Chapter Thirty-Six: Impersonation

  The vast sky stretches out endlessly, a brilliant blue and crystal clear. White clouds drift lazily by, carried on the breeze. Such a beautiful scene is enough to make one's heart drunk with wonder!

  In the southern sky, a lone cloud drifts uniquely, its floating and advancing momentum swift as lightning, tearing through the vast expanse, shuttling back and forth between the clouds, sometimes hidden, sometimes revealed, making it impossible for people to discern its trajectory with the naked eye.

  If viewed through the swirling clouds, a silver carriage can be seen inside the flowing clouds, with two people standing on it. The elder is thin and small in stature, and is one of the three elders of the Hidden Dragon Valley, Yin Changlao. As for the young man, it goes without saying that he is Ling Feng!

  After bidding farewell to the Grand Priest Salomon of the Soul Clan, Lingfeng followed the three elders out of the secret temple. At the gate, he saw Master Lin, Tai Bo who was in charge of food and lodging, as well as Shi Jian, the elder of the Rock Clan.

  The three of them had been waiting outside for a long time, seemingly to see Ling Feng off!

  After bidding farewell to the crowd of people, Elder Yin brought out the 'Flowing Clouds Chariot' and took off with Ling Feng from the Hidden Dragon Valley.

  The second time he rode the Soul Clan's refined flying artifact, 'Flowing Cloud Chariot', had a different feeling. The 'Flowing Cloud Chariot' that Yin Laozi brought out flew at a speed almost three times faster than the one Ling Feng had ridden before, and it could also transform into a bewildering misty cloud, hiding its tracks and shape, making it extremely difficult for anyone to detect their whereabouts even if they were searching intentionally.

  Leaving the Hidden Dragon Valley, they flew northward and would soon leave the Southern Wilderness region to enter the area controlled by the cultivators. Ling Feng's journey was long and arduous, although he had Elder Yin escorting him, he still had to be cautious, lest they were discovered by the cultivators, which would bring unnecessary trouble.

  Standing on the "Flowing Clouds Car", looking down, the mountains below are undulating, the rivers are winding, a beautiful and magnificent scenery unfolds before one's eyes, making people's hearts and souls drunk.

  "Alas, Nanhuang, this time I go, who knows when I'll be back..."

  The beautiful scenery is in front of him, but Lin Feng has no heart to appreciate it. All kinds of emotions surge up in his mind.

  He knew in his heart that this undercover mission was not something that could be accomplished in a short period of time. To restore the former glory of his clan and counterbalance the powerful Xianmen Sect, it would take years of hard work and dedication. It was not something that could be achieved overnight, and perhaps, even in his lifetime, it would be difficult to reach his goal!

  If he were still an orphan like in his previous life, he would have no worries. But now, with relatives all around, yet separated by distance, unable to enjoy the joy of family reunion, how could Ling Feng not feel a deep sense of regret and nostalgia?

  They flew north for three days and nights, and in front of them appeared a continuous chain of steep mountains stretching from west to east, as far as the eye could see.

  "We've arrived at Minshan!"

  Ling Feng gazed out at the rugged mountains and treacherous terrain in front of him, his heart secretly sighing. As long as he could fly over the Min Mountains ahead, on the other side of the mountains would be the sphere of influence controlled by cultivators, which also bordered the Eastern Yue Kingdom adjacent to the Southern Wilderness region.

  It's finally time to leave!

  At the moment when he was filled with emotion, his gaze fell upon Elder Yin taking out a divination tool resembling a compass from his waist pouch, holding it in his hand, and following the direction indicated by the needle on the disk, he drove the 'Flowing Cloud Chariot' to fly away swiftly.

  As for the actions of Elder Yin, Ling Feng didn't find it strange at all. Arranging himself to enter the Tianji Pavilion of the Xiuxianmen Sect, the Alien Alliance must have already started making arrangements a long time ago, and everything had probably been planned since he entered the Qinglong Valley.

  Yin Lao should be the one in charge of this matter, of course, he can't do it himself. After planning, he must have handed it over to his subordinates for execution. Now, he must be using the witchcraft instruments in his hands to contact his subordinates.

  Following the direction indicated by the compass needle, Old Man Yin drove the 'Flowing Clouds Chariot' over Mount Min and continued on for nearly half a day before stopping in mid-air above an unnamed small mountain.

  He put away the compass in his hand, and suddenly a vast spiritual power emanated from Elder Yin's body, probing downwards towards the mountain peak.

  "It's right here!"

  Yin elder retracted his scattered soul power, looked at Ling Feng, smiled slightly, and then drove the 'Flowing Cloud Car' down to the mountain head.

  A flash of light, and two figures appeared on the west side of a small hill. Ling Feng and Yin Zong Lao descended, and at the same time, several black-clad men flashed out from all directions, came to the front of the two, bowed their heads and saluted: "Subordinates see the elder!"

  "Are you all ready?" Elder Yin's gaze fell on a middle-aged man in black clothes, and he asked slowly.

  "Report to the elder, everything has been arranged properly!" The middle-aged man responded with a respectful tone, and at the same time, his eyes glanced over at Ling Feng.

  "Hmm!" Elder Yin nodded and responded with a grunt. Immediately, he waved his sleeve and ordered: "Where is the person? Quickly take this elder there!"

  "Roger!"

  The middle-aged man responded with a sound, and then he followed his companion in front to lead the way, leading Yin Changlao and Ling Feng to a hidden cave.

  "Report to Elder Yin, the person is inside!" The middle-aged man walked up to Elder Yin and said in a low voice.

  "Good!" Elder Yin nodded, his eyes scanning the crowd beside him, including Ling Feng, and instructed: "You wait outside the cave first and guard it. Without this elder's order, no one is allowed to enter rashly!"

  "Yes, sir!" The group of black-clad men responded in unison, with Ling Feng also bowing his head to acknowledge the order.

  Then, Elder Yin strode into the cave, while Ling Feng and those black-clad men waited outside.

  After Elder Yin entered the cave, the few black-clothed men's expressions slightly relaxed, and they all looked at Ling Feng, sizing him up carefully.

  At first, Ling Feng didn't mind, but when a person is stared at by more than a dozen pairs of eyes, the feeling is indescribably strange.

  "What's wrong with you? Haven't seen a handsome guy before?"

  Getting angry, he also opened his eyes wide and counterattacked towards the owners of over a dozen gazes.

  His actions left the other party momentarily stunned, and then they all burst out laughing.

  "This little guy has a big guts, not bad!" The middle-aged man looked at Ling Feng and smiled to his companion beside him.

  "You're quite bold too, but..."

  Ling Feng retorted with a sneer, and just as he was halfway through his sentence, the voice of Yin Changlao suddenly echoed from within the cave.

  "Come on in, everyone!"

  Upon hearing his orders, Ling Feng and the several black-clad men hastily made their way towards the cave. After entering the cave, what entered Ling Feng's line of sight was Elder Yin standing off to one side; his complexion was somewhat pale, but his eyes were still sharp and piercing.

  On the ground inside the cave, two people were lying down, one old and one young. The older one was about sixty years old, while the younger one was roughly the same age as Ling Feng. Judging from their clothes and attire, they were both cultivators!

  Both of them had their eyes tightly closed and were unconscious.

  After Ling Feng walked into the cave, Yin Zong pointed to the unconscious child on the ground and said: "He is the one you replaced, Li Changqing!"

  Ling Feng listened, his eyes fixed on the child, sizing him up carefully. Li Changqing's build was about the same as his own, with slightly different facial features, but he was also born with a clear and elegant appearance.

  "Alas..." With a deep sigh in his heart, Ling Feng looked at Li Changqing, and unintentionally, his eyes revealed a hint of pity.

  After being impersonated by himself, it seems that his life has also come to an end!

  "This man's name is Li Bang, and he has cultivated his Qi to the eighth level. He is an old servant of the Li family, where Li Changqing is from!" said Yin Lao, pointing at the old man on the ground. "Every ten years, the Tianji Pavilion opens its mountain gate and selects people with spiritual roots within the borders of Dongyue Country to take them in as disciples. This time, he was ordered by the master of the Li family, Li Rong, to lead Li Changqing to the Tianji Pavilion to become a disciple!"

  He paused for a moment, and the old man continued: "This person has already been confused by my 'soul-capturing technique', and in his memory, Li Changqing's appearance has been replaced by yours. Letting him keep his dog life is naturally to let him take you to the Tianji Pavilion."

  "Being able to easily alter a person's memories, this soul clan sorcery is indeed extraordinary!"

  Ling Feng was startled in his heart, but his expression didn't change. He thought for a moment and asked, "Elder Yin, after you used your technique on Li Bang, does he still remember being kidnapped before?"

  "There were seven of them, five were killed on the spot and their bodies destroyed. In order to leave no trace, Li Bang's memory was also erased by Ben Changlao. When he woke up, you just need to make up some lies and say that they encountered other cultivators who robbed them along the way!" Yin Changlao patiently explained.

  "It seems that everything is going smoothly, and it appears that I won't have any major issues joining the Tianji Pavilion!" Ling Feng thought to himself.

  Li Changqing's family, the Li family of Siping, is a small family of immortal cultivators from Dongyue Country. Their ancestors have a deep connection with the Tianji Pavilion, and since Li Changqing possesses a wind-attributed spiritual root, he has excellent innate talent. It shouldn't be too difficult for him to become a disciple of the Tianji Pavilion.

  "Alright, time is pressing, Li Bang will wake up after a stick of incense. From then on, you're on your own!" Old Man Yin gave a signal to the black-clad middle-aged man standing beside him, who immediately stepped forward, picked up the unconscious Li Changqing from the ground and left with him under his arm.

  "Ling Feng, you are gifted with exceptional intelligence and wisdom. I have high hopes for you. I hope that in the future, when you enter the Tianji Pavilion, you will carry on the grand aspirations of our clan, resist external temptations, be cautious in your words and actions, and successfully complete the tasks assigned to you by the clan. When you achieve success, I, along with the other two old men, will definitely support your entry into the Alliance's main hall, where you will take on the role of leader of the warriors!"

  Before leaving, Elder Yin exhorted solemnly. This old man had a very good impression of Lingfeng. The two old guys in his mouth were the other two elders of Qianlong Valley. As the three were soul tribe priests and also alliance elders, they held esteemed positions. It shouldn't be difficult for them to strongly recommend Lingfeng as the leader of the Temple's warriors!

  "Thank you, Elder Yin, for your kindness. I will definitely be loyal to the clan and do my best, with no divided heart!"

  Ling Feng bowed his head and made a solemn promise to the other party with a determined tone.

  He knew the profound meaning of this old saying, and what the Alliance of Foreign Tribes was most worried about was that the children who infiltrated the Xianmen Sect as spies could not bear the temptation and defect to the enemy. Once such a situation occurs, the consequences are unpredictable, and it is very likely that the major plan of the Alliance of Foreign Tribes' elders will be ruined in an instant!

  Others may not say it, but for Ling Feng himself, he would never do anything to betray his clan. Not to mention how much a sense of belonging he has towards the clan, his parents and sister are still living in Nanhuang, just for their sake, Ling Feng wouldn't dare have any rebellious thoughts!