Cangnan Revisited: A Shadow of Its Former Self

Cangnan Academy, a place filled with memories for Su Han. Although her time there was brief, the experiences she accumulated were profound and difficult to fully articulate.

From an innocent girl who once yearned for dual cultivation in magic and martial arts, she had learned much after enduring despair and setbacks, ultimately choosing the path of bloodline cultivation.

Her current strength was incomparable to her past self. Though blessed with innate advantages, the shackles of her bloodline were not easily shattered. Sometimes, her battle qi and magic would advance one or two ranks, yet her bloodline remained stagnant.

Despite the slow progress, the accumulated power, once unleashed, promised unimaginable might. The path of revolution was arduous and long, yet Su Han believed in herself, resolute in following her true heart.

“We’ve arrived.” Su Han gazed at the wide path paved with bluestone patterns within the Cangnan Star Domain, pausing in thought. A scoff escaped her lips. “I wonder if Bailuan has returned?”

Akareya observed the somewhat desolate Cangnan, noting how its former glory had faded. She sighed, “The top five on the Heavenly Rankings are nowhere to be found, and the next generation of students are lacking in talent. Cangnan has truly begun to decline.”

“What? What did you say?” Su Han exclaimed, grasping Akareya’s hands in excitement at the mention of the Heavenly Rankings. “You mean, not only Bailuan, but Ye Qi and Michele are missing too?”

“Uh… yes,” Akareya managed, swallowing hard.

“I never would have thought, truly!” Su Han chuckled self-deprecatingly, then stepped forward, entering Cangnan Academy.

The moment she crossed the threshold, two dark figures brandished their weapons, blocking Su Han’s path. “Who goes there?” they bellowed. “Audacious trespasser! How dare you intrude upon Cangnan Academy!”

Su Han stepped back, remaining silent at the entrance, observing the two with an amused curiosity.

“Oh? Just outer court disciples, yet so arrogant and overbearing?”

“Cangnan Academy is not a place for common folk to trespass!” the two guards retorted earnestly.

“Then do you know that I, too, was once a student of Cangnan?” Su Han’s gaze sharpened as she licked her red lips.

“Enough, stand down!” At that moment, Baiye, clad in a loose, flowing robe, appeared at the entrance. “Ah, I never thought you’d still be alive. Not only have you returned, but it seems I can no longer see through you!”

“Elder Bai, is Mentor Ruolin… well?” Su Han paused, finally speaking the question that had been on her mind.

“She resigned after you left,” Baiye replied. “Her mother took her back to the Fairy Clan.”

“And Ruolin, she is…?”

“Half-human, half-fairy bloodline.”

“You, on the other hand, have returned completely unharmed, and your strength is terrifyingly formidable. Won’t you tell us what happened?” Baiye teased.

“Ah, it’s a long story,” Su Han said, shaking her head. “Let’s go inside.”

Baiye’s gaze fell upon Akareya. Sensing her distinguished aristocratic aura, he silently acknowledged her as someone extraordinary.

“And who might this be?” he inquired.

“Oh, she’s a friend of mine,” Su Han replied.

Su Han knew that Baiye was not someone easily dismissed with a few words. Therefore, she skillfully dodged his questions, engaging in a back-and-forth of fabricated tales.

Having learned from past mistakes, Su Han was now wary of everyone, harboring a subtle hostility. She had no intention of recounting her true experiences, merely weaving faint threads of actual events into her otherwise fictional narrative.

Though Baiye remained unconvinced, there was little he could do.

“So, you’ve spent these past few years enduring hardship in the Underworld?” Baiye asked. Su Han, for her part, did not conceal the fact that she had been there.

“Yes, just scavenging a few remnants of soulfire left by others, slowly growing stronger by consuming them bit by bit,” Su Han replied, strolling through Cangnan as she spun her tale for Baiye, who walked beside her.

“However, your claim of returning via a teleportation array genuinely surprises me,” Baiye mused. “A cross-world teleportation array would surely require at least a legendary-tier magic formation, wouldn’t it?”

“Alright, you know all you need to know,” Su Han grumbled impatiently. Then, she pulled Akareya along, shaking off Baiye.

Akareya, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke. “To think you’ve been through so much. Ah, it must have been incredibly difficult for a girl like you.”

Su Han rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You actually believe the nonsense I was spouting to that old man?”

Akareya was speechless. She hadn’t expected Su Han to become so glib and full of hot air after such a short time apart.

Su Han led Akareya on a tour throughout Cangnan, eventually making their way to the back mountain.

At this moment, the back mountain, though not overgrown with weeds, was utterly deserted, devoid of its former vibrancy. After Ye Qi’s departure, the beastmen who had remained there had also vanished without a trace.

When Su Han reached the cave where she once resided, she discovered it had been occupied by a tier-three bloodline Black Tiger.

The Black Tiger, with its piercing gaze, aggressively barred Su Han from taking even half a step inside. Su Han, lost in nostalgia and unable to simply force her way in, reluctantly took action.

She drove the Black Tiger away, then, taking Akareya with her, entered the cave.

The Black Tiger shook its head, let out a roar, and turned to leave. There was no point; it couldn’t win the fight, and staying would only invite more beatings. Better to find a new dwelling.

The blood pool from years past had long since dried up, and the earth fire beneath it had retracted its aura. Had Su Han not possessed exceptionally keen innate senses, she would not have noticed it at all.

‘Everything has changed,’ Su Han mused. ‘Ye Qi and Michele must have returned to the High Elf tribe. Bailuan is probably still trapped in the Abyssal Battlefield. I hope you’re not dead, because I still need to personally exact my revenge!’

Unbeknownst to her, Bailuan was currently deep within the Star Tear Abyss.

“Akareya, will you come with me?” Su Han asked, turning back with a smile.

“Where to?”

“I want to search for the High Elf tribe.”

“Perhaps the elf tribe holds some clues. I think you should go and investigate, but as for me, I’ll just head back obediently~” Akareya replied with a playful smile.

Seeing Akareya’s familiar smile, Su Han’s tense heart finally relaxed. “Thank you. Goodbye then!”

“Until we meet again!”

The two parted ways. Akareya, as expected, returned to her Arcadia.

As for Su Han, having nothing particular to do, she wished to visit Ye Qi and Michele. After all, without their help in activating her bloodline, she wouldn’t be who she was today. One should never forget the source of their blessings.

As for becoming stronger, it wasn’t something to be deliberately forced. At the very least, she could survive. The desire to grow stronger and leave this world would not come easily.

Cultivation required a balance of exertion and relaxation; opportunities would naturally arise in due time. Moreover, Su Han still needed practical combat experience to solidify her strength, preparing her for a powerful breakthrough during any bottleneck.

The journey ahead, with all its trials, would undoubtedly provide immense assistance.

Next Chapter: “Return to the Dark Moon Forest…” Stay tuned!

Unaware of how long she had been traveling, Su Han was fortunate to have ample dry rations in her storage space.

The Dark Moon Forest offered no inns or taverns; one either ate magical beasts or became their meal. In dire emergencies, these rations would be a lifesaver.

Though someone of Su Han’s cultivation level could easily go three days and nights without food or drink, bloodline cultivators still needed to consume ample meat to fully unleash their strength.