Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Chapter 686 Chen Fan! Are you leaving Tiannan?

Chen Fan didn't respond to that, but simply picked up his wine jar and clinked it against Qin Zhan's.

The two drank their wine and chatted about the events of the past year.

Qin Zhan recounted several major battles between the allied forces and the grasslands, mentioning that the Gu King had sent Blood Cicada and Snake Spirit to launch a sneak attack on the allied camp, which was repelled by him and the Great Yan Kingdom's Chixiao Zhenren.

Speaking of Song Tianren cutting off the supply lines of the grassland Gu cultivators on the western side of the grassland, his ruthless methods terrified the grassland Gu cultivators. Speaking of the Wang family's lack of effort in the allied forces, ostensibly coming to help but actually being perfunctory in everything, he was so angry that he wanted to rush into Wang Zhenyue's tent several times to curse them to their faces.

Chen Fan listened, occasionally interjecting a word or two, but mostly just quietly drinking from his wine jar.

These things are no longer important to him.

In the two years he spent on the grasslands, he had let go of many obsessions. The Wang family, the Gu King, and Song Tianren were all just interludes on his path of cultivation.

The two drank and chatted, and before they knew it, the night had deepened.

The wind outside the tent gradually picked up; the night wind on the grassland always carried a desolate air.

Qin Zhan placed the empty wine jar on the table and suddenly fell silent.

He remained silent for a long time, so long that Chen Fan thought he was drunk, before suddenly speaking, his voice much lower than usual: "Chen Fan, are you planning to leave Tiannan?"

Chen Fan paused slightly in the hand holding the wine jar.

He paused for a moment, then nodded slightly without hiding anything.

Qin Zhan did not ask him where he was going.

He remained silent for a long while before slowly saying, "That's true. Tiannan Star is too small to contain you. You were able to slay Li Jiuyuan when you were in the Nascent Soul stage, and after you become a Deity, you might even be able to touch the Void Refinement stage. Tiannan Star is just a pond for you now. Sooner or later, this dragon will have to swim back to the sea."

Chen Fan didn't reply, but just took a swig of wine.

Looking at the dark grassland outside the tent, Qin Zhan suddenly recited a few lines of poetry in a low voice.

His voice was rough and hoarse, and it didn't sound very pleasant when he recited poetry, but those few lines of poetry, when recited by him, carried an indescribable sense of desolation.

"I urge you to drink another cup of wine, for beyond Yangguan Pass you will find no old friends."

After he finished reading, he remained silent for a long while, then suddenly grinned, a smile tinged with self-mockery:

"No, no, I misread it. It should be: 'West of Yangguan, no old friends remain; under heaven, who does not know you?'"

He turned to look at Chen Fan, his tiger-like eyes holding a complex smile—a mixture of emotion, reluctance, genuine pride, and the melancholy of parting.

"Chen Fan, no matter where you go, you will always be the most promising cultivator I have ever seen. To have come this far from the little eunuch who came from the sealed land, there is no one else on Tiannan Star but you. When you become famous throughout the world, don't forget the Eighth Prince of Dayu."

Chen Fan remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking.

"We will never forget the kindness of the Prince who protected us back then."

Qin Zhan picked up the wine jar, drank the last mouthful of wine in one gulp, then stood up, walked to Chen Fan, and patted him on the shoulder.

This time he didn't use force, but just patted it lightly twice, like an elder bidding farewell to a junior, or an old soldier bidding farewell to a comrade.

The first rays of dawn were already appearing on the horizon.

Chen Fan placed the empty wine jar on the table, stood up, and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting to Qin Zhan.

He didn't say anything more and turned to walk out of the tent.

As we left the camp, the eastern horizon was already tinged with a pale golden light.

The morning wind on the grassland was still biting, making his gray-blue cloth clothes flutter loudly.

Chen Fan turned around and looked in the direction of the Batu tribe for one last look, then turned and walked south.

……

After leaving Qin Zhan's camp, Chen Fan traveled south at high speed.

After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, his speed of escape was no longer comparable to before. What used to take several days, he had already covered most of the journey in just one day.

The flames of war on the grasslands were gradually left behind, and the familiar black stone walls of the Zhao border town began to appear on the horizon ahead.

He didn't linger at the border. He went directly to the teleportation hall in Northwind City, showed the gold token of worship, and then stepped onto the teleportation array leading to the imperial city.

When the soldiers guarding the position saw the words "Chen Fan" on the token, their faces showed undisguised astonishment!

They never expected that this top-tier retainer, who had overwhelmed all others at the Hundred Sects Conference and disappeared for nearly two years after being hunted down by Wang Zhenyue, would actually return alive.

The teleportation array flashed, tearing and then closing up space. When the white light faded, Chen Fan was already standing in the teleportation hall of the Military Array Division in the Zhao Kingdom's imperial city.

The noisy chatter in the hall stopped abruptly the moment he appeared.

Several cultivators who were going through the teleportation procedures stared blankly at him. One of the older deacons rubbed his eyes hard, then quickly stepped forward, his voice trembling as he bowed: "Chen... Elder Chen? You're back?"

Chen Fan nodded slightly, said nothing more, and walked straight out of the hall.

As he crossed the plaza of the temple, the monks along the way stopped and stared at him. Some exclaimed in surprise, some hurried away to report the news, and many more bowed to him from afar.

Two years ago, his feat of single-handedly overpowering the grassland Gu cultivators at the Hundred Sects Conference and achieving a draw with Song Tianren on the cultivation arena had already spread throughout the Zhao Kingdom. His subsequent pursuit by Wang Zhenyue and disappearance had caused countless people to sigh with regret.

Now that he has returned alive, the news will spread throughout the entire capital city in less than half a day.

As soon as he stepped out of the main hall, he saw a large group of people coming from the direction of the palace.

The leader was dressed in a bright yellow python robe and wore a purple-gold crown. His face was resolute and upright, and his brows showed more composure and majesty than they had two years ago.

It was none other than the eldest prince, Zhao Yan, who is now the Crown Prince Regent of the State of Zhao.

Behind him followed Han Cen, Ouyang Ye, and a group of his confidants, and behind them were dozens of officials dressed in crimson and purple court robes. The grand procession attracted the attention of cultivators and commoners on both sides of the street, who stopped to watch.

Upon seeing Chen Fan from afar, Zhao Yan dismounted and quickly approached. He made no attempt to put on airs as the Crown Prince Regent, and from a distance, cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "Lord Chen! You've finally returned!"

Chen Fan returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Your Highness, how have you been?"

Zhao Yan stopped three steps in front of him, looked him up and down a few times, and suddenly froze.

Although he is currently at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, he has several followers at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm by his side, and his perception of aura is not dulled due to being influenced by what he sees and hears.

Surprisingly, the eunuch in front of me was completely different from the one I knew two years ago!

"Master Chen, you...you've broken through to the Nascent Soul stage?" Zhao Yan's voice was filled with disbelief.

Chen Fan nodded slightly: "There were some opportunities on the grasslands."

Zhao Yan was stunned for a moment, then threw his head back and burst into laughter.

The laughter was so hearty that it drew the attention of the officials behind him.

He grabbed Chen Fan's arm: "Good! Good! Good! I knew you wouldn't disappoint!"