A year was a period time that was short for some, long for others. It flitted past the perception like lightning, yet still remained constant on the body. After Yan Zaizen's confrontation with the Soaring Sword Sect, he was ruthlessly hunted. 

As the self-proclaimed Yan Clan Ancestor, the sect and various elite forces who had been influenced by the events in the soul jade had taken his existence seriously. This was especially true when he had seemingly effortlessly killed off an Origin Core expert with nearly a thousand years of experience in the matter of three moves.

Despite their all-out attempts, they were unable to find even a strand of his hair. This was largely due to Yan Zaizen's Soul Cultivation. If he wished to not be discovered by the various perceptions of cultivators, it was a minor matter. He could stand directly before them, but they would be unable to even observe him.

As time continued to pass, while his Paragon Soul still had a small fraction of a fraction of energy within, it recovered enough to achieve various wonders. Furthermore, his Immortal Herculean Physique continued to advance without pause. Within this year, he had fully entered the Perfection Stage of the Nascent Herculean Physique.

With this coupled with his Heavenly Dao Seed and Soul Cultivation, he could already be considered the strongest existence on the planet. Therefore, he didn't bother engaging without purpose or initiate a senseless slaughter. Instead, his mind was focused on the Xiantu Realmlord and another matter.

This other matter related to how his clan suffered such a fate. Yao Wuhen! She was the Sect Master of the Water Veil Sect of the past and Ya Qinqan's master. Furthermore, he had left the Yan Clan her responsibility. As a True Essence Realm cultivator, if she wasn't killed, then she should still be alive thanks to her lifespan.

Yan Zaizen had performed a brief, expansive soul scan and found a trace of her aura. While it took a chunk out of his recultivation efforts for his soul, he didn't hold back in this matter. His footsteps followed that path until he arrived before the border of a territory. 

The Yin Mystic Sect's Border. His eyes were half-opened as he regarded the formation and arrays used to erect and maintain this defensive existence. The Yin Mystic Sect was one of the Five Great Sects and only accepted women, a similar theme to the Water Veil Sect from his young days.

It seemed there was a faint history between the two, similar to how the Soaring Sword Sect had connections to the Solitary Sword Sect. 

"Master Zai…" Old Man Bo held the snow-white puppy, that seemed to have not grown a single inch from a year ago, in his arms. He observed the formation before them despite its invisible to the naked eyes state. His qi sense wildly observed.

His posture, aura, and light within his eyes had changed greatly during this year. He was somewhat slimmer, yet his stature seemed larger than before. His cultivation was no longer at the Qi Cyclone Realm, but had jumped into the peak-Qi Unification Realm.

Furthermore, his foundation was impeccable and firm. Yan Zaizen couldn't bestow him the Dao, but he could use his Dao Energy to rapidly accelerate his cultivation. With this, he jumped by leaps and bounds, a single day was like a thousand days. In this short period of a year, he was already touching the border of the Origin Core Realm.

Yan Zaizen didn't help much for this, believing he should find his Origin Source with his own efforts. That being said, with his faint help offered, it shouldn't take long for this to be accomplished.

"Let's go," Yan Zaizen calmly said before walking before the formation's walls. With utter ease, he casually lifted his hand and pressed it against the barrier. A flash of amber-gold light and vital energies emerged on his fingers.

Crack!

Several tiny cracks surfaced on the invisible walls before they became visible and started to rapidly spread. In the matter of moments, the entire barrier was covered in endless cracks and the walls seemed ready to collapse with the breath of a small child.

Yan Zaizen brought Old Man Bo along as they entered the wall, causing the wall to explode into countless fragments of condensed qi and energy, becoming a beautiful display of colors. They didn't halt after this and continued onwards.

While they did, countless skyships and figures flew here and there. They were young, middle-aged, or elderly women, but they all were distinctively attractive. Beauties in their own right. Yet, they were continuously moving past the trio.

Old Man Bo wasn't shocked by this. He had experienced all sorts of things while serving Yan Zaizen, and this was but a minor matter. Somehow, this Yan Clan Ancestor in the shape of a seventeen year old youth could evade perception of others. 

They've ventured from town to town, city to city, yet despite being hunted by the entirety of Presba, they were never recognized even when others were looking them directly in the face. It was mind-blowing and beyond his comprehension. Moreover, with the rapid rise of his cultivation, his mental realm was expanded.

Yan Zaizen held nothing back in regards to his achievements, his past, or the grand cultivation world. He learned of the Thirty-Three Heavens, the boundless races beneath the heavens, and the true elites of the world. To think they were merely ants on a sun.

It was an astonishing fact that could render many in chaos, but he accepted it. Perhaps it was due to Yan Zaizen's Dao Energy helping refine his body and cultivation base or simply Yan Zaizen's aura that made it seem as if lying was beneath him, but he accepted it.

After a few hours, Yan Zaizen's trio arrived at an azure palace surrounded by a veil of water and sitting upon a lake. It floated without a foundation, causing endless ripples that were consistently expunged from the bottom of the palace.

Yan Zaizen noted its glorious design and space that covered at least fifty thousand square feet. It was tall, its highest point nearly reaching a hundred meters in height. Yan Zaizen felt that the formation was quite familiar.

When he arrived at the edge of the lake and its watery veil, he faintly smiled. 

"Mazu Veil Formation," this formation had hindered Yan Zaizen's arrival before. Long ago, he, Tao, Bai Lin, Lin Qinlin, and Lin Feilin arrived before this formation and met a rather rude reception. In frustration, he destroyed this formation and clashed with the Water Veil Sect's Sect Master, Yao Wuhen, in a glorious exchange.

With Pinaka in hand, he pierced the world.

How glorious was that.

His memories flooded his mind as a smile surfaced on his face. Those days of his youth were exceptional. Then, his life became more and more complicated yet exciting! It was the moment he helped Ezekiel survive that led to all sorts of events, including Pinaka's sacrifice for him.

"Pinaka…" his amber-gold eyes of his never forgot that haughty and empress-like figure that regretted nothing! She stayed with him and was willing to die with him. While she was a byproduct of an incomplete path, an existence that wasn't truly a woman, Yan Zaizen only considered her such.

Especially...his time on Earth. 

Just as his thoughts were about to descend into an abyss of good memories that may take several days to recover from, he sensed a ripple in the Mazu Veil Formation. His gaze lifted to see a figure approaching from the palace's entrance.

The outline was beautiful with delicate curves and astonishing presence. With just that alone, who knew how many men would fall to their knees for this figure. Even Old Man Bo's eyes widened somewhat, his blood heating up slightly.

Yan Zaizen waited. 

When the figure finally showed itself, a beautiful woman exuding profound elegance and revealing great beauty accompanied by phoenix eyes and sharp features was revealed. 

"I knew you'd come," the woman said calmly. Her beautiful eyes lingered on Yan Zaizen for a moment before she waved her hand. The Mazu Veil Formation collapsed, opening a passage into the palace. "Come in," was all she said before she turned around, revealing a perfect backside view, before walking towards the entrance.

Yan Zaizen didn't hesitate and walked in casually. Two steps behind him, Old Man Bo followed. One of the benefits of being refined by Yan Zaizen's Dao Energy was an improved mental state, and this meant he would be less affected by the feminine beauties of the world.

Yan Zaizen's indifferent eyes flashed with a mysterious light. This woman was…

Lin Feilin! 

His Senior Sister!!