Accompanied by the first rays of morning light on the tent, Shen Yuan, who was running the Cloud Mist Breathing Method, slowly awakened from his cultivation state.
Ever since he had a rudimentary understanding of the Cloud Mist Breathing Method, Shen Yuan had taken to replacing sleep with this method. The sensation of the rhythm of heaven and earth, attained by cycling this method, surpassed that of regular sleep.
Under normal circumstances, Shen Yuan only needed to quietly cultivate for four hours using the Cloud Mist Breathing Method to maintain his vitality for an entire day.
However, yesterday was different. Shen Yuan's cultivation time had prolonged by more than double, and only now was he able to replenish his spirit. According to his estimate, this should be due to the massive consumption of Divine Sense from the use of the Pot's Heaven Divine Power.
Emerging from the tent, Shen Yuan began to clear up the campsite in preparation for his return. All traces from the campfire residuals to the markings of the campsite were meticulously cleaned up by Shen Yuan.
The purpose of this trip had been achieved; there was no need for Shen Yuan to continue staying in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.
Although the speed of cultivation within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range significantly surpassed those in cities, Shen Yuan wasn't prepared to completely withdraw from society and become a cultivating hermit just yet.
Furthermore, if he stayed away from society for too long and his family decided to report him as missing, it might bring about unnecessary trouble. It was better for him to return earlier.
Before leaving, Shen Yuan made a special trip to observe the condition of the Falling Clouds Grotto Heavens.
Shen Yuan used the Immortality Ascension Token to open the Falling Clouds Grotto Heavens, allowing this space that had been sealed for ten thousand years to see daylight again. However, it also disrupted the balance that the grotto-heavens had maintained over the ten thousand years.
The grotto-heavens space, that was already on the brink of collapse, became increasingly unstable. Cracks began to extend towards the ground from the shattered dome of heaven, and in less than half a day, the Falling Clouds Grotto Heavens would collapse completely.
Shen Yuan's objective for this trip had been met. All writings related to cultivation and magical artifacts treasures had been taken; only an empty shell was left. There was no point in further exploration.
All that Shen Yuan did was to slightly conceal the entrance of the grotto-heavens using the Pot's Heaven Divine Power's space-controlling capability, and then he chose to leave directly.
In contrast to the difficulty of seeking the Falling Clouds Sect when he first entered the mountain range, Shen Yuan faced no restrictions now. By relying on his multiple times stronger physical constitution than an average person, Shen Yuan reached the outskirts of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range in less than half a day.
From the outskirts, he could already see the roads constructed for the scenic area and some discarded waste. There were also occasionally some tourists guided by tour guides visible on the roads.
Mixing in with the crowd, Shen Yuan returned to the scenic area effortlessly and boarded a return bus.
It was only on the bus that Shen Yuan switched on the mobile phone that had been turned off for the past four days. Numerous messages and missed call notifications made Shen Yuan's mobile phone ring incessantly.
Almost all of the messages were from a number saved under the alias 'elder sister'.
Elder Sister: I heard you went on a trip recently? Young people should get out more. It's not good to stay home all day. Let me know if you're running out of money.
Elder Sister: Why didn't you reply to the message I sent yesterday? Don't tell me you're in love? Whose daughter is it? Is she pretty?
Elder Sister: I heard there's a lot of trouble in Mian Kingdom recently, with many people disappearing. Some said they were kidnapped to have their organs harvested. Others claimed that evil-doers were performing hexes. Don't get tricked into going there.
Elder Sister: Also, don't go to the beach. I heard about radiation pollution in Ying Island. They're bringing up a bunch of strange creatures. Snakes with eight heads have even run out from the nuclear power plant.
Elder Sister: Just reply to my messages!
Elder Sister: You didn't really go to Mian Kingdom, did you?
Throughout the four days Shen Yuan spent in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, his sister had bombarded him with messages like never before, and had been calling at an interval of every two to three hours.
Although Shen Yan couldn't help but be amused about her speculating that he was taken to Mian Kingdom to have his kidneys harvested, the concern and anxiety in those messages were deeply touching.
Since his arrival in this world, Shen Yan had been addicted to cultivation. Due to various reasons, he had lost touch with most of his so-called friends and family from this life; even his nominal parents paid him little mind.
Only his elder sister, Shen Yu, has continuously shown Shen Yan concern, providing him considerable help in life. Over half a year, even a rock would have warmed up, let alone a living person like Shen Yan.
To some extent, the reason why Shen Yan, with his casual temperament, hadn't gone to find seclusion for solitary cultivation was largely due to Shen Yu.
His finger poised at the screen, Shen Yan sent out the first message in four days to Shen Yu.
"Rest assured, I'm alright".
Less than a minute after sending the message, Shen Yuan's phone rang. Even without checking, Shen Yuan knew who was calling.
Upon answering the call, a raging voice came forth from the other end.
"Where on earth have you been these past few days?"
Feeling Shen Yu's anger, Shen Yuan pulled the phone slightly away from his ear and bluffed:
"I have been playing in the mountains for the past few days. I'm on my way back to the rented house now, so you don't have to worry. Also, my phone is running out of battery. I'll hang up now."
Before even waiting for Shen Yuan to respond, Shen Yuan immediately hung up and skillfully blocked Shen Yu from calling.
He was well aware that if he let Shen Yu voice her concerns, she wouldn't stop talking for hours. It would be better to let her cool down before continuing the chat.
Watching the constantly flickering message logs, followed by rows of Enraged Cat emoticons, the corners of Shen Yuan's mouth hooked up slightly.
...
While Shen Yuan was teasing his sister, changes within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range were starting to ferment.
Not long after Shen Yuan left, the Zhennan Army blockaded several entrances leading deeper into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.
As for the scenic area on the outskirts of Cloud Mist Mountain Range, it had been suspended. All tourists were compensated and orderly arranged to evacuate to neighboring cities.
Near the entrance to the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, engineering soldiers and machinery began to build a command center.
Half an hour later, a helicopter slowly landed on the just cleared helipad. A dignified middle-aged man dressed in bright and splendid clothes marched down from the helicopter towards the Zhennan Army's command center.
Behind him trailed one elder with a horsetail whisk in his hands clad in a blue Taoist robe, embodying the temperament of an immortal.
The distinguished middle-aged man was the Marquis Zhennan, who governed three provinces. The Cloud Mist Mountain Range was part of his jurisdiction.
As early as yesterday, an astrologer from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau located in the Imperial Capital noticed that a grotto-heaven had been opened within the territory of the Great Xia. Due to the sudden occurrence of the event, they could not accurately pinpoint the location even after applying all sorts of methods.
It was not until the grotto-heaven closed this morning, causing another celestial phenomenon, did the astronomers from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau manage to determine that the grotto-heaven was situated within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range using Zi Wei Dou Shu.
The moment he learned of this, the Marquis Zhennan blockaded the Cloud Mist Mountain Range and invited the chief venerable of his mansion, the Star Plucking Taoist, to locate the exact position of the grotto-heaven within the Clout Mist Mountain Range.
The current blockade of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range's entrance may seem grand, but the Marquis Zhennan was well aware that this was only just the beginning.