《Heaven’s Shadow》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    The title is Tian Ying (), which literally trantes to the Heavens Shadow.


    Author: Xiao Ding () i.e. DesteCauldron


    Raws:http://.piaotian/html/8/8146/


    Sypnosis:


    The world is split into Yin and Yang and is made up by the 5 elements.


    On the ancient divine central continent under the heavens, it is currently the prosperous era of the cultivators where billions of lives thrive.


    In the far-reachingnds, there are always happiness and sadness, reunion and separationof the mortal world happening in the long lives of those walking the path of the immortals.


    The light is always apanied by darkness. Under the radiance of the heavens, there are silent shadowsmoving about


    There is a flicker of light in the darkness


    On a night when the moon and stars are absent, there isnt a single ray of light in the Mist Barren Lost Valley. Other than the fleeting spark of me that could be vaguely seen in the faraway core of the valley, most of its territory is shrouded in endless darkness.


    The night scene has adeste feeling to it while the fleeting melody of the wind felt slightly chilling. As it blew,yer afteryer of darkness floated upwards like the waves of the sea. This is the fog unique to this valley.


    The valley is enormous. If it was in the day, one could see the incredible sight of towering mountains rising all around. But, in the dark, one could only vaguely see some tall silhouettes, reminiscent of a solemn giant standing on this plot ofnd.


    In the center of two mountains facing the northwest lies the one and only entrance and exit of this Mist Barren Lost Valley. Outside the valley, on an equally rugged, winding and arduous mountainous path, there is a silhouette of a human walking towards the entrance.


    A killingintent emerges suddenly from the darkness. Up ahead on the mountainous path, a voice of a person could be heard, a mutter of some sort. The silhouette of the person who is walking to the entrance pauses for a moment. Using the slight radiance present in the night sky, it could be seen that the man approaching the valley is a youthdressed fully in ck.


    The youths face is calm, as though he isnt surprised by the sudden appearance of an obstruction. After listening to the whispers in the darkness, he used an equally hushed tone to reply the voice.


    A question and an answer. It seems to be a password of some sort, or perhaps acode word.


    Afterwards, the killing intent hidden in the darkness subsides gradually. The ck-clothedyouth continues to proceed forward. Just that, this path leading to the Mist Barren Lost Valley may seem quiet and cooling but onthis night, it seems to be exceptionally guarded. On the way up, just this kind of cross-examinations has already happened more than thrice.


    The ck-clothedyouth answers fluidly and passes them one by one with a calm expression. In the dark skyline and the cold night gale, he gradually approaches the entrance of the valley.


    Beside the mountainous path leading to the entrance, there is a small hill. A few pieces of rocks of differing sizes were scattered all over the hill. The outlineof a man dressed in white could be vaguely seen on the top of the hill.


    The ck-clothed youthstuns and stops in his track for a short moment before turning around to stroll towards the hill.


    There isnt any path up the hill. Wild grass that grew all over the hill dances slightly along with the wind. When he was about to reach the top of the hill, the ck-clothed youthsees that there is a wooden token protruding upright from the ground. There is a bizarre picturecarved on it: On the top, gods were flying in the heavens. On the bottom, the vengeful souls were howling in agony. In the middle, an iparably gigantic tree stood indomitably, reaching out to the heavens and hell. Overall, it looks like a carving of a giant tree with gods above and vengeful spirits below living on the tree.


    The ck-clothed youths sweeping gaze lingers on the wooden token for a short moment before turning to the figure dressed in white with his hands behind his back.


    Dressed in white, he is extremely striking in contrast with the dark night. It is also at this moment when hearing the footsteps, the white-clothed person turns around. He is an extremely handsome man. When he sees the ck-clothed young man, a hint of a smile appears on his lips as he says, Youre here, Hei Lang.


    The ck-clothed youth whom he called Hei Lang nods his head, walks over and says, Yun Jian, if father were to see your current attire, he would surely reprimand you.


    Yun Jians face is calm as he smiles in reply, Thats not a problem. Today, now that the big event is around the corner, he should have quite a lot of matters to handle in the valley. He wont have the time to pay any mind to me.


    Hei Langughs and walks over to stand by Yun Jians side. In the night skyline, other than the deste Barren Valley of the Lost behind them, countless mountains could be seen in the distance. Even though its true form cannot be witnessed in a single look in the dark, it is easy to imagine howgrand and spectacr they are.


    Yun Jian suddenly breathes out heavily and says, Hei Lang, how many years has it been since you joined the Immortal Sect?


    6 years.


    Such a long period of time. A sentimental look appears on Yun Jians face. He immediately follows up with a smile and says, I still remember you were still a child when you first came here, around Xiao Qings age. In the turn of an eye, the both of you have grown up.


    Hei Lang smiles in silence.


    Yun Jian continues, Right, Xiao Qing is here tonight as well. She will probably reach here a whileter. Will you be waiting for her here?


    Hei Lang shakes his head and replies, The elder has given me onest pill of Blood Soul Crystal to enter the valley for the Fallen God Curse. Its just that when the God Curse urs, I should be unable to exit. It will be better for me to meet her after I leave the valley.


    Yun Jians eyebrows shoots upwards as he looks at Hei Lang with an unreadable look on his face. After a few seconds, he sighs, The Blood Soul Crystal is a rare and precious treasure. Only a person of your capabilities would be able to obtain it. No wonder my father seems to be treating you even more intimately than this true son of his here.


    Hei Lang lifts his head, looks at Yun Jian and frowns. He seems to want to say something but in that instant, Yun Jianughsand says, Alright, I am just teasing you. After all, given our rtionship, do I still need to doubt you? After saying these, he seems to have thought of something as a yful look appears on his face. He says to Hei Lang, Right, after you are done with the matter, hurry up and return back to me. Xiao Qing would most probably have a secret that she would want to tell you.


    Hei Lang stuns for a moment and immediately asks, Secret? What secret?


    Yun Jian smiles, If I were to say it, then will it still be considered a secret? Hurry up and go, just remember to find us after you return.


    Hei Lang ponders over it and nods his head slightly in reply, Alright.


    After saying this, he nods in farewell towards Yun Jian before turning around and leaving with big steps. Not too longter, he walks down the hill and enters the valley, disappearing into the boundless darkness.


    After Hei Lang has been gone for 10 minutes, there seems to be motion at the foot of the hill once again. After a short moment, a light sound could be heard and a slim figurees flying upwards. In midair, the figure skillfully turns around andnds perfectly beside Yun Jian. The figure is a beautifuldy.


    A slightly joyful look appears on Yun Jians face when he caught sight of her but after seeing how she jumped to his side, he frowns and humph, Nonsense! Arent you afraid that you might just get careless and fall downwards. At that point, it would be toote for regrets.


    The beautifuldy smilesmischievously in response. It seems that she is very close with Yun Jian. She grabs his arms and says, There is big brother here, what do I have to fear!


    Yun Jian shakes his head and smiles bitterly, How could I have such a heartless little sister. Oh right, Hei Lang has just departed from here and entered the valley.


    The little sister that he spoke of refers to this beautifuldy named Yun Xiao Qing. After giving out a sound of ah, she looks towards the valley andins to Yun Jian, Seriously! Big brother, why didnt you stop him? You knew that I have something to tell him.


    Yun Jian shakes his head and said, His task is urgent. He has to send the Blood Soul Crystal to the Daljara Array in the valley and wait for the Fallen God Curse to activate. He also must assist father and the other elders, so it really isnt appropriate for him to be dyed here for too long.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Yun Xiao Qing pouts. Suddenly, a look of unease appears on her face and sighs lightly. She mutters soft, If he were to know of that matter, what would he think of it? Will he be repulsed by it?


    After saying that, she bit her lips and she unintentionally ced her hands on her womb.


    Yun Jian smiles and replies, Silly sister, just rest easy. Hei Lang will definitely like it.


    Yun Xiao Qing looks unsure as she stares at Yun Jian. She questions, Big brother, how would you know?


    Yun Jian bursts intoughter. He shakes his head and he consoles her, You are his childhood friend and the both of you grew up together. Other people might not understand of your rtionship, but dont you trust him? Besides, as a Cultivator, the price to pay for stealingfrom the heavens to attain supreme power is that it is hard for us to have descendants. The higher realm that a person reaches, the even harder it is for them. To have his child so early on, this is something to celebraye about. Do you think Hei Lang will be mad about it?


    A sparkle twinkles in Yun Xiao Qings eyes. A ripple seems to appear in her jewel-like eyes, making it look bright but with a hint of depth to it. After a short moment, she finally nods her head and a hint of a smile resurfaces on her face. She replies, Big brother, what you said makes sense.


    Yun Jian smiles as she pats Yun Xiao Qings head dotingly. He says, In any case, I am looking forward to the birth of my nephew. Right, I forgot to tell you. Father also knows about this.


    Ah! Yun Xiao Qing instantly jumps in fright as her face turns red from embarrassment and anger. Sheins furiously, Big brother, why did you go and spread it around? Now, I will be severely reprimanded by father.


    Yun Jianughs, Why would father scold you over nothing? I will tell you straightforwardly, father is very happy over this!


    Yun Xiao Qings eyes widen in disbelief, Are you sure?


    Yun Jian replies, Of course. Otherwise, why do you think Hei Lang would be able to enter the forbidden valley and even join in the Fallen God Curse ceremony? Even if he possesses the secret art to gather the Blood Soul Crystal, but at this final crucial period, it is also equally possible to exclude him from it.


    Yun Xiao Qing mumbles softly, You mean, father intends to


    Yun Jian smiles and continues to speak, Naturally, it is because he knows he is going to have a grandson, so he is finally truly viewing Hei Lang as a member of his family. As our cultivation skill shes with the Fallen God Curse, we cannot approach the valley. However, Hei Lang is of the bloodline of the Blood-burning Crystal, which makes it suitable for him to approach the God Curse. If he doesnt take this opportunity to raise the status of his future son-inw, who would do it?


    A look of relief and happiness appears on Yun Xiao Qings face and she nods her head continuously. She sets her gaze towards the dark valley as her handse together at her chest. She mutters a prayer, May everything go well so that everyone can return safely.


    After finishing those words, she scan the surroundings with her peripheral vision and after catches sight in something, she lets out a ah, as though pleasantly surprised by something.


    Yun Jian turns to look at her, only to see Yun Xiao Qing walking to one corner and picking something up from the wild grass.


    Yun Jian looks carefully at it and sees a red flower. He hears Yun Xiao Qingughs delightfully and she says, Big brother, look, the acacia flowers have bloomed.


    Yun Jian shrugs. This acacia flower is amon flower that can could seen all over the wilderness. There is no Spirit Mark on it and it isnt a spiritual medicine either. It ispletely useless to cultivators. So, he replies snappily, Isnt it just a stalk of wild flower, why are you making such a big fuss for?


    Yun Xiao Qing ignores him. She happily ces the stalk of red acacia flower into her hands tolooks at it. Then, she replies, This flower bloomed so beautifully, this must be a good omen.


    The night breeze blows by. The bright red acacia flower trembles slightly in her snow white palms, as though whispering silently.


    Hei Lang walks into the Mist BarrenLost Valley. Initially, the path is a narrow roadin between 2 mountainous cliffs. But, as he venture deeper, the path gradually became wider. What is weird is that there isnt a single speckle of light to guide him throughout the way and his entire surroundings werepletely dark but he didnt even stray off from the path in the slightest, as though he has remembered the entire geography of this area in his mind.


    After walking past the small path leading into the valley, although the path ahead of him ispletely dark, Hei Lang seemed as though he is adapted to the darkness. As his footsteps became even more stable, he knows that he is already in the valley. Due to some mysterious reasons, not a single spiritual grass can grow on this ordinary-looking valley. Most of them are themonest and most ordinary wild grass and trees. Wild flowers such as the acacia flower ismonly seen here.


    Perhaps, that is the reason why this valley seems even more barren to the cultivators of the world. This is also where the name of the barren valley came from.


    Hei Lang looks forwards. In the far distance, at the center of the valley, he sees a ball of fire burning! This scene, when ced against the pitch dark valley, makes the ball of fire even more striking.


    He takes a deep breath. In this instant, when no one is around, he looks a little nervous and stares fixedly there. After a moment, he lightlyexhales turbid gas and his face swiftly regains its calmness. Then, he walks with big steps towards the source of the light.


    Under the night sky, there is a bizarre atmosphere floating in the valley. It is intangible and colorless and yet, it is omnipresent. Those who are engulfed in it cant help but feel their heart beat faster. This seems to be like the emotion of respect and fear towards the fearsome and powerful unknown.


    The me originates from a bonfire burning somewhere in the valley. But, the one fueling it isnt wooden logs but some bizarre objects. Bones, fur, stones, medicinal nts of weird shapes and the most bizarre of them all, chunks and chunks of bloody flesh. All of it, burning like that silently.


    If one were to walk closer, they would realise that on those bizarre fuel,during the intervals between the mes consuming and expelling of it, mystical Spirit Mark pictures will appear on it, glowing one after another, emitting formless but powerful ripples.


    A 3-meter tall huge wooden token is stabbed into the outer perimeter of the bonfire. Just like the one Hei Lang saw before, there is a picture of a giant tree with gods and vengeful spirits on it.


    There are 3 old men sitting by the bonfire. Sitting in the main position is a one witha pure and ordinary-looking facethat gives the fleeting feeling of an immortal when looking at it. Vaguely, his face bears to resemnce to Yun Jian that he just met. On his left is a bald and fat old man. His white eyebrows extend all the way down the contours of his face. On his right is a dark-skinned withered-looking old man. His face feels as though it only has a sheet of skin over it, making the visuals quite frightening.


    Hei Lang walks to the front of the bonfire and bows to the three old men, Paying respect to the three elders.


    The three of them turn around at the same time. The ordinary-looking old man and the fat old man nods their head. Only the face of the dark-skinned withered old man darkens as he sneers, Yun Yang Shou, what right does this brat of yours has to be seated in the God Formation?


    Bloodline of Blood-burning Crystal: Not very sure whether he is just describing the attribute of his blood or it is the name of his bloodline.


    Acacia flowers:<em>Albizia julibrissin</em>


    Footsteps became more stable -> The ground is t (Showing the transition between mountainous terrain and the valley)


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 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    The ordinary-looking old man frowns as a displeased look appears on his face. He replies inly, Based on the fact that he brought 3 Blood Soul Crystal here, will that suffice?


    The skinny elders face remains cold. It seems like he doesnt fear Elder Yun Shou Yang in the least. Just when he is about to open his mouth to say something, he hears the fat elder on the other side resolving the dispute, Alright, the fact that this littled is able to bring the Blood Soul Crystals thatwould be helpful to for the activation of the God Curse here means that the skills he cultivates iplements with the Fallen God Curse. Since opportunities are free for all to take, not to mention that his participation wont reap you anything less, skinny one, dontin anymore.


    The old man humphs and shuts his eyes, refusing to speak. Yun Shou Yang directs a slight smile towards the fat elder and the fat elder replies with another one


    Yun Shou Yang beckons Hei Lang over. Hei Lang walks over and kneels at a position slightly behind elder Yun Shou Yang. Then, he retrieves a mysterious ck dagger and ces it on the floor.


    There is a bright red crystal that had the texture of agate and amber on sight glued on the tip of thedagger.


    Yun Shou Yangs gaze lingers on this small red crystal before looking at Hei Lang. His eyes are filled with warmth as he nods his head towards him.


    Hei Lang continues to silently sit behind him with a lowered head, waiting patiently. It is just that when he was scanning the surroundings in front of him, he finds that not too far away, in a group of wild grass, a small stalk of red acacia flower hasbloomed beautifully.


    He glimpses at the flower before looking away.


    This dark night seems exceptionally long. Even time seems to have slowed its footsteps. The endless darkness wraps itself around this valley and after anunknown period of time, the four people around the bonfire raises their head simultaneously.


    In the deep darkness at the distance, from a nameless location, fear-inspiring drum sounds could suddenly be heard.


    The mes zing right before them suddenly quaver violently. It goes into a frenzy, producing countless sparks! If the mes were alive, then it would be roaring furiously in this instant, or perhaps panicking in fear, shivering uncontrobly on the spot


    The sound of a heavy footstep echoes of the depths of the valley. The next one sounds a lot closer than the previous one. In a few steps, it has already tread a long distance and is in the vicinity of the mes now.


    The vague sound of the drums never stopped and it seems to be more and more agitated, making the heart of those hearing it beat faster.


    A short momentter, a huge figure slowly appears from the darkness.


    The mes suddenly dims. That is the bow of every single speck of fire, as though showing their respect to the personing. The human figure seems to casually wave its hand and the mes start to burn brightly again. This time, it gushes into the sky, expanding several folds in an instant, illuminating the surroundings by a 30 meter radius.


    Hei Lang lifts his head and and peers at the slowly approaching human figure.


    The one who came is a very advanced old man. But, he isnt like the normal human cultivator that ismonly seen in the divine center continent. He is at least half timestaller than normal men and furthermore, this is when his body is stooped forward. He looks a little exhausted.


    The old man is carrying an iparably heavy thick wooden stick in his hands. Carved on the wooden stick is a bright-red picture of the mes. Two sharp fangs extend from the corners of his mouth. Unknown whether it is due the passing of time, the sharp fangs have taken on a duller shade from its previous snow-white appearance. There are many green-ck pictures carved on his face. Arge portion of them have something to do with mes and looks exceptionally frightening.


    Hei Langs eyes narrow and a term shes through his mind: Barbarian!


    Barbarians live in the northern bordersof the divine center continent, a massive Land of Confusion separating the bothnds. The bizarre foreign races who live apart from the humans, in the long river of history, despite the absence of deep-seated grudges between the two races, they didnt get along harmoniously.


    Just like how the advanced-looking Barbarian, upon walking towards the wooden token, when his gaze sweeps by the picture of a giant tree on it, an obvious look of disdain shes across his eyes.


    At the same moment, seven abnormallytall and majestic figures reappear behind the old Barbarian, they are all well-built Barbarian Warriors without a single exception. Every single one of them are like a small hill, their bulging muscles seem to contain boundless strength. Even if it is a battle of strength, normal monsters probably arent their opponent.


    Just that, these seven iparably powerful Barbarian Warriors look towards the old Barbarian with a deep respect. After seeing the old man casually gesturing withhis hands, they stop in the darkness.


    Hei Langs gaze falls on the old Barbarian again, thinking in his mind that it is rumored that there has always a shaman in Barbarian tribes and they serve as their supreme leader, could it be the old man in front of him?


    At this moment, the three elders, who were expressionless this whole time, looks towards the old Barbarian. After a short moment, Yun Shou Yang nods towards him and says, Ive long heard of the grand name of the Fire Shaman. Now that weve met, you indeed possess unparalleled magic powers and your control over the Fire Spirit Power is exceptionally acute. My respect.


    That old manughs, his voice hoarse and peculiarly deep, simr to the sound from a broken wind box, making ones hair stand on their ends. He says, In the eyes of you human cultivators, arent we all uncivilized barbarians, so where would your respect originate from?


    Yun Shou Yangsmiles faintly and replies, We are from the Three Realm Divine Cult and we believe in the equality of the three realms. We do not have the leisure to distinguish suchmeaningless things.


    The old Barbarianughs slightly, not saying a word.


    Yun Shou Yang continues, Have you brought the thing?


    The old Barbarians reaches his giant hands into his embrace and after fumbling for a moment, he retrieves a ne. There are many ornaments of white bones hanging on it. Of it, thergest white bone has a small hole in it and instead, a small object radiating a mysterious glow is stuffed into it. It is sharp on the both ends but convex in the center. It has the texture of wood from outer appearance and is green in color, making it seem like a seed from some tree. Looking from afar, there is nothing particr about it. Just that, an aura of overwhelming vitality is emitting from this seed.


    When this object is revealed, the faces of three elders of the Three Realm Divine Cult finally moves. Standing up together, their gazes are fixed on this set of white bones, especially on that seed.


    After a short moment, the three or them look at each other and nods together. It seems like there is no mistake.


    The fat elder looks the most agitated of them all. His hands squeeze into fists as an anxious and excited look appears on his fear. He says, Since everything is ready, lets begin.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    After saying those words, the fat elder rushesback to sit at his original position.


    Yun Shou Yang and the skinny elder exchange gazes and sits back down.


    The intense mes illuminates the surroundings, revealing the deep wrinkles, scars, mystical tattoos and totems of the old Barbarian. He looks like an ancient wild beast, there is always a hint of vignce in the depths of his eyes.


    He gazes the other 3 elders before walking over to the fire to sit down on the final position. In between his movements, he even panted a few times. His heavy breathing sounds like the cry of agony of some wild beast, as though his old body is no longer able to support itself.


    Yun Shou Yang waits patiently for this Fire Shaman to sit down and speaks with a serious tone, We are starting now


    Hold it! Suddenly, a deep and heavy voice interrupts Yun Shou Yangs words


    The three elders of the Three Realm Divine Cult looks towards the Fire Shaman concurrently, only to see the old Barbarian lift up a finger and points it by Yun Shou Yangs side and says, That person, take him away!


    The fat and skinny elder frowns. At the same time, Yun Shou Yang humphs, Hei Lang is my confidant. Besides, he is trained in a secret art that allows him to gather the Blood Soul Crystal. The use of that thing towards the Fallen God Curse, surely you would know, respected elder?


    In the old eyes of the Fire Shaman, the reflection of the mes could be seen. His eyes seemed extremely bright in contrast to the ancient aura it exudes, as though two balls of mes were burning from his body. He slowly says, I dont trust him!


    Yun Shou Yangs eyebrows shoot up and a trace of rage shes through his eyes. He speaks coldly, Written in the ancient records of the Divine Sect, when activating the Fallen God Curse, if there is the assistance of the secret art Blood-zing Crystal by the side, the sess rate would be increased by at least 10%. May I ask if therespected Elder still have any objections to this?


    10%! The fat elder and skinny elders face immediately wavers. It seems that this inconspicuous 10% chance of sess means a lot to him. Just that, it is still unknown what exactly the Fallen God Curse is, for two people of such identity to find it difficult. After hearing Yun Shou Yangs exnations, a look of joy appears on both of their face. The fat elder couldnt help butin in a hushed voice to Yun Shou Yang, With such an advantage, why didnt you tell me and the skinny one previously?


    Yun Shou Yang nods towards him in response before turning to gaze at the Fire Shaman sitting on the opposite side of the bonfire with bright eyes. Just as he is about to open his mouth to persuade him further, the hoarse and deep voice of the old Barbarian sounds again, but it is just a repetition of his previous words, I dont believe him!


    This time, even the fat and skinny elder find it difficult to ept it. Even counting in the entire Divine Center Continent, they are influential men of high-standing. At this moment, their eyes turn cold.


    Yun Shou Yang frowns, What exactly do you want?


    Send him away! The Fire Shamans hoarse voice echoes in this silent valley. Even though it sounds like a dying King of Beasts and ancient, his tone wasmanding. He continues, If he must stay, then he must allow me to nt Curse of ck mes on him and swear to not do anything disadvantageous to the Fallen God Curse ritual. Otherwise, he will suffer the anguish of being consumed by the ck mes, burning his flesh and meat, destroying his soul, causing him to be unable to reincarnate, suffering the burning inferno for eternity. Only this way will I feel at ease.


    Yun Shou Yang is enraged by his words. He stands up quickly and stares furiously at the Fire Shaman, bellowing, You dare to put that kind of evil spell on the body of my disciple!


    The Fire Shamanughs coldly as the corner of his eyes droops slightly. He paid no heed to Yun Shou Yangs wrath. His ancient eyes seem to havewitnessed too much vicissitudes of life in the world. Right now, the only thing that remains is that burning me.


    At this moment, by Yun Shou Yang side, another voice sounds out. It is from that emaciated skinny elder. He says softly, The words of the respected elder makes sense.


    Yun Shou Yang quickly turns around and stares at the skinny elder in astonishment and anger, but the skinny elder didnt fear his gaze at all, returning his look with calmness.


    On the other side, the Fire Shaman releases a hoarse and eerieughter, piercing like those of the spirits and monsters as he looks over at their quarrel.


    Yun Shou Yang takes a deep breath and turns to look at the fat elder. Just when he is about to speak, the fat elder coughs lightly and says, Brother Yun, I also feel that just in case, the words of the respected elder isnt illogical. Perhaps, due to his amiable rtionship with Yun Shou Yang, he ponders for a moment before adding a few more words to settle the dispute, Besides, we all know that even though the Curse of ck mes is vicious, it is just another type of vow. As long as the little fellow doesnt go against his promises, this vicious curse will not be triggered and nothing will happen.


    Yun Shou Yang didnt expect for the fat elder to say these words. Many emotions flicker on his face. Based on his identity and his background, it is natural for him to know a thing or two about the Curse of ck mes. Even though there isnt anything wrong with what the fat elder said, this kind of magic curse that originates from the Barbarian Tribe from the northern borders of the continent is mysterious and peculiar, it definitely isnt something that simple.


    When he is still considering over this, that perhaps he should get Hei Lang to just leave, he hears Hei Langs voice from his back, saying, Teacher, I am willing to ept it.


    After saying those words, the area around the mes turns silent. Everyone is looking at the ck-clothed youth, including the Fire Shaman. His ancient and wise eyes are staring at the Hei Langs face.


    Yun Shou Yang frowns and says, The risks involved


    Hei Lang kneels on the floor, his body straight like an erect spear as he speaks emotionlessly, Masters matter is more important. The risk that I will be undertaking dont count as anything.


    Yun Shou Yang stares deeply at his young face. After a brief silence, he breathes in deeply and replies, Good! As expected of my disciple, I didnt judge you wrongly.


    Hei Lang remains silent with a lowered head.


    Yun Shou Yang returns back to his seat and says heavily, Go over.


    Hei Lang acknowledges his words and walks around the bonfire over to the Fire Shaman. Then, just like before, he kneels by the side of the old Barbarian.


    The Fire Shamans ancient eyes scan the body of this young human male. Despite his age and his high-standing, he couldnt help but reveal his admiration towards the boy. Even so, this admiration will not affect his mind or his decision in any way.


    Under the watch of the other three elders of the Three Realm Divine Cult, a short and peculiar ritual unfolds itself  The Fire Shaman inserts his hand directly into the burning mes, only retrieving it back after a few seconds. A spark of fire burns in his palm. His blood and flesh doesnt seem be affected in anyway to the burning me. Then, everyone hears the ancient and mysterious curse that he starts to chant.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    That seems to be a voice from the primeval era, echoing in the distant past and travelling across time to return back to this world. With a mystical and bizarre power, a short momentter, the eyes of the old Barbarian starts to bleed.


    ck blood!


    He uses his hands to bring thespark of fire to his face. At this moment, his peculiar looking face looks demonic and sinister, iparably ferocious and absolutely frightening. The spark of fire starts to twist about frenziedly, as though it has obtained some kind of power. The two trails of ck bloodstain rapidly dries as the ck blood floats up and melts into the fire.


    That spark of fire turns ck.


    That is a ball of ck mes!


    Everything quietens down. The ancient curse is chanted through the mouth of the Fire Shaman. Under his guidance, Hei Lang speakshis vows sentence by sentence towards the bundle of ck mes, swearing to nottamper with the Fallen God Curse ritual tonight and to give his all forthe ritual. If he were to break his promise, he would suffer the pain from being consumed by the ck me.


    Following Hei Langs vows, the ck me gradually sways towards his face and finally, disappears without a sound or trace into his forehead, melding into hisflesh and blood through some bizarre means.


    When everything finally ended, the Fire Shaman gestures with his hands. Hei Lang stands up quietly and moves to the other end of the bonfire.


    Yun Shou Yang nods towards his disciple and pats on his shoulders. When his handsare ced on Hei Langs shoulders, he could feel that this esteemed elder is slightly different from how he usually is, as well as that slight pressure from the pat.


    He lifts his head to look towards Yun Shou Yang, nodding his head slightly. Then, he went back to his usual reticent self. Doting affection fillsYun Shou Yangs eyes and he thinks in his mind that if he isnt wrong about Hei Lang, he shouldhave no worries handing Xiao Qing over to him in the future.


    The cold atmosphere seems to disperse after that bizarre curse, easing up all of a sudden. A hint of smile could even be seen on the face of the cold Fire Shaman.


    Very quickly, after they finished their final discussion, the important Fallen God Curse is about to begin.


    Hei Lang kneels quietly on the floor, the words of those who finally lowered their guards around him echoes by his ear. He suddenly catches sight of the acacia flower once again, then again, in the furthernds, in the further ground. It seems that in this valleymany fresh red flowers have bloomed in midst of the wild grasses that could be seen all around.


    The red acacia flowers sways along with the night breeze, just like a woman singing in the dark, beautiful and seductive.


    The night sky remains as deep and quiet, the slow night seems as though it will continue perpetually in this darkness, until that speck of light suddenly appears from the depths of the darkness.


    The blinding radiance looks just like sun rising suddenly in the night, illuminating far and wide, bing a giant ball of mes that burn intensely. Soon after, all of the mes gather in a grand pir that shoots up into the heavens, piercing through the thick ominous clouds.


    In that instant, afierce gale works up and the clouds churns. The heaven and earth tremors as a fearsome aura emits gradually from the heavens.


    In the barren valley, where the giant fireball is exuding its brilliance, the three elders of the Three Realm Divine Sect and the Fire Shaman who were by the bonfire takes on four different directions and extends their hand into the inferno burning in the center.


    At this instant, on the ground below them, for a radius of more than 300 meters, countless patterns of fire light forms a gigantic and mysterious formation.


    All living beings seem to be expelled from this powerful formation by an intangible force, including the seven powerful Barbarian bodyguards that the Fire Shaman brought along. The only who remains in the core of the formation other than the four highly-cultivated powerful figures is Hei Lang.


    In this instant, the inferno has turnedpletely white. It is not difficult to imagine the extent the temperature within the pir has soared to. A white bone ne floats in the deepest core of the mes. Under the immeasurable heat of the mes, the ne breaks apart and all of the white bones are reduced to ashes. Only thergest piece of white bone whose origin is unknown is able to maintain itself. However, looking at the slight cracks that are appearing on it, it seems to be nearing its limits.


    In the center of that white bone, that mystical seed seems to be unaffected by the mes whatsoever. It continues to emit a blue-green radiance of powerful vitality. In fact, it seems to possess even more vitality than it did before.


    It seems to be steadily absorbing the power of the mes and at the same time, arge quantity of mesthat passed through the seed and shot into the night sky, seems to be dyedin some unique aura. It seems to be vaguely summoning something from the endless skies.


    An ancient curse suddenly sounds out and the four iparably powerful men lifts their heads to look towards the heavens concurrently. At the samemoment, the fearsome aura from the skies falls upon this valley.


    Hei Lang senses something and looks towards the sky as well. He is shockedto see that among the ominous clouds in the heavens, a gigantic dark crack is gradually opening. From the iparably deep darkness that seems likean endless abyss, a peculiar gaze seems to be directed towards them.


    The crack slowly descends.


    The entire barren valley starts to shake and the sounds of the tremor diffuses from the depths of the earth. At the same time, the formation on the surrounding ground starts to flicker rapidly in quick intervals, emitting a powerful strength tosuppress thend. However, under the overwhelming poweing from the heavens, the formation seems to be quickly nearing its limits.


    Shrouded in radiance, Yun Shou Yang abruptly shouts, Release!


    Without any hesitation, Hei Lang stretches his hand out to pick up the ck dagger. With a flick of his arm, a mysterious blood light shesfor an instant on his body. The small blood amber soars from the sword until it disappears into the inferno. Itnds on the green seed with precise uracy.


    Boom!


    A loud explosion causes the Blood Soul Crystal to be reduced to nothingness. The mes brighten by 30% and the surrounding temperature skyrockets. A few cracks even appear on the ground due to the overwhelming heat.


    Perhaps due to the attraction created by this overwhelming force, the dark crack in the sky swiftly descends.The ckdoor gradually growsrger andrgeruntil it is on the verge of openingpletely.


    An ancient aura dissipates from the depths of the ck door. A colossal figure simr to the tall mountains and alps, seeming as though it rules over everything, appears behind the ck door and approaches this world.


    Thatindistinct gaze seems to be focused on the mysterious seed, as though the seed with overflowing vitality is the most attractive object in this world.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Posted onby


    Wu That is a peculiar sound. It feels like some ancient calling, as though a music piece from the ancient era is echoing fromsomewhere. A ray of light that doesnt seem to belong to this world shoots out from the ck Door and descends along the pir of me. Then, it splits into four and falls directly onto the head of the four casting the spell.


    An indescribable powerful strength gushes down from the heavens and enters the body of the four. Their body start to change rapidly as the clothes on them starts to break apart, seemingly unable to withstand the overwhelmingly powerful Spiritual Energy.


    However, a look of intense pleasure appears on the face of the four. They grind their teeth to bear with the pain. Yet, at the same time, they can feel the wild Spiritual Energy in their powers heading towards the the energy limits that they find it hard to imagine on other days and breaking through it. That sensation feels as though they areascending to the pinnacle with just a single move, as though they are evolving into a presence between gods and men.


    Perhaps, they could be gods in the next instant!


    In the mes, the ck Door in the sky feels like it is about to approach. The ancient figure thatfeels like it is one of the gods is about to appear. Everything is in the final stages. Yet, it seems that they arejustcking that one final step, that one final bit of distance. That door has still yet to open.


    It seems as though they were simplycking thatst bit of power!


    Yun Shou Yang roars, Hei Lang!


    His peripheral vision suddenly blurs. In a split instant, he can see that the area beside him ispletely empty. The reticent but determined ck-clothed man who was guarding by his side suddenly disappeared!


    Yun Shou Yang is astonished. But, before he could react, before any thoughts could form in his head, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation from his back. A ck daggerhas stabbed through his heart, the tip protruding from his chest.


    A pale white hand quickly grabs Yun Shou Yangs shoulders from the back. That ck-clothed youth sticks closely to his back without any expression on his face. Then, with his other hand grabbing thesharp ck knife, he quickly pulls out the knife from Yun Shou Yangs back.


    Yun Shou Yang howls. His body wanted to react but he is shockedto realise that he is unable to move in the slightest. While the powerful energy that is being pumped into hisSpiritual Sea grants him unparalleled Spiritual Energy, but at the same time, it causes the veins of his entire body to swell up, resulting in him temporarily losing control over his body.


    Other than Yun Yang Shou, the remaining three are also in the same condition. At this moment, the other three arelooking over with a shocked expression in their eyes as they witness Hei Lang suddenly going on a rampage. But, at this moment, none of them are able to react whatsoever.


    In the core of this iparably powerful energy formation that contains power from the ancient past to the present, the one controlling the situation in this moment is the weakest ck-clothed youth.


    Hei Lang grabs the handle of his dagger firmly as he withdraws the sword from Yun Shou Yangs chest. At the same time, a massive flow of blood spurts out like a rapid stream, instantly spraying on overhalf of his body.


    That is the fresh blood forced out by the God Spiritual Energy which was infused into his body from the heavens. The moment an opening appears, the strong pressure seems to want to force everything out from it.


    Beads of blood also stters on Hei Langs face, but he isnt bothered by it in the slightest. He coldly looks at the sight in front of him and without a word, he stabs the ck dagger into Yun Shou Yangs flesh again.


    A stab, a stab and yet another stab He viciously and determinedly turned Yun Shou Yangs chest into a pit where flesh and blood couldnt be differentiated from one another. After the 13th stab, the arrogant and mighty Yun Shou Yang finally loses the final sliver of his vitality in despair. His head slumps downwards as he dieswith his eyes wide open.


    Soon afterwards, Hei Lang seems to sense something. He looks up towards the heavens and starts to tremble uncontrobly. After hearing a roar from the ck Door that shakes even the heavens, he casually throws aside the lifeless body of Yun Shou Yang.


    The god pir of light that was infusing energy into Yun Shou Yangs body suddenly explodes, turning into countless beautiful fragmented pieces in the dark night sky. The originally bnced fire pir and ck Door starts to tremble frenziedly in this instant. As the formation lost its light, the god pirs which were infusing energy to the other three turns brighter and brighter and their aura turned stronger and stronger.


    A crazed roar echoes from the ck Door and below it, everything is turning crazier and crazier.


    The three elders look on in despair as the formation which has lost its bnce start to fall apart. More and more god energy seems to rush towards them uncontrobly. In the intense whistling of the night gale, their bodies seem to gradually inte like a balloon. Then, me engulfs them, burning every single corner of their body. In the end, three deafening sound of explosions could be heard!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The three bodies explode, turning into a rain of blood. Their bodies are reduced to ashes, which disappears into the night sky and the violentme.


    Almost at the same time as when the body of the Fire Shaman exploded, a formless energy seems to have been activated from somewhere. The 7 iparably powerful Shaman Barbarians he brought were roaring and rushing over, when all them suddenly falls overconcurrently. Falling heavily on the burning ground, it seems as though the final thread sustaining their lives suddenly snaps, taking their lives away along with it.


    The ck Door in the sky bellows in miseryfor onest time. After a tremor that engulfs the heavens and earth, it closes rapidly before disappearing into the dark sky. On the surface, fire are creeping in all directions, illuminating this barren valley for hundreds over hundreds of meters. Hei Lang dashes towards the depths of the mes and grabs the white bone which the mysterious seed is entrenched in.


    On touch, the white bones is reduced to ashes and falls to the ground. The green seed falls into Hei Langs hands. The seed actually still retains its previous might and isnt damaged in the slightest.


    Then, at this moment, Hei Langs body shivers. Then, he releases a wretched shout of agony.


    AHHHH.


    His mournful voice diffuses into the far-away distance. It resembles the desperate screams of a wild beast. Then, bundle after bundle of ck mes suddenly emerges from his body and starts to burn furiously.


    What is queer is that despite the ck mes incinerating his flesh and blood, the clothes on Hei Lang remainspletely intact.


    Hei Lang feels as though he is in hell as he roars towards the sky continuously. The flesh and blood of his entire body is burnt by the ck mes. His skins start to crack and his flesh is exposed. Fresh blood flows out from hiswounds andquickly dries as well. Vaguely, a brilliant silhouette appears in the Spiritual Sea in hisabdomen. But, the fearsome ck mes actually incinerates this silhouettes along with him, causing it to disintegrate and disappear into the shadow.


    Hei Langs everything, even his soul, seems to boil and crack under the ck me and fragments


    Ok so it turns out he is not the main character Ahem. I feel like I got scammed of my 5 chapters of work. But it is a nice story, everyone dies in the end. I like it.


    I think Im gettingzy, I normally try to stick as close to the authors style of writing but recently, Ive been paraphrasing the sentence :X Though only for some which are hard to interpret.


    <em>His head slumps downwards as he dieswith his eyes wide open.</em>


    <em>Dying with eyes wide open</em>is an actualidiom in Chinese, it means that someone died with regrets and resentment etc, anything but peaceful. In this case, he used it quite superbly to describe it literally and _____.


    <em>After hearing a roar from the ck Door that shakes even the heavens, he casually threw aside the lifeless body of Yun Shou Yang.</em>


    I know this part sounds weird, I really dont get what the author is saying too. Personally, I think it makes more logic sentence structurally (no such word I know) for Hei Lang to be howling towards the ck Door.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Despite being shroudedinthe fearsome andvigorous ck mes, Hei Lang, for some reason, didnt fall down. He roars, he wails, yet his body remains upright as he walks a step after another to the entranceof the valley.


    His blood and flesh looks as though they were burning and melting. The mes has reached his soul, causing his mind to be nk and lost. Even so, this man experiencinga living hell walks a step after another forward.


    Outside the valley, the sound of fighting could be heard. It seems that a fierce battle is going on.


    Not too longter, when he is finally approaching the entrance of the valley, a silhouette shes across the hill in front of him. The beautiful woman whoes flying towards him is Yun Xiao Qing. She takes a look at Hei Lang andher face immediately loses her color. She pounces over and exims, Hei Lang, Hei Lang! You, you, what happened


    At this moment, Hei Langs eyes have already lost their focus, as though the severe pain has eroded his senses. Maybeit is because he is at a loss, or perhaps it is an instinct of his, he leans towards Yun Xiao Qing.


    Frightened, Yun Xiao Qing shouts. Her hands open up to support him, but suddenly, Hei Lang lifts his right hand and the ck dagger which he holds firmly in his hands stabs through her chest.


    Yun Xiao Qings voicees to a halt. Disbelief shows on her beautiful face and she stares at the man who is being burnt by ck mes. Her mouth opens and close for a few times, but no voice came out. Then, facing the sky, she falls to the ground.


    Her beautiful eyes widen, unwilling to believe what she just saw. The blood from her chest scatters outwards, dyeing the ground beside her the color of the red acacia flower.


    In another short moment, a white shadow appears. It is Yun Jian rushing in from the exterior of the valley. He shouts, There are strong enemies attacking us, there are a lot of them and they are very strong. Father Ah! What happened! Hei Lang, what happened to you?


    Hei Lang leans towards him. At this moment, Yun Jian could clearly see his charred body scorched by ck mes and the fearsome sight where blood and flesh meshes with one another. For an instant, he stares dumbfounded, unable to believe what he is seeing. Suddenly, he sees a ck dagger appearing in front of him. Underthe terrifying light of the mes, the dagger impales his chest.


    The two bodies suddenly embraces one another tightly.


    Fresh blood spurts out. Yun Jians body went stiff with an incredulous look. Even though the terrifying ck mes continues to burn, it didnt sear Yun Jians body in the least. It seems as though it will only continue burning on Hei Langs flesh and blood for an eternity.


    The burning fresh blood dyes Hei Langs body red, turning him into a blood man fromhead to toe. Along with the appalling ck mes on him, in this instant, Hei Lang looks like a demon from hell.


    Yun Jian clutches his chest and falls over weakly. Before his death, he suddenly catches sight of Yun Xiao Qing who is lying at a distance not too far away. He seems to have been provoked by something and reveals a look of incredulity to Hei Lang. He roars furiously, You You even killed her


    Before he could finish his words, that life-robbing ck sword flies towards him in the darkness.<em>Sou</em>, it cuts across his throat mercilessly, suppressing Yun Jians voice back into his throat. Yun Jian slowly lowers his head, shaking it with all his might before he falls over in death.


    The ck dagger is withdrawn, stained in the destecolor of red.


    Hei Lang looks towards the dark heavens and releases yet another howl of agony. The pain seems to have destroyed hisfinal thread of sanity. But, for some unknown reason, he didnt stop his footsteps. He continues to walk forward like a demon and staggers forward in this dark valley. He gradually blends into the darkness and disappears from view.


    In the footsteps that he left behind, a puddle of fresh blood could be seen in every step of his.In the darkness of the night, under the illumination of the wild mes, only the bright bright red acacia flowers tremble at the wind.


    The ck mes continue to burn furiously, burning down every single thing. The entire world turns dark and the only thing that seems to exist is that frenzied howl and the unbearable sight of flesh and blood being burnt dry.


    AH!


    After a shout, Lu Chen awakes from his dream suddenly. He sits up, panting with heavybreaths. The beads of perspiration on his forehead trickles down. The thin nket that was covering his body slides down, revealing his slim but powerful upper body. He didnt pay it any attention and continues to gasp for airas he stares at the foreign-looking bed in front of him.


    There is dim light outside the windows as the day approaches dawn.


    At this moment, by his side, a white tender arm stretches over and wipes the beads of perspiration off his forehead. A gentle voice sounds out, Why, another nightmare?


    Lu Chen turns around and sees a beautiful woman lying beneath the same thin nket.Despite a night of sleep, she still seems to be slightly exhausted and there is a slight trace of lethargy on her. Her hair is like the clouds, scattered over her white smooth shoulders. The thin nket covers her breasts, revealing only an attractive andbountiful contour.


    Lu Chen shakes his head, replying, Nothing much.


    The white jade-like fingers of thedy touchesLu Chens face lightly, caressing the skin fromhis temple to his chin and to his shoulders, bringing out a striking contrast between his powerful body and her slender fingers. Her voice, at this moment, at daybreak, possesses a dream-like quality that feels like one hasnt fully waken from their dream yet, fleeting and gentle. She says, You, really like to act tough. It is still early, so why dont you


    Lu Chen suddenly turns aroundto look at her and smiles, Ding Dang, I only have a piece of Spiritual Stoneleft on me today.


    The womansuddenly stuns and she lifts her head to gaze at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen continues to chuckle happily, hisughter gentle and sincere.


    Abruptly, the thin nket covering Ding Dang moves as she kicks Lu Chen forcefully under it, revealing a portion of her snow white skin. Then, her willow-like brows frown as she spouts hatefully, Smelly man, you only know how to speak nonsense. Why dont you get lost!


    Lu Chenughs heartily as he jumps off the bed. Then, he searches for his own shirt and pants from the messy pile of clothes on the floor and puts them on with deft hands. Then, he casually grabs the pile of<em>dudou</em>and robe towards Ding Dang, who is still cking on the bed and smiles, Wake up, wake up. I say, will you stop being sozy? I think the weather isnt bad today. Under such glorious morning light, why dont we go for a walk outside?


    Pi! It is still early in the morning,why the heck would I go out for a walk? The ones outside right now are probably those fools who work hard for an entire month just to earn a few pieces of Spiritual Stone. Ding Dangwraps herself tightly with the thin nket, revealing only her beautiful face as she repliessnappily.


    Fallen God Curse -> Will be reflected as God Descension Incantation (Has the exact same meaning but different tone, sounds more appropriate right :D)


    Lu Chen -> Literally means dust on the ground. It is a very humble name. (Pronounced as LueueChen, it is the hanyupinyin with 2 dots above the u)


    <em>dudou</em>() -> Some kind of underwear in the past.This. If you watch Chinese historical shows, that is what women always wear.


    Robe () -> While I say robe, it actuallyrefers to something like a kimono but different.This.


    Pi! -> Imaghe actionof spitting on the floor in disdain (though you dont actually spit)


    Ding Dang addresses herself as (thisdy), which adds a haughty tone to her words.


    Anyway, if you all didnt notice, (I didnt as well) the reason why he keeps using seems and as though is because he is interpreting the dream. Woah, mind blown.


    At any case, I have to focus on my other project alr. My stockpile of trantions (yet to be edited) is running out so I will have to put this on hold temporarily.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Posted onby


    Listening to Ding Dangsints, Lu Chen wasnt angry but instead smiles, Hey, I am just about to go out but after your words, how could I still leave? After saying those words, he stops and returns to sit by the bed side. He retrieves a piece of Spiritual Stone from some ce on his body and throws it towards Ding Dangs pillow.


    Ding Dangs eyes immediately shines. She delightfully stretches her hand to grab it, revealing her jade-like arms. Lu Chenughs heartily and made use of this opportunity to sneak his hand below thenket andsqueezes her flesh with force.


    Ding Dang yelps. She clenches the hand that is grabbing the Spiritual Stone and throws it a fist towards Mu Chen while her other hand grabs the nket tightly to stop that degenerate hand of his. Just that, in the chaos of her iling her arms and legs, he manages to get in a few touchoff her warm and soft body.


    Lu Chen immediately jumps away from that warm bed and walks towards the entrance of the room witrge steps. Opening the door, he steps out of the room. Behind him, the coy and angry voice of a woman echoes, Damn it, there isnt a good man out there. Remember this!


    The refreshing morning wind blows from the faraway tea mountain, touchingthe surface of the clear water of a flowing stream, creating a series of ripples. Then, it brushes by the green bamboos and delicate peach blossoms on both sides of the coast, giving a tinge of fragrance to it. Then, it flits past the Feng Yu Bridge which has algae growing on it, past the dam along the stream, past the bluestone road by the stream and finally, lightly caresses the body of those walking under the morning sun.


    Lu Chen stretches his body as he releases a yawn from his mouth. A satisfied smile appears on his face. He looks around his surroundings. This vige which was peaceful in the morning is the ce he is staying at currently.


    This ce is known as Clear Stream Valley. The origin of its name came from the meandering clear stream that flows slowly and steadily through the vige. Other than the deepke under the tea mountain where the water flows from, the deepest part of stream reaches up only ones knees. On sunny days, the children of many different valleys would y in its water.


    There are many pebbles in the clear stream and theye in different sizes and many differing and bizarre shapes. There are often some unknown fish swimming between these pebbles, ying around leisurely.


    On the both sides of the coast of the river, there are many peach blossom trees and green bamboos. When spring arrives, the scenery here would be magnificent. Green bamboo leaves coupled with pink peach blossoms reflecting off the clear stream, creating a beautiful picture of the mountainous vige.


    Lu Chen wanders around and hears the crisp chirping of the birds. In the distance, the call of the roosters echoes and the many residencesof the farmers on both sides of the streams appear before him. It is slightly messy without any certain order to it, but it gave the scenery the carefree touch of the countryside.


    Around this time, the residents of Clear Stream Vige are already out of their homes. Walking around the vige, Lu Chen meets quite a few people on the road by the clear stream. To them, he either nods or greets them with a smile on his face. It seems like he is quite familiar with most of the vigers here.


    After walking quite a distance, rge chinese schr tree appears between the bluestone road and stream in front of him. It is lush with long branches and plentiful of leaves on it. There is arge rock below the tree and a fisherman wearing a coir raincoat is seated on top of it with a fishing pole in his hands.


    Lu Chen walks over to his side and looks into the fish cage ced on the floor. As he expected, it is empty. He couldnt help but chuckle, Old Yu, how many times have I told you? The fishes in this stream are too small. Not only will they notgrow big, they are also hard to fish. If you want to fish, it would be best for you to go to theLittle Pearl River five miles away from the vige, or you could climb the tea mountain and head to the Dragon Lake on the west. Over there, you will be able to catch big fishes.


    The fisherman turns a little stiffly to look at him. It is an old man whose hair is partly dyed white. He slowly says, There are big fishes in this stream. I have seen them before.


    Lu Chenughs as he picks up a pebble by his foot and throws it into the stream.<em>Putong</em>, water sshes, creating ripples on the surface of the river. He smiles towards the old fisherman and says, I have been living here for so many years but other than the few I have seen in the cracks between the pebbles, I have never seen any big fishes in this river. You are talking gibberish, are you?


    The old fisherman didnt get angry at those words. He shakes his head and repeats his words, Xiao Lu, I am not lying to you, there really are fishes in the water.


    Lu Chenughs heartily, as though talking withthis fisherman called Old Yu made him happy. He lightly pats on Old Yus shoulders before turning around and walking awaywithrge steps, leaving Old Yu to sit alone under thatrge tree. Aftera short daze, he retrieves the fishing line and throws it in an arc in the air into the water, waiting quietly and peacefully for a fish to bite on the hook.


    Along the road, he walks another 30 meters and sees a few buildings built together. There are a few bamboo trees growing at the side of the wall. The building at the end has a g nting outwards of it. On top of the g, the fading word of alcohol is written on it.


    Lu Chen casually pushes the door. The door creaks as it opens. Then, from the interior of the house, an frustratedvoice echoes, Hey, have you ever seen a tavern opening at such an early timing?


    Without any care, Lu Chen continues walking into this nameless tavern. He sees many chairs still stacked upside-down on top of the table, seemingly the look of it when it closed yesterday. He made himself at home as he retrieves a stool by the window and sits on it. Then, he grins, I am not here to drink.


    By the wall of the little tavern, behind the counter, a figure slowly sits up, revealing a plump and prosperous face of a gentle-looking middle aged man. He stares at Lu Chen and asks curiously, Oh? Then thats weird. If you arent here to drink, then why would you enter my tavern?


    Lu Chen pats his stomach and says, I am starving from being busy for an entire night. Cook a bowl of noddle for me!


    That gentle old man humphs and replies, I only sell alcohol. I dont sell cooked noodles.


    Lu Chenughs and says, I dont intend to buy it from you. There will be noodle anyway even if I dont buy up. Hurry up.


    After a short moment, a bowl of steaming onion egg noodles appears in front of Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen sighs in amazement. He grabs the chopsticks and starts eating in big mouthfuls. While eating, he speaks with a muffled voice, Old Ma, your skills have improved once again. This noodle is really not bad. Speaking truthfully, if it wasnt for your alcohol and food here for the past 10 years, I really dont know how I can survive here.


    Old Ma grabs a cloth from the back of the counter and walks over, taking stool after stool down from the table to wipe them. At the same time, he smiles and says to Lu Chen, Stop fooling around. Even if my alcohol and food are awful that even dogs refuse to approach it, you still can eat it nonchntly.


    Lu Chen continues eating in big mouthfuls, as though he didnt hear those words of Old Ma.


    Old Ma isnt bothered over it as well. After wiping all of the stools in this little tavern, by the time he turns around to look, the table in of Lu Chen only has an empty bowl remaining.


    <em>The refreshing morning wind blows from the faraway tea mountain.</em>


    TL: Tea mountain probably refers to, quite a beautiful scenery.


    <em>past the bluestone road by the stream</em>


    TL: This kind of


    <em>rge chinese schr tree appears between the bluestone </em>


    TL: The name of thesounds bad it is actually kinda pretty also. It is also known as the japanese pagoda tree.


    <em>fisherman wearing a coir raincoat</em>


    TL: Damn it why are there so many descriptive phrases. Anyway,.


    <em>Xiao Lu, I am not lying to you, there really are fishes in the water.</em>


    TL: Xiao means small, it is like amon way to call someone younger than you. For example, your name is John, so an elder may call you Xiao John (Ok it sounds weird but thats is the gist of it)


    Actually, although theres no action, I think I kind of like the peacefulness :O Makes me want to live by the countryside. But nay, I think bloodshed probably wille soon

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Posted onby


    Lu Chen burps as he touches his stomach, satisfied. He grins, It tastes not bad, it was good eating it.


    Old Ma nces at him as he casually keeps the noodle bowl. He says calmly, You went to look for Ding Dang against night?


    Lu Chen lies on the wall as he crosses his leg casually. Tilting his face, he looks towards Old Ma and smiles, Why? Are you interested in her as well?


    Old Ma humphs and replies, Just a material woman, I am not interested.


    Lu Chen rolls his eyes and says, A material woman is still a human. She just wants to have a good life, right? Besides, she isnt the type of person who allows anyone to get on her bed. At the very least, she must be satisfied with the person. After saying that, he nces at Old Ma and continues, Looking at your fleshy body, Ding Dang probably isnt interested in you.


    Old Ma cups his hand and says, Thank you, thank you. I hope that thedy would never be interested in me.


    Lu Chen bursts intoughter as he reprimands jokingly, You fellow, why are you so against an woman over nothing?


    The two men were speaking when the world outside the tavern starts to grow lively. As time passes, the warm sun finally rises above the pinnacle of the tea mountain and bathes this vige which is at the foot of the tea mountain with its rays. This vige also seem to have officially awoken and all kinds of sound starts to appear.


    Lu Chen sits in the tavern while listening to these sounds for a moment before suddenly speaking, These two days, the vigers seem to be much more busy than they are usually. Is it about time for the Thousand Autumn Doors to send someone down to collect rations and tea leaves?


    Old Ma ponders over it and replies, It is around that time. It is the 6th day of the 3rd month. Another four more days, that is the 10th day of the 3rd month, the men of the Thousand Autumn Doorswould arrive.


    Lu Chen looks a little excited, They are finallying. If theye anyter, the Spiritual Stones on me would have been spent finish.


    Old Maughs and a hint of contempt appears on his face.


    In the current era, the art of cultivating flourishes in the Center Divine Continent. There are countless sects of cultivators. Many big and small families of cultivators upy innumerable beautiful caves,nd and mountains. They recruit widely for disciples as they tirelessly cultivate on the path of an immortal.


    Originally, the Clear Stream Vige is only a normal little vige. However, hundred years ago, the South Pine Mountain tenmiles away was upied by someone and he founded his own sect, the Thousand Autumn Doors. To date, it has be the most powerful sect in a 300 mile radius.


    Precisely so, the Clear Stream Vige which is justten miles away became part of the sphere of influence of the Thousand Autumn Doors. At the same time, as this is a path that one needs to cross to reach the South Pine Mountain, this vige gradually became prosperous.


    To men of the mortal world, the cultivators who cultivate in the path of an immortal is the same as a deity. Naturally, the Thousand Autumn Doors which is the most powerful sect within 300 miles possesses the status simr to an emperor here.


    At the same time, other than cultivating and training their own body and skills, they often require the aid of Spirit Medicine. In Clear Water Vige, the water is clear, the ground is fertile and the airrich in Spiritual Energy. Thus, it is developed by the the Thousand Autumn Doors as an importannd of production  The plot in front of the vige grows Spirit Grain whereas the plot at the back of the vige grows Spirit Tea. On a fixed day and time at the start of every month, someone woulde to collect the harvests as well as pay the farmers Spiritual Stones.


    Lu Chen lies on the window of the tavern and looks at the scenery of the vige which is gradually bing more and more lively along with the faces of hope of those walking by. Suddenly, he turns back and to the tavern boss who, at some point, took out a gourd of wine, he says, Old Ma, why exactly do these men work so hard to grow those things and try their hardest to save their fortunes?


    Old Ma replies calmly, Arent you spouting nonsense? Of the men outside, who doesnt wish to be an immortal and live forever? The reason why they work so hard to rue Spiritual Stones, isnt it just so they can visitthe Immortal Discerning Mirror of the Thousand Autumn Doors once to see if they have the talent to cultivate?


    Lu Chen pouts, Isnt the Thousand Autumn Doors a little stingy? It is just an extremely normal discerning mean and yet they demand for a thousand Spiritual Stones from every single person who uses it. How many people were forced to their death because of it? I have personally seen quite a few people in this vige who only seeded in gathering a thousand Spiritual Stones when they are 50 to 60 years old. Then, heading to the Thousand Autumn Doors, they spent their life savings just to look at the Immortal Discerning Mirror just to realise that they do not have the talent for cultivation. As for the rest, although it might be possible for them to cultivate, they ended up getting sent back due to their advanced age. In the end, some of them cried to the point of turning mad. Just like that, their entire lives are ruined.


    Old Ma shrugs and replies, This method may not bea little underhanded but it is still barely eptable. At the very least, it doesnt look that bad on the surface. It is good enough that they do not force them to work as ves.


    Lu Chen breaks intoughter as he stands up, Such a rare sight, to think that you would speak up for this kind of unorthodoxsects.


    Old Ma replies calmly, On the Ten Thousand Immortal Board promulgated by the Immortal Alliance, the Thousand Autumn Sect is already considered a primary middle-tier sect, thus joining the ranks of the sects of cultivators under the Immortal Alliance, so they can no longer be considered as a small unorthodox sect.


    The heck! Lu Chen is shocked that his eyes widen. He stares at Old Ma and continues, It cant be, I dont think that this kind of trashy sect has the qualifications though?


    Old Ma pours himself a cup of wine and smiles in reply, Aftersending 50000 Spiritual Stones to the <em>Kuangbo Zhenjun</em>of the Immortal Alliance, they becamesufficiently qualified.


    Oh ho! This time, Lu Chen is even more surprised. He assesses the slightly plump tavern boss in front of him from head to toe and reprimands jokingly, Good fellow, it seems that you werentzing off daily in the vige like me. How can you still remain so well-informed?


    Old Ma smiles without saying anything. He raises his cup and downs it in one go. A mysterious<em>you know it</em>smile appears on his face.


    Lu Chen looks away and scolds him, Acting so sneaky, how many things are you hiding from me?


    Old Ma immediately shakes his head and says, Nothing. Its not like you dont know my situation here


    Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of an argument could be heard from the outside. It caused quite a stir, breaking the peaceful atmosphere of the vige in the instant. It seems as though something big is about to happen.


    Lu Chen and Old Ma frowns as they nce outside. After a brief moment, Lu Chen says, It seems to being from the direction of where the vige head is.


    Old Ma says, You stay here, I will go take a look.


    Lu Chen shakes his head and replies, Lets go together.


    Old Ma wants to persuade him otherwise but looking at Lu Chens expression, he hesitates for a moment and decides against saying anything.


    The two of them walk out of the tavern and heads to the vige. On the way, they see quite a few vigers rushing in the same direction. There are looks of surprise and excitement on their face, as though they have heard of some special news.


    <em>Just a material woman, I am not interested.</em>


    TL: If I were to simplify further, material woman -> prostitute. But, the author uses less strong words so I followed suit, albeit it not being very appropriate. But, it fits the tone.


    <em>Kuangbo Zhenjun</em>


    TL: It is a title of a person.


    <em>Kuangbo</em>-> Extensive. Probably refers to his knowledge. Should be an intelligent man.<em>Zhenjun</em>-> Has the idea of a lord or a mister.


    So, probably Mister Extensive or Lord Extensive? But, no way man. There is no way I will put that in so I will keep<em>Kuangbo Zhenjun</em>first.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Posted onby


    After walking two steps, Old Ma suddenly catches sight of a nearby viger who often drinks at the tavern and grabs him, asking, What happened ahead? Why is there such a ruckus?


    The viger refuses to stop and continues to move ahead. He speaks loudly, It seems that a few lord deities from the Thousand Autumn Door have found an evil remnant of the Three Realm Divine Cult who sneaked in here. At this moment, they are engaging him outside the vige.


    Old Mas body jolts as he subconsciously released his grip. He turns around and looks towards Lu Chen, who is beside him.


    He sees his friend frowning slightly with an indifferent look, just that a bizarre light has lit up in his eyes.


    Old Ma takes a deep breath and speaks softly, Lets return.


    Lu Chen looks at him and replies calmly, If you were to return now, wont it seem weird to the others?


    Old Ma eyebrows lock together. He looks at the surroundings and sees that everyone in vige are heading towards the direction of the vige head. At this moment, if the both of them were to turn around all of the sudden, it would make them stand out. At this moment, Lu Chen pats his shoulder and says, Lets go. Well take a look together. After which, he continues walking forward.


    Behind him, Old Ma sighs helplessly and catches up.


    The two man walks to the entrance of the Clear Stream Vige. The fields here are submerged in water, leaving only a 7mwide path leading to the outside. On the road 100m away from the vige entrance, five men dressed in simr clothes could be seen. One of them has a cut over his chest and fresh blood is flowing out of the wound, dyeing half of his body in red. However, judging from how he is holding a sharp sword tightly in his hands, it seems he has to yet to give up. The other four surrounds him from different directions. They are holding sharp des in their hands as they gaze at him in contempt and disdain.


    Lu Chen and Old Ma stands in an inconspicuous position among the crowd as they watch the spectacle. The clothes of the five people are indeed what disciples of the Thousand Autumn Door wear normally and of the four who are surrounding them, three of them are youths and the fourth a middle-aged man. Thefifth manwho is injured looks like he is in his early twenties. He should be the remnant of the Three Realm Divine Cult who is being pursued.


    Old Ma scans his surroundings with his peripheral vision. Most of the people among the crowd are watching the battle with eagerness and a little tension in their eyes. No one were paying attention to the two of them. Thus, he silently nudges Lu Chen, a clear questioning look appearing in his gaze.


    Lu Chen stares at the youth for a moment and not saying a word, he shakes his head lightly.


    For some unknown reason, Old Ma heaves a sigh of relief.


    At this moment, the middle-aged man leading the other three from the Thousand Autumn Door points his sword towards the youth and bellows coldly, Miscreant! Even at the verge of death, do you still not repent?


    The youth is heavily injured. Several emotions shes across his face as heughs sadly, Teacher, I have treated you with respect all along and served you properly. I have never done you any injustice. Why must you treat me so?


    The middle-aged man frowns, slight hesitation appearing on his face. It seems that he is quite fond of this youth, so he suddenly found himself unable to make up his mind at this moment.


    <em>Putong</em>, the youth suddenly kneels on the floor and discards the sword in his hands. He inches forward and whimpers, Teacher, teacher, I know that Im wrong. Please spare me


    The middle-aged man sighs regretfully as the sword in his hands slumps. He says, Our sect has strict rules, not to mention the orders from the Immortal Alliance. There is nothing I can do. If only you didnt go down the wrong path. But, forget it. Given how you were once my disciple, I will


    As he speaks, the crowd around him listens attentively. However, in a certain cornerin the crowd, Lu Chen suddenly humphs. Old Ma beside him is surprised by his actionand turns to look at him. Right at that moment, someone suddenly shouts, <em>Shishu</em>, be careful!


    The middle-aged cultivators body jolts. Before he could even react, the kneeling youth suddenly whips out a knife from his sleeves as he pounces upwards, stabbing it into his abdomen.


    This assault is violent and cruel. Even though the middle-aged cultivator is significantly stronger than him, as it happened to quickly, he couldnt avoid it, resulting in him falling for this sneak attack.


    However, the middle-aged man is still quite highly cultivated after all. With a furious roar, the muscles on his body contracts and with a simple palm, he sends that unfilial disciple flying before he staggers three steps backwards. He is just about to bellow when his voice went hoarse. When he looks down at his own body, he realises that the blood flowing from the wound is ck in color.


    There is venom on the knife! The crowd by the side exims. The other three Thousand Autumn Door disciples have already charged forward to attack the youth.


    The youth is severely injured, not to mention that he has discarded his original sword. He also didnt have the time to retrieve his short dagger after wounding the middle-aged man. With both of his hands empty, under the assault of three of his fellow peers, he is in a disadvantageous position. However, there isnt a hint of fear on his face. Rather,he seems to be demented,ughing madly before roaring loudly, The true god will descend and rule over the Three Realms! I will ascend to immortalhood in the future and head


    Before he could finish his swords, he has been cut through by a sh of sword. He falls to the ground. Following right after, the other Thousand Autumn Door disciples sends sh after sh onto his body. It seems that they hold deep hatred for this youth. In a blink of an eye, as blood and flesh stters around, under the bright sun, the youth is reduced into a lump of meat.


    Immediately afterwards, the three youth turn back and gather around the middle-aged man who fell for the sudden attack and is currently lying on the floor Looking at his wound, they exchange gazes, a look of fear appearing on their face.


    Even at this moment, the middle-aged man remains calm and speaks softly and hoarsely, Return back to the mountain.


    Only then did the three youths respond and quickly nods their head in agreement. Then, one of them carries the middle-aged cultivator while the other two serves as bodyguards. They rush their way back. No one paid any heed to the remnant of the Three Realm Divine Cult who was killed.


    From the point when they heard the news and rushed out to witnessing this intense fight, not much time has passed. However, the brutality and treachery that is involved in the fight left behind quite a bit of shock to the group of mortals witnessing it. It took a period of timebefore the vigers gradually dispersed. At the same time, discussions start to arise and most of them are about the mysterious Three Realm Divine Cult.


    There are quite a few people who are aware of this as this isnt really a secret. They made use of this opportunity to exin it to the youngster who werent very familiar with the Three Realm Divine Cult. The main gist of it being that the Three Realm Divine Cult is a cult with a long history behind them, believing in the existence of the realm of god, human and spirit. That is also where the name of the cult originated from.


    <em>someone suddenly shouts, Shishu, be careful!</em>


    TL:<em>Shishu refers to your teachers senior/junior. Due to theck of proper English trantions for these phrases, I will keep them in Chinese.</em>


    <em>Anyway, if the word shi appears, it sort of means he is addressing a person from the same sect etc as him.</em>


    <em>The second word refers to the title. For example, shu means uncle, so shishu literally means an uncle from the same sect (Uncle as in seniority)</em>


    <em>Since di means little brother, shidi means your male junior in the sect</em>


    <em>Jie means big sister so shijie means your female senior in the sect</em>

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    It is said that there are many fanatics among the disciples of the Three Realm Divine Cult. They believe that as long as they break throughthe Realm Barrier and respectfully invite for the descend of a god, they would be able to unite the Three Realms. As such, theymittedmany bizarre and out-of-ce actions. Blood drips from their sinful hand and they have poisoned many civilians. Such actions made people term them as a Demonic Cult,causing them to meet with obloquy.


    Many years ago, this cult is listed as the most dangerous evil cult by the Immortal Alliance and theymandedthe world for their deaths. Ever since, they have never been seen on the surface. Instead, they started working in the shadows even to date. It is said that many of their cultists have slipped into innumerable cultivator sects under the Immortal Alliance and perpetratedmany insidious and vile actions, causing serious trouble for the orthodox sects.


    The discussions of the crowd gradually disperses and no one bothers with the corpse of the dead remnant of the Three Realm Divine Cult. Anyway, someone would clean up after awhile.


    Old Ma and Lu Chen stands at the very back of the crowd. They walk slowly back to the vige and Old Ma whispers, How is it?


    Lu Chens face is expressionless. Without any change in his intonation, he says, A bunch of lunatics!


    Returning back at the vige, the clear stream, the green bamboos, the peach blossoms as well as the green hills in the distance, the calm and graceful scenery seems to block out the sight of bloodshed from a moment ago, making people subconsciously perceive the danger to be far away from them.


    After walking for quite a distance on the bluestone pavement, Lu Chen suddenly sees a fork in the road up ahead. Alight shade of pink fills the branches of a peach blossom tree. A lively and beautifuldy stands below the tree. For an instant, it is hard to tell whether her face or the peach blossom is even more beautiful. Thedy is Ding Dang.


    As wind blows, a few flower petal falls. Her light robe sways along with it, giving her an ethereal atmosphere, like an immortal who couldnt be soiled by the dirt of earth.


    The vigers walking by notices this view and quite a few men turn their head backwards for multiple times. Lustful expressions even appeared on some young men. Even so, most people choose to hurry past her, there isnt anyone who approaches her to engage her.


    In this instant, Lu Chen speaks seriously to Old Ma, There is only a few days left before the collection of the tea leaves. I also have to go and reap my harvest. You should return by yourself first.


    Old Ma reprimands him, Bullshit! Do you think that I am blind?


    Lu Chen chuckles, Then, do you want to reap the harvestwith me?


    Old Ma smiles coldly, Dont say that I didnt warn you. Make sure not to y yourself to death! After saying his piece, hewalks away with big and slow steps with his hands behind his back.


    Lu Chen smiles as he looks at Old Mas back figure before walking straight towards the peach blossom tree and says, What happened? I recall you saying that you wanted toze in bed. To think that you would run out to watch the spectacle?


    Ding Dang rolls her eyes and gazes towards theend of the vige and says, I felt that something was amiss while listening to the racket outside, so I wanted to take a look. However, just as I was walking there, everyone started to walk back. So, what happened outside the vige?


    Lu Chen speaks of the incident to her and Ding Dang gasps, a fearful look appearing on her face as she says, Ah? Isnt that person a disciple of the Thousand Autumn Doors as well?Didnthe cultivate the arts of immortals, how could he just die like that?


    Lu Chen bursts intoughter as he pats Ding Dangs head lightly and chides her, The words that you said, on what basis would a cultivator who has trained in daoist arts be unable to die?


    Shoo shoo shoo! Ding Dang scolds him angrily while smacking away Lu Chens ws which were taking advantage of her. Then, a look of expectation and depression appears on her face as she says, But Isnt the reason why we dream about bing cultivators to walk on the path of an immortal is so that we could live forever and ascend to the heavens to be gods? It is so difficult for him to earn such an opportunity, so he should have cultivated peacefully and live his life honestly. Why are there still so many troublesome things urring?


    Tsk, how much have you only seen, for you to bementing here. Lu Chen nces at her and says, Let me tell you what you missed just now. The dead person outside the vige just now suffered seven swordsfrom his front and his back. One sword chopped off his hands, two prated his abdomen, one broke his ribcage and three more stuck his face. This caused his blood to stter around as the distinction between flesh and blood blurs. In the end, what is left is a heap of flesh that could no longer be identified as one of a humans


    Aiya! Ding Dangs face pales and she covers her ears with both her hands. Paying no attention to her elegance and grace, she sends a kick towards Lu Chen, Shut up! Shut up! Shut up bweh!


    Looking at how she clutches her heart in an attempt to vomit, Lu Chenughs heartily before holding back his smile and speaks with an unreadable expression on his face, If you cant even take this much, how would you survive if an opportunity to enter one of the sects of cultivators presents in front of you?


    Pui! Ding Dang gasps for air for a short moment. It was difficult for her to struggle out of that terrifying imagination. She stares angrily at Lu Chen and says, Rubbish! What kind of ce do you think those immortal sects are, how could they be as terrifying as you describe them to be? Besides, you are also a mortal yourself. After talking so much, beware of a passing immortal elder capturing you to punish you for your words.


    Lu Chen shrugs without borating anymore on the subject. He smiles and says, Forget it. A few dayster, the Thousand Autumn Sect would be sending down their people to collect Spirit Tea and Spirit Grains. I also need to go to the tea mountains to collect some Spirit Tea to exchange for Spiritual Stones.


    Ding Dangs eyes sparkle, How is the harvest recently? How many Spiritual Stones can we trade for?


    Lu Chen looks at her and chuckles, Look at how agitated you are, how many Spiritual Stones have you collected? How far are you away from a thousand?


    Ding Dang humphs and says, There is no way I would tell you. Anyway,e and visit me if you have Spiritual Stones. Otherwise, scram.


    Lu Chen smiles, I say, there are quite a fewpeople working in Clear Stream Vige nowadays and most of them are males. As long as you are willing to lower your demands, it shouldnt be difficult for you to reach a thousand.


    Damn you! Do you think that I am that casual of a person? Ding Dangshes out. However, looking at how Lu Chen nods his head continuously, Ding Dang blushes. She couldnt resist sending another kick towards him and says furiously, Smelly man, why are you always provoking my ire? Do you think that I am not aging fast enough?


    Lu Chen avoids and smiles faintly, Spiritual Stones is an object that we are born without and will depart without. All along, I use them quite casually. However, for those working in this vige, most probably intend to save up for a trip to the Thousand Autumn Doors for the Immortal Discerning Mirror. So, most of them lust for you but none arewilling to knock on your door?


    Ding Dang humphs, Why do you speak of it when you know it clearly. Those despicableds, constantly thinking about how to take advantage of me for free. All along, I have been kicking them out of my room. In the end, those gutless fellows started to gossip about me behind my back. She pauses for a moment. Unable to contain her curiosity, she questions, Hey, smelly man. Previously, I didnt think much about it but now that you have said it, it does seem a little weird. Why does everyone pray so desperately for that single chance but yet you are so nonchnt about it?


    Lu Chen stares at Ding Dang with a smiling face. Ding Dang frowns. She suddenly feels her heart turning cold.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Posted onby


    But, Ding Dangs difort disappears in a sh. After a short moment, Lu Chen flicks his hands with a smile and says, It is easy to find Spiritual Stones, but a beauty like you is hard toe by. If there is a chance to approach such beauty, it is an opportunity I cannot pass by.


    Ding Dangs face flushes red as she rolls her eyes before turning around to leave.


    Lu Chen watches as she returns back to that house in the distance. Then, he turns around and walks back in his original path. When he passes by thatrge chinese schr tree, he sees that the old fisherman named Old Yu is still sitting under the shade of the tree fishing. It seems that he is the only one in the vige who remained nonchnt to the spectacle thatjust happened.


    However, at this moment, other than the old fisherman, he found Old Ma standing behind Old Yu, scanning the clear stream in front of him.


    Lu Chen walks over by Old Mas side and says, There is no fish in this stream.


    Old Ma doesnt seem surprised in the least by his sudden appearance. Instead, he points to the gaps between those rocks in the clear stream and replies, This time, you are speaking nonsense. Look, there are many fishes over there.


    Lu Chen looks with an annoyed expression at a leisurely swimming gray-ck little fish which is even smaller than his finger. He sighs and says, I am saying, there isnt the big fish which Old Yu wants to catch here.


    Old Ma ponders and replies, Youre right.


    The two man walk side by side along the coast of the clear stream. The spring breeze tickle their face,bringing them apleasant and rxing sensation. While walking, Old Ma suddenly mentions, That woman named Ding Dang, if she were to really collect a thousand Spiritual Stones, pass the test of the Immortal Discerning Mirror out of sheer luck and be a cultivator under the Thousand Autumn Sects, what do you think would be the first thing she would do?


    Lu Chen looks at the green mountains in the distance. A faint smile creeps onto the corner of his lips as he replies, Oh, trying her best to cultivateso that she could achieve immortality?


    Old Ma nces at him and says, I think that after she starts cultivating, the first thing she would do is to creep back here and kill you, the man whom she had a rtionship with.


    Lu Chenughs as he pats Old Mas shoulders. He replies, Old Ma, why are your thoughts so pessimistic? She is just a woman and she didnt provoke you at all. Why are you soagainst her? Besides, those things have yet to happen, so who could say for sure? In my opinion, after Ding Dang starts cultivating, she mightstart to reminisce her past rtionship with me and return here to enlightenme and bring me to the mountains to cultivate. What do you say? Saying those words, he couldnt resist butugh heartily.


    Old Maughs coldly and ignores him. After walking a few more steps, he sees the fork in the road leading to the little tavern just ahead. He suddenly speaks inly, You know that I am right.


    Lu Chens footsteps halt for a moment. He walks towards the fork in the road and turns back with a smile on his face, It isnt early anymore. You should return back to your little tavern. I will go back home to enjoy my sleep.


    Old Ma stares at him, You have seen much more than me. Why do you pretend not to see them?


    Lu Chen eyelids droops slightly. After a moment in solemnity, he replies, Seeing more, I would like to try to be more open. This way, at least I would be able to live a little morefortably.


    He shrugs and continues, Otherwise, even if I continue living, it might just be worse than death. So, I might as well make myself a little more happy.


    Finishing his piece, Lu Chenughs. He looks cheerful and happy. By the side of the river, in the embrace of the spring breeze, under the green bamboos and the peach blossoms, he waves his hand towards Old Ma and turns around to leave.


    Old Ma stares at his back figure and shakes his head. A hint ofmentation reveals on his face, just that he chooses to remain silent.


    After leaving Old Ma, Lu Chen continues on the path along the clear stream, all the way until he reaches the foot of the mountain. He could see a lonely straw cottage by the side of the foot of the mountain. Slightly further, there is a deeprgeemeraldke. That is the origin of the clear stream.


    At this moment, it is unknown where did Lu Chen pluck a bamboo leave from, but he chews it in his mouth. It has a slightly bitter and refreshing taste which stimtes his taste buds. He continues to walk leisurely towards the straw cottage.


    Just that, 30 meters away from the straw cottage, his body suddenly trembles. He staggers and almost falls onto the ground. Fortunately, there is a peach blossom tree just by the road. Lu Chen grabs on the bark of the tree. Due to the excessive force he exerts, the peach blossom tree shakes and countless pink flower petals falls, producing the sight of a colorful and enchanting spring rain.


    Lu Chen suddenly widens his mouth as the muscles on his face distorts. He seems to be screaming loudly, reminiscent ofthe roar of an injured wild beast. However, bizarrely, no matter how wide his mouth opens, not a single noise escapes from his mouth.


    Following which, his entire body starts to tremble uncontrobly, as though he is plunged into unimaginable pain.


    Without a single premonition, two balls of fire suddenly zes within the pair of ck pupils of his.


    ck mes!


    The ck mes burn frenziedly, just like that night of that year!


    After the sudden emergence of the ck mes in Lu Chens eyes, in various parts of his body underneath his shirt, anunusual deep sound seems to echo at the very same moment. It sounds like the friction between bones, as well as the scream of agony of the flesh and blood, sendinga shiver down ones spine.


    Lu Chen takes in a deep breath as he grinds his teeth before walking in big steps towards the straw cottage at the bottom of the mountain. His staggering steps looks as though every single step would bring him intense pain.


    Barely walking a few steps, bizarre ck inscriptions could be vaguely seen on his exposed skin, face, neck, hands and such. Studying closely at it, it seems to form a picture.


    Like a burning inferno.


    Lu Chen pants as he sprints withrge steps. The distance to the straw cottage reduces and reduces. However, the mysterious phenomenon that is urring on his body seems to trigger all of a sudden.


    In an instant, on the skin at his nape, a ball of peculiar ck mes gushesout from beneath his skin and starts to burn. In just ablink of an eye, the blood and flesh by the ck mes chars.


    Lu Chen howls as his body trembles. He almost trips to the floor. However, courage and willpower seems to rushinto him from some unknown source. Under the excruciating pain of self-immtion, he forcibly wills himself to remain standing as he continues running in front towards the straw cottage, as though that ordinary looking straw cottage holdshis straw of hope.


    As time passes, Lu Chens condition seems to be deteriorating at every single instant. ck mes continue to appear from every single corner from his body. The next moment, it appears on theback of his hand, then his chest, his back, top of his head, thigh, calf, as though there isnt a single part of his body that is spared. When Lu Chen finally reaches the entrance of the straw cottage, it looks as though his entire body has been consumed by the ck mes.


    He pushes open the door of the straw cottage and dashes in. The door opens and shuts immediately afterwards. Despite being immersed in the excruciating pain of being incinerated by the ck mes, he still pauses for a moment suddenly. Then, from a certain location from the top, a stalk of unexceptional gray grass stem floats down.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    The grass stem reflects in his pupils which are dominated by the ck mes. Lu Chen growls deeply before rushing quickly to the only wooden bed in the cottage and lieson it.


    The wooden bed looks simple, but neat. There is bedding stacked at the top of the bed. It isnt very clear where Lu Chen touched the bed at but the entire bed flips over after a low rumble, sending him down beneath the bed. In an instant, this straw cottage plunges into silence. In the emptiness, not a single sound is made.


    While he is still tumbling in midair, Lu Chen who is already in excruciating pain from the ck mes couldnt help but roar deeply. Complete darkness appears beforehim. As his body continues to fall downwards uncontrobly, he suddenly strikes his heart violently with his right hand.


    No sound and no motion. There doesnt seem to be a single ripple in the darkness. However, the figure that was falling downwards in the darkness withck mes scorching his flesh suddenly disappears.


    Just like that, disappearing in midair!


    In the next instant, a gray light illuminates Lu Chens sight. A momentter, his body crashes heavily onto the floor and a muffled thump could be heard.


    The ck me is still burning heartlessly on his body of blood and flesh. Every single inch of his body is charred ck and he is already on the verge of being reduced to a pile of ashes. In this instant, his surrounding has turned into a mysterious chamber which barely had the length and width of six meters and a height of three meters.


    The surroundings look like an incredibly thick log which is connected together as one. The log is mottled and the ancientness of it is apparent, as though it has passed through countless eons. At the same time, envelopedby a green mist, the wooden walls look slightly blurry. This location seem to be a hollow of an ancient tree.


    In this hollow, there is barely twometers or so of empty space. In the middle, there is a puddle of water which takes up half of the space while the rest of it is solidnd. In the puddle of water, there is a glint of emerald in the clear water. The water is still, not moving in the slightest. It is difficult to gauge its depth with just a single sight. The water looks reminiscent ofa crystal clear jasper stone. Just that, an incredibly intense and refreshing aura of vitality seems to be emitting from the puddle of clear water.


    At this moment, thend Lu Chen falls onisnt too far away from the puddle. After being incinerated by ck mes, he doesnt even possessthe strength to stand up at this instant. Even so, lying on the floor, he struggles with all his might and rolls his body. Turning two rounds,<em>hu</em>, his entire body falls into the water.


    <em>Hu</em>!


    That is a very peculiar sound which suddenly sounds by his ear, as though isting him from the rest of the world, as though there is no one but him left in the world. Faint ripples were created by currents of the water.Countless transparent air bubbles of different sizes floats up before his gaze. A refreshing sensation nestles up to his body, gradually suppressing that fearsome and intense burning sensation.


    This water puddle is much deeper than expected. However, its size is exactly as it looks. Lu Chen couldnt even straighten his body. He huddles his body together, just like a frightened child hiding in this iparably silent water, allowing the flow of water to wash his body. The seemingly gentle hands seem to be consoling his wounded soul.


    Even in the water, the ck mes on Lu Chens body didnt extinguish. The ck mes still continue to burn. However, as though subdued by the mystical vitality of this pond of water, the ck mes begin to wither before slowly retracting back into Lu Chens skin. It gradually diminishes and weakens, until all of it disappears without a trace into his body.


    The water waves embrace him and at a pace visible to the eyes, the ring wounds on Lu Chens body which were left behind by the ck mes start to recoverback to its original form. Very quickly, it seemsas though nothing had happened, except for the overwhelming exhausted man.


    He huddles his body together tightly as he hides in this pool of water, not revealing his head for a very long period of time. In the silent water, his lips seem to be trembling slightly.


    He grinds his teeth and his expression warps, revealing a face of sorrow and pain. Under the glimpse of light through the water, he seems to be onthe verge of tears, yetforcibly bearing it,suppressing his voiceback in.


    He slowly raises his head. Looking upwardsthrough the light distorted by the ripples of the water from the bottom of the puddle, there is another world, blurred, as though it would forever remain so, and the ends of it couldnt be seen.


    The morning of the next day.


    The moon sets and the sun rises. When the rays of the morning sun falls upon this quiet vige again, just like always, the vige seems to suddenly wake up and bustle intomotion.


    Lu Chen yawns as he walks out from his straw cottage. He carefully shuts the wooden door before walking towards the vige at the bottom of the mountain.


    Old Yu is sitting beneaththe big chinese schr tree yet again, fishing his big fishes that he seemed to have no possibilityof catching. The crowds passing by walks in groups of two to three as they chatter andugh loudly. Most of them discussed about the matter of the Thousand Autumn Sects sending personnel over to collect Spirit Tea Leaves and Spirit Grains. There are also some passing remarks about the ughter which urred yesterday by the vige.


    After listening to those for a moment, Lu Chen found it boring. His stomach also starts to grumble, so he habitually walks towards the tavern.


    Although he came slightlyter than he did yesterday, Old Ma still didnt seem to be starting business soon. The door to the tavern is shut. However, to Lu Chen, this isnt a problem. He walks to the door,<em>peng peng</em>, he knocks twice beforeughing, Old Ma, time to open up for business.


    After a short moment, footsteps resound in the room as someone walks to the back of the door. Then, with a creaking sound, the door opens. Old Mas slightly plump body reveals from within.


    Lu Chen smiles as he pats Old Mas shoulders. He says, I am hungry. Cook something for me. After which, he walks past him. However, from behind, Old Ma coughs lightly.


    Lu Chens gaze solidifies as he scans the tavern. Then, he spots another figure sitting by another table in front in this early morning.


    From his appearance, he seems to bean elder in his fifties. His hair is dyed white and there is a warm smile on his face. He even nods his head upon catching sight of Lu Chen.


    Old Ma closes the door from his back andtches the bolt. Then, he walks to Lu Chens side and softly speaks, Sentinel Liu only arrived here this morning.


    Lu Chen nods his head. He walks over to the elder and grins. From the looks of it, their rtionship seems to be quite close. He even pats the elders shoulders and says, Old Liu, I thought you would onlye once a year. I remember it has only been half a year since youst came. Why, do you miss me?


    Hahahaha This old man surnamed Liu seemsvery amiable. He smiles towards Lu Chen and says, Little Lu, you sure know how to joke. However, I am here to conduct an inspection under the orders of Hall Master Xue, so I took this opportunity toe by and meet the both of you.


    For me, although it sounds weird, the author used -> 3.33meters.


    For area, it should have been.


    But since he used length instead of area, I will stick with the authors usage of words.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Jokes aside, looking at Old Lius half-serious smiling face, Lu Chen speaks with a serious tone, Whats the matter?


    Sentinent Liu chuckles, I am no longer young. Three months ago, I met with an ident during the midst of a patrol. I got injured while exchanging blows with someone else. Thinking back, I have been in the Immortal Alliance from the past few decades, so I am thinking of returning back to my hometown toretire.


    Lu Chen is slightly surprised and bbergasted. He says, Such a matter actually urred?


    Sentinent Liu smiles, Isnt that so. The Immortal Alliance and Hall Master Xue will send people to deal with the corresponding matters in the future. In the next few days, I will return back to the Immortal Alliance, finish my final bit of task remaining before retiring back to my homnd. From then on, I will rest in my sect without interfering in worldly affairs. Xiao Lu, we have known each other for ten years now. Today, I will be bidding you farewell. I hope that destiny would allow us to meet some other day.


    Lu Chen nods his head and cups his hands together, Thank you for your care thesest few years, I am grateful to you.


    Sentinent Liuughs and chats with Lu Chen for awhile more before standing up to leave.


    Lu Chen and Old Ma walk him to the entrance and gaze at him until he disappears in the distance. Lu Chen watches as Old Ma shuts the door. A heavy look appears on his plump face. Lu Chen smiles and questions, Why do you look as thoughyou have something you are worried about?


    Old Ma nces at him and questions back, Arent you worried at all?


    Lu Chen waves his hand and replies, Didnt I just tell you yesterday that as a human, what is important is to maintain an open mindset. Dont stifle everything in your heart. Only that way can you live morefortably. Speak, what are you worried about?


    Our superior said that he will be deducting the amount of Spiritual Stones they are giving out to you per month.


    <em>Peng</em>! A loud bang scared Old Ma. He sees Lu Chen smack the table as he stands up as he roars, Damn it! Which bastard actually dares to cross my path?


    TL: The exact phrase he used is that Who dares to anger a strong opponent!


    Old Ma sends him a sidelong nce. Lu Chen returns his nce and humphs coldly, Why are you looking at me for?


    Old Ma celebrates at his misfortune, The bastard you just scolded is<em>Tian zhenjun</em>.


    Lu Chen stuns for a moment before anger wells up in him once again. He roars angrily, Ishe that great just because he is a<em>zhenjun</em>? Is that old fellow trying to go against his words and fall out with me?


    Old Ma coughs and says, There are six great<em>zhenjun</em>and every single one of them are powerful individuals possessing incredible abilities. For you to beinsulting the<em>zhenjun</em>like that, it is hard to say whetherhe would be able to senseit.


    Lu Chen scoffs and he speaks coldly, I will scold him, what can he do? Tian that darned old man, the undying fogey, short legs long hands and fatter than pigs, a baldie filled with bad blood without a strand of hair!


    Old Ma stares in shock. He isnt able to say a single word for a long moment.


    Lu Chen surveys the surrounding, just to see the tavern still in a state of peace, as usual. It doesnt seem like some lightning would suddenly strike. Thus, he says to Old Ma, Look, that old man Tian isnt able to hear it. Otherwise, he probably heard my insults but isnt brave enough to speak up.


    Old Ma smiles bitterly as he persuades, Xiao Lu, it isnt good for you to always be acting like that


    Lu Chen rolls his eyes and replies, He wants to deduct my Spiritual Stone and you are still ming me for turning my back on him? Back then, didnt he say that he would allow me to livefortably for the rest of my life?


    Old Ma replies seriously, Back then, I was also there. I remember that the old<em>zhenjun</em>didnt say such words.


    Lu Chenshes out, Then, who was the one who said it? I remember those words very clearly.


    Old Ma points towards Lu Chens chest and says, You said it yourself.


    Lu Chen looksat Old Ma with doubt in his eyes. Then, he flicks his hand and says, Forget it, who would remember what happened ten years ago clearly. Lets not talk about it first. Anyway, it isnt eptable for my Spiritual Stones to be deducted!


    Old Ma sighs and says, I have just asked about it. Actually, the one whose Spiritual Stones got deducted isnt just you. All of the Shadows under Fleeting Cloud Division are all the same.


    Lu Chen stuns, maintaining a bizarre silence all of a sudden as he stares at Old Ma with a twinkle in his gaze.


    Old Ma feels ufortable from his staring and diverts his gaze.


    After a momentter, Lu Chens rage seems to disappear all of a sudden. The situation turnsseems exceptionally quiet. After a long time, he suddenly speaks, That darned old man is being forced into an awkward position by others?


    Old Maughs as a deste expression appears between his brows. He replies, The old<em>zhenjun</em>also didnt have a choice. The Immortal Alliance has been around for more than 3000 years. As a big family with great achievements, they naturally have many young talents under them. However, it is also filled withshameless flies who would do anything for fame. Thus, there is always insufficient Spiritual Stones. The Fleeting Cloud Division doesnt produce anything and none of their members can be seen. It only ims that it will take care of the unsung heroes of the Immortal Alliance without talking about the process in all. This is equal to wasting a giant fortune every year based on empty words. There have been many people in the Immortal Alliance who are unhappy with it.


    Lu Chen went silent. It took a moment before he shakes his head lightly, still remaining silent.


    Old Ma nces at him and sits down by his side. He mutters, In the end, you and I know that the old<em>zhenjun</em>feels guilt towards you. If it is possible, he wouldnt want to do you any injustice. However, if you are the only one whose portion isnt deducted, it would make you stand out. At that point, if it attracts the attention of others


    At this point, Old Ma stops for a moment before continuing once again, The Fleeting Cloud Division belongs under the g of Tian<em>zhenjun</em>in the Immortal Alliance. However, there are many people in the middle tiers such as the Hall Masters, Managers, Sentiments and Overseer. They number quite a few. Through all these years, the only ones who know your true identity and history have been me and<em>zhenjun</em>. Even Sentiment Liu who has been stalking you in the dark for ten years and Hall Master Xue who is in-charge of the matters of the division arent aware of the inside story. They onlythought that you are also one of those who managed to achieve some small deed and managed to dig your way into the Fleeting Cloud Disvision so as to earn a living as you wait for your death.


    Lu Chen suddenly grins, Old Liu has been treating me quite well these few years,though his behavior doesnt hold too much respect towards me.How did he know my identity on that level?


    Old Ma smiles bitterly as he shakes his head sighing, Logically, even your identity on that level shouldnt have been exposed. However, even though the Immortal Alliance looks powerful and influential now, its internal information is leakinglike a sieve filled with water. Thats why that old<em>zhenjun</em>is worried over it.


    Lu Chen ponders for a moment before questioning inly, Are those people still investigating?


    Old Ma hesitates for a moment before nodding his head, Yes. Back then, the battle has hurt the core of the demonic cult. Not mentioning how the secret formation of the God Descension Incantation has been destroyed, three of the five most important elders were killed. This grudge is a deep-seated one, impossible to be resolved. These few years, we have caught a few remnants of the demonic cult. Whenever we interrogate themabout this affair, they have all said that many of the demonic cult has infiltrated into the Immortal Alliance and the numerousrge sects and their first mission is to investigate the matter back then. They have to dig out the culprit, shred his corpse into ten thousand pieces and extract his soul to torture it.


    Lu Chen humphs and says to Old Ma, It is sufficient for you to just say exacting vengeance. There is no need for you to mentionshredding mycorpse into ten thousand pieces and extracting mysoul to torture it.


    Old Ma chuckles and says, Dont you feel that it sounds more imposing after adding a few more words?


    Pui! Lu Chen spits in annoyance. Then, he says, Hurry up and cook the noodles!


    Old Ma is dumbfounded, After hearing that arge group of vicious killers want to shred you into ten thousand pieces and you still want to eat noodles?


    Lu Chen stares at him with a nted eye, Stop the nonsense. My heart is still burning angrily from it. If you dont cook noodles for me now, I will crush your tavern.


    <em>Tian Zhenjun</em>


    Alright, a more borate exnation on Zhenjun. Zhenjun is a title given to daoist who are well-respected. In this case though, it is an official title and position. A founder of a certain Daoist religion has named the 12 core members under him as Zhenjun.


    <em>Tian</em>-> Rippling/billowing sky (Along that line)

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    In Old Mas heart, this tavern is much more important than a bowl of noodle. So, when Lu Chen opens the taverns door once again to leave, he touches his stomach and burps.


    Today, Clear Stream Vige is much more rowdy than usual. As the day of the harvest approaches, everyone starts to get busier. This vige specialises in the production of Spirit Tea Leaves and Spirit Grains. Although there is a spirit word in their names, they arent reallynatures treasures that would be very useful for a cultivatorscultivation to be an immortal.


    A truenatures treasure, simr to the treasures of cultivators, have spirit grades.On those spirit herbs, there would be unique andplete spirit marks. This is the concentration of the worlds five elements and the mystical effects of those spirit materials originates from it.


    For a spirit material, regardless of whether it is a spirit herb, spirit beast or spirit pill and medicine, the more spirit mark there is on it, the higher the grade of the spirit material. This is often coined in the world of cultivators as one-mark spirit object, two-mark spirit material and so.


    Usually, even the most ordinary one-mark spirit object possesses extraordinary effects and is valuable. Lest needs to be spoken about the spirit materials with even more spirit marks. Not only are they rare, their value cannot be measured. Often, they are searched for and fought over by cultivators all over the world.


    As for the Spirit Tea Leaves and Spirit Grains produced by the Clear Stream Vige, the reason why it is bought by a cultivator sect like Thousand Autumn Doors is because they possess spirit marks. However, the spirit marks on them arentplete. The spirit power that is contained in it is sub-par. There are actually a lot of materials like that, above that of ordinary materials yet below the minimum requirementto be considered one-mark spirit material. Some of them are useless whereas a portion of them are beneficial to cultivators. Thus, cultivators sect would send personnel downto purchase those which they set their eyes upon.


    Lu Chen has lived in the Clear Stream Vige for many years. All along, to the others, he has beenmaking a living through selling Spirit Tea Leaves. On top of that, he does possess2<em>mu</em>of tea field. He bought those when he first came to the vige.


    <em>2mu -> 1333m^2</em>


    Of course, Lu Chen doesnt know how to cultivate a Spirit Tea Tree. The only harvest he could collect from his plot ofnd is a fieldof wild grass. However, the true purposeof that plot ofnd is to conceal the Spirit Stones he ims from Old Ma every month for his daily expenses until his death.


    Thus, when Lu Chen looks at the excited and hopeful look on those who are working diligently on the fields, he couldnt help but feel a little sentimental. Pondering over it, it seems thatpared to these people, a little deduction on his monthly Spirit Stones doesnt seem like something he should get too upset over.


    Regardless of whether he is deceiving himself or he is simply using it as an excuse to make himself slightly happier, Lu Chens feels his mood lifting slightly. As he walks around, he unknowingly moves towards the end of the vige.


    By the time he realises it, he can already see the road leading to the exit of the vige before him. The corpse from yesterday has disappeared, only leaving behind a dried dark-beige bloodstain. In a few days, aspeoplemove to and fro from the vige, perhaps, this bloodstain would disappear as well.


    Lu Chen stares at the bloodstain for a moment before turning back to the vige without a trace of emotions on his face. Along the bluestone pavement, when he is around 10<em>zhang</em>from therge chinese schr tree, he sees the old fisherman fishing beneath it yet again. He chuckles and just as he is about to move over to take a peek, he suddenly hears amotion on the opposite bank of the stream.


    <em>10 zhang -> 30 meter</em>


    Lu Chen is a little surprised. He turns to look towards the opposite bank of thestream.


    Aclear stream flows through the Clear Stream Vige and there are people living on both banks. However, the people living on the east bank, where Lu Chen is living at, is more prosperous. 70% of the people in the vige live here and there are many taverns, inns and convenience shops here. On the other hand, there are only unremarkable houses on the west bank. Usually, there wouldnt be much sound over there.


    Today is a little queer, for amotion to break out in the opposite bank. ncing over, he findsa group of people gathering under the green bamboo. There are both male and female over there but what is surprising is that the number of females gathered there arent few. There are few women who he had seen before in the vige over there as well.


    Hm? This time, Lu Chens curiosity is piqued. He walks over via the rock bridge not too far away so as to get a better glimpse at the situation.


    After crossing the rock bridge, he is just a short distance away from the crowd. Before he manages to walk closer, he hears praises from the crowd. Of which, there are many cries of astonishment by the females, as though they have seen something incredible.


    Lu Chen is even more curious now. He hurries over and peers over from the corner where it isnt that crowded. He stuns. Surrounded in a semicircle arc by the crowd, under a cluster of green bamboos, a schrly-looking young man stands with a smile on his face. There is a wooden canvas in front him, and a white paper is glued to it. There is a brush on his hands and he is in the midst of painting.


    That schr looks extremely handsome. He looks rather young, probably not even reaching 20.His appearance with the brush gives him an elegance that surpasses the others. Lu Chen could see peculiar tender affection in the eyes of those aunties who arent young anymore.


    However, what that brought astonishment to the crowd isnt just the youths elegant appearance. On the paper that the youth is drawing on is ady!


    His brush strokes are lightand carefree as he controls the thickness of the strokes with ease. Although it is only ck ink, his drawing islifelike. That charming woman in the painting stands under the flowers. Her gaze is filled with emotions. A kind of unspeakablesentiment seems to be expressed through the paper. The workmanship of the drawing is high.


    Lu Chen may not understand much about drawing, but he could tell that it is impressive. In the midst of his surprise, he suddenly stuns. He suddenly finds thedy in the drawing familiar. Looking closely, thedy in the drawing is clearly Ding Dang.


    His heart skips a beat. He immediately sweeps the surrounding with his gaze. In a short moment, just opposite of the youth and the canvas, he spots Ding Dang standing there with an unreadable expression on her face. Her face is slightly red, an expression of anger or perhaps,uncontroble joy.


    The looks of envy of the fewdies in the surrounding when they look at Ding Dang cannot be concealed.


    In a few moment, the youth finishes the painting with nimble movements. Then, he removes the painting and disys it to the crowd with a smile, evoking cries of praises.


    Painting may not be a big affair, but everyone could tell whether the painting is good or not. Besides, this youth is warm-hearted and polite, which won him the fondness from the crowd.


    In the crowd, Ding Dang humphs, The painting is not bad. However, you arent a very honest guy. Why do you insist on drawing me?


    That youth smiles, This elder sister here seem to be mistaken. I am just drawing casually. Seeing the beauty of elder sister over here, I couldnt resist drawing you. If elder sister doesnt like it, you can feel free to take it and tear it. Actually, there isnt a scenery or person who shouldnt be drawn. If you all are interested, when I am free, I can draw a portrait for everyone.


    Actually, this project seems a lot easier than ELCL now. ELCL is so stressful T_T.


    Has been busy in ELCL recently, ran out of stockpile :X Probably going to have to cut down on chapters per week or I will die soon.


    Alright, for the past chapters, I have been converting Chinese measurements to tomon epted onesbut for the sake of the story tone, I will keep the Chinese terms. But, I will keep a note below each time the Chinese measurements are used to reflect their size/lengths etc.


    Spiritual Stones -> Spirit Stones


    It is a little hard to express, but the youths tone is actually extremely polite.

 TY Chapter 16: A Drawing on the Tree Root

    TY Chapter 16: A Drawing on the Tree Root


    Everyone offered theirpliments immediately, and a few girls were exceptionally excited. Ding Dang was initially happy, but the joyturned into rage. She humphed, Such sweet words!


    The youth shook his head with a smile and passed the drawing to Ding Dang. After smilingat her, he turned around to leave.


    Looking at the figure of the leaving youth, she opened her mouth to speak but eventually closed it without utteringanything. She suddenly heard a cold voice from the crowd, You slut, flirting with guys again.


    The crowd turned silent immediately. Then, some people started tough. There were both males and females among thoseughing. The malesughed lecherously whereas the females had a biting edge to theirughs. Theirs were significantly louder than the males.


    Ding Dangs mouth twitched and her face darkened. She spun around and left withrge steps. Very quickly, she passed the rock bridge to the east bank. From the looks of it, she seemed to be heading home.


    Lu Chen stood behind the crowd and he stared indifferentlyat the scene. Then, he turned to look at the schr who was walking along another road on the west bank. He muttered to himself, How annoying. Why do young beautiful pimps always do better?


    The one drawing and the one being drawn have left. Naturally, the spectators also dispersed. As they left, many of them were chatting, of which, most were discussing about the schr as they praised his handsome looks and his outstanding drawing skills. There werealso a few who weretalking about Ding Dang, mocking how shameless she was for hooking up around. Then, they started to express their worries for the schr and hoped that he would not fall for the tricks of the slut.


    Lu Chen returned to the east bank and yawned out of boredom. When he passed by therge schr tree, he peeked at the fish cage by Old Yus side and it was empty, as he expected.


    He sat on the other side of therge stone and asked, Old Yu, did you catch anything today?


    Nothing. The old fisherman did not seem to notice the ridiculingintentions in the words and replied thequestion honestly.


    Lu Chen chuckles, I think that you wont catch a single thing even if you fish here for your entire life.


    The old fisherman was solemn for a moment before replying with the usual calm and dazed voice, There are fishesin the water here.


    Tsk! Lu Chen stared at him. Ina split moment, he lost all interest and he thought to himself that there were many weird people in the world. Anything that pleases you. If you say that there are fishes here, so be it. Serves you right to waste your entire life here. Eventually, wouldnt it all end in naught!


    Normally, at this point, both of them would have nothing else left to say. However, today, for some unknown reason, Old Yu turned around to look at Lu Chen and replied slowly, Thats not it. I had seen arge fish with spirit marks. As long as I catch it and present it to the immortals of Thousand Autumn Sect, I would be able to start cultivating.


    A fish with spirit mark Lu Chen couldnt help but chuckle. He smiled, Oh, if you really do manage to catch it, then the fish wouldnt be just worth a thousand Spirit Stones. It is definitely more than enough for you to cultivate at the Thousand Autumn Sect. However Be careful not to get eaten by the fish.


    Old Yu stared at Lu Chen with a confusedexpression as he muttered, Fishes do not eat humans.


    Lu Chen leaned overughing as he patted Old Yus shoulder. Without further words, he nced at the clear river stream before standing up to leave.


    By thetime, the sun had already risen and was shining on Clear Stream Vige. The ray of the sun reflected off the clear stream. The shade of the chinese schr tree did feel cooling, with only small cracks of sun rays managing to fall through the dense tree crown.


    Lu Chen walked out from the shadow of the tree and just as he was about leave, the sun rays under the shadow of the tree flickered. A new shadow seemed to have suddenly appeared at a certain corner of the chinese schr tree.


    Lu Chen stopped.


    He turned around to look in the direction of the flicker, only to see the root of the big chinese schr tree. A part of the root tangled and protruded out of the ground, grabbing the soil tightly. There were green grasses growing by the tree root.


    A bizarre expression emergedon Lu Chens face. His eyebrows were knit together, as though he was thinking about something. He seemed to be a little uncertain, a little nervous and even a little disgusted. However, he calmed down very quickly and his expression returned to normal. He walked casually to the root and kicked his leg around, then bent down to remove one of his shoes, as thoughhe was trying to lean over to hit the mud off his shoes on the tree root. His gaze quickly shot toward that region.


    A shadow seemed to tremor in front of him again.


    This round, Lu Chen was able to witness it clearly. That was a very peculiar image. It was a little scrawled, just like meaningless vandalism carved onto aninconspicuous part of the tree root. There were a few lines with differing thickness which conjugated together. Vaguely, it seemed to look like a crude and eerie tree.


    Looking at the wound on the bark, it was probably carved not too long ago, not exceeding a single day.


    Lu Chen face was chilled. He ced his shoe back on and walked towards the giant rock. He nced at Old Yu who was quietly fishing and lied down.


    He leaned on Old Yus back and shut his eyes. He listened to the swishing sound of the river flow and the rustling of the leaves. Everything seemed to turn peaceful. Just like his life in this vige, it had been peaceful for so many years.


    Until he opened his mouth and broke this silence, Old Yu, allow me to ask you a question.


    Oh The old fisherman replied dully.


    You have been sitting here for the past two days right?


    Yes. The old fisherman replied.


    Lu Chen cushioned the back of his head with both of his hands as he stared at the green tree crown on top. There were a few fragmented rays of sun through the leaves. He asked, Was there anyone who came here?


    Old Yu responded, No. You know it, other than you and Old Ma, no one in the vige likes talking to me.


    Oh, Lu Chen responded. Then, he continued, I thought that there were a few neers to the vige. You might make some new friends.


    He..he Old Yuughed deeply. It soundedlike the air bubbles the gray fishes in the stream released, before they burst.


    Lu Chen sat up. Then, pattingaway the dust on his bottom, he walked away without looking at Old Yu.


    Walking away from therge chinese schr tree, he tooka few steps towards his straw cottage but he stopped abruptly. After pondering for a moment, he turned around and walks back.


    At this moment, another man came face to face with him. Upon seeing Lu Chen, he politely cupped his hands and asked, This brother over here, may I ask if the mountain at the back is the tea mountain?


    Lu Chen looked at him. This wasalso a young man. He was wearing a cloak and a sword hung by his back. There seemed to be traces of weariness from journeying on his face, as though he had just rushed here from afar. Judging fromhis appearance, he did look like one of those ordinary wandering cultivators who travel the world in pursuit of<em>dao</em>.


    The author always uses a word to express that Ding Dang speaks in a feminine and coy manner (especially when she is angry), though coy isnt very appropriate in the context, so I never used it.


    Such sweet words -> Saying that the guy uses words just to please girl (It is kind of a derogatary term in the context)


    I used slut, but the phrase is fox spirit,which in ancient China, they would disguise as beautifuldies to attract guys.


    <em>Hehe Old Yuughs deeply. It is just like those bubbles fromthe gray fishes in the stream, before it bursts.


    </em>


    TL: The description should be describing hisughter, but I dont really get how it is applied so I will leave it to be.


    Just a basic exnation of Xianxia (at least for this story)


    The goal of most people in xianxia is to cultivate to a point where they be immortals. Basically, the stronger you get, the longer you live.


    So, in order to seed in this, they pursue knowledge and enlightenment (<em>dao</em>is something like enlightenment as well)


    In xianxia, there are often herbs and treasures nurtured by the energy of the world which when consumed/used, can boost their strength significantly.

 TY Chapter 17: Visitor at the Back Mountain

    TY Chapter 17: Visitor at the Back Mountain


    Inquiredabout the condition of the mountain at the back, Lu Chen nodded his head and asked, Yes. Do you intend to head to the tea mountain?


    A hint of joy appeared on the face of the youth. He nodded his head and he cupped his hands again once again as he smiled politely to Lu Chen, May I trouble you with another question Do you know if there is a locationknown as Flying Swallow Crag on the tea mountain?


    Lu Chen hesitated before shaking his head, No, I have lived here for quite a long period of time. I am very familiar with the tea mountain but there isnt a ce called Flying Swallow Crag on it.


    The youth was a little surprised. He didnt expect that he would hear such a reply. He muttered under his breath, That shouldnt be. She obviously said that it is the tea mountain of this Clear Stream Vige.


    Lu Chen smiled, Perhaps. Anyway, this is the Clear Stream Vige and thetea mountain, no doubt about it. Just that, I have really never seen the Flying Swallow Crag before. Why dont you try looking for it up there?


    The youth pondered and then nodded his head in agreement, What you said makes sense.


    Lu Chen turned his body to open up a path for him. He pointed to the green mountain at the back and said, You can follow this rock pavement by the stream, you will eventually reach the foot of the mountain. Then, there are around a dozen paths you can take up to the mountain. You can just pick any one of it.


    A dozen paths? The youth seemed to be a little surprised.


    Lu Chen smiled, There are people growing Spirit Tea Leaves on the side of the mountain facing us. Since there are many people moving to and fro from the mountains, it is natural for there to be many paths.


    The youth came to a realisation and smiled, No wonder it is called tea mountain. Thank you. After those words, he proceeded forward.


    Lu Chen watched the youth as he passed by him. ncing shortly at his back figure, he turned around and continued walking on. Then, a sudden yell was heard from behind.It was the voice of the youth from justmoments ago, That big brother over there, can you halt for a moment?


    Hmm, just this short moment and I turned from a brother to a big brother? Lu Chen turned around. He wasnt really put off by his new address. Rather, he looked curiously at the youth who ran over from the distance on the bluestone pavement. Lu Chen smiled, Whats wrong?


    TL: One is more for addressing strangers while the other one is for addressing close buddies.


    A look of apology appeared on the youths face. After running over, before he even spoke, he cupped his hands once again as a gesture of respect towards Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen shook his head, You dont have to be so formal. Judging from how polite you have been, could you bea disciple from Kunlun Sect?


    The youth was shocked. He took a step back subconsciously and asked, How could you tell


    This time, it was Lu Chens turn to be astonished. He asks the youth with a look of surprise: Could you really be from Kunlun Sect?


    The youth thought for a moment. He seemed hesitant, but he nodded his head eventually as he admitted, I am a Hong Chuan, a disciple from Kunlun Sect. May I ask what is brothers name? Also, how could you tell my origins?


    Lu Chen frowned and smiled bitterly, I really guessed randomly.


    Kunlun Sect is quite a famous sect in the divine center continent and could be considered as one of therger sects in the world of cultivators. There are two reasons for the fame of this sect. Firstly, it would be its long history. From the establishment of the Immortal Allianceprising countless sects from 3000 years ago, there have been the rise and fall of many innumerable sects. There are only two sects remaining in the Immortal Alliance who have a history even longer than it. Kunlun Sect is one of the two. As for the second reason, due to its long history, there are many rules and regtions to this cultivator sect and they are exceptionally particr about formalities. Thus, the disciples from this sect, regardless of their cultivation, are exceptionally formal. The saying goes When meeting someone, show 3 points of respect. When ites to Kunlun disciples, it bes 5 points, 7 points.


    That Hong Chuan seemed to be quite consciousof the uniqueness of his own sect. He chuckled and naturally cupped his hands in a bow yet again, May I enquire big brothers respected name?


    Lu Chen waved his hand and smiled, You are a disciple from a respected sect whereas I am just a barbarian from the vige, so how can I be worthy of those two words? I am Lu Chen.


    TL: Two words -> Respected name


    Oh, Hong Chuan replied, and he went on to thank Lu Chen for the directions yet again.


    His actions aroused a chuckle in Lu Chen as he said, Why did you turn back, do you still have any questions?


    Hong Chuan nodded his head, Thats exactly so. Big brother Lu, I have just recalled something. The Flying Swallow Crag is something some other people told me. However, that person also passed by this location coincidentally many years back, so the names of the geography may not be the same as back then. So, I want to ask you if there is a ce here called the Red-beaked Crimson Feather Swallows?


    Red-beaked Crimson Feather Swallow? Lu Chen deliberatedand replied, I have never heard of such swallows. However, now that youve said it, a locationes to mind.


    Hong Chuan was overjoyed. He pressed on immediately, Could you tell me where the location is?


    Lu Chen contemted for a moment and responded, The front half of the tea mountainprise mainly tea gardens. The back mountain is slightly more steep and treacherous and it is split into two foothills, east and west. On the west foothill lies ake whereas on the east, theres is a rarely seen natural depression. When the sun starts to set and the sky turns yellow, a few thousand Rock Swallows will fly from the depression to hunt for food. They would turn the sky dark, there is really quite a swarm of them.


    At this point, Lu Chen paused for a moment and then continued, That is probably the only ce that is simr to what you described to me. However, the locals call that ce Mourning Ghost Chasm, I have never really heard anyone call it Flying Swallow Crag.


    Hong Chuans was full of delight. He nodded his head as he bowed deeply to Lu Chen, saying, I am very gratefulto the guidance of big brother Lu. After that, he thanked Chen for another three more times before turning around to leave withrge steps.


    Lu Chen smiled as he look at Hong Chuan moving hurriedly to the tea mountains. He thought for a moment before he continued moving on towards the vige. Not too longter, he arrived back at the tavern.


    At the moment, the taverns doors were wide open. It was clear that they wereopen for business. However, when Lu Chen took a peek inside, he realised that the tavern waspletely empty. There wasnt a single customer; the taverns business didnt seem to be going well.


    He chuckled and walked in.


    Old Ma was sitting behind the counter with a dazed expression. Upon hearing footsteps, a look of joy emerged on his face and he asked immediately, Please take a seat. What alcohol would you like


    Before he could say drink, he saw Lu Chens face appearing before him. Old Mas body sunk immediately. He humphed and greeted, Sit anywhere you want.


    Lu Chen smiled, You sure are unreasonable. Am I not considered a customer?Ignoring how you dont entertain me, are you reluctant to even give a smile?


    Old Ma smiled patronisingly, If you are willing to foot the bill, I would be willing to smile for the whole day for you.


    <em>The youth pondered for a moment. He seemed a little hesitant but he nodded his head eventually as he admitted, I am a Hong Chuan, a disciple from Kunlun Sect. May I ask what is brothers name? How could you tell my origins?</em>


    TL: Hong Chuan wasreally polite throughout the conversation, putting himself in a lowerposition.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Shoo shoo shoo, you are not a woman. Dont you find yourself disgusting to smile at me for a day? Lu Chen snorts. He casually sits on one of the chairs facing the counter and leans forward.


    Old Ma stares at him. His frowns slightly and asks solemnly, What happened?


    Lu Chen suppresses his voice and speaks. The voice is so hushed such that it couldnt even be heard clearly even in the quiet tavern. Perhaps, only Old Ma who is at close proximity to him can hear those words clearly.


    As Old Malistens, his face suddenly darkens. He sits up straight and ponders for a moment. Then, he nces at Lu Chen and says, Are you sure you didnt see wrongly?


    Lu Chen replies inly, That incident that happened in there back then, what else would I have notseen before?


    Old Ma nods his head and continues asking with a hushed voice, Of what tieris that secret message?


    Lu Chen frowns. After thinking for a short moment, he replies, That is quite a weird location. There is a tree with two leaves on the secret message. At most, he would only be of the rank of a x<em>iangzhu</em> in the demonic cult.


    Old Mas expressions lightens as he says, From the looks of it, they dont seem to be looking for you? Could it be the remnants of the Three Realm Divine Cult sneaking into this location to recruit new members?


    Lu Chen humphs and says, Isnt this too coincidental?


    Old Ma nods his head and says, I got it. I will investigate it thoroughly, so rest easy. However, didnt the Thousand Autumn Doors kill a hidden remnant of the demonic cult just a few days ago, perhaps the members of the demonic cult are here for it?


    Lu Chen shrugs and replies, I hope so. Anyway, be careful about this matter.


    Old Ma replies, Rest easy.


    Lu Chen stands up and prepares to leave. However, just when he is about to step away, he stops yet again. He turns around to look at Old Ma, Theres still another matter. Help me look into it while youre at it.


    Old Ma says, What is it?


    Lu Chen says, There seems to be a young schr who just arrived at the opposite bank of the stream. He has a handsome face and he is skilled in drawing. I have never met that person before. Help me look into the background of that man.


    Oh. Old Ma replies, Got it, its just a small matter.


    The sky darkens and there is nothing but silence.


    Yet another nighthas arrived and the small vige descends into its slumber. It seems exceptionally cold and lonely under the embrace of thedarkness.


    Lu Chen lies on his bed in the straw cottage. The interior of the cottage is pitch ck.


    He closes his eyes, but he couldnt fall asleep.


    In silence, humans would tend to recall the past. This kind of thoughts isnt something humans are able to control. Thus, even if it is memories which one wants to forget, it would be dredged up uncontrobly.


    Despite not being a dream, the moment the eyes are closed, it feels like a descend into a nightmare that is hard to awake from. Sometimes there are screams of agony, sometimes shrieks of pain, sometimes the cold sh of a sword and sometimes the fearsome and excruciating pain. Of course, the one that conquers most of all is the furious dance of the ck mes.


    He opens his eyes in the darkness and shakes his head in an attempt to fling off those hateful memories. Turning around, a wind starts to pick up outside the straw cottage. That is the mountainous breeze which blows down from the mountain. It seems to be a little agitated in the night. Lu Chen concentrates for a moment and there seems to be some some distortions in the sound.


    A slight and faint distortion


    He stands up, covers himself with a shirt and walks out. Only then does he realised that the clouds of tonight seems exceptionally thick. There are only a few stars twinkling in the distant, creating an eerie atmosphere to the night.


    The mountainous wind whistles past coldly. Lu Chen turns around and sees a few shadows moving in the darkness.<em>Sha sha sha</em>, a faint and bizarre sounds intertwines and travelsalong with the wind.


    There isnt fear or surprise on Lu Chens face. He stares silently at the cliff of the mountain. After awhile, his gaze shifts towards the top of the tea mountain.


    Those weird sounds may seem eerie but it is actually just the unique sound of the rustling of the leaves as the mountainous wind blows through the countless Spirit Tea Leaves. In the dark and silent night, it sounds like the wailing of the ghosts but there is no meaning behind it.


    Lu Chen doesnt bear any fear at all. He stares at the east foothill at the back of the tea mountain. Then, he mumbles to himself, Doesnt seem to be any movements from the swallows tonight?


    He has been living here for the past decade, so he is very familiar with this tea mountain. This include the depression known as theMourning Ghost Chasm. He has once climbed up to visit it.


    That depression isnt really small. Looking at it from the top is quite a spectacr sight. There are thousands of swallows or so living by the rock walls. However, Lu Chen doesnt know whether they are the Red-beaked Crimson Feather Swallows that Hong Chuan mentioned about today.


    In Lu Chens impression, that flock of swallows seem to be normal flying beasts. They arent spirit beasts with spirit mark on them. Logically, a disciple of an established sect like Kunlun wouldnt be interested in this kind of useless material.


    Or rather, is there some hidden treasure in the depression that drew the attention of a disciple from a reputable sect like him?


    At this point, Lu Chens heart moves. However, he shakes his head, choosing not to interfere in it. For the sake of his safety, he has once looked into the location and he didnt find any natures treasures in there. Anyway, even if one exists in there, it would just be his fate.


    At this point, he intend to return back to sleep. Just that, when he pushes the door of the straw cottage, he hears <em>gulong</em>, the sound of a deep rumbling from somewhere in the darkness.


    That sound wasnt soft. Although it cant be considered to be sharp or harsh, it traveled very far in the night. Lu Chen halts instantly and looks towards the source of the sound, only to see that it is pitch-ck. It came from the deepke atthe foot of the mountain.


    Lu Chen frowns. He is a little surprised. That deepke is at the foot of the tea mountain and its depth is hard to measure. Due to the water bing freezing cold from a depth of<em>6 chi</em>onwards, a temperature which ordinary people find it hard to bear, there has been no one who had dived into it before.


    <em>6 chi -> 2 meter</em>


    All these years, the deepke has been sitting quietly in the depths of the vige. The clear stream originates from theke and flows through the vige. It has been living harmoniously along with this little mountainous vige for countless ages.


    Lu Chen considers and eventually, he decides to check out theke. Not too longter, he arrives at theke. Widening his eyes to take a better look, he releases a <em>hng</em> sound from his mouth after a short moment. From the faint light from the stars, he could see that there is a person floating on theke.


    In the middle of a night, for a person float on top of this deepke, it is indeed quite a frightening sight. At the same time, the wind blows mournfully for a very long time, making the sight even more sinister.


    Lu Chen seems to be oblivious to this sinister atmosphere. Rather, he knits his eyebrow at the sight of the floating figure. After a short moment, he mutters, Why does he look so familiar


    <em>Xiangzhu</em>trantes literally to Incense Master. It is simr to the position of a Hall Master (maybe one tier lower, unsure until the structure of the demonic cult is revealed)


    Not sure if you all have watch Lu Ding Ji (The Deer and the Cauldron), but the main character Wei Xiaobao is an Incense Master in a sect.


    Will change it if a better name appears.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    That is to say, you are still awake in the middle of the night and you are so bored that you climbed up to the wailing of the ghosts that originate from the cold breeze. Then, you found and saved a Kunlun disciple who almost died at theke? In the tavern, Old Ma looks unkindly at Lu Chen as hespeaks in a displeased tone.


    The morning light shines through the tavern and spills onto Lu Chens face. He contemtes for a moment and nods his head, That is about it.


    Pi!. Old Maughs coldly, Are you aware of your own identity? Especially when you just found the carvings of a secret message from the demonic cult, ******! Can you act more appropriately? At this point, he suddenly stuns. He scans Lu Chen from the top to the bottom carefully with a look of suspicion on his face, It cant be that You thought of Tian<em>zhenjun</em>, so


    That isnt it. Who would have the leisure to bother about that darned old man. Lu Chen chuckles, Thatis a life, after all.


    Old Ma snorts, Nonsense, stop acting in front me! Tell me, why didnt you leave that idiot to drown?


    Lu Chen coughs dryly and says, Old Ma, recently, there has been quite a malevolent aura shrouding you. Why haveyou been hoping for othersdeath now and then? I think this is a symptom of your Yin and Yang being in a disharmony. How about this, you pass 3 Spirit Stones to me and I will sacrifice myself to help you informdy Ding Dang, so that she can treat you.


    Old Ma flies into a rage and roars, Nonsense! Ding Dang only charges 2 Spirit Stones a night, how dare you try to scam me!


    Lu Chen is surprised. He stands up and stares at Old Ma, What the hell! How can you know it so clearly?


    Old Mas plump face turns red, although he immediately regains hisposure. He humphs and pours a cup of wine for himself. Then, he continues calmly, There isnt anything I do not know in this vige.


    Lu Chen stares at him suspiciously, But why do I feel that you are acting strangely?


    Strange your head! Old Ma reprimands him. Then, he changes the topic decisively, About that secret message from the demonic cult, I have been looking through the entire vige and there doesnt seem to be anything wrong with the old vigers. On the other hand, among the new vigers, there are three to four of them which seems suspicious. I will pay closer attention to them.


    Lu Chen nods his head and says, Alright, tell me if anything happens.


    Old Ma continues, About the young man on the opposite bank whom you talked about yesterday, Ive looked into him. His name is Li Ji and he is currently not in any sects. He is a mortal who looks forward to cultivating. The reason why he is here is probably to try his luck and see whether he could be admitted into the Thousand Autumn Sects.


    Un, Lu Chen replies and remains silent. Vigers with these kind of background are themonest. Every year, around eight out of ten new vigers would hold such thoughts.


    Old Ma says, Li Ji is indeed blessed with great outer appearance. Despite his short period in the vige, many vigers have a good impression on him. Also, his painting skills are superb and he often draws vivid pictures of passingdies at the west bank. This adds an elegant disposition to him, causing him to be favored by many of the female vigers.


    Lu Chen ponders and smiles, This vige has been too uneventful for too long. It isnt surprising for the hearts of thosedies to be moved upon seeing such handsome yboy.


    Old Ma humphs, neither agreeing or disagreeing with his words. He adds on, Right, this Li Ji is also a neer to the vige. He is also among the three to four suspects ofthe demon cult that I have told you about earlier.


    Lu Chen frowns. Unsure about what he is thinking about, his face also darkens.


    Walking out the tavern, Lu Chen walks by the clear stream towards his straw cottage by the foot of the mountain. Along the way, he could only see the clear water of the stream flow steadily beneath the glow of the sun and the reflections of the green bamboos and peach blossoms in the water. It is a beautiful sight.


    Halfway through, Lu Chen suddenly hears amotion andughter from the opposite bank. A thought shes through his mind and he immediately turns to take a look. As he expected, there are three to four madams standing there as they giggle beneath their hands. In front of them, the carefree Li Ji smilesas he positions his canvas and his brush.


    He suddenly hears footsteps behind him and strangely, these footsteps sound familiar. Lu Chen twists his head to take a look only to see a familiar figure walk past him towards the rock bridge. Her back figure is slim and elegant, her hair as beautiful and luxurious like the clouds. She is Ding Dang.


    Thedy stares intently on the opposite bank as she lifts her silk skirt lightly and walks over. She didnt notice Lu Chen who is standing not too far away from her.


    Lu Chen looks at her back, then at the Li Ji who is chatting happily with the other women at the opposite bank. He shakes his head and walks into the distant. Not too longter, the outline of his cottagees into sight.


    There are quite a few vigers in Clear Stream Vige now. However, the only lodging at the foot of the tea mountain is this straw cottage. There is a simple reason to it. When the mountainous wind blows at night, the eerie high-pitched sound reminiscent of the howling of spirits is frightening. Thus, Lu Chen lived here in peace for thest few years, except for the slight ruckus at night.


    Standing in front of the entrance to the straw cottage, Lu Chen first looks around. Only after confirming that there is nothing amiss does he push the door open to walk in. In the small straw cottage, there is a person lying on the bed. It is the Kunlun Sect disciple whom he saw yesterday, Hong Chuan.


    At this moment, Hong Chuan is lying on the bed with his eyes shut tightly. However, from the look of the rhythmic expansion and contraction at his chest, he doesnt seem to be severely injured. Rather, he seems to be immersed in his sleep.


    Lu Chen chuckles. He doesnt have the intention to awaken Hong Chuan. Instead, he grabs a stool and sits by the door to gaze at the scenery of the vige in the distant silently.There is a glint in his gaze, as though he is musing.


    His patience seems to be remarkable. Even though Hong Chuan sleeps on without a sign of awakening, it seems that as long as Hong Chuanis willing, he wouldnt mind waiting three days here for him.


    Of course, things wouldnt end up so exaggerated. Right before noon, when the sun is already gazing down at Clear Stream Vige, Hong Chuans body moves slightly as he awakes from his dreams.


    He opens his eyes with difficulty before gazingconfusedly at his surroundings. Then, his body jolts as he sits up. This time, with a look of astonishment, he scans his surrounding. It didnt take long for him to spot Lu Chen, who is sitting by the door of the straw cottage.


    Lu Chen takes a look at him and smiles, Youre awake?


    Hong Chuan is shocked to see him. He asks, Brother Lu Chen, why is it you? Saying that, he takes a look around the straw cottage. He couldnt help but ask again, Where am I?


    Lu Chen replies, This is my living quarters, a straw cottage at the foot of the straw cottage. It is a shabby cottage, so please bear with it.


    Hong Chuan shakes his head in reponse. Then, with a bizarre look on his face, he asks, I, Why am I here?


    Not hiding anything, Lu Chen describes what he saw yesterday as well as the matter which he saved Hong Chuan from theke.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Posted onby


    Numerous emotions flicker across Hong Chuans face. In the end, he sighs and says, I didnt expect that it would end up like this. Allow me to thank Brother Lu for saving my life!


    Lu Chen grins. He waves his hands togesture that it was a small matter and asks, Right, Brother Hong, I remember that when you left yesterday, you were heading for the Mourning Ghost Chasm right? Why did you suddenly appear unconscious on theke?


    Hong Chuan hesitates for a moment before shaking his head with a bitter smile on it, Theres quite a long story to it. Yesterday, when I was at the back of the mountain, I intended to head to the depression. However


    Perhaps it is due to the gratitude he feels towards Lu Chen for saving his life, he didnt hide a single thing from him and tells him what he met with yesterday.


    It seem that when Hong Chuan is ascending the tea mountain yesterday, due to it being his first time there and not to mention the Spirit Tea Trees are nted densely in aplex manneraround the mountain, making it simr to abyrinth, Hong Chuan got lost. Anyway, since he casually picked a path up the mountain in the start, so he simply chose the roads that lead to the top.


    However, when he was halfway up the mountain, he found something amiss. There are always a few paths before him and he would always choose the one which leads to the top of the mountain. However, as he walked, he somehow found himself walking on the wrong direction Instead of leading to the east foothill, he suddenly found himself on the path that leads to the west.


    Thus, Hong Chuan starts to panic and returns back on the path he came from. However, the more panicked he got, the more mistakes he made. As he got more and more lost, the sky turned dark.


    When the sun sets, the entire tea mountain is submerged into darkness. It is difficult to even ascertain which road is the path. Although Hong Chuan brought along a, due to the strong mountainous wind, the fire is unable to illuminate too far a distance. As he walked and walked, he found himself standing before ake in the mountains.


    At this point, Lu Chen bursts inughter, That is to say, you identally reached the Dragon Lake.


    Dragon Lake? Hong Chuan asks curiously.


    Lu Chen nods his head, Thats right. The names were passed down within the vige since ancient times. The name of theke on top of the mountains is Dragon Lake while the pool at the foot of the mountains is Dragon Pool. It is said that the both body of water on the top and at the foot of the mountain are connected. Of course, it is up to you to believe it.


    After saying those words, Lu Chen smiles and Hong Chuan follows suit. This kind of far-fetched names are often seen in the divine central continent. There are many ces who are named after dragons in the world. Even if there isnt tens of thousands of them, there are at least eight to nine thousands. There are Dragon Mountains, Dragon Seas, Dragon Lakes, Dragon Veins, Dragon Hills, Dragon Forest and such named ces everywhere. This is especially true for remote locations. Also, in each of these kind of ces, the locals would tend to be able to recount a mystical and ancient legend to you.


    Perhaps, this could be due to the fact that the ancient Heavenly Dragon Tribe capable of soaring in the skies and many mystical artshas left behind an ineradicable impressionon the humans. However, anyone who has basic knowledge of the world would simply chuckle upon hearing these. The reason is quite simple as well: Even if many of theancient Heavenly Dragons really came rushing down to the mortal world, there were only sufficient of them to y the roles depicted in less than a hundredth of the legends.


    Humans were too passionate with their legends, there werent enough Heavenly Dragons to fill the gaps


    Coming from Kunlun Sect which has a long history, Hong Chuan still retains that kind of basic knowledge. At this moment, he gazes at Lu Chen and chuckles in harmony.


    However, after a short moment, Lu Chen frowns once again, That means, you reached the Dragon Lake on the west of the foothill. But, how did you end up falling in the pool at the bottom of the mountain?


    Hong Chuan shakes his head and says, This is where things got weird. After seeing theke, I realised that I have been walking the wrong way, so I got depressed. However, since it is alreadyte and I am here, I doubted that I could find the way back now. So, I decided to spend the night by theke and head to the Flying Swallow Crag tomorrow.


    At this point, he stops for a moment, as though recalling something. He looks at Lu Chen with an apologetic smile and says, <em>Keng</em>, the Flying Swallow Crag I said refers to the depression. Pardon my words, I am used to saying those words so it is hard for me to change it suddenly


    Lu Chen bursts intoughter and replies, There is no need for you to be so formal, I get it. Lets just continue with the story.


    Hong Chuan continues speaking, Un, eventually, I found a location that shields me from the wind by theke. However, in the middle of the night, I heard a mysterious sounding from the Dragon Lake and awoke from fright. Then, I saw the calmke start to billow furiously then a momentter, a mysterious fish suddenly jumps out from the surface of the water with water sshing all around. Silver light radiates from its body and it is exceptionally dazzling, as though, as though likea carp turning into a dragon as depicted in the legends.


    Even the calm Lu Chen is astonished and exims, What?


    Hong Chuan smiles bitterly, That That is really what I saw with my own eyesst night. It isnt something that I made up after hearing Brother Lutalk about the name of theke.


    For a moment, Lu Chen is speechless. Then, he hears Lu Chen saying, I was also stunned at the moment. Due to the overwhelming shock, I couldnt help but to stand up. In the end, when I took two steps forward, the mysterious fish turns towards me and nces at me


    Going by Hong Chuans words, the fish seems to possess extraordinary powers. Even though he is a cultivator and is protected by his own cultivation, he was still struck by a spell of dizziness and the sight before turned dark. His body fell forward


    After that, Hong Chuan only remembers himself staggering and falling into theke. The icy cold currents wash through him and afterwards, nothing else. By the time he awoke, he was already in this straw cottage.


    After hearing Hong Chuans words, Lu Chen is silent for a moment. His eyebrows knit tightly together, as though he is contemting something.


    Taking a look at him, Hong Chuan asks him, Brother Lu, based on your words, you found and saved me at the Dragon Pool at the bottom of the hill?


    Lu Chen nods his head, Indeed, while I was walking around in the night, I noticed some movements at the pool. In the end, I found you floating on the surface of the water. There is indeed no way I could have gone to the Dragon Lake on the top of the mountain to save you


    Halfway through his words, he suddenly stops. Then, he says, That Could it be that the legends are true, that the Dragon Lake and Dragon Pool are connected by a secret waterway?


    Alright, I know I tranted the pool aske for the water at the bottom of the hill previously. Will edit the rest to reflect so.


    I get that pool isnt really appropriate (after all the water is connected to a stream at theke at the top), but I really cant find a better word so just bear with it.


    <em>ancient Heavenly Dragon Tribe capable of soaring in the skies and many mystical arts</em>


    <em>TL: The author used an idiom to describe the Heavenly Dragon Tribe () which could mean soaring in the skies through propagating clouds or possessing supernatural abilities (and an irrational state of mind, but it doesnt apply in this context). So, it could mean either one or both of them, but I just wrote both of it down anyway.</em>


    I also get that it sounds weird that if it is a foothill, why would oneke be higher than the other. The phrase the author used is which does mean foothill. Literally, it refers to the part where the slope of a mountain is adjoined to tnd, so the tnd may not necessarily mean ground level. If I had to guess, perhaps the west foothill might be a valley on higher grounds than the Dragon Pool? (At here, I realised my usage of foothill isnt appropriate also T_T)


    Also, technically, the difference between (Lake) and (Pool) for the Chinese character is probably just their depth (With pool being the deeper one apparently). There are many different exnations also like some sayke is closer to the sea etc, but it doesnt really apply here and in real life, there are exceptions here and there as well.

 TY Chapter 21: Disciple of a Reputable Sect

    TY Chapter 21: Disciple of a Reputable Sect


    Hong Chuan was slightly astonished as well. Only after a brief moment did he continue, Looks like this is the only usible exnation. That being said, Brother Lu, you have been living in this vige for quite awhile. Have you heard of any legend about the mysterious fish in the Dragon Lake?


    Lu Chen shook his head. I have never heard of it. Dragon Lake and Dragon Pool, other than those awe-inspiring name, there has never been anything that happened in thesekes all these years. They are just like a puddle of dead water, no one has ever saw mysteriousfishes.


    Somehow, justbefore thest two words, he stopped abruptly for a brief moment.


    Hong Chuan sighed, not noticing this anomaly. Then, with a relieved tone, he said, No matter what, I really have to thank you, Brother Lu. Otherwise, I really might have died in grievance just like that.


    Lu Chen chuckled, It is just a small matter, you dont have to think too much of it. Right, what ns do you have? Do you still intend to go to the Dragon Lake to investigate the matter?


    Hong Chuan contemted for a moment and shook his head, There is something weird about that giant fish in the Dragon Lake. With my current level of cultivation, I doubt that I am capable of subduing it. So for the time being, I dont intend on seeking it. If there is a chance in the future, I will invite some of my powerful seniors over to look into the matter.


    Lu Chen nodded his head and replied, Thats good.


    Hong Chuan climbed down the bed and tried walking around the house. Looking at his movements, Lu Chen asked, How are your injuries?


    Hong Chuan replied, It shouldnt be a big problem. Its just that I suffered a little bit of trauma, causing my blood flow to be erratic. I should be able to recover witha days rest.


    Lu Chen smiled, Thats for the best. How about this, since you have already rested here for the night, you might as well stay here for the day. Tomorrow, when the sun rises, I will apany you to the chasmso that you can aplish your task. This way, you wont have to worry about getting lost.


    Hong Chuan leaped with joy immediately. His face even turned slightly red from embarrassment as he eximed, Brother Lu, are you serious? I, I


    Lu Chen chuckled, Im just bringing you there, its not a big deal. After all, we are all out in the big world, what does helping out one another counts as?


    Hong Chuan bowed with a sincere look on his face. He stared at Lu Chen and said, Brother Lu sure is a warm-hearted person. I dont know how I should express my gratitude to you.


    The disciples of Kunlun Sect were known for being extremely polite. After epting such a favor from Lu Chen, Hong Chuan felt immensegratitude toward him. Not mentioning how he kept trying to thank him, he even insisted on gifting him something as a token of appreciation.


    Lu Chen could only smile while rejecting his goodwill, repeating that it was just a small matter. However, Hong Chuan insisted and, from him, Lu Chen found out that this disciple of a renowned sect had been asking for directions all the way here, especially upon reaching Clear Stream Vige. Before Lu Chen, there wasnt anyone who would bother with him. Everyone looked at him in wariness and disgust and they tried their best to avoid him. None of them were willing to talk to him.


    After hearing those words, Lu Chen was also surprised. After thinking about it, he replied, Wu Brother Hong. I think they probably thought that you were here to rob them of theiropportunities. After all, the people here had been working for an entire lifetime just for that single chance. Although they might not know you, there is always a chance that you might steal an opportunity away from them


    Hong Chuan stared in shock and asked, Just for this?


    Lu Chen smiled bitterly as well, Other than this, I cant think of any other possible reasons. However, they wouldnt behave like this normally. Oh, right! His eyes twinkle as he scans Hong Chuan from head to toe and says, It must be because you were carrying a sword that day. You had the look of a wandering cultivator. If so, you would be much stronger than us mortals. If the cultivators from the Thousand Autumn Doorswere toe, they would definitely prioritise people like you who already have a foundation. Thats the reason why they refused to talk to you.


    Only now did Hong Chuane to a realisation. For a short moment, he couldnt find any words to say. However, the contrast between Lu Chen and the other vigers caused him to feel even more grateful to Lu Chen. In the end, he started on another wave of formal ceremoniesto express his gratitude. Lu Chen found that a little difficult to cope with.


    In the end, Hong Chuan offered a gift once again to express his appreciation.


    Lu Chen rejected it once more, though his attitude toward the rejection wasnt as strong this time. Yet, an awkward situation arose. Just seconds before, Hong Chuan who was determined to make Lu Chen ept his present, suddenly realised that not only the long sword tied to his back was missing, even his luggage and fortunes were all missing


    In that moment, the two men in the straw cottage stared at one another. A long period where neither of them said anything passed. Or rather, they didnt know what to say.


    Then, Lu Chenughed dryly and said, You might have lost it in the water yesterday night. Arethere any important items inside that went missing?


    In this instant, Hong Chuans face turned so red that it was on the verge of bing purple. From the look of his face, he seemed to feel so ashamed that he almost wanted to draw his sword to kill himself.


    Looking at the sight, Lu Chen began to worry for him. Fortunately, Hong Chuan didnt seem that inflexible. After a short moment, with a tearful face, he said, There isnt any important items inside. However That I Sigh, Im really sorry to Brother Lu!


    Lu Chen looked at his depressed face. It was a little hrious, but somehow, he felta surge of warmth in his heart. Then, he shook his head and replied warmly, Brother Hong, do I look like a greedy person?


    Hong Chuan was surprised and immediately raised his head to interject, No no no, I dont mean that!


    Lu Chen smiled, If thats so, there is no need for you to be so depressed. For us to meet in such a big world, it could be called a type of fate. So, why should you get upset over mere mary fortune. Come, let me bring you to the vige to have some good wine. To get drunk with an acquaintance, it is a type of joy in life.


    On those words, he stood up with a smile and guided Hong Chuan out of the straw cottage, all the way straight to Old Mas tavern.


    Hong Chuan looked at Lu Chen from the back. For a moment, he didnt know what to say. Complex emotions could be seen in his eyes. Lu Chen looked like a mere mortal and inparison, he was a disciple of a reputable sect. Their social positions were so extremely distantfrom one another. But somehow, in that instant, Lu Chens back seemed to be growing bigger and bigger.


    Walking past the clear stream, a thought shed through his mind suddenly: Could he be one of the talented people in this world whom father once talked about? For such a person to be buried in a rural vige, it is such a pity.


    Naturally, Lu Chen wouldnt know the thoughts of the embarrassed Hong Chuan who was following behind him. Actually, Lu Chen and Hong Chuan had unintentionally forgotten a fact. That was, as long as it was a mortal, there wasnt anyone would face a cultivator so calmly. That was because of the wide gap between their strength as well as their social position.


    However, to Lu Chen, everything cant be more natural. He acted so naturally that even Hong Chuan didnt notice. In fact, he did not even find anything amiss with the situation.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Posted onby


    Lu Chen brings Hong Chuan to the small tavern and he realises that the business of the tavern today is not bad. There are customers sitting on most of the tables. Old Ma sits behind the counter with a smile on his face. It looks like he is in good mood.


    Lu Chen walks over to Old Ma to greet him, as well as to order a sk of wine. Then, he takes the table by the side with Hong Chuan.


    They chat alongside alcohol and it seemsthat the both of themget along well. There is a feeling as thoughthey hate the fact they didnt get to meeteach other earlier. It didnt take long for them to finish ask. Lu Chen smiles as he gets up and says, Wait for a moment. I will get another one.


    Hong Chuan was just about to reject the offer but Lu Chen has already left. Hong Chuan could only sit back down.


    Walking to the counter, Lu Chen smacks the table with a smile, Another sk, boss.


    Sitting behind the counter, Old Ma chuckles, Customer, hold for a moment, I will get it for you after Im donewriting down this debt.


    Lu Chen nods his head and says, Fine. Then, as he says that, he leans on the counter as he waits. He first nces at the customers who are drinking alcohol and casually looks at interior beyond the counter, only to see Old Ma writing some things on a paper with a lowered head. There arent many things written on the paper, just a single line.


    Lu Chens face remains nonchnt as he averts his gaze. Then, he notices Hong Chuan looking over. While a smile, he says, Hold for a moment. I will be there in a jiffy.


    In the middle of his words, Old Ma has already stood up to take a sk of wine. He passes it to Lu Chen and says, Customer, your wine.


    Great. Lu Chen grabs the wine and returns back to Hong Chuangs side.


    In the turn of an eye, it is already the noon of the next day. From the straw cottage, Lu Chen brings Hong Chuan up the tea mountain.


    The mountainous wind whistles from the top of the mountain and a sight of greenery fills ones eyes. There is a refreshing fragrance along the wind that bringsfort. It is probably the fragrance unique to the Tea Spirit Leaves. As the both of them walk up the mountainous paths, Tea Spirit Trees fill both sides of the path. Hong Chuan cant help but exim, I didnt expect the spirit in the air would be not bad, to be able to cultivate so many Spirit Tea Trees.


    At the front, Lu Chen hears his words and replies, This are just the most ordinary Spirit Tea Leaves. Your Kunlun Sect probably wouldnt take a second look a it.


    Hong Chuan chuckles, My sect has quite the history, thus it has umted quite a few good things. We are also quite known for our tea leaves. If fate allows, I will bring some to Brother Lu.


    Lu Chen smiles, Sounds great.


    The two of them chat as they walk along the path. Following behind Lu Chens back, Hong Chuan realises that even though Lu Chen may seem to be walking casually, he never hesitates even a fork appears in the road, choosing the road to walk on instantaneously. It seems like he is indeed quite familiar with this mountainous path.


    After an hour of walking, the two of them reached the peak of the tea mountain.


    Hong Chuan scans the surroundings and ascertains that he is at the east foothill of the tea mountain. He feels a little sentimental. He smiles at Lu Chen and says, I am fortunate to have Brother Lu lead the way. Otherwise, I would really be in trouble.


    Lu Chen waves his hands and says, Back then, you lost your way only because it waste at night and the paths werent clear to see. If it was the day then, you might not have gotten lost. Oh, the Mourning GhostChasm is just over there. Lets go.


    The two men follows the path to the peak of the east mountains. Traversing the boundary to the back mountain, there isnt as manybyrinth-like passages as the front mountain. Most of the time, there is only a single passageway. There are even times there isnt even a passageway and they would have to climb for quite a distance to get over it.


    However, the both of them are nimble people, so this kind of mountainous terrain is unable to stop them. Around half an hourter, Lu Chen suddenly stops and points to a location in front of him. Turning towards Hong Chuan, he says, Thats it.


    Hong Chuans spirit jolts. He hurriedly takes a few steps forward, only to see a 30 radius<em>zhang</em>crater appearing suddenly in the middle of the t ground. Walking slightly forward, he sees an entrance that is filled with pebbles, grasses and flowers. Looking downwards, he realises that it is a very deep hole with at least a depth of 100<em>zhang</em>. The cliffs by the sides areiparably steep. Some pine trees are growing resiliently from the gaps between the stones, adding some life to the depression.


    <em>30 zhang -> 100m, 100 zhang -> 333.3m</em>


    On the further end of the opposite cliff, he could see water flowing out from some location of the stone cliff. It flows vertically downwards, forming a narrow and long waterfall to the bottom of the chasm. Humidity could be felt from themountainous breeze.


    The chasm is massive, making one couldnt help butmenthow mystical and magnificent creation could be. Hong Chuan looks awestruck. After looking for a moment, he couldnt resist remarkingto Lu Chen, It is rare for suchnd to hold such amazing sight.


    Lu Chen smiles, Back then, when I first came here, I felt about the same as you. Then, he takes a few step forward to the edge of the chasm. Looking down, he says, Look at that cliff, dont you see some nests lodged between the crevices? Those are the nests of the swallows. However, I have no idea whether they say the swallows that you speak of.


    Hong Chuan nods his head and says, This is enough, this is enough. From the looks of the geography, this should be it. Now, I only have to wait for those swallow to go out hunting to catch a few of them, then I would havepleted the request tasked of me.


    Lu Chen says, These swallows onlye out in the evening. It is still early, so lets just rest awhile here.


    Hong Chuan expresses his agreement and looks at Lu Chen. A sincere expression appears on his face as he says, Brother Lu, you have really did me a great favor this time. I am thankful to you.


    Lu Chen smiles and waves his hands, gesturing him to spare with the formalities.


    The two of them sits on the mountain and chats idly about everything. Unknowingly, the sun starts to set and the skies start to turn slightly yellow. At this moment, a bizarre ruckus could be heard from the chasm, as though amotion has broken out.


    Hong Chuans eyes light up. He immediately stands up. Then, he reaches out into his embrace and takes out a light. Lu Chen nces at it and it seems to be the fishermen used for fishing.


    Hong Chuan turns to Lu Chen and says, It is fortunate that I was careful to keepthis treasure close to me, thats why I didnt lose it. Otherwise, it would be difficult to catch those agile swallows.


    Oh? Lu Chens curiosity arouses. From the sound of it, the mysterious in Hong Chuans hands seem to be extraordinary. Thus, he starts to study it carefully from a distant.


    Hong Chuan doesnt stop him. With the mysterious, he walks to the edge of the cliff and gazes downwards as he waits solemnly.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    In around five minutester, the ruckus in the chasm just grew louder and louder. Soon, the bizarre sound of chirping seem to gather together like a wave. A momentter, a ck cloud suddenly soars out from the chasm.


    Paying closer attention, the ck cloud is formed by countless ck swallows.


    Standing by one side, Lu Chen observes the swallow carefully and notices that there is a crimson-red circle around their beak. Also, on their tail, there is a few red feathers amidst the ck ones and it is bright in contrast to the surrounding ck feathers.These swallows seem to fulfill the image of the Red-beaked Crimson Feather Swallow that Hong Chuan spoke of.


    Standing on the edge of the depression, Hong Chuan is in a better position to observe the appearance of the swallows. A look of delight appears on his face. Then, muttering some words in his mouth, his hands suddenly jerks and the thin opens with a<em>whoosh</em>, scattering into the sky and falling onto the flock of swallows.


    A series of frenzied chirping could be heard as chaos break out among the flocks of swallows. The holes in the mysterious isnt too big or too small,the exactsize required to capture these flying swallows. At the same moment, the emanates a faint glow and it encloses itself in midair, trapping the dozens of flying swallows within before returning back towards Hong Chuans hand.


    From the throwing of the to the returning of the, it was truly a mystical sight. For the to possess such abilities, it is obviously one of the legendary mystical tools of the cultivators.


    Lu Chen stares at the entire process from one side and a hint of a smile creeps on to his lips. His gaze shifts from the chasm to Hong Chuan as he stares intentlyat him.


    Despite standing right beside the chasm, the steep slope not too far from his feet, Hong Chuan isnt afraid at all. His gaze remains on the mysterious in the air. Stretching out his hands, he grabs the and looks into it. Jubtion surges through him as he turns around to smile at Lu Chen, No doubt about it, this is the Red-beaked Crimson Feather Swallow!


    Lu Chen nods, Thats great. After saying it, a thought shes through his mind and out of curiosity, he asks, I remember that these swallows arent spirit beasts, so why would you want to capture them?


    Hong Chuan reaches out into the and takes out a swallow. He looks carefullyat the swallows tail before plucking out a crimson feather. Then, his hand loosens as he sets the swallow free.


    Holding the crimson feather, he smiles towards Lu Chen, Just for this. The Red-beaked Crimson Feather Swallow may not be a spirit beast, but the crimson feather it is born with is a work of art. If one is willing to go through the trouble, it could be weaved into a beautiful shawl. One of the elders in my sect is interested in it, so I specially came here to look for the crimson feather so as to pay my respects towards her.


    So thats the reason. Lu Chenes to a realisation. No wonder Hong Chuan is so interested in the swallows, he wanted to tter her<em>keng</em>, show his respects!


    After understanding the whole story behind it, Lu Chen calmly finds a rock to sit on as he patiently watches Hong Chuan capture the swallows with his mysterious.


    The is peculiar but useful. Every throw of the would always capture something, so it didnt take him long to capture a lot of swallows.


    However, Lu Chen soon realised that Hong Chuan has high expectations over the quality of the crimson feather. Normal ones, wed ones and dull ones, he wouldnt take any of them. Basically, he would only pick the perfect crimson feathers.


    Thus, the speed of his gatheringslows. Also, after checking the feather on their tail, Hong Chuan wouldnt kill them and would set them free. From the looks of it, he is a person who treasures life.


    After waiting for a moment, upon seeing Hong Chuan collecting a dozen or so of the beautiful crimson feathers, he couldnt resist asking, How many feathers do you need?


    Without hesitation, Hong Chuan replies, At least a hundred.


    Oh. Lu Chen says, Take your time.


    Hong Chuan sends a grin towards him before focusing his attention back on capturing the swallows.


    Just like that, they stayed by the side of the chasm for a long time. The swallows also seem to hunt for food around this mountain, so the dark cloud gathersaround the sky above them. Soon, in around an hours time, Hong Chuan is finally on the verge ofpleting his mission.


    He gathers up the crimson feathers and counts them. There are a total of 98 of them. He smiles towards Lu Chen and says, Just one more would suffice.


    Lu Chen replies with a nodand a smile. Hong Chuan walks back to the side of the chasm and prepares to toss the once more. However, perhaps due to the flow of time, the sky has already darkened and the number of swallows in the sky has decreased significantly, there were only a few of them scattered around the ce.


    Hong Chuan could barelycapture a couple of them with a single. At the same time, most of the swallows are flying noisily towards the cliff.


    Looking at that sight, Hong Chuan panics. He widens his eyes and waits for the opportune moment. Suddenly, a small group of swallows flies over. There are around a dozen of them and they areheading for the chasm as well. Seeing how most of the swallows has disappeared from the sky, Hong Chuan panics and takes a step forward to toss his towards thatst group of swallows.


    The light on the mysterious flickers. As expected of a mystical treasure, it surrounds the swallows perfectly and flies back over. Out of joy, Hong Chuan steps forward to grab it. However, at this moment, he suddenly hears a shout of rm from Lu Chenbehinds him, Be careful of where you step!


    Hong Chuans heart skips a beat. He subconsciously looks downwards but before he could react, his body inclines forwardand he falls downward.


    It seems that the location he stood a moment ago isnt too far from the edge of the cliff. Due to his agitation from the final he tossed, he forgot to pay attention to thesituation beneath his feet. He steps on thin air and slips, causing him to tumble forward.


    This time, Hong Chuan is shocked and he exims in distress. His hands and feetrandomly grabs and stepsabout the cliff as he tries totchonto some rock or grass by the cliff to maintain his bnce.


    However, as he fell down suddenly, the momentum from his fallcauses those rock and grass to break apart so he is unable to sustain his grip on it. His body falls uncontrobly downwards. At this moment, a figure rushes forward and in the blink of an eye, he stretches out his hand to grab Hong Chuans palm,stopping the descent of his body.


    Hong Chuans momentum downwards halt as he hangs for a moment in free air. At this moment, his entire body is dangling in midair with the exception of his right hand, which is grabbed by Lu Chen who rushed all the way to the cliff.


    The mountain wind blows and the faces of the two men turn ghastly white, traumatised.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Hong Chuan subconsciously looks downwards, only to seeplete darkness below. It is like an endless abyss. If he were to fall down, despite his cultivation, hisbody and bones will be crushed.


    At this instant, goosebumps rise up all over Hong Chuans body. He looks upward towards Lu Chenwith plea and panic in his eyes.


    In contrast to Hong Chuans flustered look, Lu Chen looks calmer. However, his face doesnt look good, a little distorted even. It could be due to the overexertion of his strength. No matter who it is, using just one hand to grab a living person isnt an easy task.


    Proning by the cliff, he takes a deep breath and says to Hong Chuan, Dont move! I will pull you up.


    Hong Chuans face is ghastly white and he looks like he is in no condition to speak. He simply nods his head repeatedly.


    Lu Chen clenches his jaws and with a deep groaning sound in his mouth, he starts to exert his strength to pull Hong Chuan up. Lu Chens strength seems to be quite impressive to be able to pull Hong Chuan up bit by bit.


    As his body slowly rises up, a hint of delight appears on Hong Chuans face. Seeing the edge of the cliff getting closer and closer, he spots a protruding stone right in front. Instinctively, Hong Chuan reaches out to grab the stone. However, the strong mountainous wind starts to blow at this moment and Hong Chuans body sways.


    Lu Chens arm shakes slightly as he feels significantly greater pressure exerting on his strength. He immediately panics and howls, Dont move!


    Hong Chuan is shocked and shouts back, I didnt move, I didnt


    Before he could finish his words,<em>hu hu</em>, the rock he is holding onto crumbles and breaks, causing him to fall downwards. Hong Chuans body suddenly plummets downwards, pulling Lu Chen along with him.


    Lu Chen flusters. He intends to fumbles to grab the rock or the tree beside him to secure a grip but the momentum of the fall is too great that it got pulled down as well. In an instant, he tumbles off the cliff.


    <em>Hu hu boom boom</em>, a series of weird sounds from the loosened rocks tumbling down the cliff could be heard. The two men also fall off the cliff of the rock wall. However, it is fortunate that due to the slight dy before their fall, they are right next to the stone wall.


    In this precarious moment, the two of them tried their best to grab onto everything on the stone wall, coniferous grass roots, protruding stones and anything that could be grabbed. Even so, they continued to fall downwards and their speed of descent builds up.


    To the right!


    Almost fallingpletely into despair, Hong Chuan suddenly hears Lu Chen howling beside him. He looks towards the right and sees a pitch-ck cave around five to six<em>zhang</em>below.


    <em>15~18meters</em>


    Hong Chuan is by no means a dumb person. He immediately understands that the cave would be their only straw of hope. With a loud roar, he grabs onto thefirm cliff with his hands and legs. He feels acute pain on his palms and through just this action, he probably would have incurred many wounds, but he couldnt be bothered with it at the moment. Due to his actions, his downward momentum slows and the cave appears right in front of him. With a deep growl, he leaps with all his might towards the cave. It is fortunate that there are quite a few trees growing around the cave. His body crashes violently onto the tree and with a<em>peng</em>, the tree by the cave snaps.


    Hong Chuans body rebounds back and falls into the cave.


    At this critical moment, before Hong Chuan could stabilise his body, he hears the whistling of the sound and a figure falls down beside him. With a roar, he leaps over and grabs the falling Lu Chen with both of his hands. With all of his might, he pulls Lu Chen in an arc into the cave.


    <em>Wuu</em>, a piercing sound could be heard beforea muffled sound echoes. Lu Chens body crashes heavily onto the wall by the entrance of the cave. After the muffled sound, he rolls two revolutions on the ground.


    Hong Chuans body also rotates twice about the spot. It seems like he is about to fall out of the cave yet again. At this moment, the steep cliff is just beneath his feet. Hong Chuans face pales.


    However, it is fortunate that the several thin trees outside the cave saves him once again. The flustered Hong Chuans hands flutter about and he grabs onto the bark of one of it.<em>Suo suo</em>, numerous leaves fall from the tree. However, after a moment ofcontinuous shaking and trembling, he finally steadies himself by the entrance of the cave.


    For quite a moment, no one spoke in this cave by the cliff. Two traumatised men whose heartbeat has yet to stabilise sits by the stone wall near the entrance, panting heavily.


    When their breathing starts to calm down, they look up and exchange gazes, a bizarre look appearing on their face.


    After a short moment, Hong Chuanughs dryly. He stands up and bows deeply to Lu Chen, Brother Lu, I am sincerely apologetic I have troubled you again.


    Lu Chen shakes his head with a bitter smile as he waves his hand, Forget it, you saved me a moment ago as well. We are equals now.


    An apologetic expression fills Hong Chuans face and he seems to be really distressed. He doesnt know what he should say in such a situation.


    However, Lu Chen seems to be much more open-minded than him. After resting for a moment, his expression goes back to normal. He looks around by the entrance of the cave and releases an exim of shock. He asks, These two trees, they seem like <em>Jinsi Nan</em>?


    <em>TL:It is phoebe zhennan that has a slightly golden glow, a very precious tree which is used to make the emperors throne in the past.</em>


    Un? Hearing those words, the awkward Hong Chuan is taken aback, as though he is astonished by something.


    <em>Jinsi Nan</em>isnt an ordinary tree. The tree has spirit marks on it and it is a true spirit tree. Its leaves, buds and roots are useful spirit material in cultivator sects. However, the most valuable part of the entire tree is its trunk, which is tough and rigid, giving it many uses.


    Hong Chuan takes two steps forward towards the two trees growing at the entrance of the cave. Although the sky has already darkened, there is still shimmer of light at the caves entrance. He carefully examines the two trees, including the one which he crashed into previously and broke. He nods towards Lu Chen and says, Brother Lu, you have great eyesight! These three trees are<em>Jinsi Nanmu</em>. However, it seems that they are still young and the trunks arestill quite thin, so theyarentvery useful as a material yet.


    <em>TL: Mu -> Wood, technically the same meaning as Jinsi Nan</em>


    Lu Chen walks over and pats one of the trunk of the<em>Jinsi Nan</em>. He smiles, This is not bad. Although it is around the thickness of a bowl, given how thisnd isnt a blessednd or the spirit mountains where thend is full of spirit power, it would require at least hundred years to grow to such a size.


    Youre right. Hong Chuan replies. Then, he ponders for a moment before saying, Brother Lu, this kind of<em>Jinsi Nan</em>doesnt hold much use for me if I were to take it. I will let you deal with it.


    <em>Hu hu boom boom, a series of weird sounds from the loosened rocks tumbling down the cliff could be heard. The two men also fall off the cliff of the rock wall. However, it is fortunate that due to the slight dy before their fall, they are right next to the stone wall.</em>


    <em>TL: Due to Lu Chen grabbing the tree/rock before falling down, their fall is slightly dyed. By Physics trajectory, a person falling from the cliff in that manner would go in an arc, thus when they fall, their body will probably leave the cliff (their hands wont be able to reach the cliff). So, Lu Chen movements reduced their horizontal velocity.</em>


    <em>Wuu, a piercing sound could be heard beforea muffled sound echoes. Lu Chens body crashes heavily onto the wall by the entrance of the cave. After the muffled sound, he rolls two revolutions on the ground.</em>


    <em>TL: The piercing sound should be the sound of the air pressure from the arc he threw Lu Chen in and the muffled sound is him bumping onto the wall.</em>

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Lu Chen shakes his head, The spirit wood is still underage, so it cant be traded for much spirit stones even if I were to cut it. It would be a pity. Forget it, lets leave it here to grow for a while longer.


    Hong Chuan is slightly surprised. He takes a look at him and nods his head.


    After the two of them rested for a moment more, they started to try looking for a way out of here. At this moment, they seem to be around 20<em>zhang</em>or so from the top of the chasm. The path from the cave to the top of the cliff is mainly just a t rock wall, so it would be hard to climb up. After staring at each other for a moment, they walk into the interiors of the cave to take a look.


    <em>66 meters</em>


    Unexpectedly, after taking a careful look, they realised that there seems to be another world inside the small cave.


    Lu Chen twisted off a few piecesof wood and lights it up with an ignitable paper roll. He walks into the cave together with Hong Chuan.After passing by several boulders, they see a twisted path ahead of them that leads into the interiors of the mountain.


    The both of them exchange gazes. After a moment, Lu Chen says, Lets go, otherwise we would be waiting for our deaths here.


    Hong Chuan speaks in agreement and the both of them proceed into the depths of the cave.


    As they walk into the interiors of the cave, they soon found themselves swampedin darkness, exceptfor the torch that illuminates the rock walls beside them. They can see many sharp stone edges and protrusions from it. Proceeding on further, water drips from the top of the rock wall. There are algae growing in some location. asionally, the torch illuminates the presence of some small bugs crawling by.


    The surroundings is almostpletely silent. Soon, the passageway narrows to apoint only one person could pass at a time.


    Lu Chen surveys the surrounding and states to Hong Chuan behind him, It doesnt seem that anyone has been here before.


    Hong Chuan nods his head as worry reflects in his eyes, I wonder if there is a way out from here?


    Lu Chen replies, It would depend on luck. He continues walking forward. At the same time, perhaps to liven the situationand get the both of them to rx, Lu Chen smiles, I remember that when I was younger, I would often hear people retelling storiesin the tea house and taverns. Every time when a crisis happens, the badmanwould meet with misfortunewhile the goodman would always turn the hopeless situation before himinto a blessing, such as walking into some heavenly residence and meeting with an opportunity of a lifetime, haha.


    Initially, Hong Chuans face is solemn but upon hearing those words, he bursts intoughter uncontrobly. He shakes his head with a smile, Now that you say so, it does seem to be it. After a momentary pause, he continues, Just that, are we the good men or the badmen?


    Lu Chen smiles, Who knows.


    In this world, it is easy to term a person as a good man and bad man, but it isnt so when tryingto differentiate between the two of them. At this moment, in the cave by the chasm in the wilderness, if one were to talk about luck, it would be hard to tell whether Lu Chen and Hong Chuan are the good or the bad.


    They feel that they have already walked for a long distance in this peculiar albeitnatural road in the interior of the mountain, but they still arent at the ends of it yet.


    Throughout the journey, they were lucky in the sense that they didnt meet with any idents. Yet simrly, they didnt stumble uponany heavenly residence, peerless cultivation art, mystical secret manuals or some great inheritance.


    On this point, it seems that the both of them arent good and arent bad?


    I think that I am a good person. From the back, Hong Chuan says in between his panting. After walking for such a long distance in this dark and narrow passageway, he feels slightly fatigued. Furthermore, the surroundings are too dark and too quiet, inducing some inconceivable emotions in ones mind. Thus, he feels impelled to talk to Lu Chen, After walking for so long, we didnt meet with any trouble. Thus, we should be fine.


    Lu Chens torch is nearing its end. He gazes worriedly at the final bit of mes that are burning as he replies, Is that so? I dont think our words count in determining whether we are good or bad. Back when you were in Kunlun Sect, whatdid your peers view you as? Do they say that you are a good man or a bad man?


    Hong Chuan contemtesand he replies uncertainly, <em>Keng</em>It doesnt seem that anyone has talked about it before. Regardless of whether I am good or bad, who would im that someone is a good man or a bad man out of the blue?


    Lu Chen chuckles, Not even one person has told that to you?


    Hong Chuan shakes his head, None at all.


    Lu Chen asks, Then, in your mind, have you thought about what is a good man and what is a bad man?


    Hong Chuan is taken aback. He replies, I think The orthodox cultivators carry out acts of justice, they are good men; those unorthodox cultivators from demonic cults who kills the innocent, they are bad men.


    Lu Chen pauses for a moment. He seems to want to say something but his words stop in his throats.


    Behind him, upon seeing Lu Chen stop, Hong Chuan also subconsciously stops as well and he asks, Brother Lu, what happened?


    Lu Chen turns around and looks at Hong Chuan. The moment he opens his mouth to say something, they are suddenly plunged into darkness. That me torch has burnt to its end and even the final spark of it had extinguished.


    In the depths of the mountain, plunged into sudden darkness, the two of them quieten. The darkness assaults them from all direction in an instant.


    The surroundings falpletely silent


    Not sure from when on, one could almost hear his own heartbeat in the silence. Lu Chens calm voice suddenly sounds out, We should continue walking.


    Hong Chuan is surprised. At this moment, he could not even make out Lu Chens silhouette, needless to say to walk on. He couldnt help asking, It is so dark, can you make out the road? If only we still had a torch.


    Lu Chen slowly turns around and proceeds forward, Lets go.


    Hong Chuan hesitates for a moment. In the end, he still slowly fumbles his way through. However, for an instant, he could see a blur figure in front of himand it seems to be Lu Chens back figure. However, what is weird is that his posture is just like how it was previously. He still held a fire torch in his hand, as though it is still illuminating light that guides his path.


    However, the surroundings are obviously pitch-ck, there isnt even a shimmer of light.


    That faint figure is still walking forward. His hand is still raised, as though there is really mes burning on a torch.


    Burning silently, as though the mes itself are ck. ck mes.


    In the stories, whenever one is plunged into this situation, there would always be some incredible incident urring. It could be a mystical adventure or an opportunity. Perhaps a hidden expert or a rare spirit herb. All in all, the critical moment to test ifone is sufficiently lucky to be the protagonist of fate would appear at this moment.


    Just that, in this evening, in this pitch-ck narrow passageway in the depths of the mountain, Lu Chen and Hong Chuan did not possess such luck. As they walked on and on, twisting and turning for an hour, they found a crack of light right in front of them. As they rushed forward, they found themselvesat the bottom of the mountain facing the back of the tea mountain.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    <b>TY Chapter 26: RiverJade</b>


    The road leading out of the interior of the mountain is bumpy, but it was lucky that they were able to escapesafely. If it had been a dead end, the both of them would have no idea what they could do.


    Standing on the mountain, a cooling breeze sweeps past them. If one were to look up at the sky, he would find that the moon today is exceptionally bright. The two of them exchange gazes and heave a sigh of relief harmoniously.


    Lu Chen smiles, Looks like our luck isnt bad.


    Hong Chuan nods his head, Indeed, indeed. I didnt expect that we would be able to walk out just like that.


    Lu Chen scans the surroundings and realised that the exit, looking from the outside, is just a small crevice along the rock wall that is covered by greenery. The interior of the crevice only looks slightly dim from the outside.If one doesnt walk into it, he wouldnt realise how deep into the mountains the passageway would lead. There are many such crevices on the tea mountain, so how could normal humans tell them apart from one another. It is hard to imagine that there would be a passageway behind this crevice that leads all the way into the depths of the mountain until the cave by the cliff of the chasm.


    Lu Chen jots down the geography of this crevice in mind. After a short moment, he turns around and smiles towards Hong Chuan, saying, No matter what, we are finallyout ofdanger. Shall we return?


    Hong Chuan nods his head. Then, shock appears on his face as he says, Brother Lu, can I bother for you a moment more? The that I used to capture the swallows is still on top of the mountain by the chasm. I have to go back to retrieve it.


    Lu Chen nods his head and replies, Lets go.


    The two of them tread up the tea mountain once more. People rarely appear in this area anddense thorns fill the entire mountain jungle, not to mention theck of pavement and the steep slope. Thus, it isa much more difficult journey aspared to when they climbed up from the front mountain. It is fortunate that the both of them are at age where they are young and strong, allowing them to utilise both of their hands and feet efficiently to climb up.


    After around an hour, the two of them reappear by the chasm. With his sharp eye, Hong Chuan immediately spots the which he had lost by the chasm. The wiggles slightly now and then. There are a few swallows which are still trapped within.


    Hong Chuan is overjoyed. He immediately rushes over and pick it up. Then, he backs away from the chasm along with Lu Chen. He checks the swallow in the one by one and obtains four more perfect crimson feathers.


    Thus, along with the 98 crimson feather which he had obtained previously, his mission ends with a sess with two additional feathers.


    Hong Chuan heaves a long sigh of relief. Beside him, Lu Chen pats his shoulder and says, Congrattions.


    Hong Chuan turns over and sincerely says, Coming over here, I have been assisted by Brother Lu for many times. I am indescribably grateful to you.


    Lu Chen waves his hands and smiles, Its just a small matter. Alright, since were done, lets head back.


    After which, he takes the lead for the journey down the mountain. Although it is already deep in the night, the bright moon illuminates the paths of the tea mountain. Also, given Lu Chens familiarity with the road, they managed to descendthe tea mountain safely without any mishaps, all the way back to Lu Chens straw cottage.


    Then, the both of them rested without talking. In the turn of an eye, it is already the morning of the next day.


    When the morning sun rises, its rays drive away the chill of the night and the calling of the rooster could be heard from the faraway Clear Stream Vige. Smoke arises some some of the cottages, presenting a peaceful sight. In the straw cottage by the foot of the mountain, Lu Chen sends Hong Chuan, who has finished packing his luggage, out. At the same time, he asks, Brother Hong, do you really not need anything else? Previously, you lostyour items in the water.


    Hong Chuan shakes his head, Those are only mary possessions, it matters not. Afterwards, he assumes a serious face and says, Brother Lu, you are an upright man with strong morals, the first person like that whom I have seen in my life. My teacher has often taught me that it is hard to differentiate between good and evil in the world and it cannot be judged based on ones cultivation. Today, I finally understand that he speaks of the absolute truth.


    Lu Chen bursts intoughter, Brother Hong, you are really putting me into distress. I only helped you with some minor affairs, you dont have to takeit to heart.


    Hong Chuan shakes his head, That is not so! This matter isnt minor to me. Besides, even if it is minor, your courage to help those in need isnt something normal people could match up to. Last night, before I fell to sleep, I asked myself whether I could do the same as well. However, contemting about it again and again, I cant determinedly affirmwith a yes. I feel ashamed


    Lu Chen is taken aback. He retracts the smile on his face as he stares into Hong Chuans eyes with rare respect, Brother Hong, you are too strict on yourself.


    Hong Chuan smiles. He looks at Lu Chen and says, Brother Lu, you have indeed done me a great favor. Also, given the ident that happened on the mountainst night, you saved my life. This gratitude that I owe you, I am truly unsure of how I could repay it to you.


    Lu Chen shakes his head. Just as he is about to say something, Hong Chuan continues, Brother Lu, if I may speak of something rude, after living in Clear Stream Vige for so many years, have you ever considered inspecting your roots at the Thousand Autumn Doors so as to verify whether you are capable of cultivating?


    Lu Chen frowns as a glint shes across his eyes. However, he soon reverts back to normal. After pondering for a moment, he smiles, Thats roughly about it. Look at the vigers here, who isntworking for this goal?


    Hong Chuan nods. After a moment of silence, he retrieves a jade token attached to the hilt of the sword behind him and passes it to Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen is surprised. He reaches out to grasp the token. The token is slightly cold to the touch. The jade token is square in shape and has a warm color. There isnt any words on it, just the picture of a river.


    This is Lu Chen directs a questioning look towards Hong Chuan, confused.


    Hong Chuan breaths in deeply and says, Brother Lu, this jade token is representative of me, so please keep it well. I am unsure of what you might meet with in the future, but if things arent going well, bring this token to Kunlun Mountain to look for me. While I cant say about anything else, I will definitely get you a chance to inspect your talent roots. If by chance and luck, you have the roots suitable for cultivating, you cane under our Kunlun Sect; if the chance doesnt present itself, I can ensure that you could stay there as a menial disciple. Although I cant say much about how your future would be, you shouldbe slightly better off than normal people.


    Lu Chens body trembles as a bbergasted look appears on his face. Something seems to sh through his eyes as a thoughtes to his mind. Several emotions flicker across his face. After a short moment, he nods his head solemnly and says, I didnt expect that Brother Hong wouldlook upon gratitude so highly. I understand, I will ept your present.


    Hong Chuanughs as he cup his hands towards Lu Chen. Without any other words, he turns around and walks awaywithrge strides. Very quickly, he reaches the bottom of the mountain. He walks on the bluestone path by the clear stream and soon, his figure disappears in the midst of green bamboos and peach blossoms.


    Standing at the entrance of the straw cottage, Lu Chen looks at the sky, only to see a shade of bluein the clear sky. Somehow, a smile seems to creep onto his face.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    An opportunity to enter Kunlun Sect and cultivate?


    In the tavern, the plump Old Ma sits at the table by the window. His stout and short fingers fondle a jade token he holds in his hand. After a short moment, he asks Lu Chen with a peculiar look on his face.


    Sitting opposite of him, Lu Chen raises his head to gulp down a cup of wine. Then, he shrugs and replies, At least thats what he said.


    Old Ma harrumphs and stares fixedly at Lu Chen, Dont y the foolwith me. I dont believe that you are unable to tell the underlying meaning behind those words.


    Lu Chen smiles without answering.


    Old Ma ignores him and continues on, The world operates in such a way. Look at the mortals in Clear Stream Vige. They are willing to toil for their entire life just for that slim and fleeting chance. How could such an opportunity be presented to you so easily?


    Lu Chen replies, Perhaps Hong Chuan is a disciple of a reputable sect, so the opportunity to check ones roots isnt that difficult for him.


    Old Ma mocks, That is Kunlun Sect, one of the top sects in the Immortal Alliance. Although it isnt as prosperous and powerful as it used to be,<em>a skinny camel is stillrger than a horse</em>. No matter what, it isnt something a trashy sect like the Thousand Autumn Doors is able to match up. Do you believe that if a Kunlun fundamentaldisciple were toe here, even the sect leader of Thousand Autumn Doors would have to wee hims presence personally?


    Lu Chen smiles, Look at what youre saying. You look down on Thousand Autumn Doors a little too much.


    Old Ma sneers, his expression spells out his contempt for that shabby sect. However, he suddenly recalls something and turns to look at Lu Chen, Right, at this point, exactly what position doesthat fellow hold? If he is just a fundamental disciple, he would have to be one of the elites of the Kunlun Sect to ensure an opportunity for you to verify your roots. It seems to make a bit of sense this way.


    Lu Chen frowns. He contemtes for a moment before saying, Hong Chuans fundamentals as a cultivator is extremely solid. However, it is true that his level of cultivation isnt very high. Judging from it, he should still be a<em>Lianqi</em>realm disciple and has yet to breakthrough the fundamental stage.


    Old Ma shakes his head and says, That shouldnt be it. For a giant like Kunlun Sect, they would bound to have countless disciples under them. If he is just an ordinary<em>Lianqi</em>realm disciple, then he shouldnt have that much influence, unless theres someone backing him. Oh, does he have any high-ranking elders in his family in the sect or does he have a respected teacher?


    Lu Chen ponders over it and smiles, I think youre right. Other than this opportunity, he even says that even if I do not have any talent for cultivating, he is able to ensure that I would be able to stay in Kunlun Sect as a menial disciple. To be able to say such words, he must have a certain level of influence in Kunlun Sect.


    Pah!


    Old Ma suddenly smacks the table. Adissatisfied look appears on his name as he howls, Damn it! You fellows always contain those teachings and inheritances internally within your circles, thats why heroic figures like me whock talent and background areunable to seed in life!


    Lu Chen coughs and reminds him, I have never been to Kunlun Sect, so how can I contain the teachings you speak of?


    Old Ma harrumphs. He nces at him and says, You are allfrom the same flock!


    Lu Chen bursts intoughter. Then, he raises his head to gulp down another cup of wine before replying with a smile, Anyway, it is impossible for me to go there.


    Old Ma is taken aback by his words and an expression of difort shes past his face. He sighs, It is really such a pity. You had such great roots back then, yet you were ruined by the diabolical Curse of ck mes.


    Lu Chens eyelids droop. Then, smiling, he stands up and walks over to pat Old Mas sturdy shoulders, Its fine. Anyway, I have been living as a mortal for more than a decade and I am already used to it by now.


    Old Ma opens his mouth, only to shut it again. Lu Chen stretches his back. cing the jade token back into his embrace, he walks towards the door and bids Old Ma farewell, I had been busy the whole ofst night. I am returning now to catch up on my sleep.


    Old Ma didnt have the intention to stand up to send him off. He solemnly stares at that man as he walks out from the tavern and into the distance. From afar, his back view seems to be a little lonesome.


    The weather is fair and the Clear Stream Vige starts to grow lively. Lady Ding Dang who likes to sleep in woke up early yet again today and dresses up. Her beautiful face attracts many gazes as she walks through the vige. Some of the gazes are in envy, some in lust, some in greed and some in jealousy. However, she doesnt bother herself with any of them.


    She has encountered many of such gazes before. At the very least, in this vige, she doesnt fear them. A thousand Spirit Stones may be a faraway goal, but it is no longer an unreachable one to her. As long as her luck proves to be good, she could be epted by those immortals in the Thousand Autumn Doors. Hmph hmph! Those smelly guys in the vige, those pitiful bugswho wish to unclothe her with their gazes despite being so stingy. Also, those jealousdies who are used to be hypocritical. They would all be ants beneath her feet then.


    At this point, she cant help but be shrouded by a slight floating sensation. A slight smile creeps onto her face as she surveys this vige in disdain.She thinks with vile intentions, <em>at that moment, all of you will be kneeling before me, begging me. However, I will definitely not enlighten any of you. Un, the young master Li at the opposite stream isnt bad, I find him quite satisfactory, so I can enlighten him for a bit. Also that fellow Lu Chen. He may be a lustful jerk who always try to take advantage of me whenever we meet, but his nature is not bad. So, I will enlighten him then as well.</em>


    Ding Dang thought delightfully in his mind. Then, she suddenly spots Lu Chen walking over from the opposite direction. She subconsciously stops and raises her hand to gesture him over, thinking in her heart,<em>smelly man, my mood is good today soe over and say a few jokes to make me happy. I have decided that I will enlighten you in the future.</em>


    Who knew that Lu Chen seems to be deep in thought today. His eyes arefixated on the path in front with a musing look on his face. He didnt notice Ding Dangs gesture and walks past her.


    Ding Dang is taken aback. In the next instant, she feels angry and stare hatefully at Lu Chens back. She grinds her teeth and thinks, <em>this smelly man, it is indeed impossible to supportmud across the wall. Next time when I have be an immortal, no matter how you beg me or kneel before me, I will not enlighten you anymore.</em>


    She turns around and raises her chin just like a proud peacock, refusing to look at Lu Chen any longer. At this moment, she suddenly notices a group of girls gathering at the opposite bank of the clear stream. Who else could be standing in the midst of the crowd other than young master Li?


    Ding Dangs heart pounds. Ignoring Lu Chen, she grabs her silk skirt and rushes over to the opposite bank of the clear stream.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Tian Ying


    Lu Chen, who is walking on the bluestone pavement, didnt know that just a moment ago, without doing asingle thing, he has been unknowingly struck off the list of potential candidates for enlightenment bya certain female who is a potential future immortal. However, if he were to know it, he would definitely be smiling bitterly at this moment.


    He treadsquietly on the bluestone pavement. When he passes by therge chinese schr tree, he spots the fishing Old Yu. He walks by the crowd behind him towards the remote straw cottage at the foot of the mountain.


    Opening the door, he walks in and shuts it.Thus, the world beyond the door seems to be a separate world from the one outside.


    An inconspicuous grass stem floats down from midair andnds lightly onto the floor before him. Lu Chen looks at the grass stem and a hint of exhaustion appears in his eyes. Walking over to the bed, he rests on it.


    He lies silently on it and after awhile, his eyes closes.


    The sight before him turns dark. Yet, the next instant, light appears before him again. He seems to see the majestic mountains and thousands of rivers. In the far distance, a vast ocean could be seen. These illusions are a result of his spiritual consciousness submerging into his body. To the mortals, thisis a mystical and wondrous ability. Only cultivators who have cultivated in the way of the immortals can wield this mystical art. Possessing spiritual consciousnessto look into ones own veins and<em>qihai</em>, one is able to look inward into his own bodys condition as well as the condition of the Five Element Divine Compass within the<em>qihai</em>which most mortals hope to ascertain. In other words, there is no need for Immortal Discerning Mirror and such mystical treasures to check if one has the roots required for cultivation.


    However, this seems to be a paradox. The development of spiritual conciousness<em></em>requires one to be cultivated in the art of the immortals, so those who had never cultivated before will not possess it and would be unable to view their own roots. Therefore, mortals could only work for entire life away just to dump their life savings just for that pathetic chance.


    That is a pair of eyes from nowhere. It surges forward and traverses across the mountains and rivers. Very soon, it arrives at the vast ocean. In the route of cultivation, this ocean is known as the<em>qihai</em>, the very core of ones cultivation. All cultivators would have a Five Element Divine Compass in their<em>qihai</em>. There are five different divine pirs on it that upy five differentbearings. Thefive pirs are namelymetal, wood, water, fire and earth and they are different from one another, but regardless of who it is, they would require at least one pir if they wish to cultivate.


    If one possesses the fire pir, they would be able to cultivate fire-rted cultivation technique. On the other hand, if one possesses the water pir, they would be able to learn water-rted<em>daoshu</em>. With multiple Five Element Divine Pirs, ones possible path of cultivation would be widened. This has beenthe basic principles of the human cultivation world for thousands of years.


    The potential of a cultivators root is seen through the height and glow of the Five Element Divine Pirs. Each of these pirs are different and more would be borated on them eventually.


    At this moment, Lu Chen gazes over only to see the clouds getting blown away from the wind and scatter. From the depths of the<em>qihai</em>, an object rises upwards. It is the Five Element Divine Compass.


    Different from the eye-catching and radiant divinepass of other humans, the one in his body is charred ck and many parts of it are withered and broken. Furthermore, there isnt a single divine pir on thepass. Between those fearsome cracks on thepass and the rubble of the broken pirs, one can still see bundles of ck mes burning silently, tearing the entirepass apart as thougha demon from hell. It stares savagely at him, using the vilest curse to burn his soul for eternity.


    Staring at the mutted divinepass from afar, Lu Chens eyes are indifferentwithout a hint of emotion. He simply gazes at the mes which burns on and on on the divinepass which represents the foundation of cultivation.


    That is a ck me that would reap his soul. It seems as though it would gue him for eternity, unwilling to let him go until he dies!


    ********


    One day passes after the other, with affairs resembling the surface of Dragon Lake, always seeming cid. All urs as expected, orderly and tidy. Everything looks calm as always.


    The only difference is the newly arrived Li Ji. He is gradually gaining the fancy of thedies in the vige. The paintings he draws are exquisite, especially thepaintings ofdies, which are exceptionally lifelike. Sometimes, the paintings feel even more beautiful than the person it is modeled after.


    Furthermore, he is extremely handsome!


    Thus, thedies in the vige gather around him and pester him, pleading him to draw a portrait of them. Of course, Ding Dang isnt an exception. These few days, she has been mustering her courage and will, waking up early in the morning and returningte at night, not fearing the mocking or gossips of others, just to get Li Ji to draw two more portraits.


    Including the very first one, that makes a total of three paintings.


    She is the model for allthree portraits. One of them is titled Gazing at the Moon by the Window on a Summer Night, the other oneAdmiring the Peach Blossom Amidst the Spring Breeze and the final oneYoung Lady Chasing Fireflies in Pce Wear. The three drawings are fine works and there a beautifuldy is portrayed in every single portrait. It seemsas thoughthe happiest moments of ady has been condensed and reflected in the beautiful figures between the paper and ink.


    Ding Dang is very fond of those paintings. She has carefully mounted them onto the wall of her room. She would often stare nkly at these paintings. Sometimes, her face would blush red but more often, a smile would be hanging on her face.


    Today, she is immersed intothe portraits yet again with an intoxicated look in her eyes. Suddenly, she hears someone knocking on the door. Ding Dang awakes from her daydream, startled. She walks over to the door while shouting who is it and opens the door.


    A figure stands outside the door and grins towards her, revealing his neat white teeth.


    Ding Dang is taken aback, Why is it you?


    Lu Chen walks past her with a smile. He surveys the courtyard and says, You speak as though we were strangers. In the whole Clear Stream Vige, I am probably the one who visit your home the most frequently.


    Ding Dangs face blushes red. She spits towards him and before closing the doors to the horse. Then, she walks over and says, Such flirtatious words, why cant you change thisnature of yours?


    Lu Chen chuckles. He stands beside her and reaches out to grab Ding Dangs shoulder before pulling her into his embrace. Then, he smiles, We are already very familiar with one another. There is no need for you to put on such an act.


    <em>Pui pui pui</em>, Ding Dang reprimands him and pushes him away. She walks two steps towards the side. She doesnt seem to be really angry, only pouting her lips and sighing, I dont like to be like that.


    Lu Chen is taken aback as the smile on his face fades slightly. He frowns and replies a little doubtfully, Was it something I just said? Or did I identally get on your nerves?


    Ding Dang shakes her head.


    Lu Chen shrugs. Since he didnt do anything wrong, then there is nothing for him to worry about. His smile reappears on his face. He walks towards Ding Dang and stuffs two objects into her hands before chuckling, Lets go, into your house.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    For some unknown reason, Ding Dangs heart skips a beat. She looks towards her palms and there are two beautiful and radiant Spirit Stones in it, reflecting brilliant light into the surroundings. What that seems to be a faint light of a rainbow lingers around the Spirit Stone, making it look even more enchanting.


    Lu Chen tugs onDing Dangs clothes with a bright smile on his face. Ding Dang lowers her head and hesitates for a moment before eventually walking slowly behind him into the room.


    The gentle spring breeze that seems like a lovers hand gently caresses the mountains and the vige. The trees, flowers and grass within the courtyard trembles slightly. There arestill remains of glistening dew on the corners of the flower petal.


    After the panting dies down, under the gentle and soft nket, they lie peacefully on the bed. Everything beyond the room seems to have been isted to a faraway dimension, as though they are the only two remaining in the world.


    Exceptionally peaceful and tranquil.


    Ding Dang slowly sits up. Using the nket to cover the skin from her chest down, she leans on the wall by the bed, traces of red still lingering on her face. Her gaze is gentle like the flowing water. Then, she sees the three painting hung on the opposite wall.


    She stares at those painting. After a long time, some changes ur in her eyes. Suddenly, she seems to notice something and lowers her head to take a look, only to seethe man beside her has turned over to stareat her.


    What are you looking towards me for? Ding Dang asks.


    Lu Chen chuckles. He gently fondles Ding Dangs cheeks and sincerely says, You are really beautiful.


    Ding Dang bites her lips for a moment and smiles. She seems a little happy, but her eyesgaze towards the opposite wall again. After a short moment, she mutters, Lu Chen.


    Un?


    I dont want this anymore.


    Lu Chen nces at her and smiles, I dont understand. What do you not want?


    Ding Dang takes a deep breath and replies, I dont want you giving me Spirit Stones and me sleeping with you.


    The smile on Lu Chens smile fades. However, he doesnt seem to be furious. He stares silently at Ding Dang and after a moment, he asks, You mean that, you do not want to use your own body to trade for Spirit Stones anymore?


    Ding Dang nods her head, Yes.


    Oh. Lu Chen says, Alright, I get it. Then, he climbs up, grabs his clothes by the side and wears them.


    Ding Dang is still leaning by the wall as she stares at him nkly. After Lu Chen is done putting on his clothes, he turns around to look at Ding Dang and hesitates for a moment, Can you tell me the reason behind your sudden decision?


    Ding Dang shakes her head solemnly.


    Lu Chen smiles, You cant produce anything and you dont have any other means of earning Spirit Stones. How do you intend to earn the remaining Spirit Stones?


    Ding Dang purses her lips and mutters, I have my own ways.


    Alright. Lu Chen shrugs his shoulders and walks towards the door. In the midst of this motion, his gaze sweeps across the white walls of the room and lingers for a moment on the three paintings. Then, he turns towards Ding Dang andments, You are quite beautiful in those paintings.


    Ding Dang bursts intoughter. Her white shoulders hugs the nket even more tightly to cover her chests. As sheughs, a surge of joy rushes through her and herughter grows louder and louder. Eventually, when Lu Chen is about to walk out of the entrance, he hears her shouting, Thank you.


    Lu Chens footsteps halt. He turns around and smiles towards the one in the house, Theres no need to thank me. I also enjoy being with you.


    After which, he waves his hands and leaves withrge strides.


    Inside the house, Ding Dang stares at the back view of the leaving man. She bites her lips as her smile slowly disappears. Then, she grabs the nket even closer to her, covering her body with it tightly, as though she feels cold.


    There arent any other customers in the tavern. Thus, Lu Chen sits at the opposite to the shopkeeper of the tavern, Old Ma. Old Ma pours a cup of wine for him and says, I dont think that there is anything going on.


    Lu Chen nces at him and says, What do you mean?


    Old Ma slightly adjusts his seating position so that his plump body would be even morefortable before replying, About the event over the insignia of the Three Realm Divine Cults, even though I have found quite a few suspicious people, I have looked into them these few days and it seems tobe unrted to them.


    Lu Chen nods his head. He grabs the wine cup in front of him and drinks a mouthful. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asks, What about the new viger Li Ji?


    Old Ma shakes his head and says, He isnt rted to the demonic cult. He is a mere mortal.


    Oh. Lu Chen responds. For some reason, he seems to trust Old Mas words a lot. Even though he may seem peaceful on the surface, there seems to be a tinge of gloominess on him.


    Old Ma didnt notice it and continues, However, speaking of this Li Ji, there seems to be a few rumors on him recently. It is said that he isnt from a normal family, but a distinguished one. Initially, his family was extremely rich but after the several idents, his family fell into decline and ended up in the current state it is in.


    Lu Chen frowns as he gazes at Old Ma, Distinguished?


    Old Ma chuckles, That is what the rumors say. It is probably true as well. Li Ji may not skilled in anything else, but his skills with<em>qin qi shu hua</em>is one to behold. Right, it is said that he himself once imed that in the past, due to the great wealth of his family, his family is acquainted with quite a few cultivator sects. Once, an elder of a sect did him a favor, checked on his roots and said that they wereare extraordinary. Not only is his Five Element Spirit Compass in his<em>qihai</em>suitable for cultivation, of the Five Element Divine Pir, he possesses both the metal and water pir, otherwise known as the rarely seen<em>Jinshui Lingmai</em>.


    <em>Zither, chess, calligraphy and painting</em>


    <em>Jinshui Lingmai -> Metal water bloodline</em>


    <em>Qihai -> Spirit sea</em>


    Lu Chen releases his grip of the wine cup on the table. He smiles, but doesnt reply to Old Mas words and a look of contemtion appears on his face.


    Old Ma pays no heed to it and continues, Thus, it has been spreading around in the vige that as long this Li<em>gongzi</em>gathers 1000 Spirit Stones and pays a visit to the Immortal Discerning Mirror in the Thousand Autumn Doors, he would definitely be epted as a<em>qinchuan</em>disciple.


    <em>Gongzi -> ~Gentleman</em>


    <em>Qinchuan disciple -> Refers to a disciple who would learn from one of the higher tiers directly</em>


    Lu Chen ponders for a moment before saying, That is to say, that Li Ji isnt an ordinary person?


    Isnt that so? Old Ma smiles. Right now, there are quite a few people who are busy boot licking him, especially thosedies. They surround him all day long frenziedly. Sigh, he is young and handsome, not to mention his underlying talent. How envious.


    Lu Chen smiles. He pushes the wine cup forward and says, Wine.


    When the day darkens, Lu Chen walks on the bluestone pavement by the clear stream. The night breeze feels a little chilly. Under the night sky, the clear stream reflects a different view from the day. The water that glimmers in between the shadows of the trees feels like shards of mirror. The crystal clear water shines as it reflects every single ray of light.


    <em>Qin qi shu hua


    </em>


    <em>Zither, chess, calligraphy and painting.</em>


    <em>This is known as thefour greatest art an academic must be skilled in. It is indicative of a persons upbringing (People who are skilled in these are said to be more cultured)</em>


    <em>The chess in it refers to both Chinese Chess and Go (also known as Wei Qi in Chinese)</em>


    <em>Qinchuan disciple</em>


    <em>Refers to a disciple who would learn from one of the higher tiers directly due to their overwhelming talent. Unlike other disciples, who probably only has ess to public and basic skills, they would tend to be privy to the secret arts within the sect (Often depending on their own master)</em>

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    <b>TY Chapter 30: gue of the VileCurse</b>


    The night wind whistles and the stream ripples, green bamboos sway and peach blossom trees shiver. Chen Lu walks towards the foot of the mountain and into the straw cottage.


    The straw cottage is empty and silent. As usual, Lu Chen stares at the gray grass stem as it floats down before turning around to shut the door. He walks to his bed and lies on it.


    In the darkness, the mysterious howling of the ghosts sounds outside the windows yet again. He lies silently in the shadow as it slowly consumes his body. Just like that, he seems to have submerged into a deep sleep.


    As the night sky darkens and the wind cries, no one seems to remember the presence of this lonely straw cottage by the foot of the mountain. Even so, in a particr moment in the depths of the night, suddenly, in the straw cottage, at the darkest corner concealed by the shadows, a stifled groan sounds out.


    Lu Chen abruptly opens his eyes. Everything before is pitch ck, yet a fearsome me seems to be burning.


    ck mes!


    The ck-colored mes bursts forth from every single corner of his body and dances frenziedly as though a poisonous snake, burning all flesh and blood on his body. Yet, his clothes remainpletely intact.


    Everything is silent, yet in the next instant, the world seems to suddenly fall apart. No howl of agony in this world seems to be able to match thewretched screams at this very moment. A short momentter, the bed abruptly shakes slightly and Lu Chen disappears.


    The next moment, Lu Chennds onto a solid surface. Once again, he arrives in the mysterious space that resembles a tree hollow.


    Under the shine of the gentle light, the ck messhrouds the entirety of Lu Chens body, turning him into a human torch. He screams from the excruciating pain. Staggering, he dives into the puddle in the center of the hollow.


    <em>Hu</em>, water sshes about. Once again, he enters the pool of green water filled with vitality. Almost the same moment as when he entered the water, the frenziedly burning ck mes seem to have been suppressed. The fire slowly dies down before retreating back into Lu Chens body.


    Everything seems the same as before. The water gently ripples and the mysterious life force from the water seeps into Lu Chens body, healing the ring wounds left behind by the burning me mes until not a single scar could be seen.


    After an unknown period of time, Lu Chen sits upright in the water and nces at his body. After which, he surveys this pool of emerald water.


    The water is light green as it sways faintly about, an extremely beautiful sight.


    However, when he found this location out of coincidence ten years ago, this pool of water had a shade of deep green. Back then, the life force in it is so rich that you could almost breath it in. Yet, it is gradually thinning down.


    On the other hand, the rpse of the ck mes seem to be happening in closer intervals.


    If thest shed of emerald were to disappear from this pool, what kind of oue would be awaiting him?


    He continues sitting in the pool for a very long time with an indifferent expression as he ponders solemnly.


    Spring seems to be slowly drifting away and the weather is starting to heat up. Dawn is arriving earlier day after day and the Spirit Tea Trees on the tea mountain prosper.


    Birds are calling on top of therge chinese schr tree beside the clear stream. Under the tree, the old fisherman is still fishing. One morning, when Lu Chen wakes up, he sees smoke rising from the viges below the mountain. Just as he is thinking whether he should steel his determination today, he suddenly sees a figure walking towards his straw cottage.


    From a distance away, he can tell that it is Ding Dang.


    From that day on, he has never went to look for Ding Dang. Naturally, Ding Dang also didnt try to find him. Just like that, a familiar and close duo suddenly became strangers. That is, until this day, when she suddenly visits this straw cottage.


    As the sun rays shine downwards, Lu Chen realises that she is slightly panting as she walks over. Her chest is slightly expanding and contracting in rhythm and her face is flushed red. Even so, she is still indescribably beautiful. Upon catching sight of Lu Chen, Ding Dang shoots him a smile before happily calling out to him, Hey, long time no see.


    Lu Chen smiles and nods, Indeed.


    Ding Dang turns around to survey the surroundings. As she looks at the tea mountain just slightly away and the vige in the distance at the bottom of the mountain, she sighs, Living at the foot of the mountain istranquil, not to mention the beautiful scenery. If I had known earlier, I would have stayed here.


    Lu Chen smiles, You wont like this location when night falls.


    Ding Dang chuckles. She takes a good look at Lu Chen before asking, How have you been recently?


    Lu Chen replies, Not bad, how about you?


    Ding Dang responds, Same as well.


    Lu Chen nods his head, Thats great.


    Following which, an awkward silence drifts between them abruptly, as though there is nothing to say, not even intentionally acting oblivious to it could salvage the situation.


    The silence continues and the two of them look slightly lost. After a short period of time, Lu Chen coughs slightly and asks, So, what is the reason behind your visit?


    Ding Dang ponders for a moment before replying, There is something which I would like to tell you.


    Lu Chen responds, Oh, go ahead.


    Can you lend me 300 Spirit Stones? Ding Dang asks abruptly after another moment of silence.


    Lu Chen also went silent. He stares into Ding Dangs eyes.


    Ding Dang looks a little distress as fluster appears in her gaze. She subconsciously turns away. Yet, in the next instant, she seems to have thought of something and bucks up her courage before turning back to look at Lu Chen and asks softly, Is it possible?


    Lu Chen didnt respond, neither did he reject her. After staring at her silently, he asks, What do you need it for?


    Ding Dang is surprised by Lu Chensabnormalcalmness. However, she didnt have the leisure to be pondering about this right now. Inhaling deeply, hesitation appears in her eyes. She opens her mouth just to close it. In the end, she sighs and says, I need it urgently. After which, she sneaks another peek at Lu Chen and hesitates for another moment before asking, If the sum is too great, can you lend me 200 first?


    Lu Chen went silent for another moment before asking, Is it very urgent?


    Ding Dang nods her head vigorously, Very urgent. Then, she continues with a soft tone, I cant think of anyone else who would help me in this vige, so I could onlye over to find you.


    Lu Chen smiles. His eyes turns downwards and after a short moment, responds, I dont have much Spirit Stones in my possession right now. Give me a day, I will see if I can make out the sum for you.


    <em>(No.5)</em>


    Ding Dang is overjoyed. She cheers and nods her head continuously with an exhrated expression.


    The quiet and nd life continues. The viges of the Clear Stream Vige wees he arrival of the warm and beautiful summer after the departure of spring. However, other than the weather heating up and the calls of the crickets on the trees of the vige, there doesnt seem to be much change to the life in the vige.


    That is, until the 4th day of the 6th month, the sudden arrival of a news caused amotion in this little mountainous vige!

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    For the first time in the past several decades, an aplished cultivator from Thousand Autumn Doors had set his eyes upon a young man in Clear Stream Vige. When the young man paidthe fee to ascertain his roots throughthe Immortal Discerning Mirror, the aplished cultivator from Thousand Autumn Doors is proved to be spot-on. The young man had overwhelming talent and thus, he was epted as a<em>qinchuan</em>disciple.


    <em>Qinchuan -> Under the direct tutge of an elder/sect leader etc</em>


    When the news spread, an uproar broke out in Clear Stream Vige and everyone ran about spreading the news.


    There are countless people who are envious of him. As for who the lucky person is, he is the person who had caused quite amotion in thest few days, the carefree Li Ji<em>gongzi.</em>


    <em>Gongzi -> Gentleman</em>


    In current times, joining a cultivator sect is no different from marrying into royalty. From then on, they will soar to the skies and their lives will bepletely different. The schrly young man who was smiling gently under the green bamboos by the stream drawing portraits ofdies yesterday is now standing high up in the clouds, looking down on the masses, no longer approachable as he was.


    Thus, thedies of the vigemented deeply over their loss. There were a few of them who carefully mounted the painting on the wall and gazed at it everyday, treating it as though a precious memory of theirs to reminisce over when theyre older.


    There werent anyone who truly held wishful thinking over him. Just that, whenever they gathered together to talk about this Li<em>gongzi</em>, they would argue over whom he treated better in those days.


    <em>Gongzi -> Gentleman</em>


    The weather gradually grew hotter and fewer were heading over to the tavern for a drink. As a result, Old Mas business wasnt doing very well. Most of the time, there would only be Lu Chen eating and drinking for free over there. This made Old Mas mood even worse. Not to mention, he hasnt reach the state of cultivation where he would be impermeable by heat and cold. Plump, he is exceptionally susceptible to perspiring, making him extremely irritable these days.


    That day, Old Ma looks at the only customer in his tavern and feels displeased. Thus, he rudely exims, Hey! You still owe me a great debt. Yet, you still have the cheek to be eating and drinking for free here?


    Lu Chen chuckles as he gulps down the alcohol in the cup in his hands. Then, leaning closer to the table, he smiles to Old Ma, These days, the one who owes the debt is the true boss. Are you unaware of that?


    Pi! Old Ma spits towards him. Then, using the towel in his hands to wipe away the sweat drops from his forehead, he walks over to Lu Chens table and sits opposite to him. Taking a look at the ring sun, hements, Say, look at those working outside. What is the point of toiling the entire day from early in the morning tote at night! On the other hand, look at that Li Ji, how long has he only been here? Yet, he has already been epted into the Thousand Autumn Doors. Sometimes, aparison made between humans can be extremely enraging.


    Lu Chen shakes his head and says, Arent you speaking nonsense? This is the only way for those who owns nothing to cultivate.


    Tsking, Old Ma didnt try to refute Lu Chens words. He simply shakes his head andments, That fellow Li Ji is truly blessed with a good life.


    Lu Chen quietly stares into an unknown direction outside of the window. After staring silently for a moment, he turns around to look at Old Ma, That is simply a chance of fate, there is nothing special about it. Rather, about the matter of the inscription of the demonic cult, have you not found any clues?


    Hearing those words, Old Ma scratches his head in frustration and smiles bitterly, Indeed.


    Lu Chen harrumphs and says, It is impossible for that picture to be carved there for no particr reason. Something must have happened in this vige. Try to look deeper into it.


    Old Ma sighs, It is not like you are unaware of it. I had privately looked through the entire vige for multiple times, but I really couldnt find any suspicious figures. It seems as though we have met with a spirit. Could it be that the remnants of the demonic cult were simply too carefree, running away right after carving a picture?


    Lu Chen remains silent. After awhile, he ces the wine cup onto the table and stands up, Ill be going back.


    By the bank of the clear stream, the green bamboos are still lush, although the peach blossoms had already withered, creating quite a lonely atmosphere. Under the intense re of the sun, there are very few people who are walking on the bluestone pavement.


    Lu Chen walks along the stream. Just as he is about to cross the stone bridge, he sees a familiar figure walking over from the opposite bank. She is Ding Dang.


    Lu Chen stops in his footsteps. On the other side, Ding Dang also catches sight of Lu Chen and astonishment paintsher face. Then, with a smile, she greets him, just that the smile looks slightly forced.


    The two of them walk to the shade of the green bamboos to have a chat. Ding Dang looks a little restrained, but a smile emergeson her face again quickly. Facing Lu Chen, she says, It has been a few days since west met.


    Lu Chen measures her and nods his head, Indeed, it has been a few days since Ist met you. Where have you been?


    Ding Dang replies, Nowhere. I dont do well in the heat. I hate this kind of sweltering weather the most, so I havent been out recently.


    Oh. Lu Chen nods his head in response. Then, silence washes through them.


    After a moment, perhaps out of awkwardness, Ding Dang purses her lips together and says, That the Spirit Stones that I owe you, you might have to wait a moment longer. I will return them to you as soon as possible.


    Lu Chen replies, It doesnt matter. I am not in urgent need of them.


    Ding Dang looks visibly relieved and her mood seems to lift. She even sticks out her tongue for a moment before smiling, Rest easy, I will not hold back on my debts. If I say that I will pay you back, I will make sure to do it. Furthermore, if an opportunityes by, I will grant you a greatencounter that would change your life.


    A great encounter that would change my life? Lu Chen widens his eyes slightly as he stares at Ding Dang.


    Ding Dang chuckles and nods her head vigorously. She is in high spirits, as though she holds great authority in her hand, confident as though she is in control of the lives of others.


    Deep in the night, by the foot of the tea mountain, the sweltering heat in the day had dispersed altogether and recing it is the cooling wind from the top of the mountain. The bizarre specter-like howling echoes throughout the mountain once more, creating the illusion of the ghosts suffering in hell, gripping ones heart.


    The straw cottage by the foot of the mountain stands isted in the darkness, surrounded by the endless night.


    It is entirely quiet within the straw cottage. The doors and windows are tightly shut. Even though the bizarre sounds are still seeping in, it still seems like a mystical little world by itself. There is no one in the room and not even the slightest breathing sound could be heard in the darkness. Just that, in the blurred and fuzzy shadows, an overturned bed could be seen.


    In the mysterious tree hollow, Lu Chen sits on the ground as he stares at the pool of emerald water not too far away from him with a solemn expression.


    A serious expression covers his entire face and his eyebrows are knitted together, as though he is deep in thought, caught in a dilemma between two decisions. His surroundings are peaceful and quiet. The gray aura shrouding the walls of this ancient tree undtes gently like tender waves.


    After an unknown period of time, Lu Chens eyes suddenly open. It is as though he has suddenly harden up his determination to make an ultimate decision.


    Taking in a deep breath, a peculiar sh of ck light shes across his face. After a short moment, a faint light appears from his lower abdomen. That is to say, the light is radiatingfrom the<em>dantian</em>, as well as the most important asset of the cultivators, the<em>qihai</em>


    <em>Dantian -> An acupoint in the lower abdomen,monly known to be where cultivators insert their energy.|Qihai -> Spirit sea</em>

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    The<em>dantian qihai</em>region is the core of a cultivator. However, to Lu Chen, when the fearsome ck mes lodged itself firmly there ten years ago and destroyed his foundations and cursing him to great sufferings by the immtion of the ck mes, it has be the origin of his agony.


    <em>Dantian -> Acupoint in the abdomen|Qihai -> Spirit sea</em>


    This is the first time he is taking the initiative to activate the spirit in his<em>dantian</em>. From another viewpoint, he is taking the initiative to activate the Curse of ck mes.


    As he expected, the moment he tries his luck, the tattered Five Element Divine Compass trembles as it gradually emerges and demon-like ck mese raging forth from every single crack and wound on the Five Element Divine Compass. It sounds like the silent but hideous sneer of the demons. In an instant, the ck mes overwhelms his entire<em>dantian qihai</em>and gushes outwards from all directions.


    Immtion of ck mes!


    Lu Chen howls from the excruciating pain. The ck mes emerges from numerous sites on his skin. His blood and flesh trembles instinctively in fear and turn into scorchednd in an instant.


    However, this time, Lu Chen didnt dive straight into the emerald water, which is his only salvation. Using unimaginable willpower, he forced himself to remain seated in his original spot. Bearing the overwhelming pain, he widen his eyes as he stares fixedly into the pool.


    The water reflects his appearance.


    It is as though he is a demon burning with ck mes!


    ck mes seems to be burning even within his both eyes!


    Lu Chen groans deeply as his facial muscles distort. Suddenly, from his<em>dantian qihai</em>region, the ruinous Five Element Divine Compass seems to have been impelled by some power and starts to rotate.


    With every slightest rotation, Lu Chens entire body seems to tremble a single time and like an enraged demon, the ck mes would burst forth, gushing with even greater might to consume the fallen apparition of the divinepass.


    Everything seems as though it would be incinerated within the fearsome ck mes, including his blood, flesh and soul.


    The pool not too far away from him remains tranquil and peaceful. Yet, at the same time, it seems to be the greatest enticement in the entire world as it lies quietly before Lu Chens eyes.


    Several times, Lu Chens body almost lunges forward uncontrobly, fervently wishing to roll into the icy-cool water, just like in the past.


    However, for some inconceivable reasons, he managed to withstand hispulsion.


    He roars ferociously under the incineration of the terrifying ck mes. At the moment, it seems as though there isnt a single inch of undamaged skin on his entire body and even his face has warped in shape. However, in the midst of the ck mes, there is still a ray of light. It might be faint, but it is still flickering.


    The light originates from his<em>dantian qihai</em>region, from the incredibly tattered and charred Five Element Divine Compass which seems as though it is about to shatter into several pieces at any moment. However, at this very moment, the Five Element Divine Compass holds on exceptionally stubbornly. The faint ray of light still refuses to extinguish.


    Suddenly, the ck mes on Lu Chens body retracts back into his body, flitting like lightning through the innumerable veins and meridians. In an instant, the ck mes concentrates in his<em>dantian qihai</em>region. Just like a billowing wave, it rush furiously towards the Five Element Divine Compass.


    That is the final foundation of Lu Chens blood, flesh and soul, as well as the core of the Curse of ck mes.


    A resounding echo sounds in the world seemingly devoid of sound. In an instant, all of the ck mes enveloping the divinepass emits a bright light, a ck light that swallows everything!


    Lu Chen screams in agony. In his<em>qihai</em>, that ray of light dims. In the end, the final tenacity of the Five Element Divine Compass is unable to withstand the formidable curse of the demons. Bit by bit, it starts to crumble, and his blood, flesh and soul follow suit. From the looks of it, his soul is about to disintegrate.


    At this very instant, Lu Chen suddenly howls and his right hand suddenly rises up. A glint of light shines from the iparably sharp ck dagger in his hand. At that very moment, his face is as cold as ice, not a single trace of emotions could be seen. In the next, the ck dagger prates into his lower abdomen.


    The charred abdomen immediately rips apart. Facing the sky,he bellows deafeningly. Then, his left hand takes on the shape of a w and stabs into his<em>dantian</em>. He propagates the final shreds of his remaining spirit energy. The iparably ruinous Five Element Divine Compass trembles as it floats towards him. He grabs it in his hands, the way as though one would grab his heart, and slowly rips it out.


    The ck mes burnfrenziedly as they wrap themselves firmly around thepass. By the look of it, it seems to be emerging out of his body along with his wrist. Then, Lu Chens hand swiftly pulls his hand downwards and the next moment, his left hand sinks into the pool of clear water.


    The iparably concentrated vitality surges forth from the surroundings and wraps around the bundle of ck mes. The ck mes gradually separates from his hands. However, it doesnt extinguish. Rather, it continues to burn fervently in the water, just that it is gradually surrounded by a convergenceof water.


    Lu Chens body convulses intensely. No one, especially one whose physical body is no different from a mortal, could withstand such a severe injury. At this moment, there isnt a trace of redness on his face. He slowly lowers his head as his body falls forward powerlessly. Very quickly, his bodyturns in a somersault and falls into the pool of clear water.


    <em>Hu</em>, water sshes upwards and descends back down. Then, everything quietens and there isnt any movement or sounds.


    The hollow of the tree is tranquil, as though time pauses here. Vaguely, mysterious treerings could be seen on the walls of the ancient tree walls. It is unknown how long those intersecting scars on it had been there. But very soon, they were covered by a gray aura.


    <em>Hua</em>, the sudden sshing of water broke thetranquility of the atmosphere. Lu Chen abruptly appears from the water. Then, he strenuously pulls himself up slowly. Just as before, those burn marks from the scorching of the ck mes, as well as the wound on his lower abdomen, disappear mysteriously yet again. This pool of clear water seems like the legendary mystical spring of longevity, bringing him back from the cliff of death again and again.


    Climbing onto the surface, when he is gasping for breath, he turns back fortuitously and his body jolts suddenly, as though he has seen something shocking. For a moment, he freezes.


    In the small pool of clear water beside him, the emerald color which represents unimaginable concentration of vitality haspletely disappeared! At this instant, the remaining water looks like an original pool.


    Lu Chen is taken aback. After a momentary pause, he slowly climbs up. He suddenly catches sight of what is beneath the clear water, and there seems to be a ck shadow in it.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Lu Chen is astonished. Taking a closer look, he sees a coalescence of water of water that is denser than the ones of its surroundings in the depths of the water. It has formed into a circr ball of water that floats in its stationary position. In the center of the transparent water, a small bundle of ck mes is burning silently.


    Lu Chen stares solemnly at the bundle of ck mes. Suddenly, he chuckles bitterly. For some reason, he feels a bizarre illusionist, but familiar, sensation from it. At this moment, his body is devoid of strength and iparably fragile. He slowly takes a few step backs and stumbles into a seating position.


    After panting for a brief moment, he crosses his legs and looks inwardly through his<em>shennian</em>. Under the nourishment of that miraculous water of vitality, the gruesome wounds in his<em>qihai dantian</em>has regenerated. At this moment, it lookspletely empty, as though nothing has happened at all.


    <em>Shennian -> Mental/divine consciousness|Qihai -> spirit sea|Dantian -> Acupoint in the lower abdomen</em>


    Everything, seems to be a fresh start.


    Lu Chen sits quietly. After a moment,an aura emanates from his<em>qihai dantian</em>. After which, as though a miracle had urred, a shadow shes across his<em>dantian</em>and a brand new, undamaged andplete Five Element Divine Compass gradually floats upwards.


    A hint of frenzied joy shes across Lu Chens face. However, the next moment, he is taken aback. On the Five Element Divine Compass, everything seems like a newborn infant, nothing is present on it. It is far from the outstanding aptitude he possessed back then.


    At this very moment, the surroundings on the Five Element Divine Compass ispletely bare, except for a divine pir rising up on the center of the earth bearing in the palest yellow color. Barely an inch tall, it stands alone in the center of the divinepass.


    This is the worst aptitude and roots for cultivation one could possess out of all of the cultivators in the world.


    Lu Chen went silent. After which, he shakes his head and smiles bitterly, but he doesnt seem to be overly disappointed over it. Just when he is about to leave, the Five Element Divine Compass shakes and turns overpletely.


    In that moment, Lu Chens face freezes.


    On the other side of the Five Element Divine Compass, on the unheard of other side of the divinepass, lies a barrennd. Other than the ground which takes on a deep shade of ck and is devoid of any greenery, it is entirely barren. At the center of the bizarre ck divinepass, a faint ck me burns silently.


    Just like the sneer of the demon, as it slowly bares its vile fangs towards Lu Chen.


    This is really a damned weather!


    Curses could be heard from the tavern.Dressed in a giant pair of pants, Old Mas upper body is bare, revealing his white lumps of fats. Sitting in his tavern, he grabs onto a towel in his hand and wipes away the beads of perspiration that appear relentlessly on his face as heins non-stop beneath his breath.


    Lu Chen, who is sitting on his opposite, looksspiritless. Hezily nces at the fatty and frowns. With a look of contempt, he scorns, Does anyone conduct business the way you do? Dressed in such a way when the sun is still hanging in the sky, who would dare toe knocking for a drink?


    Old Ma harrumphs and replies, In such a damned scorching weather where even cicadas would be cooked, whose head would be so dysfunctional toe for a drink?


    Lu Chendoesnt refute his words and simply looks at the ss of alcohol on the table before him.


    Ever since the onset of summer, the weather has been bizarre. It has been significantly warmer than the previous years. ording to the elders of the vige, it has been at least thirty years since the appearance of such a scorching summer. A change in the heavens and earth, perhaps something is about to happen. These are the words of those talkative elderly who like to mystify events. However, it seems that no one believes in such words that hold little credibility. Furthermore, even though the weather has been hot, nothing peculiar has happened.


    Lu Chen widens his mouth into a yawn and his eyelids droop as he leans by the wall, seemingly on the verge of sleep.


    Old Ma wipes off the perspiration from his head yet again while staring enviously at Lu Chen, who didnt have a single drop of sweat on him despite the scorching weather. A momentter, he suddenly frowns and walks towards him.


    Lu Chen immediately opens his eyes and asks, What are you doing?


    Old Ma assesses him and mutters, Little fellow, your body seems to be very weak. Have you been overdoing homely activities? Listen to me, you should protect your body from young, do not wait


    Before he could finish his words, Old Ma leaps backwards with agility unfitting for his size to dodge a kick that came from beneath the table. He chuckles, Panicking, you are panicking! You are obviously hiding something!


    Hiding something your head! Lu Chen rolls his eyes in annoyance.


    Old Ma chuckles as he uses the towel in his hands to wipe his face again. Then, he sits back down and casually mentions, Speaking about that, why does it seem that you havent been looking for Ding Dang these few days?


    Lu Chenughs coldly and says, Ive had enough ying with her, alright?


    Sure, sure! Old Ma grins crookedly. Then, he raises his head to look at the gigantic sun outside and falls into depression again, muttering, Why is the weather so hot?


    Gulping down a mouthful of alcohol, Lu Chen is silent for a moment before suddenly speaking up, Right, how has the one who has beenepted by the Thousand Autumn Doors a few days ago, Li Ji, been doing recently?


    Old Ma harrumphs and says, Its not like I have ears everywhere. What does the things he do in the cultivator sect have to do with the events urring in the vige?


    Lu Chen smiles as he continues to stare at Old Ma. Old Ma curls his lips and replies impassively, That fellow possesses outstanding talent. I heard that soon after he had been epted into the sect, he got into the good graces with one of the elders of the Thousand Autumn Doors and is about to be one of his disciples. He will probably have a bright future ahead.


    Lu Chen nods his head, Sounds not bad.


    Old Ma says, It seems like the sparrow has evolved into a phoenix after finding a new nest.


    Lu Chen continues to ask, Has he returned to the Clear Stream Vige ever since then?


    Old Ma bursts intoughter, Of course not. Considering his current identity, why would he be bothered about this dpidated vige!


    Lu Chen contemtes and replies, Youre right.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a loud explosion echoesa bolt from the blue from beyond the doors of the tavern. Furthermore, the sound seems to originate from the sky above the vige. Lu Chen and Old Ma is taken aback. Exchanging gazes, the both of them stands up and dashes out.


    At the same moment, many of the other vigers also dash out from their dwellings, surprised by the deafening st.


    The next moment, innumerable people from the Clear Stream Vige raise their heads to look at the sky simultaneously.


    The sky is clear and the sun hangs high above. Clouds couldnt be seen even in the distance and it seems like an ordinary sweltering day. Not mentioning the dark clouds that usually apanies thunder, even white clouds couldnt be seen above.


    What is going on?

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Just when everyone is gripped by astonishment by the bizarre encounter, someone suddenly exims and points to a certain direction in the sky. Indeed, a small ck dot could be seen in the sky and it is descending rapidly. Soon, a human figure can vaguely be made out from it.


    Amotion breaks out as shouts of exmation tides over the crowd. At the entrance of the small tavern, Old Ma and Lu Chens faces darken,


    Old Ma mutters, Cultivator?


    Lu Chen pauses for a moment before nodding his head and replying softly, Seems to be it. He fell down in the middle of his flight.


    Old Ma grits his teeth as his face turns cold. As known among the cultivators, only those who had at least attaineda minor achievement in the foundation stage is capable of flight and cultivators in foundation stage can already be considered a top-tier power in a cultivator sect such as the Thousand Autumn Doors.


    Staringat the ck shadow descend from the sky and an increasing speed, panicked screaming can be heard from afar. The direction of descend seems to be towards the vige. For a short moment, amotion breaks out among the crowd as everyone rushes to retreat as far away as possble from the falling ck shadow.


    It didnt take long for the ck shadow to fall to the ground. In the midst of innumerable exims by the crowds,<em>peng</em>, along with a deafening sound, the figure crashes into a dwelling, creating a giant hole in the roof. At that moment, it feels as though the ground hasquivered slightly and a flurry of dust whips up.


    The sight isso tragic thatdespite the crowds areonly looking at that sight, they cant help but feel goosebumps rise up from their skins and a cold chill even under such a sweltering weather.


    A short momentter, the crowds start to gather up to the dwelling. Lu Chen and Old Ma are also part of the crowd.


    At this moment, the unlucky owner of the dwelling is standing outside his hut,dumbfounded by the sight. He seems to beon theverge of tears. Very soon, prying open the doors of the hut, everyone catches sight of the fallenhuman figure.


    He seems to be an elderly in his fifties. At this moment, he is lying on the ground limply. Blood is flowing down from his seven apertures and he seems to have breathed hisst. The broken bones on his body aretoo much to count and the sight of his body is truly horrifying.


    The faint-hearted ones had already retreated out of fear whereas those who are more daring pales from the appalling sight. There are even people who started dry heaving.


    At this moment, someone points to the corpse and exims in shock, That that persons clothes, he is an elder from Thousand Autumn Doors!


    The crowd is astonished. Turning around to take a look, they notice that his clothes bear a certain level of resemnce to it. Amotion breaks out instantly and the crowd hurriedly retreats from the hut.


    Old Ma and Lu Chen retreats along with the crowd and walk to the very back of it. Old Ma surveys the surroundings, and after confirming that there is no one around, he mutters softly, It is Elder Xu Yunhe from Thousand Autumn Doors.


    Lu Chens eyebrows lift slightly. He nces at Old Ma, opens his mouth but closes it before saying anything.


    Noticing his bizarre expression, Old Ma frowns, Why?


    Lu Chen is silent for a moment before speakingtly, He was already dead when he was falling from the skies. The fatal wound is a blow on his chest. The robe covering his right shoulder is torn and although there is bloodstain concealing it, there is a metal token stabbed into him there. If I am not wrong, there is an inscription of a giant tree on it.


    At this point, he pauses for a moment. Old Mas face darkens slightly. Lu Chen quietly stares at Old Ma before continuing, It is the doing of the Three Realm Divine Cult. It is probably vengeance for the incident a few days prior.


    Old Ma grits his teeth. Suddenly spitting towards the ground, he mutters furiously, That bunch of lunatics!


    Clear Stream Vige is a vige by the vicinity of Nansong Mountain, and it is considered as a part of the Thousand Autumn Doors sphere of influence. This is the reason why the clothes on the corpse were recognised by the vigers so quickly. Half a dayter, arge group of Thousand Autumn Doors cultivators descended upon Clear Stream Vige.


    The tranquility of previous days ispletely absent. Even so, the vige isnt in aruckus at this moment. The reason for it is simple. Under the stern faces of the cultivators of Thousand Autumn Doors, the atmosphere in Clear Stream Vige is deathly cold.


    There are disciples of Thousand Autumn Doors guarding the front and back of the vige and the vigers arepletely silent, reminiscent of cicadas in the winter, not even daring to breath loudly. Arge group ofThousand Autumn Doors cultivators are gathered around the corpse, and each of them seem to possess high standing within the sect. From time to time, there would be people walking over from there to summon a few vigers for interrogation.


    At this moment, Old Ma has finally put on a shirt and the unrefined image of him with his top bare disappears. Standing along with Lu Chen in the distance, they stare in the direction of the hut.


    After taking a look at themotion, Lu Chen prods Old Ma and whispers, This time, the Thousand Autumn Doors must be incensed!


    Old Ma shrugs and replies, Of course. Xu Yunhes level of cultivation is at foundation realm pinnacle. He is one of the two highest cultivated member of the sect, with the other being the sect leader. The demonic cultis really ruthless this time, destroying at least thirty percent of the Thousand Autumn Doors strength with a single blow this time.


    Lu Chen shakes his head expressionlessly. Old Ma nces at him, and says with a suppressed voice, It is rare to see the demonic cult making such a big ruckus.


    Lu Chen frowns and contemtes over his words for a moment. After a short while, he replies softly, Perhaps, the carving beneath the tree is with regards to this matter?


    Old Ma ponders for a moment before nodding his head, That should be it. But this is good in its own way as well, at least they arenting for you.


    Lu Chen lifts his gaze and stares into the distance, only to see a few vigers being brought out by the disciples of Thousand Autumn Doors. After which, they no longer brought any vigers in for questioning, perhaps because all of the answers were repetitiveand there is nothing else they can get out of them.


    However, at this moment, Lu Chen suddenly stares at a specific direction.<em>Yi</em>, he mutters subconsciously and he stares at a specific spot among the crowd.


    Old Ma traces his line of sight and after a moment, his face freezes as well. Outside the hut, among the seven to eight Thousand Autumn Doors disciples, there is a dashing young man whom he recognises as Li Ji.


    After numerous days of absence, this extraordinarily talented and lucky young man still seems the same, dashing and carefree. Even when standing among his fellow peers, he is still looks equally outstanding.


    Upon seeing Li Ji, the surrounding vigers exim in shock. It is apparent that they are quite envious of him. There are even a few young girls who stare at him with glowing eyes by the side. It feels as though they would melt in an instant ifLi Ji were to turn around andnce at them.


    Old Ma shakes his head and chuckles to Lu Chen, A good skin. I am envious.


    Lu Chen doesnt reply to hisment and continues staring in that direction for a moment. Then, ashe moves his gaze away, he catches sight of Ding Dang standing in a remote corner behind the crowds. She is standing beneath a peach blossom tree, staring at Li Ji from afar. Her eyes are bright and her face seems to glowing. She looks exceptionally beautiful.


    Alright, to rify the terms that I have been putting off so long


    <em> zhu ji jing</em>(Foundation realm/stage)


    -> Exactly as it sounds, it probably means like the preparation you need to do to<em>truly</em>cultivate (though one is already considered a cultivator by this point). Simply put it, the entrance to arger world, the foundation of a castle.


    /<em>xiao cheng/ da cheng (Minor achievement/ major achievement)</em>


    -> I dislike these two words because they are difficult to trante


    Edit: The suggestions given to me for it are Minor/Major Completion/Achievement/Mastery. I will go with Achievement


    (Thanks to the Discord bros again :P)


    /<em>xian zhang/ zhango</em>(Elder)


    -> The former refers to an elder of a cultivator sect whereas thetter just means an elder (which in this case, is still applied to an elder of a cultivator sect)


    Alright, simr to what I have said in LoHP, if there are some grammar mistakes that I keepmitting repetitively (like will would can could), feel free to correct me.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    By evening, the remains of Elder Xu Yunhe has been taken away by the Thousand Autumn Doors. However, the disciples of the Thousand Autumn Doors didnt retreat just because of it. Rather, they continued to search through the vige thoroughly. In the end, they were unable to find any suspicious figures. After all, most of the people here have multiple years of history in the vige. Thus, they could only depart bitterly.


    This isnt a small matter, and it would surely generate billowingwaves within Thousand Autumn Doors. This is the first time the low profile Three Realm Demonic Cult is operating againstmodus operandi in the span of thest ten years, revenging one of their own in such a savage matter. After the Thousand Autumn Doors informs the Immortal Alliance on the matter, the orthodox sects of the central continent could possibly start moving in the shadows.


    However, to the vigers of the Clear Stream Vige, who arejust ordinary mortals, these matters aretoo far away from them. After the personnel from Thousand Autumn Doors retreats, Clear Stream Vige quickly reverted to its past tranquil state. The only one who rages indignantly is the unlucky fellow who had the roof of his hut smashed. However, as he dares not to speak of it before the Thousand Autumn Doors, this incident can only end inconclusive.


    Just that, in the eyes of a few people, it seems that a slight change has urred in this peaceful vige, and the tranquility it experienced before is slightly different from the current one.


    Just like the many others, there isnt any changes to Lu Chens daily life. He still strolls around the vige daily with a harmless smile hanging on his face. He looks like a youngster who looks forward to cultivating, but is unwilling to toil, and thus, is prepared to idlehis life away.


    He treats others kindly and has a harmoniousrtionship with most people in the vige. Everyone knows him and likes him, but if one were to look into it carefully, it seems that there isnt a single one of them whois an intimatebosom of his.


    Throughout the years, he has kept an amiable but distant rtionship with most of the people as he quietly lives his life in the vige.


    When the sky darkens, he would always walk lonesomely back to the foot of the mountain, back to the forlorn-looking straw cottage.


    For some inconceivable reasons, Lu Chen doesnt feel averse to the dark, unlike most of the people.Rather, he seems to prefer the dark. The onset of the dark night, as he lies within the straw cottage, seems to be the moment when he feels the most carefree.


    In the depths of the shadows, ones thought would always end up wandering endlessly. One could reminisce their past, or conduct ndestine activities.


    That night, from his<em>dantian qihai</em>, the reborn Five Element Divine Compass appears once again. Although this divinepass that was reforged by the final drops of water of vitalityin the mysterious tree hollow is of exceedingly inferior quality, such that even a sect like Thousand Autumn Doors will shut his doors on him upon seeing such talent roots reflecting on the Immortal Discerning Mirror, Lu Chen is still delighted over it. That is, if only the Five Element Divine Compass didnt have another side to it.


    <em>Dantian: Acupoint in the lower abdomen|Qihai: Spirit sea</em>


    Along withthe silent rotation of the divinepass, the ck side of it reveals itself. After a period of adaptation and experimentation, Lu Chen has verified that the Curse of ck mes that had been guing him inhis<em>qihai</em>has alreadypletely vanished. It seems to have been extinguished along with the water of vitality during the sh between the two. However, for some inconceivablereason, bizarre changes urred in the reborn Five Element Divine Compass in him.


    On the normal side of the divinepass, in the four directions, north south east west which represents water, wood, metal and fire, the divine pirs of the four element doesnt appear. In the center of thepass, which represents the earth element, an extremely short pir with the lightest color can be seen.


    This means that even though Lu Chen still possesses the physical body of a mortal, he has the roots suitable for cultivation once again. Just that, the talents of his roots are substandard, allowing him to only be able to cultivate earth element cultivation techniques. Furthermore, his progress in learning the mystical arts would be incrediblyslow.


    However, to Lu Chen, this isnt something to get too depressed over. It is already a blessing for his divinepass to be reforged. However, what is unexpected is that there would be another side to the divinepass, a dark side.


    In this world, at least based on Lu Chens memories, such an incident is unheard of since immemorial times. Firstly, there has never been the concept of inversionfor the Five Element Divine Compass. Secondly, there has never been a ckand barren Five Element Divine Compass before.


    Sitting in the darkness, he silently stares at the ckFive Element Divine Compass, as well as the familiar small spark of ck mes burning at itsdirect center. Then, he holds his breath and slowly tries to stirthe mes.


    Using his<em>shennian</em>as a rope, he slowly edgesit closer to the mes. In thesurreptitious darkness, silence looms over the surroundings. At a certain moment, his eyes suddenly opens and there is no pain or emotions reflected in it. However, in his tranquil and stern eyes, two flickersof ck mes seem to sh across.


    <em>Shennian -> Mental consciousness</em>


    In the seventh month, the weather bes warmer and warmer. However, due to the presence of a clear stream, that seems as thoughit will never dry out, flowing through the vige, the residents of Clear Stream Vige still lived morefortably than theothers elsewhere.


    On a day nearing the end of the month, someone suddenly knocks on the door of Lu Chens straw cottage. He opens it and sees Ding Dang standing outside.


    Under the sunlight, she looks ever so beautiful, even withher flushed face and the beads of perspiration vaguely visible on her forehead. Upon seeing Lu Chen, she smiles and waves to him.


    Lu Chen smiles as well and invites her in, Why would you suddenly think ofing to find me, is there something up?


    Un. Ding Dang seems like she is in a good mood, as though something great has just happened to her. Facing Lu Chen, she asks, Can you do me a favor?


    Lu Chen nces at her. Ding Dang suddenly flushes red, as though she is suddenly reminded of something. Slightly distressed, she smilessheepishly, <em>Keng</em>, I havent gathered sufficient Spirit Stones yet. Is it alright if I repay you after some time?


    Lu Chen shrugs casually and says, Dont worry too much about it, I am not in urgent need of money. So, what do you have for me today?


    Ding Dang replies, Bring me to the Dragon Lake at the back of the mountain.


    Dragon Lake?


    Yes! Ding Dang nods her head forcefully and smiles radiantly.


    Why would you want to go to the Dragon Lake? Lu Chen is bewildered. The road there is steep and long, and mountainous paths arent that easy to walk on. No one would be there on normal days, so why would you want to go there out of the blue?


    Ding Dang chuckles. She seems to be unable to suppress the joy that can be seen between her brows, and she seems as though a proud chicken who had justid an egg and cant wait to brag about it.


    However, in the end, she pushes down the urge. Even so, the happiness continues to ripple in her eyes. To Lu Chen, she gently says, Ive heard that the scenery there is incredible, so I wantedto go over to take a look.


    She shrugs helplessly and continues, I have been living inClear Stream Vige for a few years now, but I have never been to the tea mountain. I have heard that the mountainous paths are confusing, simr toabyrinth. So, after thinking about it, you seem to be the only one who can help me.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Lu Chen stares at thedy before him. Under the morning rays, her snow-white skin and slightly flushed face makes her look like the most beautiful peach blossom in the world. Enchanting and alluring, she exudes a charm that dazzles others.


    After a short moment, he nods his head, Alright, Ill bring you there.


    Ding Dang cheers as she tugson Lu Chens sleeves happily. Her eyes twinkle with warmthas she smiles, Thank you, I knew that you werea good person!


    Lu Chen smiles at her words and continues, The Dragon Lake is on the west foothill behind the tea mountain. We will take at least four hours to get there. Do you want to make some preparations f, or should we set off now?


    Ding Dang clenches her fist excitedly and anxiously, Lets set off now!


    The tea mountain isnt a towering mountain. Looking at it from the foot of the mountain, it looks ordinary. However, as the adage goes, a horse who runs towards the mountain dies of exhaustion. The moment you start walking up the mountains, the feeling turnspletely different. This is especially so for Lu Chen and Ding Dang, who is in the midst of treading up the mountain now. Given how they arent cultivators, making themno different from ordinary humans, it is difficult for them to walk up the mountainous paths.


    Of the two, Lu Chens physical body is clearly much stronger than Ding Dangs. Onthe way upwards along the mountainous paths, his footsteps are light. Furthermore, as he is familiar with the roads on the tea mountain, he freely brought Ding Dang around the countlessbyrinth-like intersections alongthe mountainous path.


    On the other hand, although Ding Dang was spirited at the start, after an hour of walking, her face slowly pales and beads of perspiration flows profusely down her face. Her breathing slowly deepens. Just by a look, it is clear to see that she has never done menialbor or ran long distances in her life.


    After walking a little further, Lu Chen sees that Ding Dang is about to copse, so he stops to grant her a moment of breather. Without a second word, Ding Dang finds a rock by the path and sits limply on it while gasping for air.


    Lu Chen shakes his head and says, How can you walk up the mountain in your state? Should wehead back down?


    Although Ding Dangs face is frighteningly pale, she is persistent on this matter. She resolutely shakes her head and says, Theres no need for that. I will be fine after resting for a moment.


    Lu Chen shrugs.


    After resting for around a teas time, Ding Dang stands up and towards Lu Chen, who is sitting by her side, she says, Lets continue.


    <em>~15 minute</em>


    Thus, the two of them continue to advance ahead. The mountainous wind blows and the tea trees cloaking the mountain rustles, creating a sight reminiscent of a green ocean.


    Ding Dangs stamina ismediocre. On the journeyafterwards, she would be fatigued to the point of being unable to move after a short distance. Lu Chen could only stop along with her so that she could rest to regain some strength. Due to the frequent stops, much time was wasted. Initially, going by Lu Chens estimations, he expected to reach the Dragon Lake within four hours. However, due to the unexpected dys, they only caught sight of the calmke on the top of the mountain after half a day of effort.


    Despite having so much time of his wasted, Lu Chen remains patient throughout the journey. From the start to the end, he nevergot frustrated at Ding Dang. On the other hand, Ding Dang feels embarrassed and apologised repeatedly to Lu Chen along the way, but Lu Chen simply responded with a smile.


    Lu Chen was a little surprised that Ding Dang could persevere all the way to the Dragon Lake, and his opinion of her improved. When they are finally by theke, he points to the calm water surface and says to her, This is the Dragon Lake.


    Taking two steps forward, Ding Dang feels a cooling mountainous breeze that carries some humidity caressing her face. She couldnt resist taking a deep breath and satisfaction, along with pleasure, appears on her face.


    She isabout to proceed further ahead whenLu Chen suddenly pulls her from behind, startling her. She turns around and asks, Why?


    Lu Chen nces at the Dragon Lake in the distant and says, Dont get too close to theke.


    Ding Dang asks, Why?


    Lu Chen replies, I have heard someone say that there is a peculiar fish in the Dragon Lake. It is of massive size and something is off about it. It is possible that it could hurt someone.


    Ding Dang widens her eyes and asks, Did you see it?


    Lu Chen shakes his head and says, I heard of it from someone. I came here a few times but have yet to seen it.


    Ding Dang couldnt resist chuckling, Then, you still believe in the rumors?


    Lu Chen shrugs with a smile, Who knows. Anyway, the scenery can be seen from afar as well. It would be best not to approach thekeside.


    Un. Ding Dang nods her head and looks at Lu Chen. Lu Chen, thanks for bringing me up here. I will be fine alone from now on, you should return first.


    Lu Chen is taken aback.Bewildered, he asks, What? Then how will you get down from here?


    Ding Dang waves her hands and smiles, I am not a child. I can find my own way back. I would like some time to myself, so you should go back first.


    Lu Chen went silent for a moment. He looks up at the sky and says, It is no longer early, so by the time you get down the mountain, it could already be night. It would be harder to find your way then, are you sure you can manage?


    Ding Dang hesitates for a moment, but her face is still determined. She nods her head vigorously and says, I will be fine, dont worry. I just want to have a private moment here.


    Lu Chen stares at her for a moment and chooses not to say anything about it. He simply nods his head and replies, Alright then, take care. After which, he turns around to walk back down onthe path he came from.


    Ding Dang watches as his back gradually miniaturizes and aplicated expression shes acrossher face. It seems to containa tinge of warmth, gentleness andapology. However, she soon turns around and continues gazingat the tranquike.


    Yet, at this moment, footsteps sound from her back again. Ding Dang turns around and she is taken aback. It is Lu Chen returning back here. Lu Chen walks towards her with big strides and stuffs something into Ding Dangs hands.


    Ding Dang lowers her head to take a look, it is an ignitable paper roll. Then, she hears Lu Chens tvoice,If it is dark by the time you walk down the mountain and you find yourself lost, find a few logs and light them up. Then, wave them in the direction towardsthe foot of the mountain. If youre lucky, I mighe and fetch you if I happen to catch sight of it. However, if I have forgotten about it or if I have already slept, then you can only me yourself for your ill-luck.


    Ding Dangcloses gently closes her fingers and grabs the ignitable paper roll in her palm. Then, she lifts her gaze and stares at Lu Chen as emotions ripple in her eyes. After a short moment, she shes a charming smile and nods her head, Alright!


    Lu Chen chuckles and turns around to leave. This time, he doesnt turn back. It didnt take him long to disappear for him to disappear into the distance.


    Ding Dang stares at the back of that man as it slowly fades. Her eyes twinkle, and it is hard to tell what thoughts are lingering in hermind right now.


    <em>a horse who runs towards the mountain dies of exhaustion. ()</em>


    The sayinges from the idea that the mountain is huge, so even though it is in sight, if you try to approach it, you will realise that it is still a far distant away.


    It means that even though something may seem easy, it is actually difficult to carry out.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    A short moment after Lu Chen left, Ding Dang instinctively feels something and turns to look at the Dragon Lake. On the opposite end of theke, behind a giant boulder, a human silhouette suddenly appears.


    A delighted smile creeps onto Ding Dangs face. She stuffs the ignitable paper roll into her robe and rushes over.


    The Clear Stream Vige, as well as the tea mountain beside it, isactually just an unexceptional vige in the sphere of influence of Nansong Mountains Thousand Autumn Doors. In fact, in the iparably powerful world of cultivators in the center continent, the Thousand Autumn Doors is just an unexceptional small sect as well. In the vast center continent, the countless lives and innumerable powerful human cultivator sects and cultivators are as numerous and spectacr as the countless bright stars in the night sky.


    In the current human world of cultivation, the Immortal Alliance is without doubt, the number one power in the world. This is because the Immortal Alliance isnt just an individual sect, but an alliancprising thousands of powerful cultivator sects. Most notable sect in the center continent that possess an eptable level of strength are part of the Immortal Alliance. That is, excluding unorthodox sects such as the Three Realm Divine Cult.


    This massive organisation has a long history behind it. Throughout its long period of existence, this unique gigantic alliance hasbuilt a foundation very different from other sects, the Immortal City. Most of the cultivator sects in the world, regardless of their scale, are simr to the Thousand Autumn Doors, in the sense that they would upy a blessednd, a location optimal for their disciples to cultivate in. After time, a mountainside city role such would be developed beside the dwellings of these sects. However, the Immortal Alliance is different. This organisation upied thergest and most fertilend of the center continent, the Four River ins, and built a gigantic city on it. After innumerable years of expansion and reparation, the Immortal City has became one of the worlds most prosperous and powerful city, as well as a ce where countless look forward to. All of the important departments and subsidiary organisation of the Immortal Alliance also root their bases within the city.


    Countless people live in thatrge and ancient city. Everyday, people areing to and fro, contributing or departing from themotion. Under the intersection of light and dark, who knows how many joyous reunion and sorrowful separation had taken ce? Wherever light can be found, darkness will exist, just like how the cycle of sunrise and sunset will continuefor all eternity.


    In the massive city, there iscovert location which resembles a vast secret chamber. ced in the room is arge round-shaped table with a hollow center, where a flicker of me dances inconspicuously. If one were to take a careful look, one will realise that under the glowing me, the material feeding it is a pile of peculiar bones, bones that seem to belong to some beast, and yet not so. Savage and unnerving, it bears a level of resemnce to the faces of the demons depicted in ancient legends.


    Other than that, there are eleven seats by therge round-shaped table. At this very moment, there is a lonely figure sitting on a tall metal chair. The body of the figure ispletely concealed under a dark-red robe, and ahood covers the head, hair and neck. A golden mask is worn on his face. Other than the eyes, not an inch of the body is exposed.


    On the golden mask is a carved demonic face which bears some resemnce to the bones burning in the center of the table, thus adding an eerie atmosphere to the figure.


    The secret chamber ispletely silent. Sitting quietly on the metal chair, the eyes of the mysterious masked man are fixated on the bundle of burning mes, his body remaining motionless for a long period of time.


    The burning me reflects in his eyes, as though two balls of fire are burning its depths.


    After a seemingly long period of time, a soft echo sounds out of a blue from a corner of the secret chamber. After which,a door appears in the shadows, and from the other end, a person pushes on it and enters.


    That is a male who seems to be in his thirties. With an ordinary face, he looks like the kind of person one could meet on the streets everyday. Paired with ordinary clothes, his presence is something one could easily disregard. The mans gaze sweeps through the secret chamber and it doesnt take long for it to stop on the body of the mysterious figure sitting by the peculiar round-shaped table.


    His face tenses for an instant and a hint of anxiety shes across the depths of his eyes. Even so, his emotions does not reflect on his impassive face. He walks over and from the opposite side of the table, he bows respectfully to the masked figure.


    Chen He pays respect to elder.


    The head donned in a golden demonic mask moves slightly and the eyes on it nce at him. A short momentter, a peculiar voice echoes, How is the interrogationing along? The voice is hoarse and deep, reminiscent of the sound produced by rubbing metal and rock together, making it difficult to distinguish the gender of the speaker.


    With his head slightly lowered, Chen He inhales and says, That fellow couldnt survive the sentence and died. However, based on the words he spoke before his death, it is unlikele that he is acquainted with the Hei Lang that year.


    The me in the secret chamber suddenly surges upwards, as though a fearsome dormant demon suddenly roars, causing a cold chill to go down ones spine.


    A suffocating silence falls upon this dimly-lit secret chamber. The man named Chen He stands upright as though a taut spear. Facing downwards, he dares not to even breath loudly.


    After a short moment, the raging me regains its tranquility. The fearsome golden mask tilts upward once more, and the peculiar hoarse voice sounds out once again, All of thefishes that had escaped during the battle of the barren valley had been looked into, but there isnt any results. What do you intend to do next?


    Chen He contemtes for a moment before saying, After the catastrophe ten years ago, the traitor disappeared without a trace. Despite our efforts to track him down, the clues we found on him were always cut off by someone, or it would end with us rming certain powers within the Immortal Alliance, inducing retaliations against us. From this, we can tell that there is a powerful influence in the Immortal Alliance protecting that traitor.


    A cold harrumph filled with annoyance and callousness seems to echo from beyond the demonic golden mask, and the voice sounds once more, Continue.


    With a heavy tone, Chen He continues, In my humble opinion, it is highly probable that the traitor isnt in the Immortal City now. Perhaps, he could be hidden by some influential figure in some corner of the world. He might even be ying the role of an inconspicuous harmless individual in a random small sect to avoid our pursuit.


    The masked man doesnt respond to his words and remains silent.


    Chen He pauses for a moment before continuing, Based on my humble opinion, I believe that we should change our methods.


    Un? Why is that so? There is a slight movement with the golden mask, seemingly signalling the interest of the person beneath.


    All of the signs throughout these ten years has showed that the Immortal Alliance is rted with the event in the barren valley back then. Thus, if we wish to seek down that traitor, Hei Lang, we should focus our effort in the Immortal Alliance. Our previous method of scattering our into the countless cultivator sect to hunt him down is a method simply too difficult to achieve sess.


    ...

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    The figure donned in the golden mask ponders for a moment before nodding as a voice sounds, Your words make sense. The cult has sent numerous spies to infiltrate the Immortal Alliance to investigate this matter through these years, but theyfailed to obtain any worthy news. Do you have an idea in mind?


    Chen He shakes his head and replies, There are no other ways to it. Only byinvestigating the matter carefully will evidence and traces of the event back then be unveiled. The Fleeting Cloud Division of the Immortal Alliance has been in-charge of protecting those whose identities and backgrounds need to be concealed, the Shadows. Countless secrets are hidden amidst them, and throughout these years, they had been an important target in our investigation, just that the results werent apparent.


    At this point, Chen He pauses for a moment and a glean shes across his eyes, However, I have a proposal that might contribute to the investigation.


    Speak.


    In the past, we had been trying our best to track down those mysterious Shadows whose backgrounds are an enigma, but our efforts werent bringing proportionate results. However, Ive been thinking these days that perhaps, we should change our target and work on those who are in contact with the Shadows instead.


    Hm? The golden mask raises upwards abruptly. Clearly, these words had piqued his interest.


    Noticing this, a hint of delight shes across Chen Hes eyes. Even so, his expression doesnt reflect the changes in his mood, and continues further on the topic, All along, the Immortal Alliance had valued the safety of the Shadows, and protected them carefully. However, as for those who are in contact with the shadows, such as the sentinels and watchers, even though their jobs are kept a secret, they are all still figures on the surface, such as the<em>qinchuan</em>disciple of a reputable sect and such. Thus, if we were to start from these people, they might offer us some clues to...


    Good! Do it yourway then! A roar interrupts Chen Hes words. Hearing those words, joy surges through Chen He as he quickly bows respectfully, Yes, I will aplish this task!


    The golden masked figure slowly stands up. Staring at the horrifying bone remains amidst the glow of the mes, he howls deeply abruptly. His howl is reminiscent of the bellowing of a demon, causing ones heart to pound furiously. The sound of gritted teeth can be heard from beneath the mask, and the figure coldly spouts, The foundation that the divine cult has built, and the lives of the three elders. The might of our cult should have been at its pinnacle since thest 500 years, yet it was ruined in the hands of the traitor. If he doesnt die, how can the divine cult uphold its prestige!


    The moment his words stop, he suddenly raises a hand.<em>Boom</em>, theme erupts upwards and the intense light radiating from it seems as though it would swallow the heavens and earth. Within the crackling me, a voice seems to be burning as well. It sounds like the friction between metal and rock, roaring hoarsely and furiously, screaming within the dark room, cursing!


    Grind his bones!


    Extract his soul!


    Make him die!


    The night sky descends just like any other day, and the bizarre and hair-raising cries of the spirits fill the tea mountain once more. In the shadowof the night, Lu Chen stands at the entrance of the straw cottage. He looks toward the top of the tea mountain, only to see a sight of perfect stillness. The darkness of the night is so dense that it resembles a canvas painted over with ink.


    Expressionless, he stands for a moment longer before walking back into the straw cottage. He heads towards the bed and shuts his eyes. Without any sound, he falls into deep sleep.


    It is already the morning two dayster when he catches sight of Ding Dang once more. Ding Dang is walking along the viges clear stream. Her beautiful features are as though the most beautiful peach blossom, stealing the gazes of others with its radiance. She stands out even in this season of peach blossoms, attracting innumerable eyes in the vige.


    However, she pays no heed at all to the gazes from the surroundings. Her bright eyes seem to reflect one who stands on top of the clouds, untainted by the dirt of the world. At the same time, it also seems to be reflecting one who is fated for a different life. She even brushes off most of the greetings of others.


    She smiles, but her smile isnt directed towards anyone. This is the joy from the depths of her heart, yet it belongs to her and her alone, unwilling to share even a sliver of it to the crass people beside her. Only upon seeing Lu Chen, who is standing at the entrance of a small tavern in the distance, does she stop. For the first time, Ding Dang stops her footsteps and hesitation flickers across her face. Then, she directs a gentle smile towards Lu Chen from afar.


    Alluring, as though the peach blossoms amidst the gentle caress of the spring wind. At the same time, it carries with a disposition of reserved nobility, leaving others hesitant to approach her.


    Lu Chen reciprocates with a smile of his own and nods his head before walking into a small tavern.


    Old Ma sits by the table. As the business in the tavern is still dismal, his face doesnt look good. Lu Chen walks over, sits by his side and smiles, Whats wrong?


    Old Ma res at him and replies snappishly, You are asking the obvious.


    Lu Chen smiles, Its not like you really depend on this tavern for a living, why do you view it so importantly?


    Old Ma harrumphs as he heads towards the counter to fetch a bottle of wine and throws it towards Lu Chen. Then, with a suppressed voice, he says, The incident with Xu Yunhe from the Thousand Autumn Doors has alreadyreached the Immortal Alliance. It is said that the heads were furious and they are pursuing the incident now.


    Lu Chen pours himself a cup of wine. Contemting for a moment, he replies, Indeed, they went a little too far this time. However, there is something weird about this incident as well. It has been at least a decade since the Three Realm Divine Cult had done anything that overboard.


    Old Ma shrugs, They were probably suppressed too violently these few years. Or perhaps, there might be a new figure rising among the demonic cult. He might be trying to reestablish the prestige of the cult through such extreme means. After which, he stares at Lu Chen and continues, Say, how canthe organisation known as the demonic cultbe destroyed and annihted time and time again, yet surviving every single crisis, just like an undying worm?


    Lu Chen goes silent. After a long moment, he replies with a tone pushed down several scales, Perhaps, the people inside are simple-minded. They believe in some things to the point of not doubting it at all, to a level that is iprehensible to us.


    Old Masplexion pales. Looking at Lu Chens expression, he coughs and diverts the topic. Right, a few days ago, Old Liu has sent some news over. He hadfinished delegating his tasks at the Immortal City and within a few days, he would be able to retire and enjoy the rest of his life at the sect he originates from.


    Lu Chen nods his head, Thats great. Old Liu is a good person.


    The two of them continue the idle chatter within the tavern, just like innumerable times they had did in the past. In this ordinary vige, they are just two ordinary insignificant figures in the most ordinary corner of the human society, peacefully living their ordinary and idle life.


    When afternoon is on the verge of leaving, and Lu Chen is about to walk out of the tavern, Old Maments abruptly, You seem to be looking good these few days.


    Lu Chen pauses for a moment. Then, with a silent smile, he walks away.


    He walks back to his straw cottage at the foot of the tea mountain and closes the door. Then, sitting crossed leg on his bed, it doesnt take long for the entirely new butpletely ordinary Five Element Divine Compass to float out from his<em>qihai</em>. Lu Chens face is entirely calm, as he silently drives his Qito regte his breathing. Slowly, a sliver of spirit energy appears in his meridians and flows through his body.


    <em>Qihai -> Spirit sea</em>

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    That aura of the sliver is peaceful, although it contains a slightly heavy sensation within it. This is a true earth element spirit energy. The five elements form the fundamentals of the universe, and the same goes for the cultivators of the center continent as well. The talent for the respective elements dictated on the Five Elemental Divine Compass limits ones possible future paths as a cultivator, as well as their estimated upper limit in it.


    This scant earth element spirit energy circtes a round around his meridians before gathering in his<em>dantian qihai</em>. For a cultivator, regardless of what realm one is in,such uninteresting daily cultivation forms the foundations of his training. Just that, when Lu Chen examines the results of his training in his<em>dantia</em><em>n</em>, he cant help but feel helpless.


    <em>Dantian -> An acupoint| Qihai -> spirit sea</em>


    Perhaps, throughout the course of ten years, the Curse of ck mes had caused massive damage to his body, causing the roots of the reborn Five Elemental Divine Compass to be far toocking. He mightstill able to cultivate, but the ability to attract spirit energy and the speed of his cultivation are disappointing. In fact, he might not even be able topare up to an ordinary neer.


    The only thing positive about the situation is that the earth element spirit energy that Lu Chen absorbed is much more pure and dense in terms of quality. However, this isnt something to be surprised about. After all, only the Earth Divine Pir is left on his Five Elemental Divine Compass. This means that he is only capable of absorbing earth element spirit energy, and naturally, it is easier for it to be pure.


    In reality, based on his prior knowledge, someone with roots like his, due to their overly weak foundations, tend to be unable to join any cultivator sect to train under them. Typically, a normal cultivator disciple will at least possess divine pirs of two elements with them. Furthermore, the quality of each individual pir must not be toocking, and only then can they barely meet the prerequisites to be considered to be worthy of grooming. As for those who carry three or four divine pir, they are considered as talented individuals with powerful roots, and the upper limits of their cultivation are likely to be extremely high. On the other hand, those who possess all five of the Five Elemental Divine Pir are rare genius-level figures, even when put against the entire world.


    These thoughts sh across his mind. Then, Lu Chen chuckles softly self-deprecatingly. However, he isnt too upset about it. Perhaps, to him, the current situation is already much better than he had expected.


    Except for the existence of the dark side.


    The smile on the corner of his lips disappears and in its ce is solemnity. Silently sitting in this lonely and quiet straw cottage, the Five Element Divine Compass in his<em>dantian qihai</em>starts moving. Gradually rotating about its axis, a shade of ck silently reveals on it and soon, the dark side of it can be seen.


    When the flicker of ck me appears, darkness suddenly spreads outwards into the surroundings. In an instant, Lu Chens entire<em>dantian qihai</em>darkens into a deep ck ocean. At this instant, a peculiar deste aura exudes fleetingly from within his body.


    Lu Chen is conscious.


    He is well-aware of the changes urring within his body, although he could notprehend or fathom why such a bizarre change would ur with his body. He holds his breath, and after a moment, as though cultivating normally, he tries to absorb the spirit energy from the heavens and earths via this dark<em>dantian</em>to see whether he is capable of cultivating in this state.


    The spirit energy of the heavens and earths are formed from the five elements, this is the unbreakable conventional belief in the center continent for countless eons. The existence of the five element spirit energy is the fundamental reason why cultivators are able to absorb spirit energy to cultivate.


    Thus, Lu Chen doesnt feel anything at all.


    His attempt seems to be in vain. Under this dark Five Elemental Divine Compass, not a single spirit energy enters his body. Perhaps, the ancient saying is true, that without the Five Elemental Divine Pir, one is unable to absorb any five element spirit energy, and thus, one would be unable to cultivate.


    Lu Chen continues trying for a long period of time, until two hours has passed. Yet, he fails to pull even a single sliver of spirit energy into his body. The dark and cold Five Elemental Divine Compass looks like a vicious curse, coldly mocking him.


    He sighs and dispels his cultivation technique.The Five Elemental Divine Compass starts to rotate slowly once more and the darkness retreats. Soon, the<em>dantian qihai</em>reverts back to its original appearance. Once again, he turns back to an ordinary and average insignificant figure. In the straw cottage, he sits quietly, as though falling into deep thoughts.


    Lu Chen walks out from his straw cottage and stretches his back. The mountainous wind carries a refreshing fragrance of tea leaves with it, and a slightly sweet scent seems to be embedded within it. Just like what Old Ma said that day, hisplexion seems to be gradually improving. This change isnt apparent, but hints of it can be seen.


    Lu Chen moves his body for a moment, and just as he is considering whether he should drink in the vige over at Old Mas, he suddenly spots Ding Dangs figure.


    Thedy walks over from the foot of the mountain and upon seeing Lu Chen at the entrance of his straw cottage, she stops and smiles at him.


    Lu Chen nods his head with a smile, Where are you heading to?


    Ding Dang points to the top of the mountain, Im heading for the Dragon Lake.


    Lu Chen is taken aback, Alone?


    Ding Dang nods her head, Didnt you bring me over the other time? I roughly remember the paths.


    Lu Chen gazes at her, The mountainous paths areplicated, are you sure you can handle it? Or, why dont I apany you this time as well?


    Ding Dang smiles, Theres no need. I will be fine alone.


    Lu Chen asks, Why would you head there for no apparent reason? It takes a whole day to go up and down from there, not to mention the fatigue one would umte.


    Ding Dang replies, Im there for the scenery. The scenery at the Dragon Lake is beautiful.


    To climb the towering mountain within a short span of a few days just to view the scenery by theke? Lu Chen is silent for a moment. In the end, he doesnt say anything. Instead, he simply chuckles, Then, be careful. If it getste, light a torch and wave it about. If I see it, I will head upwards to fetch you.


    Ding Dang smiles, her smile alluring and moving, Thank you, but I probably wont need it.


    After which, she continues walking towards the mountain. When she is a distance away from the straw cottage, she suddenly hears Lu Chens voice from behind, Right, Ding Dang, I have a question foryou.


    Ding Dang turns over and asks, Yes?


    When you were at the Dragon Lake the previous time, did you see any mysteriousrge fish?


    Ding Dang shakes her head and chuckles, Of course not. The Dragon Lake was how it always was, there isnt any mysterious fish inside. Where did you hear those unreliable rumors from?


    Lu Chen shrugs, Is that so? I guess I was fooled by someone. Haha, its nothing, go ahead.


    Ding Dang responds with a smile before she turns around and continues treading upwards. Lu Chen watches as her silhouette slowly disappears in the midst of the mountainous paths and the spirit tea trees. Then, he lifts his head and gazes musinglyat the distant peak of the tea mountain. However, he soon shakes his head lightly and turns around to walk down the mountain, towards the vige below.


    The clear stream is still as transparent as it is, the base of which clear to see. Just like any other day, it flows quietly and peacefully. Apanied with the towering bamboo and greenery on both banks, it is reminiscent of a painting.


    ...

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    As Lu Chen walks towards the tavern, he stops when he passes by thatrge chinese schr tree. He first nces at the tree root before walking over to the giant rock with a smile. Facing the old fisherman who is sitting on it, fishing, he asks, Old Yu, hows the fishing going today?


    Old Yus hat rotates from one side to the other as the person in question remains silent.


    As one who had foreseen such an oue, Lu Chen smiles even more brightly. He squats next to Old Yu and says, I say, Old Yu, persisting on like that here isnt a solution.


    Not saying a word, the old fisherman nces at him doltishly. Ignoring him, Lu Chen continues speaking with a bright smile, Why dont we change a location to fish?


    Old Yu frowns, Where?


    Lu Chen points to the mountain in the distance and says, The Dragon Lake on top of the mountain. It rains often there and the water is deep. Perhaps, you might find therge fish that you are seeking there.


    Old Yu shakes his head nkly, The mountain is too high up. Besides, why would there be any fish on top of a mountain?


    Lu Chen chuckles. Just as he is about to continue persuading him, he suddenly notices a twinkle by his peripheral vision, and the fishing rod floating in the water suddenly shakes violently.


    At this instant, Lu Chen and Old Yu is bbergasted. After such a long period of time, everyone is already used to the feeling of being unable to fish anything from this stream. Is this going to change today?


    A split momentter, Old Yu and Lu Chen bounces upwards. They fumble about in a fluster, shouting here and there as they hurriedly pull up the fishing pole. A short momentter, the fishing line is pulled in and the two of them immediately nces at the end of the rod, only to see an ordinary fish of about a palms size hanging there.


    It is slightlyrger than the gray-colored fishes in the stream, sufficientlyrge to bite on the bait, but insufficiently so to be considered arge fish.


    The two stare at one another. After a moment, Old Yu sits down once again doltishly while Lu Chen shrugs his shoulder and grabs the fish to unhook it. At the same time, he says, Alright, even if these kind of fishes are rare, perhaps, there might be a chance in the future...


    Halfway through his words, Lu Chens voice suddenly trails off. When his hand grabs the fish, whose body was stabbed by the fish hook and is struggling furiously but to no avail, suddenly, a bizarre aura carrying a wisp of cold deste intent appears from nowhere, and seeps into his meridians.


    Almost at the same moment, Lu Chen feels a jolt in the<em>dantian qihai</em>within his body. His Five Elemental Divine Compass suddenly appears and flips over. ck aura surges towards all direction. As though the demons are howling, the darkness is roaring, an iparably dense congregation of darkness shrouds over everything.


    <em>Dantian -> An acupoint| Qihai -> Spirit sea</em>


    <em>Pa dah!</em>


    A dull thump echoing by his side, Old Yu turns around to take a look, only to see the small fish falling heavily onto the floor from Lu Chens hands. The fish hook had slipped out from the fishs mouth but curiously, the hook had lodged itself onto the fishs body, piercing through the abdomen of the small fish.


    The small fish flops a few times on the floor before losing its strength rapidly and passes away.


    Old Yu frowns and looks at Lu Chen, It is not like this fish could be eaten. There is no point to killing it, so why kill not release it instead?


    After which, he turns back and ces a new bait onto the hook before throwing it in an arc to continue fishing.


    Lu Chen stands quietly at the back of the old fisherman. For a very long time, he remains quiet. After a significant period of time, when even Old Yu is slightly puzzled by his behavior, Lu Chens voice, deep and slow, sounds behind him, You are right. I have overdid it.


    Old Yu finds the situation queer. Turning around to look at Lu Chen,theres nothing off about his expression. Calm as usual, and there doesnt seem to be anything wrong about him. Thus,zy to bother about him, Old Yus attention returns back to the surface of the water.


    Lu Chen continues standing there for a period of time before up turning around to leave. He doesnt continue walking inwards, towards the center of the vige, even though Old Mas small tavern isnt too far away. Instead, he changes directions and heads towards the tea mountain once more, back to the straw cottage at the foot of the mountain.


    Before walking into his cottage, he takes a look upwards toward the tea mountain. There isnt a single human figure that can be seen on the serene peak of the mountain. It is hard to tell where Ding Dang is at this instant. Perhaps, she might be trudging along a certain part of the mountainous path.


    Returning back to his straw cottage, Lu Chen sits on the bed without making a single sound. Then, with a lowered head, he falls into contemtion. Bit by bit, he recalls what happened earlier, every single aspect and portionof it, even every single motion and sensation, he doesnt allow any of it to escape him


    His expression gradually grows cold, as his gaze brightens and sharpens. He seems to have vaguely guessed something. After a moment, he suddenly stands up and walks towards the door. At the same time, on his right hand which is hanging by the side of his body, the fingers open up slightly. The next instant, a ck dagger silently slides from his sleeve into his hand.


    The sun outside the cottage is radiant and the sky is clear. He looks at the surroundings through squinted eyes. After musing for a short moment, he starts heading towards the tea mountain.


    The mountain is extremely tranquil. With the exception of the rustling of the tea trees due to the mountainous winds, rarely can other sounds be heard. asionally, the chirping of the bird could be heard from the woods in the distant. The tea mountain isnt a towering and vast mountain, but there are quite a few wildlife on it. Just that, many years ago, the ground of the front of the mountains had been cultivated by the humans to grow tea trees. As a result, many birds and beasts had migrated from this region towards the peak or the back of the mountain to avoid the humans.


    The de of the ck dagger Lu Chen holds in his hand is dull de, as though it is impossible for even a sliver of light to reflect from it, its radiance concealed deep within it. Yet, its edge is exceptionally thin. His hand is steady and peaceful, but for some reason, the dagger seems to betrembling in agitation. It isnt out of fear, but out of a long-awaited reunion, the kind of agitation derived from long years of mutual absence.


    Even the dagger itself seems to be craving for something.


    The mans gaze scans the surrounding as he proceeds forwardly slowly. Unknowingly,indifference fills his face.


    When he is around the halfway mark of the mountain, the forest gradually grows silent. However, at this altitude, the chirping from the birds in the surroundings crescendos. On the branches of some high-rising trees, the shadows of squirrels can be seen.


    Suddenly, the grass in front shakes and a gray-colored head pops out. It is a gray rabbit that can be frequently spotted in the wilderness here. Its mouth quivers non-stop, as though it is chewing on something. At the same moment, it surveys its surroundings warily.


    Then, it spots Lu Chen standing on the mountainous path not too far away.


    That is a gentle man with a calm expression. For an instant, a trace of a tender smile seems to be hanging on the edges of his lips. Clearly, the wisp of cold deste aura that seemed to appear on him a moment ago has disappeared without a trace.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    The gray rabbit cowers backwardsand continues to stare at the person who just appeared warily. However, there doesnt seem to be obvious killing intenting from that person. Thus, the simple-minded rabbit doesnt immediately turn around to flee.


    Both of its ears are still taut upwards. Soon, it realises that it should keep a distance away from the dangerous human, thus, it pulls itsstretched-out head backwards and prepares to escape.


    At the instant that it lowers its head, the two long ears of the gray rabbit suddenly twitch. At this instant, that little animal seems to hear something, a shrilling and deste sound of an object ripping through the air.


    The gray rabbit lifts its head, but it was toote.A wave of coldness envelops it. Reflected in its eyes in its final moments is a cold merciless ck dagger slicing through the air. Without a single sound, it pierces through the chest of the rabbit easily.


    The gray rabbit copses and falls into the bushes. A short momentter, a trail of blood flows from the bushes. Walking over, Lu Chen squats beside the bush and grabs the lifeless rabbit. Taking a nce at it, he retrieves his dagger.


    The ck dagger had pierced through the chest of the gray rabbit, causing it to die instantaneously.


    Lu Chen quietly watches as crimson-red blood flows from its wound. Suddenly, his body jolts. In that instant, his expression is indescribably profound and bizarre. In it, a hint of shock, surprise,prehension and finally, as well as incredulously, fear.


    A wisp ofck spirit energyquietly seeps into his body once again. It slowly flows through his meridians, as though a ck apparition. Within his<em>dantian qihai</em>, a ck Five Elemental Divine Compass rises, causing his<em>dantian</em>to transform into a world of darkness. At the center of this bizarre world, a flicker of ck me burns unspectacrly.


    That wisp of ck spirit energy circtes through the meridians of his entire body once before silently entering his<em>dantian</em>. Then, as though a water droplet converging as one with the ocean, it is propelled by an intangible force and melds together with the ck mes.


    The ck me shudders and wavers for a moment before calming down yet again.


    Nothing seems to have changed.


    However, Lu Chen knows and senses that something has changed. It is so minor that it could be negligible, but he still feels the ck me, upon absorbing the wisp of ck spirit energy, grew stronger by a little bit.


    What exactly is that ck spirit energy?


    Lu Chen lowers his head to look at the lifeless rabbit, and his face suddenly turns peculiarly pale.


    Two times, by the clear stream at the bottom of the mountain and by the bushes in the tea mountain, a small fish and a gray rabbit. The two events seem to bepletely unrted with one another, but they had amon point of simrity.


    That is, when the two were struggling for their lives, when their lives were about toe to an end and when death was approaching them, Lu Chen feels a wisp of the fearsome and terrifying ck spirit energy seeping into his body.


    This kind of power and this kind of spirit energy is something that is unheard of. It doesnt belong to the five elements and vaguely roams between life and death.


    It seems to... smell of death, death spirit energy?


    Zhang Jiu Ping is thirty-seven year old. With a responsible personality, he does his job seriously. He originates from a renowned sect, Tianluo Sect, and his cultivation realm isnt weak. He was entrusted by his sect to work in the Immortal Alliance. After roaming among several halls, three years ago, he came under the Fleeting Cloud Division that was under themand of the trusted subordinate of<em>Tian Zhenjun</em>, Xue Ying, and became a sentinel.


    A sentinel is a great yet terrible job. The advantage to it is that it doesnt involve much killing. Sentinels are only responsible of contacting those Shadows with mysterious backgrounds, and sometimes, they can even earn some additional Spirit Stones. It is a safe and lucrative job. On the other hand, those Shadows under the Fleeting Cloud Division, other than the few who managed to muddle into their ranks to make a living out of it, most of them are peculiar individuals with bizarre personalities. Furthermore, having to patrol outside for most of the time, it can be considered quite a tough job.


    Zhang Jiu Ping has been in this job for three years for now. These three years, he had carried out his responsibilities well, making nearly no errors at all. Thus, quite a few influential figures in the Immortal Alliance had high hopes for him. After putting him through a bit more hardship, they intend to promote him to a more important position, perhaps even to govern an subsidiary organisation by himself.


    Just that, luck is a mysterious and inexplicable thing. This man, afterying dormant for many years, just as he is about to achieve sess, something suddenly happened to him.


    Without any foreboding signs or clues, this exceptional sentinel of the Immortal Alliances Fleeting Cloud Division suddenly died in the depths of an inconspicuous alley by Zhuque street in the south of the Immortal City.


    He died very tragically. There were bloodstains all over his body. When his corpse was noticed, it was swiftly sent back to the Fleeting Cloud Division. The culprit was determined likely to be from the Three Realm Divine Cult, because there was traces of a cultivation technique unique to the cult on his body. Other than that, Zhang Jiu Pings innumerable wounds on his body was determined to not be a result of battle. Based on the words of several individuals of special standing from the Immortal Alliance who examined the corpse, it was likely to be the result of an interrogation method.


    It is hard to imagine what kind of person would dare toy their hands on the Immortal Alliance where over tens of thousands of cultivator sects all over the world are congregated, given its nameas the dominant power on the center continent. However, if the culprit was the Three Realm Divine Cult, the puzzles seem to fit perfectly together.


    Furthermore, the very fact that this incident happened in the Immortal City, right under the eyelids of the Immortal Alliance, made the top brass incensed. As such, it isclear to see that the Three Realm Divine Cult, which had maintained a low profile for many years, had grown arrogant.


    All kinds of orders to look into the matter kept flying out from the Immortal Alliance, and the atmosphere in the massive Immortal City grew tense. In the Fleeting Cloud Division, in addition to the tense atmosphere, there is a hint of dismal as well.


    Old Liu steps out from the room where the corpse wasid. Outside the room, there are quite a few people who have gathered and most of them arefrom the Fleeting Cloud Division. There are also others who are close to the Fleeting Cloud Division who came here to listen into the news. He takes in a deep breath. Despite his horribleplexion, he doesnt say anything, only silently shaking his head. After a moment, he says with a suppressed tone, Tragic.


    The hushed atmosphere takes another dive. After a moment, some people started to curse.


    Old Liu sighs and looks towards the sky. With a deep voice, he questions, How did Old Zhang provoke those lunatics from the demonic cult?


    By the side, another sentinel from the Fleeting Cloud Division harrumphs silently, Who knows, those lunatics dont obeymon sense. At this point, he pauses and muses. Old Zhang keeps quite a low profile, so it is unlikely for him to have a grudge with the demonic cult. Perhaps... the demonic cult sought him out for other matters?


    Old Liu raises his head, and at the same time, the others happen to look over as well. Exchanging gazes, theirplexion darken and at the same time, they mutter, Shadows!


    ...

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Old Liu gasps deeply. Then, he asks, Who is the demonic cult looking for?


    No idea. Most of the identities of these Shadows have been concealed, to the point that even we dont know much about them.


    Old Liu contemtes for a moment before shing a bitter smile, If it was to hunt down a Shadow that the demonic cult is willing to kill in the Immortal City, then the identityof the Shadow must be exceptionally important. Who could it be?


    Someone suddenly harrumphs, There are only 72 sentinels in the Fleeting Cloud Division, but the number of Shadows beneath, be it in the open or in the shadows, are multiple times of our numbers. How can it be easy to find an individual of the lot?


    Old Liu muses for a moment and continues, Old Zhang is a capable worker. If I recall correctly, the number of Shadows he is in contact with should be the most numerous of us all?


    No one replies him. Old Liu smiles bitterly and scans the surroundings before speaking quietly, Perhaps, it might just be a coincidence. But if it isnt, then... there is a traitor among us.


    Old Liu looks around and smiles bitterly once more before turning around to leave. As he departs, faint mutterings can be heard from his mouth, From there on, the world will no longer be at peace...


    <em>Pah</em>!


    A rabbit suddenly thrown on the table scares Old Ma. He lifts his head to look at Lu Chen and asks, What are you doing?


    Lu Chen sits opposite to him and says, I have been drinking your wine for free all along. So, today I went to the mountain to catch a wild rabbit for you so as to apany the wine.


    Old Ma looks at him suspiciously, Is it possible for you to be so thoughtful?


    Lu Chen replies, It was convenient for me.


    Old Ma grabs the wild rabbit by the ear and scans it, Is this rabbit poisoned?


    It isnt. I dont do stuff like that.


    Old Ma spits and looks at Lu Chen in disdain, I dont think that there is anything that you wont do. The poison that you had used against others back then should be enough to killeveryone in this vige!


    Lu Chen answers seriously, I didnt say that I never poisoned others. What I meant was that there isnt any need to poison you. Never will I do pointless stuff like that.


    The hell! Old Ma directs a kick towards Lu Chen, and he dodges itwithout difficulty. Then, Old Ma carries the rabbit and walks pompously to the kitchen at the back.


    An hourter, arge pot of steaming fragrant braised rabbit meat is ced on the wine table, inducing the salivation of others.


    Lu Chen offers a rare praise to Old Ma, Looks like your skills arent bad.


    Old Ma wipes the sweat off his forehead and gleefully says, Of course! Then, without inviting Lu Chen to dig in, he picks up the chopsticks, grabs a piece of the rabbit meat, dumps it into his mouth and starts chewing it withrge motions.


    Lu Chen chuckles and picks up his chopsticks as well. Just as he is about to stretch his chopsticks out, he hears an indistinct <em>hm</em> from Old Mas mouth, and he spits out the rabbit meat onto the table.


    Lu Chen frowns, Whats wrong? Can it be that you really managed to consume poison out of nothingness?


    <em>Baji baji</em>, Old Ma opens and shuts his mouth a few time, seemingly trying to get rid of the taste from his mouth. With a bizarre expression, he says, Theres something wrong with the meat of the rabbit. Why is it so sour? It shouldnt be though?


    Lu Chen is taken aback. He puts down the chopsticks in his hand and his gaze sweeps across the pot of rabbit meat. After a short moment, he asks softly, Very sour?


    Iparably sour, thats weird! Old Ma grabs the wine by the side to gargle his mouth. Then, he shakes his head and says, What ill luck! I have never ate such sour rabbit meat in my entire life. Where did you catch if from?


    Lu Chen stares at the rabbit meat quietly for a moment before replying, On the tea mountain.


    Old Ma mumbles for a bit. After a momentary pause, he cant resist giving it another try. In the end, in less than a split moment, he spits it out once more and curses, The heck, this isnt a wild rabbit but a sour rabbit! Hm, Lu Chen, why arent you trying it?


    Lu Chens face is expressionless. After a moment, he says, You have already tried it. Can I possibly not trust your word? There is no way to consume this rabbit meat like this, lets just dump it.


    After which, he stands up and leaves the tavern.


    Walking along the bluestone pavement, Lu Chens expression is awful. With his gaze fixated at the front, he continues walking silently all the way back to his straw cottage at the foot of the mountain.


    At this moment, just as he is about to enter his cottage, his body suddenly stops and he raises his head to stare at the tea mountain.


    At the faraway mountain peak, everything is serene as usual. The mountainous wind blows on the tea trees and the forests on top are silent. That is, except for the ck smoke that is drifting up from the direction of the back mountain slightly further away.


    There isnt a me or a torch, neither is there a figure waving anything. All he can see is a few wisp of ck smoke rising upwards.


    Lu Chen stands quietly on the spot as he stares at the ck smoke in the distant mountain. After a short moment, he opens the door and walks in.<em>Peng</em>, he shuts the door tightly, as though shutting out the world behind him.


    The sound of the wind gradually grows louder, and it contains a mournful tinge to it. The sky starts to dim and the dark night is about to set in.


    ...


    The wind of this night is exceptionally strong.


    The chilling wind blows across the tea mountain and past the straw cottage. A tinge of coldness seem to seep in through the walls, causing one to doubt that it is winter instead of summer in this instant. The wind is also exceptionally deste, simr to the heart-rending cry of a female, echoing in the dark night.


    It is already pitch ck outside. Lu Chen liespletely still on the bed in the straw cottage. His eyes are shut, as though he is in a deep slumber. Even the howl of the cold wind outside is unable to awaken him.


    Suddenly, a nearly imperceptible sound mixes in with the cold wind. In this world of darkness, it sounds like careful footsteps approaching this straw cottage. A few thatched grass on the roof of the cottage shivers in the face of the blowing wind.


    A silhouette appear in the midst of the darkness as it approaches the straw cottage. The inaudible footsteps vary in terms of heaviness, as though an apparition of a demon in the night wind. When it reaches the door of the cottage, the silhouette suddenly stops its footsteps.


    The frigid night wind continues to blow in this darkness-cloaked world. At this moment, the tea mountain seems exceptionally eerie, fearsome and towering. The shadow of the mountain is reminiscent of a giant, as though it would crush those standing below at any moment.


    In the darkness, a breathing seems to hasten, and a heart seems to beat furiously. In this silence, the silhouette lifts its hand and brings it towards the door.


    The night sky grows darker, and the exteriorsof the straw cottage is veiled inplete darkness. Only a ck figure that is reminiscent of a dense congregation of ink can be seen. When the silhouette is about toe into contact with the door, the door suddenly bursts open, and the crisp sound of which looms in the air.


    Seemingly taken aback, the silhouette in the darkness freezes for a moment. In this split moment,a massive congregation of dark shadows from the interiors of the straw cottage surge outwards and covers the silhouette outside.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Like a prowling dangerous snake, a strong and cold hand instantaneously grabs the neck of the dark silhouette and exerts force. Along with an rmed shout and a pained cry, the silhouette outside is dragged into the straw cottage and thrown onto the floor. At the same time, in the deepest corner of the shadows, a ck dagger melds in the shadows. Carrying an aura of bloodthirstiness and callousness, it moves in a trajectory towards the heart of the human silhouette.


    In the darkness, someone is panting, seemingly as though the sneer of a demon, yet strangely reminiscent of despaired fear, looking forward to spilling fresh blood to quench the trembling excitement within the nightmare.


    Ah! Someone screams in shock, and sobs and fear are mixed within it. In the wind, the voice trembles as though a withered grass.


    The wave of darkness billows violently, rattling the forlorn straw cottage. The treacherous sharp ck dagger slices through the darkness, pierces through the wind, prates through the robe and heads straight towards her chest!


    His eyes are bright but frigid cold!


    In this defining and tense moment, he sees the blurred features on the face and hears that scream of agony.


    The darkness suddenly stills, as though a tidal wave has solidified in midair. All sound disappears without a trace, and at this moment, it seems as though even the blood within their bodies has stopped flowing.


    The cold and sharp dagger has prated through the clothes and plunged into her voluptuous chest. Just an inch deeper, and that could have been the end.


    The world outside the cottage seems to slowly recovers and sound, once again, can be heard.The wind blows continuously like the tides, crashing in wave after wave.


    The dagger has yet to be retracted, and she lies on the floor with her bodypletely cold, not daring to move in the slightest.


    After an unknown duration of time, perhaps it might have just been an instant, yet feeling like a lifetime, the frigid sensation crushing on her heart slowly lifts and retreats back into the darkness.


    <em>Pada</em>! A spark of fire lights up the candle on the table.


    The dim glow of the candlelight drives away the darkness, bringing a sliver of warmth to this forlorn straw cottage. When the radiance reaches the surface of the ground, the human silhouette turns around. It is Ding Dang.


    At this moment, she looks like a mess. Her hair is scattered around, her clothes arent in ce and her face is frighteningly pale. She slowly sits up and looks at the man sitting by the table, as well as the dagger he grasps in his hand.


    That is a ck and dull dagger.


    Lu Chen turns over and gazes at her quietly as well. After a short moment, he walks over and closes the door of the straw cottage.


    The mournful wind quietens down instantaneously, and the chill seems to be blocked out by the door. Ding Dangsplexion recovers slightly. She slowly climbs up from the floor, but fear still reflects in the gaze she directs to Lu Chen. After a moment, she says softly, You almost killed me just now.


    Lu Chen is silent for a split moment before he keeps the ck dagger. He walks to the side, pours a bowl of water and passes it to Ding Dang. Then, with a calm voice, he says, You shouldnt be trying to sneak into my cottage at such an hour.


    Din Dang lowers her head. Carrying thebowl with both of her hands, she sits on Lu Chens bed and slowly sips on it.


    Lu Chen walks over to the table and pulls out a stool. He sits in front of Ding Dang, not saying a word, simply sizing her up.


    Other than that scare a moment ago, Ding Dang doesnt seem to find anything inappropriate about the situation. However, perhaps due to fatigue, thisdy seems to look a little haggard.


    After a moment, Ding Dang ces the bowlby the side and says, I was too tired and couldnt walk to the vige in such a state. Thus, I wanted to rest at your ce for a moment.


    Lu Chen nces at her and nods his head, Sure.


    There is bedding on top of the bed, and the nket still carries a trace of warmth. When Ding Dang lies down on it, the thought that Lu Chen has probablyy here a moment ago shes through her mind. Even though it may not be asfortable as her home, it is still a ce offort and warmth from the darkness of the night.


    Standing beside the bed, Lu Chen tucks her in. Their gazes happen to meet. The radiance of the candlelight reflects in his eyes. Under the nket, Ding Dangs body shudders slightly, and a sensation as though she is about to shiver violebtly engulfs her. However, asplit momentter, Lu Chen walks towards the table and blows away the candlelight.


    The darkness copses in and his figure blurs. He walks over to the side of the bed and lies on the floor.


    That night, they didnt speak much. For some reason, the usual jokes and teasing words werepletely absent and in its ce is silence.


    In the darkness, after an inestimable period of time, Ding Dangs faint voice sounds, Are you asleep?


    Not yet. Lu Chens voice can be heard from the ground beside the bed.


    After a moment of silence, Ding Dang speaks once more, Are you cold?


    Its still fine, Im not cold.


    Dont you want to ask me why I am acting like that, or why do I always head to the top of the mountains?


    This time, Lu Chen doesnt reply. He allows the silence to loom in the darkness for a moment before replying, If you are unwilling to speak, then I wont ask.


    This time, Ding Dang doesnt know how to reply. For a very period of time, there isnt any sound in the straw cottage. Perhaps, due to the excessive silence, the sound of each others breathing can be heard, and perhaps, the beating of their own hearts as well.


    Under the nket, Ding Dang gradually curls up her body. She hugs her chest with both of her hands, as though she is cold. After a moment, she suddenly whispers, I want to talk to you about some things, is it alright?


    Lu Chen, Sure.


    Ding Dang, That day, the reason why I went up the mountain to the Dragon Lake is to meet someone.


    Lu Chen, Un.


    Ding Dang, That person was Li Ji.


    Lu Chen, ...


    Ding Dang, I gave to him the Spirit Stones that I loaned from you along with my savings, so that he would have an opportunity to cultivate under the Thousand Autumn Doors.


    Lu Chen, ...


    Ding Dang, We made a promise to be together forever. He said that he possessed exceptional talent. As long as he gets a chance with the Immortal Discerning Mirror, he would definitely he epted as a disciple under Thousand Autumn Doors. When that momentes, he would bring me in as well, and from then on, we will cultivate towards enlightenment together as an immortal couple.


    Lu Chen, You believe his words?


    Ding Dang, Un.


    In the darkness, Lu Chen turns his body sideways as he stares towards an unknown direction in the darkness. After a moment, he says softly, You are tired. Sleep earlier.


    Ding Dang is silent for a moment before she replies, Alright.


    The Immortal City is a massive city. It is where the bustle andmotion of the center continent is concentrated at. In this grand city, the humans living within counts from the ten millions. For mNy years, the Immortal Alliance have yed the role of the dictator within this city. In the current era, it is the symbol of the greatest power in the center continent. However, in truth, even the Immortal Alliance, despite being a fear-inducing massive organisation, is unable to fully control this magnificent giant city.


    The death of the Fleeting Cloud Divisions Zhang Jiu Ping caused a massive tremor within the Immortal Alliance, even inducing the anger of several of the prominent and fearsome<em>zhenjun</em><em>s</em>. However, in this giant city, this matter does not concern most of the poption here.


    ...

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    The Three Realm Divine Cults has already been in decline for many years now. Even though its reputation still floats around, and sometimes, itmits certain foul deeds here and there,pared to ten years ago, the cult is already far from how it was.


    Thus, the tense and dismal atmosphere is only limited to the internal of the Immortal Alliance, concentrated mostly in the Fleeting Cloud Division. Of course, the orders to investigate the Three Realm Divine Cult has already been issued from the top brass, and all kinds of powers from all kinds of locations have already started moving both in the open and in the shadows. However, on the surface, nothing seems to have changed in the Immortal City. At the very most, it is just a topic for discussion aftera meal.


    On this day, the former Fleeting Cloud Division sentinel, Old Liu, finishes delegating all of his responsibilities to the others and officially retires. His current emotions are a littleplex, feeling both depressionand happiness at the same time.


    Happiness, is because that he was able to work in the Immortal Alliance. Working in the Immortal Alliance is something most cultivators, especially those from middle to small scale sects, look forward to, as well as the ideal career for them. It provides them the opportunity to attain even better resources, not to mention that they would be granted respect from others, something that they would find hard to earn otherwise.


    Depression, as these thingse with a price. Often, they would need to shed sweat and blood for it, sometimes even requiring to stake their lives in. However, after he retires, it alles to an end.


    Old Liu doesnt know many people from the Fleeting Cloud Division but even so, he has some close acquaintances. Thus, on this day, everyone gathered together to offer him a toast. However, it is a pity that the young man whom he thought well of, Bian Zhe, due to his responsibilities, had left Immortal City a few days earlier, and thus, was unable to send him off into his retirement.


    Old Liu feels a little regretful. However, drinking and chatting with his other brothers of the Fleeting Cloud Division is a jolly and exhrating event. At the end of the journey, he had seenthrough many things and has learned to let go. Thus, he is no longer as restrained in his words. Under the effects of alcohol, he even half-jokingly spoke of some words that he would have never dared to say otherwise to a superior who came to see him.


    That superior is ady, and she is usually prim and proper. However, tonight, she simply brushes it all off with a smile, unbothered by it. On the other hand, the rest by the table pales. They look at Old Liu as though they are looking at a monster, and no one is trying to strike up a conversation at all.


    Old Liu noticed that something is amiss, but under the influence of alcohol, his mind is unable to process clearly, so he chooses to dump it all at the back of his mind. By the time his mind clears up, it is already the morning of the next day, about time for him to leave the Immortal City.


    That morning, sitting on the bed, Old Liu breaks out in cold sweat. Then, he hurriedly packs everything and flees quickly, not daring to stay in the Immortal City for a moment longer, not even bothering about the other few brothers that he made an appointment with to send him off.


    However, it is fortunate that there isnt any ident during his journey out of the city. Amazingly, it seems like the female who was nicknamed ck Widow, did not get angry. While praying to be spared within his heart, he chastises himself for acting foolishly. After treadingso carefully his entire life, to think that he wouldmit such foolishness at the end of his journey.


    As such thoughts mingle within his mind, he walks out of the grand doors of the Immortal City and gradually treads further away from the city. In the bustling and packed roads outside the city, there are many walking to and fro. Amidst the peaceful hustle and bustle, a cry of agony suddenly echoes in the distance, leaving many unable to react for a moment.


    However, during the investigation carried out after the incident, those who heard the sound clearly recounted it as this. In the morning just like any other, Old Liu, who hurriedly left the city, left a final cry before his disappearance, and it sounded like this, Blood Warbler...


    A fact that ordinary mortals are oblivious to is that the trusted subordinate of<em>Tian Zhenjun</em>, the powerful individual who rules over the Fleeting Cloud Division as a Hall Master, famous even within the massive Immortal Alliance, is a female. Her name is Xue Ying, and her nickname is Blood Warbler.


    <em>It is a homophone. The both pronunciations are identical in Chinese.</em>


    By the time the sky lights up, Ding Dang and Lu Chen are already awake.


    Without much to say, Ding Dang swiftly leaves, and Lu Chen only sends her to the road, not apanying her down the mountain. Silently, he gazes at the back of thedy departing hurriedly.


    Did something happen when she was on the mountains?


    Why did she look so vulnerable and helpless yesterday night?


    Is she afraid of Lu Chen, afraid of death, or is she afraid of something else?


    In the end, as she didnt continue speaking, Lu Chen didnt ask her about it.


    It doesnt take long for the days to calm down to their usual pace, or perhaps, on the surface, this lifestyle has never changed at all. For perpetuity, the days repeat again and again. After which, Ding Dang didnt look for Lu Chen anymore. On that night, the words that she spoke through a slightly trembling voice seems to only be a somniloquy of the darkness, scattering alongside the wind without a trace remaining.


    Lu Chen continues his lonesome life. asionally, he heads to the small tavern at the bottom of the mountain to drink while most of the time, he would be in his straw cottage. He tries to cultivate everyday, but as his reformed Five Elemental Divine Compass is a little toocking in quality, his road to cultivating once more is exceptionally difficult. The amount of spirit energy within his body is negligible and he progresses little everyday. Even so, Lu Chen isnt disheartened. Instead, he perseveres on, trudging along the road that he has once walked on.


    As for the dark side of the divinepass, ever since that night, he has avoided contact with it.


    When he recalls the situation in the darkness that night, Lu Chen clearly remembers that at the moment when the darkness is the most turbulent, he vaguely feels a sensation of losing control over his rationality or body.


    As for the ck spirit energy, after the two incidents prior, he is able to confirm that it has something to do with ughter and death. Lu Chen doesnt view fresh blood as a taboo, and neither does he fear the darkness. Throughout his long years of reticence, these two have been apanying him through his days. However, if he could only obtain spirit energy through ughter and death, then the object is way past the boundaries Lu Chen demarcated in his heart. Furthermore, an unexceptional event made Lu Chen subconsciously maintain his distance from the ck divinepass.


    That is the pot of bizarre soured rabbit meat.


    Old Liu is dead.


    The scorching sun hangs beyond the room, and even though the interiors of the tavern is slightly cooler, it isnt any much better. Perspiration beads fall profusely from Old Mas forehead. He uses his towel to wipe it off, and with his face half covered, he speaks to Lu Chenwith a t voice.


    How did he die?


    On that day when he left the Immortal City, he disappeared after leaving the east gate. Someone heard his scream, but no one was able to find him. When they finally found him, Old Liu was already a corpse, thrown in the Heisong Forest outside the west gate. Even his body had been chewed into half by wild beasts.


    Lu Chentemtesfor a moment before asking, Is it the doing of the demonic cult?


    Old Ma sighs and ces his towel down. Then, he says, During this period of time, the Fleeting Cloud Division had lost two sentinels. It is a confirmed fact that Zhang Jiu Ping had been killed by the demonic cult, but it is hard to say for Old Liu. For the time being, there isnt any traces of the demonic cult on his body. Furthermore...


    ...


    Name: (Xue Ying) Nickname:/ Blood Warbler (Xue Ying)


    It is like a y on her name, although the two words have different pronunciations.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Seeing Old Ma open his mouth only to close it hesitantly, Lu Chen raises his eyebrows slightly, Whats wrong?


    Old Ma smiles bitterly, This matter is a little... Based on the rumors, the day that Old Ma went missing, quite a few people on the road outside the Immortal City heard his exim concurrently. What Old Liu shouted wasnt curses directed at the demonic cult, but Hall Master Xues name.


    Lu Chens expression warps slightly as he says with a suppressed voice, Blood Warbler?


    Old Ma nods his head, Yes. The atmospherein the Immortal Alliance seems to be a little tense, and the Fleeting Cloud Division is in chaos at the moment. As for Hall Master Xue, it is said that she has been isted in her own quarters for numerous days already.


    Lu Chen ponders for a moment before shaking his head, Xue Yings temper may not be good, but it is unlikely for her to be a spy of the demonic cult.


    Old Ma is slightly surprised. Gazing at Lu Chen, he asks, I remember that you had barely met with her, how can you be so sure of it?


    Lu Chen replies ndly, Ten years ago, she participated in the battle of the barren valley as well.


    Old Ma doesnt respond to his words. After a moment, he nods his head, and goes quiet.


    The situation in the Immortal City changes rapidly as the shadows start to move. Treacherous and dangerous, definitely, but too far away, it doesnt seem to have the slightest impact on the small vige thousands of miles away.


    The residents of Clear Stream Vige continues on with their peaceful life. Most of them are still striving hard for the fleeting dreams in their hearts.


    On the sixth day of the eighth month, when Lu Chen is walking down the mountain as he always does, he meets Ding Dang, who is walking up the mountain, yet again. Different from the previous few encounters they had, Lu Chen can tell with a single nce that Ding Dang seems a little out of it today. Her features are still as beautiful as always, but herplexion looks slightly haggard. She is no longer spirited, and in its ce is worry. In fact, when Lu Chen passes her by, with her head slightly lowered, she doesnt even notice him.


    For some reason, Lu Chen doesnt stop her. Instead, he stares silently at the back of thedy as her lonely figure trudges up the mountain, towards the Dragon Lake faraway at the top of the mountain.


    Is this a gamble?


    Is the stake her entire life?


    The back figure of the one disappearing into the distance looks exceptionally fragile and forlorn. When she disappears behind the mountainous forests, Lu Chen quietly turns around and heads towards the vige. However, for some reason, until he reaches the small tavern, that slightly forlorn silhouette continues to twirl around his mind. For some reason, he is unable to shake off a bizarre feeling of unease.


    Seeing Lu Chen, Old Ma hurriedly walks over. Agitation can be seen on his face as he closes the door and pulls Lu Chen over to the seats.


    Lu Chen frowns as he looks at the nervous fatty, Whats wrong?


    Old Ma takes in a deep breath. Then, with a suppressed voice, he says, Theres something amiss with the situation.


    A gleam shes across the depths of Lu Chens eyes as he says, Speak.


    Old Ma says, I have just received news that these few days, three of the Shadows under the Fleeting Cloud Division had been killed. Raising his head, he looks at Lu Chen. With a hoarse and suppressed voice, he continues, Among the dead, one is a Shadow Zhang Jiu Ping was responsible for whereas the other two are people whom Old Liu came into contact with a few years ago.


    Lu Chen goes silent. Sitting by the table, he doesnt say a word. Old Ma looks at him and continues softly, We cant confirm by the news itself that it is the doing of the Three Realm Divine Cult at this point, but...


    Its them. They would rather kill the innocent than to allow their target to escape. Lu Chen suddenly interjects.


    Old Ma finds himself unable for breathe for a moment. Then, gritting his teeth, he says, If thats the case, we cant simply wait for our turn. I will...


    Before he can finish his words, his voice suddenly trails off, as though he has suddenly thought of something. At the same moment, Lu Chen shakes his head lightly and says, There is something queer going on with the Fleeting Cloud Division. If there isnt a traitor within, it means that their actions are closely surveyed. So, we cant approach them.


    Old Ma nods his head slowly as calmness gradually returns to his face. Knitting his eyebrows for a moment, he replies, Youre right. I will arrange make arrangements, so lets leave here.


    Lu Chen asks, How long?


    Old Ma replies, Three days... At minimum, two days!


    Lu Chen ponders for a moment before saying, If we were to suddenly disappear, it would mean that something suspicious is going on here. Perhaps, we might even attract the attention the demonic cult.I am just a forlorn fugitive, but what about you?


    Old Ma harrumphs, I am also fine with it. After all, didnt I survive thest few years? Besides, there arent many in the Immortal Alliance who are aware of my background. At most, it only numbers at two.


    Lu Chen looks at him and asks, Who?


    Old Ma replies, <em>Tian Zhenjun</em>and Hall Master Xue.


    Lu Chen nods his head and stands up, Then, it would be best for you to start making arrangements.


    Old Ma replies, Alright.


    Walking out of the tavern, the weather outside is clear and sweltering, just as before. The peaceful little vige under the rays of the sun seems exceptionally peaceful and calm. Lu Chen surveys the surroundings and some emotions well up in him. He had lived here for ten years, and he remembers every single de of grass and log of wood here. Even though the residents here cant be considered as kind souls and he is barely acquainted with them, he still feels a tinge of warmth from this vige, unexpectedly.


    However, he quickly sweeps aside his emotion and heads for the straw cottage. There are also items that he has to pack in that lonely cottage by the foot of the mountain.


    When he passes by therge chinese schr tree, Lu Chens footsteps halts for a moment. He looks at the old fisherman who is busy fishing and smiles. Eventually, deciding against saying anything, he walks by him.


    Cicadas shriek behind his back with all their might, seemingly frenziedly resisting this sweltering weather with all their might.


    Walking on the mountainous path, Lu Chen takes a look at the tea mountain. For many years, the only one who has been closer to him is probably only thatdy.


    It is a pity that she has ced her bets on another.


    However, this is fine as well. No matter what, the other party has more of a future than him.


    The edges of his lips curl up into a bitter smile. The next instant, his smile suddenly freezes. That is because, in the faraway peak of the tea mountain, he sees me shing across. After the me waves about for a moment, it disappears swiftly.


    Is that... a fire torch in the day?


    Since it is a gamble, one has to bear the consequences of it by oneself.


    Lu Chen walks into the straw cottage and starts to pack his items. Just that, walking to and fro the straw cottage, he picks up some items only to put them down after awhile. Soon, he sits down by the bed and sighs, realising that he really has no attachments.


    He sits quietly for a moment and confusion unwittingly appears in his calm gaze, but it disappears soon. After a moment, he suddenly stands up, opens the door and starts treading up the tea mountain.


    The spirit tea trees that filled the mountain sway along with the wind and the green leaves are filled with liveliness. It seems as though this seasonof flourishing summer isnt frightened off by the scorching sun.


    ...

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    Lu Chen continues walking along the mountainous path, gradually advancing higher and higher up. The straw cottage and the vige beneath the mountain gradually grow smaller and the small stream that flows through Clear Stream Vige looks as though a slim but long snake.


    The tea mountain is tranquil.


    Sounds of chirping and the wind can be heard, but it is still tranquil.


    There are many different paths on the mountains, and there would be a fork every now and then. Lu Chen would stop in his footsteps and ponder for a moment. Then, ncing upwards at the tea mountain and recalling the location where the fire torch lit up, he continues advancing.


    After an hour or so, he stops by a mountainous path nearing the peak of the mountain. Before him, below a spirit tea tree, there is a withered branch that is charred ck, as though it was burnt.


    Gazing at the branch, Lu Chen walks up and squats next to it. Then, after picking it up and examining it closely for a moment, he suddenly reaches out to touch the charred portion.


    It is still slightly warm.


    He stands up abruptly and scans his surroundings, be it the ground, bushes or the forest.


    There are disorderly footsteps all over, some of the bushesare skewed from being stepped on and there are quite a few broken twigs and floating leaves.


    The mountainous wind blows, bringing chillness to the high altitudes of the mountainous peak.


    Lu Chen stands on his original position for a moment before proceeding forward with an impassive expression towards the back of the tea mountain, in the direction of the west foothill.


    <em>Hu!</em>


    Waterworks suddenly sound from the clear stream, shocking Old Yu, who is sitting under therge chinese schr tree. Raising his head to take a look, he sees the fishing rod shaking intensely. After freezing up momentarily, intense joy appears on his face as he hurriedly pulls his fishing rod in.


    The fishing rod first went taut. When he abruptly pulls the fishing rod backwards towards him, arge force suddenly surges through the fishing rod, and with a dull thud, the fishing line snaps.


    Old Yu involuntarily retreats two steps and his heart sinks. Just as he is about to continue doing something, he sees a sh of ck shadow in the depths of the water disappearing in the turn of an eye. Ripples appear on the stream, as though the wind is blowing on it. Very quickly, the ripples slowly fade away and the surface of the water calms down. In the clear water, no abnormality can be seen anymore as it reverts back to its original state.


    Aiya! The old fisherman releases a furious howl. He stomps his feet, his back slouches and disappointment envelopes his face. At this point, he suddenly hears a voice from his back. Someone chuckles and speaks gently, That wassuch a pity, that seemed to be arge fish.


    Old Yu turns around. At some point, a young man had started standing behind him under therge chinese schr tree. He is dressed in a white shirt and his features are dashing. In one of his hand is a fold-able fan, and the picture of the mountains and flowing rivers can be seen on it. Even in this sweltering summer day, he still looks elegant and exudes an extraordinary aura.


    This young mans smile is tender, not to mention that he is good looking as well. The feeling that he generates in others at first sight is intimacy andfort. Old Yus first impression upon seeing this young man is that this fellow seems to be even more good-looking than the Li Ji from a while ago.


    However, he has never met this person, so it is unlikely that he is a resident of Clear Stream Vige. At the same time, Old Yu isnt a sociable person. He frowns, and without saying a word, he turns back, picks up his fishing rod and starts to fix his fishing line.


    The young man behind doesnt panic. Rather, with a smile, he gazes at Old Yu. After a moment, he says, Old fisherman, have you been fishing here for a long time?


    Un. Initially, Old Yu didnt intend on answering his question. However, the young mans attitude is too polite, which makes him feel a little guilty for snubbing him. Thus, he subconsciously answers him.


    The young man fans himself twice as he looks at the sky, Such a hot day. It might be an ufortable weather, but I heard that there are some fishes that are different from the others when the weather is hot. These fishes would choose to swim to the surface instead. The situation a moment ago could very possibly be a result of that.


    Old Yu is taken aback. He turns around to look at him, Do you mean it?


    The young man chuckles, keeps his fan and cups his hand, I have only heard of it, so I dare not guarantee it.


    Old Yu ponders for a moment before nodding his head, Alright, I will continue fishing here then.


    The young man nods with his head with a smile. Not saying anything else, he stands under the shade of therge chinese schr tree, as though this transientlife we were born with should be livedleisurely and unconstrained.


    Old Yu doesnt feel repulsed by his actions at all. Anyway, the young man isnt interfering with his fishing. Just that, when his gaze momentarily nces about, he would see that in the distance, in some corners and the roads of the vige, there are a few other figures and their faces are foreign to him.


    Unlike Lu Chen who has no attachments whatsoever, the plump Old Ma, who is packing his luggage in the back of his small tavern, seems to realise that the items that belong to him, or rather, the items that he wants to bring away, seems to be exceptionally many.


    He packs them one after another, filling them into one bag after another. In the end, even he himself cant stand it any longer. He stares at the mountain-like luggage that fills half of his dwelling and depression glooms over his face. He mutters, Forget it. If the fellow were to see this, he would definitely reprimand me severely.


    He shakes his head. Pain and regret covers his face as he kicks off a few bags of luggage with a sigh. Then, he picks up another few and repacks them. In the end, only three bags are left in the center of the room.


    After which, Old Ma doesnt pack anymore. Instead, he walks towards a wall and pulls out a drawer forcefully. After which, his hand fumbles about the corner of the wall and the next moment, a secret aperture reveals itself.


    A bulging sack lies in the secret aperture, and thefaint sound of knocking can be heard from within, as though it is filled with numerous little pebbles. Old Ma carefully carries the sack up and a satisfied expression appears on his face. He uses his hand to touch it lightly before exerting his strength to carry it. After which, he walks over to the center of the room and stuffs it into the depths of one of thebag.


    Aplishing this matter, Old Ma heaves a sigh of relief and satisfaction appears on his face. Before he is about to leave, he surveys the surroundings for onest time. Yet, at this moment, from the main entrance of the tavern, several clear knocking sound can be heard.


    <em>Peng, Peng peng</em>!


    Apanying the knocking is an extremely gentle voice of a young male from beyond the door, Is there anyone inside?


    Old Ma turns around and looks at the entrance of the small tavern. For some inconceivable reason, his eyebrows knit together.


    The sunlight scatters onto the ground in the form of thousands and thousands of golden rays, each iparably searing. Yet, the water of the Dragon Lake at the back of the tea mountain is calm like a mirror, as though a beautiful gemstone was embedded into this mountain peak. In fact, when a person approaches the surface of theke, he would feel a rare slight humid and cooling sensation in this sweltering weather.


    The green mountains and the clear emerald water. The mountain reflects in the water while theke radiatesa painting of the mountain, creating an iparably picturesque scenery.


    The boundary between the water and the mountain should have been and of calmness. Yet, a ruckus breaks out by the shore of theke. Two figures are standing by the Dragon Lake. A male and a female, facing each other.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    The back of the tea mountain, by the shore of the Dragon Lake.


    The male is dashing while the female is alluring. They should have been a pair of ravishing couple crafted by the heavens, but for some reason, they are staring furiously at one another, arguing intensely over something.


    The female is Ding Dang, while the male is the one who was just epted as a disciple into the Thousand Autumn Doors, Li Ji.


    At this moment, Ding Dangs outer appearance is a mess. Her clothes and sleeves had traces of pulling and tugging, while her hair is scattered all over. A strand of hair of hers falls on her snowy-white cheeks.


    On the other hand, nothing seems to be off for Li Ji as to his normal self. Just that, his eyebrows are knitted tightly together and rage clearly expresses on his face. ring at Ding Dang with suppressed anger that is on the verge of erupting, he howls, Why? Why? Why? Where did all of those rumorse from? How many times have I told you? The matter of bringing you up the mountain to the sect cannot be hurried, it has to be done slowly!


    Ding Dang sneers coldly. With a re as sharp as knives, she replies resentfully, Who are you trying to fool? Back then, when you took my spirit stones, you stated clearly that as long as you are epted into Thousand Autumn Doors, you would immediately bring me in as well, and we would walk the path of cultivation together. Barely a few days have passed, and you are already intending on going back on your words?


    The rage on Li Jis face intensifies, and he shouts, How can it be aplished so easily? It is not like I have aplete say in the matter. Besides, the sects Elder Xu has just died tragically to an assassination by the demonic cult, and the entire sect is agitated at the moment. All of them are busy hunting down the demonic sect culprit, so how can I bring up the issue at a time like this?


    Nonchnt to what he just said, Ding Dang sneers coldly, You sure put it nicely. Do you take me as some foolish woman from the countryside? I have already looked into the matter. The Thousand Autumn Doors is helpless in the face of the matter, and could only report the incident up to the Immortal Alliance for them to redress its grievance. Now that the Thousand Autumn Doors is done with the funeral of Elder Xu, there is no longer any constraints holding you back. Furthermore, didnt your sect leader just ept a new disciple a few days ago?


    Li Ji expression freezes. For a moment, he is speechless.


    On the other hand, Ding Dang bites her lips and stomps her feet, If you are really reluctant to do so, then return those Spirit Stones to me. Lets just go by the original n we agreed on. You will help me to gather a thousand Spirit Stones so that I can pay a visit to the Immortal Discerning Mirror. Whether it works out for me or not, I will leave it to fate!


    Li Ji clenches his fist tightly as his face flushes red, I... How can I gather so many Spirit Stones all of the sudden?


    Ding Dang stares at him for a brief moment before replying, This wont do, that wont do. Now, you are already treading on the path of cultivation, and a bright future unfolds before you. Yet, I am still stuck in this vige by the wilderness, suffering from the contempt and disdain of others. Anticipation fills me everyday, yet I could barely see you once in awhile. Do you know how does itfeel like?


    Ding Dangs eyes are already red by the time she finishes her words. Water glistens within her eyes and a tear trail trickles down her cheeks.


    Li Ji grits his teeth and says, I have already said it. This matter cannot be hurried. Give me some more time.


    Ding Dang wipes away her tears. Somehow, towards Li Ji, her gaze gradually softens and sorrow reflects in her eyes. With a tender voice, she says, Li<emng</em>,Li<emng</em>, are you really unaware of my feelings towards you?


    <em>Ling -> It is a very dear way of a female addressing her beloved.</em>


    Hanging his head, Li Ji remains silent.


    Ding Dang steps forward and says, From the first time I met you, I was already in love with you. From the moment when you drew me those few paintings, I dreamed of apanying you my whole life. For you, I am willing to do anything. Are you aware of it? Sobbing quietly, she continues, I want to cultivate, but more than that, I want to be with you. I want the both of us to cultivate and attain enlightenment together. I want the both of us to be carefree as a pair of eternal immortal couples. Can we? Can we?


    At which, she stretches out her hand to grab Li Jis and brings it to her chest as she stares at him sorrowfully.


    Li Ji lifts his head and many different expressionsflicker across his face. Hesitation, anxiety, delight, expectation, depression, fear. All kinds of emotions shes across his face in a split instant. In his palm, he feels the warmth of the body of that female, as well as the familiar sensation of her soft skin.


    Yet, his expression suddenly cools. Staring into Ding Dangs eyes, he spouts coldly, How many times have you held a mans hand like this?


    Ding Dangs body shudders, as though she has fallen into an ice chamber in an instant. Even her hands turn cold in that instant. She retreats a single step, but her body suddenly stops. Li Ji had grabbed her palm tightly.


    With widened eyes, savagery manifests on his face. He takes a step forward and closes in on Ding Dang. His gaze, as sharp as daggers, is fixated on her, as though bent on peering into the depths of this womans heart.


    Even his words seem particrly harsh at the moment, Before me, how many men have you slept with?


    Ding Dangs body trembles. Her face is ashen white, her lips quivers unceasingly and her chest rises and falls intensely, as though she is unable to catch her breath. Only her tears flow down frenziedly.


    She shakes her head vigorously, but she is unable to find a single word to say.


    Li Ji gritshis teeth and his extraordinarily dashing face warps. Staring at Ding Dang furiously, he flings his hand, shaking away Ding Dangs and roars, You bitch, why did you deceive me!


    Ding Dangs body staggers backwards uncontrobly. Tear-stricken, she cries, It is not like that. I truly love you. I sincerely want to be with you for my entire life...


    Who wants to be with you for their entire life! Li Ji howls, interrupting Ding Dangs words. His eyes are slightly red and he spits throughclenched jaws, A shameless and vulgar slut like you who can do it with anyone actually dares to dream of immortality? Scram!


    Seemingly unable to stand steadily, Ding Dang falls onto her backside on the ground, paralysed. With apletely pale face, she stares at Li Ji. On the surface, she looks as though she has lost her calmness and is incapable of speaking clearly. You... How could you do this? Back then, when you wanted money from me, when you whispered those sweet nothings to me, you werent like that.


    Li Ji kicks a pebble by his foot.<em>Putong</em>, the pebble sinks into the depths of the Dragon Lake. It seems as though his mind ispletely clouded with rage. Pointing at Ding Dang, he is no longer capable of suppressing his fury and he stares at her as though looking at a mortal enemy, Why didnt you tell me that earlier then? The reason why you used those dirty money to pave my way is all for your own benefits, am I right!


    Ding Dangughs despairingly as she stares at the man. Her face is still as pale as a sheet of paper and her tears never stopped streaming down her face. However, her eyes seem to be slightly clearer. In the midst of the anguish, she quietly gazes at Li Ji before replying softly, Li<emng</em>, I seem to recall that you had happily took all those money to pave yourself a path to the skies.


    ...

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Li Ji clenches his fist once more. His face steels, but he is unable to find a word to say.


    Ding Dang stares at him sorrowfully, her gaze slowly buried by the color of despair. Withunfounded strength, she slowly climbs up from the ground.


    The mountainous wind blows and her robe dances along with the caress of the wind. Her pink robe is reminiscent of the peach blossoms in spring, beautiful and delicate. Her hands lightly brushes across her face to wipe away her tears, but they are unable to wipe away all of it. Her white fingers adjusts the hair that has fallen to the front of her face to the back of her ear so as to make herself neater and prettier.


    The peach blossom-likedy beneath the sun trembles slightly in the midst of the wind, as though the most beautiful and deste sight of a blossom before its withering.


    Gently, she speaks, Li<emng</em>, do you despise me?


    Li Ji doesnt respond.


    Ding Dang stares at him. After a moment, she slowly lowers her head and says, I get it.


    Li Ji harrumphs and says, Dont actso pitifully. Did you think that I was oblivious to what you were thinking of when you suddenly lit a torch at the peak of the mountain? Are you calling for your lover, who is waiting at the bottom of the mountain? How many times have you made me a cuckoo these days! At this, he bes iparably incensed and he res intensely at Ding Dang.


    Ding Dang shakes her head, and with an ashenplexion, she says, Ihave not done anything apologetic to you, but if you must think of it that way, there is nothing I can do. If you dont want me... me... me... As though her heart is aching deeply, she cant find the courage to finish those words. However, after a moment, she grits her teeth together and says, Even if it is without you, I still wish to cultivate. Return me my Spirit Stones. At most, we will just be strangers to one another from now on.


    Li Jishes out, Didnt I tell you just now that I dont have it now? A thousandSpirit Stones isnt a small sum. Give me some time. I will return the sum to you within at most a year.


    Ding Dang massages her chest as she smiles dreary, Since you also know that it isnt a small sum, how can I afford to wait a year for you? Who knows how you would be by then. Anyway, I beg of you to leave an open path for me. Either you bring me up the mountain, or return me my Spirit Stones, and I will visit the Immortal Discerning Mirror myself.


    I dont have it!


    Ding Dang grits her teeth and says, If thats the case, then I will stake my everything on a journey to Nansong Mountain then.


    Li Ji is taken aback. Hisplexion immediately darkens as he roars, You bitch! What do you intend to do? Are you trying to intentionally turn me into aughingstock of the entire sect? Are you trying to make unable to walk with my head held high in the future?


    Ding Dang nces at Li Ji and her lip quivers. Eventually, it forms a disconste smile and she turns around to walk down the mountainous path.


    Li Ji immediately rushes over and grabs Ding Dangs shoulders. He bellows furiously, What do you intend to do? Are you insane? Why must you coerceme like this?


    I am not coercing you! Ding Dang shakes him off and continues walking forward. With a lump in her throat from all the crying, she whimpers, I... I am but an ordinary woman. I am incapable of thinking that much, all I want...


    Before she can finish her words, Ding Dangs body stiffens and she freezes.


    By the shore of the Dragon Lake, everything quietens down abruptly. Even the slight mountainous wind that was blowing disappears.


    Ding Dang slowly lowers her head to look at her body.


    A bloodied de pierced through her abdomen. Crimson red blood droplets fall slowly from the de onto the earth, mixing together with thefilthy mud, turning it the color of ck.


    Excruciating pain gushes like a wave from her abdomen, and seemingly tears her slender body apart and crushes her heart. She slowly turns her head around and looks at the man behind her in despair, disbelief and destion.


    You... She points to Li Ji as a silent pained shout escapes her throat.


    With a deep roar, Li Ji pulls out his de, causing blood to stter about. Ding Dang cries sorrowfully and her body shudders. Just as it is about to copse onto the floor, Li Ji grabs her shoulder once more and as though an asura, he stabs the cold de once again into Ding Dang, this time into her chest.


    <em>Keng</em>... Ding Dangs entire body shrivels together, as though a child frightened of pain. With a pale face, she stares despairingly at the man beside her. Li Ji removes the de from her once again and takes a step back. Fresh blood spurts out as though a fountain, dyeing Ding Dangs lower half red.


    Slowly, Ding Dang copses to the floor. Her face still carries traces of her disbelief, but at thest moment, her face slowly calms down.Gazing quietly at Li Ji, unwillingness, anxiety and frustration blinks into her eyes.


    Suddenly, the wind blows. Suddenly, a furious howl echoes. Suddenly, a figure appears from the mountainous path and rushes forward. In an instant, Li Ji is knocked flying from Ding Dangs side.


    In midair, Li Ji is shocked. However, he quickly retaliates by directing the sword straight towards the charging figure.


    The one who charged out is Lu Chen. Facing the de, he tilts his body and sends a fist towards Li Jis face.


    Li Ji has already cultivated under the Thousand Autumn Doors for a period of time. Even though he cant be said to have reached Minor Achievement in his training, hehas still achieved some progress in the lowest cultivation realm,<em>Lianqi</em>stage. No matter what, he is surely stronger than ordinary mortals. When he sees that it is a viger from Clear Stream Vige at the bottom of the mountain, he sneers coldly. Stabilising his body, he raises his hand upwards. As long as he manages to block this punch, killing this mortal devoid of any cultivation easy should be an easy task.


    Yet, at this moment, he suddenly feelsintense pain on the thigh of his right leg. Instantaneously, a pain as though severing ones body apart pulsates through his physique. Li Ji howls loudly as he retreats in horror. Only when he lowers his head to take a look does he realise that while Lu Chen was sending a fist towards him, his other hand was holding a ck dagger treacherously and mysteriously escaping from all of his senses, he manages to stab it into his thigh. After which, he viciously pulls it to the sides, tearing open an appalling gigantic wound.


    Such means and such brutality, Lu Chen is truly a demon beyond any of his imaginations. Despite obviously not possessing any cultivation, being just a ordinary mortal, he is able to crush him instantaneously. Unstable, Li Ji crashes onto the ground. Catching sight of the demon-like ck dagger in Lu Chens hand, fear manifests on his face.


    Just as Lu Chen is about to advance forward towards him, he hears Ding Dangs voice from behind, Lu Chen...


    Lu Chens footsteps halt. ncing at the frightened Li Ji, he keeps his dagger. Then, he walks over to Ding Dang and hugs her figure.


    Fresh blood gushes onto his body, dyeing the cloth covering his chest. Silently, Lu Chen stares at Ding Dangs body with a lowered head. He gaze sweeps across the the blurred fusion of blood and flesh at her abdomen, as well as the wound through her chest.


    Ding Dangs body trembles for a moment.


    Lu Chen quietly tightens his embrace on her.


    With strenuous effort, Ding Dang looks at him and says weakly, My wound... You... Can you save me?


    Hugging her, Lu Chen is silent for a moment before shaking his head slowly.


    Ding Dang cries. She cries miserably and her teardrops fall like pearl drops onto her bloodied body. After a moment, she looks at Lu Chen through eyes blurred with tears, as though an innocent child grasping onto her final straw of hope. She raises her hands which are filled with fresh blood and feebly grasps onto Lu Chens shirt. Leaning her head on his chest, through choked sobs, even her voice is trembling:


    I... Am I going to die?


    Lu Chen holds her even tighter. Meeting her gaze, after yet another moment of silence, he replies softly, Yes.


    ...


    <em>Lianqi</em>has appeared once in the novel before.


    <em>Lianqi</em>literally trantes as Forging Breath, and it is the fundamentals to cultivating.


    <em>Gazing quietly at Li Ji, unwillingness, anxiety and frustration blinks into her eyes.</em>


    It is clearly stated that she is feeling these emotions out of pity/sympathy for Li Ji (if I didnt interpret it wrongly). However, I am unable to find a way to phrase it in so... Compromising.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    The peach blossoms that bloom beautifully in the season of spring have to wither eventually. Falling from the branches to the ground, they are reduced to soil and dust, never to be seen again.


    The life of a human is the same as well. It is impossible to retain ones youthful smile and beauty.


    Eventually, webid each other farewell.


    When the mountainous wind blows, ripples appear on the surface of theke. The beautiful but fragiledy leans on his chest, awaiting the final farewell, as though the spring wind has departed, the peach blossoms are about to expire, that kind ofsombre death.


    She turns her head slightly to nce at the fallen Li Ji in the distance, and her eyes fill with profound emotions. Then, retracting her gaze from Li Ji, she directs it towards Lu Chen. Her face pales further by the moment, but her expression also gradually turns tranquil, as though she has epted this final conclusion.


    She even strenuously chuckles softly for a moment, though it is unclear what she is chuckling at. Lu Chen, Li Ji, or perhaps, herself?


    Hey! With a voice so light that it is almost indistinct, she asks Lu Chen, You. Have you ever liked me?


    Lu Chen looks at Ding Dang, contemtes for a moment, and replies, I think so.


    Ding Dang chuckles, even though she coughs violently twice in the midst of it. With a feeble voice, she says, Lying again! How can you reply with a I think so if you liked me?


    Lu Chen doesnt respond and simply listens quietly to her words.


    Ding Dang sighs as she leans on his chest weakly. Then, she says, I like that person over there, but it is a pity that I am wrong about him.


    Lu Chen says, Dont speak. Rest a bit.


    Ding Dang ignores him. Gasping lightly for breath for a moment, she continues, Lu Chen, I am about to die. Can you promise me something?


    Lu Chen looks at her and says, Speak.


    Ding Dang smiles in destion. Then, she turns to look at Li Ji, and sees that the man whose face is painted with fear no longer carries the carefree and dashing look he once possessed. Even so, tenderness still floats within her eyes and she mutters weakly, I beg of you, spare him.


    Lu Chens eyes are fixated on Ding Dang. After a moment, he says, He is the one who reduced you to such a state. He despises you. He even...


    Ding Dang shakes her head, not refuting anything at all, only saying a few words, But I still like him.


    Lu Chens wordse to an abrupt stop. Silently, he gazes at the woman in his embrace and finally, he whispers, Is it worth it?


    The hands Ding Dang is grabbing his shirt with slowly loosen, as though the final sliver of her strength is gradually draining away escaping from her. However, she seems much more rxed, a gentle hint of a smile can be seen on her face, as though back then, at the age when she was the most beautiful,her most tender dream has been realised-- To spend an eternity with the one she loves as a pair of immortal couple, carefree and unrestrained.


    Carrying the beauty of conspicuous fresh blood and soul-stirring despair between the boundaries of life and death, she smiles to Lu Chen and says, Who cares...


    Her head slowly declines downwards. Even so, her gaze remains firmly on Lu Chen, a pleading tone intent clear amidst her gentleness. Lu Chen takes a deep breath and replies, I get it. I promise you.


    Ding Dang smiles, as though she has been relieved of her final burden. She no longer looks at the two men beside her. Instead, her eyes are on the Dragon Lake,at the green mountain and emerald water, as well as the scenery of the mountain reflected ontheke. A wind blows and her long hair flutters slightly along with it, and she looks exceptionally tender.


    What a beautifulke. Ding Dang whispers. Then, she closes her eyes.


    At the peak of the tea mountain, by the shore of the Dragon Lake.


    Everything is silent.


    After an inestimable period of time, Lu Chen ces Ding Dangs coldening body down gently. Then, he stands up and walks over to Li Ji.


    Li Jis hand is firmly pressing on the wound on his thigh. Seeing Lu Chen approach, he cowers backwards fearfully. Born in an esteemed family, he has never suffered hardship since young. Even when his family fell, his life was still significantly better than most of the other mortals. Eventually, when he was epted into the Thousand Autumn Doors, due to his limited time in the sect, he didnt really have the time to experience the fighting and ughter that urs among cultivators.


    He kills others out of rage, but he still experiences fear when exposed to pain and blood.


    You... Donte here! Dont forget that you promised Ding Dang not to kill me! Li Ji screams loudly.


    Amidst his scream, Lu Chen is already standing before him. Taking a nce at him, he doesnt say a word and abruptly strikes his nape with a palm.


    Li Jis screamse to an abrupt stop. His eyes roll backwards and his body tumbles forward. In an instant, he falls unconscious.


    ......


    When Li Ji finally regains consciousness, he realises that the surroundings has darkened. Taking a look at the sky again, it is already evening.


    A fiery pain emanates from the back of his neck, causing Li Ji to moan through gritted teeth. When he finally sits upwards, he realises that the man who he fears the most at this moment has yet to leave.


    Lu Chen is still standing by the shore of the Dragon Lake, just that at this moment, other than the blood from Ding Dangs body, his clothes are stained with mud and dirt as well. Before Lu Chen, on the ground by the Dragon Lake, there is a newly erected grave.


    There are no tombstone, no pine tree, just a freshyer of soil silently covering thedy in eternal slumber. The grave is faces theke, gazing upon the mountains and water, as though ady has deposited her feelings into this painting, smiling silently.


    Lu Chen turns around and walks inrge strides towards Li Ji. Li Ji immediately crawls backwards to avoid him. For some reason, fear grips his entire body. Despite looking down on this man for being a mere mortal before, at this moment, he is unable to well up the courage to retaliate against him. In his mouth, he keeps repeating the same few words, Dont kill me, dont kill me!


    Lu Chen grabs the clothes at his chest, drags him to the newly erected grave and throws him onto the floor. Coldly, he says, Kowtow three times.


    I will do it! I will do it! Li Ji hurriedly replies. At the time, he secretly heaves a sigh of relief. Since he was made to kowtow to her, that means that Lu Chen has decided to spare his life on Ding Dangs ount.


    He kowtows forcefully.<em>Dong dong dong</em>, the three bows are solid, making it impossible for anyone to find any fault with it. Then, he straightens his body and says, That should be enough, right? So, let me go...


    Halfway through his words, a ck glint shes across his peripheral vision and his remaining word chokes in his throat. At that instant, Li Jis heart suddenly contracts and his entire body trembles intensely. He stares at Lu Chen in disbelief.


    That ck dagger that seems to have came from the deepest depths of the darkness is held in Lu Chens hand, and he mercilessly stabbed it savagely into his body.


    His flesh severs and blood splutters.


    Li Ji howls loudly. He rolls his body away in agony, trying to escape to the side as Lu Chen stares at him impassively from behind. A bizarre glint shesacross his eyes. That is a flicker of ck me, as though the fire of the underworld that feeds on souls, staring arrogantly and savagely down upon the mortal world.


    A hand of his grabs Li Jis neck while the other holds the ck dagger. As though the way one picks up a livestock, a hand of his rises while the dagger falls. Time and a time again, he stabs into him ruthlessly.


    Stab! Stab! Stab!


    Stab! Stab! Stab!


    As though a cruel and merciless demon incarnate from hell appearing in this world, carrying a sliver of insanity and the fearsome darkness with it, amidst the burning of the ck mes, his ck dagger stabs into Li Jis body ceaselessly, until all fresh blood and life has been sapped dry from him.


    The fresh blood stters into midair, dyeing Lu Chens entire body red. The ck mes burn frenziedly amidst the fresh blood, as though feasting on this madness.


    You... promised... to let me... go...


    Completely dyed in blood, Li Ji, at the final moments of his life, gazes at Lu Chen as he says those words with a quavering voice.


    At this instant, Lu Chen who is dyed red as though a demon, holds his dagger tightly as he retreats a single step. He stares at the dying man with both of his eyes and an expression as cold as ice, coldly looking on as he breaths hisst in pain.


    Then, he slowly walks to the newly erected grave by theke.


    He sits down and stares at theke and mountains ahead of him, as though facing himself, as well as the the person who is lying in the mound beside him. Softly, he mutters, Who cares...


    (End of 1st arc


    ...


    Pine trees are nted on top of graves as they represent the evesting and undying spirit of the dead. Also, due to the longevity of the tree, it is also a good omen for the children of the deceased to have long lifespans.


    They are also easy to sustain, and is tolerant to the heat and the cold.


    Phew, finally the end of the first arc. Too much descriptive phrases for my expertise. I tried to keep as close to the races while making them eloquent, but one or two portion still stumped me totally, so I tried to interpret it as closely as I can to the words and context.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    The blood-red setting sun illuminated the evening horizon. Beneath the setting sun, the tea mountain towered solemnly at the convergence between shadow and light. Even the tranquil Dragon Lake reflected the color of dusk.


    Bloodstains could still be seen on the ground, and a freshly constructed grave apanied theke in solitude. Everything seemed as though it had been tidied before, and all that awaited were the harsh weathers ahead. By the time the darkness had quietly descended, there wasn''t any sign of anyone left on the tea mountain, just a figure in the distance slowly moving further and further, slowly treading into the darkness.


    The sky had turned dark by the time he caught sight of the straw cottage at the foot of the mountain once more. The bizarre and mournful wind blew through the tea mountain once more, and sounds reminiscent of the crying of ghosts and the howling of wolves echoed by the foot of the mountain.


    The night was like water while the darkness was like waves, fully submerging the foot of the tea mountain. This made the straw cottage appear exceptionally forlorn.


    As Lu Chen was walking down the mountainous paths, other than still having the bloodstains on him, he had alreadypletely restored his usual, peaceful expression. The bizarre ck mes had disappeared at some point in time, seeming as though it had never appeared on his body in the first ce, leaving not a single trace behind.


    He walked down toward the straw cottage, taking a nce at the vige below before entering his cottage. Under the night sky, the vige, shrouded in total darkness, was silent. Not the slightest ray of light could be seen, as though the entire vige had fallen into a deep sleep.


    Lu Chen stood by the entrance of the straw cottage and stretched out to push his door. <i>Jiya</i>, the wooden door creaked open. Gusts of cold wind blew behind him, leaving eerie cryingsounds in its wake


    On taking the first step into his house, his body paused at the entrance for a moment. Despite being cloaked the darkness, the straw cottage was how he remembered it.


    Things were where they should be, and there was no unfamiliar scent. Even the nkets on top of the bed, located in the depths of the cottage in the shadows, were exactly how they looked when he left this morning.


    Lu Chen stood quietly for a brief moment. Then, he lifted his head and nced upward.


    Complete silence.


    Not even a single speck of dirt could be seen floating in the air, needless to say, any withered grass des or leaves.


    In the darkness, Lu Chen''s pupils narrowed abruptly.


    "Wu..."


    A surge of cold, bewailing wind blew across, carrying bone-chilling sounds that resembled the eerie wails of ghosts at night... it was another ordinary night in summer.


    Still standing at the door, Lu Chen seemed to have thought of something all of a sudden. He stretched his backzily, gave his neck a few shakes, then nced at the vige beneath the mountain once more. Inconspicuously, he withdrew the foot that had stepped over the entrance of the straw cottage. Then, rubbing his stomach, along with a somewhat anxious look, he scanned the environment before turning to head toward the gloomy forest.


    Resembling undting waves, darkness permeated the surroundings of the straw cottage at the foot of the mountain. The wretched mountainous forest seemed to be looking coldly upon Lu Chen''s lonesome figure.


    A breath of haze expanded with the waves of darkness and permeated the surroundings of the straw cottage. It was like a small, quiet stream, adorned with tiny ripples, that flowed continuously. The ck haze engulfed the small cottage from all directions.


    Lu Chen walked to the edge of the jungle, even opening his mouth to yawn. He seemed to bepletely oblivious to the ink-like dense congregation of darkness that was slowly approaching him.


    The wind whistled lightly, contributing to the sinister atmosphere of the night.


    Suddenly, the darkness billowed, as though giant waves had formed in the quiet but massive river, the waves rough and imposing, baring its fangs savagely and frenziedly as it surged over. Almost the same moment, perhaps even a split instant before the darkness raged, Lu Chen who had been standing so peacefully by the side of the jungle, even to the extent ofzily, turned around suddenly and jumped into the jungle.


    In an instant, furious curses echoed in the air. In the previously silent and empty night sky, more than a dozen of blurred shadows appeared instantaneously out of nowhere and pounced forward in all directions.


    A bright gleam severed the darkness, reflecting sharpness thatmanded fear. Cutting through the empty air, it flew straight toward Lu Chen''s figure. However, in that precarious split moment, Lu Chen had already dived into the jungle one step earlier.


    Curses rang from the jungle as well, as the human silhouettes began to move in the darkness once more. It seemed that there were people in the jungle as well, but there weren''t as many as there were outside. Perhaps, no one thought it possible for him to dash in, so they were unprepared, resulting in a chaotic situation within the forest.


    shes between swords could be heard here and there. Soon, amidst the sorrowful wind, a person moaned in a deep and mncholic voice. Blood had been drawn in the darkness.


    Outside the forest, the "shadows" rushed into the forest without hesitation, carrying a killing intent so stifling that it felt like a heavy mountain; it was as if the entire forest was stained with the stench of foul blood.


    The mountainous wind blew across and the forest shook violently, as though a small boat in the middle of a raging ocean. Yet, it was impossible to see what was happening inside.


    Whenever it came to night in Clear Stream Vige, the entire vige would turnpletely silent and all lights would be extinguished. However, this particr night seemed exceptionally silent, as well as exceptionally dark.


    The only light in the vige came from a small tavern.


    On top of the table, a sk of wine and a cup was ced beside a candle, and a young <i>gongzi</i> was drinking on his own, withoutpany.


    He poured himself a cup of wine and sipped on it, only to shake his head in disappointment. Smiling gently, he nced at the floor beside his foot and said, "The wine isn''t good."


    The small tavern was very quiet. Other than the young <i>gongzi</i>, only Old Ma was present. He was still dressed as how he was in the morning, just a pair of giant pants due to the sweltering heat. However, at that moment, he appeared to be in a mess and he seemed to be in excruciating pain. His limbs were bound together tightly by a thick rope. As though a swine awaiting to be ughtered, he was thrown to the floor, by the side of the young <i>gongzi</i>.


    The words that the young <i>gongzi</i> had spoken were directed at Old Ma.


    Old Ma didn''t seem to be in good shape at the moment. His face was muchrger than how it usually was due to swelling, and there were blue and purple patches all over, as though he had been beaten up mercilessly. The edges of his mouth were torn and bleeding. However,pared to the current state of his body, these all seemed to be entirely negligible.


    On Old Ma''s white and plump body, there were at least seven to eight strokes of deep cuts, the cuts meeting each other at his chest. At the same time, his back was a bloodied mess and it was almost impossible to find an area of unhurt skin on his body.


    Beneath him, fresh blood had already umted into a puddle, seeming to slowly seep into the ground.


    At that moment, Old Ma was already gasping weakly for breath as he slumped exhaustedly on the ice-cold ground. Other than the barely noticeable movements at his chest as he breathed and his eyes that were opened with difficulty, he looked as though he would die at any moment.


    Hearing those words, Old Ma''s stupefied eyes stirred briefly. Lifting his head, heughed, even though this caused the flesh on his face to convulse.


    He said, "It''s just a rural vige, there is nothing that can be done about it."


    The young <i>gongzi</i> smiled tenderly and a trace of admiration appeared in his gaze directed toward Old Ma, "Have you thought it through yet?"


    ...

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Old Ma muttered, but his words were indistinct.


    The young <i>gongzi</i> shrugged indifferently, "Up to you. You are a dead person anyway, it doesn''t matter whether I know your identity or not." At this point, he eyed Old Ma once again, seemingly thinking of something. With sudden interest, he said, "However... I am a little curious who it is. Just exactly which Shadow has such an ability to keep your mouth so tightly sealed, that you would rather die than to reveal anything?"


    Under the dim, yellowish glow of the burning candle, Old Ma grinned and chuckled. The young gentleman chuckled along with him as well.


    Just like that, a strange sight of twopletely foreign smiling faces looking at one another.


    The wind outside the tavern whistled coldly as the night sky darkened further.


    ...


    At the foot of the tea mountain, the mournful cries of the wind were mixed with the countless voices hurling abuses, most of which came from within the dark forest. An intense chase was going on, with shes between des in the background, and the battle has reached fiery heights. However, due to the exceptional darkness, it was difficult to tell what was happening in the forest from the outside. In fact, even those persons right at the forest boundary were unable to obtain a clear read of the situation.


    However, at a sudden moment, the entire forest turned silent. All ruckus seemed to have fallen off the edge of a cliff, disappearing abruptly, rendering the silence even more so obvious.


    The darkness of the night was as dense as ink, at the same time resembling the massive fangs of a savage beast, filled with malicious intent.


    Noises from footsteps could be heard in the forest gradually, breaking that abrupt silence. Peculiar sounds, seeming to be interacting with one another, echoed softly through the forest. There were tinges of anger, surprise, as well as anxiety.


    After yet another moment, shadows flickered within the forest and someone strolled out from within. It was a masked male who was fully dressed in ck. Soon, several figures who were dressed simrly emerged behind him as well. Most of them held in their hands weapons that gleamed with ruthlessness. The crimson-red color of blood could be observed on the edges of some of their des.


    A tense atmosphere lingered in the air. At the same time, a faint stench of blood could be detected.


    "Where is he?"


    "I don''t know. He suddenly disappeared."


    "It was as though he was an apparition!"


    "Search for him once more!"


    "We''ve already searched through the entire forest."


    "Could he have escaped up the mountain?"


    "Impossible, there were people keeping watch outside and they had not noticed any signs of that Shadow."


    It appeared to be a leader and with several of his men clothed in ck, and they were gathered together discussing agitatedly. It seemed that they had a sh of opinions and an argument had broken out.


    After a period of quarreling, the ck-clothed men eventually decided to split into two groups. Half of the men would continue searching through the forest whereas the other half would head to the vige below.


    There were around ten ck-clothed men who remained at the foot of the hill. They quickly split up; a few of them went to search the forest, a few of them stood guard on the narrow mountainous path, and a few of them returned to the straw cottage and started to overturn everything within.


    A ruckus started to break out beneath the night sky. It seemed that the ck-clothed men were starting to fluster. Perhaps it was because they had not expected that the prey that seemed so secure within their grasp could escape from their dense encirclement, that they had a savage expression on their faces.


    Not too long after, an exmation echoed from inside the straw cottage, and there was a tinge of delight to his voice. It seemed like someone had noticed something important. Amotion broke out among the ck-clothed men outside the straw cottage and a couple of them hurried in. One by one, the few men who had gone into the forest also emerged and hurried toward the straw cottage.


    At this moment, someone had already lighted a torch. Under the glow of the torch, everyone within the cottage could see clearly that there were a lever and a secret passage beneath the bed in the straw cottage.


    This discovery delighted the ck-clothed men! In the midst of their discussion, with a torch in hand, someone had started to explore the secret passage cautiously.


    At the same moment, outside the cottage, in the depths of the forest that had quietened down, in a dim cranny, a figure stood up suddenly.


    There was a bizarre aura within the darkness. Icy-cold, with a deep killing-intent. In this nook, darkness was omnipresent but, somehow, it seemed to congregate densely around that figure, as though an impregnable wall of ice.


    That figure stepped forward and very slowly, his face became visible. It was Lu Chen. Vaguely, another figure could be seen lying on the floor, motionless.


    However, what was strange that Lu Chen''s attire was different from before. He had put on clothes belonging to one of the ck-clothed men. What was even more bizarre were the mysterious ck mes were burning in his pupils.


    He slowly lifted his hands, revealing a piece of ck cloth in his palms. Then, just like the other ck-clothed men, he used it to cover his face. This removed all physical traits that identified him and at this moment, it seemed as though he were a member of the ck-clothed men from the very start. For some reason, even his disposition seemed to have changed as well.


    ncing at the straw cottage beyond the forest from afar, a slight frown appeared on his forehead. Inside the silent forest, he stood quietly for a moment. He then shot a musing gaze toward the vige at the foot of the mountain.


    "That Shadow had met with an ident which afflicted him with severe wounds, causing his cultivation to be crippled, rendering him no different from a mortal." A calm voice echoed in the small tavern. There were a few ck-clothed men standing at the doorstep, listening to the words of the young <i>gongzi</i>. His words sounded exceptionally tranquil and there wasn''t even a hint of anger on his face. But for unknown reasons, these ck-clothed men looked frightened, and their bodies were trembling slightly.


    "More than a dozen of cultivators surrounded a powerless mortal, and you came back to tell me that he had escaped?"


    The young <i>gongzi</i> chuckled, as though he was amused by the words that he had said. "That doesn''t seem right, doesn''t it?"


    After a moment of hesitation, the ck-clothed man standing at the direct center of the group by the door bucked up his courage and said, "<i>Gongzi</i>, that fellow is by no means a mortal. A few of our brothers had crossed blows with him, but that person''s moves were savage and brutal. He isn''t someone that should be underestimated."


    The <i>gongzi</i> seated by the table frowned. It seemed as though he didn''t bear too much doubt toward the words of the ck-clothed man. A hint of suspicion surfaced in his eyes as he muttered, "What is going on? Could it be that those fools from the Immortal Alliance had sent us bogus news?"


    The group of ck-clothed man did not dare to speak. Then, he quick-wittedly shot his gaze toward the plump Old Ma, who was lying on the floor in a pathetic state, and spoke, "<i>Gongzi</i>, why don''t you try interrogating this fatty once more? He must have news on that Shadow."


    Old Ma''s head tilted and he suddenly spat a mouthful of saliva and blood toward the entrance and cursed, "Go to hell! Using me as an outlet for your frustration after failing in your mission, why don''t you spend your efforts on capturing that fellow!"


    ...

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    A vicious glint shed in the eyes of the ck-clothed man, and he took a step forward in fury. The young <i>gongzi </i>frowned and signs of impatience could be seen from his gaze. He was about to speak when a smallmotion broke out outside.


    The young man''s face darkened as he bellowed, "What''s wrong?"


    Another ck-clothed man from outside the cottage hurried in and, in panic, announced, "The mountain is on fire!"


    Everyone in the tavern was taken aback. They rushed to the entrance and saw that under the dark night sky, there were six to seven spots on the tea mountain that were alight. The mes had yet to grow too big, but they were clearly gaining in intensity. Given the strong mountainous winds, it was likely that it wouldn''t take long before the entire mountain would be burning in mes.


    The group of ck-clothed men fell silent. Then, someone cursed, and there were even a few who wanted to rush up the mountains. However, they were stopped by the young <i>gongzi</i>. Scanning his surroundings, his face turned cold for the first time. With a frigid tone, he said, "This ce is just 30 <i>li</i> away from Nansong Mountain. The moment the mountainous mes expand, the Thousand Autumn Doors would definitely send someone to check the matter out. By then, the matter would have blown out of proportions. Right now, it isn''t the time for you all to be messing around."


    The group of ck-clothed men remainedpletely speechless. After a brief moment, the young man sneered coldly. He pped the fan in his palms andmanded, "Set the houses alight! Kill the fatty in the house! Let''s go!"


    Soon, in the silence of the night, mes were swiftly lit. In just moments, mes were lit around the tavern. Based on their effectiveness at setting the mes, it seemed that this group of ck-clothed men were experts who hadmitted such acts countless times. What was even more bizarre was that even though there was quite somemotion this night, other than this small tavern, the entire vige was plunged into silence. It didn''t seem like there were any vigers who were rmed by it.


    At the same time, while the mes slowly swallowed the small tavern, two ck-clothed men charged in and dragged the withered Old Ma out and threw him onto the empty grounds before the tavern.


    The young <i>gongzi</i> walked over with a stern expression. It seemed that due to the various unexpected events that had urred tonight, he was finally no longer able to sustain that tranquil expression of his. Authoritatively, he spoke, "Fatty, I respect you for your tough will, but you have seen the situation for yourself. I will give you onest chance. Tell me the background of that Shadow and where he is now. Otherwise, you shall..."


    He nced at the two ck-clothed men who dragged Old Ma out, and each of them whipped out a gleaming dagger. The man on the right was slightly faster and immediately, he ced his sharp dagger against the fatty''s thick neck. The other man who was slightly slower hesitated for a moment before retracting his dagger and stepping back into the crowd.


    The cold edge of the dagger was pushed right against Old Ma''s neck, causing Old Ma''s body to cower backward before it. His face was ghastly pale and it could be seen that he was actually somewhat nervous. In fact, he couldn''t resist the urge to lift his head to nce at the ck-clothed man.


    Perhaps it was an instinctive reaction when one was at the border between life and death, his body convulsed intensely. Then, he stared fixedly at the ck-clothed man who was about to kill him, as though he was trying to mark the features of his murderer and exact vengeance on him as a specter. But it was a pity that the ck-clothed man had concealed all personal traits beneath his ck robe, such that even his face was hidden from in view. All that could be seen was a pair of eyes.


    Old Ma red furiously at the ck-clothed man.


    The ck-clothed man was unmoved by Old Ma''s actions.


    The young <i>gongzi</i>''s patience seemed to have worn thin. He coldly spouted, "Have you thought it through yet?" After which, he paused for a moment before he harrumphed coldly. With a wave of his hands, he said, "Do it..."


    "Don''t!" A shout of agony suddenly reverberated. It was from the fatty, Old Ma. At this moment, his steeled and pertinacious face had disappeared without a trace, and in its ce were depression and submission. He quickly shouted, "I''ll speak! I''ll speak!"


    "Hu..."


    A ruckus broke out among the ck-clothed men. Even the young <i>gongzi</i> seemed to have been caught off-guard by the sudden change in Old Ma and nked out for a moment. His mind couldn''t adapt to the abrupt twist in the situation.


    On the other hand, the ck-clothed man standing behind Old Ma seemed to be in greater shock, staggering and nearly falling backward. Seemingly infuriated for his embarrassment, he lifted his leg and kicked the fatty!


    "Aiya..." Old Ma was immediately sent rolling on the floor, and his figure looked strangely reminiscent of a blob of meat. He grimaced in pain.


    On the other end, the young <i>gongzi</i> had also recovered and he quickly bellowed for the ck-clothed man who was about to thrash the fatty to stop. He walked over to Old Ma in hurried steps and said dignifiedly, "Ma Xiao Yun!"


    Although he was the one who mentioned his name, he couldn''t help but frown. The disparity between the fatty before him and the name was simply too great, making it difficult for him to form connections between the two. However, based on the news he had received from the Immortal Alliance''s Fleeting Cloud Division, this was definitely this man''s name... However, it wasn''t the time for him to be bothered over this. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Ma Xiao Yun, hear my words. My name is Shang Fei Yi, a vice-head of the Three Realm Divine Cult''s ''West Altar''. As long as you speak the truth, I would make sure that you live a worry-free life from now on, and you need not fear the pursuit of the Fleeting Cloud Division."


    Ma Xiao Yun... The fat Old Ma quickly nodded his head. "Thank you, thank you. You must save me!"


    Expectation and nervousness appeared in Shang Fei Yi''s eyes as he asked, "Then speak, what is the identity and background of the Shadow hidden here?"


    The grounds turned silent. Subconsciously, all of the ck-clothed men in the surroundings were listening intently for Old Ma''s reply.


    The night wind blew, and only the crackling of the mes on the tavern could be heard. In the further distance, in the depths of the darkness, a faint sound could be heard. It seemed as though someone''s buffalo had been rmed by themotion and a ''moo'' sound could be heard.


    Old Ma gritted his teeth. Seemingly getting past the final shackles in his heart, he nced at the ck-clothed man equipped with the knife fearfully and spoke, "I don''t know the original name of the Shadow, but when I received him, he was already known as Lu Chen. He is 28 this year and is of average figure..."


    Shang Fei Yi eyebrows shot upward as he nodded his head faintly. Clearly, he was also aware of these basic pieces of information on the Shadow, and this verified that the fatty had truly given in and wasn''t lying. "Well said. What else?"


    The fatty hesitated for a moment. The ck-clothed man beside him seemed to hold extreme disdain against the despicable man who kept changing his words and ced his knife on Old Ma''s neck once more as he bellowed, "Speak!"


    ...

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    Old Ma withdrew backward in fright. He stuttered, "I''ll speak, I''ll speak! I''ve heard that Lu Chen hade from the ''Wood Splitting Pavilion'' and that he possessed outstanding talent. However, he was extremely arrogant from young. Worst still, a lustful person, he fell in love with the sole and doted daughter of the Master of Wood Splitting Pavilion, and with her, became a pair of adulterous couple. When their affair was exposed, the Pavilion Head flew into a rage and ordered to kill him. Unable to take it lying down, the scum reported to the True Immortal Alliance that the Wood Splitting Pavilion was colluding with the demonic cult... Er, that''s not it, it''s divine cult, and this resulted in a crusade by experts from the Immortal Alliance''s ''Heavenly Law Hall''. However, they soon realized that it was a misunderstanding. Under the heated battle, the scum was severely wounded, and his cultivation waspletely crippled as a result. After the incident, as some of the influential figures in the Immortal Alliance wanted to save their face, they kept the man and transferred him to the Fleeting Cloud Division, turning him into an indolent Shadow with no goals in life. Even so, that man continued tomit treacherous acts, flirting around withdies in the vige and degrading them. His reputation is truly a mess in this vige!"


    Hearing those words, a frown slowly formed on Shang Fei Yi''s forehead, and he seemed to be disappointed by Old Ma''s words. Nevertheless, with a sneer, he could not help but asked, "That man had actuallymitted such atrocities?"


    Old Ma quickly nodded his head. "Indeed, indeed! That scum is truly vile from the bones. There isn''t the slightest bit of good throughout his body!"


    "Moo..."


    Shang Fei Yi seemed to be about to say something when the call of a cow echoed from the depths of the darkness once more. Furthermore, it sounded much clearer this time.


    Shang Fei Yi was taken aback. Surprised at the call, he turned abruptly to peer into the darkness.


    But all he observed was the dense congregation of darkness. Staring at the night sky, several emotions flickered across his face before it started to pale. He seemed to have sensed something and he bellowed, "Not good, flee!"


    His bellow came unexpectedly, and the ck-clothed men in his surroundings were unable to react immediately. On the contrary, Old Ma who was bounded and the ck-clothed man with his dagger against Old Ma''s neck lifted their heads simultaneously and stared into the darkness.


    Amidst the abysmal darkness, a massive pair of eyes appeared suddenly. Each eye was the size of a human. Even though the darkness had screened the approaching monster''s body, just the sight of its eyes was enough to for one to imagine how fearsome that massive beast would be.


    Everything seemed to have frozen all of the sudden!


    Every single thing came to a halt. Even the strong gale from moments ago found itself motionless.


    Instancester, from the direction where the massive eyes had appeared, an unimaginably ferocious roar echoed, "Mooo..."


    That was the third time the call of a cow had sounded tonight. However, it was much more terrifyingpared to the previous two times. A violent aura materialized instantaneously in the darkness before them and gushed straight at them, resembling the rapid tides of a river. In a split moment, it had overwhelmed and enveloped the entire vige.


    It was as though the darkness had materialized; it was as if a ferocious giant had appeared, choking everyone present in one fell swoop. The ck-clothed men screamed in agony as they tried to cover their own ears. Those who possessed weaker cultivation found it difficult to even stand stably.


    Under the sudden assault, there were only three men in the crowd who managed to remainposed. Shang Fei Yi was one of them, but it didn''t appear that he was faring well either.


    The violent roar seemed to be infused with incredible strength, causing a stream of blood to flow down from the corner of his lips. With a nce, Shang Fei Yi noticed that in the near distance, the fatty who was lying on the floor, as well as the ck-clothed man who was wielding the knife, seemed to bepletely impervious to the roar; they were neither wounded nor screaming like the others.


    He couldn''t help but find the situation before him ridiculous. However, with his life at stake, he didn''t have the leisure to bother too much. He could sense the roar growing increasingly sharper, and it seemed as though the shadow ahead was about to crush down on him, and it felt as though the heavens were about to copse.


    Shang Yi Fei made a deafening cry. Then, he soared into the sky and following suit, there was a sh of yellow radiance. A palm-sized wooden man, which resembled the man, flew forward and blocked the space between him and the massive beast.


    At the same instant, the roar which came from the depths of the darkness intensified without warning. On the ground, every single ck-clothed man, except for the one right beside Old Ma, who were clutching their heads, screaming, and struggling with all their might, stiffened and froze abruptly. Then, a horrendous sight that was beyond all imagination urred!


    Each and every single ck-clothed man exploded simultaneously within the blink of an eye. An incredible amount of fresh blood spattered into the night sky to form a bloody mist, creating a sight of hell in the living world.


    At almost the same moment, the wooden figure, which Shang Fei Yi summoned previously, absorbed the tremendous impact released on the roar and disintegrated, reducing to mere dust in the sky.


    In the sky, Shang Fei Yi''s cry halted abruptly, as he seemed to have suffered a great damage from the previous attack as well. Not daring to remain for a moment longer, he mustered all his might and transformed into a white sh in the sky as he escaped hurriedly. In a sh, he disappeared into the depths of the darkness.


    The fearsome and mysterious howl gradually calmed down, and the mysterious phenomenon gradually disappeared. The remains of the ck-clothed men fell to the ground one after another. On the other hand, the bloody mist which spattered into the sky slowly descended in the form of a drizzle.


    Unknowingly, only two survivors remained on the field.


    Old Ma lifted his head to look at the ck-clothed man standing beside him, and the ck-clothed man lowered his head to look at Old Ma as well.


    For a long period of time, the two did not speak a single word. It was hard to tell whether it was due to shock or some other reason.


    After a brief moment, Old Ma''s body bent and, very suddenly, he took in a breath of cold air. He seemed to have struck a certain wound on his body and his anger burst forth immediately as he reprimanded, "The hell, hurry up and get rid of these ropes!"


    The ck-clothed man harrumphed, lifted his dagger, and shed toward Old Ma!


    Old Ma cowered backward immediately. He felt a chill through his entire body in that instant as the dagger barely missed his body. Then, he felt freedom with his hands and legs; the rope binding them had been cut.


    Then, the ck-clothed man threw aside the dagger in his hand and removed the ck cloth concealing his appearance. It was Lu Chen''s face that appeared in Old Ma''s vision.


    Old Ma was severely injured. For a moment, he was unable to stand up. All he could do was to pant in deep breaths. He stared at Lu Chen furiously and spat, "They sure are trash, to think that they would be unable to kill a person like you who was without any cultivation whatsoever."


    Lu Chen shrugged and looked at Old Ma, "To think that you would survive after suffering so many blows. The heavens sure are blind."


    "Scram!"


    "Sss..." A pained hiss escaped from Old Ma''s mouth. He slowly sat up under Lu Chen''s support.


    ...

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    After which, Lu Chen whipped out a few medicinal paste and started to treat the fatty''s wounds.


    "Lighter, lighter... AH!" Old Ma''s plump face distorted in pain and cold sweat flowed profusely down his forehead. He stared at Lu Chen in anger and through gritted teeth, he spat, "You bastard, can''t you see that I am severely injured? Can''t your movements be any lighter?"


    Lu Chen was silent for a brief moment before pouring some bizarre pink powder onto his wounds.


    Old Ma yowled, nearly fainting from the excruciating pain. It took a few moments before he managed to recover from his ragged panting. However, he didn''t seem to wield sufficient strength to reprimand Lu Chen anymore.


    Lu Chen nced at him and calmly said, " ''Dhumnades Snake Powder'' is something good. Even though it stings a little, it helps to recover your vitality swiftly. At the very least, you won''t die in the middle of the journey."


    The fatty''s face turned ghastly white. Through uneven panting, he protested weakly, "Go and die! This sensation... Why don''t you pour it on your own face?"


    "Ten years ago, when I came back, I had this stuff poured all over my entire body." Lu Chen said.


    The fatty''s body trembled, seemingly shocked by his words, He stared at Lu Chen with widened eyes and asked, "Is that true?"


    Lu Chen did not reply him. Instead, he quietly bandaged Old Ma''s wounds.


    From then on, seemingly shocked by those casual and calm words, the fatty no longer said anything excessive.


    While the two were busy bandaging their wounds under the glow of mes, amidst a sea of corpses, footsteps could suddenly be heard from ahead. The duo lifted their heads to take a look, only to see a ck figure strolling slowly out from the depths of the darkness.


    Through the illumination provided by the mes, they saw that the one that walked out was actually a cow.


    A Jade Buffalo!


    This Jade Buffalo had an unearthly appearance. Putting aside its towering stature, the pair of horns on its head had a color of pure jade and looked extraordinarily warm. It was an extremely rare and magnificent sight.


    The Jade Buffalo walked right up to Old Ma and Lu Chen and nced at them. Disdain could be seen in its gaze as it mooed.


    Lu Chen and Old Ma exchanged gazes. After a moment, Lu Chen harrumphed, "This cow sure is ugly!"


    "Moo!"


    The Jade Buffalo turned around and stared at Lu Chen with bell-sized eyes on its gigantic cow head. Its gaze was ferocious and it was clearly piqued by Lu Chen''s remark.


    Ignoring it, Lu Chen helped Old Ma up and supported him to the Jade Buffalo.


    The Jade Buffalo seemed displeased and swung its head. Even so, it didn''t avoid the two and stood rooted to the ground. Just that, its gaze toward Lu Chen grew progressively hostile.


    Lu Chen dragged Old Ma''s body and then threw him up onto the back of the Jade Buffalo as though tossing a sack. Then, he searched for a rope and secured him tightly to the back of the cow.


    Throughout the process, Old Ma did not say a word. When Lu Chen was done and had retreated a step backward, signs of worry appeared on his plump face. Sighing, he asked, "What are you going to do?"


    Lu Chen stated indifferently, "You shouldn''t interfere in my business."


    Old Ma shook his head. With a lowered voice, he said, "Don''t be like that. I''ll beg him in your stead."


    Lu Chen harrumphed, "He refused toe personally, sending this dumb cow in his ce. Can''t you tell the meaning behind his gesture?"


    Old Ma smiled bitterly as he replied, "He has his own problems to deal with, it''s not like you are unaware of them. Besides, if he came here personally, given the number of eyes on him, he would be doing you harm instead."


    Lu Chen waved his hands. With an impassive face, he said, "There''s no need to speak anymore. I''ll just travel around leisurely by myself, all of you don''t need to care about me anymore. Otherwise, it would be hard to tell when I would die in the hands of those from the same faction."


    Old Ma was speechless.


    Lu Chen turned around and began walking. A few stepster, he looked back and nced at the Jade Buffalo. In response, the Jade Buffalo widened its eyes and nced at him as well.


    The cow and human stared at one another. Lu Chen''s lips curled upward as hemented, "No matter how wide you open your eyes, you are just an ugly cow!"


    The Jade Buffalo flew into a rage. It mooed and stomped its hooves heavily onto the ground. Instantaneously, the ground in the surroundings quivered. The shock wave could even be felt from afar... the burning houses shook violently before crumbling inward, adding to the majesty of the buffalo''s action.


    At this moment, the Jade Buffalo was as though a towering mountain, an existence which one could only look up to.


    But for some reason, fear did not appear in Lu Chen''s eyes. Staring at the beast, his gaze slowly grew gentler. Then, he stretched out his hands and stroked the buffalo''s head.


    The Jade Buffalo red at him but did not avoid his touch.


    After briefly caressing it, he patted the buffalo lightly before departing with huge strides. Very swiftly, he disappearedpletely into the darkness.


    The Jade Buffalo watched as Lu Chen''s back view vanished into the darkness and mooed lightly twice behind him. Then, it turned around and left in another direction.


    It left the Clear Stream Vige, leaving behind the darkness and burning houses in its wake. At that moment, in the faraway night sky, a glimmer of light, resembling the shimmer of a sword, could be seen traveling swiftly toward the vige from Nansong Mountain.


    Carrying the moaning fatty, Old Ma, its footsteps started to hasten. In the blink of an eye, it melded into the depths of the darkness.


    The path of cultivation flourished in this era. Countless lives in the world had ced their faith into immortalhood, and the royal court had fallen into decline. This was especially so in the vastnds of the Central Divine Continent.


    Three thousand years ago, beginning with a coboration between Kunlun and the Primordial Heaven Sovereign, and then within the next century, with Grand Jade, Phoenix''s Feather, and Thousand Peaks, the three great and newly rising sects then, the True Immortal Alliance was formed. Of which, countless talents hade to govern it, heightening its strength, to the point that the True Immortal Alliance had be the strongest power in the entire Central Divine Continent.


    The True Immortal Alliance helped to mediate conflicts that rose among the different cultivator sects in the world, guiding the cultivation of others, allocated resources to the various sects, helped to create a bnce among the various powers in the continent, united the orthodox sects, and suppressed the demonic sects. More than a thousand years ago, it had led countless cultivators of the Central ins to the Confounding Mountains to battle the Southern Barbarian Tribes, of which, they emerged victoriously. As such, the reputation of the True Immortal Alliance started to soar and it became an entity respected and feared by the entire world. All cultivator sects had viewed it as a normal urrence to be epted into the True Immortal Alliance. Even more so, they thought of ascending into the ''Ten Thousand Immortal Board'' of the True Immortal Alliance as an honor.


    The Central Divine Continent was indeed and blessed by the heavens. Of its vast domains, there were countless mountains dense with spiritual energy, which gave rise to countless cultivators and cultivator sects. Compared to the sterile and deficient Southern Barren ins, it was in a much better position.


    As such, since ancient times, the Barbarian tribes which had been residing in the Southern Barren ins had been coveting the lushnds of the Central Divine Continent. Many times, they had nned to obtain the magnificentnds for themselves by traversing the Confounding Lands, and for this purpose, they hadmitted innumerable murders.


    Even so, generations after generations of humans from the Central Divine Continent had managed to eventually destroy and repel the Barbarian tribes, especially during the war a thousand years ago. The entire Barbarian army had fallenpletely and since then, the Barbarian tribe had been unable to recover. This had rid the Human race of a thorny source of unease. For at least a millennium, they would not have to fear another invasion by the Southern Barbarians.


    In fact, if not for the menacing nature of the Confounding Lands and the human tribe''sck of knowledge of the territory, the human army might have already charged into the Southern Barren Lands and destroyed the Barbarian tribes once and for all. A major impediment was the exceptionally vast and mysterious ''Spirit-shattering Desert'' near the borders to the Southern Barren ins, whereby upon entering, one would find their spiritual energy mysteriously disappearing. This formed an impassable and destend for human cultivators.


    The Confounding Lands was actually a geographical terrain stretching for millions of <i>li</i> across the Southernnds of the Central Divine Continent. On this mysterious plot ofnd, Five Element Spiritual Energy, which forms the building blocks of the universe and was usually stable, falls into chaos, resulting in the formation of geographical terrainspletely different from the other parts of the world. Countless spiritual beings and natural treasures existed here, and of which, most of them were one-of-a-kind. In other words, the extraordinarily expansive terrain known as the Confounding Lands was actually thergest and most valuable treasure vault for the cultivators of the Central Divine Continent.


    (<i>Li </i>-> 0.5km)


    This autumn, three people had entered a small city known as ''Moonfang City'', a ce which wasn''t too far away from the borders to the Confounding Lands. After drinking a few cups of wine and resting for some time in the busiest tavern in town, a man from the trio approached the boss who owned the facility and requested for a guide familiar with the Confounding Lands.


    It wasmon practice for people to look for guides in the Confounding Lands. The Confounding Lands had aplicated geographical terrain and was inhabited by countless demonic beings. Furthermore, given the unstable Five Element Spiritual Energy there, there were many unimaginable dangers and threats. To many cultivators here for the first time, a seasoned guide who was familiar with the terrains could help them avoid many unnecessary dangers.


    In fact, many human cultivators who had already been to the Confounding Lands tend to still request for some local guides because this move could truly save them from numerous inconveniences and difficulties.


    The tavern boss quickly eded to their request. Very swiftly, he found several people and brought them over for the trio''s choosing.


    The first was a tanned and emaciated old man who had creases all over his face. He stood on the spot without saying a word, simply puffing on a tobo pipe.


    The second one was a middle-aged man. Well-built, even his voice sounded majestic. It was as though he were a small mountain of muscles.


    The third one was a young man in his twenties. With an ordinary and calm appearance, he had a faint and warm smile on his face as he introduced.


    "I am Lu Chen, Lu ofnd, Chen of dirt."


    ...


    TL: The cow is known as <i>qingniu</i>. In ancient mythology, it is the mount of <i>Daode Tianzun</i>, one of the Three Pure Ones of Taoism. The Three Pure Ones in Taoism is known as the origin of all sentient beings in the world. Even though <i>qingniu</i> trantes to Green/Blue cow, it is described to resemble a buffalo, has ck fur, and a pair of majestic horns. Even though it resembles a cow, it would be more exact to treat it as an ancient mythological creature.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    The tavern owner had brought three guides over, but the team consisting of two men and a woman clearly did not require all of them. Thus, they borrowed a quiet room from the tavern owner and started to negotiate with the three guides.


    After spending a few moments inside, the tanned emaciated old man came out and squatted by a corner, smoking his tobo pipe with an impassive expression. Neither did he leave nor was there any signs of joy on his face. It seemed as though he was waiting for the results.


    Following which, the middle-aged man walked in and spent a few moments as well. He then came out and sat by the table. He ordered a pot of wine from the boss and started to drink. It seemed that he was waiting for the results too.


    Then, the young man named Lu Chen went in.


    The room wasn''trge, but it was especially quiet. After shutting the door, almost no sound from outside could be heard. The two men and one woman from earlier were all present, and the leader of their party seemed to be a middle-aged man in his forties. The other two members stood by his side. The male member looked like he was in his early twenties and he had a rather dashing appearance. A hint of arrogance could be vaguely noticed in his eyes as he caught sight of Lu Chen. On the other side was a young girl between sixteen and seventeen. With fair skin, umber-ck eyebrows so perfect that it seemed to have been delicately drawn on, and a beautiful nose, she had an outstanding outer appearance. She was staring at Lu Chen curiously, seemingly shocked that a person as young as him could serve as a guide in such dangerous terrains.


    Watching Lu Chen enter, the middle-aged man shed him a smile and said, "Brother Lu, is it? Please sit."


    Lu Chen nodded his head with a smile, sitting on the empty stool in the room. Then, the middle-aged man wasted no time beating around the bush and asked straightforwardly, "We need to enter the Confounding Lands to search for a spirit material. It is called ''Dusk Mist Flower''. Has Brother Lu ever heard of it? Are you able to bring us to find it?"


    Lu Chen''s gaze lowered, seeming to contemte for a moment before looking upward at the trio once again. Finally, he focused his gaze on the middle-aged man and smiled gently, "Two hundred Spirit Stones."


    "What?"


    Despite the middle-aged man''s cultured appearance, his face was ovee with shock when he heard the number. The two youngsters behind him were startled as well, before bursting into a rage. The young man stood up in fury and pointed at Lu Chen, howling:


    "You bastard, did you think that we are fools whom you could swindle? The previous two had only asked for fifty Spirit Stones!"


    "Xiao He." The middle-aged man bellowed. It appeared that he had much better emotional control, but he carried an equally awful expression. He stared coldly at Lu Chen as he said, "The words my junior spoke of is the truth. This brother over here, aren''t you trying to make an amusement of us by offering such a high price?"


    At which, the man locked his eyebrows into a deep frown. Vaguely, one could feel an intimidating aura from him.


    However, Lu Chen remained unreactive to the emotional outbursts of anger before him, maintaining his expression of calm and leisure. He leaned forward slightly, closer toward the middle-aged man, and said gently:


    "Do you want a 1-mark flower or a 2-mark flower?"


    The middle-aged man''s eyebrows shot up. His impression of the young man changedpletely and his eyes lit up brightly. "Un? You know of the 2-mark Dusk Mist Flower?"


    Smiling, Lu Chen nodded his head without any words.


    Countless spirit material treasures exist in the world, each of them with its own use and tier. In the world of cultivation, the value of spirit materials depends mainly on the number of spirit marks on them. A spirit material with a single spirit mark is known as a 1-mark spirit material, while a spirit material with two spirit marks is known as a 2-mark spirit material, so on and so forth. The more spirit marks a material has, the more valuable it is. In fact, inparison to a 1-mark spirit material, a 2-mark spirit material is often worth tenfold.


    In the vastnds of the Center Divine Continent, almost all spirit materials are ssified as such. However, there is a bizarre and mysterious ce where exceptions to this rule exist. That is the Confounding Lands, where the five elements are in pandemonium. For peculiar reasons, of the countless, naturally urring spirit material treasures in the Confounding Lands, an extremely limited amount of spirit materials would experience mutation, causing its spirit marks to increase ridiculously.


    Of course, the probability of encountering such a situation is extremely low. At the very least, in the past, such urrences had been very rare. Just that, over the years, human cultivators had realized that in these mutated spirit materials, not only do the spiritual energy increase exponentially, the spirit material would also gain some unique capability. Putting aside the use of such spirit materials for the cultivation, sometimes, it would result in unexpected pleasant surprises when used to forge pills.


    As such, these mutated spirit materials were highly valued by cultivators and its price had been rising consistently throughout the years. However, they only formed an extremely rare portion of the innumerable spirit materials in the Confounding Lands. Also, due to private and selfish desires, whenever such spirit materials were discovered, the prestigious sects would make sure to seal the news off, whereas wandering cultivators would try to obtain it for themselves for their personal consumption. Rarely did news of such preciousmodity spread far and wide. Thus, there were just slightly over a dozen mutated spirit materials that were known by everyone, while the others were only known to small, internal circles.


    Dusk Mist Flower belonged to that of thetter.


    "Un, I know it." Lu Chen replied. It seemed as though he was simply saying an unimportant matter.


    The trio, who were seated opposite him, nced at one another. The beautiful youngdy shed a look of excitement and wonder, while the man named Xiao He frowned deeply and stared at Lu Chen warily, seeming to be in disbelief of his words. As for the leader of the trio, the middle-aged man mused for a moment before saying:


    "Brother Lu is indeed knowledgeable, I am impressed. To tell you honestly, it would be best if we could find a 2-mark Dusk Mist Flower on this journey. However, this would ultimately boil down to luck. Thus, we can only hire a guide to bring us to thend where the Dusk Mist Flowers grow and search by ourselves. Brother Lu is knowledgeable, but we are unable to pay you four times of the prices offered by the other two just because of this simple statement..."


    "What if I can guarantee you the 2-mark Dusk Mist Flower?" Lu Chen said.


    "What? Can you really can find it?" This time, the one who spoke was the beautiful youngdy. Obviously delighted, she couldn''t help but stand up.


    Lu Chen smiled at her before turning to the middle-aged man. "The prices of mutated spirit materials are oftenparable to that of a spirit material a tier higher than them. In other words, that 2-mark Dusk Mist Flower is worth the price of a 3-mark spirit material. Furthermore, its rarity, by far, surpasses thetter. I do not think that demanding for two hundred Spirit Stones in return is too much."


    The middle-aged man contemted. However, Xiao He, the young man standing behind him, harrumphed, "Even though your words make sense, how can you guarantee that you are able to find such a rare 2-mark Dusk Mist Flower?"


    Lu Chen shrugged. Ignoring Xiao He, he turned to the middle-aged man and pointed out two fingers, two hundred Spirit Stones."


    "Right." He seemed to have recalled something suddenly and hurriedly added in, "I am only responsible for bringing you to the object. I will not be involved with the procuring and storing of the material, or protecting you from the attacks of demonic beasts, venomous nts, other cultivators, or other such troubles."


    ...

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    After proposing his terms, Lu Chen left the room and waited in the tavern along with the other two.


    A short period of negotiation behind closed doors passed, and the three of them stepped out. The middle-aged man approached Lu Chen and said, "I will first pay you half of the price. When we find the item, we will pay the other half to you."


    Lu Chen lifted his head, smiled at him, and nodded his head.


    Stepping out from the Southern Gates of the Moonfang City, taking the main roadway that was almost t if not for frequent clusters of unwanted weed, one could see quite a number ofmuters, as well as two towering mountains in the distance. The path seemed to extend all the way to the foot of the mountains.


    Lu Chen walked alongside his three hirers, who had already introduced themselves. The middle-aged man was called Han Nanzu, the young man was named He Gang, and the pretty youngdy was known as Yi Xin. However, their introduction stopped here. There wasn''t a single word about their backgrounds and identities. In fact, it was difficult to even tell whether their names were true.


    Nevertheless, Lu Chen paid the matter no heed at all. In a chaotic and turbulent location such as the Confounding Lands, everyone had to be careful. Besides, Han Nanzu and the others had not inquired Lu Chen about his history as well. Or rather, perhaps they knew that they would not be able to get much from Lu Chen''s words.


    After some distance, Lu Chen pointed to the two mountains ahead and smiled gently to the trio, "Of the two mountains in front, the one on the left is known as Tiger Mountain whereas the one on the right is known as Dragon Mountain. There is a valley in between them and most people refer to it as ''Heaven''s Thread'' or ''Leaping Tiger Gorge''. It was said that very long ago, someone had witnessed a pair of majestic tigers leaping from a mountain to the other, and that''s the origin of the name."


    "Ah? Could it be that there really are ferocious tigers on the Tiger Mountain?" Hearing those words, Yi Xin asked curiously.


    Lu Chen smiled silently while He Gang harrumphed and said, "Junior Sister, these are just rumors, how can you take them for real?"


    Yi Xin''s face flushed. "Wu", she whimpered, seemingly embarrassed, and Lu Chen pretended to be oblivious to her words. In addition, he looked forward and smiled, "After passing through the Leaping Tiger Gorge, we will have officially entered the Confounding Lands. Even though there will not be much danger at the start, the further in we tread, the greater the distortion of Five Elemental Spiritual Energy. The demonic beasts would also get increasingly aggressive and powerful, so please be careful."


    Han Nanzu nodded his head slightly, and before he could say anything, He Gang said tly, "It''s just the exterior of the Confounding Lands. We will naturally deal with any danger we meet. On the other hand, judging from your cultivation, I hope you do not pull us down."


    "Senior Brother." Unable to stand He Gang''s words, Yi Xin called out to him. Also, Han Nanzu, who was walking in front of them, frowned slightly.


    Lu Chen did not seem angry in the least. On the contrary, he smiled, "What Brother He said makes sense. In terms of cultivation, I am unable to match up to any of you. All I possess are just some basic skills to protect myself. If we meet with danger in the future, I will try my best to hide and not bring any trouble to you three. However, if I am in peril, I hope that Brother He will not be stingy with your assistance."


    Hearing Lu Chen''s subservient words, He Gang''s expression eased greatly and a look of glee appeared on his face. "Naturally, we are depending on you to lead us to the 2-mark Dusk Mist Flower."


    Lu Chen chuckled as he sped his hands together, "Then, I will be thanking Brother He in advance."


    He Gang simply chuckled in response and walked forward, his palms crossed together at his back.


    Witnessing the situation, Han Nanzu frowned. He seemed to want to say something, but eventually, he simply shook his head and remained silent.


    After travelling for around an hour, they finally arrived at the Leaping Tiger Gorge that Lu Chen spoke of. Standing at the foot of the green mountains, they noticed that the surrounding woods had be dense, and even the temperature seemed to have fallen tremendously. A valley was cut between the two mountains, and there was only a single, winding path through it. Even at its widest, the path was only seven <i>chi</i> wide.


    (1 <em>chi</em> -> 33.3cm)


    Even though the Leaping Tiger Gorge wasn''t as lively as Moonfang City, there were still some passers-by. Judging from their appearance and mock up, they seemed to all be cultivators, with the exception of those in Lu Chen''s trade, simrly acting as a guide. Whenever people passed by each other, a clear look of wariness would appear in their eyes. Clearly, they were cautiously guarded against one another.


    Needless to say, those who were treading to and fro the Leaping Tiger Gorge were either on their way to the Confounding Lands or returning from it. Under Lu Chen''s lead, Han Nanzu and the two members set foot into the Leaping Tiger Gorge.


    Upon entering the valley, the environment changed yet again. On the cliffs by the both sides of the gorge, ancient trees and vines could be seen. From time to time, strangely-shaped rocks woulde into sight unexpectedly. Sometimes, springs would emerge and flowing, algae-filled creeks would appear, and they would converge to form a stream. It felt as though a different sight appeared before them with every single step that they took.


    It appeared to be Yi Xin''s maiden visit to the Confounding Lands. Viewing the scenery around her, she waspletely awed. asionally, when she saw an exceptionally exquisite scenery, she would leap in joy. She seemed to be an innocent child, and she added liveliness and joy to the journey.


    The path in the Leaping Tiger Gorge was winding, narrow, and long. But fortunately, the journey had been peaceful. Another hourter, they arrived at the exit out of the valley and saw a gigantic, upright boulder standing at the very end of the path. On it, the word ''Confounding'' was inscribed.


    The four of them paused by the boulder. Han Nanzu and the other two traded nces and their expression became serious.


    After passing this boulder, they would formally be within the Confounding Lands. For many years, this plot ofnd had been reputed by the menacing threats thaty within. Countless cultivators had been devoured by thends since ancient times.


    Inparison, Lu Chen seemed the most carefree of the group. He walked forward to pat on the boulder lightly before turning around to smile at Han Nanzu and the others. Then, he walked past the boulder.


    Han Nanzu and the others quickly followed behind him.


    Immediately after exiting the Leaping Tiger Gorge, Han Nanzu and the others abruptly felt a mysterious and inconceivable sensation. It could be described as a formless, intangible wind, and the spiritual energy within their dantian spirit sea jolted. However, when they took a look within, they noticed that there were not many peculiarities.


    Lu Chen started speaking, "We''ve just entered the Confounding Lands, so the distortion of the Five Elements isn''t clear to see yet. At the very least, within a thousand <i>li</i> of the outer regions of the territory, the distortion does not have much of an effect on human cultivators, so please do not be rmed."


    Han Nanzu nodded his head calmly. It seemed that he had some experience traveling in the Confounding Lands. " Brother Lu, thank you for your advice. So, where do we head now?"


    Lu Chen replied, "The nearest location where the ''Dusk Mist Flowers'' you are looking for blooms is the ck Armored Mountain, 150 <i>li</i> in the Southwest direction from where we are now. However, the terrain en route is a somewhat difficult to traverse, and it is likely that we will meet with obstructions on the way. Thus, the journey should take around a day or two."


    Han Nanzu nodded his head and said, "Since that''s the case, we had better get moving quickly."


    Lu Chen nodded his head with a smile in reply before leading them forward. Lifting his head to look at the sky, he saw the peaceful blue of thete-autumn. Several white clouds drifted idly in the sky.


    In the distance, beyond visible sight of the four travelers, high up in the sky, a few gleams of swords charged out abruptly at high speeds from amidst the clouds, crossing the horizons, and headed toward the depth of the Confounding Lands.


    ...

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    The Confounding Lands is a vast geographical terrain extending for more than a million <i>li</i>. Countless dangers lie within its depths and innumerable lives had been buried within it since ancient times. However, the lessons received by those predecessors, that were apanied with blood and tears, were not without value. To date, great understanding on the piece of boundless, mysterious and chaotd had been gained by the cultivators of Divine Central Continent.


    Roughly speaking, the Confounding Lands can be divided into three portions. Firstly, from the extreme Northern Border, extending more than a hundred thousand <i>li</i> southward, all the way to the great ''Dragon River'', is an area considered as the outer perimeter of the Confounding Lands.


    Then, beyond the Dragon River, extending for another several hundred thousand <i>li</i>, until the insurmountable snowy mountains, is considered as the middle region of the Confounding Lands.


    Finally, heading further southward, there is the core of the Confounding Lands, the most dangerous area of the entire terrain. This innermost region is also known as the ''Chaos Abyss'', a sterilend gued by countless perils and home to fearsome beings. The ''Spirit-shattering Desert'' which induces terror among the human cultivators is also located within.


    Typically speaking, the further one enters the Confounding Lands, the worse the distortion on Five Elements, and the more dangerous thends be. Even though there are no official boundaries between the three regions, this was the consensus by most of the cultivators from the Central ins. Most activities carried out within the Confounding Lands are limited to just the outer perimeter. Only cultivators who possessed a minimum cultivation of <i>jindan</i> would operate in the middle region, which is far broader and wider.


    As for the innermost Chaos Abyss, due to the extraordinary dangers within, even <i>yuanying</i> experts dare not step into its regions. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call it the most dangerousnds beneath the heavens.


    The ck Armored Mountain, where Lu Chen was going to bring Han Nanzu and his party, is located at the outer perimeter of the Confounding Lands. It is only around a hundred <i>li</i> from the borders. In such a location, the distortion of the Five Elemental Spiritual Energy is not exceptionally severe. To most human cultivators, they would only sense a slight obstruction in the flow of their spiritual energy. Other symptoms arepletely negligible.


    On the journey so far, Lu Chen and Han Nanzu had been fine, but He Gang and Yi Xin were extremely guarded. They had been staring at their surroundings warily with tensed nerves, afraid that some fearsome and vile demonic beast might just charge out from the bush beside them.


    Traveling across rivers and mountains, the sky had darkened gradually. They havepleted half of their journey, but other than stumbling upon a wandering panther demon, they had not met any threats.


    Even for that panther demon, it wasn''t any powerful demonic beast. He Gang easily sliced it apart with his sword.


    As evening set in, Lu Chen brought them to a site at the foot of the mountain and continued forward in a zigzag route before he found a massive boulder. Circling around it, a dry cave appeared before their sight. He turned around to smile at Han Nanzu and the others and said, "Let''s sleep here tonight."


    After tidying up the cave and settling themselves in, Yi Xin, who had been tensed the whole day, prepared to ughter everything before her, felt a sense of frustration at meeting nothing at all. She turned to Han Nanzu and asked, "Senior Uncle Han, didn''t you say that the Confounding Lands is a treacherous ce filled with demonic beasts and venomous nts? Then, why didn''t we meet with anything on our way here? I don''t see any difference here from the outside."


    Han Nanzu red at her and said impatiently, "You just haven''t seen anything yet, so don''t spout nonsense." After which, he turned to Lu Chen and said, "I didn''t expect Brother Lu to be so familiar with the terrains here. If we are able to proceed on like that tomorrow, even if we fail to find the Dusk Mist Flower, just the path you had shown us was worth the price."


    Lu Chen chuckled, "You are too generous."


    At which, an indignant look shed across He Gang''s face. He seemed as though he wanted to say something but eventually decided against it.


    Lu Chen had noticed He Gang''s reaction clearly by his peripheral vision, but he wasn''t too bothered with it. He simply smiled and said, "The Confounding Lands tend to be more dangerous at night. Even at the regions near the border, the night could still prove to be much more perilous than during the day. However, we are safe here as there aren''t any powerful demonic beasts nearby. After resting for the night, we''ll hurry along tomorrow morning."


    Han Nanzu nodded his head, "We''ll go by your intentions."


    In the blink of an eye, the night had set in and darkness loomed outside. Just that, there was a bright moon hanging in the night sky tonight. The cold gleam of the moon scattered over the mountain wilderness.


    The night wind blew, tugging on tree branches. Vaguely, one could make out the calls of insects. It would be audible for a moment, only to disappear in the next.


    Within the cave, the two youngsters had already fallen asleep. Lu Chen gazed at Han Nanzu, leaning against the walls of the cave. Even though the person''s eyes were shut, both his hands were on his sword''s sheath. It seemed as though he would immediately draw his sword if Lu Chen were to make the slightest movement.


    Lu Chen nced at the sheath before closing his eyes at well.


    At this moment, the call of the insects had stopped suddenly, and a gust of cold wind blew in, bringing some chill into the cave.


    Lu Chen slowly opened his eyes.


    In order to avoid attracting demonic beasts, they did not light a fire inside the cave. Thus, the surroundings were dark. However, even within the shadows, Lu Chen''s eyes seemed exceptionally bright.


    The wind outside the cave whistled, carrying with it strange noises from the distance, from deep within the forest. However, it was impossible to discern it clearly. Perhaps, it might just be an illusion from the deep, silent night.


    However, Lu Chen stood up silently. The shadows surrounding him seemed to ripple and in an instant, it melded together with him. From the looks of it, even his shadow had disappeared, as though he had be one with the darkness.


    In total silence, he walked out of the cave under the shadows of darkness. On the other hand, in the cave, Han Nanzu''s eyes remained tightly shut, needless to say, He Gang and Yi Xin''s.


    The cold moonlight was obstructed by arge tree nearby for a long while before it fell beside the cave''s entrance. Lu Chen stood at the entry, and with calm eyes, surveyed the surroundings. Eventually, his gaze fell upon the Southwest direction.


    There, a forest could be seen. Under the night sky, the trees seemed to be towering guards, and the dense shadows that were cast seemed like phantom apparitions, creating an eerie and fearsome sight.


    Without much hesitation, Lu Chen walked directly into the forest. Darkness coiled itself around him, and instantaneously, once again, it felt as though he had melded into the eerie and dark forest. It was as if he was born, by nature, to belong to the darkness and shadows.


    The forest waspletely silent, but as he crept further in, the darkness started to stir. Suddenly, there was a loud roar and the darkness quivered strongly. A massive figure charged out from the darkness and released an earth-tremoring howl.


    The howl tore apart the stillness of the forest. It felt as though the atmosphere within the darkness had tightened all of a sudden. A violent wind gushed straight at Lu Chen''s face, and a fearsome gleam reflected from a pair of stinking, savage fangs in the darkness. Within an instant, arge w swung down right toward Lu Chen''s head!


    "ROAR!"


    That was a bloodthirsty howl. Facing the frenzied howl, Lu Chen did not try to dodge at all. Just that, his eyes narrowed slightly.


    "Ding..." Abruptly, a crisp sound echoed throughout the forest. Even though it was gentle, it was resounding. Instantly, it suppressed the frenzied howl. A sword ray rushed out from the depths darkness and in the blink of an eye, it began to radiate brightly and magnificently, as though the moon had descended upon the mortal world from the night sky, emitting a blinding radiance.


    The sword stabbed through the darkness, tearing apart the shadows.


    That gigantic howling figure howled ferociously in response, but suddenly, it fell silent.


    Then, amidst the darkness, it was split into two halves by the radiance!


    The bloodthirst in the air dissipated immediately and a rain of blood fell in the darkness. In an instant, it seemed as though everything had been silenced, except for the cold radiance of the sword. It continued to fly forward, cutting through the shadows, and in the blink of an eye, it was already right before Lu Chen.


    It seemed to be unstoppable, rushing forward without any pauses.


    ...

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Lu Chen took a step back, appearing as though he was rmed. With a tensed expression, one hand guarded his chest whereas the otherid motionless by his side. Then, under the shadows, this stationary hand quietly stretched for his back and seemed to have grabbed something in the darkness.


    At that instant, the sword was as brilliant as the moon, its radiance illuminating the entire forest. The wind blew furiously through them, resembling a torrential flood. But in the next instance, the de, basking in radiance, stopped abruptly right before Lu Chen''s face.


    The sword radiance that lit the entire sky descended, as though a rain of shooting stars, and gradually converged, silently returning into the brilliant sword. In tandem, darkness gushed forward to reim their territory, and the figure just opposite was buried within the shadows.


    Very vaguely, it seemed to be ady.


    Her appearance could not be discerned clearly. The only thing that was shining in entire the dark forest was the sword she held in her hands.


    The wind started blowing in the forest once more, and little droplets fell from the sky. Crimson-red blood.


    A droplet of red blood fell upon the edge of the sword and trembled gently, creating a view of soul-stirring and peculiar beauty.


    Lu Chen could only feel a chilling sensation between his brows, as though a formless sword had indeed pierced through just a moment ago. That sword had stopped right before his eyes, and it fell silent in the darkness.


    "Why didn''t you dodge?"


    The calm but pleasant voice of a female echoed from the shadows before him.


    Lu Chen took in a deep breath and said, "Your cultivation is much higher than mine. Your sword is too swift, I am unable to dodge."


    The female in the darkness harrumphed, "If so, what do you mean by the weapon you hold behind your back?"


    Lu Chen immediately raised his right hand, which hung by the side of his body, and without any hesitation, tossed out the ck dagger. After a moment, <i>pu</i>, the ck dagger had stabbed into a nearby tree.


    Lu Chen disyed both his hands openly, gesturing that he was unarmed, before putting them down slowly. However, that brilliant longsword that had stopped right before him did not waver in the least. The female did not seem to possess any intentions of retracting it.


    The night wind blew across and the blood droplet sitting on the sword''s edge trembled slightly before abruptly splitting into two, then flowing down from both edges of the sword before dripping onto the dark ground surface.


    At that instant, the sword seemed to have dimmed in brightness. The sharp-edged sword also seemed to have been raised slightly. In the silence, Lu Chen peered deep into the shadows, his eyes narrowing inconspicuously


    Just that, the moment passed swiftly in an instant, and the sword retracted suddenly and silently, melding into the darkness. It fell to the side of the female figure before disappearing from view.


    A glimmer of light remained within the shadows. It seemed to be her bright and clear gaze. She stared at Lu Chen, and without saying a word, turned around to leave. In the blink of an eye, she had already disappeared into the darkness.


    But at the moment that she turned around, the darkness parted slightly. Amidst the shadow, a delicate crimson radiance flickered. Even though fuzzy, Lu Chen could vaguely make out a crimson-feathered shawl.


    As though the feathered wings of a bird, it unfurled behind her and flew into the night sky, slowly drifting into the distance.


    Lu Chen stood on the same spot for some time, eyebrows gradually knit together, as he seemed to be contemting. Then, he walked toward the tree to retrieve his ck dagger. Inconceivably, with a slight movement in the darkness, that ck dagger had disappeared without a trace.


    After which, Lu Chen took a few steps forward before he squatted down. The scent of blood had started to set in in the surroundings. Fresh blood dyed the grounds of the forest red, and not far off, the corpse of a fearsome demonic beastid in two halves on the floor.


    "ck Demonic Bear..." Lu Chen muttered silently. Then, he walked over and fumbled with the corpse using his legs. "The Demonic Core isn''t here. She probably took it. Given the power of that single sh of hers... It should be the ''Grand Moon sh''?"


    He mused for a moment before standing up. Staring into the distant darkness, he murmured under his breath, "When did such an incredible young genius appear in Kunlun Sect?"


    "However, that shawl..." At which, Lu Chen paused for a moment. Then, he shook his head and said no more. Turning around, he returned back on the path from which he came.


    In an instant, the darkness seemed to follow suit and cloaked over him. In a split second, he had disappeared into the shadows.


    The next morning, after Han Nanzu and the others had woken up, the party of four continued on their journey toward the ck Armored Mountain.


    Perhaps it was due to the fact that they were gradually heading deeper and deeper into the Confounding Lands, they started to encounter a significantly greater amount of demonic beast aspared to the day before. However, under Lu Chen''s lead, they had managed to avoid most of the dangers on the way. Half a dayter, they finally caught sight of the peak of the ck Armored Mountain.


    Because it was almost impossible for ordinary humans to enter the Confounding Lands, those who came were all human cultivators. Thus, most of the time in the wilderness, there were no signs of habitation, as such, there were not many pavements.


    However, there were exceptions. For example, between popr spots which human cultivators often travel to and fro, from the umtive effects of footsteps, a path would slowly appear. At this very instant, Lu Chen and the others were standing at the bottom of a hill and three paths appeared before them.


    Lu Chen pointed to the path at the southwest direction, turned to Han Nanzu''s party, and said, "If we go by this direction, we will be able to reach ck Armored Mountain in at most an hour."


    Han Nanzu nodded his head. ncing at that seemingly unimpressive mountainous peak, a hint of a smile appeared on the corners of his mouth.


    Standing by the side, Yi Xin was looking around curiously. Eventually, her sight fell on the paths before her and she asked, "Brother Lu, you said that these are paths created by those who were here previously?"


    Lu Chen replied, "Indeed."


    Yi Xin asked, "Could it be that everyone was headed for the ck Armored Mountain? Doesn''t that mean that all of the spiritual materials on the mountain had already been taken by others already?"


    Lu Chen chuckled, "That''s not it. Even though there are Dusk Mist Flowers and other spiritual material on the ck Armored Mountain, they belong to the lowest tier 1-mark spiritual materials. As such, it doesn''t hold much allure to others. The cultivators who passed by were mostly headed elsewhere."


    "Elsewhere?" Yi Xin''s gaze drifted toward another path. The path was winding and it was headed in the southeast direction. "What about that path? Where does it lead to?"


    Lu Chen pondered for a moment before replying, "Heading a few hundred <i>li</i> southward from here, there are indeed quite a few famous spiritual material production sites, such as the ''Blue Sunflower Cave'', ''Five Peak Mountain'', and the ''Yellow Quagmire''. Cultivators would often head there."


    "So that''s the case." Yi Xin nodded her head. She chuckled, "Brother Lu, you are indeed knowledgeable."


    Lu Chen shrugged with a smile, "Don''t forget that this is what I do for a living."


    Yi Xin smiled brightly in response. By her side, He Gang looked extremely discontented as he harrumphed, "Even though there are a few good spots over there, the most famous one isn''t there."


    Yi Xin was taken aback. She asked, "Senior, do you know something about it?"


    With an arrogant expression, He Gang stated, "Before I came, I have done my research. Eight hundred <i>li</i> south from here is the famous battlefield between the orthodox sects and the demonic sects. It is where the famous ''Barren Valley'' is. That is where most of the cultivators wish to head to."


    "Brother Lu, am I right?" He Gang nced at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment. Then, he replied calmly, "You''re right."


    ...

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Yi Xin''s eyes twinkled as a look of delight appeared on her face, "So the Barren Valley is over there? I heard that ten years ago, the demonic cult hadid an insidious formation in that ce, plotting to absorb blood and flesh essences from the countless spiritual beings. As a result, our righteous True Immortal Alliance dispatched an army and dealt a heavy blow to the demonic cult. Until today, they have yet to recover from it."


    Lu Chen was taken aback. He turned to Yi Xin and looked at her with an astonished expression, "Formation to absorb blood and flesh essences from the countless spiritual beings? Where did you hear that from?"


    Just as Yi Xin was about to reply, He Gang sneered, "Junior Sister, don''t listen to those rumors, will you? In the battle back then, the formation that those viins from the demonic cult had set up in secrecy was obviously an ''Eighteen Hell Formation''. They had intended to summon an army of demons from the underworld to bring forth disaster to the mortal world. It has nothing to do with spiritual beings or blood essences at all."


    Yi Xin was unconvinced and frowned in displeasure, "That''s not it! That was what I heard from master, that was how master spoke of this matter." Then, she turned to Lu Chen and asked, "Brother Lu, what do you think? Have you ever heard of what the demonic cult did in the Barren Valley?"


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment before a bitter smile appeared on his face. He shook his head, "I don''t know either."


    He Gang had intended to add on, but Han Nanzu, who was walking in front, turned around and red at his two members, "What are you all prattling about? Hurry up."


    He Gang and Xin Yi seemed to hold this Senior Uncle of theirs in high esteem. Hearing his words, they dared not speak further. As such, the party of four continued heading in the southwest direction toward the ck Armored Mountain.


    The other two paths that led toward different directions were deserted andid silently amidst a field of weeds.


    When they finally reached the foot of the ck Armored Mountain and began their scale upward, the difficulty of the journey immediately heightened significantly. That was because demonic beasts were everywhere on ck Armored Mountain. It was hard to find shortcuts, even with a seasoned guide like Lu Chen.


    Most of the demonic beasts in the Confounding Lands are ferocious beings. Upon catching sight of a human passerby, it is highly likely that they would take the initiative to engage them. Thus, Han Nanzu and the others drew their weapon and pushed ahead by ughtering demonic beasts.


    It was fortunate that the location was not too deep within Confounding Lands, and as such, the strength of the demonic beasts were just ordinary. They were ferocious butcked intelligence. Thus, Han Nanzu and the others still found the situation manageable.


    However, halfway up the mountain, He Gang, whose face and body were dyed with blood, was finally unable to stand it anymore. He eyeballed Lu Chen coldly and said frostily, "Lu Chen, why aren''t you fighting at all?"


    Throughout the journey so far, Lu Chen had indeed been standing idly by the side. Thinking of it now, it was bizarre that the demonic beasts on the mountain headed mainly for Han Nanzu and the others, and rarely did they pick a fight with Lu Chen. Thus, he was able to watch the battles from the side leisurely without any intentions of getting involved at all.


    Hearing He Gang''s words, Lu Chen smiled, "We''ve already agreed on it beforehand. I am only responsible for bringing you around and I won''t be interfering in anything else."


    "You..."


    He Gang was infuriated, but he was stopped by a bellow from Han Nanzu. The middle-aged man looked at Lu Chen with a frown, "Brother Lu, we have promised you and will not go back on our words. Just that, we are already on the ck Armored Mountain, but where are the Dusk Mist Flowers?"


    Lu Chen smiled and took two steps forward. He studied the mountain briefly and then beckoned them over, "Follow me."


    Thus, the party of four pushed on once again. Han Nanzu and the other two followed behind Lu Chen and watched him tread eastward on the ck Armored Mountain. During the journey of two hours, they had met with several waves of demonic beasts. They were still able to cope, but the pack of ''ck Jackals'' which they encountered by the mountainous stream proved to be slightly troublesome.


    The ck Jackal is an ordinary low-level demonic beast and does not bear much difference, feature-wise, from hounds raised by farmers residing in the wilderness outside the Confounding Lands. The only differences are itsrger stature and aggressive personality. Even in ck Armored Mountain, the ck Jackal is counted as one of the weaker demonic beasts. However, this species tends to gather in packs. One rarely sees a ck Jackal appearing alone. At the same time, the ck Jackals are much more intelligent than other demonic beasts. Whenever they meet a prey, the whole pack would charge forward, hence making it a difficult demonic beast to deal with.


    On the path by the mountainous stream, Lu Chen and the rest saw such a pack of ck Jackals, numbering around seven to eight. In actuality, that wasn''t considered a huge pack, but even so, the species allowed He Gang and Yi Xin to witness what being cunning meant.


    The ck Jackals surrounded them before causing a ruckus on the east while in fact, they were attacking from the west. After which, they swiftly concluded that Yi Xin and He Gang were the weakest two of the group and focused their efforts on them. This left the two youngsters in great panic.


    This was especially so Yi Xin. Because she had little contact with the outside world, when the ferocious wild dogs leapt at her, one after the other, her beautiful face was flushed of color, and she could only effectively utilise fifty percent of her full strength.


    However, it was fortunate that within the group, there was the highly cultivated and experienced Han Nanzu. Charging forward alone with his sword, he killed three wild dogs and wounded two. Only then did they manage to scare the remaining few into retreat, thus saving the flustered Yi Xin.


    During the entire process, still, Lu Chen made no movement. While Yi Xin remained in shock, He Gang red at Lu Chen furiously. He was about to curse him for his inaction when he saw Lu Chen standing by the edge of the cliff beside the stream. He looked around before beckoning them over. "We''re here. The Dusk Mist Flower is below."


    Lu Chen was right. When Han Nanzu and the others walked over to take a look, they saw a several <i>zhang</i> high waterfall. Water gushed downward and collected to form a pool, and by the side, there were numerous pink-colored flowers thriving on the wet stone wall.


    (1 <em>zhang</em> = 3.33m)


    This time, He Gang could not be bothered to quarrel with Lu Chen. They hurriedly searched for a path down the mountain and made their way toward the pool.


    Han Nanzu nced at the stone wall and revealed a smile, "Indeed, they''re Dusk Mist Flowers. To think that there would be so much of it growing here."


    He Gang and Yi Xin were delighted. The goal of their journey here was just to pick ten Dusk Mist Flowers. However, upon seeing that, at a minimum, there were twenty of them on the stone wall, they were overjoyed by the abundance before them.


    Immediately, He Gang and Yi Xin ran quickly to the stone wall to collect their harvest. Conversely, Han Nanzu walked to Lu Chen and asked, "Brother Lu, this is a good ce, and I am thankful to you for leading us here. However, the 2-mark Dusk Mist Flower that you spoke of earlier..."


    Lu Chen nodded his head before pointing to the waterfall. "If I''m not wrong, there should be a 2-mark flower growing on the stone wall behind the waterfall. You should take a look yourself."


    Han Nanzu was taken aback and astonishment shed across his eyes. However, after a moment of silence, he nodded his head and walked toward the waterfall.


    He arrived at the side of the waterfall and climbed nimbly onto the wall. Even though there were quite a number of slippery spots that were not suitable to grab, the task was no problem to him at all.


    Not long after, he made an abrupt pause before proceeding under the waterfall. He then picked arge bright-red flower before leaping from the cliff.


    Uponnding, Han Nanzu examined the red flower in his hands meticulously and a smile crept onto his face. He nodded his head, "Indeed, it''s a 2-mark flower."


    After pondering for a short moment, he grabbed a pouch from within his garment in one clean motion and tossed it to Lu Chen. "The other half of your reward."


    Lu Chen caught the pouch with one hand and nodded with a smile. He was about to say something when he suddenly frowned and turned around to take a look.


    On the forlorn mountain, apart from the sound of rustling trees from the blowing wind, nothing else could usually be heard. But at this moment, there was a peculiarity. Amidst the wind, one could vaguely distinguish the faint howling of hounds from the distance.


    Lu Chen''s expression darkened. With a deep frown on his face, he turned toward Han Nanzu and said, "Stop picking the flowers. Let''s leave."


    ...

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    "Why?" Han Nanzu asked doubtfully, taken aback.


    However, Lu Chen did not answer him immediately. Instead, he lifted his head and shouted toward Yi Xin and He Gang, who were climbing the stone wall nearby, "You two,e down first."


    He Gang and Yi Xin turned their heads to look in his direction. They were somewhat surprised but quickly descended the stone wall anyway.


    Walking toward Lu Chen, Yi Xin asked hurriedly, "Brother Lu, we were in the midst of picking Dusk Mist Flower. Why did you call us down?"


    Lu Chen replied, "Put that aside first. We have to leave now."


    "Ah?" Hearing his words, He Gang and Yi Xin were astonished, confusion showing obviously on their faces.


    Han Nanzu, who was standing by the side, looked firmly at Lu Chen with a frown and asked, "Brother Lu, what''s wrong?"


    Lu Chen answered, "I sense something amiss with our surroundings. There might be a pack of ck Jackalsing."


    He Gang sneered immediately, thinking nothing of Lu Chen''s words, "It''s just a pack of inferior demonic beasts, what''s there to fear?"


    Lu Chen''s eyebrows knitted together tightly and he stared at He Gang with deep eyes. Under his fixed look, He Gang suddenly recalled his dismal performance earlier, barely coping with the few ck Jackals. Immediately, he was unable to maintain his nonchnt expression anymore, and embarrassment and anger surged onto his face. "What are you looking at! Back then, when we met the pack of ck Jackals, I was just unprepared. Who would fear those beasts? I will show you how I can easily send them fleeing with their tails tucked between their legs!"


    "Enough!" A hushed but authoritative voice sounded. Han Nanzu stopped He Gang from speaking any further, but there was a look of displeasure on his face. "Brother Lu, these Dusk Mist Flowers are important to us. Furthermore, you should have seen us dealing with the ck Jackals earlier on. They''re of no problems at all."


    Lu Chen sighed. "In this jungle, there are varying sizes to the packs of ck Jackals. They could range from just a few up to several hundred. If that happens to be arger pack and they mob up against you, it could be quite dangerous."


    Han Nanzu was silent for a moment, and indecision was apparent on his face. At this moment, Yi Xin turned to look at the wet stone wall and spoke, "Senior Uncle, we have only picked a few Dusk Mist Flowers. There are still a lot of them on top."


    Han Nanzu turned around and saw that, indeed, most of the Dusk Mist Flowers had yet to be picked. Swaying ever so slightly in the moist wind, they looked exceptionally alluring. He hesitated for a moment, and thoughts about the uses of Dusk Mist Flowers shed through his mind. After which, he decisively announced, "Let''s continue picking but hurry up. Once we''re done picking the Dusk Mist Flowers, we will leave instantly."


    "Alright!" He Gang and Yi Xin replied in harmony.


    Yi Xin turned around immediately to head toward the stone wall. On the other hand, He Gang red at Lu Chen in disdain before proceeding as well.


    Looking at He Gang''s back, Lu Chen shook his head lightly. Then, he turned to Han Nanzu and stated, "Since that''s the case, I will be leaving first then. I have fulfilled my end of the promise and brought the three of you to the 2-mark Dusk Mist Flower, so I won''t be staying here any longer."


    Lu Chen sped his hands toward Han Nanzu before leaving.


    Han Nanzu stared at Lu Chen''s back as he left. He opened his mouth hesitantly, only to close it without saying a word. He took a deep breath before turning to the stone wall to assist He Gang and Yi Xin.


    Lu Chen left theke with widened strides. He walked to the cliff''s edge where they stood earlier and surveyed the environment below. A chilling atmosphere had set onto the dense forests of ck Armored Mountain. Further in the distance, amidst the forest, Lu Chen could vaguely discern figures moving under the shadows. Nheless, it was hard to determine the numbers that were hidden under the guise of the forest, and they were traveling at rapid speed in his direction.


    Lu Chen''s expression changed. His gaze shifted toward the mountainous stream below him, then he snorted gently, "Hmph". After which, he turned around immediately and left withrge strides.


    Suddenly, after walking with great haste for around a hundred <i>zhang</i>, Lu Chen heard furious bellows of curses from the forest behind him. However, as the sounds came from afar, it was difficult to discern clearly. Conversely, the mournful howls of wild hounds that were mixed into the sounds were exceptionally clear.


    (1 <i>zhang</i> = 3.33m|100 <i>zhang </i>= 333m)


    <i>Sou sou</i>. At the same time, a rustling could be heard from the forest behind him. It seemed that a fraction of the ck figures hade after him as well.


    Lu Chen''s expression darkened and he cursed under his breath, "Those noses of the dogs sure are sensitive!"


    After standing at the same spot for a few moments and examining the surrounding woods, Lu Chen abruptly leaped onto a towering tree.


    With movements as nimble as a monkey, Lu Chen climbed up swiftly. Upon reaching a branch which was several <i>zhang</i> above ground, he leaped outward suddenly, jumping onto another tree.


    He repeated the action consecutively several dozens of times. Akin to a fish in water, he seemed to be a dexterous monkey, leaping from branches to branches swiftly and with ease. After traveling in this manner for a dozen <i>zhang</i>, Lu Chen finally climbed onto a branch with the densest congregation of flora. At least ten <i>zhang</i> above the ground, he silently concealed his presence.


    Not long after, a wave of sharp howls echoed. Arge group of the ck figures appeared in the area, and impressively, it was actually arge pack consisting of several dozen ck Jackals!


    The ferocious wild hounds barked furiously and appeared to possess a desire to tear apart all living beings before them. However, all of a sudden, after arriving at the tree where Lu Chen climbed up initially, the wild hounds lost track of their prey. Circling around the spot, they seemed to be at a loss.


    The barking of the hound pack had a piercing quality, and their savage intentions were bone-chilling. However, despite their desperate attempts to locate traces of Lu Chen''s scent, having widened the area of search to a radius of several dozen <i>zhang</i>, they failed to discover any leads.


    Well-hidden on the tree, Lu Chen held his breath. He looked downward, through the minuscule gaps between leaves, and saw several ck Jackals searchingboriously beneath him. However, after a meticulous search, having turned round and round, they were still unable to locate Lu Chen''s scent. They seemed extremely annoyed and infuriated.


    Remaining perfectly motionless, Lu Chen stared indifferently at the wild dogs beneath him. The ck Jackals were born with an aggressive and vindictive nature. If the beasts were to realize that he was on the tree, even though they were incapable of scaling the tree, they would surround and fence in the prey to ensure its death, in order to vent their anger!


    In his memories from a very long time ago, when he was still young, Lu Chen had wandered about this ck Armored Mountain. Back then, he personally witnessed arge pack of ck Jackals, that in order to trap a bear, camp beneath a tree andid in wait for seven consecutive days. In the end, the bear could not sustain any longer and was torn into pieces that were divided among the ck Jackals.


    Lu Chen shook his head lightly, wringing away the unpleasant memories in his mind. Then, he leaned back against the tree and waited for the sky to turn dark. Beneath him, the ck Jackals seemed unwilling to give up. They continued to prowl the forest looking for him.


    In the further distance, the noises of furious curses and screams, sword movements and ughter gradually grew clearer.


    Lu Chen nced at the mountainous stream. Momentster, he shut his eyes with an impassive expression on his face.


    As time passed unknowingly, themotion gradually died down, and only the mournful howling of the ck Jackals could be heard. A gentle gust of wind blew, and branches and leaves in the forest rustled.


    It felt cold.


    Lu Chen slowly opened his eyes, and a sight of darkness weed him.


    At this moment, the sun had set.


    ...

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    The familiar darkness descended upon the mountain as night fell, permeating through thends as though a rising tide. The moon, whichid above the horizon, became the only source of illumination, casting just weak glimmers of moonlight upon thend. Unknowingly, the ck Jackals below had disappeared. Perhaps, in the end, due to their efforts proving to be futile, they chose to retreat helplessly.


    The forest at the moment waspletely silent, with just the call of insects that echoed faintly from time to time.


    Lu Chen nced at the stream once again. By now, the ruckus had already died down and there were no movements whatsoever.


    Lu Chen had an unreadable expression. The face of the man hidden amidst the branches and leaves looked exceptionally cold and impassive,pletely different from the warm and weing appearance usually shown before others. Under the faint moonlight, his pair of eyes looked exceptionally bright, just as though a beast lurking silently in the darkness.


    The mountainous jungle after sunset was unmoving and cold. After some time, a figure suddenly dashed out from within the darkness. Despite staggering obviously, she ran with all her might, not caring the slightest about thorns that had hooked onto her clothes.


    Following suit, very abruptly, howls could be heard once again from a distance behind the figure, seemingly rmed by its sudden appearance. Then, a burst of terrifying roars resounded, drawing closer to the area.


    Having heard the desting calls behind her back, the ck figure quivered. She picked up her speed immediately, and in one breath, reached in the vicinity of the tree where Lu Chen rested.


    As the figure approached, Lu Chen peered down from the tree and knitted his eyebrows instantly. The figure who had a slim build, a beautiful appearance, but a terrified look was actually Yi Xin.


    The youngdy, at the moment, appeared to be filled with panic and despair. Seemingly entirely due to her will to survive, she had charged forward to escape with all of her might. It was a wonder how she had managed to survive all alone by the stream during the day.


    Lu Chen furrowed his eyebrows. He peered at the darkness in the horizon and judged meticulously the distance from which the howls originated. Then, after pondering for a few moments, he stretched out his palms to press against the tree bark and slid down silently.


    The moment his feet touched the ground, immediately, he feltpletely different to when he was perched on top of the tree. There was a certain darkness behind him, but it seemed as though a pack of fearsome demonic beasts would leap out from within at any moment, and tear him into countless shreds. Without any hesitation, Lu Chen turned around and sprinted forward. In the terrains of the mountainous forest, his movements were nimble and agile, and it was as though he were a demonic beast. As such, his speed far exceeded that of Yi Xin, who was still fleeing with all her might before him.


    In just a few moments, he had already caught up with the fleeingdy.


    Lu Chen grabbed Yi Xin''s arm from the back. rmed and quivering heavily, Yi Xin released a piercing scream. The scream sounded like the deste call of an animal as it was ripped apart, and it carried the emotions of despair and frenzy as the animal exerted its final throes before death. Turning around, she sent a sword straight toward Lu Chen.


    The sword created a piercing shrill as it traversed through the air. It could be seen that Yi Xin had used all of her strength.


    Lu Chen stepped to the side, dodging her sword while calling out in a hushed voice, "It''s me, Lu Chen."


    As the sword stabbed into empty air, Yi Xin''s body staggered forward with the apanying momentum. Just when she was about to send forth another attack toward the figure who had grabbed her, she abruptly heard Lu Chen''s words. At that moment, her body froze and disbelief shed her face. Seeing Lu Chen, she pouted her lips and it seemed as though tears were about to fall. "Brother Lu, my Senior Uncle and Senior Brother..."


    Lu Chen interrupted her snivel immediately, grabbed her hand, and dashed forward. At the same moment, he uttered anxiously, "Put that aside for now! We''ll talkter after we escape."


    Dragged by him, Yi Xin had no choice but to follow Lu Chen.


    After running for a distance, Yi Xin found something amiss with the situation. Lu Chen had not brought her through the route which they took on the way up. Instead, he had dashed in another direction into another zone of densely popted woods. It was filled with thorns and bushes, and there were no visible paths whatsoever, making it incredibly tiring to run in.


    After a short distance, not only were Yi Xin''s clothes torn, four to five direct cuts had also appeared on her body.


    "Are we on the wrong way?" Yi Xin shouted amidst the panic.


    Without even turning around, Lu Chen continued to pull her forward. At the same time, he said, "Right, but with the ck Jackals around the corner, returning on the path we came from would be suicidal."


    Yi Xin''s mind was in a mess, but Lu Chen''s forceful and secure grip on her hand caused her to subconsciously obey his directions.


    In mere moments, the howling of the wild dogs in the darkness behind them had be so much clearer. It seemed that they were rushing in their direction at top speed.


    The duo was traveling through an increasingly dense shrubbery filled with countless razor-sharp thorns. In no time, Yi Xin began hallucinating; she felt as if she were being dismembered into innumerable pieces, her entire body from top to bottom having suffered uncountable nicks from the serrated thorns and was even bleeding in several ces from serious cuts.


    Just as she was lost in fear, her foot slipped out of a sudden.


    A downward-tilting slope, one that was exceedingly steep, appeared before them.


    Yi Xin let out a scream of fear, but before she could react, Lu Chen had already dragged her along by her hand and the two of them tumbled down the hill. In an instant, they became two gourds rolling down the slope.


    Within the darkness, the roaring of the wild hounds cut through the air, and in the blink of an eye, the hounds had appeared by the edge of the slope.


    An odor hung in the air, but at this moment, Yi Xin couldn''t be bothered about anything else. She had lost control over her entire body and was rolling unstoppably. Throughout, she had bumped into countless stones and wooden branches, causing her to be wounded all over.


    The world appeared to be spinning, and stars appeared before her eyes. It seemed as though that body no longer belonged to her and it was on the verge of falling apart. Her mind had gonepletely nk except for the single thought that lingered in her head. It probably went something like, "Am I really going to die in the wilderness?"


    Without her knowing, the speed of her tumble slowed greatly all of a sudden, and after a distance, she finally came to a stop. For a moment, Yi Xin lied dazed. She stood up, but her body swung to the sides and she was on the ground once again. Just like that, it took multiple attempts before she managed to sessfully keep her bnce, although she remained trembling on the spot.


    She panted loudly as she nced at her surroundings. Having arrived at the foot of the hill, she observed flora and fauna around her, but there weren''t any particrly tall trees. Moreover, she could faintly hear the burblings of a stream.


    "Wang Wang... Grrr..."


    Ferocious howls resonated in the air once again. Yi Xin shuddered as she turned back to take a look. In the midst of the darkness, under the glimmer of illumination the moon provided, she could see shadows dancing at the top of the hill. They were the savage ck Jackals who had been pursuing her persistently.


    A hand suddenly stretched over from the shadows beside her. Lu Chen appeared from the darkness and grabbed her hand, then the two ran swiftly away from the foot of the hill.


    "Hold your breath!" He shouted loudly.


    Yi Xin was taken aback. "What..."


    Before she could even finish her words, she felt her body go weightless. Lu Chen had pulled her into a leap!


    As they flew over the patch of grass before them, the closed terrain before them suddenly widened. However, beneath their feet, there wasn''t anynd, but a rapid stream flowing through the mountain.


    <i>Pu</i>!


    With a loud ssh, water spattered in all directions. The duo had plunged into the rapid stream and in an instant, they had disappeared from sight.


    ...

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Immediately, the rapids surged over the duo and an intense chill permeated right through to their bones, just as though a knife that had pierced right into their flesh and blood. Yi Xin struggled with all her might, but she was swept uncontrobly by the currents. As though a leaf on water, she felt powerless. She collided into concrete rocks thatid at the bottom of the river continuously, and at the same time, she found difficulty in breathing.


    Fluster set in and all that she could perceive before her eyes wereplete darkness, and the endless, fearsome currentsy ahead of her. It felt as though she might just sink into an abyss of darkness the next moment. Unable to help herself, she tried to yell in fear, but before any voice could escape her mouth, ice-cold water gushed into her mouth, immediately suppressing all sounds.


    Choking on a huge mouthful of water, she coughed violently, and at the same time, appeared to be distress. She seemed like an immobile log that crashed about recklessly in the water.


    But at this moment, an arm stretched over and hugged her body from the back.


    Instantaneously, as a drowning person clutching onto her final straw of hope, Yi Xin''s entire body leaned over. With an intense cough, she grabbed the arm with both her hands tightly.


    "Stop moving." A deep voice spoke beside her ear. Underneath the water surface, a body approached her and she fell into the person''s embrace. This propped her head above the water and allowed her to breathe, simultaneously helping her to now drift smoothly with the water.


    Yi Xin gulped inrge breaths of air greedily and gradually, she regained her calmness. She no longer thrashed about and instead, simply leaned in the embrace of that unfamiliar man. In the middle of the deste and mncholic night, inside the remote and uninhabited mountain wilderness, the both of them floated along with the current.


    Suddenly, she seemed to have recalled something and turned to take a look behind. In the distant darkness, at the foot of the hill, shadows of the savage creatures could be vaguely discerned jostling at the shore, releasing furious and frenzied howls.


    The current was rapid, but Lu Chen seemed to possess superb water proficiency. Despite carrying an additional burden, he remained in full control with great ease.


    The rapid tides swiftly brought the two of them out of the mountains. Heading forward continuously, they gradually traveled into the distance, beneath the gloomy night sky. But judging from the direction, they were proceeding further and further away from the initial route they took when entering the mountains. They drifted straight into the midst of another cluster of even darker mountains.


    Unknowingly, the current gradually rxed and the width of the river grew significantlyrger. The howls of the ck Jackals could no longer be heard, but they remained within the unchanging darkness that filled that void between heaven and earth.


    Yi Xin felt Lu Chen, who was behind her, beginning to paddle with his arms, as he swam toward the shore carrying her. At this point, after continuous frights and near-death situations, she feltpletely fatigued. But still, she was unable to rx the final taut nerve in her mind. As long as the darkness had yet to retreat, as long as she remained in the fearsome mountains of the Confounding Lands, the fear in her mind kept her from falling asleep.


    After a short period of time, Lu Chen sessfully swam to the shore with Yi Xin.


    <i>Hula</i>! The crisp sound of water pouring from them echoed in the silent surroundings. The both of them were alreadypletely soaked. Lu Chen seemed to be fine with it, but Yi Xin could not withstand the bone-permeating chill when the night wind blew across, and her entire body shivered uncontrobly.


    ncing at Yi Xin, Lu Chen asked, "Are you still able to hold on?"


    Yi Xin forced a smile, "I''m still alright."


    After those words, she suddenly realized that her soaking-wet clothes were stuck to her skin, causing her slim and curvaceous figure to be fully exposed. At this moment, she looked exceptionally alluring.


    Abruptly, Yi Xin felt a surge of heate onto her face and subconsciously screamed ''Ahh!''. She stretched out her hands in an attempt to conceal her body, but the moment she raised it, a shockwave of indescribably intense pain was sent through her left arm. Yi Xin''s vision went ck and she staggered, nearly falling to the ground. A moan of pain escaped from her mouth.


    Lu Chen quickly stepped forward to support her. Shocked, he asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Yi Xin was in such intense pain that even her voice quivered. "Arm, left arm..."


    Lu Chen looked over, supported her arm, and examined it clearly. Then, he frowned, "It''s broken."


    Yi Xin bit her lips as she panted lightly. Various scenes of her escape reyed in her mind, but she was unable to recall when her arm was broken. Perhaps it was because of her excessive agitation, or perhaps it was due to the innumerable injuries that she had sustained along the way, she had not realized that her arm was fractured until now.


    Lu Chen surveyed the surroundings and contemted for a moment. "Take a seat. Let''s rest for awhile first."


    With her right hand supporting her left arm, Yi Xin looked for a rock along the shore to sit on. On the other hand, Lu Chen proceeded slightly further, where a few trees stood. After a short period of some randomly fiddling, he returned with a branch, that was two fingers wide, which he had just chopped.


    At this moment, Lu Chen held a ck dagger in his hands, and it looked exceptionally sharp. Yi Xin watched as he sheared the leaves with exceptional dexterity. Soon, only a wooden cylindrical stick was left. Lu Chenpared the stick to his own arm.


    "Do you have any medicine?" Lu Chen asked.


    Yi Xin shook her head and muttered, "I only have some medicine for external wounds. I don''t have any that can heal bones."


    Lu Chen nodded his head, not saying anything more. He tore a few pieces of cloth from his clothes. Then, after straightening Yi Xin''s arms and positioning the fractured bones precisely, he tied her arm to the stick using the clothwith just a few, brief motions.


    "This should suffice for now. When the sun rises, we will look around for suitable herbs to treat your fracture." Lu Chen said calmly.


    During the process of tying her arm, it was naturally impossible to avoid contact the fractured spot. Yi Xin felt excruciating pain, but she knew that Lu Chen was doing this for her own good, so she tried her best to endure. However, tears were already welling up in her eyes and her face had turnedpletely pale.


    When Lu Chen was finally done, Yi Xin heaved a long sigh of relief. Then, very timidly, she uttered, "Thank you, Big Brother Lu."


    Lu Chen looked at her and said, "The Confounding Lands is extremely dangerous at night, so we should not start a fire casually. Otherwise, it might attract troublesome demonic beasts to us. Thus, we can only wait this way until daybreak. Are you able to still hold on?"


    Yi Xin gritted her teeth. Even though she felt excruciating pain at her arm, and with waves after waves of chill invading her skin, she still nodded her head, "Yes."


    "Un", Lu Chen answered. Then, he walked aside to a spot several <i>chi</i>away from Yi Xin and lied down. "Then, let''s rest. We''ll talk tomorrow."


    (1 <em>chi</em> ->33.3cm)


    Yi Xin sat in a daze for some time. She felt extremely tired, but for some reason, she did not feel like sleeping at all. Looking at the night sky from the mountains and the river that continued to flow within the darkness, she felt a sudden urge to cry.


    Right at this moment, Lu Chen''s voice sounded by her side, all of a sudden. "Right, what happened to your twopanions?"


    ...

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    "They..." The night sky was dark and unilluminated.Even though Yi Xin was not seated far away, her outline appeared blurry. At this moment, her voice was low-spirited and quivered delicately, just as though Lu Chen''s words had pierced into the depths of her inner heart. For a moment, she did not what to say.


    "Have you met with the pack of ck Jackals by the waterfall?"


    Yi Xin''s head lowered slowly. Only after a moment did she reply, "Yes. Not long after you left, arge pack of ck Jackals charged forward unexpectedly. There were too many of them, I couldn''t even estimate their numbers..."


    Suddenly, her breathing hastened, as though the memory caused excruciating pain. With a despondent voice, she continued, "My Senior Uncle and I faced them immediately. Even though we did not need to worry about a posterior ambush with our back faced against the cliff wall, there were simply too many of them. Eventually, we were still unable to cope. Thus, Senior Uncle ordered us to split up and escape, saying that it would be best if any one of us could survive..."


    At this point, her voice sounded choked. After a momentary pause, she continued, "Senior He and I charged outward, and halfway through, I turned around to take a look. Senior Uncle, he... he was pushed to the ground by arge group of ck Jackals... In the blink of an eye, blood and flesh started to be ripped out of him. I was terrified. Senior He pulled me along and the both of us ran with all of our might. The final moment I saw of Senior He was when a dozen of ck Jackals pounced onto him. Then, a tree blocked my sight. I could only hear his shouts of agony and the frenzied howling of the wild hounds.


    Lying the darkness, Lu Chen remained silent for a moment before asking, "What about you? How did you manage to escape in the end?"


    With a nk look on her face, Yi Xin replied, "Just as I was about to be caught by the hounds, I suddenly recalled that my master had presented me a ''Blinding Talisman''. Thus, I climbed onto a tree and used the talisman. As such, the ck Jackals were not able to find me."


    Speaking to this point, suddenly, tears streamed down from Yi Xin''s eyes, "It''s all my fault. If only I... If only I had thought of the talisman earlier, Senior Uncle and Senior wouldn''t have died.


    Lu Chen listened to her words silently, allowing her to cry unreservedly. Only when her weeps slowly calmed down did he respond impassively, "It isn''t your fault. Besides, even if you have used the Blinding Talisman earlier, considering the proximity of the ck Jackal pack and their sharp demonic senses, you three would still not have been able to escape."


    Yi Xin''s body trembled faintly as she muttered softly, "Is that true?"


    "Un." Lu Chen replied. Then, he turned over and said, "It''ste, get some sleep. We''ll have to travel the whole day tomorrow. If you don''t sleep, your body will be unable to manage."


    Yi Xin''s lips quivered gently. Then, momentster, very slowly, she lied onto the grass by the river bank. Her mind was a mess, and she felt both regret and fear. She had initially thought that she would not be able to fall asleep, but somehow, as sheid quietly on the grass patch, her eyes closed unknowingly and she drifted off into dreand.


    The rays of the morning sun fell beside the river, shining on the sleepingdy''s face. Her skin was still slightly pale and her hair was a mess. A few strands of hair had fallen from her fringe and slipped onto her beautiful nose, and she exuded a very casual and effortless beauty. Her thin but long eyebrows twitched beneath the golden rays and slowly, Yi Xin opened her eyes...


    At that very instant, she thought that she was in the warmfort of her home, with her kind master and amiable sisters by her side. Someone was speaking to her with a bright smile, and just as she was about to reply delightfully, a surge of intense pain permeated her left arm abruptly, jolting her awake from the dream.


    "Sssss..."


    Yi Xin took in a breath of cold air as she gritted her teeth tightly. The excruciating pain had nearly caused her to yelp.


    At the same time, a voice echoed from nearby.


    "Be careful, don''t twist your fractured arm, or you will be in for suffering."


    Hurriedly, Yi Xin''s took a few gasps, and she no longer dared to move her left arm casually. Slowly, she sat up straight and around her.


    She noticed that Lu Chen had already risen sometime earlier, and he had just emerged from the forest in another direction. He was carrying numerous items in his hands, and it seemed to be a bunch of misceneous nts which Yi Xin couldn''t recognize. Furthermore, there were a few strange ck objects within those nts.


    Lu Chen stopped beside Yi Xin, squatted down, and ced the items in his hands by the side. Then, he grabbed and examined Yi Xin''s left arm before nodding his head, "I will be applying some medicine on your arm now, it should help with your recovery. However, it will hurt, so bear with it."


    Upon hearing the word ''hurt'', Yi Xin''s heart skipped a beat. She was afraid, but looking at Lu Chen''s calm expression, unknowingly, she was unable to reject him. Besides, the man was clearly doing this for her own good. Thus, after a moment of hesitation, she nodded her head slowly.


    Lu Chen gently removed the wooden stick that supported her arm before tearing open her sleeves. On her fair and white wrist, at the point of the fracture, a red patch of swelling could already be seen.


    Knitting his eyebrows together, Lu Chen lowered his head and began to mash the herbs, along with that bizarre ck object.


    Yi Xin nced to take a look beneath his hands and her eyes narrowed suddenly. At this moment, she could clearly observe that those ck objects were actually thervae of some mysterious insect which she couldn''t name. ck and plump, they formed a disgusting sight.


    Yi Xin was shocked. Instantly, she felt nauseated and nearly threw up, eximing in rm, "These... What are these things? What are you going to use them for?"


    "Thervae of the ''Gold-winged Bee''". Lu Xun nced at her and said impassively, "Stop yelling blindly, this is good stuff. It can boost the recovery rate of your broken arm by the multiples. You are truly fortunate that I was able to find it here."


    Yi Xin was astounded. She wanted to retort but swallowed her words back in. She had never seen such disgusting objects in her life and watching Lu Chen smash theservae together with the herbs, she was still unable to withstand the thought. Immediately, she turned her head around and took a few deep breaths, before she was able to finally calm down slowly.


    A short whileter, Yi Xin suddenly felt a cold sensation on her arm. Lu Chen applied ayer of sticky paste onto the fractured spot. Throughout, Yi Xin did not dare to look at her wound at all. After yet some moments, she felt Lu Chen wrap the wound up using a cloth before securing her arm once again to the wooden stick.


    "Alright." Lu Chen stood up and said to her. "As long as nothing happens, you should be able to recover in seven to eight days. We''ll have to set off now."


    Gritting her teeth, Yi Xin stood up while enduring the urge to look at her left arm which hung by her side and said, "Where are we going?"


    Lu Chen said, "I''ve no idea. I''ll have to ascertain the direction and geographical terrain first."


    Yi Xin was surprised, "Aren''t you a guide? Shouldn''t you be familiar with the regions around ck Armored Mountain?"


    Lu Chen nced at her impatiently as she said, "Of course I am familiar with the regions around ck Armored Mountain. However, even as a guide, I can''t simply explore uncharted terrains for no good reason, right? I''ve never been to this area before."


    Yi Xin was at a loss for words. At the same time, she felt that she had said something inconsiderate. If not to save her, he probably wouldn''t have to jump into the river yesterday night.


    At this point, she felt a burning sensation on her cheeks and she subconsciously turned her head to avert looking at him.


    With this sudden turn, Yi Xin unintentionally witnessed a pair of savage eyes ring at them from behind a bush in the dense forest. The eyes carried a look of brutality, and there was almost no difference from the re of demonic beasts. Terrified, Yi Xin took a step back abruptly, pointed in that direction, and eximed involuntarily, "There''s someone over there!"


    ...

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    "What?" Lu Chen was taken aback, immediately turning around to Yi Xin. Yi Xin pointed toward the bush hurriedly and eximed, "I... In the bushes, I saw..."


    Before the sound of her words faded, Yi Xin''s voice stopped abruptly. She stared at the spot where she was pointing, bbergasted. Nothing had changed, but the pair of savage eyes she had witnessed previously had disappeared.


    Lu Chen nced toward the direction where Yi Xin pointed and looked at the bush. He frowned, and then proceeded toward the shrubbery.


    For some reason, Yi Xin felt tense as well. She followed behind him, and simultaneously, her gaze swept around her surroundings.


    As the duo approached the bush, they could only see a lush growth of wild grasses that grew to reach the height of a human''s knee. However, the interior waspletely empty, and it was obvious that no one could be hiding within. After a moment of contemtion, Lu Chen grabbed a wooden branch and struck the surrounding bushes. His movements rmed a few bugs, but the human which Yi Xin spoke of was nowhere in sight.


    Lu Chen nced at Yi Xin, and her cheeks burned red. For a moment, she lost unconfidence. In her mind, she thought, ''<i>Could it be that I''ve been too tired today that my head isn''t working well now? Could what I''ve seen just now be only an illusion?</i>''


    Lu Chen walked back to her and did not pursue the matter further. He merely said calmly, "Since there''s nothing unusual, we should hurry along."


    "Un... Alright." Yi Xin replied awkwardly.


    Lu Chen nodded his head before heading forward. Yi Xin nced at the bushes once more, but the surroundings werepletely tranquil. It seemed that there was indeed nothing there at all. However, thinking back, she could still clearly visualize the pair of vicious eyes that gleamed with ferocity, and that sent a chill down her spines.


    In her moment of daze, Lu Chen had already walked a significant distance. Sensing her absence, he turned around to call Yi Xin. Yi Xin replied hastily, shook off the thoughts in her mind, and hurriedly caught up with Lu Chen.


    As they slowly disappeared into the distance, a light breeze suddenly blew above the river and across the silent wild bushes. Lush green leaves rustled faintly, and very vaguely, a blurred figure appeared and then vanished in a single sh.


    Instead of leading Yi Xin up the river, Lu Chen proceeded downward in the current''s direction. After walking a distance, Yi Xin noticed this fact and asked him doubtfully.


    Lu Chen''s reply was straightforward. That was, it was easier to head downstream than to return back up.


    Taking the reverse direction, they would have to reenter the mountainous ranges and once again face the mountainous demonic beasts along with numerous other unknown dangers that hid within, and this could prove to be very troublesome. Furthermore, even if they managed to locate the path that led back to the ck Armored Mountain, it would be unfeasible to return. This is because the ck Jackals are known to be vindictive. Most probably, the pack of jackals would still be on the prowl in the area.


    On the other hand, if Lu Chen isn''t mistaken, proceeding downstream would also bring them out of the Confounding Lands, with the route being less dangerous as well.


    Actually, in their current predicament, Yi Xin did not hold many opinions herself. After the escape yesterday, she had begun to trust Lu Chen greatly, whom she had barely known for a few days. After all, not only did he rescue her, even her injuries were treated by him. If he had really wanted to harm her, he could have done it yesterday night. Thus, she epted her reality and obediently followed Lu Chen.


    On this day inte autumn, the skies were clear and the breeze was cooling. The clear water in the river flowed unhurriedly, and undting mountains stood beside both shores. At a nce, it looked more like a picturesque painting instead of the dangerous and menacing Confounding Lands of the legends.


    After around an hour of traveling in the direction of river flow, they entered a valley. Upon lifting their heads, they were weed with a sight of vibrant colors. A closer look revealed mysterious flowers of all colors that filled the cliffs, in this area of several <i>mu</i>. The flowers were indescribably enchanting and surprisingly big. Even the smallest of them was the size of a face, and under the radiance of the sun, it felt as though a rainbow had descended onto the mortal world.


    (1 <em>mu</em> = 666m^2 = 26m*26m)


    Yi Xin''s eyes widened as she eximed, "Ah, how beautiful! There are so many beautiful flowers..."


    Before she could finish her words, Lu Chen interrupted impassively, "If you don''t wish to die, stay away from the sides."


    Hearing his words, Yi Xin was taken aback. Abruptly turning her head around, she asked, "Why?"


    Without looking at Yi Xin, he continued walking forward alongside the river, avoiding the flowers. At the same time, he replied, These are ''Bloodthirsty Demonic Flowers''. Usually, they assume an enchanting appearance to bewitch living beings, but upon a prey''s approach, countless spiked vines would whip out from the ground, dragging the prey into them. Furthermore, the spikes contain a mysterious poison. Even though it isn''t lethal, it can immobilize preys, allowing the flower to easily capture and then reduce them to meat fertilizers."


    His words were t, but Yi Xin was bbergasted. With pale and apprehensive face, she nced at the beautiful flower cluster once more and shivered. With a hushed tone, she muttered, "Why... Why are there so many monsters here?"


    Lu Chen nced at her and shook his head silently. Then, he continued to proceed ahead.


    Yi Xin felt discouraged and sighed. Even so, she hurriedly caught up with Lu Chen.


    Walking alongside the river, they crossed the beautifulnds of demonic flowers. After another distance, when it seemed that they were about to leave the river valley of demonic flowers, they perceived a deep wailing that came from in front. It sounded mournful and deste, and it bore a stark resemnce to the calls of the ck Jackals the previous night.


    A cold chill was sent down Yi Xin''s spine immediately, and she nearly leaped in fear. She was nearly killed by those fearsome ck Jackals justst night, causing her to be almost allergic to this fearsome call.


    In contrast to her reaction, Lu Chen was clearly much calmer. He first grabbed Yi Xin, who almost charged forward to flee for her life, pulling her to him, then looked at the exit of the river valley with a frown.


    Yi Xin was still riddled with fear, but somehow, feeling Lu Xun''s arms around her, she regained her calm. She nced over as well and she was taken aback. There weren''t any ck Jackals. No, it seemed to be a wild hound, but it wasn''t too tall, around half the size of an average ck Jackal. Its fur was ck, but it was clearly a shade lighter than those ck Jackals from yesterday night. Also, from the nape of its neck to the bottom of its spine, there was a clear long white stripe. It was clear that the small hound wasn''t a ck Jackal.


    Taking a careful look, Yi Xin was able to notice further differences.


    The small hound was sprawled on the ground, immobile. It howled in destion, seeming exceptionally pitiful and helpless. A leg was dragging behind it, and appeared different from its other three legs; it seemed to be broken.


    The small hound lied on the ground with a nk expression, and it looked as though it was about to die at any moment. Even its call seemed to be gradually growing softer. It seemed as though if no one saved it, it would die soon.


    "It seems pitiful!" Yi Xin couldn''t help but mutter.


    Hearing those words, Lu Chen frowned and turned to look at thedy.


    ...

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    With a look from Lu Chen, Yi Xin felt unconfident all of a sudden. She hesitated for a moment and with a doubtful voice, she asked softly, "Brother Lu, it... it''s only a young hound. It can''t be some powerful demonic beast who could kill us, right?"


    Lu Chen gazed at her and spoke impassively, "Given its size, there''s no way it can kill us."


    Yi Xin heaved a sigh of relief, and it felt as though her heart, which seemed to havee to a standstill, started to beat once more. "Then, can we save it?"


    Lu Chen harrumphed, "You were almost killed by the ck Jackals yesterday, so why are you suddenly showing mercy now?"


    "Ah?" Yi Xin was taken aback. "This little hound is a ck Jackal as well? But its appearance..."


    "This isn''t a purebreed." Lu Chen interrupted Yi Xin''s words. "It is a hybrid between the mountainous Snow Wolves and the ck Jackals. Very few of them survive to adulthood. Your effort will just be wasted."


    Yi Xin was astonished, "Why?"


    Lu Chen opened his mouth, only to close it without saying a word. His face suddenly darkened and he seemed displeased. With a rare tinge of impatience to his tone, he said, "In any case, it carries the bloodline of a ck Jackal. Even so, do you still want to save it?"


    In response to the rebuke, Yi Xin cowered immediately. Then after a moment, she replied fearfully, "I''ll listen to your words."


    Lu Chen harrumphed and continued walking forward. Yi Xin heaved a sigh of relief and followed suit.


    Behind them, the mournful cry of the small hound echoed. Yi Xin felt her heart ache, but her rationality told her that Lu Chen''s behavior was correct. Thus, she held back her urge to turn around and take a look.


    Walking out of the river valley, the small hound also disappeared from their sights.


    At this point, the river bent sharply, flowing toward another direction. Lu Chen stopped and surveyed his surroundings. Then, he peered into the sky, seemingly trying to discern their position and ascertain the directions. While waiting for Lu Chen, Yi Xin began to waver and eventually, she could no longer hold herself back and turned to look back at the river valley.


    With this single look, Yi Xin abruptly let loose a hushed cry. Using her uninjured hand to cover her mouth, her face was filled with shock and fear.


    Noticing Yi Xin''s aberrance, Lu Chen turned to take a look as well and frowned.


    A short distance away from the young hound, arge yellow panther had appeared. Revealing its sharp fangs, it slowly approached the young hound. At the same time, greed and hunger flickered in its eyes.


    Immediately, that young hound started to yell in despair, sensing the cmity it was in. It struggled with all of its might to pull back, dragging its broken leg. However, no matter how much it tried, it was futile.


    The yellow panther had obviously sensed the weakness in the young hound. Nevertheless, as a demonic beast, it was still wary of its surroundings. It surveyed its surroundings first to ascertain that there were no enemies waiting in ambush. Simultaneously, it seemed to be extremely fearful of the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flowers, keeping a good distance away from it.


    That young hound was around thirteen <i>zhang</i> away from the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flower cluster, and ncing at the same cluster, the yellow panther seemed to have determined that it was a safe distance from rming the demonic flowers. Thus, it howled, leaped up, and pounced at the young hound.


    (1 <em>zhang</em>-> 3.33m| 13 <em>zhang</em>-> about 45m)


    The young hound howled in agony, and its despair could be heard. Hearing its call from afar, Yi Xin''s body shuddered. She closed her eyes, not daring to take another look.


    However, at this very moment, a ck shadow, from nowhere, flew across the sky in an arc unexpectedly,nding on the ground between the young hound and the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flowers.


    Lu Chen focused his sight and his eyes narrowed abruptly. The object thrown was a bloodied piece of meat.


    "<i>Hu</i>..."


    A gentle wind blew across, and in the massive valley, everything seemed to have suddenly stilled.


    In an instant, the yellow panther, which was already in midair, roared furiously. The ground before it tremored violently and numerous spiked vines appeared from the grounds, coiling around the piece of bloodied meat.


    However, the piece of bloodied meat was too small, and furthermore, it was motionless. The vines moved once more, and suddenly, they seemed to have noticed something and shot in another direction. This time, it was toward the yellow panther which was still suspended in midair.


    The savagery that existed in the yellow panther''s eyes from before disappeared without a trace, and fear had taken its ce. With a change in its circumstance, it couldn''t care less about that young hound. With a cry of agony, itnded on the ground and immediately tried to flee.


    However, the fearsome vines were shockingly swift. As though a strike of lightning, it shot straight for the yellow panther. The sand in its path was blown aside by the force of its movement, and a piercing shrill could be heard as the vines ripped through the air. In the blink of an eye, amidst frantic howling, the yellow panther was forcefully grabbed and dragged back, just as it was about to sessfully escape from danger.


    The yellow panther yelled furiously and struggled relentlessly. However, several vines had coiled itself tightly around its body and soon, countless spikes had pierced into it.


    Slowly, its voice drifted off and its struggling weakened. Eventually, itid paralyzed and helpless before the vine.


    At this moment, a ck rope shot out, and at the end of the rope was a sharp w. It fell urately on the yellow panther''s back legs, clutching tightly onto it. The sharp edges tore apart the flesh, and the yellow panther cried in agony. In an instant, its back leg was separated from its body.


    However, what was bizarre was that the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flowers didn''t react at all. It continued to pull the dying yellow panther. Soon, it was dragged into the cluster of beautiful flowers and after another few moments of activity, the entire field fell quiet once more.


    On the other hand, the rope that grabbed onto the leg of the panther was slowly retrieved. At the same time, a human figure slowly appeared. He spat impatiently as he grabbed the panther''s leg with one hand and the wounded young hound in another before turning around to walk away.


    Under the sunlight, that human seemed like a demon which had just stepped from the purgatory of hell. His back was hunched, and his skin was dark and dry. He seemed to be just a pile of bones wrapped within skin, and on his fearsome face, two broken fangs hung from his mouth. On a whole, he resembled more like a wild beast instead of a human.


    Before his departure, the bizarre-looking man seemed to have thought of something and nced at the exit of the river valley. However, it waspletely empty and not a single figure was in sight.


    He muttered something, and it felt as though he was cursing someone. Then, carrying the bloodied leg, he disappeared swiftly into the river valley.


    After a long while, from the bottom of the rock cliffs outside the river valley, Lu Chen and Yi Xin''s figures slowly emerged. Lu Chen had grabbed onto Yi Xin''s mouth tightly whereas Yi Xin''s eyes reflected with fear. She seemed to be unable toprehend all that had just happened.


    In contrast, Lu Chen''s expression seemed frosty. He coldly nced at the valley, as though contemting. After a brief moment, he muttered, "Barbarian?"


    ...

 Chapter 66-73

    Chapter 66-73


    Shaken by what had just happened before her eyes, Yi Xins heart was still pounding furiously. She had failed to catch Lu Chens words clearly so she asked softly, Who is it that you said?


    However, because Lu Chen still had his hand covering her mouth, her words were muffled. Upon realizing this fact, Lu Chen released his grip.


    Yi Xin heaved a sigh of relief and gasped for air. ncing in the direction of the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flowers again, her face turned pale.


    If Lu Chen had not stopped her previously; if they were the ones who had approached that crippled young hound and the bloodied flesh was thrown out at that moment Yi Xin dared not think about the possible consequences.


    This ce is too dangerous. Lets go. Yi Xin whispered to Lu Chen. Concurrently, in her mind, she solemnly vowed to never again visit such wretchednds so easily.


    Lu Chen didnt seem as though he intended to leave immediately, on the contrary. He stared coldly in the direction where the mysterious ck figure disappeared, and over there, a dense forest could be seen, although it was a mystery where it led to.


    Lets go. Well take a look.


    When Yi Xin heard the first half of Lu Chens words, visible relief appeared on her face. However, even before a smile could fully form, her enchanting features froze.


    Take, take a look at what?, stuttered Yi Xin.


    Lu Chen did not reply. Instead, he proceeded straight toward the forest that stood within the valley. Even though he looked calm on the surface, when Yi Xin observed him from the side, she realized that his eyes were particrly bright. He emanated an icy-cold aura which she had never felt from him before; it felt as though a razor-sharp de was slowly drawn from its sheath, and the odor of blood was sent forth.


    A lone Barbarian who has left his tribe wandering in the Confounding Lands Very faintly, the words seemed to have been muttered from his mouth. It seemed as though he was speaking to himself, and yet again, it seemed to be a sneer.


    Standing still on her spot, Yi Xin was confused and conflicted. From the savagery and bloodiness she had previously seen, the mysterious dark figure was clearly no kind person. Looking for him just like that would no doubt be extremely dangerous. Thus, she could notprehend why Lu Chen, who had been prudent the whole time, would suddenly behave so unusually and insist on looking for that dark shadow.


    Wouldnt it be best to escape from here?


    In any case, the both of them are uninjured, right?


    However, when Yi Xin lifted her head to take a look, after her short hesitation, she realized that Lu Chen had already walked into the distance. Seeing how he was approaching the edge of the forest, fear overcame her once more. Due to her inexperience, the ordeals she had undergone since thest night had instilled in her a dread of the Confounding Lands. At this moment, Lu Chen was her most trusted and reliable support. Thus, she could not help but called out, Brother Lu, wait for me. Then, she rushed forward to catch up with him.


    Upon entering the forest, Yi Xin instantaneously noticed the surrounding brightness diminishing. The temperature had also dipped slightly. On additional deliberation, she concluded that it was likely due to the densely congregated tree leaves above her. There were numerous small shrubs, and the fallen leaves that had umted on the forest floor over innumerable years felt soft to the feet. The smell of trees and dposed leaves lingered in the air.


    Without much effort, Lu Chen found a hidden path and proceeded on it.


    The path was strange, disappearing abruptly from time to time, but Lu Chen seemed to possess mysterious abilities. At such times, he would meticulously scan the surroundings and discover some traces in an inconspicuous corner, and then continue forward on the path.


    Some of these traces and pieces of evidence included the faint smell of blood that blotted leaves, the newly-fallen leaves, as well as footprints that were so faint that they were almost indiscernible. Even so, Lu Chen managed to detect everything.


    Following behind Lu Chen, Yi Xins eyes were filled with shock and dismay. From a young age, all she had done was to immerse herself in cultivation and cultivation was all she knew. The most she had experienced were sparring matches with her seniors and juniors. She had never witnessed such amazing capabilities.


    Looking at the figure before her, she felt terrified all of a sudden. What if What if one day, she became this mans prey, surely there would be no chance of escape, right?


    She sensed that the man before her, Lu Chen, had lived in a worldpletely different from what she knew, and that vile world, which in all the time before she had visited the Confounding Lands, was a world she never knew of.


    Lu Chens movements were adept and efficient and, at times, his disy seemed uncanny. Lu Chen dredged up traces swiftly as if he knew of their locations beforehand, even ones that Yi Xin could not believe was possible to detect. Moreover, he seemed to be well aware of the habits of the ck shadow before him


    Around an hourter, Lu Chen suddenly halted his footsteps, stopping Yi Xin as well.


    Amidst the dense greenery around them, a half<em>mu</em>wide clearing appeared before them. A towering boulder before them unexpectedly turned out to be an opening to a steep slope, and a cave could be seen beneath the boulder.


    (1<em>mu</em>= 666m^2 = approximately 26m * 26m)


    The ground before the cave was a mess. Numerous objects that seemed to be trash were scattered all over, such as charred rocks, broken twigs, and bones of differing sizes. At a rough nce, most of these bones came from the smaller beasts.


    <em>Hng he</em><em>Hng</em><em>Hng</em>


    A bizarre noise echoed from within the cave, and it sounded like heavy panting. In no time, a figure walked out and it was the same mysterious man from before at the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flower River Valley.


    At proximity, Lu Chen and Yi Xin could discern his features more clearly. Quickly, they realized that the man seemed to be an elder. Aside from his emaciated appearance, his gait resembled an old man that possessed difficulties breathing.


    Even so, this didnt diminish the savage image of that strange man. As he emerged from the cave, he was still carrying the panthers bloodied limb. The man walked directly to a rock and sat down, immediately beginning to chew.


    Fresh blood trickled down the edges of his mouth, and he looked like a wild beast.


    Yi Xin quivered. She could only feel overwhelming disgust at the sight and, bing nauseated, almost threw up. It was fortunate that she knew it wasnt the right moment and forced herself to calm down. Even so, she dared not to look at the Barbarian any longer. She cowered backward and just as she was about tomunicate to Lu Chen that they should avoid trouble and just leave, her body froze abruptly.


    Unknowingly, Lu Chen had already disappeared from beside her.


    Yi Xin was appalled. She turned her head to look in all directions, and a momentter, discovered Lu Chen proceeding along the edges of the shrubbery near the cave. He was behind the strange man and was slowly getting closer.


    The distance between the duo was at present a mere few<em>zhang</em>.


    (1<em>zhang</em>= 3.33m)


    Watching closely, Yi Xin suddenly felt her heart beat furiously. She was so nervous that even her breathing had halted. Conversely, the surroundings of the cave werepletely silent and peaceful, except for the peculiar man who was chewing on the bloodied flesh like a wild beast.


    But right amidst the silence, abruptly, the deste howl of a hound from within the cave tore apart the tranquility.


    ==


    Lu Chen, who was creeping forward slowly, froze his movements abruptly and paused on the spot. On the other hand, Yi Xin, who hid further to the rear, felt her mind turn nk. Her heart was beating so rapidly that it felt as though it was about to explode.


    As for the peculiar man, who was gnawing voraciously on the panthers limb, he stopped abruptly and raised his head. Without turning back to look, he roared, Darned dog, shut up! After which, he tore another mouthful of the bloodied flesh he held in his hand savagely, and with a muffled voice, he bellowed, Count yourself lucky today! Even though I failed to capture that woman, a yellow panther came to court its own death. After Im done eating this panther leg, if you again fail to catch me any prey, Ill gobble you up as well!


    The howling in the cave gradually subsided. It was hard to tell whether it was because the young hound was frightened by the Barbarians words or that its severe injuries had sapped its strength.


    The strange man sneered coldly, but after consuming a huge amount of meat, his spirits seemed to have lifted. Despite his decrepit appearance, the greed and savagery in his eyes deepened as he muttered to himself, Damn it! If I had captured that woman today, I would be able to


    Be able to do what? Suddenly, a cold voice echoed from his back.


    The strange man was taken aback, nearly tossing the panthers limb in his grasp. He swiftly turned his head and saw that a man was already standing behind him without him realizing it. Furthermore, his appearance was oddly familiar; it was the man whom he had previously spied on from the shadows during the day.


    AHH The mysterious old man released an immeasurably ferocious roar, leaping up and immediately throwing the panthers leg toward Lu Chen, as though a weapon. In that instant, he sounded like an agitated wild beast.


    However, halfway through his leap, he felt an abrupt, cold sensation at his waist. Following right away, an excruciating pain suddenly spread through his body. The strange man released a heart-wrenching yell of agony. Lowering his head to take a look, he noticed a ck dagger that had pierced into his back waist and recognized that his leap had tugged on the dagger, ripping a massive ring wound through him.


    Crimson blood spurted in a jet as though a blood fountain, but it didnt take long for the waterworks to die down. It seemed that the decrepit body no longer held as much blood as before.


    The strange man staggered backward while releasing furious howls. However, his brittle and decrepit body seemed unable to withstand such heavy wounds. It didnt take long for him to crash onto the ground. He struggled while panting heavily. At the same time, he red viciously at the man who had appeared out of nowhere.


    Yi Xin ran over from the side, and for an instance, her eyes met the strange mans fearsome gaze. Frightened by the brutality projected by his eyes, her face paled, not daring to look at that beast-like man for another second. She swiftly ran to Lu Chens side and asked, Are, are you alright?


    Lu Chen nced at her and shook his head. He then pointed at the savage strange man and spoke, The trap at the valley was targeted at us.


    Hearing those words, Yi Xins heart leaped, and she was at a loss for words.


    Lu Chen sneered chillingly, and with the ck dagger in his hands grabbed tightly, he walked leisurely toward the strange man and squatted down.


    That strange man shrank backward subconsciously. Even so, he continued to re at Lu Chen with his savage eyes. If looks could kill, Lu Chen might have been murdered countless times in the cruelest methods possible.


    Nevertheless, Lu Chen seemedpletely impervious. A sliver of disgust appeared on his face as he said, You had better remain obedient.


    The mysterious mans face was fully stained with blood and he looked exceptionally vicious and terrifying. On hearing Lu Chens words, he smirked cruelly and cursed, Scram! I will eat you AHH!


    A bone-chilling scream let loose from his mouth once again and Yi Xin, who was standing nearby, almost jumped in fright. She nced over, only to see Lu Chens poker face, as he seemedpletely unmoved by the strange mans plight. The ck dagger that he held within his hand was already stabbed into the strange mans thigh. Then, after some twisting it, a huge wound was torn.


    The strange man howled in agony. Tumbling about on the ground, his voice gradually weakened.


    Even so, it sent a chill down Yi Xins spine. Unable to tolerate the sight, she walked over and tugged on Lu Chens sleeves gently, whispering, Lu, Brother Lu, dont act like this


    Lu Chen turned his head to look at her and spoke suddenly, Do you know who he is?


    Under Lu Chens gaze, Yi Xin felt uneasy. For some reason, even though she could sense that Lu Chen didnt bear any hostility toward her, deep within, she feared him instinctively. In fact, her fear for Lu Chen seemed to surpass even that for the ferocious strange man.


    She lowered her head and answered softly, I dont know.


    He is a barbarian. Lu Chens words rang by her ear. A tinge of coldness could be heard within his tranquil voice.


    Yi Xin was taken aback. Barbarian? Werent the Barbarians sent back to the Southern Barren ins after they lost the war a thousand years ago?


    Lu Chen eyed the decrepit Barbarian, who was still pitifully howling on the ground and said, Most of the Barbarian Tribes had retreated, but the war a thousand years ago was too intense. In fact, there were passageways and terrains that were destroyed by the powerful<em>zhenjun</em>sand<em>zhenren</em>s. Thus, there are still a group of Barbarians who remained within the Confounding Lands.


    This was the first time Yi Xin had heard of this matter. Startled by the news, she remained silent for a moment before eximing, So thats the case. Ive never heard of Barbarian Tribes residing in the Confounding Lands.


    Lu Chen replied, These remnants of the Barbarians mainly lived in tribes in the depths of the Confounding Lands, rarely visiting the outer perimeter, and thus, it isnt surprising that you have never heard of them.


    Yi Xin hesitated for a moment before asking, Ive heard that the deeper one proceeds into the Confounding Lands, the more dangerous it is. If thats so, why dont the Barbarian Tribes live in the outer perimeter? Wouldnt it be easier for them to live this way?


    Lu Chenmented impassively, In the eyes of the Barbarian Tribes, we, human cultivators, are even more fearsome enemies than the demonic beasts in the Confounding Lands.


    Yi Xin was astounded by Lu Chens words and subconsciously desired to refute him. In her impression, there were good and bad cultivators, but rarely were there those who ughtered others without giving a second thought. To be more exact, in her entire lifetime of cultivation, she had never seen such a cultivator.


    But when those words reached the tip of her tongue, she nced at the man before her and swallowed them back down. Lowering her head, she asked, If theyre gathered in tribes, why is he alone? Furthermore, why did he escape to the outer perimeter, where human cultivators flock?


    The depths of the Confounding Lands are treacherous. Even though the Barbarians have gathered in tribes, survival is still no easy task. Thus, a custom slowly developed. The older members of the tribe, whose bodily functions had deteriorated and could no longer hunt in the middle region of the Confounding Lands, would have to leave the tribe and survive on their own.


    With her mouth wide open, and Yi Xin felt her body turning cold. She could almost visualize a cold frost before her, and it was as though the beautiful world she knew had been flipped upside down, revealing the coldness and brutality that hid beneath.


    On the contrary, Lu Chen continued with his impassive voice, This should be the case with this Barbarian. Due to his deteriorating body, he can no longer remain in the treacherousnds of the middle region. As such, he can only slowly migrate outward, building his encampment at this valley located in the outer perimeter. On one hand, he was waiting for death, on the other, he was bringing harm to humans.


    As Lu Chen spoke, he nced at Yi Xin and saw the expressions that flickered through her face. He continued, Youve also heard what he said. That trap was intended for you. Then, do you want to know what would happen if you were indeed caught by him?


    Yi Xin stared nkly into Lu Chens eyes which were serene but felt like a bottomless abyss. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, she felt a chilling sensation permeate through the bones of her entire body, as though she had fallen into an icy cavern.


    ==


    What will happen? Yi Xin asked with a hushed voice.


    Staring at her face, Lu Chen said slowly, If you were to fall into his trap and be caught alive, after youve been rendered powerless, he would first rape you. Then, he will chop your body into pieces and pieces of bloodied flesh before chewing on them slowly. At which, Lu Chen pointed to the bloodied panther leg on the ground and said emotionlessly, Just like that thing.


    <em>Owehhh</em>!


    Looking at the panther leg, Yi Xin could no longer hold herself back. Trembling heavily, she charged into the bushes, bent down, and retched. Her face was as pale as a sheet.


    Lu Chen observed her quietly, not consoling her in the least. However, he didnt continue borating with those cold words of his.


    After some time, Yi Xin seemed to have gradually calmed down. While still gasping, she straightened her body and slowly walked back. She no longer dared to look at the dirty, savage, decrepit Barbarian and the panther leg. She fearfully walked to Lu Chens side, hesitated for a moment before asking with a hushed tone, Brother Lu, lets, lets go


    Alright!


    To Yi Xins surprise, Lu Chen agreed to her request readily this time. After which, she saw Lu Chen turn around and stroll toward the Barbarian who was on the ground, moaning pitifully.


    Neither did he raise his volume nor were there any killing intent that could be felt from him. In fact, his expression had remainedpletely indifferent. Yet, Yi Xin felt the surrounding temperature dip. The elderly Barbarian seemed to have realized something as well. He wailed, cursed, and struggled to back away, dragging behind him a terrifying trail of blood.


    But his efforts were futile. Lu Chen, nevertheless, swiftly walked to him And to Yi Xins horror, he lifted the ck dagger and stabbed the Barbarian elder!


    The de, that was sharp beyondparison, pierced through his flesh and blood instantaneously and stabbed his heart.


    The elderly Barbarians body stiffened and curled together as he screamed a string of bizarre but indistinct words. A momentter, that dirty and savage head fell to the ground, his body frozen, and his breathing ceased.


    Lu Chen retrieved his dagger and went back to Yi Xin. He was expressionless, as though he had simplypleted an insignificant task. Facing Yi Xin, he said, We can leave now.


    Yi Xin nodded her head nkly. As she watched Lu Chen walk down the slope, an impulse overwhelmed her all of a sudden and she asked, Brother Lu, do do you have a grudge with these Barbarians?


    Lu Chens paused in his steps abruptly. After a short moment, he replied without turning around, I guess you can say that I have a grudge with them. But it isnt to the point that I have to kill them on sight. However, if anyone were to try to kill me, I wont simply let it go.


    Yi Xin went silent. Aplex expression appeared on her face. Everything that happened before her eyes, and this was including Lu Chen, waspletely different from that simple and innocent life she had been living in the past. These events exceeded her understanding. To say, if the one who had rescued her yesterday was a courageous and upright person, then he seemed to be a different man today.


    Lets go.


    From ahead, Lu Chen shouted. Jolted out of her thoughts, Yi Xin answered and hurried forward. Yet, just as she walked past the cave toward the slope and had prepared to leave this ce alongside Lu Chen, wailing echoed from within the cave suddenly. Then, a small body climbed from within the cave with great difficulty.


    It was the young hound that possessed ck fur but with a white stripe down its back. Its right hind leg drooped limply on the ground, and it seemed to be broken. Its entire body was dirty and messy, and it seemed to be in a wretched state.


    The young hound struggled out of its cave, expending the veryst bit of its energy, demonstrating its will to live, regardless of the cost. It called out to Yi Xin weakly.


    <em>Wang</em>,<em>wang</em><em>Wang</em>


    Yi Xin stopped in her track, sympathy emerging on her face.


    Yi Xin was surprised by her ownpassion here. In the past, she has had seen plenty of pitiful wild dogs and cats when passing through a few other towns, but this time, she could not hold herself back. Perhaps it was a result of witnessing excessive ughter and bloodshed, which she had never experienced in her life until today, and this heavy burden which weighed down on her gave her breathing difficulties.


    Or perhaps, this was just her innocent and soft-hearted nature.


    Thus, she turned around and walked toward the young hound, causing Lu Chen, who was at the front, to stop and frown.


    Yi Xin squatted beside the young ck puppy. Examining it carefully, she realized that the condition of the hound was worse than she had initially imagined.


    Other than that fracture on its leg, there were more than a dozen of scars andcerations. It wasnt an exaggeration to say that he was a mass of bruises. Some of the flesh surrounding the wounds were even dposing, emitting a revolting stench. It was hard to imagine what kind of torture this young hound had suffered in the past few days in the savage Barbarians captivity.


    Lets save it! Yi Xin turned around and shouted to Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen shook his head impassively.


    Gritting her teeth, Yi Xin slowly stood up and the young ck hound whimpered while staring at her intently.


    Yi Xins countenance changed abruptly, as all the life and death situations that she had gone through from the previous night up till now shed in her mind. The extreme gore in those visions triggered in her a feeling of nausea. Perhaps it was due to courage, or maybe it was because of the resentment that she had been repressing within her heart bursting forth of a sudden, Yi Xin stomped her leg, pulled out a piece of cloth, and wrapped up the ck puppy. Then with great difficulty, she carried it with a single hand and walked toward Lu Chen with a lowered head.


    When she hurried past him, she did not dare to look at Lu Chens face. Even so, she paused midstep, and with a soft, quivering but extraordinarily resolute voice, she said, I, I want to save it!


    After finishing her words, she ran forward with big steps immediately. Lu Chen was astounded by her actions. As he stared at the girls back view, a rare, dumbfounded expression appeared on his face.


    This woman, what exactly is her head filled with He muttered, shaking his head before following her.


    Barely taking two steps, a scream suddenly resounded from ahead, catching Lu Chen by surprise. Lifting his gaze, he saw Yi Xin trip on a shrub because of her hurried movements and she fell tly onto the ground, sprawled. At the same time, the young hound was also sent flying.<em>Putong</em>, it fell into a nearby bush. Sounds of pained wailing and exmations in shock began to echo in the air.


    Looking up into the sky, Lu Chen sighed helplessly. Then, he walked over to help Yi Xin up.


    With a reddened face, Yi Xin avoided his gaze, and keeping her head lowered, she patted the dirt off her clothes before wanting to rush over to pick up the young hound.


    Yet, before she could get away, she was pulled by Lu Chen to one side. Yi Xin panicked immediately, Dont stop me! I, I want to save


    Shut up! Lu Chen bellowed at her impatiently. Then, he proceeded to pick up the young ck puppy. He red at Yi Xin and said, Cut the nonsense, lets go.


    Yi Xin said sheepishly, You


    Lu Chen harrumphed. Ignoring her, he started walking ahead with the young ck hound in his arms. At the same time, he said, I had spent so much effort to reattach that arm of yours, so dont go fracturing it for ridiculous reasons! How troublesome.


    Yi Xins mouth widened for a moment. Staring at the back of that man, the corners of her lips curled up, expressing her delight.


    Hey, what are you daydreaming about! From the front, Lu Chen turned around and yelled.


    Taken aback, Yi Xin quickly ran forward to catch up with him as she replied, Iming, Iming!. With Yi Xin walking closely behind Lu Chen, the duo trod toward the forests exit.


    ==


    The duo walked straight out of the forest and was back in the valley once again.


    Under sunlight, the group of Bloodthirsty Demonic Flowers was as beautiful as ever. On the other hand, nothing was left of the yellow panther, except for a trail of blood stain that remained on the ground.


    Lu Chen and Yi Xin made their way out of the valley at once. A ce inhabited byrge groups of ravenous demonic flowers wasnt somewhere one would find weing.


    Upon their exit, Lu Chen found a t and safe ground alongside the river and ced the young hound down. Then, he beckoned Yi Xin over and meticulously checked her wounded arm before nodding his head, Good, at least your bones are still in ce. As he spoke, relief appeared on his face. Just that, it was hard to actually tell whether he worried about Yi Xin or instead, the results of his treatment.


    After saying his words, Lu Chen paid her no more heed and walked to the side.


    ncing at him, Yi Xin was initially tempted to say something, but she suppressed her words. With difficult, she moved to the young ck hound and sat beside it.


    The young ck hound lifted its head and looked at her.


    Speaking of which, it felt bizarre. Even though the young hound was covered in wounds and emitted a repugnant odor, with even its fur tangled together making it look hideous, its eyes were clear and bright.


    Perhaps, that was the only beauty left on it.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Yi Xin said softly, Let me help you. Er Dont bite me, okay?


    The young ck hound continued its stare for another moment before calling out <em>wang</em>. It was hard to tell whether it was consenting to the matter or not.


    Yi Xin fumbled through her belongings and quickly, she whipped out a silk handkerchief. Arduously, using just her remaining uninjured hand, she wiped dirt off from the young hounds body and cleaned its ring wounds.


    Perhaps, due to it sensing kindness from the youngdy, the ck puppy didnt avoid her touch or struggle. It sat obediently on the spot, not moving at all.


    Lu Chen observed the situation from afar impassively.


    Given Yi Xins clumsy movements, it was clear that she had never performed such tasks in the past. Furthermore, the wounds were too many and too severe, so it didnt take much time before she identally contacted its wounds. Instantly, the young puppys body quivered and it whimpered in pain.


    Yi Xins hands trembled in response, quickly appeasing it softly, Sorry, sorry. Ill be lighter


    <em>Wang wang wang wang</em> Before she could finish her words, the young ck hound whimpered once more. Yi Xin had avoided a wound, only to press on another one. The excruciating pain caused it to shudder intensely.


    Repeating just like that, the tranquil riverside was suddenly filled with the pained and helpless call of a hound. On the other hand, the youngdy was also sweating profusely. Her only functional hand was moving the handkerchief around the young hounds body, but her movements were stiff. Eventually, she didnt even dare to press down anymore. Tears rippled in her eyes, and she was about to cry from panic.


    Hey!


    A familiar voice shot behind her and Yi Xin bounced in shock. Without her knowing, Lu Chen was already standing behind her with a helpless expression on his face. pping his forehead lightly, he said, Step aside.


    Yi Xin was stunned, asking What are you going to do?


    Lu Chen red at her impatiently and said, Even though I didnt intend to save the dog, I cant just say watching by the side as you kill it inflicting such excruciating pain.


    Yi Xin fell speechless. Her face turned so red that it seemed it was about to be set aze. She stepped backward hurriedly, granting Lu Chen space as she muttered softly, I, I didnt do it intentionally


    Ignoring herpletely, Lu Chen squatted down and nced at the young puppy. He examined the wounds on its body before feeling its broken leg. Slowly, his eyebrows knitted tightly together.


    Yi Xin stared attentively at him by the sight. Noticing the grim look on his face, her heart sank. She hurriedly asked, Brother Lu, how is it, is the dog going to be alright?


    Lu Chen did not reply her. After a moment of contemtion, he eyed the young hound once more before saying emotionlessly, If you wish to live, you behave obediently.


    The young ck hound was obviously feeling much more anxious facing Lu Chen. Its entire body was stiffened and it let out a few low growls. It was hard to tell whether it had understood Lu Chens words.


    With a flick of his wrist, a ck dagger appeared in Lu Chens hands. He immediately sent it straight toward the young ck hound.


    Standing by the side, Yi Xin eximed in shock. Her body instinctively stepped forward. The young ck hound barked as well; lying on the ground, it seemed to in extremely fright. Despair reflected in its eyes.


    But within a split second, a pile of ck fur fell from the young hounds body, drifting down toward the ground slowly. It turned out that Lu Chens had only cut the fur of the young hound with the wave of his dagger. Then, he repeated the same motion fluidly over and over, trimming the young hounds fur.


    Throughout, due to tangled fur and the massive amount of injuries all over the body, it was impossible for Lu Chen to avoid the wounds altogether. Thus, the young hound yelled in pain. Even so, Lu Chen was unmoved.


    Furthermore, appearing tamed by the sharp killing intent emanated by the ck dagger, even though the young hound was in great pain, it forced itself to remain motionless on the spot.


    It didnt take long for all of the fur on the young hound to be shaved.


    All of the sudden, the young ck hound waspletely bald. Its hairless form looked hideous and hrious, but also clearly disyed the wounds scattered all over the young hounds body, and it was terrifying to the sight.


    Lu Chen didnt stop after justpleting the shave. He first began to clean all of the wounds on the young hound. Those which had formed scars were ignored, but for fresh wounds, he first poured a bit of medicinal powder before wrapping them up with a cloth. After that, he proceeded on to deal with the dposing wounds. He hesitated for a moment before stretching out his hand to stabilize the ck puppys body. ncing at its face, he said impassively, Bear with it!


    The bald young hound stared at Lu Chen nkly. However, upon seeing the ck dagger again, its body convulsed intensely all of a sudden.


    Under Yi Xins astounded gaze, Lu Chen stabbed the dagger into the dposed and putrid flesh near the wound, twisted it, and tore the rotten flesh out, throwing it to the side.


    The young hound howled in iparable agony, and it sounded heart-wrenching. Its entire body was trembling uncontrobly, but surprisingly, even though it was clearly in great pain, it had managed to lie on the ground without a single movement.


    The young hound was actually bearing with the intense pain!


    Lu Chen seemed to be surprised as well. He turned his head to look at it and a sliver of admiration appeared faintly in his gaze.


    ==


    Even though he was astonished by the ck puppys tolerance, Lu Chens hands didnt stop. The ck dagger continued to fly about the young hounds body, and it didnt take long for another three pieces of rotten meat to be removed. Fresh blood spilled all over the ground.


    Then, with abnormal proficiency, Lu Chen whipped out a few bizarre medicinal powder and sprinkled them on the young hounds wounds. The flow of blood swiftly stopped, and Lu Chen used a white cloth to bandage the wounds.


    After this was done, the young hound appeared to be on the verge of death. Devoid of any strength, it panted heavily in pain with its head resting on the ground. On the other hand, Yi Xins face paled after witnessing the gruesome sight of the treatment.


    Even so, seeing that the wounds had been wrapped neatly with awhite cloth, Yi Xin heaved a sigh of relief. Gently, she said, Thank you, Brother Lu.


    Lu Chen nced at her before saying, Its not over yet.


    Ah? Yi Xin was taken aback. What else is there?


    Lu Chen quietly turned around, speechless, and pointed to the back leg.


    Its leg was still broken.


    For a moment, Yi Xin was at a loss for words.


    It was fortunate that Lu Chen didnt borate further. Just like how he treated Yi Xin earlier this morning, he went into the forest to obtain a wooden stick. Taking opportunity of this temporarypse, Yi Xin squatted by the young hound and whispered to it gently, Little dog, dont be afraid. Brother Lu is an incredible person. He will treat all of your wounds


    His leg is different from your hand. Lu Chens voice suddenly sounded by her ear. Yi Xin raised her head to look at him, only to see a wooden stick in his hand as he squatted down once again. With an impassive voice, he said, Even though your hand is fractured, it was reattached quickly along with medicine to facilitate its recovery. Withoutplications, it should recoverpletely in at most one or two months. However, the hounds leg is different. His leg has remained broken for way too long.


    Ah? Then what will happen to it? Yi Xin asked anxiously.


    Lu Chen contemted before replying, It may be possible to reattach it, but it will not return to how it was formerly. At the very best, he would be ame dog.


    Ame dog Yi Xin repeated Lu Chens words nkly.


    In contrast, Lu Chen had already grabbed the puppys broken leg. He first checked on the wounds before cleaning it. Then, he lined the bones carefully, applying some medicine before using a white cloth to fix its leg tightly onto the wooden stick.


    Finally, the operation to save the hound hade to an end. At this moment, the formerly ck puppy had turned bald, and numerous white cloths were wrapped around its body. On top of that, a wooden stick was tied to its back leg. The sight of it was as hrious as it could be, butpared to how it was back in the Barbarians cave, it was in a much better state.


    The entire matter had dyed their journey significantly. Thus, they didnt manage to make a great distance on this day. After barely walking a few<em>li</em>away from the valley, the sky darkened.


    (1<em>li</em>= 500m)


    The usual practice in the Confounding Lands was to avoid lighting a fire during the night. Lu Chen and Yi Xin did not choose to settle at the tnds by the river. ording to Lu Chen, when night falls, it was likely that some demonic beastse to the river for a drink. If so, staying there would spell doom for them.


    Naturally, Yi Xin trusted Lu Chens words fully. Thus, the two of them searched for a towering tree and climbed it carrying the young hound.


    Soon, the entire sky had turned pitch ck. Leaning against the tree trunk, Yi Xin hugged the bandaged puppy in her warm embrace,forting it silently as thoughforting a child.


    Her voice was soft and gentle, and it felt like the whisperings of the forest, as well as the warm breeze of spring.


    Dont be afraid, weve already saved you. Naturally, we wont dump you aside. At the very least, well be with you until you recover from your injuries. When that timees, Ill set you free


    You setting it free would spell death for it. Sitting on the other side of the branch, Lu Chen spoke suddenly.


    Surprised, Yi Xin asked, Why?


    Lu Chen lifted his head to look at the gloomy night sky. After a moment of silence, he asked, Didnt you ask me why theres no need to save such a dog?


    Indeed.


    This dog is a hybrid, and its bloodline originates from the Snow Wolf and the ck Jackal. The Snow Wolf is a proud and powerful high-tier demonic beast and they often operate independently. During mating seasons, male Snow Wolves will rape the weaker ck Jackals casually when they are unable to find a mate, but theres no way they will bother about their child. On the other hand, the ck Jackals are a species of savage and reclusive demonic beasts. They pay particr importance to the purity of their bloodline. If a hybrid such as this were to appear before the ck Jackals, they would not hesitate to pounce on it and tear it into pieces. This is also the reason why hybrids rarely survive to adulthood. Most of them are bitten to death at their time of birth.


    Yi Xin lowered her head in silence. The young hound in her embrace whimpered, seemingly toin about its tragic fate.


    There was no longer any point in pursuing why the unlucky young hound was able to avoid the fate of being bitten to death on its birth and how it hadnded in the hands of the Barbarian elder.


    Nevertheless, the following days were peaceful. Lu Chen led Yi Xin and the young hound around the Confounding Lands, and the group had not encountered any major troubles. About five dayster, they finally arrived at the Leaping Tiger Gorge.


    Thinking about it, they had just traveled one big round to return back here. However, when they entered the Confounding Lands, there were four of them, but upon their return, only two remained. Yi Xin couldnt help but feel depressed.


    On the other hand, after this five days, the unfortunate young hound seemed to have grown resilient in the face of its tragic fate. Its more severe wounds swiftly recovered and a few dayster, it was able to run about the ground once more.


    However, just as Lu Chen had predicted, its leg seemed to be permanently crippled. When it ran, it had to limp, making its movement seem exceptionally awkward and ungraceful. Besides, strangely after the young hound had regained its freedom of mobility, Lu Chen and Yi Xin had not kept it by their side forcefully, but the young hound followed them obediently. There werent signs of any intentions to escaping secretly, and just like that, it followed them to all the way here.


    Entering the Leaping Tiger Gorge, Lu Chen nced at the young hound and noticed it limping around the ce curiously but could not be bothered about it. Then, he looked at the surroundings before turning around to Yi Xin. After crossing this line, you will be out of the Confounding Lands. Lets part ways here.


    Yi Xins footsteps stopped. Hesitating for a moment, she turned to Lu Chen and gratitude showed on her face. Brother Lu, I I am truly thankful to you.


    Lu Chen smiled, Theres no need to be so courteous, its not a big deal.


    Yi Xin shook her head and sighed, Its not like that. I know that I am quite clumsy and I have brought you much trouble along the way. Brother Lu, I wont say anything else, but if you have the chance,e to Kunlun Mountain to look for me. I will


    Un? Lu Chen was stunned. He stopped in his tracks to look at Yi Xin, and an astonished expression showed, What? Youre a disciple from Kunlun Sect?


    ==


    Upon hearing those words, Yi Xins face reddened, Wu Actually, I cant be considered to be one yet. However, I should be able to be an official disciple soon.


    Hearing those words, Lu Chen became curious so he inquired further. It turned out that despite Yi Xins weakness, she came from quite an exceptional background. She was born to the Yi n of Kunwu City, which was located at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, and the Yi n had close ties with Kunlun Sect. As such, over the years, many of their n members had been admitted into Kunlun Sect.


    When Yi Xin was younger, her talent caught the attention of a powerful<em>Jindan</em>realm cultivator. As such, he liaised with the Yi n, prepared to ept her as his disciple.


    However, the<em>Jindan</em>cultivator subsequently met with a mishap and was injured so severely, he was forced to enter seclusion to recuperate for a full decade. As such, formalities to ept Yi Xin into the sect had been dyed. However, everyone in the Kunlun Sect was aware of the matter, and the Yi n did not attempt to conceal the fact as well. Thus, regardless of whether it was the Kunlun Sect or Kunwu City, everyone had already considered Yi Xin as a fellow member of the sect.


    And this included the other two whom Yi Xin was traveling with. They were, in fact, official disciples of Kunlun Sect, and the reasons why they brought Yi Xin along with them to the Confounding Lands for their mission to harvest Dusk Mist Flower was firstly, to get close to Yi Xin, and secondly, to fawn on the<em>Jindan</em>cultivator, who was about to recover fully from his wounds.


    Congrattions, congrattions. Lu Chen smiled.


    Responding with a smile of her own, Yi Xin nodded. Looking at Lu Chen now, the warm and gentle smile on his face made him seem harmless. It was just as though the killing intent he disyed in the Confounding Lands asionally was a mere illusion.


    For an instant, Yi Xin fell into a daze. In her mind, two pr illusions of Lu Chen appeared. One was the man who smiled gently amidst the warm glow of the sun whereas the other was a demon who hid within the shadows, ughtering others coldly.


    But these thoughts were pointless at this moment. Shaking her head, Yi Xin dumped these useless thoughts before biding Lu Chen farewell. Then, she beckoned to the young hound and smiled, Ah Tu,e here. Ill bring you home.


    Ah Tu was the name they had given to the young hound. Originally, Lu Chen had casuallye up with worse names for the dog, such as ck<em>Woof</em>, Flower, Baldy He reasoned that it was just a matter of time before the dog left, so there was no point wasting ones effort on naming it.


    In any case, Yi Xin found the dog pitiful, so she bucked up her courage to speak against Lu Chen. She refuted the awful names Lu Chen came up with one after another and eventually, they reluctantly came to apromise to use a homophone for bald and called it Ah Tu.


    Even though it sounded cloddish, at the very least, there was the element of earth and it didnt sound too awful. Just that, it sounded to be the name of a dog raised by a rural countryside farmer. However, Ah Tus current appearance, putting aside how its entire body was bald, it was wrapped in a huge pile of cloth, and apanied with its limping movements, the word dashing really wasnt apt for it. Its appearance might not even be able to match up to a typical domesticated dog.


    <em>Ah Tu Let it be Ah Tu then</em>. That was probably what Yi Xin thought helplessly back then.


    In any case, ever since they left the valley in the Confounding Lands right up to this moment, Ah Tu had apanied them for quite some time. As such, Yi Xin had grown fond of Ah Tu. Speaking of which, she was raised in the Yi n and even though her living environment was superb, her family had a strict regime. As such, she never got to raise cats or dogs. Thus, she truly fell in love with the obedient Ah Tu in the past few days.


    Lu Chen nced at Yi Xin in astonishment as he spoke, You want to bring it back with you to raise it?


    Yes. Yi Xin replied happily. Ah Tu is also a pitiful soul. Look at how severe its wounds are.


    Lu Chen nced at Ah Tu. On the day they found it, its wounds were indeed severe. However, it possessed the bloodline of a demonic beast, granting it outstanding recovery abilities. In the short span of a few days, its wounds had recovered tremendously. Especially, even the wound on its broken leg had recovered almost fully. Even though the limping problem couldnt be solved, Ah Tu was already managing to barely run without the wooden stick, although with increased exertion.


    Inparison, a wooden stick was still firmly attached to Yi Xins arm.


    Lu Chen shrugged and replied, If you wish to raise it, feel free to do so.


    Ah Tu,e here. Yi Xin beckoned the young hound once more with a smile.


    Ah Tu ran obediently to her side while wagging its tail. Yi Xin squatted down and patted Ah Tus bald head with excessive affection. Then, she said, Ah Tu, bid Brother Lu farewell. Well be returning home.


    <em>Wang wang</em>, Ah Tu stared at Yi Xin with its exceptionally bright eyes, tilting its head before barking twice.


    Yi Xin burst intoughter and pointed at Lu Chen, Its Brother Lu whom you should be bidding farewell to. Well be leaving in a while.


    Ah Tu blinked its eyes. It nced at Yi Xin before turning its head to look at Lu Chen. Then, it barked at Yi Xin once more before rushing to Lu Chens side, nestling up beside him.


    Hm?


    Lu Chen and Yi Xin were taken aback. Ah Tus actions were clearly not one of bidding Lu Chen goodbye. After a moment, Lu Chen seemed to have thought of something and frowned. On the other hand, Yi Xin ran over, stretched her hand to grab Ah Tu while saying, Ah Tu, you sure are silly. I am saying that


    Before she could finish her words, the young hound retreated, avoiding Yi Xins hand. Then, it dashed behind Lu Chens body to hide.


    This time, its intentions couldnt be any clearer. Yi Xin stood up in shock. After a moment, she suddenly felt infuriated, Hey! Stinky Ah Tu, are you mistaken? In the past few days. I am the one who has been feeding you and hugging you to sleep. The one who usually ys with you is also me, but now, you are choosing Brother Lu over me?


    Ah Tus bald head popped out from in between Lu Chens legs carefully before barking twice, seemingly admitting to the matter.


    Lu Chen rolled his eyes.


    Ah Tu licked Lu Chens legs while wagging its tail, fawning on him.


    Yi Xin grabbed her forehead in distress. She pointed to Ah Tu and bellowed, You, you, you


    Lu Chen coughed, Ahem I have roughly guessed the reason behind its actions.


    What is it? Yi Xin immediately asked.


    Since countless ages before, the Confounding Lands has been a treacherousnd where the strong preyed on the weak. The countless lifeforms, including demonic beasts, are already used this set of rules. Thus, during their weaker stages, if theyre given a choice, they will choose to follow the strong Nearing the end of his words, Lu Chen nced at Yi Xin and chuckled, not saying anymore.


    Yi Xin stood dumbfounded on the spot. Her face grew red and a momentter, she roared furiously, Damn it, even this little beast is looking down on me!


    Of the name of the dog, Ah Tu, Ah is simply a sound whereas Tu means soil/earth.


    In Chinese, soil/earth (Tu) is a homophone of bald (Tu).


    Thus, what they meant was that instead of Baldy, they decided to use a homophone for it and name it Ah Tu instead.


    Also, Tu Gou is a term for Canis lupus familiaris or domesticated dogs. Thus, the name sort of hints that Ah Tu is a domesticated dog (while it is actually a hound, not a part of the can be domesticated family).


    ==


    Ah Tu gazed at Yi Xin with affection, but even so, it refused to emerge from behind Lu Chen. It seemed to have steeled its heart to follow Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen sighed and lowered his head to speak to Ah Tu, Hey, dumb dog, let me tell you, if you follow her, you can live in luxury for the rest of your entire life. On the other hand, if you follow me, you will just suffer. It is hard to say when you will eventually perish in the wilderness.


    Indeed! Yi Xin hurriedly agreed with him as she stared at Ah Tu helplessly.


    This time, Ah Tu didnt even bother looking at Yi Xin. Instead, it faced Lu Chen, wagging its tail with all its might.


    You You dumb dog! Choked with anger, Yi Xin was unable to say a single word. Yet, after interacting with Ah Tu in the previous few days, her eyes reddened at the thought of parting with it.


    Eventually, the two humans and one dog spent half a tea time at the Leaping Tiger Gorge talking through the affair, but regardless of Yi Xins pleas, Ah Tu remained unmoved.


    (a teas time ~ 15 minutes)


    Eventually, Yi Xin had no choice but to give up. She bade farewell to Lu Chen grudgingly and before leaving, sighing, she yet again instructed firmly, Brother Lu, I will be leaving Ah Tu to you. You must


    When Im hungry, Ill ughter it and make dog stew. Lu Chen replied Yi Xin indifferently.


    Yi Xin was stunned. It took a moment before she was able to stutter the words out of her mouth, What, what did you say?


    Lu Chen spoke as-a-matter-of-factly, I never intended to raise a dog. In fact, when I saved it that day, it was because of your insistence. I didnt order it to follow me, it was the one who chose to follow me on its own ord. So, even if I were to boil it, there is nothing wrong, right?


    Of course theres a problem! Yi Xin bellowed. Then, with a tearful face, she pleaded, Brother Lu, Ah Tu is so pitiful. Dont eat him, let him go


    Watching Yi Xins expression, Lu Chen burst intoughter. At the same time, he felt a tinge of warmth in his heart. Yi Xin is still young and she seemed to have been truly pampered, resulting in her innocent nature. It was hard to imagine why her family would allow such a youngdy, who had never weathered through hardship, toe to a treacherous ce like the Confounding Lands


    The thought of it astonished him. He frowned and examined Yi Xin from head to toe. Under his gaze, Yi Xin suddenly felt embarrassed and stepped backward, Brother Lu, whats wrong?


    Lu Chen harrumphed, It cant be that you sneaked out secretly without telling your family members?


    Yi Xin was dumbfounded. A bright shade of red grew on her beautiful face, betraying her thoughts.


    Lu Chen shook his head, Forget it, this matter doesnt concern me. However, as acquaintances, I have to advise you to be careful and not to run about haphazardly.


    With a lowered head, Yi Xin appeared to have recalled something and her eyes grew red, I understand. I will definitely apologize to father and mother when I return. Also I seemed to have burdened Senior Uncle Han and Senior He. If not for me, they would


    Hey! Lu Chen interrupted her words suddenly and frowned, What kind of nonsense are you babbling? What do their deaths have to do with you?


    Yi Xin bit her lips and said, I was unable to help them when the ck Jackals surrounded us due to my low cultivation, causing them to


    Nonsense! Lu Chen snorted. Staring at the youngdy as though she were an idiot, he spoke, Are you a fool? What does that have to do with you? It was your first time in the Confounding Lands, and given that Han Nanzu and He Gang are official Kunlun Sect disciples who possess higher cultivation realms and greater worldly experience, it is only natural for them to take care for you! Dont you think that its the fault of those two fools that younded in such a situation that day?


    Sneering coldly, he said, Furthermore, I have warned them time and time again before departing. It is one thing that you are still young and immature, but the two of them allowed greed to blind their minds. They deserved it, and they dragged you down. Do you get it?


    Yi Xin was perplexed. After a moment, she replied without confidence, Is that so


    Lu Chen continued, Of course thats how it is. Yi Xin, beingpassionate is a good thing. However, if you choose to me yourself for everything regardless of the truth, that can no longer be calledpassionate.


    After being lectured by Lu Chen, Yi Xins head hung low and her face was bright red. She secretly nced at Lu Chen through her peripheral vision and asked softly but sheepishly, Then, then what is it?


    Lu Chen replied impatiently, Thats called being foolish!


    Finally, with what that has to be said been said; the dog that has to go remained unwilling to go.


    Eventually, unable to persuade Ah Tu, Yi Xin could only wave Lu Chen and the dog goodbye.


    Before leaving, she repeatedly instructed and earnestly pleaded Lu Chen on two matters: Firstly, you must never eat Ah Tu no matter what happens. It is very obedient and honest, and given how it seems to be fated to meet us both, you might suffer karma if you eat it. Secondly, Brother Lu, if you have the chance in the future, will youe to Kunlun Mountain to look for me? It is too dangerous serving as a guide in the Confounding Lands. Why dont I plead with my parents and my future teacher to get you a ce as a menial disciple in Kunlun Sect? Not only is it safe, you will also be able to live with dignity. Also, dont forget to bring Ah Tu with you then


    I get it, I get it Even though Lu Chen had seen many things in life, he was unable to stand the naggy pleadings of this youngdy. I wont eat this dog, Ill just ignore it. It is gettingte now, so you should hurry along.


    <em>Wang wang, wang wang wang</em> Lying beside Lu Chens foot, Ah Tu barked at a very timely moment.


    Yi Xin nodded her head, but she felt reluctant to part. She was someone who possessed little world experience and in the few days staying with Lu Chen and Ah Tu, she had developed some feelings for the two. Thus, with every single step, she would turn around and wave. Slowly, she walked into the distance.


    Lu Chen and Ah Tu stared at her and soon, both human and dog revealed a bizarre expression.


    They must be reluctant to part with me As Yi Xin thought so, she felt a tinge of warmth within. Somehow, she felt shy as well, and her footsteps gradually slowed. At this moment, she suddenly heard Lu Chens helpless voice behind her, Hey!


    Whats wrong? Yi Xin turned around and looked at Lu Chen.


    Youre walking in the wrong direction!


    Yi Xin froze immediately. With difficulty, she scanned her surroundings and then realized that she had unknowingly walked into the Leaping Tiger Gorge once more.


    A momentter, she released a soft ah. Too embarrassed to meet at Lu Chen and Ah Tu in the eye, she turned around, covered her lowered face, and dashed into the distance.


    Vaguely, she could hear Lu Chens voice behind her. He seemed to be conversing with the dog beside him.


    Ah Tu, to think that would be another person who is more foolish than you


    <em>Wang wang wang wang</em> Ah Tu barked loudly, seemingly dissatisfied with Lu Chens words.


    ==


    <strong>TY Chapter 73: Scavenging in the Night</strong>


    Unknowingly, autumn had passed. Moonfang City, which stood outside of the Confounding Lands, entered the winter season. Compared to the mythical Northern cial Ocean, which is said to be capable of freezing humans into ice blocks, the winter experienced here isnt considered unbearable. At the very most, an additionalyer of clothes would do. Moreover, if ones cultivation realm was sufficiently high, they could even avoid this as well.


    Lu Chen strolled leisurely around the Moonfang City and a young ck hound limped closely behind him.


    Even though he had spoken harshly about it when parting with Yi Xin, Lu Chen did not eventually ughter Ah Tu for food.


    The present Ah Tu lookspletely different from how it did when the duo discovered it in the Confounding Lands. The fur on its body had grown and it is no longer that hideous bald dog. In addition, Ah Tu had grown significantlyrger and it carries a jacket of ck, lustrous fur. Its movements are nimble, its eyes shining brightly, and it appears to be extremely lively; it seems to be an entirely different dog, except for its limp, which serves as an evidence for its painful past.


    The busiest location in Moonfang City Square was located just another street away. There is a constant traffic of humans, the hustle, and bustle resembling an unending onught of waves.


    After ncing at his sides, Lu Chen continued forward with a straight face. On the other hand, Ah Tu, who was following behind him, peered curiously in all directions before abruptly darting into the crowd, disappearing within the blink of an eye.


    Lu Chen took a casual look behind him and continued to proceed forward expressionlessly, paying the matter no heed at all. In no time, he arrived at the most active spot in the city square. Suddenly, he noticed a crowd before the public announcement board, with soft murmurs and individuals engaged in hushed, whispering discussions; it was as if they had witnessed something bewildering.


    With his curiosity aroused, Lu Chen squeezed into the crowd to take a closer look, only to see a gigantic piece of yellow notice freshly glued aboveyers andyers of old paper; several rows of characters were written.


    Arrest the pirate, Blue Butterfly! Greedy and lustful, he hasmitted innumerable evils, murder, arson, rape, and kidnap. Scourging the world, he has been bringing bloodshed wherever he goes. Recently, its said that he has escaped to the Confounding Lands, and we beseech for all cultivators whoe by him to take him down. Anyone who takes down this criminal will be rewarded 5000 Spirit Stones.


    And signing off right at the bottom, astoundingly, was the famous True Immortal Alliance.


    The surrounding passers-by were engaged in intense discussions; a portion of them expressed their indignance and despise for the countless atrocities Blue Butterfly hadmitted whereas another portion felt that the True Immortal Alliances interference meant his doom. It was no wonder why he chose to escape to the Confounding Lands, which is the most treacherous and chaotic ce on earth, as well as where the alliance possessed the least control over.


    Lu Chen stared at the public announcement board for another moment before a strange expression emerged on his face. A momentter, he suddenly sighed and muttered to himself, What a despicable person!


    Turning around and leaving the board, Lu Chen headed straight out of the square. Halfway through, a ck shadow streaked across and the ck dog Ah Tu dived out at random from amidst the crowd. It carried in its mouth a bone it had found somewhere else and there didnt seem to be much meat on it.


    Upon seeing Lu Chen, it snuggled up to him immediately, wagging its tail passionately. Then, it ced the bone beneath Lu Chens feet.


    Lu Chen rolled his eyes, Ah Tu, how many times have I said? I dont eat this


    It was hard to tell whether Ah Tu understood Lu Chens words, but its excitement didnt dampen in the least.<em>Wang wang</em>, it barked happily at Lu Chen.


    Shaking his head, Lu Chen briefly patted Ah Tus forehead before continuing forward. Seeing this, Ah Tu hurriedly picked up the bone on the ground and followed behind Lu Chen, gnawing and chewing noisily on the bone.


    By the time the duo passed the city gates of Moonfang City, the piece of bone in Ah Tus mouth had already disappeared.


    Exiting the city, Lu Chen led Ah Tu southward and unknowingly, they were back outside of the familiar Leaping Tiger Gorge. However, Lu Chen didnt enter the valley passageway this time. Instead, he lifted his head to look at Tiger and Dragon mountains. Then after a moment of contemtion, he turned and entered the dense forest, beginning his scale up Dragon Mountain.


    Legend has it that dragons used to frequent the Dragon Mountain. However, such legends are just like those of the Dragon Lake in Clear Water Vige; the mere casual talk of predecessors, myths among descendants. The forest on the Dragon Mountain was thick and there wasnt any obvious path that one could follow. Clearly, rarely anyone scaled this mountain.


    After an hour of climbing, the duo had yet to make their exit out of the forest. However, they chanced upon a hillock where three to four boulders sat. The surfaces of the boulders were pockmarked, moist, and algae-ridden.


    After looking in the direction for a short moment, Lu Chen turned to look at the sky once again. Then, he circled around the boulders and reached an area several<em>zhang</em>higher. Thereafter, he lied prone beside particr tree roots, where he could observe the boulders below.


    (1<em>zhang</em>= 3.33m)


    Wagging his tail, Ah Tu plodded beside Lu Chen, its pair of clear eyes reflecting its suspicions. Lu Chen smiled at it before cing a finger before its mouth, signaling for it for remain silent.


    Ah Tu nted its head and lowered its ears down. Unexpectedly, itid obediently beside Lu Chen.


    The forest was extremely quiet, but from time to time, the clear chirping of birds could be heard from the leaves and branches above. One could even faintly hear the few asional calls of beasts from afar, although it was difficult to discern the type of beast from just these calls.


    Lying on the same spot, Lu Chen remained motionless for a long time. His gaze was steady and most of the time, his eyes were fixated on the boulders below.


    But nothing happened in this long period of time, Because waiting is a dull and frustrating task, upon exceeding its tolerance, Ah Tu would fidget from time to time, using its paws to touch the fallen leaves below it, stroke its head against Lu Chens body, and sniff about.


    Just like that, the forest darkened gradually and the day was about toe to an end.


    Bored to death, Ah Tu yawned with its mouth wide open. On the other hand, Lu Chen seemed exceptionally patient. Judging from his look, it appears that he intends to continue waiting.


    Soon, night descended and the forest turnedpletely dark.


    Lu Chen picked himself up slowly, observing his surroundings carefully. As he scanned about with his peripheral vision, his body jolted violently. He realized that the pitch-ck environment, as well as Ah Tu who was lying next to him, had grown clear to his eyes. A bright green glow lit in his pupils. Appearing as eerie bundles of green mes, they burnt silently within the tranquil darkness.


    Lu Chen stretched his hands to stroke Ah Tus forehead. Ah Tu whimpered, seemingly in reply to his gesture.


    Following which, Lu Chen stood up and slowly made his way down.


    The forest was pitch-dark. Yet, Lu Chen seemed to be able to peer into the darkness; every single footstep he took was exceptionally urate and stable. In no time, he arrived at the boulders.


    He squatted down and ced one hand on thergest boulder while the other reached downward. The moisture from the algae dampened his hand. After fumbling about in the darkness, he retrieved an item from the dark crevice located beneath the boulder.


    Tucking it into his clothes, he turned around and left.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    The darkness had veiled everything in sight, leaving only a pair of green, zing eyes glowing in the forest, producing an incredibly sinister sight. It was especially shocking when the pair of sinister green mes suddenly rushed toward Lu Chen when he approached.


    Lu Chen stretched his hand forward to fend off Ah Tu, who was trying to poke its head over while wagging its tail excitedly. He said snappishly, "I didn''t realize it before, but to think that a dumb dog like you would look so scary at night."


    "Wang, wang wang..." Ah Tu barked gleefully, seemingly taking pride in Lu Chen''s words.


    Lu Chen shook his head helplessly and said, "Let''s go."


    Under the concealment of the night sky, the silhouette of a man and a dog faded into the darkness, as if they were specters inhabiting this remote mountain forest.


    It was still deep into the night when they finally reached the foot of the Dragon Mountain. Lu Chen did not rush back to Moonfang City immediately as the city gates would have been long shut. Without the ability of flight, it was impossible for him to enter the city.


    Lu Chen led Ah Tu away from the Dragon Mountain and to a secluded and peaceful spot. There, he took out an object from his embrace-it was the item which he retrieved from the crevice of the boulders. Under the faint illumination of the stars, one could see that it was a sealed letter.


    A yellowish envelope sealed with red wax. Other than that, there were no marks or words to indicate its origin.


    Lu Chen stared at the envelope in his hands silently for a moment before tearing it open impassively and retrieving the note within.


    Naturally, there were words on the note within the envelope, but it only consisted of a few sentences. It didn''t take Lu Chen too long to read through the letter. When he finally reached the end of the letter, his usual calm face suddenly changed. It was a bizarre transformation, it wasn''t anger nor joy-rather, it seemed to be somewhat like nostalgia. All kinds of emotions suddenly surged into his heart, and for a short instant, his eyes reflected the turmoil within him. But eventually, everything returned to calmness and silence.


    "Hu..."


    The abrupt noise caused Ah Tu, who was lying beside Lu Chen, to leap in shock. Turning its head, it saw a lit ignitable paper roll in Lu Chen''s hands, and he torched the letter along with the envelope.


    The mes swiftly devoured the note. The bright glow of the mes illuminated Lu Chen''s features, and the burning note and envelope reflected in the depths of his eyes.


    After a moment, he sighed softly and muttered, "Unrelenting!"


    As the first ray of dawn emerged from the horizon, Lu Chen woke up. Without any hesitation, he began traveling southward with Ah Tu. Even when the Leaping Tiger Gorge came into view, Lu Chen still continued to proceed forward without any hesitation. Just like that, he re-entered the Confounding Lands.


    Even though it was returning to a ce of its suffering, Ah Tu didn''t seem to harbor any apprehension or that sort toward the ce. On the contrary, it seemed to be excited by the vastnds and towering mountains, and it ran delightfully around Lu Chen. Its snout seemed to be determined to sniff everything in sight, and it took the liberty of relieving itself on a few towering trees as well.


    Nevertheless, Ah Tu didn''t stray too far from Lu Chen. If anything, it seemed to be following him even more tightly than it did back at Moonfang City, unwilling to leave Lu Chen''s sight.


    The human and the dog advanced, and surprisingly, the path they undertook was the exact same one that Lu Chen led Yi Xin and the others on when the group headed for the ck Armored Mountain. Thus, on the second day, Lu Chen and Ah Tu found themselves standing at the intersection near ck Armored Mountain once again.


    Laying on the floor, Ah Tu stuck out its tongue and examined its surroundings withposure. It didn''t seem to feel anything returning to its homnd. Or perhaps, this dumb dog didn''t even remember that its home was just a short distance away from here.


    On the other hand, Lu Chen shot the ck Armored Mountain a nce before calmly proceeding in another direction.


    The path that led him to the depths of the Confounding Lands.


    Faraway down that road, an eventful history filled with bloodshed, hatred, and betrayal was buried.


    That was where the Barren Valley was.


    Lu Chen and Ah Tu arrived at the Barren Valley on the sixth day.


    The dangers that they had encountered along the way far exceeded the experiences Lu Chen had en route to the ck Armored Mountain. The demonic beasts they encountered grew increasingly stronger the deeper they traveled into the Confounding Lands, especially as they were approaching the Barren Valley. At the same time, the intangible distortion of the Five Elemental Spiritual Energy also grew increasingly violent.


    It was fortunate that Lu Chen seemed to be born with an innate talent in navigating through dangerousnds. After avoiding many waves of demonic beasts and perplexing dangers, he and Ah Tu finally reached the outer perimeter of the valley.


    The Barren Valley was a deep valley surrounded by mountains, and there was only a single narrow path connecting it to the outside world. Since ancient times, the Barren Valley had been permeated with a bizarre force which rendered it impossible for any lifeforms to survive within it, thus the name.


    Ten years ago, the cultists of the Three Realm Divine Cult attempted to bring disaster upon the world from here, but the True Immortal Alliance managed to learn of the matter and sent in an army to exterminate those abominations in a single sweep, thus restoring peace in the world.


    Legend has it that the battle had tremored the earth and dyed the heavens crimson. The demonic cultists suffered a crushing defeat, but their overwhelming resentment lingered in thend even after their demise. As a result, the Barren Valley becamepletely inessible to those whose cultivation were too weak. Rumor has it that thend was cursed by the demonic cultists before their deaths. But in any case, the valley was remote, so as time went by, no one came by anymore.


    As Lu Chen walked on that narrow mountain path and nced at the familiar geographical terrains around,plicated emotions flickered across his eyes. Even so, he continued pushing on. Only when he had reached the entrance of the Barren Valley did he finally stop.


    In his memories, a figure had stood at the peak of the small hill beside the mountain path.


    As the mountain wind blew, his clothes fluttered gracefully.


    For a brief moment, Lu Chen seemed to see a dashing man dressed in a white robe. However, as the illusion faded, what that appeared in his vision was a valiant... plump man, but the illusion disappeared in the blink of an eye. What that appeared in his vision afterward was a valiant... plump man.


    "Hey!" From higher grounds, that plump man waved to Lu Chen with a smile on his face as he shouted, "It has been long since west met."


    Lu Chen frowned as he watched Old Ma jumping clumsily from the small hill. He sneered, "Why aren''t you dead yet?"


    Old Ma replied seriously, "It isn''t right for you to say that. No matter what, we were neighbors living in the same vige for ten years. To ask if I am dead when we have only just met, are you certain that we''re friends?"


    Lu Chen spat, "If you consider yourself a friend, you shouldn''t bother me."


    Shrugging, Old Ma smiled bitterly, "If I had a say, I wouldn''te to bother you. I have no choice either..."


    Taken aback, Lu Chen widened his eyes, "You mean..."


    Old Ma pointed to the valley behind him and uttered softly, "He''s here too."


    The corner of Lu Chen''s eyes twitched inconspicuously, andplex emotions flickered in the depths of his eyes.


    Seeing his expression, Old Ma was at a loss for words. Eventually, he sighed and patted Lu Chen''s shoulder, "Go in, he''s waiting for you."


    Lu Chen lowered his head, and for a very long moment, he was silent. Eventually, he still lifted his feet and walked slowly into the remote Barren Valley.


    The steep and towering cliffs around the valley resembled sharp swords piercing into the heavens. They concealed even the sun, leaving behindrge shadows behind it. Quietly, Lu Chen walked into the shadows once again and gradually disappeared.


    ...

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    It should have been a sunny day, but as soon as Lu Chen stepped into the Barren Valley, all he could see wereominous clouds in that circr sky shaped by the towering mountains around him. These pitch-ck clouds were dense and low-lying. They seemed to be pushing down against the earth, creating an extremely stifling feeling.


    Lu Chen''s gaze swept across the gloomy and dull Barren Valley. There was not a single space where his gaze fell upon that had a single stalk of grass. All that was within his sight were either the steep, towering cliffs or the cracked earth. Gust after gust of sinister wind blew from the depths of the Barren Valley, raking up a storm of gray dust.


    Further in the distance, as the wind traveled through the crevices formed after a long period of weathering, a mournful, shrill sound could be heard. It was reminiscent of the resentful and vicious wailings of the dead who had met their demise here very long ago.


    The young ck hound, Ah Tu, followed Lu Chen into the Barren Valley. Even though its instincts as a demonic beast induced an innate abhorrence for lifeless ces like this one, its desire to be with Lu Chen overpowered all other feelings. However, barely after traveling a few meters into the valley, Ah Tu suddenly stopped.


    It whimpered softly in pain, and its entire body was trembling slightly in difort. Even so, ncing at Lu Chen''s back, it hesitated momentarily before deciding to push on.


    But the worst had yet to happen. Barely after a few more steps, Ah Tu began to lose its bnce. Its entire body swayed weakly with every step it took, and it didn''t take long before it copsed onto the ground. By this moment, its four limbs were already convulsing vigorously


    Suddenly, a shadow appeared before it. With a soft wail, Ah Tu lifted its head to take a look. Lu Chen had returned back to its side. Stroking Ah Tu''s head lightly, Lu Chen carried it all the way back to the entrance. After cing Ah Tu on the ground, he said softly, "Wait here for me."


    After a short moment of panting, the unnatural conditions Ah Tu was afflicted with gradually faded away. Returning back to its feet, it nced at Lu Chen before stepping forward to lick his palm.


    Lu Chen chuckled before turning around to leave. Soon, he disappeared into the depths of the dark eerie mountain valley. A sinister wind blew, raking up a cloud of dust to veil thend.


    A lone dog stood at the entrance of the valley.


    Ity down for a moment, but perhaps due to boredom, or maybe it sensed that something was amiss, it stood up once more and examined the surroundings.


    The area around it was deste, and there wasn''t any movement at all. After a brief moment of hesitation, Ah Tu attempted to proceed into the valley slowly. But barely after taking a few steps, that unnatural sensation from before began creeping onto it, so it retreated hurriedly.


    Following which, it tried to travel by the corner of the valley, and to its surprise, the unnatural sensation wasn''t triggered.


    Ah Tu shook its body and stretchedzily. It waited for a very long time, but for some reason, Lu Chen still didn''t return. Thus, it continued to wait in boredom. Eventually, unable to hold itself back any longer, it stood up and made its way into the valley, walking closely alongside the steep cliff.


    The stone cliff was rigid and coarse. Through innumerable years of rain and wind, nature had created a bizarre art piece out of the cliff. There were even some parts of the cliff that was as sharp as a knife. Dodging those dangerous protrusions, Ah Tu advanced curiously but slowly.


    Just as it was passing by a wall filled with numerous gaps, an abrupt but powerful gale suddenly blew. As air waspressed into these gaps, more than a dozen mournful, shrill wailings resonated behind Ah Tu.


    "<em>Houu... Ahh... Yii... Jii...</em>"


    In that instant, it was as if thousands of ghosts were screaming in agony, and it was an extremely frightening and eerie sight. Terrified, Ah Tu''s hair stood on ends. With a frightened howl, it immediately dashed forward, wanting to get away as fast as it could.


    Ah Tu ran with all of its might. It was hard to tell how far it had run, but by thetime it was out of breath, the fearsome wailings were no longer within range. Only then did it slow down to recover, panting heavily. With a diposed expression, it nced backward fearfully.


    Panting heavily, Ah Tu stared anxiously in the direction where the bizarre howls came from. It was as if it was afraid that a fearsome monster might leap out from the dark corners any moment. At the same time, its instincts were nudging it to stay as far away as possible, prompting it to slowly back away.


    But after a moment, Ah Tu''s body suddenly came to an abrupt halt. It felt as if it had bumped into an iparably hard wall. Startled, it turned around to take a look.


    At the same time, an eerie gust of wind carrying a cloud of dust blew over once more, veiling thend.


    Behind the cloud of dust, Ah Tu could see a massive figure reminiscent of a small mountain. Due to the veil from the cloud of dust, it wasn''t able to see for sure what it was, but its figure did look exceptionally small beneath the massive shadow.


    Ah Tu stared nkly at the massive figure with widened eyes. At the same time, amidst the sandstorm, that massive figure also seemed to have noticed something as well and slowly turned its gaze over.


    Along with the movement from the massive figure, a dark shadow surged forward swiftly, covering the young hound under it in the blink of an eye. An enormous head descended from the sky, and before Ah Tu could process the happenings, it saw a pair of massive bell-like eyes with a fearsome glint in them. As the sandstorm slowly settled, the bell-like eyes stared intentlyat Ah Tu.


    Ah Tu howled in fear. Its limbs lost all strength, and it fell paralyzed on the ground.


    Lu Chen advanced silently amidst a sandstorm. A sinister and deste atmosphere drifted in the Barren Valley along with an intangible feeling of chaos, but surprisingly, he seemed to bepletely oblivious to it.


    As he gradually approached the center of the valley, the geographical terrain of the valley grew even more erratic. Countless cracks of differing sizes intersected with one another on the ground, producing an extremely startling sight. It was as if a fearsome natural cmity had once befallen thisnd, and a powerful and uncontroble force had ravaged here, leaving behind permanent scars of suffering in this valley.


    The color of the earth beneath Lu Chen''s feet also slowly changed along with his advancement. From the initial lifeless color of ashen gray, streaks of charred ck and dark crimson began to emerge. And the deeper Lu Chen advanced into the valley, the more vivid these two colors became. It created a peculiar illusion that the Barren Valley was a living being as well. But at some point, it was viciously stabbed with a dagger, and endless fresh blood flowed out from its depths. As time passed, it gradually dried up, resulting in the current hideous and horrifying appearance.


    And all of these fearsome ''bloodstains'' were shaped in a manner that seemed to suggest that it had been spurted outward from a certain point-the very center of this circr world.


    Lu Chen proceeded forward slowly.


    A sandstorm blew at him, tugging at his clothes.


    As the storm died down and the sand slowly settled, a human suddenly appeared in his sight.


    That person was not standing, he was seated. But even when seated, he shared the same height as an ordinary standing man.


    The very spot where he was seated in seemed to be the stem of all of the pain, monstrosities, tragedies, and power within this circr world. With his back against Lu Chen, he gazed at this world.


    A momentter, another sandstorm brewed up and his figure blurred. Amidst the wind, a voice could be heard. It was gentle and smooth, resembling the tone which Lu Chen usually spoke with.


    "You''re here..."


    ...

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    From a <i>zhang</i> away, Lu Chen gazed at that person''s back with aplicated expression. Despite the dust lingering in the air, he could easily see the gigantic silhouette of that person. In terms of width, that person''s back was equivalent to three ordinary men.


    <i>(1 zhang = 3.33m)</i>


    In other words, he was a fatty.


    An extremely fat one. He was so fat that even Old Ma would seem so skinny before him, as if a hill standing before a mountain.


    Perhaps due to theck of response after his initial greeting, the gigantic silhouette turned around strenuously to look at Lu Chen. Then, with a slight smile, he beckoned with his hand, "Come over."


    All of the sudden, the heaven and earth seemed to have held its breath, and the sandstorm quietened down abruptly.


    Silence suddenly fell upon the Barren Valley.


    In a radius of a <em>zhang</em> around the person,the wind and dust were all frozen. Apale and plump hand shot through the sandstorm and gestured gently.


    An instantter, ''<em>xi li xi li</em>'',the sand that froze in space suddenly fell to the ground as if a silent drizzle. Just like that, the sand that stood between the two disappeared abruptly.


    Lu Chen lifted his head, only to see that the area around him had be clear. But ncing a little further, he noted that an intense sandstorm was still blowing. Only the plot of thend where they were standing on, it was as if the heavens had dug out a spherical sanctuary. It was devoid of sand and wind, only the both of them.


    Even the slightest actions can have the greatest impact, and only through standing against the heavens can a dream be fulfilled.


    The extremely plump man seated cross-legged on the floor was bald. He had big ears, and a kind and gentle smile was stered on his face. His eyes were exceptionally bright and clear, but it carried the vicissitudes of age, as though it had seen through theplexities of the world.


    His hands were significantly longer than an average human being, and arge and loose robe covered his hill-like body. He resembled the Laughing Buddha, who was known to chuckle at the intricacies of life.


    "Sit." The man patted the ground before him as he smiled at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen slowly walked over and stood before him. Even though one was standing while the other was seated, the bald fatty still shared the same eye level with Lu Chen. It was unimaginable how massive his stature would be if he were to stand up.


    Lu Chen stared at the bald fatty before him, seemingly without any intention to take a seat.


    Even though his actions were disrespectful, the bald fatty didn''t seem to mind. In fact, the gentle smile in his eyes only deepened, as if he was looking at a mischievous child in his household.


    "It has been a decade since Ist saw you." The bald fatty said. "Are you getting by well?"


    "Not well." Lu Chen replied.


    The bald fatty nodded, "I thought the same as well. It has been hard for you."


    Lu Chen harrumphed coldly, seemingly unwilling to speak any further on the matter. He casually found a spot and sat beside the bald fatty before asking, "For you to appear so suddenly, what business do you have with me?"


    Instead of answering Lu Chen''s question immediately, the bald fatty gazed at thends before abruptly asking, "In the battle at the Barren Valley ten years ago, were those few people seated here?"


    "...Yes." After a moment of silence, Lu Chen replied.


    "Tell me about it."


    Lu Chen abruptly lifted his head to stare at the massive bald fatty, and he said with a deep tone, "What do you mean?"


    "Nothing at all, I am just curious." The bald fatty smiled. At the same time, he gazed at Lu Chen with a gentle smile, and it seemed as though his clear gaze was capable of peering into the depths of thetter''s heart. "Is this a question I shouldn''t have asked?"


    The duo stared at one another for a moment before Lu Chen averted his eyes. Impassively, Lu Chen replied, "Sure, I''ll tell you."


    "This was where Yun Shou Yang was seated." Lu Chen stood up, walked to a location six <i>chi </i>away from where the bald fatty was seated, and casually pointed to the ground. "The fat and skinny elder were seated beside him."


    After which, he advanced to the center, stomped his feet, and said, "This was where the core of the God Descension Incantation was."


    "What about where I am? Is anyone seated here?" The bald fatty asked.


    Lu Chen nced at him before replying, "Yes, the shaman of the Barbarians."


    The bald fatty nodded as he remarked, "The Fire Shaman was one of the Seven Great Shamans in the ancient lineage of the Southern Barbarian Tribe, and he possessed powerful mystical abilities. If he had been at the peak of his strength, even I would have trouble dealing with him."


    "You did well!" For the first time, the bald fatty retracted his smile and stared at Lu Chen with a serious expression. "This is a blessing for all life in the world, as well a blessing for the Central Divine Continent!"


    "Is that true?" Lu Chen questioned.


    As those three words escaped from his mouth, the conversation abruptly ceased, and the surroundings turnedpletely silent.


    The ominous clouds above them billowed and thunder rumbled in the distance. Meanwhile, at the center of the Barren Valley, two men stared at one another. This time, Lu Chen stared straight into the other party''s eyes.


    That was a pair of clear and pure eyes. Yet, they seemed as deep as the ocean, capable of epting and reflecting all lifeforms existent in the world. At this very moment, the sparks of lightning from the ominous clouds above were reflected in the depths of those pupils.


    "Is that true?" The bald fatty suddenly burst intoughter. Then, he looked at Lu Chen before answering slowly, "My disciple, are you doubting my judgement?"


    In the meantime, at the border of the Barren Valley, the ck dog Ah Tu was scared out of its wits by the massive creature before him. Especially with that gigantic head leaning downward, and that pair of enormous, fearsome bright eyes gazing down at it, it couldn''t help but tremble uncontrobly.


    The massive body emanated an exceptionally powerful aura that terrified Ah Tu down to its core. Robbed of even its courage to wail, it could only lie on the ground and tremble helplessly.


    The sandstorm ceased once again, and dust slowly fell to the ground. The massive head slowly emerged behind the sandstorm, and it moved straight toward Ah Tu.


    At this moment, the only thought going through the terrified Ah Tu''s mind was how the other party''s eyewas bigger than its entire head. As such, it was unable to clearly perceive what the monster standing before it was for an instant.


    After staring momentarily at Ah Tu, the massive shadow released a deep ''moo'' in disdain and disinterest beforezily turning its head back.


    It was at this very moment that the frightened Ah Tu finally got a glimpse of the figure before him.


    It was a massive Jade Buffalo lying against the stone cliff. Its body was massive, as though a small mountain. However, what was peculiar about it was the two massive horns on its head. They emitted a warm glow reminiscent of jade, and vaguely, one could see a mystical light flickering within.


    ...


    Laughing Buddha is also known as Budai or an incarnation of Matreiya.


    Note that the depiction of Maitreya in China differs from that in other countries (So if you google Maitreya, you will get a very different picture from when you google. Nevertheless, if my research fails me not, they refer to the same person but interpreted differently)

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    The atmosphere at the center of the Barren Valley felt a little tense. For a very long moment, no one spoke a word.


    Standing in the center of this circr world, Lu Chen slowly turned around to look at the surroundings, but his gaze wasn''t able to escape from the destend. However, what truly appeared in his mind was something entirely different-what he saw was a scene so fiery that it felt suffocating. It was a zing inferno, a massive pir of light from the heavens, a grand power capable of creating and destroying worlds, as well as the innumerable fragments of light descending as it all blew apart, as though waking up from a nightmare. But following which was the suffering from the ck mes, an experience that was etched deep into the depths of his soul.


    "I am not your disciple."


    Lu Chen suddenly chuckled as he looked at that bald fatty. Calmly, he spoke, "You are the esteemed and revered Tian <i>Zhenjun</i>while I am only a shadow hidden in the darkest corners of the world."


    As he spoke those words, the face of the calm but imposing bald fatty that seemed to harness the entire world in his grasp, or rather, the legendary Tian <i>Zhenjun</i>, changed.


    He lowered his head slightly, and pain seemed to sh across the depths of his eyes. After some time, he smiled bitterly, "Do you me me for it?"


    Lu Chen slowly shook his head. His expression wasplicated, as though he was recalling his past affairs, "That isn''t it. Just that, I have been haunted by nightmares all these years. I would dream of ughtering many people, dream of the scorched crimson earth, dream of mountains after mountains of corpses stacked all over thends and the fresh blood flowing through the veins of the earth...


    Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> frowned as a bizarre look shed across his face, "What happened?"


    Lu Chen contemted for a moment before lifting his gaze to look at him, "Back then, when I wrecked the God Descension Incantation, the Curse of ck mes activated immediately, searing my flesh, blood, and soul, leaving me in great pain and a state of delirium. I can only vaguely remember that after stepping out of the valley, there seemed to have been a battle. The bloodshed within my dreams seemed to havee from there..."


    "You didn''t remember wrongly!" Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> suddenly interrupted and spoke impassively. "Back then, our n was to strike from both the inside and the outside simultaneously. After destroying the God Descension Curse within the Barren Valley, the army under the True Immortal Allianceunched an attack from the exterior. Because most of the Three Realm Demonic Cult elites had gathered on thisnd, the fight was extremely brutal. The resulting mountains of corpses and river of blood were probably what you saw back then."


    Lu Chen was taken aback. He didn''t expect Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> to concede so straightforwardly. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "If that''s the case, then in my dreams, I also dreamt that I killed a lot of people..."


    Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> replied, "That didn''t happen. You fainted not long after leaving the valley, and someone rescued you. Thus, you weren''t involved in the fighting. It was probably the great amount of bloodshed in the battle back then which created such an illusion."


    Lu Chen pondered for a long while, and gradually, his conflicted expression faded. He seemed to have eased up, and after a short moment, he exhaled deeply.


    Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> sighed softly, "It''s all my fault. If only I had met and discussed these matters with you in the past few years, you probably wouldn''t have been so distressed."


    Lu Chen shook his head, "That''s not your fault... Right, Elder Yun Shou Yang of the demonic cult had a son and a daughter. The name of the son is Yun Jian while the daughter is called Yun Xiao Qing. Do you know what happened to them?"


    Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> was silent for a moment before replying, "They died in that battle."


    Lu Chen hesitated for a moment before asking, "How did they die?"


    Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> nced at him before replying, "Back then, when the Immortal Alliance surrounded the Barren Valley, they fought back stubbornly along with the other fiends of the demonic cult, killing innumerable orthodox cultivators. Eventually, they were subdued and killed in that chaotic battle."


    "They died in that chaotic battle?"


    "Yes."


    Lu Chen remained silent for some time. Then, he abruptly shook his head and sighed. After which, he turned his head to look at Tian <i>Zhenjun</i>once more, but this time, light seemed to have returned to his eyes. "Alright, after chatting for so long, you haven''t told me the reason for your presence yet."


    Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> smiled, "That should be the way. A man should face life with a smile."


    Lu Chen harrumphed, "You sure put it easily. Why don''t you try being scorched by ck mes for a decade?" After which, he muttered indignantly, "Damned fatty."


    Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> shook his head with a smile, as though he didn''t hear the other party''s resentful utter. "I do have something I need your help on."


    "What is it?"


    "Go to Kunlun Sect and uncover a demonic cult fiend who has been hiding within their ranks for many years."


    "Five years ago, a spy under my Fleeting Cloud Division discovered by chance a Three Realm Demonic Cult rendezvous point within the Immortal City. Thereafter, under the leadership of Blood Warbler and thebined efforts from the Fleeting Cloud Division, we finally managed to infiltrate their ranks. However, after the showdown at the Barren Valley, the weakened cult had grown even more cautious. Thus, the man whom we snuck in had been unable to enter the core of the organization. Then, a month ago, we suddenly received a secret letter from him saying that the demonic cult is hatching a huge scheme in the shadows, and the mastermind is an elder within the demonic cult."


    Upon hearing those words, Lu Chen''s eyes narrowed.


    Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> nced at him calmly before continuing, "However, things went awry from there on. The demonic cult members noticed the intelligence leak and acted immediately. Even though we gave our all to save him, we were still a step toote."


    "That person died."


    "Before his death, he only told me two things. First, a demonic cult spy has managed to invade the core of the Immortal Alliance and currently holds an important status there. Second, the cult has ambitious ns, and a key member is currently undercover in Kunlun Sect. It is unknown what that person is up to, but if he were to seed, the demonic cult''s scheme woulde to be, thus bringing catastrophe to the world. In fact, the threat is greater than the God Descension Incantation in the Barren Valley back then."


    The Barren Valley fell silent once more.


    After a long moment, Lu Chen asked softly, "Why me? It''s not like you are unaware that the Curse of ck mes has already destroyed my cultivation. The current me is no different from an ordinary mortal."


    Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> shook his head, "Cultivation isn''t the priority in such matters. Even a hundred Golden Corecultivators might not be able to bring out better results than you can."


    Lu Chen smiled bitterly. Tian <i>Zhenjun </i>continued, "Even if I don''t point out certain things, you should already understand. The True Immortal Alliance of today is just a shell of its former glory, bloated and powerless. The intelligence we received suggests that there is a high possibility that there is a spy in the upper echelons of the Immortal Alliance. Since that''s the case, it is infeasible to work from the Immortal Alliance. We''ve to utilize a person whom even the True Immortal Alliance doesn''t know of."


    Lu Chen smiled in self-ridicule, "And that''s me? Have you forgotten that the demonic cult remnants are still investigating the whereabouts of the Hei Lang?"


    "But they didn''t manage to find you." Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> replied calmly. "There are only two people in the entire world who know of your true identity. There is not a second person I can find other than you who holds the jargons, secret signals, history, habits, and other hidden secrets of the Three Realm Divine Cult so firmly in his grasp."


    "You are the one and only person who can uncover the hidden fiend from the demonic cult!" Tian <i>Zhenjun</i> looked at Lu Chen grimly, speaking his words one by one to emphasize the importance of the matter.


    ...

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    Do you believe in me so much? Lu Chen was silent for some time, then asked a question.


    Tian Zhenjun replied: Evil cultivators is like a sly foxes, and have many tricks . So if I want to choose a person who can uncover they plot, then I can rely only on you.


    I dont want to do it Lu Chen.


    Tian Zhenjun frowned and asked: Why?


    Lu Chen looked up at him and said: In the past ten years, whenever the cursed ck me burned, I thought life is better than death, and then contemted on what I have done before. All this battles full of blood and pain, was it worth it?


    For the sake of the world, or for justice? There is a bit of sorrow on Lu Chens face These words have been told to me since I was a child. I believed and fought for it. But now I feel that this idea is meaningless.


    He looked at Tian Zhenjun, speaking his words one by one Fairness and justice to all people in the world, why should I care?


    Why should I fight and struggle for strangers? Lu Chen quietly looked at Tian Zhenjun, and said Its not just me, isnt you are in the same situation? This past years, in Immortal Alliance you worked hardest to suppress Demonic cult, but what about other people? Not all of them are principled, living leisurely andughing behind your back. Not only that, Im afraid there are countless people who hate you, just because you wont give up and get in their way to wealth , among them there even some Zhenjun like you.


    Tian Zhenjun sighed softly Do you think I am struggling?


    Yes. answered Lu Chen Why do you need this troubles? With your cultivation as long as you dont confront them, they will never dare to annoy you; even if they harm the world, it will not affect you. Isnt it?


    Tian Zhenjun remained silent for some time, and after a while he suddenlyughed. A momentter he said: Your words have some truth.


    Lu Chen: That is.


    Tian Zhenjun said: Are you done?


    Yes.


    Tian Zhenjun thought for a moment and said: Little Lu, listen to me. The big man is born between heaven and earth, dont always worry about it, broaden your horizon: Standing for the heavens and the earth, for the sake of the people, for the sake of knowledge, for the world peace


    Damn you! Lu Chen scolded Stupid fatty why are you pretending to be a good man? Do you even know what these words mean? I think you have been so excited to say that line, showing how dependable you are. Dont act like an schr, you can deceive only ignorant!


    Tian Zhenjun is not angry. Laughing, he said: You have been very irritable recently. Ten years ago I recited mantra about anger for you, want to hear it again?


    Lu Chen: No, Im tired of hearing it!


    Well lets put it another way, look at this huge world, there are always things that someone must do. Although there are countless people, big man have to shed blood for peace of innocent  Hey, what do you mean by sticking out you middle finger at me?


    Lu Chen sneered: Damn fatty, say these nonsense again, believe it or not, I will spit at you!


    Tian Zhenjun touched his own bald head, looked awkward and then smiled: Uh old habit. You know, in Immortal Alliance, I have been advise those simple-minded juniors to fight for righteousness and justice. I have to guide them


    Scram Lu Chen interrupted him unceremoniously Tell me truth or I will leave.


    What?


    Give me a reason. Why other people can leavefortable life, while we have to fight with wicked murderers like Demonic cult?


    You dont know?


    No!


    Boom! Suddenly with a loud noise, Tian Zhenjun mmed his palm on the ground next to him.


    Deep underground, like a dragon and a tiger, and the earthquake shook, and several lines of cracks opened up, and the fissures spread around, with countless pieces of rock exploded.


    Good, I will tell you my reason! With a smile on his face, Tian Zhenjuns robe started ttering on the wind, and the whole person suddenly appeared colossal, as if he were a god or a demon.


    Tian Zhenjun shouted loudly: These bastards from Three Realm Divine Cult are not pleasing to the eye!


    This sentence was loud and thunderous, sting in the sky, producing windstorm and rolling clouds. Echoes reverberated everywhere, as if the heavens repeating that sentence.


    Lu Chen frowned and rubbed his head, these words kept ringing in his ears. Even his spirit was in disorder. It can be seen how powerful and fearful Tian Zhenjuns shout was.


    After a while, when ringing in his head gradually subsided, Lu Chen bizarrely looked at Tian Zhenjun. Thats it?


    With grim expression Tian Zhenjun coldly said: These idiots creating troubles all day long, to dominate three realms they are willing to sacrifice innocent people. Good man is born to like peace and harmony, living leisurely. When i see this evil cultivators, just they presence disgust me and i want to fight them to death.


    Lu Chen watched this bald fatty for a while, Suddenly heughed: We havent meet for ten years, how you be so vulgar? What happened to brilliant and noble Zhenjun?


    Tian Zhenjun snorted : Isnt it becouse of your respond!


    Lu Chen waved his hand: Dont say that. You clearly told me that, after i join Three Realm Divine Cult, you would not recognize me as your disciple. Even if i die in front of you, i would be by oneself.


    Startled, Tian Zhenjun was silent for a while, eventually he sighed and whispered: You still remember it so clearly.


    Lu Chen decided to change subject, and asked: Cut the crap, what I would gain for helping you?


    Tian Zhenjun smiled, saying: This evil cultist are very hateful, suppressing them would bring tranquility to the world. Isnt it already good enough benefit, right?


    Lu Chen sneered: Is there anything else?


    Yes. Tian Zhenjun sat up straight, after a moment facing Lu Chen, he transmitted: This old man dont have any inheritors except for you, in Kunlun you can recognize your ancestors.


    Lu Chen snorted and didnt speak.


    All my knowledge, i will pass to you. Everything is yours.


    Im feeling guilty for your suffering in the past. After this, when you leave shadows and stand in light, you will be upright young master on the side of righteousness. In famous Kunlun sect, as long as you are lucky and with my full support, everything will be in your hands!


    Speaking of this, Tian Zhenjun hurriedly stood up, with height shoulder higher than average man, his towering figure looked like a mountain. He asked word by word: So, do you agree?


    Lu Chen frowned, keeping silence.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    After a long silence Lu Chen sighed and agreed Alright, I promise you.


    Tian Zhenjun moved his eyebrows, revealing a hint of gratification,ughed: Really? Thats great, I thought you wouldnt agree so easily.


    Lu Chen faintly muttered: This world is dangerous and unfair, to live peacefully, there always must be someone who will confront this threats.


    Tian Zhenjun: we didnt meet for ten years. How did you be so gloomy? You have bright future!


    Isnt it because of all crap i learned from you? Lu Chen shook his head and said, These annoying fanatics wanted to kill me for 10 years, i might as well took advantage of this opportunity and get rid of them.


    Oh? For a second Tian Zhenjun showed surprised expression, a momentter sharp light appeared in his eyes and he asked: How can you be so confident that you would be able to eradicate Three Realm Demonic Cult with this opportunity?


    Lu Chen smiled and said: I have been in the Demonic Cult for too long and I am too familiar with them. Everyone of them thinking, that they every act must be earth-shattering event. He nced at Tian Zhenjun, gratually his eyes slighty narrowed, revealing chilling coldness, unknowingly he felt as if he had gone back, in the past, to the dark-d youth who had his hands stained with blood in a cold and barren valley. He said coldly: Ten years ago, during God Descension Curse, 3 elders from Demonic cult perished, decreasing they authority. Now that theyre preparing something even more terrifying than God Descension Curse, every member from Three Realm Demonic Cult are bound to participate, isnt this a great chance for us?


    Tian Zhenjun nced at Lu Chen with sharp light in his eyes, thought for a bit and agreed: Makes sense.ughing, he add: Three Realm Demonic Cult, you can take care of them for sure!


    Lu Chen snorted, pondered for a moment and switched topic: Before I go to the Kunlun sect, we need to discuss something.


    What?


    Lu Chen inquired: How would I get into the Kunlun Sect?


    Tian Zhenjun responded: As a Zhenjun from the Kunlun sect, it wouldnt be difficult, for me, to secretly arrange your admission. You can rest assured.


    Lu Chen agreed: Thats good. But in the Kunlun sect there is a disciple Hong Chuan in lianqi realm. I have meet him in Clear stream Vige.


    Tian Zhenjun said faintly: I will assign for him a remote mission, for a year and a half.


    Well Lu Chen asked What about that sneaky demonic cultivator in Kunlun sect, do you have any clues what is he scheming?


    Tian Zhenjun thought for a bit, then shook his head: The Kunlun sect is 5000 years old and with its long history, even Zhenjun, cant know every secret there. At present, I still dont know anything about that guy.


    All right Lu Chen scoffed. Its not the first time anyway


    Tian Zhenjun said: If there is nothing else, contact with Little Ma, he will guide you to Kunlun sect, Ill make arrangementster.


    Lu Chen saluted and just as he turned to leave, he suddenly heard Tian Zhenjuns voice.Actually, there is one thing i wanted to ask you for a long time.


    Lu Chen peered at bald and umonly tall fatty: What?


    Tian Zhenjun stared at him and slowly inquired: You infiltrated in Three Realm Demonic Cult when you were young, and stayed there for many years. Is there someone who can recognize you?


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment, seems to be in reminiscence about the past, and then deeply looking in Tian Zhenjun eyes, he calmly said: No


    On the other side of the valley, under the edge of the cliff, a massive Jade Buffalozily lying on the ground, and poor ck dog Ah Tu seems to be timidly hiding beside it.


    Seeing that Jade Buffalo didnt pay any attention to him and seemed to be fall asleep, after the initial panic Ah Tu finally calmed down. After that, Ah Tu tightened his whole body, and then slowly moved backwards little by little.


    Ah Tus movements were extremly cautious, afraid of awakening that giant. However, everything was for naught, because of a thunderous roar that came from middle of the valley.


    Laozilong agowasnot pleasing to the eye


    The roaring sound seemed to be like a real thing. In an instant, dusty sand rolled up, like a storm sweeping over, and then hitting hard stone cliff.


    Ah Tu was shocked. Then, his body was blown by a wind. The force actually rolled its whole body into the air, and then at stone cliff.


    At this critical juncture, when little ck dog was about to hit hard stone, from the sandstorm, a thick long snake-like thing flew over, directly caughted Ah Tu in midair and pulled him back.


    With a panicked scream, little dog struggled hard, until he was directly pulled to the other side of the storm and ced on the ground.


    After a while, when loud echo disappeared, strange wind dissipated as well. Ah Tu discovered himself beside the Jade Buffalo, who saved him with his green tail.


    The Jade Buffalos huge head, looked at puppy, and then turned back serenely. It seems that the move just now, was like light exercise and wasnt worth mentioning.


    Ah Tu was stunned for a while. Suddenly he jumped up and ran away.


    After watching for a while, at awkwardly escaping dog , the Jade Buffalo tossed his tail and mooed.


    Ah Tu ran all the way to the entrance of the valley, only then he stopped heavily panting. After a while, Lu Chen also came out.


    Ah Tu quickly leaned and rubbed his head on Lu Chens leg. Lu Chen seemed to be lost in thought and did not pay attention to Ah Tus oddness. He just patted Ah Tus head with his hand and went on.


    Ah Tu looked back at that direction. Wang Wang barked twice, shook his head and followed Lu Chen.

 Chapter 80: Wine and Meat Buddies

    Chapter 80: Wine and Meat Buddies


    You know, sometimes, I really did doubt your identity and origin.


    On the hillside outside the Barren Valley, the two of them were sitting together with a dog. Lu Chen grabbed a chicken leg that Old Ma handed over and ate it heartily, while speaking with an unclear voice.


    It was unsure when Old Ma took a lot of food with him. At that time, he took all of them out, and grabbed a fleshy bone, throwing it to Ah Tu. That made the little ck dog happy as it gnawed onto the bone at the side. The sounds of chewing were endless.


    This puppy looks pretty good, but its a pity that it lost a leg. Old Ma sighed, then turned around and said to Lu Chen, What were you saying just now?


    Lu Chen did not even look at him, and murmured again.


    Old Ma sneered and imed, I am an innocent person by birth. My loyalty, righteousness and courage are facts. What are you doubting me for?!


    Lu Chen nced at him, and sneered, I have seen you thoroughly in the past ten years. First, you are fat. Second, you are ugly. Third, you are stupid to the core. You can neither be a businessman, nor a cultivator


    Hey! Old Ma said angrily, You brat, I dont mind you calling me fat, what rights do you have for calling me stupid? I have been protecting you for ten years. Without me, you would have died so many times!


    Lu Chen turned a blind eye to Old Mas protest, and continued to speak for himself, saying, You are stupid, fat, and your cultivation is low. However, for more than ten years, you are the well-known Tian Zhenjun(literally: True sir of the heavens and waves) that can shock the world, but you just didnt like to believe in anyone. All you wanted was to let yourself hang out with me, alone. If the bald head really didnt lie, if he really valued me like that, then you identity and origin seems very problematic, no?


    He looked at Old Ma with interest, and tsk twice. He continued, Why does he trust a waste like you so much? Could it be that you are the bald heads illegitimate child?


    Get lost! Old Ma red and said, You are eating my food in your mouth. How dare you say such things to nder me? Spit my chicken out!


    Lu Chen casually tossed, and smashed the bare bone of the chicken leg at Old Ma. Old Ma turned his body, and actually avoided it very swiftly.


    Eh, your skills have gotten better.


    Old Ma smiled triumphantly, and said, How is it? All these years, Ive been


    Oh my! Before Old Ma finished his words, Lu Chen directly interrupted him. He seemed to have thought of something suddenly. Staring at Old Ma with a strange expression, he spoke, That damn bald head is a super fat man, but you are just an ordinary fat guy. Is it true that you really are the bald mans outstanding debt left during his youth?


    Bah! Old Ma said angrily, No more nonsense, otherwise Ill turn against you!


    Lu Chenughed, patted his hands, and stretched one hand out in front of Old Ma. He asked, Got any wine?


    Old Ma threw a wine cbash bottle over. Lu Chen caught it, opened the stopper and took a big sip, then heaved a sigh of relief. He eximed, Good wine!


    Old Ma looked at him. His gaze gradually softened, and he sighed after a long while, Have you really thought about it? Once we arrive at Kunlun, its hard to say whether its a blessing or a curse.


    Lu Chen smiled, nced at Old Ma, Arent you supposed to speak for him and try to persuade me to go?


    Old Ma shrugged and said, I dont care anymore. Also, Ive stayed with you in that vige for ten years. To be honest, I dont want you to take any risks.


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment, and then faintly reassured him, Ive thought about it. I want to go there.

 Chapter 80.2

    Chapter 80.2


    Old Ma nodded, but he did not say anything, just patted his shoulder lightly before standing up to pack up.


    Lu Chen showed him a gentle smile.


    When packing up his things and preparing to leave, Lu Chen asked Old Ma, After you leave Clear Stream vige, where have you been and what have you been doing?


    Old Ma lifted his trousers belt with manner, patted his chubby belly, and then walked along the mountain road with Lu Chen, To heal my wounds, of course. After that, I went to Kunwu City on the way, and opened a small shop.


    Lu Chen paused. He nced at him with a strange expression on his face, You have been making early preparations?


    Old Ma nonchntly said, Its hard to call it an early preparation, but I have nothing to do anyway. I thought that you will definitely have connections with Kunlun Sect in the future somehow, so I just ran to Kunwu City.


    Its strange to believe you. Lu Chen sneered, and walked forward, but aplicated light seemed to be flickering in his eyes.


    Ah Tu ran past the two of them, shaking its head and wagging its tail, looking very excited. It was limping due to his leg injury while running, so the ck dog seemed very awkward.


    Old Ma nced at Lu Chen and said, Whats the matter with this puppy?


    Lu Chen said, I picked it up on the road the other day.


    Old Ma was a little surprised, and said, Huh? You have changed your temper? Your heart has be softer.


    Lu Chen exined, No, I just thought that if I cant find anything to eat when I am hungry, I will eat dog meat to satisfy my hunger.


    Old Ma: Pretend I never asked.


    Lu Chen continued, By the way, since you settled down in Kunwu City, you must have used your means to study the details of Kunlun Sect a lot. I want to ask you something, does Kunlun Sect have any young disciples who are outstanding recently?


    Old Ma smiled smugly, and concentrated on thinking for a moment. He shared, The Kunlun Sect is a great sect with many disciples, and there are quite a few talented beans. If you ask, I dont know how to tell you, because there are just too many candidates.


    Lu Chen hesitated for a while, and said, A few days ago, I met someone in the middle of the night. After that, exined the whole situation about that night to Old Ma, then uttered, Moonlight sh is a magical power that is extremely difficult to cultivate in Kunlun Sect. It is difficult for non-talented people to cultivate this, plus she is a young woman. Maybe you will know?


    Old Ma frowned, and after pondering carefully for a while, he still shook his head, I know the magical power of Moonlight sh, but if its a peculiar young female disciple of Kunlun Sect that can cultivate this in the past few years, then I really cant remember. Lets go back to Kunwu City first. Ill secretly help you inquire the people there. If there are no problems, maybe we can find her.


    As he said, he paused, Whats wrong? You never see the womans face, so why are you so interested in her suddenly?


    Lu Chen smiled, put a finger in front of his eyebrows, and then slowly tapped his forehead a few times. He calmly said, The tip of her sword was here that night. If she pierced forward, she would pierce through my head.


    The smile on Old Mas face suddenly faded. He looked straight at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen continued, but the expression on his face did not change to agitation. He just said indifferently, For many years, no one has pointed a sword at my head like this.


    Woof woof, woof woof Ah Tu, the dog, had already ran a long way in front of him. Turning its head, it called to them, as if urging them to go quickly.


    Lu Chen quickened his pace, and at the same time said quietly, Find her.


    Old Ma nodded. He sighed, and promised, Alright, I get it.

 Chapter 81: House of Poor Ghosts

    Chapter 81: House of Poor Ghosts


    Chapter 81 - House of Poor Ghosts


    The Kunlun Sect was named after the mountain, and the entire sect''s foundation was located on the Kunlun Mountain Range, which had the reputation of being the first mountain in the westernnd. Five thousand years ago, a monk Kun Yuanzi and Tie Luo brothers traveled around the world, passing through the Kunlun Mountain in the western part of the world, when it was a chaotic time, the spirit of the mountain was dusty, there were countless bandits, killing and looting all day long, making a thousand miles around like a hell of water and fire, the people were struggling to survive.


    However, one night there was suddenly a vision in the sky, Both Kun Yuanzi and Tie Luo saw a big star descending from the sky and falling into the mountains. That night, the mountains trembled with a strange light rushing to the sky, an aura such as clouds shrouded the mountains and fields, covering the sky. In the next few days, there were strange events happening around the Kunlun Mountain, it was snowing in the summer, the roosters were in the morning, a number of earthquakes were happening in a day, there were signs ofndslides and cracks on the ground, the weather was also unpredictable. What''s more, a few dayster there were strange-shaped ghosts and beasts in the mountain, ferocious and powerful, although the number was not much, but they often hunted people for food.


    People living around the mountain fled from this mountain one after another in fear and. No matter how far or near it was, they all said that there was a big monster born on this mountain, who would harm the world and kill all living beings. Kunlun Mountain would be a sea of blood. However, Kun Yuanzi and Tie Luo had unique insight, thinking that this mountain was the supreme spiritual vein in the world, and the foundation of great achievements for all ages, so they worshiped the sky, made great oaths, and made great wishes in their hearts, wishing wish to be the Lord of the spiritual mountain.


    Afterwards, the two of them performed great miraculous powers, fixed the heaven and earth, cut down demons, expelled bandits and pacified the people, during which it seemed that their sincerity had moved the heavens, and they had a strange destiny and got a great chance to see the immortal pce in the depths of the majestic peak of Spirit Mountain. There was an ancient immortal jade book, which inherited the supreme immortalw, and there was also a legend that there was a bright treasure light, and now there was a supreme treasure immortal weapon.


    When luck arrived, the two patriarchs established a sect on Kunlun Mountain, epted disciples and preached, and established a great cause that would not be easy for all the generations, which was today''s Kunlun School.


    The Kunlun Sect had been passed down for 5,000 years, and outstanding people had emerged inrge numbers. It had always been prosperous in the ebb and flow of the human race''s cultivation world, which was really a strange thing. In terms of the long history of the school alone, the Kunlun Sect was even two thousand years earlier than the True Immortal Alliance, and it could be said to be the well-deserved number one school in the current cultivation world.


    However, there were talented people from generation to generation, a new generation was better than the old, in today''s iparably prosperous and prosperous immortal cultivation, the world of human cultivation was thriving, countless geniuses and juniors were emerging,rge and small cultivation sects were thriving such as spring, the strength and power of the sect alone, the Middle Kingdom of God in the cultivation world had already had a group of heroes, and there was no longer a dominant weather*.


    Today''s Kunlun sect, after 5,000 years of hardship, had long been a vast stretch of the entire Kunlun Mountain range into its private property. There were no less than 10,000 of its disciples who have achieved sess in practice, and there is even the Taoist Zhenjun who is the master of Taoism. It could be said that the sect had a great reputation and had firmly secured the throne of the famous sect. In addition, the Kunlun Sect also had a glimpse of the disciples of the Qi refining realm and many misceneous disciples. This group had arge number of people, adding up to more than 100,000 people.


    Such arge scale faction, in the vast territory of thend of the West was also a behemoth, Corresponding to it was the Kunwu City at the foot of the Kunlun Sx Foothills, which after thousands of years had gradually be one of the most prosperous andrgest city in this vast territory.


    "Ever been here before?"


    When Lao Ma* and Lu Chen walked into thisrge city and walked in the tall buildings and lively Kunwu City, Lao Ma asked Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen nodded and said, "Been here before."


    "Huh?" Lao Ma was a bit surprised and said, "When? You were with me for these ten years, and when further back, you were...... working, when did youe here?"


    Lu Chen gaze swept over the spacious and t streets in Kunwu City and said, "When I was about five or six years old, I can''t remember very well."


    Lao Ma was stunned for a moment and asked, "Why did youe here?"


    Lu Chen said, "I came over to look for food, there were many people here, and there were many things to eat that can be found in the garbage pile."


    Lao Ma fell silent, and after a while he said, "What happened next?"


    Lu Chen smiled and said: "I don''t know how longter, the dead bald head suddenly appeared in front of me, and fed me and clothed me warmly, let me go with him, and I went with him."


    Lao Ma sighed, and seemed to want to say something else, but Lu Chen suddenly turned around and waved, and shouted with a smile, "Ah Tu* Come here! There are so many people here, in case we get lost, we won''t be able to find you."


    "Woof, woof, woof!" A few barks, the crippled ck dog quickly ran over from the crowd at the back, and affectionately rubbed against Lu Chen''s feet.


    From the Land of Confusion to Kunwu City, on this journey, it seems that Ah Tu''s size has grown some more. I don''t know if it is the result of the very abundant food brought by the Lao Ma, which made this greedy dog eat indiscriminately on a daily basis.


    "Where is your store?" Lu Chen patted Ah Tu''s head, turned his head and asked Lao Ma, saying, "Is it on this street?"


    Lao Ma took a look at the scene of many shops on the busy long street where they were at the moment, and then said without changing his face: "This kind of vulgar and noisy ce, opening a shop here will not lose its taste. Come with me .


    Lu Chen immediately looked at Lao Ma with admiration: "I haven''t seen you for a while, and you actually have a ''taste''!"


    "Cut it!" Lao Ma snorted, put his chubby hands behind his back, and then walked forward with square steps like a rich man.


    Lu Chen and Ah Tu followed behind him and thus walked down the long street.


    Walked another street.


    Walked another street.


    Walked another street ......


    Walked again ......


    "Hey!" Lu Chen couldn''t help but stop the fat man who was already walking with sweat on his forehead, looked at him suspiciously, and said, "Haven''t we arrived yet? Why do I feel that we are almost out of the city?"


    Lao Ma stopped, wiped the sweat from his head, nced at the majestic and towering city wall in front of him, thenughed, and said, "Hurry up, hurry up!"


    Saying that, he walked forward for a while, suddenly turned to the side, and walked into a small alley on the side of the road, and then walked two or three feet in, a wooden door appeared in front of their eyes.


    Standing in this alley, Lu Chen looked around, and saw that the ce was deserted, with no trace of people, which waspletely different from the bustling long streets lined with shops that he had walked through before. And above the wooden door, there was still a que with three words written on it.


    ck Mound Pavilion.


    "Can you have business in this ce?" Lu Chen couldn''t help but ask Lao Ma.


    Lao Ma sneered, and said: "What do you know? There is an old saying: "The fragrance of wine is not afraid of the depth of the alley", do you know?" He stepped forward and took out the key to unlock the door of the house, and led Lu Chen inside. Going in, he said at the same time: "Besides, this ce has many advantages. In this noisy city, it is an excellent ce to find a quiet ce. Walk two streets to the north to the exit of the city gate, and two streets to the south. This street is thend of the luxury houses of the rich families in the city. But it is such a good ce, the housing price is not as good as the rent of ordinary shops on the long street in the center of Kunwu City. I came here that day and bought this house after a little weighing. In the future, it will also be regarded as an ancestral inheritance of my Lao family."


    After saying this, Lao Ma looked smug, looked around and looked at Lu Chen, and said with a smile: "How is it?"


    Lu Chen said: "If you don''t have money and are poor, you can just say it. How can there be so much nonsense!"


    *Weather: Family


    *Ah Tu: Dog


    TOC >< NEXT

 Chapter 82: Two Branches of Kunlun

    Chapter 82: Two Branches of Kunlun


    Chapter 82 : Two Branches of Kunlun


    Lao Ma: "...Brother, the poor also have dignity, and they also have a life to live."


    Lu Chen grunted and said, "Life to live, who are you fooling with all that shit?"


    Lao Ma said seriously: "Although we are poor, we still have dreams, Don''t we? If you look at this ce with your heart, you will feel that this ce is really good!"


    Lu Chen shook his head speechless, turned around and called out to the dog, "Ah Tu!"


    Ah Tu woofed and ran over, followed Lu Chen and Lao Ma to the inside. This house actually covered an area that was not too small, with two front and back entrances facing the street ......Well, the front hall was facing the alley. Lao Ma had set up a counter. It seemed to be made into a store model. The back was a small courtyard, notrge, it was in the shape of a square surrounded by corridors on both sides. Further back there were two rooms, which were not too big, but it was still enough for people to stay and sleep.


    "Huh, it''s not bad." Lu Chen said to Lao Ma.


    Lao Ma was instantly happy andughed, saying, "I was right!"


    "It''s barely okay to live in, forget about doing business, it won''t pay you anything."


    "......"


    Lu Chen stood in that bare courtyard, casually said: "Get some rockery stones to put here, nt some grass, and nt two trees, and it''s almost done."


    "Go away, I don''t have money to toss those boring things!"


    Lu Chen chuckled, and did not take it seriously, and asked another question, saying: "You just said that there are still big families living in the city around here?"


    Lao Ma scratched his head and said: "Oh, it''s actually not too close, it''s about two streets away. That is the gathering ce of the old mansions of the big* families in the city, and many of them have either explicit or implicit intimate rtions with the Kunlun Sect."


    Lu Chen nodded, this was also a matter of course, Kunwu City was under the Kunlun Mountain, arge Kunlun fraction of the Sect coiled here, no matter who it is, it is necessary to hug this huge thigh.


    Lao Ma walked towards the back room, opened one of the rooms and said, "For now you will stay here,ter when Zhenjun''s ce would properly be arranged, you will be arranged to enter the Kunlun Sect directly."


    Lu Chen nodded and said, "Okay."


    At night, Kunwu City gradually quieted down, the night breeze swept back and forth. The lights of thousands of houses lit up. In the city''s slightly inconspicuous corner, in that shabby and simple alleyhouse, Lao Ma and Lu Chen moved a small table in the courtyard, then each of them took a stool, with a pot of wine, two cups, three tes of small side dishes, sat down in the courtyard and started gossiping.


    A cold moon hung high in the night sky, a faint clear light sprinkled down, gave the courtyard a little bit of light, and under the surrounding roof there was darkness. In the shadows, Ah Tu like a ghost peeked out from the dark corners of the corridor, looking around carefully, and then wagged his tail in the courtyard sniffing around, and sneakily slipped under a corner to pee, and ran back to Lu Chen contentedly, stretched, and then sat down at Lu Chen''s feet.


    Lu Chen casually picked up a chicken feet from the te and threw it, Ah Tu did not even get up, but he stretched his neck forward, and grabbed the chicken feet in one bite, and then leaned against Lu Chen''s feet and chewed happily.


    Lao Ma looked at Ah Tu and said: "In a few days you will go up to the mountains, what will happen to this ck dog?"


    Lu Chen picked up the wine jug and poured wine into his cup, and said under his breath, "First I''ll leave it here with you, wait until I''ll settle down in Kunlun Sect, and then see if I can take it to the mountain."


    Lao Ma rolled his eyes and said, "The Kunlun Spirit Mountain is the most blessed cave in the world, the mountain is full of immortal* birds and beasts, If you will get such ame dog up there, what would it look like?"


    Lu Chen touched his chin, thoughtfully, and said: "Hey, when you said that, I suddenly remembered that I used to struggle outside while working, when the ghost gate closed and I was in danger, I had to eat those various demonic beast''s flesh and blood, but I''ve only these legendary immortal spiritual beasts only few times or never....... "


    Lao Ma''s face sunk, he red at Lu Chen, and said: "Hey, you have not yet gone up the mountain, but the first thought you have is about whether the meat of the mountain spirit beast is good or not, it''s not very good!"


    Lu Chenughed and said, "I was just thinking about it."


    Lao Ma gave him a suspicious look and said, "But why do I always feel that you have some malicious intentions?"


    "Cut it out, the heart of a viin!" Lu Chen disdainfully dropped the topic and said, "How is the current situation in the Kunlun sect, can you tell me about it?"


    Lao Ma nodded and said: "Now therge Kunlun Mountain Range, has been in the hands of the Kunlun Sect, where the spiritual mountains has continuous peaks and ridges, for thousands of years countless divine caves have been opened up, but the most important location, or the so-called ''Sky Dome*'' has these four stange peaks Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. It''s in the depths of Kunlun, suspended above the mountains, is the first-ss wonders of heaven and earth. The legend says that it was created precisely 5,000 years ago when the great star fell into the world."


    Lu Chen nodded and said, "I have also heard of the four suspended peaks between the clouds in the sky, although I have not witnessed it, but I think it must be a magnificent spectacle of heaven and earth."


    Lao Ma said: "More than that, it is said that the four suspended peaks, which have spiritual energy filled with ten times more than that of the mortal world, is a natural holynd of cultivation. In the Kunlun Sect, in addition to the two gods, I heard that only the firstborn ture Daoist Yuanying is qualified to set foot on these four strange peaks."


    Lu Chen raised his wine ss, clinked sses with Lao Ma, andughed: "I wonder if the two of us will have the opportunity to go up there in the future?"


    Lao Ma shrugged his shoulders andughed: "Stand up on the ground and look up a few times, there would probably be a chance."


    Lu Chenughed and drank his cup of wine, then said, "Tell me about those Sect figures."


    Lao Ma pondered for a moment and said, "Nowadays, the cultivation world is full of masters, although Kunlun sect can not be said to be the first, but it is still among the top five sects. There are quite a few outstanding talents in the sect. But in the future, after your initiation, you still need to pay attention to one thing."


    When he said this he slightly lowered his voice, and said: "Kunlun Sect has been inherited so far, the Daoist tradition has never been broken, but there are two ancestors, Kun Yuanzi and Tie Luo, so There are actually two factions in the legal system that has been passed down over the years, one is called ''Kun Zhi*'' and the other is called ''Tie Zhi''."


    Lu Chen frowned and said, "What, these two schools do not get along?"


    Lao Ma said, "The face and heart do not get along."


    Lu Chen nodded and said, "Could it be that there is a lot of private rivalry and fighting?"


    "Not bad." Lao Maughed a little and said lightly.


    Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, and thenughed: "Huh, that''s strange."


    Lao Ma said: "It''s nothing strange, because now the Tie Branch of the Kunlun Sect of this lineage, has been in decline for many years, but the Kun Branch side is increasingly strong. Today, the Kunlun Sect has the two Great Masters of transformation gods, Tian and Bai Chen, who are from the Kun Branch of this lineage, out of the neen Nascent Soul* Daoists, fifteen are from Kunzhi, what do you think?"


    Lu Chen said: "Well, if that''s the case, then it is no wonder that that lineage of the Tie Branch has to pin up its tail and behave."


    Lao Maughed, and said: "Who said it is not, originally Kun Branch and Tie Branch were the two majorw lineage inheritances, and had an equal share of Kunlun Spirit Mountain, not to mention the other, the four strange peaks of the Sky Dome between the clouds were also two on each side. But as today one is for Lan Zhenjun, Bai Chen Zhenjun has one, and the remaining two are also upied by the fifteen Nascent Soul Daoists from Kun Branch. If you were a disciple of Tie Branch, what would you do?"


    Lu Chen thought about it for a while, then smiled and said, "Or just rebel!"


    *Big: Rich


    *Immortal: Fairy


    *Dome: Cloud


    *Zhi: Branch


    *Nascent Soul: YuanYing

 Chapter 83: Background Backer

    Chapter 83: Background Backer


    Chapter 83 Background Backer


    Lao Ma gave a "bah", looked at Lu Chen with contempt, and said, "Are you going against what you say? Standing and talking won''t hurt your back!"


    Lu Chenughed and poured wine into their sses, saying, "Then what do you say?"


    Lao Ma said: "If I were a disciple of the Tie Zhi lineage, I wouldn''t be able to beat the crowded Kun Zhi, then I would simply concede, honestly tuck my tail between my legs and behave. Besides, the two of us here talking about the rmist here, in fact, in the Kunlun Sect it may not be true that the two disciples are in the same situationAfter all, they are also Kunlun disciples of the same sect and the same ancestor. There are usually some disputes, can it be a big deal?"


    Lu Chen thought about it for a while and said, "Well, you have a point, maybe in another two or three hundred years, the wind and water turn, by then, suddenly the strength of the Tie Branch lineage would rise, and it may be overwhelming for the Kun Branch."


    Lao Maughed loudly and said, "That''s the way it is, who can say what will happen in the future. Drink, drink."


    The two clinked sses, and there was a crisp sound. The ck dog lying under the table Ah Tu looked up, then lowered his head and gnawed on the bone again.


    Lao Ma nced at Lu Chen, smiled: "Speaking of which, in a few days you may have to go up to the mountain to be a Kunlun disciple, when all things are naturally arranged by that, I think he will not treat you too badly. By the way, the disciple status, the lineage doesn''t really matter, the most important thing is to be well-informed, convenient ......"


    Lu Chen interrupted Lao Ma''s eloquent speech and said, "You go tell the dead bald guy that I want to be here in Kun Branch. If you dare to get me to Tie Branch, I''ll kill his green cow!"


    "Pfft...cough cough cough..." Lao Ma suddenly choked and sat on the spot coughing.


    "There are a lot of big families in Kunwu City, and most of them are descendants of those who have been masters of the Kunlun Sect for thousands of years. They have been passed down from generation to generation, and they are inextricably linked to the Kunlun Sect. "


    Lao Ma pointed to the north, and said: "These great masters and aristocratic families have the two greatest advantages. One is that they follow the Kunlun Sect wholeheartedly, as their minions, eyes and ears. They dare not say so far away. Within a radius of two thousand miles from the center, nothing can escape the Kunlun sect''s control; second, over the years, almost all outstanding talents among these great masters and aristocratic families have studied under the Kunlun sect, and many outstanding talents have emerged from them."


    Lu Chen nodded, then suddenly frowned and said: "ording to you, we can''t hide from the eyes of the Kunlun Sect here?"


    Lao Ma snorted, and proudly said: "That is to say that ordinary people. Who am I, Ma Xiaoyun? No one can recognize what I look like, let alone someone who is taking care of it secretly. Don''t worry, I''m fine!"


    Lu Chenughed and said, "Anyway, it''s the children of those families that are so powerful, right? We can''t afford to mess with them."


    Lao Ma rolled his eyes and said, "Bullshit! In the end, there is someone ...... backing you up, that so far there is no disciple, but a heavenly and earthly supreme divine power, if you really want to tear yourself apart now, all the aristocratic families in the entire Kunwu Citybined, no one would dare to oppose you!"


    Lu Chenughed: "Unfortunately, I can''t tear my face off, I can only endure it, right?"


    Lao Ma said with a straight face, "That''s right!"


    "Then you talk so much, isn''t it still nonsense?"


    "It''s not nonsense!" Lao Ma said seriously: "When you are holding back your grievances, you can think in your heart: When I finish my work in the future and turn around, I wille to settle ounts with you at that time, and see you idiots who look down on people with dog eyes. Do you want to kneel in front of me!"


    Lu Chen, dumbfounded withughter, said: "You think too far."


    Lao Ma chuckled, and said, "That''s right, I''ve been angry with you for ten years, and I''ve survived every time I think about it!"


    Lu Chen held out a finger to him in respect, and then smoothly said, "Now Tell me who in the Kunlun Sect have deep backgrounds can not be provoked, so I can stay away from them in the future."


    Lao Ma thought about it for a while and said, "You look like trash now, and you have only just entered the Qi-refining realm when you are at the top of the sky. The Kunlun sect is so big, and there are at least 80,000 to 90,000 people who are better than you. You seem to be unable to provoke it."


    Lu Chen: "......"


    Lao Ma again said: "Well, but of course there are still some particrly powerful, you particrly can not provoke them. All the Nascent Soul Daoist and Golden Core Cultivators are such powerful characters, they can crush you to death with one finger, their own disciples are almost all elite disciples, you also have to stay away from them. Aristocratic family disciples, although there are arge number of Kunwu aristocratic families, there are always ups and downs with ebb and flow, and the most powerful ones are probably Bai, Tie, and Su Na, you let them order. As for some declining small families, it doesn''t really matter."


    Lu Chen suddenly thought of something and asked, "Is there a family surnamed ''Yi'' in this city, and how strong is it?"


    "Yi family?" Lao Ma thought for a moment and said, "It''s okay, I have not heard of any powerful peopleing out of this family over the years, not the strongest momentum of the families, but also not to say that the family is declining, is considered medium. What does it do, why did you ask?"


    Lu Chen said: "Oh, it''s nothing, I''ve seen a woman from this family before." He then told Lao Ma about seeing Yi Xin in thend of confusion that day.


    Lao Ma frowned and said, "Why didn''t you talk to that person about this?"


    Lu Chen said indifferently: "What would happen if I asked about it?"


    Lao Ma didn''t hesitate at all, and said in the interface: "Naturally, we must find a way to avoid this loophole, and don''t let her get in the way........"


    Halfway through the words, Lao Ma''s voice suddenly dropped, his face also changed slightly, and then nced at Lu Chen, shook his head and sighed softly, did not say more.


    Lu Chenughed and said, "Yeah, don''t let her get in the way ......"


    He lowered his head and looked at the ss in his hand, the amber colored wine trembled gently in the ss, after a moment, he raised his ss and drank the wine in the ss.


    As the days passed, Lu Chen stayed quietly in the small courtyard, and he never went out of doors. The fat Lao Ma went out several times, came and went in a hurry, and he didn''t know what he was busy with. Even the ck dog Ah Tu also sneaked out in the alley outside for twops, but soon came back.


    When he was bored, Lu Chen would sit behind that counter in the front hall when Lao Ma went out, with the beautiful name of helping Kao Ma watch the store, but he soon found out how urate his previous vision was.


    For seven whole days, he did not see a single customer to visit this "ck Mound Pavilion".


    On the morning of the eighth day, Lao Ma told Lu Chen very seriously that there should be some clues about helping him get mingled with the Kunlun Sect. He will go out to work things out. So, Lu Chen sat quietly behind the lonely counter again, looking at the small section of silent alley outside the door.


    Ah Tu unceremoniouslyy down directly at the gate, enjoying the wind blowing from the alley, wagging his tail once and for all, as if he was enjoying his "dog life". Until suddenly, there was a sudden sound of footsteps from the bluestone road in the alley outside.


    A few momentster, a crisp and pleasant sound like wind chimes in the spring breeze gently swaying voice from the outside came in.


    "ck Mound Pavilion ...... Huh, that''s a strange name!"

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    The ck dog, Ah Tu suddenly pricked up his ears, then suddenly jumped up and stared at the door with gleaming eyes, showing his teeth and sharp fangs, with a low growl of "woo woo" in his throat, with a vicious biting look.


    Outside the house there was a cry of rm, but a momentter, suddenly a figure appeared at the door, it was Lu Chen.


    Just as Lu Chen kicked it away, and immediately kicked the stupid dog over to the ground, and scolded: "Stupid dog! If you want to eat meat and bones in the future, it depends on others. Do you want to die?"


    "Wooo ......" the low and vicious roar suddenly changed, the ck dog Ah Tu''s vicious aura disappeared in a sh, only to see its tail wagging wildly, with low and sharp humming in the mouth he ran to the door in a sh. The figure outside the threshold turned around twice, wagging his tail incessantly. Shaking his head and tail endlessly, showing no morals at all.


    "Ah ...... ah!"


    The person outside the house was first startled, then blurted a "eek", butughed out a "pfft", covered her mouth andughed: "Why is this dog so funny?"


    Lu Chen raised his eyes to look, only to see outside the house on the green stone road, standing was a ten-year-old girl, apricot eyes and peach cheeks, white skin like snow, although the size of the body has not yet grown, but in the future she''s bound to be a stunning beauty.


    And at that moment, the little girl looked at the ck dog Ah Tu bouncing around next to her, and seemed to find it very interesting. She was all smiles.


    The wind blew through the alley, soft and quiet, and swept up her red-sleeved dress, floating in the wind.


    At that moment, the spring breeze, the deep alley, the young girl, this scene was like a wonderful painting.


    Lu Chen called out, and called back the stupid dog that was jumping around, then his eyes fell on the girl''s face, and he couldn''t help but admire in his heart: Although the girl in front of him is not very old, this color was really real. He has only seen in his life, it could be said that since he was a child, he has had a face that was like a disaster for the country and the people.


    "Miss, is there something wrong?" Lu Chen politely asked the young girl, while ncing to the far side of the alley.


    The alley was empty, and she seemed to havee here alone.


    The girl pointed to the que that read "ck Mound Pavilion" and asked, "Is this your store?"


    Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, and then looked back and said, "...... is sort of."


    The young girl smiled and nodded, then stepped in, while a pair of bright and clear eyes looked at the humble things in this store, with some curiosity, but also some cautious look.


    Lu Chen walked back inside at the counter and asked, "Do you want to buy something?"


    "Hmm." The young girl answered, but did not speak immediately, but swept her gaze over the row of shelves at the back of the counter.


    There were some things on the shelves in the store, mostly the mostmon ordinary spiritual materials, which looked like they had been put away for a long time, as many ces were covered with dust.


    After noticing that the young girl''s gaze had be a bit odd, Lu Chen also looked back, and when the scene on that shelf fell into his eyes, Lu Chen was also dumbfounded for a moment, and then turned around and smiled somewhat awkwardly, saying, "The owner of this store is particrlyzy, I was just looking over the store."


    "Huh, aren''t you the owner of this ck Mound Pavilion?" The young girl asked with some surprise, and looked around again, it was obvious that Lu Chen was the only one watching the store in this one store.


    "I''m not the shopkeeper here." Lu Chen said with a straight face, "Actually, I am the uncle of the shopkeeper, today he went out to buy goods, I came to help look after the store."


    "Oh, that''s it..." The little girl nodded, as if she believed, but when she looked at the shabby store, her face gradually showed embarrassment.


    Lu Chen smiled and asked: "What do you need, tell me, if there is, I will show it to you, no matter what, anyway, I can''t buy and sell by force in broad daylight, right?"


    The little girl smiled again, at that moment, the beauty of the young girl came to the surface, like smoke and water rain over the sky, there was a refreshing breath like.


    "I''d like to buy some ''Cangzhuzi''**."


    Lu Chen nodded and said, "Cangzhuzi ah, wait a minute, let me see if there are any?"


    "Well, sure." The little girl smiled and said.


    Lu Chen searched through the shelves, and finally found this rtivelymon spiritual material in apartment, took it and put it on the counter, said: "actually it''s really here ...... if it is other, I will not give you, but this spiritual material is taken from the seeds, the outer has a firm shell, and it won''t break after ten years of storage, so you should be able to use it."


    The little girl thought about it and nodded, "Well, that''s true, that''s what my master said. All right then, I''ll buy ten."


    "Good." Lu Chen picked out ten good-looking Cangzhuzi, he found a rag from the side and wiped them clean, then wrapped them in paper and handed it to the little girl.


    The little girl smiled sweetly, took the paper bag, put it back, while reaching for her bosom, and said: "How much ...... ah?"


    Suddenly, she gave a startled cry, her face changed, as if frozen in ce for a moment.


    Lu Chen looked at her and said, "What''s wrong?"


    That little girl''s cheeks surged up a cloud of red, her skin looked like the skin white in red, adding a bit of beauty, she seemed to be a little dumbfounded, and said: "I, I seem to have forgotten my money."


    "Well, so ah ......" Lu Chen sighed, this business is really too difficult to do.


    The little girl had a hesitant expression on her face, and after a while, she said to Lu Chen with some embarrassment: "Uncle, I have an urgent need for this Cangzhuzi, can you let me take it away first, and I will send money overter... "


    Halfway through speaking, she suddenly noticed that Lu Chen was staring at her with a strange face, and couldn''t help but lower her voice, and couldn''t help asking after a while: "Can''t you?"


    Lu Chen coughed and asked without answering, "What did you call me just now?"


    Lu Chen coughed and asked instead of answering, "What did you just call me?"


    The little girl was stunned for a moment and said, "Uncle...you are already the uncle of the shopkeeper at your age."


    "Well ...... okay!" Lu Chen shook his head, then squarely to the little girl said: "No, you can not take the goods without money!"


    The little girl was taken aback and seemed to want to say something else, but her cheeks seemed to get even redder, whispering, "I, I''m not that kind of person ...... I said I''ll pay it back, I''ll definitely pay it back!"


    That demeanor of her bowed head posture was as if without drinking, it was enough to intoxicate people, and her eyes were full of water, enough to make the world fall for it.


    Lu Chen shook his head and said, "No."


    The little girl gave him a sad look and had to put the paper bag in her hand back on the counter, then turned around and walked out.


    When he saw that she was about to walk to the door, Lu Chen''s voice suddenly came from behind, saying, "Hey! You dropped your wallet."


    The little girl''s footsteps froze suddenly, and when she looked back, she saw that Lu Chen hade out from behind the counter at some point, holding a small red bag with a flower embroidered with gold thread on it.


    "Ah... I was like "where was my purse?" The little girl opened her beautiful eyes wide, walked over quickly, said with a smile, and then stretched out her hand to Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen let her grab the small bag, but did not let go. The little girl pulled, a little surprised and she looked at Lu Chen and said: "Uncle, why don''t you let go?"


    Lu Chen said, "I''ll return the money pouch to you, and you also have to return the Cangzhuzi in your sleeve to me.", He said, without looking at the little girl''s suddenly stiff smile, he sighed and said: " Also, don''t call me uncle, it sounds weird."


    ** Cangzhuzi: Dried Atractylodes(it is an aromatic herb found throughout Asia especially in China)

 Chapter 85: The Way of the World

    Chapter 85: The Way of the World


    The girl tugged at the purse twice, only to find that Lu Chen had grasped it so firmly that she couldn''t take it back. After herplexion changed, the original tenderness and care on her face suddenly disappeared, reced by an annoyed look.


    She snorted, and raised her other hand suddenly, and a paper bag actually flew out of her cuff, hitting Lu Chen''s face.


    As soon as Lu Chen reached out to catch it, he grabbed it with his hand casually, then nodded and let go of her hand.


    The girl took a step back, first hid the small bag in her bosom, then looked Lu Chen up and down, snorted coldly, and said, "I can''t see it, you actually know these dirty tricks."


    Lu Chenughed and said, "I used to rely on these for a living." Then, his eyes fell on the girl''s bright and beautiful face, frowned, and said, "Little girl, since you have such good looks, why cant you do it? Do you have to do this? Dont me me for not reminding you, these vile people are not good, if you are not careful with your pretty face, you may be eaten alive.


    "Yo..." The girl didn''t look very old, only about ten years old, but after removing the disguise at this moment, a mature and sophisticated aura suddenly appeared on her body, and her young face looked at Lu Chen with disdainful eyes, she said, "So, you are still a good person?"


    Lu Chen said: "It''s hard to say that I''m a good person, but it''s not bad to remind you of these few words, don''t you think?"


    "Cut it!" The girl sneered and said, "You''re just talking casually. Stop talking nonsense, there''s still something to do now, I''m leaving!"


    This thief and cheater was actually so righteous, it seemed that she didn''t steal Lu Chen''s things, but it was Lu Chen''s fault instead.


    Lu Chen alsoughed dumbly, but firstly, this little girl was really too young, and secondly, her face was so beautiful at such a young age, it really made people unable to do anything cruelly, so she waved her hand at the moment, saying : "You go, anyway, if you get caught next time, I won''t be so polite."


    "This shabby shop is not just passing by. I won''te if you give me money!" The girl yelled angrily, then turned and walked out the door.


    Ah Tu, the ck dog next to him, wagged his tail and came up to him, jumping around the girl with great enthusiasm.


    The girl took a look at the ck dog, especially when she saw Ah Tu''sme hind legs, she was stunned for a moment, then her eyes softened, she reached out and touched Ah Tu''s head, and said, "This dog is better than you. You are much cuter than your master."


    Ah Tu tilted his head, grinned and stuck out his tongue, looking affectionate, and suddenly he heard Lu Chen yelling from behind: "Stupid dog! That''s a bad guy who wants to steal our things."


    Ah Tu didn''t seem to react for a while, and turned his head to look at Lu Chen nkly.


    Lu Chen said seriously: "Hit her! Bite her!"


    Ah Tu jumped up, as if he hade to his senses, the hair on his neck stood up, and he let out a low growl, baring his teeth at the girl, showing his sharp fangs, looking like a hungry wolf, in the next moment was about to jump up and bite.


    "Ah!" The girl was startled, jumped away as if electrocuted, ran to the door in two steps, and then cursed at the shop, saying: "A house full of monsters, people and stupid dogs too!"


    "Wow woof woof..."


    With Ah Tu''s roar, she rushed out, the girl screamed, and ran away, the speed was extremely fast, and she ran out of the alley in a blink of an eye.


    Ah Tu chased her every step, but was stopped by Lu Chen from behind, and then he turned his head angrily, but then he seemed to be happy again, quitecent, and circled around Lu Chen a few times, yelling non-stop, as if to have the intention of iming credit.


    Lu Chen sighed, looked at it, knelt down and grabbed Ah Tu''s dog''s head in front of his eyes, picked up his ears, scratched at the dog''s hair, looked left and right, frowned and said: "It''s strange, I remember Snow wolves and ck jackals are clever and cunning monsters, why do you always look so stupid..."


    "Wow, woof, woof..." Ah Tu stuck out half of his tongue and licked Lu Chen, looking very happy.


    In the evening, Lao Ma came back.


    As soon as he entered the house, he pulled Lu Chen to close the door and went to the backyard, then smiled and said, "The matter is finally done."


    Lu Chen nodded and said, "That''s good, when will you go up the mountain?"


    Lao Ma said: "Three dayster. A few days ago, the Kunlun School happened to hold the annual Immortal Appreciation Conference, and a new group of disciples were recruited to start. These days are the time for those who have no chance to formally start to show their magical powers. , you wont be conspicuous at all if youre sandwiched here.


    Lu Chen nced at him, and said with a smile, "What do you mean by all these different abilities?"


    Lao Ma chuckled, and said in a low voice: "On the surface, the Kunlun Sect wants to ept so many direct disciples, but in fact, how many people ask for favors afterwards, and always want to squeeze their own children into it. Don''t worry about it. Don''t tell me you don''t understand."


    Lu Chen shrugged his shoulders and said, "There are quite a few disciples who sneaked into the mountain gate just like me, who heard your words?"


    Lao Ma smiled and said: "That''s right, the Appreciation of Immortals Conference has epted five hundred people, and at least two or three hundred people can be squeezed in privately."


    "I''ll go!" Lu Chen was taken aback and said, "There are so many!"


    Lao Ma snorted, and said: "If you charge one more, you can charge as many spirit stones as you want. This business is better than anything else!"


    Lu Chen said with emotion: "You are right!"


    At night, the two of them and the dog sat in the small courtyard again. Lao Ma took a sip of wine, frowned and said to Lu Chen, "You let that little girl go like that?"


    Lu Chen said helplessly: "Otherwise, what else can I do, I can''t really detain her, can I?"


    Lao Ma thought for a while, and said, "At least you should have asked her about her identity, origin, and name?"


    Lu Chen shook his head and said, "It would be a waste to ask, it would be all fake."


    Lao Ma clicked his tongue twice, his eyes suddenly became a little weird, he looked at Lu Chen, and said, "I didn''t realize that you still have this kind of trick, didn''t you learn this from that person?"


    Lu Chen smiled, picked up a ss of wine, and said lightly: "That was before I met him, I was hustling around in this city to survive. In addition to picking up some garbage, I also learned the tricks of stealing and abductingter. "


    Lao Ma was stunned, and looked at Lu Chen without speaking for a long time, and then whispered after a long time: "Those who are inferior to those who are not easy to mix, you were so young back then, did you suffer a lot?"


    "Mm."


    Hearing Lu Chen''s extremely brief answer, Lao Ma didn''t know what to say for a while. After a while, he changed the topic with a dryugh and said, "Haha, that little girl is also unlucky, and happened to pass by here, but actually ran into a connoisseur, must be angry half to death ... ..."


    "No." Lu Chen suddenly spoke, interrupting Lao Ma''s words.


    Lao Ma was taken aback for a moment, and said, "What''s wrong?"


    Lu Chen smiled and looked into the cold and dark night in the distance, then took a sip of wine and said, "Back then when I did these harmful deeds, I always repeatedly checked and carefully calcted, there was never a ''coincidence''."


    "As for whether she came in by chance, I don''t know."


    *Thank You Abi For Your support

 Chapter 86: Trouble is Coming

    Chapter 86: Trouble is Coming


    Chapter 86 Trouble is Coming


    "What should I do?" Lao Ma frowned in distress, and said, "It feels a bit troublesome."


    Lu Chen nced at him and said, "Maybe they didn''te after me."


    Lao Ma was stunned and said, "Then who are theying for?"


    "You." Lu Chen looked at the old horse''s fat face and said seriously, "The person who can open a shop in such a nonsense alley must be a big fat sheep who is so stupid and easy to deceive. I think that''s what the little girl must have thought."


    "Fuck off!" Lao Ma cursed angrily, then took out a finger-thick scroll from his arms and threw it to him. Lu Chen caught it, opened it and took a look, and asked at the same time: "What is this?"


    "Some of the most famous people in the Kunlun Sect, the young generation''s outstanding talents, the children of the aristocratic families with deep backgrounds, and some people with strange temperaments and behaviors, about them, including Daoism and magic weapons, all that can be inquired about is written on it. In addition, there are some situations at the main halls of the Kunlun Sect. You can read it when you have time. After you write it down, burn this book.


    Lu Chen was silent for a long time, the joke on his face disappeared, but he sat up straight, then straightened his expression, and said to Lao Ma: "Thank you."


    Lao Ma grinned and said: "This thing should be seen by people who understand it, so that it is enjoyable."


    Lu Chen sighed, and said to him: "You have such abilities, and you can actually do many great things. It''s a bit of a disadvantage to hang out with people like me."


    Lao Ma said: "Is there anything bigger in the world than what you are going to do?"


    Lu Chen sneered, put the book away, then lifted the gon to pour wine for Lao Ma and himself, and asked at the same time: "What do you know about the person we are looking for?"


    Lao Ma shook his head and said, "I have no clue. We don''t know anything about that person, whether he is male or female, old or young, high or low, except that he is lurking in the Kunlun sect to do something big, other than that, we don''t know anything else."


    Lu Chen raised the wine ss, clinked it with Lao Ma, and drank it down, saying: "Take your time to find it."


    Three dayster, Lu Chen went to Kunlun Mountain, joined the Kunlun School, and became a Kunlun disciple who was envied by most ordinary people.


    This was ayer of dazzling halo, like a gilded and dazzling coat, draped over his body. For outsiders it looked so beautiful, except for the insiders who were also on Kunlun Mountain.


    As Lao Ma said before, although Kunlun, a famous school of 5,000 years, had the most strict rules and was the most honest, faithful and righteous, but after so many years, the persistence passed down by the ancestors of the past had finally been flexible.


    In addition to the 500 neer disciples who were formally admitted to the sect at the grand Immortal Appreciation Conference, another 250 people from the Kunlun faction were sneaked in privately. Lu Chen was one of them, and unfortunately, his natural talent root was considered the worst of the category.


    In the world of cultivation, the talent and roots were based on the five-element disc in Qihai Dantian, the more divine pirs there were, the higher the talent. Generally speaking, only disciples who had at least two five-element pirs would be epted by such famous sects as the Kunlun Sect. The hope of sess for a disciple of one pir was too small, and it was not worth the loss to put spiritual resources on such a person.


    Yes, Lu Chen was the kind of person who felt that the gain was not worth the loss, but such a person was actually not umon on Kunlun Mountain, because who did not have the dream of bing an Immortal, no matter how poor the root was, there was always hope .


    Besides, even if there was no hope of bing an Immortal, if you could get some opportunities on Kunlun Mountain and practice some Daoist magical powers, not only would your own strength be greatly increased, but your lifespan would also be extended a lot, why not do it?


    This kind of thinking was naturally human, and it was impossible for the high-ranking elders of the famous Kunlun family to care about these trivial matters. No one had a rtive, and it was not sent in for nothing. So under such a slightly gray background behind the light, Lu Chen entered the Kunlun School safely and calmly, without attracting anyone''s attention, and became a handyman disciple with the lowest status in the Kunlun School.


    However, since it was the lowest status, it was impossible for the Kunlun School to support idlers, so Lu Chen was quickly arranged to work and came to the "Baicao* Hall" with arge number of other handyman disciples of the Kunlun School together with the Kunlun sect to nt a variety of spiritual herbs.


    The majestic Kunlun, the number one mountain in the West, looked from a distance, but you could only see the undting peaks and clouds like waves. In the deepest part of the huge mountain range, the clouds gathered like a vast ocean. At the end of the far-reaching view, you could vaguely see the clouds floating in the sky. The figures of the four misty and indistinct strange peaks on the mountain could be said to have taken away all the magic of heaven and earth.


    However, only the most elite part of the Kunlun School could set foot in that kind of spiritualnd, and ordinary handyman disciples were not even qualified to approach it.


    In the blink of an eye, Lu Chen had been in the Kunlun School for a month.


    In the past month, he was no different from everyone around him. Everyone got up early and went to bedte every day, working extremely hard for the spiritual grass crops in the spiritual field of the Kunlun Immortal family, hoping that one day they would get a chance and stand out from the crowd. .


    The Kunlun School''s misceneous disciples were extremelyrge, iming that there were only 60,000 to 70,000 of the 100,000 disciples were such people, in a way, it was the countless secr people down the mountain and the many misceneous disciples on the mountain who had been working hard to support a small part of the elite of the Kunlun School.


    As for Hundred Herb Hall specifically, after Lu Chen came here, he set aside a one-acre spiritual field for him to nt spiritual grass, and handed in a fixed amount of harvest every harvest season, which would be regarded as hispletion of the task. If the amount turned in is insufficient, there would be punishment, and if there was excess harvest, it would be rewarded. Most of the handyman disciples rely on these hard-earned excess harvests in exchange for a little bit of hope of bing famous in the future.


    Hope is the best thing, isn''t it?


    For most people, yes; for Lu Chen, no.


    He lived quietly in the Kunlun School, and then quietly looked at the giant Kunlun School in the shadow of the crowd. After getting familiar with the situation here, he also began to touch what he wanted little by little.


    That mysterious devil sect spy, of course, there were still no trace, but in this month, Lu Chen had learned some things: for example, the Kunlun faction''s two great true monarchs, true monarch Bai Chen was perennial in the sky dome between the clouds on the mountain peak of seclusion, Tian Lan true monarch was again went to the true immortal alliance of immortal city, seems to be very busy look.


    This year, the Kunlun School had recruited more than 700 new disciples. Fortunately, many talented neers had emerged, but those were phoenixes flying on the branches, and they had almost nothing to do with sparrows like Lu Chen.


    And Hong Chuan, whom he had met once before, had indeed left Kunlun Mountains a few days ago, and it was said that he had gone to the far northern region to hone his state of mind and Daoism.


    When Lu Chen heard the news, he sighed for that friend in his heart. But soon, he thought that he would be very quiet and dormant in Kunlun for a long, long time, and suddenly turned into waves.


    It was one afternoon one month after he went up to the mountain, on the edge of the forest where his Spiritual Field was, he unexpectedly saw an acquaintance walking out of the forest again, that was Yi Xin.


    That day, Yi Xin''s face seemed a little pale. Although her face was still so beautiful, she seemed a little out of her mind. She didn''t notice Lu Chen among the many handyman disciples working in the spiritual field not far away.


    Lu Chen didn''t turn around, thinking that Kunlun Mountain was so big, if you miss today, he won''t see her again, it was a problem!


    Then, he suddenly heard a screaming from behind, the voice was sharp, and for some reason, it suddenly reminded him of that journey in the Land of Confusion. Lu Chen shook his head and sighed, thinking of trouble...


    Baicao* Hall - Hundred Herb Hall

 Chapter 87: Survival

    Chapter 87: Survival


    Chapter 87 Survival


    Lu Chen''s initial reaction was to turn around and leave, preparing to stagger away calmly. Anyway, Kunlun Mountain was so big, and the girl Yi Xin didn''t seem to see him, so he just skipped her and might never see her again. It''s just that the scream that followed was indeed a little scary, as if Yi Xin had suddenly seen the most terrifying and scary thing in the world, and the scream was a bit heart-piercing.


    Lu Chen stood still, feeling a little helpless in his heart. At that moment, he thought about the part of walking with Yi Xin in the Land of Confusion a few days ago from the beginning to the end, and muttered in his mouth: "Isn''t it? I don''t remember doing anything to you? Did you see that I was so scared..."


    It''s just that when he turned his head to look at Yi Xin, he frowned suddenly, but when Yi Xin walked out of the forest, suddenly another figure ran out from behind her, grabbing her hand at once.


    When the figure that appeared behind appeared in the sight of everyone, it immediately caused amotion among the crowd of handyman disciples who slowly gathered around to watch the excitement, and even Lu Chen, who had always been calm, changed his face slightly, and at the same time instantly understood why Yi Xin made such a "tragic" scream.


    It was a man, wearing the uniform of the Kunlun Sect disciples, but his face waspletely destroyed, at least a dozen shocking scars remained on his face, his facial features were horrible, one ear was missing, his nose was missing, There was also a big gash in his chin, and a horrible scar across his left eye, leaving a patch of red flesh, and it looked like the eyeball was also destroyed.


    This face looked like it had been shed countless times by a sharp knife, or had been eaten by a terrifying beast. It had no human form at all. It was hard to imagine that someone who had been so seriously injured could still survive the catastrophe.


    It was a clear daylight at this moment, and under the bright sky, the people watching all felt a bit of chill. Some timid female disciples even closed their eyes and turned away, not daring to look at that person directly.


    And this terrifying face like a hellish ghost suddenly appeared behind Yi Xin. After grabbing her, he leaned towards her suddenly, letting out an angry growl. When she raised her eyes, that face was already at a hand distance. Being so close, it was no wonder that she let out such a shrill scream in terror.


    "Let me go! Let me go!"


    But what surprised Lu Chen was that Yi Xin didn''t faint from fright, but screamed in terror, struggling desperately, trying to break free from the palm of the monster man, and at the same time screaming repeatedly.


    "Shut up!" The man with a terrifying face roared, but it couldn''t make Yi Xin quiet down, on the contrary, she struggled even more fiercely.


    Seeing this scene in the eyes of the people around, there was another burst of excitement. A beautiful girl was bullied by such a monster, and no one could stand it anymore. Immediately, seven or eight people came over and shouted to stop.


    Lu Chen also took two steps forward. No matter what, Yi Xin also had some friendship with him, and at the same time, he also had some doubts that arose in his heart. After joining the Kunlun School for a month, he gradually became more familiar with this famous school. He had learned a little bit, and although it couldn''t be said that the General Immortal Realm of the gods was as perfect as in the legends, the Kunlun School was indeed a ce that respected the rules. Generally speaking, it was impossible for any open bullying to ur on Kunlun Mountain.


    But there was obviously something wrong with the scene in front of him. Just when Lu Chen was hesitating whether he should step forward to help, he suddenly heard Yi Xin yelling with tears in her voice: "Let go, Senior Brother He! I beg you, don''t do this"


    Lu Chen''s body shook, and he immediately looked at the man intently. Sure enough, after looking carefully, he could vaguely see the appearance of the handsome Kunlun disciple he had seen in Crescent* City that day from the little remaining outline.


    He Gang... Didn''t he already die on Heijia* Mountain in the Land of Confusion?


    That day, the scene of arge group of terrifying ck jackals swarming on Heijia Mountain was still fresh in Lu Chen''s memory. Later, when he saw He Gang''s face again, those clear and terrifying marks, like the scene left by the torture of sharp ws and terrible animal teeth, Lu Chen couldn''t help feeling a little bit cold in his heart.


    Yi Xin was crying and screaming in panic, and the handyman disciples next to him obviously didn''t know He Gang, so they surrounded him with righteous indignation.


    But He Gang seemed to be in a very excited and weird mood, and he didn''t flinch at all under the crowd watching, and even red angrily at the people around him with terrifying eyes.


    Seeing that the scene was suddenly tense and about to explode, suddenly, a loud shout came from behind everyone.


    "Stop, what are you trying to do!"


    This shout was full of momentum and loud, and instantly suppressed all other voices. After a while, only to see a tall man walking quickly to the middle, first nced at He Gang and Yi Xin, his expression slightly sullen, but did not attack, and then looked at the surrounding crowd in a blink of an eye, frowned, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone back away! What are you doing here, do you want to rebel?"


    Standing in the crowd, Lu Chen nced at this person, and saw that he had thick eyebrows and a square face, but he was a disciple sent by the Kunlun Hundred Herb Hall Hall to manage thebor in the Spiritual field, named Zhou Kui.


    After all, almost all of the misceneous disciples were neers who didnt know anything about practice, and nting spiritual fields still required a little skill, so Hundred Herb Hall often sent some disciples down, about every hundred misceneous disciple there would be an official disciple in charge of the disciples, and at the same time, he would teach nting tips and some of the most superficial and basic cultivation methods.


    Zhou Kui was such a person. Those who could get such an errand were basically in the foundation building stage, so in the Kunlun School, he could also be regarded as an elite disciple who had entered the hall.


    On weekdays, all the handyman disciples were naturally respectful to Zhou Kui. Although they only called him their senior brother, in reality he was a father like Teacher for them, and they dared not disobey him easily. It''s just that today''s scene really made people a little angry, and a bold person in the crowd yelled, loudly saying: "Senior brother Zhou, it''s not that we want to make trouble, it''s because that person is bullying our fellow apprentices in broad daylight!"


    Zhou Kui''s face was as heavy as water, and he turned around slowly, nced at He Gang''s hand that was still holding on to Yi Xin''s wrist, snorted, and said, "Junior Brother He, this isn''t good for you?"


    Facing Zhou Kui, a disciple of Hundred Herb Hall who had a foundation-building stage, He Gang obviously lost his momentum, but he still raised his head and gritted his teeth and shouted: "I didn''t do anything, I just wanted to chat with Junior Sister Yi , what did I do wrong?"


    Zhou Kui''s eyes fell on Yi Xin''s beautiful but tear-stained face, and there seemed to be a trace of sympathy in his eyes, but he still sighed and said, "Junior Sister Yi, is that so?"


    Yi Xin struggled hard, maybe Zhou Kui was by her side, He Gang finally didn''t dare to use force anymore, so she pulled back her arm, and there was already an obvious red mark on her wrist. Afterwards, Yi Xin nced at Zhou Kui, with aplicated look on her face, like fear, regret, and at a loss, but in the end, she slowly lowered his head, replied softly, and said, "Yes. "


    The handyman disciples around who were watching suddenly burst into an uproar, and everyone had a look of surprise on their faces, while Lu Chen, who was in the crowd, frowned and took a deep look at Yi Xin.


    *Crescent City - Moon City


    *Heijia Mountain - ck Armor Mountain

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    The wide spiritual field where everyone was at that moment, was actually a t and broad valley in the Kunlun Mountain Range, surrounded by mountains, in the middle there was a rare vast tnd, full of spiritual energy and fertility, was a very important piece of production under the Kunlun Schools Hundred Herb Hall. Because of thergest mountain next to it, Stone Pan Mountain, the name of this valley basin was also directly named Stone Pan Valley.


    At this moment, the warm sunlight was falling from the sky, shining in the Stone Pan Valley, the mountain wind blew through the valley from the forest, and countless spiritual grasses and spiritual nts danced against the wind, like a magnificent wave. But at the edge of the forest at the foot of Stone Pan Mountain, the atmosphere seemed cold and weird. Many handyman disciples surrounded there, all looking at the girl with her head down with incredible eyes.


    Yi Xin''s panic-stricken cry before did not look like she was just chatting in the woods at all, she was obviously frightened. But at the end of the day, the sufferer herself said it''s okay, so what else can others do?


    Zhou Kui quickly reacted, turned around and shouted at the misceneous disciples: "All right! Can''t you see that Junior Sister Yi said she was fine, why are you still gathered here, go back to work!"


    Many handyman disciples looked at each other in nk dismay. Most of the new disciples were young people. It was true that they are young and vigorous, but in this situation, everyone knows that there may be something inside, so they whispered and stared strangely. Under the gaze, the crowd slowly dispersed.


    After Zhou Kui dispersed the crowd, he frowned at He Gang and Yi Xin at the edge of the forest with thick eyebrows, and wanted to turn around and walk away with a stern face, but at this time Yi Xin suddenly ran a few steps toward him, saying: "Senior Brother Zhou, I, I will go with you."


    Zhou Kui paused slightly, and before he could speak, He Gang, who had a terrifying face behind him, said loudly: "Junior Sister Yi, I still have something to say to you!"


    Yi Xin didn''t even look at him, but looked at Zhou Kui with pleading eyes.


    Zhou Kui was silent for a moment, then nodded, and said to Yi Xin, "All right."


    Yi Xin immediately looked happy and nodded repeatedly, while He Gang was shocked and said, "Senior brother Zhou, what are you doing?"


    Zhou Kui''s eyes swept a trace of impatient expression, turned his head to look at He Gang, frowned and said, "Brother He, everything should be stopped when it is appropriate, not to mention that sister Yi has something to do so she will go with me, do you still want to discipline me?"


    He Gang was red at by Zhou Kui''s gleaming eyes, and he flinched subconsciously. After a moment, he looked at Yi Xin fiercely and seemed to grit his teeth, then turned around and left without saying a word.


    Yi Xin watched He Gang leave, and it was only at this moment that she finally breathed a sigh of relief, and she looked relieved. Seeing her expression in his eyes, Zhou Kui softened his eyes again, and said softly, "Are you all right?"


    Yi Xin nodded silently.


    Zhou Kui said: "Let''s go." Then he walked forward.


    Yi Xin followed beside him silently, but after walking for a while, she suddenly heard Zhou Kui''s voice from beside her, saying, "Junior Sister Yi, you still have to figure out what to do about it yourself. "


    Yi Xin looked up at Zhou Kui in a daze, and saw that Zhou Kui didn''t look at her, but looked ahead, but said in a voice that only she could hear: "I have known Senior Brother He Yi for many years, Knowing that his talent is extraordinary, and seeing that he is about to break through the Golden Core realm, at his age, his future is boundless."


    He turned around, with sympathy and helplessness on his face, and said: "It doesn''t matter if I help you once in a while, Senior Brother He Yi will probably just smile when he hears about it. I''m afraid I''ll offend him again. Do you understand?"


    Yi Xin''s face turned pale, and after a while, she hung her head and whispered, "I understand."


    At this moment she looked lost in thought, her face as pale as paper, seemingly deep in some kind of fear of the future, so much so that she did not even notice that in a certain spiritual field not far away from them, Lu Chen was standing over there, looking at her figure thoughtfully.


    The Kunlun School was a famous sect with a lot of rules, but it had not been ruthless over the years. Living in the mountain was clear and bitter, cultivation was boring, so the sect was not very strict in prohibiting the disciples to go down the mountain. Generally speaking, even the odd disciples, as long as they could guarantee to return before thete night curfew, the Kunlun School mountain gate guards basically would not stop them. But it was also because of the curfew order, whoever vited it, would be heavily punished, so unless it was ordered by the master to go out, the most general people could only be in Kunwu City under the mountain at most far to stroll.


    However, the Kunlun Mountains were very vast, generally assigned in the southern foot of the mountain gate far away from some mountain ces to practice or work disciples. If they didn''t have the ability to travel quickly like flying with a sword, it would take several hours to get to the mountain gate. Well, in fact, there was no way to go down the mountain...


    The Stone Pan Valley where Lu Chen was located was about an hour away from the Nanlu* Mountain Gate, which was neither far nor close. As long as you squeezed out a little time, you could still go around Kunwu City.


    And in Kunwu City, the fat Lao Ma''s ck Mound Pavilion was naturally his frequent ce.


    The remote and quiet alley was still deep, as if no matter how many years had passed, there was no guesting. Lao Ma sat on the threshold sadly, and sighed: "Hey, when will there be business!"


    "Don''t even think about it." Sitting behind the counter in the room, Lu Chenzily yawned and said, "Give up this thought, you are not suitable for business."


    Lao Ma let out a "bah" and said indignantly: "Bullshit! I was born to be a genius, and I will definitely do something great in the future, and earn tens of thousands of family fortunes. When the timees, you just wait and kneel in front of me."


    Lu Chen said: "Wake up, it''s not dark yet, don''t dream."


    Lao Ma muttered something, and probably felt that it was not appropriate to talk about ideals with this person, so he said, "You have been up the mountain for a month now, how is the situation?"


    Lu Chen shrugged his shoulders and said, "At the beginning, I couldn''t say anything, but the rules of this Kunlun sect are really a lot."


    "It''s not surprising that the five thousand-year-old school is famous." Lao Ma said with a smile, then nced at the empty alley outside, and said: "By the way, the person you asked me to investigatest time, I found it."


    Lu Chen frowned, looked over, and said, "Huh? I actually found it, I underestimated you."


    Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, looked over and said, "Well? You really found it, I underestimated you."


    Lao Ma had a slightly smug look on his face and said, "Nonsense! What kind of person is the old man. As long as I want to investigate, there is nothing up and down this Kunlun Mountain that I can''t figure out!"


    Lu Chen did not bother to care about this guy''s wild bluff, only said: "Who is that person?"


    Old horse said: "Moon Light Cut is extremely difficult to cultivate. Not many young disciples can cultivate it, its a woman, and in that period of time they were not in the Kunlun Mountain. After looking around, there is probably only one person left."


    "Well?"


    "Su Qingjun, the only disciple under the real Mu Yuan of the Kunlun School."


    *Nanlu Mountain Gate : Southern Foothills of the Mountain Gate

 Chapter 89: Crying in the Dark

    Chapter 89: Crying in the Dark


    Chapter 89 - Crying in the Dark


    "Mu Yuan?" Lu Chen frowned slightly, and after a moment of contemtion, his eyes were slightly odd as he said, "The one from the Tie Branch?"


    Lao Ma nodded and said, "That''s Right, that old man is now one of the only four Nascent Soul Daoists of the Tie Branch in the KunLun School, and is also recognized as one of the strongest in Daoist and Divine ability, can be said to be the Tie Branch lineage strongest."


    Lu Chen nodded, and said: "How about Su Qingjun?"


    Lao Ma said: "Very outstanding, extremely talented, it is said to be the top four pirs of divine disc talent, can be said to be gifted. She progressed extremely fast in Dao cultivation, deserving of the word ''wizard''. At the age of only 22, she already has cultivated to the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Among the young disciples of the Kunlun School of the Foundation Establishment Realm, there are about a dozen people who have cultivated to the peak and are only one step away from bing the Golden Core, but among them the most famous are Su Qingjun, He Yi, Song Huaisong, and Feng Yu."


    Having said that, Lao Ma paused for a moment, after ncing at Lu Chen, and then said: "You can cultivate to only one step away from the Golden Core Realm at a young age. This level of strength and talent isparable to that of ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm disciples. Inparison, it can be said to be a world of difference, I dont need to say more about this.


    Lu Chen smiled, and said: "If there is a chance and luck, there may be hope to peek into the Nascent Soul Realm in the future."


    "Yes, be a real person......" Lao Ma sighed with emotion, and then said to Lu Chen seriously: "Since you know what''s in your heart, do not think blindly, okay? That girl has no enmity with you at all. She didn''t really hurt you in thend of confusion that day, you do not have to go against such a heavenly girl?"


    Lu Chen''s face remained unchanged, it seemed that he didn''t take this matter to heart, and said casually: "I do not intend to do anything to her, just curious to inquire about it."


    Lao Ma stared at him for a moment, then hummed and said, "That''s not necessarily true, You''re full of evil, insidious and cunning. Who knows what you will doter? Let me tell you, Although Kunlun Tie Branch is weakened now, but after all, there are still four Daoist Nascent Souls sitting there. Su Qingjun is such a talented disciple who has a limitless future, and Tie Zhi must be protecting them as a darling. Dont ask for trouble.


    Lu Chen let out a "bah" and said: "I came to Kunlun Mountain for the sake of the world''s life and the vicissitudes of the righteous path, had to do so dangerous things, ah, how you guys always look at me as if Im worse than the Demonic Sect."


    Lao Ma said seriously: "You are right, the truth is that ......"


    As he spoke, he lowered his head abruptly, avoiding a flying stool, then nced left and right, and said with a smile, "By the way, where is Ah Tu, howe I dont see it?"


    Lu Chen said: "Just now I brought a package of meat bones for it, Ah Tu is over in the backyard gnawing on it."


    "This ck dog seems to have a particrly big appetite, it''s almost about to make me poor, you hurry up and take it up to the mountain."


    "Wait for another two months, I''m not familiar yet." Lu Chen said casually, "By the way, there''s one more thing you can check for me. It''s the girl from the Yi family I told you aboutst time."


    As he said that, Lu Chen told Lao Ma about the scene he saw at the Spiritual Field in Stone Pan Valley that day, and finally frowned and said, "Then He Gang is not dead, and looking at Yi Xin, she seems to be a little afraid of him, I''m afraid it''s a little weird."


    "Okay, Ill take care of it." Lao Maughed a little and said.


    Lu Chen stood up, looked at the sky, and then said: "Okay, I won''t talk to you anymore, I''m going back to the mountain."


    Lao Ma nodded and watched Lu Chen walk to the door, when he was about to step out of the threshold, Lao Ma suddenly said, "There is something you may not know, this year''s Kunlun Sect''s Immortal Appraisal Conference has reaped a great harvest, and hasted many gifted three and even four pir wizards for the Kunlun Sect, but there is one thing that has been suppressed by the Kunlun Sect."


    Lu Chen paused slightly, then turned his head to look at Lao Ma.


    Lao Ma looked him straight in the eye, for some reason, there was someplicated light in his eyes, and he said softly: "I heard that during this period actually found a once-in-a-lifetime one in a million of the most extraordinary genius, that person has all the five elements, and is born with an angry sea god. There are five divine pirs on the te."


    Lu Chens face suddenly changed slightly, it seemed that even a calm person like him was shocked after hearing this, but soon, his face again floated a trace of smile.


    A little with a self-deprecating smile.


    "Awesome ...... a five pir genius!" He murmured, then raised his head and looked at the sky, and said faintly: "The same as I used to be, isn''t it?"


    Lao Ma was silent.


    It waste in the evening when we returned to the mountain, and as we walked through the mountain gate and along the mountain path toward our own ce at the bottom of Stone Pan Mountain, the sky was getting dark.


    Darkness hade.


    The Kunlun Mountain at night was still majestic, but less lofty and strange in the daytime, and more faraway and deep in the night. The mountain peaks were like silent giants, silently standing in the darkness, quietly watching Lu Chen walking through the mountains.


    I don''t know when it started there was no one else on the mountain path, only Lu Chen was walking forward alone.


    The night was a bit bleak, the mountain wind was a bit chilly, whistling through, the faint starlight in the sky shone down on the ground, seeing those swaying shadows, like a demon or devil that was dancing.


    There was still some time before the curfew started at midnight, Lu Chen looked at the night, expressionlessly walking on this night deep road, gradually, even he himself, seemed to have merged into it, bing part of those terrible shadows.


    When it is too quiet, thoughts will be scattered, it will make people seem to think more than usual. As Lu Chen was walking, he suddenly remembered the small vige where he had lived for ten years, and the beautiful woman who had been sleeping on the shore of the Dragon Lake* in the Chashan*.


    At this time, will there be a cold wind blowing by Dragon Lake? Maybe she will also feel a little cold, because she used to be a little afraid of the cold...


    Lu Chen suddenly shook off his head to free himself from such thoughts, and then continued walking. The night was still clear and cold, and then he thought of the strange look in the old horse''sst look at him when he was parting during the day.


    Lu Chen knew what Lao Ma meant. Although that fat man was not a good person, he was the one he trusted the most over the years. He knew that Lao Ma had good intentions, and that Lao Ma was actually a little worthless and regretful for him.


    It''s just that, there were some things that no one can say, whether he or Lao Ma, and perhaps everyone actually understood in their hearts ...... if it was not good enough, and how could it be used as a sessful bait? If it wasn''t a rare talent, how could someone like the elder of the Demon''s Sect be admired?


    Sacrifice?


    Perhaps only the fat man who had always been hiding in the depths of the light was the truly decisive and ruthless person.


    The mountain wind was faint, blowing through thepel, as if there was a bone-chilling feeling.


    Lu Chen gently pulled thepel, thinking about the future. If there would be an opportunity, he should go back to the Chashan Dragon Lake to have a look, add more soil to the Dingdangs grave, and nt more trees next to it.


    When thinking like this, Lu Chen''s body suddenly stopped, and his footsteps suddenly stopped!


    Only to see the curved mountain road in the dark shadow of the deep, deep darkness, suddenly from some unknown ce, there was a soft, trembling whimpering sound. In this stern cold night, such as the night ghosts crying, the message came faintly.


    The shadows of the surrounding tall peaks seemed to be covered at that moment, making this section of the mountain road look extraordinarily dark.


    The night was deep, it was the time of destion.


    *Dragon Lake - Long Lake


    *Chashan - Tea Mountain

 Chapter 90: The Shadow of the Mountain Pavilion

    Chapter 90: The Shadow of the Mountain Pavilion


    The voice was intermittent, and there was a tremor in the whimpering, which was particrly eerie and terrifying in this dark night and cold mountain wind, and one couldn''t help but feel a creepy feeling. Although Kunlun Mountain was a spiritual mountain fairnd, it was unlikely that there would be any ghosts and goblins out to harm people, it still sounds a little scary.


    What if, what if there are really some hidden demons and monsters on this mountain? ......


    Lu Chen stood on the spot, frowning slightly, listened intently for a moment, then said to himself, "It seems to be a female ghost."


    After saying that, he continued to walk forward, at a slightly slower pace than before, while his eyes kept ncing around the mountain path in front of him, as if looking for something.


    In the night, the mountain road was empty, and the ck shadows were swaying, as if in the woods and grasses on both sides of the road were hidden strange eyes, staring at Lu Chen''s figure in the dark.


    The mountain road was an old road repaired by the Kunlun School for many years. It was weather-stained but still solid and t, winding and extending forward silently


    The strange voice that sounded like a woman crying, still came from the front erratically, but it gradually became clear as Lu Chen walked forward.


    As he was walking, Lu Chen suddenly stopped, and saw a hill not far ahead. The mountain road passed through the mountainside, and at the same time, a stone step forked the road, so Lu Chen climbed up the hill.


    The hill was covered with pine forests, and the night was so dark that even the stars in the sky were blocked, and the mncholy and choked crying sound seemed to turn a corner here, as if it came down from that mountain.


    The cold wind blew, and the pines burst, staring at Lu Chen on the mountain road in darkness and silence.


    Lu Chen nced at the hill, then continued to walk up.


    The sound of crying gradually cleared up, and the darkness around became more dense. Not long after, Lu Chen, who was walking on the stone steps, saw a pavilion halfway up the mountain, with a que outside the pavilion, but the surrounding area was so dark that he couldn''t see the pavilion clearly. But the most frightening thing was that at the moment in the middle of that pavilion, there was a figure sitting by the stone table, with its back facing Lu Chen, the long silhouette was of a woman, her shoulders shrugged slightly, then came a burst of soft sobbing.


    One up and one down, one in front and one behind, the surroundings were full of ghosts, when a mountain wind blew quietly, it swept up the trace of ck, revealing the "female ghost" with tragic white cheek skin, as if even the air was frozen live in general.


    "Hey!"


    Suddenly, a voice came from outside the pavilion, with a hint of impatience, instantly breaking the eerie atmosphere, and then a figure stepped in andined very rudely to the "female ghost": ""It''s the middle of the night. Your ghostly howling will scare people, are you out of your mind?"


    "Ah!" The cry was abruptly stopped, and a momentter the "female ghost" who suddenly seemed to be taken aback, let out a scream, and jumped up from the stone table, stumbling backwards, looking at the ck figure standing at the edge of the pavilion, and stammered in a trembling voice: "You. Don''t you, e here! Ghosts ......"


    "Ghosts can also be afraid of ghosts?" Lu Chen snorted angrily, and casually tapped the fire pocket on his body.


    The moment the fire was lit, it illuminated the faces of the two people in the pavilion. The terrified face of the woman on the opposite side shed there, and after a while, her expression froze at first, and then she showed a somewhat unbelievable expression, and said in astonishment: "Brother Lu, why is it you..."


    At this time, the whole Kunlun faction would call Lu Chen "Brother Lu", and of course Yi Xin was the only one.


    With the dim light of the fire, Lu Chen saw Yi Xin''s surprised, happy, and bewildered face, with tears still hanging down her face, and her face was very haggard, so he couldn''t help shaking his head. With a wave of his hand, the fire suddenly flickered out, and darkness again enveloped the mountain pavilion.


    ""You don''t sleep in the middle of the night, running here to scare people, you youngdy is getting more and more powerful." Lu Chen walked to the stone table in the pavilion and sat down under the dim light.


    Yi Xin stood by the pavilion for a while, and then walked over cautiously. In the pavilion in the night, the faces of the two people appeared blurred in the darkness again, even though there was only a stone table between them.


    Perhaps it was the surprise, or the excitement, Yi Xin did not care about the slightly sarcastic joke in Lu Chen''s mouth. Instead, as if somewhat embarrassed, shrank her neck, and only after a moment did she say, "Brother Lu, you, howe you''re on this Kunlun Mountain?"


    Lu Chen looked up at the sky, felt that there was still more than half an hour before midnight, and there was still time, so he said, " Me? I''m a disciple of Kunlun now."


    "Huh?" Yi Xin opened her eyes wide and said in astonishment, "What, you actually joined the Kunlun sect?"


    "Hey, don''t think that because it''s dark I can''t see the look of contempt on your face!"


    Yi Xin was startled, quickly waved her hands and said, "No, no! Brother Lu, I, I would never look down on you, I just didn''t expect it. But it''s great that you cane to Kunlun Mountain. Kunlun is also a famous sect, it must be much better for you to be here than to be in Crescent Moon City, a ce of confusion."


    Lu Chen nced at her, and could feel the sincere joy in the words of this young girl who had no deep experience in the world, which warmed his heart for no reason, then shook his head and snorted, saying: "Okay, let''s talk, What''s the matter with you running here crying and pretending to be a ghost in the middle of the night?"


    "I...I''m not pretending to be a ghost!" Yi Xin only felt her cheeks heat up. Fortunately, Lu Chen might not be able to see it in the dim light, so she retorted subconsciously, "It''s you who jumped out suddenly just now, that''s why Its scary, okay! Dont say Im not pretending to be a ghost, even if I am a ghost, you scared even the ghost to death just now.


    "Hey, I haven''t seen you for a while, you''re really good at speaking." Lu Chenughed.


    Yi Xin didn''t want to entangle him on this topic anymore, so she quickly changed the subject and said, "Brother Lu, what is your status now, and where are you assigned?"


    Lu Chen said: "I have average natural talent, after joining the sect, I only have to be a servant disciple, and now I''m in the Hundred Herb Hall under the Stone Pan Valley nting spiritual fields."


    "Ah?" Yi Xin whispered, seemingly a little inconceivably surprised, and said, "What a coincidence! I''m also in the Hundred Herb Hall, it''s really...uh."


    Her voice suddenly paused, looked at Lu Chen, the smile on her face slowly converged, after a while, with a little caution, said softly to LuChen, "Brother Lu, then today during the daytime, you ......"


    "I stood in the spirit field and watched youe out of that forest, and then saw you get tangled with that He Gang until you finally left." Lu Chen said indifferently.


    Yi Xin was dumbfounded.


    After a while, Lu Chen sighed and said, "Okay, now you can tell me what''s going on?"

 Chapter 91: Devastation

    Chapter 91: Devastation


    Chapter 91 - Devastation


    The night was dark and the mountain breeze was blowing. Although it was a bit cool, somehow it was no longer gloomy as before, but it had a little warmth. Perhaps people are like this, as long as there ispany, they will always feel better.


    Loneliness is the deepest fear in the heart.


    So after being silent for a while, Yi Xin finally spoke to Lu Chen, talking about what happened these days: After returning to Kunwu City from thend of confusion, Yi Xin was anxious because she secretly left home. Of course, the family members were overjoyed. Although they scolded and cursed a few times, they were still d that nothing major happened. However, there were three people when they went there, but only one person was left when they came back, and those two were genuine Kunlun disciples. Of course, it is impossible to simply expose this matter.


    Soon, someone from the Kunlun faction came down to inquire about this matter. Yi Xin told the truth about what happened in Heijia* Mountain. At first, everyone sighed with emotion and didn''t think too much about it. Even He Yi, He Gang''s famous brother of Kunlun, came over and left silently in the end, not embarrassing Yi Xin.


    No one thought that a little girl like Yi Xin, who didn''t even have a formal entry into the Kunlun School, would harm the minds or abilities of those two.


    The days that followed were quiet for a while, and soon it was time for the Kunlun Sect Immortal Appreciation Conference. At this time, a message from the Golden Core cultivator who had fallen in love with Yi Xin was uploaded from Kunlun Mountain, to the effect that the Daoist master named Dongfang Tao was injured a little more seriously than expected, and he still had to close the gate and it had been closed for a period of time, and it was still unknown when it will be opened. But Yi Xin hase of age, if she didn''t go up to the mountain to learn art from a teacher, she was afraid it would be dyed.


    Therefore, ording to Dongfang Tao''s arrangement, Yi''s family sent Yi Xin to Kunlun, and went all the way to worship the sect. Finally, under Dongfang Tao''s face, they arranged her to be a formal disciple in Hundred Herb Hall.


    Speaking of official disciples, their status is much higher than that of handyman disciples. They are people who can get cultivation resources without working. Of course, the premise of getting this treatment is that the talent and background are strong enough. In short, until now, Yi Xin has been living a good life, full of hope for the future, peacefully and happily living in the Kunlun Mountain and doing cultivation.


    But a monthter, the situation changed suddenly, and He Gang, who was part of the trio that day, unexpectedly came back. It was a happy event to escape by chance, but ording to him, he was surrounded by a group of terrifying ck jackals and was gnawed wildly. Later, he identally fell off the cliff andnded in a pool of water below, so he escaped a disaster.


    But despite this, He Gang still suffered great violence. Not to mention his handsome face waspletely ruined, his body was also severely injured. He had gone through a big loss of his vital energy and had many serious injuries on his body. He was found at the foot of Kunlun Mountain. At that time, he was already dying, and he didn''t know how he came back along the way.


    Fortunately, he has an elder brother He Yi who has great powers and loved him. After discovering the incident, he immediately tried his best and exhausted many good medicines and Elixir, and finally saved him and recovered most of his morality.


    But since then, she doesn''t know if he was too stimted in thend of confusion. He Gang seems to suddenly seem like a different person, the whole person''s temperament was unusually radical, often arguing with people provocatively. Encountering misfortune and He Yi''s face probably made him three points. Then, He Gang discovered Yi Xin who was also on Kunlun Mountain


    It''s hard to imagine what He Gang was thinking when he saw Yi Xin, but Yi Xin herself was very pleasantly surprised at first. Although she was a little scared seeing He Gang''s scary face, she was always happy that he survived.


    But He Gang''s reaction was beyond Yi Xin''s expectation. After seeing Yi Xin, he was stunned for a while and then backed away, but soon rushed over like a roar, grabbed Yi Xin''s and asked her to be a couple, and then began to move his hands and feet.


    Yi Xin was immediately frightened, and it was needless to say that she tried her best to resist. After she finally escaped, she soon heard He Gang spreading rumors in the Kunlun faction, saying that when they went south to thend of confusion, the two of them had been in love with each other for a lifetime. It was precisely because of his deep love for Yi Xin that he encountered a group of terrible ck jackals in Heijia Mountain that day. He Gang desperately led all the jackals away, allowing Yi Xin to escape alone, and he was almost doomed.


    But now, Yi Xin saw that his morality was damaged, especially his face, so she turned her face and refused to recognize him!


    Yi Xin was dumbfounded when she heard these words. And things took a turn for the worse, especially when He Gang''s elder brother, He Yi, felt sorry for his younger brother and publicly said a few words about Yi Xin''s ungratefulness on a certain asion. Even though Yi Xin tried her best to argue that the situation was not the case, not many people openly expressed sympathy for her.


    At the same time, He Gang became even more entangled with her, harassing her every three days, insisting that she and him be a couple. Today in the daytime in the Stone Pan Valley forest side of the scene that Lu Chen saw, was the scene of the past days that was repeatedly staged.


    Hearing this, Lu Chen finally understood, and didn''t speak for a while.


    There was silence inside and outside the mountain pavilion at the moment, only the slight sound of wind could be heard. Yi Xin quietly raised her head and nced at Lu Chen, only to find that he was sitting across the table looking at her with a pair of bright eyes, which were a little strange.


    "Brother Lu, why are you, why are you looking at me like that?" For some reason, Yi Xin suddenly got a little guilty, so she asked carefully.


    Lu Chen looked at her, thought about it for a while and asked, "Before I met you, there was really nothing between you and He Gang?"


    "No, there really was nothing!" Yi Xin stood up all of a sudden, looking anxious, and said loudly, "Brother Lu, I swear to God, there are no feelings and rtionship between me and Senior Brother He. Back then, I just treated him as an elder brother, I followed him and Master Han to learn more."


    Lu Chen nodded, gestured to her to calm down, and then pondered for a moment, and said: "This matter is not a big deal, let alone the Nascent Soul Daoist, even the Golden Core cultivators in the door may not bother to pay attention to it. Well, say Dont you have a backer? Ask your Master Dongfang Tao toe out and say something. Although He Yi has a bright future, as far as I know, Dongfang Tao is a veteran Golden Core cultivator, and he has achieved Golden Core for at least decades. Now, if this qualification is disyed, many people will give him a face."


    Yi Xin wept mournfully, with a look of grievance, and said: "Master Dongfang he ...... his injuries are not light, in the day after arranging for me to join the mountain, and then he went to retreat again. Only to say that when he wille out he will perform the rituals of joining the mountain, before this he told me to join the Hundred Herbs Hall to practice some basic techniques. I, I really have no choice..."


    Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, shook his head and said to himself in a low voice: "This old man is a good shopkeeper, why does he feel quite simr to that dead bald man?"


    *Heijia Mountain - ck Armor Mountain

 Chapter 92: Dark Temptation

    Chapter 92: Dark Temptation


    Chapter 92 Dark Temptation


    Yi Xin didn''t hear clearly for a moment and asked, "Brother Lu, what did you say?"


    "Well...it''s okay." Lu Chen thought for a while, and then said: "Did you tell your family when you went back? Your Yi family is considered a family in Kunwu City, and there are many people from this family in the Kunlun School for so many years. And have a good friendship with the sect, please ask your parents to find someone to talk to about it?


    Yi Xin smiled bitterly and said, "I went back and told them about it, and my family had also asked someone to speak for me, but ......" her voice dropped at this time and she said softly, "Our Yi family''s current situation is just so so."


    Yi Xin didn''t say anything more, and Lu Chen didn''t continue to ask. Some truths have been the same since ancient times, and it is difficult to change even if the times change. Perhaps the Yi family produced outstanding talents a long time ago, and passed down the family business from it, but the things in this world are no longer realistic. Now that you are weak, your natural voice is not loud enough, and even the former Friendship will also slowly be thinner as the years go by.


    A powerful Golden Core cultivator is enough to create a family inheritance, and He Yi is such a prodigy who is favored by everyone. They think that he will definitely achieve Golden Core in the future, and many people even think that he may have the hope to hit a powerful one. The iparable real Nascent Soul. With such a character, it is obviously uneconomical to say that someone who is prone to injustice would fight against an ordinary family that has nothing to do with him.


    What''s more, in fact, He Yi never came forward to really feel sorry for little girl Yi Xin from the beginning to the end. It''s just that his younger brother loves other girls, so he pursues them wholeheartedly.


    "This thing looks quite troublesome." Lu Chen sighed softly and said to Yi Xin.


    Yi Xin wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and said, "Big brother Lu, you are so powerful, you can help me, right?"


    Lu Chen looked at Yi Xin, only to see her sitting there and looking at him with eyes full of expectation, after a moment, Lu Chen suddenlyughed and said, "Why should I help you, what''s in it for me?"


    Yi Xin froze for a moment as if she didn''t expect Lu Chen to say such a sentence at all, and after a long while, she stammered: "Ah ...... this, this, Brother Lu, I ...... am not, I do not know ...... I think you are a good person, you are quite good to me, I, I thought you would definitely help me."


    Lu Chenughed dumbly and said: "Who told you that I am a good person, you little girl''s brain is too simple, no wonder people force you."


    Yi Xin had a bitter face, as if she didn''t know what to say for a moment, so she could only mutter in the end: "I, I just think that when you were in thend of confusion, Brother Lu, you saved me and helped me like that, so ...... so I just think you are very good."


    "Tsk ......" Lu Chen was speechless for a moment, shook his head and pondered for a moment before saying, "Anyway, I''m not the kind of person you think, I can''t work for nothing. If you want me to help you solve this matter, you will have to pay some reward too!"


    "Oh oh oh, I should, I should." Yi Xin repeatedly said, "Brother Lu, what do you want, as long as I have, I will give it to you!"


    Seeing her eagerness, she really wanted to get rid of He Gang''s entanglement all at once, obviously she was about to be driven crazy.


    "So, okay, then you can give me your body." Lu Chen said.


    Yi Xin instantly froze like a wooden stick, her mouth opened wide, as if she had instantly turned into a stone. After a few moments, she suddenly saw a vague smile hanging at the corner of Lu Chen''s mouth, which snapped her back to consciousness, stomping her foot in shame and annoyance, and said angrily: "Brother Lu, you, what are you saying? ah!"


    Lu Chenughed: "What, just one sentence and you can''t stand it anymore?"


    "Huh?"


    Lu Chen said: "I see that when He Gang came to pester you, you were ashamed and angry but panicked from the beginning to the end. You had no power to fight back. Was your mood the same as now?"


    Yi Xin realized, but her cheeks still felt a little hot, and she whispered: "It''s about the same."


    "Hmph!" Lu Chen sneered, with a bit of undisguised mockery, and Yi Xin suddenly felt her face getting hotter. And Immediately heard Lu Chen say: "I''ll help you out with this, but I haven''t figured out what the reward is. You owe me, and you just remember to promise to do something for me in the future."


    "Okay, okay." Listening to Lu Chen''s words, Yi Xin suddenly felt that she suddenly saw a glimmer of light in the darkness, and hurriedly agreed, and then looked at Lu Chen with an expectant face, as if seeing an omnipotent god general.


    The hot gaze, even a cheeky person like Lu Chen could not stand it. He red at her, then said: "Just now I thought about this from beginning to end, and I think your biggest problem is that there is no way to sue, if your master of the Golden Dan realm will be out of the gate, perhaps you will not be in such a mess?"


    Yi Xin did not hesitate to say, "Of course, Master Dongfang loves me the most, if he came out of the gate, he would never sit back and do nothing."


    "Well, then it''s clear. The most important thing now is to let you wait until your master leaves the test. There are also ways. It''s very simple. There are two ways."


    Yi Xin''s eyes immediately brightened, and she looked at Lu Chen with a sense of admiration, and quickly said, "Brother Lu, teach me quickly."


    Lu Chen stretched out his first finger, and said: "First, you pretended to be perfunctory to He Gang, and stabilized him first, and even allowed him to take advantage if necessary, and endured until your master came out of the customs, and officially ept you as a disciple before turning the other cheek."


    Yi Xin froze for a moment, then suddenly shook her head hard and said decisively, "No!"


    Lu Chen looked at her and asked, "Why?"


    Yi Xin had a look of disgust on her face and said, "That person is so disgusting now, every time hees over to pester me, he says and does things as if he wants to eat me up. I can''t stand it."


    Lu Chen nodded to show that he understood, and then said, "In that case, there is a second method. But now the situation you should understand yourself, so to use this method, it depends on whether you are ruthless enough."


    Yi Xin looked a little bewildered and said in confusion, "Brother Lu, what do you want me to do, what is ruthless enough?"


    Lu Chen smiled faintly and beckoned to her, Yi Xinplied and walked to his side, leaning down slightly, and then saw Lu Chen whispering something in her ear.


    Yi Xin listened and listened, her face slowly changed, first in amazement, then her body trembled slightly, seemingly excited and fearful, mixed with aplex look of flushing, for a moment, she was stunned to straighten up, looking back at Lu Chen, as if struggled to say: "This, this is okay?"


    At this moment, in the dead of night, the man was silent, just sitting quietly at the table in the pavilion. For some reason, Yi Xin suddenly had a strange illusion that the man in front of her seemed to suddenly be very strange.


    At that moment, Yi Xin felt that the darkness around her wasing in like a tide, crowding around the man, blurring his face and making him hide in the darkness. Even the faint smile he asionally showed seemed to carry a trace of the coldness and chill of the night.


    "I told you earlier, I''m not a good person." After a while, Lu Chen, who was sitting in the darkness, said indifferently.

 Chapter 93: Perseverance and Determination

    Chapter 93: Perseverance and Determination


    Chapter 93 Perseverance and Determination


    The time passes, the moon sets and the moon rises, therge Kunlun Mountain, countless people are busy walking their own path, however,pared with the majestic mountains, people are often like tiny ants, the whole day to do their own, but forgot to look up at the boundless and vast sky.


    Yi Xin walked on the road on the Stone Pan mountain, her face looked calm, and did not show any extra expression. Her identity was a formal disciple, and she did not have to work all day for some meager pay like a handyman disciple, but she still had to do help with some sorting and identification of spiritual materials in the hall. And this kind of work also had a great advantage, she could identify many useful spiritual materials, and was familiar with the medicinal properties of the herbs, andy solid formation for possible future alchemy medicine or exclusion expeditions.


    The Stone Pan Mountain has many boulders on it, a branch of Hundred Herb Hall is built here on the mountain boulders. One can see the flying eaves, blue-green tiles from a distance, which is extraordinary. Along the way Yi Xin was not the only one.There were quite a few Hundred Herb Hall disciples who came and went with the same identity as her. Many people have noticed Yi Xin, and many people pointed and whispered.


    The word of mouth is always the same, right?*


    Yi Xin did not go to see the brothers and sisters of the same school, while she was walking, her mind was unpredictably ringing with a conversation with Lu Chen a few days ago, and some of hister confessions.


    "In the vicinity of Stone Pan Mountain, there are no female Golden Core masters with high Daoist virtues and bad tempers in this lineage of the Hundred Herb Hall?" This is what Lu Chen asked her that day.


    "Yes, there have always been a lot of female disciples in Hundred Herb Hall, and there are also several female Golden Core cultivators who are in their early stages of cultivation. The one who came here recently is Master Yan Luo Yan. She has a stern nature, and all the disciples in the hall are afraid of her."


    "Great, Heaven help you."


    "But ...... but the great cultivators of the Golden Dan realm never bother to know or care about such trivial matters rted to us low level disciples."


    "Then just force her to know and force her to care. "


    "Ah? How to do it?"


    "That depends on whether you are tough enough ......"


    "Brother Lu, when you say this again, I always feel so scared inside when I hear it ......"


    The warm sunlight sprinkled down and shone on Yi Xin''s body, making her feel a touch of warmth. She took a deep breath and let herself show a smile, then walked towards that big hall.


    The day passed uneventfully, and in the afternoon, Yi Xin walked out of the hall and started walking down the mountain. When she reached the foot of the mountain, she pretended to nce at the t and wide spiritual field, only to see many handyman disciples working hard in the spiritual field at the bottom of the mountain, and unsurprisingly, she did find a familiar face among them.


    Lu Chen stood inconspicuously in a certain spiritual field and smiled at her from afar.


    For some reason, seeing that smile, Yi Xin seemed to feel a little support in her heart, and her mind, which had been a bit flustered, became more stable. But before she could think of what to do, suddenly a sinister and even hostile voice came from a short distance beside her.


    "Junior Sister Yi, what a coincidence, we meet again."


    Yi Xin''s heart jumped, she subconsciously clenched her hands, and then turned her head to look. In her eyes, there was that extremely ugly and terrifying face.


    Yi Xin slowly hung her head, her face seemed to have a fearful look, and she whispered: "Senior Brother He ......"


    He Gang looked at Yi Xin''s pretty face, he only saw that she had a look of fear and weakness, but it did not do any damage to her beauty, but added a bit of sadness and delicate temptation, it felt as if a burning me was burning in his heart, it was like a wild beast roared suddenly in his heart.


    His eyes showed a look of greed and eagerness, but his tone was calm, he just smiled and said, "Junior Sister Yi, I have something I want to say to you."


    Yi Xin slightly raised her eyes and looked at that face, only to find that when He Gang smiled his face was just scarred muscles, that face became more and more terrifying, she could not help but take a step backward, after two sharp gasps, she said, "Senior Brother He, if you have something to say, you can just say it here."


    "Here?" He Gang sneered, looked around at the many handyman disciples in the spiritual field, and with a look of contempt in his eyes, he said, "There are too many people here, Junior Sister Yi, let''s go over there to talk in a less crowded ce."


    As he said that, He Gang walked towards the woods like that day, Yi Xin''s face changed slightly, she looked a little hesitant, He Gang suddenly turned back, his face showed a fierce look and he viciously called out, "Junior Sister Yi!"


    Yi Xin''s face showed a painful look, but she finally slowly took a step and followed He Gang into the woods. This scene fell in the eyes of many handyman disciples, and even many official disciples of the Hundred Herb Hall who passed by and watched from afar also saw it, and all of them looked at each other.


    The woods were quiet, and He Gang looked very happy that Yi Xin was following him, and he walked proudly in the front. And Yi Xin was slowly following him step by step, Lu Chens words rang softly in her mind. Every word sounded simple and clear, but there seemed to be a kind of pain and determination like stabbing in her heart with a knife:


    "I told you to be ruthless, not to be ruthless to He Gang, because it is useless."


    "Nowadays there are countless rumors, all of them are from He Gang. Even if you kill him, you can not seal the mouth of all the people, but rather fall on mouth, and He Yi''s revenge. Your Yi family will absolutely not be able to bear it."


    "He Gang just wants you, and wants to eat you alive; I dont know about He Yi, but perhaps he is such a character, now he is in need of all the resources to help him impact on the Golden Core. Maybe because of your Yi family''s foundation, he might not be tempted at all, what do you think?"


    "The family is broken, people''s money is empty! Can you stand it? Can''t stand it? So your ruthlessness is to be ruthless to yourself!"


    "Be hard on yourself to the extent that everyone is scared, scared, and unbelievable, then everyone will believe you."


    "In this world, how can there be something sofortable as getting something for nothing? Even if there is, it''s not you and me!"


    "So, be tough on yourself." Lu Chen smiled as he said these words.


    Yi Xin remembered that night, the darkness of Lu Chen''s voice and blurred appearance suddenly made her shiver.


    She stared fixedly at He Gang who stopped in front of her, turned around, and looked at her with a hideous smile and a terrifying face. The corners of her eyes twitched, and her body trembled slightly.


    All this fell into the eyes of He Gang. He looked at Yi Xin as if he had been looking at a weak chick, and a violent emotion seemed to be rising from his heart. That terrifying scene, the scene of countless vicious ck jackals barking and biting, suddenly passed through his mind, making him tremble uncontrobly.


    He was scared! He was scared to death, every time he dreamed of that scene he would be so scared that he would pee his pants, and every time he saw Yi Xin''s beautiful face he would always think angrily, why, why she could escape unharmed, while he suffered like that.


    Everything is her fault!


    I''ll make her feel that pain too!


    Fucking her hard, torturing her, making her scream in pain, he imagined wildly, as if only in this way could he have an uncontroble pleasure.


    It was at this time that He Gang heard Yi Xin open her mouth and whisper in a trembling voice.


    "He ......Senior brother, don''t force me like this, okay?"


    That young girl, as if about to cry out, with tears in the corners of her eyes, as if she had gathered all the courage to say this to him.


    *Gossip and rumors are indispensable at any time.

 Chapter 94: A Sunny Day

    Chapter 94: A Sunny Day


    Chapter 94 : A Sunny Day


    He Gang grinned grimly, his white teeth protruding from his missing mouth, looking extraordinarily fierce, like a wolf and a tiger.


    Yi Xin took another step backward and said in a trembling voice, "Don''t force me, Brother He."


    He Gang let out a "bah" and said viciously: "I''m going to force you, what? Let me tell you clearly, I''m going to fix you. You just follow me wholeheartedly. In the future, my elder brother will be the Golden Core Nascent Soul, so naturally you and your Yi family can enjoy endless glory and wealth."


    Yi Xin''s face turned pale, and she kept shaking her head. After a while, she said with a sad smile: "Our Yi family... so you really covet our family property?"


    He Gang frowned suddenly, as if he felt that something was wrong, but he couldn''t remember it for a while, so he simply didn''t bother to say more,ughed wildly, strode towards Yi Xin, and at the same time stretched out his hand to grab her, and said with a smile: "Yi Xin Junior sister, I have missed you for a long time, today you just..."


    "ng!" A crisp sound interrupted He Gang''s words abruptly, and he stopped for a while, only to see Yi Xin drew out a sharp dagger, which was crossed in front of him, with a few scars on his face. The look of determination, mixed with a bit of pain and despair, and even a bit of madness that has never been seen before, is vaguely simr to He Gang''s eyes before.


    He Gang was taken aback by this strike, but then he sneered and said, "What are you doing, trying to scare me with a knife, stab me if you dare, kill me and see if anyone in your Yi family can survive!"


    Yi Xin gritted her teeth tightly and looked at the front nkly, only feeling a little blurry in front of her eyes, and it seemed that the painful and desperate question she had said that day sounded in her ears:


    "Why, Brother Lu, why is this? It''s obvious that they forced me to bully me, but you want me to be cruel to myself?"


    Lu Chen''s calm and stern words came from the darkness, echoing in her heart and ears: "Because you are weak."


    "But isn''t this unreasonable!"


    "Yeah, it''s unreasonable, it''s unreasonable, that''s how it is in this world. Either you lie down and admit defeat, let others bully you, or you try your best to find some ways within your power, even if that way seems painful and ufortable. Do you want me to give you the principles of heaven and justice? I''m sorry, I don''t, I''m not a good person, I can only teach you these things."


    "Ah ......"


    Yi Xin suddenly screamed loudly, like a desperate little beast wailing in despair. At this moment, her fear didn''t seem to be directed too much at the ugly person in front of her, but rather she was afraid of some kind of invisible and untouchable breath.


    Her whole body trembled.


    He Gang saw it in his eyes, and his body was shaking with excitement.


    A roar came out of her mouth, her eyes filled with blood red, and she rushed forward fiercely,ughing, "Stinky bastard, I''ll show you today......"


    "Poof!"


    That low, muffled sound was not loud, but it was like a sudden thunderp, which instantly shocked He Gang to stop on the spot, and looked at Yi Xin in astonishment and disbelief.


    That young girl, that beautiful young girl, at this moment had a look of pain on her face, but she held the dagger tightly in her hand, and directly inserted her backhand into her body.


    The dagger was extremely sharp, and it pierced through her left shoulder. It was conceivable that Yi Xin had exhausted all her strength. The crimson blood flowed out like a fountain in an instant, dyeing Yi Xin''s clothes red all of a sudden.


    And Yi Xin''s pale and bloodless lips trembled slightly, and slowly pulled the dagger out of the flesh and blood. The pain was like a tidal wave that was about to submerge this fragile woman. Several times she seemed to feel that she was about to fall down and couldn''t bear it anymore, but for some reason, she was still standing here, standing in the pool of blood. She looked coldly at the stunned He Gang opposite to her.


    Suddenly, she had a sense of pleasure in the pain.


    It turned out that the ugly man was not as powerful as she thought.


    Then she slowly lowered her head, looked at the bloody wound, and shook her head.


    That cold, ghost-like voice, seemingly emotionless and cold, was vaguely still saying to her the terrible words.


    "Since you have decided to be ruthless, you should be more ruthless; since you have decided to do it, you must do it absolutely, right?"


    Didn''t you?


    Sheughed miserably, with a terrible determination in the light of blood that she should not have had at her age, and suddenly screamed, then holding the de upside down, she flipped it up and shed herself directly on her flowery cheek!


    He Gang was frightened.


    This time he was truly stunned, he stood still, dumbfounded, stared at this bloody scene,pletely at a loss, his mind was nk.


    The feeling of cold des cutting through flesh and blood makes one''s whole body seem to be falling apart, Yi Xin''s whole body kept trembling, panting heavily, as if this was the only way to hold on, but in her soft body, it was as if she had unbelievable and terrifying strength this day, holding on until now.


    The blood stained her red, which was shocking and unbearable, but she was in a pool of blood as if nirvana general phoenix, looking down on that ugly man, saw the fear in his eyes, and then with a little contempt.


    She thought to herself: So, what Brother Lu said was really right!


    She wasughing like a maniac, shook her head, and did not look at He Gang, shd fiercely raised the dagger and shed into her clothes, and directly put it on her own body and cut herself several times, instantly the blood burst out, then dropped the dagger and pulled the bodice with her hands to tear, revealing a originally snow-white soft skin but at the moment it was blood stained. The beautiful body hidden under the clothes looked unusually bright red at the moment, and there was a kind of tragedy that people couldn''t look at directly.


    Then she looked up once again, the woods were so quiet that it was like a Naihe Bridge over the Nine Ghosts and Yellow Springs, and like a terrifying sea of blood in a hell of evil spirits.


    For some reason, she suddenly had a relieved smile on her face. She just smiled like that, and then fiercely let out a sharp scream, and then stumbled towards the woods outside. Along the way, blood flowed all over the ground, staining the whole road red.


    He Gang did note back to his senses, he just stood dumbly in that ce, his eyes fell on the crimson pool of blood on the ground, as if he still had not broken free from the sudden tragic scene just now.


    After a few moments, there was a sudden burst of noise outside the woods. Someone shouted, someone eximed, someone shouted angrily, and some sounded like women crying.


    "Come on,e on,e on,e and save Junior Sister Yi!"


    "Medicine, medicine! Who has medicine to stop bleeding injuries, why is she bleeding so much?"


    "It''s not working, it''s not working, go to the mountain and ask Senior Uncle Yan toe down, only the old man can save Junior Sister Yi!"


    ......


    A chaos, the waves were getting bigger and bigger, as if gradually converging into a wave of frenzy, surging crazily in all directions.


    And in the spiritual field behind the crowd, a man standing at a distance watching from afar took in this terrible scene from beginning to end, and as the crowd gathered past, he looked up with an expressionless face and looked at the sky.


    The sky was blue and cloudless.


    It''s a sunny day.

 Chapter 95: Swords are drawn

    Chapter 95: Swords are drawn


    Chapter 95 Swords are drawn


    This incident that happened at the foot of Stone Pan Mountain on this day was seen by many Hundred Herb Hall disciples and more handyman disciples. When the blood-soaked woman stumbled out of the forest, the tragic and iparable sight instantly shocked everyone.


    The crimson blood flowed on that beautiful face, and pierced into everyone''s eyes like a knife, making people''s eyes sting and unable to control themselves, making people hold their breath and tense involuntarily.


    Like a boulder thrown into the water, a huge wave was set off in an instant!


    Kunlun faction, after all, is still a famous sect!


    Yan Luo, a Golden Core Cultivator sitting in the Stone Pan mountain''s Hundred Herb Hall, after getting the news immediately rushed down the mountain, shielding Yi Xin and healing her wounds; when someone found that someone in the forest was sneaking around trying to leave, it was He Gang, thinking about the previous events, the crowd was suddenly agitated, and many people were cursing out.


    But He Gang''s brother, He Yi, after all, is too famous. Although the crowd was angry, no one dared to step forward to stop the attack. At this time, Yan Luo, who is already gray-haired, suddenly appeared beside He Gang without saying a word, and pped him across the face.


    That afternoon, at the edge of the woods below the Stone Pan mountain, everyone heard the crunching sound and the dull fracture sound that followed, and a man''s heart-breaking howl at the end.


    Of course, no one paid any attention to him.


    By the evening, the matter had spread throughout the Kunlun School, and was a sensation up and down the sect.


    When the Yi Family in Kunwu City heard the news they rushed to the mountain. It is said that the scene was so tragic that the girl''s mother fainted on the spot after seeing her daughter, and Yi Xin''s father and other rtives and friends were all angry and unable to control themselves.


    Hundred Herb Hall is one of the most important halls in the Kunlun School, with strong and deep roots. In just one day, there were two Nascent Soul Daoistd and seven Golden Core cultivators directly descend to the stone pan mountain, and even after nightfall on arge mountain peak was still brightly lit, and countless people went in and out, only to see the sky was full of brilliance and different awnings rise and fall, the path of the rainbow crossed the sky, making the stars and moon look lightless, when the Daoists of the immortal division came wind sounded like drums as they stepped on the clouds, such as the eve of the storm the thunder came from a silent ce.


    He Gang, who wanted to escape, was caught by Yan Luo, who broke his bones on the spot, and threw him at the foot of Stone Pan Mountain, howling and screaming, no one approached and no one dared to rescue him.


    After night fell, it was unknown who sent the order from Stone Pan Mountain, He Gang was directly tied and hung on the big tree in front of the mountain, facing the endless spiritual fields and countless onlookers.


    Of course, this is naked insult and venting anger, although He Gang screamed heart-piercingly in the middle of the pain, saying that Yi Xin is a bitch, she did everything by herself, she stabbed herself , and has nothing to do with He Gang himself!


    In the cold mountain wind, He Gang''s voice gradually decreased and became hoarse and weak, and in the end, others could only hear him whispering his brother''s name.


    But this night, He Yi has not appeared.


    He Gang was also hung hard for a night.


    Within the Kunlun sect, the major mountains, at the entrances of the various mountains and halls, it seemed as if they smelled something that night, and they were all silent. And among the huge Kunlun Mountains, there seemed to be a faint sense of tension this night.


    Early the next morning, news came from the "Tianbingtang*", which is in charge of the Kunlun School''s magic weapon refining and forging of immortal soldiers, and is also powerful. He Yi, a disciple of the Kunlun School, was summoned to the famous "Tianhuo Pce**" of the Kunlun School, and he was reprimanded for a long time. He Yi knelt down and dared not speak. He Yi kowtowed*** again and again in the hall, causing his face to be blue.


    However, when the news came, the stone pan mountain did not seem to be moved in the slightest, the whole mountain peak was silent, like an angry beast, coldly looking at its rival in the Kunlun Mountains.


    The atmosphere in the Kunlun School on the second day turned out to be more and more tense.


    The disciples of the Heavenly Soldier Hall suddenly could not receive the elixir immortal pills in the alchemy room, and during the rhetorical arguments, the disciples on the two sides, especially the disciples of the Hundred Herbs Hall became more and more provocative, the situation even has a tendency to deteriorate.


    But in the evening of this day, the Kunlun Sects Sect leader, Xianyue, suddenly arrived at the stone pan mountain, along with the chief elder of the Heavenly Warrior Hall, Dukong.


    They first went to visit the seriously injured and dying ......Yi Xin. Of course, under the observation and care of many powerful cultivators, Yi Xins injuries has been greatly improved and The two masters of the thatched cottage called Qiandeng and Mingzhu together, and everyone found a quiet room to talk behind closed doors.


    This chatsted for half a day, but when they walked out of the door, all the people on the mountain saw the four magical powers of the highly respected Daoist YuanYing with a smile, with crane bones and immortal wind, like gods who do not eat the fire and smoke of the world, greet each other, looking forward to the future of KunLun bright prospects, talked about all the hardships on the path of monasticism, and only said that the divine path brilliant heavenly will, is the right way on earth.


    Afterwards, Master Dukong left and drifted away. In the middle of this, he simply never mentioned a word about He Gang who was still hanging on that big tree under Stone Pan Mountain, and the people of Hundred Herb Hall also seemed to have forgotten about him.


    After this, the matter quickly subsided, He Gang was hanged for three days and then released, was picked up by his brother He Yi, and then sent directly out of Kunlun Mountain, in Kunwu City to find a house to live in to recuperate. He found a house in Kunwu City to recuperate. It seems that he will not return to the mountain in a short time. And after He Yi finished this matter, he immediately announced to everyone that he would immediately retreat in ordance with the teacher''s order, toprehend and break through the iparably difficult Golden Core Realm.


    Everything is like a breeze blowing, after the turbulent sway, it finally gradually calmed down, the majestic Kunlun is still like the old days, everything is as usual.


    Late at night, the Stone Pan mountain has long lost the lively tension of the previous days, After the lights dimmed, there was silence. I dont know how many people fell asleep at this moment.


    The darkness of the night seems to be everywhere, and there is a shadow that melts with the darkness quietly moving forward in the darkness, passing through the houses without a sound, bypassing the guards, and finally in a very deep ce. He stopped outside the room.


    The window was a little open, as if seemed to have opened by the night wind, it let out a creak and swayed open.


    On the bed in the room, Yi Xin turned over, rubbed her eyes sleepily, suddenly trembled, and sat up suddenly and found that there was a ck shadow beside her bed.


    But before she could cry out, a big hand had already covered her mouth, forcing all her voice back.


    *Heavenly Warrior Hall


    **Heavenly Fire Pce


    ***In the older days in China lower rank people use to bow/kneel to the upper rank or the King that type of bowing was called Kowtow


    its pronounced : Kaau-Taau

 Chapter 96:

    Chapter 96:


    Chapter 96: Deep-hearted and Ruthless


    "Woo... woo..."


    Yi Xin let out a deep cry and struggled desperately, but saw that ck figure suddenly leaning over, and then whispered something in her ear, Yi Xin froze immediately, then stopped struggling, and the whole person was quiet, only the darkness in the eyes still showed a trace of shock.


    The hand that covered her mouth slowly retracted, and the ck shadow was still sitting on the edge of her bed, a pair of bright eyes appeared in the darkness, and then gradually saw his face, it was Lu Chen.


    "Brother Lu..." Yi Xin called out softly. Apart from the astonishment in her eyes, there was finally a little more joy in her eyes. For some reason, she suddenly felt sour in her eyes, but after a moment, two lines of tears silently flowed down from her pale face.


    Tears ran across her white and tender skin, and the bandaged wound on one side of her face was still not removed, making her look extraordinarily bleak. Lu Chen looked at the girl sitting in the dark and weeping silently, sighed, then reached out and wiped the tears on her face, saying:


    "Don''t cry, you did a good job."


    Yi Xin stared at him nkly, her lips trembling slightly, and the scenes of these days shed through her mind. Suddenly, she found that so many fellow students, so many rtives, even her parents, seemed to be separated from her. In the past few days, she has tried her best to suppress her fear and tension, but only at this time, in this dark and quiet night, in front of this man who seems to be one with the darkness like a shadow, she suddenly feels a sense of relief.


    He knows all the secrets, and there is no need to pretend anything in front of him. Yi Xin just looked at him like this, unknowingly burst into tears again, and even her voice trembled and choked:


    "Lu, Brother Lu ...... I''m so scared ......"


    Lu Chen raised his hand, as if he wanted tofort Yi Xin, but just as he raised his hand, he suddenly felt a warm body fall into his arms, hugged his arm tightly, desperately with a suppressed trembling voice, she cried in a low voice: "I was so scared, Brother Lu, I was so scared at that time, I was in so much pain... I have never been in such pain in my life! I watched myself bleed so much, my whole body was all blood, I, I, I even cut my own face, and I''ve been an ugly monster since then... woo woo, woo woo woo..."


    Lu Chen''s hands froze in the air, and he couldn''t lift or release them for a while, so he had to let Yi Xin cry in his arms letting her vent. After a while, he found that Yi Xin still didn''t seem to calm down, so he patted the girl''s shoulder lightly, and said softly, "Okay, it''s all over..."


    Perhaps hisfort had some effect, Yi Xin''s crying slowly quieted down, after a while, she slowly left Lu Chen''s body and sat down on the bed again with her head down. She kept wiping the tears on her face with her hands.


    He held a handkerchief in one hand and handed it to her.


    Yi Xin hesitated for a moment, took it, wiped her face while whispering, "Thank you."


    "Well, this is the final result of the matter." The room was still dark, and Lu Chen and Yi Xin sat on the same bed in the dark, a little strangely and somewhat ambiguously, separated by some distance, listening to Lu Chen talking about the events of the days, and then finally Lu Chen as if to draw a conclusion, said.


    "If there is no ident, He Yi will have a long period of time in seclusion. He Gang is currently recovering from his injuries in Kunwu City, but it will be difficult to return to the Kunlun School. Maybe he will be expelled from the mountain gate because of this.


    Yi Xin''s breathing seemed to be short in the dark for a while, and then said in an unbelievable tone: "Really?"


    "Really."


    Yi Xin was silent for a moment, then let out a long breath, as if a boulder that had been weighing on her heart for a long time had finally been moved away. After a while, she sighed softly, "Our Kunlun School still has its own principles, that is, it''s just because of me this time that it rmed so many senior elders, it''s really..."


    Before she finished speaking, Yi Xin suddenly saw Lu Chen beside him turning his head to look at her, with a pair of bright but deep eyes staring at her. For some reason, Yi Xin''s heart suddenly felt empty for no reason, and her voice dripped down involuntarily. After a while, she waited and said: "I, did I say something wrong?"


    Lu Chen looked at her with a smirk and said, "Do you really think that all themotion between the Hundred Herb Hall and the Heavenly Warrior Hall is just for you?"


    Yi Xin was stunned, and after a while she stuttered and said: "Isn''t it?"


    "Of course it was for you at the beginning. When you came out of the woods that day, the scene was so bloody and tragic that no one could bear it, so including your Uncle Yan Luo, he was really angry that he took action to help you."


    "But what kind of aristocrats are the Kunlun faction, and how many high-ranking schrs are there in the Hundred Herb Hall, how could they rashly turn against such an important hall as the Heavenly Warrior Hall for a small new student like you? Did you even think about yourself before? Even you won''t believe that this would happen?"


    Yi Xin nodded silently and said, "Then what exactly is it for, Brother Lu?"


    Lu Chen smiled and said, "Because there''s still someone who doesn''t see the He brothers in a good light."


    "Who?"


    "The disciple of the n whoe from the same Kunwu City family as you."


    Yi Xin was stunned for a moment and said with some confusion, "No way, although my family is also considered one of the Kunwu City lineage families, but to be honest, our Yi family has reallye from an average family over the years and has not produced any particrly outstanding talents, and the other big lineage families rarely pay attention to us."


    Lu Chen said indifferently: "It has nothing to do with this, but all the people from the family, since childhood have different circumstances, it is natural to be in a more or less superior mood. Will some people think more about you when they see you? What about: What if the people He Gang is looking for are girls from other aristocratic families? The big aristocratic families are confident, powerful and powerful, so naturally they are not afraid, but what about those small and medium aristocratic families, do they deserve to be bullied by such newly rising young people? Take a step back. Say, even if it is a big family now, what if the family bes like the Yi family in dozens or hundreds of years, and the daughter of the family meets such a person at that time, what should they do?"


    He sat quietly in the darkness, looking at the injured young girl, said calmly and even vaguely with a hint of coldness: "So the key to this matter is the ce where it happened. If you were bullied by He Gang over there in the Land of Confusion, or even worse than what happened today, the reaction in the Kunlun Sect might not even be that great. And this time it was in the Kunlun School, it happened in full view of all Kunlun disciples, it was a p in the face, it was a p in the face of hundreds of families, big and small, in Kunwu City. It''s strange that they don''t screw up the He brothers."


    Yi Xin stared nkly at Lu Chen who was sitting in the shadow, looked at his pair of deep pupils looming in the darkness, and suddenly said softly:


    "Brother Lu ......"


    "Hmm?"


    "When you helped me think of the idea at the very beginning, did you already think of all the things behind this?"


    PREVIOUS >< TOC >< NEXT

 Chapter 97: Mountain Gate Reunion

    Chapter 97: Mountain Gate Reunion


    Chapter 97 - Mountain Gate Reunion


    Lu Chen nced at Yi Xin and said, "Why do you ask that?"


    Yi Xin lowered her head silently, and after a long while, said in a low voice: "It''s nothing, I just suddenly felt that what you think, Brother Lu, is so far away, so powerful."


    "Do you regret asking me to help you?"


    Yi Xin''s body shook slightly, and quickly shook her head: "No, no, no, I didn''t mean that. You helped me for my own good, I know that. I ...... I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart, I especially ......"


    "You remember that you promised to do something for me before?" Lu Chen suddenly interrupted her.


    Yi Xin was taken aback for a moment, and said, "Yes."


    Lu Chen said indifferently, "That''s good. After this incident, no matter what, the Hundred Herb Hall will look at you more highly, plus you were originally someone who was looked at by Dongfang Tao, and your natural talent is not bad, so your position here in the Hundred Herb Hall will be much better than now. This is good for you and me."


    Yi Xin was dumbfounded, and for a moment did not know what to say, while Lu Chen stood up and said, "It''s gettingte, you should rest early, I''m leaving."


    Yi Xin''s heart moved, and said: "Brother Lu, I remember there are guards outside, how did you get in ......"


    Standing in the darkness, Lu Chen smiled slightly, but didn''t answer her words. He stepped back and quickly merged into the darkness. Yi Xin opened her eyes wide and looked into the darkness, only to see faint ripples suddenly appearing on the seemingly quiet water in the deep darkness, and when she looked carefully, there was no one there.


    Silently shuttling through the darkness, the shadow like the moon was erratic,ing down from the stone pan mountain without anyone noticing. Lu Chen looked up at the night, and saw that it was alreadyte at night, and when it was still past, it was already the curfew time in the Kunlun School.


    Speaking of this curfew, it is a unique rule in the Kunlun sect, and there are generally few such restrictions in other cultivation sects. After all, the monks who practice immortality and Dao are all powerful and energetic, and it is often not a big deal even if they stay up all day and night. But in the Kunlun School, this rule of prohibiting disciples from going out after midnight has been around for a long time. It is said that it can even be traced back to the time when the Kunlun School was founded, which has a history of thousands of years.


    In short, the Kunlun sect is a well-known sect with many rules, and the name that restrains the disciples from concentrating on their practice is actually not particrly strange, so they have persisted year after year.


    But the so-called curfew, of course, cannot bepletely deserted. If such arge mountain range and such arge site were not guarded and patrolled, wouldn''t it be wiped out by countless thieves long ago? Therefore, in the dark night, although the nearby mountain road is quiet, asionally a team of patrolling guards will pass by.


    Lu Chen walked quietly on the mountain road. When there were guards, he would often hide in advance, and those guard disciples who were at least at the Foundation Establishment level seemed to have never found such a low-level handyman disciple like him. Still out and about at thiste hour of the night.


    The Stone Pan mountain is the ce where the official disciples of Hundred Herb Hall live. The ce where the handyman disciples live is still some distance away. As Lu Chen was walking, he passed a fork in the road after a while, and a stone step went up from the side of the mountain road. Extending away, Lu Chen''s footsteps paused, and then he remembered that this was the mountain pavilion where Yi Xin mette at night a few days ago.


    Thinking about what was said that night and Yi Xin''s appearance at that time, and thinking about how things have turned upside down after only a few days. Lu Chen was also a little emotional, but he didn''t mean to stop, and continued to step forward.


    The sound of footsteps gradually receded, and Lu Chen''s figure also disappeared into the darkness. However, after a while, when the cold night wind blew past in this silent mountain forest, he suddenly came from the dark pavilion on the mountainside. Inside, a vague figure stepped out.


    The figure looked like a slim woman, because it was too dark to see her face. He only vaguely saw her standing on the edge of the mountain pavilion, gazing in the direction of the way of Lu Chen below. The night breeze blew, her clothes and hair floated slightly, a bright color swept through the night, a red feather shawl draped over her shoulders.


    She stood silently in the dark, and after a while, she turned around and walked towards the top of the mountain.


    Life in Kunlun Mountains calmed down again. The He brothers retreated in seclusion and leftthe mountain, and then this incident was quickly forgotten, and everyone began to live the same leisurely life as in the past, cultivating immortals and practicing Dao forpetitions.


    In the spiritual field under the stone pan mountain, those various kinds of spiritual nts also reached the time of ripening, the hundred herb hall familiarly sent people down to take the harvest, and then ording to the rules, the surplus harvest of spiritual nts to the handyman disciples, and then the scene exchange, basically every harvest is exchanged for spiritual stones.


    The number of spirit stones varies, but this is the first time that most of the handyman disciples have spare money on hand, so before starting the next batch of spirit field nting, they have half a month to livefortably, and many of them are already thinking about what spiritual pills they should exchange to aid their cultivation, or to inquire if there are better cultivation techniques to buy here in the sect.


    Lu Chen''s harvest was also good. He got 30 spirit stones, which is quite a lot among the handyman disciples. But before the stones were warm in his arms, an unexpected guest found him.


    "A treat, Brother Lu!" When Yi Xin found Lu Chen, he was smiling and seemed to even narrow his eyes.


    Although Yi Xin looked a little distracted during the night before she was injured, as her injury improved, she still secretly looked at Lu Chen differently and secretly treated him as her most trustworthy friend, often sneaking in to talk to him.


    On this day the spirit stone was issued, Yi Xin came to the door to y in the autumn wind.


    Lu Chen gave the smiling girl an angry look, and said, "Your family is obviously rich, why do you always think about me, a poor man?"


    Yi Xinughed: "That''s different, it smells especially good to eat your treats."


    Lu Chen said, "...... you have learned bad ah."


    Yi Xin pulled him away and said: "That''s what I learned from you, stop talking nonsense, go quickly. Besides, I haven''t seen Ah Tu for a long time. You always say that it is not easy to go up the mountain and you leave it in Kunwu city, it''s so pitiful."


    Lu Chen couldn''t argue with her, so he had to go with her, but he hadn''t gone down the mountain for a while, and he just wanted to find some free time to visit Lao Ma. The two of them walked all the way to the southern foot of the Kunlun School, and when they were about to pass under the towering and majestic archway of the mountain gate, they suddenly saw a burst of noiseing from below, and the Kunlun disciples who were walking in front suddenly moved away. A road came out, and then a group of people came up.


    Lu Chen and Yi Xin didn''t know why and had some doubts, but still went with the flow of the crowd and stood aside. Not long after, the group of people walked past them. The leader is an old man, crane-haired and immortal, the aura is really extraordinary, it seems to be a Daoist master; His aura was really extraordinary. Beside him, there was a little girl, about ten years old, with an airy temperament and a beautiful appearance, and the most surprising thing was that at such a young age, she seemed to have a cool and holy aura, like a white lotus on a snow peak, making people afraid to get close.


    Lu Chen stood watching, suddenly frowned slightly, his gaze fell on the young girl''s face, but found that this seems like the pride of heaven like a holy and iparable little girl, he had seen before.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98


    Perhaps she felt something, the little girl with a cold expressionless face along the way suddenly nced slightly at the side of the road when she walked past Lu Chen. Just as Lu Chen was also looking at her, the eyes of the two met in mid-air, and after a slight collision, they separated as if nothing had happened.


    The girl with a beautiful appearance and a cool temperament went all the way up the mountain. Many Kunlun disciples here at the mountain gate were relieved and whispered, but it sounded like no one knew the identity of the girl. However, the old man who walked at the front was recognized by many people as Zhuo Xian, a powerful golden core cultivator in the sect. His status and identity is not simple. He is also the second disciple of Zhenjun Baichen who is currently practicing on the "Winter Peak" among the four strange peaks in the sky.


    The little girl brought up the mountain by such a person whose strength and background cannot be underestimated naturally attracted the attention of many people, and soon some people spected whether it was the new disciple that Master Zhuo Xian had just epted? That was really the blessing that little girl had cultivated in her lifetime.


    When Lu Chen walked out of the mountain gate, he looked back and saw that the group of people had disappeared far away from the mountain peak. His eyes flickered slightly, but at the end he shook his head and smiled slightly, with a strange look on his face.


    "Brother Lu, what are youughing at?" Yi Xin on the side saw his expression, opened her mouth and asked.


    "Nothing." Lu Chen responded perfunctorily andughed, "Let''s go, let''s go to Kunwu City to see if that stupid dog has died of hunger."


    Yi Xin agreed with a smile, and then suddenly red at Lu Chen, holding a few moments of skepticism, and said, "Brother Lu, could it be that you entrusted him with a wrong person and that person often starves Ah Tu?"


    "I can''t starve it even if I''m starving to death!"


    In the doorway of ck Mound Pavilion, the fat Lao Ma indignantlyined to Lu Chen, "I said Lu Chen, where the hell did you find this evil dog, it''s too hateful!"


    "Ah Tu is not an evil dog!" The voice of Yi Xin came from the side, only to see her at the moment smiling and crouching on the ground, busy to throw a word here, and turned around. A greasy ck hair dog Ah Tu is happily bouncing around her, desperately wagging his tail, the dog couldn''t stop rubbing against her, and happily sticking out his tongue to lick Yi Xin''s face and hands from time to time, making Yi Xin giggle non-stop.


    "What''s the matter, you look a little haggard." Lu Chen said to Lao Ma with a smile.


    "Nonsense, does having such a dog at home make people feel at ease?" Lao Ma said angrily.


    "What''s wrong with Ah Tu? I remember this dog was very stupid, but it seems to be quite honest."


    Lao Ma snorted and said: "I have never seen such a gluttonous dog. It seems to be thinking about eating all day long. The food that other dogs can eat for three days, and it can finish it in one day. Raw or cooked, no matter where I hid it, this dog seemed to be able to dig three feet to find it. In the end, I became angry and stopped buying food, and it actually started to steal the spiritual grass on my counter!"


    "Huh?" Lu Chen was also a little surprised when he heard the words, and said, "How could this be, I didn''t see it before."


    Saying that, he beckoned to Ah Tu over there and called out, saying, "Ah Tu,e here."


    The ck dog Ah Tu immediately jumped over happily, with a vigorous figure and vigorous movements, although he was still limping on his hind legs.


    Lu Chen squatted down and touched Ah Tu''s head, and then looked at it again. Sure enough, he found that Ah Tu seemed to have grown up a lot this time, and his fur was shiny and his hands were smooth. He really looked good


    He looked up at Lao Ma,ughed, and then Lao Ma red at him.


    "He is well taken care of." Lu Chen said to Lao Ma seriously, "I think you are very suitable for raising a dog."


    "Keep your head!" Lao Ma waved his hands again and again, and said, "Take it away quickly, or I will kill it sooner orter."


    Lu Chen smiled and was about to say something when Yi Xin came over next to him and said with a cheeky smile, "Brother Lu, let''s take Ah Tu back to the mountain."


    "Ah, that''s good!" Without waiting for Lu Chen to speak, Lao Ma came over and agreed with a bunch of smiles, not giving Lu Chen the chance to refuse. Lu Chen pushed the fatty away, then said to Yi Xin: "I''m still a misceneous disciple, it''s not convenient to take it up the mountain."


    Yi Xin waved her hand andughed, "It''s okay, I can, I''ll take Ah Tu up the mountain, I''ll raise it."


    Lu Chen shook his head and said with a smile, "You really have eyes for this stupid dog."


    Yi Xin showed affection on her face, touched Ah Tu''s head, and said with a smile, "We went through hardships together, didn''t we, Ah Tu?"


    Ah Tu: "Wow, woof, woof..."


    While Yi Xin was ying in the small courtyard with an unusually excited and happy Ah Tu, Lu Chen and Lao Ma walked to the side of the copied porch, watching the movement there while talking softly.


    "Do you know about the brothers of the He family?"


    "Hmm." Lao Ma answered, then his eyes nced toward Yi Xin who was ying with Ah Tu, especially at her cheek that still had a light-colored scar on it, then said lightly, "This little girl I can see, its cruel enough.


    Lu Chen said, "People are driven, and they do what can''t be done."


    Lao Ma turned to look at him, and said, "Did someone force her, or did you force her?"


    Lu Chen said: "If I forced her, do you think she''d follow me?"


    "That''s true." Lao Ma admitted this, and then said, "Now that He Gang has been expelled from the mountain, He Yi did not speak up for his only brother?"


    Lu Chen said: "He has too many troubles himself. The potential power of many families in Kunwu City in the Kunlun Sect is really not small. Now everyone hates this person. If he is smart, he should avoid the limelight and at least stay hidden and thene out in a year."


    Lao Ma smiled and nodded. He was about to speak, but suddenly he heard Lu Chen say again: "By the way, He Gang should still be hiding in Kunwu City, but he hid under the arrangement of his elder brother. Go find that fellow and where he lives and tell me."


    Lao Ma was taken aback for a moment, and said, "You have a grudge against that He Gang?"


    "No."


    Lao Ma Hesitated for a moment, then nced at Yi Xin over there, and said softly: "I said, Xiao Lu, don''t you... want to vent your anger on her?"


    Lu Chen had no expression on his face, and said: "No. I just think that as long as this person doesn''t die, he may be an idler. Knowing a little about his whereabouts may be useful in the future."


    Lao Ma thought about it and said, "Okay, I''ll do it, but it may take a while to find."


    "No need to rush, you can take your time."


    Lao Ma suddenlyughed and looked at Lu Chen and said, "What value can that punk He Gang have, are you aiming at He Yi?"


    Lu Chen sighed, and said: "The dead bald head is used to throwing his hands away as the shopkeeper, so he ordered to find someone, and then he ran to the Immortal city thousands of miles away. This huge Kunlun sect, with countless disciples, I am really looking for a needle in a haystack, there''s no difference. But I finally thought of something."


    Lao Ma''s eyes lit up and he said, "What is it?"


    Lu Chen smiled slightly, and said: "The traitor of the Devil''s Cult wants to do such a big thing, and he must have a lot of tricks, and he must be an excellent talent. Such a person is of course an outstanding person in the Kunlun School, so the direction I''m looking for may be going to those elites..."


    "He Yi, he should be regarded as a powerful person."

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    Chapter 99: The Girl in the Woods


    When returning to the mountain, in front of the Kunlun Sect mountain gate, unsurprisingly with the ck dog Ah Tu two people were stopped, but as a misceneous disciple Lu Chen could not say anything, Yi Xin just hold tightly Ah Tu, and then silently looked at those few Kunlun Sect guard disciples who blocked them, after a pleading face, those individual guard disciples looked at each other, and then quickly let them go.


    "The Kunlun School generally does not allow these cats and dogs to be brought up the mountain, often someone doing so at the mountain gate will be stopped by those guard disciples." While walking on the Kunlun Mountain Road, Yi Xin said slightly smugly to Lu Chen, "but I specially checked the sect rules, this matter is too small, so small that our generations of ancestors simply did not include this in the rules of the sect. And Kunlun Mountain is so big, although there are no demonic beasts, but a variety of small cats in the edge of the mountain range is also really quite a lot, how can it really be banned?"


    Lu Chenughed and said, "Smart."


    Yi Xin stuck out her tongue, smiled, then leaned over and patted the head of Ah Tu who was following her, and sighed: "Actually, those senior brothers know about me, they just look at me poorly. This is good Ah Tu can go up the mountain with me, and my pain was finally not in vain."


    Lu Chen lost his smile, and after walking a little further, the two were about to part.


    Unexpectedly, at this time, Ah Tu habitually followed Lu Chen away again, making Yi Xin so angry that she held Ah Tu, a heartless ck dog, and talked all kinds of things, coercing and luring him to go with her. The dog just doesn''t appreciate it, and follows Lu Chen as if he is determined.


    In the end, the helpless Yi Xin had no choice but to wave goodbye to them with a mournful face. Fortunately, they all lived in Kunlun Mountains now, so Ah Tu could stille to see her anytime.


    When Yi Xin walked away, Lu Chen took Ah Tu to his own ce. At the same time, he looked at Ah Tu beside him who was excited because he came to a new ce, and there was a smile on his face and he was a bit suspicious.


    Why did thisme ck dog have to follow him? Maybe he could use "instinct" to exin it when he was in thend of confusion, but after so long, including staying with Lao Ma for such a long time, This ck dog is still so close to him, it seems that something is not right.


    He just thought about it, Lu Chen still did note up with a reason, so in the end he stillughed at himself thinking that maybe they''re the birds of the same flock


    The handyman disciples are thergest but lowest-status part of the huge poption of the Kunlun Sect. Lu Chen is one of the handyman disciples, so it is impossible for a formal disciple like Yi Xin to live on Stone Pan Mountain, not to mention the elite disciples like He Yi can have their own Dongfu*.


    The ce where he lives is in a remote mountain valley some distance away from Stone Pan Valley, where many rows of houses had been built specifically for the handyman disciples to live. The house belonging to Lu Chen is an unobtrusive house, which is not big, with a front door and a back window, grey walls and ck tiles, and looks a bit depressing.


    After a few moments, Lu Chen walked in, only to see that there were simple tables, chairs and a bed in the room. Apart from that, there was almost no other furniture.


    "Woof Woof" Ah Tu barked twice, then directly jumped on the bed, lying over there grinning at Lu Chen, as if he could not stop smiling.


    "Stupid dog ......" Lu Chen looked at Ah Tu with a disgusted face, came over and pped its butt, drove Ah Tu down, and said under his breath, "You are dirty, let me sleep."


    "Woof woof!" Ah Tu wagged his head and tail, and then sniffed here and there in the house, after a while, he ran to the door and got down on the ground.


    The next day, Yi Xin came over, and also brought some of the things that Ah Tu loves to eat. The ck dog was so happy and jumped up and down, "woof woof" barking can be heard from far away.


    After feeding Ah Tu, Yi Xin asked Lu Chen what he had eaten for Ah Tu yesterday. Lu Chen confidently said that there are so many mountains and forests around here, and he drove Ah Tu to the forest to find something to eat, and came back naturally when he was full.


    Yi Xin was stunned for a while, almost crying while hugging Ah Tu, but the dog Ah Tu also had no conscience, he just knew that he was wagging his tail like a heartless one, and when Yi Xin is affectionate Ah Tu is affectionate, but once Yi Xin want to take him away, Ah Tu will resist death.


    After several attempts, Yi Xin finally gave up and secretly decided toe here a few more times in the future to take good care of this poor puppy who has no father or mother.


    For Yi Xin''s feelings, Lu Chen directly ignored it, while Ah Tu fawned on him desperately when he had food, and ignored it as if he was full, with no morals at all.


    The days went by day by day, and in a blink of an eye it was time for the second batch of spiritual nts to start nting. Lu Chen continued to live between the house and the spiritual field. The difference is that now there is often an extra one by his side. A happy and active ck dog.


    The fellow disciples were of course a bit surprised by the sudden addition of a dog to Lu Chen''s side, but this was not a big deal anyway, so no one bothered with it.


    Ah Tu followed Lu Chen all day long. When Lu Chen was working in the spiritual field, he wandered around in Stone Pan Valley, sometimes fleeing into the mountains, and sometimes lying on the fields to sleep. In the Kunlun sect, at least Ah Tu''s life is veryfortable.


    Go to sleep when he is full, y when he wakes up, sleep and eat when he is tired from ying, the gods of pleasure can notpare.


    A period of time passed like this, and one day at noon, Ah Tu left Stone Pan Valley and ran into a forest on the edge of Stone Pan Valley. In the past few days, it has been running around everywhere, and has almost figured out the terrain around the Stone Pan Valley, and has left traces of "urine" in many ces. The forest in front of me is located in the north of Stone Pan Valley, and it is thest piece ofnd that has not been explored.


    Ah Tu stepped into this woond full of confidence, patrolling the spiritualnd as in the past, sniffing everywhere. The woods are very quiet, asionally there are birdsong, and he don''t know where ites from the dense branches. The sun shines through the gaps in the branches and leaves, illuminating the t path in the forest.


    Ah Tu sniffed the ground all the way, sometimes jogging, sometimes walking slowly forward, unknowingly he has gone a long way.


    Suddenly, in a somewhat dark corner of the forest, a blurred shadow flickered behind the dense foliage of the trees.


    The two ears of Ah Tu suddenly perked up, stopping sharply, and then turned around abruptly, revealing a low roar of "woo woo" in his mouth, and showing a bit of viciousness in his eyes.


    But there was nothing behind it, only the empty woods.


    Ah Tu stared at the empty forest for a while, gradually rxed, there seemed to be some doubt in his eyes, but still turned around and continued to walk forward.


    After a few steps, suddenly a sound came from its side, as if someone suddenly stepped on the ground in the forest, stepping on a dead branch.


    When the "crack" sound came, Ah Tu jumped up and bared his teeth in that direction, showing his sharp fangs.


    In that direction, behind a bush, there was a sudden shaking of branches and leaves, and then from behind that branch, slowly emerged a figure.


    An unusually beautiful but somewhat cold little girl''s face appeared behind the bushes, eyes some strange looking at the ck dog not far away.


    *dng f - cave dwelling legendary abode of immortals.

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    Chapter One Hundred - Bloodied Hands of Young Girl


    Deep in the woods, it was quiet, and across a clump of branches and leaves, the ck dog Ah Tu and the young girl who suddenly appeared looked at each other.


    For some reason, Ah Tu looked a little nervous, staring at the woman behind the bush with wide dog eyes without blinking.


    Especially after it suddenly raised its head and sniffed the air with its nose for a few moments, Ah Tu suddenly took a step backward, then the hair on its neck slowly stood up and a low growl came out of its mouth, showing its sharp fangs to the little girl.


    "Well, it''s a dog..." The little girl behind the bushes was also looking at Ah Tu with a bit of surprise and curiosity. After a while, the branches and leaves shook suddenly, and then she walked out from behind that bush.


    Like a fairy fallen into the mortal world, elegantly untouched by dust. Every time she took a step forward, as if the emerald green branches and leaves were swaying lightly for her, her right hand behind her back, her left hand fell on her side, she gradually revealed a smile, as if with innocence, and came towards Ah Tu.


    "Grrrrr......" The roar in Ah Tu''s throat snapped a few points louder, seemingly wary and hostile to this beautiful young girl.


    "Huh?" The girl seemed a little surprised and stopped, but she looked at Ah Tu with more interest in her eyes. After looking at Ah Tu again with her clear and bright eyes, she pondered for a while, then as if she thought of something and smiled faintly.


    "Come here..." The girl squatted down six or seven feet away from Ah Tu, still maintaining the strange posture of holding her right hand behind her back, and then raised her left hand. Her skin was like snow and looked onion white as delicate and beautiful.


    She beckoned to Ah Tu, lowered her voice deliberately, as if whispering, with a touch of inexplicable weirdness, and said, "Puppy,e here."


    Ah Tu stood still on the spot, while his eyes were fixed on the strangely beautiful little girl, and he seemed deaf to her greeting.


    The atmosphere in the forest was silent and a little cold, but the girl did not seem to care, she slightly narrowed her eyes, but her gaze seemed to grow brighter as she looked at Ah Tu, smiled a little, and then flexed her white fingers, said to Ah Tu: "Puppy, do you feel very hungry? Do you feel that you can''t get enough to eat all the time?"


    Ah Tu stared at her, a low and slurred sound came out of his mouth, seemingly angry, but also like doubt.


    The young girlughed and squatted on the ground, her voice seemed to gradually have a bit of indescribable temptation, it was almost hard to imagine that the ghostly voice came from such a little girl who was only about ten years old.


    "I can help you,e here, I''ll give you something to eat."


    "A food you really crave, but have never seen before..."


    She smiled, her demeanor was as holy and beautiful as a fairy, but those eyes seemed to be flickering with terrifying but crazy mes from hell.


    Ah Tu hesitated, as if a little hesitant, but after a while, it seemed that Ah Tu couldn''t resist the mysterious temptation, and finally stepped forward, and then slowly walked in front of the little girl.


    It no longer showed its teeth, the hair on its neck calmed down, and its tail asionally wagged, but for the most part, Ah Tu still looked at the little girl with puzzled and cautious eyes.


    A smile of satisfaction slowly appeared on the young girl''s face as she reached out and gently touched the back of Ah Tu''s head. Ah Tu had a subtle retreating movement, and then it heard the young girl''s voice be deep and wavering as she slowly took out her right hand from behind her back.


    "Eat, eat, I know what your heart craves most is actually this thing ......" she said quietly to Ah Tu.


    The light fell through the gaps in the dense branches and leaves, and suddenly there was a steep silence in the depths of these woods, the wind stopped and the trees were still, as if the whole world hade to a standstill.


    A ssh of crimson blood floated up, painting this side of the world with a shocking bloodstain, right in front of Ah Tu''s eyes, in her right hand that just appeared.


    Blood dripped down, flowing wildly and wantonly, rolling along that delicate skin.


    A bloody hand, a blood-soaked, chillingly bloody hand!


    The strong smell of blood instantly like a tide, overwhelming the depths of the woods.


    "Brother Lu!"


    A crisp call came from the ridge, and when Lu Chen looked up, he saw Yi Xin standing over there smiling and waving at him.


    Lu Chen dropped the tools in his hands, pped his hands to shake off the mud, then walked over and sat down on his butt at the edge of the ridge, smiling, "What brings you here?"


    Yi Xin smiled and said, "I don''t have anything to do today, so I ran over to see."


    Lu Chen skimmed his mouth and sighed: "This is a big gap between people, I''m a handyman disciple at the bottom of the mountain all day long, and I still can''t earn much, but you''re still earning a lot of money for being idle for three days, isn''t it? There are a few more pirs on the divine te in your stomach than mine."


    Yi Xin was squatting beside him, but when she heard this, her cheeks flushed, she spat on Lu Chen, and said, "You''re talking nonsense again!"


    Lu Chenughed, Yi Xin turned her eyes to look around and asked, "Hey, where is Ah Tu? Doesn''t he usually follow you here?"


    Lu Chen gave a "hmm" and looked around. Although he didn''t see Ah Tu''s figure, he said to Yi Xin calmly: "That stupid dog can''t be idle, he likes to run around, and he likes to drill into the forest. Probably ran to some other forest now."


    "So." Yi Xin looked a little disappointed, but soon showed a trace of worry on her faceand said to Lu Chen, "Brother Lu, Ah Tu has only been here for a short while, and this is arge area, there are mountains and gullies everywhere, Ah Tu will not get lost, right?"


    Lu Chen waved his hand carelessly and said, "It''s okay, you don''t have to worry."


    Yi Xin looked at Lu Chen helplessly, and didn''t know where this big brother Lu had such strong confidence. Anyway, she wouldn''t be able to do it anyway, but there was no way she couldn''t find Ah Tu right now, so she had to suppress her heart. With that trace of worry, she said to Lu Chen: "Brother Lu, have you thought about what you want me to do?"


    Lu Chen looked at the mountains in the distance, without turning his head, he responded casually, "What''s the matter?"


    Yi Xin said, "Didn''t you sayst time that you would help me with an idea and let me promise to do something for you if I seeded?"


    "Oh, that matter." Lu Chen seemed to wake up, turned to look at Yi Xin, with a rxed expression, and said with a smile: "Why, are you in a hurry?"


    Yi Xin shook her head and said, "Of course I''m not in a hurry, but that matter...... you really helped me a lot, so I thought I could also repay Brother Lu a little."


    Lu Chen said, "For the time being, I haven''t thought about it yet, let''s talk about itter."


    "Okay then." Yi Xin squatted for a long time and seemed to feel some soreness in her legs and feet, so she simplynded directly on the ridge andnded next to Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen gave her a look and said, "Aren''t you afraid of the dirty underground soil?"


    Yi Xin pursed her lips, and said, "I''m not afraid. When I was in thend of confusion, I rolled over the water and the soil, especially the insect... medicine, which is much dirtier than here."


    Lu Chenughed.


    Yi Xin red at him, waited for hisughter to stop, and said to Lu Chen: "However, I heard something recently. Hundred Herb Hall will recruit some people to do ''spiritual power cultivation'' in a few days. If its good, besides a chance, maybe I can leave this spiritual field at the foot of the mountain. I wonder if you are interested?


    Lu Chen raised his eyebrows and looked at Yi Xin with a hint of surprise in his eyes, saying, "You actually know about this earlier?"


    Yi Xin looked around and saw that there was no one around, so she smiled a little smugly, and said to Lu Chen in a low voice: "Although our Yi family''s family background has been average these years, there are still some brothers and uncles of the same n who visit Kunlun. Pai, one of them is at the Hundred Herb Hall, and has be Qiandeng Daoist''s follower."


    "How about it, are you interested?" Yi Xin smilingly looked at Lu Chen, said, "To do spiritual cultivation of this kind of thing, that is either the senior elders or young powerful genius elite in this sect, if you get the eye, in the future there will a great luck."


    Lu Chen looked at her, and suddenlyughed after a while, then nodded and said, "Yes, of course I''m interested."


    "That promise..." He pointed to Yi Xin, then nodded and said, "Just help me with this."


    "Okay!" Yi Xin nodded vigorously with a smile on her face.


    Deep in the woods.


    The bloody hand in front of the eyes of the ck dog Ah Tu slowly swept, bright red and terrible blood like sharp knives, stimting its pupils to shrink unceasingly.


    And that unusually beautiful girl, with her left hand, which was delicate and white and as warm as jade, was gently stroking the fur on Ah Tu''s back, and her right hand was a bloody hand, filled with a strong and pungent bloody smell. This weird scene was concentrated on her body in an extremely weird way, making her look as beautiful as a holy fairy, but also like a ferocious ghost.


    "Eat..." Her deep but melodious voice echoed in the forest, "You are the blood of Sirius*, you are born different, how can ordinary food satisfy your appetite? Only blood, blood that contains spiritual power, is what you crave the most."


    "Come and eat..." She slowly put her hand on Ah Tu''s mouth, with a strange smile on her face, which seemed to be anticipation, sympathy, and perhaps a little bit of simr desire, "Come and taste this fresh blood, as long as you have tasted this taste, one day, the blood in your body will awaken."


    Ah Tu''s panting began to grow louder, and there seemed to be a painful struggle in its eyes, and it wanted to leave several times, but every time its eyes fell on the bloody palm again.


    After a while, Ah Tu''s head slowly leaned over.


    It stuck out its tongue, and licked lightly on that petite but devil-like bloody hand.


    The blood diffused and dispersed, blending in between its mouth and teeth.


    The light in the woods quietly dimmed, and before one knew it, it was dusk.


    *Sirius - Heavenly Wolf


    Thank you Kevin for Kofi

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101


    Chapter 101: Marks on the Back


    At dusk, when the sky was about to get dark, the evening sun was still hanging in the western sky, like a burning me radiating an unusually beautiful and brilliant afterglow. Most of the handyman disciples had already left, Lu Chen and Yi Xin were still sitting on the edge of the ridge, watching the surrounding cold and clear area, but they were the only two left.


    A long time has passed, and it seemed that it was going to be dark, but Ah Tu still didn''te back.


    Yi Xin became a little anxious, kept looking around, and at the same time nced at Lu Chen from time to time, Lu Chen also frowned slightly, looking a little surprised.


    After waiting like this for a while, seeing the sky getting darker and darker, thest ray of setting sun in the sky was about to disappear, and when the huge rocky valley was about to be shrouded in darkness, Yi Xin finally couldn''t help but stood up and spoke to Lu Chen said: "Brother Lu, let''s go find Ah Tu?"


    Lu Chen dust frowned and said: "This valley is too big, we do not know where that stupid dog went, plus it is dark, so we can not find it."


    Yi Xin suddenly brightened up and said, "Could it be that Ah Tu ran home by himself?"


    Lu Chen thought for a while, and said: "Probably not, these days ites back and forth with me every day, and never slipped away by itself."


    "Aiya, what can we do!" Yi Xin was so anxious that she looked really worried, and was in a panic, suddenly she heard Lu Chen beside her "eh", walked to her side, said: "Look over there."


    Yi Xin looked in the direction Lu Chen pointed, only to see the far end of the ridge, has be very dim on a path, suddenly appeared a ck shadow, slowly out of the darkness, and then was approaching them here.


    The ck figure was not tall, and when he got closer, he really looked like Ah Tu, but the strange thing was that Ah Tu, who was usually lively and active, although he wasme but still liked to run, this time walked very slowly.


    Step by step, he stepped on the ridge of the field, and the darkness surged around him silently, as if it had merged with his ck fur, except for his eyes, which looked a little different from the usual darkness of the valley with a faint and deep light.


    "Ah Tu!" Yi Xin called out joyfully, the previous worry suddenly disappeared, smiling and walking towards the ck dog, while opening her arms,ughingly said, "Stinky Ah Tu, I''ve been waiting for you for a long time today, ah, where did you run to y?"


    Ah Tu''s footsteps slightly paused, slowly raised his head, looking at Yi Xin running towards it, and then stopped in his tracks.


    Behind Yi Xin, Lu Chen looked into Ah Tu''s eyes, and followed without saying a word.


    "Haha ......" In a blink of an eye, Yi Xin had run up to Ah Tu''s side, squatted down and first touched Ah Tu''s head with her hand, then as usual, one hand stroked the fur on Ah Tu''s back and one hand wrapped around Ah Tu''s head, ying affectionately with it.


    Her white skin looks particrly beautiful and conspicuous in this night, and her long neck and cheeks were right in front of Ah Tu''s eyes, and now and then she leaned on it, apanied by her cheerful and crisp voice, looking so warm.


    Ah Tu''s eyes were fixed on Yi Xin''s neck, which was close at hand. Its mouth opened and closed slightly, as if breathing heavily, and then gradually opened its mouth again. Like a hungry and thirsty traveler as if he saw the clear water ahead. Sweet spring water, white and sharp fangs glistened around its mouth, giving it a cold feeling.


    Its head retracted slightly, and then slowly stretched forward, as if responding to Yi Xin''s joyful embrace, it slowly approached the girl''s fair neck.


    Sharp fangs, with seemingly blowable veins, close at hand ......


    Suddenly, a hand suddenly reached out from the dark shadows, through Yi Xin''s shoulder pressed it down, and at once covered the eyes of the ck dog Ah Tu.


    Those deep eyes suddenly disappeared in the dark night. Ah Tu''s body shook suddenly, his standing body trembled for a while, the hair on his neck stood up suddenly, but he calmed down again in an instant, everything was so fast that it seemed invisible to the naked eye, and in a blink of an eye, it became quiet again, motionless standing on the spot, let Lu Chen''s palm cover its eyes.


    "You stupid dog, where did you go to the wild?"


    Lu Chenughed and scolded Ah Tu, palm still covered Ah Tu''s eyes, body also squatted next to Ah Tu, look past like covering Ah Tu''s head, then turned his head to Yi Xin smiled and said: "But it''s finally back, It''s gettingte now, and there will be a curfewter, it seems that we can''t y today, let''s go back."


    Yi Xin hesitated for a moment, smiled and said, "Yes." Saying that, she stroked Ah Tu''s soft fur andughed: "Ah Tu, be good and listen to Brother Lu, I''lle back tomorrow to y with you, okay? But you can''t just run out again and y until sote."


    Ah Tu stood motionless, his eyes still covered by Lu Chen, and remained silent, but its mouth opened and closed slightly, and a dark light shed across its lips with sharp white fangs.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll find a rope to tie it to the treeter, see if it can still run!"


    "Ah, that don''t, poor Ah Tu." Yi Xin immediately protested.


    Lu Chen nodded with a smile, and said, "It''s up to you, you won''t be tied if you say you don''t want to be tied."


    "Eh!" Yi Xin was immediately happy, nodded and smiled at Lu Chen, then stroked Ah Tu''s head again, then turned around and walked away to the distance. After walking a few steps, she suddenly seemed to remember something and looked back, only to see that on that ridge, Lu Chen was still gently pressing Ah Tu''s eyes, one person and one dog side by side, the posture seemed a bit weird .


    "Brother Lu, why are you always covering Ah Tu''s eyes?" Yi Xin asked aloud.


    "Oh, this stupid dog doesn''t listen, I have to cure it, and I''ll take it backter." Lu Chen replied with a smile.


    Yi Xin let out an "oh", turned around and continued walking, and then quickly disappeared into the night.


    When thest remnants of the girl also disappeared, the entire valley was left with only Lu Chen and Ah Tu, by this time the sky had beenpletely dark, and the darkness spread down from all directions,pletely swallowing up their figures.


    In the darkness, Ah Tu still stood quietly, as if waiting for something.


    After a while, it suddenly felt a relief in front of its eyes, and then the palm of the hand that covered its eyes, slowly moved away.


    The man''s face in the darkness, it appeared in front of its eyes, like a shadow in the darkness of the night, blurred, only bright but some stern eyes, coldly gazing into the eyes of Ah Tu.


    Between heaven and earth, there was suddenly a cold wind blowing.


    The cold is bone chilling, as if the blood can be frozen and solidified.


    Ah Tu took a step backward, and then slowly, slowly, gently lowered its body to the ground, like a submissive subject, bowing its head in front of a powerful king, and from its mouth, a low whimpering sound came out.


    Lu Chen stared at Ah Tu for a while, then suddenly stood up, turned around and walked away, and at the same time said lightly: "It''ste at night, let''s go back."


    In a simple and cold hut in a secluded mountain pass, Lu Chen lit a candle me.


    The door was closed and the window casement was tightly shut, so this lonely hut was like isted from the outside world and turned into a small world.


    Ah Tuy at Lu Chen''s feet, looking a little sleepy and exhausted, but he didn''t just fall asleep. It put its head close to Lu Chen''s ankle, rubbing against it slightly, its long ck tail would shake every now and then, but it was unusually very quiet.


    Lu Chen sat alone in silence for a long time, frowning slightly as if he was thinking about something. After a long time, he suddenly bent down, then sat directly on the ground, and at the same time stretched out his hand to hug Ah Tu and put him on his feet .


    An inexplicable aura seems to be faintly dispersed from his body, Ah Tu squirmed uneasily, but after a nce at the expressionless Lu Chen, he quickly calmed down andy quietly in his arms.


    Lu Chen''s gaze swept over Ah Tu''s body, lingered in its eyes for a little while, then suddenly reached out and broke open Ah Tu''s mouth. Snow-white sharp fangs showed up in front of his eyes, mixed with a faint almost inaudible hint of blood.


    Lu Chen''s face changed slightly, he let go of his finger, and then pressed his palm on the fur of Ah Tu''s body, and slowly felt it down.


    Under the fur, the ck dog''s muscles bulged a bit, wrapped around the bones, there was a strange sense of strength, and when his hand slid over the side of Ah Tu''s chest, Lu Chen suddenly stopped.


    Through the muscle fur, within that chest cavity, there was a heart pounding powerfully.


    Strong, fast, fierce, violently beating, far better than the average beast, but also far better than it''s usual self.


    The depths of Lu Chen''s eyes swept a trace of gloom, but his face did not change much, after feeling Ah Tu''s strange heartbeat for a while, his palm again slid downward, in Ah Tu''s spine backwards.


    In his hand, there was suddenly a little wetness.


    Lu Chen''s eyes lowered slightly, and he saw a dark shadow between Ah Tu''s ck fur.


    Like flowing blood remnants, between dry and bloody, scattering a subtle scent, and then not far away, there was another simr small bloodstain.


    Lu Chen fumbled away bit by bit, and the remaining traces gradually appeared on Ah Tu''s fur, some were attached to the surface, and some had prated deep into the skin, and then gathered together, and finally formed a shape.


    Lu Chen''s face turned cold for the first time, and his gaze was as cold as a knife, looking at the traces blood on the ck dog''s back in front of him.


    That is a handprint.


    A handprint formed by blood!


    He suddenly covered his own palm, and then realized that the handprint seemed to be only half the size of his palm, as if it was like a child''s palm, stained with dripping blood, and this bloodmark was stamped on Ah Tu''s body.


    As the night got darker, suddenly there was a cold wind blowing, and the window of the room was suddenly knocked open. The cold wind rushed inside and suddenly blew out the candle.


    The whole world suddenly went dark.


    "I''m sorry guys I''ve been very busy these days so couldn''t update"

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    Chapter 102 - Vicious Man and Woman


    In the darkness, Lu Chen sat motionless, but Ah Tu stood up violently from the ground, staring at the direction of the window, and a roar with anger came out of his mouth. The cold wind blew past, and it was cold inside and outside the house.


    One can''t even see his own fingers inside the house, and there is a boundless ck sea outside the house.


    Lu Chen lowered his head and saw the darkness. There were two slightly green pupils beside him, shing with a strange luster, as if they were transparent precious stones, and like a ghostly light with a cold chill, such as the quiet gaze of evil spirits.


    Like feeling his gaze, Ah Tu also withdrew his eyes and looked up to Lu Chen. The eyes of a man and a dog met in the air andsted for a moment before Lu Chen reached out and gently touched Ah Tu''s head and whispered, "It''s okay."


    When Ah Tu quieted down, Lu Chen stood up and walked to the window, nced outside, then expressionlessly closed the window again.


    "With a snap, the world outside the house was once again separated from here.


    The next day, the sun rose as usual, the people in Kunlun Mountain still went about their business as usual, each ording to their own trajectory of life.


    As the lowest-level handyman disciples in the Kunlun School, the disciples have their own lives, that is, they work hard every day, pursuing the hope of immortality in the future, even if that hope is very slim, but all the people under the sky, don''t they all work hard for that hope.


    The stories in the legends, from the counterattack of the lowest-level handyman disciples to the myths of bing saints and immortals, are still circted in the world today, and they have survived for thousands of years. Generation after generation of handyman disciples have dedicated their lives to this end.


    When the sunlight sprinkled on the Shipan valley, Lu Chen brought Ah Tu here as well. There was no shortage of people who were earlier than him, so at this moment there were already working figures in therge spiritual field. As for Yi Xin, who swore yesterday that she woulde back to y with them, she has not been seen yet, perhaps still sleeping in her warm bed.


    Compared tost night''s abnormalities, after a night''s sleep, Ah Tu seems to have returned to normal today, following Lu Chen''s side, limping around, sniffing and smelling, no different from normal.


    Lu Chen also seems to just pretend that nothing happenedst night, calmly doing his own business, to the spiritual field and then went down to the field, and did not care more about Ah Tu. Of course, he didn''t find a rope to tie Ah Tu to the tree there like he said to Yi Xin yesterday.


    At the beginning, Ah Tu was ying around the spiritual field of Lu Chen, but he was a little bored after just ying. Then, after looking around for a while, he called out to Lu Chen twice. Lu Chen didn''t turn his head, as if he didn''t hear it. After hesitating for a moment, he ran away by himself.


    Nowadays, Ah Tu is very familiar with this part of the Shipan Valley, and the ridge of the field is not a problem for it at all, so it quickly ran out of the spiritual field and came to the edge of the mountain forest. As he walked, the woods appeared in front of him again, standing silently in front of the ck dog.


    Ah Tu obviously hesitated, hesitated for a while, got down and stood up back and forth on the same spot, and after going around several times, he finally walked into the woods slowly.


    This piece of woods is very deserted, the deeper it gets, the quieter it bes, and gradually it seems that even the chirping of birds can no longer be heard. It should be a forest full of vitality, but for some reason it gives people a feeling of frightening cold destion.


    Ah Tu walked slowly, the dog''s eyes kept looking around vigntly, with a cautious look. After walking for a while, it suddenly stopped and looked around, realizing that this was the ce where it had met the mysterious little girl yesterday.


    "Woof, woof ......"


    Ah Tu barked twice.


    The breeze blew quietly through the forest, and the bright green branches and leaves swayed gently, but no one gave it a response. Ah Tu waited for a while and seemed a little confused, but then as if relieved, turned around and prepared to leave the ce.


    Just at this time, suddenly from the depths of the forest came a lowugh.


    The sound was crisp and pleasant, like a wind chime swaying gently in the breeze, but it was a beautiful painting without any person. After a while, the voice was soft, floating with the wind: "Puppy...e..."


    Ah Tu''s eyes widened, he looked at the dense and deep forest, and after hesitating for a moment, he still walked over.


    A few fresh green leaves that have not yet withered, strangely fluttered down from the tree overhead, and the leaves swayed slightly. After a while, a beautiful and childish face of a little girl appeared from behind the leaves.


    She looked at Ah Tu with great interest, giggling, her eyes shone with a strange glint, like the pupils of a snake, beautiful and dangerous.


    Or, danger with a bizarre beauty.


    Ah Tu suddenly stopped in his tracks and lifted his nose in the air and sniffed.


    There was the smell of blood.


    It was much stronger than yesterday.


    "Can you smell it?" The little girl looked at Ah Tu, smiled slightly, then stretched out her tender left hand to wave to it, and said, "Come here, I''ll show you something nice."


    Ah Tu hesitated for a moment, staring at the little girl, but for some reason, did not continue to move forward.


    The girl seemed a little surprised. After thinking about it, the smile on the corner of her mouth seemed to be a little bit more, and she didn''t say anything more, but slowly pushed aside the branches and leaves in front of her.


    A crimson light shed in front of him in an instant, and the smell of blood became more and more thick.


    "Come over here, don''t you like the taste of blood the most?" That beautiful young girl whispered as if with an inexplicable temptation, and said, "Do not be afraid, you were born to drink blood,e over,e over ......"


    Ah Tu''s body began to tremble slowly, and the strange lights in his eyes flickered non-stop, but at this moment, suddenly, on the other side of the forest, someone suddenly snorted coldly, and suddenly a ck shadow shed past, like a ghost in a blink of an eye, he swept into the back of the bush, and it was Lu Chen.


    A cry of shock came from behind that bush, and Ah Tu was also stunned in ce, frozen as a wooden chicken, as if for a moment he was also dumbfounded.


    But in this short period of time, only low and dull sounds were heard again and again, and it was unknown what happened behind the bushes, but after a while, there was another roar suddenly, and a big tree broke down in the middle, and a bush fell down with a crash.


    The iparable blood smell instantly came, crimson blood rose up in the air, only to see on the ground behind that bush, lying on the ground, it is difficult to identify the shape of the beast, at this moment it has died, tragic is this body is covered with scars, also do not know how many wounds were cut out, and blood was flowing everywhere.


    Two figures came out from behind the bushes and got entangled with each other. They suddenly started fighting. It was Lu Chen and the little girl who seemed to be just over ten years old. What is astonishing is that these two people are in the middle of the square, and their shots are extraordinarily fierce, locking their throats, digging their eyes, hammering their chests and teasing each other. Each move each style is running for the vitals to go, but one by one by the other to be defused, and then the opponent will usher in a tougher and more terrifying ultimate move.


    This kind of fightcks the splendor and elegance of a normal cultivator, and it doesn''t even have half of the legendary gods and goddesses temperament.


    This is not in the cultivation of the famous Kunlun Mountain, this is clearly the most vile and vicious killers in the mundane world, and one of the surprises is that the little girl is obviously not very old, but she is so vicious that it is outrageous, even no better than weak Lu Chen.


    But in the end, it seemed that Lu Chen had finally gained the upper hand, not because of his ruthless methods, but because in this kind of weird but extremely dangerous closebat, after the little girl''s strength had been sustained for a while, he finally had the upper hand and she was weakened.


    The beast''s blood stained their bodies, and even the girl''s beautiful, dusty face had blood droplets, looking more than a little hideous and vicious. She gasped viciously, her hands were grabbed by Lu Chen, and she screamed suddenly, but she directly lunged up and with her teeth she bit Lu Chen''s throat.


    This time Lu Chen was caught off guard, and he groaned in pain. He only felt a pain in his neck, and with a roar, he lifted his foot suddenly and hit the girl''s abdomen hard.


    The girl lost her voice and shouted, and her whole body was knocked into the air, but she floated in the wind for a while, trembling at first, then quickly suppressed it, andnded directly on a tree trunk like a feather, and then noiselessly slipped down.


    Like a fierce and iparable young beast, with blood on her face and killing intent in her eyes, she panted heavily and looked at Lu Chen coldly.


    Lu Chen stretched out his hand to touch his neck, it was wet to the touch, and when he put it in front of his eyes, half of his palm was covered with blood. He looked up at the girl not far away, then tore off a piece of robe without changing his expression, wrapped it around his neck, and tied a knot.


    "You''re meaner than a dog." Lu Chen said.


    The young girl slightly narrowed her eyes, the depths of her eyes flickered with a dangerous light, suddenly, her body was like a spring, and she shot out, but not to pounce on Lu Chen, but bizarrely rushed towards the ck dog Ah Tu, who was standing aside.


    The sound of the wind was harsh, and its momentum was like a knife, as if it was about to tear Ah Tu into pieces in the next moment, causing the ck dog to curl up and back away in panic.


    At that moment, Lu Chen''s figure violently stepped over from the side again, bumping away the scary girl in mid-air, while shouting under his breath: "Run away, Ah Tu!"


    Ah Tu, stunned, subconsciously pinched his tail, turned and fled, and in a sh ran far away, disappearing in the middle of the forest. But perhaps too panicked, the stupid dog ran in the wrong direction, not to the outside of the forest, but rushed deeper into the forest.


    The figures in the airnded separately, and both of them groaned in pain at the same time. Blood flowed from Lu Chen''s neck again, and the cloth that had just been tied disappeared, revealing the terrible wound and adding three shocking scratches. It was sneak attacked by that girl at that moment just now.


    But after the girlnded, she staggered back three steps in a row, her beautiful eyebrows were tightly frowned, she took a deep breath, and tightly covered her lower abdomen with her hands.


    Between the fingers of the white jade-like hand, crimson blood slowly seeped out, and in the bloodstains under the clothes, a bloody wound appeared faintly.


    That was a sword wound.


    It was a wound that had been ruthlessly stabbed by a sword with an unforgiving killing intent.


    Amidst the blood, her face turned pale.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    She raised her head and nced at Lu Chen, and finally her eyes fell on Lu Chens hand. There seemed to be an afterimage of a ck dagger passing by, and then disappeared quickly, as if it had never been empty.


    The young girls cheeks became paler and paler, and more and more blood flowed out from her lower abdomen, staining her fingers red, only her eyes were still sharp and fierce, with a hint of coldness, coldly looking at Lu Chen, after a moment, she suddenly spoke: I am only ten years old, you can actually do it?


    Lu Chens face did not change at all and said, I just dont want to die yet.


    Bah! The young girl sneered, You are a big man cowying me and still have so many excuses, are you really embarrassed?


    Lu Chen stopped answering her words, and after looking at her thoughtfully for a moment, he suddenly took a step towards the young girl.


    This young girl suddenly looked a little nervous, her body shrunk back a little, and suddenly said loudly: You can not kill me!


    Lu Chen stood in front of her, looking at this little girl whose height is less than his chest. It felt unreal for a while, no one thought that this girl who looked as beautiful as a fairy, would have such a dangerous and ferocious other side.


    At the gate of Kunlun Mountain that day, the scene of seeing her shed through his mind, and Lu Chens heart moved, and he frowned: Why?


    I have a great background, if you dare to touch me, you will be dead! The young girl threatened him viciously.


    Lu Chen raised his eyebrows, as if he felt a little interest, said: Oh, so powerful? Lets hear it.


    The young girl seemed to hesitate for a moment, but after ncing at Lu Chens gaze that seemed to have vaguely be somewhat icy, she hurriedly said, Im about to be Zhenjun Baichens third personal disciple!


    Hmm? This time Lu Chen was really astonished, and could not help but once again look up and down at this young girl.


    What kind of person is Zhenjun Baichen? In the Kunlun sect, he is a peerless master standing side by side with Zhenjun Tian. Even Xianyue, the head of the current Kunlun sect, is just his eldest disciple.


    It is well known that Zhenjun Baichen has only two disciples, one is Xianyue Daoist, and the other is Jindan cultivator Zhuo Xian. In the past sixty years, the Kunlun Sect has never heard of Baichen Zhenjun still moving and having the idea of epting disciples.


    You know, thats True Lord Huashen, the top figure in the world of cultivation in the vastnd of Shenzhou.


    How dare such a ten-year-old girl say that she wants to join the True Monarchs sect?


    Lu Chens first reaction was that this young girl was lying! But soon, he suddenly thought of a message that Lao Ma had told him privately in Kunwu City that day.


    He frowned and took a step forward, and was almost close to her, and stared into the young girls eyes, saying, Could it be that you are the legendary five-pir genius that is rarely seen in a thousand years?


    The girl was stunned for a moment, as if she was a little surprised, but then said with a little pride: Yes, its me, now you know I didnt lie to you


    Before the words were finished, she saw Lu Chen raise his palm and cut it directly behind her head. Immediately, he saw the girls face turn pale, and with a low hum, she fell forward and closed her eyes tightly halfway, and she was already passed out.


    Lu Chen stretched out his hand, held her body, frowned tightly, and muttered in his mouth, Damn it, why are you so unlucky


    The ck dog Ah Tu scattered his legs and ran wildly, panicking through the forest, unaware that he had run far away, and when he came back to his senses, he found that he had actually arrived on another hill.


    This ce should no longer be the boundary of Shipan Valley. This mountain is also a bit different. There are basically no tall trees on the mountain. Instead, green grass grows in most ces, especially on the gentle slope at the foot of the mountain. It is arge meadow full of grass. When the mountain wind blows, the green grass undtes like waves, like a soft green grass nket, which makes people want to roll on it when they see it.


    Ah Tu stood nkly at the foot of the mountain for a while, then suddenly looked back, and uttered a low cry twice, as if hesitating, but finally turned around and walked back along the way he came.


    Although there seemed to be great danger in that direction, it was as if there was something more important to it that quietly overcame the fear in its dog heart and let it go back.


    But at this moment, Ah Tu suddenly heard a sound of moo in the distance, to be precise, from the depths of therge meadow.


    It sounded familiar.


    Ah Tu was stunned for a moment, then turned around to look, and saw a huge figurezily turning over in the thick grass, and saw a raised huge cows head, and nced at it.


    It was a huge green cow with two strange horns.


    The skys the limit, and I will see you again after parting from the deserted valley.


    Ah Tus eyeballs rolled around, then he barked twice at the blue cow in the distance, and ran over


    Ah Tu ran to the meadow, and only when he got closer did he feel the size of the green cow more and more, it looked like a small mountain. At the moment, the Green cow seemed to be basking in the sun here, with nothing to do, but looked curiously at the little ck dog running all the way up to him, and then barking at him.


    Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof


    Ah Tu kept wagging his tail, he seemed to be very respectful and deliberately ttering to the green cow, and then seemed to be pleading.


    However, Green bupp didnt respond to this, and lost interest after staring at Ah Tu for a while, let out a moo in its mouth, and then narrowed its eyes slightly again, as if it was about to fall asleep again.


    Ah Tu became a little anxious, but he didnt dare to disrespect this huge beast, so he walked around in a hurry.


    The woman stood very close to the cow, and even had a hand pressed on the cows body, and the cow did not act with any disgust, and seemed to have a different opinion of this woman.


    At this moment, suddenly a figure appeared from behind the green cow. It was a womans figure, tall, with a very beautiful appearance, and a beautiful red feather shawl was draped over her shoulders, like a beautiful cloud of fire descending on her delicate shoulders.


    After the woman came out, there was no expression on her face, she just said indifferently: Little Green doesnt like to meddle in other peoples business, so dont bother her.


    Ah Tu stood there in a daze for a long time, looked at thezy green cow, and then at the strange woman, as if he was a little confused about the rtionship between the two, but soon, it remembered something more important thing, there is no rescuer here, but in the woods below the mountain, there is another person who is more important to it.


    Ah Tu let out a roar, seemed a little angry, barked twice at this person, turned around and rushed down the mountain.


    The green cow was not moved in the slightest, the cows eyes were closed, it seemed to be about to fall asleep. On the contrary, the young woman standing beside the cow suddenly frowned and looked at the little ck dog that was running for its life, saying, There seems to be something wrong with this dog.


    Moo. The green cows huge head turned around, rubbed twice in the grass on the ground, yawned, and still looked like it had no interest.


    The young woman, however, kept looking at the distant back of Ah Tu running away, pondered for a moment, then whispered, There is a bloody aura


    The gray walls were floating and trembling in front of her eyes, and when she just woke up, this was the feeling in front of her eyes. After a while, the young girl regained consciousness and turned her head with some difficulty, then she saw the face of Lu Chen sitting by the bed.


    Youre awake. Lu Chen smiled at her and nodded, his expression was very gentle.


    The young girl was startled, and hummed in her mouth, as if she was frightened, she suddenly sat up and hit her backhand, but she turned over for a moment, then suddenly fell down again, and fell on the bed, fortunately there was a soft bedding under her body , not very painful.


    The girl gasped for a few breaths, and then found that her hands and feet were bound and she couldnt move. However, the wound on her lower abdomen that was bleeding had been bandaged, and there was a burst of coolness on the wound amidst the dull pain, as if it had been applied. What kind of medicine was it? It felt pretty good.


    The young girl raised her eyes to look at Lu Chen, staring at him for a moment before saying, What do you mean?


    Lu Chen sighed, looking a little helpless, and said, Ive been thinking about how to deal with you just now.


    The youngdy sneered and said, What do you want?


    Lu Chen stretched out two fingers and said, Two ways, first, I will heal you and save you, and when you are well, we will pretend that there was never such a thing; second, or I will kill to silence you.


    The girl looked contemptuous and contemptuous when she heard the first method, but she was startled when she heard the second method, and said angrily: Bold! How dare you kill me?


    Lu Chen said with a straight face, I also have no choice.


    The girl became more and more angry and said angrily: What do you mean there is no way, so you have to kill me? I didnt provoke you, just because I tried to steal a few of your cranberries in that shabby store the other day? I said you looked good, why are you so ruthless!


    Lu Chen said, What you just said about me is wrong except for one thing, I am not that kind of person.


    The young girl stared at him, waited for a moment and then sneered: You just said you wanted to kill me.  But which point do you think I just said was right?


    Lu Chen coughed and said, That store is indeed a shabby store, there is no way, the owner who runs the store is just stupid. As for the rest, I wont admit it.


    Cut it out The girl snorted, apparently disbelieving, but after these words, the atmosphere between the two of them eased a bit.


    After a while, the girl thought about it, and said again: I have already told you about my identity, if you are not afraid of offending Zhenjun, then feel free to hurt me.


    Lu Chen said, I didnt mean to hurt you.


    The girl raised her hand, looked at the rope tied to her hand, and sneered, Then what do you mean by tying me?


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment, staring into her eyes, and said: I dont want to provoke Zhenjun Baichen, I can let you go, but you have to tell me, where did you learn these killing skills at a young age?


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 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    Chapter 104 - Emerald Green Light


    "I don''t have any killing skills!" The little girl categorically denied, and sneered, "You go out and ask around, but I grew up in the Bai family in Kunwu City, clean and honest roots, dignified and quiet people, and its strange if someone believes your words.


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment and said, "You are more powerful than I thought." After a pause, he said, "The Bai family?"


    "Bai Lian." The young girl gave him a look and asked rhetorically, "And you?"


    "Lu Chen."


    Bai Lian, who at a young age had a face of great beauty, looked at Lu Chen with a pair of bright eyes, and then looked around the room and said, "You are still a misceneous disciple?"


    Lu Chen smiled and said, "I''m not talented enough to make youugh."


    "Humph!" Bai Lian seems to be a little younger after all, hearing thispliment there is a smug look on her face, but soon her face suddenly sunk, she spat, and said: "Bah! Your poor talent can still catch me, this is a roundabout way to scold me!"


    Lu Chen smiled and shook his head, and did not say anything.


    Bai Lian rolled her eyes, and suddenly looked at him with great interest, and said: "Then again, a misceneous disciple, and how can you have these messy skills, what is your origin?"


    Lu Chen said, "I used to be a pig butcher, saw blood, fought, and then felt that butchering pigs was meaningless, so I wanted to be an immortal and attain Taoism, so I came to the Kunlun School after a lot of trouble."


    "Pig butcher..." The smile on Bai Lian''s face froze for a moment.


    While Lu Chen was talking, although he looked rxed on the surface, his thoughts kept turning sharply. Right now, this young girl Bai Lian is obviously a big trouble. A little careless handling may bring endless troubles.


    Thinking of the entanglement, even the usually calm one couldn''t helpining a few words in his heart, thinking that these days, even ten-year-old girls are so scary, what will happen when they grow up!


    At that moment, suddenly the two people in the house at the same time heard a rustling sound from the door side of the room. Bai Lian''s eyes lit up, but Lu Chen had a calm face when he stood up, and then walked to the door and opened the door.


    A ck shadow scurried in with a whoosh, it was the ck dog Ah Tu.


    As soon as he came in, he rubbed himself next to Lu Chen very affectionately, wagging his tail desperately, with a ttering look.


    Lu Chen closed the door, smiled and scolded, said: "Do not pretend to be stupid, just now you left me to run away alone, I still remember it."


    Ah Tu suddenly let out a low whimpering sound, looked a little sad, but at this time, suddenly from the end of the bed came a coldugh, and it was Bai Lian whoy there and sneered: "Who is pretending, I clearly remember that just now you first told the ck dog to run away, but now me the dog? Can you speak with a little conscience, Uncle!"


    "Uncle..." Lu Chen''s face darkened for a moment, but before he could refute, Ah Tu turned his head and was a little surprised to see the girl lying on the bed, and suddenly let out a roar, the hair on his neck stood stood up, bared his teeth, and with sharp fangs, he barked viciously at Bai Lian, as if he was about to rush up and bite her twice if she disagreed.


    Ah Tu''s dog eye red, and sure enough, he saw Bai Lian lying on the bed with her hands and feet tied up, he immediately became energetic, and rushed over to Bai Lian like a wolf, opening his mouth wide giggling and biting in mid-air, intimidating like a demonstration to her.


    Bai Lian''s face was white with anger, and she blocked a few times with her hands, then said angrily: "Stupid dog, you''re really as heartless as your master, have you forgotten that I gave you your favorite thing?"


    Ah Tu whimpered twice, the fierce state remains. It seems that he suddenly could not understand humannguage, but when he bared his teeth, the dog sneaked a nce at Lu Chen from the corner of his eye.


    Lu Chen walked over, frowning slightly, and said: "By the way, this is also a thing I want to ask you, How do you know something like ''blood food''?"


    Bai Lian''s face changed abruptly, but then hummed, but turned her head away, a "I don''t understand what you are saying, and I am toozy to say more" look.


    Lu Chen''s face darkened, and he said lightly: "Blood food is a secret method passed down from generation to generation among the southern barbarians. Only major shamans and priests in the past could practice this method. It has never been handed down here in Middle-earth. You know, Once I report this matter, let alone bing a disciple of the True Monarch, you might be burned to death as a monster right in front of Kunlun Mountain."


    Bai Lian''s face changed several times in a row, she turned her head to look at Lu Chen, her gaze also turned cold, and she said, "You are a pig butcher, you know so much? You don''t need me to tell you how many secrets you have secretly, right? A misceneous ve disciple is ruthless, powerful, and knows so many secrets, if you ask me, you might still be a spy of the Three Realms Devil Sect. If you really want to tear your skin apart, do you believe that you will survive?"


    Lu Chen slightly bowed his head, and after a moment, shook his head and slowly said, "I am not a spy of the Demon Sect."


    "Who will believe it?"


    Bai Lian sneered, staring at Lu Chen with eyes as cold as a snake.


    There was a brief silence in the room, no one spoke again for a while. Only the eyes of both sides were still staring at each other with dead eyes, and no one was willing to back off slightly.


    The atmosphere got a little tense.


    Ah Tu was still baring his teeth ferociously at the side, but when the fangs were exposed for a long time and almost drooled on the bed, Ah Tu suddenly found that the other two people didn''t intend to look at it... The two people stared at each other with fiercest eyes threatening each other, it seemed to Ah Tu that the two humans seemed to be angrily staring at whose eyes were bigger and not blinking for a longer time.


    Ah Tu suddenly felt a little embarrassed.


    It closed its mouth in embarrassment, swallowed, and then looked at the two people who were staring at each other, and decided to help its master.


    "Wow, woof, woof!"


    The ck dog, Ah Tu, suddenly growled, then leapt up and opened his mouth wide and bit down on Bai Lian''s face.


    Lu Chen and Bai Lian, who were confronting each other and trying to overwhelm each other, were startled at the same time. Bai Lian screamed and subconsciously tilted to the side, but Ah Tu was so close to her, there was no way she could avoid it in such a hurry. In desperation, Bai Lian''s face suddenly darkened, and her bound wrists suddenly leaned against her chest, as if to grasp something.


    At the side, Lu Chen''s heart moved, and quickly shouted: "Ah Tu, do not do anything!"


    A proud girl like Bai Lian, no matter how she is in private, but on the surface she is the daughter of a wealthy family in Kunwu City, and she is destined to be the disciple of Zhenjun Baichen. There is no life-saving means to press the bottom of the box, that is the strange thing.


    It''s just that Ah Tu''s body paused for a moment amidst the lightning and flint, and suddenly he saw an emerald green light, which suddenly radiated from Bai Lian''s chest and fell on Ah Tu which was rushing towards him.


    Ah Tu''s body suddenly froze in mid-air, he couldn''t get up or down, and just stopped in the air a few feet above the ground.


    The inexplicable ck dog was a little puzzled and a little scared. He lost his fierce look, looked around, and then barked at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen''s face changed when the green light shot out, but then he felt that the power in it was not violent, and there was no killing intent, so his expression rxed a little. Shaking his head at this moment, he didn''t care about Ah Tu, but turned to Bai Lian and said, "I don''t care what you think, anyway, I didn''t take the initiative to trouble you from the beginning. Since everyone has some dark secrets, I think we should just shake hands and make peace, what do you think?"


    Bai Lian''s bright eyes stared at Lu Chen, seemingly wanting to see through the heart of the man in front of her. After a moment, she suddenly sneered and said, "Don''t just talk nice, let go of me first."


    Lu Chen nodded and said, "This is natural, but with your life-preserving tactics, this rope should not be able to trap you."


    Bai Lian smiled, and said, "You uncle, you can''t tell, you''re almost mature." As she spoke, a green light shed in front of her, and Ah Tu was thrown out, and fell on the ground with a puff. On the ground beside the bed, the green light sank slightly and shed over her hands and feet, and the ropes snapped.


    Bai Lian rubbed her wrists and sat up, then looked at Lu Chen with a half-smile, and said, "Then let''s have a good chat now?"


    Lu Chen nced at the green light that was still flickering in front of her chest and nodded, saying, "Yes, but you can put this away first."


    Bai Lian snorted and said, "If I put it away, who knows if you will suddenly see the money ande back to harm me."


    Lu Chen said, "If I wanted to harm you, I would''ve already done so countless times when you were not awake just now."


    Bai Lian''s cheeks were slightly red, she gave him a look, and said: "You''re too old to fight with a little girl like me and use dirty tricks to plot against people, how shameless you are!"


    Lu Chen closed his eyes, shook his head as if he had not heard her words, sighed and said, "Quickly put it away."


    Bai Lian took a deep breath, pulled her wrist back, the green light shed and slowly converged back to her palm.


    Lu Chen looked at the green light with some curiosity and said, "I''ve never heard of such a treasure before, it seems to be full of wood spirit energy, but what kind of natural treasure is the wood type?"


    Bai Lian did not pay attention to him, probably did not want to reveal the secret, only to see the green light in her hand stammering uncertainty, this and that, wavering constantly.


    Lu Chen waited for a while, but saw that the green light didn''t seem to be put away too much, and couldn''t help but said: "Hey, do you still want to talk about it? Why is this taking too long to take this thing away..."


    Before the words fell, he only heard Bai Lian''s cry of rm, her face turned pale instantly, and she lost her voice: "No, I, why can''t I control it..."


    Lu Chen''s heart skipped a beat, and he raised his head suddenly, only to see that green light suddenly exploded in Bai Lian''s palm, the light was so bright that he could even faintly hear a terrifying whistling sound, like a gust of wind passing by, whining, and a momentter, The green light rushed up suddenly, piercing Lu Chen''s heart like a sharp sword.

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    Lu Chen''s first reaction was that this little girl Bai Lian is really vicious and ruthless, she never forgets to kill people and silence them. This kind of fierce nature is really the only thing he has seen in his life, afraid that even the devil sect people are not as good as her.


    But in that lightning gap, he saw white lotus face with the color of panic, and his whole body was suddenly surrounded by the radiance of the green light, and then he inexplicably floated up, letting out a shriek.


    And the green mane that broke through the air, such as the unstoppable waves, its speed is as fast as lightning, instantly filled this small room, so Lu Chen almost had no time to react, only to hear a boom, the beam of emerald green light like substance hit him hard in the chest.


    Lu Chen''s whole body trembled, with a muffled sound, his whole body actually flew out backwards with a "bang" hitting the back of the wall, and from the corner of his mouth a trace of blood dripped down. But soon, he seemed to feel something, his face changed instantly, lowering his head to look at his chest.


    The emerald green beam of light, shining straight in his chest, in the depths of the light, to be exact, is within his chest cavity, the heart tumbling as if boiling blood, a soft white light, in that intense green light, quietly emitted, such as a sea of wild waves, like a pure white flower standing still in the midst of a vast ocean.


    But at the next moment, all the green light suddenly became stronger by three points again, as if they were stimted by something, they surged crazily, rushing towards Lu Chen''s chest from all sides.


    Where the light passed, all the tables, chairs and beds floated up, and then were twisted and broken by a violent force. The room was was a mess, including the surrounding walls trembling slightly. It seemed that the room was about to copse immediately.


    Lu Chen felt that his whole body flesh and blood was boiling, his face was distorted, he roared in pain, raised his head suddenly, and roared at Bai Lian in front of him: "Quickly suppress this light, or we will all die!"


    Just after he shouted, he found that the girl Bai Lian in front was still suspended in mid-air, but her ck hair was fluttering, eyes tightly closed, she had somehow already fainted at some point. And not far behind her, the ck dog Ah Tu was also swept up by a tide of the strange green light, in mid-air skittering around and with panic wildly barked a few times, suddenly his head tilted, it seemed to be unaware of the situation.


    The turbulent power surged towards Lu Chen crazily like a wave. For a moment, Lu Chen seemed to feel that his whole body was about to fall apart. At this critical juncture, he endured the severe pain, and suddenly gritted his teeth hard and with a low growl he desperately pressed his hand on his chest.


    The soft light in the depths of the green light seemed to be shining in the fingertips of his palm.


    The next moment, suddenly all the power stopped, such as the heaven and earth instantly were silent, and time has also frozen general.


    The green light, like frozen emerald ice, shone eerily in mid-air, and Bai Lian and Ah Tu suspended in the air maintained a rigid posture for a moment.


    Then, after that moment, everything came apart with a bang.


    The glorious roar dissipated, the figures disappeared out into thin air, and everything returned to nothingness.


    In the small hut, everything disappeared like a wind and cloud. The green light, white light, Lu Chen, Bai Lian and even Ah Tu all disappeared in the blink of an eye. Only those pieces of garbage that were originally blown into mid-air, suddenly lost the support, and then like a rain, ttered to the ground making a mess.


    He didn''t know how long it took, but Lu Chen suddenly felt a warm, moist feeling on his face. He shook his head, feeling that his eyes and ears have not calmed down, and he was still in a mess. He closed his eyes and rested for a while before that strange feeling slowly receded, and then he opened his eyes.


    A tongue was beside him, licking him, and a low whimpering sound came, it was Ah Tu''s voice.


    Lu Chen took a deep breath, smiled at Ah Tu, and then sat up.


    He was only halfway up when he gasped, and almost fell down again. He quickly supported the ground with his hands, and then stabilized his body. At this moment, he only felt intense pain from many ces on his body, especially his chest, which was the most ufortable.


    He touched his chest with his hand, but found that there was not really an open wound there, as if the feeling just now was just an illusion of his.


    Lu Chen settled down, and then turned his head to look around, he is now in the mysterious tree cave-like space he entered a long time ago, the ancient and mottled tree walls with those hazy green gas, silently standing; and in the center of this "tree cave", the puddle is still there, the water is clear and transparent, but it no longer have the freshness of the original vitality. Especially if you look carefully, somewhere deep underwater, there is a tiny, dark little shadow, is hiding in that piece of clear water.


    Like a dark me, quietly burning.


    On the other end of the puddle three feet away on the ground, there is another small figure lying, it is Bai Lian. But at this moment, seeing her lying there with her eyes closed and her face slightly pale, she remained motionless for a while, as if she was still in aa and hadn''t woken up.


    Lu Chen frowned, looked back, and nced at Atu beside him, but found that he and Bai Lian seemed to be in a bad condition, but only Ah Tu somehow, after all the troubles just now, he seemed to be walking around as if nothing had happened and was acting like he was doing something and at the same time looked curiously at a small world in a tree hole that he had never seen before.


    "It seems that you are the first to wake up." Lu Chen touched Ah Tu''s head, and Ah Tu grinned, looking in a good mood.


    Lu Chen smiled, then slowly stood up, carefully checked his body, feeling that in addition to some pain around the body, there does not seem to be any particrly powerful injuries, by which he was relieved, but at the same time he was looking at this surrounding tree cave, his brow was also wrinkled.


    This tree cave, especially the mysterious puddle in the tree cave, is the key to his survival from the vicious "ck me" curse back then. It was the strange surging vitality in the water, that again and again suppressed the terrible ck me, including ten yearster, when he made hisst fight against the ck me curse, once again maintained his vitality.


    He was the only one who had been in this ce in the past ten years, and he was the only one who knew about it, including Lao Ma, who knew nothing about it.


    Because this mysterious "tree cave" is actually the mysterious "seed" that he got from the zing heavenly light in the battle of Huang Valley that year.


    This "seed" is undoubtedly extremely important. Among other things, just looking at therge array of "God-Sending Curse"* cast by the Demon Cult in the past, it is this strange "seed" as the core that triggers the vision of heaven and earth, attracting the maniption of the unimaginable great power of heaven and earth, it can be seen its power.


    At the end of the Battle of Huang Valley, Hei Lang got it, and under some weird circumstances, the seed unexpectedly hid in his body without a sound, or to be precise, it prated into his heart somehow.


    From that moment on, the seed seemed to be fused with Lu Chen, who soon discovered that there was another strange space in this seemingly tiny seed, and that he could enter and exit this mysterious tree cave with the feeling of being connected to flesh and blood, and at the same time found the life-saving Life Spirit Water in the tree cave.


    In the past ten years, thanks to this seed and the mysterious tree cave in it, Lu Chen was able to barely survive, although he still endured countless unimaginable pains in the meantime. However, in his final fight against the ck me Curse in Qing Shui Tang Vige, although he managed to survive, he had also used up all of his life spirit water. From that time on, he rarely entered this mysterious "tree cave" again.


    Because in the past ten years, he has of course explored this tree cave countless times, every inch ofnd, every inch of tree wall and bark, including the greenish gas, he has carefully pondered and explored. But what is disappointing is that he has found nothing in this tree hole except for the amazing life spirit water in the puddle.


    It seems that this is just a space that simply holds the life spirit water.


    But even so, it was actually quite remarkable.


    Lu Chen was not a very greedy person, so after exploring without results, he did not continue until today, when a sudden change urred and the green light brought him, Bai Lian and Ah Tu all into this ce.


    Green light!


    Lu Chen raised his brows suddenly, turned his head suddenly, his eyes were bright, and looked at Bai Lian who was unconscious on the ground.


    Bypassing the puddle, Lu Chen slowly walked to Bai Lian''s side, then squatted down, his gaze stayed on Bai Lian''s young but already overwhelmed face for a moment.


    She is still unconscious, she seems to be asleep, at this time she is as quiet as an ordinary girl, that inexplicably exudes an innocent fragrance, like a flower that has just bloomed, looking breathtakingly beautiful.


    The ck hair slid a little from her sideburns and rested on her gentle white cheeks. He didn''t know what she was dreaming of. There was no pain, fierceness or anger on her face, and the corners of her mouth were slightly pursed,as if smiling.


    That smile is so sweet, could it be that she is dreaming of her favorite person?


    Lu Chen has never seen a person''s temperament change so much from the usual and when they are asleep, but then he quickly thought of another thing, that is, when Bai Lian is awake in front of people, seems to be another person. She has a fairy-like temperament as cold as ice.


    How does this little ten-year-old girl have so many different faces?


    Which one is the real one?


    Lu Chen silently gazed at her beautiful face for a moment, then his gaze moved down. On Bai Lian''s chest, under the corner of thepel, a soft but emerald green like light flickered quietly.


    *"God-Sending Curse" - Surrender Spell

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    <b>Chapter 106 Xinghai Portal</b>


    The shimmering emerald green light under thepel very much, looked like substance, like a turquoise crystal emerald, and it is obviously the same as the green light that suddenly burst out before, but it is quite different in power.


    Lu Chen pondered for a moment, then lifted the corner of thepel, and sure enough, he saw a pendant hanging on a thin rope on the girl''s snow-white neck, shaped like a bamboo branch, thick as a thumb and with a turquoise body. There is ample spiritual energy pervading and transpiring.


    It''s hard to imagine that the sudden violent scene before was caused by this warm and green thing. But all of this is not important. The most important thing is that Lu Chen clearly remembered that this emerald green branch-like pendant had resonated with the seed in his body before, and it was precisely because of this that all kinds of strange things happened. In the end, it led two people and one dog directly into this mysterious tree hole.


    This emerald green branch must have a great rtionship with this "seed".


    Lu Chen stared at this beautiful emerald-like branch, his eyes getting brighter and brighter.


    Ah Tu wandered around Lu Chen, looking curiously at Bai Lian who was lying unconscious on the ground, and turning his head to look at Lu Chen from time to time.


    However, after seeing that Lu Chen hadn''t moved much, Atu felt a little bored. He turned his head to look around, looked at the surrounding tree walls with interest, and observed the roots of the ravines, wondering if he should run away to peeter, it means that thisnd is also master Ah Tu''s.


    At that moment, Ah Tu suddenly heard Lu Chen''s voice in his ears, sounding somewhat low and inexplicable, as if there was a hint of a sigh, saying, "One branch, two leaves and one seed, I can''t believe it''s true."


    Ah Tu stretched out his head and nced at Lu Chen. Lu Chen touched its head with a smile, but his eyes were fixed on the emerald green branch, and said: "I thought that the people in the Demon Cult were all lunatics, and I also thought that what they said were all crazy words. That legendary tree can, the divine tree that prates the Three Realms is nothing more than their crazy ravings."


    He smiled, perhaps with a touch of sarcasm, and said lightly: "One branch and two leaves, one seed, this is the only tree in our world when the sacred tree was destroyed in the myths of the Demon Cult. The story clearly stated that as long as these four objects are collected, the sacred tree will be regenerated, and the three realms will be unified."


    "The one that can resonate with the seed should be the only ''branch of the divine tree'' in this world."


    After waiting for a while and seeing that Lu Chen still looked thoughtful, Ah Tu walked away alone and went to the strange wooden walls at the edge of the tree cave and started sniffing and looking for something.


    But before it took a few steps, it suddenly heard Lu Chen''s voice behind him, saying: "Ah Tu, don''t pee here. There is no venttion here, it will stink to death."


    Ah Tu turned around and "woofed" twice at Lu Chen, looking a little discontented, but he still walked back, but he still reluctantly looked back at the tree walls in the middle, as if he was very regretful.


    Lu Chen ignored the resentful stupid dog, and his eyes were still focused on the emerald green branch in front of him. After a while, he stretched out his fingers to grab the branch, and then slowly clenched it.


    In the middle of the tree cave, there seemed to be a moment of quiet.


    Suddenly, there was a glow, a green light shining out from his finger, followed by another, one after another, a turquoise light tenaciouslying out from every crevice of his palm.


    The light trembled faintly.


    A momentter, an unusually strong aroma suddenly diffused, and from Lu Chen''s palm, from his clenched palm, from each crevice, suddenly green and viscous water suddenly flowed out.


    Lu Chen stared at these green water, watching it slowly flow along his palm, and then drip down and float in the air.


    The tree cave, which had been silent for countless years, at this moment, suddenly seemed to sigh deeply, and like a traveler who had long been thirsty and trembled slightly out of joy. The misty green gas began to swim and flicker quickly on the tree wall, so that the turquoise water floated in mid-air, and then with the speed visible to the naked eye, little by little turned into an iparably fine powder, floating to every corner of this tree cave.


    The wind danced, and the green turned into waves, spinning on its own, like a heavy rain that had been waiting for ten thousand years, like a date that was ten thousand yearste and finally met.


    Lu Chen and Ah Tu stood on the ground in a daze, watching this magnificent and bizarre scene.


    Green drowned everything!


    Like a flood wave from ancient times.


    All the fine powder pounced on the tree wall and covered all the ce in a sh, turning this ancient tree cave into a green world, but soon, the green powder seemed to fuse with the tree wall again and quickly disappeared.


    "Boom!"


    From the midst of the silence, a boom suddenly came, as if from the deepest part of this ancient tree cave. Lu Chen looked up haughtily, only to see the tree walls around the cave blurring in an instant, the greenish glow flickering madly, and then, suddenly the world was pitch ck, surrounded by nothingness.


    It was as if he was suddenly in a dark and boundless void, with boundless darkness up and down, left and right. There was no sky and no earth, even his body seemed to have lost all its power, floating in the darkness empty.


    A little bit of light, from the far side suddenly lit up, and there was a cry of "Wow, woof, woof...", which seemed to be the voice of Ah Tu, with panic and a little bit of confusion.


    When Lu Chen looked up, he saw stars all over his head, but when he looked down, it was still the same.


    His body seemed to be constantly floating,pletely losing self-control, drifting aimlessly in this magical void, until suddenly there was emerald green light again.


    The light violently pierced through the darkness and blossomed in the void with indescribable brilliance, then from the depths of the turquoise light mass, countless strange root-like rays suddenly stretched out, shattering a solid-looking piece of darkness, reaching into this dark side of the world like roots of a tree.


    Then the rays of light flourished, like a violent sun suddenly appeared in front of the eyes, radiating brilliance, at that moment, it seemed that the stars all over the sky lost their brilliance.


    The light was slightly dimmed, the wind blew, the sound of whistling between heaven and earth came faintly, like a bleak ancient song passed down in the distant past, in the ghostly telling of past events. The turquoise light formed a gate, it suddenly appeared in front of his eyes, after a short while, the green light surged through his body and converged again, Lu Chen looked back, only to see the ce behind him, the formation of a simr turquoise gate.


    The green light is bright, as if there is a surging breath of life, driving away all the darkness. The brilliance was shining, everything seemed to have turned into a green ocean, but after a while, everything in front of my eyes suddenly dissipated, like a dream that shattered before my eyes, turning into endless dust.


    Lu Chen found himself in that tree cave again, still standing still.


    The bright and dazzling green light has now all dissipated, there is no longer any trace of the light anymore. The ancient tree cave seems to have once again returned to its original state. But if you look closely, you can still see that the ancient patchwork of the tree walls suddenly has a lot more life, and even the strange greenish aura entangled inside and outside the tree walls'' color is now also much deeper.


    But what surprised Lu Chen the most was that on both sides of the tree wall, behind the misty gas, there suddenly appeared the outline of two more gates.


    It was not really two gates, but only the vague outline of two doorways, while the ancient tree walls and the swimming gas covered most of them. Lu Chen tried to touch it, but found that it was like a flower in a mirror, only vaguely visible, but when you really want to touch it, you can''t feel it anyway.


    Two doors, or are they really doors?


    If they are doors, then where do they lead to?


    Lu Chen silently pondered for a while, then looked back, only to see Bai Lian still lying unconscious on the ground. For some reason, it seems that the powerful force that burst out when the green light resonated with the seed just now had an extraordinarily strong impact on her, so much so that she is still unable to wake up until this moment.


    Lu Chen walked back to her side, after checking, his brow quickly wrinkled, because he found that this young girl''s breathing was suddenly bing slower and there were longer intervals, as if ...... some kind of demonic beast animal hibernating the cold winter, hiding in the dirt cave.


    But, people do not hibernate!


    Lu Chen touched her hand, which was cold to the touch.


    Without any further hesitation, Lu Chen immediately sat down, and then called out to Ah Tu, who was standing aside, and let it lie beside him, while holding Bai Lian in his arms, and grabbing Ah Tu with his other hand.


    Before he made a move, his gaze swept over Bai Lian''s chest and was suddenly struck by the fact that the pendant she was carrying was still as green as ever, but for some reason, the original vibrant charm was mostly diminished.


    He took one more look at the emerald green branch, then closed his eyes, and suddenly let out a low shout, hands fiercely clutching the Bai Lian and Ah Tu.


    There seemed to be a loud bang in the ears, and that moment seemed to have passed through countless distances, it seemed long, and it seemed like the blink of an eye, and suddenly the two of them and a dog appeared in that messy hut out of thin air.


    With a "bang", they fell from mid-air.


    Ah Tu jumped up with a jolt, like an electric shock, shaking his head and looking very excited, very happy that he finally returned to this familiar world. Lu Chen turned his head to look at Bai Lian. He was finally relieved when he saw her breathing stopped for a moment and then began to return to normal.


    She doesn''t seem to be veryfortable in that tree cave......


    Lu Chen muttered in his heart, then his eyes fell on the emerald green pendant on Bai Lian''s chest once again, his brow furrowed again, feeling some trouble in his heart.


    At this time, Bai Lian''s body moved, but it looks as if she is about to wake up. Lu Chen raised his eyebrows for a moment, his mind turned quickly, countless thoughts rushed through his mind in an instant. Suddenly, he fiercely reached out and ripped his shirt outside his heart, then the ck sword suddenly appeared in his hand, and backhanded it directly on his chest area and cut the flesh and blood and stabbed back and forth a few times, and immediately the blood flowed. A moment of bloody blood and flesh.


    Lu Chen grunted in pain, but the next moment he flipped his palm, the ck sword then disappeared, his body shook a little, his face suddenly pale, as if half of the blood on his body had flowed out from the wound, and he suddenly slumped and fell to the ground, fell heavily on the ground.


    A few momentster, this sound seems to have rmed Bai Lian, she opened her eyes with some blurred consciousness, and then her body shook. She saw Lu Chen who was lying on the ground not far away from her, twitching uncontrobly. She was shocked and couldn''t help it. Sitting up all of a sudden, she asked in surprise "You ...... you what happened? "


    Lu Chen covered his wounds, his face was distorted to reveal the color of pain, looking at the unusually beautiful young girl in front of him, even his voice became hoarse, said: "I never thought ...... you would be such a woman, you want to kill me at the drop of a hat!"


    "...... ah??"

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    <b>Chapter 107 - I Don''t Believe It!</b>


    Bai Lian was stunned in ce, her mouth half open, her face looked a little dazed, as if she hadn''te back to her senses for a while. After a while, she said in shock, "I did it?"


    "Who else is it if it''s not you?" Lu Chen fell to the ground, gasped for breath twice, then sneered, "Isn''t this your precious magic weapon?"


    Bai Lian subconsciously touched the pendant on her chest, and felt that the branches were as warm as usual, and the light did not change. After thinking about it for a while, she said with some uncertainty: "I just... really didn''t mean to kill you, Although I don''t think you are a good person."


    Lu Chen said: "You are a ferocious and vicious person, you can kill as soon as you say, you''re just out of your mind, right?"


    Bai Lian was stunned for a moment, with a look of suspicion on her face, but it seemed that she really had a little doubt about herself, and said in a stuttering way: "Could it be, could it be...it shouldn''t be."


    "What shouldn''t be!" Lu Chen interrupted Bai Lian''s recollection, and said, "I just yelled for you to stop quickly, or we''re all going to die, don''t you remember?"


    Bai Lian pondered for a moment, and finally a look of embarrassment shed across her face, and she said, "It seems, it seems that I heard such a sentence."


    "Humph!"


    Lu Chen covered his chest with his hands, gasped for air, and with the blood flowing and staining thepel of his clothes red, it seemed that half of his life was lost.


    It is strange to say that not long ago the two people were fighting and were trying to kill each other like enemies, but at this moment, Bai Lian is a little embarrassed.


    She sat on the bed for a while, then stood up, took two steps towards Lu Chen, stopped again, and said, "Um... Uncle, are you okay? I saw your sinister and ruthless expression just now. You look like a bad guy, so you shouldn''t die so easily, right?"


    Lu Chen rolled his eyes, heaved a sigh of relief in his heart, but then he let out a sigh, and said, "Youll let you twice in the heart?"


    Bai Lian frowned, and when she was about to say something more, there was a sudden knocking sound, but it came from the door.


    "Puff puff puff, puff puff puff... Brother Lu, are you home? I went to Lingtian, but I didn''t see you and Ah Tu."


    A clear and pleasant voice came in through the door, it was Yi Xin''s voice.


    Everyone in the room was stunned for a while, then Lu Chen and Bai Lian nced around at the same time, and saw that the room was a mess, all the tables and chairs, including beds and bedding, were broken intorge and small pieces of powder, scattered In this room, it looked like a sudden storm swept through here.


    Bai Lian immediately shook her head at Lu Chen, and Lu Chen also nodded without hesitation, but the one who reacted faster than the two of them was Ah Tu.


    The ck dog leapt up, overjoyed and barked wildly at the door of the room.


    "Woof woof woof woof woof ......"


    Lu Chen: "..."


    Bai Lian: "..."


    The two people inside the door looked at each other, but the voice outside the door suddenly raised a bit, full of joy and alsoughed out loud, saying, "Ah, Ah Tu, you are home, Brother Lu is also there, right, open the door for me quickly."


    After a moment''s pause, Yi Xin smiled again and said, "Ah Tu, I brought you a delicious meat bone too."


    The ck dog got more and more excited, wagging its tail wildly, rushed to the door, jumped up and down and pounded the door bolt with its forelegs. It seemed that it was trying hard to open the door for Yi Xin.


    Bai Lian turned back to look at Lu Chen, and Lu Chen also looked at her. After a while, Bai Lian suddenly said: "Why is your dog so stupid?"


    Lu Chen coughed and said, "identally..."


    With a sound of "snap", the door bolt was pried open by Ah Tu, Yi Xin pushed the door open with a smile and walked in, Ah Tu enthusiastically rushed over, lying on her body all of a sudden, rubbing against her non-stop.


    Yi Xin affectionately stroked Ah Tu''s head, he smiled, then took out a bag and poured out several meat bones,ughing, "Ah Tu, eat."


    Ah Tu let out a cry of joy, and ran away with a bone in his mouth. Yi Xin stood up and looked forward, while smiling and said, "Brother Lu, why are you so early today..."


    Her voice stopped abruptly, and her smile seemed to freeze on her face. Seeing the tragedy in the room, she was speechless for a while. A momentter, she saw Lu Chen sitting on the ground, covering his chest with his hands, blood flowing half of the body. She screamed in shock, ran over, and said in a rmed voice: "Brother Lu, brother Lu, what''s wrong with you?"


    Lu Chen smiled wryly, and said, "I ...... was slightly injured."


    Yi Xin''s face suddenly turned pale, and then she turned his eyes, but saw Bai Lian standing on the other side of the room, and then looked at the debris in the room, seemed to understand something, stared at Bai Lian, and shouted: "It''s you.you injured Big Brother Lu?"


    Bai Lian hesitated for a moment, and said, "Maybe... yes."


    Yi Xin felt a sudden surge of anger, stood up suddenly, and said loudly to Bai Lian: "Brother Lu is such a good person, who is uncontentious with the world, and even less likely to provoke you, thedy of the Bai family, miss why did you hurt him?"


    "Huh?" Lu Chen and Bai Lian were both taken aback at the same time, Lu Chen pulled Yi Xin and said, "How do you know her identity?"


    Yi Xin said angrily: "You and I saw her at the mountain gate that day, and I was a little curious so I went to inquire about it. Kunwu City is so big and there are so many families, so I naturally inquired about her."


    Saying that, she took a step forward and stopped in front of Lu Chen. Although Bai Lian looked younger and not as tall as her, she seemed to overwhelm Yi Xin in terms of momentum, making Yi Xin look cautious, However, the expression of annoyance is still on the surface, and he said: "Miss Bai, you have such a talented background, and you are favored by heaven, and you will soon be a True disciple. There is a world of difference in status between the two of you, so why would you run to bully an ordinary misceneous disciple like Brother Lu?"


    "I.." For some reason, facing Yi Xin''s angry but beautiful face, Bai Lian felt speechless. In the end, she could only shake her head, and even lowered her voice a little, saying: "You... ...you misunderstood."


    "What did I misunderstand!" Yi Xin looked angry and disbelieving.


    "Forget it, Yi Xin." At this time, Lu Chen pulled Yi Xin''s sleeve from behind, and after she turned around, he said, "I identally fell and hurt myself just nowso, don''t me Miss Bai."


    "Did you fall down by yourself, and you wounded your chest in such a bloody state?" Yi Xin had a look on her face as if she had seen a ghost.


    Lu Chen gave a dryugh, then looked at Bai Lian who was standing over there, and said, "Miss Bai, we can be regarded aswe don''t know each other, how about just forgetting it?"


    Bai Lian stared at him, and after a while, she slowly nodded and said, "You''re right, we have nothing to do with it, maybe it was just a misunderstanding. But those things before.."


    A secret smile appeared on the corner of Lu Chen''s mouth, he cut off her words, and said, "Let''s just keep the well water out of the river in the future, what do you think?"


    "Okay!" Bai Lian pondered for a moment, nodded in agreement, and then walked towards the door.


    Yi Xin looked at Bai Lian with a displeased face, still looking a little bit bitter, but when she walked to the door, Bai Lian suddenly turned her head and nced at Yi Xin.


    "May I ask which family you belong to?" When she said this, Bai Lian''s expression hadpletely returned to normal, and she was once again the girl who was elegant and cold, as beautiful as an exiled fairy.


    The transition was so fast and smooth that Lu Chen was secretly speechless.


    Yi Xin hesitated for a moment, but perhaps thinking that with the ability and background of the person in front of her, it was really not a difficult thing to inquire about her origins, so she answered bluntly, "My surname is Yi."


    Bai Lian was obviously taken aback, and after thinking carefully for a while, she seemed to remember, and said, "Oh, the Yi family on the east side of the city, right?"


    Yi Xin said, "Yes, what do you want?"


    Bai Lian smiled, and said: "You think too much, we are both descendants of aristocratic families, and disciples of the same sect, there will be many opportunities to take care of each other in the future, there is no need to be enemies."


    She was born extremely beautiful, and when she said these generous words, it really made people feel bad. Yi Xin also couldn''t hold back her face, she pursed her mouth and waited for a while, but still said "Well".


    But then Bai Lian nced at Lu Chen who was behind Yi Xin, and suddenly said seriously: "Sister Yi, I have something to say to you."


    Yi Xin was stunned for a moment, the Bai Lian suddenly called herself sister some not quite adaptable, after all, although she is simple but still understand some basic reason, Bai Lian and her life, status, background have a big a gap, even if Bai Lian is young, but Yi Xin herself really did not expect to be called by her sister. After staying frozen for a moment, she said, "What?"


    Bai Lian said: "I see Yi sister, you seem to be a good person with a good heart, but this uncle is ......"


    "Hey, youre calling me uncle endlessly!"


    Bai Lian ignored the other person''sints, but said to Yi Xin with a gentle expression: "I think you should be more careful about this man, he looks harmless and gentle, but in fact he is vicious and cruel. Its the only time Ive seen in my life, if you get too close to him, you will hurt yourself sooner orter.


    She looked at Yi Xin sincerely, her eyes were clear and pure, like the most beautiful and wless flower in the world, and said softly: "You two are not the same kind, don''t be with him."


    There was a sudden silence in the room, and no one spoke for a while.


    The atmosphere seemed a little awkward, but after a while, Yi Xin suddenly frowned delicately. The scar on her cheek was still there, and there were faint traces, but it didn''t seem to damage her beauty. It only added a bit of heroism to her.


    She just looked at Bai Lian, looking at the young girl who was destined to be a figure of the future under the sky, destined to be the proud daughter of the Kunlun School, and finally only heard Yi Xin snorted, and then said loudly: "I don''t believe it! "


    PREVIOUS >< TOC >< NEXT

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    This "I don''t believe it", Yi Xin said it firmly, and there seemed to be no room for doubt. Even Lu Chen looked at Yi Xin in surprise, with a bit of surprise on his face.


    And Bai Lian was obviously even more surprised, and even looked at Yi Xin in disbelief, and said, "You trust him that much?"


    Yi Xin nodded without hesitation and said, "Yes."


    Bai Lian was dumbfounded, she seemed to be ice-snow and smart, and she seemed to have a feeling of helplessness when facing Yi Xin at this moment, so she shook her head and sighed, "Well, anyway, I told you everything, in the future dont regret it."


    Yi Xin turned his head away and stopped looking at her, obviously she didn''t take this warning to heart at all.


    Bai Lian turned her head and nced at Lu Chen, only to see that Lu Chen was still sitting on the ground, and then slightly raised his hand and smiled at her.


    Bai Lian snorted, didn''t say anything else, turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Perhaps only the loud sound of the door closing could reveal that she was a little annoyed.


    As soon as Bai Lian left, Yi Xin hurried to Lu Chen''s side and helped him stand up. She wanted to find a ce to sit and rest, but when she saw the mess around her, she didn''t even have a decent chair to sit on. Time was also not enough, and then asked Lu Chen: "What happened in your house, why is everything broken?"


    Lu Chen smiled wryly, and said: "It''s a long story, I''ll tell you in detailter."


    "Oh." Yi Xin responded, but there was nothing she could do at the moment, so she had to let Lu Chen stand, then went to the side to sweep a slightly cleaner ce, and then put some good pillows and quilts, and let Lu Chen sit down.


    Then she looked at Lu Chen with concern on her face, and whispered, "Brother Lu, are you really okay?"


    "Well, it''s not a big deal, I''ll be fine after resting, and this is just a skin trauma on my chest, it''s nothing serious."


    Yi Xin breathed a sigh of relief, a smile surfaced on his face after the relief, then turned back and shouted, "Ah Tu, big brother Lu he is fine, don''t worry."


    Ah Tu, who was lying on his stomach in the corner next to the gate, was gnawing his bones until his mouth was dripping with glee. After hearing Yi Xin''s words, he raised his head and nced this way, wagging his tail, and blinked his eyes. Then he continued to gnaw on the bones without saying a word.


    The smile on Yi Xin''s face froze for a moment, and after a moment she gave a dryugh and turned her head to Lu Chen and said, "Brother Lu, look at Ah Tu it must be starving ......"


    Lu Chen let out a "bah" and said: "Stupid dog, if you have a chance to see if I don''t kill you, Ill make a stew of you."


    Yi Xin was taken aback, and quickly grabbed Lu Chen''s hand and begged, "Brother Lu, Brother Lu, don''t eat Ah Tu, it''s very good..."


    Lu Chen was pushed several times by her and almost fell to the ground, so he had to smile wryly: "I know, I know, I was just joking with you."


    Yi Xin became happy now, smiling like a flower, and then found a white cloth and medicine to bandage Lu Chen''s wound, and asked at the same time: "Brother Lu, why were you arguing with that youngdy of the Bai family? She is different from me, she is the real pride of a big family, her family background is all good, and I heard that she will be epted as the third disciple by Zhenjun Baichen soon. Why are you messing with such a person?


    Lu Chen said, "First of all, I didn''t know her identity before; secondly, I didn''t provoke this youngdy, she was the one who wanted to trouble me."


    "So." Yi Xin thought for a moment and said, "Then it''s Miss Bai''s fault."


    Lu Chen looked at Yi Xin and suddenly said, "Howe you believe me so much, including before in front of that Miss Bai Lian, without hesitation, you said that you don''t believe her, which scared me."


    Yi Xinughed and said, "Because I just believe you, you saved my life and helped me a lot, who else would I believe if I didn''t believe you? Besides, the scene just now, Miss Bai stood there properly, you here is covered in blood, your chest bleeding and lying on the ground, if its not because she bullied you, could it be that you stuck a knife in your own chest?


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Well, you make a lot of sense."


    Although Yi Xin was also a woman from an aristocratic family, she didn''t seem to be particrly spoiled at the moment, and she even helped Lu Chen to start cleaning this messy house, and then swept the garbage into a pile in the east and a pile in the west, like a small mountain of different sizes.


    Lu Chen coughed twice, called Yi Xin back, and said: "Thank you for your hard work, you should take a rest first, the dust is too heavy, it''s choking."


    Yi Xin let out an "Oh", sat down with slightly red cheeks, and then looked at the empty house, frowned at Lu Chen said: "Brother Lu, there is nothing in this room now, so there is no way to live in it. "


    Lu Chen said, "It''s okay, I''ll try to add some things inter, it shouldn''t be a big problem."


    Yi Xin said, "Then where would you and Ah Tu sleep for the next few days?"


    Lu Chen said: "Sleep on the floor."


    Yi Xin shook his head, her hands did not stop bandaging his wounds, while whispering: "So poor ......"


    Lu Chenughed, patted Yi Xin''s head, said: "You forget those days we spent in thend of confusion, we slept every day in the middle of nowhere, wasnt it ten times more miserable than now? Now at least there is a house to hide."


    Yi Xin looked at him and said, "It''s not the same." She said and thought for a while, then said to herself, "I''d better go and ask a favor for you, see if I can really let you squeeze into the ''spiritual cultivation residence'' of the misceneous disciples. I heard that those who are qualified to be in that list will leave the Stone Pan Valley to go to anothernd of the Hundred Herb Hall, where the conditions are much better than here, and they also have ess to many of the elite disciples in the sect."


    Lu Chen was instantly moved and nodded, "If that''s the case, then naturally it''s best, but," he looked at Yi Xin and said with some surprise, "You''re able to talk about such a big deal? I can''t see it."


    Yi Xin smiled cheekily and said, "That''s not true, I''m just a new disciple who just joined the sect this year, where do I have that qualification? But because the other day I ...... Well, it was more miserable, you know, so those elders and uncles in Hundred Herb Hall feel very sorry for me. If I try my best to please, maybe I can help you."


    Lu Chenughed and said, "Awesome, you''ve grown in ability."


    Yi Xin blushed slightly, and then said: "Actually, they pity me, aren''t they...huh?" Halfway through speaking, Yi Xin was stunned for a moment, as if suddenly thinking of something, her eyes fell on Lu Chen''s face, as if in thoughts.


    Lu Chen quickly sensed Yi Xin''s strangeness, and said, "What''s the matter, why are you looking at me like this?"


    Yi Xin let out a "Huh", seemingly hesitant, and said, "I just said that I trust you."


    Lu Chen said: "Well, I heard and saw it, thank you."


    Yi Xin said, "I also said to Miss Bai that I don''t believe her to say bad things about you, I thought in my heart that it was obvious that she hurt you."


    Lu Chen coughed and said, "Yes, you see she can''t even refute it herself, so it''s obvious that she admitted it."


    Yi Xin''s bright eyes looked at Lu Chen, Lu Chen was looking at her a little strange, so he red at Yi Xin, and said: "What are you looking at, do I have flowers on my face?"


    "There are no flowers." Yi Xin said, "Brother Lu, I suddenly thought of it just now. At that time, I thought it must be her fault, because no one would stab themselves with a knife in this world."


    "That''s true."


    "But didn''t I do that the other day?"


    "Uh ......" Lu Chen dumbfounded, looked at Yi Xin with a serious face, smiled wryly, and said, "What... are you trying to say?"


    Yi Xin looked at him fixedly and said positively, "Brother Lu, I definitely still believe in you, I think you must be a good person. But now think about it, just now I saw the scene after the idea, reced by everyone under the sky must be right, only you, I suddenly have some weakness in my heart ah."


    "Hey... what you said sounds very strange to me!" Lu Chen frowned suddenly, and said angrily, "Why do you think I feel guilty?"


    Yi Xin looked at him as a matter of course, and said: "Because you taught me the same method just now. No one in the world can stab themselves with a knife, but it''s different for you. You taught me that method back then. It was so easy to say at the time, but now that you think about it, even if you cut yourself with a knife, you must not even blink!"


    "Hey!" This time Lu Chen''s voice raised even higher, the tone was full of annoyance, "Are you out of your mind, this sounds like I''m a crazy lunatic."


    Yi Xin stuck out her tongue, and burst outughing. It seemed that after thinking about it carefully, even she herself found it a little unbelievable, and waved her hand: "Okay, okay, just saying."


    Lu Chen red at her and said, "Don''t talk nonsense!"


    Yi Xin shrugged her shoulders, stood up and said, "I know, it''s just a casual conversation, look at your anxiety. The list of spiritual cultivation is being discussed recently, I have to go back quickly to ask a favor for you, see if I can stuff a spot in. You just wait for my good news!"


    Lu Chen agreed and said, "Okay." After a pause he said, "But you do not have to care too much, just do what you can, if you really can''t get it, I can think of other ways, don''t force it of."


    Yi Xin smiled and said, "It''s okay, I understand."


    With that, she walked toward the door, and deliberately turned to the side of Ah Tu to touch the dog''s head, admonished two words, and only then opened the door, turned back and waved to Lu Chen, and said: "Brother Lu, I''m leaving."


    "Oh." Lu Chen answered.


    The door closed.


    After a moment, suddenly the door opened again, and Yi Xin''s head poked in and said to Lu Chen, "Brother Lu, didn''t you really cut yourself with a knife before?"


    "Roll!"


    "Well ......" Yi Xin''s head shrank, spat out her tongue, then smiled and retreated again.


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 Chapter 109The Peak of Winter Peak

    Chapter 109The Peak of Winter Peak


    Hey, its quitefortable


    Lu Chen let out a sigh of admiration and said with his eyes closed. At this moment he was in Kunwu City,he was in the Heiqiu Pavilion of Lao Ma in Kunwu City. In the empty shop, there was an extra bamboo recliner, and he wasying on it.


    He wasying on the chair which was naturally swaying and letting out a squeak, squeak sound.


    Sitting on the side Lao Ma was very proud, heughed and said: Needless to say, this is a chair made by Ming Ji Li, the best bamboo and rattan craftsman in the city. It cost me a lot of money to buy it. But lying on this bamboo chair, it feels like floating in the air, or like floating on the water, which is very pleasant


    Spent a lot of money?


    Thats right.


    Lu Chen opened his eyes and looked at Lao Ma squarely and said, You scream all day long that youre dying of poverty, but you actually have money to buy this kind of extravagant thing, which can be seen as a lie.


    Lao Ma snorted and said, A reclining chair made of bamboo is an extravagant thing?


    Cut the crap,Im dying of poverty recently, bring some spirit stones to help me.


    Lao Ma spread his hands and said, No more, I bought this chair with the rest of my money!


    Lu Chen squinted at Lao Ma and said contemptuously, Shameless.


    Lao Ma shook his head and said, How much is a catty face worth? How many spirit stones?


    The world is going downhill! Lu Chuan closed his eyes andmented.


    Lao Ma tsked twice under his breath and said, Have you been short of moneytely?


    Lu Chen said, Didnt I tell you, Yi Xin that girl is helping me with that spiritual cultivation thing, I cant just let the other little girl toss and turn alone, so I thought about whether or not to send some spirit stones over.


    Lao Ma thought about it for a while and seemed a bit puzzled, saying, With the fact that you helped her before, and with Yi Xins nature, will she ept your money?


    Lu Chen said, Probably not.


    Lao Mas face sank as he angrily said, If she wont ept it youre still asking me for spirit stones!


    Lu Chen sneered, Saying youre stupid and still wont admit it, do you know anything about this human condition? Whether she epts it or not is her business, whether I send it or not is another matter.


    Lao Ma frowned and thought for a while, muttering, When you say it like that, it seems to be a bit reasonable, but why do I always feel that you are more interested in getting money from me?


    Viin! Lu Chen sat up, pointed at Lao Ma, and said seriously, Viinous!


    Lao Ma:


    Lu Chen walked to the door and leaned against it, Try it, I have nothing to lose anyway,


    Ive secretly inquired about Spiritual Power Cultivation, and its true. Lao Ma drove Lu Chen down from the bamboo recliner, and then threw his obese body into the chair, and only heard the squeak, squeak, squeakAh! The voice rose loudly, and then swung back and forth, making him squint his eyesfortably, and at the same time said under his breath, Although this is still an errand or an odd-job, its already the best of the odd-job disciples. one of the best jobs amongst the handyman disciples, and there are indeed many people who break their heads to get involved.


    Speaking of this, he stretched out a fat finger and pointed at Lu Chuan, saying, If you ask me, a waste like you with no status, no position, and no background cantpete with others at all, so Im afraid youll have to let down little Miss Yis heart.


    Lu Chen walked to the door and leaned against it, turned his head and smiled and said, Try it, I dont have anything to lose anyway, what if I am really selected.


    Lao Ma sighed and said, Do you really want to go?


    Lu Chen didnt answer his question, but only said slowly, Spirit cultivation is for the most outstanding disciples in the sect to specially cultivate spirit materials, and more or less you can get in touch with the outstanding young disciples in the current Kunlun Sect, which is still a bit useful.


    Lao Ma closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment, saying, Alright, Ill think of something.


    Lu Chen nced at him and said, Wheres Dead Bald Head, if hes in the Kunlun Mountains, these things shouldnt be too easy to handle, why is he harboring over in the Immortal City all day?


    Lao Ma suddenly smiled bitterly and said, Theres something going on over there.


    Whats wrong?


    Lao Ma was silent for a moment, his voice seemed like it had suddenly lowered a lot, saying, Last month, just from the news reported from the Fuyun Divisions side, seven more Shadows have already died.


    Lu Chens face remained unchanged, but one could vaguely see the depths of one of his eyes, as if his pupils had slightly contracted. He slowly turned his head and looked towards the alley outside the door, only to see that on the clean stone road, the gray brick wall could be seen mottled everywhere, and in certain wall cracks and high up on the wall, there were still green clumps of weeds growing tenaciously, adding a little bit of life to this lonely and cold alley.


    As the breeze blew, the weeds in the secluded and dark ce gently swayed their stems and leaves, and hispel also swayed slightly with the wind.


    The wind was a bit cool and chilly.


    After a while, he softly said, Its just the number reported by the Fuyun Division?


    Lao Ma nodded and said, Yes, its just the number reported by the Fuyun Division themselves. No one knows how many there are in private.


    What are Fuyun and others afraid of?


    Fear of gossip, fear of cynicism, fear of the pressure of the dark currents in the Immortal Alliance strike.


    Lu Chen hummed and said, Dead Bald is one of the Immortal Alliances six True Monarchs, his status is strangely high, as long as he hardens the Blood Warbler(Xueying), I dont believe that anyone would dare to touch the Fuyun Division.


    Lao Ma smiled somewhat helplessly and said, Ordinary people naturally wont be able to do it, but if the other five True Lords open their mouths, that would be different.


    Lu Chens face abruptly changed, his originally calm expression finally moved, saying, Who is it?


    The Kunlun Mountains are majestic and rolling. In a vast area in the deepest part of the mountains, there is dense fog all year round, almost touching the white clouds in the sky. Even if there is a strong wind blowing from time to time, the fog cannot be blown away. And among the clouds in the sky, there are four huge mountain peaks floating in the void, which are the most famous and most prominent four strange peaks in the Sky Vault of Clouds among the Kunlun School.


    These four peaks are more than a thousand feets apart from each other, separated by clouds and mist, only the shadows of other peaks can be vaguely seen, ethereal like a fairnd, as if it is the home of the immortals in the world. The four strange peaks have been passed down since ancient times. Although they are all on the same mountain range, they have their own visions, which coincide with the four seasons of the cycle of heaven and earth, so they are named after spring, summer, autumn and winter.


    Spring Peak is full of vitality and color, summer Peak is scorching hot as fire, autumn Peak cold and lonely with the murderous air, winter Peak is icy and snowy, everything is depressing.


    It is a miracle of good fortune that there are four strange peaks within a short distance. In the Kunlun sect, the four strange peaks of Sky Vault of Clouds have always been important ces for the sect. Only the most important figures in the sect can set foot on them, and ordinary disciples are not even qualified to approach them.


    On this day, the winter peak suspended high above the sky is still the same as before, a scene of ice and snow, snow-capped and snow-covered sky, the whole mountain is pure white. The strange thing is that other peaks not far from this peak, including the tops of the Kunlun Mountains below, are still full of greenery, which can be regarded as a strange sight.


    The wind was fierce, blowing like a knife, and it was as if the slightest hint of icy coldness could prate directly into the bones through the flesh and blood, making people want to tremble uncontrobly. On the edge of a cliff formed by the solidification of profound ice for thousands of years on Dongfeng Peak, there is a figure standing at this time, but it is a very beautiful girl in her early ten years old, it is Bai Lian.


    At this moment, her face was cold, she was wearing a cloak, and the cold wind was blowing, her hair and skirt were fluttering together, she really had a fairy-like aura floating in the dust, but she didnt have the slightest ferocious appearance when she fought with Lu Chen that day, Not to mention the weird situation where she had blood on her hands, as if she was another person who had nothing to do with her.


    Or who knows which is the real face of this young girl.


    Her face looked a little pale, but it was unknown whether it was because of the unusually cold temperature of the Winter Peak Mountain or her body was not feeling well. She was just standing on the height of the Winter Peak and looking down, there is a feeling that the vast Kunlun is under your feet, this heaven and earth, this is much smaller, and it is the clouds in the sky, so why not under your feet?


    The sound of footsteps suddenly sounded, crushing the falling snow and ice g on the ground, and a figure appeared behind Bai Lian, it was an old Man.


    If Lu Chuan was here, he would have recognized this person as the Zhuo Xian that he had seen at the Kunlun Mountain gate that day, who had guided Bau Lian up the mountain, that is, the second disciple of the legendary True Lord Bai Chen, and at the same time an extremely powerful Jindan cultivator in the Kunlun Sect.


    Zhuo Xian walked behind Bai Lian, his gaze as keen as lightning, and he swept across the seemingly delicate girl in front of him, his eyes flickered, and there seemed to be a trace ofplicated expression shing through.


    Bai Lian turned around and saw Zhuo Xian. For some reason, there was still no smile on her face, as if she had always had that cold temperament since she was a child. She lowered her head, bowed to Zhuo Xian, and said:  Second Senior Brother.


    Zhuo Xian nodded, and then calmly said: The wind here is harsh, and you have not yet aplished your moral deeds, so it is not suitable to stay here for a long time, otherwise it will easily damage the Dao foundation, so go back with me.


    Bai Lian lowered her eyebrows and said, Yes.


    Zhuo Xian led her and then turned around and walked away. Along the way, he saw the frost prisms, steep and abrupt, crystal clear, as if he was in a magical and magnificent crystal-like world. The two walked through this magical snow-capped mountain peak floating in the sky, only the whistling sound of the never-ending cold wind could be heard in their ears.


    Senior brother. Bai Lian suddenly opened her mouth and called out.


    Zhuo Xian said, What?


    Bai Lian said, Master, this Old Man, when will he wake up?


    Zhuo Xians footsteps slightly paused for a moment, and then he looked up, only to see that a thousand feet higher from them here, at the top of the Winter Peak, endless wind and snow were madly surging,pletely wrapping that lone peak into an indescribably huge fortress of wind and snow, as if it was far away from the world of man.


    I dont know. Zhuo Xian calmly said.


    Um


    Why, somethings wrong?


    Bai Lian wrapped her hands in the cloak, and lightly held the emerald green pendant on her chest. The warm feeling was the same as before. Even in the icy and snowy world, she seemed to be able to feel a wave of warmth from the emerald green branch. An angry and warm wave.


    But  it still seems to feel that there seems to be something not quite right.


    Bai Lian was silent for a moment, then softly said, Nothing much, just asking.


    Zhuo Xian nced at her, let out a hmm sound, and then continued to walk forward, the wind and snow swept behind the two of them, rolling up thousands of snowkes, and smearing ayer of blur on this white mountain peak.


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 Chapter 110Gentle Breeze in the Small Alley

    Chapter 110Gentle Breeze in the Small Alley


    Inside the ck Hill Pavilion in Kunwu City, Lao Ma didnt immediately respond to Lu Chens question. His expression seemed somewhat grim. After a moment, Lao Ma spoke in a low voice, More than one.


    Lu Chen, who had initially appeared surprised, gradually calmed down. However, the gleam in his eyes grew sharper. After a while, he suddenly smiled and said, Has the Dead Baldy offended everyone else?


    Lao Ma shook his head and said, Its inevitable. Back when the Demon Cult was at its peak, the Master was unrivaled, calling the shots in the True Immortal Alliance, and everyone looked up to him. After the Battle of the Deste Valley ten years ago, his reputation soared to its peak, overshadowing the other True Lords. He offended many people.


    Lu Chen asked, If the Dead Baldy is so formidable, why isnt he being arrogant now?


    Lao Ma coughed and replied, The world has been in turmoil for a long time, and many in the True Immortal Alliance just want some peace and stability.


    Lu Chen nodded without saying more, his gaze fixed on the narrow alley outside, his eyes somewhat distant.


    Lao Ma nced at him, a hint of worry in his eyes, and said, At the Grand Paramount Hall of the True Immortal Alliance, Great Lord Kuangbo manages the Alliances finances. He has never been fond of the Floating Cloud Division and has beenining for years. Besides him, recently, Heavenly Law Halls True Lord Tiehu expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Floating Cloud Division. He criticized Hall Master Xueliang sharply. But as for whom the criticism is directed at, everyone in the entire Immortal City knows.


    Lu Chen was slightly surprised and furrowed his brow, saying, Tiehu? Isnt this Great Lord known for his fairness? Why is he also getting involved?


    Lao Ma forced a bitter smile and said, Its because the Floating Cloud Division has been involved in so many troubles. Its either someone dies mysteriously every other day, or a patrol goes missing. Anyone would find it intolerable. If not for Lord Tian staunchly supporting Blood Lark, that Deputy Hall Master Xue would have been taken to the Heavenly Law Hall long ago.


    Lu Chens expression turned gloomy again, he snorted and said, Is the Demon Cult bing so audacious?


    Then he paused for a moment, suddenly shook his head, and said, No, although those lunatics are strong, they cant provoke the True Immortal Alliance head-on like this.


    Lao Ma was taken aback and asked, What do you mean?


    Lu Chen turned his face away, nced at the empty alley outside, and seemed unwilling to speak further. He said, You know what I mean.


    After a moment of silence, Lao Ma sighed and spoke softly, This is a serious matter. Moreover, you should know that he doesnt trust many people, but he will definitely listen to what you have to say.


    Lu Chen remained silent, simply looking at Lao Ma.


    Lao Ma took a deep breath, then approached Lu Chen, his face disying a rare seriousness. He said in a low voice, This is a major issue. Besides, you should also know that although he doesnt trust many people, he will definitely listen to what you have to say.


    Lu Chen didnt speak; he simply nced at Lao Ma.


    After hesitating for a while, Lao Ma suddenly stood up from hisfortable chair and walked in front of Lu Chen. His face showed a rare seriousness as he said in a low voice, This is a serious matter. Besides, you should also know that he doesnt trust many people, but he will definitely listen to what you have to say.


    Lu Chen remained silent, his eyes fixed on the empty alley outside. After a while, he smiled faintly and said, The Demon Cult has indeed infiltrated the True Immortal Alliance, but the Floating Cloud Division is one of the Alliances branches with the most frequent conflicts with the Demon Cult. In terms of strength, experience, and vignce, it is exceptionally strong. Its unlikely that the Demon Cult could have pushed the Floating Cloud Division to this extent and caused so many deaths. The Demon Cult cannot achieve this.


    Lao Ma stared at him, his eyes filled with anxiety. He asked, Then who could it be?


    Lu Chen suddenly smiled, his voice calm as he said, Who knows the True Immortal Alliance the best, who is best at taking action, who benefits the most from the deaths, who rises the highest, and whose voice resounds the loudest? That would be the one.


    Lao Mas face paled slightly, and he stared at Lu Chen for a long time before speaking with a bitter tone, But you have no evidence?


    I dont, Lu Chen replied.


    Just a spection?


    Just a guess.


    For such a serious matter, relying on mere spection wont convince anyone! Besides, your words indirectly implicated those two, which isnt something that can be easily dismissed.


    In the eyes of a True Lord, when did evidence be necessary?


    A sudden silence fell upon the room, and no one spoke again.


    It seemed like an eternity had passed in this quiet alley, as if time had frozen in this solitary corner. When the light finally fell upon them, the two ordinary figures under the unassuming eaves seemed like insignificant ants in the flow of time.


    This wont do, Lao Ma broke the silence with a soft voice.


    Why?


    These two are formidable figures. The Master is already in a precarious situation, can we afford to make more powerful enemies?


    Lu Chen replied expressionlessly, If you want me to speak, Ive said it. Whether you pass on these words to the Dead Baldy or not is not my concern.


    Lao Ma suddenly raised his head and looked at Lu Chen, his face disying aplex expression.


    In the quiet alley, the silence continued.


    As the light and shadows shifted and changed, a gentle breeze rustled the green grass.


    Lu Chen suddenly walked out of the door,ing to the wall on the opposite side of the alley. He reached out and plucked a de of grass. The cool breeze blew gently, and in this forgotten corner, it danced alone.


    Do you really think this way? Lao Mas voice came from behind him.


    Lu Chen toyed with the de of grass in his hand and calmly said, Yes.


    Lao Ma walked to his front, staring into his eyes, and asked, But I sense a hidden agenda in your words.


    Lu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, Oh, what is it?


    An intent for vengeance.


    I dont understand. Speak inly.


    Are you still harboring resentment toward the Master deep down, wanting to harm him?


    Silently, like the sudden eruption of thunder, the tranquil alley fell into silence again. The green grass, held between his fingers, quietly snapped and drifted away with the wind.


    The sunlight streamed through the clouds, casting a soft glow. The narrow alley was deep and enigmatic, with only two figures standing under the wall.


    The gentle breeze seemed to slow down, but it still stubbornly blew, lifting their robes and garments. Yet, it couldnt reveal the palms hidden within their sleeves.


    In the wind, there was a sense of destion.


    Lu Chen turned around, plucking a green leaf as he said, You shouldnt have said that.


    I know.


    Lu Chen traced the green leaf with his fingers, his eyes bright and sharp, tinged with a hint of coldness. His voice seemed to have turned colder as he continued, Saying it in front of me implies suspicion of me, while conveying it to the Baldy is an attempt to sow discord.


    Lao Mas eye twitched slightly. He remained silent.


    Lu Chen added, Weve known each other for ten years. You should understand me well, grasp my intentions. In fact


    Lao Ma suddenly interrupted him with a cold tone, I cant see through you at all.


    I dont know whats on your mind.


    Have you really let go of what happened ten years ago?


    No one in this world will ever truly know your intentions!


    Lao Ma spoke each sentence slowly and clearly, gazing into Lu Chens eyes with a sharp, knife-like look as if trying to cut through the deep darkness within his pupils.


    The wind blew, and their robes fluttered.


    Lu Chen slowly turned around to face Lao Ma, maintaining eye contact.


    Two men stared at each other in silence, their expressions stern.


    Deep within their sleeves, a single green leaf suddenly withered, turning into a shriveled and faded leaf before quietly falling to the ground.


    Youre overthinking it.


    After what seemed like a while, Lu Chen suddenly smiled, pped his hands, and then looked up at the sky with a calm tone. He said, You asked me a question, I answered it. If youre not satisfied and start suspecting me, isnt that a bit unreasonable?


    Lao Ma remained silent, offering no response.


    Lu Chen patted his shoulder and said, Enough, buddy. Those of us in this line of work often deal with suspicion and fear all day long, and there are plenty who end up going crazy. If you keep going like this, youll also be one of them in the future.


    Lao Ma closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded. He said, Youre right. I got anxious today. Ill report your words when I get back.


    Lu Chen turned to walk towards the house, saying, Whether you report them or not, its up to you.


    Following behind him for a few steps, Lao Ma suddenly said, You saved my life, I never had any intention of harming you.


    Lu Chens steps paused for a moment, and he said, I know.


    Taking another step forward, Lu Chen continued, Buddy, over these ten years, Ive entrusted my life to you.


    Lao Ma remained silent.


    Lu Chen stopped at the doorstep, looking back at Lao Ma. He whispered, Its the same now.


    Lao Mas body trembled slightly, and a deep,plex look passed through his eyes. After a moment, he nodded and said, I understand.


    Lu Chen smiled warmly and said, Alright, its gettingte. Im heading back to the mountain. With that, he waved his hand to Lao Ma and turned to walk away from the alley.


    Lao Ma stood on the cobblestone road, silently watching the gradually disappearing figure. He didnt say a word.


    Once Lu Chens figure finally vanished from sight, Lao Mas plump face suddenly twitched a few times. In that moment, it seemed as though he had rxed, releasing all the tension that had been pent up within him, just like a person who had held their breath underwater for too long.


    He took a few deep breaths, wiped his forehead with his hand, and then let out a long sigh. It was as if he had been holding his breath, waiting in anticipation for something.


    After catching his breath, he took a few steps forward but suddenly stopped in his tracks. After a moment, he walked over to a corner of the alley wall and squatted down.


    The plump, pale hand reached out from the sleeve, fumbling along the brick wall, and then picked up something from the ground.


    It was a dried, charred remnant of a leaf, curled into a ball.


    Lao Ma silently looked at this withered leaf in his hand. He then raised his head to survey the surroundings, observing the wild grass stubbornly growing in the crevices of the wall, swaying with life in the breeze, flourishing with green vitality.


    In the quiet alley, a shadow of unease passed through the depths of Lao Mas eyes.


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 Chapter 111: Famous Tea Xiaohe

    Chapter 111: Famous Tea Xiaohe


    On the Shiban Mountain of Kunlun Sect, behind the majestic and ancient main hall, there was a quiet hall built under the pine and cypress trees. Yan Luo, a Golden Core cultivator, often meditated here when she had free time.


    Rarely visited by others, beneath the green pines and cypresses, this quiet hall appeared exceptionally serene. The shadows of the trees swayed gently with the wind, and asionally, the clear chirping of birds could be heard from the distant woods, as if there was a sense of otherworldly charm.


    Inside the quiet hall, besides the youthful-looking Yan Luo with white hair, Yi Xin was also kneeling beside, carefully brewing tea, filling the air with fragrance.


    In a moment, the tea was ready. Yi Xin held the cup with both hands and ced it in front of Yan Luo, saying, ¡°Master, please have some tea.¡±


    The teacup was pure white, crystal clear like fresh snow, with clear tea inside, emitting a pleasant aroma. Just a whiff revealed it to be a precious and famous tea.


    Yan Luo lifted the teacup, took a sip, then nodded slightly, looking at Yi Xin with a smile. ¡°You, a young girl whose cultivation is not yetplete, are quite skilled in making tea.¡±


    Yi Xin chuckled and said, ¡°Our family has been involved in cultivating spirit tea for generations. Although I dare not boast about other things, I do have some skills in brewing tea.¡±


    Yan Luo nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true. Your ancestor, Master Yi Yu, was known as the Kunlun Tea Immortal. Cultivating, tasting, and evaluating tea, he was unmatched. That¡¯s how your Yi family¡¯s legacy has been passed down. Even today, your family¡¯s tea ¡®Xiaohe¡¯ is still widely known. It¡¯s no wonder you have some knowledge of tea.¡±


    Yi Xin blinked, leaned closer to Yan Luo, and whispered, ¡°Senior Yan, if you like ¡®Xiaohe¡¯ tea, I¡¯ll secretly bring you some next year during the tea harvest season, okay?¡±Yan Luo scolded with a smile, ¡°You mischievous girl! Why not this year?¡±


    Yi Xin pouted and said, ¡°Senior, don¡¯t me me. As you know, cultivating ¡®Xiaohe¡¯ tea is not easy. Even with the maximum output each year, there¡¯s only about one or two catties. And most of it is reserved by our Kunlun Sect as hospitality gifts. Then there are some other seniors in the sect who also enjoy tea, not to mention several Nascent Soul realm cultivators. We dare not offend any of them.¡±


    She shrugged and continued, ¡°So when the new teaes out each year, it¡¯s quickly taken. Even if I have the ability, I can¡¯t get any. I n to sneak back home next year during the tea harvest season and secretly take some from the tea fields at night¡­¡±


    As she spoke, her eyes carried a look of innocence and pleading as she gazed at Yan Luo.


    Yan Luo chuckled, gently tapped Yi Xin¡¯s head, and said, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m just teasing you.¡± Then, she suddenly noticed a faint scar about an inch long on Yi Xin¡¯s left cheek, slightly reddish, which seemed out of ce. Her expression turned slightly serious, and she ran her fingers down Yi Xin¡¯s cheek. Yi Xin seemed to sense something and shrank back.


    Yan Luo snorted, ¡°Such a pretty face, almost ruined by someone. What a pity. I should have killed He Gang on the spot!¡±


    Yi Xin lowered her head slightly, but quickly raised it again with a smile. ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s all in the past. Master, please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    A touch of pity appeared in Yan Luo¡¯s eyes. ¡°You, such a young girl, inexplicably suffered such a great injustice. It¡¯s really hard on you.¡± Then, her eyes suddenly turned cold. ¡°As you said before, for so many years, your Yi family has provided famous tea, establishing many connections. But when you were in trouble that day, no one stood up for you. It¡¯s chilling.¡±


    Yi Xin sighed and said, ¡°I asked my father about this matter, but he also said it¡¯s not anyone else¡¯s fault.¡±


    Yan Luo was slightly surprised. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Yi Xin exined, ¡°My father said that although our Yi family¡¯s tea is good, it¡¯s ultimately just a kind of optional drink. People drink it when they like it, and it¡¯s okay if they don¡¯t. But at the time of the incident, He Yi, Senior Brother He, was a rare genius with a bright future ahead. His master, True Person Kong Kong, is not only a powerful Nascent Soul realm cultivator but also the head of the Tianbing Hall, highly respected within Kunlun Sect. In such a situation, no one would oppose them for a bit of spirit tea.¡±


    ¡°My father said, it¡¯s hard to me others for this.¡±


    ¡°My father also said, our family¡¯s biggest fault is being too weak.¡±


    Yan Luo fell silent for a moment, then sighed. Suddenly, she smiled self-deprecatingly and said, ¡°So, I¡¯m actually the dumbest one, right?¡±


    Yi Xin got up, knelt in front of Yan Luo, knocked her head on the ground, and said in a low voice, ¡°Master, you saved me from danger, and I¡¯m deeply grateful. Our Yi family is also very grateful. In the future, if Master has any orders, Yi Xin will do her best, no matter¡­¡±


    Yan Luo waved her hand to stop her from continuing, then pulled Yi Xin up, showing a hint of affection in her eyes. ¡°Just take care of yourself in the future. And the oue of that matter wasn¡¯t solely my doing.¡±


    Yi Xin¡¯s expression changed slightly, and at that moment, she suddenly remembered what Luchen had said to her before. She was lost in thought for a moment but quickly recovered and smiled at Yan Luo. ¡°But you still saved me, Master. So rest assured, next year, no matter what, I will get you some ¡®Xiaohe¡¯ tea.¡±


    Yan Luo chuckled, pulled Yi Xin to sit beside her, and sighed, ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s all because of your cheap master Dongfang old man. He was still injured but insisted on taking you as his disciple. Now he¡¯s still in seclusion and hasn¡¯te out, leaving you here to be bullied by others.¡±


    Yi Xin shook her head and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely his fault. My master has been very kind to me. Without him, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to join Kunlun.¡±


    ¡°Tch!¡± Yan Luo spat disdainfully, ¡°That unruly old man, never did anything serious. If it weren¡¯t for him insisting on taking you away that day, I could have guided you up the mountain.¡±


    Yi Xin eximed, ¡°Ah, really?¡±


    Yan Luo gave her a nce and said, ¡°Nonsense! Did you think I¡¯m really that foolish? There¡¯s no reason for me to confront True Person Kong Kong and his talented disciple for no reason, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you so much!¡± Yi Xin grabbed Yan Luo¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that our Kunlun Sect doesn¡¯t allow disciples to have multiple masters, otherwise, I would have chosen you as my master.¡±


    ¡°tterer!¡± Yan Luo scolded with a smile, then continued, ¡°But I¡¯ve known Dongfang Tao for many years. He¡¯s indeed much stronger in cultivation than me. If he hadn¡¯t been in seclusion for healing, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this.¡±


    Yi Xin was puzzled, ¡°In seclusion for healing? Isn¡¯t my master just resting in seclusion?¡±


    Yan Luo snorted, with a hint ofplexity in her eyes, ¡°If it¡¯s just for healing, he should havee out long ago. But the fact that he¡¯s been dying for so long definitely indicates a problem.¡±


    Yi Xin became more and more astonished, ¡°What problem?¡±


    Yan Luo raised two fingers, ¡°Two possibilities. First, Dongfang old man¡¯s injuries are more severe than we know. If he still hasn¡¯t fully recovered after so long, he¡¯s probably close to death. Second¡­¡± She lowered her voice, ¡°He might have found an opportunity and is trying to break through to the Nascent Soul realm.¡±


    Yi Xin stood up suddenly, eximed, ¡°Nascent¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, Yan Luo¡¯s hand covered her mouth, pulling her back, and she red at her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t speak loudly.¡±


    Yi Xin¡¯s face was full of incredulity, excitement, and nervousness, her body trembling slightly. She nodded repeatedly, and Yan Luo let go of her hand. Immediately, Yi Xin covered her mouth with both hands, as if only by doing so could she keep the secret.


    After a while, she seemed to calm down slightly, but still didn¡¯t dare to remove her hands from her mouth. She asked Yan Luo through trembling lips, ¡°Master, is this¡­ is this true?¡±


    Yan Luo snorted and said, ¡°I said it¡¯s just my spection. But I¡¯ve known Dongfang old man for decades. I know what kind of person he is¡­ This time, hmph! It¡¯s very likely.¡±


    Yi Xin tightly covered her mouth, giggling foolishly, her eyes squinting.


    Yan Luo nced at her, couldn¡¯t help shaking her head, but also smiled, ¡°If that old guy is lucky enough to break through the life and death barrier and advance to the Nascent Soul realm, then your good days should being.¡±


    Nascent Soul realm cultivators,manding the winds and clouds, moving mountains and filling seas, possessing vast and unpredictable supernatural powers, have always been the top figures in the human cultivation world.


    But such characters and realms, among billions of cultivators over thousands of years, only a very small number of people can reach. This is because when breaking through from the Golden Core realm to the Nascent Soul realm, there is an extremely dangerous life and death barrier, extremely difficult to break through. There are domain-level demons obstructing during the breakthrough, and only those with great determination or strong spiritual luck can seed, and there is also a great risk of life and death, which is difficult to predict.


    ¡°Great!¡± Yi Xin was excited for a while, but then became somewhat worried. She quickly sped her hands together, closed her eyes, and prayed to the heavens, saying, ¡°May the heavens bless my master with smooth and safe progress.¡±


    Yan Luo looked outside the quiet hall. Between the pines and cypresses, the distant mountains were faintly visible, surrounded by auspicious clouds, but it was unknown who was hiding in the deep mountains.


    After a while, Yi Xin¡¯s voice suddenly came from beside her, ¡°Master, there¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡±

 Chapter 112: Under the Mirror of Judgement

    Chapter 112: Under the Mirror of Judgement


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yan Luo turned around and asked Yi Xin.


    Yi Xin looked somewhat embarrassed but gathered her courage and said, ¡°Senior Sister, I heard that the selection for cultivating spiritual power is about to be finalized. How many people are they going to choose this time?¡±


    Yan Luo was momentarily surprised. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    Yi Xin hesitated for a moment and then said hesitantly, ¡°Um¡­ I have a friend who also wants topete for this opportunity.¡±


    Yan Luo smiled and asked, ¡°Are there candidates from your family among the misceneous disciples epted for spiritual power cultivation this year?¡±


    Yi Xin quickly shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not from my family. It¡¯s a friend of mine.¡± She stole a nce at Yan Luo and continued, ¡°I just wanted to ask if you could give him a chance¡­¡±


    Looking at her, Yan Luo smiled faintly. ¡°Little girl, are you asking me to bend the rules?¡±


    Yi Xin was startled. ¡°Of course not, Senior Sister. It¡¯s just that, ording to the rules, as a direct disciple, I have the qualification to rmend candidates for spiritual power cultivation. So I just wanted to ask if you could consider¡­¡±


    Yan Luo thought for a moment and said, ¡°Well, the selections are going to be announced in three or four days. I remember the quotas are almost filled.¡±¡°Oh?¡± Yi Xin was surprised and then looked disappointed. She murmured, ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m toote.¡± She looked somewhat disheartened and nced at Yan Luo with a hint of pleading in her eyes.


    Yan Luo looked at her and suddenly chuckled. ¡°Little girl, why are you pretending to be pitiful? Forget it, forget it. It¡¯s because you¡¯re likely to be a true disciple soon, so you have quite a lot of face.¡± She then said, ¡°Tell me the name of your friend. Let me see if I can squeeze him in. But I must remind you, spiritual power cultivation has certain requirements on the foundation of Dao. If he fails during the inspectionter, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I understand,¡± Yi Xin said eagerly, nodding repeatedly. She smiled and said, ¡°Thank you so much for your kindness, Senior Sister. My friend¡¯s name is Lu Chen.¡±


    ¡°Lu Chen?¡± Yan Luo furrowed her brows slightly.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. 6 as in the number, and Chen as in dust. Lu Chen,¡± Yi Xin repeated quickly, fearing that Yan Luo might misunderstand.


    Yan Luo nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make a note of it.¡±


    Yi Xin smiled with joy, unable to contain her happiness. After chatting with Yan Luo for a while in the quiet hall, she bid farewell and left.


    Watching the cheerful figure of the girl as she left, Yan Luo shook her head with a smile. Then, she sat back and pondered for a moment before standing up and walking to a cab nearby. She opened one of the drawers and took out a letter.


    The smile on Yan Luo¡¯s face had disappeared by now. With a calm expression, she opened the letter and quickly found a page where several names were written.


    Yan Luo read through each name one by one until her gaze stopped at thest name.


    It read ¡°Lu Chen.¡±


    Yan Luo stared at the two words, her eyebrows slightly raised. After a moment, she muttered to herself in a low voice, ¡°Who is this Lu Chen? Why are so many people trying to secretly help him?¡±


    ***


    Three dayster, Lu Chen received a notification from Zhou Kui, who managed their group of misceneous disciples, asking him to go to Shiban Mountain for the inspection of spiritual power cultivation. At that time, he was still working in the spiritual field and was somewhat surprised by the news. However, on his way to the main hall on the mountain, he saw Yi Xin waiting for him with a smiling face under a lush pine tree, and he understood what was going on.


    It was a beautiful day with clear skies and gentle breeze. Yi Xin stood under the tree, smiling brightly, radiating youth and beauty, attracting the attention of many misceneous disciples passing by.


    Lu Chen intentionallygged behind, waiting until most of the others had passed before approaching her quietly. ¡°Is this your way, Miss Yi?¡±


    Yi Xin snorted and looked proud, saying, ¡°How about it? Not bad, am I?¡±


    Lu Chen gave her a thumbs-up and said, ¡°Impressive.¡±


    Yi Xin covered her mouth andughed, looking very pleased. Then, she nced at the main hall ahead and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be too happy yet. I heard they¡¯re going to select fifty people this time for spiritual power cultivation, but just now, I saw at least sixty or seventy peopleing up here. Don¡¯t get rejected.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°I should be fine. Spiritual power cultivation focuses on using one¡¯s own spiritual power to nurture special spiritual nts, especially those suited to wood and earth attributes. Although my talent is mediocre, I do have a earth attribute pir on the Five Elements Divine Disk.¡±


    Yi Xin pped her hands and smiled, ¡°That¡¯s great! Just pass the assessment. You go up first, and I¡¯ll try to sneak a peek from the side.¡±


    Lu Chen chuckled but didn¡¯t say anything. He walked towards the main hall on the mountain.


    ***


    Inside the main hall on Shiban Mountain, all the misceneous disciples gathered together under the call of Bai Cao Tang. Lu Chen stood among the crowd, looking around. Sure enough, there were many people here, about sixty or seventy.


    Although there were many people, the main hall was not noisy. Kunlun Sect emphasized discipline, and even misceneous disciples had been educated repeatedly after joining. No one dared to make loud noises here casually.


    After a while, a group of people walked out from the back of the main hall. Leading them was Yan Luo, a Golden Core cultivator of He Tong Yan, followed by seven or eight disciples, ranging from Foundation Building to Qi Refining stages, all of whom appeared to be talented direct disciples, significantly higher in statuspared to the misceneous disciples.


    Yan Luo didn¡¯t bother with reprimands or speeches. She went straight to the main seat at the back of the hall. Someone naturally stepped forward next to her to address the crowd, sinctly exining that today¡¯s task was to assess everyone¡¯s aptitude and determine who was most suitable for spiritual power cultivation. This process would be overseen personally by Senior Sister Yan Luo.


    Following this, the direct disciples descended and divided the misceneous disciples into several groups to begin the inspection. The method of inspection was simr to the one used when most people first entered the Sect, involving a mirror that judged their aptitude, confirming what Yi Xin had said earlier about the focus on the adaptability of the Five Elements spiritual power.


    Lu Chen was ced in one of these groups. Soon, the inspection began, progressing rather swiftly. Each person called forward ced their hand on the mirror¡¯s surface to absorb the reflected light, revealing their innate aptitude.


    Before long, they called his name.


    When the two words ¡°Lu Chen¡± were called out, Yan Luo, sitting above, nced over calmly in their direction. In a corner at the back of the hall, Yi Xin peeked out cautiously, looking worriedly towards them.


    Lu Chen walked over calmly. His expression was serene as he ced his hand on the mirror¡¯s surface, closed his eyes slightly,posed himself, and then began to channel his spiritual power.


    In the depths of the distant mountains, there was suddenly a faint, deep rumble echoing through the clouds and mist, faintly resounding.


    ***


    In legends, during the judgment of the Immortal Mirror, extraordinary geniuses might witness auspicious signs.


    The heavens roared, the earth trembled, rainbow lights crossed the sky, cloud dragons and mist tigers soared, and auspicious beasts flew. These were miraculous phenomena rarely seen in the cultivation world, mostly reserved for the one in a thousand Five Pirs geniuses.


    Those fortunate enough to be blessed by heaven during the judgment appeared majestic and awe-inspiring, earning reverence and admiration from others. Ordinary cultivators, however, typically only manifested a few rays of spiritual light corresponding to their Five Elements spiritual power.


    Today, within this grand hall, such unexpected urrences were improbable. Most of the misceneous disciples were one-pir disciples, possessing the lowest aptitude. In their spiritual seas on the divine disk, there was usually only a solitary ray of spiritual light, forever limited to this single connection.


    The hall was filled with these solitary and simple rays of light, each person silently bearing their fate and epting this reality as the most basic individuals in this world.


    Lu Chen ced his hand on the mirror.


    His face remained calm and natural, showing no signs of nervousness or tension. He appeared like an ordinary mortal who had long epted his fate, simple and unremarkable.


    The Immortal Mirror artifact trembled slightly.


    Standing next to the Immortal Mirror was Zhou Kui. His expression was serious, though inwardly somewhat bored. After all, he had seen it all before, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He had even forgotten that when ordinary one-pir disciples came for inspection, the Immortal Mirror merely reflected light without any tremors or unusual signs.


    In that moment, like a sh of lightning passing through the sky in an instant.


    In that moment, like the blink of an eye.


    In that moment, as if it were an instant, the Immortal Mirror suddenly emitted a faint light, trembling as ripples spread across its surface, several strange lights interweaving into a chaotic and bizarre image resembling scribbles. Then, in that indescribable tiny moment, a swath of ck suddenly spread, erasing all radiance.


    That ck was as deep as the sea.


    That ck light was like the eternal loneliness of the deep night.


    However, after a moment, everything dissipated. Like a momentary daze, like flowing clouds and wind, all those phantom images vanished without a sound.


    There was no faint light, no unusual colors, and no darkness.


    The Immortal Mirror returned to calmness, as usual, as if nothing had happened. After that fleeting moment, everything was like a dream or bubble, even too fast to be remembered or seen clearly, especially that eerie scene.


    On the mirror¡¯s surface of the Immortal Mirror, a gentle yellow light slowly lit up.


    Solitary, yet bright.


    ***


    Zhou Kui nodded and said, ¡°Pure earth attribute spiritual power, quite good.¡±

 Chapter 113: The Fragrant Garden

    Chapter 113: The Fragrant Garden


    The ck dog, Ah Tu, happily ran through the forest.


    In the Kunlun Mountains, there were almost no powerful monsters. The forest was full of harmless birds and small animals, while the slightlyrger and more dangerous beasts stayed hidden in the deep mountains and rarely came out.


    The only rulers here were humans, specifically the cultivators of the Kunlun Sect.


    Ah Tu certainly didn¡¯t understand the concept of ¡°bullying under the protection of a powerful person¡± or the idea of ¡°taking advantage of another¡¯s influence.¡± However, these days, it had been having a great time ying in the forest near Shipan Mountain of the Kunlun Sect, often returning only at dusk, earning scoldings from Lu Chen multiple times, who said it had be wild from ying too much.


    Ah Tu would always listen to Lu Chen¡¯s reprimands with its ears down but resolutely would not change. It seemed to have a deep, innate love for the forest, enjoying the hills, streams, and woods. During these times, Ah Tu felt a rush of excitement, and even itsme leg didn¡¯t seem like a hindrance anymore.


    Sometimes, it couldn¡¯t help but stand on a hill and let out a long, piercing howl towards the endless mountains and clear sky.


    Like a wolf under a full moon.


    Well, sort of. Its howl wasn¡¯t powerful enough, its energy was insufficient, and most importantly, Ah Tu never ventured out at night. When night fell, it would obediently return home to stay with Lu Chen in their simple and cramped room.


    One day, Lu Chen went up the mountain, and Ah Tu went off to y alone again. It ran through forests, crossed rivers, and traversed hills and streams, eventually encountering a peculiar mountain peak.The peak was hidden among the Kunlun Mountains, not particrly high orrge. Looking up from its base, Ah Tu thought the mountain looked strange, twisted, and steep, somehow familiar.


    After staring for a while, a light bulb seemed to go off in its head, and it found the answer.


    The peak resembled a dog¡¯s head!


    A dog-head-shaped mountain.


    <b>Gou-Tuo</b> Mountain!


    Ah Tu became excited and barked joyfully, rushing towards the peak. But at the mountain¡¯s base, it suddenly stopped, noticing a nAh Turally formed slope covering one side of Gou-Tuo Mountain, extending upwards.


    The slope wasyered, with huge rocks andrge trees marking nAh Tural divisions, forming a massive staircase ascending from the bottom.


    A herd of wild boars, a few goats, asional birds, andrge groups of deer passed in front of it.


    Ah Tu cautiously avoided the tall animals, looked around, and continued up the mountain. Upon reaching the second level of the invisible, giant staircase, it saw a massive striped tigerzily sleeping under a tree.


    Ah Tu¡¯s legs went weak.


    Fortunately, the tiger didn¡¯t notice it, and Ah Tu quickly fled, running off to the side and unknowingly climbing another level. As it moved higher, it instinctively sensed something and looked around. Indeed, as it ascended, each level of the staircase harbored different kinds of exotic beasts.


    There was a giant crocodile ten feet long, a pure white unicorn rhino, a ck golden eagle soaring across the sky, and even a graceful spiritual crane resembling a celestial beast¡­


    Each level seemed to have an invisible line, ensuring the beasts coexisted peacefully. Strangely, they never attacked other animals, at most growling to scare Ah Tu, sending it scrambling and tumbling away.


    Though frightened, Ah Tu felt an inexplicable urge pushing it forward, making it constantly look towards the peak.


    Vaguely, there seemed to be a massive figure there.


    Ah Tu slowly approached.


    Reaching the top, the ck dog was trembling, barely able to stand, but soon it saw what it had been looking for.


    At the peak of Gou-Tuo Mountainy a massive figure. When those huge eyes slowly turned towards it, Ah Tu barked joyfully and rushed over, wagging its tail vigorously.


    It was like seeing a long-missed, deeply cherished friend it wanted to please.


    It was a green ox, dominating the mountain¡¯s peak, at the top of all the auspicious beasts in the Kunlun Mountains.


    The green ox nced at Ah Tu, who barked happily, but the ox remained unresponsive. After a while, it suddenly flicked its tail, which wrapped around Ah Tu like a legendary binding rope, throwing it into the air, sending it flying far away.


    ¡°Woof¡­¡±


    A sorrowful cry echoed as all the exotic beasts on Gou-Tuo Mountain looked up. They saw a ck shadow flying down the mountain, flipping several times in mid-air before crashing into a dense forest at the foot of the mountain with a thud, lying still for a long time.


    The mountain above and below was silent. After a while, everything suddenly returned to normal. The numerous exotic beasts and immortal birds continued eating, sleeping, or walking around as usual. None of them even nced at the seemingly lifeless ck dog.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Five dayster, Baicao Hall officially announced the list of disciples selected for spiritual power cultivation that year. There were fifty names, and Lu Chen¡¯s name was among them.


    Yi Xin was very happy and ran to celebrate with Lu Chen, but Lu Chen dampened the mood by telling her that from now on, they were even and she no longer owed him any favors. This made Yi Xin roll her eyes in exasperation.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the main concern. When Yi Xin saw the ck dog Ah Tu lying in the room, covered in dust and dirt with several bandages wrapped around it, she was horrified and quickly questioned Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t know much either. He only said that a few days ago, this dumb dog had crawled back from the mountains, looking very miserable. It seemed like it had identally fallen while ying in the forest and broke several bones. Lu Chen had a hard time setting them back in ce.


    Yi Xin was heartbroken, hugging Ah Tu and crying while softlyforting it for a long time. She then went out and bought a big bag of its favorite meat bones to help it recover.


    Strangely, although Ah Tu was seriously injured, it didn¡¯t seem to be emotionally affected. It ate and slept as usual. When Yi Xin came, it would stick out its tongue and lick her hand affectionately, but that was about it.


    In the end, Yi Xin could only assume that Ah Tu had injured itself identally. She gave it a long lecture, which made Ah Tu look dazed and yawn repeatedly before finally falling asleep in her arms.


    Compared to Yi Xin¡¯s tenderness, Lu Chen was much more straightforward. After setting Ah Tu¡¯s bones, changing its medicine, and bandaging it, he kicked it into a corner of the room. ording to him, this stupid dog was useless and always caused trouble. He said it would be better to cook it and eat dog meat one day.


    Yi Xin was furious and wanted to take Ah Tu away. But Ah Tu, despite being affectionate with her, became uncooperative when it was time to leave. It clung to the table and chairs, struggling desperately and refusing to leave the room. In the end, it even hid behind Lu Chen and wouldn¡¯te out no matter how much Yi Xin coaxed it.


    What kind of dog is this?


    Yi Xin was nearly at her wit¡¯s end with this strange and rebellious ck dog, feeling a sense of impending breakdown.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Regardless, Ah Tu was just an insignificant episode. Lu Chen¡¯s days in the Kunlun Sect continued as usual.


    Having been selected for spiritual power cultivation, he could now leave behind the spiritual fields. Under Baicao Hall¡¯s arrangements, Lu Chen and the other fifty disciples who showed potential in spiritual power were taken to another ce called ¡°Luxiang Garden.¡±


    Luxiang Garden was arge herb garden that cultivated important spiritual herbs. However, Lu Chen and the other disciples were only allowed to work in the outermost area called ¡°Maple Garden.¡±


    The spiritual herbs nted in Luxiang Garden were at least of the second rank, with their quality increasing the deeper one went. The area was filled with a pleasant fragrance and spiritual energy, giving it the name ¡°Luxiang.¡±


    The disciples¡¯ task was to use their spiritual power to adjust the five elemental energies in the soil around the spiritual nts, helping these precious herbs grow better.


    This was a very tedious and meticulous job. Any mistake could damage the fragile roots of the spiritual herbs and cause them harm. However, if done properly, the herbs would grow better and be more potent in their spiritual and medicinal properties.


    Lu Chen was doing just that.


    While working, he looked just like everyone else¡ªsomewhatical. The disciples would squat in the fields with their hands in the soil, some even sticking their buttocks out, carefully manipting the spiritual energy in the ground. By the end of the day, they would be covered in dirt, looking rather dirty.


    They resembled the most ordinary farmers in the mortal world.


    That day, Lu Chen was squatting in the field, busy with his work.


    Many Kunlun disciples came and went in Luxiang Garden. Some were there to get herbs, others to buy spiritual pills from Baicao Hall, and some even spent spirit stones to have Baicao Hall cultivate rare spiritual herbs for them.


    When these high-ranking Kunlun disciples passed by, most wouldn¡¯t even nce at the lowly servant disciples who looked like farmers. asionally, curious young disciples would make remarks like, ¡°They look like frogs¡­¡± whileughing.


    Lu Chen heard some of thesements, but his expression remained calm, showing no sign of emotion. However, that evening, when he finally finished his work and stood up, sore and aching, he suddenly saw a graceful figure in the distance, walking towards the deeper part of Luxiang Garden with her back to him.


    In the sunset, her red feather cloak on her shoulders looked like the burning clouds in the sky. (To be continued.)


    <b><i>Gou-Tuo ¨C Dog-Head</i></b>

 Chapter 114: The Growth of Black Fire

    Chapter 114: The Growth of ck Fire


    The woman¡¯s name was Su Qingjun.


    Lu Chen knew her name. He also knew that she was an exceptionally talented disciple of the Kunlun Sect, only a step away from reaching the Golden Core stage despite her young age. She had a renowned and powerful Nascent Soul master, Mu Yuan Zhenren. Since her branch, the Iron Branch, was weaker, her master and the other elders ced their hopes for the branch¡¯s future resurgence on her.


    She was a favored child of the heavens, one of the four most exceptional talents, and one of the brightest young geniuses in the Kunlun Sect, even more prominent than He Yi.


    A servant disciple like Lu Chen could only watch her back from a distance, as they were worlds apart.


    Perhaps only the beautiful red feather cloak that looked like burning mes reminded him of the small mountain vige, the mountain, and the swallows within.


    Lu Chen watched her figure disappear into the depths of Liuxiang Garden, then turned and left quietly.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    After being selected for spiritual power cultivation anding to work at Liuxiang Garden, Lu Chen¡¯s living quarters also changed. Compared to his previous residence in Shipan Valley, his new ce was noticeably better. It was twice asrge, with much brighter lighting and more furniture, including a desk by the window.


    Perhaps it was these unseen benefits that made many servant disciples flock to this opportunity.When Lu Chen returned to his room, it was already dark. As he opened the door, a shadow shed by, and Ah Tu greeted him.


    Ah Tu was a hybrid of two types of demonic beasts. Although itsbat power seemed quite low at the moment, which was disappointing considering its parentage, its recovery speed was impressive. When Ah Tu was first rescued in the Land of Confusion, its broken leg healed much faster than Yi Xin¡¯s broken arm. Now, despite recently breaking some bones, it had almost fully recovered.


    Lu Chen squatted down and petted Ah Tu¡¯s head. Ah Tu wagged its tail and barked twice, looking towards the door.


    ¡°Hmm? Do you want to go out and y?¡± Lu Chen asked.


    Ah Tu wagged its tail even more vigorously.


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°You really fear nothing. You just recovered from broken bones and already forgot about it?¡±


    ¡°Woof, woof, woof¡­¡± Ah Tu whined, seemingly unconcerned.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lu Chen said,ughing. ¡°Do whatever you want, but don¡¯t cause me any more trouble. Besides, it¡¯s dark outside and there¡¯s a curfew. You can¡¯t go out now. Wait until tomorrow.¡±


    With that, he closed the door tightly. The room went dark as there was nomp lit, making the surroundings barely discernible. Lu Chen walked to the bed and sat down, with Ah Tu following him.


    In the darkness, Ah Tu¡¯s eyes began to glow with a faint green light, creating a slightly eerie yet strangely beautiful sight, like pure, translucent emeralds.


    Lu Chen watched Ah Tu¡¯s eyes for a while, then looked away, lying on the bed quietly.


    After a while, there was a rustling sound as Ah Tu jumped onto the bed and curled up beside Lu Chen. The faint green light in its eyes gradually faded as it seemed to fall asleep.


    The night deepened, and as time passed, the surroundings becamepletely silent.


    Then, in the darkness, Lu Chen suddenly opened his eyes.


    His breathing and heartbeat remained unchangedpared to before, so even the most sensitive observer would find it difficult to detect any difference. In this pitch-ck darkness, his pupils seemed to blend into the surrounding shadows.


    Like ck mes silently burning.


    Inside and outside the room, everything was silent.


    After a long wait, he slowly raised his right hand towards his chest.


    Just as his palm was about to touch his chest, another strange arm suddenly emerged from the darkness and pressed down on his hand.


    Lu Chen looked over.


    Two clusters of green mes slowly lit up in the darkness, right next to him. The paw pressing down on his hand belonged to Ah Tu.


    Lu Chen was neither surprised nor rmed. He just quietly looked into Ah Tu¡¯s strange eyes. After a while, he smiled and softly asked, ¡°Do you want to go too?¡±


    Ah Tu gave a low bark, as if in response.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lu Chen said, then reached out with his other hand to embrace Ah Tu.


    During this process, Ah Tu cooperated fully, without any struggle. Its body radiated warmth, adding a touch offort to the cold night.


    In the darkness, Lu Chen held Ah Tu close, then once again ced his right hand on his chest, took a deep breath, and pressed down.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The familiar sensation of floating suddenly hit him, a whistling roar echoing in his ears, distant yet near. That moment felt particrly long, but in an unintentional instant, Lu Chen¡¯s surroundings brightened, and he found himself in a different ce.


    Lu Chen and Ah Tu fell to the ground of the ¡°tree hollow.¡±


    The fall was neither severe nor painful. Ah Tu quickly leapt up and joyfully ran to the side, sniffing around curiously.


    Lu Chen sat up from the ground and nced around.


    He hadn¡¯t been in this ¡°tree hollow¡± for a while. Thest time he was here, he and Bai Lian were suddenly drawn in, along with Ah Tu, due to a strange resonance between the girl¡¯s divine tree branch and the seed in his body. Fortunately, Bai Lian remained unconscious due to some unknown force and did not discover Lu Chen¡¯s biggest secret.


    Compared to the past, the tree hollow had changed significantly. The ancient and mottled tree walls had regained some vitality, with the misty green aura entwined in the tree patterns bing more concentrated. Lu Chen even noticed some new green buds sprouting from tree knot-like formations on the walls.


    All of this was thanks to the essence he extracted from the divine tree branch that day. The branch was said to be the only remaining piece of the divine tree in the world, containing an almost infinite life essence. Only such abundant power could rejuvenate this ancient tree hollow.


    Among all the changes brought by the essence of the divine tree branch, what caught Lu Chen¡¯s attention the most were the outlines of two doors that had appeared deep within the tree walls in front and behind him.


    They were merely outlines because even when Lu Chen approached and touched them, he couldn¡¯t find any seams. The doors seemed to be hidden behind the misty green aura and mottled bark, visible yet untouchable and unopenable.


    Lu Chen tried many methods, all to no avail. Even recalling his life in the demonic sect, including all the legends and sights he had encountered, yielded no simr references to these doors.


    Doors are meant to be opened, so whaty beyond these doors?


    Lu Chen subconsciously thought of that day, the starlit sky in his memory, and the seemingly endless dark void.


    He suddenly felt a chill.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°Woof, woof, woof¡­¡±


    Barking nearby snapped Lu Chen out of his thoughts. He turned to see Ah Tu near the central puddle of the tree hollow, cautiously looking into the water, asionally barking at its reflection, seemingly nervous.


    Lu Chen walked over and looked into the water, seeing Ah Tu¡¯s reflection. He couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed, that¡¯s your own reflection.¡±


    Ah Tu nced at Lu Chen, whimpered softly, then suddenly barked at the water again.


    ¡°Woof, woof, woof, woof¡­¡±


    Lu Chen, slightly puzzled, moved closer and followed Ah Tu¡¯s gaze. The ck dog was looking through its reflection in the water, deeper into the clear water.


    Lu Chen suddenly fell silent.


    He silently watched Ah Tu, noting how its fur bristled slightly with tension.


    After a while, he walked over, squatted beside Ah Tu, and hugged its head. Feeling his familiar warmth and scent, Ah Tu quickly calmed down, stopped barking, and rxed.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Lu Chen whispered, ¡°It¡¯s just a pesky fire.¡±


    Ah Tu didn¡¯t respond or react, remaining quietly by his side. Lu Chen looked down through the water, and saw, in the clear depths, a shadow gradually emerging behind the shimmering reflections.


    It was a mass of ck fire, burning silently at the bottom.


    But the next moment, Lu Chen¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted.


    The ck fire seemedrger than he remembered.


    The ck mes burned silently, a familiar sight that would never fade from his memory, like a demon etched deeply into his mind.


    Lu Chen slowly raised his head, furrowing his brows as he looked around the seemingly revitalized ancient tree hollow. He suddenly wondered if, amid this vitality, the mysterious ck fire was also absorbing the life essence and growing, just like the tree hollow?


    Could the ck fire, like the ancient tree hollow, possess some unimaginable form of life?


    (Please vote, thank you.) (To be continued.)

 Chapter 115: By the Red Amber Ginseng

    Chapter 115: By the Red Amber Ginseng


    Half a monthter, the fifty servant disciples who had arrived at Liu Xiangpu began to show differences in their spiritual power cultivation. Bai Cao Hall quickly divided them into two groups.


    One group had forty people, while the other had ten.


    In the smaller group, the disciples showed exceptional results in cultivating spiritual nts. The nts they cultivated grew much better than ordinary ones, with flowers blooming and fruits ripening one or two days faster than those of others. Most of therger group showed average results.


    Lu Chen was ced in the smaller but highly effective group. Despite having only one earth-element Five Elements Divine Pir and only being able to manipte earth spiritual power, the spiritual power he absorbed and used was exceptionally pure. The spiritual herbs he cultivated grew especially well, making him one of the best performers.


    The forty servant disciples continued their work in the same ce, while Lu Chen and the other nine were taken to another ce in Liu Xiangpu called the ¡°Herb Garden.¡±


    Compared to the original Maple Garden, the spiritual herbs in the Herb Garden were of a noticeably higher grade. The garden contained almost nomon two-pattern spiritual herbs; the few that appeared were among the most precious two-pattern materials. Additionally, half of the area was nted with three-pattern spiritual herbs.


    The heritage of a prestigious sect with a five-thousand-year history was inadvertently revealed in such a ce. Even Lu Chen, who had extensive experience, couldn¡¯t help but be amazed when he saw this herb garden and thought about the even higher-grade areas deeper in Liu Xiangpu.


    After arriving at the Herb Garden, Bai Cao Hall¡¯s attitude towards the ten disciples began to change, showing a bit more appreciation. Due to the valuable spiritual herbs in the Herb Garden, they also treated Lu Chen and the others more carefully.


    Unlike in the Maple Garden, where each person was assigned a plot ofnd with multiple nts, here, each person was instructed to take care of just one spiritual herb. Each herb had a dedicated person to exin the cultivation methods and precautions in detail.In the end, even Yan Luo, a Jindan stage cultivator, appeared, personally instructing them and explicitly telling them that the spiritual herbs here were priceless, in some sense more valuable than the servant disciples themselves.


    All the servant disciples listened quietly; no one argued or resisted.


    Yan Luo softened her expression and kindly told everyone that although this was the case, if they took good care of these precious spiritual herbs, their gains would far exceed those in the Stone te Valley, greatly increasing their hopes of future sess in cultivation.


    Lu Chen stood among the crowd, looking at the smiling old woman with a crane¡¯s hair, thinking to himself, ¡°She really knows how to paint a good picture!¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    As the disciple with the purest spiritual power and the best cultivation results, Lu Chen was assigned a very precious three-pattern spiritual herb, the ¡°Red Amber Ginseng.¡±


    Even among three-pattern spiritual materials, Red Amber Ginseng was extremely rare. It had a peculiar nature, where only one Red Amber Ginseng could ever grow on an acre ofnd, never two simultaneously.


    Moreover, onnd with Red Amber Ginseng, only a special grass called ¡°Ginseng Grass¡± would grow around it. No other trees or nts could survive there. Even if trees were deliberately transnted near Red Amber Ginseng, they would wither and die after a short period.


    This was a highly domineering spiritual nt, willing to seize the life of other nts to ensure its own growth space. However, because of its astonishing medicinal properties and extensive use in refining spiritual pills, wild Red Amber Ginseng had been almost entirely dug up over the years. Only a prestigious sect with deep heritage, like the Kunlun Sect, had the ability to cultivate it themselves.


    When Lu Chen saw the Red Amber Ginseng, he noticed it in the center of an acre of green grasnd. It was a striking spiritual herb with nine tiny red fruits on its spike.


    The Red Amber Ginseng was taller than the surrounding grass called ¡°Ginseng Grass,¡± standing out like a crane among chickens with an air of regality. Contrary to its domineering growth habit, the Red Amber Ginseng above ground appeared quite delicate and charming. It had green, tender stems and leaves over a foot tall, with red spikes bearing nine plump, bright red fruits that looked so tempting they made one want to take a bite.


    Lu Chen gazed at the red fruits for a while, then ced his hands on the soil around the Red Amber Ginseng and began to breathe slowly.


    A bright yellowish-brown light emanated from the soil, causing the soil particles to tremble slightly before obediently moving toward the Red Amber Ginseng under Lu Chen¡¯s control. Meanwhile, beneath the surface, invisible to the naked eye, the earth¡¯s spiritual energy was continuously flowing toward the roots of the spiritual herb.


    The Red Amber Ginseng above ground began to sway in the wind, seemingly overjoyed, its stems and leaves dancing. After a while, the red fruits on its spike appeared even more vibrant.


    Lu Chen withdrew his hands, exhaled, and stood up to walk around the area, appearing quite rxed. Not far from his plot ofnd, about ten meters away, other plots were tended by servant disciples cultivating different spiritual nts.


    When Lu Chen looked over, he saw those disciples working diligently and carefully, not daring to be distracted.


    Lu Chen smiled, shook his head, and theny down on a t spot in his plot.


    The ground around the Red Amber Ginseng was covered with soft, green Ginseng Grass, resembling a green carpet, making it quitefortable for Lu Chen to lie down. He closed his eyes and rxed for a while until he suddenly felt the light dim as a shadow fell over him.


    A voice followed, pleasant yet tinged with anger, saying, ¡°Who are you, daring to be sozy? The Red Amber Ginseng is a rare spiritual material. What would you do if something happened to it? What punishment would you deserve?¡±


    Lu Chen opened his eyes to see a figure standing beside him, blocking the sunlight. He couldn¡¯t clearly see the person¡¯s face, but in that moment, he noticed the beautiful, me-like cloak on the person¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lu Chen sat up and then stood, dusting himself off before looking at the woman in front of him.


    She was a remarkably beautiful woman, her features as delicate as a painting, her skin fairer than snow. She carried a long sword on her back, its sheath simple yet exuding a faint, sharp aura, indicating it was no ordinary item, perhaps even a famous ancient sword.


    Now closer, Lu Chen could see more clearly the bright red feathers on her cloak, the same red feathers he had seen by the sinkhole behind the small vige.


    Su Qingjun.


    He smiled, took a step back, and calmly and politely said, ¡°Greetings, Senior Sister Su.¡±


    Su Qingjun frowned slightly in surprise and asked, ¡°You recognize me?¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he replied, ¡°Senior Sister, you are renowned in the Kunlun Sect. Everyone knows you.¡±


    Su Qingjun snorted but said nothing more. She just looked at Lu Chen and said, ¡°You are one of the servant disciples assigned to cultivate the Red Amber Ginseng. How dare you be so negligent with such an important spiritual material? Aren¡¯t you afraid that the masters of Bai Cao Hall will see you and severely punish you?¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment before suddenly saying, ¡°If I recall correctly, Senior Sister Su, you are not under Bai Cao Hall, are you?¡±


    ¡°Correct. Why do you ask?¡±


    Lu Chen sighed and said, ¡°I was indeed assigned to cultivate this Red Amber Ginseng. However, I don¡¯t believe I did anything wrong. Perhaps Senior Sister Su just found it unpleasant to see me lying down resting?¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face darkened, her dislike for this man growing. However, as she looked at his face, she suddenly felt a vague sense of familiarity, as if she had seen him before, though she couldn¡¯t immediately recall when or where.


    She couldn¡¯t be bothered to think too much about it and coldly said, ¡°I¡¯m not part of Bai Cao Hall, so I naturally won¡¯t meddle, but this Red Amber Ginseng is the best-growing and soonest to mature in the Herb Garden. I have great use for it, so I cannot allow you to carelessly ruin it.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lu Chen finally understood and said, ¡°So this Red Amber Ginseng is reserved for you?¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s first instinct was to nod, but she suddenly felt that there was something off about his words, something that made her ufortable, though she couldn¡¯t pinpoint it. This made her even angrier. With a cold face, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk back to me. I just ask you, since Bai Cao Hall assigned you to cultivate this Red Amber Ginseng, how can you not work diligently? If the medicinal properties deteriorate or the efficacy is lost, wouldn¡¯t that be your fault?¡±


    Lu Chen thought for a moment and said, ¡°Senior Sister Su, what exactly do you want?¡±


    Su Qingjun replied, ¡°Work hard and take good care of this Red Amber Ginseng, or I won¡¯t let you off easily!¡±


    Lu Chen raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°That¡¯s strange. How do you know I haven¡¯t been working hard or taking good care of this Red Amber Ginseng?¡±


    As he spoke, he looked at Su Qingjun with a half-smile, a peculiar look in his eyes.


    Su Qingjun was a very clever woman. Hearing this, she started to feel something was off. She was usually focused on her cultivation and not well-versed in the cultivation of spiritual herbs. The Red Amber Ginseng was an important spiritual material she needed today, but aside from its medicinal properties, she knew nothing about how to cultivate it. Seeing Lu Chen¡¯s seemingly fearless attitude, Su Qingjun began to suspect she might have said something wrong.


    However, she was always ustomed to being aloof. People admired her for her exceptional talent and beauty, and most people were amodating towards her. Rarely did anyone speak to her so directly.


    At this moment, Lu Chen didn¡¯t wait for Su Qingjun to think further and added, ¡°By the way, Senior Sister Su, you mentioned you wouldn¡¯t let me off easily. What do you mean by that?¡±


    (Note: The double voting period for monthly tickets is about to end. There¡¯s a tight chase behind. I hope everyone can cast some votes for me. Tomorrow is thest day of double voting. I¡¯ll work hard and strive for three updates.) (To be continued.)

 Chapter 116: The Peeping Ox at the Medicine

    Chapter 116: The Peeping Ox at the Medicine


    Lu Chen¡¯s words were directed straight at Su Qingjun, carrying a hint of provocation. However, his expression remained calm and his tone was gentle, making it seem like there was no such intent.


    Su Qingjun, appearing to be neither impatient nor hot-tempered, didn¡¯t react to Lu Chen¡¯s words. Instead, she frowned and asked, ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, did I say something wrong just now? Tell me, if I was indeed mistaken, I will naturally admit my fault to you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lu Chen was taken aback by her words and couldn¡¯t help but reassess Su Qingjun, now seeing her in a different light.


    Since joining the Kunlun Sect, Lu Chen had learned a lot about this well-known woman in the sect. Additionally, Old Ma in Kunwu City had secretly gathered and ryed a lot of information about Su Qingjun to him. In fact, Lu Chen knew more about her than most people.


    This young and beautiful woman seemed perfect in every aspect. She was highly talented, a top-tier four-pir prodigy, progressing rapidly in her cultivation far beyond the average person. She came from a prestigious family, the Su family, thergest in Kunwu City, showered with love and resources from a young age. Her background was also formidable; besides the numerous overt and covert influences of the Su family within the Kunlun Sect, her master was the leader of the Tie branch. Even though the Tie branch was temporarily weakened, if all their hopes were pinned on one person, not even the currently strong Kun branch would dare to provoke her lightly.


    At a young age, she had already glimpsed the dazzling golden gate of the Golden Core stage, with a broad and unimaginable future ahead of her. Rumors even said that one time, her master, Mu Yuan Zhenren, a lover of fine wine, drunkenly imed that his disciple might one day have a chance to glimpse the legendary realm of True Lord.


    Of course, this was unverified gossip. Mu Yuan Zhenren himselfter firmly denied having said such things multiple times. Nevertheless, such rumors persisted, circting quietly among the Kunlun Sect disciples.


    Such a prodigious girl, seemingly born to stand above all, deserving of everyone¡¯s admiration and reverence, now suddenly spoke of admitting her mistake to Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen carefully looked into her eyes. Her gaze was clear and bright, seemingly without any impurities, making one instinctively feel that all her words might be sincere.¡°Hey?¡± After waiting for a while and seeing that Lu Chen was just looking at her without answering, Su Qingjun frowned slightly and raised her voice a bit.


    However, seeing her demeanor, it was clear that this girl had received the best etiquette education since childhood. Or perhaps she was too beautiful and graceful, so even a prompting call from her did not feel ufortable.


    Lu Chen withdrew his gaze and smiled self-mockingly, thinking that the gap between people could be so vast. After a pause, he pointed to the red amber ginseng on the ground and said to Su Qingjun, ¡°Senior Sister Su, in cultivating this red amber ginseng, the key is a ¡®nine to one¡¯ ratio, meaning one part cultivation and nine parts rest. As long as the one part is done well, gathering the earth-type spiritual energy in the spirit field around the roots of the red amber ginseng, it will grow on its own for the rest of the time.¡±


    Su Qingjun looked slightly surprised and said, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°This method has been passed down by the ancestors of the Baicao Hall. As a menial disciple, I dare not alter it. If Senior Sister doesn¡¯t believe me, you can inquire at the Baicao Hall yourself.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded and said, ¡°I see.¡± After a pause, she asked with some doubt, ¡°ording to what you said, this red amber ginseng seems easy to cultivate? But in the past, when I sought this spiritual herb from the Baicao Hall, they said it was difficult to cultivate and very rare.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s correct. The senior brothers and sisters at Baicao Hall didn¡¯t lie to you. The red amber ginseng is indeed hard to cultivate.¡±


    He squatted down and fiddled with the soil particles around the red amber ginseng, casually crushing a small clump of soil, and said, ¡°Although most of the time in cultivating red amber ginseng is idle, the one part that is crucial. The earth-type spiritual energy in the soil must be bnced and evenly directed to all the fine roots in the soil. The gathered and directed earth-type spiritual energy must also be pure and gentle. This step alone is beyond the average person. Either the quality of spiritual energy is insufficient, or their control isn¡¯t precise enough to reach all the roots, which is why the red amber ginseng is considered one of the hardest spiritual herbs to cultivate.¡±


    Su Qingjun nced at Lu Chen and suddenly said, ¡°So, in this year¡¯s menial disciples, your cultivation skills are quite good?¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯m the best, which is why the senior brother at Baicao Hall let me cultivate this red amber ginseng.¡±


    Su Qingjun was momentarily stunned, seemingly not expecting Lu Chen to be so blunt and unmodest, unlike the people she usually knew. She couldn¡¯t help butugh, shaking her head and smiling slightly, saying, ¡°You are quite confident, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled but did not reply.


    Su Qingjun no longer looked at him. Her bright eyes slightly lit up, gazing at the red amber ginseng with nine ¡°red beads¡± on its head, her eyes filled with curiosity and joy, as if delighted by the new knowledge she had just learned.


    After a moment, she suddenly squatted down, seemingly not minding the dirty soil of the spirit field, gently touching the red amber ginseng with her fair fingers.


    ¡°The world is full of wonders. Even such a small spiritual herb has so much knowledge behind it. It¡¯s truly amazing.¡± She smiled, softly praising.


    After a moment, the two stood up together. Su Qingjun turned to leave but suddenly paused and looked back at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen slightly lowered his head and said, ¡°Senior Sister Su, is there anything else?¡±


    Su Qingjun nced at him and said, ¡°Earlier, I was unaware of the red amber ginseng¡¯s characteristics and wrongly used you. That was my mistake.¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Senior Sister Su, given your status, you don¡¯t need to apologize to me.¡±


    Su Qingjun replied calmly, ¡°A mistake is a mistake, there¡¯s no need to cover it up. But speaking of which, this red amber ginseng is indeed important to me. I would like to ask you to¡­ Oh, I haven¡¯t asked your name.¡±


    ¡°Lu Chen.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Junior Brother Lu, please take good care of this spiritual herb. If it matures with potent medicinal properties, I will certainly reward you.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Senior Sister.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded and then pondered for a moment before adding, ¡°One more thing, consider it my unsolicited advice. Perhaps the red amber ginseng does require such care, and you have done your part, but lying down in the spirit field to sleep, regardless of who sees it, gives an impression ofziness and slyness, which is not beneficial to you.¡±


    Lu Chen gave the beautiful woman a deep look, then nodded and said, ¡°I understand. Thank you for the advice, Senior Sister.¡±


    Su Qingjun acknowledged with a soft ¡°Mm,¡± said no more, and turned to leave the spirit field.


    A gentle breeze blew from afar, fluttering her light, beautiful clothes. The fiery red feathered cloak on her shoulders trembled, like a burning scene, stunning in the daylight.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When Lu Chen was caught cking off in the Liuxiang Garden, Ah Tu, whose injuries had nearly healed, ran out of the house to y.


    The environment around the new house was different from Stone Disk Valley, but since both were in Kunlun Mountain, there were still many mountains and forests. Ah Tu quickly adapted to the surroundings and familiarized itself with the mountain forest around Liuxiang Garden.


    Compared to the freedom in Stone Disk Valley, the mountain forest around Liuxiang Garden had a noticeably heavier air of vignce. The perimeter of the herb garden was constantly patrolled, and even in the forest, patrol teams asionally passed by. Clearly, Baicao Hall valued this area highly.


    Ah Tu, though not a particrly powerful beast, had a keen nose and agile movements, allowing it to roam the forest freely, avoiding the patrol disciples without incident.


    Everything seemed normal and enjoyable, but there was a minor regret. Ah Tu had been unable to find the peculiar ¡°Dog Head Mountain¡± again. This was understandable, given the distance from Stone Disk Mountain to Liuxiang Garden and the vastness of Kunlun Mountain. The Dog Head Mountain, hidden among the mountains, was not easily found in a short time.


    For some reason, Ah Tu remained fixated on Dog Head Mountain. Despite being injured there, it still wanted to visit.


    After wandering for a long time without sess, and with the sky getting darker, Ah Tu had to head back. After all, there was plenty of time to find Dog Head Mountainter.


    The way home was easy for Ah Tu. Following familiar scents, it made its way back, reaching near Liuxiang Garden as the sky dimmed.


    But then, Ah Tu suddenly stopped in its tracks, body trembling. In the dim light of the forest ahead, arge figure appeared ¡ª the green ox.


    Ah Tu stopped and stared at the ox from a distance, puzzled.


    It quickly noticed that the green ox seemed to be gazing at something in the distance. Following its gaze, Ah Tu saw the vast Liuxiang Garden below the forest, with neatly arranged spirit fields and the faint fragrance of spiritual herbs and nts wafting through the evening breeze, filling the forest.


    Ah Tu looked at the green ox.


    The green ox let out a low moo, lifted its head to take a deep breath of the air, and seemed to show a look of contentment.


    A/N ¨C (Starting early in the morning with the goal of writing three chapters today, I had to hurry and start writing. I wrote somest night and finished this chapter this morning. Looking at the precarious situation on the monthly ticket leaderboard, I sigh at how fierce thepetition is. Today is thest day of double tickets and the National Day holiday. Please vote. Back to writing.) (To be continued.)


    Author Announcement ¨C 57,000 Words in Seven Days, Asking for Monthly Tickets


    The seven-day National Day holiday is finallying to an end. My new book *Heaven¡¯s Shadow* has been doing quite well. As a neer to Qidian, I sincerely thank everyone for their support.


    Did everyone have a good holiday? Mine was pretty good too, except for the fact that while my family went to Sanya for vacation, I stayed home alone writing on myputer. Other than that, everything was great ^_^.


    It¡¯s strange. Sometimes when I look at thements section, I hear that other authors often get bombarded with demands for more updates, yet I often see many of my readers urging me to take my time and focus on quality over quantity. It seems my readers are quite unique, haha.


    I¡¯ve been writing for a long time, and those who have followed my works over the years might notice that my books are a bit different from others. The world is so diverse and exciting. If every book followed the same old form, what would be the point? I believe that, at least so far, *Heaven¡¯s Shadow* has lived up to the votes it has received.


    The current results are decent, but the month isn¡¯t over yet. I hope everyone continues to support me as I strive to write an engaging and unique book.


    A neer to Qidian asking for votes¡­ (To be continued.)

 Chapter 117: Suspicion Everywhere

    Chapter 117: Suspicion Everywhere


    Ah Tu stayed in the woods, a dozen or so zhang away from the <b>Qingniu(Green Ox)</b>, watching the giant beast from a distance. Naturally, he also noticed the strange actions and expressions of the Qingniu, feeling puzzled himself. He even couldn¡¯t resist raising his head to sniff the air a few times.


    Dogs have a keen sense of smell, so Ah Tu easily caught the scent of spiritual herbs wafting over from the medicine garden. The aroma was pleasant and somewhat different from usual fragrances, but no matter how much he sniffed, Ah Tu felt that while the scent was nice, it wasn¡¯t enchanting enough to captivate him.


    Growing increasingly curious, Ah Tu stayed put, hiding in the woods and observing the Qingniu.


    The Qingniu stood in the forest for a long while, asionally showing a look of intoxication. It often nced towards the Flowing Fragrance Garden, a hint of desire in its eyes, yet Ah Tu never saw it take a single step in that direction.


    About half an hourter, the Qingniu seemed satisfied, suddenly turned, and walked away.


    Ah Tu was startled. After hesitating, he decided to follow, trailing the Qingniu from a distance.


    Throughout the journey, the Qingniu never looked back. Whether it hadn¡¯t noticed Ah Tu following or simply didn¡¯t care about the insignificant ck dog was unknown.


    Ah Tu didn¡¯t think much about it, just continued following the Qingniu. He wasn¡¯t sure how long they wandered through the wilderness when suddenly the view ahead opened up, revealing a uniquely shaped peak.


    The peak looked somewhat like a dog¡¯s head.Doghead Mountain¡ªAh Tu had finally found his way back here.


    The Qingniu leisurely ascended the mountain, ignoring all the celestial birds and fierce beasts at the foot and waist of the mountain. Upon seeing the Qingniu, all the animals immediately disyed respect and deference, as if the Qingniu was the king of Kunlun Mountains.


    Ah Tu didn¡¯t approach Doghead Mountain. He hid in a dense thicket, watching the Qingniu climb to the peak and lie down, just like before. Staring at the mountain and the countless animals on it, Ah Tu¡¯s eyes gradually showed intense longing, but there was also fear in them.


    After a while, Ah Tu looked up at the sky. Seeing that it was gettingte, he hesitated for a moment, then silently retreated, leaving the area in the darkening shadows and running towards the distance.


    From behind, his figure appeared lonely, like a ck shadow running into the impending darkness of night.


    The next day, Lu Chen finished his work with the Red Amber Ginseng early, left Kunlun, and went down to Kunwu City.


    Standing on the bustling street of this grand and lively city, Lu Chen felt a moment of confusion amid the noisy crowd.


    Thousands of people on the street, each with their own joys, sorrows, and stories, each with their own destination, and everyone should have a home, right?


    But he never had one. On this day, standing on the street of Kunwu City, twenty-eight-year-old Lu Chen inexplicably thought of the word ¡°home.¡±


    Since childhood, he never remembered having a home. He couldn¡¯t even recall a single rtive¡¯s face. As he stood there in a daze, past events and people shed through his mind like pictures.


    What is a home? What does it look like? What does it feel like to have a home?


    A man and a woman together? Maybe that¡¯s a home?


    He thought for a moment, a glimpse of Ding Dang¡¯s face crossed his mind, and then he shook his head lightly. He thought again, of an even more distant and deeply buried memory, the face that was once sweet and gentle, the woman who smiled in the chaotic wilderness, the one who gave him the only warmth during those dangerous and dark years.


    He lowered his head slightly and silently walked forward, pressing that memory down once more in his heart.


    This city is so big, but he only had one ce to go.


    In a quiet alley at Hei Qiu Pavilion, the chubby Lao Ma had a strange expression on his face as he looked at Lu Chen sitting opposite him. Seeing Lu Chen slowly sipping his drink, lost in thought, Lao Ma frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Lu Chen, seemingly startled out of his thoughts, replied, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Lao Ma said, ¡°You seem a bit off today. Did something happen at Kunlun Sect?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Lu Chen casually replied, pouring himself another drink. After a while, he suddenly looked at Lao Ma and asked, ¡°Lao Ma, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any family?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lao Ma was taken aback. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled. ¡°No reason, just curious.¡±


    Lao Ma hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°No one, just me.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at him, a flicker in his eyes, then suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    Lao Ma nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, I am.¡±


    Lu Chen snorted and said, ¡°Why is that? Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    Lao Ma replied, ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for ten years now. In times of crisis, I¡¯d trust you with my life. Do you think I don¡¯t trust you?¡±


    Lu Chen stared into his eyes and said, ¡°Then why won¡¯t you tell me the truth?¡±


    ¡°You know the reason, so why ask?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You tell me!¡±


    Lao Ma suddenlyughed, but there wasn¡¯t much joy in his smile. After a moment, he said faintly, ¡°You¡¯re a jinx. Anyone who gets involved with you often ends up suffering. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Lu Chen suddenly fell silent.


    He looked at Lao Ma with deep, distant eyes, like a dark sea.


    The room fell silent, with not a sound to be heard.


    A cold wind blew through the alley outside, stirring the grass on the walls, trembling in the wind, bringing a touch of destion.


    It was unclear how much time had passed before Lu Chen slowly set down his wine cup and looked at Lao Ma, calmly saying, ¡°Did you have to be so blunt?¡±


    Lao Ma shrugged, his expression also calm and indifferent. ¡°You asked me. I didn¡¯t want to lie to you.¡±


    Lu Chen hummed in response, lowered his head, and no longer looked at him, seeming somewhat disinterested.


    After Lu Chen¡¯s gaze shifted away, Lao Ma seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He picked up the wine pot and poured himself a drink, but suddenly, he felt a chill on his back.


    A slight, needle-like chill, like the sensation of cold sweat seeping out.


    Lao Ma stared into his cup, then downed the drink in one gulp.


    ¡°I met Su Qingjun and even spoke with her a bit,¡± Lu Chen¡¯s voice came from the front.


    Lao Ma¡¯s spirits lifted as he looked over and said, ¡°How was it? You didn¡¯t actually go looking for trouble with her, did you? I¡¯m telling you, from what I¡¯ve heard, Su Qingjun is a true genius. With your current strength, even ten of you wouldn¡¯t be her match.¡±


    Lu Chen nced at Lao Ma, smiled faintly, and a slight glimmer shed in his eyes. He then said, ¡°You¡¯re right, so I didn¡¯t make a move.¡±


    Lao Ma¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Didn¡¯t make a move? So you really were thinking about it? Come on, focus on our task of finding the traitor. Don¡¯t go stirring up trouble.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at Lao Ma with interest and said, ¡°It¡¯s strange. Why are you so sure that approaching Su Qingjun is stirring up trouble? Why couldn¡¯t she be the traitor?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Lao Ma was taken aback, his face suddenly changing, and he became serious, lowering his voice. ¡°You suspect her?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in Kunlun Sect is a suspect to me, except for two people.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Lu Chen pointed at him and said, ¡°You and that bald guy.¡±


    Lao Ma smiled wryly, then after a moment of contemtion, frowned and said, ¡°There are tens of thousands of people in Kunlun Sect, including the misceneous disciples. If you suspect everyone, we¡¯ll never get anything else done. So, as you said before, the traitor should be someone with some skills and status. However, as for Su Qingjun¡­¡±


    Lao Ma paused and said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s her.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Lao Ma spread his hands. ¡°Because her family background is too good andpletely clean. Combined with her exceptional talent, can you give me a reason why someone like her would choose the dark path?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled, slowly picked up his wine cup, but instead of drinking, he yed with it for a while. Then he suddenly said, ¡°Someone once said something simr to you back then.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yun Shouyang, the elder of the Demonic Sect, my master.¡± For some reason, Lu Chen¡¯s voice seemed to be somewhat ethereal as he spoke faintly, ¡°When I first came under his tutge as a youth, there were doubts about me. After investigating without finding anything, they were still uneasy. Yun Shouyang thenughed and told them: ¡®How could there be anyone in the world who would waste a once-in-a-lifetime genius as a traitor instead of a sessor!''¡±


    The muscles on Lao Ma¡¯s chubby face suddenly twitched.


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t look at him, only stared at his wine cup in a daze. After a while, he smiled, drank the wine, and then said to Lao Ma, ¡°You see, nothing is impossible in this world. In Kunlun Mountain, until the truth is revealed, I trust no one.¡±


    ¡°Snap.¡± A light sound was heard as he gently ced the cup on the table. He then stood up and walked towards the door, saying, ¡°Investigate the Su family, especially Su Qingjun¡¯s childhood. Tell me everything, no matter how small.¡±


    Lao Ma hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lu Chen reached the door, one foot already outside, but suddenly paused as if he remembered something. After a moment of hesitation, he turned to Lao Ma and said, ¡°There¡¯s one more person you need to check.¡± To be continued.


    <b>¡°Qingniu¡±</b> can be tranted as ¡°Green Ox.¡± It refers to a mythical or spiritual ox, often depicted as green in Chinese literature and mythology.

 Chapter 118: Daydreaming in Broad Daylight

    Chapter 118: Daydreaming in Broad Daylight


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Lao Ma asked.


    ¡°In the city, it¡¯s Bai Lian from the Bai family, the ten-year-old genius girl.¡±


    Lao Ma¡¯s face changed immediately, as if he had just sucked in a cold breath. He frowned and said, ¡°What are you doing? She¡¯s just a ten-year-old girl, not to mention she¡¯s a five-pir genius and will soon be a disciple of Bai Chen Zhenjun. You¡­¡±


    His words suddenly stopped abruptly, as if he had realized something. He looked at Lu Chen, moved his mouth a few times, but didn¡¯t say another word.


    Lu Chen calmly looked at him and after a moment said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I was only eleven or twelve back then. As for being a disciple of the True Lord, a five-pir genius¡­¡± He smiled faintly, with a hint of sarcasm on his face, then looked up at the sky.


    Behind him, Lao Ma¡¯s voice sounded, somewhat strained, ¡°I understand. I will investigate.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Lu Chen responded, then walked out of the gate and headed into the distance.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Life on Kunlun Mountain was calm and peaceful, much like the clear stream in Qingshuitang back then, flowing quietly day by day, almost imperceptible.Here in the Flowing Fragrance Nursery, Lu Chen gradually became familiar with the situation and, with his gentle nature, also got to know many people here. Many of them were misceneous disciples like him, and some were formal disciples who managed this area for the Baicao Hall. As for his own job, the peculiar Red Amber Ginseng, which had been thriving these days, seemed even more dominant. Specifically, the area around the Red Amber Ginseng had expanded slightly due to its overbearing nature.


    After that day, Su Qingjun visited again. Seeing the vigorous vitality of the Red Amber Ginseng, she seemed pleased. Although she didn¡¯t genuinely smile, her attitude towards Lu Chen had improved considerably.


    However,pared to the <b>Lingtian</b> at Shipangu, the <b>Lingcao</b> quality here at Flowing Fragrance Nursery was generally much higher, but it also took longer to grow. Even though the Red Amber Ginseng had grown thisrge, it would still take at least three more months before harvest.


    Such things couldn¡¯t be rushed, and Baicao Hall wouldn¡¯t engage in forcing growth. In fact, at this current speed, it was already twice as fast as the growth rate of wild Red Amber Ginseng, thanks to the careful cultivation by human cultivators using spiritual power.


    However, this made Lu Chen a bit bored after finishing his work. Perhaps it was because Su Qingjun had mentioned it once, although Lu Chen hadn¡¯t conceded at the time, he hadn¡¯t slept in the Lingtian since that day.


    He began to wander around aimlessly. In the Flowing Fragrance Nursery, however, because the deeper areas were nted with higher-grade and invaluable spiritual materials, they were temporarily off-limits to misceneous disciples like him, so he mostly wandered around the herbal garden.


    The area of the herbal garden was actually quiterge, with many types of spiritual herbs and materials nted over the years, and there were indeed quite a few misceneous disciples who had worked here over the years. However, for Lu Chen, the closest and easiest to get along with were undoubtedly the group of misceneous disciples who hade with him this time.


    After some time, he got to know the other nine misceneous disciples in this group, and the one he usually got along with the best was a 25-year-Lao Man named He Changsheng.


    He Changsheng had an interesting name. It sounded a bit rustic but had a grand vision. Under the heavens, what millions of people dream of day and night isn¡¯t just longevity and immortality? Therefore, this name had long been overused. In the path of cultivation, longevity and bing an immortal were almost the ultimate goals for all cultivators. Since ancient times, it seemed that no one had been able to achieve it, even if they were True Immortals who had transcended human form.


    He Changsheng himself was quite interesting. He was a very diligent and down-to-earth person, serious in everything he did, and had a good temper. In simpler terms, he was an honest man. But for some reason, his luck seemed a bit poor, making He Changsheng¡¯s life seem somewhat unlucky.


    A hundred years ago, the He family in Kunwu City was a famous and prestigious n, but thirty years ago, hardly anyone remembered them. He Changsheng¡¯s ancestors had indeed produced remarkable figures, and one of them had even been a genuine Yuanying True Immortal of the Kunlun Sect,manding the winds and clouds andughing among the heroes. Butter, things didn¡¯t go well, and he died tragically at the hands of the brutal demons and monsters in the Confusion Realm during a major battle.


    The speed of the He family¡¯s decline was quite astonishing, and no one knew the specific reasons. In any case, from being a prominent n back then, they rapidly declined to obscurity today. By He Changsheng¡¯s generation, there was no one left to talk about their connections.


    He Changsheng loved cultivating immortality. Since he was young, he had dreamed of restoring the glory of the He family¡¯s ancestors and restoring the family¡¯s reputation. He was ambitious about it and had been preparing for over twenty years. In the end, he sold all the ancestral property left behind in Kunwu City in exchange for an opportunity with the Immortal Mirror.


    However, fate always seemed malicious towards honest people. In the Immortal Mirror, his Five Elements Divine te dealt him a heavy blow, and his talent was so poor that he almost couldn¡¯t embark on the path of cultivation. It was only after pleading bitterly that he obtained a nominal position as a misceneous disciple that seemed destined to have no future. This position alsopletely emptied hisst remaining wealth.


    ¡°Is it worth it?¡±


    That afternoon, with the warm sunlight shining warmly on the Lingtian in the Flowing Fragrance Nursery, Lu Chen sat side by side with He Changsheng, chatting by the Lingtian. Lu Chen asked him like this.


    Lu Chen looked very serious, and he gestured lightly with his hand, saying, ¡°If you give up the idea of immortality, relying on the two old houses left by your ancestors in Kunwu City, perhaps you could live a peaceful and stable life. Why suffer here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not particrly painful,¡± He Changsheng, with an honest face, looked ordinary and in. He seemed to have some goodwill towards Lu Chen, or perhaps their simr life situations brought them closer. So he smiled and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Besides, if I drift aimlessly in Kunwu City for my whole life, wouldn¡¯t that bepletely hopeless?¡±


    ¡°Hope?¡± Lu Chen shook his head and looked at He Changsheng. ¡°But I don¡¯t think misceneous disciples have much hope. Throughout history, I¡¯ve never heard of a single-pir disciple achieving the level of Yuanying True Immortal.¡±


    He Changsheng nodded, seemingly in agreement with Lu Chen¡¯s words. He said, ¡°That¡¯s indeed very difficult. However, in our Kunlun Sect, there¡¯s a high-grade spiritual medicine called ¡®Xianze Pill¡¯. It¡¯s said to have a miraculous effect in enhancing the talents of disciples who arecking, and the effect is even better for those with poorer aptitude.¡±


    Lu Chen chuckled and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that Xianze Pill, but that stuff is priceless. The spiritual materials needed for its preparation are all top-grade treasures. Throughout history, only wealthy and powerful families asionally seek its production, and more than half the time, it has no effect.¡± He sighed and continued, ¡°If you pin your hopes on that, it won¡¯t work.¡±


    He Changsheng fell silent for a moment, then nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Lu Chen nced at him and asked, ¡°So, do you have any other thoughts?¡±


    He Changsheng uttered an ¡°mmm¡± and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lu Chen became interested and smiled, ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    He Changsheng smiled back and nced around. In the herbal garden, he could see other misceneous disciples like them toiling in the fields. He stared at those figures for a moment before saying, ¡°Our He family has been mediocre for three generations. If I don¡¯t pick myself up, in the future I¡¯ll have to pass on my family line and have children of my own. Should I let them live ordinary lives?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m destined to be stuck at the bottom of Kunlun Mountain in this lifetime, unable to stand up, and can only struggle and toil in these fields, should I let my children suffer the same fate?¡±


    He Changsheng looked at Lu Chen, his eyes umonly bright with a flicker of hope. He softly said, ¡°By enduring a bit more hardship here in Kunlun Mountain, I will eventually umte something. In the future, my children will be better than me now. Even if he still can¡¯t make it, as long as he continues like this, my grandchildren will definitely be better. If we persist like this for a long time, one day, our He family will surely rise again. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    He smiled at Lu Chen, his eyes glowing with hope.


    Lu Chen looked at him quietly for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s impossible. You¡¯re dreaming.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When Su Qingjun walked into the Flowing Fragrance Nursery from outside, she hesitated at the fork in the broad road. In the end, she decided to turn towards the herbal garden. The Red Amber Ginseng currently nted there was the main herb for refining a rare elixir. Her master, Senior Mu Yuan, had already told her that once the Red Amber Ginseng matured, if its medicinal effects were excellent, he would personally request Senior Qiandeng, the top alchemist of Baicao Hall, to refine that precious elixir. After consuming the elixir, she could break through to the Golden Core realm.


    The Golden Core realm!


    She was only twenty-two years old now, so young that in nearly two hundred years, Kunlun Sect had never seen such a genius. Although she had been ustomed to her rapid progress in cultivation since childhood, the thought of reaching the Golden Core realm filled her with longing and excitement.


    As she walked along the road, two figures approached her¡ªone old and one young. Su Qingjun recognized the elderly white-haired woman, who was none other than Yan Luo, the Golden Core cultivator of Baicao Hall. She quickly paid her respects. Then, she noticed the young girl beside Yan Luo, feeling vaguely familiar. Soon, she saw the scar on the girl¡¯s cheek and realized that she was Yi Xin.


    That incident had caused a stir throughout Kunlun Sect, and of course, Su Qingjun was aware of it.


    She smiled at Yi Xin, who returned the smile with a nod. In this clear weather, the girl seemed in good spirits, gradually emerging from the shadow of recent events.


    After bidding farewell to Yan Luo, Su Qingjun continued towards the herbal garden. However, not long after, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw Yi Xin hurrying towards her.


    <b>¡°Lingcao¡± </b>(Áé²Ý) trantes to ¡°spiritual herb¡± or ¡°spiritual grass¡± in English. In the context of Chinese novels, especially in the xianxia (fantasy) genre, lingcao often refers to magical or mystical herbs that possess special properties, such as healing, enhancing cultivation, or providing various supernatural abilities.


    <b>¡°Lingtian¡±</b> (ÁéÌï) trantes to ¡°spiritual field¡± or ¡°spiritual farnd¡± in English. In the context of Chinese novels, particrly in the xianxia and wuxia genres, a lingtian typically refers to a special type of farnd that is imbued with spiritual energy. These fields are used to cultivate spiritual herbs, nts, or other resources that are essential for cultivation and the enhancement of one¡¯s abilities. The crops grown in a lingtian are usually of higher quality and possess unique properties due to the spiritual energy present in thend.

 Chapter 119: Bewildered Sparrows

    Chapter 119: Bewildered Sparrows


    Yi Xin also saw Su Qingjun walking ahead. She paused slightly, then approached and greeted Su Qingjun with a smile, ¡°Senior Sister Su, are you going to the Herb Garden too?¡±


    The path they were on branched off from the main road and only led to the Herb Garden.


    Su Qingjun nodded and said, ¡°I have a spiritual herb nted there, so I¡¯m going to check on it. Are you also going to see your herbs?¡±


    Yi Xin smiled and replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I have a friend working over there, so I¡¯m just dropping by to see him.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Su Qingjun smiled. The two young and beautiful women naturally walked side by side and started chatting.


    Both came from simr backgrounds, daughters of prominent families in Kunwu City, and were close in age. As they chatted, they found a lot inmon, such as the scenic spots and human stories of Kunwu City, which made them feel quite close to each other.


    In the end, Yi Xin remarked with a smile to Su Qingjun, ¡°I never thought that you would be such an easy-going person, Sister Su.¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled and said, ¡°Why do you say that? Did you hear that I was difficult to get along with before?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Yi Xin hurriedly denied, smiling, ¡°It¡¯s just that you were always so outstanding since you were young. After I knew about you, I always felt that you were much better than us ordinary people in every way. It felt like you were always above us, and I never dared to think I could be this close to you.¡±Su Qingjun smiled gently. Her eyes were warm, but when her gaze swept over Yi Xin¡¯s pretty, youthful face, she saw a scar beside her rosy cheek, looking particrly abrupt and ring on such a youthful face.


    Her heart trembled for no reason. When she looked at Yi Xin again, her eyes carried a faint hint of pity. She wanted to ask about it, but quickly suppressed the thought.


    She smiled at Yi Xin, chatting as if she hadn¡¯t seen anything unusual, as if the scar never existed, and seemed even more intimate.


    As they neared the Herb Garden, a sudden chirping sound came from above. Both looked up in surprise. They saw a flock of eight or nine small birds pping their wings frantically, flying over their heads.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Yi Xin looked in the direction the birds flew, surprised, ¡°Why are these birds flying into the Herb Garden?¡±


    Su Qingjun also frowned, looking puzzled.


    The Xiangpu Garden, where medicinal herbs were nted, was filled with various spiritual herbs and materials, all of high value. Since spiritual herbs, rich in spiritual energy, were not only useful to human cultivators but also attracted some birds and beasts, Baicaotang built walls and fences around Xiangpu Garden and assigned guards to patrol and protect it from ground animals. As for flying birds, Baicaotang had also set up talisman arrays around the garden, emitting a repellent aura, so there were usually no birds around.


    But today, this flock of birds suddenly flying toward the Herb Garden was quite unusual.


    After pondering for a moment, Su Qingjun said uncertainly, ¡°Maybe the array around the Herb Garden is damaged and malfunctioned? But there are usually patrol disciples in the garden, so a few birds shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.¡±


    Yi Xin thought about it and nodded with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re right, Sister. Let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    Su Qingjun agreed, and they continued toward the Herb Garden.


    As they walked, Su Qingjun looked ahead and saw the sky was clear. The flock of birds seemed to fly quickly and soon disappeared, probably into the Herb Garden.


    From a distance, the Herb Garden seemed quiet and unchanged, but thinking about those birds, Su Qingjun suddenly felt a bit uneasy.


    What happened to those birds?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    In the Herb Garden, Lu Chen and He Changsheng stood facing each other. He Changsheng¡¯s face looked unhappy.


    ¡°Why?¡± He Changsheng asked in a low voice, frowning deeply. It was clear he was upset.


    Lu Chen looked at him for a while and said, ¡°Do you want to hear the truth?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You are nothing more than a menial disciple, with a family in decline. You¡¯ve sold all your family¡¯s property, and now, you have no support other than yourself. If you think you can rely on your own strength, even for your entire life, you won¡¯t leave much savings for your future children,¡± Lu Chen said calmly, not caring about the pale look on He Changsheng¡¯s face.


    ¡°You hope that one day, your He family descendants will prosper again. But even if your descendants are as persistent as you, have you considered that, with your status, it¡¯s impossible for your children to be epted into the Kunlun Sect on their own? They also have to pass the Mirror of Immortal Appraisal. So, even if you work diligently your whole life and save something for your children, one event could easily render all your efforts worthless.¡±


    ¡°What event?¡± He Changsheng couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Lu Chen sighed and said, ¡°What if, decadester, the Kunlun Sect suddenly raises the fee for participating in the Immortal Appraisal?¡±


    He Changsheng was shocked, his eyes wide, ¡°Impossible! The Kunlun Sect is a prestigious sect, they wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°What if?¡± Lu Chen interrupted him with a question.


    He Changsheng murmured, ¡°What if¡­¡±


    ¡°Among our batch of menial disciples this year, how many have bribed their way in? You can¡¯t be unaware of that. It¡¯s just a matter of a word. If someone really needs money and shamelessly does it, and it really happens, who are you going to reason with then?¡±


    He Changsheng was speechless, his face turning ashen.


    Lu Chen looked at him, extended his hand palm up, and said, ¡°Look, in this world, people are born different. Some people are born standing high, while others, like you¡­ and me¡­¡± He slowly, slowly turned his hand over and gently pressed it towards the ground.


    Watching that hand movement, He Changsheng¡¯s body seemed to tremble slightly, his eyes wide open but seemingly devoid of their previous brightness.


    Lu Chen pressed his hand very low and then said softly, ¡°Think about it yourself, what makes you think you can turn things around?¡±


    He Changsheng looked up at him and said, ¡°Are you saying that people like us will never move up a step in our lives? That our descendants will always be subordinate to others?¡±


    ¡°Bing an immortal and ascending to the Great Dao, all living beings have a chance at immortality. Aren¡¯t these the golden words passed down by our Daoist ancestors?¡± He looked somewhat agitated, even a bit angry.


    ¡°There is always a chance for immortality,¡± Lu Chen said. ¡°But how small is that hope? Among the hundreds of thousands in Kunlun Mountain, will it fall on you?¡±


    He Changsheng took a deep breath, his expression seeming to calm a bit, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why are you telling me all this?¡±


    Lu Chen looked at him and said, ¡°I just think you shouldn¡¯t pin your hopes on your future descendants. If there¡¯s an immortal fate, you can turn things around in this life. If not, struggling your whole life to pass it on to your descendants is also useless.¡±


    He Changsheng was silent for a long time and then said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    In the spiritual field, the man turned and picked up a hoe, looking like he was going to work diligently again. Lu Chen stood aside, watching him with interest, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, feeling down?¡±


    He Changsheng didn¡¯t raise his head, ¡°Yes, but no matter how down I am, I still have to work.¡±


    ¡°Not waiting for the immortal fate anymore?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am, why wouldn¡¯t I? Maybe one day, a pie will fall from the sky and hit me.¡±


    Lu Chenughed, ¡°If you have that kind of luck, why not see if you can make thunder strike on a sunny day?¡±


    He Changsheng looked up at the sky, and Lu Chen also looked up. The sky was blue and clear, with no sign of movement.


    After a moment, they both looked back at each other, and Lu Chen spread his hands.


    He Changsheng shook his head, ¡°Such a thing is too unreliable. It would never¡­ Ah!¡±


    Suddenly, he cried out, clutching his forehead. Something had fallen from the sky and hit him on the head.


    Lu Chen was also startled, and after a moment, he instinctively said, ¡°It can¡¯t be that coincidental¡­¡±


    After a moment, they both looked at the object that had fallen. It was a fluffy thing lying on the ground. Looking closely, it was a small bird.


    He Changsheng picked it up, held it in his palm, and looked at it for a moment. He said to Lu Chen, ¡°It¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°A dead bird?¡±


    Lu Chen also looked surprised. Just then, they heard a chirping sound again. They looked up and saw a flock of four or five birds flying hurriedly over their heads.


    ¡°Why are there birds here?¡± He Changsheng asked, puzzled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lu Chen was also puzzled. He looked at the dead bird in He Changsheng¡¯s hand, which seemed to be an ordinary sparrow, only half a palm in size. It was curled up, looking extremely frightened even in death.


    At that moment, Lu Chen also felt a hint of unease but couldn¡¯t pinpoint why. He didn¡¯t know that a simr feeling had stirred in Su Qingjun¡¯s heart at the entrance of the Herb Garden not long ago.


    He turned to look at the few small birds flying away, pping their wings frantically as if escaping for their lives, quickly disappearing into the distant forest.


    He thought silently for a while, then suddenly looked back. The Kunlun mountain range rose and fell in the distance, silent and towering like a giant, standing between heaven and earth.


    The mountains were deep, shrouded in mist.


    (I¡¯m d I kept writing, as my votes are in danger. I need your support! Thest three hours of double votes. I¡¯ve done my best this National Day.) (To be continued.)

 Chapter 120: The Laugh of Black Fire

    Chapter 120: The Laugh of ck Fire


    In the forest not far from Liuxiang Garden.


    The ck dog, Ah Tu, hid in the dense bushes, cautiously watching ahead through the gaps in the branches and leaves. Today, the green ox came here again, looking at Liuxiang Garden from a distance with a strange expression of longing and intoxication.


    These days, Ah Tu came here almost every day to wait. Then, it discovered that the green ox indeed did note here by chance. About every two or three days, the green ox woulde and stay for half a day, looking at the distant herb garden with a drooling expression, or perhaps indulging in the scent of the herbs.


    Ah Tu vaguely felt that the green ox was very interested in something in Liuxiang Garden, not just the scent of these spiritual herbs. However, even though its dog nose was also very sensitive, it still couldn¡¯t distinguish what special things were in the fragrant air.


    So it could only wait here. In fact, it wanted to go to the green ox¡¯s side, but itsst encounter on Doghead Mountain made it understand the gap between them, so it didn¡¯t dare to take the risk. However, Ah Tu was a smarter dog than it looked, even though its owner often called it ¡°stupid dog¡± or ¡°dumb dog.¡±


    Ah Tu thought the green ox was a very powerful beast and felt it would be safer to stay near it.


    So, Ah Tu decided to seize this opportunity.


    Gathering its courage, it took a step towards the green ox. The green ox didn¡¯t react. Ah Tu hesitated for a moment, then took a few more steps. Suddenly, the green ox raised its head sharply.


    Ah Tu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, almost kneeling down, but then it realized the green ox wasn¡¯t looking at it but was looking up at the sky.In the open forest, a few mountain sparrows flew overhead, pping their wings frantically. One of them, seemingly exhausted, was flying with difficulty,gging behind the others. In its panic, it couldn¡¯t dodge in time and crashed into a thick branch, causing a rustling noise. Then it fell from the sky with a ¡°thud,¡±nding precisely between the green ox¡¯s huge horns, then rolling down to the ground.


    Ah Tu watched the bird, seeing it twitch a few times on the ground before slowly bing still, curling up into a ball and falling silent.


    The green ox, as tall as a small mountain, slowly lowered its head to look at the small, lifeless body on the ground. Its giant eyes, like copper bells, glowed faintly, its thoughts unknown.


    After a while, it lowered its head closer to the sparrow¡¯s body and sniffed. It seemed startled, as if it had detected something.


    The green ox stood there for a moment, then let out a low call and turned to leave. It moved withrge strides, much faster than usual, disappearing into the forest in no time.


    Ah Tu wanted to follow, but after a few steps, it realized it couldn¡¯t catch up no matter what.


    Ah Tu stopped in a daze. After a while, it walked over to the dead sparrow, sniffing around for a long time but finding no clues, still looking puzzled.


    Ah Tu nced at the direction where the green ox had gone, hesitated for a while, then turned and walked down the mountain forest towards the house it shared with Lu Chen.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lu Chen returned at dusk.


    That day, he met Su Qingjun and Yi Xin in the ¡°Herb Garden.¡± To his surprise, these two women seemed to have be friends. However, they obviously didn¡¯t know about each other¡¯s rtionship with Lu Chen, so when they discovered they hade to the Herb Garden for the same reason, they were very surprised.


    One came to find someone, the other to see the spiritual nt Red Amber Ginseng. Although their purposes were slightly different, it was still an amazing coincidence. The two women, after their initial surprise, became happy, feeling a strange closeness between them, chatting more cheerfully and leaving Lu Chen aside.


    But Lu Chen wasn¡¯t really involved with them. He could be considered friends with Yi Xin, but not even friends with Su Qingjun, so he didn¡¯t find anything wrong with it. After some chatting, he returned home, and in the dim light, saw Ah Tu lying by the door. He greeted it, and Ah Tu came up affectionately.


    Everything seemed as usual.


    Before entering the house, Lu Chen looked at the evening glow in the sky, seeing the western sky lit up with a fiery red, as if the entire sky was burning.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Under the same sky, many others also saw the unusually beautiful evening glow.


    Su Qingjun stood in front of her master Mu Yuan¡¯s cave dwelling, gazing out.


    Yi Xin leaned against the window of her house on Shipan Mountain.


    On a high peak amidst the clouds, in an icy and snowy world, a girl as beautiful as an immortal also raised her head, the evening glow reflected in her eyes like burning mes, contrasting sharply with the whistling wind and snow behind her.


    And in Kunwu City, in a quiet alley, a fat man was drinking and smacking his lips, looking at the evening glow in the sky, and muttering, ¡°What a weird thing, really ugly¡­¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    After nightfall, the sky darkened, the darkness engulfing everything in the sky, covering the wildly burning clouds.


    After entering the house and closing the door, there was a feeling of being cut off from the outside world. Lu Chen lit an oilmp, and in the light, Ah Tu paced around the room.


    For some reason, Ah Tu seemed suddenly uneasy.


    Several times, Ah Tu went to the door, trying to nudge thetch, seemingly wanting to go out. Lu Chen called it back, saying, ¡°It¡¯s sote, don¡¯t go out and y.¡±


    Ah Tu looked back at him, hesitated, but not firmly certain about anything, so it returned andy down at Lu Chen¡¯s feet.


    Lu Chen smiled, patted its head, and said, ¡°It¡¯ste, let¡¯s sleep.¡±


    He extinguished themp andy down. After a moment, there was a movement beside him. Ah Tu had jumped up and snuggled close to him.


    Lu Chen reached out and held its body, cing his hand on Ah Tu¡¯s belly, feeling that Ah Tu was still somewhat anxious. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ah Tu barked softly a couple of times, seemingly nothing wrong, and theny quietly.


    In the darkness, there was no further movement.


    After a while, Lu Chen¡¯s breathing became long and steady, indicating he had fallen asleep. Meanwhile, two green light dots slowly lit up beside him, Ah Tu¡¯s eyes opening in the dark, staring into the deep darkness as if waiting for something.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    That night was originally very quiet.


    The vast Kunlun Mountains, endless peaks, bathed in the darkness of night, just like countless past days.


    The forest was silent, the mountain wind gentle. asionally, on the mountain paths deep in the night, a team of guarding disciples would pass by, the whole Kunlun Mountain looking like a quietly sleeping giant beast.


    Until a light suddenly appeared.


    It was in the deepest part of the Kunlun Mountains, in an area shrouded in clouds and mist, the first forbidden area where only the True Lords of the Kunlun Sect could enter. A light suddenly appeared.


    It pierced through the mist, broke through the clouds, and shot up into the sky.


    The clouds parted, and the sky seemed to have a wound, but quickly, the light faded away.


    In this entire process, the light seemed earth-shattering but was silent.


    Then, suddenly, everything in the Kunlun Mountains stopped. The sounds of the trees and wind, everything seemed frozen in that moment.


    In a small house, Lu Chen suddenly opened his eyes and sat up sharply.


    His eyes glowed in the dark, with mes burning deep in his pupils, ck mes!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A loud noise, like the sound of the world splitting open, came from deep within the earth. The entirend, the whole Kunlun Mountain range, began to tremble violently.


    A strong wind arose, the forest howled, everything started shaking wildly, all the houses were creaking, wave after wave of tremors swept from the depths of the earth, toppling everything in their path.


    Inside the small house, Ah Tu jumped up in panic, barking madly, but soon it fell silent, staring in terror at the man struggling on the bed.


    Lu Chen curled up, his hoarse voice desperately suppressing himself, but he couldn¡¯t control the agonizing criesing from his throat. Every corner, every piece of skin on his body suddenly ignited with ck mes.


    The mes danced wildly in the darkness, like a demon¡¯sugh, long-awaited, rampant and unrestrained, watching the man struggle in despair.


    His clothes remained unharmed, and bizarrely, this sudden ck fire didn¡¯t burn Lu Chen¡¯s flesh either. But the pain, deep to the bone, seemed to drag him back to hell.


    The ck fire burned, scorching his soul.


    In the endless pain, amidst the distant yet seemingly close barking of Ah Tu, Lu Chen suddenly felt something. He struggled to raise his head, at that moment his face also seemed to burn with ck mes.


    Following his gaze, all the ck mes seemed to sway towards the distance simultaneously, as if something in the deep nightmanded their reverence.


    Lu Chen held onto the bed, slowly stood up, ck mes dancing and burning on his body, yet he gradually calmed down.


    He looked down at his unscathed skin under the ck mes, then looked far away, towards the depths of the Kunlun Mountains.


    After a moment, he suddenly smiled.


    In the ck mes, his smile appeared painful and hideous.


    (The battlest night was quite intense. Thanks to ¡°Xiao Yi!!¡± for the gold and silver support, also thanks to ¡°Qiu Huaihan Meng¡± and ¡°Oreo¡¯s Dad¡± for their support, and especially to every reader who quietly supported Tian Yingst night. I¡¯m not one for many words, but thank you to all my lovely readers. I¡¯ll keep writing, hoping to satisfy everyone. Alright, let¡¯s continue asking for monthly votes.) (To be continued.)

 Chapter 121: Dazzling Sky Light

    Chapter 121: Dazzling Sky Light


    It was the hour of the ox(1-3am) during the night, and Kunlun Mountain experienced a massive quake. A sound like muffled thunder emerged from underground, the wind and clouds changed color, stars misaligned, mountains cracked, and rivers boiled. Shortly, the tremors spread outside the mountain, shaking Kunwu City as if hit by giant waves. Countless pavilions and towers toppled, and the city was in an uproar. People, in their panic, rushed into the streets, some even half-naked, looking extremely embarrassed. The casualties were numerous and uncountable.


    By daybreak, the Kunlun sect dispatched many disciples down the mountain to help in the disaster relief, saving lives and providing assistance. Gradually, the panic subsided, and a semnce of calm returned.


    Leaving aside the chaos in the city below, within Kunlun Mountain, aftershocks continued throughout the night, with the ground shaking nearly ten more times before finally settling at dawn. Under the morning light, the majestic mountains remained, but many ces showed signs of severe damage from the previous night¡¯s quake, instilling fear in people.


    Fortunately, the Kunlun sect, renowned for its cultivation expertise, had many highly skilled disciples. The sect leader, Master Xianyue, efficiently directed the efforts to stabilize the situation. By midday, the Kunlun sect had regained order.


    After handling the various matters, Master Xianyue, known for his astuteness and capability, managed the crisis adeptly despite its suddenness. At this moment, he was in the ¡°Zhengyang Hall¡± on Kunlun¡¯s main peak, ¡°Tian Kun Peak,¡± giving instructions to his disciples. Over ten groups came and went, with no orders repeated.


    After thest group left, Master Xianyue heaved a sigh of relief, took a sip of spiritual tea from the table, and gazed at the tea leaves in the cup. They were delicate and intricately shaped, resembling auspicious beasts or celestial cranes, floating and sinking in the water as if they were dancing gracefully. The tea was fragrant and mellow, known as ¡°Little Crane¡± from the Yi family in Kunwu City.


    Master Xianyue stared at the tea for a moment, then put the cup aside, his expression still not rxed, likely reflecting his anxiety about the previous night¡¯s earthquake.


    At that moment, he heard footsteps approaching from the back of the hall. Soon, a figure appeared¡ªit was his fellow disciple, Zhuo Xian.


    Master Xianyue was a bit surprised and asked, ¡°Junior Brother, why are you here?¡±Zhuo Xian saluted him, but his expression was serious. He stepped aside to reveal a petite figure behind him¡ªa beautiful and ethereal girl named Bailian.


    At this moment, Bailian¡¯s expression was cold as she held an ancient jade te about a foot in diameter, with a pure white center and a border with faintly glowing mystical runes. It seemed to emanate a mysterious power.


    ¡°Fengyu te!¡±


    Master Xianyue was startled and quickly walked over to Bailian, bowing respectfully before her.


    Despite the high status of a sect leader in Kunlun, Bailian did not move aside or speak, standing expressionlessly while Zhuo Xian remained unmoved.


    After a moment, the jade te in Bailian¡¯s arms glowed brightly, and the runes lit up, gathering pure white light to form a screen. A sharp wind and snow sound suddenly emanated from the Fengyu te.


    The light screen trembled and gradually cleared, revealing a scene of a raging snowstorm with nothing else visible.


    Master Xianyue and Zhuo Xian stood together and respectfully said, ¡°Greetings, Master.¡±


    ¡°At ease¡­¡± A deep, aged voice came from the snowy depths of the jade te, as if it was both close and infinitely distant.


    Master Xianyue straightened up, smiling at the girl.


    Only then did Bailian show a slight expression, bowing her head and softly saying, ¡°Sect Leader Brother, Bailian was impolite.¡±


    ¡°No matter,¡± Master Xianyue replied kindly, then turned to the Fengyu te and respectfully asked, ¡°Master, you suddenly appeared through the treasured te; is there something important to instruct?¡±


    The mystical light in the ancient Fengyu te flickered, and the snowstorm intensified. The aged voice spoke again, ¡°After the great quake, is everything settled within the sect?¡±


    Master Xianyue replied, ¡°All matters have been handled. The people, both on and off the mountain, are not in chaos. Rescue and restoration efforts have begun. Please rest assured, Master.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    After a brief pause, Master Xianyue looked at the Fengyu te and tentatively asked, ¡°Master, I felt that the great quake seemed to originate from the heavens and the underground, and the initial strange light also came from there. Is there any damage in the forbidden area?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    Master Xianyue¡¯s gaze lowered slightly. ¡°Understood, Master.¡±


    A sudden gust seemed to blow through the Fengyu te, shaking the light screen. Though it didn¡¯t pass beyond the screen, its lifelike appearance sent a chill through the heart. The aged voice spoke once more from the snowstorm, ¡°Xianyue, immediately write a letter and send it to the Immortal City.¡±


    Master Xianyue¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Master, are you asking Uncle Tian to¡­¡±


    ¡°Have Junior Brother Tian return to the mountain to see me immediately.¡±


    The voice, sharp as ripping silk, mixed with the fierce wind and snow, instantly filled the vast hall with a chilling atmosphere.


    Master Xianyue immediately responded, ¡°Yes, I will follow yourmand.¡±


    On the Fengyu te, the fierce wind and snow continued to blow, but the sounds gradually diminished, and the images slowly faded until they disappeared.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lu Chen hadn¡¯t slept all night.


    When Kunlun Mountain quaked and the earth shook, he remained quietly in his room, gazing into the deep darkness of the distant horizon.


    The sudden ck fire reignited, burning on his flesh, but this time it was different from the ck me curse that had gued him for the past ten years. Though the pain was still indescribable and seemed toe from deep within his soul, his body remained unharmed.


    The ck fire danced wildly on his body like a lingering demon but ultimately could no longer harm him. Lu Chen quietly waited. As the sky began to brighten and the earthquakepletely ceased, the ck mes on his body also gradually subsided.


    He stood there in the midst of the ck fire, then slowly raised his right hand.


    The ck mes receded like a retreating tide, from his head to his feet, from his chest to his back, gathering in waves before converging into a silent stream of fire that finally flowed into the palm of his right hand.


    The ck fire formed a small me, burning silently in Lu Chen¡¯s palm.


    Lu Chen stared at the ck me in his palm for a long time without speaking. Deep in his eyes, there seemed to be a light that resonated with the ck fire. At the same time, he could clearly feel that in his dantian, the previously crude Five Elements Divine te had somehow flipped over again, revealing a deep, dark side like an endless night.


    The ck divine te.


    But the small ck me was no longer there.


    Lu Chen quietly looked at the ck fire in his palm, then slowly clenched his fingers into a fist. In the next moment, as he suddenly clenched his fist, there was a sound like thunder, and several barely visible ripples appeared around his body, trembling violently like threads in a storm, drawing strange lines and patterns in the air.


    ¡°Snap, snap, snap¡­¡±


    A series of crisp sounds came from his surroundings and beneath his feet. Lu Chen looked down to see cracks suddenly appearing in the ground at his feet. Not far from him, half of a nearby stool silently turned to powder and scattered on the ground.


    A momentter, the remaining half of the stool fell with a dull thud.


    Lu Chen stood in ce for a long time, then slowly opened his hand again. The ck mes had disappeared. After a moment, he looked at his abdomen, beneath the flesh, in his dantian, where the mysterious ck divine te had a small ck me burning quietly in the deep darkness.


    Then, as if the night was passing and the daylight returning, as if the sun and moon and stars were rotating, his Five Elements Divine te slowly turned.


    The darkness gradually receded, and light slowly returned. In the glow, the ck side flipped over, revealing the familiar Divine te.


    Thus, he became the ordinary Lu Chen once again, the insignificant disciple akin to an ant.


    Lu Chen looked up at the brightening sky, seeing the towering Kunlun Mountains in the distance, seemingly unaffected by the previous night¡¯s earthquake, standing tall like giants in the human world.


    Darkness belongs to the night; after daylightes, it leaves no trace.


    He took a long breath and turned around, just about to call out when he suddenly realized he didn¡¯t see Ah Tu.


    Lu Chen instinctively looked at the door, which was still closed. Although the house was damaged from the earthquake, with several cracks in the walls, it hadn¡¯t copsed and remained mostly intact.


    Lu Chen frowned, calling Ah Tu¡¯s name a few times, but got no response. Growing more puzzled, he searched the room and finally found a small hole in a remote corner at the back of the house, seemingly justrge enough for Ah Tu to squeeze through.


    Had the dog managed to escape through here?


    In this chaos, with everything in disarray, where could that silly dog have gone?


    Lu Chen stared speechlessly at the hole in the wall, stood in silence for a moment, then walked to the door, opened it, and stepped outside.


    Suddenly, the daylight poured in, bright and dazzling. Lu Chen squinted slightly and thought to himself: Isn¡¯t this daylight the same as usual? Why does it seem so ring today? (To be continued.)


    The ¡°hour of the ox¡± refers to a specific time period in traditional Chinese timekeeping, which is between 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM.

 Chapter 122: Fatten Before Eating

    Chapter 122: Fatten Before Eating


    After the great earthquake on Kunlun Mountain, the mountain and the surrounding areas were in a state of disarray. Despite the swift and effectivemand of Sect Leader Xianyue, and the excellent capabilities of the esteemed Kunlun disciples, the situation was quickly stabilized. Rescue operations, repairs, and various other tasks were promptly organized without causing panic among the people.


    However, the earthquake had a significant impact, causing walls and buildings to copse in many ces. While the Kunlun Sect itself did not suffer as much damage as Kunwu City below, the fact that the earthquake¡¯s epicenter was deep within the mountain range caused major disruptions. Mountains shifted, rivers changed their courses, leading to many troublesome consequences.


    One of the most severely affected areas was Liuxiangpu, the most important medicinal herb garden under the Baicao Hall of the Kunlun Sect.


    What was once a t expanse of the medicinal garden now featured numerousrge cracks in the ground, along with bizarrely shaped mounds of dirt and rocks scattered everywhere. These were the results of the earth being twisted andpressed by immense forces duringst night¡¯s disaster.


    In the face of such a natural cmity, countless precious medicinal herbs and rare spiritual nts in Liuxiangpu suffered greatly. Large swathes of valuable herb gardens were directly destroyed. Many spiritual herbs were either broken or damaged, had their fruits and leaves scattered, or were buried under overturned rocks and soil. The unluckiest ones were those growing right above the deep, bottomless cracks, vanishing entirely after the disaster, with no trace of their whereabouts.


    Currently, the Kunlun Sect was busy with various tasks. Other halls had their own troubles and couldn¡¯t spare resources for Liuxiangpu. The Baicao Hall, with its extensive foundation, was also short-handed and could only prioritize rescuing the most precious and rare herbs deep within Liuxiangpu. The outer areas had to be temporarily neglected.


    At dawn, the ck dog Ah Tu arrived at the outskirts of the Liuxiangpu garden. Compared to normal times, this usually well-guarded ce looked quite battered. Although the high walls and fences were notpletely down, they were full of copses and cracks, rendering them practically useless.


    Peeking through the cracks, the inside of the garden looked deste, with overturned soil and fallen nts, resembling a wild field. There were hardly any people in sight.


    Ah Tu peered around for a while, then nced back at the distant mountain forest. Usually, the blue ox would often hide there, secretly watching Liuxiangpu, making strange movements and expressions.After pondering for a moment, Ah Tu sneaked into the garden through one of the cracks.


    Upon entering the garden, the scent of medicinal herbs in the air suddenly became much stronger, even more intense than usual. This was likely due to the scatteredst breaths of the broken spiritual herbs and trees.


    The scene was quite tragic.


    Ah Tu carefully surveyed the surroundings and, after confirming that no one was nearby, began sniffing around as if searching for something.


    In a medicinal herb garden like Liuxiangpu, the most abundant thing, of course, was spiritual herbs.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Ah Tu to find some of these precious herbs, although most were buried in the soil or were broken and wilted. Ah Tu examined them but seemed dissatisfied and continued moving forward.


    The garden was quiet, but as time passed, birds asionally flew in from the surrounding forests, feasting on the spiritual herbs they had longed for. It seemed that for the birds and animals on Kunlun Mountain, this earthquake was not such a bad event.


    Ah Tu nced at some birds pecking at broken spiritual herbs nearby, showing a hint of disdain, then barked at them. The birds flew up in fright but soon returned to continue their feast.


    Satisfied, Ah Tu turned and walked deeper into the garden.


    As he walked, the fragrant scent in the air grew stronger. Sensing something, Ah Tu seemed excited, looking around and even starting to trot. Soon, a small mound formed by the earthquake appeared before him. With a leap, Ah Tu found himself on top of the mound, suddenly seeing a rare, undamaged t area below. Lush green grass grew there, particrly in the center of this small grassy patch, where a unique spiritual herb stood. Its stem and leaves were emerald green, with red branches at the top, bearing nine translucent fruits that were red tinged with purple. The rich fragrance emanated from this herb.


    Ah Tu¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    By the afternoon, around the hour of Shen (3-5 PM), the situation on Kunlun Mountain hadrgely stabilized. Baicao Hall also began to deploy personnel, including many misceneous disciples, to Liuxiangpu to start rescuing the spiritual herbs.


    Of course, Lu Chen was among the crowd. As he followed the stream of people to the herb garden and saw the devastation, he couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. Thinking about the value of the damaged spiritual herbs and materials, he thought to himself that this time, the Baicao Hall was going to suffer a significant loss.


    The person sent tomand the disaster relief was a Jindan stage cultivator from Baicao Hall, named Lin Sheng. He appeared to be a middle-aged man in his early forties.


    This person was highly capable, and hismands were orderly. He quickly organized the situation, instructing all the misceneous disciples responsible for nurturing the spiritual fields to inspect the damage to the spiritual herbs. If they could be saved, they should be saved; if not, they were to report the situation. The other disciples in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages were to prioritize repairing the formations around the area, mending high walls and fences, and driving away the birds and beasts still stealing spiritual materials from the fields to minimize losses.


    With everyone assigned tasks, Lu Chen also headed to his own spiritual field, wondering if the red amber ginseng had survived. If it hadn¡¯t, Su Qingjun, who valued this spiritual herb highly, would surely be very upset.


    After hurrying along, navigating around many crooked field ridges and newly formed pits and mounds, Lu Chen finally arrived at his spiritual field. At first nce, he saw that the terrain was t, and the numerous ginseng nts were lush and green, which made him happy.


    But then his expression changed as he noticed something in the center of the field. He quickly stepped over, only to see arge pit where the red amber ginseng had been nted, and the ginseng was nowhere to be found!


    ¡°This¡­¡± Lu Chen was momentarily speechless. Then he frowned and squatted by the pit. He first looked at the ck soil inside, which was fresh and moist, indicating that it had been dug up not long ago. In the soil, there were still many white fine roots, the underground roots of the red amber ginseng, many of which had been torn off. White milky sap was still slowly seeping from these roots, emitting a peculiar smell.


    ¡°It was stolen,¡± Lu Chen muttered to himself. His gaze then shifted around the area, and with little effort, he found some suspicious traces on the nearby grass.


    These were footprints with ck soil on them, not very obvious, but upon closer inspection, they showed a direction leading out of the Lingxiang Herb Garden toward a forested mountain.


    Lu Chen took a few steps around, his gaze finallynding on the clearest footprints at the edge of the pit. Judging by their shape, depth, and size, he noticed that one of the four footprints seemed different, lighter and shallower, appearing somewhat odd, as if¡­ someone with a limp had been walking?


    Lu Chen¡¯s expression turned a bit peculiar.


    He stood up, looked around, and seeing no one was paying attention, he looked back at the footprints left by the thief. The more he looked, the more he shook his head, cursing under his breath, ¡°Idiot, should have just killed and eaten you back then!¡±


    With a cold snort, Lu Chen looked rather annoyed. He turned to leave but then suddenly muttered something to himself, turned back, and walked to the pit. He kicked some dirt over, covering most of the traces in the pit.


    Then, he followed the ck soil footprints, discreetly stepping around them, spreading the ck soil everywhere, thus covering the strange footprints.


    Having done all this, Lu Chen shook his head and walked toward the front of the herb garden, ready to report the loss, muttering to himself in a low voice that only he could hear.


    ¡°Hmm, fatten it up and eat itter! Fatten it up and eat itter¡­¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Crossing mountains and rivers, through forests and streams, a ck shadow joyfully ran through the Kunlun Mountains after the great quake.


    Ah Tu held arge ginseng in its mouth, its roots still clinging to dirt, and the top still bearing nine red ginseng fruits, fluttering in the mountain wind like a victory g.


    It ran with gusto, its dog eyes bright and full of hope for its future ¡°dog life.¡±


    Running and running, it saw Dog Head Mountain and approached this strange peak once inhabited by countless celestial birds and beasts.


    Strangely, all the animals were gone that day. Dog Head Mountain looked deste, and Ah Tu, puzzled, stopped and nced around, confirming that all the celestial birds and beasts had indeed left. Only arge figure remained on the high peak, lying quietly as if asleep.


    Ah Tu was excited, striding towards the mountain. Its slightlyme hind leg made its run seemborious and somewhatical, but it didn¡¯t care, running all the way up Dog Head Mountain.


    The green oxy there, eyes half-closed,pletely indifferent to Ah Tu¡¯s arrival, seemingly still asleep.


    Ah Tu cautiously approached, then gently ced therge ginseng in front of the ox¡¯s head, stepped back, and wagged its tail.


    ¡°Woof! Woof woof!¡±


    Ah Tu barked at the green ox a few times. (To be continued.)

 Chapter 123: Stashing the Stolen Goods in a Tree Hollow

    Chapter 123: Stashing the Stolen Goods in a Tree Hollow


    Lu Chen saw Su Qingjun at the entrance of the herb garden that day. She was wearing a green dress with a long sword on her back, looking young and beautiful like a blooming flower in the deep mountains, drawing everyone¡¯s eyes to her.


    Even after the disaster, as people busily went about their tasks, many young male disciples couldn¡¯t help but steal nces at her as she stood beside Lin Sheng. Every misceneous servant disciple who hurried over to report their losses wished they could stay a little longer in front of her, just to be a bit closer to her.


    But at a time when everyone had something to do and was busy, Su Qingjun stood quietly alone, neither speaking nor working, which seemed strange. Yet, it seemed perfectly natural to everyone passing by, and no one questioned it. Perhaps no one wanted to make a fuss, or maybe most people felt that a young and beautiful woman naturally had special privileges.


    When it was Lu Chen¡¯s turn, he walked up to Lin Sheng, softly reported his name and the location of his spiritual field. Su Qingjun, standing aside, looked over at Lu Chen for the first time.


    Lin Sheng nced at the scroll in his hand, nodded, and asked, ¡°You were growing Red Amber Ginseng there. How is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± Lu Chen replied honestly.


    ¡°Gone?¡± Lin Sheng frowned, and Su Qingjun¡¯s face also darkened.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s gone,¡± Lu Chen repeated. ¡°When I went to check, the spiritual field was undamaged, but the Red Amber Ginseng had disappeared, leaving only a dug-up pit.¡±


    Lu Chen paused, seeming to ponder for a moment, then added, ¡°There were some unclear wild animal footprints in the field. Maybe the beasts sneaked in after the earthquake damaged the surrounding high walls and defensive formations and dug it up.¡±Lin Sheng snorted, looking displeased. He took up a brush and made a stroke on the scroll, which Lu Chen saw clearly, erasing the entry for Red Amber Ginseng.


    Lu Chen understood the meaning of this action, but he also noticed that there were already five or six simr marks on the scroll. He couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°So many have been stolen?¡±


    Lin Sheng hesitated, perhaps remembering the vast difference in status between himself and this insignificant servant disciple, and decided it wasn¡¯t worth exining. He just waved his hand and said, ¡°Go help with repairing the high wall. Make sure it¡¯s done before dark.¡±


    Lu Chen agreed, turned to leave, but stopped and nced at Su Qingjun as he passed by her.


    He shrugged, spread his hands, and showed a helpless smile.


    Though Su Qingjun seemed unhappy, she didn¡¯t direct her anger at Lu Chen. She merely nodded at him without speaking, then turned and walked away after a moment of silence.


    Lu Chen watched her graceful figure as she walked away, shook his head, and then went to the high wall at the edge of the herb garden to help with repairs. As he picked up bricks, he muttered to himself, ¡°Being young and pretty sure has its perks; no need to carry bricks.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    After dark, everyone went home, like birds returning to their nests. The power of discipline was evident in the Kunlun Sect, a renowned establishment for five thousand years. Even a sudden earthquake couldn¡¯t alter the ancient rules passed down through the ages.


    A shadowy figure crept out of the night, limping but moving swiftly. It ran to Lu Chen¡¯s house, sniffed at the door, found light inside but no one opening the door, and then moved to the back of the house. Sure enough, the little dog hole was still there, as everyone had been too busy to repair it.


    The shadow was delighted and squeezed through the hole.


    But before it could rx, it felt a sudden rush of wind around it, and then darkness enveloped it as a sack-like object covered its head and body. It was lifted off the ground, and a voice cursed, ¡°Daring toe back, today I¡¯ll make dog stew!¡±


    ¡°Woof, woof, woof¡­¡± The sack echoed with a series of mournful barks. The ck dog inside seemed very angry and upset.


    Unmoved, Lu Chenughed as he threw the sack on the ground and stomped on it twice, saying, ¡°You¡¯re getting bold, learning to steal now.¡±


    The sack writhed and rolled, and after a long while, Ah Tu managed to struggle out of it. The ck dog barked happily, shook itself vigorously, sending a cloud of dust into the air.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey,¡± Lu Chen waved at the dust, annoyed. ¡°Stop shaking. Where have you been? You¡¯re covered in dirt.¡±


    Ah Tu barked again.


    Lu Chen looked at it, suddenly smiled, bent down swiftly, grabbed Ah Tu by the neck, and lifted it. The dog struggled and barked, showing its sharp teeth to intimidate, but Lu Chen said, ¡°Show your teeth again, and I¡¯ll stew you for dinner.¡±


    Ah Tu immediately shut its mouth tightly, with no gap visible, let alone its sharp teeth.


    Lu Chen snorted, sat on the bed, holding the dog¡¯s head, stared into its eyes, and said, ¡°Tell me, how much did you steal from the herb garden?¡±


    Ah Tu shook its head vigorously, looking resolute and righteous!


    ¡°Where did I put the stew pot?¡±


    ¡°Woof!¡±


    Ah Tu immediately jumped off the bed, wagged its tail at Lu Chen, and pointed with its paw under the table.


    ¡°Mm?¡± Lu Chen looked at the ck dog suspiciously, walked over, and pushed the table aside. Upon closer inspection, he indeed found a patch of dirt beneath the table that looked different from the surrounding area.


    Lu Chen nced at Ah Tu, who was squatting next to him, tongue out and tail wagging, its eyes sparkling.


    After thinking for a moment, Lu Chen flipped his hand, and a ck short sword appeared. Without worrying about the sword getting dirty, he directly stabbed it into the ground. Dirt flew, and soon, he had dug a small pit. In the soil, he found a flower stem with a dark yellow flower.


    As soon as he took out this strange dark yellow flower, an unusual smell spread out, a scent that was difficult to describe, neither fragrant nor foul.


    Lu Chen stared at it for a moment, then snorted, ¡°A ¡®Youquan Sunflower,¡¯ you have a good eye. It won¡¯t kill you!¡± He then red at Ah Tu and asked, ¡°Is there more?¡±


    Ah Tu shook its head like a rattle.


    ¡°My pot¡­¡±


    ¡°Woof!¡± Ah Tu stretched out a paw and pointed under the bed.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    After a busy period of ttering noises, small pits were everywhere in the little house. Finally, on the table, there were six kinds of spiritual herbs lying quietly under the dim candlelight.


    ¡°Sit!¡± Lu Chen, sitting by the table, sternly ordered Ah Tu, who obediently ran over and squatted by his feet, rubbing its head against Lu Chen¡¯s leg.


    Lu Chen remained unmoved, his expression cold. He pointed at Ah Tu and said, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ve done today?¡±


    ¡°Woof¡­¡± Ah Tu¡¯s ears perked up, its head tilted in confusion.


    ¡°Embezzlement, stealing public property!¡± Lu Chen looked at the ck dog with disdain. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a shameless dog.¡±


    ¡°Woof¡­¡± Ah Tu barked again.


    Lu Chen snorted, his expression softening slightly, and he lowered his voice, ¡°Listen, this is Kunlun Mountain. If anyone finds out you stole spiritual herbs, it will be a dead end for you. I won¡¯t be able to save you. Do you understand?¡±


    Ah Tu shrank its head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it again!¡± Lu Chen frowned, his eyes stern.


    Ah Tu hesitated for a moment, then nodded and gently rubbed its head against Lu Chen¡¯s knee.


    Lu Chen turned his gaze to the valuable spiritual herbs on the table, most of them at least two-striped, with even a three-striped rare herb among them. He frowned and muttered, ¡°What to do with these herbs¡­¡±


    Ah Tu leaped towards the door, half-standing to fiddle with thetch, seemingly intending to turn in the stolen goods. At the same time, it heard Lu Chen¡¯stter half of the sentence:


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not safe to hide them in this house.¡±


    Ah Tu froze, then nonchntly returned to Lu Chen, wagging its tail, its eyes gleaming with an understanding that seemed to say, ¡°Great minds think alike!¡±


    Lu Chen pondered for a while, muttering to himself, ¡°I should store them there. If someone finds these herbs here, it¡¯ll be trouble.¡±


    Having decided, he grabbed the sack from the ground, swept all the herbs from the table into it, and Ah Tu followed him, putting its front paws on the table and watching eagerly. Lu Chen nced at it and asked, ¡°You want to go too?¡±


    ¡°Woof!¡±


    ¡°Alright,e here.¡± Lu Chen beckoned.


    Ah Tu happily jumped onto Lu Chen, who smiled, grabbed the sack, and pressed his hand to his chest. In that instant, the world spun, and light and shadows blurred. Momentster, they found themselves in the mysterious and ancient tree hollow.


    Lu Chen stood up, emptied the sack of herbs, and identified each one. Most he set aside after a nce, but he paused when he reached thest one, a spiritual herb as thick as a baby¡¯s arm, white and tender, shaped like a lotus root.


    ¡°ck Mud Lotus¡­¡± Lu Chen muttered, shaking his head. ¡°This thing can¡¯t live without water. It¡¯ll wither and lose its spiritual energy quickly.¡± He nced at Ah Tu and said irritably, ¡°The pond where this was growing wasn¡¯t shallow. How did you even dig this up?¡±


    Ignoring Ah Tu¡¯s reaction, Lu Chen thought for a moment, hesitated, but ultimately took the ck Mud Lotus to the water pool at the center of the tree hollow.


    As the ck Mud Lotus silently sank into the water, ripples spread, distorting Lu Chen¡¯s reflection. Deep in the water, the ck me flickered slightly.


    Momentster, the ck Mud Lotus settled near the ck me at the bottom of the pool.


    The ripples gradually subsided, and peace returned.

 Chapter 124: Beneath the Mist

    Chapter 124: Beneath the Mist


    The aftermath of the Kunlun Mountain earthquake was handled very effectively. Both the upper and lower parts of the mountain quickly settled down. After the initial rescue and relief efforts, the remaining task was to assess the damage and make repairs.


    The<strong> Hundred Herbs Hall</strong> was one of the most affected halls in the Kunlun Sect. Among them, the Liuxiang Garden, which cultivated many precious spirit herbs and materials in the open, suffered the most damage. In the face of such a natural disaster, the delicate spirit herbs were particrly vulnerable and could not withstand the destructive force.


    The exact extent of the losses was certainly substantial, but as a misceneous disciple, Lu Chen was not qualified to know the specifics. However, just by observing the tense and grim faces of the senior figures from the Hundred Herbs Hall who passed through the Liuxiang Garden these days, one could infer the severity of the situation.


    Thus, all the Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation disciples in the Hundred Herbs Hall had been very subduedtely. Each one adhered strictly to the rules, fearful of crossing paths with the senior figures. On the other hand, the misceneous disciples found themselves somewhat more rxed. Many had nothing to do due to the destroyed garden, and the usual minor supervisors had been summoned for reprimands, leaving them less supervised.


    Lu Chen found this period quite pleasant.


    He got up early, went out with A-Tu, who yed by himself all day, and then went to check in at the Liuxiang Garden. After that, there was not much else to do.


    In a sect known for exploiting and overworking its misceneous disciples, such leisurely days were rare.


    Lu Chen was in a good mood, wandering around freely since there were no supervisors around. He greeted people and chatted as he walked until he passed by He Changsheng¡¯s spirit field and saw He Changsheng sitting in the field, looking dejected.


    Lu Chen went over, greeted him, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look downcast.¡±He Changsheng sighed and said, ¡°The Stone Lily I nted is gone.¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback. He knew a bit about the Stone Lily, a two-patterned spirit herb with significant medicinal properties used in the preparation of several elixirs. Its most notable feature was its stunningly beautiful flowers. He couldn¡¯t recall its impressive-sounding foreign name, but it was known by a very down-to-earth name in the central part of the cultivation world.


    Lu Chen smiled and patted He Changsheng on the shoulder. ¡°I thought it was something serious. It¡¯s a natural disaster this time; it¡¯s not your fault. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s a good chance to rest for a few days. The Hundred Herbs Hall will definitely arrange new spirit nts for us soon. We just need to cultivate them diligently.¡±


    He Changsheng forced a smile and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. I had grown the Stone Lily really well. It was almost time for harvest, and I was expecting a significant reward. Now it¡¯s all gone.¡±


    He sighed deeply, his face showing a sense of destion. ¡°I just wanted to work hard and restore my family¡¯s reputation bit by bit. Why is it so difficult? Even heaven seems to be against me.¡±


    Lu Chen was momentarily at a loss for words. Seeing He Changsheng¡¯s distressed and frustrated appearance, he could only offer a few more words offort and then left.


    After he had walked quite a distance, he nced back and saw the ordinary figure still sitting with his head down in the spirit field. It seemed as if an invisible, heavy burden was pressing down on He Changsheng¡¯s shoulders, making it hard for him to stand upright.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Days continued to pass. Despite the terror of the natural disaster, human strength proved to be resilient and powerful. The rules and daily life were quickly returning to normal. The Hundred Herbs Hall soon sent people to clean up and repair the damaged spirit fields. New spirit nt seeds and saplings were provided, and the leisurely days of the misceneous disciples came to an end.


    asionally, when looking at the distant mountains, the majestic Kunlun range, with its clouds and mist perpetually shrouding the depths of the mountains, one could asionally catch a glimpse of the four magnificent peaks hanging high in the sky on clear days. This was the greatest aspiration and dream for those working in the mountains.


    It was surely a fairnd.


    It must be the most beautiful ce in the world.


    In the early morning, the clouds and mist emitted a celestial aura. At night, the mist still lingered, making the area known as the Celestial Dome Clouds seem eternally mysterious and beautiful.


    After midnight, Kunlun Mountain was under curfew. No one was outside except for asional patrols of night-shift guards on the mountain paths. Even the guards avoided the deepest parts of Kunlun Mountain¡¯s mist, which was the most strictly regted forbidden area in the entire Kunlun Sect.


    If the four floating peaks above the Celestial Dome Clouds were essible to Nascent Soul Realm cultivators except for two upied by the Divine Transformation True Lords, the area beneath the Celestial Dome Clouds, shrouded in thick mist year-round, was off-limits even to Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.


    This rule was unknown to ordinary people and not spoken of by high-level cultivators. It had silently existed in the Kunlun Sect for thousands of years.


    On this particr night, with the moon bright and the stars sparse, the round moon cast its pale light over the majestic Kunlun Mountains, illuminating the towering peaks but failing to prate the dense mist.


    The four peaks, suspended above the mist and separated by thousands of feet, formed a rare and spectacr scene.


    Under the moonlight, the mist slowly undted like a mysterious, tranquil sea. No one knew what secretsy hidden beneath this deep sea.


    A figure suddenly flew across the sky like a lone swan, gracefully descending into the mist. As it reached the edge of the mist, the figure paused and hovered in the air.


    Under the moonlight, the fierce gale at high altitudes whipped around his clothes, revealing his unusuallyrge and stout figure, as well as a shiny bald head that seemed to reflect the bright moonlight.


    Lord Tian looked up at the beautiful, bright moon with deep, calm eyes that betrayed no emotion. His gaze shifted slightly, focusing on a particr area among the towering, majestic shadows of the four peaks in the sky.


    That was the Winter Peak, a world of wind and snow, perpetually cold.


    His gaze seemed to pierce through all the darkness of the world, pastyers of obstructions, seeing the summit of the Winter Peak far above, surrounded by countless storms and snow. At that moment, the stormy, icyndscape seemed to be reflected in his eyes, wild and fierce.


    Momentster, his enormous body suddenly began to sink, plunging into the depths of the mist.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    As soon as he entered the thick mist, a chill surrounded him, as if it could instantly freeze an ordinary person¡¯s blood. However, Lord Tian seemed oblivious to this, continuing his descent.


    Suddenly, thunder rumbled through the mist, and eerie bolts of lightning shed from all directions. But as they approached Lord Tian, they twisted into grotesque shapes in mid-air and then silently disappeared into the mist.


    Following this, various prohibitions roared to life like demons, surging towards him like a tidal wave. The mist churned with greenish energy, as if it were malevolent spirits seeking to devour him. Eventually, even tangible-looking evil spirits lunged at him.


    Yet none of this seemed to affect Lord Tian. He didn¡¯t even nce at them, silently descending with an expressionless face. Nothing could obstruct him.


    As a result, all obstacles disintegrated into nothingness, leaving behind only the angry, unwilling roars that quickly melted into the deep, ocean-like mist.


    The mist was profound, its extent unknown. But to Lord Tian, everything appeared as mere illusions.


    After about half a cup of tea¡¯s worth of time, the mist before Lord Tian¡¯s eyes began to clear slightly, revealing solid ground within a deep valley. There was a ck circr disk about a few feet in diameter embedded in the ground.


    The ck disk was neither iron nor stone nor jade, and its material was uncertain. It was covered with various strange symbols, intricate and twisted, yet hinting at an ancient, deste aura, as if it were a very old artifact.


    On this ck disk, deep in the mist, a figure sat alone and quietly.


    Lord Tian descended slowly, directly across from that person.


    The world beneath the mist was unusually quiet, seemingly isted from the outside world. Here, even the usual mountain wind was absent. Not far from the ck disk, the mist was dense and almost tangible.


    Lord Tian¡¯s sleeves fluttered as he sat down slowly, then looked up at the person opposite him.


    In the dim light of this deste world, the person facing him appeared extraordinarily old and withered. Their face and body seemed to have lost all vitality, with deeply etched wrinkles and cracked skin. Even their breathing soundedbored.


    It was an elderly man, very old.


    His stature seemed to be less than half of Lord Tian¡¯srge frame. He looked like he was at the end of his life, about to run out of strength, much like ast, withered leaf in the harsh winter winds and snow.


    Lord Tian gazed at the withered old man in silence, his eyes reflecting a flicker ofplex emotions.


    The elderly man, who had been in a meditative-like trance, seemed to awaken from his slumber. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Tian.


    Those eyes were surprisingly bright, like the moonlight in the sky, as if all his spiritual energy and essence were concentrated in those eyes. They seemed capable of seeing through the human heart and all things in the world!


    Lord Tian slightly bowed and calmly said:


    ¡°Senior Brother, long time no see.¡±


    <strong> Hundred Herbs Hall ¨C BaiCao Hall</strong>

 Chapter 125: The Dark Giant Gate

    Chapter 125: The Dark Giant Gate


    In the world today, within the Kunlun Sect, there is only one person who can truly be called ¡°Senior Brother¡± by Tian Zhenjun.


    That person is Bai Chen, another renowned Mahayana True Monarch of the Kunlun Sect.


    ording to the lineage of the Kunlun Sect, Bai Chen and Tian, both extraordinary talents, were disciples of the Kunlun Sect¡¯s founding ancestor, Tianhong Laozu. To have mentored two figures who stand at the pinnacle of the human cultivation world, Tianhong Laozu himself was undoubtedly an extraordinary figure. It can be said that the Kunlun Sect, after Tianhong Laozu¡¯s emergence, experienced a resurgence, flourishing to the present day, continuing its legacy, dominating the Western Continent, and looking down upon the vastnd of China.


    The legendary figures of old have long since passed away, but the grandeur of Kunlun remains undiminished,rgely due to the contributions of these two True Monarchs. However, the rtionship between Bai Chen and Tian has always been somewhat subtle within the Kunlun Sect.


    Bai Chen, the eldest disciple of Tianhong Laozu, was exceptionally talented, well-known early on, and deeply versed in Daoist techniques. From the beginning, he was regarded as the heir apparent to the position of Sect Leader of Kunlun, a position he assumed after Tianhong Laozu¡¯s passing. Tian, on the other hand, emerged over a hundred yearster, recognized for his extraordinary talent by Tianhong Laozu, who took him from obscurity. Tian rapidly progressed in cultivation and ultimately became the youngest Mahayana True Monarch in Kunlun¡¯s history.


    These two unparalleled figures, as Kunlun¡¯s pride, made the sect shine and made countless Kunlun disciples proud. Their presence established Kunlun as a leading sect among the top cultivation sects of the time.


    After Tianhong Laozu¡¯s ascension to immortality, the position of Sect Leader was inherited by Bai Chen. Many yearster, Bai Chen passed it on to his disciple Xian Yue Zhenren, while Tian focused his efforts on the outside world, prominently managing the True Immortal Alliance and bing one of its six True Monarchs.


    From another perspective, Bai Chen and Tian, each focusing on internal and external matters respectively, elevated Kunlun¡¯s prestige to a peak it had not seen in a millennium.


    The twists and turns of their rtionship are spected upon by many, but who can truly understand the details? Just as the majestic Kunlun is indifferent to the voices of insignificant ants.¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Beneath the thick fog, on a ck disc, the two most prominent figures of the Kunlun Sect today sit opposite each other. The surrounding area is shrouded in gray, suffocating mist, with no sound prating, making it seem as though only the two of them exist in this world.


    True Monarch Bai Chen gazes at Tian and finally speaks after a long pause, ¡°It seems your cultivation has advanced again.¡±


    True Monarch Tian smiles slightly and replies, ¡°Senior Brother, your eyes are sharp; everything in the world is like dust, nowhere to escape.¡±


    A faint smile tugs at the corners of Bai Chen¡¯s mouth, though his smile seems stiff and unappealing, reflecting his age and the years of experience he has endured. His voice sounds old, as if this towering figure of the cultivation world has reached the final stages of his journey, with only a few days left.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t met for ten years, have we?¡± Bai Chen seems somewhat sentimental.


    Tian nods and replies, ¡°Indeed. After the Battle of the Desert Valley in the Land of Confusion, Senior Brother was displeased with the bloodshed I caused and secluded yourself for cultivation, unwilling to meet.¡±


    Bai Chen¡¯s gaze lifts slightly, looking at Tian, and after a moment, he suddenly smiles, ¡°Are you harboring dissatisfaction with me?¡±


    Tian also smiles, his round face full of warmth, and says, ¡°Senior Brother is joking.¡±


    They fall silent, the two long-separated brothers seeming to have little to say to each other.


    There is a sense of estrangement and inexplicable awkwardness.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Bai Chen calmly says, ¡°Shall we proceed?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Tian responds.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Under the previously silent fog, a gust of wind suddenly emerges from nowhere, swirling the mist into strange patterns and gradually forming an ancient and deste image.


    The symbols on the ck disc surrounding the two figures glow one by one, as if ancient light is seeping into the present, slowly illuminating and exuding a grand power.


    The light reflects on the faces of the two True Monarchs, deep within their sea-like eyes.


    A thunderous sound erupts from beneath, and the ck disc begins to slowly rotate. The light dances and elerates, and with a sudden shriek, the mist freezes in the air. Momentster, the ck disc plunges into the depths of the ground.


    Darkness rushes in, engulfing all light.


    The gaze of the two individuals seemed to make even the darkness wary, unwilling to approach. They stared through the void and shadow, their eyes locked on each other.


    The ck disc descended faster and faster, producing a chilling, shrieking sound as it cut through the air. The depth of this descending passage seemed unimaginable; it appeared as if the disc was taking them straight into the deepest part of the earth, heading towards the fabled Netherworld.


    At some point, the atmosphere around them suddenly became tense. Thunder and lightning erupted from the darkness, striking from all directions. Countless ghostly figures, making various terrifying faces, roared and rushed towards them.


    Two invisible protective shields appeared around the two True Monarchs, keeping all the constraints at a distance of a few feet. The difference was that Bai Chen¡¯s shield was pure white like snow, while Tian¡¯s shield was a fiery red.


    The rumbling noise was incessant, and the ghostly figures seemed to cover the sky, making it appear as though the most terrifying and dreadful scenes in the world were hidden in the Kunlun Mountain¡¯s depths. However, in the eyes of the two True Monarchs, these threats did not seem to affect their resolve in the least.


    They merely observed each other with a calm and cold demeanor.


    The fiery shield isted and burned away all the ghosts.


    Gradually, the thunderous sounds quietly subsided, and the horrifying illusions vanished into the darkness, as if they had finally given up their futile pursuit. Meanwhile, the ck disc continued its rapid descent, racing towards the bottomless underground world.


    ¡°After ten years, Senior Brother, you have made further progress in your cultivation of the ¡®Wind and Snow Sutra.¡¯ Congrattions,¡± Tian¡¯s voice suddenly came from the darkness.


    ¡°It is merely a matter of lingering,¡± Bai Chen repliedµ­ly, his voice sounding somewhat weary. When he looked at his junior brother, there seemed to be a trace of strange light in his eyes, ¡°Notparable to yours.¡±


    Tian smiled, ¡°Senior Brother is being modest. I remember when our master was still alive, he often taught me that my mind was unsettled and that unless I changed, I would never achieve greatness. He also said that Senior Brother¡¯s determination and resoluteness made you a model for cultivation, something I must learn from diligently.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Bai Chen¡¯s usually calm face showed a rare change, and even his eyes, which seemed as cold as snow, had a slight ripple, like a hint of wind and snow.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Suddenly, a tremendous sound erupted from beneath them. The ck disc shook violently and stopped, as if it had finally reached its destination.


    In the seemingly endless darkness, a faint light emerged from somewhere, illuminating the area ahead.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The light came from the front, revealing an enormous passageway. The walls were made of ancient, massive rocks, and the dome overhead was over a hundred yards high, resembling an immense, unending divine temple.


    A profound silence pervaded, devoid of any signs of life. This hidden, subterranean realm seemed eerily quiet.


    Bai Chen and Tian stood up, looked around, and then walked side by side toward the front.


    Against the backdrop of this colossal passage, their figures seemed extremely tiny. Even the stones paving their path appeared to be many timesrger than ordinary stones.


    The light falling from above flickered intermittently, as if time itself had be somewhat stagnant here. Their footsteps echoed far and wide, and their journey felt long.


    Eventually, they reached the end of the enormous passage.


    The light there dimmed, and darkness resurfaced, with shadowy and shifting images appearing as if they had reached the boundary between light and darkness.


    There stood a great door.


    Very tall, grand, and ancient.


    The door was weathered by time, as if quietly waiting for something.


    The two True Monarchs approached the massive door, stopped, and looked up at it.


    The door seemed like a mountain, coldly overlooking them.


    Darkness surged from all sides, coalescing at the door and pushing away the light.


    ¡°Awakened?¡± Tian suddenly asked Bai Chen without context.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Bai Chen shook his head and added, ¡°Just turned over.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±

 Chapter 126: The Dispute in the Meadow

    Chapter 126: The Dispute in the Meadow


    Standing at the boundary between darkness and light, the faces of the two True Monarchs appeared intermittently bright and dark, with an air of uncertainty. They exchanged a few brief words before falling silent.


    After a moment, True Monarch Tian slowly stepped forward and entered the darkness. Observing his broad back, True Monarch Bai Chen silently watched for a while before following.


    Everything was very quiet, and the silence continued even when they reached the massive stone door.


    The darkness was like a tide, like a vast ocean, seemingly engulfing the two of them, giving the impression of standing in the depths of the sea.


    The stillness seemed to reach an extreme.


    Then, suddenly, a faint sound drifted from the depths of the darkness. It was ethereal and distant, like a faint breeze blowing through the dark.


    The darkness rumbled like thunder.


    Their robes moved without wind.


    The sound and the strange breeze passed silently, swirling and drifting, gradually bing clearer. It was unmistakablying from behind the enormous stone door.It was as if an ancient, deep slumbering existence was breathing peacefully in the darkness.


    True Monarch Tian turned to nce at True Monarch Bai Chen, who gave a slight nod. After a moment, Tian ced his hand on the massive stone door. A low, resonant sound emerged from beneath the door, like a devil¡¯s call or the tremor of the earth, slowly and steadily opening.


    Darkness surged forth.


    Like a wild tide, the darkness overwhelmed them. Both of them were instantly enveloped in a strange protective light shield. In an instant, there was a storm of lightning and thunder, as if countless terrifying forces were crashing against the shield, producing a horrifying shriek.


    The twisting electric light emitted a bright glow, illuminating their faces, revealing their solemn expressions as if they were facing a great threat.


    After a while, the electric light gradually subsided, and the surrounding darkness quieted down, but the profound, pitch-ck darkness behind the stone door still quietly existed.


    The two of them stepped forward and walked into the depths of the darkness. The massive stone door rumbled and slowly closed behind them, sealing away the endless darkness from the world.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Although the Hundred Herbs Hall was significantly damaged in the great earthquake, the repairs were carried out effectively and swiftly. About ten dayster, the numerous pits and mounds in the Liuxiang Garden, including the damaged high walls and fences, were all repaired. The spiritual fields were reorganized, with the fortunate remaining precious spiritual herbs carefully nurtured and cultivated, and the unfortunate herbs that perished or went missing were reced with new seeds to start afresh.


    Everything seemed to be returning to normal, and life resumed its previous calm and orderly routine.


    Lu Chen was also assigned new spiritual nts and began to cultivate them with the same dedication as before. The same was true for the misceneous disciples, including He Changsheng, who found themselves in simr circumstances.


    However, this tranquility did notst long. About twenty days after the Kunlun Mountain earthquake, a piece of news suddenly emerged and quickly spread throughout the Kunlun Sect and even caused a sensation in Kunwu City.


    Su Qingjun, a disciple of the Master Mu Yuan from Kunlun Sect, sessfully advanced to the Golden Core stage, bing the youngest Golden Core cultivator in the history of Kunlun Sect.


    A Golden Core cultivator at the age of just twenty-two!


    The future prospects were so promising it was almost unimaginable. This talent and speed even surpassed what the current high-ranking Transformation Realm True Monarchs had achieved.


    Although the Golden Core stage is still worlds apart from the Transformation Realm True Monarch, with an endless and arduous journey ahead, and despite countless brilliant talents failing to reach the True Monarch status andmenting their failure, there is always hope, isn¡¯t there?


    Hope is great, isn¡¯t it?


    Kunwu City was abuzz with excitement, and the Su family was in a state of frenzy. In a short period, congrattory messages poured in, and visitors trampled on the threshold. Even the Su family servants walked with their chests out, seemingly more confident.


    As for Kunlun Mountain, being a renowned sect of cultivation, the scene was not so exaggerated. However, it was said that Master Mu Yuan, amid his joy, had rarely been so intoxicated in recent years, and hisughter could be heard from afar.


    Elder generation mentors were pleased and praised, while the younger disciples of Kunlun Sect were mostly in awe and admiration. For a time, Su Qingjun became the most prominent figure in Kunlun Sect and a topic of endless discussion. Among the discussions, the most talked-about topic was whether this young woman might be the new Transformation Realm True Monarch.


    Just thinking about this possibility was exhrating!


    In Liuxiang Garden, Su Qingjun also became the center of everyone¡¯s conversation. Lu Chen, upon hearing hispanions talk about it by chance, felt a sense of reflection when recalling his encounter with Su Qingjun some time ago.


    The Red Amber Ginseng seemed crucial to her advancement, but it was unfortunately lost. Nevertheless, Su Qingjun still broke through sessfully. Such a talented individual with great fortune is indeed vastly different from ordinary people.


    Lu Chen saw Su Qingjun again several dayster. That day, as usual, he was working in the Liuxiang Garden. Suddenly, he heard amotion from a distance, as if a dispute had broken out and people were arguing loudly.


    This was unusual. Usually, the misceneous disciples worked quietly, asionally cking off in their free time but never daring to cause such a public disturbance. It was well known that the area was monitored by revered figures from the Hundred Herbs Hall, whose prestige, skill, and strength were all formidable. It would be very easy for them to deal with a misbehaving disciple.


    This incident was rare, and themotion grew louder rather than subsiding, indicating that the argument had escted. More and more people gathered around to watch, including many misceneous disciples from nearby spiritual fields and passing core disciples.


    Curious, Lu Chen walked over to take a look. As he approached, he was taken aback to see that the argument was not between the misceneous disciples working in the Liuxiang Garden but rather between a group of three and a group of five core disciples, all of whom were Qi Condensation Realm cultivators. Among them, however, were misceneous disciples lying down or kneeling, with He Changsheng among those kneeling. His face was flushed, his body trembling, and his expression was full of humiliation.


    People were discussing the situation, and it didn¡¯t take long for Lu Chen to understand the context.


    The arguing Kunlun disciples were all from prominent families in Kunwu City. The group of three were from the Su family, known as the ¡°Three Heroes of the Su Family.¡± They were talented youths who had reached the peak of Qi Condensation at a young age and were highly valued by their family, even if they couldn¡¯t match the extraordinary talent of Su Qingjun.


    The other group of five came from the Lin, Liu, and Chen families, all powerful families in Kunwu City. These five had known each other since childhood and were considered friends.


    The dispute arose because Su Mo, one of the Su family¡¯s three heroes, had recently nted a precious two-patterned spirit herb in the Liuxiang Garden, asking the Hundred Herbs Hall to cultivate it. Coincidentally, one of the five, a young man from the Lin family named Lin Kuangyi, also nted the same spirit herb in the garden and asked for it to be cultivated. That person was He Changsheng.


    The herb in question was the Stone Lily.


    While nting the same spirit herb was not unusual, after the Kunlun Mountain earthquake, He Changsheng¡¯s well-grown Stone Lily suddenly went missing. Simr incidents had urred in the Liuxiang Garden, most of which were believed to be due to the copse of barriers and wild beasts sneaking in. He Changsheng was heartbroken over the lost reward, and the Lin family¡¯s young man felt unlucky.


    However, that morning, when He Changsheng happened to walk past Su Mo¡¯s nted field, he noticed that Su Mo¡¯s Stone Lily was growing unusually well.


    The misceneous disciple responsible for Su Mo¡¯s Stone Lily was named Zhang Zhi. Zhang Zhi¡¯s talent was inferior to He Changsheng¡¯s, and he was not as diligent in his work. Thus, his Stone Lily had always been less impressive. However, when He Changsheng saw Zhang Zhi¡¯s Stone Lily, it appeared almost identical to the one he had grown before.


    He Changsheng immediately raised a fuss. Zhang Zhi vehemently denied any wrongdoing and made sarcastic remarks. Enraged, He Changsheng fought with Zhang Zhi, and soon, Su Mo and the Lin family¡¯s Lin Kuangyi, among others, arrived on the scene.


    Upon hearing the news, Lin Kuangyi pped Zhang Zhi, asserting that the Stone Lily was his, and Su Mo refused to ept this. A heated argument ensued, and amidst the chaos, He Changsheng was kicked over and ordered to kneel on the ground.


    From a distance, Lu Chen watched He Changsheng kneeling on the field edge, his head hanging and his face reddened with anger. For a moment, Lu Chen was silent. The young disciples from both sides, raised in prominent families and now young and impetuous, grew increasingly agitated and eventually started fighting.


    The scene quickly descended into chaos. Although the cultivators were not very powerfulpared to ordinary people, they were still much stronger, and soon the crowd began to scatter. Before long, the situation tilted in favor of the Lin family¡¯s side, as the Su family¡¯s heroes were outnumbered.


    Momentster, Su Mo, in a fit of rage, shouted, ¡°Call my sister! Call my sister!¡±


    Someone in the crowd shouted back, ¡°We¡¯ve already sent for her, young master, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lin Kuangyi and the others, enraged, turned around but found the crowd in disarray, unable to identify who was shouting. They continued to fight, and the two sides were locked inbat.


    Standing on the edge of the crowd, Lu Chen suddenly felt a gentle breeze pass by from behind. Turning around, he saw a woman standing behind him.


    Her gaze was calm and clear, and it briefly rested on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± she said.


    ¡°Lu Chen,¡± Lu Chen replied.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± She nodded and said, ¡°I remember now.¡±

 Chapter 127: Desolate Human Emotions

    Chapter 127: Deste Human Emotions


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Senior Sister, you have a good memory.¡±


    Su Qingjun nced at him, not exactly embarrassed but somewhat apologetic for forgetting his name. Meanwhile, from behind the crowd came a cacophony of loud cries and wails. Lu Chen coughed, thinking of He Changsheng¡¯s humiliating appearance earlier. Though he had intended to step aside, he stopped and smiled at Su Qingjun, saying, ¡°By the way, I forgot to congratte you, Senior Sister, on advancing your cultivation and achieving the Golden Core Dao.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded, her expression indifferent, as if she had be numb to simr congrattions over time. However, themotion ahead piqued her interest, and she nced in that direction.


    At this moment, Lu Chen continued, ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say, the Red Amber Ginseng you mentioned was indeed crucial for breaking through the realm. I took great care in cultivating it, but unfortunately, an unexpected incident urred. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±


    Su Qingjun was momentarily stunned, then shook her head, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. An earthquake is a natural disaster, and the theft by wild beasts was unavoidable¡ªit¡¯s all just fate.¡±


    Lu Chen thought to himself that the ck dog was far from being fate, but he had a mind to stall for time, allowing the young men of the Su family to get a bit more punishment. He then showed a look of guilt and sighed, ¡°Even so¡­ let¡¯s not dwell on it. Luckily, Senior Sister, you¡¯re exceptionally talented. Even without the Red Amber Ginseng, you managed to achieve the Golden Core. Congrattions.¡±


    Su Qingjun said, ¡°Actually, I did use the Red Amber Ginseng.¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback, ¡°What? But the Red Amber Ginseng is gone, you¡­¡±


    Su Qingjun exined, ¡°Oh, that was a minor issue. Although the Red Amber Ginseng is precious and rare, it¡¯s not irreceable. Before my breakthrough, I had someone go to Kunwu City¡¯srgest shop and buy two more. Their age and potency were even better than the previous one.¡±¡°¡­ How much did they cost?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-two thousand spirit stones.¡±


    Lu Chen stared at Su Qingjun, seeing her calm and matter-of-fact expression. After a moment, he bitterly smiled and nodded, ¡°Congrattions, congrattions.¡±


    Su Qingjun politely nodded back, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Lu Chen stepped aside, allowing Su Qingjun to pass. He looked into the distance, seeing only the rolling green mountains and the vast sky. After a while, he suddenly cursed under his breath:


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    As Su Qingjun walked into the crowd, those nearest to her immediately fell silent and stepped aside, looking at her with peculiar expressions.


    Soon, more people noticed her presence. The previously raucous crowd quieted down quickly, and a path opened up for Su Qingjun to walk through.


    With a thud, Su Mo stumbled backward and fell to the ground, rolling over tond at her feet. One of his eyes was ckened, and one side of his face was swollen, clearly having just been beaten up.


    Su Mo, seemingly dazed, shook his head and looked up. After a moment, he recognized the beautiful face in front of him and yelled, ¡°Sister, sister, help me!¡±


    A murmur spread through the crowd, with someone whispering, ¡°She actually came¡­¡±


    Su Qingjun frowned as she looked at Su Mo¡¯s face, her expression darkening. The others who had been fighting also stopped and quickly separated.


    During the fight, although both sides were at the Qi Refining stage and their cultivation levels were simr, Lin Kuangyi¡¯s group had five people while the Su family¡¯s side had only three. As a result, the Su family trio had taken a beating. Su Qian and Su Wen were also sporting bruises, making the famed Su family trio look more like the Su family bears.


    Lin Kuangyi¡¯s group, upon seeing Su Qingjun suddenly appear, felt a bit guilty and stood there quietly, no longer acting arrogant. As for Zhang Zhi, whoy on the ground, and He Changsheng, who was still kneeling, no one paid them any attention.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Su Qingjun asked Su Mo.


    Among the Su family trio, Su Mo was her full-blood brother, while Su Qian and Su Wen were her cousins, very close in blood rtion. Seeing the three of them in such a state displeased Su Qingjun, but she maintained herposure and asked for the details first.


    ¡°Sister, it was Lin Kuangyi and his gang bullying us!¡± Su Mo cried, spitting out usations at Lin Kuangyi and his group.


    Su Qian and Su Wen quickly chimed in, recounting the incident from beginning to end. Lin Kuangyi and hispanions, bing increasingly angry as they listened, couldn¡¯t help but argue back. The two sides quarreled again, with tempers ring.


    After a while, Su Qingjun suddenly gave a softmand, ¡°Enough!¡±


    The Su family trio immediately fell silent, and Lin Kuangyi¡¯s group exchanged nces, also quieting down.


    Su Qingjun nced at the amaryllis in the spiritual field. The nts were indeed growing well and looked beautiful. After a moment¡¯s thought, she looked at Lin Kuangyi and simply asked, ¡°Do you have any proof?¡±


    Lin Kuangyi and his fourpanions looked at each other, unable to respond.


    In the midst of themotion, everyone took advantage of the chaos to brawl, the young men fooling around without anyone intervening. Whoever had the stronger fist was deemed right. But if it came to reasoning, these scions of noble families weren¡¯t foolish; they knew some parts of this story didn¡¯t add up.


    ¡°That, that amaryllis is the one I nted, I know it, I recognize it!¡± Suddenly, a voice shouted, startling everyone. They looked to see He Changsheng, still kneeling, shouting loudly with his neck craned.


    Su Mo and the others turned ck with rage, ring at He Changsheng, while Lin Kuangyi and his group were overjoyed. They began to cause a ruckus, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, he was the original nter of the amaryllis. No one else could recognize that spiritual nt.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, he nted the best amaryllis in the whole herb garden. If he says there¡¯s an issue, then there must be an issue!¡±


    Amidst the mor, Su Qingjun frowned slightly and nced at He Changsheng.


    In the background, Lu Chen also looked over from a distance, remaining silent but shaking his head slightly.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that this amaryllis is the one you originally nted?¡± Su Qingjun¡¯s words brought silence to the surrounding crowd, including Lin Kuangyi and his group.


    This quiet atmosphere made He Changsheng nervous. Looking at Su Qingjun¡¯s exceptionally beautiful face, he seemed to breathe a bit faster. After a long while, he finally said, ¡°Yes, yes, I nted it.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any proof?¡± Su Qingjun asked.


    He Changsheng was momentarily stunned and then loudly proimed, ¡°It¡¯s the one I nted; I recognize it, I can tell!¡±


    The crowd remained silent, many seemingly having thought of something but saying nothing.


    Su Qingjun shook her head. Her tone was still calm, but her meaning was clear: ¡°That¡¯s not enough. You need proof. You can¡¯t just im something and have everyone take your word for it.¡±


    She paused, then continued, ¡°Physical evidence or witnesses will do. Just produce one, and I¡¯ll have my second brother return the amaryllis to you.¡± She turned to Lin Kuangyi and asked, ¡°Junior Brother Lin, do you find this handling eptable?¡±


    Lin Kuangyi gave a wry smile, ¡°Alright.¡±


    With a Golden Core cultivator standing there, especially one with a promising future, how could he dare disagree? Besides, Su Qingjun¡¯s reasoning was sound, leaving him little room to argue.


    ¡°Proof?¡± As all eyes focused on He Changsheng, he looked bewildered and muttered, ¡°Physical evidence? Witnesses? But it¡¯s really the one I nted¡­¡±


    The crowd remained silent.


    The Su family members looked at him, the Lin family members looked at him, everyone was looking at him, as if the heavens and earth were watching him.


    He knelt among the crowd, yet it felt like he was isted in a cold, indifferent world.


    After a long time, without Su Qingjun speaking, Su Mo sneered and said, ¡°Hey, do you have any proof or not? Hurry up and tell us.¡±


    He Changsheng¡¯s face turned red, and he stammered, ¡°Physical evidence, I don¡¯t have any physical evidence. You don¡¯t believe what I say anyway¡­ Witnesses¡­ Yes, witnesses!¡±


    Suddenly, he leapt up, looking overjoyed, and shouted, ¡°When I was nting the amaryllis, many people saw it. You, you, you all saw me nt it, right? Didn¡¯t I nt the best amaryllis in this herb garden? Tell them!¡±


    There was a slight stir among the crowd, but it quickly fell silent again. No one spoke up, and no one even whispered. When he pointed at others, especially those of the same lowly status as him, they either avoided his gaze or remained silent.


    He Changsheng was stunned, his face turning ashen as if he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. But just then, his eyes lit up as if he had seen something. After hesitating for a moment, he suddenly shouted and rushed forward.


    The crowd parted, watching his movements. Su Qingjun and the others also watched as He Changsheng ran to the front and stopped in front of Lu Chen, whose expression had changed slightly. He Changshengughed wildly, grabbed Lu Chen¡¯s hand, dragged him into the crowd, and then tightly held onto Lu Chen¡¯s hand. With eyes full of hope and a trembling voice, he seemed to pin all his hopes on Lu Chen, saying, ¡°Lu Chen, you¡­ you¡¯re my best friend. You know me best. Tell them, tell them, speak for me. Is that amaryllis mine or not?¡±


    In that moment, all eyes fell on Lu Chen. Even Su Qingjun looked at him with a slightly surprised expression. The three Su brothers and the five Lin family members also looked at this lowly servant disciple withplicated expressions.


    Lu Chen nced around expressionlessly, then turned back to look at He Changsheng.


    The man looked at him with eyes full of hope, like a drowning man clutching at straws. He tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace, and he softly said, ¡°Lu Chen, help me, say something, say something¡­¡±

 Chapter 128: Like a Madman

    Chapter 128: Like a Madman


    The cool mountain breeze blew from afar, rustling people¡¯s clothes and bringing a touch of chill. Two figures approached slowly from the distance, one old and one young¡ªthe elder was Yan Luo, and the young girl was Yi Xin.


    They looked over from afar. Yan Luo frowned and gave Yi Xin an instruction. Yi Xin nodded and walked over.


    In the midst of the crowd, under everyone¡¯s gaze, Lu Chen had been silent for a while, while He Changsheng urged him, ¡°Lu Chen,e on, you¡¯ve seen my stone amaryllis many times before, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    At this moment, Su Qingjun suddenly stepped forward and looked at Lu Chen, saying, ¡°Lu Chen, do you really know this person?¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment before nodding, ¡°Yes, his name is He Changsheng. Like me, he is also a new disciple of the sect this year. I recognize him.¡±


    Su Qingjun nced at her brother Su Mo, who smiled back at her with a somewhat strained expression.


    A glint flickered in Su Qingjun¡¯s clear eyes, like a breeze stirring a calmke, creating a slight ripple.


    After a moment, she turned back to Lu Chen and said calmly, ¡°We haven¡¯t known each other for long, but since you¡¯ve helped me cultivate the Red Amber Ginseng, you must be a trustworthy person. If you can prove this amaryllis is his, I will believe you.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s gaze lowered slightly, his lips forming a faint, ambiguous smile that seemed neither amused nor angry. It was unclear what he was truly feeling at that moment. Meanwhile, the crowd around them erupted into an uproar, and their gazes toward Lu Chen changed.He Changsheng, on the other hand, was overjoyed, smiling broadly as he grabbed Lu Chen¡¯s arm and eximed, ¡°Quickly, tell us, tell us, that amaryllis is mine!¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment, he looked up and ignored He Changsheng, instead gazing calmly at Su Qingjun and herpanions, as well as Lin Kuangyi and the others. ¡°You can ask me whatever you want.¡±


    Su Qingjun pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°Among the misceneous disciples in the Liuxiangpu garden, is this person the best at cultivating stone amaryllis?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Chen answered directly.


    He Changshengughed heartily, while Su Qingjun frowned slightly, then nodded. The expressions of the people from the Su and Lin families were mixed. Soon, Su Qian from the Su family stepped forward and asked, ¡°May I ask you a few questions?¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°Certainly, go ahead.¡±


    Su Qian nced at He Changsheng standing next to Lu Chen and asked, ¡°Since you are familiar with He Changsheng, do you recognize this Zhang Zhi?¡± He pointed to the unconscious disciple still lying on the ground.


    Lu Chen said, ¡°I recognize him, but we don¡¯t have much contact, so I¡¯m not very familiar with him.¡±


    Su Qian¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°So you¡¯re not familiar with Zhang Zhi?¡±


    ¡°Not familiar.¡±


    ¡°In that case, do you rarely visit Zhang Zhi¡¯s field?¡±


    ¡°Almost never.¡±


    Su Qian pped his hands and said, ¡°Then have you ever seen the stone amaryllis Zhang Zhi nted?¡±


    Lu Chen remained silent for a moment and then saidµ­µ­µØ£º¡°I don¡¯t recall. I probably never paid attention to it.¡±


    Su Qianughed and looked around, then with a slightly smug tone said, ¡°Finally, I would like to ask you onest question. Are you absolutely certain that the stone amaryllis before us is not the one Zhang Zhi grew himself?¡±


    Lu Chen fell silent again, and everyone around seemed to hold their breath. He Changsheng, in particr, became anxious, staring intently at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen lowered his eyes, as if carefully recalling andparing internally. After a long while, he looked up at everyone and said expressionlessly, ¡°No, I cannot be certain.¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The crowd erupted like an explosion, with waves of voices and various expressions of surprise and disbelief. Lin Kuangyi and the others exchanged bitter smiles, as if they had anticipated this oue. The three Su brothers were visibly delighted, while Su Qingjun¡¯s face showed a subtle and unusual expression as she looked deeply at Lu Chen.


    ¡°You¡­you¡­¡±


    A hoarse shout filled with disbelief and anger came from Lu Chen¡¯s side. Suddenly, a pair of hands violently pushed Lu Chen, sending him stumbling backward and falling to the ground.


    It was He Changsheng.


    His face looked twisted, eyes bloodshot, and he red at Lu Chen as if Lu Chen had shattered hisst hope in life.


    ¡°You¡¯re not human!¡± He screamed angrily at Lu Chen, ¡°How dare you say that? You know in your heart that the stone amaryllis is mine, mine!¡±


    Lu Chen stood up silently and looked at He Changsheng. His gaze was as calm and emotionless as the mountain breeze, showing no fear or sympathy. His eyes were as deep as the ocean, reflecting only silent darkness.


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth,¡± Lu Chen said calmly¡£


    ### Chapter 128: Like a Madman


    ¡°What truth are you talking about? What you¡¯re saying is nonsense!¡± He Changsheng continued to scream angrily, seemingly losing control. His emotions were unraveling, and tears even streamed down his face as he pointed at Lu Chen and then at everyone around, shouting, ¡°You¡¯re all the same, none of you believe me! I¡¯m clearly a good person!¡±


    He wailed loudly, suddenly turning and running off, pushing through the crowd and disappearing in an instant.


    As he ran off, the Su brothers seemed unwilling to let him go and showed signs of trying to block him. However, Su Qingjun cast a cold nce, and with He Changsheng¡¯s current crazed demeanor, resembling a madman, the Su brothers decided to give up.


    Nearby, Lin Kuangyi and a few others discussed quietly and then approached Su Qingjun with forced smiles, ¡°Su Senior Sister, we were indeed at fault today. It¡¯s our mistake for trusting that fellow and causing a misunderstanding with you. I¡¯ll make amendster, just¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Su Qingjun suddenly interrupted him, ¡°Let this matter end here.¡±


    Lin Kuangyi was slightly surprised but then appeared delighted, smiling, ¡°That¡¯s great. Thank you, Su Senior Sister.¡±


    Su Qingjun looked at him and saidµ­µ­µØ£º¡°Lin Junior Brother, the Su family and the Lin family are not enemies; on the contrary, our families have been close for several generations. If this incident were to spread back to Kunwu City, you can be sure that even without my intervention, Uncle Lin wouldn¡¯t be pleased. Have you considered this?¡±


    Lin Kuangyi was startled and turned pale, hurriedly saying, ¡°Yes, yes, Su Senior Sister is absolutely right. I was in the wrong. If you need any help in the future, just let me know. It would be an honor to assist you!¡±


    Su Qingjun sighed and said, ¡°Forget it, you can go now.¡±


    Lin Kuangyi and the others quickly agreed and left in haste.


    Su Qingjun nced at Lu Chen, who was still standing there, hesitated as if wanting to say something but ultimately said nothing. She merely gave him a slight nod, then called out to Su Mo and the others, and left.


    In the meadow, the onlookers began to disperse gradually. However, the image of He Changsheng¡¯s mad behavior was deeply etched in everyone¡¯s minds.


    Soon, only Lu Chen was left in the crowd. He stood silently for a moment, and just as he was about to leave, he suddenly saw a girl standing not far away. It was Yi Xin.


    She looked around to ensure no one was nearby and quickly ran over, gently tugging at Lu Chen¡¯s sleeve, and whispered, ¡°Brother Lu, don¡¯t be upset. I saw everything that happened¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Lu Chen interrupted her with a smile.


    Yi Xin blinked and asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled at the young girl, taking in her soft, graceful face and the hint of concern in her gentle eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m really fine,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yi Xin¡¯s face lit up with a smile. She pointed ahead and said, ¡°Master Yan is still waiting for me. I¡¯ll go over now.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and nodded, ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡±


    Yi Xin smiled and turned to leave, her dress fluttering in the mountain breeze like a flower dancing in the air.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    This scene and this incident soon passed. Some saw it as a thunderp, as if the sky had split open, while others considered it a trivial matter.


    From that day on, He Changsheng became enemies with Lu Chen.


    Whenever they happened to cross paths, He Changsheng would re at Lu Chen with extreme hatred, as if he wanted to kill him with his eyes.


    Lu Chen was well aware of this tant animosity. He found it somewhat amusing and tiresome, but he didn¡¯t show it on the surface. Most of the time, he merely passed by He Changsheng with a calm, expressionless face.


    A few dayster, somehow, the matter was reported to the people at the Hundred Herbs Hall. It was said that a high-ranking official, displeased with the situation, informed the Hundred Herbs Hall. Consequently, the Hundred Herbs Hall took action. The Su brothers and Lin Kuangyi were unaffected, while the misceneous disciples were punished¡ªHe Changsheng, Zhang Zhi, and Lu Chen were summoned to the supervising cultivators and given a severe reprimand.


    In the end, regardless of the twists and turns, Zhang Zhi and He Changsheng, as the instigators of the disturbance, were fined twenty spirit stones. Lu Chen, who was only called in as a witness and couldn¡¯t be held ountable, was spared from fines but was scolded before being let go.


    After that, He Changsheng seemed to be increasingly unstable, talking to himself and even carrying a sharp de secretly, as if he were on the brink of madness.


    Those living near him said that recently, He Changsheng¡¯s most frequent words were, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯m going to kill you¡­¡± (To be continued.)

 Chapter 129: The Weak Exploiting the Weak

    Chapter 129: The Weak Exploiting the Weak


    This morning, Lu Chen set out with Ah Tu. As usual, because the Liuxiang Garden prohibited any birds or beasts from entering to ensure the safety of the precious spiritual herbs, Ah Tu had never apanied Lu Chen there and would typically part ways with him right at the entrance.


    Lu Chen would go about his work in the garden, while Ah Tu would spend the day roaming freely, finding its own food and water, and return only when it got dark.


    This free-range approach was convenient for Lu Chen, but Yi Xin often nagged him, worried that Ah Tu might encounter some mishap while wandering alone. However, Lu Chen paid no attention to her concerns and ignored them, while Ah Tu seemed to enjoy its days of free y, having a great time. Eventually, Yi Xin had to ept the situation, only asionally bringing extra meat bones for Ah Tu when she visited.


    At the door of his house, Ah Tu turned back to bark at Lu Chen as if to say goodbye, then disappeared in a sh, heading off to its daily adventure. Recently, Ah Tu had developed a particr fondness for roaming around, though no one knew where it went. Lu Chen didn¡¯t bother with it and headed towards Liuxiang Garden.


    Entering the garden and arriving at the spiritual fields, Lu Chen began his work amidst the fragrant breeze.


    However, this day didn¡¯t feel lonely. After only a short while of work, Yi Xin appeared by his spiritual field with a smile, waving and calling out, ¡°Good morning, Lu Ge!¡±


    Lu Chen dusted off his hands and sat by the field¡¯s edge, smiling at Yi Xin. ¡°I see you¡¯re quite leisurely these days, always wandering around.¡±


    Yi Xin shot him a yful re. ¡°Not at all!¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°I remember you¡¯re stationed at Shipan Mountain, buttely, I keep seeing you around Liuxiang Garden. Aren¡¯t you cking off?¡±Yi Xin chuckled with a hint of pride. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Elder Sister Yan Luo was recently assigned to manage Liuxiang Garden and brought me along.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that makes sense,¡± Lu Chen nodded, smiling. ¡°It seems Elder Sister Yan really likes you.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Who wouldn¡¯t like me¡­¡± Yi Xin stuck out her tongue yfully, but suddenly her expression froze. The joke she was about to make caught in her throat as her eyes widened in shock at something behind Lu Chen. Her gaze was fixed in surprise, unable to continue speaking.


    Lu Chen, somewhat puzzled, turned around and his brows furrowed slightly. He saw He Changsheng walking a few paces away, his steps slow but his eyes ring with intense hostility towards Lu Chen.


    Perhaps he hadn¡¯t slept wellst night, He Changsheng¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, filled with hatred as if he saw an enemy from whom he had suffered a grave injury. His expression was one of bitter resentment, almost as if he was seeing an archenemy. Yi Xin couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill from the look He Changsheng gave Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen expressionlessly stood up, stepping in front of Yi Xin to shield her from He Changsheng¡¯s gaze. He stared coldly at He Changsheng, showing no sign of retreat.


    He Changsheng¡¯s anger seemed to intensify under Lu Chen¡¯s unwavering gaze. His chest heaved rapidly, his face contorted with indescribable rage, as though he couldn¡¯t believe Lu Chen dared to meet his eyes without any sign of guilt or shame.


    Yet Lu Chen remained calm and steady, his silence carrying a hint of coldness.


    After a while, He Changsheng turned and strode away.


    ¡°Lu Ge, why is this person like this?¡± Yi Xin asked, peeking from behind Lu Chen and looking shaken by He Changsheng¡¯s departure.


    Lu Chen shook his head. ¡°He probably hates me.¡±


    Yi Xin was taken aback. ¡°Is it because of the incident with the stone garlic that day?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not your fault!¡± Yi Xin eximed, her face paling with anger. ¡°The stone garlic belonged to Su Mo, and it was Su¡¯s people who humiliated him. He chose to confront them himself. Even if you consider Lin Kuangyi¡¯s pressure, Su Qingjun only asked for proof, which he couldn¡¯t provide! Why does he me you alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why does he hate me so much?¡± Lu Chen mused aloud. After a moment, he looked at Yi Xin, who was visibly agitated, and felt a pang of warmth in his heart.


    ¡°Alright, calm down,¡± Lu Chen said with a smile, gently pulling her arm. ¡°I¡¯m not even this worked up. Why are you so angry?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just, it doesn¡¯t make sense. I feel unfairly treated on your behalf,¡± Yi Xinined, pouting.


    Lu Chen looked up at the sky, where a few white clouds driftedzily across the blue expanse. After a moment, he said to Yi Xin, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve told you the reason before.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Yi Xin asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m weak,¡± Lu Chen said quietly.


    **Chapter 129: The Weak Exploiting the Weak**


    In the morning, Lu Chen set out with Ah Tu as usual. Since Liuxiang Garden had a strict policy against allowing any animals inside to protect the precious spiritual herbs, Ah Tu had never apanied Lu Chen there and would usually part ways with him at the entrance.


    Lu Chen would work in the garden, while Ah Tu would spend the day wandering freely, finding its own food and water, and return only when it was dark.


    This free-range approach was convenient for Lu Chen, but Yi Xin frequently nagged him, worried about potential dangers Ah Tu might face alone. However, Lu Chen ignored her concerns, and Ah Tu seemed to enjoy its free time immensely. Eventually, Yi Xin had to ept this reality, asionally bringing extra meat bones for Ah Tu when she visited.


    At the house entrance, Ah Tu turned back to bark at Lu Chen as if to say goodbye, then dashed off, disappearing into the distance for its daily adventure. Recently, Ah Tu had developed a particr fondness for roaming around, but no one knew where it went. Lu Chen didn¡¯t bother with it and walked towards Liuxiang Garden.


    Entering the garden and arriving at the spiritual fields, Lu Chen began his work amidst the fragrant breeze.


    However, the day didn¡¯t feel lonely. After a short while of work, Yi Xin appeared by his spiritual field with a smile, waving and calling out, ¡°Good morning, Lu Ge!¡±


    Lu Chen dusted off his hands and sat by the field¡¯s edge, smiling at Yi Xin. ¡°I see you¡¯re quite leisurely these days, always wandering around.¡±


    Yi Xin shot him a yful re. ¡°Not at all!¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°I remember you¡¯re stationed at Shipan Mountain, buttely, I keep seeing you around Liuxiang Garden. Aren¡¯t you cking off?¡±


    Yi Xin chuckled with a hint of pride. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Elder Sister Yan Luo was recently assigned to manage Liuxiang Garden and brought me along.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that makes sense,¡± Lu Chen nodded, smiling. ¡°It seems Elder Sister Yan really likes you.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Who wouldn¡¯t like me¡­¡± Yi Xin stuck out her tongue yfully, but suddenly her expression froze. The joke she was about to make caught in her throat as her eyes widened in shock at something behind Lu Chen. Her gaze was fixed in surprise, unable to continue speaking.


    Lu Chen, somewhat puzzled, turned around and his brows furrowed slightly. He saw He Changsheng walking a few paces away, his steps slow but his eyes ring with intense hostility towards Lu Chen.


    Perhaps he hadn¡¯t slept wellst night, He Changsheng¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, filled with hatred as if he saw an enemy from whom he had suffered a grave injury. His expression was one of bitter resentment, almost as if he was seeing an archenemy. Yi Xin couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill from the look He Changsheng gave Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen expressionlessly stood up, stepping in front of Yi Xin to shield her from He Changsheng¡¯s gaze. He stared coldly at He Changsheng, showing no sign of retreat.


    He Changsheng¡¯s anger seemed to intensify under Lu Chen¡¯s unwavering gaze. His chest heaved rapidly, his face contorted with indescribable rage, as though he couldn¡¯t believe Lu Chen dared to meet his eyes without any sign of guilt or shame.


    Yet Lu Chen remained calm and steady, his silence carrying a hint of coldness.


    After a while, He Changsheng turned and strode away.


    ¡°Lu Ge, why is this person like this?¡± Yi Xin asked, peeking from behind Lu Chen and looking shaken by He Changsheng¡¯s departure.


    Lu Chen shook his head. ¡°He probably hates me.¡±


    Yi Xin was taken aback. ¡°Is it because of the incident with the stone garlic that day?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not your fault!¡± Yi Xin eximed, her face paling with anger. ¡°The stone garlic belonged to Su Mo, and it was Su¡¯s people who humiliated him. He chose to confront them himself. Even if you consider Lin Kuangyi¡¯s pressure, Su Qingjun only asked for proof, which he couldn¡¯t provide! Why does he me you alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why does he hate me so much?¡± Lu Chen mused aloud. After a moment, he looked at Yi Xin, who was visibly agitated, and felt a pang of warmth in his heart.


    ¡°Alright, calm down,¡± Lu Chen said with a smile, gently pulling her arm. ¡°I¡¯m not even this worked up. Why are you so angry?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just, it doesn¡¯t make sense. I feel unfairly treated on your behalf,¡± Yi Xinined, pouting.


    Lu Chen looked up at the sky, where a few white clouds driftedzily across the blue expanse. After a moment, he said to Yi Xin, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve told you the reason before.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Yi Xin asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m weak,¡± Lu Chen said quietly.


    ¡°Su Qingjun is a rare talent, far beyond ordinary people, something he could never hope topare with. Su Mo, Su Qian, and Su Wen, the three brothers,e from the powerful Su family, and with Su Qingjun recently advancing to the Golden Core stage, their influence is unmatched. For He Changsheng to provoke them is like seeking death. Simrly, the people from Lin Kuangyi¡¯s side, though not as formidable as the Su family, could easily crush someone like him, a mere servant disciple.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at Yi Xin calmly and said, ¡°He Changsheng¡¯s ancestors were also from a prominent family in Kunwu City, so he should be familiar with these matters. Even if he hates them, he wouldn¡¯t dare provoke them.¡±


    Yi Xin bit her lip and looked at Lu Chen, ¡°So, so he¡­¡±


    ¡°So, looking around, it¡¯s clear that I¡¯m the weakest. We¡¯re all servant disciples, and I have no family background. Venting his anger on me is the safest and cheapest option for him,¡± Lu Chen said with a smile. ¡°Everyone sees him acting so crazily now, but he actually knows full well in his heart.¡±


    ¡°Shameless!¡± Yi Xin spat, her face flushed with anger. ¡°If he had any guts, he should go after the real culprits. That day, I clearly saw that it was he who deliberately pulled you in to testify. When you told the truth and couldn¡¯t help him, he held a grudge against you? If he truly dared to confront the Su family, I¡¯d respect him more. What a coward!¡±


    Lu Chen sat quietly for a moment before saying, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t expect him to be this kind of person. Nowadays, the weak are too timid to threaten the strong, so they only dare to pile their resentment onto other weak individuals, thinking this will relieve their frustration and make them seem stronger.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t itughable?¡±


    ¡°Really disgusting,¡± Yi Xin frowned, showing her distaste. Then she sighed and said, ¡°Lu Ge, ever since I met you, I keep hearing about these¡­ unpleasant things from you. The more I hear, the more it feels like the world is so dark, with no light left.¡±


    Lu Chen chuckled and couldn¡¯t help but pat Yi Xin¡¯s head, saying with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s just that you haven¡¯t seen these things before. I¡¯m just trying to broaden your horizons, but you seem unwilling.¡±


    Yi Xin covered her forehead and gave Lu Chen¡¯s arm a yful p,ining, ¡°Stop patting my head. It¡¯s going to get silly. Well¡­ it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s just that hearing it makes me ufortable.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her deeply, making Yi Xin feel a bit uneasy. ¡°Lu Ge, why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Lu Chen pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Actually, even though there are many bad things in this world, I used to think the world was entirely¡­ the way you describe as ¡®dark.¡¯ But after all these years, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s like that anymore. There are still some very good things in the world.¡±


    Yi Xin¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Like what?¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her and smiled. ¡°For example, you. When you smile, you¡¯re very beautiful, like the sun shining on you.¡±


    Yi Xin was momentarily stunned. After a moment, her cheeks flushed red, and she jumped up, stammering, ¡°W-what are you saying¡­¡±


    Lu Chenughed, ¡°Is it wrong to say you¡¯re beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ oh!¡± Yi Xin mumbled something incoherent, stamped her foot, and shot Lu Chen a look of mixed joy and annoyance before turning and running away.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lu Chen shook his head with a smile and returned to his spiritual field, preparing to continue working. Just as he was about to bend down, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps. Looking up, he saw Yi Xin running back, her face red.


    Lu Chenughed, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Even if you¡¯re happy to hear it, I won¡¯t repeat those words.¡±


    ¡°Go away, go away!¡± Yi Xin¡¯s face turned even redder as she scolded. ¡°Who wants to hear it again? I forgot to tell you something.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled. ¡°What¡¯s up? Tell me.¡±


    Yi Xin seemed a bit shy, avoiding Lu Chen¡¯s gaze and ncing sideways. ¡°I went back to Kunwu City yesterday and brought some nice tea leaves. Do you want some?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Chen replied straightforwardly.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Yi Xin said, appearing a bit pleased and chuckling. Then she seemed to remember something. ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s another thing. Just before I was about to leave the city yesterday, a fat man suddenly stopped me and asked me to tell you that the ¡®Blue Butterfly Dew¡¯ you ordered has arrived, and you should go down the mountain to collect it when you have time.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s expression suddenly turned cold.

 Chapter 269: .1 - Author Note - End of Book Note

    Chapter 269: .1 - Author Note - End of Book Note


    **End of Volume Note**


    The second volume of *¡±The Heavenly Shadow,¡±* titled *¡±Youthful Wanderer,¡±*es to an end here. I have some reflections and thoughts to share, so let¡¯s discuss them.


    From the beginning until now, I¡¯ve been writing this book with utmost seriousness. Those who have been reading it might have sensed this. Life has its ups and downs, but the written word remains constant.


    I know that some of my readers, just like the title of this volume suggests, have been following my books since their youth. Over the years, it turns out that you are still here, still with me. This is truly touching. I haven¡¯t had a chance to say this before, so today, I want to say ¡°thank you¡± to all of you.


    I am not a perfect author; I have many ws, and I do not deny that. However, I believe my writing is somewhat unique, and there will always be readers who appreciate the works I create.


    Every time I hear that someone enjoys my book, it brings me the greatest joy. Even though I am no longer the young writer I once was, I still love hearing good things about my work. Perhaps it sounds a bit foolish, but maybe all introverts are like that¡­


    In any case, thank you all. I will continue to work hard to improve this book. But there are a few things I need to mention first.<ol><li><ol><li> Since finishing the second volume, I¡¯ve been under a lot of pressure. Especiallyst night¡¯s final chapter, which was over 7,200 words long. I wrote it all in one go. The editor suggested splitting it into chapters, but I thought it would be better as one continuous piece for readerfort. After this, I n to take a two-day break to clear my mind and improve the quality of the uing content. Updates will resume on the third day.</li></ol></li></ol><ol start="2"><li><ol start="2"><li> The current update frequency has be quite overwhelming for me. I am not an author known for prolific updates. Honestly, maintaining a consistent two to sometimes four updates a day for over three months, while keeping a certain quality, has exceeded my expectations. However, this pace has taken a toll on me. Writing untilte at night has be routine, and while fatigue is one thing, workingte into the night affects the quality of the writing. For instance, during the ¡°Winter Peak Battle,¡± I had many more ideas and felt capable of writing them better, but the pressure to update quickly forced me to rush. I hope to avoid this in the future.</li></ol></li></ol>


    Therefore, for the third volume, I n to slightly slow down the update rate: two updates from Monday to Friday and one update on weekends. This should provide a bit of relief.<ol start="3"><li><ol start="3"><li> The title of the third volume has not been revealed yet. Feel free to guess! Given that the readers who enjoy my books are likely quite intelligent, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to figure out.</li></ol></li></ol>


    Finally, I wish everyone joy and hope you find something uniquely enjoyable in *¡±The Heavenly Shadow.¡±*P.S.: The phrase ¡°A man remains a youth until death¡± is one I saw online and liked, so I used it as a poignant closing line. Life is never easy, and I hope everyone can maintain a youthful heart throughout their lives.


    P.S.2: This line was added by the editor: please support with your votes¡­ sigh!


    Thank you all. (To be continued.)

 Chapter 130: The Summons of the True Lord

    Chapter 130: The Summons of the True Lord


    ¡°Brother Lu, what is ¡®Blue Butterfly Dew¡¯?¡± Yi Xin asked Lu Chen with some confusion. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it before. Is it a rare spiritual material?¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s pupils contracted slightly. After a moment, he took a deep breath, his expression returning to normal. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a spiritual material. It¡¯s actually just a type of wine, nothing valuable.¡±


    ¡°Wine, huh.¡± Yi Xin shrugged, clearly uninterested in alcoholic beverages. She then bade farewell to Lu Chen and was about to leave.


    However, at that moment, Lu Chen called her back.


    ¡°Brother Lu, is there something else?¡± Yi Xin asked.


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Yi Xin, be careful and don¡¯t trust others too easily.¡±


    Yi Xin was a bit surprised and asked, ¡°Brother Lu, what do you mean by that? Is there something wrong with the person who asked me to pass the message earlier?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly¡­¡± Lu Chen shook his head, seemingly with a wry smile. He then coughed and changed the subject, ¡°There are too many bad people in this world. You¡¯re still young and seem a bit naive. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll suffer.¡±


    ¡°Hey, who are you calling naive?¡± Yi Xin immediately shouted indignantly, clearly diverted by his words.Lu Chen smiled and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s basically what I meant. Oh, and about that He Changsheng guy, stay away from him too. If he really goes crazy and tries to harm me, it would be bad if you got hurt.¡±


    Yi Xin nodded, ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    She then turned and walked away, her steps light and cheerful. Lu Chen watched her receding figure for a moment, standing in silence. Then he suddenly muttered under his breath, ¡°Fatty, what are you trying to do!¡±


    ***


    At the foot of Doghead Mountain, Ah Tu came running. Several days had passed since the earthquake, and the numerous immortal birds and beasts that had fled had unknowingly returned, resuming their orderly positions on the peculiar mountain.


    As Ah Tu walked, many animals saw him.


    Birds chirped, fierce beasts roared, an ostrich identally kicked Ah Tu¡¯s butt, and many other exotic beasts that remembered Ah Tu¡¯s embarrassing fall from the mountain top looked at him with disdain and schadenfreude as he cautiously made his way up Doghead Mountain.


    That huge figure still loomed at the mountain¡¯s peak.


    Rhinoceroses, tigers, lions, elephants, and red-crowned cranes danced gracefully. Many other strange birds and beasts, some of which Ah Tu had never seen or heard of, gathered there. Among them were many fierce creatures. As Ah Tu passed through their territories, they either prodded, obstructed, or frightened him, causing him to look back anxiously, fearing he might be someone¡¯s meal.


    After a long and arduous climb, Ah Tu finally reached the top of Doghead Mountain. Exhausted, he panted heavily with his tongue out, taking a break before looking up. He saw a huge blue ox lying at the mountain¡¯s peak, its eyes half-closed as if dozing.


    Ah Tu waited for a while before cautiously approaching the blue ox. The entire Doghead Mountain fell silent, with countless immortal birds and beasts watching the mountain top, waiting for the next ck shadow to be thrown down.


    Ah Tu wagged his tail and slowly walked to the blue ox¡¯s side. He seemed somewhat cautious, and in the quiet atmosphere of the mountain, he appeared nervous.


    ¡°Woof¡­¡± Ah Tu¡¯s bark was low, filled with hesitation, like a puzzled inquiry.


    Suddenly, a ck shadow swept through the air. It was the blue ox¡¯s thick and extremely nimble tail. Instantly, all the beasts on Doghead Mountain became excited. Lions and tigers raised their heads, and immortal birds spread their wings, all staring intently at the mountain top.


    Momentster, the tail gently fell, lightly brushing over the ck dog¡¯s smooth fur before retracting.


    The blue ox opened its eyes briefly, then closed them again, yawning.


    All the beasts on the mountain were stunned.


    Ah Tu was stunned for a moment before suddenly jumping up and running to the edge of the mountain top. He vigorously shook his body, then barked joyfully towards the beasts below, ¡°Woof, woof, woof! Woof, woof!¡±


    The mountain was silent.


    Only the wind blew, and the ck dog standing on the mountain top appeared particrly majestic.


    ***


    At noon, Lu Chen found an excuse to leave the mountain and headed to Kunwu City.


    Walking through the bustling streets, he seemed indifferent to the surrounding hustle and bustle, heading straight for the city wall. However, that day, he didn¡¯t go directly inside. Instead, he circled around the street outside the alley twice and waited for half an hour before finally entering the alley and arriving at the deste ck Hill Pavilion.


    Fatty Lao Ma was dozing on his beloved reclining chair. Upon hearing footsteps, he jumped up with a start and, without opening his eyes, rattled off, ¡°Dear customer, take a look around. We have a wide variety of spiritual materials at affordable prices¡­ Oh, it¡¯s you.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at him and sneered, ¡°It¡¯s me. What¡¯s with that ghostly expression?¡±


    Lao Ma yawned widely and sighed, ¡°I thought I finally had a customer!¡±


    Lu Chen spat, ¡°Keep dreaming. Since this shop opened, how many sales have you made? Tell me.¡±


    Lao Ma coughed and said seriously, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the past. We must look forward. Besides, what¡¯s wrong with dreaming? What if ites true?¡±


    Lu Chen raised a finger and waved it in front of him. Then his expression turned serious as he red at Lao Ma and said, ¡°Exin to me why you suddenly dragged that girl Yi Xin into this.¡±


    Lao Ma shrugged and said, ¡°I had something urgent to discuss with you, but you haven¡¯t beening down the mountaintely, so I had no choice.¡±


    Lu Chen retorted bluntly, ¡°Bullshit! You have such a widework, so many connections, and you can investigate anyone within the Kunlun Sect. If you don¡¯t have dozens of spies on the mountain, then it¡¯s still too few. Why couldn¡¯t you have someone else inform me? Why drag an innocent girl into this?¡±


    Lao Ma looked at Lu Chen and smiled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s rare to see you so concerned about someone.¡±


    Lu Chen snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t try to provoke me. We¡¯ve yed these tricks long enough. I¡¯m just telling you, Yi Xin has nothing to do with our matters, so don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t involve her?¡± Lao Ma interrupted, looking at him with a faint expression. ¡°Is that what you mean?¡±


    Lu Chen seemed to think of something, frowned, but said nothing.


    Lao Ma then chuckled, ¡°Those spies you mentioned are just like you. If there¡¯s danger, they¡¯re risking their lives for me. So, if I had to choose, I¡¯d naturally protect my own people.¡±


    ¡°That Yi family girl was doomed to bad luck the moment she met you. Are you pretending to be ignorant? Have you be so used to ying the role of her protective ¡®Big Brother Lu¡¯ that you believe you can keep her safe forever?¡±


    Lu Chen suddenly looked up, his gaze cold, staring directly at Lao Ma.


    Lao Ma didn¡¯t flinch, staring back coldly.


    The shop¡¯s atmosphere turned icy.


    After a long silence, Lu Chen finally said, ¡°You don¡¯t usually talk to me like this. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lao Ma¡¯s chubby face twitched slightly, suddenly looking somewhat irritated, ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯ve always been this straightforward!¡±


    Lu Chen turned his head, looking around the shop, muttering, ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like there are any ambushed assassins here, unless they¡¯re hidden outside?¡± He paused, then suddenly stepped forward, grabbing a handful of Lao Ma¡¯s chubby face and tugging it.


    Lao Ma yelped, pulling away angrily, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m checking if you were forced to take poison and are here to harm me.¡±


    ¡°Bah! Bah! Bah!¡± Lao Ma spat, nearly hitting Lu Chen¡¯s face, shouting, ¡°Screw you! If anyone¡¯s poisoned, it¡¯s you¡ªwith your rotten heart, rotten lungs, and rotten guts.¡±


    Lu Chen pped his hands, looking at Lao Ma with a disdainful gaze, ¡°Next time, remember to wash your face more often. A greasy-faced fatty is unbearable.¡±


    Lao Ma kicked at him, but Lu Chen easily dodged.


    Muttering curses, Lao Ma pointed towards the back room, ¡°Go over there.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°He wants to see you.¡±


    Lu Chen suddenly fell silent, looking at Lao Ma. The anger on Lao Ma¡¯s face vanished instantly, reced by a look of concern. But after a moment, he sighed and said, ¡°Go on.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded and walked towards the back courtyard. After taking a few steps, he heard Lao Ma speak again from behind, ¡°By the way, you should warn that Yi family girl yourself.¡±


    Lu Chen stopped but didn¡¯t turn around, ¡°Why?¡±


    Lao Ma said indifferently, ¡°That girl is young and naive, too trusting. I said a few words, and she believed me without even thinking to ask how I knew about your rtionship with her.¡±


    Lu Chen remained silent, then slowly shook his head, but said nothing more and walked towards the courtyard.


    Passing through the narrow alley, he saw the familiar square courtyard. This time, unlike before, the first thing he saw was that person¡¯s figure.


    That extraordinarily fat, broad figure sitting in the small courtyard seemed almost to fill itpletely.


    The wide robe, sitting cross-legged, and the shining bald head¡ªall clearly identified this person.


    A bird happened to fly over the courtyard, seemingly tired or curious. It pped its wings slowly andnded, finally perching on his bald head, as if it felt no threat and considered him merely a rock.


    True Lord Tian looked ahead, smiling slightly. He waved at Lu Chen warmly and said, ¡°You¡¯re here. Come, sit.¡±

 Chapter 131: The Pale Tooth

    Chapter 131: The Pale Tooth


    Lu Chen walked a few steps forward and sat down on the stone steps in the small courtyard, a little distance away from True Lord Tian, but they could still see each other clearly.


    True Lord Tian looked at him, not showing any anger. His eyes were gentle, and there was a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, as if he were looking at a stubborn and mischievous child of his own.


    ¡°How have you been recently?¡± he asked Lu Chen with a smile.


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°Any progress on that matter?¡±


    Lu Chen nced at him and said indifferently, ¡°Old Ma knows all about it and must have exined everything to you. Why ask me again?¡±


    True Lord Tian chuckled and said, ¡°He¡¯s not you. There might be differences when rying messages. Besides, I still want to hear it from you.¡±


    Lu Chen frowned, remained silent for a moment, and then said, ¡°There¡¯s still no clue. I haven¡¯t found any traces of the demonic sect¡¯s activities on Kunlun Mountain. For now, I can only investigate slowly. I picked a few targets at random and had Old Ma check them out first. We¡¯ll see what he finds.¡±


    True Lord Tian nodded, his expression calm, revealing no emotion. ¡°I understand. But I¡¯m curious about the two people you¡¯re investigating. Why did you pick these two girls out of everyone else?¡±Lu Chen¡¯s face remained expressionless as he said, ¡°No particr reason, just that I¡¯ve seen them a few times and it¡¯s convenient.¡±


    ¡°Convenient, huh¡­¡± Even someone as knowledgeable as True Lord Tian couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly at that. ¡°It seems those two girls are rather unlucky to have caught your attention.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s eyes lifted slightly. ¡°If they are the demonic sect¡¯s spies, then they¡¯re indeed unlucky.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± True Lord Tian waved his hand with a smile. ¡°Just handle it as you see fit. I trust you.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled slightly, then nced at him again. ¡°Why did you have time toe see me today? I remember you were staying with the True Immortals¡¯ Alliance recently, right?¡±


    True Lord Tian said, ¡°I¡¯ve been back for a while. I¡¯ve wanted to see you, but it¡¯s not convenient on Kunlun Mountain. Now that I¡¯m down here, it¡¯s hard to catch you, so it dragged on until today.¡± He smiled and added, ¡°Actually, if you hadn¡¯te today, I would have left tomorrow.¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback, then said, ¡°No wonder Old Ma was so anxious.¡±


    True Lord Tian smiled without speaking.


    Lu Chen frowned, then suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯ve been back for a while, and you returned secretly without anyone in the sect knowing?¡± His gaze became sharper as he looked at True Lord Tian. ¡°Is there something going on in the sect?¡±


    ¡°A bit.¡±


    ¡°What kind of matter?¡±


    ¡°Not convenient to say.¡±


    A sharp light shed in Lu Chen¡¯s eyes as he looked at True Lord Tian. ¡°Oh, even I can¡¯t know?¡±


    True Lord Tian thought for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s still not convenient. But maybe when you finish this task and I take you as my disciple, then I can tell you.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at True Lord Tian, his eyes shining brighter and brighter. He suddenly stood up. ¡°It must be something major?¡±


    ¡°Yes, major.¡±


    ¡°A big secret of the Kunlun Sect?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡± True Lord Tian smiled. ¡°Why, are you curious and eager to know?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Chen answered straightforwardly. ¡°What secret in the Kunlun Sect could attract the demonic sect¡¯s greed, making them gamble everything? There must be some connection. Knowing it might help find the demonic spy. I want to know.¡±


    True Lord Tian was silent for a moment, seeming to weigh things in his mind. He then smiled apologetically. ¡°Sorry, I still can¡¯t tell you. But I can say that only Senior Brother Bai Chen and I are involved, so it shouldn¡¯t be rted to the demonic spy you mentioned.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. After a while, he shook his head slowly. ¡°You two True Lords, with such high morals, naturally wouldn¡¯t do anything to collude with the demonic sect.¡±


    True Lord Tian smiled without speaking, looking at Lu Chen with a deep light in his eyes, like ripples rising on a vast ocean.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    A little bird chirped, and even after a long time, it still hadn¡¯t flown away. It seemed to be fond of True Lord Tian¡¯srge, shiny bald head, pecking at it asionally. However, True Lord Tian remained calm, as if he didn¡¯t notice the bird or feel any pain.


    ¡°Is there anything you need help with?¡± True Lord Tian asked Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen responded, ¡°You want to help me?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I? This matter is something I asked you to do. If I can help in any way, I should do a bit.¡±


    ¡°There are a few people you could kill for me,¡± Lu Chen said.


    True Lord Tian: ¡°¡­That¡¯s not quite right. Do you suspect those people of being demonic spies?¡±


    ¡°No, just don¡¯t like them. Like you.¡±


    True Lord Tian smiled wryly and sighed, ¡°I should never have told you the truth back then.¡±


    Lu Chen sneered.


    True Lord Tian looked at him with a gentle gaze, still with a bit of indulgence. After a moment, he suddenly said, ¡°Xiao Lu, I notice you¡¯re different from before.¡±


    Lu Chen asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to fear me anymore.¡±


    Lu Chen sneered mockingly, ¡°What are you saying? I never feared you. Didn¡¯t I always speak to you like this in the past?¡±


    True Lord Tian shook his head, his eyes filled with a yful look. ¡°No, in the past, even though you joked and argued with me, you still had some respect deep down.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, why would I be afraid of you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not me you¡¯re afraid of. Deep down, you feared the title of ¡®True Lord.¡¯ Back then, I could tell that like almost every cultivator under the sky, you had a reverence and awe for the supreme position of True Lord. That title and the power it representsmand a natural respect and fear.¡± True Lord Tian smiled, but his gaze was bright and seemed to pierce through Lu Chen¡¯s body, seeing his innermost thoughts.


    ¡°That is a supreme realm unattainable for millions of cultivators in their lifetimes. For thousands of years, everyone has held it in awe. I could see that.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Lu Chenughed, though his expression subtly changed.


    True Lord Tian looked at him and then slowly said, ¡°Butst time, when we met in the wastnd, I felt something was off, but I couldn¡¯t figure it out.¡±


    His eyes flickered, and he gently said, ¡°Just now, watching you, I suddenly understood what¡¯s different.¡±


    The smile on Lu Chen¡¯s face vanished, and he coldly stared at the big man.


    True Lord Tian pointed at Lu Chen, calmly saying, ¡°You no longer fear me. To be precise, a low-level cultivator like you no longer has that instinctive reverence for a Nascent Soul True Lord¡¯s power.¡±


    Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand your babbling.¡±


    True Lord Tian squinted slightly, staring at Lu Chen as if reassessing him. After a moment, he suddenly spoke, ¡°The Descent Incantation, right?¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s face turned deathly pale.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When Ah Tu came out of the mountains, it nced at the sky. Although it was still bright, the sun was already sinking westward, and it would soon be dusk.


    Today on Doghead Mountain, Ah Tu was very happy and excited. It had finally integrated into the group of lofty celestial birds and exotic beasts, giving it a sense of pride. Even its steps seemed lighter than usual as it ran back.


    It¡¯s a pity dogs can¡¯t hum; otherwise, Ah Tu would surely be whistling as it ran back.


    From a distance, it saw Lu Chen¡¯s house and trotted towards it. But when it was still more than ten zhang away, Ah Tu suddenly stopped.


    It saw a figure pacing back and forth outside the house.


    It was a man with a strange expression on his face, slightly flushed, and his eyes darting around. His chest was heaving as if he was out of breath, and one of his hands was tucked inside his coat, seemingly gripping something.


    The man was looking around constantly but mostly focused on Lu Chen¡¯s house, muttering something under his breath that Ah Tu couldn¡¯t make out. He just kept pacing around the house.


    Ah Tu was puzzled and watched the man for a while. Other than his suspicious behavior, the man didn¡¯t seem to be doing anything else. Ah Tu waited for a bit, noticing the sky darkening further, and decided to go home first.


    So, it ran towards the house. As it passed by the man, he nced at it but seemed not to pay it much mind and didn¡¯t do anything else.


    Feeling relieved, Ah Tu ran to the door and barked twice. The house was silent, with no response.


    Behind it, the man suddenly paused and turned to look in its direction.


    Ah Tu didn¡¯t pay attention to the movement behind it. Disappointed to find no one home, it trotted to the back of the house, where the little dog hole had be its personal entrance.


    But just then, a voice called out from behind.


    ¡°Little dog¡­¡±


    Ah Tu halted in its tracks, standing in front of the dog hole. It turned to see that strange man, who had unknowingly walked over and was now standing a short distance behind it, wearing a sinister smile.


    His teeth were very white.


    Deathly white! (To be contcontinu


    <b>Doghead Mountain ¨C GouTou Mountain</b>

 Chapter 132: A Lonely Friend

    Chapter 132: A Lonely Friend


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with the Descending God Spell?¡± Lu Chen asked.


    Master Tian looked at him and shook his head, ¡°There are countless cultivators in this world. Nine out of ten spend their entire lives blocked from reaching the Golden Core stage; of the remaining, less than one in ten can courageously advance to the Nascent Soul stage. As for those who reach the Transformation stage, they are revered by the world, akin to deities.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Are you considering yourself a god?¡±


    ¡°I am certainly not a god. At best, I¡¯m just a somewhat skilled cultivator,¡± Master Tian replied with a smile, ¡°But those who haven¡¯t reached this level wouldn¡¯t think like this.¡±


    Lu Chen suddenly fell silent.


    ¡°I have met many people in this world, but over the years, only one type of person has shown no fear towards me.¡±


    ¡°What kind of person?¡± Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Someone who is at the same cultivation level as me¡ªa Transformation Stage True Lord.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡°Your words are bing more and more outrageous!¡± Lu Chen forced a smile, looked down at his own body, and said, ¡°A Transformation Stage True Lord? Do I look like one?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Master Tian¡¯s smile gradually faded, and he looked at Lu Chen meaningfully, ¡°Precisely because of this, I am very curious and puzzled. What is it? Or what have you seen or experienced that allows you to let go of your fear towards someone at the Transformation stage?¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly. Under Master Tian¡¯s bright gaze, he suddenly felt a chill permeate his entire body.


    Master Tian continued speaking, ¡°So I thought back carefully, considering what you¡¯ve encountered in the past ten years. I realized that in thest decade, you¡¯ve been in that small vige, with your cultivation ruined, living in obscurity, and nothing unusual happened¡­ So the anomaly must have urred before you went into seclusion.¡±


    He stared into Lu Chen¡¯s eyes for a long time and then said gently, ¡°Therefore, it must be the Descending God Spell, right?¡±


    ¡°That secret spell is a closely guarded secret of the demonic sect, known only to a few elders. But given the circumstances of the Battle of the Wild Valley, and some things you mentioned to me recently, I think those people were trying to use the secret spell to draw down vast divine power and forcibly advance their cultivation.¡±


    ¡°They failed,¡± Lu Chen said coldly.


    ¡°They failed because of you.¡±


    The atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly turned cold.


    Lu Chen remained silent, but his breathing seemed somewhat unsteady, growing slightly heavier.


    Master Tian, however, continued as if nothing mattered to him, ¡°So I was thinking, it must have been something that happened when the Descending God Spell was activated, something unknown to me.¡±


    ¡°These events are crucial¡ªthey even allowed you to let go of your fear of Transformation Stage True Lords.¡±


    ¡°Look¡­ yes, it¡¯s that look in your eyes.¡± Master Tian gently observed Lu Chen¡¯s eyes, ¡°You clearly know you are no match for me, you know your cultivation is worlds apart from mine. But when I revealed the secret hidden deep within your heart, your first reaction was not to seek a way out, not to be afraid and beg for mercy¡­¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s eyelid twitched slightly, and he said coldly, ¡°So what do you think I was doing?¡±


    Master Tian said softly, ¡°You were looking at me. When your eyes nced at my body, they instinctively evaluated something, as if¡­ thinking about¡­ how this person could be killed.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Master Tian asked Lu Chen.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The courtyard was deadly silent. After a while, the bird that had been perched on the bald head suddenly flew away, pping its wings towards the sky.


    Both of them looked up, watching the small silhouette disappear into the distance. After a while, they lowered their gazes and looked at each other again.


    ¡°That¡¯s the funniest joke I¡¯ve ever heard in my life,¡± Lu Chen said, expressionless.


    Master Tian thought for a moment and said, ¡°It is quite funny.¡± After he finished, he really opened his mouth andughed ¡°haha¡± three times at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen lowered his head slightly, then slowly, once again sat down on the stone steps. After a while, he suddenly said, ¡°Baldy, if you no longer trust me, I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡±


    A cold breeze blew through the courtyard, seeming to prate deep into their hearts.


    After a long while, Master Tian gently shook his head and said, ¡°Of course, I still trust you, Xiao Lu. Just like I told you in the Wild Valley, the person I trust most in this world is you.¡±


    Lu Chen looked up and saw the gentle eyes of the extraordinarilyrge man gazing deeply at him.


    ¡°My earlier words were not meant to use you, nor to suggest that you really want to kill me. I just want to know, what did you see when the Descending God Spell was cast? What happened that suddenly changed your mindset¡­ All these years, you¡¯ve never kept secrets from me. I thought I knew everything about you, but now there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. I really want to know.¡± Master Tian smiled and said, ¡°I think it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to tell.¡±


    Lu Chen sat in silence, the light around him dimming slightly. After a while, he looked up at the sky, stood up, and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, I need to return to the mountain.¡±


    Master Tian quietly watched him. After a moment, he nodded and said gently, ¡°Then go ahead. I¡¯ll be returning to the Immortal City tomorrow. Be careful here on Kunlun Mountain.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded to him and then turned to walk back through the passage.


    Master Tian seemed to sigh softly, closing his eyes as aplex expression flickered across his features.


    As Lu Chen reached the entrance of the passage, he suddenly stopped and, without turning around, said in a tone almost devoid of emotion, ¡°If I told you that I have already told you everything about what happened when the Descending God Spell was cast, including every tiny detail, without any concealment, would you believe me?¡±


    Master Tian opened his eyes and looked at the young man¡¯s back. After a while, he said, ¡°I believe you.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded and said nothing more as he left the courtyard.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When night fell, Lu Chen returned to his residence on Kunlun Mountain.


    He walked in with an expressionless face, opened the door, and then locked it behind him. Once the walls and door hadpletely separated him from the outside world, he stood quietly.


    For a long time.


    The light and shadow subtly changed, with darkness gradually filling the space, blending his figure into the shadows. No one could see that his hands, hidden in his sleeves and under his cor, were trembling slightly, trying desperately to suppress it.


    The darkness was very quiet, with no light, no wind, no sound. The night seemed like a swirling ck tide, silently flowing and rolling in front of him.


    He stared nkly, and suddenly, ck mes ignited deep within his dark pupils.


    The mes seemed to instantly transport him back to ten years ago.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    That earth-shattering roar, the magnificent pir of light piercing through the darkness, and the rift tearing the sky!


    Unimaginable and majestic power transformed into dazzling light, illuminating the figures of the four people, who let out cries of pain and joy. The fire zed, and the strange seeds seemed to be reborn, growing, and blooming in the mes!


    Heaven and Earth!


    Descending God Spell!


    Wild power tore apart the earth and sky, with only a dark shadow silently standing by, drawing out a ck short sword behind the light.


    The ck mes in his pupils roared fiercely, burning as if trying to scorch the traces of time and erase everything.


    It was a de that cut through time, slicing through flesh and heart, causing blood to spray out like a torrent. The old, twisted, terrified, and angry face turned around and stared directly at him.


    ck mes burned!


    The soul howled!


    The dark de plunged into the light, and the surging power surged like a tide, finally finding a gap in the surrounding dam and crashing through everything.


    Thus, light and darkness merged into one.


    Thus, all cause and effect turned into fragments, scattered like a deste night rain, falling and disappearing.


    Only that power, immensely powerful, remained clearly engraved in his heart.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Hey on the cold ground in the darkness.


    Slowly, he reopened his eyes, as if awakening painfully yet resolutely from the deepest and most inextricable nightmare.


    He breathed slightly, and after a while, when everything had calmed down, he raised his right hand and quietly looked at the outline of his hand in the darkness.


    That hand had once held a sword.


    Had once killed people.


    Had also felt that power descending from the heavens amidst blood and fire, light and dark.


    People in the world revere heaven, earth, and deities.


    That power was like a deity; the figures in the intery of light and shadow seemed as powerful as gods at that final moment.


    The ck mes burned in his eyes and then slowly extinguished, finally returning everything to nothingness.


    The darkness enveloped the room, and the surroundings were silent. Hey there quietly, suddenly remembering something, and then slowly sat up.


    The surrounding quiet was as if the whole world had only him left.


    It was at that moment that Lu Chen suddenly realized that he had not felt this sense of solitude for quite some time.


    In every night that should have been lonely, every time he woke in the darkness, he would hear a faint and familiar breathing sound and feel a warm, beating body.


    It was because of that presence that he no longer felt lonely.


    In the darkness, Lu Chen sat for a moment, then looked around. The silent darkness was like rippling water, and he softly called out, ¡°Ah Tu?¡±

 Chapter 133: Late at Night

    Chapter 133: Late at Night


    The darkness was as quiet as the surface of a sea under nightfall, with no sound but an undercurrent of unease. The outlines of the objects in the room were blurred and indistinct, yet no warmth was present.


    Ah Tu was not in the room.


    Lu Chen sat in silence for a while before slowly standing up.


    Darkness enveloped him, silently swirling around.


    Lu Chen looked around and saw everything that should have been in the room, except for the limping ck dog. He remained silent, his eyes emitting a faint glow in the darkness. After a moment, he went to the back of the house, crouched down, and saw the small dog hole created by the earthquake was still there.


    Everything was the same as usual, but Ah Tu, who always returned to sleep at night, was missing.


    Lu Chen stared at the dog hole for a moment, then suddenly stood up and walked swiftly toward the door. With a creak, he yanked the door open. In an instant, the deep night darkness outside poured in like a flood, revealing a pitch-ck night with no trace of light.


    The vastnd outside was unusually deste that night, with no sign of life.


    A cold wind swept across his face, carrying a chill that seemed to seep into his bones.The night was bleak.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When dawn arrived the next day and the first rays of morning light filtered through the window, Lu Chen, sitting on the edge of the bed, nced up at the morning light.


    The morning light was gentle but still carried a hint of cold, as if the chill fromst night had not yet fully dissipated. However, once the sun rose, all the darkness and cold would vanish.


    He had spent the night in the room, but Ah Tu still had not returned.


    Lu Chen¡¯s face showed no sign of excessive fatigue, only a coldness in his gaze.


    As the sun rose, Kunlun Sect also seemed to awaken from its slumber. Many people opened their doors and went out, and Lu Chen, blending in with them, started a new day.


    He walked with a calm demeanor, without anxiety or exhaustion, moving towards his own patch of spiritual field in the Liu Xiangpu garden as if it were any other ordinary day.


    At the entrance to the garden, he encountered many other misceneous disciples like himself. They all exchanged greetings and smiles, as they were all familiar with each other.


    Lu Chen responded in kind, smiling and nodding to those around him as if nothing had happened.


    As he was about to enter the garden, He Changsheng walked past him. Lu Chen nced at him, and their eyes met. He Changsheng smiled slightly and, with a somewhat aloof tone, said, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded and replied, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    After the exchange, the two went their separate ways, heading to their respective spiritual fields. A few pacester, Lu Chen paused briefly, looked back, and stared intently at the receding figure of He Changsheng.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The day passed uneventfully and quietly. As the sun set and dusk approached, the misceneous disciples in Liu Xiangpu garden began to pack up and prepare to leave.


    Lu Chen left his spiritual field and walked out. On his way home, he intentionally took a longer route, passing by the newly assigned spiritual field for He Changsheng.


    The field was empty.


    It seemed that the diligent He Changsheng had left earlier that day. Seeing the vacant field, Lu Chen frowned slightly and then silently departed.


    On his way back, hegged behind the crowd. As he saw his own house in the distance with the setting sun casting a long shadow, he suddenly stopped.


    He looked at his shadow on the ground for a moment, then turned and walked in the opposite direction.


    Unlike the residences of the misceneous disciples at Stone te Mountain, those at Liu Xiangpu were treated much better, likely because the disciples here were more capable. Most of them had their own separate rooms, not closely packed together.


    Lu Chen quickly found He Changsheng¡¯s residence. After walking around the house, he realized there was no one inside, and He Changsheng had not yet returned.


    He looked at the setting sun and then walked to the side, sitting under arge tree.


    He waited there for a long time as the sky gradually darkened. The shadow of the tree moved over, obscuring his figure and making it appear somewhat blurred.


    Until the sky waspletely dark and the moon began to rise, a figure finally approached from afar under the night sky.


    The figure walked at a leisurely pace, humming a few indistinguishable tunes with a seemingly cheerful mood.


    As the person came closer, the light revealed it was He Changsheng.


    He did not seem to notice Lu Chen sitting in the shadow of the tree by the roadside. He continued to walk proudly, oblivious to Lu Chen¡¯s presence. Lu Chen did not call out to him; he merely remained hidden in the darkness, watching He Changsheng¡¯s retreating figure with a cold gaze.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The night passed quietly.


    Lu Cheny in his bed, quietly observing the darkness of the room until the light returned in the morning.


    That night, Ah Tu still did note back.


    In the morning, Lu Chen, like the other misceneous disciples, got up, washed, and went out. The cold expression he wore when he opened the door vanished, reced by a warm demeanor as he greeted familiar faces and joked, heading toward Liu Xiangpu¡¯s garden.


    At the entrance to the garden, he saw a few people ahead, with one of them slowing down and turning to greet Lu Chen and hispanions with a friendly smile.


    It was He Changsheng.


    As the sunlight touched He Changsheng¡¯s face, he smiled at Lu Chen and then, with a concerned expression, said, ¡°Good morning¡­ Hmm, you look a bit haggard. Did you not sleep wellst night?¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback and nced at the people around him, saying, ¡°Really? Do I look like I didn¡¯t wake up?¡±


    The others shook their heads with smiles, saying, ¡°No, you look fine.¡±


    Lu Chen rxed, smiling at He Changsheng and saying, ¡°You startled me. Actually, I slept quite wellst night.¡±


    He Changsheng¡¯s smile seemed to falter slightly, but he nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± He then turned and walked into the garden.


    Lu Chen continued joking with his friends, his eyes following He Changsheng¡¯s retreating figure. In the depths of his gaze, a flicker of dark fire briefly appeared.


    Another ordinary and peaceful day passed. At noon, Lu Chen left his spiritual field and took a leisurely walk around the garden. When he passed by He Changsheng¡¯s spiritual field, he found it was empty again.


    The spiritual herbs in the field looked a bit droopy, and the surrounding weeds were overgrown, as if neglected for a long time. Lu Chen nced at the scene, stood by the field for a moment, and then turned to leave.


    It was as if the previous day was repeating itself. At dusk, Lu Chen again arrived outside He Changsheng¡¯s house. After confirming that there was still no one inside, he sat down in the same spot as yesterday and began his patient wait.


    As night fell, the sky was starless and moonless, making it seem darker than usual.


    A cold wind blew through the mountains, bringing a hint of chill.


    The branches and leaves of therge tree rustled, casting shifting shadows. Lu Chen sat in the darkness, blending with the shadows.


    He waited longer this night than the previous one. Even as the curfew hour approached, he finally saw He Changsheng¡¯s figure returning from the distant road.


    But tonight, He Changsheng seemed different from yesterday. He no longer had a light step or a cheerful demeanor. Instead, he walked with a frustrated expression, muttering curses and seeming quite agitated.


    As he got closer, Lu Chen could see several tears and faint dark stains on He Changsheng¡¯s clothes, which looked like¡­ bloodstains.


    ¡°Damned¡­ son of a bitch¡­ fucking bastards¡­¡± He repeatedly muttered curses, his face showing a grimace of deep hatred, as if he wanted to exact severe retribution on someone.


    He entered his house amidst the curses.


    The night wind blew cold.


    The leaves rustled.


    In the shadow, Lu Chen¡¯s gaze seemed to ignite with a silent, dark me! He stared coldly at He Changsheng¡¯s back but remained unmoved until he entered his house.


    After a while, Lu Chen stood up and walked into the deeper darkness, disappearing from sight.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    That night was windy and cold.


    Lu Cheny in his bed, surrounded by darkness, and despite thete hour, he couldn¡¯t sleep. He stared at the seemingly boundless shadows, where the darkness seemed especially dense, as if something unusual was taking shape, silently twisting and turning. asionally, a fleeting glimmer of light appeared, only to vanish like a shooting star.


    In the silent, deep night, it felt as if the world was left in solitude.


    At that moment, Lu Chen seemed to hear his own heartbeat.


    The surrounding silence was terrifying.


    Until¡­ a faint sound suddenly drifted in from somewhere in the night.


    It came with the wind.


    Delicate, gentle, like a breath or a soft murmur, approaching bit by bit, struggling.


    In the darkness, Lu Chen suddenly sat up, his eyes wide open, turning to the direction of the door.


    The cold night wind blew.


    Outside, from somewhere in the dark, a faint sound emerged, like a sigh or a call, a ghostly murmur in the deep night that sent chills down the spine.


    Lu Chen got out of bed, strode to the door, and yanked it open.


    The darkness surged in like a tidal wave, overwhelming him entirely.

 Chapter 134: Blood Night Murmurs

    Chapter 134: Blood Night Murmurs


    The night wind blew coldly, the chill of the evening seemingly prating to the bone.


    Outside the door, in the shadows, a small dark figure was curled up there. At the sound of the door opening, it seemed to tremble slightly, then slowly raised its head to look at Lu Chen standing in the doorway.


    The night was deep and boundless, making the entire world appear as if it were engulfed in darkness.


    Except for a faint green glow within that shadow.


    It was Ah Tu¡¯s, one of its eyes.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lu Chen stood quietly at the door. For a moment, when his gaze met that faintly green eye, he subconsciously held his breath.


    He had thought he was already ustomed to darkness, having blended into the shadows in countless dark nights; he had thought he had seen enough blood, hatred, betrayal, and cruelty; he had thought his heart had long turned to stone, impervious to vulnerability, emotion, sadness, and the pain they bring.


    He was wrong.He realized he was wrong.


    He slowly squatted down, his entire body tensing up bit by bit, as if only by doing so could he control himself.


    In front of him, there was a strong smell of blood. His peripheral vision caught sight of the surroundings; on the dark road he hade from, there was a faint, intermittent trail of blood.


    It was the mark left by a painful body dragged across the hard, rough ground.


    Ah Tuy in front of him, awake but unusually silent for some reason.


    Lu Chen silently reached out to touch its body. His hand felt something wet and sticky, causing his hand to stiffen momentarily before he slowly withdrew it and held it up before his eyes.


    In the dim light, blood trickled down from between his fingers, like the sinister smile of a demon in the darkness.


    ¡°Snap!¡±


    A faint sound, a spark of light flickered in Lu Chen¡¯s hand, illuminating the area in front of him and Ah Tu in the darkness.


    It was as if time had suddenly twisted on this night, bringing him back to the day they first met in the chaotd, ovepping with the pitiful shadow of the little ck dog before him.


    Ah Tu looked miserable, its body covered with at least dozens of cuts, flesh and blood exposed, making it hard to find a single intact piece of skin; its tail was only half left, with the other half missing; its hind legs werepletely limp on the ground, withrge areas of bone exposed, while its front legs, though intact, were also bloody. It seemed to have crawled back relying solely on these front legs.


    Its ear was missing a piece, and its head had several terrible wounds as if it had been shed directly, and a deep cut shed across its left eye, leaving an empty, blood-oozing socket.


    The faint green pupil reflected the firelight, the only andst remaining eye.


    Between Lu Chen¡¯s clenched teeth, a low, faint sound gradually emerged.


    After a moment, he dropped the firestarter in his hand. The light extinguished instantly, darkness surged, and he reached out in the dark to gently lift Ah Tu.


    Blood flowed down, staining hispel, the no longer warm blood slowly dripping onto his skin.


    He held it tightly against his chest.


    As if hearing his familiar heartbeat, Ah Tu lifted its head slightly, its faint green eyes showing a hint offort, shining like gems in the night, masking all its pain.


    It struggled to lift its body and lightly licked Lu Chen¡¯s face. Then, its body went limp, sinking into the darkness.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The night was long, like a sorrowful life seemingly without end.


    The night wind howled incessantly, sweeping through the majestic mountains, stirring the clouds in the sky, but never dispersing the dense fog deep within Kunlun Mountain.


    Several shes of lightning streaked through the clouds like wild silver serpents, followed by rolling thunder.


    Four towering, floating peaks stood like giant sentinels in the night, guarding the forbidden mist-shroudednd deep within Kunlun.


    On a snowy peak, at the summit surrounded by blizzards, an old, emaciated man stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the darkness below. His bright eyes, in stark contrast to his withered appearance, seemed to prate the darkness, reaching the depths of the fog.


    Not far behind him, Bai Lian stood quietly.


    In the cold, deep night, for some reason, the formidable True Lord Bai Chen was not apanied by his two famed disciples but by this young girl who was just over ten years old.


    Yet, Bai Lian stood there with a cold, indifferent expression, showing no emotion except for the respect she held for the True Lord Bai Chen before her.


    For such a young girl, this was rather unusual.


    After a long while, True Lord Bai Chen turned to look at Bai Lian. His gaze fell on the white mink fur she wore, and he smiled slightly, asking, ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°Not cold,¡± Bai Lian replied calmly.


    True Lord Bai Chen nodded, his eyes showing a hint of gratification, even a touch of sighing, saying, ¡°Child, your natural talent is truly remarkable. You¡¯ve only been practicing the ¡®Wind and Snow Sutra¡¯ for a short time, and though you haven¡¯t mastered it yet, you¡¯ve already made some progress, gaining some resistance to the cold wind and snow.¡±


    Bai Lian shook her head, saying, ¡°Disciple still has a long way to go. Without this treasured white mink fur coat, I fear I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand here for so long.¡±


    True Lord Bai Chen smiled, saying, ¡°Even so, that¡¯s already very good. Ordinary people can¡¯t even stay on this Winter Peak.¡±


    Bai Lian bowed her head deeply, saying, ¡°All thanks to Master¡¯s teachings.¡±


    True Lord Bai Chen turned to gaze into the deep, dark night and at the towering peaks in the distance. His eyes lingered on one of them for a long time before he suddenly asked, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s on that mountain?¡±


    Bai Lian followed his gaze and, after a moment of thought, said, ¡°That should be the Summer Peak, the secluded ce of cultivation for our sect¡¯s other Nascent Soul True Lord, Master Tian.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± True Lord Bai Chen¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as he looked at the shadow of the tall peak. After a moment, he suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Lian¡¯er, your talent is exceptional. As long as you stay on the right path, your future is undoubtedly bright. I am old, my vitality is waning, and I don¡¯t know how long I can guide you. In the future, if you meet your Master Tian, you must always show respect and never be impolite.¡±


    Bai Lian nodded, saying, ¡°Disciple understands.¡± After a brief pause, she couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Master, sinceing to the mountain, I haven¡¯t seen Master Tian. What kind of person is he?¡±


    ¡°Him¡­¡± A light flickered in True Lord Bai Chen¡¯s eyes as he gazed at the abyss-like darkness below. After a long pause, he suddenly said, ¡°My junior brother, Tian, is a person of extraordinary talent and great ambition, the likes of which I have never seen in my life.¡±


    Bai Lian was surprised by her master¡¯s high praise for her junior uncle and then showed a look of admiration, thinking that someone who could receive such a high evaluation from a Nascent Soul True Lord must be an incredibly talented person.


    ¡°However,¡± True Lord Bai Chen smiled, looking at Bai Lian with a gentle expression, ¡°when you grow up, you should understand one thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Master?¡±


    ¡°No one is perfect.¡±


    Bai Lian nced at True Lord Bai Chen and asked, ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    True Lord Bai Chen smiled faintly, gently stroking her head, and said, ¡°When you grow up, I will tell you a secret, alright?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    True Lord Bai Chen smiled and then walked away from the cliff.


    Bai Lian nced at the darkness below the cliff and then followed him.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Soft light illuminated the ancient tree hollow, with a faint green aura clinging to the tree walls, quietly observing below.


    Lu Chen brought the dying Ah Tu here and carefully ced it on the ground by the puddle.


    Ah Tu was severely injured, its entire body in a miserable state, even worse than when it was in the chaotic Valley of Demon Flowers.


    Lu Chen frowned deeply as he looked at it, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. He reached into the water, which was clear and transparent, no longer possessing the miraculous green vitality it once had.


    That miraculous aura had been used up. Now, the puddle only held the strange ck fire deep within the water.


    Lu Chen stood by the puddle in silence for a long time, seemingly considering every possible way, but there was no miracle cure to save Ah Tu.


    Its injuries were too severe.


    For a moment, he raised his head and nced around. This ancient tree hollow was full of life, the tree walls mottled, with two faintly visible peculiar doors. Apart from that, it was like an isted, wondrous ce.


    Lu Chen lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and looked at the fallen Ah Tu by his feet. After a moment, he seemed to make a decision and let out a long breath.


    He turned his hand, and the sharp ck short sword appeared in his hand. From the side, his expression was as stern as a cold rock, even his pupils devoid of emotion.


    Without hesitation, he stabbed the sword into his own wrist.


    Blood spurted out, dripping from his wrist.


    Expressionless, he dipped a finger into the blood, stared at it for a moment, and then pressed it forward.


    (To be continued.)


    ¡­

 Chapter 135: The Nightmarish Blood Tree

    Chapter 135: The Nightmarish Blood Tree


    As his finger pointed forward, leaving a vivid and ring red streak in midair, a deep, dark me ignited in Lu Chen¡¯s eyes. At that moment, his entire presence, demeanor, and even his breath seemed to change abruptly.


    An indescribable aura of darkness began to emanate from his body. At the same time, as if drawn by some eerie force, the blood flowing from his wrist¡ªblood droplets and streams¡ªsuddenly formed a fine, glistening line that drifted silently just inches above the ground, following Lu Chen¡¯s finger as if weighted down by immense force.


    His finger paused, then suddenly pressed downward. At the same time, the dark fire in Lu Chen¡¯s eyes red up, like a suddenly wild ze.


    A dull sound resonated from the ground, like the ancient bells of a mountain temple, echoing in the silence.


    A small bloodstain appeared on the ground, and then the bloodlines twisted and stretched in strange patterns, spreading out in multiple directions, forming bizarre and inexplicable shapes.


    Lu Chen¡¯s hand moved slowly in midair, from a single finger to five. The number of bloodlines increased, and the strange patterns on the ground began to take shape.


    The design was arge triangr pattern, with numerous intricate and twisted figures within it, but the entire blood-formed pattern was centered around the puddle in the tree hollow, enveloping itpletely.


    After an unknown amount of time, Lu Chen¡¯s hand gradually stopped. His face looked pale, as if he had expended most of his energy. Before himy a nearlyplete bizarre blood pattern, resembling a strange array, which from a distance seemed to faintly resemble¡­ a tree.


    The water in the puddle remained still, seemingly unaffected by the sudden appearance of the blood pattern. However, for some unknown reason, the cluster of strange, hidden ck mes beneath the water began to flicker and sway.A subtle, elusive force seemed to be hidden within the still blood-red pattern, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat in the dead of night.


    The entire tree hollow remained silent. The greenish aura, the tree walls, and the two mysterious, unopened doors all silently observed the unfolding events.


    Lu Chen looked at the pattern before him, his expression weary andplex, with a hint of confusion. But soon, his eyes regained their rity.


    He bent down, picked up Ah Tu, and slowly walked into the blood-red pattern, kneeling by the edge of the puddle.


    The water rippled slightly, reflecting his face. He gazed silently at the reflection in the water, then gently ced Ah Tu into it.


    Several bubbles rose from below as the unconscious ck dog wavered and slowly sank to the bottom.


    By the water¡¯s edge, Lu Chen took a deep breath and suddenly pped backward. The exact spot he struck on the strange blood array was unknown, but there was a sudden loud noise, like thunder on a cloud, and the ancient tree hollow was illuminated brightly.


    All the areas marked by blood on the ground erupted into an eerie, bloody light, forming a blood-red pir of light that reflected into the air.


    The light and shadows twisted violently, apanied by wailing sounds that seemed toe from the depths of the underworld. The blood-red image trembled and twisted, gradually morphing into a massive tree shadow.


    A vague, shadowy tree, towering and stretching from heaven to earth, spanning the three realms and everywhere in between, its entire form blood-red, as if every branch and leaf was drenched in blood.


    In that nightmarish, dream-like vision, countless blood droplets fell from the horrific tree, as if hell itself had been summoned.


    Lu Chen gazed deeply at the illusion, his eyes twitching slightly, but he quickly regained hisposure. His arm traced an unusual pattern in the air, then pressed downward.


    As he moved, a strange howling sound echoed again, and a peculiar light began to flow from the illusion, seeping into reality bit by bit, approaching the puddle.


    The clear water suddenly began to churn violently, as if sensing an immense power, reacting to an unimaginable stimulus. The waves shook furiously, shattering all tranquility, while a rumbling sound rose from the depths of the puddle.


    The light in the blood-red image continued to approach, nearly touching the water¡¯s surface.


    Lu Chen¡¯s face was as pale as paper, but the ck fire in his eyes burned even more fiercely, now with a hint of wildness.


    Suddenly, a cluster of ck fire from the water¡¯s depths red up dramatically, expanding dozens of times, like a demonic mouth opening wide to strike upwards.


    Almost simultaneously, the flowing light from the blood-red illusion touched the water¡¯s surface.


    Thunder roared silently!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    All the water waves violently shook and erupted, sending Ah Tu soaring into the air. Under the eerie blood-red illusion, everything seemed to be tainted with a streak of blood.


    The light prated Ah Tu¡¯s body.


    The ck fire followed in the air, the illusion passed through Ah Tu¡¯s body, swaying as if trying to prate the nearby blood-red tree.


    But the next moment, all the illusory shadows disappeared together.


    ¡°Ssh, ssh, ssh¡­¡±


    Amidst the sshing water, Ah Tu and the clear water fell heavily back into the puddle. After a moment, a groan of indescribable pain emerged from its mouth.


    It struggled at the bottom of the water, weakly opening its only eye to nce upward.


    The water continued to shake violently. Through the chaotic reflections and shadows, a familiar face could be seen on the other side of the water, gazing silently at it.


    Although the face was as pale as if it had no blood.


    Ah Tu slowly closed its eye again, like a child peacefully falling asleep.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    In the silent deep night, darkness seemed all-epassing. The vast Kunlun Mountains were immersed in the night. In the depths of the fog, behind the ck disk, the abyss-like darkness traversed through the long crust, resembling an ancient, colossal temple. The vast and lonely corridor felt the same.


    Dim light came from an unknown source, falling upon this deste temple. In the distance, massive and ancient doors, hidden in the depths of darkness, stood like solitary guardians, enduring countless ages.


    Time seemed to freeze here, as if nothing would change for centuries.


    However, at a certain moment, when the blood-red symbol in the ancient tree hollow suddenly lit up and summoned the eerie, all-epassing blood-red tree, some changes urred here.


    The tranquil darkness trembled slightly.


    The massive stone doors stood majestically.


    Silent, motionless, as if lifeless, with a hint of hesitation?


    In the dead silence of the darkness, behind the seemingly endless and profound doors, a voice suddenly emerged.


    Like the roar of dragons and tigers, or the shifting of winds and clouds, it seemed as though something sighed deeply.


    The darkness expanded suddenly, like a heartbeat, causing the entire stone door to tremble. A few small stones fell from the unseen ceiling.


    A humming sound, like thunder, swept through, making the earth tremble.


    But after a moment, everything returned to silence, as if those who were sleeping remained undisturbed, and those who were at rest remained so. The darkness quietly retreated, returning to its original position, and the stone door stood firm, silent as before.


    Time seemed to freeze once more, like a dream that would never wake!


    Struggle and pain, never to awaken.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The night eventually passed, as it did countless times before. The darkness receded, and light woulde.


    At dawn, as the morning light streamed through the window, Lu Chen sat on the floor, holding Ah Tu, who was wrapped in white cloth like a bundle, only its one eye and its mouth and nose visible. Ah Tuy quietly in Lu Chen¡¯s arms, eyes closed, peacefully asleep.


    Its chest gently rose and fell, and asionally, its face twitched, as if dreaming of something frightening. Yet in the end, the ck dog settled into quietude, as if all its fears and terrors had receded in the warmth of Lu Chen¡¯s embrace.


    Leaning against the wall, Lu Chen silently watched the sliver of morning light that came through, remaining silent.


    On this day, he did not go out, nor did he visit the Flowing Fragrance Garden.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Kunlun Sect is a ce that values rules, and the Hundred Herbs Hall is no exception. In the Flowing Fragrance Garden, the treatment ofbor disciples is somewhat better than in Stone te Mountain, but it is still not lenient. Daily roll call is mandatory, and although some might leave early after finishing their work, the rules are strict. Unless one takes leave in advance, there will be trouble.


    Lu Chen encountered trouble.


    After the recent upheaval, the new Golden Core cultivator in charge of the garden, Lin Sheng, was a stern person. When he discovered that Lu Chen had missed work without reason, he summoned Lu Chen the next day.


    ¡°What happened? Why did you fail to show up yesterday?¡± Lin Sheng looked coldly at the young man, whose face seemed unwell. There was an unintended but apparent contempt in his eyes. ¡°You were assigned to cultivate spirit herbs here as a trust and cultivation from the sect. Don¡¯t you understand that?¡±


    Lu Chen slightly lowered his head. After a moment, he said, ¡°It was my mistake.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an excuse?¡±


    ¡°During my cultivation, I was careless. My qi was disrupted, causing internal injuries.¡±


    Lin Sheng nced at him, his eyes scanning his face. After a moment, he nodded and said, ¡°Indeed, your internal qi is unstable, and there is damage to your meridians. But failing to inform us in advance and missing work without reason is still a fault. This excuse is not eptable. Your spirit herb harvest for this season will be deducted. If the herbs are damaged due to your absence, you will be expelled from the Flowing Fragrance Garden. Do you have any objections?¡±


    Lu Chen kept his head down in silence for a long time before saying, ¡°No, thank you for your understanding, Master Uncle.¡±

 Chapter 136: Between Light and Darkness

    Chapter 136: Between Light and Darkness


    When Lu Chen walked out of the room, his expression showed no signs of anger, frustration, or dejection, as if the reprimand from the Golden Core cultivator Lin Sheng had no impact on him at all.


    He simply looked up at the sky. The sun was high, and the sky was clear with blue and white clouds¡ªa bright, sunny day.


    He observed for a moment before heading towards the garden.


    Along the way, there were peopleing and going, including familiar faces who greeted him or nodded in acknowledgment. However, Lu Chen appeared preupied, remaining silent and seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, until he reached the entrance of the garden.


    The mountain breeze carried the unique aroma of medicinal herbs from the garden. Lu Chen looked at the neatly arranged spirit fields before him with a nk expression, then walked in a direction that was not towards his own fields.


    At that moment, a slightly surprised voice came from behind, ¡°Brother Lu, you¡­ huh, why do you look so pale?¡±


    Lu Chen stopped and turned around to see Yi Xin running towards him from behind, looking concerned. She whispered, ¡°Brother Lu, are you alright?¡±


    Lu Chen lowered his gaze slightly and after a moment shook his head, saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Yi Xin still looked worried. ¡°Brother Lu, maybe you should rest for a while? I can go help you ask for leave.¡±Lu Chen remained silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t go to Master Lin yet; he won¡¯t listen to you.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Yi Xin was taken aback, then said, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll just apany you. It¡¯s not good to discuss things here.¡±


    Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, nced at the people around, then looked off into the distance before nodding. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°Really?¡± By Lu Chen¡¯s spirit field, the two sat side by side on the field ridge. Yi Xin looked somewhat annoyed and indignantly said, ¡°Master Lin shouldn¡¯t treat you this way. Even though he knows you¡¯ve injured yourself during cultivation, he still punishes you. Isn¡¯t this bullying?¡±


    Compared to when he had just arrived at the garden, Lu Chen¡¯s expression seemed much more rxed. Seeing Yi Xin¡¯s angry demeanor, he even smiled and reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s alright; after all, I am at fault.¡±


    Yi Xin bit her lip and said, ¡°But this isn¡¯t right. Brother Lu, as abor disciple, you don¡¯t earn much on Kunlun Mountain. The only thing you rely on is the reward from the spirit herb harvest. Why should Master Lin be able to decide everything like this?¡±


    ¡°Just because he is a Golden Core cultivator,¡± Lu Chen said with a smile.


    Yi Xin was momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say. After a while, she said with a hint of frustration, ¡°Anyway, I just feel it¡¯s unfair.¡± She then suddenly brightened and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Brother Lu, how about I secretly ask Master Yan for help? She¡¯s always been kind to me, and if I ask her, she¡¯ll surely agree.¡±


    Lu Chen gazed at her, his eyes shing slightly, then smiled and said gently, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Master Yan is a renowned old Golden Core cultivator, and such favors are not light. It¡¯s not worth wasting on this small matter.¡±


    ¡°But you¡­¡±


    ¡°I already said it¡¯s fine,¡± Lu Chen said with a smile, patting the girl¡¯s head. ¡°Why do you always forget what I say?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve told you not to pat my head,¡± Yi Xin said, rubbing her forehead in annoyance. However, Lu Chen¡¯s words reassured her somewhat. She then took out a small bag from her pocket and handed it to Lu Chen. ¡°Here, Brother Lu.¡±


    Lu Chen took it and looked inside. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tea from my family,¡± Yi Xin said with a smile. ¡°I mentioned it before, didn¡¯t I? Although it¡¯s not our family¡¯s most famous tea ¡®Little Crane,¡¯ it¡¯s still high-quality and better than most teas in Kunwu City shops.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded, holding the tea bag slightly tighter. When he looked up, the sunlight was shining down, and the girl sitting on the field ridge next to him had a charming smile, as beautiful as a flower and as warm as sunshine.


    Even though there was a faint red scar on her lovely face, beside her, in that warm smile, all darkness and sadness seemed to quietly dissipate.


    ¡°Brother Lu, are you really alright? You look a bit dazed. Are you feeling ufortable?¡± Yi Xin asked.


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Yi Xin said, ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t seen Ah Tu for several days. Is it alright?¡±


    Lu Chen nced at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, as usual, always running off and disappearing.¡±


    Yi Xin pouted andined, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I went looking for it several times during the day, but never found it. Brother Lu, I¡¯m worried it might get into trouble wandering around in the mountains.¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment and said, ¡°You have a point.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Yi Xin suddenly brightened, saying, ¡°Really? You used to never listen to me, but today you actually did.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve been busytely, but once this period is over, I¡¯ll keep a closer watch on it and not let it run around. You cane to visit it more often.¡±


    Yi Xin grinned, ¡°Great!¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    In the mountains, time seemed to stand still; the tree hollow was unaware of day and night.


    In the ancient, weathered tree hollow, a gentle light seemed to perpetually illuminate the space. The puddle on the ground was slightly murkier than before, but it was still clear enough to see the bottom. The strange bloodline patterns on the ground had long since vanished, leaving only a few small traces of blood.


    There was no one in the tree hollow, but there was a dog.


    The ck dog, Ah Tu, was wrapped tightly in white cloth, making it look like a white dog. Ity by the puddle, having slept for a long time, before finally opening its remaining eye.


    The gentle light fell on Ah Tu¡¯s eye. Initially surprised, Ah Tu quickly seemed to recognize the familiar ce and calmed down. It looked around and realized Lu Chen was not there.


    This discovery made Ah Tu a bit anxious, but soon it noticed it was the only one there and regained itsposure. Its gaze asionally swept over the water¡¯s surface, and it suddenly froze.


    Reflected in the water was a strange figure¡ªwrapped tightly in white cloth, with only its mouth, nose, and one eye exposed.


    Ah Tu instinctively recoiled, then seemed to sense something and tilted its head toward the ¡°monster¡± in the water.


    The monster in the water tilted its head as well.


    Ah Tu appeared pleased, as if finding something amusing. It began to shake its head and waggle about, and after a while, it settled down.


    Feeling thirsty, Ah Tu moved closer to the puddle and bent down to drink.


    The water rippled, and the sweet water slid down its throat, making Ah Tu feel much better. However, just at that moment, it noticed a shadow beneath the water.


    In its eye, a ball of ck me began to glow faintly, burning silently.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A sound echoed as Lu Chen appeared in the tree hollow. He patted his clothes, stood up, walked to Ah Tu¡¯s side, and looked at it with a hint of surprise. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    Ah Tu, lying by the water¡¯s edge, slowly turned its head to look at Lu Chen with its one remaining eye.


    Deep in its pupil, a hidden ck me burned quietly.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    That night, as darkness fell over Kunlun Mountain, the moonless, wind-swept night grew deste, and soon no one was left outside.


    Lu Chen carried Ah Tu through the pitch-ck night, blending seamlessly with the surrounding shadows, undetectable to anyone.


    After walking for a long time, Lu Chen stopped under arge tree. He looked around, then, holding thepletely wrapped Ah Tu with one arm and using the other arm and his feet to help, he easily climbed high up the tree trunk and concealed himself in the dark tree canopy.


    Ah Tu, curious, looked around, seemingly unsure why Lu Chen brought it here. Lu Chen did not make further moves, merely sitting on a branch with Ah Tu in his arms, whispering gently in its ear, ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound. Wait here for a while.¡±


    Ah Tu looked at Lu Chen with some confusion but followed his instructions, quietly resting against his chest.


    In the chilly night, one person and one dog sat quietly among the dense foliage, waiting.


    As the night deepened, the mountain wind grew colder.


    The night on Kunlun Mountain seemed emotionless, coldly observing the changes in the human world.


    Lu Chen kept his eyes half-closed, waiting in silence. From his vantage point, through the gaps in the branches, he could see the distant house.


    Eventually, as the night approached midnight, a figure returned from afar, moving swiftly through the darkness. It quickly reached the house but stopped halfway, as if sensing something. After looking around and finding nothing, he frowned and eventually returned to his house.


    In the deep shade of the tree, in the darkness, Lu Chen leaned down and whispered in Ah Tu¡¯s ear, ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound.¡±


    Ah Tu looked at him and nodded.


    Lu Chen then slowly released his grip on Ah Tu, observing it as it emitted a harsh, menacing growl from its throat. Beneath the eerie scar, it bared its white, sharp fangs.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Lu Chen said, looking at it calmly.

 Chapter 137: Blank Past

    Chapter 137: nk Past


    A green leaf tumbled a few times off the old eaves before being lifted by the wind, drifting through the alley and gently falling into the distance. In the quiet little shop, a pot of hot tea and two cups sat on the table. Steam rose from the clear tea, dispersing a unique fragrance into the air.


    ¡°How does it taste? This is a rare top-grade tea,¡± Lu Chen asked Lao Ma.


    Lao Ma smacked his lips a few times, then said seriously, ¡°I can¡¯t tell. It feels about the same as the coarse tea I usually drink.¡±


    ¡°You uncultured brute!¡± Lu Chen nced at him disdainfully, shook his head, and took another sip from his cup. ¡°Smell this aroma and savor the lingering sweetness in your mouth. It¡¯s at least ten times better than your lousy tea!¡±


    Lao Ma grinned and said, ¡°I still prefer my ck tea. It¡¯s strong and satisfying. This tea is too nd; it barely has any vor.¡±


    Lu Chen waved his hand at him, looking as if he had given up on the fat man¡¯s taste.


    Lao Ma chuckled, kicked a bundle over, and ced it on the table. ¡°Here are the things you asked for. Why do you need all this misceneous stuff? The bones might be considered spirit materials, but what do you need a cinnabar talisman pen for? Are you going to draw talismans?¡±


    He stared at Lu Chen. ¡°I remember you haven¡¯t learned that skill.¡±


    Lu Chen scoffed, grabbed the bundle, and ced it beside him. Without hesitation, he retorted, ¡°Even if I don¡¯t know talisman techniques, with my talent, I can learn anything. What do you know? Stop bragging.¡±¡°¡­I feel like you¡¯re the one bragging.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Outside, the alley was deep and quiet. Inside, the fragrance of tea lingered as the two sat facing each other.


    ¡°You asked me to investigate those two womenst time. I¡¯ve got some news,¡± Lao Ma said in a lowered voice.


    Lu Chen¡¯s hand paused slightly as he poured tea, then he said, ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Su Qingjun is normal, but the girl from the Bai family seems a bit strange.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, but he remained silent.


    ¡°These two women were really hard to investigate. They¡¯re treasured by their families, guarded tightly. But because they¡¯re famous, some rumors and stories have still surfaced,¡± Lao Ma said, not immediately revealing the strange part.


    ¡°Rumors?¡± Lu Chen looked at him. ¡°Are they reliable?¡±


    Lao Ma shrugged. ¡°No choice. These two girls are being watched closely by their families and the Kunlun Sect. Any big move would alert them, so it has to be done slowly. Do you want to hear the rumors, or should we wait until I dig up more concrete information?¡±


    Lu Chen took a sip of tea and said, ¡°We¡¯ve got time. Tell me the rumors.¡±


    ¡°Su Qingjun has been the beloved daughter of the main family since childhood. Recognized early for her talent, she¡¯s always been cherished by the Su family, treated like a precious jewel. She received the best education, practiced the best and most suitable cultivation methods, is intelligent, well-mannered, and has a stunningly beautiful face. I¡¯ve never seen such a perfect woman.¡±


    Lao Ma sighed and said, ¡°I wonder which man will be lucky enough to be her Daopanion.¡±


    Lu Chenmented, ¡°Who knows about others, but you have no chance.¡±


    Lao Ma snapped, ¡°You talk too much, as if you have a chance.¡±


    Lu Chenughed heartily and drained his cup.


    Ignoring him, Lao Ma continued, ¡°Compared to Su Qingjun, Bai Lian is a bit odd. It¡¯s said she¡¯s not from the main branches of the Bai family but a distant rtive. Two years ago, no one had heard of her. It¡¯s like she suddenly appeared out of nowhere as a genius.¡±


    Lu Chen slowly put down his cup, looking at Lao Ma. They exchanged nces for a moment, then Lu Chen nodded. ¡°It does sound suspicious.¡±


    Lao Ma said, ¡°I¡¯ve discreetly asked around, but all the information is from the past two years. Before that, her earlier years arepletely nk. No one mentioned her, as if no one knew she existed.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s fingers lightly tapped the table. After a moment of pondering, he said, ¡°But if Bai Lian¡¯s background is questionable, the Kunlun Sect wouldn¡¯t allow Bai Chen Zhenjun to take her as a disciple.¡±


    Lao Ma nodded. ¡°Of course. Bai Chen Zhenjun has a high status. His disciples are thoroughly vetted by the Kunlun Sect.¡±


    Lu Chen thought for a while. ¡°During my time on Kunlun Mountain, I¡¯ve heard several rumors about Bai Chen Zhenjun and the Bai family. Do they have any real connection?¡±


    Lao Ma immediately shook his head. ¡°I know this for sure. They have no connection. Bai Chen¡¯s title was given by Patriarch Tianhong. The ¡®Bai¡¯ is just a coincidence.¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°I see. Then continue investigating. Hold off on Su Qingjun for now. Focus on Bai Lian, especially her life before joining the Bai family. Dig it all up if you can.¡±


    Lao Ma nced at him and said, ¡°Have you noticed something? Why are you staring so intently at this ten-year-old girl? If something is wrong, you need to tell me.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled faintly and said, ¡°I just feel that she is a bit peculiar.¡±


    Lao Ma shrugged and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll investigate slowly. Be careful on the mountain.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The next day, the clear sky poured sunlight over the Liuxiang Garden. Inside arge hall outside the medicinal garden, Yi Xin was with Yan Luo, as usual, making tea for her and chatting to pass the time.


    The fragrant tea wafted in the air as Yan Luo took the cup Yi Xin handed her, took a sip, and then squinted her eyes, praising, ¡°Good tea.¡±


    Yi Xin chuckled beside her, deftly pouring herself a cup as well.


    Yan Luo lightly patted the tea table and sighed with a bit of a smile, ¡°Cultivating and drinking tea, keeping the heart as calm as water¡ªthis state of mind is something I heard from my master when I was young, but only now do I vaguely understand it.¡±


    Yi Xinughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Shishu. Your cultivation is so high; you must have surpassed what Shizun talked about long ago.¡±


    Yan Luo red at her and scolded with a smile, ¡°You little girl, stop ttering! My master¡¯s cultivation was extraordinary, a top-notch Yuan Ying true person. How could Ipare to her?¡±


    Yi Xin stuck out her tongue.


    Yan Luo drank her tea and put the cup on the tray. Yi Xin immediately refilled it for her and said, ¡°Shishu, it¡¯s been a while now, why is there still no news from my master?¡±


    Yan Luo was silent for a moment, a hint of worry shing in her eyes, ¡°Indeed, it shouldn¡¯t take this long. Could it be that he encountered some huge problem while breaking through the life-and-death barrier?¡±


    Yi Xin was shocked and asked, ¡°What, is my master in danger?¡±


    Yan Luo replied, ¡°Life-and-death barrier means exactly that¡ªif you pass, you live; if you retreat, there is great peril. There¡¯s always risk involved.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Yi Xin was a bit lost for a moment before sighing softly.


    Yan Luo looked at her and couldn¡¯t help but touch her face gently, saying softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although that old rascal usually isn¡¯t very proper, he has a tough life. He won¡¯t die that easily.¡±


    Yi Xin forced a smile and said, ¡°Got it. I hope Shifu has a blessed fate.¡±


    Just as Yan Luo was about to say more, they suddenly heard footsteps outside. A momentter, a clear and pleasant voice called, ¡°Is Shishu Yan Luo here? Disciple Su Qingjunes to pay her respects.¡±


    Yan Luo and Yi Xin were both startled, then sat properly. Yan Luo said, ¡°Yes,e in.¡±


    A faint red silhouette shed, and Su Qingjun, draped in a beautiful red feather cloak, entered. She first bowed to Yan Luo and smiled, ¡°Greetings, Shishu Yan Luo.¡±


    Yan Luo smiled, ¡°You are now a Jindan cultivator. No need to be so formal. Come and sit with us.¡±


    Su Qingjun, with a gentle smile, said, ¡°Thank you, Shishu.¡± She walked over.


    Yi Xin stood up and smiled at Su Qingjun, ¡°Sister Su, you¡¯re here.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded and smiled at her, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a few days, and you seem even more beautiful.¡±


    Yi Xin giggled, poured a cup of tea for Su Qingjun, and said, ¡°Sister, have some tea.¡±


    Su Qingjun thanked her, took a sip, and then said to Yan Luo, ¡°Shishu, I came this time to specifically thank you.¡±


    Yan Luo waved her hand, ¡°It¡¯s a small matter, not worth mentioning.¡±


    Su Qingjun, however, earnestly said, ¡°The ¡®Red Amber Pill¡¯ is not easy to refine. Besides the rare materials, you put in a lot of effort to make it for me, helping me break through to the Jindan stage. I am deeply grateful. Even my father specifically instructed me to express our sincere thanks to you.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out a jade box, held it with both hands, and handed it to Yan Luo, ¡°A small token, not enough to repay your kindness, but please ept it.¡±


    Yan Luo smiled, looked at Su Qingjun for a moment, then took the jade box and sighed, ¡°Your father is lucky to have such an outstanding daughter. Truly, you¡¯re lovely and admirable.¡±


    Su Qingjun lowered her head slightly, a blush appearing on her face, making her look even more beautiful, like a lily swaying in the wind, ¡°Shishu, you tter me.¡±


    Yan Luo observed her and smiled, ¡°Your aura is steady now. Have you almost stabilized your realm?¡±


    Su Qingjun replied, ¡°Almost, but I¡¯ve been feeling a bit uneasy and short of breath during cultivation recently. My master advised me to take some ¡®Eagle Fruits,¡¯ which should help in about a month.¡±


    Yan Luo nodded, ¡°Yes, Eagle Fruits are indeed very beneficial for your ¡®Dark Moon Art.¡¯ Your master is right.¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled and stood up, ¡°So, I came to ask for your help again this time.¡± (To be continued.)

 Chapter 138: Perfectly Flawless

    Chapter 138: Perfectly wless


    Yan Luo was slightly surprised and said, ¡°Although eagle fruit is precious, it can still be found. In the Baicao Medicine Hall on the mountain and the numerous spiritual material shops in Kunwu City below the mountain, you should be able to buy it. There¡¯s no need for my help, right?¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled a little, seeming somewhat embarrassed, and said, ¡°Martial Aunt, my master means that it¡¯s best for me to eat freshly picked eagle fruit.¡±


    Yan Luo was taken aback, looking thoughtful. Suddenly, she lowered her head and opened the jade box in her hand, nced inside, her expression changed slightly, and then she fell silent. After a moment, she sighed and said, ¡°It seems that Brother Muyuan has indeed ced great expectations on you.¡±


    Su Qingjun slightly lowered her head, with a smile on her face, not exining further, and said softly, ¡°I earnestly ask for Martial Aunt¡¯s help. Qingjun would be immensely grateful.¡±


    Yan Luo closed the jade box in her hand, thought for a moment, then nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I will arrange this. You may go now. There should be news within a few days. I will inform you then.¡±


    Su Qingjun bowed deeply to her, her expression respectful, and said, ¡°Thank you, Martial Aunt.¡±


    Yan Luo sighed, got up to avoid the bow, and stepped forward to help Su Qingjun up, walking out together with her, saying, ¡°Qingjun, you have a bright future ahead, with limitless achievements. There¡¯s no need to be so courteous to an old woman like me. I cannot bear it.¡±


    Su Qingjun shook her head and said, ¡°Martial Aunt, you speak too highly. I¡­¡±


    Yan Luo smiled, raised her hand to stop her, and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. We both know it in our hearts. Anyway, I will remember this matter. Just wait for my news.¡±Su Qingjun nodded, thanked Yan Luo again, then smiled and greeted Yi Xin, who followed Yan Luo out, before leaving.


    Watching the beautiful woman¡¯s figure disappear at the end of the corridor, Yi Xin couldn¡¯t help but show a trace of envy. She said to Yan Luo, ¡°Martial Aunt, Sister Su is really amazing. Whether it¡¯s cultivation, talent, appearance, or demeanor, she is wless.¡±


    Yan Luo smiled but said nothing, turned around, and walked back into the house.


    Yi Xin followed up, curious, and asked, ¡°By the way, Martial Aunt, why did you react so strongly when Sister Su said she needed fresh eagle fruit?¡±


    Yan Luo snorted and said, ¡°What do you know? The freshness issue has a lot of intricacies.¡±


    Yi Xin immediately became interested, pulled Yan Luo¡¯s arm, andughed, ¡°Martial Aunt, tell me about it.¡±


    Yan Luo rolled her eyes at her and said, ¡°Make tea!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Yi Xin giggled, quickly poured out the cold tea, brewed a new hot cup, ced it in front of Yan Luo, and then smiled, ¡°Martial Aunt, please teach me so I can also broaden my knowledge.¡±


    Yan Luo took a sip of the tea, sighed, and said, ¡°The eagle fruit is very useful. Although it¡¯s precious, it¡¯s not considered an extremely rare spiritual material. Normally, it¡¯s nothing special. But this spiritual fruit has a unique feature. After it matures, it naturally contains a pure spiritual energy that dissipates as the fruit petals open, which takes about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If you consume the eagle fruit within this time, its efficacy will be about ten percent higher than at other times.¡±


    ¡°Ten percent?¡± Yi Xin was surprised.


    ¡°Yes, only ten percent,¡± Yan Luo said tly, ¡°Because no one can perfectly time the picking of the eagle fruit to eat it, all the eagle fruits on the market are preserved after being picked. The difference in efficacy is not significant, so no one cares.¡±


    Yi Xin nced outside the door and said, ¡°Then why does Sister Su¡¯s master insist on her having fresh fruit?¡±


    ¡°This is what I was talking about,¡± Yan Luoughed, ¡°Her master, Muyuan Zhenren, has ced extremely high expectations on her. He spares no effort to do even the smallest details perfectly. This way, if there are no idents, her foundation will almost certainly be wless. At least in the Nascent Soul stage, she might have a slightly better chance.¡±


    Yi Xin was stunned for a while, then shook her head and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s true that people have different fates. Sister Su is really lucky.¡±


    ¡°Lucky¡­¡± Yan Luo nced at her, smiled faintly, but said nothing.


    ¡ª


    The light in the air twisted for a moment, and after a while, Lu Chen¡¯s figure appeared in the tree hollow.


    The bored Ah Tu lying on the ground immediately lifted its head, barked, and limped over.


    At this moment, most of the white cloth on Ah Tu¡¯s body had been removed, but more than half of its body was still bandaged, looking rather pitiful. However, Ah Tu¡¯s amazing resilience was once again demonstrated. After Lu Chen¡¯s treatment, the severe injuries started to heal rapidly, and now it could even move around with difficulty.


    Lu Chen squatted down, patted Ah Tu¡¯s head, and then checked its wounds. Nodding in satisfaction, he took out a package of meat and tossed it to Ah Tu. The dog barked happily, its tail wagging furiously, and began to devour the meat.


    Lu Chen sat beside it, stroked its head, and said, ¡°You must be bored being stuck here. Just hold on a little longer. Once you¡¯re healed, you can go out again.¡±


    Ah Tu looked up at him, rubbed its head against his hand, and then continued chewing the meat bone. After a few bites, it suddenly looked up again, its one remaining eye fixed on Lu Chen, and let out a few low growls.


    Its sharp, white fangs were visible, and even its gaze seemed cold and ruthless, reminiscent of those bloodthirsty, crazed ck coyotes on ck Armor Mountain in the Land of Confusion. The ancient, hidden beastly nature seemed to be emanating from this ck dog bit by bit.


    Lu Chen watched it quietly for a while and then said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll definitely avenge this.¡±


    Ah Tu looked at him, its tail wagged once, and then it resumed gnawing on the bone.


    Lu Chen sat beside it, watching it eat continuously. He observed the fur under the white bandages gradually regaining its vitality and glossy ck sheen, as well as the gradually emerging aura oftent beastly strength. He remained silent.


    ¡ª


    Another morning dawned, with fresh air turning into a gentle breeze that blew over the grass garden of Liu Xiangpu. Most of the menial disciples arrived on time to work there, including Lu Chen. However, this day was different from usual. The Jindan cultivator in charge of this area, Lin Sheng, apanied another female cultivator with crane-like hair and a youthful face, Yan Luo, to the garden. They selected eight people from the roster, temporarily exempting them from their usual spirit herb nting tasks, and led them to arger spirit field on the other side of the garden.


    This spirit field was nted with many trees of the same type, some of which had already borne fruit. The fruits looked peculiar, green with red, and somewhat resembled eagle beaks.


    Lin Sheng didn¡¯t immediately address the group but instead stood aside, speaking softly with Yan Luo.


    The eight menial disciples stood silently at the edge of the field, many of them showing expressions of confusion.


    Lu Chen was among these eight, and coincidentally, so was He Changsheng.


    As Lu Chen nced around, his eyes met He Changsheng¡¯s. He Changsheng seemed much better than in recent days, no longer looking irritable or violent, appearing much calmer.


    When Lu Chen¡¯s gaze met his, He Changsheng even smiled and nodded at him. However, if one looked closely, there was a subtle hint of strange confusion in He Changsheng¡¯s eyes. He seemed to be observing Lu Chen closely, as if trying to discern something about him.


    In contrast, Lu Chen appearedpletely normal, standing quietly. When his gaze met He Changsheng¡¯s, he politely nodded back, showing neither anger nor intimacy, just as usual.


    He Changsheng looked at Lu Chen for a long time, the confusion in his eyes deepening.


    After a while, Lin Sheng finished his conversation with Yan Luo and, looking confident, stepped forward to address the eight assembled menial disciples.


    The content of his speech wasn¡¯tplicated. He exined that this spirit field was nted with a precious two-pattern spiritual material called ¡°eagle fruit.¡± Since someone in the sect urgently needed it, they needed to cultivate it carefully. If they did well, there would be rewards, and the rewards would be double the usual amount. Additionally, the best cultivator would receive spirit stones directly, beyond the usual harvest rewards.


    The menial disciples were immediately moved. The rewards were unprecedentedly generous, and it was clear that the eight selected by Lin Sheng were the best at cultivating spirit nts among the menial disciples in the garden.


    Clearly, the sect was expecting the best possible results from this task.


    With this mutual understanding, the eight quickly got to work in the spirit field.


    Lin Sheng nodded in satisfaction, walked to the edge of the field, and said to Yan Luo, ¡°Senior Sister Yan, what do you think?¡±


    Yan Luo smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your help. It¡¯s a pity, though. If the Foundation Establishment disciples could do this, it would be even better. Menial disciples¡¯ cultivation is too low, and their control over the five-element spiritual power is stillcking.¡±


    Lin Shengughed and said, ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t agree? But any disciple with even a bit of talent sees nting and farming as lowly work. Even if they¡¯re idle, they absolutely refuse to do this kind of work. If word got out, it would be considered a great humiliation, a blow to their status and dignity. They¡¯d rather die than do it. I don¡¯t know how this attitude started, but it¡¯s a shame.¡±


    Yan Luo sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s the way it is. Well, we have to make do with what we have and pick the best from the avable lot.¡±


    Lin Shengughed, ¡°We can only do that.¡±

 Chapter 139: Spreading the News

    Chapter 139: Spreading the News


    There are no walls in the world that do not leak air, not even in the strictly regted Kunlun Sect. In fact, the Kunlun Sect has existed for so long that variousrge and small factions are intertwined, making it even harder to keep secrets. Perhaps at first, secrets can be kept for a while, but as time goes on and more people within the sect know about it, rumors and whispers inevitably spread.


    This time, the cultivation of the eagle fruit was for Su Qingjun, the most promising young genius in the Kunlun Sect. This news quickly leaked out, and those among the menial disciples with connections or backers naturally found out. Those without backgrounds, however, remained clueless.


    He Changsheng was one of those with no background, no backers, and no connections, so he didn¡¯t know the secret. However, he wasn¡¯t stupid. From the scale of thispetition and the fact that two Jindan cultivators were personally overseeing it, it was clear to anyone that this was significant. He could also sense something was off from the behavior of the other menial disciples, but no one woulde and tell him anything.


    He Changsheng felt very frustrated and angry about this, but all he could do was work as hard as he always did, hoping that thispetition would give him a chance to leap through the dragon gate.


    Lu Chen¡¯s situation was actually simr to He Changsheng¡¯s. For now, he was also an ordinary person with no background or backers. However, he had a connection.


    That evening, Yi Xin secretly found him at his residence, pulled him aside, and whispered to him for a long time. Finally, she said solemnly, ¡°Big Brother Lu, do you understand? You can¡¯t miss this opportunity!¡±


    Lu Cheny down on the bed, his hands behind his head, andughed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished foring to tell me this?¡±


    Yi Xin snorted, unconcerned, and said, ¡°It¡¯s not just me. Those disciples from noble families, who doesn¡¯t have someone above them informing them? Besides, I heard it from Uncle-Master Yan Luo. She didn¡¯t specifically tell me not to say anything, so it¡¯s no big deal if I tell you.¡±


    Lu Chen patted the bed and said, ¡°Alright, I understand. Having connections really is nice, makes things so much easier.¡±Yi Xin¡¯s eyes narrowed with a smile, but then she quickly opened them wide again and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Big Brother Lu, don¡¯t be careless. If you get chosen, you¡¯ll get to be by Sister Su¡¯s side!¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Yi Xin chuckled, lowered her voice, and said, ¡°This is something even those outside don¡¯t know. Uncle-Master Yan Luo only told me. Keep it to yourself, don¡¯t let it slip.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her for a while, then suddenly smiled, patted the edge of the bed, and said, ¡°You¡¯re quite something. Come sit down and tell me all about it.¡±


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s still a lot you don¡¯t know about my skills,¡± Yi Xin said smugly. She then whispered, ¡°Thispetition to cultivate eagle fruit is just to pick the best at nurturing spiritual power. That person will then go to Sister Su¡¯s ce because she needs fresh eagle fruit¡­¡±


    She exined the situation with the eagle fruit, and then said, ¡°To get the freshest, most perfect eagle fruit, Uncle-Master Yan Luo went to great lengths to transnt seven eagle fruit trees from Liu Xiangpu directly into Sister Su¡¯s exclusive spirit field in her cave. After that, someone will be assigned to watch over them day and night, taking great care. The fruiting dates have been roughly calcted. Every three days, a tree will bear fruit. As soon as the fruit is ready, someone will be called to harvest it immediately, ensuring no time is wasted and no spiritual energy escapes. In twenty-one days, the task will bepleted, and Sister Su will have no obstacles in her ¡®You Yue Art,¡¯ allowing her to advance straight to the peak of the Jindan stage.¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a while, then nodded and said, ¡°I see.¡±


    Yi Xin curiously asked, ¡°Big Brother Lu, why do you look so unhappy?¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head and smiled bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Hearing you say all this, I just realized how vast the difference between her and me is on this path of cultivating immortality.¡±


    Yi Xin covered her mouth andughed, ¡°Of course there¡¯s a vast difference. Not only is Sister Su¡¯s family wealthy, but her natural talent is also worlds apart. That¡¯s why she¡¯s a genius, blessed from birth. You can¡¯t force it. Look at me, I¡¯m not jealous, I¡¯m happy for her.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her for a moment, then smiled, ¡°You¡¯re right, natural talent can¡¯t be forced.¡±


    Yi Xin nodded and then reminded him, ¡°Anyway, just remember what I said. If you get chosen, not only will Sister Su owe you a favor, but you might also get to know her better. With that connection, no one in the Kunlun Sect will dare to bully you again!¡±


    Lu Chen smiled, ¡°Alright, I get it.¡±


    Yi Xin looked at him, seemingly more nervous than if it were her ownpetition, and clenched her fists, ¡°You have to win.¡±


    Lu Chen patted his chest, ¡°It¡¯s mine, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Yi Xinughed heartily, and she seemed to genuinely believe in him, suddenly full of confidence.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Cultivating eagle fruit is not simple. This spiritual fruit grows on eagle fruit trees, which have slender trunks and extensive root systems. Adjusting the five-element spiritual energy in the soil of the spiritual field is much moreborious than with ordinary spiritual herbs, and it typically takes an entire day of work.


    The menial disciples selected for thispetition worked very hard, but due to their limited cultivation levels, by the end of the day, after using their spiritual power for cultivation, they all looked pale and exhausted.


    As the sun set, everyone left the area. Unlike the other spiritual fields in the herb garden, this special spiritual field was guarded by people specifically appointed by Yan Luo to prevent any idents.


    He Changsheng felt fairly satisfied as he left, especially after seeing the guards around the spiritual field. It reassured him significantly. Those disciples from noble families were truly detestable, colluding with each other to oppress ordinary disciples like him. Fortunately, the Kunlun Sect was a reputable and upright sect, with fair and just people like Yan Luo and Lin Sheng, making his joining the sect worthwhile. If he ever had the chance to achieve sess in his cultivation, he would certainly express his gratitude to these two benefactors.


    Thinking this, he walked towards his house. Unknowingly, the sky had already darkened, and the sun had set, with night quickly approaching.


    He Changsheng felt some soreness in his lower back. As a menial disciple with naturally limited talent and average cultivation, he had never worked as hard as he did today in the herb garden. It was indeed exhausting. However, it was worth it for the sake of his future dreams.


    He dreamed of a bright future, like any ordinary young man, envisioning himself standing out among others, his cultivation surpassing everyone in Kunlun. By then, all the Nascent Soul cultivators, including the sect leader, would bow before him, and countless beautiful female disciples, led by Su Qingjun, would gaze at him lovingly, softly asking to be his Daopanion¡­


    What a wonderful life that would be!


    As he pushed open the door to his house and walked in, he couldn¡¯t help but whistle with a smile on his face.


    Suddenly, a hand flew out from behind the door, striking heavily on the back of his neck. He vaguely heard a low thud. He Changsheng¡¯s eyes rolled back, and without making a sound, he copsed forward.


    Behind him, the door to the house slowly closed.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The night was deep, and the mountain wind blew softly.


    The darkness was like a nightmare, entangling He Changsheng, causing him immense pain, yet strangely, in that darkness, he recalled his past life.


    He once had a family.


    But the strongest impression that family left on him seemed to be ¡°the decline of the family¡± from his grandfather¡¯s generation onward. Everyone seemed to be reminiscing about the glory of their ancestors while cursing and resenting the present.


    But reality was reality. Amidstints and curses, the family¡¯s decline was unstoppable. By the time he grew up, the He family was already destitute.


    He was very poor and miserable, owning nothing but the old house. However, he still remembered his forefathers¡¯ obsession with restoring the family¡¯s former glory, which he gradually took as his unshirkable mission.


    No one can stand in my way. I will restore the family¡¯s name.


    I will seed in my cultivation, be a true cultivator, and restore the family¡¯s estate. I will marry¡­ no, what kind of status does a true cultivator have! Of course, I will marry many wives, have many children, and umte countless wealth, surpassing even the Su, Bai, and Lin families of Kunwu City!


    The vision was dazzling.


    Heughed out loud even in his dream.


    Then he woke up.


    Upon waking, he was in pain, as if something was tearing at him. The pain constantly emanated from the back of his neck. As he struggled to turn his head, he found himself tightly bound, lying on the floor of his room. A lit oilmp on the table illuminated the room.


    In the room, there was another person.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, huh?¡± The figure was facing away from him, but somehow, He Changsheng sensed that he had woken up. The figure didn¡¯t turn around but spoke calmly.


    The voice was low and slightly hoarse, sounding unfamiliar. He Changsheng felt he had never heard it before, but after a while, he strangely felt it seemed somewhat familiar.


    He tried to open his eyes wide and saw that the person was facing away from him, holding a strange talisman brush and drawing something on the white wall of his room.


    The marks drawn by the brush were as red as blood, forming strange patterns, like the grinning faces of demons, slowlying to life on the white wall.

 Chapter 140: Sand

    Chapter 140: Sand


    The markings on the white wall were vividly red, resembling fresh blood. They were so saturated that droplets of ¡°blood¡± dripped down, leaving thin bloodstains, creating a chilling and horrifying effect.


    The person drawing on the wall was silent and patient, as if what he was doing was extremely important. As he continued to move the talisman brush, his voice echoed once again.


    ¡°Most people in this world are easy to deceive. Often, they believe whatever they are told.¡±


    ¡°For instance, this ¡®Reincarnation Array¡¯ has long been thought by many to be extremely evil, always involving killing people and using their blood to paint symbols. But it¡¯s not as exaggerated as they think.¡±


    The person raised his arm, made a stroke, and then turned to nce at He Changsheng, saying, ¡°Using human blood is something only the highest-level sorcery in the demonic cult would require. Besides, killing and extracting blood is very troublesome. Using cinnabar is much more convenient, right?¡±


    Under the candlelight, the person¡¯s face was covered by a ck mask, hiding his entire face, leaving only two dark, deep eyeholes.


    For some reason, He Changsheng suddenly felt a surge of fear and shouted, ¡°Who are you, and what do you want?¡±


    The masked manughed hoarsely but did not answer He Changsheng¡¯s question. Instead, he pointed calmly beside He Changsheng and said, ¡°If you shout any louder, I¡¯ll cut off your tongue with that.¡±


    He Changsheng¡¯s body trembled. He turned his head with difficulty and saw a ck short sword stuck into the ground not far from his head. It looked extremely sharp, reflecting a chilling light in the candlelight. Besides that, he also noticed several crooked, finger-thick pits dug around his body on the ground, whose purpose he couldn¡¯t discern.A cold shiver ran through his body, and He Changsheng¡¯s face turned pale. Strangely, although this mysterious man didn¡¯t appear to be particrly menacing, his calm tone was even more terrifying.


    He Changsheng watched as the masked man turned back and continued drawing those eerie symbols on the wall. After taking a few deep breaths, He Changsheng stammered, ¡°Who¡­ who are you? Did I offend you somehow?¡±


    The man remained unresponsive, silently painting. The blood-like markings gradually formed a gruesome door. It seemed as if the next moment, a ghoul would burst through.


    ¡°Demons¡­ demons!¡± He Changsheng¡¯s breathing grew rapid, and he urgently pleaded, ¡°Please, sir, I haven¡¯t done anything to offend your demonic cult. Please let me go!¡±


    The talisman brush, soaked in cinnabar, made a final heavy stroke on the white wall, as if giving life to the blood-like marks. In the intertwining blood lines, a bloody door seemed to form, on the verge of opening.


    The man turned, put down the talisman brush, walked to He Changsheng¡¯s side, looked down at him, and said quietly, ¡°You haven¡¯t offended the demonic cult, but I need you.¡±


    He nced at the mysterious, twisted, and horrifying blood door on the white wall and chuckled softly, ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for a long time but couldn¡¯t find thosepanions. So, I have to find a way to make theme out.¡±


    He Changsheng didn¡¯t understand the man¡¯s words but instinctively felt an indescribable fear. His teeth began chattering, and he stammered, ¡°W-what do you mean?¡±


    The man looked at him, squatted down beside him, but seemed in no hurry to make a move. Instead, he looked at He Changsheng¡¯s face. After a while, he sighed behind the mask and said softly, ¡°Bullying the weak and being fierce, yet cowardly in the face of a strong enemy. Isn¡¯t everyone like this?¡±


    ¡°Polite and courteous in the light, but unrestrained in the dark?¡±


    ¡°Maybe one day¡­ no, it must have been long ago that I became like this too.¡± The masked man murmured to himself. His dark eyes gazed at the tightly bound He Changsheng, showing no emotion, only cold indifference.


    He Changsheng suddenly felt like a pig, a pig waiting to be ughtered. An icy sense of despair seemed to rise from every corner of his body, making him tremble uncontrobly.


    He struggled to move, but it was useless, making him look like a writhing worm, unexpectedly ugly. At the same time, he pleaded with this person, tears streaming down his face, willing to pay any price to be spared.


    The masked man took a cloth and stuffed it directly into his mouth.


    He Changsheng let out muffled sounds, eyes filled with despair and a hint of painful regret.


    The masked man looked at him and suddenly smiled, ¡°Are you regretting not shouting for help earlier?¡±


    He Changsheng red at him, eyes burning with rage, wishing he could tear this man apart. But the masked man shook his head and said gently, ¡°I¡¯ve already set up a soundproof array around this house. No matter how loud you shout, no one will hear you. Knowing this might make it easier for you to die, right?¡±


    He Changsheng¡¯s body stiffened, eyes filled with deeper despair. Looking at the masked man, his gaze was now full of terror.


    The masked man casually picked up the ck short sword stuck in the ground nearby and gently swung it in front of himself. ¡°Do you know,¡± he said, ¡°that in the demonic cult, there is an extremely terrifying torture used to punish those whomit the gravest sins?¡±


    ¡°This torture is called ¡®Blood Drip.''¡±


    ¡°The sinner is bound tightly to the ground, their eyes covered, and then their blood vessels are slowly cut open. The sinner will hear the ¡®drip, drip¡¯ sound as their blood slowly flows out and drips onto the ground.¡±


    ¡°Then, countless terrifying blood-eating insects will crawl into your body through the wounds and eat away everything inside you bit by bit. And you can even hear the sound of their chewing. Isn¡¯t that interesting?¡±


    The muscles on He Changsheng¡¯s face twitched violently, and he shook his head frantically, making strange noises with his mouth, his face devoid of any color.


    The masked man looked at him and then took out a small cloth bag, shaking it in front of He Changsheng¡¯s eyes, producing a ¡°shasha¡± sound like rolling sand or countless tiny insects gnawing and rubbing.


    He Changsheng let out two muffled cries, his eyes wide with indescribable terror as he stared at the small bag. Momentster, his lower body was wet.


    The masked man set down the bag and took another item¡ªa blindfold. Slowly, he ced it over He Changsheng¡¯s eyes and said quietly, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    He Changsheng let out a mournful cry and struggled desperately, but like fish on a chopping board, it was ultimately futile.


    Soon, his eyes were firmly covered by the ck blindfold, plunging him intoplete darkness.


    An icy chill, like a merciless de, touched his right wrist. He Changsheng¡¯s body trembled violently, but the cold sensation prated his flesh and blood, pressing down hard.


    ¡°Drip¡­ drip¡­¡±


    He Changsheng suddenly held his breath.


    ¡°Drip¡­ drip¡­¡±


    Suddenly, everything was dark and silent around him, except for the light but clear sound, like a water droplet falling.


    ¡°Drip¡­ drip¡­¡±


    Each sound seemed toe at the same interval. Each drop¡¯s sound felt like a terrifying hammer striking his soul.


    Every strike was soul-shattering.


    But the nightmare didn¡¯t seem to end. Amid the terrible and clear dripping sounds, a fine ¡°shasha¡± noise, like insects crawling, echoed around him.


    A cold, terrifying, slightly itchy sensation came from his wound.


    He Changsheng could no longer endure it and let out a heart-wrenching scream, but all the sounds were trapped deep in his throat.


    The night wind was deste. Someone blew out the candle, and darkness surged in, plunging the world into shadows.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The masked man slowly stood up, coldly watching the person before him, whose body was shaking uncontrobly, almost no longer human. He put away the small bag and then turned and walked out.


    Behind him, tiny twisted pits in the ground filled with slowly dripping blood, making rhythmic sounds.


    As the door opened, a low ¡°creak¡± echoed, revealing the world outside. It waste at night.


    He closed the door and walked to the dark roadside, sitting under a big tree. The blurry tree shadows hid his figure. After a while, a ck shadow emerged from behind the tree¡ªit was a ck dog, sniffing around and approaching him.


    The masked man removed his mask, and in the faint light, his face was revealed to be Lu Chen. He looked tired, the light in his eyes somewhat dimmed.


    Ah Tu stood in the darkness, gazing at him. After a while, it leaned over, gently rubbing its head against Lu Chen¡¯s arm.


    Lu Chen reached out, held it, and gently patted Ah Tu¡¯s head, whispering, ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    Ah Tu let out a low whimper, seemingly in response to him.


    Lu Chen looked up at the dark night sky, aplex emotion shing in his eyes. After a moment, he picked up the small bag.


    Ah Tu stared at the small bag, unblinking.


    Lu Chen also looked at the small bag for a long while, then suddenly said to Ah Tu, ¡°See, I was right, wasn¡¯t I? There are so many people in this world, and they believe whatever they are told¡­¡±


    He gently released his grip, and the string at the mouth of the cloth bag fell. In the night wind, the sand inside was blown up, drifting into the silent, cold night.

 Chapter 141: Disturbance After Death

    Chapter 141: Disturbance After Death


    When dawn broke, Lu Chen yawned and walked out the door, heading towards Liuxiang Orchard along with many other servant disciples. Along the way, he greeted many familiar faces, and a couple of closer acquaintances teased him, ¡°Did you not sleep wellst night?¡±


    ¡°Never enough sleep. Working every day is exhausting,¡± Lu Chen shook his head, sighing.


    The other servant disciples nodded in agreement, as everyone seemed to share the same sentiment. It was no secret that the Kunlun Sect¡¯s various rules exploited servant disciples to support those with better talents. However, despite this, the Kunlun Sect was still a reputable sect and would give servant disciples a glimmer of hope. If one had both luck and talent, there was indeed a chance to make something of oneself.


    The hope was slim, but the allure of immortality was enough to make people willingly strive for it.


    They chatted along the way, and by the time they reached Liuxiang Orchard, the sun had risen, casting its light over the vast medicinal garden. The breeze carried the unique fragrance of the orchard. The numerous servant disciples scattered like diligent bees to their designated spiritual fields, and Lu Chen made his way to the plot where the hawk fruit trees were nted.


    Standing on the ridge of the field, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help but look up at the sky. The clear, bright sky promised a day of good weather.


    Soon, everyone else arrived, and a whileter, the two Golden Core cultivators, Yan Luo and Lin Sheng, showed up. Just as everyone was about to begin, Lin Sheng frowned and called out, ¡°Wait a moment, we¡¯re missing someone.¡±


    Everyone stopped in surprise and turned to look.


    Yan Luo was also a bit surprised. ¡°Who would miss such a good opportunity? Who is it?¡± she asked.Lin Sheng nced at the name list in his hand and then looked at the servant disciples standing nearby, including Lu Chen. After a moment of contemtion, he said to Yan Luo, ¡°There¡¯s a disciple named He Changsheng who isn¡¯t here.¡±


    Yan Luo snorted. ¡°The fool doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him! Never mind, we can¡¯t keep everyone waiting for him. Let¡¯s start.¡±


    Her reasoning was sound, and Lin Sheng had no objections. He ordered everyone to start tending to the hawk fruit trees, though he cast an irritated nce at the path. Yan Luo was in charge here, but he was the one who had selected these servant disciples. Now, He Changsheng was inexplicably absent, which felt like a p in the face, even though Yan Luo hadn¡¯t med him.


    Lin Sheng decided that when He Changsheng showed up, he would give him a severe reprimand. As for choosing him for future opportunities, that was out of the question.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Sheng¡¯s face remained impassive as he watched the disciples busying themselves in the spiritual field.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Sheng¡¯s intention to harshly scold He Changsheng was never realized, as He Changsheng never appeared all morning. By noon, Lin Sheng¡¯s face had darkened considerably, and everyone except Yan Luo had subtly distanced themselves from him.


    Yan Luo nced at him once more but didn¡¯t say anything. Managing the servant disciples was Lin Sheng¡¯s responsibility; she couldment casually but overstepping would be inappropriate.


    After another half an hour, Lin Sheng could no longer contain his frustration. He called over a guard disciple and ordered him to fetch He Changsheng.


    By now, Lin Sheng had resolved that if He Changsheng couldn¡¯t provide a valid reason upon arrival, he would punish him on the spot and expel him from Liuxiang Orchard for his audacity.


    The guard disciple left on his errand, and those around, including the busy servant disciples in the spiritual field, discreetly watched the situation unfold. Some remained expressionless, while others showed faint smiles, seemingly relieved to have one lesspetitor.


    The gentle mountain wind blew through the orchard, and the sunlight from the sky seemed mild and gentle.


    Themotion began about half an hourter, with noisesing from the direction of the grass garden. The distant mor, mixed with a few shrill screams, grew louder as it approached Liuxiang Orchard.


    Yan Luo and Lin Sheng, the highest cultivators present, were the first to notice something amiss and turned to look. Shortly after, the previously dispatched guard disciple rushed back, pale-faced, and copsed in front of Lin Sheng, stammering in terror, ¡°He¡­ he¡­ he¡¯s dead!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The news of He Changsheng¡¯s sudden death spread quickly through Liuxiang Orchard. Initially, people were shocked and surprised, but soon many sensed something was seriously wrong.


    The Kunlun Sect dispatched numerous people to seal off the area, forbidding anyone from approaching He Changsheng¡¯s house. Lin Sheng and Yan Luo, who had been the first to arrive at the scene, never emerged from the house.


    ## Chapter 141: Disturbance After Death


    By the afternoon, the two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Hundred Herbs Hall, Qian Deng and Ming Zhu, arrived with grave expressions and entered the house. Later, as dusk approached, amidst countless curious and watchful eyes, the Kunlun Sect¡¯s Sect Leader, Xian Yue Zhenren, also arrived with a stern face.


    It seemed as though a storm was brewing over the vast Kunlun Sect.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Various rumors began circting wildly throughout the Kunlun Sect. Questions arose about what exactly happened in that house, why a normally inconspicuous servant disciple suddenly died so tragically, and why it attracted the attention of so many powerful higher-level cultivators. Numerous versions of the story emerged.


    Some said the servant disciple was overexploited, suffering unbearable hardship and seeing no future, which led him to despair andmit suicide.


    Others dismissed this, sneering that it was clear that the disciple had been severely oppressed recently and couldn¡¯t withstand it. As for who was responsible, well, there were only a few bold and ruthless families in the Kunlun Sect¡ªone could specte. Some people were known for their repugnant deeds, and they might face retribution.


    Another im, spoken with conviction, described the scene in the house as extremely gruesome, with blood everywhere, making it resemble a hell on earth.


    Someone asked how one could end up with so much blood in a room from suicide, leading to a flurry of wild spections.


    By evening, the news became clearer. There had indeed been a murder, and the victim was He Changsheng.


    He Changsheng had died in a horrific manner.


    However, details of the exact nature of his death remained elusive. Those who had not entered the house could not describe the situation, while those who had were unwilling to speak. The most they would say, under duress, was that it was ¡°terrible.¡±


    As night fell, the Kunlun Sect had sealed off an area of several dozen yards around the house. All other servant disciples residing nearby were questioned thoroughly and relocated. Thus, the area, once bustling, had turned eerily silent.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lu Chen lived far from the scene and was unaffected, with no oneing to question him. As night fell, he stayed alone in his room, with Ah Tu lying on hisp as he began to unwrap the bandages.


    The bloodied white cloths were discarded to reveal the severe wounds. Ah Tu asionally twitched in pain but mostly endured quietly, lying obediently.


    Some wounds were almost healed, so Lu Chen left them alone and only changed the bandages on the most severe wounds. It seemed that less than half of Ah Tu¡¯s body was still wrapped, and it looked somewhat better than before.


    Yet, Ah Tu appeared even more pitiful now. With only one eye and half a tail, it limped more noticeably. Its face was marred with frightening scars, adding an aura of menace that made it seem more ferocious.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost healed,¡± Lu Chen said, examining the scarred ck dog, and gently patted its head.


    Ah Tu responded with a wag of its tail, though it was a bitical and awkward with its half-tail. Lu Chen sighed and smiled, ¡°Be careful when you go out to y once you¡¯re better.¡±


    In Ah Tu¡¯s single eye, a faint green light shed, and it rested its head on Lu Chen¡¯s knee, snuggling quietly. Unseen by Lu Chen, beneath that green glow was a very faint hint of ck, swaying gently.


    Lu Chen looked out the window into the vast, dark night. His expression was equally indifferent. After a moment, he waved his hand, and the candlelight in the room dimmed.


    ¡°Sleep now. We¡¯ll see what happens tomorrow.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The next day, the weather was still good.


    The sun hung high in the sky, with clear and cloudy conditions, bright and clear.


    However, a shadow had already cast itself over the Kunlun Sect. The updated news revealed that the death of He Changsheng, who had met such a tragic end, might have been the work of the demonic sect from the Three Realms.


    This was the first time in decades that the demonic sect had dared to kill so brazenly on Kunlun Mountain, openly dering their identity.


    This certainly pped Kunlun Sect¡¯s face, inciting immense anger from Xian Yue Zhenren and others. While dealing with He Changsheng¡¯s affairs, Xian Yue also harshly reprimanded those in charge of the mountain patrols.


    When the head of the Kunlun Sect¡¯s ¡°Heavenly Soldiers Hall,¡± Du Kong Zhenren, was summoned to Xian Yue, he saw several usually high-ranking Golden Core cultivators leaving in a disheveled and pale state. Xian Yue still seemed enraged, his face dark, and he only nodded to Du Kong Zhenren before directly asking, ¡°What¡¯s the status of your disciple, He Yi?¡±

 Chapter 142: The Sect Leaders Undercurrent

    Chapter 142: The Sect Leaders Undercurrent


    In the Sunlight Hall on Tian Kun Peak, only Xian Yue <strong>Zhenren</strong> and Du Kong Zhenren remained, with no one else present. Their rtionship was quite familiar, so their conversation was more informal.


    However, Du Kong Zhenren was taken aback when Xian Yue Zhenren suddenly inquired about He Yi, his disciple. He said, ¡°Still in seclusion for self-reflection? Sect Leader, you¡¯re asking about this¡­¡±


    Xian Yue Zhenren sighed, not responding immediately. He gestured for Du Kong Zhenren to sit beside him and signaled for tea to be brought in.


    Once the tea had been served and the attendant had left the hall, Xian Yue Zhenren took a sip from his cup. He noticed Du Kong Zhenren¡¯s praise for the tea and gave him a sidelong nce, saying, ¡°This tea is Xiao He.¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren nodded. As a long-time member of the Heavenly Soldiers Hall, he had seen many things and knew well about the prestigious Xiao He tea. However, he smiled wryly and said, ¡°This Xiao He tea is indeed excellent, but I¡¯ll probably not be able to get any more from the Yi family in the future.¡±


    He did not borate on why he would no longer be able to obtain the tea, but both he and Xian Yue Zhenren were aware that it was due to the incident involving He Yi¡¯s younger brother and the Yi family. With the Yi family and Kunlun Sect now at odds, obtaining this tea was no longer an option.


    Du Kong Zhenren shook his head, pushing away the unpleasant thoughts, and turned his attention back to Xian Yue Zhenren, saying seriously, ¡°Sect Leader, you called me over and suddenly asked about He Yi. Is there something you need to discuss?¡±


    Xian Yue Zhenren nodded and, after a moment of contemtion, said, ¡°There was a murder case in the Flowing Fragrance Garden the other day. A servant disciple from our sect died under mysterious circumstances. Have you heard about it?¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren nodded. ¡°I heard about it but haven¡¯t gone to see it myself. I only know a rough outline. What is it, Sect Leader?¡±Xian Yue Zhenren took out a document from his robe and handed it to him, saying lightly, ¡°This document details the situation in that house. Take a look for yourself.¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren took the document with some confusion. After a brief nce at Xian Yue Zhenren, he began to read. As he read, his brows furrowed, and his expression grew more serious. For a while, the only sound in the vast Sunlight Hall was the rustling of pages.


    After a while, Du Kong Zhenren finished reading the document. His face had grown somber, and he said in a deep voice, ¡°The demonic sect is so audacious; they are truly overstepping!¡±


    He then seemed to recall something and looked at Xian Yue Zhenren. After a moment of hesitation, he said, ¡°Sect Leader, with such a situation, and you suddenly asking about He Yi, do you intend for him to¡­¡±


    ¡°Have hime see me,¡± Xian Yue Zhenren interrupted, rubbing his temples. ¡°I know you have high expectations for He Yi. However, the recent incident involving his younger brother has stirred public anger. He, as the elder brother, also has his shorings. It¡¯s inevitable that he faces some punishment.¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren¡¯s face showed a hint of pleasure as he stood up and said, ¡°Of course. If it weren¡¯t for you, Sect Leader, stepping in to smooth things over, Qian Deng and Ming Zhu from the Hundred Herbs Hall might not have let the matter go so easily. I have always been grateful for that.¡±


    Xian Yue Zhenren nodded, looking at Du Kong Zhenren with a trace of satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand. Over the years, as the sect leader, I¡¯ve always faced dissatisfaction from some within the sect. They say that when my master retired to Winter Peak, the sect leader position should have gone to Elder Shi Tian. Sigh¡­ The attitude of some junior brothers, like Qian Deng and Ming Zhu, has been ambiguous. Only you, after many years in the Heavenly Soldiers Hall, have remained unwaveringly supportive.¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren sneered and said, ¡°Sect Leader, don¡¯t be upset. Everyone knows what those few are plotting. They just want to seize more opportunities on the peaks of the Tianqiong Mountains. It¡¯sughable! Besides, when the session was decided, we all stood in the Sunlight Hall. Even Elder Shi Tian hasn¡¯t spoken up about it; when did it be their turn to make a fuss?¡±


    He then bowed and said earnestly, ¡°Rest assured, Sect Leader. Those petty figures won¡¯t be able to cause any trouble. Even if we consider the possibility, Uncle Bai Chen is still on Winter Peak. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t dare to make a move. I¡¯ll go get He Yi to meet you. If there¡¯s anything you need, just let him know. He¡¯ll do his best to help you and catch those hidden demonic sect remnants, so you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±


    Xian Yue Zhenren nodded with a smile and said, ¡°That¡¯s very good.¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren turned and left, walking with vigorous steps, clearly pleased. For someone of his cultivation and temperament, this kind of happiness was rare, but it showed how much he truly cared for his disciple He Yi, expecting great things from him. In fact, Du Kong Zhenren seemed even more pleased than if he had received good news himself.


    Watching Du Kong Zhenren leave, Xian Yue Zhenren was left alone in the vast Sunlight Hall. He sat quietly for a moment, then sighed softly, revealing a trace of inexplicable fatigue on his face.


    Even with his master, a Grand Master, still alive and with him holding the position of Sect Leader, how could these people still dare to gossip and criticize? Did they really have such courage?


    Was it just those few of them who were at the Nascent Soul stage?


    Xian Yue Zhenren smiled wryly, his expression growing heavy. He was afraid that there might be someone backing these people up.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    In the Flowing Fragrance Garden, thepetition to nt the hawthorn trees was disrupted by the sudden murder case. Not only had the leading Golden Core cultivators Yan Luo and Lin Sheng not returned for several days, but the remaining servant disciples were also at a loss, not knowing what to do.


    However, life had to go on. Even amidst the frenzy of rumors, everyone still went to the fields every day. Although they didn¡¯t know if thepetition would continue, they had to keep working. Some were ck, some worked harder, and some were unusually diligent.


    The particrly diligent worker was Lu Chen. He never cked off during work hours, diligentlypleting all his tasks. During his free time, he joined others by the fields, discussing the recent upheavals and specting about the unfortunate victim¡¯s death. They imagined what the demonic cult¡¯s rumored demons might look like if they were indeed involved.


    People had no particr opinions about the mild-mannered Lu Chen. Some even kindly reminded him not to waste effort, as the absence of Yan and Lin for several days likely meant thepetition was canceled or would be rescheduled. After all, with no one monitoring the process, there was no telling if something shady might have urred.


    Lu Chen just smiled and kept working, nodding in agreement. As long as he did his work, others had no reason to criticize him.


    Two dayster, Yan Luo and Lin Sheng returned to the garden. It seemed they had heard about the murder and had other arrangements from the sect, so they were called back.


    However, despite their return, both Yan Luo and Lin Sheng, the Golden Core cultivators, looked grim and were in a bad mood. As most people had expected, they ignored the results from the past few days and announced that thepetition was canceled. They would organize another one in the future to select a suitable candidate.


    In the crowd, Lu Chen remained silent, while others were all smiles. asionally, some familiar fellow disciples joked with him, patted him on the shoulder, and imparted lessons like ¡°heeding the advice of elders to avoid trouble.¡± Lu Chen could only smile wryly, nodding repeatedly, acknowledging that he had not fully grasped the truth of their words and would work harder in the future.


    In summary, the matter seemed to be temporarily set aside.


    However, a dayter, an unexpected turn of events urred. Yan Luo and Lin Sheng called everyone together again and, withplex expressions, announced that there would be no furtherpetitions. The candidate for the position had already been chosen: Lu Chen.


    The crowd erupted in astonishment, and Lu Chen himself was dumbfounded, clearly confused.


    People crowded around the two Golden Core cultivators, questioning incessantly. Yan Luo, with a detached expression, said that this decision was final because it had been personally selected by Su Qingjun.


    The crowd was shocked and more confused, with voices rising in mor. Yan Luo nced knowingly at Lu Chen, who stood quietly at the back of the crowd, and a smirk appeared on his lips, hinting at something intriguing.


    In Chinese, **¡±Zhenren¡± (ÕæÈË)** trantes to ¡°True Person¡± or ¡°Real Person.¡± It is a term often used in Taoism and Chinese Buddhism to refer to a person who has attained a high level of spiritual enlightenment or realization. This person is believed to have achieved a profound understanding of the true nature of reality and possesses advanced spiritual and moral qualities.


    In Taoist contexts, ¡°Zhenren¡± might refer to someone who has reached a state of harmony with the Tao (the fundamental nature of the universe) and thus embodies its principles. In other spiritual traditions, it can denote a sage or enlightened master who has transcended ordinary human limitations.

 Chapter 143: Promise

    Chapter 143: Promise


    ¡°So, are you going to thank me?¡±


    After knocking and walking into Lu Chen¡¯s room, Yi Xin leaned against the table with a triumphant expression, smiling at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen nodded repeatedly and said earnestly, ¡°Do I even need to say it? It¡¯s all thanks to Miss Yi¡¯s keen insight and timely warning that I got this opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Yi Xin seemed even more pleased, crossing her arms and boasting, ¡°Well, what can I say? It¡¯s just how smart I am. That day I happened to run into Sister Su on the road. Even though I only exchanged a few words with her, I could tell from her tone that she was quite concerned about the hawthorn fruit matter. So I figured, with others unavable, she¡¯d definitely want to take a look herself, right?¡±


    Lu Chen nodded vigorously, repeatedly saying ¡°yes, yes¡± as if he had just had an epiphany. ¡°You¡¯re really too smart and clever!¡±


    Yi Xin sighed and put on a pained expression. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that others, each trying to outsmart the other, took every opportunity to cut corners. Sister Su must have been watching from the side and surely disapproved. Seeing you working so diligently and cultivating the hawthorn well, it would be strange if you weren¡¯t selected. So,¡± she said earnestly to Lu Chen, ¡°Brother Lu, you should remember this lesson for the future: don¡¯t bezy or try to cut corners!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I remember it all. You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± Lu Chenughed, showing infinite patience as if he would listen to Yi Xin no matter what she said. Yi Xin began to feel a bit embarrassed by her own boasting, her face reddening as she gave him a yful re.


    ¡°So, did I help you out this time?¡± Yi Xin asked.


    ¡°You were a huge help.¡± Lu Chen replied.Yi Xin extended her hand with a grin and said, ¡°Then give me a reward. Quickly, please!¡±


    ¡°Shall I offer myself as a reward?¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Yi Xin was startled, her face flushing crimson. She scolded, ¡°Hey, Brother Lu, you¡¯re being improper again. What are you saying!¡±


    Lu Chen burst intoughter and waved his hand, ¡°Just kidding.¡±


    ¡°You always joke like this. Remember, back when we first met in the Chaotic Land, you also said something about offering yourself. How shameless!¡±


    Lu Chenughed, ¡°You didn¡¯t want to offer yourself, and now you don¡¯t want me to offer myself either. Wow, you¡¯re really hard to please!¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ can you talk properly, Brother Lu?¡± Yi Xin looked like she was about to jump onto the table in frustration, her face red and eyes glistening with tears.


    Lu Chen shrugged, pulled her down to sit beside him, and then said with a smile, ¡°Alright, alright, no more jokes. I¡¯m over ten years older than you, so I shouldn¡¯t take advantage of you¡­ Hmm, but as for a gift, I¡¯m at a loss for what to give you right now.¡±


    Yi Xin suddenly looked up at him.


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t notice, just lowering his head in thought for a moment. ¡°How about this: I don¡¯t have anything good on me at the moment, but when you find a suitable husband and get married, I¡¯ll give you the best gift then, okay?¡±


    ¡°When I get married?¡± Yi Xin appeared somewhat shy but her eyes were bright and clear, like gentle waves reflecting beautiful, shimmering light, as she asked softly.


    Lu Chen smiled, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yi Xin stared at him for a while and then giggled, ¡°Alright, but remember, you promised the best gift!¡±


    Lu Chen extended his hand with a smile and said, ¡°A gentleman¡¯s word!¡±


    Yi Xin nodded seriously and also extended her fair hand, pping his palm with a crisp sound, and said loudly, ¡°Even four horses can¡¯t catch up!¡±


    For a moment, their hands touched, and an unusually soft feeling seemed to pass from their palms. Lu Chen withdrew his hand and sat on the edge of the bed, as if suddenly remembering something, then muttered to himself, ¡°Ah, let me think, I don¡¯t think I can be considered a gentleman¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Yi Xin jumped up in a fury, rushing over to push him down. Lu Chen fell onto the bedughing heartily, while Yi Xin, both amused and angry, pped him several times and huffed, ¡°You¡¯re such a bad person, so bad. You promised something and now you¡¯re trying to go back on it¡­ You¡¯re too bad!¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Under the bright blue sky and clear sunlight, the majestic Kunlun Mountains stood tall, like colossal giants on the earth, nurturing countless beings and hiding unknown darkness and shadows.


    When the warm sunlight fell on the house, everything looked so calm and peaceful. With almost no one around, the sound of footsteps breaking the tranquility was exceptionally clear and loud.


    Two people were approaching: Du Kong Zhenren and his disciple He Yi.


    **Chapter 143: Promise**


    About ten yards away from the room, there were guards stationed. However, after He Yi handed over the letter from Xian Yue Zhenren, they quickly stepped aside. Several of them cast lingering nces at He Yi, seeming to be more interested in the young man than in the venerable Du Kong Zhenren.


    He Yi¡¯s face bore some resemnce to his younger brother He Gang, although this was before He Gang¡¯s disfigurement. After many days apart, He Yi¡¯s face looked a bit pale, possibly due to prolonged confinement in the cave andck of sunlight. However, aside from this, he appeared in good spirits, calm, and seemingly unaffected by the previous incident.


    When they reached the door of the room, Du Kong Zhenren stopped, and He Yi, who had been following half a step behind, also came to a halt.


    With no one else around, Du Kong Zhenren looked at his disciple with a hint of satisfaction and smiled, ¡°When I promised the Sect Master back then, I did have some concerns for you. This opportunity was too precious for you, so I had to seize it first.¡±


    He Yi showed a touch of gratitude on his face and bowed his head slightly, saying, ¡°I am deeply grateful for your kindness, Master. It¡¯s really hard for me to repay it.¡±


    ¡°But seeing you like this now, I¡¯m reassured.¡± Du Kong Zhenren said casually with a smile, ¡°I was worried that the previous incident might have had a severe impact on you, disturbing your mindset and affecting your cultivation. But it seems you not only remained unaffected but have actually made progress. You should be just a step away from breaking through to the Golden Core stage, right?¡±


    He Yi smiled with a determined expression but did not speak.


    Du Kong Zhenren nodded, saying, ¡°That¡¯s right. When the situation is not yet ripe, it¡¯s best to remain low-key and patient. If you can view this setback as a form of tempering, it will benefit your cultivation in the future.¡± He then seemed to recall something, and with a faint smile, continued, ¡°Nowadays, everyone in the sect thinks Su Qingjun is a prodigy. But I¡¯m not so sure. Her future achievements might not necessarily surpass yours.¡±


    He Yi was surprised by this and asked, ¡°Master, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Su Qingjun does have talent, and she is indeed formidable. However, the reason she broke through to the Golden Core stage so early isrgely due to the resources her family, the Su n, and her master, Mu Yuan, havevished on her. The Su n is desperate to have a Golden Core cultivator to uphold their reputation, and Mu Yuan¡¯s ambitions are even greater!¡±


    ¡°Greater than Mu Yuan¡¯s ambition for a Golden Core cultivator¡­¡± He Yi¡¯s expression changed slightly as he whispered, ¡°You mean Mu Yuan wants to make her¡­ a True Monarch?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Du Kong Zhenren sneered, ¡°Mu Yuan is the leader of the Iron Branch, and he¡¯s long been dissatisfied with the decline of the Iron Branch. But with his abilities, how can he shake our Kun Branch? After all, the Kun Branch has True Monarchs Bai Chen and Tian Lan overseeing it.¡±


    ¡°So, for the Iron Branch to flourish, their only hope is for an extraordinary talent to emerge from their ranks and reach the Divine Transformation stage. That would create a significant upheaval, leading to a meteoric rise!¡±


    He Yi was silent for a moment before nodding, ¡°What you say makes sense. It¡¯s no wonder Mu Yuan is so meticulous in his care for Sister Su. I¡¯ve heard that he is exceedingly demanding in her training, allowing no errors or regrets.¡± He then smiled, ¡°It¡¯smendable that Sister Su has managed to progress so fiercely under such immense pressure.¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren chuckled, showing an air of indifference. ¡°This is just the beginning; there¡¯s still a long way to go. Let¡¯s wait and see how things turn out.¡± He paused, then looked at He Yi and added, ¡°In any case, the path of cultivation is long and fraught with challenges. Xiao Yi, you have talent and capability, but in your future cultivation, you must be able to remain calm and focused to achieve great things.¡±


    He Yi stepped back, deeply bowed to Du Kong Zhenren, and said solemnly, ¡°I will heed the Master¡¯s teachings.¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s all for now. Remember what I said. Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    He Yi replied, ¡°Yes,¡± and stepped forward to open the door.


    Du Kong Zhenren added, ¡°This matter involves the Demon Sect and is of great importance. The Sect Master takes it very seriously. You need to investigate thoroughly, strive to catch the culprit, and uncover the truth. Do not ck off.¡±


    He Yi replied, ¡°Understood, Master.¡±


    With a creak, the doors were pushed open, and a dark, eerie aura seeped out of the room. It seemed that the outside light could not prate inside for the moment, and an unpleasant, strange odor wafted out.


    As He Yi was about to enter, Du Kong Zhenren suddenly chuckled to himself. He Yi turned to look and asked, ¡°Master, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just suddenly thought of something and couldn¡¯t help butugh at Mu Yuan¡¯s foolish ambition.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren leisurely replied, ¡°Mu Yuan, in his grand ambition, has pushed his disciple to reach the Golden Core stage even earlier than Bai Chen and Tian Lan. The entire Kunlun thinks of her as a prodigy. But, he¡¯s so focused on his own joy that he hasn¡¯t considered whether our Kun Branch¡¯s mighty True Monarchs, Bai Chen and Tian Lan, are pleased or not with the Iron Branch¡¯s actions.¡±


    Saying this, Du Kong Zhenrenughed to himself.


    He Yi, standing beside him, turned his gaze to the dark, gloomy room ahead and suddenly felt a chill run through his heart.

 Chapter 144: The Blood-Stained Mist

    Chapter 144: The Blood-Stained Mist


    A breeze from afar blew into the sealed room, and as sunlight streamed in, everything seemed to be warm and gentle, dispelling the darkness and cold that had once hidden here.


    He Yi and Du Kong Zhenren entered the room.


    The room carried a strange odor, tinged with a lingering stench of blood. Du Kong Zhenren paused at the threshold, frowning as he waved his hand in front of him, ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡±


    In contrast, He Yi had no overt reaction. He quickly moved forward and opened the windows. As the light poured in, the scene inside the room was revealed.


    It was blood-red!


    The first shocking sight they encountered was the intense red color everywhere¡ªon the white walls and the floor. It looked as if countless amounts of blood had been sttered around, creating a horrifying sight. The red was deliberately smeared to form various eerie and twisted patterns, resulting inplex and iprehensible designs.


    He Yi gazed at the blood-red patterns and formations on the walls. His pupils slightly contracted, and then he turned his attention to the center of the room. There, an empty space on the floor appeared to be shaped like a human figure.


    He Yi turned to Du Kong Zhenren, who nodded and said, ¡°The person died there.¡±


    He Yi crouched down, examining the lines of gaps on the floor. The gaps, about the thickness of a finger, still held traces of the red color, though much of it had dried and turned ckish.¡°What do you make of it?¡± Du Kong Zhenren asked from behind him.


    He Yi¡¯s expression was solemn. After a moment of contemtion, he said, ¡°The blood patterns in this room are part of an array called the ¡®Reincarnation Array,¡¯ which is a highly advanced formation used in the Demon Sect. Ordinary disciples couldn¡¯t set this up.¡±


    His finger lightly traced the edge of a gap on the floor. The surface was unusually smooth, and every gap, regardless of width or size, was identical. One could imagine how terrifying it would be if blood were to flow through these gaps, creating a horrifying image.


    ¡°The person who set up this array, regardless of their level of cultivation, used a very authentic technique.¡± He Yi¡¯s voice was low, but his eyes were exceptionally bright and sharp, as if mes were burning within them. ¡°The array patterns, positions, angles, and spiritual energy¡ªall aspects of the Reincarnation Array were arranged with extreme perfection.¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren approached him and said in a deep voice, ¡°What do you mean¡­¡±


    He Yi replied coldly, ¡°Such a formation cannot be faked. It must be the work of a core figure within the Demon Sect, someone of very high rank, to have such a refined and authentic technique.¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren took a deep breath and said, ¡°In that case, I will immediately report this to the Sect Master. Xiao Yi, I leave this matter entirely to you. I¡¯m leaving you with the Sect Master¡¯s order. If necessary, you can mobilize some of Kunlun¡¯s undercover resources with this order. Additionally, all cultivators below the Golden Core stage mustply with your inquiries.¡±


    ¡°What about the Nascent Soul elders?¡± He Yi suddenly asked.


    Du Kong Zhenren¡¯s expression changed slightly as he looked at He Yi and asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    He Yi¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he replied softly, ¡°I just wanted to inquire in advance, just in case.¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren appeared hesitant, pondering for a moment before saying, ¡°Dealing with Nascent Soul True Monarchs is indeed tricky. However, given the involvement of the Demon Sect and the serious nature of this matter¡­ If you need to question any Nascent Soul True Monarch, report it to the Sect Master first. He will decide and make the summons. Otherwise, taking such actions on your own could easily offend people.¡±


    He Yi nodded, ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Master.¡±


    Du Kong Zhenren sighed, nced once more at the blood-stained room, and couldn¡¯t help but mutter a curse before turning and leaving.


    He Yi did not leave with his master. From this moment on, his primary task was to investigate the mysterious person from the Demon Sect.


    He slowly walked over to the white walls, carefully examining the blood-red patterns. He leaned in to sniff and then gently wiped a streak of red residue with his hand.


    Indeed, it was cinnabar.


    He Yi¡¯s eyes showed understanding but were soon clouded by a deep worry. With the Demon Sect in decline for many years, he hadn¡¯t heard of such figures emerging recently. Could it be that some long-hidden demon lord had suddenly reappeared?


    But if it were such a major figure, why would they target someone as inconspicuous as He Changsheng, who wasn¡¯t even a formal disciple? And why set up such a horrifying Reincarnation Array?


    **Chapter 144: The Blood-Stained Mist**


    Is it worth it?


    Not worth it¡­


    He Yi stood in the room, his brow furrowed deeply, his gaze sharp as a sword. Slowly turning around, he looked at the omnipresent blood-red color surrounding him. For a moment, he had a strange illusion, as if he were enveloped in a dense mist of blood, with a tremendous secret hidden within its depths.


    He slowly closed his eyes, standing in the silent and deste blood-red room. Around him seemed to be silent waves, but he appeared oblivious, softly muttering to himself.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lu Chen left the Liuxiang Garden, under the envious gazes of many, and headed toward Su Qingjun¡¯s cave dwelling.


    As the most prominent young prodigy of the Kunlun Sect, a newly advanced Golden Core cultivator with a powerful background, Su Qingjun¡¯s residence was naturally extraordinary. It was located on the Spirit-filled Ziyun Peak, in arge cave dwelling carved out on a ¡°Flying Goose tform¡± halfway up the mountain.


    Compared to the dormitories of the outer disciples, Ziyun Peak only had four cave dwellings. The Flying Goose tform had only Su Qingjun¡¯s dwelling on its side, giving the impression of an immortal¡¯s paradise, with rolling clouds, ancient trees, and vines everywhere. The distant cries of monkeys and the nearby flight of birds made it a ce of serene beauty, exactly the kind of heavenly abode every cultivator dreams of.


    Standing on the Flying Goose tform, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help but be amazed, remaining speechless for a while.


    ¡°Are you stunned?¡± A pleasant voice came from beside him¡ª it was Yi Xin.


    Lu Chen sighed, ¡°Yes, people really differ too much.¡±


    Yi Xin, surprisingly not engaging in their usual banter, looked at the picturesque scenery before her with envy and said, ¡°Indeed, I was also dumbfounded when I first came here.¡±


    With that, Yi Xin shrugged and beckoned Lu Chen, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you around.¡±


    Today, Su Qingjun was not at her cave dwelling due to some business. However, everything had already been arranged, and Yi Xin was just bringing Lu Chen to get familiar with the ce. Later, when Su Qingjun returned, she would naturally speak with Lu Chen.


    ording to the prior arrangement, the person cultivating the fresh eagle fruits for Su Qingjun was to stay in her cave dwelling for a period. In reality, this ¡°cave dwelling¡± term was somewhat inurate. The entire Flying Goose tform actually belonged to Su Qingjun. Thus, walking on it meant being within her cave dwelling. However, Su Qingjun¡¯s usual living and cultivation area was the spacious stone cave carved out on the side of the Flying Goose tform against the mountain wall. The cave door was usually closed, and outsiders could not enter.


    Lu Chen¡¯s assigned area was a spiritual field cleared out near the side of the cave dwelling¡¯s entrance, about ten or so paces away. Here, a fertile plot ofnd had been established, rich in spiritual energy. The Baicao Hall had transnted the seven best eagle fruit trees here.


    In theing days, Lu Chen¡¯s task was to take care of these eagle fruit trees. Once the fruits matured, he would need to immediately inform Su Qingjun in the cave dwelling so that she could consume them as quickly as possible, ensuring that the medicinal effects would circte through her meridians perfectly, achieving a wless Golden Core stage.


    At the moment, Lu Chen was frowning, staring nkly at a newly built thatched hut beside the spiritual field.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to live here?¡± he asked Yi Xin.


    Yi Xin shot him a re and said curtly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Do you really think you¡¯ll be staying in the main cave dwelling?¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head, expressing his feelings, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that, but isn¡¯t it a bit too simple to just have a thatched hut prepared for me?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re just an outer disciple. Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re already a Golden Core cultivator!¡± Yi Xin retorted.


    Lu Chenughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re quite sharp-tongued, youngdy. Be careful, or you might end up without anyone to take you!¡±


    ¡°Humph! Mind your own business!¡± Yi Xin spat, then walked over and opened the door of the thatched hut. After taking a look inside, she turned back and smiled, ¡°Big Brother Li, it doesn¡¯t look too bad.¡±


    Lu Chen walked over with a smile, entering the thatched hut and looking around. The room was neitherrge nor small, with a bed and a table, quite simple and in.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a temporary ce,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°A worker shouldn¡¯t ask for too much.¡±


    Yi Xin smiled and looked at the door, ¡°Big Brother Li, your thatched hut is over ten paces away from Su Jie¡¯s cave dwelling. Will it be toote to call her when the eagle fruits ripen?¡±


    ¡°It will be fine.¡± Lu Chen said casually, ¡°As long as it¡¯s within the time it takes for a cup of tea, the original spiritual energy of the eagle fruits won¡¯t dissipate. It¡¯s alright. Unless she leaves the dwelling, no matter how skilled I am, I can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Yi Xin smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I heard from Uncle Yan that everything has been arranged with Su Jie. During this period, she will only be doing this and won¡¯t leave the cave dwelling unless something major happens.¡±


    Lu Chen squinted slightly and then smiled, ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    (To be continued.)

 Chapter 145: The Kunlun Martyrs Tomb

    Chapter 145: The Kunlun Martyrs Tomb


    Su Qingjun returned to her cave dwelling on the Flying Goose tform at Ziyun Peak in the afternoon. By then, Yi Xin had already left, and Lu Chen had moved his belongings into the thatched hut and made some simple arrangements before heading to the spiritual field outside to begin his work.


    The spiritual field was about two acres in size, spacious enough. The seven eagle fruit trees were transnted here with plenty of space between them, allowing these precious spiritual materials to receive ample spiritual energy and nutrients.


    Lu Chen carefully examined each of the eagle fruit trees, selected a few that seemed most likely to bear fruit first, and began to cultivate them. After some time, he sat on the nearby ridge to rest and looked at the thatched hut on the other side with a wry smile, muttering to himself, ¡°Living in a thatched hut again, after finally getting into a brick house, and now back to a thatched hut. It seems like I¡¯m going backwards.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®going backwards¡¯?¡± a clear and pleasant voice came from behind him. Lu Chen turned around and saw Su Qingjun standing on the ridge not far away, looking at him.


    Lu Chenughed, stood up, and said, ¡°I was just joking. It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Su Qingjun, however, did not smile. Instead, she looked at Lu Chen seriously and said, ¡°Lu Chen, the eagle fruit is very important for my cultivation. I don¡¯t want any mistakes.¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback, not expecting Su Qingjun to care so much about this matter. He immediately adopted a serious expression and said, ¡°Senior Sister Su, please rest assured. I¡¯ve worked hard to obtain this opportunity, so I will do my utmost to handle it with care. There will be no negligence.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± She then seemed to remember something and hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°Also, if you do this job well, I will reward you generously, and it will definitely be much better than the usual practices at Liuxiang Garden. Rest assured, I won¡¯t let you go backwards.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s face showed an unusual hint of embarrassment, and he smiled wryly, ¡°Thank you then.¡±Su Qingjun nodded to him and turned to head toward her cave dwelling.


    At that moment, Lu Chen suddenly called out to her, ¡°Senior Sister Su, you are aware of the nature of the eagle fruit. I will take good care of it and call you as soon as it ripens. However, since we need to ensure the job is done well, I must confirm with you in person: during this period, you must not leave the cave dwelling at random.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded, ¡°Of course. I came down the mountain early recently to handle some misceneous matters. For the next twenty days or so, I will stay in the cave dwelling for focused cultivation. You can be assured of that.¡±


    Lu Chen grinned, ¡°Good.¡±


    Su Qingjun nced at him, her expression indifferent, and then walked away toward the cave dwelling. Lu Chen sat back down on the ridge, looked at the spiritual field before him, and then up at the clear blue sky. Seeing the pristine blue sky with white clouds, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sentimental and quietlyughed to himself, ¡°I guess this¡­ counts as farming my way to prominence?¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Where there is day, there is night; where there is light, there is darkness.


    While Lu Chen was standing under the bright, clear sky, feeling a touch of sentimentality on the picturesque Flying Goose tform, another ce in Kunlun Mountain, walking along a mountain path, He Yi felt a coldness even in the daylight, sensing a darkness ahead of him.


    Kunlun Mountain was vast, with most areas being bright and open, reflecting the righteous and imposing aura of the Kunlun Sect. However, such a grand cultivation sect could not be entirely as it appeared on the surface. At least in He Yi¡¯s view, the mountain he was heading toward, a ce hidden in the shadow of a peak, was dark and cold.


    Even though it was daytime and the sun was high, the feeling here remained unchanged.


    The nameless mountain had no name for many years; it seemed no one wanted to bother naming this deste ce, so over time, ¡°Nameless Mountain¡± became its official title.


    Nameless Mountain was a small mountain hidden in the Kunlun Mountain range, surrounded by tall peaks that blocked most of the light. The small mountain was dark, icy, and solitary, never favored by people. In the shadowy corner of Nameless Mountain stood a house resembling a ancestral hall.


    ¡°Martyrs¡¯ Tomb.¡±


    He Yi read the characters on the que hanging on the door of the house, which looked very dim even in the daytime.


    A tomb is a graveyard for the dead, but not all Kunlun Sect cultivators are buried here after their passing. True Immortals, Golden Core cultivators, and those with profound cultivation like Foundation Establishment practitioners are buried in beautiful cemeteries where they enjoy incense offerings fromter generations. These cemeteries are lively during festivals, a world apart from the Martyrs¡¯ Tomb.


    This dark and cold ce houses lonely souls and ghosts who couldn¡¯t make it to the grand Kunlun cemeteries.


    He Changsheng¡¯s corpse was ced here.


    Of course, ideally, if a proper investigation were to be conducted, the body should not have been moved. However, even though the Kunlun Sect possesses formidable techniques, it cannot keep a corpse in a popted area for an extended period. Moreover, since He Changsheng had lived a life of obscurity and died quietly, he could not be ced in the Kunlun Cemetery. Thus, the body had to be ced in the Martyrs¡¯ Tomb.


    The Martyrs¡¯ Tomb¡¯s gate was painted ck, making it appear particrly heavy and somewhat eerie against the shadowy mountain backdrop. He Yi stood outside, letting out a breath.


    It was his first time here, and generally, Kunlun Sect disciples rarely visited this ce.


    He approached and knocked twice on the Martyrs¡¯ Tomb¡¯s door. The low, echoing sound spread out, but there was no response from behind the door.


    Frowning, He Yi knocked again, louder this time. The sudden noise in the eerie silence felt jarring, causing a shiver.


    After a moment, footsteps could be heard approaching from behind the door, which then creaked open.


    A thin, elderly face appeared through the gap in the door. It was difficult to determine the man¡¯s exact age, but what stood out was the look in his eyes. Those eyes were nearly devoid of any sparkle, filled instead with numbness and dazedness, as if reaching the end of life¡¯s road, about to burn out.


    ¡°What is it?¡± The cold, numb gaze settled on He Yi¡¯s face. The eerie atmosphere and darkness made He Yi shiver involuntarily.


    But as a seasoned cultivator with outstanding talent, He Yi quicklyposed himself and presented a hand token from his robe.


    ¡°I am He Yi, under the orders of the Sect Master, here to inspect the body of He Changsheng, which was sent here the day before.¡±


    The caretaker did not reach out to take the token but nced downward and then at He Yi. After a moment of silence, he rasped, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Seeing the caretaker step aside, He Yi hesitated for a moment before stepping into the Martyrs¡¯ Tomb. As he crossed the threshold, he felt an immediate darkening, as if the sky had suddenly turned darker.


    Most of the buildings in the Martyrs¡¯ Tomb were painted ck. Along one wall of the courtyard were rows of coffins, and on the other side were several rooms. Some of these rooms werepletely dark, while others had flickering candlelight that cast a faint glow.


    As if sensing He Yi¡¯s confusion, the caretaker slowly walked past him and said in a low voice, ¡°The rooms with candlelight are for the recently deceased. The path to the underworld is long and dark; some light is needed to find the way.¡±


    He Yi¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he suddenly asked, ¡°What about the dark rooms?¡±


    The caretaker turned slowly and looked at him with eyes that seemed to be clouded and numb. ¡°Those are for the long-dead, whose souls have long departed.¡±


    He Yi stared at the caretaker, his pupils slightly contracting.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Before today, He Yi had known of the Martyrs¡¯ Tomb but had never visited it, and thus was unaware of its eerie and ghostly nature and the strange caretaker. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was indeed in Kunlun Mountain and the Martyrs¡¯ Tomb was part of Kunlun Sect¡¯s domain, He Yi might have thought the caretaker was some kind of evil spirit.


    He even felt that the caretaker was more eerie than the most malevolent demonic cultists he had ever seen.


    However, since the Kunlun Sect could tolerate this person guarding the Martyrs¡¯ Tomb, he was likely not a demonic entity. Perhaps the intense yin energy in this ce had made him peculiar over time. With this in mind, He Yi felt some sympathy for the caretaker. Nevertheless, being a person of strong resolve, he nodded to the caretaker and asked, ¡°Where is He Changsheng¡¯s body?¡±


    The caretaker raised his hand and pointed toward a corner of the courtyard.


    He Yi observed the caretaker¡¯s actions, which were slow and unusually stiff, making it hard to discern whether he was more like a person or a ghost. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your hand?¡±


    The caretaker remained silent for a moment before responding, ¡°It¡¯s fake.¡±


    He Yi was startled and took a closer look, discovering that despite the hand¡¯s appearance, it was actually carved from wood.


    This revtion made He Yi feel somewhat awkward. Taking a deep breath, he slightly bowed and said, ¡°I apologize.¡±


    The caretaker¡¯s expression shifted slightly, appearing somewhat surprised. After studying He Yi for a moment, the rigid look in his eyes seemed to soften a bit. Then he spoke again, ¡°In that room over there.¡±


    He Yi followed the caretaker¡¯s direction and saw a dark room at the end of the courtyard, with a few flickering candles inside. He nodded and said, ¡°Thank you for your guidance.¡±


    With that, he walked toward the room. However, just a few steps away, he suddenly heard the caretaker¡¯s voice call out from behind him, ¡°Hey, do you want to know how that person died?¡±


    He Yi¡¯s body jolted, and he turned around abruptly, his eyes shining brightly.

 Chapter 146: The Su Family Affairs

    Chapter 146: The Su Family Affairs


    The nameless mountain was shrouded in shadow, as if even the sunlight despised this ce, rarely casting any light. In this dark courtyard, amidst the eerie atmosphere, the caretaker¡¯s sudden words made He Yi feel an intense sense of disbelief.


    ¡°You know?¡± He stared at the emaciated, withered face and said in a deep voice.


    The caretaker opened his mouth and made a sound like ¡°heh heh,¡± but his facecked any trace of a smile. Even the movement of his lips was just a slight twitch, appearing incredibly stiff.


    He Yi thought that even recently deceased people seemed more pleasantpared to this caretaker, who was so much like a dead man himself. The thick, pervasive aura of death seemed to constantly emanate from him.


    Upon hearing He Yi¡¯s question, the caretaker made a strange, raspy noise and said, ¡°I have a condition.¡±


    ¡°What condition?¡±


    ¡°I want to see someone. You need to find him for me.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Dongfang Tao.¡±¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°Dongfang Tao¡­¡± He Yi was stunned for a moment before suddenly realizing, ¡°Oh, you mean the one from Baicao Hall?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    He Yi furrowed his brows, looking at the caretaker, ¡°Why do you want to find him?¡±


    The caretaker¡¯s expression was nk, standing in the dark courtyard like a lonely ghost. He whispered, ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡±


    He Yi pondered for a moment, then shook his head, ¡°I might not be able to do that. Firstly, I¡¯m not familiar with Master Dongfang. We don¡¯t have any past dealings, and we might even be on bad terms. Secondly, as far as I know, he has been in closed-door meditation due to serious injuries and hasn¡¯t shown any signs ofing out. Even his favorite disciple hasn¡¯t been allowed to perform the formal apprenticeship ceremony. So I might not be able to help.¡±


    The caretaker turned away coldly, saying, ¡°Then forget it. I¡¯ve said what I needed to; whether you do it or not is up to you.¡±


    He Yi suddenly stepped forward, his eyes shing with determination, ¡°I have the Sect Master¡¯s token. Isn¡¯t that supposed to make you speak the truth?¡±


    The caretaker did not turn around, ¡°That token only allows you to enter this courtyard. If you want to pressure me, it¡¯s not enough. If you want to, you can ask Xianyue Zhenren toe directly.¡±


    He Yi was at a loss for words. He certainly couldn¡¯t ask Xianyue Zhenren toe to this gloomy ce. As the head of the Kunlun Sect, Xianyue Zhenren had many responsibilities and was constantly busy. Moreover, this task had been directly assigned to He Yi by the sect master, and he didn¡¯t want to disappoint him.


    He took a deep breath, giving the caretaker a final look. ¡°The Sect Master won¡¯te here, but I promise I¡¯ll try to contact Master Dongfang for you. However, I can¡¯t guarantee sess.¡±


    The caretaker seemed indifferent, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°Until you see Dongfang Tao, I have nothing more to say to you.¡± With that, he walked away, disappearing into the deepening darkness at the other end of the courtyard.


    He Yi took a deep breath, his expression changing several times. Deciding to put aside this unexpected interruption, he turned and walked into the dark room flickering with candlelight.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Eagle fruit trees favor sunlight and moisture, requiring abundant spiritual nourishment. They are quite delicate and difficult to cultivate. Due to their special attributes, harvesting them is also challenging. They can be described as troublesome.


    Having arrived at Feiyan tform, Lu Chen had basically settled here for eating, living, and working near the spiritual field. He meticulously cared for the eagle fruit trees, adding a bit of fuel to Su Qingjun¡¯s impending dazzling and brilliant cultivation career.


    Fortunately, the eagle fruit trees thrived in sunlight and would never bear fruit at night, allowing Lu Chen to at least sleep peacefully at night. Otherwise, continuous work without rest would be overwhelming even for a deity.


    On his first day here, Su Qingjun visited him at the spiritual field and then returned to her residence, noting out again for the rest of the day. Knowing Su Qingjun¡¯s reputation for being deeply immersed in cultivation, Lu Chen wasn¡¯t surprised. He continued his work until dusk, ending his day¡¯sbor.


    As the sun set and was about to disappear below the horizon, Lu Chen walked to the edge of Feiyan tform¡¯s cliff and gazed into the distance. The vast sea of clouds stretched out before him, with the setting sun casting a golden hue over the clouds, resembling a golden ocean and appearing exceptionally beautiful.


    The mountain breeze blew against him, making his clothes flutter. As he looked up at the sky from the cliff, a feeling of expansiveness washed over him, as if everything in the world no longer mattered, and a sense of transcendence filled his heart.


    Perhaps, this was the mindset of a cultivator?


    Or perhaps it was precisely for this reason that throughout countless generations, the ancient immortals and great virtues preferred to stay in the renowned mountains and blessednds, watching the changes of the clouds and the rotation of the stars, toprehend the true Dao.


    Lu Chen gazed at the distant sky, lost in thought.


    The path he walked seemed different from everyone else¡¯s. Even though he saw the grand scenery of the vast sea of clouds, he still couldn¡¯t fathom or see his own Dao, his own path.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The next morning, Lu Chen got up early and made a round of the spiritual field. After a night, the seven eagle fruit trees looked no different from the previous day. Some of the fruits hanging on the branches were still green, showing no signs of ripening, suggesting they would need a few more days.


    After inspecting the trees, Lu Chen took a bucket to fetch clear spring water from the mountainside. He watered the trees thoroughly and then infused them with spiritual energy. By the time he finished, it was already noon, and he finally had a chance to catch his breath.


    Sitting at the edge of the field, he nced toward the cave residence. All morning, Su Qingjun hadn¡¯t even opened the door of the cave. It seemed this beautiful and refined woman was determined to stay inside the cave, waiting for Lu Chen toe and call her.


    Lu Chen smiled, having no ill feelings about it. It was just as nned. While sitting there, he spected that by now, the news of He Changsheng¡¯s incident had likely spread through the Kunlun Sect. Most ordinary disciples might just be watching the excitement, but if there were any spies from demonic sects, they couldn¡¯t possibly ignore the reincarnation array.


    Perhaps there would be some reaction?


    He squinted slightly, lost in thought, and then looked up at the sky, deciding that he should probably sneak down the mountain to check things outter that night.


    Just then, the quiet of Feiyan tform was suddenly broken by the sound of urgent footstepsing from afar. Lu Chen was startled, turning his head to see a man hurrying up the mountain path directly toward the cave residence door.


    The spiritual field where Lu Chen was located was situated on the side of Feiyan tform. Surrounded by ancient trees and mountain rocks, it was rtively hidden, and the remote location made it hard to notice unless one was paying close attention.


    The hurried man clearly didn¡¯t notice the spiritual field located about ten yards from the cave residence. He looked anxious, running to the door and starting to knock vigorously.


    ¡°Bang bang bang, bang bang bang!¡±


    The knocking sound was deep and clear but not too loud, as the cave residence door was not a wooden one but a stone door reinforced with magical restrictions.


    Jindan cultivators, especially those with both exceptional talent and a wealthy family background, were indeed unique. Lu Chen touched the yellow stone talisman in his pocket, given to him by Su Qingjun yesterday. It was simple to use; the talisman allowed him to easily contact Su Qingjun. ording to her, the stone door was thick and heavy, and the cave was deep and vast. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to hear someone knocking from outside.


    Seeing that the man was knocking on the stone door with great effort but receiving no response from inside, Lu Chen felt an inexplicable sense of superiority and amusement at the man¡¯s futile attempt. Although he knew it was a bit petty, he couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    He had no intention of rushing over to help; instead, he took two steps back, leaned against a tree trunk, and sat down, not caring about the dirty ground. He watched from a distance as the man grew increasingly flustered and continued tough.


    Finally, the man, Su Biao, seemed unable to hold his patience any longer. He suddenly shouted, ¡°Sister Jun, Qingjun, are you inside? It¡¯s Su Biao!¡±


    Lu Chen listened from afar, smirking and shaking his head. ¡°Su Biao? That name won¡¯t do. He should be called Su Fool instead.¡±


    Su Biao continued calling out, growing increasingly anxious as the stone door remained unmoved. He paced back and forth at the entrance, his forehead seemingly sweating from the stress.


    Suddenly, Su Biao seemed to make a bold decision, kneeling before the door and knocking his head three times. This startled Lu Chen from a distance, making the scene even more amusing.


    After a moment, Su Biao cried out loudly, ¡°Sister Jun, pleasee out and see me! I¡¯m in urgent need of help! Please save me!¡±


    ¡°Hm? In urgent need of help?¡± Lu Chen watched with interest, reaching into his pocket to touch the yellow talisman but after a moment of hesitation, he withdrew his hand.


    ¡°I wonder when she wille out¡­¡± Before he could finish his thought, the stone door of the cave residence rumbled and moved aside. Su Biao, who was kneeling on the ground, looked up with a face full of surprise.


    Lu Chen was momentarily stunned as well and muttered, ¡°Toe out just at the mention of saving a life¡ªwhat a coincidence¡­¡±

 Chapter 147: A Little Money to Feed the Dog

    Chapter 147: A Little Money to Feed the Dog


    As the stone door moved aside, a beautiful figure emerged from the heavy shadows¡ªSu Qingjun. Seeing Su Biao still kneeling outside the cave entrance, her face showed surprise as she asked, ¡°Su Biao, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Elder Sister, Qingjun, save me!¡± Su Biao rushed forward, reaching out to grab Su Qingjun¡¯s feet.


    From a distance, Lu Chen¡¯s interest was piqued. He wondered if there was something strange between these two and couldn¡¯t help but take a couple of steps closer.


    However, Su Qingjun swiftly dodged Su Biao¡¯s embrace, her expression turning slightly stern. ¡°Sixth Brother, what are you doing?¡±


    Su Biao was startled, as if he just realized his behavior was a bit reckless. He quickly shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, Sister Jun. Please don¡¯t be angry. I really have an urgent matter.¡±


    Su Qingjun snorted and her expression softened slightly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Tell me.¡± After a pause, she walked over and pulled him up, saying, ¡°Get up and speak. A grown man shouldn¡¯t be kneeling on the ground all the time.¡±


    Su Biao stood up, his face filled with urgency. He grabbed Su Qingjun¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sister Jun, can you lend me two thousand spirit stones?¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s expression changed. ¡°So much? What do you need it for?¡±


    Su Biao hesitated, looking awkward. He stammered that he had an urgent need but couldn¡¯t clearly exin the reason. He just kept saying, ¡°I need it urgently. Just lend me the money first, okay?¡±Lu Chen, sitting at the edge of the field, found this interesting. He took a sip of spring water from the bucket, enjoying its sweetness and thinking it felt like sipping tea and watching a show. He murmured to himself, ¡°Asking for two thousand right off the bat. Truly a wealthy family!¡±


    Su Qingjun questioned him for a while, but since Su Biao refused to exin clearly, she seemed a bit annoyed. She red at him and said, ¡°Tell me clearly what¡¯s going on. Otherwise, why should I give you so much money?¡±


    Su Biao, looking distressed, said, ¡°Sister Jun, you know that our Su family has over a hundred disciples practicing in Kunlun Sect, but more than half of the annual financial support goes to you. If I don¡¯t ask you, who else can I borrow from?¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face slightly changed, but she sighed and seemed to show some apology. From a distance, Lu Chen was astonished and thought, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s some serious favoritism¡­¡±


    After a moment, Su Qingjun said, ¡°Sixth Brother, you should tell me the reason. If you really need my help, I¡¯ll assist you.¡±


    Su Biao hesitated, then leaned forward and whispered a few words to Su Qingjun.


    Lu Chen couldn¡¯t hear the crucial part clearly and felt irritated. He angrily drank a spoonful of water, thinking that if someone was so cautious in such a secluded ce, it must be something embarrassing.


    Just as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly heard a severe coughing sounding from a ce about ten yards away.


    Su Qingjun and Su Biao turned their heads simultaneously. They saw Lu Chen, concealed by the ancient trees and rocks on the edge of the spiritual field, coughing and appearing to have choked on water or struggling to suppressughter, with a look of pain on his face.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there? How dare you!¡± Su Biao leaped up angrily, pointing at Lu Chen and shouting, ¡°Who¡¯s this brat sneaking around Feiyan tform?¡± Then his expression changed abruptly as he added, ¡°You scoundrel, are you trying to take advantage of Sister Jun¡¯s beauty with evil intentions? Bah! I¡¯ll beat you today and throw you off this mountain¡­¡±


    Lu Chen continued coughing and waved his hand, shaking his head with a peculiar expression.


    Su Biao, enraged and about to charge at Lu Chen, was stopped by Su Qingjun. ¡°Enough!¡±


    Su Biao stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. Su Qingjun coldly said, ¡°He¡¯s a servant disciple from Baicao Hall. He¡¯s here to help me and will be staying here for a while.¡±


    Su Biao was taken aback and looked awkward. He saw that Lu Chen had already disappeared from the field, likely having left to avoid causing trouble, not wanting to embarrass Su Qingjun.


    Su Qingjun nced at the field, her clear eyes showing no unusual emotion but with a hint of relief. Su Biao, seeing that no one was around, rushed back to Su Qingjun, begging and performing various gestures of respect. He even attempted to kneel, which frightened Su Qingjun, who then pulled him up and scolded him. Despite the scolding, Su Biao seemed undeterred and continued to pester Su Qingjun.


    After a long time of scolding and arguing, Su Qingjun, seemingly helpless, eventually handed Su Biao something and waved him away. Su Biao, delighted, left happily.


    **Chapter 147: A Little Money to Feed the Dog**


    After watching Su Biao¡¯s figure vanish into the distance through the crack in the straw hut¡¯s window, Lu Cheny down, propping his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling. After a moment, his smile gradually faded as he seemed to ponder something deeply and sighed softly.


    ¡°Why are you sighing?¡±


    Suddenly, Su Qingjun¡¯s voice came from outside the hut. Lu Chen got up and went to open the door. Sure enough, Su Qingjun was standing outside, her bright eyes looking at Lu Chen. Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°You eavesdropped too?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t eavesdrop,¡± Su Qingjun replied. ¡°I wasing to ask you something, but after reaching the Golden Core stage, my hearing is so sharp that I could hear your voice from outside.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Lu Chen nced at her, forced a wry smile, and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Su Qingjun looked at him and asked, ¡°Did you see everything that just happened?¡±


    Lu Chen hesitated and said, ¡°I heard it. Young Master Su didn¡¯t notice I was here, so he spoke and acted without restraint.¡±


    Su Qingjun frowned slightly and said, ¡°Can you not speak of this to anyone? Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be good for Sixth Brother¡¯s reputation.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded. ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t mention it to anyone.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Su Qingjun seemed to believe him and turned to leave. But halfway through, she suddenly stopped and looked at Lu Chen, asking, ¡°Were youughing at him when you coughed?¡±


    Lu Chen immediately shook his head. ¡°No, I choked on the water¡­¡±


    Su Qingjun fixed her gaze on him.


    Lu Chen, at a loss, shrugged and said, ¡°Alright, I did find it a bit amusing. I didn¡¯t expect someone from the Su family, a figure like Young Master Su, would fall for such a woman and be so desperate.¡±


    Su Qingjun seemed to agree, shaking her head slightly and sighing. ¡°You also think that kind of woman is incapable of true love, right?¡±


    Lu Chen suddenly fell silent, not speaking for a long time. Su Qingjun initially just made ament and didn¡¯t think much of it, nning to leave after speaking. However, Lu Chen¡¯s reaction was somewhat unusual, prompting her to look at him again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lu Chen sighed softly and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s not entirely true.¡±


    Su Qingjun raised an eyebrow. ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Women of the world have their own emotions and desires. Although I can¡¯t be certain, I think that perhaps, at some point, those women might have had some genuine feelings for someone.¡±


    Su Qingjun gave him a deep look, a trace of unusual expression crossing her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to view those women in this way.¡±


    ¡°Those women?¡± Lu Chen smiled and stood there, meeting Su Qingjun¡¯s suddenly cold gaze, without showing any sign of retreat or fear.


    Su Qingjun seemed unwilling to discuss the matter further. She turned and began walking toward the cave. But after a few steps, she suddenly heard Lu Chen say from behind, ¡°No matter how you think about it, and you indeed have the right to look down on those women, I still want to say that although those women are lowly, they are still human and can have genuine feelings.¡±


    Su Qingjun did not turn around, so Lu Chen couldn¡¯t see her current expression or whether she was upset by his somewhat presumptuous words. After a while, Su Qingjun spoke calmly, with little fluctuation in her voice, and asked, ¡°Have you ever seen genuine feelings in such women?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Lu Chen replied.


    Su Qingjun was silent for a moment. ¡°Very well.¡±


    With that, she continued walking forward. Lu Chen looked at her retreating figure and suddenly raised his voice, ¡°Also, while I believe there can be genuine feelings in such women, it is still very rare.¡±


    ¡°Whether Young Master Su is lucky enough to meet such a woman with genuine feelings is highly questionable.¡±


    ¡°And even if she has genuine feelings, whether it is directed at your brother is hard to say.¡±


    Su Qingjun snorted and stopped again, turning around with a slightly displeased expression. She stared at Lu Chen and said, ¡°After all this talking, what exactly are you trying to say?¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°What I mean is, encountering genuine feelings is incredibly rare. Why not try to get that two thousand spirit stones back?¡±


    Su Qingjun looked at him and, after a moment, saidµ­µ­µØµÀ, ¡°I won¡¯t pursue it.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Lu Chen asked.


    Su Qingjun said, ¡°I want to eat eagle fruit and can¡¯t go down the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s a pity,¡± Lu Chen responded.


    Su Qingjun said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just a small amount of money. Consider it feeding the dog.¡±


    Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

 Chapter 148: The Su Family Members

    Chapter 148: The Su Family Members


    As Lu Chen sat in the straw hut, he remembered his earlier conversation with Su Qingjun and suddenly felt sorry for Ah Tu. He wondered if throwing out two thousand spirit stones might make someone want to y the role of a dog for a while.


    Hmm, that¡¯s a question best left unconsidered!


    Lu Chen quickly pushed this thought aside and spent the rest of the time either tending to and cultivating the eagle fruit trees outside in the spiritual field or strolling around the area, enjoying the picturesque views of the Flying Goose tform. He nned to wait until dusk and then look for an opportunity to see if there were any unexpected gains from the trap he had set.


    However, contrary to expectations, the seemingly tranquil Flying Goose tform had more visitors before dusk, and not just one group but two groups, totaling three people.


    The first group consisted of people Lu Chen recognized¡ªSu Mo and Su Qian, who had previously shed with He Changsheng and others in the Liuxiang Garden.


    Given their past encounter, even though Su Qingjun did not show any obvious dissatisfaction, Lu Chen still took the initiative to hide farther away in the straw hut. He couldn¡¯t hear their conversation but could see a bit of what was happening through the window crack.


    Simr to when Su Biao hade, Su Mo and Su Qian also waited at the door for quite a while. It was about half an hour before Su Qingjun came to open the door.


    This dy made Lu Chen wonder if Su Qingjun¡¯s hearing and vision at the Golden Core stage were not as sharp as expected or if she was perhaps deliberately trying to give her rtives a bit of a harsh wee.


    ¡°This is a bit strange!¡±Lu Chen, curious as he peered through the window, thought that even though they were family, the quiet and focused atmosphere of Su Qingjun¡¯s ce was quite different from what he had imagined.


    When Su Qingjun appeared, she still had her cold and beautiful demeanor. Su Mo and Su Qian showed great respect towards their sister, hurriedly greeting her, and then the three began to talk at the entrance of the cave.


    At this point, Lu Chen¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and he muttered, ¡°Hmm, something doesn¡¯t seem right¡­¡±


    Considering Su Biao and now Su Mo and Su Qian, all these visitors were rtives. One would expect them to be invited into the cave to have tea, rest, and talk in private. But why did they all just stand outside the cave entrance?


    From Su Mo and Su Qian¡¯s expressions, it seemed like this was a normal urrence, as if the rules at Su Qingjun¡¯s ce had always been this way. Lu Chen looked towards the cave behind Su Qingjun and saw that the stone door was deep and mysterious, with little visible inside.


    The three of them talked for quite a while. Su Qian seemed okay, but Su Mo looked excited, talking a lot to Su Qingjun, gesticting and pleading at times. Su Qingjun, with a furrowed brow, nodded or shook her head asionally, showing a bit of helplessness on her face.


    In the end, Su Qingjun waved her hand, said something to Su Qian, and then admonished Su Mo sternly. The two men, however, appeared delighted,ughing heartily and thanking Su Qingjun repeatedly before quickly leaving.


    Su Qingjun turned back into the cave, but just as the stone door was closing, Lu Chen, lyingfortably in the straw hut, suddenly heardmotion from outside and was startled. He got up, looked out, and muttered, ¡°No way, it¡¯s so lively here?¡±


    In no time, another person came up the mountain, running straight to the entrance of Su Qingjun¡¯s cave. With a thud, this person knelt down and began pounding on the door, shouting desperately.


    Even from a distance, Lu Chen could make out a few muffled words.


    ¡°Qingjun sister, Qingjun¡­ sister, you have to¡­ make a decision¡­ ah¡­¡±


    From the straw hut, Lu Chen could see that the third visitor was a young woman, younger than Su Qingjun by a year or two. She arrived with a calm demeanor but, as she approached the cave entrance, her expression turned pained, and she shed two lines of tears.


    What was even more bizarre was that after knocking and pounding on the stone door for a while, the woman suddenly seemed to remember something. She reached for her shoulder and tore a tear in her clothing, theny down at the entrance, crying even louder.


    Since it wasn¡¯t long after Su Mo and Su Qian had left, Su Qingjun came out much faster this time. A momentter, the sound of the stone door rumbling open could be heard.


    When Su Qingjun saw the woman in front of her, disheveled and crying, she was taken aback. She hurried to support the woman, asking her concerned and anxious questions.


    From a distance, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh, watching the scene with great interest. Shaking his head and smiling to himself, he said, ¡°The people of the Su family¡­ are quite interesting.¡±


    **Chapter 148: The Su Family Members**


    Since Lu Chen went to the Flying Goose tform to nt eagle fruit trees for Su Qingjun, and this would take at least twenty days, the ck dog Ah Tu became a problem.


    Lu Chen had originally asked if it was possible to bring Ah Tu to the Flying Goose tform, but everyone who was asked looked at him as if he were crazy.


    A celestial-like figure such as Su Qingjun wouldn¡¯t be associated with a dog!


    Lu Chen was at a loss. After some more inquiry, he discovered that this was likely the case. Nobledies like Su Qingjun and Yi Xin had little to no experience with pets growing up, making it hard to say if she would genuinely like Ah Tu as Yi Xin did.


    To avoid unnecessaryplications, and given that he would be away for just over twenty days, Lu Chen decided that Ah Tu would begin a solitary life as a dog.


    During the day, Ah Tu would run wild and free, taking care of its own needs. At dusk, it would return to the small doghouse and sleep. Yi Xin thought of Ah Tu and came to visit, but upon seeing the dog¡¯s pitiful state, she was shocked and started crying.


    Despite Yi Xin¡¯s sadness, Ah Tu seemed much stronger. It continued to appear indifferent all day long, despite having only one eye, half a tail, and many terrible scars. These injuries didn¡¯t deter Ah Tu¡¯s longing for the mountains and forests, and it wouldn¡¯t even heed Yi Xin¡¯s pleas.


    For a long time, apart from Lu Chen, Ah Tu had hardly shown any affection for humans. Yi Xin was an exception, being able to get a little closer and talk to it. However, whenever Yi Xin tried to take Ah Tu away, it resolutely refused.


    It seemed that Ah Tu preferred to return to the deste and lonely hut every night, waiting patiently for Lu Chen¡¯s return.


    Unconsciously, Ah Tu¡¯s life seemed to be entwined with Lu Chen¡¯s, unwilling to part.


    ¡ª


    At dusk, in the setting sun of Kunwu City.


    The remnants of the setting sun fell on a secluded courtyard. This was an inconspicuous ce in Kunwu City that had been purchased long ago and left in solitude for a long time until recently, when someone suddenly moved in.


    Since moving in, the new upant had been reclusive, hardly ever going out. The neighbors had never seen this person, nor did anyone visit.


    The courtyard and its walls were so lonely and quiet, it seemed like it housed not a person, but a formless spirit.


    One day, a man suddenly arrived, entering the secluded courtyard and dragging the person hiding in the dark house out into the sunlight.


    In the glow of the setting sun, the man emitted strange howls of rage. His face was twisted and ugly, like torn flesh, resembling more of a ghost than a human.


    He Yi forcefully threw his brother He Gang onto the ground. There was a trace of sorrow and pain in his eyes, but his face was filled with extreme anger. He even lifted his foot and kicked He Gang several times.


    He Gang rolled on the ground, screaming in agony but not daring to resist. Perhaps he had already lost hope in himself. In front of his only brother in this world, he was like a howling wild dog, shedding tears of pain.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡±


    He Yi suddenly growled, grabbing He Gang by the cor and lifting him up, pping him hard across the face.


    He Gang¡¯s mouth bled from the blow, but he remained silent, his gaze toward He Yi now numb.


    ¡°Just kill me, big brother.¡± He looked at his handsome, perfect brother, who was also his only close rtive in this world, and said hoarsely, ¡°I¡­ I only embarrassed you and even brought shame and punishment upon you, ultimately even being driven out of the Kunlun Sect like a dog. Big brother, just leave me to die.¡±


    He Yi¡¯s face turned iron-gray. He pped He Gang again, making him roll on the ground, and then yanked him back up. His eyes seemed ready to burst with fury as he red at He Gang and shouted, ¡°Look at yourself now! If you weren¡¯t my brother, I¡¯d have killed you with a single p!¡±


    He Gang forced a miserable smile and said, ¡°If my death could set you free, could help you regain the sect¡¯s favor and support, then what¡¯s wrong with me dying?¡± Tears streamed down his face as he choked up, ¡°My worthless life has led to this, but big brother, you clearly have a bright future, and it¡¯s all my fault. I¡­¡±


    He Yi snorted coldly, but his gaze softened. He sat down on the stone steps nearby and sneered, ¡°Do you think I came out of seclusion and came down the mountain to find you just for nothing?¡±


    He Gang was stunned, and slowly, a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes.

 Chapter 149: Moonlight and Sea of Clouds

    Chapter 149: Moonlight and Sea of Clouds


    A sudden shiver ran across the hideous face as He Gang stared at He Yi and asked, ¡°Big brother, do you mean¡­?¡±


    He Yi nodded slowly and then said to He Gang, ¡°Heaven pity, I¡¯ve suddenly found a rare opportunity to escape this predicament. But I need your help.¡±


    He Gang sat up abruptly, his eyes revealing excitement. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful¡­ but,¡± his expression suddenly darkened, ¡°how can I help you in my current state¡­?¡±


    Before He Gang could finish his words, He Yi interrupted him with a firm tone. ¡°You¡¯re the only brother I have in this world. I only trust you.¡±


    He Gang¡¯s body trembled, and he stared nkly at He Yi. Gradually, his terrifying and hideous face seemed to brighten, and even his eyes became somewhat gentle.


    He gritted his teeth and crawled to He Yi. ¡°Big brother, whatever you need me to do, I will do my best to help.¡±


    He Yi looked at him with a hint of satisfaction and shook his head. ¡°No need to go to extremes, but you need to be careful about hiding your whereabouts. For example, change your clothes and wear a mask or something, so no one can recognize you.¡±


    Saying this, He Yi took out a package from behind him and tossed it to He Gang. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared everything inside. Once you disguise yourself, go to the major shops in the city.¡±


    He Gang received the package and then, with a sh of ferocity in his eyes, asked, ¡°Big brother, is someone still watching us from the mountain?¡±He Yi sneered. ¡°There are many people watching us, and they are eager for me to make a mistake. Don¡¯t worry about them. However, the task I need to aplish cannot be interrupted, and it¡¯s inconvenient for me to go personally. That¡¯s why I need you to help.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, big brother, I¡¯ll do it well. But why am I going to the major shops in Kunwu City?¡±


    He Yi took out a small paper packet from his chest and handed it to He Gang.


    He Gang took it with some confusion, nced at He Yi, then opened the folded paper. Inside was some crimson powder. He examined it carefully and then sniffed it, eximing in surprise, ¡°Cinnabar?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Pretend to be a wealthy guest and find out which shops in the city have recently bought arge amount of this stuff,¡± He Yi instructed.


    He Gang nodded and put away the packet. ¡°Understood.¡±


    He Yi smiled faintly, stood up, and looked at the distant setting sun, which was almostpletely gone. After a moment, he suddenly sneered, ¡°We need quite a lot of cinnabar for the reincarnation array.¡±


    ¡ª


    On Kunlun Mountain, the sunset lingered longer in the high altitudepared to Kunwu City.


    The Flying Goose tform on Purple Cloud Peak was a great ce to enjoy the sunset. The vast sea of clouds and the fiery glow of the sunset created a breathtaking scene. However, on this particr evening, the people on the Flying Goose tform had no interest or leisure to appreciate the sunset.


    The woman who hade to the Flying Goose tform also appeared to be from the Su family, as Su Qingjun seemed very familiar with her. During the woman¡¯s sobbing andints, she appeared to be bothmenting and scolding someone, eventually ending up in tears.


    Su Qingjun¡¯s attitude toward this woman was different from her attitude toward Su Biao, Su Mo, and Su Qian. She was noticeably more sympathetic. But after the woman seemed to have made some requests or pleas, Su Qingjun disyed an expression of difficulty.


    Lu Chen watched the scene with interest, recalling the woman¡¯s light steps and calm demeanor when she arrived on the mountain, which starkly contrasted with her current desperate and tearful appearance.


    The two women seemed to be in a standoff. Su Qingjun sighed and said a few words to the woman, even pointing to the spirit fields over here.


    Although Lu Chen couldn¡¯t hear their conversation, it was clear that Su Qingjun was exining the situation about the eagle fruit and why it was difficult for her toe down the mountain.


    To Lu Chen¡¯s surprise, the woman cried even harder upon hearing this. She even hugged Su Qingjun tightly, rubbing her head against her as if she was about to copse.


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face showed a look of helplessness. She advised the woman in a low voice for a while, but it seemed to be of no use. Eventually, Su Qingjun, seemingly out of options, gave a bitter smile, shook her head, and whispered a few words to the woman.


    The woman¡¯s face suddenly lit up with joy. She stood up quickly, as if her wish had finally been fulfilled. After hugging Su Qingjun tightly, she hurriedly descended the mountain, moving at a rapid pace as if afraid Su Qingjun might call her back.


    Su Qingjun silently watched the woman¡¯s figure gradually disappear, her face showing a trace of mild helplessness.


    ¡ª


    In the distance, Lu Chen withdrew his gaze,y down on the bed, and began to rest with his eyes closed. The light outside the grass hut gradually dimmed, likely because the sun was finally setting, and night was approaching.


    At this moment, a faint sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the grass hut, passing by. At this time, only two people were left on the Flying Goose tform¡ªLu Chen and Su Qingjun.


    The sky had turnedpletely dark, and she had yet to return to her cave dwelling¡ªwhy was she still out here?


    Lu Chen sat up and nced outside the hut, frowning slightly. After a moment of contemtion, he opened the door and stepped out.


    The night was still setting in, with only a golden edge of the setting sun remaining on the horizon, as if it was reluctant to leave the world.


    On the edge of the Flying Goose tform¡¯s cliff, where the shadows were thick and dark, Su Qingjun stood alone. The mountain wind howled fiercely, causing her garments to flutter wildly.


    She seemed like a delicate leaf, ready to be blown away by the wind, or a small pine tree nted on the cliff¡¯s edge, enduring the harsh elements. In the night¡¯s darkness, she appeared to have an air of frost-enhanced beauty, unaffected by the trials of time.


    Her silhouette against the night was like a whisper, strikingly beautiful in the serene twilight.


    Lu Chen walked over slowly but stopped about ten feet away from her. After observing her for a while, he turned around, seemingly intending to go back to the hut.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t youing over?¡± Su Qingjun¡¯s calm voice came from behind, as if she could sense the situation without even turning around.


    Lu Chen halted and looked at her. Su Qingjun remained in the same position, offering him only a beautiful and profound back view.


    ¡°Well, I was actually a bit worried you might be considering jumping off,¡± Lu Chen said calmly. ¡°But now it seems like it¡¯s nothing, and I¡¯ve overthought it. So, I¡¯m going back to sleep now.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s back slightly shifted, and then she turned around to face Lu Chen. Her expression was somewhat peculiar as she asked, ¡°Do you think I wanted to jump off?¡±


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t seem at all embarrassed. With a serious tone, he said, ¡°Misunderstood, sorry.¡±


    Su Qingjun listened to his insincere apology, shook her head, and after a moment of silence, said, ¡°Everyone who came today was from the Su family. You saw them all, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Lu Chen thought for a moment and replied, ¡°I saw them all. However, since Su Biao was the closest, I had a general idea of what was happening. For the other two groups, I was at the hut and couldn¡¯t hear much, so I don¡¯t know exactly what transpired.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded slightly, her gaze softening. After a while, she said, ¡°Your initiative to avoid trouble has spared me some embarrassment. I appreciate it.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at Su Qingjun with a hint of admiration, thinking that she was indeed unique. Besides her stunning beauty, her insightful and clever nature was evident.


    With a touch of appreciation in his eyes, he said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Sister Su, take care not to catch a cold from the wind and dew here. I¡¯ll head back now.¡±


    ¡°The scenery here is quite nice,¡± Su Qingjun said, seemingly not hearing Lu Chen¡¯s words. ¡°The sea of clouds is vast and rolling, looking like an ocean. It¡¯s a rare sight, even more remarkable at nightpared to the daytime. Don¡¯t you want to see it?¡±


    Lu Chen paused, looked at Su Qingjun, and then smiled. Without any pretense or humility, he simply nodded and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± He then stepped toward the cliff¡¯s edge.


    Below the mountain, the cliff was steep and dangerous. As he ascended, the mountain wind became much fiercer, howling as if sweeping down from the heavens. Thick clouds swirled beneath him, stretching endlessly into the sky, with waves of mist rising and falling unpredictably.


    In the midst of the wind and clouds, the world seemed vast. Looking back, a full moon slowly rose.


    The night was deep.


    He stood beside her.


    As they stood side by side, their clothes fluttered like chaotic waves, and the fierce wind against their faces gave a sense of having wings under their ribs.


    Su Qingjun turned to nce at him with a calm expression, neither happy nor sad, while Lu Chen did not look at her. He merely gazed at the distant sea of clouds, the moonlight casting a gentle glow over the boundless clouds. The majestic scene prompted him to exim, ¡°It truly is a breathtaking view.¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled slightly, as beautiful as a lily in the night, and then also turned to look. The two of them gazed at the moonlit sea of clouds together for a long time.


    When the moon reached its zenith, Su Qingjun finally withdrew her gaze. After a moment, she suddenly said, ¡°I need to go down the mountain tonight.¡±


    Lu Chen, still looking into the distance, showed no expression but calmly replied, ¡°It¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±

 Chapter 150: Good Intentions Cost Money

    Chapter 150: Good Intentions Cost Money


    As the night wind blew, on the cliff, Su Qingjun¡¯s gaze was clear and bright, like the full moon hanging high in the sky¡ªcool but not ring. She seemed curious, looking at Lu Chen, and asked, ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a curfew,¡± Lu Chen replied. ¡°If someone discovers you, your good reputation will be ruined.¡±


    Su Qingjun looked at him for a moment and then suddenly smiled. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what you meant earlier,¡± she said, pausing briefly before adding, ¡°Could it be that you¡¯ve already guessed why they came to see me today?¡±


    ¡°Except for Su Biao, I don¡¯t know about the others,¡± Lu Chen rified. ¡°But I think most of their matters might not be urgent. At least for you, it may not be worth breaking the sect rules to go down the mountain.¡±


    Su Qingjun was silent for a while, then retorted, ¡°Have you ever considered that what might be a small matter for me could be a critical issue for others?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going down the mountain?¡± Lu Chen asked.


    Su Qingjun nodded. ¡°They asked me to help them.¡±


    ¡°They asked you, and you agreed?¡±


    ¡°After all, we¡¯re family.¡±Lu Chen frowned, staring at Su Qingjun without speaking for a moment.


    Su Qingjun was also silent for a while before exining, ¡°When Su Biao was here, you probably heard him say that the family relies too much on me alone. If I don¡¯t take care of the younger siblings, who will?¡±


    Lu Chen blinked and looked around, then nced at the dark abyss below the cliff, seeming a bit uneasy.


    Su Qingjun was surprised. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m checking if there¡¯s any escape route,¡± Lu Chen said. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re nning to kill me and cover it upter.¡±


    Su Qingjun was initially stunned but then burst intoughter. ¡°Nonsense, why would I do that?¡±


    Lu Chenughed too and then said, ¡°In fact, with your status, you don¡¯t need to exin so much to a mere handyman like me.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s eyes shimmered like moonlight on the sky, clear and gentle. She smiled and said, ¡°I think you¡¯re different from the usual handymen; you¡¯re especially smart.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°In fact, you¡¯re smarter than many of the Qi Refining and even Foundation Establishment disciples I know!¡±


    Lu Chen immediately took a step back, scrutinizing Su Qingjun, and said seriously, ¡°When someone is overly ttering, they usually want something. What is it that you need?¡±


    Su Qingjun sighed. ¡°You are indeed smart, much better than my family¡¯s other brothers. If only they could be more like you, I wouldn¡¯t be so troubled.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°If word of this got out, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay on Kunlun Mountain. What exactly do you want to say?¡±


    Su Qingjun said calmly, ¡°After I go down the mountain, I might not be able to return by morning. If someonees looking for me and finds that I¡¯m missing, while I was supposed to be guarding the Flying Goose tform because of the Eagle Fruit, it would be very troublesome.¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment and then suddenly gave a wry smile. ¡°So, you want me to help keep people away?¡±


    Su Qingjun replied straightforwardly, ¡°Yes. There are only the two of us here on the Flying Goose tform, and the Eagle Fruit tree is there. Since I can¡¯t hide my departure from you, I have to ask you to cover for me.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded. ¡°No wonder you were talking about all that family stuff earlier.¡±


    Su Qingjun asked, ¡°So, will you help me?¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m just a handyman; I don¡¯t have the capability¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Su Qingjun interrupted him. ¡°You¡¯re a better handyman than the others. I believe you can do it.¡±


    Lu Chen looked distressed and gritted his teeth. ¡°The Flying Goose tform is usually quiet. It¡¯s possible no one wille for half a day¡­ uh?¡± He suddenly looked at Su Qingjun and frowned. ¡°Do many peoplee here regrly?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Sometimes there are many people, and other times there are days without anyone.¡±


    Lu Chen scoffed. ¡°So, there are quite a few people.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big family.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Lu Chen shook his head in resignation, then straightened his expression. ¡°There¡¯s onest thing.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°What if the Eagle Fruit matures suddenly tomorrow morning?¡±


    Su Qingjun fell silent, not speaking for a long time.


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t urge her, just watching quietly. After a while, Su Qingjun furrowed her elegant brows and said, ¡°Maybe you should eat it?¡±


    Lu Chen rolled his eyes and replied, ¡°Hey, if someone sees me eating it, I might really be thrown off this cliff, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Su Qingjun looked a bit troubled, rubbing her forehead as if she found the situation tricky. Then, with a hint ofint in her tone, she said to Lu Chen, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say during the day that the Eagle Fruit wouldn¡¯t mature so soon?¡±


    Lu Chen coughed and replied, ¡°What if it does?¡±


    Su Qingjun thought for a while and then waved her hand, sighing, ¡°If we¡¯re that unlucky, just bury it in the soil and use it as fertilizer. Just make sure no one sees it.¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Su Qingjun turned to leave, seemingly ready to set off, but at that moment, Lu Chen suddenly called out to her. Su Qingjun turned and asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°You forgot to mention the reward.¡±


    Su Qingjun was taken aback. ¡°What reward?¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her with a strange expression and said, ¡°If I help you with this, the risk is quite high. Aren¡¯t you going to give me somepensation?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± Su Qingjun seemed to understand suddenly. ¡°So that¡¯s what you meant. That¡¯s fine then.¡±


    ¡°Hey, this is justmon sense, you know?¡± Lu Chen said seriously to Su Qingjun.


    Su Qingjun shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe. But in the past, whether it was someone from my Su family or others, when they helped me, they never asked for any reward. At most, I¡¯d thank them, and they were quite happy with that.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not like them.¡± Lu Chen snorted, showing a hint of disdain and contempt for those past people, then said seriously, ¡°Actually, think about it. They said they didn¡¯t need a reward, but in reality, they made you owe them a favor. A favor is the hardest to repay. If theye asking for help in the future, will you help them? Isn¡¯t it much more tiring than just giving some spirit stones or money directly?¡±


    Su Qingjun thought carefully for a moment, and then surprisingly showed a hint of agreement on her face, nodding, ¡°You make a very good point.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m also thinking of you, to spare you the trouble of owing me a favor and feeling uneasy about it.¡±


    Su Qingjun asked, ¡°So, how muchpensation do you want?¡±


    Lu Chen thought for a moment, secretly hoping to make a substantial profit, then gritted his teeth and boldly said, ¡°Two¡­ thousand spirit stones?¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Su Qingjun nodded and looked at Lu Chen with appreciation. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so straightforward and principled!¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The night was dark and deep. The beautiful woman left quietly, disappearing into the boundless darkness, while Lu Chen stood on the edge of the cliff, facing the wind.


    The mountain wind caused his clothes to flutter unpredictably, and the biting cold wind brushed against his face, giving him a sensation as if he were being pped repeatedly. Looking at the dark night sky and the moon on the horizon, he felt an inexplicable sense of loss and confusion.


    Lu Chen sighed deeply, looking regretful, and muttered to himself, ¡°Should have asked for twenty thousand¡­ These rich young masters are truly infuriating!¡±


    Shaking his head, he turned and walked down the cliff, back to his hut, and closed the door.


    As the night grew deeper, after about an hour, a small movement was noticed in the dark emptiness of the Flying Goose tform. The door of the hut was silently pushed open, and Lu Chen stepped out.


    Under the moonlight, his figure remained hidden in the shadows, moving in and out of sight, and headed toward the mountain path below the Flying Goose tform.


    Soon, his figure disappeared into the darkness.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    That night, Kunlun Mountain remained quiet and deste. The long-standing curfew had made most Kunlun disciples ustomed to such routines. Outside the house where a horrifying incident had recently urred, there were still some guards, but they were noticeably more rxed than before.


    Even cultivators feel uneasy facing death or dead bodies, though those who practice demonic arts might be exceptions.


    Lu Chen¡¯s figure silently approached the house that originally belonged to He Changsheng. He lurked in the nearby woods, observing quietly from a distance.


    From the outside, the house showed no signs of change, as if the disgruntled handyman still lived there, disgruntled and dissatisfied with many things in the world. The eerie and ominous aura of the strange formations inside the house seemed to be blocked by the walls, not revealing any secrets to the outside.


    Lu Chen remained hidden in the woods for a long time, showing no intention of sneaking into the house. He just watched from afar, his eyes flickering with aplex and contemtive light.


    The person hidden in the deepest darkness¡ªdid they already know what had happened here?


    If they were a deep-seated spy from a demonic sect, what would they do?


    What would they think if they saw such a pure reincarnation formation?


    Lu Chen¡¯s gaze slowly shifted, suddenly moving away from the house and looking toward the eastern side, where there seemed to be a dense forest in the dark night, coldly staring back at the house.

 Chapter 151: The Fox Borrows the Tiger’s Might

    Chapter 151: The Fox Borrows the Tiger¡¯s Might


    In the darkness, a shadow silently moved away from its original position and headed toward its destination. The guards outside the house ahead remained oblivious.


    To the east of the hut was a vast forest, extending to the nearest mountain peak. In the night, the forest appeared exceptionally quiet and deep.


    Lu Chen¡¯s figure entered the forest, blending with the darkness. He silently observed his surroundings and began to walk deeper into the woods.


    His lips moved slightly, as if he were mentally repeating something. asionally, he would nce back at the direction of the house, seemingly adjusting his direction based on its location.


    ¡°East¡­ Birth Gate¡­ Divine Lord¡­ Position¡­¡± His eyes were bright and sharp, as he meticulously deciphered the peculiar and obscure incantations, trying to pinpoint something.


    The night was deep, and the forest was dim and shadowy, but Lu Chen seemed to adapt well to this environment. He moved steadily and, after walking several dozen yards into the forest, he suddenly stopped.


    He raised his hand slightly, his fingers moving as if calcting something in the air. Soon, his eyes lit up, and his fingers pointed to a specific direction, where he came to a halt.


    It was a certain ce deep within the forest.


    It looked no different from the surroundings, except it was densely packed with trees.That area was shrouded in darkness, perhaps even darker than the rest.


    As if it harbored some secret, quietly waiting in the dead of night.


    Lu Chen took a step forward but suddenly halted in mid-air, then slowly retracted his foot. Standing in the darkness, he gazed intently at the deep shadow, as if suddenly lost in thought.


    There was no murderous intent, no danger, no signs or signals that might provoke caution.


    The ce ahead seemed to be the same as the surroundings, except it concealed a secret awaiting his discovery.


    Yet, Lu Chen remained still.


    He stared at the ce for a long, long time.


    If¡­ he was trying to lure out a snake from its hole, would someone, upon seeing the demonic formation in that house, also want to know who he was and seek him out?


    The most elite and mysterious methods of the demonic sect were known by few, but those who knew them were certainly not ordinary people. Could such individuals have set up unpredictable traps?


    Like a shadow, Lu Chen stood quietly in the darkness. After an indeterminate amount of time, he suddenly turned and silently walked away, not casting another nce at the darkened area.


    The night was deep, and no one knew what had transpired in the boundless darkness. Only the swaying and silent shadows, drifting under the sky, added a touch of destion to the night.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    As the first rays of morning sunlight fell from the sky, the Flying Goose tform on Ziyun Peak brightened up. Lu Chen yawned, stretched, and thenzily got up, opening the door and stepping outside.


    The unupied days felt indeedfortable.


    On the vast, fairy-tale-like Flying Goose tform, only he remained. Although the most crucial stone door of the mountain wall was tightly shut, which was a minor w, at least in the morning, it felt like this ce was solely his.


    The fresh morning breeze from the cloud sea over the cliff blew gently, carrying a moist and tender aroma that felt pleasant on his face. The lush green trees on the mountain swayed with the wind, as if smiling. The chirping of birds was like an elegant, ancient melody, captivating and soothing.


    Lu Chen strolled from one end of the tform to the other, freely exploring the Flying Goose tform he hadn¡¯t had a chance to thoroughly inspect yesterday. He memorized the terrain and pathways before returning to the spirit field to examine the Eagle Fruit trees.


    It seemed that there was no significant change. No Eagle Fruit had suddenly matured overnight, contrary to Su Qingjun¡¯s expectations.


    Of course, after a day of spiritual nourishment and growth, the Eagle Fruits had grown a bitrgerpared to yesterday, their greenish tint slightly fading to reveal a hint of redness.


    They might not mature and fall today, but perhaps tomorrow.


    Regardless, the work needed to be done. Su Qingjun wasn¡¯t on the mountain, so the Eagle Fruit trees couldn¡¯t be neglected. Even though it seemed a bit out of ce to be nting and tending trees in a cultivation paradise, rather than practicing cultivation.


    Lu Chen sighed, looking at the beautiful surroundings, and shrugged, ¡°What can you do? You¡¯re just a handyman.¡±


    The mountain forest was quiet and picturesque. Time passed quickly, and after finishing his tasks in the spirit field, Lu Chen emerged with his hands covered in ck dirt. ncing at the sky, he saw that the sun had risen significantly, and it seemed that in another hour, the morning would be over.


    ¡°It¡¯s still pretty quiet; no one came looking.¡±


    Lu Chen felt a bit pleased and sincerely hoped Su Qingjun would return soon, so the two thousand spirit stones would be a veryfortable profit.


    As Lu Chen was feeling pleased, he suddenly saw a figure emerging from the mountain path below the Flying Goose tform, walking quickly towards him.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s expression darkened immediately. He red at the approaching figure, thinking, ¡°Why does this person have to ruin the good mood? Couldn¡¯t they have waited a bit longer?¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°Please stop!¡±


    Just as the young man on the mountain path was about to reach the Flying Goose tform, someone jumped out in front of him and blocked the path, shouting loudly.


    The young man was startled and took a step back. He looked at Lu Chen standing in the middle of the road with a puzzled expression and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s gaze fell on the young man¡¯s face. His eyes narrowed as he recognized him as one of the Su family members from the previous dispute in the garden. This was Su Wen, one of the Su family¡¯s three brothers, aside from Su Mo and Su Qian.


    Lu Chen raised his eyebrows slightly, remembering that yesterday, Su Mo and Su Qian hade here to see Su Qingjun, but Su Wen was notably absent. Seeing Su Wen alone arriving at the Flying Goose tform today, it seemed there was some unknown secret behind this¡­


    These thoughts flitted through his mind, but Lu Chen remained calm andposed, greeting Su Wen, ¡°I am Lu Chen. Greetings, Young Master Su.¡±


    Su Wen was surprised again, ¡°You know me?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled, ¡°I used to work in the Liuxiang Garden and have seen Young Master Su before. With your talent, it¡¯s not surprising that I recognize you.¡±


    Su Wen responded with an ¡°Oh,¡± looking somewhat pleased, and then waved his hand, saying, ¡°We are now on Kunlun Mountain, within the sect. Let¡¯s address each other as fellow disciples rather than bymon titles.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded, ¡°Understood. Greetings, Senior Brother Su.¡±


    Su Wen nodded and was about to walk forward when he suddenly paused, as if he finally realized something. He looked at Lu Chen in astonishment and said, ¡°Wait a minute. The Flying Goose tform is where my sister Jun resides. She always lives here in solitude. Howe you¡¯re here?¡±


    Lu Chen pointed towards the spirit field and exined, ¡°I¡¯m here to tend to the trees.¡± He then mentioned Su Qingjun¡¯s need for Eagle Fruits and his efforts to help her.


    Su Wen listened, nodding frequently. Noting the ck mud on Lu Chen¡¯s clothes, which indicated he had indeed been working in the spirit field, he believed Lu Chen¡¯s exnation and smiled, ¡°I see. Well, you should work diligently. Don¡¯t ck off and dy my sister Jun¡¯s cultivation ns, or you¡¯ll be in trouble! Of course, if you do a good job, I¡¯ll be sure to reward you.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled at him and cupped his hands, ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Su.¡±


    Su Wen nodded and prepared to walk around Lu Chen to head towards the cave dwelling at the mountain wall. Unexpectedly, Lu Chen shifted his position and blocked his way again.


    Su Wen¡¯s expression darkened slightly as he said sharply, ¡°Lu Chen, what are you doing? Why are you stopping me?¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s demeanor remained gentle, not showing any anger even when reprimanded. He calmly said, ¡°Senior Brother Su, you can¡¯t go through right now.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Su Wen appeared angry, pointing at Lu Chen and saying, ¡°I need to see Sister Jun. How dare you stop me? I¡¯ll tell Sister Jun if you keep being unreasonable, and she¡¯ll have you kicked off the mountain!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lu Chen looked up helplessly, then said to Su Wen, ¡°Senior Brother Su, to be honest, Su Qingjun asked me to block everyone from passing.¡±


    Su Wen was shocked, ¡°What? Impossible!¡± His face turned pale, as if this revtion had deeply shocked him. His reaction suddenly became intense, and he shouted towards the distant cave, ¡°Sister Jun! Sister Jun! Are you really annoyed with me? I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡±


    His shouting carried a hint of tears, leaving Lu Chen stunned.


    Even someone asposed and perceptive as Lu Chen was momentarily taken aback. He quickly grabbed Su Wen, forcing a smile and saying, ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. Senior Brother Su, you¡¯ve misunderstood!¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Su Wen looked at him with trembling voice.


    ¡°Senior Sister Jun¡¯s intention is that she is preparing for perfecting her Golden Elixir realm and does not wish to be disturbed by anyone during this period. That¡¯s why she asked me to block everyone.¡± He emphasized, repeating thest three words, ¡°block everyone.¡±


    ¡°Everyone?¡± Su Wen¡¯s spirit brightened up.


    ¡°Yes, everyone,¡± Lu Chen said with a half-smile, ¡°Senior Brother Su, you and your sister really have a close rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Realizing he wasn¡¯t being rejected, Su Wen immediately regained hisposure, even a bit arrogantly saying, ¡°It¡¯s just that Su Mo and Su Qian are too foolish toe. Once I get the benefits, they¡¯ll be so envious!¡±


    Lu Chen looked at Su Wen¡¯s smug face and smiled slightly.

 Chapter 152: The Gray-Haired Old Man

    Chapter 152: The Gray-Haired Old Man


    ¡°Well, since I¡¯m here already,¡± Su Wen said, pacing back and forth on the mountain path. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he shook his head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t just leave without aplishing anything.¡±


    Lu Chen frowned but before he could speak, he heard Su Wen continue, ¡°Here¡¯s the n: step aside, and I¡¯ll go see Sister Jun. As soon as she hears I¡¯vee, she will definitely see me.¡±


    With that, Su Wen took a step towards the cave dwelling on Feiyan Terrace,pletely disregarding Lu Chen¡¯s attempt to stop him.


    Lu Chen, standing aside, felt a bit speechless and wondered if these young masters from noble families truly had no awareness at all.


    Although Su Wen could act on impulse, Lu Chen had to consider more. If they loudly knocked on the door and called out, it might expose that Su Qingjun was not there. Thus, after a brief hesitation, Lu Chen quickly caught up and stopped Su Wen just as he was about to knock on the stone door of the cave dwelling.


    Su Wen¡¯s face immediately showed displeasure. He red at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Do you have no self-awareness? Watch out or you might get hurt!¡±


    Who was he referring to¡­ Lu Chen gave Su Wen a faint look and calmly said, ¡°Young Master Su, before you disturb Sister Su¡¯s meditation, I have two things to say. If after hearing them, you still want to find her, I won¡¯t stop you. How does that sound?¡±


    Su Wen didn¡¯t notice that Lu Chen had switched his address from ¡°Brother Su¡± to ¡°Young Master Su¡± in his speech. He showed an impatient expression but eventually waved his hand and said, ¡°Speak quickly. People like you are the most troublesome.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s eyes lingered on Su Wen¡¯s brazenly waggling fingers for a moment, a dark fire flickering in his gaze. Then he smiled, maintaining a gentle expression, and said, ¡°Young Master Su, you have a great reputation. Once Sister Su hears that you are here, she shoulde out to see you¡­¡±Su Wen looked pleased with himself.


    Lu Chen, uninterested in his reaction, continued, ¡°However, as it stands, Sister Su is currently in meditation. If by chance she is at a critical point in her practice and you disturb her, causing her cultivation to suffer, wouldn¡¯t that create some resentment in her heart?¡±


    Su Wen¡¯s expression changed. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Are you trying to scare me? Such coincidences don¡¯t happen. It¡¯s early in the morning; Sister Jun might still be asleep!¡±


    Lu Chen looked up at the sky, noting that the sun was almost at its zenith, and forced augh, ¡°It¡¯s unlikely she¡¯d be sleeping at this hour¡­ That¡¯s one thing; the second thing is, even if Sister Su is very caring towards you and holds no grudge, think about it, Young Master Su. She is currently burdened with expectations from her family and her master. Even minor ws in her Golden Core realm are addressed with Eagle Fruits. A person who works so diligently and earnestly¡ªif you were to disturb her, given your sibling bond, how would that sit with you?¡±


    By the end of his speech, Lu Chen was sincere and eloquent, his eyes shimmering with earnestness.


    Su Wen seemed shaken by the words. He stopped in surprise, then frowned and pondered for a while, his face showing signs of hesitation, clearly moved by what Lu Chen had said.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I suppose that makes sense,¡± Su Wen muttered to himself. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have anything urgent. Maybe¡­ I¡¯lle back after some time?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and nodded.


    After considering for a moment, Su Wen finally made up his mind and turned to leave. However, this time he didn¡¯t even give Lu Chen a parting word, looking rather displeased with the roadblock created by this insignificant servant.


    Lu Chen followed him to the edge of the mountain path, watched Su Wen depart, and then grinned to himself, thinking, ¡°What I said almost made me believe it myself.¡±


    With that, Lu Chen shook his head, found it amusing, and turned to head towards the thatched hut.


    ¡ª


    As he reached the area outside the thatched hut, Lu Chen suddenly stopped, frowning deeply as he looked at the spirit field beside the hut.


    There, where nothing had been before, there was now a figure with his back to Lu Chen, wearing a gray robe withrge sleeves, a jade belt at his waist, and gray-white hair, indicating considerable age.


    At that moment, the old man was holding arge wine jar. While observing the flourishing Eagle Fruit trees in the spirit field, he asionally took a swig from the jar, and the strong aroma of wine could be detected from afar.


    Lu Chen looked at the old man¡¯s back and slightly narrowed his eyes. Although his attention had been diverted by Su Wen earlier, he had failed to notice this old man¡¯s silent and sudden appearance by the thatched hut. Clearly, this old man had an extraordinary cultivation level and was far from an ordinary person.


    Just then, the old man took a sip of wine and suddenly said, ¡°Did you nt these seven Eagle Fruit trees?¡±


    Lu Chen looked around, confirming that only he and the old man were left on Feiyan Terrace. He then slowly approached and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The old man patted the wine jar with what seemed like a hint of admiration and said, ¡°Well done.¡±


    As Lu Chen moved to the side of the old man, he saw his face. The old man was wrinkled, with slightly cloudy eyes, and a very noticeable red nose, likely due to excessive drinking.


    ¡°Senior, may I ask who you are¡­¡± Lu Chen inquired cautiously.


    The old man turned to look at him, suddenly grinning and revealing a few white teeth, and said, ¡°Just a passerby, here to have a look.¡±


    Lu Chen hesitated and then spoke, ¡°Senior, forgive my directness, but this ce is the meditation dwelling of our sect¡¯s Golden Core practitioner, Su Qingjun. Generally, only she is allowed to meditate here. Given your status, you might not be appropriate to visit here casually.¡±


    The old man¡¯s expression darkened slightly, exuding a pressure that was markedly different from Su Wen¡¯s earlier demeanor. Lu Chen felt a sudden pounding in his chest and became alert.


    ¡°Do you dare speak to me like that? Do you really know who I am?¡±


    ¡ª


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°It was this disciple¡¯s rudeness. However, Sister Su is currently at a critical point in her meditation and requires peace. My actions are also based on Sister Su¡¯s prior instructions.¡± He slightly raised his head, speaking calmly, ¡°We are all from the same sect and share a mutual bond. Given your high cultivation level, you should consider yourself as mentoring the juniors. When Sister Su exits her meditation in the future, it will be another opportunity for good fortune. She will surely remember your kindness, and everyone will be pleased. Why not?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled, showing a respectful demeanor, and said, ¡°This is just my humble opinion. Please give guidance, Senior.¡±


    The old man grunted and nced at Lu Chen again. He then smiled, and his gaze softened considerably, ¡°You¡¯re quite eloquent for a young fellow.¡±


    ¡°Senior tters me. I am just performing my duties,¡± Lu Chen replied.


    ¡°But if I decided not to leave today, what would you do?¡± The old man suddenly smiled again, seeming to test Lu Chen, holding the wine jar with a curious look.


    Lu Chen was momentarily taken aback but then gave a wry smile and said, ¡°Then I would have no solution.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re clever. Why don¡¯t youe up with a way to drive me away or deceive me?¡± The old man chuckled, appearing to be in a good mood.


    Lu Chen answered honestly, ¡°You are of a higher rank and much stronger than me. How could I use force against you? With such a vast difference in strength, minor tricks would be useless. It would only make a fool of me to try.¡±


    The old man burst into heartyughter, clearly amused, took a big gulp of wine, and then said with a smile, ¡°Let me tell you, actually¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, he suddenly frowned, interrupting himself. At the same moment, Lu Chen also sensed something and turned to look.


    After a moment, both their gazes fixed on a new figure appearing on the mountain path, hurrying towards Feiyan Terrace.


    The old man¡¯s expression darkened, and he suddenly cursed, ¡°Damn it! What a mess with so many troublemakers from the Su family, always causing endless problems!¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback, surprised that someone of the old man¡¯s status would use such crudenguage. He couldn¡¯t help but nce at him.


    The old man seemed to notice Lu Chen¡¯s look, and with a shift of his eyes, said, ¡°Young fellow, if you can drive this person away, it would be very beneficial for the master of this ce.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at him curiously and asked, ¡°Senior, if you really dislike this person, just curse them directly. It would surely scare them away. Why make it soplicated? Besides, I may not be able to drive them away.¡±


    The gray-haired old man red and said irritably, ¡°If I could handle it myself, I would have already beaten those useless ones so badly that even their parents wouldn¡¯t recognize them. It¡¯s only because Jun girl is soft-hearted and reluctant to part with these wasteful things¡­ Forget it, enough talk. Even if I didn¡¯te, you¡¯d still have to stop them, right?¡±


    Lu Chen thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Stopping them is necessary, but whether I can actually stop them is another matter.¡±


    ¡°Stop them, stop them!¡± The old manughed and said, ¡°These useless people are nothing but parasites clinging to Jun girl, draining her. It makes me sick. If you can drive them away and give Jun girl a bit of peace, I¡¯ll be grateful.¡±


    ¡°Grateful?¡± Lu Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, and he became serious, ¡°Senior, you tter me. I am not that kind of person!¡±


    With that, he turned and strode towards the mountain path.


    (To be continued.)


    ¡ª

 Chapter 153: Innocent Words

    Chapter 153: Innocent Words


    The neer was a young man, about sixteen or seventeen years old, seemingly of simr age to Yi Xin. However, his demeanor was quite different from Yi Xin¡¯s cheerful and lively nature.


    The young man had a pale face, and though he was handsome, there was an oddly feminine quality to his features. Even his walking style had a subtle swaying that was reminiscent of a girl¡¯s, which momentarily stunned Lu Chen and made him forget what he had intended to say.


    The young man noticed Lu Chen blocking the path and, frowning slightly, stopped and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The moment he spoke, Lu Chen was struck by the softness of his voice, which was distinctly effeminate and sounded almost like a woman¡¯s. This only added to Lu Chen¡¯s difort.


    ¡°You¡­ I¡¯m Lu Chen. Are you also here to see Su Qingjun, the Senior Sister?¡± Lu Chen quickly regained hisposure, cleared his throat, and asked.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the young man, Su Tong, frowned and stared at Lu Chen. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®also¡¯? Has someone been here before me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a young man from the Su family named Su Wen was here earlier,¡± Lu Chen replied.


    ¡°Su Wen?¡± Su Tong snorted, showing a hint of disdain. He then stepped forward and said, ¡°I am also from the Su family, named Su Tong, the eighth brother of Sister Jun. Step aside, I need to see her.¡±


    Su Tong took a few steps forward but suddenly stopped when he saw that Lu Chen was still blocking the way and had no intention of moving.Su Tong¡¯s expression darkened, showing signs of anger. However, his delicate and handsome face, which looked almost feminine, made his anger appear more like a girl¡¯s sulking, causing Lu Chen to feel a bit unnerved.


    ¡°What are you doing? Why are you blocking me?¡±


    Lu Chen forced a smile and exined Su Qingjun¡¯s situation again, patiently advising, ¡°Su Tong, as you are her brother, you should understand her current situation. She needs to concentrate on her cultivation and consume the Eagle Fruits. It would be best if you could wait a little while. Once she is avable¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Su Tong suddenly interrupted Lu Chen, speaking abruptly and somewhat rudely.


    Lu Chen was startled. ¡°Ah? Why is that?¡±


    Su Tong seemed to clench his teeth but did not provide a reason. Instead, he shouted again, ¡°I have urgent business! I need to see Sister Jun right now!¡±


    ¡°She is currently in seclusion and cannot be disturbed,¡± Lu Chen said earnestly. ¡°If you have something to discuss, you can tell me. Once she has free time, I will certainly pass on your message and will not dy¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I don¡¯t care! I don¡¯t care¡­¡± Su Tong suddenly began to shout loudly, his eyes filling with tears as if he was about to cry.


    Lu Chen was stunned, momentarily forgetting what he should say. He thought to himself that the Su family truly had a peculiar set of people. Could it be that all the good fortune of the family was taken by Su Qingjun, leaving only such unmanageable individuals?


    No wonder that old man looked so disgusted with the Su family; it seemed he had also been deeply troubled by them before. Despite such a family, Su Qingjun still took care of them all patiently. Lu Chen suddenly felt a drastic change in his perception of Su Qingjun, realizing that her nature was far from the cold and proud demeanor he had thought; instead, it was trulypassionate.


    While Lu Chen was dazed by this revtion, Su Tong managed to slip past him and quickly rushed toward the cave entrance.


    Lu Chen was startled and hurried after him. He tried to catch him but found that Su Tong¡¯s graceful and swaying figure made it impossible to hold him. He could only smile wryly and make a detour, eventually intercepting him at the cave entrance. He said, ¡°Miss Su, please don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Su Tong suddenly red at Lu Chen, his brows furrowed, and shouted, ¡°What did you just call me?¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback and quickly realized his mistake. He responded, ¡°My apologies, Su Tong! Su Tong, I misspoke. Please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Su Tong red at him with a look full of anger.


    Lu Chen felt helpless and thought that Su Tong might be even more troublesome than all the other Su family membersbined. He sighed and said with a weary expression, ¡°Sigh¡­ Fine, fine. I¡¯ve done my best. Even if Senior Sister Su faces consequences for this, it can¡¯t be med on me.¡±


    With that, he shook his head, stepped aside, and opened the stone door of the cave.


    **Chapter 153: Innocent Words**


    Su Tong snorted, reaching out to p the stone door. Just as his hand was about to touch the door, he suddenly pulled it back, furrowing his brows and looking at Lu Chen with a suspicious expression. ¡°You¡¯d better exin clearly why Sister Jun would be punished.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded and said, ¡°Senior Sister Su is an exceptionally talented individual. At a young age, her cultivation has surpassed everyone else, advancing to the Golden Core stage faster than anyone in history. You should be aware of this, right?¡±


    Su Tong¡¯s face showed pride. ¡°Of course, Sister Jun is naturally outstanding!¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s gaze shifted, and he noticed the gray-haired old man in the distance, hiding behind trees and rocks near the spiritual field. The old man was watching them with a smile, drinking his wine. Lu Chen continued, ¡°However, despite her exceptional talent, Senior Sister Su works incredibly hard in her cultivation, to the point of being almost harsh on herself. Just the slightest instability in her aura after advancing to the Golden Core stage requires her to find ways to correct it. Who can understand the hardship involved?¡±


    Su Tong¡¯s expression darkened, seemingly realizing something, and he snorted coldly.


    Lu Chen sighed and said, ¡°Actually, you should have some idea by now. The reason Senior Sister Su works so hard is because her master, the venerable Mu Yuan, is extremely strict and meticulous in his teachings. If you disturb her now, you would be viting Master Mu Yuan¡¯s order for her to focus on her cultivation. She might be punished for it¡­ how could you bear to do that?¡±


    Su Tong¡¯s expression changed, and he suddenly erupted in anger, shouting, ¡°That old bastard Mu Yuan! Perverted and shameless, always hanging around Sister Jun with his lecherous eyes¡­¡±


    In the distance, the gray-haired old man trembled, and the wine he was drinking sshed out of his mouth.


    Lu Chen was also shocked and waved his hands, trying to stop Su Tong from continuing.


    However, Su Tong, who was in a fit of rage, ignored him and continued shouting, ¡°¡­Everyone in Kunwu City knows that Sister Jun has been blessed with extraordinary talent since childhood, destined to achieve great things. At that time, how many true monarchs from the Kunlun Sect were interested in her? It was that shameless old man, pretending to be a pitiful old man, begging and crying in front of Sister Jun, which made her soft-hearted and mistakenly enter his sect, ending up in such a wretched situation.¡±


    Lu Chen gasped, looking at Su Tong, who had a feminine appearance but a temper fiercer than most men. He was truly astonished, realizing how true the saying ¡°Don¡¯t judge a person by their appearance¡± was.


    He also took a sneaky nce towards the thatched cottage and saw the gray-haired old man, clutching his wine jar, shaking with anger. The surrounding light seemed to warp, with an aura resembling lightning swirling around him.


    Lu Chen stepped back discreetly, distancing himself from the spitting Su Tong, and looked at him with a mix of reverence and pity. He coughed and forced a smile, saying, ¡°Well¡­ it can¡¯t really be that exaggerated, right? How about this¡ªwhy don¡¯t you go back for now, and we can discuss it another day?¡±


    Su Tong stared at the stone door of the cave, and suddenly, a look of grief and indignation crossed his face. Momentster, tears began to flow from his eyes.


    Lu Chen was once again dumbfounded. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, Su Tong threw himself at the door, pping it and crying out, ¡°Sister Jun, Sister Jun, it¡¯s all the fault of us Su family men!¡±


    ¡°If any of us Su family men were capable, how could we let you suffer like this? If you weren¡¯t in the Iron Branch but in the Kun Branch, your achievements would be far beyond just the Golden Core stage. Your status in the sect would not be limited to this!¡±


    ¡°Sister Jun, we¡¯re so sorry!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve wronged you¡­¡±


    Lu Chen rolled his eyes and watched Su Tong cry for a while, seemingly lost in his own world and unable to pay attention to anything else.


    Meanwhile, the gray-haired old man in the distance also looked astonished, then shook his head vigorously with a look of disbelief.


    Lu Chen waited for a while, then went up to Su Tong and tried to persuade him patiently. Finally, he managed to convince him, primarily by emphasizing how much Su Qingjun had already sacrificed and pleading not to burden her further. Let her have a bit of peace in the cave, as a small respite from her painful life¡­


    Su Tong cried even more upon hearing this and left reluctantly, ncing back several times.


    After seeing off the extremely peculiar young man, Lu Chen slowly returned to the empty Feiyan Terrace and sighed deeply, feeling that dealing with Su Tong was more exhausting than dealing with someone ten times more formidable than him in his past assassination missions.


    Shaking his head, Lu Chen made his way to the thatched cottage, where the gray-haired old man stood on the ridge, looking at him with a cold and piercing gaze.


    Lu Chen forced a smile and said, ¡°Senior, we¡¯re all reasonable people. Could you listen to me for a moment?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± The gray-haired old man shouted sharply. With a ¡°crash,¡± therge wine jar under his arm shattered into countless pieces, spilling onto the ridge.


    On Feiyan Terrace, silence fell immediately.

 Chapter 154: Mugen Shinjin

    Chapter 154: Mugen Shinjin


    Lu Chen nced at the furious old man, then at the wine jar shattered into countless pieces on the ground. He sighed and said, ¡°Senior, you¡¯re being unreasonable here.¡±


    The old man, still fuming, retorted, ¡°Say what you have to say, quickly!¡±


    Lu Chen quickly continued, ¡°First, you told me earlier that as long as I drove away that Su Tong, I would be rewarded, not punished. You can¡¯t just go back on your word. Second, all those insults just now were from that brainless Su family kid, not from me. You can¡¯t take your anger out on me, can you?¡±


    He looked at the old man and smiled, ¡°Senior, am I right?¡±


    The old man stared at him for a moment, and his previously angry expression suddenly softened, showing a hint of appreciation. He smiled and said, ¡°You, boy, are quite interesting. It seems like you¡¯ve already guessed my identity?¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°Yes, I had some suspicions earlier, but I wasn¡¯t sure. But now, I think I¡¯ve got it.¡± Saying this, he bowed deeply and said seriously, ¡°Greetings, Mugen Shinjin.¡±


    Mugen Shinjin was the master of Su Qingjun, and one of the highly aplished Yuanying masters of the Kunlun Sect. Moreover, he held another sensitive position as the leader of the Iron Faction within the Kunlun Sect, holding a very high status.


    The old man pped his hands and said, ¡°Interesting! Tell me, how did you figure out my identity?¡±


    Lu Chen respectfully replied, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you have a fondness for good wine, and I¡¯ve heard rumors about it before.¡±The old man nodded, then said, ¡°But just that alone wouldn¡¯t be enough, would it?¡±


    Lu Chen continued, ¡°Another clue was the timing and location. Su Qingjun, Senior Sister Su, is currently one of the most outstanding talents in our sect, and everyone knows how much you value her. At such a crucial time in her cultivation, it stands to reason that other masters would avoid being here, to avoid any suspicion. Only you, Senior, could be here without arousing suspicion. Comparing these clues, I concluded that you were most likely Mugen Shinjin.¡±


    The old man stared at Lu Chen for a moment and finally nodded slowly, saying, ¡°Well said. Such quick wit and sharpness, it¡¯s a pity you weren¡¯t born with good cultivation roots and are only a servant disciple. What a waste.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s just how it is, some things can¡¯t be changed.¡±


    ***


    The legendary Yuanying master known for single-handedly holding up the Iron Faction and his entric personality didn¡¯t seem to act too erratically. He flicked his sleeves, and the fragments of the wine jar on the ground flew to one side, gathering into a pile. He sat down again on the ridge and gestured for Lu Chen to sit beside him, ¡°Come sit.¡±


    Lu Chen walked over and sat down beside him.


    Mugen Shinjin nced at him, the appreciation in his eyes deepened, though it was mostly tinged with regret. Of course, this expression and emotion shed by quickly. He smiled and asked, ¡°Earlier, when I was angry, why didn¡¯t you show any fear? How did you figure out I wasn¡¯t really angry?¡±


    Lu Chen paused, then pointed to the pile of fragments, ¡°The wine jar shattered, but none of the wine spilled out. You must have finished drinking it before crushing the jar, right?¡±


    Mugen Shinjinughed heartily and nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°That girl Jun really has an eye for people, choosing someone as sharp as you.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°You tter me, Senior.¡±


    ¡°You should stay here from now on. Whether there¡¯s anything or not, help block those Su family people, so that Jun can have some peace. Otherwise, if she¡¯s constantly troubled by these matters, it¡¯s too much for her.¡±


    Lu Chen hesitated, then said, ¡°Thank you for your kind offer, Senior, but this is probably something that Senior Sister Su should decide. After all, Feiyan tform is her ce of quiet cultivation. If she doesn¡¯t like having outsiders here, there¡¯s nothing anyone can do.¡±


    Mugen Shinjin nodded slowly. It seemed that although he was her master, he was very indulgent towards Su Qingjun, the genius disciple, and wouldn¡¯t interfere in these matters arbitrarily.


    Lu Chen suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Actually, with your status as a master, it wouldn¡¯t take much effort to drive away those troublesome Su family juniors. Why bother with all this?¡±


    Mugen Shinjin rolled his eyes and snorted, ¡°Nonsense! Don¡¯t you think I know that? But I have my concerns. Jun has a kind heart and always feels that since shees from the Su family and has received their full support, she should look after them. So, over the years, she¡¯s been dealing with countless trivial matters, constantly pestered by those ungrateful fellows.¡±


    Lu Chen pondered for a moment and said, ¡°While it¡¯s understandable to show respect and filial piety to important family elders, as for those troublesome younger family members, if it¡¯s an emergency, it¡¯s fine to help. But if they ask for too much in daily life, it¡¯s perfectly reasonable to decline.¡±


    Mugen Shinjin pped his thigh and eximed, ¡°Exactly! I¡¯ve told Jun this many times, and she agrees verbally. But when faced with the tears and pleas of those useless family members, she always softens. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled but didn¡¯t respond. It wasn¡¯t his ce to continue the conversation, even if Mugen Shinjin could say such things. Besides, although Mugen Shinjin genuinely seemed to care for Su Qingjun, his reluctance to confront the Su family¡¯s younger generation might not be entirely due to her. Given the current awkward and declining state of the Iron Faction and the fact that the Su family is one of the wealthiest ns in Kunwu City, naturally aligning with the Iron Faction because of Su Qingjun, it would be unwise to offend them too much. Even if Mugen Shinjin¡¯s cultivation far surpassed that of the Su family¡¯s lesser disciples, it wasn¡¯t a simple matter to go against them.


    People often say that cultivation leads to an immortal life, as if achieving enlightenment brings one into a divine existence. But is it really that simple and beautiful? There are always countlessplications and entanglements that one cannot easily escape, no matter where you are in the world.


    ***


    For a moment, Mugen Shinjin and Lu Chen both remained silent, and the area around the spirit field became quiet. A gentle mountain breeze blew by, and from behind, the two¡ªone old and one young¡ªsat side by side on the ridge, appearing quite harmonious. There was no hint of the vast difference in their statuses.


    After a while, Mugen Shinjin suddenly shook his head, sighed softly, stood up, patted his clothes, and said, ¡°Enough, let¡¯s not bother with these trivial matters. Go call Qingjun out; I¡¯ll give her a few instructions and be on my way.¡±


    Lu Chen was shocked and looked at Mugen Shinjin in disbelief.


    Mugen Shinjin waited for a moment, then noticed that Lu Chen hadn¡¯t moved and frowned, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going?¡±


    Lu Chen felt his head spinning. He could use the authority of others to block the troublesome Su family members who wanted to see Su Qingjun, but this person was Su Qingjun¡¯s master and a renowned Yuanying master. How could he possibly block him?


    After standing there for a while, Lu Chen smiled wryly and said, ¡°Well¡­ Senior, Senior Sister Qingjun is¡­ currently in seclusion¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Mugen Shinjin immediately retorted without hesitation, looking disdainful. ¡°I¡¯m her master; how could I not know her situation? That excuse might fool those ignorant Su family fools, but not me. She¡¯s just eating some hawk fruit; there¡¯s no need for seclusion. She eats, sleeps, and just swallows the fruit whole when the timees. There¡¯s no big deal. Go call her out!¡±


    Lu Chen forced an awkward smile, feeling helpless. In that moment, countless thoughts shed through his mind, but none could solve the current predicament of dealing with Mugen Shinjin.


    With no other choice, he turned and slowly walked towards the stone door of the cave dwelling, shaking his head and smiling bitterly to himself: Su Qingjun, you¡¯re unlucky today; who knew even your master woulde looking for you?


    Behind him, Mugen Shinjin seemed to grow impatient, frowning, ¡°Hey, you kid, weren¡¯t you acting all sharp and capable earlier? Why are you walking so slowly now? Is something wrong?¡±


    Startled, Lu Chen thought these Yuanying masters were as cunning as foxes, sensing something was off immediately. He didn¡¯t dare dy any further and walked up to the stone door. Yet, despite this, he still couldn¡¯t think of a way to deal with the situation.


    Standing before the stone door, he instinctively reached into his robe and felt for the yellow stone talisman, which was still there. But he quickly withdrew his hand, then coughed and began banging on the stone door, just like the Su family disciples had done, calling out loudly, ¡°Senior Sister Su, Senior Sister Su, open the door! Your master is here!¡±


    Unsurprisingly, the stone door stood firm without any response.


    Lu Chen turned to look at Mugen Shinjin, who was also frowning and walking over.


    He coughed, gave Mugen Shinjin an awkward smile, and then knocked on the stone door again with increasing intensity, making quite a noise, but the door remained closed.


    After a while, Lu Chen helplessly turned to Mugen Shinjin and said, ¡°Senior, it seems that Senior Sister Su really is in seclusion. Perhaps we shouldn¡¯t disturb her.¡±


    ¡°Seclusion, my foot!¡± Mugen Shinjin seemed very casual in front of Lu Chen, this small servant disciple, even swearing freely. But then his face showed a doubtful expression as he looked at the stone door and muttered, ¡°But¡­ could this girl be having one of her oldzy spells, sleeping in?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping?¡± Lu Chen asked, not catching thest part. ¡°What did you say? Who likes to sleep?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Mugen Shinjin replied tly, then his eyes flickered, and he waved his hand, ¡°Move aside, I¡¯ll go in and see for myself.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Senior, that might not be appropriate¡­¡± (To be continued.)

 Chapter 155: Morning Sword Practice

    Chapter 155: Morning Sword Practice


    Mugen Shinjin rolled his eyes and said, ¡°What¡¯s not appropriate? I¡¯m her master, concerned about her and wanting to check in. What¡¯s there to fuss about?¡±


    Lu Chen responded seriously, ¡°Senior, although your rank and cultivation are far superior, the fact is, a young unmarried woman lives in there. If you suddenly barged in and¡­ well, you never know.¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, instead giving Mugen Shinjin a meaningful look.


    Mugen Shinjin snapped, ¡°And what exactly might happen? Speak clearly.¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°If you went in and saw something you shouldn¡¯t, it would be disrespectful. Senior Sister Su lives alone in the cave, and it¡¯s normal for her to dress simply in her daily life. But if you saw her like that, it wouldn¡¯t be good for either of you, would it?¡±


    Mugen Shinjin was furious, ¡°You brat, how dare you speak to me like this?¡±


    Lu Chen coughed and said, ¡°Senior, we both understand reason. Although your cultivation surpasses mine, the fact remains. Also, don¡¯t forget, that rascal Su Tong said some rather offensive things earlier. While we know better than to believe such nonsense, if you were to go in now¡­ it could be hard to exinter.¡±


    Mugen Shinjin was startled, instinctively taking a step back. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    Lu Chen spread his hands, ¡°Exactly.¡±The more Mugen Shinjin thought about it, the more sense it made. He nodded repeatedly, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. I nearly made a big mistake.¡± He then looked at Lu Chen with a mix of approval and joy in his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re quite something, kid. You have the guts to stand up to me and reason things out. Admirable.¡±


    Lu Chen inwardly scoffed, thinking, ¡°Who wants this nonsense praise? If I could leave, I¡¯d be long gone.¡± Outwardly, he forced augh and stepped back, hoping Mugen Shinjin would take the hint and leave.


    However, while Mugen Shinjin seemed to have dropped the idea of entering the cave, he showed no intention of leaving Feiyan Terrace. Instead, he frowned thoughtfully, as if something had just urred to him.


    Seeing Mugen Shinjin¡¯s expression, Lu Chen felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Dealing with such a cunning Yuanying master was nothing like dealing with the Su family¡¯s lesser disciples; it was exhausting and nerve-wracking.


    As expected, after a moment, Mugen Shinjin turned to Lu Chen and said, ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡±


    Lu Chen sighed, ¡°What¡¯s not right?¡±


    Mugen Shinjin said, ¡°You¡¯ve been knocking on the stone door for a while, and Qingjun hasn¡¯te out. That¡¯s fine for everyday situations, but what if the hawk fruit suddenly ripens and she can¡¯t hear you calling? What then?¡±


    Lu Chen had no answer.


    Mugen Shinjin eyed him suspiciously, ¡°With Qingjun¡¯s intelligence, she wouldn¡¯t overlook this. She must have given you something tomunicate with her at any time, right?¡±


    Lu Chen met Mugen Shinjin¡¯s gaze. They stared at each other for a moment before Lu Chen pped his forehead, eximing, ¡°Ah, my memory! Senior Sister Su did give me a ¡®Burning Heart Talisman,¡¯ but I¡¯ve never used it before andpletely forgot about it.¡±


    ¡°Forgot?¡± Mugen Shinjin looked at him with a knowing smirk.


    Lu Chen nodded solemnly, ¡°Forgot.¡±


    He pulled out a yellow stone talisman from his robes and handed it to Mugen Shinjin.


    Mugen Shinjin took the yellow stone talisman, examined it, and weighed it in his hand. Instead of using it immediately, he looked up at Lu Chen again, suddenly smiling, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you have poor natural talent and only one pir on your Five Elements Divine te, making you just a servant disciple. Otherwise, with your cleverness and cunning, if you had the talent of four or five pirs and had been properly nurtured from a young age, I can¡¯t imagine who could rival you in this world.¡±


    Lu Chen chuckled, ¡°Senior, you¡¯re too kind.¡±


    ***


    Mugen Shinjin snorted and said no more. Holding the yellow stone talisman between two fingers, he gently manipted it. Without any apparent spellcasting, a small me suddenly ignited on the talisman, flickering brightly. However, the me soon dimmed and went out.


    Mugen Shinjin nced at Lu Chen, who remarked, ¡°It seems the Burning Heart Talisman is still working fine. That¡¯s good.¡±


    Mugen Shinjin clicked his tongue, ¡°I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re hiding something from me, kid.¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head firmly, ¡°No, nothing at all.¡±


    Mugen Shinjin snorted but didn¡¯t pursue the matter. The two of them stood in front of the stone door for a while, but there was still no sign of it opening.


    Mugen Shinjin¡¯s expression grew darker as he turned to look at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen stared intently at the stone door, as if it held the most fascinating and enchanting thing in the world, ignoring everything happening around him. Mugen Shinjin¡¯s face darkened, and he said, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? If you don¡¯t exin yourself, I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, a sudden gust of wind apanied by a sharp whistling sound came from above, from the dense, ancient forest on the high mountainside. Both Lu Chen and Mugen Shinjin looked up to see a graceful figure leaping out from the forest, drawing an elegant arc in the air before lightlynding on the ground. It was Su Qingjun, beautiful beyond words, her bright eyes sparkling.


    A fragrant breeze carried the scent of flowers, and a few droplets of dew, like those lingering on the wings of birds flying freely through the forest, still clung to the red feathers on her shoulders. As the sunlight poured down, it refracted into a dreamy rainbow.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Has the hawk fruit ripened?¡± Su Qingjun asked Lu Chen as soon as shended. ¡°Quick, take me there, we mustn¡¯t dy.¡±


    After saying this, she seemed to notice Mugen Shinjin standing nearby. With a slightly apologetic tone, she said, ¡°Master, you¡¯re here too. But please wait; if the hawk fruit has ripened, I need to consume it first before I can greet you properly.¡±


    Mugen Shinjin opened his mouth but said nothing, while Lu Chen stood by, not moving an inch, as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything.


    Su Qingjun took a couple of steps forward, then turned back in confusion to look at Lu Chen. ¡°Lu Chen, what¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d only use the Burning Heart Talisman if the hawk fruit ripened? Why aren¡¯t we leaving?¡±


    Lu Chen remained silent, only looking at Mugen Shinjin.


    Mugen Shinjin, feeling awkward, coughed and said, ¡°Uh¡­ Qingjun, the hawk fruit hasn¡¯t ripened yet.¡±


    Su Qingjun froze for a moment, then her face flushed with anger. She turned angrily to Lu Chen, ¡°Hey, Lu Chen, what are you doing? Do you think this is a game? How dare you y a trick on me? Do you believe I won¡¯t¡­¡±


    Lu Chen clenched his teeth, looking frustrated, but remained silent, staring at Mugen Shinjin.


    Mugen Shinjin¡¯s face reddened, and he quickly stepped in to stop Su Qingjun, smiling wryly, ¡°Ah, ah, Qingjun, calm down. Don¡¯t scold Little Lu; it¡¯s not his fault.¡±


    Su Qingjun huffed in displeasure, ring at Lu Chen. ¡°How is it not his fault? I specifically entrusted the Burning Heart Talisman to him and told him only to use it when the hawk fruit ripens. And now this? It¡¯s infuriating!¡±


    Mugen Shinjin chuckled awkwardly, ¡°Well, actually, it was I who used the Burning Heart Talisman¡­¡±


    Su Qingjun blinked, then looked at Mugen Shinjin in surprise and confusion. ¡°Master, why did you use the Burning Heart Talisman? And the hawk fruit hasn¡¯t ripened yet.¡±


    Mugen Shinjin, unusually indulgent with his stunning and talented disciple, exined with a smile, ¡°I came to check on you, but the stone door wouldn¡¯t open no matter how much I knocked. So, I pressured Lu Chen to get you, and he handed me the talisman¡­¡±


    ¡°Master!¡± Su Qingjun stomped her foot, her expression saying more than words ever could.


    Mugen Shinjin rolled his eyes and then asked, ¡°By the way, why weren¡¯t you in your cave this early in the morning? Where were you?¡±


    Su Qingjun huffed again, ¡°I was at the mountain top practicing my swordsmanship. Didn¡¯t you teach me that the morning sunlight¡¯s vital energy helps bnce the stillness of the dark moon?¡±


    Mugen Shinjin nodded repeatedly, ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s correct.¡± He thenughed, ¡°Actually, I came here this morning to remind you to practice diligently and not ck off, even though we¡¯re waiting for the hawk fruit to ripen.¡±


    Standing nearby, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help but admire Mugen Shinjin¡¯s ability to lie so smoothly. He thought to himself, ¡°This old man is really something, being so shamelessly smooth.¡±


    Su Qingjun gave her master a skeptical look, clearly not buying his story.


    Mugen Shinjin coughed and red at Su Qingjun, ¡°You insolent girl! I¡¯m here to kindly remind you, and you¡¯re acting disrespectful in front of outsiders!¡±


    Su Qingjun huffed again, turning to stand aside. Lu Chen quickly said, ¡°Uh, you two take your time talking. I¡¯ll go to the spiritual field and nt some trees.¡±


    With that, he quickly walked away, finally breathing a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, ¡°Earning these two thousand spirit stones isn¡¯t easy¡­¡±


    As he reached the spiritual field, a thought suddenly struck him, and he grumbled irritably, ¡°That old man, he promised me a reward and now he¡¯s pretending to forget about it!¡± (To be continued.)

 Chapter 156: A Mutual Understanding

    Chapter 156: A Mutual Understanding


    Lying in the small grass hut, Lu Chen rested his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, seemingly at peace. It was as if the events outside had nothing to do with him anymore. As noon passed, everything quieted down, and the Feiyan tform seemed to return to its usual state.


    At this moment, a sudden knocking sounded at the hut¡¯s door. Lu Chen got up and opened it, finding Su Qingjun standing outside. He smiled and asked, ¡°All done?¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled back, ¡°Yes, my master has left.¡±


    Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief, nodding. He nced around his modest hut and said, ¡°This ce is so small and shabby; it¡¯s cramped with two people standing inside. I won¡¯t invite you in.¡±


    Su Qingjun peeked inside the hut and was slightly taken aback. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not very nice, is it?¡±


    Lu Chen rolled his eyes. ¡°This hut is on your Feiyan tform. Didn¡¯t you know?¡±


    Su Qingjun replied, ¡°I really didn¡¯t. The people from the Hundred Herbs Hall built it. You don¡¯t expect me to have specially built a house for you, right? Besides, I don¡¯t know how to do that.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded, thinking that if Su Qingjun had built it, the hut might have been spacious andfortable. But the people from the Hundred Herbs Hall didn¡¯t respect the menial disciples, so they only cared about maintaining the hawk fruit tree and didn¡¯t put any effort into his hut. He was lucky to have a ce to lie down.


    Feeling awkward speaking through the door, Lu Chen stepped outside, and the two stood on the ridge by the spirit field. A gentle breeze blew, and the sight of floating white clouds in the distance made them feel refreshed.¡°When did you get back?¡± Lu Chen asked.


    ¡°Just now,¡± Su Qingjun replied.


    Lu Chen clicked his tongue. ¡°So, when the Burning Heart Talisman was activated earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°I had just arrived, took a detour to the back of the mountain, and then came down,¡± Su Qingjun exined.


    Lu Chen nodded. ¡°Have I ever told you that you¡¯re actually quite good at lying when you get serious?¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s pale cheeks flushed slightly, and she retorted, ¡°Nonsense, no such thing.¡±


    Lu Chenughed and then recounted the morning¡¯s events. After listening, Su Qingjun¡¯s face showed a hint of apology. ¡°You¡¯ve had a tough time, but I wasn¡¯t wrong about you. You¡¯re indeed smarter than the others.¡±


    After a pause, Su Qingjun added, ¡°The spirit stones are in my cave. I don¡¯t have them with me now, but I¡¯ll go get them for youter.¡±


    Lu Chen waved his hand with a calm expression, ¡°No rush. I trust you; anytime is fine.¡±


    Su Qingjun nced at him, ¡°Really, not in a hurry?¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°No, very much in a hurry!¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Standing on the ridge, a mountain breeze blew past. For some reason, perhaps because the burdens on their minds had lifted, Su Qingjun seemed unusually rxed, smiling more than usual.


    She looked at the hawk fruit trees and asked, ¡°How¡¯s the situation with the hawk fruits?¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky; nothing unusual happened, and none of the fruits have ripened yet. But I estimate that starting tomorrow, the fruits will begin to ripen. I¡¯ll keep an eye on things, and you should too¡­¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled sweetly, ¡°Got it, I won¡¯t leave Feiyan tform.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lu Chen asked.


    ¡°Of course. Why would I lie about that? And didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t trust me?¡±


    ¡°Because you said the same thing before, but then you snuck awayst night.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Su Qingjun was momentarily speechless, thenughed, ¡°That was because of an urgent matter! Anyway, the urgent matter is over now, and I really won¡¯t leave¡­ Hey, why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Lu Chen stared at Su Qingjun¡¯s pretty face. After a moment, he nodded and said, ¡°I used to think you were always aloof and unapproachable, but now that I know you a bit better, I¡¯ve realized you¡¯re quite easygoing.¡±


    Su Qingjun was also slightly taken aback. She felt a bit strange, as it was the first time she¡¯d spoken so much with a low-ranking disciple other than her own family members.


    While she was hesitating, Lu Chen continued, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s something I didn¡¯t n to say, but I wonder if you¡¯d like to hear it?¡±


    Seeing his serious expression, Su Qingjun became more solemn. After a moment¡¯s thought, she said, ¡°Please go ahead.¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not about giving advice. As a lowly disciple, I wouldn¡¯t dare. But from what I¡¯ve seen, your family has many affairs, and during these twenty-odd days of taking the hawk fruit, I don¡¯t think anyone will guarantee that nobody wille to you with all sorts of issues, right?¡±


    Su Qingjun remained silent.


    ¡°If theye crying andining again, saying they¡¯ve encountered an insurmountable problem only you can solve, what will you do?¡± Lu Chen looked at Su Qingjun¡¯s beautiful face and asked calmly, ¡°When the timees, will you go down the mountain or not? Are you sure you won¡¯t make any mistakes in your decision?¡±


    Su Qingjun remained silent for a long time before giving a bitter smile and softly saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Lu Chen watched her for a while, then smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ve had a long morning. Go back and get some rest.¡±


    After saying that, Lu Chen turned and walked back to his hut. As the somewhat shabby wooden door closed in front of her, Su Qingjun lowered her head slightly. The excitement and joy she felt from rushing back in time suddenly seemed to vanish for some reason.


    She stood staring at the hut for a moment, then looked at the hawk fruit trees in the spirit field. After a while, she silently turned and walked towards the distant cave dwelling.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The Feiyan tform was very quiet in the afternoon. As dusk approached, the setting sun cast its golden light, and Lu Chen suddenly noticed someone opening a crack in the window beside him. A woman¡¯s voice came from outside:


    ¡°I have some delicious spiritual fruits here. Want some?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Lu Chen jumped up.


    Under the red glow of the setting sun, Lu Chen and Su Qingjun sat side by side on the ridge, keeping a slight distance between them. A te of eight or nine spiritual fruits, red as peaches,y on the ground between them, along with four or five fruit cores.


    Lu Chen was holding a spiritual fruit, takingrge bites. Su Qingjun watched him with a gradually amused expression and finally couldn¡¯t help butugh, saying, ¡°You really don¡¯t hold back, do you?¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°Of course not! Normally, I don¡¯t get to eat these spiritual fruits. Why would I miss the chance now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite interesting.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re different from others.¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a menial disciple, yet you don¡¯t seem to fear me, a Golden Core cultivator. You speak to me naturally andfortably, which is rare. Um, I mean it in a good way.¡±


    Lu Chen paused slightly in his eating, his eyes flickering, and said, ¡°Is that so? I think I¡¯ve heard others say that about me before.¡±


    ¡°Really? Who?¡± Su Qingjun asked.


    Lu Chen smiled and waved his hand dismissively, ¡°An old bald guy, not as good as you.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Su Qingjun nodded, then hesitated, not saying anything more.


    Lu Chen nced at her, casually tossed aside another fruit core, and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve eaten the spiritual fruits. You can ask whatever you want now.¡±


    Su Qingjun gave him a sharp look but then burst intoughter. She sighed and said, ¡°Talking to someone smart like you is really easy.¡± Straightening up, she continued, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be direct. Thest few things you said to me today, I understand they¡¯re a big issue, but¡­ well, you know, it¡¯s a dilemma, and I¡¯m not sure what to do. From what you said earlier, do you have any suggestions?¡±


    Lu Chen pped his hands and said, ¡°It depends on how you see the situation.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Those rtives of yours whoe to bother you¡ªhave their issues really been matters of life and death, truly urgent?¡±


    Su Qingjun remained silent.


    Lu Chen continued, ¡°Everyone has different perspectives. What seems like a small matter to us might be a life-and-death issue to someone else. But I don¡¯t believe you haven¡¯t thought about it. Could those matters not be dyed for a few days? Is it really necessary for you to attend to them immediately?¡±


    Su Qingjun gazed into the distance, still silent, but her silence seemed to speak volumes.


    After a long pause, Su Qingjun nodded slightly and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re right about many things, but sometimes I still¡­¡±


    ¡°Still can¡¯t put your pride aside?¡± Lu Chen said calmly.


    Su Qingjun gave a bitter smile.


    ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re the first youngdy from a prestigious family I¡¯ve met who¡¯s like this,¡± Lu Chen said. ¡°You seem to carry the entire Su family¡¯s weight on your shoulders, feeling like you have to solve everything yourself. When people ask for your help, you feel embarrassed to refuse.¡±


    Su Qingjun frowned slightly, troubled. After a moment, she realized the surroundings had quieted down. She looked up at Lu Chen in surprise and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡±


    Lu Chen sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve been quite blunt and direct. Aren¡¯t you angry?¡±


    Su Qingjun shook her head, ¡°You¡¯re just speaking the truth. Why would I be angry?¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her for a while, his gaze softening, and then nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I have a way to help you.¡± (To be continued.)

 Chapter 157: Closer Than Family

    Chapter 157: Closer Than Family


    Su Qingjun¡¯s eyes brightened, and she asked, ¡°What idea?¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her and said, ¡°Just don¡¯t meet those people.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Su Qingjun was taken aback and then replied irritably, ¡°How is that possible? They¡­¡± She paused, seemingly realizing something, and looked thoughtfully at Lu Chen, asking, ¡°Do you mean you will¡­¡±


    Lu Chen responded straightforwardly, ¡°I¡¯ll intercept them. You stay hidden in the cave dwelling and pretend you don¡¯t know about these issues.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Su Qingjun was momentarily stunned. Her expression showed some interest, but she also seemed uncertain. Seeing this, Lu Chen felt a bit emotional. This renowned genius from the Su family was unexpectedly conflicted. Indeed, people can¡¯t be judged by appearances.


    However, this deep familial bond she had was something he had never experienced in his life. What did such affection feel like?


    Lu Chen shook his head and said to Su Qingjun, ¡°Think it over. I¡¯ve said all I have to say, and the final decision is yours.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s expression changed multiple times. After a moment, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it your way.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lu Chen was a bit surprised at how quickly she made up her mind. ¡°Have you thought it through?¡±Su Qingjun nodded resolutely. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve thought it through. What you said earlier is true. No one has ever spoken to me so frankly, or maybe I just couldn¡¯t admit it to myself. Anyway, I think it¡¯s time to prioritize my cultivation and set aside family matters for now.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded, ¡°Good, since you¡¯ve made up your mind, it¡¯s straightforward. But there¡¯s something else I need to say first.¡±


    Su Qingjun said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°First, you must not be soft-hearted. You know what your rtives are like. When they beg and plead, you have to act like you don¡¯t see or hear them and stay hidden in the cave dwelling.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Su Qingjun nodded firmly, clearly determined this time.


    Lu Chen continued, ¡°Second, your Su family is a prestigious n. The members are proud and arrogant. If they get angry because a nobody like me blocks them, they might want to teach me a lesson. If I¡¯m in the wrong, I deserve it, but if I¡¯m in the right, will you back me up?¡±


    Su Qingjun paused and said, ¡°If they bully you for no reason, of course, I¡¯ll stand up for you.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled, then suddenly pped his own cheek and asked, ¡°If they hit me and I can¡¯t or don¡¯t want to fight back, what will you do afterward?¡±


    ¡°Will you just scold them lightly, or will you hit them back the same way?¡± Lu Chen stared at Su Qingjun, asking this seemingly light question that hit deep.


    Su Qingjun fell silent again, but this time, her gaze remained on Lu Chen, her eyes growing colder.


    ¡°Why do I suddenly feel like you¡¯re trying to drive a wedge between me and my family?¡± Su Qingjun asked quietly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve only known each other for a short time. As the saying goes, ¡®outsiders can¡¯t break close family bonds.¡¯ Do you think I could do that?¡± Lu Chen countered.


    Su Qingjun stood up and asked, ¡°Then how can you ask me to go so far for you?¡±


    Lu Chen also stood up slowly, looking at the beautiful woman before him. ¡°And why should I do something so thankless for you? Am I crazy?¡±


    Su Qingjun was at a loss for words.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Their shadows stretched long and thin under the setting sun.


    Su Qingjun looked at the slender shadow, seemingly lost in thought, wanting to speak but holding back.


    ¡°You see, the principles of this world are pretty much the same,¡± Lu Chen said calmly. ¡°If you can¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t help you. I know you¡¯ve probably always thought people should be happy to help you without expecting anything in return. And you¡¯ve treated your family with the same care.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m different,¡± Lu Chen said with a steady and determined tone. ¡°For something like this, I need you to firmly and clearly stand by my side before I dare to help you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a small person, the weakest and lowest servant disciple on Kunlun Mountain. Anyone can bully me, right?¡±


    ¡°But even ants have their way of living.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s expression flickered, showing some emotional turmoil, but she remained silent. Lu Chen said nothing more and turned to walk towards the hut, saying over his shoulder:


    ¡°It¡¯ste. Go get some rest. I¡¯ll call you when the hawk fruit ripens tomorrow.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The moon rose and set, stars moved across the sky, and the quiet night passed unnoticed.


    A new day began.


    As Lu Chen stepped out of the thatched hut, he stretched leisurely in the morning sun and took a casual walk around Feiyan tform before returning to the spiritual field to continue his work. He nced towards the cave dwelling once, noticing the stone door remained closed with no activity all morning. He merely smiled and continued with his tasks.


    Around half an hour before noon, while preparing to take a break, Lu Chen suddenly caught a whiff of a strange fragrance. He immediately looked up, searching around the field, and quickly spotted a ripe hawk fruit on one of the trees. With a mix of admiration and amusement, he clicked his tongue and pulled out the yellow stone talisman from his pocket. A unique me ignited with a ¡°whoosh.¡±


    He then turned towards the stone door of the cave dwelling. Initially, it was quiet, but soon, a loud rumble shattered the silence. Momentster, Su Qingjun shot out like an arrow, stopping at the edge of the field. ¡°Did you use the Burning Heart Talisman? Is a hawk fruit ripe?¡± she asked urgently.


    Lu Chen was momentarily taken aback, then pointed towards the ripe hawk fruit. Su Qingjun leaped gracefully into the air, easily picking the fruit. It was only about the size of a thumb, and she quickly swallowed it in one gulp. After a moment of relief, she sat cross-legged on the field¡¯s edge, seemingly meditating to absorb the benefits of the rare fruit.


    Lu Chen watched her with interest, noticing her appearance. Although not disheveled, she wasn¡¯t in her usual neat attire. Her hair was slightly messy, with a few strands hanging down, and her clothing was loose and casual, resembling sleepwear. Her face was free of makeup, and there was a hint of fatigue in her expression. Lu Chen found this sight amusing.


    After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Su Qingjun exhaled deeply and stood up, saying, ¡°Indeed, fresh hawk fruit is different. It¡¯s very helpful for stabilizing my Golden Core stage.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Your master, Real Person Mu Yuan, is an experienced Nascent Soul cultivator and wouldn¡¯t lie,¡± Lu Chen replied.


    Su Qingjun nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡± She then turned to leave for the cave dwelling. However, as she walked away, Lu Chen suddenly asked, ¡°Um, Senior Sister Su, if I may ask, were you¡­ still asleep just now?¡±


    Su Qingjun stiffened, her face briefly showing a mix of embarrassment and irritation. ¡°Nonsense, of course not!¡± she retorted and quickly walked away. Lu Chen watched her retreating figure, deep in thought. While it¡¯s normal for cultivators to rest and sleep, the issue was that Su Qingjun had a reputation for being a diligent and hardworking disciple, always up early and trainingte. She was often cited as an example of exceptional effortbined with talent.


    But here she was, potentially sleepingte in her secluded cave dwelling while the sun was already high in the sky. It was quite surprising and unexpected!


    Something seemed off!


    Lu Chen could hardly believe his eyes. He started piecing together earlier events, wondering if she hadn¡¯t heard him knocking that morning because she was asleep, not meditating. The time taken to freshen up and appear asposed as usual might exin the dy in her response. And her strict rule against anyone entering her cave, not even her closest family members, seemed curious. Was she hiding a messy bed inside?


    Feeling slightly confused, Lu Chen shook his head, thinking he might be overthinking things due to recent preupations with finding demonic cult spies. ¡°Forget it, whether she sleeps in or not has nothing to do with me,¡± he muttered, heading back to the hut. Meanwhile, Su Qingjun had already entered her cave dwelling, and the stone door closed behind her, sealing the entrance once more.


    This was their only meeting and conversation that day.


    Time passed quickly, and soon it was Lu Chen¡¯s fourth day at Feiyan tform. That morning, no hawk fruit ripened, but as the sun rose, three people suddenly appeared outside the cave dwelling. They were Su Mo, Su Qian, and Su Wen, all looking battered and bruised. They rushed to the stone door, fell to their knees, and cried out, ¡°Sister Jun, Sister Jun, you must stand up for us¡­¡± (To be continued.)

 Chapter 158: The Midnight Return

    Chapter 158: The Midnight Return


    The cry echoed through the quiet Feiyan tform, naturally catching Lu Chen¡¯s attention at the thatched hut. However, he had no intention of joining themotion. Leaning against the doorframe with a wild fruit in hand, he took a bite, a faint smile ying on his lips as he watched from afar.


    The three brothers from the Su family knew that there was an outsider on the tform, but given the urgency of their situation, they couldn¡¯t worry about that. What mattered most was ensuring that Su Qingjun didn¡¯t think their plight wasn¡¯t dire or that their pleas weren¡¯t sincere enough.


    The stone door stood firm and unmoving, remaining closed for a while. The Su brothers seemed unsurprised, continuing to pound on the door and shout.


    Lu Chen, chewing on the juicy fruit, nced up at the sky. The sun was just rising; it was still early morning. He chuckled and muttered to himself, ¡°Disturbing someone¡¯s peaceful morning¡ªhow annoying.¡±


    After half an hour of the Su brothers¡¯ calls, the stone door finally rumbled open, and Su Qingjun emerged from the cave. Lu Chen looked at her from a distance. Su Qingjun was impably dressed, her hair meticulously styled, and her appearance was refined and beautiful, as if she had achieved a level of perfection that was truly impressive. However, beneath her calm demeanor, there seemed to be a faint, barely detectable undercurrent of irritation, like a hidden ripple beneath a still surface.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lu Chen smiled, curling his lips, and said, ¡°Morning grumpiness, huh?¡±


    ¡°Big Sister Jun!¡± The Su brothers¡¯ voices grew louder upon seeing her, their faces full of sorrow as if they¡¯d experienced something heartbreaking. They seemed on the verge of tears.


    Su Qingjun¡¯s eyes swept over them, her face stiffening momentarily. However, she quicklyposed herself, instinctively ncing towards the distant spiritual field. Lu Chen waved casually at her, as if greeting her warmly on this beautiful morning.


    Su Qingjun¡¯s expression darkened slightly as she frowned at the three men before her. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked calmly.Su Mo and the others immediately crowded around her, about to exin their grievances, when Su Qingjun suddenly interrupted them with a sharpmand, ¡°Keep your voices down. Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed?¡±


    The three brothers nodded in unison, casting a nce towards Lu Chen. Lu Chen smiled and turned to walk deeper into the spiritual field, no longer watching the scene. He still wore a slight smile, muttering to himself, ¡°Trying to avoid suspicion, yet still not letting anyone into your cave?¡±


    Meanwhile, the Su brothers, seeing Lu Chen leave, hurriedly gathered around Su Qingjun and began speaking all at once. As she listened, Su Qingjun¡¯s face gradually grew more somber, her gaze colder. Twice, her arm twitched slightly as if she wanted to do something, but she restrained herself.


    During the pauses in their conversation, her eyes asionally drifted to the distant horizon. The white clouds beyond the tform were vast and radiant under the clear sky, a beautiful and dazzling sight.


    Lu Chen worked in the spiritual field all morning and came out around noon. He drank heartily from a wooden bucket filled with clear mountain spring water. As he did, he noticed Su Qingjun standing on the field¡¯s edge, silently watching him and the field. The other three young men from the Su family were nowhere to be seen.


    Lu Chen smiled and asked, ¡°They¡¯ve left?¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded, ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve gone.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Chen nodded and sat down on the edge of the field, not far from Su Qingjun. She looked at him and asked, ¡°Any hawk fruit ripe today?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Lu Chen pointed to a nearby tree. ¡°But a couple of fruits are turning red. If we¡¯re lucky, they might ripen by the afternoon.¡±


    Su Qingjun was silent for a moment, then calmly said, ¡°Alright.¡± With that, she turned and walked back to her cave. Lu Chen didn¡¯t say anything more or even nce back at her. In the cool, refreshing morning breeze, amidst the rustling trees, the two went their separate ways.


    Throughout the entire encounter, Lu Chen never asked why the Su brothers hade, and Su Qingjun offered no exnation.


    In the early afternoon, just before the Hour of the Monkey (around 3 PM), a hawk fruit ripened. Lu Chen, who had been patiently waiting by the field, immediately activated the Burning Heart Talisman. Soon after, the stone door rumbled open, and Su Qingjun arrived.


    Unlike the previous morning, today Su Qingjun seemed moreposed and less flustered. She spoke little, swiftly harvesting the ripe hawk fruit under Lu Chen¡¯s guidance, consuming it, and then sitting down to meditate and harness its energy. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion, without the need for many words. This unexpected coldness felt somewhat awkward, but from another perspective, it seemed like an unexpected understanding had been reached.


    After eating the hawk fruit, Su Qingjun stood up, seemingly ready to leave. Lu Chen also dusted himself off, looking like he was about to head back to the thatched hut. But then Su Qingjun suddenly asked, ¡°Will there be any more ripe fruits today?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lu Chen was momentarily taken aback. He nced at the spiritual field and, after a moment of thought, said, ¡°If the other fruits haven¡¯t ripened by now, it¡¯s unlikely they will today. We¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Su Qingjun nodded, acknowledging his response. However, for some reason, she remained standing on the field¡¯s edge, not leaving.


    Sensing something, Lu Chen looked at her and frowned slightly, asking, ¡°Is something bothering you?¡±


    Su Qingjun was silent for a while before softly replying, ¡°Just a bit of trouble.¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head without saying anything.


    Seeing his reaction, Su Qingjun bit her lip slightly and asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m pretty foolish?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lu Chen replied straightforwardly.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Su Qingjun looked surprised at his bluntness, her cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. ¡°How can you say that?¡±


    Lu Chen shrugged, ¡°You asked, didn¡¯t you? Did you want me to lie?¡±


    Su Qingjun stared at him, initially looking angry, but then her expression softened into a hint of self-deprecation. With a sigh, she said, ¡°I guess so. Lies do sound nicer.¡±


    Lu Chen remained silent.


    Su Qingjun looked down slightly, hesitating before finally speaking up, ¡°I¡­ might need to go down the mountain again.¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head and continued to look at her without speaking.


    For some reason, despite her higher cultivation level and statuspared to the ordinaryborer Lu Chen, Su Qingjun felt inexplicably guilty talking to him. This feeling of being on the wrong side of things made her feel annoyed and a bit ashamed, mixed with a faint sense of guilt.


    Why did she feel this strange mix of emotions? She couldn¡¯t quite understand it herself. She looked at Lu Chen, hesitated, and then asked, ¡°Could you help me out again?¡±


    Lu Chen asked, ¡°When will you be back?¡±


    Su Qingjun immediately replied, ¡°I¡¯ll sneak down the mountain now. If everything goes smoothly, I should be back by tonight!¡± She emphasized the word ¡°tonight,¡± then softly added, ¡°From now, it¡¯ll be dark in just over an hour. No one wille here at night, so it shouldn¡¯t trouble you too much.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Lu Chen nodded.


    Su Qingjun looked at him deeply, as if wanting to say more, but ultimately, she just nodded and turned to leave.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Lu Chen suddenly called out.


    Su Qingjun turned back, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°If youe back toote, there¡¯ll be patrols due to the night curfew. Be careful not to get caught.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s eyes sparkled, and after a moment, she smiled brightly. Her smile was like a spring breeze over a tranquilke, like green willow branches swaying in the wind, like a blooming flower. It was a beautiful moment, brightening the scene around her. She nodded, still smiling, and said, ¡°Okay, I will.¡±


    ### **


    As Lu Chen had predicted, no hawk fruits ripened that afternoon, and fortunately, no other members of the Su family came to the Feiyan tform. He had a quiet afternoon, and soon, night fell.


    The wind howled louder than in previous nights, bringing a chill to the air. The silent Kunlun Mountains stood majestically in the darkness, like towering giants. Lu Chen sat in a shadowy spot on the tform, where he could see the distant mountain path. He was almost invisible, blending into the surrounding darkness.


    Time passed quietly, and Lu Chen waited patiently. When he looked up at the night sky again, it was deep and dark; midnight had passed. Su Qingjun was still nowhere to be seen.


    Lu Chen remained expressionless, continuing to sit in the darkness. An hourter, with still no sign of her, he frowned slightly and stood up, moving towards the mountain path. As he nced down, hesitating, he suddenly saw a figure emerge from the deep darkness, rushing towards him. However, just a few feet away, the figure stumbled and fell to the ground.


    Lu Chen was startled and quickly rushed over to catch her, realizing it was Su Qingjun. Her face was pale, but she was conscious. She looked at Lu Chen and tried to smile, but then her body trembled, and with a soft cry, she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, sttering it on Lu Chen¡¯s face and chest. (To be continued.)

 Chapter 159: The Flaw in Kindness

    Chapter 159: The w in Kindness


    As the warm blood trickled down her cheek, Su Qingjun seemed to suddenly lose her strength, her body going limp. Lu Chen¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. He called out to Su Qingjun, but she did not respond. Her face appeared exceptionally pale in the dim light. Without hesitation, he slipped one arm under her neck to support her shoulders and the other under her knees, lifting her up.


    He quickly made his way back to the Feiyan tform. After taking a few steps towards the cave, he looked down and saw that Su Qingjun¡¯s eyes were tightly closed, and she appeared unconscious. He immediately turned and ran to his thatched hut, kicked the door open, and ced Su Qingjun on a cot.


    A flickering candle illuminated the small room in the dead of night.


    The hut brightened up, and Lu Chen¡¯s face grew serious. He nced at the unconscious Su Qingjun, first checking her pulse. His expression suddenly changed.


    Under the dim light, his face showed a flicker of anxiety, but he remained calm. He examined Su Qingjun¡¯s limbs and body, but everything seemed normal at first nce.


    After a moment, his gaze fixed on Su Qingjun¡¯s left shoulder, where her clothing appeared to be sagging more than elsewhere, with an unusual discoloration, resembling a small shadow in the candlelight.


    Without hesitation, Lu Chen tore the fabric, revealing the delicate, white skin underneath. To his rm, there was a dark purple handprint on her shoulder. Amid the creamy white skin, the ck mark looked particrly eerie and emitted a faint, unpleasant odor.


    Lu Chen snorted coldly, his eyes shing with urgency. He quickly drew a ck dagger from his hand, its de gleaming coldly in the candlelight.


    He raised the dagger and thrust it downwards.The sharp sound of the de cutting through the air was sudden, and the chill of the de made the candlelight flicker with a hint of coldness. The next moment, the icy de was embedded directly into Su Qingjun¡¯s shoulder.


    Su Qingjun¡¯s body shuddered violently.


    Lu Chen seemed even colder and more detached now, not even ncing at Su Qingjun¡¯s beautiful face contorted with pain. He pressed down on the hilt, and the cold de cut through her flesh, causing dark blood to gush out and leaving a deep, horrifying wound.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Su Qingjun screamed, curling up instantly, her body shaking violently. Her face turned ashen, and her eyes, which had been tightly closed, suddenly opened in shock. In the midst of sweat and a paleplexion, she saw the man standing in front of her, his face solemn and impassive.


    ¡°Stop talking, listen to me.¡± The first words she heard upon waking were devoid offort or sympathy, evencking inquiry, only cold indifference.


    ¡°The wound is poisoned. I¡¯m drawing out the poisoned blood.¡±


    Su Qingjun looked at her left shoulder, breathing heavily.


    ¡°You need to take medicine. There¡¯s none here.¡±


    ¡°Two choices: First, I immediately go down the mountain for help. Second, you open your cave and get your own medicine. Do you have any?¡±


    Lu Chen spoke sternly, his movements deliberate yet unceasing.


    As the de continued its work, Su Qingjun trembled uncontrobly, her teeth clenched as she suppressed her painful groans, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.


    Before Lu Chen finished speaking, he immediately sheathed his knife and, after a final nce at Su Qingjun, turned to leave.


    Just then, Su Qingjun, somehow finding the strength, grasped his hand tightly, gasping in pain and with a hoarse voice, said, ¡°Don¡¯t go down the mountain, go¡­ to my ce¡­¡±


    Lu Chen immediately turned back, intending to pick her up again. However, upon seeing her shoulder, the ck blood had dried up, revealing red blood underneath. Her severely wounded, pale skin seemed almost translucent and quivered in the cold air.


    He removed his outer jacket and draped it over Su Qingjun before picking her up and rushing out of the hut.


    Cradled in his arms, Su Qingjun experienced a strange dizziness, as if her mind was being bombarded by waves. In her daze, she saw the vast, mysterious night sky, with clouds and starlight far on the horizon. Everything swayed as his movements made her feel the vibrations of his running, each step pushing forward¡­


    A cold wind brushed her face.


    For some reason, it didn¡¯t seem too cold.


    The world spun around her, and although the journey seemed short in her memory, it felt like an eternity that night.


    Nestled in his arms, close to his chest.


    The night was cold and lonely, and who turned restlessly, waking from dreams only to sink back into sleep?


    Before dawn, as the sky began to lighten on the Feiyan tform, and the distant red sun was about to break through the heavy clouds, the Feiyan tform remained quiet.


    The silence of the night lingered, like a lingering dream not yet fully awake. The morning breeze, carrying moist clouds, blew over the cliff. A beautiful wildflower swayed in the wind on the precipice, disying its most beautiful×Ë̬.


    Lu Chen stood facing the wind, looking at the wildflower.


    Then he gazed into the distance, watching the horizon where the morning sun finally leaped from the vast sea of clouds, rising into the sky.


    Golden rays poured down, turning the endless cloud sea into a golden expanse, dazzling and brilliant, almost unbearable to look at. The mountain wind rustled, and his clothes fluttered. It was unclear how long he stood there, but after a while, a distant rumbling sound came from the stone door.


    Light footsteps approached.


    Lu Chen turned to see Su Qingjun walking toward him, wrapped in a white fox fur cloak, her body tightly bundled. Her face was still pale, but she looked much better. In the morning light, it was clear she hadn¡¯t made any effort to dress up, so her hair was somewhat disheveled, and her eyes showed traces of fatigue.


    She stood beside Lu Chen, also gazing at the rising sun, but she said nothing.


    ¡°You should rest more in the cave,¡± Lu Chen said, ncing at her.


    Su Qingjun smiled and reached out from under the cloak, handing him a piece of clothing¡ªhis own fromst night.


    Lu Chen took it, and Su Qingjun gently said, ¡°The clothes are stained with blood.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll wash itter,¡± Lu Chen replied.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Su Qingjun responded softly, appearing somewhat embarrassed. After a moment of hesitation, her cheeks slightly reddened as she said in a low voice, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not very good at washing clothes.¡±


    Lu Chen chuckled and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can handle it.¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled, relieved. She took a few steps toward the cliff, and Lu Chen watched her back, frowning slightly, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡±


    Su Qingjun shook her head, smiling, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Thanks to your timely treatment and draining the poisoned bloodst night, and after taking the medicine I brought, the injury is nearly healed.¡± She then seemed to recall something, a mischievous look crossing her face. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the recovery power of a Golden Core cultivator.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    A cold wind blew, and Su Qingjun coughed a few times before speaking to Lu Chen, ¡°Can you keep what happenedst night a secret?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see anything,¡± Lu Chen said.


    Su Qingjun looked at him intently and added, ¡°Not just about my injury.¡±


    Lu Chen responded, ¡°Yes, not just your injury.¡±


    Su Qingjun hesitated, feeling she needed to be clearer, and softly said, ¡°Also about my cave¡­¡±


    ¡°And also, I never actually entered that cave,¡± Lu Chen interrupted.


    Su Qingjun smiled briefly and then sighed, ¡°I owe you a big favor.¡±


    ¡°No rush, we have plenty of time to settle itter,¡± Lu Chen said.


    Su Qingjunughed, ¡°You¡¯re quite interesting.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and then said, ¡°Even though you¡¯re a powerful Golden Core cultivator, standing in the wind like this must be ufortable. How about we head to the spiritual field?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Okay,¡± Su Qingjun agreed.


    They walked to the spiritual field. Throughout the journey, Su Qingjun kept a step behind Lu Chen. Several times, she seemed to want to say something but held back.


    When they reached the spiritual field, Lu Chen pointed to the eagle fruit trees below and asked, ¡°With your condition, if any eagle fruits mature today, will you be able to eat them?¡±


    Su Qingjun was taken aback, as if she hadn¡¯t considered this question. After a moment of hesitation, she replied uncertainly, ¡°I should¡­ be able to?¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her, slightly speechless. Su Qingjun seemed embarrassed and admitted, ¡°I¡¯m not very knowledgeable about spiritual medicines.¡±


    Lu Chen shrugged, ¡°Then just eat them. After all, they¡¯re spiritual fruits. Even if they don¡¯t have much effect, they shouldn¡¯t do any harm.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Su Qingjun nodded. After a while, she suddenly asked Lu Chen, ¡°Lu Chen, I want to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, go ahead.¡±


    Su Qingjun looked at him quietly, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and asked, ¡°You¡¯re just a disciple, butst night, your courage, quick thinking, and even the skillful way you performed the bloodletting were all quite remarkable.¡±


    She smiled, though her eyescked much mirth, and softly asked, ¡°Who exactly are you, Lu Chen?¡±

 Chapter 160: The Table-Flipping Woman

    Chapter 160: The Table-Flipping Woman


    The Feiyan tform was quiet for a while. With the mountain wind blowing, Lu Chen remained silent, and Su Qingjun also quieted down, seemingly patient as she waited for his response.


    After a while, Lu Chen said, ¡°What if I don¡¯t answer that question?¡±


    Su Qingjun thought for a moment and said, ¡°You¡¯ve just helped me a lot. I can¡¯t force you to answer. But I really would like to know.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lu Chen smiled, then turned and walked away. ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hey!¡± Su Qingjun was taken aback and called out to his retreating figure, ¡°You really aren¡¯t going to say anything?¡±


    Lu Chenughed, waved at her, and then walked into his thatched hut.


    Su Qingjun, momentarily frustrated, had grown used to young men being deferential and answering her questions without hesitation. She hadn¡¯t expected to run into a stubborn person today.


    She red at the thatched hut, gritted her teeth in annoyance, wrapped her cloak tighter, and walked away. However, after walking some distance, she suddenly stopped, furrowing her brows as if she had forgotten something. After a moment, she turned back, walked to the thatched hut¡¯s door, and knocked.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Lu Chen¡¯s voice came from inside.Su Qingjun pushed open the door and saw Lu Chen sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked at her and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Um, there¡¯s something,¡± Su Qingjun said. ¡°About the matter you mentioned before, I¡¯ve thought it over a few times and feel that¡­ well¡­¡± She seemed hesitant at the end and didn¡¯t finish her thought clearly.


    Lu Chen looked at Su Qingjun with some curiosity. ¡°Which matter?¡±


    Su Qingjun was silent for a moment before she seemed to make up her mind and said, ¡°It¡¯s about you helping me deal with the other people from the Su family during this period.¡±


    Lu Chen was a bit surprised. ¡°So you¡¯vee to terms with it?¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled, though the smile was a bit bitter. She said softly, ¡°Firstly, I¡¯m injured now and don¡¯t look presentable. It¡¯s inconvenient for others to know the truth, so I need your help to handle it. Secondly, afterst night, I¡­ I feel a bit disillusioned and think it¡¯s not feasible to continue handling everything alone.¡±


    Lu Chen frowned. ¡°I haven¡¯t asked you what happenedst night.¡±


    Su Qingjun repliedµ­µ­µØ, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Su Mo and hispanions are used to being arrogant in Kunwu City and got into a conflict. After a big fight, they arranged for another fight, iming the opponent was just a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. But unexpectedly, another strange Golden Core cultivator appeared.¡±


    Lu Chen remained silent for a moment, then nodded. ¡°No wonder.¡±


    Su Qingjun seemed unwilling to continue on this topic and gazed at Lu Chen. ¡°Can you help me with this matter?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and met her gaze. ¡°You¡¯re asking for help only because you can¡¯t face others, so I¡¯m not willing to do it.¡±


    Su Qingjun frowned. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°If I help you, I¡¯ll offend many people from the Su family. Have you considered that?¡± Lu Chen said calmly, ¡°I have no personal grievance with you or the Su family. Why would I invite such trouble?¡±


    Su Qingjun was taken aback, apparently surprised by Lu Chen¡¯s sudden coldness and straightforwardness. ¡°Weren¡¯t you¡­¡±


    Lu Chen gently waved his hand. ¡°Actually, you still think that others helping you is a matter of course, right?¡±


    Su Qingjun was silent for a long time, then lightly pressed her lips together and admitted, ¡°I was wrong.¡±


    Herplexion was pale due to her injuries, but it added a touch of heart-wrenching beauty. Lu Chen seemed to ignore this, watching her calmly without saying a word.


    Su Qingjun looked up at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve thought it over. My current condition really isn¡¯t good for showing myself to others. I do need your help. If you need somepensation, we can discuss it.¡±


    She seemed suddenly a bit embarrassed, with a hint of self-deprecation. ¡°After all, I just owed you a huge favor. It¡¯s fine if I owe a bit more; we can settle it slowlyter.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her pale but still beautiful face and, after a while, sighed. ¡°Since it¡¯se to this, I¡¯ll help you fully.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face lit up with a smile. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re truly a good person.¡±


    ###


    ¡°A good person¡­¡± Lu Chen murmured, shaking his head, then turned to Su Qingjun with a serious expression. ¡°I can help you with this, but I can¡¯t do it alone. To stop them, I¡¯ll definitely offend people, so you must back me up.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lu Chen, however, wasn¡¯t casual about it. He stared into her eyes and said, ¡°Let me be clear. By ¡®backing me up,¡¯ I mean that ordinary insults can be ignored, but if anyone takes action, you hit back exactly where they hit me. If they injure me, you retaliate double.¡±


    Su Qingjun fell silent, and after a while,¿àЦµÀ, ¡°I really want to agree right away, but¡­ I¡¯m genuinely worried I might not be able to do it.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded and looked at the woman with a softer gaze. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to be honest with me.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Still embarrassed to ask for help?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Su Qingjun said with some frustration, ¡°I know that not everyone in my family is good, and there are many ws. But since we grew up together and have so many family and blood ties, I¡¯ve been among these people since I was little, so it¡¯s really¡­¡±


    For a moment, the Feiyan tform was quiet. The mountain wind blew softly, and since Lu Chen had not spoken, Su Qingjun also remained silent, seemingly waiting patiently for his response.


    After a while, Lu Chen said, ¡°What if I don¡¯t answer that question?¡±


    Su Qingjun thought for a moment and said, ¡°You¡¯ve just helped me a lot. I can¡¯t force you to answer. But I really do want to know.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lu Chen smiled and then turned to walk away. ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hey!¡± Su Qingjun was taken aback and called out to his retreating figure, ¡°You really aren¡¯t going to say anything?¡±


    Lu Chenughed, waved at her, and then walked into his thatched hut.


    Su Qingjun, momentarily frustrated, was used to young men being respectful and answering her questions without hesitation. She hadn¡¯t expected to run into such stubbornness today.


    She red at the thatched hut, gritted her teeth in annoyance, wrapped her cloak tighter, and walked away. However, after walking some distance, she suddenly stopped, frowning as if she had forgotten something. After a moment, she turned back, walked to the thatched hut¡¯s door, and knocked.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Lu Chen¡¯s voice came from inside.


    Su Qingjun pushed open the door and saw Lu Chen sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked at her and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Um, there¡¯s something,¡± Su Qingjun said. ¡°About the matter you mentioned before, I¡¯ve thought it over a few times and feel that¡­ well¡­¡± She seemed hesitant at the end and didn¡¯t finish her thought clearly.


    Lu Chen looked at Su Qingjun with some curiosity. ¡°Which matter?¡±


    Su Qingjun was silent for a moment before she seemed to make up her mind and said, ¡°It¡¯s about you helping me deal with the other people from the Su family during this period.¡±


    Lu Chen was a bit surprised. ¡°So you¡¯vee to terms with it?¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled, though the smile was a bit bitter. She said softly, ¡°Firstly, I¡¯m injured now and don¡¯t look presentable. It¡¯s inconvenient for others to know the truth, so I need your help to handle it. Secondly, afterst night, I¡­ I feel a bit disillusioned and think it¡¯s not feasible to continue handling everything alone.¡±


    Lu Chen frowned. ¡°I haven¡¯t asked you what happenedst night.¡±


    Su Qingjun repliedµ­µ­µØ, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Su Mo and hispanions are used to being arrogant in Kunwu City and got into a conflict. After a big fight, they arranged for another fight, iming the opponent was just a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. But unexpectedly, another strange Golden Core cultivator appeared.¡±


    Lu Chen remained silent for a moment, then nodded. ¡°No wonder.¡±


    Su Qingjun seemed unwilling to continue on this topic and gazed at Lu Chen. ¡°Can you help me with this matter?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and met her gaze. ¡°You¡¯re asking for help only because you can¡¯t face others, so I¡¯m not willing to do it.¡±


    Su Qingjun frowned. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°If I help you, I¡¯ll offend many people from the Su family. Have you considered that?¡± Lu Chen saidµ­µ­µØ, ¡°I have no personal grievance with you or the Su family. Why would I invite such trouble?¡±


    Su Qingjun was taken aback, apparently surprised by Lu Chen¡¯s sudden coldness and straightforwardness. ¡°Weren¡¯t you¡­¡±


    Lu Chen gently waved his hand. ¡°Actually, you still think that others helping you is a matter of course, right?¡±


    Su Qingjun was silent for a long time, then lightly pressed her lips together and admitted, ¡°I was wrong.¡±


    Herplexion was pale due to her injuries, but it added a touch of heart-wrenching beauty. Lu Chen seemed to ignore this, watching her calmly without saying a word.


    Su Qingjun looked up at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve thought it over. My current condition really isn¡¯t good for showing myself to others. I do need your help. If you need somepensation, we can discuss it.¡±


    She seemed suddenly a bit embarrassed, with a hint of self-deprecation. ¡°After all, I just owed you a huge favor. It¡¯s fine if I owe a bit more; we can settle it slowlyter.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her pale but still beautiful face and, after a while, sighed. ¡°Since it¡¯se to this, I¡¯ll help you fully.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face lit up with a smile. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re truly a good person.¡±


    ###


    ¡°A good person¡­¡± Lu Chen murmured, shaking his head, then turned to Su Qingjun with a serious expression. ¡°I can help you with this, but I can¡¯t do it alone. To stop them, I¡¯ll definitely offend people, so you must back me up.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lu Chen, however, wasn¡¯t casual about it. He stared into her eyes and said, ¡°Let me be clear. By ¡®backing me up,¡¯ I mean that ordinary insults can be ignored, but if anyone takes action, you hit back exactly where they hit me. If they injure me, you retaliate double.¡±


    Su Qingjun fell silent, and after a while,¿àЦµÀ, ¡°I really want to agree right away, but¡­ I¡¯m genuinely worried I might not be able to do it.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded and looked at the woman with a softer gaze. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to be honest with me.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Still embarrassed to ask for help?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Su Qingjun said with some frustration, ¡°I know that not everyone in my family is good, and there are many ws. But since we grew up together and have so many family and blood ties, I¡¯ve been among these people since I was little, so it¡¯s really¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if they take advantage of you, make you work hard, or even get you injured, they don¡¯te to see you. Isn¡¯t it hard to let go?¡± Lu Chen pressed.


    Su Qingjun¡¯s expression struggled, and she finally gave a bitter smile. ¡°My master has also scolded me several times for this, saying I haven¡¯t changed and will struggle to achieve greatness in the future.¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback. ¡°Old Mu Yuan actually said that about you?¡±


    Su Qingjun sighed. ¡°Master is concerned about me and is disappointed that I haven¡¯t changed. Of course, I can¡¯t take those words too seriously¡­ Hey, don¡¯t speak carelessly. How dare you call my master ¡®old man¡¯!¡± She lowered her voice. ¡°My master is kind to me, but his temper with others isn¡¯t great. Be careful not to get on his bad side.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her and suddenlyughed heartily. ¡°Alright, just for what you said, let me teach you a method.¡±


    ¡°What method?¡± Su Qingjun asked, somewhat bewildered.


    Lu Chen said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t you think your mindset is wrong?¡±


    ¡°It seems so, but¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a mental demon!¡± Lu Chen suddenly interrupted Su Qingjun.


    Su Qingjun was startled. ¡°What? A mental demon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a mental demon.¡± Lu Chen said seriously, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me like that. Although¡­ uh, the term ¡®mental demon¡¯ does sound silly and gives a sense of being a swindler, which doesn¡¯t seem worthy of our prestigious sect.¡±


    ¡°However, think about it. You¡¯re almost a perfect woman in the eyes of others, but when ites to the Su family, you be like this. There¡¯s something off about that, right?¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded slowly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lu Chen continued, ¡°Actually, you¡¯re smart, and you¡¯ve probably thought about these things, but you haven¡¯t figured out how to get rid of these mental burdens, right?¡±


    ¡°Mental burdens¡­ mental demons?¡± Su Qingjun murmured, her eyes lighting up a bit as she looked at Lu Chen. ¡°Do you¡­ really have a method?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I do. But whether it works depends on the person.¡±


    ¡°What method? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Flip the table!¡±


    ¡°Flip the table?¡±


    ¡°Yes, flip the table!¡±


    ###


    At this moment, Su Qingjun felt her mind was a mess. Everything the man said seemed so unreliable, but deep down, there was a strange sense of hope.


    Maybe it could work?


    Maybe it really could work?


    ¡°But what kind of method is flipping the table?¡± Su Qingjun asked with frustration, looking at Lu Chen with disbelief.


    ¡°Look, I have a table here.¡± Lu Chen pointed to the only wooden table in the thatched hut.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Hold it.¡± Lu Chen said.


    Su Qingjun looked at him strangely, wondering if she had been made foolish, but after hesitating for a while, she slowly walked over and ced her hands on the table.


    ¡°What does it feel like?¡± Lu Chen asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s made of wood.¡± Su Qingjun said.


    Lu Chen rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course¡­ and?¡±


    Su Qingjun thought for a moment and said, ¡°The surface is quite rough, not polished much. The wood grain is average, so it¡¯s probably not made of precious material. The craftsmanship is just so-so. It doesn¡¯t look valuable, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Lu Chen cut her off, exasperated. ¡°Can¡¯t you think like a normal person? I asked you if the table is heavy because it¡¯s made entirely of wood!¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s fair fingers grabbed the edge of the table and lifted it, then looked at Lu Chen. ¡°It¡¯s not heavy¡­ forgot I¡¯m a Golden Core cultivator?¡±

 Chapter 161: The Wind Over Feiyan Platform

    Chapter 161: The Wind Over Feiyan tform


    ¡°Golden Core? Is a Golden Core cultivator so impressive?¡±


    ¡°Can a Golden Core cultivator juste over and recklessly dismantle someone else¡¯s house?¡±


    A series ofints came from the thatched hut with arge hole in the roof. Lu Chen, looking dejected, was standing on the broken pieces of the wooden table, trying hard to patch up the hole in the roof.


    Outside, at the edge of the mountain wall¡¯s cave dwelling, Su Qingjun stood by the half-open stone door, nervously peeking towards the thatched hut. asionally, theints drifting with the wind made her already rosy cheeks even redder, giving her a captivating beauty.


    She suddenly felt her face burning up. She gently touched her cheek, feeling a mix of embarrassment and guilt, though she wasn¡¯t quite sure why. After a moment, she suddenly stifled a chuckle, as if she had thought of something amusing even to herself.


    ¡°Flip the table? What¡¯s the point of flipping the table? Why not chop down a tree with that strength¡­¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s continuedints, Su Qingjun leaned against the door, covering her mouth and chuckling softly before turning and walking inside. The stone door closed behind her, and only her light footsteps could be heard fading into the depths of the cave dwelling.


    ###


    Things were settled, but strangely, for the next two or three days, Feiyan tform remained unexpectedly peaceful with no disturbances. The ripening of the hawthorn fruit also entered a stable period, with one or two fruits ripening every day. Lu Chen invited Su Qingjun to eat them.When they met, they chatted, and their rtionship seemed to be more familiar. asionally, they would exchange light-hearted jokes.


    This peaceful life was unexpectedlyfortable, like a paradise. In the vast Kunlun, Feiyan tform felt like their own little world, secluded and serene.


    During this time, Master Mu Yuan visited again, but by then, Su Qingjun¡¯s injuries had healed significantly, and she seemed well. After a brief chat, Master Mu Yuan gave a few instructions and left in a hurry. Interestingly, Master Mu Yuan didn¡¯t even acknowledge Lu Chen this time, which seemed somewhat odd.


    Su Qingjun expressed some confusion and puzzlement to Lu Chen about this, and Lu Chen, somewhat petty and sharp-tongued, remarked, ¡°Your master probably wants to forget the reward he promised me!¡±


    Su Qingjun, both amused and annoyed, said it was impossible, but before Lu Chen could argue further, she floated away, saying, ¡°It¡¯s still early. I¡¯m going back to sleep¡­ and to cultivate. If somethinges up, use the Burning Heart Talisman to call me.¡±


    ###


    On the ninth day of Lu Chen¡¯s stay at Feiyan tform.


    That morning, as usual, he got up, checked the roof he had just repaired, inspected the table he had made from chopped wood, went out to fetch water and wash his face, gazed at the sunrise, and looked down at the sea of clouds. He then took a stroll around Feiyan tform and began working in the spiritual field.


    When the mountain wind blew from the cliff, the ancient pine trees swayed slightly, their leaves rustling, making it feel like another beautiful and quiet day.


    Unfortunately, this peaceful beauty didn¡¯tst long. Amotion from afar broke the tranquility of Feiyan tform.


    Lu Chen stood up from the spiritual field, walked up to the ridge, and nced toward the mountain path, then sighed lightly.


    On the mountain path, the three Su brothers¡ªSu Mo, Su Qian, and Su Wen¡ªwere walking over with determined steps.


    Lu Chen set down what he was doing, looked down, and saw that his clothes, especially his pants and shoes, were covered in ck mud and dust. His attire was far from the image of a cultivator, looking more like a farmer.


    Well, the role of a misceneous disciple didn¡¯t seem to differ much from that of a farmer.


    Muttering to himself, probably self-deprecating, Lu Chen pped his hands, walked over, and, with a smile, blocked the path of the three Su brothers about ten feet away from the cave dwelling.


    ¡°Senior brothers Su, long time no see,¡± he greeted with a bow, smiling. ¡°What brings you here today?¡±


    Upon seeing Lu Chen, Su Mo and Su Wen nodded slightly, though it was clear that Su Mo was the only one who acknowledged Lu Chen. Su Qian and Su Wen likely thought of Lu Chen as someone helping Su Qingjun, although not yet to the level of being her close confidant. Basic courtesy was still maintained.


    However, as soon as they saw the ck mud on Lu Chen¡¯s clothes, all three showed expressions of disdain and aversion, apparently disgusted by his unclean appearance.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Su Wen casually waved his hand, as if shooing away flies. ¡°We¡¯re here to see Sister Jun. Don¡¯t block the way.¡±


    As they tried to move forward, they suddenly found that Lu Chen was still standing in their way. Although he maintained a gentle smile, he had no intention of stepping aside.


    Su Mo frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    Lu Chen was about to speak when Su Mo coldly said, ¡°You little rascal, don¡¯t look for trouble.¡±


    Lu Chen paused, briefly meeting Su Mo¡¯s gaze before maintaining his warm smile and responding, ¡°Gentlemen, it¡¯s like this. Sister Jun has clearly instructed over the past few days that she is to practice a secret technique and is therefore not meeting anyone.¡±


    ### Chapter 161: The Wind Over Feiyan tform


    The faces of the three Su brothers changed dramatically. Su Mo, known for his bad temper, especially towards someone like Lu Chen, immediately scolded, ¡°Nonsense! Just because you say she¡¯s in seclusion means she¡¯s in seclusion? Who do you think you are?¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°My humble position is indeed far inferior to that of the three Su young masters. However, precisely because of this, I would not dare to pretend to act on Su Shijie¡¯s authority to block your way recklessly.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Su Qian and Su Wen were momentarily taken aback, and their previously angry expressions softened a bit.


    Su Qian pulled on the irritated Su Mo¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°He has a point. It¡¯s possible that Sister Jun is really upied and temporarily unable to meet us.¡±


    Before Su Mo could respond, Su Wen, who had been frowning, said, ¡°That may be true, but since we¡¯vee all this way, are we just going to leave?¡±


    Su Qian asked, ¡°So what do you suggest we do?¡±


    Su Mo snorted and said, ¡°I know what Sister Jun is like. Let me handle it. I¡¯ll go knock on the door and keep knocking until shees out to see us.¡± With that, he boldly strode forward.


    Lu Chen stood there with a helpless look, watching Su Mo approach. When Su Mo reached him, he looked Lu Chen up and down with a sneer, saying, ¡°You little brat, are you getting bold? You dare to block me after all this?¡±


    Lu Chen gave a wry smile and said, ¡°Young Master Su, with your status, you surely value reason¡­¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡± Su Mo suddenly lifted his leg and kicked Lu Chen in the abdomen, sending him sprawling to the ground and rolling a few times.


    Lu Chen curled up on the ground, evidently in pain from the kick, and began to cough violently, gasping for breath.


    ¡°Reason, my foot!¡± Su Mo sneered, ¡°What do you think you are? Do you really think you¡¯re in a position to lecture me?¡±


    After this, Su Mo swaggered past Lu Chen.


    Su Qian and Su Wen followed, casting a dismissive nce at Lu Chen on the ground. Su Qian then said, ¡°You¡¯re too impulsive. This person is helping Sister Jun with the trees. Acting like this will make Sister Jun look bad.¡±


    Su Mo, unbothered, replied, ¡°Pah! A person of his low status daring to act like he¡¯s important in front of us is just asking for a beating! Let him be beaten. What can Sister Jun do? She might scold us a bit, but it¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s true,¡± Su Qian and Su Wen both nodded in agreement.


    As they spoke, they reached the stone door of the cave dwelling and began knocking loudly, calling out.


    ¡°Sister Jun! Sister Jun! Come out, we need to talk to you.¡±


    ###


    On the ground, Lu Chen was holding his abdomen, watching the stone door of the cave dwelling. After a while, a rumbling noise was heard, and soon, Su Qingjun appeared with an expressionless face and an icy demeanor.


    It seemed she wasn¡¯t in a good mood.


    The Su brothers all felt this, but they were used to dealing with this elder sister of theirs. They immediately surrounded her, chattering excitedly.


    Su Qingjun listened with a calm expression, but her gaze drifted beyond the three men to where Lu Cheny on the ground. She noticed his pale face and his hands covering his abdomen, marked with a distinct footprint.


    In the morning light, a shadow seemed to pass over her clear, bright eyes.


    It looked like she wanted to say something or do something, but she slowly lowered her head instead.


    Lu Cheny on the ground with no significant expression, simply watching her quietly.


    After a moment, Su Qingjun suddenly ignored her noisy brothers, gritted her teeth, and walked briskly toward the thatched hut. She reached the hut, opened the door, and went inside.


    The Su brothers looked at each other in confusion.


    Lu Chen shook his head and sighed, giving a wry smile, and muttered, ¡°Why go to my hut? I don¡¯t believe there aren¡¯t any tables in your cave dwelling!¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Suddenly, a loud noise came from the thatched hut. Lu Chen and the Su brothers looked over to see a wooden table crashing through the roof of the hut, soaring high into the air before crashing down heavily, shattering into pieces.


    A momentter, Su Qingjun slowly walked out of the hut. Her expression was peculiar, a mix of unease and oddly exciting emotion. Her hands were tightly clenched into fists, and if one looked closely, they might see her slightly trembling, as if very nervous and excited.


    She stared at Su Mo and the other two and then walked toward them slowly.


    Su Mo,ughing heartily, approached her and said, ¡°Sister Jun, I knew you¡¯d be the best to me. This uncouth servant tried to stop me from seeing you, and I kicked him away. See, you¡¯re still¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Su Qingjun stood right in front of him. Her eyes suddenly red with an intense and wild excitement, as if a storm was brewing within them.


    As Su Mo approached with his usual swagger, Su Qingjun abruptly lifted her foot, as if the previous scene was reying instantly.


    Su Qingjun kicked Su Mo in the abdomen, and with a scream akin to a pig being ughtered, Su Mo was sent flying. He crossed the air and mmed against the hard mountain wall, followed by the distinct sound of bones breaking, before tumbling down.


    The wind over Feiyan tform became instantly silent; everyone held their breath, stunned into immobility.

 Chapter 162: Farewell at Sunset

    Chapter 162: Farewell at Sunset


    Lu Cheny on the ground, adjusting his position to lie t and gazing at the sky. The sky was a deep blue, as clear as if it were transparent.


    Then, he gave a slight smile.


    Nearby, Su Mo, who had been kicked away by Su Qingjun and had rolled down the hard stone wall, appeared to have lost his senses instantly. His eyes were rolled back, and his hands iled wildly as if trying to grasp at some elusive lifeline. He mumbled incoherently, with no one able to understand his ramblings.


    On the other side, Su Qian and Su Wen werepletely stunned, standing frozen and wide-eyed, staring at Su Qingjun as if they had witnessed the most terrifying and unbelievable sight of their lives.


    After a long moment, Su Qian stuttered, ¡°Sister Jun, you, you¡­ why did you¡­ kick Su Mo?¡±


    Su Qingjun turned to look at Su Qian, her gaze so icy it felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him, instantly chilling him to the bone. He swallowed his words and broke out in cold sweat.


    Su Qingjun walked up to Su Qian and Su Wen, standing before them with an expressionless face. She asked softly, ¡°Do you have any objections?¡±


    Her five words were spoken slowly, each one clear, but for some reason, Su Qian felt a chill run down his spine under Su Qingjun¡¯s cold stare. He instinctively shook his head.


    At that moment, Su Wen, who perhaps had not been directly confronted by Su Qingjun¡¯s strange gaze, still had a trace of courage left and muttered, ¡°Sister Jun, you shouldn¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t hit us¡­¡±¡°p!¡±


    A crisp sound rang out as Su Qingjun¡¯s fair, beautiful hand suddenly swung up and pped Su Wen¡¯s face.


    Su Wen was sent flying backward, clutching his face and wailing loudly as he hit the ground, rolling several times.


    Lu Chen, still lying on the ground, noticed another strange detail. After Su Qingjun delivered that satisfying p, she clenched her fists as her hand came back, biting her red lips and breathing heavily, even gasping a few times.


    Her expression seemed to show a sense of rxation after a moment of tension. Taking a deep breath, Su Qingjun looked at Su Qian again and asked softly, ¡°Can I hit you?¡±


    Su Qian, pale-faced, immediately dropped to his knees and stammered, ¡°Yes, yes! Sister Jun, please spare me¡­¡±


    ¡ª


    Su Qian and Su Wen, who were both terrified and had just gotten up from the ground, dragged the unconscious Su Mo, who was frothing at the mouth, clumsily up the mountain path.


    After watching them disappear in the distance, Su Qingjun remained silent for a while. Her expression shifted through various emotions, and her chest heaved as if struggling to calm the intense emotions inside her.


    After some time, she silently turned around and walked over to Lu Chen, who was still lying on the ground. She nced at him and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not alright. I got kicked in the stomach. Look, there¡¯s a footprint on my clothes!¡± Lu Chen pointed to the footprint left by Su Mo and said.


    Seeing his tone and expression, Su Qingjun¡¯s worry finally dissipated. She couldn¡¯t help but smile but then felt it was somewhat inappropriate to look down on Lu Chen from above. So she simply crouched down next to him.


    Resting her hands on her knees and propping up her chin, Su Qingjun wore a somewhat strange smile, hesitating as if wanting to ask something, and fell into a daze.


    ¡°Hey.¡± After a moment, she suddenly called out to Lu Chen.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lu Chen, lying on the ground, nced at the beautiful woman squatting beside him.


    Su Qingjun smiled before she spoke, her cheeks turning slightly red with a hint of mischievous joy. She said, ¡°Um¡­ did I look very impressive just now?¡±


    Lu Chen nodded earnestly and replied, ¡°Extremely impressive!¡±


    Su Qingjun sighed, looking at one of her hands and said, ¡°That feeling¡­ how should I put it, it was so strange.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Even though there was a voice in my heart telling me not to hit, that I shouldn¡¯t, but after kicking and hitting, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of relief¡­¡±


    Lu Chen smiled at her and said, ¡°Is it as if all the things weighing on your heart suddenly disappeared?¡±


    Su Qingjun took a deep breath and nodded, ¡°Yes, it felt like my whole body was much lighter.¡± After a pause, she lightly waved her hand in the air, her face showing a hint of longing, and murmured to herself, ¡°I really wish¡­ I could hit again.¡±


    ### Chapter 162: Farewell at Sunset


    ¡°Hey!¡± Lu Chen was startled and sat up, ¡°You can vent your frustrations, but that¡¯s a bit over the top.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s lips curled into a smile as sheughed, ¡°Just saying. I really didn¡¯t expect that your method would actually, actually¡­¡± She was momentarily at a loss for words, seeming unable to find a particrly good way to describe it.


    Lu Chen waved his hand and said, ¡°Forget it. As long as it¡¯s effective, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    Su Qingjun, hugging her knees, looked like a young woman who had returned to her childhood. She giggled, her face glowing with a beautiful, unusual joy.


    ¡°Will there be troubleter?¡± Lu Chen stood up from the ground and dusted himself off.


    Su Qingjun thought for a moment and said, ¡°There will probably be some. They¡¯ve all been pampered since childhood, so they¡¯ll definitely go back andin.¡±


    Lu Chen asked, ¡°Have you thought about how to deal with it?¡±


    Su Qingjun shrugged yfully, looking somewhatzy and indifferent. ¡°Who cares? We¡¯ll deal with it when it happens.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡ª


    It seemed that the news of Su Qingjun¡¯s unexpected outburst, where she had fiercely beaten up the three Su brothers, had spread quickly. In the following days, the Flying Wild Goose Terrace was unusually quiet, and no one came to bother them anymore.


    Lu Chen, in his frustration, again repaired the dpidated roof of his grass hut and then went to the forest behind the Flying Wild Goose Terrace to chop some wood and make a table. This time, he simply ced the table outside the door.


    When Su Qingjun saw this, she was surprised and asked why.


    Lu Chen said seriously, ¡°From now on, if you want to overturn the table, just go ahead. After all, you¡¯re at the Golden Core stage, so you¡¯re the biggest. But please don¡¯t destroy the house again. It¡¯s just a shabby hut, and it can¡¯t take much more damage!¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment, looking like a flower in the wind¡ªbright and delicately beautiful. She was very annoyed andined to Lu Chen for a long time, refusing to agree. She was upset that the table was ugly, poorly made, and unsightly, and feared that if it was left outside, someone might see it and let the matter leak out. What face would she have left on Kunlun Mountain?


    Coincidentally, a hawk fruit had ripened, and when they went to the spiritual field, Su Qingjun ate it directly, her cheeks puffed out. She then grabbed Lu Chen and wouldn¡¯t let him leave, angrily telling him to wait.


    Lu Chen had no choice but to wait. He sat on the ridge of the field, enjoying the scenery. As the wind blew over the cliff, he suddenly noticed that the rocky cliffs had seemingly blossomed with beautiful wildflowers overnight.


    Later, after Su Qingjun catalyzed the medicinal power, she used both threats and persuasion, saying all sorts of things until Lu Chen, unable to resist, agreed that she couldn¡¯t casually destroy his house in the future.


    Su Qingjun waved her hands repeatedly, smiling, saying she wouldn¡¯t destroy it anymore. Lu Chen looked at her with some doubt and asked if she would keep her word. Su Qingjun assured him she definitely would and told him to believe her.


    Lu Chen, skeptical, shook his head and sighed as he moved the very ugly and poorly made table back into the hut.


    Su Qingjun immediately became happy, strolling around the Flying Wild Goose Terrace with a great mood. The fiery red beautiful shawl on her shoulders shone brightly, entuating her flower-like beauty. As the sun set and they watched the sunset, she jokingly said to Lu Chen, ¡°If I had known it would be so peaceful now, I should have beaten them earlier.¡±


    Lu Chen naturally chose not toment and merely smiled in silence.


    These pleasant and carefree days passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days had gone by, and the hawk fruits on the Flying Wild Goose Terrace were finished. Su Qingjun¡¯s cultivation at the Golden Core stage had finally eliminated all hidden dangers and ws, bingpletely stable.


    Then, it was time for Lu Chen to leave.


    On that day, he picked thest ripe hawk fruit and handed it to Su Qingjun, who was standing by. He smiled and congratted her before turning back to pack his things in the hut.


    Su Qingjun, holding thest fruit, seemed a bit emotional. She quietly stared at the fruit in her hand and slowly ate it after a while.


    As they descended the mountain, Su Qingjun came to see him off. It was the moment when the sun was setting, casting golden light over the boundless sea of clouds and stretching their shadows long.


    They smiled at each other and waved goodbye.


    Just as he was about to leave, Su Qingjun called out to him, ¡°If you ever need my help with anything, you cane find me.¡±


    Lu Chenughed, ¡°Really?¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled slightly and said, ¡°Yes, I still owe you a lot of favors.¡±


    Lu Chenughed heartily, nodded at her, and then strode down the mountain path. As he was about to turn the corner, he looked back and saw Su Qingjun¡¯s beautiful figure still standing on the mountain path under the sunset.


    Seeing him look back, she raised an arm and waved at him, smiling.


    At that moment, the sunset painted the sky with brilliant, fiery colors.

 Chapter 163: Savage Intentions

    Chapter 163: Savage Intentions


    On Kunlun Mountain¡¯s San Zhang Peak.


    This is a towering peak in the Kunlun Mountains, and while the name sounds unusual, the peak itself is certainly not just three zhang high. A height of three zhang would be considered a mound.


    The name ¡°San Zhang Peak¡±es from several stories, but the most widely known one is that at the peak, there is a spring gushing forth, with mist rising. When sunlight hits it, a three-zhang rainbow appears on the peak, hence the name ¡°San Zhang.¡±


    In the middle of San Zhang Peak, there was a spiritual cave residence. The cave door was tightly closed, with ayer of fallen leaves at the entrance and dust everywhere, indicating it had been sealed for some time. However, on this day, many people stood around the cave entrance from a distance, including two women, one old and one young, who were Golden Core cultivators Yan Luo and Yi Xin.


    Meanwhile, within the cave, there was an asional strange howling sound, like a dragon¡¯s roar or a tiger¡¯s growl. The sounds alternated between intense and subdued, as if some profound principle was resonating with the heavens and earth, making one feel as though a giant beast was about to awaken from a deep slumber.


    An inexplicable yet immense power seemed to be hidden within the peak, like a butterfly about to break out of its cocoon, slowly pping its wings and emitting a faint roar.


    Yi Xin¡¯s face was full of worry. Her eyes were fixed on the closed stone door of the cave, and she gripped Yan Luo¡¯s hand tightly, her breathing bingbored from anxiety.


    Although Yan Luo appeared rtively calm, there was a hint of deep-seated anxiety in her eyes.


    After waiting outside the cave for a full hour, there was no further unusual sign from within. Instead, the dragon roars and tiger growls gradually subsided.Most of the people on San Zhang Peak showed expressions of disappointment, and some had already begun to leave. Yi Xin, standing at the front, looked pale, her hands and feet cold.


    Yan Luo seemed to sense something, sighed lightly, and gently embraced Yi Xin, saying softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Yi Xin¡¯s eyes were misty, her expression sad, and her voice was choked with emotion as she said, ¡°Master¡¯s uncle, why, why hasn¡¯t Mastere out yet?¡±


    Yan Luo shook her head and said gently, ¡°Silly child, the Nascent Soul stage is a great life-and-death trial. It¡¯s not so easy to pass. Don¡¯t be too anxious.¡±


    Yi Xin bit her lip and asked, ¡°But you clearly said that the dragon and tiger sounds are a sign of breaking through.¡±


    Yan Luo nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s true, and the dragon and tiger sounds are indeed a good omen.¡±


    Yi Xin gave a bitter smile and asked, ¡°But why does it sound for seven days, with periods of silence and noise?¡±


    Yan Luo slowly shook her head and said, ¡°During the Nascent Soul stage breakthrough, there are countless illusions and signs. Each person¡¯s breakthrough is different, with varying techniques, cultivation levels, and states of mind, leading to subtle differences in signs that outsiders cannot exin.¡± She gently stroked Yi Xin¡¯s smooth ck hair and said softly, ¡°Be patient. We can only wait and hope that your Master will have good fortune.¡±


    Yi Xin nodded nkly, but her anxiety remained, her bright eyes still fixed on the cave.


    Yan Luo sighed internally, nced around, and saw that after the dragon and tiger sounds grew faint, most of the onlookers had dispersed, leaving only a few people still standing at a distance, watching.


    Suddenly, her gaze paused slightly as she noticed a young man standing under an old pine tree in the distance¡ªit was He Yi.


    Yan Luo furrowed her brow slightly, clearly surprised that He Yi hade here. He Yi soon noticed Yan Luo¡¯s gaze, nced over, and gave her a slight smile, his expression showing a hint of politeness, clearly indicating no ill intentions.


    Yan Luo hesitated for a moment and then nodded slightly in return.


    After all, He Yi was a talented disciple with a bright future. The recent incident, in essence, had not much to do with him, and Yan Luo herself did not hold any deep grudge against He Yi.


    She wondered why he was guarding the entrance to Dongfang Tao¡¯s cave. What was he up to?


    Yan Luo slowly turned her head and looked at the cave. The dragon and tiger sounds gradually faded until they were no longer audible.


    ¡ª


    In Kunwu City, at the ck Hill Pavilion.


    The ttering and crackling sounds filled the courtyard as Lao Ma stared in shock at the tes of side dishes he had brought, such as fried peanuts, pickled radishes, and salted duck eggs, all of which Lu Chen had thrown into the trash bin. He eximed in astonishment, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Lu Chen looked at the fat man with disdain, his eyes filled with the condescending superiority of a nouveau riche. He then calmly took out te after te of exquisite mountain and sea delicacies from his bag, covering the small dining table between them, evenyering several tes on top of each other.


    Lao Ma¡¯s mouth hung open in shock. Drooling, he eximed, ¡°What the hell are you doing? Have you turned from a spy into a bandit? How many restaurants in Kunwu City did you rob to get all this?¡±


    ¡°Rob? Nonsense!¡± Lu Chen said arrogantly. ¡°I bought all of this myself.¡±


    Lao Ma stared at him as if he had seen a ghost, stammering, ¡°Y-you bought it?¡±


    Lu Chen snorted disdainfully, clearly uninterested in answering the fat man¡¯s foolish question. He reached over, grabbed Lao Ma¡¯s wine jug, and tossed it aside.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Lao Ma cried out in distress, ¡°That was fine wine I saved, one spiritual stone per jug¡­¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A muffled sound abruptly cut off Lao Ma¡¯sment. Lu Chen proudly ced a jug of aged wine in front of Lao Ma, giving him a sidelong nce. ¡°Fifty spiritual stones per jug of Huadiao wine. Which one do you want?¡±


    Lao Ma stared in stunned disbelief, his eyes widening, before shouting, ¡°Forget the old wine, I want Huadiao!¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Good wine, good wine!¡± Lao Ma took a big gulp with relish, making smacking noises. He eagerly reached for a leg of some mystical bird-like beast from the mountain and sea delicacies piled high on the table, chewing with satisfaction, his face showingplete contentment.


    Lu Chen looked more refined, sitting opposite Lao Ma, drinking wine and eating with chopsticks. He smiled and said, ¡°How about that? Am I generous enough? Remember all the benefits.¡±


    ¡°Good brother, dog friend!¡± Lao Ma gave a thumbs-up while holding the bird leg and gesturing.


    Lu Chen was furious and scolded, ¡°Damn you! I bought all this good food and drink for you, and you call me a dog?¡±


    Lao Ma was startled, hastily swallowing therge piece of meat in his mouth. Heughed awkwardly and said, ¡°My mistake, my mistake. You must have heard wrong. What I meant was, you¡¯re a great friend!¡± He gave Lu Chen a thumbs-up and said seriously, ¡°In the whole world, I think you¡¯re the best friend. Good brother!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Lu Chen grumbled, ring at him before taking a sip of his wine.


    Lao Ma looked at him with a smile and cautiously asked, ¡°So, Lu Chen, you¡¯ve suddenly be so wealthy. What happened?¡±


    Lu Chen snorted, ¡°I earned it with my own ability.¡±


    Lao Ma raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Tell me about it. Damn it! There¡¯s such a good thing on Kunlun Mountain? I should have gone there myself.¡±


    Lu Chen waved his hand dismissively and briefly recounted his recent experiences with Su Qingjun.


    Lao Ma¡¯s eyes grew wider and wider as he listened, and his gaze became increasingly strange.


    When Lu Chen finished speaking, Lao Ma frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯m starting to think that the way you¡¯re making money sounds a bit like living off a woman!¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Lu Chen was enraged and kicked out, shouting, ¡°Damn fat man, spit out everything you just ate!¡±


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Lao Maughed heartily, dodging away. ¡°This money is so good, so good, all earned by your cleverness and wit.¡±


    Lu Chen cursed a few more times before sitting back down. Lao Maughed and sat next to him, pondering for a moment before asking in a serious tone, ¡°So, you and Su Qingjun have been on the same mountain for over twenty days. What do you think? Do you still suspect her?¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s very suspicious now.¡±


    Lao Ma squinted slightly and asked, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so sure?¡±


    Lu Chen picked up his wine bowl, not drinking but gently swirling the clear, slightly yellow liquid in his palm. He said softly, ¡°Su Qingjun appears almost perfect on the surface¡ªhighly talented, well-born, diligent in cultivation, and remarkable in her practice. But after spending time with her, you quickly notice a significant w in her character.¡± He smiled and added, ¡°If the demon sect were to ce their entire fate in the hands of such a person, we wouldn¡¯t have much to fear. We can just sit here and wait; I don¡¯t think the demon sect has many days left.¡±


    Lao Ma nodded, ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    Lu Chen stared at the wine bowl in his hand, watching the transparent, slightly yellow liquid gently swirl. After a while, he suddenly asked, ¡°Lao Ma, do you think I am¡­ a ruthless viin?¡±


    Lao Ma was taken aback and frowned, ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly, his gaze dropping and flickering. After a moment, he said, ¡°When I discovered Su Qingjun¡¯s w, in that instant, I suddenly thought of seven or eight ways to manipte her friends and family, to secretly plot against and even kill her, or even drive her insane¡­¡±


    The courtyard fell into a profound silence, as if even a needle dropping to the ground could be heard.


    He slowly raised his head, looked at Lao Ma, and said quietly, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought through all the details, but it was almost instinctive. In an instant¡­ I had the urge to harm her.¡±

 Chapter 164: Enemies on a Narrow Path

    Chapter 164: Enemies on a Narrow Path


    Lao Ma fell silent as well. After a moment, he poured himself a cup of wine from the jar.


    ¡°Here, have a drink.¡± He gently raised the cup to his chest. Lu Chen nodded and took his cup, clinking it with Lao Ma¡¯s.


    ¡°I think neither of us can be considered good people,¡± Lao Ma said with a smile. ¡°Your hands are stained with blood, and I¡¯ve killed people too. But what can we do? We¡¯re on this path; there¡¯s no turning back, is there?¡±


    Lu Chen murmured, ¡°Hmm,¡± and remained silent.


    Lao Ma took another sip of wine and continued lightly, ¡°As for whether you¡¯re ruthless or not, it¡¯s actually meaningless. Does being less ruthless mean others won¡¯t kill you? The remnants of the demon cult who have been wishing to crush your bones into dust for years will let you off?¡±


    Lu Chenughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re too good atforting people.¡±


    Lao Ma chuckled and then looked at Lu Chen with a hint of deep meaning. ¡°I find you a bit strange. You used to never ask such questions. Killing was just killing, without a blink. That was the real you. But since you came to Kunlun Mountain, you¡¯ve seemed a bit off.¡±


    He leaned his plump body forward, lowered his voice, and looked at Lu Chen with a glimmer of light in his eyes, as if half-smiling. ¡°So, have you had a change of heart? Wanting to be a good person now?¡±


    Lu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly swore, ¡°To hell with being a good person; I¡¯m someone who specifically kills good people.¡± He then flipped his hand and mmed the wine cup onto Lao Ma¡¯s head.Lao Maughed loudly, ducking his head and then waving his hand with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t try to hit me; I¡¯m not a good person. We¡¯ve both done this kind of work all our lives, so let¡¯s not overthink it, alright?¡±


    Lu Chenughed heartily, then looked up at the sky. The small, square patch of blue sky above the courtyard seemed to be the entirety of his world.


    Hisughter grew even more joyful, and he eventually ended up coughing a bit, closing his eyes.


    ¡ª


    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something I need to tell you,¡± Lao Ma said casually.


    Lu Chen nodded. ¡°Hmm, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve received some news that someone in the city seems to be secretly investigating vermilion sand recently.¡±


    Lu Chen paused momentarily while drinking, then looked at Lao Ma, his expression calm. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Still unclear. Apparently, the person is very cautious, frequently changing disguises to avoid detection. Plus, with so many shops and visiting cultivators in Kunwu City, it¡¯s hard to find out.¡±


    Lu Chen frowned. ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    Lao Ma smiled. ¡°People from several major shops have been questioned about these things recently. Besides asking about the quantity of vermilion sand, they also subtly inquired about the identities and origins of people buying in bulk.¡±


    Lu Chen raised an eyebrow. ¡°Would those shops casually share this information?¡±


    ¡°Generally, they wouldn¡¯t,¡± Lao Ma said. ¡°But a few shopkeepers mentioned that they saw the Kunlun Sect¡¯s token. You know, in Kunwu City, no one dares to offend the Kunlun Sect.¡±


    Lu Chen frowned. ¡°Kunlun Sect?¡±


    Lao Ma said lightly, ¡°I suspect it¡¯s likely rted to some demon cult fiend¡¯s actions on the mountain recently, which attracted the attention of the major sects.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled. ¡°Can they find you here?¡±


    Lao Ma took a sip from his wine cup. ¡°They can¡¯t find me.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at him. ¡°Are you so sure? Kunwu City is under the Kunlun Sect¡¯s control. It¡¯s hard to hide anything from them here.¡±


    Lao Ma sneered. ¡°That¡¯s true, but I didn¡¯t buy the vermilion sand in Kunwu City. You won¡¯t catch me, will you?¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback, and then a look of realization appeared in his eyes. ¡°You bastard, did you go to another ce to buy it?¡±


    Lao Ma sighed. ¡°As someone who does all the dirty, hard work, I have to find ways to live a bit longer besides just cleaning up after people like you.¡±


    Lu Chenughed, patting Lao Ma on the shoulder. ¡°Alright, I know you¡¯re the best in this business. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t trust my life to you.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Lao Ma scolded him unceremoniously.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Can you find out who¡¯s behind this?¡± Lu Chen asked Lao Ma.


    ¡ª


    Lao Ma frowned and said, ¡°Is it necessary? It¡¯s definitely people from the Kunlun Sect.¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°No matter what, I still want to know who¡¯s secretly dealing with us. Even if it¡¯s just for my own peace of mind. There might be a chance to meet them on Kunlun Mountain in the future.¡±


    Lao Ma squinted, his expression a mixture of amusement and skepticism. ¡°So, if you meet them, what are you nning to do?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± Lu Chen spread his hands, looking harmless and innocent.


    Lao Ma clicked his tongue, then nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll look into it. But it won¡¯t be quick. These matters need to be handled carefully.¡±


    ¡°I understand. No rush.¡±


    ¡ª


    Leaving ck Hill Pavilion and stepping out of the secluded alley, the scene immediately became bustling. The long street was lined with shops, and the cultivatorsing and going were as numerous as the fish in the river. It seemed that people from all corners of the world were here.


    Lu Chen walked quietly down the busy street.


    People brushed past him one by one. The noise,ughter, andmotion around him seemed to create a small distance, making it hard for them to get close. It was as if he always stood outside the hubbub, unable to truly integrate into the lively scene even though he was physically present.


    He walked slowly, a sense of solitude following him like a shadow. This feeling was unpleasant; it often made one feel downcast, even for those who had grown ustomed to it.


    Then, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure ahead.


    For some reason, he felt a sudden desire to chat and talk to someone. Smiling, he approached and called out, ¡°Yi Xin!¡±


    The woman ahead was startled, turned around, and upon seeing Lu Chen, she rxed. The worried expression on her face turned into a slight smile. ¡°Brother Lu, it¡¯s you!¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Yi Xin replied, ¡°I had some matters at home that required me to return. I¡¯m on my way back to the mountain now. Brother Lu, what about you? I see you¡¯re here in Kunwu City. Has the matter with Sister Su been resolved?¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s done. Didn¡¯t you know?¡±


    Yi Xin sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been so focused on my master¡¯s situationtely that I haven¡¯t paid attention to other things.¡± She briefly exined the situation on San Zhang Peak to Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen nodded and said, ¡°No wonder I haven¡¯t seen you these past few days. But if there are signs of something unusual at your master¡¯s ce, they mighte out of seclusion at any time. Why did you stille down the mountain?¡±


    Yi Xin¡¯s expression grew more troubled, with a hint of worry. She forced a smile and said, ¡°Since yesterday, there¡¯s been no sound from the cave dwelling on San Zhang Peak. I¡¯m worried about my master, but Aunt Yan said there wouldn¡¯t be any news for a while and advised me to take this opportunity toe down and have a look.¡±


    Lu Chen wasn¡¯t sure what to say, so heforted her, ¡°It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t need to worry too much. Your Aunt Yan is far more knowledgeable than we are. Since she¡¯s not anxious, it¡¯s likely that nothing major has happened.¡±


    Yi Xin nodded slightly, then said, ¡°Brother Lu, are you nning to stay in the city? I¡¯m still worried about my master, so I might head back to the mountain.¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°Let¡¯s go together. I don¡¯t have anything else to do.¡±


    Yi Xin agreed with a gentle ¡°Hmm,¡± and her expression seemed to soften a bit.


    As they turned and started walking, just before they left the bustling long street, a group of several people approached. The leading young men walked with an air of arrogance, swaggering as if they didn¡¯t care about anyone around them.


    Lu Chen looked ahead, frowning slightly. Just as he was about to pull Yi Xin aside to avoid them, someone in front spotted them. There was a shout of surprise, and someone pointed at Lu Chen and cursed, leading to seven or eight people crowding around and surrounding Lu Chen and Yi Xin.


    Yi Xin was stunned but soon recognized a few of the people and called out, ¡°Su Qian, Su Wen, what are you doing?¡±


    The group was from the Su family, led by Su Qian and Su Wen. Su Mo was not among them, possibly still recovering from the severe beating Su Qingjun had given him.


    Su Qian nced at Yi Xin with slight surprise, then snorted coldly. ¡°So it¡¯s you, the little girl from the Yi family.¡±


    In Kunwu City, the Su family was far more powerful than the Yi family. Usually, Su Qian, Su Wen, and Su Mo showed little respect to Yi Xin. However, being neighboring families, there was a semnce of courtesy. asionally, the Su family would request tea leaves from the Yi family, so rtions were kept polite.


    Now, Su Qian waved his hand and ordered, ¡°Pull her away.¡±


    Someone quickly stepped forward to block Yi Xin, while the others grabbed Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t resist. From the start, he had a faintly mocking expression on his face. He looked at Su Qian and Su Wen indifferently and then smiled, ¡°What¡¯s this, Young Masters Su? Looking for trouble with me?¡±


    Su Qian approached with a mocking look, disdainfully patting Lu Chen¡¯s face and sneering, ¡°What, are you not satisfied?¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, a dark shadow shing briefly in their depths.


    (Continued¡­)


    ¡ª

 Chapter 165: Seeking Help from Kunlun

    Chapter 165: Seeking Help from Kunlun


    ¡°Pah!¡± Su Wen shouted angrily, ¡°Who do you think you are? It¡¯s definitely you, stirring up trouble in front of Sister Jun, making her angry with us. If we don¡¯t teach you a lesson, you¡¯ll think you¡¯ve turned the world upside down?¡±


    Su Qian sneered, ¡°Mo Ge has been wanting to take it out on this guy for a long time. Take him back and let Mo Ge deal with him properly!¡±


    Su Wenughed heartily, walked over, and suddenly kicked Lu Chen in the thigh, grinning maliciously. ¡°Yell out! Keep acting tough! Let¡¯s see if anyone wille to your rescue today!¡±


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Yi Xin shouted angrily from the side, but the Su family members ignored herpletely. They pushed her aside and, with arge group of people, began to drag Lu Chen away, pushing, hitting, and cursing him, heading towards the Su family mansion.


    Yi Xin was frantic, wanting to help but unsure how to proceed. Going back home was not an option; the Yi family was no match for the Su family, and her family would certainly be unwilling to offend them. Going up the mountain was also not viable; Lu Chen was just a lowly servant disciple, and no one would stand up for him.


    Thinking it over, Yi Xin suddenly gritted her teeth and ran towards Kunlun Mountain. At this point, the only option was to seek help from the elders she knew, hoping that Aunt Yan woulde down and save Lu Chen, considering her usual kindness towards Yi Xin.


    However¡­ would anyone be willing to offend the powerful Su family in Kunwu City, which had both substantial wealth and future geniuses, just for a trivial servant disciple? Even a Golden Core cultivator from the Kunlun Sect?


    Yi Xin didn¡¯t dare to think about these matters in detail, fearing that she would lose even the courage to run to Kunlun Mountain.


    ¡°Brother Lu, wait for me¡­ I will find someone to rescue you!¡± The girl¡¯s eyes glistened with anxious tears as she desperately ran towards Kunlun Mountain.¡ª


    The Su family mansion was a well-known grand residence in Kunwu City. After many years of prominence, it was situated in a prime location and was highly noticeable. So, when a rowdy group dragged someone through the street, it immediately attracted the attention of many onlookers.


    The gates of the Su Mansion were imposing, and there were specifically assigned gatekeepers. Hearing themotion, several guards came out, looking somewhat dumbfounded and exchanging bewildered nces.


    Soon, Su Qian, Su Wen, and the others arrived at the gates and proceeded to enter without any regard.


    Among the gatekeepers, there was some pushing and shoving, but eventually, an elderly gatekeeper stepped forward with a¿àЦ (bitter smile) and asked, ¡°Young Masters, what is this all about?¡±


    Su Qian snorted, ¡°Old Li, my brother and I caught a thief on the way. We¡¯re taking him back to teach him a lesson.¡±


    Old Li nced at Lu Chen among the crowd, his expression slightly changing. He forced a smile and whispered, ¡°Young Masters, he¡¯s wearing Kunlun Sect disciple robes.¡±


    Su Qian frowned and looked back. Indeed, Lu Chen¡¯s outer garment was just ordinary clothing, but the earlier pushing had revealed the Kunlun Sect disciple robes underneath.


    Su Qian hesitated. After all, this was Kunwu City, and handling a Kunlun disciple with such violence might not look good, even if he was just an insignificant servant disciple.


    However, Su Wen, standing aside, sneered and raised his voice, ¡°Who saw? Who saw?¡± He then stepped forward and tightened Lu Chen¡¯s clothing to cover the disciple robes, coldly looking at Lu Chen and saying, ¡°You¡¯re going to die today.¡±


    From the beginning until now, Lu Chen had shown no sign of resistance. He just stood there, looking at Su Wen with a faint smile.


    Su Wen found that smile exceptionally irritating and said angrily, ¡°Take him inside. Damn it, if you¡¯re still smiling when I deal with youter, I¡¯ll change myst name!¡±


    Standing aside, Old Li shook his head repeatedly. As an experienced elder, he could see there was something wrong, but he knew that these young masters were used to being arrogant and unruly, and he wasn¡¯t in a position to change their minds.


    So, arge group proceeded into the Su Mansion with a mor, leaving the gatekeepers helpless.


    Old Li furrowed his brow, sighed, and said, ¡°This is going to be trouble!¡±


    Someone nearby leaned over and asked quietly, ¡°Li Bo, what should we do now?¡±


    Old Li hadn¡¯t spoken yet when another servant said, ¡°The master is out. Should I report this to thedy?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Old Li said angrily, ¡°These young masters, including Su Mo, are all spoiled by thedy. If you go andin, do you think they won¡¯te back and break your legs and throw you out?¡±


    The servant immediately fell silent, and the others looked around, unsure. Someone said, ¡°Should we just ignore it then?¡±


    Old Li sighed deeply and stomped his foot, ¡°Forget it. We¡¯re just servants. What can we do?¡±


    The servants and guards all nodded in agreement, their eyes showing sympathy as they watched the figures of the Su family and Lu Chen disappear into the mansion.


    ¡ª


    On this day, Kunlun Mountain was clear and bright. There were many disciplesing and going, most of them in a rxed and leisurely manner. Thus, when a young girl rushed up the mountain path, desperately running forward, she stood out strikingly.


    Many people saw Yi Xin running and actively made way for her. asionally, acquaintances would ask her a question, but Yi Xin was usually too anxious to respond, only focused on running ahead with a worried expression.


    As people watched her retreating figure and discussed among themselves, someone mentioned that she was the girl involved in the incident with He Gang that had caused a stir throughout the Kunlun Sect. Some even noted the faint scar on her cheek. However, Yi Xin paid no attention to these idlements. She was consumed by her anxiety, feeling that the mountain path was extraordinarily long. She began to resent her ownck of cultivation, wishing she could fly like the Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivators, who could cover such distances in the blink of an eye.


    After such a long time, would Brother Lu have encountered any idents? Would he¡­ be injured? Would those detestable Su family members do something to him?


    Yi Xin felt as though she might cry from the stress. Finally, when her vision was almost blurred, she saw the silhouette of the Liuxiang Pavilion, where Aunt Yan was.


    There were people in the room.


    Without a second thought, Yi Xin burst in, throwing all formalities and etiquette aside. The doors mmed open with a loud and harsh sound.


    Inside the room, there were two people sitting opposite each other. One of them was Yan Luo. She turned around in surprise and stood up, looking at Yi Xin and asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Yan, Aunt Yan, please help me! You have to help me!¡± Yi Xin, with a hint of tears in her voice, rushed forward and grabbed Yan Luo¡¯s arm, shaking it as she spoke.


    Yan Luo, however, misunderstood the situation and sighed, gently patting Yi Xin¡¯s head with a kind expression. ¡°Oh, dear, don¡¯t be so anxious. Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier? Your master¡¯s breakthrough is indeed difficult, but it¡¯s too early to say it has failed. We still need to wait patiently for a while. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    Yi Xin shook her head vigorously. ¡°No, no, Aunt Yan, it¡¯s not that. A friend of mine has gotten into trouble in Kunwu City and has been captured. You have to help me and save him!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Yan Luo was startled and then frowned. ¡°What exactly happened? Exin it clearly.¡±


    Although Yi Xin was anxious, she had to exin. She briefly recounted the incident on Chang Street in Kunwu City and concluded urgently, ¡°Aunt Yan, Brother Lu Chen has been taken to the Su family. Please save him!¡±


    ¡°Lu Chen? The Su family?¡±


    At this moment, a surprised voice came from the side.


    Yi Xin turned and was taken aback to see that the other person sitting opposite Yan Luo was Su Qingjun.


    In her haste, Yi Xin had not noticed her before, and now she was momentarily stunned. Seeing Su Qingjun¡¯s surprised expression, she didn¡¯t know what to say for a while and awkwardly called out, ¡°Sister Su.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s expression was not pleasant, appearing somewhat gloomy. ¡°Little sister Yi Xin, who took Lu Chen?¡±


    Yi Xin nced at her cautiously and, after hesitating, whispered, ¡°It was Su Qian and Su Wen. They brought seven or eight people with them. Brother Lu Chen didn¡¯t resist and was captured by them.¡±


    A flicker of anger crossed Su Qingjun¡¯s face, but she quickly suppressed it and turned to Yan Luo. ¡°Aunt Yan, thank you for your kindness. In the future, Qingjun will surely repay you. I have urgent matters today, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Yan Luo nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s a trivial matter. You don¡¯t need to worry about it. Go on.¡±


    Su Qingjun bowed and, with a stride, walked out. As she passed by Yi Xin, her gaze swept over Yi Xin¡¯s anxious face. She paused briefly and softly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lu Chen¡­ should be fine.¡±


    With that, she shook her head slightly and left.


    Yi Xin was somewhat confused. After a moment, she suddenly grew more anxious again and ran back to Yan Luo. ¡°Aunt Yan, Aunt Yan, please help me! Go save him!¡±


    Yan Luo looked at Yi Xin and asked, ¡°Who is Lu Chen to you that you¡¯re so desperate?¡±


    Yi Xin was momentarily stunned and then casually replied, ¡°He¡¯s my friend. Oh, Aunt Yan, don¡¯t ask anymore. Just go save him. It¡¯ll be toote if you dy!¡±


    Yan Luo snorted and then turned to sit down. ¡°A mere servant disciple. How can you ask me to offend the Su family for him? That¡¯s unreasonable.¡±


    Yi Xin was immediately stunned into silence, unable to speak. Her eyes, however, once again welled up with tears.


    ¡ª


    (To be continued.)

 Chapter 166: He Gangs Hatred

    Chapter 166: He Gangs Hatred


    To the bustling city of Kunwu, this day was probably just an ordinary day. For many who were involved, it might have been even more lively than usual.


    He Gang was one of those people.


    Over the past days, He Gang had been moving around various shops in Kunwu City, secretly inquiring about the ¡°vermilion¡± spiritual material as instructed by his elder brother He Yi.


    However, this task was proving difficult. First, there were too many shops in the city, and vermilion wasn¡¯t considered a particrly rare spiritual material; many shops sold it. Second, he was tracking the identities of buyers, which was awkward¡ªsmall buyers¡¯ shops wouldn¡¯t pay attention, whilerge buyers¡¯ shops were cautious and reluctant to reveal anything.


    It was only due to the Kunlun Sect¡¯s authority in the area that He Yi had given him a token, which helped He Gang get some leads from major shops. Unfortunately, these leads, after investigation by He Gang and He Yi, turned out to be useless.


    He Yi didn¡¯t seem to mind and didn¡¯t reprimand He Gang, but He Gang felt somewhat guilty and disappointed, feeling he let his elder brother down.


    The two brothers had a close rtionship since childhood. He Yi, being older, was naturally more talented and fortunate, always taking care of He Gang. Even after the incident with Yi Xin, despite facing criticism and pressure, He Yi had never abandoned his younger brother.


    He Gang was not foolish, and he was grateful for this care. Without his elder brother, he felt he might have been abandoned or disregarded by everyone. The elder brother¡¯s affairs were his own, and he wished to do everything he could not to disappoint him.


    Thus, despite theck of progress in tracing the vermilion, and He Yi¡¯s suggestion to take a break and try other methods on Kunlun Mountain, He Gang continued his inquiries privately, holding on to a slim hope.Unfortunately, the situation still showed no improvement. On this day, as he left a major shop with nothing to show for, his mood was quite gloomy.


    At this moment, he unexpectedly saw a familiar figure on the bustling Chang Street¡ªYi Xin.


    The instant He Gang saw Yi Xin, he was struck with a shock. It was hard to describe his feelings at that moment. In retrospect, he couldn¡¯t say he deeply loved her, but the way this seemingly innocent girl had suddenly turned on him with such cruel and harsh means, plunging him into an abyss of misery, was beyond his expectations.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly love turning into hatred.


    He no longer felt love for Yi Xin, only deep-seated hatred.


    For a moment, He Gang felt an impulse to rush forward, grab the woman, and stab her repeatedly, to sh her face and then demand to know why she had inflicted such harm upon him.


    But he resisted, as he had a crucial task toplete, and couldn¡¯t afford to fail his brother¡¯s important business. Moreover, he wasn¡¯tpletely out of his mind and knew that acting impulsively in the public eye of Kunwu City would not only leave him nowhere to hide but might also implicate his brother.


    I cannot harm my brother. This was the strongest force keeping He Gang¡¯s violent emotions in check. He red fiercely at the seemingly troubled girl from the side, then decided to walk away.


    However, at this moment, a man emerged from the crowd on Chang Street and greeted Yi Xin, capturing He Gang¡¯s attention. The seemingly close rtionship between Yi Xin and the man ignited a fire within He Gang.


    Brother Lu? She was so intimate with him, as if they were very close, but the man appeared so ordinary and in. Where¡­ huh?


    He Gang¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted as if struck by lightning.


    He fixed his gaze on the man beside Yi Xin, his mind racing, and then he finally remembered¡ªhe had seen this person before, in thend of confusion.


    It was that guide! The one who led them to ck Armor Mountain in search of the Evening Mist Flower but ended up causing them to be attacked by the terrifying ck Boars!


    ¡ª


    In that moment, He Gang felt his mind go nk, yet as if overwhelmed by a stormy sea, he felt he was on the brink of recalling something extremely important but couldn¡¯t quite grasp it.


    He hid in a shadowy corner by the roadside, ring at Lu Chen and Yi Xin with eyes that seemed to be on fire, observing their friendly conversation and the intimate gestures.


    Before the trip to thend of confusion, he was a promising young talent in Kunlun Sect, admired by many, and his elder brother was even regarded as having the potential to achieve the Nascent Soul stage.


    ¡ª


    However, everything shattered after that nightmarish journey to ck Armor Mountain in the Land of Confusion¡­


    Until today, He Gang had be a wretched figure, neither human nor ghost, and had even dragged his elder brother into punishment, eventually getting expelled from the Kunlun Sect. All this misery, the source of it all, instantly fell upon that detestable man!


    If it weren¡¯t for him leading the way, for his guidance, who would have gone to the dangerous ck Armor Mountain? Who would have encountered those terrifying ck Boars?


    It was him, it was him¡ªeverything was because of him!


    At that moment, He Gang wished he could tear Lu Chen into a thousand pieces!


    When he saw Yi Xin and Lu Chen being so intimate, a fire of rage burned fiercely in his heart, scorching every part of him, even making his eyes turn red.


    These two, when did they start colluding?


    Were they, were they¡­ involved in some secret rtionship even back in the Land of Confusion?


    Suddenly, it was like a cold shower, a revtion that struck him¡ªhe seemed to understand everything at once, everything made sense now.


    The questions that had puzzled him finally had answers.


    Back then, among the three people in ck Armor Mountain, Yi Xin had the lowest cultivation and least experience, yet why did Han Shishu die tragically, and he himself was severely injured and disfigured, while this woman emerged unscathed?


    It must be rted to this man, they must have had a private rtionship, so this pair of scoundrels intentionally harmed them!


    Such thoughts roared in He Gang¡¯s ears like a malevolent ghost¡¯s wail, consuming all his thoughts. At this moment, he couldn¡¯t consider other facts he had deliberately ignored.


    For example, Yi Xin didn¡¯t originally know Lu Chen; for example, Yi Xin was also injured when she returned from the Land of Confusion; for example, He Gang had been the one relentlessly pursuing Yi Xin, and perhaps Yi Xin was meant topensate him for the harm he suffered.


    In pain, people often cling to their preferred beliefs, regardless of their truth.


    You all must die!


    He Gang stared at the two, consumed by rage, silently roaring as if he was about to rush at them and fight to the death. But at that moment, suddenly, a group of people emerged from the other side and surrounded Lu Chen and Yi Xin.


    ¡ª


    He Gang¡¯s step halted in astonishment.


    He stood among the crowd, secretly observing the situation in the center, and quickly understood the general course of events.


    Indeed, Lu Chen was not a good person!


    He had offended even the young masters of the Su family in Kunwu City and had even caused them to be beaten. But soon, He Gang discovered something even more infuriating.


    This scoundrel Lu Chen was actually involved with Su Qingjun, the renowned and almost divine woman of the Kunlun Sect, who was as exalted as a celestial being.


    Even at his peak, He Gang had never dared to dream of developing any rtionship with a woman like Su Qingjun. In his mind, such a celestial-like woman could only be matched by his respected elder brother, He Yi.


    He had even fantasized that, when his elder brother achieved greatness and became a Nascent Soul cultivator, the Dao partner by his side would be someone as talented as Su Qingjun.


    The perfect match of male and female, admired by all¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t envy that?


    He would have greatly respected this sister-inw, wholeheartedly wishing his elder brother and sister-inw supreme glory and fame!


    But suddenly, everything he had dreamed of seemed to shatter before his eyes.


    How could someone like Su Qingjun possibly be connected with this ant-like man, Lu Chen?


    Yet ording to the Su family¡¯s useless young masters, Su Qingjun seemed to have beaten up her own family¡¯s brothers for this man.


    What does this mean?


    Could it be that the celestial-like woman had indeed been involved with this man?


    He Gang clenched his fists in the crowd, breathing heavily, feeling as though all his blood was boiling. At that moment, he even hated Su Qingjun to the core.


    How dare you betray my elder brother?


    You are all viins, the whole world is full of viins¡­ He roared in his heart as he watched the Su family members arrogantly insulting Lu Chen and taking him away.


    Yi Xin, in a state of extreme anxiety, suddenly ran off, probably to seek help. He Gang watched her retreating figure for a moment, then hesitated, but soon realized that his hatred for Lu Chen had surpassed his concern for Yi Xin.


    He resolutely followed the Su family¡¯s group, feeling a sense of satisfaction as he saw Lu Chen being pushed and beaten. As he neared the gates of the Su residence, surrounded by arge crowd, he had to squeeze his way in.


    In the process, he unintentionally bumped into a silent fat man in the crowd, but neither seemed to notice. As He Gang continued to push forward, he didn¡¯t notice the deep worry in the fat man¡¯s eyes, who was intently watching Lu Chen being captured by the Su family.


    Even when he saw the Su family members pushing and hitting Lu Chen, a cold and violent murderous intent flickered in the fat man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 167: The Silent Shadow

    Chapter 167: The Silent Shadow


    Of course, the fat man is Lao Ma.


    Lao Ma stood among the crowd, his face full of worry as he watched Lu Chen being captured by the Su family. As someone involved in covert operations, he was very well-informed. During the time from when the Su family shed with Lu Chen on the bustling street to the moment they were about to enter the Su residence, he had already gathered enough information about the situation.


    Lao Ma arrived directly and saw the scene of pushing and beating in front of the Su residence. His face was as dark as water, his pupils slightly constricted. When someone bumped into him while trying to push forward, he didn¡¯t even react, his gaze fixed solely on Lu Chen.


    Then, when Lu Chen was being escorted to the front of the Su residence and the doormen came out to talk to Su Qian, Su Wen, and the others, Lao Ma nced back briefly.


    In that fleeting moment, their gazes met in mid-air.


    Lao Ma¡¯s lips twitched slightly. After taking a deep breath, he took a step forward. But at that moment, Lu Chen suddenly shook his head lightly.


    Lao Ma immediately stopped, standing rigidly like a pir, even though his eyes revealed an indescribable pain and anger. His hands, hidden in his wide sleeves, were clenched into fists, with his nails digging into his flesh, leaving deep white marks.


    Their eyes spoke silently, as if both men, amidst the crowded scene, were like solitary shadows in this world.


    Life at this point seemed like a fleeting mark in the years, or a distant and meaningless sigh.There were so many, many more important things¡­


    Lao Ma looked up at the sky, which was bright and clear at this moment.


    In this beautiful world, in this bright daylight, how could there be shadows?


    He gritted his teeth but managed a smile, then slowly, slowly, lowered his head.


    ¡ª


    Lu Chen was brought into the Su family¡¯s grand residence.


    Undoubtedly, this was Lu Chen¡¯s first time arriving at the Su family¡¯s residence in Kunwu City. This residence was the heart of the Su family¡¯s base in Kunwu City, their most fundamental estate. Over the years, many remarkable individuals had emerged from this estate, bringing prosperity to the Su family for many years, and it seemed that the Su family would continue to flourish in the foreseeable future.


    Because another exceptionally talented woman had emerged here, a woman as perfect as a celestial being, residing on Feiyan Terrace.


    The Su residence was vast and luxurious, and because of its long-standing prosperity, it had umted deep wealth and prestige. The paintings on the corridors, the finely carved birds and beasts on the eaves, the seemingly ordinary but incredibly valuable flowers and trees¡ªall disyed the uniqueness of this ce and demonstrated that the Su family was indeed a prominent aristocratic family.


    However,pared to the heavy and rich ambiance surrounding them, Su Qian and Su Wen, who were escorting Lu Chen, seemed somewhat out of ce.


    They were all high-spirited and arrogant, pushing through the crowd of servants and housekeepers, who hurriedly stepped aside and saluted.


    Su Qian and Su Wen naturally had no time for idle talk with these servants. At most, they would see a few attractive maidservants andugh as they approached them, groping and grabbing, causing the frightened girls to scatter and run away. They would then shout after their retreating figures, saying things like, ¡°Whoever you are,e to my room tonight. I¡¯ve taken a liking to you¡­¡±


    The entourageughed heartily, appearing very excited, while the only person notughing in the crowd was Lu Chen.


    The Su family members around did not speak up, as Su Qian, Su Wen, and the injured Su Mo were known as the Su family¡¯s three outstanding youths, the most favored of the younger generation. Especially Su Mo, who was the current headdy¡¯s beloved son, doted upon and the younger brother of the now eminent Su Qingjun, was someone who had be ustomed to arrogance and was almost untouchable.


    When Su Lao and Miss Su Qingjun were around, they might have intervened, but with Miss Qingjun residing in Kunlun Mountain and Su Lao unable to intervene privately, no one dared to speak out, or they would face punishment.


    Normally, such raucous behavior would have led to reprimands, but today, it seemed that no one was willing to step forward.


    Su Qian and Su Wen, confident in their position, arrived at the west side of the Su residence. Before entering, Su Wen loudly called out, ¡°Mo Ge, Mo Ge, are you there? Come quickly and see who I¡¯ve brought for you. You¡¯ll get to vent your anger today, hahahaha¡­¡±


    The groupughed heartily and then went inside together.


    Lu Chen nced around the courtyard, noting the luxurious two-story building ahead. Surrounding it were a pond and flowers, all splendid and full of opulence, even more so than what he had seen of the Su residence from the outside. However, the heavy and refined atmosphere that had been present outside seemedpletely absent here.


    In front of the small building was arge recliner, and a man lying on it, who resembled Su Qian and Su Wen, was Su Mo.


    At this moment, Su Mo sat up, his face showing surprise as he looked this way. Su Qian and Su Wen walked over and said a few words to him. Su Mo¡¯s face then showed delight, and he looked at Lu Chen with a look of disgust and ferocity.


    Lu Chen also took a look at Su Mo. As the most unfortunate of the three Su brothers on Feiyan Terrace, Su Qingjun had dealt him the heaviest blow¡ªwell, actually, the most severe physical punishment. It was said that this guy had broken several bones and was bedridden for half a month. Judging by his appearance now, it seemed he had not fully recovered.


    When a woman goes on a rampage, she can indeed be quite terrifying.


    Lu Chen recalled Su Qingjun¡¯s ¡°impressive¡± demeanor when she overturned the table on Feiyan Terrace and couldn¡¯t help but smile inwardly. However, on the surface, he quickly lowered his head and appeared somewhat timid, avoiding the gazes of those around him.


    Earlier at the Su residence¡¯s entrance, he had seen Lao Ma. With their years of working together, even a silent exchange of nces could convey much information and sentiment.


    He saw Lao Ma¡¯s concern but ultimately prevented him from acting. The spy from the demonic sect still hidden on Kunlun Mountain had not been found yet, so revealing his identity was not an option at the moment.


    If he had to endure and suffer, then resisting with all his might would be pointless.


    ¡°Bring him over!¡± Su Mo shouted loudly.


    The attendants immediately surrounded Lu Chen, pushing and hitting him as they led him to the stone steps in front of the small building.


    Su Qian and Su Wen stood beside Su Mo. Su Mo, looking very excited, stared at Lu Chen and sneered, ¡°You recognize me, you little brat?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are Young Master Su,¡± Lu Chen replied honestly.


    Su Moughed heartily, ¡°Did you ever think you¡¯d end up like this?¡±


    Lu Chen sighed and said, ¡°Young Master Su, if I said that what happened that day was a misunderstanding and¡­ that it really had nothing to do with me, would you believe me?¡±


    ¡°Pah!¡± The Su family¡¯s three brothers spat in unison, showing disdain. Su Mo said fiercely, ¡°Do you think we¡¯re fools?¡±


    Su Wen, standing aside, sneered, ¡°Miss Jun was always so good to us, fulfilling our every request, yet you caused so many problems on Feiyan Terrace. What¡¯s this about not seeing us, reprimanding us, and even beating us? Who else should be med if not you?¡±


    Su Mo snorted, ¡°No need to waste time with him. Damn it! I¡¯ve been feeling so pent up after taking a beating for no reason. I¡¯m going to vent my frustration today!¡±


    With that, he suddenly raised his voice, shouting, ¡°Bring out my treasures!¡±


    Nearby, two people had already responded and went into the small building. Momentster, they emerged carrying severalrge boxes, cing them in front of the Su brothers and opening them one by one.


    The crowd, including the Su brothers and the attendants, burst into cruel, mockingughter, theirughter cold and piercing, like beasts about to devour their prey.


    ¡°Kid, do you want to pick one yourself?¡± Su Mo said, smirking and squinting his eyes like a cat with a cruel gaze at a mouse, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you die easily.¡±


    Lu Chen looked down and saw that the boxes were filled with a variety of strange and terrifying torture devices.


    The extremely sharp des, the chilling spikes, and the various other unspeakable, horrifying instruments all gleamed with a cold light under the sunlight.


    Lu Chen¡¯s expression darkened for the first time.


    He then raised his head and cast a cold, quiet nce at the three arrogant Su brothers standing on the steps.


    ¡ª


    Outside the Su residence, the crowd of onlookers had not dispersed. There are always people eager to witness a spectacle, as it seems to be in human nature.


    He Gang, standing in the crowd, was anxious, excited, and somewhat regretful not being able to see Lu Chen being dealt with in person. However, the snippets of conversation he overheard from the crowd provided him with immense satisfaction. The rumors about the Su brothers¡¯ fondness for torturing servants, making them wish for death, although unconfirmed, were vividly described, making them seem almost real.


    Among the crowd, He Gang was delighted, while Lao Ma¡¯s face twitched with barely restrained anger and anxiety.


    At that moment, they both suddenly looked up at the sky.


    A brilliant ray of light shot through the air like a spectacr rainbow, with a deafening roar of rushing sound, indicating its incredible speed!


    In a moment, the ray of lightnded directly in front of the Su residence.


    Some sharp-eyed cultivators in the crowd eximed, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a Golden Core cultivator!¡± (To be continued.)


    ¡ª

 Chapter 168: Maternal Affection

    Chapter 168: Maternal Affection


    When the light faded and the figure within appeared, a beautiful young woman stood before the Su residence¡¯s main gate, instantly drawing a stir from the surrounding crowd and shock from the Su residence¡¯s guards and attendants.


    The crowd surged forward to greet her, but among them, a young servant¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He nced around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, stealthily slipped away, running deeper into the Su residence.


    The first person to speak from the front of the crowd was Lao Li, who called out, ¡°Miss, why are you back?¡±


    The neer was none other than Su Qingjun. Her attire was the same as usual¡ªred feathers draped over her shoulders and a long sword on her back¡ªthough her expression was not as pleasant. After scanning the crowd, she nodded to Lao Li and called out, ¡°Uncle Li.¡±


    Lao Li had served the Su family for many years and had watched the younger generation grow up. When Su Qingjun was still at home, she would always address him as Uncle Li. However, Lao Li, observing Su Qingjun¡¯s demeanor, felt a pang of unease. While Su Qingjun had always been polite andposed, her current demeanor seemed to carry an underlying anger.


    Standing on the steps at the main gate, Su Qingjun looked back and saw arge crowd gathered in front of the Su residence, all craning their necks to look this way. Her face darkened slightly, and she asked Lao Li, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lao Li wasn¡¯t sure how to respond, but under Su Qingjun¡¯s stern gaze and the natural reverence for a Golden Core cultivator, he quickly made a decision.


    No matter how arrogant the Su brothers were, they could notpare to this highly esteemed young woman.


    Thus, Lao Li honestly recounted what he had seen, then pointed towards the crowd and added, ¡°Young Masters Su Qian and Su Wen brought someone into the residence. These people have been gathered here for a long time, waiting and not dispersing.¡±Su Qingjun¡¯s expression grew even more furious as she asked in a deep voice, ¡°What does the person look like?¡±


    Lao Li described the appearance of the man who had been captured by Su Qian and Su Wen, with additional details provided by other attendants.


    In a wealthy family like the Su¡¯s, observing and interpreting appearances was a fundamental skill. The servants quickly noticed that Su Qingjun seemed displeased with the Su brothers¡¯ actions. Since Su Qingjun was crucial for the Su family¡¯s future, they felt there was no need to hide anything. It was better to be honest now than face severe consequencester if they were caught in a lie.


    After hearing the descriptions, Su Qingjun quickly determined that the person in question was likely Lu Chen. She had an idea why Su Qian and Su Wen would target him, which made her even more upset and a little worried.


    So, after listening to Lao Li, she nodded and, with a cold expression, headed into the Su residence.


    Naturally, no one dared to obstruct her, and a clear path was immediately made.


    At that moment, a young maid, around fourteen or fifteen years old and with a somewhat anxious expression, rushed out from the Su residence. Seeing Su Qingjun approaching, she quickly ran over, greeted Su Qingjun, and said loudly, ¡°Miss, the madam heard that you¡¯ve returned and is very pleased. She wants to see you in the front hall.¡±


    Su Qingjun paused, showing a hint of surprise, and asked, ¡°Mother wants to see me?¡±


    The maid nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, ¡°Yes, the madam said she hasn¡¯t seen you for a long time. It¡¯s rare for you toe back today, and she¡¯s eager to see you right away.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s expression showed a moment of hesitation. From a young age, she had been taught to be respectful and dutiful to her parents, and to be kind to her younger siblings. These were supposed to be natural virtues. Furthermore, since joining the Kunlun Sect, she had spent less time at home and rarely had the opportunity to enjoy her parents¡¯pany.


    Thinking this over, she nced towards the west side of the Su residence. She knew her younger brothers and cousins well; although they were somewhat mischievous, they were respectful in her presence and had not done anything excessively outrageous. It should be fine to dy her visit a little, right?


    After pondering, she nodded and told the maid, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡ª


    The front hall of the Su residence was in an expansive, grand, and well-lit building just past another courtyard beyond the main gate. At this moment, the doors and windows were open, and several maids and attendants wereing and going. When they saw Su Qingjun entering, they all smiled and greeted her, calling out ¡°Miss¡± repeatedly.


    Su Qingjun, of course, did not show any displeasure towards the maids. There was no need to, and it was not in her nature. After giving them a nod, she entered the hall and saw the woman sitting at the main seat.


    Judging by her age, she should be in her early forties but was exceptionally well-preserved, with no visible wrinkles on her face. Slightly plump, with a fairplexion, she resembled Su Qingjun, indicating that she must have been a great beauty in her youth. Su Qingjun¡¯s appearance was likely inherited from her.


    Seeing Su Qingjun, the woman immediately stood up, her face brightening with a joyful smile. She waved at Su Qingjun and said, ¡°Qingjun, you¡¯re back! Come here and let me see you. It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw you.¡±


    Su Qingjun responded, walking up to her mother and helping her sit down.


    When the light dissipated and the figure within became clear, a beautiful woman appeared at the front gate of the Su residence, immediately attracting the attention and surprise of the onlookers, as well as the astonishment of the house guards and servants.


    The crowd quickly gathered and greeted her respectfully, but among them, a young servant¡¯s expression suddenly changed. After looking around, he quietly slipped away, running deeper into the Su residence.


    Lao Li, standing at the front of the crowd, was the first to speak, ¡°Miss, what are you doing back here?¡±


    The neer was, of course, Su Qingjun. At this moment, she was dressed as usual, with a crimson feather cloak and a long sword on her back. However, her face did not look well. After ncing at the surrounding people, she nodded to Lao Li and called out, ¡°Lao Li.¡±


    Lao Li had been with the Su family for many years and had watched the younger generation grow up. Even when Su Qingjun was at home, she would always address him as Lao Li. However, seeing Su Qingjun¡¯s expression now, Lao Li¡¯s heart sank. Although Su Qingjun was usually calm and courteous, today she seemed to harbor an undercurrent of anger despite her outwardposure.


    Standing on the steps at the gate, Su Qingjun looked back and saw the crowd of people on the street, all craning their necks to look in her direction. Her face darkened slightly as she asked Lao Li, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lao Li was momentarily unsure of how to respond. But under Su Qingjun¡¯s gaze, which carried a natural authority and reverence due to her status as a Golden Core cultivator, he quickly decided to speak up.


    No matter how arrogant the Su family¡¯s young masters were, they could notpare to the esteemed genius in front of him.


    Thus, Lao Li honestly recounted what had happened, ending with, ¡°Young Masters Su Qian and Su Wen brought someone into the residence. Those people you see were waiting here for a long time without dispersing.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face showed a trace of anger as she asked in a deep voice, ¡°What does the person look like?¡±


    Lao Li thought for a moment and then described the appearance of the man who had been captured by Su Qian and Su Wen. A few servants nearby added their observations as well.


    In a wealthy and influential family like the Su¡¯s, it was essential for the servants to be adept at reading people¡¯s expressions. They quickly sensed that Su Qingjun was displeased with the actions of the young masters. After all, the family would rely on her in the future, so there was no need to hide anything. It would be disastrous if they were found outter for concealing the truth.


    After hearing the descriptions of the captured man, Su Qingjun quickly realized it was likely Lu Chen. She had some idea of why Su Qian and Su Wen might have targeted him, but this only made her more furious and concerned.


    After listening to Lao Li, she nodded and, with a stern expression, headed towards the Su residence.


    No one dared to obstruct her, and a clear path opened up immediately.


    Just then, a young maid, looking around fourteen or fifteen years old and appearing anxious, came running from inside the Su residence. Upon seeing Su Qingjun enter, she hurried over, bowed to Su Qingjun, and said loudly, ¡°Miss, the Madam heard you¡¯ve returned and is very happy. She wants to see you in the front hall.¡±


    Su Qingjun paused, her face showing a hint of surprise. ¡°Mother wants to see me?¡±


    The maid nodded repeatedly, smiling, ¡°Yes, Madam said she hasn¡¯t seen you for a long time and wanted to see you as soon as you came back.¡±


    Su Qingjun hesitated for a moment. She had been taught to be respectful and dutiful to her parents and siblings from a young age. Indeed, she had spent more time on Kunlun Mountain recently and rarely had the chance to visit her parents.


    Considering this, she nced towards the west side of the Su residence. She knew her younger brothers and cousins there, who, while somewhat unruly, were respectful in her presence and had not heard of any serious misconduct. She decided that it wouldn¡¯t be a big issue to dy her visit for a while.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, she nodded and said to the maid, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go over.¡±


    **[Continuation]**


    The front hall of the Su residence was a spacious, bright, and elegant room located beyond another courtyard from the main gate. With its doors and windows open, several maids and servants moved in and out. Upon seeing Su Qingjun arrive, they all greeted her with smiles and calls of ¡°Miss.¡±


    Su Qingjun did not show any displeasure to the maids, as it was unnecessary and not in line with her demeanor. After giving them a polite nod, she entered the hall and saw a woman sitting in the main position.


    The woman should have been in her early forties but looked well-preserved with hardly any wrinkles on her face. She appeared somewhat plump and had features that resembled Su Qingjun¡¯s, suggesting she was once a great beauty. Su Qingjun¡¯s current appearance wasrgely inherited from her.


    Seeing Su Qingjun, the woman immediately stood up with a joyful expression and waved to her, ¡°Qingjun, you¡¯re back! Come here and let me see you. It¡¯s been quite a while.¡±


    Su Qingjun responded and walked to her mother, helping her sit down.

 Chapter 169: Familial Affection

    Chapter 169: Familial Affection


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a walk,¡± Su Qingjun said to Madam White and turned to leave. However, just as she had turned halfway, Madam White suddenly called out to her, ¡°Qingjun,e here and sit down. I have some things I want to discuss with you.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s body stiffened. After a moment of hesitation, she furrowed her brows and spoke softly to Madam White, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m a bit pressed for time right now. Can we talk after I take care of this matter?¡±


    Madam White stared at her, her expression gradually darkening. She said tly, ¡°Is there truly anything in this world more important than your parents?¡±


    Su Qingjun was taken aback and speechless. She turned to face Madam White and said, ¡°Mother, how could you think that? I have never had any disrespectful thoughts toward you.¡±


    Madam White looked at her for a moment, then sighed deeply. ¡°Good daughter, of course, I believe you. Come here,¡± she said, gesturing for Su Qingjun toe closer.


    Su Qingjun hesitated but eventually walked over slowly.


    Madam White stood up and gently embraced her daughter, showing a touch of affection on her face as she murmured, ¡°In this world, is there really any parent who doesn¡¯t love their own child? Qingjun, I am truly thinking of you.¡±


    Su Qingjun was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Mother, I¡­ still don¡¯t quite understand what you mean.¡±


    Madam White shook her head. ¡°Are you in such a hurry to leave because you want to go to your brother¡¯s side?¡±Su Qingjun¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Madam White. ¡°Mother, how did you know?¡± She paused, then her expression grew colder. ¡°So, you know what Su Mo did?¡±


    Madam White waved her hand dismissively. ¡°That child is just a bit unruly. He was beaten badlyst time and had no way to vent his frustration. He didn¡¯t dare to trouble you directly, so he vented his anger on a trivial servant. What¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s eyes revealed a mix of shock and anger as she whispered, ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡±


    Madam White snorted. ¡°In Kunwu City, there are countless wealthy families and young people who take out their anger on servants. Beating and scolding ismonce. It¡¯s not as if you haven¡¯t seen this before.¡±


    Su Qingjun bit her lip and, after a long pause, said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s different. He¡¯s a Kunlun disciple¡­¡±


    ¡°A mere servant disciple,¡± Madam White raised her voice, ¡°Without talent or background, how is he any different from our household servants?¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s hands clenched slowly inside her sleeves, her head hanging slightly.


    Seeing her expression, Madam White seemed to soften a bit, lowering her tone as she said gently, ¡°Qingjun, you are the most outstanding person in our Su family and the one your father and I cherish and have high hopes for the most. If nothing unexpected happens, the future of our family will undoubtedly be entrusted to you. Even if you are devoted to cultivation and uninterested in worldly matters, your younger brother, when he takes over the family business, will certainly be obligated to serve and honor you. Remember always that we are family, and blood is thicker than water. Nothingpares to this.¡±


    Su Qingjun slowly lifted her head and suddenly asked, ¡°Mother, did Su Mo say something to you?¡±


    Madam White red at her. ¡°What Su Mo says or doesn¡¯t say is irrelevant. He is your own brother.¡± She continued calmly, ¡°You¡¯re young and already have reached the Golden Core stage. Your future is limitless. Not to mention Nascent Soul, even a Soul Formation cultivator is within reach. With such a bright future ahead, how could a worthless servant disciple be worthy of you?¡±


    Su Qingjun was stunned, then slowly shook her head in disbelief and said, ¡°How can you think like this? How can you say such things¡­¡±


    Madam White¡¯s expression grew stern. ¡°Am I wrong? Are you willing to swear on your life that you have no feelings whatsoever for that man named Lu Chen?¡±


    Su Qingjun was about to speak but fell silent, eventually giving a bitter smile and saying, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re overthinking this. It¡¯s really not like that. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone has been young!¡± Madam White abruptly interrupted, coldly saying, ¡°Which young person isn¡¯t infatuated with the romantic ideals of youth? It¡¯s natural. There¡¯s nothing extraordinary about it. Even when I was young, before marrying your father, I was also moved by the charms of a roguish and carefree young man. But what happened in the end?¡±


    She smiled faintly and didn¡¯t continue, instead gently holding Su Qingjun¡¯s hand and saying, ¡°Qingjun, listen to your mother. I am doing this for your own good.¡±


    Su Qingjun took a deep breath and shook her head. ¡°Mother, I think you¡¯ve really misunderstood. I swear on my life, from the moment I joined Kunlun for cultivation, I have never had any personal feelings. But this matter has nothing to do with Lu Chen. Su Mo has targeted the wrong person!¡±


    With that, she turned and quickly walked towards the door of the hall. Madam White suddenly shouted, ¡°Stop!¡±


    Su Qingjun paused and turned back to look at her. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve already told you¡­¡±


    Madam White coldly said, ¡°Look at yourself now. You¡¯re so anxious and flustered over an outsider with no connection to us, rushing to trouble your own brother?¡±


    Su Qingjun raised her voice, ¡°I¡¯m not going to trouble him. He made a mistake. If he has the ability, let hime find me. It was I who injured him. How can he vent his anger on someone else¡­?¡±


    ¡°p!¡± Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed from the hall. Madam White, with a stern face, had given Su Qingjun a heavy p.


    Su Qingjun covered her cheek with her hand, her eyes filled with disbelief as she stared at Madam White, her voice trembling, ¡°Mother, you¡­ you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to wake you up!¡± Madam White said coldly. ¡°What? Now that you¡¯re a Golden Core cultivator, do you think you¡¯re so impressive? You can crush me with a single finger, so why note over and kill me with a sword?¡±


    Su Qingjun took a step back, her face showing pain as she shook her head. ¡°Mother, I¡­ how could I¡­¡±


    Madam White took a deep breath, calming her own agitation, and then fixed her gaze on Su Qingjun. ¡°Qingjun, listen. Your father and I are not young anymore. In this world, who truly lives forever? Our only wish is for you and Mo¡¯er to support each other throughout your lives. There is no bond stronger than blood. If you don¡¯t trust your own brother, who will you trust?¡± Seeing Su Qingjun, she raised her voice with unusual anger and said, ¡°But now you¡¯re going to trouble your brother over an outsider. How can I ever rest easy in my hundred years of afterlife?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to make me die from anger?!¡±


    She scolded Su Qingjun as if she were a child she was disappointed in, her eyes even glistening with unshed tears.


    Su Qingjun retreated in confusion. The figures of her parents and mentors had always been figures she respected and was taught to honor. She had always followed these teachings, and no one had ever said she was wrong. Everyone praised her as a model daughter.


    But everything seemed to change suddenly today.


    ¡°Are you trying to make me die from anger?¡± Her mother¡¯s angry voice thundered again in her ears, leaving her dizzy and her mind nk. She stumbled back a few steps, almost instinctively trying to leave.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve already chosen not to hold the incident where you injured Mo¡¯er against you, considering we¡¯re family,¡± Madam White¡¯s cold voice came from behind her. ¡°But if you dare to trouble him again, I will headbutt the wall in this hall and die right in front of you!¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s body shook violently, her face turning pale. She turned to look at Madam White, as if seeing a stranger she had never known. Two lines of tears flowed down her cheeks, and she trembled, ¡°Mother, how could ite to this, how could ite to this¡­¡±


    Madam White, with a stern face, turned away and no longer looked at her. ¡°If you really dare to defy me, then try it for yourself. Otherwise, get out of here immediately and go back to Kunlun Mountain. Leave right now!¡±


    Her final words were harsh and urgent.


    Su Qingjun stared at her, then slowly walked out of the hall. Under the strange gazes of the servants, she wiped away the tears from her face with her hand.


    Could she pretend to still be perfect¡­


    She walked slowly, step by step, forward.


    The sounds of cruelughter and cries of pain from deeper in the mansion continued intermittently, mixed with the gleeful, maliciousughter of those who delighted in the suffering. But her steps continued to lead her towards the gate of the Su residence.


    Sky and earth, parents.


    High as a peak, heavy as a mountain.


    She looked up at the sky, which seemed boundless and vast, stretching infinitely.


    Her face was ashen, devoid of any color.


    Unknowingly, she had reached the gate of the Su residence. The guards hurriedly came forward to meet her, with Lao Li at the forefront. Seeing Su Qingjun¡¯s expression, he asked with concern, ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡±


    Su Qingjun didn¡¯t respond to him. She simply stared nkly at the stone steps in front of the Su residence, never having imagined that these steps could be so difficult to walk.


    Isn¡¯t the hardest thing in the world the intricacies of human rtionships?


    With a pale face, she stood in front of the grand family gate, under the que bearing the Su family name. The people around her exchanged nces, but no one dared to speak.


    She stood there, not knowing for how long. The wind brushed against her body, her hair and clothes fluttering gently, and gradually, a sense of coldness emanated from her.


    Clear as water.


    Cold as ice!


    She suddenly turned around and looked at Lao Li. Her voice, like a clear bell in the wind, untainted and calm, asked quietly, ¡°Lao Li?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°Is there a table in your house?¡±

 Chapter 170: Moonlight Slash

    Chapter 170: Moonlight sh


    That day was supposed to be an ordinary, uneventful day in Kunwu City.


    Bustling, prosperous, with a steady stream of people and thrivingmerce. Cultivators were in high spirits, and ordinary people lived their lives peacefully.


    The great families in the city were the same, enjoying the cool shade beneath their grand trees, leisurely passing their days in contentment.


    How many years had it been? It had always been this way.


    No one had thought of changing it; no one was willing to change it.


    The Su family, a grand family in Kunwu City, was no exception, until that quiet afternoon when a piercing and soul-shaking screech suddenly shattered the tranquility of this deep mansion, tearing everything apart.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    It was a deafening roar!


    Like thunder crashing down on a clear day, the sound reverberated through the mansion, making everyone stunned and turn around. The hall shook, and the ground quivered, as if a tiger¡¯s roar had burst through the forest, sending an invisible yet immensely powerful wave sweeping in all directions.A table soared into the air.


    It was a ck wooden table, in and simple, without any ornate carvings, only deep and heavy. It flew up.


    A table flew up.


    The table had no consciousness, but if it did, it would never have imagined such a grand and shocking fate in its ordinary life.


    It flew up, emitting a deafening screech, and then shot through the air.


    Wherever the flying table went, it was unstoppable, smashing everything in its path. Trees fell, walls crumbled. It was like a tiger descending the mountain or a divine dragon entering the sea, wild and unrestrained, with fierce determination, moving forward without hesitation.


    Amid the roaring sound, dust flew everywhere. The Su residence was in chaos, with screams and cries erupting instantly, and everyone looked on in horror, unsure of what had happened.


    Only that table flew alone and proudly, passing over the crowd, beyond their gaze, toppling trees, and breaking through high walls!


    It was a flying table!


    Soaring into the sky, it roared as it came, creating a path of devastation. The dust seemed to form a giant earth dragon, charging forward with unstoppable force. It sted through pavilions and courtyards, creating a direct path to the small courtyard, and with a deafening crash, arge hole was made in Su Mo¡¯s courtyard, followed by cracks and strange noises. Momentster, with a thunderous roar, an entire wall copsed.


    Dust billowed, rising high into the air.


    Everyone was stunned, staring at the scene. Amidst the dust, a faint breeze blew, and a figure slowly emerged from the heavy smoke.


    With a long sword on her back, her appearance was cold and aloof.


    A lonely and proud woman, walking through the dust, entered the ce.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The air was filled with the smell of blood.


    Su Qingjun¡¯s gaze moved past the shocked crowd and fell upon Lu Chen, lying on the ground.


    The man seemed to have lost a lot of blood, with many wounds on his body. The wounds appeared deep and severe, with some showing not only flesh and blood but even white, exposed bones¡ªghastly and horrifying.


    Yet, for some reason, despite such severe injuries, the man did not seem to be unconscious.


    He seemed still very clear-headed, enduring the unbearable pain without losing his consciousness. Or perhaps, he had long been ustomed to such pain¡­


    As hey in the pool of blood and looked up, his eyes met Su Qingjun¡¯s in midair.


    He looked at her as she approached.


    Hey there in the blood.


    His face at that moment did not seem to show much pain.


    He even managed to smile at her amidst the blood.


    That blood-stained smile was striking and moving, like a sword piercing the chest, like fire burning the soul!


    Su Qingjun held her breath, her body trembling slightly. She gritted her teeth, trying to regain control, but her gaze fell upon the horrifying and twisted torture instruments scattered around the man.


    Those sharp, cruel, twisted, and bloodied des.


    Like thunder crashing above, like a beast of rage hidden deep within the heart, a surge of hot blood surged to her heart, leaving her momentarily nk.


    She slightly parted her lips, as if she wanted to say something, but for some reason, she couldn¡¯t utter a single word.


    She just stared nkly at the man lying in the blood, clenched her teeth, and a tear rolled down from the corner of her eye.


    Then she reached out, like a young child, and wiped the sparkling tear from her cheek with the back of her hand.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°Hey, sister, Jun¡¯er, why are you here?¡±


    A voice called from the front. Su Mo, sitting in a reclining chair in front of a small building, straightened up and smiled at Su Qingjun. ¡°What¡¯s with all this fuss? Are you trying to tear down our house? But it¡¯s okay. We have plenty of money, so you can demolish as much as you want. We can always rebuild.¡±


    Su Qingjun nced at Su Mo without saying a word, then stepped forward toward Lu Chen.


    Su Mo¡¯s smile faltered for a moment as he exchanged nces with Su Qian and Su Wen, who stood beside him. Su Qian cleared his throat and subtly signaled to the attendants standing below.


    Momentster, someone came forward to meet Su Qingjun, forcing a smile. ¡°Miss, you see, these are the people Young Master Mo wanted. You¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, a sudden scream erupted from the attendant. Su Qingjun had grabbed him by the chest and, like tossing a stone, hurled him away.


    The onlookers watched in shock as the man arced through the air, crossing most of the courtyard, before crashing against the wall on the opposite side with a loud thud. He left a clear human imprint on the wall, then fell to the ground, bleeding from his nose and mouth, andy motionless, seemingly unconscious.


    In the small courtyard, there was instant silence.


    After a moment, an angry and agitated voice rang out. It was Su Mo, shouting, ¡°What are you doing? Are you showing off to me? Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re siblings, real siblings. Is it not enough that you¡¯ve harmed me for this outsider? Now youe to attack me? Come on, if you have the guts, just kill me!¡±


    He roared in fury like a wild beast. Su Qingjun coldly watched him from in front of the small building, her gaze as frosty as snow. Suddenly, she raised her hand, and amidst the chaos in the courtyard, a clear, dragon-like roar rang out.


    A sword¡¯s radiance, like autumn water, cut through the dust. A beam of light, as clear as water, illuminated her unparalleled beauty and reflected in her bright, clear eyes, emitting a dazzling brilliance.


    Her long sword emerged from its sheath with a burst.


    Sword shadows filled the sky, and an extraordinary phenomenon appeared. In the clear daytime sky, a full moon suddenly revealed itself, cold, lonely, and unattainable. The moonlight, like water, fell to earth, shining upon the sword¡¯s light.


    The de reflected the moonlight.


    The moonlight transformed into serenity, and all things in the world held their breath, as only that one beam of light descended from the endless heavens, cutting through with a serene grace.


    This was the Moonlight sh.


    In that moment, the brilliance seemed to drain the years of the world, silent and tranquil, like countless celestial cycles of day and night, apanied by a sigh from the other side.


    The sword light fell, dazzling, then paused, and finally vanished.


    Like smoke dispersed without a trace.


    Everyone was dumbfounded.


    The three Su brothers in front of the small building were momentarily at a loss, ncing at each other. After confirming that they were unharmed, Su Mo finally sighed in relief. Just as he was about to speak, a sudden ¡°crackling¡± noise came from behind, and the three turned around in rm.


    On the luxurious small building, numerous cracks suddenly appeared, cruelly and coldly shattering all its splendid beauty, tearing apart all the brick walls and eaves. Momentster, with a deafening crash, the entire building copsed instantly.


    Dust billowed into the air.


    People screamed in panic, and the Su brothers stumbled and scrambled out, shouting. Others rushed to help, and the small courtyard erupted into chaos.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Amid the chaos, the ancient-looking long sword had quietly returned to its sheath.


    Su Qingjun no longer paid attention to themotion. She walked through the dust to Lu Chen¡¯s side, and, as she had done back at Feiyan Terrace, she gently crouched beside him.


    She looked into his eyes, at the blood he was losing, and at the smile on his face that shouldn¡¯t have been there but was still present.


    She suddenly felt that the previous sword strike seemed to cut into her own heart as well.


    She had thousands of words she wanted to say, but in the end, her lips trembled a few times before she softly asked:


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°It hurts,¡± Lu Chen nodded and smiled.


    Su Qingjun lowered her head, a tear fell onto the dust on the ground, dampening a small patch of earth.


    ¡°At your age, why are you crying?¡± Lu Chen said to her. ¡°And it¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not going to die.¡±


    Su Qingjun tried to smile, but tears kept flowing more. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and forced a smile, saying:


    ¡°Why are you pretending to be strong? I heard your screams from outside.¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to scream, but then I saw a golden light streaking across the sky. I thought, probably only you, a Golden Core cultivator, woulde. So I yelled loudly to see if you woulde to save me.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded. ¡°You¡¯re very smart.¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Su Qingjun stared at him for a while, then extended her arms to embrace him, holding him close. She softly said in a voice only Lu Chen could hear:


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Lu Chen said.

 Chapter 171: Heart of a Tiger and Wolf

    Chapter 171: Heart of a Tiger and Wolf


    Warm blood flowed from the body, soon staining her clothes and giving her otherwise clean and beautiful garments a strange, bloodied hue. But Su Qingjun was not concerned with this. What mattered to her more was the discovery of even more and deeper, more brutal wounds on Lu Chen¡¯s body as she tried to lift him.


    She was stunned for a while, realizing it would be difficult to make Lu Chen stand on his own. She gentlyid him down again and, looking at his mangled and bloody state, whispered, ¡°Wait for me a moment.¡±


    She then stood up, nced around, and walked over to where several attendants, including the three Su brothers, were gathered in the courtyard. The power of the Moonlight sh had been so overwhelming that it had terrified everyone present, including Su Mo, who seemed to be in shock. As Su Qingjun approached, everyone, including the three Su brothers, recoiled in fear, their faces pale.


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face was cold as she pointed to an attendant who seemed rtively clean and said, ¡°Take off your outer garment.¡±


    The attendant was stunned and eximed, ¡°What?¡±


    Su Qingjun did not repeat herself. She simply looked at him coldly, causing the attendant¡¯s legs to go weak. He hastily replied, ¡°Alright, alright!¡± and quickly removed his outer garment, fearing that if he moved too slowly, his limbs would also part from his body like his clothes.


    Su Qingjun took the garment and returned to Lu Chen¡¯s side. She carefully wrapped him in the clothing, covering his bloody wounds and keeping them hidden from the swirling dust.


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble.¡±


    Su Qingjun nced at him and softly asked, ¡°How are you not in too much pain?¡±Lu Chenughed, but after a few chuckles, his face twisted with pain as he sucked in a sharp breath. It seemed he had touched a particrly painful wound. Su Qingjun shook her head with a trace of concern, supporting him as she draped one of his arms over her shoulder and helped him to his feet. She then began to move away from the scene.


    To the others in the courtyard, this scene was like a ghostly apparition, especially to the Su brothers, who looked on in horror. Su Mo was the first to react but stumbled and nearly fell due to his own injuries, luckily being caught by Su Qian and Su Wen.


    He managed to steady himself and yelled at Su Qingjun, ¡°Sister, what are you doing? Have you really gotten involved with this man?¡±


    Su Qingjun gave him a cold nce and said, ¡°Shut your filthy mouth.¡±


    Furious, Su Mo retorted, ¡°I¡¯m your full-blooded brother. Why shouldn¡¯t I speak about your matters?¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s eyes were icy as she stared at Su Mo and said, ¡°If not for the fact that you are my close kin, given the heinous acts you¡¯vemitted today, I would have already killed you with a single sword strike! Get out of my way and don¡¯t meddle in my affairs again.¡±


    Su Mo, stunned by her icy re and remembering the deste yet fearsome sword light, found himself unable to muster the courage to argue back. At that moment, an angry voice came from outside the door:


    ¡°His actions as a younger brother may not concern you, but as his mother, do I not have the right to interfere?¡±


    Everyone present was startled and turned to see a well-maintained woman entering the courtyard. She was Bai Shi, the current matriarch of the Su family. The attendants and servants all quickly paid their respects, and the three Su brothers approached her. Su Mo hobbled to Bai Shi¡¯s side, his voice tinged with a hint of tears as he called out, ¡°Mother!¡±


    Bai Shi gently patted his shoulder, her affection evident. She then looked around at the devastation¡ªtrees fallen, walls copsed, and dust everywhere. Her brows furrowed deeply, and her face darkened as she looked at Su Qingjun.


    ¡°Jun¡¯er, have youpletely disregarded me?¡±


    Initially, Su Qingjun hesitated under Bai Shi¡¯s imposing gaze, but she soon found her courage and met her mother¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve already said, today¡¯s events were caused by my brother¡¯s mistakes.¡±


    Bai Shi was furious. ¡°What mistakes has he made? Even if there were some faults, is it worth causing such amotion? Are you trying to destroy our entire house?¡±


    Su Qingjun sneered and pointed to the terrifying, bloodstained torture instruments scattered on the ground. Coldly, she said, ¡°Do you see these? Do you think someone who uses such vile things to harm others only made minor mistakes?¡± She suddenly raised her voice, ¡°If this were on Kunlun Mountain, under strict rules, you would see what would await him!¡±


    Bai Shi¡¯s gaze swept over the torture instruments, and her face turned pale with shock and fear. It was as if she had realized something, and she shot a severe re at Su Mo.


    Su Mo, looking as if he were shrinking into himself, lowered his head and fell silent. Bai Shi gritted her teeth and muttered, ¡°We will settle this with youter, unfilial son.¡±


    She took a deep breath and then looked at Su Qingjun. Her gaze had changed, and she seemed to sense that her daughter, the most outstanding and hopeful talent in the family, was not quite the same as before.


    ¡°Even if Mo¡¯er has made mistakes, the family rules will handle him. Even when your father returns home, he will not let him off,¡± Bai Shi said to Su Qingjun, her face dark with anger. ¡°But what I want to know is, have you forgotten what I said to you in the front hall?¡±


    She seemed extremely enraged, ring at Su Qingjun and speaking each word with intensity, ¡°Have youpletely disregarded my life?¡±


    Su Qingjun gave a faint, bitter smile, shaking her head gently, and said, ¡°Mother, you know that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    Bai Shi was furious. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you listen to me ande here to make such a scene?¡±


    Su Qingjun, supporting Lu Chen, began to walk slowly forward and said, ¡°Mother, you and I both know that those were just angry words. You are not going to die.¡±


    Bai Shi was so angry that her hands were trembling as she pointed at Su Qingjun and yelled, ¡°You, you ungrateful daughter¡­¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s expression was somewhat deste as she said, ¡°When you speak, do you ever check your conscience? Over the years, who has been the most filial to you and Father, if not me? Is it my hot-tempered yet ipetent brother?¡±


    She helped Lu Chen, walking past Bai Shi and lowering her voice to speak softly, ¡°And how could you ever bear to die? You care so much about your appearance every day, spending hours on maintenance and using all sorts of beauty and health products. And there are all those concubines and maids at home. If they are still alive, how could you possibly leave first?¡±


    Bai Shi¡¯s face instantly turned ashen. Looking at Su Qingjun, her lips quivered, but she was momentarily speechless.


    Su Qingjun walked past Bai Shi and continued forward. After a moment, Bai Shi suddenly began to cry out, ¡°Fine, fine, you¡¯ve grown wings, and I can¡¯t control you. When your father returns, I will tell him about your disobedience today. Let¡¯s see if he¡¯ll be heartbroken, let¡¯s see if he¡¯ll care about you¡­¡±


    Su Qingjun paused and turned around with a strange look in her eyes. Bai Shi felt ufortable under her gaze and involuntarily took a step back.


    Su Qingjun smiled faintly and said, ¡°Mother, stop deceiving yourself. Father is much more practical than you. He must know who the Su family will truly rely on in theing decades or even centuries. Is it me, a twenty-two-year-old Golden Core cultivator, or is it my group of useless brothers?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°You see, I actually understand everything and see everything,¡± Su Qingjun said calmly. ¡°I just didn¡¯t say anything before.¡±


    The courtyard was silent. Everyone was awed by Su Qingjun¡¯s presence and dared not step forward to stop her. They simply watched as Su Qingjun slowly supported Lu Chen and walked him out of the courtyard.


    As they neared the gate, Lu Chen, leaning on Su Qingjun and looking somewhat exhausted, suddenly smiled and said softly, ¡°Well said.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°Very impressive, very imposing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all thanks to you,¡± Su Qingjun replied quietly. ¡°You taught me how to flip the table.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m pretty impressive then!¡±


    ¡°¡­Impressive enough to almost get killed?¡±


    ¡°You really can¡¯t hold a conversation, can you?¡± Lu Chen said with a hint of resignation.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    On that day, many people in Kunwu City witnessed the light shooting into the sky again and saw the oue of Su Qingjun rescuing Lu Chen. Among those who saw the whole scene clearly were the onlookers outside the Su residence.


    He Gang and Lao Ma were there from start to finish, never leaving.


    However, their reactions werepletely different.


    He Gang, watching the light fade into the sky, had eyes filled with hatred as if he wanted to spew fire. He gritted his teeth, muttering curses under his breath, and then turned and walked away withrge strides.


    This matter had to be reported to his older brother as soon as possible. That shameless woman actually cared for a mere servant like Lu Chen; she was definitely a loose woman unworthy of his older brother. He had to warn his brother. Moreover, as they were both renowned talents, if there were future conflicts, well, it wasn¡¯t impossible to use that ant-like Lu Chen to their advantage!


    Meanwhile, as He Gang quickly departed, Lao Ma, who was slightly overweight, looked relieved as if he had finally rxed. But after a moment, when he looked back at the Su residence gate, his gaze changed to one of coldness and cruelty.


    Like a wolf or tiger!

 Chapter 172: Golden Core Disciple

    Chapter 172: Golden Core Disciple


    In this world, people often see only the surface of things and then make assumptions about how things will unfold; or they judge someone¡¯s true nature based on their appearance, demeanor, and actions.


    More often than not, they are wrong.


    An ugly person isn¡¯t necessarily evil, and beneath a beautiful appearance, purity isn¡¯t always guaranteed. Righteousness doesn¡¯t alwayse from the ordinary, and the most heartless individuals may often be schrs. In the mundane world, people are easily enchanted and infatuated with beautiful men and women, believing their loved ones are perfect and without fault.


    Even in the realm of cultivation, this tendency persists. Many people revere and admire high-level cultivators, believing that legendary figures like Golden Core cultivators, Nascent Soul experts, and even Divine Transformation lords are all-powerful.


    This isn¡¯t about the path of cultivation but simply human nature.


    We are so weak that we are ustomed to looking up at the tall and mighty. We misjudge the height of these figures, believing them to be as high as mountains or even reaching the heavens, forgetting that everything we seees from our own perspective and limited vision.


    When we can¡¯t see far, we use imagination to fill our expectations.


    Su Qingjun is a young prodigy. At her age, reaching the Golden Core stage is unprecedented in the long history of the Kunlun Sect. Because of this, almost everyone has high hopes for her, believing she will surely achieve great things in the future. She is a genuine prodigy, with extraordinary talent in cultivation.


    Countless people, especially those of lower cultivation levels among her peers, view her as an idol, admire her, and take her as a role model, believing she is capable of anything.Unfortunately, the reality is different.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    No one understands Su Qingjun better than herself. Su Qingjun knows well that she is not the perfect, omnipotent person that others imagine. She is very aware of her own shorings and many things she cannot do.


    However, no one deliberately exposes their weaknesses to the public, and she is no saint; she is merely an ordinary person who experiences joy, anger, sorrow, and all kinds of concerns and entanglements. In fact, she has more considerations than most because she has had to take care of many more people than the average person.


    Like all talented individuals or those who are admired and adored, Su Qingjun instinctively hides all her ws and often adopts a calm, indifferent, beautiful, and aloof demeanor to cover these traces.


    This approach works repeatedly and is very effective. Those who admire her are kept at a distance by her actions, unable to truly approach her, much like gazing at her figure from afar. They see only a blurred shadow and cannot discern the true nature of the person.


    Thus, people start to imagine, creating an idealized version of her, turning her into a legendary fairy with both unparalleled abilities and stunning beauty.


    This is akin to countless simr situations in the mortal world.


    It has nothing to do with cultivation, but with human nature.


    However, the fake will never be real, and what cannot be will forever remain so, like a piece of paper soaked in water, which will tear when reality hits.


    That day, Su Qingjun felt like she was that piece of paper soaked in water.


    When she shocked the Su family and drove away everyone, including her mother, Bai Shi, and brought Lu Chen back to Kunlun Mountain¡¯s Feiyan Terrace, her imposing aura, the awe-inspiring grandeur, the resolute words, and sharp remarks made her appear perfect. Even the heavily injured Lu Chen admired her.


    Until¡­ she returned to the mountain.


    She helped Lu Chen back to the thatched hut andid him down, looking at the blood-soaked man with countless injuries, Su Qingjun was at a loss.


    Because she didn¡¯t know how to treat wounds.


    This was a skill that many cultivators, even those of lower levels or wandering practitioners, were familiar with, yet she did not know.


    Su Qingjun hurriedly brought a pile of bottles and jars from her cave residence, filled with various precious herbs and elixirs. Then, looking at Lu Chen¡¯s numerous bleeding wounds, she was stunned.


    As a proud daughter of a prominent family, she had never truly needed to handle such matters herself. However, seeing the urgency of the situation, Su Qingjun had no choice but to dive in without much thought, just doing whatever she could.


    So, the precious medicinal powders and elixirs were applied haphazardly to Lu Chen¡¯s wounds. It was unclear if they had any effect, but the bleeding did stop quickly.


    Su Qingjun was immediately delighted and then grabbed several bottles of famous Kunlun elixirs, shoving them into Lu Chen¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­¡± Lu Chen, who had been pretending to be asleep, suddenly coughed violently, quickly reaching out to push away Su Qingjun¡¯s bottles, and weakly said, ¡°Don¡¯t rush. I¡¯m not going to die just yet. Whether these can actually heal me is one thing, but I have a feeling I might choke to death.¡±


    Su Qingjun red at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m giving you these elixirs out of goodwill, and you¡¯reining? Do you want them or not?¡±


    Lu Chen nodded repeatedly, saying, ¡°Yes, yes, but can you slow down a bit? Besides, you can¡¯t take all these elixirs at once. Otherwise, the medicinal effects might backfire and be as harmful as poison.¡±


    Su Qingjun snorted, seemingly realizing she had been a bit too hasty. She set the jade bottles on the side table and said, ¡°Ungrateful! The elixirs are here; you can take them as you see fit. You¡¯re so mysterious and know so much, I¡¯m sure you understand these things.¡±


    Lu Chen weakly shook his head and said, ¡°Not really.¡±


    Su Qingjun sighed, holding down his hand, and said, ¡°Fine, I was just speaking out of frustration. You should rest now.¡± She paused, her voice growing somber and her head drooping as she continued, ¡°You¡¯ve really suffered this time. I never expected my brothers to be so ruthless.¡±


    A faint glimmer appeared in Lu Chen¡¯s eyes, and then he said, ¡°It has nothing to do with you, don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    Su Qingjun was about to say more when suddenly, a voice came from outside the hut, calling out, ¡°Qingjun,e out.¡±


    Su Qingjun was startled and stood up, looking surprised, ¡°My master is here. What could he possibly want now?¡±


    Lu Chen, lying on the bed, smiled and said, ¡°Probably here to plead on someone¡¯s behalf?¡±


    Su Qingjun considered this and said, ¡°That¡¯s unlikely. My master is very protective of me but not particrly friendly towards the Su family. He used to tell me how troublesome my siblings were and advised me to avoid them¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Su Qingjun suddenly stopped. Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Did he hit the nail on the head?¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled wryly and sighed, ¡°You rest here for now. I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Stepping out of the hut, Su Qingjun indeed saw Master Mu Yuan standing on the Feiyan Terrace, about fifty paces away from the hut.


    Upon seeing here out, Master Mu Yuan nodded in acknowledgment.


    Su Qingjun quickly walked up to him and asked, ¡°Master, why are you here?¡±


    Master Mu Yuan chuckled and said, ¡°I heard you made quite a scene in Kunwu City and caused amotion at the Su family. It¡¯s all the talk on Kunlun Mountain. I hurried over to check it out.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly as she shook her head, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not as exaggerated as you say!¡±


    Master Mu Yuanughed but didn¡¯t tease his disciple further. Instead, he nced towards the hut and asked, ¡°I heard the person you saved is Lu Chen, the lowly servant who helped you nt the hawthorn tree?¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Master Mu Yuan looked at her with a half-smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ve advised you many times to distance yourself from your family. It would be greatly beneficial to your cultivation. Yet, now you¡¯ve turned against the Su family for an ordinary servant. Is there any personal sentiment involved?¡±


    As he spoke thest part, the sharpness in Master Mu Yuan¡¯s eyes became evident, though he merely stared at Su Qingjun.


    Su Qingjun seemed unaware of this and only replied with a wry smile, ¡°Master, when I first became your disciple, I told you I was only interested in cultivation and didn¡¯t want to think about other matters.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you save him?¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s expression grew somber, and she said, ¡°The way my Su family brothers treated him was truly excessive. Even if he weren¡¯t Lu Chen but just a beggar on the street, I don¡¯t think I could ignore it.¡±


    Master Mu Yuan stared at her for a moment before nodding slowly. ¡°I¡¯m surprised by your thinking. However, don¡¯t forget, you can save him for a moment, but how can you save him for a lifetime? Lu Chen is of low cultivation and will likely face more setbacks from the Su family in Kunlun Mountain.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s expression grew colder.


    Master Mu Yuan, seemingly indifferent, continued smiling and said, ¡°In the end, he¡¯s just an ordinary servant. He can¡¯t follow you forever. He¡¯s from apletely different world than you. He will have to do menial tasks, while you are destined to be someone of great stature. What will happen when that timees?¡±


    Su Qingjun gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ve considered this. He¡¯s not someone entirely unrted to me.¡±


    Master Mu Yuan raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Oh? Then I¡¯m curious. He¡¯s just an ordinary servant with no family ties to you. What connection does he have to you?¡±


    Su Qingjun took a deep breath and said loudly, ¡°Lu Chen is my newly epted disciple!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Master Mu Yuan was instantly shocked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Congrattions, Master. You¡¯ve now been promoted to the status of grandmaster!¡±

 Chapter 173: Proof of True Spiritual Light

    Chapter 173: Proof of True Spiritual Light


    In a prestigious sect like Kunlun Sect, the tradition of passing on teachings from master to disciple has been maintained for thousands of years. From the two founding ancestors, Kun Yuanzi and Tie Luo, the me of inheritance has continued unbroken up to the present day.


    Thus, epting disciples is a verymon practice in Kunlun Sect. Generally speaking, most cultivators will take on disciples. While there are cultivators who live out their lives without epting any disciples, such cases are extremely rare. The reason is quite simple: it¡¯s simr to family inheritance in the mortal world. Cultivators hope that someone will inherit their hard-earned achievements and carry forward their aplishments in the Dao. At the moment of death, most people also wish to have someone to attend to them and see them through their final days.


    This is a deep-rooted aspect of human nature across the vastnd of Zhongtu Shenzhou, whether one is a cultivator or an ordinary mortal. It¡¯s difficult to escape this concern.


    However, because of this, epting disciples carries a significant weight of responsibility, especially in prestigious sects like Kunlun. The inheritance of Dao not only pertains to an individual¡¯s lifetime but also to the rise and fall of the sect¡¯s strength.


    A mere servant disciple announcing to the world that he is epting disciples today and tomorrow, teaching only to find his disciples to be useless, would be of no use at all.


    Kunlun Sect certainly wouldn¡¯t allow such a situation. In fact, to ensure that most young disciples can focus on their cultivation, Kunlun Sect has an unspoken rule that only cultivators at the Golden Core stage and above can take on disciples.


    Typically, reaching the Golden Core stage is a pinnacle most cultivators can only dream of throughout their lives. Cultivators who achieve the Golden Core stage are often exceptional in terms of Dao, strength, experience, and talent. Hence, epting disciples at the Golden Core stage is a clear boundary set by Kunlun Sect.


    Of course, this boundary is somewhat fuzzy. Many cultivators remain stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage throughout their lives. After reaching the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage in theirter years, Kunlun Sect will make exceptions, allowing them to ept a few disciples.


    In short, in Kunlun Sect, Golden Core cultivators are eligible to take on disciples!And Su Qingjun is the youngest Golden Core cultivator in the long history of Kunlun Sect.


    However, her extraordinary talent and youth have led most people, including her master Mu Yuan, to instinctively overlook the fact that Su Qingjun has indeed attained the customary qualification to take on disciples.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°You, epting disciples?¡± Master Mu Yuan appeared dazed, seemingly unable toe to terms with his disciple¡¯s statement.


    Su Qingjun calmly nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Master. I believe I am qualified for it, right?¡±


    Master Mu Yuan pondered and suddenly realized that his disciple was indeed correct. This realization made his face darken as he paced back and forth in front of Su Qingjun, muttering, ¡°But, but this is¡­ this is too¡­¡±


    He suddenly looked up, frowning at Su Qingjun and asked, ¡°You¡¯re only twenty-two years old, you know?¡±


    Su Qingjun replied, ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    ¡°And you still want to ept disciples?¡±


    Su Qingjun replied seriously, ¡°In all the generations of Kunlun Sect¡¯s ancestors, has anyone ever issued an edict that prohibits a twenty-two-year-old Golden Core cultivator from taking on disciples?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ there doesn¡¯t seem to be such a rule.¡± Master Mu Yuan scratched his head in frustration and said, ¡°But there hasn¡¯t been a genius like you before.¡±


    Su Qingjun snorted and said, ¡°Master, you shouldn¡¯t me me for my high talent.¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Master Mu Yuan quickly denied. However, his brows furrowed in distress again, ¡°But this¡­ it just feels a bit off, Qingjun.¡±


    It does seem strange. Generally, young people of Su Qingjun¡¯s age are still diligently cultivating at the Qi Refining or at most the Foundation Establishment stage. Even among all the talented young people in the world, those like her who focus solely on cultivation usually aim for higher realms such as the Nascent Soul or the legendary Divine Transformation. Who would have the distraction to take on disciples?


    Even if one were to ept disciples, wouldn¡¯t it be more appropriate to consider it at the age of fifty or sixty when their potential is mostly exhausted and their future prospects are nearly capped?


    Master Mu Yuan raised his concerns, hoping to steer his obedient disciple away from what he saw as a misguided path. However, on this particr day, Su Qingjun was unusually stubborn. She insisted on epting disciples and was unwilling topromise.


    For a prestigious sect like the Kunlun Sect, the tradition of passing teachings from master to disciple has continued unbroken for thousands of years. From the two founding ancestors, Kun Yuanzi and Tie Luo, the me of inheritance has been carried forward until today.


    Thus, epting disciples is a verymon practice in Kunlun Sect. Generally, most cultivators will take on disciples. Although some cultivators might choose to live out their lives without epting any disciples, such cases are extremely rare. The reason is quite simple: it¡¯s simr to family inheritance in the mortal world. Cultivators hope that someone will inherit their hard-earned achievements and continue their work in the Dao. At the moment of death, most people also wish to have someone to attend to them and see them through their final days.


    This is a deeply ingrained aspect of human nature across the vastnd of Zhongtu Shenzhou, whether one is a cultivator or an ordinary mortal. It¡¯s difficult to escape this concern.


    However, because of this, epting disciples carries significant weight, especially in prestigious sects like Kunlun. The inheritance of Dao not only pertains to an individual¡¯s lifetime but also to the rise and fall of the sect¡¯s strength.


    A mere servant disciple proiming that he is epting disciples today and tomorrow, only to find his disciples to be useless, would be of no use at all.


    Kunlun Sect certainly wouldn¡¯t allow such a situation. In fact, to ensure that most young disciples can focus on their cultivation, Kunlun Sect has an unspoken rule that only cultivators at the Golden Core stage and above can take on disciples.


    Generally, reaching the Golden Core stage is a pinnacle most cultivators can only dream of throughout their lives. Cultivators who achieve the Golden Core stage are often exceptional in terms of Dao, strength, experience, and talent. Hence, epting disciples at the Golden Core stage is a clear boundary set by Kunlun Sect.


    Of course, this boundary is somewhat fuzzy. Many cultivators remain stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage throughout their lives. After reaching the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage in theirter years, Kunlun Sect will make exceptions, allowing them to ept a few disciples.


    In short, in Kunlun Sect, Golden Core cultivators are eligible to take on disciples!


    And Su Qingjun is the youngest Golden Core cultivator in the long history of Kunlun Sect.


    However, her extraordinary talent and youth have led most people, including her master Mu Yuan, to instinctively overlook the fact that Su Qingjun has indeed attained the customary qualification to take on disciples.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    While the two were engaged in their argument, Mu Yuan was beginning to feel increasingly frustrated when a sudden loud explosion came from beyond the distant mountain peaks. Immediately, several beams of brilliant light shot into the sky, illuminating the heavens. Soon after, the light began to dance and transform into the shapes of dragons and tigers, zing and radiant, making it impossible to look directly at.


    Mu Yuan¡¯s face changed slightly. After observing the strange light in the sky for a moment, he told Su Qingjun that they would discuss this matterter and then soared into the sky, heading towards the source of the strange light.


    Su Qingjun was also stunned by the unusual brilliance. Although the Feiyan tform was quite far from the source, she could still feel an immense and unstoppable surge of spiritual energy, like an invisible vortex, rushing towards the ce where the light originated.


    This scene was exactly the kind of spectacle that cultivators dream of.


    Someone had broken through the Great Life-and-Death Barrier.


    Breaking through great illusions, achieving supreme power,prehending the mysteries of the world, and seeing through the true principles of Dao, one steps into the heavens and bes a supreme being.


    That is what it means to be a True Immortal!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    On this day, the events seemed toe one after another, each more significant than thest, overwhelming to the eye. Initially, there was amotion in Kunwu City with the Su family¡¯s public abduction of people, drawing arge crowd. Then, the scene changed abruptly when the genius Golden Core maiden of the Su family caused a stir in her own home, creating a sensation throughout the city. However, what followed made the earlier events seem insignificant.


    After eleven years, the proof of True Spiritual Light reappeared on Kunlun Mountain. The prestigious Kunlun Sect, with a history of five thousand years, had once again produced a Nascent Soul True Immortal.


    Aside from exceptional talent, bing a Nascent Soul True Immortal requires immense fortune and opportunity. The Nascent Soul is the ultimate achievement in cultivation for human cultivators. At this stage, personal talent is no longer the sole determinant; opportunities, luck, and the endless supply of spiritual materials are crucial in creating a powerful Nascent Soul True Immortal. The Great Life-and-Death Barrier, notorious for iming many talented individuals who fall just short of their peak, is the most famous and daunting chasm in the cultivation world.


    The significance of a Nascent Soul True Immortal cannot be overstated, even for a prestigious sect like Kunlun. While the Divine Transformation True Immortals represent the sect¡¯s face and strength in the True Immortal Alliance, they typically do not intervene unless the sect faces a life-and-death crisis. The Nascent Soul True Immortal, however, is the foundation of a major sect.


    When the True Spiritual Light soared into the sky, Kunlun Mountain was instantly thrown into turmoil. Even the surrounding areas outside Kunlun Mountain held their breath, with people in Kunwu City momentarily forgetting the earlier excitement and gazing towards the strange light connecting with the heavens in the deep mountains.


    The Kunlun Sect¡¯s sect leader, Xian Yue, quickly arrived from Tiankun Peak. Before he arrived, several other Nascent Soul True Immortals had already appeared in the air, watching over the three-zhang peak.


    Yes, the True Spiritual Light emanated from that cave.


    It was from Yi Xin¡¯s master, Dongfang Tao.


    After Xian Yue, other Nascent Soul True Immortals from Kunlun Sect arrived one after another. While sect camaraderie yed a part, anyone who achieved True Immortality would understand the hardships and dangers involved, making it a moment worthy of celebration.


    Moreover, the moment of achieving True Immortality was marked by dazzling and unique phenomena, reflecting the cultivator¡¯s aplishment and Dao achievement. Although not entirely precise, the spiritual light was hard to deceive and could at least provide some indication.


    Soon, the sky around the three-zhang peak was filled with figures, watching the cave and the spiritual light with silent concern. Many people were also arriving at the base of the mountain.


    Yi Xin was at the forefront, standing right outside Dongfang Tao¡¯s cave, her eyes full of surprise and anticipation as she stared at the phenomenon. Beside her, Yan Luo looked on with aplex expression, filled with mixed emotions as she gazed at the cave.


    Apart from them, many others from Kunlun Sect were drawn to the scene. Of course, those with low cultivation, like servant disciples, would not be among them. Those with inherently poor talent did not even qualify to witness the True Spiritual Light and should simply return to their tasks.


    In the sky above the three-zhang peak, the head of the Heavenly Soldiers Hall, Dugu Kong, stood calmly on the clouds. Beside him, He Yi looked on with a calm expression but a somewhatplex gaze at the extraordinary light.


    After a moment, Dugu Kong¡¯s voice came from the front, ¡°If you really want to ask him, be careful. Old Dongfang has a bad temper.¡±


    ¡°Yes, disciple understands,¡± He Yi replied.

 Chapter 174: Disciple of Record

    Chapter 174: Disciple of Record


    In the majestic Kunlun Mountains, with its rolling peaks, shadows persist even in broad daylight, and there are ces where sunlight does not reach.


    The Yi Tomb is such a ce, seemingly forever shrouded in darkness.


    When the dazzling spiritual light illuminated the mountains and the heavens, everyone was in awe. The light reached far and wide but did not fall upon the shadowed peak, unable to pierce through the darkness.


    The corpse-watcher stood silently in the dark courtyard, looking up at the light in the sky and the faint images of dragons and tigers. These images, powerful and untamed, symbolized the greatest forces in the world.


    After a long while, he turned and quietly walked back into the darkness, like a lingering ghost in the mortal realm.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The True Spiritual Light is a rare phenomenon in the cultivation world. Not only ordinary people but even many cultivators may never see it in their lifetime unless by sheer coincidence.


    In the thatched cottage on the Feiyan tform, although Lu Chen was gravely injured, Su Qingjun still helped him sit up, leaning against the windowsill to watch the extraordinary light in the sky.


    Su Qingjun sat beside him, supporting him. Despite their vastly different statuses and strengths, both seemed calm about the situation. However, Su Qingjun couldn¡¯t help feeling a surge of excitement when she saw the True Spiritual Light in the sky.Even for someone as recognized as a genius as she is, the Nascent Soul realm remains a distant goal with a long journey ahead. Not to mention the infamous Great Life-and-Death Barrier, which is known for stalling even the most talented cultivators, leaving no certainty of sess.


    As her excitement subsided, Su Qingjun was surprised to find that Lu Chen¡¯s demeanor remained unusually calm while watching the distant brilliance. For a servant disciple with such low cultivation, the scene before him might be unattainable, yet Lu Chen seemed oddly indifferent, as if he were an ordinary person unmoved by the spectacle.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Su Qingjun asked, concerned and puzzled.


    Lu Chen responded, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Su Qingjun pointed to the light in the sky and asked, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not very interested in the True Spiritual Light?¡±


    Lu Chen paused and then smiled, sighing, ¡°Miss, if you had as many injuries as I do right now, and the pain was unbearable, you¡¯d be too distracted to care about other things.¡±


    Su Qingjun realized this and sighed lightly, ¡°I overlooked that.¡± She then helped Lu Chen lie back down and whispered, ¡°You should rest well.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he suddenly asked, ¡°Were you serious about what you said outside earlier?¡±


    Su Qingjun asked, ¡°Which part?¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°About loudly dering to your master that you wanted to take me as your disciple.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you heard that?¡±


    Lu Chen closed his eyes for a moment and said, ¡°Your voice was quite loud.¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I was serious.¡±


    Lu Chen sighed, ¡°Can I refuse this?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Su Qingjun was surprised, clearly taken aback by Lu Chen¡¯s reaction.


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t answer immediately but looked at her calmly. After a moment, Su Qingjun frowned and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°Your master was unhappy earlier.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded and asked, ¡°Are you afraid of him?¡±


    Lu Chen responded, ¡°Your master is a Nascent Soul True Immortal, and I¡¯m just a servant disciple. Do you think I shouldn¡¯t be afraid of him?¡±


    Su Qingjun fell silent, and after a while, she softly said, ¡°I only wanted to take on a disciple¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in a different position,¡± Lu Chen interrupted her with a hint of helplessness. ¡°Your talent is extraordinary, and everyone has high expectations for you, especially your master. He will not allow anything that might dy your cultivation. Plus, I¡¯m older than you.¡±


    Su Qingjun was taken aback and asked, ¡°Do you care about that?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled wryly, ¡°You know I¡¯m thick-skinned and don¡¯t mind. But others do care. You¡¯re a twenty-two-year-old young woman taking on a man much older than you as a disciple, and he has poor talent. What will others think?¡±


    Su Qingjun snorted coldly, a trace of anger shing across her face, but she did not speak further.


    Lu Chen sighed and said, ¡°Others will only think that you¡¯ve been bewitched or that you¡¯re young and naive, confused and misled. While nobody will cause you trouble, if you really take me as your disciple, I fear that the entire Kunlun Mountain will look down on me. In that case, do you think I¡¯ll be able to live long?¡±


    Su Qingjun looked at Lu Chen deeply and said, ¡°Your reaction ispletely different from what I expected.¡±


    Lu Chen asked, ¡°Oh? What did you expect?¡±


    Su Qingjun replied, ¡°I thought when I told you about this, you¡¯d jump three feet high with joy, be ecstatic and incredulous, then fall to your knees and beg me to be your master while clutching my feet and shouting ¡®Master!''¡±


    Lu Chen struggled to lift his hand and scratch his head, smiling, ¡°It seems like that would have been the case.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was ready to kick you away,¡± Su Qingjun said calmly.


    Lu Chen¡¯s lips curved into a smile. Looking at Su Qingjun¡¯s beautiful face, he nodded slightly and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    In the end, Lu Chen did not be the disciple of Kunlun¡¯s youngest genius, Su Qingjun. This coveted title, which all young disciples would envy, slipped away from him.


    However, perhaps aspensation for the injuries Lu Chen had sustained and to better protect him from being targeted and framed by her family in the future, Su Qingjun insisted that Lu Chen be granted the status of an honorary disciple.


    The title of honorary disciple is significantly different from that of an official direct disciple. It is generally seen as a gesture of goodwill. For example, if a highly aplished cultivator owes a favor but it¡¯s not enough to justify formally taking on a disciple, this is a middle-ground solution and title.


    Typically, an honorary disciple does not receive the master¡¯s teachings or inheritance. It¡¯s more of a talking point to boast about, a pretext to save face in emergencies. Nevertheless, having this title means others cannot bully him freely. Otherwise, who knows if the master¡¯s mood will be good or bad? If they offend a great cultivator, it would be disastrous.


    Thus, this arrangement effectively serves as a protective charm from Su Qingjun, indirectly signaling to others that although this servant disciple is considered a failure, he is still an honorary disciple under Su Qingjun, and they should not mistreat him casually. Otherwise, Su Qingjun might be upset and take action.


    As for this oue, Real Person Mokugen had no objections. He had seen many honorary disciples and didn¡¯t consider them true disciples. As long as it didn¡¯t affect Su Qingjun¡¯s cultivation and reputation, he was toozy to meddle in the Su family¡¯s affairs.


    Nevertheless, with Su Qingjun¡¯s current standing on Kunlun Mountain, the sudden addition of an honorary disciple, even one from a servant background, was quite sensational.


    Ideally, this would have caused some trouble and gossip, but fortunately, the significant news of Dongfang Tao achieving the Nascent Soul realm quickly overshadowed all other matters, allowing both Su Qingjun and Lu Chen to breathe a sigh of relief.


    After the True Spiritual Light appeared, it signified that Dongfang Tao had truly broken through the Great Life-and-Death Barrier and achieved the Nascent Soul realm. However, he did not immediately emerge from his retreat but continued to remain in seclusion for more than half a month.


    Most people understood this. The Nascent Soul realm is exceptionally powerful, akin to a rebirth. After breaking through the Life-and-Death Barrier, the energy is unstable and the foundation fragile, which requires time to stabilize.


    For cultivators, especially high-level ones, the safest ce in the world is their own retreat.


    After half a month, Dongfang Tao emerged from his seclusion. At that time, most of Kunlun¡¯s Nascent Soul True Immortals and many Golden Core cultivators were present to offer congrattions. Even Tian True Lord, who was not on Kunlun Mountain, sent a congrattory message through someone.


    Among those who came to congratte, the leader was naturally the Sect Master Xian Yue. At that time, the Three-Zhang Peak was filled with True Immortals and Golden Core cultivators, showcasing a rare disy of high-level cultivators and revealing Kunlun¡¯s profound and unmatched strength to the world once again.


    After Dongfang Tao emerged from the cave, he looked radiant and full of spirit, with a look of triumph. Heughed three times towards the sky.


    Nearby, Yi Xin had already excitedly run over and hugged him with joy. Dongfang Taoughed heartily, nodded and smiled at Yan Luo who was beside him, and then walked briskly towards Xian Yue to express his gratitude, acknowledging that the sect had provided many spiritual materials and a stable cultivation environment.


    As Dongfang Tao approached, ready to pay his respects, he suddenly froze. In the midst of the crowd of Nascent Soul True Immortals, Xian Yue stood at the forefront, smiling and nodding at him. But standing beside Xian Yue was someone else.


    A girl who appeared to be just over ten years old stood beside Xian Yue, her expression as cold as the winter snow on the peaks, exuding a chilling aura.

 Chapter 175: The Cause of Revenge

    Chapter 175: The Cause of Revenge


    On the day Dongfang Tao achieved True Immortality and emerged from his retreat, most of the important figures in Kunlun Sect were present. Although the two highest-ranking Transformation Realm True Immortals did not attend in person, they sent congrattory messages through representatives.


    Among them, True Immortal Tian¡¯s message was conveyed by True Immortal Qian Deng of the Hundred Herbs Hall. Everyone in Kunlun Sect knew that True Immortal Qian Deng was closely associated with True Immortal Tian, so this was not surprising. However, True Immortal Bai Chen sent a young girl, Bai Lian, who was ten years younger than most, to deliver his congrattions.


    In the public eye, Bai Lian stood right next to Xian Yue True Immortal, positioned ahead of all the other True Immortals.


    This was obviously significant, but there was ample justification for this arrangement. Bai Lian held the Wind Whispering Disk, and with True Immortal Bai Chen using this treasure as a medium, it was as if he was directly congratting Dongfang Tao. This made it all the more noteworthy.


    From that day on, Kunlun Sect openly recognized that despite his old age, True Immortal Bai Chen had chosen the ten-year-old, legendary five-element genius girl Bai Lian as his most valued sessor.


    This also brought renewed attention to another powerful True Immortal in Kunlun, who had not taken any disciples for many years. What exactly was this bald True Immortal thinking?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°What do I know about what the bald guy is thinking?¡± Lu Chen took a swig of his drink andined to Lao Ma, ¡°What I do know is that he¡¯s the most unreliable person under the sun.¡±


    Lao Ma patted him on the shoulder andforted him, ¡°I understand you¡¯ve suffered and are feeling frustrated. Trust me, he¡¯s not feeling any better.¡±Lu Chen looked at him skeptically, ¡°How could the bald guy be feeling bad?¡±


    Lao Ma said solemnly, ¡°When he heard about this, especially how you endured the injuries and didn¡¯t take action for the greater good, True Immortal was furious and scolded the Su family. He told me to convey to you that he has remembered today¡¯s events. Once he achieves great sess, he¡¯ll deal with the Su family first and get revenge for you.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Lu Chen cursed, ¡°You¡¯re just talking big. What¡¯s the use of all this? If he¡¯s so capable, why doesn¡¯t he just go to the Su family now and crush them? Why waste so much breath?¡±


    Lao Ma looked embarrassed and forced a smile, ¡°Well¡­ you know, True Immortal¡¯s status is different from ours. He has more constraints and can¡¯t act on a whim¡­¡± He then straightened his expression and assured Lu Chen again, ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry. True Immortal has repeatedly said that this matter is not over. He has it in mind and will definitely find trouble with the Su family sooner orter.¡±


    Lu Chen rolled his eyes, clearly not believing Lao Ma. Lao Maughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this. True Immortal will act in his own time. By the way, are your injuries any better?¡±


    Lu Chen stretched his arm and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting better. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able toe down the mountain to drink with you.¡±


    Lao Ma nodded, ¡°You¡¯re recovering quickly. Though your cultivation has been greatly reduced, it seems you still have a solid foundation in recovery. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator might not match you.¡±


    Lu Chen paused for a moment and then nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve probably gotten a lot of elixirs from Su Qingjun recently, and they seem to be effective.¡±


    Lao Ma looked at him enviously, ¡°Look at your life, sofortable. Others are heroes saving beauties and working hard, but you just lie there and let the beauties rescue you, eating and living off them, and now even staying outside their cave. It¡¯s really unfair. I¡¯ve been a young, promising man for years, but no outstanding woman has ever looked at me. Are the flowers all on cow dung?¡±


    ¡°Flowers on cow dung?!¡± Lu Chen retorted, ¡°If youy there and let others cut you a few dozen times, see howfortable you¡¯d feel. Stop pretending. Still a young man? Wake up, you¡¯ve never slimmed down in decades. If it weren¡¯t for the bald guy being fatter than you, I¡¯d think you¡¯re a reincarnation of the pig deity. Even if there were flowers, they certainly wouldn¡¯t be on your head.¡±


    Lao Ma¡¯s face turned serious, and he pointed at Lu Chen, ¡°I heard that you insulted True Immortal as a pig deity¡¯s reincarnation!¡±


    ¡°I insulted him, so what?¡± Lu Chen red at him.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. You¡¯re the loudest, so you¡¯re impressive. I didn¡¯t hear anything,¡± Lao Ma said calmly.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation on the mountain?¡± Lao Ma poured him another drink and asked.


    ### Chapter 175: The Cause of Revenge


    Lu Chen took the cup and said, ¡°It¡¯s not too bad. Mainly, Dongfang Tao¡¯s sudden achievement of True Immortality has been very sensational and has attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Since I didn¡¯t actually be Su Qingjun¡¯s disciple, it¡¯s not too conspicuous.¡±


    Lao Ma snorted, ¡°This was truly an unwarranted disaster. Those three Su family¡¯s wastes really sickened me. Honestly, if you hadn¡¯t stopped me with your eyes that day, I might have lost my temper.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s not worth ruining our major ns over those things.¡±


    Lao Ma hesitated, lowering his voice to ask Lu Chen, ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you. Although you endured it that day, we didn¡¯t know those guys had such disgusting torture devices, making you suffer so much more. But if Su Qingjun hadn¡¯te, would you¡­ have really endured it to the end?¡±


    Lu Chen turned to look at Lao Ma, and after a moment, slowly shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then would you have turned hostile?¡± Lao Ma asked.


    ¡°When they started, I had already made up my mind. Once their actions threatened my life and endangered my very existence, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated. I couldn¡¯t just wait around to die, so I would have fought back.¡±


    ¡°Mm, I thought so.¡± Lao Ma nodded, but then looked at Lu Chen with a hint of lingering fear in his eyes. ¡°At the beginning, you¡­ suffered such severe injuries and were cut so many times by those wastes. I thought you¡¯d have snapped sooner.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled, ncing over his body. Underneath his clothes, his flesh was still marked with countless scars. He paused for a moment before sayingµ­µ­µØµÀ, ¡°After being burned by ck me for ten years, I seem to have gotten used to such pain.¡±


    Lao Ma didn¡¯t say anything more, just nodded silently.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°So, what are you nning to do next?¡± Lao Ma asked Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen stretchedzily and said, ¡°What else can I do? Continue with life and secretly look for spies. There are always things that need to be done. By the way, I need you to find out some information for me.¡±


    ¡°What information?¡±


    ¡°Details about the younger generation of the Su family¡ªtheir daily routines, whereabouts, and preferences. The more detailed, the better.¡±


    Lao Ma¡¯s eyes lit up, and he looked excited. He whispered, ¡°So, you can¡¯t hold back anymore?¡±


    Lu Chen sneered, ¡°I¡¯m no saint. After being treated like this, how can I just keep quiet? I need to get my revenge.¡±


    ¡°Well said!¡± Lao Ma pped his thigh, and his smile suddenly took on a fierce look as he gritted his teeth, ¡°That¡¯s right. In our line of work, it¡¯s all about being fiercer. Who¡¯s afraid of whom!¡±


    However, he hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°But since this matter has just passed for less than a month, won¡¯t taking revenge immediately draw attention and implicate you?¡±


    Lu Chen saidµ­µ­µØµÀ, ¡°I endured it that day, so I won¡¯t act recklessly just for revenge. But I can¡¯t just let it go. I need to find an opportunity to make them taste what true suffering is.¡±


    Lao Ma looked at him, frowning as if feeling a cold chill, but his expression quickly returned to normal. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I also find those guys unpleasant. Don¡¯t worry about the information; you¡¯ll get it the next time youe down the mountain. We¡¯ll take action and deal with them.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded and stood up, seemingly about to leave. Lao Ma suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°By the way, if you¡¯re determined to do this, what about Su Qingjun?¡±


    Lu Chen paused and then said, ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? She won¡¯t know it¡¯s me.¡±


    Lao Ma nodded, ¡°True, as long as we keep it discreet, there¡¯s no fear of being discovered. But¡­ uh, I¡¯m just asking out of curiosity. You said the Su family members are all despicable, and taking revenge on them is fine. But Su Qingjun, I¡¯ve heard, is quite a good person. She¡¯s been very kind to you, not only arguing with her family and causing amotion, but also giving you the title of a nominal disciple. Doesn¡¯t that count for something?¡±


    Lu Chen looked up and stared silently at Lao Ma. Lao Ma¡¯s voice grew softer, and after a while, Lu Chen asked, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Lao Ma said, ¡°I want to ask if you don¡¯t care about her feelings?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been injured and suffered. Why should I care about her feelings when seeking revenge?¡±


    ¡°But between you two, isn¡¯t there some¡­ at least mutual sympathy?¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s gaze lowered slightly, like a shadow swaying in the dark, expressionless as he looked towards the distant light. After a while, heµ­µ­µØµÀ, ¡°We shadow dwellers have no qualifications to talk about love and romance. You¡¯re overthinking it.¡±


    He turned to walk out, his voice carrying a hint of coldness, ¡°Help me gather information on those people. Once I handle it personally, I think you¡¯ll feel more at ease and won¡¯t doubt me anymore.¡±


    Lao Ma stood still, watching Lu Chen walk out alone. After a moment, a faint smile appeared on his face, though it was tinged with a touch of destion and loneliness.

 Chapter 176: The Old Dog A-Tu

    Chapter 176: The Old Dog A-Tu


    Dongfang Tao, having achieved the grand aplishment of Nascent Soul True Immortality, is now a prominent figure in the Kunlun Sect, a person of great interest to everyone in the sect. After all, it has been eleven years since thest Nascent Soul True Immortal emerged from Kunlun.


    With the ceremonies and formalities concluded, and his position and power within the sect reestablished, Dongfang Tao now has the qualification to practice on the four most precious peaks in the Kunlun Sect¡¯s core, known as the Celestial Abyss Peaks. Additionally, his own residence on the mountain will be preserved.


    After these matters were settled, Dongfang Tao formally held a ceremony to ept Yi Xin as his disciple, marking his first direct disciple in his lifetime.


    Once the news spread, it caused a stir throughout Kunlun Mountain, especially among the many families in Kunwu City, where the reaction was even greater.


    Although the news was already known to well-informed people, Dongfang Tao was once just an old Golden Core cultivator. Later, after being injured and retreating into seclusion for a long time, his influence waned and he was nearly forgotten. No one expected that this old man, after staying hidden for so long, would suddenly emerge as a Nascent Soul True Immortal, catching everyone off guard.


    Overnight, the status of the Yi family in Kunwu City soared. After all, Yi Xin is now Dongfang Tao¡¯s only disciple, and if nothing goes wrong, she will likely inherit Dongfang Tao¡¯s legacy. With a powerful Nascent Soul True Immortal backing her, she has be a formidable presence capable of intimidating many influential families in the city.


    After officially bing his disciple, Yi Xin¡¯s status in the Kunlun Sect skyrocketed. She quickly moved out of the Flowery Fragrance Courtyard and took residence on San Zhang Peak.


    When Dongfang Taoter went to cultivate on the Celestial Abyss Peaks, the peak residence on San Zhang Peak would essentially belong to Yi Xin.


    The subsequent days were filled with countless visits and congrattions from all directions. From sect members to major families in Kunwu City, from various shops to the numerous cultivation sects around Kunlun, everyone sent representatives to offer greetings and cultivate rtionships.Yi Xin truly opened her eyes wide, feeling as though the world of cultivation had suddenly opened a new, even broader door to her. However, amidst all this, the master and disciple on San Zhang Peak received a special visitor.


    When the young man handed over his visiting card with a calm and gentle smile, and patiently waited, Yi Xin felt a strange sensation in her heart.


    The name on the card read: He Yi.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Dongfang Tao was also a bit surprised when he received the visiting card from Yi Xin. Although he had been out of seclusion for a while, he was aware of the significant events involving Yi Xin.


    Naturally, Dongfang Tao was unhappy about his beloved disciple almost being humiliated and nearly disfigured. He was indeed very angry and upset. However, since He Gang, the main culprit, had been dealt with and expelled from the Kunlun Sect¡ªa severe punishment in the cultivation world¡ªDongfang Tao could not say much more.


    Though He Yi was He Gang¡¯s elder brother, he was not responsible for the incident. On the other hand, He Yi¡¯s status and identity were far beyond those of the ordinary disciple He Gang.


    He Yi was a highly valued prodigious disciple of the sect, already at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage at a young age, with a strong potential to be a Golden Core cultivator in the near future. Once he reached that stage, he would rival the current prominent figure, Su Qingjun, and be a true prodigy with the potential to glimpse the Nascent Soul stage or even be a True Immortal.


    Moreover, He Yi was not a solitary figure; he was backed by the powerful Nascent Soul True Immortal, Dugu Kong, and the Celestial Armament Hall, which had significant influence within the sect.


    Had Dongfang Tao still been a Golden Core cultivator with his quirky and irritable temperament, he might have lost his temper and sent He Yi away. However, after bing a Nascent Soul True Immortal, he seemed to have grown somewhat timid. Thus, he instructed Yi Xin to invite He Yi in for a meeting.


    The atmosphere during their meeting was somewhat awkward. There was no warm reunion or polite pleasantries; Dongfang Tao, indeed an entric old man, held back his anger but scrutinized He Yi with piercing eyes, which was not a good sign.


    Fortunately, He Yi seemed unaffected by this, maintaining a calm smile throughout. He answered Dongfang Tao¡¯s questions one by one and was always respectful and polite, even showing great courtesy towards Yi Xin.


    Such a demeanor made it hard not to have a favorable impression of him, and Yi Xin was no exception.


    During the meeting, He Yi spoke a lot, including some messages from his master, Dugu Kong. In essence, Dugu Kong would personally visit in a few days to guide Dongfang Tao to the Celestial Abyss Peaks and inform him of some special aspects of the peaks.


    This was clearly a gesture of goodwill and a significant favor that was hard to refuse.


    Dongfang Tao¡¯s demeanor softened as he looked at He Yi, even praising him a few times.


    Before leaving, He Yi took the opportunity, while Yi Xin was tidying up the tea set, to whisper a few words to Dongfang Tao. Dongfang Tao¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he pondered in silence, but his gaze towards He Yi became notably different.


    After He Yi left, Dongfang Tao pondered for a long time. When Yi Xin passed by, he called her and said, ¡°Xin¡¯er, do you still hold any lingering feelings about the incident with He Gang?¡±


    Yi Xin was taken aback, not expecting her master to bring it up again. She replied, ¡°That matter¡­ It¡¯s hard to say I¡¯ve forgotten. When I saw Senior Brother He just now, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit strange inside.¡±


    Dongfang Tao nodded and, after a moment of silence, said to Yi Xin, ¡°If they had deliberately harmed you, I would have stood up for you, so you needn¡¯t be afraid. But since that incident is already in the past, you needn¡¯t dwell on it or hold a grudge against He Yi.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand, Master,¡± Yi Xin replied, nodding. She then nced at Dongfang Tao and asked, ¡°Master, from your words, do you have some opinions about this Senior Brother He?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d best avoid provoking him,¡± Dongfang Tao said calmly.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°Are you saying I can stay here permanently?¡± Lu Chen asked, looking somewhat surprised.


    Su Qingjun smiled and said, ¡°Yes, the Flying Goose tform is quiterge, and I¡¯ve been looking for someone to help cultivate some precious herbs and materials. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve never found anyone both trustworthy and capable, who is also willing to work diligently. So, now that I¡¯ve finally found someone, I can¡¯t let you go easily.¡±


    Lu Chen clicked his tongue and then said, ¡°Is it really okay for me to stay on the Flying Goose tform? Will others talk behind my back?¡±


    Su Qingjun replied lightly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you my nominal disciple? Just consider it as me exploiting you for freebor.¡±


    This situation was indeed not umon in the Kunlun Sect. Some high-level cultivators would often ept nominal disciples without passing on profound techniques, providing only some spiritual materials or basic methods aspensation, and let them focus on cultivating important materials.


    Lu Chen had heard of such practices, but Su Qingjun was clearly joking. He chuckled and then extended two fingers, saying, ¡°If I¡¯m to move here, I have two conditions.¡±


    Su Qingjun was taken aback, looking somewhat annoyed, and said, ¡°Hey, do you know how many people in the entire Kunlun Sect are trying to get a spot here? Yet you¡¯re the only one making demands! How dare you ask for conditions!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have a point,¡± Lu Chen nodded repeatedly. ¡°So, are you going to hear my two conditions?¡±


    ¡°Humph! Speak them.¡±


    ¡°First, I don¡¯t want to live in this thatched hut anymore,¡± Lu Chen said.


    Su Qingjun paused for a moment, then became vignt, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get too greedy. You definitely can¡¯t move into my residence!¡±


    Lu Chenughed heartily and said, ¡°What a joke, do I look like that kind of person?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve misunderstood!¡± Lu Chen red at Su Qingjun and pointed towards the forest behind. ¡°I want to live in a wooden house. I¡¯ll chop down some wood and build a house myself¡ªbigger, sturdier, and not so easy to be knocked over or dismantled. Is that alright?¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly, and she mumbled, ¡°Petty and stingy!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing. You can build a wooden house. I can help you cut down a couple of big trees when I have time,¡± Su Qingjun said solemnly.


    Lu Chen nodded and said, ¡°Second, I want to keep a dog.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Su Qingjun was momentarily stunned, almost thinking she had heard wrong.


    Lu Chen whistled loudly, and soon, the sound of barking filled the air. A ck shadow ran out from the forest and approached Lu Chen, affectionately rubbing against him¡ªit was A-Tu.


    ¡°Ah, why does this dog have so many wounds?¡± Su Qingjun gasped when she saw A-Tu¡¯s appearance.


    Lu Chen sighed, looking sorrowful, and said to Su Qingjun, ¡°This is an old dog I¡¯ve kept for over ten years. It has been through thick and thin with me, covered in scars, and it¡¯s clearly nearing the end of its life. I really don¡¯t want to part with it. Could you please help me?¡±


    Su Qingjun, initially moved by A-Tu¡¯s appearance, was about to agree but suddenly felt something was off. She frowned and said, ¡°But¡­ this dog doesn¡¯t seem old. It looks quite spirited.¡±


    Lu Chen maintained hisposure and said, ¡°This is a rough dog that looks youthful.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t be fooled by its lively appearance. It might suddenly die in a few days.¡±


    Su Qingjun was momentarily stunned, then quickly waved her hand, saying, ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s just a dog. Let it stay. No need to curse it.¡±


    Lu Chenughed heartily and said, ¡°Thank you very much. A-Tu, quickly thank¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, both Lu Chen and Su Qingjun turned to see A-Tu, who had been circling Lu Chen, sneakily run over to the mountain wall. After sniffing around, it lifted its leg and urinated on a rock not far from the cave¡¯s stone door. Then, it trotted back happily, wagging its tail.


    Su Qingjun¡¯s expression darkened as she stared at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen looked embarrassed, gave a dryugh, and said, ¡°You see, even old dogs are like people¡ªthey urinate a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°How disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

 Chapter 177: The Grass Snakes Hidden Line

    Chapter 177: The Grass Snake''s Hidden Line


    No matter what, Lu Chen and the ck dog A-Tu had now settled temporarily on the Flying Goose tform. Compared to his previous hard work as a misceneous disciple in the Hundred Herbs Hall, this was certainly much morefortable, with the protection of a Golden Core cultivator making life easier.


    Since Lu Chen no longer had to work daily in the Flowing Fragrance Garden, life had be quite leisurely. He had more time to focus on his own tasks. After his injuries healed, he began cutting timber in the dense forest behind the Flying Goose tform to build the wooden house he had mentioned earlier.


    The wooden house was certainly morefortable than the thatched hut. The forest was vast, with countless trees, and Su Qingjun was not stingy about such things. However, she had never seen anyone chop wood and build a house by themselves, so she often watched Lu Chen work with curiosity.


    It took Lu Chen four or five days toplete the house. Although he was in good spirits, Su Qingjun shook her head, saying that while the wood was good, the house itself looked quite ugly.


    Having the title of a nominal disciple and residing on the Flying Goose tform, Lu Chen could not remain idle and carefree. It was not good to be idle, so he resumed his old job and began to clear and expand the spiritual field on the Flying Goose tform. Su Qingjun provided some spiritual herb and fruit seeds to nt in the field. From then on, Lu Chen officially became a ¡°hardborer¡± working thend under the Golden Core cultivator Su Qingjun.


    Such individuals were quitemon in the Kunlun Sect. Although fundamentally they were still misceneous disciples, having a backing meant that it sounded much better to say you were a disciple of a certain Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivator rather than just a misceneous disciple of Kunlun. Moreover, working for high-level cultivators often came with better rewards, so many people eagerly sought such positions.


    The reason so many people were eager to participate in the Eagle Fruit cultivationpetition in the Flowing Fragrance Garden was to have a chance to be noticed by Su Qingjun, aiming for a situation like Lu Chen¡¯s.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    With this treatment, Lu Chen had more leisure timepared to before. The spiritual herbs and fruits nted in the field were not as delicate as the Eagle Fruit trees he had dealt with before. As for Su Qingjun, she was rtively polite and did not truly exploit him, so life was still rtively rxed.Thus, Lu Chen now had time to wander around Kunlun Mountain. Recently, many people in the Kunlun Sect had seen Lu Chen walking around with the ck dog, A-Tu, leisurely, which elicited envy from many misceneous disciples.


    One day, Lu Chen took A-Tu down from the Flying Goose tform for a casual stroll, eventually arriving at the house near the Flowing Fragrance Garden where someone had died.


    He Zhengsheng had died in that house.


    It was daytime, and most of the residents in the area were low-level misceneous disciples who worked in the Flowing Fragrance Garden daily, so the surroundings were quiet with few people around. When the incident urred, Kunlun Sect had sealed off the area, but after a long investigation with no results, the guards had been withdrawn. The area now seemed as if it had returned to normal, except for the house, which remained unupied.


    The traces of He Zhengsheng¡¯s presence in this world were quickly and thoroughly fading away.


    A gentle breeze blew from the forest, and Lu Chen and A-Tu stood quietly in the distance, watching the house in silence, like two dark shadows.


    After a while, Lu Chen turned and walked away from the house, heading into the expansive forest on the other side. A-Tu followed him in.


    The daytime forest was somewhat dimmer than outside, but light filtering through the gaps in the leaves made the forest appear rtively bright, allowing him to see the surrounding trees. Lu Chen walked calmly through the forest, and as he went deeper, the surroundings quickly grew quiet.


    The bustling and noisy world of Kunlun Sect seemed to be isted outside the forest; here, only silence remained.


    After walking for a while, he arrived at the spot he had previously stared atte at night.


    In the pitch-ck night, the deep corner of the forest had beenpletely submerged in darkness, but now, during the day, Lu Chen could see that it was actually arge tree.


    A veryrge and dense tree, older than the surrounding trees.


    Its mottled bark was covered in moss, and some morning dew still lingered on its branches and leaves. The sturdy roots bulged from the ground, looking like giant ws firmly gripping the earth.


    Lu Chen stared at the tree for a while before walking over to it.


    The forest remained silent, with no wind or bird calls. The only sound seemed to be his footsteps crunching on the dry leaves on the ground.


    The trunk of the tree was very thick andrge, requiring at least two people to embrace it. It was big enough to hide a person seeking shelter. However, on this morning, when Lu Chen crossed over the tree¡¯s winding roots and reached the back of the tree, it was empty.


    A-Tu ran over and sniffed around the base of the tree. Finding nothing of particr interest, the dog wandered off to y.


    Lu Chen continued to observe the tree quietly, his eyes bright and focused. He carefully examined the tree from its roots to its trunk, seemingly searching for something.


    Yet, there were no unusual signs on the tree. There were no wounds, scratches, or hidden, twisted patterns. Everything seemed to be without result.


    Frowning slightly, Lu Chen pondered for a moment, then squatted down and began to search meticulously among the gnarled roots of the tree. He even used his hands to clear away the fallen leaves and ck soil, inspecting every hidden corner of the roots.


    In the end, he found nothing.


    The spy from the demon sect hiding in the darkness seemed to possess unusual patience and vignce. Had he not been affected by this?


    Lu Chen stood up, his expression solemn. After a moment of contemtion, he called out to A-Tu and then turned to leave.


    A beam of sunlight fell from the overhead branches, shining on him and the silent, ancient tree. The mottled marks on the tree seemed to have weathered countless years.


    As Lu Chen continued walking, he suddenly stopped on his fifth step. He furrowed his brows, as if he had remembered something. After a moment, his eyes brightened, and he abruptly turned around, staring intently at the front of the tree, where the ancient and weathered marks on the trunk were.


    Sunlight illuminated the tree, revealing cracks in the bark, possibly due to the passage of too much time.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Even during the day, the back of the nameless mountain¡¯s unmarked grave was still shrouded in darkness and shadows. The eerie chill here seemed to persist year-round, emanating a rare and sinister aura from this famous mountain.


    Few people usually came here. Most people, including cultivators, preferred a life of light. Even the stone wall caves used for cultivation were generally located in sunnier ces.


    However, today, a tall figure walked up to the dark door of the unmarked grave.


    Dongfang Tao, who had recently achieved the Nascent Soul stage, arrived at this grim and shadowy ce. There was no one around him, indicating he hade alone. As the ghostly wind blew from an unknown corner, his expression remained indifferent, with only a deep-seated disdain visible in his eyes.


    The ck door creaked open.


    In the dark courtyard, the shadowy rooms stood silently around. Some werepletely dark, while others flickered with dim candlelight, as if guiding lost souls on a dark path. asionally, when the wind blew, the flickering candle mes turned green, like the eyes of malevolent spirits, before gradually returning to their original state.


    A withered, shriveled figure, shrouded in darkness, stood alone in the center of the courtyard. The cold, eerie eyes emitted a chilling light as they fixed on Dongfang Tao.


    Dongfang Tao first nced around, his eyes lingering on the dark rooms and the flickering candles before finally settling on the figure of the corpse-watcher. He nodded and said, ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    The corpse-watcher smiled faintly and said, ¡°Yes, you always refuse toe here to see me. It has indeed been a long time.¡±


    Dongfang Tao¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he said lightly, ¡°This ghostly ce is filled with dark energy. No one likes toe here.¡±


    The corpse-watcher¡¯s eyes turned cold, and his voice rose slightly, ¡°But thanks to you, I¡¯ve been stuck here for thirty-four years!¡±


    Dongfang Tao frowned and said, ¡°Stop the nonsense. What¡¯s the urgent matter that you had someone send word for me toe here?¡± After a pause, he snorted and added, ¡°And if you need to send someone to pass on a message, don¡¯t use He Yi. I don¡¯t like him.¡±


    The corpse-watcher did not answer immediately but looked Dongfang Tao up and down before sneering, ¡°So you¡¯ve be a Nascent Soul now and think yourself quite important? Does that mean I can¡¯t even summon you in the future?¡±


    Dongfang Tao¡¯s face showed a hint of impatience. ¡°Just say what you need to say. Don¡¯t bring up old grievances. And let me repeat,¡± he stared at the corpse-watcher, his voice growing colder, ¡°Don¡¯t me me for your current situation. It¡¯s all your own doing, junior brother!¡±

 Chapter 178: A Trace of Clues

    Chapter 178: A Trace of Clues


    Lu Chen walked up to therge tree and examined it carefully. Then, he suddenly reached out and gently stroked the trunk. The rough bark felt rocky under his palm.


    The surroundings were still quiet, but Lu Chen¡¯s eyes grew brighter. His fingers moved more slowly, and after a while, when his fingers passed over a weathered crack, he suddenly stopped.


    The cracked bark appeared dark brown at his fingertips. Lu Chen raised his eyebrows, pressed down gently, and continued to explore. Gradually, a narrow fissure began to appear in the dark bark. As he continued, the fissure widened until a palm-sized piece of bark suddenly shifted and fell from the trunk.


    With a soft ¡°thud,¡± the piece of barknded on the ground.


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t examine it closely. Instead, he stared at the smooth wood revealed behind the bark. There, someone had carved a simple but twisted pattern with a sharp de.


    A thick line, a few thinner lines, varying in length and width¡ªat first nce, it seemed like random scribbles, but upon closer inspection, these twisted lines resembled a tree.


    A big tree!


    A smile gradually appeared on Lu Chen¡¯s lips. He stared intently at the extremely hidden pattern, as if trying to memorize it. After a while, he flipped his right hand, and a ck short sword appeared in his grip. With a sh of ck light, he sliced the carved wood down.


    He then turned around, called out to A-Tu, and quickly walked out of the forest without looking back.¡ª


    When Lu Chen returned to Feiyan Terrace, he saw a graceful figure standing ahead on the mountain path from a distance. At first, Lu Chen thought it was Su Qingjun, but he soon realized something was amiss. As he walked closer, he saw it was actually Yi Xin.


    The ck dog, A-Tu, let out a happy bark and ran forward, while Yi Xin smiled and squatted down to embrace A-Tu, giving him a good rub.


    A-Tu was also happily jumping around her. After a moment, Lu Chen approached and said with a smile, ¡°What brings you here today?¡±


    Yi Xin patted A-Tu¡¯s head, then stood up and smiled at Lu Chen, ¡°It¡¯s rare for me to have some free time. I haven¡¯t seen you and A-Tu for a while, so I thought I¡¯de visit.¡±


    Lu Chen asked, ¡°You seem busytely, though?¡±


    Yi Xin replied, ¡°Yes. Ever since my master came out of seclusion, people have beening one after another. As his only current disciple, I¡¯m constantly hosting guests, and it¡¯s quite exhausting. Moreover, those who can get close to my master are all important people, so I can¡¯t be careless. It¡¯s been really tiring.¡±


    Lu Chenughed heartily and said, ¡°Stopining. It¡¯s better than when you had no one to take care of, right?¡±


    Yi Xin chuckled.


    Lu Chen nced around. Feiyan Terrace was empty, and the cave residence on the distant mountain wall was closed tight. He then asked Yi Xin, ¡°Did you not see your sister Su here?¡±


    Yi Xin replied, ¡°No, I just arrived recently. Sister Su hasn¡¯te out, so I didn¡¯t dare to disturb her.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s fine. Why don¡¯t youe to my ce and have a seat?¡± He led Yi Xin to the wooden house he had recently built.


    Inside the wooden house, Yi Xin looked around curiously. Most of the house was made of wood, including the walls, table, chairs, and bed. It hadn¡¯t been painted or treated, so the house looked quite rough but emitted a natural fragrance of wood.


    Seeing Yi Xin¡¯s expression, Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Never seen a house like this before, huh?¡±


    Yi Xin nodded and said, ¡°Yes, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a ce. Did you build all this yourself, Brother Lu?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Yi Xin said sincerely.


    Lu Chen chuckled, pulled over a wooden chair for Yi Xin to sit on, and casually said, ¡°It¡¯s just some wood pieces put together haphazardly. Nothing to be amazed about.¡±


    Yi Xinughed, then suddenly seemed to think of something. Her expression became serious, and a glint of mischief shed in her eyes. She said to Lu Chen, ¡°Well, there¡¯s another matter I need to inform you about today.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re so formal. Is it something important?¡± Lu Chen asked curiously.


    Yi Xin cleared her throat and said, ¡°From now on, I can¡¯t call you Brother Lu anymore.¡±


    ¡°Ah, why not?¡± Lu Chen asked.


    ¡°Look,¡± Yi Xin said earnestly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve be a named disciple of Sister Su, you should call her ¡®Master,¡¯ right? So, wouldn¡¯t that make me your ¡®Senior Aunt¡¯?¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback, thenughed and scolded, ¡°So, you¡¯re taking advantage of me now?¡±


    Yi Xin huffed and said, ¡°Taking advantage? If you don¡¯t call Sister Su ¡®Master,¡¯ then I won¡¯t let you call me ¡®Senior Aunt.¡¯¡±


    Lu Chen waved his hand and said, ¡°What are you talking about? Su Qingjun is younger than me by several years; how could I call her ¡®Master¡¯? No way.¡±


    Yi Xinughed heartily and said, ¡°You can say that behind her back, but if Sister Su actually shows upter, let¡¯s see if you dare to deny it.¡±


    Lu Chen, with a serious expression, said, ¡°A man of integrity, if I say I won¡¯t call her that, then I won¡¯t. Your threats are useless.¡±


    Yi Xin covered her mouth and giggled, looking quite pleased.


    Seeing her expression, Lu Chen felt his mood lighten a bit as well. He smiled and said, ¡°You mentioned you¡¯ve been busy. Howe you¡¯re free today?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my master went out to meet an old friend today, so I finally have some free time.¡± Yi Xin stretchedzily, then without any hesitation,y down on the rough bed with a contented smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s much morefortable here. Brother Lu, you don¡¯t know how tired I am of smiling all day at San Zhang Peak¡¯s cave residence. Everyone, whether they know me or not, expects me to greet them with a smile. It¡¯s ten times more tiring than cultivation.¡±


    Lu Chenughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re not appreciating the blessings you have. But seeing so many people every day can indeed be exhausting. If you don¡¯t have anything else to do, feel free toe here to rx. When I¡¯m not around, chatting with your sister Su is also a good idea.¡±


    Yi Xin shrugged and said, ¡°Chatting with you is fine and doesn¡¯t bother you, but Sister Su is a widely admired genius and is always busy with her cultivation. I wouldn¡¯t dare to disturb her.¡±


    Lu Chen thought for a moment and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not quite like that. Your sister Su also likes having someone to chat with sometimes. It wouldn¡¯t hurt for you to get closer to her.¡±


    Yi Xin looked at Lu Chen in surprise and said, ¡°Oh, you seem to know quite a bit about Sister Su now.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Just average. By the way, with so many real masters and prominent figures on this mountain, who is your master going to visit?¡±


    Yi Xin said, ¡°My master didn¡¯t tell me. He just said goodbye and left. He usually tells me where he¡¯s going.¡±


    Noticing this unusual difference, Yi Xin looked a bit disheartened. Lu Chen found it somewhat amusing that her mood could shift so easily. He made some jokes to lighten the atmosphere, and soon Yi Xin was smiling again.


    After chatting for a while, and noticing it was gettingte, Yi Xin got up to leave. Lu Chen walked her to the edge of the mountain path and watched her walk away. But after a short while, Yi Xin suddenly turned back and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Brother Lu, there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±


    Seeing her serious expression, Lu Chen was somewhat surprised and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Yi Xin said, ¡°Before my master left, someone came to visit him¡­ It was Senior Brother He Yi.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s expression darkened slightly. ¡°He Yi, He Gang¡¯s older brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lu Chen understood why Yi Xin looked so unsettled. The incident with He Gang was like a nightmare for her, something she preferred not to recall. And since He Yi was He Gang¡¯s older brother, and He Gang had been expelled from Kunlun Mountain because of that incident, it was clear that there was a significant conflict between He Yi and Yi Xin.


    As the only disciple of Dong Fang Tao, it was evident that Dong Fang Tao and He Yi were not on good terms.


    The situation seemed strange.


    Lu Chen thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Did you hear what they talked about that day?¡±


    Yi Xin thought for a moment and said, ¡°I was mostly on the side listening. They spoke mostly about polite and formal things, nothing important. Later, when they were almost done, I went to clean up the tea set and left for a while. When I came back, they seemed to have talked a bit more, but I didn¡¯t hear those details.¡±


    Lu Chen frowned and fell silent.


    Yi Xin appeared worried and said softly, ¡°Brother Lu, what do you think¡­ Could they have discussed something that might influence my master? I hope Senior Brother He Yi didn¡¯t sway him in any way.¡±


    Lu Chen nced at the girl and sighed inwardly. Yi Xin¡¯s good fortunergely stemmed from Dong Fang Tao¡¯s appreciation, and Dong Fang Tao had unexpectedly broken through a significant life-and-death barrier to achieve Yuan Ying level.


    If Dong Fang Tao were to be influenced by He Yi and develop a negative view of Yi Xin, it would be disastrous for her. It was no wonder she was so anxious.


    After pondering for a moment, Lu Chen said, ¡°Yi Xin, don¡¯t worry too much. From my perspective, it probably won¡¯t be as bad as you think.¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°If you¡¯re still worried, I can try to find out more about He Yi¡¯s recent activities for you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Yi Xin nodded, and a faint smile appeared on her face. Although she knew that He Yi¡¯s skills were far superior to Lu Chen¡¯s, she instinctively trusted Lu Chen¡¯s offer to help.


    She thought to herself that he would certainly follow through with what he said.


    With this thought, Yi Xin¡¯s mood improved considerably.

 Chapter 179: Following the Trail

    Chapter 179: Following the Trail


    ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll be heading down the mountain,¡± Lu Chen said, leaning against arge tree and sitting on the edge of a field, speaking to Su Qingjun who stood not far away.


    It was already dusk. Su Qingjun had spent the day in her cave residence and had developed a habit ofing out to walk around in the evening. Lu Chen didn¡¯t know if she had this habit when she lived alone at Feiyan Terrace, but generally, dusk was the time they chatted casually. It had be a regr and rxed moment for them.


    It seemed that since the recentmotion at the Su family¡¯s home, which had scared the family, Feiyan Terrace had been unusually quiet. Often, several days would pass without anyone visiting. asionally, friends from Kunlun Sect who had some acquaintance with Su Qingjun woulde, but no one from the Su family appeared.


    Su Qingjun didn¡¯t react much, at least in Lu Chen¡¯s presence. She appeared calm, but no one knew what her true feelings were deep down.


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t press the issue. Since Su Qingjun had caused a ruckus at the Su family and returned to the mountain, they had quickly stopped mentioning it. But their rtionship had undoubtedly grown closer, and Su Qingjun even started to joke around with Lu Chen more casually.


    At this moment, Su Qingjun smiled and asked Lu Chen, ¡°What are you going down the mountain for? You seem pretty idletely. How about nting some more spiritual herbs in the field?¡±


    Lu Chenughed, ¡°I¡¯m just going to take a casual stroll. Also, I know of some small things that you might not have seen before. I¡¯ll bring some back for you to see.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Su Qingjun, initially just joking, became genuinely curious, ¡°What kind of things? They sound interesting.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled, ¡°You¡¯ll find out when I bring them back. I¡¯lle by tomorrow night.¡±¡°Okay, see you then.¡±


    ¡ª


    The next morning, Lu Chen set out to descend the mountain, taking A-Tu, the ck dog, with him. With his new status as a named disciple of a Golden Core cultivator, his status had changed, and he no longer felt as awkward as before.


    A-Tu, now able to apany Lu Chen openly, ignored the previous Kunlun Sect rules about not keeping dogs. After all, a dog belonging to a promising Golden Core disciple couldn¡¯t be an ordinary mutt!


    They walked into Kunwu City. Instead of immediately finding Lao Ma in a secluded alley, Lu Chen and A-Tu strolled around the city streets. Lu Chen bought a lot of meat and bones, packed them in a bag, and nned to feed A-Tu at Heiqiu Pavilion.


    A-Tu, drooling all the way, focused solely on the bag of food in Lu Chen¡¯s hand, ignoring everything else. After a bit more wandering and buying a few other things, Lu Chen took A-Tu back to Heiqiu Pavilion.


    Once inside, Lu Chen threw the meat and bones into the corner of the small courtyard. A-Tu immediately growled and rushed over, devouring the food greedily.


    Lao Ma, watching the scene with amusement, said, ¡°Looks like this fellow was really starving on the mountain. He¡¯s eating as if he¡¯s never had food before.¡±


    Lu Chen chuckled, ¡°He¡¯s livingfortably. Don¡¯t worry about him. If you want, I can leave him here for you to take care of.¡±


    Lao Ma immediately waved his hand, ¡°Forget it. I can¡¯t afford to take care of this distinguished dog.¡±


    The two sat across from each other. Lao Ma nced at Lu Chen and asked, ¡°You were just down the mountain not long ago. Whye again? There are still quite a few people from the Su family in the city. Aren¡¯t you worried about another incident?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°The Su family won¡¯t dare to make trouble again. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Lao Maughed, ¡°You sound confident. Seems like you¡¯re well-prepared.¡±


    Lu Chen snorted, ¡°The Su family has been entrenched in Kunwu City for years. They surely have a few sensible people. Given the current situation, anyone with a bit of insight knows that the Su family¡¯s biggest support is Su Qingjun. Not everyone is as foolish as those wastrels and that White Lady.¡±


    Lao Ma nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. If I were a Su family member, the most urgent thing would be to reconcile with Miss Su and avoid making any more mistakes.¡±


    Lu Chen looked a bit regretful and said, ¡°Yes, I originally hoped that more wastrels woulde out today so I could take the opportunity to cause some trouble and further sever the rtionship between Su Qingjun and her family. Unfortunately, there were indeed some clear-eyed people. It was a waste of time for me to walk around the city.¡±


    Lao Ma sneered, ¡°You¡¯re so devious. Trying to destroy the Su family from the root.¡±


    Lu Chen sneered and didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s another thing. If you have time, please keep an eye on He Yi¡¯s recent activities on the mountain and see if anything seems suspicious,¡± Lu Chen said to Lao Ma.


    ¡°He Yi?¡± Lao Ma frowned, his eyes suddenly taking on a peculiar look. He asked Lu Chen, ¡°Why are you suddenly interested in him?¡±


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t hide anything and recounted what Yi Xin had told him, concluding with, ¡°I find He Yi a bit strange. Last time, he was forced into seclusion, but after some time, he was suddenly released for no apparent reason and now seems to be moving around Kunlun Sect with a lot of connections.¡±


    Lao Ma¡¯s eyes flickered as he pondered silently. Lu Chen noticed his expression and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lao Ma gave him a meaningful look and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. He Yi is indeed strange.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember I told you someone was investigating the matter of cinnabar?¡±


    ¡°I remember. Have there been any developments?¡± Lu Chen asked.


    Lao Ma sneered and said, ¡°The person investigating is He Gang.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he straightened up a bit. After a moment of contemtion, he suddenly said, ¡°But you mentioned before that the person investigating showed Kunlun Sect¡¯s insignia to some major merchants?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s eyes gradually brightened, and he said softly, ¡°But He Gang was expelled from the Kunlun Sect, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Lao Ma said with a wry smile, ¡°In other words, he shouldn¡¯t have such insignia.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at Lao Ma and slowly said, ¡°But he had it, and showed it to others. The only one who could provide him with such insignia¡­¡±


    ¡°Is He Yi.¡±


    Lu Chen fell silent, his face reflecting deep contemtion as if he had realized something more. After a while, he said in a deep voice, ¡°In other words, the person behind the investigation into cinnabar is He Yi himself. He must have had He Gang do it because it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him to appear directly.¡±


    Lao Ma nodded, ¡°Yes, He Gang was very secretive about this, and it took me some effort to confirm it was him.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s eyes grew even sharper. He said in a low voice, ¡°Cinnabar usually doesn¡¯t matter, but recently it¡¯s rted to a case of massacre involving a demonic sect on Kunlun Mountain. With He Yi suddenly emerging and getting involved both overtly and covertly, the reason for his sudden release¡­¡±


    A cold smile appeared on Lu Chen¡¯s lips, and after a brief nce at Lao Ma, Lao Ma¡¯s face turned expressionless as he extended a finger and pointed at Lu Chen.


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s all directed at you.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that, during this time, someone on Kunlun Mountain has been secretly tracking me. It feels¡­¡± Lu Chen said, clicking his tongue.


    Lao Ma nced at him sideways and said, ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about that? You¡¯ve been living like this for years. You should be used to it by now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re right.¡± Lu Chen nodded and said, ¡°But now that I know the purpose of this person, I should investigate him thoroughly.¡±


    He looked at Lao Ma, who nodded in agreement, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    After these words, both men simultaneously sighed in relief, and a hint of excitement appeared on their faces. For those hidden in the shadows, discovering such a secret likely felt uniquely thrilling.


    ¡°Hey, you seem to be in good spiritstely,¡± Lao Ma said with a smile.


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m busy with revenge. With so many debts to collect, I need to stay energetic.¡±


    Lao Ma looked at him and said, ¡°No, I feel like you¡¯re different from before. When you were a shadow, you always seemed bitter and vengeful, like you were ready to kill anyone who crossed you. But now, you¡¯re different.¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Lao Ma scrutinized him and said, ¡°Lately, you seem much more cheerful than before. Have you changed your nature, or is there someone on Kunlun Mountain making you happier?¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment. A glimmer of light shed in his eyes, and then he suddenly burst into heartyughter. He said to Lao Ma, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense! As a shadow, I have countless disguises. How could you see through me? How do you know that what you saw before wasn¡¯t a fa?ade, and what you see now isn¡¯t the real me?¡±


    Lao Ma nodded and said, ¡°Hmm, you do have a point. Sometimes, I really can¡¯t see through you. But you should consider this: doesn¡¯t it get tiring living like this? It¡¯s just the two of us here, so you might as well rx. Otherwise, if you keep up the act, you might go mad on your own.¡±


    ¡°Go to hell. Even if you go mad, I won¡¯t!¡± Lu Chen retorted.


    Lao Maughed heartily, then walked over to tease the still-devouring A-Tu. Lu Chen watched his back, and his smile gradually faded. (To be continued.)

 Chapter 180: The Blood Eating Secret Method

    Chapter 180: The Blood Eating Secret Method


    Returning to the mountain with a belly that seemed to have grown a sizerger and having devoured almost all the meat and bones, Ah Tu the dog spent the entire journey back burping contentedly.


    On this sunny afternoon, Kunlun Mountain was serene and beautiful, with verdant forests and rolling hills. asionally, one could see a few waterfalls cascading down, giving those walking the mountain path a feeling of being in a fairnd.


    The spiritual mountain was like a ce where spiritual energy was omnipresent.


    There were few travelers on the mountain path, as this was inside the Kunlun Sect¡¯s gates. Most people here were Kunlun disciples of various ranks, mostly cultivators of Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stages, as the misceneous disciples had many tasks and could not afford to be so leisurely.


    Thus, Lu Chen stood out a bit. However, since there were few people and cultivators generally preferred not to meddle in others¡¯ business, no one paid much attention to him.


    As Lu Chen walked along, he suddenly saw someone approaching from the opposite direction on the mountain path. The people in front of Lu Chen, whether Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining disciples, almost all nodded and smiled in greeting when they saw the person. Among the voices carried by the wind, ¡°Senior Brother He Yi¡± could be clearly heard.


    Lu Chen stopped in his tracks, looked ahead, and as the figure approached, he could clearly see the resolute and handsome face of He Yi. After a moment, Lu Chen stood by the roadside and, as He Yi passed by, calmly greeted him, ¡°Senior Brother He.¡±


    As He Yi brushed past Lu Chen, his steps slowed slightly. He turned to nce at the inconspicuous disciple standing by the roadside, nodded to him, and then continued walking forward.


    A breeze blew from the forest, swirling a fallen leaf between them before it drifted away and fell to the ground, rolling off into the distance.The mountain path returned to its tranquility.


    Lu Chen stood there for a while. After the other Kunlun disciples had left, only the ck dog Ah Tu remained by his side.


    Lu Chen nced at Ah Tu and suddenly said, ¡°Since we¡¯ve encountered him and we¡¯re free, why not follow and see where he¡¯s going?¡±


    Ah Tu tilted its head, looking somewhat puzzled.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lu Chen turned around and walked in the opposite direction. Although He Yi had previously walked this path, he had already gone far ahead. However, Lu Chen did not hurry to catch up but walked leisurely.


    Ah Tu ran a few steps ahead, gently sniffing the ground as it trotted forward.


    Lu Chen followed Ah Tu, walking for a long time. As he observed the surrounding mountain terrain, his brows suddenly furrowed. The path grew increasingly deste, with no signs of lodgings or residences. As they went further, human footprints became rarer, and wild grass began to cover the path, emitting a sense of destion.


    After walking a while longer, guided by Ah Tu¡¯s keen nose, Lu Chen had ventured far down the remote mountain path. Then, he suddenly saw a nameless peak hidden beneath tall mountains, mostly shrouded in shadow.


    Though it was quite a distance away, a very strong, ominous aura emanated from the peak. Lu Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly as he looked ahead.


    In the distance, he could vaguely see He Yi¡¯s blurred silhouette entering the shaded side of the nameless peak. The darkness seemed to engulf He Yi¡¯s figure almost instantly, and nothing else was visible.


    Lu Chen nced around at the mountain terrain and then focused his gaze back on the nameless peak. After a moment, he muttered to himself, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find such a sinister ce on Kunlun Mountain. This shouldn¡¯t be¡­¡±


    His expression showed a mix of surprise and confusion, but he soon regained hisposure and prepared to move forward. However, before taking a step, he suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Ah Tu.


    The ck dog was sitting quietly behind him. As Lu Chen looked over, Ah Tu wagged its tail gently.


    Lu Chen pondered for a moment, walked over, squatted down, and patted Ah Tu¡¯s head, saying, ¡°There might be some dangerous things ahead, so you should stay here.¡±


    Ah Tu, not understanding fully, merely looked up at Lu Chen, lightly whimpering, and then licked Lu Chen¡¯s palm.


    Lu Chen smiled, the warmest he had been all day. He stroked Ah Tu¡¯s head and patted it gently, saying softly, ¡°y here for a while. Either wait for me here, or if it gets dark, go back to Feiyan Terrace to sleep, okay?¡±


    Ah Tu barked once and then walked toward the side of the mountain path, asionally looking back at Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen smiled at Ah Tu, waiting until the dog ran out of sight into the nearby forest before slowly turning around. He looked once more at the darkness behind the mountain peak, his expression returning to its previous solemnity. After a moment, he silently moved forward, reaching the edge of the darkness. There, like a drop of water merging with the sea, his figure silently disappeared into the depths of the ckness.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Ah Tu frolicked in the forest, breathing in the fresh air, bouncing around, asionally chasing birds, and digging in the dirt. It seemed so carefree that it almost forgot about its owner.


    Unknowingly, Ah Tu had wandered far into the forest, arriving at a small valley covered in white granite.


    As a dog, Ah Tu had always been mainly interested in food and showed little concern for stones, trees, or simr things. It had the same reaction to the white granite valley, slowly walking past the edge of the valley as if it was about to continue running forward.


    However, just then, a beautiful little girl¡¯s face suddenly appeared from thergest white rock in the valley. She looked at Ah Tu and smiled. Then, lying on thergest rock, she waved at Ah Tu and called out, ¡°Come here!¡±


    When Ah Tu turned its head, it saw a girl just over ten years old. Despite her young age, she carried an unusual air of authority.


    This beautiful girl, resembling a fallen fairy, was naturally Bai Lian.


    Ah Tu stood still, looking a bit surprised and somewhat wary. It seemed astonished to encounter Bai Lian in such a remote corner, but its wariness did not diminish.


    Bai Lian, however, did not appear to dislike the ck dog. Instead, she waved at Ah Tu again, smiling as she said, ¡°Silly dog, aren¡¯t youing?¡±


    Ah Tu hesitated for a moment before slowly walking over.


    As Ah Tu approached, Bai Lian¡¯s smile first turned to shock, then gradually faded, and her expression became somewhat somber. She noticed the various scars on Ah Tu and its missing eye and half-tail, all hinting at some terrible events that had befallen the dog.


    Ah Tu slowly reached the base of therge rock and looked up at Bai Lian.


    In an instant, Bai Lian floated down from the top of the rock,nding not far from Ah Tu.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Bai Lian asked, frowning as she looked at Ah Tu.


    Ah Tu barked in response, but it seemed no one could understand its meaning.


    This left Ah Tu looking somewhat dejected and disappointed.


    But Bai Lian¡¯s gaze shifted back to Ah Tu¡¯s dreadful wounds as she murmured, ¡°It seems your Celestial Wolf bloodline is quite impressive. Despite being so mistreated, you¡¯re still alive¡­¡±


    She slowly squatted in front of Ah Tu. Instinctively, Ah Tu took a step back, and throughout, its eyes remained filled with fear and suspicion.


    ¡°Hmm, wait a minute.¡± Bai Lian suddenly spoke, her gaze fixed on Ah Tu as if she had discovered something unusual. After pondering for a moment, she whispered, ¡°It seems¡­ there¡¯s a hint of Blood Eating aura¡­¡±


    She extended a hand and gently ced it on Ah Tu¡¯s head. Ah Tu¡¯s body tensed slightly but remained submissive, lying down in apliant manner.


    Bai Lian seemed satisfied with this and did not intend to make things difficult for Ah Tu. She remained deep in thought for a while before speaking to herself, ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s a second person on Kunlun Mountain who knows the Blood Eating Secret Method?¡±


    ¡°Who is that person?¡± She suddenly asked, lowering her head to stare into Ah Tu¡¯s eyes.


    Her voice sounded somewhat cold, and after a brief moment of silence, Ah Tu suddenly stood up.


    It looked at Bai Lian and let out a low growl from its throat, like a beast provoked into anger, slowly revealing its white fangs to Bai Lian.


    Seeing Ah Tu¡¯s reaction, Bai Lian suddenly smiled and said, ¡°A beast is still a beast. No matter how talented, it¡¯s still dumb, isn¡¯t it? I know who that person is.¡±


    She extended her hand and patted Ah Tu¡¯s head. Ah Tu turned its head to avoid her touch, but Bai Lian¡¯s palm still made contact with its head, pressing down gently.


    Bai Lian¡¯s brow rxed, and her fingers lightly moved. Gradually, a white mist began to emanate from between her fingers, carrying a dense chill that evaporated in the air like the coldest ice.


    The Wind and Snow Sutra.


    Kunlun Sect¡¯s Winter Peak, and the unique secret method of the Transformation Realm True Monarch Bai Chen.


    Ah Tu seemed to sense something and immediatelyy down, no longer daring to move.


    Bai Lian smiled and nodded, saying, ¡°It seems you¡¯re still smart. Is this also a trait of the Celestial Wolf bloodline? But I find it strange that the Blood Eating Secret Method hasn¡¯t driven you mad.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem right. Let me take a closer look.¡± (To be continued.)

 Chapter 181: Yearning for Freedom

    Chapter 181: Yearning for Freedom


    The back side of the nameless mountain peak was always shrouded in darkness, even during the day. As Lu Chen stepped into this shadowy realm, he felt the temperature drop sharply. A chilling wind blew from ahead, as if the hands of sinister spirits were caressing his flesh.


    Lu Chen was not greatly surprised by this; it was just one of themon phenomena found in gloomy ces. It might be frightening to ordinary mortals and possibly troublesome to average cultivators due to its rarity, but for him, it was a familiar sight.


    He seemed naturally adept at blending into the darkness, moving through the shadows as if he were a fish in water, silently advancing without leaving any trace.


    Soon, Lu Chen saw the ck residence.


    The ck gate was open, and he could vaguely see He Yi standing in the courtyard. Lu Chen, hidden in the darkness, observed for a while and then nced at the que above the gate that read ¡°Yi Tomb.¡±


    He frowned slightly.


    He could roughly guess the meaning of these characters, though he had not expected such a thing, which seemed more fitting for the secr world, to exist within Kunlun Sect. Scanning the surroundings, filled with ghostly chill and swirling darkness, Lu Chen quickly determined that the core of this shadowy ce was likely in that courtyard.


    A tomb of righteousness, as the name suggests, was a ce for the deceased, a location that ordinary people would avoid. Even for someone like Lu Chen, who frequently moved through darkness, it would be rare to enter such a ce.


    No one liked this ce, or rather, no living being would enjoy such a ghostly environment. Thus, darknds have historically been regarded as a kind of desperate territory.So the remaining question was: What was He Yi doing here?


    If there were no unexpected circumstances, Lu Chen already had a probable answer in mind. He stood silently in the dark corner, contemting whether He Changsheng¡¯s corpse was ced here after death.


    As he pondered, a chilling aura suddenly drifted out of the courtyard. It was like a hidden venomous snake suddenly flicking its tongue or an awakened evil spirit opening its eyes. A gaunt figure emerged from the darkness, silently appearing behind He Yi, standing before the ck gate.


    The cold wind grew fierce.


    The icy gaze swept through the darkness.


    It nced towards the shadowy corner.


    The cold wind swept in, lifting a few withered leaves, as if a storm was raging in the darkness. But after a moment, only a few dead leaves danced in the air and slowly fell to the ground.


    The shadowy corner was empty, as if nothing had ever existed there besides darkness.


    The figure of the corpse-watcher, with a cold and indifferent gaze, seemed to show a hint of subtle surprise when faced with the empty, deste darkness.


    At this moment, another figure approached and stood not far behind him¡ªit was He Yi.


    He Yi also looked outside but saw nothing, so he frowned and asked the corpse-watcher, ¡°Senior, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The corpse-watcher did not answer immediately. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, ¡°Did youe alone to see me?¡±


    He Yi nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The corpse-watcher merely responded with an ¡°Mm¡± and did not say anything further. He turned and walked back into the dark courtyard. The ck gate closed slowly behind him as if moving on its own, sealing away all the darkness and secrets once more.


    The darkness outside the residence was as quiet as the deep sea. After an unknown amount of time, from a ce not far from the earlier corner, a subtle tremor began to ur on the ground. Gradually, a shadow re-emerged from the darkness.


    It was Lu Chen.


    His face now looked somewhat stern, and as he looked towards the courtyard again, his gaze waspletely different from before.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Ah Tuy on the ground, looking at Bai Lian with a mixture of caution. The girl, with a celestial beauty, now had a faint smile. Her white, crystalline fingers gently brushed through Ah Tu¡¯s ck fur.


    White, crystalline fragments like delicate snowkes floated and dispersed from her fingertips, contrasting sharply with Ah Tu¡¯s glossy ck fur.


    In the pale, icy glow, faint wisps of breath lightly touched Ah Tu¡¯s skin, some bouncing back, while others seeped in.


    Gradually, Bai Lian¡¯s smile faded, reced by a look of confusion, as if she had discovered something extremely strange and unexpected.


    After a while, Bai Lian stopped her gentle brushing. The snowke-like fragments of white powder also vanished.


    Ah Tu lifted its head and nced at her. Seeing that Bai Lian didn¡¯t seem to show any signs of difort, it slowly moved forward and cautiously got up.


    Bai Lian observed Ah Tu¡¯s movements but did not seem inclined to stop it. Her bright and clear eyes reflected the image of the ck dog, but her gaze seemed to look further beyond.


    ¡°This is not the Blood Feast Technique¡­¡± Bai Lian murmured, looking at Ah Tu as if she had seen something unbelievable. ¡°But there are indeed traces of the Blood Feast within this dog. What exactly is going on?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that there is another technique, rted to the Blood Feast but even more powerful, existing in this world?¡±


    ¡°If that is true, then the lives of hundreds of thousands lost by the southern barbarians over the millennia would indeed be a colossal joke.¡±


    Bai Lian suddenly stood up. For some reason, a slight flush of excitement appeared on her beautiful face as she stared at Ah Tu.


    Ah Tu, feeling inexplicably fearful, took a step back.


    ¡°Lu Chen¡­¡± Bai Lian said with a soft, somewhat elusiveugh. ¡°How interesting, how interesting. Lu Chen, who exactly are you?¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lu Chen returned to Feiyan Terrace before dusk. Ah Tu had dyed a bit, as Lu Chen had to whistle for a while before Ah Tu came running back from the mountains.


    On the way back, Ah Tu seemed somewhat subdued, but aside from that, there was nothing unusual¡ªno injuries or pain. Lu Chen was still preupied with the strange figure in the dark Yi Tomb, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to Ah Tu.


    However, as they walked up the mountain path to Feiyan Terrace, both Lu Chen and Ah Tu seemed to have adjusted their moods during the journey. Ah Tu began to run around happily, and Lu Chen, from a distance, saw a figure leisurely strolling on Feiyan Terrace in the approaching twilight.


    For some reason, seeing that calm figure made Lu Chen feel much better. He smiled and waved to Su Qingjun from afar, calling out to her.


    Su Qingjun heard his voice, looked back, and also showed a smile.


    As dusk fell, the golden sunlight spread across the vast white sea of clouds, turning the clouds in sight into a beautiful golden hue. The ck dog happily frolicked on Feiyan Terrace, and the shadows of the two figures on the t ground by the cliff were long.


    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Su Qingjun said to Lu Chen. ¡°You were really gone the whole day.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Yes. The journey there and back wasn¡¯t short, and I also spent some time running around the city buying things. It took a bit longer, but I made it back just in time.¡±


    Su Qingjun nced at the bag in his hand with curiosity and asked, ¡°What is it? You¡¯re being all mysterious.¡±


    Lu Chen chuckled, motioned for Su Qingjun to sit by some rocks, and then pulled out a paper-wrapped item from the bag, handing it to her.


    Su Qingjun took it, feeling a slight warmth in her hand. She looked at Lu Chen, who smiled but did not speak, only gesturing for her to open the paper.


    Su Qingjun peeled away the wrapping, revealing small, ck, round balls emitting a peculiar meaty aroma.


    Her face showed surprise as she looked at Lu Chen and asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Grilled loach,¡± Lu Chen replied with a smile. ¡°Try it; it tastes really good.¡±


    Su Qingjun hesitated and frowned slightly, ¡°This¡­ can it really be eaten?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lu Chen said. ¡°Even though it looks ck, it¡¯s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with very delicious meat. When I was a kid, I used to crave this, but I didn¡¯t have money to buy it. I would drool just looking at it.¡±


    Su Qingjun was doubtful and remarked, ¡°Loach is a coarse creature, born in filthy water streams with no spiritual energy. Eating it has no benefit for cultivation. Why should we eat it?¡±


    ¡°Just for the taste,¡± Lu Chen shrugged, looking at Su Qingjun with a gentle and slightly amused expression. ¡°Not everything needs to be useful for cultivation. Isn¡¯t it good enough to just enjoy what you like?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Su Qingjun seemed a bit puzzled but also oddly moved.


    ¡°Want to try? It¡¯s a treat that only ordinary people and the poor can enjoy,¡± Lu Chen said with a strange glint in his eyes before smiling, ¡°Eat what you want and live how you want. Isn¡¯t that the best way?¡±


    Su Qingjun smiled, looked at him, and suddenly asked, ¡°So what kind of life do you want to live?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I want to live freely without being controlled by others. I really do!¡± Lu Chenughed heartily.

 Chapter 182: The Fat Sparrow

    Chapter 182: The Fat Sparrow


    That day, out of curiosity, Su Qingjun decided to try the grilled loach. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t find it to be as delicious as Lu Chen had described. After a few bites with a slight frown, she put down the unappealing-looking dish, which seemed tock the tantalizing vor he mentioned.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to suit my taste. I don¡¯t find it particrly delicious,¡± Su Qingjun said apologetically to Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen smiled, took another piece of grilled loach, and after a few bites, he spat it out on the ground. ¡°Hmm, it seems you¡¯re right. It really isn¡¯t that good.¡±


    Su Qingjunughed, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you brought it all the way from Kunwu City up to the mountain. It¡¯s traveled a long distance, cooled down, and isn¡¯t very fresh anymore. Perhaps it would taste better if we had it fresh and hot.¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I remember eating this asionally as a child; even if it was from the night before, I¡¯d still drool over it. The grilled loach hasn¡¯t changed; I have.¡±


    For a moment, there was a silence on the cliff edge of Feiyan Terrace. Neither of them spoke, and from afar, the sound of Ah Tu¡¯s barking could be heard, as if it had caught something in the woods and was making a fuss.


    After a while, Su Qingjun smiled and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Actually, isn¡¯t this a good thing? You¡¯ve improved; it¡¯s not like you want to go back to the hard times of your childhood, right?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s an improvement.¡±


    He packed up the snacks and smiled at Su Qingjun, ¡°I thought I could introduce you to something new and maybe even amuse you, but I ended up messing it up. How embarrassing.¡±Su Qingjun quickly said, ¡°No, no, actually¡­ I¡¯m quite happy because I¡¯ve never tried or even seen these things before.¡± She seemed to be lost in thought as she spoke.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Late at night, Feiyan Terrace was silent.


    Su Qingjun had long since returned to her cave dwelling. At this moment, the stone wall was illuminated by moonlight, reflecting a cold, clear glow. Lu Chen¡¯s wooden hut was on the other side of Feiyan Terrace, closer to the edge of the cliff and the forest. The moonlight poured into the open window, bathing the room in a soft glow.


    In the deep of night, Lu Chen was still awake.


    Ah Tuy at his feet, curled up and fast asleep. Since that severe injury, whenever Ah Tu slept and Lu Chen was nearby, it would always snuggle close to him.


    Lu Chen had tried several times to move it off the bed, but Ah Tu stubbornly returned each time. Eventually, Lu Chen gave up and let it be.


    The night was cold, and the moonlight was clear. Lu Cheny with his hands behind his head, his bright eyes staring at the moonlit night outside the window.


    It seemed that he was always like this¡ªif he didn¡¯t sleep, he was unusually alert in the dark of night.


    The bright moon hung high in the sky, reflected deep in his pupils like the moon¡¯s shadow floating in a dark sea, faintly changing with a mysterious light. Lu Chen looked at the moon, noting that it was no longer a perfect full moon but slightly thinner.


    He mentally calcted the time and then murmured to himself, ¡°Twenty-four days left.¡±


    In twenty-four days, the next full moon would arrive.


    On that day, in the mysterious forest, he had found a hidden symbol beneath the bark, marked with a secret code understood by very few in this world.


    A meeting under the full moon.


    That was the simplest meaning.


    It was an invitation from the depths of darkness. Lu Chen had understood and received it, unsure of what it might bring¡ªgood or ill, fortune or disaster. All he could do was wait, and he hadn¡¯t even told Lao Ma about it.


    What would happen on the next full moon night?


    He silently watched the moon, and after a while, suddenly got up and closed the window.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    On this day, He Yi descended the mountain and went directly to Kunwu City, where he found He Gang¡¯s residence.


    The two brothers talked for a while, and He Gang recounted his recent efforts to track down Zhu Sha, ending with a hint of embarrassment, ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m really useless. I¡¯ve spent so much time and effort, but I still haven¡¯t found anyone suspicious.¡±


    He Yi didn¡¯t seem angry. He shook his head, saying, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry too much about it; this is normal. The Three Realms Demon Sect has been at odds with our righteous sects for years, having been hunted and besieged countless times. If they didn¡¯t have some underhanded tricks, they would¡¯ve been wiped out by our righteous predecessors long ago. It¡¯s not your fault if you can¡¯t find them.¡±


    He Gang nced at him cautiously and asked, ¡°Big brother, does that mean you have found something elsewhere? I¡¯m just worried that if we take too long, your master and the sect leader might be impatient.¡±


    He Yi said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve already discussed this with our masters. Anyone capable of orchestrating such a major event must hold a high position within the demon sect and possess considerable cultivation skills. Therefore, it¡¯s only natural that they¡¯re well hidden, and finding them in a short time is extremely difficult. Both of them understand this and are subtly trying to lure the culprit out again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to catch that scoundrel!¡± He Gang said vehemently.


    He Yi smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Kunlun Sect has thousands of years of heritage; we won¡¯t let these viins have their way. Sooner orter, we¡¯ll catch them. When that timees, I¡¯ll plead with our masters on your behalf. With this merit, they might let you rejoin the Kunlun Sect.¡±


    He Gang¡¯s body shook with joy, and he stood up abruptly, eximing, ¡°Really? Big brother, is that true?¡±


    He Yi sighed, ¡°You¡¯re my only brother; why would I lie to you?¡±


    He Gang was overjoyed, nodding vigorously, seemingly at a loss for words. It was evident how much the Kunlun Sect meant to him.


    Since childhood, He Gang had followed his brother into the Kunlun Sect. Kunlun Mountain was his home, with no other ce holding as much significance. That was why, after the ident, when he was expelled from the sect, He Gang had been devastated and nearly sumbed to despair.


    Fortunately, he had his beloved elder brother, He Yi, in this world.


    He Yi then chatted with He Gang a bit longer, advising him to be careful in Kunwu City and to avoid causing trouble, at least until the matter was resolved.


    He Gang agreed readily, recounting his experiences in Kunwu City, focusing particrly on the upheaval in the Su family. He spoke disparagingly of Su Qingjun, implying she was not a suitable match due to her fickle nature. As for Lu Chen, whom he considered an insignificant servant disciple, He Gang didn¡¯t even bother mentioning his name, not wanting to sully his brother¡¯s ears.


    After hearing this, He Yi shook his head, ¡°Although I¡¯m not very familiar with Su Qingjun, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s that kind of person.¡±


    He Gang quickly replied, ¡°But big brother, I saw it with my own eyes¡­¡±


    He Yi interrupted, shaking his head, ¡°You didn¡¯t see anything; it was just Su Qingjun visiting her family. I understand the situation now. But for us, Su Qingjun is just a passerby; we don¡¯t need to ingratiate ourselves with the Su family, but we also shouldn¡¯t provoke them. Understand?¡±


    He Gang was silent for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    He Yi looked at his brother and softened his tone, ¡°Xiaogang, I know you¡¯re always thinking of my well-being, but you don¡¯t need to worry so much. You and I are the closest people to each other in this world. To be honest, you¡¯re the only person I truly trust with my life. I¡¯ll handle everything else; just focus on taking care of yourself, okay?¡±


    He Gang nodded, ¡°Yes, I understand, big brother. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He Yi smiled and patted He Gang¡¯s shoulder, ¡°When you return to Kunlun, we brothers will aplish great things together. The future is long, and who knows? We might even lead Kunlun someday, right?¡±


    He Gangughed and nodded repeatedly, his eyes showing a mix of excitement and anticipation for the future.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    He Yi left quietly. To avoid attracting attention, he even changed into different clothes, covering his face, and left in the opposite direction from He Gang¡¯s house.


    After he walked away, a seemingly simple and honest-looking cart puller emerged from a corner of the long street behind him. The man¡¯s eyes, empty and somewhat lost, nced in the direction He Yi had gone, then turned and walked in another direction.


    About the time it takes to drink a cup of teater, the man returned to the same spot with another person. He first pointed to He Gang¡¯s house, then to the street where He Yi had left, speaking a few words in a low voice.


    The person standing beside him was a fat man.


    Lao Ma.


    Lao Ma looked at the bustling street, waved his hand lightly, and the unremarkable cart puller disappeared into the crowd, like a drop of water in the sea.


    Lao Ma pursed his lips, turning his gaze toward the house, his expression seemingly calm yet faintly cold. After a moment, he smiled, but it was a cold smile. (To be continued.)

 Chapter 183: The Doubt of Bai Lian

    Chapter 183: The Doubt of Bai Lian


    Time flies, the stars shift, the moon sets, and the sun rises. Days passed quietly, and now there were twenty-one days left until the next full moon.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    One morning, Lu Chen opened his door and stepped out of his wooden hut, only to see apletely unexpected figure standing outside. He was taken aback and eximed, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Bai Lian was standing on the t ground of Feiyan tform, gazing at the beautiful scenery around her. She said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be such a view on Feiyan tform. It¡¯s truly enviable. I wonder when I can have a ce like this.¡±


    Lu Chen snorted, stretched, and said, ¡°Stop pretending. The ce where you are now, on the miraculous peaks between the sky and clouds, is the true paradise, a celestial secret realm. Only those at the Nascent Soul stage in the entire Kunlun Sect are qualified to set foot there. A mere Feiyan tform wouldn¡¯t catch your eye.¡±


    Bai Lian smiled slightly and then noticed a ck dog¡¯s head peeking out cautiously from behind Lu Chen, looking at her. Bai Lian suddenlyughed, as if delighted, and waved at Ah Tu, saying, ¡°Ah Tu,e here.¡±


    Ah Tu looked at Bai Lian, then shrank back without a sound, tucking its tail and retreating into the house without any hesitation.


    Bai Lian paused, looking slightly awkward. After a moment, she slowly put down her hand andughed dryly, saying to Lu Chen, ¡°It seems this ck dog doesn¡¯t like me much.¡±


    Lu Chenughed too and said, ¡°Ah Tu may be dumb, but sometimes it has moments of brilliance.¡±Bai Lian stared at him and asked, ¡°Are you mocking me?¡±


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t respond directly, just shrugged and said, ¡°Miss Bai, considering your current status, it¡¯s probably not appropriate for you toe to Feiyan tform so rashly, is it?¡±


    Bai Lian replied calmly, ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate about it? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any problem. Besides, although this ce is designated as Su Qingjun¡¯s residence, as long as I don¡¯t enter her abode, there¡¯s no restriction against me walking around Feiyan tform, right?¡±


    Of course, there was no such restriction. While Feiyan tform offered a nice view, it wasn¡¯t considered a crucial or restricted area. It was just that most people in the sect respected Su Qingjun and naturally refrained froming here, effectively making it her private area.


    Lu Chen wasn¡¯t going to argue with Bai Lian about this, so he just waved his hand and said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t waste my time. Since you¡¯re here, you must be looking for Su Qingjun, right? I¡¯ll call her for you.¡±


    As he turned around, a faint smile crossed his face, thinking that since it was still early, Su Qingjun would probably be in a bad mood if woken up, and there might be an interesting scene to watch.


    However, Bai Lian called out to stop him, ¡°No need. I¡¯m not here to see her; I¡¯m here to see you.¡±


    Lu Chen stopped, sighed lightly, then turned around and looked at Bai Lian.


    Bai Lian¡¯s expression was yful, with a hint of cunning in her eyes.


    Lu Chen shook his head, walked over, and lowered his voice, smiling wryly, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree before to keep to ourselves? With your noble status as the disciple of a True Monarch and possessing the rare Five Pirs constitution, the entire Kunlun Sect is treating you like a precious jewel. Suddenlying to see a useless servant disciple like me, what am I supposed to do? If people get wind of this, I might have countless people investigating me tomorrow.¡±


    Bai Lian chuckled, ¡°What, are you afraid of being investigated?¡±


    Lu Chen retorted, ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    Bai Lian fell silent.


    After a while, Lu Chen asked, ¡°So, what is it you want to ask me about?¡±


    Bai Lian stared into his eyes and asked, ¡°Do you know the ¡®Blood Food Technique¡¯ passed down among the shamans of the southern tribes?¡±


    Lu Chen was momentarily stunned, then his brows rxed. It seemed he had quickly figured out many things, including why Bai Lian had suddenlye. However, he shook his head and firmly replied, ¡°No.¡±


    Bai Lian pointed towards the wooden hut, ¡°But I sensed traces of the Blood Food Technique from that dog.¡±


    Without hesitation, Lu Chen replied, ¡°You¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    Bai Lian stared at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled slightly, ¡°I find you increasingly interesting. It seems you have more secrets hidden than I do.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s eyes flickered, and he smiled, ¡°Well then¡­ how about we make a deal?¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Bai Lian¡¯s face, which should have looked pure and innocent, now resembled the most cunning fox in the world.


    Lu Chen said, ¡°A secret for a secret. You tell me a secret, and I¡¯ll tell you one. This way, we can both feel at ease. How about it?¡±


    Bai Lian thought for a moment and replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a good deal. You look honest and straightforward, but you¡¯re actually full of tricks. I don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    Lu Chen scoffed, ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not that familiar, so don¡¯t pin anybels on me.¡±


    Bai Lian smiled and said, ¡°Others might not see it, but I know. You tricked that little girl Yi Xin before, and now you¡¯re nning to deceive Su Qingjun, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Lu Chenughed, ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at making baseless usations. Could it be that True Monarch Bai Chen taught you these cunning techniques?¡±


    Bai Lian pointed at Lu Chen¡¯s chest and smiled, ¡°You know in your heart that what I¡¯m saying is true. Otherwise, do you dare to swear that you¡¯ve never lied to either of those women?¡±


    After a pause, she continued, ¡°You¡¯re too cunning. Doing business with you feels too risky. I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Lu Chenughed heartily, but his eyes showed a trace of coldness.


    Bai Lian left after chatting with Lu Chen for a while, just as she said she would. She showed no interest in Su Qingjun. However, even after she left, the seemingly young girl left Lu Chen frowning in thought for a long time.


    To be honest, Lu Chen had met many people in Kunlun, but the one who gave him the most pressure wasn¡¯t the powerful True Immortals; it was this young girl lurking in the shadows. She seemed to carry countless secrets, hidden in darkness.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Could Bai Lian be a spy from the demonic cult? The thought suddenly crossed Lu Chen¡¯s mind as he watched Bai Lian¡¯s departing figure, startling him. Reflecting on what he knew about Bai Lian, he thought that while she might be rebellious and harbor many secrets, it seemed imusible that a young girl could bear the heavy responsibility of infiltrating a strictly disciplined sect like Kunlun without making any major mistakes.


    Even if she appeared mature beyond her years and possessed extraordinary talent, such a task seemed too much for someone so young.


    If possible, Lu Chen didn¡¯t want to get involved with Bai Lian at all. He was just amon servant disciple, a world apart from Bai Lian. On the contrary, if it became known that Bai Lian was interested in him, it would be like having the entire Kunlun Sect¡¯s attention on him.


    This would be a deadly situation for someone who lived in the shadows.


    But if she wasn¡¯t a spy from the demonic cult, how could the secrets she hid be exined? How could a young girl know the mysterious shamanistic techniques from the southern barbarians, which were closely guarded secrets?


    Everything seemed increasinglyplex and confusing.


    Ah Tu, having seen Bai Lian at Feiyan tform, had obediently stayed inside the wooden hut, showing no intention of going out, as if deeply wary of the girl. Only after Bai Lian had left did Ah Tu seem to rx, visibly easing up.


    Lu Chen walked back into the hut, looking at Ah Tu. His eyes flickered as he seemed lost in thought.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The rest of the day returned to its usual calm. Lu Chen did his chores, and in the evening, Su Qingjun came out for a walk, neatly dressed. They stood by the cliff for a while, chatting, before parting ways and returning to their respective rooms and residences before dark.


    That night, the sky was pitch ck, with no stars or moon, and only the cold wind blew, fitting the description of a ¡°dark and windy night.¡±


    Lu Chen sat quietly by the window, watching the dark sky through the pine trees, waiting until midnight.


    It waste at night, and everything seemed to be asleep, even the mountains had fallen into slumber. Inside the wooden hut, Ah Tu curled up at Lu Chen¡¯s feet, sleeping peacefully and looking particrly at ease.


    Lu Chen quietly stood up, tilted his body, and without opening the door, slipped out through the window, closing it behind him. Blending into the darkness, he drifted away into the night.


    There was a mysterious symbol left by the demonic spy on a tree in the nearby grove. Although Lu Chen could understand part of it and guessed it indicated a meeting on the next full moon, he wouldn¡¯t overlook any suspicious clues before then.


    What if the symbol was just a malicious trap?


    In his years of shadowy existence, Lu Chen had learned the instinct of not fully trusting anyone. So when there were other suspicions, he wouldn¡¯t easily let them go.


    For instance, the dark and mysterious Yizhong Cemetery. (To be continued.)

 Chapter 184: The Mysterious Three Eyes

    Chapter 184: The Mysterious Three Eyes


    Before that day, Lu Chen had never known about this strange and mysterious ce within Kunlun Mountain. Sometimes, when he thought about it, he found the Yizhong Cemetery to be a very eerie ce. It seemed out of ce for such a prestigious sect like Kunlun to have something so mundane, yet it existed, and appeared to have a long history.


    Lu Chen had never heard anyone mention anything about the Yizhong Cemetery. It seemed as though everyone ignored it, much like the shadowy gloom that always surrounded the area. It was as if the cemetery had always been outside of people¡¯s awareness.


    People didn¡¯t know about it, but it had always existed.


    This kind of situation is not umon in the world. There are many things and people we¡¯ve never seen or heard of, so we think they don¡¯t exist or aren¡¯t possible. Even when we asionally discover something, we always use our imagination to specte about its nature.


    Lu Chen, of course, wasn¡¯t like this. Compared to most cultivators in the cultivation world, his current cultivation level might be low, but his experience and insight had grown considerably from encountering many people and events. He understood this principle well.


    He was indeed surprised by the sudden appearance of the Yizhong Cemetery, but instead of making guesses, he knew he needed to investigate thoroughly. When something seems unusual, it warrants investigation. The cemetery¡¯s presence in Kunlun Mountain seemed too odd and abrupt. However, even with his suspicions, he might not have risked visiting it if it were just a ce for unimed corpses.


    The main reason he sneaked into the nameless peak that night was that he had seen He Yie there.


    He Yi, nowadays, was like a poisonous snake hidden in the shadows, coldly and diligently searching for the killer¡¯s whereabouts. If he came to the Yizhong Cemetery, he must have discovered something there.


    What exactly did He Yi find in the Yizhong Cemetery?Lu Chen was determined to find out. A shadow¡¯s patience is indisputable, but no one can question a shadow¡¯s resolve.


    Just like in the Battle of the Deste Valley ten years ago, no one had given any orders, no one had told him what to do, but at that critical moment, he acted decisively.


    As he moved swiftly through the darkness, for some reason¡ªperhaps because the night wind was too cold¡ªhe suddenly felt a chill in his chest.


    It¡¯s been ten years since hest saw her, hasn¡¯t it¡­?


    As time passed, her once-beautiful face seemed to fade in his memory, just like all the memories of the world. The only thing that remained clear and engraved in his heart was her name.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The curfew in Kunlun Sect was an ancient rule, its duration unknown. It had existed since the time everyone, including the Nascent Soul True Immortals, first set foot on Kunlun Mountain.


    Perhaps, it was established by the founders, Kun Yuanzi and Tie Luo?


    But what was the purpose of this curfew rule?


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t know. In fact, during his time on Kunlun Mountain, he had sneaked out of his house several times in the dead of night, moving stealthily through the darkness.


    For this reason, he found the curfew on Kunlun Mountain particrly puzzling.


    Every time he sneaked out at night, there were no thieves or sneaky figures in any of the ces he passed. Everyone had great respect for Kunlun Sect. He walked those lonely mountain paths many times.


    But nothing ever happened, and there were no strange or iprehensible urrences.


    The nights in Kunlun Mountain were no different from nights elsewhere. Perhaps the patrolling disciples had some peculiarities?


    If so, wouldn¡¯t the curfew rule be the most foolish thing?


    Yet, generations of Kunlun disciples continued to pass down this rule. Lu Chen found it hard to understand but kept his thoughts to himself, imagining that in the era of the two founding ancestors, strange beings would emerge from Kunlun Mountain at night, threatening the disciples¡¯ lives.


    But now, thousands of yearster, those dangers seemed to have vanished.


    Or perhaps they had merely been sealed away, suppressed in the most mysterious, heaviest, and most secure part of Kunlun Mountain.


    As Lu Chen sneaked through the darkness, he suddenly stopped abruptly. Standing in the shadows, he frowned as if deep in thought. After a while, he turned to look into the distance, toward the deepest part of the Kunlun Mountain range.


    Therey a legendary forbidden area, the foundation of Kunlun Sect, which even Nascent Soul True Immortals couldn¡¯t easily approach. The only ones who could ess that dark area were the two supremely powerful Divine Transformation True Immortals.


    Lu Chen¡¯s eyes gradually brightened.


    For a long time, everyone had been specting about what was inside the forbidden area in the Heavenly Dome Cloud. This time, it seemed that Lu Chen had also thought about this point.


    Lu Chen had never known what the Demonic Sect spy was interested in within the Kunlun Sect, making it difficult to track down this person. But at this moment, he suddenly had a feeling that the spy was after some secret, and the greatest secret in Kunlun Mountain must be something within that forbidden area, right?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The road must be walked step by step, food must be eaten bite by bite. Even with new suspicions, Lu Chen still dutifully returned to the Yizhong Cemetery.


    There was a powerful corpse watcher here. During the day, Lu Chen had sensed this person¡¯s formidable cultivation, almost catching him. He Yi insisted oning to this unpleasant ce, likely to obtain some information from the corpse watcher.


    In the night, the Yizhong Cemetery seemed even darker than during the day, to the point where it felt like one couldn¡¯t see their hand in front of their face.


    The ck courtyard resembled a giant beast, silently lying in this boundless darkness.


    Lu Chen waited in the darkness for a long time, then slowly approached. But until he was near the tightly shut gate, there was no movement from the ck courtyard.


    Just as Lu Chen was hesitating whether to investigate further, a sudden cold wind blew, and the ck gate ahead of him suddenly opened on its own.


    A candlelight lit up; the withered corpse watcher appeared by the gate, holding a candle in his left hand.


    By the candlelight, Lu Chen could clearly see the man¡¯s expression. He seemed indifferent, not intending to speak with anyone. After looking around, he calmly said, ¡°Honored guest, please reveal yourself. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back to sleep.¡±


    Lu Chen quietly observed the corpse watcher, remaining hidden in the darkness, silent and even holding his breath.


    The corpse watcher waited for a moment longer, then indeed turned and walked back into the courtyard. The ck gate closed with a creak behind him.


    Lu Chen looked down at himself, not finding anything unusual. He couldn¡¯t figure out why he had been almost caught twice by the corpse watcher, who seemed to sense something wrong but couldn¡¯t pinpoint the intruder, making it awkward.


    Should he go in now?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    He stood outside the Yizhong Cemetery in the darkness for an hour, not daring to go forward. He just looked up, surveying the majestic peaks and the terrain. Before the second hour arrived, he suddenly turned and left.


    It was still pitch ck, but technically a new day had begun.


    There were twenty days left until the next full moon.


    Lu Chen silently left the Yizhong area, unaware that after he left, the corpse watcher didn¡¯t go to sleep as he had said. Instead, he stood alone in the courtyard, seemingly listening intently. Only after Lu Chen had left did the corpse watcher rx.


    He looked up at the sky and suddenly muttered to himself, ¡°Kunlun Sect has produced quite a few geniuses in recent years. Their future prospects are truly limitless.¡±


    Lu Chen hurried through the night, nning to return to Feiyan tform before dawn. Though it was unlikely that Su Qingjun woulde out to patrol early in the morning¡ªshe had a peculiar and amusing habit of loving to sleep.


    The night Su Qingjun was seriously injured, Lu Chen had entered her cave once. Although he never admitted it, saying he had never been inside, he did see some things he shouldn¡¯t have.


    Su Qingjun seemed to have a split personality; she was dignified and beautiful in front of others but surprisinglyzy in private. Lu Chen clearly remembered seeing Su Qingjun¡¯s bed in her cave that night¡ªeverything was clean and tidy.


    Except the quilt wasn¡¯t folded.


    Thinking about this made him chuckle inwardly, though Su Qingjun had probably warned him, so he never spoke of it. Sometimes, he still found it funny, wondering if Su Qingjun could avoid her future husband¡¯s notice if she ever got married.


    The night wind blew cold as he walked briskly along the mountain path.


    Suddenly, a strange sound came from the darkness somewhere. It sounded like a beast smacking its lips or a hungry wolf drooling with hunger.


    Lu Chen abruptly stopped.


    In the darkness ahead, in what seemed like the peaceful and quiet Kunlun Mountain night of thousands of years, three green mes appeared in a triangr formation, like a head with three eyes, eerily appearing before him. (To be continued.)

 Chapter 185: The Black Fire Frenzy

    Chapter 185: The ck Fire Frenzy


    In the darkness, the shape of the creature was unclear, with only those three eerie green eyes staring intently at Lu Chen. At that moment, Lu Chen instinctively thought of Ah Tu; on some deep nights in the past, Ah Tu¡¯s eyes had also emitted a simr ghostly glow.


    But they were different!


    Lu Chen quickly made this judgment. Although Ah Tu¡¯s eyes had a greenish glow, the light was clean and bright. Seeing them in the dark might give a sense of eeriness, but one could still perceive emotional changes, a sense of life. In contrast, the three green eyes before him burned with a fierce green me, filled with a brutal and murderous aura, as if solely intent on killing.


    For some reason, Lu Chen felt a sense of relief upon realizing this, then quickly grew serious, frowning as he looked at the strange creature that had suddenly appeared from the night.


    This thing was clearly not benevolent. Just the violent aura it exuded from the darkness was enough for him to categorize it among the most vicious creatures he had ever encountered. Most of the simr things he had seen were in the most dangerous regions of this vastnd, specifically deep within the Chaos Lands.


    But this ce was clearly Kunlun Mountain, Western Lands¡¯ Spiritual Mountain, the foundation of the Kunlun Sect. How could such a fierce monster exist here?


    These questions shed through Lu Chen¡¯s mind, but he didn¡¯t dwell on them. After a brief standoff, the strange creature seemed unable to restrain its hunger for flesh, letting out a piercing shriek before charging at him.


    The sharp sound of it breaking through the air was akin to an arrow leaving a bow, instantly closing the distance. As the creature moved, Lu Chen glimpsed its form: a small, snake-like bug, about the length of half an arm and as thick as a thumb, with a grotesque head the size of a fist. The most noticeable and terrifying feature was the three green eyes on top of its head.


    The creature charged forward with the sound of wind and darkness. Lu Chen¡¯s expression darkened as he stepped back, drawing his ck short sword with his right hand and shing down.However, the creature¡¯s speed was terrifyingly fast; it twisted in mid-air, dodging the sharp de and then twisting around the de, directly wrapping around Lu Chen¡¯s wrist. The monster lowered its head and bit into Lu Chen¡¯s wrist.


    The creature¡¯s movements were so rapid that Lu Chen had no time to react, feeling a sudden, sharp pain in his wrist. At that moment, he seemed to hear another horrifying sound.


    It was the sound of flesh tearing, bones being gnawed, the terrifying monster frantically devouring flesh. In an instant, the creature wriggled frantically and burrowed into the wound it had made, directly entering Lu Chen¡¯s arm.


    The terrifying pain surged like a tide from his arm. Lu Chen¡¯s hand trembled violently; in that moment, he lost control of his right hand, his fingers loosening, and the ck short sword dropped to the ground.


    In the dim light of the darkness, he saw his skin bulging with a twisted, writhing shape, desperately moving up his arm. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the creature would reach his chest and attack his vital organs.


    In this dark night, the atmosphere was suddenly filled with infinite murderous intent, as if the entire world had turned into a chilling frost.


    Lu Chen suddenly snorted coldly, and a dark me flickered deep in his eyes. Simultaneously, in the deepest part of his body, the silent and lonely Five Elements Divine Disc suddenly trembled violently, then flipped over.


    The ck disc reappeared, and a dark me burned in his qi sea, suddenly erupting into a great ze!


    The strange creature in his arm suddenly paused, seemingly sensing something. Even with flesh and blood before it, the creature showed a trace of inexplicable fear, as if wanting to retreat.


    However, darkness had already descended!


    Like the roar of an endless dark sea, infinite darkness suddenly boiled, surging madly toward Lu Chen¡¯s body from all directions. The cold wind howled, darkness whirled, like a wild dance around the deepest shadow, where a dark me flickered.


    The cold aura spread, devoid of any mercy or vitality. A terrifying and murderous aura rose from Lu Chen¡¯s body, surging back and directly toward the creature in his right arm.


    The dark me, amidst this tidal wave-like force, flickered, like a sinister smile opening the mouth of a demon, ready to devour all living things.


    This murderous aura was even more brutal, terrifying, and merciless than the one the strange creature had emitted earlier.


    The violent creature seemed intent on devouring flesh and life, while the killing intent within Lu Chen felt purely for destruction, aiming to annihte all life.


    In the darkness, Lu Chen stood tall, suddenly shuddering as countless ck mes erupted from his body, burning wildly. Strangely, his clothes remained untouched. It looked as though he had turned into a burning ck figure.


    The creature began to tremble violently, attempting to retreat, but it was toote. The tide of darkness surged forward like a massive wave, rushing into Lu Chen¡¯s right arm and engulfing the creature hidden within his flesh.


    Everything fell silent in an instant.


    After the frenzy, the world returned to its quiet state, with only Lu Chen standing in the darkness, breathing softly.


    After a moment, he slowly raised his right hand and gently shook it.


    With a soft ¡°plop,¡± a small, charred, and shrunken object, as hard as a stone and about the size of a little finger, fell from his wound, hitting the ground and rolling twice.


    A cold night wind blew past him.


    Lu Chen felt a chill from his forehead, neck, and down his back, realizing that in the brief instant of the encounter, he had broken out in a cold sweat.


    The ck mes were still burning in his eyes, the dark tide still swirling within him. He breathed lightly, a faint tremor in his breath.


    The surging ck fire gradually subsided, slowly retreating into his body. The night returned to its calm state, even the darkness bing gentle, softly embracing him.


    But then, amid the retreating dark tide in his qi sea, Lu Chen suddenly sensed a new, distinct aura, a violent, murderous intent. This aura was different from the usual energy absorbed by the ck mes in the dark disc whenever he killed. It was far stronger and more abundant than any previous time, almost ten times more than usual.


    Absorbing this potent new energy, the ck fire on the dark disc in his qi sea seemed to growrger, burning quietly in that dim world, seemingly mocking its host with a faint smile.


    Lu Chen stood in silence for a long time before closing his eyes.


    When he reopened them, the ck mes had vanished. The night wind, though cold, was no longer filled with murderous intent, gently blowing through the mountain forest as if nothing had happened.


    Lu Chen took a step forward and squatted down.


    There was a ck object on the ground.


    He picked up the ck short sword that had fallen nearby and gently prodded the object, confirming it was harmless, before picking it up.


    It was the remains of the strange creature.


    Under the intense, violent ck fire frenzy within him, the creature had been instantly killed, its body incinerated, leaving only some of the hardest residues, now fused into this ck, stone-like object.


    The eerie green eyes were gone, but as Lu Chen¡¯s fingers brushed over the ck stone, he could still faintly feel some disturbing textures and remnants¡ªtraces of bone and teeth merged together. It was hard to imagine that not long ago, this thing had been burrowing through his flesh like a bloodthirsty demon.


    Why would such a terrifying and vicious creature appear in Kunlun Mountain?


    It was unimaginable that such a thing could exist here, where two Nascent Soul stage elders, dozens of Golden Core stage cultivators, and countless other powerful practitioners resided in this renowned sect of tens of thousands. Even the slightest aggressive beast would have long been driven away.


    Moreover, Lu Chen was certain he had never heard of such a creature; no one in the Kunlun Sect had ever mentioned it.


    It was as if this monster had appeared out of nowhere, in the middle of the night.


    Where did ite from?


    Lu Chen furrowed his brows, clutching the charred stone remnant tightly in his hand. He gazed into the distance, where the shadowy mountains loomed, the darkness seemingly omnipresent.

 Chapter 186: The Su Family Patriarch

    Chapter 186: The Su Family Patriarch


    That morning, as Lu Chen yawned and stepped out of the wooden house, he saw a man standing quietly on the Feiyan Terrace not far from his hut. The man, who looked to be in his forties or fifties, had an elegant demeanor and a calm expression. Perhaps due to his age, his temples were flecked with gray, but it was clear that he was still in his prime.


    The man stood there, gazing at the sea of clouds beyond the cliff. Hearing Lu Chen¡¯s footsteps, he turned around, smiled warmly, and nodded in greeting. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello, sir. May I ask who you are?¡± Lu Chen responded politely, realizing he didn¡¯t recognize the man.


    The man approached, stopping a few feet away¡ªclose enough to be courteous, but not so close as to be intrusive. He looked Lu Chen up and down, then smiled and said, ¡°You must be Lu Chen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. Do you know me, sir?¡± Lu Chen asked, a bit surprised.


    The man smiled and said, ¡°Ah, we haven¡¯t met before. My name is Su Tianhe.¡±


    ¡°Su Tianhe¡­¡± Lu Chen repeated the name to himself, then suddenly realized who the man resembled. ¡°Are you from the Su family?¡±


    Su Tianhe nodded with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m the head of the Su family and Su Qingjun¡¯s father.¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback. He hadn¡¯t expected the head of the Su family to visit Feiyan Terrace alone this early in the morning. Su Tianhe¡¯s demeanor was refined and distinguished, quite different from the younger members of his family.Su Tianhe nced at Lu Chen¡¯s face, sighed after a moment, and said, ¡°Brother Lu, I have failed in raising my children and managing my household, causing you suffering. This is all the fault of the Su family, and I apologize to you.¡±


    With that, he respectfully bowed to Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of surprise in his eyes. He quickly stepped aside, saying, ¡°Please, sir, you don¡¯t need to do this. I can¡¯t ept it.¡±


    Su Tianhe smiled and said, ¡°Brother Lu, you are reasonable and a true gentleman. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re also broad-minded.¡± As he spoke, he pulled out a cloth bag and ced it in Lu Chen¡¯s hand. ¡°Inside are some rare spiritual materials, worth a few thousand spirit stones. It¡¯s a small token of my apology; please ept it and don¡¯t hold any grudge against the Su family.¡±


    He looked at Lu Chen earnestly. Lu Chen showed some difort, nodding, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re too kind. I don¡¯t know if I can ept this.¡±


    As they exchanged polite refusals, Lu Chen¡¯s fingers tightened around the bag. Su Tianhe noticed this, a faint smile ying on his lips, and insisted Lu Chen ept the gift.


    After some back-and-forth, Lu Chen finally epted the bag, thanking Su Tianhe with a smile.


    After chatting for a while, Su Tianhe nced at the cave residence and then turned to Lu Chen, saying, ¡°Brother Lu, it¡¯s gettingte. Could you please go and call Qingjun toe out and meet me?¡±


    Lu Chen was a bit surprised. ¡°Sir, you are her father. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to go directly and call her?¡±


    Su Tianhe sighed, ¡°Brother Lu, you don¡¯t know. While I was away, Qingjun had a big argument with my wife and some brothers. They haven¡¯t spoken since. I scolded them when I returned and came up the mountain immediately.¡±


    He paused and then sincerely added, ¡°What you said makes sense. As her father, I should be able to talk to her. But I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s still upset and won¡¯t want to see me. So, I¡¯m asking you to help.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded, ¡°I see. Alright, I¡¯ll call her, but I can¡¯t guarantee she¡¯lle out.¡±


    Su Tianheughed heartily, looking rxed, though a faint glint flickered in his eyes. ¡°Haha, Brother Lu, it seems you know Qingjun well enough to know it¡¯s hard to wake her in the morning.¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback but quickly shook his head, smiling. ¡°No, no, sir, you misunderstand. I don¡¯t know her that well; I was just worried that, as a lowly servant disciple, she might not even acknowledge me. Alright, I¡¯ll go and call her.¡±


    With that, he turned and walked towards the stone gate of the cave residence.


    As the morning sunlight fell on the two men, it became clear that the moment Lu Chen turned away from Su Tianhe, both their smiles vanished.


    Their expressions were calm, with a hint of coldness, and their eyes deep as the ocean.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lu Chen stood before the stone door of the cave dwelling, loudly knocking and calling out. asionally, he would turn back, exchanging polite smiles and nods with Su Tianhe. However, despite his efforts, the door remained firmly shut, with no sign of Su Qingjuning out.


    Lu Chen touched his chest, where he kept a yellow talisman stone¡ªthe ¡°me Heart Talisman¡± Su Qingjun had given him when they nted the Eagle Fruit tree. She hadn¡¯t taken it back, so he could have used it to call her. But he chose not to, and after a while, he turned back to Su Tianhe, looking a bit helpless. ¡°Sir, it seems¡­¡±


    Su Tianhe nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I shouldn¡¯t stay long. There are matters to attend to in the city below. Brother Lu, please tell Qingjun when you see her that I came to visit. We¡¯re all family; there¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t talk about. Ask her toe down and see me when she has time.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir, I¡¯ll be sure to pass on the message.¡±


    Su Tianhe smiled and sped his hands in a polite gesture before turning to leave. Throughout the encounter, he maintained an air of elegance and approachability, vastly different from the other members of the Su family Lu Chen had met, making it hard not to like him.


    As Lu Chen watched him walk away, his brow furrowed slightly.


    ¡­


    As usual, Su Qingjun did not emerge from the cave dwelling until dusk. She strolled leisurely around the Feiyan Terrace. When Lu Chen saw her, he told her about Su Tianhe¡¯s visit earlier that day.


    Su Qingjun listened silently, her expressionplex. There was a hint of anger mixed with guilt on her face.


    Lu Chen observed her changing expressions but said nothing more, merely rying Su Tianhe¡¯s words before leaving.


    That evening, Su Qingjun stood at the cliff¡¯s edge, gazing at the sea of clouds for a long time, exactly where Su Tianhe had stood earlier.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the hardest bond to sever is the one between parents and children,¡± Lu Chen remarked to Lao Ma. ¡°Unfortunately, I never experienced that feeling growing up, so I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s truly as deep and unbreakable as they say.¡±


    Lao Ma chuckled, ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t agree? But I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d honestly ry that old Su¡¯s message. I thought you might at least twist it a bit.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯m not that kind of person,¡± Lu Chen replied.


    ¡°Believe me, you are,¡± Lao Ma said, ducking to avoid a cup Lu Chen threw at him. He grinned, ¡°So, as a result of your message, Su Qingjun went down the mountain to visit her family today?¡±


    Lu Chen nodded, ¡°She¡¯s been a dutiful daughter for twenty years, with both parents alive. It¡¯s not so easy to cut ties. And don¡¯t underestimate Su Tianhe; he¡¯s shrewd and far from easy to deal with, much better than his useless nephews.¡±


    Lao Ma agreed, ¡°Indeed. The Su family has thrived these past years,rgely thanks to Su Tianhe.¡±


    Lu Chen changed the subject, asking, ¡°How many days until the next full moon?¡±


    Lao Ma hesitated, then frowned in thought. ¡°Why are you asking? Let¡¯s see¡­ It¡¯s about neen days away.¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°Will Dead Baldy be back by then?¡±


    Lao Ma¡¯s expression grew serious as he fixed his gaze on Lu Chen. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is there news about the traitor?¡±


    Lu Chen hesitated briefly before exining the mysterious symbol he had found in the forest and what he understood from it. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure if the traitor will show up or if we¡¯ll meet, but it¡¯s possible.¡±


    Lao Ma thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll report this immediately. Come back in three days, alright?¡±


    Lu Chen nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    A trace of hope appeared on Lao Ma¡¯s face. ¡°If we can catch the traitor this easily, it¡¯ll be a relief.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled, ¡°What, did you expect to be searching for ten years or something?¡±


    Lao Ma chuckled, ¡°Not ten years, but I did think it might take at least a few.¡±


    They shared augh, then Lu Chen casually asked, ¡°By the way, have you ever heard of a creature with three green eyes, resembling a small snake, that devours flesh?¡±


    (Continued¡­)

 Chapter 187: Survival of the Fittest

    Chapter 187: Survival of the Fittest


    Lao Ma was momentarily taken aback and said, ¡°What kind of creature is this? Tell me more.¡±


    Lu Chen then described the appearance of the three-eyed monster he had seen the previous night to Lao Ma, though he left out the details of the brief yet thrilling and dangerous battle.


    After listening, Lao Ma frowned and thought for a while before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a strange beast in this world before. Let me look into it for you.¡±


    Lu Chen knew that besides being well-informed, Lao Ma had many connections. Over the years, Lu Chen had developed great trust in Lao Ma¡¯s informationwork. He nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lao Ma pondered for a moment, then looked at Lu Chen with a puzzled expression. ¡°It¡¯s strange! A beast so savage would likely im many lives. How could it appear in a ce like Kunlun Mountain?¡±


    Lu Chen nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, I thought the samest night. It¡¯s baffling. I¡¯ve never heard anyone mention such a creature, nor was there any news about it before. Could it have appeared suddenly?¡±


    Lao Ma¡¯s expression darkened, and he lowered his voice. ¡°Could it be that someone is targeting you¡­¡±


    Lu Chen fell silent, then said, ¡°Probably not. The only people who might hold a grudge against me are the Su family, but with Su Qingjun around, they wouldn¡¯t dare act rashly. Besides, Su Tianhe personally visited Feiyan Terrace to reconcile with his daughter. They wouldn¡¯t make any sudden moves at this critical moment.¡±


    Lao Ma nodded slowly. ¡°You have a point. Still, I feel like there¡¯s some undercurrent in Kunlun Mountaintely. Be careful.¡±Lu Chen nodded and then looked at Lao Ma. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®undercurrent¡¯? Have you heard any rumors?¡±


    Lao Ma hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°I did hear something. Apparently, some people, specifically in the Nascent Soul stage, are dissatisfied with the current leader, Immortal Xianyue.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s eyebrows raised, and his expression turned serious. ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Lao Ma nodded. ¡°Most likely.¡±


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t press Lao Ma for the source of this information, understanding the boundaries from their long-standing friendship. He knew Lao Ma wouldn¡¯t share such information unless he was confident in its uracy.


    After a moment of contemtion, Lu Chenughed quietly but kept his voice low. ¡°To question the current leader, especially with Immortal Bai Chen overseeing everything, who among the Nascent Soul cultivators would be so bold? This doesn¡¯t make sense. At that level, every one of them should be cunning and cautious.¡±


    Lao Ma chuckled. ¡°One would think so.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at him, a spark in his eyes and a smile on his lips. ¡°So, there¡¯s something illogical here. In this world, logic only follows when there¡¯s a solid foundation. But in Kunlun Mountain, to stand up to both Immortal Xianyue and Immortal Bai Chen, the Nascent Soul cultivators alone aren¡¯t enough¡­¡±


    Lao Ma remained silent, smiling.


    Lu Chen shook his head and sighed. ¡°Is Baldy getting restless?¡±


    Lao Ma shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not about impatience. With the Master mostly at the True Immortal Alliance and rarely in the sect, Immortal Bai Chen¡¯s faction holds the majority. They need opportunities to assert their presence.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded. ¡°That exins it. No wonder the Nascent Soul cultivators dare to speak out; they have backing. Hmm¡­ Is it the two from the Hundred Herbs Hall?¡±


    Lao Ma said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard there are three or four of them, but the loudest voices are Realms Thousand Lamps and Mingzhu. They have a valid reason, involving the Hundred Herbs Hall.¡±


    Lu Chen was puzzled. ¡°What excuse are they using?¡±


    Lao Ma smiled. ¡°They im it¡¯s about the demonic sect that assassinated a Kunlun Sect handyman disciple. After many days of investigation, there has been no progress, so the Hundred Herbs Hall naturally hasints. Even Immortal Xianyue can¡¯t dismiss this.¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment. ¡°Good tactic!¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    That day, both Su Qingjun and Lu Chen left the mountain, leaving Feiyan Terrace quiet. The only signs of life were the closed cave dwelling and a lone wooden hut with a ck dog inside.


    Ah Tu seemed fully ustomed to life at Feiyan Terrace. Each day, it would patrol the terrace like a king surveying his domain, asionally marking its territory in some corner or at the base of a tree.


    At first, Ah Tu would sometimes relieve itself near the stone gate of the cave dwelling. However, after strong protests from Su Qingjun and a few scoldings from Lu Chen, Ah Tu learned to avoid that area. Still, when it looked toward the stone wall, its single eye sometimes showed a hint of regret.


    Feiyan Terrace was a secluded ce with few visitors. The mountain forest had no fierce beasts, but there were plenty of birds whose crisp, pleasant songs added an ethereal atmosphere to the area.


    After making its rounds, Ah Tuy down at the edge of the cliff, staring nkly at the sea of clouds in the distance.


    In the past, Ah Tu didn¡¯t spend its free time alone like this. It used to run out to y in the forest, climbing hills, crossing streams, and running freely. It even enjoyed visiting the peculiar Doghead Mountain, where it would see the giant green ox and various exotic beasts living there.


    Those days seemed like only yesterday, filled with joy and energy for Ah Tu.


    But now, things were different.


    Ah Tu no longer visited the green ox or Doghead Mountain. It rarely ventured into the forest and even when it did, it never strayed far from Feiyan Terrace.


    This change stemmed from a harrowing and brutal encounter where Ah Tu was severely injured, nearly losing its life. Since that dark night, Ah Tu had be deeply fearful and almost lost trust in everyone except Lu Chen, with Yi Xin perhaps being an exception.


    It also stopped seeking out the other beasts in the forest. After recovering from its injuries and returning to Doghead Mountain, Ah Tu found that the other creatures¡¯ attitudes had changed. The respect they once showed was gone, reced by mockery, disdain, ridicule, and hostility.


    Who would respect a mangy dog, scarred, with only one eye and a half tail?


    As Ah Tu walked by, tigers roared at it, cranes pecked at its head, and monkeys hanging from branches tried to grab its half tail while shrieking withughter. The other beasts watched coldly, indifferent to the ck dog¡¯s cries and even kicking it away if it stumbled in front of them.


    In the wild, survival of the fittest is a stark reality, with no sympathy for the weak or wounded.


    Ah Tu once looked up to the mountain peak where a giant figurey, seemingly asleep, indifferent to these minor matters.


    Eventually, Ah Tu left that ce and never returned.


    Since then, it had stayed closer to Lu Chen, even curling up beside him at night to feel safe enough to sleep.


    On this mild sunny day, the sunlight bathed the sea of clouds and Ah Tu alike.


    Ah Tu yawnedzily, resting its head on the ground, feeling a bit bored. It nced at the mountain path leading down from Feiyan Terrace. There was no one on the path; Lu Chen wasn¡¯t expected back for some time, and Ah Tu knew it.


    Hearing a few more crisp bird calls from the forest, Ah Tu thought for a moment and then headed toward the back of the mountain. It seemed to have an inherent love for the forest, enjoying the feeling of being in it.


    As it entered the forest behind Feiyan Terrace, Ah Tu felt its mood lift. The air was fresh, filled with the scent of old trees and vines. It wandered around, sniffing curiously, and its steps grew lighter.


    The shifting light and shadows in the quiet forest made it seem like a paradise just for Ah Tu.


    Suddenly, Ah Tu stopped and looked up with its one eye.


    Near arge tree stood a stone, and beside the stone was a figure. Upon hearing the sound, the figure turned and smiled slightly at Ah Tu.


    It was Bai Lian.


    This mysterious, fairy-like girl had suddenly appeared in the forest behind Feiyan Terrace. At first nce, she seemed like a beautiful spirit of the green forest, but there was something subtly unsettling about her presence.


    She smiled and waved at Ah Tu before turning back to peer over the stone, as if spying on something.


    Ah Tu hesitated, instinctively wanting to retreat, but when Bai Lian waved again, it slowly approached her.


    Bai Lian pointed behind the stone and whispered to Ah Tu, ¡°Look.¡±


    Nervous, Ah Tu cautiously peeked around the stone and saw a pearl pheasant about six feet away, pecking at the ground for food.


    At that moment, a soft, tempting voice, like a devil¡¯s whisper, reached Ah Tu¡¯s ears.


    ¡°The flesh of that pheasant must be delicious¡­¡±


    Ah Tu¡¯s entire body tensed up. (To be continued.)

 Chapter 188: Plotting with the Tiger

    Chapter 188: Plotting with the Tiger


    In the quiet forest, Bai Lian and Ah Tu, acting like thieves, crouched behind therge rock, sneakily watching the wild pheasant foraging ahead. The pheasant was beautiful, with pearl-like spots adorning its vibrant feathers. Its long tail feathers flicked up and down, tracing stunning arcs in the forest air.


    After watching for a while, Ah Tu withdrew its head and turned to leave. However, a small, pale hand stopped it. Bai Lian, with a faint, ambiguous smile, gently wrapped her arm around Ah Tu¡¯s neck.


    For some reason, although Ah Tu usually distrusted and kept its distance from everyone except Lu Chen and Yi Xin, it had never reacted strongly to Bai Lian¡¯s actions, even though they weren¡¯t particrly close.


    Even now, Ah Tu submissively let Bai Lian pull it back. Its single eye looked at her unnaturally beautiful face, reflecting a trace of unease.


    Bai Lian sat down behind the rock, ignoring the dirt on the ground, smiling slightly. She leaned closer to Ah Tu¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°I think you¡¯re a unique dog, with some strange qualities that I can¡¯t quite understand.¡±


    Ah Tu tilted its head, seemingly wanting to leave again, but Bai Lian held it back.


    Gazing into Ah Tu¡¯s eye, Bai Lian showed no disgust or disdain for the now scarred and fierce-looking dog. Instead, her eyes contained a rare gentleness.


    She softly said, ¡°You were meant for more, Ah Tu.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you don¡¯t eat live creatures,¡± she continued, ncing through the rock¡¯s crevice to confirm the pheasant was still there. Then she turned back to Ah Tu, saying, ¡°You are the first demonic beast I¡¯ve seen survive the blood food ritual. Do you know what that means?¡±She clenched her fist and swung it in front of Ah Tu, saying, ¡°In those filthy barbarian tribes, a beast like you has another name.¡±


    ¡°Divine Beast!¡± Bai Lian said cheerfully, gently patting Ah Tu¡¯s head.


    ¡ª


    In Kunwu City, at Hei Qiu Pavilion.


    Lu Chen stood up and said to Lao Ma, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Keep an eye on things, and we¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Lao Ma stopped him, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t go yet. There¡¯s something else I need to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lu Chen asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I found He Gang,¡± Lao Ma said.


    Lu Chen raised an eyebrow and sat back down, asking, ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Right here in Kunwu City,¡± Lao Ma replied.


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Impressive! Your skills are even better than I thought.¡±


    Lao Ma modestly replied, ¡°You¡¯re too kind. This is just my job, nothing extraordinary.¡±


    Lu Chen snorted, ¡°Hypocrite! No wonder people say all fat guys are the same.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Lao Ma protested, ¡°How can you just start insulting people? Not all fat guys are like that, even if some have wronged you!¡±


    ¡°I tell you, fat people have dignity too!¡± Lao Ma dered righteously.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Lu Chen said.


    Lao Ma was momentarily taken aback, not expecting Lu Chen to apologize so straightforwardly. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he awkwardly chuckled and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing, really¡­¡±


    Lu Chen smiled lightly, watching Lao Ma without saying anything. Lao Ma, feeling uneasy under his gaze, subconsciously took a step back and said, ¡°What are you thinking? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t try anything funny. Fat people aren¡¯t easy to deal with, you know¡­¡±


    Lu Chen walked over, patted his shoulder, and sighed, ¡°Lao Ma, it¡¯s been my luck to have you by my side these past ten years.¡± He paused, then added, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Lao Ma was stunned for a moment, then looked down slightly. After a moment, he suddenlyughed, though there was a hint of dryness in hisughter. ¡°Thank me? Do you think I really wanted to stick around? I had no choice! You owe me a huge debt of gratitude after all these years¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? How much?¡± Lu Chen asked.


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve helped you so many times, saved you so many times. If you were to pay me back in spirit stones, we could buy an entire street in Kunwu City!¡± Lao Ma boasted.


    ¡°Is it really worth that much? But somehow I feel like the two of us together couldn¡¯t even afford a single shop in Kunwu City, let alone a whole street,¡± Lu Chen remarked.


    ¡°Uh¡­ that¡¯s not important!¡± Lao Ma said, brushing off the awkward point. He seemed suddenly very happy, with a broad smile on his face. Heughed heartily, wanting to p Lu Chen¡¯s shoulder but then pulled back, perhaps thinking it wouldn¡¯t be very manly.


    He took a couple of steps aside, took a deep breath, then turned back, smiling, ¡°Enough talk. What should we do with He Gang?¡±


    Lu Chen pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Keep an eye on him for now, but don¡¯t make any moves.¡±


    In the silent forest, Bai Lian and Ah Tu crouched behind arge rock, sneakily watching the wild pheasant foraging ahead as if they were thieves. The pheasant was beautiful, with pearl-like spots adorning its vibrant feathers, and its long tail feathers created stunning arcs as they moved.


    After watching for a while, Ah Tu retracted its head and turned to leave. However, a small, pale hand stopped it. Bai Lian, with a faint smile, gently held onto Ah Tu¡¯s neck.


    Although Ah Tu usually distrusted and avoided everyone except Lu Chen and Yi Xin, it never reacted strongly to Bai Lian¡¯s actions, despite not being particrly close to her. Even now, Ah Tu submissively let Bai Lian pull it back. Its single eye reflected a trace of unease as it looked at her unnaturally beautiful face.


    Bai Lian sat down behind the rock, ignoring the dirt on the ground, smiling slightly. She leaned closer to Ah Tu¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°I think you¡¯re a unique dog, with some strange qualities that I can¡¯t quite understand.¡±


    Ah Tu tilted its head, seemingly wanting to leave again, but Bai Lian held it back.


    Gazing into Ah Tu¡¯s eye, Bai Lian showed no disgust or disdain for the now scarred and fierce-looking dog. Instead, her eyes contained a rare gentleness.


    She softly said, ¡°You were meant for more, Ah Tu.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you don¡¯t eat live creatures,¡± she continued, ncing through the rock¡¯s crevice to confirm the pheasant was still there. Then she turned back to Ah Tu, saying, ¡°You are the first demonic beast I¡¯ve seen survive the blood food ritual. Do you know what that means?¡±


    She clenched her fist and swung it in front of Ah Tu, saying, ¡°In those filthy barbarian tribes, a beast like you has another name.¡±


    ¡°Divine Beast!¡± Bai Lian said cheerfully, gently patting Ah Tu¡¯s head.


    ¡ª


    In Kunwu City, at Hei Qiu Pavilion.


    Lu Chen stood up and said to Lao Ma, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Keep an eye on things, and we¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Lao Ma stopped him, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t go yet. There¡¯s something else I need to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lu Chen asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I found He Gang,¡± Lao Ma said.


    Lu Chen raised an eyebrow and sat back down, asking, ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Right here in Kunwu City,¡± Lao Ma replied.


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Impressive! Your skills are even better than I thought.¡±


    Lao Ma modestly replied, ¡°You¡¯re too kind. This is just my job, nothing extraordinary.¡±


    Lu Chen snorted, ¡°Hypocrite! No wonder people say all fat guys are the same.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Lao Ma protested, ¡°How can you just start insulting people? Not all fat guys are like that, even if some have wronged you!¡±


    ¡°I tell you, fat people have dignity too!¡± Lao Ma dered righteously.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Lu Chen said.


    Lao Ma was momentarily taken aback, not expecting Lu Chen to apologize so straightforwardly. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he awkwardly chuckled and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing, really¡­¡±


    Lu Chen smiled lightly, watching Lao Ma without saying anything. Lao Ma, feeling uneasy under his gaze, subconsciously took a step back and said, ¡°What are you thinking? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t try anything funny. Fat people aren¡¯t easy to deal with, you know¡­¡±


    Lu Chen walked over, patted his shoulder, and sighed, ¡°Lao Ma, it¡¯s been my luck to have you by my side these past ten years.¡± He paused, then added, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Lao Ma was stunned for a moment, then looked down slightly. After a moment, he suddenlyughed, though there was a hint of dryness in hisughter. ¡°Thank me? Do you think I really wanted to stick around? I had no choice! You owe me a huge debt of gratitude after all these years¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? How much?¡± Lu Chen asked.


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve helped you so many times, saved you so many times. If you were to pay me back in spirit stones, we could buy an entire street in Kunwu City!¡± Lao Ma boasted.


    ¡°Is it really worth that much? But somehow I feel like the two of us together couldn¡¯t even afford a single shop in Kunwu City, let alone a whole street,¡± Lu Chen remarked.


    ¡°Uh¡­ that¡¯s not important!¡± Lao Ma said, brushing off the awkward point. He seemed suddenly very happy, with a broad smile on his face. Heughed heartily, wanting to p Lu Chen¡¯s shoulder but then pulled back, perhaps thinking it wouldn¡¯t be very manly.


    He took a couple of steps aside, took a deep breath, then turned back, smiling, ¡°Enough talk. What should we do with He Gang?¡±


    Lu Chen pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Keep an eye on him for now, but don¡¯t make any moves.¡±


    Lao Ma nodded, ¡°But He Yi is still investigating the matter. What should we do?¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°Let him investigate. It might even draw out some hidden yers.¡±


    ¡°Alright, just be careful.¡±


    Lu Chen thought for a moment and said, ¡°But we can¡¯tpletely ignore it either. Have someone keep an eye on him, so we don¡¯t lose track of him when we need to act.¡±


    Lao Ma nodded, ¡°No problem. But what do you mean by ¡®act¡¯?¡±


    Lu Chen smiled, ¡°That depends on He Yi. If the timing is right, using his most cherished brother against him might lead to some unexpected results.¡±


    Lao Ma gave him a look and agreed.


    After a brief silence, Lu Chen smiled wryly and asked, ¡°Do these words make me sound like a born viin?¡±


    Lao Ma reassured him, ¡°There¡¯s no clear right or wrong. We¡¯ve shed our share of blood over the years, but I¡¯ve always felt that what we¡¯ve done was right.¡±


    Lu Chen stared into Lao Ma¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Is that really what you think?¡±


    Lao Ma nodded confidently, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I believe. I think you, me, and Lord Zhenjun have never done anything wrong.¡±


    Lu Chen took a deep breath and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°Take care. Be careful on your way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a chance to go down the mountain in a few days,¡± Lu Chen said.


    Lao Ma saw him off at the entrance of Hei Qiu Pavilion and said, ¡°No problem. Just take care and don¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and turned to leave. But Lao Ma suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°Oh, about that three-eyed monster bug you mentioned earlier.¡±


    ¡°Why? Did you think of something?¡± Lu Chen turned to look at him.


    Lao Ma shook his head, ¡°No, not really. I¡¯m just curious. If that monster bug was as vicious as you said, and it encountered you that night, there must have been a fierce battle, right? What was the oue?¡±


    Lu Chen closed his eyes for a moment, then shrugged, ¡°The bug was indeed tough and aggressive. It caught me off guard and almost got me. But I managed to fend it off with a short sword, and after a few rounds, the bug couldn¡¯t handle it and fled.¡±


    As he spoke, Lu Chen¡¯s hand, hidden in his sleeve, gently rolled a hard, rough, charred stone with faint scars in his palm.


    Lao Ma looked disappointed and said, ¡°Really? Didn¡¯t the bug leave anything behind? Bones, remains, or pieces? It would make it easier to track it down. By the way, it seems you¡¯re recovering well. Even if your cultivation is gone, yourbat skills are still impressive.¡±


    Lu Chen remained silent for a moment, then smiled and said, ¡°No, it didn¡¯t leave anything.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Slowly approach it, and bite its neck¡­¡±


    Bai Lian¡¯s voice echoed softly through the quiet forest, reminiscent of the blood-soaked scene when they first met.


    Ah Tu¡¯s breathing grew heavier.


    Bai Lian watched Ah Tu, a hint of excitement in her eyes. It was the kind of joy a girl might feel seeing her favorite toy, tinged with a strange cruelty.


    ¡°Go ahead, go ahead. You¡¯re different from other demonic beasts. They should all be groveling at your feet.¡±


    ¡°You are a rare Divine Beast, Ah Tu!¡±


    ¡°Go, kill it, and drink its blood!¡±


    Ah Tu slowly turned its head, its single eye reflecting the image of the pheasant. A sh of red passed through its eye, yet there seemed to be a trace of struggle.


    ¡°After you start killing and drinking blood, the power of the blood food ritual will truly grow within you, making you stronger than any other demonic beast,¡± Bai Lian whispered softly, her voice gentle but with a hint of demonic allure, as if a voice from the underworld.


    Ah Tu suddenly looked ahead.


    No one knew if the crippled ck dog understood Bai Lian¡¯s words at that moment, but its eyes turnedpletely red.


    Blood red! (To be continued¡­)

 Chapter 189: Signs of Action

    Chapter 189: Signs of Action


    Days passed quietly, and many things unfolded naturally.


    Su Qingjun returned to the Su family, and under her father Su Tianhe¡¯sforting and persuasive words, the family finally reconciled. After all, how could blood rtives of decades really sever their bond so easily? Moreover, Su Tianhe, respecting his talented daughter, gave the Su family¡¯s three brothers a good reprimanding. Even Su Qingjun¡¯s mother, Bai Shi, had tears in her eyes as she embraced Su Qingjun and cried.


    Following this, everything seemed to return to harmony. The Su family was once again united, but after this turmoil, everyone in the Su family clearly saw Su Qingjun¡¯s elevated position, which became unmatched in the household.


    Upon returning to the mountain, Su Qingjun met with Lu Chen. She felt somewhat embarrassed but still shared the news with him. Lu Chen only smiled and congratted her, not saying much more orining about the hardships he had endured.


    Su Qingjun wanted topensate him somehow but didn¡¯t know how at the moment. She thought that since they had a long future ahead, she didn¡¯t need to rush. Now that Lu Chen was officially her nominal disciple, she had a reason to care for him. In time, she nned to formally ept him as her personal disciple, providing him with various resources and elixirs, ensuring his cultivation reached the Foundation Establishment stage. It would make his life¡¯s efforts worthwhile.


    With eighteen days remaining until the full moon night, the moon appeared even thinner than the previous day. The moonlight was still bright, casting a frosty sheen on the windowsill of the Feiyan Pavilion¡¯s wooden house.


    Lu Cheny on the bed, quietly gazing at the night scene outside the window. After a while, a soft rustle came from the darkness nearby. Ah Tu walked over, leaning against him and cing its front paws on the windowsill, also gazing at the moon.


    The moonlight bathed both Lu Chen and the dog, soft and fluid like ripples.


    Lu Chen reached out and patted Ah Tu¡¯s body, noticing that the ck dog was entranced by the moon in the sky. The light in its single eye shimmered with an inexplicable brilliance, like a ck transparent gem.There was a hint of loneliness and yearning in its gaze.


    Lu Chen watched Ah Tu quietly, not disturbing it. After a long while, Ah Tu turned its head and looked back at Lu Chen.


    The moonlight fell, and the light in Ah Tu¡¯s eye gradually softened. Ity down beside Lu Chen, snuggling against him, and closed its eyes, falling into a deep sleep.


    Lu Chen closed the window, and darkness enveloped the room. At that moment, he suddenly wished he had a mirror to see his own face and eyes. Because just now, he felt an inexplicable familiarity with the look in Ah Tu¡¯s eyes.


    It was as if he was looking at himself from ten years ago.


    ¡ª


    In recent days, when night fell, Lu Chen had been secretly going out, cautiously exploring the dark paths in the Kunlun Mountains. However, the peculiar three-eyed monster bug had not appeared again.


    The terrifying and dangerous encounter that night seemed to have been merely an ident or perhaps just a strange coincidence.


    If not for the hard, charred stone fragment still in his hand, the events of that night might have seemed like a dream, no longer real.


    However, the rough texture of the ck stone in his palm constantly reminded Lu Chen of the evil behind it.


    In the deep silence of the night, when even Ah Tu was immersed in dreams, Lu Chen quietly left Feiyan Pavilion and entered the profound darkness.


    Regarding the mysterious three-eyed monster bug, he had not revealed the full truth to Lao Ma, especially that he had killed such a creature. Revealing this would inevitably involve the greatest secret within him: the unprecedented ck divine disk and its terrifying nature of stealing vitality for growth. He did not want others to know.


    Perhaps having been a shadow for too long, he was no longer ustomed to trusting others, even someone like Lao Ma, whom he once trusted with his life. Instinctively, he kept thest secret hidden, like concealing his final trump card.


    If the three-eyed monster bug did not reappear, this matter might end unresolved. Perhaps it was indeed just a strange beast that had emerged from nowhere. But could there really be such a coincidence in the vast Kunlun Mountains, where this monster bug, which sought no one else, just happened to encounter him?


    Lu Chen, having been a shadow for many years, was no longer a believer in coincidences. This time was no different.


    Thus, he kept pondering the matter, repeatedly thinking about what might be unusual or attracting about himself that could draw such a monster. After much contemtion, he realized he might have only one secret that could attract such a creature in a distinctive way.


    The mysterious ck divine disk in his sea of energy¡­


    That night, Lu Chen spent a long time pondering in the dark mountain path, then closed his eyes slightly, facing the night. Darkness surged around him like a rising tide of waves.


    When he opened his eyes again, dark mes had already ignited in his pupils. The silent ck mes slowly burned on his body, and at this moment, there was no longer any trace of the pain and despair from years ago. The ck mes seemed to have be a part of Lu Chen¡¯s body, flickering on his flesh and blood.


    The night was as ck as ink, and the darkness rolled like tides. The man stood in the dark night, seemingly roaring or calling out into the boundless darkness ahead.


    Yet, the cold night remained unresponsive, the darkness as deep as a chasm, with no reply. Everything seemed dim and ordinary, with only a feeling of solitude lingering nearby. Lu Chen felt some disappointment, letting the ck fire quietly retract and extinguish. However, at that moment, he suddenly felt a stirring in his heart and looked towards the depths of the Kunlun Mountains.


    There, in the far reaches of Kunlun, the most mysterious forbidden zone was shrouded in perpetual mist. In the sky above, there were four strange floating peaks.


    Through the darkness and mountains, a strange tremor surged from the void, as if someone from afar had nced in his direction, or perhaps nothing had truly happened.


    Lu Chen sensed something unusual. But the sensation was fleeting, disappearing almost immediately, leaving him with little time to fullyprehend it. Yet, in that brief moment, Lu Chen felt a difference.


    Something truly existed over there, in that forbidden zone, resonating with the dark energy within him.


    What secrets lie hidden in the vast and tranquil Kunlun Mountains? And could this secret be rted to the traitor from the demonic sect?


    ¡ª


    During the day, someone arrived at Feiyan Pavilion, ignoring Lu Chen¡¯s objections and insisting on summoning Su Qingjun from her cave residence.


    Su Qingjun was somewhat displeased, which was understandable. However, the news brought by this person left both Lu Chen and Su Qingjun stunned. The once sensational yet quickly quieted case of He Changsheng¡¯s murder had suddenly resurfaced. After a prolonged period, the investigation had stirred once again. Under immense pressure, He Yi, who was entrusted with the investigation, had finally made some discoveries and started taking action.


    But the first target he seized surprised most people. He Yi had taken the Su family¡¯s three brothers¡ªSu Mo, Su Qian, and Su Wen¡ªinto custody.


    Using the pretext of investigating the demonic sect¡¯s assassination to detain them implied that the Su family brothers were suspected not only of being involved in He Changsheng¡¯s death but also of potentially colluding with the demonic sect.


    This usation was so grave that even the Su family could hardly bear it. Consequently, the Su family quickly took action, mobilizing their spies within the Kunlun Sect and other friendly cultivators to gather information, and did their best to help the Su brothers. Among them, Su Qingjun¡¯s role was crucial, so the message brought today was a plea for her urgent assistance.


    After hearing the news, Su Qingjun¡¯s expression turned serious. Without much discussion with Lu Chen, she sealed her cave residence and directly went down the mountain with the messenger.


    After Su Qingjun left, Lu Chen looked down the mountain with aplex gaze. Unlike Su Qingjun, who knew little about the situation, Lu Chen was almost entirely aware of the details surrounding He Changsheng¡¯s murder case.


    Who knows the details of a murder case the best? It would certainly be the murderer.


    Lu Chen waited on Feiyan Pavilion for a while before also heading down the mountain.


    Once Feiyan Pavilion became quiet and only he and Ah Tu were left, Ah Tu appeared anxious and restless. It repeatedly nced towards the rear mountain forest, then slowly got up and walked into the woods.


    In the forest, there was a faint light. Ah Tu clearly saw the surroundings and heard familiar birdcalls. However, that day, Ah Tu did not encounter Bai Lian again.


    In fact, after the day it met Bai Lian, Ah Tu had not seen her again. The little girl, barely over ten years old, seemed busier than most adults.


    Ah Tu did not seem surprised or even particrly bothered by Bai Lian¡¯s absence; it appeared more at ease. However, soon, its demeanor tensed again upon spotting a small bird suddenlynding on the ground, pecking through the thickyer of fallen leaves in search of food.


    Without hesitation, Ah Tu slowly approached. Its movements were almost silent, like a natural-born hunter closing in on its prey.


    Suddenly, the ck dog leapt forward, biting the bird¡¯s wing before it could take flight.

 Chapter 190: Bloodsucking Worms

    Chapter 190: Bloodsucking Worms


    He Yi¡¯s sudden and harsh action against the renowned Su family in Kunwu City seemed abrupt and forceful. It inevitably led to spection about personal vendettas or intentional framing.


    Various rumors quickly spread. However, after Su Qingjun descended the mountain and met with her father, and gathered information through trusted allies within the sect, she had a clearer understanding of the situation.


    Firstly, while He Yi did indeed detain Su Mo and the Su family¡¯s three brothers, it was only a temporary measure with no formal charges or torture. He Yi merely questioned them.


    There was a world of difference between questioning and charging, and while the Su family remained resentful, they were somewhat reassured. The reason He Yi focused on the Su family, rather than others, was given with a strong and irrefutable justification.


    Before He Changsheng¡¯s incident, the Su brothers had publicly beaten and humiliated him in the Liuxiangpu Garden, and not long after, He Changsheng was dead. This made the suspicion almost undeniable. Upon learning this, Su Tianhe and others were speechless. However, being family, the Su family could not truly abandon the matter, so they made every effort to leverage their connections within the Kunlun Sect to plead for their release.


    Unfortunately, their usual methods proved ineffective this time. He Yi was impervious to their pleas, and other high-ranking and respected sect elders declined to get involved, unwilling to be entangled in the controversy.


    Su Qingjun even approached her master, Mu Yuan Zhenren, who replied that: First, if there was no wrongdoing, there would be no consequences, and they would be released without any personal vendetta involved; second, the matter wasplicated, and even True Lords were paying attention, so ordinary people, including Nascent Soul experts, were reluctant to get involved.


    Feeling a mix of anxiety and anger, the Su family resolved to seek retribution against He Yi in the future. However, their anger soon turned to surprise. During the interrogation, He Yi asked the three brothers where they were the night of He Changsheng¡¯s death. While Su Qian and Su Wen provided valid alibis, Su Mo¡¯s responses were unexpectedly disproven¡ªhe had lied!


    Su Mo imed he was alone in his residence that night, but evidence soon showed he had been seen elsewhere. When pressed about hister whereabouts, Su Mo was left dumbfounded and could not provide an answer.This situation was obviously problematic! Unsurprisingly, Su Qian and Su Wen were released, but Su Mo alone was detained. This time, he was not treated lightly but was confined in a secluded room, essentially imprisoned.


    Further news became scarce, but rumors began to darken. It was said that He Yi, eager to achieve results, had either started or was nning to use torture on Su Mo.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Instant karma, instant karma!¡±


    Lu Chen arrived at Lao Ma¡¯s sparsely attended ck Hill Pavilion in Kunwu City. Hearing Lao Ma speak with a hint of glee, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and say, ¡°Don¡¯t get too happy; the reliability of this news is uncertain. It¡¯s all based on rumors.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Lao Ma replied cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯ve always disliked Su Mo. It¡¯s best if he suffers a bit more. Unfortunately, my status limits me; otherwise, I would really like to see it firsthand.¡±


    Lu Chen waved his hand, not wishing to argue about it. After sitting in contemtion for a moment, he said, ¡°He Yi¡¯s sudden action was unanticipated, and no one knew in advance. It seems strange, like he suddenly got hold of some information and began a vigorous investigation.¡±


    Lao Ma frowned, his smile fading slightly. With a trace of worry, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Is there any danger?¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± After a pause, his gaze suddenly shifted. ¡°Could it be information from the Sacred Tomb?¡±


    Lao Ma went to the side and returned after a while, handing him a letter. ¡°Take a look yourself.¡±


    Lu Chen nced at the envelope, whichcked a sender or recipient, and opened it. There were two sheets of paper. After reading, he nodded and sighed lightly. ¡°The bald man said he will return in the three to five days before the next full moon.¡±


    Lao Ma smiled. ¡°See, I told you. The True Lord still favors you. Even if you¡¯re unsure, he¡¯s willing to trust you.¡±


    Lu Chen did notment but remained silent for a moment. He then stood up, walked around the room, and said to Lao Ma, ¡°Keep an eye on He Gang these days. It¡¯s best to increase surveince and make sure he doesn¡¯t suddenly disappear.¡±


    Lao Ma¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°What are you nning?¡±


    Lu Chen replied calmly, ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet, but I¡¯ve been considering a strategy that might serve two purposes. If He Yi indeed pursues Su Mo relentlessly, and at the same time, his only brother in Kunwu City faces an unexpected incident, what would be the oue?¡±


    Lao Ma pondered silently for a moment before suddenly inhaling sharply, looking at Lu Chen with a hint of uncertainty about what to say next.


    Lu Chen calmly said, ¡°The strategy of killing two birds with one stone is likely intended to make He Yi suspect that it was a Kunwu City family, specifically the Su family, whomitted the crime in retaliation for his brother¡¯s death. This would deepen the enmity between He Yi and the Su family. On the other hand, upon hearing this news, the Su family would inevitably think that He Yi is furious. So, who would he take his anger out on?¡±


    Lao Ma nodded and said, ¡°Clever move. Very good¡­¡±


    Lu Chen continued, ¡°Although Su Mo is both foolish and annoying, his identity is unique. As the legitimate son of the Su family patriarch Su Tianhe and Su Qingjun¡¯s brother, the Su family cannot tolerate anything happening to him.¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡± Lao Ma seemed to want to say something but was interrupted by Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen, without raising his voice, simply said, ¡°In the next few days, you should arrange for someone to handle it discreetly.¡±


    Lao Ma was silent for a moment before nodding, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Oh, and one more thing,¡± Lao Ma suddenly changed the topic. ¡°About that three-eyed monster worm you mentionedst time¡­¡±


    Lu Chen responded with interest, ¡°Did you find any clues or information about it?¡±


    Lao Ma¡¯s expression grew serious, and he looked at Lu Chen with a strange gaze. ¡°I investigated this creature, but it seems it has been extinct for thousands of years,pletely vanished from the world.¡±


    Lu Chen was taken aback, ¡°What did you say? What exactly is this creature?¡±


    Lao Ma replied, ¡°Based on its described appearance and traits, I initially couldn¡¯t find any simr beast. However, after delving into some ancient texts, I finally found a creature simr to it in the oldest manuscript.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Bloodsucking Worm,¡¯ that¡¯s the name,¡± Lao Ma said.


    ¡°Bloodsucking Worm?¡± Lu Chen frowned and thought for a moment, ¡°It seems I haven¡¯t heard of it before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal. Even I had never heard of such a creature before. When I saw the Bloodsucking Worm in the ancient manuscripts, I was quite worried about you.¡±


    Lu Chen asked, ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Lao Ma countered with a question, ¡°Do you remember the legend about the Kunlun Sect¡¯s founders, Kun Yuanzi and Tie Luo, who established the sect in Kunlun Spiritual Mountain?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember,¡± Lu Chen said. This story had been told so many times by seniors in the sect that some might forget.


    Lao Ma nodded, ¡°It¡¯s rted to that legend. ording to the tale, when Kun Yuanzi and Tie Luo established the sect, they drove all the animals off the mountain, leading to a chaotic proliferation of beasts. But that wasn¡¯t the main issue. There was an unusual celestial event, and a divine dragon descended, passing down the sect¡¯s teachings for thousands of years. Meanwhile, evil spirits appeared on the mountain, attacking living beings with numerous monsters, including the Bloodsucking Worm.¡±


    Lu Chen frowned and asked, ¡°If this creature is so terrifying, why is it unknown in the Kunlun Sect?¡±


    ¡°Because this creature waspletely exterminated three or four thousand years ago,¡± Lao Ma said with a bitter smile, then added in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s why I said you might be encountering a ghost. A creature that has been extinct for thousands of years suddenly causing trouble for you.¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head, ¡°So ording to you, these Bloodsucking Worms should have been extinct for millennia?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°They emerged with the evil spirits in Kunlun Mountain and endangered the world?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the books say at least,¡± Lao Ma shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about events from thousands of years ago.¡±


    Lu Chen slowly stood up and said, ¡°It seems that the forbidden area indeed harbors many mysteries.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lao Ma asked, following up.


    Lu Chen shook his head and said, ¡°Given the increasing number of issues on Kunlun Mountain, I might not be able toe down frequently. Keep an eye on He Gang. If you see a good opportunity, you might want to deal with him yourself.¡±


    Lao Ma¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see if He Yi¡¯s brotherly affection will lead him to desperate measures, escting the situation with the Su family. If he goes all out, things could be even more chaotic, and perhaps the traitor will reveal themselves.¡±


    He stood up, smiled at Lao Ma, and then withdrew his hand from his sleeve, feeling the charred remains of the Bloodsucking Worm.

 Chapter 191: Casting a Net

    Chapter 191: Casting a Net


    There are sixteen days left until the next full moon night.


    The Su family has been actively working within the sect, trying to get Su Mo released. They refuse to believe that Su Mo, who was raised in luxury, could be connected with the evil demons of the Devil Sect.


    In fact, it¡¯s not just the Su family that believes this; most of the prominent families in Kunwu City share a simr view. As a result, rumors spread that He Yi¡¯s sudden trouble with the Su family was a retaliation for what happened to his brother He Gang. Such rumors naturally spread.


    These rumors are particrly distressing, causing people to feel trapped and frustrated. However, He Yi seems resolute and indifferent to the external pressures, continuing to detain Su Mo despite the Su family¡¯s demands.


    The Su family¡¯s efforts within the sect also encountered unexpected resistance. Almost all the True Immortals above the Nascent Soul stage refused or declined to intervene on their behalf, including Su Qingjun¡¯s master, Wood Origin True Master.


    After a day or two of this deadlock, the atmosphere in the Kunlun Sect changed dramatically. Many families that had been furious and indignant suddenly fell silent.


    Those who have been around Kunlun Mountain for hundreds of years know how to read the wind and adapt to the situation.


    Although Su Qingjun had recently had a falling out with Su Mo and even taught him a lesson, resulting in a cold war with her family, she could not remain detached. After all, Su Mo was her biological brother, and her parents were frantic. She still went to plead with her master, Wood Origin True Master.


    Everyone in Kunlun knew that Wood Origin True Master cared for Su Qingjun, but he still shook his head and refused her request.Su Qingjun was puzzled and worried. Wood Origin True Master sighed and, ensuring there was no one else around, spoke quietly to her, ¡°Things are different now. This matter has caught the attention of the True Monarch. An investigation must be carried out, and no one can stop it. You should be careful and avoid drawing attention.¡±


    Su Qingjun was shocked, her face turning pale, and her voice trembling as she whispered, ¡°Master¡­ Could it be that True Monarch Bai Chen is targeting our Su family¡­¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Wood Origin True Master¡¯s expression changed immediately, and he quickly hushed Su Qingjun, then checked the surroundings. Despite being in Wood Origin True Master¡¯s own cave, where eavesdropping would be nearly impossible, he was still very cautious.


    After a moment, Wood Origin True Master sighed in relief and took Su Qingjun to a more secluded spot. ¡°Listen carefully. First, this matter is not specifically targeting your Su family. Your brothers are just unlucky to be involved in this case. As long as there are reasonable exnations, He Yi won¡¯t make things too difficult for you. Didn¡¯t Su Qian and Su Wen both get released?¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded, her expression improving slightly as she seemed to breathe a little easier, though she still looked worried. ¡°What about Su Mo?¡±


    Wood Origin True Master did not answer that question directly but grunted and said, ¡°Secondly, what you don¡¯t know is that the one paying attention to this matter is not True Monarch Bai Chen but True Monarch Tian Lan.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Su Qingjun was surprised. ¡°True Monarch Tian Lan? How could he¡­¡±


    Wood Origin True Master¡¯s face was serious as he continued, ¡°Although True Monarch Tian Lan doesn¡¯t often stay on Kunlun Mountain, he is one of the two supreme transformation stage True Monarchs of our sect. I heard that he recently wrote a letter harshly criticizing the sect leader, Xian Yue, for allowing the appearance of demons and the murder of people on Kunlun Mountain. The continuedck of progress in the investigation has led to usations of ipetence!¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face turned pale. Although she was not at the highest level of the cultivation world, she had grown up hearing and seeing many things in the prominent family and had followed Wood Origin True Master from a young age due to her exceptional talent. She instinctively covered her mouth and gasped, ¡°How could True Monarch Tian Lan speak to the sect leader like that?¡±


    Wood Origin True Master smiled and said, ¡°He is a transformation stage True Monarch and also the sect leader¡¯s uncle, so he naturally has the right to speak in such a manner. You didn¡¯t see Xian Yue¡¯s reaction¡ªalthough he was displeased, he still gritted his teeth and endured it.¡±


    Su Qingjun, being intelligent, quickly thought of another issue and whispered, ¡°What about True Monarch Bai Chen¡­¡±


    Wood Origin True Master replied calmly, ¡°Given the circumstances, True Monarch Bai Chen will not say much.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded but still showed concern. Wood Origin True Master nced at her and sighed, ¡°Qingjun, you know that our Iron Branch is weak. Now, the sect is filled with internal struggles and power conflicts, especially among the Kun Branch. We cannot afford to get involved with the two True Monarchs. If they be angry, the consequences could be disastrous.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded silently, not saying anything further. Wood Origin True Master thought for a moment and then reassured her, ¡°From my perspective, if your brother really hasn¡¯t done anything wrong, he will probably just endure some hardships, but nothing too serious.¡±


    Su Qingjun looked up suddenly and asked, ¡°Master, is that true?¡±


    There are sixteen days left until the next full moon night.


    The Su family has been actively working within the sect, trying to get Su Mo released. They refuse to believe that Su Mo, who was raised in luxury, could be involved with the evil demons of the Devil Sect.


    In fact, it¡¯s not just the Su family that thinks this way; most of the prominent families in Kunwu City share a simr view. Consequently, rumors have spread that He Yi¡¯s sudden trouble with the Su family is a retaliation for the incident involving his brother He Gang. Such rumors naturally circte.


    These rumors are particrly distressing, causing people to feel trapped and frustrated. However, He Yi seems resolute and indifferent to the external pressures, continuing to detain Su Mo despite the Su family¡¯s demands.


    The Su family¡¯s efforts within the sect also faced unexpected resistance. Almost all the True Immortals above the Nascent Soul stage refused or declined to intervene on their behalf, including Su Qingjun¡¯s master, Wood Origin True Master.


    After a day or two of this deadlock, the atmosphere in the Kunlun Sect changed dramatically. Many families that had been furious and indignant suddenly fell silent.


    Those who have been around Kunlun Mountain for hundreds of years know how to read the wind and adapt to the situation.


    Although Su Qingjun had recently had a falling out with Su Mo and even taught him a lesson, resulting in a cold war with her family, she could not remain detached. After all, Su Mo was her biological brother, and her parents were frantic. She still went to plead with her master, Wood Origin True Master.


    Everyone in Kunlun knew that Wood Origin True Master cared for Su Qingjun, but he still shook his head and refused her request.


    Su Qingjun was puzzled and worried. Wood Origin True Master sighed and, ensuring there was no one else around, spoke quietly to her, ¡°Things are different now. This matter has caught the attention of the True Monarch. An investigation must be carried out, and no one can stop it. You should be careful and avoid drawing attention.¡±


    Su Qingjun was shocked, her face turning pale, and her voice trembling as she whispered, ¡°Master¡­ Could it be that True Monarch Bai Chen is targeting our Su family¡­¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Wood Origin True Master¡¯s expression changed immediately, and he quickly hushed Su Qingjun, then checked the surroundings. Despite being in Wood Origin True Master¡¯s own cave, where eavesdropping would be nearly impossible, he was still very cautious.


    After a moment, Wood Origin True Master sighed in relief and took Su Qingjun to a more secluded spot. ¡°Listen carefully. First, this matter is not specifically targeting your Su family. Your brothers are just unlucky to be involved in this case. As long as there are reasonable exnations, He Yi won¡¯t make things too difficult for you. Didn¡¯t Su Qian and Su Wen both get released?¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded, her expression improving slightly as she seemed to breathe a little easier, though she still looked worried. ¡°What about Su Mo?¡±


    Wood Origin True Master did not answer that question directly but grunted and said, ¡°Secondly, what you don¡¯t know is that the one paying attention to this matter is not True Monarch Bai Chen but True Monarch Tian Lan.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Su Qingjun was surprised. ¡°True Monarch Tian Lan? How could he¡­¡±


    Wood Origin True Master¡¯s face was serious as he continued, ¡°Although True Monarch Tian Lan doesn¡¯t often stay on Kunlun Mountain, he is one of the two supreme transformation stage True Monarchs of our sect. I heard that he recently wrote a letter harshly criticizing the sect leader, Xian Yue, for allowing demons and murders on Kunlun Mountain. The continuedck of progress in the investigation has led to usations of ipetence!¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face turned pale. Although she was not at the highest level of the cultivation world, she had grown up hearing and seeing many things in the prominent family and had followed Wood Origin True Master from a young age due to her exceptional talent. She instinctively covered her mouth and gasped, ¡°How could True Monarch Tian Lan speak to the sect leader like that?¡±


    Wood Origin True Master smiled and said, ¡°He is a transformation stage True Monarch and also the sect leader¡¯s uncle, so he naturally has the right to speak in such a manner. You didn¡¯t see Xian Yue¡¯s reaction¡ªalthough he was displeased, he still gritted his teeth and endured it.¡±


    Su Qingjun, being intelligent, quickly thought of another issue and whispered, ¡°What about True Monarch Bai Chen¡­¡±


    Wood Origin True Master replied calmly, ¡°Given the circumstances, True Monarch Bai Chen will not say much.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded but still showed concern. Wood Origin True Master nced at her and sighed, ¡°Qingjun, you know that our Iron Branch is weak. Now, the sect is filled with internal struggles and power conflicts, especially among the Kun Branch. We cannot afford to get involved with the two True Monarchs. If they be angry, the consequences could be disastrous.¡±


    Su Qingjun nodded silently, not saying anything further. Wood Origin True Master thought for a moment and then reassured her, ¡°From my perspective, if your brother really hasn¡¯t done anything wrong, he will probably just endure some hardships, but nothing too serious.¡±


    Su Qingjun looked up suddenly and asked, ¡°Master, is that true?¡±


    ¡ª


    The next day, Kunlun Mountain, which seemed calm, suddenly stirred with activity.


    Before noon, Su Mo, whom the Su family was anxiously waiting for, had not yet been released. However, He Yi had sent people to question several individuals, including Lin Kuangyi and Zhang Zhi, who were present during the dispute at the Liuxiang Garden.


    When this news reached him, Lu Chen had a bad premonition. Sure enough, in the afternoon, someone came to Feiyan Terrace.


    The visitor was a Kunlun disciple from the Heavenly Soldiers Hall, who was actually He Yi¡¯s junior. Although the visitor was polite, their attitude was very firm as they ¡°invited¡± Su Qingjun and Lu Chen to go with them to meet He Yi.


    No one wanted to go see He Yi under such circumstances. It was said to be a chat, but everyone knew it was likely a trap. A careless word could result in being detained, and those detained would likely dare not resist.


    With the strict rules of the Kunlun Sect, this matter was personally instructed by the sect leader to investigate the Devil Sect¡¯s demons; behind it was the shadow of the high-ranking transformation stage True Monarch. Who would dare offend such figures?


    Lu Chen and Su Qingjun had no intention of resisting and agreed to go with the visitor. However, Lu Chen privately sent many friendly greetings to the bald He Yi in his mind.


    Previously, it was only said that He Yi was detaining people, but when Lu Chen was actually taken to the location, he was astonished to find that He Yi had chosen to detain and question the suspects at a nameless mountain peak¡¯s back, in a ce called the Righteous Tomb.


    When he saw the dark courtyard and confirmed the location, Lu Chen felt a secret satisfaction. Su Mo, detained in such a ce, would probably face significant hardships in theing days.


    Unlike Lu Chen, who had some foreknowledge, Su Qingjun had never been to this ce before. Seeing the eerie and ominous location, she, like everyone else, showed a look of disgust and surprise, not expecting there would be such a ce on Kunlun Mountain.


    Though displeased, they had to go. As they were about to knock on the door, therge ck gate of the Righteous Tomb suddenly opened, and a person staggered out. Looking closely, it was He Yi.


    Note ¨C


    ¡°True Monarch¡± (Õæ¾ý) and ¡°True Master¡± (ÕæÈË) are not the same in cultivation novels. They represent different levels of achievement and authority:<ol><li> **True Master (ÕæÈË)**: This title generally indicates a highly skilled and advanced cultivator who has reached a significant level of mastery in their cultivation practice. It is a term of respect but does not necessarily denote the highest level of cultivation.</li></ol><ol start="2"><li> **True Monarch (Õæ¾ý)**: This title suggests an even higher level of cultivation and authority than a True Master. A True Monarch is often seen as a more powerful and influential figure, having attained a greater depth of understanding and control over their spiritual or elemental abilities.</li></ol>

 Chapter 192: The Righteous Tomb as a Prison

    Chapter 192: The Righteous Tomb as a Prison


    Lu Chen and Su Qingjun were both startled. They exchanged a nce and then came to a halt.


    The Kunlun disciple who had led them here was also surprised and quickly ran over to support He Yi, eximing, ¡°Senior Brother, Senior Brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He Yi waved his hand to indicate that it was nothing serious and then noticed Su Qingjun and Lu Chen behind him, giving them a nod.


    Seeing that He Yi seemed to be in rtively normal condition and not in any major trouble, Su Qingjun and Lu Chen approached him.


    Su Qingjun examined He Yi and frowned, ¡°Senior Brother He, have you encountered something? Why do you look so unwell?¡±


    He Yi forced a bitter smile and was about to respond when several people seemed to sense something and turned their heads towards the ck courtyard of the Righteous Tomb.


    A whirlwind of dust and debris suddenly erupted from the courtyard, twisting in the air like a dirt dragon. The wind howled fiercely, and the sharp sound of the wind was audible even from a distance, with strong spiritual energy surging nearby.


    Lu Chen¡¯s expression shifted slightly, and Su Qingjun, standing beside him, also looked shocked. ¡°Is someone fighting inside?¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, the wind suddenly intensified tenfold and surged towards the gate.In an instant, sand and stones were flying everywhere. Su Qingjun¡¯s face changed as she reached out to grab Lu Chen¡¯s arm, intending to pull him back. To her surprise, she found Lu Chen already several feet away, having sprinted ahead. No wonder she hadn¡¯t been able to catch him.


    Su Qingjun snorted, somewhat annoyed and embarrassed, and red at Lu Chen. She then followed him while muttering under her breath, ¡°Not very skilled, but you run fast!¡±


    Lu Chen, with his sharp ears, caught thisment and smiled as he replied, ¡°What can I do? In this world, it¡¯s tough to get by. I don¡¯t have the innate talent and skills that you geniuses have, and just one person is enough to trouble us servants. So, while I can¡¯t ck off in my cultivation, I must never neglect the skill of escaping.¡±


    ¡°You talk too much,¡± Su Qingjun said with a smile before scolding him.


    On the other side, He Yi watched their exchange and expressions thoughtfully, though he did not show much reaction.


    After a while, the wind gradually subsided. The dirt dragon in the air seemed to be affected by a powerful force, twisting more severely before suddenly breaking apart and falling to the ground.


    Then, the wind stopped.


    A figure emerged from the ck courtyard, and it was Dongfang Tao.


    Darkness swirled behind him, and another thin, withered figure could be faintly seen behind him¡ªthe Corpse Watcher. However, it was clear that he had little interest in those outside the Righteous Tomb.


    With Dongfang Tao¡¯s appearance, it was evident that the previous battle had involved Dongfang Tao and the Corpse Watcher. This realization surprised both Lu Chen and Su Qingjun.


    Dongfang Tao had recently broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, making him a powerful figure in the Kunlun Sect. But even more surprising was the Corpse Watcher. Despite his ugly, emaciated appearance, like a lonely old man or a decrepit figure, he had proven to be a formidable opponent, holding his own against a Nascent Soul cultivator.


    The reasons behind their conflict and its sudden cessation were beyond Lu Chen and Su Qingjun¡¯s understanding.


    Dongfang Tao spoke to the Corpse Watcher, looking quite angry. The Corpse Watcher responded in a sinister and cryptic manner, which only seemed to further infuriate Dongfang Tao.


    Nevertheless, Dongfang Tao eventually restrained his anger and left the dark mountain peak.


    ¡ª


    As Dongfang Tao departed, He Yi, Su Qingjun, and Lu Chen all bowed to him. Dongfang Tao paid little attention to the young juniors, only nodding slightly to He Yi in acknowledgment.


    Watching Dongfang Tao leave, Lu Chen and Su Qingjun finally approached the threshold of the courtyard. He Yi, having moved ahead of them, entered the courtyard first and addressed the Corpse Watcher, ¡°Senior, you see¡­¡±


    ¡°Mind your own business and don¡¯t worry about me,¡± the Corpse Watcher said coldly before turning and walking back into the darkness, appearing unchanged from usual.


    He Yi sighed in relief and then turned to chat casually with Su Qingjun. Lu Chen stood by, seemingly unnoticed.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Senior Brother He, you summoned us here¡ªwhat exactly is the matter?¡± After some insincere pleasantries, Su Qingjun asked He Yi.


    He Yi waved his hand dismissively and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing major. It¡¯s just that the death of He Changsheng was quite tragic, and some higher-ups in the sect were displeased, so they ordered a thorough investigation.¡± He paused and smiled in a manner that seemed both modest and a bit troubled, making it hard for others to discern his true thoughts. ¡°Since both of you were present in the Liuxiang Garden that day during the argument¡­¡±


    Lu Chen and Su Qingjun¡¯s expressions suddenly darkened. Su Qingjun, with a serious face, said to He Yi, ¡°Senior Brother He, calling us here without evidence seems a bit excessive, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    He Yi¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he said calmly, ¡°If you have any objections, you can directly appeal to the Sect Leader Xianyue. Once an orderes down, I will naturally cease.¡±


    Such an order was unattainable, and Su Qingjun was well aware of this. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, please proceed with your questions. But before that, I would like to see my useless brother. May I?¡±


    ¡°That might be a bit inconvenient,¡± He Yi directly refused. He then respectfully said to Su Qingjun, ¡°Junior Sister Su, you needn¡¯t worry too much. We still have some questions for people other than Young Master Su to see if they are involved with the Demon Cult.¡±


    Su Qingjun snorted, saying, ¡°So, you¡¯re suspecting us, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± He Yi smiled and said, ¡°Even if I have suspicions, it wouldn¡¯t be about you. However, what needs to be done must be done. Given the current state of the cultivation world, with many Demon Cult spies, it¡¯s truly hard to guard against them. I apologize for any inconvenience caused.¡±


    Following this, He Yi wasted no more time and began questioning them. At one point, he separated them and asked only a few questions, but some were difficult to answer, particrly the crucial question about where they had been the night He Changsheng died.


    Three people from the Su family had been detained. Su Wen and Su Qian, who exined their whereabouts that night, were released. However, Su Mo, who was evasive about his whereabouts, was detained.


    He Yi seemed to be true to his word and didn¡¯t make things difficult for Su Qingjun. However, he showed a different side with Lu Chen.


    He began to press Lu Chen about his whereabouts that night and if anyone could vouch for him.


    Lu Chen thought about it and realized that he always lived alone and could neither vouch for anyone else nor himself. He Yi immediately turned unfriendly and announced to Su Qingjun that he would temporarily keep Lu Chen for further questioning.


    Su Qingjun argued vehemently and was unwilling to leave Lu Chen behind. However, He Yi refused to release him, saying that while Lu Chen wouldn¡¯t be harmed, he really needed to be questioned.


    Despite the ongoing questioning, Su Mo had not been fully interrogated yet and was still detained. Lu Chen was naturally unwilling to stay behind, but seeing He Yi¡¯s firm attitude, he signaled to Su Qingjun to remain calm.


    With the guidance of her master, Wood Original Real Person, Su Qingjun understood the extensive and profound background of this matter, which naturally made her a bit more apprehensive. Lu Chen, on the other hand, had been away for years and didn¡¯t care much about it.


    Lu Chen¡¯s real reason for agreeing to stay was his curiosity about the Righteous Tomb¡ªparticrly about the mysterious Corpse Watcher and the dead.


    He Yi¡¯s choice to question them in this eerie Righteous Tomb made Lu Chen wonder if there were other underlying motives.


    Lu Chen was suddenly very eager to see the condition of the person who had been detained for so long.


    ¡ª


    As the situation concluded, only one person left among the two who hade together. This scene made Su Qingjun feel uneasy, and her gaze towards He Yi became particrly unfriendly.


    He Yi smiled wryly, offered no further exnations, and sent Su Qingjun away.


    If possible, He Yi would have preferred to keep Su Qingjun as well. But doing so would likely provoke the Iron Guard and enrage the Su family, potentially causing chaos that He Yi, Sect Leader Xianyue, and his master, Xu Kong Real Person, wanted to avoid.


    Lu Chen was taken to a dark room.


    In this eerie ce, even the rooms appeared particrly terrifying due to the location¡¯s specific use. ording to He Yi, Lu Chen should rest for the night and they would talk more tomorrow.


    Lu Chen did not argue and silently epted He Yi¡¯s words. As he tried to discern and explore his surroundings in the dark room, he suddenly heard a weak, painful, and fearful voice from a corner.


    ¡°Help me, help me¡­ help me¡­¡±


    Lu Chen immediately stopped and turned towards the source of the voice.


    After a moment, he walked a few steps toward the corner and found a figure huddled in the darkness. He crouched down, sighed, and said, ¡°Young Master Su, hello.¡±


    (To be continued¡­)

 Chapter 193: Howling at the Moon

    Chapter 193: Howling at the Moon


    To be honest, Lu Chen did not expect to meet Su Mo so quickly and smoothly. He had thought that Su Mo, being the only suspect currently detained, would be kept in a secret ce under strict surveince.


    To his surprise, He Yi had casually ced both of them together in the same confinement.


    This move was unusual, or rather, it waspletely abnormal. Given that Su Mo¡¯s status as a potential Demon Cult spy was still unconfirmed, it was dangerous to ce him with others.


    Moreover, the recent incident where Su Qingjun caused amotion at the Su family residence, and the injuries Lu Chen sustained from Su Mo and others, were not difficult to learn. Lu Chen did not believe that He Yi, who was so calcting, was unaware of these details.


    At present, putting him and Su Mo together seemed to carry a deeper meaning.


    Lu Chen quickly ran these thoughts through his mind, but his expression remained unchanged. He looked at the man huddled in the corner of the dark room, who was faintly recognizable as the once arrogant Su Mo.


    Lu Chen greeted Su Mo, but Su Mo did not respond. He continued to mutter the same two words repeatedly, seemingly lost in his own world.


    Lu Chen frowned and crouched in front of Su Mo. At this closer distance, he could see that Su Mo was curled up, burying his head in his knees and hugging his head with his hands, looking extremely frightened.


    ¡°Help me¡­ help me¡­ sister, help me¡­¡± Su Mo kept whispering intermittently, his voice trembling, showing no reaction to Lu Chen, who was so near.Lu Chen reached out and gently patted Su Mo¡¯s shoulder. Su Mo flinched slightly but made no other movement.


    The situation appeared odd and eerie. Lu Chen stared at Su Mo, lost in thought. After a moment, he suddenly stood up and looked around.


    This was a dark room. Most rooms in the Righteous Tomb were simr; their extreme darkness often made it difficult to gauge their actual size. In this room, one particr area near the wall was especially dark.


    Lu Chen fixed his gaze on that particrly dense darkness, surveyed the surroundings, and after a while, a smirk appeared on his lips¡ªa cold smile with a hint of mockery.


    ¡ª


    Su Qingjun returned alone to the Flying Goose tform as night had fallen. Her mood was poor, haunted by the dark and eerie scenes from the Righteous Tomb. She was increasingly worried, even more so than before her visit.


    She was concerned about her brother Su Mo and Lu Chen.


    Walking along the mountain path, Su Qingjun resolved to visit the ominous Righteous Tomb again the next morning. No matter what, she was determined to do her best to rescue them. Although there might be mysterious undercurrents behind the scenes, it had nothing to do with Su Mo and Lu Chen!


    As she reached the Flying Goose tform, she suddenly paused. In the cold night, she saw a ck dog sitting alone in front of the wooden house, staring intently at the mountain path.


    After a moment, Ah Tu stood up and walked slowly over to Su Qingjun. When it reached her side, it first nced behind her. Seeing that no one else was there, Ah Tu looked up at Su Qingjun and gave a soft bark.


    Su Qingjun had not interacted much with this ck dog usually. It was only because Lu Chen insisted on bringing Ah Tu along that she allowed it to stay on the Flying Goose tform, leading to a few brief encounters.


    However, tonight, she felt that Ah Tu seemed somewhat different from usual, though she couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint how.


    Perhaps it was due to her limited interactions with it.


    Su Qingjun sighed and said to Ah Tu, ¡°Are you waiting for Lu Chen, Ah Tu?¡±


    Ah Tu looked at her and wagged its tail. Having been injured, it only had one eye and half a tail left. The tail-wagging seemed somewhatical, while its one remaining eye and the scars on its face gave a tragic impression. These two contrasting feelings bizarrelybined in the ck dog.


    Su Qingjun felt a twinge of guilt and then found it a bit amusing. But looking at Ah Tu, she felt a vague difort. She softly said, ¡°Lu Chen has been detained and won¡¯t be back tonight. But I¡¯ve decided to go back tomorrow. Regardless of what they uncover, as long as they cannot confirm he¡¯s a traitor, I will bring him back. Is that alright?¡±


    Ah Tu quietly watched Su Qingjun. Its only eye had a dark, flickering light, and its half tail had stopped wagging at some point.


    Seeing that Ah Tu remained motionless for a long time, Su Qingjun was unsure if it understood her words. She sighed softly and then turned to walk toward the stone cave residence, opening the stone door and going inside.


    The heavy stone door closed behind her, and the Flying Goose tform fell into silence once more.


    The night grew colder and more deste.


    The ck dog slowly stood up and walked to the edge of the cliff, gazing at the vast sea of clouds. It quietly observed.


    A greenish glow lit up in its only eye, like a translucent gem or the deep sea. It slowly looked up, staring into the dark night sky.


    ¡ª


    That night, thick clouds obscured the moon and stars, leaving only a veil of darkness across the world.


    The ck dog stood there alone, the night wind growing tighter and colder. It lifted its head to the sky, its ck fur rustling as its eerie green eyes flickered.


    Suddenly, it raised its head, howling towards the sky, the dark clouds, or perhaps the unseen cold moon hidden high above.


    ¡°Awoo¡­¡±


    The mournful howl echoed across the sea of clouds, lingering for a long time!


    ¡ª


    Su Qingjun indeed woke up early the next morning. After dressing, she left the cave residence, preparing to head to the Righteous Tomb. As she was leaving the Flying Goose tform, she nced at the wooden house but did not see Ah Tu, thinking the ck dog might still be asleep.


    Su Qingjun got up early, but on the same morning, there was someone else who woke up even earlier, walking along the quiet streets of Kunwu City before it became bustling.


    Although the streets were not yet busy, there were some early risers. The plump Lao Ma yawned and saw a breakfast stall on the side of the road, so he walked over and sat down.


    Such roadside stalls usually sold mundane food that ordinary people ate. They did not offer any spiritual materials or special food, so ordinary cultivators generally wouldn¡¯t frequent them. However, Lao Ma seemed more like an ordinary person. He sat down casually, ordered some steaming breakfast and hot porridge, and ate heartily. After a while, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he seemed to finally rx, looking morefortable.


    ¡°It was so coldst night,¡± he remarked, then turned his gaze towards the north, where the majestic Kunlun Mountain range could be seen, even though the tall city walls of Kunwu City couldn¡¯t block it.


    Lao Ma pursed his lips and muttered to himself, ¡°I¡¯ve done what I needed to do. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t bother me now. Let¡¯s see what you do next.¡±


    He daydreamed for a while and then called the vendor to settle the bill.


    The stall owner, an old man, came over to calcte the bill amicably. As he turned to leave, he suddenly noticed the blood on Lao Ma¡¯s hand and reminded him, ¡°Sir, your hand is bleeding.¡±


    Lao Ma looked down and indeed saw some blood dripping from between his left hand¡¯s fingers. He smiled and said to the vendor, ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize I cut my hand. Thanks for pointing it out. I¡¯ll take care of itter.¡±


    The old man chuckled, cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, and left. Lao Ma then stood up, walking back onto the street. As he moved, he nonchntly wiped the blood from his hand on his sleeve, making it disappear.


    He walked forward contentedly, blending into the gradually busy street. No one noticed the plump man with bloodstains as he slowly merged with the crowd and vanished from sight.


    ¡ª


    He Yi did not sleep well that night.


    The Righteous Tomb was heavy with yin energy, making it an unsuitable ce for ordinary people. Even for him, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator with considerable cultivation, staying here for too long was ufortable.


    Living in such a gloomy ce for extended periods might make one¡¯s temperament strange, much like the corpse watcher. He Yi was curious about this corpse watcher, a withered old man who was mysterious and evidently powerful. There seemed to be some unclear enmity with the newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator Dongfang Tao, making things even more enigmatic.


    However, these were not He Yi¡¯s most pressing concerns at the moment. Rmended by Master Kong and appointed by the sect leader Xian Yue, he was focused on investigating the Demon Cult spy murder case. The ongoing dy was causing him significant pressure.


    As a result, he had to escte his methods. It was toote to use the previous gentle and tactful approaches. Both his master and the sect leader could no longer afford leniency.


    He Yi felt some grievance; the methods of the Demon Cult spies were ruthless yet extraordinarily cautious. Despite his extensive experience with the Demon Cult, finding reliable clues remained elusive. However, he did not me his two superiors. Without them, he would likely still be in secluded meditation, and he wouldn¡¯t have been able to act so soon.


    He Yi even felt a bit ashamed, thinking he had let down his master and the sect leader.


    Thus, he resolved to meticulously question the two detained individuals today, hoping to extract some useful information. With this achievement, he might be able to have his brother He Gang reinstated in the Kunlun Sect.


    As he thought of this, his heavy mood lightened considerably, and he smiled slightly as he stepped out of his room.


    However, as he reached the courtyard, he suddenly paused. At the entrance to the Righteous Tomb, the heavy ck door was ajar, and outside stood a ck dog, staring intently at him.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 194: Leaving the Darkness

    Chapter 194: Leaving the Darkness


    He Yi had never seen this dog before, or rather, even if he had, he wouldn¡¯t have paid attention to such an ordinary ck dog. However, seeing the dog now, he was slightly surprised. It was strange that a ce as ominous as this, where all living things avoided at all costs, had a dog wander in. He was also surprised by the dog¡¯s injuries and scars.


    This was clearly a severely injured dog, not only scarred but also missing an eye and part of its tail, making it look ugly and frightening. He Yi, being a normal person, frowned at the sight of the ck dog, feeling a bit disgusted.


    However, his expression soon softened slightly. This change wasn¡¯t due to a sudden burst ofpassion, but because the sight of the dog reminded him of his brother, He Gang. He Gang had been severely injured and disfigured after being attacked by a pack of demonic ck jackal dogs in the Confusion Lands. After a series of events, he now looked neither human nor ghost, causing He Yi, as the elder brother, to feel heartache. Somehow, seeing this ck dog, He Yi felt a sudden pang of sympathy.


    So, instead of chasing the ck dog away, He Yi paused to watch it for a moment before walking over. The ck dog watched him silently without moving, neither retreating nor avoiding him. There was a strange glimmer in its single eye, fixated on He Yi.


    He Yi nced at the dog and then outside the door, confirming that there was no one else around. It seemed no one had deliberately brought the dog here. This made it even more puzzling, as He Yi had noticed that this ce was filled with a dense, ominous atmosphere that repelled all living creatures. Not even rats or cockroaches could be seen in this cemetery.


    Could it be that the dog¡¯s ck color made it unafraid of the darkness of the cemetery? This absurd thought crossed He Yi¡¯s mind, making even him feel bored. Still, he felt some goodwill towards the dog and waved at it, saying, ¡°This isn¡¯t a ce for you. Go away.¡± He made a shooing motion as he spoke.


    The ck dog took two steps back, still staring at He Yi. Perhaps because He Yi hadn¡¯t shown much hostility and had even been somewhat gentle, the dog didn¡¯t react aggressively. It nced into the cemetery¡¯s courtyard, seemingly hesitant. The dark and eerie atmosphere inside clearly made it ufortable, and it didn¡¯t want to enter.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, the dog retreated more than a yard andy down under a big tree, as if waiting for something. He Yi nced in that direction, shook his head, and decided not to bother. He had enough trouble dealing with people; who had the time to worry about a dog?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ùHe Yi turned and walked deeper into the courtyard. The door to the room where Su Mo and the newly arrived errand boy, Lu Chen, were being held was still locked. In the darkness on the other side, the corpse keeper emerged from the shadows like a ghost.


    He Yi nodded at him and looked at the closed door, a worried expression on his face. He asked the corpse keeper, ¡°Elder, are they going to be alright?¡±


    The corpse keeper¡¯s face was ashen, his expression always seeming stiff and lifeless. He responded tly to He Yi¡¯s question, ¡°They won¡¯t die.¡±


    He Yi shook his head, seemingly smiling bitterly, and sighed, ¡°Any results?¡±


    The corpse keeper replied, ¡°Under the Mind Control Technique, the soul is damaged, trapped in terrifying illusions. There is no falsehood in what they say. It shouldn¡¯t be these two.¡±


    He Yi fell silent. The corpse keeper paid him no further attention and casually gestured. A gust of eerie wind arose, sweeping through the courtyard, and the door suddenly creaked open.


    He Yi frowned and walked into the room. After a while, he came out dragging two people, Su Mo and Lu Chen. Lu Chen¡¯s face was pale, his eyes vacant, sitting on the ground with a confused expression. He asionally muttered something, but it was unclear what he was saying. As for Su Mo, his condition was even worse, likely because he had been there longer. He looked like an idiot, drooling, eyes askew,pletely transformed from the once noble young man he had been.


    He Yi nced at Lu Chen, then focused most of his attention on Su Mo. After observing for a while, he suddenly stood up and said to the corpse keeper, ¡°Elder, thank you for your help this time, but I think we should leave it at that. As for tracking down the demonic cult members, I¡¯ll figure something out on my own.¡±


    The corpse keeper¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He just nced at He Yi and said coldly, ¡°I owed you a favor, so I helped. Since you don¡¯t need it, I won¡¯t interfere anymore.¡±


    He Yi sighed, ¡°It¡¯s mainly because your ¡®Mind Control Technique¡¯ is too domineering. I¡¯m afraid that if this continues, these two people¡¯s minds will bepletely destroyed. It doesn¡¯t matter much for that errand boy, but Su Mo has a family background, and we can¡¯t mess around with him.¡±


    ¡°As you wish. But remember, after this, don¡¯te to bother me again.¡± The corpse keeper said indifferently, then turned and walked deeper into the courtyard. As he left, he waved his w-like hand over Su Mo and Lu Chen, and a few dim lights floated up from them, following him into the darkness.


    Both Su Mo and Lu Chen trembled suddenly, and then their heads drooped, fainting to the ground.


    He Yi walked over and checked their pulses, feeling them gradually stabilize, which reassured him a bit.


    After all, the Kunlun Sect has its rules, and he couldn¡¯t act recklessly. If he wronged innocent people and caused their deaths, not even his master or the sect leader could protect him.


    With the Mind Control Technique lifted, Lu Chen didn¡¯t seem much different, but Su Mo looked much better; at least the foolish expression with the drooling and skewed eyes was gone, and his face gradually returned to normal, though he still looked somewhat pale.


    About half an hourter, He Yi suddenly heard a call from the entrance of the cemetery, ¡°Senior Brother He!¡±


    He turned and saw Su Qingjun standing at the threshold, looking serious. Her gaze fell on the two people lying on the ground, and she immediately showed a look of surprise and concern.


    He Yi cupped his hands in greeting, ¡°Good morning, Junior Sister Su.¡±


    Su Qingjun slowly walked over, seemingly trying to keep her emotions in check, and asked, ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    He Yi replied, ¡°Just released them to get some fresh air.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face turned cold, ¡°What did you do to them?¡±


    He Yi shook his head, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. But I¡¯ve finished asking all the necessary questions. It seems they have nothing to do with He Changsheng¡¯s death, so you can take them back when they wake up.¡±


    Su Qingjun was stunned for a moment, then showed a look of joy. At that moment, a groan came from the ground, and Lu Chen woke up first. Not long after, Su Mo also woke up.


    He looked around in confusion, his gaze still somewhat unfocused. After a while, he suddenly noticed Su Qingjun, and his face changed, rushing over to hug her, shouting, ¡°Sister, Sister¡­¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face showed pain as she patted his back,forting him softly while looking at Lu Chen. She noticed that although Lu Chen¡¯s expression was somewhat strange, he seemed to be in control and was shakily standing up on his own.


    Their eyes met, and Lu Chen smiled, indicating he was fine.


    Su Qingjun took a deep breath and looked at He Yi, coldly saying, ¡°Senior Brother He, since there¡¯s nothing else, can we leave now?¡±


    He Yi nodded, ¡°Forgive me for not seeing you off.¡±


    Su Qingjun helped Su Mo up, and although Lu Chen looked a bit weak, he walked beside them on his own. As they reached the cemetery gate, a shadow suddenly emerged from a corner ahead.


    The ck dog, Ah Tu, stood quietly by the roadside, its gaze not on Su Qingjun or Su Mo but on Lu Chen. It wagged its tail slightly and walked towards him.


    When Lu Chen saw Ah Tu, his expression changed slightly. He nced at Su Qingjun, who shook her head and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring it here. I don¡¯t know how Ah Tu came here on its own.¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then nodded, ¡°I see. You go ahead; I¡¯ll follow soon.¡±


    Su Qingjun hesitated but decided she needed to get Su Mo back to the Su family in Kunwu City as soon as possible. She couldn¡¯t worry about Lu Chen at the moment. So she softly instructed, ¡°I¡¯ll take Su Mo back. After settling him down, I¡¯lle back to check on you.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Su Qingjun acknowledged and left with Su Mo. The dark atmosphere of the cemetery seemed to surround Lu Chen and Ah Tu.


    Lu Chen squatted down in front of Ah Tu, looking at the dog. Ah Tu¡¯s single eye stared back at him.


    For some reason, he felt that the light in Ah Tu¡¯s eye seemed different from before. But he didn¡¯t care. He just smiled slightly, patted Ah Tu¡¯s head, and said, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten smarter, silly dog.¡±


    Ah Tu shook its head silently, and Lu Chen stood up, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    As the man and the dog walked out, a figure suddenly rushed past them into the darkness, looking anxious and angry.


    Lu Chen paused, ncing back at the figure before turning around, expressionless, and continued towards the warmth of the light. (To be continued.)

 Chapter 195: The Last Words

    Chapter 195: The Last Words


    The bustling streets of Kunwu City were filled with people, as if it were a time of peace and prosperity, with everyone seemingly at ease. In the distance, the towering Kunlun Mountains stood majestically, and at Feiyan Terrace, under the warm sun, Lu Cheny quietly on the wooden bed, stroking Ah Tu, and gazing out the window. Meanwhile, in a small courtyard within <b>Heiqiu Pavilion</b>, Lao Ma sat, having changed into fresh clothes, carefully washing his hands in a basin of clear water.


    The slight traces of blood tinted the water with a hint of red.


    Lao Ma stared at the redness, a peculiar expression on his face. He extended a finger and gently stirred the faintly red spot in the water, as if randomly mixing it, or perhaps writing a word. The faint blood traces lightly swirled around his fingertip, floating and dispersing in the water, preventing the word from forming. Soon, even the blood color itself disappeared. Lao Ma looked up at the sky, remained silent for a moment, then pulled a cloth from beside him and meticulously dried his hands, leaving no trace behind.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The morning wind blew through Kunwu City, carrying a slight chill.


    Outside the gate of a certain residence, a crowd had gathered, the faint scent of blood lingering in the air, wafting from inside the house. The onlookers seemed excited, as if relishing the rare opportunity for excitement after a long period of mundane days, but no one attempted to enter the courtyard. Who would be foolish enough in these times? Keeping one¡¯s distance and watching coldly was the sensible approach.


    Suddenly, a figure rushed from afar, like an arrow leaving the bowstring, darting into the courtyard. The speed was so fast that a sharp whistle cut through the air, making it hard for people to see his figure or face.


    Immediately after, several other figures arrived,nding at the courtyard entrance. Unlike the first, these people were clearly visible to the crowd, causing a stir among the onlookers as they recognized them as disciples of the Kunlun Sect, standing guard at the entrance.


    The first to arrive was He Yi, and the ce he had rushed into was the home of his brother, He Gang, where he had visited several times before.When He Yi received the news and hurried over, the faint scent of blood had already weighed heavily on his heart. As he rushed into the courtyard and saw the bloody scene, his heart sankpletely.


    He Gangy dead on the ground in the middle of the courtyard. A bloodstained trail extended from his bedroom to where he nowy, indicating he had struggled to crawl from there. He had lost a lot of blood, making his already disfigured face even more horrifying. He Gang¡¯s eyes were still wide open, as if he had died with grievances, but no one could know what he saw in his final moments.


    He Yi stood there, stiff and dazed, staring at the corpse on the ground. Just days ago, they had sat together, hopeful for a better future, even exaggerating about finding a good wife for his brother. Sometimes, He Yi had genuinely believed they could live happily together, achieving great things, and he could take care of his brother for life.


    Memories shed through his mind, from their lonely childhood to the present, always supporting each other. The sound of his brother calling him ¡°Big Brother¡± with a smile, from childish innocence to maturity, now echoed in his ears like a death knell.


    He felt his heart pounding wildly, as if it would burst at any moment. He thought he would go mad, screaming and shouting, but in the end, no sound came out. He just stumbled forward, then gently knelt beside his brother¡¯s body.


    The smell of blood was overwhelming.


    He suddenly felt the urge to vomit.


    His hand trembled slightly as he slowly reached out, lightly touching He Gang¡¯s head.


    His brother¡¯s head wobbled slightly, showing no response. The touch sent a chill through his fingertips, as if seeping into his bones. He clenched his teeth, his mouth twisting in silent pain, then lowered his head, his whole body tensed and trembling as he swallowed all his rage and sorrow.


    He¡¯s dead. He¡¯s dead. He¡¯s dead¡­


    He Yi¡¯s face twisted in a bitter smile, without tears, only destion. Then, he gently tried to close his brother¡¯s eyes, hoping to give him some peace, but after several attempts, found that they wouldn¡¯t shut.


    He Yi slowly withdrew his hand.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he whispered, ¡°keep your eyes open. Big Brother promises you, I¡¯ll avenge you.¡±


    He Gang¡¯s expression remained unchanged; the idea of spirits after death seemed to be just a myth.


    He Yi bowed his head, staying silent for a long time. Then he began to arrange his brother¡¯s body, smoothing his clothes andying him t. As he did, he noticed that one of He Gang¡¯s hands was pressed beneath him.


    He Yi tried to pull his brother¡¯s hand out, but as he turned He Gang¡¯s body halfway over, he suddenly froze, his movements stopping abruptly.


    After a moment, He Yi gently moved He Gang¡¯s body aside, revealing the ground beneath. He Gang¡¯s hand, smeared with fresh blood, had scrawled a twisted, terrifying character on the ground.


    ¡°Su!¡±


    The distorted character, written in blood, was like a dagger to He Yi¡¯s heart, the sight burning in his eyes like crimson mes. He stared at the word, his facial muscles twitching slightly. Just then, footsteps approached from behind; his fellow disciples had entered the courtyard.


    He Yi seemed as if he wanted to say something but quickly closed his mouth, a bitter smile briefly crossing his lips before disappearing. His face turned pale and indifferent as he stood up and stepped forward, deliberately stepping on the character.


    The Kunlun disciples who followed him in looked around at the bloody scene, their faces showing shock and difort. They approached to offer their condolences to He Yi.


    He Yi nodded slowly, not saying much, only murmuring, ¡°Thank you, my brothers.¡±


    As he slowly walked away, it seemed as if an unbearable weight pressed down on his shoulders. Each step left a trail of blood, a stark, smeared path behind him. Someone helped him to a seat, while others began cleaning up the scene. A nce at the ground revealed nothing but bloodstains.


    Only the sunlight shining down cast shadows on the bloodied and tragic scene.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    There were thirteen days left until the next full moon.


    Rumors stirred within the Kunlun Sect about He Yi. His only family, his brother He Gang, had been murdered in Kunwu City, his body left in the courtyard. The news broke, and He Yi, overwhelmed with grief, could barely function, leading to a sudden lull in the investigation into He Changsheng¡¯s murder, which had caused quite a stir.


    Heartbroken over his disciple¡¯s loss, Du Kong Zhenren called He Yi back under the pretense of seclusion and personally went to the sect leader, Xianyue Zhenren, to take responsibility. However, Xianyue Zhenren, being quite understanding, did not pursue the matter further, as everyone in the sect was ultimately part of the same family. The only ones to me were the cunning and treacherous demons of the demon sect.


    Though outwardly expressing hatred and disgust towards the demon sect, private whispers circted, questioning the timing of He Gang¡¯s death¡ªjust as He Yi was investigating a major case and had detained members of the Su family. The waters seemed murky.


    Many hinted at the irony with knowing smiles.


    The Su family maintained a strict silence. Initially, they had been outraged and ready for retaliation after retrieving Su Mo, but suddenly, overnight, all Su family members were confined to their home by Su Tianhe, unable to leave.


    The atmosphere in the Kunlun Sect grew tense, but as long as nothing was publicly acknowledged, life went on as usual.


    As the moon grew fuller each night, Lu Chen ventured out several times, hoping to encounter the strange three-eyed insect again, but to no avail.


    That night seemed like a dream; everything appeared unchanged.


    Until one night, he suddenly noticed Ah Tu perched on the windowsill, its head raised in a howl towards the dark sky, emitting a piercing wail.


    Lu Chen jumped up.


    After howling, Ah Tu nced at him, then suddenly leapt out the window. Lu Chen followed without hesitation, chasing Ah Tu into the forest behind Feiyan Terrace.


    The dark forest exuded a deep gloom, the ancient trees like towering giants. But Ah Tu seemed unafraid, darting straight into the woods.


    Lu Chen followed, running through the forest until they reached its depths. There, Ah Tu suddenly stopped, and Lu Chen slowed down beside it, first looking at the dog, then surveying their surroundings.


    The area was dark, but arge rock was visible ahead, with vague shapes around it.


    Lu Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly as he walked forward and gradually saw what was there.


    Around the rock were numerous corpses of small birds and animals, all apparently bitten to death.


    He quickly turned to look at Ah Tu, only to see its eyes glowing brighter and brighter in the darkness, like ghostly green mes. (To be continued.)


    <b>Heiqiu Pavilion ¨C ck Mound Pavilion</b>

 Chapter 196: Pursuing the Truth

    Chapter 196: Pursuing the Truth


    Lu Chen¡¯s gaze locked with Ah Tu¡¯s. In the quiet of the night and the darkness of the forest, a night breeze blew over the treetops, causing leaves to rustle faintly.


    A faint light, like green mes, shone in Ah Tu¡¯s eyes, much brighter than before. Despite the many bird and animal corpses around, there wasn¡¯t much of a bloody smell¡ªperhaps the blood had dried over time.


    Ah Tu began to pant deeply, as if in pain. Its eyes flickered with a wild light, as if two opposing thoughts were shing violently in its mind, tearing at each other.


    The green mes in Ah Tu¡¯s eyes flickered erratically, growing bright and dim like a candle in the wind. Lu Chen watched silently, his expression stern, a hint of coldness in his eyes. Ah Tu seemed different tonight, torn between calmness and frenzy. The darkness around it surged and swelled, like a gathering storm.


    In the quiet forest, the drop of a pin could be heard. No one expected a sudden standoff in the dead of night.


    The darkness gathered into waves, washing over them. The green fire in Ah Tu¡¯s eyes grew brighter and brighter, on the verge of exploding. The forest seemed to hold its breath; all creatures were silent, even the trees seemed to shrink back in fear. From the depths of the darkness, as if from a demonic presence, a pair of eyes watched with excitement.


    Suddenly, Lu Chen spun around and dashed into another dark part of the forest. Ah Tu, who had been growling lowly, looked up in surprise, the green light in its eyes flickering as if startled.


    The darkness, quiet as the sea, suddenly burst apart like a wave. Shouts, snarls, and eerie noises filled the air, sending a chill down the spine. Even Ah Tu instinctively stepped back. Its attention diverted, the green light in its eyes dimmed.


    With a loud bang, someone groaned in pain. Two figures tumbled out of the darkness, still locked inbat, using deadly and ruthless moves, aiming to kill.As they fell, one figure, Lu Chen, was visible. His eyes shed with ck light, his aura cold and lethal¡ªa stark contrast to his usual harmless appearance as a servant disciple. Opposite him was a petite figure with an exquisite face, attacking like a deadly ghost. It was Bai Lian.


    Their battle mirrored theirst encounter, devoid of the elegance of immortal cultivators, using only vicious, cunning techniques to kill each other as quickly as possible.


    Blood sttered instantly, droplets staining Bai Lian¡¯s fair, beautiful face like red dew on a morning flower, a shocking sight.


    As they fell, Bai Lian had already wed into Lu Chen¡¯s chest, her fingers summoning a storm of ice and snow that pierced his chest in an instant.


    But the cold stopped there. Almost simultaneously, a hand shot out from the darkness like a demon¡¯s, grabbing Bai Lian¡¯s slender neck.


    Lu Chen, like a raging demon, rushed forward. Bai Lian groaned in pain, her fingers trembling, the icy wind exploding in Lu Chen¡¯s chest, turning into blood-colored shards.


    Lu Chen growled, his face twisted in pain. His entire body felt like it was in an ice pit, but his blood seemed frozen, numbing him to the pain. The ck mes on his fingers burned into Bai Lian¡¯s flesh.


    Bai Lian screamed, her body thrown back against a tree with a loud crash, causing the surrounding leaves to tremble and fall like rain.


    In the forest, a killing rain!


    The air seemed to suddenly fall silent, all noise dying away. Then, the sound of falling leaves and Lu Chen¡¯s pained breathing, and Bai Lian¡¯s twisted gasps filled the air.


    Ah Tu¡¯s eyes lost their green glow almost entirely, as if stunned by the sudden scene. It hesitated, then slowly approached Lu Chen and Bai Lian.


    As it got closer, Ah Tu could see Lu Chen, slightly bent over, gasping and coughing softly. His chest was a mess, and his right hand was extended forward.


    He was gripping Bai Lian¡¯s neck, pinning her against the tree, her pale face close to suffocation.


    The forest was deathly quiet.


    Ah Tu watched the strange pair, hesitating before taking another step forward. Suddenly, Lu Chen turned and looked at Ah Tu, raising his free left hand and pointing a finger at it.


    Lu Chen stood above, pointing down. With this motion, a series of crisp cracking sounds, like ice breaking, echoed from his chest, and fresh blood gushed out.


    Ah Tu immediately stopped. It looked up at Lu Chen, the finger pointed above it, and in his eyes, deep within, there seemed to be wild, burning ck mes, surging with an overwhelming tide of darkness. He stood there in the darkness, like a god or a demon.


    Ah Tu¡¯s fur stood on end, and after a moment, it lowered its head andy down under the pointing finger, showingplete submission and reverence.


    Lu Chen nced deeply at the ck dog, then turned to look at Bai Lian. His gaze was as violent as that of a demon, cold as the ice and snow on his chest. He stared at the angelic-looking girl for a moment, then coldly asked:


    ¡°Is this fun for you?¡±


    Bai Lian, held up by an iron grip, hung in the air with a pained expression. Yet, for some reason, as she looked at Lu Chen¡¯s face, she still managed a smile.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fun,¡± she said, looking straight at Lu Chen, a hint of defiance in her eyes.


    Lu Chen¡¯s grip tightened, and Bai Lian gasped in pain, her body twisting like a fish thrown on drynd.


    ¡°You¡¯re pushing me to kill you,¡± Lu Chen said coldly.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare kill me!¡± Bai Lian retorted almost immediately. She kicked her legs a few times, seeming to struggle for breath, her body starting to go limp.


    Lu Chen silently observed this girl, who seemed to embody both light and darkness, beauty and cruelty. After a while, he suddenly let go.


    Bai Lian gasped as she fell to the ground, clutching her neck and taking deep, desperate breaths. It took her a while to recover.


    Lu Chen watched her quietly, then sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t dare kill you.¡±


    The darkness in the forest had gradually calmed down, no longer surging like a tide, and seemed to carry a serene and peaceful atmosphere.


    Lu Chen walked over to Ah Tu and sat down on the ground beside it. The menacing aura that had surrounded him dissipated, and he seemed to revert to his usual gentle and seemingly useless self.


    Ah Tu, more familiar with this demeanor, leaned against him, nuzzling his leg, as if nothing had happened.


    On the other side, Bai Lian also approached after a brief rest. After the life-and-death struggle, she seemed to forget everything that had happened, sitting down naturally across from Lu Chen and Ah Tu, as if nothing had transpired.


    There was a faintly strange atmosphere.


    Lu Chen looked at Bai Lian and said, ¡°I thought we had an understanding.¡±


    Bai Lian asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°That we should keep our distance and not interfere with each other.¡±


    Bai Lian thought for a moment and said, ¡°I thought so too, until I saw Ah Tu again.¡±


    Ah Tu lifted its head to look at her. Lu Chen reached out to pat its head, stroking its fur. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Bai Lian stared at him, as if trying to read his expression. ¡°This dog has the aura of a blood-feeding secret technique.¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head firmly. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing!¡±


    Bai Lian sneered. ¡°Do you think you can brush me off with that? I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±


    Lu Chen fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that in this vast world, there¡¯s more than one blood-feeding secret technique. There might be other powers or methods you¡¯re unaware of. And even if it is a blood-feeding secret technique, it¡¯s not exclusive to you. What makes you think you can jump to conclusions?¡±


    Bai Lian replied, ¡°I know that. In fact, even if this dog does have a blood-feeding secret technique, I wouldn¡¯t care. But the most important thing is, this dog didn¡¯t go mad or die after being subjected to the technique!¡±


    She sneered, looking at Lu Chen. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what that means?¡±


    Lu Chen quietly stroked Ah Tu¡¯s head but remained silent, not saying a word for a long time.

 Chapter 197: The Blood Crystal Rebirth

    Chapter 197: The Blood Crystal Rebirth


    That night, the final result was that nothing significant happened. Lu Chen and Bai Lian parted ways in the dark mountain forest, each taking a different path.


    When the beautiful girl disappeared like a ghost into the forest, Lu Chen, with Ah Tu, returned to his wooden house on Feiyan tform.


    Late at night, the clouds cleared, and the moonlight gently fell on the window sill, illuminating Lu Chen and Ah Tu. Ah Tu looked up at the crescent moon, while Lu Chen gazed at Ah Tu.


    After a moment, Lu Chen gently patted Ah Tu¡¯s back. Ah Tu turned its head and looked at him.


    Lu Chen¡¯s brows slightly furrowed, and after a while, he suddenly said, ¡°You can¡¯t stay on Kunlun Mountain any longer.¡±


    Ah Tu¡¯s single eye glimmered slightly.


    Lu Chen¡¯s hand lightly caressed Ah Tu¡¯s body. Its fur was soft and smooth, like ck silk, but underneath that smoothness were bulging muscles, flowing blood, and the strong beating of its heart.


    There was a strange power slowly gathering within the ck dog, which would eventually burst forth on some future day.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to turn out like this,¡± Lu Chen said softly while patting Ah Tu, ¡°I only wanted to save you at the time, but there was no other way.¡±¡°Bai Lian thinks that what you have is the Blood Devouring Secret Technique, but it¡¯s not like that at all. What I used was the Demonic Sect¡¯s ¡®Rebirth Formation¡¯ along with the blood crystal fragments formed from evil magic. I only intended to extend your life.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you could absorb the blood crystal fragments and activate all your bloodline potential. This oue is almost identical to the Blood Devouring Secret Technique, so she mistook it.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Ah Tu, I think your father, whom you¡¯ve never met, must have been an incredibly powerful demon beast to give you such a resilient bloodline.¡±


    Ah Tu leaned forward. Whether it understood Lu Chen¡¯s words was uncertain, but it remained silent throughout.


    Lu Chen didn¡¯t mind. He looked out the window at the high moon in the sky and, after a moment, said softly, ¡°You can only stay for another ten days or so. When the full moon nightes, you won¡¯t be able to endure it any longer.¡±


    ¡°Before that, you must leave the mountain.¡±


    **Chapter 198: The Secret Scheme**


    ¡°Oh, where are you going?¡± Lu Chen asked Yi Xin.


    Yi Xin shook her head and replied, ¡°Master didn¡¯t say. He only mentioned that it¡¯s a ce I¡¯ve never been to. I¡¯m very curious too, but whenever I ask Master, he just smiles and doesn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Lu Chen lowered his head, contemting for a moment, then his gaze gradually softened, and he smiled self-deprecatingly. He thought to himself that after being in the shadows for so long, he seemed to have be somewhat peculiar. Perhaps Dongfang Tao simply wanted to broaden Yi Xin¡¯s horizons, but he found himself thinking there might be something more to it.


    ¡°Maybe my heart has turned dark¡­¡± Lu Chen muttered softly. Yi Xin, not hearing clearly, asked curiously, ¡°Lu Dage, what did you say?¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head and smiled. ¡°Nothing. By the way, Kunlun Mountain is so vast that there might be many wondrous ces we¡¯ve never heard of. Take the four unique peaks in the clouds, floating in the sky. It¡¯s rare in the world. If one could go up and see them, it would be a great fortune.¡±


    Yi Xinughed. ¡°Lu Dage, you¡¯re right. But I think going to the peaks in the clouds is unlikely. Our sect has a rule that only Nascent Soul cultivators can step on the four unique peaks of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. I¡¯m still far from that.¡±


    Lu Chen¡¯s mind suddenly stirred. He asked Yi Xin, ¡°By the way, I heard there are exceptions.¡±


    Yi Xin was startled. ¡°Lu Dage, you mean¡­¡±


    Lu Chen nced around to make sure no one was nearby, lowered his voice, and said, ¡°It¡¯s about the disciples of the True Monarch Bai Chen. True Monarch Bai Chen has three disciples. The eldest disciple, who is our sect leader Xian Yue, is a Nascent Soul cultivator. The other two are Zuo Xian, who is said to be a Golden Core cultivator, and Bai Lian, who is on a simr level to us. But I heard that the two disciples who are not at the Nascent Soul stage can often practice on the Winter Peak in the clouds.¡±


    Yi Xin was taken aback and became a bit anxious. She grabbed Lu Chen¡¯s hand and said seriously, ¡°Hey, Lu Dage, you can¡¯t say such things! That¡¯s the True Monarch, a Transcendent God! You can¡¯t just speak recklessly!¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her and suddenly smiled, nodding. ¡°Hmm, I understand. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Yi Xin sighed in relief, but she soon seemed lost in thought, finally saying slowly, ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess it¡¯s because of the True Monarch¡¯s influence.¡±


    Lu Chen cleared his throat and said seriously, ¡°Yi Xin, I hear what you¡¯re implying. You mean that although Kunlun Sect has strict rules, they mostly apply to Nascent Soul cultivators, and they¡¯re not as effective against Transcendent Gods.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Yi Xin jumped up in shock, her face turning pale. She stammered, ¡°Lu Dage, you can¡¯t say such things! I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    Lu Chenughed heartily, but hisughter suddenly stopped halfway. He clutched his chest, showing a pained expression.


    Yi Xin was startled and hurriedly supported him. ¡°Lu Dage, are you alright?¡± Before she finished speaking, she suddenly trembled, as if she had thought of something. Her face turned pale with fright, and she eximed, ¡°Oh no, could it be¡­ could it be that you spoke ill of True Monarch Bai Chen, and he sensed it and has punished you?¡±


    Lu Chen rolled his eyes, took a deep breath, and after the pain subsided and he stood firm, he tapped Yi Xin¡¯s head with irritation and said, ¡°Nonsense. Do you think Transcendent Gods are divine beings? So many people know about them, and countless people call their names every day. If they had to investigate everything, they¡¯d have no time for anything else.¡±


    Yi Xin was stunned. ¡°You have a point.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Yi Xin seemed to gain confidence, sticking out her tongue and looking much more spirited. After a moment of thought, she said mysteriously, pulling Lu Chen close and whispering, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it seems that the two disciples of True Monarch Bai Chen do indeed vite the sect rules.¡±


    Lu Chen said, ¡°I mentioned this earlier, but no one in the Kunlun Sect has spoken out.¡±


    Yi Xin shrugged. ¡°Lu Dage, that¡¯s obvious. Who would dare to speak up? The True Monarch is a Transcendent God. Besides, even the current sect leader Xian Yue is his eldest disciple. Anyone who speaks out would be either foolish or out of their mind.¡±


    Lu Chen nced at her and said with a smile, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not foolish anymore?¡±


    ¡°I was never foolish!¡± Yi Xin replied indignantly.


    Lu Chen ignored her protests and continued to himself, ¡°It seems that being a disciple of a Transcendent God is quitefortable. They¡¯re born stronger than others.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yi Xin said enviously. She then teased Lu Chen, ¡°Lu Dage, besides True Monarch Bai Chen, there¡¯s also True Monarch Tian Lan in our Kunlun Sect. He still doesn¡¯t have any disciples. If you had the chance to be his disciple, wouldn¡¯t that be great? At that time, you¡¯d be able to enjoy the best of everything and go up to the peaks as you please!¡±


    Lu Chen pondered for a moment and then nodded, saying, ¡°You¡¯re right. How about this? Once I be his disciple, I¡¯ll ignore the rules and secretly take you to see the scenery on the peaks in the clouds. How does that sound?¡±


    Yi Xin burst intoughter, herughter like a crisp wind chime, and she pointed at Lu Chen, unable to stopughing for a long while. After she calmed down, she continued tough and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Sure, sure! I probably won¡¯t have many chances to be a Nascent Soul cultivator in this lifetime. So, when I¡¯m old, just wait for me to take me up there.¡±


    Lu Chen spread his hands and said, ¡°Why wait so long? Just wait a few years. When I achieve sess and fame, I¡¯ll take you up there to have some fun!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Yi Xinughed so hard that she bent over, gasping for breath. She shook her head and nodded vigorously, saying, ¡°Okay, okay, Lu Dage, I¡¯m counting on you!¡±


    Lu Chen chuckled, feeling inexplicably cheerful. The day seemed bright and clear, the green mountains appeared more enchanting, and the vast sea of clouds looked magnificent. The future suddenly seemed beautiful.


    He smiled as he looked into the distance. The mountain breeze fluttered their clothes as they smiled.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°True Monarch Bai Chen¡¯s faction holds great power and dominates Kunlun Sect. They have been arrogant for a long time. Everyone, we are all Kunlun disciples. Our sect¡¯s five thousand years of legacy depends on what? It¡¯s not about how many talented individuals we have, not about our numbers, and certainly not about the asional appearance of a Transcendent God!¡±


    ¡°The reason Kunlun Sect hassted until today is mainly due to the various rules passed down by our ancestors. Over the past centuries, how many prestigious sects have risen and fallen in the cultivation world of Central Land? Haven¡¯t we seen enough of that? Why is it that only our Kunlun Sect remains prosperous?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the rules!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only the rules!¡±


    A thunderous voice echoed in a secret quiet room beneath the Baicao Hall. Someone was speaking passionately, while the others listened attentively, nodding in agreement or remaining silent.


    There were five people in the quiet room, all Nascent Soul cultivators. Even among the top-ranking Kunlun Sect, these five were a formidable force.


    The leader was naturally the two True Monarchs of Baicao Hall. The speaker was True Monarch Mingzhu, while the person seated in the main position, True Monarch Qiandeng, was smiling and nodding, seemingly unfazed by Mingzhu¡¯s words, which were somewhat disrespectful to True Monarch Bai Chen.


    Aside from them, the other three Nascent Soul cultivators had varying expressions, with their faces showingplex emotions. True Monarch Qiandeng¡¯s gaze was sharp as he scanned everyone, then he smiled and said, ¡°What True Monarch Mingzhu just mentioned, I¡¯m sure everyone has felt the same recently. For instance, the peaks in the clouds, a sacred ce where only Nascent Soul cultivators are allowed, have now seen Zuo Xian and Bai Lian stepping onto the Winter Peak. This is indeed inappropriate.¡±


    A fair-skinned man sitting to his right nodded and said, ¡°True Monarch Qiandeng is right. I also feel the same. In fact, it¡¯s not just us. Many Nascent Soul cultivators on the Spring and Autumn Peaks are also dissatisfied, but with the current powerful faction, everyone is angry but dare not speak out.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said another Nascent Soul cultivator sitting opposite Guangyang, ¡°but there¡¯s nothing we can do. Now that True Monarch Bai Chen controls the sect, and the sect leader is his disciple, the Bai faction is everywhere. We are helpless.¡±


    True Monarch Qiandeng smiled and said, ¡°Although things are as they are, there might still be a chance for change. After all, this legacy was passed down by our ancestors. As Kunlun disciples, we should uphold the rules and clear the source, which is our duty.¡± He then turned to thest silent Nascent Soul cultivator and smiled, asking, ¡°What do you think, True Monarch Mu Yuan?¡±


    Thest Nascent Soul cultivator slowly raised his head. His expression was serious, and his brow was furrowed. He didn¡¯t speak immediately, and the quiet room fell into a silence. The gazes of the other Nascent Soul cultivators soon focused on Mu Yuan.


    The air was thick with tension. After a long while, Mu Yuan finally looked at True Monarch Qiandeng and said, ¡°True Monarch Qiandeng, I have something to say upfront.¡±


    ¡°Please, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I understand everyone¡¯s concerns. As for my current situation, you all know it¡¯s dire. If there¡¯s a chance, it¡¯s worth taking a risk. However¡­¡± He raised his brow and said in a deep voice, ¡°I still stand by my previous statement. Unless True Monarch Tian Lan personally makes a promise, I will not participate in this matter!¡± (

 Chapter 199: The Choice

    Chapter 199: The Choice


    True Monarch Qiandeng furrowed his brows, showing a hint of difficulty on his face, while the other True Monarchs fell silent.


    The atmosphere in the quiet room grew tense. After a moment, True Monarch Mu Yuan softened his tone, looked at True Monarch Qiandeng with a touch of sincerity, and said, ¡°True Monarch Qiandeng, we¡¯ve known each other for many years. Although we can¡¯t say we¡¯re life-and-death friends, there¡¯s still a level of mutual understanding. You should have some idea of what kind of person I, Mu Yuan, am.¡±


    True Monarch Qiandeng nodded slowly. True Monarch Mu Yuan looked around at the others, his voice sounding somewhat heavy, and continued, ¡°We are all discerning people, so there¡¯s no need for pleasantries. The Kun faction is extremely powerful now, while our Iron faction is weak. In normal circumstances, not only would our Iron faction avoid getting involved, but even if the Kun faction were to fight among themselves, it probably wouldn¡¯t affect us.¡±


    ¡°Our Iron faction has only four Nascent Soul cultivators, including myself. Among the disciples below Nascent Soul, besides my own disciple, Su Qingjun, there are almost no outstanding talents.¡± He said calmly, ¡°The only reason you¡¯ve brought me into this is because of these four old bones of ours. However, this matter is critical. Once it begins, there¡¯s no turning back. I¡¯m effectively staking everything passed down from the Iron Luo Ancestor. This is something I really can¡¯t afford to lose!¡±


    True Monarch Qiandeng pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°Mu Yuan, since you¡¯ve been so honest, I won¡¯t be polite either. Let me say something unpleasant.¡±


    True Monarch Mu Yuan replied, ¡°Please speak, Senior Brother.¡±


    True Monarch Qiandeng said, ¡°As you mentioned, the Iron faction has indeed declined in recent years. If you continue to remain cautious, you might scrape by for a while longer, but it¡¯s unlikely there will be any chance of revival in the foreseeable future. Do you have any objections to this?¡±


    True Monarch Mu Yuan remained silent, neither agreeing nor dissenting.


    True Monarch Qiandeng did not mind this, but gave him a deep look and said, ¡°Junior Brother, let me advise you. Rather than dragging on a half-dead existence, why not make a determined effort? True Monarch Tian Lan had already issued a decree earlier. If the Iron faction contributes to this major task, once it seeds, there will surely be rewards. More importantly, the four of you Nascent Soul cultivators will definitely be able to go to the peaks in the clouds for training.¡±True Monarch Mu Yuan¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he bit his lip.


    In Kunlun Sect, there was a rule that only Nascent Soul cultivators could practice on the four floating peaks in the clouds. In reality, due to the disparity in power, only Kun faction disciples could currently practice on these peaks, while the four Nascent Soul cultivators of the Iron faction had never been able to go.


    This was obviously unfair, but no one in Kunlun Sect had ever dared to openly mention this. The reason was simple: just look at the current supreme Transcendent Gods in the sect.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± True Monarch Mu Yuan told True Monarch Qiandeng, ¡°But this matter is too significant for me to act carelessly. True Monarch Bai Chen¡¯s faction is powerful and has numerous supporters within the sect. It¡¯s not easy to stand against them.¡±


    He pointed in a certain direction and said, ¡°Even if we do our best, how do we deal with True Monarch Bai Chen, who is stationed on the Winter Peak? This matter must be handled by True Monarch Tian Lan himself. Only then do we have a chance. If he does not intervene, our Iron faction will not involve itself in this mess.¡±


    True Monarch Qiandeng sighed softly and said, ¡°I understand your point.¡±


    True Monarch Mu Yuan lowered his head slightly and said, ¡°I apologize for any inconvenience, Senior Brother.¡±


    True Monarch Qiandeng waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s only natural. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He paused and then continued, ¡°I received news yesterday that True Monarch Tian Lan will return from the Immortal Alliance a few days before the full moon next month to attend the annual sect review meeting. Let¡¯s wait and see. Perhaps he will speak to you personally.¡±


    True Monarch Mu Yuan slightly bowed and nodded, saying, ¡°Thank you for your understanding, and thanks to True Monarch Tian Lan for his consideration.¡±


    True Monarch Qiandeng looked at the others and slightly raised his voice, ¡°Everyone, I¡¯ve already discussed this major issue with you. The reasons are clear. In the past, when Ancestor Tian Hong was alive, everyone in the sect knew that the disciple he loved most was True Monarch Tian Lan. Even the ¡®Tian¡¯ in his title was passed down to him. The meaning was very clear: True Monarch Tian Lan was to lead our Kunlun Sect and inherit the position of Sect Leader.¡±


    ¡°However, things took a sudden turn after Ancestor Tian Hong¡¯s unexpected death. Only True Monarch Bai Chen and True Monarch Tian Lan were left. In the end, True Monarch Bai Chen inherited all the sect¡¯s teachings, while True Monarch Tian Lan was forced to go to the Immortal Alliance and struggle with those fierce and brutal demonic sects.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to borate on what this implies.¡±


    True Monarch Qiandeng sighed and continued, ¡°Yearster, True Monarch Bai Chen passed the Sect Leader position to his chief disciple. His power grew, and now our sect¡¯s discipline is deteriorating, with many viins and spies. Meanwhile, Xian Yue and the others are powerless. They cannot resist external enemies to rejuvenate the sect, and internally they foster mediocre individuals to gain prestige, causing Kunlun Sect¡¯s influence to wane. It¡¯sughable that Xian Yue and the others actually believe our sect is thriving and boast about it. They are truly shameless.¡±


    **Chapter 199: Between Choices**


    ¡°Uncle Tian Lan once said to me that although he is naturally indifferent to fame and profit, he cannot sit idly by as our sect falls into danger. Otherwise, after a hundred years, how would he face thete Ancestor Tian Hong or the ancestors of Kunlun Sect?¡±


    ¡°Restoring order and rifying the principles! This is what Uncle Tian Lan aims to achieve.¡± As True Monarch Qiandeng concluded, his expression became stern, and his words were resolute, causing everyone around him to tense up and nod in agreement.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    On the days when Su Qingjun was not at the Flying Swallow tform, it seemed particrly deste. However, perhaps because he had long grown ustomed to such loneliness, Lu Chen did not feel sad but rather found himself more at ease.


    But after midnight, Lu Chen took Ah Tu down from the southern foothills and headed straight for Kunwu City.


    In Kunwu City, Lu Chen¡¯s primary destination was always ck Hill Pavilion to find Lao Ma. This time, when he passed by the street where the recent bloodshed had urred, he appeared somewhat weary.


    The area where the incident happened could no longer be rented out, given that someone had died there. At the entrance and around the house, several unfamiliar men were stationed as guards, prohibiting outsiders from entering.


    There might have been some hot-tempered cultivators who wanted to cause trouble, but soon everyone realized that these guards were all disciples of Kunlun Sect. The exact details of who had died in the house were unknown to most of the loose cultivators in Kunwu City, leading to various spections, some of which were quite amusing. For instance, there were rumors that a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator had died there, perhaps while practicing some secret technique.


    Others spected that the deceased might have been a rare genius of Kunlun Sect, who had identally met an untimely end. There were even malicious rumors suggesting that the mysterious house once belonged to a woman, perhaps a lover of the current Kunlun Sect leader, Xian Yue.


    Such talk was indeed vicious, though it was also possible that some people with ulterior motives wanted to nder Xian Yue.


    Lu Chen knew what had happened in that courtyard, but he was not yet aware of the specific details. One of his purposes foring to Kunwu City was to ask Lao Ma about the incident in detail.


    However, Lu Chen¡¯s primary concern this time in Kunwu City was Ah Tu.


    Although Ah Tu¡¯s appearance had not changed significantly, Lu Chen knew that under this ck dog¡¯s fur, signs of increasing strength and ferocity were beginning to show. It was no longer suitable to keep him on Kunlun Mountain; otherwise, Ah Tu might cause significant trouble there in the future.


    Kunlun¡¯s powerful Nascent Soul cultivators would have endless ways to handle such a ck dog. Lu Chen did not even want to imagine what might happen if Ah Tu truly caused trouble.


    He took onest look at the house guarded by the Kunlun Sect¡¯s Heavenly Soldiers, then left with Ah Tu to the rundown and deste ck Hill Pavilion.


    When Lao Ma saw Lu Chen, he was overjoyed. However, after hearing Lu Chen¡¯s instructions, a troubled expression appeared on his face. He said, ¡°Lu Chen, you see, everything here is being repaired and there¡¯s no money left. As for me, I¡¯m not really interested in keeping a dog, so¡­¡±


    Lu Chen replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll cover the costs.¡±


    Lao Ma immediately stood up with a righteous expression and said, ¡°Then the dog can definitely stay. I¡¯ll take care of it!¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and didn¡¯t mind. He said, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to take care of it for too long. Just feed it something every day and make sure it doesn¡¯t wander out onto the streets. There might be trouble if it does.¡±


    ¡°Trouble? What trouble?¡± Lao Ma looked at Lu Chen with some confusion and asked, ¡°It¡¯s just an ordinary dog. What kind of trouble could there be?¡±


    Lu Chen waved his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s settle it this way. Just take good care of it for now. Once everything is taken care of and before the full moon night, I¡¯ll find a time to take it away, the farther, the better.¡±


    Lao Ma frowned and suddenly looked at Lu Chen, asking, ¡°What are you nning to do on the night of the full moon?¡±

 Chapter 200: Schemes in the Shadows

    Chapter 200: Schemes in the Shadows


    Lu Chen nced at him and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it about the traitor from the demonic sect?¡±


    Lao Ma pointed at Ah Tu and asked, ¡°What does that have to do with him? Why must he be sent away before the full moon? Our top priority right now is to find that demonic sect traitor. At such a critical moment, why are you distracted by sending away a dog?¡± He paused, then looked at Lu Chen with a frown and added, ¡°You seem a bit strange today. Is something wrong?¡±


    Lu Chen shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Lao Ma stared at him for a moment, then nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re someone who¡¯s been around for years. I won¡¯t say more. Just be careful.¡±


    Lu Chen stood up, patted his shoulder, and then turned to walk towards the door.


    Ah Tu, who was by his side, tried to follow, but Lu Chen stopped him. After thinking for a moment, he led Ah Tu to the courtyard, gave him some food, and gently patted his back while whispering a few words.


    Ah Tu, not understandingpletely, just sat quietly on the ground and didn¡¯t follow.


    As Lu Chen walked through the narrow passage, he nced back and saw the ck dog sitting quietly in the silent courtyard, gazing at his retreating figure, with a faint glimmer in its one remaining eye.


    Lu Chen smiled, waved goodbye, and Ah Tu wagged his tail and barked in response.¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Su Qingjun returned to the mountain a few dayster. When Lu Chen saw her, she was walking down the mountain path with a somewhat haggard and heavy expression. However, upon seeing Lu Chen, she managed a smile, quickened her pace, and looked him over, asking, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Lu Chen stretched his limbs and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m fine, no problem.¡±


    Su Qingjun showed a relieved smile but then looked apologetic, saying, ¡°I should havee back earlier to check on you, but I couldn¡¯t leave home¡­¡±


    Lu Chen waved his hand and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s alright, there¡¯s nothing serious here. But what¡¯s going on at home? Did something urgent happen?¡±


    Su Qingjun hesitated for a moment, then quietly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to hide it from you. My younger brother, Su Mo, fell ill the night he returned home. He became delirious, talking nonsense, and his condition was quite serious. It looked like¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t continue, seemingly unsure how to describe the situation, perhaps reluctant to use the word ¡°idiot¡± for her brother.


    Lu Chen responded with a simple, ¡°I see,¡± and didn¡¯t press further. Instead, he walked with her around the Flying Swallow tform, gradually reaching the edge of the cliff and looking out over the vast sea of clouds.


    As the mountain wind blew, Su Qingjun sighed and said, ¡°My parents have always loved my brother the most. Seeing him in such a state is heartbreaking. They¡¯re trying to find someone to treat him, and I¡¯m also helping with the requests. As for you, I was worried that you might also be in trouble when you return, which would be awful. But since Yi Xin said you were fine, I¡¯m relieved.¡±


    Lu Chen nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m alright, don¡¯t worry.¡± After a pause, he nced at Su Qingjun and asked, ¡°By the way, I heard that something else happened recently, that He Yi¡¯s brother, He Gang, got into trouble in Kunwu City?¡±


    Su Qingjun gave a wry smile and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. In fact, that¡¯s part of why I couldn¡¯t return to the mountain. Just when my brother was in such a state, our family was furious and wanted to confront He Yi. But then this incident happened overnight, and it seems that Brother He has be the victim, with everyone thinking that our Su family was behind the revenge.¡±


    Lu Chen pondered and asked, ¡°Was it really not your Su family?¡±


    Su Qingjun gave him a look and replied, ¡°Of course not. Didn¡¯t I just say that?¡±


    Lu Chenughed and said, ¡°Just kidding. But honestly, when I first heard about it, my first thought was indeed that it might be your family. It¡¯s just too coincidental, and many in the sect now think you¡¯re involved.¡±


    Su Qingjun¡¯s face showed a hint of frustration as she spoke helplessly, ¡°Who can me them? We can¡¯t defend ourselves, and behind He Yi, there¡¯s the support of True Monarch Dugu and the Sect Leader. It¡¯s turned into them being in the right, while our Su family has no way to fight back and has had to swallow this grievance for now.¡±


    Lu Chen looked at her, noting the irritation on her face and the rising and falling of her chest. Despite the sunlight and the breeze causing her hair to flutter, she still looked as beautiful as ever, and if anything, even more so than before.


    For a while, no one spoke at the edge of the cliff, and the silence was like a paradise. Su Qingjun¡¯s mood gradually calmed, and after a moment, she suddenly blushed and said to Lu Chen with some regret, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I came back to check on your condition, but it ended up being meining to you about everything.¡±


    Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind hearing it. But you don¡¯t need to be too upset.¡±


    He paused for a moment and added, ¡°So, what are you nning to do about this situation?¡±


    Su Qingjun suddenly sneered and said, ¡°Of course we won¡¯t let it go. My only younger brother was left in such a state; we don¡¯t even know if he will recover. How could we just let this matter pass without rification? Moreover, I¡¯ve heard rumors that Brother He Yi is very grief-stricken over my brother¡¯s death. Although he hasn¡¯t made any extreme statements, I suspect that given his temperament, he won¡¯t easily let this go.¡±


    ¡°In any case, whether we like it or not, the Su family has a grudge against the He family now!¡± Su Qingjun said coldly.


    Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°It sounds troublesome.¡±


    Su Qingjun replied, ¡°It¡¯s no longer about trouble. The reason we have been patient before was out of respect for the Sect Leader and other important figures, not wanting to cause misunderstandings. But if Brother He Yi insists on a confrontation, the Su family won¡¯t back down.¡±


    As she spoke, Su Qingjun¡¯s expression became stern, with a hint of pride. Perhaps it was the confidence and backbone that came from being part of a long-standing prominent family.


    Lu Chen nodded in agreement. Su Qingjun shook her head and said, ¡°What¡¯s truly detestable is the person who plotted this behind the scenes, deliberately stirring up animosity between us. It¡¯s really hateful!¡±


    She gritted her teeth in anger, looking out at the distant sea of clouds, and said to Lu Chen, ¡°If I find that person in the future, I will definitely kill them!¡±


    Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then smiled and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. That person is too wicked. They deserve to be punished!¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    By nightfall, Su Qingjun had returned to her cave residence to rest. The Flying Swallow tform was peaceful, and a bright moon had risen in the night sky, casting moonlight down.


    Without Ah Tu¡¯s presence in the wooden house, Lu Chen felt a bit more empty than before. He wondered if Ah Tu down in Kunwu City was looking at the moon in the same way.


    He gazed at the bright moon in the night sky, his brow slightly furrowed as if deep in thought. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he sat up, looking out the window.


    Sure enough, a petite figure soon appeared in his line of sight.


    Lu Chen sighed and remained seated, saying to the figure outside the window, ¡°What are you doing here again?¡±


    As the figure approached, the moonlight illuminated her face¡ªit was Bai Lian.


    The girl, with an ethereal beauty, looked even more noble and enchanting under the moonlight, almost like a celestial fairy. She didn¡¯t bother with formalities and, reaching the windowsill, leaped up to sit on it. Looking down into the room, she suddenly froze and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Ah Tu?¡±


    ¡°I sent him away,¡± Lu Chen saidµ­µ­µØ, ¡°That dumb dog was too annoying to deal with!¡±


    Bai Lian snorted, clearly disbelieving his words. From this angle, Lu Chen noticed that her outfit had a high cor that covered most of her neck.


    Seeming to sense Lu Chen¡¯s gaze, Bai Lian smiled and touched her neck, saying, ¡°Thanks to you, the wound there is quite troublesome and hasn¡¯t healed. Sometimes I really doubt who you are, using these inexplicable and evil methods.¡±


    Lu Chen straightened up, showing a serious expression, and said to Bai Lian, ¡°I¡¯m not a demonic sect spy.¡±


    Bai Lian snorted again. Although she seemed somewhat disdainful, for some reason, she appeared to believe him this time.


    Lu Chen looked at the dark night outside and shook his head, saying to Bai Lian, ¡°You keep running around like this all the time. Isn¡¯t your powerful master concerned about you? And, there¡¯s a curfew in the mountains, right? If you¡¯re spotted by the patrolling disciples, wouldn¡¯t that be awkward?¡±


    Bai Lian dismissed this with a look of contempt and said, ¡°Firstly, my master doesn¡¯t usually bother with me. He has a lot of things to do and is busy practicing all day; secondly, curfew rules don¡¯t matter to me. As a direct disciple of the Transformation Realm True Monarch, not only are those weaklings unable to catch me, but even if they did see me, what could they do?¡±


    Lu Chen was silent, then smiled wryly, ¡°You¡¯re quite perceptive for someone so young.¡±


    Bai Lian sat high on the windowsill, looking down at him and said, ¡°Of course. In this world, there are high and low distinctions. Why should those without abilities be on equal footing with us? What are you pretending to be, a saint?¡±


    Lu Chenughed and said nothing further. He turned his gaze back to the moon in the sky, which was bright and full, illuminating arge swath of the dark night sky.


    There were only seven days left until the full moon.


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