze of the elderly servant disciple in charge, and then headed to the kitchen.
It seemed no additional tools were required for assisting in the kitchen, so he arrived empty-handed.
The kitchen was located in the central area of the servant disciples’ quarters, a modest-sized single-story wooden house that looked unremarkable. However, thinking that the Supreme Elder himself cooked here made Li Tan find it quite amusing. Looking ahead countless years, this wooden house where an emperor-level figure had once worked would likely become a symbol of honor preserved by the Tianlang Sect.
Taking two steps forward, Li Tan pushed open the door. Immediately, a rough voice came roaring toward him: “What are you here for? So late!”
The temperamental old man, Zhang Zhenshan, was shoving firewood into the stove while shouting angrily. However, when he looked up, his expression instantly changed.
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