C45 His Name Became Famous

The Azure Dragon deftly caught Qin Buyi as he fell unconscious...

Upon regaining consciousness, Qin Buyi realized he was back in a hotel in the capital. His lack of surprise at finding himself there was telling. As an Azure Dragon at the Void Refining Early Period of cultivation, his intelligence was exceedingly high; failing to manage such a task would have been the true surprise.

Seeing Qin Buyi awaken, the Azure Dragon's face lit up with joy. "Master, you're finally awake," it exclaimed.

Qin Buyi sat up slowly, feeling a searing pain in his internal organs.

"How long was I out?" he inquired.

The Azure Dragon counted on its claws before responding, "Master, you've been unconscious for two days and a night."

"Good, it wasn't too long," Qin Buyi said, relieved.

He opened the System Mall and noticed the Awakening Secret Realm was still available for less than a day. With a thousand points remaining, Qin Buyi didn't hesitate to make the purchase.

As his points reset to zero, Qin Buyi winced at the loss but also felt a surge of excitement. "I hope this Awakening Secret Realm boosts my combat strength to a new level," he mused.

Then, Qin Buyi remembered that before passing out, he hadn't secured Woo Qiankun's Storage Ring.

"Did you retrieve Woo Qiankun's Storage Ring?" he asked the Azure Dragon.

The Azure Dragon, noting Qin Buyi's grave injuries yet his concern for the spoils, waved its claw resignedly and said, "Master, after that human self-destructed, you were gravely wounded, and the Storage Ring was destroyed as well."

A twinge of regret flashed in Qin Buyi's eyes. The Storage Ring from Martial Marquis had netted him over a thousand Merchant Points; Woo Qiankun's would have yielded even more.

Qin Buyi felt as though he had missed out on a fortune.

Rising to assess his wounds, he found a mass of internal injuries accumulating within. Without medicinal aid, he estimated it would take at least six months for a full recovery.

"The might unleashed at the peak of Void Refining is truly exceptional."

Qin Buyi retrieved fresh clothes from his Storage Space, replacing the tattered remnants of his outfit, as he pondered his next move.

Unbeknownst to him, his actions had already sent shockwaves throughout the cultivation world of Blue Star.

In the Fire Cloud Secret Realm.

"Hmph, is the Lan Family really opting out of the hunt for Qin Buyi?" Huo Qianyun, the lord of the Fire Cloud Secret Realm, asked Lan Wenhao with a hostile look.

Lan Wenhao, appearing detached, responded, "The Lan Family has no interest in entangling itself in such pointless strife."

Narrowing his eyes, Huo Qianyun said, "I see. So the rumors of Qin Buyi's deep ties to your Lan Family are true, then."

Lan Wenhao remained silent, not uttering a word in response.

"Hmph, consider your options, Lan Family. Either join forces with the three great secret realms to besiege Qin Buyi or exit the Fire Cloud Secret Realm."

Huo Qianyun paused, then continued with a persuasive tone, "Is it really worth risking the Lan Family's entire future over Qin Buyi? I've heard that Lan Yan's health is in decline. You should think this through."

Lan Wenhao's face went through a myriad of changes before he finally spoke in a bitter voice, "The Lan Family will henceforth withdraw from the Fire Cloud Secret Realm."

"Bang!"

As Lan Wenhao finished his declaration, Huo Qianyun's palm struck the nearby chair, reducing it to splinters.

He scrutinized Lan Wenhao for a long moment before angrily saying, "The Lan Family is on a path to self-destruction, a foolhardy path indeed."

Without a word, Lan Wenhao gave Huo Qianyun a respectful bow and departed.

Watching Lan Wenhao's retreating figure, Huo Qianyun was tempted to strike him down. Yet, the thought of the Lan Family patriarch, Lan Yan, stayed his hand. With a cold laugh, he let the moment pass.

The Lan family has gone to great lengths to assist him, motivated by the hope that he would produce a treasure to heal their ancestor's wounds. But when things go awry, it will be interesting to see how the Lan family copes.

Lan Wenhao stepped out, his heart a tumultuous mix of emotions, as he made his way back to the Lan family's headquarters in the Fire Cloud Secret Realm. Upon his return, he wasted no time in instructing his kin to prepare for a clan-wide relocation.

The Lan family was taken aback, unable to fathom why they must abandon the Fire Cloud Secret Realm, their home for over a millennium.

Lan Wenhai, the fourth eldest in the family, rushed to Lan Wenhao's side upon hearing the news and asked with bewilderment, "Third Brother, why are we moving the entire clan?"

Despite his foul mood, Lan Wenhao took the time to patiently explain, given the gravity of the situation facing the Lan family.

"Third Brother, I disagree. This is madness. You're gambling with the fate of our entire Lan family, and I cannot condone it," Lan Wenhai protested vehemently, slamming his hand on the table.

"Smack!"

A sharp slap from Lan Wenhao sent Lan Wenhai reeling out the door, his voice brooking no argument: "Whether you agree or not, you must follow orders. Carry them out now."

His voice echoed throughout the Lan family compound, "Any member of the Lan family who wishes to remain in the Fire Cloud Secret Realm will be deemed a traitor and shall be executed without mercy!"

Lan Wenhai picked himself up from the ground, staring at Lan Wenhao with incredulity. "You... You've truly lost your mind," he said, before turning on his heel and striding away.

Lan Wenhao's divine consciousness swept over the Lan family. Despite some reluctance, everyone was gathering their belongings, ready to depart. He sighed deeply, "I hope my decision is the right one."

Lan Wenhao, the third eldest in the Lan family, had lost his older brothers early on. Lan Yan, the revered ancestor of the Lan family, had sustained grave injuries during the last opening of the Penglai Secret Realm and had since passed away.

Recently, Lan Wenhao, the one with the highest cultivation in the Lan family, had been holding the fort, as the death of the Lan family's old ancestor remained a closely guarded secret, known to very few.

Assisting Qin Buyi was a high-stakes gamble; success would catapult the Lan family to Overlord status on Blue Star, but failure could mean utter destruction.

Yet, not aiding Qin Buyi was not an option for Lan Wenhao, given his understanding of Huo Qianyun. Should Huo Qianyun discover Lan Yan's demise, the Lan family's fate would be equally grim.

At this juncture, the Lan family resembled a paper tiger—fearsome in appearance but hollow within. Rather than cling to a precarious existence, it seemed wiser to take the risk.

...

As Qin Buyi pondered, a knock interrupted his thoughts.

He rose and opened the door to find Wang Fugui wearing a sycophantic grin. "Sir, there's someone here to see you."

Qin Buyi, puzzled, responded, "Someone looking for me? Didn't I ask not to be disturbed unless necessary?"

Wang Fugui, noticing Qin Buyi's displeasure and feeling inwardly distressed—he had no desire to intrude—replied apologetically, "Sir, the individual downstairs insisted I give you this. They said you'd understand once you saw it."

He handed Qin Buyi a sachet emblazoned with the character "Lan."

Recognizing the symbol, Qin Buyi's confusion cleared. "Please, bring them up."

Relieved, Wang Fugui's demeanor softened. "Right away, sir," he said before quickly stepping out of sight.

"Lan family..." Qin Buyi murmured to himself.

Soon after, a striking figure appeared behind Wang Fugui at Qin Buyi's door.

The door remained ajar from earlier, and Wang Fugui, standing at the threshold, cautiously announced, "Sir, I've brought the person you were expecting."

"I'm aware. You may leave now," Qin Buyi instructed from within the room.

"Miss, after you."

Wang Fugui gently shut the door as the elegant silhouette of the woman entered Qin Buyi's room.

As he walked away, his mind was bombarded with scenes reminiscent of over-the-top soap operas.

Qin Buyi appraised the woman before him, undoubtedly a stunning beauty by any standard.

"I'm Lan Linglong. This is from my Third Uncle for you."

With a troubled expression, Lan Linglong produced a Jade Talisman and handed it to Qin Buyi.

As the esteemed daughter of the Lan family and a standout among Blue Star's younger generation, she was naturally curious about this peer who was her age yet possessed a cultivation several times greater than her own.

But her first impression of Qin Buyi soured when she caught him eyeing her like a common rogue.

Qin Buyi accepted the Jade Talisman from Lan Linglong and delved into its contents with his Divine Consciousness.

After some time, he retracted his focus and sank into deep thought while seated in a nearby chair.

The Jade Talisman revealed a conspiracy among the three major cultivation realms to ambush him.

Every detail of his life from birth had been meticulously scrutinized.

In just one year, he had advanced from an ordinary person to the early stages of Void Refining and had even slain Woo Qiankun, a master of Void Refining Perfection.

The combination of his Divine Consciousness attack, the True Dragon, and his extraordinary rate of cultivation breakthroughs sent a clear message to all: he had experienced an earth-shattering stroke of luck.

Just as humans risk their lives for wealth and birds for food, cultivators were no different.

Given Qin Buyi's capacity to single-handedly defeat a master of Void Refining Perfection and emerge victorious, even in a two-on-one fight with one opponent killed and the other injured, it was clear he had become a target of immense interest.

The involvement of the Water Moon Secret Realm, typically neutral in cultivation conflicts, underscored the magnitude of Qin Buyi's allure.

Yet, Qin Buyi was no naive child flaunting treasures in the marketplace. Anyone eager for a piece of the action would need to weigh if their life was sturdy enough to risk.

The revelation that the Lan family was prepared to abandon their stake in the Fire Cloud Secret Realm for his sake left Qin Buyi taken aback.

Lan Wenhao spoke with heartfelt sincerity, assuring Qin Buyi that the Lan family was fully committed to supporting him through his current predicament.

Lan Linglong removed a storage ring from her right hand and presented it to Qin Buyi, saying, "Third Uncle entrusted me to give this to you. He believes it might be of use."

Qin Buyi accepted the storage ring and probed its contents with his divine consciousness. Inside, he found a meticulously organized array of boxes, each filled with low-grade spirit stones. After a quick tally, he confirmed there were a thousand boxes in total.

Looking up at Lan Linglong, Qin Buyi conveyed his gratitude, "Please extend my thanks to your Third Uncle. Once this ordeal is over, the Lan family will stand as the preeminent power on Blue Star."

Lan Linglong nodded, her gaze shimmering with unspoken thoughts. She couldn't fathom her Third Uncle's decision. To her, while Qin Buyi was formidable, he seemed slightly outmatched against the three secret realms. It felt reckless for her Third Uncle to gamble the family's fate so hastily.

Qin Buyi, however, paid no mind to Lan Linglong's reservations. The gift of a thousand boxes of low-grade spirit stones from Lan Wenhao was precisely the lifeline he needed at this critical juncture.

He then accessed the System Mall and deposited the storage ring for recycling.

Ding! Commencing value assessment...

Ding! Assessment complete: a total of one thousand system points accrued.