Two men and a woman boarded the train. The woman’s teeth were like pearls, and in Chen Fan’s eyes, she was every bit as beautiful as Xu Rongfei. That, however, was not what mattered; what mattered was that he sensed the aura of the Chen Family radiating from her.
"I never imagined we’d run into the eldest daughter of the Chu Family here! Was that really Chu Xuanji being escorted away just now? That’s incredible. The Chu Family is one of the most prestigious clans in Lin Yang," one of the men remarked.
"But what could they possibly be doing in Yishan?" the woman asked, taking the seat next to Chen Fan.
"Yue'er, being greeted by the eldest daughter of the Chu Family like that—you’re quite impressive yourself! That is the Chu Family's eldest daughter, after all," the man said.
"Oh, stop it, Zhang Yunhai. She’s just a classmate of my brother’s from the Tiannan Upper Academy; we’ve only met a few times," Yue'er replied. Despite her words, the arrogance in her eyes could not be hidden.
"Your brother, Chen Hao, is a true genius. Not even twenty years old and already on the verge of condensing a God-grade Golden Core. If he were to join one of the immortal sects, he could even become a candidate for Divine Son!" the other, more reserved man added.
*This face is somewhat similar to mine, and my bloodline tracking secret technique is acting up,* Chen Fan thought to himself. *"Chen Hao"? "Chen-er"? Could he be a member of my family?*
"Excuse me, could you swap seats? I’d like to sit with my friends," Zhang Yunhai said as he walked over to Chen Fan. He was polite enough, but only two words served as his reply.
"No swap," Chen Fan said indifferently.
"You aren't trying to take advantage of the situation just because our Yue'er is pretty, are you?" Zhang Yunhai continued. "How about this: you take my seat, and I’ll reimburse your ticket."
"I’ll even let you stay at any hotel under the Zhang group for free for a year using my name. How about that?" Zhang Yunhai pressed.
"Not interested." Chen Fan was busy pondering the identities of these people.
"My fellow cultivator, looking at your attire, you don't seem to be from this star region. Could you be from the outer realms?"
"That’s right. I come from the Small South Heaven Realm," Chen Fan said before closing his eyes to rest.
"The Small South Heaven Realm is a desolate star region adjacent to the Tiannan Star Province. The spiritual energy there is thin, and there are hardly any cultivators. Besides, how did you even get here with your Golden Core cultivation?" Yue'er asked, puzzled.
"Yue'er, didn't your family come from a desolate star region? Maybe Old Master Chen is familiar with this guy’s training!" the other man suggested.
"The 'Thunder Blade' is a top-tier immortal art; it didn't come from some backwater like the Small South Heaven Realm! Besides, our Chen Family has few members—only my aunt and my brother. It’s better for strangers not to try to claim kinship with us," Yue'er frowned and said.
Chen Fan couldn't be bothered to engage with them. He was on his way to the Chen Martial Arts Hall, having already promised to go there. He figured his grandfather and parents must be inside.
"Respected passengers, we have arrived at Yishan District. Please collect your belongings..."
Standing before the entrance of the Chen Martial Arts Hall, Chen Fan thought, *This must be it. Traveling across the stars, spanning light-years—finally, I can see my family again.*
The area in front of the martial arts hall was a sea of people.
*It seems the Chen Martial Arts Hall my grandfather founded is doing quite well,* Chen Fan noted, having already gathered some information.
"This Chen Martial Arts Hall is one of the top three dojos in the Yishan District. People come every day hoping to become apprentices. Hey, little brother, are you also looking to join the Chen Martial Arts Hall?" A yellow-haired, chubby man holding a fan walked up to Chen Fan.
"I’m here to see my grandfather."
"Your grandfather? The only elderly person in the Chen Martial Arts Hall is Chen Huai'an. Don't tell me you're trying to claim Chen Huai'an is your grandfather, little brother?" The chubby man looked at him with utter disbelief.
"Look, that’s the Master of the Chen Martial Arts Hall. He founded it himself. Legend has it his 'Thunder Prison Divine Blade' is an immortal art; he could fight a Peak Nascent Soul cultivator even when he was only an Early-stage Nascent Soul."
"Master Chen is coming out! Let’s go take a look!" The passersby scrambled to catch a glimpse of the founder.
"Hm?" Chen Huai'an suddenly felt a familiar aura. He looked toward the chubby man, froze for a moment, and then sprinted over.
"Is it really you, little Fan?" Chen Huai'an asked, his voice trembling with uncertainty.
"Of course it's me, Grandfather." Chen Fan nodded slightly. After years of separation, meeting his kin again was enough to stir even his emotions.
He walked into the main hall with Chen Huai'an. He had many questions for him—where had Ye Qingcang and the others gone? Where were his parents?
The chubby man was left standing behind them, his eyes wide.
"Something huge is happening! Master Chen's grandson has actually returned!" the chubby man shouted.