Chapter 249 - 169: I Know... You Are a Qi Refiner

Chapter 249: Chapter 169: I Know... You Are a Qi Refiner

The night was moonless and starless.

The occasional chirp of an insect broke the silence outside.

Eight o’clock on the dot.

The communicator on the desk rang, right on time.

Wan Ze sat inside, his gaze fixed calmly on the device.

He then picked it up and answered.

A cultured, unhurried voice came through the receiver. "Mr. Wan, a pleasure. I’m Sun Beixi’s uncle, Feng Jiuchen."

"Beixi said you were looking for me?" Wan Ze got straight to the point.

He skipped the pleasantries, showing no intention of making small talk.

The man on the other end seemed slightly taken aback by his directness, then chuckled, a hint of admiration in his voice. "Since you’re a straightforward man, Mr. Wan, I won’t beat around the bush... I’m a Qi Refiner."

WHOOSH!

The air fell silent for a moment.

Wan Ze’s hand holding the communicator remained perfectly still, his expression unchanged. It was as if he hadn’t just heard a world-shattering secret, but something as absurd as the man declaring, "I’m a complete idiot."

"My apologies," he said, his tone flat. "I didn’t quite catch that. What did you say?"

Feng Jiuchen paused for a beat before laughing again, this time with a knowing tone. "You’re a Qi Refiner too, aren’t you, Mr. Wan? There’s no need to worry. This is a one-time-use encrypted channel. The signal is routed through three jump points and relayed through base stations in six different countries before landing, completely scrambled. Even if someone tried to trace it, all they’d find is a pile of gibberish. When it comes to security, I, Feng Jiuchen, am quite confident."

Wan Ze didn’t respond, merely listening in silence.

"When I had Beixi bring that booklet back, I didn’t actually expect him to find anything," Feng Jiuchen continued, his speech measured and calm, as if discussing something perfectly ordinary. "I was just trying my luck, hoping for the best. That boy... he’s a sharp businessman, quick-witted and capable. But it was his first time getting mixed up in something like this. He stumbled his way through it, and I’m just glad he made it out in one piece. In any case, I’m truly grateful to you, Mr. Wan, for saving him on two occasions. I will remember this debt."

He spoke at length, regardless of whether Wan Ze believed him, his tone remaining gentle and unhurried, as if he were chatting with an old friend.

"Being a Qi Refiner comes with many inconveniences in the real world, so I understand your caution, Mr. Wan. Of course, I would much prefer to speak with you face-to-face, openly and honestly."

’Meet in person?’

’Didn’t Sun Beixi say his uncle was overseas?’

Wan Ze’s expression remained neutral as his eyes quickly darted to the door.

A faint light filtered through the window paper, revealing no figures in the courtyard, but he remained instinctively on guard.

"Meet in person?" he asked, his voice lower. "What do you mean by that? Are you in the Holy City?"

"No. In Huangliang," said Feng Jiuchen.

The name sent a jolt through Wan Ze.

’Huangliang?’

That name flooded his mind.

’So that’s... the name of that world?’

He had descended there several times and had even encountered beings beyond comprehension, like the Female Sword Immortal.

’So that world was called Huangliang?’

This was the first time he had ever heard that name.

Wan Ze suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his voice remaining steady. "Then how am I to meet you?"

"With this communicator," Feng Jiuchen said softly, his tone growing more serious. "When you arrive, you will find me. But... time is short. Mr. Wan, I will be waiting for you in Huangliang."

The moment he finished speaking, a soft BEEP came from the communicator, and then there was only silence.

Wan Ze sat in the room, turning the communicator over in his hands. After confirming the connection was completely severed, he slowly set it down.

After a moment of silence, he rose and closed the door and windows one by one.

CLICK.

The lights in the room went out. The world seemed to fall instantly silent, leaving only the sound of his own breathing, sharp and clear in the darkness.

In the darkness, Wan Ze stared at the black communicator in his hand, his eyes holding a profound depth.

Two words surfaced in his mind, like an echo from a distant place, or something welling up from the depths of his soul...

"Spiritual Form."

VMM!

The very air seemed to tremble.

...

The Red Moon hung high in the sky.

Atop a mountain peak stood a solitary pavilion. Its four stone pillars were covered in a dense network of Runes.

The pavilion’s roof, with its upturned eaves and intricate brackets, was of an ancient, simple design, as if transported directly from a long-lost dynasty.

The most peculiar feature was a faint, visible curtain of light enveloping the pavilion, an invisible barrier seemingly shielding it from the outside world.

The eerie Moonlight from the Red Moon fell upon the curtain, only to be silently repelled, shattering into tiny specks of light.

Inside, a stone table and stools stood spotless, without a speck of dust.

A young man stood at the edge of the pavilion, hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the enormous Red Moon. He was dressed in a black tracksuit, his posture as straight and tall as a pine tree, and he carried himself with an indescribable air.

The moment Wan Ze stepped into the pavilion, the man turned to face him.

Wan Ze got a clear look at his face. His features were sharp, with slightly high cheekbones and a well-defined jawline. ’So this is what people mean by a "chiseled face,"’ was Wan Ze’s first thought.

But the first glance left a deep impression. The man’s eyes held a hardened resolve that spoke of weathering many storms. It wasn’t the affected solemnity of a young man trying to seem profound, but the genuine mark of someone who had truly lived and seen things.

Yet, this face appeared to be that of a man in his early thirties at most.

Wan Ze raised an eyebrow slightly.

He had assumed Sun Beixi’s uncle would be in his forties, at the very least.

Sun Beixi himself was in his twenties; his uncle ought to be a decade or so older.

But if the man standing before him claimed to be Sun Beixi’s older brother, people would have believed it.

"Mr. Wan?" Feng Jiuchen was sizing him up as well.

As his gaze swept over Wan Ze’s face, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.