"It's not too difficult. Once this teleportation array is set up, the lake island will need a guardian. Are you willing?" Zhang Fan asked.
"Junior is willing." Old Ancestor Tianhai quickly nodded and immediately swore a heavenly oath, vowing to guard this place for his entire life to show his loyalty.
Old Ancestor Tianhai was very obedient, and Zhang Fan was in a great mood. He had been worrying about who would guard the teleportation array after it was built, and Old Ancestor Tianhai had just delivered himself to his doorstep.
After all, this job was truly boring and meaningless. No strong cultivator was willing to waste their life on it. After Old Ancestor Tianhai swore his heavenly oath, he had resolved a problem for Zhang Fan.
"Tianhai, you are a Nascent Soul stage cultivator at the Three Tribulations realm. Why come to such a barren place instead of the World Heart Continent?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask curiously.
Hearing this, Old Ancestor Tianhai could only give a bitter smile and shake his head, saying, "The Milky Way is too far from the World Heart Continent. Junior doesn't have a star chart and can't find the direction of the World Heart Continent at all."
Zhang Fan suddenly understood. The starry sky was too vast, and without a star chart, it was indeed easy to get lost. He had been able to reach the Wu Shan Star Domain back then only because Tian Hua guided him, and he didn't need to worry at all.
Old Ancestor Tianhai was born on Tian Hai Star in the Milky Way. He was currently the most powerful cultivator on Tian Hai Star. Without the support of a strong foundation, even if he cultivated to the Three Tribulations realm, he couldn't leave the Milky Way. Years ago, he had tracked the fluctuations released from Earth and found its location.
"Go, settle your disciples and grandchildren. Send away those who want to leave as soon as possible, and for those who stay, teach them the rules well. Come to the lake island to see me in ten days," Zhang Fan instructed Old Ancestor Tianhai.
After receiving Zhang Fan's order, Old Ancestor Tianhai obediently withdrew from the lake island. Looking at the disciples and grandchildren standing in a straight line outside Jade Wave Lake, Tianhai suddenly felt a pang of sorrow.
He had originally come to seek an opportunity for breakthrough, but unexpectedly ended up being left behind as a watchdog.
However, thinking of the fate of his old rival, he felt a sliver of comfort. Moreover, the lake island was rich in spiritual energy and filled with spiritual herbs. If he stayed there to cultivate for a long time, it didn't seem like a bad thing.
With this thought, Old Ancestor Tianhai quickly brought his disciples and grandchildren back to Sky Dragon Island and solemnly instructed them. If they accidentally angered Zhang Fan, he feared he would also be implicated.
At the same time, the events that transpired on Jade Wave Lake quickly spread throughout Earth, causing a stir. Many of Zhang Fan's old friends also learned of his return and came to visit one after another.
Zhang Fan paid no heed to the outside clamor, quietly staying on the lake island, occasionally guiding everyone's cultivation. Besides Lin Yun, other old friends also came to visit.
Ten days passed quickly. The teleportation array leading to the World Heart Continent was also completed on this day. Lin Haotian returned to the lake island upon receiving Zhang Fan's summons, and Old Ancestor Tianhai arrived on time to await orders.
"Once this formation is activated, you can reach the Six Kings City on the World Heart Continent in a very short time. If you wish to return in the future, you can do so at any time." This time, Zhang Fan planned to take his parents and Lin Yun to the World Heart Continent to see the world.
As Zhang Fan spoke, he tossed a pre-refined token to Old Ancestor Tianhai. "Refine this token, and you can control this teleportation formation."
As the pitch-black rhombus token entered his hand, a cool sensation spread throughout his body. Old Ancestor Tianhai was shocked. With his knowledge, he could naturally see that this token was extraordinary. It was likely a high-grade spiritual treasure. His spiritual power surged, and he poured it all into the token.
"This..." After fully refining the token, Old Ancestor Tianhai was so stunned that he froze on the spot. By controlling this token, he could control all the formations on the lake island.
What surprised him the most was that the seemingly unremarkable mountain protection formation actually contained a series of interconnected formations for illusion, attack, and defense. Let alone him, even a cultivator at the Seven Tribulations realm would be hard-pressed to escape death.
"Tianhai, activate the teleportation array. From now on, the spiritual herbs on the lake island will be your responsibility to manage. I permit you to harvest one spiritual herb every ten years to aid your cultivation," Zhang Fan said.
"Thank you, senior!" The happiness came too suddenly; Old Ancestor Tianhai could barely believe it.
Zhang Fan and his group stepped into the teleportation array. As the formation was activated, brilliant light enveloped them, and they slowly disappeared from the lake island.
Watching Zhang Fan and the others disappear, Old Ancestor Tianhai couldn't help but laugh up to the sky. "My ancestor has hope for tribulation transcendence."
Although the lake island was small in area, it was planted with various high-grade spiritual herbs, each emitting an alluring fragrance. Old Ancestor Tianhai forcefully suppressed his greed. Treasures were tempting, but the prerequisite was to keep his life intact.
Although his freedom was restricted, it was also an opportunity for him. Receiving a high-grade spiritual herb every ten years filled Old Ancestor Tianhai with pleasant expectations for his future life.
...
When they saw the scene before them again, Su Yun and Zhang Xing'an were completely stunned.
Soaring city walls reached into the clouds, stretching for thousands of miles without end, as if separating worlds. On the wide streets, Golden Core stage cultivators were as numerous as cows and as common as dogs, and Nascent Soul stage cultivators were not rare.
"Let's go. I'll take you to get familiar with it first," Zhang Fan said as he led everyone towards the direction of the Coiling Dragon Mountain Range, explaining as they walked.
"This is Six Kings City, one of the largest cities on the World Heart Continent. And the owner of Six Kings City is the Six Kings Mansion."
"There are three top-tier forces on the World Heart Continent: the Canghai Palace, the Six Kings Mansion, and the True Fire Cave Heaven. These three top-tier forces are all brimming with experts. They have a crowd of Nascent Soul stage cultivators, and each has a half-step Nascent Soul stage expert guarding it."
"Half-step Nascent Soul?" Su Yun and Zhang Xing'an didn't understand what that realm was.
Even Lin Yun's eyes were full of doubt.
"You don't need to understand. Just know that a half-step Nascent Soul stage cultivator is several times, even tens of times, more powerful than a peak Nascent Soul stage cultivator," Zhang Fan said with a smile.
"Then what is your current realm?" Zhang Xing'an asked with great curiosity.
"Half-step Nascent Soul."
Zhang Xing'an and Su Yun didn't feel much; after all, they hadn't been cultivating for long and didn't have much of a concept. However, Lin Yun stared at Zhang Fan with shock. He knew Zhang Fan's strength would be immense now, but he didn't expect him to reach such a realm in just a few years.
"Half-step Nascent Soul is nothing. My master has killed more half-step Nascent Soul experts than he has fingers," the Blood Demon Flood Dragon said proudly, patting its round belly.
"In that case, can't I just swagger around the World Heart Continent?" Zhang Xing'an suddenly became filled with heroic spirit.
"Crabs swagger," Su Yun retorted.
Since it was their parents' first time, everyone walked very slowly. Along the way, they witnessed too many things they had never seen on Earth. Even though they were past the age of curiosity, they still seemed quite excited.
...