After watching the Mingyuan Division members disappear into the distance, Lou Feng remained standing beside the caravan for several breaths.
The surrounding refugees gradually returned to their previous conversations, though the arrival of those powerful martial artists had clearly left a deep impression on everyone.
Lou Feng's expression remained calm.
He was just about to find a place to rest when a faint fluctuation suddenly appeared beside his ear.
A sound transmission talisman.
The spiritual fluctuation was extremely weak, deliberately suppressed so that no one nearby would notice.
A familiar voice entered his ears.
"Lou Feng."
"Head toward Dongtai Prefecture City."
"I'll be waiting for you there."
The voice belonged to Lin Sheng.
The message was extremely brief.
There was no explanation.
No reason.
Lou Feng didn't ask any questions.
His master had always acted this way.
If there was something he needed to know, Lin Sheng would tell him.
If there wasn't...
Then asking would only waste time.
The sound transmission talisman quietly crumbled after delivering the message.
Lou Feng glanced toward the distant road.
Dongtai Prefecture City.
He had originally planned to remain in the nearby town for several days and then decide where to go next.
Now there was no need.
He immediately began looking for a caravan heading toward the prefectural city.
Fortunately, because the disaster in Qinshan County had caused thousands of people to flee, caravans travelling toward Dongtai Prefecture City had become considerably more frequent.
It didn't take long before Lou Feng found one preparing to depart.
It was a fairly large caravan consisting of more than twenty carriages.
Several martial artists stood around the perimeter while merchants continuously checked their goods.
Lou Feng approached one of them.
"Is this caravan heading toward Dongtai Prefecture City?"
The middle-aged martial artist looked him up and down.
"Yes."
"But we're already full."
Lou Feng nodded.
"I understand."
He was about to leave when another martial artist suddenly looked toward him.
"Wait."
The man walked closer.
"You're a martial artist?"
Lou Feng nodded.
"Yes."
"What realm?"
"Acquired."
The man's eyes brightened.
"Acquired?"
He exchanged a glance with the others.
Their caravan already had several Acquired martial artists.
One Fetal Breath martial artist wasn't particularly powerful by the standards of a prefectural city.
But on ordinary roads, having one more martial artist capable of sensing danger and protecting the caravan was still useful.
The middle-aged martial artist quickly made a decision.
"We need another escort."
"If you're willing to protect the caravan along the way, we'll give you a carriage seat and pay you three taels of silver when we arrive."
Lou Feng didn't hesitate.
"Agreed."
The man smiled.
"Then welcome."
Lou Feng climbed into one of the carriages.
There wasn't much space, but he didn't care.
Compared with walking hundreds of miles through the wilderness, sitting inside a carriage was considerably more convenient.
The caravan soon began moving.
The wheels rolled across the road while the surrounding martial artists remained vigilant.
Lou Feng sat quietly inside the carriage.
His thoughts occasionally drifted toward his master.
Lin Sheng had already reached Dongtai Prefecture City.
Why had he suddenly asked him to go there?
Was something happening?
Or had his master discovered some opportunity?
Lou Feng didn't know.
But he trusted Lin Sheng.
That trust had been built over years.
It wasn't something that could be shaken by a simple message.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Instead of cultivating openly, he simply rested.
The Qi Eating Method remained one of his greatest secrets.
No one outside his master and the Wang couple needed to know that he possessed such a technique.
Even the cultivation he had achieved through it had to remain hidden.
His body refinement was different.
That was something he could openly display.
After the battle in Qinshan County, Lou Feng had already understood how important concealment was.
Being strong was useful.
But allowing everyone to know exactly how strong he was...
Was foolish.
His master had taught him that long ago.
A blade hidden inside a sleeve was far more dangerous than one openly displayed.
The caravan continued forward.
Several hours later, the sun gradually descended toward the horizon.
A fierce beast suddenly emerged from the forest.
The caravan guards immediately became tense.
Lou Feng didn't move.
One of the Acquired martial artists charged forward with a saber and exchanged several blows with the beast before finally driving it back into the forest.
The caravan continued.
Lou Feng quietly observed.
This journey would probably take several days.
He didn't mind.
For now...
He simply needed to reach Dongtai Prefecture City.
...
Meanwhile...
Dongtai Prefecture City.
Outer City.
Within a secluded courtyard, Lin Sheng sat cross-legged beneath a simple pavilion.
His eyes were closed.
His breathing was steady.
His Mental Perception quietly spread through the surroundings before slowly retracting.
Again.
Nothing.
He waited for several breaths.
Then extended it once more.
Still nothing.
Lin Sheng's brows gradually relaxed.
The strange sensation he had experienced before leaving Qinshan County had not disappeared immediately.
After using the fourth form of the Zen Heaven Striking Technique against the Feng Shui tear, he had clearly sensed the Heavenly Mechanism observing him.
That had been enough to make him retreat without hesitation.
He wasn't afraid of being discovered by ordinary martial artists.
What concerned him was Heaven itself.
Fortunately...
After arriving in Dongtai Prefecture City, he had spent several days carefully monitoring the situation.
Nothing happened.
No strange sensation.
No invisible gaze.
No sudden pressure descending from the heavens.
It seemed the Heavenly Mechanism had merely noticed the disturbance caused by his technique rather than locking onto him permanently.
Lin Sheng slowly opened his eyes.
"Good."
At least for now...
He was safe.
His gaze shifted toward the courtyard.
Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang had already been settled somewhere safe within the outer city.
He had deliberately arranged for them to stay away from the areas where powerful martial artists gathered.
They were ordinary people.
As long as they didn't become involved in conflicts between martial artists, there was little reason for anyone to notice them.
More importantly...
Lou Feng had no reason to worry about them.
Lin Sheng had already informed the two that Lou Feng would soon travel toward the prefectural city.
Everything had been arranged.
The only thing remaining...
Was waiting.
He looked toward the distant city walls.
Dongtai Prefecture City was far larger than Qinshan County.
It was the administrative centre of the entire prefecture.
Countless martial halls operated here.
Merchant organizations gathered here.
Noble families possessed enormous influence.
And according to the information Lin Sheng had gathered...
There were even martial artists above the Astral Gang Realm residing within the prefectural city.
The difference between this place and Qinshan County was enormous.
Lin Sheng wasn't in a hurry.
Before making any major move, he needed to understand the city.
More importantly...
He needed to determine whether there were any ancient martial scriptures or resources capable of helping him continue his Body Refinement cultivation.
His Five Elements Body Forging Art required an astonishing amount of resources.
The Rank Four serpent he had obtained from the Southern Archipelagos could provide a considerable foundation.
But it wouldn't last forever.
If he wanted to reach Rank Four Golden Body...
He needed considerably more.
And Dongtai Prefecture City was precisely the kind of place where such resources could be found.
Lin Sheng slowly stood.
His black robes moved gently with the breeze.
He looked toward the entrance of the courtyard.
Lou Feng should arrive soon.