Chapter 105: Return to Divine Wind City

"Where is this..."

Tu Lu opened his eyes, momentarily stunned. Before him lay a landscape of broken bricks and shattered tiles. Beyond that, there was nothing but scorched earth, jagged trenches, and scattered shards of stone still flickering with sparks that refused to die out. These were the lingering wounds of the Dao, left behind by the strike of a mighty power.

"So, it really is Shenfeng City."

He sighed, his gaze sweeping over the ruined land with a sense of profound displacement. Among the runes Xu Feng had given him was a rare type of spatial inscription. Unlike standard teleportation arrays, this one could not be anchored to a specific location. Instead, it traced the primordial aura of one's origin, transporting the user back to their roots. It was known as "Returning to the Source." Legend had it that the master who created the legacy had devised this in his twilight years, hoping to return home before his death—though whether he succeeded remained a mystery.

Tu Lu’s roots were here, in Shenfeng City.

Using this inscription had its advantages. Even if the people of the Taixu Prefecture discovered the traces left in his chambers, it wouldn't matter; they had no idea he hailed from the Qingxuan Prefecture, and thus, could never track him.

"Who are you?!"

Before he could depart, a group of over a dozen people surrounded him from a distance. A young girl led the group, flanked by a red-faced elder—a cultivator at the half-step Purple Mansion realm. It was the young girl, barely in her teens, who had called out to him.

Before Tu Lu could respond, the red-faced elder stepped forward, shielding the girl behind him. He cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist, I am Yuan Po of the Qingxuan Alliance. May I ask if you are here to hunt spirit beasts?"

He looked up at Tu Lu, his eyes sharp. He could not discern the aura radiating from Tu Lu, but the man’s vitality was vibrant and surging. Judging by his apparent age, he should be quite young, and therefore, likely not overly formidable. Yet, the fact that he dared to appear here alone made Yuan Po wary, prompting his cautious inquiry.

Tu Lu pondered for a moment and shook his head.

"I am not here for the hunt. I have been in seclusion nearby and only just emerged. Passing through, I noticed something was amiss, so I stopped to investigate. Fellow Daoist Yuan, what exactly happened here? If you don't mind, could you enlighten me?" He gestured toward the ruins of Shenfeng City.

Even amidst the devastation, faint traces of the city remained. It was clear that some cataclysmic event had caused such a metropolis to vanish.

Yuan Po frowned. Was this man mocking him? The surrounding area had long been overrun by spirit beasts; how could anyone have been in seclusion nearby and only just emerge now?

He was about to express his displeasure when the sky suddenly darkened. A terrifying roar erupted from the distant Thunder Mountain!

"Oh no!" Yuan Po’s heart sank, his face turning pale. Just as he was about to unleash his most desperate defensive measure, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

"What?!" Yuan Po gasped in disbelief.

Tu Lu flicked his hand forward with a gentle strike. A palm wind roared out, distorting the very void. It collided with the sound wave in a thunderous boom, shattering the earth at the point of impact and carving out a terrifying abyss. The shockwave that followed was caught by Tu Lu and reflected back with even greater force.

*BOOM!*

Half of Thunder Mountain was obliterated. A blood-curdling shriek echoed from the explosion as a massive grey shadow vanished from the peak.

The silence that followed was absolute.

A moment later, everyone turned their eyes toward Tu Lu, their expressions filled with awe. They had all seen it clearly—that aura belonged to an ancient beast. Had they encountered it, even if they survived, they would have suffered heavy losses. Yet, this man had swatted it away as if it were nothing!

They did not doubt that if Tu Lu wished, he could easily slay the creature. They knew that while ancient beasts were dim-witted, they were equivalent to the Purple Mansion realm; only a master of that caliber could kill one.

Tu Lu brushed his hands together as if dusting off dirt. "It’s settled now. Tell me, why has the world changed so much in the few years I’ve been away?"

Yuan Po swallowed hard, his heart racing. "It is a long story, Senior. If you don't mind, would you be willing to join us at the Yuan family estate to discuss this?"

"Elder Yuan!" someone in the group exclaimed in alarm, but Yuan Po shot them a sharp look, and the man immediately fell silent.