In a nameless cave, a handsome young man sat cross-legged, his five hearts facing the sky.

  Surrounded by the spiritual energies of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, though only at the early Foundation Stage, he exuded an aura not inferior to that of a Perfected Foundation Establishment cultivator.

  This young man was none other than Meng Yao's beloved, Ye Fan.

  As Ye Fan finished his cultivation, his power retracted, and his Foundation Establishment level plummeted, eventually appearing to be only at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining.

  Concealed cultivation, a standard feature of the Chosen of Fate!

  Exiting the cave, Ye Fan seemed to be talking to himself or perhaps to someone else:

  "Master, do you think with my current cultivation, the chances of assassinating Gu Liangyuan are high?"

  As soon as Ye Fan finished speaking, the jade pendant on his chest trembled, and from it emerged an old man in white clothes and shoes, with white hair.

  However, the old man's body was somewhat transparent, clearly indicating a state of a Nascent Soul.

  The elder stroked his beard and chuckled, "Foolish child, you're too impatient."

  "Gu Liangyuan is only at the mid Foundation Stage. With your current abilities, you could indeed kill him."

  "But there's a condition: he must be alone, without anyone accompanying him."

  "Otherwise, any elder by his side could easily kill you."

  Ye Fan clenched his fist in frustration:

  "Not only did he steal my childhood sweetheart, but he also nearly killed me a few days ago. I can't rest easy without settling this score!"

  The elder consoled him, "A gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years. For now, you should leave the Eastern State and seek the opportunities I mentioned to help you grow."

  "I also have a grudge against the Supreme Sect. With my help, you'll eventually have the day when you can trample over the seven peaks of the Supreme Sect!"

  "Yes!" Ye Fan nodded firmly.

  "By the way, Master, isn't it called the Supreme Holy Land? Why do you call it the Supreme Sect?"

  The elder squinted, gazing into the distance, "This matter dates back to the Dragon-Supporting Court..."

  Before he could finish, the elder suddenly sensed something and quickly turned his head:

  "Who!"

  With a loud shout, his voice transformed into sound waves, rushing towards an ancient tree hidden in the shadows!

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  Boom!

  The sound waves collided with the ancient tree, shattering the massive tree that required ten people to encircle it!

  With the explosion, a figure flickered in the air. In the next moment, the figure transformed into a stream of light, instantly diving into another ancient tree.

  Then, using the same method, it continued to shift, darting between the ancient trees, and in the blink of an eye, it had fled twenty or thirty miles away.

  The elder was about to give chase when a clear female voice suddenly called out:

  "Ye Fan, is that you?"

  The elder's expression changed, and he finally retreated into the jade pendant, leaving only a warning, "This place is not safe for long," before falling silent.

  As soon as the elder retreated into the jade pendant, Meng Yao emerged from the forest.

  Seeing Ye Fan, she abandoned her distant demeanor from when she was with Gu Liangyuan and threw herself into Ye Fan's arms:

  "Woo woo woo, Ye Fan, I finally found you."

  With Meng Yao in his arms, Ye Fan naturally wrapped his arm around her waist, indicating that this was not their first time doing so.

  "Yao'er, what's wrong?"

  Crying, Meng Yao recounted the grievances she had suffered in recent days to Ye Fan.

  Of course, she omitted the part about seducing Gu Liangyuan, claiming instead that Gu Liangyuan had forced her, and when she refused, he became furious and wanted to destroy the Meng family.

  Upon hearing this, Ye Fan's first reaction was not anger but disbelief.

  How could it be?

  Wasn't Gu Liangyuan just a good-for-nothing waiting to die? How could he have such talent, suddenly comprehending the Dao and reaching Nascent Soul?

  Although he had been nearly beaten to death by the elders of Emotionless Peak, he still looked down on Gu Liangyuan.

  He always believed that if he had Gu Liangyuan's resources, he would have done better.

  But now, it seemed things were different...

  Though unwilling, Ye Fan's rationality prevailed. He patted Meng Yao's shoulder, "Yao'er, let's leave the Eastern State. With my current cultivation, I'm no match for Gu Liangyuan."

  "But I promise you, in fifty years, no, ten years, I'll bring you back and make Gu Liangyuan pay the price he deserves!"

  Meng Yao's expression changed upon hearing Ye Fan's words, and then she feigned grievance:

  "I have every reason to want to go with you, but what about my family?"

  "And Gu Liangyuan has wronged you and humiliated me. I can't rest easy without making him pay."

  "Ye Fan, didn't you say you just apprenticed under a powerful master?"

  "Why don't we find a way to have your master kill Gu Liangyuan? Wouldn't that solve everything?"

  Ye Fan looked troubled and immediately explained to Meng Yao:

  "My master's situation is special; he can't easily take action."

  Meng Yao retorted, "What do you mean by 'can't easily take action'? Our lives are at stake now. If not now, then when?"

  "It's not what you think..."

  While Ye Fan was explaining to Meng Yao, the figure that had been hiding in the shadows used the trees to escape swiftly, arriving at the Supreme Holy Land.

  At this moment, Gu Liangyuan was strolling in the Outer Sect Disciple Area, where disciples greeted him respectfully, calling him Martial Uncle Ancestor.

  Gu Liangyuan nodded in acknowledgment, appearing very approachable.

  He was there to investigate any overlooked disciples, hoping to find a suitable apprentice.

  The result was clear; there were no suitable candidates.

  Gu Liangyuan felt slightly disappointed, realizing he might have to look outside for an apprentice.

  Just then, Song Head appeared beside Gu Liangyuan, using Divine Sense to communicate:

  "Martial Uncle, I finally found you. There's been a significant discovery about Ye Fan."

  "Oh? What discovery?"

  "The jade pendant Ye Fan wears contains the remnant soul of a powerful figure. I estimate that this person was at least in the Void Refinement Realm, possibly even the Body Fusion Realm."

  "Moreover, this person likely had a grudge against our Holy Land."

  Hearing Song Head's words, Gu Liangyuan felt relieved.

  The unknown is always the most unsettling. Now that he knew Ye Fan's background, he felt at ease.

  Ah, the classic trope of the old grandpa in the jade pendant.

  I stole his childhood sweetheart, beat him up, and then he learns some special physique through the grandpa's guidance, eventually becoming powerful enough to defeat me and win the beauty.

  What a classic underdog story.

  Gu Liangyuan couldn't help but roll his eyes, then turned to Song Head:

  "I've confirmed it. Ye Fan is the legendary Chosen of Fate."

  Chosen of Fate!?

  Hearing this ancient term, Song Head shuddered.

  In the cultivation world, there's an ancient legend about a type of person whose fate defies the heavens, favored by the Heavenly Dao, often achieving extraordinary feats.

  These people are known as the Chosen of Fate!

  However, while the Chosen of Fate are remarkable, those close to them often suffer misfortune.

  The parents of the Chosen of Fate are destined to die.

  The friends of the Chosen of Fate always die young.

  The Dao companions of the Chosen of Fate are always taken away.

  The sects of the Chosen of Fate are bound to encounter trouble!

  Later, a senior revealed the truth: the growth of the Chosen of Fate is a process of seizing fate!

  They seize the fate of their sects, friends, and family, using it to ascend step by step, turning misfortune into fortune!

  Yet, before the Chosen of Fate rises, people can't detect it, not even the Chosen themselves.

  Thus, to prevent this from happening, the major holy lands united to develop a method.

  This method is the Fate Suppression Method!

  Some holy lands use divine beasts for suppression, known as Mountain-Guarding Divine Beasts.

  Some use spirit treasures for suppression, known as Mountain-Guarding Spirit Treasures.

  Others use spiritual items or formations, employing various methods.

  In this way, even if a Chosen of Fate joins a holy land, the land's fate remains stable.

  On the contrary, they gain an exceptionally talented disciple.