《The Journey of Projection Upgrading》


 Chapter 1: Chen An

    Midday, the sun hung high in the sky, casting a bright light all around, bringing a hint of warmth to the earth.Chen An walked on the road, the sun shining on him from above, but his mood was not very good.


    Looking ahead, the surroundings were filled with dilapidated houses, and there were beggars along the road.


    Faint cries could be heard from all corners, piercing to the ears and making people feel uncomfortable.


    If one observed carefully, they could even find several corpses hidden in the corners.


    The scene before Chen An made him feel incredibly unfamiliar, but at the same time, somewhat familiar.


    Even though he had crossed over for more than half a month, the scenes in front of him still made him feel uneasy, unable to adapt.


    Chen An looked around at the scenes, feeling heavy-hearted.


    Half a month ago, he was just an ordinary person in a peaceful society, but in a short period of time, he arrived in this world and became someone else.


    His current identity was a member of the Sanhe Gang.


    To put it bluntly, he was a gangster.


    Of course, the background of this world was different from the previous world.


    In this world, there existed genuine martial arts, and most of the so-called gangs were martial arts forces, with specialized martial arts traditions.


    Similar to the noble families in ancient times in the previous world, this world also had so-called noble families, just that what each side monopolized was no longer the same.


    In the previous world, the noble families monopolized mainly knowledge and literature, while in this world, it was martial arts inheritance.


    Relatively speaking, the latter was more deadly.


    Knowledge and literature were merely knowledge and a path to progress, while martial arts inheritance involved not only knowledge and advancement opportunities, but also the most real and unyielding martial power.


    In such a backdrop, gangs like the Sanhe Gang basically replaced the government, completely overshadowing the government.


    When the gang was no longer just an ordinary gang, the members of the gang like Chen An naturally couldn''t be considered simple gang members either.


    In reality, in this era of survival of the fittest, someone like Chen An with this identity was already enviable.


    Even ordinary people who wanted to join a gang had no way in. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Natural disasters outside were frequent, and ordinary people could be wiped out at any time, just like the beggars on the roadside who couldn''t even afford a hot meal.


    Compared to that, Chen An at least didn''t have to worry about food and drink, not having to worry about livelihood.


    This was the only comfort at the moment.


    Chen An sighed to himself, comforting himself in this way.


    After a while, he arrived at his workplace, a residence of the Sanhe Gang.


    "Master Chen, come and have some fun."


    In a somewhat grand building, as soon as Chen An stepped in, he heard bursts of laughter.


    A young girl approached, dressed in thin clothes, looking at Chen An and said.


    Chen An looked up at the girl''s appearance, couldn''t help but sigh.


    This residence used to be a brothel, with good business on normal days.


    However, some time ago, a natural disaster struck, and the wealthy people also tightened their belts, naturally not having the money to spend.


    The brothel owner owed a gang leader of the Sanhe Gang, because business was bad, he was short of money, so naturally he couldn''t pay it back for a while.


    Soon after, his head was chopped off, it was said his whole family was wiped out.


    This brothel also became a property of the Sanhe Gang, directly becoming a residence of the Sanhe Gang.


    As for the girls inside, it was naturally impossible to return them, directly becoming a property of the Sanhe Gang, responsible for entertaining the gang members of the Sanhe Gang.


    Compared to before, these girls'' lives became even more difficult.


    At least before, if they had generous customers, they might still receive some rewards.


    But now, forget about rewards, just having a meal would be good enough.


    But for this one meal, they still had to do what they were supposed to do.


    Otherwise, they would be beaten to death.


    "It''s not that bad."


    Chen An looked at the girl and sighed.


    This girl was actually quite young, only about sixteen or seventeen years old, in the past world, she was about the same age as Chen An''s sister.


    Thinking of his family in the past world, he felt somewhat uncomfortable.


    Searching through himself, he finally found half a steamed bun, handed it to the girl in front of him, and said, "Go rest in my room, just say I asked you to come to accompany, at least today no one should bother you."


    "Thank you, thank you."


    The girl took the half bun, her eyes reddening, quickly lowered her head to thank Chen An.


    Afraid others would notice, she quickly left, being very careful all the way.


    "Anzi, you are being compassionate again."


    Entering the hall, a young man looked at Chen An, shaking his head at him.


    "It''s okay, just a small gesture, do it when it needs to be done."


    Chen An shook his head, casually saying, "It''s not a big deal anyway."


    "I''m worried you''ll be taken advantage of."


    He looked at Chen An and then smiled, "Although you occasionally showed some compassion before, you were never one to willingly suffer losses, why have you been like this recently?"


    "People change."


    Chen An spoke, not saying much on this topic.


    The previous owner of this body occasionally showed some compassion, but in general, he was no different from others around him, all equally fierce.


    His so-called compassion was in fact more of a sense of superiority, a satisfaction in seeing the poor bow down to him.


    As for Chen An?


    It was more of a habitual action.


    He hadn''t been in this world for too long, at least for now, the environment of this world had not completely assimilated him.


    For trivial matters that didn''t endanger him, he just helped when he could.


    As time passed, habits might change, and he might gradually become the same as others, but for now, half a month was not enough for that change.


    Entering the hall, Chen An began his day''s work.


    The work he did wasn''t difficult, just sitting here, occasionally sorting through lists and sometimes going out to collect debts.


    Overall, the internal management of the Sanhe Gang was still somewhat chaotic, and the members inside didn''t have any specific division of labor, just doing whatever needed to be done.


    The problem was quite large, to the point that if someone inside wanted to embezzle some small things, it was simply too easy.


    If this was a legitimate company, under such chaotic internal management, it would have probably already gone bankrupt.


    But it didn''t matter.


    As a gang, martial strength and martial arts inheritance were its core competitive strength.


    As long as these two areas were fine, then no matter how many other problems there were, they wouldn''t be an issue.


    Recently, Chen An often had to go out, but today he was lucky enough to just stay here.


    It was a rare leisure time.


    "Where is Master Mei?"


    As he worked, Chen An casually asked.


    Master Mei, whose full name was Mei An, was the hall master of the Sanhe Gang in this area, in a certain sense, he was also Chen An and others'' immediate boss.


    Speaking of which, Chen An''s father of this body seemed to have worked for Master Mei, and even died for Master Mei.


    In the Sanhe Gang, Chen An was somewhat inheriting his father''s legacy.


    "It seems there''s been some trouble in Qinghe, Master Mei rushed over to deal with it."


    Beside him, Liu Sheng spoke up.


    "Master Mei went to handle it personally?"


    Chen An was surprised, then subconsciously asked, "Is there a troublemaker?"


    Unlike them, the hall master Mei An was a legitimate martial artist.


    Chen An had witnessed Mei An''s hand up close before.


    That time, Mei An held a big knife and directly killed more than ten strong men on the spot, seemingly without any effort.


    Such a martial strength was no longer something ordinary people could compare to.


    Usually, Master Mei, this hall master, presided over in this residence, rarely going out.


    The fact that Master Mei had to go out to deal with something hinted that it must be significant.


    "I heard that there was an accident over there, seems like a corpse mutation."


    Liu Sheng hesitated for a moment, then said.


    "Corpse mutation."


    Chen An couldn''t help but frown.


    Since arriving in this world half a month ago, he had heard of many similar incidents.


    Frequent natural disasters, it was said many strange happenings occurred in many places.


    Some encountered wild beasts that could speak human language in the wilderness, some died and resurrected after three days, and there were also sorcerers using spells to treat illnesses, capable of resurrecting the dead.


    All sorts of strange events were not uncommon, and he had heard quite a few during this period.


    At first, Chen An thought these were just rumors and superstitions.


    In troubled times, there were always strange tales and occurrences, seemingly not all that surprising.


    But later on, Chen An personally witnessed a peculiar incident.


    It was during an expedition to collect debts, a person whose body had rotted halfway was still able to move freely, and even killed Chen An''s companion.


    If he hadn''t noticed something was wrong beforehand and prepared ahead of time, he might have died there too.


    It was said that the strange creature still hadn''t been dealt with, and no one dared to go near that area till now.


    This incident also sounded an alarm bell to Chen An.


    In this world, those so-called strange events, might not necessarily be false superstitions, but actual existences.


    As for why this was the case, Chen An attributed it to the differences in the worlds.


    Different planets had different conditions, let alone different worlds.


    The previous world didn''t have martial arts, but this world did, which already indicated the differences between them.


    Therefore, creatures that couldn''t exist in the previous world might be able to exist in this world, making it a possibility.


    "With martial arts families oppressing from above, and demons eating people below, the common people of this world are truly having a hard time."


    Looking back at the state of this world, Chen An felt somewhat heavy-hearted, not knowing what to say at the moment.


    Before he could recover from this heavy-hearted feeling, there was already a commotion outside.


    "Master Mei is back!"


    Shouts came from outside.


    Chen An subconsciously looked up, then saw outside the door, a middle-aged man with a dark face walking in.


    He was burly and tall, wearing a gray robe, but at the moment, it had been stained with colorful marks.


    There was a clear claw mark on his chest, with fresh blood still dripping.


    He was injured, and his injuries were not light.

 Chapter 2: Awakening

    "It''s gotten this serious."Chen An stood to the side, watching Mei An walking towards him, feeling a bit surprised at the moment.


    He had witnessed Mei An''s strength before, and it was not an exaggeration to say that taking on hundreds of enemies was not an overstatement.


    However, even such a powerhouse had ended up in such a state this time, looking the way he did now.


    It was truly surprising.


    Naturally, the Sanhe Gang in Fengcheng County was not without opponents, as there were several other gangs in the area, though their overall strength might not be as strong as the Sanhe Gang, they were not weak either.


    Conflicts often erupted between the various gangs, which was one of the reasons why Mei An had stationed himself here.


    But from his past memories, whenever Mei An intervened, there were few problems that couldn''t be solved, and he rarely got injured.


    It was truly rare to see him injured to this extent this time.


    Behind Mei An, many people walked in.


    Chen An recognized those people, they were mostly local gang members, probably those Mei An had brought over to help.


    They were dragging something in their hands.


    It was a corpse, now placed in a simple ragged coffin, covered with a layer of cloth to conceal it.


    Although covered with a ragged cloth, the corpse couldn''t be completely hidden, still leaving some gaps exposed.


    Through the gaps, Chen An could see some details of the corpse, such as its pale skin and wounds.


    The skin of the corpse was a ghastly white, looking somewhat exaggerated.


    At least a normal corpse would never have this color.


    Had the corpse undergone a transformation?


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    The gang members responsible for carrying the coffin also had somewhat unpleasant expressions on their faces, as if they had experienced something unpleasant.


    On the side, after Mei An left, Liu Sheng quickly approached to inquire.


    "It''s a case of Corpse Transformation, becoming invulnerable, causing several of our brothers to be injured, until Master Mei personally took care of it in the end."


    The gang members who had witnessed the entire process spoke in low voices, seemingly recalling the horrifying scene from earlier, their faces still looking grim.


    Liu Sheng''s expression changed slightly, "Why did you bring this thing back?"


    A corpse after transformation, no matter how you looked at it, was an extremely ominous thing.


    This kind of thing should be discarded somewhere, so what was the point of bringing it back?


    "It''s at the orders of Master Mei," the gang member said with a bitter expression, "Do you think we wanted to bring it back?"


    "An order came from above, to throw this thing outside, but in case it''s not completely dead, it could be troublesome. We brought it back to burn it directly, to avoid any further issues."


    "In that case, quickly take it out and get rid of it, don''t linger here."


    Liu Sheng cursed inwardly, then quickly spoke.


    However, while speaking, he himself avoided that corpse, keeping far away to prevent any contact with the ominous aura of the corpse.


    As a member of the Sanhe Gang, killing people was just a small matter for him, and he had seen quite a few real corpses.


    But a corpse after transformation was too strange, and no one would be willing to touch it if possible, so everyone kept their distance.


    Even Chen An, at this moment, subconsciously wanted to stay away from the corpse, staying far away.


    He didn''t have any idea of the ominous aura, but he was afraid there might be some infectious source due to the corpse''s transformation, and if he accidentally got infected, it would be troublesome.


    However, soon, he paused.


    Because as the corpse approached, a unique feeling emerged from him.


    It was an instinctual feeling, as if a person who had been thirsty in a desert suddenly saw water, or a starving person saw a feast, it was a kind of instinctual desire.


    And the object of Chen An''s desire. surprisingly, was the corpse in front of him?


    Realizing this, Chen An''s face suddenly turned pale.


    "Could there be something wrong with me?"


    This thought flashed through his mind, making his heart beat faster.


    To have a desire for a corpse, that was really abnormal.


    And moreover, it wasn''t just an ordinary corpse.


    But in his mind, that feeling of desire was so deep, so intense, constantly assaulting Chen An''s mind, making him unable to control it.


    "Dammit!"


    He cursed inwardly and forced himself to resist the urge to touch the corpse, directly taking a few steps forward and distancing himself from the corpse.


    In doing so, that feeling of desire in his heart indeed subsided.


    But a feeling of loss emerged inexplicably.


    It was like watching food leave in front of one''s eyes, a sense of innate reluctance and loss.


    Chen An began to doubt himself even more.


    Was it something wrong with him, or was it for some other reason?


    Standing in place, he subconsciously glanced at the other people around him.


    Including Liu Sheng, everyone else''s expressions were normal, each with a look of disgust and aversion towards the ominous corpse.


    It seemed that he was the only one who felt that unique feeling towards the corpse.


    Gradually calming down, Chen An looked at the corpse being carried away, quickly returning to his normal state and returning to his usual duties.


    After a while, when everyone else had left, Chen An began to act.


    He proceeded forward and, with few people around, walked directly to where the corpse was placed.


    This was a temporary morgue.


    The bodies of the gang members who had died during the day, and even that corpse after transformation, were all placed here, each one handled respectfully.


    Chen An didn''t hide his movements.


    Just looking at the bodies wasn''t something to be ashamed of.


    In fact, Chen An wasn''t the only one visiting the bodies.


    Earlier, he had seen Liu Sheng sneaking in as well.


    And there were probably others who had come by as well.


    Their purpose was naturally not for the transformed corpse, but for the wealth that might exist in the bodies of the other corpses.


    These were gang members, and it was only right for the wealth they carried with them to be returned to their families after death. However, some people sneakily took it themselves, and who would know?


    Chen An had no intention of benefiting from the dead, but in a sense, these people had given him some cover.


    Entering the morgue, a foul stench wafted over, exceptionally choking.


    Chen An remained composed, simply searching around.


    Soon, a pale arm caught his eye.


    It was the corpse after transformation.


    Chen An heaved a sigh of relief.


    He was afraid that by the time he arrived, the corpse would have already been dealt with.


    Although, based on his understanding of the Sanhe Gang members, their efficiency couldn''t be that high.


    From the current situation, they indeed lived up to Chen An''s impression of them.


    Walking forward cautiously, Chen An took out the prepared items.


    A simple mask made of coarse cloth, and gloves.


    This was to prevent possible bacterial infections, as safety always came first.


    Although it might be futile.


    Possibly due to psychological factors, Chen An felt a sense of reassurance once the equipment was in place. He then proceeded towards the corpse, approaching slowly.


    During this process, he walked carefully, fearing any sudden changes in the corpse before him.


    However, fortunately.


    Until the end, the ghastly white corpse remained motionless.


    According to his intuition, Chen An finally managed to touch the corpse.


    Subsequently, something eerie happened.


    Accompanied by a hazy sensation, Chen An felt his body undergoing a transformation.


    A warm flow surged over him.


    Chen An could feel that something in the corpse in front of him seemed to be extracted.


    And then, everything changed.


    In front of him, mysterious runes emerged, looking unique.


    Chen An stared at these runes, feeling their peculiarity.


    After staring for a while, he felt a dull ache in his head as if it were being torn apart.


    Soon, the runes began to change rapidly, transforming into a script familiar to Chen An.


    "You have obtained a shred of boundary energy."


    "Your template has been activated."


    Accompanied by the appearance of familiar words, a series of runes floated continuously, then materialized in front of him.


    A surge of vast information flooded into his mind, making Chen An feel his head swell and a tearing sensation in his brain.


    But by now, he had finally come to his senses.


    Without much hesitation, he turned around and rushed outside, carefully returning to his abode.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (1.4), Physique (1.5), Spirit (2.4)


    Energy Source: 0


    Projection: Available


    Rows of information appeared before Chen An¡¯s eyes.


    A very simple panel, yet it brought a familiar feeling to Chen An.


    He had played games in his past life, and this panel resembled a character panel from those games.


    But what was the use of this?


    Chen An looked at it for a while, then his gaze focused on the Projection section, pondering.


    There didn''t seem to be anything urgent on his hands recently, and if necessary, he could afford some leisure time.


    It was a perfect time to try it out.


    So he went out, found Liu Sheng, asked him to inform the others, and then returned to his room alone, ready to start testing.


    "Would you like to start a Projection?"


    The familiar script appeared before Chen An''s eyes, looking quite prominent.


    But as Chen An confirmed, some changes occurred.


    The script in front of his eyes began to change, revealing two new options.


    "Control."


    "Simulation."


    Two options appeared before his eyes.


    "Is there any difference?" S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After considering for a moment, Chen An looked towards the Control option.


    But what followed was a severe pain, as if his head was going to split open, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.


    In front of Chen An''s eyes, the Control words brightened briefly, then quickly dimmed.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 3: Simulation

    Direct manipulation seems to be impossible.Chen An stared at the light screen in front of him for a while, a thought flashing through his mind.


    The pain in his mind still lingered, making him uncomfortable at the moment, and it took him a while to recover.


    This also made him focus his gaze on another option.


    Since direct manipulation doesn''t work, let''s simulate it.


    After a moment of contemplation, he pressed his hand forward and finally clicked on that column.


    In an instant, this place became brilliant, enveloping Chen An''s entire consciousness.


    In that moment, Chen An felt a bit blurred, as if he saw many things.


    He seemed to feel that a part of his consciousness was separated and drifted to a distant place.


    "Your consciousness has been born. In a cold winter, you were born in a peasant family and became the only son of this family."


    "In your childhood, you grew up carefree and learned to read with a private tutor."


    "You inherited the family property, married and had children, and eventually died at the age of forty due to illness."


    "You have three children and have reproduced a large number of descendants after a hundred years."


    "Simulation is over."


    "Evaluation: Your life is ordinary, with almost no impact except for a few children."


    "You have obtained five points of source energy."


    Rows of information appeared in front of Chen An, displayed in front of him.


    The speed was quite fast, almost ending before half an hour had passed.


    Chen An looked at the information floating in front of him, lost in thought.


    Because as the simulation ended, a lot of information reappeared in his mind.


    Information emerged one after another, appearing in his mind.


    It was about the simulated experiences, from birth to growth, to the memories of the final death.


    Of course, this part of the memory was not complete, with a large part missing.


    But even so, this part of the memory still calmed Chen An for a long time, and he finally came to his senses, breaking free from that immersive memory.


    Then he lowered his head, indeed seeing the change in the source energy column before him.


    The original zero points had become five points.


    "Five points of source energy."


    Chen An pondered.


    Honestly, he didn''t know if five points of source energy were a lot or a little, and he couldn''t make choices from beginning to end.


    If it was direct manipulation, maybe it could still give him some operating space, but simulation was impossible.


    It was as if it had nothing to do with him from start to finish, and it ended abruptly.


    But thinking about it, the death at the age of forty due to illness was really a bit.


    Chen An shook his head and began to seriously consider the uses of these source energies before him.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (1.4), Physique (1.5), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 5


    Projection: Charging


    A familiar character template appeared in front of Chen An, displayed in front of him again.


    Aside from the change in the number of source energy in the column, the column for the projection had changed from available to currently charging.


    Apart from this, however?


    Chen An carefully observed and finally found the change.


    An addition sign appeared on several attributes in the attribute column.


    "Could it be."


    A thought flashed through Chen An''s mind, and he immediately began to experiment.


    He first clicked on the strength column.


    The source energy immediately decreased by one point.


    Then, the attribute column immediately changed.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (1.5), Physique (1.5), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 4


    Projection: Charging


    A new change occurred.


    "So that''s how it works."


    Chen An looked at the template that reappeared in front of him, a thoughtful look on his face. "It seems to resemble game characters, and I can even level up."


    "I just wonder what the specific effects are."


    As he spoke, Chen An continued to try in the strength column, adding two more points of source energy.


    A warm stream flowed into his body.


    Almost in an instant, Chen An felt a change.


    His body was not particularly strong, but not weak either, being average among the gang members of the Three Rivers. However, now, with the increase in attributes, Chen An felt a surge of powerful strength emanating from within.


    The feeling was intense, as if he had suddenly gained double the strength, extremely refreshing, giving him an addictive feeling.


    The change was quite significant.


    A happy expression appeared on Chen An''s face.


    At this moment, he clearly felt the change in his body.


    This was real.


    From half a month ago until now, since he arrived in this world, Chen An had always had an inexplicable fear.


    Compared to his previous world, everything in this world was just too dangerous.


    Whether it was the dangerous gang members or the various mysterious phenomena, they were unimaginable to someone who used to live in a peaceful world.


    It wasn''t until this moment, looking at the panel in front of him, that Chen An finally gained a sense of security.


    "Continue the simulation. As long as I acquire enough source energy, perhaps I can also become strong enough, and then."


    Standing in place, Chen An muttered to himself, recalling everything he had seen in this period of time, various thoughts flashing through his mind.


    Compared to before, at this moment he felt like he had grasped a key that could change his destiny.


    Walking down this path, he believed that one day, he could become strong enough.


    However, he still had a question to figure out in front of him.


    "What is this thing charged with?"


    Looking at the projection still in the charging process in front of him, Chen An couldn''t help but have this thought.


    He remembered the corpse that had mutated earlier and the hints given by the attribute panel.


    "World Energy Crystal, seems to be this thing."


    Chen An recalled the scene before, and this thought flashed through his mind.


    His attribute panel was only opened by touching that mutated corpse earlier.


    That mutated corpse contained what he needed, the so-called World Energy Crystal.


    This should be the energy needed for the projection to charge.


    Now the question was, where else could this energy be found?


    "Is it only present on mutated corpses, or are these peculiar phenomena also included?"


    Chen An pondered this question.


    He recalled the peculiar phenomenon he had encountered before.


    It was a person who had also turned peculiar, half of his body rotten, but he could still move like a normal person.


    But on that person, Chen An seemed not to have felt the same abnormal sensation as before.


    Wait.


    It doesn''t seem entirely true.


    Recalling the scene before, because he had noticed something wrong in advance, during that incident, Chen An had hidden behind everyone early on and had run away when the monster made its move, never having a close encounter.


    So naturally, there would be no feelings produced.


    Thinking about this, Chen An was also uncertain and could only try more later.


    With this thought in mind, he took a step forward, walking out of the room.


    As he walked out, a familiar figure approached.


    It was Liu Sheng.


    "Did boss Mei ask for me?"


    Listening to Liu Sheng''s words, Chen An was somewhat surprised. "I understand."


    "I''ll go over right away."


    He said this and then went back to change into a new outfit before leaving the room and heading towards Mei An''s location.


    On the way, Chen An still had some doubts.


    From the situation just now, Mei An was still injured and should still be recovering. Why did he suddenly call him over?


    However, despite his doubts, Chen An certainly did not dare to say anything.


    After all, this was his immediate superior, the kind who could take your life at any moment.


    In Chen An''s current situation, it was best to remain honest and obedient.


    Soon, he arrived at a courtyard.


    It was dusk at the moment, the sun had already set everywhere, appearing dim, but shining on a figure standing in front, casting a long shadow on him.


    Mei An stood there, now wearing a new outfit compared to before, and the prominent wound on his body had also been bandaged, looking quite spirited.


    Hearing the footsteps behind him, he turned around, his gaze locking onto Chen An, still looking quite stern.


    "Master."


    Chen An bowed respectfully. "You asked for me?"


    "Yes."


    Mei An nodded, his gaze fixed on Chen An.


    In his observant gaze, Chen An stood tall and handsome, with a fair appearance, a rare talent among the strong men in the Three Rivers gang, earning a nod of approval from Mei An.


    "I heard that you asked for sick leave a moment ago. Is your body alright?"


    After scrutinizing Chen An for a moment, he finally spoke. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s just a slight cold, actually nothing serious, not worth mentioning."


    Chen An respectfully replied, then continued, "If you have any instructions, I''ll do it immediately."


    No matter what the boss''s intentions were, the attitude must always be made clear early on, this was the self-awareness of a lackey.


    "You have always been diligent in your work, and I have seen it."


    Looking at Chen An, Mei An nodded, then smiled and said, "Your father used to work for me and did many things for me."


    "After he died, I saw you alone, so I brought you into the gang, and it has been so many years now."


    He lamented as he spoke, recounting various stories.


    Chen An also listened with tact, playing his role obediently, until the other finished speaking and then his eyes turned red, somewhat emotional as he said, "Boss, to me, you are like a reborn parent. Even if Chen An is crushed to pieces, I can''t repay you."


    After speaking, he continued in one breath, bowing deeply, already appearing quite excited.


    After this set of performances, Mei An also appeared quite satisfied.


    He looked at Chen An, and finally got to the main topic of this meeting.


    "I am willing to let you enter the hall to practice martial arts, are you willing?"


    "I am willing, Boss."


    Chen An''s face immediately showed joy, directly replying.


    This time, his joy was not pretended but genuine.


    Entering the hall was the goal of many members within the Three Rivers gang.


    As long as one could enter the hall, there would be a chance to learn martial arts and inherit the martial arts legacy of the Three Rivers gang.


    Practicing martial arts.


    This was the best way for people in this world to stand out, even the most superficial martial arts were no exception.


    Until the awakening of the panel, Chen An''s goal was to enter the hall to practice martial arts.


    Although he had awakened the panel now, the opportunity to practice martial arts naturally seemed better.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 4: Martial Arts

    As Chen An walked out from Meian, there were still some doubts in his mind.Going to the martial arts hall for practice was considered a very good job among the members of Sanhe Gang.


    Although Sanhe Gang was just a small gang, the martial arts it possessed may not be as advanced as those of the prominent families, but for ordinary people, it was still a good way out.


    The martial hall was a place in Sanhe Gang used to teach martial arts, and only a few elite members could enter it.


    Meian, as the hall master, should have a few spots under his command, but not a lot. Why would he give this opportunity to him?


    Could it be just because he found him more pleasing?


    Vaguely, Chen An thought of his past experiences and some rumors around.


    The members of Sanhe Gang fight with people every day and have unruly personalities.


    But since Chen An joined Sanhe Gang, he seemed to have not suffered any oppression or conflicts, and people like Liu Sheng were very polite to him.


    Perhaps it really had something to do with his deceased father from his past life.


    Various thoughts flashed through Chen An''s mind, then he took a step forward and continued walking.


    Although he had the promise from Meian to practice martial arts at the martial hall, Chen An still remained calm and continued to handle his business at the residence as usual, showing no difference from before.


    The next day, as soon as the day broke, Chen An got up and went to another place.


    It was a spacious courtyard that looked like a escort agency from the outside, but it was actually one of the industries of Sanhe Gang.


    In Fengcheng County, the influence of Sanhe Gang was huge, and its industries were spread all over, such as escort agencies and brothels, behind which were mostly members of Sanhe Gang.


    And the martial arts hall responsible for teaching martial arts was located in this place.


    Following the directions, Chen An entered and saw the person in charge here.


    "Are you Chen An?"


    In the spacious area, a burly middle-aged man with an exaggerated figure stood there, looking at Chen An and constantly assessing him.


    "I am, Master Liu."


    Looking at the middle-aged man in front of him, Chen An''s face was respectful, bowing his head in greeting: "I am Chen An. I have long heard of Master Liu''s name. Today I see it in person, you indeed have a remarkable appearance, unlike ordinary people."


    He did not change his expression and complimented as soon as he opened his mouth, showing a very respectful attitude.


    Before coming here, he had already inquired about it.


    Liu Dao Xiong, the manager of Sanhe Gang''s martial hall, was said to be the top in martial arts in Fengcheng County, having fought tigers and leopards bare-handed and tearing them apart, earning him the nickname of Xiong Tu.


    Just arriving at this martial hall and seeing such a person, Chen An couldn''t help but feel nervous.


    "You know how to talk."


    Liu Dao glanced at Chen An, then nodded: "You look good, have you practiced martial arts before?"


    "I practiced for a few years when I was young."


    Chen An said with an unchanged face.


    Strictly speaking, the foundation of his current body was just average.


    Although the biological father of his past life had a close relationship with Meian, he did not learn any profound martial arts, so there was no special training for Chen An''s past life.


    But compared to other people in this world, he had better living conditions, sufficient nutrition, and naturally a strong body.


    And he also increased his strength significantly through the panel before, making him appear quite decent.


    Liu Dao examined Chen An for a while, then nodded satisfaction, showing that he was quite satisfied with him.


    "Go, practice with others."


    As the words fell, Chen An left tactfully and obediently went down to prepare for training.


    And the first step of this training was to draw the sword.


    The martial hall of Sanhe Gang was just a place for cultivating henchmen, where only a rudimentary martial art, the Five Tiger Saber Technique, and the corresponding body refining method were taught.


    In this martial hall, most of the time was spent on body refining.


    As for the actual swordsmanship, it only occupied a small part of the content.


    Although the martial arts were rudimentary, they were still quite helpful to Chen An.


    At least when he truly practiced martial arts, Chen An had a certain understanding of the martial arts heritage of this world.


    According to Liu Dao, in most martial arts traditions, the techniques were not the most important, but the body refining methods were crucial.


    Just like the Five Tiger Saber Technique taught in this place, the actual techniques used for combat only accounted for a small part of the content, while the body refining content was the major part and the true core.


    The key to understanding this was quite straightforward.


    In any martial arts, although exquisite techniques were important, a strong body was even more critical.


    Take Liu Dao for example, his powerful physical training was incredibly strong, enough to tear tigers and leopards alive.


    At this level, even if he didn''t use any sophisticated martial arts techniques, or even fought bare-handed, what difference did it make?


    It would be just a matter of one punch.


    Therefore, the martial arts heritage of this world mostly emphasized body refining rather than techniques.


    In fact, many legendary martial arts skills in the world of martial arts did not have any techniques but only focused on body strengthening.


    During this time, Chen An actively studied this knowledge and carefully listened to valuable information around him.


    This could deepen his understanding of this world and pave the way for a better future.


    There were quite a few people in this martial hall. According to the information Chen An had gathered, there were at least forty to fifty people.


    Most of them were members of Sanhe Gang, originating from various branches and different places.


    After some time, there would be people leaving here, and then new people would come in.


    For Chen An, these people were the best window to understand other places. By chatting with these people, he could learn more valuable information.


    Unknowingly, more than two months had passed.


    On the spacious training ground, the sound of intense training resounded.


    Big men held swords on the training platform, practicing.


    Compared to the hungry civilians outside, the men here were generally strong and sturdy, looking quite robust.


    At this moment, they wielded their swords, continuously training and shedding sweat drops.


    Chen An was also among them.


    He also held a long sword in his hand, staring closely at the wooden stakes in front of him, then continuously rushing forward and striking down with the sword.


    Bang!


    A series of crisp sounds echoed from the spot, each sound was heavy, attracting the eyes of people around. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    During this period of time when actually practicing martial arts, people around him discovered the differences in Chen An.


    He behaved politely and courteously to everyone, looking scholarly, not like a member of a gang, but more like a scholar.


    But when he was training, he was more diligent than anyone else.


    Every morning when the day broke, he would always be the first to stand on the training platform.


    Moreover, he seemed to have innate strength, appearing gentle but stronger than many tough guys, making him naturally suitable for the Five Tiger Saber Technique, a powerful and vigorous technique.


    After two months, other newcomers were still exploring the techniques, but he had already been able to wield the long sword properly, looking quite proficient.


    Making this progress was partly because the Five Tiger Saber Technique itself was not difficult, but also due to Chen An''s outstanding talent and hard work.


    Chen An didn''t care about what others thought.


    At this moment, in his eyes, everything could be ignored, leaving only the wooden stake in front of him.


    With every strike, there seemed to have been a qualitative change in the accumulated quantity.


    At some moment, a new change began to manifest within Chen An''s field of vision.


    The upgrade panel spontaneously appeared.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (1.7), Body (1.5), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 2


    Heritage: Five Tiger Saber Technique (Can be improved)


    Projection: Charging


    Rows of subtitles floated in front of him. Most of the data had no problems, but there was now an additional category of Heritage.


    And under that category, the Five Tiger Saber Technique martial arts heritage was clearly included.


    "What is this."


    Looking at this fresh change, Chen An paused, staring at the "Can be improved" column behind the Five Tiger Saber Technique, and his heart couldn''t help but beat faster: "Could it be."


    Standing in place, he looked around, not taking immediate action, for a rare moment he stopped training and left the martial arts field before it got dark.


    At the martial arts field, as they watched Chen An leave in a hurry, the others present couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    In recent times, because of Chen An''s madness, other people also felt pressured and unconsciously increased their efforts to avoid looking lazy.


    Now that this champion had finally left, the people there felt a great relief, and their mood lightened considerably.


    But afterwards, they looked at each other around the room, and even more unconsciously stepped up their training pace.


    In just a moment, the atmosphere at the martial arts field resumed its fervent state, with a lively scene.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 5: Departure

    Chen An naturally had no idea what happened at the martial arts field after he left.At this moment, he had already returned to his room.


    Back in his room, he immediately closed the door and stared intently ahead.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (1.7), Physical (1.5), Spirit (2.4)


    Energy Source: 2


    Lineage: Five Tiger Blade Technique (Upgradeable)


    Projection: Charging


    The familiar upgrade template appeared before his eyes.


    "Upgrade?"


    As his thoughts flowed, the familiar subtitles appeared again.


    Without much hesitation, Chen An directly chose to confirm.


    A warm flow rushed into his mind, and then a large amount of information exploded in Chen An''s mind.


    Boom!


    Scenes flashed before his mind.


    In that scene, his figure was portrayed, expressionless as he held the long knife in his hand, beginning the practice.


    Swish


    The long knife struck forward, one by one, seemingly very green at first, like a beginner who had just started.


    But as time passed, the speed suddenly increased.


    Bang!


    With a light sound, in that scene, Chen An''s facial expression, a knife severed the wooden stake in front of him.


    Everything ended there.


    When Chen An came to his senses, he found himself back in his room.


    Everything around him remained unchanged. S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    So he subconsciously raised his head and then noticed the change.


    On his hands, layers of thick calluses appeared.


    In the past two months, he had already developed quite a few calluses on his hands, but now there were even more.


    It was as if in that instant, several years had passed, causing a significant change in him.


    He stood up and looked, noticing changes in himself. Although his body size had not changed, his arms had become much stronger.


    Taking off his clothes, his once fair skin now appeared bronze, extremely sturdy.


    This was the sign of a small achievement in the Five Tiger Blade Technique.


    Although Chen An had expected this, he still couldn''t help but be somewhat stunned after seeing the effect.


    He looked down again at his upgrade template.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (2), Physical (1.8), Spirit (2.4)


    Energy Source: 0


    Lineage: Five Tiger Blade Technique


    Projection: Charging


    The familiar template reappeared.


    Indeed, the energy source had been cleared, and the upgrade option for the Five Tiger Blade Technique had disappeared.


    However, with the improvement of the Five Tiger Blade Technique, several of Chen An''s attributes also saw an increase.


    Not only did his strength increase to two points, but even his physical attribute had increased by several decimal points.


    This change, even if described as a complete transformation, seemed not to be an exaggeration.


    Most importantly, the cost-effectiveness was very high.


    "By upgrading the Five Tiger Blade Technique, I only used two energy points, but the effect obtained far exceeded the direct attribute points."


    Looking at the changes before him, Chen An''s eyes lit up, beginning to summarize his experience: "It seems that directly improving martial arts is the right path, and the cost-effectiveness of directly adding points is relatively lower."


    "However, it seems that martial arts cannot be directly improved."


    Chen An pondered.


    When he first acquired the Five Tiger Blade Technique, there didn''t seem to be an option for improvement, nor was it reflected in the upgrade template.


    It was only after he diligently practiced for over two months, finally mastering the Five Tiger Blade Technique, that corresponding changes appeared on the template.


    So, must one master the lineage at least to make an improvement?


    Chen An pondered.


    By the way, he didn''t know how long it would take to charge the projection.


    Chen An looked at the projection bar.


    Whether it was improving martial arts or directly adding points, energy was required.


    To obtain energy, one needed the projection.


    But since the last projection, this bar was still in a charging state, and he didn''t know how long it would take.


    Chen An glanced at the projection bar.


    Seemingly sensing his thoughts, a long frame appeared directly behind that column, somewhat resembling a blue bar of a game character.


    At this moment, the line on the blue bar was less than half.


    Chen An frowned instantly.


    Only half of the time had passed in over two months ¨C would he have to wait another four or five months to accumulate fully?


    The time seemed bearable, but it was relatively long.


    If every time required endurance, then this projection function might not be used many times.


    "It seems like I need to think of a solution."


    Chen An stood up from the room and then walked out.


    While no one was around, he sneaked to the martial arts field, casually picked up a long knife.


    With the long knife in hand, a familiar feeling instantly emerged, giving Chen An a sense of inexplicable confidence.


    It was as if he had been practicing with the knife for a long time.


    Unlike directly increasing attribute points, improving martial arts would affect more things, including some subtle aspects.


    Chen An held the knife, as if he was chopping at a wooden stake during the day.


    The change was evident.


    Not only was the long knife more handy, but there were also more subtle changes.


    How to exert force, how to adjust the body when swinging the knife ¨C these were engraved in his body as if by instinct.


    It was as if he had practiced it himself, with no improvement in strength, but other things couldn''t keep up.


    After a set of knife exercises, Chen An was somewhat satisfied and then left.


    The hall was bustling with people, and he didn''t try his best. He just tried briefly and then left.


    "My current strength should already be on par with some gang members who have been practicing for years. I just don''t know how far I am from the Meitang Master and the others."


    Walking on the road, this thought flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    Since coming to this world, he hadn''t seen many martial arts experts. Besides Liu Dao, who presided over the martial arts hall, there was Meian.


    From the information Chen An had previously inquired about, anyone who could serve as the hall master within the Sanhe Gang was already considered a top-notch expert, even a top personality in this Phoenix County.


    Most importantly, Meian was able to defeat those anomalies.


    As long as Chen An could reach Meian''s level, he could go for those anomalies, try to help charge the upgrade template.


    This was one of Chen An''s current goals.


    Soon, another half a month passed.


    Unconsciously, Chen An had already spent three months in this hall.


    It was almost time to leave.


    There was no other choice.


    Sanhe Gang was not kind. They trained their gang members in martial arts just to make them better at killing.


    Moreover, martial arts also required a lot of resources.


    For example, the martial arts practices in the martial arts hall, for the sake of body refining, involved daily medicinal soups and baths.


    These expenses were considerable. If an ordinary person didn''t have these aids and didn''t have a suitable teacher, relying solely on a secret script to practice could easily ruin themselves.


    Each person in the martial arts hall could only stay for three months.


    Under normal circumstances, these three months were enough to get started. After that, if one wanted to continue practicing, they had to rely on their own efforts.


    Effort in practice, effort in saving money.


    "Still too stingy."


    Chen An packed up and prepared to leave.


    He had no regrets, as his Five Tiger Blade Technique had already been elevated to a new level after the enhancement. Even if he stayed here, it wouldn''t be of much use.


    He just felt that the rules of the Sanhe Gang were somewhat unreasonable.


    If it was just an ordinary gang member, it was fine to leave after three months.


    But if it was a talented individual, a genius, if they were also driven away after three months, wielding a newly trained blade to kill people, it would be a waste.


    No one could multitask. In a situation where one needed to hustle for a living, engage in daily battles, and practice martial arts at the same time, even the probability of rising to the top for a genius would drastically decrease, and they might even accidentally die outside.


    (The end of this chapter).

 Chapter 6: Calm

    As usual, after practicing knife skills in the martial hall, the disciples of the Sanhe Gang would be sent to various outposts to do tasks for the gang.Chen An was no exception.


    After three months, he arrived at a tavern where he was responsible for guarding.


    This turned out to be a job that surprised Chen An a bit.


    Compared to other tasks, guarding in a tavern was obviously much more comfortable.


    Most of the time, he just needed to sit there without moving, earning a monthly salary, and even occasionally receiving some offerings from others.


    It was considered a good cushy job.


    Such a cushy job, theoretically, should not have fallen into the hands of someone like Chen An with no background, it should have been snatched away long ago by someone else.


    It was only after inquiring for a while that Chen An suddenly realized.


    It was Mei An who had pulled some strings behind the scenes.


    When Chen An first arrived, he had greeted Liu Dao from the martial hall and asked him to take care of Chen An so that this cushy job would fall into Chen An''s hands.


    It seemed that the relationship between the previous owner''s father and Mei An was indeed good, which was why Mei An took care of him in this way.


    But at this point, it should be about the extent of it.


    The previous owner''s father was not a martial artist, just an ordinary person, even if the relationship was good, it was probably the limit to let Mei An do this.


    Fortunately, Chen An wasn''t expecting much.


    Guarding the tavern wasn''t bad.


    At least it was peaceful, and he had time to practice martial arts in his spare time.


    Bang!


    A crisp sound rang out.


    In the spacious hall, two strong men fell heavily to the ground, staring at the tall figure in front of them with a look of astonishment on their faces.


    If you look closely, you could see that the weapons in their hands were broken directly.


    Ahead, the sound of crisp footsteps approached.


    "You dare to cause trouble with just this little ability?"


    Chen An walked up slowly, holding a long knife in his hand, looking at the two strong men in front of him with a disdainful expression.


    "While I''m in a good mood, you better leave."


    He said to the two men in front of him.


    Immediately, the two men''s faces showed relief, not daring to say another harsh word. They simply picked up their weapons and left in a hurry.


    After dealing with these two men, Chen An put away his weapon and walked back slowly.


    "Brother Chen''s martial arts skills are amazing, truly admirable."


    An old man walked up, dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe, looking at Chen An with a flattering look, "These two men are good hands from the Haisha Gang. It is said that even several hall masters would have to put in some effort, but Chen Xiong dealt with them so easily."


    "No need for flattery."


    Chen An glanced at the old man and didn''t say much, simply reaching out his hand and saying, "Give me the money."


    "Didn''t I just give you some money a while ago?"


    The old man''s face stiffened, instinctively speaking.


    "That was from last time."


    Chen An looked at the old man, "Don''t tell me these two men will come knocking on my door for no reason."


    "You brought trouble upon yourself. Expecting me to solve it for free, aren''t you thinking too highly of yourself?"


    Hearing this, the old man chuckled, but eventually obediently took out a money pouch and handed it to Chen An.


    Satisfied with the weight in his hand, Chen An was ready to leave directly to continue his martial arts practice.


    But at this moment, a voice behind him continued to speak.


    "Brother Chen, with your martial skills, it would be a pity to just guard here. I have a big deal here. As long as Brother Chen is willing to participate, you will profit greatly."


    "Not interested."


    Chen An paused, coldly saying, "I should remind you, if you go looking for trouble and it attracts some people, I can just walk away, it''s up to you to deal with it."


    After saying that, he left directly.


    Leaving the tavern, he walked outside and quickly returned to his residence.


    Where he was currently located, was a relatively spacious courtyard that Chen An rented specifically for practicing martial arts. It was quite comfortable to live in.


    Returning to his place, he picked up his long knife and practiced his knife skills in the courtyard until it was getting dark, then finally stopped.


    By this point, he was sweating all over, so he took off his clothes and poured a bucket of water over himself.


    Under the faint sunlight, Chen An''s upper body was exposed, his skin showing muscles that made him look strong with a masculine aura.


    This was the result of refining the Five Tiger Knife Technique, which had inadvertently strengthened Chen An''s body, slowly transforming him into this appearance.


    Standing in place, Chen An suddenly felt something and his gaze shifted to a corner.


    In the adjacent courtyard, a small head peeked out, belonging to what seemed to be a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, who had been secretly watching him.


    When she noticed that Chen An had noticed her, the girl blushed and quickly withdrew her head.


    But after a moment, she raised her head again, continuing her surreptitious glance.


    A large hand suddenly reached out and lightly tapped her head.


    "Don''t keep looking, study properly at such a young age."


    Chen An stood at the wall, smiling at the girl, then threw something into her yard. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "I just bought some snacks, try them."


    On the other side of the wall, the girl picked up the items and found them to be some snacks and fruits.


    She smiled and almost drooled.


    After she finished eating, she looked up again, but Chen An was already gone.


    "Almost there, to start the next simulation."


    It was almost evening now, and Chen An packed up his things and stayed inside his house, looking at the charging progress on his projection screen with some anticipation.


    Unknowingly, he had been in this place for over two months.


    Honestly, the feeling in this place wasn''t bad.


    Although the world was tough, it was only for the common people.


    For the wealthy and powerful, life was as they wanted it to be.


    Chen An was responsible for keeping an eye on the Sanhe Gang''s affairs in this area, occasionally helping out the wealthy and powerful with some minor troubles as well.


    His strength was good, and after upgrading the Five Tiger Knife Technique, he had practically no opponents in a fight.


    Relative to others, he lived a more comfortable life.


    If he were an ordinary person with this kind of strength, a bit cautious, then finding a good wife and settling down in this area would be quite nice.


    But unfortunately...


    Inside the house, Chen An pondered his current situation.


    In these two months, he had been practicing the Five Tiger Knife Technique all the time, never stopping no matter how busy he was.


    Yet the progress was still minimal.


    There was no way around it.


    The methods of the Five Tiger Knife Technique were simplistic, only basic martial arts.


    Chen An had almost mastered the knife techniques, but the body refinement was not something that could be achieved overnight.


    After two months of effort, the progress was still minimal, just better than nothing.


    "It seems there''s no hope for me to master it on my own."


    Chen An thought to himself.


    During this time, he had almost come to terms with his own situation.


    Compared to others, although he was diligent, his talent did not seem to be that of a genius, just above average.


    To try and make a name for himself with his own practice would be too difficult.


    Thinking this, he couldn''t help but focus his gaze on his upgrade template.


    On the projection screen, the blue progress bar was already more than half full, just a little more to go.


    When that time came, he should be able to start the next projection.


    With that in mind, Chen An felt a slight abnormality in his heart.


    He looked outside and heard a lot of commotion.


    "Officials'' men?"


    Chen An sensed something was up and listened to the noise outside, wondering what had happened.


    It was almost night.


    When the sunlight lit up the sky again, and morning arrived once more, Chen An got up early and walked outside his door.


    Just as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, his eyebrows furrowed.


    The smell of blood, a strong scent of blood permeated the air.


    Looking up, he saw bloodstains everywhere on the street, staining the ground in red. It was hard to say how much blood had been shed.


    "What happened last night?"


    Chen An wondered in his mind, looking at the scene full of blood, he was at a loss for words.


    Blood stained the streets everywhere, but no bodies could be seen, nor any traces of a fight.


    How did this come about?


    Chen An didn''t know.


    Seeing the scene in front of him, he was about to leave, but his body suddenly paused.


    A familiar feeling surged from his body.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 7: Battle

    familiar feeling surged from within.For Chen An, this feeling was not unfamiliar.


    It was the same feeling that arose in him when he first touched the corpse that had undergone a transformation.


    But why now?


    Chen An turned around and looked at the pool of blood in front of him, feeling puzzled.


    He walked forward and touched the bloodstains.


    A faint warmth instantly surged into his body, but quickly disappeared.


    There was indeed some energy present, but it was very weak.


    Why was this happening?


    "Could it be that among the people who left the bloodstains last night, one of them is a similar anomaly?"


    Chen An thought to himself.


    Not long after, more people began to gather around.


    The crowd of onlookers grew larger.


    Chen An glanced around, chose not to linger any longer, and left directly.


    Leaving the street, Chen An went to a familiar base and quietly inquired about the news from yesterday.


    The place he was stationed at was not too far from where Meian was stationed.


    Soon, he met Liu Sheng and learned about what happened last night.


    "It seems that a fugitive from the south escaped and sneaked into Fengcheng County. The county lord is currently ordered to investigate."


    Upon Chen An''s arrival, Liu Sheng seemed surprised, "We also received orders from the yamen to assist in the investigation together."


    "This person seems to be very important."


    After some thought, Chen An spoke.


    Ordinary fugitives would not attract so much attention from the authorities and even cause the Sanhe Gang to take action.


    He wondered just who this person was.


    "Forget it."


    After thinking for a moment, Chen An ultimately chose to give up.


    If the authorities were already involved and investigating, the identity of the person must be significant, and it was best for Chen An not to get involved.


    There would surely be more opportunities in the future, and this one was not worth it.


    With these thoughts in mind, Chen An chatted with Liu Sheng for a while before leaving.


    After leaving, he returned to his previous residence and sat down in a tavern.


    Walking into the hall, he casually found a seat, picked up a book, and started reading.


    This was also to prepare for the future.


    Although the previous owner of this body could read, it was not proficient enough, far from the standard required to be useful.


    Now that he had time, it was a good opportunity to brush up on his reading skills.


    After all, if he couldn''t read, he might not be able to understand martial arts manuals and other things in the future.


    Not to mention medical prescriptions.


    Later, Chen An planned to find a few teachers and study pharmacology seriously, which would make it much easier for him to practice martial arts in the future.


    He sat there quietly, absorbed in reading, seemingly unperturbed.


    In contrast to the quiet atmosphere around him, the surroundings were lively.


    In this tavern, a bustling atmosphere filled the air continuously.


    Someone was running the show inside. S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the tavern appeared to be a place for dining, in reality, they were in the gambling business.


    Otherwise, there would be no need for Chen An to watch over the place.


    Although it was noisy inside, Chen An had spent some time there and had already adapted to it. At the moment, he was happily reading his book in a corner.


    This atmosphere continued for some time before being disrupted.


    An inexplicable feeling entered his mind, breaking the previous calm.


    Chen An suddenly woke up.


    A longing feeling swept over him.


    Feeling this sensation, Chen An unconsciously stood up and turned to look to the side.


    After a moment, he confirmed the source of this feeling.


    It was a small figure.


    Staring at the figure in the distance, Chen An was stunned, somewhat doubting his own eyes.


    Because the figure in the distance was a young girl who looked no more than eight or nine years old.


    The young girl seemed to be around eight or nine years old, with a very cute appearance, clearly a beautiful child.


    The only thing that seemed off was her somewhat pale complexion, which appeared problematic.


    Beside the young girl, there was a young man in his twenties.


    The young man looked delicate, with fair skin, a touch of vigor between his brows, and a hint of coldness.


    Such a strange combination was sitting there, eating their meal.


    And the source of the strange feeling that Chen An felt was the little girl in front of them.


    "What''s going on?"


    Looking at the pair in the distance, Chen An furrowed his brows, feeling puzzled.


    Could it be that the crystal energy could not only be extracted from monsters but also from living people?


    He was puzzled, but the feeling was so clear and real, without any hint of falsehood.


    In the distance, the two of them finished their meal and were now packing up.


    It seemed like they were preparing to leave?


    This couldn''t be!


    Chen An had finally encountered something that seemed to be able to absorb energy, how could he easily let it go?


    Without much hesitation, Chen An put down his book and, turning around, left the place.


    Following the traces of the two people, Chen An followed from a distance.


    The crowds around were scurrying, and as time passed, they became increasingly sparse.


    "Are they heading outside the city?"


    Observing their route, Chen An wondered.


    At this point, there were fewer and fewer people around.


    In front of him, under Chen An''s gaze, the young man stopped suddenly, holding the young girl''s hand.


    "Come out."


    A hoarse voice echoed on the spot and reached Chen An''s ears.


    The young man coldly spoke, his face stern, "You¡¯ve been following me for so long, aren''t you tired?"


    "Have I been exposed?"


    Chen An thought to himself, somewhat surprised.


    He thought he had been very cautious in following them, but he had still been discovered.


    Was this person a master?


    As he was about to step out, a commotion suddenly broke out around him.


    "Attack!"


    A voice came from the side.


    As the young man spoke, several figures suddenly rushed out from the side and directly confronted him without saying a word.


    Chen An''s footstep came to a halt as he stopped in his tracks.


    "Who are they?"


    Standing in place, Chen An gazed at the people in front of him, wondering.


    With so many followers around him, the other party seemed to have a significant identity.


    Was it related to the person who left the bloodstains yesterday?


    Various thoughts crossed Chen An''s mind as he watched the intense battle unfold in front of him.


    He watched the young man unsheath his long sword and fight against the four assailants.


    It was clear that the young man had some martial arts training, but his skills were not top-notch.


    The four attackers, in Chen An''s eyes, were not considered experts. At best, they were at the level of elite gang members who had trained in basic martial arts for a few years.


    But the young man seemed equally unskilled and was now struggling against the four attackers.


    Not long after, he was pushed back by the attackers and was clearly at a disadvantage.


    If it weren''t for the fact that the four attackers seemed to want to capture him alive and hadn''t made a fatal move yet, the battle would have ended long ago.


    "It seems to be from the Haisha Gang.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Chen An thought to himself.


    Turning his gaze forward, by this time, the young man had already fallen to the ground, and the young girl beside him was crying loudly, knocked unconscious by someone.


    It was time.


    Chen An picked up his sword and walked out from the corner, charging forward.


    With the long sword in hand, he moved swiftly, almost reaching the scene in just a few breaths, and then struck with his sword.


    "Enemy attack!"


    At this point, the people in front of him reacted, ready to counterattack.


    But it was already too late.


    With the long sword in his hand, his face expressionless, Chen An swung the sword, creating a sharp whistle in the air.


    "Expert!"


    The pupils of the people in front of him shrank, and a long bloodstain appeared on their neck, leading to their downfall.


    By this time, the others finally reacted.


    Thud!


    A muffled sound rang out; one person didn''t have time to react and was sent flying, hitting the ground heavily, already unconscious.


    In the blink of an eye, two out of the four were down.


    Chen An turned around, his gaze fixed on the remaining two individuals, imposing great pressure on them.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 8: The Harvest

    "What kind of person are you!"A roar echoed.


    In front of Chen An, two people watched as their comrades fell, their eyes filled with anger.


    Unfortunately, their words did not receive a response.


    A long knife fell, leaving a long scar as if trying to split a person in half.


    With a light thud, another person was cut down by Chen An, falling to the ground.


    "Stop the nonsense!"


    A figure dashed forward, with sounds of confrontation echoing around.


    Amidst the chaotic sounds, faint shouts could be heard.


    A strong arm reached out and grabbed the last person by the neck, slamming them forcefully to the ground.


    Boom!


    The ground was directly concaved by the force, leaving a deep mark.


    The person was struck by the force and immediately perished, appearing lifeless.


    "A bit of a waste of energy."


    As Chen An breathed a sigh of relief seeing all four individuals dead.


    Since the beginning, he had been on high alert, fearing that one slip-up could allow these four people to escape.


    That would have caused trouble.


    Fortunately, the young man had fought with these four people before, although he was not their match, he had drained their energy.


    Otherwise, Chen An would not have had it so easy.


    Relaxing his mind, confirming the death of the four, Chen An nervously approached to finish them off and then began inspecting his spoils.


    He bypassed the young man, his eyes fixed on the girl lying on the ground.


    Laying quietly on the ground, the girl''s face looked pale, devoid of any color.


    In every aspect, her complexion was too pale, unlike that of a normal person.


    However, she was indeed alive.


    Chen An was certain of that.


    Standing in place, he stared at the girl''s appearance, feeling conflicted.


    That strange feeling was still present.


    There was something on this child that he needed.


    But how could he take it?


    It would have been easy enough to kill her directly, as he had done before.


    But unfortunately, she was still a child.


    Frowning, Chen An finally tried reaching out, carefully grasping the girl''s hand.


    A chilling sensation rushed into his palm, feeling as if he was holding a block of ice, so cold.


    Before Chen An could react, a unique breath emerged once again.


    A familiar sensation surfaced.


    "Obtain a strand of realm energy crystal."


    Familiar words appeared in front of him, presented in such a way.


    Looking at the familiar subtitles, Chen An lowered his head and looked ahead.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (2), Body (1.8), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 0


    Inheritance: Five Tiger Blade Technique


    Projection: Available


    Upgrade template emerged, and the projection column had changed.


    "It''s done."


    Chen An felt relieved in his heart.


    This was a pleasant surprise.


    He had thought it would take at least two more months to gather enough, but now it was done.


    And at that moment, Chen An also noticed other changes.


    Before him, the girl''s complexion quickly changed from pale to a more normal color.


    Even the cold sensation on her arm had disappeared.


    This change surprised Chen An.


    Without a doubt, there were issues with the girl, which had caused her to appear strange before.


    The cause of her problem was the realm energy crystal.


    Now that Chen An had absorbed that energy, she had naturally returned to normal.


    He wondered what would happen next.


    With various thoughts flashing through his mind, Chen An, without hesitation, left the scene.


    Although it was already outside the city, with few people around, it didn''t mean no one would come by.


    If he stayed here for too long and was accidentally noticed, it would cause trouble.


    Chen An didn''t want any trouble.


    However, little did he know that shortly after he left, the young man who had been lying on the ground as if dead began to move.


    Sensing Chen An''s departure, he blinked, only opening his eyes when he confirmed there was no one around.


    "What formidable skills! I never expected such a young hero to exist in Feng City," he said, looking in the direction Chen An had left.


    Then, he quickly walked over, made sure the girl was unharmed, then breathed a sigh of relief, and swiftly carried her away.


    Soon after, a gust of wind blew through the quiet place, carrying the scent of blood that lingered.


    There, four bodies lay quietly on the ground, maintaining their previous postures.


    Clang!


    In a quiet room, a crisp sound rang out.


    A tall middle-aged man looked at the person in front of him, his face grim, "A young man who hasn''t even touched the edge of refining energy, taking a young girl with him. Not only did you fail to capture him for me, but you also lost four disciples in the process!"


    "What are you all good for?"


    "A bunch of idiots!"


    Standing there with a stern face, he looked awe-inspiring, but when he became angry, it was terrifying, making people afraid to approach.


    Standing in front of the middle-aged man was a burly man, tall and sturdy, clearly not someone to mess with. But at the moment, he stood there in silence, not daring to retort.


    After scolding for a while, He Chang also became tired and sat down on a chair, looking at the person in front of him, he sighed before speaking, "I don''t want to hear any more nonsense."


    "Now tell me, do you have any specific information?"


    "The master doesn''t need to be so angry."


    The man looked at He Chang, then carefully spoke up, "Just an ordinary thief with average martial arts skills, is it necessary to be so upset?"


    "You don''t understand."


    He Chang turned around, coldly looking at the man in front of him, "If it was just an ordinary person, why would the officials react so strongly?"


    "Did you find anything on those followers?"


    "I''ve personally checked, they had many knife wounds, the killer should be good at using a knife."


    The man hesitated for a moment before continuing, "If I''m not mistaken, that person should be using the Five Tiger Blade Technique of the Three Rivers Gang, and he''s extremely skilled."


    "These four followers are all experts in the gang, but they couldn''t even escape from that person. His martial arts skills are at least at the level of refining the body."


    "The Three Rivers Gang?"


    He Chang''s voice rang out loudly, coldly speaking.


    "It''s most likely."


    The man nodded, then added, "If it''s really the work of the Three Rivers Gang, the people are most likely already in their hands."


    "What a gang."


    He Chang chuckled, "Well, this time, let''s resolve old conflicts together."


    "Some time ago, wasn''t that old fellow Mei An injured?"


    "It''s perfect timing to deal with him now, to see how much he weighs." s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why wait any longer?"


    The man hesitated, showing a look of doubt, "It may be too rushed, the members below may not be ready."


    "There''s no need to prepare anymore."


    He Chang shook his head, "Rest assured."


    "For so many years, the Three Rivers Gang has occupied the best locations in Feng City. Our Haisha Gang only has some rundown places no one else wants."


    "Now, it''s time to change the fate of Feng City!"


    He smirked, as if he had thought of something.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Chen An had returned to his residence.


    Closing the door behind him, he sat quietly in his room, looking at the display in front of him.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (2), Body (1.8), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 0


    Inheritance: Five Tiger Blade Technique


    Projection: Available


    The upgrade template reappeared, and the projection column was now fully charged and ready for use.


    Seeing this, Chen An couldn''t help but smile, feeling hopeful.


    Without further hesitation, he began to experiment.


    In a short while, the familiar selection interface appeared again.


    "Control, Simulate"


    Looking at these two options, Chen An once again attempted to control.


    If he guessed correctly, being able to control would allow him to have more autonomy and not be as passive.


    But unfortunately, when he selected this option, the familiar excruciating pain resurfaced.


    The control option quickly turned gray, unable to be selected.


    "It''s still not working."


    Seeing the changes in front of him, Chen An shook his head, trying to forget the lingering pain in his mind, but he didn''t feel too disappointed.


    "Compared to last time, it seems to be better."


    Comparing the two experiences, Chen An pondered.


    In the previous simulation, he had not yet practiced martial arts.


    If this was indeed the reason, then as Chen An''s strength continued to grow, perhaps one day he would be able to try it out for real.


    Sitting still, he thought so.


    Clearing his mind of various thoughts, Chen An then looked to the other side.


    If direct control was not possible, then simulation would have to do.


    Soon, a faint light enveloped him, and the unique feeling reappeared again.


    "You were born in an ordinary mountain village."


    "At the age of five, your mother died from a sudden illness."


    "At ten, you happened to save an outsider in the mountains and then became his disciple, learning medicine."


    "At seventeen, you married and had your first child the following year."


    "At twenty, you set up your own business in the town and became a doctor."


    "At thirty-six, a plague broke out, and despite your efforts to treat the patients, you got infected yourself and were killed by soldiers."


    "Simulation completed."


    "Rating: Your life was unremarkable, although you died from the plague, you became famous in all directions and were later praised by the authorities."


    "You have gained twenty points of source energy."


    Rows of subtitles appeared, followed by fragmented memories, not complete.


    After a long while, Chen An came to his senses, feeling speechless. "I died trying to cure a plague?!"


    This death was different from the last time.


    But the gains were greater.


    Last time, he only got five points of source energy, but this time, he got twenty points directly.


    (End of the chapter).

 Chapter 9: Kill Back

    Name: Chen AnAttributes: Strength (2), Endurance (1.8), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 20


    Inheritance: Five Tiger Knife Technique


    Projection: Charging Up


    "It''s already twenty points."


    Looking at the number that appeared in front of him, Chen An finally smiled.


    It wasn''t easy.


    He had waited for several months just for this simulation, and now he finally got to use it.


    And this time, the rewards were much greater than the last time.


    With a slight bow of his head, Chen An looked at the column of the Five Tiger Knife Technique.


    At this moment, the name of the Five Tiger Knife Technique seemed to emit a mysterious shine, indicating the potential for enhancement.


    Without much hesitation, Chen An tried to enhance it.


    Boom!


    A violent shock surged, and in an instant, it felt like a warm stream was rushing up from an unknown place and flowing throughout his body.


    It was an extremely refreshing feeling.


    Just like last time, this time scenes of practicing the Five Tiger Knife Technique appeared in Chen An''s mind, but this time it happened much faster, almost in a flash.


    A continuous flow of strength poured into his body, giving Chen An a feeling of infinite power.


    After a while, this feeling finally dissipated.


    By now, Chen An began to observe his changes.


    There wasn''t much change outwardly, his body looked just slightly more robust.


    Originally, Chen An''s body seemed somewhat slender, but after practicing martial arts day and night, he gradually became stronger.


    Now, with the enhancement of the Five Tiger Knife Technique, the effect was even more pronounced.


    At this moment, he seemed very tall and sturdy, exuding a domineering aura without anger.


    Chen An looked at his hands.


    After several enhancements, his hands seemed to have become as hard as grinding stones, with a layer of thick calluses on them, and his arms were also extremely powerful.


    In the past, when he heard legends of warriors tearing apart tigers and leopards with their bare hands, he felt it was exaggerated.


    But now, Chen An felt that given the opportunity, he might be able to do it himself.


    This was the change in him at this moment, a significant improvement.


    Taking off his clothes, subtle patterns appeared on his skin, resembling the patterns on a tiger''s body; although faint, they were noticeable.


    These were tiger stripes, a sign that only appeared when one had mastered the Five Tiger Knife Technique to a high level.


    Even in the entire Fengcheng County, there seemed to be very few who had mastered the Five Tiger Knife Technique to this extent.


    But Chen An had achieved it.


    "My current strength, compared to Master Mei, how is it?"


    Feeling his current power, Chen An couldn''t help but think of this.


    After coming to this world, he had only seen two skilled experts, Master Mei and Master Liu; therefore, he could only compare himself to them.


    However, he hadn''t seen these two exerting their full strength, so he couldn''t make a detailed comparison. S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, he hadn''t used his full strength either.


    "According to what I''ve heard, mastering the Five Tiger Knife Technique to perfection means achieving complete physical refinement, which is rare even within the Three Rivers Gang."


    Chen An thought to himself, "Master Mei and Master Liu should also be at this level, but their specific combat power can only be known by facing them."


    He hadn''t seen Master Liu''s full strength, nor had he exerted his own full strength, so he naturally didn''t know who was stronger.


    However, it was certain that they were both at a similar level.


    Mastering physical refinement was considered a pinnacle achievement in Fengcheng County, making individuals like Master Mei formidable; others would probably not be able to handle Chen An without his help.


    This thought brought some comfort to Chen An, giving him a sense of security.


    And after enhancing the Five Tiger Knife Technique, he still had some unused source energy.


    Chen An looked ahead.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (2.8), Endurance (2.4), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 12


    Inheritance: Five Tiger Knife Technique


    Projection: Charging Up


    From the template, it was clear that both strength and endurance had improved significantly.


    However, eight points of source energy had been consumed.


    The consumption of source energy showed the nature of martial arts progression; the further one progressed, the harder it became, which was in line with the law.


    But at this point, the Five Tiger Knife Technique had completely turned gray in Chen An''s eyes, indicating that it could no longer be further enhanced.


    "It''s almost reached its limit."


    Feeling his current state, Chen An thought to himself.


    The highest level recorded in the Five Tiger Knife Technique was his current state, and continuing to practice it would only solidify it, without the possibility of further improvement.


    Of course, it was also possible that he didn''t have enough source energy to continue the enhancement.


    But for Chen An, continuing to practice the Five Tiger Knife Technique wouldn''t yield much more benefit.


    "If there is a chance, I should look for other martial arts."


    Chen An thought to himself.


    Different martial arts had different training methods and effects on different parts of the body.


    Chen An''s idea was simple; since the Five Tiger Knife Technique had reached its limit, he should continue to collect other martial arts to practice.


    However, this goal would not be as easy to achieve in this world.


    "I''ll have to think of ways in this regard in the future."


    Standing in place, he sighed quietly, thinking to himself.


    The idea of collecting other martial arts had crossed Chen An''s mind before.


    But at that time, he still had room for improvement with the Five Tiger Knife Technique, and since acquiring martial arts inheritances was difficult in this world, he didn''t push for it.


    But now, it seemed necessary.


    Putting on his clothes, he walked towards the door, ready to go to the nearby base of the Three Rivers Gang to gather some information.


    Just as he was about to leave, he paused.


    In the distance, two men were walking towards him.


    The men were not old, in their early thirties, and tall and burly in stature.


    As they approached, their faces were still smiling, as if they were chatting about something, looking very relaxed.


    Chen An watched them, his body instinctively pausing, but he continued walking calmly.


    Their pace was fast, and they soon crossed paths, walking side by side.


    The distance between them was slowly closing.


    "Attack!"


    At that moment when they were close to each other, a low shout came from the side, piercing directly into Chen An''s ears.


    Two fists swung forward without hesitation, heading towards Chen An''s head.


    From the whistling fists, it could be seen that both men were martial artists, and their strength was considerably stronger than the four Chen An had defeated earlier.


    Clang!


    The sound of a long knife being unsheathed suddenly rang out.


    In mid-air, a blade of light swept past, with a crisp sound echoing around.


    In an instant, the long knife descended upon the two men, its speed exceptionally fast.


    The unsheathed long knife moved with tremendous force, slashing at the men at an astonishing speed.


    Bang!


    One of the men was sent flying, with a deep gash appearing on his chest.


    Under the clothes, a layer of iron-studded leather armor could be seen.


    "Wearing armor on purpose?"


    Watching this scene, Chen An frowned, but he didn''t hesitate.


    One fist came thundering towards him, as if it was going to strike his head.


    Seeing Chen An''s lack of response, the man''s face showed a hint of joy.


    However, he had celebrated too early.


    With a light sound, a powerful hand grabbed his arm forcefully.


    The terrifying force made him change color, and he let out a scream as he was thrown into the air.


    Through the chaotic vision, he could vaguely see a tall man ahead quietly unsheathing his blade, with a cold look on his face.


    The next moment, Chen An struck with his blade, beheading the man directly.


    To avoid the man wearing armor as well, Chen An decided to go for the head to save his strength.


    By now, the other man had also realized the situation.


    Looking at the headless corpse that had fallen silently in front of him, the burly man was shocked, realizing that things were not as expected.


    The man in front of him was no ordinary elite gang member, as he had effortlessly taken down the two, even beheading one of them within a few moves. This level of skill was only slightly inferior to the bosses of the Three Rivers Gang.


    Realizing he was in trouble, the man thought to himself, "It''s a trap!"


    But once this thought crossed his mind, he had no intention of stopping or trying to fight back.


    "Wanna run? It''s too late!"


    Watching the man''s movements, Chen An coldly chuckled, lifting his long knife and swiftly striking.


    This time, he didn''t hold back at all, and the long knife pierced the man''s body, coming out through his chest, making it impossible for him to survive.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 10: The Sands Gang

    Easily dealing with the two men, Chen An finally breathed a sigh of relief."Thank goodness."


    Chen An looked at the corpses at his feet and silently sighed with relief.


    To be honest, the strength of these two men was not weak. While individually they may not be as strong as he was after his improvement, they were much stronger than the four he had killed before.


    If he further improved his Five Tiger Blade Technique, taking down these two would be a bit troublesome.


    Even if he won in the end, he might have to at least let one escape.


    That would be troublesome.


    But for now, things were much easier.


    "They are skilled in boxing, the Sea Sands Gang''s Sea Sands Fist?"


    Recalling the recent fight, Chen An thought to himself.


    The Three Rivers Gang cultivated their members in the Five Tiger Blade Technique, while each gang had its own unique martial arts for training.


    The Sea Sands Gang trained their members in a fist technique called Sea Sands Fist, which was said to be extremely powerful at its peak, able to withstand swords and iron, not weaker than silk.


    Bending down silently, he searched the bodies and indeed found many things.


    Besides some silver coins, there was a wooden badge with the word "kill" engraved on it.


    This was the token of the Sea Sands Gang, only held by some direct members within the gang. Though their status was not as high as the hall master, they were still considered minor leaders.


    Indeed, they were from the Sea Sands Gang.


    After confirming their identity, Chen An''s thoughts immediately became more complex.


    He started to think subconsciously.


    Why would the Sea Sands Gang suddenly target him?


    Was this attack aimed at him personally, or the entire Three Rivers Gang?


    Chen An began to ponder this question.


    If it was only aimed at him personally, it meant that his previous killings had been exposed, leading the Sea Sands Gang''s men to come looking for him.


    If it was directed at the entire Three Rivers Gang, then he would be implicated, and trouble must have also broken out elsewhere at the moment.


    Which scenario?


    After careful consideration, Chen An finally felt that it was unlikely to be aimed at him personally.


    Not to mention that he was so cautious, had dealt with it quickly, and there was no one around.


    Even in the rare case that someone saw him accidentally, in such a large county as Fengcheng, how could an insignificant figure like Chen An be found so quickly?


    And even if they really knew that it was Chen An who took action, they should also know that these two men were no match for him. If they wanted to reclaim their honor, they would send someone more powerful, rather than sacrificing these men as they did now.


    Various thoughts flashed through his mind. Chen An raised his head, glanced at the bodies in front of him, and then quickly left.


    He soon entered an alley, blending into the crowd, lurking while continuing forward.


    Soon, he arrived at the residence of the Three Rivers Gang in this area.


    Calculating the time, he had just visited here a few days ago.


    However, upon his return, the place had already changed drastically.


    The surroundings had become messy, and what was once clean was now covered in blood.


    Occasionally, a few bodies could be seen, lying helplessly on the ground.


    Among them, Chen An even recognized a few familiar faces.


    When he first crossed into this world, he sympathized with the plight of these brothel workers and was willing to help in any way he could, so he got to know these people.


    But now, several of those familiar faces lay on the ground, powerless.


    It seemed they had been affected by something.


    The ground was covered in blood, emanating a strong smell of blood that was both invigorating and unnerving.


    Chen An stood silently in place, not immediately entering.


    "Help!"


    Ahead, cries of distress could be heard.


    Looking up, Chen An saw several Sea Sands Gang members rampaging inside, one of them holding a girl in his arms, laughing wildly.


    The place was filled with an inexplicable scent.


    Some had already taken off their clothes, laughing unrestrainedly.


    It wasn''t until they saw Chen An that they reacted, shouting loudly, "There''s another one here!"


    Figures from all around immediately gathered around Chen An, emitting malicious laughter.


    Chen An''s expression was impassive as he silently observed the approaching figures.


    Then, he drew his sword.


    A hand reaching towards Chen An was promptly chopped off and fell to the ground.


    The whole process happened so quickly that the person stood there dumbfounded for quite a while before finally reacting.


    However, soon his voice was silenced.


    A head flew up, spinning in the air.


    With his long knife in hand, Chen An gazed quietly at the approaching figures, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.


    Boom!


    Several figures were sent flying in an instant.


    Before the surrounding people could react, the fight had ended.


    These were all ordinary people with no trace of martial arts on their bodies.


    For Chen An, who had already cultivated his body to the peak, dealing with such ordinary people was nothing but a quick and easy task.


    After taking care of these people with a few slashes, Chen An then turned to one of them.


    "Master, please spare me."


    The man in front of him looked at Chen An with fear, resembling an innocent little rabbit.


    "Save your breath!"


    Chen An''s face darkened, looking rather unpleasant, "How many of you are there in total?"


    Intimidated by Chen An''s aura, the man stammered for a while before hurriedly revealing all the information he knew.


    "Only one hall master came?"


    After a while, after confirming the information and understanding the details, Chen An breathed a sigh of relief.


    If what these people said was true, the Sea Sands Gang had only sent one hall master this time.


    Thankfully, it wasn''t the entire Sea Sands Gang acting together, just one hall master acting privately.


    Such incidents were not uncommon in Fengcheng County, though not very common either.


    There were many gangs in Fengcheng County, each occupying different territories.


    These gangs seldom engaged in real warfare, but conflicts among lower-level members were quite usual in their competition for territory.


    In this case, it seemed that a hall master of the Sea Sands Gang had targeted the Three Rivers Gang due to some recent injury suffered by Mei An, wanting to grab more territory. S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If that were the case, the situation should be manageable.


    At least higher-ranking figures beyond the hall masters should not be involved.


    Of course, that was assuming these people were telling the truth.


    "Master Mei is not here."


    Chen An raised his head and looked around, confirming that Mei An was not present at the residence.


    According to the people around, Mei An had gone somewhere to listen to music.


    Due to Mei An''s absence, the residence had been easily breached.


    After confirming that Mei An was not there, Chen An stood up and walked straight in.


    Since Mei An was not in the area, it seemed that the Sea Sands Gang''s Crane Hall master had also gone to where Mei An was, leaving only a few ordinary skilled members of the Sea Sands Gang here. Naturally, there was nothing to fear.


    But he wasn''t completely trusting of their words and was prepared for any unexpected situation.


    If things didn''t seem right, he was ready to run from there immediately.


    Entering the courtyard, a chaotic sound of fighting could be heard from the front, reaching Chen An''s ears.


    There were still people fighting inside?


    Listening to the sounds of battle, Chen An actually felt relieved.


    He knew the strength of this residence very well.


    Usually, apart from Mei An, there were only a few elite gang members.


    With Mei An not present, in the absence of skilled members from the Sea Sands Gang, if they had real experts, they would have taken over the place long before and wouldn''t be fighting this long.


    In Chen An''s view, this ongoing battle was actually a sign of safety.


    Holding his long knife, he was certain in his mind, walking confidently into the scene.


    (End of the chapter).

 Chapter 11: Massacre

    Carrying a long knife, Chen An swaggered into the scene, taking the lead.Several gazes immediately fell on him.


    In the spacious courtyard, several bodies lay on the ground, belonging to members of both the Haisha Gang and the Sanhe Gang.


    Fortunately, Liu Sheng was not among them, it seemed he had not fallen right away.


    "Anzi!"


    A shout came from the front.


    Without looking up, Chen An also knew who the owner of that voice was.


    Within the Sanhe Gang, only Liu Sheng would use this nickname for him.


    Looking up, he indeed saw the figure of Liu Sheng.


    He was currently holding a long knife, his face pale, one hand clutching his chest, looking as if he had been injured.


    He seemed very surprised at Chen An''s arrival, his pale face filled with astonishment.


    On the side, a few members of the Haisha Gang exchanged glances, then one person stepped out from the group to encounter Chen An.


    "You are here at a very inconvenient time."


    The man looked at Chen An, a sneer on his face, raising his iron fist and walking towards Chen An.


    Although Chen An held a long knife in his hand, to him, it seemed like nothing important, not worth mentioning at all.


    He advanced straight towards him, as if he could already see the horrified expression on Chen An''s face. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    A crisp sound echoed out, followed by a clear sound.


    In front of him, the man stared in confusion at his own chest.


    There, a long knife had pierced through his body, directly thrusting through his chest.


    Raising his head again, Chen An''s expressionless face was now in front of him, appearing there without him even realizing.


    "You..."


    His eyes widened in shock as he collapsed.


    "Skilled!"


    The members of the Haisha Gang behind him quickly reacted.


    A subordinate leader led three others out of the group, heading towards Chen An.


    It was clear that before Chen An arrived, they had already mostly cleared out the Sanhe Gang members here, and had just been playing around in the fight, also hoping to capture some alive.


    But Chen An''s arrival made them nervous all of a sudden.


    A subordinate leader quickly walked over, exuding a fierce demeanor as he advanced, demonstrating his superior martial arts skills.


    Chen An stepped forward, engaging in a clash with him.


    The blade fell forward, but the opponent only raised his fist, colliding head-on with the long knife.


    A bang!


    A crisp sound rang out, similar to the clash of gold and iron.


    This man wore special knuckle dusters on his hands, with sharp edges that could easily break through iron and hit the body to hook out a piece of flesh.


    Carefully dodging, Chen An was soon attacked by the others as well.


    In the blink of an eye, he was surrounded and attacked directly.


    "Six..."


    The fierce fist winds whistled past his ear.


    Narrowly dodging the opponent''s punch, Chen An''s body continuously moved backward.


    This was one of the most thrilling moments he had faced since he started practicing martial arts.


    Being besieged by six skilled opponents, each of whom was at least an elite member of the Haisha Gang, all of whom had been practicing martial arts seriously for several years.


    With his mind tense, his face dark, he stared intently at those in front of him.


    From a distance, Liu Sheng watched the situation in front of him, slightly dumbfounded.


    Compared to the other people around him, he knew the foundation of Chen An, knew that he had only been practicing martial arts for half a year.


    With just half a year of practice, mastering only the basic Five Tiger Knife Form, at most he could handle three to five strong men, how could he have the strength he displayed now?


    Just as he was amazed, the situation changed again.


    A long knife was raised high and then fiercely pushed forward.


    In front of him, Chen An did not retreat but instead rushed forward, directly facing the assault of several people.


    In an instant, the swords fell, several heads flying out, crashing heavily onto the ground.


    The thick stench of blood spread, covering the area.


    At this point, most of the members of the Haisha Gang at this location had died at the hands of Chen An.


    Of course, many ordinary members saw that the situation was not good and immediately ran out.


    Chen An had no intention of chasing these people, standing in place and starting to treat his own injuries.


    His injuries were not severe, as his body had become much stronger after the practice of the Five Tiger Knife Form. Even though the swords had previously landed on him, his wounds were only minor, although they looked somewhat horrifying, they were not of great consequence.


    "Anzi, you..."


    On the side, Liu Sheng brought Chen An some healing medicine, then looked at him, hesitatingly.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Chen An raised his head, looking at Liu Sheng with a smile, "Don''t you recognize me?"


    The familiar tone made Liu Sheng quickly relax.


    Standing in place, he sighed in relief, then looked at Chen An, somewhat puzzled as he spoke, "It''s not that, it''s just your martial arts skills..."


    "I don''t know, just practiced casually."


    Chen An shook his head, then simply took off his clothes.


    His strong body was exposed, with clear wounds and fine marks left from the previous conflict, making everyone around widen their eyes.


    "Tiger marks!"


    Everyone present were members of the Sanhe Gang, many of whom had practiced in the martial arts hall and learned the Five Tiger Knife Form, so they naturally recognized the unique display of power when one has mastered the Five Tiger Knife Form.


    Their faces instantly became complex, filled with both envy and awe.


    "To master the Five Tiger Knife Form in half a year, this..."


    A person in the distance muttered, almost taking a breath of cold air.


    Facing everyone''s gaze, Chen An remained calm, pondering to himself.


    "To master the Five Tiger Knife Form in half a year, indeed shocking, but after half a year, it shouldn''t be considered monstrous."


    "In the Sanhe Gang, there should be no suspicion."


    If someone were to suddenly master the Five Tiger Knife Form, a high-level martial arts technique, overnight, that would be impossible, and people would naturally be suspicious.


    After a half-year interval, this was equally astonishing, but could still be reluctantly accepted.


    After all, Chen An''s mastery of the Five Tiger Knife Form was genuine, not fabricated.


    At most, he would be seen as a martial arts prodigy.


    Would they kill him just because they suspicious?


    Ridiculous.


    Even within the Sanhe Gang, there were very few people as advanced in martial skills as Chen An, most of them were the leaders of various branches.


    Just because of a doubt, would they kill such a talent?


    "Where is Chief Mei?"


    After quickly treating his wounds, Chen An asked Liu Sheng about the whereabouts of Mei An, prepared to go help.


    Regardless of anything, Mei An had helped Chen An a lot before, and in some ways, he was also Chen An''s support within the Sanhe Gang.


    From any perspective, Chen An did not want anything to happen to Mei An.


    After learning where Mei An was, Chen An prepared to leave.


    Stepping out of the courtyard, the scene outside was almost settled.


    The bodies on the ground had been removed, and the bloodstains had been cleaned up, making it look much better than before.


    Seeing this scene, Chen An nodded in approval to himself, then walked straight out of the residence.


    He hurried forward, his speed was fast, quickly passing through one alley after another.


    But then, at that moment, he suddenly felt a strange presence.


    This feeling was unique, arising from an indescribable intuition, as if someone was secretly watching him.


    "Who goes there!"


    Without hesitation, Chen An pulled out his long knife, immediately shouting loudly, his face turning dark.


    (END OF CHAPTER).

 Chapter 12: The Woman

    "Who goes there!"In the narrow alley, Chen An roared angrily, his eyes scanning every corner tightly.


    He wasn''t sure if someone was following him.


    But since he had this feeling, he decided to give it a try.


    After all, he had nothing to lose if there was no one following him.


    But if there was a surprise waiting for him, then it would be a different story.


    Standing still, Chen An''s tall figure gazed around the corners, looking as if he was ready to draw his knife at any moment.


    His demeanor seemed to indicate that he was certain someone was following him.


    For a moment, there was silence, with no sound coming from any direction.


    After a few breaths, there was still no sign of anyone around.


    Just as Chen An began to doubt if he was mistaken, a voice finally sounded.


    "How did you find out?" S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the dim alley, a long and hoarse voice could be heard, sounding like a woman.


    Chen An''s body stiffened instantly.


    The voice seemed to be coming from all directions, giving the impression of being very close yet elusive.


    Chen An tried to determine the woman''s position from her voice, but found it impossible.


    So, he spoke again, trying to figure out her location. "Who are you, and why are you following me?"


    "Who am I?"


    The ethereal voice continued to echo around, clear and with a hint of mystery. "You should ask your leader."


    "Ask our leader?"


    Chen An furrowed his brow, still trying to make sense of her words.


    A fierce gust of wind suddenly swept towards him.


    In that moment, the woman made her move, her hand coming down lightly but with incredible speed that caught Chen An off guard.


    Bang!


    The hand landed on Chen An''s chest in an instant.


    Chen An felt a sharp pain in his chest, a force he couldn''t resist surged through his body, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.


    As he landed, he steadied himself, drew his long knife, and faced the figure in front of him.


    In his previous position, a young woman stood silently.


    The woman looked young, around sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a blue robe. She had a delicate appearance, not particularly beautiful but exuding a unique charm.


    "Indeed, the Five Tiger Blade Technique."


    Standing in place, the woman''s face showed a hint of surprise as she looked at Chen An. "Who are you exactly?"


    Facing the woman in front of him, Chen An struggled to maintain his composure, staring at her with a hint of horror.


    On his chest, a faint mark was visible, slowly appearing.


    Until now, his chest still throbbed slightly, and most of his strength had vanished in an instant.


    More importantly, at his chest, there was a strange force that was eroding his body, leaving Chen An unable to recover.


    What is this? Inner energy?


    Various thoughts flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    He only understood the level of martial artists through body refinement.


    But in this world, martial artists with internal energy seemed to be normal as well.


    However, from the attack just now, it was clear that the woman''s strength was definitely beyond the body refinement level.


    He was no match for her!


    Chen An''s expression gradually turned grim.


    "I am."


    Facing Chen An''s gaze, the woman chuckled softly, about to speak but suddenly stopped.


    Because a long knife came down in front of her.


    Seizing the opportunity when the woman was speaking, Chen An decisively struck, putting all his strength into the blow. However, the woman effortlessly caught his strike, rendering it useless.


    In front of him, the woman smiled, looking at Chen An as if appreciating his efforts.


    In the next moment, Chen An was sent flying again, crashing into the wall.


    He spat out blood, his face turning pale.


    "Enough, put away your knife."


    After sending Chen An flying, the woman did not continue to attack. She just smiled at him. "A mere body refinement realm cannot harm me."


    "You should recognize this."


    She thought for a moment and threw something towards him.


    Chen An looked down and was dumbfounded.


    It was a specially-made token with the mark of the Three Rivers Gang, a symbol of identity within the gang.


    A similar token had been seen by Chen An in Meian''s possession, but that one was made of iron. The token in front of him was golden and looked luxurious.


    Such tokens were usually symbols of status, often held only by high-ranking members within the Three Rivers Gang.


    Was this person in front of him a master within the Three Rivers Gang?


    The thought crossed Chen An''s mind, and he felt relieved.


    Of course, tokens could be forged, so it could be fake.


    But with the woman''s strength, there seemed to be no need to deceive him.


    "Get up."


    The woman''s voice rang out again.


    Facing her, Chen An hesitated for a moment, then took the token and knelt down. "How should I address you, Elder?"


    "Just now, I heard news at our base that the main hall of the Three Rivers Gang is under attack. Please allow me to assist in the battle."


    "You are a loyal person."


    The woman looked at Chen An and showed a hint of appreciation. "But with your current condition, what can you do if you go?"


    As Chen An was about to respond, the woman spoke again.


    "Don''t worry."


    The woman spoke again, with a faint smile on her face. "I have already sent someone to deal with Meian. It should be over soon."


    "As for you, follow me now."


    She spoke softly and then turned to walk away without saying more.


    Chen An got up from where he was standing, looked at the woman''s back, hesitated for a moment, and then decided to follow her.


    Following the woman, he soon arrived at a familiar place.


    It was another base of the Three Rivers Gang.


    Chen An had been there before for a couple of tasks, so he had some impression of the place.


    Upon entering, he saw the place was in chaos, with blood stains everywhere.


    It seemed that the people from the Haisha Gang had also been there.


    There were bodies lying around, some of them familiar faces to Chen An.


    But the fighting here had already ended, and it was quiet, with gang members occasionally coming to clean up the bodies.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 13: Fame

    Entering this place, Chen An subconsciously looked around.This residence, like the previous one, had also been attacked by the Sands Gang.


    But it seemed that it had already ended now.


    Chen An looked down and could see some of the Sands Gang members huddled in corners, looking defeated and subdued.


    Occasionally, members of the Three Rivers Gang walked around, looking at the woman in front of them with extreme respect, not daring to be rude.


    This attitude made Chen An feel certain.


    From the way people around treated the woman, it was obvious she was telling the truth, she really was a high-ranking member of the Three Rivers Gang, not deceiving him.


    Although she had no need to deceive him from the beginning, confirming this still made him feel more at ease.


    Chen An followed her forward.


    Around them, some people looked curious at Chen An, seeming puzzled as to why he could follow this woman and what relationship they had.


    Chen An remained silent, quietly moving forward without saying a word.


    It wasn''t until they reached a hall.


    "Miss Qing."


    A respectful voice came.


    Chen An looked up and saw an old man standing in front of him.


    The old man seemed old, his face full of wrinkles, his body thin, dressed in a gray robe, standing there, staring respectfully at the woman in front of him.


    As for the person in charge of this residence, he was also standing aside, not daring to say a word.


    "The people here have been dealt with."


    The old man looked at the woman in front of him and spoke again: "As for the situation on Meian''s side, someone has gone to help, and it should be nearly resolved now." S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good."


    Qing nodded and directly walked forward, taking a seat at the head of the table.


    "And where is Song Wang?"


    Sitting at the head, she looked around, impatiently asking: "How come he, as the gang leader, hasn''t come yet, when his subordinates are in trouble?"


    She spoke impatiently, in a casual tone.


    Beside her, Chen An stood silently, hearing her words but not daring to show any reaction.


    Song Wang, the leader of the Three Rivers Gang, was one of the top figures in Fengcheng County, on par with the leader of the Sands Gang and others.


    He was a figure that Chen An definitely had to look up to, but in this woman''s mouth, he seemed so casual.


    Who exactly was she?


    Chen An kept his head down, not daring to speak a word, but pondering in his heart.


    He never expected that a simple gang fight would involve such high-profile figures.


    "The chief has received the message and is on his way here."


    On the side, the person in charge of this place also spoke in a low voice, not daring to speak too loudly, as if afraid of displeasing the woman.


    It seemed that in front of this woman, just like Chen An, these people also didn''t dare to speak.


    "Tell him to hurry."


    Qing nodded, then closed her eyes silently, as if resting her eyes.


    She didn¡¯t speak, and the others didn¡¯t dare to speak out of turn.


    There was a moment of silence, and they fell into an eerie silence.


    It wasn''t until a moment later that a hurried footstep was heard from outside.


    A middle-aged man hurriedly walked in.


    It was none other than the leader of the Three Rivers Gang.


    Unlike what others might imagine, Song Wang, as the leader of the Three Rivers Gang, didn''t look tall and imposing from the outside, and even appeared somewhat indifferent, with only a stern face.


    He rushed in from outside, saw Qing sitting at the head, and showed a hint of surprise on his face, but quickly composed himself and smiled: "Miss Qing, why are you here?"


    "Why am I here?"


    Qing opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on Song Wang, staring at him: "If I didn''t come, perhaps all of these residences would have been taken over."


    "It''s just a territorial dispute among the subordinates, a trivial matter. There''s no need for Miss Qing to come in person."


    Facing Qing''s gaze, Song Wang''s expression remained unchanged, he just smiled lightly and said.


    "I just wanted to come."


    Qing stared at Song Wang, then slowly spoke: "After my elder brother''s death, for three years, the offerings you, as the gang leader, have been delivering have been decreasing. If I didn¡¯t come, Fengcheng County might have changed by now."


    "Song Wang, is this how you serve me?"


    "The matter of decreasing offerings, I have explained to Miss Qing a long time ago. It''s not that I''m unwilling, it''s just that natural disasters have been rampant in recent years."


    Song Wang spoke lightly: "Miss White didn''t believe it, and Song has no other choice."


    As soon as he finished speaking, White didn¡¯t say another word, just staring at Song Wang intently.


    The atmosphere on the spot became tense.


    Facing these two, everyone dared not speak out of turn, causing the atmosphere to become even heavier.


    Chen An stood aside, lowering his head, afraid of attracting attention.


    From their conversation, he understood a little bit.


    It seemed that the woman called White Qing was not actually a member of the Three Rivers Gang, but the real mastermind behind the gang.


    Song Wang, as the leader of the Three Rivers Gang, might be just a puppet raised by someone else, doing their dirty work.


    But now, with the death of White Qing''s elder brother, Song Wang was slowly getting out of control, which prompted White Qing to come deliberately.


    With these thoughts in mind, Chen An suddenly had a thought.


    If the Three Rivers Gang was like this, were the Sands Gang and others also the same?


    Chen An had this thought in mind.


    In front of him, after staring at each other for a long time, White Qing finally spoke.


    "Looks like I misunderstood you, Master Song."


    She looked at Song Wang and smiled faintly, then continued: "I have been in the county for a long time and don''t understand the situation here, I hope Master Song won¡¯t blame me."


    "I dare not."


    Song Wang smiled and nodded, then he also saluted respectfully: "Miss White came in person, it''s also out of concern, how could I blame you."


    "This time, thanks to Miss White''s help."


    "Mm."


    White nodded, ready to continue speaking.


    But suddenly, a heavy footstep from outside interrupted her.


    Then, a burly middle-aged man, who seemed a bit weary, walked in.


    It was none other than Meian.


    Compared to before, Meian looked quite disheveled, with multiple wounds on his body, as if he had just been through a fierce battle, with injuries all over.


    "Greetings, Chief, greetings, Miss White."


    He walked into the hall, knelt down without saying a word, and saluted Song Wang and White Qing.


    "Please rise."


    Looking at Meian, White nodded and spoke: "Leader Meian, it''s been a few years since we last met."


    "I apologize for the trouble, Miss White."


    Meian forced a bitter smile: "If it weren''t for Miss White''s help this time, Meian would probably have met his end."


    "I have to thank Miss White for saving me."


    He stood up and looked solemnly at White Qing, his expression very respectful.


    "Not at all."


    White lightly spoke: "He dealt with several skilled members of the Sands Gang on his own with just a knife, and even tried to help you."


    "In my opinion, even if I hadn''t come, with such a good subordinate like you, I''m sure you''d be fine."


    "This¡­"


    Hearing White''s words, Meian subconsciously looked at Chen An beside him, his gaze filled with doubts.


    His memory of Chen An was still stuck in the past, and he hadn¡¯t recognized him yet.


    Chen An simply stood there, feeling the gazes around him, desperately wishing to disappear from this place.


    Oh boy.


    This time, he had become famous, going from helping Song Wang to being recognized by the ordinary gang members around him.


    But Chen An definitely didn''t want this kind of fame.


    (End of the chapter).

 Chapter 14: Belonging

    Chen An felt somewhat fortunate that the attention of the people around him didn''t linger on him for too long and quickly shifted away.However, Bai Qing didn''t let go of her intentions towards Chen An.


    "Speaking of which, such a loyal and brave person is rarely seen in the county city anymore."


    Looking at Chen An in front of her, Bai Qing sighed, then turned to Song Wang beside her. "I lack a young talent like him to assist me. I wonder if Master Song is willing to part with him?"


    Upon hearing this, Song Wang instinctively furrowed his brows, then relaxed and said, "If he has caught Miss Qing''s eye, it is his good fortune. There is no reason to refuse."


    "Is that so? Then I will not be polite."


    Bai Qing smiled and settled the matter in this way.


    Song Wang didn''t mind this either.


    He knew of course that Chen An must have some outstanding qualities to be valued by Bai Qing.


    But so what?


    The Three Rivers Gang had thousands of members, nearly a hundred of whom were elite members. Even if one left, what difference would it make?


    As long as the basic support of the hall masters remained intact, it wouldn''t matter.


    Bai Qing also understood this, so she deliberately did not seek out hall masters like Mei An, only asking for Chen An, a common gang member.


    "Alright."


    With this matter confirmed, Bai Qing''s mood seemed quite good. She couldn''t help but smile and say, "This time I plan to stay in Fengcheng for a while. I hope Master Song won''t mind."


    "I dare not."


    Song Wang bowed his head respectfully and said, "Miss Qing''s presence in Fengcheng is an honor. Please don''t mind my inadequate hospitality."


    He knew in his heart that Bai Qing''s stay in Fengcheng was likely not for good intentions, but on the surface, he had to say it that way.


    Bai Qing seemed satisfied with Song Wang''s response.


    Sitting there, she chatted with Song Wang for a while before leaving with her people.


    Before leaving, she didn''t forget to take Chen An with her.


    Chen An felt helpless about this, but at this point, he could only silently follow and leave.


    Watching Bai Qing and the others leave, Song Wang''s smile gradually disappeared, his expression becoming calm.


    Confirming that Bai Qing had indeed left, he calmly got up and walked to the head seat, sitting down casually.


    At this moment, everyone around had already left, and people like Mei An had already left to recuperate.


    In the spacious hall, only Song Wang was left.


    Sitting alone in his seat, Song Wang held a book and quietly read, looking like he was reading it for the first time.


    It wasn''t until a moment later that he suddenly spoke, "Aren''t you coming in yet?"


    Song Wang''s calm voice echoed around, ringing throughout the room.


    At this moment, he seemed to have assumed the demeanor of the leader of the Three Rivers Gang, carrying an aura of dignity in every move, completely different from his previous appearance.


    Outside the hall, as Song Wang''s voice rang out, faint footsteps began to approach.


    A moment later, a burly man took strides and walked in.


    The man was tall and muscular, towering over the average person. His imposing physique seemed capable of tearing tigers and leopards with his bare hands.


    His skin had a special sheen to it, with slight special textures, clearly indicating that he had mastered the art of body training to a profound level.


    If Chen An were still here at this moment, he would surely be surprised.


    Because the man before him was none other than Liu Dao, who had taught him the Five Tiger Blade technique in the martial hall.


    As Liu Dao walked into the hall, he looked at Song Wang in front of him and immediately showed a respectful expression, "Master."


    "Speak."


    Listening to Liu Dao''s voice, Song Wang put down the book in his hand and focused his gaze on Liu Dao, "What''s going on? Why did Bai Qing suddenly come to Fengcheng County without any news from the Bai family?"


    "This..."


    Liu Dao hesitated and said, "There is no news from Young Master Yuan''s side either."


    "So they must have kept everyone from Young Master Yuan in the dark."


    Song Wang shook his head and said, "It seems that the three years of offerings have alerted Miss Qing that something is amiss."


    "This time, she kept it from others and deliberately came to Fengcheng, probably for a warning."


    "This..."


    Liu Dao hesitated for a moment, then said, "What should we do now?"


    "We don''t need to take action against Mei An anymore."


    Song Wang remained calm and said, "Contacting the Haisha Gang previously and having them take action was one thing, but now that Miss Qing has personally come, doing so again would be too brazen."


    "Mei An is an old man left by Miss Qing''s elder brother and one of the few people she can still contact."


    "It was fine before, but continuing to take action now would not sit well with Miss Qing."


    Song Wang understood this very well. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The reason Bai Qing had deliberately stayed in Fengcheng County this time was to keep an eye on him.


    Taking action against Mei An and the others at this time would only cause further conflict.


    "Put Miss Qing''s matter aside for now and don''t worry about it."


    "But there is another person, I wonder if you have any impression of him."


    Looking at Liu Dao in front of him, Song Wang continued to speak, revealing information about Chen An.


    In the Three Rivers Gang, Chen An was like a transparent figure before, without any reputation.


    If it weren''t for this incident, he probably wouldn''t be known to anyone.


    In this situation, Song Wang chose to directly ask Liu Dao, the person in charge of the martial hall.


    "I have some impression."


    Listening to Song Wang''s words, Liu Dao furrowed his brows and said after careful consideration, "He is a hardworking young man, it seems Mei An has paid special attention to him."


    "However, he is just average in talent, diligent but ultimately useless."


    Liu Dao spoke truthfully.


    Due to Mei An''s influence, Liu Dao had observed Chen An for a while before and still had some impression of him.


    During the months at the martial hall, Chen An left the deepest impression on Mei An for being diligent.


    No matter what, Chen An was always the first to arrive for training.


    But in the path of martial arts, diligence sometimes didn''t make much of a difference.


    If one lacked talent, there was nothing they could do.


    Although Chen An had been diligent during his three months at the martial hall, his performance was just average, far from being a genius.


    "Is that so?"


    Listening to Liu Dao''s explanation, Song Wang couldn''t help but feel confused.


    He believed that Liu Dao wouldn''t lie about such matters.


    But if Chen An was just an average talent, why would someone like Bai Qing, with a noble background, treat him differently?


    Could it be that she valued something else?


    Song Wang couldn''t help but think of Chen An''s appearance.


    Compared to other members of the Three Rivers Gang, Chen An''s appearance was indeed outstanding. He not only had a handsome face but also a tall and strong physique, a type that would attract women.


    Could it be...


    A certain thought flashed through Song Wang''s mind, leaving him hesitant and unsure.


    Meanwhile, on the other side.


    "Take off your clothes."


    In the spacious courtyard, Bai Qing looked at Chen An standing in front of her and commanded in a tone that brooked no argument.


    (The End of Chapter)

 Chapter 15: Tiger Leopard Cross-Trail

    In the spacious courtyard, Bai Qing looked at the Chen An in front of her, with a smile on her face.Seeing that Chen An didn''t move, the smile on her face became even more intense. "What, feeling shy?"


    "Not really," Chen An sighed, but finally obediently took off his upper garment.


    His sturdy body was immediately exposed, and the patterns on it looked very clear.


    "Indeed, tiger patterns," Bai Qing looked at Chen An seriously, making a judgement, "Master Song."


    "Miss," the old man that Chen An had seen before said respectfully, standing next to Bai Qing.


    "Go and give it a try," Bai Qing said directly, "Don''t hold back."


    "Yes," Master Song didn''t hesitate at all, directly stepping forward and rushing towards Chen An.


    The whole process was fast, and by the time Chen An reacted, a pair of iron fists had hit him.


    Bang!


    A faint sound echoed, and at a critical moment, Chen An twisted his body, raising his right arm high to block the punch.


    Despite blocking it, the force transmitted from the fist was still shocking.


    Chen An couldn''t help but continuously retreat, even taking several steps back before slowly stopping.


    He shook his fist.


    There was a continuous sense of pain in the palm of his hand, faintly aching.


    The opponent''s power was simply unbelievable, not at all like what a normal old man could possess.


    According to common sense, even if a master of body refining reached a certain level, as they aged, their strength would gradually weaken as their body decayed.


    The saying "a punch fears the young" explained this.


    But the old man in front of him seemed to be defying common sense.


    Chen An stood in place, silent for a moment, then decisively countered.


    He drew his long knife, his body''s strength bursting out in an instant, swinging a heavy blow.


    The blade fell, with an unparalleled momentum rushing forward, as if attempting to cut the person in half.


    Unfortunately, despite the swift strike, it ultimately missed.


    A powerful force landed on him.


    Beside him, the figure of the old man had already appeared, hitting Chen An''s chest with a punch, landing another blow.


    "So fast!" Chen An''s pupils contracted, subconsciously wanting to swing his knife, but the opponent seemed to have anticipated it, evading before he could react.


    Chen An had never seen such a fast speed before.


    "That''s enough," Bai Qing''s voice came from not far away.


    She stood up, looking at Chen An in front of her, who had stopped fighting, with a satisfied expression on her face. "Truly the Five Tigers Knife Technique."


    "Young man, have you not practiced any other martial arts before?" she asked Chen An.


    "No," feeling Bai Qing''s gaze, Chen An sheathed his long knife, shook his head, and said, "I come from a poor family since childhood, and my family couldn''t afford to send me to a martial arts school."


    "Even this Five Tigers Knife Technique was only taught to me because Master Mei valued me."


    "It''s a pity," Bai Qing smiled, "Master Song is getting old too."


    "Such a talented person like you, only being taught such a basic martial arts like the Five Tigers Knife Technique."


    "No wonder in recent years, the Sanhe Gang has been declining more and more."


    She seemed to have thought of something, and a hint of mockery appeared on her face.


    "Master Song," Bai Qing turned to the old man beside her, then said, "He will follow you during this time."


    "Teach him something suitable," she continued, "Let''s see what you can do."


    "Yes," the old man remained calm and nodded silently, showing no reaction to Bai Qing''s words.


    Chen An breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Thank you for nurturing me, Miss Bai."


    "Don''t thank me too early," Bai Qing smiled and continued, "I have a good intention for you, hoping that you can help me with something."


    "I will probably stay in Fengcheng County for about three months."


    "After three months, I will have you do something for me. If you can satisfy me, there will be benefits for you."


    "But if I am not satisfied," she paused, staring at Chen An, then burst into a series of inexplicable laughter.


    Chen An couldn''t help but tense up.


    From the looks of it, if his performance in three months doesn''t satisfy her, it might lead to another situation.


    "I understand," he stood there, silent for a moment, then nodded to show that he understood.


    After that, he left.


    Bai Qing watched Chen An''s departing figure and couldn''t help but smile, "He''s quite an interesting young man."


    "Master Song, what do you think?" she asked the old man.


    "It''s hard to say," Master Song shook his head, "To reach the mastery of the Five Tigers Knife Technique at such a young age is commendable. If he reaches this level in just half a year, his talent is terrifying. There are few people in our clan who can match him."


    "The only regret is that he''s a bit too old," he added.


    "Yeah," Bai Qing nodded with regret, "Such a genius, if discovered earlier and nurtured, would at least reach the stage of Inner Qi Mastery in the future, with the potential to even reach the Gang Qi realm."


    "But starting martial arts at this age is a bit late," she spoke with evident regret.


    In this world, it''s best to start martial arts training from a young age.


    Families like the Bai family, where people are immersed in medicinal baths from the moment they can remember, consuming various ancient medicines to nourish their bodies.


    Elders even use pure internal energy to cleanse their bones and marrow from a young age.


    Under these conditions, as long as the aptitude is suitable, most can reach the stage of Inner Qi cultivation, with the more talented ones achieving mastery in Inner Qi.


    However, once the age advances and the bones have already set, it becomes much harder to cultivate internal energy and advance to the True Qi realm, limiting future achievements.


    This is also why the Sanhe Gang doesn''t value martial arts disciples.


    Because at the ages of these gang members, it''s unlikely for them to have significant achievements in the future.


    In this world, true elites are always cultivated from a young age.


    Even if they are true geniuses, once they miss the best time, it''s difficult for them to make a comeback.


    "Despite being considered a bit late due to his age, judging from his exhibited talent, he should have no problem reaching the peak of the Body Refinement stage," Bai Qing smiled and then looked at Master Song, "Please take care of him during this time, Master Song."


    "Doing favors for Miss is what I should do," Master Song bowed his head respectfully.


    The next day, as soon as the day broke, Chen An stepped onto the martial arts field.


    Master Song was already waiting there.


    "You have practiced the Five Tigers Knife Technique, bearing the tiger patterns, and your strength is already good, but the only area lacking is defense," Master Song stood in place, looking at Chen An, and said seriously, "Although the Five Tigers Knife Technique in its mastery makes your body strong and resistant to blades, it''s only effective against ordinary people."


    "If they are truly skilled, even those close to your level won''t be able to stop them, not to mention someone like Miss."


    Chen An nodded in agreement, having realized this during previous fights.


    After reaching mastery of the Five Tigers Knife Technique, forming tiger patterns and claiming to resist blade slashes, he found that even ordinary people with knives could breach his defense.


    If it were someone like Mei An wielding a weapon, his defense would probably be non-existent. S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have a technique called Tiger Leopard Cross-Training here, after mastering it, your body will be like steel, with a robust strength akin to that of nine tigers and leopards interwoven, perfect for your current situation," Master Song said finally.


    Chen An''s eyes lit up.


    (The end of this chapter).

 Chapter 16: Innate Qi

    "The training of tigers and leopards, with the intention of fighting and killing as the core, is the best bodybuilding technique. If trained to perfection, there will be the sound of tigers and leopards in every movement.""Now, watch closely."


    The old man''s voice continued to sound in place, accompanied by a voice dancing and flickering, starting to move at this moment.


    Song Lao stood in place, with an ancient and calm expression on his face, but his movements on his hands became faster.


    He pushed forward with one palm after another, followed by one punch after another, each palm and fist exerting more force than the last, until eventually it became like a lingering shadow, with a sense of boundless power.


    Boom!


    A stone pillar was shattered by him, broken stones scattered all over the place.


    Chen An stood in place, his whole body stiff, his eyes tightly focused on Song Lao''s movements, not daring to miss a single detail.


    "How is it?"


    After a moment, Song Lao stopped and looked towards Chen An.


    "I have never seen such a exquisite technique before."


    Chen An sighed from the depths of his heart.


    "That''s because you have seen too few exquisite techniques."


    Song Lao chuckled, "If you have the opportunity to follow Miss Qing to the Bai family and receive her personal teachings, you will be able to learn more profound martial arts."


    "In the realm of body refining, even the most exquisite training techniques are limited without the tempering of true qi."


    "Internal energy refinement."


    Chen An''s heart stirred, keenly catching onto this keyword, "How can one possess internal energy?"


    He had not forgotten the invisible force in the opponent''s body when fighting White Qing before, and had been wanting to ask for an opportunity.


    Now that he had the chance, he naturally had to ask clearly.


    "In this world, most martial artists must first temper their physique, constantly hammering their bodies like iron to progress."


    "But the human physique has its limits. Simply relying on external force to train cannot infinitely improve, so at a certain point, one must further refine internal energy."


    Song Lao didn''t hold back and directly said, "This is the realm of internal energy."


    "In the martial arts world, without involving internal energy, no matter how exquisite the technique is, the effectiveness is limited."


    "Such as the Five Tiger Blade Technique you previously practiced, as well as this Tiger Leopard Training, are all basic martial arts that need to be mastered before internal energy can be cultivated."


    "As for internal energy, it needs the physique to be tempered to the extreme."


    "Although your physique is good now, it is still lacking before the birth of internal energy."


    "To cultivate internal energy, besides the requirement of physique, are there other conditions?"


    Chen An frowned and asked.


    "Yes."


    Song Lao was somewhat surprised, but still nodded, "The so-called internal energy, in essence, is the innate qi that comes from within the human body."


    "When a person is born, the innate qi in the body is the most abundant, but with time it fades, becoming increasingly scarce."


    "And this innate qi is the source of internal energy."


    "Some people are naturally gifted, even in old age their innate qi remains strong, while others have poor luck and their innate qi is extremely scarce even at a young age."


    "In such cases, it becomes extremely difficult to cultivate internal energy."


    "Like the principal of the Three Rivers Gang, Liu Dao Liu Master."


    As if he had realized something, he continued, "This Liu Master has amazing training skills, has already perfected body refinement, and achieved the standard of internal energy cultivation."


    "Although he is not lacking in techniques, he still cannot reach the realm of refining energy now because he is too old and has poor aptitude, his innate qi has already dissipated for the most part, leaving very little."


    "This is why the older one gets, the less suitable they are for martial arts, because the future is truly limited."


    Chen An nodded, seeming to have realized something, but his expression changed.


    Song Lao glanced at him and immediately knew what he was thinking, he said, "You don''t have to worry too much."


    "Although you are of a similar age, it is not yet irreparable."


    "With your current age, as long as you diligently practice and reach the level of internal energy cultivation, there should be no problem, but..."


    Even if he could reach the level of internal energy cultivation, it would probably affect his future progress.


    He didn''t say it directly, but Chen An still understood.


    "I see."


    Chen An nodded in silence, gaining a further understanding of the martial arts in this world.


    People know their own affairs.


    Song Lao and Qing Bai thought he was exceptionally talented, but Chen An knew that his talent was actually quite ordinary.


    In martial arts, he could surpass others, but it was simply due to his diligence.


    The reason why the Five Tiger Blade Technique was perfected was mainly due to some additional enhancements.


    With his talent, his innate qi was probably not much different from Liu Dao''s.


    To advance to the realm of internal energy, there might be some problems.


    Thinking about this issue, Chen An shook his head only after Song Lao left, letting go of his worries.


    There was no use thinking too much.


    Even if he couldn''t progress as he thought, he could rely on the template for improvement.


    His talent was just average, and he probably wouldn''t even reach the level of body refining on his own.


    Realizing this, he let go of his concerns and began practicing diligently.


    With the training of Tiger Leopard Training, Chen An''s progress was rapid.


    This was because of his previous mastery of the Five Tiger Blade Technique.


    As both are training techniques, they have similarities, making it easier to master one after mastering the other.


    Bang!


    A crisp sound rang out continuously in the spacious courtyard, echoing back and forth.


    Under the scorching sun, Chen An perspired as he worked hard in this place.


    His movements were quick and diligent, and he didn''t stop until dusk.


    In the distance, Song Lao watched Chen An''s training and nodded silently.


    "He is diligent indeed."


    He thought to himself, then turned and left.


    Leaving Chen An alone to continue working hard.


    In the following days, Chen An continued in the same way, coming to this place for training as soon as the day broke, and not leaving until late at night.


    With such diligence, the results were obvious. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Three days later.


    When the sun rose, Chen An came to this place for training as usual.


    However, unlike before, this time he only trained halfway before stopping.


    This wasn''t him being lazy.


    It was because there was a change.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (2.8), Body (2.5), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 12


    Inheritance: Five Tiger Blade Technique, Tiger Leopard Training


    Projection: Charging


    The familiar upgrade template appeared before his eyes.


    Compared to before, there were now additional entries in the inheritance column.


    Tiger Leopard Training!


    "Finally."


    Looking at the scene before him, Chen An breathed a sigh of relief.


    Compared to the Five Tiger Blade Technique, this time, due to having experience, the entry into Tiger Leopard Training progressed much faster.


    In just three days, he had mastered Tiger Leopard Training.


    Now, Chen An''s gaze shifted to the entry of Tiger Leopard Training.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 17: Return to the Old Place

    "It''s time." Looking at the template in front of him, Chen An''s mind flashed with this thought, and then he quickly began to act.


    Compared to the Five Tiger Blade Technique, which has reached its limit in grey and cannot be further improved, the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice martial art has a colorful name and is in a state where it can be improved.


    Chen An did not hesitate and directly chose to confirm.


    A warm stream surged from within his body, quickly rushing out and enveloping Chen An''s whole body.


    Boom!


    In an instant, it seemed as if a terrifying force exploded inside Chen An''s body, the kind of power was extremely frightening, making it hard to breathe.


    In a daze, Chen An''s consciousness seemed to detach from his body and came to an unknown place.


    Here, he was like a puppet, silently practicing.


    Every fist and palm strike was precise, like a robot, without the slightest mistake.


    From the initial simplicity to the later complexity, each strike carried a certain rule, without any errors.


    Various insights gathered in his mind until they exploded.


    Bang!


    In front of Chen An''s eyes, the words representing the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice quickly lit up, then dispersed again, slowly disappearing.


    Everything seemed to have ended.


    The next moment, Chen An''s consciousness returned and returned to his original place.


    To this, Chen An was not surprised at all. After the two previous experiences, he had already become somewhat used to it, just lowering his head to look at the upgrade template in front of him.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (3.2), Body (3.1), Spirit (2.4)


    Energy Source: 8


    Inheritance: Five Tiger Blade Technique, Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice


    Compared to before, all attributes have been significantly improved, which is quite normal.


    The only thing that surprised Chen An a bit was that the improvement of his body attribute through the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice was significantly greater.


    Previously, his strength attribute far surpassed his body attribute, but now it was almost catching up.


    This indicates that the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice should also have a focus on the body.


    This is a good thing.


    Balanced development is always stronger than specializing.


    Chen An didn''t mind, just continued to look at the reminder of the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice.


    As Chen An expected, after the first upgrade, the subtitles for the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice had dimmed.


    This was also normal.


    To achieve a small accomplishment in the Five Tiger Blade Technique only required an increase of two points of source energy, while the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice required four points, indicating its level was far above the Five Tiger Blade Technique.


    If he wanted to bring it to perfection, he would need even more source energy.


    Even if he had enough source energy, Chen An would not dare to bring it to perfection.


    Perfecting the Horizontal Practice to completion would always have some apparent features making it easily noticeable.


    If Chen An were to perfect the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice now and be discovered by Bai Qing, there would likely be some issues.


    Practicing the Five Tiger Blade Technique to completion in half a year is already a sign of genius, let alone practicing the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice to perfection in three days.


    You can''t just say you''re not cheating, right?


    Because it''s hard to explain, Chen An never planned to practice this to perfection from the start.


    Bringing it to this level is just right.


    "Continuing to practice this seems to have no effect."


    Chen An thought to himself.


    His talent is limited, and most of his martial arts skills are gained through the upgrade template.


    In the current situation, it seemed that there was no longer much benefit to continue practicing here, the gains were already minimal.


    It''s better to develop in other directions.


    For example, collecting more martial arts or finding energy sources to help charge the template.


    Chen An thought to himself.


    Both options were not easy, the former required finding opportunities for someone to teach him, and the latter required actively searching for those anomalies.


    It could only be said that both were very troublesome.


    Thinking about this, Chen An couldn''t help but feel nostalgic for the little girl he had met before.


    That girl wasn''t abnormal, just seemed possessed by something, causing her to become strange.


    But for Chen An, this kind of thing where he could gain energy without having to fight was simply too good.


    It''s just a pity that it''s so hard to come across such things.


    Chen An sighed inwardly.


    Standing in place, he pondered for a while, then got up and left.


    No one stopped him from leaving.


    A moment later.


    In a small town in the wilderness, there were already very few people around.


    In recent years, the weather has been changing everywhere, and various natural disasters have been constant.


    This small town used to be lively, but in recent years, various disasters have caused it to become deserted. S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An walked through the small town, looking at the abandoned houses around.


    He had been here before.


    That was more than half a year ago.


    At that time, he had just crossed over and was working under Mei An.


    During a debt collection visit, he followed others to this small town and witnessed a bizarre sight, where a companion was bitten alive.


    If he hadn''t been quick-witted that time and realized that something was wrong, he would have already died by now.


    This time he came prepared once again.


    He carried a long knife with him, polished to a shine, and wore a leather armor he had taken from a disciple of the Haisha Gang before, walking cautiously in this area.


    Yes, considering the situation, Chen An ultimately set his sights on those anomalies.


    He was always very cautious about these things, but he had no choice.


    At the moment, it seemed like the only source of energy was these anomalies.


    Of course, since Chen An dared to come here, he naturally had some confidence.


    These anomalies were indeed terrifying. Although their original forms were just ordinary people, once they mutated, they could immediately match martial artists who had practiced for many years. Coupled with their resistance to blades and weapons, dealing with them was naturally troublesome.


    However, although troublesome, it wasn''t impossible to handle.


    According to the information Chen An had gathered before, most anomalies that underwent mutation generally only had a strength similar to that of a martial artist at the peak of body refinement, they were just a bit more troublesome due to their fearlessness towards weapons and insensitivity to pain.


    But they generally acted based on instinct, so as long as the method was right, not to mention the leaders of various factions taking action, even a few elite disciples joining forces could deal with these creatures.


    It''s just that at this level, Chen An felt that he could still handle it as long as he was careful.


    Walking through the town, Chen An moved forward slowly, observing his surroundings.


    The town was already abandoned, with very few people left around.


    After walking a distance forward, not a single figure could be seen.


    Soon, Chen An arrived at the place he remembered.


    It was a source that existed in this small town, originally belonging to a wealthy family.


    However, at that time, this wealthy family owed money to the Sanhe Gang and suffered miserably, the whole family fled, even the former head of the family was forced crazy, becoming the half-man half-corpse he was then.


    Once again arriving at this place, Chen An looked around.


    (End of chapter).

 Chapter 18: Encounter

    Chen An looked around.The last time he was here was over half a year ago.


    Back then, this small town didn''t look like this, although it wasn''t bustling, there were still some people around.


    And the mansion in front of him, people used to take care of it, it didn''t look like this now.


    But now, things were different.


    Chen An looked around the courtyard.


    Dust covered everything, giving off a feeling of disorder at first glance.


    Looking ahead, there was a seal on the gate, indicating that no one had been here for a long time.


    "Someone came here before?"


    Chen An thought to himself.


    He remembered clearly that there was no seal the last time he was here.


    But now there was, which meant that someone had been here after that time.


    He just didn''t know why they came.


    Chen An thought to himself, then tore off the seal and walked in.


    As he entered, a foul smell hit him immediately, carrying a sense of decay.


    Frowning, Chen An looked around and quickly found the source of the smell.


    Several corpses.


    The courtyard had been cleaned up, not only were the rooms clean, but not a single piece of furniture was left behind, everything had been taken away by someone.


    To make it clean like this was also quite a difficult task in a way.


    In one of the guest rooms, there was a body placed neatly, not buried, just quietly lying there.


    It seemed that the person who cleaned up the yard did this.


    Looking at the courtyard in front of him, Chen An took a glance, then turned and left.


    None of the bodies in front of him were the one he had seen before.


    Wasn''t that mutant body here?


    Chen An thought to himself.


    After a thorough check, he found nothing unusual around.


    Feeling disappointed, he left the courtyard.


    As he was about to leave, he paused for a moment, noticing something new.


    In the distance of an alley, Chen An seemed to see a figure flash by.


    That figure disappeared quickly, just a moment and it was gone from the alley, the speed was so fast that Chen An couldn''t react in time.


    But as he came to his senses, another figure appeared in the same place.


    It was the appearance of a woman with long hair covering her face, so her real face couldn''t be seen.


    She stood alone in the distance of the alley, her exposed skin pale, giving off a chilling and terrifying feeling.


    A strange heat surged from his chest, accompanied by a sense of an unusual feeling.


    Pain, desire.


    Chen An stood still, silent at this moment.


    When he saw the woman in the distance, his body reacted involuntarily, making him understand what the nature of that figure was across.


    Weird.


    Coming to this place, unable to find the mutated body he had seen before, but witnessing other strange things, Chen An should be happy in theory.


    But at this moment he felt cold, and cold sweat broke out on his back.


    A kind of inexplicable terror emerged from his heart, making him instinctively feel a sense of crisis.


    Finally, Chen An slowly retreated, ready to leave this area. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    His speed was very fast, he left the area almost in a few breaths, and moved to another place.


    Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a chill came back from a distance.


    Chen An''s body stiffened, subconsciously looking up towards the distance.


    There, a woman in white stood quietly, staring at him without moving.


    In that quiet alley, the eyes revealed under her scattered long hair were so pale, completely different from a normal person.


    Chen An''s body paused for a moment, then quickly came back to his senses.


    Without any hesitation, he sprinted at full speed, quickly rushing out of the place, wanting to leave the small town.


    The figure in the distance didn''t seem to have any intention of chasing after his departure, just standing silently in the alley, watching him leave.


    **


    After a while, Chen An left the small town and finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Damn it."


    His expression was a bit ugly, looking back at the small town behind him, still feeling a bit frightened.


    He never expected that just an ordinary small town would hide such a terrifying thing.


    Although he didn''t officially encounter it, based on his instinctive feeling, that figure was even more bizarre and terrifying than those he had seen before.


    The chilling sensation from the depths of his heart made it unforgettable.


    With such a big Buddha here, it''s no wonder that the mutated body he had seen before disappeared.


    However, although it felt more terrifying, this woman seemed to be different from the previous strange encounters.


    At least in this small town, no one had died yet.


    And just now, when Chen An encountered her, he was not attacked.


    But it was unknown what exactly the situation was.


    Chen An glanced back at the dimly visible small town behind him, thinking to himself.


    Unconsciously, the sky outside had already darkened.


    Chen An was still in the wilderness, not yet back to the county town.


    This behavior was very dangerous for ordinary people, because in this era of wilderness, there were many wild beasts, you never knew when wolves or tigers might appear.


    For ordinary people without any means, they wouldn''t dare to be alone in the wilderness at night.


    Of course, for a martial artist like Chen An, it was nothing to worry about.


    If there were really some reckless individuals, it would be a good opportunity to test his skills.


    However, even so, Chen An did not plan to stay in the wilderness.


    Just in time, there was a broken temple ahead, where passersby could find shelter.


    Chen An walked slowly towards it.


    Arriving at the temple, Chen An was a bit surprised.


    Because in the temple, there were flickering flames.


    "Someone?"


    Chen An thought to himself, without thinking too much, he strode in.


    Inside the temple, there were already some people there.


    Several strong-looking men were sitting inside, roasting fires and silently eating flatbreads.


    And on the other side, there was a pair of one big and one small.


    "Is it them?"


    Chen An glanced at the corner and was a bit surprised.


    In the corner of the broken temple, a young man led a girl squatting there.


    The young man looked pale, wearing a delicate white robe that looked a bit dirty and messy, as if it hadn''t been washed for a long time.


    Beside him was a girl, probably around ten years old, covered in a long robe, her face obscured, making it hard to see her exact appearance.


    At a glance, Chen An recognized this pair, none other than the two individuals he had saved before.


    In order to absorb the energy from the girl, Chen An had helped them once, killing four good hands from the Haisha Gang.


    He didn''t expect that so much time had passed, and he could still see them in this place.


    It was truly an unexpected thing.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 19: Help

    "Trouble."Chen An looked at the two young men beside him, silently flashing this thought in his mind.


    Previously, these two were being chased by the Haisha gang, he didn''t know for what reason.


    After that incident, Chen An had not seen these two again.


    At first, he thought these two had already left Fengcheng County early, escaped, but unexpectedly, they were still here.


    Chen An looked around.


    Besides those two, the others around seemed normal.


    Not far away, three men sat, wearing thick robes, carrying swords, looking like escorts.


    Seeing Chen An approaching, their reaction first instinctively tensed up, then relaxed.


    As for the two young men in the distance, it was a different story.


    "It''s that benefactor."


    Song Ziyang raised his head, looking at the young man coming towards them, feeling moved.


    He remembered the events of that day.


    That time when they were noticed, if it weren''t for the help of this young man in front of them, they would probably have been captured or killed.


    Speaking of which, that incident made him quite puzzled.


    During this period of time, they had mainly interacted with either enemies or friends of the previous Liu family.


    If they were enemies, they would naturally capture them to gain favor and rewards.


    If they were friends, they should have met with them.


    Chen An had helped them solve their enemies, but he hadn''t done anything to them, even helped Miss Liu of the Liu family cure her strange illness.


    This mysterious illness had been stubborn, appearing on Miss Liu over a year ago and no method had worked to cure it, but that day it was miraculously healed by the other party.


    Such ability was not something ordinary.


    Song Ziyang stared at Chen An walking towards them, also unable to grasp what the other party was thinking, only lowering his head, pretending not to have noticed.


    Beside him, the girl leaned on him and had already fallen asleep.


    The night was dark, but with the light from the fire, he could barely see the unusual condition on her body.


    Compared to what Chen Heng had seen in the past, her appearance now seemed much more normal, with a rosy complexion and her skin no longer as pale as before, appearing to have recovered quite a bit.


    Seeing this, Chen An thought something, casually found a place to sit and closed his eyes silently, preparing to rest.


    He didn''t fall asleep, just closed his eyes to rejuvenate himself, contemplating what he should do next.


    From the current situation, continuing to find trouble with the strange was not a good choice.


    There were more than just that one type of strange in this world, some of which were highly dangerous.


    Going alone to seek them out, he might end up in a difficult spot anytime.


    "If I could bring Bai Qing along, that would be great."


    At this moment, Chen An couldn''t help but think of this.


    Compared to him, Bai Qing''s strength was obviously much stronger, at least at the Inner Qi realm.


    That strangeness in the small town was very dangerous to him, but to Bai Qing, it might be nothing at all.


    Moreover, what was the nature of these abnormalities? Was there any rule to it?


    These were all things Chen An urgently wanted to know.


    Looking for the strange could be put on hold for now, but collecting martial arts information could be considered.


    For ordinary people, learning martial arts was difficult, but at Chen An''s level, it shouldn''t be too difficult to gather some basic martial arts.


    Leaving aside other factors, the basic martial arts of various factions, such as the Haisha gang''s Haisha Fist, should be attainable with a little inquiry.


    After all, there were definitely not a few people who had practiced this martial art in Fengcheng County.


    As long as one was willing to pay, there would be someone willing to teach.


    Chen An contemplated in his heart.


    In the distance, a faint sound came.


    It seemed that the three escorts were chatting.


    It was already very late, the night was very dark, the fire that was lit before was almost extinguished, only a faint light remained.


    "Should we take action?"


    "There''s at least ten silver coins."


    In the distance, a few people deliberately lowered their voices, seeming not wanting to be heard by Chen An.


    Then one person slowly approached in the night and moved closer to Chen An.


    Chen An slowly opened his eyes and looked ahead.


    But under the cover of night, the other party apparently did not notice him and continued to cautiously approach, ready to grope.


    At a certain moment, his body suddenly stopped, realizing something was wrong.


    In the dim night, a cold light reflected and shone out.


    Was that a glimmer of a blade?


    Ah!!!


    A cry of misery rang out.


    The man in front of him was struck by a blade and fell to the ground.


    Chen An got up directly, sniffing the smell of blood in the air, shaking his head involuntarily.


    At this point, the remaining two in the front finally reacted, looking at Chen An who stood up in astonishment.


    "Do I look easy to bully?"


    Chen An spoke slowly, raising the long knife in his hand.


    A bit of blood sprayed from the blade, slowly dripping down, carrying a strong smell of blood.


    "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding."


    The two men in front quickly began to speak, with smiles on their faces, but it was too late.


    A long knife had already fallen and struck down.


    After a moment, Chen An sheathed the long knife, collected the valuable belongings from the three men, only finding a total of about a dozen silver coins. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He shook his head and put away the money, preparing to return to his previous position to continue resting.


    Song Ziyang looked at Chen An at this moment, his eyes showing a slight change.


    On the journey of escape, although he had also witnessed many killings, the clean and swift scene in front of him seemed to be something he hadn''t experienced much, as if it wasn''t killing but merely slaughtering a few chickens.


    Such a scene was quite thrilling for him, to the extent that he stayed still for a while before calming down.


    But in a way, this scene also made him determined.


    "How should I address you, young master?"


    He also got up from his original position, bravely looking at Chen An in front of him.


    "You also want to rob?"


    Chen An glanced at him, then casually mentioned a name, "Chen Ziming."


    He didn''t reveal his true name.


    After all, the identities of the two people in front of him were fugitives, subjects of pursuit.


    If he mentioned his real name, if things took a wrong turn, it would be troublesome to get involved later.


    "I am Song Ziyang."


    Song Ziyang didn''t think too much, just bowed to Chen An, then fell into hesitation, looking like he wanted to say something but didn''t know how to start.


    "Do you have something on your mind?"


    Chen An looked at him, seeing through his dilemma with a single glance.


    "Brother Chen has sharp eyes."


    Song Ziyang forced a bitter smile, after a short period of hesitation, he seemed to have opened up, directly saying, "This person beside me is Miss Liu from the Liu family of Chiyuan County, I wonder if Brother Chen has heard of her?"


    (End of chapter).

 Chapter 20: Jade Pendant

    "The Liu Family of Chiyuan County?"Listening to Song Ziyang''s words, Chen An subconsciously pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "Never heard of it."


    "Eh."


    Song Ziyang obviously did not expect to get this answer, and at this moment couldn''t help but be stunned: "Since you don''t know the Liu Family, then why did you lend a hand to help us?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    Chen An smiled, the smile looking quite chilling: "What happened that day? Why don''t I remember?"


    Song Ziyang was a bit speechless, not knowing what to say at this moment.


    The man in front of him, Chen, had the best martial arts skills he had seen recently, but his temperament was a bit... It''s not like it''s something shameful, isn''t it just admitting it openly?


    "Since that''s the case, let''s cut to the chase."


    After pondering for a moment, Song Ziyang decided to be straight to the point and directly said, "The lady beside me is Miss Liu from the Liu Family, the only remaining descendant of the Liu Family."


    "The reason why those people are chasing us is because of Miss Liu from the Liu Family."


    "Brother Chen, your skills are extraordinary, the role model of our generation. I wonder if you can help me with a favor?"


    "Whether to help or not, it doesn''t matter."


    Chen An smiled, slightly leaned in, and asked directly, "What''s in it for me if I help you?"


    Helping out doesn''t bother Chen An. But if someone wants a free ride, that''s a different story.


    Of course, he didn''t really have any thoughts about it, just casually saying.


    After all, both of them have been hunted down to this extent, they probably don''t have much wealth left.


    Even if the Liu Family had a great reputation, they now only have one heir left.


    However, unexpectedly, Song Ziyang hesitated for a moment and then took out a silver note from his pocket.


    "Forgive me for being rude, the officials are chasing me and Miss Liu, and now we don''t have much left, only these eight hundred taels of silver."


    He said apologetically.


    How much?


    Chen An was stunned, almost doubting his own ears.


    Eight hundred taels of silver, even for someone like Brother Mei, the hall master, wasn''t a small amount of money.


    Prices in this world are not low, but generally speaking, a few taels of silver are enough for a common household''s expenses in a few months.


    Eight hundred taels of silver could probably be the entire family wealth of a wealthy household in Fengcheng County.


    Of course, the Sanhe Gang monopolizes the most profitable businesses in Fengcheng County.


    As the hall master of the Sanhe Gang and others, the value of people like Mei An is not low, and a few hundred taels of silver can make them look twice, but it won''t make them very tempted.


    Unfortunately, Chen An had been busy watching over the tavern and hadn''t had time to make money after reaching the stage of Body Refinement. He was taken as a laborer by Bai Qing.


    Up to now, his wealth is less than a hundred taels of silver, still a pauper.


    Now, hearing the figure of eight hundred taels of silver, he couldn''t help but feel a little tempted.


    After all, he still had to collect martial arts knowledge in the future.


    This is probably a big expense, and he can''t do without silver.


    It seems worth a try?


    Chen An felt a little tempted, thinking about it at the moment.


    On the other side, looking at the silent Chen An, Song Ziyang couldn''t help but sigh.


    He knew that a master like the one in front of him wouldn''t be tempted by a few hundred taels of silver.


    After thinking for a moment and not waiting for Chen An to reply, he took out something else from his body.


    It was an exquisite little box.


    The box was black in color, and its surface looked very delicate, as if it were meticulously carved by a master.


    There were gemstones inlaid on the surface of the box, the material was also very exquisite, and it looked like it was made of top-quality materials.


    Just this box alone was already quite precious, if taken out to sell, it could probably fetch at least a hundred taels of silver, not to mention what was inside.


    Song Ziyang opened the wooden box to reveal what was inside.


    Unexpectedly, the thing inside the box was not the expected precious gold and silver jewels, but just a broken jade pendant.


    The jade pendant was made of a unique yellow jade and engraved with a wind character in the center. It didn''t look too big, and the craftsmanship was quite ordinary.


    Overall, it seemed like just an ordinary item, not very valuable.


    Song Ziyang took the jade pendant out of the box, with a tone of nostalgia: "This jade pendant was left to me by my teacher, who specifically instructed me to keep it safe, as it will be very useful in the future."


    "Although it looks ordinary, I believe it must have great value, it just depends on whether it can be excavated." s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Now I am willing to give this jade pendant to you, would you be interested?"


    He sighed and then looked at Chen An in front of him.


    Chen An couldn''t say a word at this point.


    He looked at the jade pendant, his gaze fixed on it, all his attention had been drawn to it.


    In his body, a familiar pulse was emerging, especially prominent at this moment, making him feel an uncontrollable impulse.


    "The feeling of energy."


    He muttered to himself in his heart, this thought flickering through.


    "What do you want me to do?"


    In a flash, Chen An''s thoughts changed, and he directly asked.


    If it was just silver, he might just be tempted for a moment.


    But besides silver, there was also energy, which made him unable to refuse.


    But out of caution, he still wanted to ask specifically.


    "This matter is not difficult for Brother Chen."


    Hearing Chen An''s reply, Song Ziyang finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "I came all the way from Chiyuan County just to send Miss Liu to a safe place."


    "Unfortunately, I am too conspicuous with her, too easy to be targeted, so we have encountered quite a lot of trouble along the way."


    "But Brother Chen is different from me. With Brother Chen''s skills, I believe hiding Miss Liu from the Liu Family in this place will be much easier."


    "Just that?"


    "Just that."


    Confirming Song Ziyang''s request, Chen An pondered for a moment.


    The request from the other party was not difficult, he just needed to hide the little girl somewhere and find an opportunity to send her away after a while.


    This would indeed be difficult for Song Ziyang, who had come from out of town and was unfamiliar with the local situation, but for Chen An, it was not a difficult task.


    No matter how useless his predecessor was, he had been in Fengcheng County for more than ten years after all, so he knew where to hide and had the means to send people away.


    Moreover, on the surface, Chen An was still a member of the Sanhe Gang at the moment, so it would be easy to do this under the guise of the Sanhe Gang.


    As for risks?


    It''s just the Haisha Gang.


    But then again, even if Chen An didn''t help, could it be that the Haisha Gang''s attitude towards Chen An would be very good?


    He had killed quite a few good hands of the Haisha Gang in front of Liu Sheng and others.


    This matter is now basically well known.


    Moreover, if the Haisha Gang was so enthusiastic about the Liu Family''s little girl in front of them, it probably wouldn''t have sent people to search.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 21: Settling Down

    In the night, Chen An sat quietly in place, looking at the scenery in the distance.As for Song Ziyang, he had already left at this moment.


    After confirming that Chen An agreed, Song Ziyang left contentedly.


    Before leaving, Chen An had some doubts and asked, "Are you leaving like this? Aren''t you afraid that after I let you go, I will take this Miss Liu from the Liu family and use her for a reward?"


    To this, Song Ziyang was very carefree, "If Brother Chen really wanted to use us for a reward, he could have done it long ago, so why wait until now?"


    "The kindness that day, even if Brother Chen is unwilling to admit it, I will always remember it in my heart."


    After saying this, he left, leaving only a young girl behind.


    Chen An sat in place, looking at the girl who seemed to be asleep but was actually silently shaking her head.


    After a moment, the girl stopped pretending to sleep, and stood up directly from where she was.


    She watched as Song Ziyang''s figure disappeared into the darkness, her expression equally complex.


    "Awake?"


    Chen An looked at the girl who was now awake, not surprised, and simply handed her a water kettle, "Have some water first."


    The girl took the water kettle, sat there in silence.


    "Speaking of which, what is he to you?"


    Chen An continued to ask, curious about the relationship between Song Ziyang and the girl, "He doesn''t seem to be surnamed Liu."


    "He is the person my sister liked."


    The girl was silent for a moment, before speaking in a hoarse voice, "I used to like him a lot, but then my sister died, and he disappeared."


    "It wasn''t until later, after my parents died, that he came back to take me away and brought me here."


    "Then he must have liked your sister too."


    Chen An listened with interest, feeling like he was listening to gossip.


    Although he didn''t know the specific details, he instinctively felt that the story behind this must be quite convoluted.


    "Don''t worry."


    After a moment, Chen An patted himself off, stood up, "He''s quite capable, without you, those people probably wouldn''t be able to find him."


    "When you reach a safe place, perhaps you''ll be able to see him again."


    Liu Ziqin didn''t speak, just nodded silently.


    By now, it was already dawn.


    Chen An led Liu Ziqin away, walking slowly towards Fengcheng County. S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The journey was calm and uneventful.


    It wasn''t until they were nearing Fengcheng County that the sound of fighting reached their ears.


    There were two groups of people fighting, and from their attire, they were likely members of the Haisha Gang and the Sanhe Gang.


    It seemed that the skirmishes from before had not yet ended.


    Since the Haisha Gang made their move, the Sanhe Gang also retaliated, attacking several territories belonging to the Haisha Gang.


    Chen An watched with interest, but had no intention of getting involved, only escorting Liu Ziqin away.


    Soon, they entered the county.


    Normally, at this time, the surroundings of the county should have been bustling, with streets and alleys filled with people selling goods.


    However, after half a day, Chen An found the atmosphere to be very solemn.


    It seemed that the conflict between the Sanhe Gang and the Haisha Gang had spread to all aspects within the county.


    This was to be expected.


    After all, in Fengcheng County, these gangs were the most powerful forces, and the government appeared to be much weaker in comparison.


    As Chen An walked with Liu Ziqin through the streets, nobody bothered them.


    This scene made Chen An glance sideways.


    It seemed that Miss Liu from the Liu family wasn''t being taken seriously, as not many people even recognized her as she walked down the street.


    Of course, this was also due to the lack of photographs in those days.


    Simply relying on a portrait could only provide a limited accuracy.


    Previously, Song Ziyang had been spotted because they were both outsiders with different accents, standing out in Fengcheng County.


    Now, with Chen An, the attention was significantly reduced.


    However, the ongoing war between the Sanhe Gang and the Haisha Gang was also a significant factor.


    In this situation, the Haisha Gang might not have the energy to pay attention to Miss Liu.


    Nevertheless, to be safe, Chen An took some measures.


    He took Liu Ziqin to various places, purchasing several sets of clothing for her, allowing her to change out of her previous attire and applying makeup to her face.


    In this regard, the women from the brothel were quite skilled.


    After these changes, Liu Ziqin''s appearance was completely transformed, becoming another person.


    With this transformation, even the constables and members of the Haisha Gang who only had a portrait to identify her might take a while to recognize her, let alone Song Ziyang himself.


    Satisfied with these arrangements, Chen An arranged for her to stay near his courtyard.


    There was a neighbor next to the courtyard, a widow who had lost her husband early on and hadn''t remarried, making a living by selling steamed buns with her daughter.


    Chen An was familiar with the daughter, who often peeked through the wall.


    Having interacted with this family for half a year, Chen An found them decent and without any malevolent intentions, making them suitable for housing Liu Ziqin temporarily.


    This was the most suitable choice at the moment.


    Bringing a girl with him was inconvenient and unsafe.


    As for other people?


    The previous owner did know quite a few people in Fengcheng County, but with his temperament, what kind of people could he have known?


    They were either from the same gangs or of a lower social class.


    Putting the girl in their hands, what would be the outcome?


    The neighbor was very enthusiastic about Chen An''s arrival, immediately accepting after seeing the five liang silver he offered.


    "Great, Ying¡¯er is usually bored at home, so having a companion here will be good for her."


    The widow, Mrs. Wang, looked at Chen An and smiled.


    Behind her, a girl named Wang Ying stood there, stealing glances at Chen An''s handsome face, her cheeks slightly flushed as if she had a realization, looking somewhat disdainful.


    In any case, one trouble was temporarily solved.


    With a hopeful heart, Chen An returned to his residence.


    Upon returning to his room, he immediately took out the wooden box from before and removed the yellow jade pendant inside.


    "This wooden box doesn''t seem simple either."


    Opening the wooden box and looking at the yellow jade pendant in front of him, feeling the palpitation in his heart, Chen An thought to himself.


    After testing it, he found that the wooden box seemed to have a unique function, able to shield Chen An''s perception of the jade pendant.


    When the jade pendant was placed in the box, his sense of connection to it would vanish.


    This was probably why Chen An hadn''t discovered the pendant on Song Ziyang before.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 22: Calmness

    "You have obtained a trace of boundary power crystal."Faint handwriting appeared in front of him.


    As Chen An began to act, holding the jade pendant in his hand, the hints in front of his eyes kept popping up.


    Unlike the previous few times of energy replenishment processes, the energy hidden inside the jade pendant was not considered small, but it required some time to absorb, unlike before where it could be completed in an instant.


    After a while, Chen An finally put down the jade pendant.


    At this moment, the jade pendant had lost its previous effect, and the unique energy inside it had been completely drained by Chen An.


    However, the appearance of the jade pendant did not show any changes, it still looked ancient and worn, like a piece of ordinary yellow jade.


    Chen An ignored the jade pendant, just put it down, and then continued to look ahead.


    As his thoughts circulated, bits of information came to light.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (3.2), Constitution (3.1), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 8


    Heritage: Five Tiger Swordsmanship, Tiger Leopard Cross Training


    Projection: Available


    The familiar panel appeared in front of his eyes.


    Chen An breathed a sigh of relief, without any hesitation, he began to operate.


    "Do you want to simulate?"


    "Confirm."


    "At the age of twenty, you successfully married, but encountered a group of bandits on the way to meet your bride."


    "Your simulation is over."


    "Judgment: Your life was particularly tragic, and you died before leaving any offspring behind."


    "You have gained ten points of source energy."


    Lines of subtitles flashed before his eyes.


    Chen An looked at these lines of subtitles, feeling speechless.


    The result of this simulation was even worse than before, dying at the age of twenty without leaving any offspring.


    The only unexpected thing was that he still gained ten points of source energy from this result, which was more than the five points from the first simulation.


    This surprised Chen An.


    "I wonder what the mechanism is behind gaining source energy from this simulation."


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind, then he shook his head and stood up.


    He looked ahead.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (3.2), Constitution (3.1), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 18


    Heritage: Five Tiger Swordsmanship, Tiger Leopard Cross Training


    Projection: Charging


    Source energy had increased by ten points, now it had become eighteen.


    Hmm, the number sounded a bit unlucky.


    As for Tiger Leopard Cross Training, unsurprisingly, the font on it had also changed to a different color, indicating an upgrade option was available. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It seemed that the reason for not being able to upgrade it before was due to insufficient source energy.


    Of course, Chen An had no intention of upgrading Tiger Leopard Cross Training now.


    Being just average was good enough.


    "Next, I will go and collect martial arts from various places."


    Standing in place, Chen An muttered to himself, this thought flashed through his mind.


    Several days passed quickly.


    "So that''s how it is."


    Early in the morning, Chen An held the newly minted fist manual in his backyard, contemplating while practicing the martial arts, and also trying to deduce.


    In three days, he had gained some insights.


    What he was holding in his hands at the moment was the fist manual of Sea Sand Fist.


    This fist manual was obtained from a member of the Sea Sand Gang.


    The price was not high, just thirty-odd taels of silver.


    Like the Three Rivers Gang, the Sea Sand Gang also regularly sent disciples to a fixed location for martial arts instruction, so this Sea Sand Fist was widely circulated among the many members of the Sea Sand Gang.


    With so many people practicing this martial art, it was inevitable that a few would be willing to sell the manual to make some money.


    However, under normal circumstances, even if one obtained the manual, it would be of no use.


    Without sufficient experience, someone who had never practiced martial arts, and had no elders to oversee them, would most likely develop many problems if they followed this martial art.


    The cultivation of the cross-training methods was far from simple, and if critical points were mistaken, the effect would be different.


    Of course, for someone like Chen An, who already had rich experience and even achieved great physical refinement, it wasn''t that complicated.


    Many of these cross-training methods had similarities.


    Moreover, Chen An didn''t need to study them to a very high level.


    He only needed to grasp the basics.


    Unfortunately, besides the mainstream martial arts like Sea Sand Fist, it was difficult to obtain other martial arts.


    For three days, Chen An inquired around and besides this manual, he only found some rudimentary techniques.


    Most of these martial arts were just moves without corresponding cross-training methods.


    For ordinary people, practicing them long term might increase their strength, but going further was impossible.


    Genuine martial arts mostly had corresponding cross-training methods, not just techniques.


    "I wonder if Song Lao has better martial arts?"


    Chen An practiced according to the manual in his hands, pondering while doing so.


    Considering his current situation, the most reliable way to get martial arts was undoubtedly through Bai Qing''s connections.


    No matter what, Bai Qing came from a prominent family and definitely held many martial arts, most likely sophisticated ones.


    Even Song Lao could easily produce such a sophisticated martial art as Tiger Leopard Cross Training.


    But going directly to him was definitely not an option.


    Chen An could only find another way.


    "Perhaps Master Mei has another way."


    His thoughts flickered, then this thought crossed his mind.


    Compared to Bai Qing''s place, Mei An might not have such sophisticated martial arts, but there would surely be many mainstream martial arts like Five Tiger Swordsmanship.


    Moreover, with their previous relationship, Chen An was relatively close to Mei An and could have a conversation with him.


    Various thoughts flashed through his mind, and his movements became more agile.


    In front of him, the name of Sea Sand Fist was gradually taking shape.


    It seemed that in just one or two days, Chen An could learn this Sea Sand Fist to a basic level.


    Sensing this, Chen An exerted more force in his hands, his fist like a heavy hammer, pounding forcefully forward.


    The terrifying power swept through, sweeping the surroundings.


    Meanwhile, at the other side.


    "Has it really gotten this severe?"


    In a spacious courtyard, Bai Qing looked at the account book in front of her, somewhat incredulous: "Just three years, and it''s gotten to this extent?"


    "Yes."


    In front of Bai Qing, Song Lao also sighed, equally shocked by the result: "When I saw it, I also found it shocking."


    "Clearly, each base is still there, and the territories left behind by Young Master Heng are still intact, yet it''s turned out like this."


    "Song Wang."


    Bai Qing clenched her fists, feeling somewhat angry.


    It didn''t need much explanation; she also understood what had happened.


    It was definitely Song Wang''s doing.


    The Three Rivers Gang was originally the property of Bai Qing''s elder brother, specifically meant to provide various resources for her and her siblings to practice martial arts, bearing the expenses.


    Practicing martial arts itself required a lot of resources.


    Initially, practicing martial arts required various herbs for nourishment, and as one progressed and needed to nurture the body further, various resources were needed.


    All of this required money.


    Without enough savings, it would be impossible to sustain it.


    (End of the Chapter).

 Chapter 23: Calmness (Two)

    Since its establishment, the Sanhe Gang has always been a tool for the Bai family to accumulate wealth.At the beginning, the one in charge of leading the Sanhe Gang was Bai Qing''s brother, Bai Changheng.


    Whether it was Song Wang or Mei An, these people were all cultivated by Bai Changheng.


    However, after Bai Qing''s brother''s death, the Sanhe Gang gradually became disobedient.


    Song Wang''s attitude became increasingly ambiguous, even openly going against the rules.


    Bai Qing understood all of this in his heart, but he could only endure it until now before daring to make a move.


    The reason for this was simply because of strength.


    Song Wang''s own strength was not weak, and in a sense, he was just slightly inferior to Bai Qing.


    If Bai Qing''s brother were still alive, he could easily suppress him.


    But now...


    "If I''m not mistaken, it should be the doing of Young Master Yuan."


    Song Lao stood in front of Bai Qing, calmly analyzing, "In these past few years, with the death of Master Heng, Young Master Yuan has become more active."


    "Of course, he is active."


    A hint of mockery appeared in Bai Qing''s eyes, "With his good daughter, he is indeed soaring now."


    "Don''t mention trying to win these followers around, even if he were to directly attack us within the clan, he may not dare."


    "Forget about what they did before?"


    Song Lao opened his mouth as if he thought of something, but stopped himself in the end.


    "Alright."


    Bai Qing shook her head, slapped the account book in front of her, and smiled directly, "I may not be able to provoke the forces of Bai Changyuan, but what gives Song Wang, an inner Qi grandmaster, the audacity to act this way?"


    "Miss intends to directly kill Song Wang?"


    A look of hesitation appeared on Song Lao''s face.


    "What, can''t do it?"


    Bai Qing got up from her original spot, stretched lazily, looking quite comfortable.


    "Of course, it can be done."


    Song Lao nodded, "With Miss''s current strength, it should not be much of a problem to kill Song Wang."


    "However, killing Song Wang is easy, but finding another person to take over as the leader of Sanhe Gang would be difficult."


    Not just anyone can become the leader of a gang.


    Killing Song Wang might be easy, but after that, the Sanhe Gang would probably fall apart.


    There was no one under Bai Qing who could replace Song Wang.


    A martial artist with at least an inner Qi grandmaster level was not easy to find in the Fengcheng County.


    At least.


    If the strength was lower than that, they would not be able to survive in the competition with other gangs, and in the end, they would not be able to achieve the original effect.


    With the death of Song Wang, the new leader, if without this strength, would definitely attract the covetous eyes of others, and in the end, they would come forward and take a piece of meat from the Sanhe Gang.


    By then, the Sanhe Gang would probably not be able to survive, let alone Bai Qing, it would be better to stay as it is now.


    Just the name of the Bai family alone would not have any effect on those gangs.


    After all, those gangs also had their own backgrounds and were no less inferior to the Bai family.


    Unless Bai Qing was willing to stay in Fengcheng County for a long time, she would not be able to do anything about those gangs.


    This was the reason why Song Wang was so confident.


    Because to some extent, he was irreplaceable.


    "Unfortunately, my brother''s accident came too quickly."


    Standing still, Bai Qing sighed to herself, lamenting like this.


    Long ago, Bai Qing''s brother saw through Song Wang''s character and knew he was untrustworthy, but allowed him to develop the Sanhe Gang in Fengcheng County for a few years.


    Originally planning to replace Song Wang after a few years, but it turned into the current situation.


    "What a pity."


    Bai Qing sighed, and then continued, "Even if we can''t replace Song Wang, we have to do something, or it will be hard to say what will happen in the future."


    "What about Liu Dao, I remember he had a problem."


    She looked at Song Lao in front of her and asked.


    Song Lao nodded, saying, "If nothing unexpected happens, he should be Young Master Yuan''s man."


    "The connection between Song Wang and Young Master Yuan is most likely being mediated by him."


    "Mm."


    Bai Qing nodded, not surprised, "Find an opportunity and get rid of him."


    "Yes."


    Song Lao nodded and added after some thought, "It may take some time."


    "Get it done before leaving."


    Bai Qing said casually, "If you can''t find an opportunity, let it go."


    Song Wang was not a fool.


    During Bai Qing''s time in Fengcheng County, he would definitely be very careful and would not leave any obvious flaws.


    In such a situation, Liu Dao would also be very careful and might not leave any opportunities.


    Bai Qing did not mind, she would seize the opportunity whenever it presented itself.


    "Oh, what about Chen An?"


    Standing still, Bai Qing seemed to suddenly think of something and asked, "How is his progress?"


    "He has already mastered the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Training, but the details are still unclear."


    Song Lao said, "However, judging from his usual behavior, his attitude is commendable, he is a diligent person."


    "Good."


    Bai Qing nodded, finally showing a smile, "With his proficiency in the Five Tigers Blade Technique, he dared to go to Mei An''s place to rescue someone. Although he is a greenhorn, it''s still commendable."


    "He is a man of sentiment, if cultivated properly in the future, he can be of good use."


    "It''s a bit of a gain to discover such a person on this trip."


    Bai Qing smiled, quite pleased with Chen An''s evaluation. S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At the moment, she was short of people under her command, with hardly anyone other than Song Lao to command.


    For Bai Qing, Chen An was a good subordinate, and if nurtured properly, he could potentially replace Song Wang in the future.


    She was about to continue speaking when her body suddenly stiffened, and her expression instantly became fierce.


    "Who!"


    A light shout, a short sword instantly shot out, carrying a strong internal energy, rushing towards the front.


    With a bang, the short sword pierced through a wooden door and embedded itself in the back.


    A muffled groan came from the dark place, clearly audible.


    The next moment, Bai Qing appeared at that spot.


    However, by this time, there was no figure present besides a faint trickle of blood.


    Bai Qing furrowed her brows.


    "Finally made a breakthrough!"


    In her courtyard, Chen An was covered in sweat, his face showing some excitement.


    In front of him, the inheritance of the Sea Sand Fist had appeared.


    After days of hard training, he finally mastered this fist technique.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (3.2), Endurance (3.1), Spirit (2.4)


    Source power: 18


    Inheritance: Five Tigers Blade Technique, Tiger Leopard Horizontal Training, Sea Sand Fist


    Projection: Charging


    The familiar upgrade panel appeared before his eyes, looking clear.


    "Would you like to upgrade?"


    A line of subtitles appeared.


    Without hesitation, Chen An selected "confirm."


    Two points of source power were immediately deducted.


    A warm flow surged through his body, rising from his heart, spreading throughout his body, and finally gathering in his fists.


    Chen An observed the changes on his body.


    As the Sea Sand Fist was upgraded, a visible callus appeared on his fists, followed by a gradual darkening of his skin, making it look dark.


    He started to resemble those who had practiced the Sea Sand Fist before.


    Of course, it was not very obvious.


    This feature was not exclusive to the Sea Sand Fist; many martial arts would leave such marks on the fists, so it was not surprising.


    That was why Chen An was confident in upgrading the Sea Sand Fist.


    "I can still continue to upgrade."


    Chen An looked at the remaining source power and chose to continue upgrading.


    Boom!


    A wave of heat surged from within him and exploded in an instant.


    At this moment, a familiar feeling rushed into his body, much more intense than before.


    Chen An''s arms began to tremble, memories of his past training experiences flooded his mind, deepening his understanding of the Sea Sand Fist.


    This feeling lasted for a breath or two before it stopped, gradually calming down.


    Then, Chen An continued to gaze ahead.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 24: Visiting

    Name: Chen AnAttributes: Power (3.6), Body (3.5), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Power: 11


    Heritage: Five Tiger Blade Technique, Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice, Seashore Fist


    Projection: Charging in progress


    The upgrade template appeared before him, with some changes in the data.


    But overall, the changes were not too significant.


    Chen An had already sensed this.


    As his basic attributes improved, the benefits of improving martial arts were not as high as before.


    Now, raising a martial art to perfection only brought about gains in attributes of a few decimal points.


    And this trend would continue to exist, the further he went, the smaller Chen An''s improvements would probably be.


    "I still have eleven points of source power left."


    Chen An looked at the source power column, pondering now.


    The first upgrade of the Seashore Fist requires two points of source power, and the second upgrade requires five points, overall consuming slightly less than the Five Tiger Blade Technique.


    With the remaining source power, it was enough to upgrade the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice once.


    "How far am I from reaching the perfect body refining level?"


    Chen An felt the strength within his body and this thought flashed through his mind.


    According to Master Song, after achieving perfect body refining, further refining the body would bring one closer to the complete body refining level.


    In theory, once reaching perfect body refining, one could start trying to nourish the inner energy and reach the internal energy realm.


    However, in practice, the better the results of body refining cultivation, the easier it would be to nourish the inner energy.


    Especially for someone like Chen An, who was already relatively old, only by refining the body to the perfect level, would the path ahead be slightly easier.


    Master Song taught Chen An the Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice in the hopes that he could reach perfect body refining before attempting to nourish the inner energy.


    However, Chen An felt that even though he was still a bit away from perfect body refining, he should be not far off.


    He then delivered a punch forward, and the wooden stake in front of him shattered instantly, with shards falling to the ground.


    Chen An looked at his fist.


    Striking the wooden stake with his fist, he felt no pain, and there was no discomfort throughout.


    It seemed that after reaching perfection, the Seashore Fist could truly withstand the hardness of blades and iron, not just a boast.


    Pulling out a nearby long knife, without doing much, he simply slapped it with his hand.


    The surface of his palm collided with the blade and made a crisp metallic sound, as if Chen An''s hand was made of steel rather than flesh.


    Grabbing the blade, Chen An began to exert force.


    The long knife slowly pressed down, but it couldn''t break through Chen An''s palm.


    Only when Chen An used five-tenths of his force did his palm break the skin, creating a slight wound.


    Feeling the pain in his palm, Chen An instinctively applied force.


    Bang!


    A crisp sound rang out.


    Chen An glanced down and found that the long knife had shattered into pieces, directly crushed by him. S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was unbelievable.


    "That won''t do."


    Chen An shook his head, probably understanding the defensive power of his fists at this moment.


    Overall, the defensive power of these fists was still decent.


    Ordinary weapons could at most scratch the surface.


    But it would be a different story if it was a peer or some sharp weapons.


    Overall, still useless.


    Not as useful in actual combat as the Five Tiger Blade Technique.


    Giving this evaluation, Chen An looked at the fragments of the long knife on the ground and fell into contemplation.


    Well, now he had to replace the long knife.


    It was a pity because he felt quite comfortable using this knife.


    Chen An felt a bit regretful, then he gathered the fragments of the long knife together, preparing to dispose of them at a later time.


    After a while, he walked out of the courtyard, preparing to visit Mei An''s mansion.


    Before leaving, he deliberately went to see Liu Ziqin.


    She seemed to be doing well.


    In the neighboring courtyard, Liu Ziqin was chatting leisurely with Wang Ying, and they seemed to be having a good conversation.


    After observing for a while in secret, Chen An left.


    He wasn''t planning on having too much contact with this child, just observing her secretly from time to time.


    Since she was doing well now, there was no need for further action.


    Walking on the road, Chen An was also thinking about how to find an opportunity to send Liu Ziqin away.


    Before Song Ziyang left, he asked Chen An to send Liu Ziqin to a certain place in Shanghe County.


    Shanghe County was not too far from Fengcheng County, and under normal circumstances, Chen An could go directly.


    But now that Bai Qing was still here, he might not be allowed to leave Fengcheng County without permission.


    After all, Bai Qing would only stay in Fengcheng County for a short time.


    This was a bit troublesome.


    Or maybe he could temporarily place Liu Ziqin in Fengcheng County, and when Chen An was free, he could find a way to send her away?


    That seemed like a possibility too.


    Unconsciously, Mei An''s mansion was already not far away.


    Chen An quietly stopped his steps and instinctively looked towards a nearby alley.


    In that alley, he sensed something unusual.


    Traces of blood were scattered around, and at the end of the alley, a figure stood there, walking unsteadily, with a short sword stained with blood stuck in her abdomen.


    As if feeling Chen An''s gaze, she slowly turned around, her eyes falling on Chen An.


    At that moment, a strange feeling surfaced in Chen An''s heart, as if he was being pointed at by a sword, feeling very dangerous.


    But shortly after, the woman left, quickly disappearing into the alley.


    "Is she being chased?"


    Looking at the figure at the end of the alley, Chen An frowned but made no further movements.


    In Fengcheng County, scenes like this were often seen due to gang battles.


    But it was rare to see someone like that woman who gave Chen An such a sense of danger.


    It was just unknown which side she belonged to.


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind, then he continued walking towards Mei An''s mansion.


    In the distance, shortly after Chen An entered Mei An''s mansion, a woman''s figure slowly appeared.


    She had been hiding and observing all along, only revealing herself now. As she saw Chen An enter Mei An''s mansion, her eyes brightened, as if a thought had crossed her mind.


    "Is Master Mei''s health alright?"


    Inside Mei An''s mansion, in a spacious courtyard, two figures strolled casually, walking around.


    "Thanks to Miss Bai, it''s still okay."


    Mei An smiled, looking a bit pale: "But, the body was indeed injured, even if it recovers in the future, it will probably leave behind some problems."


    He spoke, with some sighs in his tone.


    "Master, don''t be so pessimistic."


    Chen An smiled and spoke: "With Miss Bai here, I believe you will be fine."


    After several months have passed since their last meeting, much has changed in their circumstances.


    Mei An, though still the master of the pavilion, had suffered serious injuries, reportedly sustaining internal injuries in a previous battle. Even if he recovered in the future, he might not be as strong as before.


    Chen An, on the other hand, had risen to fame in Bai Qing''s presence and within the Sanhe Gang, now a renowned figure and a rising star.


    With his current strength and status, even the several other masters of the Sanhe Gang had to respect him.


    But in front of Mei An, Chen An still maintained the respectful posture of a junior.


    Regardless of all else, at least this outward attitude made Mei An happy, and his gaze towards Chen An seemed more harmonious.


    (The End of this Chapter).

 Chapter 25: Ambush

    Mei An looked at Chen An in front of him, his eyes inexplicable.He was a little puzzled by Chen An''s sudden visit.


    According to common sense, Chen An was now under Bai Qing''s command, so it should be enough for his old boss to come and visit, there was no need to be too polite.


    But now, Chen An was in front of him, constantly speaking compliments one after another.


    If Mei An didn''t know about Chen An''s situation beforehand and know that he was a genius, he would have thought he was some helper trying to get something from him.


    But the fact proved that his thoughts were not wrong.


    Chen An really came to get something.


    "So, how many martial arts insights do you want?"


    After a while, Mei An finally understood Chen An''s meaning and looked at him with some confusion: "You are now following Miss Bai, would you still lack martial arts insights?"


    Unlike them, Bai Qing came from a respectable family background.


    Even if she revealed a little bit of martial arts knowledge, it would be something rare and precious for them to see.


    Would Chen An still lack martial arts insights while following Bai Qing?


    Feeling Mei An''s puzzled look, Chen An just smiled and then calmly said, "Miss Qing has been very good to me, but for this little matter, I don''t want to disturb her, so I can only come to Master Mei."


    "Moreover, Miss Bai may not necessarily have the usual martial arts at her disposal."


    "That is true."


    Mei An nodded in agreement with this point.


    Bai Qing was indeed different from them.


    Human energy is limited.


    People like Bai Qing, from such a family background, who would have the leisure to remember those superficial martial arts?


    Is learning martial arts as easy as reading a book?


    For someone like Bai Qing, even if she remembers those basic martial arts, there is not much use for it, let alone deliberately collecting them.


    From this perspective, it is quite reasonable for Chen An to turn to Mei An.


    "Well, that works out."


    Mei An nodded and smiled, saying, "I collected quite a few martial arts manuals when I was young, although most of them were some useless basic martial arts, they might still be useful for reference."


    "You can take them with you when you leave."


    "In that case, thank you, Master."


    Chen An''s face instantly showed a happy expression and respectfully bowed to Mei An.


    A moment later, Chen An left Mei An''s place.


    From Mei An, he got many manuals that Mei An had collected in his earlier years.


    As Mei An said, most of these manuals had little value for study, many were damaged, containing only moves and lacking specific training methods.


    These martial arts are fine to look at, but if you really want to practice them, they may not be very useful, and might even end up ruining yourself.


    Excluding these damaged martial arts, and also removing the already acquired Hai Sha Fist and Five Tiger Blade Technique, there were only two left.


    One was the Yang Family Spear Technique, and the other was the Hongmen Boxing Technique.


    These two martial arts were just like the Five Tiger Blade Technique, not particularly rare, just not as common.


    The valuable thing about these two martial arts was that they were comparatively detailed.


    It was a decent gain.


    "The Hongmen Boxing Technique is somewhat similar to the Hai Sha Fist, maybe I can temporarily put it aside."


    Walking on the road, Chen An pondered in his mind, "It would be better to focus on improving the Yang Family Spear Technique first."


    Both are boxing techniques, and the effects of the Hongmen Boxing Technique and the Hai Sha Fist are similar, with the training areas being not very different, so the improvement results may not be very good.


    After thinking it over, Chen An decided that it would be more appropriate to invest his points in the Yang Family Spear Technique.


    After all, his points were limited, he couldn''t afford to waste them, so it was better to invest them in a place where results could be easily achieved.


    Thinking about this, he left the place.


    Behind him, a figure slowly emerged and silently followed Chen An.


    In a small alley, the woman''s face was somewhat pale as she looked at Chen An''s figure, silently making a decision.


    She followed Chen An quietly, seemingly preparing to do something.


    But after following half the way, she felt that something was wrong.


    "Where did he go?"


    She looked ahead, surprised.


    Because in front of her, Chen An''s figure had disappeared, as if he had already left the alley and gone somewhere else.


    Boom!


    The whistling fist wind came from beside her, a heavy punch coming down.


    The woman quickly reacted, reaching out a hand to catch the punch, which was not like an ordinary fist, as it carried a terrifying force, like a hammer, with a terrifying power. S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Bang!


    A light sound rang out as the woman''s body retreated, directly pressed against the wall.


    "What a heavy punch!"


    She was somewhat shocked, completely unprepared for it.


    The wound on her abdomen was pulled, making her face even paler.


    But at this moment, an even heavier fist came.


    A tall and burly young man appeared in front of her, without saying a word, just swinging his fist.


    Boom!


    Punch after punch, the terrifying force pressed forward, creating a roar at this moment.


    Facing this fierce attack, the woman had no choice but to use her palms to block the fists coming towards her.


    Chen An''s face showed a slight surprise.


    He knew exactly how much force he had put into his punches.


    Even if Mei An was in front of him, it might not be easy for someone to withstand his current punches.


    This woman in front of him clearly had injuries, yet she was able to withstand his punches for so long, her strength was truly shocking.


    If it weren''t for her injuries, she might even be stronger than several hall masters of the Sanhe Gang.


    In Fengcheng County, when did they have such a strong woman?


    Chen An couldn''t help but think about this.


    Of course, the most crucial question was why she was following him.


    After pondering for a moment, he decided to pick up the woman in front of him and then turned and left.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 26: Temptation

    Just as Chen An was about to take the woman back to his home after carrying her, he suddenly thought of something.Finding a secluded spot, Chen An put the woman down and began to carefully examine her.


    She had a very dignified appearance, not particularly beautiful, but had a certain beauty, especially the delicate texture of her skin, which, while ordinary to Chen An, was already quite rare for the majority of ordinary people in this world.


    The daughters of ordinary families were busy day and night, exposed to the elements, making it difficult to maintain such a figure.


    The only flaw was that her face looked a bit pale at the moment, seemingly due to excessive bleeding.


    Looking at the woman, Chen An pondered for a moment before taking action.


    The clear sound of a long sword being unsheathed resonated slowly, crisp and captivating.


    Because his previous long knife had broken, Chen An had bought a sword to use at hand, although it didn''t feel quite right, so he hadn''t unsheathed it before.


    The crisp sound of the sword unsheathing swept over the area.


    The woman remained motionless at his feet, showing no reaction to the sound of the sword being unsheathed.


    It wasn''t until the next moment that Chen An suddenly struck down with the sword, fiercely chopping downwards.


    The momentum looked as if he wanted to split her open directly, the force was quite intimidating.


    Clang!


    With a light sound, a hand came grabbing, completely ignoring the sword blade, firmly holding onto the sword.


    "Young hero, spare me."


    The woman suddenly came to her senses, looking at Chen An in front of her with a look of horror on her face.


    "I knew it was a pretense."


    Chen An smiled, exerting more force on his hand, pressing down fiercely as if he wanted to kill the woman directly, "I had a feeling something was off just now!"


    "Young hero, please hear me out!"


    Feeling Chen An''s reaction, the woman was a bit flustered, saying, "I had no ill intentions, I just have some benefits to offer to the young hero, but I was afraid you wouldn''t believe me, so I resorted to this strategy!"


    The current situation was completely different from what she had planned.


    In her view, after Chen An mistakenly thought she had fainted, he would surely take her back home and prepare to enjoy her.


    By then, she would yield to him first, gain his trust, and then coerce and lure him to easily achieve her goal.


    She hadn''t expected the first step to go wrong.


    "Oh?"


    Chen An paused his movements, seeming very interested in her words, "Tell me, what benefits can you offer me?"


    "Of course, it''s a huge benefit."


    The woman sighed in relief, quickly speaking, "Someone wants Bai Qing''s life, as long as you''re willing to help me, provide us with information on Bai Qing in secret, there will definitely be something in it for you."


    "Whether it''s wealth, property, or martial arts secrets, it will all be yours."


    "As long as you agree now, I can give you a superior Qi cultivation method"


    She said with a tempting tone, as if carrying a seductive meaning, "Not only that, as long as you agree, I can also accompany you tonight."


    "Really?"


    Chen An''s tone suddenly showed a hint of hesitation, seeming a bit tempted, "Just providing information to you all can get me what I want?"


    "Of course it''s true."


    Hearing this, the woman finally relaxed, saying, "The power behind us far exceeds your imagination. What Bai Qing can give you, we can also give you. As long as you are willing to serve faithfully, when Bai Qing is caught, handed over to you for your enjoyment, it''s not impossible."


    "That''s good."


    Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on Chen An''s face.


    The woman also smiled, but her expression froze the next moment.


    A fist suddenly struck, heavily hitting her head.


    Intense pain surged from the back of her head, directly causing her mind to blank out, and her body finally went limp.


    Before losing consciousness, she looked at Chen An in front of her.


    Chen An stood there, his expression so calm, not a trace of his previous demeanor.


    With a thud, the woman in front of him fell to the ground.


    Chen An finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "That was close."


    He was somewhat shocked.


    If he had not tested her and instead taken this woman back to his home, what would have happened?


    By then, unintentionally stepping into their trap, he would probably be taken advantage of, unable to turn the tables even if he wanted to.


    Whether it was having some kind of relationship with this woman or obtaining something from her, by then, she would have a hold over him.


    What to do in that situation wouldn''t be his choice.


    As for what the woman had said, it might be true or false, but it wasn''t important.


    Chen An had seen through the skill of making empty promises a long time ago and had developed an immunity to it.


    Compared to this group of people whose intentions were unknown, what Bai Qing offered was substantial.


    The choice was clear.


    Looking down at the woman in front of him, blood was already flowing from her head.


    Unable to let her faint for real, Chen An had to exert his full strength with that strike earlier.


    If it had been an ordinary person, they would have been killed by that strike.


    Lifting the woman up, Chen An didn''t hesitate, heading straight to Bai Qing''s residence.


    Chen An was very cautious along the way, fearing that there might be others watching him.


    Fortunately, he didn''t encounter any accidents until he arrived at Bai Qing''s residence.


    This made him breathe a sigh of relief. s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After a while, Bai Qing looked at the grand gift brought by Chen An, her face showing a hint of surprise.


    After hearing the whole story from Chen An, she first fell into contemplation, then showed a bit of appreciation.


    "Well done, you handled this situation very well."


    "If it weren''t for you, this time might have been a bit troublesome."


    She thought of the scene Chen An described, and at this moment, a hint of fear also arose in her heart.


    She wasn''t afraid of open conflict.


    But if Chen An hadn''t resisted the temptation and had become an undercover agent for someone lurking around her, then that would have been a real problem.


    Just imagine, there''s an undercover agent planted by the enemy around you, and all of your actions would be exposed to them, making it extremely easy for them to manipulate you.


    "I won''t doubt your intentions."


    Bai Qing looked at Chen An, nodding in satisfaction, then sighed, "It''s a pity. If everyone in this world was like you, willing to repay kindness, that would be great."


    She thought of Song Wang.


    Wasn''t Song Wang just like the current Chen An, promoted by her elder brother from among the lower-ranked followers?


    But in the end, he couldn''t resist the temptation and turned into what he is now.


    Not everyone in this world understands the importance of repaying kindness.


    However, this also highlighted the rarity of people like Chen An.


    At least at this moment, Bai Qing was very satisfied with Chen An.


    (End of the chapter).

 Chapter 27: Xiao Yuandan

    "I had Song Lao teach you the Tiger Leopard Cross Training, how''s the progress now?"Standing there pondering, Bai Qing suddenly changed the subject, starting to focus on Chen An''s martial arts progress.


    "The progress is not bad, compared to the previous Five Tiger Knife Technique, the effect is much better," Chen An carefully chose his words to speak.


    He couldn''t say that he had already perfected the Tiger Leopard Cross Training, so this was the best he could do.


    Fortunately, in martial arts like cross training, unless there were very obvious characteristics, it was generally difficult to determine the specific progress.


    Although Chen An had achieved a small success in the Tiger Leopard Cross Training at this moment, there was no significant change in his appearance compared to before, just his body looked more robust.


    But this slight change didn''t have much impact, it was insignificant.


    "Good."


    Bai Qing glanced at Chen An''s figure, looking at his sturdy and tall physique, she nodded involuntarily, "You have great talent in the cross training method, I believe it won''t be long before you master the Tiger Leopard Cross Training to perfection."


    "Coincidentally, since you helped me this time, I will teach you a method for refining internal energy."


    "Thank you, Miss."


    Chen An''s eyes lit up, immediately bowing in thanks.


    "No need for that."


    Bai Qing shook her head, saying, "With your progress, it''s about time to start internal refinement."


    "By this time tomorrow, come see me again."


    "Yes."


    Chen An respectfully nodded, then tactfully said, "Then I will take my leave."


    Bai Qing didn''t stop him, just nodded and let Chen An silently leave.


    At this moment, her attention had been drawn to the assassins in front of her, and she had no intention of chatting with Chen An.


    The next day at noon, Chen An arrived at Bai Qing''s residence as promised.


    On this day, Bai Qing changed into a new outfit.


    She was originally wearing a robe, but today she wore a loose long skirt, with a different makeup on her face.


    The sunlight shone down on Bai Qing, making her skin appear fair and bright, looking very radiant.


    Sitting on a long bench, Bai Qing had a smile on her face, her delicate and beautiful face no longer exuding the coldness as before, she now had a gentle and elegant temperament, like a well-bred young lady.


    Of course, in reality, she was indeed a well-bred young lady.


    Bai Qing, born into a noble family, could be considered a noblewoman from any perspective, possessing such grace was not surprising.


    Chen An stood in place, looking at Bai Qing at this moment, always wearing a respectful expression on his face, not overstepping the boundaries.


    "Lift your head and take a look."


    In front of him, Bai Qing''s voice sounded, feeling a bit bored looking at Chen An''s current appearance, "I rarely dress up, and I don''t even get a reaction."


    "How about it, am I ugly?"


    "Miss, no matter when, you are as beautiful as a goddess."


    Hearing Bai Qing''s words, Chen An''s expression became solemn, "Since birth, I have never seen a woman more beautiful than Miss."


    "Just stop it."


    Bai Qing glanced at Chen An, her mouth couldn''t help but curve up, "You''re quite good at flattering people, have you been causing trouble for other women?"


    "Everything I said is true, there is no insincerity in it."


    Chen An''s face was sincere, with a candid expression. S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After some small talk, they quickly got into the topic.


    "The so-called method of internal refinement mostly involves refining the internal yuan, transforming it into your own true qi."


    "In this process, the most important thing is to have a strong physical body."


    Bai Qing spoke seriously, "Without sufficient physical strength, your internal qi won''t be able to cultivate naturally within your body."


    "This is why it is necessary to reach at least the peak of the physical training stage before starting to refine the internal qi."


    "If you attempt to refine the internal qi before reaching this level, you will only deplete your body and end up exhausted."


    She began to explain the key points of the internal energy stage.


    Chen An listened attentively, not missing any details.


    According to Bai Qing, there were two key factors in nourishing the internal qi.


    One is the physical body.


    This was easy to understand.


    Internal qi is nurtured within the body, nourished by the blood and energy in the body. If the physical body is strong enough, the nourishment of the internal qi will be more effective, and vice versa.


    The other factor is food.


    The essence of internal qi comes from various elemental energies.


    And the biggest source of elemental energy in the human body comes from the refinement of various foods.


    Therefore, people who start to refine the internal qi often have an exaggerated appetite, even reaching an alarming level.


    Normally, martial artists already have a large appetite due to their daily training.


    But after reaching the stage of internal refinement, their appetite will become even more immense.


    Even at this stage, ordinary food will not provide enough elemental energy, and various medicinal foods and special ingredients are needed for assistance.


    Overall, it''s costly.


    In addition to these two factors, the refinement of internal qi is also related to many other factors, such as aptitude, which has a significant impact and cannot be remedied later.


    "You have reached this level in a short time, there are no issues with your aptitude and physical body, but the food aspect may be a bit troublesome."


    Bai Qing said, "Fengcheng County is just a small place, there are not many exotic beasts or rare herbs around, only some common ingredients."


    Exotic beasts are a specialty of this world.


    It is said that deep in the mountains and forests, under suitable conditions, special exotic beasts may be born.


    These exotic beasts are different from common wild animals, often more unique and agile, some are even stronger than ordinary wild beasts, and some have more delicious meat.


    For martial artists, these exotic beasts can provide more elemental energy, making them the best ingredients for refining internal qi.


    However, Fengcheng County is just a remote place, lacking martial artists and other things.


    It is just a dream to expect to obtain these things in this place.


    But clearly, Bai Qing had a solution to this situation.


    She waved her hand casually, and Song Lao stepped forward, bringing out a gourd of medicine.


    "This is the Xiao Yuandan, a pill refined by pharmacists specifically for martial artists in the internal energy stage, it can replenish elemental energy and has great benefits for refining internal qi."


    Bai Qing took the gourd from Song Lao and handed it directly to Chen An, "There are ten pills inside, take one every three days, if you''re lucky, it should be enough for you to get started."


    Taking the gourd, Chen An keenly noticed a fleeting look of pain on Song Lao''s face.


    This made him thoughtful, even for Bai Qing, such things seemed valuable enough.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 28: Decision of Revealing the Body

    While pondering in his heart, there was no hesitation in his actions.Chen An accepted the medicine gourd, then bowed his head to thank: "Thank you for your generous gift, Miss."


    "You have helped a lot this time, so this is what you deserve," Bai Qing''s mood seemed good as she smiled at Chen An. "Well then, go and practice."


    "Start refining your internal energy sooner, so you can assist me sooner as well."


    "I will do my best," Chen An nodded, then left Bai Qing''s mansion.


    Back home, Chen An opened the medicine gourd.


    A fragrant medicine scent wafted out from the gourd.


    Chen An poured out the contents of the medicine gourd and saw that there were ten round pills inside.


    The pills were white, made into regular round shapes, each looking almost the same.


    In Chen An''s eyes, this thing looked somewhat similar to chocolate.


    "And there''s also the Internal Refining Technique," he thought of Bai Qing''s words, even though he had prepared earlier, his emotions still fluctuated uncontrollably.


    If a martial arts inheritance like the Five Tigers Sword Technique could be collected in various ways, then for a technique like Internal Refining Technique, in this remote Fengcheng County, he truly didn''t know where to find it.


    Fengcheng County was just a remote place, without any famous sects or aristocratic families, only some insignificant gangs.


    From the information he had gathered during this period, it seemed that in all of Fengcheng County, only the high-level members of various gangs, even the gang leaders, knew about Internal Refining Techniques.


    If Chen An hadn''t met Bai Qing, he really didn''t know how he could get it.


    It was not in vain to follow Bai Qing.


    Chen An was somewhat satisfied with this.


    For Chen An, who was a seasoned laborer, being a leader or not was not important, what was important was the benefits.


    And from the current situation, although he was just a follower behind Bai Qing, he had gained many benefits.


    This was enough.


    After placing the medicine gourd down carefully and hiding it, Chen An walked into the courtyard and began to practice.


    He was practicing with a spear rather than a long sword at the moment.


    He had previously obtained a secret book on the Yang Family Spear Technique from Mei An, and had been practicing it for these past few days.


    The results so far seemed quite good, he was almost at an entry level.


    Although he could soon try to refine true qi, the physique was the foundation for nurturing true qi, so it was not excessive to pay attention to it.


    For a while, the sound of the spear swaying in the courtyard continued uninterrupted, one after another, without stopping.


    The next day, Chen An returned to Bai Qing''s mansion.


    Unlike the explanation given by Tiger Leopard Training, the teaching of Internal Refining Technique was personally conducted by Bai Qing.


    From this point, one could also see the difference in the preciousness of Internal Refining Techniques and the Martial Skills.


    "In this world, there are various Internal Refining Techniques, most of them have different characteristics, some are good for tempering the body, some can prolong life, and some have other different effects."


    Standing in front of Chen An, Bai Qing explained seriously: "For example, the Yin Body Technique of my Bai family''s true heritage can nurture pure Yin internal energy after cultivation, and when used with a cold attribute martial arts, its power will further increase, even among many heritages, it is considered superior."


    "The Yin Body Technique can only be practiced by the direct descendants of my Bai family, but I have another Internal Refining Technique that is more suitable for your situation."


    Bai Qing looked at Chen An, then smiled and said, "Your extraordinary martial arts skills indicate that there are often hidden injuries beneath your body, it''s just not easily detectable."


    "And this Internal Refining Technique is based on balance and harmony, it follows the path of nurturing the body, extending life, and in the circulation of internal energy, it can help heal injuries, it is most suitable for martial artists like you with strong external skills."


    "This Internal Refining Technique is called Decision of Revealing the Body, it is said to have a total of nine levels, but I only have five levels in my hands."


    In front of him, Bai Qing''s voice slowly sounded.


    Chen An listened very attentively, not daring to miss a single word, gathering all his energy.


    He was now listening to the most important thing in this world.


    Ordinary people would probably dream of receiving such teachings, and since Chen An had the opportunity, he naturally couldn''t let it pass.


    He listened carefully, and if there were parts he didn''t understand, he immediately asked.


    After a while, under Bai Qing''s gaze, he began to practice.


    Sitting still, he assumed a unique posture, gradually closing his eyes.


    According to what Bai Qing had said, the practice of Internal Refining Techniques had various different methods, some required intense movement, some needed to maintain extreme calmness, and some even needed to be done in specific environments.


    Compared to those techniques that required special conditions, Decision of Revealing the Body was relatively simple, requiring only a certain degree of calmness.


    "Keep your mind firm, and control the circulation of Qi and blood," Bai Qing''s voice sounded in his ear as his eyes were closed.


    Following Bai Qing''s instructions, Chen An couldn''t feel that sensation no matter how hard he tried.


    Feeling this situation, Chen An had a premonition.


    "Indeed, the quality of my body is not that good," this thought flashed through his mind.


    The process of refining true qi required the manipulation of the body''s innate qi, and the circulation of Qi and blood.


    This step was the most crucial test of one''s aptitude.


    Generally speaking, people with good aptitude could complete this step even without the assistance of other things.


    On the contrary, if the aptitude was too poor, even with great effort, one might not be able to refine internal energy.


    Chen An''s current situation probably belonged to the latter. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking about this, a sensation came from his back.


    Then an extremely cold true qi spread from his back meridians, extending to various parts of his body.


    Along with it, came Bai Qing''s cold voice: "Remember this feeling."


    Chen An calmed his mind, following the strand of true qi injected by Bai Qing into his body, he began to try to refine internally.


    This time, he had a noticeable feeling all over his body, with a burning sensation as if he was being burned in flames.


    A severe sense of pain emerged.


    But amidst this pain, there was also a new kind of change.


    "So that''s how it is."


    Chen An had a moment of enlightenment, and he quickly focused his mind, fully immersing himself in the practice.


    After a while, an hour had passed.


    Bai Qing retracted her hand, stopping the circulation of internal energy.


    With the loss of that strand of true qi''s traction, the feeling in Chen An''s body weakened instantly.


    He opened his eyes and looked at Bai Qing in front of him.


    She stood there, with a hint of fatigue on her face at the moment.


    It seemed that this internal energy manipulation for more than an hour had also consumed some of her mental energy.


    "Alright, remember the feeling from before, go back and try it more," Bai Qing looked at Chen An, seeming to understand what was on his mind, and reassured, "Don''t be discouraged. You started martial arts training at an older age, and your innate Qi has already dispersed, so it''s much more difficult for you to feel the Qi than an average person."


    "Work hard in your practice, diligence makes up for clumsiness."


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 29: Aptitude

    Bai Qing was not surprised by Chen An''s performance. Instead, she found it quite normal.If cultivating internal energy was that easy, there wouldn''t be so few warriors in the world who had condensed true qi.


    People like Liu Dao were stuck at the level of refining the body for their entire lives, unable to progress further.


    In Bai Qing''s view, although Chen An had extraordinary talent, he was already old and his innate Yuan Qi had dispersed. Trying to comprehend Yuan Qi was an even more difficult task.


    But this was not an overly important matter.


    With Bai Qing''s support and Chen An''s talent and diligence, refining internal energy was only a matter of time.


    It might just take longer time.


    But there was no other way.


    Various thoughts flashed through her mind, and Bai Qing did not forget to encourage Chen An, smiling as she said, "Alright, when you go back, try using the Little Yuan Pill."


    "If everything goes smoothly, by the time we leave Fengcheng County, you should have enough foundation to start."


    She spoke softly, then let Chen An leave.


    Chen An bowed to Bai Qing and then left.


    Back at home, he closed the door and began practicing earnestly.


    "No good."


    After a moment of trying, Chen An reluctantly gave up.


    He had tried various methods for over half an hour at the bedside, but couldn''t enter the state he had been in before.


    Even with Bai Qing''s previous help, allowing him to barely sense the existence of Yuan Qi, he was still far from being able to manipulate it.


    The issue of aptitude was like a wall standing in front of Chen An.


    Despite Bai Qing''s belief in Chen An''s aptitude due to his performance, Chen An was clear in his own mind that his aptitude was only ordinary. His current progress in refining his body to completion in such a short time was entirely dependent on the upgrade template on his body.


    Under normal circumstances, his best outcome would probably be similar to Martial Hall Master Liu Dao, forever remaining at the stage of perfecting body refinement.


    "It seems like cheating is necessary."


    Sighing silently, Chen An lowered his head to look at the upgrade template in front of him.


    The name of Clear Body Decision didn''t appear on it.


    "I must make progress to be able to upgrade."


    Looking at the upgrade template in front of him, Chen An gritted his teeth and began trying again.


    This time, instead of continuing with fearless attempts, he took out the medicine gourd he had hidden earlier.


    From inside, he took out a Little Yuan Pill. Without hesitation, Chen An swallowed it in one gulp.


    Spit!


    Upon entering his mouth, Chen An almost spat out the pill.


    A strange and nauseating taste rushed from his mouth to his brain, making him instinctively nauseous.


    Chen An was sure that he had never eaten anything so unpleasant in his two lifetimes combined.


    But considering the rarity of the pill, Chen An endured the urge to vomit and forced himself to swallow it.


    After swallowing the Little Yuan Pill, he didn''t feel anything special at first.


    Chen An waited for a while before finally feeling a change.


    Warm currents emerged from various parts of his body, rushing and washing over him.


    It felt as if he had ingested several bottles of stimulants at once, leaving him with immense strength and countless energies wanting to be spent.


    Feeling this way, Chen An thought that in his previous life, this pill would have been very popular.


    The effect was clear.


    The fluctuations of Yuan Qi in his body became intense, and the Yuan Qi that was previously hard to sense now appeared visible.


    Chen An didn''t dare to waste time. He quickly sat down and started practicing again.


    After more than an hour, the warm currents slowly subsided.


    Chen An also stopped his practice.


    "It''s over."


    Chen An silently opened his eyes and stood up somewhat helplessly.


    After the dissipation of the Yuan Qi brought by the Little Yuan Pill, he returned to his previous state, unable to sense the Yuan Qi in his body.


    Of course, the practice during this period had its effects.


    In Chen An''s body, a warm current was now surging, giving him a different feeling.


    This was a sign of the birth of internal energy.


    As long as he continued to refine the Yuan Qi in his body day by day and strengthen his internal energy, he could gradually transform himself to reach another level.


    Once he had internal energy, not only would every movement be enhanced by internal energy, but his power would also increase significantly. Even his physique would undergo transformation, becoming stronger under the nourishment of internal energy.


    These were the benefits of internal energy germination.


    "At least I can''t use another one for three days."


    Feeling a bit regretful, Chen An looked at the medicine gourd beside him but resisted the urge to continue practicing.


    As Bai Qing had said, he could only take the Little Yuan Pill once every three days, or else his body would have problems.


    Compared to practice, Chen An had other things to do at the moment.


    After practicing in his room for a long time, Chen An realized that the sky outside had already darkened.


    He also began to feel hungry.


    Compared to before, Chen An had never felt this hungry, as if he hadn''t eaten for days and nights.


    This was the state brought about by refining Yuan Qi.


    The main source of Yuan Qi was from various foods and pills.


    The practice Chen An had just finished had almost depleted the Yuan Qi in his body, so now he naturally felt hungry.


    From another perspective, this also showed the cost of martial cultivation.


    With Chen An''s way of training, if someone couldn''t eat enough, they would probably end up starving themselves to death in the end. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This thought crossed Chen An''s mind as he got up and prepared to find a place to eat.


    The dining place was ready, it was the tavern where he had previously worked, the one where he entertained customers.


    The food here was decent, and most importantly, it was free for Chen An, regardless of how much he consumed.


    The owner of the tavern was thoughtful in this regard, wanting to build a good relationship with Chen An so that he would come by for meals regularly.


    "Oh, Master Chen, you''re here."


    Upon arriving, the tavern owner warmly welcomed him, "What would you like today?"


    "Start with three roast ducks and half a pound of beef."


    Chen An ordered directly.


    He didn''t like alcohol, nor was he used to the various beverages in this world, so he only enjoyed eating meat.


    As for beef, it was prohibited to slaughter in this world, but it couldn''t be enforced here.


    "Just a moment."


    The old man smiled and agreed, seeing that Chen An didn''t look too good, he tactfully didn''t come to disturb him.


    After a while, the food was served, and Chen An ate as usual, swallowing every bite.


    For some reason, the food that had always been delicious and sweet to eat now seemed tasteless and he felt an inexplicable hunger, as if he couldn''t satisfy himself no matter how much he ate.


    After practicing martial arts, his appetite had become quite large, but he usually felt full after a meal like this.


    However, today he felt empty and had to order another table.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 30: The Mysterious Object

    Chen An finished his meal in one go and finally stopped.He calculated that he had eaten at least three times more than usual.


    Quite a feast.


    But even though he was full, he still had a strange feeling that he couldn''t shake off.


    Although he had eaten to the point of being stuffed, there was still an inexplicable hunger, as if his appetite was not satisfied.


    It''s like seeing a ghost.


    This should be the problem that Bai Qing mentioned, that regular food lacks vitality, so even if you eat enough, it still can''t make up for the body''s consumption.


    So you have to eat as much as possible.


    After finishing his meal, Chen An stood up and subconsciously looked around.


    He had been in this place for almost half a year before and was already familiar with it.


    Normally, at this time, there would be a lot of noise inside, but today it was quiet, not a single voice of a gambler could be heard.


    Something was off.


    Chen An subconsciously thought of this, but he didn''t bother to dwell on the issue and just left directly.


    On the side, the restaurant owner breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Chen An leave.


    Instead of returning home immediately after leaving the restaurant, Chen An wandered around.


    After a while, he walked into a small alley.


    It was an old street, with mostly old items scattered around.


    If you stayed here long enough, you might come across some valuable antiques.


    Chen An wasn''t interested in antiques, and he rarely visited such places.


    This time, he came just to try his luck and see if he could find something similar to that jade pendant.


    In the past, Chen An had always thought that only those strange things could give him energy, but his recent experiences had led him to think differently.


    Liu Ziqin could give him energy, and the jade pendant given to him by Song Ziyang could do the same.


    Liu Ziqin could do it because she had a strange illness, and according to Chen An''s speculation, she might also have some kind of abnormal energy, just that it hadn''t manifested yet.


    These people were hard to find, and it was too laborious to search everywhere.


    But objects like that jade pendant might be easier to find.


    Because the jade pendant looked like an old artifact, that''s why Chen An came here, hoping to get lucky.


    After a while, he walked down the street and wandered around.


    There were many vendors selling knick-knacks in this area.


    And many vendors specialized in selling imitation antiquities.


    "No reaction."


    As he walked along the street, Chen An pretended to be interested, looked around, and then felt disappointed.


    He had an unusually keen sense of objects with energy.


    Within a certain range, as long as an object met the criteria, it would immediately trigger a response in him.


    But this time, after walking around, he felt nothing.


    It seemed that there was nothing good in this area.


    Although he didn''t find anything, Chen An wasn''t too disappointed.


    This kind of situation was within his expectations.


    If objects with energy were really that easy to find, he wouldn''t have been so busy for such a long time.


    As he walked down the street, he came to a side alley.


    There were many shops in the alley, and they all seemed to be more organized than the vendors outside.


    But this was also of no use. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As he walked down the alley, Chen An didn''t feel anything special.


    He shook his head, about to leave, but then stopped instinctively.


    He felt something!


    He turned around and looked in the direction where he felt the sensation.


    There was another small shop open there, but it was so remote, almost at the end of the alley, that it was hardly noticeable and almost missed by Chen An.


    If it wasn''t for his sense of awareness, he might have missed it today.


    Chen An thought to himself, then walked over to the shop.


    "Selling pastries!"


    "Need cheap wooden combs? Anyone interested?"


    Not far away, the sounds of vendors were still echoing.


    But when Chen An walked into the shop, the noises around him diminished.


    "This shop is really secluded."


    Chen An stood inside, thinking to himself.


    He looked around.


    The decorations in the shop were ordinary, but some details indicated that they had been around for some time, with signs of decay on the ceiling beams.


    There were few items scattered around, only a few pieces on display.


    Following his instincts, Chen An walked over and stared at one item.


    It was a vase, not very large, just the size of a palm.


    The style of the vase looked old, with some signs of damage around the mouth.


    What drew him in were the bloodstains on the corners of the vase, as if it had been soaked in blood, very vivid, adding a mysterious touch to it.


    It was this vase that caught Chen An''s attention.


    "What do you need, sir?"


    A voice came from the side.


    Chen An turned to see an old man bowing with a smile on his elderly face, looking at him expectantly.


    "How much do you want for this vase?"


    Chen An looked at the old man in front of him, then pointed to the vase in front of him and asked.


    Upon hearing that Chen An wanted to buy the vase, the smile on the old man''s face became even more pronounced. "This is a flowing colored bottle from the southern Song Dynasty, a few hundred years old, so it''s not cheap."


    "But, if the guest likes it, it''s also a kind of fate. If you''re willing, you can have it for a hundred taels of silver."


    He spoke with a smile on his face.


    "A hundred taels of silver."


    Chen An nodded, about to speak.


    "You, Old Liu, are cheating people again here."


    A laughter came from the side.


    Looking up, Chen An saw a middle-aged man in a robe who looked very serious, seemingly the owner of the shop next door, who was now mocking, "If it were a genuine and intact flowing colored bottle, it would be a tribute from the Song Dynasty''s imperial family several hundred years ago, so naturally it would cost over a hundred taels of silver."


    "But this thing of yours is just a sinister object, let alone a hundred taels, even twenty taels of silver would be too expensive."


    Hearing this, Old Liu suddenly became furious, "What sinister object? My family has been in business for three generations, how could I sell such things!"


    "In front of me, you still dare to speak nonsense."


    The middle-aged man smiled, "The whole family of the Song family in the neighboring county was completely wiped out the other day, and their house was sealed off. I saw you sneak out this flowing colored bottle from the Song family''s mansion, and you still want to quibble?"


    "Like this kind of sinister object, you probably only spent a few taels of silver when you took it in, and you dare to ask for twenty taels of silver from customers?"


    "If this is known to other knowledgeable people, they might think that we are here to cheat customers!"


    "You''re not doing it alone, but you''re also ruining our reputation!"


    "You, you."


    Old Liu''s face turned red, pointing at the man in front of him, he was so angry that he couldn''t speak.


    Chen An stood aside listening for a while, and then he understood.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 31: Initiation

    The so-called eerie objects are actually items tainted with curses.There are many strange things in this world, and people often die because of them.


    People are afraid of these strangeness, so they collectively refer to them as eerie things.


    As for the so-called eerie objects, they are objects related to eeriness.


    For example, the rainbow-colored bottle in front of you is said to be a treasure collected by a wealthy family in the south.


    But in the end, that family encountered an eerie incident, and the rainbow-colored bottle was stained with blood, regarded as an ominous object.


    These kinds of things are called eerie objects.


    Regarding this, Chen An just wants to know one thing.


    Do these eerie objects contain absorbable energy?


    In front of him, Old Liu and the middle-aged man were still arguing, but they stopped later and drove the middle-aged man away.


    Then, he looked at Chen An standing by the side, his expression becoming awkward: "I''ve embarrassed my guest."


    "This rainbow-colored bottle is still one hundred taels of silver?"


    Chen An''s expression was half-smiling as he looked at Old Liu in front of him.


    "No need, if the guest is willing, just take it for ten taels of silver."


    Old Liu said with a bitter smile.


    Originally, he was planning to sell the rainbow-colored bottle for several tens of taels of silver, but now it was impossible.


    After being messed with by the boss of the neighboring shop, the person in front of him would definitely not speak politely unless he was a fool.


    Instead of continuing to entangle, it''s better to be straightforward.


    After all, even if it''s ten taels of silver, he still makes a profit.


    "Well then, I won''t be polite."


    Chen An stood in place, looking at Old Liu''s expression, and couldn''t help but smile.


    Actually, at this moment, if he haggled, he could probably save a few taels of silver.


    But it was not necessary.


    After all, this rainbow-colored bottle was indeed useful to him.


    Old Liu wrapped the rainbow-colored bottle, and Chen An casually asked, "Do you have any similar items on hand besides this rainbow-colored bottle?"


    "Similar items?"


    Old Liu was startled.


    "Eerie objects."


    Chen An stared at him firmly and only spoke after a while.


    "This..."


    Old Liu smiled bitterly, saying: "Please rest assured, my store doesn''t have many things, but most of them are good items. Even this rainbow-colored bottle, if its appearance wasn''t good, I wouldn''t have put it here. Otherwise, wouldn''t that ruin my reputation."


    "If this kind of eerie objects are displayed frequently, regardless of what others say, my business wouldn''t be able to continue."


    This statement had some credibility.


    Different from modern people, most of the shops in this world are inherited businesses passed down from generation to generation, relying on the inherited craftsmanship and accumulated reputation.


    However, what Chen An wanted was not this answer.


    "But what if I''m interested in this type of eerie objects?"


    Chen An looked at Old Liu and then smiled.


    "What?"


    Old Liu was confused, and after a while, he reacted: "Guest, these eerie objects are not good items."


    "These are mostly found from piles of dead bodies, many of them are actually related to real eeriness."


    As he spoke, his voice became lower and he seemed to be afraid: "Eerie objects, one or two occasionally are fine, but if you come into contact with them often, you are said to be doomed to a bad death, haunted by eerie things."


    "So what."


    Chen An calmly spoke: "No matter how eerie these objects are, can they compare to our leader?"


    "The leader."


    Old Liu''s face changed immediately.


    With a thud, he immediately knelt down, his face full of fear: "Please spare me, sir, I didn''t mean to deceive you."


    In Fengcheng County, you can provoke wealthy families, you can provoke others, but you absolutely cannot provoke the local gang.


    Otherwise, trouble will keep coming.


    Especially business owners like Old Liu are even more afraid of this.


    "Alright, get up quickly."


    Chen An''s expression was calm as he spoke: "I''m very interested in these kind of objects. Can you get more of them for me?"


    "You should have enough connections, right?"


    He looked at Old Liu and said.


    Some things will be more troublesome if not done by professionals.


    Compared to Chen An himself, Old Liu has been in business for generations, and he must have come into contact with many of these items, making it easier to acquire them.


    "My requirements are not high, as long as they are eerie objects, I can try them. As long as I am satisfied, you will definitely benefit also."


    Chen An looked around and then smiled: "I also know the leader of your place, I''ll greet him later, how about waiving your commission?"


    As soon as he said this, a look of joy appeared on Old Liu''s face immediately.


    In Fengcheng County where gangs were everywhere, people like Old Liu usually need to pay protection fees to nearby gangs, euphemistically called commissions.


    That was fine, but the key was the occasional harassment from nearby gang members was annoying.


    And now, with Chen An''s words, not only could he avoid all these troubles, but he would also have a backer in the future.


    The fact that the leader of the Three Rivers gang could talk to Chen An meant that his status in the gang was probably not low.


    After a while, Chen An left the place.


    He was satisfied with the gains from this trip. He not only obtained an object that could absorb energy, but also found a new way to acquire energy.


    By absorbing the energy from eerie objects, this method was much safer.


    There was no need to fight against those strange things or get into any trouble, just coming here regularly would suffice.


    The only trouble might be the expenses.


    But that wasn''t a big deal.


    Chen An still had the eight hundred taels of silver given by Song Ziyang before, and now he was a small wealthy man in his own right.


    Moreover, the prices of these eerie objects were low to begin with, and hardly anyone wanted to touch them in normal times.


    Perfect.


    Before returning home, he deliberately visited the residence of Three Rivers Gang nearby, greeted Mei An, and asked him to pay attention to Old Liu.


    With his previous relationship with Mei An, this little matter should pose no problem.


    In Fengcheng County, Chen An''s identity was quite special at the moment.


    Officially, he was still just an ordinary gang member, but with his strength shown before, reaching the Body Refining Great Achievement, and with Bai Qing as his backing, few people in the Three Rivers Gang would dare to offend him except for the leader, Song Wang and a few others.


    If Chen An were willing to stay in Fengcheng County, based on his current strength and status, he could already live a comfortable life.


    Upon returning home, Chen An took out the rainbow-colored bottle and placed it in front of him.


    A familiar feeling emerged from his body.


    Without hesitation, Chen An placed his hand on the body of the bottle.


    A warm flow emerged from the bottle, as if something was being extracted from it and slowly flowing into Chen An''s body.


    However, compared to the previous times, this feeling lasted a very short time, ending in just a short moment.


    "Unfortunately, despite being useful, it''s still a bit lacking."


    After a while, Chen An withdrew his hand from the rainbow-colored bottle, feeling a bit regretful.


    After extracting the energy, the rainbow-colored bottle in front of him had undergone some changes.


    The body of the bottle remained the same as before, with no significant changes, except that the bloodstains on it had disappeared completely, not even a trace left.


    According to Old Liu''s earlier explanation, the bloodstains appeared after the extinction of the Song family, and no method could remove them. But now, after absorbing the energy, they disappeared spontaneously. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Come to think of it, after draining the energy, I could sell this rainbow-colored bottle and make some money back."


    Playing with the rainbow-colored bottle in front of him, Chen An had this idea in mind.


    Without the layer of bloodstains, the rainbow-colored bottle now looked no different from ordinary antiques. If taken to some remote place for sale, he might make a profit.


    Of course, this was just a passing thought, and he wouldn''t actually do it.


    It would be too much trouble.


    Setting the bottle aside, he looked at the energy bar of his projection.


    After recharging, the progress of the energy bar had reached halfway, and it would take another two or three months to complete it, as estimated by Chen An.


    If there were other recharge channels, the speed could be faster.


    Not too slow after all.


    With this thought in mind, Chen An withdrew from the shop and continued to try to refine his Qi and improve his cultivation.


    In the next few days, following Bai Qing''s arrangement, everyone went to Bai Qing''s mansion to receive his assistance with their internal energy.


    During the initial stage of cultivating true Qi, besides taking elixirs to strengthen Qi, using internal Qi assistance like Bai Qing was also a good method.


    However, this method required a high level of skill from the assistant. According to Bai Qing, one must at least have reached the realm of Great Achievement in Qi, and have precise control over internal Qi.


    If one hadn''t reached Great Achievement in Qi, their own internal Qi would be too weak to assist.


    If internal Qi control was not precise enough, they could easily harm the other person''s meridians when intruding into their body, which could have unforeseeable consequences.


    Therefore, only Bai Qing could do this, not even Master Song.


    On this matter, Chen An was somewhat grateful to Bai Qing.


    Leaving aside other aspects, Bai Qing was at least generous towards him, putting in effort to help him refine his Qi. Even though Chen An''s progress was slow, Bai Qing showed no impatience.


    This was quite rare in Chen An''s view.


    Ten days passed quickly.


    In the early morning, the sunlight shone upon the earth.


    Chen An sat at the head of his bed, silently feeling the sunlight shining into the room and then onto his body.


    A warm feeling spread throughout his body.


    At a certain moment, Chen An opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face.


    "Finally."


    He looked ahead and finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    In front of him, the familiar upgrade template appeared, with the name of the Bright Body Technique prominently displayed.


    (End of the Chapter).

 Chapter 32: Harvest

    Name: Chen AnAttributes: Strength (3.6), Physical (3.5), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 11


    Inheritance: Ming Shen Jue, Five Tiger Knife Technique, Tiger Leopard Horizontal Practice, Sea Sand Boxing, Yang Family Spear


    Projection: Charging in progress


    The familiar upgrade template appeared in front of him, with the data mostly unchanged from before.


    The only difference was probably the addition of Ming Shen Jue and Yang Family Spear.


    Ming Shen Jue goes without saying, as for the Yang Family Spear, Chen An had also been practicing it during this period.


    This wasn''t strange, considering that Chen An was now an expert in external martial arts. Practicing a normal body-refining martial art to perfection wasn''t so easy, but getting started was quite simple.


    It was a familiar road to him.


    However, the process of entering Ming Shen Jue was quite laborious.


    Chen An felt that if it weren''t for Bai Qing devoting so much effort to him, personally using internal energy to help refine, and rewarding him with elixirs, he wouldn''t have known how long it would have taken him to get started on his own.


    But just getting started wasn''t enough.


    According to the information Chen An had learned from Bai Qing during this period, the most important aspect of internal refinement was to open up the meridians in the body. The more meridians opened, the better the effect would be.


    At the moment, Chen An had just started, barely able to cultivate some internal energy through refining the yuan qi.


    The next step was to use this internal energy to open up the meridians in the body, which was the key to effectiveness.


    This process was definitely going to be long and difficult.


    Especially for someone like Chen An.


    After so long in cultivation, he had realized his own limitations.


    With his aptitude, if he truly dedicated himself to cultivation, he might not even achieve mastery of internal energy even in old age.


    That would be a great disappointment. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An didn''t want that, so he had to rely on "cheating."


    It was also a helpless move.


    "Upgrade template, upgrade for me!"


    A beam of light flashed past, moving past Chen An, but seemingly visible only to him.


    The upgrade template still floated in front of Chen An, with the column of Ming Shen Jue shining brightly at the moment, then stabilizing.


    In Chen An''s body, a warm stream kept flowing, an endless supply of internal energy.


    In Chen An''s perception, the newly surged internal energy was probably more than all the internal energy he had self-refined during this period.


    Under the influence of invisible forces, this internal energy continuously surged through the body, constantly impacting the meridians according to the veins of Ming Shen Jue.


    Boom!


    An invisible force acted, and in an instant, a profound change occurred in Chen An''s body.


    It was as if thunder rumbled in the sky and the earth split apart.


    An extremely refreshing sensation emerged in his body, mixed with feelings of pain, confusion, comfort, and various sensations.


    This may sound complicated, but simply put, it was a mix of pain and pleasure.


    The process of opening up the meridians was extremely painful, but because the movements were usually small, the sensation was not so deep.


    However, directly upgrading Ming Shen Jue, shaping the meridians in the body all at once, led to various sensations exploding simultaneously, making the experience much more profound.


    At least according to Chen An''s self-assessment, this feeling was much more painful than being stabbed directly with a knife.


    Fortunately, the feeling came and went quickly.


    Before Chen An could react, a feeling of comfort emerged within his body.


    Various insights on the practice of Ming Shen Jue emerged in his mind, accurately received by Chen An.


    He then exhaled deeply, beginning to carefully reflect.


    After directly upgrading the template, the effect was quite significant.


    Chen An could feel that the meridians in his body had taken shape, although the quantity was not large, they existed.


    And with just this small number of formed meridians, it would probably take him several years to open up by himself through cultivation.


    Or maybe even longer.


    Chen An glanced at the upgrade template.


    Unlike body-refining martial arts, the advancement in internal cultivation martial arts was tiered.


    Body-refining martial arts only required two upgrades: the first to small achievement, and the second to great achievement.


    But it was different for internal cultivation martial arts.


    For example, the Ming Shen Jue that Bai Qing had taught Chen An had a total of five levels, which meant a total of five upgrades were needed.


    For Chen An, this was actually a good thing as the consumption of source energy was spread out, making each upgrade less taxing.


    Chen An looked at the template and found that this upgrade only used three source energy points.


    He could continue to upgrade.


    Without hesitation, Chen An made his choice.


    Boom!


    A crisp sound echoed from inside his body, indicating that the Ming Shen Jue, having just been upgraded, was undergoing a second upgrade.


    This time, the effects of the upgrade were significantly greater than the previous one, although the accompanying pain was also more pronounced.


    But for Chen An, it was bearable.


    After all, with the previous upgrade as a prelude, he had already anticipated the potential pain, making it easier to endure.


    He silently endured all the pain, displaying a tough demeanor.


    Once the upgrade was complete, the situation inside Chen An''s body had changed.


    The scarce internal energy had gradually become abundant, and the meridians had been formed and opened up.


    With the formation of the meridians, the nourishment of internal energy would become faster. The more meridians formed, the faster the recovery and growth of internal energy.


    This was a proportional relationship.


    As Bai Qing had said, the better the internal cultivation martial arts, the more meridians could be formed within the body, explaining why Chen An''s eyes now lit up.


    He felt something.


    After searching through the items, he picked out two things in front of the bewildered gaze of the old man.


    One was a rusty long knife, and the other was a blood-stained white cloth.


    Feeling the familiar palpitation from these items, Chen An nodded in satisfaction and said, "These two items are good, I''ll take them."


    "Name the price."


    He said to the old man.


    "These odds and ends are just additional items bought together with those antiques, they''re practically worthless. If you want them, take them directly, consider it a small gift from this old man to you."


    Looking at Chen An with a strange expression, the old man spoke after a moment.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 33: Luxurious Troubles

    Uncle Liu was a bit confused.That long knife, he could reluctantly understand, maybe it was made of some special material inside, worth some money, but that blood-stained white cloth didn''t seem like anything good, why would he want it?


    He had originally planned to dispose of that thing, just take it and burn it.


    "Keep it if you want."


    Chen An didn''t say much, directly stuffed twenty silver coins over as the money for purchasing these two items.


    Of course, Uncle Liu initially didn''t want the silver coins.


    On the one hand, to please Chen An, on the other hand, it really wasn''t worth much.


    As he had said, these things were just scraps bought alongside antiques, to be disposed of in normal circumstances, totally worthless.


    But since Chen An insisted on giving it, he happily accepted.


    In his eyes, two seemingly worthless items exchanged for twenty silver coins, that was quite a profit.


    A moment later, Chen An walked away with the wrapped package.


    Actually, he didn''t need to pay, but on one hand, he didn''t have the habit of taking things for free, and on the other hand, it was also to boost Uncle Liu''s motivation.


    Taking advantage of others once or twice was fine, but over time, even if others didn''t dare to say anything overtly, it would greatly damage motivation.


    Might as well, he didn''t lack this bit of money, better just give it directly.


    Back at home, Chen An eagerly opened the package, revealing the two items inside.


    First was the blood-stained white cloth, the bloodstains on it were bright and vivid, as if they had just been stained on, quite special.


    As for the long knife, it looked ordinary, just rusted all over, as if it had been left for a long time and rusted like that.


    Chen An placed his hand on the white cloth, and immediately there was a change.


    The bloodstains on the cloth slowly began to fade, gradually becoming faint, until they completely disappeared.


    A look of disappointment appeared on Chen An''s face.


    He looked at the energy bar in the projection column, there was indeed a change, but this change could only be considered barely acceptable, just a slight improvement.


    He had lost ten silver coins!


    Chen An set down the white cloth and looked at the other item.


    Compared to the white cloth, this rusty long knife looked just like an ordinary object, nothing special about it.


    Hopefully, there would be a pleasant surprise this time.


    With this thought in mind, Chen An placed his hand on it, and then a smile appeared on his face.


    A warm flow surged from his palm, slowly spreading throughout his body, being absorbed by some unknown presence.


    There was a sensation!


    Chen An watched as the energy bar began to change, the energy slowly increasing until it was full.


    The charging on the projection column immediately changed to available.


    Perfect.


    With a smile on his face, Chen An had this thought.


    At this point, Chen An could still feel a wave of heat rising from the long knife in front of him, it seemed that it hadn''t been fully absorbed, but there was no movement on his body.


    At once, he understood.


    It seemed that this energy bar had a limit to the amount of energy it could store, once it was full, it couldn''t continue to charge.


    Better to use up the current energy first.


    Without much hesitation, Chen An began to try.


    "Do you want to simulate?".


    The prompt in front of him continued to display, but Chen An ignored it.


    Nonsense, if it wasn''t for the simulation why would I tap on you.


    "Simulation has ended."


    "Evaluation: Your life is ordinary."


    "You have gained 15 source points"


    A bunch of subtitles flashed before his eyes, but Chen An directly ignored them.


    He skipped the previous introduction part, and directly looked at the final result.


    By now, he was quite familiar with the function of this simulation.


    The specific scenario of the simulation didn''t really matter, as he couldn''t control it, it was completely random.


    So by now, Chen An had treated it as a lottery, just to see how lucky he could get this time and how many source points he could draw.


    This situation might change after he could directly control it in the future, but at the current stage, there was nothing to do.


    "Fifteen points, not bad."


    Chen An nodded, quite satisfied with this result.


    His requirements weren''t high, as long as it didn''t fall below the lower limit.


    If your expectations aren''t high, you won''t easily be disappointed.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (4.1), Body (4), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 18


    Inheritance: Bright Body Decision (Second Layer), Five Tiger Knife Method (Mastered), Tiger Leopard Horizontal Training (Partially Mastered), Haisha Fist (Mastered), Yang Family Spear (Introductory)


    Projection: Charging in progress


    The familiar template interface reappeared. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    However, compared to before, there were some differences, as there were now specific levels behind each martial art.


    This change came with a thought change before Chen An, at least on the surface, it looked more detailed.


    Sitting at the bedside, Chen An stared at the Bright Body Decision column, pondering whether to continue to enhance it.


    The benefits of enhancing the Bright Body Decision were obvious, as it could increase the number of meridians.


    The more meridians, the better the speed Chen An could refine and transform internal energy, and the speed of becoming stronger would also increase.


    But Chen An had his own concerns.


    Although theoretically speaking, the enhancement of internal energy was relatively concealed, as long as he didn''t actively show it, it was usually difficult for others to notice.


    But that was just a theory.


    In case the enhancement was too obvious, and the changes were too clear, he might be discovered by Bai Qing, and then he wouldn''t be able to explain.


    How could he explain it, that he had extraordinary talent, and in less than half a month had achieved mastery of internal energy, comparable to Song Wang?


    Only a fool would believe such a story.


    So, to avoid this embarrassing situation, Chen An thought it''d be better to go a bit slower.


    As the saying goes, "caution drives the boat for ten thousand years," sometimes going a little slower might be for the best.


    After all, on the surface, he had Bai Qing''s protection, and currently, there was no danger. When it was necessary, he could still enhance it.


    Plan settled.


    Thinking of this, Chen An got up and took out a medicine gourd from the side.


    With Chen An''s movements, there was a sound coming from the medicine gourd.


    Bai Qing had given Chen An ten small Yuan Dan pills, but so far he had only used three, and there were still seven left.


    According to Bai Qing''s estimate, once Chen An used up these ten small Yuan Dan pills, he would probably be able to make a breakthrough and try to open up his meridians.


    But Chen An had already reached this point, so he no longer needed them.


    Of course, this didn''t mean that these Yuan Dan pills were useless to him, just that they didn''t have the same effect as before.


    The most in need of these small Yuan Dan pills should be those who had just started trying to refine internal energy but had not officially opened up their meridians yet.


    Chen An had passed this stage.


    After thinking for a moment, Chen An collected these pills.


    In any case, they were useful resources, and judging from Bai Qing''s previous expressions, they should be quite valuable.


    Even if he didn''t need them now, when necessary, it would still be a substantial wealth if he sold them.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 34: Farewell

    In the spacious courtyard, Bai Qing looked at Chen An in front of her, with a face full of astonishment and joy: "In just over a month, you have already cultivated your inner qi!"She exclaimed with joy, while Mr. Song stood by, his face also filled with surprise.


    Under their gaze, Chen An smiled, looking a bit embarrassed: "Thanks to Miss Bai''s guidance."


    "If it weren''t for Miss Bai continuously guiding me with true qi during this time, I wouldn''t have been able to cultivate my inner qi so quickly."


    He spoke sincerely, because it was true.


    If not for Bai Qing''s help during that time, it would have taken him several more months to cultivate his inner qi.


    To cultivate the Ming Energy Decision to the entry level would have taken much longer.


    But in the eyes of Bai Qing and Mr. Song, it was a completely different story.


    Guidance of true qi? Careful cultivation?


    Jokes!


    If simply guiding true qi could quickly cultivate one''s inner qi, there wouldn''t be so few true qi warriors in the world.


    If one''s aptitude is lacking, it''s lacking.


    If one''s aptitude is not sufficient, even if someone guides and refines with true qi day and night, it would be difficult to cultivate true qi, let alone cultivate it so quickly.


    It should be noted that from the beginning of cultivating his inner qi until now, it had only been about a month or so for Chen An.


    To cultivate inner qi in a month, such a person was rare even within a prestigious family like the Bai family.


    At this moment, whether it was Bai Qing or Mr. Song, their eyes towards Chen An couldn''t help but become much more fervent.


    The look in their eyes was somewhat frightening.


    Chen An lowered his head, feeling the gaze of Bai Qing and Mr. Song, and couldn''t help but begin to doubt if he had exaggerated a bit.


    It had been almost half a month since the last time he had improved.


    Considering Bai Qing and Mr. Song''s reactions, Chen An didn''t immediately tell them the news but waited until half a month later.


    But now, he regretted it.


    Facing the fiery gazes of Bai Qing and Mr. Song, Chen An could only maintain a respectful and polite smile, standing there silently.


    "You''ve done well."


    After observing Chen An for a while, Bai Qing spoke again, praising him: "When I first saw you, I felt that you were extraordinary. Now, it seems that my intuition was right."


    "Cultivating inner qi in one month, even among the Bai family, is considered a great achievement. But remember not to be proud of this. You must continue to work hard in your cultivation to live up to your potential."


    "I will do my best and will not let you down, Miss."


    Listening to this familiar statement, Chen An''s expression instantly became serious, speaking earnestly.


    "Well, good. You''ve worked hard during this time. You may rest for now."


    "Take these silver notes. If you have any needs, you can use them to make purchases."


    Mr. Song handed the silver notes to Chen An.


    Chen An accepted them without any change in his emotions, but he showed a discreet hint of gratitude on his face before slowly withdrawing and leaving.


    Bai Qing stood in place, watching Chen An leave the courtyard.


    As his figure disappeared, Bai Qing''s face finally revealed a smile, "It seems that we have truly found a treasure this time."


    "Who would have thought that such talent existed in this small Fengcheng city."


    "Mr. Song, what do you think?"


    "In my opinion, he is already extremely outstanding."


    Mr. Song also smiled, "To cultivate inner qi in one month, such aptitude is considered exceptional even among the clan, only slightly inferior to Young Master Heng."


    "The reason for this slight inferiority is simply due to the lack of cultivation in this Fengcheng city in the past."


    Bai Qing said with a smile on her face, "But if he is cultivated properly, his aptitude may not be inferior to my elder brother''s."


    "I initially thought he was just a talent, but now it seems that he is a genius among men."


    In this world, there are many ranking lists, but most are limited to the country. Among them, the most famous is the Hero List.


    The Hero List is divided into the Heaven, Earth, and Human Lists, with the Human List focusing on outstanding warriors under thirty.


    Therefore, being on the Human List is a kind of praise for young talents.


    Bai Qing felt the same at this moment.


    "His aptitude is much better than I imagined."


    Mr. Song stroked his beard, full of praise, "I initially thought it would take him at least thirty years to cultivate his inner qi to completion, but now it seems that it might not take that long."


    "At most ten years, perhaps it will be enough."


    With that, Bai Qing''s face couldn''t help but show a smile, looking quite pleased.


    Chen An was unaware of the praise from Bai Qing and Mr. Song, but he could guess a thing or two.


    Feeling a bit strange about becoming a genius in the eyes of others, Chen An remained emotionally stable.


    It was inevitable.


    With the upgrade template in hand, the speed of improvement was unmatched by others.


    As long as Chen An continued to improve, sooner or later he would expose himself to others.


    Rather than trying to hide and be discovered, it was better to reveal himself early and build a genius image, which would also be more convenient.


    Being a genius, some extraordinary performances were perfectly normal.


    Under this genius image, it would be easier for Chen An to hide some things.


    "Time to leave."


    Thinking back to the things Bai Qing had instructed him to do, Chen An looked at the familiar street in front of him, silently thinking about this thought.


    Bai Qing''s time in Fengcheng County was not long.


    As a noble family member, Bai Qing couldn''t stay in this remote place for long, and would eventually have to return home.


    At that time, as Bai Qing''s follower, Chen An would also have to leave together.


    Of course, Chen An didn''t resist leaving Fengcheng County.


    As Bai Qing said, this place was too remote.


    More advanced martial arts, powerful warriors, and abundant resources were all lacking in Fengcheng County.


    If Chen An wanted to progress, he had to leave this place.


    If Bai Qing didn''t take him away from here, he would have to leave on his own sooner or later.


    This was an inevitable choice.


    Even though he had spent quite some time here, as he was about to leave, he couldn''t help but feel some emotional fluctuations. S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was inevitable.


    But that was it.


    Being able to lament was already the limit.


    Instead of lamenting, Chen An was more concerned about other issues.


    Such as Liu Ziqin.


    During this period, Liu Ziqin had been placed in a neighbor''s house by Chen An and seemed to get along well with the family.


    However, Chen An hadn''t forgotten Song Ziyang''s instructions to send Liu Ziqin to a safe place.


    But he was about to set off soon, and he probably wouldn''t have time to take care of her for the time being.


    "Never mind."


    Chen An relaxed his wrinkled brows, letting go of his worries.


    When Song Ziyang instructed him, he hadn''t specified a time, so there was no need to send her away at this particular moment.


    Fengcheng County was relatively stable at the moment, with various nefarious activities being suppressed by the Sanhe Gang, so it wouldn''t cause much trouble within the city.


    Chen An knew some of the people from the Sanhe Gang and believed that they would give him some face.


    With their protection and help from these people, Liu Ziqin wouldn''t encounter any trouble in Fengcheng County for the time being.


    When things were settled with Bai Qing, he could easily come back and send her away.


    In addition, there were also the oddities in the small town.


    As Chen An pondered silently, the strange woman he had encountered in the small town came to mind, stirring up an inexplicable feeling in his heart.


    He wondered if his current strength would be enough to deal with the peculiarities of that place.


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    The strange being had given him a strong sense of danger, much stronger than the various other oddities he had previously encountered. If he were to eliminate it, it would likely provide a substantial amount of energy.


    With this thought in mind, Chen An turned and left the place, continuing on with his tasks.


    He was about to leave Fengcheng County soon, so he had many things to prepare for during this time.


    Time passed slowly.


    Soon, another month had gone by.


    Another month had passed, and by now, it had been almost two and a half months since Bai Qing had arrived in Fengcheng County.


    Calculating the days, the time for her departure was also approaching.


    As for how others felt about it, it was hard to say, but it was likely that the members of the Sanhe Gang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    Others didn''t know Bai Qing''s purpose for coming to Fengcheng County, but wouldn''t the members of the Sanhe Gang know?


    During these two and a half months, Bai Qing had made several moves within the Sanhe Gang, taking down a fair number of people and settling some debts.


    Even a hall master within the Sanhe Gang was directly beaten to death by Bai Qing''s side for disobeying her.


    Thus, the members of the Sanhe Gang dared not make a sound.


    Even Song Wang was no exception.


    He had other intentions now, aiming to align himself with other members of the Bai family, but that would happen later.


    Bai Qing was too close, and the Bai family was too far away.


    It was all right usually, but when Bai Qing was present, he wouldn''t dare do anything more, fearing that he would be beaten by Bai Qing then and there.


    During Bai Qing''s time here, Song Wang had been especially obedient. He would follow Bai Qing''s orders with respect, making it difficult for Bai Qing to find an excuse to give him a beating.


    And now, after three months, it was finally time for Bai Qing to leave.


    For this, from Song Wang to the ordinary gang members, everyone felt relieved, and even their smiles were more abundant than usual.


    "Master Song."


    In the spacious courtyard, Bai Qing stood with her hands behind her back, looking at her subordinates with a half-smile: "I will be leaving soon. Looking at all of you, you seem very happy."


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 35: Awesome Young Generation

    As they were talking, Bai Qing came back to her senses, her cold eyes fixed on Song Wang, as if wanting to see his reaction.Under Bai Qing''s gaze, Song Wang''s face immediately tensed up.


    "You''re joking."


    He quickly reacted and smiled, "Everyone in the Sanhe Gang is overjoyed by Miss Bai''s arrival, how could they want you to leave?"


    "Is that so."


    Bai Qing glanced at him deep and didn''t say anything in the end, just continued walking ahead.


    The people present looked at the two of them, not daring to even breathe.


    Does everyone in the Sanhe Gang want Bai Qing to leave?


    Of course, they do.


    But dare they say it?


    Equally not daring.


    Those who dared to speak up are probably buried in the ground by now, weeds growing tall on their graves next year.


    Of course, Bai Qing naturally knew what these people were thinking.


    Everyone is a fox, who can fool whom.


    "Unfortunately, if there weren''t more important matters over there, I really want to stay a few more months here."


    Bai Qing said somewhat regretfully, instantly making everyone around hold their breath.


    At this moment, everyone cursed in their hearts.


    In less than three months, Fengcheng County is already in chaos, if you stay a few more months, won''t it be even more chaotic?


    Complaining aside, these people still showed respect, one more respectful than the other, especially Song Wang, who seemed particularly loyal.


    It''s a pity not to act.


    Bai Qing sighed lightly in her heart, but she had no intention of continuing the confrontation.


    The time for testing has been enough, and if they continue like this, it might be difficult to handle later.


    Of course, the main reason is that there is no reason.


    It''s not impossible to act without reason, but it might leave a bad impression, and might backfire.


    At times like this, Bai Qing always felt a bit resentful, looking at the respectful and serious faces around her, sighing.


    Why is no one daring to challenge her?


    Not even a reason to pick a fight.


    Seemingly sensing her thoughts, Chen An next to her took a step forward and came out.


    "Miss, this humble one has an unreasonable request."


    Chen An stepped out of the crowd, immediately attracting everyone''s attention.


    "Oh, what do you want to say?"


    Looking at Chen An walking out in front of her, Bai Qing seemed somewhat surprised, but didn''t care much, and directly asked.


    "Since following Miss, this humble one has been practicing diligently and feels that he has achieved something, but has never had the opportunity to validate his martial arts skills."


    Chen An respectfully spoke, his face sincere, "With the opportunity about to leave, the next time I return may be years later, so I dare to ask a hall master to practice with me to validate what I have learned."


    "Oh?"


    Hearing this, Bai Qing''s eyes lit up and turned to the side, "What does Leader Song think?"


    What does Song Wang think?


    He didn''t feel good about it, but he couldn''t say it directly.


    Seeing that Bai Qing was about to leave, he didn''t want to give her a reason to provoke him at this critical moment.


    So he just smiled and said, "In that case, let''s have a practice session."


    "We are all martial artists, are we afraid of a little competition."


    "Which hall master is willing to come forward?"


    As the words fell, there was silence all around.


    At this critical moment, this martial arts demonstration was obviously not well-intentioned, so who would be willing to go up and make trouble?


    Not to mention anything else, just about winning or losing after going up, do they win or intentionally lose?


    Winning would be disrespectful, and there might be trouble later, but even if they lost, even if it was intentional, it would still be a shameful matter.


    Well, they never considered the possibility of actually losing.


    To the group of seniors present, although Chen An showed good strength, it was nothing special.


    It''s just a matter of cultivating the body, and anyone present is more than this level, it''s just a matter of doing it.


    Even with Bai Qing''s guidance, it''s only been a little over two months, what can he teach? S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Each of these Sanhe Gang hall leaders has emerged as ruthless people from numerous corpses, can they believe they are not as good as a young person?


    No way!


    The hall masters looked at each other, none of them wanted to come forward first, even Mei An, who had a good relationship with Chen An.


    Good relationship aside, it doesn''t mean he has to go up and fight for someone.


    But what they didn''t expect happened.


    Chen An took a step forward and went straight to a person.


    That person''s name was Liu Dao, the hall master of the Sanhe Gang''s Martial Hall, an ordinary member among the many hall masters present.


    But despite his ordinary status, his strength is not like that at all.


    Among the many hall masters present, if Liu Dao is not the first, no one dares to say he is the second.


    "Hall Master Liu, please."


    Chen An approached Liu Dao, looked at the tall and burly man in front of him, and respectfully spoke.


    While his expression was respectful, his eyes were unusually calm.


    "Me?"


    Being stared at by Chen An, Liu Dao didn''t react at first.


    He remained silent for a moment, then managed to force out a smile, "Okay."


    Without saying much, he drew his long knife, made a move, and went straight to the martial arts field in front.


    "Although this is a practice session, swords and knives are blind to lucky eyes, so you must be careful."


    Liu Dao looked at Chen An in front of him, and said coldly.


    "Of course."


    Chen An''s face was calm as he spoke softly.


    For some reason, looking at Chen An''s calm face, Liu Dao suddenly felt a bit restless.


    He looked at Chen An in front of him, expressionless, but he had already decided in his heart to give him an unforgettable lesson.


    Just an ordinary young man, with a good master, dare to provoke anyone?


    He thought to himself, the strength in his arm gradually rising, beginning to tighten.


    Crack!


    With a light sound, a figure took a step from the original position and rushed forward in an instant.


    Like a roaring brown bear, a terrifying force came rushing from the front, and a frightening momentum exploded in an instant.


    At this moment, Liu Dao, known as the bear slayer, displayed his full strength, even just looking at him made people''s scalps tingle.


    Below, including Mei An, the faces of many hall masters changed.


    They originally thought that Liu Dao would just play around and pass it off, but they didn''t expect him to be serious.


    Under Song Wang''s leadership, the Sanhe Gang, in terms of strength alone, Liu Dao could be considered the first.


    The nickname of bear slayer was not without merit, just his physical training alone was enough to make people feel suffocated.


    "Indeed very strong."


    Standing quietly in place, Chen An raised his head, feeling the fierce force coming from in front of him, couldn''t help but sigh.


    Among the many martial artists he had faced, Liu Dao was the strongest besides Bai Qing.


    Although the opponent had not cultivated internal energy, just his physique alone was enough to make people uncomfortable.


    Even for an internal energy practitioner, it would not be easy to deal with such a person.


    In terms of pure physical statistics, Liu Dao at this moment might even surpass Chen An.


    But that''s what makes it interesting.


    Chen An smiled, and the next moment he drew his long knife.


    Bang!


    The sound of the long knife being unsheathed passed by in an instant, echoing in the area.


    The next moment, the two long knives collided, making a startling sound.


    The result of this collision left everyone surprised, as Liu Dao was directly blocked by Chen An head-on.


    How is this possible?


    Mei An and others showed horror on their faces.


    Among the experts present, they naturally understood the strength of Liu Dao''s previous strike.


    Frankly speaking, most of the people present, including Mei An himself, would have had no choice but to evade if they had faced that strike, there was no reason to collide head-on.


    They didn''t have that strength, nor that courage.


    But what they lacked, Chen An possessed.


    The sound of the long knife''s clang still echoed in the area, Chen An''s figure slowly moved forward, seeming very slow but exuding a unique sense of power, as if every step he took was incredibly solid, like a mountain.


    A strong sense of momentum emanated from him, and upon closer inspection, where Chen An had walked there were depressions left by the heavy force.


    Then the long knives collided, constantly clashing together.


    Bang!


    Both Chen An and Liu Dao were highly proficient in swordplay.


    Needless to say, Chen An was naturally skilled, while Liu Dao, as the hall master of the Martial Hall, had practiced the Five-Tiger Swordplay to perfection, even reaching a higher level.


    Both were experts in using a knife, and as the long knives swiped, they collided with each other.


    A moment later, after a series of clashes, the two long knives broke at the same time, unable to withstand the force of both.


    As the long knives fell, Chen An''s face remained calm, without hesitation he lunged forward and thrust a punch towards Liu Dao''s chest.


    This punch was fierce, filled with changes, perfectly matching the current situation.


    As he punched out, he was met with another fist.


    Two fists collided, and then the two figures retreated, took a brief breath, and then began fighting each other again.


    This time, neither of them used weapons, but the ferocity was not diminished. As their fists landed on each other, flesh and blood burst open.


    Looking from afar, it seemed as if it was not two people, but two wild and ferocious beasts roaring and madly fighting each other.


    "That''s...Seasand Fist."


    Mei An looked deeply at Chen An, feeling shaken.


    The Sanhe Gang and the Seasand Gang are mortal enemies, and most of the people present have been warmly greeted by members of the Seasand Gang and are naturally familiar with this common form of martial arts.


    Compared to the Five-Tiger Swordplay, it''s more difficult to practice the Seasand Fist, and very few have achieved even a small level of proficiency in it.


    But looking at Chen An now, it was clear that he had mastered the Seasand Fist to a high level.


    Unbelievable.


    No one knew what the many hall masters of the Sanhe Gang were thinking at this moment, but it can be said that it was quite complicated.


    When Chen An first appeared, many people said he was awe-inspiring, but it was just a polite remark with no real impression.


    It wasn''t until now that they truly understood the meaning of the term awe-inspiring.


    What does it mean to be awe-inspiring?


    To be able to defeat seniors alive, that is what it means to be awe-inspiring.


    (The end of this chapter).

 Chapter 36: Insight

    "How is this possible! How is this possible!"Liu Dao went crazy, swinging his fists wildly. Looking at Chen An in front of him, his eyes were bloodshot, as if he couldn''t believe that he couldn''t suppress a junior.


    Even the discerning eyes could see that in this family fight, he had used all his tricks, but still couldn''t deal with Chen An in front of him.


    The opponent''s body seemed as strong as iron, with defenses all over his body even stronger than his, it was simply terrifying.


    This is not what a perfect body refining looks like!


    If an ordinary perfect body refinier faced the opponent in front of him, he would probably be beaten to death in minutes.


    This strength, reaching the perfect body refining state is just like this.


    What''s more crucial is, as the battle progressed, the power coming from the opponent''s fist became stronger and more abundant.


    This is simply unreasonable.


    An ominous premonition surfaced in his heart, making him have some bad thoughts.


    No, it can''t be!


    Thinking of that incredible possibility, he couldn''t help but shudder, subconsciously wanting to deny it.


    It''s impossible, absolutely impossible!


    However, the next moment, as if sensing Liu Dao''s inexplicable thoughts, Chen An in front of him smiled and a hint of smile appeared on his face.


    He no longer avoided, straightened his body, directly faced Liu Dao''s fist, charged forward in a more ferocious manner, and then threw a punch.


    This time, everyone could clearly see that there was a dazzling brilliance circulating on that fist, as if there was a flash of fist light, crashing into Liu Dao''s body, colliding violently with his fist.


    Bang!


    Without any surprise, under that punch, Liu Dao''s body kept retreating.


    He coughed up blood, his face turned pale in an instant, and his whole body flew far away.


    In an instant, everyone present couldn''t help but feel suffocated.


    "Inner Qi!"


    Song Wang suddenly stood up, unable to sit still anymore, looking at Chen An standing in front, his face finally showed a look of astonishment.


    A mere small accomplishment in inner Qi was nothing to Song Wang, who had been in charge of the Three Rivers Gang for many years.


    But the significance represented by this was quite terrifying.


    From Chen An practicing martial arts to this moment, how much time has passed?


    At most, less than a year, starting from when he was taken away by Bai Qing, it has been only over two months.


    In such a short time, compared to others who were probably struggling to refine their basics.


    And Chen An?


    He has directly cultivated inner Qi!


    At this moment, even Song Wang felt a bit bitter in his heart, not towards Chen An''s talent, but why such a big loophole was blatantly exposed and still picked up by Bai Qing.


    And the scumbag Liu Dao, wasn''t he supposed to have normal talent and destined not to make much progress?


    Look at the situation now, is this what you call normal?


    Song Wang looked at Liu Dao lying on the ground, seemingly feeling the same complexity in his heart. He was already full of disappointment.


    Liu Dao is the head of the Wu Hall, all the gang members of the Three Rivers Gang theoretically would have passed through his hands. He should have discovered any talents among them in the Wu Hall long ago. However, he neglected to do so, and let Bai Qing come and pick up the leftovers.


    If Liu Dao had discovered Chen An''s "extraordinary talent" early and reported it, Song Wang would have taken it seriously long ago, and there would have been no need for Bai Qing to come and ask for someone.


    Of course, this is a hypothesis, what actually happened is unknown.


    But Song Wang was already complaining in his heart, only not showing it on the surface.


    But Bai Qing''s next words almost broke him.


    "Master Song, thank you for your kindness."


    Bai Qing looked at Song Wang with a smiling face, "I must thank Master Song for being generous."


    "If it weren''t for Master Song, he probably wouldn''t be under my control at this moment."


    She said, at first glance, it seemed like she was really grateful.


    But in reality, she was sharpening her sword.


    Song Wang forced a smile on his face, "It is his good fortune to follow Miss Bai. There is no need to mention anything else."


    While they were talking, Chen An and Liu Dao ended their sparring.


    "Master Liu, I offended you just now, please forgive me."


    In front of Liu Dao, Chen An spoke respectfully and bowed, his face looking particularly sincere.


    At this moment, Chen An didn''t look like a warrior, but more like a refined scholar, which was contrary to his fierce fighting image on the stage earlier, but no one dared to underestimate him.


    The hall masters around had long been silent, with waves of shock and awe rising in their hearts, and their faces stiffening.


    After what happened, they finally realized one thing.


    Despite Chen An''s usual respectful and humble behavior, if he gets ruthless, it wouldn''t be difficult for him to kill them.


    It''s just a matter of throwing a few punches.


    Liu Dao''s face was complex, looking at the young man who had just knocked him down, and now appeared respectful and courteous, he could only sigh, "It''s okay."


    He also had a bad temper. If it were at another time, he would have torn his face apart and fought till the end with the other party.


    But not now.


    He simply couldn''t win.


    "Both of you performed excellently in the sparring just now, now go down and rest."


    Bai Qing looked satisfied at Chen An, letting the two men go down to rest.


    Chen An nodded and walked to the side.


    Feeling Bai Qing''s good mood, Chen An couldn''t help but feel relieved.


    It seems like he got it right.


    He challenged Liu Dao to not only test his own strength, but also to cater to Bai Qing''s intentions.


    With Bai Qing''s status and position, it would be difficult for her to take action. So he had to find a suitable reason. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But everyone was old foxes, Song Wang and his men wouldn''t give her any handle.


    But Chen An didn''t have these concerns.


    His status was ordinary, so challenging directly was not a problem.


    And whether he wins or loses, he can show the "results of his practice" in this period, and intimidate those Three Rivers Gang members, which is enough.


    Even if he misunderstood the intentions, it didn''t matter.


    In any case, it was all about protecting the master.


    Bai Qing wouldn''t blame him for that.


    And from the current situation, he seemed to have guessed right, the things he did were in line with Bai Qing''s intentions.


    Looking at the silent and complex expressions of the hall masters around, it was clear that each of them was in a complicated mood.


    There was envy and jealousy for Chen An''s talent, but also a hint of fear.


    Just think, Bai Qing cultivated an inner Qi warrior in less than half a year, not to mention the ordinary body refiners.


    They were not as important as they thought they were!


    Originally, they thought they were irreplaceable, but now it seems that they might be at risk of unemployment.


    Can they still ignore Bai Qing''s words as before?


    Are they not afraid of being laid-off in case things go wrong?


    These were all harsh realities, but also real things.


    Bai Qing sat at the top, looking at the reactions of the people below, becoming even more satisfied with Chen An.


    The effect was good.


    Previously, Chen An was just exceptionally talented and loyal.


    But now it seems that he not only can fight, but also has a good head on his shoulders.


    Looking at this effect, Bai Qing couldn''t help but feel satisfied.


    Raising her head, she saw Chen An still standing there in the distance.


    After tidying up Liu Dao on the martial arts stage, he returned to his previous position, still maintaining his respectful appearance, standing there seriously, without any arrogance or exceptional behavior, showing a calm and steady demeanor.


    Looking at this scene, Bai Qing nodded, feeling even more satisfied.


    Compared to Bai Qing, Chen An''s thoughts at this moment were simple.


    "My current strength should be almost catching up to Master Song."


    Standing in place, carefully reflecting on the battle with Liu Dao just now, this thought flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    He had sparred with Master Song many times before, although he never went all out, they still had some understanding of each other''s abilities.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 37: Departure

    Song Lao''s strength is still above Liu Dao''s.That''s for sure.


    No matter what, Song Lao is still an internal energy martial artist, just because of his old age and weakening energy, his strength has decreased a lot.


    But even so, the boost from internal energy is huge.


    At this moment, Song Lao, with a much thicker internal energy than Chen An, still has his strength above Chen An.


    Of course, this is only under normal circumstances.


    If it is truly a life and death battle, then it may not be the case.


    After all, Song Lao is getting older and his energy is weakening.


    For a person like him, if he can''t kill the opponent at the beginning, it becomes dangerous afterwards.


    If Chen An really fights Song Lao to the death, he can exchange injuries for injuries and slowly drag him to death.


    The chance of winning should be over fifty percent.


    Chen An pondered on the side, while also recalling the mistakes in the previous battle, correcting his own shortcomings.


    For him, the gains from this practice are quite good.


    At least it can deepen his application of martial arts, and his combat experience becomes richer.


    It''s quite good.


    As he was thinking, the people around had already dispersed.


    Chen An looked up and saw Bai Qing had already left from where she was before, returning to her own mansion.


    Chen An followed Bai Qing''s footsteps and arrived here.


    "Well done."


    Bai Qing turned around, looking at Chen An in front of her with a smile and said, "You did a great job this time, is there anything you want?"


    Is this a reward she''s preparing to give?


    Chen An thought of this in his mind and subconsciously wanted to decline.


    He really didn''t want anything, and on the other hand, it was also to deepen the good impression he had in Bai Qing''s heart.


    However, later, he seemed to think of something and his tone changed.


    Facing Bai Qing, his expression became serious.


    The next day, in a small town in Fengcheng County.


    "That''s it."


    In the alley, Bai Qing looked at the corpse at her feet, silently shook her head, then glanced at Chen An beside her, "Is this place really mysterious?"


    Her tone was calm, as if it was just an ordinary matter.


    "Thank you."


    Behind her, Chen An''s expression was respectful, his voice tinged with sighs, "If Miss hadn''t taken action, this place''s mystery might not have been resolved for some time."


    At his feet at this moment was the mysterious creature he had encountered in the town that day.


    When it flashed in front of Chen An that day, he remembered it, but due to the danger, he dared not to act.


    Yesterday, taking advantage of Bai Qing''s good mood, Chen An requested her to help resolve this anomaly.


    Bai Qing''s strength was indeed powerful, under her hands, this white clothed mysterious creature had no resistance at all and was directly dealt with cleanly, turning into a corpse.


    "This mystery here is indeed tricky. Without abundant internal energy, it would be impossible to resolve it."


    Bai Qing softly spoke as she looked at the mysterious creature''s corpse, "In Fengcheng County, besides me, probably only a few people like Song Wang have the ability to handle this kind of mystery."


    "You did the right thing by not acting on your own."


    Chen An fell silent for a moment, then spoke sincerely, "I thank Miss on behalf of the many common people here."


    "If it weren''t for Miss''s intervention, the people here would probably be harmed sooner or later."


    "No problem, since you have this kind heart, I naturally want to contribute as well."


    Bai Qing smiled.


    Chen An asked Bai Qing to take action for the sake of the people here, to save the lives of hundreds of people.


    Bai Qing highly appreciated this gesture.


    No matter from which aspect, individuals who care for the people and show concern for the weak are worthy of praise.


    So unknowingly, Chen An found that his position in Bai Qing''s heart was getting higher.


    Although he seemed to have not done much, he always seemed to unconsciously align with Bai Qing''s thoughts.


    For the time being, however, it seemed like a good thing.


    Chen An sighed inwardly.


    After a while, Bai Qing left with her people, before leaving, she instructed Chen An to burn the mysterious creature''s body on the ground.


    Chen An naturally agreed.


    In fact, this was his original intention.


    "Gained a strand of world energy crystal."


    The subtitles flashed.


    After Bai Qing left, Chen An began to prepare to burn the body of the mysterious creature.


    First, he placed his hand on the creature''s body, a cold feeling spreading from his palm, causing a smile to appear on Chen An''s face.


    The time for harvest had come.


    While Chen An had some thoughts about helping the people here, the main idea was to benefit himself and charge up the upgrade template.


    From the current perspective, this effect seemed quite good.


    Because of the previous simulation, Chen An''s energy had already been depleted, but after killing the mysterious creature, his energy was now once again replenished.


    Looking at the figures around him, Chen An completely drained the energy and attempted to simulate.


    "Simulation has ended."


    "Evaluation: Your life is mediocre."


    "You gained ten points of source power."


    A moment later, the simulation ended again, and a large number of memory fragments rushed into his mind, which Chen An skimmed through.


    He looked at the template in front of him, sighing at the increased source power.


    His luck wasn''t good this time, the simulation only increased ten points of source power, which was less compared to the previous simulation.


    But it seemed there was nothing he could do about it, so he had to accept it.


    Moreover, Chen An had some new discoveries about the simulation.


    The manipulation section while projecting had undergone some changes, no longer completely gray as before, but now had some other colors.


    By the looks of it, perhaps in the near future, Chen An would be able to start trying to manipulate, rather than continuing with simulations.


    Although simulations were good, the rewards were shallow.


    Not only was each process uncontrollable, but the rewards were also unstable.


    If luck wasn''t good, it might even end up with nothing, too unstable.


    Therefore, Chen An thought it was best to try direct manipulation.


    If suitable, perhaps the rewards would be a level higher.


    Based on the current results, maybe that time wasn''t far off.


    Chen An thought to himself about this idea.


    After a while, he had someone burn the mysterious creature''s body on the ground, then turned and left.


    Compared to looking for various mysterious objects, directly finding living ones yielded greater rewards, with more energy to harvest.


    The only regret was that Bai Qing couldn''t be called upon often. Occasionally was fine, but if it became frequent, it would likely be a different matter.


    Otherwise, Chen An really wanted to take Bai Qing with him to defeat all the mysterious creatures around Fengcheng County.


    By then, there would definitely be a lot of energy to harvest.


    It''s a pity that this idea could only remain as a thought.


    Over the next half month, Chen An stayed at home and didn''t do much.


    He mainly took care of some personal matters.


    As he was about to leave Fengcheng County, Chen An had to make some arrangements, or else it might be too late.


    Under such busyness, time slowly passed, approaching a new critical moment.


    "Let''s go."


    Early in the morning, Bai Qing and her group stood on the official road, looking back at Fengcheng County.


    Among the crowd, Chen An also stood there, riding a horse and looking back.


    "Do you feel a little reluctant?"


    Bai Qing looked at Chen An''s appearance and smiled.


    "A bit."


    Chen An nodded and said truthfully.


    After all, he had stayed in this city for quite some time and had become familiar with various places.


    Now leaving again, he couldn''t help but feel a bit sentimental.


    "No problem."


    Bai Qing smiled and said, "If you''re willing, in a few years'' time, you can always come back."


    "But by then, this place may not be the same anymore."


    She spoke with implications in her words.


    Chen An nodded, "I understand." s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let''s go."


    As they spoke, Bai Qing got into the carriage.


    The group set off, following the official road towards a new territory.


    According to Bai Qing, they needed to spend half a month on the road to reach their destination this time.


    It will be a much larger stage, far different from the small Fengcheng County.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 38: The Strength of the White Family

    Walking all the way from Fengcheng County, Chen An was able to see many sights.When he was in Fengcheng County, he did not feel it, but only after walking out of Fengcheng County did Chen An realize that what Bai Qing said was not false.


    Compared to other bustling places, Fengcheng County was indeed a poor and remote place. Although there were many products produced in various places, it was not considered a prosperous place.


    In terms of economy and the number of warriors, it could not compare to other places.


    Of course, these two aspects are interconnected in a way.


    The more developed a place''s economy is, the more resources converge, and the more abundant it becomes, naturally able to support more warriors.


    Only by having a sufficient number of warriors can stronger warriors be born.


    Therefore, the more prosperous a place is, the more warriors there are and the stronger their strength.


    After walking out of Fengcheng County not long ago, Chen An had already discovered this.


    The further north he went, the more people there were, and the same was true for warriors. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The nobles here are also commonplace, besides engaging in daily business, most of them also practice martial arts and pass it down to their household, allowing the younger generation to practice martial arts.


    Half a month later, Chen An arrived at a new place.


    Elemental County.


    Fengcheng County belonged to the Chiyuan County, which was a remote corner of Chiyuan County, while Elemental County was a very prosperous place, even among the nine counties of Liangguo.


    Naturally, this kind of place could not be compared to Fengcheng County.


    From what Chen An had just arrived here, he could already feel it.


    Compared to Fengcheng County, the roads here were obviously wider, and there were more people around.


    Chen An casually asked a few people and found out that there had also been natural disasters here in recent years, and many places had suffered crop failures, but the surrounding area seemed to have not been greatly affected.


    The people here were generally more affluent, and even in the face of natural disasters, the common people could still survive.


    "Compared to those natural disasters, it is the eerie things that are more harmful."


    Walking on the road with Chen An, Song Lao sighed, "Some places are very eerie and have killed many people."


    "No one takes care of it?" Chen An asked.


    There were also many eerie things in Fengcheng County, but the scope of the impact was generally not large, and it was the responsibility of various factions to solve these things.


    For example, the hall masters like Mei An, responsible for solving these things.


    He thought that a prosperous place like Elemental County would not encounter such a situation, but from Song Lao''s tone, the eerie things here were even more terrifying.


    "Even if they want to take care of it, there must be someone to do it."


    Song Lao smiled and then explained in detail to Chen An.


    It turned out that the strength of the eerie things was not stable.


    These things were usually the weakest when they first appeared, and at this time, perhaps a few strong men could easily deal with some weak eerie things.


    For example, rumors of corpse-changing zombies sound scary, but before they transform, as long as a few strong men can burn them to death.


    But with the increasing number of eerie things, there were always some that were missed.


    And these eerie things, as long as they were not resolved at the beginning, as more and more people were killed, they would become more and more troublesome.


    Warriors had to work hard to become stronger through practice, but eerie things were easier.


    Just killing people would do.


    Oh, sometimes it didn''t even require killing.


    On the way here, Chen An heard about something.


    It was said that a corpse-changing eerie thing hid on the prairie, not killing people, but usually targeting ordinary wild animals outside.


    Corpse-changing zombies were nothing to people, but for the wild animals in the wilderness, it was a disaster.


    Not long after, this eerie thing became out of control, and it was said that it took a lot of effort to suppress it.


    This could be seen from the characteristics of these eerie things.


    Fengcheng County was too remote.


    This was a disadvantage, but sometimes it was an advantage.


    Being remote and economically backward meant that there weren''t many people there.


    And there were many factions inside.


    When eerie things appeared for the first time, these factions could easily dispose of your remains, burn them to ashes.


    As for Elemental County, the situation was different.


    Compared to Fengcheng County, Elemental County''s area was too large, and there were many mobile people, making it prone to mistakes.


    With the characteristics of eerie things, as long as there was a mistake, if it was not dealt with after a period of time, it would be a big trouble.


    "Originally, it should be the court''s Eerie Control Department that deals with these things, but now..."


    Song Lao shook his head and did not say much.


    Chen An naturally understood his meaning.


    In other places it was unclear, but in Liangguo...


    The Liangguo Emperor had almost been sidelined, not to mention the local government, which was basically just keeping up appearances.


    The noble families controlled the local government, marginalized the officials, and even in a remote place like Fengcheng County, the gangs ruled.


    In this situation, with the royal family''s Eerie Control Department, what power did they have to suppress eerie things?


    Basically no chance.


    "We Liangguo people are in dire straits."


    Song Lao couldn''t help but sigh.


    Chen An complimented him with a smile, then continued to chat, wanting to learn more about this place.


    Leaving Fengcheng County and coming to Elemental County, Chen An basically had to start over from scratch and needed to know more information.


    Looking at Song Lao in front of him, he asked a question, "I wonder how many experts are in Elemental County?"


    "Experts?"


    Song Lao smiled, his face gradually becoming serious, "Let me explain in detail."


    "In Elemental County, there are quite a few experts, like those Refinement Body warriors such as Liu Dao and Mei An, who are not everywhere in Elemental County, but their numbers are quite considerable."


    "Like the members of the White family, as long as they have some talent, they can basically achieve Refinement Body Completion."


    Wow.


    The many hall masters of the Sanhe Gang seemed to be depreciating.


    In Fengcheng County, Refinement Body Completion was rare, but in Elemental County, it was everywhere.


    Of course, it still couldn''t be compared.


    The many hall masters of the Sanhe Gang were not ordinary Refinement Body warriors. Not to mention ruthless individuals like Liu Dao, even ordinary hall masters like Mei An were experienced individuals who had emerged from numerous battles.


    For such characters, an ordinary Refinement Body Completion practitioner in front of them probably couldn''t last a few moves, not even in the same league.


    "If it''s the main lineage of the White family, like Miss Qing, most of them have the strength of Inner Qi Realm. The number of Inner Qi Completion practitioners is slightly less, but there are also."


    Song Lao continued to explain.


    Chen An listened carefully, taking it very seriously.


    In general, for families like the White family, their members have the opportunity to practice martial arts.


    As long as you have talent and are a member of the White family, you can be cultivated to become a warrior.


    Of course, most people in the world are ordinary people, but as long as they have some talent, it is not difficult to cultivate them into Refinement Body warriors.


    These ordinary White family members.


    As for people like Miss Qing from the White family, the requirements were higher, and excellent individuals would be at the Inner Qi Realm.


    Basically, those who could become spokespersons for various branches would not have a cultivation level lower than Inner Qi Completion.


    As for the elders within the White family, except for a few exceptions, most of them were at the level of Inner Qi Perfection.


    Even Qi Martial Realm practitioners were numerous.


    And these were just the elders who were in the limelight.


    The lifespan of warriors was often much longer than that of ordinary people. The White family, as a noble family, had been inherited for hundreds of years, and there would inevitably be some old people who did not die, playing the most critical role.


    It was hard to say how strong these people were.


    And what about the patriarch of the White family? What would their strength be like?


    Chen An roughly estimated and felt his scalp tingle.


    According to the current situation, just a few elders casually coming out of the White family would be enough to overturn the entire Fengcheng County.


    In the entire Fengcheng County, there were only a few gang leaders who were only Refinement Qi Completion.


    From this, one could see the great power of the White family.


    The consumption of warriors was extremely terrifying. Chen An was only currently at the Inner Qi Realm. In order to refine Elemental Qi and refine Inner Qi, he had to eat meat every meal and occasionally take rich Qi-enhancing medicines for nourishment.


    Overall, a day''s consumption would be enough for an ordinary family to live for more than half a month.


    This was just average nurturing.


    The gentlemen and ladies from the White family were probably even more extreme.


    What about the elders? The head of the family?


    The White family had thousands of family members, and just the daily consumption of these people was astronomical.


    No wonder with Qing''s identity, she still had to stay in a remote and poor place like Fengcheng County to make money.


    Various thoughts flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    "Gang Qi, Primordial."


    The information revealed by Song Lao''s words was vast.


    From Song Lao''s words, Chen An finally understood the levels beyond Inner Qi.


    After the Inner Qi Realm was the Gang Qi realm, and after Gang Qi was Primordial.


    In Fengcheng County, the most powerful existed in the various gang leaders.


    But in Elemental County, the most powerful without a doubt would be the leaders of the various noble families.


    The strength of these people, probably most of them were at the Gang Qi level, if not Gang Qi Completion.


    Thinking about it this way, although Chen An''s strength was not bad, in Elemental County, he probably wouldn''t be considered much.


    He had to work hard to level up.


    A sense of urgency surged in Chen An''s heart.


    On the side, Song Lao seemed to understand Chen An''s thoughts, and he comforted, "Don''t think too much."


    "In fact, your talent is top-notch within the entire White family, not much worse than those young masters and misses. From now on, work hard in your cultivation, reaching Inner Qi Completion is just a matter of time."


    "If your luck is good, reaching Gang Qi is not impossible."


    He said, his voice becoming increasingly solemn towards the end, as if he felt the hope was slim.


    But what he said was indeed true.


    Although the White family was strong, a practitioner at Inner Qi Completion returned to the White family, would be comparable to many elders.


    And those elders were already a core high-level of the White family, with both shares and decision-making power.


    In Song Lao''s view, it was already very good for Chen An to have the opportunity to rise to this level in the future.


    While most White family members shared the surname White, most of them would probably spend their whole lives working for the White family at the Refinement Body level.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 39: This Person Is Worth Befriending

    Chen An didn''t know Song Lao''s thoughts, but he could guess some of it.However, he was not satisfied with the position of the clan elder.


    Having come to this world with some ideals hanging on his shoulders, he naturally needed to have some aspirations.


    Complete inner energy? Master the core energy?


    Not enough, not at all.


    Let''s set a small goal for now.


    Innate perfection.


    Song Lao was unaware of Chen An''s ideals and goals. If he knew, he would probably look at Chen An with a crazy look in his eyes.


    Chen An had no intention of saying anything.


    In the Bai family, he was prepared to take things slowly, waiting until he could no longer endure it before speaking up.


    Of course, while goals could be set high, it was necessary to stay grounded for now.


    Chen An turned and looked ahead, gazing at the more magnificent mansion, thoughts flashing through his mind.


    "This will be your future mansion," Song Lao said, pointing to the courtyard in front of them. "This was the residence of a steward under Miss Qing, who was reportedly dispatched some time ago and likely won''t return."


    "Most of the things inside should still be there, so there''s no need to purchase anything. As for servants and attendants, you can choose them yourself later."


    "Any other questions?"


    "None."


    Chen An smiled and said sincerely, "Miss and Song Lao, you have considered everything thoroughly. I can''t think of anything missing for now."


    "If you find something missing in the future, you can come directly to me."


    Smiling, Song Lao said, "You can still visit Miss regularly, but try not to disturb her with trivial matters. You can come to me for minor issues, no need to trouble Miss Qing."


    "I understand."


    Chen An nodded, indicating his understanding.


    After a moment, Song Lao left in a hurry, indicating he had other matters to attend to.


    Watching his retreating figure, Chen An shook his head.


    Initially, Chen An thought that the top warriors in this world only needed to focus on martial arts and maintain their strength.


    But after actual contact, Chen An realized that it wasn''t quite like that.


    Ordinary warriors could focus solely on martial arts if they didn''t aspire to rule, but for those like Bai Qing who held positions of responsibility, they were perpetually busy.


    This was evident during their time in Fengcheng County, where they had to take care of accounts and deal with killing.


    Returning to Shangyuan County amplified these responsibilities further.


    Upon their return, a heap of tasks awaited Bai Qing.


    Managing various districts, quelling riots, and dealing with mysterious matters all required Bai Qing''s input.


    And she couldn''t afford to slack off.


    Although the Bai family operated as a whole, it was divided into many factions and branches.


    Bai Qing was responsible for managing her branch''s financial resources and the livelihood of her branch''s descendants.


    But this wasn''t a simple acknowledgment of responsibility.


    Unlike in his past life, in a world where warriors held all power, only those with sufficient strength were capable of handling many tasks.


    Even if Bai Qing wanted to delegate, she would need enough warriors under her command to do so.


    From what Chen An knew, Bai Qing''s lack of manpower was quite evident.


    Not only did she lack loyal and capable personnel, but she also lacked individuals with sufficient strength.


    In a pessimistic estimation, Chen An''s strength probably placed him at the forefront of Bai Qing''s manpower.


    With that in mind, Chen An shook his head, then turned and walked toward the courtyard.


    Compared to the residence in Fengcheng County, this residence was significantly more upscale, with better scenery and a larger area.


    This discrepancy was expected.


    The residence in Fengcheng was just an ordinary civilian house, whereas this residence in the Bai family was designed and built by master craftsmen, showcasing a different level of elegance and luxury.


    The items used here were all high-quality, with hardly anything ordinary.


    Chen An estimated that if he were to sell the items from this place, he could fetch a good amount of silver coins.


    However, he had no need to do so.


    Before bringing him here, Bai Qing had provided him with a settlement fee.


    A generous five hundred taels of silver.


    Added to the scattered amounts given by Bai Qing previously, Chen An had received around seven to eight hundred taels of silver from her.


    This amount was no small sum, even within Shangyuan County.


    And that was just the settlement fee. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As per Song Lao, there would be a monthly stipend of around thirty taels of silver.


    Thirty taels per month meant an annual salary of three hundred and sixty taels, which Chen An felt was already quite substantial.


    Still, Song Lao seemed worried that Chen An might find it inadequate, mentioning that there would be additional rewards in the future.


    This only reinforced the idea that warriors were indeed the core talent in this world.


    "It''s time to bring in a few people," Chen An thought, looking around and feeling satisfied with his new environment.


    The decorations and items here were nice, but the neglect of some areas due to lack of prior maintenance had left them covered in dust.


    He would need to hire a few people to take care of those areas.


    Song Lao kindly provided Chen An with a few addresses and mentioned that he could select some people from there if he wasn''t satisfied.


    It seemed that Song Lao''s primary role under Bai Qing was that of a steward or assistant, rather than a killer.


    After wandering around, Chen An was about to leave, planning to explore and familiarize himself with the new environment.


    However, before he could step out of the courtyard gate, he noticed someone waiting for him.


    It was a young man who looked quite handsome, appearing to be in his early twenties.


    As Chen An walked out of the room, the man approached with a friendly smile, bowing to him.


    "I am Bai Changyue, nice to meet you, brother."


    He extended his hand towards Chen An and said with a smile, "You seem unfamiliar, probably just returned from out of town. How should I address you?"


    "I am Chen An."


    Chen An looked the young man up and down but couldn''t discern anything remarkable about him.


    While there were traces of practicing external techniques on him, his specific cultivation level was difficult to determine.


    "So you are Miss Qing''s guest!"


    Upon hearing Chen An''s name, Bai Changyue became even more enthusiastic, his smile reaching new heights.


    For locals, encountering people like Chen An wasn''t unusual, but it was different if they were guests rather than locals.


    In the ancestral grounds of the Bai family, there were limitations on the number of guests brought in, typically consisting of talented individuals from various backgrounds.


    This person is worth befriending!


    Bai Changyue made this judgment and his smile grew even warmer.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 40: Adaptation

    Bai Changyue was just an ordinary member of the Bai family.Of course, strictly speaking, he wasn''t really that ordinary since he could also practice martial arts.


    But what good did that do him?


    With thousands of members in the Bai family, there were all kinds of people among them. He was just one of them, nothing special.


    As for the status of a Bai family member?


    It wasn''t worth much.


    In a small place like Fengcheng County, a young master from a prestigious family might still be worth something, able to intimidate others.


    But in Shangyuan County, you could probably bump into a member of a prestigious family just by walking a few steps on the street.


    It was a dime a dozen.


    There was no hope for him to stand out on his own, and Bai Changyue''s talent was not outstanding either. Eventually, he took a different path.


    That was also why he came to approach him right away.


    While others might be concerned about their reputation, he had no such worries. When he saw a big shot, he immediately went over to make a connection.


    What was the value of face? What did it matter?


    With the intention of pleasing and making connections, Bai Changyue actively chatted with Chen An, even taking the initiative to show him around, appreciate the scenery of the Bai family''s territory, and help him get familiar with it.


    Chen An didn''t refuse.


    Having just arrived here, he wasn''t really familiar with the surroundings.


    Now that someone was willing to show him around, it was just right.


    With Bai Changyue leading the way, Chen An took a stroll around.


    The scale of the Bai family''s territory was quite impressive.


    Although called a family territory, it was more like a small city.


    In this small city, there were at least tens of thousands of people living.


    These tens of thousands of people were not just members of the Bai family; there were also a large number of servants and other personnel.


    After all, the Bai family also needed food to eat, people to serve them, and all of these required manpower.


    Over time, this place slowly developed.


    As they wandered around, Chen An felt like he had entered a bustling city, just on a smaller scale.


    Furthermore, the proportion of martial practitioners here was higher.


    Saying that everyone practiced martial arts was a bit of an exaggeration, but probably eight or nine out of ten did.


    Even the servants mostly had traces of martial arts on them, although they probably didn''t have much to show for it.


    This was a society where everyone practiced martial arts.


    There were many benefits to this.


    In such an environment where everyone practiced martial arts, those with talent were more likely to stand out and become martial practitioners, not having their talents suppressed by various circumstances.


    Born in Fengcheng County, unless you were exceptionally talented or born into the family of a gang leader or even the leader of the gang, there was no way you could receive true martial arts teachings.


    Unless you were at the level of a gang leader, you would only be a low-level thug as an ordinary gang member, and the only martial arts you could learn would be body-refining techniques like the Five Tiger Knife Method.


    Anything beyond that, forget about it, the path would be cut off for you.


    It was much easier in the Bai family.


    According to Bai Changyue, even an ordinary Bai family member could start practicing martial arts at around the age of eight, trying to cultivate their skills.


    Then those with good talent would be selected for special training, while those with lesser talent would fend for themselves, doing random chores.


    Although it still looked difficult, compared to Fengcheng County, the environment here was already much better.


    "Miss Qing''s side has always been short of people, and now with Brother An coming to help, it won''t be long before he''s given important tasks."


    Walking on the road, Bai Changyue looked at Chen An with some envy. "At least he can manage a market area, and then money will come rolling in."


    Chen An responded in a friendly manner and didn''t hide any irrelevant information.


    Bai Changyue wasn''t surprised when he learned about Chen An''s cultivation level, after all, this was the Bai family''s territory, and there were quite a few martial practitioners.


    Unless one had achieved the Grand Master level, that would be worth a moment of surprise.


    Of course, if he knew that Chen An had only been practicing martial arts for less than a year, things would have been different.


    At this moment, he just felt envious.


    It was well known in the various branches of the Bai family that Bai Qing''s followers were always short of manpower.


    A young man like Chen An with the cultivation level of Internal Qi would likely be favored and trusted in the future. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It might not be daring to say, but managing a bustling market area and collecting taxes would be too easy.


    It was a plum job.


    "I don''t care about money rolling in, as long as I can help Miss Qing," Chen An said with a smile, showing his loyalty even when Miss Qing wasn''t present.


    To this, Bai Changyue just smiled and didn''t say much.


    After a while, they arrived at a bustling market area, where Chen An bought some things.


    Chen An paid attention to the prices.


    Although there were some differences, the prices of various goods were not much different from those in Fengcheng County, and in some cases, they were even much cheaper.


    Especially, the price of food was even lower.


    He wondered if this was normal.


    After taking a stroll, Chen An bowed to Bai Changyue and prepared to leave.


    Before leaving, Bai Changyue gave Chen An the address of his residence, so that he could find him if needed.


    Chen An smiled and agreed.


    After a while, Chen An returned to his residence.


    Time passed bit by bit.


    In the blink of an eye, more than two months had passed.


    During these two months, there were not many changes in the Bai family''s territory.


    However, some people noticed that Bai Qing''s side seemed to have a new follower.


    This follower was not very old, probably around sixteen or seventeen years old, but he was already at the Internal Qi level, reportedly a talented individual brought from the neighboring Chi Yuan County.


    This news sparked some curiosity, and some people even visited him, but that was about it.


    After a while, the curiosity caused by Chen An''s arrival faded away.


    This was the Bai family''s territory, and there were quite a few young talents at the Internal Qi completion level.


    Compared to these talents, Chen An''s news was just a passing novelty, nothing special.


    In the early morning, the sunlight illuminated the earth, bringing warmth to the land.


    On a grassland, an arrow shot through the air, heading towards the front and finally pinning a rabbit to the ground, thoroughly dead.


    "Brother Chen has really good archery skills."


    Cheers echoed from all directions.


    Standing by a stream, Chen An smiled, calmly put away his longbow, and said, "You guys are too kind."


    "This rabbit looks quite big, it''ll make for an extra meal for us."


    Someone picked up the rabbit and threw it aside.


    Not far away, a few servants quickly picked up the game and went to skin and process it.


    Only the few people gathered in the center continued to chat.


    "I heard that Miss Qing recently bestowed a few Body Tempering Pills on you once again, truly enviable."


    A tall youth looked at Chen An with obvious envy.


    "I heard that some fresh Body Tempering Pills were on the shelves in the county city some time ago. I went to see, but each pill costs five hundred silver taels, which I simply cannot afford."


    The youth said with a long sigh, a hint of bitterness on his face.


    "It''s not just that it costs five hundred silver taels, the key is that you can''t even buy it."


    A voice came from the side.


    A young girl with a delicate appearance, dressed in a tight-fitting robe that accentuated her curves, caught the attention of those around her.


    In front of the others, she shook her head and said, "I heard the news and rushed over immediately, but I was just a step too late. They were all out of stock; it''s really..."


    "Miss Qing is really generous. Giving out Pill for five hundred silver taels each." The youth spoke with clear envy.


    Chen An kept his smile, saying, "Why not join my family, Miss Qing will surely be overjoyed. By then, a few pills will be a small matter."


    "That''s still a pass."


    Bai Changren smiled bitterly, not daring to continue this topic.


    "Even if he has the intention, he probably wouldn''t dare to go. Otherwise, his dad would break both his legs."


    The girl on the side couldn''t help but chuckle, letting out a clear laughter.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 41: Adaptation (2)

    Different from ordinary people like Bai Changyue, the identities of the people in front of them are quite different, basically all of them are direct descendants of the Bai family.Bai Changren is from the second elder line of the Bai family, he is a direct descendant of the head of this line, and is also a key figure.


    The girl next to him is from the fourth elder line, named Bai Zhilan, also a direct descendant of that line.


    Compared to others, they have elders to discipline them, and they are not on bad terms with the third elder line where Bai Qing is.


    Others may be fine, but if they dare to align with Bai Qing, they would probably have their legs broken by their own elders in a minute.


    Within the Bai family, there are various major branches, each occupying a portion of resources, with cooperation and competition among them, the relationships are sometimes not harmonious.


    There''s no way around it. Even among ordinary relatives, various conflicts can arise if they spend too much time together, let alone the large and prestigious Bai family.


    Due to power and resources, the relationships between the major branches have always been relatively tense.


    Some relationships are very bad, and they even come to blows as soon as they meet.


    Of course, the tense relationships among the higher-ups do not affect the younger generation mingling with each other.


    Interacting with outstanding individuals from the major branches, exchanging resources with each other, this is also encouraged by the higher-ups.


    In the past two months, through Bai Qing''s connections, Chen An has also gotten to know many outstanding newcomers within the Bai family, and has made some progress by making friends with some of them.


    Among this group, Chen An is quite popular and has not faced any embarrassment due to his background.


    Of course, the main reason for this is his cultivation level.


    If he were not at the Inner Qi Realm, but only a Physical Refinement martial artist, the current situation would be completely different.


    Bai Changren and Bai Zhilan in front of him are both direct descendants of various branches of the Bai family, and if he wants to impress them, the strength of a Physical Refinement cultivator would not be enough.


    The sound of crackling oil came from in front of them.


    The scent of roasted meat wafted over.


    Chen An smiled and personally grilled meat for Bai Changren and the others, and then handed the grilled meat to them. S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, by the way,"


    As they chatted, Bai Changren suddenly remembered something and spoke up, "The matter you asked me to inquire about before, there are some clues now."


    "I''ll have someone deliver it to you another day."


    "Oh?"


    Chen An''s face lit up with a hint of joy, "In that case, I''ll have to thank Changren brother."


    "No need, it''s just a small matter."


    Bai Changren smiled and didn''t seem to care about Chen An''s attitude.


    In order to further power up, in addition to working hard to cultivate, Chen An is also working on expanding his ways of replenishing energy.


    Acquiring sinister objects is a good way.


    Coincidentally, the population in Shangyuan County is large, and there are many births of sinister creatures, so there shouldn''t be a shortage of remnants of sinister objects.


    At this point, the benefits of Chen An''s friendship with these direct descendants of the Bai family, such as Bai Changren, are beginning to show.


    He entrusts people like Bai Changren to help collect or introduce him to relevant channels, which is much more effective than sourcing them himself.


    In the face of Chen An''s gratitude, Bai Changren was not at all concerned, and didn''t even mention payment to Chen An.


    After all, the direct descendants of the Bai family are all wealthy and powerful. Despite Bai Changren''s cultivation level being inferior to Chen An''s, if he wishes, he can easily outstrip Chen An with his wealth and resources.


    Before interacting with Bai Changren and the others, Chen An thought that although he couldn''t be considered a wealthy man, he wouldn''t have to worry about money.


    But as it turns out, this was just wishful thinking on his part.


    A maid came over from afar and whispered a few words to Bai Zhilan, who then stood up and looked at Chen An and the others with a bright smile, "I have some things to attend to, so let''s call it a day for now."


    "Do you have free time in a while?"


    She looked at Chen An, her face blushing slightly, "I heard that a new street has opened in the county town, if you''re free, let''s go for a stroll together."


    Is this a rich woman''s invitation?


    Chen An was a bit surprised, but quickly reacted with a smile and nodded.


    Bai Zhilan hurried away, her steps hurried as if she was fleeing.


    Looking closely, one could see a hint of blush on the girl''s cheeks.


    Bai Changren couldn''t help but laugh, "Brother Chen is indeed blessed."


    "In my memory, this is the first time Zhilan has invited a man."


    "You should seize the opportunity."


    He looked at Chen An, his tone unconsciously lowering, "As far as I know, Zhilan has never been married."


    "I am just an outsider, I dare not think about such things."


    Chen An smiled calmly, showing no significant reaction to this news, "Miss Zhilan''s thoughts may not necessarily be as you imagine."


    "True."


    Bai Changren smiled and said no more.


    After a moment, the two packed up and left, each returning to their respective residences.


    Just as they returned to their quarters, not long after, someone came to visit them, deliberately sending some things over.


    It was Bai Changren''s people.


    The servants in the courtyard accepted the items and placed them in Chen An''s room.


    Chen An opened them up for a look.


    Inside were only three items in total.


    An ancient map, a piece of bone of an unknown creature, and a bloody dagger.


    Of the three items, besides the blood-stained dagger, the other two looked quite normal, belonging to the kind of items that couldn''t be identified even if placed on the road.


    But Chen An could still sense a unique aura from these three items.


    A wave of cold and heat emanated from these items in front of him, which Chen An keenly felt.


    Authentic, they are all authentic.


    In just an instant, Chen An judged the authenticity of these three items.


    "Quite fresh."


    Chen An picked up the dagger and made a judgment.


    All three items felt very fresh to him, it could be that they had become sinister objects recently, tainted by their sinister energy.


    Could it be that Bai Changren directly brought these things from the scene where sinister creatures appeared?


    It''s not impossible, there''s a high possibility.


    The Bai family has people specifically tasked with suppressing sinister creatures, and martial artists from various branches regularly go out to hunt and kill sinister creatures.


    With Bai Changren''s status, it would be easy for someone to collect things on-site intentionally.


    Holding the map in one hand and the dagger in the other, Chen An could keenly sense the warm flow surging within him.


    Soon, changes began to appear before him.


    The blood on the dagger began to fade, slowly disappearing, and the map started to burn slowly.


    As for the bone, the display was more exaggerated, as it directly turned into a cloud of mist and dissipated.


    However, with these changes appearing, a surge of heat rose within Chen An.


    Energy was once again replenished.


    Comparatively, the energy provided by the sinister objects to Chen An was not much, far from the richness of directly obtaining energy from the sinister objects.


    But Chen An''s energy bar had already accumulated quite a bit, and now this energy replenishment was enough to fill it back up.


    Without hesitation, Chen An began to projection.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 42: Mastery of Internal Qi

    "The simulation has ended.""You have gained thirty points of source power." s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    A great harvest indeed.


    Chen An stared at the subtitles in front of him, looking surprised.


    What''s going on today? Is my luck suddenly skyrocketing?


    Thirty points of source power, this is the most he has gained since awakening the upgrade template.


    This is a great thing.


    "Lucky."


    Rarely, a smile appeared on his face, then he looked ahead.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (4.3), Endurance (4.2), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Power: 58


    Inheritance: Ming Body Decision (Second Layer), Five Tiger Sword Technique (Mastery), Tiger Leopard Horizontal Training (Partial), Sea Sand Fist (Mastery), Yang Family Spear (Partial)


    Projection: Charging


    The familiar upgrade template reappeared.


    There have been some changes compared to before.


    Firstly, the source power. After several accumulations, the unprecedented accumulated source power has now reached fifty-eight points, exceeding half a hundred.


    Although there have been no attribute points added during this period, Chen An''s efforts in cultivation have led to some slight improvements.


    However, the rate of improvement is not very large, and it is getting slower and slower.


    Chen An estimates that in a while, the growth of his attributes will likely stagnate.


    This is also normal.


    The speed of internal energy circulation nourishing the body has a limit, and the effect will become worse over time.


    Unless more abundant internal energy is used for nourishment, the effect will always be limited.


    Thinking of this, Chen An couldn''t help but look at the Ming Body Decision column.


    "Are you choosing to upgrade?"


    A line of subtitles appeared in front of his eyes, then disappeared quickly.


    Various information flashed in his mind, and slowly disappeared after a moment.


    In front of Chen An, the three words of Ming Body Decision quickly became bright, stopped for a while, and then dimmed again.


    As for its next layer behind it, it has now inadvertently become the third layer.


    Chen An looked at it, and upgrading the Ming Body Decision to the third layer consumed a total of ten points of source power.


    It seems tolerable?


    Then let''s continue.


    Boom!


    A warm current surged from all over the body, rapidly bringing about changes within Chen An''s body.


    The originally developed meridians rapidly expanded, extending outward once again, continuously opening up.


    Moreover, the speed was quite fast, not slow expansion, but opening up in complete sections.


    If others knew about this speed, they would probably be envious already.


    After a while, Chen An finally stopped.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (5.5), Endurance (5.3), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Power: 13


    Inheritance: Ming Body Decision (Fifth Layer), Five Tiger Sword Technique (Mastery), Tiger Leopard Horizontal Training (Partial), Sea Sand Fist (Mastery), Yang Family Spear (Partial)


    Projection: Charging


    A terrifying heat surged, rushing towards Chen An''s body, and in just an instant, many things changed.


    At this moment, Chen An had a inexplicable feeling.


    As the level of the Ming Body Decision continued to rise, his body was being impacted in various places, with meridians being opened up one after another.


    And with the opening of the meridians, it brought about the surging internal energy within him.


    Before the upgrade, the internal energy in Chen An''s body was only a weak mass, usually used sparingly to temper his body. If not careful, it would be depleted quickly.


    But now it''s different.


    If the previous internal energy was a small bowl of water, it has now turned into a bottle.


    And it was still growing continuously.


    This kind of feeling was extremely refreshing.


    After a while, Chen An finally stopped.


    At this point, he had already noticed something unusual.


    His whole body was soaked with sweat, his clothes drenched.


    Upon closer inspection, many changes had occurred all over his body.


    Chen An raised his hand and examined it.


    On his palm, there used to be dense calluses and dead skin, with the whole arm very robust.


    But now, upon closer inspection, it''s different.


    Layers of thick and tough old skins were shedding off. With a careful rub, a large piece could be rubbed off, and the previously dark and hard skin had become smooth and delicate again, like an ordinary person who had never practiced martial arts.


    This was the aftermath of practicing the Ming Body Decision.


    A while ago, Chen An already found out that with the nourishment of internal energy, many parts of his body had undergone significant changes, but because the internal energy was still weak at that time, it wasn''t very obvious.


    But now with such a sudden increase, the effect of internal energy suddenly became apparent.


    Not only did the surface of the body begin to change, even the body itself started to change. The previously robust physique seemed to have weakened somewhat.


    Many unnecessary flesh seemed to have been converted and consumed, making Chen An look significantly leaner.


    Fortunately, this change had just begun, and at the moment, it wasn''t too exaggerated.


    Otherwise, Chen An would have been a bit worried.


    But as long as he could have some time to buffer, it would be easy to explain later.


    Because normally, tempering the body with internal energy would have a similar effect.


    "According to the level of internal energy, I should be considered as having achieved Mastery of Internal Qi now, right?"


    Chen An calculated in his heart, determining the level he currently belonged to.


    It appears to be equivalent to achieving Mastery of Internal Qi.


    Comparable to Three Rivers gang leader Song Wang.


    According to what Song Wang said before, achieving Mastery of Internal Qi made one the number one person in the entire White family.


    The degree of strength improvement is quite good.


    The only trouble is that the inheritance, which was adequate before, has now reached its peak once again.


    From what Chen An has learned during this period, even within the White family, internal cultivation methods like the Ming Body Decision are precious, and not something ordinary people can obtain.


    Let alone the cultivation methods above the Internal Qi realm, such as the Gang Qi realm.


    That would probably be even more precious, most likely held by the core figures of the White family.


    Bai Qing should have them, but whether or not she is willing to give them is another matter.


    Unlike ordinary internal cultivation methods, the secret cultivation methods at the Gang Qi realm are classified everywhere.


    Just like the White family''s inherited Yin Body Skill, only the White family members can practice it.


    If others were to practice it and were discovered, they would undoubtedly be mercilessly pursued and killed by the White family.


    And Chen An couldn''t explain his cultivation level issue casually.


    He couldn''t just say that he woke up and directly reached Mastery of Internal Qi, could he?


    That would be treating Bai Qing as a fool.


    "Troublesome, troublesome."


    Chen An sighed, then silently got up and walked out.


    Calculating the time, he also needed to go out to deal with some matters.


    Boom!


    At noon, in a unfamiliar market, Chen An stood there and threw a punch.


    In front of him, a figure flew out, crashing heavily to the ground.


    Around him, several members of the White family looked at Chen An with awe, their eyes filled with admiration.


    "The troublemaker has been dealt with. You handle the rest yourselves."


    Chen An didn''t pay attention to the people around him, he simply said, then turned and left.


    Leaving behind many figures.


    (End of the chapter).

 Chapter 43: Lantern Festival

    After dealing with the troublemakers in Fangshi, Chen An walked out.The place just now belonged to one of Bai Qing''s territories, a place where Chen An often went to buy things.


    So when there was trouble, he helped solve it on the way.


    Some may wonder, as a prestigious family, how could anyone dare to cause trouble in the Shangyuan County where the Bai family is deeply rooted?


    In theory, this is the case, but there are always exceptions.


    Shangyuan County is prosperous in business, and there are always outsiders coming in.


    Among these outsiders, there are always some who cause trouble for various reasons.


    They are not locals, the worst outcome is just leaving, so what can the Bai family do?


    In addition, there are also people sent by other prestigious families to come and cause trouble.


    This is just normal operation, with various reasons.


    If there is no one specifically watching the scene, even if the backing is the Bai family, it can still be ruined by others.


    In this world, ordinary common people, if they are not martial arts masters, no matter how hard they work, they cannot expand their industries and make them strong.


    It is estimated that they will be swallowed up at the initial stage.


    Chen An is already accustomed to such things.


    Leaving the market, there are still people waiting for him outside.


    It''s a young girl in a robe, with a beautiful face and tall figure, attracting the attention of many people.


    Many passersby turned their heads and focused their gaze on the girl.


    "Long wait."


    Chen An walked to the girl''s side and smiled at her: "I had to handle some things earlier, so I was delayed."


    "It''s okay."


    Bai Zhilan smiled slightly, not caring about it: "Today happens to be a Lantern Festival, let''s go and take a look together."


    "It might be a bit early."


    Chen An smiled casually and said.


    Every world has its own festivals.


    This world naturally has its own festivals, and today there is a lantern festival.


    It is still not dark yet, but the streets outside are already bustling with excitement, everywhere looks very lively and festive.


    Because of the existence of martial artists in this world, the atmosphere is relatively more relaxed compared to the ancient times in Chen An''s memory.


    On the crowded street, many young women who are about to get married appear, walking on the street in groups, some accompanied by men.


    After a while, night falls, and lanterns are lit everywhere, making the place look very lively.


    Bai Zhilan took Chen An around to roam and wander.


    Compared to Chen An, she is much more familiar with these places, it seems she has been going out often before.


    Unknowing, they arrived at a temple.


    This temple is bustling with incense offerings, with people coming to worship constantly, making it very lively.


    Chen An and Bai Zhilan quietly walked here, but suddenly felt something was wrong.


    A familiar feeling emerged from his body.


    "Hmm?"


    He frowned and looked ahead.


    He could feel that among the crowd, there was a familiar energy passing by.


    That is the feeling of energy.


    Is it sinister? Or a sinister object?


    Chen An remained calm, looking towards the crowd ahead.


    There were too many people in front of him, making it difficult for him to distinguish whether someone was having a change in their aura, or if there was a sinister object appearing, carried by someone.


    While he was pondering, Bai Zhilan''s voice came from beside him.


    "What''s wrong with you?"


    Bai Zhilan looked at Chen An with concern on her face.


    "I''m fine."


    Chen An smiled. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Unconsciously, their hands touched.


    They subconsciously held each other''s hands, then realized something and quickly let go.


    Looking up, Bai Zhilan''s face was red, and she had silently lowered her head.


    "Let''s go."


    Watching this scene, Chen An smiled and spoke softly.


    They walked through the bustling crowd and casually found a small path to leave.


    Chen An didn''t dwell too much on what happened earlier.


    It''s too troublesome.


    It''s difficult to accurately pinpoint the problem among so many people. It''s hard for Chen An to do it alone under normal circumstances.


    He didn''t want to use violence in public, so he had to silently give up.


    The energy around him was insignificant, not as important to Chen An now as he had imagined.


    Missing it once is enough.


    Chen An thought silently in his heart, leading Bai Zhilan to walk towards a different direction.


    Bang!


    A wall collapsed instantly.


    The outside market was extremely lively, with one person shuttling through, very prosperous and busy.


    But in unseen places, there were also battles happening.


    Song Ziyang held his chest, trying to move forward.


    Pain spread all over his body, emanating from various places, almost making him want to lie down and give up everything.


    But he dared not move.


    Because at this moment, there were still many people chasing after him.


    If he dared to lie down, he might as well choose to lie down forever and never move again.


    "Give up."


    A middle-aged man in a gray robe appeared in front of him, his face looking somewhat pale, staring coldly at Song Ziyang: "Hand over the things to me, and I''ll leave you as a complete corpse."


    "Never!"


    Facing the figure in front of him, Song Ziyang was somewhat horrified, but still gritted his teeth, turning around directly to leave.


    He randomly chose a direction and tried to break free.


    A strange scene appeared.


    As he tried to break through and move outward, wanting to enter the crowd.


    This place is the county city, with many experts and strong individuals, as soon as they hear the news, they will immediately come to deal with it.


    As long as he can attract the attention of nearby experts by entering the crowd, he can deal with those behind him.


    However, the middle-aged man behind him naturally understood Song Ziyang''s intentions.


    But he just sneered at Song Ziyang''s actions.


    After several attempts, Song Ziyang also discovered this inexplicable situation.


    Whenever he tried to break out and leave, for various reasons, he always found himself back where he started.


    The bustling market was right in front of him, just a wall away, but he couldn''t leave this place, couldn''t enter that area.


    The two areas seemed to be separated by some kind of mysterious force, turning into two completely unrelated worlds.


    "Give up."


    Behind him, the middle-aged man coldly spoke: "With your level, you can''t leave my hands."


    "Save some effort, and die honestly."


    "I promise, you won''t suffer much pain."


    He opened his mouth, his face so cold yet revealing a smile.


    To him, Song Ziyang in front of him was like a delicacy, making him somewhat unforgettable.


    Even just looking at it, there was a surge of heat inside him that made him extremely excited.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 44: The Descendant of Immortal

    Looking at a man with excitement, this would be considered somewhat perverse in the eyes of ordinary people.But obviously, this middle-aged man did not consider himself to be a pervert.


    Seeing the trembling, gasping, pale-faced Song Ziyang in front of him, the middle-aged man felt a wave of desire and then pounced on him.


    Seeing that there was no way to escape, Song Ziyang felt despair in his heart, feeling like he was about to die here.


    Fortunately, there is always someone who comes to save him.


    The middle-aged man''s body stiffened, in the dim darkness, someone was standing there, grabbing his hand.


    His body stiffened, unable to express his feelings, but soon flew out.


    "Finally found it."


    A long sigh came out.


    A handsome young man walked out from the dim corner, looking at the person in front of him with a sigh.


    Song Ziyang was stunned, not sure if it was an illusion, he felt like the voice in front of him seemed familiar.


    Upon closer inspection, he realized that he was not mistaken.


    The person in front of him was not just familiar, he was someone he knew!


    "Master, Master!"


    He immediately called out loudly, making a sound.


    "Mr. Song, it has been a long time."


    Chen An heard Song Ziyang''s voice and was momentarily stunned.


    It had been a while since they last met, and since Chen An was not particularly close to him, he didn''t recognize him at first.


    But as soon as Song Ziyang spoke, Chen An immediately remembered.


    Who else would call him that besides this guy all the time?


    A large claw reached out in front of him, digging towards Chen An''s chest, looking like it was going to tear open his chest.


    Chen An''s body slightly bent, instinctively punching out, the powerful internal energy rushing forward.


    Boom!


    Like a fierce tiger attacking, roaring.


    Faced with this heavy blow, the person in front of him didn''t have time to say anything, and was directly struck down, his chest bursting open and deforming.


    A crimson blood flowed down like it was endless, the situation was so thrilling that it was unstoppable.


    The middle-aged man in front of him had wide eyes, his eyes bloodshot, watching as he died helplessly.


    "Is that it?"


    Looking at the body in front of him, Chen An felt somewhat speechless.


    He knew he had exerted too much force.


    But there was no other way.


    After just advancing, there would be this problem, not being able to control the strength in his body.


    He felt like the punch just now was just a casual blow, but it ended up smashing the person to death.


    He had to be more careful next time.


    Thinking like this in his heart, Chen An searched around for a while.


    He didn''t mind the dirty corpse, skillfully patting it down, finding a few things.


    Some scattered silver notes, totaling about a few hundred taels of silver, and a token made of an unknown material.


    The token was made of gold, seeming to be some kind of antique, and should be worth some money.


    Most importantly, this token was a sinister object that could replenish energy. s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let''s go, let''s find a place to talk."


    After doing all this, he turned to look at Song Ziyang who was somewhat stunned on the side, then spoke.


    "Yes."


    Song Ziyang swallowed, nodding quickly.


    The two quickly walked out of the alley.


    Away from the alley, the outside was still very lively, but most people had already left.


    This was normal, without a rich nightlife, the so-called lantern festival was just like this.


    Bai Zhilan had already returned to her mansion, so Chen An had been bored, trying his luck around and coincidentally saving this kid, Song Ziyang.


    Finding a random inn, Chen An ordered a pot of wine and two side dishes, sitting face to face, then asked.


    "Tell me, what trouble have you gotten into this time?"


    "Is it your previous enemies again?"


    He poured himself a jug of wine, then chuckled and said.


    "It''s a long story."


    Song Ziyang remained silent for a moment, then took a deep breath.


    He had no secrets from Chen An and began to earnestly recount his recent experiences.


    After handing Liu Ziqin over to Chen An, Song Ziyang traveled alone to the northern region, hoping to gather clues and find out the real culprit against the Liu family.


    After some searching, he finally gained some insight and even used some means to take something from these people.


    "It''s this thing."


    Without any hesitation, Song Ziyang searched his pocket for a while and put something down.


    It was a red gemstone.


    The gemstone looked very bright, and at first glance, it was not a simple item.


    If it were to be sold, it should be worth at least a few dozen taels of silver.


    But if it were just that, it seemed to not match the value Song Ziyang mentioned.


    Just a gemstone, what use could it have for a warrior?


    "What''s special about this thing?"


    After looking for a long time, Chen An really couldn''t see what was so special about this thing, so he asked.


    "I don''t know."


    Song Ziyang shrugged, giving an answer that surprised Chen An.


    "If you don''t know what it''s for, why did you snatch it?"


    Chen An was speechless.


    "In any case, it''s definitely a good thing."


    Song Ziyang smiled, "To be honest, I didn''t know how valuable it was at first, but seeing them chasing after it so desperately, I figured it must be valuable."


    "It probably has something to do with the legendary immortals."


    "Immortals?"


    Chen An was a little dazed and didn''t quite grasp the idea, "Are there really immortals in this world?"


    The legends of immortals and gods were abundant in Chen An''s past life, but they were never confirmed.


    As for this world, there were also stories of immortals and Buddhas, but Chen An had never seen them.


    But in a world with martial arts, if there were immortals and Buddhas, it seemed quite normal, not something strange.


    "Of course, they exist, but they have long been extinct."


    In contrast to Chen An''s skepticism, Song Ziyang was more certain, "There have been immortals in this world since hundreds of years ago, but they were few in number."


    Seeing Chen An still looked confused, as if having some doubts, Song Ziyang added, "Aside from the past, the royal family of Liangguo is said to be the descendants of an immortal."


    The royal family of Liangguo, descendants of an immortal?


    "How do you know so much about this?"


    Chen An looked at Song Ziyang with some suspicion.


    He wasn''t doubting Song Ziyang''s words, but was beginning to doubt his identity.


    Come to think of it, since their first meeting, Song Ziyang hadn''t detailed his background, only mentioning having a teacher.


    Now it seemed that compared to others, Song Ziyang''s identity wasn''t that simple either.


    It was possible that he was one of the so-called descendants of immortals.


    But if he really was one of the so-called descendants of an immortal, how did he end up in his current position step by step?


    Feeling Chen An''s suspicious gaze, as if knowing what Chen An was thinking, Song Ziyang waved his hand and said, "Don''t misunderstand."


    "According to my master, my ancestors were indeed from an immortal, but from childhood to adulthood, I''ve just been a normal person and never realized that there was anything different about me from ordinary people."


    "The so-called descendants of immortals, over time, are actually not that different from ordinary people."


    "More than being the descendant of an immortal, I hope I am a martial arts genius, not like now, struggling for more than ten years, and not even achieving the complete body refining level."


    As he spoke, his voice gradually grew low, showing signs of disappointment.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 45: Time of Change

    Chen An looked at the appearance of Song Ziyang, not knowing what to say.Talent can indeed be despairing.


    The same task may be completed by others in a few days, while you may spend a lifetime on it.


    If Chen An hadn''t been so talented, with his original talent, he might still be struggling in Sanhe Gang now, and it would be impossible for him to stand out.


    Calculating like this, Chen An could understand Song Ziyang''s frustration.


    "There is always a way out."


    He said, "There are countless paths in this world, not just the path of martial arts."


    "Brother Song is a talent of this generation, and the descendant of immortals. His future will definitely be extraordinary."


    He thought for a while, but could only come up with this sentence in the end.


    "What descendant of immortals, there is actually no difference between them and ordinary people."


    Song Ziyang smiled bitterly, "If the descendant of immortals really has any use, the royal family of Liang Country would not have been marginalized to this extent."


    "Nowadays, in Liang Country, how many people will listen to the emperor''s edict if he leaves the capital city?"


    "However, in recent years, there have indeed been many changes everywhere."


    He sighed, then continued, "In the past few hundred years, immortals have long since disappeared, leaving only a few legends."


    "But in recent years, for some reason, objects related to immortals and deities have been collected madly by people."


    "The outside world is also changing, not only are there more mysterious events, even the number of wild anomalies in the wilderness is increasing."


    "Perhaps, as my master said, another time of change is coming."


    "Time of change."


    Chen An poured a glass of wine for Song Ziyang, and curiously asked, "What is this about?"


    "It is a set of wisdom summarized by ancients."


    Song Ziyang waved his hand, his face slightly flushed, appearing a bit drunk, "As the moon waxes and wanes, and people go through aging, so too does the natural world."


    "The sages of ancient times believed that the heavens and earth are constantly changing, with extremely small changes occurring every moment, accumulating bit by bit, and then there are manifestations of thunder and rain."


    "From the swirling mist to the change of seasons, all are results of the accumulation of changes in the heavens and earth."


    "And when these changes accumulate to a certain extent, it will lead to the heavens and earth entering into different states."


    Song Ziyang smiled, "Thus, at a certain time, the heavens and earth fall into silence, during that period, immortals disappear, and then at another period, immortals become active, hence the concept of eras."


    "The turning point of each era is known as the ''time of change''."


    With that, he smiled again, "Perhaps we are currently in a time of change, with a new era about to arrive, bringing about changes in the heavens and earth."


    Chen An listened attentively, his expression gradually changing.


    These things that Song Ziyang mentioned might be regarded as nonsensical by others, just a joke to laugh at. But to Chen An, it made sense in a different way.


    The world is indeed constantly changing, if in the past life, it was the stars continually rotating, always in motion.


    It is precisely because of these changes that we have the variations of the four seasons and the myriad phenomena.


    Some people in this world also realized the essence of this.


    So, could there really be so-called immortals in this world?


    It seems entirely possible.


    Warriors have already appeared, so what''s stopping an immortal from appearing too?


    Moreover, if a warrior reaches a high level, it might not be much different from an immortal in the eyes of ordinary people, right?


    Chen An pondered silently.


    In front of him, Song Ziyang was still drinking incessantly.


    It seemed that he had been feeling quite repressed during this period, and now that he had relaxed, he couldn''t hold back anymore.


    Chen An watched him lying on the table like that, then called someone to send Song Ziyang to his room.


    The next day, when Chen An came to visit again, he found that Song Ziyang had already left.


    He left without a word, and didn''t say anything before leaving.


    In his room, Chen An saw the red gemstone that Song Ziyang had left on the bedside, seemingly deliberately left for Chen An.


    "He is quite a grateful person."


    Looking at the gemstone in his hand, Chen An shook his head, not knowing what to say.


    He put away the gemstone and left.


    The bustling market outside was as lively as usual, crowded with people everywhere.


    Chen An thought for a moment, then found a nearby bookstore and went inside to browse.


    Although this world was still somewhat backward, printing and paper had already appeared, and there were specialized bookstores selling books, although their prices were still somewhat high, generally requiring half a tael of silver, which was not affordable for commoners.


    If they were truly ordinary people, they probably wouldn''t be willing to buy books from here.


    He randomly selected a few books and brought them home, flipping through them.


    These books were deliberately chosen by him, all related to the legends of immortals and deities.


    Out of the five books, three were fictional stories, which Chen An set aside.


    "At first sages could dispel ghosts and gods, imparting wisdom on the grand world, and with a single wrath, destroy a nation."


    Opening the book, Chen An was stunned by the description of the ancient sages.


    Could a single wrath really destroy a nation?


    Is this still human?


    Chen An carefully read the book in front of him.


    The book was filled with reverence for the ancient sages, and the descriptions inside seemed to imply that if those abilities were true, they would indeed be beings of the divine.


    Could it be that the so-called sages of this world were actually ancient immortals?


    It seemed entirely possible.


    Chen An closed the book, lost in thought.


    Those who could be called sages must be outstanding, even considered the most elite figures of an era.


    In the era of his past life, sages perhaps only referred to wisdom and knowledge, but in this world.


    The most outstanding figures not only possessed wisdom but also had the power to suppress everything.


    Otherwise, before you could finish reasoning, someone else would have already given you a physical lesson.


    What would one talk about then? What traces would be left?


    So from this perspective, unlike the legends of immortals hiding away, if there were truly immortals in this world, they must have shone brightly in the past, even being regarded as the sages of their time. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "I wonder if those sages left behind any teachings or legacies."


    Thinking like this, Chen An began to have thoughts about the legacies of those sages.


    He didn''t lack anything now, except for a method.


    If those seemingly divine sages did indeed leave behind legacies, Chen An would do everything possible to acquire them.


    Unfortunately, that was just wishful thinking.


    Having finished reading the book in his hand, Chen An continued to flip through the other books.


    After reading two more books, Chen An discovered that the people in this world had clear records of the ancient immortals, and there were no scenes of immortal seclusion as he had imagined.


    All indications showed that this world had likely experienced a flourishing era of immortals in the past, leaving behind rich records and evidence.


    However, now that the immortals had been absent for too long, despite the remaining records, most people no longer paid them much attention.


    After finishing the books, Chen An took out two items.


    An ancient-looking yellow jade pendant, which seemed to have some origins, and a red gemstone.


    Both items were obtained from Song Ziyang, and the gemstone was self-explanatory. As for the jade pendant, according to Song Ziyang, it was left to him by his teacher, likely also an item related to immortals.


    Both items seemed to be related to the legendary immortals and deities.


    Chen An carefully observed them for a moment, before deciding to give up.


    From whichever angle he looked at them, he couldn''t see anything exceptional about these two items.


    It was as if these two items were just ordinary objects.


    But their ties to immortals and deities were definitely not that simple.


    He wondered what method he could use to uncover the value of these two items.


    With this thought in mind, Chen An silently put away the items, ready to return to his dwelling.


    Time was passing by quickly, and another month had soon passed.


    In Shangyuan County, a spacious area.


    "Is this the place?"


    Chen An entered the grand hall, looking at Bai Changyue in front of him, and asked with some doubt, "Are you sure there are no problems?"


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 46: Auction House

    Chen An began to doubt if he had been tricked.You can''t die from holding your pee.


    To solve his problem, he entrusted Bai Changyue to help him find a way to obtain martial arts inheritance.


    At that time, Bai Changyue promised readily, but now, he had brought him to this place. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking around, they were surrounded by bustling shops selling all sorts of things, but none related to martial artists.


    Did this place really have what he was looking for?


    "Don''t worry,¡± Bai Changyue said with a smile, exuding confidence, "This is all just superficial."


    "Follow me."


    Leading the way, he walked ahead, appearing quite familiar with the place.


    Under Bai Changyue''s guidance, they passed through many remote alleys and finally arrived at a place.


    It was a bookstore, appearing spacious and well-decorated, relatively upscale among the many bookstores in Shangyuan County.


    But Bai Changyue didn''t bring Chen An in to buy books.


    "What do you need?"


    Inside the bookstore, a voice sounded.


    It was a man who appeared strong and muscular, likely a martial artist in this world.


    A bookstore like this didn''t need a martial artist to be present.


    Something seemed off.


    "A front room, preferably in a prime location," Bai Changyue whispered, taking out some silver from his pocket.


    Glancing at it roughly, Chen An saw at least twenty taels of silver laid out on the table.


    The cost was a bit intimidating.


    While twenty taels of silver may not be much for Chen An, it wasn''t a small amount either.


    But this was just an entry fee to this place.


    The threshold here seemed unusually high.


    Chen An finally understood.


    The appearance of this place was just a facade, the real business was elsewhere.


    The man was just there as security.


    After he paid, a servant led Chen An and Bai Changyue out.


    They soon arrived at another place.


    "An auction house?"


    Entering their assigned room, Chen An looked around at the furnishings, sparking some interest.


    He hadn''t expected there to be an auction business in Shangyuan County.


    "There are quite a few," Bai Changyue said, smiling. "Some smaller places might not have precious items, but in Shangyuan County, with its prestigious families, there are always some items that can''t be openly traded."


    "So, there are several black markets in the city."


    "Ordinary physical cultivation techniques can be obtained from the black market if one is willing, but for high-level internal cultivation techniques, one must come to this auction house."


    Continuing, Bai Changyue added, "Items that are hard to sell elsewhere are usually put up for auction here, and given your status, this is likely the best place for you to find what you''re looking for."


    He explained it in detail to Chen An.


    Generally, as long as there is enough demand and supply in a place, a relatively prosperous market will form.


    Shangyuan County had a large population and a significant number of martial artists.


    These people naturally had corresponding needs, such as better martial arts, weapons, and even elixirs.


    Where there''s a demand, there will be a market. There were several black markets in Shangyuan County for this reason.


    However, the items provided in those black markets were more than enough to meet the needs of physical cultivators, but not for someone like Chen An.


    As a member of Bai Qing''s faction, he didn''t lack things like elixirs.


    As for the precious internal cultivation techniques, they were relatively high-end and not many people would buy them even if they were put up for sale in the black market.


    Hence, auction houses like this one came into existence.


    It was the best place to meet Chen An''s needs.


    "This auction is held once every three months, and there are often some good things inside," Bai Changyue said. "From what I know, even Miss Qing used to come here often."


    "Miss Qing also frequents here?" Chen An''s interest was piqued.


    He had witnessed Bai Qing''s extravagance firsthand.


    Bluntly speaking, she was the dream goddess of gold-diggers all over the world.


    Even someone like her came here often?


    Although he knew that Bai Qing might have only visited a few times, this raised Chen An''s expectations.


    Perhaps in this place, his problems could really be solved?


    With this thought in mind, Chen An focused his attention and looked ahead.


    They didn''t have to wait long.


    Bai Changyue had timed it perfectly, so the auction started quickly.


    After that, Chen An fell silent.


    There were indeed many things.


    In just a short period of time, Chen An saw many valuable items.


    Such as various rare elixirs, materials with special properties, and even some paintings and calligraphy said to be left behind by famous individuals.


    Each of them was priceless!


    However, the goods were also markedly expensive.


    Chen An had anticipated the prices in this place wouldn''t be low from the moment they entered, but he never expected the items here to be this expensive.


    Just about everything started at several hundred taels of silver, and they were all being bought by someone.


    Those elixirs and materials could at least be used. Even the paintings and calligraphy were pricey.


    It could only be said that Shangyuan County truly was a prosperous land filled with wealthy people.


    Chen An sighed, not knowing what to say.


    Although he had seen what he wanted just now - a set of internal cultivation techniques said to have been passed down from the northern lands - acquired by a hunter and put up for auction, the price was exorbitant.


    The starting bid was five thousand taels of silver, and it was eventually sold for twenty thousand taels of silver. He wondered who the buyer was.


    At that moment, Chen An felt a bit helpless.


    Since leaving Fengcheng County, he had not experienced this feeling in a long time.


    Now it seemed that it was just a matter of not having reached the point of spending money yet.


    "The prices here are indeed too high," Chen An said after observing for a while.


    The goods here were indeed overpriced.


    Not to mention other items, just earlier, there was a gourd containing Body Tempering Pills.


    In total, the gourd held ten pills, and it was sold for eight thousand taels of silver, equivalent to eight hundred taels of silver per pill.


    Chen An had used this elixir himself, given to him by Bai Qing. It was effective, significantly enhancing physique and speeding up the cultivation of internal energy.


    But if Chen An remembered correctly, according to Bai Zhilan, the Body Tempering Pills were only five hundred taels of silver each outside.


    Yet here they were, being sold for eight hundred taels, a significant mark-up.


    (The end of the chapter).

 Chapter 47: Difference

    "This item is rare and precious."Beside him, Bai Changyue explained blankly, "The body-forging pill is rare, even Miss Qing doesn''t have much of it. Others who want to obtain it can only do so at times like this."


    "Yeah."


    Chen An smiled, "It''s just that even though the items in this auction house are good, I don''t think I am fortunate enough to enjoy them."


    Considering his entire wealth, it was only about two thousand taels of silver.


    Compared to the twenty thousand taels of silver from the previous alchemy technique auction, it didn''t even have a single decimal point.


    From this situation, he didn''t really need to think about buying anything here.


    "If Brother Chen is interested, I still have some silver here."


    Bai Changyue''s voice came from the side.


    "You want to lend me money?"


    Chen An was a little surprised and couldn''t help but ask, "What trouble have you gotten into?"


    Unjustified hospitality, in his opinion, could only mean this possibility.


    "Brother Chen misunderstood."


    Bai Changyue smiled and said, "In fact, with Brother Chen''s skills, it''s easier to earn some silver."


    "Oh?"


    Chen An became interested, "Tell me more."


    Having been in the Shangyuan County for a few months, although not short, he had been practicing in the courtyard all this time and didn''t lack money, so he hadn''t really understood these things.


    But thinking carefully, a warrior like him should have quite a few ways to make money.


    Otherwise, how could those people have so much silver without doing business or working?


    "The simplest way is to kill."


    Unconsciously, Bai Changyue lowered his voice and said, "Some big thieves and criminals often have bounties on their heads, sometimes a single head can be worth several thousand taels of silver."


    "As long as your strength is enough, the money comes quickly."


    "Another way is to register with a martial arts gym for a fee."


    "This is a long-term activity, with at least a few hundred taels of silver coming in each year. If someone challenges the gym, there''s extra reward."


    "Register with a martial arts gym?"


    Chen An furrowed his brow, "Wouldn''t that cause trouble?"


    "Of course."


    Bai Changyue nodded and said, "Registering with a gym, if something happens to that gym, the reputation won''t be good."


    "And there is constant rivalry between these gyms, with people challenging each other every now and then, many of whom are experts."


    "If your strength is not enough and you lose, then..."


    "I see."


    Chen An nodded, his face calm, not letting out his true thoughts.


    At this moment, the shouts from the front continued.


    This time, the auction was for another alchemy technique, said to be complete, capable of reaching the stage of Inner Qi perfection.


    Upon hearing this, Chen An felt that he definitely had no chance.


    Based on the previous auctions, this item would probably go for at least ten thousand taels of silver.


    Even if Chen An were to be sold, he wouldn''t be worth that much.


    However, something unexpected happened.


    "Three thousand taels of silver, any higher bids?"


    Someone on the upper side shouted, looking down expectantly.


    But no one responded.


    Chen An couldn''t help but be surprised.


    However, Bai Changyue on the side didn''t find it surprising at all, just smiling and saying, "Brother Chen, do you feel the price is low?"


    "Indeed."


    Chen An nodded, "Three thousand taels of silver, doesn''t quite match the alchemy technique from before."


    The previous alchemy technique was said to be able to reach Inner Qi perfection as well, yet it was auctioned for over twenty thousand taels of silver.


    From this perspective, this alchemy technique should be worth more than three thousand taels of silver.


    "Brother Chen is mistaken."


    Bai Changyue explained with a smile, "Even among alchemy techniques, there are differences in quality."


    In theory, alchemy techniques are about opening up the meridians in the body and cultivating Inner Qi. As long as enough meridians are opened up, it''s enough.


    However, some techniques open the meridians faster, not only more efficient but also producing uniquely effective Inner Qi.


    While others are much slower, or may have no effect at all.


    Because of these differences in effect, these techniques can be distinguished.


    "Some seniors have classified alchemy techniques into four levels. The one before was considered third-class, a far cry from the heritage of prestigious families, but it''s still suitable for regular cultivation and can be passed down as a family heirloom in smaller households."


    "While this one is fourth-class, probably difficult to practice, and may even be flawed and unable to cultivate Inner Qi at all."


    Bai Changyue explained, "The value naturally differs."


    "I see."


    Chen An finally understood.


    Speaking of which, White Qing had mentioned the differences in alchemy techniques in passing before.


    However, alchemy techniques are too precious, and Chen An had only come across one, so his impression wasn''t deep.


    As Bai Changyue said, the value of this alchemy technique was indeed not high.


    The most basic requirement for an alchemy technique is to be able to cultivate Inner Qi.


    If an alchemy technique can''t even cultivate Inner Qi, then what use does it have?


    Most alchemy techniques passed down by prestigious families are stable. As long as the descendants have enough talent, they can successfully cultivate Inner Qi through refining Yuan Qi. Some unique alchemy techniques, such as the White family''s Yin Body Technique, can even produce a unique type of Inner Qi.


    But a lower-class alchemy technique obviously isn''t that stable. It either has very strict conditions or has some defects.


    It basically only has reference value. Normal people wouldn''t choose to cultivate such techniques.


    However, Chen An pondered.


    What''s difficult for others might not necessarily be difficult for him to try. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, he didn''t need to practice personally, just needed to upgrade through the template, apart from consuming source power, there wasn''t any other effort required.


    "I wonder if the amount of source power needed will increase?"


    In a moment of thought, Chen An thought of this question.


    But this question can only be answered by trying it out.


    So, Chen An decided to give it a try.


    If it works, then he would have another way to make money.


    The only problem now was that he was still short of some silver.


    Even though the value of this alchemy technique was not high, it was still relatively speaking.


    For a broke guy like Chen An, it was still something he couldn''t afford.


    So, he looked towards Bai Changyue.


    The other party was also tactful, smiling directly, "Brother Chen, are you interested in this technique, and want to buy it for reference?"


    He thought that Chen An was only interested in this technique, without thinking much further.


    After all, Chen An was already at the Inner Qi stage now, so naturally, he already had corresponding techniques.


    "If Brother Chen is interested, I still have some silver here, and I can lend it to Brother Chen first."


    He smiled and spoke generously.


    "Then thank you, Brother Bai."


    Chen An smiled and didn''t refuse this time.


    Soon, he spoke up for the first time, calling out a new price.


    "Three thousand five hundred taels."


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 48: Pit Goods

    "Three thousand five hundred taels!""Is there a higher bid?"


    Hearing someone below bidding, the elderly man in charge above was delighted, quickly looking down and eagerly asking.


    At this moment, his heart was undoubtedly filled with joy.


    It was almost about to slip through their hands!


    Others might not be aware, but he was more than aware.


    The previous bidder who bid three thousand taels was not a customer at all, but a pawn they had specially brought in.


    This was to prevent certain items from going unsold, leading to them being sold cheaply.


    Three thousand taels of silver was neither high nor low, and they had expected someone else to bid even more, but this time everything fell silent.


    Luckily, someone eventually shouted a bid, or else this item would have really slipped through their hands.


    The old man looked expectantly down, waiting for the next person to speak up.


    But reality disappointed him.


    Not everyone was a gullible fool.


    It seemed that not many were interested in something that was clearly a scam.


    The person who bid this time was probably a newcomer, otherwise, they wouldn''t have been fooled.


    Seeing no one bidding, the old man could only sigh and feel like no one recognized the treasure.


    "The next item is a masterpiece of a renowned poet, a true relic from hundreds of years ago."


    A low-grade internal cultivation method did not cause much of a stir here; soon, a new auction item was brought up for bidding.


    However, Chen An was no longer interested in what was to come.


    Not because he truly wasn''t interested, but because he no longer had the means.


    His wallet was empty.


    "Let''s go."


    Standing up from his seat, his tone was somewhat desolate.


    Bai Changyue exclaimed, "We''re only halfway through, shouldn''t we finish watching here?"


    "There is no longer any need."


    Chen An spoke softly and then left the room directly.


    Following the path he came from, Chen An quickly left the auction house.


    Confident when he came, but feeling helpless as he left.


    Just half an hour ago, Chen An was a small nouveau riche with over two thousand taels of silver. In the blink of an eye, he was bankrupt.


    Oh, and he still owed someone a thousand taels.


    In order to purchase that cultivation method, Chen An borrowed a thousand taels of silver from Bai Changyue.


    Next, Chen An had to figure out how to repay this debt.


    A new trouble had arisen.


    "Troublesome."


    As he left the alley, Chen An looked back at the bustling market behind him, a thought crossing his mind. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Even for him, a thousand taels of silver was not a small sum.


    At least through normal means, it would be relatively difficult.


    Unless he used some special method, it was unrealistic to gather this money in the short term.


    It seemed he would have to try his luck later.


    With these thoughts in mind, Chen An turned and left.


    Back at the mansion, he had the servants close the gate and began his attempt.


    The internal cultivation method from the auction house was now in his possession, appearing ancient and recorded on a material akin to metal.


    The material also seemed extraordinary, giving off an aura of time passed.


    It didn''t seem forged.


    "Qing Song Force?"


    Chen An looked at the internal cultivation method before him, frowning at the prominent characters written in ancient script.


    At this moment, Chen An already had some ominous thoughts in his mind.


    And as he opened it, these thoughts reached their peak.


    The content of this Qing Song Force was relatively accurate, but the entire cultivation process was much more complicated than the Ming Body Decision, making it seem overly convoluted.


    Perhaps this was hard to understand, but in simpler terms, the method unnecessarily complicated the process to achieve the desired effect.


    Even though he hadn''t been studying martial arts for too long, Chen An could clearly see the difference between this internal cultivation method and the Ming Body Decision.


    Is this it?


    Chen An couldn''t help but feel absurd.


    From what he could see, the reason this low-grade internal cultivation method was labeled as such seemed justified.


    It seemed like the founder of this technique was not very skilled.


    Maybe it was created by a martial artist who hadn''t even reached the level of internal energy cultivation!


    Who would dare to practice this?


    Chen An shook his head.


    He quickly flipped through the entire Qing Song Force, coming to a single conclusion.


    Absurd!


    Perhaps due to the low level of the creator, the first half of the Qing Song Force was somewhat practical, with martial artists likely being able to cultivate internal energy as described.


    But the second half seemed absurd, with many things likely just the founder''s speculations!


    Who would be willing to practice this?


    Overall, only the first half of the technique seemed reliable; the rest should be taken with a grain of salt.


    If a normal martial artist truly believed in the content here, they might end up killing themselves.


    "The price does match."


    Chen An remained calm, not feeling too resentful towards this deceptive item.


    He had already anticipated this outcome beforehand.


    Now, he had no reason to be angry.


    However, despite not feeling angry, he still needed to make an attempt.


    Over the next few days, Chen An worked on experimenting inside his house.


    Finally, seven days later.


    Before Chen An''s eyes, runes began to flicker, eventually converging to form a new name before him.


    Qing Song Force!


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (5.5), Endurance (5.3), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Force: 13


    Heritage: Ming Body Decision (Fifth Layer), Qing Song Force, Five Tiger Blade Technique (Mastered), Tiger Leopard Horizontal Training (Intermediate), Sea Sand Boxing (Mastered), Yang Family Spear (Intermediate)


    Projection: Charging


    The familiar interface appeared before him, looking the same as before.


    However, this time, the name Qing Song Force was already displayed.


    Chen An had spent quite some time mastering the Ming Body Decision, but now that he had reached the level of internal energy cultivation, he found it much easier to learn other internal cultivation methods.


    Though difficult to practice, just entering the door was a simple task.


    "It doesn''t seem too expensive."


    After a brief attempt, Chen An thought to himself.


    Unlike the five layers of the Ming Body Decision, the Qing Song Force only had three layers. The first layer''s advancement only required three source force points.


    Without much hesitation, Chen An chose to advance.


    Boom!


    A familiar warm energy burst forth from his body.


    As his source force sharply decreased, tiny meridians inside Chen An''s body began to open up, each carrying newly born internal energy.


    Internal energy then proliferated within him, guided by a unique force, forcibly opening up new meridians.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 49: Speculation

    The internal qi in droplets bred within the body, then quickly emerged from all over the body.It felt as if a bomb had exploded inside his body, a sensation that was difficult to describe.


    "Effective!"


    A smile appeared on Chen An''s face.


    In his body, the meridians opened up by the Qing Song''s Qi had already taken shape.


    Chen An could clearly feel the difference.


    Generally speaking, the meridians opened up through the Mingming Body Qi were more perfect and mostly concentrated in certain areas, showing a sense of order.


    The meridians opened by the Qing Song''s Qi were much inferior, not only looser in appearance but also significantly fewer in quantity.


    These opened meridians had significant differences, especially in the nurturing of internal qi.


    But for Chen An, it had a good meaning.


    Because the meridians opened by the two methods did not overlap!


    This was a natural thing.


    Just like how the effects of tempering the body in martial arts varied, the meridians opened by different internal cultivation methods naturally had their differences.


    Generally, each internal cultivation method could only open up a certain number of meridians, each with its own focus and limits, unable to be infinitely expanded.


    Therefore, Chen An''s attempt this time was actually meaningful.


    This meant that he could enhance the number of meridians in his body by upgrading different cultivation methods.


    The benefits were obvious.


    The more meridians opened in the body, the faster the nurturing of internal qi and the greater the upper limit of refined internal qi.


    There were many benefits.


    A smile appeared on Chen An''s face, and his mood was quite good.


    From the current results, he had found a good way to strengthen himself.


    By opening different meridians through various internal cultivation methods, he could enhance his internal qi.


    With this method, he could bypass the limitations of the Mingming Body Qi and achieve a level of perfect internal qi.


    In essence, there was not much difference between perfect internal qi and great achievement in internal qi; it was just a matter of the strength of internal qi.


    And the strength of internal qi was determined by the number of opened meridians in the body.


    The Mingming Body Qi technique left by Bai Qing only had five layers, missing the content after achieving great achievement in internal qi.


    Chen An could not reach great achievement in internal qi by enhancing the Mingming Body Qi.


    So, he could only find another way, which was somewhat of a compromise. S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An sighed, feeling somewhat troubled.


    He had found a new way, which was a good thing, but there was also a downside.


    Lack of money.


    Oh, it wasn''t just the lack of money; he had actually borrowed money from others directly, and he didn''t know how to pay it back for a while.


    This was indeed a headache.


    "Should I just ask Miss Bai for a fat job?"


    Chen An pondered, but shook his head as soon as he thought about it.


    It probably wouldn''t work.


    Bai Qing was indeed wealthy, but she was also an ambitious woman.


    If it were someone like Song Lao who asked Bai Qing, they would most likely get what they wanted. But for Chen An, it was unlikely.


    Because in Bai Qing''s eyes, Chen An was a young man with a bright future, outstanding talent, and unlimited future achievements.


    How could a young man like him degenerate early and waste away in places with no future prospects!


    In the eyes of Bai Qing and her ilk, wealth was extrinsic, and only martial arts were fundamental.


    So even if Chen An took the initiative to ask, Bai Qing would probably not agree, and would even take turns to persuade Chen An to give up these decadent ideas.


    Chen An couldn''t help but sigh.


    If he had known earlier, he wouldn''t have stood out too much and made Bai Qing pay so much attention to him, denying him the chance to swim.


    But it was too late to regret now.


    Finding a fat job to hang around and wait for death was out of the question, embezzlement was impossible, and asking Bai Qing directly for money might work once or twice, but it wouldn''t be easy to find a good reason for repeated requests.


    He had to find a suitable way.


    Thinking back to Bai Changyue''s previous introduction, Chen An pondered silently.


    As he thought, he continued to elevate the level of the Qing Song''s Qi by another level, consuming five points of source power again.


    The effect of the second level of Qing Song''s Qi was quite good, much more intense than the previous sensation.


    Chen An carefully felt it for a moment and found no problems.


    This confirmed some of his speculations.


    As mentioned earlier, the Qing Song''s Qi technique was one of the lowest-level internal cultivation methods among many.


    The content up to now was decent, but from later on, it could be said to be full of errors or even somewhat ridiculous.


    In the three layers of content, the first layer was passable, not deceiving, the second layer had some problems, and the third layer was even more absurd, almost entirely based on speculation.


    Chen An estimated that a normal person, even if they cultivated the technique, would likely encounter some troubles by the second layer, and the third layer was almost impossible to achieve.


    But now, Chen An himself had no trouble.


    He directly reached the second layer.


    This indicated that his upgrade template might not only come with enhancement effects, but also possibly a hidden deduction and correction function.


    The consumption of source power not only allowed Chen An to enhance these martial arts but also inadvertently completed the errors and omissions that appeared in the martial arts?


    It seemed possible.


    This speculation flashed through Chen An''s mind, but he couldn''t be sure yet.


    However, he would be able to verify it soon.


    If the second layer could be cultivated, that would be one thing, but if the third layer could also be achieved, that would be unbelievable.


    If the template could be raised up to the third layer, then it would be without a doubt.


    Thinking this way, Chen An sighed and silently walked away.


    Several more days passed.


    Outside a remote inn, a guest walked over.


    The guest was a person dressed in a robe, tall in stature, wearing an iron mask on the face, and seemingly carrying a long knife at the waist, appearing to be a martial artist.


    He walked in from outside, ignoring the scrutinizing gazes of the people around, and walked straight in.


    The surrounding people just watched and did not think about making any noise.


    Because the appearance of this masked person was not unusual in this area.


    Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that there were all kinds of people in this inn.


    There were hefty individuals who looked at least five or six hundred pounds, but moved nimbly like eccentric martial artists.


    There were those with exquisite figures, beautiful faces, fashionable attire, but with male bodies inside, being unique "women."


    As for those wearing masks and disguises in various ways, it was just the most common thing.


    People who came here rarely used their real identities.


    The Upper Element County was only so big, and the number of martial artists was limited.


    If word got out of what you did here, it could tarnish your reputation.


    Those who came here to find work were most likely ruthless individuals who had no legitimate means of earning a living¡ªthose with legitimate means didn''t need to come here for such work, they could just wait for others to hand over offerings.


    According to common sense, Chen An wouldn''t come to such a place.


    After all, he was under Bai Qing, and theoretically, he didn''t lack all kinds of martial resources, techniques, and the like, so there was no need to come here to find work.


    But circumstances forced him here.


    He needed various internal cultivation techniques to enhance his strength, and he needed a large amount of money for that.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t reimburse these expenses to his superior (Bai Qing), so he had to fend for himself.


    Walking on the road, feeling the scrutinizing gazes of people around him, Chen An''s face remained calm, accustomed to such things.


    In the past few days, he had familiarized himself with this place and gradually adapted to the environment.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 50: Taking on Jobs

    To be honest, when Chen An first arrived in this place, he was still somewhat not used to the atmosphere here.But after trying it twice, he found that Bai Changyue was right.


    This is really a good place!


    No need to worry about status, no need to consider position and think about other things, as long as you have enough strength, you can accomplish many things.


    This is the most suitable for Chen An.


    At least when doing things, he doesn''t have to be as restrained as he was under Bai Qing.


    Many people envy Chen An''s position under Bai Qing.


    This point Chen An admits.


    Doing things for rich women does have its benefits, everything will not be lacking.


    But the only downside is that there is too much to consider when doing things.


    No way.


    The situation in the Bai family is too complicated, many things are not as simple as they appear on the surface, there are many complex relationship networks behind them, and even other things.


    In this place, if you want to do something, it not only takes physical effort, but also requires brainpower.


    It''s very troublesome.


    This place is different again.


    Everything is laid out in the open, just do whatever you want to do.


    In normal circumstances, no one will investigate your background.


    This is just right for Chen An.


    Walking to the front desk, casually throwing down two heads, Chen An''s voice was hoarse as he casually asked, "Are there any new jobs?"


    People around him looked at him, their pupils contracting as they saw the two heads on the front desk.


    Because many people in the room recognized those two heads.


    Not only did they recognize them, but many people had even thought about targeting them before.


    They were two warriors with a little reputation in the nearby area, probably both had the strength of internal energy cultivation.


    They camped together in the vicinity, combining with a group of bandits to specifically rob passersby, very tough to deal with.


    The reason they were tough to deal with was because of the complex terrain in the mountains and their large number.


    Ordinary internal energy warriors had to not only face them alone, but also be constantly vigilant against attacks from others around them, which naturally made things troublesome.


    It''s not impossible to handle, it''s just not worth the silver they were offering.


    Unexpectedly, someone took on the job this time.


    "One head for five hundred taels, equivalent to a thousand in silver."


    The person at the front desk was also a little surprised, but still nodded, then took out a new silver note and handed it to Chen An.


    Chen An took the silver note, counted it roughly, and was quite satisfied with it.


    This was the third job he had done in the past seven or eight days.


    The efficiency was okay, at least the debt he owed Bai Changyue before had now been repaid.


    And if he continues at this rate, becoming rich might not be the goal, but it could be used to supplement himself.


    "Is there a suitable job?"


    He thought for a moment, put away the silver note, and took out another one from several banknotes, secretly handing it to the person in front of him.


    The old man quietly took the silver note, looked at the amount on it, and a smile appeared on his face, "Yes, of course."


    "The tasks for this month have already been arranged, young master, whatever you want to do, just come to me and let me know."


    His expression seemed very sincere, as bright as it could be after receiving money, the service had to be a bit better.


    "Mm." S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An nodded, took the list handed to him, and went to a corner to read it directly.


    Before long, Chen An had eliminated most of the tasks on the list.


    Although he had relative freedom here, Chen An didn''t accept every job.


    Adhering to the principle of being cautious like sailing a thousand-year-old ship, Chen An had his own principles for accepting jobs.


    He wouldn''t take on tasks that exceeded the strength of internal energy cultivation, those too far away, tasks with vague descriptions, and those with complex backgrounds.


    All for safety reasons.


    Chen An had decent strength himself, with his internal power surpassing the stage of internal energy cultivation, even without knowledge of any advanced martial arts, he could simply overpower a few internal energy cultivators of the small stage.


    After looking around, Chen An''s eyes lit up.


    "Grim."


    His gaze settled on a task.


    It was a task to eliminate something sinister, apparently somewhere in the outskirts there was a sinister presence that ordinary warriors couldn''t match.


    According to the intelligence, this sinister entity''s strength was at the level of internal energy cultivation.


    "It''s worth trying."


    When it came to sinister entities, Chen An was excited.


    This was another way he differed from others.


    Most people targeted those with high status, so that after a successful mission, not only could they get a commission, but also make a fortune from the bodies.


    As for sinister entities, few were willing to get involved.


    They were not only mysterious, but also didn''t offer much in terms of rewards.


    Killing people meant you could loot from them, but what could you get from a sinister entity?


    Just its corpse.


    And although sinister entities were not difficult to deal with compared to warriors of the same level, sometimes they could be quite troublesome.


    This trouble wasn''t about strength, but rather about being hard to find.


    But for Chen An, it was the opposite.


    While it was regrettable that there was little gain, for Chen An, it was not about the money, but the energy he could gain after defeating a sinister entity.


    That was the truly valuable thing.


    And unlike humans, sinister entities didn''t have complicated backgrounds, lifestyle habits, or martial arts skills to worry about.


    Even if there was no task, Chen An would probably go after sinister entities sooner or later, and now he could make some money by completing the task and getting a reward, a win-win situation.


    He quickly glanced over the list, jotting down most of the tasks above, ready to ask the person in charge for relevant information.


    Of course, this was not free, it came with a fee.


    This place did this kind of business, not only acting as a platform for task publishing and taking a cut from completed tasks, but also selling information, operating as information traffickers.


    Even if you took on a task from them and wanted to buy relevant information later, you would have to pay for it, to some extent, it was like a black market.


    The only fortunate thing was that this kind of information about sinister entities was generally not expensive, after all, there wasn''t much attention to pay to it.


    Sinister entities were not like humans, they didn''t need to know their family background, their martial arts skills, or their habits.


    All Chen An needed was the strength and location of the sinister entity.


    After taking on the task, Chen An immediately set off towards the described location.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 51: Unraveling

    Chen An''s movements were quick.He was the first to choose, and his target was clear, unlike others who had to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.


    However, Chen An estimated that even if those people saw the list, there were probably not many who would come to rob with him.


    After all, not everyone was like him, focusing on the mysterious.


    This was typical dirty work.


    Upon arriving at the location, Chen An quickly realized the trouble.


    It had to be said that no one was willing to take on the task of cleaning up the mysterious for a reason.


    Chen An''s movements were already fast, but after he arrived at the location, the area where the mysterious had been lurking had already disappeared.


    Not eliminated by someone else, but directly vanished.


    This situation was quite normal.


    After the mysterious things were born, although they had no intelligence, they had a rough instinct and would not stay in one place for long.


    This posed a great difficulty for people.


    In this era without monitoring, with mountains and forests everywhere, who knew where it had run off to?


    Chen An was also dumbfounded.


    This was a problem he had considered before, but he did not expect it to be so severe.


    Fortunately, compared to others, he still had an advantage.


    Because of the upgrading template, Chen An would have a kind of intuition different from ordinary people for the mysterious, as long as it was within a certain range of himself, he could quickly sense its presence.


    But even so, Chen An stayed in this place for five days before finally finding the mysterious creature that had evolved from a corpse.


    When Chen An found the mysterious creature, it was devouring the body of a farmer.


    The scene was very bloody, with blood and flesh dripping everywhere.


    Chen An swiftly dealt with it.


    As the long sword fell, a pale, ferocious-looking human head fell to the ground, heavily hitting the ground.


    Then came a warm flow, as well as the familiar sensation of energy rushing in.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (5.8), Physical (5.6), Spirit (2.4)


    Source force: 5


    Inheritance: Bright Body Decision (Fifth Level), Qing Song Strength (Second Level), Five Tiger Knife Method (Complete), Tiger Leopard Cross Training (Partial), Sea Sand Boxing (Complete), Yang Family Spear (Partial)


    Projection: Available


    With the energy from the mysterious creature''s body entering, the energy bar of the template was instantly filled.


    Chen An sighed in relief.


    It was not easy to kill this mysterious creature.


    Fortunately, he had some gains.


    Now it was time to verify the harvest.


    With an expectant heart, Chen An attempted to project.


    In front of him, light screens instantly formed.


    "Your simulation has ended."


    "You have gained thirty points of source force."


    Several lines of text appeared in front of him, quickly passing by in Chen An''s sight.


    With Chen An''s gaze, the number in the source force column quickly increased by thirty points.


    A bumper harvest!


    A smile appeared on Chen An''s face.


    It seemed like he was quite lucky today, drawing out a good result from the lottery.


    Thirty-five points of source force seemed to be enough to do something.


    Chen An looked ahead, his gaze focused on the Qing Song Strength column.


    "Would you like to enhance it?"


    "Confirm!"


    With a passing thought, the view in front of him instantly changed.


    A surge of heat flowed within him, manifesting from various parts of his body.


    Scenes began to evolve in front of him.


    However, this time, Chen An could clearly feel that something was different.


    When enhancing martial arts in the past, similar scenes would appear, as if he had entered another time and space that was still while the outside world was static.


    He would cultivate in this space, practice the martial arts to a certain degree, and then leave that space, elevating his cultivation level.


    The whole process was like him cultivating by himself, compressing the entire process into an instant.


    Besides that, everything felt like it was self-taught, whether it was the feeling or understanding of the martial arts.


    But this time, the feeling was distinctly different.


    The enhancement of Qing Song Strength seemed normal at first, similar to the past, but after a certain point, changes suddenly appeared.


    What changes were there?


    Chen An subconsciously began to ponder.


    Then, he had a realization.


    It was thinking.


    In that space, a figure identical to Chen An''s was there, showing a pensive expression.


    Following that, various pieces of information were searched through in Chen An''s mind.


    Five Tiger Knife Method, Sea Sand Boxing, Bright Body Decision, Higher Mathematics, Geometry.


    All the dusty past memories in Chen An''s mind, whether remembered or not, all the knowledge and insights surged in his heart, coalescing under the influence of a new force and then taking shape.


    Boom!


    A searing sensation spread within him.


    His chest felt like it was on fire, making his entire body incredibly hot.


    Inside Chen An''s body, the meridians opened up by Qing Song Strength continued to expand, slowly becoming perfected.


    The third level of Qing Song Strength had completely formed.


    After a while, Chen An stopped and finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    He looked up and saw that he only had twenty points of source force left.


    Wow.


    It was equivalent to just enhancing one level of Qing Song Strength, but it had consumed fifteen points of source force.


    This consumption was quite significant.


    Obviously, this expenditure was not only for enhancement but also for deduction.


    Standing in place, Chen An''s expression gradually calmed down.


    However, in his mind, a new inheritance was beginning to emerge.


    It was the third level of Qing Song Strength, but it was a completely new version.


    This was the version that Chen An had deduced using the template, which, although different from the old version, was essentially two different versions.


    "So it really can be done."


    Feeling the appearance of the new version in his mind, Chen An sighed.


    After this experiment, he finally had a better understanding of the template''s functions.


    It seemed that the template''s function was not only for enhancement but also for deduction.


    And from the situation just now, there were corresponding rules to this deduction.


    Firstly, deduction consumed much more source force compared to simple enhancement.


    That''s why the consumption just now was so significant.


    Secondly, the references needed for deduction did not come out of thin air but relied on Chen An''s own accumulation.


    He was like a database, and the knowledge and insights that the deduction tapped into came from here.


    The most crucial point was that Chen An seemed to be able to control the direction of this deduction.


    For example, in the deduction just now, if Chen An was willing, he could continue to deduce the Qing Song Strength inheritance and let it evolve towards a specific direction according to his own thoughts.


    For instance, to move closer to the Bai family''s Yin Body Art, to cultivate an internal energy with the attribute of cold Yin, or to have the characteristics of nurturing the body like the Bright Body Decision. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, being able to control the direction was one thing, and whether one could deduce it, and whether the source force was sufficient, was another.


    In the recent deduction, Chen An felt that his brain was almost about to be drained, and that feeling of almost squeezing out everything was something he would not want to experience a second time.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 52: Poor and Needy

    "This feeling..."Chen An took a sharp breath, feeling like his whole being was not right at this moment.


    He considered himself to have decent willpower. Whether it was martial arts or other aspects, he always put in effort and never took a day off from work even when tired.


    In previous battles, he had been injured before but never thought much of it as long as it didn''t affect his daily life. But now, recalling that feeling, Chen An suddenly realized that he had been too blindly optimistic in the past.


    The world is full of hardships, what he had experienced before was nothing compared to this. This was real suffering.


    Of course, even though it was hard, if given a choice, martial artists from all over the world would probably line up to try it out, fearing that they would fall behind.


    After all, who wouldn''t want to try this amazing opportunity?


    Chen An was no exception.


    Despite the discomfort, he found the template to be truly effective.


    And this was only the beginning.


    According to Chen An''s understanding of this template, with time, there should be some changes to it.


    Perhaps using this feature in the future would be easier?


    Maybe.


    Sighing, Chen An walked out of the room.


    At this moment, after the enhancement, he had already gained some decent rewards.


    As expected, these gains were directly reflected in the template.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (6), Endurance (5.8), Spiritual (2.4)


    Source Power: 20


    Inheritance: Ming Body Technique (Fifth Level), Qing Song Force (Third Level), Five Tiger Blade Technique (Great Completion), Tiger Leopard Training (Minor Completion), Sea Sand Fist (Great Completion), Yang Family Spear (Minor Completion)


    Projection: Energizing


    Looking at the data in front of him, Chen An was quite satisfied.


    There weren''t many literal changes in the data, with only a slight increase in the strength and endurance attributes.


    The main enhancement of the Qing Song Force was the enhancement of the meridians and internal energy in the body.


    Internal energy, which was the most important thing for a martial artist.


    Walking into the courtyard, Chen An tried it out a bit.


    After the enhancement, he was undoubtedly stronger than before, but not overly so.


    Although the third level of the Qing Song Force consumed a lot of source power, the enhancement effect was still not as good as the Ming Body Technique.


    This made Chen An realize a reality.


    The deduction function could be used, but it should not be used frequently.


    Otherwise, he would become poor.


    The cost-effectiveness was not high. Except for some special things to try on, it was best to stick to the existing inheritance for enhancement in ordinary times.


    Having a manual in hand would completely change the amount of source power consumed for enhancement.


    Aside from this, another issue that puzzled Chen An was:


    "Is my current strength considered to have reached the complete stage of internal energy?"


    Standing in the courtyard, Chen An pondered.


    As mentioned earlier, the measurement of internal energy levels was quite straightforward, based on the abundance of internal energy.


    In this regard, after enhancing the Ming Body Technique to the fifth level, Chen An had already firmly reached the level of Great Completion in internal energy.


    Now, by enhancing the third level of the Qing Song Force, he had further increased the internal energy limit.


    So, was Chen An''s current level roughly equivalent to being between Great Completion and Complete in internal energy, or was it Complete?


    Even Chen An himself didn''t understand this.


    But that didn''t matter.


    Regardless of how it was put, accumulating more internal energy was always the right thing to do.


    After the internal energy stage, the Qi stage came next. Although Bai Qing had not mentioned it to Chen An yet, he judged that one of the prerequisites was to have a sufficiently strong internal energy.


    If the internal energy was not robust enough and did not reach a certain level, there was no qualification for the birth of Qi.


    From this perspective, it wasn''t wrong for Chen An to constantly thicken his internal energy.


    It just took more time.


    "By the way, if I have some time, I should also try to find some proper martial arts to practice."


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    Martial arts, which were techniques that used internal energy.


    Ordinary body builders, because they had no internal energy, could only rely on their physical strength. Therefore, they couldn''t display any special moves.


    But after reaching the internal energy stage, the situation changed.


    With internal energy, various techniques could be brought to their full potential.


    At that moment, the techniques would start to show differences gradually.


    By using internal energy, not only could they train the body, but they could also unleash highly powerful martial arts techniques, causing the most destructive impact.


    This was the main skill of a martial artist in the internal energy stage.


    Like Chen An before, he relied solely on his rich internal energy to suppress others.


    Although it was fine before, now that his internal energy was sufficient, it was time to find some martial arts techniques to practice.


    After all, he would eventually use them.


    With this thought in mind, Chen An took a step forward and left the place.


    The next day, he brought the head he had chopped off from an evil spirit to collect his reward.


    For a while, he continued to repeat similar tasks.


    People around were very surprised but were happy to have someone take on such troublesome tasks.


    They just had to avoid competing with him for other tasks.


    Everyone took what they needed.


    Half a month later, Chen An returned to the auction house where he had previously been.


    Calculating the time, it had been a month since he last came here.


    This month had brought significant changes for Chen An, not only in terms of strength but also in wealth.


    During this time, he not only repaid the silver to Bai Changyue but also had a surplus of several thousand taels of silver.


    Compared to his previous financial situation, this money was proof of his hard work during this time.


    Only heaven knew how many people he had killed to accumulate so much silver.


    Yes, Chen An had killed again during this time.


    But he had no choice.


    Fighting evil spirits was not only inefficient but also extremely difficult to find them. With his current strength, it was easy to suppress evil spirits, but finding them was a different story.


    In this day and age, even evil spirits had become cunning. If you didn''t arrive at the scene in time, you would hardly find a trace of them afterward.


    Helpless, Chen An, continued to pursue evil spirits while taking on other tasks on the side.


    It was all for survival.


    With just over three thousand taels of silver in his pocket, Chen An once again entered the auction house.


    This time, his goal was simple.


    He wanted to find some simple martial arts techniques to practice.


    However, he was soon disappointed.


    Just like martial cultivation techniques, martial arts were also considered precious items, and the auction house had a few of them.


    The problem was, they were expensive.


    Even the lowest-grade martial arts techniques cost five to six thousand taels of silver, an amount that Chen An couldn''t afford with his current financial situation. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the face of this, Chen An fell into silence.


    Indeed, money was never enough.


    Limited by poverty, Chen An could only walk out of the auction house silently, ready to continue his efforts ahead.


    (The end of this chapter).

 Chapter 53: Clan Competition

    The biggest trouble for people sometimes lies in their own dissatisfaction.At this moment, Chen An had this feeling.


    After being taken to the auction house by Bai Changyue, he felt like he had opened up a whole new world.


    It was like after being invincible in the previous version, he opened up a new instance.


    In the previous version, being invincible was lonely, but in the next version, it became ordinary.


    Chen An also had this strange feeling.


    Clearly, back in Fengcheng County, he was still a small local tyrant. How did he end up like this after coming to Shangyuan County?


    Poor! S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That was the only feeling in Chen An''s heart at the moment.


    On the surface, he was a trusted guest of Miss Bai, with limitless prospects.


    Behind the scenes, he was a ruthless expert in completing tasks in the dark, using any means necessary.


    After a few more days passed and after a long period of struggling, Chen An finally couldn''t bear it anymore.


    "No, this efficiency is still too slow."


    Chopping off the head of the mutated corpse, Chen An thought to himself.


    In the past few days, he still doggedly completed tasks, although the results were meager, he finally succeeded once.


    If nothing unexpected happened, this achievement should bring him a profit of seven hundred silver coins.


    Seven hundred silver coins seemed like a lot.


    But in reality?


    It was only enough to buy a Body Tempering Pill.


    Chen An felt like he was on the wrong path.


    This way of making money was definitely not right.


    Chen An fell into contemplation.


    Calculating the days, without realizing it, he had been staying in the Bai family''s residence for three months.


    During these three months, through Bai Qing''s connections, Chen An had met many martial artists, some of whom had reached the level of Internal Energy Completion.


    But in Chen An''s impression, these people were either rich or noble, or even if they came from ordinary families, as long as they reached this level, they were generally not lacking in money.


    Even if they were short of money, they would not end up like Chen An, constantly struggling with these bounties.


    One could see this from the martial artists stationed at the Qingfeng Tower for a long time.


    There were many martial artists stationed at Qingfeng Tower, making a living by completing tasks and earning bounties here.


    But overall, most of them were Body Forging martial artists. There were also quite a few Internal Energy martial artists, but only a few had reached the level of Internal Energy Small Completion, most were just considered Internal Energy martial artists.


    As for Internal Energy Completion, there were naturally some, but most of them were not there to accept tasks, but to take charge of Qingfeng Tower''s territory.


    The benefits they received from overseeing the place were definitely better than running around like Chen An.


    This definitely wasn''t the right way to make money.


    After careful consideration, Chen An discovered the difference.


    People he knew seemed to come from wealthy backgrounds, like second-generation rich, with plenty of money at their disposal, such as Bai Qing.


    Or they had several prosperous districts to draw income from, like some of the elders in the Bai family.


    Or they acted as guest officials and high-level enforcers for other forces, enjoying direct offerings, like those guest officials supported by Qingfeng Tower.


    In short, most of them had industries and power behind them.


    Although Chen An might not be different from these people in terms of strength, there was a big difference in other aspects.


    In the end, it was all about not daring to reveal his true strength.


    In order to make everything reasonable, Chen An could not directly reveal his strength as an Internal Energy Completion, so naturally he could not enjoy the treatment of an Internal Energy Completion.


    Otherwise, under normal circumstances, a follower at the Internal Energy Completion level should have already been entrusted with important tasks by Bai Qing, not to mention how many benefits they would receive, at least several prosperous districts would be readily available for Chen An to earn commission from.


    How could it be as troublesome as it is now?


    Thinking about it, there were only two solutions.


    Either find other ways to make money, or find a way to rationalize his own strength.


    Chen An decided to pursue both paths.


    Finding other ways to make money was easy, but rationalizing his own strength was a bit difficult.


    Thinking about it, Chen An looked ahead.


    After absorbing the energy from the sinister creature in front of him, the template had been recharged.


    Chen An subconsciously projected.


    He thought it would be the same as before, but this time there were some new changes.


    The projection column seemed to have changed.


    "Hmm?"


    Chen An looked at the projection column and could clearly see that the text on it was somewhat unique. The gray color had now been replaced with some color, turning into a colorful display, although there were still some traces of gray remaining.


    It seemed like it was almost ready to be used.


    This was a good sign.


    Although it didn''t offer much help to his current dilemma for the time being, it was still a good news.


    Sighing quietly, Chen An chose to simulate directly.


    Soon, the simulation ended.


    "You have gained twenty points of Source Energy."


    Twenty points of Source Energy seemed pretty good.


    Chen An nodded, then got up and prepared to head towards the Bai family''s residence.


    Upon returning to the Bai family''s residence, he noticed that the atmosphere seemed different today.


    It was livelier than usual.


    "There doesn''t seem to be any celebration recently?"


    Chen An was puzzled, thinking to himself.


    Human joys and sorrows are not the same. At this moment, Chen An could not understand the joy and happiness of others.


    Thus, he left and headed straight for his courtyard.


    But before reaching the courtyard, he was stopped by someone, right outside his own door.


    Being blocked at his own doorstep was not a very good thing, but Chen An couldn''t get angry because it was Song Lao.


    This was a big acquaintance.


    Song Lao was still the same as before, dressed in a gray robe, looking very simple and old-fashioned. He appeared like an ordinary old man, but his face was smiling as he looked at Chen An.


    His eyes seemed to be watching a junior, giving him a mysterious and profound appearance.


    Of course, that was only in the eyes of others.


    Although the past Chen An couldn''t see through it, with his current situation, he could easily see through Song Lao''s truth.


    Not to the point of being defenseless, but having followed Miss Bai for many years, he wasn''t that naive.


    But ten moves should be about the limit.


    Although the thought crossed his mind, Chen An maintained a smile on his face, just like in the past.


    "How come Song Lao is here?"


    He smiled and asked, showing a respectful attitude.


    Regardless of anything, this was his teacher from some time ago and a person by Bai Qing''s side, so for now, it was best to be honest.


    Song Lao seemed content with Chen An''s attitude, then continued speaking, "You haven''t been at home recently?"


    "No."


    Chen An nodded, "There are some things, so I''ve been away."


    These past days, he had been busy tracking that sinister creature outside, so naturally, he couldn''t stay at home.


    "I see."


    Song Lao suddenly understood.


    He didn''t ask Chen An what he was doing outside, but followed up, saying, "The Patriarch has left seclusion, and the clan''s grand competition is about to begin. Miss Qing hopes you will represent her in the competition. What do you think?"


    "Hmm?"


    Chen An was taken aback, "Clan competition? Can I participate?"


    Why would someone surnamed Chen participate in the Bai family''s competition?


    "Of course."


    Song Lao smiled, "You are Miss Qing''s guest, so you are not an outsider to the Bai family. You are naturally allowed to participate in the clan''s grand competition."


    "And this competition is different from usual, it is designated by the Patriarch. If you can achieve some results, you will likely receive some good rewards."


    "Miss Qing will also be very pleased."


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 54: Big Competition and Fake Match

    "I understand."Chen An nodded, then said seriously, "In that case, I am willing to participate and will not disappoint Miss''s expectations."


    "Good."


    Song Lao smiled and nodded repeatedly at Chen An.


    He seemed to just come to pass on a message, and after asking, he hurriedly left, indicating that there were still many urgent matters.


    Chen An stood in place, looking a bit helpless as he watched Song Lao''s departing figure.


    Things like a big competition didn''t interest him at all.


    It would just delay his money-making activities.


    But since Bai Qing had someone convey the message, could he refuse?


    Now he could only hope that the rewards for the big competition would be generous enough.


    With that, he would have some motivation.


    Chen An thought to himself, then walked into the courtyard.


    Having not returned for a few days, the courtyard still looked clean and tidy, with no hint of dirt or chaos.


    Because there were dedicated servants responsible for cleaning, even if the master was not around, it wouldn''t affect anything.


    "Has anyone visited in the past few days?"


    In the room, Chen An called a servant over to ask.


    "Young Master Changren from the second house, Miss Zhilan from the fourth house, and a gentleman named Bai Changyue have all visited."


    The servant explained in detail, listing all the visitors who had come in recent times.


    Most of them were familiar faces.


    Chen An nodded, understanding, then dismissed the servant.


    Sitting quietly in the room, refining his internal energy, after a while someone came to visit.


    It was Bai Changren.


    He still had the same appearance as before, wearing loose robes and standing upright. However, his previously calm demeanor now showed a hint of bitterness.


    "This time is really tough."


    Entering the hall and looking at Chen An, whom he hadn''t seen for some time, he sighed and said, "My father insisted on forcing me to participate in this competition."


    "This will be troublesome."


    His face showed a hint of bitterness.


    Although the Bai family was a prestigious clan, not every member had outstanding aptitude.


    Although Bai Changren was from the main branch of the Bai family, his aptitude was only ordinary, and his attitude towards martial arts practice was just average. Despite having access to numerous resources, his current cultivation level was only at the Body Tempering Stage.


    While the Body Tempering Stage may seem decent, considering he was three years older than Chen An and had been practicing martial arts since childhood with abundant resources, his cultivation level was actually quite poor.


    The upcoming competition was an opportunity for others, but for him, it was undoubtedly a calamity.


    If he embarrassed himself, who knew what consequences he would face, but his father would definitely not let him off easily.


    "Brother Chen, please help me!"


    Grabbing Chen An''s hand, Bai Changren earnestly implored, looking sincere.


    Chen An withdrew his hand calmly and said, "You want me to fight for you?"


    Fighting on behalf of others, Chen An didn''t mind. After all, knowing Bai Changren''s personality, he would definitely reward Chen An generously in the end.


    However, the issue was whether others would agree to it.


    In clan competitions, the focus was on the actual fight. If one could pay someone to replace them, then it would no longer be a test of strength but rather a test of financial capability.


    It was unlikely to pay someone to play on their behalf.


    "I don''t need you to fight for me."


    Bai Changren waved his hand and said, "The elders and the patriarch are all watching. Something like that will not happen."


    "Moreover, even if it were possible, Miss Qing probably wouldn''t agree."


    This was true.


    Even if a substitution was allowed, Bai Qing would never allow Chen An to replace Bai Changren.


    Being the second house''s heir, Bai Changren was basically Bai Qing''s rival.


    Unless Bai Qing had gone insane, he would never allow Chen An to fight on behalf of Bai Changren.


    "Although I can''t fight in your place, I can arrange for us to be in the same match."


    "Do you want me to deliberately lose?"


    Chen An looked hesitant, "This... deliberately losing, isn''t that a fake match?"


    Well, he didn''t have much professional ethics anyway. As long as the benefits were enough, a fake match could be considered.


    But losing in the Internal Energy Realm to someone in the Body Tempering Realm, wouldn''t that be unbelievable for anyone with common sense?


    Not to mention, Bai Qing probably wouldn''t agree to that.


    "Brother Chen, you misunderstood."


    Hearing Chen An''s words, Bai Changren quickly smiled, "If I ask you to lose to me on purpose, others might not say anything, but my father will definitely take action."


    Indeed, having a fake match within the clan in front of the patriarch and elders would be highly embarrassing.


    "I just hope that when the time comes, you can go easy on me, let me lose decently, not too disgraceful, that''s all."


    Bai Changren said with a wry smile.


    Chen An was taken aback.


    You are quite self-aware.


    In Bai Changren''s situation, he was destined to lose no matter what. Plus, he wouldn''t be able to use his financial resources in the clan competition. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In this situation, the only thing he could do was to lose with some dignity.


    Even if he lost, being defeated in one move would be different from a prolonged battle where he eventually ran out of energy.


    That way, Bai Changren would have an easier time.


    "Brother Chen, rest assured, as long as you are willing to help me, after it''s done, you will definitely benefit from it."


    Seeing Chen An''s expression change, Bai Changren quickly spoke.


    "Brother Bai is being too polite."


    Chen An nodded, "We are brothers, just a small favor, nothing to worry about."


    "I agree to this."


    Bai Changren was overjoyed, "In that case, thank you very much, Brother Chen."


    They chatted for a while before Bai Changren hurriedly left.


    It seemed like he was off to make arrangements with others.


    Chen An watched his hasty departure and couldn''t help shaking his head.


    Returning to the hall, his mood was still good.


    Bai Changren was the heir of the second branch and had always been generous. This time, helping him would probably earn Chen An a few hundred taels of silver.


    Equivalent to the reward of an Intermediate Internal Energy Cultivator.


    Not bad.


    Just as he sat down, there was another visitor announced. A sturdy man with ordinary features walked in.


    "Brother Chen!"


    Bai Changyue entered the room, greeting Chen An warmly.


    Chen An paused for a moment.


    For some reason, he felt that the Bai Changyue today seemed more enthusiastic than usual.


    Could it be that good news was coming again?


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 55: Gamble

    In some ways, Chen An''s intuition had always been accurate.Like this time.


    Just as Bai Changyue walked in, before he could even speak, Chen An smiled and asked, "Changyue, it''s been a long time since we last met, you look more spirited than before."


    "I wonder if you''re here this time for the big competition?"


    "That''s right."


    Listening to Chen An''s words, Bai Changyue was not surprised, he smiled directly, "It seems that Brother Chen has already received the news."


    "This time, I heard that the clan leader will also come to watch, it''s a good opportunity to show off."


    "What do you mean, Changyue?"


    Chen An''s face was calm, but he had doubts in his heart.


    Would Bai Changyue also ask him to fix the match?


    It shouldn''t be the case.


    If it was Bai Changren who was asked to fix the match, it would be understandable, but Bai Changyue didn''t even have the level of cultivation to reach the peak of body tempering, so what''s the point of fixing a match at his level?


    Just laying flat would be better.


    However, what Chen An never expected was that Bai Changyue had really come this time to fix the match.


    But not for himself, but for money.


    "A gamble?"


    Chen An''s expression was strange, "Are you sure you can make a profit?"


    "Of course!"


    Bai Changyue''s face looked excited, "This time, the big competition is open to the public, not just the internal audience, but also outsiders can come to watch."


    "The gambling houses outside are already open, and many people have already placed their bets!"


    He explained to Chen An excitedly, it took a while for Chen An to understand.


    In his past life, there were sports betting and horse racing activities.


    And in this world where martial arts prevailed, people were most interested in similar gambling activities.


    Every big competition was a peak time for gambling.


    The Bai family''s big competition this time was no exception.


    "Based on the past few competitions, as long as you can bet on a few rounds, you can easily win several thousand taels of silver."


    Bai Changyue lowered his voice and said, "If you can cause an upset, the profits will be even greater."


    "Several thousand taels of silver?"


    Chen An''s interest was piqued, "Can you really earn that much?"


    Several thousand taels of silver.


    It would be enough for him to acquire another martial art technique.


    "Absolutely."


    Bai Changyue looked confident, with a hint of excitement on his slightly dark face, "As long as Brother Chen is willing to cooperate, it''ll be easy."


    "Do you want me to deliberately lose?"


    Chen An thought for a moment and asked.


    If he could win several thousand taels of silver just by deliberately losing, he would be willing to do so.


    After all, he wouldn''t lose anything.


    But he wondered if this conflicted with Bai Changren''s demands?


    As Chen An pondered, Bai Changyue shook his head vigorously, "Lose? How can you make money like that?"


    "With your situation, Brother Chen, you can only make big money by winning."


    Bai Changyue patiently explained to Chen An.


    Fixing matches was a matter of assessing people.


    If you weren''t well-known and strong, who would ask you to fix a match?


    Only those who were already popular and strong enough to be eligible for someone to buy them to fix a match.


    And in his past life, it was fine to deceive the audience.


    But in this world, martial artists valued their reputation very much, especially with the clan leader present.


    If they dared to fix a match, would they still want to continue in the future?


    So intentionally losing was not an option.


    Not only can''t lose, but must win!


    "Just leave the specifics to me."


    Bai Changyue smiled and said, "Brother Chen, you''ve just arrived recently, and you''re not too old, so the odds will definitely be high."


    "In this situation, as long as you can win three matches and make it to the top ten, you can earn at least this amount."


    He held up two fingers, indicating about two thousand taels of silver.


    "This is a minimum, if you''re willing to cooperate, you can definitely earn more."


    Afraid that Chen An would be dissatisfied, Bai Changyue quickly continued.


    "What do you want me to do?"


    Chen An asked directly.


    He had no reason to be dissatisfied.


    He was so poor, what more could he complain about.


    "As long as Brother Chen hides during the competition, and tries to win a little more trouble, that''s all."


    Bai Changyue smiled insincerely, "It''s best to go all out every time, and then win by a stroke of luck."


    Good heavens.


    Chen An glanced at Bai Changyue and instantly understood his meaning.


    He was trying to trick others! S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Changyue didn''t know the specifics of Chen An''s strength, but he understood that it was not something ordinary people could compare with, even stronger than many ordinary inner Qi stage cultivators.


    Although there were many people from the Bai family, not many could participate in the big competition, and among them, those at the inner Qi stage were the majority.


    With Chen An''s strength, he didn''t dare to think about the top four, but he could still hope for the top ten.


    But if he wanted higher odds and more profits, he needed to perform.


    Only by causing upsets could he earn big money.


    So he needed to make others believe that Chen An was weak and would soon lose, only then could they deceive people.


    This was the plan Bai Changyue was playing.


    And this didn''t count as fixing a match.


    It was just pretending to be weak, nothing unusual.


    Among the many Bai family members, there were plenty of people pretending to be weak, almost too many to count.


    In that case, there was nothing to worry about.


    Without hesitation, Chen An nodded directly.


    He would do it.


    Moments later, Bai Changyue left satisfied.


    Chen An began to calculate.


    Roughly speaking, this time''s Bai family competition should earn him a few hundred taels of silver from Bai Changren, and two to three thousand taels from Bai Changyue.


    In addition to the top ten rewards themselves, which were likely some valuable elixirs, equally valuable.


    If he could achieve good results, Bai Qing might also have a reward.


    Calculating like this, just this time''s competition alone, he should be able to earn five to six thousand taels of silver.


    Enough to buy another martial art technique.


    Of course, the premise was that Chen An could smoothly make it into the top ten.


    But in Chen An''s eyes, this wasn''t too difficult.


    He had already reached the stage of inner Qi completion and was moving towards inner Qi perfection.


    If he couldn''t achieve a top ten ranking at this level of cultivation, there was no need to say more, he could just admit defeat.


    Such a situation was unlikely.


    Based on the information Chen An had obtained from Bai Changyue, among the younger generation of the Bai family, those at the inner Qi stage were considered outstanding talents, and those at the inner Qi completion stage might not even exist.


    The cultivation threshold for the elders of the Bai family was just the stage of inner Qi completion.


    In this case, if Chen An wanted to aim for first place while holding back, it might be somewhat difficult.


    But reaching the top ten would be a breeze.


    Of course, this was just speculation, and the actual situation was unknown.


    However, in reality, things were not as simple as Chen An had imagined.


    Before dusk had even arrived, someone else had come.


    This time, it was not an acquaintance of Chen An, but a servant of Bai Qing.


    (The End of this Chapter).

 Chapter 56: Mission

    "Miss Qing wants to see me?"When Chen An received a message from Bai Qing, his expression was quite surprised.


    Because he knew that Bai Qing was usually very busy.


    Besides handling many trivial matters, Bai Qing also worked hard to cultivate and maintain her strength in order to advance to the realm of Gang Qi as soon as possible.


    Therefore, she didn''t have much free time.


    In Chen An''s impression, she only called him a few times.


    And every time, it was for something important.


    What was it for this time?


    Chen An instinctively felt puzzled, and began to recall recent events.


    Recently, it seemed that there weren''t any major events in the Bai family.


    If there was something, it was probably the Grand Competition this time.


    But regarding the Grand Competition, Song Lao had already visited before, so it didn''t seem necessary to call him again?


    With doubts in his mind, he made decisive movements with his hands.


    No matter what, when your superior sends someone to call you, you can''t just ignore it, right?


    It''s impossible.


    After quickly packing up some things, Chen An walked towards Bai Qing''s courtyard.


    Before long, he arrived at a mansion.


    Bai Qing''s residence was similar to Chen An''s, usually unoccupied, with only some servants taking care of it, so overall it looked quite good.


    In the courtyard, several peach trees were blooming, which looked like a good scenery.


    At this moment, Bai Qing was standing under a peach tree, seemingly pondering something.


    It wasn''t until she heard footsteps approaching from behind that she turned around.


    "Miss Qing."


    When Chen An looked at Bai Qing, he felt a sense of unusualness.


    Today, Bai Qing was not wearing her usual long robe, but instead was wearing a long skirt, her long hair was loose on her forehead, and her delicate face was lightly made up.


    She stood there, next to the peach blossoms, presenting a rare and beautiful scene.


    "You''re here."


    Seeing Chen An coming over, Bai Qing smiled, "Please take a seat."


    A servant nearby brought a chair over.


    After Chen An sat down, she spoke again, "How have things been progressing recently?"


    "Not bad."


    Chen An smiled and said, "But I''m still a bit far from the next level."


    When he said the next level, he was referring to the completion of inner Qi.


    Currently, Chen An was above the stage of mastering inner Qi and was stepping towards the completion of inner Qi, just a little short of it.


    But Bai Qing didn''t catch on and thought he meant something else, "It''s okay."


    "You have already cultivated your inner Qi, and have reached this level, which is already very good."


    "Continue to work hard, and you will naturally achieve higher accomplishments in the future."


    She tried to comfort Chen An, speaking softly.


    Chen An remained silent, tactfully not offering any explanations.


    "Alright, I called you here this time because I have something to entrust to you."


    Bai Qing said, "I have a good friend coming to Liangguo, who will pass through Shangyuan County on the way, and needs someone to go and meet them."


    "I am busy with worldly matters at the moment and can''t free up my schedule, so I entrust this task to you."


    Just to pick someone up?


    Chen An thought to himself, before nodding, "I understand."


    "In addition, you are aware of the family''s Grand Competition, right?"


    Bai Qing rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit of a headache, "This Grand Competition is quite important. The Patriarch and several elders will also come to watch. You must give it your all, try to achieve a good ranking."


    "Don''t take it lightly."


    She spoke earnestly, "During this Grand Competition, it''s not just the people from our Bai family who will participate. The outstanding children of several major nearby families may also come to participate."


    "Other families'' people will also participate?"


    Chen An was suddenly taken aback.


    It wasn''t just the Bai family members participating in the Grand Competition?


    He wasn''t aware of this information before, and Bai Changren and Bai Changyue hadn''t mentioned it to him.


    But Bai Qing wouldn''t lie to him.


    So is this true?


    Various thoughts flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    Upon learning this information, his first reaction was regarding his previous plans.


    It should be fine with Bai Changren, but now Bai Changyue''s plan was probably going to be disrupted.


    If only members of the Bai family were participating, Chen An would have no problem securing a top ten spot, but if members of other families were involved... Well, he could still do it.


    But Chen An didn''t want to attract too much attention.


    So most likely, his plan would be disrupted.


    "You may go back and rest."


    Bai Qing''s voice came from in front of him.


    She looked at Chen An, smiled gently, "I still have two Body Tempering Pills left. Take them back and use them later, they will benefit your future cultivation."


    "Also, focus more on martial arts practice and don''t worry about other trivial matters, they are of no use to you."


    She earnestly advised him again.


    Bai Qing really valued Chen An.


    The reason why she didn''t send Chen An out to handle worldly matters and hold positions outside was because of this.


    Because if he got involved in worldly matters, he wouldn''t be able to focus on cultivation wholeheartedly, which would eventually delay his innate talent. Someone who could have achieved great success might end up achieving only half of it. s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, although she didn''t let Chen An handle worldly matters, his cultivation resources were actually sufficient.


    Whether it was elixirs, medicinal liquor, or anything else, Bai Qing would try her best to satisfy Chen An''s needs.


    Basically, apart from money, he lacked nothing.


    And on the surface, it seemed that Chen An didn''t really need a lot of money.


    He wasn''t like those martial artists without backing who needed to earn money to buy elixirs for cultivation.


    In daily life, he only needed the monthly allowance that was given regularly.


    Leaving Bai Qing''s place, Chen An walked towards the outside world.


    From Bai Qing, he received a task to go and pick someone up from the outside world.


    He wondered who Bai Qing''s friend would be like.


    As this thought crossed Chen An''s mind, he quickly left and headed towards the outside world.


    The next day, just as the day was dawning, Chen An walked out of Shangyuan City.


    Of course, this wasn''t his first time leaving the city.


    Previously, in order to chase after Yin Gui and complete missions, he had already left several times.


    And that''s why he was quite familiar with the scenery outside of Shangyuan City.


    "Should I just wait here?"


    Arriving at the location described by Bai Qing, Chen An stood quietly in place, waiting here.


    Since he had some free time, he decided to sit down and start refining his inner Qi.


    In addition to improving his cultivation level, cultivating inner Qi also strengthened his body, so long-term practice could enhance his attributes to some extent.


    So whenever he had time, Chen An would try to meditate and refine his inner Qi.


    He thought he would be done waiting after half a day here.


    However, as dusk approached, he still didn''t see anyone approaching from a distance.


    Not to mention the group of people Bai Qing mentioned, there wasn''t even a single person in sight.


    Silently opening his eyes, Chen An looked towards the distance.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 57: Black Tiger Lair

    "Something happened?"Chen An thought to himself.


    Before setting off, Bai Qing told him about the situation.


    The person he was waiting for should have arrived long ago.


    But now it was almost dusk, and he hadn''t seen a single person yet.


    This situation was clearly abnormal.


    "No way there isn''t a single person here."


    Chen An opened his eyes and looked around.


    Since early morning, there hadn''t been many people passing by here.


    Although the road was already sparsely populated, it shouldn''t be like this.


    "It seems like the territory of the Black Tiger Lair is ahead."


    Chen An silently stood up, contemplated for a moment, and held his knife and moved forward.


    Without much hesitation, he headed directly towards the direction of the Black Tiger Lair.


    Unlike in his past life, in this world, besides some well-maintained official roads, most of the other roads were lined with densely packed mountain strongholds.


    Most of these strongholds were formed by bandits, but often their leaders had some martial arts skills.


    The smaller ones would rob and plunder, looting others'' belongings, sometimes involving human trafficking, kidnapping, and other illicit businesses.


    But the larger ones were a different story.


    The larger strongholds not only stopped looting, but actively maintained order in the area, driving away marauders from other places.


    Of course, they did not do this out of goodwill, but only to extort protection money.


    Anyone passing through their territory had to pay a protection fee, and if they didn''t pay, the consequences were uncertain.


    According to the information Chen An knew, the people occupying this area were the Black Tiger Lair.


    Perhaps there was a conflict on the road?


    Chen An thought to himself.


    This was the most likely scenario.


    Outsiders were unaware of the strength of these local forces, so conflicts were not uncommon.


    Perhaps White Qing''s friend was detained by the Black Tiger Lair because she did not pay the protection fee.


    Of course, it might not be the case.


    Regardless, going to investigate would clear things up.


    If you wanted to know what was happening in this area, you just had to find the Black Tiger Lair.


    Chen An quickly moved forward, walking along the path.


    Soon, he noticed that something was amiss.


    Usually, there were many sentries along the way to watch the passing pedestrians and prevent them from sneaking past.


    But today, there was no one, as if they had disappeared.


    Seeing no one around, Chen An quickly realized that something was wrong.


    After a moment of contemplation, he became more cautious, silently covering his tracks and moving forward.


    He quickly crossed the area and found something.


    In the vicinity, there were signs of fighting, and quite a number of them.


    Dozens of bodies were lying on the side of the road, including members of the Black Tiger Lair and outsiders.


    Occasionally, he found the bodies of pedestrians on the side of the road, as if they had also been killed.


    This behavior was very unusual.


    "There are people over there!"


    Chen An walked to a body and was about to inspect it when shouts came from afar.


    Looking up, he saw several figures ahead, wearing different clothes but holding identical long knives.


    These were probably members of the Black Tiger Lair.


    Chen An stood up, ready to negotiate, but the other party did not seem interested in talking and instead attacked him with their knives.


    Crack!


    The sound of the broken long knife rang out.


    Chen An remained calm, crushing the long knife in his hand, and simply looked at the three people.


    "I ask, you answer."


    Watching the three people, whose faces changed dramatically with fear, Chen An spoke calmly.


    After a while, Chen An got the answers he wanted.


    "It really happened."


    After dealing with the three people, Chen An rushed forward.


    These three were just ordinary members and didn''t know many specifics.


    The only thing they knew was that the head of the Black Tiger Lair had given orders yesterday for them to bring back everyone they saw on the road, and anyone who resisted would be killed on the spot.


    This was why they attacked Chen An when they saw him.


    Hearing this, Chen An realized the trouble he was in.


    As per Bai Qing''s information, her friend was supposed to come this way today.


    The head of the Black Tiger Lair had given orders yesterday.


    The probability of this being a coincidence was too low.


    So, what was the real reason behind this?


    Chen An thought to himself.


    He walked forward silently in the direction he had inquired about.


    "Have we caught that woman yet?"


    Inside the stronghold, the head of the Black Tiger Lair frowned and asked.


    "We''ve located her position, so we should be able to get her soon."


    Someone beside him responded.


    "Good." S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The head nodded.


    Contrary to what others might expect, as the head of the Black Tiger Lair, he did not look brutish. On the contrary, he appeared very amiable, like a mild-mannered middle-aged man.


    However, despite his appearance, his hands were stained with at least hundreds of lives.


    The reason the head of the Black Tiger Lair was able to dominate this area for years was not only his terrifying strength but also his fierce character.


    Once someone disrespected him, their entire family would be wiped out at night, leaving only that person with severed limbs to live as a beggar in front of their wife and children for the rest of their lives.


    Of course, besides his brutal methods and considerable strength, the backing behind him was also a significant reason.


    Without this, with his brutal methods, someone would have come to take care of him long ago.


    "Tell the brothers to be more careful."


    After thinking for a moment, the head spoke, "That girl is the young master''s target. Don''t harm her, let alone lay a hand on her!"


    "If any harm comes to her, we''re all done for, understand?"


    He looked around coldly and said.


    "We understand."


    The leaders around him nodded.


    Everyone present was well aware of the means behind the head.


    If they didn''t do as instructed, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    At this moment, someone entered from outside.


    It was a small leader of the Black Tiger Lair, his face anxious, as he barged in.


    "Why are you so flustered?"


    The head glanced at him, a look of dissatisfaction appearing on his usually gentle face, "How many times have I told you to report before entering!"


    "Yes, yes."


    The small leader knelt down in fear, not daring to say a word.


    The head was finally satisfied, "Speak, what''s the matter?"


    "A young man with great strength has arrived from outside and is heading towards that girl."


    "What!" The head''s voice suddenly rose, almost reflexively standing up, "Where is the third leader?"


    "The third leader was careless and has already been taken care of by that person," the small leader continued.


    "Such a big matter, why are you only telling me now, do you want to die?"


    The head was furious, not caring about anything at this point, and said directly, "Bring me my weapon, everyone, follow me!"


    "Yes!"


    Everyone nodded, and they all left together.


    Meanwhile, on the other side.


    "Are you one of Sister Qing''s people?"


    A voice came from a stream.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 58: Decapitation

    "Good job."Standing in place, Chen An nodded, "I am here to welcome Miss Huang at Miss''s request."


    "Miss Qing is considerate indeed."


    Ahead, a soft voice continued, seeming relieved at this moment.


    The faint sunlight fell, illuminating the person in front of him brightly.


    In Chen An''s eyes, the woman in front of him was not too old, about fifteen or sixteen years old, equivalent to a high school student in his previous life.


    Although she was young, her appearance was outstanding, with a beautiful and exquisite look, although her complexion seemed a bit pale and weak.


    She was wearing a yellow long dress, not looking like she possessed any martial arts skills, at the moment, looking at Chen An, a smile appeared on her face, "That''s good."


    "This hero."


    Beside her, a middle-aged man spoke, still with some wariness in his expression, "There are people guarding the passage outside, how did you get in?"


    "Are you talking about the third leader of Black Tiger Gang?"


    Chen An looked at the middle-aged man, "He''s gone."


    "Gone."


    The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, then somewhat unbelieving, "That was a master with complete body forging cultivation!"


    A master with complete body forging cultivation?


    Hearing the words of the middle-aged man, Chen An fell silent.


    Is a master with complete body forging cultivation considered a master?


    If it were in Phoenix County before, Chen An would not have been puzzled.


    But now, after seeing so many people in Shangyuan County, looking at a master with complete body forging cultivation like this would not make him feel anything. S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, it was surprising that a third leader of Black Tiger Gang actually had such cultivation, but for Chen An, it didn''t make much difference.


    Seeing the middle-aged man seeming skeptical, Chen An didn''t know what to say.


    He couldn''t just tell the other party that a master with complete body forging cultivation was actually not that skilled, could he?


    "Uncle Jiang, calm down."


    Huang Yuexuan couldn''t help but smile, then looked at Chen An and said, "Mr. Troublemaker, please take us away."


    "Miss."


    Beside her, the middle-aged man opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately gave up under Huang Yuexuan''s gaze.


    So he didn''t say anything more, just staring at Chen An with a sense of vigilance in his heart.


    Chen An didn''t explain anything either, seeing their movements, he turned around directly and walked towards the front.


    With Huang Yuexuan and the others behind him, he passed through the previous passage.


    By the time they arrived here, Jiang Shu who had been standing next to Huang Yuexuan all this time took a deep breath.


    Only to see that there were bodies everywhere at the passage, perhaps about twenty to thirty people, all of them were helpers of Black Tiger Gang.


    Among these bodies was the third leader of Black Tiger Gang who had left a deep impression on them.


    Of course, at this moment, he would no longer come to trouble them.


    After all, he was already dead.


    "All these people were taken care of by him alone?"


    Jiang Shu looked up, and as he looked at Chen An, his expression changed, "To easily take care of these people, without a trace of blood on him, what level of cultivation does this person have?"


    To easily take care of the third leader of Black Tiger Gang with complete body forging cultivation, even an inner energy cultivator at a lower level could do it.


    But even if he did, he would most likely get injured as well.


    Moreover, this place was not just one person, but also twenty or thirty gang members.


    To take care of these people without a trace of bloodshed, what kind of cultivation level was this?


    It was because of this that Jiang Shu had doubts before and instinctively felt that something was wrong.


    But now, looking at it.


    Huang Yuexuan rode on the horse, with a pale face, looking at the fallen bodies all around, she seemed to be lost in thought.


    "The wounds are very clean."


    She murmured to herself.


    Most of the bodies around were killed with a single blow, from the third leader of Black Tiger Gang to the ordinary henchmen, all were killed cleanly.


    From this scene, you could tell that the strength of the killer was far above theirs.


    Chen An was unaware of the thoughts of the people behind him.


    Standing in front, he was still moving forward, preparing to take Huang Yuexuan and the others away from this place.


    Seeing Huang Yuexuan and Jiang Shu glanced at each other behind him, they also continued to move forward.


    They walked for a while and then stopped.


    In front of the passage, there were already people waiting there.


    Chen An looked ahead.


    At this moment, a middle-aged man stood there, his face looking very gentle, like a middle-aged gentleman with a good temper.


    But behind him, there were a group of fierce-looking bandits who were obviously not good people.


    Without a doubt, they were from the Black Tiger Gang.


    "It''s you who killed my third leader?"


    The head of Black Tiger Gang looked at Chen An in front of him, smiling insincerely, "You''ve got some skills."


    "Let''s make a deal, give me face, put down the woman behind you, and you can leave, how about that?"


    Looking at Chen An''s appearance, after a while, he spoke in this manner.


    The head of Black Tiger Gang actually spoke in a negotiating tone with someone.


    If this were to be known, probably many people wouldn''t believe it.


    But reality is stronger than individuals.


    The person in front of him seemed young, only about fifteen or sixteen years old, yet could easily defeat someone with complete body forging cultivation.


    This person''s background must be terrifying.


    Their small Black Tiger Gang probably couldn''t afford to provoke it.


    The head had a clear mind, though the Black Tiger Gang was rampant in this area, committing murder and arson, it seemed exaggerated.


    But this was only because they were wise enough not to mess with the people from influential families.


    Otherwise, if they were not so well-connected, once they offended someone with a strong background, even the young master behind him wouldn''t be able to protect him.


    No matter how strong his backer was, he was ultimately far away.


    And the powerful families in Shangyuan County were right in front of them.


    However, he was bound to be disappointed this time.


    Facing the words of the Black Tiger Gang leader in front of him, Chen An just raised his head silently and did not respond.


    Under the anxious gazes of Jiang Shu and the others behind him, he slowly moved forward, heading straight towards the leader of the gang.


    The sound of crisp horse hooves rang out.


    Chen An rode forward, with one hand quietly placed on the scabbard, slowly drawing his long knife.


    Although he didn''t speak, this posture undoubtedly conveyed his attitude.


    "Seeking death!"


    Seeing the young man in front of him so audacious, the leader of Black Tiger Gang''s face suddenly turned ferocious.


    He raised his weapon, a heavy iron hammer that looked extremely heavy, and then walked forward directly.


    A faint white light flashed on his weapon, becoming bright.


    This was the enhancement of inner energy.


    The head of the Black Tiger Gang, had reached the Inner Energy Realm!


    Behind him, Jiang Shu and the others turned pale.


    They couldn''t even handle a third leader with complete body forging cultivation.


    Now, another leader at the Inner Energy Realm.


    This time, would they truly be in a difficult situation?


    Huang Yuexuan''s face was also pale.


    But unlike Jiang Shu and the others, there was no anxiety on her face, she was just looking at Chen An who was moving forward in silence, as if pondering.


    (The End of this Chapter).

 Chapter 59: Annihilation

    As Chen An surged forward, he rode his horse towards the front.His figure was swift, his movements were quick.


    The long blade in his hand gleamed with a cold light, exceptionally bright and dazzling.


    In the blink of an eye, the appearance of the head of the Heihu Gang was already close at hand, a large iron hammer crashing down, about to smash him into pieces.


    It seemed as if he was going to be crushed to pieces in one blow.


    With the internal energy blessing, the iron hammer came crashing down with powerful momentum.


    No one doubted the power of this strike. If it were to land, both man and horse would likely end up shattered.


    This was the opponent''s full force strike, not easy to confront. The best way to handle it would be to avoid the strike and then engage with them.


    The iron hammer was powerful and fierce, but compared to the sword, it required more effort.


    There was no need to do much, just hold on, and believe that victory would eventually come.


    But Chen An didn''t need to go through all that trouble.


    He lifted his head, the long blade already drawn, slashing forward directly in front of everyone, cutting through the air with a sharp edge.


    As the long blade moved, the air around them stagnated, emitting waves of fluctuations and the proliferation of internal energy, creating a constantly expanding scene.


    The head of the gang''s pupils shrank.


    Internal energy realm!


    This young man unexpectedly was also in the internal energy realm, and it seemed that his internal energy was even more robust than his own.


    A sense of crisis suddenly rose in his heart, but upon closer inspection, he found that the other party did not retreat, but chose to confront him directly. He then breathed a sigh of relief, a cruel smile on his face.


    Very good.


    The opponent''s cultivation was above his own. If he chose to evade this strike and slowly engage with him, he would be in danger today.


    Unfortunately, the young man was too arrogant, ignorant of the depth of the sky and earth, and chose to confront him head-on.


    His iron hammer was incredibly heavy, especially after this blow with internal energy added. How could it be easy to withstand?


    With one strike, the opponent would either be dead or severely injured, at the very least. S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    By that time, everything would be beyond the opponent''s control.


    Just as he was contemplating this, the head of the gang suddenly felt something was off.


    The scenes in front of him began to blur, and at this moment, his memory seemed to scatter, and his state seemed off.


    In the midst of confusion, he seemed to hear shouts coming from behind.


    Because the distance was far, they sounded muffled, like the head of the gang was dead or something?


    Who was the head of the gang? Was it me?


    Various thoughts flashed through his mind, then his consciousness suddenly disappeared, and he was gone.


    A crisp sound rang out, the sound of a head falling to the ground.


    Chen An''s face remained calm as he looked ahead.


    In his hand, the long blade was held silently, now tainted with fresh blood, emitting a hint of a bloody scent.


    Silence surrounded them.


    "The Head of the Gang is gone?"


    In the distance, the second in command of the Heihu Gang''s voice was bitter, not knowing what to say at this moment.


    This script is not right!


    In the past, the head of the Heihu Gang had fought with others, including opponents in the internal energy realm.


    But most of those opponents had not been able to defeat the head of the Heihu Gang, and even the few who did were not able to gain any advantage against the united might of the Heihu Gang.


    So the reason why the head of the Heihu Gang confidently stepped forward to challenge was because of this.


    But unexpectedly, this time, the head of the Heihu Gang was defeated so quickly and decisively.


    It turned out that if you walk down the same path at night, you will eventually encounter ghosts.


    With the head of the Heihu Gang''s defeat this time, there was no need to think about anything else in the future.


    Chen An turned around and looked at the remaining people of the Heihu Gang in front of him.


    Without hesitation, he charged forward directly.


    The first person instinctively raised their sword.


    But it was of no use.


    A martial artist in the realm of internal energy had transcended the mundane.


    If a body strengthening martial artist could still attempt to overwhelm them with numbers, it was more difficult for a martial artist in the internal energy realm.


    Even if a thousand people surrounded them, an internal energy martial artist could still escape.


    And undoubtedly, there were not a thousand people here, nor were they elite fighters who would fight to the death.


    The people standing here were just a group of bandits who robbed households.


    With a light sound, the long blade swung down, the Five Tiger Blade Technique executed in the most concise manner, directly cutting off the waists of the three people in front of him.


    Chen An''s expression remained calm as he charged forward.


    Within a few breaths, more than a dozen people had been killed instantly.


    This efficiency of killing was akin to a killing machine, chilling the hearts of onlookers.


    "Run!"


    The leaders of the Heihu Gang finally reacted and ran outwards, but unfortunately, the majority of them were caught up and killed on the spot.


    Chen An had no mercy for these people.


    If others could be considered innocent, these bandits in front of him were not.


    Any member of the Heihu Gang had spilled blood at some point.


    For years, they had committed robbery and all sorts of atrocities.


    Eliminating these people was definitely a good thing for the people.


    Behind them, Jiang Shu and others stared in astonishment at the scene before them.


    Things had happened too quickly, in just a short time, the powerful head of the Heihu Gang who was at the realm of internal energy had been directly killed, without even a chance to struggle.


    The bloody scene before them shocked them, sending shivers down their spines.


    Even Huang Yuexuan, who had anticipated this beforehand, was stunned, not expecting the situation to be so one-sided.


    She had thought that even if Chen An could defeat his opponent, it would at least require some effort.


    But looking at the situation now?


    Require effort?


    Non-existent.


    All worthless scum!


    "This Mister Chen is really quite ruthless."


    After observing for a while, Huang Yuexuan finally couldn''t help but speak.


    Jiang Shu on the side agreed, unsure of what to say at this point.


    At this moment, they dared not think about anything else.


    Be cautious?


    What a joke.


    With the appearance of this killing god, easily taking down the powerful head of the Heihu Gang who was at the realm of internal energy, did they still need to be cautious?


    If there were malicious intentions, heads would have rolled at any moment.


    And what surprised them even more soon followed.


    After killing several leaders of the Heihu Gang, Chen An stopped.


    Then, under the puzzled gazes of Jiang Shu and the others, he began to search the bodies.


    It was normal to search the bodies, to explore treasure was one thing, but for a powerful internal energy master to search the bodies of these small leaders, was it a bit too shameless!


    Huang Yuexuan and the others watched Chen An search the corpses one by one, then returned to them contentedly.


    "Sorry for keeping Miss Huang waiting."


    Under the gaze of so many people, Chen An seemed a bit uncomfortable and smiled.


    "It''s okay."


    Huang Yuexuan shook her head, saying it was fine, she just smiled and said, "Mr. Chen''s peculiar habits are indeed quite unique."


    She had originally wanted to say bizarre, but looking at the blood that hadn''t been wiped clean from Chen An''s knife, she wisely changed her words.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 60: Looting

    "I have been poor since I was young, I am used to living a hard life. It seems to amuse Miss Huang."Chen An smiled and responded to Huang Yuexuan''s words.


    He didn''t mind Huang Yuexuan''s remarks, but just smiled and said.


    He was very calm about his poverty.


    After all, he was really poor.


    Since he was poor, why bother pretending?


    "Sir is straightforward."


    Huang Yuexuan smiled, not expecting Chen An to be so direct.


    Generally speaking, those who have reached the realm of inner energy cultivation, more or less value their reputation, but there are few like Chen An who openly admit to their poor and humble background.


    "There are quite a few things here, I''m afraid sir alone can''t take them all. Let my guards help."


    Huang Yuexuan said with a smile.


    "Thank you then."


    Chen An did not refuse.


    The results of this looting wave were quite good. Just from the silver notes found on the head of the gang leader, there were hundreds of taels of silver. Plus the belongings of the other leaders, added together, it was over a thousand taels.


    But the silver notes were only a part of the spoils from this batch.


    Other items, such as the weapons used by the gang leader, were also valuable.


    The weapons used by the smaller leaders were mostly top-notch steel blades, each one worth several taels of silver.


    Adding up all these bits and pieces, it was estimated to be several hundred taels of silver, but they were not easy to handle.


    Chen An had originally planned to find someone to come and collect them after returning, but now that Huang Yuexuan was willing to help, there was naturally nothing better than that.


    Walking on the road, looking at the Huang Yuexuan and her people in front of him, Chen An suddenly thought of something.


    He explained the situation to Huang Yuexuan and left for a while.


    This absence lasted half an hour.


    The time was not long, but there were some changes on Chen An''s body.


    The long knife that had just been wiped clean earlier was now stained with blood again.


    Chen An''s body also unavoidably had some bloody smell on it, looking as if he had killed many people.


    Huang Yuexuan looked at Chen An in front of her, somewhat pensive.


    "Let''s go."


    Mounting the horse, Chen An spoke softly, looking at Huang Yuexuan, his mood seemed quite good.


    Of course it was good.


    Just now, he deliberately left for a while and went back to the Black Tiger Gang''s stronghold, deliberately eliminating the Black Tiger Gang again.


    Of course, killing was not intentional, but getting rich was.


    He naturally didn''t want those heavy weapons and food, but he did take a lot of lightweight silver notes, jewelry, and the like.


    In total, the value was at least three thousand taels of silver.


    These things should be the savings of the Black Tiger Gang over the past decade or so.


    It seemed quite a lot.


    Adding this to the spoils from the previous looting, just from this trip, Chen An had gained at least four to five thousand taels of silver in wealth.


    More than the one month of hard work he had put in before.


    "Indeed, robbing is much faster for making money."


    Walking along the road, Chen An sighed.


    Killing and arson really do bring in the money, the ancients did not deceive me.


    This was just a normal small force like the Black Tiger Gang, if it were other forces, the accumulations would probably be even greater.


    Unfortunately, such things couldn''t be done frequently.


    On one hand, these forces all had backers, and if they acted recklessly, they were easily targeted by others, which would be troublesome.


    This time he could do it because he was helping Bai Qing, so if something went wrong, Bai Qing would naturally help share the pressure.


    But if he used this as an ATM too often, the nature of the matter would be different.


    If he offended too many people in the end, even Bai Qing might not continue to protect him. s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Walking on the road, Chen An calculated his assets.


    Without careful calculation, his current assets had expanded again.


    With the three thousand taels he had saved from his previous efforts to take on tasks, plus the items from this trip, his assets were almost close to eight thousand taels.


    And if nothing unexpected happened, there would be a windfall in the upcoming Bai family competition.


    Thinking of this, Chen An''s mood gradually improved.


    From the area where the Black Tiger Gang was located to entering the Upper Yuan County, it was already nearing evening.


    After paying the fee, the guards let Chen An and the others in.


    In front of him, the familiar residence of the Bai family was in sight.


    After settling Jiang Shu and others, Chen An, accompanied by Huang Yuexuan, came alone to the front of Bai Qing''s courtyard.


    "Come in."


    Before they had even entered the courtyard, Bai Qing''s voice came from inside.


    Stepping inside, Chen An looked up.


    It was already evening, and the sky outside was darkening, but Bai Qing''s courtyard was still brightly lit, with lights all around, looking very bright.


    Although it was not the same as daytime, you could still see many things clearly.


    Bai Qing was sitting in a chair at this moment, holding a book in her hand, as if she had been reading it previously.


    Seeing Chen An and the others enter the courtyard, she put down the book in her hand, raised her head to look at them, and smiled, "Miss Huang, you are finally here."


    "Why did it take so long?"


    "Sister Qing."


    Huang Yuexuan bowed slightly and said with a smile, "I encountered some unexpected events on the way, so I was delayed."


    "Good thing Miss Qing''s servant Chen is here, otherwise this time, I''m afraid it would have been really dangerous."


    "Hmm?"


    After hearing this, Bai Qing couldn''t help but pause for a moment and glanced at Chen An subconsciously.


    As Chen An had anticipated, Bai Qing was actually unaware of what Huang Yuexuan had encountered on the way.


    But she didn''t ask directly, instead she smiled, "As long as you''re safe."


    "Miss Huang has come all this way, you can explore around here and enjoy the scenery of Upper Yuan County."


    "Thank you, Sister Qing."


    Huang Yuexuan nodded with a smile, then looked at Chen An beside her and said, "But I am not familiar with this place, so I probably won''t be able to go to many places."


    "If Sister is willing, can Mr. Chen accompany me and show me around?"


    "Hmm?"


    Bai Qing frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then nodded, "He has to prepare for the big competition recently, so he may not have that much time."


    "It''s fine."


    Huang Yuexuan spoke softly, "I only need this Mr. to accompany me when I go out, so as not to trouble him regularly."


    "That''s acceptable."


    With the words said to this point, Bai Qing couldn''t easily refuse, so she just nodded.


    Chen An was a little surprised at this turn of events.


    He hadn''t expected that just standing there quietly as an audience member would somehow involve him.


    But he didn''t have much objection to this task.


    Miss Huang was not a bad-tempered ugly person, on the contrary, she was a delicate and beautiful girl with a very good temperament.


    Just treat it as accompanying a beautiful woman for a walk.


    Besides, at this critical moment, he didn''t plan to go out and take on tasks, so he had some free time.


    Next, Bai Qing and Huang Yuexuan continued to chat, from the situation in Upper Yuan County to other places, and then to the whole of Liang Kingdom.


    It was evident that Bai Qing was in high spirits, and Huang Yuexuan was also a good conversation partner.


    Regardless of the topic Bai Qing talked about, Huang Yuexuan could easily join in the conversation, and throughout the conversation, she maintained a smile, making people feel very warm and comfortable.


    Seeing this, Chen An understood how Bai Qing and Huang Yuexuan had become friends.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 61: Arsenal

    Chen An watched the entire conversation between Huang Yuexuan and Bai Qing, and suddenly felt very admiring of Huang Yuexuan.From Chen An''s personal experience, Bai Qing was not particularly difficult to talk to, but because of her identity and personality, there were not many people who dared to talk in front of her, usually it was just those people coming and going. S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As for those who could get along well, even fewer, it couldn''t be said to be rare, but it could definitely be said to be rare.


    Under these circumstances, Huang Yuexuan was able to chat with Bai Qing for so long, and even chat so happily.


    It had to be said, her negotiating skills were top-notch.


    Chen An lamented himself for not being as good and said he couldn''t learn it.


    He admitted that he was a straightforward person, only good at fighting, couldn''t learn this skill.


    As time passed, the sky gradually darkened.


    Even if the chat was pleasant, it was time to end.


    "It''s getting late, sister, go rest first," Bai Qing said, looking at the sky, then smiled and continued, "Let''s chat more tomorrow."


    "Alright," Huang Yuexuan replied with a smile, "I''m a little tired, I''ll go rest now, we''ll chat more tomorrow, sister."


    As they said their goodbyes, they lingered for a while before parting ways.


    Before Huang Yuexuan left, she glanced at Chen An: "Mr. Chen, see you tomorrow."


    Chen An nodded without speaking.


    After Huang Yuexuan left, only Bai Qing and Chen An were left.


    At this point, with no outsiders around, Bai Qing finally asked, "What happened?"


    Now that Huang Yuexuan was not around, Bai Qing''s style instantly returned to her usual concise manner of speaking.


    Chen An recounted what happened on the way and informed Bai Qing.


    Of course, after killing the leader of the Black Tiger Gang, he also went to rob the Black Tiger Gang, but that didn''t need to be mentioned.


    Listening to Chen An''s story, Bai Qing fell into deep thought.


    She was an old social person who was used to seeing the bigger picture, naturally understanding the implications behind this incident.


    "It''s troublesome," she shook her head and smiled, "It seems my sister Huang is not simple, rare to go out and someone is intent on killing her."


    "But that person never thought that you would intervene in this matter," she said, looking at Chen An.


    If Chen An hadn''t been involved in Huang Yuexuan''s matter this time, it would probably have ended long ago.


    Those guards around Huang Yuexuan couldn''t even stop a third-in-command of the Black Tiger Gang, let alone the leader behind him.


    "Huang Miss herself is not skilled in martial arts, I wonder who wants to harm her," Chen An added.


    Huang Yuexuan didn''t look like a martial artist, and her guards were quite lacking in strength.


    But the person behind the Black Tiger Gang could command someone like the leader of the gang, indicating they were not to be underestimated.


    It was just unclear why they wanted to target Huang Yuexuan.


    "Perhaps it''s because of enmity, perhaps because of property, who can say for sure?" Bai Qing laughed and added, "Of course, it''s also possible for the sake of beauty, after all, my sister Huang is quite a beauty."


    "In my opinion, Miss Huang may be beautiful, but still not as alluring as you, Miss," Chen An complimented.


    Bai Qing rolled her eyes at him, "Speaking of which, Miss Huang seems to have a soft spot for you, so you should seize the opportunity, maybe you can win her heart."


    "Miss, you''re joking," Chen An laughed, "Miss Huang doesn''t seem like such a simple person."


    Despite not having spent much time together, Chen An could sense that Huang Yuexuan was deep in thought.


    People like her were not easy to get along with.


    "You can see that, not bad," Bai Qing nodded, then changed the subject, "But you may be young, but you are already of marriageable age."


    "I heard that Zilan seems to really like you?" she added.


    Chen An hesitated, "Miss Zilan is just friendly towards everyone, it may not mean anything special."


    "Is that so? How come I heard she often looks for you, not long ago even dragged you out to see the lantern festival," Bai Qing teased, "Is that also just friendly between friends?"


    Bai Qing looked at Chen An with curiosity, clearly interested in the gossip. It seemed that gossip was a common trait in women no matter the world.


    Chen An fell silent.


    He really didn''t know how to respond to this.


    And as far as he knew, Zilan''s elders didn''t seem to have a good relationship with Bai Qing.


    Bai Qing had a smile on her face, who knew what she was really thinking.


    Since he didn''t know how to respond, he decided to remain silent.


    Fortunately, Bai Qing didn''t dwell on this topic and quickly brought up another matter.


    "The Black Tiger Gang also has some reputation in the Upper Element County, you were able to kill their leader, so your cultivation must have improved quite a bit," Bai Qing said, "The clan''s major competition is coming up, it''s time for you to find a martial skill to practice."


    The White Family''s major competition was just around the corner, still about half a month away.


    Half a month might seem like a lot of time, but it was not much when it came to cultivation techniques, it wouldn''t improve much strength, but practicing martial skills might be beneficial.


    Unlike internal cultivation methods, martial skills could have a significant impact on combat power with basic proficiency.


    With the White Family''s major competition approaching, Bai Qing was preparing to strengthen Chen An.


    "Tomorrow, take my token and choose a martial skill from the arsenal yourself," Bai Qing was generous with Chen An, allowing him to choose on his own.


    "Thank you, Miss," Chen An said calmly, nodding respectfully. He was a little surprised by this but not entirely unexpected.


    With Bai Qing''s background, there was no shortage of martial skills or anything of the sort.


    She probably had not provided it earlier not out of stinginess but considering Chen An''s cultivation level.


    Martial skills required internal energy to operate, and in Bai Qing''s view, Chen An had just recently reached the Internal Energy Realm, not even half a year ago.


    When just advancing to the Internal Energy Realm, others at Chen An''s level were still focusing on cultivating internal energy and opening up their meridians.


    At this point, even if he possessed martial skills, it would be useless as his internal energy could not support the operation of martial skills.


    However, perhaps the timing was now deemed appropriate, Bai Qing finally generously allowed Chen An to choose a martial skill.


    Although the martial skills available for selection this time were likely common and ordinary, they were still enough to arouse excitement.


    Even the cheapest martial skills would cost four to five thousand silver coins in the outside world.


    That was a lot of money.


    If Chen An could acquire it directly, he could save that money and later exchange it for another internal cultivation method.


    Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but smile.


    "Alright, it''s getting late, you should go back and rest," Bai Qing began to send him off.


    She looked at the sky and then directed Chen An to leave.


    Chen An had no objections, of course.


    Leaving Bai Qing''s courtyard, he headed towards his own residence, passing by Huang Yuexuan''s residence on the way.


    He glanced back at the brightly lit room, it seemed that the owner had not yet gone to bed, he wondered what she was up to.


    Chen An took a look and then quietly left.


    The next day, in the early morning, Chen An took Bai Qing''s token and went to the White Family''s arsenal.


    The White Family''s arsenal was shared by all members of the White Family, storing all the martial arts collected since the family''s establishment.


    Whether it was internal cultivation methods or martial skills, they were all stored here.


    Showing the token, Chen An entered the arsenal.


    Before him was a library-like setting.


    It resembled a small library, but with stricter security measures, with people watching closely all the time to prevent theft.


    "It doesn''t seem like much," Chen An thought as he looked at the rows of bookshelves before him.


    In his view, the books on these shelves were not as many as those in an ordinary library in his previous life.


    Even if those books on experiences and martial arts were counted, it would only be about the size of five or six bookshelves.


    To Chen An, it was somewhat disappointing.


    However, this could also indicate the importance of martial arts inheritance in this world.


    Even the White Family, as an aristocratic family, only had these books in their arsenal.


    Let alone the ordinary small sects, it was likely that the entire family only had one martial arts inheritance.


    In addition to martial skills on the shelves, there were also internal cultivation methods.


    But there were clearly more martial skills available.


    Chen An roughly estimated.


    There were probably about thirty to forty martial skills available here, while there were only five internal cultivation methods on display.


    However, the internal cultivation methods available here were mostly qualified products that had been verified, with the lowest being at the third level.


    Like the Qing Pine Force Chen An had purchased before, it probably didn''t qualify before he improved it.


    Ignoring the internal cultivation methods, Chen An looked at the many martial skills in front of him.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 62: Wind Chasing Blade Technique

    "Blade techniques. Sword techniques. Fist techniques."After looking through the list of various martial arts skills, Chen An felt somewhat helpless.


    He realized that he couldn''t make a choice at all.


    If he were in a normal bookstore, he could freely flip through the books, then decide whether to buy them or not.


    But, in this martial arts library, there was another rule.


    Chen An couldn''t even touch these books, let alone flip through them. He had to pick one, have someone help him pack it up, and then take it away.


    Without being able to read the content, how could he make a choice?


    This was the result of not understanding the situation.


    If he were a true member of the Bai family, he could inquire about the strengths and weaknesses of various martial arts through various channels and select the martial art that suited him best.


    After all, the Bai family had many members, and it was likely that someone had practiced all the martial arts here. With just a little inquiry, he could know the specific effects of each martial art.


    But Chen An couldn''t do that.


    He didn''t realize this beforehand, and White Qing didn''t remind him either, whether she forgot to mention it or not.


    This led to a somewhat embarrassing situation.


    "Forget it."


    After pondering for a moment, Chen An sighed and gave up struggling.


    Just treat it like opening a blind box and relying on luck.


    Since he got it for free, whatever he got would be considered a gain.


    With this mindset, Chen An randomly picked up a book and walked out.


    "Wind Chasing Blade Technique."


    The person in charge of guarding the martial arts library glanced at it, then solemnly noted down, "Return the book in half a month, any questions?"


    Chen An shook his head, then turned and left.


    For a martial artist with internal energy like him, half a month was enough time to remember a normal martial art.


    The timing was just right.


    Back in the courtyard, Chen An opened the book and began reading it seriously.


    Over the next few days, he studied this blade technique in the courtyard.


    When he was in the martial arts library, Chen An chose this blade technique because he felt that compared to other martial arts, the blade technique was more effective in combat.


    When he first started cultivating, he learned the Five Tiger Blade Technique. Although he had also practiced the Haisha Fist to perfection, he rarely used it.


    Of course, having a blade and not using it, was that a lack of sense?


    The introduction of the Haisha Fist claimed that after mastering it, one would not fear swords and knives, but in Chen An''s opinion, it was total nonsense!


    This so-called not fearing swords and knives referred to ordinary people wielding them.


    However, if an equally skilled expert wielded a blade, that would be another story.


    So among the various fist and blade techniques, Chen An decisively chose a blade technique.


    The Wind Chasing Blade Technique shared similarities with the Five Tiger Blade Technique, emphasizing sharpness and speed in execution.


    However, the biggest difference between martial arts and body tempering martial arts lay in the fact that martial arts required both internal and external energy to be used during execution.


    For example, when Chen An used the Black Tiger Blade Technique, he only needed his own strength, at most enhancing his internal energy on the long blade to create a more terrifying killing force.


    This was just the simplest use of internal energy.


    Martial arts were a more advanced way of using energy, rather than simply enhancing the weapon with internal energy.


    Although they appeared similar on the surface, they were actually quite different.


    In just a few days, Chen An could already sense a difference.


    He looked at his status:


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (6.2), Physique (5.9), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 20


    Inherited Techniques: Bright Body Technique (Fifth Level), Green Pine Force (Third Level), Wind Chasing Blade Technique


    Projection: Charging S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The familiar upgrade template appeared before him, showing only a slight improvement in attributes compared to the past.


    In this month, Chen An had not slackened at all. Whenever he had the opportunity, he would practice diligently.


    Unfortunately, once he reached his current level, progress had become very slow.


    Even the slight improvement in attributes, in Chen An''s view, was probably more due to the few Body Tempering Pills he consumed, rather than his efforts.


    With a silent sigh, Chen An looked at the Wind Chasing Blade Technique on his status.


    After practicing for a few days, he had already grasped this martial art to a certain extent, so it appeared on the panel.


    "Upgrade this skill?"


    After a brief prompt, a familiar feeling spread throughout his body.


    After a while, Chen An calmed down and gripped the blade in his hand.


    Bang!


    As the blade fell, there was a noticeable difference from before.


    Although the technique itself seemed unchanged, the impact it created was much more terrifying.


    With a single strike, the large stone block in the courtyard was directly cleaved in half, with a clean cut.


    The shattered stones scattered in all directions, as if they had been exploded.


    Seeing this effect, a smile appeared on Chen An''s face, indicating his satisfaction.


    The improvement in combat effectiveness from upgrading the martial art was truly remarkable.


    After upgrading the Wind Chasing Blade Technique, Chen An didn''t feel any increase in internal energy within his body, but the power of his strikes had increased significantly.


    Previously, he couldn''t have cleaved that large stone block with a single strike.


    It wasn''t that his strength was lacking, but his previous blade would have broken, even if it was reinforced with internal energy.


    But now, he could achieve what he couldn''t before, which was the change he had been seeking.


    And Chen An could feel that the change was not just limited to that.


    Casually reaching out his hand, droplets of internal energy spread throughout, enveloping his palm.


    With his intention, internal energy spread to various parts of his body, to his feet, hands, and even clinging to his skin and clothes.


    This was something he couldn''t do before.


    Upgrading a martial art didn''t enhance internal energy or physical attributes. Instead, it improved the utilization and control of internal energy.


    So far, the effect was quite good.


    Of course, the consumption was also significant.


    Chen An carefully checked.


    By upgrading the Wind Chasing Blade Technique to perfection, he directly expended fifteen source energy points.


    This consumption was definitely not small.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (6.2), Physique (5.9), Spirit (2.4)


    Source Energy: 5


    Inherited Techniques: Bright Body Technique (Fifth Level), Green Pine Force (Third Level), Wind Chasing Blade Technique (Perfected)


    Projection: Charging


    Staring at his remaining source energy, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh quietly.


    He was still very poor.


    Not only lacking in silver, but also deficient in source energy.


    He didn''t know when he would be able to live a life without financial worries or energy deficiencies.


    That seemed quite distant.


    "As for what White Changren promised, I don''t know when it will be delivered."


    Standing in place, Chen An had this thought flashing through his mind once again.


    While he was busy earning money and completing tasks, he didn''t forget about the sinister items that could also grant "experience".


    Because of his previous request, White Changren specifically assured him that a batch of goods would be delivered during this time.


    Thinking about the timing, it should be happening soon.


    He just didn''t know how many of the items in this batch would be useful and how much energy they could provide.


    Various thoughts crossed Chen An''s mind as he pondered this.


    And as he was thinking about it, there was a sound of footsteps coming from outside.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 63: Wealthy Chen An

    "Brother Chen."Even before he reached outside to greet him, the strong voice of Bai Changren had already arrived.


    Chen An raised his head to look, Bai Changren was wearing a robe, with a happy expression on his face, walking towards him as if something good had happened.


    "Has it been settled?"


    Looking at Bai Changren like this, Chen An knew what had happened.


    Sure enough, Bai Changren nodded, smiled and said, "It''s all arranged."


    "Your opponent in the second round will be me."


    "I hope Brother Chen will go easy on me then."


    He clasped his hands together, smiling and speaking to Chen An.


    "Of course."


    Chen An smiled and naturally agreed.


    This was agreed upon long ago, and it did not conflict with Chen An''s previous plans.


    After all, according to the previous agreement, he was supposed to act anyway.


    "To thank Brother Chen, I specially brought you a lot of good things this time."


    Bai Changren lowered his voice, first looked around, confirmed that there was no one around, and then spoke softly, "They are all the freshest, guaranteed to satisfy you."


    "Oh?"


    Chen An''s eyes immediately lit up.


    If you mention this, then I won''t be tired.


    Earlier, Chen An had asked Bai Changren to help transport a batch of mysterious items for him.


    Of course, he paid for it, though not much, it was still a cost.


    This time, Bai Changren had a request for him, so in gratitude, he naturally prepared a gift.


    "Take a look later, they might be useful."


    Seeing Chen An''s reaction, Bai Changren also felt relieved.


    He knew that Chen An liked these mysterious items, so this time he made a special effort to collect them.


    Although he didn''t know what these things were for, as long as the other party liked them, it was fine.


    After setting down the gifts and exchanging a few words with Chen An, Bai Changren left.


    He came in a hurry and left in a hurry.


    It seems that he is also a busy person.


    Chen An couldn''t help shaking his head.


    From his observations during this period of time, it seemed that the people in power in the Bai family were all like this.


    Bai Qing was the same, Bai Changren was the same, besides practicing martial arts, they also did things for the family, sharing some of the pressure, constantly running around.


    Of course, Bai Qing had no one to use under him, and he was reluctant to use Chen An too much, so he had to work hard himself.


    As for Bai Changren, he was just a rookie.


    From the daily routine, you could see that the elders in his family didn''t have much hope for his martial arts future, so they just sent him out to hone himself and take care of the business.


    But this also made it convenient for Chen An.


    At least, if there was anything he needed, he could just tell the other party.


    With his relationship with the other party, as long as it wasn''t an unreasonable request, there was generally no problem.


    Thinking of various thoughts in his mind, he stood up from his original position and had the things brought by Bai Changren taken out.


    Inside were some odds and ends, at first glance, there were quite a few.


    There were various knives and swords, as well as some miscellaneous small items.


    Chen An just took a quick look and felt a bit excited, after some thought, he personally picked out the things that he felt were useful.


    After excluding most of the items, there were only five items left in total.


    Chen An reached out and first held a broken blood-red jade pendant.


    A continuous flow of energy poured into his body from the jade pendant.


    The item provided quite a bit of energy, filling Chen An''s energy bar in just a moment.


    And there was still some left.


    Chen An glanced at it, and then directly started using it.


    "You have gained thirty points of source power."


    Skipping the various processes before, after consuming the energy in an energy slot, Chen An finally gained thirty points of source power.


    "It seems that this time can bring a double bang."


    Chen An looked at the remaining few items in his hand, a smile on his face.


    Sucking away the residual energy from the jade pendant, he reached out again and took two more items from inside.


    After a moment, the previously empty energy bar was filled again.


    "The quality is very high."


    Chen An was somewhat surprised.


    It seemed that this time Bai Changren had really spent a lot.


    Ordinary mysterious items only had a hint of mysterious aura and provided generally little energy, far less than that of a formed mysterious item.


    But these few items were different, each one was very vigorous, although the energy contained was less than a real mysterious item, it was much stronger compared to the mysterious items Chen An had encountered in the past.


    The quality was obviously superior.


    It was evident that, in appreciation of Chen An, Bai Changren had put in a lot of effort this time.


    Chen An was very satisfied with this.


    After putting down the two items in his hand, the energy bar in front of him was once again full.


    "You have gained twenty points of source power."


    "Twenty points? Just about right."


    Chen An nodded, quite satisfied.


    After two simulations, a total of fifty points of source power had been added.


    Adding to the previous balance, the total was fifty-five points.


    Quite good.


    "Is this the richest I''ve ever been?"


    Chen An was somewhat moved.


    Since awakening and upgrading his template, he had never been so comfortable.


    Every time he gained some source power, he would use it almost immediately, never really having much left.


    This time was really different.


    These source power points, let alone to enhance martial arts, were enough for deductions.


    Of course, Chen An was just thinking about it.


    It was impossible to do so.


    Under the same level, deductions consumed much more source power than mere enhancements.


    Even if Chen An had some surplus, he couldn''t waste it like that.


    Why not use it to enhance a few more martial arts?


    With this thought in mind, Chen An stood up.


    After two simulations, there was only one mysterious item left in front of him.


    Chen An tried to extract the energy from it, as expected, although the energy increased, it was not enough for another simulation.


    Chen An was not surprised by this, feeling optimistic.


    With the current results, he was already satisfied, what more could he ask for?


    If the energy wasn''t enough, he could just wait another two months.


    Thinking this way, Chen An turned to look outside.


    With his keen perception, he could sense the voices outside acutely.


    Someone else had come.


    "Is Mr. Chen inside?"


    Just as Chen An''s thoughts arose, a soft female voice from Huang Yuexuan came over.


    Chen An was familiar with the owner of the voice, a woman named Huang Yuexuan.


    Why is she here?


    Chen An thought about this, then walked out.


    At this moment, it was noon, the sun was shining outside, a gentle breeze blowing on the ground, a comfortable season. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Huang Yuexuan stood at the gate, holding an umbrella in her hand, smiling there.


    She was very beautiful, rare even among the beauties in the Shangyuan County, just a slight smile, standing there, was an extremely beautiful scenery, leaving the servants around in awe.


    (The End of this Chapter).

 Chapter 64: Why Didnt You Say Earlier

    "Miss Huang"Uncertain of Huang Yuexuan''s intention, Chen An maintained his usual caution as he looked at Huang Yuexuan standing in front of him and spoke.


    "Suddenly visiting, may I ask what advice you have for me?"


    "I dare not seek advice, but there are some things that I need to trouble you with, sir."


    Looking at Chen An in front of her, Huang Yuexuan smiled and said, "I want to go out for a walk, and I happen to be lacking a guide. Would you be willing to act as my guide and take me around?"


    "Naturally, I don''t mind."


    Chen An nodded lightly and spoke softly, "When do you plan to set off?"


    He actually wanted to say that he did mind, but considering Huang Yuexuan''s relationship with Bai Qing, he ultimately didn''t say it directly.


    After all, it was just a stroll, nothing serious.


    "It''s better to seize the day than to choose the day, let''s go now."


    Huang Yuexuan nodded with a smile and said, "Of course, if you''re not available, it''s fine."


    "Next time then."


    "No need."


    Chen An shook his head, "I have nothing important to do at the moment."


    After instructing the servants around, he changed into a new outfit and left with Huang Yuexuan.


    Miss Huang went out alone this time without bringing Jiang Shu and the others.


    On the streets, a pair of young men and women walked, attracting the attention of many passersby.


    Not because of anything else, but because the couple were of high quality; the man was handsome and tall, and the woman''s beauty was outstanding. Just one glance made it hard for people to look away, subconsciously sighing, what a pair of outstanding individuals.


    This couple was none other than Chen An and the others. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As they walked to the streets of Shangyuan County, Huang Yuexuan seemed to be interested, looking around everywhere, showing interest in many things.


    Along the way, Chen An noticed that she had picked up many small items.


    Unconsciously, they arrived at a small alley.


    Chen An suddenly became alert.


    He looked into the distance.


    A shadow was rushing towards them at a fast pace.


    Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be a wild horse galloping out of control on the street.


    And coincidentally, the front of this horse was where Huang Yuexuan was standing.


    "Quick, get out of the way!"


    A shout was heard from afar.


    Huang Yuexuan stood still in a daze, as if she was shocked by this sudden turn of events, standing there in a daze.


    What''s going on?


    Chen An frowned, but in this situation, he could only take action and step forward.


    With no unnecessary movements, he reached out directly and pressed down with a single palm.


    Bang!


    A deep crack appeared on the ground.


    A horrifying scene occurred.


    Chen An stood in front of Huang Yuexuan, seemingly indifferent. At this moment, it felt as if an infinite power surged within his seemingly unassuming body. With an expressionless move, he forcibly pressed down the rampaging horse, and the large horse''s head directly smashed into the ground.


    Splat!


    Blood splattered, and the frenzied horse let out a wail, then quickly died, being crushed to death.


    The onlookers couldn''t help but feel horrified.


    The horse in front of them was at least two meters tall, even a warrior would regard it as a rare steed. The power of charging head-on could be imagined; even an inner qi warrior might be sent flying if they were not careful.


    The fact that this young man in front of them remained motionless and crushed the horse to death with a single hand left everyone in awe.


    This kind of strange strength was truly frightening, he was definitely a ruthless individual.


    The onlookers quickly averted their gazes and walked away, afraid of getting into trouble.


    Chen An stood alone, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes. "Whose horse is this?"


    "Show yourself!"


    He spoke expressionlessly, his voice somewhat stiff, looking around.


    The people around all bowed their heads, not daring to respond.


    After looking for a while, Chen An did not find the rider, so he could only furrow his brows in place.


    "Sir, forget it."


    Beside him, Huang Yuexuan''s voice rang out.


    Shocked by the recent events, she looked somewhat pale, but she managed to maintain her composure. "You seem to have scared them. Who would be willing to come forward now?"


    "Killing this horse is also a lesson for that person, there''s no need to pursue it further."


    Her face pale, she spoke, her tone generous and magnanimous.


    Chen An looked at her deeply.


    He had a feeling that things were probably not that simple, most likely, it was directed at Huang Yuexuan again.


    If he thought about it a bit more, the other party probably deliberately lured him out today to deal with this kind of trouble.


    However, in front of the crowd, he didn''t say much, just nodded his head.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen An spoke softly and left with Huang Yuexuan.


    After they left, the area gradually returned to normal.


    In a nearby alley, a middle-aged man looked at the horse that had been crushed to death on the ground, his face turning paler.


    "At least an intermediate-grade martial artist, right?"


    Recalling the scene just now, he couldn''t help but feel puzzled. "How could there be such a skilled person at Miss Huang''s side?"


    The information he had received earlier did not mention this.


    While pondering, he also felt somewhat fortunate.


    If he hadn''t run fast just now, he might have been lying on the ground as well.


    From the other party''s decisive actions, it was clear that this was a ruthless person who wouldn''t hesitate to kill. If he had been found by the other party, what would have happened to him?


    "I have to find a way to inform someone."


    Muttering to himself, he watched as Huang Yuexuan and Chen An left in the distance and quickly left the scene.


    Far away, Huang Yuexuan looked in the direction behind her, seeming to see the figure flitting there. A faint smile appeared on her pale face.


    "Miss Huang, have you had enough sightseeing today?"


    Chen An looked at the smile on Huang Yuexuan''s face and spoke directly.


    "Sir, don''t you want to continue our time together with Yuexuan?"


    Yuexuan was initially surprised, but she soon spoke, her voice still soft, giving people an urge to protect her.


    However, Chen An just glanced at her and shook his head. "If I were Miss Huang, I would probably not be in the mood for wandering around anymore."


    "It''s best to go back early and rest well, to recuperate, right?"


    "It seems that sir is a bit tired already."


    Huang Yuexuan smiled. "In that case, I''ll see you next time."


    "Let''s skip that."


    Chen An also smiled. "It''s too tiring to accompany Miss Huang for a walk outside, I''m afraid I have to be constantly vigilant."


    "Last time it was just a crazy horse, next time it might be someone trying to attack us."


    "Sir noticed?"


    With Chen An''s vigilance, Huang Yuexuan was not surprised but apologized generously, saying, "Please don''t mind, Yuexuan had no choice but to do so."


    "I''m being chased, and if I don''t use you to scare those people away, I''m afraid I won''t be able to live peacefully in the future."


    She showed some apologies on her face, apologizing sincerely and explaining.


    Although Chen An didn''t see any sincerity in her apology.


    If you really want to apologize, then pay up with real money!


    To be honest, Chen An didn''t mind being used or being someone else''s thug, as he had always done such work.


    But the willingness to do so is preconditioned on not freeload.


    If you want my help, you need to pay.


    Don''t want to pay? Then, I''ll just say "hmm."


    It seemed like he heard Chen An''s thoughts, Huang Yuexuan smiled and said again, "After you return later, Yuexuan will naturally compensate you. I hope sir can accept it."


    Compensation?


    Chen An remained calm, nodding lightly at Huang Yuexuan. "Thank you then."


    "If there''s anything else Yuexuan needs help with in the future, I wonder if sir is willing."


    Seeing Chen An''s reaction, Huang Yuexuan tentatively spoke, "If you''re willing, I''m willing to pay two thousand taels."


    She said tentatively.


    Of course, she didn''t hold high hopes for this.


    After all, Chen An was Bai Qing''s subordinate and had strong strength, so he shouldn''t be short of money.


    However, the situation took an unexpected turn.


    "No problem."


    Chen An agreed without hesitation.


    Money? Why didn''t you say so earlier!


    If you had mentioned the money earlier, there wouldn''t have been so many issues.


    Huang Yuexuan was somewhat dumbfounded by Chen An''s straightforwardness.


    This didn''t quite match her expectations.


    But recalling how Chen An had crazily searched the bodies after killing the Black Tiger Gang''s leader before, she seemed to understand a bit more.


    This left her somewhat speechless.


    It seemed that he only needed money, nothing else. Why didn''t you say so earlier?


    It made her realize that she had wasted so much effort.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 65: The Grand Competition Begins

    What Huang Yuexuan didn''t know was that Chen An had previously spent a long time at the Qingfeng Building in Shangyuan County, taking on tasks and often spending a lot of effort for just a few hundred taels of silver.Two thousand taels of silver would be enough to hire an intermediate-grade martial artist for a period of time at the Qingfeng Building.


    Of course, this would only be the most ordinary type, the kind that couldn''t compare to even the head of the Black Tiger Gang.


    Chen An''s true strength was above that of an intermediate-grade martial artist, so the two thousand taels of silver wouldn''t be enough to hire such a high-level expert.


    But weren''t there other ways?


    If Chen An had a way to fully realize his abilities and make money, he wouldn''t be so poor now.


    Two thousand taels was already a good sum for him.


    At least, if he was just going to harm a few people, he thought he could accept it.


    If Huang Yuexuan knew about this, she would probably feel exasperated.


    Back at their residence, after receiving compensation of a thousand taels of silver for this task, Chen An was satisfied.


    Although a thousand taels of silver was less than the agreed two thousand taels, Chen An was content.


    After all, he didn''t really do much this time, only crushed a horse, barely using his knife.


    Earning this much was already quite good.


    The main focus was on their future cooperation.


    Miss Huang promised to hire Chen An for a period of time with two thousand taels of silver.


    This meant that with this money, Chen An was hired to act as her bodyguard for the duration of Miss Huang''s stay in Shangyuan County.


    According to Huang Yuexuan, it would be about a month.


    During this month, Chen An needed to respond when Huang Yuexuan needed him, accompanying her on a few outings.


    The conditions were acceptable.


    Although a month seemed long, calculating the actual working time, it was still more cost-effective than Chen An taking tasks at the Qingfeng Building himself.


    This meant another source of income.


    Chen An felt that before long, he could make a trip to the auction house, find some internal refining methods and martial arts to practice.


    Time passed quickly.


    To Chen An''s surprise, in the next half month, Huang Yuexuan did not seek him out but stayed obediently in her courtyard.


    The only time she went out was to chat with Bai Qing in Bai Qing''s courtyard, appearing like good sisters.


    This made Chen An somewhat puzzled.


    But being able to slack off was a good thing.


    It was good for Huang Yuexuan to stay peaceful so that he, as her bodyguard, could save some energy.


    During this period, Chen An took a trip to the auction house but unfortunately didn''t find anything valuable.


    There were some martial arts manuals available, but the prices were too high for Chen An''s liking, causing him to hesitate.


    As for internal refining methods, he didn''t even catch a glimpse of any.


    Internal refining methods for inner qi practitioners were not common, even the lowest-quality ones like the Qing Song Jinqi, were hard to come by.


    So Chen An wasn''t in a hurry, he could wait patiently.


    He believed that before long, he would come across something suitable at the auction house.


    He just needed to wait patiently.


    Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, it was time for the White Family''s grand competition.


    "It''s been a long time since it''s been so lively."


    Chen An stood on the grounds, feeling sentimental as he looked at the bustling scene before him.


    Since leaving Fengcheng County, he hadn''t seen such a lively atmosphere for a long time.


    There were martial artists everywhere.


    This place was on the outskirts of the White Family''s territory and was usually not open to outsiders.


    However, for this grand competition, some outsiders were invited to come and observe, which had opened up this area to visitors, attracting many people to come watch.


    In this world where martial arts were revered, even ordinary commoners took pride in practicing martial arts and hoped to become martial artists.


    In such a situation, events like the grand competition were naturally popular.


    Chen An took a walk around, thinking that if they charged admission and set up some seats, they could make quite a bit of money.


    Maybe they could earn back all the expenses of this grand competition and then some.


    Of course, this idea could only be left in his mind. If he said it out loud, even Bai Qing would probably reprimand him.


    How could he tarnish such a pure and honorable event like a martial arts competition with money?


    Although in Chen An''s view, this grand competition had nothing to do with purity and honor from start to finish.


    In the distance, a chorus of shouts arose.


    It seemed that someone had already started organizing a gambling game there, with some people earnestly analyzing the contestants in the competition, trying to identify some dark horses and make a good profit.


    Unfortunately, among them were some of Chen An''s acquaintances.


    One of them was Bai Changyue.


    At that moment, he was selling information, providing detailed information on the White Family members to passersby.


    As a member of the White Family, he might not be part of the core, but he was more familiar with the White Family members than outsiders.


    Those outsiders did not know his background and were fooled by him, buying information from him dumbfoundedly.


    Chen An couldn''t help but sigh. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was hard to say whether associating with such slick merchants was good or bad.


    As he walked further in, the atmosphere inside became much more serious.


    Seats were set up all around, most of them occupied.


    In the front, several figures were sitting together.


    They were the representatives of the various branches, seated side by side.


    Bai Qing was among them.


    Looking at them, Chen An recognized several people.


    One was a middle-aged man in his forties with a stern face and a strong physique, named Bai Mingwei, Bai Changren''s father and the deputy representative of the second branch.


    Another looked very old, at least sixty or seventy years old, dressed in a gray robe, with a gentle face.


    This was Bai Mingli, Bai Zhilan''s grandfather and the deputy representative of the fourth branch.


    The last one was a young man in his thirties.


    He was fair-skinned, with a soft and delicate appearance, and a faint smile on his face as he sat there.


    He was the deputy representative of the fifth branch, named Bai Changyuan?


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    These three people, along with Bai Qing representing the third branch and the main line, were all the branches of the White Family.


    It seemed that Bai Changyuan felt Chen An''s gaze and turned around, his cold and slightly menacing gaze falling on Chen An, making him feel a chill in his heart as he quickly lowered his head.


    "So, are you the subordinate you recruited in Fengcheng?"


    Looking at Chen An from afar, Bai Changyuan''s face showed a cold smile. "You look quite good."


    "I just wonder how skilled your underlings are."


    "Not much, after a year of martial arts practice, I only managed to defeat a fully cultivated Sanhe Gang hall master."


    Bai Qing smiled and hinted, "For older brother, this is naturally nothing to brag about."


    Bai Changyuan glanced at Bai Qing deeply. "I hope you can still smile in the future."


    The Sanhe Gang hall master who Chen An defeated in the past was one of his men.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 66: Performance

    Chen An looked around.The grand competition had begun, and in the distance, people were already practicing, occasionally making noises.


    It was the sound of swordplay.


    Although in Chen An''s eyes, these people were a bit exaggerated.


    They seemed to be fighting hard, but in reality, it was just that.


    They thought they were performing wonderfully, using all their tricks.


    Chen An just shook his head when he saw them.


    Didn''t they see Bai Qing frowning?


    They were still thinking they were performing, putting in so much effort.


    Chen An didn''t want to criticize, but he couldn''t help shaking his head.


    Of course, most of these people were ordinary tribe members, many of them from other places. Perhaps they were used to being elsewhere and ended up overdoing it.


    Among them, Chen An also saw some familiar faces.


    Such as Bai Changren, and also Bai Zhilan.


    Compared to the people around them, their competition seemed more direct.


    Bai Changren''s opponent was a young man who appeared strong, seemingly a branch of the Bai family, specifically coming from another place. He looked strong on the surface, obviously a decent opponent.


    But even such a strong warrior, faced with Bai Changren, was quickly defeated in three or four moves, cleanly beaten.


    The whole process looked very relaxed.


    Wow.


    Chen An couldn''t believe Bai Changren wasn''t cheating.


    Bai Changren''s own strength was around the level of reaching the peak of physical training, while his opponent looked tall and sturdy but actually was only at a lower level of physical training. In terms of strength, he was far inferior.


    They really picked the wrong opponent!


    Many Bai family members participated in this Grand Competition this time. Other prominent families in Shangyuan County, such as the Cao family, also sent quite a few people.


    Among the participants, at least they were at the level of physical training.


    In other words, they were at the lower level of physical training. This was already considered the weakest among them.


    Bai Changren unexpectedly picked such a weak opponent, who would believe that he didn''t rig the fight?


    Chen An was not only the first to not believe it, but he also wanted to expose the truth.


    If he hadn''t paid off.


    And if he had paid, that would be a different story.


    Chen An sighed and walked outside, quietly looking for a new betting spot, betting on himself to win.


    He placed the bet very boldly that the bookmaker couldn''t help but come over, looking curious and asking, "Young man, do you have any inside information?"


    "What information? No information?"


    Chen An glanced at him and said, "As warriors, we should always move forward, regardless of the obstacles."


    "If you don''t have an undefeated heart, how dare you stand among others!"


    After saying this, he left arrogantly, leaving only a silhouette behind.


    The bookmaker looked puzzled as Chen An left, only spitting out, "Daring to bet so much and still claiming no inside information!"


    "If you don''t have an undefeated heart, how dare you stand among others! Okay, okay!"


    A teenager on the side echoed, muttering the words Chen An had just said casually, his eyes shining.


    He took out some silver coins and placed them on the table, saying loudly, "Boss, I, Cao Xin, bet these two silver coins on the young hero who just won!"


    The boss turned around, looking puzzled at the teenager in front of him.


    What''s going on lately? Why are there so many fools?


    He murmured in his heart, but he still registered the bet.


    After all, not making money when you have the opportunity is a sin.


    What he didn''t expect was that after the teenager left, an unnamed wealthy woman with the surname Huang came and casually bet three thousand taels of silver coins.


    After the elegant and beautiful woman with the surname Huang left, the bookmaker looked at the silver coins in front of him and couldn''t help but have doubts.


    "Is there really something going on?"


    Chen An naturally was unaware of others'' doubts.


    He was already standing on the stage.


    His opponent, a young man who seemed to come from the Cao family, didn''t know his name specifically, but he seemed polite.


    Looking at Chen An, he bowed first, then picked up his weapon, a delicate-looking soft sword, and rushed towards him.


    Watching the exaggerated movements of his opponent, the sluggish speed that made people sleepy, and the obviously insufficient foundation, Chen An subconsciously wanted to push him off the stage with a wave of his hand, but he stopped just in time.


    On the high platform, his face instantly turned serious as if he was facing a formidable opponent.


    His long knife kept swinging, and in a short time, he clashed several times with his opponent. It seemed like a chess match where the pieces were evenly matched.


    Just by the actions of both sides, it seemed like a fierce battle, appearing to be a stalemate.


    Under the stage, Jiang Shu looked at Chen An on the stage, couldn''t help but turn around and look at Huang Yuexuan, "Miss, what is Mr. Chen doing?"


    Chen An''s opponent''s strength was not too strong, just reaching the peak of physical training, similar to Jiang Shu''s strength.


    If Jiang Shu were to go up and be in this situation with the opponent, it would be fine. However, Chen An...


    Jiang Shu still remembered Chen An''s ferocious appearance back then.


    The big leader of the Black Tiger Gang in the internal gas realm would cut without hesitation, without any dragging situations.


    But now, how come it took so long to face an ordinary warrior at the peak of physical training?


    Facing Jiang Shu''s doubt, Huang Yuexuan just smiled, not saying much.


    With her intelligence, she naturally understood why Chen An did it.


    She didn''t think there was anything wrong with it, just finding it somewhat amusing.


    In the past, she had encountered many internal gas warriors, and most of them were serious-looking, stern, and uncompromising.


    Rare animals like Chen An, who were solely money-oriented, were indeed rare.


    "It seems that Mr. Chen is very short of money."


    Watching Chen An on stage, Huang Yuexuan pondered, suddenly a thought flashed through her mind.


    During this period, she had also investigated Chen An''s background, knowing that he was a talent picked up by Bai Qing by accident.


    For this, Huang Yuexuan felt very envious. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Just going out to do something could pick up such a talent. Why couldn''t such good fortune fall on her?


    Since this person was discovered recently and not cultivated from a young age, wasn''t there a chance to poach him?


    Especially when his flaws were so obvious.


    Huang Yuexuan carefully pondered this question.


    Of course, she was just thinking about it.


    Bai Qing was still watching.


    Despite seeming to be good sisters with Bai Qing, others may not know the depth of their sisterly relationship, but didn''t she know herself?


    It was okay on ordinary days, but if she wanted to poach someone from Bai Qing, she would be digging her own grave.


    "What''s going on with him?"


    Up ahead, Bai Qing looked at Chen An''s performance and frowned at the moment.


    Compared to the other supervisors, there were also quite a few people from Bai Qing''s side participating in this Grand Competition, but the person she valued the most among them was undoubtedly Chen An.


    With her understanding of Chen An''s strength, he could easily deal with opponents like the one at the moment in just a few moves. Why was he taking so long?


    "Sister Qing, it seems like your subordinate is not very obedient either."


    Bai Changyuan smiled, timely adding a bit of sarcasm to Bai Qing.


    "Thanks for your concern, Cousin Yuan."


    Bai Qing responded coldly.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 67: Performance (2)

    Chen An at this moment still had no idea that his immediate superior had already made a mental note of him.He was still leisurely fishing on the platform, looking very relaxed and carefree.


    After going through dozens of moves, in the end, he defeated his opponent with a slight advantage, and the opponent was asked to step down from the platform.


    As his opponent was asked to step down, he still looked unconvinced, as if he thought he had just made a mistake.


    Chen An could only smile and then leave.


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    Walking to a corner, Chen An looked at Bai Changyue in front of him and asked with a smile.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Bai Changyue gave Chen An a thumbs up, looking admiring: "You acted just like the real thing, you''ll definitely be able to fool a lot of people."


    "Continue to work hard for the next few rounds." S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He said with a smile.


    "Alright."


    Chen An nodded and then walked away.


    The next few days, the competition continued.


    During this process, Chen An had fought in three rounds.


    Originally, Bai Changren was prepared to face Chen An in the second round, but he did not expect that there would be so many participants this time, which disrupted his original plan and forced him to fight an additional round.


    But fortunately, at a critical moment, his ability to win still played a sufficient role.


    His second opponent was not a strong one either, just slightly better than the previous one.


    It¡¯s unclear what led to their defeat in the end.


    In the end, the opponent was also defeated by Bai Changren, and overall, it went quite smoothly.


    And what followed in the third round goes without saying.


    If in the previous two rounds he still had some reservations, afraid of accidentally losing, there was no longer any need for reservation in this third round.


    Because he had been prepared to lose from the start, losing was not a big deal.


    The premise was to lose gracefully.


    On that note, Chen An seemed to be doing a good job of cooperating.


    On the stage, Chen An and Bai Changren engaged in a fierce battle.


    In the end, Bai Changren almost pushed Chen An to a "dangerous situation" and almost knocked him off the platform.


    However, at a crucial moment, Chen An finally revealed his internal energy cultivation and directly counterattacked, pushing Bai Changren off the platform.


    This instant surprised those around him.


    Because of Chen An''s previous performance, those who did not understand his background successfully made a wrong judgement, mistaking him for an ordinary body-refining realm warrior.


    Little did they know that he was actually a wolf in sheep''s clothing.


    A formidable internal energy realm warrior disguised himself like this, making it so much harder to fight a group of body-refining realm warriors.


    It really took a lot of effort.


    On the high platform, Bai Qing''s face had darkened considerably, looking very displeased.


    Of course, he wasn''t the only one with a black face; the steward of the second chamber, Bai Mingwei, also had a serious expression.


    He sat on the high platform, watching his child''s outstanding performance, almost breathless.


    But in the end, he didn''t say anything, just quietly watching like Bai Qing.


    After the third round, Chen An suddenly had some free time.


    At the speed of the current competition, his next match was estimated to be scheduled for the afternoon.


    That was still a considerable amount of time from now.


    During this time, Chen An was not idle, but was observing around.


    By now, two days had passed since the start of the competition.


    Most of the ordinary opponents had been eliminated.


    The participants who were left now, at the lowest level, had reached the peak of the body-refining realm.


    There were also a few who had reached the small achievement in internal energy cultivation.


    There were definitely those who had reached the great achievement in internal energy cultivation, but currently, not many had revealed their true strength.


    Chen An''s gaze looked towards a distant figure, locking onto a young man.


    He was a very young man, probably in his early twenties, with a cold and expressionless face, like a block of ice.


    His opponent was fierce, and in the previous few matches, no matter who he faced, he could easily take them down.


    This was Bai Changming, the most outstanding genius of the Bai family in this generation.


    According to the information Chen An had learned from Bai Changren, it seemed that this person was just one step away from reaching the great achievement in internal energy cultivation three or four years ago.


    And now, he probably had already surpassed that, becoming one of the most outstanding individuals.


    Aside from these two suspected individuals, there were others.


    Another young man from the Bai family, named Bai Changli.


    Compared to Bai Changming, Bai Changli was even more ruthless, having reached the great achievement in internal energy cultivation several years ago.


    Of course, more than his cultivation level, what interested people more was Bai Changli''s identity; he was the younger brother of the head of the fifth chamber, Bai Changyuan.


    He was one of the most outstanding figures in the fifth chamber, and one of the top geniuses of the Bai family.


    Of course, apart from these two, there were others in the younger generation of the Bai family who had reached the great achievement in internal energy cultivation, but they did not participate in this competition, so there was no need to consider them.


    These were the people from the Bai family.


    As for whether there were any formidable individuals from the Cao family participating this time, Chen An was not sure.


    His information was not as extensive.


    He didn''t pay much attention to these two individuals from the Bai family.


    After all, his goal was only to reach the top ten and then stop.


    No matter how outrageous this competition may be, it was impossible to have more than five participants who had reached the great achievement in internal energy cultivation.


    So Chen An naturally wasn''t concerned.


    "Next match, Chen An vs."


    On the high platform, Chen An''s name was announced again.


    Chen An did not hesitate and walked up.


    This time, his opponent was a woman, and a woman that Chen An was very familiar with.


    "Chen Keqing, it''s been a long time."


    Bai Zhilan stood in front of Chen An and looked at him with a hostile expression: "Long time no see, it seems that Chen Keqing has been doing well recently."


    "Miss Zhilan."


    Facing Bai Zhilan''s unfriendly gaze, Chen An felt something was amiss, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.


    But before he could say anything, Bai Zhilan''s voice came softly: "I heard that you have been spending a lot of time with Miss Huang recently, seems like you are having a great time."


    Her words were flat, but the underlying hostility could not be hidden.


    Without waiting for Chen An to explain, Bai Zhilan immediately drew her long sword and charged towards Chen An.


    In the past, Chen An had not fought against Bai Zhilan, nor did he know how strong this Bai family heiress was.


    But now that he felt her up close, he realized that this Bai family lady''s strength was quite impressive, already at the peak of the body-refining realm.


    Her strength was definitely above that of Bai Changren.


    With this level of strength, it was no surprise that she had made it all the way here.


    However, it was clear that she was already destined to lose against Chen An.


    Normally, she could admit defeat, but in this situation, with Bai Qing watching from the platform and the fact that he had placed a bet on her, at the very least, she had to make it to the top ten.


    If she lost now, the money would go down the drain.


    (The End of this Chapter)

 Chapter 68: Betrothal?

    White Zhilan did not disappoint Chen An, making it difficult for him.Although her expression was unpleasant and seemed to be full of resentment, it did not seem like she intended to make Chen An roll off the stage.


    This made Chen An breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Enough."


    After slashing randomly for a while, venting his anger, White Zhilan looked at Chen An with some speechlessness and said, "I admit defeat."


    She admitted defeat decisively.


    Because she was here to gain experience.


    Although her perfect cultivation in the Body Tempering Realm was not bad for her age, she could be considered a genius, but no one would believe she could win in this grand competition, right?


    Even if she managed to defeat Chen An, what then?


    Would she have to lose in the next match?


    Because she understood this, White Zhilan did not make a fuss. After venting her emotions, she left quite straightforwardly and gave her position to Chen An.


    Chen An couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    Acting was also tiring.


    For him, acting with people wasn''t a big deal, but since White Zhilan was a relative, he couldn''t help but feel somewhat constrained between the gestures of letting loose and not hurting each other, which was quite difficult to grasp.


    Chen An also did not have much experience in similar situations in the past, so naturally he felt exhausted.


    And their performance was also seen by the higher-ups.


    "Is this the person that Zhilan often mentions?"


    On the high platform, watching Chen An''s previous performance, Bai Mingli couldn''t help but furrow his brows, as if he faintly heard some unfavorable rumors, "Looks quite talented."


    "Just don''t know about his strength."


    Simply from his appearance, Chen An''s looks were impeccable, and no one would say a word against his appearance. Some people even quite liked his appearance.


    If he switched careers in the future, encountering a lucky break and finding a wealthy woman to support him might not be out of the question.


    But in the eyes of Bai Mingli, an older generation martial artist, appearance ultimately couldn''t be relied upon, strength was the most important thing.


    To be worthy of his precious granddaughter, other conditions might be negotiable, but strength should definitely not be lacking.


    But looking at it now, it seemed fine?


    Although Chen An seemed flustered and lost just now, with the discerning eyes of Bai Mingli and the others, it was clear that Chen An was deliberately conceding.


    To be able to do this, he had already proven his strength, no weaker than the Internal Energy Realm.


    "Qing''er, how old is this guest of yours?"


    Thinking of his granddaughter, Bai Mingli couldn''t help but ask White Qing on the side.


    "If you calculate the time, he is almost seventeen now."


    White Qing smiled and directly informed Bai Mingli of Chen An''s information.


    Bai Mingli''s eyes lit up.


    At the age of seventeen with cultivation in the Internal Energy Realm, his talent was considered good, even within the Bai family, his future prospects were hopeful to reach the peak of the Internal Energy Realm or even perfection.


    Considering that the other party was found from a remote place and probably did not receive systematic training in the past, his talent was likely even higher than estimated.


    Seems fine?


    After pondering for a moment, Bai Mingli couldn''t help but ask for more information about Chen An.


    The results he got in the end were very satisfying.


    Financially modest, meaning his ambitions wouldn''t be too high, and he could accept becoming a son-in-law.


    Both parents deceased, indicating no trouble from the male side in the future, and there wouldn''t be any issues when the child married into the family.


    The key point was his outstanding talent and from various deeds observed so far, his character was also impeccable with no hidden dangers upon marriage.


    Of course, White Zhilan herself was very fond of him, which was also a very important reason.


    Perhaps White Zhilan herself did not realize that all her thoughts about Chen An in private had entered her grandfather''s ears and heart.


    No way. The background of the times was different after all.


    In Chen An''s previous life, sixteen or seventeen-year-old girls were still high school students, attending classes in the classroom.


    But in this world, many girls of the same age were already mothers.


    Not only was Bai Mingli, the grandfather, anxious, but White Zhilan''s parents were also anxious. The arranged blind dates were one after another, but all of them didn''t spark any interest.


    This was quite normal because, in their eyes, ordinary people were not desirable; at the very least, they needed a genius at the Internal Energy Realm, otherwise, it would be a loss, right?


    But where to find a genius at the Internal Energy Realm?


    Those who showed potential early on had been snatched up long ago, and there were many people focused solely on martial arts, indifferent to marriage.


    Naturally, they were hard to find.


    Now that there was finally a seemingly suitable target, it naturally attracted a lot of attention.


    After asking for information, Bai Mingli was satisfied and then directly spoke, "If I may ask, do you still remember my granddaughter, Qing''er?"


    "A while ago, she often mentioned your guest''s name by my old ear."


    "If Qing''er finds it appropriate, how about the two of us becoming in-laws?"


    He smiled and proposed.


    According to normal procedures, discussing a betrothal was a matter for the elders of both sides.


    But Chen An''s situation was special, his parents were no longer alive. In such a situation, with White Qing as his master, she could also play a role similar to that of an elder to arrange for Chen An.


    "Since Lao He can appreciate him, Qing''er naturally won''t object."


    White Qing naturally wouldn''t refuse and smiled as she spoke.


    This matter also had its benefits for her.


    The relationship between the Third Branch she represented and the Fourth Branch where Bai Mingli belonged was already good. If they could establish this marital alliance, it would be like adding even more closeness, beneficial for both sides in the future.


    For White Qing, who was barely holding her position within the Bai family, she could use this matter to find a powerful ally and weather the storms within the family.


    In this way, her situation in the Bai family would also improve significantly.


    Bai Changyuan coldly watched White Qing and recorded their conversation in his mind.


    White Qing''s conversation with Bai Mingli did not deliberately avoid others, and he was not deaf, so he naturally heard everything clearly.


    He also understood the various interests involved, but he had no intention of speaking.


    What should he say at this time?


    Speak ill of Chen An?


    It would be ineffective and would only provoke resentment, needlessly offending people.


    This was something he wouldn''t do.


    Even though he couldn''t stop the marriage, it wouldn''t hurt to make it a little disgusting.


    Thinking of this, he smirked and waved his hand, calling over a servant. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After a while, a servant in gray clothing walked over.


    "Inform Chang Li for me."


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 69: Lesson?

    White Changyuan''s actions over there will not be mentioned for now.On Chen An''s side, after defeating White Zhilan, Chen An had no idea what he would face next.


    He was still immersed in joy at the moment.


    "Winning one more match should be enough."


    Looking at the sign in front of him, this thought flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    The number of participants in this competition was not particularly exaggerated.


    After all, only young people from the White family and a few other families participated, so there wouldn''t be many people.


    Overall, having nearly a hundred people participating in this competition was already quite good.


    With the victory over White Zhilan in this match, Chen An had already won four matches in total. With one more win, he would be in the top eight.


    By then, he would almost be able to achieve the goal he had set in advance.


    The only thing was, he didn''t know who his opponent would be in the next match.


    Chen An thought about this in his mind.


    At this stage of the competition, only the elite remained.


    There were still some people with perfect Body Tempering Realm cultivation, but they were a minority.


    Most people had cultivation in the Internal Energy Realm.


    He wondered who he would face in the next match.


    Contemplating this, Chen An thought that as long as he didn''t encounter the few geniuses in the Internal Energy Realm, there shouldn''t be too much of a problem.


    Just as he thought about this, a sign was raised ahead. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Has the list been announced?"


    Curious, Chen An looked up and then froze on the spot.


    His name was written on the wooden sign in front of him.


    But the key point was the name of another person.


    That name was Bai Changli.


    Bai Changli, the genius that Chen An had focused on before, was one of the most outstanding talents in the White family of this generation.


    His cultivation was at the Internal Energy Realm peak.


    Was this intentional to let him lose?


    Chen An thought to himself and then subconsciously turned his head, staring directly at Bai Changyuan in front of him.


    If he remembered correctly, the person known as one of the most outstanding geniuses of the White family, Bai Changli, seemed to be the younger brother of Bai Changyuan.


    So, was this matter created by the other party?


    Although this competition was nominally random, internally everyone knew this was impossible.


    This could be seen from Bai Changren''s actions before.


    Even though Bai Changren wasn''t a favorite, he could still choose his opponents to some extent. Not to mention Bai Changli, one of the White family''s prodigies.


    Chen An looked at Bai Changyuan suspiciously.


    In his opinion, this matter was likely caused by this person.


    Sensing his gaze, Bai Changyuan, who had actually been paying attention to Chen An all along, turned around, revealing a mysterious smile on his face.


    Although the smile seemed friendly, it actually had a hint of ridicule, which was quite puzzling.


    Alright, no need to doubt anymore.


    This matter was most likely caused by him.


    Chen An calmed his expression and silently went to the side.


    Alright, it seemed like the money for this round was going down the drain.


    Sighing, he already guessed the general idea of this matter.


    Actually, there was no need to guess.


    Within the White family, Bai Qing and Bai Changyuan had never gotten along, and this was already known to everyone.


    Previously in Fengcheng County, Bai Changyuan had tried to win over the Three Rivers Gang led by Song Wang, attempting to strike at the forces under Bai Qing.


    Now, perhaps he was just deliberately causing trouble.


    It was normal, but in Chen An''s eyes, it was a bit petty.


    "Chen Xiong, what should we do now?"


    After Chen An left, Bai Changyue anxiously came over.


    "I bet on you to win!"


    Anxious and impatient, he seemed even more agitated than Chen An.


    It seemed that he had placed quite a bit of money on Chen An.


    "What else can we do?"


    Rolling his eyes, Chen An said, "At this point, are you still expecting me to change the list?"


    He said this casually and jokingly, but to Bai Changyue, it seemed like he had found a savior, "Shouldn''t we give it a try?"


    This surprised Chen An, "How much money did you actually bet on me?"


    "It''s only five thousand taels."


    Bai Changyue''s face stiffened as he finally spoke.


    Five thousand taels was not a small number.


    Although Bai Changyue was from the White family, his actual profession was as a businessman. Although he had some wealth, it was relative.


    This five thousand taels probably almost emptied half of his savings.


    Chen An looked at Bai Changyue with some pity and didn''t say anything, just patted his shoulder and then left directly.


    At this point, what else could he say?


    He had no intention of taking responsibility for Bai Changyue.


    After all, it wasn''t him who had asked Bai Changyue to invest so much.


    Investing comes with risks; one must be cautious.


    Let''s leave the commotion over at Chen An''s side for now.


    At the head of the venue, White Qing looked at the sign erected in front and frowned, immediately understanding what was going on.


    But she didn''t mind, just looking at Bai Changyuan beside her and said somewhat speechless, "To disgust me, targeting a child specifically, do you have to go this far?"


    "Just because he''s a child, he needs more training to prevent him from offending his seniors due to ignorance."


    Bai Changyuan smiled, seeming a bit provocative, "Qing''er, what do you think?"


    It seemed like he was hinting at something in his words, making Bai Mingli on the side couldn''t help but shake his head silently.


    "As long as you''re happy."


    White Qing calmly said, looking at Bai Changyuan''s appearance, she couldn''t help but shake her head silently.


    This kind of person, if not lucky, wouldn''t have the qualifications to sit here and be on the same level as her.


    However, she had no intention of stopping Chen An in this matter.


    In her view, Chen An had been smooth sailing in martial arts up to now, which in a way wasn''t a good thing. It could easily lead to an arrogant attitude and personality.


    Using this incident to train him didn''t seem like a bad idea.


    It would serve as a warning to him to work harder in the future and not slack off.


    Of course, Chen An''s insufficient strength was also a factor.


    With Chen An''s current strength, even if he won the next match, entering the top eight would already be a peak achievement for him, and further progress was beyond his imagination.


    As for the top eight position, White Qing thought it was unnecessary, and it didn''t matter.


    But little did White Qing know that her indifference position was crucial for others.


    After half a day passed.


    On the stage, the next match was about to begin.


    Chen An stood alone on the stage, waiting for his opponent.


    He arrived early for this match and had been waiting until now.


    However, his opponent seemed to be dragging his feet and didn''t look like he would show up until the very last moment.


    Down below, Bai Changyue clasped his hands together, whispering softly to himself.


    "Although that five thousand taels is doomed to be lost, perhaps I can recover some of the losses."


    He consoled himself.


    After learning that Chen An''s opponent was Bai Changli, he knew that the five thousand taels he had bet earlier was likely going to be in vain.


    Therefore, a while ago, he gritted his teeth and took out another three thousand taels, betting on Bai Changli.


    Although the odds for Bai Changli were not high due to his great reputation compared to Chen An, as long as he won smoothly, he could recover some of his losses no matter what.


    Thinking about this, he couldn''t help but let out a long sigh of pain in his heart.


    My money!


    However, at this point, no matter how much it pained him, it was useless.


    "The time is almost up."


    The timekeeper on the side looked at the clock and couldn''t help but speak up, "If they don''t show up soon, it will be considered a forfeit."


    Just as he finished speaking, there was commotion coming from a distance.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 70: No More Pretense!

    Far away, a series of crisp sounds resounded.Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a young man silently walked forward.


    He was a very handsome young man, dressed in flowing white robes, with a stern expression, and a tall figure. At this moment, he stepped towards the stage, each step seeming solid and sturdy, as if his feet were firmly planted on the ground, exuding a mysterious sense of harmony.


    Every movement gave off a martial artist''s aura, making people''s eyes light up.


    Watching the protagonist-like entrance of Bai Changli in front of him, Chen An felt speechless.


    In his previous life, he had read quite a few novels, and in those novels, the protagonist seemed to always arrive the last.


    If one didn''t show up at a crucial moment, they couldn''t be treated like the protagonist.


    The current Bai Changli seemed to have this aura.


    In a novel, he would definitely be considered the protagonist with such treatment.


    But if the other party was the protagonist, then what was he? S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The jester who got slapped by the protagonist?


    Chen An''s mind wandered, lost in random thoughts.


    "Let''s begin."


    The stern voice sounded from the front.


    Bai Changli looked at Chen An and calmly said, "Here''s some advice, use your strongest moves now so you don''t miss the chance later."


    "End this battle quickly, I have other opponents to find."


    Chen An didn''t speak but silently drew the long knife from his waist and stepped forward.


    Crack!


    The long knife fell swiftly like a flying leaf, cutting down with an excellent arc, showing a very skillful posture.


    The long knife was swift, just the released force contained within it was enough to cleave a person in half, there would be no second outcome.


    At the level of Small Achievement in the Internal Energy Realm, this should be considered a very powerful strike, even a martial artist of the same level would have to be careful when facing it.


    However, this terrifying strike, when it fell in front of Bai Changli, only made him look disdainful.


    Bang!


    Before the people around could see what was happening, Chen An''s entire body flew out directly, and even the long knife almost slipped out of his hand.


    "The Wind Chase Knife Art is not supposed to be used like that."


    Bai Changli''s face was cold, with a hint of undisguised disappointment in his tone, "I heard that Miss Qing brought you here as a talented individual. Originally, I thought there might be some surprises, but now, it''s just weeds."


    He reached out and pulled out the long knife hanging from his waist.


    It was a plain gold long knife with extremely exquisite patterns engraved on it, looking very precious and exquisite, considered a rare weapon.


    The knife was good, and in Bai Changli''s hands, the knife was wielded in a unique and mysterious manner, and the technique used was none other than the Wind Chase Knife Art that Chen An had just demonstrated.


    But judging by its appearance, it was much stronger than the one Chen An had practiced just now.


    "Three years ago, someone challenged me with the Wind Chase Knife Art, but was defeated by me using the same technique."


    Bai Changli calmly said, "The person''s Wind Chase Knife Art has been perfected for seven or eight years, it can be considered Mastered."


    "You''re far inferior to him."


    As the words fell, the gold long knife fell instantly, slicing forward.


    Bang!


    The long knife collided, making a sound of steel collision in mid-air.


    Chen An moved back silently, a gap appeared in the long knife in his hand.


    Chen An looked at the long knife in his hand, speechless.


    In the end, it was just a weapon made by an ordinary blacksmith, quite far from a real precious weapon.


    Just a few clashes resulted in the current appearance.


    Of course, this was also related to the Internal Energy of both sides.


    The Internal Energy infused in the opponent''s weapon was clearly stronger.


    However, at this level of confrontation, it was almost enough.


    Chen An got up silently from his original position and prepared to admit defeat.


    "Sure enough, from the looks of you, you seem ready to surrender."


    Bai Changli looked at Chen An''s appearance, and seemingly guessed his next move, a sneer on his face, "When faced with a strong enemy that cannot be defeated, the first thought is to escape and admit defeat."


    "Someone like you, what''s the use of having a high cultivation base?"


    "Constantly worried, submissive in front of strong opponents, is nothing but a coward at heart."


    "Both you and your master behind you are just roaring with claws, but inside you''re just a weakling trembling in fear!"


    A cold voice came from the front.


    These words couldn''t be considered anything else but pure humiliation.


    Faced with such humiliation, even if it was a martial artist, they would probably be burning with rage, wishing to fight with the other party.


    If one couldn''t resist this kind of insult, it would probably not yield a good reputation later.


    What the other party probably wanted was this effect.


    At the head, White Qing looked coldly at Bai Changyuan, her gaze ice-cold, "You really have a good little brother."


    "What''s the matter?"


    Facing White Qing''s gaze, Bai Changyuan just smiled and playfully said, "If a person doesn''t act arrogantly, it would be a waste of their prime years. Young people being proud and arrogant is just normal."


    "Compared to others, Changli at least has the qualifications to be arrogant, right?"


    "A person as arrogant as this, will probably suffer sooner or later."


    White Qing sneered, "Aren''t you afraid of being resented by others?"


    "It''s said, being envied is a sign of talent."


    Bai Changyuan waved his hand indifferently, smiling, "Only the most useless talent is afraid of being resented by others. True geniuses scorn everything, even if they''re resented by villains, what can they do?"


    "The grand competition is still ongoing, your young people have not surrendered yet. I suppose you don¡¯t want to attract the elders by intervening, Clear?"


    "Of course not."


    White Qing stared deeply at him, as if she had already remembered him.


    Below, on the stage.


    Chen An sighed, then looked up at Bai Changli in front of him, "Nice words."


    "However, there''s one thing that I''m very curious about."


    "The things you just said, would you dare to say them to someone stronger than you?"


    "In front of a strong person, the weak should remain humble."


    Bai Changli glanced at Chen An, calmly remarking, "Unlike some people, who lack awareness of their weakness."


    Obviously, this phrase was referring to the current Chen An.


    "So, are you essentially saying all these things just to people weaker than you?¡±


    Chen An continued to sigh and looked at Bai Changli, ¡°So the so-called bullying the weak and fearing the strong refers to people like you, right?¡±


    "Facing the strong, the weak should be humble."


    Bai Changli glanced at Chen An and calmly said, "Instead of like some people, without any awareness as a weaker individual."


    With a clear statement, "No more pretending!"


    As the crisp words fell, a rapid burst of internal energy erupted, in that moment it roared out like a furious tiger, deafening everyone.


    Under that terrifying internal energy, a broken large knife flew from above and instantly split down.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 71: Reaction (1)

    A powerful internal energy burst, carrying a broken large sword rushing forward.It was a truly shocking scene. On the training ground below, with the terrifying internal energy burst, a dim light began to shimmer on the broken long sword, and the horrifying internal energy carried within it began to vibrate outward, actually cutting through half of the training ground.


    The sharp blade aura soared into the sky, even from dozens of meters away, one could clearly sense the sharp intent, as if a blade was coming towards them, creating an especially realistic feeling.


    "You!"


    Bai Changli''s pupils shrunk, finally feeling the danger in that moment.


    A intense sense of crisis spread from his heart, without any hesitation, he quickly revived his internal energy, instantly calling upon it and activating it all at once.


    He was definitely a genius, with a cultivation level that stood out among the young generation of the White family. With his attainment of the Great Achievement in the Internal Energy Realm, the moment it was displayed, it immediately showed terrifying power.


    Scratch


    A crisp sound erupted.


    Bai Changli''s gold long knife swung, slashing forward at a mysterious angle, channeling the full force of his body into that one strike.


    Around him, the visible dense internal energy turned into white light, enveloping the weapon. Combined with the gold long knife, it emitted a faint golden light.


    However, despite this, Bai Changli''s figure still retreated, forcibly pushed back.


    "What!"


    There was an immediate astonishment all around.


    At that moment, everyone turned their eyes back to Chen An, only to find that he was no longer the same as before.


    The huge internal energy visible on his weapon openly revealed itself, no longer just a slight gloss as before, but extremely bright.


    Any discerning person could see that the internal energy on the young man in front of them was much stronger than what Bai Changli had displayed.


    In other words,


    "Great Achievement in Internal Energy!"


    At the top, Bai Changyuan suddenly stood up from his seat, his eyes staring fixedly into the distance, his face full of disbelief, "How is that possible!" S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Indeed, how could it be?


    Clearly he was just a weakling before, just an ordinary Internal Energy realm, how did he suddenly become Great Achievement in Internal Energy?


    This was like a rabbit suddenly becoming a tiger, a weak and powerless girl suddenly becoming a strong man, making people unable to help but be shocked and wonder how this could be possible.


    Bai Changyuan''s reaction was not strange.


    Just a short distance from where he was sitting, watching the changes on the field, even White Qing, the nominal patron, almost couldn''t sit still, nearly sitting up, displaying a reaction similar to that of Bai Changyuan.


    She did not react as excessively as Bai Changyuan, mainly because she was too shocked to respond.


    And later, when she did react, she could naturally control her behavior.


    On the surface, White Qing just sat quietly in her seat, unchanged from start to finish, her face still carrying an inexplicable smile, as if she was mocking Bai Changyuan¡¯s reaction.


    This posture gave the impression of being confident and having already known the situation.


    However, in reality, White Qing''s shock at the moment was by no means weaker than that of others. It was even much stronger.


    Because she was actually Chen An''s guide and considered herself to have a clear understanding of his progress.


    But in the end, Chen An surprised her greatly.


    She was now subconsciously puzzled.


    (Chapter End)

 Chapter 72: Reaction (2)

    Bai Qing maintained a forced smile on her face. There was nothing she could do. It was fine not to mention this matter before, but since they had already reached a consensus earlier, going back on it now would only offend people. It would be good enough if they didn''t make enemies out of the people from the Fourth Branch. So even if she regretted it, she couldn''t say anything."Is that so?" Bai Mingli looked at Bai Qing, his expression seemingly smiling yet not smiling. "Well, that''s good." With his experience as an elder, he could naturally see that Bai Qing''s words were insincere. But it didn''t matter. Since they had already agreed, there was no room for regret. He had already decided on this son-in-law!


    "Come, let''s continue watching my son-in-law''s match," he said with a wave of his hand, smiling.


    Wow, he''s already calling him his son-in-law? Are you afraid of making people regret it? Bai Qing glanced at Bai Mingli, feeling that he was really shrewd. But since things had come to this point, she had no choice but to turn and continue watching the match below.


    At this moment on the training ground, terrifying internal energy clashed with each other. To everyone''s astonishment, the one on the platform not only falling behind but continuously retreating was not Chen An, but Bai Changli.


    "This is impossible!" Bai Changli shouted in disbelief on the training ground. In a short period of time, he had tried his best to fully activate his internal energy and fight against his opponent. However, what he couldn''t believe was that no matter what he did, his opponent''s strength always suppressed him, surpassing him at every turn.


    The opponent''s internal energy was even stronger than his.


    "Haven''t you accepted reality yet?" A long blade came through the air, falling directly in front of him, breaking through all of Bai Changli''s moves and forcing him to retreat. Amidst the fierce wind, Chen An''s figure advanced, his face calm, his once broken long blade now shining brightly, exuding a sharpness that could cut through anything.


    With each movement and action, there was a certain aura that made people feel overwhelmed. In contrast, the composed and extraordinary Bai Changli from before now had a pale face and a fierce demeanor, completely devoid of his previous demeanor.


    "Seeing you like this, that''s how it should be," Chen An laughed as he spoke, "I have to say, you have no other skills, but you sure are good at talking big."


    "I consider myself to have a good temper, rarely getting angry over anything, let alone losing my temper. But the words you just said left me speechless, even if I wanted to endure it, I couldn''t," he continued with a calm tone. "Do you know that I originally just wanted to finish this match peacefully, lose gracefully, and avoid trouble?"


    "Now you''ve ruined everything!"


    With a surge of intense killing intent, as if he truly wanted to kill someone, a fist imprint materialized in the air, violently knocking Bai Changli backwards, making him unable to stand steady, his body swaying.


    "Looking down on my swordsmanship, huh?" As the long blade descended, Chen An''s perfected Gale Blade Technique was no longer held back, fully displayed with waves of sword shadows forming in place. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As internal energy circulated and exploded in all directions, the terrifying power made people feel exceptionally frightened. Bai Changli widened his eyes, his heart shaken, unsure of what to say.


    With his eyes, he could naturally see that what Chen An was displaying was none other than the Bai family''s Gale Blade Technique. However, compared to before, Chen An''s Gale Blade Technique was much more exquisite at the moment, with various changes and internal energy movements that left Bai Changli unable to keep up.


    In his eyes, the broken long blade swung down towards his head, looking as if it was going to cut off his head in one fell swoop.


    "No!" At a critical moment, his face twisted in fury as he let out a roar, with his internal energy bursting, seemingly trying to resist Chen An and seize a glimmer of hope in this terrifying assault.


    However, it was to no avail. Compared to him, Chen An''s internal energy was denser, his strength stronger, and his martial skills more sophisticated, showcasing a true mastery.


    The opponent''s mastery of the Gale Blade Technique clearly surpassed his own! He was no match for the opponent, so what could he use to stop him? He was completely unable to resist!


    Bai Changli''s eyes widened. With the long blade slowly approaching in front of him, growing bigger in his line of sight, it seemed as if it could chop off his head at any moment.


    A great sense of fear surged from the depths of his heart, accompanied by the shadow of death.


    He was going to die, he was really going to die!


    Filled with fear, he screamed frantically in his mind. If he could, he would have wanted to shout out the words "I surrender."


    However, it seemed that the other party was not going to give him that opportunity.


    The speed at which the long blade descended was unimaginably fast.


    Finally, the long blade fell.


    Bang! A crisp sound rang out as it landed on the ground, emitting a strange noise.


    The audience around looked up, clearly seeing a golden long blade being severed, its blade falling to the ground.


    This was Bai Changli''s ceremonial sword that was specially made by a renowned craftsman, known for its unique material that could cut iron like mud even without internal energy support.


    However, even with such a remarkable weapon, under the amplification of internal energy, it was still broken by a regular long blade.


    This wasn''t a gap in weapons, but a gap in internal energy.


    The gap between Chen An and Bai Changli could already be seen from this strike.


    "Changli!" Bai Changyuan got up again, looking at the scene below, feeling relieved yet also somewhat angry.


    Bai Changli was none other than Bai Changyuan''s younger brother. In the past, Bai Changli had always been the pride of Bai Changyuan''s branch and one of their biggest support.


    However, now their pride and support were being insulted in such a humiliating manner in front of everyone''s eyes.


    This was simply a disgrace! To be continued...


    Is it up to yesterday


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 73: Reaction (3)

    "Changli!"Bai Changyuan stood in place, eyes red with anger and impatience written on his face. Looking at Bai Changli''s situation on the training ground, this representative of the Fifth Branch was finally losing his patience.


    In the end, he turned to Bai Qing with a fierce look in his eyes, "Qinger, is this how you discipline your subordinates, allowing them to commit violence right in front of you?"


    "With such arrogance, aren''t you afraid of facing retaliation one day?"


    He spoke aggressively, subconsciously trying to threaten her.


    But after he finished speaking, he suddenly felt something was off.


    Why did he feel like he recognized these words as if they were familiar? Like he had heard them somewhere before.


    Soon, he confirmed his thoughts.


    Bai Qing looked at him with a smile and a hint of playfulness, "What? Regretting now?"


    "If there is retribution, it should befall the one who spoke those words before."


    "Just like now."


    She gestured towards the training platform in front of them, where Bai Changli was still being pummeled. "See, he''s facing the consequences now?"


    "Speaking of which, the guest from our family is not like some people''s younger brothers, behaving arrogantly relying on their martial arts skills, always modest and respectful, even towards their seniors."


    "Compared to some others, isn''t this much better in terms of manners?"


    The words were spoken smoothly by Bai Qing, appearing very natural. But to Bai Changyuan, they just made him feel infuriated.


    "You!"


    He stood up in anger, glaring at Bai Qing, wanting to say something but finding himself unable to speak.


    He couldn''t help it; this situation was quite embarrassing. As the instigator of the provocation, he could only accept being slapped in the face as well.


    While it might have been more acceptable on a normal day, all the branch representatives were present today. There was no room for him to argue.


    Continuing the argument would only make him a laughingstock.


    "Enough."


    A voice came from the side. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Mingwei looked at Bai Changyuan and calmly said, "Let''s stop here."


    "There''s no need to continue this match."


    "Go announce the result immediately."


    This was a way to let Bai Changyuan save face, and he immediately nodded, "Okay."


    Subsequently, someone naturally left to go report downstairs.


    Listening to the shouts of stop all around, Chen An also stopped and quietly put away his weapons, then he smiled, "It seems like your good brother has finally come to save you, but it''s a pity..."


    "I was planning to clean you up a bit more."


    "However, it''s interesting. Weren''t you the one who said that the strong should be confident and successful, dominating across all lands? It was quite admirable to hear at the time."


    "So why now, when it''s your turn, are you calling for help from the elders?"


    Shaking his head, disappointment evident on his face, he continued, "Or is it that you are no different from those three-year-old children, talking big but crying to their parents when bullied?"


    "If that''s the case, I overestimated you."


    His words were calm, a stark contrast to Bai Changli''s aggressive demeanor. Each word felt like a sharp sword stabbed into Bai Changli''s heart.


    "You! You!"


    Bai Changli raised his hand, trembling, pointing at Chen An, seemingly trembling with anger.


    He wanted to say something in response, but as soon as he tried to speak, his mind went blank, unable to form any words.


    Of course, even if he could speak, it wouldn''t have made a difference.


    Chen An may appear quiet, but in his past life, he had ample experience in verbally attacking others, more than the fights Bai Changli had. He had mastered the art of verbal assaults, not needing any foul language.


    He certainly had a share in being an online keyboard warrior.


    When it came to verbal confrontations, could Bai Changli, who focused solely on martial arts and occasionally boasted, outmatch him?


    But Chen An had let go of this skill for a long time now.


    That''s because he knew there were no internet connections in this world. If you berated someone in public today, the next day they might come to your doorstep with a weapon for a duel.


    If you could kill someone, there was no need for verbal attacks; if you couldn''t, insulting them would only bring trouble.


    And that was the main reason for Chen An to stay quiet and composed. As for now, it was like finding the feeling of his past self.


    Looking at the visibly angry and trembling Bai Changli, who couldn''t find the words to say anything in response, Chen An shook his head in disappointment.


    He had thought his past experiences of verbal confrontations would finally come in handy after hearing Bai Changli''s previous words. But it seemed like he had overestimated the situation.


    That''s just how it was.


    In this world, actions mattered more than words.


    To challenge someone, you had to be able to back it up with action.


    Just like before, if Chen An wasn''t a match for Bai Changli, what would he have said?


    He could only stand there and mock, then admit defeat.


    It was the same now.


    Since Bai Changli was no match for Chen An, at this moment, he could only stand there as the mocked one.


    In the end, lacking in strength made everything else meaningless.


    Thinking about this, Chen An felt somewhat bored. He shook his head in disappointment at Bai Changli, who wanted to say something but couldn''t.


    He had hoped that Bai Changli''s confident words from before would show his rich experiences, but it seemed like he was mistaken.


    It was what it was.


    When it comes to matters of strength, actions speak louder than words.


    Shaking his head in disappointment, Chen An looked at Bai Changli and silently left the training ground.


    Surprisingly, as soon as he left, there was commotion behind him.


    "Young Lord Li is spitting blood!"


    "Quick, find someone."


    A commotion erupted behind him, indicating that Bai Changli had fainted after vomiting blood.


    This caused Chen An to shake his head once again.


    Young people didn''t just lack in the skill of verbal confrontations, their mental resilience was also lacking.


    Spitting blood over such a small setback, how could he ever reach the peak of martial arts in the future?


    Chen An sighed silently, then quietly left the training ground.


    Compared to when he took the stage, the expressions of the people around him had changed significantly.


    Eyes full of seriousness and curiosity, with a hint of scrutiny, were now fixed on Chen An.


    This indicated attention and importance.


    Although, in a way, this attention and importance were not what Chen An desired, they had come, and there was nothing he could do about it.


    Facing the gazes of those people, he calmly met their eyes, then returned to his previous position, preparing to leave.


    Of course, he intended to leave, but some people blocked his way.


    After Chen An stepped down from the stage, a group of people immediately surrounded him.


    "Brother Chen! You really hid it from me well!"


    Bai Changyue walked up to Chen An, crying loudly.


    His expression was strange at the moment, a mix of crying and smiling, looking exceptionally complicated. Chen An couldn''t help but pause, suspecting if he had suffered a stroke.


    This expression was actually understandable.


    He cried because Chen An had won, but also cried because Chen An had won. It wasn''t contradictory.


    Before this, Bai Changyue thought Chen An was destined to lose, and had clenched his teeth, almost bankrupting himself to bet three thousand taels of silver on Bai Changli.


    But with this unexpected turn, Chen An ended up winning.


    So those three thousand taels of silver had gone down the drain, right?


    Of course, there was more laughter than tears amidst the crying.


    After all, Bai Changyue had bet much more on Chen An, and due to the unexpected outcome, the odds were much higher for Bai Changli.


    This unexpected turn meant that he had made a successful gamble.


    Thinking about this, Bai Changyue looked at Chen An with eyes that seemed to express regret.


    "You should have told me about your strength earlier. Why did I have to bet on Bai Changli, end up losing three thousand taels of silver for nothing?"


    Chen An naturally understood his thoughts, so he smiled and said, "It''s not that I deliberately hid it from you. But if I had told you earlier, would you have believed me, Brother Changyue?"


    Bai Changyue subconsciously shook his head and suddenly realized.


    After all, Bai Changli had a well-known reputation, being one of the most outstanding talents among the younger generations of the Bai family, with a great reputation even in the entire Shangyuan County.


    Compared to that, Chen An was relatively unknown in Shangyuan County, with little to no reputation.


    At first glance, it seemed like Bai Changli had more experience in martial arts and was slightly older than Chen An, so who would believe that Chen An''s strength could surpass Bai Changli''s?


    In this situation, it was no wonder that Chen An chose to stay quiet.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 74: Reaction (4)

    Looking at Chen An in front of him, Bai Changyue hesitated to speak, feeling complicated, but in the end, he didn''t say anything, just sighed silently.Yeah, what could he say?


    Chen An didn''t tell him his specific situation, but he didn''t ask him to invest on the opposite side either.


    He invested the money on his own, so how could he blame others?


    Moreover, even if he could blame Chen An, he wouldn''t dare.


    Thinking of this, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face again, looking so brilliant.


    Chen An glanced at him, not telling him that he was actually prepared to surrender quietly.


    If the other party hadn''t been so aggressive, he might have surrendered early and avoided all this trouble.


    Of course, in the current atmosphere, he had no intention of saying anything.


    After all, it was too late to say these things now.


    But he didn''t know how Bai Qing would see it.


    Chen An, who was completely unaware of Bai Qing''s movements, had a headache.


    After all, in name, Bai Qing was still his master.


    Now that he, as a guest, had exposed himself, who knows how they would view him over there.


    "Anyway, at least I can earn back the money I invested before."


    After much deliberation, he could only console himself in this way.


    In any case, the problem wasn''t too big.


    No matter what, he was still under Bai Qing, so it''s not like Bai Qing could do much to him.


    And since he couldn''t do much, the worst that could happen would be a little trouble, which didn''t really matter.


    Standing in place, Chen An thought to himself.


    At this moment, Bai Changren also approached, standing in front of Chen An, looking him up and down with a look of seeing a monster.


    "Brother Chen, you''ve kept me in the dark for so long," he said, his tone somewhat exaggerated. "You have such strength, why didn''t you say so earlier?"


    Why didn''t he say so earlier?


    Of course, it wasn''t convenient to explain.


    Chen An thought to himself, but with a smile on his face, he explained, "I did want to say, but I just couldn''t find the opportunity, so I had to keep it to myself until now."


    "I will tell you, had Bai Changli been a bit more polite, I was ready to surrender," he said sincerely.


    "I understand, I understand," Bai Changren nodded understandingly, then added with some schadenfreude, "Speaking of which, Bai Changli relies on his strength and background, he has always been arrogant and domineering in the past."


    "We dare not say anything on the surface, but who doesn''t resent him behind his back? Now we finally see him in trouble, I wonder how many people are secretly happy about it."


    He said with a smile, "Brother Chen, by revealing your strength this time, you have helped a lot of people in the clan let out a breath of anger."


    His words carried a sense of satisfaction, indicating that he had also been mocked by the White family genius in the past.


    "Is that so?"


    Bai Changren''s reaction surprised Chen An.


    It seemed that even within the White family, Bai Changli didn''t have a good reputation.


    That''s right.


    Given the arrogant look he had shown before, having no friends was a normal operation, and having enemies everywhere wasn''t surprising either.


    Without his solid talent and background, he probably would have been condemned long ago.


    In this way, he had followed the will of the people this time.


    Shaking his head, Chen An looked around.


    There were already quite a few people around him at the moment, but there were still some who seemed restless in the distance.


    The children of the White family and other families looked at Chen An, seemingly wanting to approach and leave an impression on him.


    But in the end, only Bai Changyue and his previous acquaintances came forward, surrounding him in a circle.


    And in the further distance, Huang Yuexuan was also standing there, her eyes fixed on Chen An, with a faint smile on her face.


    Chen An looked around and was about to greet others when he heard someone outside delivering a message.


    "Miss wants you to come over."


    Song Lao walked over, looking at Chen An surrounded by this group of people and said.


    His expression was the same as before, seemingly unchanged, but his eyes looked very complicated, seeming particularly tangled as he looked at Chen An in front of him.


    "I''ll be right there."


    Chen An was not surprised, nodded directly, and then turned and left.


    It was expected that Bai Qing would summon him.


    After all, if Bai Qing remained indifferent after this incident, then his heart would be too strong.


    It was already giving him face to call him now.


    After making some adjustments, Chen An turned and left, heading towards the backyard where Bai Qing was located.


    Meanwhile, not far away, Huang Yuexuan watched Chen An''s departing figure and smiled, "It seems that this Mr. Chen hides deeper than I thought."


    "Yes."


    Beside her, Jiang Shu sighed, still not having recovered from the shock earlier.


    He was truly shocked, not by Chen An''s displayed strength, but by his age.


    The strength of Internal Qi Great Completion was already considered a backbone within the White family, but if you really thought about it, there were still many who were stronger.


    Most of those clan elders had at least attained the Internal Qi Perfection, which was much stronger than Internal Qi Great Completion.


    But how old were those clan elders?


    How old was Chen An?


    Because of Chen An''s outstanding performance earlier, Jiang Shu had deliberately looked into it.


    Seventeen years old.


    Seventeen years old with Internal Qi Great Completion.


    What does that mean?


    "This is a true talent of the People''s List."


    Huang Yuexuan sighed, with a hint of envy in her voice, "With his talent, I''m afraid he can reach Internal Qi Perfection before he''s twenty, and then he still has dozens of years to improve afterward."


    "I wonder how far he can go in the future, it really makes people look forward to it."


    In the past, when someone described a person as having the talent of the People''s List, it was mostly just a phrase.


    But Huang Yuexuan felt that Chen An truly deserved this reputation.


    With his current cultivation and demonstrated talent, if nothing unexpected happened in the future, perhaps one day he would truly be ranked among the People''s List.


    "Yes."


    Jiang Shu also sighed, feeling the same way.


    In addition to feeling emotional, they also felt very relaxed.


    The reason they were so relaxed was partly because they had already established a good relationship with Chen An, the talent of the People''s List, laying a foundation.


    As for the other aspect. Of course it was money.


    Before, when Jiang Shu hesitated to bet on Chen An at Huang Yuexuan''s insistence, he was a bit puzzled and even felt sorry, thinking that the money would probably go to waste.


    But now, only relaxation and joy remained.


    This was all because of money.


    Another person had made a big profit because of Chen An''s actions, but unfortunately, Chen An was completely unaware of this.


    Otherwise, with his personality, he might have come to Huang Yuexuan to settle the score.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t know.


    And first of all, he had to pass the test of Bai Qing. S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Guided by Song Lao, Chen An arrived at Bai Qing''s courtyard.


    Unlike before, Bai Qing was already waiting inside.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 75: Honest Confession

    In the courtyard, Bai Qing stood alone, dressed in a long robe, his handsome face calm, showing no visible emotions, although his thoughts were a mystery.But from his calm expression, Chen An secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    It seemed like Bai Qing didn''t intend to make things difficult for him. Maybe he could easily pass this test.


    Hmm, maybe.


    "Here you are."


    As Chen An approached, Bai Qing turned to him with a somewhat complex expression, "You really surprised me this time."


    "If Bai Changli hadn''t pushed you out so forcibly, maybe you would have kept it hidden?¡±


    Her expression was stern, with a hint of blame in her tone.


    But sensing her emotions, Chen An secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    Thank goodness.


    After spending time together, he had a good understanding of Bai Qing''s temperament.


    With her personality, if she had spoken gently and looked calm, it wouldn''t have been a good sign. Most likely, she was truly angry.


    In the end, Chen An quickly replied, a wry smile on his face, "I didn''t mean to hide it. I just didn''t know how to say it."


    "What do you mean?"


    Bai Qing coldly remarked, "You don''t want to say it now that your cultivation has improved? Are you afraid it''ll make things difficult for me?"


    Chen An smiled wryly, his face sincere, "I didn''t intend to keep it from you; I just didn''t know how to bring it up."


    "You used to go to the auction house, and yet you secretly undertook a task at Qingfeng Pavilion."


    Mentioning Chen An''s previous actions, Bai Qing felt speechless, "Couldn''t you just tell me you needed money? Why waste time doing such things?"


    It was embarrassing.


    Chen An chuckled awkwardly, unsure of what to say.


    Asking Bai Qing for money felt unnecessary, and his simple outlook on life from his previous life was influencing his decision.


    In his view, Bai Qing had already given him plenty, and asking for more money for his cultivation felt a bit embarrassing. Plus, the internal cultivation methods and martial skills were costly, and without explaining his situation, it would be hard to justify asking Bai Qing for more.


    But that was the past.


    Now that everything was out in the open, it no longer mattered. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "In the future, if you want any martial skills, use my token to retrieve them from the arsenal."


    Bai Qing looked at Chen An and shook her head, "But you don''t need to learn too many martial skills, just enough to get by."


    "Regarding the internal cultivation method, I heard you purchased one at the auction house?"


    She suddenly brought it up.


    You knew about that?


    Chen An was genuinely surprised, but under Bai Qing''s gaze, he ultimately nodded honestly.


    "You don''t need to look at those types of things."


    Bai Qing shook her head, "A few thousand taels of silver for an internal cultivation method likely indicates it''s the lowest quality, might even cause problems in training. Did you really dare to buy it?¡±


    "Give me your hand."


    She spoke softly, with an air of unquestionable authority.


    Chen An nodded and obediently held out his hand, placing it in front of Bai Qing.


    She then grasped his hand, saying, "Activate your internal energy to the fullest."


    Bai Qing''s voice came next.


    Chen An complied, and suddenly, a delicate sensation emerged.


    His hand was held by Bai Qing''s, and she said, "The internal energy from the Ming Shen Jue!"


    Feeling the flow of Chen An''s internal energy, Bai Qing was impressed.


    To be honest, she had some doubts about Chen An''s progress before this.


    His progress was just too rapid.


    From beginning his cultivation to reaching Internal Energy Completion in less than a year, his speed was frankly unbelievable.


    Prior to this, Bai Qing had only heard of such speeds in rumors, and seeing it for the first time made her feel a bit unreal.


    Her initial reaction wasn''t joy but rather surprise and suspicion, even leading her to question if Chen An had resorted to some unorthodox methods and techniques to progress so quickly.


    Which was why she decided to test him.


    But the test results were genuine.


    The internal energy of the Ming Shen Jue was very familiar to her, and its purity indicated it was genuine internal energy developed through practice, certifiably not a method cultivated through unorthodox means.


    Recognizing this fact, Bai Qing felt a mix of emotions and was unsure of what to say.


    "After confirming that there are no issues with your internal energy, I will find a way to solve the issue with the internal cultivation method."


    "Stop using the internal cultivation method you purchased at the auction house."


    Earlier, Bai Qing had sensed another internal energy presence in Chen An''s body, besides the pure internal energy of the Ming Shen Jue. Compared to the Ming Shen Jue, this energy was much weaker and less noteworthy, likely the internal cultivation method Chen An had acquired at the auction house.


    Bai Qing naturally assumed that Chen An had made this attempt for the sake of further progression.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 76: Difficulties

    Bai Qing only gave Chen An a five-level Ming Shen Jue at the beginning, at most reaching the level of achieving internal energy.If he wanted to continue to advance, he naturally had to think of other ways.


    In Bai Qing''s eyes, Chen An was probably trapped in this situation, unable to find a way out, so he had the idea of ??practicing other internal cultivation methods.


    Although this idea seemed very foolish to Bai Qing.


    "I will think of a way to help you solve the problem of internal cultivation later."


    After thinking for a moment, she spoke again with some concern, "Do not continue to practice the internal cultivation method you bought before."


    "This kind of internal cultivation method with unknown origins, even though you may be fine now, you may encounter problems later on. It will be too late to regret it then."


    To Bai Qing''s words, Chen An could only say that she was right on the mark.


    Indeed.


    The Green Pine Power technique he had bought was a big pit. If an ordinary person practiced it, they would most likely end up with internal injuries. Surviving without dying would be considered lucky.


    From this perspective, Bai Qing''s caution was not unreasonable.


    So he nodded decisively, indicating that he would obediently follow her instructions.


    Seeing Chen An obediently nodding in front of her, Bai Qing finally felt some relief.


    At this point, her anger had subsided, and she continued to look at Chen An, "Well, hurry up and go down for the test."


    It seemed like she was thinking of Chen An''s performance before, as there was a hint of teasing in her expression, "Don''t pretend to be ready to lose at any moment this time."


    "Who are you pretending to lose for?"


    She recalled Chen An''s performances in the previous tests, all of which were difficult and barely won. She couldn''t help but smile.


    Chen An felt a bit embarrassed, and could only nod honestly, "I understand."


    By now, after the previous test, everyone knew what his background was.


    If he were to play the same way as before, it would not be deceiving others, but deceiving himself.


    After bidding farewell to Bai Qing, Chen An left like this, walking towards the outside, looking much more relaxed.


    Bai Qing stood still, watching Chen An''s back, lost in thought.


    "Song Lao."


    After a moment, she raised her head and looked at Song Lao standing by her side, "What do you think?"


    What do I think?


    Song Lao was stunned for a moment, before responding, "Chen Keqing has made great progress, which is a good thing no matter how you look at it."


    "Or is there something wrong with Chen Keqing?"


    "There is no problem."


    Bai Qing shook her head and said, "You don''t know. His internal energy is so solid, it doesn''t seem like it''s induced by external forces."


    "I don''t even have as stable internal energy as him."


    Bai Qing was also a genius, but to reach this level at her age, she inevitably had to use external forces, which naturally led to unstable internal energy.


    It was precisely because she knew what it was like to cultivate with the help of external forces that Bai Qing understood that Chen An''s internal energy was cultivated solely by himself, without any external influence.


    "If there is no problem, then it''s a good thing."


    Song Lao smiled and continued, "In fact, this is very obvious."


    "Chen Keqing is exceptionally talented, there''s no doubt about it."


    "Just the Wind Chasing Sword technique he mastered before is enough to prove everything."


    Listening to Song Lao''s words, Bai Qing couldn''t help but nod silently.


    While internal energy could still be induced in other ways, martial arts like the Wind Chasing Sword technique had no shortcuts. It either worked or it didn''t.


    And Bai Qing remembered clearly.


    It was only half a month ago when Chen An acquired the Wind Chasing Sword technique.


    To master a martial art like the Wind Chasing Sword technique within half a month, his talent was truly astonishing, and there was no need to doubt it.


    "It seems that this time, I really hit the jackpot."


    Thinking of this, Bai Qing couldn''t help but smile, "I wonder what Song Wang will feel when he sees the current situation."


    Chen An was originally a member of the Sanhe Gang, under the command of Song Wang.


    In other words, this prodigy was supposed to be under the command of Song Wang, but he was eventually handed over to Bai Qing.


    And now, in just over a year, Chen An had caught up to Song Wang.


    If Song Wang were to find out about this, his reaction would probably be quite interesting.


    At this moment, Bai Qing was already looking forward to it.


    "Miss, are you planning to send Chen Keqing to Fengcheng to replace Song Wang?"


    Listening to Bai Qing''s words, Song Lao misunderstood and asked.


    "Of course not."


    Bai Qing shook her head.


    It would be a waste to send someone as talented as Chen An to manage a gang in a remote place like Fengcheng County.


    If she really did that, Bai Qing wouldn''t be able to forgive herself.


    "With his talent, there is hope for the future of the Qi realm. It would be a waste to have him involved in mundane affairs."


    Bai Qing shook her head and said.


    There were many martial artists in Shangyuan County in the realm of internal energy, but only those who had achieved internal energy mastery were considered the top figures.


    As for the truly top figures, most of them were above the internal energy realm, in the realm of Qi. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In every aristocratic family, there were at least one or more people in the Qi realm.


    Why did the Bai family have five branches of the family? It was because each of their five branches had at least one elder.


    These elders were all in the Qi realm.


    This was called having someone to rely on.


    It was because of the existence of these elders that the Bai family could maintain its reputation and stand strong in Shangyuan County. Even the county guard had to rely on them to govern the entire city.


    Generally speaking, those who could reach the Qi realm were considered absolute geniuses from a young age.


    Like the younger generation of the Bai family, such as Bai Changming and Bai Changli, all had hopes of reaching this level.


    They were the hope of the Bai family''s future.


    Why was Bai Changli so arrogant and prestigious? It was all because of this reason.


    Including Bai Qing herself, she was able to become the spokesperson of the third branch at a young age as a woman after her brother passed away, and it was also because she was one of the hopes for the Bai family to reach the realm of Qi in the future.


    But compared to them, Chen An in front of her undoubtedly had a greater chance of reaching that level.


    If their chances of reaching the realm of Qi were less than one in ten, then in Bai Qing''s eyes, Chen An''s chances were fifty-fifty.


    There was great hope for the future.


    For such a genius, he certainly could not be wasted in a small place like Fengcheng County. He needed to be nurtured properly and his full potential realized.


    But first, Bai Qing had to solve a problem for Chen An.


    "Internal cultivation method."


    Bai Qing scratched her head, looking calm on the surface but feeling a bit anxious inside.


    The Ming Shen Jue only had five levels, and Chen An had already reached the level of internal energy mastery, which was the limit.


    If he wanted to continue moving forward, he would have to find a way to practice a higher level of internal cultivation method.


    But where could he find such a method?


    For example, within the Bai family''s inheritance for many years, as a prestigious family, there was only one Yin Bodily Power method that could directly be cultivated to the realm above Qi.


    Now, wanting to find another inheritance, wouldn''t that be too easy?


    "Troublesome, troublesome."


    Bai Qing was almost pulling out her hair in frustration, but in the end, she couldn''t come up with a solution.


    Finally, it was Song Lao who gave her a wake-up call.


    "Didn''t Master say before that he wanted Chen Keqing to marry Miss Zhilan?"


    Song Lao spoke in a low voice, "If that''s the case, why not."


    "What do you mean?"


    Listening to Song Lao''s words, Bai Qing frowned at first, but then slowly nodded, understanding.


    Right.


    This wasn''t just her own matter.


    Wasn''t Bai Mingli eager to have this son-in-law?


    If he wanted to acknowledge him as his son-in-law, wouldn''t it be appropriate to give a dowry?


    After all, at this point, it wasn''t Bai Qing begging to get married, but Bai Mingli asking to marry off.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 77: Changes

    On the other side, Chen An at this moment was unaware of the seriousness of the situation, still immersed in joy.The reason for his joy was simple: he had gained benefits.


    Bai Qing had already promised him that he could go to the arsenal later to select martial arts, and she also said she would help him with internal cultivation methods.


    How much money was saved this time?


    Especially for Chen An, with Bai Qing''s promise, how much effort would he save in the future?


    Could he not be happy?


    But Chen An was clearly happy too soon.


    What he didn''t know was that while he was thinking about how much benefit he could gain this time, Bai Qing had already sold him out and was now contemplating the price she could get for him.


    If he knew, he might not be feeling so happy right now.


    Of course, he might even feel happier. S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As he walked out of Bai Qing''s courtyard, Chen An''s mood had visibly calmed down a lot.


    In a sense, this confession was also a way to relieve his mind a bit.


    Chen An hadn''t completely opened up about his thoughts before.


    Bai Qing might not know, but Chen An hadn''t fully disclosed the details of his situation previously, not just for various reasons, but also for a concealed concern.


    He was afraid that Bai Qing might do something detrimental to him.


    After all, such rapid progress in cultivation in a short period of time was somewhat peculiar and not easily explained.


    Chen An was actually worried that once Bai Qing knew the truth, it might not be beneficial for him.


    The fear of his master working against him was a strange thing in the eyes of people in this world, but for Chen An, it was a genuine concern.


    So he hadn''t revealed the full truth right away, but had waited until now.


    However, it seemed that Bai Qing''s response was much better than he had imagined.


    It was evident that Bai Qing cared quite a bit about him, not only providing him with everything he needed but also not causing him any additional worries.


    For Chen An, this was quite a good experience, and it touched him a bit.


    After all, if you counted all the things he had received from Bai Qing since joining her, it would definitely make many people envious.


    But compared to this generous treatment, Chen An had not done much for Bai Qing so far.


    Up to this point in a year, the tasks Bai Qing had assigned to Chen An could be counted on one hand, mainly welcoming Huang Yuexuan that one time, and occasionally checking out a few markets.


    Most of the time, Chen An was just living his life with the benefits Bai Qing provided.


    This kind of treatment may be considered normal in this world, as which main family''s martial artist wasn''t raised like this?


    But for Chen An, who had spent his previous life working as a corporate slave, this situation was a bit embarrassing.


    If initially, Chen An had joined Bai Qing just to gain benefits and live a comfortable life, now he might have developed some genuine feelings.


    After all, good bosses were hard to come by these days.


    If he lost this one, who knew what the next one would be like.


    However, Chen An had actually entertained the thought of becoming a boss himself.


    But this idea was completely dispelled after he saw Bai Qing.


    Bai Qing already had enough business on her hands. She was busy during the day and busy at night, almost never resting.


    The larger the family business she had, the more people needed to be taken care of, and she couldn''t afford to stop.


    And she also had to manage her own martial arts practice, ensuring that her cultivation was not lagging.


    Even Chen An couldn''t bear to watch.


    Some people might think that this kind of life was desirable, wishing for it day and night.


    But for Chen An, it was completely unnecessary.


    It was too tiring.


    In comparison, it was easier to be a worker.


    As long as you were capable enough, had strong business skills, and were ruthless enough in your dealings, you wouldn''t have to worry about losing your job.


    Companies would keep giving you benefits to prevent you from betraying them when you jumped ship.


    In Chen An''s eyes, this kind of life was not bad at all.


    After all, everyone had their own aspirations.


    As he walked out of Bai Qing''s courtyard and walked on the road, he occasionally ran into some familiar faces.


    Perhaps they were servants of the Bai family, or maybe they were Bai family members, most of whom Chen An had met before.


    After all, although the scale of the Bai family''s residence was not small, the people coming and going were the same, and after spending a long time in this place, they naturally became familiar with each other.


    Seeing these familiar faces, Chen An subconsciously smiled and greeted them.


    This had always been his response, greeting people first and getting to know them first.


    After all, you catch more flies with honey. As time went on, gradually he would also get familiar with everyone.


    In case he needed help in the future or if there was any trouble, having people to support him wouldn''t hurt, right?


    His friendly gestures were well received by those around him, which had resulted in him making quite a few brothers and friends in the Bai family in the past year.


    For example, Bai Changyun was a typical example.


    However, on this day, the reactions of these past friends had changed.


    Not that they were turning against Chen An, but there was a subtle fear, even when greeting him, there was a hint of hesitation.


    This caught Chen An by surprise for a moment.


    Initially, he thought he had done something wrong.


    Perhaps it was because of the previous duel where he defeated Bai Changli, and now showed his prowess. So people were hesitant to approach him?


    But that shouldn''t be the case.


    Most of the people around here were from the third branch, Bai Qing''s side, so their relationship with Bai Changli''s side was already strained. Why would they show such behavior because of that?


    This doubt was finally resolved when he met Bai Changren.


    "Chen Xiong, you defeated Bai Changli and showed such skill, how can those people not have a reaction?"


    Bai Changren looked at Chen An helplessly, not knowing what to say, "Chen Xiong, do you know if Bai Changli were here, these ordinary servants would immediately kneel and bow, or else they would be beaten to death by Bai Changli."


    "Warriors are different from others."


    He sighed lightly.


    Chen An came to a realization, then fell silent.


    He had forgotten that this was an exceptionally brutal world.


    In this world, ordinary people had no future, only warriors were the privileged class.


    That was the reason for the change in attitude of those people.


    If they didn''t respect warriors, it would inevitably bring trouble to them.


    Previously, when Chen An kept a low profile, things were still fine.


    Because at that time, apart from Bai Changren and others, no one knew much about Chen An''s situation.


    But now that Chen An had defeated Bai Changli and revealed his strength, his status had naturally risen accordingly.


    So those people didn''t dare to approach him as easily, because now Chen An could easily take their lives at any moment.


    Just by his own hands, just by a few words from his mouth, he could immediately end their lives.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 78: Pay up!

    "The world these days..."Chen An shook his head inwardly, feeling a bit complicated at the moment.


    At this moment, he suddenly somewhat understood why the former Bai Changli was such a character.


    Staying in this kind of environment all day, being treated like a master by the people around, how could he not be like this?


    And this kind of treatment, Chen An also somewhat enjoyed it.


    Not to mention the changes in the ordinary people before, even those who were familiar with Chen An before, their attitudes changed somewhat.


    Bai Changyue''s attitude towards him had become noticeably more respectful.


    Although he was respectful before, there was still some bottom line.


    But now, he didn''t even need the bottom line, just pure flattery.


    It wasn''t until Chen An showed obvious impatience that he returned to his previous state, but his attitude was noticeably lower.


    As for Bai Changren in front of him


    Bai Changren was also a warrior himself, and his father, Bai Mingwei, was the head of the second house. With a strong background, and their previous relationship was quite good, theoretically, he shouldn''t have to fear Chen An.


    .But his attitude had clearly become much friendlier, and he would come to Chen An''s place more often now. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And it wasn''t just visiting, each time he would bring a lot of gifts as well.


    Chen An originally wanted to refuse.


    He needed money, but he didn''t need to rely on others sending gifts to make a living.


    And with the promise from Bai Qing''s side, he was no longer in need of money.


    However, when he saw several sinister items in the gifts Bai Changren sent, he decided to keep quiet.


    He didn''t need ordinary gifts, but sinister items.


    He could only say he needed them badly.


    "These things, Changren, just take them back."


    Looking at the gifts Bai Changren sent once again, Chen An smiled and then said, "I actually don''t need these things."


    "If you really want to help me, then collect more sinister items for me."


    "Alright."


    Bai Changren had now understood Chen An''s preferences and knew that he preferred special items like sinister ones.


    "But you''ll have to wait a while for that."


    He smiled and said, "Recently, I''ve basically exhausted all the things I''ve hunted that are sinister, so if you want to find these items, you''ll have to wait a bit longer."


    Chen An had already asked Bai Changren to help collect sinister items several times before, and most of the easier ones to collect had been sent to Chen An.


    It would be difficult to find more in the near future.


    After all, although there were more sinister incidents in Shangyuan County than in other places, they were still within a certain limit, and the number of sinister items produced each period of time was limited.


    After this batch was collected, they would have to wait for the next batch.


    Of course, some people might wonder why they couldn''t look for items from the past.


    These sinister items from the recent past had been collected, but wouldn''t there be many sinister items created from the haunting of the past years?


    Sorry, but no.


    After all, besides Chen An considering these items as treasures, who else would deliberately collect these things?


    After all, the sinister itself represents uncertainty, and in the eyes of the world, sinister items are not good things either. Holding them for a long time would likely cause problems.


    Therefore, in the past, even though there were sinister incidents, most of the remaining sinister items were burned along with the sinister to prevent them from causing further trouble.


    Since they had been burned, they could not be collected.


    "My Bai family''s internal inventory should be gone by now, but the other families should still have quite a few items."


    Bai Changren thought for a moment and suddenly said, "In a while, I''ll ask someone to help you inquire."


    "Thank you very much."


    Chen An''s eyes lit up, and he immediately thanked him.


    "Between you and me, why be so polite?"


    Bai Changren waved his hand and said with a smile, "If you really remember my kindness, then drink more at the wedding feast."


    "Wedding feast? What wedding feast?"


    This time it was Chen An''s turn to be stunned. "Brother Changren, are you getting married?"


    Wait a minute.


    Chen An clearly remembered that Bai Changren was already married, and after that, at most, he would take a concubine. Could he get married a second time?


    "Don''t you know?"


    Seeing Chen An''s reaction, Bai Changren was also dumbfounded. "You don''t even know about this?"


    Chen An looked confused and subconsciously shook his head.


    In response to this, Bai Changren was also speechless for a while, and then explained to him.


    It turned out that the conversation between Bai Qing and Bai Mingwei that day had already been spread to others through the people present at the time.


    As we all know, gossip spreads quickly.


    And at that time, Bai Mingwei, Bai Changren''s father, was sitting next to Bai Qing and Bai Mingwei.


    This was also the reason why Bai Changren could know the news first-hand.


    Speaking of which, the reason why he specially came today was also to congratulate Chen An.


    After all, both Chen An and Bai Zhilan were his good friends.


    Now that these two were about to get married, as a friend, he was naturally happy.


    But now, as one of the parties involved in this marriage, Chen An himself was completely unaware of it?


    This was somewhat inexplicable.


    After a while, when Chen An learned about the events of the day from Bai Changren, he fell into silence.


    At this moment, he recalled Bai Qing''s previous appearance.


    That smile and expression echoed in his mind, making his mood especially complicated.


    I knew it, how could there be such a boss who is so easy to talk to.


    It''s like he sold himself a long time ago, or just sold his body directly.


    Now it seems that all the benefits he got from Bai Qing were clearly his selling price, and probably a significant part of the things were paid for by the buyer.


    Thinking of this, his face couldn''t maintain its calm anymore and became more awkward.


    "Brother, you..."


    Bai Changren looked at the complicated expression on Chen An''s face and couldn''t help but be startled.


    He originally thought that Chen An knew about this matter and agreed with it, so he quickly came to congratulate him.


    But now, it seemed that he didn''t know about it at all.


    This was not good.


    The wedding was approaching, and the groom himself didn''t know he was the groom.


    This was quite rare.


    It seemed that he might have caused trouble. So, he lowered his head and carefully asked, "So, Chen, what do you think about this in your heart?"


    He carefully probed.


    But his probing only brought Chen An''s silence.


    Facing Bai Changren, Chen An sat in his place silently, his expression changing.


    This kind of appearance was quite frightening.


    Seeing Chen An''s expression, Bai Changren couldn''t help but feel a burst of coldness, feeling that this matter might not end well.


    Although Bai Qing and Bai Mingli had already reached an agreement on this matter, the formal engagement had not yet taken place, and all the procedures had not been completed.


    And as long as Chen An himself did not agree, what could Bai Qing and Bai Mingli do?


    They couldn''t force it, right?


    It was fine before, but now that Chen An had shown his talent, Bai Qing probably wouldn''t force it.


    By then, it might be a smooth way to reject this marriage.


    But what about Bai Zhilan?


    Bai Changren had inquired about this before.


    After knowing about this marriage, Bai Zhilan didn''t say it on the surface, but she was actually very happy. It was said that she had been smiling more often during this time.


    It was obvious that she was very happy.


    After all, she had been quite fond of Chen An before.


    If Chen An really refused, how sad would she be?


    What if she did something rash?


    Various thoughts flashed through Bai Changren''s mind, and at this moment, he considered all possible aspects.


    However, to his surprise, after a moment of silence, Chen An did not say anything about refusing.


    Instead, he sat upright, his face serious, and finally shouted three words with a serious tone.


    "Pay up!"


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 79: Wedding

    "What did you just say?"Listening to Chen An''s words, Bai Changren almost thought he was hallucinating and misheard.


    So he asked again.


    Chen An glanced at him, didn''t speak, but his face calmed down a lot. "I said I know."


    "So, you don''t oppose this marriage."


    Bai Changren breathed a sigh of relief.


    No matter what, as long as he didn''t oppose it, it was fine.


    Otherwise, it would be troublesome.


    Regardless of feelings, just from Bai Qing and Bai Mingli''s side, if they knew it was him who mentioned it to Chen An, it would be troublesome.


    He probably wouldn''t be eliminated directly, after all, he had a background. But there might be repercussions.


    Luckily, the worst didn''t happen.


    Looking at Bai Changren, Chen An was tempted to shout out the classic line "I object to this marriage," but he thought about it and decided against it.


    There was no need for it.


    Marry Bai Zhilan?


    Chen An didn''t have a big objection to it.


    Because he wasn''t planning on remaining single for the rest of his life anyway.


    In all honesty, although in the novels he had read in his past life, the male leads were all strong and resolute, seemingly detached from worldly affairs, and solely focused on reaching the peak of cultivation, avoiding women and desires.


    But Chen An was just a normal person; he naturally also had the desire to start a family.


    This wasn''t something to be embarrassed about.


    In fact, when he was in Fengcheng County before, he thought the girl next door who often peeped at him was quite nice, and maybe he could consider marrying her in the future.


    But when he followed Bai Qing to Shangyuan County, this very discreet thought naturally dissipated.


    Overall, he did have the thought of starting a family, but it wasn''t particularly strong.


    This also meant that he didn''t reject the idea of getting married.


    The only concern was who the partner would be.


    So the question arose.


    Did Chen An have any feelings for Bai Zhilan?


    Of course he did.


    Otherwise, why would he agree to her invitations multiple times?


    He wasn''t blind and couldn''t see Bai Zhilan''s affection for him.


    Therefore, if he didn''t have any interest, he would have rejected her invitations early on to avoid misunderstandings.


    Since he agreed, there was certainly a hint of interest hidden somewhere.


    There was nothing to be embarrassed about.


    Bai Zhilan was pretty, had a good personality in Chen An''s eyes, and her other qualities were quite good. If in the past, she would have been a perfect beauty, with no shortage of suitors.


    With Chen An having no defects and fitting his preferences, he was a good match for him.


    In summary, Chen An didn''t object to marrying Bai Zhilan.


    However, not objecting on the one hand and having his marriage arranged by someone else was another matter.


    Chen An, no matter how good his temper was, couldn''t tolerate his marriage being decided like a trade deal.


    So, he must be paid!


    The marriage could proceed, but the benefits must be sufficient!


    Otherwise, who knows what trouble might arise later?


    This was Chen An''s simple idea.


    Just as he was about to say something to Bai Changren, he heard a commotion from outside.


    Looking up, he saw Bai Changyue coming in.


    As one of Chen An''s good friends, Bai Changyue, like Bai Changren, was one of the few who could enter directly without prior notice.


    At this moment, he boldly walked into Chen An''s courtyard, with a radiant smile on his round face, like a blooming chrysanthemum, shining brightly.


    He strode over, shouting, "Brother Chen, come out quickly. I''m here to bring you a gift!"


    "I heard your good news is coming soon, so I came to congratulate you specially!"


    Upon hearing this, Chen An''s face was completely dark.


    Heavens.


    Everyone knew about his wedding, except for himself?


    Was this a joke?


    "Oh, Young Master Changren, you''re here too. Are you here to congratulate Brother Chen as well?"


    Bai Changyue walked into the room and immediately saw Bai Changren, and Chen An sitting opposite him with a dark face and a bad mood.


    This puzzled him.


    Isn''t marriage a good thing? Why does it feel like a funeral? Why is there no smile?


    Is there some complication?


    He felt uncomfortable as he watched Chen An''s dark expression, realizing that something was amiss.


    "So, he doesn''t oppose this marriage?"


    Meanwhile, in the spacious and magnificent courtyard, a completely different scene was unfolding than with Chen An.


    Bai Zhilan looked at Bai Changren with joy, her face showing a shy expression as she listened to his description of Chen An''s response.


    If someone who knew her saw this, they would probably be shocked to see her, the wild girl who used to ride horses and beat people, displaying this girlish attitude.


    "Yeah."


    Listening to Bai Zhilan''s words, Bai Changren hesitated a bit, but in the end, he nodded.


    No matter what happened during the process, Chen An had ultimately agreed.


    Though his face didn''t look good, he had still consented, right?


    "I knew it. He must really like me," Bai Zhilan said with a slight blush, lowering her head with a shy expression, although she didn''t speak, her face was flushed, and a hidden smile never left her lips.


    This made Bai Changren sigh inwardly. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zhilan really liked Chen An.


    This affection may have been somewhat discreet before, but now it was blatantly obvious.


    From her current appearance, if Chen An were to suddenly change his mind and reject her, she would probably become someone unrecognizable due to heartbreak.


    She would likely seek him out and demand an explanation, even if it meant causing a scene.


    Bai Changren thought to himself.


    Luckily, although Chen An''s reaction had not been the best, his attitude still indicated his agreement.


    And that was fine.


    However, thinking back to Chen An''s reaction earlier, Bai Changren discreetly reminded, "Although he seems surprised but happy after learning about the news, he also seems a bit angry due to not being informed."


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 80: Gift

    "What should we do?"Listening to Bai Changren''s words, Bai Zhilan''s face showed nervousness. "Will he think that we are not respectful enough?"


    To begin with, we weren''t respectful enough.


    Bai Changren inwardly scoffed.


    Letting the groom find out he is the groom last was quite a move.


    But in front of Bai Zhilan, he naturally couldn''t say that.


    So he quietly suggested, "The problem should be fine. Brother Chen isn''t a narrow-minded person."


    "Perhaps we could send some gifts over and explain briefly."


    Recalling Chen An''s previous actions, Bai Changren hesitantly suggested.


    "Gifts?"


    Bai Zhilan''s eyes lit up as she asked, "Do you know what he likes?"


    She hit the nail on the head.


    "Of course, it''s eerie items."


    Bai Changren thought to himself but didn''t say it out loud.


    After all, if he privately sent those things and given Bai Zhilan''s situation, sending such items would likely cause a different reaction, and it wouldn''t sound good if the rumors spread.


    Eerie items were always mysterious.


    Bai Changren only saw Chen An as someone who liked such things.


    As for others, they probably wanted to avoid them at all costs.


    Sending such items would make most people think you are cursing them.


    It would transform gift-giving into creating grievances.


    But if not eerie items, what other gifts would be suitable?


    Bai Changren pondered.


    Luckily, his mind worked fast, and he actually thought of a suitable gift.


    "Wasn''t Brother Chen''s sword broken before?"


    He spoke up and suggested, "Give him a precious sword. He''ll surely be happy to receive it."


    Martial artists all liked weapons.


    And Bai Changren had seen Chen An''s weapon before. It was just a common sword made by a local blacksmith, and although its quality was decent, it didn''t compare to a real weapon.


    Hence, it had been damaged a few times by Bai Chang Li before.


    Bai Zhilan also remembered.


    She had watched Chen An''s sword being damaged by Bai Chang Li during their previous battle.


    So after a moment of thought, she smiled and said, "Perfect."


    "Hey, bring me Grandpa''s sword. We''ll send it over shortly."


    She ordered, and someone immediately bowed and left to prepare it.


    At that moment, Bai Changren suddenly felt something was off.


    "Zhilan, the sword you just mentioned..."


    Casually, he said, "It wouldn''t be the silver sword that Grandpa often liked to play with, would it?"


    Unconcerned, Bai Zhilan replied, "It''s the one he''s been playing with for a long time. He rarely uses it, so it''s just right to give it away now."


    Bai Changren''s breath hitched.


    He finally remembered.


    The sword belonging to Bai Zhilan''s grandfather was no ordinary sword.


    It was acquired by Bai Ming Li from an external source and was said to have cost a considerable price.


    The entire sword was mostly made of silver iron, making it extremely valuable. If someone were willing to sell it, there would surely be bidders willing to pay a hefty sum.


    Bai Ming Li wasn''t skilled in using swords, so he rarely used it and only played with it occasionally.


    And now, Bai Zhilan had just given that sword away?


    It was worth a hefty sum!


    Thinking back, Bai Changren looked at Bai Zhilan''s expression and felt a sudden complexity.


    At that moment, he really wanted to ask Bai Zhilan if she had any sisters or something.


    Although he was already married, he felt that with a wealthy woman like her, he could consider it.


    Divorcing and remarrying wasn''t out of the question, right?


    Of course, he only dared to think about it in his heart; he wouldn''t dare to say it out loud.


    Otherwise, he might get a beating from his own father.


    Time passed slowly.


    Bai Zhilan''s actions were quick, and considering the distance between her and Chen An wasn''t too far, her gift was delivered to Chen An''s hands quickly.


    At the moment of receiving the gift, Chen An was a bit stunned.


    But he was always weak against gifts, and since this was from Bai Zhilan, he had no reason to refuse.


    At this moment, if he rejected this gift, it might lead to misunderstandings.


    "Please thank your miss for me."


    Taking the gift, he softly said to the people in front of him, requesting them to pass the message back.


    Then, Chen An unpacked the gift and took out what was inside.


    It was an extremely unique precious sword.


    The sword was entirely white, with intricate patterns all over, making it exquisitely beautiful.


    Just by looking at it, it seemed extraordinary.


    "What a good sword."


    Chen An couldn''t help but exclaim.


    Having been in this world for a short time, his ability to appreciate weapons wasn''t particularly strong. He could only vaguely discern if it felt comfortable in his hand.


    But the sword in front of him was different.


    With just one glance, one could understand that it was a good sword.


    This gift was just right, like a pillow under someone who''s already nodding off.


    Chen An''s previous sword was already broken, with several flaws, so it couldn''t be used anymore.


    This new long sword was just right.


    He reached out and held the sword, applying a gentle force to it.


    As he channeled his inner energy, a continuous stream of internal energy poured onto the sword. The sword glowed with a faint silver light, shimmering brightly, looking exceptionally dazzling.


    At that moment, Chen An realized something was wrong.


    Martial artists had high demands for their weapons. Apart from the sharpness and sturdiness of the weapon itself, the transmission and utilization of internal energy were also important criteria.


    Ordinary weapons in Chen An''s hands clearly felt obstacles, with the transmission of internal energy not smooth.


    But this silver long sword in front of him was different.


    With just a slight movement from Chen An, the sword immediately responded, performing better than he had imagined.


    Ignoring the other properties of the sword, just the efficiency of internal energy transmission far exceeded that of ordinary weapons.


    Thinking this, Chen An had a hunch.


    This sword must be very expensive, right?


    He silently had this thought.


    This was because he didn''t know the true value of this sword. If he did, he probably wouldn''t be so indifferent.


    He might even think about selling it in the future.


    But luckily, he didn''t know.


    After playing with it for a while, Chen An pondered for a moment and decided to keep the sword.


    After all, it was a gift from Bai Zhilan, so it wouldn''t be appropriate to return it.


    Besides, he really liked the sword.


    Compared to the weapons he had used before, this sword excelled in all aspects and left him very satisfied.


    Since he was satisfied, he decided to keep it.


    With this thought in mind, he turned and left, walking towards the outside world.


    Calculating the days, his next competition was about to begin.


    Soon, he arrived at the training ground.


    The surroundings were full of people, and upon seeing Chen An''s arrival, they all made way for him, giving him a path.


    (End of chapter)


    S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 81: On Shelves

    During the day, the editor came to inform me that the data for chasing readers was not doing well, and Three Rivers did not make the cut, so it could only be shelved tomorrow.Regarding this, I remained calm, as I had already anticipated this.


    In fact, not long after the start, I could already sense how the book''s performance would be, so it''s not really surprising to me now.


    If it flops, then so be it. I''ve experienced failure before, so it''s no big deal. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Some readers are worried about the book being discontinued, but I can assure you, this book will definitely be completed and there will be no discontinuation.


    So far, none of my books have had a discontinuation after being shelved, so this assurance is somewhat reliable.


    But I still have to ask for first subscriptions.


    Although it''s pretty much confirmed, people still need to eat.


    So if anyone reads until the end, if possible, please give a first subscription, support with subscriptions if able, and give some monthly tickets if you have any.


    If the number of monthly tickets reaches a certain level, approaching some rankings, there may still be hope for this book.


    I also want to mention updates.


    Tomorrow, I will release five more chapters, of course, they will be released in batches because I am currently writing two books at the same time and this book doesn''t have many drafts left, so I have to take it slow.


    After being shelved, I will try to release three chapters a day, not too many or too few.


    There may be extra updates in special circumstances.


    That''s all I have to say for now.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 82: Cao Xin

    Previously, Chen An kept a low profile, so many people didn''t pay much attention to him.But after defeating Bai Changli, he suddenly became famous, to the point where just walking around made people feel intimidated, subconsciously making way for him.


    Chen An continued on to the upper part of the training ground.


    This time, his opponent was a young man named Cao Xin.


    Cao Xin looked very strong, with a tall stature, dressed in a long robe. As he watched Chen An approaching, a bright smile appeared on his face, showing kindness.


    Facing the warmth and kindness in the other''s eyes, Chen An felt a bit puzzled.


    He really wanted to ask if they knew each other before, but after some thought, he decided against it.


    Chen An had been staying in the Bai family''s residence since arriving in Shangyuan County, while Cao Xin was from the Cao family. Their paths wouldn''t have crossed before. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If they had to find a connection, it would only be now.


    However, what Chen An didn''t know was that many people had seen him placing bets on himself earlier. Some people were inspired by his bold words and even bet a considerable sum of money on him.


    Among these people, besides a certain wealthy woman surnamed Huang who refused to reveal her name, was the current Cao Xin.


    So it''s no wonder he looked so friendly.


    After all, he had put money on him.


    However, despite the financial support, they still needed to fight.


    "Brother Chen, please."


    Cao Xin''s expression was respectful as he bowed to Chen An and then drew his weapon.


    The weapon he used was also a long knife.


    Cao Xin''s attitude surprised Chen An, so he smiled and nodded, drawing out the new long knife he had acquired.


    Soon, the two officially clashed, fighting in one place.


    This time, Chen An did not hold back, showing his full power without reservation, completely displaying his strength.


    After all, there was no need to hide now.


    His strength had already been revealed in the battle with Bai Changli. Continuing to play dumb would not be acting, but truly treating himself and others as fools.


    Moreover, Bai Qing had instructed him before coming, to go all out, without worrying too much.


    Since that''s the case, Chen An naturally no longer held back.


    After all, if he could win, not only would he earn more money from the betting table, but the Bai family would also give him a good reward.


    So on the training ground, the two figures moved back and forth, facing each other.


    But from the situation, it was clear that Chen An had the upper hand.


    Although Cao Xin''s strength was good, he was only at the level of small achievement in internal energy. He was already lucky to have lasted until now in the fight.


    But here, his journey was obviously coming to an end.


    He probably knew it himself, so he just went all out without holding back.


    Whether you win or lose, just enjoy the fight.


    They fought on the stage, while others watched from above.


    "Good! Good!"


    Bai Mingli watched Chen An and couldn''t help but praise, his face almost showing the words ''satisfied''.


    In his eyes, Chen An was already considered a potential son-in-law, so of course, he thought he was excellent.


    However, as he watched, he suddenly felt something was wrong.


    "Why does that knife look familiar? It seems to be similar to the one at home?"


    Looking at the silver long knife in Chen An''s hand and the faint knife qi emanating from it, Bai Mingli was puzzled.


    "Master, it does look familiar."


    The servant on the side hinted subtly, "That''s your knife."


    "What!"


    Bai Mingli froze.


    It was only now that he, the master, understood the good deed his granddaughter had done.


    His face changed immediately.


    At this point, he suddenly experienced something very similar to what Chen An had experienced before.


    His things were given away without his knowledge, and he only found out later.


    And he still praised it loudly?


    "Just a knife, is the old man not that stingy?"


    Bai Qing raised her head, looking at Bai Mingli''s unpleasant expression, couldn''t help but smile and say, "Doesn''t your granddaughter deserve even a knife?"


    "It''s fine."


    Bai Mingli gritted his teeth and spoke, finally deciding to swallow his anger and say nothing more.


    What else could he do?


    Go ask for the knife back from Chen An now?


    He admitted he couldn''t do such a humbling thing.


    Just consider it as a dowry for his granddaughter.


    Not to mention the anguish in Bai Mingli''s heart.


    In the end, the result of this contest was already clear.


    Although Chen An had been merciful and didn''t go all out, Cao Xin still couldn''t hold on.


    His cultivation level was only at the level of small achievement in internal energy, and the internal energy in his body couldn''t sustain such a long battle.


    After almost losing his long knife in his hand being nearly shaken off, he smiled bitterly and then cleanly admitted defeat.


    "Brother Cao, thank you for your modesty."


    Seeing Cao Xin admit defeat directly, Chen An also smiled, saying, "Shall we go have a drink later?"


    He was not like Bai Changli, relying on his own strength to be overbearing. When faced with others, he would still greet them politely.


    Of course, if he could make friends and establish some relationship, it would be even better.


    Cao Xin in front of him was a member of the Cao family, and being able to have such a level of cultivation at this age, he was undoubtedly one of the talents of the Cao family, worth making friends with.


    If he could successfully make friends with him, there would be another source of insidious items.


    Hearing Chen An''s words, Cao Xin''s eyes brightened.


    Soon, the two went down arm in arm, looking like they were going out for a good time.


    Bai Qing witnessed the whole process and nodded quietly to herself.


    Apart from Chen An''s strength and talent, his character was also something she was satisfied with.


    Born in a remote area, Chen An, despite starting his cultivation later from a commoner background, delayed his practice somewhat. However, in terms of personality, he was much better than the arrogant geniuses of the Bai family.


    The geniuses within the Bai family, like Bai Changli, were all conceited individuals, full of youthful arrogance.


    In comparison, Chen An''s character was more likable.


    "Let''s start the next round."


    Watching the current match end, Bai Qing gestured to start the next round as she watched the busy people below.


    On the other side, Chen An and Cao Xin were having a good time.


    Don''t misunderstand, they didn''t do anything special, just purely drinking.


    In a tavern, several pots of strong liquor were placed on the table, accompanied by a table full of dishes, looking very enticing, making one''s appetite rise at the sight.


    They sat at the table, chatting.


    "Brother Chen An''s words from that day are still fresh in Cao Xin''s memory."


    After a few pots of wine, Cao Xin''s face was a bit flushed as he spoke, "We martial artists must forge ahead, regardless of the obstacles."


    "Without the heart of invincibility, how can we stand upright in all directions! That''s a great saying!"


    He seemed a bit drunk, speaking loudly and telling Chen An about what happened that day.


    Hmm?


    Did I say that?


    Chen An was stunned and took a while to react.


    Then he felt inexplicably embarrassed.


    When he was in front of the bookie that day, he was just talking nonsense. At that time, he thought there was no one around, so he casually made some tall claims.


    He didn''t expect someone was listening nearby.


    That was a bit embarrassing.


    But fortunately, Cao Xin seemed to really like his chuunibyou talk and kept toasting Chen An.


    Well, who hasn''t had a chuunibyou phase when they were young?


    Chen An was pretty much the same in his younger days.


    Thinking of this, he felt relieved and raised his glass, clinking it with Cao Xin.


    They chatted there, and in no time, they were calling each other brothers, looking very friendly.


    If you didn''t know, you''d think they were long-lost good friends.


    But in reality, they had just met.


    After a few rounds of drinks, seeing Cao Xin was a bit drunk, Chen An smiled and casually asked him to help collect some things.


    "Brother Chen, rest assured!"


    Cao Xin, feeling a bit flushed, patted his chest forcefully and, in a drunken voice, said, "I may not dare to say anything else, but in the Cao family, I, Cao Xin, still have some dignity!"


    "Just some insidious items, I will have them sent to Brother Chen later."


    Alright then.


    "Thanks a lot."


    Chen An raised his cup and toasted Cao Xin.


    Cao Xin waved his hand, about to say something, but soon lay down.


    It seemed like he had fallen asleep right away.


    Watching this, Chen An was speechless.


    The alcohol content in this world isn''t that high, and Chen An had always drunk it like juice.


    Even normal people need to drink a lot to get drunk, let alone warriors who have strong bodies. It''s even harder for them to get drunk.


    However, with just a little bit of drinking, Cao Xin lay down directly. Even with the factor of physical exhaustion from the tough battle earlier, his alcohol tolerance was really lousy.


    Chen An shook his head and poured himself another cup of wine, drinking alone.


    On the side, someone slowly approached.


    "Mr. Chen seems to be in a good mood."


    A gentle voice came, sounding like a very gentle woman.


    Chen An didn''t need to look up to know who the owner of this voice was.


    In the entire Bai family, who else called him ''mister,'' besides her?


    Looking up, he indeed saw Huang Yuexuan.


    "Miss Huang."


    Chen An smiled, "Are you also dining here?"


    "Yes."


    Huang Yuexuan''s face remained calm, lightly smiling, "The food here is pretty good. I''ve been dining here quite often recently, and coincidentally, I saw Mr. Chen here."


    For this statement, Chen An just smiled, he didn''t really believe it.


    Coincidence? I think it''s more like she deliberately came over.


    "Miss Huang, did you come to see me for something?"


    He looked at Huang Yuexuan and asked directly.


    "I''m here to say goodbye."


    Huang Yuexuan smiled and then said, "I''ve been chatting with Sister Qing for so long, I think it''s about time I left."


    "Mr. Chen is one of the few friends I have here, so I naturally had to inform you."


    "By the way, I also wanted to ask whether the previous agreement is still valid?"


    She smiled, her beautiful face exuding a charming charm as her gaze fell on Chen An, watching him.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 83: The Bai Familys Top Talent

    "The previous agreement?"Chen An immediately woke up.


    There was indeed an agreement between him and Huang Yuexuan.


    Earlier, Huang Yuexuan had hired Chen An for two thousand taels of silver to act as her bodyguard and protect her safety during this period.


    Chen An naturally didn''t forget about this agreement.


    So he nodded, "Of course, I haven''t forgotten."


    From the current situation, hiring a master with the achievement in internal energy as a bodyguard for just two thousand taels of silver was definitely a big profit for Huang Yuexuan.


    But Chen An had no intention of going back on the deal.


    After all, the money had already been accepted, so it would be a bit embarrassing to go back on it now.


    Besides, it''s better to resolve enmity than to let it fester.


    In Chen An''s eyes, Huang Yuexuan was no ordinary person.


    If he could sell a favor and make friends, that wouldn''t be bad.


    Consider it an early investment.


    "Alright."


    Huang Yuexuan smiled, "I''d trouble the mister to accompany me for the last leg of the journey, escorting me to the outskirts of Shangyuan County, to prevent running into bandits on the road. I wonder if the mister would be willing."


    The last leg of the journey? That doesn''t sound very auspicious.


    Glancing at Huang Yuexuan, Chen An finally nodded, "No problem."


    "Thank you, mister."


    Satisfied with the reply, Huang Yuexuan didn''t intend to linger any longer. After chatting with Chen An, she turned and left directly.


    Watching Huang Yuexuan''s figure disappearing, Chen An simply raised his glass silently, lost in thought.


    He could sense that the other party was actually hiding a lot of things.


    Unlike other people, Huang Yuexuan seemed light-hearted on the surface, as if she didn''t care about anything, but after a long time of contact, Chen An could feel the immense pressure in her heart.


    The seemingly carefree surface was perhaps just a disguise, making people think she was confident in her heart.


    But the pressure in secret was something she had to bear alone.


    Having finished a pot of wine, Chen An saw that Cao Xin still showed no signs of waking up, so he got up and had someone arrange a room for Cao Xin.


    There was nothing for it.


    He had things to take care of later.


    The final match of this competition was still waiting for him to fight.


    After making sure Cao Xin was settled, he walked up to the training ground, where someone was already waiting for him.


    To Chen An''s surprise, his opponent for this match was already waiting on the opposite side, just waiting for him to step onto the stage.


    This time, his opponent was Bai Changming.


    Bai Changming, also one of the outstanding talents of the Bai family, was a few years older than Bai Changli and had much deeper cultivation.


    Compared to Bai Changli, Bai Changming''s temperament was colder and more indifferent. At this moment, he just silently watched Chen An stepping onto the stage, without saying anything.


    "Let''s begin."


    It wasn''t until the bell rang minutes later that Bai Changming nodded and said, "Use all your strength, don''t hold back."


    "Okay."


    Chen An also nodded.


    Then he reached out his hand and slowly drew his long knife.


    The silver long knife fell on the ground, emitting a faint silver light under the manipulation of internal energy, looking dazzling and eye-catching.


    The silver patterns on the long knife seemed to come alive, looking dazzling and bright.


    The next moment, Chen An made a move, bringing down the long knife.


    The fierce internal energy drove the long knife, emitting waves of silver sword energy.


    The long knife descended, the powerful aura overwhelmed the surroundings, causing the airflow to ripple, creating cracks in the surrounding arena.


    If an ordinary person stood here, they would probably be split in half immediately.


    Bai Changming remained calm, facing this amazing strike without any reaction, silently evading it, then taking out his own weapon.


    Unlike Bai Changli and others, Bai Changming used a long sword as his weapon.


    The sword was jet black, looking pitch black, but the movements were extremely swift, indicating that it was no ordinary weapon.


    As the long knife fell, Chen An and Bai Changming met.


    The intense confrontation began.


    Compared to the previous battle between Chen An and Cao Xin, this battle was undoubtedly much more exciting.


    In the previous battle, Cao Xin''s cultivation was far inferior to Chen An''s, and even when Chen An intentionally held back, Cao Xin had no resistance and could only passively fight back.


    But in this battle, the two were evenly matched.


    Both Chen An and Bai Changming had achieved the achievement in internal energy.


    Chen An, not to mention, had improved his other refining techniques in addition to the Bright Body Technique. Simply put, in terms of internal energy alone, he was definitely above the level of just the achievement in internal energy.


    As for Bai Changming, he was even more terrifying.


    In the fight, Chen An was amazed to find that Bai Changming''s internal cultivation was superior to his own.


    His internal energy was so huge that even Chen An was surprised.


    In the past, he had always relied on internal energy to crush others. For the first time, someone had surpassed him in internal energy.


    This was not just the achievement in internal energy, it was clearly the achievement in internal energy perfection!


    Realizing that Bai Changming''s internal cultivation was above his own, Chen An decisively gave up the internal energy struggle and chose another way to compete.


    In a warrior''s battle, internal energy didn''t represent everything.


    Weapon handling, martial skills, and other factors could all have a huge impact on combat effectiveness.


    Therefore, after the internal energy struggle didn''t work out, Chen An decisively changed his focus and tried to compete in martial skills.


    He swiftly displayed the Outstanding Wind Blade Technique, rushing forward to battle.


    However, Bai Changming took a glance and then made a move.


    He also used a martial skill that appeared quite powerful, reaching the achievement in this area as well.


    In terms of martial skills, Chen An was also at a disadvantage.


    Bai Changming had more than one martial skill at the achievement level, and several of them were even at the achievement level.


    This was a tough situation.


    Not only was he not able to win in the internal energy competition, but he was also behind in martial skills.


    Even in combat experience, Bai Changming was ahead of Chen An.


    Although Chen An had fought before, most of his opponents were weaker than him.


    But Bai Changming was clearly different.


    For some reason, his combat experience was extremely profound, far exceeding Chen An.


    Comparing him with Bai Changli, who talked big but had mediocre skills, Bai Changming was a typical ruthless person. When he could use a weapon, he wouldn''t say much and would just attack directly.


    "An Zi is going to lose."


    Watching the scene below, Bai Qing shook her head and said with concern, "He still lacks experience."


    "At this age, being able to fight Chang Ming to this extent is quite good."


    Beside her, Bai Mingli smiled and said, "Chang Ming is the most outstanding talent in our generation in the Bai family, and is likely to inherit the position of the head of the family in the future."


    "But when he was seventeen, he didn''t have this level of cultivation."


    "What you''ve achieved in the battles is already quite commendable."


    He didn''t find Chen An''s performance surprising, as they knew Bai Changming''s situation very well.


    Given Bai Changming''s extraordinary talent, it wouldn''t be surprising if Chen An lost - they would only be surprised if he won.


    In their eyes, the current situation was just normal.


    "I just hope he won''t be too disheartened."


    Bai Qing nodded, agreeing with Bai Mingli''s statement.


    The people above basically believed that Chen An was going to lose this time.


    In reality, Chen An himself thought the same way.


    There was no reason he could find to win.


    Whether in terms of internal energy level or martial skills, he was below Bai Changming.


    In this situation, unless he forcibly added some source power to himself, achieving a breakthrough in the heat of the moment, he would inevitably lose, and that was just normal.


    But let''s skip the last-minute breakthrough.


    He didn''t have much source power on hand, and without the appropriate inheritance, he could only try to deduce the Bright Body Technique.


    But even if he deduced it, at most he would reach the level of internal energy perfection and be on par with Bai Changming, so he probably wouldn''t win.


    He wasn''t someone who couldn''t afford to lose anyway, so why bother?


    He was only insisting at this point in order to gain more experience.


    Fighting against a master like Bai Changming was a rare experience, so now that he had the chance, he wanted to try it out to gain more experience.


    A while later, when Chen An''s internal energy was depleted, he raised his hand decisively, indicating his surrender.


    Seeing Chen An''s actions in front of him, Bai Changming was a bit surprised, but he still put away his long sword, nodded at Chen An, and then turned and left.


    Chen An also walked off the stage.


    "Brother Chen, how do you feel?"


    Just as he stepped off the stairs, Bai Changren and the others came over, showing concern, "Did you get hurt anywhere?"


    Chen An shook his head, indicating that he was fine.


    Compared to the sarcastic and vicious Bai Changli, Bai Changming in this match was much more gentlemanly. Not only did he not say anything during the entire process, but he also stopped when it was appropriate, making it a normal competition.


    Seeing Chen An''s surrender, he directly left the stage, his actions appearing particularly decisive and straightforward. S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This also made people sigh.


    In the same environment, different people could develop differently.


    In the Bai family''s environment, Bai Changming had achieved such a high level of cultivation at such a young age and was able to maintain such a character, which was quite rare.


    Seeing that Chen An was fine, Bai Changren finally felt relieved. Then he smiled and said, "Regardless, Brother Chen has made it to the top four this time, which is worth celebrating."


    "Let''s go, let''s have a few drinks."


    Chen An was thus dragged away by Bai Changren, not staying any longer.


    And on that day, the final result of this big competition was finally announced.


    After defeating Chen An, Bai Changming once again defeated another opponent, a talent from the Cao family, and emerged as the final victor.


    However, the Bai family was not surprised by this result.


    Previously, Bai Changming had already been quietly regarded as the top talent of the Bai family''s younger generation, destined to inherit the position of the family head in the future.


    And the result of this big competition simply confirmed this fact.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 84: The Four Elders

    "Is that so?"On the other side, Chen An learned the news and smiled, saying, "So, he indeed won?"


    When he said ''he'', he naturally meant Bai Changming.


    "Yes."


    Bai Changren nodded his head. "The final battle was particularly intense, and Cao Zhong is not just famous for nothing. His strength is very strong, but in the end, he still lost to Bai Changming."


    Cao Zhong, the leading figure of the genius generation of the Cao family, had a similar status to Bai Changming in the Bai family, both deserving of being the best.


    However, even such a person, when facing Bai Changming, still lost.


    Chen An was not surprised by this.


    Based on his previous duels with Bai Changming, as long as it was in the internal energy level, it was unlikely for him to win against Bai Changming.


    In the internal energy level, Bai Changming was too strong, both in martial arts and internal energy, which made it impossible for anyone to compete with him.


    Chen An estimated that even if he raised his internal energy cultivation to perfection, continued to improve his martial arts, and went to fight Bai Changming again, the final outcome would still be uncertain, without a guaranteed victory.


    Even on that day, Bai Changming did not exert his full strength, most likely he still had some hidden tricks.


    Therefore, Chen An had long anticipated Bai Changming''s victory.


    "That''s good."


    He smiled and said, "If an outsider wins in the Bai family competition, it wouldn''t look good."


    The main purpose of this Bai family competition, besides testing the young generation of the Bai family''s cultivation, was to promote the prestige of the Bai family.


    If in the end, an outsider wins, where would the face of the Bai family be?


    Therefore, Bai Changming''s victory was also a good choice.


    "That''s true."


    Bai Changren nodded in agreement.


    After chatting for a while, Chen An left the place.


    Leaving the restaurant, he didn''t return to his residence, but headed towards another place.


    Before long, a grand hall appeared before his eyes.


    This was the steward hall of the Bai family, where only core members of the Bai family could enter.


    In the past, Chen An, as a guest of the Bai family, was not qualified to come here.


    The reason he could come here today was mainly because he won the competition.


    Although Chen An didn''t think being in the top 4 was a big win, there was still a substantial reward.


    This reward was probably twenty Tempering Pills, some rare medicinal herbs, and silver notes worth thousands of taels of silver.


    Just the twenty Tempering Pills were worth tens of thousands of taels of silver, a price that was hard to quantify.


    Not to mention the other related rewards, in total, it was equivalent to almost thirty thousand taels of silver.


    This was just the reward for being in the top four, which was definitely considered generous.


    In addition to these rewards, Chen An had many other gains as well.


    Such as the silver he invested in himself before, combined with what he got from Bai Changyue, amounted to ten thousand taels of silver.


    In addition to the reward Bai Qing gave him previously, and the savings he had left.


    Unknowingly, Chen An had become a rich man again, not knowing how to spend his money.


    He didn''t lack martial arts techniques now.


    Because Bai Qing had instructed him to choose martial arts techniques himself, although the number was limited and he could only choose two more.


    But that was already enough.


    After all, martial arts were just tools and having too many didn''t help much.


    So in terms of martial arts expenses, it was as if they were directly saved by Bai Qing.


    As for the internal cultivation techniques, Bai Qing had also promised to help Chen An find a solution.


    This also led to Chen An suddenly having money but nowhere to spend it.


    It was hard to believe that there was someone in this world who didn''t know how to spend money.


    But Chen An''s usual expenses were really not that much.


    The main reason he was short of money before was mainly because of buying martial arts techniques.


    Now that he didn''t lack martial arts techniques, he naturally didn''t have the motivation to spend money.


    Before, he might have considered pursuing some divine weapons, but now, with the precious sword Bai Zhilan had previously sent him, Chen An no longer lacked weapons.


    So much so that Chen An felt like he didn''t need money at all.


    Of course, not needing it now didn''t mean he wouldn''t need it in the future.


    Therefore, at least for now, Chen An was still trying to save money, in case he encountered situations where he needed money in the future.


    After receiving the rewards belonging to him from the steward hall, Chen An was just about to leave when he was stopped by someone.


    "The Elder wants to see me?"


    Listening to the servant''s words, Chen An was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, "Please lead the way."


    He politely said, letting the person lead the way ahead while he followed behind.


    As he walked, he was also thinking.


    The elders of the Bai family, each one was the backbone of the major branches, at least they were all at the Grand Martial Stage.


    Why would such people want to see an outsider like him?


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind, but he kept a calm expression and continued walking forward.


    Soon, he arrived at a room.


    The room was dimly lit, unlike the outside, there was a strong medicinal smell in the air, making him frown.


    But as he walked into the room, all of this was immediately ignored by Chen An.


    His attention was completely focused, his gaze fixed on the person in front of him.


    It was an old man in gray clothes, who looked very old, with a frail appearance, looking like an old man on the verge of death, thin and frail.


    In this appearance, how could he be a powerful martial artist? He looked like just an old man.


    If you just looked at his appearance, a strong man could easily push him to the ground.


    It would definitely be effective for extortion.


    But Chen An didn''t dare to relax.


    As the old man''s gaze met his, Chen An''s whole body instinctively tensed, as if sensing danger.


    Danger!


    His body instinctively warned him, as if he saw something terrifying.


    But this feeling came and went quickly.


    In just a moment, as the old man''s gaze became calm, the unique feeling on Chen An''s body also disappeared, returning to calmness in an instant.


    But he didn''t dare to let his guard down, bowing his head respectfully, "Elder Four."


    Yes, the old man who looked like a frail old man was the elder of the fourth branch, a member of the Bai family.


    In other words, he was the ancestor of Bai Zhilan.


    "Please get up."


    Seeing Chen An''s appearance, the Elder Four smiled kindly, starting with, "The room is a bit simple, please don''t mind."


    Before Chen An could reply, he continued, "I heard from Qing''er that you and the little Zhilan are engaged?"


    So direct from the beginning?


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded respectfully. "Thanks to Miss Qing and Mr. Li''s appreciation, I am engaged to Miss Zhilan. It is my good fortune."


    He said habitually, his tone exceptionally sincere and sincere, as if he was very happy about this engagement.


    If Bai Qing, who was used to Chen An''s way of talking, was here, he would see through his disguise and roll his eyes.


    But Elder Four obviously was not that familiar with Chen An. Listening to Chen An''s words, he believed them to be true, "Is that so? That''s good."


    "Ah, that girl Zhilan has been spoiled by her grandfather since she was young, to the point where she still acts like a wild girl. It''s great that you like her."


    "But when you marry Zhilan, we''ll be family, and I naturally can''t let you suffer."


    Did he mean to say marry into the family?


    Chen An kept a calm face, with the thought crossing his mind.


    Elder Four almost slipped up, quickly changing the subject, "I heard from Qing''er that you practice the Bright Body Technique?"


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded respectfully.


    "Good."


    Elder Four said softly, his voice sounding particularly gentle, "Come up here, I''ll help you check your body."


    Check the body?


    Why does that sound strange?


    Chen An hesitated for a moment, but eventually went forward obediently, walking up to Elder Four.


    Elder Four reached out and grabbed Chen An''s arm.


    Then a powerful internal energy surged from Elder Four''s body, directly rushing into Chen An''s body.


    Chen An instantly felt a chill.


    Elder Four looked old and frail on the outside, as if he could drop dead at any moment, but this internal energy carried a strength that was in no way compatible with his appearance.


    In Chen An''s perception, Elder Four''s internal energy was particularly strong, with a hidden coldness, like a block of ice, making people feel the unique coldness from afar.


    Was this the internal energy of the Yin Body Technique in the Bai family''s secret inheritance?


    Bai family''s Yin Body Technique, a refined internal cultivation that could elevate one''s cultivation to the Grand Martial Stage, was famous throughout the Xiyuan County.


    Cultivating this technique would give the internal energy a cold attribute, which was very beneficial for practicing certain specific martial arts.


    Chen An had already experienced this special martial arts aspect on Bai Qing''s body before.


    And the internal energy on Elder Four''s body was undoubtedly much stronger and more apparent than Bai Qing''s.


    The cold attribute of the Yin Body Technique was also more clear and distinct.


    "Not bad."


    Elder Four nodded, looking quite satisfied. "Your body is strong, there''s no problem. You''ll definitely have many big and healthy children in the future."


    "I''ll take your good words, Elder Four."


    Chen An fell silent for a moment, then nodded silently.


    In the room, Elder Four encouraged him a few more times, then let Chen An go, telling him to go back and cultivate well.


    Chen An respectfully left and headed out.


    It wasn''t until he had walked for a while that a commotion came from the side.


    From the corner of the room, another person walked out.


    It seemed that this person had been hiding in the corner, quietly listening to the conversation between Chen An and Elder Four.


    "Elder."


    Bai Mingli emerged from the corner and respectfully saluted Elder Four.


    (End of Chapter)Chapter 84 The Four Elders (Please Subscribe!)


    "Is that so?"


    On the other side, Chen An learned the news and smiled, saying, "So, he indeed won?"


    When he said ''he'', he naturally meant Bai Changming.


    "Yes."


    Bai Changren nodded his head. "The final battle was particularly intense, and Cao Zhong is not just famous for nothing. His strength is very strong, but in the end, he still lost to Bai Changming."


    Cao Zhong, the leading figure of the genius generation of the Cao family, had a similar status to Bai Changming in the Bai family, both deserving of being the best.


    However, even such a person, when facing Bai Changming, still lost.


    Chen An was not surprised by this.


    Based on his previous duels with Bai Changming, as long as it was in the internal energy level, it was unlikely for him to win against Bai Changming.


    In the internal energy level, Bai Changming was too strong, both in martial arts and internal energy, which made it impossible for anyone to compete with him.


    Chen An estimated that even if he raised his internal energy cultivation to perfection, continued to improve his martial arts, and went to fight Bai Changming again, the final outcome would still be uncertain, without a guaranteed victory.


    Even on that day, Bai Changming did not exert his full strength, most likely he still had some hidden tricks.


    Therefore, Chen An had long anticipated Bai Changming''s victory.


    "That''s good."


    He smiled and said, "If an outsider wins in the Bai family competition, it wouldn''t look good."


    The main purpose of this Bai family competition, besides testing the young generation of the Bai family''s cultivation, was to promote the prestige of the Bai family.


    If in the end, an outsider wins, where would the face of the Bai family be?


    Therefore, Bai Changming''s victory was also a good choice.


    "That''s true."


    Bai Changren nodded in agreement.


    After chatting for a while, Chen An left the place.


    Leaving the restaurant, he didn''t return to his residence, but headed towards another place.


    Before long, a grand hall appeared before his eyes.


    This was the steward hall of the Bai family, where only core members of the Bai family could enter. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the past, Chen An, as a guest of the Bai family, was not qualified to come here.


    The reason he could come here today was mainly because he won the competition.


    Although Chen An didn''t think being in the top 4 was a big win, there was still a substantial reward.


    This reward was probably twenty Tempering Pills, some rare medicinal herbs, and silver notes worth thousands of taels of silver.


    Just the twenty Tempering Pills were worth tens of thousands of taels of silver, a price that was hard to quantify.


    Not to mention the other related rewards, in total, it was equivalent to almost thirty thousand taels of silver.


    This was just the reward for being in the top four, which was definitely considered generous.


    In addition to these rewards, Chen An had many other gains as well.


    Such as the silver he invested in himself before, combined with what he got from Bai Changyue, amounted to ten thousand taels of silver.


    In addition to the reward Bai Qing gave him previously, and the savings he had left.


    Unknowingly, Chen An had become a rich man again, not knowing how to spend his money.


    He didn''t lack martial arts techniques now.


    Because Bai Qing had instructed him to choose martial arts techniques himself, although the number was limited and he could only choose two more.


    But that was already enough.


    After all, martial arts were just tools and having too many didn''t help much.


    So in terms of martial arts expenses, it was as if they were directly saved by Bai Qing.


    As for the internal cultivation techniques, Bai Qing had also promised to help Chen An find a solution.


    This also led to Chen An suddenly having money but nowhere to spend it.


    It was hard to believe that there was someone in this world who didn''t know how to spend money.


    But Chen An''s usual expenses were really not that much.


    The main reason he was short of money before was mainly because of buying martial arts techniques.


    Now that he didn''t lack martial arts techniques, he naturally didn''t have the motivation to spend money.


    Before, he might have considered pursuing some divine weapons, but now, with the precious sword Bai Zhilan had previously sent him, Chen An no longer lacked weapons.


    So much so that Chen An felt like he didn''t need money at all.


    Of course, not needing it now didn''t mean he wouldn''t need it in the future.


    Therefore, at least for now, Chen An was still trying to save money, in case he encountered situations where he needed money in the future.


    After receiving the rewards belonging to him from the steward hall, Chen An was just about to leave when he was stopped by someone.


    "The Elder wants to see me?"


    Listening to the servant''s words, Chen An was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, "Please lead the way."


    He politely said, letting the person lead the way ahead while he followed behind.


    As he walked, he was also thinking.


    The elders of the Bai family, each one was the backbone of the major branches, at least they were all at the Grand Martial Stage.


    Why would such people want to see an outsider like him?


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind, but he kept a calm expression and continued walking forward.


    Soon, he arrived at a room.


    The room was dimly lit, unlike the outside, there was a strong medicinal smell in the air, making him frown.


    But as he walked into the room, all of this was immediately ignored by Chen An.


    His attention was completely focused, his gaze fixed on the person in front of him.


    It was an old man in gray clothes, who looked very old, with a frail appearance, looking like an old man on the verge of death, thin and frail.


    In this appearance, how could he be a powerful martial artist? He looked like just an old man.


    If you just looked at his appearance, a strong man could easily push him to the ground.


    It would definitely be effective for extortion.


    But Chen An didn''t dare to relax.


    As the old man''s gaze met his, Chen An''s whole body instinctively tensed, as if sensing danger.


    Danger!


    His body instinctively warned him, as if he saw something terrifying.


    But this feeling came and went quickly.


    In just a moment, as the old man''s gaze became calm, the unique feeling on Chen An''s body also disappeared, returning to calmness in an instant.


    But he didn''t dare to let his guard down, bowing his head respectfully, "Elder Four."


    Yes, the old man who looked like a frail old man was the elder of the fourth branch, a member of the Bai family.


    In other words, he was the ancestor of Bai Zhilan.


    "Please get up."


    Seeing Chen An''s appearance, the Elder Four smiled kindly, starting with, "The room is a bit simple, please don''t mind."


    Before Chen An could reply, he continued, "I heard from Qing''er that you and the little Zhilan are engaged?"


    So direct from the beginning?


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded respectfully. "Thanks to Miss Qing and Mr. Li''s appreciation, I am engaged to Miss Zhilan. It is my good fortune."


    He said habitually, his tone exceptionally sincere and sincere, as if he was very happy about this engagement.


    If Bai Qing, who was used to Chen An''s way of talking, was here, he would see through his disguise and roll his eyes.


    But Elder Four obviously was not that familiar with Chen An. Listening to Chen An''s words, he believed them to be true, "Is that so? That''s good."


    "Ah, that girl Zhilan has been spoiled by her grandfather since she was young, to the point where she still acts like a wild girl. It''s great that you like her."


    "But when you marry Zhilan, we''ll be family, and I naturally can''t let you suffer."


    Did he mean to say marry into the family?


    Chen An kept a calm face, with the thought crossing his mind.


    Elder Four almost slipped up, quickly changing the subject, "I heard from Qing''er that you practice the Bright Body Technique?"


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded respectfully.


    "Good."


    Elder Four said softly, his voice sounding particularly gentle, "Come up here, I''ll help you check your body."


    Check the body?


    Why does that sound strange?


    Chen An hesitated for a moment, but eventually went forward obediently, walking up to Elder Four.


    Elder Four reached out and grabbed Chen An''s arm.


    Then a powerful internal energy surged from Elder Four''s body, directly rushing into Chen An''s body.


    Chen An instantly felt a chill.


    Elder Four looked old and frail on the outside, as if he could drop dead at any moment, but this internal energy carried a strength that was in no way compatible with his appearance.


    In Chen An''s perception, Elder Four''s internal energy was particularly strong, with a hidden coldness, like a block of ice, making people feel the unique coldness from afar.


    Was this the internal energy of the Yin Body Technique in the Bai family''s secret inheritance?


    Bai family''s Yin Body Technique, a refined internal cultivation that could elevate one''s cultivation to the Grand Martial Stage, was famous throughout the Xiyuan County.


    Cultivating this technique would give the internal energy a cold attribute, which was very beneficial for practicing certain specific martial arts.


    Chen An had already experienced this special martial arts aspect on Bai Qing''s body before.


    And the internal energy on Elder Four''s body was undoubtedly much stronger and more apparent than Bai Qing''s.


    The cold attribute of the Yin Body Technique was also more clear and distinct.


    "Not bad."


    Elder Four nodded, looking quite satisfied. "Your body is strong, there''s no problem. You''ll definitely have many big and healthy children in the future."


    "I''ll take your good words, Elder Four."


    Chen An fell silent for a moment, then nodded silently.


    In the room, Elder Four encouraged him a few more times, then let Chen An go, telling him to go back and cultivate well.


    Chen An respectfully left and headed out.


    It wasn''t until he had walked for a while that a commotion came from the side.


    From the corner of the room, another person walked out.


    It seemed that this person had been hiding in the corner, quietly listening to the conversation between Chen An and Elder Four.


    "Elder."


    Bai Mingli emerged from the corner and respectfully saluted Elder Four.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 85: Engaged

    "Elder, how is this person?"After Chen An left, Bai Mingli impatiently stepped out of the corner and asked.


    "Well, there''s no problem."


    Looking at Bai Mingli''s anxious expression, Elder Four couldn''t help but smile and said, "Just like Qing''er said, his internal energy is pure and cultivated by himself, so there''s no major issue."


    "That''s good."


    Bai Mingli breathed a sigh of relief.


    Although Bai Qing had checked him before, Bai Qing''s cultivation was still shallow, and as Chen An''s lord, Bai Mingli and others naturally couldn''t completely trust him.


    So, taking advantage of Chen An''s visit to the steward hall, they had him checked again.


    This time, Elder Four personally did the check, with his experience and cultivation, he naturally found no problems.


    Since he felt there was no problem, they could naturally rest assured.


    "Since there''s no problem, how about the matter Qing''er proposed before?"


    Thinking of Bai Qing, Bai Mingli''s face showed a hint of hesitation as he continued.


    "Well, since he is marrying that girl Zhilan, he will naturally be a part of our Bai family."


    Elder Four smiled, "Since he is family, it''s fine to teach him the Yin Body Technique and let him cultivate it."


    "That''s good."


    Bai Mingli nodded, feeling relieved after hearing the Elder Four''s answer.


    Earlier, Bai Qing had made a request.


    After Chen An married Bai Zhilan, Bai Qing wanted to open the Bai family''s Yin Body Technique for him to practice.


    Of course, Bai Mingli agreed to this as well.


    Since Chen An had no parents, no family, after marrying Bai Zhilan, he would become a part of the Bai family, just like marrying into it.


    In this situation, opening up the Yin Body Technique for him to practice was natural.


    After all, in the entire Bai family, it would be difficult to find a second heritage that could lead directly to the Grand Martial Stage besides the Yin Body Technique.


    If they didn''t pass down the Yin Body Technique, wouldn''t it be a pity for such a talent like Chen An?


    Based on Chen An''s previous performance, he had a great chance of reaching the Grand Martial Stage in the future.


    If the Bai family could have an additional person at the Grand Martial Stage, it would undoubtedly strengthen the family''s power in the future.


    Therefore, Bai Mingli''s attitude was the same as Bai Qing''s, they both agreed.


    But their agreement meant nothing unless the elders of the clan also agreed.


    If the clan elders didn''t approve of their decision, the consequences would be unimaginable if they taught Chen An without permission.


    That''s why today was so important.


    And judging from Elder Four''s appearance, he was apparently ready to agree?


    "To teach him the Yin Body Technique is fine, but he must cooperate."


    After pondering for a moment, Elder Four continued, "Among his future children, the exceptional ones with martial talent must bear the Bai surname."


    "If he is willing, everything is fine. Not only the Yin Body Technique, but we can also offer a large piece of property."


    "But if he is unwilling, there will also be a dowry, but the Yin Body Technique..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence, but Bai Mingli naturally understood his meaning.


    "That''s only natural."


    Bai Mingli nodded and smiled, leaving Elder Four''s presence.


    It seemed like he was ready to go and consult with Chen An.


    Soon, the room was left with only Elder Four.


    Watching Bai Mingli hurry away, he couldn''t help but smile and sigh, "Kids these days."


    On the other side, Chen An quickly received the news as well.


    "I understand."


    Facing Bai Qing''s gaze, Chen An remained calm, simply nodding.


    This reaction made the people in front of him stunned.


    "Do you really agree?"


    Both Bai Qing and Bai Mingli were somewhat surprised, looking at Chen An in astonishment.


    Before coming, they had prepared to persuade him one after another.


    After all, for most people, these conditions would be difficult to accept.


    Marrying into a family is considered an insult for men in this world, let alone for those ambitious warriors who are keen on martial arts.


    Of course, Chen An wasn''t actually marrying into the family.


    But with his lack of parents and family, after marrying Bai Zhilan, he was almost the same as marrying into the family.


    Moreover, the future children who could cultivate must also bear the Bai surname.


    This condition was overwhelming!


    However, even with such extreme conditions, Chen An accepted them calmly.


    No hesitation?


    Bai Qing and Bai Mingli exchanged glances, both somewhat dumbfounded at this moment.


    Seeing their puzzled and confused expressions, Chen An couldn''t help but explain.


    "I, Chen An, was once a commoner in Feng City, struggling among the Three Rivers Gang members, surviving in turbulent times day and night."


    "Miss Qing didn''t see me as lowly, she promoted me from the mud, taught me martial arts; this is my good fortune, I am extremely grateful."


    "For such great kindness, I have no way to express my gratitude. Even if it was my life, I would be willing to sacrifice it in return. How could I refuse?"


    Chen An''s face showed seriousness as he spoke earnestly, revealing his true feelings.


    As his words fell, everyone was amazed. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "You... you..."


    Bai Mingli looked at Chen An, as if wanting to say something, but he couldn''t speak; he was shaken by Chen An''s words and couldn''t find words to respond.


    After a while, he spoke again, saying, "I didn''t expect someone so young to say such things, it''s rare in this world."


    "Since Zhilan is in your hands, I can rest assured."


    He patted Chen An''s shoulder, relieved, as he spoke with satisfaction, seeming to finally feel at ease.


    Even Bai Qing, who was accustomed to Chen An''s flattery, was moved at this moment.


    At this moment, she recalled her first encounter with Chen An.


    At that time, Chen An charged to save his leader from danger, risking his life with weak cultivation, even showing concern for his boss after encountering her.


    And Chen An''s former boss at that time, Meian, who Bai Qing knew seemed not to treat Chen An well, just casually took care of him, which led Chen An to "sacrifice his life in return."


    Yes, he was always loyal.


    And looking at the scene back then, his words now were so sincere, every word was true.


    If it wasn''t from the bottom of his heart, resonating with the soul, how could he utter such astonishing words?


    Bai Qing was touched, not knowing what to say at this moment, so she could only silently say, "Rest assured, if anyone in the Bai family dares to say anything against this in the future or gossip behind your back, let them come to me first."


    "I won''t agree!"


    "Exactly."


    Bai Mingli''s gaze at Chen An softened, "And me as well."


    "After you marry Zhilan, we will be family."


    In his heart, Chen An''s status had been greatly elevated at this moment, becoming a grateful and upright person who repays kindness.


    As for Chen An, he looked sincere but felt a bit helpless.


    What are you all getting emotional about here?


    I was just speaking casually!


    Marrying my wife, having children with the Bai surname, what''s the big deal?


    Not to mention the exceptional ones with martial talent must bear the Bai surname, even if all the children must bear the Bai surname, what''s the big deal?


    Chen An knew from the start that this condition was the bottom line that the Bai family was willing to teach him the Yin Body Technique.


    The reason was simple.


    Regardless of the situation, the Yin Body Technique was the fundamental heritage of the Bai family, and even within the Bai family, only a few people could receive the full inheritance.


    It wouldn''t matter if Chen An learned the Yin Body Technique; after all, he was the only one.


    But if he passed down the Yin Body Technique secretly for his future children, what would they do?


    There was no way to prevent this matter, there were too many ways to cheat.


    So the only solution was to ensure that Chen An''s future descendants would all be Bai family members.


    And as Bai family members, they would naturally receive the inheritance of the Yin Body Technique.


    So Chen An didn''t need to worry about it.


    The key of this condition was not about marrying into the family or not, but how to ensure that the Yin Body Technique wouldn''t leak out.


    If he didn''t agree to this condition, the Bai family would definitely not agree to teach him the Yin Body Technique.


    Understanding this, Chen An naturally agreed readily.


    In his opinion as a transmigrator, the surname of the children wouldn''t matter to him at all.


    There weren''t many marriage arrangements in his past life, but didn''t many people still ask for their children to take the wife''s surname?


    Not to mention he was being paid.


    Chen An''s agreement was only natural.


    But he didn''t expect that his quick agreement would raise suspicions from Bai Qing and Bai Mingli.


    Therefore, he had to explain vigorously, which was a bit helpless.


    However, regardless, Chen An agreed to the Bai family''s conditions.


    Bai Qing and Bai Mingli exchanged glances, feeling slightly relieved at this moment.


    After chatting for a while, they left.


    The next day, news spread within the Bai family.


    Miss Qing''s guest, Chen An, was going to be engaged to the Fourth Miss, Bai Zhilan.


    The news spread quickly, reaching almost the entire Bai family in just a few days.


    Different people had different attitudes.


    But those who were close to Chen An, like Bai Changren, Bai Changyue, and others, were the first to come and congratulate him.


    However, it was surprising to them that Chen An wasn''t staying in his manor at this crucial time.


    At this moment, Chen An was already in another place.


    "Please send me off, sir."


    Huang Yuexuan''s voice rang out at the border of Xiyuan County.


    She stood on the official road, with her servants, including Jiang Shu, following her, standing beside her.


    And on the opposite side, Chen An stood alone, looking tall and dignified.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 86: Yin Body Technique

    "Today we part ways, and who knows when we will meet again."Looking at Chen An in front of her, Huang Yuexuan smiled and said, "Perhaps, it''s also possible that we may never see each other again in the future."


    Upon hearing this, Chen An looked at Huang Yuexuan.


    To most people, Huang Yuexuan''s words may not be taken seriously, as they might think she was referring to a lack of future interaction between them.


    But to Chen An''s ears, it sounded pessimistic.


    "There''s no need for that."


    He looked at Huang Yuexuan and comforted her, "Your situation may be dangerous, but the person behind wanting to kill you may not necessarily succeed."


    "There must be a chance."


    "Otherwise, with your intelligence, you wouldn''t have thought about leaving Shangyuan County, right?"


    With White Qing''s protection within Shangyuan County, Huang Yuexuan would likely be safe.


    With her relationship with White Qing and her own assets, it wouldn''t be too difficult for her to live comfortably in Shangyuan County for the rest of her life.


    But she chose to leave instead.


    This showed her ambition and unwillingness to be alone.


    "Looks like you''ve hit the mark, sir."


    Listening to Chen An''s words, Huang Yuexuan was surprised, then nodded and said with a smile, "I could choose not to go back, but deep down, there''s a sense of dissatisfaction, so I would rather go back and fight."


    "I''ve never told anyone about this thought, but you, sir, guessed it."


    "In fact, it''s not that hard to guess."


    Chen An shook his head and said, "Miss Huang, you don''t seem like someone who would accept her fate easily."


    "I can''t believe you''ve noticed that."


    Huang Yuexuan smiled and looked into the distance.


    The scenery in the distance was bright and beautiful, with a peaceful and serene atmosphere.


    However, there was a hint of bloodshed lurking behind, as if there were many corpses piled up.


    Those were the people Chen An had killed along the way.


    There were people who wanted Huang Yuexuan dead, so they sent many assassins along the way.


    There were many characters like the former head of the Black Tiger Gang.


    Unfortunately, they encountered Chen An.


    Since he had taken Huang Yuexuan''s money, Chen An would do his best.


    And the fact proved that he did a pretty good job.


    Most of those who dared to come after Huang Yuexuan didn''t make it back alive.


    And as they continued, there were fewer and fewer people who dared to attack.


    "After passing through this area, that person won''t dare to make a move."


    Huang Yuexuan said, "But if it weren''t for you, sir, I would probably have become a corpse long ago and wouldn''t have made it here."


    "Anyway, I have to thank you."


    "Maybe you''re not aware, but when we first met, I was quite fond of you."


    She smiled and changed the subject, "You feel different from others."


    "Before, no matter who it was, I couldn''t relax, even at Sister Qing''s place, I was always careful because I knew that if I said the wrong thing, Sister Qing would change her attitude."


    "But facing you, sir, I didn''t have that feeling." s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "You make me feel different from others, you make me feel safe."


    Huang Yuexuan looked up ahead, smiling unknowingly, "Before, I actually thought that if I could take you away with me, I would be willing to pay any price."


    "Even if..."


    She paused, then didn''t continue, instead changing the subject, "But I know that Sister Qing wouldn''t agree, and it''s probably as soon as I took you away, people would come chasing after us."


    "And these days, I learned that you are going to get married, so I understand that you won''t leave with me."


    "It''s really a pity."


    "Thank you for your kind words, Miss Huang."


    Chen An remained calm and listened quietly to Huang Yuexuan''s words, without showing any reaction.


    Huang Yuexuan''s words seemed heartfelt and sincere, but what kind of person was Chen An?


    This kind of emotional sincerity was what he often used to deceive Sister Qing.


    Now that someone else was using it on him, how could he believe it completely?


    But on the other hand, at this point, she seemed to have no reason to lie?


    Chen An pondered these thoughts silently in his heart.


    "I know you must not believe me, sir."


    Huang Yuexuan''s voice continued.


    Looking at Chen An, she smiled as if she had already guessed what Chen An was thinking, "But sir, you are a smart person. You should know that what I''m saying now is unnecessary."


    "I also know I shouldn''t say it."


    "But..."


    "But what?"


    Chen An asked.


    "I just wanted to say it, can''t I?"


    Huang Yuexuan looked up at the sky, then smiled, "From childhood to adulthood, I have faced many people and told many lies to please different people. The feeling of speaking the truth is rare for me."


    "I''ve said before, sir, you are a rare person who makes me feel at ease and makes me feel that no matter what I say, you won''t harm me."


    "So I decided to say it."


    She looked at Chen An, her face seeming flushed either from the sunlight or from shyness, "Can''t I?"


    "Of course, it''s also because I''m afraid."


    "As I said before, this parting may lead to my death on the road, perhaps one day, someone will cut off my head with a sword, or perhaps one day, my body will be dumped on the roadside like those people ahead, like trash."


    "I''m afraid, afraid that I may never have a chance to speak, let alone speak the truth in my heart."


    "So I thought, while you are still here, I am still alive, standing here as a living person, why not speak my heart out? Isn''t that good?"


    "That''s not bad."


    After a moment of contemplation, Chen An nodded.


    It seemed that she had already made up her mind to leave with the intention of dying.


    Chen An was not sure of Huang Yuexuan''s background, but from the various attempts on her life, the danger she faced was quite terrifying.


    At least for her.


    So saying these words at this moment might indeed signify a farewell.


    Chen An thought to himself, unsure of how to evaluate the situation.


    One could only say that everyone has their own aspirations and choices.


    Since he couldn''t fully understand, respecting each other might be a good choice.


    "I haven''t thanked you for everything before."


    After a moment of pause, Huang Yuexuan finally stopped, then said, "Since you are about to get married, I will give you this as a gift, both as a thank you and a congratulatory gift."


    She handed something to Chen An.


    Chen An looked at it and found a small golden ancient jade.


    The ancient jade looked very pure in quality, with vague patterns on it, giving it a quaint and complex appearance, like a unique token.


    "This is an heirloom left to me by my mother, so it must have some value. I''ll give it to you."


    She said softly, "I hope you keep it safe until the day we meet again."


    "Don''t worry."


    Chen An looked at the ancient jade and nodded, "I''m not so destitute that I have to sell gifts for a living."


    With that, Miss Huang couldn''t help but laugh.


    She didn''t say much more, just waved goodbye to Chen An, then turned and left, heading towards the direction where Jiang Shu and the guards were stationed.


    Chen An stood alone in place, watching Huang Yuexuan''s figure disappear into the distance, then turned and walked back the way he came.


    "If the Yin Body Technique is practiced with the help of Yin attribute treasures, it will accelerate progress significantly."


    In the spacious hall, White Qing said to Chen An with a serious expression, "In your future practice, you can specifically collect materials or treasures of this kind to speed up your progress."


    "There is a Xuanbing bed made of Xuanbing in my main hall. Sleeping on it for a long time can accelerate the growth of internal energy, one day of practice equivalent to three days outside."


    Perhaps afraid that Chen An didn''t understand it in detail, she gave another example.


    Chen An couldn''t help but glance at her.


    Wow.


    You''re so busy all the time, yet you still have time to practice martial arts.


    I guess you can make up for it with money.


    At this moment, Chen An almost asked how much silver the Xuanbing bed cost.


    But thankfully he didn''t, or it would have been humiliating.


    Generally, treasures that assist in practice are very valuable.


    For example, the effectiveness of the Xuanbing bed is quite good, and it can be used for a long time, and even passed down to future generations.


    In terms of value, it definitely exceeded the saying "priceless."


    Although Chen An''s wealth was not bad, in the face of such treasures, it was better to honestly lower his head.


    Don''t embarrass yourself.


    "You can come to my residence in your spare time and practice on that Xuanbing bed."


    Looking at Chen An''s expression, White Qing continued.


    Practice on your bed?


    Chen An was stunned.


    Isn''t this a bit too intimate? It might not sound good if it was spread around, right?


    But since it was White Qing who brought it up, the situation should be different.


    Perhaps he wasn''t the only one with this privilege, it could be a publicly known practice area?


    Chen An thought of this.


    Whether it was a misconception or not, he always felt that since the day he "opened up," White Qing had been even nicer to him.


    Not only did she personally come to observe his practice, explaining in detail the various obstacles in the practice of the Yin Body Technique, but she even lent him the Xuanbing bed for practice.


    She wasn''t afraid that Chen An would have any ulterior motives and steal her bed overnight.


    "Alright."


    Just as he was pondering, White Qing stood up in front of him, "I suppose you have a general understanding of the tricks of the Yin Body Technique."


    "With your talent, the first few levels shouldn''t be too difficult for you."


    "Keep practicing and strive for perfection as soon as possible."


    She said softly, showing a great expectation for Chen An''s future practice.


    PS: I didn''t notice before, but I just found out that this book has an additional Sect Master.


    Thank you to the reader for the reward, Sect Master, thank you, I never expected anyone to support Sect Master in this book.


    Three more updates to come later!


    Continuing to ask for more votes, please give more votes.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 87: Completing Inner Qi

    White Qing and Bai Mingli treated Chen An as a genius.This could be seen from the way they treated him.


    After Chen An and Bai Zhilan were betrothed, he immediately received many things.


    Apart from the obvious like elixirs, he had everything he needed in other aspects as well.


    Some treasures that were extremely difficult for others to obtain, or even impossible to acquire, seemed readily available to Chen An.


    In order to accelerate his progress in practicing the Yin Body Technique, White Qing not only provided him with the Xuanbing bed for cultivation, but Bai Mingli also sponsored a large number of treasures of the cold attribute.


    For example, there was a type of precious cold bead produced in the northern regions that was said to be very helpful in cultivation, accelerating the refining of inner qi.


    There were also some rare medicines produced in specific environments that were highly beneficial for the practice of cold attribute techniques.


    And some exotic beast flesh that could accelerate the cultivation of inner qi.


    All of these items seemed to come to him as if they were free gifts, constantly being presented to him by White Qing and Bai Mingli during this period of time.


    Chen An almost became numb to it all.


    Poverty restricted his imagination.


    He had never imagined that cultivation could be played like this.


    If normal cultivation was like hard work, then what he was experiencing now was like spending money.


    This was the ostentation of a prestigious family.


    At this moment, Chen An deeply felt the huge gap between people.


    People like the members of the Bai family, such as Bai Changming and Bai Changli, had grown up in such an environment. As long as they worked hard enough, how could their cultivation not be fast? S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Under the same talent, martial artists from small families might still be struggling for their livelihood, or even cracking their heads for a book to practice, even if they had good potential, it would be gradually worn away.


    But the offspring of noble families had everything from the beginning.


    Techniques, teachers, money, elixirs - all these were basic necessities.


    To exaggerate a bit, people like Chen An, who were given various rare materials and treasures as if they were free, seemed very lucky.


    Chen An couldn''t help but smile.


    Strictly speaking, these things didn''t have as much effect on him as they did on others.


    After all, compared to others, Chen An''s cultivation was more like cheating.


    His natural talent was actually quite average.


    Otherwise, when he was with the Sanhe Gang, he wouldn''t have been easily overlooked.


    Normal cultivation was impossible for him, only cheating could make a living.


    So the things in front of him didn''t have as much of an impact on him as one might imagine.


    But from another perspective, even if they only had a small effect, it was still good.


    And having the feeling of being valued was also nice.


    Chen An''s face remained calm as he silently pondered many thoughts.


    He had moved to a new residence arranged by White Qing for him.


    The place he lived in before was fine, but it was just an ordinary courtyard, which no longer suited his current status in the Bai family.


    The new residence was spacious, and there were many servants around.


    Quietly getting up, Chen An stored the items brought by White Qing, then walked into his room.


    Closing the door, he looked ahead.


    The familiar upgrade template appeared again.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (6.4), Physique (6.2), Spirit (2.5)


    Source Power: 102


    Inheritances: Yin Body Technique (5th layer), Ming Body Decision (5th layer), Qing Song Force (3rd layer), Wind Chasing Blade Technique (mastered).


    Projection: Charging


    Chen An looked at his current data.


    Compared to before, the changes in all aspects were not significant, just a slight improvement.


    This slight improvement was the result of Chen An''s efforts during this period.


    When there was no assistance from the template, he was also working hard on cultivation to improve.


    On one hand, any improvement was progress, and on the other hand, it was also a show for others.


    Otherwise, if he didn''t cultivate at all but his cultivation continued to rise, wouldn''t others be suspicious after a long time?


    Unfortunately, Chen An''s talent was truly average, so no matter how hard he tried, the improvement wasn''t too great.


    Chen An even suspected that even this slight improvement was mostly due to his efforts in spending money during this time.


    If it weren''t for the things brought by White Qing and others, and if he had relied solely on his own efforts, whether the data could have changed at all was still unknown.


    Another noteworthy detail was the increase in Source Power, which had now reached an unprecedented three-digit number.


    This was the result of recent acquisitions, but mainly due to the mysterious items brought by Bai Changli and Bai Changli.


    It''s worth mentioning Cao Xin.


    After leaving last time, this friend of Chen An''s came back and brought him a lot of items.


    Cao Xin had definitely contributed to Chen An''s Source Power reaching this level.


    Now was the time to reap the rewards.


    Chen An looked at the Yin Body Technique section.


    He then decided to increase it.


    "Do you want to upgrade?" The subtitles appeared again.


    Confirm!


    Boom!


    A warm current surged within him, exploding in an instant.


    In Chen An''s body, a cold inner qi continuously extended, spreading outward and expanding, emanating an icy coldness.


    This was the inner qi of the Yin Body Technique.


    During this half month, with the assistance of many treasures, Chen An had already grasped the basics of the Yin Body Technique, reaching the level of the fifth layer.


    He had also cultivated the inner qi belonging to the Yin Body Technique within him, although it was a bit weak and not particularly strong.


    But at this moment, as Chen An''s inner qi expanded rapidly, it quickly surpassed the Qing Song Force.


    And this wasn''t the end.


    Chen An continued to upgrade.


    He only stopped when the inner qi of the Yin Body Technique was on par with the inner qi of the Ming Body Decision.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (6.9), Physique (6.8), Spirit (2.6)


    Source Power: 59


    Inheritances: Yin Body Technique (5th layer), Ming Body Decision (5th layer), Qing Song Force (3rd layer), Wind Chasing Blade Technique (mastered).


    Projection: Charging


    The familiar upgrade template appeared again.


    "Not bad."


    Chen An smiled.


    Having upgraded the Yin Body Technique from the first layer to the fifth layer, he had completed four upgrades, with each upgrade consuming about ten source power points on average.


    Compared to the expenses in upgrading the Ming Body Decision, the source power consumed was slightly higher, probably because the level of the Yin Body Technique was higher than that of the Ming Body Decision.


    Overall, the consumption of both internal cultivation techniques was not too different.


    Similarly, reaching the fifth layer of the Yin Body Technique was equivalent to mastering the inner qi.


    In Chen An''s body, the inner qi of the Yin Body Technique and the inner qi of the Ming Body Decision were now almost equal.


    While the total amount was nearly the same, there was a slight difference in quality.


    Chen An could feel that the inner qi of the Ming Body Decision was not as good as that of the Yin Body Technique.


    This could be felt in the power that the inner qi exerted.


    With the same amount of inner qi, the power of the inner qi of the Yin Body Technique was greater than that of the Ming Body Decision.


    As for the inner qi of the Qing Song Force, that went without saying.


    Chen An looked ahead, hesitated for a moment, then drew his long blade.


    The silver blade radiated a faint silver light in his hand, but with the continuous addition of his inner qi, a faint coldness surged from it, a chilling presence.


    This was the result of the inner qi of the Yin Body Technique.


    The inner qi of the Yin Body Technique carried a cold nature, and in some situations, it was much more effective than the neutral and peaceful inner qi of the Ming Body Decision.


    Of course, at the inner qi stage, this difference was not yet too pronounced.


    But when it came to the realm of martial qi, the gap between different types of inner qi would widen.


    And of course, that level was still far off for Chen An.


    At this moment, Chen An should have reached a stage where he could be considered to have completed his inner qi.


    In the realm of inner qi, what was tested was simply the quantity of the inner qi, and nothing else.


    So as long as the quantity of the inner qi reached a certain level, it was considered complete.


    Above the completion of inner qi was the realm of martial qi.


    It seemed like he was only one step away, very close.


    However, from what Chen An knew, this seemed to be a major threshold.


    There were many elders in the Bai family, each with a complete realm of inner qi.


    But the true elders who had reached the realm of martial qi were only five, including the patriarch of the Bai family.


    The gap was still quite evident.


    Of course, if Chen An directly used source power to raise the Yin Body Technique to the maximum level, he should still be able to reach it.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have a specific method.


    Yes, like the Ming Body Decision, the Yin Body Technique he had was also incomplete.


    The difference was that White Qing only had up to the fifth layer of the Ming Body Decision, while the Bai family had only given Chen An up to the fifth layer of the Yin Body Technique.


    This was not surprising.


    The Yin Body Technique was the foundation of the Bai family and an absolute secret.


    If an individual was directly given the complete Yin Body Technique, it wouldn''t be a secret, and it would have been stolen long ago.


    Including Bai Changming and Bai Changli, they had only received the initial levels of the Yin Body Technique, and as their cultivation progressed, they could only obtain the later parts.


    Chen An was the same at the moment.


    In reality, if he hadn''t already achieved the realm of martial qi before practicing the Yin Body Technique, according to the normal practice of the Bai family, he would have only been able to obtain the first layer of the Yin Body Technique and could only continue to receive the subsequent parts as he progressed.


    White Qing considered Chen An''s talent and believed that he wouldn''t encounter too many obstacles in the early stages of practicing the Yin Body Technique, so she decided to give him the first five layers of the Yin Body Technique at once.


    And now, Chen An had completed upgrading the five layers.


    So he once again found himself with source power but nowhere to invest.


    He had anticipated this result.


    It was just a matter of waiting a while longer. At just seventeen years old, he could afford to wait.


    He would have to figure out a way to find out about others'' progress in cultivation afterwards.


    Otherwise, if his progress was too fast and scared others, that wouldn''t be good.


    As Chen An thought about this, he silently got up and walked out.


    The following time passed calmly.


    Without realizing it, over two months had passed.


    In the early morning, the sunlight shone on the earth.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 88: Projection

    The external sunlight was gentle, and a light breeze brushed past, making it seem like a nice day.Chen An held Bai Zhilan''s hand as they walked along the street.


    Along the way, people hurriedly walked around, and there were people everywhere.


    Generally speaking, the market was more prosperous than before.


    "In recent days, it seems there are more people in Shangyuan County."


    Walking on the street with Bai Zhilan, Chen An looked around at the scenery and spoke softly.


    "Yes."


    Walking hand in hand with Chen An on the street, Bai Zhilan''s face was filled with a smile, looking very happy.


    A few days ago, they had already gotten married, and now they were officially husband and wife, living together as a matter of course.


    After becoming husband and wife, some things no longer needed to be avoided, and they could openly go out and explore.


    "I heard that in the coming days, a prince will come here, maybe that''s why things have changed."


    Bai Zhilan pondered for a moment, then spoke.


    "A prince?"


    Chen An was a bit surprised.


    This was not a term that could be used casually. In the Liang Kingdom, only the sons of the Liang Emperor could be called princes.


    However, he didn''t really care.


    In this world, martial artists were respected, and although the Liang Emperor seemed to be the ruler of the country, he had already been marginalized.


    The emperor''s commands outside the palace were different.


    Even the emperor himself was like this, let alone his children.


    In the end, in this world, princesses and princes were not worth much, and true power was what mattered.


    However, in the case of the Liang Kingdom, a prince coming to Shangyuan County was indeed a rare event.


    "I wonder how Miss Qing is doing."


    Chen An looked around at the street and then spoke, "It seems like she''s been away for quite a while."


    "Yes, it''s been almost three months."


    Bai Zhilan nodded, sighing slightly, "It was supposed to be just over half a month, I don''t know what''s been delaying her."


    About three months ago, a ruin was discovered outside Shangyuan County, where it was said that many tombs left by ancient martial artists were found.


    People started excavating, and they found many treasures, as well as many divine weapons and martial arts techniques, attracting a lot of attention.


    The ruins were not far from Shangyuan County, so the Bai family also sent many people over.


    Aside from Bai Qing, Bai Zhilan''s grandfather Bai Mingli also went over.


    It was initially expected that they would return in just over half a month, but now almost three months had passed and there was no news yet.


    If there were no bad news from there, Chen An would probably think that Bai Qing and the others had met with an accident.


    Chen An was worried about Bai Qing, and Bai Zhilan was also worried about Bai Mingli.


    But pure worry didn''t help.


    Instead of just worrying, it was better to do something.


    So, Chen An took Bai Zhilan out to relax, and then they saw the scene in front of them.


    On the street, vendors were shouting, and there were patrols everywhere, creating a lively and bustling scene.


    However, underneath this lively scene, there were also many discordant notes.


    Chen An looked at the beggars being driven away in the distance and couldn''t help but feel a sense of discomfort.


    If they walked out of this street, there would be even more.


    So it wasn''t that there were no problems, but that the problems were being driven away.


    "It''s another year of disasters."


    Walking on the street, silently listening to the news around him, Chen An sighed.


    Natural disasters and man-made calamities were inevitable at any time.


    Compared to previous years, the crop harvest this year didn''t seem to be too good.


    Perhaps the situation didn''t seem too obvious in a prosperous place like Shangyuan County, but if you went out, you would see many distressing scenes.


    On the journey to send Huang Yuexuan away before, Chen An saw many disaster victims begging along the way. Many people turned to banditry to survive but still couldn''t make ends meet.


    In a year of great calamity, even the passing merchants had decreased significantly. Even if they resorted to banditry, what could they get?


    This showed that the lives of the common people were always difficult.


    At this moment, Chen An thought of Fengcheng County.


    There was something he hadn''t finished there.


    Before, Song Ziyang had entrusted Liu Ziqin to him, asking him to settle Liu Ziqin in a certain place.


    Due to following Bai Qing to Shangyuan County, Chen An had temporarily placed Liu Ziqin in Fengcheng County, and he didn''t know how it was going now.


    Thinking of Song Ziyang, Chen An hadn''t seen his shadow since the last meeting and didn''t know how he was doing now.


    As he pondered in his heart, Chen An said, "When are you planning to leave?"


    Beside him, Bai Zhilan spoke quietly, asking.


    "In a few days."


    Chen An smiled and said, "It''s best to get things done early and get rid of a worry."


    Originally, he had planned to wait for Bai Qing to come back before handling this matter.


    But with nearly three months gone by and still no news from Bai Qing, waiting seemed endless.


    It was better to do it now.


    "Fengcheng County is not too far from Shangyuan County. You could go early and come back early."


    Holding Chen An''s hand, Bai Zhilan spoke quietly.


    Honestly, she had just recently married Chen An and was not willing to let him leave.


    But she didn''t say much and just asked Chen An to come back early.


    "Alright."


    Chen An smiled and nodded, "In half a month at most, I should be back."


    "Actually, Bai Changren has some free time lately. If you want, you can let him go in your place, it should be fine."


    Bai Zhilan continued to speak softly.


    "Okay."


    After pondering for a moment, Chen An looked up at Bai Zhilan, feeling the implicit expectation in her heart, and smiled, "Alright."


    He naturally knew that his wife didn''t want him to leave, so he agreed to stay by her side.


    Fengcheng County was not too far from Shangyuan County, and it was relatively safe along the way. It shouldn''t be a problem for Bai Changren to go in his place and bring back Liu Ziqin.


    And so, Bai Changren was recruited by Chen An and Bai Zhilan without really knowing why.


    Despite this, it was his turn to do so.


    There was no choice.


    Who else could go if not him, as he was a mutual friend of Chen An and Bai Zhilan?


    Moreover, his identity was quite appropriate.


    The Sanhe Gang itself was a property of the Bai family, just under the jurisdiction of Bai Qing.


    In this situation, Bai Changren, as a young master of the Bai family, should be well received at the Sanhe Gang and it would be convenient for him to handle things.


    Perhaps after going there and enjoying the warm hospitality of Song Wang and others, he would wish to stay a little longer.


    Fengcheng County may be small, but it offered quite a range of special services.


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    After a stroll outside, seeing that it was approaching noon, Chen An took Bai Zhilan back to the courtyard.


    Their residence was naturally the courtyard bestowed by Bai Qing, with peach trees outside that were now in full bloom.


    Standing in the garden, looking at the peach blossoms in full bloom, it was a beautiful sight.


    Chen An quietly watched this scene and then returned to the house after a long while.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (7.0), Physique (6.9), Spirit (2.6)


    Energy: 81


    Heritage: Yin Body Technique (Fifth Level), Bright Body Technique (Fifth Level), Qing Song Power (Third Level), Swift Wind Technique (Grand Completion), Wind-Chasing Knife Technique (Grand Completion)


    Projection: Available


    Familiar upgrade template reappeared.


    Nearly three months had passed, and apart from getting married, Chen An hadn''t been idle.


    He had collected sinister objects to further increase his energy, and he had also specifically gone to the Bai family''s arsenal to find a martial art technique.


    Swift Wind Technique was a body technique, and in the Bai family''s arsenal, it was considered quite a remarkable technique.


    If Chen An hadn''t married Bai Zhilan and had Bai Mingli''s endorsement, he might not have even qualified to learn this technique.


    After mastering this technique, the effect was indeed very good. It was a good enhancement whether used for fighting or just traveling.


    "Shall we proceed with the projection?"


    In front of him, the familiar subtitles appeared again.


    Chen An, who was already very familiar with this function, even acted instinctively.


    He subconsciously clicked confirm and was prepared for the simulation panel to pop up.


    However, an unexpected event occurred.


    After confirming, the familiar selection interface appeared.


    But this time, in addition to the simulation option, there was also a projection option, and the subtitles on it were colorful, not the usual dull ones.


    Chen An forcibly stopped his instinctual response to choose simulation and stared at this scene with a slightly reactive response.


    What is going on here?


    Is the sun rising from the west?


    He was surprised, not knowing what to say at this moment.


    Since awakening the upgrade template, he had never used the projection function before. Every time he tried, he was immediately thrown out.


    Until now, Chen An had thought that he hadn''t met the requirements to use this function.


    But now, he suddenly could.


    This was truly a pleasant surprise.


    Of course, it was a pleasant surprise.


    With the projection function now available, Chen An had another option and could enrich his martial arts skills further.


    His horizons had widened, wasn''t this worth celebrating?


    Of course, it was worth celebrating.


    However, Chen An didn''t start the projection right away after his joy.


    Standing in place, he pondered for a moment, then went back to the house to explain a few words to Bai Zhilan, informing her that he would soon go into seclusion for cultivation.


    Then he walked into his dedicated training room, tightly closed the door, and went in.


    All security measures were in place, and Chen An could finally relax.


    Looking at the projection interface, Chen An felt a bit nervous for some reason.


    Unlike the well-known simulation function, he was using the projection function for the first time.


    He didn''t know what would happen.


    (End of this chapter) S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 89: Princess Dahua

    Expectation and nervousness intertwined in Chen An''s heart, unable to dissipate for a long time.Chen An nervously stared at the interface in front of him, feeling a strange feeling in his heart at this moment.


    He felt like he was back to when he first awakened his interface.


    At that time, his strength was weak, and energy acquisition was quite difficult. Every simulation felt like opening a mystery box, with a special sense of anticipation.


    But this unique feeling gradually faded as his strength grew stronger, energy acquisition became easier, and the number of simulations increased.


    But now, he felt like he had found this feeling he used to have.


    No matter how nervous and expectant he was, things had to be done eventually.


    Looking at the interface in front of him, Chen An finally clicked on confirm.


    "Start projection?"


    Confirm!


    Without hesitation, he chose to confirm, and the change began to appear.


    In front of Chen An, a scene of brilliance emerged, floating in front of his eyes, and then enveloping his whole body.


    Then, in the confusion, his soul seemed to be plunged into darkness, and then once again bloomed with light.


    Everywhere seemed like being in the sun, shining brightly in an instant!


    At noon, the sunlight was just right everywhere.


    Outside the Dahua Palace, the sound of recitation echoed.


    It seemed like someone was reciting loudly, reciting the classics of saints here.


    But outside, it was a completely different lively scene.


    Inside the Dahua National Academy, there were people practicing everywhere.


    Big and burly men stood there, looking strong and tall. They were either honing their strength or meditating, working hard to improve themselves.


    The Dahua National Academy was a place for cultivating talents of the country, and only those who passed the test could enter.


    However, there were also distinctions between literary and military talents here, and the place where they were now naturally belonged to the martial arts academy.


    Compared to the literary academy, there were obviously more people in the martial arts academy.


    This was quite normal.


    With the chaos of various countries and Dahua located in the central heartland, suffering from constant military turmoil, martial arts naturally flourished in the country, and there were many descendants of military families. Therefore, this martial arts academy was also particularly prosperous.


    Most of those who could enter this martial arts academy were talented individuals, and many of them were descendants of military families. Otherwise, they would not be able to enter the Dahua National Academy.


    Bluntly speaking, the people here were all elites, and anyone would have to pay attention to them in the outside world.


    The place that could accommodate these elites was naturally not an ordinary place.


    In the past, this hall was a very solemn place, and if ordinary servants dared to step into this place, they would probably be killed on the spot.


    However, at this moment, in the Dahua National Academy, an unexpected guest arrived.


    "Is this the prestigious National Academy?"


    Princess Dahua stood in front of the gate of the National Academy, looking at the people in front of her with some sarcasm.


    In front of her, people were lying on the ground, with many of them bruised and swollen, clearly just having been dealt with.


    "The prestigious National Academy, known for gathering the most talented people in the world, can''t even handle one of my servants."


    Cheng Yi looked at the fallen figures in front of her, her face filled with undisguised disappointment and disdain.


    In front of her, a burly man stood there.


    The burly man was tall and burly, with a body that was more than two meters tall. He wore a short shirt and wore an iron mask on his face, concealing his appearance.


    At this moment, he stood in front of Cheng Yi, looking at the people in front of him coldly, although he didn''t speak a word, he still had a kind of intimidating aura.


    Facing the words of Princess Cheng Yi, the people around dared not speak out of anger.


    If it were an ordinary person, if they dared to insult them like this, they would definitely retaliate and deal with that person.


    But this person was different.


    Princess Cheng Yi was the favorite daughter of the Dahua Emperor.


    Who in the Dahua court didn''t know that this princess was favored and arrogant? If anyone dared to provoke her, there would likely be big trouble later on.


    They couldn''t scold or hit back. Even if they were angry, they could only bear with it.


    Otherwise, what else could they do?


    "Boring."


    After cursing in place for a while, Cheng Yi felt a bit bored and said casually, "The prestigious National Academy, can''t even find a good man?"


    "If someone defeats my servant, I will accept him as a guest, reward him with a thousand taels of silver and a hundred elixirs!"


    With her words falling, some people were moved.


    Despite Princess Cheng Yi''s usual arrogance, but undoubtedly, she was the princess loved by the Emperor. If one could serve as a guest by her side, it would be much easier to make a name for oneself in the future.


    With the resources of the royal family, many things were easily obtainable, such as secret techniques, divine weapons, etc.


    Not to mention the rewards.


    However, even though they were tempted, few dared to act.


    After all, the previous competition had proven the strength of the person in front of them.


    Those who didn''t want to act had their own better prospects, and they didn''t care about the princess.


    But even if they didn''t care, it was a different matter if they wanted to offend her.


    Even if they had a strong background and powerful strength, it was unnecessary to offend the princess who was the favorite of the Emperor for such a trivial matter, wasn''t it?


    Those who could fight didn''t want to take action, and those who wanted to take action couldn''t win.


    The situation fell into a stalemate.


    After a moment, seeing no one speaking, Princess Cheng Yi snorted, feeling a little disappointed, "I thought the National Academy would cultivate the talents of the world, but it turns out they are all a bunch of useless idiots!"


    "Ada, let''s go!"


    She turned around and was about to leave.


    "Wait."


    A gentle voice came from the courtyard beside them.


    The people looked up and couldn''t help but show some surprise on their faces.


    Because the direction from which the voice came was not from the martial arts academy, but from the literary academy.


    Under the gaze of everyone, a figure walked out from that direction.


    He was a very young man, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a tall and straight figure. He was wearing a standard gown from the literary academy, looking refined and polite.


    He was handsome, with a demeanor like a gentleman, and walked out of the courtyard.


    Looking at the young man in front of her, Princess Cheng Yi''s eyes suddenly lit up.


    What a talented individual!


    She secretly praised in her heart.


    Indeed, the most important thing between people was the first impression.


    Compared to the group of rough and rude men in the martial arts academy, the young man in front of her was more comfortable to be around.


    First impressions really made a big difference.


    It seemed that no matter when, good looks were always a plus. s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man walked out of the literary academy, dressed like a scholar, handsome in appearance, but with a gentle look on his face, he said softly: "Greetings, Princess."


    After bowing first, he spoke softly, "I wonder if what Princess said just now is true or not?"


    "Of course it''s true."


    Looking at the young man in front of her, Princess Cheng Yi showed a hint of hesitation on her face, "But, I was talking about martial arts, not poetry."


    As her words fell, she seemed to be afraid that the handsome young man in front of her would be embarrassed, she quickly added, "But, literary articles are also important, if you are willing, being a scribe by my side is also good."


    Well, she has revealed her true nature now!


    The people around looked at Princess Cheng Yi with some resentment. At this moment, their emotions were complicated, and they didn''t know what to say.


    They hadn''t forgotten what Princess Cheng Yi looked like just now, how domineering and ruthless she was when she scolded them.


    But now, to another person, she seemed so reasonable?


    Can this world still be okay?


    "Thank you, Princess, for your favor."


    The young man''s face was gentle, smiling as he said, "Although I am a student of the literary academy, I also have some knowledge in martial arts."


    "If Princess doesn''t believe me, why not let me try?"


    "Alright."


    Seeing the young man insist on it, Princess Cheng Yi hesitated for a moment, but nodded in the end.


    A figure walked forward.


    Ada stood in front of Princess Cheng Yi, his eyes cold and emotionless under the iron mask, without any unnecessary words, he directly aimed a punch at the young man in front of him.


    Seeing the strength of the punch, if it hit hard, the young man with a seemingly weak figure wouldn''t be able to bear it.


    Seeing this, Princess Cheng Yi suddenly felt some regret.


    I should have asked Ada to go easy.


    What if he hurts the person, what should I do?


    Will he hate me for this?


    Various thoughts interwoven in her mind, mixed together in a mess.


    However, an unexpected situation occurred.


    In the field, facing Ada''s punch, the young man smiled and just reached out his hand.


    Bang!


    The two fists collided head-on.


    At first glance, although the young man''s posture was tall and straight, he appeared skinny compared to the robust and iron-like Ada, making him look particularly weak.


    The two stood side by side, and he looked like a minor.


    Uh, although in reality, he was indeed a minor.


    However, the collision between the two was completely unexpected.


    Shocking force surged from in front of him.


    Under Ada''s incredulous gaze, the young man smiled and slowly moved forward.


    A faint internal energy glowed in his hand, and in the end, he pushed Ada, who was like a giant, away.


    With a light sound of bang, Ada''s body fell to the ground.


    It was the first time he had been knocked down by someone.


    The people around were shocked.


    Even in the depths of the martial arts academy, those who had been cultivating in seclusion had to stand up, looking at the young man in front of them with astonishment.


    Facing their gazes, the young man''s face didn''t change at all, still wearing a faint smile, he simply arched his hand.


    "I learned."


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 90: Background

    The entire audience was shocked.In the depths of the martial arts academy, many people were standing up in astonishment, some staring in shock at the young man standing in front of them.


    They had good reason to be shocked.


    Not only them, even the dignified Fourth Princess was also astonished at this moment.


    "Internal energy!"


    She looked at the person in front of her, unable to help but open her mouth in disbelief. "Aren''t you a disciple of the literary academy?"


    "How..."


    Standing in place, she looked up carefully.


    The young man in front of her stood there, dressed in scholar''s robes, graceful and courteous, clearly a gentleman, not at all like a martial artist.


    However, who could have thought that this young man, in fact, had just demonstrated extraordinary strength.


    Internal energy level, even in the martial arts academy, very few people have reached it.


    Although the martial arts academy is known for gathering talents from all over the world, in reality, most of the students are only at the level of body forging, and even fewer have reached the level of body forging mastery.


    Because those with higher level have long left here and gone out to seek opportunities to make achievements.


    Under the Great Huadi official law, those who have mastered body forging will become captains in the military and hundred-man longs in the government.


    Not to mention the internal energy level.


    "Although I study, I have also had some interest in martial arts since I was young, so I have some experience."


    The young man arched his hand and said with a smile.


    Having interest, some experience in hunting.


    Hearing this, many people present fell silent.


    They looked at each other, seeing a sense of complexity in each other''s eyes.


    Look, is this even speaking human language?


    Already at the level of internal energy, but only have some experience in it?


    If he wholeheartedly devoted himself to the martial path, wouldn''t he soar to great heights?


    "Can you be crowned?"


    The Fourth Princess asked.


    And the young man''s answer once again made people fall silent.


    "I''m sixteen this year, I haven''t been crowned yet."


    The young man continued.


    Goodness, a sixteen-year-old martial artist at the internal energy level, his talent is truly extraordinary.


    Considering the young man''s identity as a literary academy student, the value of this is even greater.


    The assessment in the literary academy is not easy, and most of those who can enter the literary academy are well-read scholars.


    It is extremely rare for a young man like the one in front of him to be admitted to the literary academy at such a young age, let alone have such strong martial arts skills as well.


    Indeed, comparison is the end of satisfaction.


    "Wait."


    At this moment, someone finally reacted, realizing the identity of the young man in front of him. "It is said that half a year ago, someone was admitted to the National Academy at a young age and Mr. Ouyang praised his essay, could it be him?"


    There are not many students in the National Academy, they are always the same people.


    And even fewer of them are so young.


    Suddenly, the faces of people around changed again.


    "This is the son of the Duke of Chen Guo, Chen Chang''an, who entered the National Academy half a year ago."


    There was a lot of discussion among the crowd.


    The Fourth Princess was very satisfied.


    She had to be satisfied.


    A sixteen-year-old martial artist at the internal energy level, and a scholar with a reputation, if she was not satisfied, then others might as well hang themselves with a rope.


    "I wonder if the princess''s previous promise still counts."


    Chen An smiled, looking at the other party, and asked softly.


    "Of course."


    Facing Chen An''s gaze, the Fourth Princess looked at the young man in front of her and smiled, "From today on, you will be my guest, responsible for my personal protection in the future."


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    Chen An bowed and respectfully said.


    The Fourth Princess nodded in satisfaction.


    Not to mention, just from the courtesy alone, Chen An, who came from the literary academy, could easily outperform all those martial arts academy students, showing courtesy in every move, making people feel comfortable.


    After visiting the National Academy, the Fourth Princess quickly left, leaving the other people in the martial arts academy secretly relieved.


    Soon, they arrived at the Princess''s mansion.


    As the most beloved daughter of the Great Huadi Emperor, the Princess''s mansion was magnificent, exquisitely decorated, and particularly spacious. In the bustling capital city, it was like a small imperial palace, enjoying first-class treatment.


    There were many servants around, each maid standing around, beautiful in appearance and graceful in figure, all selected as beautiful.


    With the size of this princess''s mansion, there were probably nearly a thousand people just among these servants.


    Walking on the road, Chen An could feel the curious gazes around.


    It seemed that because few foreign men entered here, these people found Chen An''s arrival particularly intriguing, and many of them stared at him for a long time before blushing and lowering their heads.


    Chen An lowered his head and followed the Fourth Princess closely, always observing etiquette behind her, without any disrespect.


    This made the secretly observing people very satisfied, nodding secretly.


    "Okay."


    Walking along, until they reached a courtyard, the Fourth Princess stopped and said, "This will be your place to stay in the future. Please settle down as soon as possible and then move in."


    "Uncle Liu."


    A middle-aged man with a loyal and honest face walked over from the side, standing in front of the Fourth Princess, his face respectful. "Here I am."


    "Uncle Liu is my steward. If you need anything in the future, just tell him."


    The Fourth Princess turned to Chen An and added, "Of course, if there is an emergency, you can come directly to me."


    "Yes."


    Chen An bowed and then nodded.


    The Fourth Princess then left.


    Soon, only Chen An and Uncle Liu were left in place.


    "If you need anything, just call me after that, young master."


    Looking at Chen An in front of him, Uncle Liu smiled and said, "There are also many maids here. If you need anything, just ask them."


    Chen An politely nodded, looking very courteous.


    Uncle Liu left satisfied.


    Now it was just Chen An alone.


    Of course, he was not idle.


    Walking into the courtyard in front of him, he looked around at the environment, nodding in satisfaction.


    The courtyard was not too big, but there were many rooms, and the surroundings were quite exquisite. For Chen An, it was considered quite good.


    He was quite satisfied.


    "Coming to this world for almost ten years, I finally found a chance to stand out openly."


    Standing in the courtyard, Chen An thought to himself.


    This matter was somewhat regrettable.


    The so-called projection function now seems similar to reincarnation.


    When Chen An used the projection, his soul directly left the body, and he came to this world.


    The specific result was similar to reincarnation, starting over as a baby.


    This was acceptable, starting over as a baby was not bad, there might be even more opportunities.


    But the truly annoying part was that reincarnation meant starting over, but the memories might not immediately awaken.


    For Chen An, this awakening of memories happened at the age of six.


    Before that, his behavior was like an ordinary child, showing no difference because of the projection.


    Counting carefully, it was almost ten years now.


    Chen An had changed from Chen An to Chen Chang''an.


    "In any case, after ten years, I finally found an opportunity to stand out openly."


    Chen An thought to himself, "The Fourth Princess is the most beloved daughter of the emperor. With her as a stepping stone, I should be able to come into contact with many suitable people, even members of the royal family and even the emperor."


    "By then, obtaining a supreme martial art may not be impossible."


    This world also had martial arts, even more flourishing than the previous world due to the chaos in the world.


    From nobles to common people, all were proud of practicing martial arts.


    The Chen Guo Duke''s residence, where Chen An was born, was a typical martial arts family.


    The current Duke of Chen Guo was a formidable Qi realm cultivator, an absolute strong figure.


    Born into such a background, logically speaking, Chen An seemed to not need to follow the Fourth Princess''s path, and could directly use the resources of the Duke of Chen Guo''s residence to climb up power.


    That was what Chen An originally thought, but he eventually gave up.


    There was no way.


    The Chen Guo Duke''s residence was large, indeed prosperous, but there were also many dark sides.


    In his previous life, Chen An had heard many stories of aristocratic grievances, all kinds of property disputes, disputes between legitimate and illegitimate children, power struggles, it was quite exciting.


    But unfortunately, when these things happened to oneself, they were not so pleasant.


    However, unfortunately, when Chen An just awakened his memories, he found several frustrating facts.


    First, he was a legitimite child, not the youngest, but not the oldest either, with several legitimate brothers above him.


    Second, his biological mother had long passed away when he was five, supposedly from catching a cold?


    Third, his nominal stepmother, his father''s legal wife, was extremely hostile towards them, considering them a threat.


    Fourth, he was not favored by his biological father, he was even treated indifferently.


    Even his father was just one of the legitimate sons of the current Duke of Chen Guo and had not been firmly established as the heir.


    When Chen An began to awaken his memories, his father was still fighting with the other legitimate sons of the Duke of Chen Guo, fighting for the qualification to be the heir.


    Various factors piled up, leaving the newly awakened Chen An somewhat speechless.


    Under these circumstances, this atmosphere, what talk of progress?


    What! You still want to practice martial arts?


    Tell me, are you eyeing the positions of your legitimate brothers?


    The stepmother was watching closely behind the scenes.


    In this situation, Chen An decisively gave up the idea of standing out in the residence of the Duke of Chen Guo.


    So during the time at the Duke of Chen Guo''s residence, he did not show any intention of practicing martial arts, just pretended to not like martial arts and focused on studying.


    Until he made some achievements in his studies, got the opportunity to move out with the guise of external masters, and had his own independent space, then he found the opportunity to pick up his practice again. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    (End Of Chapter)

 Chapter 91: Traitor Among Us

    Despite having the opportunity to learn martial arts after moving out, the years spent in the Chen Guo Gong mansion before were truly wasted, wasting several years of time.But the lucky part is that, compared to his previous body, the physique of his current projected body is quite good, and because he awakened his memories early, he was able to start practicing early without being completely delayed.


    In fact, to be honest, Chen An''s previous physique was not too bad. It may not compare to geniuses like Bai Qingbai Changming, but at least it was above average.


    It was just that because he started martial arts too late, his aptitude decreased, and he was delayed, so he could only rely on a cheat-like way to forcibly improve.


    But in this life, his talent is quite good, and he did not waste time during the most suitable time for martial arts practice, combined with the insights from his previous memories.


    Yes, in a way, it''s like being fully buffed.


    Because of these various conditions, Chen An was able to quickly grow without sufficient material support.


    In just six or seven years, he had regained his former internal strength.


    However, he then encountered a serious problem.


    His martial arts techniques were not enough.


    He is currently practicing Yin body skills, and he only reached the fifth level during his time in the Bai family. Now he has reached the top, so continuing to practice is possible, but it would be a waste of time.


    With difficulties, naturally he had to find a way to solve it.


    Chen An deliberately took the route of the Fourth Princess to achieve this.


    In this world, the various countries are in conflict, and there are many martial arts families in various places.


    The Chen Guo Gong Mansion, where Chen An comes from, is one of them.


    However, if you talk about the largest family, it is naturally the royal family.


    The Great China Royal Family inherited the Great China Classic, rumored to be left behind by the Great China Ancestor.


    The Great China Ancestor was a powerful figure who founded the Great China Dynasty with his fists and kicks in this world, and it is said that he had killed more than one innate expert on his way up.


    The kind of inheritance left by such a ruthless person can be imagined to be of high quality, at least an innate martial art.


    Of course, the Great China Classic of the Great China Royal Family is exclusive to them, and the difficulty of obtaining it can be imagined, so Chen An does not dare to think about it for now.


    But the Great China Royal Family must have more than just the Great China Classic as an innate martial art.


    There must be others as well.


    Even if their grade is one level lower than the Great China Classic, it is already enough for Chen An.


    And now, the most important step has been taken, now it depends on whether there are other opportunities.


    The next day, just as it was getting light, Chen An got up and left, heading towards the direction of the National Academy.


    Despite becoming a guest official of the princess, there were still some things he hadn''t finished at the National Academy.


    Entering a hall, a voice reading aloud could be heard.


    Walking in, a senior was standing there.


    The old man was thin and not particularly tall, with an ordinary appearance, everything about him was average.


    He was standing there reading the classic texts of the sages, looking very focused.


    Seeing this, Chen An didn''t disturb him, just stood quietly on the side waiting.


    After a while, the old man stopped and looked towards Chen An, smiling and saying, "Here?"


    "Here."


    Chen An smiled and said, "Teacher Dong seems to be in a good mood."


    "Just casually reading when I have some free time," Dong Heng waved his hand and then carefully looked at Chen An in front of him.


    In his eyes, Chen An stood in the corner with a smile on his face, and there was no hint of impatience in his body.


    He nodded unconsciously, looking satisfied, "Not bad."


    "After lurking for several years, finally found an opportunity, and can still remain this calm, it shows some true sense of inner peace."


    Dong Heng praised, "Maintain this state of mind, whether in martial arts or other paths, it will be very beneficial."


    "Perhaps."


    Chen An nodded calmly and said with a smile.


    Dong Heng was Chen An''s teacher he met outside before, also a famous sage.


    He had known Chen An since he was very young and was the one who appreciated him the most.


    Without his help, Chen An would not have been able to enter the National Academy and completely get rid of those relatives at home who hindered him.


    "In any case, the grace of Teacher Dong''s cultivation is deeply remembered in the student''s heart."


    Chen An respectfully nodded and said, "If there is a need in the future, the student will do his best."


    "Don''t worry, if there is a need later, I will never forget you as a student."


    Dong Heng smiled and then changed the subject, "You aspire to the path of martial arts, the Fourth Princess is a good choice, but can only serve as a springboard, not to rely on all the time."


    Chen An nodded in agreement.


    Using the Fourth Princess Cheng Yi as a stepping stone is great because of her noble status, and she is even more favored by the emperor.


    By following the Fourth Princess, Chen An can meet many nobles and even see the emperor.


    As long as he can interact with these people, it means there are more opportunities.


    But the role of the Fourth Princess is only that.


    Because in the end, she is still just a vase.


    No matter how much the Great China Emperor loves her, he couldn''t possibly give her an innate martial art as a reward.


    What would a vase do with an innate martial art?


    Even if she has one herself, she might not dare to give it to Chen An as a reward.


    If Chen An wants to achieve his goal, he still needs to rely on other people.


    "How about the Crown Prince Cheng Hua?"


    Standing in place, Chen An suddenly asked.


    "The Crown Prince is intelligent, but hot-tempered, and as the emperor''s eldest son, he is highly valued by the emperor, with many followers around him."


    Dong Heng whispered, expressing his opinion.


    Chen An understood.


    This meant that the Crown Prince was the emperor''s legitimate eldest son, highly respected and highly valued, although he didn''t have the title of the Crown Prince, he had the actual position of the Crown Prince, and had many followers around him.


    If Chen An were to join him, it would be difficult to stand out among those followers, let alone be valued and rewarded with a martial art.


    "How about the Second Prince Cheng Ming?"


    Chen An continued to ask.


    "The Second Prince is gentle and modest, respects the wise and the virtuous, and has the support of your grandfather Chen Guo Gong and others, with many followers as well."


    Dong Heng glanced at Chen An, "But among these followers, many are from marquis and aristocratic families, and some are already in the emperor''s eyes."


    "How about the Third Prince Cheng Zheng?"


    "The Third Prince has always been low-key and doesn''t compete with outsiders, but he is ruthless in his actions, leaving no room for others, and is resented by many."


    When he heard this, Chen An stopped and didn''t continue asking.


    There are many offspring of the Great China Emperor, but only these three princes are capable of competing for the throne.


    The other princes are either too young, lack innate strength, or come from weak maternal family influences and are unable to participate in this competition.


    Even among these three princes, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses.


    It depends on Chen An''s own choice of who to choose.


    Although it is difficult to stand out from the many followers, if he just wants to get a martial art inheritance, it may still be possible.


    Although it is difficult for those in the most difficult situation, if he can lend a helping hand in this moment, he may also receive a decent reward.


    Various thoughts flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    But overall, he was not conflicted. In fact, he was quite calm.


    If it were someone else, facing such a choice would likely cause a lot of indecision, as it not only affects their future, but also possibly their life and the fate of their family.


    But Chen An didn''t care.


    This body of his is just a projection, even if he dies, it''s just a return to his original body, it won''t have any impact.


    As for his family?


    Come on, what does it matter to him with that group of monsters behind him, whether he lives or dies?


    His biological father neglected him, his mother was killed long ago, and the remaining people were nominally relatives, but in reality, they were enemies.


    Since that''s the case, it doesn''t matter.


    Without attachments, there is no fear.


    This is why Dong Heng appreciates Chen An, finding his mentality extraordinary.


    Simply because no matter what he faces, he remains so calm and unaffected by external forces.


    Having such a mentality, such talent, and such a gift, why worry about not succeeding?


    At this moment, the bell outside rang, summoning students to class at the National Academy.


    "Let''s go."


    Dong Heng got up, looked at Chen An with a smile and said, "Even though you are a guest official of the princess, you are still a student of the National Academy."


    "This class still needs to be attended, what do you think?"


    "Of course."


    Chen An came back to his senses, bowed, and then followed Dong Heng ahead, walking like that.


    They walked along the way outside, quickly arriving at a large hall.


    In this hall at this moment, there were students everywhere, looking densely packed.


    Chen An had already gotten used to this scene, just found his own seat and sat down.


    But on this day, the feeling was different than before.


    There were many eyes around looking at him, staring at him intently.


    And many people, pretending to read, but their eyes kept glancing at Chen An.


    This was the impact of yesterday''s incident.


    After all, things in this world spread quickly through gossip.


    Yesterday''s incident had already spread rapidly through the people present, and in a short time, it had reached the students at the National Academy.


    This made people shocked. s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An had already been mixing in the National Academy for half a year, so he was already familiar with other students.


    Even if he hadn''t become friends with them, at least he was familiar.


    Everyone knew that Chen An had an extraordinary appearance and remarkable knowledge at a young age, deeply loved by sages like Dong Heng.


    However, they never expected that this well-mannered guy was actually a hidden martial artist! And he had already cultivated to the internal energy realm at the age of sixteen!


    This made people feel a pang of envy.


    The martial arts were highly respected in this world, and most of the students who came to the National Academy were limited in conditions and talent, unable to practice martial arts, hence they could only pass the time at the National Academy.


    They thought they were all stagnant fish together, but they never expected there was a hidden traitor.


    Not only can he practice martial arts, but at the age of sixteen, he not only excels in academics but also has practiced to the internal energy realm.


    There aren''t many students at the martial arts academy who have reached the internal energy realm!


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 92: Banquet

    Feeling the discreet glances coming from all around, Chen An''s expression remained calm as he quietly listened to Dong Heng''s lecture, occasionally asking questions.In this world, in order to avoid arousing suspicion and jealousy among the people in the Chen Guo Gong Mansion, he had no choice but to choose the path of studying and enter the National Academy.


    He thought this path would be difficult, as he was not very familiar with the poetry and literature of this world compared to martial arts, and he was not good at it himself.


    In his past life, he had read many books, but they were all in the field of science and technology.


    As a science dog, Chen An doubted his ability to write articles.


    But limited by circumstances, he could only grit his teeth and choose this path.


    Unexpectedly, he found this path quite smooth.


    Many things that were very obscure and difficult to understand for others could easily be answered by him.


    Therefore, he had been famous since childhood and was hailed as a child prodigy.


    Later, Chen An finally realized.


    The reason why things went so smoothly was not only due to his inherent mature wisdom, but also the important reason of the experiences from the simulations he had done before.


    Before this projection, Chen An had always only been able to simulate.


    Those simulated memories would actually return to him as well, but they were relatively incomplete and vague.


    It seemed that the upgrade template had its own protective mechanism, so the memories obtained from the simulations would flash by and then be hidden away, not causing too much impact on Chen An himself.


    For him, it was like watching a very long movie.


    It was fortunate that it was like this.


    If the impressions were profound, after many simulations, Chen An''s temperament would have changed drastically.


    He had simulated at least a dozen times before, totaling hundreds of years of memories.


    If such a colossal memory were to accumulate, it was unimaginable how Chen An would end up.


    So these memories were diluted and it was also a good thing for Chen An himself.


    And these memories were just diluted, not completely erased.


    In this world, these memories showed up and made Chen An adept at reading.


    Because in many simulations, he had experienced reading countless times, and had rich experience in reading classic texts, poetry, and articles.


    In a way, this was making up for his lack of ability with experience.


    The class quickly ended.


    Facing the gazes of the students around, Chen An quietly got up, picked up his books, and left.


    Along the way, he ran into many people, exchanging greetings with them.


    With a smile on his face, he greeted them as usual, making no difference.


    His years of studying made him disguise himself well.


    If he didn''t actively reveal his martial arts skills, he really looked no different from an ordinary student, basically indistinguishable.


    There was no way around it.


    Being in a weak position for many years, if he were to act arrogantly like others, his life might be in danger.


    Although Chen An wasn''t afraid of death, he still wanted to sell his life for a good price, right? s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Otherwise, wouldn''t it be a loss?


    Due to these considerations, in this world, Chen An had always been low-key and rarely made enemies.


    In the National Academy, anyone who had contact with Chen An thought of him as a gentleman, indifferent and focused on his ideals, as if he had no desires at all.


    Only those who truly knew him could understand his true situation.


    After leaving the National Academy, Chen An returned to his mansion.


    The mansion arranged for him by the Fourth Princess was very close to her residence.


    This was the treatment of being a guest official, allowing close contact with the Fourth Princess.


    Upon returning to his residence, Chen An found someone waiting for him.


    "The Fourth Princess invites me to a banquet?"


    Upon hearing the words from the servant, Chen An was somewhat surprised, but he still nodded, "I understand, I''ll go over later."


    He did not refuse.


    The person who could invite the Fourth Princess must have a noble status, that much was certain.


    Chen An attached himself to the Fourth Princess, becoming a guest official under her. Wasn''t it to make contact with these dignitaries?


    Now that the opportunity had come, there was no reason to push it away.


    After a moment of hesitation, he quickly straightened up, then left.


    In the princess''s mansion, the Fourth Princess''s eyes lit up as she saw Chen An approaching.


    Dressed in a green shirt, his whole person was clean and neat. With deep eyes, a delicate and handsome face, a tall and straight body, he had a heavenly appearance that was unforgettable at first sight.


    This seemingly simple outfit was actually deliberately prepared by Chen An.


    There was no way around it, even if he didn''t want to attract attention this way, the importance of appearance was self-evident.


    If he didn''t have a good appearance, would the Fourth Princess treat him so well?


    Chen An also understood this well.


    Since he had an advantage, he should make the most of it. Every little bit counted.


    From the looks of the Fourth Princess, this effect should be quite good, right?


    Steadily watching for a while, it wasn''t until the servant Liu Zhong coughed several times on the side that the Fourth Princess reacted, her face suddenly blushing.


    "You look very good in this outfit, you can try dressing like this more in the future."


    She casually spoke, then walked off as if she was in a hurry, heading towards the carriage ahead.


    She seemed a bit embarrassed as well.


    Chen An watched the Fourth Princess''s retreating figure, not particularly concerned, just quietly following behind.


    After a while, the procession advanced and after a long time, they arrived at another location.


    The place in front of them was also vast in size, not as grand as the Fourth Princess''s mansion, but equally imposing in other aspects, clearly a dignitary''s residence.


    "Duke Liu''s Mansion?"


    Chen An cast a glance around, his expression calm, with the thought in his mind.


    In the years he had been in Shengjing, he had also not been idle.


    He had basically memorized the basic information about the residences of various dignitaries.


    The owner of the mansion in front of him was Duke Liu.


    Regarding this Duke Liu, Chen An didn''t know much about him. He only knew that this Duke Liu had inherited his title as duke only a few years ago, making him relatively young among the dukes, seemingly in his twenties this year.


    Of course, his strength was relatively inferior, Chen An wasn''t sure of the specifics, but he definitely didn''t have the strength of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    After all, the Spirit Qi Realm was not something one could easily come across.


    Generally speaking, in the Great China Dynasty, most martial practitioners who were conferred the title of duke were basically at the Spirit Qi Realm.


    However, this was only for the first generation dukes.


    After the first generation dukes passed away, their descendants couldn''t all have the strength of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Take the current Chen Guo Gong, Chen Zu, for example, he was conferred the title of Chen Guo Gong because he had reached the Spirit Qi Realm. But some of his offspring hadn''t achieved much in their cultivation, with only a few who could practice martial arts, and the best among them had only reached the peak of the Internal Qi realm.


    The current Duke Liu was the same, simply inheriting the title of duke, with no notable strength of his own.


    Of course, with the noble title of a duke, even if his strength was lacking, who could provoke him?


    Chen An pondered silently, then followed the Fourth Princess, entering the premises.


    "Your Highness is here?"


    Entering the inner courtyard, a young man came out to greet them, smiling, "Aren''t you always the last one to arrive? Why did you come early today?"


    "What? Can''t I be late and not punctual?" The Fourth Princess seemed a bit angry, "Are you looking down on me?"


    The young man glanced at the Fourth Princess and chuckled, "It''s not that I''m looking down on you, but you usually only come if there''s something good to say."


    He seemed to have a very close relationship with the Fourth Princess, so he could joke around with her in this manner.


    If it were an ordinary person, even a duke might not dare to speak in such a joking manner.


    "Who is this?"


    He then raised his head, looking at Chen An behind the Fourth Princess, and couldn''t help but ask.


    The expression on the Fourth Princess''s face became proud, "This is my new guest official, a talented scholar from the National Academy."


    "Indeed."


    Liu Chu sighed, seeming to have expected this, "You came this time to show off your new guest official to me, right?"


    "I am Chen Changan, I have seen Duke Liu."


    Chen An took the initiative to step forward, bowing respectfully.


    "Chen Changan?"


    Liu Chu was stunned for a moment, then instinctively asked, "The son of Chen Guo Gong''s family?"


    "Duke Liu knows me?"


    This time, Chen An was a little surprised.


    He did have some reputation in Shengjing, but it hadn''t reached the level where even a duke like Liu Chu could mention him by name, right?


    "My mother has old ties with the Chen Guo Gong Mansion, so I know some information and also know that the Chen Guo Gong family has a talented son."


    Liu Chu said with a smile.


    Chen An suddenly realized.


    "Since you are the son of the Chen Guo Gong family, you must be properly entertained."


    Liu Chu bowed and said with a smile, "Please, son."


    Chen An smiled and returned the salute, but instead of immediately stepping forward, he looked at the Fourth Princess in front of him.


    Whatever the case, the Fourth Princess was his master at the moment, so it would be impolite to bypass her and go forward directly.


    After so many years of being cautious in this world, Chen An still wouldn''t make such a small mistake.


    Seeing Chen An''s actions, Liu Chu nodded silently.


    Indeed, he was a well-mannered good child.


    The Fourth Princess, however, didn''t notice anything amiss, simply proudly walked forward under Liu Chu''s guidance, then casually took a seat at a random spot.


    As for Chen An?


    Liu Chu had originally wanted to prepare a seat for Chen An separately, but he politely declined, just standing behind the Fourth Princess like a guard.


    This performance caused Liu Chu to have a higher opinion of him.


    After a moment, the guests at the banquet all approached and took their places.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 93: Challenge

    In the hall, all the guests were seated, with the sound of music and dance all around, it was quite pleasant to listen to.It could be seen that for this banquet, Liu Chu had put in a lot of effort. Not only did he invite many theatre troupes to perform, but he also specially invited some famous actors from out of town.


    For a moment, all the guests in the hall were joyful, and it looked like a prosperous scene.


    Of course, this was only on the surface.


    Chen An could see it very clearly.


    His observation skills were not bad, and at this moment, he carefully watched the people around and saw many things.


    While the banquet was taking place in the hall, there were many people whispering in the corners.


    Occasionally, some people stared at Liu Chu standing in front, their faces not looking good.


    It seemed like there was a story behind this.


    Chen An watched this scene with great interest, as he was quite interested in the stories behind it.


    For him, this was quite a rare joy.


    This trip was not in vain.


    Otherwise, wouldn''t he have missed out on such a lively scene?


    He thought to himself.


    Even with Chen An''s thoughts, he couldn''t have guessed that someone would cause trouble in this place.


    After all, Liu Chu was a respected Duke of Liu.


    Not to mention that the Fourth Princess was sitting beside him.


    Offending Duke Liu was one thing, after all, he was just an empty title Duke, nothing special.


    But if you offended the Fourth Princess, that would be disastrous.


    The Fourth Princess, who was most favored by the Emperor, would show you what arrogance and disrespect meant.


    And then, the unexpected happened.


    Below, halfway through the banquet, a young man walked out from among the guests.


    He looked a little drunk, with a flush on his face: "Thank you for the invitation today, Duke Liu, your hospitality is truly excellent."


    "But with wine and food, how can we not have a challenge?"


    "Duke Lu, you''re drunk."


    Someone frowned beside him and advised, but was quickly pulled back and whispered to carefully.


    So quickly, no one spoke here.


    It seemed that Duke Lu had some grudges with Liu Chu.


    "Duke Lu, what do you want?"


    Liu Chu frowned and asked.


    "It''s simple."


    Duke Lu smiled and said, "Today, I have a new guest, said to be a descendant of the Song family, but I happened to run into him at your banquet."


    "Since he has come to Duke Liu''s banquet, why not let Duke Liu teach him a lesson, so that I can verify the quality of this guest?"


    "I wonder how Duke Liu feels about this?"


    "Not well."


    Liu Chu''s smile gradually faded, and at this moment, he finally couldn''t be polite.


    Nonsense, how could anyone be polite to someone who obviously came to cause trouble?


    Chen An quietly stood aside, watching the scene in front of him with curiosity.


    So someone is causing trouble?


    This is getting interesting.


    With the idea of watching a show no matter the consequences, he looked eagerly ahead to see how Duke Liu, as Duke of Liu, would deal with it.


    However, what surprised him happened again.


    Perhaps because of his strong relationship with Liu Chu, before Liu Chu had a chance to say anything, the Fourth Princess jumped out first.


    "You, only bully Duke Brother because he can''t practice martial arts, what kind of hero are you to pick on someone who is defenseless?" She scolded loudly, displeased.


    "I have a guest who is well-known in the Imperial Academy, undefeated on the street, able to take down anyone in his path. If you''re capable, let your guest come forward and test their skills!"


    Liu Chu''s face darkened immediately.


    Honestly, he felt touched when he saw the Fourth Princess stand up for him.


    But can''t you keep your mouth shut?


    What do you mean, can''t practice martial arts and defenseless?


    That''s clearly an insult in this world!


    It''s almost like calling him useless.


    As for Duke Lu in front, he couldn''t help but laugh aloud.


    "What a defenseless one, the Fourth Princess really has a keen eye." s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He looked at Liu Chu with a mocking look in his eyes.


    However, he didn''t refuse the suggestion of the Fourth Princess.


    "Since the Fourth Princess is interested, let your guest come forward for a try."


    "But swords have no eyes. If anyone gets hurt, don''t blame me, Duke Lu, for offending."


    Clearly, he didn''t take the Fourth Princess''s guest seriously.


    Few people in the entire Great Huaxia Empire didn''t know the Fourth Princess''s background.


    She was favored by the Emperor, but her talent was mediocre and had been practicing martial arts for years without even reaching the Body Refinement Realm, destined to have limited prospects in the future.


    For such a princess with limited prospects, could there be any powerful people following her?


    Well, apparently there were.


    When the Fourth Princess spoke, Chen An could already guess what was going to happen next.


    He didn''t have much time to get to know her, but he already had a good understanding of the Fourth Princess''s character.


    When it came to causing trouble, she was definitely good at it. Not a few days went by without her causing some commotion, which always left people feeling surprised.


    With this character, it was fortunate that she was the Emperor''s daughter; otherwise, she would have suffered long ago.


    Chen An shook his head silently and walked over, under the surprised gazes of the onlookers.


    "I am Chen Changan, please teach me, Duke Lu."


    He bowed and spoke calmly.


    Liu Chu was surprised by Chen An''s appearance as well. Even the people around him, including himself, thought Chen An was a literary talent, as his reputation for poetry and writing preceded him, and he wouldn''t be associated with martial artists.


    It was all about preconceived ideas.


    But since Chen An had taken the initiative to come forward, Liu Chu was somewhat relieved.


    Although the Fourth Princess liked to make trouble, she wasn''t stupid.


    If she had her guest stand out, it should be because the guest was truly capable.


    But he wondered what exactly that capability was.


    He thought to himself.


    As Chen An walked out, Duke Lu didn''t pay much attention, but simply said, "General Song."


    With that, a sound came from the corner.


    A tall man walked out from the corner, taking steps slowly, and approached Duke Lu.


    This was a burly man, dressed in armor, with an ordinary appearance but with a sense of inexplicable coercion, an aura that made people feel intimidated.


    Although his physique was not as strong as the guy next to the Fourth Princess, he still had a powerful presence that made people frown.


    He walked up and slowly drew out his weapon, a pure black long knife.


    The knife emitted a dazzling light, with a radiant blade that made people''s faces change.


    Internal Qi Great Success!


    Liu Chu''s body suddenly straightened, and he took a breath.


    How is this possible?


    Internal Qi Great Success, what kind of cultivation was this?


    In the Great Huaxia Empire, the top experts were naturally the many courtiers in the palace and the founding Dukes with remarkable achievements.


    These people in the Internal Qi Realm were the backbone of the Great Huaxia Empire, the essence of the surrounding forces.


    And below the Internal Qi Realm, those who had achieved Internal Qi Great Success were equally respected. If they were to be sent to the military, they would at least be a leader of a thousand soldiers.


    How could such a character be recruited by Duke Lu like this and become his guest?


    He couldn''t imagine it at all.


    "You..."


    The Fourth Princess also changed her expression.


    She was a bit rude, but not stupid.


    The reason she dared to let Chen An come forward, instead of Liu Chu, was probably because she was certain that Duke Lu didn''t have any impressive talents by his side.


    Generally speaking, someone like Duke Lu would have followers with at most the cultivation level of the Body Refinement Realm.


    Even the most powerful followers among the Fourth Princess''s previous followers were only at the Body Refinement Great Success level.


    And that was given to her by the Emperor himself.


    Because she understood this, she dared to let Chen An step in and help Liu Chu out, while also showing off a bit.


    But who would have thought that instead of just watching, when he acted, it was a trump card.


    Internal Qi Great Success!


    Was the other side blind? How could they follow such a useless Duke?


    Wouldn''t it be better to follow her, the princess?


    "If the Fourth Princess regrets it, it''s not too late to stop now."


    Duke Lu looked at Chen An''s appearance and shook his head.


    Just by looking at him, he obviously couldn''t fight him. Even if he won, he wouldn''t be able to show his strength.


    So, it was better to be accommodating and let the Fourth Princess back down.


    After all, she was also a princess. If possible, he didn''t want to offend her.


    Listening to this, the Fourth Princess wanted to nod and agree subconsciously, but felt embarrassed.


    After all, she was the one who had to defend someone, and if she backed down now, wouldn''t that be embarrassing?


    In the midst of her dilemma, Chen An spoke up.


    "No need."


    Chen An smiled and looked at the man in front of him, speaking calmly, "Although I may not be very talented, I am willing to try the strength of this general."


    As he finished speaking, he also drew his weapon.


    The long knife appeared in his hand, emitting a glowing light of Internal Qi, capturing the attention of everyone present.


    Internal Qi Great Success!


    Everyone present was dumbfounded.


    This was extraordinary.


    It was rare to see such high-level Internal Qi Great Success on a regular basis, and now it seemed to be as common as cabbage, overflowing like it was free.


    It was unimaginable.


    Compared to the Song General beside Duke Lu, Chen An''s identity was even more astonishing.


    After all, he looked very young.


    To have such a level of cultivation at his age, he probably had a good chance of reaching the Internal Qi Realm in the future. He was definitely one of the top talents.


    Such a top talent should have already been famous everywhere, so why was he not known to the public and instead appeared by the Fourth Princess''s side?


    Perhaps he was a gift from the Emperor?


    Various thoughts flashed through everyone''s minds.


    But Chen An didn''t care about all that and just looked at the man in front of him, smiling, "Please."


    It was impossible to let it go.


    He chose to be by the Fourth Princess''s side just to find opportunities like this to elevate his reputation easily.


    Now that the opportunity had come, would he give it up?


    Impossible.


    He had decided on this battle!


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 94: Reward

    Song Li''s eyes began to sharpen.In his hands, the long knife kept vibrating, and the Internal Qi on it became more evident.


    He looked at Chen An in front of him, and the determination in his eyes was palpable.


    At this point, there were no more words to be said.


    The two warriors were clearly at odds, and even if the Fourth Princess and Duke Lu stepped forward at this point, they probably couldn''t separate them.


    A fight was unavoidable.


    The crisp sound of swords clashing echoed.


    A black long knife flew through the air, aiming straight for its target, but ultimately missed Chen An, leaving a deep mark on the ground.


    With Internal Qi enhancing the blade, the sword energy extended several meters.


    Obviously, the fight had gotten serious.


    Chen An moved forward slowly.


    His steps seemed leisurely, but his speed was unexpectedly swift. He swung his long knife, striking down.


    Bang!


    The long knives clashed with a loud sound.


    Chen An wasn''t surprised by this. He remained calm, and with a backhand swing, he struck again.


    In the spacious hall, the two engaged in a fierce battle.


    However, even in their battle, both of them showed restraint, not fully unleashing their potential. s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was inevitable.


    Although the hall was spacious, it was still slightly cramped for two Internal Qi Great Success warriors, especially with so many people inside.


    If they went all out, the result wouldn''t be pleasant, and many people would likely get hurt.


    At worst, they could end up destroying the entire room.


    As a result, they didn''t go all out, even holding back on their Internal Qi, only using it to enhance their weapons for this small-scale battle.


    People around watched the fight intently.


    The people in this world were well-versed in martial arts, and they could appreciate the skills being displayed by Chen An and Song Li.


    "What exquisite swordsmanship! What exquisite martial arts!"


    Someone marveled inwardly, speaking their thoughts out loud: "To have such cultivation and martial arts skills at a young age, what kind of genius is this?"


    "I heard he''s the son of Duke Chen."


    Someone who knew a bit about the situation spoke up, sharing what they knew with those around them.


    "Is it really? Why haven''t we heard of him before?"


    "So talented and from the Duke Chen family, he should have been famous all over the world by now."


    "You don''t know everything."


    Whispers continued in the corner without stopping.


    Gossip always spread the fastest, especially when it involved the grievances of noble families, carrying legendary stories, which sparked people''s curiosity.


    After this fight, Chen An''s reputation would definitely spread throughout the capital, known to many people.


    Of course, some people seemed to be thinking about something else.


    For example, Liu Chu was lost in thought and seemed to be considering something.


    "This talent is wasted by the Fourth Princess''s side. If only..."


    He looked at Chen An ahead, his mind filled with various thoughts.


    And he wasn''t the only one with the same idea.


    Many people watched Chen An, their eyes flickering with interest and intrigue.


    Unaware of this, the Fourth Princess cheered on Chen An, delighted to hear the praise from the onlookers.


    She had every reason to be happy as she was Chen An''s patron.


    Praising Chen An was like praising herself, so naturally she was pleased.


    Although she was pleased, she soon sensed that something was amiss.


    Why did everyone keep looking at her guest?


    A sense of unease crept into her mind.


    Liu Chu''s gaze remained on Chen An, seemingly contemplating how to win him over.


    Only when the Fourth Princess''s expression turned cold did he stop his thoughts and continue entertaining the guests.


    Chen An quietly returned to the Fourth Princess''s side, standing behind her.


    Although some people invited him to sit down, he politely declined with a smile.


    A guest should have a sense of propriety, and no matter what, the gifts should always be in place.


    Regardless of what others thought, the Fourth Princess was quite satisfied with Chen An''s actions.


    After half an hour, the guests gradually dispersed from the banquet.


    The Fourth Princess and Chen An also left together.


    Liu Chu stood at the head of the table, watching as Chen An walked away, his eyes flashing with contemplation.


    "Somebody."


    A moment later, he instructed a servant and then got up to leave, looking like he was going to find someone.


    On the other hand, back at the Princess''s residence, Chen An received even more lavish treatment.


    Realizing Chen An''s "true" strength, the Fourth Princess felt that her previous treatment of him was insufficient.


    To be honest, her previous treatment of Chen An was already quite generous; she had given him many gifts at once and even granted him a courtyard.


    In the valuable and limited space of the capital, having such a courtyard was a significant honor, and obtaining one was a considerable expense.


    But even with such generous treatment, it now seemed inadequate.


    After all, Chen An was at the Internal Qi Great Success level, making him equivalent to a general outside.


    The gifts she had given him earlier seemed like gestures of goodwill, but to such a talented individual, they might have seemed insulting.


    So, when he returned this time, she upgraded the treatment he received, showering him with even more gifts.


    "You did well this time. Is there anything you want?"


    Feeling that she hadn''t been generous enough before, the Fourth Princess felt a bit awkward as she asked Chen An.


    "Thank you for your care, Your Highness."


    Chen An smiled, "Actually, the gifts you gave me before were already plenty, and I haven''t been able to use them all."


    "The only thing I lack is perhaps a suitable Internal Cultivation Method."


    "Internal Cultivation Method?"


    The Fourth Princess was surprised, "Don''t you have a master?"


    "I''ve cultivated my skills on my own, without a master to guide me."


    Chen An shook his head.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 95: The Third Prince

    According to common sense, a martial artist who can cultivate to the level of Internal Energy Grand Mastery cannot possibly have no mentor.Because anyone who knows about martial arts knows how difficult it is to achieve success through self-study.


    Let''s not talk about the difficulty of learning martial arts, even the guidance of martial arts, medicine, and weapons is not easy.


    If you really want to learn on your own, without the guidance of senior teachers, even if you are given a secret manual of martial arts, you may end up wasting your efforts.


    It''s not uncommon for someone who practices martial arts independently to end up becoming a wasted person.


    So this is why the Fourth Princess had such a big reaction.


    But Chen An did indeed study on his own.


    His martial arts skills were innate, awakened by his memories, and he learned them on his own, not taught by others.


    If this doesn''t count as self-study, then what does?


    Of course, in the face of ordinary people, Chen An would not say this.


    It''s too showy.


    But his character this time is a super genius, so self-study is not necessarily impossible.


    As long as it works.


    At this moment, the Fourth Princess was stunned by Chen An.


    She looked him up and down, scrutinizing his whole body, not as if she was looking at a person, but more like she was looking at a monster.


    However, she was also thinking about how to resolve Chen An''s request.


    Honestly, Chen An''s request really stumped the Fourth Princess.


    If it was about treasures, medicines and the like, she could provide as much as needed, and if it wasn''t enough, she could just ask her parents.


    Others may be criticized for relying on their parents, but her parents are the current emperor, and their wealth is abundant, so it doesn''t matter how much is needed.


    But when it comes to martial arts manuals, the Fourth Princess truly didn''t have any.


    Not that she didn''t have any at all, but there were very few that met the criteria.


    After all, Chen An had already demonstrated his strength at the level of Internal Energy Grand Mastery, so using ordinary martial arts as rewards would not be rewarding others, but insulting them.


    For a genius like Chen An, if he wanted advanced techniques, at least it should be at the level of Aura Qi techniques, right?


    And the Fourth Princess didn''t have those either.


    This is actually quite normal.


    The techniques that can be cultivated to the level of Aura Qi are basically kept secret and can be used as ancestral treasures for the noble families, being passed down through generations.


    Although the Fourth Princess is from the royal family and is the most favored princess by the emperor, she doesn''t practice martial arts herself, so how could she have such techniques?


    But even though she didn''t have them herself, she could still ask for them.


    The Fourth Princess thought for a moment and felt that if she asked her father, she could probably get them.


    After all, it''s only an Aura Qi technique, although precious, it''s not a big deal for the royal family.


    "Wait for me for a while, I''ll think of a solution."


    She pondered for a while and gave Chen An this reply.


    Chen An respectfully withdrew.


    Soon, he returned to his residence, sat down in his room, and began to ponder.


    "If it''s just an Aura Qi technique, there should be no problem with the Fourth Princess, I just don''t know what level I can get."


    Chen An pondered.


    Given the Fourth Princess''s status, it shouldn''t be difficult for her to get him a good Aura Qi technique.


    This is actually one of the reasons why Chen An chose to seek refuge with the Fourth Princess.


    Because of her noble status and seemingly capricious and generous nature, as long as he could make her happy, it would be relatively easy to gain some benefits.


    If it were under someone else''s command, it wouldn''t be so easy to achieve goals.


    Of course, Aura Qi techniques might be relatively easy to obtain, but inherited techniques are a different matter.


    The former can be obtained with the Fourth Princess''s status, but the latter is basically impossible.


    This is also why Chen An actively sought to make connections with other powerful figures.


    For the sake of future preparations.


    Although inherited techniques are important, the choice of Aura Qi techniques is also crucial.


    To advance to the level of Aura Qi, one must first condense the seed of Aura Qi in the body.


    The level of the Aura Qi seed is extremely important for the impact on the Aura Qi realm.


    For example, the Bai Family''s Yin Body Technique.


    If the seed of Aura Qi is condensed using the Yin Body Technique, the transformation of internal energy into Aura Qi will lead to a qualitative change, and the true power of the Yin Body Technique will be fully revealed.


    Similarly, other types of Aura Qi seeds also have their unique characteristics.


    Of course, although there are differences in Aura Qi seeds, Chen An is not picky at the moment.


    As long as it works, that''s good enough.


    Now it depends on what the Fourth Princess can obtain.


    Time passed slowly.


    Soon, half a month had passed.


    To Chen An''s surprise, there was still no news from the Fourth Princess, but an invitation came from another party.


    "The Third Prince''s invitation?"


    In the courtyard, Chen An looked at the person in front of him with some surprise. S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The person standing in front of him at the moment was someone he knew.


    It was none other than Liu Chu who had invited the Fourth Princess to a banquet before.


    "Is Mr. Chen''s residence easy to find?"


    Facing Chen An''s gaze, Liu An smiled, "I''ve come here once, Mr. Chen shouldn''t disappoint me, right?"


    "Mr. Liu''s words are right."


    Chen An smiled, "Even if it''s an invitation from the Third Prince, I am just a humble commoner, how can I dare to disobey?"


    "Please wait a moment, I will go with you after changing."


    Liu Chu nodded with a smile.


    A moment later, Chen An followed Liu Chu out, and soon arrived at another mansion.


    This was the residence of the Third Prince of Dahua, Cheng Zheng.


    On the surface, this mansion was not very prominent, and it seemed less impressive than the Fourth Princess''s mansion in many ways.


    However, the mansion was very clean and well-maintained in every detail.


    The owner of this mansion seemed meticulous and did things seriously.


    Following Liu Chu towards the mansion, there were already people waiting in front of the main gate.


    "Your Highness."


    Liu Chu looked surprised at the figure standing in front, with a look of surprise on his face.


    Your Highness?


    Chen An raised his head and looked ahead.


    In front of the main gate, a young man was standing there.


    The man looked to be in his thirties, with a rather ordinary appearance, a somewhat serious expression, and wearing a long robe.


    At first glance, this person seemed quite ordinary, with nothing particularly noteworthy about him.


    However, in reality, he was the majestic Third Prince of Dahua, one of the most respected individuals in the entire Dahua.


    "Minister sees Your Highness."


    Chen An stepped forward and respectfully spoke to the man in front of him.


    "Mm, please rise."


    Looking at Chen An who was bowing respectfully, Cheng Zheng nodded slightly, then said calmly, "It''s rare to have a guest at my mansion, please come in quickly."


    After speaking, he led Chen An into the courtyard.


    As they walked, he chatted with Chen An.


    "I heard that you are the grandson of the Chen Duke, why did you not go to work with my elder brother, and instead went to the Fourth Princess''s mansion?"


    Cheng Zheng looked at Chen An and asked.


    This question was quite interesting.


    The Second Prince, Cheng Ming, was the elder brother of the Third Prince, Cheng Zheng. He was also a strong contender for the throne and had a large group of supporters who held real power.


    Of course, the most important thing was that Chen An''s grandfather, the current Chen Duke Chen Hua, was one of the supporters of the Second Prince.


    Not only Chen Hua, but also Chen An''s father and several uncles were working under the Second Prince.


    So Cheng Zheng''s question had deep meaning.


    Chen An''s response was simple.


    "My mother passed away early, and I had a strained relationship with my family since I was young, so naturally I couldn''t fit in."


    Chen An bowed and calmly said, "Besides, the Second Prince has many supporters, where would I, a junior, fit in to join the fun?"


    "I''m used to being free and quiet, I prefer to find a quiet place."


    These words were not long, but they expressed his thoughts.


    Cheng Zheng listened thoughtfully.


    With a mother who passed away early and a strained relationship with his family, there must be a story behind it, probably some family grievances or something.


    Before inviting Chen An as a guest, he had also inquired about him, and the result was that this person did not like martial arts from a young age and loved to read, so he left home early to study.


    But now, a genius like Chen An who had reached the level of Internal Energy Grand Mastery saying he didn''t like martial arts, who would believe that!


    Trying to fool people.


    With Cheng Zheng''s keen sense, he could naturally sense that there was more to it.


    One could imagine a story of a hundred thousand words.


    Clearly, there was a bad relationship with the family, and there might even be resentment.


    As for the statement about not liking noise and preferring a quiet place, it was interesting.


    He probably felt that there were too many followers around the Second Prince, and even if he went there, he wouldn''t be valued, so he wanted to find a quiet place to seek refuge, right?


    And where was this quiet place?


    Need I say more?


    Cheng Zheng thought for a moment and politely invited Chen An into the house.


    During this process, they chatted all the way, and the more they talked, the more they hit it off.


    Unexpectedly, Chen An found that the Third Prince of Dahua was actually a hands-on person, with a lot of experience in handling many things despite not being very talented in cultivation.


    Although he was not very talented in martial arts, he had rich insights in other aspects.


    Such people exist in this world, but in most cases, they will definitely not stand out.


    Because this is a world where might makes right.


    No matter how capable you are, if someone else doesn''t like you, they will just kill you.


    Because most likely, if you do real work, you will offend people.


    In this situation, the prerequisite for doing real work is being able to beat others down.


    Obviously, most people don''t have that capability.


    Although Cheng Zheng was a prince, his position was still precarious.


    Because although his identity as a prince was noble, so what?


    Could he dare to challenge any Aura Qi Duke?


    A martial artist at the level of Aura Qi is enough to take on an army single-handedly, and, to put it bluntly, even with Cheng Zheng''s status as a prince, a single Aura Qi practitioner could easily defeat him.


    In this case, what''s the use of being capable?


    (completion of this chapter)

 Chapter 96: Fate

    The advantages of the Third Prince were quite obvious, but at the same time, the flaws were also quite fatal.Having the ability but no real power, this was his biggest flaw.


    Compared to his two older brothers, on the surface, Cheng Zheng did not have any Aura Qi martial artists following him, and even if he did, their strength was probably quite ordinary. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, advantages can turn into disadvantages at different times, and flaws can also be transformed into advantages.


    This was another matter altogether.


    In their conversation, Chen An and Cheng Zheng hit it off very well.


    The Third Prince Cheng Zheng was undoubtedly a capable individual, having done many things, and thus had his own unique insights and perspectives in many areas.


    He was quite knowledgeable, surpassing many others.


    Coincidentally, Chen An was also such a person.


    While he hadn''t done much himself, he had simulated enough times that those memories hadn''t disappeared, and when pieced together, they had accumulated quite a bit.


    Combined with his experience as a transmigrator, Chen An had his own views and insights that often impressed people.


    In this regard, Chen An was quite experienced.


    There was no choice.


    One also had to learn how to deal with people online; otherwise, how could you outplay the others?


    By constantly interacting and arguing with others, many things would naturally be learned.


    However, obviously, Chen An did not expect that the information he had desperately searched for in the past would one day come to use in such a context.


    As they chatted, their engagement became more harmonious.


    "Please, have a seat."


    Cheng Zheng welcomed Chen An into his residence, and by now his attitude had clearly changed.


    At least on the surface, their relationship had become much closer, giving a sense of having missed a great opportunity to meet sooner.


    The whole process left Liu Chu, who was standing by, dumbfounded.


    For some reason, he had a strange feeling, as if he was redundant standing there.


    Watching the discussion between Chen An and Cheng Zheng, he tried to speak several times but couldn''t find an opening.


    He couldn''t join the conversation.


    Unable to fully blend into the topic, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of bitterness.


    Silent and speechless, Liu Chu followed behind the two of them.


    Based on how others viewed him, they probably saw him as a noble, but without knowledge, they might have mistaken him for a servant.


    "I thought the Imperial College was full of bookworms, but I never expected to find a talent like you, Chen Gongzi."


    As they sat in the main hall, Cheng Zheng sighed deeply and sincerely spoke, "If I had known earlier, I should have visited you personally and not waited until today to meet you."


    He spoke sincerely, full of respect.


    "Your Highness is too kind."


    Chen An smiled and replied politely, "The Imperial College is full of talented individuals, with countless virtues. My talent is just average among them."


    "If that''s the case, I should go visit the Imperial College later."


    Cheng Zheng smiled, "If I can find talents as outstanding as Mr. Chen, it will be a great gain."


    But you may be disappointed.


    As Chen An remembered the scholars at the Imperial College, this thought crossed his mind.


    Having spent over half a year at the Imperial College, he had a good understanding of the people there.


    While they were not all bookworms, their talent was probably not as impressive as one would hope.


    Haven''t you noticed Chen An only dared to say there were countless virtues?


    Because besides invisible and intangible virtues, things that can be pretended, these people probably had nothing left.


    But obviously, Cheng Zheng was unaware of these criticisms.


    He was actually thinking about when to visit the Imperial College.


    If he could find talents like Chen An, it would be a huge gain.


    If Chen An knew what he was thinking, he could probably only smile.


    In the hall, the two sat facing each other, discussing various matters.


    Their conversation was broad, ranging from martial arts matters to various natural disasters, and they covered a wide range of topics.


    "To be honest, I have been inspecting various counties in recent years, and disasters have been severe, causing much discontent among the people, with refugees everywhere."


    Cheng Zheng said somewhat helplessly, "However, the authorities in various counties are turning a blind eye, only focusing on suppression."


    "If this continues, there may be serious problems in the near future."


    Chen An nodded at first, then shook his head, "There will be problems, but the impact won''t be too great."


    "In various counties, there are military garrisons."


    "No matter how miserable the refugees are, they can''t resist."


    He sighed.


    In many respects, the Dahua court did not handle things well, leading to discontent in many areas.


    If this were a normal world, there would have been heroes rising up against injustice.


    But in this world.


    Heroes may rise up, but it''s uncertain.


    Want to be a hero in this world? You must be able to fight first.


    Throughout Dahua, there are many Aura Qi Dukes suppressing the people.


    If the rebels don''t have the strength to resist Aura Qi martial artists, they can''t cause any trouble.


    In this situation, hoping for a few heroes to rise up from the common people is useless; there must be cultivation involved.


    But if someone has the strength to resist Aura Qi, then why rebel?


    Joining the Dahua court directly and becoming part of oppressing the common people might be a better choice.


    Moreover, in this world, those capable of practicing martial arts are mostly from noble backgrounds.


    Common people are not qualified to cultivate.


    For example.


    Isn''t Chen An''s background prestigious enough?


    The grandson of the Chen Duke, even though he is not the legitimate heir, he is still much stronger than the average person.


    But even so, he cannot cultivate.


    His family is not willing to provide him with the necessary resources.


    Of course, his situation is relatively extreme.


    But in this world, it''s difficult for people to practice martial arts.


    "The officials in the court have problems too."


    Cheng Zheng sighed, "The place where talents were once recruited for the court, such as the Imperial College, has deteriorated. The so-called talented scholars recommended from various places are mostly not talented but simply have illustrious backgrounds."


    "In some places, the officials haven''t been doing their job for years, extorting the people once they appear. How can this be allowed to continue?"


    It was clear that the Third Prince was particularly upset about the chaos within Dahua.


    He had also tried to do many things.


    However, the results were yet to be seen, and in the process, he had offended many people.


    "I have an immature idea regarding this issue."


    Chen An smiled and said, "Why not promote the examination system of the Imperial College, hold regular examinations, and grant official positions to those who perform well in the exams. Similarly, have regular assessments and demote those who are not qualified. How about that?"


    In fact, he was suggesting the civil service examination system.


    In the Dahua Dynasty, there were exams, and Chen An had entered the Imperial College through these exams.


    This was originally a selection method of the Dahua court, where talents were recommended by local officials and then underwent unified assessment. Those who passed the assessment could enter the Imperial College to study.


    After three years of study at the Imperial College, they would be sent out as officials.


    It sounded good, right?


    But in reality, there were many problems.


    When Dahua was first founded, this system might have worked, with no major issues.


    But now, there were significant problems at each stage.


    Those recommended by local officials were no longer based on talent but connections and backgrounds.


    If you didn''t have a strong background, could you be recommended?


    Don''t even think about it.


    Chen An was only recommended thanks to the appreciation of his teacher Dong Heng.


    Otherwise, even if he had talent, it wouldn''t have been enough without a ticket to enter.


    As for the so-called assessments, it had become a joke.


    The so-called talented individuals recommended from various places were mostly the incompetent children of the nobility.


    Because those who could become capable had all gone to practice martial arts, leaving behind those who could only play around and barely enter the Imperial College to become idle officials.


    What could these people be expected to do? It was not worth thinking about.


    From Chen An''s understanding, very few of these people could accomplish anything, but they were definitely skilled at indulging in eating, drinking, and pleasure.


    Expecting them to manage the lives of the people in a region?


    That outcome was too beautiful, and Chen An didn''t dare to think too much about it.


    "Cancel the Imperial College and hold direct assessments?"


    The Fourth Prince unconsciously spoke, "Wouldn''t that result in too many selections?"


    Originally, the Imperial College''s examination had very few people; there were less than a hundred people every three years.


    But now, if the thresholds were lifted, and everyone regardless of status could participate in the assessment, how many people will be recruited in the end?


    Would there be enough positions for them all?


    "We can lower the standards."


    Chen An suggested softly, "In the past, the scholars from the Imperial College were sent out as county magistrates, and the noble ones were unimaginable."


    "That''s actually too high."


    "If we go by those standards, there would not be enough positions for everyone."


    "In practice, all that''s really needed are positions as minor officials in a county."


    "After serving in a place for a period of time, they can be assessed and promoted. How about that?"


    Cheng Zheng nodded slowly, "It''s just that if we do it this way, the Imperial College might become obsolete."


    With his perspective, he naturally could see the benefits of this.


    But by broadening the scope of the assessment to include everyone, it seemed that there was no longer a need for the Imperial College.


    "No, it is still necessary."


    Chen An smiled, "We can have a dual system. After the major assessment, the Imperial College can still exist. And as long as the students from the Imperial College, when sent out as officials, have a higher rank than those who pass the major assessment."


    "And the students of the Imperial College don''t need to be recommended from various places anymore; they can be directly selected from the aristocratic families."


    "With this, the major aristocrats should also be satisfied, and they should not oppose the major assessment, right?"


    The Third Prince''s eyes lit up, and for the first time he smiled.


    "You have given it a lot of thought."


    He nodded approvingly, showing more appreciation for Chen An.


    (completion of this chapter)

 Chapter 97: Mysterious Ice Power

    In the hall, Cheng Zheng chatted with Chen An for a long time.Until the servants outside came to remind him, he was somewhat surprised to find that the weather outside had changed.


    When he arrived, it was still morning, but now it was already noon.


    They had been chatting for more than two hours?


    "It''s rare to meet a kindred spirit, so we chatted for quite a long time."


    Cheng Zheng smiled and then said, "If Master Chen has nothing else to do, why not stay here and have a meal together?"


    "Sure."


    On the side, Liu Chu found an opportunity and quickly said, "The roast goose here at Third Prince''s place is the best nearby."


    "In that case, I won''t be polite."


    Chen An hesitated for a moment, then smiled and nodded.


    He stayed and had lunch here.


    After finishing the meal, he took the opportunity to say goodbye and prepare to leave.


    Although they had a good conversation, he had stayed here for too long.


    It was time to go.


    "You rarely come here. I don''t have anything good to give you."


    Cheng Zheng smiled and said, "But there is something that I think you will like, so I had it prepared for you. I hope you''re satisfied."


    As he spoke, the servant nearby respectfully handed him something.


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    Chen An thanked him, a little curious.


    It seemed that Cheng Zheng had prepared the gift before he arrived. Could it be that he had already learned about his preferences in such a short time?


    He was curious, but he didn''t open the gift in front of the host. He just nodded at Cheng Zheng and then left.


    Cheng Zheng stood there, watching Chen An leave. His face returned to its previous calm and serious expression.


    "What do you think of this Lord Chen, cousin?"


    Approaching the mansion, Cheng Zheng looked at Liu Chu and asked.


    "He is very talented."


    Liu Chu smiled, "At least more talented than I am."


    "The conversation between you and Lord Chen just now, I couldn''t even get a word in."


    "Is that so?"


    Cheng Zheng glanced at Liu Chu, "I think you just didn''t want to talk."


    "But speaking of Lord Chen, he is indeed a rare person."


    Liu Chu smiled and continued, "Most people who are successful in martial arts tend to disregard etiquette and do not observe it too much, but he is quite the opposite. He has extraordinary skills of the younger generation yet still holds onto manners, truly rare."


    "His talent is also outstanding."


    Cheng Zheng added, "He is not lacking in talent, and what''s rare is his profound insights at such a young age, showing that he is extraordinary."


    This was Cheng Zheng''s high evaluation of Chen An.


    "Even more rare is that he can get along with you as if you''ve known each other for years."


    Liu Chu smiled and said, "I have met many people before, but he is the first one who gets along with you so well."


    "This person does fit my taste."


    Cheng Zheng nodded, "I hope he is willing to join us."


    "If we have such a talent to assist us, no matter what we do in the future, it will be much smoother."


    "I''m not sure if he''s willing to join."


    Liu Chu smiled, "But with the gift you prepared for him, I''m sure he will be very satisfied."


    "Let''s hope so."


    Cheng Zheng forced a smile on his serious face and said.


    On the other side, Chen An returned to his mansion.


    Back at his residence, he locked the door and went back to his room alone. He then opened the gift box given by Cheng Zheng.


    The box felt light, and the contents inside didn''t seem heavy either.


    Upon opening it, Chen An was stunned.


    Because inside, there was a scripture.


    The scripture was made of a unique metal, and each page was made of thin layers of metal.


    And on the surface of the scripture, a few large words appeared.


    Mysterious Ice Power!


    "Could it be..."


    Chen An''s heart tightened, and he quickly flipped through the scripture.


    Sure enough. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The scripture contained an advanced internal refining method.


    And it was a method that could reach the Gang Qi directly!


    Mysterious Ice Power, this practice could cultivate extreme cold internal energy, even condensing true ice Gang Qi, turning the ground into ice with a simple movement at the completion stage.


    Realizing what was in front of him, Chen An''s breathing unconsciously began to quicken.


    It wasn''t that he had no integrity, but he just really wanted it.


    Having awakened his memories in this world for ten years, he had been thinking about how to obtain a superior method to cultivate Gang Qi for the last decade, but he couldn''t do it at all. It was only when he finally chose to take the route of Fourth Princess that he had a glimmer of hope.


    And now, his dream thing appeared so easily in front of him?


    It was a kind of surreal feeling.


    Like winning a big prize.


    After a while, Chen An recovered and remembered Cheng Zheng''s smile from before, shaking his head with a bitter smile.


    "This is truly a generous gift."


    He muttered to himself.


    Cheng Zheng was indeed very thoughtful.


    The gift he gave, Chen An was extremely satisfied with.


    It was clear that Cheng Zheng had done his research.


    The Gang Qi cultivated by Mysterious Ice Power belongs to the Yin cold attribute, which was very suitable for him and his Yin body technique.


    For Chen An himself, this was also a very suitable martial art for him to advance Gang Qi.


    And the meaning behind this gift was also very important.


    Giving gifts to others must have a purpose.


    As the Third Prince, Cheng Zheng gave such a generous gift without reason. What did he want to achieve?


    Standing still, Chen An hesitated for a moment, then carefully opened the scripture to confirm.


    The confirmation result was satisfactory.


    With his extensive martial arts knowledge, Chen An could see that there were no issues with this internal refining method.


    It made sense.


    Since the Third Prince sent such a generous gift to pull him over, it was unlikely to be fake.


    Otherwise, wouldn''t it be a waste to offend someone for no reason?


    Confirming the authenticity of the internal refining method, Chen An calmed down slightly and immediately began to practice, trying to refine it.


    Not long after, the template of the Mysterious Ice Power appeared in front of him.


    Yes, even after being projected into this world, Chen An''s upgrade template was still there, and all functions were working properly, except for projection, all other functions could be used.


    In other words, if Chen An wanted, he could completely raise his martial arts level by consuming source energy, just like at the White Family.


    He just chose not to do it.


    He didn''t because there was no need.


    After all, his body''s aptitude was good, and he was rebuilt. If he wasted source energy to improve, it wouldn''t be reasonable.


    More importantly, there was no concept of replenishing source energy in this projected world.


    Without replenishing source energy, it meant that Chen An couldn''t supplement it, he would only lose it every time he used it, so he had to use it sparingly.


    After all, saving was a virtue!


    In the end, it was just that he was poor.


    If Chen An had hundreds or thousands of source energy points on him, he wouldn''t care about saving or not.


    How much he could use would depend on how much was available.


    But now wasn''t that the case?


    So Chen An could only rely on his hard work.


    Fortunately, his body''s aptitude was quite good. Even if he practiced normally, it wouldn''t take much time to refine Mysterious Ice Power to the level where he could produce Gang Qi.


    This was what he thought and what he did.


    At this point, the importance of the Fourth Princess was starting to show.


    It was well known that practicing martial arts was very costly.


    In the past, Chen An was penniless, and it took him a full ten years to restore his Yin body technique to the fifth level.


    But now, he didn''t need to do that.


    He had gone through the most difficult time.


    This is where the generous leadership of the Fourth Princess comes in.


    Despite her willful and spoiled nature, and somewhat lack of ambition, in certain aspects, she was quite similar to Princess Bai Qing.


    She was generous and extravagant.


    With the Fourth Princess, Chen An didn''t have to worry about simple things like herbs and medicines.


    This provided him with good conditions for cultivation.


    And so, the days passed peacefully, one day at a time.


    Soon, it was half a month later.


    After half a month, Chen An received another invitation.


    This time, the person who invited him was even more surprising.


    Because this person had the same surname as him, was from the Dahua royal family, and had a more prestigious status than Fourth Princess and Third Prince Cheng Zheng.


    This person was named Cheng Ming, the Second Prince of Dahua.


    "Please tell His Highness that I will definitely come at that time."


    Chen An looked at the messenger who had come to invite him, and seriously replied before preparing to leave.


    Being invited by two princes consecutively in a short period of time was something Chen An had not expected.


    It seemed that his previous performances had caught the attention of these people and made them see him in a different light.


    Regardless, for Chen An, these invitations were another good opportunity.


    He naturally had no reason to refuse.


    The next day, in the early morning, he left home and quickly arrived at the Second Prince''s mansion.


    Compared to the Third Prince Cheng Zheng''s residence, the Second Prince''s mansion was more magnificent.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 98: Choice

    The Second Prince''s mansion was clearly much better than the Third Prince''s, even surpassing the Fourth Princess''s in some aspects. Although the difference in size may be negligible, the gap in other aspects was significant.


    Chen An looked around and could clearly feel several gazes directed towards him, focused on him.


    Undoubtedly, they were the guards of the Second Prince''s mansion.


    From their hidden demeanor, they were undoubtedly skilled experts.


    Such skilled experts were not present in the Fourth Princess''s mansion.


    Entering the mansion, led by a servant, Chen An walked in.


    In a unique courtyard, Chen An saw the Second Prince.


    The Second Prince Cheng Hua had a handsome face and a poised demeanor. At this moment, he was wearing a robe, looking elegant and gentlemanly.


    He seemed to be in his early thirties, not too old, and carried himself with an air of nobility that marked him as extraordinary.


    "The Second Prince is currently having tea with the Duke of Wu, please wait a moment." S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The servant on the side said calmly, asking him to wait.


    Chen An smiled and just stood outside, not saying much.


    And this waiting lasted for almost half an hour.


    The sun was high in the sky, shining brightly, making it very hot.


    Chen An''s expression remained unchanged, standing quietly, maintaining composure.


    As the chess inside finally concluded, the Second Prince looked out and invited Chen An in.


    Chen An calmly walked into the hall and bowed, "Greetings, Your Highness, greetings, Duke of Wu."


    He remained calm and spoke.


    The Duke of Wu was a rough-faced middle-aged man, appearing to be in his forties, representing the prime of his life.


    According to information Chen An knew, the Duke of Wu had strong cultivation, seemingly just a step away from Gang Qi, making him quite famous.


    Seeing Chen An respectfully bow, the Second Prince smiled, "You''re too kind."


    "Due to this game of chess, you were kept waiting outside for half an hour, for which I apologize."


    What more could Chen An say?


    "It is an honor for me to wait outside at Your Highness''s request, how could I blame you for that?"


    Chen An spoke sincerely with a serious expression.


    His words were beautiful on the surface.


    However, in reality, that was a different story.


    Chen An had no special favor to be kept waiting for so long without reason, how could he be happy about it?


    But the Second Prince didn''t suspect anything. He just smiled, "Please have a seat."


    A chair was quickly placed in front of Chen An, and he sat down directly.


    The Duke of Wu frowned immediately.


    "Rumors say that Lord Chen is a talented scholar in the literary world. A strategy you wrote a while ago caused a sensation far and wide, truly a famous figure."


    The Second Prince smiled, "I assume your knowledge of poetry, calligraphy, and painting must be quite extensive."


    "It''s just some research."


    Chen An nodded.


    When he first awakened his memories and had to hide his immense power from his family, he pretended to be engrossed in calligraphy and painting, so he had done some research on these things.


    But it was just some superficial knowledge. If it was considered exceptional, it was not.


    And in this regard, the Second Prince was clearly well-versed.


    He enthusiastically discussed with Chen An, expressing his opinions on many things, appearing quite insightful.


    However, as Chen An''s standards were limited in this matter, he quickly fell behind and stopped talking.


    "The poetry and prose written by Your Highness are exceptional, a masterpiece that I could only admire. I feel inferior looking at them."


    "Haha, Chen An, you''re too kind."


    The scene before them was quite harmonious.


    Except for initially being a little unsure of the situation, Chen An had managed to flatter the Second Prince quite well.


    But the Duke of Wu sat on the side, frowning in secret.


    "It''s getting late, and there are still some matters I need to attend to at home. I should take my leave."


    After sitting for a while, Chen An looked at the sky and then took the initiative to excuse himself.


    "Very well, you may go."


    The Second Prince also generously agreed to Chen An''s request, "If you have time after returning, feel free to come and find me at any time."


    This was just a formality, as the Second Prince was quite busy and didn''t have time to engage in such conversations every day.


    Chen An just smiled and didn''t take the invitation seriously, then left directly.


    After Chen An left, the Second Prince turned to the Duke of Wu and asked, "What do you think of this young man?"


    "Flattering and deceitful, just a petty person."


    The Duke of Wu raised his tea cup and calmly stated.


    But it seemed that the Duke of Wu had a favorable impression of Chen An.


    He directly labeled him as a petty person.


    "He''s not just a petty person, but indeed different from what I imagined."


    The Second Prince sighed, "I thought such a person would be noble in character and extraordinary in talent, but it turns out he''s just a flatterer."


    "However, he does have good cultivation."


    "While martial skill is important, if character is lacking, how can one be trusted?"


    The Duke of Wu shook his head and sneered, "Besides, a flatterer with weak determination won''t go far in the world of martial arts."


    "He''s just relying on his current talent, able to be so remarkable at a young age, but how many of these people can reach the peak of Gang Qi?"


    To this, the Second Prince just smiled.


    He knew the Duke of Wu''s experience, so he didn''t think it was strange.


    While the Duke of Wu came from a noble background, it was said that his initial talent in cultivation was not very good, and he was far behind his several siblings.


    But with exceptional perseverance, he had managed to surpass them and achieved a complete internal energy cultivation, eventually inheriting the title of Duke of Wu.


    With such an experience in the past, perhaps that was the main reason the Duke of Wu scorned those talented individuals.


    Especially with Chen An''s previous actions, he looked down on him even more, thinking that the man was not pure at heart.


    "Despite that, this person is truly talented, and he has some skills. It''s a pity to let him go like this."


    He smiled and then asked the Duke of Wu, "What do you think, Duke of Wu?"


    "Isn''t he the grandson of Lord Chen?"


    The Duke of Wu spoke calmly, "If I remember correctly, Lord Chen''s eldest son is in your mansion. Just send him a letter and invite him over."


    "I think this person is willing to come upon receiving your invitation."


    After a moment of consideration, the Second Prince nodded slowly and said with a smile, "That makes sense."


    Both the Second Prince and the Duke of Wu did not seem to care much about Chen An.


    Because if they did care, they would have investigated and found out the true relationship between Chen An and his family.


    Sending someone from Chen An''s family to invite him would not be a recruitment, but more like driving him away.


    But obviously, they both didn''t take Chen An seriously.


    Perhaps in their eyes, for someone of Chen An''s status, being actively recruited by the Second Prince was already a stroke of great luck.


    After all, he was just an ordinary person without a title, without any strong background. Even though he had some cultivation, he was only at the complete internal energy level, far from reaching Gang Qi.


    Such people were rare but not necessarily valued by the dignified Second Prince.


    But they clearly didn''t understand Chen An''s thoughts.


    The moment Chen An walked out of the Second Prince''s mansion, he had already ruled out the Second Prince in his mind.


    "He''s quite arrogant."


    He looked back at the Second Prince''s mansion and thought to himself.


    Compared to the seemingly low-key and generous Third Prince, the Second Prince Cheng Ming was obviously lacking.


    He appeared gentle but had an air of superiority, acting humble in front of those with power and displaying a large presence in front of those of lower status.


    Of course, this was quite common among those in power, right?


    But the problem was that Chen An wasn''t under your command yet!


    You want to attract Chen An, recruit him to work for you, and at a time like this, you''re putting on airs.


    How nauseating!


    In the end, Chen An just chose to say flattering words to get through the situation.


    Calculating it, after this trip, the Second Prince not only put on a grand display but also turned him away without giving him anything.


    Chen An breathed a sigh, silently making a decision.


    Among the three princes with potential competition, the Crown Prince was often away, making it difficult to meet. Further, with many followers, he already had many people supporting him. Thus, he was the first one to be ruled out.


    As for the Second Prince and the Third Prince, Chen An had already seen them both.


    Initially still considering, after seeing the Second Prince, Chen An felt that there was no need to hesitate anymore.


    The difference was just too big.


    The Second Prince was haughty and arrogant, while the Third Prince was humble and capable.


    One was conspicuous but everything was put on display, already attracting everyone¡¯s attention, and the other was quietly developing, staying in the shadows.


    The difference between the two was now very obvious.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 99: Looking Nothing Like a Monarch

    Before seeing the Second Prince, Chen An was still hesitant, but now it was completely unnecessary.He was still hesitating here, but the other side was more direct.


    The other side didn''t care about him at all!


    That was the key point.


    On the surface, the Second Prince''s attitude seemed okay, but that indifferent attitude inadvertently revealed itself.


    Compared to the Third Prince''s side, the Second Prince didn''t pay much attention to him.


    Since that was the case, what was there to hesitate about?


    Could it be that he would still seek warmth from someone who gave him the cold shoulder?


    How absurd!


    Comparatively, things were much better with the Third Prince. Not only did he pay enough attention to Chen An, but he also generously helped out.


    In this regard, the Second Prince was too stingy, calling someone over and not even giving them anything, just showing off his status.


    No need to serve him!


    Since he had made up his mind, Chen An didn''t hesitate and started to move.


    Without deliberately concealing anything, he directly headed towards the Third Prince''s residence.


    Soon, he arrived at the location.


    After half a month had passed, Chen An was about to have someone announce his arrival.


    "The Prince has already instructed, if Master Chen comes, you can directly go in, no need to inform."


    The steward''s words surprised Chen An.


    Compared to the Second Prince''s side, the Third Prince was indeed giving face.


    But he just smiled and said, "Courtesy cannot be neglected, it would still be better to announce me."


    The steward glanced at Chen An and then obediently went to announce him.


    Soon, the Third Prince appeared in front of Chen An.


    The Third Prince ran out, his clothes were a bit messy, it seemed like he was changing clothes before, but he hadn''t completely changed yet, so he came out in a short robe. s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    For a prince, this was quite disrespectful, but in this context, it seemed more sincere.


    "Chang''an, you finally came."


    Cheng Zheng ran up to Chen An and looked at him with a joyful expression, "After half a month apart, your sudden visit today truly delights me."


    "Your Highness."


    Chen An smiled and bowed, then said, "I came this time to express my gratitude for the generous gift you sent me last time."


    "I am very satisfied with the gift you gave."


    "Satisfied is good."


    Cheng Zheng smiled and then said, "You rarely come over, have you had a meal?"


    "Not yet."


    Chen An smiled and said, "I just came from the Second Prince''s place."


    "Oh?"


    Cheng Zheng''s expression turned serious.


    With his insight, he naturally knew what that meant.


    Did others also see Chen An as a valuable piece of jade?


    With that thought in mind, he couldn''t help but tighten his grip and said, "How did it go?"


    He really valued Chen An, so he became anxious after hearing about the news from the Second Prince.


    After all, on the surface, his side was indeed not treating Chen An as well as the Second Prince''s.


    If people had the choice, most would probably run to his second brother.


    Although he had confidence in Chen An and thought that such a person probably wouldn''t look kindly on his elder brother, one couldn''t be entirely sure about such matters.


    But Chen An''s reply obviously didn''t disappoint him.


    Glancing at Cheng Zheng, Chen An smiled and said, "Unfortunately, although the Second Prince invited me over as a guest, he was too stingy. It''s almost noon, and he didn''t even want to offer me a meal."


    "So I had no choice but to come over here and see if I could get a meal."


    "Hahaha!"


    Cheng Zheng finally relaxed and showed a genuine smile, "I may not have much else, but I can definitely provide you a meal."


    "If you''re willing, you can visit often today."


    "Then I thank you, Your Highness."


    Chen An smiled, bowed, and thanked him.


    After a while, they entered the hall.


    The dishes slowly arrived, but compared to the last time, this time''s meal was much simpler.


    Looking at the table, there were only four dishes and a soup.


    For the average person who couldn''t afford a meal, it wasn''t considered few, but for a prince like Cheng Zheng, it was meager.


    Chen An pondered.


    He remembered that the last time he came as a guest, the food was very lavish.


    Feeling Chen An''s gaze, as if afraid of being misunderstood, Cheng Zheng smiled awkwardly and said, "I''m sorry, I didn''t know you were coming, so I didn''t prepare anything special."


    "Your Highness, do you usually eat like this with your family?"


    Chen An asked curiously.


    "Savings are always good."


    Cheng Zheng said frankly.


    Chen An nodded, looking at Cheng Zheng with higher regard.


    In every aspect, the other party seemed to live a very frugal life.


    Being frugal wasn''t everything, but it didn''t necessarily result in achieving great things.


    However, the rare thing was that despite being frugal, when it came time to act, the other party was generous.


    For example, the gift of Xuanbing Jing that was given to Chen An, even as a prince, it probably took a lot of effort to obtain.


    The fact that such a generous gift was given without hesitation was quite rare.


    "After meeting my second brother, how do you feel?"


    After finishing the meal, Cheng Zheng asked with a smile.


    "The Second Prince is outstanding, with a noble air, and exudes the demeanor of the royal family in his every move, however."


    "However what?" Cheng Zheng asked.


    "However, he doesn''t seem like a monarch."


    Chen An paused and then continued, "He might be the Queen''s son, with a powerful maternal family and many dukes supporting him, but that doesn''t mean he has the qualities of a monarch."


    Cheng Zheng was stunned.


    Was Chen An being that blunt?


    "My second brother is the son of the Queen, with a powerful maternal family and numerous supporters behind him. It''s only a matter of time before he becomes a threat to His Majesty."


    Cheng Zheng was silent for a long time before speaking again, "So, does that not qualify as the demeanor of a monarch?"


    He stared at Chen An fixedly, asking.


    "It''s precisely because the Second Prince has a huge force behind him, with powerful maternal family and numerous supporters, that he lacks the qualities of a monarch."


    Chen An smiled and continued, "You see, the Emperor is still around."


    A prince with a strong force would undoubtedly threaten the emperor, this was a certain thing.


    "The Second Prince has a powerful force, a strong maternal family, which is a good thing, but the Emperor has the First Prince."


    "The First Prince is the legitimate heir, the Crown Prince with the right name, and with the First Prince to deter him, it would be extremely difficult for the Second Prince to ascend the throne."


    "If the eldest brother is brought down?"


    Cheng Zheng continued to ask.


    "In that case, I''m afraid the Emperor would be restless."


    Chen An continued.


    Yes, if even the eldest brother was brought down by the Second Prince, the power of the Second Prince would expand to a point that would make everyone fear and dread.


    As the Emperor, who wouldn''t be afraid and anxious?


    In reality, even before seeing the Second Prince, just looking at the current situation, Chen An thought the chances of the Second Prince successfully ascending the throne were very slim.


    The history he had learned in his past life told him that princes who gathered too much power while the emperor was still vigorous, often met with a tragic end.


    If he was not yet the legitimate heir and had an elder brother (the Crown Prince) in front of him, it was even more so.


    The final outcome of these people usually fell into two categories.


    Either they were suppressed and gradually faded away in their heyday, or they directly rebuked and used force to overthrow the emperor.


    There were many examples of the former, and the most famous of the latter was naturally Li Shimin.


    But the problem was, besides Li Shimin, it seemed that there weren''t many people who achieved such, right?


    The probability was too small and too difficult.


    So Chen An never thought about supporting the Second Prince to ascend the throne or something like that.


    Even if he really joined forces with the Second Prince, he would just figure out a way to get his techniques from him.


    Once he obtained the techniques, he would just run away, no matter what happened afterwards.


    But in the Third Prince''s place, Chen An felt that he had a much greater chance than the Second Prince.


    This was completely different from the thoughts of the people around him.


    "Even though Your Highness doesn''t have a powerful maternal family, and you''re not the eldest son, you excel in being discreet."


    Chen An said, "Whether it''s the Second Prince or the First Prince, they see each other as enemies, but they rarely see you as a rival, right?"


    "This is your advantage, Your Highness. You can develop slowly without being targeted by others."


    "That''s the first point."


    "And?"


    Cheng Zheng quickly asked.


    "The second point is, of course, His Majesty''s trust."


    Chen An smiled and said, "Among the three elder princes, Your Highness has the smallest force, posing the least threat to His Majesty."


    "Among the three princes, the one His Majesty trusts the most is undoubtedly you, Your Highness."


    "And as long as His Majesty trusts you, everything is possible."


    In this world, warriors were the most powerful force.


    And when it came to the skilled fighters under one''s command, who could surpass the current emperor?


    Forget about the numerous supports of Marquis with expelling spirit for the Second Prince, what would they amount to compared to the forces under the emperor''s command?


    It probably fell far short.


    The Emperor wielded the most powerful force, which was a decisive factor.


    So as long as one could gain the trust of the Emperor, it was equivalent to obtaining the support of the most potent force.


    "The First Prince is the eldest son, but his mother died early, and he is known to be cruel and not well-liked by others."


    "Even though he has had many supporters over the years, he has not been formally declared as the Crown Prince yet, and that is telling."


    "As for the Second Prince, it''s needless to say. By aligning with the Marquis, having a strong maternal family, and having many supporters, he is bound to be watched with caution by His Majesty."


    "Up to now, His Majesty has refrained from making the First Prince the Crown Prince but has continued to support the First Prince. It is likely to balance the First Prince against the Second Prince to prevent an imbalance."


    Chen An continued.


    After many years of lurking in Dahua, he had done quite a bit of research and had his own thoughts on the situation.


    They might not be accurate, but they seemed reasonable on the surface.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 100: Seeking Refuge

    Inside the grand hall, the two continued to chat.They chatted happily, talking all the way after lunch until the sky outside turned into dusk again, and Cheng Zheng reacted.


    "Time really flies by without us realizing."


    He was a bit surprised, then looked at Chen An with some emotion, "Talking with you, Chang''an, is truly a rare pleasure."


    "The ancients said that it''s hard to find a confidant, and I think they were referring to someone like you."


    "I''m just a mere mortal, not worthy to be a confidant of Your Highness."


    Chen An smiled modestly.


    "You don''t have to be like this."


    Cheng Zheng also smiled, "Humility is good, but too much humility isn''t good."


    "Your talents, others may not know, but can''t I not know?"


    "What do you know?"


    "How can I not know what talents I have?"


    Chen An inwardly complained and showed a polite smile, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    However, at this moment, Cheng Zheng seemed to interpret his smile differently, reading some approval in it.


    "Chang''an, you are a clever person, let''s not beat around the bush."


    Watching the sky outside, Cheng Zheng''s expression gradually turned serious.


    Seeing his serious expression, Chen An understood that the real deal was about to come.


    Indeed, in the next moment, Cheng Zheng''s expression changed, and he said, "I lack someone like you by my side. Are you willing to come work for me?"


    As he said this, his gaze was fixed on Chen An, looking a bit nervous.


    Although Cheng Zheng could guess Chen An''s choice based on his previous actions, he still couldn''t help but feel nervous at this moment.


    After all, such matters were never certain.


    What if the other party refused?


    Wouldn''t that be an awkward situation?


    In his heart, Cheng Zheng truly admired Chen An and sincerely hoped he would work for him.


    So, he couldn''t help but feel a bit nervous and anxious.


    The so-called fear of failure probably felt like this.


    In the end, Chen An didn''t disappoint him.


    Facing Cheng Zheng''s gaze, Chen An stood up quietly and respectfully bowed to Cheng Zheng, "If Your Highness doesn''t reject me, I''m willing to offer my loyalty and service."


    "I''ve seen the Lord!"


    With these words, Cheng Zheng was overjoyed.


    He quickly approached and instinctively grabbed Chen An''s hand, his face full of joy, "Good! Good!"


    "By becoming your ally today, great achievements can be achieved in the future!"


    Feeling Cheng Zheng grabbing his hand, Chen An felt a bit awkward, but on the surface, he showed a touch of moved emotion.


    There was no choice, this seemed to be the routine in this world.


    If he pushed the person away, others might get the wrong idea.


    So, after some hesitation, he chose to cooperate.


    Under Cheng Zheng''s gaze, the smile on Chen An''s face gradually faded, and his expression became serious.


    "Although I am just a martial artist, I value loyalty and righteousness."


    "As they say, like birds choose good trees to nest, servants choose righteous masters, my lifelong vow is enough."


    "From now on, my life is your command, my body is at your service. If there is a wish, just command me, I will never have a second thought!"


    With a solemn expression, Chen An held Cheng Zheng''s hand tightly, speaking with a forceful and resolute tone, "I swear to share weal and woe with the Lord, to accompany you for life, to be together in life and death!"


    "With this oath, it is destined by heaven and man!"


    The words sounded like the thundering beat of war drums, resonating in the mind, combined with Chen An''s heartfelt and powerful voice, stirring the emotions and moving others.


    "Chang''an, you..."


    Cheng Zheng was deeply moved, and at this moment, looking at Chen An, he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but his mind went blank, unable to say a word.


    After a while, he regained his senses, holding Chen An''s hand tightly, "Chang''an, I will not let you down in the future!"


    This statement also appeared to be misunderstood.


    It sounded like a husband swearing never to disappoint his wife.


    Looking at their intertwined hands now, if ten time travelers came, nine of them would probably misunderstand.


    Chen An secretly complained and then looked at Cheng Zheng''s awkward attempt to say something, remaining quiet, feeling the importance of reading and education.


    Without reading, one couldn''t even come up with a witty line at a critical moment.


    Looking at the Third Prince in front of him, it seemed that he could only think of those few sentences.


    If Chen An were in his position, things would be different.


    Chen An''s thoughts wandered.


    If he were in the Third Prince''s position, would he say something like "I would rather be a scourge to the world, than let the world be a scourge to you"?


    Changing Cao Cao''s words slightly for this occasion seemed quite interesting.


    At the moment, he felt that his words lacked force, significantly different from Chen An''s earlier words. After thinking for a moment, Cheng Zheng quickly added, "If I break this oath, may I be pierced through the heart by ten thousand arrows!" S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Wow.


    Chen An was a little surprised as he looked at Cheng Zheng.


    You didn''t know Cao Cao''s quote, but you seem to understand Sun Jian''s quote all by yourself?


    But this quote didn''t sound very auspicious.


    What was Sun Jian''s fate in Romance of the Three Kingdoms again?


    Chen An pondered silently.


    Cheng Zheng looked very pleased, hearing this.


    "I still have a problem with my little sister."


    Standing in place, Chen An looked at Cheng Zheng in front of him and couldn''t help but remind him, "There are still some issues with the Fourth Princess."


    Right, there was still the issue with the Fourth Princess.


    After Chen An''s reminder, Cheng Zheng finally remembered this.


    After all, in name, Chen An was still the Fourth Princess''s guest minister, serving under someone else.


    Of course, in this world, being a guest minister didn''t have many obligations, and in a straightforward analogy, it was like the relationship between an employee and an employer, rather than a servant.


    If the guest minister was unhappy with the master, they could just leave and find another employer.


    Similarly, if the master wasn''t satisfied with the guest minister, they could dismiss them and find someone else.


    But generally, not many people would do that.


    It wouldn''t sound good, especially in Chen An''s case.


    He had just joined the Fourth Princess not long ago, and now he was already switching to work for the Third Prince. That reputation wouldn''t sound very good.


    "That indeed is a problem."


    Thinking about the issue with the Fourth Princess, Cheng Zheng felt a bit of a headache, but he decided to handle the matter himself.


    "My little sister has a hot temper. If you directly confront her to demand something, it might backfire."


    After a moment of thought, he shook his head, seeming to have no clear solution regarding his sister, deeply beloved by the Emperor.


    After all, in name, she was his sister, and he couldn''t use force against her.


    Wouldn''t that tarnish his reputation?


    He knew his sister very well. If he tried to forcefully demand something from her, she would likely report it to the Emperor.


    But he understood his sister very well. Soon, he thought of a solution.


    "My sister has a quick temper. If you try to force her to do something, she will surely resist, but if you go along with her, she will soon lose interest."


    "During the past time, she had many guest ministers and guards by her side, mostly arranged by my father, but only a few stayed at her side for a long time. Essentially, she pushed them aside every few months."


    "If you are willing, Chang''an, you can stay with her for a while. When the Fourth Princess forgets about you, you can leave without any trouble."


    He said, showing his understanding of his sister''s character.


    Chen An nodded in agreement with his statement.


    But as he recalled the Fourth Princess''s mysterious gaze towards him earlier, he was skeptical if she would behave as Cheng Zheng described.


    What if he miscalculated?


    But he didn''t voice these concerns.


    To Chen An, staying by the Fourth Princess''s side for the time being had its benefits.


    At least, he could use the Fourth Princess''s status to conceal his relationship with the Third Prince.


    In this way, outwardly, he would still just be the Fourth Princess''s guest minister with no strong ties to the Third Prince.


    This could avoid many troubles and keep Cheng Zheng low-key, not attracting attention or exposure.


    Cheng Zheng also agreed with Chen An''s idea.


    "It looks like in the future, I will need to be careful when I come to the Lord''s residence."


    Standing in place, Chen An smiled.


    "It''s not a problem to come openly."


    Cheng Zheng smiled and said, "Even if they can guess, what does it matter?"


    "My two elder brothers have never paid much attention to me."


    "Avoiding some troubles is always good."


    Chen An kindly reminded, "As the Lord is still accumulating strength, it''s best not to draw attention."


    "I understand."


    Cheng Zheng nodded.


    They smiled at each other, sharing an inexplicable understanding.


    "It''s getting late, so I won''t have you stay overnight here, Chang''an."


    Cheng Zheng looked at the sky and then said with a smile, "You can go back now. If you have time in a few days, come find me."


    "Yes."


    Chen An respectfully bowed and then turned to leave.


    Cheng Zheng''s gaze remained on Chen An until his figure disappeared from view. Only then did Cheng Zheng turn around and return to the mansion.


    Returning to his quarters, it was already approaching night time.


    The sky was darkening.


    Chen An didn''t mind, returning to his room and lay down to rest.


    In the following days, Chen An lived calmly.


    After officially joining forces with the Third Prince, Chen An''s life seemed to have not changed much.


    Apart from occasionally contacting the Third Prince, his life didn''t have many differences from before.


    Oh, there was one change.


    At least, his salary increased.


    For Chen An, the Third Prince Cheng Zheng seemed generous, not only bestowing many things in one go but also providing a monthly salary.


    In terms of the salary, it was much more lavish than what the Fourth Princess had given Chen An. For the relatively less favored Third Prince Cheng Zheng, it was definitely considered a big gesture.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 101: Letter

    From various details, it can be seen that the Third Prince has always been a thrifty person.This thriftiness is evident in various aspects, and from the surface, he clearly cannot compare with the wealthy Fourth Princess.


    To provide such a salary is quite good.


    Chen An was quite satisfied.


    So the next period of time passed smoothly.


    In diligent cultivation, the internal power of Xuan Bing in Chen An''s body slowly grew and strengthened, gradually becoming stronger and more robust.


    In terms of internal power cultivation, Chen An now also has quite some experience.


    After all, after practicing so many internal cultivation methods and repeating them so many times, even a fool should have mastered this process proficiently.


    Entering the realm of Xuan Bing power and even cultivating the internal qi of Xuan Bing power, this step was not difficult for Chen An at all, and he easily mastered it.


    But just entering is not enough, the trouble starts afterward.


    The more Xuan Bing power is cultivated, the more one can feel its difficulty, which is no less than that of Yin-Body cultivation.


    In Chen An''s opinion, Xuan Bing power and Yin-Body cultivation, the levels of these two methods should be similar, both are methods that can cultivate to the Astral Qi realm.


    Moreover, their attributes are very similar, and their nature is quite similar in some respects as well.


    The internal qi cultivated from Xuan Bing power is also Yin-cold internal qi, and the nature it shows after mastery is probably very similar to Yin-Body cultivation.


    Therefore, overall, the difficulty of cultivation is about the same.


    But even so, Chen An still put in a lot of effort.


    In the past, he didn''t feel it, but now, without being able to cheat, he finally realized the benefits of cheating.


    A full half month had passed, and Chen An was basically practicing all the time. During any leisure time each day, he would devote it to cultivation, never wasting a single moment.


    But even so, the progress was slow, making Chen An couldn''t help but sigh.


    You only appreciate the good when you lose it.


    That saying is not wrong.


    Only when you can''t cheat, will you miss the beauty of cheating.


    Chen An deeply felt this now.


    But it''s still acceptable.


    Over the past ten years, Chen An hadn''t cheated much, yet he still managed to regain his Yin-Body cultivation and progress to this level.


    The efforts he put into it were not few, and this also laid a foundation for him.


    The most fortunate part is that his aptitude is quite good now.


    This also ensured that he could continue to progress without cheating, unlike during his time with the Bai family when no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t make any progress.


    As long as he was willing to work hard now, he could still make some progress at least.


    This was the only thing worth celebrating.


    If he couldn''t cheat, and his projection''s aptitude was terrible, Chen An really couldn''t imagine that scene.


    By then, it was probably a dead-end situation with no way out.


    Chen An''s days gradually entered a normal track.


    During normal times, he studied in the Imperial College, occasionally brushed shoulders with the Fourth Princess, serving as a faithful guest for the Fourth Princess.


    However, in secret, he was a servant of the Third Prince, strategizing for the Third Prince, playing the role of a military advisor.


    Everything couldn''t be considered too good, but it was also orderly and systematic, proceeding step by step.


    Living like this, the future also held great promise.


    Of course, some preludes happened during this time as well.


    Not long after Chen An left the Third Prince''s residence, his birth father sent him a letter.


    Chen Li, Chen An''s biological father, was the third son of the current Duke of Chen Kingdom, Chen Hua, and one of his most favored children, considered the most promising candidate to compete for the position of Duke of Chen Kingdom.


    As the most promising candidate for the future Duke of Chen Kingdom, Chen Li''s relationship with Chen An could not be described as close, but definitely could be described as cold.


    Let''s put it this way.


    Since Chen An awakened his memories until now, in the vast Chen Duke''s mansion, he has endured countless secret plots by his stepmother.


    From scolding and expulsion to beating, these things happened frequently in the first few years after he awakened his memories.


    It was fortunate that Chen An sensed something was wrong and fled directly. Otherwise, he might not be alive now.


    According to what Chen An later learned, among Chen Li''s children in the Chen Duke''s mansion, except for the legitimate sons of those stepmothers, few of the other children lived past the age of ten.


    With such ruthless methods, in theory, they should have been dealt with long ago, no matter how much they tried.


    But how did this son of Duke Chen deal with it?


    He just looked on coldly.


    Chen An could actually understand this.


    After all, for his own future, this son of Duke Chen married the daughter of the King of Tianyue, a noble status in the entire Chen Duke''s mansion.


    Chen Li dared not have any conflicts with this daughter of the King of Tianyue for the sake of his own future.


    He still had to rely on this identity to compete for the succession of the Duke of Chen Kingdom.


    But even so, isn''t it a bit too much to stand idly by while his children are being abused by stepmothers?


    Even a cold-blooded animal wouldn''t act like that!


    Not even a tiger eats its cubs!


    Undoubtedly, this is a person who acts for profit, putting his own interests above everything.


    In the eyes of such a person, there probably are no distinctions between children and non-children; after all, nothing is more important than one''s own future.


    Under the hands of such a person, how could one have a good life?


    It''s impossible.


    So Chen An had left early, using the excuse of studying to directly join Dong Heng and become his disciple, never returning to the Duke Chen''s mansion.


    His father seemed very indifferent to this, never sending anything, nor showing any signs of contact over the years.


    Why did he suddenly send a letter today out of the blue?


    This is a completely unexpected event.


    Chen An naturally knew what was going on, but he couldn''t help but be curious about the contents of the letter, so he opened it.


    The content of the letter was as expected.


    In this letter, Chen Li, from the perspective of a father, reprimanded his son, questioning him why, as a child of the Chen Duke''s mansion, he hadn''t returned to see his parents for many years?


    The tone of the letter was so harsh and severe that it made people sigh. He almost accused Chen An of being disrespectful and unfilial, a rebel against ancestral family laws.


    This kind of accusation was very serious in this era.


    However, Chen An just chuckled.


    Go back? Go back and wait to be killed?


    And being considered disobedient and unfilial?


    You never thought of me at ordinary times, how come you suddenly send a letter now saying that I''m disobedient and unfilial?


    It''s all because your son has shown progress and potential, and there''s someone to rely on for benefits, so you hurry over.


    Sure enough, with a turn of the text, there were a lot more content.


    The language was still severe, the general content was that although Chen An was disrespectful and unfilial, if he were to turn back now, there is still a chance for repentance by joining the Second Prince early and there is still a chance for regret.


    Repent? What a joke!


    Chen An calmly read through the entire letter without changing his expression, but he didn''t get angry. Instead, he sighed quietly in his heart.


    "It seems I have overestimated you."


    He was disappointed.


    Originally, although Chen An didn''t like this father, his evaluation of him was not low.


    Regardless of the lack of affection, treating one''s children as useless was just a sign of this person''s naturally cold and unaffectionate nature.


    But come to think of it, based on Chen An''s memory of the situation, in general, people who don''t care about private matters concerning their children, treating them like worthless, often found it easier to achieve their goals.


    After all, in this train of thought, bad people generally find it easier to accomplish things than good people.


    But now, it seems that he was indeed overrated.


    The other party may look down on him, but he also seems to have some problems with his mind.


    The logic was simple.


    Faced with his suddenly powerful son, Chen Li should have been smart enough to try to calm him down.


    After all, even if it was truly a father-son relationship, being treated in such a way by him, how much emotion could Chen An have for this father?


    For this kind of situation, anyone with a bit of skill should know to use soft methods. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If Chen An were in Chen Li''s position, he would certainly say all the right words first and deceive the person back before doing whatever he wanted afterward.


    As long as the person was deceived back, wouldn''t everything be easier afterward?


    Considering the previous accounts, it didn''t matter afterward.


    But now, it seemed he had overestimated him.


    After all, he despised him, and he wouldn''t trust what he said about resolving anything based on his previous conduct.


    The messenger on the side was dumbfounded.


    Joining the Second Prince? Was this a joke?


    Setting aside the fact that Chen An had already secretly joined the Third Prince, just based on the Second Prince''s demeanor, he wouldn''t even consider it.


    To have someone send such a letter, this was not about creating ties; it was about creating enmity.


    Moreover, judging from the Second Prince''s previous actions, Chen An wouldn''t trust what was said about solving anything.


    (The End).

 Chapter 102: Gateway of Qi

    From the various actions of the Second Prince before, Chen An had every reason to believe that once he directly switched to the Second Prince''s side, at most the Second Prince would just inform the Fourth Princess.And then?


    Most likely nothing much.


    By then, Chen An would be dumbfounded.


    Even if the Fourth Princess is just a decorative vase, she is the most favored vase by the current Emperor. If her temper flares up, can ordinary people handle it?


    Of course, the Second Prince is not afraid, but what about Chen An?


    By then, even if he doesn''t run away, he would still be peeled off a layer. The reputation he had accumulated would all be ruined.


    Don''t think it''s exaggerated.


    From the previous performance, the Second Prince himself doesn''t seem to value Chen An much. S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He may recruit Chen An, most likely just because he heard of Chen An''s reputation, so he subconsciously wanted to recruit him. But in terms of how much he values Chen An, it may not be much.


    For Chen An, this is mysterious.


    The words just now, spoken by the Third Prince, he believes.


    But the words spoken by the Second Prince, Chen An feels that this man will eventually betray him.


    Not to mention that the Second Prince still has those people from the Chen Family Mansion by his side.


    Unless Chen An''s brain is smashed, he wouldn''t choose to go to the Second Prince''s mansion.


    "Did he really say that?"


    On the other side, the messenger returned to the Second Prince''s mansion and repeated what Chen An had said before.


    The Second Prince couldn''t help but feel a bit surprised: "So, he refused?"


    "According to him, he wants to be loyal to the Fourth Princess."


    The messenger replied respectfully.


    "Hmph, ignorant fool."


    The Second Prince''s face suddenly turned cold, then shook his head: "Forget it."


    "He can appreciate Cheng Yi''s little girl, consider a decoration like this as the main focus, this person may have a big reputation, but that''s all, it''s not worth mentioning."


    "It''s also a waste of my good intentions with the Chen Family Duke."


    He shook his head, and his face quickly returned to calm.


    "Who says no?"


    The messenger flattered on the side: "In my opinion, this person who refused the prince''s recruitment will probably regret it soon."


    "When the day comes for the prince to ascend to the throne, let the Fourth Princess hand over this person, so that he can see the prince''s valor with his own eyes."


    "Haha, not a bad idea."


    The Second Prince laughed and quickly forgot about the matter.


    Chen An guessed right, this Second Prince does not actually care much about him. He only tried to recruit him out of the desire to attract talented people, and he doesn''t really value him much.


    After the incident with the Second Prince, Chen An was able to calm down for some time.


    This was actually normal.


    After all, in the capital, his days could be considered low-key. Other than attending classes at the National Academy, he rarely interacted with others.


    The few times he caught attention were more out of necessity than his own will.


    Without gaining attention a few times, he wouldn''t be able to achieve his goals.


    But now that his purpose had been achieved, there was no need for him to continue like that.


    So in the recent period, Chen An lived a particularly low-key life.


    However, just when he wanted to be low-key, there were people who didn''t want him to be that way.


    The most crucial of these people was the Fourth Princess.


    Previously, at the residence of the Third Prince, Cheng Zheng advised Chen An to stay hidden in the Fourth Princess''s residence first. When the Fourth Princess gradually started ignoring him, he could leave.


    At that time, Chen An had a vague feeling that things weren''t going so smoothly.


    And now, his previous vague premonition had come true.


    As time passed, instead of ignoring him, the Fourth Princess began to take more care of him, showing more concern and bringing him along during banquets as if he was her personal guard.


    This level of attention exceeded that of ordinary guards.


    According to the steward Liu Zhong in the Fourth Princess''s residence, he had never seen the Fourth Princess care for anyone so much before.


    But now she was different.


    In this situation, Chen An felt that the day the Fourth Princess would forget about him was far away.


    Of course, he wasn''t a fool and knew where the problem lay.


    Compared to the Fourth Princess''s previous guards, his appearance was too outstanding.


    His innate physique was already good, and after years of cultivation and studying, he had developed an impressive figure and demeanor that made him stand out in a crowd.


    His charisma was at its peak.


    While the Fourth Princess held a noble position, in reality, she was just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl who naturally liked someone like Chen An. It was normal for her to want to be close to him.


    In the past, because of this appearance, Chen An had gained many benefits.


    He was able to easily apprentice under Master Dong Heng, establish relationships easily, and even enter the National Academy. This good appearance played a significant role.


    However, now, because of the Fourth Princess, Chen An for the first time felt that having such a striking image might not always be a good thing.


    But then again, if his appearance wasn''t striking enough, he might not have caught the Fourth Princess''s eye and thus made a connection with the Third Prince.


    Everything has its pros and cons.


    Chen An sighed silently, not knowing what to say and could only endure silently.


    One fortunate point was that staying in the Fourth Princess''s residence actually had its benefits.


    At least a significant amount of external pressure was blocked by the Fourth Princess''s presence.


    If it weren''t for the Fourth Princess, it wouldn''t have been so easy for Chen An to refuse the Second Prince.


    Similarly, the Fourth Princess''s presence also provided a disguise for Chen An, making his connection with the Third Prince less conspicuous.


    Time continued to move forward.


    Soon half a year had passed.


    In the morning, the sunlight illuminated the earth.


    Chen An stood on the training ground, looking around.


    The scattered stones around the ground were directly shot by him, and the powerful internal energy spread outward, producing tremendous power.


    The frigid aura emanating from the Profound Ice Power seemed to make the entire residence feel much colder.


    His every move affected the temperature within the courtyard, the potent internal energy he possessed was something he didn''t have before.


    Now he could do it, proving that his internal energy cultivation had advanced significantly.


    Chen An''s Profound Ice Power had reached the level of internal energy mastery.


    In just half a year, he had managed to elevate his Profound Ice Power to internal energy mastery, a speed much faster than he had anticipated.


    Based on his estimates, even with his extensive experience in cultivating internal energy, reaching this level would have taken at least a year and a half or more.


    But now things had accelerated greatly.


    The reason for this was, on the one hand, due to the continuous rewards from Cheng Zheng and the Fourth Princess, allowing Chen An to progress swiftly through his cultivation, saving him a lot of effort.


    On the other hand, it was also the Yin Body Technique.


    The Yin Body Technique had many similarities with the Profound Ice Power, with quite a few commonalities between them.


    This naturally saved Chen An a lot of energy and time, significantly speeding up his cultivation progress.


    With internal energy mastery reached, he now had the qualifications to look further ahead.


    The seemingly unattainable realm of Qi Energy, the Gateway of Qi, seemed to finally open its doors to him.


    "After internal energy, the next step is to condense the seed of Qi Energy."


    Chen An pondered on the contents of the Profound Ice Power, falling into contemplation: "But how to condense the seed of Qi Energy is a question in itself."


    From Chen An''s understanding, condensing the seed of Qi Energy required several conditions.


    The first was naturally that the amount of internal energy had to meet the standard.


    The second was the concentration of innate qi in the body, which had to reach a certain level.


    Neither of these conditions was difficult for Chen An.


    The first condition went without saying; he had accumulated enough internal energy over his years of cultivation.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t dare to expect the Qi Energy level.


    As for the second condition, Chen An had heard detailed explanations from Bai Qing.


    Humans are born with innate essence, which carries innate qi and is the essence of the human body.


    However, as the body is inherently weak, the innate qi gradually dissipates as one grows older, leading to a loss of these natural qualities.


    As people age, the concentration of innate qi in the body weakens, making martial arts practice more challenging.


    This was also why it was essential to begin martial arts practice at an early age.


    Regarding this issue of innate qi, Chen An''s original body might still have some doubts, but this current body, without a doubt, had no issues.


    After all, he had been practicing martial arts since he awakened at the age of six. The innate qi in his body had been locked in and had not dissipated much.


    From Chen An''s current talent perspective, the amount of innate qi in this body should be quite abundant.


    Although it might not be perfect, at least there wouldn''t be any shortcomings in this aspect.


    With the first two conditions fulfilled, the third condition came into play.


    That was to sense the innate qi in the body.


    "To condense the seed of Qi Energy, one must gather the innate qi and internal energy together to form the embryo of Qi Energy."


    "And to mobilize the innate qi, one must first sense the innate qi."


    Chen An pondered.


    For him, the other hurdles to ascend to the Qi Energy level weren''t that much of a problem. Even if there were some deficiencies at the moment, they could be filled in with time passing.


    Only the difficulty of how to sense the innate qi was a huge obstacle for him.


    Above the Profound Ice Power, there was indeed a method on how to sense the innate qi, but the description was somewhat troublesome.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 103: Trouble

    The Xuanbing Force above this method of cultivation has a method of sensing innate aura.Of course, any martial arts cultivation method actually has this content.


    There are also records on the Yin Body Force, but Chen An is not aware of the content.


    Generally speaking, the methods of sensing innate aura in different martial arts cultivation methods are not exactly the same.


    For example, the method recorded above the Xuanbing Force is to find an extremely cold place, use the power of heaven and earth and the coordination of one''s own internal energy to finally achieve the sensing of innate aura, playing the role of forming the foundation of martial aura.


    But here comes the problem.


    Where to find an extremely cold place?


    Chen An was completely at a loss.


    Prince San''s side was very concerned about his problem, and after knowing the problem he encountered, he responded quickly, helping to find several places.


    Chen An also went to see those places, but they all fell short and could not meet the standards.


    Obviously, this Xuanbing Force has a very high requirement for the external environment.


    If it''s not a true treasure land, it can''t meet the standard at all.


    But where to find such a place?


    Chen An and Prince San discussed a lot, searched many places, and finally reluctantly locked onto a place.


    In the southern Song country, there is an icy glacier, in which there is said to be an area that has nurtured many thousand-year-old Xuanbing, densely packed, forming a unique spiritual land named Xuanhan Land.


    This place should be able to meet the requirements.


    Within the southern Song country, there are many Yin attribute martial arts, and it is said that many martial artists who cultivate martial aura rely on this piece of Xuanhan Land to condense the seed of martial aura and advance to the martial aura realm.


    But here comes the problem again.


    The place is there, but can Chen An go in?


    Impossible.


    Any normal person should understand that the royal family of the Song country will definitely control such a treasure land properly, and will never allow it to be controlled by others.


    How could an outsider like Chen An possibly enter?


    Not to mention he is from the Great Hua Dynasty, even if he were a person from the Song country, not everyone would have the qualifications to enter.


    There are many barriers there.


    Of course, for cultivating the Xuanbing Force, the effect of a Xuanhan attribute treasure land is the best for Chen An, but that doesn''t mean other places won''t work.


    In fact, as long as it is a place with abundant innate aura, it can have a similar effect.


    It''s just that the effect is far less than that of a treasure land with a matching attribute.


    And there are several of these kinds of treasure lands within the Great Hua Dynasty.


    Prince San has already been trying to help him, and perhaps there will be some results soon.


    In a sense, this could be considered the benefit of having someone backing him up.


    If it weren''t for Prince San helping on the side, Chen An wouldn''t even have the means to find such a treasure land on his own.


    Thinking of this, Chen An looked at the template in front of him.


    Actually, if Chen An wanted to, using cheats might be the best choice.


    As long as he was willing to use cheats, smashing down several tens of points of source energy, it wouldn''t matter where the treasure land, or the innate aura, was, he could easily elevate it all.


    But until absolutely necessary, he didn''t want to take this step for now.


    Anyway, he hasn''t reached the point where he has no other choice, so it''s better to save a bit. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking like this, Chen An continued with his training.


    After a moment, the Fourth Princess also returned.


    Not sure if it was an illusion, but Chen An always felt that the Fourth Princess''s state today was not quite right.


    The usual Fourth Princess was very lively, usually bouncing around, looking very much like a lively girl.


    But today, the Fourth Princess seemed a bit silent, subconsciously lowering her head when meeting Chen An''s eyes, seeming a bit hesitant and embarrassed.


    This was quite unusual, making Chen An somewhat surprised.


    After careful inquiry, he finally learned the truth of the matter.


    Before meeting the Third Prince, Chen An had asked the Fourth Princess for help to collect a set of martial arts.


    At that time, the Fourth Princess was full of confidence and readily agreed.


    It has been some time since then, and Chen An had almost forgotten about this matter.


    But now, the result of the matter has finally come out.


    The Fourth Princess was rejected.


    The one in the palace rejected her.


    Perhaps because the promise she made to Chen An was not fulfilled, the Fourth Princess appeared somewhat disheartened, looking down subconsciously when meeting Chen An''s eyes, seeming hesitant and embarrassed.


    This was quite normal.


    Children are quite thin-skinned, especially when they had been so confident in their promise but ended up with this result, it was only natural for them to feel this way.


    Chen An couldn''t help but smile bitterly.


    "It''s alright."


    He spoke softly, "Since His Majesty is not willing to grant it, then let it be, Your Highness, there''s no need to be like this."


    "Aren''t you mad at me?"


    The Fourth Princess looked up, seeming surprised by Chen An''s attitude.


    "Of course not."


    Chen An smiled gently, his voice as calm as usual, "Planning lies with man, success lies with heaven. For my matters, Your Highness, you have already done your best, and if it doesn''t come to fruition, it''s just fate, how could I blame Your Highness for this?"


    "More than this, I hope Your Highness can be happier, there''s no need to be disheartened."


    He said with a smile, his face as gentle as ever.


    Chen An really didn''t care about this matter.


    If he had been disappointed before, now he was different.


    With the Xuanbing Force gifted by Prince San, the Fourth Princess''s help was no longer as important.


    But the fact that the Fourth Princess was rejected took Chen An by surprise.


    He had thought that with the Fourth Princess''s favor, it would be easy to request a mere set of martial arts.


    Now it seemed that he had overestimated the Fourth Princess''s influence.


    It''s true.


    Strength is still the most important in this world.


    No matter how favored the Fourth Princess was, she was just a figurehead.


    It was fine when things were normal, everything could be negotiated, but when it involved the true core, the situation was naturally different.


    Martial arts and cultivation methods were at the heart of the core, and were not to be easily passed on.


    From this perspective, the Fourth Princess facing rejection seemed understandable.


    "Will you leave me?"


    The Fourth Princess''s emotions seemed a bit low, her slightly moist eyes staring at Chen An.


    She wasn''t a fool.


    The relationship between a guest official and a sovereign was more about a follower and a followed, rather than master and servant.


    When the sovereign was unhappy with the guest official, they could send them away, and likewise, if the sovereign couldn''t meet the guest official''s needs, the guest official could leave and find another more suitable sovereign.


    And from the Fourth Princess''s perspective, it seemed that with Chen An''s strength, the reason he stayed here was probably to get further opportunities, namely the martial arts secrets.


    Now that the martial arts secrets were not available, would he leave?


    Chen An was stunned for a moment, then reacted and couldn''t help but smile bitterly.


    "No, I won''t."


    Subconsciously reaching out, he touched the Fourth Princess''s head, smiling gently, "I will stay by the Fourth Princess''s side just because I want to accompany the Fourth Princess, other things aren''t really important."


    "As long as the Fourth Princess still needs me here, I will continue to stay."


    After speaking instinctively, Chen An suddenly realized something was wrong.


    But before he could figure out exactly what the problem was, the situation had already changed.


    A small figure threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.


    Chen An''s body stiffened.


    He finally realized what was wrong.


    The atmosphere, the lines he just said, why did it sound so much like flirting?


    Damn it!


    In his previous life, he did too much of this, his skill level was already maxed out, to the point that when faced with such a situation, he just blurted out without thinking!


    What now?


    Chen An''s body stiffened, his mind racing frantically.


    Push the Fourth Princess away?


    That doesn''t seem right.


    Keep going like this?


    That also doesn''t sit right.


    Various thoughts flashed through Chen An''s mind, but on the surface, he instinctively continued with his actions.


    "It''s alright, it''s alright."


    Holding the Fourth Princess in his arms, Chen An spoke softly, his hand stroking her head, feeling the soft touch of her long hair gliding through his palm, feeling very smooth.


    With the close contact, it seemed he could still smell the gentle fragrance of a young girl.


    The Fourth Princess buried her whole head in Chen An''s arms, crying softly, as if she wanted to release all the grievances she had received in her heart during this time.


    Tears continued to fall, wetting Chen An''s clothes.


    This process lasted for quite some time.


    When the Fourth Princess raised her head again, her gaze met Chen An''s, with his face carrying a gentle smile.


    The faint sunlight fell down, casting their shadows long on the ground.


    In the eyes of the young girl, the person in front of her was handsome, with loose long hair, his eyes fixed on her, no matter what expression she showed, he always maintained that same warmth, giving her an extraordinary feeling of comfort.


    Especially at this moment, the young girl looked even more captivating.


    In the distance, footsteps slowly approached.


    It seemed that the Fourth Princess''s other attendants were rushing over.


    The Fourth Princess left Chen An''s embrace somewhat reluctantly, giving him a glance, "I''m going now."


    "Just yet, you''re not allowed to go anywhere these few days, remember to stay here and accompany me."


    After saying this, she seemed a bit embarrassed, then quickly ran off.


    Leaving Chen An standing alone in place.


    "Trouble."


    Watching the departing figure of the Fourth Princess in the distance, Chen An silently shook his head, already sensing the trouble that would follow.


    Sure enough, in the following period, the Fourth Princess became increasingly clingy towards him.


    It was fine before, she just liked to bring him along when going out.


    But now it had taken a step further, she liked to come to him whenever she had free time, sometimes sneaking into his courtyard to find him.


    Undoubtedly, this caused Chen An a great deal of trouble.


    Because she came too frequently, Chen An''s own cultivation had become a problem.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 104: Treasure Land? Mine?

    On the path of cultivation, there are many troubles.How to find a suitable treasure land for cultivation is a worry, and the daily harassment of the Fourth Princess is another worry.


    Because the Fourth Princess visits too frequently, every time Chen An is about to finish his cultivation, he has to stop.


    Fortunately, as time passed, Chen An also adapted to it.


    In some aspects, the Fourth Princess is also quite sensible.


    Most of the time, she just sits quietly on the side watching Chen An cultivate and does not disturb him.


    Until Chen An stops, then she would smile and pounce into Chen An''s arms.


    Since the last time, the Fourth Princess seems to have let loose a bit, and she always likes to pounce into Chen An''s arms when there is no one around, who knows where she learned it from.


    Even though the strict gender segregation in this world is not as serious, this behavior is considered quite intimate even in the past life.


    It feels like the situation is getting more and more out of hand.


    Time passes bit by bit.


    After a few more months, news came from the Third Prince again.


    It seems like there has finally been progress on the treasure land.


    It is a place not far from Shengjing, a treasure land controlled by the royal family.


    In the past, only royal family members were qualified to enter and cultivate there.


    The Third Prince went to great lengths to obtain a quota and squeezed Chen An in.


    Naturally, Chen An was overjoyed.


    In these few months, the internal qi in his body has been growing continuously, but he still couldn''t touch the door, unable to sense the congenital qi inside his body, and has already waited for a considerable period of time.


    Now that the answer has arrived, of course, he is overjoyed.


    So he asked for a long vacation from the Fourth Princess and then quietly left Shengjing.


    Except for a few people, no one paid attention to his departure.


    During the previous period, Chen An has been keeping a low profile, reading in the Imperial Academy every day, rarely appearing outside.


    Even his contact with the Third Prince was very discreet and unknown to outsiders.


    In this situation, other than those few people, who would be concerned about his actions?


    "Is this the place?"


    In a cave, everywhere was filled with white crystal.


    It looks like there are many mined ores everywhere.


    From the surface, this should be a large mine?


    This also counts as a treasure land?


    Chen An looked at Cheng Zheng with some doubt, his attitude was very obvious, he almost asked if he was in the wrong place.


    "Cough."


    Facing Chen An''s gaze, Cheng Zheng seemed a little embarrassed, could only cough twice, and then said, "Yes, this is it.''


    "Changan, although this place seems ordinary, inside it is like a hidden paradise."


    "Although it looks ordinary here, inside it is like a hidden paradise."


    "This place, without my imperial father''s permission, even the Duke of Chen Guo would not be able to enter without authorization."


    "Is that so?"


    Hearing Cheng Zheng say this, although Chen An still had some doubts, he could only reluctantly believe it.


    There was a guide who came specially to guide them and was now standing beside them, ready to lead them.


    After a short while, the group went down.


    Upon entering, Chen An quickly felt that something was off.


    After entering this area, the internal qi in Chen An''s body began to accelerate, becoming more active.


    Is it starting to work?


    Chen An wondered.


    Although it is a treasure land, the speed of this effect seems a bit too fast.


    Is it supposed to be like this in a treasure land?


    He thought to himself.


    The cave in front of him is very deep, with winding passages all around, which appears quite twisted.


    The surrounding light is also dim, only faint torchlight illuminating the surroundings, barely able to see the place clearly.


    From the outside, where does it look like a treasure land, it''s clearly just a mine!


    If the person who brought him here was someone else instead of Cheng Zheng, Chen An would have doubted whether he was tricked into a mine and would be buried alive here or forced to mine for a lifetime.


    There were many scenarios like this in the past life.


    Of course, Chen An still trusted Cheng Zheng.


    Cheng Zheng had no reason to harm him.


    But for this place, Chen An wasn''t so confident.


    "My lord."


    Walking through a passage and looking around, Chen An couldn''t help but ask, "Will this place collapse?"


    "It shouldn''t, right?"


    Cheng Zheng also had some doubts, just looking around, and finally could only say so.


    In any case, this is a treasure land exclusively for the royal family, so it shouldn''t be so unreliable, right?


    However, he was soon proven wrong.


    "Of course it will collapse!"


    The guide walked alongside them and said, "How could a mine not collapse?"


    It really is a mine!


    Chen An and Cheng Zheng looked at each other, not knowing what to say at this moment.


    "Originally, this place was a mine, but later it was discovered to be a good place for cultivation, so it was transformed."


    The guide explained.


    According to him, this was a mine that was transformed, with traces of past mining all around.


    As for collapses or anything like that, it seems that they do occasionally occur due to different reasons, but the impact is not significant.


    When the Great Hua Emperor controlled this place, he had considered these issues, so the place was renovated, and many stable passages were opened up.


    As long as all the passages don''t collapse at once, then it wouldn''t be a big problem.


    "What if all the passages collapse at once?"


    After a moment of silence, Chen An asked again.


    "Then you''re out of luck."


    The guide shook his head and said so.


    Chen An fell silent.


    The group continued forward in silence and eventually found a spot.


    "Speaking of which, no one has been here in a long time."


    The guide smiled and showed his white teeth, "If you hadn''t come this time, I almost thought this place had been forgotten."


    Cheng Zheng and Chen An couldn''t help but look at each other again with these words.


    "The times have changed."


    The guide continued to explain, "In the past few decades, this was considered a good place for cultivation, but for some reason, maybe because too many people came here to cultivate, or for other reasons, the cultivation effect here has been deteriorating."


    "So later on, fewer and fewer people came here to cultivate."


    The guide explained the reasons, then told Chen An a few things, and turned to leave.


    "Changan, remember to be careful here, if anything happens, come out immediately, your safety first."


    Cheng Zheng also reminded carefully, asking Chen An to be careful.


    It seemed like he was afraid that Chen An would linger here and increase the danger, so he added, "It was my negligence this time, Changan, rest assured, I will find you a few other places later, that should be fine too."


    "This place won''t do, we''ll find another place."


    He earnestly instructed, seemingly afraid that Chen An would stubbornly stay here.


    "Your Highness, I understand."


    Chen An smiled, indicating that he understood.


    After that, Cheng Zheng and the guide left first.


    Chen An was left alone in the spot where he was.


    Of course, before the guide left, he left a considerable amount of water and food.


    However, staying in this place for so long, even without accidents, he would probably starve to death.


    "Let''s see how it goes next."


    Chen An looked around and muttered to himself.


    Then he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and silently circulated his internal qi.


    The internal qi in his body was rapidly circulating.


    Since entering this place, he could feel that the internal qi in his body was becoming more active, as if it was influenced to a certain extent, becoming more active.


    A sense of inexplicable heat surged from within, making Chen An somewhat uncomfortable.


    But Chen An was not in a panic, he was even somewhat surprised.


    Because these manifestations indicated that the effect here was good.


    Under the influence and blessing of this unique environment, the congenital qi in his body was becoming clearer, something that Chen An could easily feel. s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That something that was originally invisible and intangible now seemed to have a specific form, which he could truly sense to some extent.


    Of course, it was only a sensation.


    There was still a long way to go before he could freely manipulate it.


    But Chen An was not anxious at all.


    He still had plenty of time, and there was no need to rush.


    Time passed slowly.


    Half a month quickly passed by.


    Chen An sat quietly in the same spot, being able to clearly feel his progress.


    During the past half month, the internal qi in his body did not increase, but his sensitivity to another force became clearer.


    He had a real feeling now.


    At this level, he had already made some progress.


    But this effect was only present in this special environment.


    If he were to change the environment, by the time Chen An left, his sensitivity to the congenital qi would greatly weaken, or even disappear.


    That''s just the way it is.


    Pondering the congenital qi required such a demanding environment.


    Without an environment containing innate essence, it was too difficult to achieve.


    Chen An continued to work hard.


    The congenital qi in his body was circulating according to a certain rhythm but was already being influenced by Chen An to some extent.


    And this influence was based on what?


    It seemed to be a person''s will?


    Unlike the circulation of internal qi, the circulation of congenital qi could not be accurately controlled, only influenced by the individual''s will to a certain extent.


    This perhaps was why people believed that advancing to the Qi Condensation stage required a firm martial will.


    But Chen An felt that describing it purely as will was not quite accurate.


    Because he didn''t feel that his willpower was particularly strong, yet he could easily influence the flow and circulation of congenital qi.


    At this moment, Chen An thought of something.


    In addition to strength and physique, his attribute panel also had a "god" attribute.


    In the past, Chen An was always unsure of the use of this "god" attribute.


    But now, he couldn''t help but speculate about the connection between this attribute and his current situation.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 105: The cry for help from the depths

    If the attribute of the god is really related to the current situation, that would be good news.Chen An is considered an old cheat, but despite several attempts to cheat before, he couldn''t raise the attribute of the god.


    It was only after he increased the number of upgrades that the other two attributes increased too much, ultimately raising the god attribute.


    The increase in attributes will affect each other.


    For example, the two attributes of strength and physique, if one attribute is increased, the other attribute will also be raised along with it.


    This was a result that Chen An had tested before.


    But the god attribute alone, no matter how much strength and physique increase, it remains unchanged.


    As unyielding as the national team in his previous life.


    Whether it is martial arts or internal cultivation, the main improvement is still in strength and physique, with little effect on the god attribute''s improvement.


    So Chen An figured that the only way to increase it was to directly allocate points to it.


    But on the other hand, before he didn''t even know what the use of this attribute was, so he never thought of upgrading it.


    Now, he was pleasantly surprised.


    Chen An looked at the screen in front of him.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (6.7), Physique (6.6), God (2.6)


    Source energy: 81


    Inheritance: Profound Ice Strength (sixth level), Yin Body Technique (fifth level), Swift Wind Strength Method (perfection), Pursuit Wind Sword Technique (perfection).


    Projection: In use


    The familiar attribute panel appeared before him once again.


    The appearance was basically the same as before the projection, but only the projection status was now marked as "in use."


    This meant that Chen An was still in the projection state.


    In this state, the projection function could not be used, as it all appeared black when he tried to access it.


    So only the normal attribute point allocation function could still be used.


    Chen An looked at the god attribute and hesitated for a moment before deciding to give it a try.


    What if there were surprises?


    So he started.


    With a few thoughts, the upgrade template in front of him began to change.


    The god attribute was directly raised by Chen An, increasing to three in one go, equivalent to a total increase of 0.4.


    Not bad.


    It seemed that because the value of the god attribute was not high, raising it to three points only consumed around ten points of source energy.


    Not a lot, but still a bit regretful.


    Ten points of source energy could have been enough for Chen An to raise another level in Profound Ice Strength.


    Now it was all used up.


    Chen An also felt a little bit stingy, but since he had done it, he had to continue.


    Sitting cross-legged, he began to continue circulating his internal energy, trying to sense the innate energy within his body.


    The feeling this time was even clearer.


    With the increase in the god attribute, Chen An could clearly feel that he was more relaxed in sensing the innate energy within his body and it had become much easier.


    It really worked!


    A look of joy appeared in Chen An''s heart.


    It seemed that the key to achieving the Qi Gathering Realm was not so much about willpower as it was about a specific ability.


    It was just that those with strong willpower might have a higher value in the god attribute, which increased their chance of advancement.


    As for Chen An, his willpower might not be very strong, but his god attribute had been high from the beginning.


    Regarding this, Chen An estimated that it might be because he was a transmigrator.


    After confirming the influence of the god attribute, Chen An did not take any further action and just sat there, entering into a state of cultivation.


    Time passed slowly.


    Unconsciously, half a month had passed.


    During this half month, Chen An spent most of his time practicing, with little time wasted except for necessary meals.


    Actually, even if he didn''t practice, there was nothing else to do.


    The place was too dark and the environment was too poor, lacking in any entertainment facilities, and there was no one to talk to.


    Staying in such a place, besides practicing and sleeping, what else could Chen An do?


    There was nothing.


    The efforts in practicing over the past half month had finally yielded results.


    Chen An could already feel the flow of innate energy within his body, and his control over it had further improved.


    At this point, Chen An felt that even if he left this place in the future, he would still be able to roughly control the power within his body.


    But the effect might not be as good as it was here.


    Not only was he able to sense the innate energy, but even the efficiency of his daily practice was much higher in this place.


    Chen An could feel the boiling and vigorous flow of internal energy within his body.


    For martial artists, this was an excellent place for cultivation.


    No wonder it was called a treasure land.


    Chen An couldn''t help but ponder a question.


    Even the Great Hua Imperial Family looked down on this almost abandoned place and directly abandoned it, which meant they must have better places in their hands.


    Then the question arose.


    If even this near abandoned place had such effects, what kind of effects would those better places have? What would they be like?


    Chen An couldn''t help but feel excited.


    Before entering this place, Chen An had doubts about his future path, but now, it was a different situation.


    Although the Innate Realm might be uncertain, the Qi Gathering Realm posed no problem for him.


    Without reaching the Qi Gathering Realm, it would be a waste of his high god attribute!


    After confirming his confidence and determination to advance, Chen An felt that he had more motivation for cultivation.


    Surprisingly, after this change in confidence, even his state of mind was different.


    After confirming his confidence in advancing without cheating, Chen An''s efforts became more obvious.


    Specifically, the manipulation of the innate energy within his body became easier.


    During the process of cultivation, Chen An quietly felt the state and power of the so-called innate energy within him.


    He found that through the innate energy in his body, he could keenly sense the changes in the external environment.


    For example, the occasional flash of energy flow, which was easily overlooked by ordinary people, was very obvious to Chen An at this moment and could be easily captured by him.


    This feeling was quite interesting, as if there was a new sense beyond visual and auditory senses, which was very unique.


    Perhaps after truly reaching the Qi Gathering Realm, even without using his eyes, he could easily sense the surroundings.


    That would be a new realm for him.


    If that was how it was in the Qi Gathering Realm, then what about the Innate Realm?


    These thoughts crossed Chen An''s mind involuntarily.


    Staying in one place day after day in practice, on a certain day, a strange energy flashed past, catching Chen An''s attention.


    "Hmm?"


    Chen An opened his eyes, looking somewhat surprised in a certain direction.


    Whether it was an illusion or not, he always felt that there seemed to be someone''s voice coming from that direction.


    More precisely, it sounded like a cry for help.


    Was someone in the distance calling out to him?


    "Help. Save me."


    "I''m about to die, save me."


    A faint voice came from the distance and entered Chen An''s ears.


    Chen An frowned immediately.


    Something was not right.


    According to what Cheng Zheng had said before, this place was considered a treasure land controlled by the Great Hua Imperial Family. Apart from those allowed by the Great Hua Imperial Family, no one else could enter this place.


    The guards outside were not there just for show. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    To sneak into the place without alerting the guards and find out what''s happening was not something easy to do.


    At the very least, one would need to be at the Qi Gathering Realm, right?


    But what would a Qi Gathering Realm warrior do sneaking into this place?


    And still calling out for help to him?


    Was there a Qi Gathering Realm warrior who was so shameful?


    Chen An instinctively felt it was unlikely.


    But if it wasn''t someone sneaking in, then who could be the one calling out for help in front of him?


    Chen An couldn''t help but ponder.


    He was not someone who wanted to interfere in everything, but he would help if it was within his means.


    But this situation seemed strange.


    However, if he didn''t help, there might be dangers as well.


    Chen An still had to spend a long time practicing in this place. If there really were any safety risks in this place, then the unlucky one would be him.


    So after some thought, Chen An decisively stood up.


    "Is this the place?"


    A moment later, in the mine, the familiar guide entered the place again.


    He was not alone, there were several guards accompanying him.


    "Is there really someone calling for help in this mine?"


    As they walked through the mine, he looked at Chen An, showing a look of astonishment.


    "Yes, it has been going on for a while now."


    Chen An said with a bitter smile.


    Yes, he had gone to get help.


    This was someone else''s territory. If something went wrong, it was only natural to ask the person in charge to handle it.


    Should Chen An go on his own?


    Nonsense.


    The terrain turned and twisted, and, to be blunt, if Chen An went too deep, he might get lost in it sometimes.


    Trying to find the source of the problem in such conditions would be quite challenging.


    And it wasn''t safe.


    Instead of exploring on his own, it was better to call down the guards here.


    The guards beside him had cold faces, following behind Chen An and the guide, silently moving forward, not saying a word, as if they had no words at all.


    They may seem inconspicuous, but each of them was at least at the level of Internal Energy Perfection, considered the guards stationed in this treasure land.


    Although the Great Hua Imperial Family had almost abandoned this place, they still left a considerable amount of protective force here to prevent others from stealing or using it.


    "I can abandon my things, but others can''t use them."


    That was probably the logic behind it.


    "Alright then."


    Listening to Chen An''s description, the guide looked somewhat skeptical, but still followed the direction indicated by Chen An.


    After all, he was responsible for this place, and if something really went wrong here, he wouldn''t have an easy time either.


    As they moved forward, the road was extremely twisted, with many places blocked and needing to be cleared.


    Fortunately, there were no common people standing here, even the weakest ones were at the level of Internal Energy, and it was not difficult for them to handle such small problems.


    After a while, they arrived at a certain place.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 106: Treasure?

    "Is this the place?"Guided by Chen An, they arrived at a place.


    The guide looked at the scene in front of them and frowned, "Doesn''t look like anyone has been here recently."


    As they walked along, they cleared many obstacles, and there were many places where the road had collapsed, blocking the way.


    From any angle, it didn''t look like anyone had been here recently.


    Could it be that they flew in out of nowhere?


    Well, that''s not impossible, right?


    Chen An thought to himself.


    In the previous world, there were sinister things like this. Although there hadn''t been any such discoveries in this world so far, the possibility couldn''t be ruled out.


    If such sinister things existed in this world, it wouldn''t be impossible for them to fly in, right?


    Of course, the probability of this happening was very low.


    Chen An had been in this world for over ten years, during which he had tried to find traces of such sinister beings.


    But it was of no use, he wasted a lot of time and found nothing, almost being thought of as crazy.


    Most likely, this world didn''t have such sinister things, or if they did, they were very rare and unknown to people.


    So, could there be a surprise now?


    Chen An was looking forward to it.


    As they continued along the road, they finally made a discovery.


    "That is."


    Looking at the scene illuminated by the fire in front of them, Chen An was finally a little surprised.


    "Skeletons?"


    The guide was puzzled.


    In front of them were not just any other things, but several long-dead corpses.


    Of course, to be precise, they should be called mummies.


    These bodies had long been dead, but they were in a strange state inside this mine, where the bodies had not decayed but turned into a pile of mummies.


    "These people should be the miners who worked here in the past and some people who mistakenly entered here."


    The guide analyzed.


    It was not difficult to analyze.


    The corpses in front of them were all dressed, most of them wearing tattered clothes, with many of them reduced to just a few pieces of cloth.


    Obviously, they were miners working here in the past.


    Most of the miners here were criminals or death row prisoners, so wearing such clothes was nothing strange.


    But besides these miners, there were also several figures that stood out.


    "These seem to be nobles."


    Looking at the attire of these people, the guide was surprised.


    "Why did they die here?"


    Chen An looked around and saw the many corpses scattered around, and couldn''t help but ask.


    Everything else was fine, but there were corpses everywhere here, which was obviously not a normal situation.


    But the problem was, these corpses didn''t have any obvious injuries, indicating they weren''t killed by external force.


    So, were they poisoned?


    But for no reason, who would deliberately poison a group of ordinary miners?


    And the time of death of these corpses was obviously not right.


    Some of them had died a long time ago, possibly decades ago, but some had only been dead for a few years.


    They all died at completely different times.


    So the question was, why did these people come here? And why did they all die here together?


    "Young Master Chen, you said earlier that you heard cries for help coming from here?"


    The guide also thought of this question at this moment, looking at Chen An for an answer.


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded, looking hesitant, "Could it be?"


    "It''s very possible."


    The guide sighed, "These people were most likely lured here by the cries for help and then died here for some unknown reason." S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And yet you seem so calm?


    Chen An glanced at the guide, with this thought flashing through his mind.


    If, as they thought, these people were all attracted here by those mysterious cries for help and then died here, they were also in great danger now.


    These people could die here. Couldn''t they have any problems?


    "It''s alright."


    It seemed like the guide understood Chen An''s thoughts and shook his head, then pointed to the side, "Young Master Chen, do you see that over there?"


    Chen An looked in the direction he pointed and saw a dark patch on a distant rock wall, like moss.


    "This is Dark Wind Grass, a rare poison."


    The guide sighed and said, "This is a rare highly toxic plant, and just a tiny bit on the body, if not wiped off in time, can cause death by poisoning in no time."


    "This stuff is very rare outside, but I never expected to find so much here."


    "These people must have died here because they came into contact with this thing."


    He sighed and explained.


    "I see."


    Chen An finally realized, and continued to ask, "So what about the mysterious cries for help?"


    "We don''t know."


    The guide shook his head, indicating that he didn''t know either, "There are many mysteries in this world, many of which are still unknown."


    "Perhaps this place is unique, so it recorded the cries for help from these people who died, and that''s what you heard, Young Master Chen?"


    After pondering for a moment, he gave an explanation.


    "I see."


    Chen An immediately looked as if he understood, but deep down, he didn''t believe it.


    What kind of thing could leave the voice there for so many years?


    But this was indeed very abnormal.


    Despite being near the place where Chen An had previously practiced, it was not too far away, but not close either.


    There were many places along the way blocked, blocking the road.


    So the question was, who could have transmitted the cries for help from here to Chen An''s secluded place?


    Chen An found this question very interesting.


    Looking at the black moss in front of him, he pondered for a moment, then lowered his head and started to act.


    "Young Master Chen, what are you doing?"


    The guide and the others began to feel that something was not right.


    "Getting some back."


    Chen An said as if it were a matter of course, "Since this stuff is highly toxic, it must be very valuable."


    "In that case, I might as well get some back to study, which is also good, right?"


    Yes!


    The guide and the others suddenly realized, and then they all began to act.


    Although they didn''t have much on them, they still actively tried to use various means to collect some of the black wind grass in front of them.


    Of course, they were very careful throughout the process, trying to avoid touching these things.


    This was no joke, once touched, the result could be the same as the mummified corpses around.


    They naturally didn''t dare to be negligent.


    Chen An was collecting with enthusiasm, but his movements were interrupted abruptly.


    Because at his ear, the faint cries that had been there before resounded once again.


    "Help me. Save me."


    The faint cries for help came again, and judging by the sound, they were probably nearby.


    Again?


    Chen An looked up alertly and subconsciously glanced around.


    Next to him, the guide and the others were still happily collecting the black moss in front of them.


    From the looks of it, they didn''t hear the mysterious cries for help at all.


    Chen An was puzzled.


    It was fine before, but now that they were all together, why could he hear it and others couldn''t?


    Following the source of the voice, he looked in a certain direction, took a few steps, and felt a strange and eerie sensation surging into his body.


    It felt as if his whole body had suddenly become cold, as an invisible energy flowed into his body, making him stop abruptly.


    "What is this?"


    A familiar feeling surged up in his body, and Chen An''s eyes lit up.


    It seemed like he had sensed something, and at that moment, his upgrade template spontaneously revived.


    The feeling was energy!


    There was no mistaking it.


    In the previous world, Chen An was already very familiar with this feeling, so he naturally wouldn''t be mistaken.


    What he was feeling now was the sensation that his body spontaneously produced when energy was present.


    Is there something sinister here?


    Chen An''s first thought was this, but then he felt that something was off.


    There was nothing here that could support sinister beings.


    Although in a different world, the conservation of energy still existed.


    Sinister beings, like the one before, seemed bizarre, but in reality, they also needed certain things to exist long term.


    Those things were the vitality of living beings.


    Whether human or animal, any living being could provide energy to sinister beings, allowing them to exist long term.


    If there were no such things, based on Chen An''s experience, even sinister beings would slowly weaken over time until they were eventually exhausted and killed.


    Essentially, starved to death.


    And the bodies here, judging by their appearance, had been dead for at least several decades.


    There were no living beings nearby.


    What kind of sinister being could persist for decades in such a harsh environment?


    If it really existed, it would truly be a rare occurrence.


    But if it wasn''t a sinister being, then what was it?


    Chen An was puzzled and walked slowly towards the front.


    The people around him didn''t pay attention to his actions because they were eager to make a fortune.


    Compared to Chen An, the black gold on the ground was more worthy of attention.


    Furthermore, it was dark here, and visibility was poor, so they would naturally not pay attention to him.


    After taking a few steps forward, Chen An''s sight suddenly changed.


    Soon, he saw a platform.


    The platform was black, with runes scattered around, resembling some kind of altar.


    The dried blood smeared the ground, looking somewhat frightening.


    But the most eye-catching thing was the beads on the altar.


    It was a black bead, very beautiful, like a huge gem cut from something, looking special just by appearance.


    At the sight of the black bead, Chen An immediately felt a stir in his heart.


    His body felt hot, and the upgrade template had a strong reaction, seeming to urge him forward.


    But Chen An didn''t act immediately.


    He looked cautiously ahead at the bead.


    After a while, he finally confirmed one thing.


    The faint cries for help that had been ringing in his ear were coming from this black bead.


    Because as he approached the bead, the faint murmurs would resound once again.


    Just like calling out to his soul.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 107: Your Cheat Code Has Been Renewed

    Looking at the black pearl in front of him, Chen An fell into contemplation.What exactly is this thing?


    Just from the surface, this thing looks very unusual, like some kind of rare treasure?


    The energy feeling that made Chen An faintly excited came from this black pearl.


    But there was also a problem.


    What exactly is this thing?


    Is there any danger in picking it up?


    Chen An couldn''t help but have this thought, but then he still reached out his hand.


    Regardless, this is ready-made energy. Since it''s right in front of him, can he just let it go?


    If he did, Chen An would probably really regret it.


    He definitely has to take it.


    But he could be cautious about it.


    After a moment of contemplation, Chen An pulled out his long knife, used the long knife to pick up the black pearl, threw it aside, and directly moved it outside of the altar.


    The process went smoothly, and basically didn''t cause any abnormal reactions.


    Everything was normal, as if nothing had happened.


    Until the black pearl was far away from the altar, coming to Chen An''s feet, nothing strange happened.


    It seems like there''s no danger?


    Chen An couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief, but out of caution, he wrapped layer after layer of his hand before daring to touch the black pearl.


    This is also to avoid poisoning.


    After all, there are still so many black wind grasses outside. Who knows if there are any toxins on this black pearl.


    If there were, touching it directly with his hand would be disastrous.


    He could then prepare for his funeral.


    "Absorb a strand of the essence of heaven and earth."


    A line of subtitles appeared, making Chen An feel both familiar and unfamiliar.


    The reason for feeling unfamiliar was that the content that appeared now was different from the past.


    Essence of heaven and earth?


    This is the first time the word has appeared in the template, it has never appeared before.


    But it remains to be seen what it does.


    But soon, Chen An knew the purpose of this thing.


    In front of him, the column of source power was rapidly rising, at a very fast pace.


    Could it be that this so-called essence of heaven and earth is source power?


    A smile appeared on Chen An''s face.


    But it was indeed a pleasant surprise.


    He had come to this place just thinking about practicing, not expecting such a unexpected gain.


    It remains to be seen what this black pearl actually is and how much source power it can provide him.


    Chen An was looking forward to it, thoughts flashing through his mind.


    The final fact proved that the surprise the black pearl gave Chen An was significant.


    Because in just a moment, the source power on Chen An''s body increased by nearly thirty points.


    Thirty points of source power!


    It was already comparable to the harvest from a previous simulation.


    It was like his luck was off the charts.


    And this wasn''t even the end, there was more to come.


    After a one-time surge, Chen An could clearly feel that the growth of the source power on his body had slowed down, the speed gradually slowing down a lot.


    He looked ahead.


    The black pearl was originally a pure black color, like a black gemstone.


    But now most of the black color had faded, revealing a transparent color, like a special crystal bead.


    Most of the remaining power had already been absorbed by Chen An.


    A good thing.


    Feeling the slowly increasing source power on his body, a smile appeared on Chen An''s face. He carefully placed the black pearl on himself and walked out.


    He didn''t stay long before leaving, and no one outside noticed his actions at all.


    Of course, it was more likely that they didn''t see clearly.


    After all, this place was too dark.


    Even with torches for illumination, visibility wasn''t that smooth.


    "It''s about time to go."


    Chen An glanced at the guide.


    The guide was squatting on the ground, digging with enthusiasm. When he heard Chen An''s voice, he turned back and coughed softly, "It''s about time."


    "Let''s go."


    Chen An looked up.


    The black moss that had grown nearby had been dug up, leaving no trace behind.


    This was a good thing.


    The next time someone came, they probably wouldn''t have to worry about poisoning anymore.


    However, from another perspective, after Chen An took away the black pearl, it was unlikely that anyone else would be led here.


    The cries for help that Chen An heard earlier were probably from that black pearl.


    When he touched the black pearl just now, Chen An could vaguely see some scenes.


    Those were some scenes that had happened here in the past, people coming here and then touching the black moss, dying here one by one.


    Their dying cries were left behind and recorded by the black pearl.


    The cries for help that Chen An heard earlier were probably related to this.


    It was not sinister, but another unique phenomenon.


    As he made his way back to his previous place of practice, Chen An was pondering a question.


    What exactly is this black pearl in his hand?


    According to the hints from the template, this black pearl contains pure essence of heaven and earth.


    This seems to match the description of a treasure land.


    The so-called treasure land is a place that contains the essence of heaven and earth, forming a unique environment that is beneficial for cultivation.


    So is this black pearl a unique treasure nurtured within this treasure land? S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If that''s the case, if this place has it, would other places have it too?


    Chen An was curious about that.


    There was no other way.


    He had been in this world for a long time, always working hard and steadily.


    But to be honest, if he could cheat, who would want to advance slowly?


    Chen An wasn''t paranoid, nor was he a masochist.


    He didn''t cheat purely because he thought it wasn''t worth it, not for any other reason.


    But if there were ways to obtain source power in this world, why not cheat a little?


    Cheating would increase his strength, and with increased strength, he could gather more source power.


    The plan was quite reasonable.


    "It seems I should consider targeting a few more treasure lands in the future."


    As he returned to the place of practice, Chen An couldn''t help but think about it.


    It had been several days since he obtained the black pearl.


    The people brought down by the guide had already left, eager to sell off the black wind grass they had on hand.


    In the vast mine, only Chen An remained sitting alone, continuing his practice.


    And then, he once again noticed something unusual.


    His practice had started well, but gradually something seemed off.


    Why did the effectiveness of practicing in this area seem to be decreasing?


    The place Chen An had chosen to practice was the best part of this treasure land.


    According to what the guide had said before, this treasure land had encountered some mishaps in the past, resulting in a significant reduction in its effects, leaving only a few places that still maintained a decent effect.


    Many other places had become ordinary, no longer worthy of being called treasure lands.


    However, these past few days, Chen An could clearly feel the degradation in the surrounding areas.


    The effectiveness of practicing here was weakening.


    Initially, Chen An was very puzzled by this.


    He had been here for several months, and nothing had happened before. Everything was fine.


    Why now, in just a few days, did this place change so drastically?


    And it was changing every day, getting worse than the day before.


    At this rate, this place would probably soon become just a regular place.


    With doubts in his mind, Chen An began to explore.


    And then, he found the culprit.


    It was none other than the black pearl he had brought.


    Previously, the black pearl had been sucked dry by Chen An, the entire black pearl had turned transparent, with no trace of black remaining, looking like a beautiful crystal ball.


    But now, after several days, a faint black color mysteriously appeared on the black pearl, as if it had been recharged.


    With a gentle touch, it was clear that it could still absorb source power.


    Now, Chen An couldn''t not know what was going on.


    It turns out this black pearl could absorb the power of the surrounding environment to replenish itself, like a battery that could charge itself.


    This was incredible.


    Looking at the nearly depleted practice area around him, which now looked no different from other places, Chen An couldn''t help but suspect that this thing might have caused the calamity that greatly weakened the effects of practicing.


    It seemed quite possible.


    From the looks of it, this black pearl had been here for a long time, slowly draining the power of this treasure land over time. This seemed to be a very reasonable thing.


    But it had nothing to do with him.


    On the contrary, for Chen An, this was a great thing.


    Originally, this pearl could only be used once. Once the source power inside was sucked dry, it would be useless. But now, it was clearly a rechargeable battery!


    Suck it dry once, leave it here for a while, and then suck it again after a while.


    Is there anything better than this?


    In Chen An''s eyes, there was not.


    Over the next period of time, Chen An walked around this treasure land.


    To be more precise, he caused trouble.


    The place where he had previously been in seclusion had only lasted a few days before becoming unusable, the essence of heaven and earth in the surrounding environment being sucked dry and having no effect.


    So Chen An began to constantly change places.


    Fortunately, this treasure land was vast, and although most of the areas had become unusable, there were still many places left.


    More than enough to charge the pearl.


    And so, about three months later, Chen An left this place.


    "Master Chen, are you sure you don''t want to stay a bit longer inside?"


    Looking at Chen An, who had proactively applied to leave, the guide was a bit surprised and puzzled, "The Third Prince has already spoken to me, Master, if you want, you can stay a bit longer inside, no need to rush out."


    "No need."


    Facing the guide''s puzzled gaze, Chen An felt a little guilty, but still shook his head with a smile, showing a calm appearance, "Half a year of practice, I feel that my practice is already sufficient, and I don''t need to waste any more time in there."


    "If there is a chance in the future, I will come back to find you."


    He spoke calmly.


    There was no way he could stay.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 108: The Unexpected Turn of Events

    Chen An felt a bit guilty.In the past few months, he had almost depleted this treasure land, and now it no longer had the appearance of a treasure land.


    That was also the reason why he decided to leave.


    Since he had drained this place dry, there was no reason for him to stay here.


    Although it was called a treasure land, in reality, the surroundings were just endless mines, with many dark and gloomy areas, devoid of sunlight, and extremely harsh conditions.


    Who would willingly come to such a place if it wasn''t for cultivation and survival?


    Now that this place was ruined, Chen An couldn''t possibly stay here to mine, right?


    "Well, it''s fine."


    The guide didn''t think much about it and accepted Chen An''s decision: "In that case, Lord Chen, you should go back first. If you need anything in the future, you can always come back."


    He smiled and remarked, "It''s rare to see someone in this place. Lord Chen seems to be quite close to it as well."


    "Definitely, definitely."


    Chen An could only smile, unsure of what to say.


    He couldn''t possibly say that he definitely wouldn''t come back in the future.


    Not only himself, but probably no one else would come to this place either in the future.


    You might not have to stay here anymore in the future.


    After all, when this place was no longer a treasure land, there would be no need for dedicated guards to protect it.


    These people could go elsewhere and didn''t have to stay in this barren wilderness, essentially being exiled.


    Of course, he only thought this in his mind and couldn''t say it out loud.


    After exchanging greetings with a few familiar people, Chen An left the place and headed towards Shengjing.


    Riding forward, he reached the official road and saw knights galloping around, with messengers rushing urgently from afar.


    It seemed like there was some urgent matter that needed to be delivered.


    And their direction seemed to be towards Shengjing.


    Chen An had already seen many of these messengers along the way.


    A different and unusual atmosphere enveloped the surroundings.


    Even the courier stations seemed more tense than usual.


    Chen An observed all this and then rode forward, determined to head towards Shengjing.


    Time passed slowly.


    Due to traveling alone, Chen An''s speed was much faster than when he arrived. In just a few days, he had returned to Shengjing.


    Upon reaching Shengjing, his first task was to return to his residence and prepare to find the Fourth Princess.


    Compared to others, the Fourth Princess was definitely among the most well-informed individuals. Asking the Fourth Princess for information about recent events was the best idea.


    However, to his surprise, the Fourth Princess was not in her mansion at the moment.


    But despite the absence of the princess, the steward Liu Zhong was still there.


    From him, Chen An also obtained a lot of information.


    "What? The Emperor is critically ill!"


    In the courtyard, Chen An was shocked: "The Crown Prince leading the army back to the capital?"


    "Yes."


    In the mansion of the Fourth Princess, Liu Zhong sighed with a worried expression: "Her Highness has already entered the palace to take care of the Emperor."


    "I thought the Emperor was always in good health? How did this suddenly happen..."


    Chen An furrowed his brows, feeling perplexed.


    The founder of Dahua was known for his martial prowess, and even the subsequent Emperors, despite not having good aptitude, usually had the habit of martial arts practice.


    The current Emperor was no exception. Although he hadn''t reached the realm of inner qi, with the support of abundant rare treasures, he had cultivated a strong physique. His health should have been robust.


    Before Chen An left, it was said that the Emperor was in good health. So how could this happen in just half a year?


    "That''s right."


    Liu Zhong also wore a concerned expression as he spoke, "With the Emperor''s illness, Her Highness doesn''t know what to do."


    With the Emperor critically ill, the people in the Fourth Princess''s mansion could clearly sense the changes.


    Unlike before, the people in the Fourth Princess''s mansion now wore worried expressions, appearing concerned about the Emperor''s condition.


    Of course, this wasn''t out of loyalty to the Emperor but rather due to concerns about their own future.


    This was quite understandable.


    The reason why the Fourth Princess held her position was solely due to the Emperor''s favor.


    The people in the Fourth Princess''s mansion benefited from her favor and enjoyed privileges from various quarters.


    But if the Emperor was no longer there, the Fourth Princess''s future would be uncertain.


    Without the Emperor''s favor, their future would not be as good as before.


    And if the situation worsened, it would be even more difficult.


    In the past, the Fourth Princess had made enemies with many people.


    So it was understandable that the people in the Fourth Princess''s mansion were concerned.


    Even Liu Zhong, a staunch supporter of the Fourth Princess, felt this way.


    Chen An pondered the changes in Shengjing.


    With the Emperor critically ill, it indicated that various complications would arise in Shengjing.


    It was hard to predict how the situation would unfold next.


    After confirming that the Fourth Princess was not in her mansion, Chen An didn''t hesitate and went straight to the Third Prince''s mansion.


    Upon arriving at the Third Prince''s mansion, he found out that the Third Prince was also not present at the moment, reportedly out for official business.


    Chen An wasn''t surprised by this.


    Among the princes, the Third Prince was known for his strong work ethic. It wasn''t unusual for him to be engrossed in official matters even on regular days.


    At this moment, there was no special occasion, so the Third Prince not being in his mansion wasn''t surprising.


    Chen An wasn''t anxious and waited in the Third Prince''s mansion.


    After a little over an hour, the Third Prince finally returned.


    "Chang An!"


    Meeting after half a year, Cheng Zheng was visibly excited to see Chen An and immediately grabbed his hand: "When did you come back? Why didn''t you inform us beforehand?"


    "I just arrived today."


    Seeing Cheng Zheng''s enthusiasm, Chen An felt a bit helpless but replied, "Your Highness, how is the situation in Shengjing now?"


    "It''s quite complicated."


    Glancing around, the Third Prince suggested, "Let''s go inside and talk."


    "Sure."


    Chen An agreed as they entered the mansion, and Cheng Zheng explained the current situation to him.


    Compared to the information Chen An had gathered outside, as a prince, Cheng Zheng was privy to much more information.


    Thus, Chen An learned more details.


    Roughly in March, the Emperor of Dahua suddenly fell critically ill and went into a coma.


    Subsequently, the Crown Prince hastily returned to Shengjing with his army, changing the banners overnight.


    Clearly, he had thoughts of returning to the capital to secure his position.


    If something happened to the Emperor, the Crown Prince could ascend to the throne promptly.


    However, the Second Prince was not one to be underestimated.


    While the Crown Prince had a strong reputation and military prowess, the Second Prince had a firm grip on power in Shengjing after years of presence. Supported by figures like the Duke of Chen, his influence was deeply rooted.


    During this period, the two princes fought vehemently in Shengjing, setting a tense atmosphere throughout the city.


    The courtiers were left with no choice but to align themselves with one of the princes, either the Crown Prince or the Second Prince, with very few remaining neutral factions.


    Shengjing was now plunged into this intense conflict, leaving people fearful and anxious.


    "Chang An, what should we do now?"


    The Third Prince seemed uneasy, looking at Chen An with a furrowed brow.


    Originally, they had planned to methodically observe and make preparations while the Crown Prince and the Second Prince engaged in their power struggle, silently amassing their strength in the background.


    However, with the Emperor''s sudden critical illness, the power struggle had escalated into a fiery battle.


    The original plan now seemed ill-timed.


    "Your Highness, to what extent is the Emperor''s condition?"


    Chen An asked seriously, emphasizing the importance of the question.


    "Well..."


    The Third Prince hesitated, seeming unsure how to answer: "The moment the Emperor fell gravely ill, the palace was sealed off, and all information was tightly controlled."


    "Even if I wanted to see the Emperor in person, I could only glimpse him from afar, unable to get close."


    "Even you, Your Highness, don''t know the Emperor''s condition?"


    Chen An''s expression turned grave: "And now, we only have two options."


    "What are they?"


    The Third Prince hurriedly inquired.


    "The first option, if the Emperor is truly on the brink of death, unable to govern, then to achieve our goals, we must battle against the two princes."


    Chen An''s expression was solemn as he continued, "Your Highness can actively align with either the Crown Prince or the Second Prince, lend them a hand, wait for the right moment, and deliver a decisive blow when they least expect it."


    This path involved catching them off guard.


    In the past, Cheng Zheng had maintained a low profile, and the Crown Prince and the Second Prince didn''t pay much attention to him. So if Cheng Zheng actively approached them, they probably wouldn''t be wary and would accept him readily.


    Cheng Zheng could assist one side to victory, gain their trust during the process, and then unleash all his hidden power at a critical moment to eliminate their competitors.


    Cheng Zheng got up and immersed himself in contemplation.


    The key to this path was catching them off guard.


    There was only one chance.


    If the plan failed, there would be no second opportunity.


    But if executed well, with the power he held, there was a chance to make a move.


    "And the other option?"


    Cheng Zheng asked again, seeking Chen An''s guidance.


    "The other option..."


    Chen An took a deep breath, "Then please lead the loyal courtiers who remain faithful to the Emperor, stand by the Emperor''s side, and fight against both the Crown Prince and the Second Prince."


    "In this way, if the Emperor manages to recover from his illness. . ."


    Cheng Zheng suddenly understood.


    Despite the current upheaval, it seemed that the future wouldn''t necessarily fall into the hands of the Crown Prince or the Second Prince. Rather, the one who held the most power in Shengjing was still the Emperor.


    As long as the Emperor could recover, wake up again, all the discordant voices would fade away. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 109: Within Arms Reach

    Perhaps because he had recently returned from the outside world and was not influenced by the internal turmoil in Shengjing, Chen An had a clear view of the current situation in Shengjing.Although Shengjing appeared lively on the surface, those with real power were still present.


    The Crown Prince and the Second Prince were engaged in intense conflict at the moment, but what would happen if the Emperor woke up?


    After all, the Emperor was still the Emperor. As long as he was alive and able to issue commands, he was the deserved Emperor of Shengjing.


    With the power of the royal family in the Emperor''s hands, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were nothing.


    "I have only one question, how would the Emperor react if he woke up now and saw the current situation?" Chen An asked Cheng Zheng.


    Cheng Zheng''s eyes lit up.


    Yes.


    If the Emperor woke up and saw the intense fight between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince for the throne, it would not result in a happy reaction.


    It would probably make him furious.


    In that case, the two princes who seemed to have the advantage at the moment would be eliminated.


    And if the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were out, who else would be left but him?


    "Imagine this," Chen An continued, "If the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were fighting for the throne, while you, my lord, were leading the court officials to manage affairs and support the overall situation, what would the Emperor''s reaction be when he woke up?"


    "Compared to the two princes fighting while the Emperor''s life hung in the balance, your dedication to the country and your father would be highly commendable."


    It''s all about comparison.


    In a situation where the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were fighting for the throne in a dirty way, Cheng Zheng''s ability to manage affairs and show filial piety would stand out.


    What would the Emperor think upon waking up to such a situation?


    Surely, he would feel relieved.


    And when the Crown Prince and the Second Prince missed their chance due to their actions, who would then claim the position of Crown Prince?


    Cheng Zheng''s eyes sparkled even more.


    "Moreover, the Emperor may have already woken up and is silently observing the reactions of the princes in the court," Chen An added softly.


    Cheng Zheng was taken aback.


    Listening to Chen An''s words, he instinctively wanted to refute them, thinking it was impossible.


    When the Emperor was in a coma, he, as a prince, had visited him and could confirm that the Emperor was seriously injured, not pretending.


    And in the past few months, the Emperor had not made any public appearances, which was a solid fact. s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An glanced at him, seemingly understanding his thoughts, and continued, "I don''t know what you saw before or what you already know."


    "Here''s only one question," Chen An added, "If the Emperor really wants to deceive you and hide in the background, could you really tell?"


    As his words sank in, Cheng Zheng broke out in a cold sweat.


    Indeed, he couldn''t be sure.


    Not just him, but even the people in Shengjing, who could guarantee that the Emperor''s apparent illness was not a well-masked disguise?


    After considering Chen An''s words, Cheng Zheng began to deliberate.


    When Chen An proposed the first option, he had already stirred some interest in Cheng Zheng.


    In secret, Cheng Zheng had already amassed a considerable amount of power, knowing that with this power and his past disguises, he had a good chance of emerging as the final victor.


    By removing his two older brothers standing in his way, the throne would be within his reach.


    However, Chen An''s subsequent words made him hesitate.


    As a prince striving to achieve great things, Cheng Zheng had analyzed his father''s personality and actions in detail.


    In his view, it was entirely plausible for the Emperor to feign death and observe from the sidelines.


    If that were the case, choosing the first option might have unintended consequences.


    While the Crown Prince and the Second Prince would lose their opportunity, if he engaged in the struggle and even ended up killing his brothers, wouldn''t his actions be equally despicable?


    If the Emperor awoke and witnessed everything, how would he react in the end?


    On the other hand, if he didn''t act and the Emperor had truly fallen critically ill due to the recent events, wouldn''t he have missed his last chance in vain?


    In that case, what would he do then?


    Faced with these uncertainties, Cheng Zheng became increasingly hesitant, unable to make a decision easily.


    This was perfectly normal.


    Such crucial decisions were not easy to make, as one wrong step could be irreparable.


    "Chen An, what do you think?" After much hesitation, Cheng Zheng turned to Chen An, hoping for a response, "Just tell me what to do."


    "I''ll follow your lead."


    Cheng Zheng had always believed in Chen An''s abilities, and this was one of the reasons why he was so eager to hear Chen An''s reply.


    In the midst of this crucial decision, he looked to Chen An for an answer, his eyes filled with anticipation.


    Under Cheng Zheng''s expectant gaze, Chen An remained silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "When it comes to decisions that you, my lord, cannot make, I am in the same boat."


    "However, no matter what you decide, the priority now is to communicate with the court officials and maintain the current situation."


    Chen An was not bold enough to make decisions for his master.


    After all, if things turned out well, that would be good, but if they failed, whose responsibility would it be?


    This decision was one that only Cheng Zheng could make.


    "Exactly," Cheng Zheng nodded as he listened to Chen An, fully agreeing with him.


    Regardless of whether he would engage in the princes'' fight or seek the Emperor''s favor, gaining the support of the court officials and maintaining the current situation was essential.


    On one hand, it would strengthen his power and leverage, making the Crown Prince and the Second Prince take him more seriously. On the other hand, maintaining the overall situation would also require the assistance of these court officials.


    "I don''t know how to make a specific choice, but someone definitely does," Chen An said with a smile.


    "Oh?" Cheng Zheng''s eyes brightened, "Who?"


    "The Fourth Princess."


    As Cheng Zheng eagerly looked at him, Chen An mentioned a name.


    In just a few days, the atmosphere in Shengjing seemed to have changed once again.


    Conflict was erupting everywhere, with factions in the court and opposition in every corner.


    The Crown Prince and the Second Prince''s factions were fighting everywhere, turning Shengjing into a powder keg.


    In this situation, the entire court was paralyzed, with many affairs left unattended.


    After all, at this critical moment, everyone was focused on vying for the throne, neglecting the usual small matters.


    In an adjacent city to Shengjing, floods had occurred recently, sweeping through several areas and causing displaced residents.


    However, the court officials were too busy with their power struggle to notice or care about these small matters.


    In the end, it was Cheng Zheng, the Third Prince, who took the lead, providing aid to the flood victims, repairing the river channels, and managing the flood.


    The actions of the Third Prince, especially in contrast to the Crown Prince and Second Prince, who were only concerned with vying for the throne, were highly praised.


    It was all about the contrast.


    Sometimes, you didn''t need to do exceptionally well; you just had to do better than your competitors.


    Cheng Zheng easily gained a reputation in such a way, without arousing suspicion from others.


    At the same time, Chen An was taking action.


    "Don''t cry, Your Highness," Chen An comforted the Fourth Princess softly inside the carriage during the rain.


    In front of him, the Fourth Princess was quietly sobbing, burying herself in Chen An''s embrace.


    While he held the Fourth Princess, feeling both pity and heartache, Chen An''s actions were not as smooth as Cheng Zheng''s.


    Initially, Chen An and Cheng Zheng had intended to use the Fourth Princess''s situation to understand the Emperor''s true condition.


    It seemed like a good plan.


    As everyone knew, the Fourth Princess was the Emperor''s most beloved daughter.


    Therefore, in such a situation, being so pampered by the Emperor but currently ignored by others, the Fourth Princess would likely know some specific details.


    Chen An believed that he could understand a lot from the Fourth Princess''s reactions.


    However, upon real contact, he realized he had overestimated the situation.


    While the Fourth Princess was indeed the Emperor''s most beloved daughter, she didn''t even have the qualification to enter the palace in the current circumstances.


    Outside the palace, there were a large number of guards posted, mostly sent by the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.


    Although the two were competing, they surprisingly had a tacit understanding on certain matters. As soon as they revealed their intention to claim the throne, they sent people to the palace to control the Emperor and wield his authority.


    However, it turned out that their rivals had the same idea.


    Thus, the two of them ended up in a stalemate.


    In Shengjing, the power of the two princes was strong, but they were still in a balanced state where neither could overpower the other.


    Ultimately, they had to join forces to surround the palace and prevent each other from sending people inside.


    [End of Chapter]

 Chapter 110: Palace Intrusion!

    The situation was a bit grim.There was no way around it.


    Who would have thought that even the Emperor''s most beloved fourth princess couldn''t enter the palace now?


    It could only be said that the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were too heartless.


    They couldn''t achieve their goals themselves, and they didn''t want others to achieve theirs either.


    Chen An couldn''t help but let out a long sigh, feeling that the situation in front of him was a bit tricky.


    He had a lot on his mind.


    If he couldn''t see the Emperor for so long, no matter what choice he made, it would be risky.


    Continuing to delay, who knows what it would turn into.


    Speaking of which, he was the one bearing the brunt, but things should be going smoothly for the Third Prince, right?


    Chen An thought quietly.


    To avoid suspicion, he had been accompanying the fourth princess here for the past few days. Although he had heard some news from the outside, his understanding was not too specific.


    However, Chen An believed in the Third Prince''s abilities.


    Just like how the Third Prince believed in Chen An''s abilities, Chen An also had great faith in the Third Prince''s capabilities, believing he could handle the current trouble.


    There shouldn''t be too many problems on the Third Prince''s side.


    It was trouble here.


    Chen An had a lot on his mind, but with the fourth princess in his arms, she was only crying.


    In Chen An''s arms, the once willful and wayward fourth princess cried loudly, looking pitiful.


    During these recent days, the once willful princess had also experienced the ups and downs of the world.


    Since her father, the Emperor, fell ill, everything seemed to have changed.


    People who used to treat her respectfully became disrespectful, those who used to dare not provoke her now dared to do so, and even the guards in front of the palace didn''t take her seriously, directly scolding her to leave.


    The world seemed to have changed drastically and too quickly.


    Until now, it seemed that no one valued the once untouchable fourth princess anymore.


    "The Emperor changes, and so do the ministers.


    In the past, the fourth princess, loved by the Emperor, could offend many people but no one dared to provoke her.


    But now, with the Emperor gravely ill and possibly not surviving, attitudes were bound to change.


    To be frank, these people were currently just showing a slight change in attitude, and they hadn''t really retaliated yet, probably due to the fact that the Emperor was only gravely ill and the Crown Prince and the Second Prince had not shown their stance.


    Once the Emperor was gravely ill and the new Emperor expressed displeasure and disgust towards the fourth princess, the situation would worsen.


    Why else would the people at the fourth princess''s mansion look so sorrowful?


    As for the fourth princess, she just felt wronged.


    "I just want to see Father. Why can''t I even do that?"


    The fourth princess sobbed softly, unable to speak.


    During this time, she had also experienced many ups and downs.


    But she didn''t care much about those, she just wanted to see her father.


    Yes.


    Chen An sighed silently.


    Since when was it so difficult for a daughter to see her father?


    It shouldn''t be this way.


    "Fourth Princess, do you want to see His Majesty?"


    With the fourth princess in his arms, Chen An fell silent for a moment before speaking.


    The fourth princess didn''t say anything, she just nodded silently.


    "Alright."


    After confirming the fourth princess''s reply, Chen An sighed and then stood up, saying, "In that case, I will accompany the princess and intrude into the palace."


    "No, please don''t."


    Hearing Chen An''s words, the fourth princess suddenly raised her head, her tearful and cute face now full of fear: "Chang An, don''t go. You''ll die."


    The fourth princess''s time was not wasted.


    During the period when the palace was sealed, many ministers came to see the Emperor, scolding the Crown Prince and the Second Prince outside the palace and disrupting internal and external communication.


    But those people all died in the end.


    The bloody corpses lying outside the palace were arranged neatly, looking particularly horrifying.


    For the fourth princess, she didn''t want to see Chen An die for her sake.


    "After Father fell into a coma, I only have you. Please don''t go."


    She shook her head from time to time, her face full of fear.


    For the fourth princess, Chen An had a different status at the moment.


    The past affection didn''t need to be mentioned, but what was more crucial was the companionship at the moment.


    During the time when the Emperor was gravely ill, many of the fourth princess''s former friends suddenly became distant from her, wanting to draw clear boundaries and cut off relationships.


    Some even took advantage of her trust to harm her.


    All of this had caused great trauma to the young princess.


    And at this moment, it seemed that only Chen An continued to treat her the same way as before, comforting her without any change due to the Emperor''s illness.


    In this situation, Chen An''s position in her heart naturally rose, reaching a new level.


    She didn''t want to see Chen An die for her sake.


    Facing the fourth princess''s fearful gaze, Chen An''s feelings were somewhat complicated.


    Strictly speaking, his actions were actually manipulative, only for himself and not out of loyalty.


    However, if he could accomplish his goals and make the person in front of him happy, then that would be best.


    Thinking about this, he finally smiled, "Your Highness, please don''t worry."


    "Just a few guards, what should I fear as Chen Chang''an?"


    "I wonder if Your Highness dares to go with me on this adventure."


    Looking at Chen An''s calm face and familiar smile, the fourth princess hesitated for a moment, then felt a surge of courage rise within her, nodding in agreement without further refusal.


    Just then, the storm outside gradually stopped, and the rainfall disappeared.


    "Fourth Princess, please go back."


    As the fourth princess approached again, the guard''s expression was cold and stern, calmly stating, "The Emperor is unwell and doesn''t see any outsiders."


    "If you insist on staying here, then please don''t blame us for being rude."


    "Oh?"


    A voice came from the side, surprising the guard.


    In his line of sight, Chen An appeared, and with his voice, he said, "I''m curious to know, exactly how rude can you be?"


    As his words fell, a powerful force erupted, directly charging forward.


    With a loud bang, the guard in front of him was sent flying, coughing up blood.


    The place fell silent immediately.


    Then chaotic sounds echoed.


    "Assassin!"


    "Protect the Emperor!"


    Voices echoed from all directions.


    In an instant, the entire area outside the palace erupted into turmoil, starting to move directly.


    Chen An looked up.


    In his line of sight, a dense crowd surged into the palace towards him.


    From the looks of it, there were at least hundreds of people.


    The fourth princess''s face turned pale, feeling a bit at a loss facing the scene in front of her.


    Despite her normally privileged upbringing, she was still a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, and facing such a situation made her feel fearful, sending a chill down her spine.


    She turned to look at Chen An and saw his calm expression.


    Even in the face of the current situation, Chen An remained calm, providing a strong sense of confidence.


    Almost as if, as long as he stood there, everything could be resolved.


    "It''s alright."


    Seemingly sensing the fourth princess''s worries, Chen An smiled softly, reassuring her.


    Ahead, the sounds of battle suddenly erupted.


    Chen An started to move slowly.


    He drew his long knife, and the seemingly ordinary blade gleamed.


    Facing the soldier formations, if it were just Chen An alone, he had many ways to deal with it. But with the fourth princess by his side, things were different.


    He could run, but the princess couldn''t.


    Flanking and close combat were not feasible to prevent harm to the princess.


    In that case, he had to rely on a show of force.


    Chen An sighed and looked ahead.


    In front of him, the upgrade panel appeared.


    "Xuan Ice Force, empower me!"


    As the thought flashed through his mind, a message passed through him, then a brilliant light shone, illuminating everything.


    At some point, the situation began to change.


    An inexplicable chill emerged.


    Despite the scorching weather, there was a sense of cold, making it bone-chilling.


    A long knife was swung.


    The blade, although seemingly ordinary, exuded a chilling intent, engulfing everything.


    A wave of cold echoed.


    With that swing of the knife, a blast of energy surged.


    The long knife descended, stopping the advance of hundreds of people in their tracks.


    Those who were closer had their bodies shattered, splattering blood and flesh in all directions. S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the blood and flesh, there were remnants of ice crystals, looking eerie.


    The surroundings fell silent, everyone looking at Chen An in shock.


    Their gaze was filled with fear, as if they had seen a ghost.


    "He''s exuding energy!"


    "He''s in Qi Condensation realm!"


    Some people were shocked and terrified.


    With just one strike, taking down a hundred people, this was the power only achievable in the Qi Condensation realm.


    If not for the Qi Condensation realm, such a strike wouldn''t have been possible.


    "Inform Duke Wu of the situation, call for reinforcements!"


    The person in charge made a quick decision and issued the command.


    Their response was swift.


    After a hundred people fell, Chen An looked around and saw that they were no longer approaching.


    Of course, they wouldn''t approach now.


    Seeing the power of Chen An''s strike earlier, these people weren''t foolish.


    There were only a few hundred of them, and if they foolishly rushed in, they would likely just face a few strikes from the other side.


    They formed ranks at a distance and, to Chen An''s surprise, took out powerful crossbows.


    This puzzled Chen An.


    This didn''t seem right.


    As warriors, shouldn''t they be fighting face to face with the intruder? Why were they resorting to using crossbows?


    Where was the warrior''s code of honor?


    Ignoring Chen An''s thoughts, they aimed the crossbows towards the direction where he and the fourth princess were.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 111: Audience

    Facing the crossbow array head-on, one cannot imagine the feelings and power within it.The power of the powerful crossbows in the army is already formidable. At close range, they can penetrate armor.


    And when hundreds of powerful crossbows are simultaneously fired, forming a crossbow array, the power within is truly amazing.


    If you are a bystander, you would be shocked and amazed, enough to write several reviews afterwards to express your astonishment.


    But if you are a participant, or even the one being shot at, the feeling is not so great.


    At this moment, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh, feeling a strange sense of exhaustion. S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This feeling is off.


    He had read many novels and watched movies in his previous life, where the protagonist carried an odd companion, seemingly harmless and easygoing.


    But when it came to him, why did it feel so difficult?


    Just like now.


    If the Fourth Princess weren''t there, with Chen An''s cultivation raised to the Gang Qi level, he could easily avoid it.


    These crossbow arrays couldn''t harm him at all.


    But with the Fourth Princess there, the problem became serious.


    There was no way to dodge.


    He could dodge, but the Fourth Princess couldn''t!


    With ordinary Gang Qi, facing this situation would probably be challenging.


    Death might not be certain, but injury was inevitable.


    The only difference was in the severity of the injury.


    Fortunately, it was Chen An standing there, not someone else.


    If his strength wasn''t enough, then he would make use of his skills.


    In front of him, the name representing Xuanbing Qi was shining brightly, once again emitting a tempting brilliance.


    The already raised Xuanbing Qi rose again.


    Gang Qi''s second level, Gang Transformation!


    Boom!


    Outside the palace, Chen An''s face remained calm as he silently held the Fourth Princess''s hand and moved forward.


    The crossbows rained down, falling in front of them, but were all blocked in the end.


    Gang Qi condensed into a barrier, gathering in front of them, forming an invisible shield that blocked all the crossbows from approaching.


    It was an extremely terrifying scene.


    Crossbows shot down from the sky, but no matter how many arrows fell, they were all blocked, unable to get close.


    Chen An and the Fourth Princess continued forward calmly, as if they were protected by the heavens and were never hindered throughout.


    It was like a leisurely stroll.


    "This..."


    Not to mention the guards here, even those who were secretly observing were all stunned at this moment.


    Staying still and facing the crossbow array head-on with Gang Qi cultivation may be possible in the entire realm of Dahua, but it definitely did not include the young man in front of them.


    The young man leading the Fourth Princess forward looked so young! Twenty? Or eighteen?


    Most ordinary people at this age were probably still at the stage of physical training.


    On the other hand, he had already become a Gang Qi practitioner.


    Where did the Fourth Princess recruit such a person?


    Many people couldn''t help but think about this.


    And in the distance, it seemed like reinforcements from the guards had arrived.


    "It''s you!"


    A familiar voice came from afar.


    Chen An subconsciously looked up and saw a familiar figure.


    It was Wu Guogong, who he had crossed paths with at the Second Prince''s mansion before. He was wearing armor, glaring at Chen An.


    Beside him, there was another middle-aged man wearing armor under the Crown Prince''s faction, presumably in charge of this area.


    These two were probably the strongest among the guards here.


    "Traitor, how dare you attack the palace!"


    Seeing Chen An, Wu Guogong did not hesitate. He raised his sword and charged towards Chen An.


    "Wu Guogong, stop!"


    The leader of the guards shouted desperately from afar, trying to remind the impulsive Wu Guogong, but it was too late.


    Wu Guogong charged too quickly, catching everyone off guard.


    Obviously, Wu Guogong thought of Chen An as an easy target, ready to take him down directly and gain credit.


    As for threats?


    No way!


    Wu Guogong was at the pinnacle of internal energy cultivation, half a step away from Gang Qi. What threat could there be?


    Unless Gang Qi was used, who could kill him?


    Moreover, the flattery and lack of martial will in front of him made things worse.


    This state of mind was actually quite normal.


    After all, without using Gang Qi, he was almost invincible with his cultivation.


    But Gang Qi?


    Who would think that a young man who looked under twenty could be at a Gang Qi level?


    Impossible, right?


    The long sword fell with a force as heavy as ten thousand catties, as if it was going to behead Chen An directly.


    However, even with such a terrifying strike, it was blocked.


    Because an even more terrifying scene unfolded.


    The long sword descended from the sky, but was abruptly stopped.


    And the one who stopped the long sword was none other than a seemingly slender and fair arm.


    Chen An''s face remained calm as he looked at Wu Guogong in front of him.


    Wu Guogong didn''t speak, but cold sweat dripped down from his forehead.


    On Chen An''s arm, a layer of distinct white fog gathered, with ice crystals flowing on it, slowly spreading and ultimately freezing Wu Guogong''s entire longsword.


    This display clearly revealed something, it couldn''t be more obvious.


    "Gang... Qi."


    Wu Guogong''s face was stiff as his mind was in shock, not knowing what to say.


    So, there really are incredible things in this world?


    A Gang Qi at less than twenty, is this real?


    This is incredible, but why is this incredible thing happening to him?


    At this moment, Wu Guogong really wanted to turn and run.


    If only his body could move.


    Yes, he could no longer move his body.


    A layer of Gang Qi condensed ice crystals spread along the long sword, then slowly enveloped most of his body, directly freezing him.


    Wu Guogong could clearly feel that where the ice crystals spread, his entire body was transforming, flesh and blood frozen.


    This transformation process was rapid, in just a moment, most of his body was frozen.


    "Mercy."


    Finally, he opened his mouth, letting go of his so-called martial will, ready to beg for mercy.


    No matter how good your martial will is, it can''t feed you.


    Since you''re going to die anyway, why bother with it?


    But at this point, it was too late.


    Chen An had no mercy in his habits. Even if he heard Wu Guogong''s plea for mercy, he had no intention of stopping.


    Blame it on the fact that you sat in front of the Second Prince back then.


    For the Second Prince, Chen An had a grudge in his heart.


    The debt from back then, would be repaid one day.


    So Wu Guogong died like this.


    Although, he wasn''t completely dead yet.


    Chen An just froze Wu Guogong''s body, not his head. So he was still a little ways off from death.


    But it was coming soon.


    After dealing with Wu Guogong in front of him, Chen An looked towards the distance.


    More precisely, he was looking at the expert under the Crown Prince.


    This person who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Wu Guogong and come to reinforce, should be quite formidable.


    However, unfortunately, after Wu Guogong was taken care of, this person decisively stopped.


    He didn''t dare to run, just obediently stood there, looking like a spectator.


    If you ignore his trembling eyes and shaking body, he almost looked the part.


    Leading the Fourth Princess by the hand, Chen An continued forward.


    In the distance, the guards who were in charge here seemed to want to act again, setting up a crossbow array for retaliation, but in the end, they stopped.


    "If anyone dares to move, then everyone can die together."


    With a calm voice and the support of Gang Qi, it resounded throughout the surroundings.


    Immediately, those who were restless no longer dared to move.


    Even those who wanted to move were immediately held back by their companions.


    Are you kidding?


    You want to die, we don''t want to join you.


    Didn''t they see the ice sculpture of Wu Guogong''s flag in the distance? It was still standing fine, looking almost identical to Wu Guogong himself.


    They didn''t want their ice sculptures to change.


    In this situation, even if the leader wanted to kill the enemy, looking at the state of their subordinates, they could only reluctantly give up.


    As they gave up, they also heaved a sigh of relief, letting go of their psychological burdens.


    After all, no one wants to die, right?


    It''s not that they''re unwilling to fight the enemy now, but their subordinates are unwilling to follow.


    With the Fourth Princess in tow, Chen An entered the palace.


    The interior of the palace was very spacious, and the terrain looked particularly complex.


    Once they arrived there, it became the Fourth Princess''s territory.


    At least compared to Chen An, who had never been inside the palace before, the Fourth Princess had been living in the palace since childhood, so she was already familiar with the surrounding terrain.


    With Chen An in tow, they quickly moved forward and soon reached the inner court.


    To their surprise, when they arrived there, someone was already waiting for them.


    "Steward Liu!"


    Seeing the person in the distance, the Fourth Princess hurried forward and asked, "Why are you here? Where is my father?"


    "Your Majesty is already waiting in the court."


    "This Mr. Chen, please come in as well."


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded and followed the Fourth Princess as they moved forward.


    They quickly entered the inner court.


    Compared to the outer palace, the interior was much more solemn, with everything arranged very meticulously.


    Just as they stepped into the inner court, Chen An could keenly feel several gazes focusing on him.


    This heightened sensitivity was something he had gained after reaching the Gang Qi level.


    Once a martial artist sensed the Congenital Qi, their sensitivity to the outside world would gradually increase. And after reaching the Gang Qi level, this sensitivity would be even sharper, especially in many aspects.


    At Chen An''s level, anytime someone''s gaze fell on him, he would immediately sense it.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 112: Marriage

    Feeling the gazes coming from the palace, Chen An felt a chill in his heart.Sure enough, there were experts in the palace, and there were many of them.


    In those scrutinizing gazes, each one was probably a martial artist who had reached at least the Inner Qi Stage.


    As for true Gang Qi, how many were there here?


    It probably wasn''t uncommon, right?


    Chen An''s mind flashed with various thoughts. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But the Fourth Princess clearly didn''t think so much.


    She just followed the steward Liu in front of her and rushed into the inner court, looking like she had no manners at all.


    In this way, she didn''t look like a princess at all, but more like a wild girl.


    But the guards around, including Steward Liu, were not surprised at all, and showed no reaction to the Fourth Princess''s behavior.


    Or maybe if one day the Fourth Princess suddenly changed her behavior, they would find it strange.


    After all, this was the place where the Fourth Princess grew up, equivalent to her home.


    If she didn''t behave like an outsider when she returned home, that would be strange.


    As they rushed into the inner court, the Fourth Princess''s speed was fast.


    So fast that Chen An had to quickly catch up and respectfully follow behind her.


    Once inside the inner court, Chen An showed a respectful demeanor, completely different from the majesty he had outside.


    There was no choice, after all, the occasion was different.


    Such behavior outside could be seen as standing up for the Fourth Princess, but if it continued inside the inner court, it would be disrespectful.


    There were many experts in the inner court.


    Although Chen An was not afraid, it would be good to avoid trouble.


    In fact, while Chen An walked on, there were also many people observing him.


    The experts in the inner court were not blind.


    They had naturally witnessed the earth-shattering battle outside before.


    The scene, the strength, truly shocked them.


    They had thought that a young genius with such strength must be arrogant and domineering, but after seeing him up close, he was surprisingly polite, which was unexpected.


    Watching Chen An''s respectful behavior, many people couldn''t help but feel some goodwill towards him.


    Perhaps this was the contrast.


    Ignoring the reactions of others for now.


    The Fourth Princess had already entered the inner court.


    "Father!"


    A cry of surprise rang out.


    Chen An''s heart tightened, inexplicably nervous.


    He knew that the time to reveal the answer was approaching.


    The result would depend on the present moment.


    With this in mind, Chen An walked in.


    Inside the spacious palace, a delicate bed lay there, with a middle-aged man lying on it.


    The middle-aged man''s face was pale, looking a bit weak, but his eyes were bright, not at all like a weak patient.


    The Fourth Princess held him tightly, crying loudly.


    "Father!"


    She cried out loud, "I miss you so much!"


    "It''s been months, and I finally see you."


    "Good."


    The middle-aged man''s face was a bit pale, but looking at the Fourth Princess crying in front of him, he couldn''t help but show a hint of tenderness, "Am I not fine right here?"


    "Don''t worry, everything is fine."


    The Fourth Princess didn''t speak, just crying with her head in her hands, choking on her sobs.


    The man couldn''t help but sigh.


    He understood that during this time, his daughter must have suffered a lot outside.


    As the Emperor, he understood the filth in other people''s hearts better than anyone else, and he also understood how his daughter would be treated during this time with her personality.


    Although he had expected it a long time ago, and he also had the intention of toughening his daughter''s character, after seeing this scene, he still couldn''t bear it.


    After all, she was his most beloved daughter, and the love from the bottom of his heart was not fake.


    "It''s okay, it''s all in the past."


    He patted his daughter''s head and comforted her in a soft voice.


    Far away, Chen An lowered his head, silently watching this scene of fatherly love and filial piety, his heart calm, and even a hint of a smile.


    At the moment he saw the middle-aged man, he understood that he had made the right bet this time.


    Attacking the palace was actually a big deal.


    If we talk about it in a good way, it was for the Fourth Princess to see her father and to meet the Emperor, preventing the Crown Prince and the Second Prince from isolating themselves from the outside world.


    But if we talk about it in a bad way, it was an attack on the palace, a great disrespect.


    All good and bad could be explained, depending on the individual''s intentions.


    So, Chen An was actually gambling.


    On the one hand, he was gambling that the Emperor was not unconscious and was still alive, and on the other hand, he was gambling that the Third Prince could defeat the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.


    Whether the Emperor was still alive or whether the Third Prince could ultimately defeat the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, he would be fine.


    In the former case, it goes without saying, after all, it was the matter of helping the Fourth Princess fulfill her wish, such filial piety, if you still want to punish, is there any justice?


    As for the Third Prince, it''s even simpler.


    This was a friend.


    If the Third Prince could eventually ascend to the throne, then Chen An would be his greatest contributor, with rewards coming non-stop. How could there be any punishment?


    So he was gambling.


    Of course, even if he lost the bet, it wasn''t a big deal for Chen An.


    He could just leave and retreat strategically.


    He was still young, if he couldn''t survive in Dahua, he could try his luck in other countries.


    Southern Song was not bad.


    Could it be that he, a Gang Qi realm powerhouse, would be suppressed to death?


    Of course, failure could mean a strategic retreat, but success would be even better.


    Who would want to fail?


    It''s not like he was a masochist.


    And from the current situation, the Emperor was not unconscious, but still alive.


    Chen An''s bet was obviously successful.


    "So, you are Chen Chang''an?"


    On the bed, the Emperor''s gaze fell on Chen An, "The son of Duke Chen''s family?"


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded, confirming his identity.


    The Emperor sighed, "None of Duke Chen''s sons are promising, but among his grandchildren, there is such a talented person."


    "I remember, you are only seventeen years old, right?"


    "Yes."


    Chen An felt a chill in his heart, nodding again.


    By the looks of it, the Emperor had sent someone to investigate the people around his daughter, probably having already thoroughly investigated Chen An''s past deeds.


    Otherwise, how could the Emperor know how old he was.


    From another perspective, this also showed how much the Emperor loved his daughter, to the point of thoroughly investigating anyone around her.


    "A Gang Qi realm at seventeen. Truly formidable."


    The Emperor sighed, his words filled with complexity.


    In this world where martial arts were flourishing, the current Emperor naturally also practiced martial arts, so he naturally understood the difficulty of Gang Qi cultivation.


    It was because of his understanding that he was sighing at Chen An''s achievement.


    Gang Qi.


    How many martial artists struggled for half their lives and still couldn''t touch the edge of Gang Qi.


    Like the former Duke of Wu who was killed by Chen An, he had only reached the half-step Gang Qi realm in middle age, barely touching the edge of Gang Qi, and was already considered a rare figure, relied upon by the Second Prince and trusted as a confidant.


    As for true Gang Qi, even the sons of the Crown Prince had to personally invite them.


    Otherwise, they wouldn''t show respect.


    The strength of a Gang Qi martial artist could be seen.


    "I already know about the situation outside."


    Looking at Chen An in front of him, the Emperor sighed and then spoke softly, "You were able to break into the palace with Yi''er, it was a bit reckless, but also loyal."


    "What you practice, is it the Profound Ice Energy?"


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded again.


    "By whose grace?"


    The Emperor asked next.


    This time, Chen An hesitated for a moment, then spoke, "His Highness the Third Prince."


    The Profound Ice Energy bestowed upon Chen An by the Third Prince was most likely taken from within the Dahua Palace.


    There were probably some clues left in this process, maybe unknown to others, but if investigated, they would probably find something on the Third Prince.


    Since that was the case, instead of hiding it, it was better to just speak out.


    "You are honest."


    The Emperor smiled, "I recall that Yi''er had also asked for a technique for you before, but was rejected by me."


    "Now looking at it, it seems that my judgment is not as good as it should be. Otherwise, I should have noticed such a talent as you earlier."


    "Your Majesty is too kind."


    Chen An slightly bowed, calmly speaking, "I am just a rotten piece of wood, how can I be considered a talent."


    "If you are a rotten piece of wood, then there are no pillars in the world."


    The Emperor shook his head, looked at his daughter in his arms, then at Chen An, and said, "You were able to break into the palace for Yi''er, although it was a bit impulsive, it is also commendable loyalty."


    "In that case, I also want to be a matchmaker for you."


    He smiled and said, "I have a daughter, sixteen years old, just a year younger than you, a bit spoiled, but not bad in nature, kind-hearted, friendly, and can be considered a good match."


    "I don''t know if Chang''an is willing to agree?"


    As the words kept falling, each word caused the Fourth Princess''s face to turn redder, until it was directly crimson, like a red apple.


    You almost called her out by name, who doesn''t know who you''re talking about?


    But it was still okay before, but to say pure-hearted, kind, and gentle. Can those words really be used on the Fourth Princess?


    Chen An looked at the Fourth Princess next to him with some doubt, but his actions were not hesitating, and he nodded directly, "If the princess agrees, Chang''an is willing."


    After all, it was just selling oneself, sell it.


    This was not the first time he had done this, and he had long since lost any resistance.


    "I agree, I agree!"


    Before the Emperor could speak, the Fourth Princess immediately blurted out, afraid that others would think she disagreed.


    But when everyone''s eyes turned to her, she suddenly blushed, quickly lowered her head to pretend to be reserved.


    "Haha, it seems like my daughter is a bit impatient."


    Watching this scene, the Emperor couldn''t help but shake his head and smile, "Girls, they grow up so quickly."


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 113: Understanding

    "Chang''an, since you have married my daughter, we are now a family."Looking at Chen An in front of him, the Emperor smiled gently, "The situation outside is currently a bit chaotic. Until those rebels are subdued, stay here with Yi''er."


    "This child probably hasn''t been home for a long time."


    "The princess has a mansion in the palace, the husband can directly live with the princess."


    Beside them, Steward Liu also inserted, smiling.


    What, they''re going to live together?


    The Fourth Princess had completely lowered her head, her face burning red, not daring to lift it up to look at anyone.


    Getting married today and living together that night, isn''t this a bit too exciting? Isn''t it a bit too fast?


    But why was there a sense of anticipation inside?


    The Fourth Princess was distracted, but Chen An didn''t think too much and just smiled and said, "I understand."


    He knew that the Emperor wanted to confine him here, to avoid him interfering in the situation outside and disrupting the Emperor''s plans.


    After all, a living Gang Qi martial artist wandering around outside would have a huge impact on the situation.


    As for accompanying the Fourth Princess, that was just an excuse.


    "I''ve done what I can, now it''s up to you, Third Prince."


    Standing in place, leaving the main hall with the Fourth Princess, Chen An''s face remained calm, silently contemplating this thought.


    He had broken into the palace largely to send a message to the Third Prince, enabling him to make the right decision.


    Surely, when he learned of the palace attack and still didn''t come out, Cheng Zheng would know what to do, right?


    Now, Chen An could only hope for the best.


    "What did you say?"


    In the Third Prince''s residence, Cheng Zheng suddenly stood up, his eyes staring tightly at Liu Chu in front of him, "Chang''an led the Fourth Princess into the palace and defeated Wu Guogong and the others?"


    "Yes!"


    Different from the Third Prince, excitement was evident on Liu Chu''s face, "I never thought Chang''an would come to this point."


    "In that battle, with a thousand people besieging them, Chang''an swept them alone, and no one dared to approach further."


    "Wu Guogong tried to stop him, but was killed by Chang''an in one move, turned into an ice sculpture, which is still outside the palace for people to admire!"


    As he spoke, there was excitement on his face.


    He had every reason to be excited.


    Chen An was just like him, a figure under the Third Prince, equivalent to being his teammate.


    A teammate this fierce, who wouldn''t want that?


    Perhaps, anyone would feel excited, right?


    An idiotic teammate might be hateful, but a teammate who can bring you to victory, who wouldn''t like that?


    It was understandable why Liu Chu was excited.


    Actually, when he received the news, Cheng Zheng was also very excited.


    But more importantly, he was concerned about the message Chen An had sent him.


    "Are you sure Chang''an led the Fourth Princess into the palace and never came out again?"


    Standing there, Cheng Zheng stared at Liu Chu, solemnly asking.


    Faced with Cheng Zheng''s seriousness, Liu Chu hesitated for a moment, but then nodded hastily, "Yes."


    "And there was no noise coming out from inside?"


    Cheng Zheng continued.


    "No."


    Liu Chu shook his head, speaking seriously, "I saw Chang''an go in with my own eyes and even had people guarding outside for a long time, but didn''t hear any noise coming out."


    "Good."


    Cheng Zheng finally smiled, then decisively said, "Liu Guogong, go gather the ministers."


    "Eh?"


    Liu Chu was stunned, "Your Highness?"


    "Didn''t you hear me?"


    Cheng Zheng looked at him, emphasizing once again, "Gather the ministers immediately."


    "Yes."


    By this time, Liu Chu had finally reacted and nodded quickly, prepared to leave.


    Standing in place, Cheng Zheng looked at Liu Chu''s departing figure and felt a bit nervous.


    "Hopefully, everything goes smoothly."


    He silently hoped.


    Just as Chen An believed in him, Cheng Zheng had never doubted Chen An.


    Therefore, after learning of Chen An''s attack on the palace, his first reaction was that Chen An wanted to tell him something.


    And what did Chen An want to tell him?


    Naturally, it was about the Emperor''s safety.


    Using the Fourth Princess as an excuse to break into the palace, if the Emperor was truly in danger or had already passed away, there would surely be a conflict.


    If the Emperor had already passed away, even with the Fourth Princess in hand, the palace experts would not let Chen An off so easily, at least they would capture him to determine his fate.


    In that case, conflict would inevitably erupt.


    And the conflicts between Gang Qi martial artists would be significant.


    At that time, the Third Prince''s side would naturally understand what had happened.


    But if nothing hapened, that would be a different situation.


    Only with the Emperor still alive could the conflict be avoided, keeping the palace experts and Chen An restrained.


    Clearly, Chen An deliberately did this to inform Cheng Zheng of the outcome, allowing him to make the right judgement.


    And regardless of the result, no one would suspect the Third Prince.


    Everyone would focus on the Fourth Princess, attributing the reasons to her.


    She was the perfect scapegoat.


    This was Chen An''s chance to test his own safety, and Cheng Zheng couldn''t afford to miss it.


    Opportunities like this were fleeting. If he missed this chance, it might be too late when others reacted.


    So he had to act immediately.


    "Chang''an, wait for me."


    Standing there, Cheng Zheng raised his head, looking towards the distant palace, his expression gradually becoming resolute, "If the situation can be resolved, I will not let you down!"


    He made a silent vow in his heart, then walked out.


    Meanwhile, in the outside world, many ministers were already gathering.


    During this time, while the Crown Prince and Second Prince were competing for power, the Third Prince was busy with various official duties.


    Regardless of his initial purpose, he was very serious and diligent, and also gained the goodwill and trust of many ministers.


    Especially those ministers who were dissatisfied with the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, they gathered under the banner of the Third Prince.


    This was the direction of people''s hearts!


    And with these people, combined with the networks and powers that the Third Prince had secretly accumulated over the years, once this outburst occurred, it immediately set off a tide.


    The vast army rushed towards the palace, and the speed was fast.


    Almost before the Crown Prince and the Second Prince could react, Cheng Zheng had reached the front of the palace.


    And what about the palace guards?


    They were trembling.


    They had seen many people trying to break into the palace before, and apart from Chen An, they had also killed many.


    There was blood from many ministers splattered here, and their corpses lay outside, like weeds.


    But even so, when they saw the array in front of them, they couldn''t help but feel anxious.


    In the forefront of this array was the current Third Prince Cheng Zheng, the dignified prince.


    Following him were a large number of ministers, coldly watching the palace guards in front of them.


    The power struggle between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince had left many people dissatisfied.


    But due to their lack of strength, they didn''t dare to speak out and could only endure silently.


    After the Third Prince Cheng Zheng came forward, these people immediately gathered and came to this place together.


    Individually, a minister might not amount to much, but when these ministers gathered together, the combined force was something the Crown Prince and the Second Prince could not ignore, let alone the palace guards who stood in front of them.


    "Get out of the way!"


    Cheng Zheng coldly ordered the guards in front of him.


    In front of him, a middle-aged general in armor named Wu Yuan was standing there, his face looking a bit ugly.


    This man named Wu Yuan was a general under the Crown Prince, and also had reached the Inner Qi stage in cultivation. Previously, he had been responsible for guarding the palace with Wu Guogong.


    But now, with Wu Guogong directly defeated by Chen An, Wu Yuan was the only one left.


    "Your Highness, please don''t put me in a difficult position."


    Seeing the imposing array in front of him, Wu Yuan''s face looked awful, and he couldn''t help but hesitate in his words.


    Look how many ministers were gathered here?


    Under the banner of the Third Prince Cheng Zheng, there were at least dozens of current ministers, some of them even dukes. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At this moment, these ministers were following Cheng Zheng, their heads held high as they moved forward.


    Frankly speaking, even if the Crown Prince came here in person, he wouldn''t dare to take action towards them.


    What qualifications did he, Wu Yuan, have to do such a thing that even the Crown Prince dared not do?


    Was he asking for death?


    Furthermore, the Third Prince was not someone to be trifled with.


    Far away, many guards were watching Wu Yuan closely from a distance.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 114: Dust Settles

    The power accumulated by the Third Prince over the years is not to be underestimated.Perhaps he looks unimpressive most of the time, but at this moment, his true power erupted and instantly shocked everyone.


    There were no powerful warriors at the Qi Gang level present.


    But there were several experts at the internal energy level, and they all had their eyes on Wu Yuan in front of them at the moment.


    If he dared to make a move, he would immediately be surrounded and taken down by these experts.


    This discovery surprised Wu Yuan and then made him smile bitterly.


    Well, well.


    The Third Prince talks about righteousness and justice, whether to kill him or let him pass, making it seem so tragic.


    But in reality, did he have a choice?


    If he dared to say no, perhaps the Third Prince would dare to have him executed on the spot?


    It seemed like he had the choice, but in reality, there was no choice at all!


    If only it was just a surface threat, that wouldn''t be a big deal.


    However, Wu Yuan noticed through the corner of his eye that the guards behind him were picking up their strong crossbows one after another.


    This was not necessarily a problem, after all, guards always had to look the part, even if they didn''t actually do anything.


    But the problem was, why were they pointing their weapons at him!


    Could this spy be any more obvious?


    Obviously, the Third Prince Cheng Zheng had long since bought off his subordinates, and there were probably many people under the First and Second Princes who had already been bought off as well, but had not yet been discovered.


    After all, the Third Prince had always been too low-key. If it weren''t for his sudden outburst at this moment, who would have thought that he was such a ruthless person?


    Thinking of this, Wu Yuan finally gave up resistance, looked at Cheng Zheng in front of him, sighed lightly, and then silently stepped aside.


    "Third Prince, please enter."


    With these words, smiles appeared on the faces of Cheng Zheng and his men.


    Entering the palace smoothly, all eyes were focused on the Third Prince, Cheng Zheng.


    "My son pleads with the emperor to preside over the situation!"


    "Please, Your Majesty, preside over the situation!"


    "The First Prince and Second Prince have gone too far, please Your Majesty, preside over the situation!"


    Shouts and slogans came from outside.


    The voices and slogans sounded legitimate.


    In the palace, the emperor lay on his bed, listening to the shouts coming from outside, and a smile appeared on his face.


    "I didn''t expect, the Third Prince has such abilities."


    On the bed, the emperor smiled and was well aware of Cheng Zheng''s actions during this period.


    "Well."


    He looked outside, at the clear sky and firmament, and finally sighed, "I''ve been lying on this bed for so long, it''s time for me to go out and see."


    "It just so happens that the Third Prince is here."


    He got up quietly, dressed neatly with the help of the palace attendants, and put on the emperor''s ceremonial robes.


    Meanwhile, in another palace not far from the emperor, Chen An stood alone.


    Listening to the shouts coming from outside, a smile appeared on his face as well.


    It seemed that the Third Prince had finally accepted his proposal and come with his men.


    In that case, all the efforts he had made before were not in vain.


    Under the nervous gaze of countless people, the gates of the inner palace slowly opened.


    A luxurious carriage drawn by six white horses slowly approached.


    After that, the long-absent emperor led the Fourth Princess by the hand, walked out with her by his side, and stood outside the carriage.


    At that moment, cheers of long live erupted from the crowd.


    After a while, there was a sound from afar.


    After so long, the First Prince and the Second Prince seemed to have finally reacted and hurried over.


    As they rushed into the inner palace, they happened to witness the scene in front of them, looking at the clearly still alive Great Emperor, despite looking a little pale and weak, they couldn''t help but be stunned, not knowing what to say.


    For them, it was because they didn''t know whether their father was alive or dead, that they dared to compete with each other and cause such a big disturbance in Shengjing.


    However, now, the person they had considered to be in danger was standing there fine and unharmed.


    Naturally, this was surprising.


    But no matter how surprised they were, it was already too late at this moment.


    When the emperor appeared, this farce was destined to end.


    It couldn''t end, it couldn''t.


    The reason why the people below were antagonizing each other was because they all believed the emperor was in danger, and therefore wanted to seek the favor of the future emperor to gain some merits.


    But now the emperor was standing there, seemingly fine, why compete for anything?


    Do you think you have a long life?


    The intense confrontation came to an end.


    From that day on, more than half a month passed quickly.


    In ordinary times, half a month passed in the blink of an eye.


    But during this half month, many changes occurred throughout the Great Huadu.


    First and foremost, the emperor returned, walked out from the palace, and the turmoil in the official government of Great Huadu was finally calmed.


    After that, as the instigators of the previous turmoil, the First Prince and the Second Prince were directly confined by the furious emperor. All their positions were stripped away, except for their princely titles, everything else was taken away, a heavy loss indeed.


    Of course, for these two, losing the chance to inherit the throne was more important than losing their titles and positions.


    This was expected by everyone.


    After all, their actions prior to this were no different from rebellion.


    One led his army into the capital without the imperial decree, looting and plundering along the way, and even attempted to capture the emperor.


    The other, equally bad, conspired within Shengjing with the help of many dukes, assassinated the ministers, and even entered the palace, isolating the emperor from the outside world.


    If these two hadn''t clashed, they might have even committed patricide.


    After the emperor woke up, these two no longer had a chance to inherit the throne.


    The two most qualified candidates to inherit the throne were eliminated.


    Instead, the Third Prince, who was originally very humble and not highly regarded, made a strong entrance and became the ultimate winner.


    This time, the Third Prince''s actions were very clever.


    While the First Prince and the Second Prince were fighting for power and wealth, the usually low-key Third Prince stepped forward, united with the ministers to support the court, and handled many affairs.


    When the palace was sealed off and separated from the outside world, the Third Prince led his men into the palace, welcoming the emperor out.


    His various actions were commendable and admirable.


    Now in Shengjing, the Third Prince, who was previously known for his cruelty and lack of virtue, had his reputation completely overturned to be seen as a righteous and capable person.


    Of course, the most important thing was that after the First Prince and the Second Prince were eliminated, the only candidate left for the throne, the one who had a chance to become the crown prince, seemed to be only this Third Prince.


    *Cough cough cough*


    Outside, the rain fell hazily, seemingly causing some reaction that made the emperor''s face even paler, and he couldn''t help but cough repeatedly.


    "Father."


    Cheng Zheng sat beside him, serving him, and seeing his condition, he hurriedly brought a bowl of medicine and placed it in front of the emperor.


    After taking the medicine, the situation seemed to improve.


    "It''s just that I''m getting old and my body isn''t as good as it used to be."


    Lying on the bed, the emperor smiled bitterly, "I''m not doing well, old boy."


    "Why would you say that, Father?"


    Cheng Zheng was shocked, "With imperial physicians by your side, you will surely be safe and sound, why say so?"


    "Alright, stop pretending."


    The Great Huadu Emperor glanced at Cheng Zheng, then shook his head, "You probably know better than I do about my health, so why bother saying that?"


    Seeing Cheng Zheng hurriedly wanting to explain, he waved his hand again with some impatience, "I''ve heard those polite words too many times, I don''t want to hear them from you."


    "I have already issued the decree to appoint you as the Crown Prince, it will be announced nationwide tomorrow." s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "I ask you, if you become the emperor in the future, what will you do?"


    He looked at Cheng Zheng and asked seriously.


    Seeing the emperor''s expression, Cheng Zheng also restrained his own, thought for a moment, and then spoke, "Reform internal affairs, conduct large-scale assessments, recuperate and rejuvenate, and then reclaim lost territory."


    He detailed his thoughts.


    Although he had only recently ascended to the position of Crown Prince, Cheng Zheng had already made some plans for what he wanted to do in the future.


    Most of these plans were his own ideas, based on the problems he had observed in the Great Huadu imperial court for many years, as well as some thoughts that had arisen from discussions with Chen An.


    In the past, these thoughts were only spoken when discussing with Chen An.


    After all, if he spoke to others, who knew what they might think.


    Now he could finally speak to others.


    The Great Huadu Emperor listened quietly to Cheng Zheng''s explanations, listened to his thoughts, and couldn''t help but sigh.


    "Good, really good."


    He sincerely exclaimed, "If I had known you had such talent, I wouldn''t have hesitated and should have let you ascend to the position of Crown Prince earlier."


    The Emperor seemed to sincerely admire, but Cheng Zheng just smiled and did not reply.


    If the Emperor took those words seriously, that would be his problem.


    If he had let him ascend to the position of Crown Prince earlier, would the Emperor still be able to sleep at night as he does now?


    After all, those who reign as kings are usually unwilling to give up their power, especially the Great Huadu Emperor in front of him.


    He saw everything clearly, but until he was about to die, if you wanted him to relinquish power, don''t even think about it.


    Before and after, just look at the First Prince and the Second Prince.


    How did those two come into conflict? It was all orchestrated by the Emperor in front of them.


    It just got out of hand in the end.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 115: Instructions

    At first glance, the Emperor actually did not inspire fear.Although he carried a heavy air of authority, perhaps due to his old age, he also exuded a sense of kindness, appearing on the surface like a friendly middle-aged man.


    But if someone really took this appearance seriously, that would be absurd.


    Cheng Zheng obviously didn''t take it to that extent, so he just smiled at the Emperor''s words and didn''t say much.


    The Emperor also understood his son quite well and didn''t say much on this topic, quickly changing the subject.


    "That child from the Chen Duke''s Mansion, Chen Changan, he is your man, right?"


    The Emperor continued to inquire.


    After hesitating for a moment, Cheng Zheng finally nodded.


    "Indeed, indeed."


    The Emperor couldn''t help but smile, "This child is quite good, he dared to intrude into the inner palace for your sake. Although it may be somewhat disrespectful, it also shows his loyalty."


    Those who were not privy to the inside story might think that Chen An intruded into the palace for the Fourth Princess.


    But with the Emperor''s caliber, naturally, he wouldn''t think of it that way.


    However, the Emperor didn''t seem to be too critical of Chen An''s actions. On the contrary, he seemed to admire him.


    After all, daring to enter the palace required great courage and risk-taking. Without a shred of loyalty, how could a formidable warrior like him take such a risk?


    A person with such loyalty was rare at any time.


    Moreover, he was a formidable warrior.


    Speaking of which, if the Emperor had known about this before he was seriously ill, he would have had a different reaction.


    A formidable warrior swearing allegiance to the Prince would be a huge threat to him as the Emperor.


    This was different from Chen Guogong and others by the Second Prince''s side.


    Chen Guogong was also a formidable warrior and had openly supported the Second Prince, but it would be absolutely impossible for the Second Prince to ask Chen Guogong to personally intrude into the palace.


    In the end, these formidable Duke-level figures had such high status and power that they wouldn''t easily take such risks.


    Their so-called support was mostly just a statement of attitude, different from Chen An''s wholehearted and loyal dedication.


    A formidable warrior being loyal, how could any Emperor sleep soundly?


    But now, it didn''t matter.


    After all, he was nearly dead.


    Power was not handed over until one''s final moments.


    But looking at the state of the Great Huadu Emperor in front of him, it was clear that death was not far off.


    At this point, what else was there to worry about?


    So the Emperor''s attitude also changed.


    His approval of this matter was greater than his rejection.


    After all, Cheng Zheng was already the future Emperor.


    From the Emperor''s point of view, it was naturally better to have strong support for his son.


    "I have arranged for Yi''er to marry Changan."


    The Great Huadu Emperor continued, "This will not only make it easier for you to control him in the future, but also provide a safe haven for Yi''er."


    "I know that Yi''er has been arrogant in recent years, relying on my favor, causing offense to many people."


    "Even you, I''m afraid you are also dissatisfied with Yi''er, right?"


    "I dare not."


    Cheng Zheng quickly knelt down, sincerely respectful and fearful.


    "I dare not, but that doesn''t mean there are no grievances."


    Glancing at him, the Great Huadu Emperor saw Cheng Zheng''s thoughts very clearly, "You dare not now, but after I die, you will, won''t you?"


    "With your temperament, when Yi''er is under your control, will she have an easy time?"


    "In that case, Yi''er also really likes Changan, so I might as well let her marry him. On one hand, it will provide her with a good future, and on the other hand, it will also help Great Huadu to have another formidable warrior."


    The Emperor''s words echoed in the carriage.


    He had gone to great lengths for his children.


    As an Emperor, he knew very well the character of his children.


    It was precisely because he understood it so well that he had to make arrangements early. S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Otherwise, when he passed away, who knew what it would become.


    Marrying Chen An to the Fourth Princess was not only to win over Chen An, a promising formidable warrior, but also for the future of the Fourth Princess.


    With Chen An as her husband, even if the future Emperor was not around, the Fourth Princess would be able to hold her own and maintain her position of status.


    Even if Cheng Zheng didn''t like his sister, Yi, he would have to endure it for Chen An''s sake.


    "Changan is a talented child with limitless potential in the future."


    The Great Huadu Emperor continued, "I have already prepared the pre-natal part of the Profound Ice Force for him, just keeping it for now. After you ascend to the throne, you can directly reward him to show favor."


    "I understand."


    Cheng Zheng nodded in silent agreement.


    If Chen An were here, he would probably not be able to resist complaining again.


    Everything was indeed a scheme.


    The Great Huadu Emperor had recognized Chen An''s potential long ago, so he first granted him the hand of the princess to tie him down, and then deliberately withheld further martial arts teachings to ensure Cheng Zheng had something to reward him with after ascending the throne.


    Otherwise, if the Great Huadu Emperor had rewarded everything upfront, there would probably be nothing left to reward after Cheng Zheng ascended the throne.


    In the carriage, the Great Huadu Emperor continued to explain many things behind the scenes.


    Including secret arrangements within the imperial family, contact information for offerings, and the general strength of the imperial family''s experts, everything was detailed and explained to Cheng Zheng.


    "As for your elder brothers..."


    Towards the end, the Great Huadu Emperor''s face showed a hint of hesitation, seeming unsure as well, and could only sigh before saying, "Enough."


    "You are the future Emperor, so you decide how to deal with them."


    "But if possible, try to spare their lives."


    "I won''t ask for anything else."


    Political struggles were indeed cruel, something he, as an Emperor, was well aware of.


    The First Prince and the Second Prince were like two mountains. If they were truly released, even if they did nothing, they would pose a huge threat to the future Emperor.


    Because there would naturally be people dissatisfied with the future Emperor continuously gathering under their banner to support them against the future Emperor.


    In such a situation, words were useless.


    As a father, the Great Huadu Emperor''s final request was simply to spare their lives and nothing else.


    Cheng Zheng naturally nodded repeatedly, agreeing to all of the Great Huadu Emperor''s requests.


    Of course, agreeing was one thing, but whether or not he would actually follow through was another matter.


    When the Great Huadu Emperor passed away, he would be the future Emperor.


    Whether or not he would carry out these actions would depend on his own judgment.


    It was fine to say more pleasant words now; endure it and it would soon be over.


    "There we go."


    With most of the things explained, the Great Huadu Emperor stepped down from the carriage and looked at the scenery outside.


    Outside, natural landscapes came into view, with fresh fragrances wafting between the mountains and water, accompanied by a unique vitality.


    Looking at the beautiful spring scene before him, full of vitality and life, the Great Huadu Emperor couldn''t help but sigh.


    "What a beautiful scene. I wonder how many days are left to enjoy it."


    The Great Huadu Emperor sighed, then slowly walked forward.


    Behind him, Cheng Zheng followed closely, afraid that the Great Huadu Emperor would walk too fast and fall.


    Another half month passed.


    Under the watchful eyes of the entire Great Huadu palace, the Third Prince Cheng Zheng was declared Crown Prince, and subsequently served as Regent with all the authority of the Crown Prince, handling political affairs on behalf of the Emperor.


    The Emperor withdrew behind the scenes, no longer involved in governance.


    Those who were perceptive could see that the Emperor wanted to give the Crown Prince a hand in his final days, to help him gain prestige.


    This was perhaps the biggest event within the Great Huadu Court.


    In addition, other events were happening simultaneously.


    Such as the imprisonment of the First Prince and the Second Prince, and the grand wedding of the Fourth Princess.


    The wedding of the Fourth Princess was finally arranged.


    Being a princess, although she was already on the carriage beforehand, she still needed to go through the boarding procedures.


    So after Cheng Zheng was appointed Crown Prince, the wedding followed.


    The whole process was extremely lavish.


    The one in charge was the current Crown Prince Cheng Zheng.


    Handling the arrangements, busy at various places were the current Duke, Liu Chu, and several other Dukes in the court.


    Sitting at the head and enjoying the offerings from the groom and bride was the current Emperor.


    With such a lineup, few people would dare to imagine.


    If an ordinary person could have such a wedding, they would probably be willing to die on the spot.


    The only strange thing was that on the day of the wedding, the male side''s elders did not show up, none of them appeared.


    This was puzzling.


    With the marriage to the Fourth Princess, Chen An''s identity had long been circulated¡ªa grandson of the esteemed Chen Duke''s, also a formidable warrior.


    Of course, for most people, that last part was questionable.


    For most people, a formidable warrior in their teens was a bit too shocking.


    And since not many people had seen Chen An take action outside the palace that day, with few witnesses, naturally, no one believed it either.


    This must be said¡ªin the end, the main reason for the few witnesses was the current Emperor.


    After officially appearing, those who surrounded the palace led by Wuyuan were naturally labeled as rebels, and were now all squatting in prison. So, how could they come out and make a scene?


    Without this group of people, the number of witnesses naturally decreased.


    It seemed quite reasonable.


    In conclusion, due to the reduced number of witnesses, people were naturally skeptical, which was a very normal thing.


    After all, rumors often contained a lot of falsehoods.


    Especially during this period, the rumors outside were exaggerated, with some saying that Chen An wasn''t alone but leading an army to break into the palace, while others said that Chen An sneezed and immediately killed hundreds of people.


    Even more exaggerated claims included Chen An winning people over with his virtue, not using a single soldier, and making Wu Guogong and Wuyuan feel so ashamed that Wu Guogong killed himself on the spot, and Wuyuan let him pass.


    It was a chaotic, misleading world.


    In this situation, it was normal for people to have doubts.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 116: Letter from Chen Guo Gong Mansion

    The outside world doubts Chen An''s strength.But even if Chen An doesn''t have the rumored strength of Gangqi, he still has the strength of internal energy and half-step Gangqi, right?


    Moreover, he is now a celebrity in front of the crown prince, with a prominent status, and countless people want to flatter him.


    In this situation, Chen Guo Gong is not giving face?


    Countless people are puzzled.


    What they don''t know is that Chen Guo Gong himself didn''t expect this result.


    They didn''t actively send someone over, but they didn''t do it on purpose, thinking that Chen An would come over to invite them.


    After all, they are Chen An''s elders, and it is reasonable for Chen An to come and invite them over. How could he just go up on his own?


    However, who could have expected that Chen An would act so unreasonably?


    If you don''t come to me, I won''t bother with you!


    So in the whole process, Chen An directly ignored the people at Chen Guo Gong Mansion and played on his own.


    In response to this, the emperor and Cheng Zheng did not interfere with each other.


    The former is mainly for political considerations.


    Chen Guo Gong himself is a Gangqi, and if coupled with Chen An, another Gangqi, the Chen Guo Gong Mansion would become a place with two Gangqi.


    This strength is a bit too strong, and it would be difficult to handle if something goes wrong.


    But if Chen Guo Gong and Chen An don''t get along, the two Gangqis cannot work together, the situation naturally gets better.


    As for Cheng Zheng, it is out of emotional consideration.


    As a friend, he knew very well what Chen An really thought about the Chen Guo Gong Mansion.


    Therefore, as the two most powerful people in Dahua, the emperor and the crown prince did not try to persuade them.


    If the emperor and the crown prince didn''t say anything, others didn''t dare to say anything either.


    So the wedding continued without the presence of the groom''s elders.


    That night, the sky outside was already dark.


    Candlelight lit up everywhere, creating a red hue.


    Chen An held the Fourth Princess''s hand and whispered to her.


    "Nervous?"


    The Fourth Princess''s body trembled as she was held by Chen An, then she nodded lightly, "Mm."


    "It''s okay."


    A gentle voice sounded, followed by silence all around.


    The candlelight dimmed, and the faint sound was like a unique melody, especially touching.


    The next day, early in the morning, Chen An got up and went to the courtyard to begin his day of cultivation.


    Despite being at the Gangqi level, Chen An did not give up his habit of cultivating for many years and continued to work hard.


    No way.


    Cheating may be fun for a while, but it requires a price.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (9.3), Body (9.1), Spirit (3.2) S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Source Power: 36


    Inheritance: Dark Ice Force (8th layer), Yin Body skill (5th layer), Fast Wind Force (mastery), Wind Chasing Sword Technique (mastery).


    Projection: In use


    The familiar attribute panel appeared.


    Looking at the number in the Source Power column, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh.


    After having the black bead provide a continuous source of power, Chen An''s original source power had reached one hundred and forty points.


    Now, there were only thirty-six points left.


    All the remaining points were invested in the Dark Ice Force.


    The consumption to increase the level of Gangqi was larger than Chen An had imagined.


    In the past, at the internal energy level, increasing one level usually only required a dozen source points.


    But at the Gangqi level, increasing one level required at least forty to fifty source points.


    Chen An thought his wealth was quite substantial, but it was still not enough for this level of expenditure.


    Another poverty was looming.


    Fortunately, he now had a way to replenish source power, or else with this level of spending, he would probably cry.


    The fact proved that the energy of the black bead did indeed recover by absorbing the essence of the outside world.


    Apart from the abundant aura within that treasure land, the energy of the black bead was also recovering after coming to the outside world.


    However, without the rich aura from the treasure land, the recovery rate was slow.


    It was like a snail''s pace.


    But this was still a source of hope.


    If normal places were not enough, those treasure lands would be enough.


    With Chen An''s current status, the several treasure lands controlled by the Dahua court would be open to him.


    He could enter at any time.


    This was the source of source power?


    As long as there was a continuous source of source power, he could return to full health after a period of time.


    At that time, it would be a different story again.


    Although the recovery would be back to normal, the consumption of source power was still frightening.


    There were three levels of Gangqi: Condensation of Gangqi, Transformation of Gangqi, and Gathering of Gangqi.


    The Condensation of Gangqi was self-explanatory, condensing Gangqi from internal energy.


    The Transformation of Gangqi continued to reach a certain level of Gangqi in the body.


    As for the final Gathering of Gangqi, it was to condense the transformed Gangqi once again to prompt another transformation.


    Three levels in total.


    The previous two levels had already cost Chen An more than one hundred source points.


    Judging from the previous consumption, to advance to the third level through cheating, it would probably cost at least eighty source points.


    Just the Gangqi level was already so terrifying.


    What about the next level?


    What about the innate level?


    If it came to the innate level, would it consume over a hundred to advance one level so easily?


    Thinking deeper was dreadful.


    Chen An couldn''t help but feel terrified just thinking about that consumption.


    To advance a level would take over one hundred source points. At that level, how many sneak attacks would he have to endure each day?


    It would probably not be enough to work all day and night.


    Thinking about this, he sighed.


    Well.


    Contentment brings happiness.


    In this difficult world, being able to cheat was already a great happiness.


    What else could one expect?


    Thinking this way, he seemed to feel a lot happier again.


    In the courtyard, Chen An worked hard at training, continuing his day of practice.


    He was trying to consume his current cultivation.


    Chen An''s current Gangqi cultivation was achieved through source power. Although his foundation was quite solid due to the template, he was still somewhat unfamiliar compared to those who had indulged in this level for decades.


    At this moment, Chen An was trying to familiarize himself.


    After he became familiar with this level, he could try to ascend to a higher level.


    But as the saying goes, a tree wants to be quiet but the wind keeps blowing, and some people just wanted to disturb his pace.


    Several days later, Chen An received another letter.


    The letter was delivered by the people from Chen Guo Gong Mansion, and judging by the name, it was from Chen An''s father, the legitimate son of Chen Guo Gong, Chen Li.


    Seeing the name on the envelope, Chen An became interested.


    Previously, Chen An had received a few letters from his father.


    Without exception, all those letters were surprises.


    It''s just that he didn''t know what surprise was in this one.


    Opening the envelope, he was indeed greeted with a surprise once again.


    Chen Li scolded him in the letter, accusing Chen An of disregarding the family''s elders and marrying without permission, showing a lack of respect for the ancestors'' family rules.


    Chen An felt a bit disappointed.


    It was about the family''s rules again.


    Can you change up your scolding words? Do you have to use the same phrases every time?


    Or is it that everyone in this world likes to scold others for being unfilial?


    Chen An lost interest and focused directly on the end of the letter.


    Based on his experience, the beginning of such letters usually contained nonsense, and only the end had some substance.


    As expected, the purpose of the other party was expressed at the end of the letter.


    "If you still consider yourself a member of the Chen family, then immediately set off for the mansion to meet your father and siblings."


    Looking at the last content of the letter, Chen An put away the letter and smiled.


    "Sure enough, are they in a hurry?"


    Although the language in the letter seemed stern and full of reprimands, to Chen An it clearly showed signs of urgency.


    It seemed that the effects of the Second Prince''s downfall had already appeared.


    With the downfall of the Second Prince, those who had followed him before were now starting to suffer.


    Cheng Zheng was not a soft-hearted person.


    He was always serious in his work and had a reputation for being ruthless in the past, so people knew what his style was like.


    After being enthroned as the crown prince and taking up that position, he began to settle old scores and bring up all the things those people had done in the past.


    It was a matter of life and death for them.


    As nobles, whose hands were not stained with blood, who had not committed any wrongdoings?


    Not to mention killing a few people easily, embezzling goods and money, and such things were just common occurrences.


    Even if you were personally incorruptible and morally lofty, what about your father and siblings? What about your wife and children?


    They couldn''t all be moral exemplars, right?


    When the Second Prince was still around, these things were fine.


    Not only fine, but there might even be people actively involved, helping get rid of the evidence.


    But now, the situation was different.


    Cheng Zheng was in power and started settling scores.


    During this period, those nobles who had previously followed the Second Prince were naturally not in a good situation.


    From what Chen An knew, the several children of Chen Guo Gong, including his biological father, had all worked under the Second Prince, holding official positions in the court.


    And now, one by one, they were losing their positions, and those who hadn''t yet were probably about to.


    The entire Chen Guo Gong Mansion had suffered a great blow.


    Although it wasn''t too obvious for now because of Chen Guo Gong''s presence, the troubles were still looming.


    Going against the crown prince, anyone with a normal mind would not do it.


    If there was no direct confrontation, then a way to ease the relationship needed to be found.


    At a time like this, Chen An, as the confidant of the crown prince, had caught their attention.


    This letter should be a signal.


    Unfortunately, perhaps from being accustomed to wielding power and authority for a long time, they no longer knew how to speak like normal people.


    Even if they wanted to improve their relationship, they still ended up sending this letter.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 117: Commemoration

    "However, it''s also good."Setting down the letter, Chen An smiled.


    The past grievances had to be settled at some point.


    He had been keeping a log of the accounts against those people from Chen Guo Gong Mansion.


    In the past, if the people from Chen Guo Gong Mansion had kept a low profile and quietly pretended to be dead, he might have forgotten about it for a while.


    But now that it had come to his attention, he might as well deal with it.


    It was just right.


    So on that day, he submitted his resignation to Cheng Zheng and prepared to leave Shengjing for a while.


    "Chang''an, what are you..."


    Upon hearing Chen An''s intention to resign, Cheng Zheng was somewhat surprised and took a while to regain his composure before patting Chen An''s shoulder solemnly, "Chang''an, if you want to do something, go ahead and do it. Don''t be afraid of getting into trouble."


    "As long as I''m here, there won''t be any trouble."


    He declared solemnly, making a promise.


    This was also a form of support, indicating that he fully supported Chen An''s decision.


    This made Chen An smile.


    Yes, he was already different from the past.


    Not only had his own strength made remarkable progress, standing at the peak of the world, but the background behind him had also changed.


    In the past, his background was his teacher Dong Heng, then the Fourth Princess, but now it was the current Crown Prince.


    With the strong support of the Crown Prince and his current strength, what did he have to fear?


    Although Chen An had never been afraid before.


    After submitting his resignation to Cheng Zheng, Chen An turned and left.


    He left quickly, only nodding to a few people like Cheng Zheng and the Fourth Princess, not attracting much attention.


    Even the big shots in Shengjing did not know that Chen An had left Shengjing at that moment.


    Several days later.


    A mansion occupying a vast area loomed ahead.


    It covered a vast area, occupying the best location nearby.


    Chen An looked around.


    The county was flat, with many fertile fields.


    But as far as he knew, most of the fertile lands he could see now belonged to the property of Chen Guo Gong Mansion.


    Not only that, but there were also commercial activities.


    Within the county, most of the street vendors were somewhat related to the Chen Guo Gong Mansion.


    Even many of the streets themselves were owned by the Chen Guo Gong Mansion.


    The Chen Guo Gong Mansion alone occupied most of the county''s properties.


    Without careful calculation, it was hard to imagine how huge this industry was.


    This should have been a surprising matter, but Chen An''s expression was very calm. He was already used to it.


    After all, having been in this world for more than ten years, he understood very well how these people operated.


    To him, the way the Chen Guo Gong Mansion behaved was already considered good.


    At least the local government was still functioning and had not been completely overshadowed.


    If placed in the previous world, the entire court would have been overshadowed.


    In the subordinate counties, families like the Bai family would overshadow the court, swallow up most of the industry in the county, establish their own punishments, recruit victims to cultivate, and become a country within a country.


    Compared to that, this situation was not too bad.


    At least the government could still manage things.


    With Chen Guo Gong''s status, the scene in front of him was not exaggerated.


    After all, a Gangqi practitioner needed to be treated this way.


    Even in other countries, most Gangqi warriors were treated similarly. S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As he walked forward, Chen An approached.


    Before he had even entered, he was stopped in his tracks.


    "Who are you, scholar? What are you doing at the Chen Guo Gong Mansion?"


    The steward in front of him scolded loudly.


    Chen An remained calm, "Please inform the master inside that Chen Chang''an is here to visit."


    "Chen Chang''an?"


    The steward in front of him looked puzzled, "I haven''t heard of that name."


    "You hurry up and leave, don''t block the gate!"


    He shouted loudly, but the next moment he couldn''t say anything.


    In his line of sight, Chen An''s reaction flashed past as he took a step forward.


    His body flew out and crashed heavily into the nearby wall, seriously injured.


    "An assassin!"


    "Someone intruded into the mansion!"


    There was immediate chaos.


    Shouts echoed all around.


    Soon, a group of guards came out and charged towards Chen An.


    They seemed to be the guards employed by the Chen Guo Gong Mansion.


    Chen An was somewhat surprised as he looked at the guards in front of him.


    They gave him a good feeling, comparable to the elite soldiers under the Second Prince.


    It was quite rare.


    Unfortunately, they still weren''t very useful.


    As Chen An walked forward and entered, the guards were sent flying one by one without any power to fight back.


    The onlookers were stunned.


    Suppressing over a hundred guards so effortlessly, this was definitely not an ordinary person, much less a scholar - it was a powerful warrior.


    Seeing Chen An stroll in as if taking a walk in the park, everyone was awe-struck, and no one dared to underestimate him. They quickly went inside to report.


    The reaction of the onlookers had little effect on Chen An.


    He just walked slowly, following his memory to reach the interior.


    "There have been some changes."


    Walking around, he looked at the mansion and couldn''t help feeling emotional.


    This was where he had grown up since childhood, and he had many memories of the place.


    Although most of them were not good memories.


    Yet seeing the familiar sights upon his return, he couldn''t help but feel a bit sentimental.


    Unfortunately, although the memories remained, the people in those memories were no longer there.


    This was quite regrettable.


    Walking along, following his memories, Chen An arrived at a corner.


    A refreshing fragrance of grass greeted him, and he saw a scene of overgrown weeds all around.


    Unlike the neatly trimmed and outstanding garden outside, this area looked more like a wild wilderness, overgrown with weeds everywhere.


    But upon closer inspection, he noticed several differences.


    These were simple tombstones.


    Since the Chen Guo Gong Mansion covered a vast area and had many servants, over the years, some people naturally died there.


    Those who were difficult to handle were buried here.


    This place seemed quite large, with many concubines of the mansion''s sons also buried here.


    Unfortunately, most of the concubines were bought, had low status, and couldn''t be buried in the family tombs, so they were buried in random places.


    Coincidentally, Chen An''s biological mother was also among them.


    After searching around for a while, Chen An quickly found a wooden plaque.


    The wooden plaque looked very simple, now covered with signs of erosion, but the writing on it was still visible and it remained standing there.


    It was left by Chen An back then, a makeshift grave marker for his own mother, in case he wanted to find her in the future.


    Several years had passed, with many changes occurring, but the simple tombstone he left behind remained.


    Looking at the rudimentary wooden tombstone, Chen An took out some incense, silently lit them, and then prepared to leave.


    He was about to leave when his steps involuntarily hesitated, and he saw a figure in the distance.


    It was a young man who appeared to be around the same age as Chen An.


    The young man was wearing a washed-out robe with a few patches on it, with a somewhat delicate appearance. He looked to be around fifteen or sixteen years old and was standing there, staring blankly at Chen An.


    "Are you Chang''an?"


    After a while, he recognized Chen An and his emotions became excited, "You''re back?"


    "You are... Ziling?"


    Chen An was somewhat surprised but eventually recognized the young man''s identity.


    Chen Ziling was Chen An''s younger brother.


    Of course, like Chen An, Chen Ziling was also born to a concubine, but his mother had survived because she was not favored very much.


    When Chen An left the Chen Guo Gong Mansion, Chen Ziling was around twelve years old, and now, after five years had passed, he had grown up.


    When the two brothers met, there was naturally a round of greetings.


    "Chang''an, when did you come back?"


    Chen Ziling held Chen An''s hand tightly, his expression particularly excited, "Why didn''t you come to see me?"


    "I just came back, so I came here to pay my respects."


    Chen An smiled and then asked, "Ziling, what are you doing here?"


    As Chen Ziling''s face was filled with sorrow, he finally spoke after a long silence, "After you left, my mother passed away within two years and I had to bury her here myself."


    He remained silent for a long time and was choked with sobs as he spoke.


    "I''m sorry to hear that."


    Chen An also fell silent, unsure of what to say.


    Honestly, when he left the mansion, he knew something was wrong.


    Under the circumstances at the time, Chen Ziling''s mother would inevitably meet a tragic end sooner or later; it was only a matter of time.


    Even Chen Ziling himself, if he had been unlucky, would probably have died at the mansion as well.


    He had thought about taking Chen Ziling with him, but at that time, Chen Ziling was still young, and his mother was still alive. There was no reason to bring him along, so he had to reluctantly give up on the idea.


    Now, after five years had passed and he had returned, everything had turned out as he had expected.


    Chen An sighed quietly and was about to speak a few comforting words when he heard footsteps approaching from outside.


    Someone was coming.


    Chen An was not surprised, nor was he in a hurry. He just silently watched.


    Unlike before, there weren''t many people coming now; there were only three people.


    But the quality of these three people was much better than the previous ones.


    One was at the mastery level of internal energy, and the other two were nearing the mastery level.


    "Young Master Chang''an."


    The leader among them clasped his hands respectfully in front of Chen An, his face solemn, and said, "Second Master invites you over."


    Second Master referred to Chen An''s biological father, Chen Li.


    At the Chen Guo Gong Mansion, Chen Li was referred to as the Second Master due to his position as the second son.


    "Oh, so he finally remembers who Chen Chang''an is?"


    Chen An chuckled as he spoke, but there was a hint of mockery in his tone.


    "Please lead the way."


    He walked forward, and Chen Ziling, who had been following Chen An, was stopped.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 118: Inside the Mansion

    "The second young master only wants to see the young master of Chang''an."Looking at Chen Ziling, the man in the middle spoke coldly.


    "Let him go."


    Beside him, Chen An''s voice sounded, sounding very gentle.


    The three of them were unmoved, as if they hadn''t heard. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Chang''an, forget it."


    Stared at coldly by the three attendants, Chen Ziling felt a bit scared and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Father called you over to discuss important matters, I''ll just stay here."


    He was quite self-aware.


    Chen Ziling was technically a young master in the Chen State Mansion, but his situation was not much different from a servant. Those with a little power could bully him, let alone the three leaders in front of him.


    For him, this scene was nothing out of the ordinary.


    But soon, he was stunned.


    A heavy atmosphere filled the space, mixed with a bloody scent.


    Chen Ziling opened his eyes and saw one of the three men in front of him staring at his chest.


    There, a piece of broken ice like a sharp blade was directly stabbed, piercing his entire chest.


    Drip, drip


    The strong smell of blood spread all around, enveloping the area.


    Everyone''s faces changed instantly.


    "You you."


    The man who got hit stared with wide eyes, staring at Chen An, his face showing disbelief, as if he had never expected that Chen An would dare to make a move against him.


    And the move was so ruthless, just one move took him down on the spot.


    After a moment, with a crisp sound, his body fell stiffly, blood splattered all over, looking everywhere.


    It was not until this moment that Chen An''s voice came out.


    "No harm done."


    Chen An stood there, still wearing the same gentle smile on his face, but with the scene at his feet, it all seemed awkward.


    He smiled at Chen Ziling, indicating for him to relax, then looked at the tall man in front and asked with a smile, "Is it okay now?"


    The man was sweating coldly.


    At this point, how could he not understand.


    The seemingly gentle and kind young man in front of him was clearly a ruthless killer who didn''t blink an eye.


    Just from that one move, even he couldn''t see how the other side had made it.


    Powerful and terrifying.


    "Chang An Young Master..."


    Out of warrior pride, he still spoke, wanting to say something.


    "Looks like it''s still not good."


    Chen An sighed.


    There was a sense of foreboding in the man''s heart.


    Indeed, the next moment that feeling came true.


    A splash of blood bloomed.


    Standing next to the man, another person fell straight down, his entire forehead pierced through, instantly killing him.


    "It seems that the guards in the Chen State Mansion are not in good health."


    Chen An sighed softly, then looked up, his gaze fixed on the man, "Don''t you think so?"


    "Y-yes."


    The man''s body was a bit stiff, he could only nod.


    At this point, could he still say anything?


    If he really dared to speak, he might end up in a bad way himself.


    He felt that he was still young and didn''t want to lie on the ground so soon.


    So he turned obediently and lowered his proud head, "Yes, yes."


    "Young Master Ziling is after all a young master, he can go wherever he wants in the mansion."


    "But that''s not what you said just now!"


    "Then please."


    Chen An nodded with a smile, looking very friendly and approachable, if you ignore the two bodies at his feet.


    On the side, watching the whole thing, Chen Ziling was a little frightened, finally realizing that something was wrong.


    He looked at Chen An in front of him, his gaze full of uncertainty.


    If he remembered correctly, he and his elder brother had not seen each other for only five years.


    Just five years, how could there be such a big change?


    The past Chen An was gentle and scholarly, a bookish look that was well-liked by his destitute brothers like them.


    But the current Chen An, while still maintaining that gentle and scholarly appearance, was completely different in his actions from the past.


    His methods were ruthless and domineering, even more so than the gentlemen in the mansion.


    Is this really the elder brother he remembered?


    Chen Ziling began to doubt.


    "Ziling."


    In front of him, Chen An''s voice came, making Chen Ziling shiver unexpectedly, "Brother, I''m here."


    "Don''t be afraid."


    Seeing Chen Ziling''s fearful look, Chen An couldn''t help but smile gently and speak softly, "It''s okay."


    The familiar words were just as before, no different from the past, which made the fearful and uneasy Chen Ziling somewhat relieved.


    The appearance of Chen An in front of him was exactly the same as five years ago.


    Then, he suddenly realized a problem.


    Could it be possible that Chen An had always been like this, but just didn''t show it in the past?


    Recalling the past when Chen An cared for his brothers and respected his parents, Chen Ziling couldn''t help but shudder again, unable to imagine what would happen next.


    He could already vaguely feel that what was about to happen next would exceed his imagination.


    But he still followed closely behind Chen An, without any hesitation, just like he used to.


    As the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father.


    For Chen Ziling, Chen An played such a role.


    When he was still young and vulnerable, it was always Chen An who sheltered him and protected him within the mansion.


    In the hearts of this group of brothers, Chen An''s position was clearly extraordinary.


    So at this moment, he had no hesitation and walked out, standing next to Chen An.


    Chen An smiled on the surface, seeming indifferent, but still somewhat pleased in his heart.


    It wasn''t in vain that he had taken care of him in the past.


    Walking to the end of the path, Chen An quickly entered the mansion.


    With the buffer of the previous time, the mansion seemed to have calmed down at this moment, with a response.


    "Master Chang''an, Second Master is inside, I...I won''t follow you in."


    Guiding Chen An to the place, the man looked at him and respectfully spoke.


    Chen An''s eyes fell on him, seemingly with some scrutiny.


    The man immediately changed his words, "Of course, if you need it, I can accompany you in."


    "No need."


    Chen An smiled, "Captain Cao, I''m not a monster, why are you so afraid?"


    You won''t eat people, but you will kill them!


    Captain Cao cursed in his heart, but his face was extremely respectful, not daring to say a word.


    "Alright, you can go now."


    Finally, the words he had been eagerly waiting for echoed around.


    Without any hesitation, he turned around and walked away, afraid that he would die in the same spot if he stayed too long.


    Um, judging by Chen An''s ferocity just now, if he stayed too long, he might really die here.


    Chen Ziling looked at Captain Cao, who was almost running away, with some mixed feelings.


    In his impression, how dignified and majestic the other party was, there were hardly any people in the mansion who could overshadow him, even his father, when facing Captain Cao, had to be polite.


    However, now, this usually domineering and majestic Captain Cao seemed to be running away, not daring to stay in this place for long.


    The contrast was really great.


    "Don''t think too much."


    Seemingly aware of what Chen Ziling was thinking, Chen An smiled and softly said, "The past is in the past."


    "In the days to come, things will definitely be different."


    He patted Chen Ziling''s shoulder, then walked in.


    Chen Ziling quickly followed.


    Entering the inner courtyard, it looked particularly empty at the moment.


    Several large tables were set up, and many people were already sitting there.


    Two middle-aged men were sitting there, one in a black robe, his face somewhat pale, seemingly ill, looking pale and weak, giving the overall impression of gloominess, like a cunning and deep person.


    The former was Chen Qi, the eldest son of the Chen State Duke.


    The latter was Chen Li, the second son of the Chen State Duke.


    Of course, for Chen An, he had a more special identity.


    His biological father in this projection body.


    In the past, these two were the main figures in the Chen State Mansion. When the Chen State Duke himself was in seclusion and not involved in affairs, these two held the power in the entire Chen State Mansion.


    Now that Chen An had come, it seemed that these two were responsible for receiving him.


    The area was empty, with only the two of them.


    But this was just on the surface.


    In reality...


    At this moment on the outskirts, many people were lurking there.


    It seemed that there were quite a few skilled individuals.


    But it was uncertain how many there really were.


    The appearance of these two in front of him didn''t seem like honest people, they were playing a game of bluffing and intimidating with Chen An.


    Chen An didn''t mind, he just found his seat and sat down.


    Chen Li and Chen Qi in front of him frowned.


    "Haven''t seen each other for years, and when you see your father and uncle, is this how you behave?"


    Chen Li slammed the table, scolding angrily.


    Chen An turned back in surprise, looking at him as if he were looking at a fool, "How else would you have me behave?"


    "Should I kowtow three times and kneel when I enter?"


    "Or should I shout and weep with tears in my eyes?"


    "Is it not acceptable for a son to meet his father and ancestors in this way?"


    Chen Li spoke coldly.


    This answer caught Chen An off guard, dumbfounded and laughed, "If it were for your biological father, the kindness of giving birth, nurturing, such acts are only natural and acceptable."


    "Unfortunately, you only have the name of a biological father, with no nurturing kindness, but rather the enmity of matricide."


    "Hence, I am not worthy of such gestures."


    "You!"


    Anger flashed across Chen Li''s face.


    "Calm down, both of you."


    Chen Qi looked at Chen An and Chen Li, and stepped in to defuse the situation, "We are family, why quarrel like this?"


    "Second brother, you should also calm down."


    He reprimanded Chen Li, then looked at Chen An in front of him.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 119: What Does It Have to Do with Me If I Beat You to Death?

    "Chang''an, over the years, we also know that you have grievances in your heart," Chen Qi''s tone was as gentle as possible as he spoke, "But reaching this point, it is something we never wanted.""Regardless of what, you are still a member of the Chen family, the child of the second brother."


    "However, we are all family, why be like this?"


    He spoke softly, trying to persuade, but the words sounded strange in Chen An''s ears.


    Family?


    Where were you earlier?


    Staring at his eldest uncle, Chen An''s face had a hint of mockery, "Family?"


    "Just now, the servants of the Duke of Chen''s Mansion still blocked me outside the mansion, is that what you call family?"


    "They are just ignorant servants."


    Chen Qi explained, "We already know about this matter, and those servants have been punished severely."


    "However, you haven''t come back for years, the people in the mansion are not familiar with your name, so it can be forgiven."


    "Yes, it can be forgiven."


    Chen An sighed, "So what?"


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Qi and Chen Li were taken aback.


    "After all these years of not inquiring, now that the Crown Prince is about to ascend the throne, you called me over in a hurry. Are you trying to send me away with just a few words?"


    Seeing their reaction, Chen An couldn''t help but smile, "Even if you call someone to come and participate, at least offer them a few good meals. You want to resolve grievances, but are you trying to do it with just a few words?"


    His voice was calm, his emotions seemed stable, but his words conveyed only one meaning.


    He wanted benefits.


    But hearing Chen An''s implication, Chen Qi felt relieved.


    Not afraid you want benefits, afraid you don''t want anything.


    For them, if Chen An didn''t want anything, it would be the most difficult to deal with, as it would weigh on their conscience.


    "My second brother and I have already discussed it."


    Chen Qi smiled and said, "As long as you are willing to come back, our family''s arsenal will be open to you immediately, including our ancestral Chen''s martial arts, which are also stored there."


    "In addition, all your benefits will be adjusted, receiving a monthly salary of a hundred taels, with all the necessary medicines available. How about it?"


    "It sounds alright."


    Chen An sighed, "But unfortunately, it''s a bit too late."


    "If you had offered me these things when I was ten years old, maybe I would have been moved for a while, but now."


    If these benefits had been offered to Chen An when he was younger, just awakening his memories, he might not have done much else.


    After all, who wouldn''t want a background standing behind them if given the choice?


    Isn''t it better to take a shorter path?


    Unfortunately, when he really needed these things, he had nothing.


    And when he had finally made a name for himself and no longer needed these things, what was the point of giving them to him?


    To dismiss him like a beggar?


    What Chen Qi said were just the standard treatment of the main line in the Duke of Chen''s mansion. Is there anything worth wanting?


    If this were in the Imperial Capital, with just these things, others probably wouldn''t even feel comfortable offering them.


    Because giving them would be an insult.


    Chen Qi and Chen Li exchanged a glance, and both couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Give it to you when you were ten years old?


    You must be dreaming.


    These treatments were only meant for the true mainline members. As a leftover illegitimate son from a concubine, what qualifications did he have to enjoy such treatment?


    If it weren''t for Chen An''s recent allegiance to the Crown Prince, being a prominent figure by the Crown Prince''s side, would he still expect the mansion to offer him these conditions?


    You must be dreaming.


    "This won''t work, that won''t work, what do you want then?"


    Chen Li coldly snorted, speaking with a disdainful tone.


    Truth be told, he looked quite intimidating, and now with that tone, he seemed quite formidable, making Chen Ziling not far away feel weak at the knees and tremble.


    "I don''t want anything in particular."


    Chen An raised his head and looked at his biological father, "To be honest, I never intended to negotiate any conditions with you from the beginning."


    "But since you want to talk, I came here anyway, partly to resolve grievances, and partly to see what kind of conditions you can come up with, with your brains."


    "Now it seems, you really didn''t disappoint me."


    He stood up silently, let out a sigh, "At the critical moment, you want to get rid of me with just a few things like this, should I say you are thrifty, or should I say you are as stupid as a pig?"


    "Rebel!"


    As soon as the words "stupid as a pig" were spoken, everyone in the room changed their expression.


    Chen Li erupted in anger, and it seemed like he was about to attack directly.


    "Second brother, calm down, calm down."


    Chen Qi hurriedly stepped forward to hold back Chen Li, but his face was equally grim.


    Clearly, his mental fortitude wasn''t particularly strong either, as he couldn''t help but show signs of discomfort upon hearing Chen An''s sarcasm.


    Meanwhile, in front of them, Chen An''s voice continued.


    "If you want me to come back, it''s not impossible."


    An insidious tone continued.


    He looked at Chen Li in front of him, "Immediately have your legitimate wife killed, and then drive out your legitimate sons from the mansion. This matter will be considered settled."


    "How do you feel about that?"


    "You!"


    Chen Li''s movements suddenly faltered, he took a deep breath at the moment.


    He was, after all, a person with some strength of character, and despite being confronted with provocative words, he managed to calm down and gazed at Chen An, "What concern do you have between your mother''s death and them?"


    "What do they have to do with them?"


    Chen An looked puzzled at Chen Li, as if meeting him for the first time, "Well, since you seem unaware, let me explain in detail."


    "When I was twelve years old, I left the mansion, but before that, do you know what kind of days I spent in that mansion? I think you should know."


    "Before the age of ten, your legitimate sons feasted on fine food every day, while I could only eat rice mixed with sand and leftovers, should this be something you are aware of?"


    "I don''t know about that."


    Chen Li responded coldly, "That was a decision from the servants, what does it have do with me?"


    "Am I supposed to personally oversee every small matter in the mansion?"


    "Well then, you don''t know."


    Chen An nodded, continued, "When I was eight, there was an incident where Ziling couldn''t bear hunger, so he secretly took a cake from your legitimate son and was almost beaten to death by your legitimate wife. Should you be aware of this?"


    Chen Li instinctively looked towards Chen Ziling on the side.


    Under their gaze, Chen Ziling lowered his head, feeling his whole body trembling, not daring to move at all.


    Years of habit had created a huge psychological shadow in him, with just a glance, he felt a deep sense of fear, unable to move.


    "Committing theft at such a young age is wrong, it would have been her fate if she had been beaten to death."


    Chen Li withdrew his gaze, his face unchanged, "Furthermore, the mansion has nurtured you for many years, shouldn''t you be disciplined as well?"


    "Yes, you are right."


    Chen An chuckled, "When I was five, you started teaching your legitimate sons martial arts, giving them medicine day and night, while for us, you were constantly on guard, afraid that we might learn even a bit. I wonder why?"


    "Legitimate and illegitimate have distinctions, there is a rule within the mansion, non-primary children are not allowed to practice the Chen family''s martial arts, so as not to leak out."


    This time, before Chen Li could speak, Chen Qi spoke first, "The second brother didn''t teach you martial arts for a reason."


    "The mansion indeed has this rule."


    Chen An glanced at Chen Qi, "But how come I remember that the mansion''s rule only stated that the Chen family''s martial arts shouldn''t be taught, it didn''t say that even other martial arts couldn''t be taught."


    Chen Qi suddenly fell silent. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In fact, everything Chen An said was true.


    There was a rule inside the mansion that children of secondary lineage were not allowed to learn the Chen family''s martial arts.


    Not only within the Duke of Chen''s mansion, but many other places had similar regulations.


    Even in the previous world, the Bai family''s Yin Martial Arts were only taught to the main family members, the branches were unable to receive the teachings.


    But even if you don''t teach the Chen family''s martial arts, not teaching any other martial arts is a bit exaggerated, isn''t it?


    Frankly speaking, even the guards and housekeepers of the Duke of Chen''s mansion were practicing martial arts!


    The head of the guards that was standing in front of Chen An, Cao, was groomed within the Duke of Chen''s mansion.


    Even the housekeepers and guards who had no affiliation with the Duke of Chen were practicing martial arts, yet those from the mainline of the Duke of Chen were strictly prohibited from even touching any martial arts.


    What kind of logic was this?


    There was no logic behind it!


    "If only it were like this, then perhaps it would be forgivable."


    Chen An smiled and continued, "When I was five, there was a snowstorm outside, but you made my mother kneel outside your room for three hours."


    "My mother was already weak, and at that young age, kneeling in that kind of weather led to a severe illness, and she passed away shortly after."


    "What do you have to say about this?"


    "Your mother was just a concubine I bought, and her contract was in my hands, even if she died, it doesn''t matter. Even if the Great Hua Law were to judge me, there would be no fault."


    Chen Li coldly replied, "Besides, your mother''s death due to the snowstorm was her own weak fate, what does it have to do with me?"


    "Yes, what does it have to do with you?"


    Chen An looked puzzled at Chen Li, as if meeting him for the first time, "Well, since you want to pretend not to know, then I will explain it in detail."


    "When I was twelve, I left the mansion, but before that, I had already lived what kind of days in the mansion. You should know that before I was ten."


    "Before the age of ten, your legitimate sons ate well every day, while I could only eat rice mixed with sand and leftovers, did you know about this?"


    "I have no knowledge of this."


    Chen Li responded coldly, "This was decided by the servants, what does it have to do with me?"


    "Am I supposed to personally oversee every minor matter in the mansion?"


    "Well, you don''t know."


    Chen An nodded, continuing, "When I was eight, one time Ziling couldn''t bear hunger, he secretly ate a pastry from your legitimate son and was almost beaten to death by your legitimate wife. Should you be aware of this?"


    Chen Li glanced almost instinctively at Chen Ziling beside him.


    Being stared at, Chen Ziling lowered his head, feeling a shake in his whole body and trembling, completely motionless.


    Years of habit had created a huge psychological shadow in him, to the extent that just being stared at filled him with fear, unable to move.


    "Bringing up the lead on such young thieves is wrong, even if they are beaten to death, it''s their own fault."


    Chen Li regained his gaze, his face unchanged, "Moreover, the mansion has nurtured you for many years, shouldn''t they be disciplined?"


    "Yes, what you said is correct."


    Chen An smiled, "When I was five, you began to teach your legitimate sons martial arts, giving them medicine day and night, while we were constantly guarded against, afraid that we would even learn a little bit. I dare to ask, why is this so?"


    "Legitimate and illegitimate have distinctions, there are rules within the mansion, non-legitimate offspring are not allowed to practice our Chen family martial arts to avoid leaking it."


    This time, before Chen Li could speak, Chen Li spoke first, "The second brother did not teach the martial arts for a reason."


    "The mansion indeed has this rule."


    Chen An glanced at Chen Li, "But how come I remember that the mansion''s rule only stated that the Chen family''s martial arts shouldn''t be taught, and not other martial arts?"


    Chen Qi suddenly fell silent.


    In fact, everything Chen An said was true.


    There was a rule inside the mansion that children of secondary lineage were not allowed to learn the Chen family''s martial arts.


    Not only within the Duke of Chen''s mansion, but many other places had similar regulations.


    Even in the previous world, the Bai family''s Yin Martial Arts were only taught to the main family members, the branches were unable to receive the teachings.


    But even if you don''t teach the Chen family''s martial arts, not teaching any other martial arts is a bit exaggerated, isn''t it?


    Saying in an offensive manner, even at the Chen Duke''s mansion, the doorkeepers and head of martial arts were practicing martial arts!


    The head of guards that was standing in front of Chen An, Cao, was groomed within the Duke of Chen''s mansion.


    Even the housekeepers and guards that had no affiliation with the Duke of Chen were practicing martial arts, yet those from the mainline of the Duke of Chen were strictly prohibited from even touching any martial arts.


    He was also raised in the Chen Guogong Mansion, cultivated by the Chen Guogong Mansion, and naturally loyal to the Chen Guogong Mansion.


    From the perspective of loyalty and filial piety, he should rush in to help now, to block Chen An for the two masters of the Chen Guogong Mansion.


    But reason tells him that if he rushes in now, it might be purely giving away his life.


    Did you see those lifelike ice sculptures?


    Just a little while ago, they were all alive, and now they have all become pieces of art.


    Captain Cao didn''t want to end up like that.


    And there were many others like him.


    Everyone was hesitant to advance, naturally no one dared to confront Chen An.


    Oh, actually, there were some.


    Captain Cao clearly saw a few people charging towards Chen An, undoubtedly loyal, and two of them had comparable cultivation levels to him.


    But what''s the use?


    In front of Chen An, being at the same level as him or just a normal foot soldier didn¡¯t make any difference.


    It¡¯s more like a waste of life.


    For the current Chen An, unless someone of a similar level comes, otherwise with just him alone, he could easily slaughter the vast Chen Guogong Mansion.


    "Gang... gang qi."


    Chen Qi and Chen Li leaned against the wall, their teeth trembling from the surrounding cold air.


    Previously, the weather outside was scorching hot and they even felt overdressed.


    But now, they all felt like they were underdressed, wishing they could put on a few more layers for warmth.


    Although even if they put on more layers of clothes, it wouldn¡¯t make any difference.


    "How could you possibly possess Gang Qi!"


    Chen Li gritted his teeth, his face full of disbelief.


    Chen Qi''s expression was almost the same.


    However, there were rumors surrounding Chen An''s various accomplishments, including the rumor that Chen An possessed Gang Qi.


    But there were just too many similar rumors, causing them to treat this news as mere gossip, without believing it.


    After all, a Gang Qi martial artist under twenty, unless they saw it with their own eyes, who would dare to believe it?


    It had to be said that this mentality was exactly the same as before with Wu Guogong.


    If they were to meet Wu Guogong, there would certainly be a lot of shared topics.


    But whether or not Wu Guogong would be willing to see them was hard to say, as they certainly didn''t want to see Wu Guogong.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 120: The Sons Evil Deeds

    "Disobedient son!"Chilly air surrounded them, and the ground was littered with corpses.


    Seeing Chen An approaching with a smile on his face, Chen Li angrily shouted, "Are you planning to kill your father?"


    "Kill my father?"


    Chen An paused, looking at Chen Li in surprise. His eyes were strange, as if he was looking at a fool. "How could that be?"


    "I am a filial son."


    He pointed to the row of ice sculptures outside and said with a smile, "The weather was hot, so you, Father, decided to cool off with ice but accidentally caught a cold and died in bed. How about this?"


    "You!"


    Chen Li''s breath hitched.


    As a martial artist, he could clearly feel the strong intent to kill in Chen An''s words.


    This disobedient son was serious.


    "Not satisfied?"


    Seeing Chen Li''s silence, Chen An thought he wasn''t quite satisfied with this arrangement. So after thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "Well then."


    "After I return to the mansion, those elder brothers of yours, jealous of Father''s favor, conspired with the Lady to poison you, attempting to kill you and take over the family property."


    "After discovering this, I was heartbroken and killed the poisoner and those disobedient sons to avenge Father."


    "How about this?"


    He raised his head, still wearing a warm smile. "Father, are you satisfied?"


    Chen Li couldn''t speak.


    His heart was cold at this moment.


    The person in front of him looked kind and polite, but inside, he was extremely cold.


    The strong intent to kill was not fake, it was real and meant to put him to death.


    Not only him, but even his legitimate sons and the Lady, all whom the other side wanted to kill.


    This was a killing star!


    "You are not my son!"


    He shouted angrily, "I don''t have a child like you!"


    Chen Qi on the side also had an ugly face, feeling lost.


    Everything was in chaos.


    The way Chen An looked now was completely different from the impression they had of him.


    In their past impression, Chen An had always been gentle, polite, and had the appearance of a gentleman, showing good manners no matter what he faced, and had no interest in martial arts at all.


    It was because of this impression that they thought everything would go smoothly today.


    After all, a gentleman can be deceived in a logical manner. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    People who read the Dao De Jing often value filial piety the most, and as they were the elder, they naturally had the advantage.


    However, they didn''t expect the outcome to be like this.


    Although his appearance had not changed, his actions were completely unrelated to the so-called scholar.


    Chen Qi wanted to ask, what kind of books did you read all those years in the National Academy?


    Did Prime Minister Dong teach you like this?


    He wanted to speak up but was only glanced at by Chen An, and immediately dared not say anything, keeping his mouth shut.


    After all, although Chen An was fierce, his anger was not directed at him, but at his younger brother.


    But if he spoke up, the outcome might be uncertain again.


    He admitted to himself that he was still young, with a promising future ahead of him, and did not want to bid farewell to this world so soon.


    "Do you really want to kill me?"


    Chen Li gritted his teeth and spoke, staring angrily at Chen An in front of him. "This is the residence of the Duke of Chen, I am the heir of the Duke of Chen, the future Duke of Chen. Do you dare to kill me, aren''t you afraid of the Crown Prince and the Emperor blaming you?"


    "I...really don''t care."


    After thinking for a moment, Chen An nodded seriously.


    If he remembered correctly, he had previously killed a Duke outside the palace with his own hands.


    And then?


    Nothing happened.


    In this world, only real strength mattered.


    Titles like Duke were just superficial, and loyalty was worth more than a Duke''s title.


    To put it bluntly, even if he killed ten Dukes, as long as he remained loyal to the Crown Prince, Chancellor Cheng would not do anything to him.


    If a Duke was like this, let alone just a Duke''s heir.


    No, not even the Duke''s heir yet.


    Chen An looked at Chen Qi beside him and shook his head.


    At this moment, Chen Qi was looking angrily at his younger brother.


    The Duke of Chen''s heir? Are you worthy?


    Normally, there would probably have been a debate between them.


    But now, feeling the chilling atmosphere around them, he just glared at Chen Li and didn''t say much.


    "Alright, it seems you have nothing new to say."


    Seeing their reactions, Chen An was a bit disappointed. "Since we are father and son, I will give you a quick death so you don''t embarrass yourself and lose face for no reason."


    "Rest assured, the woman you loved before, and even your legitimate sons, will soon come to accompany you."


    "I''m sure you won''t be lonely on the road to the underworld."


    He said these words carelessly, and each sentence made Chen Li''s face more grim.


    But in the end, a look of surprise appeared on his face.


    "Dad!"


    As soon as this word came out, Chen An was stunned.


    He''s calling me dad now?


    Isn''t that a bit too much?


    I''m just about to kill him, do you have to throw away your dignity as well?


    Even if he calls me dad, it''s useless.


    Isn''t he going to die anyway?


    But soon, Chen An realized that something was wrong.


    A strong aura was surging behind him, enveloping him with a powerful momentum.


    In an instant, strong winds blew, and a seemingly dull yet containing immense power palm fiercely pressed towards Chen An, aiming directly at his neck.


    If this punch were to land, Chen An would probably be knocked down on the spot.


    Bang!


    A pale hand reached out and instantly clashed with this fist.


    Chilly air splattered around, carrying a strong icy power that engulfed the area several meters around Chen An, freezing everything within reach.


    The powerful shock came from the front, causing Chen An to retreat several steps before recovering.


    Facing him, a figure stood there.


    He looked like a man in his fifties, dressed in a simple gray robe, with a dignified appearance somewhat similar to Chen Li. Standing there with his hands behind his back, he exuded a master''s demeanor.


    At first glance, he seemed to be just an old man, but the strong and powerful aura emanating from him, with patches of Yuan Qi condensed around him, proved his identity as a Yuan Qi martial artist.


    And in the vast mansion of the Duke of Chen, there was only one person who could have such cultivation.


    The current Duke of Chen, Chen Hua, the grandfather of this body of Chen An.


    "Grandfather?"


    Standing in place, Chen An looked at the figure in front of him and then spoke slowly.


    "Yes."


    Chen Hua nodded, his face calm. "But for you, perhaps you should call me grandfather."


    Grandfather?


    Chen An shook his head inwardly.


    The way you just attacked doesn''t look like a grandfather treating his grandson.


    If he hadn''t dodged that blow, he would probably be injured now.


    Would a grandfather do that to his grandson?


    "In my impression, I don''t have a grandfather."


    He said with a smile, then pointed to Chen Li beside him. "Take this trash for example. Although he is foolish and stupid, I have some impression of him. Saying he is my father, though I''m ashamed, I accept it."


    "As for you, grandfather, I have no impression at all."


    Listening to Chen An''s description, Chen Li clenched his hands, angry again but dared not speak out against Chen An.


    The lesson just now was too heavy to bear.


    On the other hand, Chen Qi couldn''t help but speak, "Why are you talking to your grandfather like that?"


    Bang!


    There was a light sound, and Yuan Qi swept through, directly lifting Chen Qi and sending him flying, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood mixed with ice debris.


    The speed of this attack was too fast, and even the Duke of Chen in front of him couldn''t stop it.


    "Adults speak, is it your turn to interrupt?"


    Chen An calmly spoke, "If you dare to interrupt again, you won''t be able to speak anymore."


    According to their status, they were his elders, right?


    People around secretly complained, but each of them kept their heads down, afraid to say a word.


    Chen Qi struggled to get up from the ground, spitting out a lot of ice debris.


    He looked at Chen An in front of him, his eyes filled with fear, not daring to speak again.


    Chen Li also obediently kept his mouth shut, not daring to say anything anymore.


    He realized it now.


    Even though Duke Chen personally came, they now had a backer. However, in the situation where both were Yuan Qi practitioners, Chen An could still easily kill them. Even Duke Chen himself would find it difficult to resist.


    If they dared to continue saying anything, they might truly end up accompanying Duke Wu.


    "I have been in seclusion for years and rarely have contact with you younger generations."


    Duke Chen looked a bit helpless. "It''s also my neglect for not discovering your talent earlier."


    "Otherwise, perhaps today''s events wouldn''t have happened."


    Duke Chen did feel a bit helpless.


    A Yuan Qi practitioner who was not yet twenty years old.


    At first, he thought it was a rumor, as it seemed unlikely. But when he truly felt Chen An''s aura, he couldn''t stay in seclusion any longer and rushed out.


    After being amazed, he sighed.


    This was his grandson, who should have been the pride of Duke Chen''s mansion.


    Even without any support from Duke Chen''s mansion and leaving it, he had still achieved this level. If he had been discovered earlier?


    Now, thinking back, perhaps if he had paid more attention to the situation in Duke Chen''s mansion, he could have found Chen An''s talent earlier and let him start practicing martial arts sooner.


    If that had happened, could today''s events have been avoided?


    Thinking about this, he couldn''t help but sigh.


    Fortunately, things hadn''t reached the worst point yet.


    There was still a chance to salvage the situation.


    "I know what Li''er and the others have done. It is indeed going too far."


    Duke Chen sighed and then said, "But at this point, there is nothing you can do to change it."


    "Why not look forward and live well in the future?"


    "I believe if your mother were still alive, she wouldn''t want you to bear the guilt of killing your father and mother."


    "You''re right."


    Chen An smiled. "So, what do you want?"


    "Especially calling me here, and then doing nothing, do you think you can easily call me back like that?"


    "What do you want?"


    Duke Chen frowned.


    "The properties of Duke Chen''s mansion and those industries are not bad," Chen An said casually.


    "I''ll give them to you."


    Duke Chen didn''t hesitate at all.


    "The Duke title of Duke Chen is also quite good."


    "Also yours."


    Duke Chen continued, "As long as you agree, in a while, I will go to report to the Emperor and have him transfer the title of Duke Chen to you. Then I can retire peacefully."


    So, are we skipping the position of heir and inheriting the title directly?


    Chen Li and Chen Qi, who were quietly listening from a distance, felt complicated.


    They had struggled and competed for those positions for many years but had not achieved the status of heir. Now, Chen An had bypassed the position of heir and forced Chen Hua to abdicate.


    He also now owned many properties above the Duke Chen mansion?


    Others might not be aware, but as former officials of Duke Chen''s mansion, they knew exactly how many industries were under the mansion.


    It might be an exaggeration to say they were as wealthy as a country, but it wasn''t far off.


    Almost tens of thousands of people in the county relied on Duke Chen''s mansion for their livelihood.


    The benefits and profits that arose from this were significant.


    And now, all of it was just handed over to someone else.


    What was the meaning of their previous struggles and battles?


    Chen Qi and Chen Li exchanged a glance, their emotions complex at that moment.


    Nevertheless, the things they found difficult to let go of were not a big deal for Duke Chen.


    For a martial artist of his level, those external things were no longer useful.


    No matter how many properties, how much wealth, could it extend his life by a few years? Could it bring better martial arts knowledge?


    None of it could.


    So, what was of use?


    Even the title of Duke was the same.


    With the strength of Yuan Qi, whether he had the Duke title or not didn''t matter.


    But without the strength of Yuan Qi, even if he was a Duke, so what?


    Would he dare to act arrogantly in front of a Yuan Qi practitioner?


    This was clear as day.


    Chen An was a bit surprised by Duke Chen''s straightforwardness.


    Compared to those who were greedy and short-sighted, Duke Chen was much more generous and open-minded.


    This kind of behavior actually made Chen An feel a bit fond of him.


    Finally, he spoke, "One last request."


    "In Duke Chen''s mansion, those people I don''t like, hand them over to me. How about it?"


    "I don''t want any annoying people in Duke Chen''s mansion."


    With this statement, Chen Li''s face became even paler.


    Annoying people? The direction of these words was already very clear, pointing directly at his family.


    On the side, Chen Qi looked at Chen Li, feeling a bit hesitant as well.


    Was he included in the annoying people?


    He hadn''t bullied Chen An before, so Chen An wouldn''t want to get rid of him too, right?


    Thinking this, he felt a bit more at ease.


    Even though he would have to say goodbye to the position of heir later on, considering the current situation, being able to save his life seemed pretty good.


    Duke Chen hesitated for the first time.


    For a Yuan Qi practitioner like him, he didn''t care much about external things, but his children still had some significance to him.


    After all, no matter what, they were his own children and he still had some emotions towards them.


    "Li''er is still your father after all."


    After a moment of silence, he couldn''t help but speak again, looking at Chen An and said, "If you were to force me to kill him, it wouldn''t reflect well on your reputation in the future."


    "You''re quite considerate, Duke Chen."


    Chen An suddenly realized. "Then, will Duke Chen help me?"


    "Calling me here on purpose, then not doing anything, do you think you can easily call me back like this?"


    "What do you want?"


    Duke Chen frowned.


    "Chen Chen''s mansion and those properties aren''t bad." Chen An spoke casually.


    "I''ll give them to you."


    "The Duke title of Chen''s mansion is also quite good."


    "Also yours."


    "As long as you agree, in a while, I will report to the Emperor and have him transfer the title of Duke Chen to you. Then I can retire peacefully."


    So, are we skipping the position of heir and inheriting the title directly?


    Chen Li and Chen Qi, who were quietly listening from a distance, felt complicated.


    Despite their struggles, Chen An had bypassed the position of heir and forced Chen Hua to abdicate.


    He now owned many properties above the Duke Chen mansion?


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 121: Brotherly Respect

    Within the Chen Manor, two completely different energies collided with each other.A powerful force echoed in this place, almost enveloping the entire Chen Manor, completely shrouded within.


    Invisible to the naked eye, two energies competed and targeted each other here.


    Evidently, a sense of terror permeated the surroundings.


    A chill air enveloped the surroundings; wherever it passed, everything was frozen, creating a cold icy landscape.


    Along the way, whether it was flowers, grass, or corpses, everything turned into beautiful ice sculptures, despite the miserable cries of the people.


    In the center, two figures faced each other, staring at each other.


    "Are we really going to have a fight after all?"


    Facing Chen An in front, the Duke Chen sighed, "I thought we could resolve this peacefully."


    "We could have," Chen An nodded calmly, "It''s just that you, Duke Chen, are unwilling."


    "Since you are unwilling, Duke Chen, then I have no choice but to act and reason with you," he lifted his head and gazed at Duke Chen, speaking lightly.


    "The way you are now, doesn''t seem like you want to reason."


    Duke Chen glanced around with a hint of helplessness in his voice.


    At this moment, the Chen Manor had completely changed.


    The collision of the two auras emitted by the two men was exceptionally powerful.


    The whole Chen Manor was already affected by the aura they emanated, turning it into a completely different place.


    Numerous areas had turned into icy worlds, with ice sculptures appearing everywhere.


    However, that was considered acceptable.


    Neither Chen An nor Duke Chen harbored much killing intent in their hearts.


    Naturally, Duke Chen didn''t need to say much; as for Chen An, his killing intent was only directed towards Chen Li''s family.


    Chen An was not a bloodthirsty madman who killed randomly.


    Of course, except for those who actively sought trouble with him.


    Chen An had a good temper and appreciated beauty in adults, so if someone was looking for trouble, he generally wouldn''t refuse.


    But fundamentally, neither of them had much killing intent.


    Therefore, despite the auras spreading and wreaking havoc, they didn''t cause much damage.


    Both maintained considerable restraint towards each other.


    "That''s just for you, Duke Chen," Chen An said lightly, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Would you deny me the revenge for the murder of my mother?"


    "I see, it''s your father as well," Duke Chen shook his head slowly, speaking leisurely.


    "Father?" Chen An smiled, "I only see a greedy beast wrapped in human skin."


    "Before I came to this mansion, if he had done anything, perhaps I wouldn''t have been like this. At least, I could have been gentler in my approach. But he did nothing, and instead caused me a lot of trouble."


    "This kind of father, Duke Chen, ask yourself, would you keep him if he were given to you?"


    Duke Chen fell silent instantly, feeling somewhat at a loss.


    He had also heard of the hardships Chen An had faced, indeed, Chen Li had gone too far.


    "Since you have nothing to say, it shows that you still have a conscience, unlike those two beasts who can speak without a conscience," Chen An chuckled, "I am not an executioner. Give Chen Li''s family to me, and I will leave immediately, without taking your title or inheritance. How about it?"


    Duke Chen remained silent.


    "Father!" Behind him, Chen Li spoke anxiously, seemingly afraid that Duke Chen would agree.


    The situation in front of them was clear.


    If Duke Chen nodded, he might lose his life on the spot.


    On the side, Chen Qi''s eyes sparkled.


    According to Chen An''s words, if Chen Li''s family was handed over, he would leave immediately, not even wanting Duke Chen''s title or inheritance.


    Obviously, Chen Li and his family would likely meet their end if they fell into his hands, probably not even a single one of them would survive.


    Wouldn''t that mean that the Chen Manor''s legacy would pass into his hands?


    Thinking about this, his eyes brightened involuntarily.


    If he hadn''t been afraid of showing his intentions too clearly, he might have agreed on the spot, asking Duke Chen to hand over the people.


    After all, the dead do not need wealth or leisure, and there were benefits to be had, why not do it?


    All eyes were fixed on Duke Chen.


    Under the scrutiny of so many people, Duke Chen sighed quietly and said, "He is still my son."


    As the words fell, Chen Li''s face showed relief, while Chen Qi''s eyes were filled with disappointment.


    Chen An, on the other hand, smiled, "Is that so?"


    "Not bad," he continued, "I was thinking before, if you just handed him over like that, although efficient, it would have been a bit unsatisfactory."


    "This way is better," he looked at Duke Chen, "If I want fairness and justice, I should use my own hands to take it back. I don''t need your approval."


    "Since you are standing in front of me, Duke Chen, don''t blame me for being impolite!"


    As he spoke, snowflakes scattered all around.


    The condensed energy of the dark ice rushed to the sky, erupting suddenly and enveloping everything.


    A powerful aura surged forward, heading towards Duke Chen.


    Duke Chen''s expression changed slightly.


    He quickly retreated in a very agile manner to evade the impact.


    A figure suddenly appeared behind him, swinging a blade.


    The Wind Chasing Blade Technique, Roaring Moon!


    The chilly long blade fell, seemingly unassuming but carrying a fierce power within.


    Terrifyingly strong energy erupted in this strike, blossoming like a slowly opening flower.


    As the blade fell, the ground around froze, and the air currents condensed into ice crystals, charging towards Duke Chen.


    Bang!


    A clang resounded, as if iron and blade collided with an extra loud sound.


    In the dense aura, two figures entangled.


    Duke Chen held the long blade with one hand, locked in a fierce struggle with Chen An.


    On his hand was a heavy iron glove, appearing sturdy, bolstered by the enhanced aura, making it even more terrifying.


    At close range, their auras collided head-on.


    To Chen An''s surprise, despite Duke Chen being much older, his aura was still impressively strong, not inferior to his own.


    As for Duke Chen, he was even more astonished.


    He had practiced martial arts for decades and ascended in aura for more than twenty years. He thought that in terms of aura quality, he should be able to overpower Chen An, this rising star. However, to his surprise, they were evenly matched.


    It was an incredibly unbelievable occurrence.


    How could a person who had recently ascended to the aura stage possess such a robust aura accumulation?


    It was unbelievable!


    Regardless of how shocked and disbelieving Duke Chen felt, reality was right before his eyes.


    The two powerful auras clashed, finally erupting into a violent conflict.


    Boom!


    The ground exploded, creating a massive crater, cracks spread across the surface like a spider web.


    The powerful energy rose into the sky.


    Before Duke Chen could recover, Chen An''s figure surged forward again, raising the long blade high.


    With the blade falling, this time it was not a martial technique but a pure mastery of swordsmanship.


    Chen An was a master at using blades, adept in various blade techniques. Applying them in a real fight was dizzying to watch.


    "Even your swordsmanship is so exquisite," Duke Chen felt a sense of absurdity in his mind.


    Compared to the current Chen An, he felt like his previous martial arts training had been a joke.


    Ascending to the aura stage before the age of twenty was already incredible, not to mention possessing such a strong aura accumulation and such terrifying expertise in swordsmanship.


    Could he be described as a genius?


    If Chen An knew what Duke Chen was thinking, he would surely laugh at his limited perspective.


    Geniuses could not reach this level, but bugs could.


    Compared to bugs, all so-called geniuses were inferior.


    Given enough resources, not only at this level, but he could probably reach the innate stage directly.


    At that time, Duke Chen''s reaction would be even more dramatic.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have the money.


    The battle began.


    The long sword fell, casting a cold light that illuminated all directions.


    At this moment, everyone inside Duke Chen''s residence felt endangered.


    Even as ordinary mortals, they could clearly sense the chilling aura wafting around.


    The atmosphere was so terrifyingly intense, it drove people almost to madness.


    Despite the scorching heat, it felt like winter was approaching.


    In fact, this was the result of Chen An holding back his power.


    He still had some consideration for people like Chen Ziling behind him, so he restrained himself to some extent.


    Otherwise, if he unleashed his full power, one couldn''t be sure how many people would survive in this vast residence.


    The number would indeed be surprisingly low.


    Watching this intense fight, the expressions of Chen Qi and Chen Li were grim.


    Because as time passed, in their gaze, Duke Chen was gradually falling behind.


    This left them incredulous.


    How could this be?


    Duke Chen had already reached the strength of the Qi Realm twenty years ago and had immersed himself in this level for many years. His power, even among others of the same level, was exceptionally formidable.


    Chen An, on the other hand, was just a rising star in this realm and had probably reached the Qi Realm less than a year ago. Logically speaking, he shouldn''t have been able to match Duke Chen in any way.


    But now, the situation had completely reversed.


    In the center of the courtyard, Chen An advanced, causing Qi to pulsate within his body.


    The surroundings changed with his movements, a layer of frost forming inch by inch, creating a scene akin to a sudden entry into a snowy landscape, breathtakingly beautiful.


    Meanwhile, Duke Chen continued to retreat, gasping for air.


    Even Chen Ziling, an ordinary person with no martial training, could see that Duke Chen was on the verge of defeat.


    "Changan, how strong have you become," he murmured as he gazed at Chen An in the distance, a hint of longing in his eyes.


    In reality, Chen An wasn''t much stronger than Duke Chen.


    Through this fierce clash, he had probably realized this. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Duke Chen''s level was roughly equivalent to his, both of them at the second stage of the Qi Realm, Qi Transformation.


    While their cultivation levels were similar, in other aspects, there was a vast difference.


    Chen An was still in his prime, youthful and robust, in the golden period of his life, while Duke Chen had long since aged and was no longer in his peak physical condition.


    You couldn''t escape aging.


    Even though Qi practitioners lived longer than ordinary people, they couldn''t evade the effects of aging.


    When it came to an old man, his body couldn''t possibly compare to that of a young person.


    In a way, Chen An''s actions could be seen as bullying an old man.


    But Chen An felt no shame in it; in fact, he was quite delighted.


    After all, finding an evenly matched opponent, slightly weaker than himself, wasn''t an easy task.


    After achieving the Qi Realm, Chen An had mostly been crushing his opponents, or on the path to crushing them.


    To finally find such a competitor naturally made him happy.


    Not everyone could find a good opponent to have a satisfying match with.


    And since he found the opportunity, he naturally wanted to give it his all.


    It would be a waste of such a good opponent not to finish them off!


    With respect for his opponent in mind, Chen An charged once again.


    Strictly speaking, the man before him, Duke Chen, was practically Chen An''s grandfather.


    However, it was clear that Chen An had no intention of holding back.


    Hence, the outcome of this fight was already largely determined.


    Bang!


    A crisp sound as two streams of Qi collided head-on.


    Chen An stood still, calmly observing the situation in front of him.


    Across from him, Duke Chen continued to retreat, his complexion becoming increasingly pale and unpleasant.


    Upon closer inspection, one could see slight traces of blood at the corners of Duke Chen''s mouth, and his complexion grew even paler.


    He appeared to be in an unfavorable state.


    Chen An furrowed his brow.


    "Do you have injuries on you?" he asked, looking at Duke Chen with some confusion.


    Since a while ago, Duke Chen had been feeling off.


    He was able to maintain his normal level of performance at the beginning, but as time passed, he became increasingly weaker.


    Towards the end, this feeling became more pronounced, as if he was carrying injuries.


    This was clearly abnormal.


    With that, Chen An decided to stop directly and asked Duke Chen about his condition.


    "It''s true." Standing there with a pale face, Duke Chen couldn''t help but cough out a breath, letting out a helpless sigh. "It''s an old injury from the past."


    "I''ve been in seclusion all these years, trying to resolve this, but I''ve always been a bit short."


    "Even if you didn''t show up, I''m afraid I wouldn''t live much longer."


    Sure, I''ll believe that.


    Chen An looked at Duke Chen, who appeared on the verge of death with his pale complexion, and shook his head silently.


    This old man wasn''t being quite honest.


    What does he mean by not living much longer?


    He just looked horrible at the moment, but if Chen An spared him now and let him recover for a while, he would probably still be able to attend to his two sons.


    His poor physical condition only seemed to be an obstacle when it came to fighting.


    But that would still be disappointing.


    "Enough." Chen An looked at Duke Chen''s state with disappointment. "My previous offer still stands. If you strike now, you can still preserve your life."


    "Otherwise, you''ll take the journey with that beastly family of yours."


    "Why bother?"


    Chen An was truly disappointed.


    He had thought he could have a good, satisfying fight, gain experience, and test his current strength.


    He didn''t expect Duke Chen to appear strong on the surface but fade quickly in reality.


    That made it quite uninteresting.


    With Duke Chen in this state, Chen An couldn''t be bothered to bully him and issued a final ultimatum.


    As Chen An spoke, silence fell over the spectators.


    It took a long time before Duke Chen finally spoke, wearing a wry smile on his face. "Do you really think¡­"


    Crack!


    A crisp sound came from nearby before Duke Chen could finish his sentence.


    Even before Duke Chen could speak, someone had acted from a distance.


    Chen Li widened his eyes, looking at the person in front of him in disbelief.


    Before him, Chen Qi held a long sword, his face fierce as he stared at Chen Li. "Second brother, don''t blame me!"


    "If you don''t die, then Father will have to accompany you in death!"


    His face expressing sorrow and pain, he spoke loudly. It was evident that he had made an extremely difficult choice.


    Looking at Chen Qi, one might say he was a devoted son!


    In order to prevent Duke Chen from dying at the hands of Chen An, he took the decision to first kill his own younger brother.


    This act protected his father and prevented Duke Chen from bearing the disgrace of harming his kin, demonstrating both loyalty and filial piety.


    Anyone would call him a dutiful son, except for Chen Li.


    He presently lay on the ground, his chest pierced by the long sword, blood spreading from his body, creating a pool on the ground.


    And yet, he never closed his eyes; instead, he glared at Chen Qi with intense bitterness, as though he wanted to devour him.


    If one''s eyes could kill, then Chen Qi would have been murdered countless times by now.


    "Second brother, rest assured!" Chen Qi burst into tears, embracing his younger brother. "I know what you want to say. After you leave, I will take care of Father for you. And your wife and children, I will make sure to look after them. Big brother will also take good care of you. You can rest assured!"


    One sentence¡ªa pledge to take care of one''s brother''s family. Chen Li, worry not.


    Chen Li''s eyes widened even more, and he seemed to want to say something.


    But Chen Qi just hugged him, sobbing, painting a picture of brotherly love and friendship.


    Except for the fact that he still held a sword and made a stabbing motion, some might have actually believed it.


    Chen An watched this scene with interest, finding it quite amusing.


    He wasn''t a fool and understood the reason behind Chen Qi''s actions.


    But he didn''t expose it.


    While the only enmity he had was with Chen Li''s family, as for Chen Qi, although they had been openly or subtly fighting with Chen Li for many years, there was little animosity between Chen An and Chen Qi.


    He wasn''t a bloodthirsty person, so he spared him.


    He found this little drama more intriguing.


    More than Chen Qi''s life or death, Chen An was more curious about Duke Chen''s reaction at this moment.


    After being determined to protect his son, who had just been killed by his other son in a mere instant, Chen An wondered what might be going through Duke Chen''s mind.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 122: Filial Piety

    How was Duke Chen Guo feeling at this moment?Of course, he was feeling very bad.


    It''s obvious, his own son was killed right in front of him, who wouldn''t feel terrible?


    Especially when the one who killed his son was his own other son.


    Duke Chen Guo stood in place, looking at the respectful scene in front of him, his emotions couldn''t help but be somewhat complicated.


    Chen Qi''s words sounded noble and grand.


    But deceiving others with words is one thing, can it deceive Duke Chen Guo?


    quite satisfied, "Alright, stop pretending."


    As his words fell, the crying abruptly stopped, immediately silenced.


    Chen An nodded in satisfaction, "Since you have performed well, you may stay here. Continue to be the young master in Duke Chen Guo''s residence."


    "But the rank and wealth of Duke Chen Guo, you should not expect to inherit."


    "I dare not dream, I dare not dream."


    Listening to Chen An''s words, Chen Qi was overjoyed, yet at the same time felt a strange sense of disappointment.


    Didn''t you say kill Chen Li and his family and leave? Don''t want any title or wealth?


    You are not keeping your word!


    Of course, he could only think this internally. Voicing it out would be very risky.


    Otherwise, there would be no more life left for him.


    "What does Duke Chen Guo think?"


    Turning around, Chen An faced Duke Chen Guo, still wearing a faint smile, looking very polite.


    "Whatever you wish, it shall be."


    Duke Chen Guo smiled bitterly, "At this point, old me can''t stop you anyway."


    "That''s right."


    Chen An smiled, "Duke Chen Guo, you are getting old after all. It''s not good to continue toiling in your current position. It''s time to let the younger generation take some responsibilities for you."


    If this is considered toiling, I''d be willing to toil in that position for a lifetime.


    Chen Qi thought to himself.


    And then, the unexpected happened once again.


    In front of him, Chen An''s figure disappeared and instantly reappeared in front of Duke Chen Guo.


    Boom!


    A terrifying surge of energy erupted.


    Immediately, Duke Chen Guo was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground, coughing up blood profusely.


    It seemed like he was in critical condition.


    Seeing this scene, everyone was horrified.


    You not only kill your father, but also want to kill your grandfather!


    Isn''t this too brutal!


    Actually, strictly speaking, Chen Li did not die at the hands of Chen An, but everyone had already implicitly attributed this account to Chen An.


    It was quite tacit.


    "Don''t misunderstand."


    Feeling the horrified looks from those around, Chen An waved his hand, his expression unchanged, "Duke Chen Guo is not dead yet."


    As he finished speaking, Chen Qi and the others immediately breathed a sigh of relief.


    Then, in the next moment, Chen An''s voice rang out again.


    "I just disabled his cultivation base."


    What!


    Chen Qi and the others were immediately stunned.


    What do you mean, you just disabled his cultivation base!


    Isn''t that even more severe than killing him directly!


    For a martial artist of the Qi Realm, having their cultivation base disabled meant they would become a cripple, which is more unbearable than being killed outright.


    Not many could bear such a huge loss.


    "Duke Chen Guo seems too healthy to look like he''s ill. After disabling his cultivation base, at least he can pretend it''s due to some illness, right?"


    Chen An looked at the people in front of him, "This way, when the King and Crown Prince inquire, we''ll have a reasonable explanation."


    Reasonable explanation, my foot.


    You disabled his cultivation base just to make him appear seriously ill. Why didn''t you just kill him? That way, you could have directly inherited the title.


    The thoughts of the people present were filled with curses and speechlessness.


    "Chen Qi."


    Chen An''s voice continued.


    Chen Qi suddenly shivered and quickly knelt down, "Chang An, no, Duke Chen Guo, here I am."


    "This is your father, Chen, I will leave him in your care."


    Chen An spoke calmly, smiling, "Chen''s condition is frail, make sure to take good care of him. Ensure he makes it through this year."


    If this constitutes taking care, I am willing to do it my entire life.


    Chen Qi thought.


    And in the next moment, an unexpected incident occurred.


    In front of them, Chen An''s figure disappeared and appeared in front of Duke Chen Guo.


    Boom!


    A terrifying aura erupted.


    Then Duke Chen Guo was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground, coughing up blood profusely.


    It seemed like a life or death situation.


    Watching this scene, everyone was shocked.


    You not only kill your own father, but now even your grandfather is a target!


    Isn''t this too heavy-handed!


    Well, strictly speaking, Chen Li did not die by Chen An''s hands, but everyone around had already implicitly placed the blame on Chen An.


    It was quite a tacit understanding.


    "Don''t misunderstand."


    Feeling the horrified gazes around him, Chen An waved his hand, his expression unchanged, "Duke Chen Guo is not dead yet."


    As he finished speaking, Chen Qi and the others let out a sigh of relief.


    And then, in the next moment, Chen An''s voice was heard again.


    "I just crippled his cultivation."


    What!


    Chen Qi and the others were immediately dumbfounded.


    What do you mean by just crippling his cultivation! s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Isn''t that even more severe than killing him!


    For a martial artist at the Qi Realm, losing their cultivation meant falling into disability, which was even more unbearable than direct death.


    That kind of enormous gap is not something everyone can endure.


    "Duke Chen Guo looks too healthy to appear sick. After crippling his cultivation, at least he can pretend to be ill, right?"


    Looking at the others in front of him, Chen An remarked, "In this way, when questioned by His Majesty and the Crown Prince, we will have a reasonable explanation."


    Reasonable explanation, my foot.


    Forcing Duke Chen Guo to look gravely ill just by crippling his cultivation base. Why didn''t you just kill him? That way, you could have directly succeeded to the title.


    Those present were filled with condemnations and rendered speechless.


    "Master Chen, this is your father. Remember to take him back later."


    Chen An had a calm expression on his face as he smiled and spoke, "Master Chen is in poor health and has a serious illness. You must remember to take good care of him and ensure that he gets through this year."


    On the mention of ''this year,'' Chen An deliberately emphasized his tone.


    A cold silence fell upon the people around.


    Well, I see. So, you didn''t kill Duke Chen earlier because you were waiting for this moment.


    You didn''t kill him yourself, but now you want to force Chen Qi, the legitimate son of Duke Chen, to do it, to have the son kill the father? Is this necessary?


    Of course, Chen An may not have intended this, just casually mentioning it.


    However, the question remains, will Chen Qi take the risk?


    "I obey."


    Chen Qi''s heart turned cold. After hesitating for a long while, he finally nodded.


    Chen An was satisfied.


    Previously, Duke Chen had fought against Chen An for the sake of his son. Since that was the case, Chen An now wanted Duke Chen to witness the calamity that his own son had become, to truly understand the filial piety of his children.


    Chen An didn''t have a deep impression of his uncle, Chen Qi, but from his past actions, although better than Chen Li, he still seemed to be someone who chased after personal gain.


    For such a person, even if Chen An hadn''t dropped the hint just now, it was unlikely that there would be the same treatment of Duke Chen in the future.


    The former Duke Chen was the pillar of the Duke Chen house, a formidable martial artist.


    But the present Duke Chen had simply become a waste of a man.


    Now that he was a waste, expecting his children to honor him as before was impossible.


    In the coming days, Duke Chen would probably feel the loving care of his children.


    Of course, it was also possible that Chen An was mistaken. Although Chen Qi might appear disheartened on the surface, he could actually be a devoted son. But that didn''t matter.


    Even if Duke Chen had fallen to ruin, he was no longer a threat to Chen An.


    "By the way, Uncle, you have been in the Duke''s household for many years, so you must be quite familiar with the situation there."


    After dealing with the matter of the former Duke Chen, Chen An continued, offering a sweet deal to Chen Qi, "Therefore, why not let you take charge of the stewardship within the house from now on? What do you think?"


    Chen An''s change from calling Chen Qi by name to addressing him as ''Uncle'' was smoothly done.


    Chen Qi''s face lit up with joy upon hearing this, "Rest assured, Duke Chen, with me around, there will be no disturbances in the Duke''s household."


    What an unexpected joy. He had thought that just saving his life this time would be good enough, but he never expected such a surprise.


    The steward of the Duke''s household might seem like just a steward, but the rewards within were very rich indeed. Given the vast wealth of the Duke''s household, even a small leak could provide a lifetime of comfort.


    Not to mention the address Chen An had just used.


    Chen An calling him ''Uncle'' meant that he acknowledged Chen Qi as part of the Chen family, allowing Chen Qi and his descendants to continue practicing martial arts and even study the Chen family''s martial arts manuals.


    The advantages were abundant in every aspect.


    Although he had lost the position of heir apparent forever, with the title of steward of the Duke''s household and being recognized as Uncle by Chen An, Chen Qi''s future might even be more prosperous than before.


    After all, in the past, although he was the eldest son, he had been suppressed by his younger brother, Chen Li, everywhere, even by the former Duke Chen, who clearly favored his second son.


    But now, everything had changed.


    "Cao Commander."


    Chen An spoke next.


    Upon hearing Chen An''s voice, Cao Commander''s body froze.


    At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to run away immediately, to turn around and leave the Duke''s household. But upon seeing the ice sculptures all around and the faint screams, he reluctantly obeyed his conscience and walked over.


    "Young Master Chang''an."


    He bowed respectfully, his head lowered.


    Chen An glanced at him, not blaming him for the address, and simply spoke with a smile, "Take some men and go fetch all of Chen Li''s other wives and children."


    His tone was calm, but it carried an unmistakable sense of authority.


    Cao Commander hesitated, subconsciously wanting to refuse.


    To him, Chen Li had been his master, the one he had sworn loyalty to.


    Even though Chen Li was no longer there, his body lay nearby, and now he was being commanded to fetch his former master''s family members. The thought was uncomfortable and resisted.


    But no matter how much he resisted, he dared not refuse.


    Express loyalty and mercy towards the former master in front of the new master?


    For others, such behavior might be appreciated as loyalty, but in front of Chen An? Cao Commander was sure that if he dared speak up, he would immediately become an ice sculpture.


    The struggling ice sculptures outside, still writhing in agony without yet perishing, were a clear reminder of the ruthless consequences within this place.


    Cao Commander did not want to end up like them.


    His feelings were complicated.


    However, Chen An seemed unbothered and turned to Chen Qi, speaking lightly, "Uncle, you are familiar with the ins and outs of the Duke''s household. Help out with this, if you would."


    "If anyone escapes..."


    He smiled, his demeanor unusually warm and amiable, "your own relatives are likely here in the Duke''s household as well."


    His gentle words hung in the air.


    Both Cao Commander and Chen Qi''s hearts trembled and they were instantly awakened.


    Chen An''s meaning was clear.


    If one of Chen Li''s family members escaped, then they and their own family members would be prepared to join them in death.


    "Yes, I will do it immediately, and not let anyone escape."


    Chen Qi promptly declared.


    Cao Commander hesitated for a moment, still appearing uncertain.


    "Very well, you need not go."


    Chen An glanced at him and then casually said, "It seems Cao Commander is still somewhat reluctant."


    "Uncle, please help by taking care of Cao Commander''s family members as well."


    "No, I am willing!"


    Cao Commander suddenly woke up.


    At that moment, he finally realized his predicament.


    Standing before him was a cold-hearted executioner, someone who could kill without blinking an eye!


    In front of such a person, he had hesitated to obey?


    "Duke Chen, please give me a chance! I will go immediately," he said desperately, kneeling before rising and following Chen Qi out.


    It appeared that even if Chen Qi tried to hold him back, Cao Commander might confront Chen Qi.


    Watching the scene of Chen Qi and Cao Commander leaving, Chen An shook his head inwardly.


    People, if they weren''t pressured by a knife at their backs, perhaps didn''t truly know their own strengths.


    He didn''t enjoy killing, but that didn''t mean he wouldn''t do it.


    After a while, the people dispersed slowly.


    Chen Qi''s ability was commendable, as in a short time, he had brought the disorderly Duke''s household back on track.


    The servants quickly moved forward, dragging the bodies away, while the maids took care of the unconscious former Duke Chen, Chen Hua.


    The bloodstains were swiftly wiped away, and everything seemed to return to normal.


    "Chang''an, something on your mind?"


    A voice suddenly sounded from nearby.


    Turning around, Chen An saw that it was Chen Ziling.


    Smiling, Chen An asked, "Ziling, what''s the matter?"


    His expression was warm and welcoming, giving off a sense of familiarity at first glance.


    However, upon seeing Chen An in this manner, Chen Ziling was almost frightened and took a few steps back in shock.


    Chen An was puzzled at first, but soon understood. He couldn''t help but smile wryly, "It''s fine if it''s someone else, but you''re my own brother, how did you become like this?"


    "Could I harm my own brother?"


    Well, it''s hard to say.


    Chen Ziling subconsciously entertained this thought.


    Even after having killed your father and grandfather, what''s it to kill another brother? Just a piece of cake, right?


    Despite these musings, upon seeing Chen An''s relaxed and natural demeanor, Chen Ziling relaxed and his face returned to a more natural expression.


    (End Of Chapter)

 Chapter 123: The Dilemma of Good and Evil

    "Ziling, do you think that I have changed significantly since returning this time?" Looking at Chen Ziling''s expression, Chen An could tell what he was thinking, so he took the initiative to ask.


    "It''s not too bad."


    Chen Ziling looked at Chen An with a hint of fear, carefully choosing his words: "It just feels, indeed, a little different from before."


    "To be honest, there is no significant difference."


    Chen An''s response left Chen Ziling stunned.


    Facing Chen Ziling''s somewhat shocked gaze, he spoke softly, "In truth, I have always been the same as before. The only difference is that in the past, I didn''t have the power to do all these things, so I had to pretend. Now, with this power, I can do everything I want to do."


    "From the beginning to the end, I have always been like this."


    Chen An didn''t say anything more.


    The idea of wiping out Chen Li''s family had always been on his mind in the past, but he never revealed it.


    At that time, revealing any thoughts would have caused immediate trouble.


    "But Chang An, what you did was a bit excessive."


    Chen Ziling hesitated to speak.


    "You mean my actions were too ruthlessly."


    Chen An saw through his thoughts and chuckled, "Speak your mind. Given our relationship, do you think I would actually kill you over a few words?"


    "Yes, a little."


    Seemingly believing Chen An''s words, Chen Ziling nodded, "There is some."


    "Chang An, you have killed many people along the way."


    He looked at the frozen bodies outside and thought of those who had fallen to Chen An''s hands, unable to help but sigh softly.


    "You are mistaken."


    Chen An smiled. "Think carefully, from the time I returned until now, who have I killed?"


    Chen Ziling was instantly stunned.


    He only saw Chen An continuously killing people since his return, with a ruthless style. But he had never really thought about this question.


    But now, it seemed he was starting to realize something, though not very clearly.


    "The Chen Li family, should they not be eliminated?"


    Chen An whispered, "From various past events, Ziling, don''t you wish for their entire family to be eradicated?"


    "They continue to live, they are technically your parents, but they will continue to suppress us in this mansion every day."


    "I hate to say this, but I''m pretty sure I can handle them. But do you truly want to be oppressed by them in the future?"


    Chen Ziling subconsciously shook his head.


    Who would willingly allow an additional father to dictate over them? Especially one who wasn''t particularly kind.


    If the Chen Li family didn''t perish this time, perhaps they wouldn''t dare to cause trouble for Chen An again in the future. But they would surely trouble Chen Ziling.


    No matter how you looked at it, it was right to say their demise was well-deserved.


    "But what about those guards?"


    Chen Ziling continued, "And General Cao."


    "If those guards dared to obstruct my path, they must be prepared to face death."


    Chen An shook his head. "They chose their own course, you can''t expect me to spare them."


    "Of course, you might say I could go easier on them, just keeping them at bay."


    Chen Ziling unconsciously nodded.


    Then, Chen An chuckled, "But if I were to do so, Ziling, do you believe that in the end, more people would die?"


    Chen Ziling looked up suddenly.


    Using ruthless means to kill people was actually a way to reduce casualties.


    Although this statement sounded problematic, it was true.


    In the current situation, if Chen An didn''t act decisively and ruthlessly, more and more people would come to kill him.


    Because Chen An would not kill, even if they attacked him, they wouldn''t pay a heavy price. This gave them a positive signal that attacking Chen An wouldn''t have consequences.


    On one hand, it was psychological suggestion. On the other hand, it was loyalty to the Chen Guogong Mansion and pressure from other leaders, leading to more and more people coming to kill Chen An.


    For a few individuals, Chen An could restrain himself and expel them without killing them. However, when hundreds or thousands of people gathered to attack, could Chen An still do the same?


    By that point, there would only be more casualties.


    Therefore, it was better to be decisive, eliminate those who dared to come forward, and warn others to prevent further bloodshed.


    Using cruel methods to kill was actually to prevent more people from sacrificing themselves.


    It took Chen Ziling some time to realize this, feeling a sense of absurdity within.


    "Do you find it absurd?"


    Chen An calmly said, watching Chen Ziling, "Sometimes, friendly words and reasoning are ineffective. Persuasion can make you seem weak, and your kindness may lead to more losses for others."


    "The goal you want to achieve may be good, but accomplishing it may require ruthless means."


    "Often, you must be more ruthless than the bad guys to be considered a good person."


    These were Chen An''s genuine insights.


    As a modern-time transmigrator, Chen An was not inherently evil. If anything, by most standards, he could be seen as a morally upright individual.


    However, sometimes good people did bad things, and this occurrence was not uncommon.


    The phenomenon of well-intentioned actions leading to unfavorable results existed across all worlds.


    In the world he previously lived in, good deeds resulting in unfortunate outcomes were not particularly consequential.


    But in the new worlds he found himself in, the situation required a different approach.


    Therefore, after making some errors in good deeds that led to bad results at the start of his transmigration, Chen An quickly adjusted his behavior.


    After undergoing several simulations and projecting the experiences of the previous ten years, he underwent a profound transformation.


    However, it was apparent that although Chen An had altered his ways, Chen Ziling had yet to make the same transformation.


    "Can you provide a few more straightforward examples?"


    Chen An probed, "Do you perceive that I have been overly harsh with General Cao, such that the smallest hesitation would signal the end for his entire family?"


    Chen Ziling paused briefly before nodding slowly.


    "In that case, Ziling, what do you think would happen if I allowed him to remain, and if General Cao refused to harm the family of the former master in the end?"


    Chen An continued to question.


    Chen Ziling was left in contemplation.


    "If I were to release him? Clearly, that would not be feasible."


    Chen An murmured, "General Cao has spent many years in this mansion. He has numerous subordinates and has formed genuine connections with them."


    "He is well-aware of the entire mansion''s layout. If he were to cause trouble, I wouldn''t be able to react in time or adequately understand the situation."


    "He may be unable to kill me directly, but if he resorts to underhanded tactics such as poisoning or ambush, what then?"


    "Alternatively, he may target you or other individuals within this mansion who maintain a close relationship with me."


    "Ziling, are you truly prepared for such a scenario?"


    "Forcing Chen Qi and General Cao to eliminate Chen Li¡¯s family would expose them, thereby cutting off their escape route," Chen An explained. "Otherwise, if we were to wait for them to act, the outcome would inevitably result in more deaths."


    "And what about your grandfather?"


    Chen Ziling inquired once more, "He has already conceded defeat to you and agreed to transfer the title of Chen Guogong to you. Why must you deal with him too?"


    For Chen Ziling, the Chen Guogong held a significant position of prestige within his heart and the hearts of all inhabitants of the Chen Guogong Mansion.


    In essence, the reply Chen An provided was quite simple.


    "Of course, it''s for your sake."


    "For me?"


    Chen Ziling appeared astonished.


    Before Chen An uttered a word, Chen Ziling had considered various potential answers to the question, but he had not anticipated the response that Chen An delivered.


    "Following my arrival, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Ziling, you will be the direct line heir within the Chen Guogong Mansion moving forward."


    Chen An cast a glance at Chen Ziling, "You will have the opportunity to enjoy the same benefits as past predecessors, Chen Li and Chen Qi. Your future children will ascend to the ranks of my children. They may begin martial training from a young age, have no concerns regarding sustenance, and live carefree lives."


    "How does this vision of life strike you?"


    "It is indeed quite desirable."


    Listening to the beautiful scenery painted by Chen An, Chen Ziling wore an expression of longing.


    This kind of lifestyle was what he had yearned for.


    Subsequently, he would no longer serve as a mere valet within the mansion. Instead, he would become a dignified young master.


    His future offspring could enter the ancestral sanctuary, practice martial arts from a young age, and even receive tutelage in the unique Chen Family Martial Arts.


    "If you find this lifestyle appealing, why then desire the continued presence of Chen Guogong?"


    Chen An calmly posed the question to Chen Ziling.


    In that moment, Chen Ziling suddenly froze. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    What relationship did Chen Guogong''s continued existence have with his future days?


    Initially, he couldn¡¯t quite grasp it.


    Thankfully, Chen An promptly interjected, "Should Chen Guogong continue to reside here and maintain his cultivation prowess, he can achieve numerous feats."


    "If I remain alive in these surroundings, everything will continue in order. However, in the event that I part from this world..."


    "Start thinking carefully, Ziling, concerning your position in the instance where I am no longer present, and Chen Guogong remains. How would your circumstances transpire?"


    Observing Chen Ziling, Chen An displayed slight disappointment.


    He had already conversed to this point, yet Chen Ziling still appeared oblivious!


    "My circumstances."


    Chen Ziling glanced towards Chen An and afterward gravely contemplated the matter.


    Subsequently, his countenance turned pallid.


    Ah, if Chen An were no longer present at a future point, while Chen Guogong remained, what would befall him?


    Undoubtedly, Chen Guogong''s return to power would lead to dire consequences. Furthermore, he would be left utterly vulnerable.


    "If I defect and give in, envision the likely repercussions for my future wife and potential offspring due to this current moment of frailty," Chen An queried.


    At this juncture, Chen Ziling refrained from verbalizing his response, merely conveying a silent shake of his head.


    In essence, the primary reason Chen An felt compelled to deal with Chen Hua, the Chen Guogong, wasn''t merely for the sake of Chen Ziling but also for the protection of his future wife and offspring.


    He was no longer a solitary entity. He now had a spouse, and conceivably, they would have descendants, his very flesh and blood.


    Subsequently, should Chen An no longer remain within this domain, what future prospects would be awaited by his kin?


    Others within the domain would not comprehend, but Chen An himself was acutely aware.


    His current corporeal vessel was solely a projection and could possibly detach from his corporeal self, returning to his original form at any moment, or confronting adversaries could potentially lead to him falling in battle, directly at the hands of others.


    By then, he would be left solely with orphaned parents.


    Ignoring the royal privileges of the Fourth Princess, who held the status of a princess, surely no one would dare incite harm against her.


    Previously, the Wu Guogong held the prestigious status of the Grand Duke, yet Chen An effortlessly disposed of him. Moreover, the act of his demise resulted in negligible repercussions.


    Chen An possessed the abilities to perform such deeds. Could Chen Hua, as a wielder of martial arts, refrain from implementing similar tactics?


    Even if they were unable to do so overtly, they had an array of clandestine methodologies at their disposal.


    Would the mere presence of the Fourth Princess, a commoner in comparison, be adequate to evade unwarranted scrutiny and unfounded suspicions imposed by future monarchs resulting in the potential defamation and alienation of an industrious martial artist like Chen Hua?


    Certainly not.


    By enacting such maneuvers, Chen An felt compelled to eliminate Chen Hua, thereby facilitating a significant resolution. Furthermore, this course of action preemptively alleviated any foreseeable disturbances.


    Standing contemplative, Chen An weighed his thoughts as Chen Ziling remained silent.


    Although Chen An had parted with intrinsic views desired by standard individuals, both sides of the spectrum reiterated comparable notions, stemming from the essence of conflicting opinions.


    Subsequently, Chen Ziling¡¯s self-recollections jostled within, whilst he was overwhelmed with consternation, thrust into the depths of disarray, often distracted.


    Having spoken those words, Chen An casually waved his hand.


    Beside him, General Cao immediately understood and brought down his long blade.


    With a sharp sound, a head fell to the ground, blood splattering and dyeing the area a deep crimson.


    A head filled with resentment tumbled down, frozen in a lifelike expression, capturing the essence of its former emotions.


    To some extent, Chen An could indeed be considered kind for merely swiftly beheading the individual.


    Otherwise, a different person might have subjected the victim to severe torture over several days.


    Chen An''s actions were relatively restrained for a transmigrator.


    "Shall we continue the proceedings?" General Cao inquired respectfully, his demeanor displaying remarkable decisiveness, devoid of any hesitation when it came to taking lives.


    Chen An was pleased with the transformation he witnessed in General Cao since the last time he had startled him.


    However, compared to another individual present, Chen An seemed somewhat inferior.


    "Chen Guogong, within the mansion, there is a specially designated execution ground with various stimulating tools arranged by the late second brother, Chen Li, who attempted patricide. Should we subject these individuals to that place?"


    Chen Qi, attempting to ingratiate himself, stated, "Rest assured, they will enjoy themselves for several days."


    An audacious proposal.


    Employing the execution ground devised by Chen Li to punish his own family members was a twisted notion indeed.


    Chen An gazed at Chen Qi with some surprise, unsure of how to respond.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 124: The Death of the Son of Heaven

    "Forget it," Chen An said with deep meaning as he glanced at Chen Qi, then said, "Just behead him."Chen An was not a sadist. He wanted to kill, but not torture someone to death. Simply killing someone was enough.


    As Chen Qi nodded in agreement, he said, "I will do it."


    After Chen An did not intend to do anything else, Chen Qi quickly nodded, "I''ll do it."


    After the execution ground before, please seal it."


    Chen An''s voice came next, sounding calm, "I don''t want any bad news coming from you later."


    "Understood?"


    "Understood, understood!"


    Chen Qi hurriedly nodded and agreed, "Chen Li privately setting up an execution ground was truly deserving of death. That execution ground should be shut down, and no one should be allowed to use it!"


    "You changed pretty fast!" People around silently commented.


    But Chen Qi didn''t seem to mind. He smiled brightly, trying hard to please Chen An.


    "Then it''s up to you, uncle." Chen An nodded, somewhat satisfied with Chen Qi''s attitude.


    Chen Qi might be just as greedy as Chen Li, but still useful.


    In just two or three days, he had organized the entire Chen State Duke''s Mansion smoothly.


    A list was sent in quickly. One was a list of the estate of the Chen State Duke''s Mansion, and the other was a list of those who had once been friends with Chen Li, or who had once joined Chen Li.


    Chen An scanned the lists casually and smiled, "Uncle is polite. These are all the estate of the Chen State Duke''s Mansion?"


    "Yes." Chen Qi said respectfully, seemingly treating himself as Chen An''s steward, "There are many loans to outside traders that haven''t been recovered yet."


    "Alright, everything remains the same." Chen An nodded and said casually, "I won''t look at the list in detail, just let uncle handle it."


    "I trust uncle won''t disappoint me, right?" He looked at Chen Qi and smiled.


    However, Chen Qi did not pay much attention to the smile. He quickly nodded and said earnestly, "I will never disappoint you, Duke Chen."


    "It''s OK." Chen An nodded, "I won''t stay long in the Chen State Duke''s Mansion. I''ll leave after some time, and you and Ziling will manage it together."


    "You can do whatever you like, but it''s best not to cause any trouble."


    "Understood?"


    "Yes." Chen Qi''s face showed joy. "I will definitely manage the estate of the Chen State Duke''s Mansion and not disappoint you, Duke Chen."


    Chen An''s meaning was clear.


    He wouldn''t actively manage the affairs of the Chen State Duke''s Mansion, or pay too much attention to the specifics of the estate.


    Chen Qi could still act as he pleased in the Chen State Duke''s Mansion, even if he embezzled some things, Chen An wouldn''t mind.


    But the premise was that Chen Qi had to be clever enough and not do anything outrageous. Otherwise, he would end up like Chen Li.


    Chen Qi was naturally overjoyed.


    Handing over a considerable share of the profits to him was equivalent to a great reward.


    Even if most of the profits had to be given to Chen An, the rest would be enough to fill his belly.


    Of course, Chen Ziling was also with him.


    By putting Chen Ziling with him, Chen An probably had his eyes on him.


    But Chen Qi didn''t care.


    After all, he was just a junior, and if he was here, he was here.


    He had spent most of his life in the Chen State Duke''s Mansion, wouldn''t he be able to compete with a junior?


    "You know your limits." Chen An nodded and continued, "I will be leaving in a few days."


    "If you need anything, I will send someone to inform you."


    Listening to this, Chen Qi privately breathed a sigh of relief, but still earnestly said, "Duke Chen, since you rarely return to the mansion, why not stay a little longer?"


    "The entire mansion is looking forward to your presence for a while longer."


    "If I stay in the mansion for a while longer, it''s fine for me, but I''m afraid you won''t be able to sleep well."


    Chen An looked at Chen Qi, then got up and left silently.


    Seeing Chen An''s departing figure, Chen Qi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    Chen An had left just like that.


    Carefully counting, he had not stayed in the Chen State Duke''s Mansion for long at all, just under half a month in total.


    It could be said that he had left hastily, just as he had arrived.


    But Chen An had come to the Chen State Duke''s Mansion mainly to deal with Chen Li''s family.


    The rest was just a side issue.


    Now that his goal had been achieved, he naturally left.


    As for staying in the Chen State Duke''s Mansion for long, it was not possible.


    It was too dangerous.


    Chen An took control of the Chen State Duke''s Mansion quickly, which also meant that there were not many casualties among the people in the mansion, just the same group as before.


    Among these people, there might be some who were loyal supporters of Chen Li and even Chen Hua.


    It was like the enemy''s stronghold.


    If Chen An stayed long in the Chen State Duke''s Mansion, he would probably not even sleep peacefully, having to be vigilant at all times for poison attempts.


    Instead of worrying and losing sleep over it, he decided to leave early.


    He wouldn''t risk losing precious sleep there.


    Interestingly, Chen An had no long-term plans regarding the Chen State Duke''s Mansion. He intended to treat the entire mansion like a cash cow, and he would cut into it every now and then.


    As for the operation and management of the whole mansion, there were people like Chen Qi and Chen Ziling for that.


    He didn''t need to worry about it himself.


    However, before leaving, Chen An took away the largest part of the wealth within the Chen State Duke''s Mansion.


    The arsenal that had been accumulated over many years at the Chen State Duke''s Mansion.


    In that arsenal, there were many martial arts accumulated over the years, including a martial art that involved Qi, the Chen Family Martial Arts.


    The Chen Family Martial Arts was a Qi-based martial art passed down from the ancestors of the Chen family. Its content was profound and could elevate one''s Qi to the peak, reaching the third level of gathering Qi, which was a significant feat.


    If he had received this martial art at a young age, Chen An would have been ecstatic.


    However, it didn''t matter now.


    He already had the Xuan Ice Force martial art, so even if he received the Chen Family Martial Arts, it seemed useless.


    Practicing two Qi-based martial arts?


    It was theoretically possible but not practically feasible.


    Qi was much stronger than internal energy, and the different Qi could cause severe conflicts in the body because the nature of the Qi nurtured by different techniques often differed significantly.


    However, if the nature of the martial arts were similar, it might be possible to practice them simultaneously.


    For example, the Yin Body Technique of the Bai family and Chen An''s Xuan Ice Force might be suitable for simultaneous practice, both reaching the level of Qi.


    However, it was risky and seemed unnecessary.


    Chen An had a follow-up technique anyway.


    The source force that could enhance the Yin Body Technique, why not use it to enhance the Xuan Ice Force directly?


    When reaching the Qi realm, the amount of source force required to advance one level was quite substantial.


    Chen An wasn''t willing to waste it.


    Additionally, having different Qis in the body seemed to have a significant impact on the future promotion to the innate realm.


    So from every perspective, the Chen Family Martial Arts was basically useless to Chen An.


    Its only purpose may be to enrich Chen An''s databank and prepare for any future deductions he might make.


    This was why, even though those martial arts were not useful for Chen An now, he made an effort to clear out the arsenal at the Chen State Duke''s Mansion.


    After leaving the Chen State Duke''s Mansion, it took several days before Chen An returned to Shengjing.


    And now, Chen An''s reputation had once again changed compared to before.


    Because in this period, what he had done at the Chen State Duke''s Mansion had spread.


    Of course, the versions circulating outside were slightly different from what had actually happened at the Chen State Duke''s Mansion, slightly modified.


    The version spreading outside was that upon returning to the mansion, Chen An was received with great joy by the former Chen State Duke, who wanted to pass the title directly to him, which led to the jealousy of Chen An''s birth father Chen Li and his wife.


    In order to seize the title, Chen Li''s family poisoned the Chen State Duke to kill him, but the Duke discovered it and in anger, executed Chen Li''s family.


    Afterwards, the poisoned Duke had no choice but to resign to the court and pass the title to Chen An.


    Hmm. It seemed a bit far-fetched.


    But as long as someone believed it, it was fine.


    Smart people surely wouldn''t believe it.


    After all, a Qi user being poisoned, almost dying from it, was already unbelievable.


    What kind of poison could poison a Qi user like that?


    Why didn''t you say that the Chen State Duke choked to death while eating?


    Actually, similar rumors existed.


    Chen An was familiar with rumors like these.


    So before taking action, he prepared different versions of rumors to be spread around.


    Among these rumors, the truth became like a rumor, and no one could believe it.


    What! You don''t believe it?


    Then go and ask the people involved yourself!


    Whether it was the former Chen State Duke, Chen Qi, or Chen Li, you could go and ask them.


    Let''s see what they say.


    Obviously, few would be so bored to do that, and even if someone did ask, they would surely get a different answer.


    However, no matter how the rumors spread, the fact that Chen An inherited the title of the Chen State Duke was already a done deal.


    "Half a month without seeing you, Chang An, you''ve indeed changed a lot," Cheng Zheng said, looking at Chen An in surprise.


    "Really?" Chen An was puzzled. "I don''t feel that way."


    "Defeating the Chen State Duke, isn''t that a change for you?" Cheng Zheng asked with surprise.


    Obviously, he had received the news.


    After the events at the Chen State Duke''s Mansion that day, Chen An had written down everything that happened there in a letter and had it delivered to Cheng Zheng.


    Therefore, Cheng Zheng was well aware of the details of that battle.


    "Former Chen State Duke was strong, even among Qi users, he was one of the best." S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "However, he was old and not as strong as before." Chen An said, "Even so, it''s impressive."


    "Just recently achieving the Qi level, you were able to defeat an opponent like the former Chen State Duke. If given more time, you will be even more formidable."


    "It seems I should be kinder to you in the future, to avoid offending you." Cheng Zheng pondered.


    "You''re overthinking." Chen An smiled. "Even so, would I dare to lay a hand on you?"


    The two of them chatted happily for a while, even with Chen An writing off Chen Hua, Cheng Zheng didn''t seem to want to pursue it further.


    This reaction was almost what Chen An expected.


    The Chen State Duke was a Qi user, and usually in such cases, if such an influential figure was sidelined, the court would surely investigate.


    But what if the Chen State Duke was still alive?


    Is he still alive?


    Of course, he was, but to others, a Qi user who had been set aside was almost as good as dead.


    For the court, he had lost his usefulness.


    However, the crucial point was that Chen An was Cheng Zheng''s person, having pledged loyalty to him from the start.


    While the Chen State Duke''s mansion followed the second prince, Cheng Ming.


    If someone else had sidelined a duke, it would have surely been investigated.


    But if it was his own person sidelining the opponent''s follower, then no one cared.


    Loyalty was the most important thing.


    Undoubtedly, this was how Cheng Zheng viewed it.


    So from start to finish, he never brought up the matter and let it pass.


    "By the way," after chatting for a while, Cheng Zheng suddenly remembered something and said, "When you go back, remember to spend more time with Yier."


    "During your absence, she has caused quite a bit of trouble in Shengjing."


    "Really?" Chen An was surprised, but still nodded, "I understand."


    For Cheng Zheng, who appeared serious most of the time, to take the initiative to mention it, it seemed that the troubles caused by the fourth princess Cheng Yiyi in Shengjing during this time were significant.


    After bidding farewell to Cheng Zheng, Chen An returned to his mansion.


    His current residence was the former fourth princess''s mansion.


    This mansion had been given to the fourth princess by the emperor, spacious and exquisite in appearance, it was a rare place in Shengjing.


    It had been given to the fourth princess as part of her dowry, and it now belonged to Chen An.


    When Chen An returned to the mansion, the fourth princess happened to be there.


    Seeing Chen An, she came over and embraced him.


    "Why were you gone for so long?" She complained as she hugged Chen An.


    "It took some time on the way back." Chen An explained softly, his voice as gentle as ever, making people can''t help but feel fond of him. "I didn''t actually spend much time at the Chen State Duke''s Mansion doing things."


    "Is that so." The fourth princess nodded. "Anyway, as long as you''re not hurt."


    "Tell me, what did you do while you were there?" She was evidently curious about Chen An''s experiences.


    Differing from the Crown Prince Cheng Zheng, although Chen An had written to the fourth princess, he had not told her about what had happened at the mansion.


    Therefore, on one hand, he was afraid that she would worry, and on the other hand, he was afraid that she would boast and directly reveal what Chen An had done.


    With the fourth princess''s troublemaking nature, this was a very likely scenario.


    For this reason, even though she was Chen An''s wife, the fourth princess could only listen to the rumors outside and speculate on the true situation.


    Now, meeting Chen An again, she couldn''t help but inquire.


    Chen An smiled and told her about his experiences.


    Of course, it was filtered.


    For the reasons mentioned earlier, to prevent her from blurting out the truth.


    Chen An''s storytelling skills were quite good. Clearly a trivial matter, he had managed to make it into an exciting narrative.


    If this were in the past life, he could probably make a living writing novels or something.


    It was a pity.


    The fourth princess was engrossed in listening and clung to Chen An for a while before reluctantly leaving.


    Chen An returned to his room and quietly began his practice.


    In the following days, everything seemed to return to normal.


    Living with the fourth princess, Chen An spent most of his time practicing. Occasionally, he would go to Cheng Zheng''s mansion to help with tasks.


    This was because Cheng Zheng had found that besides his strength, Chen An had a good ability to handle many things. So after a brief surprise, he would often pull Chen An over to help out for free.


    Chen An was helpless about this, and tried to refuse many times, but in the end, he had to accept it.


    Time passed slowly.


    Soon, another half year had passed.


    After a calm period of six months, a major event finally occurred in Shengjing.


    The Son of Heaven had passed away.


    The Son of Heaven''s passing was actually something that everyone had expected.


    Half a year ago, the Son of Heaven had been in poor health. At that time, he had even been on the brink of death.


    Without various tonics and supplements, given the Son of Heaven''s condition, he should have died a long time ago. It was just hanging by a thread, even leaving the court affairs to Cheng Zheng.


    In this situation, the passing of the Son of Heaven was not a surprise to anyone, and even some breathed a sigh of relief in private.


    Finally, he''s gone.


    Although the passing was normal, it was still a big event.


    The funeral, the ascension of the new emperor - these were all very important matters.


    After a quiet period of half a year, Shengjing finally became lively.


    People from out of town came to offer condolences, and even foreign envoys came with gifts for the new emperor''s enthronement.


    As the Crown Prince, Cheng Zheng eventually ascended to the throne in front of the Son of Heaven''s coffin, officially becoming the new emperor of Dahua.


    With the new emperor on the throne, everything was bound to change.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 125: Envoy from Song Country

    The rain outside was pouring down, hitting the ground.Everywhere was chaotic, with muddy puddles everywhere.


    Chen An stood still, looking at the scenes around him, frowning.


    "The rain is getting heavier," he murmured softly, thoughts running through his mind.


    To outsiders, Chen An seemed to be just standing there enjoying the view. Well, he was indeed admiring the scenery.


    But while admiring the view, Chen An was also manipulating the innate energy inside his body.


    After reaching the Qi realm, martial artists could easily sense and even control the innate energy within their bodies.


    Qi is a combination of internal energy and innate energy, which then sublimates into Qi.


    Innate energy is not only the key to advancing to the Qi realm, it also has other functions.


    Such as detailed perception of the outside world.


    By controlling the innate energy in the body, to some extent it is like having a new organ, allowing him to sense things that are not visible to the naked eye through the innate energy inside his body.


    Like now, Chen An seemed to be enjoying the scenery, but in reality, he was also sensing the changes in the external environment through his innate energy. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The rain, the faint rain energy, and even the tiny dust particles in the surrounding space seemed unable to escape his senses, being detected quite clearly by him.


    Of course, it was just a rough sense.


    When this kind of feeling is applied to combat, it is an amazing martial art sense, allowing him to anticipate the movements of his opponent in advance, achieving various goals.


    And if this feeling continues to expand to a higher level, it is likely that he will be able to do even more.


    At that level, even sensing changes in seasonal Qi, or predicting daily temperature changes, would not be a problem.


    Thinking of this, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh.


    The path of martial arts gets more exciting as you progress.


    Just reaching the Qi realm is already like this, who knows what the future holds.


    If he really advanced to that point, he might not even be considered human anymore.


    Chen An silently pondered on this thought.


    Next moment, the environment around him suddenly changed.


    A mysterious feeling surged into his heart, interrupting his thoughts.


    He looked up at the sky, seemingly sensing something.


    After a moment, a ray of light shone on the ground, illuminating Chen An as well.


    The heavy rain that was pouring down all around suddenly stopped, leading to a clear sky.


    A smile immediately appeared on Chen An''s face.


    After the emperor''s death, Cheng Zheng ascended to the throne as the crown prince.


    According to customs, when the emperor dies, the crown prince needs to observe a three-year mourning period.


    However, ever since this rule was invented, except for a few honest individuals, it seems that not many people have actually followed it seriously.


    Cheng Zheng was naturally not one of those honest individuals.


    With his temperament, once he ascended to the throne, he almost couldn''t wait to get to work and implement his ideas for the country.


    Of course, even when he was the crown prince, he had done a lot, but at that time, the emperor was still there, so he still had to be mindful.


    Therefore, some things that he wanted to do were not possible.


    But now that the emperor had passed away, he became the emperor and could do those things he wanted.


    Less than a month after ascending the throne, he issued several decrees in quick succession, beginning to implement various changes in important areas.


    For example, reforming the Imperial Academy and announcing an examination system to select talents.


    Accompanying this, there was also a large-scale assessment of current officials, intending to remove a large number of unqualified officials from their positions.


    This was to clean up the country of parasites, and at the same time, to strike at their opponents and arrange for their own people to take over.


    After all, there were only a limited number of important positions, and they had long been occupied.


    If those people were not removed, how could they make room for their own people?


    Fortunately, this examination could also select a large number of qualified talents, who could then be appointed to various positions.


    His actions were too quick and aggressive, causing everyone to be on edge.


    In this situation, Cheng Zheng, who had just ascended the throne, immediately received a lot of criticism.


    This situation was normal.


    When other emperors ascended to the throne, they usually issued amnesties and gave benefits to officials and the people.


    But instead, he went ahead and made several changes right away.


    If he could still maintain a good reputation after that, it would be a miracle.


    The criticisms were rampant.


    Chen An was in the capital, observing this situation, and couldn''t help but sigh.


    By now, he understood how Cheng Zheng''s past reputation had been formed.


    Within the capital, Cheng Zheng''s reputation had never been good, as many people thought he was harsh and cold-hearted.


    At first, Chen An thought this was a bit unfair.


    After all, in his interactions with Cheng Zheng, his behavior had been good and compassionate.


    But now, he understood.


    With his serious and fierce actions, those who criticized him behind his back for being harsh probably avoided harsher words out of fear of Cheng Zheng''s status as the emperor.


    With the sudden changes, those who had previously been corrupt or deceitful would have a hard time going unnoticed.


    Many would lose their positions.


    How could the reactions not be negative?


    This was indeed harsh.


    Even if Chen An were in that position, he believed he would be criticized as well.


    Butt decides the brain.


    But there were no ifs in the world.


    Chen An was not an official.


    And with his circumstances, even if he were an official, he wouldn''t need to be corrupt.


    Wasn''t the fourth princess''s easy life not satisfying enough, or the wealth of the Duke of Chen''s mansion not abundant enough?


    Corruption? What was that little money?


    These situations had already determined that he and those people were not on the same path.


    But fortunately.


    Despite making several swift moves, Cheng Zheng was not a fool. Along with issuing those sharp decrees, he also gave out many benefits and drew a group of people to his side.


    For example, opening up the Imperial Academy and only allowing the recruitment of children from distinguished families, in order to win over the noble families.


    He also promoted a group of officials who had been suppressed by the second prince''s faction, in order to control the court.


    Looking at all these operations, they might seem rushed, but overall, they were still under control.


    It was just a bit too quick.


    In Chen An''s opinion, if Cheng Zheng had taken his time and not drawn the knives so quickly, the impact would have been greatly reduced.


    At least with a buffer in place, many problems would not have arisen.


    But this was the difference in their characters.


    Chen An had mentioned it once, but Cheng Zheng didn''t care, so he didn''t try to convince him further.


    As a hired worker, the most important thing was to be self-aware.


    Giving suggestions was your job, but whether they were heeded or not was the boss''s decision.


    You couldn''t force the boss to listen to you, could you?


    Then you might as well fire the boss and become the boss yourself.


    Keeping a low profile was the best.


    Furthermore.


    Chen An behaved appropriately, even with a little bit of slacking off, Cheng Zheng became more and more satisfied with him.


    It was all about comparison.


    Compared to those around him who were fiercely advocating, or even risking their lives to advise, Chen An''s combination of ability, loyalty, and keeping to his own duties was quite comforting.


    Therefore, to Chen An''s surprise, he found that Cheng Zheng''s reliance on him increased day by day, even though he had only wanted to slack off.


    This was not right.


    I just wanted to slack off.


    Feeling the intense gaze from Cheng Zheng, Chen An helplessly thought about many things.


    Since Cheng Zheng ascended the throne, Chen An had obediently stayed in his own mansion, carrying out Cheng Zheng''s orders without trying to seize power or do more.


    This was a valuable lesson from the history lessons in his past life.


    It was well known that if a person held too much power, it would make the emperor suspicious.


    If you already had strong power, and the emperor was still treating you well, you shouldn''t be proud, but rather more cautious.


    Because with one misstep, either you or someone close to you could fall, leading to disaster.


    Chen An was just here for cultivation, not to become an emperor, so why bother?


    But he wanted to slack off, while Cheng Zheng didn''t allow it.


    "Your Majesty, I am lazy and just want to focus on my cultivation at home. This important matter should be handled by someone else," Chen An said helplessly, looking at Cheng Zheng in front of him. "I think Duke Liu is quite suitable for this."


    Distantly, Liu Chu turned his head with a bewildered look.


    "Chang''an, I understand your intentions, but this matter really requires your presence," Cheng Zheng said, grabbing Chen An''s hand. "Duke Liu''s loyalty is unquestionable, but his strength may not be sufficient at this crucial moment to handle this responsibility."


    "I''ve thought it over, and at this moment, the only one by my side with enough strength and ability to bear this responsibility is you, Chang''an," he said with anticipation.


    This responsibility he mentioned was to guard the imperial city.


    In other words, to act as Cheng Zheng''s head bodyguard and protect his safety.


    To take on this role, one had to be loyal to Cheng Zheng, otherwise, it wouldn''t be protection but hostage-taking.


    Moreover, this position required significant strength.


    This was about protecting the emperor, so could someone weak handle it?


    Especially when Cheng Zheng had just ascended to the throne, and the people''s hearts were still unsettled, it required someone with formidable strength to take on this responsibility.


    "Alright."


    Chen An chuckled bitterly, but in the end, he couldn''t resist Cheng Zheng''s insistence and nodded in agreement.


    After that, he quickly transitioned and became the head bodyguard in the palace.


    This also meant that Chen An couldn''t freely cultivate anymore.


    Well, if you have to protect the emperor, can you still cultivate?


    Do you know what 996 is?


    Of course, Cheng Zheng wasn''t that extreme, and the workload was mostly manageable.


    But compared to the leisurely days at the gate, it was still different.


    Chen An took almost half a month to adapt to this lifestyle.


    Speaking of which, a Qi realm martial artist was quite effective in guarding the palace.


    Because of the presence of innate energy, Chen An could keenly sense changes in the environment, even the slightest fluctuations that would catch the attention of a Qi realm martial artist.


    This ability wasn''t particularly useful outside, but in a place like this, it was perfect.


    However suitable it may be, in the past, few Qi realm martial artists were willing to lower themselves to guard outside the palace.


    Chen An might be the first within the Grand Huad Dynasty to do so.


    From this perspective, he was also giving face to Cheng Zheng.


    As the days passed, it wasn''t boring.


    The palace was vast, and even with patrols, Chen An could spend most of the day admiring the various sights.


    During this time, many envoys from the outside world arrived, making the palace bustling with activity.


    Naturally, it wasn''t boring at all.


    "Oh?"


    Early in the morning, the sound of footsteps could be heard from outside.


    Sensing the distant aura, Chen An subconsciously looked up towards the direction where the footsteps were coming from, and happened to see a group of slender figures approaching.


    Many people were entering from outside, and judging by the number, they should be envoys from a major country.


    And as for why it was a major country, it was because of the number of people.


    A small country wouldn''t be able to send so many envoys.


    "Song Country?"


    Watching the approaching figures from a distance, Chen An couldn''t help but feel more interested.


    The Song Country was not far from the Grand Huad, and like the Grand Huad, it was also a mighty nation with a complicated relationship involving blood feuds and marriages with the Grand Huad.


    And now, with Cheng Zheng''s ascension, envoys from the Song Country had arrived.


    It seemed that these envoys were the ones before his eyes.


    It''s just that Chen An didn''t know whether these people coming to the Grand Huad were just here to congratulate or if they had other motives.


    But that didn''t stop him from observing the envoy group with keen interest.


    However, it seemed that someone in the crowd noticed his gaze, as one person looked up and their gaze swiftly shifted towards Chen An''s direction.


    The atmosphere instantly changed, with a subtle sense of solemnity in the air.


    A master!


    Nonchalantly, Chen An averted his gaze, but he became even more curious.


    Though he was not close to the location of the envoy, the person from afar could keenly sense his gaze and perceive his presence.


    If not a coincidence, this person was probably also a master who controlled innate energy.


    Qi realm?


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind, and then he casually shifted his focus to other areas to patrol.


    Soon, the sound of bells resonated throughout the palace.


    In the main hall, Cheng Zheng officially received the envoys from the Song Country.


    "The envoys have come from afar and brought a generous gift. Your courtesy is appreciated," Cheng Zheng said politely to the Song Country''s envoy, displaying impeccable etiquette.


    The leader of the Song Country delegation appeared to be a man in his forties or fifties, with a dignified appearance, hinting at a special status within the Song Country.


    "Lao Liu has come a long way from the Song Country. May I ask what brings you here?" Cheng Zheng politely inquired.


    "I am just an ordinary mortal, how would I dare give counsel to the Grand Huad Emperor," Liu Sheng smiled. "But, there is a matter that puzzles me."


    "Oh?" Cheng Zheng raised his head, pondered for a moment, then spoke, "But please, go on."


    "Since my arrival in the Grand Huad, I have heard that Duke Chen of your country retired due to old age, passing his title to his grandson. Is this true?" Unexpectedly, Liu Sheng''s question ended up involving Duke Chen.


    Cheng Zheng''s gaze immediately sharpened, but he nodded in confirmation and said, "It is true. Duke Chen was burdened by old illness and felt unable to serve the court any longer. Thus, he voluntarily petitioned to pass on his title to his grandson, Chen Chang''an. Is there a problem with this?"


    "Of course not."


    Liu Sheng chuckled, "However, I may be a mere mortal, but I once had a relationship with Duke Chen. Hearing this news about Duke Chen, I couldn''t help but feel nostalgic.¡±


    ¡°The grandson who received Duke Chen''s approval and inherited his title must be a remarkable talent."


    "Coincidentally, this time I brought several talented individuals from our country. I was hoping to take this opportunity to meet Your Majesty and have them spar with the new Duke Chen. Would this be possible?"


    With the conversation falling silent, all eyes in the room involuntarily focused on Chen An.


    At this point, what else could Chen An say?


    So, he sighed and reluctantly spoke, "I am willing."


    As his words fell, whether it was an illusion or not, the smiles on Liu Sheng and others'' faces became even brighter, as if they had achieved their objective.


    "I am Zhao Jun from the Song Country, please advise!"


    Moments later, on the vast competition field, a burly man with a face full of muscle stepped forward, clasping his fists and announcing his name.


    This Zhao Jun seemed to come from the Song Country''s royal family and practiced a robust technique. Refined textures adorned his skin all over, indicating a mastery of more than one forging technique.


    After exchanging greetings, he quickly made his move.


    A massive hammer came swinging at him.


    Most people used swords or knives as weapons, perhaps slightly larger ones. However, Zhao Jun was different; he wielded a large iron hammer that, infused with internal energy, exuded overwhelming power.


    "Internal energy mastery?"


    Surprised, Cheng Zheng looked on from above.


    "Indeed," Liu Sheng chuckled and touched his beard, looking somewhat pleased.


    (This chapter is complete)

 Chapter 126: Banquet

    "Zhao Jun, a talented individual from our Song Kingdom, is the successor of our royal family and has reached the pinnacle of internal energy cultivation at the young age of thirty. His martial arts skills surpass those of his peers, making him a rare genius."Liu Sheng proudly stated, "Chen Guogong, being so young and encountering Zhao Jun can be considered as meeting a worthy opponent."


    "He is indeed outstanding, living up to the reputation of the Song Kingdom''s prodigy," remarked Cheng, who was gradually becoming curious.


    Reaching internal energy culmination at thirty, is that truly impressive? Calling him a rare genius of the Song Kingdom, is he really at that level?


    Others might not know, but Cheng was well aware of Chen An''s true abilities. His meridian channels had been opened nearly half a year ago, and currently, he was barely twenty years old. To be precise, seventeen years old.


    Compared to Chen An''s performance, the present Zhao Jun seemed like nothing extraordinary to him. Having seen better, his standards had been raised.


    If he had not seen Chen An, under normal circumstances, Cheng might have been envious and would have tried to win over Zhao Jun. But now, having seen someone better, Zhao Jun seemed average to him.


    However, despite his thoughts, Cheng maintained a courteous demeanor, nodding and complimenting Zhao Jun on the surface.


    Liu Sheng took Cheng''s words at face value, not suspecting anything amiss. However, moments later, he heard a thud.


    A tall figure was flung out of the ring, landing outside the arena.


    Liu Sheng''s smile froze on his face as he looked toward the front. Only one person remained in the arena where two had stood before.


    Chen An, dressed in ordinary attire, stood on the platform, looked at the flung Zhao Jun, before cupping his hands. "Zhao brother, you have fought well."


    The spectators were stunned.


    "He was defeated with just a few moves?"


    Liu Sheng''s expression turned blank. He had expected Zhao Jun to lose, but he had never imagined it would happen so quickly and decisively.


    After all, Zhao Jun had practiced martial arts since childhood, even strengthening his physique after reaching the internal energy realm. His strength, coupled with his internal energy, was supposed to be comparable to those who had reached internal energy culmination. And yet he was defeated so thoroughly?


    Was that incident true?


    Seeing Chen An in front of him, Liu Sheng recalled the various rumors he had heard about him. As the grandson of the former Chen Guogong and the current inheritant of the title, Chen An''s information was closely monitored...


    The banquet continued, and Cheng started entertaining the Song Kingdom''s envoy. Chen An was also present.


    "Chen Guogong, why don''t you have a few drinks?" Liu Chu, slightly intoxicated, walked over to Chen An, draping his arm over his shoulder. "This wine from the Western Regions is exquisite, you must try it."


    "I''m not good with alcohol. If you enjoy it, go ahead," Chen An politely declined, taking a few steps back to avoid the strong smell of alcohol emanating from Liu Chu... s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After politely declining Liu Chu''s offer, Chen An sat quietly and ate his meal, unlike the noisy ambiance surrounding him...


    As the night progressed, the banquet neared its end. Cheng''s demeanor sobered up, opposite to those who were intoxicated...


    Suddenly, a panicked inner servant rushed towards Cheng. "Your Majesty, something urgent has happened."


    "What''s with the rush?" Cheng frowned disapprovingly...


    "The Second Prince, no, Prince Tai..."


    "He''s gone!"


    Under Cheng''s stern gaze, the inner servant hastily explained, "Prince Tai is missing!"...


    As the shocking news sank in, Cheng fully sobered up.


    (The End of this Chapter).

 Chapter 127: Pursuit

    The Thai Prince, also known as Cheng Ming, is the second son of the former emperor, and the elder brother of Cheng Zheng.When the former emperor was still alive, Cheng Ming was just the second prince.


    However, now that Cheng Zheng has ascended the throne, according to tradition, the former emperor''s princes should all be ennobled and sent away from Shengjing.


    In this regard, Cheng Zheng''s actions seemed quite generous.


    In order to show his magnanimity, he ennobled his two elder brothers as kings, with the elder brother being ennobled as the King of Liao, and the second brother Cheng Ming being ennobled as the King of Thai.


    Of course, these were just empty titles.


    As for the treatment that a king should receive, such as land grants, rewards, and other benefits, except for a few, they were mostly absent.


    This was just for show.


    From this perspective, Cheng Zheng''s nature was still quite stingy.


    He was generous with nominal things, but very miserly with substantial things, to the point that those around him couldn''t help but mock him.


    As the former rivals for the position of crown prince, even though they were ennobled as kings, they had no good future. They were usually trapped in their own mansions, guarded by a large number of people.


    The guards were not friendly at all; it was stricter than the dungeons in Shengjing.


    Unless a powerful expert intervened, it was impossible for ordinary people to escape from there.


    For these two failed princes who had contended for the throne before, this treatment was already enough, and there shouldn''t be any problems.


    Unexpectedly, even with this treatment, someone managed to escape.


    Cheng Zheng immediately sobered up, his mind racing with many thoughts.


    He thought of many things.


    Who was helping the King of Thai escape?


    It was undoubtedly someone helping him, otherwise, with just a completely discredited King of Thai, how could he escape under Cheng Zheng''s nose?


    What was the purpose of the person helping the King of Thai escape?


    The person who quietly rescued him must not be an ordinary person.


    So, what was their purpose in taking the King of Thai away?


    Various thoughts swirled in his mind, causing Cheng Zheng to furrow his brows involuntarily.


    "Forget about Liu Guogong."


    Faced with this situation, Cheng Zheng instinctively wanted to call Liu Chu to him, but stopped halfway through.


    Liu Chu had already been taken away to rest, and was probably more intoxicated than him, so he couldn''t do much.


    "Summon Chen Guogong for me."


    After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke.


    The people below nodded in agreement and quickly left.


    Soon after, Chen An''s figure appeared in front of Cheng Zheng.


    The efficiency was quite impressive.


    Seeing the figure in front of him still upright and calm, appearing unruffled, without a trace of drunkenness, Cheng Zheng felt a tinge of emotion.


    Indeed, when it came to critical moments, Chen An in front of him was reliable.


    Drinking truly hinders progress!


    Fortunately, Chen An was unaware of this, or else he would have rolled his eyes internally.


    You''re the one who''s drinking, and you''re the one who said drinking hinders progress, when will you stop?


    Of course, he certainly didn''t know these thoughts, so his expression remained calm as he greeted Cheng Zheng with a slight bow, "Your Majesty, how may I assist you?"


    "Chang''an, there''s trouble with the King of Thai over there."


    Everyone present was an insider, so Cheng Zheng didn''t hesitate to give orders, "Immediately seal off the city gates and bring back the King of Thai. If anyone dares to obstruct, kill them on the spot!"


    His words were filled with a hint of killing intent, showing that he was truly considering taking action.


    Chen An paused for a moment, then nodded slowly, "I will follow your orders."


    It was already late at night.


    The city gates of Shengjing should have been closed long ago.


    It was already under curfew.


    Usually, Shengjing should have been very quiet at night, with few people around except for a few places.


    In an era without nightlife, the city at night was usually like this.


    But tonight, everything seemed unusually different.


    "Fire! Fire!"


    "Help!"


    Several neighborhoods in Shengjing caught fire at the same time, with people in every direction calling for help.


    The situation was serious.


    Most of the houses in Shengjing were made of wood and were prone to catching fire, especially in areas where commoners lived in crowded conditions to save space.


    Although it was fine during normal times, once a fire broke out, it became a major problem.


    The guards in the city were already rushing to fight the fires.


    If nothing unexpected happened, even if the fires were extinguished, there would likely be a significant loss of life.


    Whoosh!


    A chilly air spread in all directions, devouring everything like an invisible enraged dragon.


    Water was splashed into the air everywhere, creating a frightening scene.


    Chen An walked through the burning houses.


    The oppressive heat was approaching from all sides, but it seemed to have no effect on Chen An as he continued forward without hindrance.


    He walked along the way, and crystalline frost spread automatically along the ground, covering everything and effectively halting the spread of the fire.


    The onlookers were astonished, not knowing what to say.


    Some knowledgeable people looked at Chen An''s figure with complex expressions.


    Fires were not uncommon, they happened every few years and were quite frequent.


    But a God Qi expert personally intervening, acting as a firefighter, was truly rare.


    Perhaps Shengjing had never seen such a thing before.


    The common people were truly fortunate.


    Although there were casualties, the effect was truly remarkable.


    With a God Qi expert personally intervening as a firefighter, the spreading fires were quickly contained.


    Even though there were still areas that hadn''t been extinguished, once the most dangerous areas were controlled, the remaining fires were no longer a threat.


    As Chen An walked through the area, his gaze swept around.


    Bang!


    A figure suddenly appeared in front of him, but Chen An quickly knocked him down, inflicting serious injuries.


    "It seems someone deliberately set the fire."


    Looking at the person lying at his feet, Chen An couldn''t help but frown.


    The timing of the fire was too coincidental; it just happened when the King of Thai went missing. It didn''t seem normal in any way.


    From the current situation, it was probably someone intentionally distracting attention to mobilize the guards inside Shengjing and create an opportunity.


    A fire was not a small matter; if not controlled in time, the losses would be significant.


    Once a fire broke out, all the guards in Shengjing had to mobilize.


    "Take this person away and interrogate him thoroughly."


    After a walk around, Chen An instructed as the person was taken away.


    Subsequent news from various areas began to converge.


    "Sir, there are no abnormalities at the three northern city gates!"


    "The two western city gates are also fine!" S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "The main gate to the east is still stable!"


    "What about the south gates?"


    Chen An surveyed the surroundings with a stern expression, "If I recall correctly, there are also three large gates to the south."


    "Well..."


    The people below looked at each other, unsure of what to say. After a brief silence, a brave individual stepped forward and reluctantly spoke, "Sir, the southern gates are too far apart, and the people sent to investigate have not returned."


    This was the truth.


    As the capital of Dahua, Shengjing covered a vast area.


    For easy access, there were many city gates set up in various places, making it difficult to quickly investigate.


    It was logical for no one to return immediately.


    But even though it was logical, it was also inappropriate.


    After all, time was of the essence. Waiting for those investigators to return might mean that the group had already fled by then.


    "Has the embassy been checked?"


    Chen An continued, "Are the envoys sent by Great Song still there?"


    "The embassy is lit up, and there are occasional sounds of reading coming from inside, so they should still be there."


    Some replied.


    "Sounds of reading?"


    Chen An immediately furrowed his brows, then suddenly looked up, "Let''s go, to the south gates!"


    He wasted no time and led the way, leaving others looking at each other in confusion.


    Of course, a few people in the crowd had their faces slightly changed, looking at the departing figure of Chen An with disbelief.


    As the night descended, the moonlight shone upon the earth, enveloping it in a silver attire.


    Outside on the official road, a carriage moved along, with several people inside.


    Cheng Ming wore plain clothes, with a somewhat weary expression on his face. Compared to the past, he now appeared a bit thinner, showing signs of hardship he had endured in the past half a year.


    It was only natural he had suffered, as he was a former political rival of Cheng Zheng and had offended the current emperor. What good fruits could he expect to enjoy?


    Being able to leave Shengjing in such a state was already considered fortunate for Cheng Ming. He smiled at the old man in front of him, "I owe my ability to leave Shengjing to you, Mr. Liu."


    "The Thai Prince is too kind."


    The person sitting opposite Cheng Ming was none other than Liu Sheng.


    Looking at Cheng Ming before him, he also had a smile on his face, "Both His Majesty and I are deeply saddened by the change in the King of Thai''s fortunes. At this moment, with a weak ruler in power, causing discontent among the officials and people, it is necessary for a wise king like yourself to step forward and serve the country."


    "At this critical moment, we need someone like Your Highness to stand up and help the nation."


    "Well, if it weren''t for you, Mr. Liu, Your Highness, I''m afraid I would have been trapped and died in Shengjing sooner or later."


    "But as you said, with a weak ruler in power and the people''s complaints, I can only follow the people''s hearts."


    He sighed, giving the impression that he truly cared about the people.


    If Cheng Zheng were here, he would probably have a good lengthy chat with him.


    But Liu Sheng obviously wouldn''t argue with Cheng Ming.


    He simply nodded in agreement.


    "Yes, the world is in chaos and truly needs a wise king like Your Highness."


    He bowed respectfully, "I, and even the entire Great Song, are willing to assist Your Highness."


    "Rest assured, Mr. Liu."


    Cheng Ming also promised with a smile, "If I can seize power and become the ruler, I will trace our origins and ascend the throne. Surely in the future, we will have a lasting friendship between our two nations."


    "Haha, that would be wonderful indeed."


    For a moment, the two men spoke with confidence, seeming as if they were about to become sworn brothers.


    Among the two, Cheng Ming appeared to be in good spirits.


    After being trapped in the mansion for so long, once he escaped, he felt like a dragon freed from its shackles. He felt exhilarated and eager to do something significant.


    As for Liu Chu beside him, he wasn''t as optimistic.


    "The big fire earlier should have delayed us for some time, but I hope we won''t encounter anyone chasing after us."


    Liu Sheng looked around and urged the coachman to speed up.


    "Mr. Liu, you''re worrying unnecessarily."


    Cheng Ming laughed, "With the people you brought, even if someone catches up, what can they do?"


    "With Mr. Yang here, even if someone dares to catch up, it''s just a trivial matter."


    Cheng Ming said with a smile.


    As a prince of Dahua and having spent so many years in the Imperial Court of Dahua, he had a good understanding of the situation of the entire country from top to bottom.


    In the entire Imperial Court of Dahua, there were indeed many powerful warriors, some of whom possessed God Qi.


    But the problem was that even though these people were part of the Imperial Court of Dahua, it wasn''t so easy to mobilize them.


    Some like the former Chen Guogong who had been ennobled had godly power but usually closed themselves off in their own mansions and wouldn''t linger in Shengjing.


    Md to mobilize them, the Emperor had to personally give the order and send the decree over, which couldn''t be done in time.


    There weren''t many princes with godly power within the royal family, and even if they were around, they had their own purposes.


    One was guarding the mausoleum of the Founding Emperor and couldn''t be easily moved. Another was guarding the ancestral temple and also spent years in seclusion.


    Then there was one in the north assisting in the defense against the Lu Kingdom.


    The two members of the royal family who remained in Shengjing for worship were also willing to keep the inner court safe and wouldn''t easily show themselves.


    To say the least, Cheng Zheng had just ascended the throne and had so little time; who knew if he could mobilize the two royal family members, let alone the others.


    After all, in this world, those with godly power were top talents and could be called national treasures; even a respectable Emperor like Cheng Zheng couldn''t easily control them.


    So, Cheng Zheng seemed very relaxed, thinking that no one could catch up to them.


    But Liu Sheng obviously wasn''t as relaxed as Cheng Ming.


    "Among all the people around the Dahua Emperor, the one leading the guards stands out. This newly appointed Chen Guogong is quite remarkable, and that''s troublesome."


    Liu Sheng sighed and said.


    "Newly appointed Chen Guogong, Chen Chang''an?"


    Cheng Ming immediately furrowed his brows.


    He had been sealed off in the mansion for most of the year, so he was a bit out of touch with the outside world. Although he knew that Chen An had become the new Chen Guogong, he wasn''t quite clear on the details.


    After all, he had been cut off from receiving news, and Chen An had kept a low profile, not revealing much about his own situation.


    In disguised so well.


    In this situation, how could Cheng Ming be expected to know any specific information about Chen An?


    To say something unpleasant, what he knew was probably not even as much as what Liu Sheng in front of him knew.


    At the very least, Liu Sheng was a legitimate high-ranking official of the Great Song, and probably had more information about Chen An than anyone else.


    "Is that Chen Guogong important?"


    Seeing Liu Sheng repeatedly inquire, Cheng Ming was a bit puzzled.


    "Of course."


    Liu Sheng nodded and was about to explain, "The


    Bang!


    A crisp sound came from outside, accompanied by the neighing of horses.


    The carriage abruptly came to a halt.


    Liu Sheng furrowed his brows, "What''s going on?"


    Without hesitation, he immediately stepped out of the carriage.


    Afterward, he couldn''t help but be taken aback.


    In front of them, on the lengthy official road, there was suddenly an additional person.


    What''s more, this person wasn''t unfamiliar to Liu Sheng; they had just been discussing him.


    "Chen Guogong!"


    Echoing cries of astonishment could be heard all around.


    Several figures riding horses beside the carriage exclaimed in surprise.


    "It looks like all the old acquaintances are here."


    From the front, Chen An''s voice came over, his face showing a hint of surprise at the moment.


    Incredible.


    In front of him, Zhao Jun, Qin Wan, and several other Song Empyreans who had sparred with him before were all present.


    Taking a closer look, Liu Sheng also emerged from the carriage and stood before Chen An.


    "Lord Liu, what are you trying to do?"


    Looking at Liu Sheng stepping out of the carriage, Chen An spoke calmly, "Could it be that our Dahua hospitality was lacking, so you had to rush back to the Great Song overnight without even saying goodbye?"


    "Our country''s hospitality is certainly generous, but we have urgent matters to attend to, so we must take our leave."


    Liu Sheng chuckled, "As for Chen Guogong, how did you manage to find us?"


    "I consider myself quite discreet, so even if someone should try to catch up, it shouldn''t happen so quickly, but Chen Guogong managed to find us nonetheless."


    Indeed, he had done everything very cleanly.


    In order to smoothly escort Cheng Ming out of Shengjing, he had set fires, diverted attention, and tampered with the southern city gates, detaining all the investigators to prevent them from determining which gate they had left from. Even if someone suspected them, went to their residence at the embassy, they would only find the decoys left behind.


    There were several steps in between, and if there was even a slight delay, they would have no chance of catching up to them.


    But even so, they were caught, which made Liu Sheng feel puzzled.


    "It''s actually quite simple."


    Facing Liu Sheng''s confusion, Chen An calmly replied, "I guessed."


    (The End of this Chapter)

 Chapter 128: The Origin of Xuanbing Force

    "Guessed?"Chen An''s response left Liu Sheng in astonishment.


    This was quite unusual.


    After calculating and preparing for so long to leave Shengjing, they were still blocked by someone.


    Even more extraordinary was that the person who blocked them had guessed.


    One word, incredible.


    "If there is the sound of reading in the embassy, I know there must be a problem without going to see."


    Chen An glanced at him, looking somewhat speechless, "Among this group of people, besides Mr. Liu, does anyone else look like they would read?"


    Staying up at midnight, still reading, it certainly seemed suspicious.


    Especially considering this group of Song envoys were mostly warriors, it didn''t seem like any of them were scholars.


    And they were even emitting obvious reading sounds.


    Chen An didn''t even need to go over, just by listening to the description, he knew it was all for show.


    "Since there is no news from the South Gate, I might as well assume that they have encountered problems."


    Chen An continued.


    "Even so, there are three gates in the south of Shengjing."


    Liu Sheng still doubted, "Are you so sure that I took this route?"


    "So I did say that."


    Chen An glanced at him, "I purely guessed, it''s just that my luck seems to be good, and I hit the mark."


    Things happened so quickly, and by slowly strolling around for clues, it was already too late to determine their true position.


    By the time you really figured it out, they would have long gone far away.


    There was no other way.


    Chen An was not a famous detective who could accurately determine the position of Liu Sheng and others from some clues, so he could only guess.


    As for what to do if he guessed wrong?


    Come on, recognize your position.


    You are just an ordinary worker, not the omnipotent Zhuge Liang.


    Being an ordinary worker, if Chen An could avoid being tricky, it would be good enough. Do you still expect him to be able to handle everything?


    Even Zhuge Liang did not succeed in the Northern Expedition and reclaiming the Central Plains, what skills and abilities does Chen An have?


    So just try your best, it''s good if the guess is correct, if not, it''s just wrong.


    After all, Cheng Zheng won''t do anything to him because of this little thing.


    That''s just how Chen An is.


    If it were someone else, in order to ensure their favor in front of the emperor and establish their first contribution, they would play some tricks.


    But the result of these tricks is often counterproductive.


    Understanding Chen An''s general idea, Liu Sheng did not underestimate him because of his rough approach, but rather admired him more, sighing, "You defeated Chen Hua and inherited the title of the new Duke of Chen, indeed has an astonishing courage."


    Most people would think that Chen An was just lucky, but Liu Sheng obviously didn''t see it that way.


    To be able to make a decisive judgment in such a situation, chase them decisively, may seem simple, but actually requires a lot of decisiveness.


    If there was a little hesitation in the heart, a delay of a moment, the situation would have been different immediately.


    By then, not only would he not catch up with them, but he would not even have the qualification to follow them.


    Although Chen An''s on-the-spot decision-making may not be the best, it was still a good choice.


    After all, there were only three roads, a one-third probability, and with good luck, you could always bump into them.


    "Speaking of it, since coming to Dahuah, I have been quite admiring of the Duke of Chen. If there is a chance, I really want to invite the Duke of Chen to visit our Dahuah and tour the scenery of our Dahuah together."


    Liu Sheng sincerely said, "I thought that this time leaving, it would probably take many years to see the Duke of Chen again, but I didn''t expect to see you so soon."


    "To be honest, I didn''t expect it at all."


    Chen An said candidly.


    This was the truth.


    If he had known the current situation, he might as well have gotten drunk with Liu Chu and others at the previous banquet.


    That way, he could have avoided taking on this difficult task.


    Unfortunately, it was too late to regret now.


    "As for the scenery, the Xuanbing Cave in Song State is quite good, if there is a chance, I really want to visit it."


    Thinking of something, Chen An continued, the Xuanbing Cave, this is a treasure controlled by the Song State, most suitable for practicing Yin attribute techniques, which is very suitable for Chen An.


    He still had a treasure bead on him, which needed to absorb the spiritual energy from the blessed land to transform and source power, so naturally he was interested in this treasure.


    "Now is the perfect opportunity."


    Liu Sheng smiled and said, "Since the Duke of Chen is interested, why not accompany me to the Song State, where I''m sure the Emperor of the Song State will treat you with great respect, and even granting you the title of king is not out of the question."


    "Merely a Xuanbing Cave, even if the Duke of Chen wants to stay there, what''s wrong with that?"


    You actually want to recruit me? Chen An looked at Liu Sheng in astonishment, seemingly completely unexpected that the other party would have such thoughts.


    Do I look very easy to win over?


    "Your Royal Highness Tai, he is in the carriage right now."


    Apparently feeling that his previous words were too weak, Liu Sheng quickly added, "I heard that the Duke of Chen and Your Royal Highness Tai also had a connection in the past. If it weren''t for the Fourth Princess at that time, you almost became a counselor to Your Royal Highness Tai."


    "And now, meeting again, isn''t it fate?"


    "Yes."


    In the carriage, Cheng Ming''s voice also came out.


    He walked out of the carriage, his face a bit tired, but still looked confident, as if he was still the Second Prince who held great power in the past.


    "Chang''an, my younger brother is ruthless in his actions, and everyone can see what he has done. Sooner or later, he will incite a rebellion and will not last long."


    The Crown Prince opened, trying to persuade, "Chang''an, following him is just a waste of your talents, why not follow the King, and when the King ascends the throne in the future, he will surely treat you as a brother, even granting you the title of king."


    Chen An fell silent gradually.


    He looked at the present Tai Wang, who, despite just escaping from prison, still felt good about himself, couldn''t help but sigh.


    What gives you all this confidence?


    It was not easy for me to help Cheng Zheng ascend to the throne, get a high position, why would I give up all of that to join you all!


    Do I look like a fool?


    He sighed and couldn''t help but speak, interrupting Tai''s speech, "Your Royal Highness Tai, there is no need to mention the recruitment talk again."


    "If you could have said this when we first met, I might have considered joining you."


    "But saying this today, isn''t it a bit too late?"


    He smiled, "Do you know, after I walked out of your mansion that day, I had an idea."


    "What?"


    Cheng Ming subconsciously asked.


    "When the time comes, if there is an opportunity, I will hang you on the door of my house and leave you hanging for an hour."


    Chen An spoke lightly, "Although I am humble, I still have some dignity."


    "Your Royal Highness Tai, if you were so indifferent back then, I might have been willing to join you."


    "But saying this today, you are not worthy."


    "You!"


    As the words fell, Cheng Ming suddenly became furious, his face showing anger.


    On the side, Liu Sheng couldn''t help but frown, seeming to understand what was going on.


    He was somewhat disappointed.


    Cheng Ming was known as a wise prince in Dahuah, and had been friends with many people.


    He originally thought that in recruiting Chen An, he could play a role in the matter.


    But it seemed that it was having the opposite effect.


    He was a bit helpless about this and could only wave his hand.


    With his action, Zhao Jun and Qin Wan and the others seemed to receive instructions and directly rushed towards Chen An.


    The sound of weapons being drawn rang out, clear enough to be heard everywhere.


    Looking at the tall figures of Zhao Jun and the others, Cheng Ming''s anger gradually subsided.


    "With the talented people of the Song State taking action, this bold bandit who dared to come here will be taken down in a moment."


    Cheng Ming looked at Liu Sheng beside him and smiled, then spoke, "I wonder if later I can hand over this bandit to you for disposal."


    He didn''t know the specific situation of Chen An.


    Before he was imprisoned, he had only received information from the past.


    Therefore, in his impression, Chen An was still the internal energy practitioner from the past, just at the peak of internal energy.


    It had only been over half a year since then, even if he had made progress, at most he was now at the peak of internal energy, it couldn''t compare to Zhao Jun and others from the Song state teaming up.


    "Your Highness."


    Liu Sheng sighed and felt a bit disappointed, and his opinion of the present Tai Wang was even lower.


    But considering the two sides were still partners, and the other side still had some usefulness, he patiently explained, "It''s probably not that simple."


    Boom!


    A deafening sound erupted, rushing out from there.


    Being in front, the abundant astral energy turned into frost, spreading out directly, turning everything into ice and snow.


    There was no hesitation, in just a moment, Zhao Jun and the others were directly thrown out, completely incapable of resistance.


    That so-called peak of internal energy was nothing compared to real astral energy.


    "Kang Kang Qi," Cheng Ming was left dumbfounded.


    At this point, Liu Sheng didn''t need to explain further.


    Being a prince of Dahuah, Cheng Ming was well aware of the situation at hand.


    The overwhelming astral energy swirling in the sky had already confirmed Chen An''s identity.


    He was a true Kang Qi practitioner.


    In this moment, Cheng Ming''s emotions were exceptionally complex, a mix of anger, disbelief, regret, and shame surged within him.


    Especially when he recalled Chen An''s earlier words, he felt a sense of impending doom as he looked at Liu Sheng and the others next to him.


    As the story of him and Chen An spread in the future, he was afraid that as the Tai Wang, he would immediately be ridiculed and shamed by many for not recognizing the true potential of a Kang Qi practitioner standing before him, especially since he had arrogantly pushed him away, leading the Kang Qi practitioner to seek refuge with his own younger brother, costing him the position of the emperor.


    In this moment, Cheng Ming thought of many similar stories he had read before.


    Considering himself a wise king, he had once ridiculed the protagonists of many stories, thinking that if he were in their shoes, things would not have come to this.


    But now, the clown was himself?


    The thought evoked a mix of shame and anger in him.


    But it was too late to think about these things now.


    Because in front of him, a long knife was already surging with powerful astral energy, coming down forcefully.


    Thump!


    The silver long knife fell, cutting through the air with a sharp sound.


    With astral energy brewing within, about to erupt.


    If the knife were to come down, not to mention Cheng Ming himself, the entire carriage would likely be shattered and reduced to rubble, with no other possibility.


    "No!"


    Cheng Ming''s eyes widened, filled with fear. s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But Chen An was not complacent at all.


    Because compared to Cheng Ming, Liu Sheng remained calm on the side.


    Not just him, even Zhao Jun and Qin Wan, who had been thrown out earlier, though bloodied and with grim faces, maintained basic composure and showed no signs of panic.


    Were they not afraid of death?


    Obviously not.


    Chen An sternly focused, speeding up the descent of the long knife.


    In his line of sight, the long knife fell.


    Boom!


    A thunderous roar erupted in mid-air, the powerful collision spreading outward, bursting this section of the road.


    A figure emerged from behind the carriage.


    The middle-aged man was dressed in a purple robe, had long beard, around forty years old, in the prime of his life.


    He wielded two short knives as he walked towards Chen An, his gaze solemn.


    "Yang Lao!"


    Seeing the elderly man finally make a move, Zhao Jun and the others immediately breathed a sigh of relief.


    Evidently, he was also a Kang Qi practitioner.


    "Although I would like to have a chat with the Duke of Chen, it seems one time is not possible," Liu Sheng said with a smile. "Duke of Chen, you are a young genius, already dominating the world at a young age, advancing in Kang Qi. But the loyalty and bravery of our Song State''s warriors are equally formidable."


    "Old Yang has fought many battles in his lifetime and has never been defeated."


    "With him as your opponent, you must be careful."


    In reality, it didn''t need to be said.


    At the moment the opponent appeared, Chen An had already realized the opponent''s strength.


    Kang Qi practitioners could easily sense the strength of each other''s astral energy.


    In Chen An''s perception, the middle-aged man''s astral energy was nearly the strongest.


    Even the former Duke of Chen, Chen Hua, whom he had fought before, was not a match for the middle-aged man before him.


    A formidable opponent!


    Meanwhile, the sound of the carriage gradually faded away.


    Amid Liu Sheng''s faint smile, the carriage slowly departed and moved forward.


    Including Zhao Jun and the others, they also left together.


    However, Chen An made no moves.


    Or rather, there was no use in making any moves.


    The man''s astral energy was far superior to his own.


    With the opponent prepared, it would be almost impossible for him to outmaneuver him and leave Liu Sheng and the others behind.


    Since it was destined to be futile, there was no need to waste effort.


    "I never expected that your country would value the Tai Wang so much, not only putting in so much effort, but even having Loyalty and Valor Ho himself come," Chen An said, looking at Old Yang.


    "I never thought that within Dahuah, there would be such a young talent like you," Old Yang sighed. "Your prowess is unmatched, a sight I''ve never seen before."


    "And now you have," Chen An stated plainly.


    "Yes," Old Yang nodded. "I had fought against your grandfather before. The power of the Chen family''s martial arts is extraordinary."


    "I wonder what your grandson will be like."


    "You won''t be disappointed," Chen An suddenly smiled. "He was the one I defeated."


    "Huh?" Old Yang was taken aback instantly.


    In the next moment, Chen An made his move.


    The long knife fell, reinforced with terrifying astral energy, exuding a sense of destructive power that could cut through everything in its path.


    Various mysteries of swordsmanship were integrated into this strike, erupting into a terrifying blow.


    Moon Howl!


    Boom!


    As the long knife fell, the area within a few square meters around them was affected.


    Ice crystals formed out of thin air, spreading in all directions.


    But soon, a new astral energy emerged out of thin air, breaking the ice crystals that were spreading out.


    Silently, the two completely different astral energies clashed for a long time.


    And this invisible clash affected the surroundings.


    Any tree taller than half a person''s height, immediately snapped when hit by the impact.


    Clumps of flowers and grass froze, then shattered.


    The destruction was clean and thorough, making it difficult for people to look directly at it.


    "It seems that you are not practicing the Chen family''s martial arts, but rather a technique called Xuanbing Force from the royal family of my Song State," Yang Lao frowned and spoke during the brief clash with Chen An.


    Through the clash of astral energies, they could clearly feel the specific details of each other''s astral energy.


    Chen An''s astral energy was icy cold, capable of freezing on contact, exuding an aura of freezing everything, which was terrifying.


    In contrast, Yang Lao''s astral energy was formless and invisible, with an extremely strong attacking characteristic, making even Chen An feel a sense of trepidation due to its piercing power.


    "Xuanbing Force is a martial art of the Song State''s royal family?" Chen An paused, frowning at the words.


    It was the first time he had heard of this.


    "Among the various nations, almost all martial arts with a cold Yin attribute originate from my Song State," explained Yang Lao. "And the Xuanbing Force was actually created by the founder of my Song State, in the Xuanbing Cave, and can directly connect to the innate."


    "However, later on, the Dahuah founder suddenly emerged, reigning with an iron fist."


    "At that time, the founder of my Song State had already passed away, and the entire country had no one who could match the founder of Dahuah. We had no choice but to submit and present the original Xuanbing Force."


    It suddenly dawned on Chen An.


    The Xuanbing Force he was currently practicing was actually taken from the royal family of the Dahuah founder.


    Probably many of the innate martial arts that the Dahuah royal family possessed were obtained in the same way.


    The genuine innate martial art created by the Dahuah founder was only in the possession of the Dahuah royal family.


    "Although the Dahuah royal family has the original Xuanbing Force, it is not complete."


    Seeing Chen An''s realization, Yang Lao continued to explain, "Initially, although my Song State had no choice but to submit, we deliberately destroyed the last part of the content of the original Xuanbing Force, to prevent its spread and loss."


    "You have exceptional talents, and in your life so far, you have not been seen before. If you truly want to walk the path of martial arts to the end, I have to recommend my Song State."


    "I can vouch for you, not only to obtain the complete Xuanbing Force, but also to enter the Xuanbing Cave and witness the original creation of the founder of my Song State. How does that sound?"


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 129: Pre-Natal Martial Arts

    "Hmm?"Chen An had to admit that, in this moment, he was a bit moved.


    As he moved naturally, his actions also slowed down during the moment of his excitement.


    "Is what you said true?"


    He asked.


    "Of course it''s true."


    Yang Lao thought Chen An had some ideas, so he smiled and was about to say something.


    A long knife mercilessly slashed down, directly attacking him at this moment of pause.


    Yang Lao''s mouth immediately closed.


    The long knife fell, carrying a strong force.


    It was not just physical strength, but the mysterious ice energy it carried was crucial.


    The power generated by the mysterious ice energy was absolutely not to be underestimated, the power within it was immense, even those with similar energy could not handle it.


    Yang Lao''s chest kept vibrating, breathing heavily, and it took a while to calm down.


    However, after this incident, faced with Chen An''s unscrupulous sneak attack, he finally didn''t dare to be distracted and focused entirely on competing with Chen An.


    The range of their energy was wide, and the area affected was also extensive.


    If someone who didn''t know came over, they might think these two were in a life-and-death battle.


    However, in reality, it was just a small fight.


    They fought each other, their energies clashed, looking lively but in reality, they maintained restraint at all times and didn''t really use their full strength.


    Although the forces exerted by both sides were strong, they were always testing each other.


    And the results of the test were not good.


    The strengths of both sides were too close.


    In detail, Yang Lao''s strength should be stronger than Chen An at the moment, after all, accumulated over many years, his internal energy was stronger and deeper, not comparable to a newcomer like Chen An.


    But even with this slight advantage, it didn''t necessarily mean much.


    If both sides were willing to fight to the death and not retreat, they could determine a winner.


    But any normal person would understand, how could that be possible?


    There was no deep enmity between Yang Lao and Chen An.


    Yang Lao''s task here was to stop Chen An and buy time for Liu Sheng and the others to leave.


    As for Chen An, he was purely here to complete his mission.


    Fighting to the death? Impossible.


    Since there was no fight to the death, and their strengths were so close, neither side could really do anything to the other.


    Chen An couldn''t get past Yang Lao to chase after him, and Yang Lao couldn''t achieve any results, let alone harm a single hair on Chen An.


    This was different from the battle between Chen An and the former Duke of Chen, Chen Hua.


    It was not so much that the former Duke of Chen, Chen Hua, was defeated by Chen An, rather he was already injured, physically weak, and ultimately worn down by Chen An.


    However, Chen Hua could be worn down, but the present Yang Lao was very sharp, swinging two short knives with a force even greater than Chen An''s.


    To wear him down, it would probably take several days and nights.


    This battle was about to become a stalemate.


    "Your actions have no killing intent, I suppose you know you can''t get past me," Yang Lao said helplessly, looking at Chen An, "If that''s the case, why continue?¡±


    He really couldn''t understand Chen An''s behavior.


    The situation was already clear, it was obvious that neither could do anything to the other.


    Since he couldn''t escape him, he should just back off and stop, why continue to entangle?


    Continuing to fight like this, not only damaged the surrounding plants, but what other benefits were there?


    He really wanted to stop, after all, he was quite old and it was time to take care of his health.


    It''d be good not to fight.


    But Chen An wouldn''t have it.


    Don''t fight? Why not?


    You''re at an age where you should take care of your health, but I''m not.


    For Chen An, this battle was a rare experience.


    After advancing to the Nascent Qi stage, he encountered few enemies.


    The former Chen Hua was good, but he was already old and weak, with injuries, strictly speaking, it was just bullying an old man, no real challenge.


    Now it was much better, strong and vigorous.


    More importantly, their strengths were equal, not too weak or too strong.


    If he didn''t exploit this opportunity to gain experience, when else would he?


    Of course, if he was just trying to gain experience, he didn''t have to fight so hard.


    Chen An fought so hard because he also had to report to Cheng Zheng later.


    The destructive power of Nascent Qi warriors was extraordinary. After their battle for so long, they had almost destroyed several nearby official roads, their presence had long been felt by the distant areas.


    If you didn''t know, you would think there was a natural disaster.


    Anyone who knew would understand how hard Chen An had fought.


    Afterwards, Cheng Zheng sent people to investigate, seeing the extensive traces, they would understand how hard Chen An had worked.


    In the end, it was just putting on a show for the leaders.


    Slacking off and surface work, these were Chen An''s specialties.


    In his past life, he had used these strategies to deal with countless leaders.


    But obviously, Yang Lao couldn''t understand Chen An''s intentions.


    Not only did he not understand, he even thought Chen An was being foolish.


    The energies scattered, rippling in all directions, directly shattering a small mountain in the distance.


    Unconsciously, they had been fighting for nearly half an hour.


    By tomorrow morning, the people in Shengjing would probably not recognize this place.


    Because it had completely changed.


    But at this point, Chen An still wanted to continue.


    Yang Lao was already a bit fed up.


    "Will you ever stop?"


    Thrusting forward with the two knives, he pierced through layer after layer of frost.


    He estimated that it was about time, and Liu Sheng and his group were already far away, so Yang Lao took the initiative to force Chen An to retreat.


    Then, taking advantage of this opportunity, he fled from here.


    He looked really tired, and didn''t want to continue entangling with Chen An.


    Chen An also had no intention of pursuing.


    After all, there was no point in catching up.


    Their strengths were almost equal, and he couldn''t possibly keep the other side behind, there was also a risk of falling into an ambush.


    Rather than do that, it was better to just leave it as it was.


    After fighting for so long, he had gained enough experience, and his show had been enough.


    Cheng Zheng would know about it eventually, and there should be no complaints.


    The next day, as soon as the sky brightened, Cheng Zheng summoned Chen An.


    In the grand hall, Cheng Zheng''s face looked somewhat gloomy, with a hint of fatigue in his eyes, as if he hadn''t slept well the previous night.


    Even with Chen An''s understanding of Cheng Zheng, he wouldn''t be surprised if Cheng Zheng hadn''t slept all night, waiting for news from Chen An.


    "The Thai King was taken away by the envoy from Great Song?"


    With a grim face, Cheng Zheng looked at Chen An and spoke.


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded and recounted the events of last night one by one, finally bowing, "It is my incompetence, I could not keep the Thai King and his party."


    "No, Chang An, you did well."


    Cheng Zheng''s face remained grim, but softened slightly when looking at Chen An, "I already know about yesterday''s news."


    "Liu Sheng is truly a great man of the Song country, and the arrangements he made even surprised me."


    "Chang An, being able to catch up with the Thai King in such a clever arrangement is not easy, especially considering there was a Nascent Qi protector by the Thai King''s side."


    In the end, his expression became even more serious, "Yang Zhong of the Loyal and Brave Marquis of the Song country, this is an old rival for our Great Huay, the founding Duke and even your grandfather had fought against him, but no one had ever gained an advantage over him, indicating how difficult he is to deal with."


    "Understood."


    Hearing Cheng Zheng''s words, Chen An continued the conversation, sighing, "This Loyal and Brave Marquis of the Song country is indeed powerful, his Nascent Qi is terrifying, I am not his match."


    "It''s okay."


    Cheng Zheng forced a smile and comforted, "Although the Loyal and Brave Marquis is strong, it''s only an advantage for you to start practicing earlier, with your talent, surpassing him is only a matter of time."


    "I hope so."


    Chen An nodded, sighing deeply.


    Seeing him like this, one would think he had suffered a great setback.


    Seeing Chen An like this, Cheng Zheng also wanted to comfort him, so he smiled and said, "I heard that you and the Loyal and Brave Marquis of the Song country fought for an hour?"


    "Today, someone from the South Gate came to report, saying that the area has been completely transformed, affected by your and the Loyal and Brave Marquis''s battle, it''s a mess."


    "It is my fault."


    Chen An''s face was sincere: "At that time, I was only focused on killing the enemy, but forgot to be restrained."


    "If you had still been restrained in the duel with that Loyal and Brave Marquis, I''m afraid I wouldn''t be seeing you now."


    Cheng Zheng laughed, "To speak bluntly, in the entire Great Huay, only Chang An, who fought fiercely for my sake with the Loyal and Brave Marquis last night, perhaps has such courage."


    Seemingly realizing something, his face suddenly became much darker.


    Chen An immediately fell silent.


    Needless to say, from Cheng Zheng''s appearance, it was clear that he had faced defeat somewhere.


    According to Chen An''s estimation, last night Cheng Zheng probably invited two attendants from Shengjing and hoped they would intervene.


    But the result, well, it didn''t need much explanation.


    After all, those two attendants were not familiar with him. If the former emperor were still alive, it might have been different. But even then, they might not have blindly obeyed Cheng Zheng.


    After all, Nascent Qi practitioners were proud individuals.


    Chen An remained silent, looking ahead with a hint of suppressed anger, while Cheng Zheng did not say a word.


    The palace attendants did not care much for Cheng Zheng, which was actually beneficial for Chen An.


    After all, without comparison, how could Chen An''s value be shown?


    "Your Majesty."


    After a moment of silence, Chen An suddenly spoke, "In last night''s battle, I felt that my strength was still lacking and I want to go into seclusion for a while."


    "I wonder if I can enter the royal treasure land and practice there for a period of time?"


    He started to negotiate.


    "Seclusion for cultivation?"


    Cheng Zheng hesitated for a moment and a look of doubt appeared on his face.


    Don''t get me wrong.


    It''s not that he couldn''t bear to give up those so-called treasure lands.


    He simply couldn''t bear to lose such a good helper as Chen An.


    He had always used Chen An as his right-hand man during this long period of time, Chen An was quite handy in various matters, and he was used to it.


    It was somewhat reluctant to see him leave suddenly.


    But after a slight hesitation, he nodded and said, "If Chang An wants to go into seclusion, then go ahead." S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hold my token, you can go to several places in Great Huay on your own, and no one will stop you."


    Wow.


    He immediately mentioned three treasure lands, quite generous.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    Chen An smiled immediately.


    "Before you leave, do not forget to visit the armory."


    Seeing Chen An''s expression, Cheng Zheng also smiled, "I have prepared what you need, don''t forget to collect it."


    What I need?


    Chen An was taken aback for a moment, then quickly reacted and couldn''t help but feel happy.


    After a while, Chen An left.


    In the grand hall, only Cheng Zheng remained.


    After Chen An left, Cheng Zheng''s face immediately became much darker.


    "Find out who was involved?"


    Cheng Zheng''s face darkened as he looked towards the screen behind him, "And the fire in the city, what are the guards doing? Their actions were slow to such an extent!"


    There was an uncontrollable anger in his voice.


    The Thai King disappeared from the mansion and was taken away by the Great Song envoy.


    This matter seemed ordinary, but it implied something complicated.


    There must have been many people in Great Huay assisting secretly, colluding with the Great Song envoy, in order to take the Thai King out in one fell swoop.


    Otherwise, even if there was a Nascent Qi covert agent in the Great Song envoy, it would not have been possible to take the Thai King away so silently.


    "So many people in Shengjing are secretly supporting the Thai King, even this palace is in turmoil."


    Cheng Zheng''s face became even more grim, "As the emperor, how dare someone refuse an imperial decree!"


    He was referring to the two attendants in Shengjing.


    Cheng Zheng was not an incompetent person.


    After the long battle between Chen An and Yang Zhong outside Shengjing last night, Cheng Zheng naturally received the news early.


    At the first notification, he immediately sent someone to invite the two attendants, hoping to use their power to suppress the Loyal and Brave Marquis Yang Zhong and assist Chen An in winning.


    But unexpectedly, the two attendants were both in seclusion and completely ignored his orders.


    This situation was embarrassing.


    Whenever Cheng Zheng thought about the events of last night, he couldn''t help but feel burning with anger.


    As an emperor, he had people under his command, but he couldn''t move them at all.


    "These two attendants were both supported by the former emperor, and one of them is a senior member of the imperial family."


    From behind the screen, a somewhat helpless voice of Liu Chu came, "It''s different from Chang An after all."


    The two attendants stationed in Shengjing now had close ties with the former emperor.


    One was a talent brought in by the former emperor, the other was cultivated from the ancestral temple. These two individuals had been with the former emperor for many years, one of them being an elder of the Great Huay imperial family, and they were faithful to Great Huay.


    But their loyalty to Cheng Zheng was not certain.


    If someone attacked Shengjing, they would naturally take action. But if Cheng Zheng actively issued decrees, whether they would comply or not would depend on their mood.


    "Today, I truly understand the value of Nascent Qi."


    Cheng Zheng couldn''t help but sigh, barely suppressing his emotions.


    Actually, this issue was not unique to him, it was something most emperors had encountered before.


    For ordinary people, when the emperor got angry, they would bow down, but for Nascent Qi practitioners who were high above, it was just a minor matter.


    With each new emperor, the Nascent Qi practitioners around them were mostly retained from the past, they could be influenced, but they certainly wouldn''t be as obedient as other people.


    To have a group of obedient Nascent Qi practitioners, they had to be cultivated themselves, slowly building up their loyalty.


    Thinking of this, Cheng Zheng felt a little comfort in his heart.


    "Fortunately, I still have Chang An."


    He sighed, this thought crossed his mind.


    Compared to others, he was already much luckier. At least he had just ascended to the throne, and he already had Chen An, a Nascent Qi practitioner, following him.


    There was still a long way to go in the future, and he could slowly cultivate his own team.


    Thinking like this, he could only console himself.


    While Cheng Zheng was comforting himself, what was Chen An doing? He was in the armory.


    With Cheng Zheng''s token in hand, Chen An easily entered the armory of Great Huay.


    In a sense, this was one of the most important places within Great Huay, second only to the ancestral temple.


    Because it contained all the accumulations of Great Huay since its founding by the Great Huay Ancestor.


    All the martial arts collected by Great Huay over the past few centuries were all stored here.


    This was much more magnificent than the White Family''s armory. Although the White Family''s armory was smaller in scale, only having several bookshelves, the entire armory was not even full of one room.


    The Great Huay armory was much more substantial, with bookshelves everywhere.


    There were various martial arts techniques, even internal cultivation methods, that could make one dizzy.


    In terms of quantity, it far surpassed the White Family''s armory by miles.


    Not just in quantity, but also in quality.


    "Ice Qi, Chen''s Martial Arts."


    Chen An browsed through the records in the armory, then suddenly became stunned.


    The armory contained many martial arts techniques, including many Nascent Qi-level martial arts. In addition to some that Chen An had never seen before, the Chen family''s ancestral martial arts manual was also there.


    This was quite impressive.


    It wasn''t clear whether the Chen family''s ancestors voluntarily turned it in or the Great Huay court forcefully took it.


    In addition to the Chen''s Martial Arts manual, there were also Nascent Qi martial arts from several other families stored there.


    The content was quite comprehensive.


    Basically, anything Chen An had heard of could be found here most of the time.


    Even if it wasn''t found, there were still some incomplete pieces.


    "So abundant."


    Chen An couldn''t help but sigh.


    This was the accumulation of a country.


    Compared to the armories he had seen before, whether it was the White family or the former Duke of Chen''s mansion, they were nothing. Compared to this vast and magnificent armory, those two places were like child''s play.


    Although there were many martial arts in the armory, they were not very useful to Chen An.


    What he really cared about was the gift Cheng Zheng had prepared for him.


    With anticipation, a eunuch soon came and handed him a box.


    Opening the box, the contents were revealed quickly.


    A smile appeared on Chen An''s face immediately.


    The box contained not just anything else but the innate part of the Ice Qi technique.


    In other words, it was a martial arts technique of the Pre-Natal level.


    Without any hesitation, Chen An immediately picked up the book, putting it in front of him to carefully study it.


    (Chapter End)

 Chapter 130: Plucking Wool

    "It''s indeed incomplete."Completing the Xuanbing Power unfold in the box, Chen An sighed deeply.


    As Yang Zhong said before, the Xuanbing Power stored in the Dahua Arsenal was indeed not complete, and cannot be considered truly intact.


    There is a considerable amount of missing content inside.


    For the Nine Realms of Primordial Qi, only the first six layers of content were found here.


    As for the last crucial three layers, there were only vague records and descriptions.


    Obviously, these last three layers are still in the hands of the Great Song court and have not been leaked.


    After missing the last three levels of the Nine Realms of Primordial Qi, although the overall content seemed to be only missing a third, it wasn''t that simple.


    Compared to the earlier parts, those last three layers are undoubtedly the essence and the most critical parts of the entire Xuanbing Power method.


    Furthermore, some martial arts techniques that should have been recorded in the Xuanbing Power were barely seen.


    The remaining ones were just common, some even incomplete.


    It could be considered a watered-down version.


    Chen An couldn''t help but sigh.


    However, he soon calmed down.


    If it''s not complete, then it''s not complete.


    As long as it''s enough for the time being.


    After all, he is not even in the Primordial Realm right now.


    This technique is already enough for him to practice for a long time.


    When he advances to the Primordial Realm, he can naturally find a way to snatch, or rather, demand for the follow-up techniques of the Xuanbing Power.


    He believes that by that time, the Great Song court will be quite enthusiastic and hospitable and hand over their ancestral techniques.


    Even if they are unwilling, Chen An still has a way to make them willing.


    The most urgent thing is still to cultivate.


    With this thought in mind, Chen An opened the book and earnestly started reading.


    For the next half month, Chen An stayed in the arsenal.


    Apart from cultivating, he also browsed through the various books in the Dahua Arsenal.


    The martial arts collected in the Dahua Arsenal were gathered by emperors throughout history.


    Not to mention the various profound martial arts scriptures, even the insights left by martial arts powerhouses were also very valuable.


    The insights left by these martial arts powerhouses, mainly Qi Martial Artists, had a significant impact on Chen An.


    Although he had recently advanced to the Qi Realm, his strength was not weak, but he had not had much time to polish his skills at this level and needed careful training.


    The notes and insights left by his predecessors could help him fill in these gaps and lay a more solid foundation at this level.


    This was a good thing.


    In addition to this, Chen An also focused on martial techniques.


    He had deficiencies in martial techniques despite being a Qi Martial Artist.


    He had already noticed this in his previous two confrontations.


    Both Chen Hua and Yang Zhong were very strong, not only were they Qi Martial Artists themselves, but the martial techniques they mastered were also top-notch, allowing them to display strong abilities.


    In this aspect, Chen An was somewhat inferior.


    The martial techniques he currently mastered were the ones he learned back in the Bai family.


    Although his proficiency was not bad, it was still considered quite basic compared to the Qi Realm.


    This deficiency wasn''t apparent before because he hadn''t encountered strong opponents.


    The former Duke of Chen, Chen Hua, had his own issues and couldn''t engage in prolonged combat, leading to his eventual defeat.


    As for his recent confrontation with Yang Zhong, it wasn''t a life-and-death battle.


    Chen An didn''t directly engage in close combat but competed from a distance using Qi, so the importance of martial techniques was not significant.


    However, what was possible before might not necessarily be possible in the future.


    For Chen An, this was somewhat of a defect, and it would be better to try to make up for it as much as possible.


    In the current Dahua Arsenal, there were numerous martial arts to study, making it a great place for Chen An to learn.


    Leaving this place, it wouldn''t be easy to find as many exquisite martial techniques again.


    Among the many martial techniques, due to his previous habits, he chose the saber technique.


    He started learning the saber technique from the very beginning of his martial arts journey.


    After such a long time, he had already developed a deep understanding of it.


    Besides, saber techniques were advantageous compared to other martial techniques, with clear advantages and minimal disadvantages.


    Chen An had no reason to give up on it.


    After staying in the arsenal for half a month, Chen An left and returned to his mansion.


    It felt like coming back home.


    However, this time, he wasn''t planning on staying long either.


    After only six months, he left the Fourth Princess and headed towards distant lands.


    "Is this the place?"


    In a deep cave, Chen An looked around the dim environment and asked.


    "Yes."


    The guide beside him replied respectfully, "This is one of the places nearby with the most abundant elemental essence. Duke Chen can rest assured to cultivate here without being disturbed by others."


    "If there is anything you need, just let us know, and we will send someone over to serve you."


    "Thank you."


    Chen An nodded with a smile, expressing his gratitude to the guide.


    After that, the guide respectfully left, leaving Chen An alone in the place.


    Standing there, waiting for the guide to disappear from his sight, Chen An didn''t hesitate and directly took out something he carried with him.


    A transparent crystal stone.


    The transparent crystal stone looked beautiful, as if it was made of some special jade, with a shimmering radiance on its surface, very pleasing to the eyes.


    "It''s reacting."


    Feeling the fluctuations on the crystal stone, Chen An couldn''t help but smile.


    The place where he was now was naturally one of the treasure spots controlled by the Dahua Clan.


    He had been eyeing this place for a long time.


    However, he only came today.


    Seeing the crystal stone reacting, the dark color on it slowly fading away, Chen An couldn''t help but feel excited.


    After all, this was source power.


    For Chen An, nothing was more tempting than increasing his own source power.


    If there was, it was probably more source power.


    "It should take some time."


    Looking at the crystal stone vibrating slowly, Chen An had this thought in his mind. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The crystal stone absorbed the surrounding elemental essence to convert into source power, and this process required some time, not an instant recovery.


    Anyway, he had nothing else to do, so Chen An sat cross-legged and started cultivating.


    After all, this was a treasure spot, and practicing here would yield much better results than in other places.


    This cultivation lasted for three days.


    After three days, Chen An stood up, ready to leave.


    Don''t misunderstand; it''s not that he had finished his cultivation, but the elemental essence around the area was insufficient.


    After absorbing for three days, the elemental essence in the area had noticeably decreased.


    It was no longer possible to absorb more.


    Unlike the previously almost abandoned treasure spot, this one was still intact, and there were still many clan members practicing inside, with frequent inspections.


    In such a situation, if Chen An acted too conspicuous, he would likely be discovered soon.


    It would be troublesome then.


    To avoid such complications, Chen An had to secretly run to nearby places where elemental essence was abundant in the dead of night to cultivate, using the crystal stone to absorb the elemental essence discreetly and convert it into source power.


    The places he chose were mostly areas with some elemental essence but not the top-tier, so even if the elemental essence declined temporarily, it wouldn''t be noticed.


    Even if someone noticed, they wouldn''t necessarily suspect Chen An.


    Even with that, after three months, Chen An had to stop.


    Within three months, this treasure spot had reached a critical point.


    He had checked the nearby places where no one practiced.


    If he continued to absorb, this place would likely undergo a transformation.


    Even at this point, many people had noticed something was wrong, feeling that the elemental essence in the area was gradually getting thin.


    However, no one would associate it with Chen An; they thought it was caused by some natural phenomenon.


    Under these circumstances, Chen An stayed for another month before calmly deciding to leave.


    He then went to check another place.


    Of course, to avoid suspicion, after reaching the new treasure spot, he didn''t immediately take action but quietly cultivated for half a year before taking out the sealed crystal stone and beginning the process again.


    Subsequently, this treasure spot also successfully followed the footsteps of the previous one.


    The two treasure spots provided Chen An with a total of nearly two hundred source power points.


    Overall, each place seemed to provide less source power than the previously abandoned place.


    But there was no other option.


    The previous place had been nearly played to ruin by Chen An.


    Due to the many clan members regularly practicing in these two places, Chen An couldn''t be as aggressive as before; he could only reap some benefits discreetly, so the harvest wasn''t as abundant.


    One was fishing the pond to exhaustion, and the other was sustainable exploitation; the two were naturally different.


    The difference in harvest was significant.


    However, source power was still source power, and it was quite good.


    Chen An didn''t mind.


    After all, he could spend it however he wanted.


    He glanced at the screen.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Power (9.6), Physique (9.4), Spirit (3.3)


    Source Power: 198


    Inheritance: Xuanbing Power (8th layer), Yin Body Technique (5th layer), Swift Wind Power (Great Completion), Wind Pursuit Saber Technique (Great Completion)


    Projection: In Use


    The familiar attribute panel appeared.


    Despite not much change from before, there were still some improvements.


    Considering the time, Chen An had indeed been diligently practicing for over a year.


    Although the progress wasn''t significant, it was better than being stuck in the third realm of the Qi Realm.


    Chen An wasn''t in a hurry.


    After all, cultivation is not a simple task; it takes time and effort.


    He couldn''t help but think about how many Qi Martial Artists are stuck at his current level without making any progress at all.


    Compared to those people, Chen An''s ability to make progress was already a great achievement.


    What more could he ask for?


    "The source power is almost enough."


    Chen An stared intently at the number in the source power column, feeling a bit restless.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 131: No one can defeat me as long as I dont want to win

    As the saying goes, when people have money, they can''t help but want to spend it recklessly.Chen An was no different.


    In the past, it was fine, but now with a lot of source power in his hands, he couldn''t help but feel a little restless.


    After all, with so much source power, he could do a lot of things.


    Without saying anything else, it was easy for him to elevate himself to the third level of Gang Qi.


    But after some thought, Chen An dispelled this tempting idea.


    He was not the kind of person who liked to cheat.


    He believed that only through diligent effort and steady progress could he reap the best rewards.


    Cheating or anything like that, he looked down upon.


    Well, to be honest, he was just stingy.


    Although the source power on him seemed abundant, in reality, if he didn''t save a little, it might not be enough for many times.


    With his cultivation level elevated, shouldn''t his martial skills be correspondingly improved?


    And shouldn''t his agility also be improved a little?


    If he kept going back and forth like this, even though he seemed to have a lot of source power, would it really be enough?


    Chen An doubted.


    So after some thought, he decided to be honest.


    In areas where he could do it himself, he would just do it honestly.


    Saving a little bit was the way to go.


    After all, the source power was not easy to come by.


    "I still can''t let go."


    Chen An thought helplessly.


    Through the crystal stones, he had discovered a new way to obtain source power, but there were still some problems.


    The number of precious lands was too few.


    The amount of wool that could be obtained in each precious land was limited.


    Thinking of this, Chen An couldn''t help but start to miss the eerie world from before.


    There was no choice.


    Compared to precious lands, the method of energy supplementation was troublesome, as it required one to do it themselves and search for traces of energy.


    But at least it had large quantities.


    Emphasizing quantity over quality was more important than anything else.


    If this world also had such energy, Chen An''s current worries would be greatly reduced.


    While reaching the innate realm may not be possible in one go, doing everything else he wanted to do at once should not be a problem.


    Probably.


    Shaking his head in secret, Chen An quietly stood up and walked towards the outside, continuing his closed-door cultivation.


    Because he had over-reaped the wool, there was no place for Chen An to continue reaping in the short term.


    Unless a new precious land appeared somewhere.


    But that was unlikely.


    So Chen An could only continue to cultivate honestly.


    Fortunately, the vitality of the precious land would gradually recover.


    Just like how the wool would regrow after being reaped, and the chives would stubbornly grow back after being cut, the vitality concentration of the precious lands was also changing dynamically.


    As long as there was no interference from crystal stones, after a few years, the vitality in the area would gradually return.


    But this time period was uncertain.


    Judging from the previous situation, it would probably take at least a dozen years to recover to the previous state?


    Chen An speculated.


    Another year passed in the blink of an eye.


    Then Chen An ended this round of cultivation and returned to his mansion in Shengjing.


    Very few people knew that he had returned to Shengjing.


    Except for Cheng Zheng, there were only a few friends like Liu Chu who knew.


    Chen An didn''t want anyone to come and disturb him.


    Now his reputation was different from before.


    After the battle with Song Guozhong and Hou Yang Zhong, his past was exposed.


    Chen An had become another rising star in Dahua, a top-level Gang Qi expert, and was hailed as Dahua''s number one prodigy.


    This was a matter of course.


    Anyone who reached Gang Qi at this age could basically become Dahua''s number one prodigy.


    Especially when there was no competition.


    Ordinary people who wanted to advance to Gang Qi probably wouldn''t do it until they were at least thirty years old.


    Those who advanced before the age of thirty were few, let alone someone like Chen An.


    In Shengjing, Chen An spent a quite leisurely period of time.


    Living in his mansion, he either accompanied the Fourth Princess or practiced martial arts and Gang Qi cultivation quietly.


    Very few people knew he was back, and most thought he was still practicing in the precious lands, so naturally, no one would come to visit.


    But the leisurely days could not last forever.


    Just six months later, there was unrest in southern Dahua again.


    In the south, the Song army was stationed on the border, launching an offensive in the name of Prince Tai, Cheng Ming.


    The southern three prefectures were in chaos and surrendered directly.


    Everywhere was silent.


    At the same time, the northern Lu Kingdom also began to mobilize, seemingly restless and could clamp down on the border at any time.


    Is this called adding fuel to the fire?


    Faced with the current situation, the court was already in chaos.


    Even Cheng Zheng was a little flustered and unsure.


    Fortunately, he had been the emperor for three years and had enough prestige, stabilizing his power base, no longer as powerless as when he first ascended.


    Faced with this situation, he decisively began to act accordingly.


    With a large number of troops mobilizing in the north to guard against possible actions by Lu Country.


    Compared to the south, the strength of Lu Country was much weaker, so it shouldn''t be difficult to resist given the circumstances.


    But Song Country in the south was a huge problem.


    To solve this problem, the first step was to send someone to command the army.


    The choice of a candidate for this task was a topic of debate in the court, with various proposals being made.


    But to everyone''s surprise, in the end, Cheng Zheng went to the Chen Mansion and personally invited the Duke of Chen to assume the command of the southern expedition.


    For a while, there was an uproar in the court.


    "It''s rare to have half a year of leisure, I didn''t expect to be pulled out by Your Majesty again so soon."


    Before departing, a banquet was held in the palace.


    Chen An sat cross-legged in front of Cheng Zheng, watching him with a bitter smile.


    To be honest, this was something he had never expected.


    Although he was a Gang Qi expert, he had never served in the military before.


    And now this task fell on his shoulders, leaving him confused.


    However, he could understand why Cheng Zheng made such a choice.


    "There''s no way."


    Three years had passed, and Cheng Zheng still looked fine, still healthy. "The commander of the army must be a Gang Qi expert. If it were someone else, I wouldn''t feel at ease."


    There was no one else present, so he was honest and straightforward, saying, "I just can''t trust anyone else."


    A commander of an army must have deep cultivation, as it was easy to be killed by enemies on the one hand, and on the other hand, it was difficult to control the arrogant and unruly soldiers below.


    After all, the generals in this world had their own cultivation levels.


    If someone with a lower cultivation level was sent to command the army, it would be easy to cause various problems.


    This has been proven many times in the history of this world.


    During ordinary times, Cheng Zheng still had some room for choice.


    But this time, it was not only Song Country but also Prince Tai, Cheng Ming.


    In the past, Prince Tai was a well-known wise king.


    At that time, including the Duke of Jian and Chen An''s grandfather, all directly supported him to become the crown prince.


    Now he had come with the Song army, if Cheng Zheng sent someone else to lead the army, who knew what the outcome would be.


    After weighing all the options, the only person he could trust was Chen An.


    "I don''t know how to fight."


    Raising his glass, Chen An smiled and said.


    "I know your abilities better than anyone else, why bother to be modest?"


    Cheng Zheng smiled, but didn''t take it to heart. "Besides, as a commander, setting up camps, marching, and other things are usually taken care of by others, so why do you need to personally get involved?"


    Being a commander of an army was equivalent to being the master of an army, and there were professionals to take care of everything, so there was no need to personally take action in everything.


    Just like being a boss, does he need to know how to do everything?


    Not necessarily.


    Only knowing how to use people, how to arrange them in suitable positions, was important, and there was no need to be personally involved in everything.


    And in terms of using people, Chen An didn''t need to worry at all.


    For Chen An''s expedition, Cheng Zheng had sent a large group of people to work under him, many of whom were experienced generals.


    As the commander of the army, if there was something needed, it could be directly handed over to these people to handle.


    "Since you put it that way, what else can I do?"


    Chen An sighed and nodded.


    "Rest assured, once you truly arrive at the military camp, you will find that this matter is not as difficult as you think," Cheng Zheng smiled and continued, "Let me ask you, what would you do if you were in the south?"


    "Set up camp, step by step, extend the front line, and then wait for the right moment to strike," Chen An looked at Cheng Zheng and said indifferently, "That''s all I can do. Your Majesty, if you expect me to swiftly resolve the situation and quickly conquer, you should find someone else."


    "No, there''s no need," Cheng Zheng waved his hand and nodded with satisfaction, "With your attitude, I am relieved."


    During their conversation, he placed several reports in front of Chen An, indicating for him to open and read them. Chen An looked at them suspiciously, and was surprised.


    Wow.


    "Suppress rebellions in March, return to the capital in May? Why don''t they say they''re going to march into the imperial city of Song?"


    There was a second report.


    Every report was more daring and exaggerated than the last.


    Chen An couldn''t help but glance at Cheng Zheng, wanting to know where these eccentric people came from.


    Do they even know how many people there are in Song?


    "Do you see?" Cheng Zheng couldn''t help but sigh, "Compared to these people, your steadfastness is already commendable."


    More than that.


    Compared to those who easily break through the capital of Song and annihilate the kingdom, Chen An is really an honest person.


    "I have no big demands, just guard it for me," Cheng Zheng patted Chen An''s shoulder, comforting him.


    What more could Chen An say, he could only nod.


    And so, Chen An was given another task, leading the army to suppress the rebellion.


    And in the two years that followed, it proved that Chen An was a honest person.


    Before departing, Cheng Zheng thought that Chen An was just being modest.


    He thought Chen An was just pretending to be incapable to avoid trouble.


    He thought there would be a pleasant surprise from Chen An.


    And the surprise really came.


    Two years had passed.


    Since Chen An arrived at the front line, instead of advancing, because he found nearby places difficult to defend, he directly abandoned the cities, relocating all the people.


    A typical scorched earth policy.


    According to a group of experts, Chen An built fortresses in several suitable places for defense, and then settled down with the army, focusing only on improving their skills.


    "Changan, His Majesty has sent people to hurry us along again," Liu Chu said with a strange expression, looking at Chen An in the tent.


    "What are they hurrying us for?" Chen An asked casually, not caring.


    "Of course, they want us to start the battle," Liu Chu said helplessly, "It''s already been two years, even His Majesty is starting to get impatient."


    "So what if they''re impatient?" Chen An raised his head and smiled, "I''m right here. If His Majesty is really impatient, he can recall me."


    Cheng Zheng was also a man of contradictions.


    Originally, when Chen An said he would only focus on defense after coming to the front line, he agreed and praised Chen An.


    But just two years later, he was starting to get impatient.


    Seeing no movement from Chen An, Cheng Zheng couldn''t help but urge him, sending letters from time to time to prompt him to move forward and not delay any longer.


    And Chen An?


    Naturally, he remained indifferent.


    Advancing was impossible, not in this lifetime.


    After all, advancing was risky and easy to fail.


    As long as he didn''t go out of his way, the enemy couldn''t defeat him.


    For Chen An, he didn''t want fame but to avoid trouble, preparing for the worst in any situation.


    If Cheng Zheng couldn''t stand it, he could just replace him.


    Most people might be afraid of this.


    But for Chen An, being replaced?


    Wasn''t that a good thing?


    He wished he could be replaced.


    To go back home directly and sleep with the sweet and fragrant Fourth Princess, isn''t that better than eating hard bread every day?


    As for munching on bread every day?


    "But our current situation is not a solution," Liu Chu said helplessly, "It''s been two years."


    "Liu Xiong, you are wrong," Chen An turned back in surprise, looking at Liu Chu in front of him, "Wasn''t it your suggestion for me to do this in the first place?"


    Liu Chu couldn''t help but clench his fists.


    When they first arrived with Chen An, a group of military advisers for Chen An had discussed for a long time, and eventually came up with three strategies for Chen An.


    Staying put was just the lowest strategy.


    They never expected that Chen An would ignore the brilliant upper strategy and choose the most labor-intensive lowest strategy.


    And then, they embarked on a journey of idleness, just staying put, day and night.


    Liu Chu, along with a group of advisers, including himself, deeply regretted why they had presented this lowest strategy.


    It was torture.


    "It''s different at different times," Liu Chu patiently advised, "Two years ago, we were just getting started, so staying put for a while was not a bad choice."


    "But now that we have been here for so long, it seems unnecessary to continue like this."


    "Moreover, it''s not easy for the court to send supplies every day while we are just staying put."


    "If it''s not easy for us to supply, wouldn''t it be even harder for the enemy?"


    Chen An laughed, "I remember that for the sake of easier supply, I can even give those difficult places to walk to them, right?"


    Without mentioning this issue, Liu Chu''s mouth twitched.


    This was something Chen An had done before.


    In order to defend more easily in the long run, he directly abandoned several regions that were difficult to defend, giving them to others, leaving behind only an empty city.


    In addition, he personally led people to cultivate in various places, trying to be self-sufficient.


    Everyone who saw this was stunned.


    Without the permission of the court to abandon counties, this was a crime of abandoning land.


    To establish military camps without permission and try to make the army self-sufficient was also taboo.


    Frankly, everything Chen An did was something a normal general wouldn''t dare to do.


    Would an ordinary person dare to do something like this?


    I''m afraid they would have been exposed long ago and dealt with.


    But Chen An did all these things and nothing happened.


    "The nearby terrain is very good, easy to defend and difficult to attack. We can establish military camps on site, and the reinforcements sent by His Majesty can support us," Chen An said with a smile, "But when the soldiers of Song come from afar, it won''t be so easy. Each cart of food they bring will take a toll on them on the way."


    "Previously, Song had thirty thousand troops, but now they might not even have twenty thousand and are scattered everywhere, exhausted."


    For Chen An, the current situation is essentially a matter of burning money, seeing who can sustain their fighting power for longer.


    And the cost of maintaining the Song troops coming from afar would definitely be higher than that of Chen An.


    So the longer it takes, theoretically the better.


    Of course, Song could also establish military camps and resettle people like Chen An was doing.


    But even if they succeeded, there were still enemy soldiers around.


    Chen An mainly focused on defense, not entirely giving up on the idea of attacking.


    Sending out cavalry to sweep the area, harassing and disrupting the enemy is also possible.


    Without solid military fortresses to rely on, establishing military camps is impossible.


    "The enemy is growing weaker, that''s true," Liu Chu said helplessly, "But now, two years have passed, the Song army is already exhausted. It''s time to strike."


    "We have four hundred thousand men, and we have been training and preparing for a long time. The enemy is down to two hundred thousand, scattered and exhausted."


    "We have the advantage!"


    "What did you just say?" Chen An suddenly turned around, looking at Liu Chu. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Chu was a little confused, "Subordinate said we have the advantage with four hundred thousand against two hundred thousand."


    "Good," Chen An slapped his thigh and smiled, "Send the order, tighten the defense in all areas."


    "We must be prepared to defend for ten years!"


    "Ten years!"


    Liu Chu''s eyes widened, completely astonished.


    But what made him even more bewildered was yet to come.


    The next day, news came from all over that Liu Guogong Liu Chu had advised the Duke of Chen that the situation was excellent at the moment, there was joy everywhere, all attributed to the success of the defense, so they should defend for another ten years.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 132: Fanning the Flames?

    The news spread quickly in the shortest time possible.During this period, Liu Chu''s luck took a turn for the worse, and he faced extraordinary treatment.


    Wherever he went, there were people glaring at him, seeing him as a traitor and a sinner.


    Even his former friends dared not associate with him openly.


    What else could Liu Chu say?


    He could only force a bitter smile.


    He had become a typical scapegoat.


    Actually, there were many smart people around who naturally understood what was going on.


    But even if they knew, what could they do?


    Would they dare to confront Chen An?


    In these two years, Chen An had not been idle.


    While holding his ground, he was also cultivating the land and reorganizing internal affairs. In these two years, countless unruly generals and colonels had been killed.


    Even if they were not killed, they were all demoted to farming at the back.


    At the beginning, there were some who dared to dissent. They sought help from various connections, petitioning the emperor to punish Chen An.


    According to most people''s beliefs, privately cutting down military generals, and arranging close associates to take their place is clearly interfering with military power, which is a taboo. If the emperor were to find out, he would surely punish you.


    Even if not punished, at the very least, he would remove you and replace you with another commander. That would be quite reasonable, right?


    However, that did not happen.


    Regardless of how extreme Chen An''s actions were, it seemed like the capital of Shengjing had turned a blind eye to everything. At most, there were occasional envoys who came to gently push for progress.


    And then?


    Nothing.


    In such circumstances, who would dare to disobey the commander''s orders?


    They didn''t even dare to advise against it.


    Liu Chu dared to advise Chen An because their relationship was extraordinary, so he could speak up a little.


    But for others who were not related, would they dare to provoke Chen An? Who knows if their heads would roll the next day?


    In such a situation, even though they knew Liu Chu was just a scapegoat, they could only direct their anger towards him.


    "When will this end?"


    Generals and colonels everywhere sighed in frustration. Each of them seemed eager to charge out and fight the Song people.


    But soon, that sound of frustration completely disappeared.


    Because Chen An appeared.


    Chen An was dressed in ordinary clothing, with a kind and gentle appearance, as he began to inspect various locations.


    His appearance was very affable, but it was only superficial.


    Outside the camp, rows of heads were hanging there.


    And so, everyone fell silent.


    Chen An continued to focus on defense, practicing internal skills diligently.


    He seemed completely unhurried.


    But even though he was not in a rush, there were plenty of people who were anxious on his behalf.


    In a distant location, within the Mingzhou County.


    In a spacious camp, a young man was seated there, discussing with an elder.


    If Chen An were here, he would definitely recognize the faces of these two individuals.


    One was the Thai King, and the other was Liu Sheng, who had previously visited Dahua.


    In the room, the two of them were discussing, but they did not seem very pleased, as their expressions were filled with worry.


    "The king has sent people again to urge us to advance."


    Liu Sheng sighed and said, "There have been major disasters in the country this year, with reports of calamities in many places. The food crops are failing, and it''s becoming difficult to sustain our forces."


    "I heard that some ministers have already proposed withdrawing the troops and halting the northern expedition, but for now, the king has temporarily suppressed it."


    "The rumors from the king''s court are also worrisome."


    The Thai King had a conflicted expression, just as full of helplessness, "They are asking when I will launch."


    "The Duke of Chen is too strict in military affairs. If they do not act soon, they may miss their chance."


    "Ah."


    The two men glanced at each other and saw the helplessness in each other''s eyes.


    Two years of stalemate had been tough, not only for Chen An but also for them.


    Thinking back to two years ago when they had just launched the attack, they were full of vigor and spirit.


    The Song Dynasty sent out three hundred thousand troops, all of them well-trained elite soldiers with extraordinary combat capabilities.


    And the Thai King himself was a prince of Dahua, with great righteousness and all sorts of connections.


    At the beginning, everything went smoothly. Wherever the army went, the local forces surrendered without resistance.


    The Thai King even personally persuaded many generals from Dahua to surrender, so within a short period, everything went smoothly.


    The great families of Dahua welcomed them warmly, celebrating the arrival of the king''s forces.


    Under the administration of Cheng Zheng, these families had been somewhat suppressed and were not well-received. In the past, it was bearable, but under Cheng Zheng''s rule, many of their privileges were revoked, and their interests were suppressed, causing discontent among them.


    On one hand, they were already dissatisfied, and on the other hand, the Thai King was actively winning them over.


    So in the early stages, there was a considerable number of people leaning towards them, actively seeking to join their ranks.


    At that time, everything went smoothly.


    So much so that Cheng Ming and Liu Sheng were particularly optimistic, believing that they could achieve their goals within a year and a half.


    Especially after the Northern State of Lu officially attacked, the situation seemed even more favorable.


    It could be boldly stated that before Chen An arrived, everything went very smoothly for them.


    But when Chen An arrived, everything changed.


    When Chen An first arrived, they did not take him seriously.


    After all, he was just a young boy who knew nothing about leading troops into battle.


    The Thai King already had significant influence in the south, with many followers who could easily influence many generals within Dahua.


    Furthermore, even though the soldiers of the Song Dynasty were elite, they also enjoyed the support of local families and clans, so they had nothing to fear in a 30,000 vs 40,000 battle.


    At that time, they were even looking forward to it, having already contacted many individuals, waiting for the right moment to betray Chen An.


    But then nothing happened.


    Two years had passed, and those they had contacted had not yet had the chance to betray Chen An.


    Because Chen An never came out.


    He was like a turtle hiding in his shell, ignoring everything outside.


    No matter what tricks they tried, nothing worked. They were stuck.


    They tried all their best plans, but nothing worked. The problem was that Chen An not only had stronger forces, but he was also overly cautious.


    Relying on Chen An''s mistakes seemed almost impossible.


    The situation before them was severe.


    If they continued down this path, they would inevitably be defeated sooner or later.


    They had to think of another way.


    Indeed.


    But what other options were there?


    They had already tried all the main ideas, but none had any effect.


    Chen An not only had a stronger hand, but he was also excessively cautious.


    Relying on him to make a mistake was nearly impossible.


    As the time passed, the bad news kept piling up.


    "Mr. Liu, there''s no need to be too worried."


    The Thai King forced a smile and reassured him, "There are also good news."


    "According to the spies, in the past six months, that Chen Chang''an has been causing trouble in Meizhou, reportedly killing many local landlords, and already has a bad reputation."


    "Why do I feel like this is bad news?"


    Liu Sheng looked at the Thai King helplessly, "Those Meizhou families originally had good feelings towards Your Highness, but now they have all been killed by this Fang Chengou. How is this good news for us?"


    "This is a huge piece of bad news."


    Hearing this, the Thai King was stunned for a moment, then realized, showing a wry smile on his face.


    He had been slow to understand.


    Massacring local landlords was normally good news.


    After all, the worse Chen An''s reputation, the more unhappy locals would be, increasing the likelihood of some wanting to join them.


    But the problem was that Chen An had been too thorough.


    He didn''t kill just a portion of the locals; he killed all of them.


    Most people were killed, and others, even though still alive, had their properties confiscated and were relocated, as good as being wiped out.


    At this point, even if they were unhappy, they had no means to resist.


    By killing everyone, Chen An ensured there was no one left to threaten him.


    "Not only that."


    Liu Sheng continued with a bitter smile, "These families are gone, but their properties are all still there and have been distributed to the generals and soldiers under Chen Gong."


    "So, even though he has lost the loyalty of the noble families, he now has the support of the generals."


    After all, why do soldiers fight?


    Isn''t it for the benefits?


    Common soldiers only wanted land and property, while the generals, in addition to those, sought martial arts secrets and pathways to advancement.


    And Chen An could fulfill all these desires.


    To be blunt, even those who wanted to join the Thai King only did so out of ambition.


    If the Thai King were to become the emperor, they would be favored courtiers and receive many benefits they couldn''t get otherwise.


    But if they could get those benefits without joining the Thai King, what motivation would they have to join him? S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The realization made the Thai King let out a long sigh.


    "It''s really tough."


    He sighed, then said, "If we continue like this, we will surely be defeated sooner or later."


    "We must think of another way."


    "Yes."


    Liu Sheng nodded, agreeing with the Thai King, "But how easy is that?"


    Every idea they had tried had failed, and they were at a loss.


    Their enemy, Chen An, not only had a stronger force, but he was also too cautious throughout.


    Hoping for him to make a mistake was next to impossible.


    Moreover, the situation before them was dire.


    In harsh tones, if they kept going like this, they might not even need the enemy to do anything more. Simply wearing them down in place could eventually lead to their own demise.


    "Shall we try to sow discord?"


    The Thai King pondered for a moment, then seemed to have an idea, with a smile spreading across his face as if he knew what to do.


    Liu Sheng''s eyes sparkled instantly.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 133: Runaway

    Chen An''s bone is very hard.After more than two years of confrontation, the Thai King and Liu Sheng, both physically and mentally exhausted, also deeply understood what kind of person their opponent was.


    To put it bluntly, this is a terrifying opponent who is serious to the point of being scary, always calm and cautious.


    Facing such an opponent, expecting the other party to make a mistake first?


    You might as well go to sleep.


    Anything can happen in dreams.


    But as the saying goes, even the strongest fortress often has its weaknesses.


    We may not be able to make you make a mistake, but we can make your teammates make mistakes.


    Sometimes, the key to victory or defeat, besides the opponent''s skill, is also the skill of your teammates.


    So Liu Sheng''s eyes lit up all of a sudden.


    He felt that this matter had potential.


    Because Chen An had done too many things.


    Let''s carefully review what he has done.


    Assassinating military officers, holding assessments within the military, placing his own people in key positions, interfering with military power, suppressing dissidents.


    Voluntarily abandoning counties, this is the crime of abandoning land.


    Wiping out the noble families within the states and counties in the name of fictitious reasons, distributing land to the soldiers, this is to win the hearts of soldiers.


    In addition, there are also military camps, avoiding the enemy and many other actions.


    If it were someone else, I''m afraid they would have been taken down long ago.


    For a ruler, who can tolerate his subordinates interfering with military power?


    Not to mention all the actions Chen An has taken.


    Liu Sheng estimated that if he had done all these things, the emperor would have already taken him down.


    Even without direct questioning, he would probably have been thoroughly investigated and demoted to a commoner.


    From this perspective, with so many major actions taken by Chen An, he is truly skilled to have avoided any consequences.


    "From the various experiences of Duke Chen in the past, it seems that the Emperor of Dahua must trust him a lot."


    Liu Sheng pondered for a moment, then said, "The usual methods of sowing discord probably won''t work."


    "Even if the emperor trusts him, what difference does it make?"


    The Thai King smiled, "As the ancients said, when three people say it, it becomes a fact."


    "Even if a person has not done anything, if enough people say it, they will start to doubt, let alone Duke Chen who has truly done so many significant things."


    With all the actions Chen An has done, it looks like he is inviting trouble and buying people''s hearts.


    With his actions, it is possible that at any moment he may rebel.


    You see, there are not just a few thousand soldiers under Chen An, but a whopping four hundred thousand soldiers.


    Four hundred thousand soldiers, which basically accounts for half of the military strength of Dahua.


    In the current situation with the Lu Kingdom in the north also launching a large-scale attack, if Chen An had any intention of rebelling, the entire Dahua world would be in turmoil.


    Whether this Dahua world is still under the family name of Cheng, it''s hard to say.


    The Thai King sees it from his own perspective, if he were in Cheng Zheng''s shoes, he probably could not have resisted taking Chen An down early on, so how has he been able to wait until now.


    But even if Cheng Zheng trusts Chen An so much, at this point, he should be reaching his limit.


    While if he exerts a little more effort within the court to create public opinion, then under the circumstances of three people saying it, even if Cheng Zheng trusts Chen An much, he probably wouldn''t be able to continue to tolerate it.


    "As long as my third brother can''t help but urge, ordering Duke Chen to send troops, would Duke Chen dare not send troops?"


    The Thai King said with a smile, "If the emperor orders it, if he doesn''t send troops, it would be a violation of orders, truly solidifying the suspicion of rebellion."


    "If he sends troops, it aligns perfectly with our intentions."


    Yes, it''s an unsolvable situation.


    From the surface, no matter how Chen An chooses to act, the final outcome would be advantageous for the Thai King and Liu Sheng.


    The former goes without saying, if he truly disobeys orders, no matter how much Cheng Zheng trusts him, he would likely have to remove Chen An.


    If it''s the latter, it would just fall right into the trap they had already set up.


    "A truly ingenious plan."


    Liu Sheng complimented, "The Thai King is indeed a man of wit and cunning, I admire you."


    "Since we have to do this, we might as well cooperate a bit more."


    "The army retreats, yield the counties and continue to act like we are about to withdraw, what do you think?"


    The Thai King''s eyes lit up, "If that''s the case, this matter is almost without suspense."


    With the army retreating, yielding the counties, and making it appear as if they can''t afford the losses and are preparing for a full retreat.


    This is a proactive display of weakness.


    It is likely that Chen An would face even greater pressure in this situation.


    When the enemy starts to retreat, and you don''t take the opportunity to attack and take control of the counties, what are your intentions?


    There will definitely be questions raised at that time.


    If Chen An wants to clear his name, he will have to take the initiative to attack, falling right into the trap they had set up.


    "Now is the time of the autumn harvest. We will appear to withdraw openly, but secretly gather scattered soldiers all over the place. The enemy will never expect this."


    "On the road where the army retreats, there are several places suitable for ambush. It is expected to give the enemy a lesson."


    In the end, the Thai King and Liu Sheng exchanged a smile, everything was understood without words.


    Their emotions were high at the moment, but they had no idea what the results would be.


    However, at this moment, on Chen An''s side.


    In the city, Chen An was living his life as usual.


    Besides practicing martial arts, he was trying his best to train his soldiers. He appeared extremely calm, not at all like a person who was at war.


    He continued to act leisurely, showing no signs of urgency, almost as if he could stay here for another ten years.


    But while he was calm, others were anxious.


    At noon, while Chen An was having his meal, Liu Chu burst into his tent.


    "Chang''an, what time is it now? How can you still have the mood to eat?"


    Liu Chu rushed to Chen An''s side, his face full of anxiety.


    "Hmm?" s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An turned back in surprise, "What''s wrong?"


    "Has something big happened?"


    "A few days ago, the Duke of Song led a hundred officials to openly accuse you of harboring bandits and inviting rebellion," Liu Chu anxiously said. "The imperial envoy might be on their way!"


    "I see."


    Chen An nodded, indicating he understood, his expression showing no change.


    This kind of reaction immediately puzzled Liu Chu.


    Brother, do you even understand how serious this situation is?


    Someone is accusing you of rebelling!


    "What are you afraid of?"


    Chen An looked at Liu Chu with some confusion, "You''ve been with me for so long, do you think I''m capable of rebellion?"


    "If I thought you were planning to rebel, I wouldn''t be here trying to persuade you."


    Liu Chu earnestly said, "But it''s not about whether you want to rebel or not, it''s about how others perceive it!"


    "Alright."


    Chen An sighed, "Even if the worst case scenario comes true, if His Majesty really thinks I''m planning a rebellion, do you really think he would send someone to kill me?"


    Liu Chu shook his head unconsciously.


    That wouldn''t happen.


    Regardless, Chen An really hasn''t rebelled. Based on their past relationship, Cheng Zheng wouldn''t do anything to Chen An like that.


    In terms of status, Chen An is still the current Imperial Son-in-law and the husband of the Fourth Princess.


    And Chen An is a Martial Aura.


    To kill such a Martial Aura, you would at least need two or more Martial Aura experts to have a chance.


    Cheng Zheng would have to be crazy to do such a thing.


    Even in the worst-case scenario, Chen An would at most be demoted to a commoner.


    "Since they can''t kill me, what do I have to fear?"


    Chen An said somewhat helplessly, "At most they''ll demote me to a commoner, send me back to the Duke''s Mansion to recuperate, what else can they do?"


    This is the key issue.


    If it were someone else, they would still be worried and jumpy, fearing the worst.


    But what does Chen An have to fear?


    He never wanted to be in this position in the first place, he was forcibly brought here by Cheng Zheng.


    To put it bluntly, even if he won this battle, he wouldn''t gain much, just some rewards. But if he lost, it would be a whole mess of trouble.


    If he could leave, Chen An would have left ages ago.


    "But it''s unnecessary."


    Liu Chu wanted to continue to persuade, "I''ve received word that the Thai King''s army has already retreated, and many places are now empty."


    "At this time, as long as we pursue, we will surely have a rich harvest, and His Majesty will be satisfied as well."


    "A rich harvest?"


    Chen An looked at him, "The cities? Some easy to attack but hard to defend places, can you hold them?"


    "The fields? Most of the common people have been taken away, with no people, how will you cultivate anything?"


    "Pursue? There are forty thousand soldiers, what if a few of them run ahead recklessly, fall into an ambush, and suffer heavy losses?"


    "How could that happen?"


    Liu Chu tried to convince, "The enemy army is retreating in chaos, scattered over the years, their military morale is likely low, they must not be our match."


    "You make a good point."


    Against Liu Chu''s expectations, this time Chen An didn''t refute, but instead agreed with a nod.


    Before Liu Chu could feel surprised, thinking that Chen An had finally changed his mind, a command token was thrown directly towards him.


    It was a golden command token, with intricate patterns on it, looking exceptionally exquisite, making it clear that it was no ordinary object.


    However, upon seeing this command token, Liu Chu was so scared that he almost trembled.


    Because this was a command token specifically for the commander, the credential for command of the entire army.


    "Chang''an, what are you doing?"


    Cold sweat broke out on Liu Chu''s face.


    "As you can see."


    Chen An glanced at him without much ado, "From today onwards, you will be the acting commander."


    "Acting commander?"


    Liu Chu was stunned, "What about you, Chang''an?"


    "Of course, I''m leaving."


    Chen An casually said, "With the current situation, don''t you think I can stay here any longer?"


    "Good, I haven''t wanted to be the commander for a long time, leaving now is perfect."


    "Before the new commander arrives, you can continue to hold as I have done in my name previously."


    With that, Chen An walked out of the tent without waiting for Liu Chu''s response, and left just like that.


    Liu Chu immediately rushed out, but found that he couldn''t find Chen An anywhere.


    Of course not.


    Chen An is a Martial Aura. In a situation where he only wants to escape, how could an ordinary person like Liu Chu catch him?


    Impossible.


    Liu Chu never thought that things would come to this point.


    Chen An would rather leave than take the initiative to attack.


    This turn of events was truly unexpected by everyone.


    Even the Thai King and Liu Sheng, if they knew, would probably be dumbfounded.


    According to their logic, faced with such a situation, wouldn''t Chen An''s best move be to take the initiative to attack, eager to prove his innocence?


    But instead of taking that route, he chose to run away.


    What kind of madness is this!


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 134: Rumors and Trust

    For Chen An, taking over was impossible.Staying put would only bring endless trouble, no matter what choice he made.


    Launching a sudden attack might bring risks and even failure.


    Not launching an attack would only lead to suspicion and he would eventually be seen as defiant.


    If it came to this point, even the group of people who had been observing before might think that Chen An was going to rebel.


    But the key issue was Cheng Zheng''s attitude.


    Cheng Zheng''s friendship with Chen An was unquestionable.


    That was a given.


    Based on what Chen An had done before, if Cheng Zheng didn''t fully trust him, he would have taken him down long ago.


    But the past was in the past, and the present was now.


    Facing such a situation, no matter how much trust there had been before, it should be shaken now.


    People''s hearts could not withstand a test.


    So it was best not to test them.


    It was better to step back and avoid all the trouble.


    So Chen An decisively ran away.


    He ran away alone, leaving the entire camp to Liu Chu, who was secretly cursing his fate.


    But there was no other way.


    Faced with such an irresponsible commander, the only thing he could do right now was to continue to guard in Chen An''s name, as Chen An had said before.


    What else could he do?


    Launch an attack on his own?


    Without the commander, how could there be an attack?


    Without Chen An as the commander, the various armies could not be mobilized accurately. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Even Liu Chu didn''t have that ability, he could only try to maintain the status quo.


    Liu Chu was also feeling bitter.


    And how would things be in Shengjing?


    Inside the Shengjing palace.


    "Your Majesty, Song Gong and others have come to petition again."


    In the spacious hall, Cheng Zheng sat on one side handling memorials.


    A eunuch next to him looked helpless as he came to report.


    "Didn''t I tell you not to bring me news from those people? Why are they disturbing me again?"


    Cheng Zheng looked up, his face showing displeasure.


    "I am sorry, Your Majesty."


    The eunuch quickly knelt down. "But Song Gong and the others are causing quite a stir this time. Even the ministers have come with them. I''m afraid it will delay Your Majesty''s important affairs, so..."


    "If there''s similar news next time, don''t bother bringing it to me."


    Cheng Zheng coldly said, "I''m tired of listening to it."


    "If there''s another time, you might as well not continue in your position as chief steward."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    The eunuch nodded nervously, "I dare not anymore."


    "Get lost."


    Cheng Zheng''s cold voice echoed in the hall.


    The eunuch breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left.


    He had been in the hall for a long time, until he had finished dealing with the current affairs, Cheng Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his residence.


    "Your Majesty, you look thinner again."


    Seeing Cheng Zheng, a woman quickly approached.


    The woman was in her early thirties, with a dignified and beautiful appearance, exuding an air of nobility.


    She was Empress Hua, Cheng Zheng''s legal wife and the current Empress of Dahua.


    "It''s all because of those ministers."


    Cheng Zheng sighed, unable to help but speak, "They have been pushing me harder and harder these days, so much so that I can''t even sleep peacefully."


    In front of his empress, he seemed to let down his guard and expressed his helplessness.


    "Is it because of Lord Chen Guo?"


    Empress Hua asked.


    Cheng Zheng did not speak, but nodded silently.


    "If it''s just for Lord Chen Guo, Your Majesty, you could have seen the ministers, explained the situation to them, why go to such extremes?"


    Empress Hua was puzzled, "Blocking the palace gates and not allowing the ministers to see you, is not a solution."


    "You don''t understand."


    Cheng Zheng showed a bitter smile, "It''s not that I don''t want to see them, or listen to their opinions. I''m afraid I won''t be able to resist the pressure."


    Seeing the puzzled look on Empress Hua''s face, Cheng Zheng continued to explain, "You must understand the saying, ''Three people make a tiger''. The ministers have been talking day and night, from all angles, everyone around me is talking."


    "It''s just been half a month, and my heart has begun to waver a little."


    He pointed to his chest, his face showing a deep pain from his heart, "I started to think, if Lord Chen were to rebel, what would the situation be like, what would the state of affairs be like."


    "Then I realized, I couldn''t resist the pressure, I couldn''t help myself from being influenced by those words."


    As he spoke, he stood up and took a deep sigh, "Once these doubts start, they can''t be stopped. Today I only think about the consequences, tomorrow I will doubt, the day after I will give orders."


    "Continuing like this, I''m afraid I will eventually change my mind and start suspecting Lord Chen."


    Cheng Zheng believed more than anyone that Chen An would never rebel.


    He was also quite confident that his trust in Chen An would not be shaken by anyone''s words.


    But the fact was that even the most steadfast person could be influenced by their environment.


    When people around you constantly talk about the possibility of Chen An''s treachery and rebellion, Cheng Zheng could not help but waver.


    For most people, the outcome was already set at this point.


    Once suspicion arose, it was hard to erase.


    But Cheng Zheng was not an ordinary person.


    When he realized that he might not be able to resist the pressure of words, he decisively closed the palace gates, isolating himself, and even gave explicit orders not to allow anyone to talk about matters related to Chen An.


    But even so, people outside were relentless in trying to persuade Cheng Zheng and instill their thoughts in him.


    "But Your Majesty, this is not a solution in the end."


    Empress Hua was somewhat helpless, "I don''t know about the situation on the front lines for now, but considering Lord Chen''s movements, it is likely that the situation will continue for another three to five years."


    "You can hold out against the people outside for six months, but can you really continue like this for three to five years?"


    "Why not?"


    Cheng Zheng smiled, "In ancient times, many emperors indulged in pleasure, even if they didn''t attend court for ten years, there were still many who managed the court affairs smoothly."


    Empress Hua opened her mouth, hesitated to speak.


    She wanted to say that those who did things like that were mostly infamous emperors.


    You shouldn''t learn bad things, those who want to learn from bad examples.


    But seeing Cheng Zheng''s strong will, she didn''t say anything more.


    There was a moment of silence in the room, neither of them spoke.


    It wasn''t until a moment later that Empress Hua finally couldn''t help but speak, "But Your Majesty, what if Lord Chen really... Then what?"


    "That''s forty thousand troops."


    Yes, a full forty thousand troops.


    This basically accounted for most of Dahua''s military strength, and once there was a rebellion, the entire Dahua would be in jeopardy.


    "It''s impossible, absolutely impossible!"


    Cheng Zheng shook his head unconsciously, then suddenly became sharp, "Why are you saying this? Who is spreading rumors in your ear?"


    His gaze became sharp, a murderous intent between his eyebrows as if he were ready to kill someone.


    Faced with Cheng Zheng''s stare, Empress Hua became nervous, "It''s the palace maids and servants around you."


    "Some of the servants in charge of procurement said that there are rumors everywhere that Lord Chen is about to rebel, and that the reason Lord Chen has been stationed on the frontline for so long is to control the military power."


    "Lord Chen would never rebel!"


    Cheng Zheng''s expression changed drastically, he was furious, "Immediately execute those gossipy servants in the palace! Let me see who else dares to spread rumors!"


    He had been trying to isolate the rumors from the outside world, trying to maintain a quiet and independent environment, but when he looked back, even his own palace had been infiltrated.


    This was a big deal.


    Even his own empress had been affected to this extent, showing how fearful the environment in the palace had become.


    As Cheng Zheng was furious, he also felt a bit frightened.


    Rumors were unstoppable.


    Even though he was the emperor, theoretically able to control everything within Dahua, he couldn''t control the anxious hearts of the people.


    If he continued like this, could he really continue to remain clear-headed and maintain his trust in Lord Chen?


    Cheng Zheng himself didn''t know.


    But he persisted.


    If it continued like this, the outcome was still uncertain.


    Fortunately, this severe test did not continue.


    Because Chen An came back.


    Chen An came back secretly, after returning to Shengjing, he did not reveal his identity, but came to the palace as soon as possible, ready to make a petition.


    When Chen An''s name appeared in front of Cheng Zheng, Cheng Zheng could hardly believe his eyes.


    And when he was certain, what followed was joy and other emotions.


    Without hesitation, he rushed out.


    Outside the main hall, courtiers were walking around.


    Chen An''s figure was standing there, looking around as if he was enjoying the scenery.


    When Cheng Zheng rushed out of the palace, looking at Cheng Zheng''s ecstatic face, Chen An''s face couldn''t help but show a hint of surprise.


    What''s going on? We haven''t seen each other for over two years, why is he suddenly so excited?


    Cheng Zheng''s excitement lasted for a while, and Chen An finally reacted, understanding what was happening.


    This made him a little speechless.


    He never expected that in order to stabilize the situation in his own area, Cheng Zheng had been under such huge pressure.


    Cheng Zheng went to such lengths for him, which was something Chen An had never expected.


    Originally, on his way back to Shengjing, Chen An thought that the messenger who called him back had already been sent out.


    His previous experiences in history told him that most rulers would make such a choice in this situation.


    But Cheng Zheng had managed to withstand the pressure, even opting to close the palace gates and isolate himself to ensure he was not influenced.


    This was truly surprising.


    At one point, even Chen An, who was known for slacking off, couldn''t help but feel ashamed.


    I was wrong.


    It turned out that there were still good bosses who were willing to trust their subordinates.


    But as he felt ashamed, Cheng Zheng and his wife seemed equally ashamed.


    As Chen An downplayed the situation, Cheng Zheng and Empress Hua felt even more ashamed.


    At the end of his speech, Chen An couldn''t help but wave his hand, sighing, "All things leave traces, but the heart has no perfect person."


    "The world is flooded with rumors like this, it''s normal for Your Majesty and the Empress to be affected."


    "But for me, I only see how devoted Your Majesty is to Lord Chen, willing to even break ties with the courtiers and close the palace gates to keep him safe. This level of trust between a ruler and his subjects is rare."


    "If Lord Chen is treated like this by Your Majesty, what more can he ask for?"


    He smiled and said, putting the matter behind.


    After that, they began to discuss the events of the past two years.


    During this time, they had some correspondence, but the contents of the letters were limited and not all things were explained. There were many gaps.


    Now, they had the opportunity to fill in those gaps through this conversation.


    "So, there are still many people on the frontline who support the Thai King?"


    Cheng Zheng frowned and couldn''t help but ask.


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded, "When I first arrived at the frontline, I studied many records and asked many surviving officers and soldiers, and found that many of them were defeated not because of their combat strength, but because of internal betrayal."


    "Moreover, many prominent families and local landlords in the region were supporting the Thai King, which led to many restrictions and prevented them from engaging in battle."


    "So, Lord Chen, did you really eliminate all the prominent families in Meizhou?"


    Cheng Zheng couldn''t help but smile, "When you did that, there were many courtiers accusing you."


    "I must admit, it was a bit underhanded, but it was very effective."


    Chen An also couldn''t help but laugh, "The wealth of those families was just too much. After dealing with them, many problems in Meizhou were solved, and there were plenty of land to cultivate, making things much easier."


    "Think about it, I''m not Your Majesty, so if I do something like that, I''ll just do it."


    This was something only Chen An could do.


    As for Cheng Zheng, as the emperor, if he did the same thing, he would definitely face a backlash from many people.


    His position was too high for him to personally engage in such actions of killing and offending others.


    "Haha."


    Cheng Zheng''s stern face showed a smile, "So, now, Meizhou is like a blank canvas, ready to be painted on. Have you cleared all the hidden dangers there?"


    "Although there are still some issues, we can put it this way."


    After thinking for a moment, Chen An nodded.


    After two years of cleaning up, the situation on the front line had improved significantly. The internal dissidents who supported the Thai King had been mostly eliminated, and the soldiers had become more elite after two years of training.


    Most of the trouble-causing local landlords had also been dealt with by Chen An.


    There might still be some troublemakers hiding, but they were no longer able to cause any significant impact.


    It could be said that the internal situation had been almost repaired.


    Chen An had almost finished dealing with all the offending matters.


    On the other hand, on the Thai King''s side, as time went on, many problems and hidden dangers had emerged internally.


    "If you were to mobilize your troops, Lord Chen, and attempt to take down the Thai King, how much time would you need?"


    After pondering for a moment, Cheng Zheng continued to ask.


    Without hesitation, Chen An directly stated a number.


    "Ten years!"


    Cheng Zheng was stunned, somewhat incredulous, "Lord Chen, didn''t you say that the hidden dangers had been mostly cleared? Why would it take so long, ten years!"


    Yes, the hidden dangers had been mostly eliminated, so wouldn''t the next step be to lead the army and quickly defeat the Thai King?


    Why would it take so long, ten years?


    Chen An remained silent, looking at Cheng Zheng with an inexplicable gaze.


    After a long time, he sighed and said, "Your Majesty, do you really think I''m a genius in leading troops and fighting battles?"


    Isn''t it so?


    This thought flashed through Cheng Zheng''s mind.


    Listening to what Chen An had just said, he was articulate and clear in every aspect. Did Empress Hua, who stood beside them with admiration, already recognize Chen An''s abilities?


    Seeing the expressions of Cheng Zheng and the Empress, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh and explain, "Your Majesty, leading troops and fighting battles are different from overall planning."


    "With my abilities, if you want me to oversee the entire situation, whether it''s training troops, clearing internal troubles, or managing internal affairs, I can do it."


    "But if you want me to mobilize troops and command a forty thousand strong army, that''s a different story."


    In other words, it''s a matter of specialization.


    Chen An had spent two years on the front lines, but for the most part, he had been training troops. Even when there were skirmishes, they were just minor disturbances.


    As for commanding a forty thousand strong army to advance together, he had never done such a thing.


    In other words, it was his first time doing so.


    So if he were to command a large army, it would most likely be a step-by-step approach, chipping away little by little until finding the right opportunity.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 135: Evolution

    "Even so, does it have to take ten years?" Chen Zheng seemed a bit speechless.


    "Well, there''s no other way."


    Chen An suddenly smiled, "If Your Majesty insists on sending me out, the only way I can ensure victory is through this stupid method."


    "I''m not good at military affairs, Your Majesty should find someone else."


    Just kidding.


    I''ve barely survived on the front lines, and now you''re trying to send me back.


    I can''t bear it.


    Chen An had had enough of military camp life and did not want to continue living that way.


    In order to practice in peace, even if he had a certainty, he now had to pretend like he didn''t.


    "Your Majesty must know deep down that I am not suitable to be the commander in this battle."


    Chen An smiled, "My lack of knowledge is one thing, but the opinions of the court and officials are another."


    "In the current situation, if Your Majesty dismisses me and appoints a new commander, all the accusations will disappear."


    "But if Your Majesty insists on using me, the results afterward will be irreversible."


    Yes, the pressure coming from all sides is already so great.


    If Chen An truly remained as the commander, the situation would likely be even more severe.


    Just thinking about it was terrifying.


    After a brief moment of contemplation, Chen Zheng felt a chill down his spine and eventually dismissed his thoughts.


    "Alright."


    He sighed, "But this way, it''s really unfair to you, Chang''an."


    "Not unfair, not unfair."


    Chen An hurriedly replied.


    As long as you don''t send me back to the front lines, then everything is fine.


    It doesn''t matter if I feel wronged, I can bear a little discomfort.


    With the general idea settled, the atmosphere at the dining table seemed to relax significantly.


    That night, Chen Zheng returned home drunk and was escorted by Queen Hua.


    Even Chen An, who never drank, was forced to drink a few glasses.


    Fortunately, although he didn''t like drinking, he had a good tolerance and could handle a few glasses as if nothing had happened.


    Watching Chen Zheng being supported by Queen Hua, Chen An shook his head and then left.


    In the following days, discussions were everywhere.


    The officials were shocked to find that the palace gates, which had been sealed off by Chen Zheng himself, were open again.


    Just as the officials were feeling relieved, thinking that their actions had finally moved the Emperor and were preparing to discuss and impeach Duke Chen, they were surprised to find that a handsome young man, who seemed quite young, had appeared by Chen Zheng''s side.


    Could he be a new attendant appointed by His Majesty?


    I haven''t seen him before.


    Many people were whispering to each other.


    When they took a closer look, many of them were stunned.


    Wow, isn''t this Duke Chen?!


    The target they had been impeaching for so long had suddenly appeared in front of them in good condition.


    The scene fell into silence for a moment.


    The officials stared at Chen An, not knowing what to say.


    Should they continue impeaching?


    It seemed inappropriate.


    If he was already back, it was likely that he had been summoned by the Emperor.


    Should they impeach him in his presence?


    Maybe that would be okay.


    To Chen An''s surprise, quite a few people directly accused him of colluding with foreign enemies and attempting to rebel in front of him.


    Even Chen An himself couldn''t help but think about it.


    Am I really planning a rebellion?


    Listening to various interpretations of his past actions by many officials, he began to doubt himself.


    And that was that.


    In front of Chen An, all those who dared to speak up were immediately silenced by Chen Zheng.


    No one was spared from punishment.


    The situation lasted for almost half a month before finally calming down.


    Only then did the exact information spread.


    Duke Chen, who had been in charge of guarding the southern front, was relieved of his duties and returned to Shengjing. From the surface, he had been stripped of all his titles and duties, leaving him with nothing, as if everything had gone back to before.


    And taking Duke Chen''s place as the commander of the southern front was Duke Jianguo, who had been idle for many years.


    When the news came out, even Chen An''s previous opponents couldn''t help but look at each other in shock.


    The King Tai and Liu Sheng stared at each other in disbelief, not knowing what to say.


    This script doesn''t seem right.


    They were prepared for him to come over, but how did he suddenly leave!


    Even if he left, do you know how much we sacrificed to wait for you to come?


    The military was mobilized in secret, and the military camps in various places were delayed, but they waited for several months and still got no results.


    That was a big loss.


    "Duke Chen is indeed Duke Chen. In order to avoid being manipulated by us, he went to such lengths."


    Liu Sheng sighed, admiring Chen An''s performance once again, "In this way, the pressure on the Great Huadai court is relieved, and the soldiers on the front line can continue to maintain their positions without being affected."


    "It''s a win-win situation."


    "It''s a pity for Duke Chen, he was so loyal, but he ended up in such a situation."


    While admiring him, he also felt sorry for him.


    Chen An was satisfied with being stripped of all his titles and duties, and this was what he had requested himself, as a way to stabilize the hearts of the people in court.


    But in the eyes of Liu Sheng and others, it was clearly being snubbed.


    Despite all the efforts and sacrifices to maintain the overall situation, the final result was being treated this way.


    "It''s a pity."


    King Tai also lamented, "We can only blame him for choosing the wrong master."


    "If he had been willing to follow me from the beginning, he wouldn''t have ended up in this situation."


    I seem to recall that he initially wanted to follow you, but you forced him to leave.


    Liu Sheng looked at King Tai and silently criticized him.


    Of course, he did not say this out loud.


    After all, they were still allies, and it was necessary to maintain a certain level of courtesy.


    They couldn''t afford to ruin their relationship.


    "The new commander is Duke Jianguo."


    Liu Sheng continued, "I wonder if Your Highness has any plans to deal with him?"


    After getting rid of the troublesome Duke Chen, Duke Jianguo took his place.


    But Duke Jianguo was not easy to deal with. In terms of experience, he was much stronger than Duke Chen, having led many successful military campaigns in the past.


    He was a tough opponent, not as difficult to handle as Chen An, but still not someone to be underestimated.


    Their problems remained challenging.


    "Lord Liu, have no fear."


    Contrary to Liu Sheng''s concerns, King Tai appeared confident and wore a self-satisfied smile on his face, "If it were someone else, perhaps I wouldn''t have a good solution."


    "But with Duke Jianguo, there''s nothing to worry about."


    "How would you like to deal with it, Your Highness?"


    Liu Sheng asked curiously.


    However, King Tai just smiled and didn''t answer the question.


    Time continued to pass gradually.


    Soon, more than a year had passed.


    As expected, Chen An had successfully spent over a year living a carefree life in his mansion.


    Compared to before, these days were quite relaxing. He either focused on practicing, studying martial arts, or traveling with the Fourth Princess.


    The situation outside had nothing to do with him.


    During this break, Chen An even took the time to visit a few places he had previously visited, hoping to reap some benefits.


    Unfortunately, perhaps the time was not long enough, the spiritual energy in those places had somewhat recovered, but overall, it had not reached the previous levels.


    As a result, he had to reluctantly give up and wait for another opportunity.


    Time continued to pass slowly.


    Just when Chen An thought that this kind of life would continue indefinitely, shocking news arrived.


    The front lines had collapsed, Duke Jianguo had been defeated by King Tai, and the army was defeated.


    Most of Meizhou had fallen, with the defenses that Chen An had perfected over the years being breached, almost leading to a complete collapse.


    The main reason for this major defeat seemed to be Duke Jianguo''s rush for success, leading to reckless advances. S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was truly frustrating.


    Not surprisingly, with this turn of events, the court and the officials were in an uproar.


    Under the circumstances, Chen Zheng personally ordered Chen An to dismiss all opinions and return to the front lines.


    Chen An''s good days were declared over once again.


    Just half a month later, he set off again, heading to the front lines.


    This time, when Chen An set off again, there were no other voices to object.


    Impeaching Chen An for planning a rebellion?


    Just a joke.


    In this situation, Chen An didn''t even need to do anything. As long as King Tai broke through the Meizhou front line, the entire Great Hua Dynasty would have to change leaders.


    With such a huge threat, all other issues could be put aside.


    In March, Duke Chen arrived at the front lines and faced off against King Tai with his army.


    The following year, the two armies were at a standstill, with victories and losses on both sides, but King Tai''s army was ultimately held back.


    In the third year, a rebellion broke out in several counties in Great Song.


    Helplessly, Liu Sheng had to lead his main army back to Great Song.


    In the fourth year, the Emperor of Great Song died of illness, leading to turmoil in the court.


    King Tai''s forces were also affected and suffered greatly.


    "It seems that wherever you go, you can''t escape having unreliable allies."


    Inside the camp, Chen An looked at the message he had just received and couldn''t help but feel emotional.


    He was somewhat gloating.


    Not only had he been impeached by many people before, causing him a lot of pressure, but now it seemed that things wouldn''t be easy for Liu Sheng either.


    After all, if you calculated it seriously, he and King Tai had been on the move for eight years now.


    Eight years, with a thirty thousand-strong army constantly on the move, the pressure they faced was undeniable.


    Great Song''s treasury was probably depleted long ago.


    The losses were so enormous that even the land they initially occupied was not enough to compensate for such huge losses.


    With the army stationed outside for so long, the internal affairs had been neglected, leading to simultaneous rebellions in several places.


    The outcome was quite amusing.


    Now, even Liu Sheng''s biggest backer, the Emperor of Great Song himself, had fallen.


    The situation seemed quite sad no matter how you looked at it.


    Chen An couldn''t help but chuckle just thinking about it.


    He had experienced pressure and accusations from many, but now it seemed that even Liu Sheng was in for a tough time.


    After all, after eight years of mobilization with King Tai, the pressure and strain were evident.


    The Great Song royal treasury was likely depleted by now.


    The losses were immense and the gains were few.


    The army had been on the move for so long that internal unrest had emerged in several regions simultaneously.


    The situation was quite ironic.


    Now even Liu Sheng''s biggest support, the Emperor of Great Song, had fallen.


    The situation was indeed difficult.


    Chen An couldn''t help but smile as he received the news.


    "Chang''an, is it time?"


    On the side, Liu Chu''s voice came over, his face looking particularly excited.


    Several years had passed, and he now appeared much more mature.


    The long years in the military camp had turned him into a cautious general.


    Perhaps it was because he had been following Chen An for so long, but now he had some of Chen An''s style in his actions, which many people secretly criticized.


    But no matter how cautious he was, looking at the current situation, he couldn''t help but feel excited.


    There was no way not to be excited.


    After all, the current situation looked very promising.


    The hope of victory seemed within reach.


    "Let''s wait a little longer."


    Chen An glanced at him and then smiled, "It''s them who can''t hold on first, not us who need to rush."


    "Let''s wait a bit longer and see how long they can hold out."


    "Yes."


    Liu Chu nodded and went down excitedly.


    Although Chen An said so, from his gaze, it seemed that the time for a direct counterattack was not far away.


    Just a little more time, and they might end this battle.


    No one could contain their excitement about this.


    In the following half year, the army continued to advance.


    Great Hua gradually reclaimed the lost lands, meanwhile clearing out any hidden dangers.


    For the local bigwigs who had sided with King Tai, Chen An showed no mercy. He sent them all to the battlefield to serve as cannon fodder or sent them back to Chen Zheng.


    And once these people ended up in the hands of Chen Zheng, the result was clear.


    Their simple deaths were inevitable; the only worry was dying a terrible death.


    But this was not something Chen An could care about.


    Everything continued to move forward steadily.


    Victory seemed within reach.


    However, past experiences told everyone that the closer they were to victory, the easier it was to encounter danger.


    Many people fell before dawn.


    Chen An had also had such a lesson once.


    The battlefields were cleared.


    Pure profound ice energy swept across the land, freezing everything around the battlefield.


    The powerful energy killed countless soldiers in an instant.


    Life-like statues were scattered in front of them.


    Of course, in a sense, they were still alive; many of them had not yet taken their last breath.


    Chen An stood on the battlefield, looking ahead with interest.


    "Is this a bait after all?"


    He looked ahead.


    There stood a somewhat familiar figure, who had now stood there for nearly ten years. The loyal and brave Yang Zhong once again stood before Chen An.


    He looked a bit more aged than before, but his body was still strong and powerful. Holding dual blades, he exuded a sharp profound energy.


    Beside him stood another old man.


    Dressed in a purple robe, with a kind face, he appeared compassionate. However, he emitted an extremely cold profound ice energy.


    The nature of his energy was exactly the same as the one on Chen An''s body.


    "This person must be Zhao Yong, the head of the Song royal family."


    Chen An shifted his gaze to the old man and spoke softly.


    "Yes."


    Zhao Yong smiled kindly, but the profound ice energy on him seemed particularly cold, "I didn''t expect Duke Chen to know me."


    "Zhao Gong is renowned; Chang''an has heard of you in Great Hua."


    Chen An chuckled, "But with Zhao Gong and the loyal and brave you, it seems that you still can''t take me down."


    With that, his body exuded a cold profound ice energy, spreading all around, making it impossible for the soldiers nearby to get close, they could only watch from afar.


    Whether Zhao Yong or Yang Zhong in front of him, they were both experts in profound energy, making it not easy for Chen An to defeat them even in a one-on-one battle.


    But if he really wanted to leave, these two also couldn''t do anything to him.


    After all these years, Chen An had not been idle.


    For ten years, he had been practicing diligently. Although he had not reached the third level of profound transformation, he was very close to that level, essentially only one step away.


    With his strength, Zhao Yong and Yang Zhong could defeat him, but it was not easy to take him down.


    "Just the two of us naturally won''t be enough."


    Zhao Yong maintained a smile, "But what if there is a third person?"


    Bang!


    A muffled sound came from a distance.


    In Chen An''s somewhat surprised eyes, an old man rushed out from behind and directly stepped in front of him.


    He was a lean and stern-faced old man with a stern look and brown eyes, looking very dignified.


    However, looking at this old man, many people were stunned.


    "Duke Jianguo?"


    Chen An was surprised, "It''s you?"


    Surprised, he also felt relieved.


    No wonder his actions this time had been known to King Tai''s side, and they had specifically set up traps for him to fall into.


    It seemed that there was a traitor on their side.


    And a high-ranking one at that.


    Duke Jianguo had been the commander of the army before. Despite the defeat, Chen Zheng had not done anything to him and had instead ordered him to serve under Chen An.


    But no matter what, this Duke Jianguo was also a high-ranking member of the army.


    This Duke Jianguo was well aware of all the arrangements Chen An had made this time.


    Given this, it was not surprising.


    "No wonder."


    Chen An felt relieved and couldn''t help but sigh, "I knew it. Even though I had revised the army, why did things turn out this way?"


    "It''s all because of Duke Jianguo."


    Yes, even their own commander was a traitor. How could they not lose the war?


    Even if they wanted to avoid defeat, it was not possible.


    "But the only thing I don''t understand is, why did you do this, Duke Jianguo?"


    Chen An continued, puzzled, "The Emperor doesn''t seem to be too harsh on you, does he?"


    From the current situation, it was clear that King Tai was showing weakness while Great Hua was showing strength.


    In this situation, did it make sense for Duke Jianguo to do this for King Tai?


    He was already a high-ranking Duke in Great Hua, a highly respected figure in the inner court. Taking another step would only be that, was it worth taking such a big risk?


    "Lu Yu is dead."


    Duke Jianguo looked at Chen An with his usual cold look and said calmly, "He was my only son."


    Chen An suddenly realized.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 136: The Reversal of Fortune

    Listening to Jianguo''s words, Chen An suddenly realized. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.Lu Yu, the Duke of Lu Guo in Dahua, is also the most loyal follower of the former second prince.


    This man, accustomed to arrogance, did not know how to restrain himself even after Cheng Zheng came to power, and repeatedly clashed with Cheng Zheng.


    With his previous reputation as a follower of the Tai King, and the repeated confrontations with Cheng Zheng, Cheng Zheng finally could not bear it and killed him as an example.


    Killing the monkey to warn the chickens was appropriate.


    Chen An remembered that when Lu Yu was killed, Jianguo had repeatedly submitted petitions, requesting Cheng Zheng to spare Lu Yu''s life.


    Previously, Chen An had thought that Jianguo was doing this out of respect for the former Duke of Lu Guo.


    Now it seems that this is not just camaraderie, but deep father-son affection.


    Thinking of this, Chen An''s face couldn''t help but look strange.


    If he remembered correctly, Lu Yu''s nominal father, the former Duke of Lu Guo, seemed to have a good relationship with the current Jianguo, and they were said to be good friends for many years.


    As a result, after the death of the former Duke of Lu Guo, his child became Jianguo''s.


    Their friendship runs deep indeed.


    Even the matter of passing on the family''s legacy was taken care of.


    But with this in mind, it seems to make some sense.


    Although Chen An still couldn''t quite understand Jianguo''s logic.


    In his opinion, if you really didn''t want Lu Yu to die, you could have just explained the situation calmly at the time.


    After Cheng Zheng knew about the situation, even if it was just to win you over as an ally, he would have chosen to spare Lu Yu.


    In addition, he could have taken the opportunity to give Cheng Zheng a handle and actively align himself with the new emperor.


    However, at that time, you chose to remain silent.


    And now you''re openly rebelling.


    What are you thinking?


    Chen An, as a transmigrator, couldn''t understand it, so he could only shake his head helplessly.


    But fortunately, he didn''t need to understand all of this.


    "Fortunately, Jianguo, you finally decided to step forward."


    He smiled, looking surprisingly happy, "If you kept hiding, I would have been in trouble."


    "What are you trying to say?"


    Seeing Chen An acting so calmly and even happily, Jianguo frowned, feeling a bit puzzled, "At this point, don''t you think you can escape?"


    "Escape? Why should I escape?"


    Chen An couldn''t help but smile, his expression becoming more excited, "Rather than escape, isn''t it better to just kill all of you?"


    As he spoke, a powerful Xuanbing Qi spread outwards, roaring.


    Boom!


    The sound of shattering came from all directions, erupting wildly and rushing towards Yang Zhong and the others.


    This was an individual trying to resist three Qi Masters at the same time.


    "Arrogant!"


    Yang Zhong and Zhao Yong both snorted coldly and rushed forward.


    Layers of Qi exploded, directly shattering the ice crystals in front of them.


    Ice crystals scattered in the air, falling on the ground and making a crisp sound.


    With the simultaneous eruption of the four Qi Masters, this area had turned into a decisive battlefield.


    There were invisible air currents everywhere.


    Different Qis collided with each other.


    Invisibly, a seemingly withered arm fell and collided with Chen An''s hand, followed by two ice dragons rising up into the sky, spreading rapidly, exploding with two Qi forces of Xuanbing.


    Like Chen An, Zhao Yong, as a member of the Song royal family, also practiced Xuanbing Qi, a martial art created by the founder of the Song Dynasty.


    Therefore, the nature of his Qi was similar to Chen An''s.


    However, despite the similar nature of their Qi, they were far apart in other aspects.


    With a light bang, Zhao Yong was knocked out.


    "Your Qi is above mine!"


    Feeling the powerful Qi emanating from Chen An''s palm, his face showed a surprised expression as if he had not expected this.


    He was already quite old, while Chen An was still in his thirties, still a young man.


    The difference in cultivation over these many years should have made his Qi much stronger.


    But the final result was the opposite.


    Chen An''s powerful Qi directly knocked him out.


    If they had fought one-on-one, he would have most likely been the one to die in the end.


    Fortunately, he was not alone.


    Sharp daggers swung down.


    While Chen An was fighting with Zhao Yong, Yang Zhong also joined the attack, his powerful Qi exploding, looking like he was about to split Chen An''s body in two.


    Chen An swung his long knife, narrowly blocking the attack, but his chest couldn''t help but vibrate, almost coughing up blood.


    And it wasn''t over yet.


    From behind, Jianguo also rushed forward and struck with a palm.


    Boom!


    The Qi shook in all directions, causing a powerful shock.


    Chen An''s body retreated, looking somewhat embarrassed.


    Embarrassment was normal.


    Among these three people in front of him, except for the Song royal family member Zhao Yong, the other two were ruthless figures. Although their strength was slightly weaker than Chen An''s, it wasn''t by much.


    Facing such a lineup, Chen An was already in a bit of trouble by himself, not to mention that they were teaming up without any sense of honor, attacking him all at once.


    It was a disgrace among Qi martial artists.


    Chen An''s face remained calm as he continued to fight against Yang Zhong and the others.


    Blood continued to flow, dripping on the ground, quickly freezing into ice crystals, making a crisp sound as they fell.


    Looking around, it was a world of ice and snow.


    Soldiers everywhere were still fighting, deadlocked.


    It seemed that they wouldn''t be able to break through for a while.


    "Don''t even think about it."


    Yang Zhong wielded his twin knives, walking up to Chen An, "Your troops have been blocked, and you definitely won''t be able to break through for a short time."


    "Surrender now and join Great Song, there''s still time."


    Zhao Yong spoke calmly, still carrying the same politeness as before, but his appearance had become much more dilapidated.


    Among the three of them, his strength was the weakest, so he was most affected, with many parts of his body looking ragged.


    "The Emperor of Hua is unjust, why sacrifice yourself for him?"


    Not far away, Jianguo also spoke, with a stern face and a hint of icy killing intent, "Surrender now, and you won''t lose your reward of being a marquis."


    "If you don''t surrender..."


    "If you don''t surrender, then what?"


    Chen An smiled faintly, speaking calmly.


    "If you don''t surrender, this will be your burial place."


    Yang Zhong looked at Chen An, speaking sternly, "Chen Duk...you are a smart person, you should know what to choose at this moment."


    "Yes, of course, I know what to choose."


    Chen An sighed, with a melancholy tone, "Originally, I thought I could save myself some trouble."


    "Unfortunately, it was just a little short."


    After ten years of cultivation, his strength had continuously improved, and he was just one step away from advancing to the next level of Qi transformation.


    He thought that with this opportunity of being surrounded by three Qi Masters, he could have completed this breakthrough under the pressure of life and death. But it turned out he was just a little short.


    In the end, he was not like those exceptional protagonists in stories who could break through and rise under the trials of life and death.


    He didn''t have that ability.


    With a silent sigh in his heart, he lowered his head and looked ahead again.


    The familiar upgrade template appeared, presenting itself in an instant.


    Xuanbing Qi, upgraded!


    The atmosphere around gradually changed.


    Around him, Yang Zhong was the first to realize that something was wrong.


    The Qi that surrounded Chen An seemed to have undergone a significant transformation.


    It seemed to have many new properties.


    An ice crystal suddenly flew towards Yang Zhong, but he dodged it instinctively.


    Yang Zhong subconsciously paused and looked towards Chen An''s direction.


    Through his keen sense of Qi, he quickly realized that something was wrong.


    A terrifying aura was shaking.


    On Chen An, a Qi was rapidly undergoing a transformation at an extremely rapid speed.


    A powerful force surged out, erupting like a blizzard, seeming to engulf everything around.


    In the blink of an eye, Chen An''s aura completed a transformation, rapidly advancing to a new level.


    Third stage of Qi - Qi Transformation!


    The wind howled.


    Xuanbing Qi gushed out like a blizzard, containing an extreme cold Qi that made people''s bodies tremble unconsciously, feeling fear.


    "Not good!"


    Yang Zhong quickly realized that something was wrong.


    However, it was too late.


    A long knife suddenly stabbed out in a bizarre manner, directly shattering Yang Zhong''s defense Qi.


    Howling Moon!


    The long knife swung down, gathering the terrifying Qi into a point, like a force that could cut through everything, cold and terrifying.


    Yang Zhong''s body flew straight out.


    On the ground, a trace more than ten meters long appeared in an instant, the cracks being frozen directly.


    The sudden change stunned Zhao Yong and the others.


    In their sight, Chen An''s figure slowly appeared from the front, stepping forward.


    There was a faint smile on his face, but what it contained was pure and boundless killing intent.


    "Now, let the second round begin."


    Looking around, his gaze fell on the two in front of him, then raised his knife again.


    The blood mist began to swirl, a faint blood aura rising and spreading in all directions.


    The result of this battle was not widely known until half a month later.


    In this battle, Chen Guogong faced the simultaneous siege of three Qi Masters, but did not fall behind, even winning the battle.


    Zhao Yong, the head of the Song royal family, was killed, the former Duke of Jianguo was captured, and only Song loyal warlord Yang Zhong was injured and managed to escape, barely leaving the battlefield.


    Subsequently, the Dahua army marched directly south and defeated Song.


    The Tai King was captured directly and sent back to Shengjing with Jianguo.


    Chen Guogong of Dahua became famous in one battle and became one of the top martial artists in the world.


    But this battle was not over yet.


    At this time, there was a rebellion in Great Song, with constant infighting in the court, and coincidentally, a major defeat had weakened their strength to the extreme.


    Dahua, on the other hand, was victorious and had high morale.


    In a moment, the tables turned, and Chen An led his troops south, directly into Great Song territory.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 137: Heading South

    "We... have won?"In the main camp, Chen An looked at Liu Chu in disbelief, seemingly unable to believe it.


    "Perhaps... maybe?"


    Facing Chen An''s skepticism, Liu Chu also began to lack confidence, hesitating in his tone.


    Don''t blame them for looking inexperienced. It''s just that things have been too smooth on this journey.


    For nearly half a month, they had been heading south from the front line, and now they had reached the territory of the Song Kingdom without encountering any obstacles.


    It turns out that during the journey, they thought they would face all sorts of difficulties that simply did not exist.


    Difficulties? Non-existent.


    All the way here, they were welcomed with open arms, a grand scene of welcoming the victorious army.


    As Chen An traveled, many local villagers greeted them, bringing various supplies to reward the army, joyfully welcoming them into the county city.


    This was quite unexpected.


    It was completely different from what Chen An had imagined.


    Chen An almost thought he had been given a fake script, thinking he wasn''t an invader from Dahua, but instead a soldier defending their homeland.


    The gap was too huge.


    So huge that at first, Chen An was cautious, almost thinking it was an enemy trap and wanting to run back.


    But after careful investigation, he realized the reason behind it.


    This was thanks to King Tai and Liu Sheng.


    With thirty thousand soldiers at the front line fighting against Chen An, they still needed to eat.


    If it had been a quick battle, it would have been fine. But facing Chen An''s shameless delaying tactics, King Tai and Liu Sheng had no choice but to stop and engage with Chen An.


    But while they were engaged, food couldn''t magically appear.


    Self-sufficient? Not possible.


    Not to mention that Chen An had already used a trick to relocate the local villagers in advance, even those small teams constantly sent out to harass would be enough to keep them busy.


    Farming? No problem.


    After working hard for half a year, just wait and see, a fire could easily destroy it all.


    Due to various real-world hardships, self-sufficiency was impossible.


    Therefore, the logistical pressure of the thirty thousand army fell on the Song Kingdom.


    For ten years, the people of the Song Kingdom had been living in difficult conditions.


    They not only had to bear extremely high taxes, but also had to act as laborers to transport food and undertake heavy labor, making their lives unbearable.


    As a result, there was a strong aversion to war within the Song Kingdom, pervasive throughout.


    The continuous rebellions in recent years were a result of this. The people no longer wanted to tolerate, it was like a powder keg waiting to explode.


    Countless tragic events occurred everywhere.


    Thinking about this, the reactions of these people were understandable.


    After realizing that these people were genuinely welcoming, and not pretending, Chen An realized the opportunity and swiftly led the army south, conquering cities along the way.


    The Song army couldn''t organize any decent resistance.


    It seemed that the previous major defeat had already destroyed all the elite soldiers of the Song Kingdom.


    It sounded unbelievable, but upon careful consideration, it seemed quite logical.


    After all, they had been deadlocked at the front line for almost ten years.


    Ten long years.


    Even with a rich reserve, it must have been depleted by now.


    The current situation seemed normal.


    The Song Kingdom was facing internal and external crises, and was already at a critical point of decay.


    At this stage, previous hidden problems had erupted fiercely, leading to the current situation.


    "Chang''an... Commander."


    In front of him, Liu Chu couldn''t help but swallow nervously, asking, "Do we need to continue our advance?"


    "No, let''s not."


    After hesitating for a moment, Chen An slowly shook his head.


    Joking aside, if they continued their advancement, they might end up at the capital of the Song Kingdom.


    Although the idea was tempting, Chen An remained rational.


    In other words, he wasn''t being arrogant.


    Despite the disastrous defeat, the Song Kingdom was still a powerful force compared to all of Dahua.


    Such a large country, even in its current state, wouldn''t be easy to conquer.


    "According to our information, the court of the Song Kingdom is split and facing severe internal conflicts."


    After some thought, he slowly spoke, "If we don''t continue, they will likely be busy with infighting, with little time to deal with us. But if we push too hard, it might be different."


    A cornered beast will fight back. S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Currently, the Song Kingdom was in internal turmoil, with many ministers attacking each other, mostly adhering to the idea that internal stability was necessary before dealing with external threats.


    If Chen An didn''t go too far, just maintaining the current situation, they might struggle, but they probably wouldn''t take drastic action.


    But if Chen An went too far, marching directly towards the capital of the Song Kingdom, the situation would be different.


    Under immense external pressure, these people might temporarily set aside their differences and focus all their efforts on Chen An.


    At that point, the situation would change.


    If they were defeated at that time, the situation would be even more complicated.


    After some thought, Chen An decided not to take any risks.


    Maintaining the current situation was enough.


    "Alright."


    With a hint of regret, Liu Chu nodded, giving up on the tempting idea.


    "However, we don''t need to go to the capital of the Song Kingdom, but there is another place we need to see."


    Chen An''s voice echoed out.


    Liu Chu was taken aback and instinctively looked down, following Chen An''s indication to another direction.


    It was a place not too far from here.


    "Mingzhou?"


    Liu Chu whispered the name of the place.


    As time passed slowly, under the gaze of many eyes, Chen An led the army to withdraw directly without continuing south.


    This disappointed many people, but it also made the Song Kingdom breathe a sigh of relief.


    It''s a good thing they didn''t come.


    At this moment, the Song Kingdom was in a dangerous situation, both internally and externally.


    Constant party struggles internally and widespread rebellion from noble families made it almost on the brink of fragmentation.


    If Chen An had led his army south at this time, the outcome would have been unpredictable.


    One battle might have endangered the entire Song Kingdom.


    But before they could relax, the war report came.


    The Dahua army had captured Mingzhou.


    Mingzhou had fallen.


    For a moment, the entire court and officials of the Song Kingdom were in an uproar.


    This was because Mingzhou was a very special place for the Song Kingdom.


    It was the birthplace of the founding emperor of the Song Kingdom.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 138: The Legacy of Song Taizu

    Mingzhou held a special significance for the Song Empire.Not only was it a strategically important location, but it was also the birthplace of the founding emperor of the Song Empire.


    Moreover, the only treasure of the entire Song Empire, Xuanbing Cave, was located there.


    The loss of this place, while not as significant as the capital, still caused quite a stir for the Song Empire.


    If possible, they naturally wanted to retake this place.


    Unfortunately, with their current strength, they could only defend the city, but launching an offensive?


    It was probably better to forget about it.


    The rebels in the south were still watching.


    Without suppressing these people, they had no time to deal with Chen An.


    That''s why, no matter how difficult it was for them, they could only watch.


    The only thing to be grateful for was that after Chen An took over Mingzhou, he didn''t make any major moves, and it seemed like he had finally stopped.


    This relieved them a bit.


    "Is this it?"


    A clear voice rang out in the area.


    Chen An looked at the guide beside him and asked softly.


    "Yes," a woman''s voice replied.


    Unlike the previous few places, the guide leading Chen An was a woman.


    The woman''s name was Zhao Ying, and she seemed to be a member of the royal family of the Song Empire, who was originally practicing martial arts in the area.


    However, after Mingzhou fell, she was captured and brought to Chen An as a gift.


    Chen An didn''t do anything to this young girl, he simply used her as a guide.


    "The place you''re looking for is inside," a soft voice said.


    Chen An looked up and gazed ahead.


    Then he was stunned.


    In front of him, everything was covered in Xuanbing ice.


    At a glance, everywhere was a world of ice and snow.


    A cold breeze emerged from it, giving a particularly cold feeling.


    Even though it was still warm outside, it felt like a different world here.


    Of course, the most important thing for Chen An was the strong aura emanating from this place.


    This undeniable aura couldn''t be hidden and was the most important aspect for Chen An.


    "You can go now."


    Upon reaching this place, Chen An waved his hand, letting Zhao Ying leave directly.


    Of course, before leaving, he asked her to leave a map behind.


    It would be embarrassing if he got lost later.


    Zhao Ying felt relieved and quickly left.


    Only Chen An and Liu Chu were left behind.


    "Liang An, should we send someone in to take a look first?" Liu Chu asked cautiously.


    "I''ve already sent someone in to check, the map seems fine," Chen An replied, making Liu Chu pause before reacting.


    Well, someone like Chen An wouldn''t walk into someone else''s territory without any precautions.


    From the moment he got the map, he secretly sent someone in to investigate.


    If there were any problems, Zhao Ying would have seen the executioner he sent, not Chen An.


    "That''s a bit regrettable." Chen An smiled and then said softly, "I plan to retreat here for a while, you''ll be in charge outside."


    "Okay." Liu Chu nodded, but after thinking for a moment, he kindly advised, "Don''t stay inside for too long, or there might be problems."


    They were still within the territory of the Song Empire at the moment.


    Although Mingzhou was already occupied, the moment the Song Empire recovered, they would definitely come back in force towards Mingzhou.


    Which meant that while the land was taken, it was still uncertain whether it could withstand the future.


    In this situation, if Chen An only wanted to cultivate for a short time, it was fine, but if he closed himself off for three to five years, who knew what would happen.


    "I understand," Chen An smiled and indicated that he understood.


    Then he walked in.


    Liu Chu watched as Chen An''s figure disappeared in front of him without saying anything.


    The area was barren.


    Entering the Xuanbing Cave, a cold aura rushed in, bringing a strong sensation of stimulation to the body.


    This feeling was different from the other treasure sites.


    Before this, Chen An had been cultivating in the various treasure sites in Dahua, which had good benefits but the surrounding environment was relatively normal, far from the excitement of the Xuanbing Cave.


    This also demonstrated the uniqueness of this treasure trove.


    According to rumors, the Xuanbing Cave was the best treasure trove for cultivating cold martial arts.


    It was because of this treasure that the Song Empire was able to continuously produce powerful Qi and dominate the world with their top-notch Xuanbing energy.


    From this, you could see the special and formidable nature of this treasure trove.


    Just stepping in, the cold air was still tolerable.


    But once you reached the inner part, the cold had risen to a level that ordinary people couldn''t bear.


    Cold air rushed in from all sides, as if it wanted to penetrate the skin and spread into the body, freezing the whole body fundamentally.


    Here, even a person like Chen An felt some discomfort and had to use his Qi to resist the invading cold air.


    He looked around.


    "Xuan ice?"


    Some unexpected things caught Chen An''s eyes.


    Xuan ice was a rare cold attribute treasure that could greatly accelerate the speed of practice for cold martial arts.


    Previously, at the Bai family, Bai Qing had Xuan ice bed made of Xuan ice, preserved in a special way, worth a fortune.


    Unexpectedly, Xuan ice, which was rare to see outside, was so easily seen here.


    Of course, this was only a very small amount, even if it was mined, it was only a small piece.


    But this couldn''t be considered the core area, there must be more inside.


    Chen An''s heart couldn''t help but become more and more eager.


    In this place, true cultivation was not the main goal, but if used to extract Qi and provide energy sources, there would be quite a good harvest.


    Indeed, Chen An had no intention of simply cultivating quietly.


    No way.


    Even if he wanted to cultivate, he had to look at the occasion and the place.


    As Liu Chu had said earlier, this place could be retaliated by the Song Empire at any time. When they came back, they would take it back.


    Cultivating here, he would probably have trouble sleeping.


    And if it was only for two or three years, he wouldn''t achieve much.


    For someone like Chen An, who could easily spend more than ten years in seclusion, two or three years wouldn''t be enough to achieve anything significant.


    Just two or three years, it would be difficult to gain anything significant even with the help of a treasure trove.


    Therefore, instead of focusing on cultivation, Chen An decided to directly absorb the Qi from the Xuanbing Cave, replenishing the energy on his body.


    In the past battle, in order to ascend to the Qi Transform stage, Chen An had spent a full eighty points of energy.


    He had originally intended to rely on his own breakthrough to save this money.


    But facing three Qi attacks together, Chen An had no choice but to spend money to save his life.


    While he ultimately saved his life, he lost that money.


    Thinking about it made him feel regretful.


    For Chen An, spending money on normal advances wasn''t an issue.


    You spend money where it''s necessary.


    But he hadn''t planned to spend that money, and now he had to spend it just to save his life.


    This loss had been quietly recorded by Chen An in his mind.


    Now it was time to make up for it.


    Without any hesitation, Chen An took out the crystal stone and placed it aside.


    For the next few months, Chen An stayed in the Xuanbing Cave, practicing while absorbing the energy transformed from the crystal stone.


    The whole process could be summed up in one word.


    Enjoyable!


    While in Dahua, Chen An had some reservations about his actions and couldn''t completely drain the few treasure troves there. But here, Chen An let himself go completely.


    The Song Empire was the enemy!


    Shouldn''t you take advantage of the enemy?


    Shouldn''t you take everything you can?


    Wherever he went, the Xuanbing Cave experienced devastating blows.


    In this regard, Chen An followed a policy of taking everything.


    He absorbed all the energy, shattered and took away the Xuan ice, and even collected some treasures previously arranged by the Song Empire.


    If the Song Empire''s royal family saw what Chen An was doing in their ancestral land, they would probably cry.


    This wasn''t taking advantage, it was plundering everything in one go!


    At this rate, even the bandits wouldn''t act so cleanly.


    Unfortunately, even with such ruthless actions, Chen An still couldn''t completely sweep through the entire Xuanbing Cave.


    Because this place was just too big.


    Compared to Dahua, even though the Song Empire only had this one treasure trove, the capacity of this treasure was incomparable to others.


    So Chen An''s actions inevitably slowed down a lot.


    It took several months and he still hadn''t completely drained the area.


    But right now, he was close to the core.


    Everywhere was the essence of the Xuanbing Cave.


    Xuan ice, while not everywhere, was not rare either.


    Chen An had already seen quite a bit of it.


    Thinking about it, digging it out later should yield good results.


    Like the Xuan ice bed Bai Qing had, he estimated he could make at least five or six of them.


    There might even be a surplus.


    If Bai Qing knew how rich this place was, he would probably cry.


    On this day, Chen An felt something exceptional.


    "Hmm?"


    The brilliance of the crystal stone flickered, and the Qi around gradually receded.


    This whole process had been repeated many times over the past few months.


    As Chen An skillfully picked up the crystal stone and was about to turn and leave, he couldn''t help but hesitate.


    Through his acute Qi sense, he sensed something unusual.


    That thing had been here all along, but its presence was very faint, almost invisible under the cover of the abundant Qi before.


    But with the Qi around drained by the crystal stone, the hidden anomaly underneath became very abrupt and obvious due to the absence of the powerful Qi cover.


    Of course, while it was apparent, most people wouldn''t be able to sense it.


    Even Qi, if slightly weaker or slower in reaction, would probably overlook it.


    But Chen An was obviously among the sensitive ones.


    Needless to say, having reached the Qi Transform stage, Chen An was already considered part of the peak group of Qi users, so how could his reaction not be sensitive?


    It was precisely because of this heightened sensibility that he quickly sensed the slight change in Qi and reacted promptly.


    He turned around and looked ahead.


    In his view, a patch of Xuan ice revealed itself, looking plain and ordinary, as if nothing was there.


    After pondering for a moment, Chen An slowly reached out his hand.


    Bang!


    Along with a crisp sound, the Xuan ice in front of him shattered, pushed down by him, revealing the scene behind it.


    It was a new passage, seemingly leading a long way inside.


    This stretch of road was not recorded on the map.


    After a brief thought, Chen An took a step forward and entered directly.


    Chilly air surged around him.


    Entering this place, a strange scene emerged.


    Compared to other core areas, the Qi here was not particularly rich, but the cold level was strangely higher than the other places, so much so that it made Chen An furrow his brows.


    In one sentence, this place was eerie.


    As he moved forward, he eventually reached an expansive scene.


    "What is this?"


    Looking around, Chen An couldn''t help but be surprised.


    He made a new discovery.


    In this place, there were traces of human activity everywhere.


    Various remnants of items were left behind, and the air seemed to be different from the outside.


    In some corners, there seemed to be remnants of elixirs left, quietly preserved there, for who knows how many years.


    But the most eye-catching thing was the altar in front, and the large piece of Xuan ice on top of it.


    It was an extremely large piece of Xuan ice, several times larger than Chen An''s body, and it seemed to contain something sealed within it.


    Carefully advancing, Chen An slowly moved towards it.


    Then he was stunned once again, feeling a sense of unexpected joy.


    It was not that he was inexperienced, but the thing presented before him was just too special.


    On top of that piece of Xuan ice, tiny characters were carved, densely covering it.


    And the words revealed a martial arts technique.


    "Xuanbing Power!"


    Chen An stared at the Xuan ice, or more accurately, at the words on it.


    The tiny ant-sized characters contained the profound mysteries of the Xuanbing Power.


    From the basic forging to the most crucial Innate level, all the contents were there.


    Even the missing part that Chen An had yet to master was also recorded on this piece of Xuan ice.


    No! It was more than that!


    Chen An stared at the last part of the Xuan ice.


    After the Innate level, there were clearly more contents recorded.


    That was the level beyond Innate, with even more detailed content.


    However, a frustrating situation emerged.


    For some reason, the content after the Innate level was directly missing.


    This disappointed Chen An.


    He observed the situation on top closely and found a smooth cut.


    It seemed to have been cut by a sword, perfectly removing that part of the Xuan ice?


    Had someone been here before?


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    He went all the way to the end and saw an unexpected name on the Xuan ice.


    "Song An."


    Chen An muttered the name, his face showing some surprise.


    This name seemed familiar to him.


    After a while, he finally remembered the identity of the owner of this name. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He was none other than the founding emperor of the Song Empire, who had risen from humble beginnings and conquered the Great Song Empire!


    The Xuanbing Power was precisely the martial arts created by this founding emperor.


    Thinking of this, Chen An finally realized.


    There had always been legends in the Song Empire that the founding emperor had created this technique inside the Xuanbing Cave when he was young, leading to the creation of the Xuanbing Power martial arts.


    Looking at it now, this rumor might be true.


    It was even said that the founding emperor had returned and left his legacy here as a backup.


    "How far did the founding emperor''s cultivation reach back then?"


    Chen An couldn''t help but wonder.


    From the remnants before him, it was very likely that the cultivation of the founding emperor had reached a terrifying level.


    The Xuanbing Power not only covered the Innate level but also detailed contents beyond it. From this perspective, even if the founding emperor''s cultivation had not surpassed the Innate level back then, it probably almost touched the Innate realm.


    Unfortunately, the contents beyond the Innate level had been destroyed.


    It was unknown who had done it.


    Chen An had a lot to say about that person.


    You gained benefits for yourself, but couldn''t you leave a way for future generations?


    Leaving behind a manual wouldn''t harm you, would it?


    Unfortunately, no matter how much resentment he felt, he couldn''t change the reality.


    Chen An could only sigh helplessly, accept the situation, and move on.


    In any case, he had gained quite a lot now.


    The latter part of the Xuanbing Power at the Innate level was the part Chen An had originally planned to get from the Song Empire''s royal family, but now he had it directly.


    It could be considered a pleasant surprise.


    And then there was this piece of Xuan ice.


    Chen An looked at the Xuan ice before him, feeling a bit hesitant.


    He was thinking about whether to bring this piece of Xuan ice out.


    Apart from the Xuanbing martial arts recorded on it, the Xuan ice itself was also a huge treasure.


    With so much Xuan ice, there were many potential uses for it, and it was extremely precious to Chen An.


    However, after thinking for a moment, he ultimately gave up on this tempting idea.


    It was better not to.


    One shouldn''t be too ruthless.


    The founding emperor had placed this piece of Xuan ice here, probably as a precaution.


    Even if one day the Song Empire''s royal family perished, as long as this piece of Xuan ice remained, there was always a chance for his legacy to resurface and reappear in the world.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 139: Ice Sealed for Thousands of Miles

    Emperor Song left his inheritance here, most likely intending for his legacy to be preserved for generations.Chen An was able to benefit from this, inheriting his favor.


    But now, just as he had taken advantage of the benefits, he was preparing to destroy the legacy left by Emperor Song.


    Isn''t that biting the hand that feeds?


    The person who had visited before had only absorbed the technique after achieving the initial stage of cultivation, without taking away the entire block of mysterious ice.


    Isn''t Chen An even worse than that bastard?


    Thinking of this, Chen An sighed and gave up on the tempting idea.


    Of course, besides giving up on the idea, there was also the fact that he didn''t lack this type of thing.


    After all, it was just mysterious ice, not source power.


    No need.


    Various thoughts flashed through Chen An''s mind. He then extended his hand and placed it on the mysterious ice in front of him.


    And then, he was stunned.


    There was a force within the mysterious ice, seemingly silently absorbing the internal energy from his body.


    Is there something strange about this piece of mysterious ice?


    Chen An thought to himself.


    After a moment of contemplation, he made a decisive decision.


    Instead of letting the mysterious ice take action on its own, he actively infused his internal energy into it.


    Boom!


    Almost in an instant, flashes of light shimmered on the mysterious ice in front of him, emitting a bright and attractive glow that gave off an unusual feeling.


    Chen An captured this feeling and soon felt something unique.


    Because with the infusion of internal energy, scenes began to emerge in front of him.


    It was a mysterious martial intent that was now shining with the mysterious ice, emerging together.


    A scene unfolded.


    On the wilderness, a figure stood alone, and in a blink of an eye, he threw a punch.


    Boom!


    In an instant, the world fell silent, and everything was frozen in all directions, submerged in silence.


    The forces of heaven and earth roared, resonating with the power of the mysterious ice emanating from the figure, erupting into an extremely terrifying and brilliant strike.


    Boom!


    Mountains collapsed, a city was directly frozen, leaving no trace for thousands of miles.


    Chen An widened his eyes in shock.


    A sense of awe and wonder washed over him.


    At this moment, he felt like he had completely transformed into that figure, with his entire body shaking involuntarily, and a powerful force surging from within him, continuously shaking outwards.


    In every movement, the terrifying power, reminiscent of a natural disaster, hovered over him, causing him to widen his eyes in shock.


    The images in his mind continued to circulate, keeping Chen An immersed in them.


    At this moment, he finally realized what had happened in front of him.


    The inheritance left by Emperor Song was not just the technique of the mysterious ice, but many other things.


    However, unlike the straightforward technique engraved on the mysterious ice, this internal inheritance clearly required the cultivation of the mysterious ice technique to a certain extent, at least reaching the realm of internal energy before attempting to comprehend it.


    Perhaps this was the reason why this block of mysterious ice could be preserved.


    Otherwise, judging by the previous person, he would probably not just destroy the second half of the mysterious ice technique, but would directly destroy the entire block of mysterious ice.


    This was a pleasant surprise.


    Chen An was shocked and delighted, but quickly adjusted his mood and put all his efforts into comprehending the martial intent.


    After a long time, the messages in his mind finally stopped.


    The scene in front of him changed, and the surroundings quickly returned to their previous state.


    Chen An finally woke up slowly.


    As soon as he woke up, he noticed a change.


    The change in his body was obvious ¨C he was hungry.


    Judging by this, the time he spent comprehending had not been short, and it was likely that several days had passed.


    However, being inside the mysterious ice cave without any reference points, Chen An had no idea how long he had been there.


    As for his mental exhaustion, it was real.


    It felt like he had been fighting against an opponent for many days, and his body and mind were exhausted, feeling drained.


    Chen An had once experienced staying awake for two days and nights in his previous life, and that feeling was still fresh in his memory.


    But the feeling he had this time was even stronger than his previous experience, more intense and profound.


    "Hard to deal with."


    Chen An shook his head and moved his body subconsciously, while still being overwhelmed by the thoughts in his mind.


    The image of Emperor Song before him lingered in his mind.


    The earth-shattering strike that could freeze mountains and rivers was so terrifying that it gave a sense of overwhelming despair.


    "Ice Sealed for Thousands of Miles."


    Standing in place, Chen An murmured softly, calling out the name of that move.


    The name sounded simple, but the power was terrifying.


    In Chen An''s understanding, this move was probably one of the most top-notch in this world.


    He had seen many inheritances from the Great Zhou Dynasty, but none of them were as powerful as this move.


    Perhaps only in the inheritance of the Great Zhou Dynasty could there be martial arts techniques comparable to this move.


    Chen An sighed and thought to himself.


    However, he quickly became excited.


    The insights he had just gained were still resonating in his mind, and the subtle details contained in them made Chen An feel invigorated, as if he had seen a new path forward.


    It was truly wonderful.


    "Perhaps such martial arts can only be accurately expressed through intent?"


    Chen An looked at the mysterious ice in front of him, pondering.


    All these messages couldn''t be neatly explained in words.


    At a certain level, martial arts depicted in words had already changed.


    At the level of Emperor Song, ordinary written language might not be able to convey all the knowledge they had.


    Therefore, they had to seal it in this block of mysterious ice and use it as a medium for transmission.


    Chen An sighed, not knowing what to say.


    From this situation, it seemed that Emperor Song''s level of cultivation was probably higher than just the initial stage, he may have had a stronger power.


    Unfortunately, Emperor Song existed too far in the past for Chen An to trace back and confirm.


    Of course, if he could really trace back and even meet Emperor Song in person, Chen An would definitely run as far away as possible.


    After all, he had killed many royal family members of the Song Dynasty, the descendants of Emperor Song.


    If he was seen by Emperor Song, he might be killed on the spot.


    Thinking about this, it was better not to be seen.


    Various thoughts flashed through Chen An''s mind as he began to meditate in place, recovering his energy while silently contemplating the insights he had gained earlier.


    The profound insights of the mysterious ice continued to flow through his mind, and after the contemplation he had just experienced, he seemed to have gained many new understandings, broadening his perspective.


    His internal energy continued to circulate, and the internal energy leaked out.


    This process lasted for half a month, and Chen An finally stopped.


    After this period of rest, he returned to his peak condition, both physically and mentally.


    Once his body had recovered, it was time to continue his cultivation.


    Without any hesitation, he placed his hand on the mysterious ice again and started another attempt as before.


    Chen An quickly realized that something was wrong.


    Compared to before, although the mysterious ice still reacted, the reaction was much weaker.


    The fact proved that his feeling was not wrong.


    Although there were still scriptures coming from the mysterious ice, the content was noticeably less than before.


    After careful calculation, it was probably only half the time as before.


    Had the intent left by Emperor Song been consumed by him, or was there a limit to how many times a person could comprehend?


    Chen An quickly pondered over this in his mind.


    In his opinion, there seemed to be only these two possibilities.


    But regardless of which possibility it was, the situation was quite unfavorable for him.


    He had gained some insights into the move Ice Sealed for Thousands of Miles, but he was far from mastering it completely.


    If he had to say, he probably only understood about ten percent of it.


    It was pitifully little.


    In a sense, this may indicate a tragic fact.


    Chen An did not meet the standards that Emperor Song had set for choosing inheritors ¨C he did not possess the required qualifications.


    On this matter, Chen An was actually quite self-aware.


    Compared to his previous body, his current body had much better innate talent.


    But this so-called improvement was only relative to Chen An''s previous self.


    In reality, his talent was probably only at the level of an ordinary genius, and under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn''t even compare to the previous geniuses like the Duke of Wu.


    He was able to grow to his current level at this age because he was using cheat codes, not because of his talent.


    If seen through the eyes of a generation of geniuses like Emperor Song, Chen An''s talent was clearly unimpressive.


    This might be the root of the tragedy.


    Thinking of this, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh.


    Can the world really be better?


    If everyone is measured by their talent, what can people with poor qualifications like him do?


    Chen An felt helpless, and at this moment, he could only lower his head and look ahead.


    If hard work wasn''t enough, he could only continue to rely on cheat codes.


    "I wonder if this will work?"


    Standing in place, he murmured to himself with some uncertainty.


    The main function of his leveling template, besides adding points, was actually deduction. s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Previously, he had used this function to deduce a martial art called Green Pine Force, and the effect was not bad.


    Although in the end, it proved to be a loss-making deal, there was no denying that Chen An''s leveling template had this function.


    Having it was better than not having it.


    Before, Chen An had not used this function, but now, it seemed that it was time to use it?


    Well, actually Chen An wasn''t sure if this would work.


    But other than trying, he had no other choice.


    With determination, Chen An took a deep breath and slowly extended his hand, pressing it against the massive mysterious ice in front of him, just as before.


    In front of him, the familiar level-up template appeared, and now, with Chen An''s mind in control, it seemed to have undergone many changes.


    Familiar handwriting crossed his vision and then quickly disappeared.


    Then, the column of source power began to glow.


    An inexplicable force surged into his mind.


    Boom!


    A strange roar echoed.


    At that moment, Chen An felt like his whole body was exploding, with a strange sensation spreading throughout.


    It was like a person carrying a heavy load suddenly releasing all restraints. At this moment, he underwent drastic changes all over.


    Messages poured into his mind, but unlike before, they seemed exceptionally clear, without any mistakes.


    With the support of source power, Chen An seemed to have entered a special state.


    In this state, everything around him was fading away at an extremely fast rate.


    At this moment, Chen An felt like he had become a deity, almost feeling omnipotent.


    Everything around him accelerated, and the martial intent being infused before his eyes was also doing the same. It was almost being understood the moment it entered his mind, then reorganized and rearranged, turning into a completely new form.


    Various insights emerged from his heart, directly pouring out.


    Even Chen An felt that if he wished, he could even deduce this martial art to a higher level, surpassing the original version effortlessly.


    However, his instinct told him that he''d better not do it.


    Otherwise, the consequences might be quite severe.


    How severe?


    Probably, his brain would explode on the spot.


    After all, the data for this deduction function came from Chen An''s database and was deduced based on his foundation.


    If anyone forced themselves to deduce something beyond their level, it would likely cause serious problems.


    Other than the danger, Chen An was also worried about the source of the deduction.


    This deduction function had used up his data, and seeing it, Chen An realized that his source power had bottomed out.


    "My money."


    Chen An wailed, suddenly feeling a loss.


    After being busy in this mysterious ice cave for several months, he had almost drained the place, with the previous remnants totaling about three hundred source power points.


    But now, he had only over twenty points left, not even a hundred.


    In other words, he had spent over two hundred source power points just in that deduction process.


    The consumption was astonishing!


    Chen An''s emotions were complicated, and he didn''t know what to say at this moment.


    Of course, there was some good news as well.


    At least, with the support of source power, he had completely mastered this martial art technique, absorbing all its subtleties.


    Ice Sealed for Thousands of Miles, this martial art technique left by Emperor Song was at least a top-notch innate skill.


    Conquering this technique with just over two hundred source power points should be a gain, even a big one.


    But Chen An couldn''t laugh.


    Because he discovered that although he had indeed mastered this technique, he couldn''t use it.


    Yes, he couldn''t use it.


    This martial art technique was powerful, but it also demanded high requirements from the practitioner.


    How high?


    Innate stage.


    To unleash this technique, the prerequisite was to advance to the innate stage so that one would have enough power to execute it.


    Otherwise, if one forced it without reaching the innate stage, the result would probably be disastrous.


    Death.


    In other words, for Chen An, who had not yet advanced to the innate stage, this technique was equivalent to a life-threatening move. Once used, it could not only take down the opponent but also likely take him down as well.


    Spending over two hundred source power points just for this move, Chen An didn''t know if this was a profit or a loss.


    "Well, I''ll work hard later."


    After pondering for a long time in place, Chen An shook his head and looked at the mysterious ice in front of him.


    After some contemplation, he reached out his hand and tried again.


    Not surprisingly, at this moment, the mysterious ice in front of him had no special reaction.


    Most likely, as Chen An had guessed before, the martial intent contained within this block of mysterious ice could only be comprehended three times by each person.


    No more.


    Having acquired the martial art technique, Chen An was not disappointed in this result. He quietly left the place.


    Before leaving, he casually waved his hand, and the mysterious ice energy surged out of his body.


    In an instant, the passage in front of him was sealed shut, turning into layers of mysterious ice, looking as ordinary as the walls inside the cave, with no peculiarities.


    This was a way to cover up the place.


    Otherwise, when the people from the Song Dynasty royal family returned, they would probably spot the issue at a glance.


    After setting up the disguise, Chen An observed the area one last time, feeling satisfied, and then left.


    His actions were quick, as he was eager to recover.


    Having lost too much source power in the mysterious ice cave earlier, he had been drained in one go.


    If he didn''t recover quickly, he would probably end up broke.


    Fortunately, there was still a large area in the mysterious ice cave that Chen An had not explored, so he must hurry over.


    Based on Chen An''s estimate, absorbing this remaining area of mysterious ice should bring in at least two to three hundred source power points.


    However, the sudden turn of events gave Chen An a heavy blow.


    After just two months, Chen An had to leave the mysterious ice cave.


    The reason for this was not due to a sudden realization of conscience, but rather an unavoidable circumstance.


    During the nearly half a year of cultivation in the mysterious ice cave, there had been significant changes in the external situation of the Song Dynasty.


    The new emperor of the Song Dynasty had taken the throne and appeared quite decisive and wise.


    In just half a year, through cruel methods of unifying the internal affairs, he had temporarily stabilized the rebellious forces in the south. Following this, he sent troops northwards, with the target being the Mingzhou area.


    If it was just this, Chen An could have let Liu Chu take charge of defense and continue his cultivation.


    Although Liu Chu''s abilities were not top-notch, after so many years of experience, he could still be considered a seasoned general, especially adept at defense.


    With a large army in hand, defending for a year or two should not be a problem.


    However, the subsequent actions of the Song emperor left Chen An with no choice.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 140: Wither

    In fact, Emperor Song''s operation was not complicated.Chen An summarized it for him, it was actually just six words: cede territory, pay indemnities, kneel as a vassal.


    Six words may seem simple, but in reality, they required a lot of courage.


    It should be noted that just a few years ago, the Song Dynasty could still rival Great Hua and even engage in direct conflict with the country.


    At that time, the Emperor of Song and the Emperor of Hua were equals in status.


    Even though the Song Dynasty was now in decline, the psychological advantage it once had still existed, and it was not easy to bow down.


    But the newly ascended Emperor of Song did just that, directly quelling the dissent of many ministers at home, and through sheer effort, managed to achieve peace, even conceding large territories.


    It is said that he even sent one of his sisters to the imperial palace of Cheng Zheng.


    After all the sacrifices, his only request was to reclaim the ancestral land of Song in Mingzhou.


    This place was very important for the Song Dynasty.


    Because it was not only the ancestral land of the Song Dynasty''s royal family, with significant political significance, but also held a crucial position, being an important part of the Song Dynasty''s rear defense line, second only to the imperial capital.


    Not to mention that the only treasure land in the Song Dynasty, Xuanbing Cave, was also there.


    Frankly speaking, this was a piece of land that the Song Dynasty had to reclaim at all costs.


    Facing the request of the Song Dynasty, what did Cheng Zheng say on the other side?


    He agreed.


    There was no other way.


    He was a more pragmatic person.


    Mingzhou was of extraordinary importance to the Song Dynasty, but for him, the Emperor of Great Hua, it was of little use.


    This place was the ancestral land of the Song Dynasty, not his.


    Xuanbing Cave?


    Great Hua was not lacking in treasure lands.


    From a geographical perspective, this place was very important for the Song Dynasty, but it was not of much use to Great Hua.


    After all, it was too far away.


    Rather than bearing the pressure from the Song Dynasty and forcibly taking over this territory, it was better to use this territory as a bargaining chip to demand greater benefits.


    In addition to the pressure from the rear defense line, after considering various factors, Cheng Zheng agreed.


    He agreed so readily on his side, Chen An almost spat blood.


    Betraying his teammates!


    He was still enjoying his time collecting source energy in Xuanbing Cave, when Cheng Zheng suddenly sprung this on him.


    Was there no room for joy?


    Seeing that people from the Song Dynasty were already coming to take over Mingzhou, Chen An had no choice but to lead his men away.


    The only thing worth celebrating was that Chen An had collected most of the energy-rich places in Xuanbing Cave, leaving only some scattered areas because the range was too large to cover.


    All kinds of heavenly materials and earthly treasures in there, like Xuanbing, had also been extracted, leaving it almost empty.


    It was so empty that it could house mice, not a drop of oil was left.


    I wonder if the people sent by the Song Dynasty to take over would cry out loud when they saw this.


    They probably wouldn''t.


    After all, Chen An had left them something.


    Moreover, with the restorative power of the treasure land, at this level, it should be able to recover in about fifty or sixty years.


    They could afford to wait.


    Thinking about this, Chen An''s mood improved slightly, and he led his army directly and left the area.


    Time passed slowly.


    In the following decades, everything was changing.


    After the Song Dynasty''s submission, Chen An led his troops back to Great Hua, rested for a few years, and then went to war with Lu, which was currently in conflict with Great Hua.


    Compared to the Song Dynasty, Lu was much weaker.


    And this time, Chen An didn''t spend ten years like before.


    In just three years, the Lu army was defeated, achieving a complete victory.


    In the following year, the capital of Lu was breached by the army, and the ruler of Lu knelt and submitted.


    Years later, Chen An went to war again and destroyed the Tianyue country.


    The Duke of Tianyue personally took action, along with another powerful martial artist, and tried to surround and kill Chen An, but was defeated in one stroke by Chen An.


    In that battle, the two great martial artists of Tianyue died, the king of Tianyue was killed by Chen An himself, and Tianyue country ceased to exist, coming directly under the rule of Great Hua.


    After this battle, Chen An''s reputation soared, being hailed as the number one master of Great Hua.


    Of course, this title had actually been earned during the battle with the Song Dynasty.


    His feat of defeating three great martial artists at once was still being talked about among the countries.


    After the battle with Tianyue country, Chen An was en nobled for his achievements, directly being granted the title of Chen King.


    In the following decade, he did not go out to battle again, but stayed in Shengjing quietly, reuniting with his wife and children.


    Yes, wife and children.


    As it turned out, even though they were projection bodies, all their functions were normal.


    In this long period, the Fourth Princess had already become pregnant, and now she had given birth to two children for Chen An.


    Two sons, the eldest son named Chen Mingshuo, and the younger son named Chen Mingjue.


    Although Chen An was happy about these two children, it was still normal for him.


    But for others, such as Cheng Zheng and others, they had great expectations for these two children.


    Perhaps this was a misconception brought about by Chen An.


    Chen An''s performance was too extraordinary, the number one genius of Great Hua, who had risen to the rank of a martial artist before the age of twenty.


    With such a talented and extraordinary father, even if the children were not as good, they should still have some extraordinary qualities, right?


    However, the final result left them disappointed.


    Chen An''s two children grew up successfully, but they did not show the extraordinary talent that Chen An had displayed in the past.


    They were diligent in martial arts, but compared to Chen An''s performance in the past, they were completely different.


    This was disappointing.


    Not only to others, but even to the Fourth Princess, their mother, was somewhat disappointed with these two children.


    Perhaps this was due to their high expectations, which resulted in a gap.


    Among all the people, perhaps the only one who did not have any special feelings was Chen An himself.


    What was his own situation, others did not know, and he himself was clear about it, right?


    It might be right to say that he had good talent, but did he achieve his extraordinary accomplishments relying solely on talent?


    It was fine to say this to others, but if he thought this way too, it would be a bit shameless.


    If not for the upgrade template enabling him to turn things around, under normal circumstances, it would have been uncertain whether Chen An could have advanced to the rank of a martial artist in his lifetime.


    Considering this, why bother to push the children so hard.


    Moreover, in his opinion, the talents of the two children were not bad at all.


    Time continued to pass bit by bit.


    In the blink of an eye, more than twenty years had passed.


    On this day, inside a mansion outside Shengjing, the atmosphere seemed somewhat tense.


    It was still springtime, with flowers blooming in the garden outside, looking beautiful and occasionally emitting a gentle fragrance.


    Usually at this time, the owner of this mansion would come out to admire the scenery and enjoy the spring outside.


    But now, the owner of the mansion was not in the mood for it.


    The Fourth Princess was sick.


    Since two years ago, the Fourth Princess''s health had gradually deteriorated.


    And in the following two years, her health had worsened, to the point where she could no longer get out of bed.


    At first glance, it might seem surprising, but thinking about it carefully, it was actually quite normal.


    Considering her age, the Fourth Princess was already in her fifties.


    In modern times, being in your fifties was not a big deal, but in this world, it was actually considered quite old.


    Indeed, she was old.


    Just a few years ago, Chen An''s second son, Chen Mingjue, had also married, and now had two children.


    As for the eldest son, Chen Mingshuo? His oldest child was about to turn ten.


    People in this era got married very early, and if another five or six years passed, Chen An might become a grandfather.


    Thinking about this was terrifying.


    In this context, being in one''s fifties was actually quite old.


    In the spacious courtyard, Chen An was accompanying the Fourth Princess.


    "Feeling better?"


    In the room, Chen An gently pressed the Fourth Princess''s shoulder and spoke gently.


    In front of him, the Fourth Princess lay quietly in his arms.


    This should have been a harmonious scene, but now it seemed a bit off.


    Considering their age, Chen An was also in his fifties.


    But due to his deep cultivation and emphasis on health, his hair was still dark, and his appearance had changed slightly compared to the past, with a hint of maturity in his eyes, but he still looked like he was in his twenties.


    Time seemed to have left no mark on him, so even now, there had been no significant changes.


    Chen An appeared much younger than his peers, but the Fourth Princess was different.


    Perhaps because of her illness, she now looked old, almost like an old woman.


    From the outside, they seemed to be from different generations.


    If an outsider saw this scene, it would probably look odd.


    But Chen An had long been accustomed to it, so holding the Fourth Princess in his arms, he did not feel anything wrong.


    After all, no matter how old she became, she was still his wife, right?


    "Feeling... a little better."


    The Fourth Princess nodded in his arms, her voice sounding hoarse and weak.


    She seemed to be feeling uncomfortable, frowning all the time.


    Chen An wanted to help her as much as he could, channeling his energy to alleviate her pain, but he could only delay the Fourth Princess''s suffering.


    After all, he was not a doctor, and his energy was not all-powerful, so he could only alleviate the pain, not cure the illness.


    "The flowers seem to have bloomed."


    After a moment, the Fourth Princess looked up, with a look of confusion on her face. "But the flowers this year, don''t seem to be as fragrant."


    Actually, they were still just as fragrant.


    It was just that, due to her age and illness, the Fourth Princess'' senses had gradually dulled.


    Chen An spoke softly, "Maybe it''s the flowers themselves."


    "I went to check a few days ago, the flowers outside seem to have fallen ill, and many have withered."


    "Can flowers get sick?" the Fourth Princess asked with a smile.


    "Of course they can."


    Chen An nodded.


    In the days before, whenever he had some free time, he would go out to explore, taking the Fourth Princess to see the various sceneries, or teaching his grandsons, or visiting Cheng Zheng in the palace to chat with a few old friends.


    But after the Fourth Princess fell ill, he had put these things aside and focused on staying by her side.


    This way, he could make her a little happier.


    A few months passed in companionship.


    The Fourth Princess''s health deteriorated further.


    Doctors and physicians from various places, as long as they had some reputation, were all invited by Chen An.


    Except for some treatment plans that were too far-fetched, Chen An tried all sorts of decent methods.


    But it was no use.


    The medical level in this world was still lacking.


    Despite the strong martial arts, other aspects were far from those of the previous life.


    Moreover, not all diseases could be treated even in Chen An''s previous life.


    All options had been tried, but in the end, none had any effect.


    By the end, the Fourth Princess was starting to feel overwhelmed, instinctively rejecting those treatment plans.


    For her, those treatments were not treating her illness but were rather adding to her suffering.


    In the end, Chen An could only follow her wishes.


    Perhaps it was a brief recovery, or maybe her mood had improved, but in the final days, there were signs of improvement in the Fourth Princess''s condition.


    But Chen An was not happy.


    Because he already knew the outcome.


    Sure enough, a month later, the Fourth Princess''s body suddenly collapsed, lying on the bed, barely able to move.


    At this point, everyone knew very clearly that the Fourth Princess was approaching the end.


    On the night before her passing, by her bedside, the Fourth Princess'' mind was somewhat blurred, but she still tightly held onto Chen An''s hand.


    She spoke softly, recounting past events, especially her first meeting with Chen An, and mentioned it over and over again.


    "When we were at the National Academy back then, did you already plan to get to know my brother through me?" S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Fourth Princess asked in a low voice.


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded.


    "Back then, in your eyes, was I very stupid?"


    "To be honest, a little bit."


    Chen An smiled, "Not only very stupid, but also very troublesome, always causing trouble."


    The Fourth Princess''s awareness suddenly cleared up, and she stared at Chen An.


    It was just that her body was too weak, otherwise, according to her character, she would probably have gotten up from the bed directly at this time and given Chen An a fierce beating.


    In the room, soft voices continued to sound.


    One question after another came out of the Fourth Princess''s mouth, and then Chen An answered them.


    The two voices echoed.


    But one thing was very obvious, the voice of the Fourth Princess was getting quieter and quieter.


    In the end, unless Chen An''s hearing was remarkable, he would probably have had some trouble hearing clearly.


    The voice gradually lowered, becoming more and more blurry.


    Until a certain moment, the voice in front of him completely disappeared.


    Chen An grabbed the Fourth Princess''s hand, tentatively calling her name several times.


    No response.


    Unknowingly, the hand he was holding seemed to have become cold.


    There was no warmth at all.


    Chen An suddenly lifted his head, his expression somewhat dazed.


    A strong sense of unease and confusion welled up in his heart.


    A person who had been by his side day and night, had she really left him like this?


    Had he really lost sight of the person he remembered?


    That night, Chen An didn''t fall asleep.


    Since coming to this world, he had never experienced such feelings.


    In the past, no matter what situation he faced, he could remain calm.


    Because he knew that he was just a projection, and this world didn''t mean much to him.


    Even if he really died, it was just a return to his original form.


    So in the past, he had always been able to keep calm.


    But today, that calm had been shattered.


    People, in the end, would die.


    His relatives, his children, everything would die.


    What about himself?


    It seemed like he would too.


    Even though this body was just a projection, and even if he died, he would just return to his original form, but even if he returned to his original form, wouldn''t he still die?


    It seemed that he would still die.


    Although the martial arts were powerful, even figures as powerful as Emperor Song Taizu would eventually pass away.


    Of course, with the upgrade template, he might be able to go further.


    But even so, it seemed that the likelihood of dying on the way was still higher.


    Perhaps it would be a sudden serious illness, or an unbeatable strong enemy.


    Even reaching the realm of immortality, in this vast world, there were probably even more powerful things that were enough to kill him.


    By then, wouldn''t it still be death?


    People would always die.


    Struggling, was just to delay one''s death.


    If that was the case, what was the point of the present effort?


    Chen An lifted his head and looked up at the seemingly unchanged sky, feeling a little lost.


    For the next half year, he continued to live according to his usual habits.


    He personally arranged the funeral of the Fourth Princess and buried her.


    During this time, Cheng Zheng and others came to visit.


    Friends came to comfort him. Chen An seemed to have recovered and had a smile on his face again.


    Everything seemed to have returned to its original state.


    Until half a year later, some bad news came.


    Inside the National Academy, there was a sound of reading everywhere.


    Compared to the past, the National Academy was not in decline, but seemed even more prosperous than before.


    After Cheng Zheng took office, he reformed the National Academy, turning it into a place dedicated to educating the descendants of noble families.


    Almost every qualified noble son would come here for a visit.


    Chen An''s eldest and second son had been to the National Academy and studied there for several years.


    Every year, Chen An would come here to visit one person.


    That person was Chen An''s old teacher, Dong Heng.


    In the past, when Chen An was still young, he had received many favors from his teacher Dong Heng, and it was thanks to his care that he was able to proceed smoothly.


    Otherwise, with his situation back then, even if he could still rise, it would probably have been much more difficult.


    To show his respect, every so often, Chen An would personally visit.


    This year was no exception.


    But this time, during this visit, he received an unexpected message from his teacher Dong Heng.


    "Chang''an, I''m about to die."


    In the main hall, Dong Heng sat in his usual place, seemingly the same teacher as before.


    He smiled at Chen An as he walked in, and spoke like this.


    Chen An''s movements suddenly paused, subconsciously looking up at his teacher.


    "Teacher, you..."


    "It''s an old problem that was left over from before, I didn''t expect it to suddenly flare up."


    Dong Heng sighed, then smiled, "It''s about time, it should have been in the past half month."


    "Chang''an, you''ve come at a good time."


    "If you had come a month later, you probably wouldn''t have seen me again."


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 141: The Desert Law King

    As Chen An''s teacher, Dong Heng, despite being a great scholar in Dahua country, did not have strong martial arts skills, just average.In a sense, he and Liu Chu belonged to the same category, both lacking strong martial talent.


    But despite not having strong martial skills, Dong Heng was strong in another aspect.


    That was his health.


    At his current age of seventy or eighty, Dong Heng still appeared strong and powerful, looking no different from an ordinary middle-aged man, which was a testament to his health.


    Many elderly people at this age would die happily if they could live like this.


    And now, Dong Heng said he was about to die.


    Chen An couldn''t help but fall silent.


    He knew his teacher would not lie to him.


    If he said he was about to die, then it must be true.


    For people like them, as the end approached, they would usually have a sense and know when their body would expire.


    "No need to be sad."


    Seeing Chen An''s thoughts, Dong Heng smiled, "People aging and dying is the most natural thing in this world."


    "Moreover, at my age, I have lived long enough and had a fulfilling life, what is there not to be satisfied with?"


    "You should be happy for me, Chang''an."


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded.


    Compared to others, Dong Heng''s life was already complete.


    He was a renowned great scholar, with outstanding achievements in many fields, even the national army would pay respect to him if they saw him.


    He also had many disciples.


    Many students who studied at the national academy in recent years could be counted as his students.


    Even Chen An himself was just one of his students.


    In many aspects, he had achieved what others could only envy.


    "No need to feel sad about my departure."


    Looking at Chen An, Dong Heng smiled, "Chang''an, what I admired most about you in the beginning was your indifferent heart to worldly things."


    "There seems to be nothing in this world that can disturb you."


    "You value martial arts, but not as obsessed as others, you resent the Chen Guogong Manor, but remain indifferent, you love reading, but not as concerned about the principles as others."


    "At that time, I was thinking, is there anything in this world that could make you feel agitated?"


    "Now it seems, there is."


    He paused, then smiled again, "The death of the Fourth Princess seems to have upset you a lot."


    "Yes."


    Chen An smiled bitterly, "It''s not so much upset, just suddenly feel that in this life, we are all going to leave eventually, as if nothing has meaning anymore."


    "No."


    Dong Heng maintained his smile and looked at his favorite disciple, speaking softly, "There is always meaning."


    "As long as a person lives, exists, they will leave their mark, and they will always have their own meaning."


    "I am already in my eighties, have written many books in my lifetime, and have countless disciples. Do you think this has meaning?"


    "Of course, it has meaning."


    Chen An nodded.


    Dong Heng was a recognized great scholar, had written many books in his lifetime, and taught many students.


    Even if he passed away, his deeds would be recorded in history books and highlighted.


    "The Fourth Princess is the same."


    Dong Heng continued, "Although she has left, she has left her mark."


    "She has children, and she has you, her husband, who will always remember her."


    "All living creatures in this world, even as small as ants, will eventually leave their mark. Even if they are gone, this mark will remain and influence future generations."


    "In this world, it is the sum of all these marks."


    "So who can say that their existence is meaningless?"


    Dong Heng spoke softly, continuing to impart wisdom to Chen An as usual.


    It felt like they had returned to the past, where the teacher was still the teacher and the student was still the student.


    "Student understands."


    Chen An nodded.


    He naturally understood the truths that Dong Heng spoke of.


    At the end of the day, Chen An was a transmigrator.


    He may not have fully understood many truths, but he had known them from his previous life.


    But what use was it to know all the truths.


    In this world, there were countless people who knew all the truths but still couldn''t live a good life.


    The truth was always there, but those who could truly comprehend it were few.


    Seeing Chen An''s thoughtful expression, Dong Heng smiled and did not continue speaking, just gestured for him to stand aside.


    Out of past understanding, Chen An stood by Dong Heng''s side and prepared ink and paper for him.


    It was as if he was still an ordinary student by Dong Heng''s side.


    For the next month, everything seemed to return to the way it was before.


    During the last month of his life, Dong Heng seemed to not do much.


    He just lived a routine life, constantly copying some books.


    Most of these books were brought from other countries.


    Well, to be precise, they were looted.


    In the past decades, Chen An had conquered several countries, and besides other spoils, various books were also brought back.


    Many of these books were unique copies.


    From that time onwards, Dong Heng, as a great scholar at the national academy, began tirelessly copying these books.


    And this behavior had not changed until now.


    At the end of his life, he was still doing the same.


    A month later, on a sunny afternoon, Dong Heng also left.


    He left with a smile on his face, still sitting at the desk, seemingly contemplating how to transcribe the next book.


    In the blink of an eye, his breath completely disappeared, leaving no trace of life.


    Chen An watched the whole process in silence.


    So, after the funeral of the Fourth Princess, he promptly arranged the funeral for his teacher Dong Heng.


    There was no other way.


    The Fourth Princess still had Chen An as her husband and two children.


    But teacher Dong Heng had never married in his life, and perhaps only his students like Chen An could arrange a funeral for him.


    Many of Dong Heng''s former students came to the funeral upon hearing the news.


    For a while, the crowd surged, and the spacious hall was almost filled with the arriving crowd.


    In the end, Chen An had to make several more arrangements to accommodate so many people.


    If ordinary people saw this scene, they would probably feel moved and think that after Dong Heng''s death, so many disciples still came, and it was not in vain for his life.


    But Chen An did not see it that way.


    With his eyes, he naturally saw many things.


    Among those who came to participate in the funeral, many had impure intentions.


    They might not have originally intended to come, but seeing Chen An presiding over the funeral, they decided to come.


    In the end, they wanted to use the funeral to build a relationship with Chen An.


    There were too many people with such thoughts, resulting in the hall being crowded.


    As for those who genuinely came to mourn?


    There were a few.


    But in terms of numbers, there were probably very few.


    If others saw this situation, they would probably think that those who came had impure intentions.


    But if Dong Heng were still alive and saw this situation, how would he react?


    He would probably laugh heartily.


    After pondering for a moment, Chen An finally found the answer.


    For teacher Dong Heng, he would not care whether those people had sincere intentions or not.


    As long as they were willing to come, toast to him, pay respects to their teacher, he would be pleased.


    As for the various dirty thoughts and intentions underneath, he would just smile and ignore them.


    Thinking of this, Chen An seemed to be lost in thought.


    Time continued to pass.


    The lively funeral gradually subsided.


    After this incident, everything in Shengjing seemed to return to normal.


    Chen An also forgot about his grief and gradually returned to his normal life.


    He still lived in his Chen Guogong Manor, living a life similar to his past.


    Besides practicing and enjoying the flowers, he would also visit a few places where his old friends were and chat with them.


    Perhaps as he grew older, he liked reminiscing about the past more. Nowadays, both Cheng Zheng and Liu Chu were more talkative than before.


    They enjoyed talking about the good old days with Chen An.


    As they chatted, they would inevitably think back to the present, and they couldn''t help but sigh.


    After many years, they had all changed a lot.


    Cheng Zheng had grown white hair on his head and looked like an old man.


    Of course, he was indeed getting old.


    After all, by this age, he was already over seventy.


    At this age, he should have stopped and enjoyed life, but he insisted on working harder, dealing with many government affairs every day.


    As he said, he wanted to do more things before he died, to pave the way for the prince''s future.


    As for Liu Chu, he had also aged, but his life seemed much more carefree.


    After the previous battles, he had bought a large mansion and had many concubines and beautiful women living in it, enjoying himself there when there was nothing to do.


    Chen An shook his head at the whole process.


    Although he didn''t understand much about health, he knew that Liu Chu''s lifestyle would not lead to a long life.


    He had advised several times, but Liu Chu refused to listen, and his words left Chen An speechless.


    "I''m already this age, can''t I enjoy life properly?"


    Listening to Liu Chu''s drunken words, Chen An had no words to respond and could only let him be.


    Upon careful consideration, it seemed to make sense.


    In this world of short average lifespans, people like Liu Chu, Cheng Zheng, and others never knew when they might pass away.


    In this situation, it seemed unnecessary to advise against it.


    Let him be.


    Chen An felt relieved in his heart and no longer tried to persuade.


    Actually, not only others, but Chen An himself had changed a lot.


    On the surface, he still seemed young, with a look in his early thirties, long black hair, resembling a young man.


    But in reality, his body was gradually weakening.


    In the end, essence energy was still mortal, merely living longer than ordinary people.


    But at his current age, Chen An had also come down from his peak.


    If there were no surprises in the future, his physical condition would probably continue to weaken.


    Of course, because essence energy cultivators had a longer lifespan, this period of time was still quite long.


    In the past, Chen An might have started to feel anxious.


    But after the passing of the Fourth Princess and his teacher Dong Heng, he seemed to have completely calmed down.


    He let go of many things and began to enjoy life, observing everything around him earnestly.


    Occasionally, he would take his grandchildren out for a stroll to let them see the hardships of ordinary people and provide help within his capabilities.


    Everything happened naturally and was what he wanted to do.


    But something strange happened.


    Before, when Chen An was eager to practice and strive to reach the Innate Realm, he couldn''t seem to touch that threshold.


    But when he truly disregarded it all and no longer obsessively pursued it, he began to feel the opportunity to advance.


    In these years, he had not given up on cultivation but had integrated it into his life, turning it into a unique way of life.


    On a calm night, after Chen An finished meditating once again, he had a premonition in his heart.


    The sensing of aura and energy within him gave him a big hint.


    What was previously stuck in front, unable to break through, cracked in silence, revealing a gap.


    So he stopped in his tracks and returned to the mansion in Shengjing.


    This mansion was originally the Fourth Princess''s, holding many memories for Chen An.


    At the time when memories were most vivid, there were not only the Fourth Princess and Chen An but also their two children.


    But now, the Fourth Princess had passed away, and the two children had long ago started their own families, each with their own affairs.


    Now, within the mansion, only a few servants were responsible for maintenance.


    But that was just fine.


    With no one else around, it was peaceful.


    Chen An moved into the mansion and started his cultivation.


    He seemed to be practicing martial arts, but every morning, the sound of clear reading would echo from the room, very distinct.


    Outside the mansion, peach blossoms slowly bloomed, exuding a new vitality.


    Time slowly passed.


    Another three years went by.


    During this time, Chen An had completely immersed himself in seclusion, with no news coming out.


    People had also gotten used to Chen Wang''s absence.


    After all, in the past, Chen An had kept a very low profile, often going for years without any news.


    Compared to the past, three years of no news now didn''t seem abnormal.


    Even Chen Zheng and the other old friends didn''t know what Chen An was up to, but they could sense that he was spending less time outside.


    This had made Cheng Zheng and Liu Chu somewhat worried.


    Due to their concerns, Cheng Zheng even tried to introduce beautiful noble daughters to Chen An for a remarriage.


    Chen An could only smile wryly and reject them, saying he was fine.


    Time continued to pass.


    In the third year of Chen An''s return to Shengjing, something big finally happened.


    In the desolate back desert, a madman rose up. s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He was a martial artist who came from the Northern grasslands and called himself the Desert Law King, wielding a scepter as he came from the North.


    He came from the grasslands, challenging the strongest in each country he passed through.


    Along the way, he had not tasted defeat.


    The Duke of Lu, the Valiant Marquis of Song had all faced him but were defeated in less than ten moves.


    It was heard that five essence energy masters had teamed up to surround and kill him once but still couldn''t beat him, being directly defeated by him.


    For a while, the name of the Desert Law King rose.


    Although the Law King''s reputation was great, he did not engage in extreme killings.


    He seemed to only want to experience different martial arts, challenge different experts, and had no intention of killing.


    As the ruler of this land, Dahua naturally would not let him off.


    In the palace, Cheng Zheng looked down at the martial arts field below, his face somewhat grim.


    In front of him, several people were lying on the ground, each showing signs of essence energy.


    Standing among everyone was a middle-aged man with a thin body, wearing a peculiar robe.


    The middle-aged man''s skin was thin and sallow, his face always calm, his ancient and serene eyes always carrying a sense of superiority.


    "Gentlemen, forgive me."


    The Law King held his scepter, clasped his hands together, making a strange Buddhist gesture.


    Silence reigned everywhere.


    Because just now, the Law King had done an extremely bold thing.


    In front of Cheng Zheng, he had simultaneously challenged three royal disciples and had emerged victorious, appearing effortlessly throughout.


    Such terrifying strength was suffocating.


    The essence energy was so terrifyingly immense that everyone couldn''t help but feel unsettled and oppressed.


    The guards on duty around were tense, with many already sweating profusely.


    Initially, many had doubts.


    The Law King had challenged so many experts along the way, humiliated so many people, so how had he managed to remain alive until now?


    Now it seemed it was not because those people were generous, but because they simply couldn''t manage it.


    The Law King indeed had this strength.


    To put it bluntly, at this moment, all three royal disciples guarding Shengjing had been defeated. If the Law King were to attack the Emperor now, they would be powerless to stop him.


    The guards?


    They were useless.


    Although the imperial palace''s guards were strict, even an ordinary essence energy cultivator might not be able to withstand, let alone the terrifying Law King before them.


    If the Law King were to take action in a fit of rage, they would have no way to stop him.


    That was why Cheng Zheng''s face was so grim.


    How many people could endure the threat to their lives by another?


    "Your Majesty, should we temporarily retreat?"


    A court official next to him, with a changed expression, spoke softly to Cheng Zheng.


    "Are you telling me to flee in the face of the enemy?"


    Cheng Zheng narrowed his eyes, "Am I someone who fears death?"


    The court official helplessly withdrew.


    Cheng Zheng couldn''t help but sigh, "Unfortunately, if Chang''an were here, what would I have to fear?"


    As if understanding his inner thoughts, the Law King''s voice came from the front.


    "I''ve heard that in Dahua, Prince Chen has formidable cultivation and his strength is unrivaled in the Central Plains."


    The Law King clasped his hands together, his face calm and serene, "I have come here this time hoping to challenge the expert of various countries, would it be possible to have a battle with Prince Chen?"


    Silence spread throughout the area.


    (This chapter is complete)

 Chapter 142: Innate

    "Daring!"As the King''s words fell, immediately a minister loudly scolded, "Chen Wang is our Great Huaxia''s number one hero, only ranked below the emperor. You, a barbarian, dare to challenge Chen Wang!"


    "Exactly!"


    People all around were discussing loudly, shouting.


    But the years have changed.


    Over the years, Chen An has fought in various places and his reputation has soared. There are countless supporters in the country.


    Therefore, when the challenge to Chen Wang was announced, there was a strong reaction everywhere.


    However, the King remained calm and unconcerned, only looking at Cheng Zheng in front of him. "I came from the northern region, just wanting to challenge warriors from all over the world, with no other intentions. Please fulfill my wish, Your Majesty."


    People all around were still discussing, wanting to continue scolding.


    However, the King just raised his head and looked casually to one side.


    Boom!


    A cold gangqi swept through the four directions. Although invisible and intangible, it was real, as if it were choking everyone''s necks, trying to strangle them alive.


    The chilling killing intent emanating from it could be felt by anyone.


    People all around appeared to be choked like their necks were being squeezed, and the voices of many discussions suddenly stopped.


    At this point, everyone finally realized who was standing in front of them.


    Although the Great Desert King rarely killed anyone, it didn''t mean he wouldn''t kill.


    And with the strength of the other party, if he started a killing spree, probably no one present would be able to leave.


    Realizing this, many ministers present immediately fell silent.


    Even the few hardliners who were staring at Cheng Zheng in front of them did not continue to speak.


    The atmosphere was momentarily silent on the spot.


    Only after a while did Cheng Zheng finally speak reluctantly.


    "You want to challenge Chen Wang?"


    "Yes."


    The King nodded.


    "But now, Chen Wang is old, and his body is no longer what it used to be."


    Cheng Zheng frowned, hesitating to speak. He didn''t want Chen An to fight the King.


    Emotionally, it was one aspect.


    But on the other side, Chen An was the pillar of Great Huaxia, the number one master who shook many countries.


    Over the years, Chen An had become a flag of Great Huaxia, a pillar in the hearts of many.


    Others could fail, but if Chen An failed, then yes, even though it was hard to believe, Cheng Zheng''s heart was already a bit shaky.


    In the past, he firmly believed that Chen An could surpass all opponents.


    But the King in front of him was too terrifying.


    Given Chen Wang''s current state, could he really contend with the King in front of him? Cheng Zheng dared not affirm, nor dare to gamble.


    But he didn''t want to gamble, and others wouldn''t let him have his way.


    "No matter."


    The voice of the King in front of him spoke slowly, still calm, with a strange power that seemed to infect the hearts and minds of people.


    "I only came here for one battle. If Chen Wang is truly unwell and unable to fight, I will leave immediately without saying a word."


    The King folded his hands and calmly said, "I have walked all the way here, and this is the only wish I have. Please fulfill it, Your Majesty."


    It seemed that he was determined to fight Chen An at all costs.


    If he didn''t achieve his goal, he would not give up.


    Cheng Zheng''s face was pale, and his emotions seemed particularly bad.


    If possible, he wanted to take down the King in front of him and drive him away on the spot.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t.


    The opponent''s strength was there, even if he was an emperor of a country.


    Unless a large army surrounded and killed him, there was no way to deal with the opponent.


    "You..."


    He wanted to say something more, but the King in front of him no longer wanted to waste time.


    "I heard that Chen Wang has been secluded in Shengjing since three years ago."


    The King spoke lightly, "Since Your Majesty is unwilling to help, I will visit him myself."


    With that, he took a step forward and walked away.


    The people around looked at the King''s figure, but no one dared to stop him.


    The guards all around made great efforts. Many people wanted to move forward and stop the King.


    But under the gangqi, all efforts were in vain.


    After a brief moment, the King''s figure disappeared in an instant, directly disappearing from Cheng Zheng''s sight.


    Seeing this scene, many people breathed a sigh of relief, and many others felt horrified.


    Cheng Zheng suddenly woke up and immediately reacted, "Chen Wang must not be in danger!"


    "Immediately gather the troops and follow me to Chen Wang''s mansion!"


    People around immediately sprang into action.


    The King was obviously unaware of Cheng Zheng''s actions.


    Even if he knew, he probably wouldn''t care.


    He had encountered many people on the way here, some were real powerhouses, while others were cunning and deceitful.


    But no matter what, none of them could harm the King even a bit.


    And Cheng Zheng was no exception. No matter what tricks he tried, they were all in vain against absolute strength.


    The King was confident of this.


    But his confidence quickly disappeared.


    Chen An''s mansion was not hard to find.


    After all, he was the mighty Chen Wang, the pillar of Great Huaxia, and even in seclusion, the location of his mansion was still being watched by many.


    If he didn''t know that Chen Wang was in seclusion and usually didn''t receive guests, going there would have been pointless. Otherwise, many people would have come to visit, even breaking down the doors of the mansion.


    The King easily found out the location of Chen An''s mansion and confidently prepared to visit.


    But just as he arrived at the gate, he stopped.


    Invisibly, a qi flowed out from the mansion in front of him, spreading out.


    This qi was intangible and imperceptible, like a gentle breeze brushing against one''s face, subtle and imperceptible.


    But in the eyes of a true master, this qi was clear as day.


    The King was obviously such a master.


    His strength had long stood at the peak of gangqi, just one step away from the legendary innate realm.


    It was because of this that he could keenly sense the innate qi emanating from the mansion ahead.


    The owner of this mansion was innate!


    Innate!


    These two words were enough to shock a crowd.


    Throughout history, gangqi warriors had been at the top, unmatched in various countries.


    But the innate realm was different.


    Anyone who could ascend to the innate realm was a prominent figure mentioned in history books.


    For example, like the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, who single-handedly established the Great Song, and the founding emperor of Great Huaxia.


    These founding emperors of dynasties were all at the innate realm.


    And in the past few decades, the innate realm seemed to have disappeared from the world, never to be found again.


    The King had thought that he was already the person closest to the innate realm in the world.


    But he never expected that someone had already taken that step.


    He challenged formidable opponents, integrating many martial arts of gangqi to complement himself, and had barely taken half a step forward in the realm of gangqi.


    But the person in front of the mansion had undoubtedly taken that step.


    Although it seemed like they were only a half step away, it was a vast gap.


    "Indeed, the world is vast."


    The King sighed, then resolutely pushed open the courtyard gate.


    If it were an ordinary person, seeing an innate standing in front of them, most would probably choose to retreat.


    But the King was not an ordinary person.


    He was much tougher than an ordinary person, much more determined.


    Knowing there was a tiger in the mountains, he leaned towards the tiger''s den, speaking of people like him.


    Thus, he pushed open the courtyard gate, entering without even announcing his arrival. Because there was no need for announcements.


    Innate warriors connected qi in all directions, and probably as soon as he arrived outside the mansion, he would have sensed something.


    If that was the case, there was no need for any announcement.


    A bustling sound came from all around, along with the screams of several maids.


    More servants hurried over from a distance, seemingly wanting to drive away this unexpected guest.


    But the King ignored all of this, moving forward alone towards the core of the mansion.


    Finally, outside a peach blossom forest, he saw Chen An.


    Chen An was sitting alone, admiring the peach blossoms all around, looking very relaxed.


    For the King''s arrival, he didn''t seem surprised, just quietly turned around and looked at the other person.


    "Desert Monk, greetings to Chen Wang."


    Finally seeing the true master, the King raised his head, greeted respectfully.


    "Are you here to challenge me?"


    Chen An turned around, his gaze falling on the King in front of him.


    For this unexpected intruder in his mansion, he didn''t seem angry, just looked at the other person with interest.


    He was alone in isolation, occasionally going out for a stroll. He was quite knowledgeable about the news around.


    Naturally, he had heard about the King in front of him.


    Earlier, he had thought, would this person come to Great Huaxia and challenge him too?


    And now, the person had indeed arrived.


    This surprised Chen An a bit.


    "Yes."


    The King lowered his head, respectfully saying, "I hope Chen Wang will give me guidance."


    Since coming to the Central Plains, this was the first time he had humbly asked for advice from someone else.


    But this was not surprising, as the most capable one should come first.


    "Since you have come here, you should know the outcome."


    Chen An smiled, "Your strength is very good, but you are not my opponent for now."


    "I understand."


    The King nodded, not denying this, but his attitude remained firm, "Please enlighten me, Chen Wang."


    Chen An looked at him deeply, "Then make your move."


    With that, the two fell silent.


    Once they decided to fight, any unnecessary words became irrelevant.


    The King folded his hands together, and qi vibrated all over his body.


    Powerful gangqi surged outward from him, like a sudden appearance of a giant whale in a calm sea, completely breaking the peace.


    A powerful aura rose to the sky, covering the four directions, even blocking out the sky.


    Standing in place, the King was enveloped in gangqi. Golden light bloomed from him, making him look like a towering golden Buddha, divine and untouchable.


    The momentum that surged up in an instant startled the high-level experts in Shengjing, causing them to look in that direction.


    "It''s Chen Wang''s mansion!"


    "The King and Chen Wang are fighting!"


    Some felt happy about the fight between the two, while others felt scared.


    Many people were awaiting the outcome of their battle, and many more were anxious and uneasy.


    They thought the battle would last a long time.


    One was the Great Desert King who had challenged countless powerful opponents along the way and had never been defeated.


    The other was the already famous Chen Wang, known as the number one master in the Central Plains.


    The clash between these two, just the thought of it made people excited, surely it would be a heart-stirring battle.


    But the final outcome disappointed them.


    When Cheng Zheng hurriedly led people to Chen An''s mansion, he did not see the two engaged in intense combat.


    In the spacious courtyard, everything remained the same as before, the peach blossoms were still blooming all around, bright and dazzling, with no signs of damage.


    Everything around was intact, and there was no trace of a terrifying battle that matched the previous overwhelming aura.


    "So you guys fought for so long, was it just for fun?"


    There wasn''t a single thing damaged, how could it look like a battlefield of two peak gangqi masters!


    Cheng Zheng''s group was a bit puzzled.


    But the gangqi devotees beside him had already sensed the outcome.


    "Innate qi."


    Sensing the qi from ahead, a few devotees had shocked expressions as they looked in that direction.


    Peach blossoms bloomed all around, falling to the ground.


    Chen An, who had been sitting on the ground, had already stood up.


    And in front of him?


    The King was half kneeling on the ground, holding his chest with one hand.


    There, bright red blood was dripping from his chest, looking so incredibly red.


    He seemed to be very seriously injured, and he no longer had the strength to stand up.


    But his face was full of joy, completely devoid of the appearance of being injured.


    "So that''s how it is."


    Half kneeling on the ground, he muttered to himself.


    Chen An turned around, his gaze falling on the King, showing a hint of realization and admiration.


    The King''s strength was indeed very strong.


    Strictly speaking, he was just one step away from being innate, and he was undeniably the strongest person on the level of gangqi.


    Frankly speaking, if he hadn''t encountered Chen An, who had already ascended to the innate realm, there were probably very few people in the world who could defeat him.


    However, even with such a formidable figure, he had ultimately reached his limit.


    In the end, struggling to stand up, he deeply bowed to Chen An and then walked away.


    Watching the King leave, Cheng Zheng walked up to Chen An and, full of killing intent, asked, "Chang An, do you want me to¡­¡±


    Although the King was defeated, he was still a huge threat.


    With the terrifying strength of the opponent, if he were to oppose Great Huaxia, there was no one besides Chen An who could rival him.


    If the opponent turned to others, Cheng Zheng felt that he would never sleep soundly, even if he tried.


    "No need."


    Chen An shook his head and said quietly, "He was a dead man walking anyway." S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Cheng Zheng seem a bit puzzled, he continued, "He made a mistake in his cultivation, and his body had major problems."


    "Even if I didn''t intervene, he would at most live another five years."


    "As for now, he probably only has less than three years left."


    He spoke softly, with a hint of regret in his words.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 143: Return to the Mansion

    "Three years?"Cheng Zheng was stunned for a moment, then gradually came to his senses. "In that case, he got off cheap this time!"


    "If not for that, I would have torn him to pieces to ease the hatred in my heart," the king spoke with a heavy tone.


    This statement was quite serious.


    Chen An looked at Cheng Zheng with some confusion, not understanding why he was so angry.


    He was unaware of the events that had taken place in the palace before, so he did not understand the reason for Cheng Zheng''s anger.


    However, he didn''t say anything, just smiled and said, "It''s just a dead man after all, Your Majesty, why bother?"


    Cheng Zheng nodded, his face softened a bit, then his gaze returned to Chen An in front of him.


    Compared to the matter of the sorcerer, what he was more concerned about at the moment was the situation of Chen An in front of him.


    "Changan, are you..."


    Cheng Zheng looked at Chen An, hesitating to speak.


    He was not a fool and could see some problems from the previous situation.


    Being able to easily defeat the sorcerer at the peak of Qi, his strength was probably terrifying.


    Even if he didn''t figure it out himself, the Qi enshrined around him were not dumb.


    Compared to Cheng Zheng, they could feel the lingering aura everywhere.


    Chen An''s aura was originally hidden, rarely spreading, and always existed only in this mansion.


    But after the recent altercation, this aura leaked out.


    And now not only the previous sorcerer, but even the surrounding Qi enshrined could clearly sense it.


    But Chen An didn''t care.


    If they knew, they knew.


    He was not a thief, what was there to fear?


    Facing Cheng Zheng''s expectant gaze, he smiled, then nodded, "Yes."


    "Three years ago, as a minister, I had a realization. After long seclusion, I finally achieved the Innate."


    "I have not informed Your Majesty until now, please forgive me."


    He was confessing, but Cheng Zheng already had no intention to listen to his words.


    At this moment, all of Cheng Zheng''s attention was drawn by those two words.


    "Innate."


    Standing in place, Cheng Zheng''s eyes widened suddenly.


    Staring at Chen An in front of him in a daze, he was a bit absent-minded, not knowing what to say to express the shock in his heart.


    In the Central Plains where countries fought each other, each country had Qi sitting in charge, and in powerful countries like Dahua, there were more than five Qi.


    But even so, Innate was still unattainable.


    The last known Innate in the entire Central Plains dates back over a hundred years.


    And now, after all these years, has another Innate appeared on this land?


    Cheng Zheng was overjoyed.


    For him, this was simply the best news.


    If someone else ascended to Innate, he would have many worries.


    A mere sorcerer at the peak of Qi was already so arrogant, completely unstoppable, let alone an Innate.


    To put it bluntly, in this age of peerless Innate, once an Innate appeared, it would probably easily destroy the country.


    Even Dahua would not be able to stop it.


    If someone else ascended, Cheng Zheng would probably have trouble sleeping and no appetite.


    Even the people inside the country would be the same.


    After all, even the people within the country could not stop others with other intentions.


    Who knows when someone would dislike you and directly take your position?


    Okay, even if someone is dedicated to martial arts and does not have this intention, but his relatives and friends might.


    Such incidents have occurred countless times on the Central Plains.


    But in the face of Chen An in front of him.


    Cheng Zheng felt that he would laugh in his dreams in the future.


    Chen An would never rebel, not in this lifetime.


    Because he simply didn''t care about that position.


    This was something Cheng Zheng understood very well.


    As for Chen An''s two children, they also had close ties to the royal family.


    The eldest son Chen Mingxiu married Cheng Zheng''s daughter, making them even closer.


    The second son Chen Mingjue, although his wife was not royalty, she was a close companion of the crown prince since childhood and had a deep relationship with the crown prince.


    These two people had strong connections with the royal family and were unlikely to rebel.


    Thinking of this, Cheng Zheng suddenly felt a bit regretful.


    Why didn''t Chen An have a daughter?


    Otherwise, he could have had the crown prince marry Chen An''s daughter, making her the crown princess directly.


    That would have been more stable.


    Apart from these, the most important thing was their friendship.


    Decades of friendship were the key and the reason for Cheng Zheng''s trust that Chen An would not harm him.


    "The unwanted guests are gone. If you have no business, feel free to leave."


    Chen An stood in place, smiling at the people in front of him. "Of course, if you don''t mind the simplicity here, you are welcome to stay and have a meal with me. It''s better than nothing."


    This was a polite way of asking guests to leave.


    Most people understood this and left very sensibly.


    But some people stayed.


    However, those who stayed were mostly those who had good relations with Chen An.


    For example, Liu Chu and some other old friends stayed behind.


    They had lunch with Chen An and then left.


    There was nothing they could do.


    They wanted to stay longer and ask Chen An some questions, but they were all busy people and could not stay indefinitely.


    After a meal, they all left. s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An opened the door and personally saw them off, which surprised them.


    To be personally sent off by an Innate, this treatment was something not many people experienced.


    They were fortunate to have the experience, making this trip worthwhile.


    Time passed once again.


    The battle of that day eventually spread over time.


    In just half a year, all the countries in the Central Plains knew the outcome of that battle.


    The sorcerer who came from the desert, unstoppable and challenging countless experts, had ultimately been defeated.


    This news shocked many people.


    After all, in the years leading up to this, the sorcerer had challenged many experts and defeated many guardians of countries, establishing a terrifying reputation.


    Before this, many people had recognized the sorcerer as having reached the peak of Qi and being almost unbeatable at that level.


    Even so, he still lost the battle.


    And the one who defeated him was the acknowledged top expert in the Central Plains, the Chen King of Dahua.


    More terrifying than the outcome of this battle was the news that the Chen King had ascended to Innate.


    Yes, in just half a year, the news of Chen An''s ascension to Innate had spread far and wide, almost everywhere.


    Even street children had heard the news and knew of the legend of the Chen King.


    This was quite unexpected for Chen An.


    Just defeating a sorcerer should not have caused such a big reaction.


    But Chen An suspected that Cheng Zheng had a hand in spreading this news.


    It was probably that Cheng Zheng had deliberately sent out a lot of people to spread Chen An''s reputation.


    Otherwise, in such a vast Central Plains, how could the news spread so quickly in just half a year?


    It was as if it''s the modern world, where with a single internet message, the whole world would know.


    Cheng Zheng''s intention was probably to promote Chen An''s name.


    Well, more accurately, it was to promote Dahua''s name and reputation.


    After all, Chen An didn''t need that kind of reputation.


    But it was useful for Dahua.


    With an Innate sitting in power, Dahua''s importance instantly increased.


    Even the envoys of Dahua became more assertive.


    The effects were self-evident.


    But Chen An suffered.


    He had initially secluded himself in the mansion of the fourth princess, where he had lived in peace as very few people disturbed him except for Cheng Zheng and a few others.


    But now things were different.


    People from all over the world were coming to him, seeking to become his disciples, challenging him for advice, and wanting to join him.


    Numerous requests, too many to count.


    Although Chen An could avoid meeting them, there were always people trying to approach him one way or another, and it was annoying for anyone.


    There was a simple solution to the problem, just kill a few people indiscriminately.


    In the end, his reputation would spread and things would be easier.


    But there was a problem.


    Although Chen An had killed many people, it was still somewhat embarrassing to suddenly kill people with no reason.


    After all, he was essentially a modern person who still valued some principles.


    So he decided to move away and live elsewhere.


    This time, he did not inform others of his whereabouts, only a few people knew, and he secluded himself there.


    The life of seclusion was still good.


    The outsiders couldn''t find their target and had to leave.


    Of course, some were not content with giving up and were trying to cause trouble.


    But for these people, Chen An no longer showed any mercy.


    He dealt with them directly.


    With time, everything calmed down again.


    Chen An continued his solitary seclusion, living his leisurely life day by day, while also focusing on his cultivation.


    Even after ascending to Innate, he did not give up on his cultivation.


    Because he had seen higher visions.


    The image of the Founding Emperor of Great Song was still fresh in his mind.


    Compared to those towering figures, Innate was not that special.


    He was just getting started.


    In the realm of Innate, he was only in the first realm, and there was a long way to go ahead.


    Chen An continued to cultivate.


    But he no longer hoped for further ascension.


    He knew his limitations.


    After ascending to Innate, he had already begun to realize the limits of his physical body.


    Even if he could continue forward, he would not be able to go too far.


    There was no way around it.


    Although his physical body was good and better than his original body, it seemed to be just average, not comparable to those true geniuses.


    Being able to reach this point was already a blessing.


    Upon realizing this reality, Chen An might have been disappointed in the past, but now he had completely accepted it.


    The successive losses of his wife and teacher had some impact on him.


    Now, he had integrated cultivation into himself in the present, rather than being fixated on the past.


    He continued to cultivate, but he was no longer attached to how far he would go in the future.


    After getting used to it, it seemed not bad.


    Time passed bit by bit.


    In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.


    After five years, Chen An had to come out of this state and leave his seclusion because someone was in trouble.


    This time, it was his cousin Chen Ziling.


    After sorting out the Chen Duke''s Mansion back then, Chen An had left it to Chen Qi and Chen Ziling to take care of it.


    Now, over forty years had passed, and Chen Ziling had already had a family, becoming a figure of the grandfather''s generation.


    This time, he felt that he might not make it through this year, so he wrote a letter, hoping that Chen An would return to see him for the last time.


    Chen An did not say much after receiving the letter, immediately set off.


    He did not bring anyone with him, just went alone.


    The familiar mansion appeared in front of him, looking unchanged from the outside, still the same as before.


    Except that the title on the gate had changed from Chen Duke to Chen King.


    Looking at the somewhat familiar mansion in front of him, Chen An paused for a moment, feeling a bit absent-minded.


    Even though he had rarely come back since then, this was still the place he had grown up in, and there were still some unforgettable memories.


    Returning now, the past memories resurfaced in his mind.


    But some of the people were no longer there.


    He collected himself and walked forward.


    Before he could speak, a servant hurriedly came over, "Are you the Chen King, Your Highness?"


    Chen An was surprised.


    After asking carefully, he found out that it was Chen Ziling who had given the order.


    He was probably afraid of a repeat of the incident at the Chen Duke''s Mansion, so he had instructed that if there were any suspicious people, they should be treated respectfully.


    Understanding the reason, Chen An couldn''t help but smile dumbfoundedly.


    Back then at the Chen Duke''s Mansion, his lackeys didn''t know the name Chen Changan and triggered a massacre, causing him to burst in directly.


    It seemed that even now, Chen Ziling still remembered it.


    It seemed that the impression should be quite deep.


    But on second thought, anyone who encountered that incident would probably remember it vividly.


    It was said that even now, the leftover servants who heard the name Chen Changan would shiver.


    A maniac killer.


    After a dumbfounded smile, he entered the mansion.


    Walking inside, Chen An could feel the changes in various places.


    Although it looked the same from the outside, decades had passed, and it was impossible for it to have remained unchanged.


    The decorations had become much more exquisite, and there were many changes in the details.


    The place where bodies were buried and hidden had also disappeared, seemingly moved elsewhere.


    Along with that, his mother''s tomb had been moved to the ancestral tomb of the Chen family, where it was now being respected.


    In the past few decades, Chen An had returned a few times.


    But back then, it was always Chen Qi who personally received him.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 144: Chen Hua

    In the past, Chen Qi was still around.But now?


    He''s gone.


    Chen An raised his head, looking ahead with various thoughts in his mind.


    Perhaps this is how people are sometimes.


    When someone is still around, you may not feel much, or even find them annoying.


    But when that person is gone, you will discover their strengths.


    At this moment, Chen An is like this.


    When Chen Qi was still around, his attitude towards this uncle was not too bad, but it wasn''t good either.


    In specific terms, only indifference can describe his attitude.


    But you can''t blame him.


    After all, when Chen An was young, Uncle Chen Qi didn''t leave a good impression on Chen An.


    But after Chen Qi left, the situation changed.


    For example, now Chen An actually misses this uncle. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking about it now, there may actually be some strengths in him.


    At least his abilities are good, as he managed the Chen estate well in Chen An''s absence and did not cause any troubles for Chen An.


    In this aspect, Chen Zi Ling is far behind.


    If it weren''t for his relationship with Chen An, Chen Zi Ling would not be able to stay here and would probably be kicked out by Chen Qi soon.


    This is a gap in abilities, nothing could be done about it.


    Of course, none of this matters now.


    Chen Qi passed away over a decade ago.


    Chen An, as his nephew, had come to pay his respects back then.


    And now, Chen Zi Ling is struggling.


    The rivalry between these two, by now, seems to have lost its meaning.


    Even if they were to fight, they would probably have to do it in the underworld.


    That would be quite thrilling.


    Although he hadn''t returned for over a decade, there were still some old folks in this mansion.


    Upon hearing the news of Chen An''s return, they hurried over to serve him.


    Later, Chen An saw his brother.


    After so many years, the young man who followed behind Chen An has now become an old man.


    Strictly speaking, Chen Zi Ling is actually several years younger than Chen An, but he looks much older on the surface.


    He now completely resembles an old man.


    And Chen An?


    Still not showing signs of aging.


    Not only does he not appear old, he seems to be getting younger.


    This is unavoidable.


    Chen An is almost seventy years old now, which would be considered elderly for most people.


    But clearly, that''s not the case for him.


    In this world, ordinary people can live to about fifty or sixty.


    That''s a fairly normal age.


    Those with spiritual energy can live up to a hundred years.


    This number is significantly higher, but it still seems reasonable.


    After all, even among ordinary people, there are occasionally centenarians.


    But when it comes to innate individuals, the numbers become exaggerated.


    Innate martial artists are said to be able to live up to two hundred years easily.


    This is a lifespan that is impossible for ordinary people to achieve.


    In other words, Chen An''s age of nearly seventy is basically nothing for an innate martial artist.


    It''s just the halfway mark of his life.


    Compared to ten years ago when he hadn''t made a breakthrough, Chen An now not only appears to have not aged, but has become even younger.


    This is quite eye-catching.


    Chen Zi Ling had clearly noticed this, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.


    He then chuckled, "Brother, you look like a young man now."


    Of course, with Chen Zi Ling''s grandchildren around, standing with Chen An and his grandchildren, it almost looked like they were of the same generation, without any discord.


    This was quite uncomfortable.


    Some old friends in Shengjing, such as Cheng Zheng and Liu Chu, had already gotten used to it.


    But clearly, Chen Zi Ling had not gotten used to this situation yet.


    However, not being used to it was of no use.


    The situation was there, so what could they do?


    To celebrate Chen An''s return as the Chen King, a grand banquet was held in the Chen King Mansion.


    This was partly a celebration, but also a way to announce to everyone around.


    The mansion was named after Chen An, but everyone around knew that Chen An did not like many people there and rarely came back.


    So every time Chen An returned, they had to declare their presence in this way, telling others that their support was still there.


    Chen An didn''t mind this approach.


    Over the years, he had treated this mansion like a cash cow, occasionally profiting from it.


    But no matter how you looked at it, he had still benefited from it.


    So, there was no harm in standing by it.


    Compared to the lively banquet outside, there were very few people present at the actual family banquet.


    Besides Chen An and Chen Zi Ling, there were only a few of Chen Zi Ling''s wives and children, as well as Chen Qi''s widow and children.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about the estate in the mansion."


    Looking at Chen Qi''s widow and adult children, Chen An smiled and said, "Even though Uncle is gone, he is still my uncle."


    "The estate in this mansion will eventually belong to all of you."


    Chen Qi''s widow and children were overjoyed.


    But Chen Zi Ling''s children didn''t look happy.


    Because of Chen An''s instructions, Chen Zi Ling and Chen Qi had jointly managed the massive estate in the mansion.


    The lure of power is strong, and initially everything may have been fine, but over time, everyone wanted to overpower each other and take full control of the estate, even driving the other out.


    At first, it was Chen Qi suppressing Chen Zi Ling. But after Chen Qi passed away, the tables turned.


    And now with Chen An''s attitude, it seems like he wants to help Chen Qi''s descendants?


    Some scheming individuals felt that this was Chen An''s way of balancing things out.


    After all, you couldn''t hand over such a large estate entirely to one person.


    Letting two factions compete, and balance each other out, was a good choice.


    But to be honest, Chen An didn''t actually think that much.


    To him, it didn''t matter who controlled the estate in the mansion.


    No matter who was in charge, they wouldn''t dare to exclude him from receiving his share of offerings.


    He extended a helping hand to these people mainly because of what Chen Qi had done in the past.


    After all, Chen Qi had worked diligently for him for decades and ultimately died in the line of duty.


    If someone had done that for you, it was only right to help their widows and orphans under suitable circumstances.


    But no one dared to speak up in front of Chen An.


    At the dinner table, though it was a family banquet in name, Chen Zi Ling was the only one who dared to speak.


    As for the others?


    In front of Chen An, none of them dared to speak.


    This wasn''t Chen An''s intention, but at his current status, even if he didn¡¯t do anything, this was the result he would get in the end.


    Chen An felt quite helpless.


    But there was nothing he could do about it.


    He had gradually gotten used to it.


    "Zi Ling, don''t drink anymore."


    Looking at Chen Zi Ling in front of him, Chen An advised softly, "If you keep drinking, your body might break down even sooner."


    "It''s fine."


    In response to Chen An''s advice, Chen Zi Ling just smiled and didn''t care, "The doctors who were brought nearby have all said that my body is too weak, and even if all kinds of methods are used, I am destined not to last more than a few years."


    "Since that''s the result, I might as well enjoy myself."


    Well, another person who wants to enjoy themselves before they die.


    Chen An shook his head, instantly thinking of Liu Chu.


    Wasn''t he the same? Despite his old age, he was still quite lustful, constantly finding new concubines every now and then. No one knew if he still had the ability.


    These people, all thinking that they won''t live long so they should enjoy themselves as much as possible.


    Chen An felt some helplessness, but he also understood, so he stopped trying to persuade him.


    "Those doctors really do speak boldly."


    He chuckled and finally said, "Aren''t they afraid you''ll blame them?"


    Indeed, weren''t they afraid of causing any trouble or lawsuits?


    Chen Zi Ling was the head of this mansion.


    With his status, it would be too easy to get rid of a few doctors or something.


    Say that Chen Zi Ling won''t live long, wouldn''t they be afraid of losing their heads?


    At least, no one dared to say anything in front of him.


    At the whole table, while it was a family banquet in name, in reality, only Chen Zi Ling dared to speak.


    As for the others?


    In front of Chen An, none of them had the courage to speak.


    This was not what Chen An intended, but at his current status, even if he did nothing, this was the result he would get in the end.


    Chen An was quite helpless about this.


    But there was nothing he could do.


    He had gradually gotten used to it.


    "Zi Ling, don''t drink anymore."


    Looking at Chen Zi Ling before him, Chen An gently advised, "If you continue to drink, your body might deteriorate even sooner."


    "It doesn''t matter."


    In response to Chen An''s advice, Chen Zi Ling just smiled and didn''t care, "The doctors brought here have already said, my body is too weak, and no matter what methods are used, I am destined not to last more than a few years."


    "Since that''s the end result, I might as well enjoy myself."


    Right, yet another person who wants to enjoy themselves before they die.


    Chen An shook his head, suddenly thinking of Liu Chu.


    Wasn''t he the same? Despite his advanced age, he was still quite lustful, constantly finding new concubines every now and then. No one knew if he still had the ability.


    These people, all thinking that they won''t live long so they should enjoy themselves as much as possible.


    Chen An felt some helplessness, but he also understood, so he stopped trying to persuade him.


    "Those doctors really speak boldly."


    He chuckled and finally said, "Aren''t they afraid you''ll blame them?"


    Indeed, wouldn''t they fear causing trouble or lawsuits?


    Chen Zi Ling was the head of this mansion.


    With his status, it would be too easy to get rid of a few doctors or something.


    Say that Chen Zi Ling won''t live long, wouldn''t they be afraid of losing their heads?


    At least, no one dared to say anything in front of him.


    "One start is not dared to say."


    Bringing this up, Chen Zi Ling seemed a bit helpless as well, "Initially, I invited famous doctors from nearby, and they all spoke highly and prescribed equally bizarre remedies."


    "But after some time, I saw something was wrong, so I stopped going to the nearby counties and towns secretly."


    "They didn''t know who I was, so naturally they were willing to speak the truth."


    Goodness.


    Chen An couldn''t help but glance sideways.


    This looked like someone who was often deceived, having gained experience in being deceived and knowing how to handle it.


    However, for Chen Zi Ling, perhaps it was better to continue deceiving him than to tell him the cruel truth.


    At least being deceived, one would remain calm and their mental health intact, rather than giving up on themselves and seeking enjoyment.


    Who knows, they might even live a few more years that way.


    But in the current situation...


    Chen An looked at Chen Zi Ling''s appearance.


    In his eyes, Chen Zi Ling''s complexion was pale, his lips devoid of any color, his eyes bloodshot, and coupled with his aged appearance, he looked extremely weak and miserable.


    Just by looking at him like this, it wasn''t certain if he could even make it through this year.


    "I have some knowledge in medical treatments, and I consider myself to have some level of skill. I will show you later."


    After contemplating his words for a moment, Chen An spoke, "If you follow my methods later, you may not recover immediately, but you will at least live a few more years."


    This wasn''t a lie.


    Chen An did have some knowledge in medicine.


    He mainly learned some medical skills when he was pondering over the illness of the Fourth Princess.


    Due to the varying levels of skill among different doctors, and some being unsatisfactory, Chen An decided to start learning and exploring on his own.


    After several years of study, he had successfully developed a treatment method using spiritual energy in conjunction with medical techniques.


    The results were quite good. Although he couldn''t save the Fourth Princess, he was able to alleviate a lot of her suffering.


    Over the years, he had also tried it on several of Cheng Zheng''s group, and the feedback received was quite positive.


    "Alright."


    Chen Zi Ling didn''t think too much about it and agreed to it without showing any doubts.


    For Chen Zi Ling, who had been following Chen An since he was young, Chen An seemed to be omnipotent and capable of everything in his impression.


    Having accomplished so many unbelievable things in the past, what couldn''t he do in terms of medical skills?


    After a meal, Chen An provided detailed care for Chen Zi Ling.


    Speaking of which, spiritual energy was not only effective in combat but also had remarkable effects in treating illnesses.


    Apart from the Fourth Princess, Cheng Zheng and Liu Chu had used it before, and all had praised its effects.


    Even the Emperor and the Duke had used it and praised it, so how could the effects not be good?


    Chen An felt that if he passed on this skill, with centuries of accumulation, he might even become a legendary healer by then.


    One disadvantage was that the learning process for this skill was quite challenging, as it required spiritual energy right from the start.


    Without spiritual energy, one didn''t even have the qualifications to learn it.


    The entry requirements were indeed stringent.


    Chen Zi Ling felt exceptionally comfortable all over.


    Right, the effects of using spiritual energy for recuperation were indeed good.


    In just over half an hour, Chen Zi Ling''s complexion improved drastically.


    Seeing this, if he could persistently follow this treatment and continue with proper care, he might actually recover.


    But it would depend on Chen Zi Ling''s willingness.


    Even if his body was healed, if he continued to indulge himself like before, he would meet the same fate sooner or later.


    "That''s about it."


    After giving Chen Zi Ling a course of treatment, Chen An stopped.


    "Be careful in the future."


    He advised, "If you continue as before, not even I can save you."


    Spiritual energy wasn''t some kind of magical power.


    While it could treat illnesses, it couldn''t cure every ailment.


    Otherwise, the Fourth Princess wouldn''t have passed away from her illness.


    If Chen Zi Ling continued to neglect his health, he would eventually face the consequences.


    At most, it would just prolong his life slightly.


    But for someone like him, living a bit longer seemed like a gain.


    After all, he had lived a comfortable life most of his life.


    Except for a period of hardship in his youth, he had lived quite comfortably under Chen An''s protection, with everything he needed at his disposal.


    Even in his old age, he still had Chen An to clean up the mess and provide medical treatment.


    It was quite satisfactory.


    Chen An shook his head and prepared to leave.


    For the next few days, he would stay within this mansion.


    Originally, he was planning to leave after a few days, as even though this mansion belonged to him, he had never stayed here for a few days and felt slightly uncomfortable.


    But unexpectedly, during these days in the mansion, someone gave him a surprise.


    In a courtyard outside the mansion, several people stood there nervously.


    "Lord King"


    As they looked at Chen An walking in from outside, they knelt down in fear, their faces showing genuine fear.


    Coming under their gaze, Chen An stood there quietly, a bit uncertain as he asked, "Are you the people of Uncle?"


    He recognized the faces of the servants, one of whom seemed to be Chen Qi''s grandson, who had been by Chen Qi''s side in the past.


    "Lord, have mercy!"


    Although Chen An''s tone was fairly mild, upon hearing his words, the people below couldn''t help but kneel down, their faces showing fear.


    Of course, they were afraid.


    Because there was someone here whom Chen An didn''t like.


    However, Chen An wasn''t actually angry. Looking at their expressions, he just smiled and said, "Alright, you may leave."


    Hearing this, the people below breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left.


    In the blink of an eye, there was only Chen An left.


    Feeling the familiar aura ahead, Chen An took a deep breath, then pushed open the door and walked in.


    Stepping inside, there was a garden all around.


    The garden scenery seemed somewhat familiar, resembling the scenes from Chen An''s childhood, with many similar flowers and plants.


    But the most crucial thing was the person there.


    An old man sat on a wooden chair, his face weathered, looking extremely old.


    Looking at the old man, Chen An was somewhat surprised.


    Just then, the old man turned around as well, looking at Chen An.


    His gaze was calm, with a determined look in his eyes. Though he appeared extremely old, he still had a spirited look, exuding a unique sense of power.


    This old man had a unique identity, he was the former Duke of Chen, Chen Hua.


    But for Chen An, the most special identity of the old man in front of him was that he was his grandfather.


    "What about you?"


    After a long silence, Chen An spoke again, sounding a bit confused.


    "Why am I still alive?"


    Chen Hua smiled, "Isn''t the answer obvious?"


    "I see."


    It dawned on Chen An, "So, Uncle Chen Qi. didn''t take any action against you."


    When Chen An handed over Chen Hua to Chen Qi, he had given a hint to deal with Chen Hua.


    However, just a few months after that incident, news of Chen Hua''s passing came out.


    At that time, Chen An didn''t pay much attention to it, thinking that Chen Qi couldn''t bear the pressure and took action against Chen Hua.


    But he didn''t expect that Chen Hua had been alive all along, enduring the pressure originating from Chen An, even risking the death of his entire family to protect Chen Hua.


    He had knowingly don''t know what would happen when the others of the mansion found out and reported it to Chen An.


    Clearly, he knew.


    But he still did it.


    This single act was enough to change Chen An''s impression of him.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 145: The Passing of an Old Friend

    "Uncle really caught me off guard."Chen An couldn''t help but exclaim as he recalled the scene when Chen Qi killed Chen Li. He admitted that he had misjudged the situation.


    Never did he expect that this guy who looked like a villain would turn out to be a filial son.


    "To be honest, I didn''t expect it either."


    In front of him, Chen Hua also sighed and said, "Back then, compared to Qi''er, I really favored Li''er more."


    "Looking back now, I do feel guilty towards Qi''er."


    "But never did I expect that Qi''er would go this far for an old man like me."


    Chen Hua also admitted that he actually favored Chen Li''s father, Chen Li, more between the two children.


    This was quite obvious.


    After all, Chen Qi was the eldest son, and according to common sense, he should have become the successor of the Chen Guogong Mansion at that time.


    But it didn''t happen in the end, and he even had to compete with his brother.


    This wouldn''t have been possible if it weren''t for the favoritism of Chen Guogong Chen Hua himself.


    But unexpectedly, the child who wasn''t favored turned out to be the one who was more filial to his father.


    This was truly unexpected.


    "Unfortunately, I realized it a bit too late."


    Chen An sighed, "If Great-Uncle were still alive, with his actions, I would have treated him better, and it wouldn''t have been like before."


    "It''s not necessary." s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Hua shook his head and said, "You were already good to him before."


    "He was in your mansion, although not the master, but practically there was not much difference between him and the master."


    "I can clearly see that in the decades after your father passed away, he actually lived quite happily."


    Indeed, how could he not be happy.


    Originally, Chen Qi was also a young master in the Chen Guogong Mansion, but with Chen Hua, the legitimate Chen Guogong, suppressing him from above, and Chen Li, the favored brother, competing for power and profit from below, his life was not smooth.


    But when Chen An arrived, although he couldn''t inherit the mansion, there was no one above him like Chen Hua and Chen Li to control him.


    The only one who could control him, Chen An, was not interested in managing, as long as he sent money regularly.


    The other steward appointed by Chen An, Chen Ziling, had limited abilities and couldn''t compete with him. He could only barely exist relying on Chen An.


    In this situation, he lived much more smoothly in the mansion than before.


    He probably made quite a profit from various things too.


    "That''s true."


    Chen An smiled and continued, "But it''s quite rare that you''ve lived up to now."


    "Back then, my cultivation was disabled by you, but the foundation was still there."


    Chen Hua said, "Afterward, Qi''er gathered treasures and elixirs for me, which helped me somewhat restore my aura, allowing me to hold on until now."


    Chen An didn''t go all out back then.


    So although Chen Hua''s cultivation was disabled, the foundation was still there.


    The lifespan of a martial artist with aura was generally much longer than that of an ordinary person and could easily live over a hundred years without illness or disaster.


    With good health practices, living up to a hundred and fifty years was not unheard of.


    After all, a hundred years was just the basic lifespan, and the specific longevity depended on one''s abilities.


    With the foundation of aura, Chen Hua could live up to now, which was rare but not too surprising.


    "Unfortunately."


    Chen An looked at Chen Hua in front of him, somewhat regretful, "If I had found out earlier, I could have helped you, maybe even helped you recover."


    "But now, it''s a bit too late."


    Indeed, it was too late.


    Aura warriors were still human after all, although they lived longer than ordinary people, they couldn''t live forever.


    Although Chen Hua had managed to live to this age, he had already reached the end of his life.


    At this stage, even if Chen An helped him recover, it wouldn''t make much of a difference.


    This made Chen An somewhat regretful.


    Although he didn''t regret what he did back then, he now felt that he had gone too far. Looking at Chen Hua in his current state, he felt a bit guilty and wanted to make amends.


    But unfortunately, at this stage for Chen Hua, even if he tried to make amends, it wouldn''t make much of a difference.


    Although innate warriors were powerful, they were not omnipotent.


    To Chen An''s words, Chen Hua just smiled.


    "Let''s call it even."


    He said.


    In fact, Chen Hua also felt guilty towards Chen An in the past.


    He felt that if he had paid more attention to his family members and not secluded himself for a long time, perhaps the situation back then wouldn''t have happened.


    The same went for Chen Qi, he also felt guilty.


    While expressing their guilt towards each other, Chen Hua once again spoke, hoping that Chen An would take good care of Chen Qi''s descendants.


    He could see that after Chen Qi''s passing, the descendants he left behind were not living well.


    Chen Ziling himself was not assertive and didn''t deliberately suppress the descendants left by Chen Qi.


    But as time passed, as his children grew up and started families of their own, they became increasingly hostile towards Chen Qi''s descendants and forces.


    Although the family estate was vast, it was still limited.


    If you have more, I naturally have less.


    In this situation, Chen Qi''s many descendants could only be gradually suppressed without other options.


    After all, back then, the only stewards who had the authority appointed by Chen An were Chen Ziling and Chen Qi, and not them.


    Chen An agreed.


    In fact, even if Chen Hua didn''t say it, he would have done the same.


    After all, Chen Qi had worked for him for so many years, and he had died in the line of duty. It was only right to take care of his descendants properly.


    Seeing that Chen An didn''t intend to pursue the matter further, Chen Hua also felt relieved.


    They then continued their conversation.


    In all seriousness, this was the first time this grandfather and grandson had a real conversation.


    Although Chen Hua had seen Chen An when he was young, he didn''t pay much attention to him, and they hadn''t really talked before.


    Apart from a few encounters when Chen An returned to the Chen Guogong Mansion before, there had never been such a harmonious atmosphere as now.


    Unexpectedly, Chen An and Chen Hua got along somewhat.


    Perhaps it was because they were both quite old, and at this moment, they had shed their impatience and gained a bit of tranquility.


    This was also the reason why they could continue their conversation.


    They shared their experiences and talked about their martial arts, each gaining some insights.


    "So this is what it means to have innate aura."


    At the end, Chen Hua couldn''t help but sigh, his eyes showing pure curiosity.


    Looking at Chen An in front of him and feeling the innate aura on him, his whole body trembled with excitement.


    Innate aura was the realm he had pursued all his life, thinking he would never truly see it.


    But unexpectedly, he saw it again in this situation.


    In the end, Chen An asked Chen Hua if he had any last wishes.


    After thinking for a moment, Chen Hua gave an unexpected answer that surprised Chen An.


    He requested Chen An to use his innate aura to send him off, to escort him on his final journey.


    Chen An was a bit stunned, and after a moment of silence, he finally nodded.


    For the present Chen Hua, there might not be much left in this world worth worrying about.


    At his age, he had already lived a full life, and no matter what, he wouldn''t live much longer.


    Perhaps his only wish was to witness a higher view before his passing.


    Innate aura was the level he had longed for.


    Even if he was dead, he wanted to witness the scenery of that realm before he could die without regrets.


    Chen An understood his wish and did not refuse.


    That day, Chen An carried Chen Hua to a remote mountain.


    The innate aura spontaneously circulated, and then roared forward.


    In just an instant, a terrifying scene appeared.


    The terrain in all directions changed instantly, and even the entire mountain turned into a huge iceberg.


    On the iceberg, everything maintained its previous appearance, looking serene and beautiful.


    In the midst of all this, Chen Hua had long become an ice sculpture.


    Chen An''s action was decisive, not causing any pain to the old man. He wanted to end his life quickly and without leaving any traces.


    It may sound cruel, but it was Chen An''s final act of kindness.


    Upon the iceberg, Chen Hua''s ice sculpture stood there, with a satisfied smile on his face.


    Looking at the ice sculpture, Chen An fell silent, stood in place for a long time before finally leaving.


    Before leaving, he deliberately took Chen Hua''s body with him, preparing to bury him in the Chen family''s ancestral tomb.


    Everything seemed to return to its previous state.


    Except that in this place, an inexplicable iceberg had appeared.


    After settling Chen Hua''s affairs, Chen An stayed at the Chen Wang Mansion for some time, taking care of some things.


    Following Chen Hua''s last request, he arranged the old people left behind by Chen Hua and Chen Qi''s descendants, giving them appropriate jobs, before finally leaving.


    As he was leaving, Chen Ziling wanted to come and see Chen An off in person, but was ultimately refused by Chen An.


    At that moment, he already had a premonition.


    When he returned here next time, perhaps it would be to attend Chen Ziling''s funeral.


    Various thoughts crossed his mind, and Chen An sighed softly before leaving.


    He left the Chen Wang Mansion and returned to his secluded place.


    But this time, he couldn''t stay for long, only two years later, he had to come out again.


    Another person was in trouble this time.


    This time, it was Cheng Zheng.


    When Chen An returned to Shengjing and saw Cheng Zheng again, Cheng Zheng was already bedridden and unable to move.


    Seeing Chen An, his body trembled, struggling to get out of bed, but in the end, he couldn''t move.


    "Chen¡­ Chen An."


    Seeing Chen An again, Cheng Zheng''s eyes were very complex.


    He seemed to have a lot to say to Chen An, but speaking was very difficult for him.


    It seemed like he had a stroke?


    Chen An speculated reasonably and adeptly used his aura to heal Cheng Zheng''s body.


    The healing effect was quite good, at least from the surface, Cheng Zheng''s condition improved a lot, and his speech gradually became more normal.


    (This chapter is complete)

 Chapter 146: The Vicissitudes

    "Changan"Under Chen An''s careful care, Cheng Zheng''s condition gradually improved.


    He seemed to have returned to normal, and his overall condition had improved a lot.


    The effect was quite apparent. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Previously, he couldn''t speak at all, but now he could speak fluently in the blink of an eye. Wasn''t the effect good enough?


    If other doctors had this level of skill, they would probably cry.


    Cheng Zheng''s condition gradually returned to normal. Although he still looked like he was at death''s door, at least he seemed much more articulate.


    For Cheng Zheng, this was already good enough.


    By the bedside, he tightly held Chen An''s hand. "I may be leaving soon."


    He seemed to have a lot of things he wanted to say, but in the end, he could only manage to say this one sentence.


    Chen An could feel Cheng Zheng''s complex emotions, a mixture of fear and worry.


    This was the first time he had experienced this.


    The few old friends he had seen before all left peacefully.


    Fourth Princess and Teacher Dong Heng left peacefully, without any struggle, always calm.


    As for his grandfather Chen Hua, it was Chen An himself who bid him farewell.


    They all left peacefully, perhaps because they were already content with life, or perhaps because they had a detached outlook on life and death, so they were not afraid of the end.


    Cheng Zheng before him was not actually afraid of death.


    He was just worried.


    "Don''t worry, I''m here."


    Looking at Cheng Zheng in front of him, Chen An could only speak softly to console him.


    Seemingly comforted, Cheng Zheng''s emotions gradually calmed down.


    That night, he seemed to have endless words to say, constantly talking to Chen An.


    However, unlike other people before him, when Cheng Zheng, a workaholic, was on his deathbed, he was giving instructions on various political matters.


    His workaholism was real.


    He called his grandson, Cheng Qi, over to listen, as if he was about to give his last instructions.


    From the outside, this was basically the basic steps of passing on the throne.


    Cheng Qi, who was Cheng Zheng''s grandson, was named with the meaning of "continuing the previous and starting the next."


    Cheng Qi was Cheng Zheng''s grandson, the legitimate son of the Crown Prince, and now the Crown Prince.


    As for why his grandson was brought over instead of the Crown Prince, it was naturally because the Crown Prince had already passed away.


    Yes, the Crown Prince had passed away several years ago.


    Chen An still remembered the scene at that time, such a strong man, blinked and he was gone.


    The successor Cheng Zheng had carefully nurtured for many years died because of a serious illness, at the age of just fifty.


    Well, that age didn''t seem too short.


    The average lifespan of emperors in history might not have been longer than this.


    The main issue was that Cheng Zheng was too tough and continued to stand upright even in his seventies, and he managed to torture his own Crown Prince to death.


    If the Crown Prince were still alive, Cheng Zheng wouldn''t be so worried.


    The Crown Prince was his carefully nurtured successor, with prestige within Da Hua, so there should have been no problem after he succeeded the throne.


    But now that the Crown Prince had passed away, the only legitimate heir left was just a teenager.


    So young and already worrying, could he really carry on his expectations and lead Da Hua forward?


    Cheng Zheng was not sure, his heart was full of worries.


    For an ordinary king, perhaps he wouldn''t be too worried about this issue.


    But Cheng Zheng was too serious and too responsible.


    He was always busy, wanting to do more practical things, even at the moment of his death, he was thinking about the future of the country, not wanting his decades of achievements to be in vain after his death.


    But it seemed like he had no other choice but to trust the child in front of him.


    That night, he entrusted many things.


    Finally, he looked at Chen An and said with some difficulty, "Changan, this child is dull, I want him to stay with you for a while, do you mind taking in this student?"


    He finally revealed his intentions.


    Chen An sighed.


    He understood Cheng Zheng''s intentions.


    Compared to the deceased Crown Prince, Cheng Qi was too young and lacked prestige. Even if he forcefully ascended the throne, he probably wouldn''t have the ability to command the world.


    Originally, if Cheng Zheng had more time, and if Cheng Qi was a bit older, there would have been many other ways.


    But now, everything was rushed.


    The only safest option seemed to be Chen An.


    As the King of Da Hua, the pillar of the entire Da Hua, and the only Tian of the Central Plains today, Chen An was undeniably more important to the entire Da Hua than even Cheng Zheng.


    If he was willing to help Cheng Qi, then there would be no problems afterwards.


    And Cheng Qi''s identity as the student of the King was enough to stabilize his position, and no one would dare to oppose him no matter what.


    Honestly, Chen An wasn''t very keen on taking in another student.


    He lived a carefree life alone, why bother adding another student to cause trouble?


    If he had truly wanted to take in students, he wouldn''t have gone this long without any.


    But faced with Cheng Zheng''s pleading eyes, he couldn''t help but sigh and reluctantly agreed, "If you don''t mind me leading this child astray, then let''s give it a try."


    "But if I do lead this child astray, I won''t take responsibility."


    He smiled and said so.


    Seeing Chen An agree, Cheng Zheng seemed to relax a bit, "Don''t worry."


    He also smiled, "There are countless talents in this world. Even if he''s delayed a bit by the King, he hasn''t had the chance to be delayed yet."


    "This kid is not talented in the first place. Even if he''s delayed a bit, it won''t matter."


    Cheng Zheng did not agree with Chen An''s notion of leading astray.


    It was a joke.


    Others might not know, but Cheng Zheng knew Chen An very well.


    He was not only exceptional in martial arts, but also in other aspects. Even in medical skills, he could surpass many so-called miracle doctors.


    With such a person being his grandson''s teacher, what was there to be unsatisfied about?


    Afraid of leading astray?


    How many people wouldn''t want to be lead astray by him?


    "After I''m gone, Chenn An, don''t hide away anymore."


    Holding Chen An''s hand, Cheng Zheng pointed towards Cheng Qi and said somewhat pleadingly, "Help this child, look after him for me."


    "I understand."


    Chen An glanced at Cheng Zheng and said, somewhat speechless, "I''m not a fool, I understand what you mean."


    "Don''t worry."


    He whispered, "After you''re gone, this child will ascend safely, and there will be no problems."


    "That''s good."


    Cheng Zheng nodded.


    If it were someone else saying this, he might still have some concerns.


    Whether it was about ability or motive.


    Will he end up unintentionally helping his way into the throne?


    But when it came to Chen An, he was always one hundred percent confident.


    Considering their friendship, even when Cheng Zheng was still alive, if Chen An wanted to ascend the throne, it probably wouldn''t have been difficult.


    Unsurprisingly, Chen An was not very enthusiastic about taking on another student.


    He had led a carefree life on his own, so why bother taking in another student to cause trouble?


    If he truly wanted to accept students, he wouldn''t have gone this long without any.


    But faced with Cheng Zheng''s pleading eyes, he couldn''t help but exhale a sigh and reluctantly agree, "If you don''t mind me leading this child astray, then let''s give it a try."


    "But if I do lead this child astray, I won''t take responsibility."


    He smiled and said so.


    Seeing Chen An agree, Cheng Zheng seemed to relax a bit, "Don''t worry."


    He also smiled, "There are countless talents in this world. Even if he''s delayed a bit by the King, he hasn''t had the chance to be delayed yet."


    "That''s alright."


    He also smiled, "There are countless talents in this world. Even if he''s delayed a bit by the King, he hasn''t had the chance to be delayed yet."


    "Chen An, after I''m gone, don''t hide away anymore."


    Holding Chen An''s hand, Cheng Zheng pointed towards Cheng Qi and said somewhat pleadingly, "Help this child, look after him for me."


    "I understand."


    Chen An glanced at Cheng Zheng and said, somewhat speechless, "I''m not a fool, I understand what you mean."


    "Don''t worry."


    He whispered, "After you''re gone, this child will ascend safely, and there will be no problems."


    "That''s good."


    Cheng Zheng nodded.


    If it were someone else saying this, he might still have some concerns.


    Whether it was about ability or motive.


    Will he end up unintentionally helping his way into the throne?


    But when it came to Chen An, he was always one hundred percent confident.


    Considering their friendship, even when Cheng Zheng was still alive, if Chen An wanted to ascend the throne, it probably wouldn''t have been difficult.


    In the following half month, Chen An stayed in the palace.


    He talked to Cheng Zheng while also fulfilling his duties as a teacher.


    To his surprise, Cheng Qi''s talent was quite good. Not only in academics, but even in martial arts, he showed great potential.


    Of course, this ''good'' was only in comparison to the royal family members like Cheng Zheng; if compared to the outside world, he was only at the level of an ordinary genius.


    But it was still quite good.


    It was really heaven''s blessing!


    Previously, Cheng Zheng had wanted his children to learn martial arts, even wanting the Crown Prince to become Chen An''s disciple.


    Unfortunately, neither Cheng Zheng nor his children had the aptitude for martial arts. Although they weren''t considered useless, they weren''t much better than useless.


    It was a toss-up between the two.


    It was a toss-up between the two.


    Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince was a martial arts failure, while his son showed good talent.


    Did this count as genetic mutation?


    Chen An finally understood why Cheng Zheng had chosen Cheng Qi out of all his children.


    In theory, Cheng Zheng had more than one child, and even if the Crown Prince was gone, he could have chosen another child from his remaining children to avoid the embarrassment of lacking an heir.


    Moreover, the Crown Prince had more than one child, so why was it only Cheng Qi that was chosen?


    Now, it seemed that Cheng Qi was not chosen at random, but was selected from a pool of talents.


    After confirming Cheng Qi''s decent martial arts talent, Chen An began to teach him martial arts in addition to his studies.


    Although he had not taught students much before, to his surprise, once he started, he found that his teaching skills were not bad.


    Of course, this might also have had something to do with his student.


    After all, Cheng Qi was such a smart student that he didn''t need an exceptionally skilled teacher to learn from.


    Let''s not mention the interaction between Chen An and Cheng Qi for now.


    In the palace, after more than half a month, Cheng Zheng finally passed away one night amidst fierce wind and rain, thunder and lightning.


    That night, outside, the wind and rain raged, and thunder roared.


    Cheng Qi held Cheng Zheng''s body and cried loudly.


    Chen An just stood there, a little silent.


    Next to him, a figure leaned over and walked up to Chen An, whispering, "The Crown Princess wants to talk to you, to discuss the matter of the Crown Prince''s inheritance."


    This sounded normal, but Chen An''s expression was cold, "Discuss? Discuss what?"


    "After the monarch''s passing, it was agreed that the Crown Prince Cheng Qi would ascend to the throne. This was what the monarch had decided before his death."


    "Go back and tell the Crown Princess to stay in her place quietly and be a proper Empress Dowager."


    Chen An brushed past them and paid no attention to these people.


    Far away, Cheng Qi, who had been crying, finally heard the news and finally relaxed.


    He knew, with Chen An''s stance, his ascension would now be smooth and without any problems.


    Although Cheng Qi was the Crown Prince''s child, he was not born to the Crown Princess.


    And the Crown Princess herself also had children.


    That was the problem.


    As a mother, who wouldn''t want the best for their children?


    Although her own child should have had the best chance to inherit that position.


    It was the discontent that led to these unnecessary thoughts.


    Perhaps Cheng Zheng had thought of this, so he had specifically asked Chen An to come back and protect Cheng Qi.


    Otherwise, even if Cheng Qi eventually ascended to the throne, he would likely be suppressed for a long time, with constraints he couldn''t shake off.


    After all, in name, the Crown Princess was still his birth mother. After he ascended, she would become the Empress Dowager, naturally imposing restrictions on the young sovereign.


    But with Chen An there, everything went much more smoothly.


    Although Chen An didn''t like to meddle, he never shied away when needed.


    Because there was no need to shy away.


    Before, he might have been weak, but at this point, with his current status and strength, it was as simple as saying a few words.


    No trouble.


    After saying a few words, Chen An thought the matter was settled.


    However, there were still more troubles to come.


    Trouble originated from that Crown Princess, the current Empress Dowager.


    After being directly rejected by Chen An, it seemed like she hadn''t given up on her other schemes, trying to manipulate politics and take control behind the scenes.


    At first, Chen An didn''t think much of it.


    After all, Cheng Qi was still young, only in his teens.


    Although he had extraordinary talent, his experience and knowledge were lacking. Some time for experience and maturity under the Empress Dowager''s rule didn''t seem like a bad idea.


    With Chen An there, there was nothing to fear.


    And then the unexpected happened.


    Seemingly emboldened by Chen An''s lack of opposition, the Empress Dowager''s audacity grew.


    Being bold was fine, but you had better know what you''re doing.


    However, such hope was destined to be dashed.


    In Chen An''s view, although the Empress Dowager was in her thirties or forties, her skill level might not even match the teenaged Cheng Qi.


    The various schemes carried out by the Empress Dowager left Chen An dizzy and fed up.


    In the end, unable to bear it anymore, he had to get involved and force the Empress Dowager to relinquish power ahead of time, handing it over to Cheng Qi.


    There was no other way.


    Although the Da Hua Dynasty was left by Cheng Zheng, it had also benefited from Chen An''s efforts.


    Chen An naturally didn''t want to see all his efforts wasted on useless people.


    After Cheng Qi ascended the throne, his performance was not disappointing. Everything was done decently, although not outstanding, it wasn''t mediocre.


    Although it was mediocre compared to Cheng Zheng, it was a respectable performance compared to the previous Empress Dowager.


    Ten years passed after Cheng Qi ascended the throne, and Chen An remained in the court.


    He had only held a nominal position and didn''t handle official affairs, strictly speaking, his position in the court was not even higher than his own two children.


    But it didn''t matter.


    With his reputation and status, even if he did nothing but stand there, it was enough to hold all the power.


    Few people in the court were fools. They naturally understood the implications.


    It was essentially supporting the current sovereign.


    After spending a full decade in the court, confirming that Cheng Qi''s prestige and health were not a problem, Chen An turned and left, once again entering a state of seclusion.


    In reality, a secluded life was not as ideal as it might seem.


    This was natural.


    Without modern conveniences like electricity or entertainment like novels, games, or movies, what kind of life could one live alone in the remote wilderness?


    It was fortunate that Chen An had already risen to the realm of Tian, with a body different from ordinary people.


    Otherwise, the bugs alone would be enough to drive a person mad.


    This was another benefit of ascending to Tian.


    After ascending to Tian, one could directly draw on the power of the world with each move, and control a portion of the innate power.


    Invisible to others, as long as Chen An wished it, nothing external could approach him.


    Even those bugs, invisible to the naked eye, would be immediately detected and crushed by his energy.


    This could be considered a practical application of Tian energy in daily life.


    If Chen An had had such abilities in his previous life, his days would have been even more carefree.


    Unfortunately, the threshold was quite high.


    In any case, Chen An''s secluded life might sound nice, but in reality, it was quite boring.


    He spent his days in the mountains, apart from admiring the scenery, he also practiced his cultivation and occasionally went out to socialize.


    When he had nothing to do, he even went to farm, gaining a new understanding of the difficulty of farming.


    From the initial discomfort to gradual habituation, time was quickly slipping away.


    In the blink of an eye, several decades had passed.


    In these few decades, Chen An had bid farewell to many people.


    Like his two children, and old friends like Liu Chu.


    Liu Chu was the first to leave, passing away just a few years after Cheng Zheng, wishing to see a dance performance before his death, dying content.


    As for his two children, they died peacefully without suffering.


    Chen An felt a bit sad about the passing of these loved ones, but by now, he had somewhat adapted.


    To be exact, he had learned to let go.


    Everyone had to die.


    Compared to others, at least his children and friends had been able to live a happy life to the fullest because of him, which was quite good.


    How many people wished for such good fortune?


    Chen An was finally free of worries.


    After his two children had passed away, he still had descendants, but he didn''t have much of a deep connection with them.


    That''s just how people are sometimes.


    Even with blood ties, if you don''t spend much time together, there''s still no emotional bond.


    Compared to his two sons, Chen An''s grandchildren mostly looked up to him with awe, rather than seeing him as their own relative.


    Chen An had no intention of interfering too much in their lives, so he simply closed himself off and let everyone live their own lives.


    The only person he still had a connection with was Cheng Qi.


    In name, he was Chen An''s student, and although he was still young, he should be able to survive for quite a few years.


    But in Chen An''s eyes, it was still quite precarious.


    Although Cheng Qi was not too old, his health was not great.


    Although he had good talent, years of being busy with politics had hindered his cultivation progress, and he had only barely reached the realm of internal energy, unable to progress further.


    Although his health was not bad, he may not live too long.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 147: Hundred Years of Experience

    "Teacher''s body is still the same as before."In the palace, Chen An met Cheng Qi, whom he hadn''t seen for a long time.


    It had been several years since they last met.


    After Cheng Qi ascended to the throne, he used to visit every one or two months in the beginning.


    Later, due to busy state affairs and Chen An''s impatience, Cheng Qi gradually reduced the frequency of visits, eventually only visiting every half a year.


    This frequency had not changed for many years.


    Until ten years ago, Chen An decided to travel and explore, spending some time wandering outside, which was why they hadn''t seen each other in these past few years.


    After not seeing each other for a few years, Cheng Qi looked much older now, with white hair covering his head.


    The young man from the past had gradually transformed and aged a lot, now looking completely like an old man.


    But Chen An remained young.


    At this moment, Chen An was already 120 years old, and no matter where he went, he was considered a long-lived individual.


    In ancient times, he would be considered a marvel and be revered.


    But Chen An didn''t look like an old man at all.


    Although he had aged slightly, he still maintained the appearance of a middle-aged man, with only a few streaks of white hair.


    White hair aside, his physique and appearance remained unchanged, making him appear much younger than Emperor Cheng Qi.


    If the two of them stood together, without knowing the situation, Cheng Qi could easily be mistaken for Chen An''s junior.


    However, in reality.


    From the perspective of the generations, starting from Cheng Zheng, Chen An was considered to belong to Cheng Qi''s grandfather''s generation.


    "Not seeing each other for so many years, your health is still the same, while I am getting older." Cheng Qi looked at Chen An in front of him and spoke with a bitter smile.


    "You should take good care of your body." After looking seriously at Cheng Qi, Chen An finally spoke.


    Cheng Qi was taken aback, then smiled bitterly, "I want to as well, but with the busy state affairs, I really can''t find the time."


    When others said they were busy with state affairs, it was often just an excuse.


    But Cheng Qi was different.


    In a way, Cheng Qi was personally chosen by Cheng Zheng as his successor and was exceptionally dedicated in some matters.


    He was also a workaholic, with a workload that surpassed others, truly an apprentice of Cheng Zheng.


    In this aspect, it could be said that Cheng Zheng had not chosen the wrong person.


    Although their attitudes were similar, their conditions in other aspects were quite different.


    Compared to when Cheng Zheng was in power, Cheng Qi faced a much more complicated and dangerous environment.


    With the increase in population, internal conflicts escalated, and various issues kept arising one after another.


    The troubles were much more difficult than what Cheng Zheng had faced at the time.


    This was a difficult situation to reverse. Many problems from the past were no longer relevant, and no matter how hard they tried, they could only make minor adjustments to keep things going.


    The problems remained numerous.


    If it were Cheng Zheng, he might have begun bold reforms supported by Chen An.


    But although Cheng Qi was capable, he lacked the boldness, so he could only passively deal with various problems, constantly feeling overwhelmed.


    Fortunately, because of Chen An''s presence, the external environment of Dahua remained relatively stable during this period.


    Even though other countries, like Dazhong, were rising, they did not dare to provoke Dahua until Chen An''s death.


    With a stable external environment and Cheng Qi''s efforts, Dahua barely maintained a prosperous state.


    But Cheng Qi''s mind was inevitably occupied by these issues, leaving him with no spare energy to focus on other matters.


    This was also a kind of helplessness.


    To stay alert during extreme fatigue, Cheng Qi seemed to have been taking a certain elixir for a long time, which in itself was a hidden danger.


    "Perhaps you should stop taking those elixirs." Chen An looked at Cheng Qi and said, "Although they may have short-term effects, in the long run, they are not good for your body."


    "Yes." Cheng Qi nodded, somewhat helplessly. "I know those aren''t good things, but sometimes I just get too tired and have no choice."


    "If your body is normal, there are many alternatives that can be used, rather than relying specifically on those elixirs." Chen An shook his head. "In the end, your body has already had issues, and aside from those elixirs, nothing else will work."


    It was not easy to stay alert, and there were many methods.


    Aside from conventional physical methods, stimulating the body''s acupoints with internal energy could also produce similar effects.


    However, Cheng Qi''s body had aged and was difficult to reverse, so many other methods besides elixirs were not very effective.


    His patience had run out.


    Although Cheng Qi agreed to Chen An''s advice, in reality, he continued to do as he pleased afterwards.


    With this outcome, Chen An could already predict the outcome.


    Sure enough, after three years, Cheng Qi suddenly fell ill in his study and fainted on the spot.


    After this incident, he never recovered, remaining bedridden.


    "Teacher, the Crown Prince..." Before he passed away, Cheng Qi, with all his remaining strength, looked at Chen An, pleadingly.


    Standing beside him was Cheng Qi''s child, now a thirty-year-old Crown Prince.


    In response to Cheng Qi''s gaze, Chen An sighed silently and nodded.


    Cheng Qi finally relaxed, then turned his gaze to the Crown Prince, saying a few things to him.


    Compared to Cheng Qi back then, the Crown Prince was already mature and respected, so there was no need to worry too much.


    However, the internal chaos in the country was so complicated that Cheng Qi had to instruct and admonish carefully.


    In the end, on a dark night, Cheng Qi passed away.


    The Crown Prince ascended the throne and became the new Emperor.


    In the initial years of his reign, the new Emperor showed some achievements, being diligent and hardworking like his grandfather.


    He managed state affairs, treated his ministers seriously, appointed talented individuals, and with the support of King Chen An, he briefly displayed the demeanor of a wise ruler, earning praise from all sides.


    But, strong men could not last forever.


    The internal turmoil in the country was not something that could be easily resolved, with complex relationships that were difficult to untangle step by step through internal operations.


    It was easy to end it with one decisive blow, but difficult to make gradual changes through internal operations.


    Just think about it.


    Even Cheng Qi, with his strong work ethic comparable to a workaholic, couldn''t completely solve the problem, so how could the new Emperor handle it after coming to power?


    It was impossible.


    In a few years, the new Emperor faced reversals everywhere, except for some minor issues, the fundamental problems remained unsolved.


    For a young man, this was undoubtedly a major blow.


    If it were Cheng Zheng or Cheng Qi, perhaps they would have gathered their courage to continue working hard after a brief setback.


    But the new Emperor was different.


    In the eyes of Chen An, whether it was Cheng Zheng or Cheng Qi, they were not normal individuals, but beings beyond normal humans.


    With their good abilities and workaholic attitude, they would eventually succeed no matter where they were placed.


    However, this new Emperor, despite having decent abilities, was just a normal person.


    Faced with setback after setback and the expectant gaze of many, he made a decision that went against his ancestors.


    He simply gave up.


    After experiencing repeated setbacks, he realized a truth.


    What was the point of working hard?


    He was already the Emperor, and he had risen as far as he could. Even if he worked harder, could he really change his life?


    The throne?


    With King Chen An reigning supreme, Dahua had no fear of losing its position at all.


    Since there was no difference between giving up and working hard, why not just give up directly?


    From that day onwards, the Emperor gradually descended into debauchery, indulging in pleasures, building magnificent palaces, keeping beautiful women, and heading towards a path of excessive indulgence.


    This whole process left the courtiers and ministers dumbfounded.


    It had only been a few years, Your Majesty, did you have to fly off the handle so quickly?


    Indeed, it was proven that it took several decades to cultivate an appropriate person, but to corrupt someone only needed a few years.


    Sometimes, it might not even take that long.


    Normal people, how many of them could resist the temptation to enjoy life and deal with dull and boring matters?


    In Chen An''s view, the previous Cheng Zheng and Cheng Qi were not normal, but the new Emperor was a normal person.


    The only relief was that although the new Emperor gradually descended into debauchery, he still retained enough restraint, just becoming lazy and indulgent, without causing much trouble elsewhere.


    Although he could not compare to Cheng Zheng or Cheng Qi, he could still be considered a mediocre ruler.


    And then he died.


    Just about ten years after the new Emperor ascended the throne, he passed away suddenly, succumbing to the same illness.


    And a new ruler succeeded him.


    However, it seemed like the succession of new Emperors had suddenly become more frequent, as if someone had pressed the accelerator.


    In just forty years, Dahua had changed four emperors.


    Among these four emperors, the longest reigning one lasted about ten years, while the shortest was only three years.


    They died from a variety of causes, some from sudden illnesses, some from accidents like falling into water and getting scared, and even one who died from practicing a secret technique and accidentally killing himself.


    Truly bizarre.


    After learning about this incident, Chen An had someone bring the secret technique manual over for him to see.


    He had thought there might be some surprises, after all, it was a martial art that even the Emperor had practiced, so there must have been something special about it, right?


    The result was only shocking.


    The so-called secret technique was actually created by several foreign warriors to please the Emperor, combining Central Plains martial arts with foreign martial arts, along with a bunch of random elements, making it a mishmash of styles.


    Although it might seem impressive at first glance, trying to practice it was another story.


    Would anyone dare to practice such techniques?


    Chen An didn''t understand, but he was deeply shocked.


    In the year when Chen An turned one hundred and sixty, the fifth Emperor ascended the throne after Cheng Qi''s death.


    This time, it seemed like a child was ascending the throne.


    There was no other choice, as the previous Emperor had died too early, leaving the Crown Prince to ascend the throne before he was even ten years old.


    As for what the new Emperor would do in the future, how long he would survive, and what kind of actions he would take when he grew up, Chen An no longer cared.


    After living to this age, what hadn''t he seen?


    Dahua had already endured the deaths of so many emperors.


    By now, he was a hundred and sixty years old, and his body had already aged.


    With a lifespan of two hundred years, a hundred and sixty years was approaching old age, although it was not quite at its limit.


    Chen An, despite his focus on health, now looked completely like an old man.


    He had grown weaker over the years, with long white hair, dull yellow eyes, and no longer resembling a legendary Master of Martial Arts, but instead looking like an ordinary old man.


    In fact, during these years, he had been travelling to various places, living like an ordinary old man.


    In order to witness the different scenery in various regions, he went by the name of Bian Que, treating patients and gradually honing his exquisite medical skills.


    His medical skills were indeed exceptional.


    After all, while others were still using traditional methods to heal the sick, he had already unlocked his innate Qi, which could only yield good results, right?


    Coupled with being an innate Master, he was naturally much stronger in many aspects compared to ordinary people. Some patients would stand in front of him, and with just one glance of his innate Qi, he could roughly understand their condition.


    If this didn''t make him a divine healer, then the standards for being a divine healer in this era were too high.


    Gradually, the name Bian Que became synonymous with a divine healer.


    Many people wanted to seek his medical skills, but they were confused when they started to investigate Bian Que''s whereabouts.


    Some said Bian Que was in the Western Region, some said in Dahua, some said in the Great Desert, and others said in the Southern Kingdom.


    And the deeds of the divine healer Bian Que had been circulating for a hundred years.


    A hundred years, well, even the most exceptional divine healer should have passed by then.


    Yet, it was reported until now that the divine healer Bian Que was still travelling around, treating the sick.


    This situation left the high-ranking officials and nobles puzzled.


    Could it be that this divine healer Bian Que had the ability to clone himself, or was he immortal?


    Otherwise, how could Bian Que be present in so many places for such a long time?


    If this news were to spread to later generations, it could very well become a miraculous story.


    If Chen An knew about this situation, he would probably chuckle.


    Although the act of healing and helping others seemed noble, in reality, it was not as beautiful as it appeared.


    There had always been medical disputes.


    Not to mention that this was not a modern society, where high-ranking officials and nobles wouldn''t hesitate to arrest you, even if you hadn''t fully cured their illness, and if a patient died during treatment, it could be even more troublesome.


    If you came across a hot-tempered patient, you might not even make it out alive.


    Of course, Chen An didn''t have to worry about such problems.


    After all, he held the greatest power (physics).


    Even if he didn''t want to, he could just...


    With reason on my side, I am not afraid to travel the world.


    What is a medical dispute?


    Dare to reason with me.


    Yet, amidst the process, there were still many helplessness.


    The most vivid, perhaps, was the continuous withering and passing of life. s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    A person dying in despair on a sickbed and being slaughtered on the battlefield were completely different feelings.


    On the battlefield, Chen An could watch hundreds or even thousands of people die without changing his expression, but seeing individuals die in despair from illness, he couldn''t help but feel desolate.


    Along the way, he had witnessed many tragic stories.


    Some suffered from serious illnesses, sold their belongings in an attempt to seek treatment, only to end up destitute and dying on the streets.


    Some had strange illnesses, still conscious but unable to move, considered a burden by their families and buried alive.


    Some, due to poverty and inability to afford treatment, had to seek death proactively for the sake of their families.


    And there were those who sold their children to survive, even pawning their wives, yet still couldn''t survive.


    There were all kinds of such stories, too numerous to count.


    In the midst of prosperity, buried beneath that prosperity, there was far too much grief and sorrow.


    Chen An witnessed these stories and scenes, and he also gained many insights himself, not knowing who to confide in.


    Even as an innate Master, he couldn''t change many things in this world.


    Faced with the various pains and sorrows in this world, the only thing he could do seemed to be using his medical skills to help others as much as possible, curing one patient at a time.


    However, many times, the things in this world were not as simple as you wanted them to be.


    In this era, Chen An''s abilities were already considered extremely good, and compared to other physicians, he could definitely be considered a divine healer.


    But what could this achieve?


    Many illnesses persisted, and despite Chen An''s best efforts, he was powerless in certain cases.


    There were also instances where his efforts to treat patients ultimately failed.


    Some relatives were understanding, but more placed blame on him, even wanting to tear him down and profit from his misfortune.


    Chen An had seen it all.


    Along the way, he had encountered benevolent, malicious, ignorant, and enlightened individuals.


    But no matter what, he remained true to his original intentions and continued on his path.


    Throughout this process, he also witnessed the landscapes of different places.


    Some places were prosperous, with the people living a comfortable life, while others lived in dire conditions.


    Occasionally, Chen An would intervene to resolve conflicts for the wrongdoers, be it a king or someone else, and eliminate them directly.


    He had this ability.


    This behavior was sometimes good, but sometimes the outcome was different from what was expected.


    After the hated kings perished, the outcome might not be as positive as anticipated, and could instead lead to more chaos.


    Realizing this, Chen An continued on his path.


    One day, he arrived deep in the Great Desert.


    He was not unfamiliar with this place, having visited it over a decade ago, although not delving deeply as he did this time.


    The so-called Great Desert was a grassland, where the people who survived were not farmers due to the terrain, but pastoralists.


    Over a decade ago, when Chen An visited this place, he saw a desert oasis, with scattered tribes everywhere, resembling a scattered sand.


    However, upon return, he was astonished to find that the environment had changed significantly.


    A new kingdom seemed to be rising on the grassland.


    It was a kingdom called the Golden Kingdom, which initially appeared as a small tribe deep in the desert but had grown through continuous wars over the past hundred years, annexing scattered tribes everywhere, evolving into a vast kingdom spanning the grasslands.


    Wherever this kingdom went, there were knights everywhere, their powerful strength making Chen An frown.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 148: A New Challenge

    Unlike the powerful nations of China such as Dahua, Song Guo, and Lu Guo, Jinguo is a newly emerged kingdom.Rising from the depths of the desert, this kingdom has only been in existence for two or three decades, yet it has already brought about significant changes in a short period of time.


    Because of their presence, many scattered tribes in the desert have been unified and brought back together.


    Of course, the desert is vast and the scattered tribes are numerous, making it difficult to count them all.


    At this moment, there are various forces existing within the desert, some of which are as strong as Jinguo.


    Under normal circumstances, this transformation in the desert is expected to continue for a long time.


    Or perhaps, it may not even last that long.


    Chen An roamed the desert in search.


    After more than a decade had passed, he finally returned to Dahua.


    Within Dahua at this moment, all the familiar faces that Chen An once knew had disappeared.


    He had lived for too long, to the point where the friends he once knew had all passed away, vanishing without a trace.


    Even now, not even his grandchildren were around.


    The Chen Mansion still stood, with Chen An''s descendants holding power within.


    But for Chen An, it didn''t matter anymore.


    The blood ties had become faint with the passage of time.


    Though the Chen descendants were Chen An''s kin, they had never really interacted.


    While Chen An may not have had deep emotions towards his grandsons, he at least had some impression of them. But now with the descendants, it was a different story.


    They were complete strangers to him.


    In such a situation, there was no need for Chen An to continue looking after them.


    Even if they were to commit wrongdoings and rely on Chen An''s reputation to carry out evil deeds, he might have to personally intervene and set things right.


    Such occurrences were common in those times, and Chen An had witnessed many.


    When others did bad things, Chen An could choose to ignore them.


    But if it was his own descendants, then he could not ignore it.


    Fortunately, despite nearly a hundred years passing, the Chen family still maintained a good reputation. While there were many lazy and idle heirs, those who engaged in evil deeds were few.


    Chen An took care of a few of them and then left.


    After many years, he returned to the place where he once secluded himself.


    Due to the long separation, when he returned, there were only a few servants who were nearing the end of their lives.


    Seeing Chen An return, they were incredulous and immediately knelt down.


    The news of Chen An''s return quickly spread within and outside of Dahua.


    The Emperor of Dahua and the descendants of Chen An rushed over to pay their respects.


    Having been away for so long, many within Dahua believed that Chen An had already passed away, yet they were astonished to learn that he was still alive.


    He was like a legendary figure to the people of this world, having lived nearly two hundred years and still being alive.


    Chen An''s descendants were also excited.


    They were descendants of Chen An, and his return was a joyous occasion for them.


    But Chen An did not have much intention of interacting with these people.


    He had come back not for them, but simply because he felt he was nearing his limit.


    Calculating his age, he was already over one hundred and eighty years old.


    At such an advanced age, there was always the possibility of passing away at any moment.


    He had a premonition of his impending death, which was why he hurried back.


    Within Shengjing, there were many memories of his, left behind by Cheng Zheng, as well as the Fourth Princess and her two children.


    Before his death, Chen An wanted to return here to relive those memories.


    For the present Chen An, all the glory and excitement were meaningless, only these memories held true importance for him.


    As for everything else, he no longer cared.


    He declined other meetings and only met with the Emperor of Dahua, chatting for a while before sending him away.


    For the next few years, he did not venture outside. He quietly stayed in the mansion, waiting for his life to come to its end.


    As time passed, Chen An could feel the arrival of that moment.


    He was nearing death.


    Of course, this moment was not fixed.


    If Chen An wished, he could use every means to prolong his life, postponing this moment by several more years.


    But for Chen An, it seemed unnecessary.


    After all, what difference did it make to live a few more years or a few less?


    It was all just waiting for death.


    So he chose to let things take their course, waiting quietly for death to come.


    Just when Chen An chose to ignore everything and wait for death, something unexpected happened.


    After settling back in Shengjing and preparing to spend his remaining years in seclusion, the outside world erupted into chaos once again.


    In the northern desert, a force emerged, known as Jinguo.


    Jinguo rose to power, spending decades to unify the desert before turning its gaze southward towards the Central Plains.


    In just a few years, several nations were wiped out.


    Countries like Lu Guo to the north of Dahua were obliterated by the iron cavalry of Jinguo.


    In a moment, only Dahua and Dazhong, the two strongest countries in the Central Plains, remained resilient in the face of the invasion.


    Dahua and Dazhong were the two strongest countries in the Central Plains, and their strength was on a different level compared to other nations.


    With these two nations allied, they should have no problem facing any opponent and should be able to handle them easily.


    However, even under the iron cavalry, the alliance of the two nations was no match.


    The appearance of a single man drew the attention of the world.


    His real name was unknown, but his title was renowned far and wide as the Law King of the Desert.


    A familiar name it was.


    Over a hundred years ago, a Law King emerged from the desert, challenging strong opponents from all directions, his strength reaching the pinnacle of Qi whereas only surpassed by the Innate.


    In the end, that Law King was defeated by the Chen King of Dahua, disappearing without a trace.


    And now, within Jinguo, a new Law King had appeared.


    For a moment, people suspected that the former Law King had broken through the Innate realm and returned.


    However, after thorough investigation, it was found not to be the case.


    Compared to the former Law King, the current Law King of Jinguo was much younger, in his seventies, which did not align with the age of the former Law King.


    There were also significant differences in their appearance.


    Obviously, they were not the same person.


    But based on their titles, the new Law King''s connection to the former Law King could not be denied.


    Even more terrifying was his actual strength, reaching the level of Innate.


    On the battlefield, he appeared alone and single-handedly suppressed nearly ten thousand troops, leaving all who witnessed in awe.


    After the initial Chen King of Dahua over a hundred years ago, the appearance of a true Innate martial artist on the Central Plains once again had finally emerged after almost a hundred years.


    But this Innate was not of the Central Plains but a warrior who emerged from the desert.


    In an instant, the whole world was in an uproar.


    Following that battle, the Law King made an extraordinary move.


    He sent messengers to Dahua, sending a challenge to the Chen King.


    "A century ago, my master was defeated by the Chen King and held regret until his death. Now I have luckily attained the principles of the Innate and heard that the Chen King is still alive. I wish to come and learn from him, I wonder if the Chen King would agree?"


    While his messengers were polite, their message was surprising.


    So the Law King''s master was the former Law King who had been defeated by the Chen King a hundred years ago? A hundred years ago, the Law King challenged martial artists of the Central Plains, sweeping through without rivals, only to be defeated by the Chen King.


    And now, while the former Law King had passed away, his disciple had inherited his will and wanted to challenge the Chen King once again? The world was astonished, but there were also a few who cursed in anger.


    "If the Chen King is already elderly, isn''t it too shameless for the Law King to come to challenge now?"


    Some angrily rebuked.


    Indeed.


    When the Chen King was still young, you did not come, and now that Chen An is of this age, you come to challenge him. Isn''t that bullying?


    Calculating the time, Chen An was now nearly two hundred years old.


    At this age, even among the Innate, he was considered extremely advanced in age, making it hard to determine how much combat strength he still possessed.


    To challenge such an old man was definitely not something to be proud of.


    The Law King responded quite directly to these people: "If the Chen King is frail, you may choose someone else to come, and I will not refuse."


    With those words, the people fell silent.


    While they wished they could send someone else to fight, could they win?


    Perhaps not.


    The Law King was Innate, one of only two in the world at present.


    Facing such a formidable opponent, anyone else sent would likely be sending themselves to their doom. S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    To say that the Chen King was aging?


    Even if someone younger and stronger were sent to battle, they might not be a match for the Law King.


    Moreover, with Jinguo''s powerful momentum, not stopping the Law King could be disastrous.


    At present, it seemed that only the Chen King could stand up to him.


    With people''s eyes diverted, their gaze gradually fell on Dahua.


    Pressured by the massive force of Jinguo, the Emperor of Dahua pondered for a long time before finally having to visit the Chen King''s mansion personally and request his presence.


    Within the mansion, the courtyard that had long been closed showed signs of change.


    An old man slowly opened his eyes and walked out of the mansion once again.


    Within a few days, the fresh news spread far and wide.


    The reclusive Chen King had returned and accepted the Law King''s challenge.


    Once the news spread, the world was in an uproar.


    Countless people''s eyes shifted, focusing on this upcoming battle.


    For them, it was a battle that would determine the fate of many.


    If the Chen King won, Jinguo''s momentum could be curbed.


    But if the Chen King fell in defeat, there might be no turning back thereafter.


    (End of the chapter).

 Chapter 149: Confrontation (1)

    "I never thought that I would experience this today," Chen An thought as he walked on the road.His appearance had once again changed, now looking extremely elderly.


    As time passed, he had aged significantly, looking frail and fragile, as if even walking required great care to avoid falling, giving the impression that his life was coming to an end.


    And indeed, it was true.


    His life was nearing its end.


    Originally, if there were no unexpected events, Chen An would have been comfortably settled in his mansion, living as a happy old man.


    However, the world had different plans for him.


    Life was full of unexpected twists and turns.


    Having lived for so long, Chen An had learned a few things.


    While short periods of seclusion were possible, long-term seclusion was not realistic.


    As long as one lived long enough, they would inevitably encounter various unexpected events, preventing them from continuing to live in seclusion.


    The last unexpected event was the invasion of Da Hua by Song Kingdom, where he was forcefully pulled out by Cheng Zheng to lead the army.


    And now, it was an invitation to battle from the King of Jin Kingdom.


    Of course, considering Chen An''s situation, he could have avoided it.


    In a world as vast as this one, with his innate abilities, he could have easily evaded Jin Kingdom.


    Being of the same innate level, as long as he hid somewhere, would the King of Jin Kingdom really be able to find him?


    Unfortunately, if Chen An were younger, he might have chosen this route.


    But at his age, it seemed unnecessary to avoid it.


    After all, with the way things were going, regardless of the outcome, he would not live for many more years.


    So, what was the point?


    Chen An sighed silently, reaching the designated battleground where both sides would face each other.


    It was on top of a mountain.


    The mountain was located to the north of Da Hua, with a treacherous terrain.


    Surrounded by high mountains, it was sparsely populated. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at it, even ordinary people would find it difficult to climb.


    The King of Jin Kingdom was currently waiting on top of the mountain for Chen An to arrive.


    As Chen An arrived at the location as planned, he saw the King of Jin Kingdom.


    As expected, the King of Jin Kingdom was very young, just as Chen An had anticipated.


    He was dressed in a robe similar to the previous King of the Desert, with a bald head, exuding a peaceful aura that had a calming effect on people.


    This did not resemble a king known for his ferocity; instead, he seemed more like a wise monk.


    When Chen An saw the King, he was also surprised.


    What''s going on?


    The disciple and the master look completely different.


    The previous King probably had a similar appearance, but his personality was completely different, fierce and aggressive.


    On the other hand, the current King looked peaceful and resembled a high monk.


    "Greetings, King Chen."


    Upon seeing Chen An''s arrival, the King greeted him respectfully and peacefully, "I have heard of King Chen''s reputation for a long time, and today I finally have the opportunity to meet you."


    "Are you the disciple of the previous King?"


    Chen An looked at the King with astonishment and asked.


    "Yes."


    The King nodded, "I am the disciple my master took before he passed away."


    "Before he passed away."


    Chen An fell silent for a moment before speaking, "I remember, I seem to have wounded him back then."


    "When Master was defeated by King Chen, he retreated to the desert to recuperate and found me after three years."


    The King''s hands were clasped in devotion, with a hint of nostalgia on his face, "In the second year of my apprenticeship, Master passed away."


    Wow.


    Chen An couldn''t help but feel envious.


    Look at his luck.


    After being defeated by Chen An, the previous King only had three years left to live.


    Despite this situation, he managed to find such a disciple and pass on his teachings.


    Even more absurdly, the disciple he took before his death actually surpassed him and ascended to the innate level a hundred years after his demise.


    Is there any justice in this world?


    Chen An thought about his own students over the years, realizing that none of them had reached the innate level, let alone possessed any spirit qi.


    Could it be that my teaching skills are really that bad?


    No, it must be the students'' problem!


    Chen An quickly shifted the blame onto his students, thinking it made sense.


    He had taught several individuals over the years, including Cheng Qi, his two children, and others, but their talents were mediocre at best.


    Compared to true geniuses or even ordinary talented individuals, they were far inferior.


    The only potentially talented one, Cheng Qi, had become consumed by political matters and had no time for cultivation.


    How could they possibly compare to the King before him?


    There was simply no comparison!


    However, despite these thoughts, the difference was just too significant, causing Chen An to have doubts.


    "My master left a message for me to pass on to you."


    The King continued, "He wanted to express his gratitude to you for the benefits he gained from the battle we had. He owed you a great debt of gratitude."


    "Are you sure that''s what he said?"


    Chen An''s expression was strange.


    If he remembered correctly, he hadn''t done much back then, and the previous King''s swift demise had its reasons.


    Although even without him, the King would not have lived much longer.


    But he didn''t see any reason for gratitude.


    "Indeed."


    The King smiled and nodded, "Along with his gratitude, he also felt regret. Therefore, he instructed me that if I were to challenge you again in the future, it would continue the battle from that day."


    "That sounds nice."


    Chen An fell silent for a moment before feeling somewhat speechless, "But your master probably didn''t mention for you to come here and bully an old man, did he?"


    "If you wanted to challenge me, couldn''t you have come earlier instead of waiting for me to be close to death?"


    Bringing this up, the King seemed a bit embarrassed, "I also wished to come earlier, but I only recently stabilized my innate realm in recent years. Considering King Chen''s notorious reputation, I dare not stand in front of you too early."


    "Otherwise, wouldn''t it be a loss if you killed me?"


    You actually said it outright!


    Chen An was dumbfounded.


    Even if you were afraid, most people would come up with some excuse to cover it up.


    But there you are, stating your thoughts directly?


    "A monk should not lie."


    Seemingly aware of Chen An''s thoughts, the King spoke seriously, "My master only instructed me to challenge you in the future but did not specify when. So, this does not violate my promise to him."


    Wow.


    This was how you fulfilled your master''s instructions.


    I wonder if the previous King would come back to life after knowing what his disciple had done.


    Chen An silently grumbled to himself.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 150: Confrontation (2)

    Chen An''s communication with the current King of Law in front of him was quite pleasant.Their attitudes were very similar and both belonged to the category of calm individuals.


    Chen An felt a familiar aura from the current King of Law.


    The cautious and deadly style, which struck when you were most vulnerable, gave him a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    Yes, it was just like him.


    In the past, Chen An had been like this too, using these tactics to outwit many opponents.


    And now, it was his turn.


    Truly, talents emerged in each generation, and each generation was stronger than the last.


    Chen An sighed in his heart, not knowing what to say.


    "Chen Wang, as an elder, please make the first move."


    Across from him, the King of Law folded his hands together, showing a respectful demeanor.


    You also know that I am an elder.


    Chen An glanced at the King of Law in front of him but did not refuse.


    For them, these formalities didn''t mean much.


    In the end, it was still about how they fought.


    At the highest peak, the two innate warriors began their battle.


    Compared to the spiritual energy, the biggest difference of the innate warriors was their ability to harness the external innate power.


    This harnessing was not a direct utilization but rather a manipulation of the innate power within themselves, which then influenced the external world, leveraging their own strength to unleash an even greater force.


    Compared to spiritual energy, this advantage was quite obvious.


    After all, one could only use their own power while the other could also manipulate various forms of external energy besides their own.


    Not to mention that the innate power of the innate warrior alone was enough to crush all spiritual energy.


    This was why spiritual energy couldn''t compete with the innate power.


    They were simply not on the same level.


    But if two innate warriors were to fight?


    Then the situation would be quite spectacular.


    At that moment, people were horrified to find that the spiritual energy around them was vibrating, and shocking energy was erupting from it.


    The result of the two innate warriors'' battle was extremely terrifying.


    As their figures intertwined, the surrounding forces were also mobilized, colliding under the tug of these two different forces.


    The terrifying force shook the surroundings, making it difficult to distinguish between the two.


    Even from a superficial perspective, Chen An seemed to have a slight advantage.


    This was the result of accumulated experience.


    Compared to the King of Law in front of him, Chen An had advanced earlier in the innate realm and had been immersed in it for many years, thus his cultivation was deeper.


    It was normal for him to have the upper hand in a short period.


    But the King of Law remained calm and composed, responding slowly.


    The accumulation of time brought not only profound experience but also deadly tactics.


    Strong power burst forth, sealing off the space, and fierce attacks caused huge cracks in the ground beneath their feet.


    The earth shook, and everything around was in turmoil.


    The battle between the two shook the entire mountain peak, almost tearing it apart!


    This scene left people stunned and some could not believe their eyes.


    Were these really martial practitioners?


    The shaking earth and crumbling mountains transformed the desolate scene into a chaotic and new landscape.


    Even the ground beneath their feet no longer seemed safe.


    But the two paid no attention, fighting relentlessly.


    Slowly, they ascended into the air, engaged in combat.


    "That is..."


    The people around were once again astonished.


    They could fly!


    Indeed, the innate could fly.


    Strictly speaking, it was more like levitating rather than flying.


    The innate could harness the energy of the heavens and earth, temporarily enhancing themselves and achieving suspension.


    Compared to actual flight, this levitation still had a long way to go.


    That''s why both the King of Law and Chen An rarely used it.


    In terms of practicality, Chen An believed that this ability had more effect in displaying one''s prowess and belonged to the kind of superficial power at the innate level.


    But for now, the greatest use of this ability was to ensure that they wouldn''t accidentally fall to their death in such precarious terrain.


    Boom!


    A deafening sound echoed from the mountain peak.


    After a brief clash, they finally approached each other, starting a more intense battle.


    A silver-white long knife was drawn out of nowhere and swiftly slashed forward.


    With the powerful energy of the innate exploding, it seemed as if the knife intended to cleave the mountain in front of it.


    In the eruption of the innate power, a piece of the mountain top directly leveled, and rubble continuously fell to the ground.


    However, at this point, the situation started to change dramatically.


    Chen An gradually fell into a disadvantage, losing the upper hand.


    He was not surprised by this.


    After all, he was an old man.


    The innate spiritual energy was a combination of spiritual energy and the innate energy within the body. As the body weakened, the innate energy within decreased, weakening the spiritual energy.


    And the weakening on the body itself was even more terrible.


    In all these aspects, Chen An could not compare to the King of Law in front of him.


    After all, the King of Law was a young man, strong and at his peak, both in spiritual energy and physical strength.


    In the short term, Chen An could suppress him with his cultivation, but in the long run, the outcome was quite clear.


    He began to fall into a disadvantage, seeming like he was about to be defeated.


    Seemingly realizing this, the King of Law''s methods began to become more ruthless.


    His movements became faster and fiercer.


    The fierce energy kept erupting, shrouding the whole mountain wilderness.


    The people outside could no longer gaze into the situation, even the spiritual energy couldn''t penetrate.


    Because the battle between the two innate warriors had already disrupted the energy flow and made it impossible to observe.


    But just thinking about it logically, Chen An''s situation must have been very difficult.


    A silver-white long knife descended quickly, trying to take advantage of the opportunity, but the King of Law was once again prepared and evaded.


    Chen An fell silent.


    He realized something.


    In a way, the King of Law in front of him followed a similar path, but his fighting style was much more insidious.


    Chen An only picked on the weaker opponents, but his methods were still straightforward.


    On the other hand, the King of Law didn''t adhere to any principles, taking advantage of any opportunity.


    This hit-and-run style was too underhanded.


    Unfortunately, Chen An had no solution.


    If he was younger, it would have been easier. He could simply rely on his stronger cultivation and spiritual energy to overpower the enemy, regardless of how sneaky their tactics were.


    But not anymore.


    After all, he was old.


    Chen An sighed.


    The effects of time were quite evident on him.


    In the past, he could easily break through an opponent''s spiritual energy with a single strike and had a sharp reaction to avoid the enemy''s attacks.


    But now, he was unable to do so.


    While his knife skills remained sharp, his movements had slowed down.


    Although his innate energy was powerful, it wasn''t as strong as before, certainly not as potent as the young man in front of him.


    Everything he excelled at seemed to be deteriorating gradually due to aging, completely overshadowed by his opponent.


    For a martial practitioner, this was a great tragedy.


    And for Chen An, aside from the sadness, it was also distressing.


    "Chen Wang, accept your fate."


    In front of him, the King of Law sighed lightly, saying, "Your old age and declining strength make you no longer my match." s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "You are a great man of Da Hua, and although you have served Da Hua several times, you owe nothing to Da Hua anymore. Why not end the war here, peacefully retire in my Kingdom of Jin, and no longer interfere in external affairs, alright?"


    Seeing Chen An''s miserable state, he seemed to feel some compassion, not wanting to see a hero of his generation die at his hands because of the conflict between their nations.


    Unfortunately, as he spoke, he continued his assault, trying to distract Chen An and take advantage of the situation.


    It seemed that his words were more of a diversion tactic to facilitate his aggression.


    "I understand."


    After a move, Chen An suddenly stopped and let out a long sigh, "King of Law, your words are reasonable. I am willing to end the war, no longer involve myself in the affairs of Da Hua, and retire peacefully from now on."


    "Hmm?"


    The King of Law was stunned, almost unable to contain his surprise at Chen An''s unexpected words.


    But he quickly regained his composure, and a smile appeared on his face, full of joy, "Then it couldn''t be better."


    He seemed genuinely happy and quickly approached Chen An, as if wanting to assist him.


    To Chen An''s unexpected move, an unforeseen event occurred.


    In a short distance ahead, a powerful fist suddenly emerged and struck Chen An''s chest.


    Looking up, the King of Law still wore a smile on his face, seemingly pleased as before.


    But his actions didn''t match his expression at all.


    Smiling on the face while striking, this gross violation of martial ethics made one wonder how the previous King of Law had raised such a disciple.


    "Chen Wang, my apologies."


    As his fist pierced through Chen An''s chest, breaking through his protective spiritual energy, the King of Law finally revealed a remorseful expression, apologizing, "You are too powerful, and your prestige is too high. If you don''t die, the Kingdom of Hua and the Kingdom of Song will not easily submit."


    "For the great cause of unification, I can only inconvenience you."


    He let out a long sigh, with a compassionate expression, seeming truly concerned about his actions.


    Yes, he had the air of a high and mighty monk.


    Although his recent actions were dishonorable and far from the appearance of a virtuous monk.


    After a successful strike, the King of Law initially appeared deeply concerned and composed.


    In his view, the battle was over.


    The innate might be strong, but there were limits.


    The spiritual energy was also vulnerable and could die when severely injured.


    And now, with Chen An''s condition and injuries, even with his innatpower, there was little hope of survival.


    Furthermore, given Chen An''s age, even if he hadn''t received those injuries, he would have likely exhausted himself by now.


    Viewed from any angle, there seemed to be no need to continue the fight.


    But slowly, the King of Law realized something was wrong.


    After his sneak attack, Chen An remained calm and stood there as if nothing had happened, completely unbothered.


    What''s going on?


    The King of Law was taken aback.


    After being attacked unexpectedly, Chen An should have been at least angry, right?


    Why was he so calm? And he didn''t even say anything.


    Even when you are on the brink of death, shouldn''t you say a few harsh words?


    He had even prepared some lines, waiting for Chen An to speak.


    Chen An, of course, had no idea what was going on in the King of Law''s mind.


    At that moment, he just stood there, calmly looking at the King of Law, "It''s okay, no need to feel sorry."


    "It''s a pity for you, so young, and yet you have to bury yourself with an old man."


    What?


    The King of Law was taken aback.


    Before he could react, a sense of extreme danger suddenly arose in him.


    He would die, he would die.


    The King of Law''s face instantly changed.


    Since the start of the battle until now, he had not felt a strong threat, even when he was at a disadvantage. Although uncomfortable, he was not worried.


    But now, that fatal feeling finally arose.


    If he did not avoid the next blow, he would really die.


    Realizing this, he subconsciously tried to retreat and leave the area.


    But it was too late.


    One of his hands, which had pierced Chen An''s chest, had become a weakness and was now firmly locked by Chen An, preventing him from escaping.


    In the King of Law''s eyes, Chen An remained calm, with a quiet resolve on his face as he swung a palm.


    As the palm struck, the profound ice spiritual energy surged forth, an overwhelming aura erupted, bursting forth in an instant.


    Seemingly drawn by Chen An''s spiritual energy, the elemental energy from all directions surged, and the power of heaven and earth was mobilized, coming together in a display of unprecedented and terrifying power.


    Frozen Wasteland!


    (The end of this chapter).

 Chapter 151: Return

    In terms of paper data, Chen An didn''t have much advantage against the Law King.After all, he was too old, at this age, he couldn''t possibly beat the Law King, a young and strong successor.


    Especially since the other party was so unethical, often using means such as sneak attacks.


    So from the very beginning, Chen An understood that his only chance to defeat his opponent was with that move.


    Ice sealing a thousand miles away, this was the martial art spirit he acquired from the Song Taizu''s relics, its power even among the innate was considered top-notch.


    Chen An was certain that even at his peak, taking such a blow would not end well for him, he would most likely be killed on the spot.


    This was his ace in the hole.


    But then a problem arose.


    Having the big move was one thing, but actually hitting someone with it was another.


    It was a well-known fact that if you couldn''t hit the target with your big move, it was as good as not using it at all.


    And compared to others, Chen An was at a disadvantage in terms of his condition.


    While others could use their big move once and then maybe go into cooldown or at most suffer some injuries, it was different for him.


    In his current state, Chen An felt that if he unleashed this move, without any unexpected circumstances, he would most likely perish.


    In other words, he only had one chance.


    How to ensure that this one hit could accurately strike and not be avoided by the opponent, this was the problem Chen An had to consider.


    It was essential to ensure that the strike landed and hit accurately.


    Otherwise, merely grazing the opponent might leave them partially disabled or gravely injured, but it wouldn''t serve any purpose.


    With the formidable innate strength, as long as the opponent had a breath left, they would still be the best in the world.


    Why else would the opponent want to kill Chen An?


    Because only he could threaten another innate.


    And coincidentally, this was the perfect opportunity.


    Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Chen An''s face, his expression gradually becoming peaceful and calm.


    But to the Law King across from him, his smile was extremely terrifying.


    "Let go!"


    Facing Chen An''s gaze, feeling the immense sense of danger in his heart, he roared and tried his best to break free.


    But it was too late.


    Everything had already happened.


    The vast martial spirit enveloped the area, exploding with a loud bang.


    Then in the distance, countless people raised their heads and saw a strange scene.


    On the distant mountain peak, a powerful aura exploded, a terrifying torrent descended from the sky, spreading mightily below.


    In an instant, the huge mountain peak collapsed directly, followed by a sky full of mysterious ice energy swirling, shrouding the area in a snowy wilderness.


    In an instant, the sky lost its color, large patches of the earth covered by the condensed ice crystals, with the strong aura lingering within, making it impossible for anyone to approach.


    Even if it was just a slight aftermath, it still contained extremely enormous energy, ready to explode at any moment.


    Even the Law King standing there would feel bone-chilling cold.


    The terrifying force shook everyone''s mind, leaving them unable to react.


    And in the center of that torrent, where were Chen An and the Law King?


    They had long since disappeared.


    In the center, needless to say, the Law King had to directly face all the impact head-on, instantly being killed on the spot, his body being crushed into fragments, unable to die any further.


    The phrase "powder to ashes" was the best description for his current state.


    As for Chen An?


    Naturally, he was also dead.


    He was already close to the end of his life, and in this state, using such a terrifying technique drained all the power from his body.


    After that blow, he had no more perception.


    If one were to consider it seriously, he only lived a few breaths longer than the Law King, barely surviving a little longer.


    In the end, both sides were injured.


    But considering their age, it was clear that Chen An had won.


    After all, he was supposed to die, and in the end, he could still hold his own against an innate who was at the peak of his power before dying, no matter how you looked at it, he didn''t lose out.


    Not bad at all.


    Consciousness engulfed in darkness, gradually falling into a hazy state.


    After his death, Chen An''s consciousness became hazy, no longer able to sense any vivid existence.


    Only after a considerable amount of time had passed, his consciousness gradually returned, awakening once again.


    Subconsciously, he opened his eyes and looked forward.


    Before him was a very familiar sight.


    Dimly lit room, with a few night pearls shining here and there, creating a dim atmosphere.


    With this faint light, Chen An could barely make out the surroundings.


    Simply put, this seemed to be a cultivation room, arranged harmoniously in all aspects, very pleasing to Chen An''s aesthetics, making him nod in approval.


    The owner of this room had good taste.


    But slowly, he began to feel that something was off.


    The place was nice, but why did it seem so familiar?


    After a moment of confusion, Chen An finally realized.


    "I''m back?"


    He finally understood the situation.


    It was inevitable.


    In that other world, he had spent nearly two hundred years.


    This time was longer than the combined lifetimes of Chen An''s two generations.


    The accumulation of memories made his recollection of the past hazy.


    Fortunately, his memory was still good, and he finally remembered and understood his current state.


    Obviously, his projection in that world had died, so his consciousness had returned to his original body.


    In other words, he was now in the Bai family''s cultivation chamber?


    Chen An realized.


    No wonder everything seemed so agreeable, fitting his aesthetic taste.


    It turns out the owner was himself.


    Confirming his return, Chen An pondered for a moment, then rose from his spot to begin inspecting and testing various aspects.


    There was no way around it.


    He had already tried out the template''s skill boosts and predictions quite a bit, but this projection function was something he had only used for the first time.


    There were still many blank areas that needed more understanding.


    And now was the time to do so.


    "The flow of time isn''t static, but the ratio should be different."


    Chen An looked at the candle that had burned out long ago, first confirming the issue of time.


    It seemed that while he was projecting, time in the main world where his body was had been passing, but at a different speed.


    This ratio was probably exaggerated. While several decades had passed there, only a few days had passed here.


    How could he be sure of this?


    Because Chen An could feel that he was very hungry.


    He had noticed as soon as he returned that his body was frighteningly hungry, as if he hadn''t eaten for years.


    Considering this feeling of hunger, even as his consciousness left, his body was still functioning normally.


    So, he would still be hungry, to the point of possibly starving to death.


    But based on the fact that he was just very hungry and hadn''t starved to death yet, the time ratio between the main world and the Da Hua world was probably different.


    Ah, in order to distinguish between them easily, Chen An had given names to the two worlds.


    The world his body was in was called the main world, and the world where the projection was placed was called the Da Hua world, in honor of Cheng Zheng and the others. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is the time ratio fixed, or does it differ due to the different projection worlds?"


    Sitting in place, Chen An silently pondered, "If I continue to project in the future, will I project into the Da Hua world or elsewhere?"


    Questions lingered in his mind.


    But these questions could not be answered.


    There was no way, the sample size was too small.


    To find out the answers, Chen An would have to project several times in the future.


    But from his experience in this projection, this so-called projection was not without risk.


    The biggest risk was starving to death.


    Although martial artists could withstand hunger better than ordinary people, they weren''t at the level of fasting.


    Even so-called innate martial artists needed to eat, it was just that they could endure hunger for a longer period.


    Judging from this projection, if Chen An inadvertently stayed in the projection world for too long, he might still be at risk of starving to death?


    This was somewhat uncomfortable.


    Not dying on the battlefield, only to starve to death at home.


    Although Chen An had come to terms with life and death, the thought of such a scene still felt terrifying.


    If that were to happen, he would probably become famous right away.


    Instantly died while sitting at home!


    Chen An shook his head, trying to drive away that thought from his mind.


    And at that moment, the subtitles in front of him began to flicker.


    It was familiar subtitles, similar to the simulation time.


    Skipping the beginning, Chen An looked at the end.


    "Your projection has ended."


    "You''ve gained Source Energy: 320 points."


    "Three hundred and twenty?"


    Staring at the number, Chen An''s eyes lit up, "Not bad at all."


    The harvest from the projection was indeed stronger than the simulation.


    How much Source Energy did he usually get from a simulation?


    It was usually in the double digits or at most thirty points even with the most successful attempt.


    Now after a projection, he had over three hundred points, which was ten to twenty times more than before.


    Three hundred and twenty points of Source Energy, this harvest combined with what Chen An had collected and acquired in the Da Hua world, was quite substantial.


    This time was definitely a big win.


    And this was not all.


    As the subtitles in front of him disappeared, more prompts appeared.


    "Would you like to retrieve the projection?"


    The faint font in front of him suggested.


    "Retrieve the projection?"


    Projection could be retrieved?


    Chen An was taken aback, he had never expected this.


    He really wanted to know how this projection retrieval worked, so after a brief reflection, he quickly confirmed his choice.


    Then, Chen An''s vision began to change.


    A strange transformation began to take place.


    Vaguely, he seemed to sense the existence of another self.


    Without a doubt, this existence was his projection.


    In the Da Hua world, his projection had already died, leaving behind only a nearly skeletal corpse, looking emaciated, as if a starving old man who had died.


    The reason it appeared so miserable was that the martial spirit Chen An used before his death had drained all the vitality from his body, resulting in this appearance.


    But as his consciousness returned, this dead body began to change.


    First, his fingers began to tremble slowly, then his eyes opened wide, a pair of deep and dead eyes looking towards the sky.


    It was a strange feeling.


    It was as if his consciousness was trapped in a corpse, aware of itself, but unable to freely control the body.


    Because this body was essentially dead, its movements couldn''t be as agile.


    But soon, this feeling completely disappeared.


    Under Chen An''s gaze, his body began to slowly melt, eventually disappearing on the spot.


    In the next moment, his consciousness returned to his body.


    An inexplicable warmth flowed into his body, spreading out.


    "What is this."


    (This chapter is finished.)

 Chapter 152: Adaptation

    This warm flow that Chen An inexplicably felt wasn''t unfamiliar to him anymore.Because he had experienced it many times before.


    Yes. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After experiencing it so many times, it was natural that it didn''t feel strange anymore.


    But to have this feeling in this situation, Chen An didn''t expect it.


    The feeling he had now was actually the same feeling he had when he improved in the past.


    When he upgraded his attributes before, he also experienced this feeling.


    It felt great.


    But now it felt awkward.


    Because at this moment, scenes started appearing in his mind.


    These were the experiences Chen An had in the Dahua World, condensed into fragments and flooding back into his mind.


    After that, Chen An could clearly feel himself getting stronger.


    Yes, this so-called projection recovery method was actually melting his projections from other worlds and recycling them directly into his original body.


    Perhaps because these were his own projections, sharing the same source, the strengthening effect was quite good.


    At this moment, Chen An could feel himself being enhanced.


    Everything in his body was changing, from flesh and blood to bones, and even his organs were being strengthened.


    Of course, more importantly, certain things inside his body were changing.


    Chen An could feel that the innate qi inside his body seemed to be increasing.


    This discovery surprised him.


    Good news.


    The biggest problem that had always troubled Chen An was his aptitude issue.


    Because of his own aptitude issue, no matter how hard Chen An worked in his cultivation, the results he obtained seemed somewhat unsatisfactory, feeling like something was missing.


    But not anymore.


    The projections that were recovered this time seemed to be pure human body essence.


    It was as if the projections were recovered, melted into pure essence, and then fed back into the original body.


    This was basically an all-around strengthening from various angles.


    Not only was there an increase in strength, but also in potential and foundation.


    So, how effective was it?


    It was quite good.


    After checking, Chen An felt that his aptitude now was much stronger than before.


    If he was considered mediocre before, now he could be considered a small genius.


    Of course, he was only an ordinary kind of genius, not comparable to top geniuses like Bai Qing.


    But even so, Chen An was satisfied.


    At least this gave him hope.


    This time''s improvement was just the result of one time, not the end.


    In the future, as Chen An continued to project, his aptitude would continue to improve with each recovery of projections.


    By then, he would have something to look forward to.


    Maybe by then, Chen An could rely on his own cultivation without completely relying on his own projection.


    Although relying on projections was fun, it also cost money.


    It was better to save money if possible.


    Bang!


    A crisp sound came from inside his body.


    With the growth of the essence inside his body, it seemed that there were changes in all aspects.


    Chen An felt the situation inside his body, first stunned, and then his face changed dramatically.


    Not good, he was about to break through!


    Before projecting, his cultivation had already reached the peak of Internal Energy, just one step away from Qi energy.


    But now, with the enhancement of the projection essence, he was affected and couldn''t help but want to ascend and breakthrough to Qi energy.


    Breaking through to Qi energy was a good thing, and if others knew, they would envy him.


    But for Chen An, it wasn''t the same.


    Ascending to Qi energy required sensing the innate qi inside his body and then sublimating the Internal Energy into Qi energy.


    But here''s the problem.


    Chen An''s expertise was in Icy Energy, and he hadn''t cultivated his original body yet.


    This meant that without Icy Energy Internal Energy, he couldn''t transform it into Icy Energy Qi, and could only use the Yin Body Technique to condense Qi.


    That would be troublesome.


    Once he ascended, the path was set, and although it could be changed, it was quite difficult.


    The Yin Body Technique was a martial arts inheritance of the Bai Family, and reaching the pinnacle of Qi Energy was quite good for the previous Chen An.


    But that was before, things were different now.


    No matter how good the Yin Body Technique was, did it have Icy Energy?


    It didn''t.


    Not to mention the issue of experience in operation.


    So ascending now was not feasible.


    Standing still for a while, Chen An finally suppressed the restless Internal Energy inside his body and managed to calm down.


    "Good."


    Breathing a sigh of relief, he couldn''t help but sigh.


    If this incident today were to be told, no one would probably believe it.


    Countless people longed to break through but never found an opportunity in their lifetime.


    He was lucky, with the opportunity right in front of him, yet he had to forcefully restrain himself, fearing that he might accidentally break through.


    No one would believe it if this were to be told.


    Thankfully, he had already ascended once in the Dahua World, from zero to the Innate level through years of cultivation.


    His original body''s accumulation was also not a problem, being a top player in Internal Energy, he wasn''t lagging behind.


    As long as Chen An was willing to cultivate his Icy Energy Internal Energy back, he could still try to ascend.


    This process would probably take half a year.


    Of course, it could be faster.


    After all, his original body''s foundation was much better, and his Internal Energy was at the peak level.


    "Let''s go out first."


    Looking around at the messy place, Chen An silently decided.


    This secret chamber was personally arranged by him before his travels, so that he could cultivate in peace.


    Unfortunately, after neglecting it for some time, it had become quite a mess.


    Also, he was really hungry, so Chen An immediately walked out.


    As the first ray of sunlight shone on him, Chen An felt a bit disoriented.


    He subconsciously looked around.


    In his eyes, the surroundings seemed vaguely familiar, but at the same time, they felt extremely strange.


    This was a typical aftereffect of projections, where one needed some time to readjust upon returning to the original body.


    He would need more time to adapt.


    For the next few days, Chen An didn''t continue cultivation, instead quietly adapting to the environment and indulging in food and drink to nourish his body.


    After a few days, his body was finally replenished.


    His Icy Energy cultivation had also made progress and he was back on track.


    He also found out how long he had been closed off.


    Exactly seventeen days.


    When he found out, Chen An couldn''t help but be surprised.


    He speculated that it hadn''t been long since he left the main world.


    But this result was a bit unexpected.


    He had spent nearly two hundred years in the Dahua World. On the other hand, only seventeen days had passed in the main world.


    Comparing the two timelines, they were almost like a ratio of ten years to a day.


    Ten years had passed in the Dahua World, while only a day had passed in the main world.


    Well, it was quite remarkable.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 153: Cultivation and Qi

    Chen An was not sure how the flow of time was determined in this projection, whether it was the same every time or different each time.However, from his perspective, he was quite satisfied with the speed of time flow at the moment.


    Of course, he was satisfied.


    Over there, more than ten years had passed, while only one day had passed here.


    With such an exaggerated speed of time flow, what was there to be dissatisfied about?


    Compared to the legend of one day in heaven was one year on earth, this was nothing.


    Chen An hoped that in the future, every projection encounter such a speed of time flow.


    This way, he wouldn''t have to worry about his safety anymore.


    Otherwise, if he stayed in a projection world for a long time and returned to find his original body dead from starvation, what was the point of playing anymore!


    Chen An was not sure if he could successfully return if his original body had died.


    He probably couldn''t.


    So, death would truly be the end.


    The thought of it was terrifying.


    Chen An couldn''t help but shiver.


    Facing enemies on the battlefield and being killed in battle, or other forms of death, Chen An could accept.


    But dying of starvation was a different matter.


    This was unacceptable.


    He would have to find a way to resolve this in the future.


    Chen An gazed into the distance silently.


    Outside the mansion, a bustling scene unfolded.


    People hurriedly walked around, and when they passed by Chen An, they would respectfully bow.


    Chen An smiled in response.


    Occasionally, people would come to the mansion to report some matters to Chen An.


    Most of them were from the Bai family.


    As for Chen An''s previous friends in the Bai family, they were mostly not around.


    After careful consideration, Chen An finally understood the whereabouts of his former friends in the Bai family.


    He had not been with the Bai family for long, and there were only a few people who could be considered friends.


    Bai Changyue, Bai Changren, Bai Zhilan, Bai Qing, among these people, Bai Changyue was a businessman whose main business was not martial arts, but commerce. Naturally, he couldn''t stay in the Bai family''s residency for long and often traveled outside.


    After all, one had to make a living.


    As for Bai Changren, as the second son of the Bai family, he usually had nothing to do and didn''t have to hustle like ordinary clan members for a living.


    But because he had too much free time, he had been directly caught by Chen An to do some work before, and now he should be in Fengcheng County.


    It was unknown whether he was happy or upset.


    With his abilities, he was probably happy now.


    After all, although his strength was not remarkable, he was still the second son of the Bai family. The heads of the Sanhe Gang in Fengcheng County would probably be happy to entertain this young master from the Bai family.


    As for Bai Qing, she had gone on an archaeological expedition with a few elders of the Bai family a while ago, and there was still no news back, probably delayed by some matters along the way.


    Thinking about it, most of Chen An''s friends seemed to have their own affairs, and only he and Bai Zhilan were the most leisurely.


    The reason for this was that they were both true geniuses within the Bai family and also newlyweds, so they were given some time to adjust.


    Thinking about it, this seemed quite humane.


    Unfortunately, perhaps due to an underestimation of Chen An''s seclusion time, when he emerged from his seclusion, Bai Zhilan was already out handling matters instead of at the mansion.


    It was unknown when she would return.


    After calculating, Chen An realized that none of his friends were around. He couldn''t help but feel a bit helpless.


    But it was fine this way.


    At least there was an adaptation period, and he didn''t have to deal with his friends immediately upon his return.


    Otherwise, he might have found it a bit awkward.


    Chen An thought to himself, then looked down at the familiar upgrade template in front of him.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (7.2), Physique (7.3), Spirit (3.4)


    Source Force: 1371


    Inheritance: Ice Sealing Technique (Intermediate), Profound Ice Force (First Level), Yin Body Technique (Fifth Level), Bright Body Decision (Fifth Level), Green Pine Force (Third Level).


    Projection: Charging in progress


    The familiar upgrade template appeared, looking very formal.


    Chen An glanced over it briefly.


    The data on it was not much different from before the projection, just slightly improved.


    These improvements were probably due to the changes brought about by the return of the projection source, but it wasn''t much.


    Because after the projection was retrieved, most of the source was used to strengthen the body''s source, rather than directly used to increase strength.


    Of course, after retrieving a Supreme Awakening projection, theoretically speaking, there should have been much more improvement.


    But Chen An''s situation was special after all.


    He estimated that the reason why the gains from this projection retrieval were not that great was because his projection''s source had already been exhausted, leaving nothing behind.


    Thinking back to his previous projection body, not only was it old, but it had also exhausted everything due to using martial arts techniques, making it almost like an empty shell.


    With such an empty shell, how much gain could be obtained from retrieving it?


    It was probably due to the fact that the projection was Supreme Awakening and had a decent foundation. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "In other words, I have to try to ensure the integrity of the projection body in the future, and not die easily?"


    Thinking this, Chen An sighed silently.


    Apart from the changes in data, the biggest change in this trip was the gain in Source Force.


    Chen An summarized his gains from this trip, which were not only nearly two hundred years of experience and accumulation but also the Source Force accumulated over time.


    With over a thousand three hundred Source Force points, most of it saved by Chen An''s frugality.


    Chen An really didn''t dare to spend too much to save this little fortune.


    Even in the final battle with the Law King, he didn''t dare to directly breakthrough with money, instead choosing a simple and practical way of mutual destruction.


    After all, adding points required money, but mutual destruction didn''t.


    In a way, he was an example of someone who valued money over his life.


    Although he had more than one life.


    At that time, this choice seemed reasonable.


    After all, he didn''t know that the death of the projection would have such a great effect.


    But thinking about it now, it was a bit of a loss.


    If he had known, he wouldn''t have fought that battle.


    Chen An sighed.


    The battle with the Law King could have been avoided completely.


    After all, he was Supreme Awakening at the time, so as long as he wanted, he could have hidden anywhere and the Law King wouldn''t have been able to find him.


    But out of his feelings for Da Hua and the excitement of engaging in a grand battle, he chose to take action in the end and ended up dying in battle.


    He was satisfied at the time, but now he felt he had made a big mistake.


    "I must be more careful next time."


    He made this decision in his heart.


    Some people might think it was a bit chilling that Chen An had spent nearly two hundred years in the Da Hua world and only gained a thousand Source Force.


    In theory, it was true.


    But in reality, Chen An had no choice.


    After achieving Supreme Awakening in the Da Hua world, Chen An used his strength to explore various treasure lands.


    But reality was cruel.


    There were two intact treasure lands in the Da Hua realm, and the Xuan Ice Cave in the Great Song territory was another excellent treasure land.


    But besides these places, what about other places?


    There might be a few scattered places with some treasures, but there weren''t many that could compare to these three places.


    The fact was that in any world, cherished resources were limited.


    Da Hua and Great Song were dominant in the central region and were powerful nations, so the treasure lands they occupied were top-notch. Many other countries didn''t even have a single treasure land.


    Even if they did, their effects were far from comparable to a treasure land like the Xuan Ice Cave.


    So Chen An''s choices were quite limited.


    Moreover, the harvest period of the treasure lands was quite long.


    After one harvest, it would take at least decades to recover, and it would take a hundred years or more to fully restore.


    With this cycle, the amount of Source Force gained wasn''t as large as one would imagine.


    Add to this the occasional use of Source Force in daily life, and what was left in the end was just this much.


    A thousand three hundred Source Force was considered the most comfortable Chen An had been since awakening his template.


    In theory, with this amount of Source Force in hand, anything he did would be sufficient.


    But Chen An pondered that when it came to progressing to the Qi realm, it was another matter. It was manageable with two or three hundred Source Force, but it would be difficult at the Supreme Awakening realm.


    According to his previous estimates, after reaching the Supreme Awakening realm, each level of advancement would require at least a hundred Source Force, and each level would be more than the previous one.


    This number might not sound like much.


    But the problem was that there were nine levels in the Supreme Awakening realm.


    If he truly relied on Source Force to advance one level at a time, Chen An felt that he would eventually go bankrupt.


    So self-reliance was the only way.


    He would have to work hard to cultivate, save Source Force consumption as much as possible, and actively expand his income to balance his expenses.


    Just because of the retrieval of the projection, and his qualification had improved, it was the right time to try the effects in this period.


    After all, he was staying in the Bai family''s residence during this time, and there wasn''t much going on.


    What better way to spend time than on cultivation.


    This was how Chen An thought and what he did.


    For the next half month, he immersed himself in cultivation.


    Perhaps due to the increased qualifications, Chen An could clearly feel his changes.


    He was advancing almost twice as fast as before, and the effects were close to what he achieved in the Da Hua world.


    With this progress, he should be considered a genius now.


    The improvement of the Profound Ice Force was also rapid, surpassing the initial threshold and nurturing the first strand of profound ice inner qi.


    At this rate, it seemed that advancing to the Qi realm was within reach.


    After silently cultivating for half a month, Bai Changren returned.


    It was about time by the calculations.


    Chen An personally welcomed Bai Changren into the mansion.


    This was the normal treatment, after all, no matter what, Bai Changren was working for him, so he had to be polite.


    Otherwise, who would be willing to work for him in the future?


    From the looks of it, Bai Changren seemed very satisfied with his trip. He had a smile on his face as he walked, looking excited.


    It seemed that Song Wang and his group in Fengcheng County had taken good care of Bai Changren, as he seemed to have been reluctant to leave.


    Chen An watched Bai Changren''s contemplative appearance and couldn''t help but be curious.


    Although he had been a member of the Sanhe Gang before, Chen An had never really understood the methods of those who served in the gang.


    After all, he had only been a low-level member of the Sanhe Gang before and then had been directly brought out of Fengcheng County by Bai Qing, so he hadn''t had the opportunity to learn about those things.


    Because he hadn''t learned about it before, it was normal for him to be curious now.


    But soon, his thoughts were dismissed.


    Because Bai Zhilan had also returned.


    It seemed that she had heard the news of Chen An coming out of isolation, so she hastily put down what she was doing and rushed back.


    It was as if she was in a hurry, and she arrived before Bai Changren.


    Chen An looked at Bai Zhilan''s excited expression, feeling happy that she returned.


    It seemed that Fengcheng County''s side, under Song Wang''s care, had also treated Bai Zhilan quite well, leaving her with some reluctance to part.


    Chen An looked at Bai Zhilan''s reminiscing expression and couldn''t help but feel a bit curious.


    "It seems like Zhilan cares a lot about you, Brother Chen. She immediately ran back as soon as she heard your news."


    Bai Changren teased Chen An with a wink.


    For some reason, his current appearance seemed a bit sleazy to Chen An.


    Chen An glanced at him but didn''t say anything, he just walked forward to greet them.


    After all these years, Bai Zhilan''s presence felt a bit unfamiliar to Chen An.


    But obviously, it wasn''t the same for Bai Zhilan.


    As soon as they met, Chen An felt a weight in his arms, as there was now another girl in his embrace.


    "Why didn''t you tell me in advance when you came out?"


    In his arms, Bai Zhilan complained while being held by Chen An.


    The shy appearance of the girl made Chen An somewhat dazed, as if it had stirred up some memories and quickly dissolved the previous feeling of distance.


    So he subconsciously reached out and held the girl in his arms.


    A light cough came from the side.


    Bai Zhilan only noticed Bai Changren beside them, but she had no intention of leaving Chen An''s embrace; instead, she gave him a fierce glare.


    Do you want to meddle in our affairs?


    Bai Changren''s mouth twitched, feeling a bit bitter and envious.


    He was a son of the Bai family and naturally married early, his wife being the legitimate daughter of the Cao family.


    Although life after marriage was satisfactory, wanting to be like the two in front of him now was impossible.


    It was even impossible when they had just gotten married, let alone now.


    Bai Zhilan''s return seemed to signify the return to normalcy in the surroundings.


    The following time was calm.


    Chen An quietly lived in the mansion and silently passed the time.


    Over three months passed in the blink of an eye.


    Finally, on a bright morning, an indescribable aura emanated and spread everywhere.


    The Profound Ice inner energy condensed, eventually sublimating and transforming into Qi.


    The familiar Profound Ice Qi reappeared in his body.


    The familiar feeling also returned.


    "Finally, Qi."


    Standing in place, feeling the familiar Profound Ice Qi in his body, Chen An felt emotional.


    Since his return, he had been practicing for over four months, training his Profound Ice Qi to perfection.


    This speed was already quite fast, even faster than what Chen An had expected.


    A significant portion of this speed was due to the various supplies provided by the Bai family, especially Bai Qing''s Profound Ice Bed.


    The Profound Ice Bed was made from Profound Ice and had great benefits for Yin attribute cultivation techniques, especially the Profound Ice Force.


    Compared to mediocre Yin Body Technique, the enhancement of Profound Ice to the Profound Ice Force was much higher.


    With these enhancements, Chen An was able to reach this level smoothly.


    And with his previous height, as long as the inner energy level was reached, advancing to Qi was just a matter of course.


    Internal energy advancing to Qi was an extremely difficult task for others, requiring many obstacles to overcome.


    But this was not a limitation for Chen An.


    After all, he had already walked this path before, so the difficulties were nothing to him.


    No need for treasure lands, no need for innate Qi awakenings, as long as the accumulation was there, everything fell into place.


    If the many elders of the Bai family were to know that someone could advance to Qi so easily, they would probably be envious.


    Unfortunately, envy was useless.


    After the advancement, Chen An looked around, clearing away the traces left behind, then turned and left to go back to his residence.


    In addition to cultivation, Chen An had also been working on collecting Yin and eerie items during these months.


    Although the energy brought by these items wasn''t abundant, every bit counted.


    During this time, Chen An had also tried to use the projection feature again but couldn''t.


    It seemed that, like simulation, the projection function also required certain conditions to be activated.


    If the conditions weren''t met, it couldn''t be initiated.


    Chen An wasn''t too sure of the specific conditions, but one thing was certain.


    This thing probably had a cooldown period.


    Why?


    Because over these past few months, Chen An could clearly feel his weakness.


    Even though there was no apparent problem with his body, he just felt weak for no reason, as if all his vigor had been drained away.


    This feeling of weakness had only somewhat eased now and was barely normal.


    This feeling made Chen An understand that the projection feature most likely had a heavy burden, but he wasn''t sure where that burden was located.


    To use this feature again, he had to wait for his body to fully recover.


    This was basic.


    Unable to use the projection directly, Chen An could only rely on simulation to get through each day.


    Each time cost about ten to twenty Source Force points, not much, but it was alright.


    After all, when you calculated it, advancing one level in the Supreme Awakening realm only required those few dozen points.


    So, just a dozen simulations seemed like a cost-effective way to progress a level.


    It sounded good.


    But in practice?


    It was indeed cost-effective.


    But there was another problem for Chen An.


    There weren''t enough eerie items in Shangyuan County.


    Eerie items were naturally occurring and were scarce in quantity, which was why they were also highly dangerous. Each noble family had special guards to eradicate eerie items.


    In such circumstances, the number of eerie items left behind was even scarcer.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 154: White Qings Return

    The natural generation, combined with the active suppression from various prominent families, resulted in a limited number of Yin spirits that could be left behind at any given time.After all, everyone is well aware of the dangers of Yin spirits. It is best to strike when they first appear, or else they might grow stronger and cause trouble.


    Trying to clean up the mess later would only increase the danger and horror several times over.


    These prominent families would clean up once, and then another batch would naturally die off, leaving fewer targets for Chen An to deal with.


    However, each of them was slippery and difficult to handle.


    This was true.


    Just take the previous experience, for example.


    Chen An, with his cultivation at the half-step Stellar Energy, went to hunt down a Yin spirit, and it took him almost half a month to find it, nearly losing track of it.


    This experience made him question life a bit.


    It just shows that being strong doesn''t mean being strong in all aspects.


    Purely relying on stats does not mean you can crush everything.


    If others can''t beat you, can''t they run away?


    Of course, with Chen An''s strength, as long as he was determined, few Yin spirits in the Shangyuan County could escape his clutches.


    It just took a bit longer.


    So for Chen An, it was actually a matter of cost-benefit.


    After all, the Yin spirits he hunted down after half a month would probably only provide a simulation experience once, with just a dozen or twenty Source Strengths.


    A few of the powerful ones could allow Chen An to carry out two or three simulations directly, but they were also hard to kill in numbers.


    This was easy to understand.


    After all, the easy ones had already been cleared out.


    Life wasn''t easy.


    Chen An sighed.


    At this moment, he inexplicably began to miss the days in the Dahua World.


    Life was better in the Dahua World.


    Although there were no Yin spirits there, there were various treasures.


    And compared to elusive Yin spirits, those treasures wouldn''t move.


    As long as you were strong enough to defeat the owners of those treasures, you could use them as you pleased.


    Without much trouble.


    Thinking of this, Chen An thought of his crystal again. S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    His heart began to ache silently.


    That crystal was found by him in a treasure land, presumably a treasure nurtured by that treasure land, with a unique ability to condense external aura and convert it into pure Source Strength for Chen An.


    In the Dahua World, that crystal was the biggest contributor to Chen An''s rise.


    Chen An had even thought about whether he could bring that thing back when he returned to his original form.


    But now it seemed that it was not going to happen.


    If you can bring yourself back, isn''t that already good enough? Want to bring back equipment too?


    Are you dreaming?


    Despite anticipating it, Chen An still felt regretful about it.


    After all, that thing was definitely extremely valuable.


    When he was in the Dahua World, Chen An had tried to find out the origin of that thing but had found no decent records.


    Now, he didn''t even know what that thing was, where it was nurtured, or where to find it.


    The only thing he could confirm was that such things probably only existed in treasure lands.


    But treasure lands...


    Chen An sighed silently.


    It was difficult.


    There should be several treasure lands within the Liang Kingdom.


    After all, the environment in the main world was relatively better, so there were naturally more treasure lands.


    Unfortunately, they were not easy to find, and even if he found them, without that unique crystal, he couldn''t convert aura into Source Strength.


    It was useless.


    He could only put it aside for now.


    Chen An sighed, his eyes looking into the distance.


    Not far away, through his senses at the moment, Chen An could clearly feel the bustling atmosphere surrounding him.


    The entire White Family''s residence seemed to have come alive.


    The reason for this was simple.


    Bai Qing was coming back.


    That''s right, after nearly half a year, their group was finally coming back.


    The people of the Bai Family were prepared to welcome them back.


    Even Bai Zhilan''s smile had increased significantly during this time, appearing much happier.


    This was obvious.


    Because Bai Zhilan''s grandfather, Bai Mingli, was also part of this team, and there had been no news from him for so long.


    The relationship between Bai Zhilan and Bai Mingli was good, so naturally, she would be very concerned under these circumstances.


    With good news finally coming, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief in a timely manner.


    Chen An also breathed a sigh of relief.


    No mishaps were a good thing.


    For him, Bai Qing and Bai Mingli were also quite important. One was a benefactor and good friend, and the other was his wife''s grandfather, a respected elder.


    Both of them had treated him quite well, so they naturally held a place in his heart.


    Now that they were coming back, it couldn''t have been better.


    They were waiting in their residence, ready to hold a celebratory feast upon Bai Qing''s return.


    The group led by Bai Qing was very fast.


    In just a few days, a long line of people appeared outside the White Family''s residence.


    Bai Mingli was at the forefront, leading the group on horseback, guiding everyone forward.


    In addition, the other leaders were also among them.


    Watching Bai Mingli''s appearance, Bai Zhilan breathed a sigh of relief.


    Compared to half a year ago, Bai Mingli''s appearance had not changed much. Although his skin had darkened significantly, there were not many wounds on his body, and his appearance was not much different from before, indicating that he had not been injured.


    Even his expression suggested that he had been doing fine in the past six months.


    However, Chen An was somewhat surprised.


    Because he did not see Bai Qing.


    He knew Bai Qing''s personality very well.


    Although she was just a woman, her temperament was stronger than many men.


    Normally, she would prefer to ride a horse and lead from the front rather than sit in a carriage.


    But now he didn''t see Bai Qing.


    Something wasn''t right.


    Fortunately, shortly after, Chen An made a discovery.


    Bai Qing slowly emerged from a carriage.


    Compared to half a year ago, her appearance had also changed.


    There wasn''t much change in her appearance, she still looked the same, but her complexion was much paler, and she exuded a sense of weakness all over.


    Although she could still maintain a calm demeanor, she appeared somewhat gloomy, which was quite different from her usual self.


    What was going on here?


    Chen An furrowed his brows, sensing that something was amiss.


    There was clearly a problem with Bai Qing''s current appearance.


    Similarly, the attitudes of the people around seemed a bit off.


    Although there didn''t seem to be much change on the surface, both Bai Mingli and the others, after Bai Qing stepped out of the carriage, seemed to keep their eyes on Bai Qing, secretly observing her.


    Well, things were definitely not right.


    Chen An frowned inwardly, feeling puzzled.


    He had realized that this time Bai Qing had probably experienced some stories.


    But what exactly happened, he wasn''t quite sure.


    He had originally planned to go to Bai Mingli later to inquire subtly, but within a half day, he had already learned the situation.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 155

    The Bai family gained a lot in that ruin this time.How big specifically?


    Chen An was not sure, but it was definitely big.


    It''s just that during the archaeological dig, there seemed to be some unexpected occurrences, with several eerie spirits haunting the area, so they wasted some time there.


    As for Bai Qing, she seemed fine at first.


    But two or three months ago, she fell seriously ill and mysteriously lost all her internal energy.


    Yes, all her internal energy was gone.


    For a martial artist, if all their cultivated internal energy disappears, what does that mean?


    It not only means a decrease in combat strength, but also a bleak future.


    With the relationship between Chen An and Bai Mingli, he was able to learn more specific details from Bai Mingli.


    The condition that Bai Qing experienced was very strange.


    When they noticed the condition of Bai Qing''s body before, he and the two elders who accompanied him also checked Bai Qing''s physical condition, but in the end found nothing abnormal.


    The meridians opened up in Bai Qing''s body were still intact, but the internal energy that was previously cultivated and disappeared inexplicably, as if something had devoured her internal energy.


    The results of the subsequent examinations were the same.


    No matter how hard they tried, Bai Qing''s body could not produce internal energy anymore.


    The whole situation was extremely bizarre. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Mingli admitted that in all his years of living, this was the first time he had seen such a situation.


    In theory, as long as the meridians are still intact, one should be able to gradually cultivate internal energy.


    Unless there is a defect in the body, or the aptitude is really poor.


    There was no doubt about Bai Qing''s aptitude.


    It was obvious.


    As the Steward of the Third Branch, if Bai Qing had poor aptitude, how could the elders behind her support her rise?


    With good aptitude, no lack of elixirs supply, and intact meridians, but just unable to cultivate internal energy mysteriously.


    This situation made people realize that there was probably some problem with Bai Qing''s body.


    And then things became even more strange.


    A martial artist who cannot cultivate internal energy, isn''t that just a waste?


    Not to mention Bai Qing''s status was so special.


    In the Bai family, Bai Qing''s qualifications and seniority were actually quite low.


    The reason she was able to rise to this position, besides her outstanding ability, was her remarkable talent.


    Now that Bai Qing had become useless and seemed to have no future, could she still stay in that position?


    Do people still need to flatter her?


    As soon as these thoughts emerged, it would immediately lead to changes in attitude.


    It was easy to say in the short term, but if it lasted for a long time, there might be unexpected things happening in the future.


    And now, this news was flying all over the place.


    Chen An didn''t have to think too much to guess that there must be someone causing trouble behind the scenes.


    The atmosphere within the Bai family was also not harmonious.


    And Bai Qing had quite a few enemies.


    The leader of them was Bai Changyuan, the Steward of the Fifth Branch.


    Initially, to target Bai Qing, he deliberately sent his brother Bai Changli to challenge her on the stage, but ended up being beaten up by Chen An.


    Chen An still remembered that incident very clearly.


    "How could this happen."


    Before Chen An could speak, Bai Zhilan beside him spoke first, looking a bit reluctant: "What will happen to Sister Qing later? Can she be cured?"


    "It''s hard to say exactly how it will turn out, but it''s probably unlikely she can retain her position."


    Bai Mingli sighed and said, "As for whether she can be cured, that will depend on fate."


    His words implied that it was probably going to be difficult.


    Thinking about it, it made sense.


    Considering Bai Qing''s usual behavior, there were probably quite a few people who wanted to take advantage of her.


    These people had refrained from doing too much in the past, as they didn''t dare to challenge someone of Bai Qing''s stature and strength.


    But now that Bai Qing had lost her cultivation, wouldn''t they come forward to take advantage of the situation?


    As they say, when it rains, it pours.


    With Chen An''s clear mind, if things went as expected, Bai Qing would probably be in trouble this time.


    At least the position of the Steward of the Third Branch should be untenable.


    But in Chen An''s eyes, it might not be a bad thing after all.


    He had seen Bai Qing''s daily life before.


    To be blunt, it was truly brutal, with so much work that even a workaholic like Chen An felt uneasy.


    She was a workaholic indeed.


    And maintaining progress in cultivation under such high intensity work was even more difficult.


    Chen An felt that if Bai Qing continued to maintain her previous state, her future prospects would likely be limited.


    From this perspective, losing the position of Steward might not be a bad thing.


    At least there would be more time and energy to focus on martial arts in the future.


    Of course, this vision was based on the premise of curing Bai Qing.


    If the problems in Bai Qing''s body were not addressed, she would have no future to speak of.


    Various thoughts flashed through his mind.


    Chen An moved forward.


    The next day, he brought gifts and visited Bai Qing.


    Bai Qing''s courtyard was still in the same place, but the surroundings had changed significantly compared to before.


    In Chen An''s memory, Bai Qing''s previous residence was always filled with people, and there were often visitors coming to see her and ask her for help.


    All kinds of people filled the place, and the lively scene had left a deep impression on Chen An.


    But now?


    Just like Bai Qing''s name, it was unusually quiet.


    Walking around, Chen An looked around, and apart from himself, there were hardly any living souls to be seen.


    This was quite surprising.


    After all, Bai Qing had been in the position of Steward of the Third Branch for so long, and had taken care of many people.


    Many people in the Bai family had received benefits from Bai Qing, but now that she was in trouble, no one besides Chen An had come to visit her?


    Truly a cold-hearted world!


    Chen An silently shook his head, feeling somewhat speechless, and then knocked on the door.


    Maintaining his usual habit, he didn''t bring any servants when visiting Bai Qing, so he had to knock on the door himself.


    After a moment, he was welcomed inside.


    The one who came to greet him was an old acquaintance.


    "Young Master An, you''re here."


    Mr. Song looked at Chen An, a smile appearing on his old face.


    "Mr. Song, please don''t be so formal."


    Chen An looked at Mr. Song, still somewhat uncomfortable with the title: "Just call me Chen An."


    "Don''t neglect the formalities."


    Mr. Song smiled and said, "You''ve married Miss Zhilan, so now you''re a legitimate Young Master, and can''t be called as before."


    Chen An rolled his eyes inwardly, seeing that Mr. Song had no intention of changing his address, he could only go along with it.


    Call me whatever you want.


    "It''s good that you''ve come, you can talk to Miss Qing."


    Mr. Song sighed and said, "Miss Qing''s current state is not a solution."


    With that, he led Chen An inside.


    Approaching the courtyard, Chen An saw Bai Qing inside.


    She was sitting in the courtyard, looking off into the distance, her back to Chen An, as if meditating.


    Only when she heard the sound behind her, did she slowly turn around.


    And then Chen An was stunned.


    Bai Qing''s appearance had changed quite a bit at this moment.


    Comparing to before, Bai Qing was wearing a white dress, her face pale without any color, giving her a distinct sense of weakness, looking extremely tired.


    In other aspects, she was still relatively normal.


    But for some reason, Chen An felt that Bai Qing today seemed to be different.


    He couldn''t pinpoint exactly what it was, but there was definitely something different.


    This feeling came from Chen An''s keen intuition, much sharper than ordinary people.


    "You''re here."


    Seeing Chen An from a distance, Bai Qing, though looking weak, still smiled, adding a touch of fragility to her demeanor, which, combined with her pale complexion, gave her an unusual and beautiful look.


    This was something that Chen An had not seen before.


    Chen An couldn''t help but look more at her.


    "Miss Qing, take care of yourself."


    Chen An looked at Bai Qing and said softly, "I''m sure the elders will find a way."


    After all, Bai Qing was the leader of this generation of the Bai family, a top talent of the Bai family.


    She had some accidents, and he believed that the whole Bai family would be concerned, and the several nascent elders would definitely try to save her.


    After all, Bai Qing was an essential figure, and also considered a seed for the future of the Bai family.


    "Well, I know."


    Bai Qing smiled, seeming unconcerned about her current situation: "Don''t worry, I''m fine, I''m just recuperating during this time."


    "As for you, don¡¯t forget to continue your cultivation during this time. Don''t think you can relax after marrying Zhilan."


    She even started advising Chen An.


    Well, she was the boss, right? She didn¡¯t forget to say these things even at this time.


    Chen An couldn''t help but feel a bit speechless, but still had to nod: "I understand."


    After saying this, he fell into a thoughtful silence.


    It wasn''t like this in the past.


    Although Bai Qing and Chen An rarely met, they used to talk a lot when they did.


    But now, looking at Bai Qing''s appearance, Chen An didn''t know what to say.


    In the end, Bai Qing took the initiative to speak and brought up a topic.


    They began to chat about recent events, including the situation around Bai family and the events inside the ruins.


    "The Shangyuan County has been very lively recently, as it seems that a princess is about to visit."


    Chen An said.


    "Oh?"


    This news caught Bai Qing''s attention: "A princess is coming to Shangyuan, that''s quite uncommon."


    The news that a princess from the Great Liang Empire was going to visit Shangyuan had been circulating for some time.


    As time passed, the news was confirmed that one of the Emperor''s princesses would be coming for a visit.


    Officially, she was visiting her relatives, but who knows what the real intention was?


    No one would think that a princess would come to Shangyuan for no reason.


    Do you really think this is just a pleasure trip?


    In response, families like the Bai family were on high alert.


    The Great Liang Empire had a long heritage, but its power had already weakened, to the point where even the subordinate counties could not be fully controlled.


    But in any case, being the nominal co-ruler of the realm, that title was quite resounding.


    What if she accidentally gave someone a handle to use against her? It would definitely be a troublesome matter.


    So, various forces in Shangyuan County, including the Bai family, were on high alert, prepared for any eventuality.


    "There were also many good things unearthed in that ruin, some of which were said to be related to immortals, attracting several Grandmaster-level figures to come."


    Bai Qing also recounted her journey this time.


    From her words, it was clear that this trip to the ruins was not smooth sailing, but rather intense.


    How intense?


    Even Grandmaster-level figures appeared more than once.


    Chen An was startled.


    These so-called Grandmaster figures were actually a reference to innate-level cultivators.


    In this world, only true innate martial artists were qualified to be called Grandmasters.


    In other words, in this trip to the ruins, there were several innate-level figures that appeared.


    What kind of treasures would be inside a ruins where even the innate figures were competing with each other?


    Chen An couldn''t help but feel curious.


    "That place is a chaotic graveyard, buried with many characters, including ancient warriors and ancient immortals."


    Seeming to know Chen An''s thoughts, Bai Qing elaborated: "It seems to be a battlefield between ancient warriors and immortals, burying many powerful figures.


    A battlefield between ancient warriors and immortals?


    Chen An was taken aback.


    What''s going on?


    Aren''t warriors and immortals two different things?


    There were always legends of immortals in this world.


    But Chen An had always thought that the so-called immortals were actually just another term for warriors at a certain level, a title given to martial artists who had reached a certain level.


    But now, hearing it from Bai Qing, it seemed completely different?


    He voiced his doubts, and finally received an eye roll from Bai Qing.


    "Of course they''re not the same."


    Bai Qing explained, "Ancient warriors and immortals represent different paths of cultivation, with completely different methods of practice."


    "Even in ancient times, immortals and warriors were enemies for a long time, fighting against each other."


    So that''s how it is.


    Immortals and warriors are not only different, but they were also enemies for a long time, fighting to the death when they met!


    Chen An was enlightened, but he also noticed something strange.


    Wait, how do you know this so clearly?


    He couldn''t help but feel puzzled.


    After marrying Bai Zhilan, the Bai family''s arsenal had been opened to him, but even in the Bai family''s arsenal, there was no detailed record of the existence of immortals.


    This information wasn''t even recorded in the Bai family''s arsenal, so how did Bai Qing know about it?


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 156: Married? Send the Grave?

    Chen An was puzzled.Could it be that the Bai family had another arsenal that was not open to outsiders?


    It doesn''t seem right.


    This kind of information is not about martial arts, so why seal it off so tightly?


    After all, immortals and the like have long been extinct for many years.


    Although in recent years, stories related to immortals seem to be gradually becoming more active, but in the Bai family''s situation, it seems unnecessary?


    "Don''t think too much."


    Bai Qing glanced at Chen An, seemed to guess what he was thinking again, "I got this information from the ruins this time."


    I see.


    Chen An suddenly realized.


    No wonder you''re so well-informed.


    It seems that this archaeological trip has indeed yielded great results.


    At least they learned quite a bit about various news.


    Next, they continued chatting.


    After the previous conversation, they seemed to let go of their guard, and found back the familiar feeling of the past, chatting with each other happily.


    Song Lao listened outside the courtyard, his face full of satisfaction.


    It has been many days.


    Since Bai Qing came back, she hadn''t shown a smile for many days.


    This time Chen An came at the right time.


    But good times don''t last long.


    After chatting for a while, Bai Qing''s face suddenly changed.


    In Chen An''s eyes, Bai Qing''s face suddenly became much uglier, looking extremely gloomy.


    At this moment, Bai Qing''s appearance seemed a bit strange, and for some reason, there was a mysterious aura surrounding her, giving her a strange and eerie feeling.


    "Miss Qing?"


    Looking at Bai Qing''s appearance, Chen An suddenly felt that something was wrong.


    Of course, he''s not blind.


    Just by looking at Bai Qing''s appearance, anyone could tell that something was not right.


    "Get out."


    In front of her, Bai Qing clenched her teeth, as if she was trying to suppress something, "Leave."


    If it were an ordinary person, hearing this might feel bewildered and even want to stay to see if they could help.


    But Chen An didn''t say a word and turned around without any hesitation.


    He walked towards the outside of the courtyard, leaving only a word before leaving, letting Bai Qing know that if she needed anything, she could send someone to find him directly.


    The whole process was decisive.


    Bai Qing paused for a moment, looking at Chen An''s back in a daze, seemingly not expecting this result.


    "Stop your tricks."


    A voice belonging to Bai Qing sounded inside her body, sounding calm, "He is different from ordinary people and won''t be influenced by your methods."


    "If you want to use him to pressure me, you don''t have to think about it."


    "Is that so?"


    Another voice sounded from deep inside, sounding a bit surprised, "This servant of yours seems to be quite different."


    Earlier, she wanted to cause trouble through Bai Qing''s hands.


    For example, directly inflicting serious injuries on Chen An.


    Just imagine, if this incident were to happen, and later spread, even those who still had a friendly attitude towards Bai Qing would probably not dare to approach her easily.


    It would be even better if people thought she was crazy.


    But unfortunately, Chen An didn''t take the bait at all, and seeing that Bai Qing was not feeling well, he simply turned around and left without any hesitation.


    And her attempt to seize control of Bai Qing''s will temporarily also took time, and she could only watch as Chen An walked away.


    "Humph!"


    In the courtyard, Bai Qing''s appearance quickly changed, the ferocious and eerie expression on her face slowly dissipated, replaced by the calm expression she had before.


    "Even so, how long can you hold on?"


    Another voice sounded in her mind, "Locking yourself in this yard, not letting yourself contact outsiders, may hold up for a while, but can you hold up for a lifetime?"


    "Instead of forcing yourself to endure, why not let go of your prejudices and cooperate with me. I can pass on to you the supreme technique, bless your cultivation, and achieve the realm of a Supreme Master at your fingertips. Even the unattainable realm of the Heavenly Sage is not impossible with your qualifications."


    "Cooperate with you?"


    Bai Qing sneered, "I''m afraid you just want me to refine the Dao Foundation obediently, and then take over my body in the end!"


    "Your witch''s nonsense, if it weren''t for my months of archaeological research before, I might really have been fooled by you."


    The previous six months of archaeological work weren''t in vain.


    During those six months, Bai Qing had been studying and had obtained a lot of information about immortals from that relic.


    Among them was information about taking over someone else''s body.


    In ancient times, if an immortal had reached a certain level of cultivation, even if they died, they could possibly be resurrected.


    The specific operation was to find a person to take over, seize the other''s body to continue their life, and then embark on the path again.


    But this takeover was not something that anyone could do.


    Just think about it, even organ transplants face rejection issues, so taking over someone''s body naturally also takes compatibility into account.


    The innate conditions must be fully met.


    To meet the requirements of taking over, one must have top-notch qualifications.


    Even a slight deficiency in qualifications would not work, and those with inferior qualifications were even more at risk of death.


    The next issue is compatibility.


    Gender, physicality, liveliness and other factors all have different standards, which are very strict.


    Lastly, to ensure the success rate of taking over, it''s best to have the other party practice the same scripture, to forge a foundation similar to one''s own.


    In this process, one can ensure the success rate of taking over.


    So in this world, encountering an old man is sometimes not a good thing.


    Because sometimes the old man is not just here to deliver equipment, but may also be here to take your life.


    Just think about it, a master who is kind and amiable, giving you everything you want, is even more approachable than your own father, turning against you at a critical moment, who can bear that?


    It''s a scam from the realm of immortals.


    Even the most cautious person would quickly let down their guard under the other''s disguise and sweet talk, and ultimately fall prey to their deception.


    But Bai Qing was obviously different.


    She was much more cautious than the average person, and her will was firm, to the point where it could be described as unyielding as a rock.


    This can be seen from her previous behavior.


    To be able to maintain her rigorous cultivation in a situation like that of a 007 agent for a long time, and to reach such a level at her age, she was definitely a tough person.


    For most people, they would have given up long ago.


    At the beginning, the ancient soul that called itself the Empress Luo Shan had disguised itself very well and had performed in a way that seemed like a typical adventure from a book, with twists and turns, stories, logic, a classic example of an immortal''s scam.


    If it were another person, they would have probably been deceived by the Empress Luo Shan, and obediently followed her instructions.


    But unfortunately, she met Bai Qing.


    And that''s how the current situation unfolded.


    Seeing that no matter how hard she tried, Bai Qing wouldn''t fall for it, the Empress Luo Shan couldn''t resist and cursed angrily.


    Seeing Bai Qing stubbornly resist, she resorted to using her powers to forcefully suppress Bai Qing''s internal energy cultivation, resulting in Bai Qing losing all her internal energy and becoming disabled.


    Her goal was to pressure Bai Qing.


    Including the earlier attempt to harm Chen An, the purpose was the same.


    But unfortunately, the effect seemed to be not very good.


    Bai Qing preferred to lock herself in the yard, not taking a step outside, rather than cooperating with her or giving her a chance.


    "Heh, let''s wait and see."


    In her mind, the voice of Empress Luo Shan sounded, then gradually fell silent, as if she had fallen asleep.


    Bai Qing breathed a sigh of relief.


    Although she didn''t say it openly, facing such an ancient soul, she naturally felt a lot of pressure.


    After all, the other party was capable of taking over others'' bodies and reincarnating. Considering the power she had before her death, she could certainly easily crush Bai Qing.


    To put it bluntly, if the world weren''t as desolate as it is now, the other party probably wouldn''t have to go through all this trouble.


    Thinking about this, she couldn''t help but sigh and look outside the courtyard.


    There, Chen An''s figure was nowhere to be seen.


    After coming out of the courtyard, Song Lao hurriedly spoke.


    It was clear that he was the most concerned about Bai Qing. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not bad."


    Chen An glanced at Song Lao, hesitated slightly, but still didn''t tell the truth, maintaining a normal expression and smiling, "Miss Qing''s mood seems fine, not as bad as you might think."


    "Is that so?"


    Song Lao immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s good."


    He had watched Bai Qing grow up, and to him, Bai Qing was like his own daughter, so naturally he didn''t want to see her in distress.


    Now that he knew Bai Qing was okay, he could finally relax.


    This was also the reason why Chen An didn''t tell the truth.


    Otherwise, with Song Lao''s temperament, who knows what could happen if he got worried and involved in the matter.


    Chen An didn''t plan to interfere too much in Bai Qing''s affairs.


    Because he understood Bai Qing''s personality.


    If Bai Qing really needed his help, she would directly ask for it.


    Since she didn''t say anything, it probably meant he couldn''t help.


    Going on to do something on his own might only make things worse.


    After all, Bai Qing''s unusual appearance earlier was clearly abnormal.


    If others saw it, it would probably cause a big stir.


    Thinking of this, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh.


    The inexplicable loss of cultivation and the strange appearance showed up in Chen An''s mind, but he couldn''t come up with a proper conclusion.


    Chen An was used to reading novels, so he was quite familiar with the concept of old men with supernatural abilities. However, Bai Qing''s previous appearance seemed a bit different.


    Could it be that she had some kind of strange encounter that led to a bizarre curse causing her to lose her cultivation?


    Or did she gain some strange technique during the trip to the ruins, resulting in this appearance?


    Both possibilities seemed likely.


    After pondering alone for a while, he couldn''t come up with a proper conclusion.


    There was simply not enough information.


    Bai Qing knew the situation best.


    If she didn''t want to talk about it, Chen An couldn''t be sure what was going on.


    Thinking about this, Chen An suddenly froze and thought of something else.


    Is it possible that she didn''t want to talk, but couldn''t?


    Chen An thought about Bai Qing''s ferocious appearance and struggling aspect earlier and couldn''t help but think so.


    Unfortunately, like the previous conclusion, this was also a guess without a definite answer.


    He could only observe more in the coming days.


    With these thoughts in mind, Chen An turned and left.


    In the following days, Chen An didn''t do much, just silently stayed in his mansion.


    Two months passed quickly.


    The reaction within the Bai family was much faster than Chen An had imagined.


    The elders of the Bai family personally treated Bai Qing, but in the end, they couldn''t figure out what was wrong with her.


    There were even rumors that when the elders treated Bai Qing, she acted crazy and disrespectful, causing the elders to be furious.


    Even the one from the third branch who had always supported Bai Qing was also outraged.


    Rumors began to spread within the Bai family, claiming that Bai Qing had been affected during the trip to the ruins, couldn''t take the pressure, and had now become a madwoman.


    Well, that''s something.


    She was already useless, and now she''s gone mad. Isn''t that just more powerful?


    The position of Bai Qing as the decision-maker of the third branch was revoked.


    As for who would take over, that was not yet determined, but it was definitely unrelated to Bai Qing.


    That position she had fought with her brother for many years to retain was now directly lost.


    And ironically, many within the Bai family were making fun of the situation.


    Even those from the third branch who had benefited from Bai Qing and her brother''s favoritism were making sarcastic remarks.


    It was all too real.


    After learning of the situation, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh, but he didn''t do much and didn''t plan to interfere.


    In his opinion, Bai Qing''s removal from that position was actually a good thing.


    But little did he know, the matter wasn''t over yet.


    After Bai Qing was removed from her position, many rumors began circulating within the Bai family.


    Some said that Bai Qing had been leeching off the Bai family for years and should contribute to the family.


    Coincidentally, the son of the neighboring Cao family had recently lost his wife, so it was a good opportunity to marry Bai Qing and strengthen the relationship between the Bai and Cao families.


    Was she really going to get married and form an alliance?


    This suggestion spread immediately and seemed to be accepted right away.


    Chen An, who was watching from the sidelines, was dumbfounded.


    It seemed that Bai Qing had really offended the elders.


    The person who proposed this was probably from the group that had previously been hostile to Bai Qing, like the White Changyuan who had always been against Bai Qing.


    As for the elders, they probably didn''t have a good impression of Bai Qing because of what happened before, so they agreed without hesitation.


    Because Bai Qing was indeed useless now.


    It had been nearly half a year, and the issue with Bai Qing''s condition still hadn''t been resolved. Instead, her behavior seemed to become increasingly erratic, as if she was going mad.


    However, even before the matter was completely settled, there were many rumors circulating within the Bai family.


    Some said that since Bai Qing had enjoyed many benefits from the Bai family for years, she should contribute to the family.


    Coincidentally, the son of the Cao family next door had recently lost his wife, and this could be a good opportunity to marry Bai Qing and strengthen the ties between the Bai and Cao families.


    This suggestion immediately spread and seemed to be quickly accepted.


    Seeing this, Chen An couldn''t help but exclaim, "I thought the Bai family was marrying Bai Qing, but it turns out they''re sending her to the grave."


    (End of this Chapter)

 Chapter 157: Stirring up trouble

    Chen An couldn''t help but fall into contemplation.At the beginning of this incident, he did not have any plans to intervene.


    In his eyes, it was a good thing that Bai Qing had lost her previous position.


    But now the situation seemed to be getting out of hand.


    If he didn''t intervene now, and just continued to watch, it was likely that what happened to Bai Qing next wouldn''t just be a matter of losing her position.


    It would be a matter of life and death.


    This was not something he had expected.


    After some contemplation, he looked out towards the courtyard.


    The Bai family''s mansion was already quite lively at this moment.


    Many people had already prepared the dowry, ready to discuss with the Cao family and send Bai Qing over.


    The entire process was definitely very quick.


    After all, the Bai family and the Cao family were both esteemed families, and the marriage arrangements were quite ceremonial and not something that could be decided in a moment.


    To be able to move at such a fast pace was already considered very efficient.


    With these thoughts in mind, Chen An quietly sighed and finally stood up, slowly walking out.


    As he walked outside, he headed towards the courtyard where Bai Qing was.


    On the other side,


    Outside the spacious courtyard, someone was standing there trying to convince Bai Qing.


    "Miss Qing, your bridal sedan chair is ready, and if you are willing, you can get married tomorrow."


    The handsome young man in white clothes had a calm expression on his face: "Continuing to stay here and argue like this is not beneficial for either of us."


    If Chen An were here, he would definitely be very familiar with this young man.


    This was Bai Changming, who had defeated Chen An on the arena during the Bai family''s grand competition, becoming the first genius of the younger generation of the Bai family.


    It seemed that he had come to persuade Bai Qing this time.


    After all, as a direct descendant of the Bai family, under the circumstances permitted, the Bai family''s elders did not want things to escalate too much, so they had sent someone over to persuade her.


    Why was it Bai Changming?


    Because not only was Bai Changming the first genius of the younger generation of the Bai family, with many other Bai family prodigies like Bai Qing, but he was also the direct son of the head of the Bai family, and could possibly become the next head of the entire Bai family.


    Who else could take this on if not him?


    So the current situation unfolded like this.


    Unfortunately, this matter was not as easy to handle as they had imagined.


    No matter how Bai Changming tried to persuade her, Bai Qing inside the courtyard remained unresponsive. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This made him frown.


    Among the younger generation of the Bai family, his temper was considered good, at least much better than Bai Changli and the others.


    But even so, being ignored for so long made even someone with a good temper slightly annoyed.


    In front of him, Elder Song''s face was somewhat unsightly, as he looked at Bai Changming and said, "Young Master Ming, can''t you just compromise a bit?"


    "Miss Qing is just having some issues, maybe she can recover in the future."


    Compromise a bit?


    Of course, this was possible, but on what basis?


    Bai Changming glanced at Elder Song and remained silent.


    With his status in the Bai family, if he really wanted to speak up for Bai Qing, he could naturally do so, at least he could help Bai Qing''s current situation improve.


    But he wasn''t really that familiar with Bai Qing, just some previous interactions, why should he help to that extent?


    "If you really want the best for her, it''s better to persuade her actively."


    Bai Changming spoke up, "Continuing like this is not beneficial for her."


    "If she continues like this for a while, it might not be just persuasion, but taking action directly."


    He said so.


    This was also the truth.


    The elders'' patience was limited after all.


    If Bai Qing continued like this, it was likely that after some time, they would take action.


    Looking at Bai Changming, Elder Song hesitated, wanting to persuade but didn''t know where to start. In the end, he could only let out a helpless sigh.


    "Your heart is in turmoil."


    Inside the courtyard, Bai Qing was sitting alone, facing the outside.


    She seemed no different from usual, wearing a robe, her face calm, as if nothing happening outside affected her at all.


    But in her mind, the voice of the woman named Luo Shan Empress kept echoing: "They are just ants, but they dare to ride on your head and bully you. Are you really willing?"


    "Think about how you treated them in the past, and how they treat you now, these ungrateful people."


    "I have seen too many of these kinds of people, if you let them continue like this, what will happen next?"


    Various voices kept echoing in her mind, with a strange power that seemed to evoke desires and grievances in people''s hearts.


    Just listening to these voices, Bai Qing''s emotions couldn''t help but be stirred, involuntarily thinking about all the things that had happened recently.


    Because she had lost her cultivation, those who used to respect her, who were only fit to kneel at her feet, were now all stepping on her head. Those who had received her kindness in the past were showing their ugly faces one by one.


    Even the elders who had been especially appreciative of her, considered her a junior, and cared for her were now extremely cold, not only depriving her of her position but also wanting to marry her off to a maniac who killed his wife.


    Didn''t they know who the young master of the Cao family was?


    No, they knew better than anyone, but still did so, not caring about her life at all.


    In their eyes, some were always about interests, without any feelings involved.


    Bai Qing''s expression couldn''t help but change, her hands trembling slightly, seeming unable to control herself.


    For her, this kind of situation shouldn''t have happened.


    It was just the recent mistreatment, combined with the influence of the power of the Luo Shan Witch inside her body, that had caused her grievances to be magnified and somewhat out of control.


    She was after all a person, no matter how firm her will, there was a limit, she couldn''t keep it up forever.


    "Yes, that''s it."


    Seemingly sensing the change in Bai Qing, the voice of the Luo Shan Empress continued to echo, with a more deep and eerie demonic nature, seemingly capable of arousing desires and resentment in people''s hearts.


    "Accept my power, kill all those people outside."


    She continued, full of temptation, "They are not kind, so don''t blame yourself for being unjust. Think about all the suffering you''ve been through during this time, let out all your grievances and hatred, kill them all."


    "By then, not only can you seek revenge, but even the entire Bai family will be yours."


    "Aren''t you very fond of that servant named Chen An from before? After suppressing the elders of the Bai family, just kill his wife, then take him as your male pet, wouldn''t that be better?"


    "Stop it!"


    Various tempting scenes kept appearing before her eyes, causing Bai Qing''s body to tremble.


    But even so, she still controlled herself, speaking coldly.


    Bai Qing''s reaction didn''t surprise the Luo Shan Empress, she just smiled and said, "Am I hitting the nail on the head?"


    "Let me tell you, we cultivators should enjoy avenging ourselves, cultivation from the beginning is to let you enjoy more."


    "If you force yourself to restrain, it''s no different from suffering."


    She continued to persuade, trying to suppress Bai Qing''s reason, to evoke all the negative emotions in her heart.


    As long as Bai Qing couldn''t resist and eventually used her power, then it would be a success.


    Every time Bai Qing used her power, it would leave a mark in her body, bringing her closer to taking over this body.


    And in the eyes of the Luo Shan Empress, that goal was already very close.


    For Bai Qing, her willpower was indeed firm and strong, seldom seen by the Luo Shan Empress in her experience, she rarely saw someone who could match Bai Qing.


    But that didn''t matter.


    Your own willpower may be as firm as iron, but when your loved ones betray you, your enemies bully you, in the daily humiliations, I don''t believe your will can remain as steady as ever without flinching.


    And as long as there was a slight wavering, the Luo Shan Empress''s ability could find a loophole, using secret techniques to influence Bai Qing''s mind.


    From this perspective, the so-called Luo Shan Empress was clearly not a proper immortal, she was very skilled in these methods.


    True immortals don''t have so many treacherous thoughts.


    Bai Qing''s mind was already shaking, and the Luo Shan Empress was about to continue exerting force when she suddenly paused.


    "Huh?"


    In her senses, there was a familiar aura outside, unknowingly approaching this place.


    At this moment, outside the courtyard,


    "Chen An?"


    Bai Changming looked at Chen An in front of him, couldn''t help but frown: "What are you doing here?"


    "I heard about Miss Qing''s situation, so I came to take a look."


    Facing Bai Changming''s gaze, Chen An smiled: "What, do I not have the qualifications to come and visit Miss Qing?"


    Bai Changming couldn''t really respond to that.


    Who doesn''t know that the Fourth House''s Bai Mingli dotes on his daughter the most? If Bai Mingli heard this, it would be troublesome.


    "If it''s just a visit, that''s fine."


    Bai Changming denied, looking at Chen An with some suspicion: "But are you sure you''re just here to visit?"


    You just happened to come at this time, visiting.


    Your timing for this visit is too perfect.


    Are you sure you''re not here to cause trouble, but just to visit?


    Of course, he was just saying this casually, not really believing that Chen An would dare to cause trouble.


    After all, not only was the strongest genius of the Bai family here, but also being watched by several elders.


    If he dared to cause trouble, he would probably have to face the elders first.


    Unexpectedly, the answer came.


    "Of course not."


    Chen An shook his head, looking quite natural: "In addition to visiting, I also came to take Miss Qing out."


    Hmm?


    Bai Changming was immediately stunned.


    So you really are here to cause trouble!


    He''s still standing here, and you dare to say that?


    Does it mean you really don''t care about him!


    Bai Changming''s heart was on high alert, subconsciously wanting to step back, but it was too late.


    A seemingly ordinary palm had already reached out, and in a fast and swift movement, it fell on his shoulder.


    In that moment, a powerful aura overwhelmed him, a strange force pressing down on him, making his body stiff and unable to react.


    His exhausted body weakened and fell.


    In that instant, as he looked at Chen An in front of him, smiling and friendly, Bai Changming''s mind echoed two words continuously.


    "Radiant Qi!"


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 158: Elder

    Bai Changming couldn''t understand how things had evolved into the current situation.It had only been half a year since the initial battle, why had Chen An in front of him become so terrifying?


    If he remembered correctly, Chen An initially had only reached the level of internal energy completion, with a long way to go before reaching his internal energy perfection.


    But now, in just half a year, the other party had completed a counterattack, skipping the stage of internal energy perfection and becoming a Gang-Qi warrior?


    Realizing this, Bai Changming was filled with disbelief.


    To go from internal energy completion to Gang-Qi in just half a year, how could there be such a terrifying person in the world?


    Approaching thirty years old with his internal energy perfection, he was already the number one talent in the Bai family.


    What did the current Chen An count as?


    Poor Bai Changming did not know that in this world, besides geniuses, there was also a special existence called hanging force.


    "No matter how arrogant you are, I will suppress you."


    With a thud, Bai Changming fell weakly, passing out cleanly.


    The whole process was extremely easy.


    Of course it was easy.


    This was not a match of equal levels, but a Gang-Qi warrior attacking an internal energy warrior with a shameful sneak attack.


    If there were still problems with this, it would be strange.


    "Young people should be modest, why did you faint so easily."


    Looking at Bai Changming who had fallen at his feet, Chen An couldn''t help but smile. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In fact, he didn''t need to knock out Bai Changming, he just needed to subdue him.


    But Chen An had a good memory.


    He still remembered the defeat in the previous Bai family competition.


    So why not make up for it now that he had the chance?


    So he had to inconvenience Bai Changming.


    But Bai Changming probably wouldn''t mind.


    Of course, even if he did, it wouldn''t matter, after all, he had fainted, could he still get up?


    "Mr. An"


    In front of him, Song Lao watched the scene in front of him, a little dumbfounded.


    The scene just happened so quickly that he hadn''t even reacted to what had happened, Bai Changming just fell down.


    And now this scene.


    According to his duties, Song Lao should have stepped forward to stop Chen An.


    But after realizing what Chen An was going to do, he had no intention of stepping forward to stop him, instead feeling joy in his heart.


    "Mr. An, let''s take the young lady and leave immediately."


    He approached Chen An, looked around cautiously, and said in a low voice, "While the elders haven''t reacted yet, we may still have time."


    "Go?"


    Chen An looked puzzled, "Why do we need to leave?"


    "Huh?"


    Now it was Song Lao''s turn to be stunned.


    Didn''t you knock out Bai Changming to rescue Miss Bai?


    "Of course Miss Qin should be rescued."


    Seeing Song Lao''s confusion, Chen An shook his head and said, "Yes, we should rescue her, but we don''t need to leave."


    "Ah?"


    Now it was Song Lao''s turn to be confused.


    You knocked out Bai Changming to rescue Miss Bai; isn''t that the plan?


    "Miss Qin should be rescued but there''s no need to leave."


    Talk about it.


    He still had a wife in the Bai family.


    If he ran away, leaving Bai Zilan alone, what would happen?


    Even with the care of Bai Mingli, she would be fine, but it would be embarrassing.


    Her husband betrayed the family for another woman and ran away with her, what a mess.


    Chen An had no intention of running away.


    "But¡­"


    Song Lao was immediately confused.


    What do you mean by that?


    Out of nowhere, a burst of invisible energy emerged.


    From outside the courtyard, a thin but still majestic old man walked out and came to the courtyard.


    "Third Elder."


    Song Lao''s face changed.


    The old man in front of him was dignified, the pillar of the third branch of the Bai family, and the background of Bai Qing in the past.


    But that was in the past.


    After the previous events, the third elder had completely given up on Bai Qing.


    And now, he was the most eager to send Bai Qing away.


    On the other side, a seemingly ordinary old man in a gray robe came out as well.


    This was the fourth elder, Bai Zilan''s great-grandfather and Bai Mingli''s father.


    "An, your cultivation has reached this level?"


    Compared to the expected life-and-death battle, the fourth elder''s emotions seemed quite calm, showing no anger towards Chen An''s unauthorized actions.


    This was natural.


    Because Chen An was one of them.


    Chen An had married Bai Zilan and had received personal teachings from the fourth elder, making him a member of their branch.


    In this era, this was pure kinship.


    Even if one made a mistake, they were still one of them and must be protected.


    And Chen An only knocked out Bai Changming and attempted to free Bai Qing, it wasn''t a big deal.


    The fourth elder, more concerned about Chen An''s cultivation than his attempts to free Bai Qing.


    To knock out Bai Changming, the number one talent of the Bai family, even with a sneak attack, his cultivation must have reached the level of internal energy completion, right?


    This was truly a pleasant surprise.


    "What do you want to do?"


    In contrast to the fourth elder, the third elder seemed a bit annoyed, "Qing''s marriage is a decision made by the family, you can''t stop it."


    "This is a misunderstanding."


    The fourth elder spoke up, "An and Qing have a very good relationship, he just wanted to come and visit, what''s wrong with that?"


    "You just came to visit, and you knocked out Changming?"


    The third elder argued.


    "It''s hot weather, who knows, Changming might have fainted because he couldn''t endure the heat."


    The fourth elder smiled, "Who hasn''t been sick before?"


    Well, well.


    A formidable warrior in internal energy actually fainted from heatstroke, who would believe that?


    People around silently mocked, not knowing what to say at the moment.


    But no one dared to say anything.


    Because the one who said it was the honorable fourth elder of the Bai family.


    With the status and strength of the fourth elder, if he said Bai Changming fainted from heatstroke, then he did, and no one dared to say otherwise.


    "Alright, let''s disperse."


    The fourth elder waved his hand and smiled at Chen An, "An, next time you want to visit Qing, there''s no need to be sneaky, I''ll give you a token, so you can come directly."


    Could you show more favoritism!


    The third elder was speechless.


    He intrudes here breaking the family rules, knocks out the guard, shouldn''t he be punished or killed for rebellion?


    But now he was allowed to visit freely in the future.


    What was the point of Bai family rules?


    Well, in front of these Bai family elders, the so-called Bai family rules weren''t worth mentioning.


    There was no way around it; they were the biggest in the Bai family.


    What should have been the end of the situation for the day.


    Even the most discerning eye could see that with the fourth elder protecting him, Chen An would get away with it.


    Bai Changming was knocked out cold.


    But just when things seemed to end here, something unexpected happened.


    A faint chill emerged in front of them.


    Water droplets instantly turned into ice crystals, freezing in an instant.


    Pure ice Gang-Qi burst out, spreading from Chen An''s body, covering the entire courtyard in an instant.


    Both the third and fourth elders were left stunned.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 159: Creating Stories

    The most unexpected result appeared.At the moment when the Xuanbing Gang appeared, the three elders and four elders fell silent.


    Because they could feel the power of this Gang Qi, even surpassing the Qi on their own bodies.


    "Belonging to the cold martial arts, but not the Gang Qi born from the Yin Body Art."


    The four elders were somewhat stunned: "This..."


    Until now, they understood why Bai Changming was easily defeated, completely unlike the expected level of the first son of the Bai family.


    But now they understood.


    In this situation, anyone who comes will be the same.


    An opponent with such a young Gang Qi attacking you, not to mention Bai Changming, even the three elders and four elders would be hit, and could easily end up defeated.


    After all, they were all old, in terms of ability, they were definitely not as good as Chen An.


    And then a more serious problem arose.


    What should we do now?


    The three elders and four elders looked at each other, not knowing what to do next.


    Their established plan did not include fighting against someone with Gang Qi.


    So how should this situation be resolved now?


    The situation became frozen.


    But while they were frozen, Chen An did not stop.


    "I would like to ask for guidance from the two elders."


    Chen An smiled, looking at the two elders in front of him and slowly reached out his hand.


    With his movement, Gang Qi filled the sky and danced around.


    Time passed slowly.


    In just half a month, the people of the Bai family''s residence discovered that the situation seemed to have changed significantly again.


    In just half a month, all the negative rumors about Miss Bai Qing were directly forbidden.


    The several elders of the Bai family suddenly regained their trust and care for Bai Qing, dispelling not only the previous intention to marry her off, but also reinstating Bai Qing to her previous position.


    What exactly had happened?


    "You were not like this before!"


    Bai Qing''s former enemies looked puzzled, as people like Bai Changyuan even tried to operate things.


    But this time, even his backers no longer supported him, but instead reprimanded him sternly, admonishing him as a member of the same clan should show mutual love, and not harm others.


    Bai Qing had already lost all her internal energy, and at this time, instead of helping her, you wanted to harm her? Is this still human?


    Have you lost your conscience, have you lost your morals!


    Bai Changyuan looked completely puzzled, almost doubting that his ears were playing tricks on him.


    Care and friendship?


    You didn''t used to talk like that.


    And the ones who previously asked me to find a way to get Bai Qing married off, weren''t they also you guys?


    How come you changed your mind so quickly?


    A baffled Bai Changyuan had no idea what was going on.


    And those who knew the truth were particularly cautious about the matter, unwilling to reveal any details.


    Of course, they wouldn''t dare to talk about it. Why risk your life for it? If you dared to gossip and say something wrong, then you might not have to talk again in the future.


    So all those who knew the truth remained silent.


    Of course, there were some who were not afraid of death.


    But in the end, those people had forever remained silent.


    Despite feeling unbelieving in his heart, thinking it was incredible, the situation had unfolded in such a way that he didn''t know what to say.


    And on the other side.


    "An''er, you really are ruthless."


    In the magnificent mansion of the Hua family, the fourth elder looked at Chen An in front of him and shook his head.


    If someone observed carefully, they would notice that the fourth elder still had bruises on his body, with many scars on them.


    Of course, they were just superficial wounds.


    No serious injuries.


    After all, this was the ancestor of his own wife, and their relationship was good, so there was no need to use excessive force.


    "At that time, the circumstances were limited, so please forgive me, elder."


    Looking at the appearance of the fourth elder, Chen An was also apologetic and spoke.


    "I don''t mind."


    The fourth elder shook his head and smiled: "I''m just afraid that other old folks might have some grievances."


    "But your manners were quite thoughtful, so there''s no much to worry about."


    Chen An smiled.


    In the days after that, the third elder also eased up and left in silence.


    The fourth elder had even less to say, as he had always leaned towards Chen An and had no objection to him.


    As for the other elders, they might still have some thoughts in their hearts.


    But when faced with Chen An reasoning with them, they eventually fell silent.


    Bai family''s top fighters, the most powerful among them was in closed-door cultivation all year round. As for the other four elders, the second elder had health issues and couldn''t fight, and the other three elders were old and had significantly decreased combat power.


    Chen An was originally a little worried, but after actually making a move he discovered that the Bai family was nothing but a paper tiger, just trying to intimidate people.


    With his current strength, excluding the family head, the other four elders, even if they joined forces, probably wouldn''t be a match for him.


    Faced with handicapped opponents, fighting old and weak elderly, no one in the Bai family was an opponent.


    Well, it''s not as rosy as that.


    The Bai family''s strength was still very strong.


    The reason why he was fine was mainly because he himself was also half a member of the Bai family.


    So none of the Bai family elders would make up their minds to confront him.


    If it were anyone else, the elders would probably first call out the head of the family who was in closed-door cultivation.


    Then they would have to face five Gang Qi, including the head of the family and the four elders.


    The most powerful head of the Bai family probably already reached the peak of Gang Qi, just one step away from the Gang Transforming Realm.


    So the situation was different.


    After that day, Chen An didn''t force things and went to visit each elder, apologizing for their previous conflict.


    The gifts weren''t lavish, just a martial art, but one that could be used in conjunction with Yin Body Art, with great power and rarity.


    For the elders, this was enough of a foundation, definitely considered a great gift.


    They naturally didn''t say anything.


    Of course, for them it was a great gift, but for Chen An, it was just a drop in the bucket.


    He had spent nearly two hundred years in the Great Hua World, where he had learned almost all martial arts from various countries.


    He had learned countless martial arts techniques, and could easily pick one out as an apology.


    "An''er, your cultivation level..."


    After chatting for a while, the fourth elder hesitated and finally asked this question.


    Finally couldn''t hold back, huh?


    Chen An smiled and took out the story he had compiled.


    He had known that someone would ask this question, so he had prepared the story in advance.


    "Did you discover a martial art heritage from the Martial Saint''s relic and inherit it?"


    The fourth elder listened with a puzzled expression.


    According to what Chen An said, he inadvertently entered a secret realm and cultivated there.


    The secret realm was left by a Martial Saint and had existed for countless years, containing the Martial Saint''s martial insights.


    Chen An had entered the secret realm, where he comprehended martial arts, spent ten years cultivating, and stepped into the Gang Qi level.


    The martial art he possessed also originated from there.


    When his ten-year period was up, he walked out of the secret realm, only to find that the outside world remained the same, with hardly any changes.


    "Is there such a miraculous event in the world?"


    The fourth elder widened his eyes, and his wrinkled face showed astonishment: "The Martial Saint''s strength during his lifetime was probably not weaker than mine."


    He reflected on this statement, seemingly unshakable in his belief in the story Chen An had told.


    If Chen An were to know about this scene, he would probably start doubting everything in life, wouldn''t he?


    It''s not possible that his story is true, is it?


    Why did you all believe it?


    But what caught Chen An off guard was the existence of another individual.


    "The world actually has such a powerful existence."


    In a quiet courtyard, Bai Qing sat alone, enjoying the scenery outside.


    In her mind, the voice of the Empress Luo Shan sounded: "Turning ten years into an instant, even a venerable could hardly achieve that."


    "The Martial Saint named Guan Yunchang, his strength during his life may not have been weaker than mine."


    She sighed like this, seemingly genuinely believing in the story Chen An had made up.


    If Chen An were here and knew about this scene, he would probably start doubting everything in life.


    You believed it just like that?


    And what surprised Chen An even more was the existence of another individual.


    "In this realm, there actually exists such a powerful being."


    In the quiet courtyard, Bai Qing was sitting alone and a voice echoed in her mind, that of the empress Luo Shan saying: "Turning ten years into an instant is something even a powerful being would find hard to do."


    "That Martial Saint named Guan Yunchang, his strength during his life might not have been weaker than mine."


    She sighed with emotion, and it seemed like she too had deep faith in the story Chen An had fabricated.


    Perhaps if he had known about this situation, he would have started to question everything in life.


    Can it be that his story is not just made up?


    Why did you all believe it?


    Indeed, the story Chen An had fabricated was simple, with many areas that could be elaborated on.


    However, this story fit the logic of the ancient powerhouse Empress Luo Shan.


    Because in the era she lived in, there were indeed many stories like this.


    It had almost become commonplace.


    Naturally, there was no need to doubt much.


    Even from the story Chen An had fabricated, she had filled in many details in her mind.


    "To be led into the heritage of such a powerhouse, your friend must have top-notch talent, perhaps not inferior to yours."


    She said with interest.


    "His talent surpasses mine by far."


    Bai Qing spoke coldly.


    "You don''t need to underestimate yourself."


    Empress Luo Shan smiled, "Your talent in martial arts is indeed average, but your talent on the path to immortality is top-notch. As long as you step onto the path of cultivation, you can soar to great heights, definitely not inferior to Chen An."


    "How about it? Do you want to consider it?"


    In the end, her voice carried a strong charm, as if bewitching.


    Bai Qing twitched her lips.


    So, her talent had become average. S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Within the Bai family, Bai Qing''s talent was definitely top-notch. If she hadn''t needed to manage many affairs, which distracted her, she might have reached the level of Internal Energy Perfection early on, and her talent might have even surpassed that of Bai Changming, hailed as the number one person in the Bai family.


    With such talent, she was definitely considered a top genius.


    But in the eyes of Empress Luo Shan, she was only average.


    Seemingly sensing Bai Qing''s thoughts, Empress Luo Shan''s voice rang out again: "Don''t be incredulous."


    "There are many freaks in the world, apart from those with special constitutions and bloodlines, even among ordinary mortals, there are countless who are stronger than you. It''s just that the era of change has not arrived yet, and the spiritual genius hasn''t fully recovered, that''s why such people are rare."


    "After the spiritual genius fully recovers, all kinds of formidable geniuses will emerge, and at that time, your meager martial talent may only be considered average."


    "There''s no future in martial arts, why not start cultivating immortality?"


    She continued to persuade, "You have the best spiritual aptitude. Cultivating immortality will bring you many benefits and allow you to progress quickly."


    "With your talent and my guidance, surpassing Chen An in the future is just a matter of time."


    "Do you not want to catch up to him, to surpass him, and always watch his back?"


    "If you don''t let me practice your techniques, then I might consider it."


    Bai Qing''s expression remained calm, without any fluctuations in her mood.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 160: Princess Changping

    "The Princess Changping""It''s for your own good," Empress Luoshan said with a hint of helplessness. "In the cultivation methods I know, the one I practice myself is undoubtedly the best and the most understood."


    "I want to impart my methods to you because I genuinely want to take you as my disciple and pass on my teachings."


    "If you accept me as your master, then you will be my disciple. Why would you go and learn from others after that?"


    On the surface, her words seemed reasonable.


    If Bai Qing accepted Empress Luoshan as her master, then she would indeed become her disciple.


    As a master and disciple, it was natural to pass on one''s own teachings. Otherwise, what was the point?


    Who sends their disciple to learn from others'' teachings?


    Upon careful consideration, Bai Qing realized that this reasoning made sense.


    However, she did not dare to trust the other party.


    After all, the other party did not seem trustworthy at all.


    Normal recruitment?


    Which master would first cripple someone before taking them on as a disciple?


    Anyone who could do that was clearly not a good person.


    In Bai Qing''s eyes, Empress Luoshan had long been associated with dark arts.


    "Fine."


    Sensing Bai Qing''s firm resolve, Empress Luoshan said with a touch of helplessness, "If you truly don''t trust me, then let''s make a deal."


    "I will impart to you a legitimate immortal technique. Once you have mastered it, help me find a suitable successor. At that time, you can also pass on my teachings to someone else."


    She was still trying.


    Compared to before, this proposition was clearly more acceptable.


    You wouldn''t need to practice the other person''s techniques, only find someone else to pass on their teachings once you have mastered them.


    Thinking one step ahead, even if the other party had ulterior motives, she could find a substitute to prevent them from harming others.


    But Bai Qing hesitated to agree.


    You can never be too careful.


    Bai Qing was an independent and strong woman, and she was not quick to trust others.


    Although Empress Luoshan''s words sounded good now, there was no guarantee that the teachings passed down in the future would be problem-free.


    Even a slight alteration to the techniques could lead to significant issues later on.


    Bai Qing was still not at ease.


    "Take your time to consider," Empress Luoshan said calmly, respecting Bai Qing''s caution. Excessive persuasion would only make her seem anxious, which could give off the wrong impression.


    It was a strategic move on her part.


    After all, the world was constantly changing.


    Although the challenge Bai Qing faced had passed, Empress Luoshan believed that, with time, Bai Qing would eventually seek her out.


    Wasn''t that an opportunity waiting to happen?


    The plan was well laid out, but only time would reveal its outcome. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Afterward, Empress Luoshan spoke less and less, seemingly lying low and quietly regaining her strength.


    Bai Qing, on the other hand, returned to her previous routine. Despite her damaged inner energy due to Empress Luoshan''s presence, she managed other aspects of her life well.


    With her physical resilience intact and the support of Song Lao and her team, she could handle daily affairs effectively.


    Moreover, Chen An stood by her side, providing additional support.


    For the time being, dealing with the surrounding issues was manageable.


    However, the future was uncertain.


    Time passed slowly.


    Three months went by quickly.


    During this time, Chen An stayed in his residence, maintaining a peaceful and stable life.


    Despite his recent actions in confronting the White Family''s elders, he remained in a dormant state.


    The parties involved in the incident chose to keep it confidential, as the matter of being physically assaulted was not something to be publicized. With only a few people aware of the situation, it was relatively easy to contain the news.


    Thus, Chen An could maintain his tranquility without much disruption.


    While he enjoyed his peaceful days in his courtyard, the outside world continued to evolve.


    Outside the Shangyuan County.


    On the official road, a large caravan was making its way, with individuals walking quietly along the path towards their destination.


    Protected by many guards, a massive carriage slowly advanced, with a woman seated inside.


    Dressed in a purple gown, the woman, with a delicate and beautiful appearance, exuded a sense of elegance as she gazed into the distance, deep in thought.


    "This is Shangyuan County," she murmured, gazing at the city on the horizon.


    The woman''s name was Liang Yao, and she held a special position as the Princess Changping of the Great Liang Dynasty.


    Indeed, she was the royal highness rumored within Shangyuan County, and now she was about to grace the land with her presence.


    For a princess of the Great Liang Dynasty, it seemed unusual for her to visit a place like Shangyuan County.


    After all, the situation in Shangyuan County was quite unique.


    While most of the counties in Liang Country had fallen into decline, with power held by the aristocratic clans, the royal family had become mere figureheads.


    Yet, even among these counties, Shangyuan County stood out.


    It may not have been the top county, but it certainly ranked among the top three.


    It was almost like a forbidden area.


    For the Great Liang royal family, venturing into such a place was indeed a risky endeavor.


    After all, not only was it controlled by noble families, but it was also known for its formidable martial strength and abundant martial energy.


    There could be some individuals with grudges against the royal family, waiting to strike at any moment.


    In such a scenario, things could become quite problematic.


    One would never know.


    In fact, such incidents were not uncommon.


    Chen An could attest to this.


    As a key member of the White Family, he had been involved in discussions with the elders regarding this princess.


    Most of them had contemplated uniting with others to secretly eliminate the princess.


    The plan was to dispose of her body discreetly, leaving no traces of the assailants.


    As for the royal nobility, they were viewed with disdain by these martial artists, making it easier to target them.


    However, considering that the princess was simply visiting and held little power, it was speculated that she might be there for leisure, without any ulterior motives. Thus, the idea was ultimately abandoned.


    After all, if the plot was discovered, it would pose a significant problem for the White Family.


    Though the Great Liang royal family was in decline, they still held some influence, and it was not wise to provoke them easily.


    Nevertheless, to even discuss the assassination of a princess revealed the general attitude towards the royal family in Shangyuan County.


    For a princess to dare to visit such a place despite these circumstances, was truly daring.


    Was she fearless like a newborn calf, or just incredibly bold?


    That remained to be seen.


    "Your Highness, another group of bandits has been repelled," a voice came from outside the carriage, likely a military leader. "Should we pursue and engage them?"


    "No need, just driving them away will suffice," Princess Liang Yao replied, turning around with a calm demeanor.


    As the orders were given, the commander outside left to carry them out.


    However, Liang Yao shook her head.


    "Shangyuan County has truly deteriorated," she sighed inwardly.


    Throughout her journey, she had encountered numerous bandits.


    At first, she tried to keep a low profile, and the encounters were limited.


    But as the threats increased, she had to boldly display her royal banner, drawing even more attention and danger towards her.


    It seemed as though the bandits were specifically targeting her.


    Ultimately, her journey through Shangyuan County was a test of her strength and resolve. Despite the challenges she faced, she remained determined to fulfill her mission and achieve her goals in this perilous land.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 161: Welcome

    In a certain sense, these people really were heading towards her.After all, she was Princess Li¨¢ng.


    What a good target.


    Li¨¢ng Y¨¢o''s identity was there after all.


    Even though the powerful families like the B¨¢i family didn''t have much interest in her, they couldn''t stop others from having different intentions.


    After all, not everyone was on the same page.


    Princess Li¨¢ng appeared to be just a figurehead, but in reality, she was quite valuable in certain situations.


    For example, breaking relationships, even directly blaming others, and even doing some other sinister things.


    Well, none of it was good.


    The people causing trouble for her were not necessarily the local powerful families within the Sh¨¤ngyu¨¢n County, they could also be outsiders.


    But they did want to harm Princess Li¨¢ng, that was certain.


    But obviously, Princess Li¨¢ng had some backbone to venture into a place like Sh¨¤ngyu¨¢n County, which was full of turmoil, and she also had her own ways of dealing with things.


    Facing wave after wave of people who saw her as a big prize, wanting to kill or rob her, she didn''t flinch at all, not even showing a trace of panic.


    But even so, she was starting to get a bit annoyed.


    It was one thing not being able to cause trouble for you, but it was another thing to be annoyed by people.


    These people kept coming one after another, although they didn''t cause her too many problems, it was still really annoying.


    At least Princess Li¨¢ng was starting to get a bit troubled at this moment.


    If it were any other royal noble, after seeing this scene, most likely they would have given up.


    After all, the people in Sh¨¤ngyu¨¢n County were a bit too enthusiastic.


    But Li¨¢ng Y¨¢o was different after all.


    She had a reason she had to go to Sh¨¤ngyu¨¢n County.


    "It''s been about half a year, that should be enough for me to operate."


    Sitting inside the luxurious carriage, Li¨¢ng Y¨¢o looked at the distant scenery, silently had this thought in her mind.


    She was still pondering, the carriage slowly moved forward, gradually arriving at the destination.


    Outside Sh¨¤ngyu¨¢n County.


    When the Princess arrived at the city of Sh¨¤ngyu¨¢n, the entire outskirts of Sh¨¤ngyu¨¢n County suddenly erupted with excitement.


    Both inside and outside the city of Sh¨¤ngyu¨¢n, everywhere was packed with people.


    This was normal, after all, watching the excitement was a natural impulse.


    For Sh¨¤ngyu¨¢n County, a princess from the imperial family arriving was indeed a rare event.


    Everyone swarmed over was normal.


    What was not normal was that envoys from several major families were also among the crowd, ready to welcome this Princess Li¨¢ng.


    They had a tacit understanding of how to treat this princess.


    Not too accommodating, but also not offending.


    After all, she was a grand princess of the royal family, it wouldn''t be good to directly contradict her, easily provoking a backlash.


    But if they were to be overly cautious towards her, it also wouldn''t be necessary.


    So the best course of action was to send a few people over, make a show of it, and that would be enough.


    The envoy from the B¨¢i family was also there, and it was an old acquaintance.


    Yes, it was B¨¢i Ch¨¢ngr¨¦n.


    As the son of the second branch of the B¨¢i family, B¨¢i Ch¨¢ngr¨¦n was definitely a mainline figure in the B¨¢i family, his strength was hard to say, but his status was more than enough, which was just right in this situation.


    He was leading a group of people to welcome, standing with other envoys from other families, not looking out of place at all.


    For this trip, B¨¢i Ch¨¢ngr¨¦n didn''t really take it to heart.


    Just need to put on a show.


    After all, she was a princess, even if she came to Sh¨¤ngyu¨¢n, what could they do, she wasn''t going to specifically point fingers and go to their B¨¢i family, right?


    So in all likelihood, he, as an envoy, was just here for the show, someone who was needed but didn''t have much use.


    In this situation, B¨¢i Ch¨¢ngr¨¦n naturally relaxed, without a trace of tension.


    So his performance was very casual, just standing there, occasionally chatting and laughing with his family, chatting, without any hint of nervousness in welcoming the royal family.


    Who knows if the King of D¨¤li¨¢ng would be pissed off if he saw this.


    Probably not.


    Because he couldn''t even get angry.


    Everyone present was like this.


    Everyone thought they were just going through the motions, so they all behaved quite relaxed.


    However, the unexpected happened.


    This D¨¤li¨¢ng Princess proceeded a distance, and for some reason, she suddenly stopped right in front of B¨¢i Ch¨¢ngr¨¦n.


    At that moment, B¨¢i Ch¨¢ngr¨¦n was stunned.


    Wasn''t I just here to watch the show?


    How did I become the material for others to watch?


    He was dumbfounded, and could only awkwardly go forward to welcome her.


    Even when the entourage of the Princess arrived, he still hadn''t come to terms with what was happening.


    But in the end, Princess Ch¨¢ngp¨ªng chose the B¨¢i family, wanting to stay in the B¨¢i family estate during her time in Sh¨¤ngyu¨¢n County, using this to understand the family''s style.


    This news spread quickly, giving others continuous speculation.


    Some people felt that Princess Ch¨¢ngp¨ªng''s actions might be to win over the B¨¢i family?


    This was the most likely scenario.


    Of course, it was also possible that there was a previous connection with the B¨¢i family, so she chose the B¨¢i family, getting closer to them.


    But no matter what, since Princess Ch¨¢ngp¨ªng wanted to stay in the B¨¢i family, the B¨¢i family had to treat her well.


    Don''t hit people''s faces.


    After all, she was a princess, even if they quietly killed a few people, they still had to be warm on the surface.


    Outwardly hospitable, secretly planning murders.


    That was quite real.


    The news quickly reached the B¨¢i family.


    "A princess wants to stay in the B¨¢i family for a period of time?"


    In the mansion, Ch¨¦n ¨¡n knew about this news, and couldn''t help but be stunned.


    Obviously, just like B¨¢i Ch¨¢ngr¨¦n, he hadn''t expected this outcome.


    As an outsider in the B¨¢i family, he didn''t feel any animosity towards this princess, he just found it a bit strange.


    Why did a princess just suddenly come? s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But since she had come, he didn''t think too much about it.


    The matters of the B¨¢i family were taken care of by the B¨¢i family head and a few elders, it had nothing to do with Ch¨¦n ¨¡n.


    He just had to sit on the side and watch quietly.


    However, not long after, when the Princess truly arrived, he couldn''t avoid being affected and had to go and welcome her.


    Of course, it wasn''t just him, B¨¢i Zh¨«l¨¢n, B¨¢i Q¨©ng, and other core figures of the B¨¢i family also went to meet her, going to receive her together.


    If Ch¨¦n ¨¡n wanted to, he could have avoided it, but after thinking about it, he didn''t do so.


    After all, it was just a meeting, there was no need to avoid it.


    Everyone had a curiosity to watch, and Ch¨¦n ¨¡n was also interested in seeing what the princess looked like.


    After all, she was a princess, and this status inherently carried a certain aura of expectation.


    Ch¨¦n ¨¡n was just a normal person, he couldn''t escape from being curious.


    So he went over to take a look.


    And there were probably quite a few others with the same mindset as Ch¨¦n ¨¡n.


    Warriors were also humans, and they all had a gossipy heart.


    In the end, Princess Ch¨¢ngp¨ªng did not disappoint them.


    Purely in terms of appearance, Princess Ch¨¢ngp¨ªng might not be considered stunning, but she was definitely a good-looking woman. Her features were delicate, her skin was fair, and she had a unique nobility about her, making it hard for people to forget her at first glance.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 162: Plotting

    Princess Liang Yao did not disappoint anyone.Her appearance was elegant and exquisite, but what was even more rare was the imposing noble aura that made people unable to help but feel a sense of awe, sensing the royal grace emanating from her.


    Of course, in Chen An''s eyes, it was just that.


    There were plenty of beautiful women in the world.


    Not to mention, just White Qing alone had a beauty that surpassed this Princess Changping.


    There were other women whose looks were not inferior to hers, although not many in Xianyuan County, but they could still be encountered from time to time.


    Pure beauty held no value.


    What truly had value was her princess status.


    This status was the reason why she attracted so much attention.


    After all, a princess who was not only beautiful but also rare.


    Even a woman like White Qing, who was even more beautiful than her, did not shine as brightly as the princess in front of him.


    Chen An remained calm.


    Compared to the awe of others, he remained calm throughout, even subconsciously turning to look at the side where Bai Zhilan was, comparing the differences between the two.


    Hmm, his wife''s appearance was not lacking either, not inferior to that princess.


    Just kidding.


    In fact, he had seen it all before.


    Princesses and such, Chen An had only seen for the first time in the main world, but in the Dahua world, he had seen plenty of them.


    Various kinds of princesses, from Dahua, Daming, and so on, he had seen too many.


    After seeing the same thing too many times, naturally, there would no longer be any feelings attached to it.


    That was how Chen An felt at the moment.


    Of course, he wasn''t the only one who felt that way.


    Not far away, Bai Changming stood next to a few elders, but his attention was not on the princess, but rather on Chen An.


    His gaze was fixed on Chen An, with a somewhat complex expression.


    The other elders didn''t find this strange either.


    Since the day he was knocked out by Chen An, Bai Changming had been like this.


    He seemed quite shaken.


    In the past, he was the most outstanding talent in the Bai family and anyone who saw him had to praise him loudly.


    Although he didn''t care about these praises, he was determined to pursue the pinnacle of martial arts and didn''t think that there would be anyone in Xianyuan County who was more outstanding than himself.


    Until he met Chen An.


    It was worth noting that Chen An, now barely nineteen years old, had already advanced to the level of Qi.


    And even though he had not yet started a family, he was approaching thirty.


    The difference between them was obvious.


    For a genius like Bai Changming, this gap was hard to accept.


    He knew that Chen An''s rapid cultivation was probably due to some incredible opportunity.


    But he couldn''t help but ask himself, even if he had that opportunity, could he have advanced to the level of Qi at this age?


    Probably not.


    This was the root of his feeling of defeat.


    Admitting that he was inferior to someone was very difficult for someone like him.


    But it was a barrier that he had to overcome.


    Chen An, however, did not care about Bai Changming''s complex thoughts.


    What was there to care about?


    People with such complex thoughts, he had seen countless times in the Dahua world.


    He was used to it.


    Meanwhile, in front, Princess Liang Yao seemed to be accustomed to this atmosphere as well. She had a standard smile on her face, looking dignified and graceful, as she slowly stepped down from the carriage.


    Under the gaze of Chen An and others, she greeted the elders warmly and engaged in lively conversations.


    Regardless of what was being thought behind the scenes, at least on the surface, the elders of the Bai family were giving her plenty of face.


    Looking at the lively scene before them, it was hard for anyone to find fault.


    Today, the princess was received by Elder Four and Elder Five.


    The family head and Elder Two were in seclusion, and Elder Three was still recovering from being injured by a young man named Chen, who did not want to reveal his name and was still healing.


    That left only Elder Four and Elder Five to receive her.


    After the elders greeted her, Elder Four warmly introduced the talented youths of the Bai family to Princess Liang Yao.


    This was a standard procedure.


    Princess Liang Yao was used to this and was interested in the talented youths of the Bai family.


    As the former top talent of the Bai family, Bai Qing, naturally stood out.


    However, due to the embarrassment of losing his internal energy, Elder Four and Elder Five did not introduce him much, but simply mentioned him and were about to pass over him.


    But unexpectedly, Princess Liang Yao seemed very interested in Bai Qing.


    "I heard that this young lady of the noble family is already engaged to the son of the Cao family and is planning to hold a grand ceremony soon?"


    Looking at Bai Qing, Liang Yao smiled, "I wonder if I can come in and have a drink at that time."


    This was a very normal thing to say.


    For a princess to want to attend your wedding, in a certain sense, was giving you face.


    However, when the people present heard this, they fell into silence.


    The atmosphere became awkward.


    Liang Yao suddenly had a sense of unease in her heart.


    And sure enough, her uneasy feeling was realized in the next moment.


    After a moment of silence, Elder Four asked in surprise, "Your Highness, where did you hear this news from?"


    "But Qing''er and the son of the Cao family do not have a marriage contract, nor do they have any intentions of marrying outside for now."


    He said it tactfully, but he was also puzzled.


    Although Bai Qing''s matter was significant, it was only within the Bai family.


    How did Liang Yao know about it?


    Did she intentionally inquire about the Bai family''s news?


    At this thought, Elder Four felt a sense of alertness.


    However, Liang Yao showed no such reaction.


    Listening to Elder Four''s words, she was stunned.


    "No marriage contract?"


    She pondered Elder Four''s words, her face suddenly becoming somewhat pale and her expression seeming off.


    How could this be?


    This was different from what I dreamt.


    She looked at Bai Qing in the distance, her gaze fixed on her.


    In her eyes, Bai Qing stood quietly, her features delicate and beautiful, standing out among the Bai family youths.


    It seemed as though she felt Liang Yao''s gaze, Bai Qing slowly raised her head, revealing a hint of surprise on her calm face.


    Liang Yao realized this and immediately reacted, with a smile on her face, "Is that so, perhaps my people outside have inquired about the news and accidentally brought back the wrong information."


    "As for this young lady, truly exquisite beauty, truly a pearl in your Bai family''s palm."


    She smiled, looking seemingly interested in Bai Qing, "I''ve been traveling this road and happen to lack a companion; I wonder if Miss Qing would be willing to accompany me for a time?"


    "And if convenient afterward, you could join me back to the palace and assist me."


    As soon as she said this, the people around lit up.


    This was a good thing.


    Even if the Great Liang royal family tried to recruit someone, they were still the Great Liang royal family.


    The Princess Changping''s position within the royal family was special, said to be particularly favored by the current Emperor of Great Liang. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If she could accompany her, she might receive favor in the future.


    This would also bring great benefits to the Bai family.


    After Princess Changping spoke, even Elder Four couldn''t help but be tempted for a moment.


    But the specifics depended on Bai Qing himself.


    After all, Bai Qing also had a background.


    So they turned to Bai Qing, their gazes fixed on her.


    Several gazes locked onto her.


    Bai Qing''s expression was calm, despite being somewhat surprised, she didn''t show too much emotion, "Thank you for your kind offer, but I am used to a leisurely life and do not wish to leave my hometown."


    This was a polite way of refusing.


    As her words fell, disappointment crept into the hearts of the people around.


    "Is that so."


    Liang Yao looked deeply into her eyes before smiling, "Well, I won''t force you then."


    With that, it seemed that the matter had passed.


    In front, Liang Yao was chatting and laughing with the two elders, enjoying their conversation.


    But this was only for a moment.


    After a while, the two elders turned and left, leaving the rest of the Bai family members to entertain.


    After all, in the end, she was just a princess.


    If it were the current Emperor of Great Liang himself, then of course, there would be no room for discussion, and even the family head would have to come out of seclusion, otherwise it would be disrespectful.


    But for just a princess, having two elders come out to entertain her was already quite good.


    With the face-saving gesture done, it was time to move on to other matters.


    There was no reason to stay and waste time.


    It didn''t exist.


    Liang Yao clearly understood this, so she didn''t comment and kept smiling along the way, looking very friendly.


    Bai Qing and the others accompanied the princess forward, moving on.


    "She is watching you."


    As they walked, the voice of Empress Luoshan rang out in her mind again.


    "I know."


    Bai Qing replied calmly in her mind.


    Since the Empress possessed her, Bai Qing''s senses had become particularly sharp.


    It was because of this that she could clearly feel the princess''s gaze on her.


    The princess seemed to be very focused on her, glancing at her from time to time.


    But what exactly she was thinking was unclear.


    "Sigh, what a pity."


    In her mind, the voice of Empress Luoshan continued to speak: "This girl''s talent is quite good, although slightly inferior to yours, it is still commendable in the current environment."


    "It''s a shame that her constitution is not quite suitable, otherwise it would be perfect."


    She felt a bit regretful.


    Among all the people she had seen so far, Bai Qing''s talent was the best.


    And the Great Liang princess in front of her was just second to Bai Qing, also considered top-tier talent.


    The only regret was their compatibility, as she was far less suitable for her than Bai Qing.


    Otherwise, changing the target and choosing the current Liang Yao wouldn''t be bad either.


    Bai Qing''s will was just too firm, she naturally wanted to pursue a more easily attainable target.


    The current princess in front of her seemed quite good.


    Aside from these two, Chen An was also highly valued by Empress Luoshan.


    However, she was somewhat uncertain about Chen An.


    From her perspective, on the surface, Chen An''s talent should be quite average.


    But to be able to inherit the legacy of a Martial Saint and advance to the level of Qi at this age, it meant that his talent was definitely exceptional, perhaps not as outstanding as Bai Qing, but definitely top-tier.


    This made it hard for her to read him.


    And that was the reason why she valued him so much.


    Moving forward, half a day quickly passed.


    Arranged by the Bai family, Liang Yao settled down, spending the night in the Bai family''s courtyard.


    Upon arriving at her residence and being alone, Liang Yao''s expression immediately changed.


    A figure suddenly appeared before her, standing in front of her.


    "Mr. Zhong, have you found out everything?"


    Looking at the sudden appearance of the figure, Liang Yao showed no surprise and asked directly.


    "I have found out most of it."


    Mr. Zhong nodded and briefly stated the information he knew.


    If Bai Qing were here at this moment, she would have been extremely surprised.


    Because what Mr. Zhong was saying at this moment was all about her.


    The information included many things, from Bai Qing''s past experiences to recent incidents.


    For example, Bai Qing losing all her cultivation, almost getting married and then canceling it, quickly returning to her previous status.


    All these changes were explained clearly.


    Of course, he didn''t know the specific details.


    For example, the incident where Chen An took action that day, he was not aware of it.


    There were only a few people who experienced that day, most of whom were core members of the Bai family and it wasn''t easy to get information from them.


    Therefore, it was impossible to find any reliable information in a short period of time.


    But even with the information he had found now, it was enough to surprise people.


    "It turns out to be like this!"


    Liang Yao''s expression gradually turned grim: "This is different from what I dreamt of."


    "In my dream, that Miss Bai from the Bai family should have been married by now, married into the Cao family."


    "What went wrong?"


    In reality, there was a secret that Liang Yao had been keeping.


    Several years ago, she had found a treasure in the royal treasury of Great Liang.


    It was a very old formation map, said to be left behind by the ancestor of Great Liang, which had been stored in the Great Liang treasury for a long time.


    This item had been in the treasury for a long time, and in the past, it had never been taken seriously and was just placed there as a special commemorative item.


    Until Liang Yao''s arrival.


    In an accident, she let some blood fall on the formation map and then incorporated it into her body.


    Since then, she began to dream constantly.


    The dreams showed her future events.


    At first, she was shocked by the scenes she saw in her dreams and even feared some of the things that would happen in the future.


    But when she saw that the future was unfolding exactly as she had dreamt of, a sense of joy filled her heart.


    Following the glimpses of the future she saw in her dreams, she had accomplished many things.


    She eliminated the powerful elites, won hearts, became the most trusted daughter of the Emperor of Great Liang, and garnered a group of powerful followers.


    And this time she had come to Xianyuan County for the same reason she had glimpsed in her dreams.


    "Your Highness, I don''t understand."


    Looking at Liang Yao''s grim expression, Mr. Zhong was puzzled, "Is that Miss Bai from the Bai family so important that you are so anxious?"


    In the past, there had indeed been cases where the trajectories of some people deviated from Liang Yao''s dreams.


    This was normal.


    After all, once the future was known, it was only a possibility, no longer a definite event.


    Not to mention the influence of Liang Yao.


    Although this world didn''t have the butterfly effect, there were similar principles.


    From this perspective, it seemed that Liang Yao didn''t need to be so worried.


    "It''s different."


    Liang Yao shook her head, speaking to Mr. Zhong who looked puzzled, "Although there were deviations in the past, they were mostly not important figures."


    "No matter how things change, the trajectories of those key figures generally remain unchanged."


    "But this time."


    "Is that Miss Bai from the Bai family a key figure?"


    Mr. Zhong spoke again, "But she looks plain, even lost her internal energy, seeming powerless."


    "Don''t underestimate her."


    Liang Yao looked deeply into Mr. Zhong''s eyes, speaking with profound meaning, "She is not a simple person."


    In broad daylight, Bai Qing seemed harmless and posed no threat to anyone.


    But in Liang Yao''s dreams, she was a dangerous figure indeed.


    If everything went as planned, she would lose all her internal energy and be forced by the Bai family elders to marry into the Cao family.


    Less than half a year later, an accident happened where the entire Cao family was completely wiped out, even the two Qi-level family elders met a sudden end.


    And the perpetrator was none other than Bai Qing, who had already married into the Cao family.


    No one knew why Bai Qing possessed such terrifying power, only that she had struck mercilessly.


    In the ensuing series of events, she became the absolute protagonist, stirring up the turmoil of the entire Great Liang.


    Frankly, Liang Yao''s subsequent plans had a lot to do with her.


    And that was why she was so shocked by the change of fate Bai Qing was facing.


    "In about another half year, the treasure hidden beneath the Bai family ancestral land will emerge."


    Liang Yao spoke, "In the original dream, the person who obtained that treasure was this Miss Bai from the Bai family."


    Mr. Zhong was startled for a moment, then quickly became serious in his approach.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 163: Ambush

    As many had suspected, Princess Liang Yao''s trip to Shangyuan this time had a special purpose.However, this purpose was different from what many had in mind. It was not to win anyone over, but simply to obtain something.


    It was a treasure about to emerge in the ancestral land of the Bai Family, extremely remarkable and possessed powerful effects.


    Exactly how powerful it was, Liang Yao herself was unsure.


    After all, she had only dreamt of such a thing and had never come into contact with it personally.


    But one thing she was certain of was that this thing was extremely precious.


    In her plans, this item played a significant role and was something she must obtain.


    "Your Highness, what should we do?" Mr. Zhong spoke up.


    "Continue to investigate," Liang Yao pondered for a moment before speaking, "Find an opportunity to make a move on some of the Bai Family elders, and transfer that Miss Bai away from the Bai Family. Don''t let her stay there."


    The emergence of the treasure in the Bai Family''s ancestral land was closely related to Bai Qing.


    Although Liang Yao couldn''t be certain of the extent of the connection, there was definitely a relationship.


    As long as Bai Qing remained, Liang Yao had no confidence she would succeed.


    The logic behind this was quite clear.


    So in order to achieve her goal, she had to first find a way to get rid of Bai Qing.


    After some contemplation, Mr. Zhong nodded slowly.


    In the following time, they each took action.


    Transferring Bai Qing away seemed like a manageable step for Liang Yao.


    After all, even though the situation was somewhat different from what she had dreamt of, some basic things remained unchanged.


    No matter what, Bai Qing was currently like a useless person, completely devoid of internal energy. How much importance could the Bai Family elders attach to such a person? If a proper reason was given, she could be easily moved.


    Despite her efforts, Liang Yao was surprised to discover that the Bai Family elders had a peculiar and rather complicated attitude towards Bai Qing''s condition.


    There were even many within the Bai Family who held a grudge against Bai Qing, like Bai Changyuan, a talented youth, who seemed to harbor some resentment towards Bai Qing, possibly due to some past grievances.


    However, all of Liang Yao''s probing attempts yielded no response.


    No matter how much effort she exerted, Bai Qing remained unmoved, showing no signs of being swayed.


    This situation left her feeling puzzled.


    It shouldn''t be like this.


    Her methods should have been reasonable.


    Even if it was someone who had fallen to the status of a waste, a normal Bai Qing should have reacted to some extent by now.


    But the result was the opposite.


    What went wrong?


    Liang Yao found herself doubting her own methods.


    In reality, there was nothing wrong with her ideas.


    It was just that there were some issues with the execution.


    Bai Qing had a backer.


    Chen An was still sitting in the Bai Family.


    With him there, what role did the other elders have in making decisions?


    Wasn''t Bai Qing going to get another beating?


    This was the reason for Liang Yao''s defeat.


    Although she didn''t understand the reason, as time passed, she realized one thing.


    Continuing in this manner was likely futile.


    Not only was it exhausting, but it was also ineffective.


    So what should she do next?


    It was simple.


    Sophisticated planning often only required the simplest and most straightforward methods.


    "Take the opportunity to strike when she''s not at the Bai Family."


    In the courtyard, Liang Yao spoke helplessly, "With your strength, Mr. Zhong, there shouldn''t be a problem, right?"


    After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Zhong nodded, still confident in his own capabilities.


    He was a genuine Qi master, having reached the peak of the second layer of Qi, not far from reaching the third layer. Such a master, even within the Great Liang imperial family, was rare.


    To be honest, there might not be such skilled individuals under the current sovereign of Great Liang.


    The reason Liang Yao could command such a master was due to her unique precognitive ability, allowing her to plan ahead and enlist this master.


    With his level of skill, dealing with an ordinary warrior would be no problem at all.


    Mr. Zhong didn''t see the task as challenging.


    However, his current deliberation was focused on how to accomplish the task cleanly.


    After all, although Bai Qing could be considered insignificant, the influence of the Bai Family was considerable. If Bai Qing was unintentionally drawn attention to, the consequences would not be ideal.


    Liang Yao had been quite diligent in her planning lately.


    She had been working hard to adhere to her dreams, and there were definitely secrets surrounding Bai Qing.


    Directly causing trouble would be a risky move.


    Nevertheless, at this point, she had no other options.


    The time for the emergence of the treasure was approaching, and to prevent any surprises, she needed to remove Bai Qing from Shangyuan County and keep her far away.


    Since she couldn''t directly get rid of her, she had to resort to the next best option.


    Even if it failed, at the very least, she could extract more information for future preparations.


    That was what she had planned and decided to do.


    The initial stages of the plan proceeded quite smoothly.


    After all, Bai Qing held a significant position in the family.


    Although she was no longer able to cultivate internal energy, her diligent and dedicated demeanor made it impossible for her to have an easy time.


    Leaving the Bai Family to perform tasks outside was a normal occurrence.


    Mr. Zhong didn''t have to wait long before finding an opportunity.


    It was a midday more than two months later when Bai Qing was preparing to visit a county in search of something.


    During this process, Bai Qing often fell behind the entourage.


    For those with ulterior motives, this was a rare opportunity.


    In a desolate cave entrance, Bai Qing stood alone, gazing at the surroundings.


    "Is this the place?" Bai Qing murmured to herself, lost in thought.


    "Almost," echoed the voice of the Empress Luo Shan in her mind, "As the era of change approaches, the qi of your world is beginning to recover."


    "This place is decent. With the recovery of qi in the future, it may have the potential to become a treasure land."


    "Really?" Bai Qing''s interest was piqued, as the value of a treasure land was indisputable.


    In the entire Great Liang Empire, there were only a few places that could truly be considered treasure lands, each held by the most powerful families, not allowing outsiders to covet them.


    If this place could truly evolve into a treasure land, then establishing a presence there would mean being able to reap the benefits in the future.


    "Of course it can. When have I ever lied to you?" Luo Shan Empress reassured.


    Hmm?


    Seven to eight hundred years? Are you serious?


    Bai Qing was speechless.


    This was quite the span of time.


    Initially, she had considered securing this prime location ahead of time.


    But now, with the prospect of it taking hundreds of years for this place to transform into a treasure land, it seemed she''d be long gone by then, perhaps even turned to ashes.


    "Don''t be surprised," Luo Shan Empress continued, attempting to entice her, "While seven to eight hundred years may seem long, for us cultivators, it''s just a short time."


    Bai Qing, however, remained unperturbed.


    Plotting her way around, she was about to leave.


    But at that moment, her body froze involuntarily.


    A terrifying aura pressed down from the front, overwhelming and formidable.


    Was that Qi?


    Who was attacking her?


    Bai Qing''s heart immediately went on alert.


    With her familiarity with Qi, thanks to Chen An as a reference, she quickly realized the situation.


    Someone with Qi was making a move on her.


    But why?


    Bai Qing continued to recoil, beginning to consider her options.


    Who could possibly be targeting her?


    The Bai Family elders?


    It didn''t make sense.


    Despite the unpleasant interactions she had with them, she was still a member of the Bai Family.


    The elders wouldn''t go so far as to eliminate her over previous disputes, especially with Chen An still in the picture.


    If it wasn''t the elders, then who else?


    Bai Qing didn''t think she had anything that would warrant a Qi master attacking her secretly. And to use such an underhanded method against someone who had lost all their internal energy was simply dishonorable!


    Before she could contemplate further, a clear sound erupted from the front.


    In a dim corner, the figure of Mr. Zhong emerged, standing tall and distinguished, his face bearing a mask of bronze. His attire had been specially treated to give him the appearance of a seasoned assassin.


    However, at this moment, his face displayed a hint of surprise, unexpected that his dishonorable ambush had not succeeded in bringing down Bai Qing.


    For a Qi master to launch a surprise attack, even on a completely depleted warrior like Bai Qing, the expectation was for a swift defeat. Similar to how Bai Changming had been easily knocked out by Chen An previously.


    Mr. Zhong was convinced that Bai Qing should not have been able to evade his strike.


    Yet the seemingly assured outcome turned out to be an unexpected result.


    Bai Qing''s response to the strike was definitely not what he anticipated.


    "Indeed, there are secrets," Mr. Zhong sighed, not too surprised.


    After all, Liang Yao had made sure to warn him to be cautious before they set out.


    The occurrence of such an event was, therefore, not entirely unexpected.


    "Who are you?" Bai Qing''s face paled a little, her gaze fixed on Mr. Zhong, still feeling slightly shaken.


    In that moment, she truly thought she was going to die.


    It was only at the critical moment that the Empress Luo Shan within her body had intervened, saving her from a dire fate.


    "Of course, I''m the one here to kill you," Mr. Zhong''s gravelly voice echoed, masked by a face of bronze and attired to resemble a trained assassin.


    "Blame yourself for getting involved with the wrong people." S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As Mr. Zhong advanced forward, his face showing some surprise, Bai Qing was left momentarily bewildered.


    Why wasn''t she aware of having offended anyone?


    Perplexed, she couldn''t understand why trouble kept finding her despite her recent efforts to remain discreet and dutiful.


    "What do you think?" the voice of Empress Luo Shan chimed in her mind, "Do you want me to help you out?"


    "Let go of your resistance, temporarily entrust your body to me, and I can help you overcome this hurdle."


    The audacity of that woman, Bai Qing thought. How long had she been waiting here?


    She had been expecting the Empress to inform her of the impending danger, yet the warning never came.


    It seemed like the Empress had purposely withheld the warning, waiting for Bai Qing to willingly surrender her body.


    In the worst-case scenario, the Empress might have paved the way for this assassin to strike.


    It was plausible.


    Judging by Bai Qing''s understanding of Empress Luo Shan, such actions were within her capabilities.


    After taking a cursory look around, she reluctantly realized that without the Empress''s power, her fate was sealed.


    This left Bai Qing with a dilemma: surrender her body to Empress Luo Shan temporarily, risking further erosion from her power, or face a silent death?


    The decision was clear, even though there wasn''t really a choice.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 164: White Qings Determination

    White Qing knew that she actually had no choice at all.Slow suicide is always better than instant death! One still has a future, while the other has already died in the present.


    Speaking of it, she had let her guard down a bit, she never thought it would come to this.


    After this incident passes, she must learn from this mistake.


    White Qing cursed inwardly, but she couldn''t change what others were doing.


    Mr. Zhong had a mask on his face, ready to continue forward.


    Having learned from his previous mistakes, this time he had improved a lot and was determined to take down White Qing with one fatal blow.


    However, there were still some problems in the actual operation.


    The problem was not with White Qing, but behind him.


    At the moment he was about to make a move, a strange sensation suddenly surged from his head, causing his whole body to tremble involuntarily.


    A very dangerous feeling washed over him.


    Without any hesitation, he turned around directly and punched.


    Boom!


    A powerful aura erupted, and the collision of the Qi was so clear.


    The force continued to rumble, spreading in all directions, almost causing the mountain peak to collapse.


    "Hmm?"


    A somewhat surprised voice came.


    It was only at this moment that people noticed something was wrong.


    Chen An''s figure appeared out of nowhere, standing behind Mr. Zhong, looking at his back with a look of surprise.


    "The Second Realm of Qi?"


    He was somewhat surprised.


    He never expected to encounter a Qi practitioner of the Second Realm just by the roadside.


    Gathering Qi was already considered remarkable at this level.


    Among the four elders of the Bai family, most of them were still at the First Realm of Qi, except for the Bai family head who had been in seclusion, there was not even one who had surpassed the Second Realm.


    Excluding this family head, with the strength of Chen An at the Second Realm of Qi, he could already be considered invincible in the Bai family.


    This clearly indicated that even in a place like Shangyuan County, such experts were rare, and they were considered top-notch.


    And now he encountered one by turning around.


    And the fact that this opponent was such a high-level practitioner and still resorted to such dishonorable tactics to ambush White Qing, who had lost all her inner energy, was really disappointing.


    The world was really deteriorating.


    Chen An thought to himself, not realizing that he had done similar things in the past.


    Bai Changming had already fainted at home.


    "You"


    Mr. Zhong was somewhat astonished, looking at Chen An, who seemed familiar, he appeared puzzled.


    He was not going to recognize Chen An.


    In fact, it was because he knew Chen An that he looked this way.


    He had conducted a detailed investigation of White Qing in secret before.


    Since he had to investigate, he naturally had to investigate the people around her as well.


    Chen An had caught Mr. Zhong''s attention at that time.


    However, like most people, Mr. Zhong didn''t pay much attention to Chen An at that time.


    After all, although Chen An''s performance was outstanding, he was just an ordinary genius.


    What was the point of reaching the level of Great Completion in internal energy? It was still unknown whether he could advance to the Realm of Qi in the future.


    Without advancing to the Realm of Qi, it was never a concern for Mr. Zhong and others, he was just a minor character.


    But now


    What''s going on now?


    You were not even twenty yet, were you?


    How did you reach the Realm of Qi?


    At that moment, Mr. Zhong began to doubt his life for the first time.


    Having traveled far and wide in his life, he thought it was already incredible to have acquired such an opportunity as Liang Yao, who could see the future in dreams, and never expected an even more monstrous existence.


    A Qi practitioner under twenty, that was really out of the ordinary.


    "You seem to know me."


    Sensing Mr. Zhong''s reaction, Chen An raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat curious.


    As a predestined person, he had a much stronger sensitivity to the Qi than an ordinary Qi practitioner.


    That was why he appeared here.


    And now, the subtle reactions of the other party led him to think of something.


    Knowing him and White Qing, and even attacking White Qing, was the man in the mask a member of the Bai family?


    But it didn''t seem likely.


    If he was a member of the Bai family, why would he attack White Qing?


    If he truly was a member of the Bai family, how could he not know about Chen An''s situation?


    For ordinary clan members, the Bai family elders might choose to keep it a secret, but at the level of the Realm of Qi, they would definitely not, they would at least give some reminders.


    From that perspective, he probably wasn''t a member of the Bai family.


    Not a member of the Bai family, but he happened to know White Qing and Chen An, and even understood the internal movements of the Bai family very well.


    This was getting tricky.


    "Are you a servant of the princess?"


    Chen An suddenly looked up and asked.


    Although it was an inquiry, his tone was very decisive.


    How did you know?


    Mr. Zhong''s actions were startled, subconsciously thinking that, and then he was shocked.


    Not good.


    "Exactly."


    Chen An understood in his heart.


    He was almost sure.


    The man in front of him was probably a servant of the princess.


    Words could deceive people, but some small movements in the mind couldn''t escape his Qi sensitivity.


    The subconscious reactions of the other party didn''t seem fake.


    Of course, it was also possible that the other party was a professional who deliberately misled him, by portraying such a look.


    But Chen An felt the chances were slim.


    "Get out of the way immediately if you are sensible."


    The hoarse voice continued to sound.


    Mr. Zhong quickly calmed down and became composed.


    Although there were some changes in the situation, at the moment, it shouldn''t be a big problem.


    As a trusted aide of the princess, he had absolute confidence in his own strength.


    Even if it was the entire Bai family, as long as the Bai family head did not take action, he was confident he could handle it.


    Over the years, he had defeated more than one Qi practitioner of strong realm, some of whom were strong in their own rights.


    Just a small fry, what was there to be afraid of?


    But soon he realized that he might have made a slight miscalculation.


    "It seems that you haven''t quite figured out the situation yet."


    Looking at Mr. Zhong''s movements, seemingly understanding his intentions, Chen An smiled.


    The next moment, without saying much, he chose to make a move.


    The Frost Qi instantly covered the surroundings, shrouding the area directly.


    A majestic aura surged forward, directly suppressing Mr. Zhong all around.


    The Qi exclusive to the Realm of Qi danced in the air, and ice crystals spread in all directions, constantly expanding.


    Mr. Zhong''s expression gradually began to change.


    At this point, he finally realized that something was not right.


    This young man in front of him seemed to have a slightly stronger strength?


    A palm stretched out, Frost Qi covering all directions, directly pressing down.


    Two massive Qis collided, and the force they formed was earth-shattering, directly striking the ground with cracks.


    The terrifying aura spread.


    Mr. Zhong''s body began to retreat continuously.


    The following situation was quite miserable. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the entire battle, he was almost being suppressed.


    His strength was already quite strong, whether in Qi or combat experience, he had reached a peak, and he considered himself no weaker than anyone else.


    But Chen An standing before him was an exception.


    Perhaps in terms of Qi, Chen An was on par with him, perhaps even inferior in terms of profound Qi cultivation.


    However, in other aspects, the opponent surpassed him by several streets.


    Whether it was combat experience or fighting intuition, the opponent seemed to be ahead, directly overwhelming him.


    As a result, Mr. Zhong felt an unbelievable feeling.


    Had the opponent been fighting with others since childhood?


    How could he be so skillful!


    The decisiveness of his movements, the resolution in controlling the timing, and the fierceness of his attacks all made him take a deep breath.


    To the extent that in the end, the entire process was directly suppressed, without even a slight chance to catch his breath.


    Compared to his struggles, Chen An seemed to be playing a game, easily pressing him down, looking as if he was just toying with him.


    Those who knew understood the situation, while those who didn''t thought it was Chen An bullying an old man.


    "The skill of combat is not much different from those ancient martial artists I have seen before," commented Empress Luo Shan with interest in White Qing''s body, looking at Chen An with high praise. "I wonder how he trained to achieve this."


    White Qing remained silent, not responding, just staring intently at Chen An in front, seemingly trying to memorize his movements.


    In her past impression, the greatest characteristic of Qi warriors was their powerful strength.


    Under Qi, no one could stop them, even a warrior with complete internal energy was not a match and could be easily tossed aside.


    To see Chen An display such exquisite combat techniques today and defeat a strong opponent in combat, she had never seen anything like it before.


    Undeniably, this had greatly impressed her.


    Warriors could actually fight like this!


    Learned, learned.


    Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    Because she didn''t have to make that difficult choice.


    With Chen An here, she naturally didn''t have to comply with Empress Luo Shan''s wishes and temporarily give her body for her use.


    Another close call.


    However, for Empress Luo Shan, her mood was not as good as before.


    Of course, it was not because of missing this opportunity, but because she didn''t even notice Chen An''s arrival.


    If Mr. Zhong''s tracking was indeed perceived by her from the beginning, then Chen An''s subsequent shadowing, she truly had no sense of it.


    The whole process was completely unnoticed.


    This discovery made her heart sink inexplicably, feeling a kind of unexplained fear.


    Logically, this situation shouldn''t happen.


    Just a Qi practitioner, even if the strength was strong, shouldn''t be able to escape her sensing.


    But Chen An did.


    This could only mean one thing.


    Her true level was far more than just Qi.


    This was troublesome.


    As for the thoughts of others, Chen An was not aware of them.


    Currently, he was focused on facing his opponent.


    To outsiders, he appeared relaxed, seeming to effortlessly suppress his opponent in front of him and not giving him any room to retaliate.


    Well, in reality, that was indeed the case.


    But despite the suppression, the difficulty of wanting to completely take down the opponent was still very high.


    There were still on the same level after all, and the gap between them wasn¡¯t that terrifying.


    If they continued like this, the result was predetermined, but there could still be unexpected occurrences.


    Sometimes, what you fear might just happen.


    Just as he was thinking this way, the unexpected did happen.


    Boom!


    A crisp sound exploded and reverberated continuously from the front.


    In Chen An''s eyes, Mr. Zhong roared angrily, and his Qi surged all over his body, taking on a desperate stance.


    Within Chen An''s Qi senses, the opponent seemed to have entered a kind of violent state at the moment, as if he had taken some drugs and was about to go all out.


    He subconsciously dodged, preparing to defend himself.


    But then nothing happened.


    After shouting, the opponent''s Qi erupted, and without saying a word, he turned and ran towards the distance as if his feet were oiled.


    The way he did it, without any hesitation, showed that he was an expert.


    Chen An defended against nothing but air, standing dumbstruck in place for a while before coming to his senses.


    Wow.


    This guy''s a character too.


    Chen An observed his opponent''s back, a hint of sympathy visible in his eyes.


    Indeed, there were many like-minded people in the world.


    And when he himself did similar things, it was absolutely nothing. But when others did, it became a problem.


    "Never mind, let him go."


    After hesitating for a moment, Chen An shook his head in the end and chose to give up.


    It was unlikely that he would catch up.


    The opponent was just slightly inferior in other aspects, which didn''t mean his running speed was weaker than him.


    Seriously speaking, at the same level, who would be weaker in terms of running speed.


    Calculating seriously, now they were at the same level, and it was quite difficult to catch up with the opponent when there was a difference in their cultivation levels.


    But Chen An was reluctant to add extra points.


    After all, at this point, advancing his cultivation at least required him to spend over a hundred points of source power.


    If spending was worth it, but he didn''t need to spend these source power at all.


    Chen An was an innate re-cultivator, and before advancing to the innate stage, he had no bottlenecks to overcome.


    In other words, the over a hundred source power spent would be for nothing.


    It wasn''t worth it just to chase after someone.


    With a slight hesitation, Chen An lost sight of the figure of the opponent.


    He seemed to run quite fast.


    Well, he no longer had to think too much.


    Even with added points, he might not be able to catch up.


    Chen An felt a little helpless, eventually choosing to give up and looking to the side.


    There, White Qing was standing, her gaze fixed on him.


    Their eyes met, they looked at each other for a moment, and then both walked to the side.


    The atmosphere became somewhat silent for a while.


    Neither of them spoke.


    The difference was that Chen An didn''t know what to say, while White Qing didn''t know how to explain.


    Because in the situation just now, the skills she displayed didn''t seem like those of a person who had lost all internal energy.


    This was a bit difficult to explain.


    (The End Of Chapter)

 Chapter 165: Heart Guilt

    In Chen An''s gaze, Bai Qing''s appearance was rapidly changing.There was no change in her appearance, but the feeling she gave between her brows was rapidly changing, becoming much more strange, as if adding a unique charm.


    A special feeling emerged, charming and enchanting, completely different from Bai Qing''s usual cold appearance.


    Chen An was not unfamiliar with this look of Bai Qing.


    He had seen it once before.


    So, he furrowed his brow. "You¡ª"


    A slender hand reached out and rested on his shoulder, suppressing the words Chen An wanted to say.


    When he opened his eyes, Bai Qing''s face was getting closer and closer.


    The next moment, their faces were close together.


    The night was dark, the bonfires around burning silently, swaying with the gentle breeze.


    After quite some time, Chen An got up somewhat disheveled, sensing his current state with some inexplicable feelings.


    Have I... just been solicited?


    He recalled the scene from before, still finding it hard to believe.


    Truly, strange things happen every year, especially now.


    But it was surprising that even this kind of thing could happen.


    No, upon closer reflection of the situation from before, Chen An realized something was off.


    He had to admit that he didn''t really resist Bai Qing.


    There was nothing to be embarrassed about.


    After all, as a transmigrator, who hasn''t seen similar plotlines before?


    Such as the female boss series.


    However, what happened just now was really too strange.


    Bai Qing just pounced on him, and his mind went blank right away, as if being completely controlled by instinct.


    These kinds of situations might be normal for an ordinary person, with the excuse of being swept away by emotions, but it was still too incredible for it to happen to him.


    There was an external force at play.


    Chen An broke out in a cold sweat.


    Given the situation just now, if the other party wasn''t just using seduction and actually wanted to harm him, what would the outcome have been?


    It would probably be disastrous.


    What exactly is the thing residing in Bai Qing?


    He pondered, various thoughts flashing through his mind.


    Of course, this was just one of the issues.


    There were other problems to consider.


    After this incident, how should he and Bai Qing interact in the future?


    The relationship between him and Bai Qing was originally just a simple leader-subordinate relationship that gradually evolved into a friendship-like relationship.


    But now, it seemed to have become more complicated.


    The bonfire was still burning.


    Chen An looked to the side, where Bai Qing''s figure was no longer there.


    On the other side.


    Bai Qing was walking on the plains.


    In the dim night, her clothes looked somewhat disheveled, her face a bit flushed, but her eyes were icy.


    "Give me an explanation!"


    An angry voice rang out in place.


    "What, are you angry?"


    Empress Luo Shan''s playful voice rang out, "I simply helped you fulfill your wish."


    "Not only do you not thank me, but you''re also this angry?"


    "What wish did you fulfill?"


    Bai Qing''s voice was angry, "Is this how you fulfill it?"


    "Of course."


    Empress Luo Shan chuckled, "Don''t tell me this isn''t what you wanted?"


    "Of course not."


    Bai Qing''s voice was firm, no hesitation.


    "Is that so?"


    Empress Luo Shan sounded confused, "Well, that''s odd."


    "I remember clearly, I only moved a bit in the beginning, then I returned your body to you."


    "If you didn''t like it, why didn''t you push me away?"


    "You!!"


    Bai Qing became agitated.


    "In a hurry?"


    Empress Luo Shan laughed, "You young people, really strange, if you like each other, why not be direct? Why beat around the bush so much?"


    "Men and women''s love is just a common thing, nothing notable about it."


    "Shameless!"


    Bai Qing snorted coldly, then turned and walked away.


    Like Chen An, her current mood was complex, with a mix of embarrassment, regret, and a bit of relief.


    Overall, the feeling was quite complicated.


    The gentle wind blew, calming her down slowly.


    Gradually, she also came to a realization.


    She didn''t reject what happened just now.


    But while not rejecting it was one aspect, the threat posed by Empress Luo Shan had to be eliminated.


    Otherwise, if she could manipulate her body like that today, who knows what else she might do tomorrow.


    Thinking of this, her resolve gradually strengthened, lifting her head slowly and looking into the distance.


    The next moment, she stepped forward.


    The next day, the sunlight shone on the earth, bringing warmth to the surroundings.


    Chen An returned to his residence once again.


    Upon hearing news of his return, Bai Zhiran immediately stepped out of her room and hurried to his side.


    "Where did you go before, without even giving me a heads-up."


    Seeing that Chen An was safe, she couldn''t help but sigh with relief, sounding a bit reproachful.


    Facing Bai Zhiran''s gaze, Chen An felt a bit guilty.


    It was understandable.


    Even with his two hundred years of experience in the Great Hua World, this was still the first time he had done something like this.


    Feeling guilty was inevitable.


    But he had a strong mental resilience, quickly adjusting and putting on a smile.


    "I discovered something unexpectedly, so I went to deal with it."


    He said nonchalantly.


    "I see."


    Bai Zhiran nodded, not thinking too much of it.


    This was normal.


    In the Bai family, he wasn''t just idling around, and occasionally he would go out to take care of things, so it wasn''t uncommon.


    But usually, he would give a heads-up beforehand, unlike this time when he left without a word for so long.


    That''s why Bai Zhiran was so nervous.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay."


    Chen An reassured her with a smile.


    The two continued chatting.


    During this time, many things happened.


    Aside from the incident caused by Princess Changping''s visit, Chen An had his own share of matters to deal with.


    Such as collecting mysterious objects and other miscellaneous tasks.


    One notable event was that Bai Changren was once again sent away by Chen An.


    This time, he was escorting Liu Ziqin away.


    Initially, Song Ziyang had entrusted Chen An with sending Liu Ziqin to a safe place, but Chen An hadn''t gotten around to it.


    It wasn''t until a few months ago that Bai Changren brought Liu Ziqin back.


    Chen An had wanted to send her away immediately to fulfill his promise to Song Ziyang, but considering the hardships the girl had endured along the way, he decided to let her rest for a while.


    During this time, he kept her by his side, teaching her some basic martial arts and a breathing technique.


    For the current Chen An, it was nothing special, but it was quite valuable to others.


    It was a way to repay Song Ziyang.


    Because Liu Ziqin had made good progress and had almost memorized the martial arts he taught her, Chen An had someone send her away.


    He didn''t go personally because Bai Qing was still around, which was an unstable factor.


    He was afraid that if he left and something happened here, so he simply sent Bai Changren away again.


    After all, what are friends for if not to be used?


    If they weren''t useful, they couldn''t be considered friends.


    That''s how Chen An saw it, but he didn''t know what Bai Changren was thinking.


    He probably felt secretly pleased.


    After all, he had a great time last time.


    It was like a vacation.


    During their conversation, Chen An also heard some news.


    "By the way, the sacrificial ceremony is starting again soon."


    Bai Zhiran thought for a moment before saying, "It might get busy again then."


    The Bai family was a prominent family in Shangyuan County, with a large population and strict family rules.


    Such prominent families often have the tradition of sacrificing to their ancestors, typically once a year.


    Considering the time, it was almost time for the ceremony.


    "Okay."


    Chen An naturally understood Bai Zhiran''s meaning and smiled, "I''ll accompany you when the time comes."


    He had Bai Zhiran''s surname now, so he was also considered part of the Bai family.


    Attending the Bai family''s sacrificial ceremony was something he should do.


    It was just a matter of paying respects, nothing more.


    Chen An readily agreed.


    Bai Zhiran''s face immediately lit up, looking much happier.


    After chatting for a while, Bai Zhiran left, seeming to be going out to buy vegetables and prepare a meal for Chen An.


    Chen An walked to the side, intending to rest for a while.


    He had been following Bai Qing for the past few days, dusty and tired from the journey, so it was a good time to recuperate.


    But as soon as he sat down, someone came to visit.


    It was Bai Changyue.


    Chen An reluctantly got up to greet him.


    By now, thanks to Chen An''s influence, Bai Changyue''s business had grown significantly, making him one of the prominent figures within the Bai family. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    People around also showed him some respect because of Chen An, making things easier for him.


    But for Chen An, this old friend''s biggest role was to help him procure mysterious items and the like.


    "Why did you come here all of a sudden."


    Welcoming Bai Changyue inside, Chen An brewed a pot of tea for him, "Did you receive some good items again?"


    "Yes."


    Bai Changyue nodded with a smile, "Recently, there are fewer mysterious items around, but I managed to get some from the neighboring county. I''ll have them brought over soon."


    "Great."


    Chen An nodded with a smile.


    They started chatting.


    "It''s strange."


    Bai Changyue looked puzzled, "There used to be strange happenings in Shangyuan County quite often, at least a dozen times a year."


    "But this year, for some reason, the number of sightings of mysterious things has drastically reduced, often appearing briefly before disappearing."


    Of course, that was because of me.


    Chen An kept a straight face, inwardly sarcastic.


    He hadn''t been doing nothing in Shangyuan County.


    Besides his cultivation, he often went out to hunt down and exterminate mysterious creatures.


    In addition to his cultivation, he was also hunting down mysterious creatures.


    He could even chase after those slippery ones.


    If it wasn''t for some elusive creatures that were hard to catch, he could have eradicated all the mysterious creatures in Shangyuan County by himself.


    But the result of this was that Shangyuan County seemed much quieter in the past year.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 166: Brainstorming

    It was indeed very clean.There was no other way.


    Chen An''s methods were simply too ruthless.


    All the scheming spirits that he could easily take care of were basically wiped out by him.


    Just a while ago, he was pondering whether to expand his business to the neighboring county.


    After all, this place in Yuan County was just like this, and there was no future in staying here for too long.


    After chatting with Bai Changyue for a while, Chen An left.


    After a while, several mystical items were delivered, and after some tinkering, Chen An''s account gained a dozen more points of source power.


    It could only be said to be better than nothing.


    Thinking in a positive direction, he now needed more than a hundred source power to advance one level.


    These dozen or so source powers were about one-tenth of that, which was already quite a lot.


    Chen An comforted himself like this, then turned and left, silently starting his seclusion.


    Time passed slowly.


    Soon, half a month had passed.


    During this time, Bai Qing''s departure was naturally discovered, and the news spread back.


    But Chen An had already made arrangements in advance, and covered it up easily with a pretext.


    This matter did not cause much of a stir.


    On the other hand, Princess Changping, recently seemed to be less active, and even began to stay indoors more often, rarely going out.


    At least Chen An hadn''t seen her for a long time.


    What exactly they were discussing, Chen An wasn''t sure.


    But he was also curious about the princess''s situation.


    Unfortunately, if the princess didn''t take the initiative, he couldn''t just go over to find her.


    After all, no matter what, she was a princess.


    If he sneaked over and was discovered, it wouldn''t sound good for his reputation.


    It''s better to forget about it.


    Instead of spending so much energy, it''s better to focus on cultivating.


    It''s better to advance to the congenital realm sooner, regain his former cultivation, and not have to worry about anything.


    That''s what Chen An thought, and that''s what he did.


    In the blink of an eye, it was time for the Bai Family''s ancestral worship.


    On this day, when the sun had just risen, Bai Zhilan pulled Chen An up, heading towards the outside.


    Not just them, many Bai family members had also gotten up.


    For example, Bai Changren and other elite members of the Bai family also got up early, looking like they were preparing to worship their ancestors.


    The ancestral tomb of the Bai family was not in this residence, but on a nearby mountain.


    When the Bai family members left the residence and headed towards the ancestral tomb, the previously bustling Bai family residence suddenly became quiet.


    The figures around seemed to have lessened all of a sudden.


    It seemed a bit unusual for a while.


    After many people left, Liang Yao also walked out of her residence.


    "Is it already time."


    Standing still, she felt the sunlight around her and looked interestedly at the procession of Bai family members.


    "Princess."


    Beside her, Mr. Zhong''s figure appeared, standing next to Liang Yao.


    Of course, he was not wearing a mask now, dressed very formally.


    His figure was not strong but rather lean, on the surface he looked nothing like a martial artist, but more like a scholarly scholar.


    With his appearance and usually following Liang Yao closely, who would guess that this ordinary middle-aged man was actually a powerful martial artist with strong gangqi?


    "That person has left. Shouldn''t we..."


    Mr. Zhong looked around and only spoke after confirming for a while.


    During this time, they had been staying in their residence and seemed very docile and decent.


    Of course, it wasn''t because of their personalities, but because of Chen An''s intimidation before.


    The deterrence of a gangqi expert was indeed strong.


    At least it made them more cautious.


    After all, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against most of them.


    Now, with the Bai Family''s ancestral worship beginning, Chen An also followed.


    If they wanted to do something here at the Bai Family, now was the best time.


    However, an unexpected situation occurred.


    "What do you mean?"


    Liang Yao looked at Mr. Zhong with some surprise, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    This time Mr. Zhong was a bit confused, "What should we do?"


    "We were planning to secretly take the Bai family''s treasure, right?"


    "Yes."


    Liang Yao nodded, "But how do you know where that treasure is?


    Indeed, if you don''t know where it is, how can you take it away?


    "So what should we do?" Mr. Zhong continued to ask, but only got a one-word answer.


    "Wait."


    Liang Yao whispered.


    For the whereabouts of the Bai family''s treasures hidden in the mist, she was actually uncertain.


    Unfortunately, her dreams had a precognitive effect, but due to certain conditions, many details were not always clear.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have ended up like this.


    Just think about it.


    If she could really predict the future one hundred percent, with such a powerful ability, how could she only have Mr. Zhong by her side?


    Probably she could have pushed the Emperor of the Grand Liang aside and become the Empress herself.


    In reality, this ability did have its limitations.


    It was certain that some details could not be figured out.


    Especially things happening outside her own immediate surroundings.


    So, regarding what would happen next at the Bai Family, Liang Yao wasn''t completely clear, she only knew the overall picture.


    She knew that a treasure would appear at that location which could have a huge impact.


    But where that treasure was located, and how to get it, she didn''t know.


    Since she didn''t know where it was, the only thing she could do was wait.


    According to Liang Yao''s dream manifestation, after the Bai Family''s ancestor worship, that treasure would soon be revived.


    In the upcoming changes, it was because the aura of that treasure leaked out, attracting people from all over and causing a great commotion.


    What Liang Yao was preparing to do now was to wait.


    Wait for the time when the treasure was born, and then seize the opportunity to take it away.


    According to her original plan, this process shouldn''t be difficult.


    After all, the strongest among the Bai Family, the white family head, was now in seclusion, and nothing major would happen easily.


    The other elders were already old and their strength was at the bottom of the gangqi, far inferior to Mr. Zhong by her side.


    If she could handle it properly and create a time difference, the probability of success was still very high.


    However, the current situation was that Chen An had appeared out of nowhere. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This was troublesome.


    "Are you sure that person''s strength is not weaker than yours?"


    After standing still and pondering for a moment, Liang Yao looked at Mr. Zhong next to her and couldn''t help but ask.


    Mr. Zhong''s face immediately showed a wry smile, "That''s just a general statement."


    "In reality, if we were to really fight, after a long time, I definitely wouldn''t be his match."


    He had already experienced Chen An''s strength.


    That choking combat experience and decisive and sharp martial arts were still fresh in his memory, and he dared not forget them.


    Liang Yao said that he and Chen An were evenly matched, but that was actually flattering him.


    If they were really to fight to the death and not back down, he was afraid he would be beaten to death by Chen An.


    "Is he really so terrifying?"


    Liang Yao frowned, somewhat surprised.


    Her mood was somewhat complicated, mixed with surprise and confusion.


    The reason was simple.


    Because in her dreams, there was no mention of Chen An.


    In the dreams, over the next few decades, many young strong figures had risen, with many even becoming gangqi experts in a short time, even having the hope of reaching the congenital realm.


    But Liang Yao was sure that Chen An wasn''t among them.


    After all, his performance was too outstanding.


    A gangqi expert under twenty years old with such strength, once this news got out, it would surely shake the entire Grand Liang.


    But in reality, she knew nothing about Chen An, as if he had suddenly emerged out of nowhere.


    This was quite unreasonable.


    "Could it be that he has been lurking in the Bai Family, cultivating quietly, without actually taking action?"


    After thinking for a long time, Liang Yao went crazy brainstorming and finally came up with a somewhat plausible explanation, "Maybe he is a pure warrior who is indifferent to fame and fortune and only focuses on cultivation?"


    Martial artists are usually competitive and prone to conflict with each other.


    Those with skills often like to show off in various settings to gain fame.


    The so-called rankings, such as the heavenly, earthly, and human rankings, all come from this.


    But there were also some who were indifferent to fame and fortune, and even though they had great skills, they chose to live in seclusion quietly and never show off.


    At this moment, in Liang Yao''s eyes, Chen An might be one of these people.


    Well, in a way, her thought might not be wrong.


    Chen An was indeed indifferent to fame and fortune.


    Things that could move him were few and far between now.


    Being famous was not something he desired.


    But if this conclusion continued to be deduced, more interesting things would come up.


    "Wait a minute."


    Liang Yao''s mind suddenly stirred, and a thought flashed through her mind, "Could it be that Bai Qing was able to obtain the treasure in the end because this person was secretly helping him?"


    "Is it just because he has been hiding all this time that he is not known to others?"


    This was indeed very possible.


    From a logical point of view, Bai Qing was now just a waste, not even a martial artist, and his strength was very low.


    With such low strength, how could he have taken the treasure from the Bai Family among so many strong enemies?


    There must have been someone helping him!


    Chen An might be that helper, secretly assisting Bai Qing in the process.


    Just because the other party didn''t like to show off, he remained unknown.


    It seemed that the logic suddenly became clear and reasonable.


    Liang Yao suddenly realized.


    The key to the matter was not Bai Qing, but the seemingly ordinary Chen An who had been lurking in the Bai Family all this time.


    How deceiving appearances could be.


    This must be the case!


    Compared to others, Liang Yao was absolutely intelligent and would not easily be misled by others.


    But intelligent people like her often had some flaws.


    Once they reached a conclusion, they would firmly believe it and consider it correct.


    And now, she was in this situation.


    If Chen An were here, he would probably be gossiping.


    What''s going on here?


    I just wanted to rest peacefully and maybe do some fishing, when did I become a mastermind behind the scenes again?


    Don''t spread rumors!


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t here, so he couldn''t defend himself.


    After confirming Chen An''s identity, Liang Yao began to think of a solution.


    Initially, she thought that the main obstacle they faced was Bai Qing.


    Now it turned out to be Chen An.


    And she found out that facing Chen An seemed to be more difficult than facing Bai Qing.


    Although Bai Qing had some special and mysterious traits, he was just a waste person with no internal energy, easy to deal with whether by other means or simply by using force, there shouldn''t be any problem.


    But Chen An.


    His methods seemed to be of no use.


    He had the status, wealth, and power if he wanted it.


    Thinking of confronting him directly?


    Who knows, he might just punch you out.


    In these years, she had indeed gathered some subordinates, but the strongest among them was Mr. Zhong by her side.


    If he couldn''t match up to Chen An, it was needless to say that the others would be even less match for him.


    Troublesome.


    Liang Yao felt a headache and tugged at her hair, feeling quite puzzled by this thorny issue.


    "Alright, let''s take it step by step."


    In the end, she shook her head and thought to herself, "I can always just give up."


    There were many ways to achieve one''s goals.


    Although the treasure here at the Bai Family was precious, if she really couldn''t obtain it, she could just give up.


    It was regrettable, though.


    In the next few decades, despite frequent unrest in various places and the emergence of many treasures, the treasure that appeared here at the Bai Family''s ancestral land was extremely rare and had a very good effect.


    If obtainable, it would bring Liang Yao one step closer to her ultimate goal.


    But unfortunately, they were just a little short of it.


    She sighed in her heart, then quietly got up and continued walking forward.


    Elsewhere.


    Thick fog rose, wafting around, forming clouds of white fog that looked quite spectacular.


    Various places seemed very lively, with smoke and fire everywhere.


    Many Bai family members were lighting fireworks and there were sounds of firecrackers all around.


    This was the scene at the Bai Family''s ancestor worship.


    Chen An looked around, standing in the crowd, not standing out at all.


    Of course, not standing out was relative.


    In reality, the position he currently stood in was still relatively forward, just behind the positions of the few elders.


    This was arranged by the elders.


    Even though Chen An had instructed to treat him like a normal Bai family member, would the other elders really do that?


    If they ended up neglecting him, Chen An might get angry and beat them up.


    So this arrangement was quite cautious.


    He was still satisfied with this position.


    It was good - not too flashy, but not too far back either.


    Most importantly, he could enjoy the show up close.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 167: Showdown

    Yes, a show.This is the Bai Family''s ancestor worship after all.


    And with the grandeur of a prestigious family like the Bai Family, how could they miss out on festive performances during the ancestor worship day?


    So various performances were presented one after another.


    There were opera performances, dances, and musicians playing on the side.


    The atmosphere looked quite unusual.


    If you didn''t know, you would think this was a celebration.


    Well, in the case of ancestor worship, whether it is a joyous occasion or a somber one, it''s hard to say.


    Chen An could only go with the flow and watch the show.


    Let''s not even mention it.


    In his past life, Chen An was not interested in dramas like Peking Opera, thinking that those were things only older people enjoyed watching.


    He couldn''t see the fun in it.


    But since he came to this world and stayed here for a long time, he gradually started to appreciate the charm of it.


    Well, he was forced to.


    Without games, comics, or novels, the only pastime he could indulge in at this time was watching the opera.


    He couldn''t do anything else.


    After accompanying others for a long time, he naturally began to appreciate its charm.


    So, people are forced into things.


    Chen An sighed inwardly, but his eyes were bright as he watched ahead.


    The ancestor worship continued.


    The Bai Family is a prestigious family and a large clan.


    Being a large family meant that there were many rules and formalities, making things quite complex.


    Leaving aside the specific intricate rituals, Chen An couldn''t understand them anyway.


    Normally, the Family Head should personally lead the ceremony with the others.


    But in the end, the Family Head was not seen, indicating that he was still in seclusion.


    So it was the four elders who took charge and began the ancestor worship with the Bai Family members.


    As for the other elders, they only stood for a while and then left one by one.


    It all looked quite busy.


    First, the elders led the people up the mountain, and then the members of each branch of the family knelt one by one.


    After the entire process was completed, most of the day had already passed.


    There was no choice, the Bai Family had too many people.


    What could be easily done by ordinary families would take a long time in the Bai Family.


    Chen An was fine, after all, it was his first time, and he found it quite novel.


    But beside him, Bai Zhilan already had a hint of impatience on her face.


    She seemed a bit bored.


    But she had to endure it.


    She couldn''t help it.


    It was the ancestor worship, and in case of any mishap, it wouldn''t be enjoyable.


    Standing there all this time, surrounded by serious-looking people, without anyone daring to speak, made Chen An think of the military training he had in university in his past life.


    Maybe it was even more miserable here.


    But martial artists have much stronger physical fitness than ordinary people, so enduring for such a long time was relatively easy for them.


    That''s another story.


    Chen An stood there silently, quietly observing the surroundings.


    But gradually, he suddenly felt something was wrong.


    "Hmm?"


    A strange feeling emerged in his heart.


    What kind of feeling was this?


    It was somewhat familiar but also unfamiliar.


    No!


    Chen An suddenly woke up, realizing what this feeling was.


    It was the taste of source power!


    Was there a spirit nearby?


    Chen An looked around suspiciously, but after looking for a long time, he didn''t notice anything.


    This shouldn''t be.


    Spirits were attracted to living beings and were instinctively drawn to them, but once there were too many people around, the spirits would usually retreat and not linger.


    They preferred to attack those who were alone.


    In a place with so many people and many powerful martial artists like here, it wasn''t an environment that spirits would like.


    And the aura of a spirit was very distinct.


    If spirits were really around, with Chen An''s sense of energy, he shouldn''t have failed to detect them.


    So, what was happening now?


    Chen An was puzzled, unable to understand.


    The ancestor worship continued.


    The crowd moved forward.


    After a while, Chen An suddenly discovered that the feeling he had earlier had suddenly disappeared.


    Yes, it just disappeared.


    Without any sign.


    Chen An frowned, feeling even more puzzled.


    He had been thinking of investigating further after the ancestor worship ended, but now that sense had suddenly vanished.


    It was inexplicable.


    It was disappointing for Chen An as he had spent so much time in this area, not gaining anything.


    It seemed that continuing to wait here would just be a waste of time.


    He couldn''t help it.


    "Sigh."


    He sighed and prepared to leave.


    It seemed that exploring and searching for treasures was not suitable for him.


    If he wanted to make money, it was better to go and find trouble with the spirits.


    Although troublesome, at least it was practical.


    However, just as he was about to leave, he made a new discovery.


    Not far away, he saw two shadowy figures passing by.


    "Indeed, this is the place."


    In the dead of night, Chen An was searching around the Bai Family''s ancestral grounds, looking like he was searching for something, "Why did the sense suddenly disappear?"


    Yes, he was still thinking about the sensation he had during the day.


    But now, at this moment of time, his senses were extremely sharp towards source power, he wouldn''t have sensed it incorrectly.


    The feeling he had earlier was definitely the aura of source power.


    But strangely, even though he had sensed it earlier, why did it suddenly disappear?


    Unwilling to give up, Chen An sneaked into the Bai Family''s ancestral grounds alone, attempting to search around.


    Fortunately, this place called the Bai Family''s ancestral grounds was actually just some scattered tombs, and although there were guards, their strength wasn''t that strong, allowing him to sneak in.


    Otherwise, if it were the Bai Family elders guarding, he would probably have been caught red-handed.


    After searching around, Chen An couldn''t find anything substantial even after a long time of searching.


    It was frustrating.


    Chen An felt surprised as the two people he had encountered didn''t seem to find anything valuable either.


    Gradually, they turned and left.


    Chen An was even more astonished.


    Because he realized that the direction those two were headed was towards the location of the Bai Family''s residence.


    Were they committing a crime inside?


    No, it wasn''t.


    Because when those two took off their masks, Chen An saw two familiar faces.


    Liang Yao and Mr. Zhong. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Watching this scene, Chen An couldn''t help but be stunned.


    "Oh boy.


    You are a princess, why are you sneaking around in someone else''s ancestral tomb in the middle of the night?"


    Is your own family''s ancestral tomb not big enough for you to frolic around, or do you just like the Feng Shui of other people''s ancestral tombs?"


    Chen An silently mocked in his heart.


    The situation was clear.


    Most likely, there was something valuable in the Bai Family''s ancestral grounds, and this Princess Changping had found out about it.


    That¡¯s why she didn''t hesitate to stoop down and experience the life of a grave robber.


    Even if we think a bit further.


    Perhaps this Princess Changping came to the Bai Family to stay because of what was in the Bai Family''s ancestral grounds.


    Logically, it seemed to make sense.


    Chen An pondered, then quietly returned home.


    The next day, he didn''t bother to conceal anything and directly visited the princess.


    Liang Yao was clearly surprised by Chen An''s visit.


    However, she did not refuse and received Chen An very politely.


    "Mr. Chen suddenly came to find me. I wonder what important matter he has?"


    In the spacious courtyard, Liang Yao and Chen An sat facing each other, with Mr. Zhong serving on the side, preparing tea for the two.


    Looking at Chen An, Liang Yao seemed a bit curious, wanting to know why he suddenly came to visit.


    Previously, Mr. Zhong had already told her the entire process of their previous confrontation.


    Chen An could guess the connection between her and Mr. Zhong, a fact she had already realized.


    However, Chen An''s sudden visit still surprised her.


    For this, she had prepared something to receive him.


    As long as Chen An acted the wrong way, she would immediately take action.


    No wonder she was so nervous.


    After all, the person sitting in front of her was a monstrous figure who had advanced to the Qi stage before the age of twenty.


    With a person like that, it was not an exaggeration to be careful no matter what.


    Otherwise, what if things went wrong?


    Compared to Liang Yao''s pretense of calmness but secretly nervous, Chen An appeared much calmer.


    Meeting Liang Yao''s gaze, he smiled softly and said, "Princess, do you still need to disguise yourself?"


    "What?" Liang Yao was a little puzzled, but her heart tightened.


    Had her actions been discovered by the other party?


    But which exact incident had been revealed?


    She had done and hidden so many things that she didn''t know which one Chen An was referring to.


    Fortunately, Chen An did not keep her in suspense.


    "Last night at the Bai family''s ancestral land," Chen An said, raising the teacup and playing with it in his hand, but choosing not to drink.


    You couldn''t just drink from someone else''s cup, what if it was poisoned?


    "So it''s about that incident," Liang Yao suddenly realized.


    To Chen An''s surprise, after he exposed the incident, Liang Yao didn''t appear nervous at all. Instead, she seemed much more relaxed.


    This situation was a bit off.


    Shouldn''t the normal reaction be nervous, or even wanting to kill to keep the secret?


    Why did she seem more at ease?


    "I did indeed visit the Bai family''s ancestral land last night."


    Even more unexpectedly, Liang Yao directly admitted to her actions, then looked at Chen An in front of her with some surprise and asked, "But Mr. Chen, how did you know?"


    This time, Chen An was embarrassed.


    "Cough," Chen An coughed lightly, then quickly found an excuse, "I was responsible for guarding the ancestral land last night, and happened to be there to keep watch."


    "Oh really?" Liang Yao seemed suspicious.


    How could she not remember this?


    Before setting off, he had specifically investigated the situation there.


    If she had known that Chen An was guarding the place, she wouldn''t have stupidly gone there.


    But from another perspective, Chen An''s position at the Bai family was only as a son-in-law to one of the Bai family''s daughters, a status far inferior to that of the legitimate family members. Therefore, it seemed reasonable for him to be arranged to guard the Bai family''s ancestral land for a period of time.


    After seeing that Liang Yao seemed to have been deceived, Chen An hastily spoke, "Shouldn''t the Princess provide an explanation?"


    "Even though you are a princess, sneaking into the Bai family''s ancestral land in the middle of the night, it doesn''t seem appropriate," he continued.


    The Bai family was not to be trifled with.


    Even though Liang Yao was the daughter of the current Emperor of Great Liang, a princess of Great Liang, it wasn''t right to run around in someone else''s ancestral tomb.


    If word got out, being labeled as behaving improperly would be the least of her worries.


    The elders of the Bai family would probably be furious.


    "It''s for a reason," Liang Yao said after some thought, then smiled and said, "I have a strange hobby since childhood, I like to steal from other people''s ancestral tombs. How does that sound?"


    This was admitting to having a hobby of grave robbing?


    Chen An paused in surprise.


    You''re a princess, shouldn''t you have some dignity? How can you say such things with a straight face?


    Do you have no shame left?


    Chen An remained silent for a moment, feeling speechless, "Princess, do you think I''m a fool?"


    "It seems that Mr. Chen doesn''t believe me."


    Liang Yao sighed and looked disappointed, "I have already revealed so much, and Mr. Chen still doesn''t want to believe me. It really breaks my heart."


    I can''t believe it, Chen An thought silently, not saying anything.


    He had not had much interaction with her before, so he didn''t have strong feelings, but now that he was in contact with Princess Liang Yao, he felt that she was an interesting person.


    He had come all the way here, and she could still be so calm. Did she have the upper hand, knowing he wouldn''t dare to act against her?


    Or did she have some other cards up her sleeve?


    Chen An pondered.


    "Those who seek honesty must first show it."


    He spoke softly, his face calm as he looked at Liang Yao, "Since I am here, please show some sincerity, Princess. Otherwise, no matter what you want to do next, it may not be as easy."


    Chen An really didn''t know what the other party was up to.


    But what did it matter?


    It was difficult to accomplish something in this world, but doing something bad was easy.


    Whether Liang Yao could achieve her goal, Chen An didn''t know.


    But he was very clear about his ability to disrupt things.


    Liang Yao hesitated for a moment, then sighed lightly before saying, "Okay, Mr. Chen, you win."


    "What do you want to know, Mr. Chen?" she asked.


    "What were you looking for in the Bai family''s ancestral land?" Chen An asked, raising his head and staring at her intently, his face appearing very calm.


    But under that calm exterior, a sense of danger was lurking, making Mr. Zhong, who was standing nearby, feel uneasy.


    Liang Yao, however, remained unfazed, smiling and appearing very calm, "It''s a hidden treasure."


    "A hidden treasure?" Chen An furrowed his brows.


    "Yes," Liang Yao nodded, "And as for what it specifically is, Mr. Chen, you will know soon enough."


    "What do you mean?" Chen An asked, frowning.


    "On the surface," Liang Yao spoke softly, "The era of change is coming, and many things in this world are changing. Some things that have been sealed and hidden in the past are naturally changing."


    "The hidden treasure beneath the Bai family''s ancestral land is one such thing."


    "It''s a hidden treasure sealed since ancient times, and for martial artists, it''s of great help."


    "An ancient sealed hidden treasure," Chen An subconsciously doubted, "Since it''s the Bai family''s hidden treasure, Princess, where did you get the information?"


    "It''s a long story," Liang Yao sighed.


    "Then make it short," Chen An rolled his eyes and said.


    He could already see where this was going.


    After all that Liang Yao had said, she probably wanted to lead up to this.


    But unquestionably, he was also a bit curious.


    The fact that there was a hidden treasure beneath the Bai family''s ancestral land should be a secret known only to members of the Bai family.


    So why didn''t the Bai family members know, but an outsider like Liang Yao did?


    Did this involve some complex history and grudges?


    Unconsciously, Chen An''s mind had already started to fill in the gaps.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 168: The Blossoming Flower

    It turns out that Chen An''s thoughts were a bit too much.Liang Yao''s explanation greatly surprised him.


    "You''re saying all of this was just a dream you had?"


    Chen An stood up abruptly, looking at Liang Yao in astonishment.


    Before the other party spoke, he had considered what explanation the other party might give.


    It could be casual dismissal, or perhaps some bizarre and complicated story.


    But he never expected this answer.


    To say it was a dream was acceptable.


    "I know it sounds absurd, but that''s the truth."


    Facing Chen An, Liang Yao smiled and softly said, "Since childhood, I''ve had a special ability, being able to dream of things that might happen in the future."


    "That''s why I can stand here."


    She didn''t hide much from Chen An, directly revealing her ability to dream of the future.


    However, she deliberately omitted the part about the formation.


    This was her usual strategy.


    Even if someone was a powerful warrior, when faced with someone who might be able to predict the future, their first reaction was likely to use them.


    After all, the ability to foresee the future was extremely powerful, and if used correctly, it could be quite useful.


    Of course, she hid the part about the formation map.


    Otherwise, if someone found out, they might have some improper intentions in order to obtain the map.


    It would be like setting a trap for themselves.


    In the past, Liang Yao had fooled many people with this trick.


    Mr. Zhong was one of those who had been gradually won over by her.


    And now, facing Chen An, she was using the same old tricks.


    "How can you prove it?"


    Frowning, Chen An asked.


    He didn''t immediately believe the other party.


    That was certain, as the ability to predict the future sounded a bit insane.


    If it was true, it was almost like cheating, similar to activating a god mode.


    "That can be easily proven."


    Liang Yao smiled, as if she had anticipated Chen An''s question, and softly said, "I have some knowledge about what will happen in the future."


    "If nothing unexpected happens, in two months, there will be unusual changes at the Bai family''s ancestral land, and news of a mysterious treasure about to be born will spread."


    "If you don''t believe me, you can see for yourself."


    As she spoke, she detailed many more specifics.


    Chen An listened in silence, starting to believe a bit.


    Because what she said was so detailed, it seemed as if she had personally experienced it.


    Just this level of detail was not something easily fabricated.


    Moreover, considering her identity, it didn''t seem necessary for her to fabricate such a large amount of information just to deceive him.


    Chen An couldn''t help but ponder.


    At that moment, a thought flashed through his mind.


    To take action now and deal with her directly.


    From the perspective of power, the two parties did have a grudge.


    He still remembered the attack on Bai Qing before.


    He wasn''t ready to act immediately before because he didn''t see the princess in front of him as a threat.


    So there was no need to take action at the Bai family''s residence or to act immediately.


    It would be much quieter to wait for her to leave before making a move.


    But now the situation seemed a bit different.


    Chen An was somewhat shocked to realize that the other party was not the sheep he thought but someone with a similar power-up.


    The difference was that he had an upgrade power-up, while she had a predictive power-up.


    This suddenly increased the danger.


    Calculating it, it would be more practical to deal with her swiftly.


    Just as Chen An was planning how to act quickly without causing trouble for himself, Liang Yao seemed to sense something and her gaze fell on him.


    Suddenly, an inexplicable feeling surfaced in his heart.


    It was a difficult feeling to describe, making Chen An feel very uncomfortable, as if there was a faint sense of danger.


    As if there was some dangerous thing targeting him in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.


    An extreme sense of danger.


    At that moment, he felt a chill run through him, silently dismissing his thoughts.


    Indeed, it wasn''t going to be that easy.


    The other party knew Chen An''s strength, yet she remained calm in the Bai family''s residence, seemingly fearless.


    It seemed that she had some cards up her sleeve.


    Thinking about it, it made sense.


    If the other party really was a person who could foresee the future and had a predictive power-up, then even if she had mediocre talent, she probably wouldn''t be lacking in good things.


    At least, if it were Chen An in this situation, he would surely try to gather all sorts of good things to protect himself in such circumstances.


    After a moment of contemplation, Chen An temporarily set aside his plans and calmly asked, "What do you want?"


    "The Princess has told me so much, it surely wasn''t just to tell me a story, right?"


    "Of course not."


    Liang Yao smiled, "These messages are just a gift for Mr., a sort of proof from my side."


    "After this, I have something else I want to discuss with Mr."


    "Oh?"


    Chen An became interested, "What does the princess want to discuss with me?"


    "Naturally, it''s a big deal."


    Seeming to sense Chen An''s interest, Liang Yao smiled even more, her smile becoming increasingly radiant.


    Later, Chen An left Liang Yao''s courtyard and fell into contemplation.


    Meanwhile, Liang Yao stood alone at the gate, watching Chen An''s figure leave, a faint smile on her face throughout.


    "Princess, is it really okay to reveal your plans to him like this?"


    Standing beside Liang Yao, Mr. Zhong couldn''t help but ask, "What if he..."


    "What can he do?"


    Liang Yao smiled, cutting off Mr. Zhong''s words, "I just told him about this matter, but he doesn''t know the specific details or locations."


    "If he really wants to get involved, he''ll have to come and ask me to join our team in the end."


    "What if he refuses?"


    Mr. Zhong asked again.


    "If he refuses, then so be it."


    Liang Yao raised her head and looked into the distance, "But he''s a smart man, he''ll know how to choose."


    "Continuing to stay in this place doesn''t benefit him at all, it will only delay his progress."


    "If he chooses to leave with us, with his talent, he will definitely make great strides in the future, and he might even become a top-notch figure among ancient immortals, who knows."


    She spoke softly, murmuring to herself, and as she spoke, a look of longing emerged in her eyes, as if she greatly yearned for it.


    On the other hand, Chen An returned to the mansion, still deep in thought, looking particularly troubled.


    It was fortunate that Bai Zhilan was not at home at the moment, as she had gone out on business. Otherwise, seeing him in his current state would have revealed that he had something on his mind.


    Chen An was still thinking about Liang Yao''s situation.


    The amount of information given by the other party in their conversation was too much.


    "Crossing over to cultivate?"


    Chen An lowered his head and began to think seriously.


    According to Liang Yao, the reason she came to the Bai family was for a secret treasure within the Bai family''s grounds.


    And the reason for wanting to obtain this treasure was to use it to hire several powerful individuals.


    How strong were these individuals?


    At the level of grandmasters.


    In other words, they were at the innate level.


    At first, Chen An was quite surprised to hear this.


    What kind of situation would require hiring several innate level individuals?


    You''re not thinking of seizing power from the current emperor and taking his place as the emperor yourself, are you? S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But even if that were the case, there was no need for so many innate level individuals.


    One should be enough.


    An innate level individual can confront a kingdom, and given the current situation in Da Liang, just one innate level person could force the Da Liang emperor to abdicate, allowing another to ascend the throne.


    An innate can confront a kingdom - this was not just talk, it was truly possessing that level of power.


    But it was clear that Liang Yao did not have such intentions.


    The final explanation she gave was surprising to Chen An.


    Crossing over.


    Yes, the Princess of the Da Liang''s Changping District had laid all this groundwork, with so many preparations, just to open up a formation and go to another world.


    Of course, according to the other party''s words, it wasn''t called another world, it should be considered another domain.


    But in Chen An''s understanding, it was just a different name.


    To go to such lengths just to go from this world to another world initially seemed unreasonable.


    But for the princess, it seemed reasonable.


    According to Liang Yao''s own account, the Princess of Da Liang''s Changping District had had a small wish since she was a child.


    She didn''t want to die, she wanted to live forever, and she never wanted to grow old.


    For this reason, she had strived for it.


    She had practiced martial arts, but unfortunately, her talent in the martial arts field was just too poor; no matter how hard she tried, she didn''t see any results, and in the end, she had to give up.


    But in comparison to her talent in martial arts, her talent in cultivating was top-notch.


    She quickly learned all the remaining methods and inheritance left by ancient immortals, and no matter how you viewed it, her talent in cultivation was top-notch.


    However, unfortunately, the spiritual energy of this world had not fully recovered.


    Although the methods left behind by the immortals could be cultivated, it was extremely difficult, and for the most part, they were not very useful.


    Liang Yao, even though she had memorized all of these methods and techniques, couldn''t advance with them, let alone reach the level of an ancient immortal.


    This was not allowed by the environment.


    If it were an ordinary person, they would have had to accept their fate in such a situation.


    But Liang Yao wasn''t an ordinary person.


    After all, she had a power-up.


    After a long time peering into the future in her dreams, she had actually found a viable path forward.


    The solution was actually quite simple.


    Since the environment in this world did not allow cultivation, I''ll just change to a different environment!


    Fortunately, she knew of a pathway that could lead to another flourishing world of cultivation.


    As long as she could travel to that world, Princess Liang Yao''s talent would naturally be able to be realized, combined with her unique predictive power, the future was very promising.


    However, it was somewhat difficult to enter that channel, and she would be unable to enter alone.


    Therefore, she had to find some help.


    And in order to find help, she had to offer very compelling incentives.


    That was why she had come to the Bai family''s residence.


    Listening to this, Chen An could understand.


    In his past life, he didn''t know how many people fought to live despite being seriously ill.


    After all, what good is death compared to clinging to life?


    If there was no chance, then it couldn''t be helped, but since there was an opportunity, of course, one had to take a chance, otherwise how could one be content?


    Even if he were in Chen An''s shoes, he would probably take a risk as well.


    After all, even if he failed, the ultimate result would only be death.


    There were no problems logically.


    But for Chen An, the key issue was how to make use of the other party and also guard against her, that was the crux of the matter.


    Should he cooperate, or secretly seek an opportunity to deal with her?


    These were all issues that were worth contemplating, and Chen An thought about them deeply.


    Unknowingly, the outside sky had darkened.


    Footsteps outside caught Chen An''s attention, rousing him from his thoughts.


    He looked up at the sky, watching the dusk fall, finally shaking his head.


    What was the point of thinking so much?


    After all, the true situation of the other party was still uncertain.


    It''s possible that she didn''t even have the ability to predict the future; it was just a bluff.


    Standing quietly in place, Chen An looked at the sky outside, pondering this thought.


    Time passed slowly.


    In the blink of an eye, nearly two months had passed.


    During these two months, the Bai family''s residence remained calm.


    There were no significant events happening everywhere.


    Apart from Bai Qing''s continued absence and Liang Yao, the Changping Princess, staying at the Bai family without leaving, everything else seemed unimportant, just trivial matters.


    Yet, life was like this. Just when you thought life was calm, it would surprise you with something unexpected, hitting you hard.


    One day in the early morning, a burst of light suddenly shot out from the Bai family''s ancestral land, soaring towards the sky.


    The radiance illuminated the surroundings, pure white at first, then divided into various colors like a rainbow, looking colorful and vibrant.


    The brightness scattered around, filling the area with brilliance and a unique fragrance bloomed, creating a special spectacle.


    This grand scene immediately attracted many onlookers.


    On that day, nearly half of the Upper Element City''s people could see that in the direction of the Bai family''s ancestral land, there seemed to be a bright and vibrant flower blooming, appearing extraordinarily colorful and bright.


    "What is that!"


    People around the area showed surprise on their faces, rushing towards that area.


    However, the Bai family was prepared and quickly blocked off the various regions, completely driving away the outsiders.


    This was, after all, the Bai family''s ancestral land, how could they allow outsiders to trespass?


    The implication was that everything in this place belonged to them, and it had nothing to do with the outsiders around.


    This kind of domineering attitude naturally made people dissatisfied, but it was a common occurrence.


    After all, the Bai family was a prestigious family, and they usually behaved arrogantly in the Upper Element City, where the common people didn''t have the qualification to defy them.


    This time was no different.


    Seeing that what was in the Bai family''s ancestral land, the people quickly dispersed.


    But they soon gathered again.


    Because the identity of that thing had been recognized by someone.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 169: Pure Spirit Flower

    "Pure Spirit Flower"Standing in place, Chen An looked at the distant sky with a majestic aura, a spiritual appearance that was overwhelming, causing him to sigh deeply in his heart.


    During this period of time, things born in the Bai Family ancestral land in the distance finally surfaced.


    There was no way to hide it.


    Despite the Bai Family''s efforts to conceal it and drive away people from all around, everyone could still see it clearly.


    The grand spectacle in the distance, basically anyone with normal eyesight could see it.


    Even see it very clearly.


    Chen An could see it very clearly now.


    In this period of time, every time he woke up in the morning, he could feel a refreshing sensation, as if his own vitality had been restored.


    Even in his cultivation, the effects were much stronger than before.


    This was very clear.


    Originally, Chen An had thought that it would take a long time to restore his Qi cultivation to the third layer, at least another three or four months.


    But now, Chen An thought, it would probably only take half a month at most.


    The huge difference in this was brought about by the phenomenon in the distance.


    And this obvious difference was naturally noticed by others.


    Because with the appearance of the treasure, the vitality of this generation has intensified in a short period of time, to the point that around the Bai Family ancestral land, there even appeared an effect similar to a treasure land.


    No, it was even more dramatic than a treasure land.


    Treasure lands, Chen An had also used them before and felt they were just like that, although they were much stronger than ordinary places, but if you really wanted to say how terrifying they were, it might not be that much.


    At least compared to the scene in front of him, it was much less impressive.


    And this change happened in a short amount of time.


    As time passed and it got closer to the emergence of the treasure, the vitality around the area would probably become even richer.


    This became a problem.


    Because the scope of this impact was too large.


    Even people who were blind could clearly feel the changes.


    The Qi could sense the most things, and even feel the emergence of vitality all around.


    As for ordinary people, if they stayed near here for a long time, they could also feel refreshed and feel the changes.


    This was the impact brought about by the emergence of this treasure.


    If that''s the case, it''s no wonder it would attract so many people later on.


    During this period of time, in order to gain Chen An''s trust, Liang Yao had already told him the specific details of this dramatic change.


    Of course, it was only what she knew.


    For what she didn''t know, even if she wanted to say, it was of no use.


    After all, not knowing was not knowing.


    Although there were many pieces of information missing, even knowing only those made people feel astonished.


    According to what Liang Yao said, when the treasure appeared, many strong individuals from all around would come to snatch it.


    In the Shangyuan County, the Cao Family contacted the other major families and launched an attack on the day the treasure appeared, trying to take the treasure from the Bai Family.


    Several forces united to fight for it, but in the end, the one who laughed last was not those strong individuals, but the seemingly obscure Bai Qing.


    When Chen An heard this, he immediately believed it.


    Because Bai Qing did give him a strange and mysterious feeling, after all.


    In front of him, the Bai Family would definitely not last against a strong person, but if Bai Qing could, he wouldn''t be surprised.


    He even thought it was quite reasonable.


    Hmm, this might be a first impression.


    But others wouldn''t think so.


    Chen An remembered that when Liang Yao talked about this, her face had a look of surprise, obviously finding it unbelievable.


    Obviously, even with the prescient thread open, Princess Liang Yao didn''t know everything.


    At least for the things about Bai Qing, she didn''t know much more than Chen An did.


    This made Chen An feel relieved.


    In the original trajectory, the treasure born in the Bai Family was eventually seized by Bai Qing.


    But the Bai Family?


    Gone.


    Literally gone.


    Because after Bai Qing took the treasure and disappeared, the Bai Family was blamed by the various strong individuals.


    In the end, in a fit of anger, the transcendent existence slaughtered the entire Bai Family, causing a tragic scene of bloodshed.


    When Chen An heard this, he had a speculation in his heart.


    Princess Liang Yao''s precognitive ability might not have the version where he was present.


    Otherwise, if he was present in that scene, the Bai Family would never have ended up like that.


    If Bai Qing took the final treasure, that could be explained, possibly with Chen An secretly helping, or for other reasons.


    But if the Bai Family were slaughtered, Chen An would never stand idly by.


    After all, this was his in-laws, and the Bai Family had been kind to him before, with no major issues between them.


    Chen An couldn''t just watch the Bai Family get slaughtered and do nothing.


    That was the problem.


    As for why Princess Liang Yao''s precognition was like this, Chen An didn''t know.


    It might be because of his unique situation, not being sensed by that ability, or it might be a matter of timing.


    When Princess Liang Yao did the related precognition, Chen An might not have reached the Bai Family yet, or even crossed over.


    Not even in this world yet, so she naturally couldn''t predict it.


    No matter what the reason, Chen An felt much relieved.


    Because it proved that the other party''s abilities were not without limitations.


    There were many things that the other person also didn''t know about.


    That was enough.


    With various thoughts flashing through his mind, Chen An slowly raised his head, his gaze looking forward.


    In the distance, there was a faint smoke in the sky, scattered all around, looking exceptionally beautiful.


    Vaguely, one could see the scene of a blooming flower.


    All the traces were exactly as Liang Yao had described.


    "Pure Spirit Flower"


    Chen An couldn''t help but ponder.


    According to Liang Yao''s words, the phenomenon that was unfolding in front of him was caused by a treasure called the Pure Spirit Flower.


    The Pure Spirit Flower was a legendary spiritual flower that would only bloom under specific conditions.


    The specific conditions were quite strict, and often required many years of quiet growth before it could truly bloom one day.


    The Pure Spirit Flower in front of him probably was set up by the ancestors of the Bai Family many years ago, in order for it to bloom again one day in the future, bringing hope for the rise of the Bai Family descendants.


    In the past, it had not been able to bloom for many years, probably because the world''s vitality was low, and there were not enough conditions to support the bloom of the Pure Spirit Flower, so it had been suppressed all along.


    But now, with the arrival of a changing world and the gradual change in the environment, this Pure Spirit Flower couldn''t resist blooming anymore, radiating its own brilliance.


    The unique growth conditions of this precious spiritual essence were very strict, but the effects were also very amazing.


    Its greatest effect was to completely change a person''s aptitude and enhance their talent.


    In legends, even an ordinary commoner, if they could obtain a complete Pure Spirit Flower baptism, could become a powerful prodigy with the qualifications of a martial saint.


    In past ages, the Pure Spirit Flower, this heavenly spiritual essence, was a rare foundation-building treasure that was revered by countless people.


    Even powerful immortals and warriors admired it greatly.


    After all, the Pure Spirit Flower was useful even for those with deep cultivation.


    Who would complain that their aptitude was too high?


    Moreover, even if your aptitude was already sufficient, what about your disciples? What about your children?


    With so many relatives and friends around, there must be someone who needs it, right?


    That''s why the Pure Spirit Flower was so revered.


    Chen An could understand.


    Even if it were him, he would probably be eager for such a spiritual item and fight for it crazily.


    After all, his own aptitude was also quite worrying, even though he had already been enhanced through projection once, he was still the same now.


    He needed such a spiritual item to make up for it.


    And now, there was one in front of him.


    Chen An couldn''t help but raise his head, his gaze looking towards the distance.


    Speaking of which, although the Pure Spirit Flower could change aptitude and enhance talent, Liang Yao was not thinking of using it for herself.


    According to her original plan, after snatching the Pure Spirit Flower, she would use it as a bargaining chip to find a few reliable transcendental masters to help her open the passage to the other realms.


    This was not only because she was not confident in her own aptitude, but also because of the state of the world.


    After all, the current world environment was really bad, even if her aptitude was changed, she probably wouldn''t be able to achieve her dream of immortality by staying here.


    Even though the era of change had arrived, the vitality was just beginning to recover, and it would probably take many years to return to its peak.


    Compared to that, it would be more comfortable to just change to another world.


    The plan worked.


    For Chen An, it seemed to be the same.


    Chen An couldn''t help but ponder.


    Liang Yao had told Chen An so much, besides gaining his trust, the main purpose was also to invite him to be a thug and accompany her to the other realm.


    Before, Chen An didn''t feel much, but now that he thought about it carefully, Chen An had to admit that he was a bit tempted.


    The influence of the environment on people was still very obvious.


    The limitation of lifespan was also a reality.


    For those above the transcendent realm, their lifespan was probably only about two or three hundred years.


    The higher levels above the transcendent realm might be longer, but there were still limits.


    To live longer, and even achieve theoretical immortality, one had to constantly climb higher levels and break through.


    And this would be limited by the environment.


    Compared to others, Chen An''s promotion might be relatively easier.


    He didn''t need elixirs, resources, or even vitality. As long as there was a source of power and inheritance, theoretically, he could keep ascending infinitely.


    But that didn''t mean he wouldn''t be constrained.


    Because the inheritance was also limited by the environment.


    It was quite unlikely to have transcendent-level inheritances in a place with only transcendent beings.


    The world underfoot may have had flourishing experts in the past, but over the years, those inheritances had already been lost, and it would take who knows how many years to rediscover them.


    If he was unlucky, the new inheritance might not be found until after Chen An had passed away.


    So going directly to another world with abundant vitality and rich inheritance could be a good choice.


    Of course, the premise was that what Liang Yao said was true.


    If the world she described was truly a world with abundant vitality and in its prime, then Chen An would be better off staying there.


    Although this world was lagging behind, there were still several transcendent beings to be seen.


    Unlike the time in the Great China World, where one had to wait for several hundred years to encounter one, a bunch of slackers.


    With various thoughts flashing through his mind, Chen An finally raised his head.


    A sound could be heard in the distance, sounding particularly loud.


    Accompanied by the sound was a noise, as if someone had intruded into the Bai Family ancestral land and had been caught by the Bai Family''s people.


    It was no surprise.


    These people had become particularly numerous recently.


    The phenomenon in the Bai Family ancestral land could be seen clearly by everyone.


    So during this period of time, there were always people coming out, trying to sneak into the Bai Family ancestral land to take that thing.


    But how could that be possible?


    The current Bai Family ancestral land was not the same as before.


    Although the Bai Family ancestral land used to be called the ancestral tomb, it was actually quite weak, with only a few guards inside that any expert could sneak in, and there were only so few guards total.


    But now, after the emergence of the Pure Spirit Flower, the guards inside had been upgraded in every way.


    How were they upgraded?


    The four elders of the Bai Family directly moved in.


    This was not an exaggeration.


    As the time for the emergence of the Pure Spirit Flower approached, those elders really moved in.


    During this time, they changed from their usual mysterious behavior and directly moved into the Bai Family ancestral tomb, even personally conducting patrols from time to time, showing a very proactive attitude.


    In just a few months, they had shown themselves more than in the past few decades.


    It was truly frightening.


    Even Bai Wei, the Bai Family Patriarch who had always been elusive, was said to have appeared recently, stunned by the news of the emergence of the Pure Spirit Flower, and appeared in front of everyone.


    This was normal.


    This Bai Family Patriarch had been in seclusion for over a decade, trying to break through to the transcendent realm and become a great master, but he had not succeeded.


    Seeing little progress, the Bai Family Patriarch was naturally anxious.


    The emergence of the Pure Spirit Flower this time was considered good news.


    He was only a step away from the transcendent realm to begin with, and the gap wasn''t far.


    With the assistance of the Pure Spirit Flower, he might be able to immediately cross that distance and reach the transcendent realm. s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That was why he came out.


    It was all for cultivation.


    During this time, the entire Bai Family was enveloped in joy.


    It seemed that everyone believed that the Bai Family would rise in the future.


    Because it was so obvious.


    With this Pure Spirit Flower, senior players like the Bai Family Patriarch could have a chance to advance further, possibly reaching the transcendent realm.


    If there were a true transcendent master, the Bai Family could naturally advance further, and by then, even dominating the entire Shangyuan County would be an easy matter.


    The remaining part of the Pure Spirit Flower could also be used by future talents of the Bai Family like Bai Changming to train the next generation of Bai Family experts.


    It was a time of joy.


    Even Bai Zhilan by Chen An''s side had a lot more smiles on her face during this period.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 170: The Ghost That Cannot Be Persuaded with Good Words

    The people around Chen An were all optimistic.But Chen An had a pessimistic view of things.


    Not to mention that Liang Yao had already predicted the outcome of the White Family, just by looking at the current situation of the White Family, he could tell things were not going well.


    Generally speaking, extreme joy leads to sorrow, this is an unchanging law.


    Especially in a situation like this, where a rare treasure appears, if everyone knows about it, then problems are bound to arise.


    The most classic example is that when a rare treasure appears, it will attract a large number of strong outsiders to come and fight for it, and many problems will definitely arise.


    If Chen An were the head of the White Family, he would definitely be very cautious at this time.


    Because the more dangerous the situation, the greater the potential danger.


    If he accidentally attracted some ferocious beasts, then the happy event could turn into a disaster.


    During this period, Chen An had also met with the Four Elders and subtly advised them a few times.


    He didn''t say anything directly, just subtly advised them to consider removing the Pure Spirit Flower in advance, so as not to keep it there and cause trouble.


    After all, continuing like this was getting a bit troublesome.


    The people around here were not fools, watching the increasingly amazing anomalies here every day, they would naturally be attracted.


    The anomalies that occurred when the Pure Spirit Flower bloomed couldn''t be avoided, but as long as the Pure Spirit Flower was removed, the anomalies would naturally disappear.


    Unfortunately, Chen An''s suggestion only earned him a look of astonishment from the Four Elders.


    "Remove it? Why would we remove it?"


    To Chen An''s suggestion, the Four Elders felt very puzzled, "The Pure Spirit Flower has not fully bloomed yet, if it is removed now, the medicinal effects will probably greatly decrease."


    The Pure Spirit Flower can be removed in advance, and even if removed early, there will still be effects.


    It''s just that it won''t be as good as when it''s fully matured.


    Chen An estimated that if the Pure Spirit Flower was removed now, the effect would probably only be half of what it would be when fully matured.


    But the risk would be greatly reduced.


    Chen An expressed his concerns to the Four Elders, but they seemed unconcerned, waving their hands with a smile, "An''er, you''re worrying too much."


    "We have been rooted in the Upper Element County for many years, and with the support of the Cao and Liu families, even the Innate Grandmasters would have to fear us. And who dares to snatch food from the tiger''s mouth under my White Family?"


    He looked disdainful, "If there are scoundrels who dare to come, it would be a good opportunity to kill them and show what happens to those who provoke my White Family!"


    Chen An sighed quietly.


    It''s starting to get out of hand.


    The current situation of the Four Elders was one that Chen An had seen many times before.


    As the saying goes, the higher you climb, the harder you fall.


    Some people fall in the darkness before dawn, while others fall when they are at their peak.


    Generally speaking, once things start to get out of hand, things will only get more troublesome.


    Especially in a situation like the White Family, where they clearly don''t have the strength to resist everything, yet they are starting to become overconfident, it is even more troublesome.


    Sighing quietly, Chen An didn''t try to persuade them further, just smiled and flattered them a few times before turning and leaving.


    There was no point in trying to persuade them.


    The White Family''s fall was not completely baseless.


    The White Family was powerful, and even if they excluded Chen An, they still had five powerful Gang Qi, including the White Family Head, who was on the verge of the Innate Grandmaster realm.


    This level of strength could be considered the first in the Upper Element County.


    In addition, there were families like the Cao and Liu families, who had been in close alliance with the White Family, serving as ironclad allies.


    The combined strength of the three families amounted to more than ten Gang Qi.


    This level of strength would make even the Innate Grandmasters frown, feeling intimidated.


    On paper, their strength was impressive.


    However, paper data was ultimately just that, paper data.


    Until the final moment, no one knew what would happen.


    According to Liang Yao''s previous prediction, just before the Pure Spirit Flower bloomed, the first to attack the White Family''s ancestors were not outsiders, but the White Family''s supposed allies, the Cao and Liu families.


    They, along with some small families, launched a backstabbing attack, dealing the first blow to the White Family.


    This showed just how unreliable so-called allies could be.


    Under the previous circumstances, the Cao and Liu families could have been considered allies of the White Family, simply because it was advantageous to be friendly with the White Family.


    But once the situation changed, they could easily switch sides and launch a backstabbing attack.


    This was something that Chen An had seen too often in the Grand Harmony World.


    Not to mention treacherous allies, he had even seen children betraying their parents and wives betraying their husbands.


    One thing was certain, in everything you do, you always have to prepare for the worst.


    Overestimating the reliability of their allies was the first mistake the White Family made.


    But underestimating the strength of the Innate Grandmasters was the second and most important mistake the White Family made.


    And it was crucial.


    The White Elders may have been dominant in the Upper Element County for a long time, but they didn''t really understand the strength of the Innate Grandmasters, probably thinking that as long as they had enough people, they could intimidate the Innate Grandmasters.


    After all, with their Family Head on the verge of the Innate realm, and with their support, it didn''t seem too far-fetched.


    But they didn''t know the strength of the Innate Grandmasters, could Chen An not know?


    He was certain that as soon as an Innate Grandmaster appeared, even if the Cao and Liu families, as well as the White Family''s other allies, were reliable, and could gather more than ten Gang Qi, it would still be useless.


    An Innate Grandmaster could easily wipe them all out.


    Peak Gang Qi?


    It was just a matter of a few moves.


    This was another harsh reality.


    The White Family''s overestimation of their own strength, as well as their naive belief that no Innate Grandmasters would come, had already made Chen An pessimistic.


    At this rate, by the time that came, if he didn''t intervene, the White Family would probably be directly destroyed, just as Liang Yao had said.


    And it would be a destruction that couldn''t be changed.


    How could it be changed?


    The White Family was already in this state, from ordinary people to core elders, each one of them seemed to be filled with energy, as if by waking up tomorrow, the White Family would rise and dominate the entire Liang Kingdom.


    Trying to persuade them in this situation?


    It might be better to give up.


    They couldn''t be persuaded.


    Not only were they unpersuadable, but they might even come to resent him, thinking that as an outsider, he couldn''t bear to see them doing well.


    Subtly advising the Four Elders a few times was already the most Chen An could do.


    Since it had no effect, he naturally wouldn''t try to persuade them further.


    Just watch and wait.


    And from Chen An''s perspective, this situation wasn''t completely a bad thing.


    If the White Family were besieged, in danger, and their people desperate, if Chen An could intervene at that time and save the White Family, saving them from their predicament, then at that time, controlling the White Family would be a natural course of action.


    By then, many of the White Family''s assets would naturally be his.


    Although he didn''t know what benefit these assets would bring him.


    But even if he didn''t need them himself, they would still be useful for White Zhilan by his side, and even for their possible future children.


    In life, you always have to think ahead.


    And there was also the Pure Spirit Flower.


    Chen An still had some face to save.


    He felt a bit embarrassed to directly take the Pure Spirit Flower from the White Family.


    But when the White Family''s power was weak, driving away outsiders and taking the Pure Spirit Flower would be a logical thing to do.


    The plan was in place.


    Of course, there was also the possibility that things would get too complicated at that time, to the point where even Chen An couldn''t handle it.


    Although this possibility was small, it still existed.


    After all, as long as you were in this world, you could always run into trouble.


    So it was necessary to be prepared to escape ahead of time.


    As for his escape skills, Chen An was somewhat confident.


    When necessary, he could safely take White Zhilan and a group of friends and relatives and run away, there shouldn''t be any problem.


    So in the next period of time, he wasn''t idle.


    Daily cultivation was a given.


    But besides daily cultivation, he also made preparations for the escape.


    During this time, Bai Changren and Bai Changyue had also returned one after another, and Chen An had come up with reasons to deliberately keep them around.


    In case something happened, he could also take them with him when he ran.


    They were all friends, and in such a crucial time, Chen An would still consider them.


    I wonder if they would be moved to tears when they found out about it.


    They probably would.


    After all, not every friend was as reliable as Chen An, always thinking of bringing friends along even when running away.


    That was not abandoning or giving up.


    With all the preparations done, several days had passed.


    But to Chen An''s surprise, Liang Yao did not leave, but instead stayed.


    "I finally came all the way here. Although my goal cannot be achieved, I can still enjoy the show."


    Answering Chen An''s question, Liang Yao smiled and said.


    Her original plan was to find the location where the Pure Spirit Flower was growing before the anomalies appeared, so that she could take it without anyone noticing, avoiding any trouble.


    But since her goal was not achieved, they had reached this point, and there was no opportunity.


    But since she was already here, she might as well watch the show.


    Of course, the main reason she stayed was for Chen An.


    "How have you been considering what I said before?"


    Liang Yao looked at Chen An and asked with a smile.


    Of course, she was referring to the matter of going to the foreign domain.


    "I don''t have any objections, just curious."


    Chen An looked at Liang Yao and smiled, "According to what you said, it would take the combined power of several Innate Grandmasters to open the path to that domain."


    "In that case, what use is there for you to invite me?" s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An is not an Innate Grandmaster.


    Even if he was before, he is not now.


    So what use would there be for Liang Yao to invite him?


    "You can tell me what you have in mind."


    After thinking for a moment, Liang Yao spoke, "There are several dangerous places, each with treasures hidden within."


    "It''s just that with just me, it''s a bit difficult to get there, but if I have you, things will be different."


    Chen An summarized her meaning.


    In simple terms, to go and open the path to the foreign domain, it would require the combined power of several Innate Grandmasters.


    And wanting to hire Innate Grandmasters would require offering enticing treasures.


    Of course, Chen An was skeptical about this.


    Because Liang Yao already knew the location of a foreign domain passage.


    This item itself is very tempting for Innate Grandmasters who are restricted by their environment and can''t break through.


    As long as Liang Yao is willing to use this as a bargaining chip, even if she doesn''t offer anything else, she should still be able to enlist the help of several Grandmasters, right?


    Instead of collecting those treasures to lure others, it was more about just wanting them for herself.


    After all, she was planning to leave this realm, so she naturally wanted to maximize her benefits before leaving.


    All those treasures and such, everything that could be taken away, she would take them all, dig three feet to get them all out.


    This was probably Liang Yao''s true intention.


    No matter what the purpose of digging up treasures was, it was clearly about maximizing her benefits before leaving.


    Actually, regardless of the purpose of digging up treasures, it was clearly about maximizing her benefits before leaving.


    Relying solely on Liang Yao''s strength was not very feasible.


    Liang Yao had tested this many times.


    Many treasures had various dangers, either requiring a high level of strength to obtain, or a certain level of strength that was needed to even reach them.


    This was particularly evident in the current situation.


    Liang Yao had foreseen the appearance of the Pure Spirit Flower and even knew that it was in the White Family ancestral land.


    But what could she do about it?


    If her strength wasn''t enough, in the end, she would just have to watch and do nothing.


    She had discovered it first, but in the end she could only become a spectator.


    That was just the way things were.


    As the saying goes, those who are virtuous possess it.


    And to become virtuous, one also needed to attract more strong individuals.


    This was why Liang Yao had set her sights on Chen An.


    At least in the eyes of others, Chen An was already considered a genius with exceptional talent.


    After all, a Gang Qi at not even twenty years old.


    If this wasn''t a sign of exceptional talent, then what was?


    It was no wonder she was interested in him.


    As she thought about it deeper, Liang Yao might still be thinking about taking Chen An as a little brother.


    After all, her precognitive abilities were extraordinary.


    Chen An had some doubts in his mind, but he didn''t say much about it.


    (The chapter is complete)

 Chapter 171: The Blossoming of Flowers

    The people on the side of the Bai family could not be persuaded at all.While those around Liang Yao were ambiguous.


    During this period, Chen An actually considered taking action directly to take him down.


    But after weighing various factors, he gave up.


    The opponent''s divination was too abnormal. It was hard to say how many tricks and treasures he had acquired in these years.


    The most obvious evidence was that the other party knew that the Bai family would become the battlefield of the conflict in the future, but still confidently stayed here, without any panic.


    This was the best evidence.


    The son of a wealthy family would not sit in a dangerous place.


    If he didn''t have complete confidence, Chen An wouldn''t believe that Liang Yao could be so calm.


    In addition, the sense of danger he had felt before was also very accurate.


    Liang Yao must have some tricks up his sleeve, at least enough to threaten Chen An at the moment.


    This was another issue.


    If the two sides really fought, Chen An did not feel confident that he could leave the other party, so he simply gave up.


    After all, once he took action, it would be tearing his face.


    If he couldn''t keep the other party, there was no need to think too much about future cooperation.


    Even if he had to take action, he would wait until he had coaxed out the location of the exotic passage before doing so.


    Time passed slowly.


    And then a few more days passed.


    During these few days, the Bai family seemed to be getting livelier.


    What caught Chen An''s attention the most was the sneaky actions of a few elders of the Bai family.


    With the pure spirit flowers blooming soon, Chen An thought they should be more low-key at this time.


    Although it was no longer possible to be completely transparent, they should at least shift the focus away from themselves, so that those with ill intentions wouldn''t keep an eye on them.


    After the pure spirit flowers bloom completely, and the head of the Bai family successfully ascends, everything is settled, then they can publicize it more vigorously.


    But the elders of the Bai family were not like that.


    Before the pure spirit flowers bloomed, the ancestors of the Bai family were impatient to publicize the event everywhere, as if afraid that others would not know that their family had something good.


    But Chen An was relieved that his previous persuasion had some effect.


    After careful consideration, the four elders thought he was right.


    The pure spirit flowers were about to bloom, and it was indeed necessary to be cautious at this critical moment to prevent intruders from taking advantage and causing any losses.


    However, in their specific approach, they went beyond Chen An''s expectations and made quite a show. s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    They, on behalf of the Bai family, invited several elders of the Cao and Liu families to come and watch the scene of the pure spirit flowers blooming.


    Also, the issue was very troublesome. You are too casual, specially inviting trouble.


    With these actions, they are making Jiang Xin very emotional.


    Originally, they didn''t have bad thoughts, but seeing you acting so carefree, they will inevitably have thoughts that you shouldn''t have.


    Chen An couldn''t help but sigh, and then continue to persuade them.


    He thought he was gentle enough, but in the end, he still angered the elders of the Bai family.


    "The pure spirit flowers are about to bloom, the specific uses have already been determined. An Er, you should not have any improper thoughts," said the third elder calmly, with a good attitude but rather unwelcome.


    Chen An was surprised, thinking that in the minds of the elders of the Bai family, his actions were also aimed at the pure spirit flowers that were about to bloom.


    To dispel his improper thoughts, the elders also warned him to refrain from having any inappropriate thoughts.


    In fact, before Chen An came to persuade them, he had already thought of a similar situation.


    But at least it was a chance to meet, and he tried to persuade them.


    Although it didn''t matter, when these people thought back to Chen An''s persuasion afterwards, they might have some reaction in their hearts.


    Whether it''s guilt or shame, in any case, it will be helpful for Chen An to take over the Bai family in the future.


    However, looking at the performance of this group of people, Chen An couldn''t help thinking of Cheng Zheng.


    Cheng Zheng is better.


    Compared to the people in front of him, Cheng Zheng could at least listen to advice and unconditionally stand by his side in the face of doubt.


    Unlike the teammates in front of him.


    Fortunately, Chen An was prepared to go it alone from the start, so he didn''t plan to rely on this group of people to get things done.


    It doesn''t matter.


    If it wasn''t for the sake of Bai Ziran and others'' feelings, Chen An would have taken the pure spirit flowers directly long ago.


    Straightforward, straightforward, and no need for later trouble.


    Back at his residence, he began another day of practice.


    During this period, with the pure spirit flowers blooming constantly, the spiritual energy everywhere became more abundant, and Chen An''s progress in cultivation was also accelerating.


    And now he already felt that he was not far from the pinnacle of Qi energy.


    "Almost there."


    In the residence, Chen An meditated quietly, muttering to himself.


    Time passed slowly.


    After nearly half a month, the time for the pure spirit flowers to bloom finally arrived.


    On this day, a misty fog began to rise in the sky.


    A unique scene appeared everywhere.


    At this moment, the changes in the Qi existence in the entire county of Shangyuan could be clearly felt.


    It was a subtle change in spiritual energy.


    In the entire county of Shangyuan, the spiritual energy was shaking violently, creating chaos everywhere.


    But within this chaos, there was a burst of majestic spiritual energy, about to bloom like a flower.


    Undoubtedly, this was the spiritual energy of the pure spirit flower.


    As the spiritual energy surged, it was a sign that the pure spirit flower was about to bloom.


    For this moment, the people in Shangyuan County were not surprised.


    After all, the commotion caused by the Bai family was so big that it was almost a well-known fact now.


    Even if they didn''t know at first, after so long, they should have figured it out.


    "It seems to be ready."


    In front of a tall building, Chen An and Liang Yao stood side by side, looking into the distance.


    They were looking in the direction of the Bai family''s ancestral land.


    From where they were, they could see the scenery there very clearly, although it was a bit blurry.


    If their eyesight was not good, they might not be able to see clearly.


    But Chen An had no problem with it.


    After all, he was a martial artist, with advanced skills that enhanced all aspects of his abilities, allowing him to easily see things that ordinary people couldn''t.


    As for Liang Yao, although she only looked like an ordinary person on the surface, she also seemed to have no trouble seeing the distant scenery, indicating that she probably had something good on her.


    "Pretty much today," Liang Yao whispered, smiling. "Are you prepared?"


    She looked at Chen An.


    Chen An''s performance in preparing an escape route had been noticed by her, without missing a beat.


    "I''m almost ready," Chen An smiled. "My friends are all in place, and we can leave anytime when the time is right."


    "What about you, Your Highness? Do you know that a big battle is about to happen, but you''re not leaving?"


    He joked, trying to test her.


    "I have my ways," Liang Yao replied calmly to Chen An''s test. "After all these years, I have some resources in me."


    "Maybe it''s a bit troublesome to compete with others, but if it''s just self-defense, then there shouldn''t be a problem."


    Okay, she''s indeed a rich woman.


    Chen An understood.


    She probably obtained many good things through her abilities in the past, which is why she had the confidence to stay and watch the show.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t want the pure spirit flower, right?


    Chen An thought of various thoughts and then turned to look into the distance.


    Then he was taken aback.


    "It''s her."


    In the distance, he saw a familiar figure.


    She was a woman with a beautiful figure, exquisite features, and wearing a long dress.


    She was none other than Bai Qing.


    She seemed to have joined the family celebrations, and she had entered openly and honestly.


    There was no need for anyone to stop her.


    ''In the past, after separating from Bai Qing, she had been hiding from the outside world.''


    Chen An thought that Bai Qing wouldn''t come back so soon, but he unexpectedly met her again.


    And her goal was clear.


    The pure spirit flower.


    "In the dream, Bai Qing was the one who got the pure spirit flower in the end?" Chen An turned to Liang Yao and asked, "How did she do it?"


    "I don''t know," Liang Yao remained silent.


    How could she possibly know how Bai Qing achieved victory?


    If she really knew, she wouldn''t be quietly watching here, but would have joined the fray herself.


    Really, did she not want the pure spirit flower?


    "In fact, I have been staying here to figure out this question," she explained.


    Liang Yao was also curious about how Bai Qing won.


    From the looks of it, Bai Qing didn''t have any chance of winning.


    Even though her internal energy had recovered, she was just an internal energy warrior, nothing compared to the Qi energy powerhouses, just a small fry.


    And yet, this little character was able to win in the end and seize the pure spirit flower.


    What exactly happened?


    Liang Yao was puzzled and had no explanation.


    In her body, an ancient rune was quietly operating, the lines on it slowly glowing at this moment, as if recording something.


    Chen An glanced at Liang Yao, but didn''t say anything more.


    He remained silent.


    Time passed slowly.


    The surroundings were very lively, with people shouting and fireworks going off, echoing in all directions.


    But as the pure spirit flowers finally bloomed, everyone''s attention was drawn to them.


    Even Chen An and Liang Yao were caught up in it.


    The fully bloomed pure spirit flowers were very beautiful.


    How beautiful were they?


    Well, Chen An had never seen a more beautiful flower than this.


    He had seen many different sceneries and colours in the vast world in the past, but compared to the slowly opening pure spirit flower in front of him, all his memories seemed dim.


    The pure spirit flower in front of him was white, made up of three petals, with a unique colour that looked like transparent crystal, clear and unique.


    Everything around it looked beautiful as the pure spirit flower slowly opened up.


    Unique and beautiful.


    "There are only three petals."


    Standing next to Chen An, Liang Yao nodded, "Not bad at all."


    Seeing that Chen An seemed a bit confused, she explained.


    The pure spirit flowers also had different categories.


    According to ancient records, different pure spirit flowers have different colours, and white is just the most basic one.


    Each fully bloomed pure spirit flower had a different number of petals depending on its development level, and the more petals it had, the more outstanding its effect would be.


    The white pure spirit flower in front of them had three petals, which was considered ordinary among the many pure spirit flowers recorded throughout history.


    But considering the current situation, it was pretty good.


    After all, the environment had changed a lot compared to the past.


    The fact that the pure spirit flowers could bloom successfully at this time was already good, and there was no need to expect more.


    Despite this, Liang Yao still felt a bit disappointed.


    Because looking at the pure spirit flower in its current state, if this world could further recover and return to its former environment, then the pure spirit flower should also be able to bloom to a greater extent and reach a purer state.


    But for now, it was a pity.


    "Don''t think too much," Chen An smiled. "Think positively. If it weren''t for the fact that the world is already beginning to recover, things would probably not have reached this point. The pure spirit flowers would still be quietly withering underground at the moment."


    "You''re right," Liang Yao also nodded in agreement with Chen An''s words.


    "Look," she said with a smile at some point, "the show is about to begin."


    Following her lead, Chen An looked up ahead.


    In his sight, the head of the Bai family moved step by step towards the fully bloomed flower, gradually approaching the blooming flower.


    Unlike the elders of the Bai family, the head of the Bai family did not look too old.


    He had a tall, imposing figure, and a dignified appearance. He appeared to be just a middle-aged man from the outside, and there were no signs of aging.


    Standing next to the elders of the Bai family, he seemed to be of a different generation.


    (Chapter complete)

 Chapter 172: Battle

    In fact, they said that two generations were not necessarily incompatible.According to the information Chen An had learned, decades ago, the Bai family was already in decline, with no outstanding talents among the younger generation, only four elderly elders struggling hard to support.


    But at this time, the Bai family master rose to power.


    The story of the Bai family master seemed quite exciting to Chen An.


    According to the Bai family''s internal legend, this Bai family master was not initially valued when he first started practicing, and even suppressed by the elders of the Bai family at that time.


    Yes, the position of the Bai family master was not fixed, it could change.


    Of course, it was also possible that they didn''t want to change initially, but later, they had no choice.


    After all, one couldn''t stick to a position without understanding the rules.


    Suppressed by the main line of the family, but the young Bai family master broke through all obstacles with his own talent, promoted to the Qi Gathering stage at the age of forty, and shattered all suppression.


    In the following ten years, the Bai family master continued to advance, surpassing all the elders within the Bai family and becoming the true number one person in the Bai family.


    From that time on, the position of the Bai family master changed hands.


    The specific story behind this, Chen An did not know, because those who had experienced it in the past dared not say it in too much detail.


    But it could be guessed that it was definitely not harmonious.


    Blood and corpses were probably inevitable.


    Calculating like this, this Bai family master was actually a legendary figure.


    Chen An thought with great interest, staring into the distance.


    In his gaze, the Bai family master slowly advanced, his slightly rough but powerful arms reaching out towards the direction of the Pure Spirit Flower.


    "Attack!"


    At this moment, a bolt of lightning streaked across.


    As if they had agreed on a code beforehand, at this moment, the several elders from the Cao and Liu families sitting on the side all acted at the same time.


    These were elders invited by the Bai family elders to witness the event.


    However, as predicted by Liang Yao beforehand, they still moved.


    Quite cooperative.


    Powerful Qi burst forth, and the pre-rehearsed coordination made their aura extremely powerful.


    The instant eruption of strength made Chen An unable to help but take notice.


    "Not bad."


    Chen An was surprised.


    Several elders from the Cao and Liu families acted at the same time, the strength they unleashed at that moment already surpassed Qi Gathering.


    If Chen An were to evaluate, it was almost at the peak of the Qi Gathering stage.


    At the peak of the Qi Gathering stage, it was not a big deal for Chen An, but this attack was only released by four ordinary Qi Gathering cultivators.


    This was unexpected.


    After observing carefully, Chen An discovered something suspicious.


    These four elders coordinated seamlessly between their actions, seemingly carrying a shadow of a combined attack method.


    This method allowed their powers to interweave, unleashing a terrifying blow for a brief moment.


    It could be said that as a prestigious family, they indeed had some tricks up their sleeves.


    Chen An had never seen this kind of combined attack method before.


    This was definitely an eye-opener.


    Boom!


    Sound waves reverberated, a strong burst of sound, followed by the spread of terrifying force and destruction, filling the surroundings.


    Facing the attack from the elders of the Cao and Liu families, the Bai family master seemed to have anticipated it.


    With a calm expression, he extended his hand and gave a slight tap behind him.


    A chunky stream of Qi erupted, transforming into a palm print and directly covering the surroundings, forcefully suppressing the attack from the four elders.


    Boom!


    The Qi scattered.


    As the smoke and dust settled, the scene fell into the eyes of the onlookers.


    "Kill!"


    A distant sound of charge spread, covering the area.


    Chen An looked up.


    In the peripheral area, several people emerged, rushing towards the direction of the Pure Spirit Flower.


    And the number of people was quite exaggerated.


    Not one or two, but a total of six.


    This was quite a force.


    A total of six Qi Gathering cultivators attacking, in addition to the four who had already made a move, made it a total of ten Qi Gathering cultivators.


    A total of ten Qi Gathering cultivators attacking, Chen An had never seen such a scene.


    Even he was distracted, looking at Liang Yao beside him, thinking that everything was within her expectations, only to see her slightly open her mouth.


    "Don''t you know?"


    Chen An was surprised.


    "I don''t know."


    As if sensing Chen An''s thoughts, Liang Yao glanced at him: "I''ve said it, I only know the final result, not the details of the process."


    "Otherwise, why would I be here watching? Just out of curiosity."


    "You make a good point, I have no words."


    Chen An remained silent, and could only continue to observe the situation.


    The current situation was already quite complicated.


    With a total of ten Qi Gathering cultivators attacking, opposing the Bai family.


    If we included the several Qi Gathering cultivators of the Bai family, it would be a total of fifteen Qi Gathering cultivators.


    This number made even Chen An unable to remain calm.


    Because even if a Nascent Soul cultivator arrived, if their cultivation was not deep enough, they might end up in an accident.


    It wasn''t that the Nascent Soul cultivator wasn''t strong enough, it was just that there were too many opponents.


    Fortunately, these people were not in the same group.


    Otherwise, it would be troublesome.


    "White Blaze, put down the Pure Spirit Flower, and today''s matter will be forgiven."


    "Otherwise."


    "What if not?"


    To everyone''s surprise, facing the siege of ten Qi Gathering cultivators, the Bai family master White Blaze did not show any fear, his face still as indifferent as ever.


    "Otherwise, after today, the Bai family will be a thing of the past."


    Someone around him said coldly.


    "Is that so?"


    White Blaze neither confirmed nor denied, his expression unchanged: "If you want the Pure Spirit Flower in my hands, then prepare to face the consequences."


    Hmm?


    Facing the Bai family master, the people around finally realized that something was wrong.


    This is not right.


    Facing our sudden attack, why aren''t you afraid?


    Not only were they not afraid, but there was even a sense of fearlessness.


    This situation was a bit off.


    At this moment, someone finally realized that something was wrong.


    But unfortunately, it was already too late.


    The arrow was on the string, and they had already reached the point of no return.


    The current situation, even if they stopped attacking, the people from the Bai family would not let them off.


    So the only choice was to grit their teeth and charge forward.


    They exchanged glances and then acted without hesitation.


    Boom!


    A powerful Qi surged into the air, erupting all at once.


    An unprecedented grand melee began.


    In the past, Qi Gathering cultivators were considered top battle powers, and even if they fought occasionally, it was usually one-on-one, rarely engaging in group battles.


    But a battle with more than ten Qi Gathering cultivators?


    Not only had it never occurred, but it hadn''t even been heard of.


    However, in the present circumstances, this unprecedented melee was erupting.


    The scene was truly spectacular.


    Not to mention Liang Yao and the others, even Chen An was completely focused on watching.


    After all, this kind of scene was rare even for him.


    He had once commanded tens of thousands of troops in the Great Huaxia World and had witnessed the devastation of nations.


    But a Qi Gathering cultivator melee like this was something he had never seen.


    Even for him, it was a rare sight.


    "What a great show."


    Quietly hiding in a corner, Bai Qing carefully concealed her figure, watching the battle in front of her unfold and sighing silently in her heart.


    At some point, Qi Gathering had become her goal.


    But before this great battle, even Qi Gathering seemed like an ordinary rank, just one of the common fighters in this great battle.


    "It looks decent, just a little short on numbers."


    The voice of Empress Luo Shan echoed in Bai Qing''s mind.


    This statement left Bai Qing dumbfounded.


    There were already more than a dozen Qi Gathering cultivators, and they were still short on numbers?


    "Of course."


    Apparently catching Bai Qing''s thoughts, Empress Luo Shan continued, "The so-called Qi Gathering is only worth mentioning in this declining world."


    "If we were in the peak of this great realm, Qi Gathering would just be ordinary soldiers, just soldiers at that."


    "Qi Gathering as soldiers, Nascent Soul as generals, this is what the peak of this realm looks like." s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Qi Gathering as soldiers, Nascent Soul as generals."


    A look of longing and admiration appeared in Bai Qing''s eyes.


    For a martial artist, that era was the most beautiful.


    "However, even so, I am just an ordinary Internal Qi cultivator now, and any one of them could easily take me down."


    Although the vision painted by Empress Luo Shan was extremely beautiful, Bai Qing was a calm person, and quickly returned to the critical issue, "Are you sure you want me to snatch the Pure Spirit Flower from these people, risking my life?"


    She looked at the almost earth-shattering scene in front of her, the doubts in her eyes evident.


    It was understandable for her to feel this way.


    Bai Qing had always been a confident person, willing to take on any challenge no matter the circumstances.


    But confidence did not mean being foolish.


    In the monumental battle unfolding before her, wanting to snatch the Pure Spirit Flower with mere Internal Qi cultivation seemed a bit far-fetched.


    It was even exaggerated to the point of being considered a dream.


    Just by looking at the frightening power and destructive force in front of her, Bai Qing was beginning to doubt her life choices.


    If it were not for some extent, tying Empress Luo Shan''s fate to hers, she deeply suspected whether Empress Luo Shan had sent her to her death.


    "Don''t worry."


    Empress Luo Shan reassured her, "Although it''s difficult, there is still a chance."


    "Our fates are connected, I wouldn''t just let you go and die in vain."


    "These warriors are of low level, they haven''t even touched the realm of divine arts, with my skills, as long as I seize the opportunity, there is still a glimmer of hope."


    "Let''s hope so."


    Bai Qing nodded, unable to do anything but reluctantly believe.


    Apart from that, she had no other options.


    After putting aside her worries, she continued to observe the melee in front of her.


    But in addition to watching the battle, she also looked around, as if searching for a certain figure.


    In such a lively melee, she believed that person must be observing from the sidelines and wouldn''t miss such a good opportunity.


    But to her disappointment, it seemed that person was hiding too well, even after scanning the surroundings, she could not spot their figure.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Liang Yao looked at Chen An who had yawned several times in confusion.


    "Nothing, maybe just not feeling well."


    Chen An waved his hand, indicating that he was fine, but his gaze was fixed on Bai Qing, observing her actions.


    Seeing Bai Qing constantly looking around, he naturally knew why she was doing so, finding it somewhat amusing and even letting out a smile.


    But to prevent Liang Yao from noticing, he quickly shifted his gaze forward, watching the ongoing battle.


    The battle was still raging.


    Boom!


    A heavy sound rang out.


    A Qi Gathering cultivator from the Cao family retreated on the spot, struck by the Bai family master and heavily injured with just one slap.


    Yes, just one slap.


    To everyone''s surprise, the result of this small skirmish was that the Bai family was actually gaining the upper hand.


    Before the fight, everyone thought that the Bai family would be at a disadvantage.


    After all, there were ten Qi Gathering cultivators forming an alliance in front of them.


    And when all the members of the Bai family were added up, there were only five Qi Gathering cultivators.


    Five versus ten, advantage to us!


    However, once the actual battle began, they discovered that things were not as they had anticipated.


    The situation seemed to be completely different.


    Clearly being outnumbered five to ten, the Bai family was still at a disadvantage, constantly being pressured and attacked.


    The reason for this was the overwhelming strength of the Bai family master.


    This Bai family master single-handedly took on five Qi Gathering cultivators and managed to defeat all of them in a moment.


    Crushing five Qi Gathering cultivators with just one person!


    This terrifying level of strength left even Chen An momentarily stunned.


    He began to doubt himself, wondering if he had been as fierce as this when he was at the Qi Gathering stage?


    It seemed that it wasn''t the case.


    At the peak of the Qi Gathering stage, he could handle a one-on-five situation, but to crush five Qi Gathering cultivators the way the Bai family master did, was something that was not likely possible.


    Not only was it impossible to defeat them, but if those five Qi Gathering cultivators were a bit stronger, with a few more experts among them, he would probably have to fight a prolonged battle.


    After all, even at the peak of the Qi Gathering stage, it was still the Qi Gathering stage, there was only a difference in strength rather than a qualitative change.


    So the question arose.


    Why was the Bai family master so powerful compared to other Qi Gathering cultivators?


    The answer was soon revealed.


    In front of them, the final Qi Gathering cultivator was repelled by a single palm strike from the Bai family master, who slowly raised his head.


    Unknowingly, his eyes turned into a deep red, emanating a menacing aura that made people shiver.


    Witnessing this scene, those who were knowledgeable began to gasp.


    "Reverse Blood Pill."


    The face of a heavily injured Qi Gathering cultivator from the Cao family turned pale, looking at the dramatically changed Bai family master in front of him, his arms beginning to tremble, "You actually have such a unique pill."


    "Those who consume the Reverse Blood Pill will lose at least ten years of their lifespan."


    Someone gritted their teeth, "You knew we were coming from the beginning, so you deliberately took this pill and waited for us to come to you?"


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 173: Pre-Natal Entry

    All the actions of the Patriarch of the White Family here were observed by them, and they paid special attention throughout.So they remembered very clearly that the Patriarch of the White Family did not have any chance or action to swallow the elixir.


    Since he did not swallow it when he was here, he had already swallowed the elixir before they acted, ready to come and wait for them to come to him.


    Even before this celebration took place, the other party had already made preparations.


    This is really something.


    The Blood Reversal Pill is a unique miraculous pill. It requires extremely strict conditions to refine, and only a few alchemists can refine it, which is extremely rare.


    And the effect of this thing is also very obvious, it can quickly increase strength and erupt with extraordinary combat power within a few hours.


    The effect is very obvious.


    But the price, of course, is also very obvious.


    Once swallowed, it basically means ten years of lifespan gone.


    Top-notch life-shortening effect.


    This is also because the Patriarch of the White Family is young and strong. Otherwise, if someone else swallows the pill, they might die after the effect wears off.


    A typical desperate good medicine.


    "You already knew we were going to make a move?"


    Someone looked at Bai Li incredulously, seeming to find it very unbelievable.


    "Of course,"


    Facing the expressions of these people, Bai Li sighed silently, "I''m not a fool, of course I can guess that someone would be unfriendly and ready to make a move."


    "I just didn''t expect that this time, so many fish would be hooked."


    He looked around, surveyed the surroundings, and a sigh of regret appeared on his face, "There are ten Qi Masters here. I''m afraid that most of the Qi Masters from Shang Yuan County are here."


    "You are really flattering me."


    "But it''s also good."


    As he spoke, a smile appeared on his face, "Take advantage of this opportunity to catch you all in one fell swoop, and prevent you from lurking afterwards."


    "Otherwise, if you obey and behave, I might find it a bit difficult to take action against you."


    His indifferent words fell all around, making everyone''s faces look extremely ugly.


    They originally thought that the White Family''s enthusiastic summoning, even actively inviting them to participate in the celebration, was careless and underestimated, and they never thought anyone would dare to make a move.


    As a result, they never expected that the White Family had set up a trap deliberately to lure out all these potentially dangerous individuals.


    This is a fishing law!


    And unfortunately, they took the bait.


    "After you leave, the affairs of Shang Yuan will be under the control of my White Family."


    Bai Li''s face showed a faint smile, "I have to thank you all for your cooperation."


    "You..."


    Someone couldn''t help but feel angry and disapprove of his arrogant attitude, "Bai Li, after taking the Blood Reversal Pill, your lifespan is doomed to be short-lived. Sooner or later, you will come down to accompany us!"


    No matter what, the damage of the Blood Reversal Pill to the body is real.


    A Qi Master''s lifespan is only a hundred years, even if the Patriarch of the White Family is still strong at the moment, he cannot withstand too much consumption.


    From a normal point of view, even if they are dealt with, the Patriarch of the White Family will probably not live long.


    "What about it?"


    The Patriarch of the White Family immediately smiled, looking indifferent, "Under normal circumstances, it is naturally so."


    "But with the Pure Spirit Flower here, it can make up for my deficiency and even go further."


    His expression gradually became indifferent, "When I advance to the Pre-Natal stage, break the barrier, these ten-odd years of lifespan won''t amount to much."


    Yes, there is also the Pure Spirit Flower.


    The Patriarch of the White Family''s cultivation is only one step away from the Pre-Natal stage.


    As long as he has the Pure Spirit Flower in hand, his chances of advancing to the Pre-Natal stage will be greatly increased.


    Even if his body withers away, he can still regain vitality in the end.


    People all around were utterly hopeless.


    This celebration, which seemed like a great opportunity, turned out to be a trap deliberately set up by the White Family.


    It was meant to catch all these potential troublemakers.


    After all, nowadays, everything needs to be done in a reputable way.


    If they take the initiative, there will still be some problems, not only in terms of reputation, but also in the risk of arousing public outrage and being targeted by outside forces.


    But setting a trap for these people to take the initiative, that would be much more convenient.


    After all, it is them who initiated the attack, and we are just retaliating, right?


    It''s all part of the plan.


    Casually suppressing the few opponents in front of him, Bai Li continued forward, ready to suppress the remaining Qi Masters one by one.


    During this process, some people had the thought of escaping.


    But the other elders of the White Family were not dead, and they were all fighting hard now.


    Compared to the Patriarch of the White Family, who was a tough guy, the other elders of the White Family were quite weak, each of them being just ordinary in terms of their Qi Master level.


    But no matter how weak they were, they were still Qi Masters, and they could still cling to their opponents when fighting desperately.


    Even those with stronger strength needed some time to break free from them.


    And this small gap was enough for the Patriarch of the White Family to take action and suppress the remaining few.


    "What a great play."


    Chen An looked at everything with interest.


    The current development was unexpected to him.


    He thought that the White Family had let their guard down, so they allowed the enemy to enter.


    But looking at the situation now, it was clear that they had planned this and set it up intentionally.


    As for why they didn''t inform Chen An?


    Probably because they still didn''t trust him, so they were afraid he would leak the information.


    On this point, Chen An remained calm in his heart and didn''t think much of it.


    After all, he wouldn''t say it either.


    Such confidential information should be known to as few people as possible.


    In fact, thinking to the extreme, it''s possible that even the other elders of the White Family didn''t know the information.


    After all, just now, the surprised and frightened expressions on the faces of the White Family elders did not seem fake.


    The Patriarch of the White Family had probably managed this on his own.


    From this perspective, he was indeed a tough guy.


    Unfortunately.


    Chen An looked towards the sky, already looking forward to the unfolding of the situation.


    Because if what Liang Yao said was accurate, there would be the arrival of a Pre-Natal Master in this changing situation.


    Once a Pre-Natal Master appeared, the situation would be different.


    The Patriarch of the White Family was indeed formidable, but in Chen An''s view, he couldn''t be as formidable as a Pre-Natal Master.


    The gap between Qi Master and Pre-Natal Master is too large.


    Let''s see how the situation evolves.


    Whispering to himself, Chen An flashed this thought in his mind.


    The situation in front of him was still changing dramatically.


    The Patriarch of the White Family made a reckless move, easily suppressing the remaining Qi Masters with a wave of his hand.


    This terrifying strength made people take notice.


    To have such amazing display of power, the effect of the Blood Reversal Pill was undoubtedly important, but the Patriarch of the White Family''s own strength was also not to be underestimated.


    After all, no matter how strong the enhancement was, it was futile without a solid foundation.


    Before this, the Patriarch of the White Family had most likely already reached the half-step Pre-Natal level, just one step away from Pre-Natal.


    It was this strength, combined with the Blood Reversal Pill, that had likely already given rise to his terrifying power.


    Being able to suppress ten Qi Masters, his current strength might not even be much weaker than a Pre-Natal Master in some aspects.


    Of course, this was just a comparison, and in reality, his combat power was still far inferior.


    "Supress these people and then deal with them later."


    After suppressing the last Qi Master, the Patriarch of the White Family spoke coldly.


    "Yes."


    Everyone nodded around him, looking at the Patriarch of the White Family with awe in their eyes.


    The eyes of all the White Family members were full of admiration, almost treating this Patriarch as a deity at this moment.


    The ten Qi Masters just now could already represent most of the power within Shang Yuan County.


    To put it bluntly, this power might be even stronger than the forces controlled by the Emperor of Da Liang.


    But despite this, they were easily suppressed by the Patriarch of the White Family.


    How could this power not be considered crazy?


    Even the other White Family elders couldn''t help but show fear and looked at the Patriarch of the White Family.


    Previously, during the ten Qi Masters'' siege, they didn''t feel anything, even with such a large formation.


    But now when facing a Pre-Natal Master, they couldn''t help but retreat.


    There was no way around it, people are known by the company they keep.


    Faced with the power of a Pre-Natal Master, the elders of the White Family had all heard of it to some extent, considering themselves knowledgeable.


    Since they understood the opponent''s strength, fear was inevitable.


    The Patriarch of the White Family''s elders were now somewhat regretful.


    They still remembered Chen An''s advice.


    At that time, they didn''t take it seriously, thinking that with the White Family''s power, even if all the noble families in Shang Yuan County attacked together, they would have the ability to deal with it. But now, facing a Pre-Natal Master, they couldn''t help but hesitate.


    There was nothing they could do; the tree is known by its fruit.


    It seems that they became aware of the situation only after the crisis had passed.


    "Who are you, sir?"


    The Patriarch of the White Family dragged his heavy body, his gaze fixed on the old man in front of him, and asked in a deep voice.


    "Leader, you are too polite. I am surnamed Ning, with a single name - Ming."


    In front of the Patriarch of the White Family, the old man in simple clothing looked very polite, matching the rustic look on his face, making him appear kind and approachable.


    But listening to his words, everyone''s heart sank.


    Ning Ming, this name was not just an ordinary name.


    In this world, there are Heaven, Earth, and People Rankings.


    The People Ranking counts the young and talented individuals.


    The Earth Ranking is for the Qi Masters.


    As for the Heaven Ranking, it is about the Pre-Natal Masters.


    Anyone who ranks in the Heaven Ranking is mostly a Pre-Natal level figure.


    And Ning Ming''s name is listed in the Heaven Ranking.


    In other words, he is a true Pre-Natal Master.


    This was a critical situation.


    The elders of the White Family felt fear, their eyes falling on the Patriarch of the White Family.


    Just a while ago, while facing ten Qi Masters, they didn''t think much of it. Even with such a massive momentum, it was all over now.


    But now, facing a Pre-Natal Master, they couldn''t help but want to retreat.


    Unfortunately, the news about the Pre-Natal Master''s arrival was not passed on to them on time.


    The heavy pressure swept in and pressed upon them, crossing over each person''s chest.


    Before them, a figure slowly emerged.


    The figure looked very old, the whole body was not tall, at least much shorter than the Patriarch of the White Family.


    He was dressed in a black robe, looking very frail and old. At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary old man, even his eyes were very muddy and filled with spots.


    If this old man was seen elsewhere, most likely 8 or 9 out of 10 people would take him for an ordinary passerby and ignore him.


    But it was such an old man who had just completely defeated the Patriarch of the White Family, even causing him to be seriously injured.


    This was quite unusual.


    The situation that had to come finally arrived.


    Watching this scene, Chen An sighed silently.


    On the old man''s body, he felt a familiar atmosphere.


    That was the unique aura of a Pre-Natal Master, very special, different from the Qi Masters.


    In other words, the old man standing in front of him was a genuine Pre-Natal Master.


    This was definitely beyond the scope of expectations.


    Just now, the battle seemed fierce, with ten Qi Masters appearing one after another, but they were still within the Qi Master level.


    But now, a Pre-Natal Master directly appeared.


    Furthermore, the opponent didn''t make a move too early or too late, choosing to strike when the effects of the Blood Reversal Pill were about to wear off, and the Patriarch of the White Family was weakened.


    He was indeed a cunning old fox.


    Seeing this, most likely he had been hiding nearby all along, observing the situation from various angles.


    Just like Chen An and the others.


    "Who are you, sir?"


    The Patriarch of the White Family stared at the old man, trying to discern his identity.


    The atmosphere was tense, with everyone holding their breath as they awaited the unexpected outcome.


    Actually, that''s how it is.


    Relying on the terrifying strength of the Patriarch of the White Family, even if ten Qi Masters attacked together, it was still effortless, and he emerged victorious in the end.


    Seeing the Patriarch advancing to the Pre-Natal stage, dominating the entire Shang Yuan County was within reach, unexpectedly a real Pre-Natal Master appeared.


    This was dumbfounding.


    If they had known that a Pre-Natal Master would really appear at this celebration, they would never have waited until this moment.


    They would have taken the Pure Spirit Flower long ago.


    The elders were filled with regret.


    But at this point, regret seemed to be useless.


    The other party clearly came for the Pure Spirit Flower.


    "Would the clan leader be willing to give up the flower?"


    Ning Ming spoke up, his face showing some apology, "I am already old and have little life left. The Pure Spirit Flower could extend my life. Would you be willing to give it up?"


    "As compensation, I am willing to make an exchange, you can ask for whatever you want."


    The Patriarch of the White Family''s expression changed, his hands and feet were twitching by now.


    What did this mean?


    You are old and need the Pure Spirit Flower to extend your life, does that mean he no longer needs it?


    He had just swallowed the Blood Reversal Pill, and without the Pure Spirit Flower to replenish his lifespan, he would likely be in trouble.


    If someone dared to say this in front of him, he would probably punch them right away.


    But in the face of a true Pre-Natal Master, even the tough guy like the Patriarch of the White Family hesitated for a moment before speaking.


    "Since the senior needs it, the junior will offer it with both hands."


    "However."


    He paused, hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "The junior has just swallowed the Blood Reversal Pill and also needs the Pure Spirit Flower to extend his life"


    "How about this. We split this Pure Spirit Flower in half, with one half each, the senior can take one half and leave. Would that be acceptable?"


    In the end, the Patriarch of the White Family made a concession.


    There was no other choice. If he didn''t, the other party would probably teach him a lesson.


    A fist is the law, in a situation where he was outmatched, he could only compromise.


    Although he only had half of the Pure Spirit Flower, he would most likely still be able to undergo this transformation.


    It''s just that people like Bai Changming may not be able to benefit from it.


    But at this point, people like Bai Changming were no longer important.


    After all, with the Patriarch''s life at stake, he couldn''t spare a thought for his son.


    The Patriarch considered he had made a concession, but unfortunately, the other party was not appreciative.


    "No."


    Ning Ming smiled, a kind smile on his old face, looking very approachable.


    But his words made people involuntarily clench their fists.


    (The end of this chapter) S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 174: Interference

    "The old man is too old, just half a pure spirit flower, can''t really fulfill the effect, I''m afraid my lifespan won''t last long."Ning Ming sighed, looking like an ordinary old man, making people can''t help but feel sympathy.


    However, the words he said made the people of the Bai family present feel angry.


    "Compared to the old man, Master Bai, you are still young after all. Compared to me, an old man, it is even harder for you to endure. You don''t need to go through this trouble."


    He sighed deeply and said, "Rest assured, after I extend my life, I will travel all over the place for you to find another pure spirit flower."


    "By then, both of us will be happy, won''t we?"


    Happy my ass!


    At this moment, even the temper of the Bai family master couldn''t help but feel like scolding.


    What a brash young man.


    You are Innate, with a lifespan of two hundred years, he is just Qi Energy, at most he can live for a hundred years.


    You just look old, if you really want to compare, you could probably outlast this Qi Energy of his.


    Not to mention he has also swallowed the reverse blood pill, without a pure spirit flower in the future, he probably won''t survive for many more years.


    Traveling all over the mountains and rivers to find another pure spirit flower for me?


    If pure spirit flowers were so easy to find, would you deliberately wait here?


    By the time you find the next one, his bones will have turned to dust!


    That''s just shameless!


    He cursed in his heart, not knowing what to say at this moment.


    In the distance, Chen An couldn''t help but look sideways.


    "Are all the people on the Heavenly Ranking like this?"


    His face was strange as he looked at Liang Yao beside him.


    He didn''t comment on the actions of Master Bai''s family.


    But the tactics of Mr. Ning Ming at the moment seemed a bit shameless, didn''t they?


    To freeload and then more, and to act so affable and amiable.


    Although Chen An didn''t consider himself an honest person, it was difficult for him to be like the other party.


    After all, he still had a bit of face.


    "Perhaps."


    Liang Yao''s face also showed some hesitation, as if she was not sure.


    In front of them, Master Bai''s family finally fell silent.


    Faced with such shameless behavior, he didn''t know what to say at this moment.


    A shameless man is invincible.


    On top of being shameless, the other party also had a strong strength.


    This made things more difficult.


    He was definitely not going to win in a fight.


    After all, the other party is Innate, even at his peak, he probably wouldn''t be a match, let alone now.


    The other party deliberately avoided the period of strength after he swallowed the reverse blood pill, and chose to act now, indicating that they had malicious intentions.


    Master Bai was sure that the other party had been lurking around for a while, maybe even several days, waiting for this moment.


    So, should he just give up?


    Faced with an enemy who was impossible to defeat, it seemed like a rational choice to give up.


    But, he was not willing to accept it.


    A severe pain started to emerge within his body.


    This was the aftermath of swallowing the reverse blood pill, which was now beginning to manifest.


    Swallowing the reverse blood pill would cause severe damage to the body and significantly reduce lifespan.


    Originally, he was planning to use the pure spirit flower to counteract the side effects of the reverse blood pill.


    But now, the pure spirit flower was being targeted by someone.


    Master Bai knew that if he couldn''t get the pure spirit flower this time, he would probably die in a few years.


    Moreover, considering the other party''s style, once they got their hands on the pure spirit flower, would they spare him and the entire Bai family?


    This was not just a random thought, but a reasonable assumption.


    After all, from the previous behavior, the other party was already quite bad.


    Since they were bad people, wouldn''t it be reasonable for them to do bad things?


    Anyway, if it were him, if he took something from someone else, he would definitely eradicate any potential threats.


    But what about the other party?


    Various thoughts flashed through his mind.


    But the other party didn''t wait for his thoughts.


    "Now that you have agreed, I will not be polite."


    Seeing Master Bai standing there dazed, Ning Ming smiled warmly and walked directly towards the pure spirit flower.


    It seemed that he was already assuming that the Bai family had agreed.


    The elders of the Bai family dared not speak out in anger, and even the glare of some younger people was suppressed by the fearful elders, afraid of attracting trouble.


    Ning Ming approached step by step.


    In front of him, the pure spirit flower was radiant, each petal was so beautiful, emitting a mysterious fragrance that made people intoxicated.


    Looking at such a beautiful treasure, the smile on Ning Ming''s face became even more radiant, looking very excited.


    At this moment, the Bai family master also finally made a move.


    "Wait."


    The steady voice of the Bai family master came from the front.


    Ning Ming turned as if he had sensed it, looking to the side, he just happened to see the Bai family master''s fist coming towards him.


    Instantly, a smile appeared on his face, without any special movement, he just reached out with one hand.


    Boom!


    The strong Qi energies collided, and the two figures clashed at that moment.


    The Bai family master''s figure looked much more burly and tall than Ning Ming.


    Under normal circumstances, the Bai family master''s punch would probably have left the old man disabled. It could have been a disaster.


    However, the combat between warriors is not determined by physique.


    Cultivation is much more important than size.


    So the outcome of their clash was self-evident.


    Sounds of clashing rang out, spreading far and wide, almost covering the entire Bai family territory and enveloping everyone within it.


    For a moment, the Bai family members around them kept retreating.


    It was fortunate that due to the previous battle, there were not many people left in the area. Apart from the Bai family elders, there were only a few elite members left.


    So there wasn''t too much damage.


    Otherwise, the aftermath of their clash alone could have destroyed half of the Bai family.


    The Bai family master''s figure kept retreating, his face looking extremely pale as if devoid of any blood.


    Intense pain spread throughout his body, but he just grunted and pushed through. It seemed like he didn''t care much.


    One could only say that he was a true tough guy.


    Ning Ming couldn''t help but look astonished, seemingly surprised by how the Bai family master was unfazed.


    "You have quite the strength."


    He smiled, "But since you decided to make a move against me first, I won''t be polite either."


    "This is what you forced me to do."


    He chuckled softly, still smiling as he spoke, maintaining a harmonious demeanor.


    The Bai family master snorted, "There''s no need for pretense."


    "Although your killing intent is well hidden, do you really think I haven''t noticed?"


    "Even if I don''t make a move, once you get the pure spirit flower, you will definitely come after my Bai family."


    "Instead of sitting back and waiting for death, it''s better to fight back."


    He spoke coldly, partly retorting and partly explaining.


    Behind him, the faces of the Bai family elders looked grim.


    They were unclear whether what Master Bai said was true or false.


    But either way, things had evolved to a point where they couldn''t be easily resolved.


    This situation couldn''t be avoided.


    "Why bother thinking like this, Master Bai."


    Ning Ming sighed lightly, "It''s better to resolve conflicts with adversaries. I didn''t originally plan to take action now, I was even planning to give you a few more years to live."


    "Isn''t it better to live peacefully and live a few more years without any trouble?"


    "It''s really troublesome."


    He sighed deeply, and finally stopped acting.


    Indeed, from the beginning, he had no intention of letting the Bai family off, just as Master Bai had said.


    The hearts of the Bai family members turned cold, feeling a chill at that moment.


    "Enough talk."


    The posture of the Bai family master remained unchanged, still indifferent, like a lone wolf.


    "The might of the Innate, I have heard much about it, and I will witness it today."


    "You will witness it."


    The plain words were spoken.


    Ning Ming''s smile gradually disappeared, becoming much more plain.


    At the next moment, he made a move.


    Without any warning, he made a move directly, his seemingly skinny arm stretching out towards the front.


    With a loud bang, a strong noise erupted, a powerful aura roaring and making people feel particularly frightened.


    The terrifying power of the heavens and earth swept over, accompanied by his own Innate Qi Energy, surpassing the strength of the Bai family master.


    Or rather, this was not a fair fight at all.


    Innate practitioners, in addition to their own Innate Qi Energy, could also draw upon the surrounding power of the heavens and earth to fight. Their strength was far superior to Qi Energy alone.


    Qi Energy could only use its own power, no matter how strong it was, how could it possibly match the overwhelming power of the external forces of the heavens and earth?


    It was impossible.


    Let alone Master Bai''s current poor condition, even if he was at his peak and had swallowed the reverse blood pill, he would never be a match for Ning Ming.


    This was something that Chen An understood the most.


    Sure enough, the outcome was quickly revealed.


    With one strike, the earth trembled.


    It seemed as though the entire world was roaring, with a powerful aura rising to the sky. The terrifying force spread out, making people feel shocked and fearful.


    Under the influence of this powerful force, the Bai family master''s body flew out.


    His strength was indeed great, even in the face of such an attack, he did not die. However, his body could not help but crack and he kept retreating.


    He looked seriously injured.


    Leaving aside everything else, just this formidable strength alone was already comparable to the first generation King of Law that Chen An had seen in the past.


    However, it still wasn''t enough in the end.


    "Quite tough."


    Ning Ming looked surprised, seemingly amazed at the Bai family master''s resilience, but then a smile appeared on his face again, "But what is this blow to you?"


    With that, he struck again with his palm.


    Invisible airflow surged in all directions, under the influence of his Qi Energy, this place was swept over, turning into invisible blades heading towards the Bai family master.


    If this strike landed, the result was self-evident.


    Even if the Bai family master had nine lives, it wouldn''t be enough to survive.


    Around them, the Bai family elders watched this scene, desperately rushing forward, trying to stand in front of Master Bai and block this strike.


    Their courage was commendable.


    However, their strength was still lacking.


    They couldn''t even block the aftermath of this strike, let alone the attack itself, and they were just sent flying.


    It was quite tragic.


    The mighty Qi Energy masters, who were considered top-tier outside, had become ordinary cannon fodder here, unable to even block the enemy''s casual attack.


    As the strike was about to land.


    The dust was about to settle.


    "Hmm?"


    On the side, Ning Ming suddenly paused.


    "Is it an illusion?"


    At this moment, he furrowed his brows, feeling a strange sensation.


    As an Innate, the sensitivity of his Qi was very powerful, able to easily sense things that others couldn''t.


    So at this moment, he felt something abnormal.


    It seemed like there was some inexplicable situation occurring around him, giving him this unique feeling.


    But what exactly was this feeling?


    He was not sure, feeling quite puzzled.


    It wasn''t until he turned around that he suddenly became alert.


    Behind him, the Pure Spirit Flower was quietly blooming there.


    Even during the confrontation with the Lord of the Bai family earlier, Ning Ming had been cautious in protecting it behind him, afraid that it might be affected, thus diminishing its effects.


    Originally, this should not have been a problem.


    After all, with his protection as an Innate, who would be able to sneak behind him quietly and take away the Pure Spirit Flower?


    But it turned out that it was possible.


    Not far behind him, a woman''s figure appeared, standing in front of the Pure Spirit Flower at this moment.


    It was clear that the woman''s movements were very careful, exuding a sense of caution in every move.


    At this moment, she was not far from the Pure Spirit Flower.


    If Ning Ming had not felt something amiss at this moment, she probably would have succeeded by now.


    How did she manage to get behind me?


    Looking at the woman in front of him, Ning Ming couldn''t help but have this thought in his mind.


    He couldn''t believe it.


    A powerful Innate expert like him had been silently circled from behind by someone.


    What kind of method was this?


    If the other party''s cultivation level was slightly higher, would they be able to attack him directly?


    Just thinking about this, anger rose in Ning Ming''s heart, and a hint of redness appeared on his face for the first time.


    He was enraged.


    "Thief!"


    Without any hesitation, he directly set down the Lord of the Bai family in front of him and rushed towards the direction where the Pure Spirit Flower was located.


    This was natural for him.


    To him, the Lord of the Bai family was nothing but an ant that could be crushed at any time.


    But the Pure Spirit Flower was invaluable.


    It was his hope for prolonging his lifespan, and once lost, he would probably never find another one.


    "Damn it!"


    Feeling the surging Qi behind him, Bai Qing cursed in her heart.


    She had been looking for an opportunity to sneak into the position where the Pure Spirit Flower was located since earlier.


    It wasn''t until Ning Ming went all out just now and all his attention was focused on the Lord of the Bai family that she found the fleeting gap and quietly sneaked in here.


    However, unfortunately, the Innate sensitivity of the other party was too keen, and he finally sensed her at a critical moment.


    But by this time, it was too late for her to retreat even if she wanted to.


    "No need to panic, just directly take down the Pure Spirit Flower."


    In her mind, the voice of Empress Luo Shan rang out, making her forcibly calm down: "Get ready, let me borrow your body for a while."


    "Okay." S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Without any hesitation, Bai Qing directly agreed.


    If this were an ordinary time, she would never agree to lend her body to Empress Luo Shan.


    After all, who knew what the other party wanted to do.


    What if she suddenly didn''t return it?


    But at this moment, it seemed that she had no other choice.


    If she didn''t lend her body to Empress Luo Shan, the consequences would be fatal.


    Empress Luo Shan couldn''t help but reveal a smile of joy.


    Finally, after so long, she had found another opportunity to force Bai Qing to lend her body.


    This was a good start.


    As long as she used Bai Qing''s body to fight this time, she could take the opportunity to leave more of her mark inside Bai Qing''s body.


    Although she still couldn''t completely control Bai Qing, at least she could prepare for the future.


    The longer it took, the less resistance Bai Qing would have against her.


    Slowly, one day, this body would become hers.


    At this moment, Empress Luo Shan seemed to be able to imagine the beautiful future.


    Unfortunately, she celebrated too early.


    "Hmm?"


    Bai Qing had already prepared to lend her body to Empress Luo Shan, but she had been waiting for Ning Ming to make a move.


    At the moment of action, the other party seemed to freeze in place, standing there motionless.


    Was this a sculpture?


    Not only Bai Qing, but even the others around were a bit bewildered at this moment.


    Barely getting up from the ground, the Lord of the Bai family looked at Ning Ming with some surprise.


    It seemed like his eyes were saying, why haven''t you made a move yet?


    It wasn''t until a moment later that they finally understood why.


    The vigorous power of the heavens and earth surged, rushing towards this place, completely covering the area.


    The land rumbled, a constant sound erupted.


    Come to think of it, Chen An''s figure stood in front of Bai Qing at this moment, wearing a white robe, giving off a somewhat immortal demeanor.


    In his hand, a silver long sword was still held, shining brightly under the influence of Qi, as bright as it could be.


    Ning Ming''s body stiffened for a moment, then began to tremble slightly.


    With a thud, he directly half-kneeled on the ground, his body seemed to start trembling slightly.


    Ice crystals spread from his body, constantly appearing and then dissipating, looking extraordinarily beautiful.


    But he didn''t care, just staring in horror at Chen An, "Innate?"


    "Who are you?"


    What?


    Another Innate?


    Everyone present was stunned, their eyes fixed on Chen An, then they slightly changed.


    Wait a minute, didn''t you say you were just a Qi Refiner? How did you become an Innate now?


    The several Bai family elders were also somewhat unable to react at this moment.


    They were aware of Chen An''s situation, knowing that he had encountered something extraordinary before and obtained the remnants of a Martial Saint, thus advancing to Qi Refiner.


    They didn''t think much about it before, after all, for someone of Chen An''s age, being able to advance to Qi Refiner at this time was already quite remarkable.


    As for being an Innate, it was something they didn''t even dare to imagine.


    But now it seemed that their imagination was not enough.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 175: End

    "YOU"Ning Ming glared angrily at Chen An, his eyes seemed to be filled with intense anger, with a hint of unknown meaning.


    "You, as a dignified innate expert, actually resort to sneak attacks, it is truly disrespectful!"


    One sentence, young people don''t respect martial ethics!


    Chen An was stunned by Ning Ming''s words.


    Wow.


    Where do you have the face to say this?


    The White Family Master just had a miserable look, you don''t care about the dignity of your innate status and resort to sneak attacks.


    How come now it is the young people who don''t respect martial ethics?


    Have you seen the White Family Master speak?


    Chen An twitched at the corner of his mouth, his gaze fell on the White Family Master in the distance.


    The White Family Master was standing next to several elders, surrounded by them.


    The backlash of the Reversing Blood Dan kept emerging, causing his whole body to be tormented at the moment.


    But even so, when he heard Ning Ming''s shameless remarks, he couldn''t help but twitch his mouth, as if he didn''t know what to say.


    This was also because he still wanted to save face, otherwise he would have cursed a long time ago.


    "This senior."


    Chen An sighed, ready to say something to clarify his doubts before the other party died.


    However, just as he was about to speak, he realized something was wrong.


    In front of him, several fine threads were rushing towards him.


    Upon closer inspection, these were several extremely fine silver needles.


    The silver needles were exquisitely crafted and very small, coupled with the fast speed at the moment, so they were not noticed by anyone.


    Chen An didn''t have time to do much, just subconsciously reached out his hand to block for a moment.


    "Haha!"


    Ning Ming''s face immediately changed, "Young people do not know their place, ultimately being careless."


    "This is a carefully tuned silver needle by me, with no less than five kinds of strange poisons. After I adjusted it, even an innate expert will be greatly affected."


    Everyone present felt a sudden tightness in their hearts.


    Five kinds of strange poisons mixed together, it sounded terrifying, could it really be fatal?


    However, they heard Ning Ming''s words continue.


    "If you are affected by my strange poison, even if you are an innate expert, if you do not detoxify early, you will be greatly affected for the rest of your life."


    Ning Ming sneered, "Young man, leave quickly, do not entangle with me here."


    What, it won''t be fatal after all.


    Then why exaggerate so much?


    Even with five kinds of strange poisons, he didn''t kill anyone.


    People around silently complained.


    Chen An also felt speechless.


    But he also knew that the reason why the poison didn''t kill anyone was not because the poison was weak, but because the constitution of an innate martial artist was too abnormal.


    If the difference in constitution between Astral Qi and ordinary people was not significant, then the difference between the constitution of an innate expert and an ordinary person was already quite large.


    In this case, few toxins could really kill an innate expert.


    Anyway, Chen An had never seen it before.


    Strange poisons that could have a great impact on innate experts like the one in front of him were already quite remarkable.


    At ordinary times, it might be a bit troublesome.


    However, Chen An slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed on the other party, his face looking somewhat strange.


    Then, under the puzzled gaze of the other party, he raised his hand.


    A faint sunlight fell, shining on Chen An, allowing everyone around to see his current appearance.


    In the palm of Chen An''s hand, a faint mist enveloped.


    A very thin layer of ice crystals covered Chen An''s arm, just because it fit well with his body, it was not noticed.


    And those silver needles?


    All were stuck.


    To prevent detection by the perception of Astral Qi, these silver needles were not manipulated by Ning Ming with Astral Qi, they should have been activated by a certain hidden weapon mechanism.


    For an innate existence, this was much more concealed than making a move oneself, and it made it easier for people to fall for it.


    But the corresponding strength was somewhat lacking.


    Coupled with Chen An''s early precautions, it ended up in this situation.


    "Do you have any more tricks?"


    Chen An''s face looked strange, carefully and carefully collecting all the silver needles and putting them aside.


    These silver needles were good stuff.


    Even the strange poison that could affect an expert below innate, for those beneath the innate level, it was definitely fatal.


    In a way, it was something very rare to come by in the world.


    Whether selling them directly or using them to plot against someone, it was a good choice.


    Seeing Chen An''s actions, Ning Ming''s face turned pale, becoming even uglier.


    Without saying much, just looking at Chen An''s appearance, he understood that Chen An had no real threat.


    Seeing Chen An''s cautious appearance, how could he look poisoned?


    This was also something he had overlooked.


    Although the Astral Qi of a general innate expert was powerful, it was still an invisible energy, condensed into nothingness.


    But Chen An''s Mystical Ice Qi could condense ice, forming a barrier on various parts of his body.


    In this way, it was difficult for hidden weapons like these silver needles to take effect.


    Of course, the premise was to be prepared in advance.


    Otherwise, the one who should have been poisoned would have been poisoned.


    But Chen An obviously had been prepared in advance.


    It was a matter of course.


    Who was he, he had always been the one to plot against others, when would others plot against him.


    Such a simple trick, would be surprising if it worked.


    "Do you have any more tricks?"


    Carefully removing the silver needles, Chen An looked somewhat expectantly at the other party.


    Yes, it was expectation.


    At this moment, he had completely treated the other party as a little boss with precious equipment.


    He had finally elevated to the innate level after much effort, and spent a lot of money, and he always had to find a way to make up for some losses, right?


    The current Ning Ming seemed like a good object to him.


    "Do you really want to take this road with me?"


    Ning Ming''s face turned pale, and after a while, he spoke in a deep voice, "There are many people on the Heavenly Rankings who are my good friends. Although I don''t know your background, I still advise you to be careful."


    "If we stop here, how about we make peace?"


    He spoke in a grave tone, his tone seeming to soften.


    Looking like this, he seemed to be ready to compromise.


    But he couldn''t just give in.


    After all, the display of ferocity by Chen An was too much.


    Clearly the difference in strength between the two sides was not too great, but when the other party made a move just now, he was injured in an instant, showing too much ferocity.


    He had to bow his head reluctantly, no matter what he thought.


    Ah


    In response to Ning Ming''s proposal, Chen An seemed a bit hesitant, "Then this Pure Spirit Flower?"


    Seeing Chen An''s seemingly hesitant attitude, Ning Ming felt relieved, and quickly spoke, "The things of heaven and earth should be respected by those with virtue."


    "If you want it, just take it."


    "But since you are in your prime, you may not need this life-extending item. If you are willing, I am willing to exchange several immortal relics for only one petal of the flower."


    He seemed to still not have given up on the idea of obtaining the Pure Spirit Flower for longevity.


    However, seeing Chen An''s ferocity just now, he naturally no longer had the thought of taking the entire Pure Spirit Flower, only wanting one petal of the flower.


    For him, one petal was just enough, enough to prolong his life for a considerable time.


    "Immortal relics, that''s not bad"


    Chen An nodded, seeming somewhat tempted.


    "So be it."


    The two sides instantly reached a consensus.


    The atmosphere on the spot became much more harmonious.


    Not far away, the White Family members watched this scene with anxiety.


    Looking at Chen An in the distance, they wanted to say something, but given Chen An''s display of power just now, they didn''t dare to speak out.


    There was no way, power was paramount in this day and age.


    For the current members of the White Family, Chen An''s status and authority had soared infinitely, to the point where they dare not speak loudly while looking at Chen An''s face.


    This was also about being pragmatic.


    After all, for them, in a sense, everyone''s lives were in Chen An''s hands, so they naturally dared not say too much.


    Chen An was much more accommodating than they had imagined.


    This made Ning Ming feel somewhat relaxed.


    But he relaxed too early.


    If Chen An''s former enemies were standing here, they would probably have run away without a word, they wouldn''t have hesitated at all despite Chen An''s display of goodwill.


    After all, they had already suffered losses.


    But Ning Ming evidently did not have similar experiences.


    He was already very cautious, even though he had reached a consensus with Chen An, he still kept a certain distance from him.


    But unless he left immediately, the outcome was already determined.


    A moment later, Ning Ming looked at Chen An who suddenly appeared behind him, his face showing astonishment.


    "How did you"


    There was astonishment on his face, with a hint of incredulity, as his body silently fell down.


    As for Ning Ming, he did not find it surprising that Chen An suddenly made a move.


    After all, everyone was experienced in such situations and naturally had corresponding preparations, so it wasn''t completely unexpected.


    But even with a defense, he was still hit by Chen An, who found an opportunity to strike him.


    Until his body fell to the ground, he still couldn''t understand how Chen An had managed to get behind him.


    Why didn''t his strong Astral Qi sense Chen An this time?


    In response to this question, Chen An''s answer was actually quite simple.


    The Mystical Ice Force was not just an ordinary innate technique.


    As a heritage left by Emperor Taizu of the Great Song, in addition to the cultivation methods, there were also corresponding concealment techniques for hiding one''s aura.


    Chen An had already practiced this technique to proficiency long ago, so it wasn''t too difficult to momentarily deceive his opponent''s Astral Qi sense.


    Of course, Ning Ming relied too much on his own Astral Qi sense, which was also a problem.


    In fact, even Chen An himself had not expected that he would succeed so easily.


    "Feeling a bit weak."


    Looking at Ning Ming who had silently fallen, Chen An felt a bit speechless, suddenly feeling that he had wasted his efforts.


    For this battle today, he had prepared an escape route, as well as made preparations to forcibly elevate his strength by consuming his energy, in all aspects, everything was done to be foolproof.


    To prepare for such a long time, the result was getting this guy?


    So weak, how did you make it to the Heavenly Rankings?


    Chen An was puzzled and thoughtful.


    He realized that he had spent a lot of money on source energy.


    Up to this day, he had practiced up to the third layer of Astral Qi, but he was still far from reaching the innate level.


    So his current innate cultivation was not achieved by his own cultivation, but by forcibly raising it through source energy.


    It took a full two hundred units of source energy.


    Two hundred source energies, Chen An still felt a bit heartbroken at this number even now.


    The result was just for this guy?


    Chen An felt a bit speechless.


    Of course, despite being speechless, this money had to be spent.


    After all, Ning Ming might be weak, but it was only relative to an innate expert.


    For a normal innate expert, Ning Ming might seem weak, but in terms of Astral Qi, there was an insurmountable gap.


    Even a fierce man like the White Family Master, before swallowing the Reverse Blood Dan earlier, he probably couldn''t--- S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    No, wait.


    As he thought, Chen An suddenly realized something.


    Judging by Ning Ming''s performance just now, if the White Family Master had made a move against him when he was at his peak strength, he might not have lost.


    Wow.


    No wonder you are an innate expert, yet you only made a move when the White Family Master was weak.


    It turns out you''re really weak.


    Shaking his head silently, Chen An pondered for a moment, and finally reached out his hand to resolve the already unconscious Ning Ming.


    "Are you okay?"


    After doing all this, he turned around and looked at Bai Qing not far away.


    Bai Qing stood there, looking at Chen An''s gaze and shook her head, her eyes showing a thick strangeness.


    "You did a great thing."


    After a moment, she smiled, "Thank you again for saving me."


    "It''s nothing."


    Chen An also smiled.


    Then, he turned his gaze and looked ahead.


    To be precise, it was on the Pure Spirit Flower.


    Without any hesitation, he directly picked the Pure Spirit Flower.


    Swish


    A wave of strange fluctuations appeared, rippling in the area.


    With the Pure Spirit Flower finally being picked, many of the strange phenomena in this place seemed to gradually calm down, gradually returning to normal.


    Everything was gradually settling down.


    In the distance, the eyes of the White Family members were firmly fixed on Chen An.


    Of course, some people''s gazes were focused on the Pure Spirit Flower, like the White Family Master.


    But at this point, nobody had any hope for the flower.


    If it were an ordinary person, they might still have some naivety, but the people standing here were mostly experienced veterans and would not be dreaming.


    (Chapter End)

 Chapter 176: Reaching Consensus

    "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?"Chen An furrowed his brows, looking at Bai Qing.


    He had observed Bai Qing''s situation all along and knew about the various problems she had.


    However, he never expected that the issues on Bai Qing were so serious.


    He thought it was just a simple coincidence, but it turned out to be a dangerous situation.


    An ancient soul lurking inside her body, ready to possess her at any moment.


    This was not just a coincidence; it was a disaster.


    "At that time, it was meaningless to say, not only useless, but it would have easily implicated others."


    Bai Qing smiled, "Now, there is naturally no problem."


    Chen An suddenly understood.


    In the end, it was all about strength.


    Previously, Chen An had only displayed his powerful aura, which was already strong, but it might not have been enough to intimidate the ancient entity inside Bai Qing.


    Naturally, Bai Qing would not have disclosed these matters.


    After all, there was a sin in this world, knowing too much.


    Being weak but knowing too much was a grave sin in itself. s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Qing would rather bear all the burdens alone than add pressure to others.


    As for now, with Chen An exhibiting his innate strength, the situation naturally changed.


    "The intentions of Princess Changping are not pure, but in some aspects, she is somewhat similar to you."


    Chen An looked at Bai Qing, "She is very purposeful in her actions, everything she does is to achieve her goals."


    As he spoke, he also informed Bai Qing about everything regarding Liang Yao.


    Including Liang Yao''s past attempts to harm Bai Qing, as well as her efforts to collect treasures and news about going to a different realm.


    Without surprise, even Bai Qing was stunned by this information.


    After all, it was too horrifying.


    Predicting the future? How could such a thing be possible?


    "No, it is possible!"


    Inside her body, the voice of the Empress Luo Shan suddenly sounded, becoming active at that moment.


    Seeing this, it seemed that even the Empress Luo Shan was not honest in her sleep when Bai Qing and Chen An were together, she was eavesdropping the entire time.


    She just hadn''t spoken up.


    But when she heard something she was interested in, she couldn''t help but speak up, "Foreseeing the future, if I remember correctly, there is only one thing that can do it."


    "That girl has obtained the inheritance of the Destiny Scripture!"


    "The Destiny Scripture?"


    Bai Qing remained silent, just silently noted down the name, "What is that?"


    "It is a top-tier inheritance in the world."


    Empress Luo Shan spoke, "From ancient times to the present, many people have obtained the corresponding inheritance of the Destiny Scripture, but they are not complete."


    "If that girl can have the power of foreknowledge, it is likely that she obtained a part of the inheritance of the Destiny Scripture, otherwise it would not be possible to achieve this level."


    "Indeed."


    After hearing this, Bai Qing also furrowed her brows.


    Indeed, there were all kinds of wonders in the world.


    She thought that even someone like Empress Luo Shan, who had been dead for countless years and could continue to exist and even attempted to possess others for another life, was already unique enough.


    She didn''t expect there would be a special existence like the Destiny Scripture.


    She relayed what Empress Luo Shan had said to Chen An, and unsurprisingly, he was equally shocked.


    "Such an inheritance exists in the world."


    Chen An couldn''t help but be surprised.


    Previously, he had speculated about Liang Yao''s situation.


    But he had thought that the situation on Liang Yao might be a unique ability, just like his own upgrade template, both were unique powers.


    But now, hearing this, he realized that this was actually a unique inheritance.


    This was quite something.


    The Destiny Scripture could break the fate of the world and see the future.


    In other words, if the Destiny Scripture was cultivated to a profound level, everyone could possess foreknowledge, as if everyone had an extra cheat code for predicting the future.


    How could others play with this?


    It was truly extreme.


    "It''s not that simple."


    In contrast to Chen An, Bai Qing had calmed down by now.


    From Empress Luo Shan''s words, she had learned more information and understood that this situation was not possible.


    "This top-tier inheritance is extremely strict to cultivate."


    She spoke softly, "Moreover, since ancient times, the inheritance of the Destiny Scripture has been scattered far and wide, and few people have obtained it."


    "If someone who does not meet the requirements obtains the inheritance of the Destiny Scripture, even if they get it, it is mostly useless and can only guard the treasure mountain in vain."


    "Indeed."


    Chen An nodded his head.


    Thinking about it carefully, it made sense.


    If an inheritance like the Destiny Scripture was so easy to cultivate, it would probably have dominated the world ages ago, leaving no room for competition from others.


    And judging from Liang Yao''s appearance, the Destiny Scripture was not omnipotent. Although it could predict some parts of the future, it could not know everything.


    "She has various treasures on her, and even if I were to take action against her, there is no absolute certainty."


    Chen An spoke, candidly expressing his thoughts.


    If possible, he actually preferred to take action, but he simply did not have full confidence in capturing Liang Yao completely.


    And once she escaped, it would be equivalent to tearing up their faces, which would create additional trouble in the future.


    "You are right."


    Bai Qing nodded, "For such people, if you can''t kill them with one blow, it''s best not to act."


    "If you want to go after her, I will fully support you."


    Chen An looked at Bai Qing and said so.


    He had not forgotten the scene where Liang Yao had sent someone to attack Bai Qing.


    Although it was not a good choice to take action against Liang Yao, being assassinated ultimately affected Bai Qing.


    If Bai Qing wanted revenge, he would fully cooperate.


    "No need."


    Bai Qing looked at Chen An, "Instead of seeking revenge, I am more interested in the alternate realm she mentioned."


    Chen An nodded and continued speaking, revealing the information he knew one by one.


    Of course, he did not know much, most of it was what Liang Yao had told him.


    But for the two of them, this basic information was enough.


    After listening to Chen An''s account, Bai Qing lowered her head in contemplation.


    On the surface, she looked as if she was lost in thought.


    However, in reality...


    "Agree to her!"


    In her mind, the voice of Empress Luo Shan sounded again, sounding very excited, "Follow this woman and go to that alternate realm together!"


    Her attitude was too enthusiastic, to the point that Bai Qing was somewhat suspicious.


    After all, from her experience, anything that Empress Luo Shan was interested in was usually not a good thing.


    "Don''t worry, this time I don¡¯t intend to harm you."


    Helpless, Empress Luo Shan had to explain.


    Empress Luo Shan had been dead for many years.


    To return to life, she needed to find a body that matched her own and take it over before she could continue on the path of cultivation.


    Bai Qing was originally her target.


    This target was originally very suitable, not only in terms of various conditions but also in terms of talent, it was more than suitable for possession.


    The only problem was, she was just not cooperating.


    Well, in fact, it was more than just a matter of cooperation.


    Bai Qing never even gave her a chance.


    Compared to others, Bai Qing was overly vigilant, causing Empress Luo Shan to try to hide in Bai Qing¡¯s body for so long without finding any opportunities.


    The few opportunities that she did have were all disrupted by Chen An.


    This was really frustrating.


    However, in the original situation, as long as she continued to be in the current environment, even if Bai Qing was difficult to deal with, Empress Luo Shan would have no choice but to proceed.


    After all, this world was still in the early stages of transformation, and the natural energy of Heaven and Earth had not yet recovered. She needed to find a body that was top-tier in talent and perfectly matched her own to possess under such conditions.


    Without Bai Qing, she might not find another suitable candidate.


    There was simply no choice, she had to go for it.


    But now, the information provided by Chen An seemed to give her a completely new choice.


    To go to another realm where the energy was flourishing!


    In a realm where the energy was flourishing, there were bound to be many outstanding talents, and the spiritual bodies that were almost extinct in this realm, could possibly be found everywhere in another realm.


    If she could go to the other realm, Empress Luo Shan could find a new candidate without being restricted by Bai Qing.


    "This is the best choice."


    Empress Luo Shan was excited and persuaded, "I must find a suitable body to continue cultivating, otherwise I will die sooner or later."


    "If I continue to stay in you, the best outcome for both of us is mutual destruction."


    That was the truth.


    If Empress Luo Shan continued to stay in Bai Qing, the ultimate outcome would be either she possessed Bai Qing or she perished in the end.


    The former, of course, does not need to be elaborated on; if someone is possessed, they would naturally have no future.


    The latter may sound good, but the process definitely won''t be pleasant.


    Because, like a trapped beast fighting back, especially an ancient monster that had survived for so long?


    Even if Empress Luo Shan ultimately perished, she would definitely not let Bai Qing live in peace and might even directly disable her.


    This was the ending where both parties were harmed.


    Instead of that, it was better to cooperate and go to the alternate realm together.


    In doing so, Bai Qing could cultivate in the alternate realm, even gaining the assistance of Empress Luo Shan.


    Empress Luo Shan could find a new body with Bai Qing''s assistance and continue on the path of cultivation.


    This would be a win-win situation!


    "How can you guarantee?"


    Bai Qing finally was moved.


    After all, the current situation was very clear.


    If she continued to oppose Empress Luo Shan, the future outcome would be far from pleasant.


    Her experiences during this period had already proven this.


    Thinking about it carefully, she had lost her cultivation during this period and even experienced madness and frenzy; her experiences were terrible enough.


    But if Empress Luo Shan continued to stay in her, the future would be even more troublesome.


    Although cooperation was an option, trust was an issue.


    Cooperation was one thing, but vigilance was also important.


    Otherwise, with one slip-up, she might lose everything, with no chance to start over.


    "Weren''t you trying to cultivate that ancient method?"


    Empress Luo Shan''s voice continued to sound, "In the days to come, you continue to cultivate and directly use this ancient method to refine Qi."


    "As long as you refine your Qi, can''t you be at ease?"


    The body required for possession must be a highly compatible one, and it was quite stringent.


    How strict was it?


    Even if the two people cultivated different methods, the type of Qi they refined would affect the success rate of possession.


    This was why many people preparing for possession would play the role of grandparents; because this was the only way to ensure that the final body that was created was appropriate.


    If one somehow refined the wrong type of Qi due to improper cultivation, the result would be akin to being wasted.


    This was unacceptable.


    So, in essence, as long as Bai Qing could refine Qi on her own, and it was Qi different from what Empress Luo Shan cultivated, then there was no need to worry about this issue.


    "That ancient method?"


    Bai Qing furrowed her brows, puzzled, "Didn''t you say that the ancient method was incomplete and couldn''t be cultivated anymore?"


    After bidding farewell to Chen An, she didn''t just hide to avoid trouble, but went to a place she had long known about, an ancient location.


    In that area, she obtained an ancient Qi cultivation method, intending to use this method to refine Qi, thereby breaking free from Empress Luo Shan''s entanglement.


    However, it seemed that because this ancient method was too old, there were some problems.


    No matter how hard Bai Qing tried to cultivate, she couldn''t refine the Qi according to the method''s instructions and obtain her own Qi.


    Externally, it seemed that this situation wasn''t unusual.


    After all, this was an ancient method that had been lost for many years. Who knew if there had been errors in the transmission or if the current environment was suitable for cultivation.


    But now, hearing what Empress Luo Shan said, things seemed a bit more complicated?


    Could it be?


    Bai Qing suddenly had a thought and realized the possible reason behind her failure.


    "That''s right."


    At that moment, Empress Luo Shan admitted frankly, "You failed to cultivate successfully because I interfered."


    The current environment of this world was indeed not suitable for cultivation.


    No matter how hard the average person tried, it was impossible to refine Qi in the current conditions.


    However, the term average person did not include talents like Bai Qing.


    For talents like Bai Qing, who was supreme in talent, it might be difficult to achieve high accomplishments in the current environment, but it shouldn''t be too challenging to refine Qi alone.


    The actual reason Bai Qing failed to cultivate successfully was because of Empress Luo Shan''s secret manipulation.


    Thinking about it, it made sense.


    In the past, Empress Luo Shan had secretly manipulated Bai Qing to have her internal Qi dissipate automatically and even control Bai Qing''s body to do certain things for a short period.


    Since those things were achievable, then subtly interfering with Bai Qing''s body to prevent her from cultivating Qi successfully should have been a simple manipulation.


    She was just too subtle about it, to the point that Bai Qing hadn''t been able to detect it, and in the end, she attributed her failure to the environment.


    Realizing this, Bai Qing''s face turned dark.


    "What''s wrong?"


    In front of her, Chen An''s voice sounded puzzled.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 177: Distribution

    Chen An looked at Bai Qing, who had been silent since just now, with a hint of confusion on his face.Just a moment ago, everything was fine. Why did she suddenly stop talking? Did something happen again?


    Chen An''s thoughts wandered.


    Fortunately, Bai Qing quickly came to her senses.


    "No, it''s nothing," Bai Qing said, looking at Chen An with a dark expression.


    Due to her current frustration, her tone didn''t sound too good, making Chen An feel a bit puzzled.


    Could it be that he accidentally offended her again? It shouldn''t be.


    Chen An was a bit confused.


    But he knew deep down that women''s moods change quickly, so there was no need to dwell on it.


    So he didn''t dwell on Bai Qing''s mood and just asked, "What do you think?"


    He was still considering Bai Qing''s opinion.


    In the end, Chen An personally leaned towards collaborating with Liang Yao.


    After all, at the very least, they had to figure out the location of the foreign passage first.


    But Bai Qing was the victim after all.


    If she insisted on taking action now and sought revenge, Chen An, out of necessity, would have to help her even if he was helpless.


    "No need," Bai Qing shook her head and said, "It''s just an assassination attempt, it doesn''t matter much."


    "Instead of that, let''s get the benefits first."


    She said calmly.


    Looking at her calm demeanor, it seemed as if she was not the one who was assassinated earlier, but someone else.


    Of course, it was really nothing.


    For someone of Bai Qing''s status, just an assassination attempt was really nothing.


    Not to mention, within the Bai family itself, there were probably more than one or two people who wanted her dead, and there had been quite a few attempts.


    Growing up in such an environment, Bai Qing had long learned to be indifferent to such things.


    Vendettas were all in vain, only benefits were real.


    Beyond the previous assassination attempt, even if it had almost taken her out, she would consider cooperating if the benefits were sufficient.


    "Alright," Chen An looked at Bai Qing and was not surprised by her choice.


    He couldn''t help but think that Bai Qing was just this kind of person.


    After spending these few years with Bai Qing, he had a thorough understanding of her character and knew what kind of person she was.


    He wasn''t surprised at all by her choice.


    It would have been unexpected if she had chosen to tear her face with Liang Yao.


    "You are generous," he praised casually.


    "Aren''t entirely," Bai Qing glanced at Chen An before explaining, recounting her conversation with Luo Shan Empress earlier without any concealment.


    "So that''s it," Chen An then realized.


    He wondered why Bai Qing was being so straightforward this time.


    Usually, even if Bai Qing leaned towards cooperation, she would most likely use the past incident as a reason to ask for benefits from Princess Changping.


    After all, Princess Changping had the Clairvoyance skill, which meant she was very wealthy, and it would be unwarranted not to ask for some benefits.


    But now she agreed so directly.


    Chen An thought Bai Qing had been hit by something which had caused her to act this way.


    But it turned out completely different.


    "This is a good choice," Chen An nodded and said, "It''s a win-win situation for both of you if you cooperate. If you keep fighting against Princess Changping, both parties will end up hurting each other."


    It was better to cooperate.


    As long as Princess Changping could guide Bai Qing in her cultivation, and Bai Qing could help Princess Changping find her body to protect her, it was a definite win-win situation.


    "There''s one more thing," Chen An said as he took something out from his pocket.


    It was a white flower, and as he took it out, the area brightened up.


    The faint fragrance of the flower spread, giving a refreshing feeling just by smelling it.


    Even Bai Qing couldn''t help but focus on the flower.


    "Pure Spirit Flower," she whispered, pronouncing the name of the flower.


    After the chaos had settled down, the Pure Spirit Flower naturally fell into Chen An''s hands.


    No one had objections to that.


    No one dared to have objections.


    Ning Ming''s body was still there, after all.


    Facing Bai Qing''s gaze, Chen An didn''t hesitate and directly took a petal and placed it in front of Bai Qing.


    The translucent white petal looked like a treasure, exuding beauty.


    Just by feeling the aura of the Pure Spirit Flower, her whole body seemed to have changed and began to feel lighter.


    "Take it," Chen An said with a smile, "Although I don''t know what you need the Pure Spirit Flower for, I believe you need it."


    Aside from increasing aptitude, the greatest effect of Pure Spirit Flower was to extend one''s lifespan.


    From the surface, these two benefits weren''t something Bai Qing needed.


    But her previous aggressive behavior to obtain the Pure Spirit Flower showed that it was important to her in some unique way.


    And Chen An, knowing Bai Qing, decided to give it to her.


    "This Pure Spirit Flower has three petals, one for me, one that I have a use for, and this one is for you. If you''re in a hurry, I can give you the one I have." S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Chen An needed the Pure Spirit Flower, he wasn''t in a hurry.


    Because even though his aptitude was limited, he could cheat by upgrading the template, so he didn''t urgently need to increase his aptitude.


    Moreover, with the existence of the Projection function, Chen An could empower his physical body with the image of his projection, thus changing his aptitude.


    With this ability, he didn''t urgently need the Pure Spirit Flower.


    "No need," Bai Qing looked deeply at Chen An, then said, "The other one is for Zhi Lan, right?"


    "Yes," Chen An nodded, admitting it openly.


    Compared to Chen An and Bai Qing, Zhi Lan was the one who needed this gift the most.


    The reason was simple.


    Bai Qing had exceptional aptitude, and Chen An could cheat, but Zhi Lan was just an ordinary person.


    As an ordinary person, she didn''t have Bai Qing''s top-notch aptitude, nor could she cheat like Chen An, so her future path would be particularly difficult.


    That''s why Chen An was preparing the Pure Spirit Flower for Zhi Lan.


    Not for anything else, just to make her path a bit smoother.


    "You have thought this through," Bai Qing glanced at Chen An, not knowing what to say.


    She fell into a silent moment.


    They both looked at the distance, silent and not saying a word.


    It was a long while before Bai Qing rose and silently stood up. "I should go."


    "I''ll walk you," Chen An also stood up, wanting to see her off.


    "You better go back to be with Zhi Lan," Bai Qing glanced at him, "You''re a married man now, and it''s late. Aren''t you afraid of being seen by someone?"


    "Don''t worry, I''m not leaving this time. I''ll stay at my mansion," Bai Qing left earlier to acquire the refining technique and find a peaceful environment for cultivation.


    But now that she had reached an agreement with the empress inside her, there was no need for her to leave.


    Isn''t it pleasant to stay in her own mansion?


    With many servants waiting on her and Chen An as a free innate bodyguard by her side, wouldn''t that be good?


    It''s better than going outside and feeding mosquitoes, right?


    "Alright," Chen An nodded, indicating his understanding.


    Bai Qing waved her hand and slowly walked towards her mansion.


    But she hadn''t taken a few steps when she suddenly stopped, looking at Chen An in disbelief.


    "I just said you didn''t need to walk me, and now you''re just standing there not moving?" Bai Qing looked at Chen An incredulously.


    "I''m sorry, was it because you said I shouldn''t walk you?" Chen An twitched his mouth, feeling a bit speechless.


    But he had been through many battles and didn''t say much. He simply stepped forward and stood next to Bai Qing.


    Bai Qing glanced at him but didn''t say anything, just moved forward, continuing on her way.


    On the way back, as expected, they encountered many Bai family members.


    This was normal.


    Bai Qing''s mansion was in the Bai family''s residence.


    Since it was the Bai family''s residence, there were naturally many members of the Bai family.


    But both Chen An and Bai Qing ignored them.


    After a while, the familiar courtyard appeared in front of them.


    The lights were on, indicating that someone was waiting.


    "During the time you were away, Elder Song has been taking care of your affairs," Chen An said softly. "It''s been a long time since he had a good rest."


    "He''s always like that," Bai Qing opened her mouth to say something but sighed in the end.


    "After you go back, take a good rest for a while," Chen An smiled. "I should go."


    "Alright," Bai Qing didn''t stop him, just nodded.


    Then, Chen An left.


    He walked towards his residence, not in a hurry.


    Through his sensitive aura perception, he could sense that someone was always observing him from behind, watching his back.


    At some point, he couldn''t help but pause, turn around, and look back.


    Behind him, in front of his familiar mansion, Bai Qing''s figure was standing alone.


    She stood there in her white clothes, with a cold expression on her face, just like before. Her gaze was fixed on him, with a hint of complexity in her emotions.


    Seeing Chen An turn around, she hesitated for a moment, seeming embarrassed, but quickly turned back around, her gaze openly fixed on Chen An.


    Chen An nodded at her and then turned to leave.


    As time passed, his figure gradually disappeared into the dim darkness, disappearing from sight.


    "Don''t look," Chen An had been walking for a long time, but Bai Qing was still standing there.


    The Empress of Luo Mountain couldn''t help but speak, breaking the silence.


    She seemed somewhat disdainful of Bai Qing''s behavior, "From your usual style, you''re someone who dares to act and is decisive. Why do you hesitate when it comes to men?"


    "If you want to keep him, just say it."


    "With your beauty, are you afraid he won''t be hooked?"


    Bai Qing''s hesitation made the Empress of Luo Mountain feel particularly contemptuous.


    "Shameless."


    Bai Qing''s expression turned cold, "And, did you eavesdrop on my thoughts again?"


    "I really didn''t want to listen," the Empress of Luo Mountain smiled, "But your emotions were too obvious. Even if I didn''t want to hear, I couldn''t help it."


    "But if you ask me, if you really like this Chen An, just say it," she continued.


    "As cultivators, we should act according to our desires. What''s the point of being so hesitant like a busybody?"


    "You don''t understand," Bai Qing shook her head.


    "What don''t you understand?" the Empress of Luo Mountain smiled, "You''re just too worried."


    "Is his wife a member of your tribe, and you''re worried about ruining your reputation?" the Empress of Luo Mountain continued. "And he''s much stronger than you now. Are you too proud, wanting to catch up with him before saying anything?"


    Bai Qing remained silent, tacitly agreeing.


    It had to be said that the Empress of Luo Mountain was indeed an expert in this regard, easily guessing Bai Qing''s thoughts.


    "A strange idea," the Empress of Luo Mountain didn''t care about Bai Qing''s loneliness. "What does it matter if his wife is from your tribe? What does it matter if he''s stronger than you?"


    "After your cultivation reaches a certain level and you''ve seen more, you''ll realize that these things aren''t that important," she continued.


    "But when that time comes, it may be too late for regret."


    Bai Qing still didn''t speak.


    In fact, the situation was much more complicated than what the Empress of Luo Mountain had said.


    Zhi Lan was not just Chen An''s wife but also one of Bai Qing''s friends.


    Moreover, Bai Qing had played a significant role in arranging Chen An and Zhi Lan''s marriage.


    For this, Bai Mingli and Zhi Lan had come several times to thank her.


    And now, she had to personally intervene and compete for her friend''s husband?


    A match she had personally arranged would now have to be broken by herself?


    What kind of situation was this?


    Just thinking about it made her feel terrible.


    In addition to that, the clan was a significant issue.


    No matter what, Bai Qing was born into the Bai family, and all her efforts were for the Bai family.


    She was a Bai family member, so how could she not care about what the Bai family thought?


    And if she did break up Chen An and Zhi Lan, went up herself, how would people around her view her?


    All kinds of problems were right in front of her.


    Even with Bai Qing''s personality, she couldn''t help but be influenced by these thoughts and hesitated.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 178: With Child

    Chen An returned to the familiar courtyard.He had lived here for a long time and everything felt familiar to him.


    But today''s atmosphere still made him feel somewhat unfamiliar.


    Most of the servants around had been replaced.


    Chen An glanced around.


    This mansion originally belonged to Bai Zhilan, and most of the servants around were brought by Bai Zhilan. Their appearances were quite diverse, some good and some bad.


    This was normal.


    However, perhaps for some special purpose, all the servants here had been replaced now.


    Replaced with what?


    All the ugly ones were replaced.


    Now, all that was left were young and beautiful, dressed in revealing and seductive outfits of various styles.


    From intellectual beauties to naive young girls, they had it all.


    There would surely be one that you liked!


    It was really something.


    Are you using this to challenge your guests?


    Chen An felt speechless.


    Who could withstand such a challenge?


    Well, he could.


    But the reason why Chen An could was not because he had a strong will or unique preferences, it was just because he had experienced everything that needed to be experienced.


    Look down on who?


    In the past in the Dahua World, the Dahua Court also treated him like a treasure.


    The treatment he received back then was unparalleled.


    Although the Bai family was powerful, they couldn''t compare to the entire imperial court of the Dahua Dynasty.


    Compared to that, what was happening now was just a small scene.


    Continuing forward, facing the seductive glances from all around, Chen An uncomfortably walked to the end of this path.


    And then he saw something even more speechless.


    Not only the maids had been replaced, even the laborers doing the work had been replaced.


    Yes, what was presented in front of Chen An was another enticing scene.


    He saw servants wearing laborer outfits working ahead.


    But these laborers, each one of them were young and handsome, many with delicate features.


    To put it simply, all of them were lovely boys.


    It seemed like they sent them here because they knew Chen An had unique preferences.


    I thank you for that.


    Chen An''s mouth twitched, and now he was thinking about calling someone to come and replace these servants back.


    There was no other choice, they were really repulsive.


    Not to mention the boys, even the female servants, if they wanted to arrange them, then they should do it elsewhere! Why place them in his house?


    In front of Bai Zhilan, even if he had the intention, he didn''t have the courage.


    Chen An silently mocked in his mind.


    He continued to walk forward and thankfully there were no new changes around.


    Then he saw Bai Zhilan.


    As expected, another surprise appeared.


    Bai Zhilan in the past always had a consistent appearance.


    She was a woman who had trained in martial arts since she was young, always preferring practical long robes for easy movement, not the fancy and elaborate outfits that ordinary women wore.


    But her current outfit was different from the usual. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    She wore a golden glass robe, with a unique crown on her head, embedded with many gemstones, making it look extremely magnificent.


    It was beautiful indeed.


    But no matter how Chen An looked at it, he felt that this outfit didn''t quite match Bai Zhilan''s style.


    He felt that there was something out of place.


    And with this outfit, would it be convenient for her to move?


    After all, this outfit didn''t look light at all, it must weigh around twenty to thirty pounds?


    This wasn''t just an outfit, it was almost like armor.


    "Don''t look, if you want to laugh, go ahead."


    Facing Chen An''s awkward gaze, Bai Zhilan felt a bit annoyed, "I already said that I didn''t want to wear it, but they insisted."


    "Even my great-grandfather and grandfather came to persuade me."


    She looked quite irritated.


    Yesterday''s events had just ended, she hadn''t had a chance to celebrate Chen An''s advancement to the Innate, and already she was greeted by a bunch of things.


    Various relatives started to come and teach her various concepts.


    At one moment they said that women should know how to please their husbands and dress up, and at another moment they said that the family should be the priority, and so on.


    To this, Bai Zhilan had only one thing to say.


    You didn''t say these things in the past, did you?


    Bai Zhilan still remembered when she first got married, her grandfather and great-grandfather told her to live comfortably and assured her that they were there for her no matter what happened.


    And now, in such a short time, it had changed to a code for the husband and the woman should be cautious and careful?


    Bai Zhilan found it quite frustrating, but Chen An couldn''t help but laugh.


    At the end of the day, it was still about power.


    In the past, Bai Qingli and the other elders in the Bai family were able to control the situation, so they let their granddaughter do as she pleased.


    As long as their granddaughter was happy, they let her do whatever she wanted.


    But now it was different.


    Chen An was already an Innate and couldn''t be trifled with, and now the life and death of the entire Bai family were in Chen An''s hands.


    In other words, they couldn''t control the situation anymore.


    So they had to be obedient and humble.


    Therefore, this change in attitude had occurred.


    Chen An understood this.


    In the face of this situation, it was instinct to please.


    After all, what if they offended Chen An, and he decided to annihilate the Bai family?


    Chen An had been around the block and knew not to say too much.


    But why fawn over him like this all the time, can''t they focus on other things?


    It was the same routine every day, making it seem like Chen An only cared about love and romance.


    Too narrow-minded.


    Of course, while Chen An thought this, Bai Mingli and the others had no choice.


    After all, the Bai family''s vitality had been greatly harmed.


    Although the elders of the Bai family were still there, the Bai family head was seriously injured and on the brink of death. Even if he survived, he probably wouldn''t be at his former glory.


    For the Bai family, this was a huge blow.


    And for Chen An, no matter how hard Bai Mingli and the others tried, they couldn''t think of anything else to please him with.


    The armory? Industries? Rare materials?


    They were already at the Innate level, what did they care about these things?


    To be blunt, the most precious thing in the Bai family was probably the complete Yin Corpse technique.


    But that was a treasure for the Bai family members, what did it mean to an Innate like him?


    It was basically irrelevant.


    And as for industries and rare materials, it was even more laughable, they had nothing to show.


    If they did manage to bring something out, people might think they were trying to get rid of a beggar.


    So, it was a bit of a dilemma.


    Thinking it over, the only thing they seemed to be able to do was focus on this aspect.


    After all, the cost was low, and the effect seemed to be the best?


    As the saying goes, the hero often falls for the beauty trap.


    Unfortunately, Chen An didn''t buy into their tactics at all.


    "Alright, hurry up and change back into the regular clothes."


    Looking at Bai Zhilan''s uncomfortable expression, Chen An couldn''t help but smile and said, "As for those servants around here, if you found them good before, then have them all changed back to avoid trouble."


    "What about the ones outside?"


    Bai Zhilan glanced at Chen An, "None of them are good enough for you?"


    Her words seemed to carry a hidden meaning.


    Chen just smiled, "The ones outside may be good-looking, but they don''t look like they can do any work."


    It was the truth.


    The maids might be fine, but the laborers outside all looked delicate and soft, not like they could handle any work.


    Instead of wasting time here, it was better to send them away early.


    After all, Chen An didn''t enjoy this.


    "You get it."


    Bai Zhilan snorted and finally felt satisfied.


    "Yes, yes."


    Chen An smiled and complied.


    Perhaps because they lived together on a daily basis, they had a certain understanding of each other, within the Bai family, Bai Zhilan was the only person who didn''t change her attitude towards Chen An.


    After all, she was his wife, their relationship was good, no matter how capable he was, he was still her husband, what difference did it make?


    As for his extraordinary strength?


    To be honest, Bai Zhilan didn''t feel it much.


    After all, in everyday life, Chen An gave her the feeling of an ordinary person, never showing any signs of being different from others.


    However, she could be like this because she was the person closest to Chen An, and he had never put on any airs with her.


    But others weren''t as fortunate.


    Bai Zhilan was Chen An''s wife, their relationship was good, Chen An wouldn''t harm Bai Zhilan.


    But it was different for others.


    After all, within the Bai family, besides Bai Zhilan and a few others, Chen An didn''t have any special connection with the rest.


    Who knew when the blade might come down on them?


    So, arrangements had to be made.


    It could be said that distance sometimes not only breeds beauty but also respect.


    A moment later, Bai Zhilan changed into regular clothes, and she looked much fresher.


    Her expression seemed more lively now, not as gloomy as before.


    "My great-grandfather and the others want to meet you, what do you think?" Bai Zhilan asked softly, looking at Chen An. "If you don''t want to, should I just tell them?"


    "No need," Chen An shook his head. "They are our elders, and it''s only right to meet them."


    "Let''s arrange it for tomorrow."


    Chen An had no intentions of wiping out the Bai family.


    On the contrary, he had been quite comfortable during his time in the Bai family.


    Moreover, Bai Zhilan was also part of the Bai family, and if he were too harsh on the Bai family, Bai Zhilan would inevitably be affected.


    Since he didn''t plan on destroying the Bai family, it was right for the elders of the Bai family to meet him.


    One was to settle their minds and make them understand Chen An''s intentions, and the other was to stabilize the situation early on.


    The current Shangyuan County was already in a mess.


    In that big battle, it was not only Ning Ming who died but also ten Qi Refiners who were captured alive or killed on the spot by the Bai family head.


    And these were basically most of the power in the Shangyuan County.


    Without these people, the current Shangyuan County would have already fallen into chaos.


    As the only family that preserved its strength, the Bai family only needed to regroup and organize their internal affairs to take over the entire Shangyuan County.


    After that, they could become the tyrants of Shangyuan and dominate the surrounding areas, it would all happen naturally.


    So the immediate task was to get the Bai family''s internal affairs in order.


    "In addition, there''s one more thing," Bai Zhilan hesitated as she met Chen An''s gaze. "I think I''m pregnant."


    "What?" Chen An was stunned, took him a moment to react.


    He then smiled, "That''s great."


    Calculating the time, Chen An and Bai Zhilan had been together for almost a year now.


    During this long period, Bai Zhilan''s stomach had been quiet.


    This actually put some pressure on Bai Zhilan behind the scenes.


    After all, the three big unfilial acts, not having offspring was the biggest.


    The situation in this world wasn''t much different from the feudal times Chen An remembered.


    If a couple couldn''t conceive for a long time, there were usually people talking and speculating.


    Of course, the issues between Chen An and Bai Zhilan weren''t serious.


    After all, they were nobles, and no one dared to comment on them like they would with common people.


    But it wasn''t good if it continued for too long.


    After all, in this world, infertility was mostly incurable.


    So now that Bai Zhilan was pregnant, it was a good thing.


    "Extend your hand."


    Chen An spoke softly.


    Bai Zhilan complied and placed her hand in front of Chen An.


    Chen An checked.


    Sure enough, she was pregnant.


    Chen An had his own way of testing for pregnancy, and it was quite effective.


    He had spent over a hundred years in the Dahua World developing this method, which, combined with his innate Qi, had excellent results.


    There were margins of error, but they were very small.


    "I wonder if it''s a boy or a girl."


    Bai Zhilan was starting to look forward to it and then asked Chen An, "What do you think?"


    "Me? I hope for a girl," Chen An said casually, thinking of his two children from the Dahua World.


    Bai Zhilan looked surprised.


    Nowadays, many families preferred boys to inherit the family business and carry on their legacy.


    But here was Chen An, wanting a girl.


    "Who says girls are inferior to boys," Chen An smiled and continued, "Zhilan, you''re a woman too, and you''re not necessarily weaker than Chang Ren and the others, right?"


    He didn''t mention that he wanted a girl because he had some psychological shadow from before.


    Back in the Dahua World, he had two sons who were quite troublesome.


    Those two sons were too mischievous, causing Chen An to regret it at the time.


    A daughter would be better, at least more peaceful.


    Of course, daughters could also be troublesome and lively.


    Chen An wanted a daughter now, but he might regret it later.


    Of course, the child hadn''t been born yet, so who knew if it would be a boy or a girl.


    "By the way."


    As Chen An chatted with Bai Zhilan, he suddenly remembered something and took something out of his pocket.


    It was the other two petals of the Pure Spirit Flower, now floating in front of Chen An, looking exceptionally graceful and beautiful in his hands.


    As Bai Zhilan''s gaze was drawn to the clear and beautiful object, she couldn''t help but be attracted.


    After all, women loved beauty.


    Even if she disregarded the beauty, the value of the Pure Spirit Flower alone was enough to be astonishing.


    It was one of the rare treasures that could change a person''s aptitude and give them a baptism.


    If used, even an ordinary person could become a genius and receive a baptism once.


    "Take it."


    Chen An said softly, "This Pure Spirit Flower has three petals, I gave the other one to Miss Qing."


    Concerning Miss Qing''s matters, Chen An hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose to tell the truth.


    Of course, he was selective in what he said.


    He chose not to mention the events of that night and simply skipped over it.


    After all, even if Bai Zhilan''s temper was good, she might still react if she knew.


    To keep peace in the family, it was better to keep it to himself.


    "Miss Qing,"


    After learning the news, Bai Zhilan furrowed her brows but didn''t say anything.


    After all, Miss Qing was also her friend, and she had put in a lot of effort into Bai Zhilan and Chen An''s marriage.


    Now that Chen An had given the petals of the Pure Spirit Flower to Miss Qing, she didn''t have much to say.


    "Can you give me the two remaining pieces and not keep one for yourself?"


    Looking at the two petals in front of her, Bai Zhilan hesitated.


    "I was originally planning to split them between us."


    Chen An smiled and explained, "But now that you''re pregnant, you naturally need special care."


    Seeing that Bai Zhilan was having trouble understanding, he continued to explain, "While you''re pregnant, if you swallow the Pure Spirit Flower, the fetus can also share the essence of the flower. It''s like giving the fetus a baptism from the moment of conception, and the effect is best."


    "In the future, the child will likely have excellent aptitude, possibly even surpassing us."


    The stage of a fetus''s development was the most susceptible to external influences.


    And the effect of the Pure Spirit Flower was better the earlier it was used.


    If the Pure Spirit Flower was used during the fetus''s development, the fetus would absorb the essence of the flower, greatly increasing its aptitude and laying a solid foundation before birth.


    So when the child was born, their aptitude would be very high, even exceeding the original situation.


    "I see."


    Bai Zhilan suddenly understood.


    So, she didn''t refuse anymore.


    After all, it was for the child.


    To prevent any accidents, Chen An instructed Bai Zhilan to use the two remaining petals.


    On one hand, it was because of the medicinal effects of the Pure Spirit Flower.


    After the Pure Spirit Flower was plucked, if left for too long, the effects would gradually diminish, so it was better to use it earlier to enjoy the benefits.


    On the other hand, it was to prevent any accidents.


    After all, the Pure Spirit Flower was a treasure, and everyone in the Bai family was envious of it.


    In Chen An''s hands, no one dared to have any evil thoughts, but in Bai Zhilan''s hands, it was different.


    They were all Bai Zhilan''s relatives and friends, and if they used their relationships and emotions, it would be troublesome.


    If Bai Zhilan was a bit weaker-willed, she might become a victim.


    To prevent all these messy situations, it was better to use it early to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    A faint fragrance wafted around, permeating the room and enveloping it in this refreshing scent.


    As Chen An sat quietly, silently protecting Bai Zhilan, watching her absorb the Pure Spirit Flower, he couldn''t help but feel a pang of sorrow in his heart.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 179: Eat People

    Chen An was feeling bitter.Of course he was feeling bitter.


    Look at this time, he fought outside for his life, finally managed to get some spoils of war.


    But in the end, a pure spirit flower ended up with nothing, before it had even warmed up, it was all gone.


    He didn''t get anything for himself.


    Indeed, if you want to be rich, have fewer children and plant more trees.


    Children are like gold-swallowing beasts.


    This one hasn''t even been born yet, and it has already swallowed Chen An''s share of the pure spirit flower.


    At this moment, Chen An couldn''t help but start to reflect.


    In his past life, he had heard a lot of opinions about not getting married or having children.


    Back then, he didn''t take it seriously.


    But after changing to a different world, he suddenly felt that there was some truth in those words.


    Without getting married and starting a family, one person can eat their fill and the whole family is not worried.


    Unlike now, when you get something good, you have to consider your wife and children first.


    This is truly heartbreaking and tear-jerking.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    In front of him, Bai Zhilan suddenly opened her eyes and glanced at Chen An.


    "It''s nothing, it''s nothing."


    Chen An immediately put on a smile.


    Bai Zhilan then closed her eyes again.


    Seeing Bai Zhilan''s actions, Chen An silently shook his head.


    Well, actually this time he didn''t come back empty-handed.


    The petals of the pure spirit flower were indeed gone.


    But the other parts were still there.


    A flower is not just made of petals, there are other things.


    Roots, stems, leaves, and even seeds, these are all good things.


    If used, they also have some effects, just not as good as the effects of petals.


    But without a doubt, these are top-grade natural treasures, if taken out for exchange, there would definitely be a bunch of people eager to have them.


    Especially the seeds of the pure spirit flower.


    Chen An pondered whether these seeds would be useful.


    Perhaps in the future, if he found a suitable environment, he could use these seeds to cultivate more pure spirit flowers?


    This world probably doesn''t have a place like that anymore, but there is another realm, right?


    If that realm, as Liang Yao said, is a place rich in spiritual energy, a place of cultivation, there might be many places suitable for planting pure spirit flowers.


    When the time comes to find a suitable place, it might not be impossible to cultivate a few pure spirit flowers.


    Of course, it''s obvious that this matter would be very difficult.


    According to ancient records, even during the peak of cultivation, it''s very difficult to nurture and birth a pure spirit flower, it''s an extremely rare treasure.


    If it was easy to nurture, it wouldn''t be so valuable.


    But no matter how difficult it is, it''s still a hope.


    You can still dream.


    The next day, several elders from the Bai family came to visit.


    In the past, it was usually Chen An who took the initiative to visit these elders, and they would receive him.


    But this time the situation was reversed, and it was these elders who came to visit Chen An.


    Chen An just had to receive them.


    If he wanted, he could even refuse to see them a few times before meeting them.


    These elders could only wait outside helplessly, not daring to complain.


    Of course, Chen An didn''t have that kind of taste, so he greeted them.


    In the spacious hall, Chen An looked at the elders in front of him and smiled.


    "You don''t have to be restrained, hah."


    Chen An raised his tea cup and said with a smile, "You are all elders, coming here is like being guests, no need to be nervous."


    The elders looked at each other and didn''t speak.


    But they didn''t dare not to listen to what Chen An said.


    So on the surface, they quickly relaxed, at least no longer showing much restraint in their expressions.


    Chen An watched this scene and nodded inwardly.


    This is how it should be.


    We are all family, why be so serious.


    Even if you say something wrong, he won''t blame you.


    At the most, he would just kill you and that''s it, why be so afraid?


    "What are your thoughts?"


    After a while, Chen An finally accepted this reality.


    Alright, just do it.


    It''s better than killing good people.


    But then, he finally understood why Ning Ming''s strength was so weak.


    He had been wondering before, how come someone ranked on the Heavenly List had such weak strength?


    Was it really that he had extraordinary luck and everyone he picked on was a soft persimmon?


    Now it seems that it''s not that he had good luck, but that the Heavenly List itself is weak!


    If all it takes is being a congenital to be on the Heavenly List, then there''s a mix of good and bad, while there are definitely powerful figures, there are also goods like Ning Ming.


    But no matter how mediocre he was, he was still congenital.


    If he hadn''t encountered Chen An, with Ning Ming''s mediocre combat power within the congenital realm, he would still have been able to sweep through the entire Bai family.


    In a fit of rage, even if he wiped out the entire Upper Element County, there wouldn''t have been much of a problem.


    Thinking about it, Chen An sighed.


    "What about the captured Qi? How are the interrogations going?"


    He continued to ask.


    "They have all confessed truthfully."


    The four elders replied, "In addition to the people from the Cao and Liu families, there are also people from the Song family and some outsiders."


    "Ask them if they are willing to join the Bai family and pledge allegiance to me?"


    Chen An smiled, "As long as they are willing, I will accept them as named disciples, they will be guest elders of the Bai family, mostly serving me."


    As soon as these words came out, the elders immediately noticed that something was wrong.


    Accept them as named disciples, mostly serving you.


    You''re trying to take control of everything yourself.


    Just by thinking about it, the elders understood that these Qi will definitely form their own faction within the Bai family in the future. Even though they are part of the Bai family''s forces, they will likely only listen to Chen An''s orders.


    After all, these people were not on good terms with the Bai family, they were part of the attack on the Bai family.


    If they were to regain their freedom, even if they joined the Bai family, what would the other members of the Bai family think?


    "I know how to proceed, so proceed accordingly."


    After a moment of silence, Chen An finally spoke.


    Although he was somewhat resistant to this way of using them, since this was the situation here, he acquiesced.


    But when he eats those elixirs in the future, he will probably feel a bit disgusted.


    The elders looked at each other, their eyes showing signs of approval.


    Ning Ming''s body is now lying in the main hall, preserved with mysterious ice.


    For the current Bai family, a body of a Heavenly-ranked Qi is a huge treasure.


    But this was Chen An''s spoils of war. Without Chen An''s approval, no one dared to dispose of it arbitrarily.


    Now with Chen An''s permission, they could finally act.


    The scene was quite exciting to think about.


    After that, they talked about other matters.


    "Ning Ming is a Heavenly-ranked individual, is it okay to dispose of his body like this?"


    Chen An asked, with a hint of doubt in his expression.


    Regardless of the fact that Ning Ming was a Heavenly-ranked individual, according to what he said, he probably still had many friends in the world.


    Just killing someone is one thing, disposing of their body and using it like this, isn''t it afraid that his friends will come seeking revenge?


    "That."


    The elders looked at each other, not knowing how to explain.


    In the end, it was the fourth elder who stepped forward, facing Chen An''s gaze, to explain to him.


    Ning Ming was ranked on the Heavenly List, that much was true.


    But that doesn''t represent much.


    He got on the Heavenly List, not because he was powerful, but simply because of his innate talent.


    Like all congenital beings, even if they are old and weak, and their combat power is at the bottom of the congenital level, they can still be on the Heavenly List and be considered a Heavenly-ranked individual.


    That''s how Ning Ming got on the list.


    Although he was on the list, he didn''t have a strong background. He was just a lone cultivator, he didn''t have many friends.


    Even though he claimed to know many people on the Heavenly List, that wasn''t an issue. After all, they were all congenital beings, and it wasn''t a big deal to meet each other occasionally over the years.


    But how deep their relationships were was questionable.


    According to the information the elders had, Ning Ming seemed to have few friends, and because of his unique way of doing things, he had made enemies with many people.


    This time he fell at Chen An''s hands, and as for revenge, it wasn''t certain if anyone would come, but secretly cheering for his death, that was most likely going to happen.


    Shouldn''t it be considered doing heaven''s work, helping get rid of bad people?


    Chen An''s face looked strange, it took him a while to accept this reality.


    Alright, doing heaven''s work it is.


    It''s surely better than killing good people.


    But saying that, he finally understood why Ning Ming''s strength was so weak.


    He had been wondering before, how come someone ranked on the Heavenly List had such weak strength?


    Was it really that he had extraordinary luck and everyone he picked on was a soft persimmon?


    Now it seems that it''s not that he had good luck, but that the Heavenly List itself is weak!


    If all it takes is being a congenital to be on the Heavenly List, then there''s a mix of good and bad, while there are definitely powerful figures, there are also goods like Ning Ming.


    But even if he is mediocre, he is still a congenital.


    If he hadn''t encountered Chen An, with Ning Ming''s mediocre combat power within the congenital realm, he would still have been able to sweep through the entire Bai family.


    In a fit of rage, even if he wiped out the entire Upper Element County, there wouldn''t have been much of a problem.


    Thinking about it, Chen An sighed.


    "What about the captured Qi? How are the interrogations going?"


    He continued to ask.


    "They have all confessed truthfully."


    The four elders replied, "In addition to the people from the Cao and Liu families, there are also people from the Song family and some outsiders."


    "Ask them if they are willing to join the Bai family and pledge allegiance to me?"


    Chen An smiled, "As long as they are willing, I will accept them as named disciples, they will be guest elders of the Bai family, mostly serving me."


    As soon as these words came out, the elders immediately noticed that something was wrong.


    Accept them as named disciples, mostly serving you.


    You''re trying to take control of everything yourself.


    Just by thinking about it, the elders understood that these Qi will definitely form their own faction within the Bai family in the future. Even though they are part of the Bai family''s forces, they will likely only listen to Chen An''s orders.


    After all, these people were not on good terms with the Bai family, they were part of the attack on the Bai family.


    If they were to regain their freedom, even if they joined the Bai family, what would the other members of the Bai family think?


    "I know how to proceed, so proceed accordingly."


    After a moment of silence, Chen An finally spoke.


    Although he was somewhat resistant to this way of using them, since this was the situation here, he acquiesced.


    But when he eats those elixirs in the future, he will probably feel a bit disgusted.


    The elders looked at each other, their eyes showing signs of approval.


    The four elders were the first to agree, immediately expressing their consent.


    Of course, they agreed.


    Chen An was the son-in-law of their lineage.


    The larger the power under Chen An, the larger the power of their lineage.


    In this situation, not taking a loss.


    Under these circumstances, even if Chen An just wanted to absorb those Qi, or wanted to step directly into the position of the head of the Bai family, he would also wholeheartedly support it.


    What, you say Chen An''s surname is Chen, not Bai?


    Who said that someone with the surname Chen can''t become the head of the Bai family?


    Furthermore, isn''t there still Bai Zhilan here?


    Even if Chen An doesn''t take that position himself, supporting Bai Zhilan to become the head of the Bai family is still the same.


    And for the lineage of the four elders, this is completely without loss.


    "If you want to recruit them, that''s not a problem."


    With a slight hesitation, the third elder spoke, "But what if they only pledge allegiance on the surface and then try to escape later?"


    "Rest assured, I have my ways."


    Chen An''s reply was also very direct.


    During his many years in the Great China World, he had almost emptied out their arsenal, so his accumulation was considerable.


    Among them, there were many methods similar to life and death symbols.


    Planting these methods on those people, he had no doubt that they would obey obediently.


    Thinking about this, Chen An glanced at the elders in front of him.


    Actually, if he wanted to make things easier, directly placing these methods on the elders and controlling them directly would be a good choice. S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At that time, the entire Bai family would easily fall into his hands, and no one would dare to have any other thoughts.


    But thinking about it carefully, he decided not to do it.


    Although the Bai family elders had some minor conflicts with him before, overall they got along quite well.


    In this situation, controlling them all together and bringing up their past wrongdoings seemed a bit unnecessary.


    Moreover, he wasn''t planning to stay here for long.


    He was preparing to go to a different area later.


    For the Bai family here, it was enough to make some preparations, there was no need for anything else.


    Soon, Chen An went to see the captured Qi.


    No surprises, the attitudes of these Qi towards Chen An were exceptionally good.


    They had to be.


    They had all witnessed the big battle between Chen An and Ning Ming before.


    Chen An looked ordinary on the surface, but in reality, he was a congenital who could easily wipe out the entire family behind them.


    Facing such a fierce deity, how could they not be polite?


    Another reason was that they probably could guess why Chen An was here now.


    They cooperated extremely well with all of Chen An''s demands, which even surprised Chen An.


    He had initially planned to find a chicken to kill, to show his skills.


    But with their cooperation, he had no place to pick on.


    Fortunately, in the end, there was finally a tough nut to crack.


    "Hmph! Just kill me, no need for more words!"


    An elder from the Liu family snorted and spoke.


    Chen An''s eyes lit up.


    This is what I''ve been waiting for.


    Without saying a word, he directly used his methods.


    Soon, a gruesome scene began.


    Half a day later, the body of the elder from the Liu family began to decay.


    Even though he was alive, numerous corpse marks appeared on his body, and various parts of his body began to rot, emitting a putrid smell.


    From that day on, the intense screams never stopped.


    Until five days later, the man finally breathed his last breath, looking extremely miserable.


    When Chen An stopped, he looked at the ugly faces of the people around him, nodding with satisfaction, even with a hint of hope in his eyes.


    He was waiting to see if anyone else would dare to step forward and let him try again.


    Then he could continue with another set of methods.


    Unfortunately, it seemed that the demonstration was effective, and until the end, no one else dared to step forward.


    Faced with Chen An''s conditions, they all chose to agree.


    At this point, the entire Bai family forces increased significantly on the surface.


    Because overnight, the Bai family gained five new Qi, doubling their original strength.


    If you add Chen An, a congenital, the increase in strength for the Bai family in these two days was even greater than before.


    The only regret was that these five Qi and a congenital were not here for nothing.


    Within the Bai family, they were named as part of the Bai family, but in reality, they formed their own faction, and their power was even stronger than the original Bai family''s forces.


    After all, in the Bai family, the original head of the Bai family, Bai Chi, was about to be retired, and the other four elders were already elderly and wouldn''t be able to support it much longer.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 180: The Wretched Development of the Bai Family

    Upon careful consideration, the current situation of the Bai Family is actually quite dangerous.The addition of five foreign guest officials is both a reinforcement of strength and a potential risk for the Bai Family.


    After all, the Bai Family is a power core based on clan strength, and its members are basically Bai Family members.


    Now suddenly so many foreign guest officials joining is an unstable factor for the Bai Family.


    If the Bai Family''s own strength is enough, it''s fine. But if the strength is not enough, then it will be interesting.


    At that time, I wonder if the Bai Family will still be called Bai, there will be a question mark.


    More dangerous is that after the previous battle, the strongest combat power in the Bai Family, the Bai Family Patriarch, has basically been disabled.


    His cultivation level has not changed, still at the peak of Gang Qi, considered the peak combat power at the Gang Qi level.


    But the problem is that after the backlash of the Reverse Blood Dan, the Bai Family Patriarch''s lifespan is probably only a few years left.


    Gang Qi has a lifespan of only a hundred years, and the Bai Family Patriarch was not young to begin with. After being burned by the Reverse Blood Dan, he may only have a dozen or so years left to live.


    And the other elders of the Bai Family?


    Equally not long for this world.


    From the Second Elder to the Fifth Elder, all old faces are seen, not a single young person in sight.


    Chen An estimated that perhaps even before the Bai Family Patriarch passes away, these old folks will have to go first to see the King of Hell.


    This is truly a sad thing.


    Many pillars of the Bai Family are already old, those who are old are old, and those who should die will die.


    While Chen An is young and strong.


    Chen An doesn''t need to say much, he is very young and is not even twenty years old now.


    Although the five Gang Qi elders who joined are not young, their average age is much younger than the Bai Family elders.


    To put it bluntly, if Chen An really wants the Bai Family, even if he forces it directly, he can easily eliminate the Bai Family elders.


    And when these old folks are gone, the Bai Family will naturally fall into his hands.


    This is an easy task, and the whole process doesn''t require any bloodshed.


    Unfortunately, Chen An is not interested in this.


    He is already congenital, if he just wants some assets or something, why go to such lengths at the Bai Family?


    It''s all unnecessary.


    Everything he is doing now is actually for the sake of Bai Zhilan.


    Of course, there is also the child in her belly.


    No way.


    Chen An has already made up his mind to find the passage to the foreign realm and try to enter it.


    During this process, there may be unexpected events.


    He must ensure that if anything happens to him outside, Bai Zhilan and their future child can still live well.


    That''s why he made all these elaborate arrangements.


    Of course, under normal circumstances, he is unlikely to have an accident.


    But one must think of possible failures before victories. This is Chen An''s usual habit.


    Experience tells him that having a retreat is something you must prepare for in advance. If you wait until something happens, it will be too late to prepare.


    Anyway, he''s free, so he might as well make some preparations.


    This is also a way to be responsible for his wife and child.


    Several days later, a figure that no one expected appeared in the familiar courtyard.


    It was a tall and majestic middle-aged man, dressed in a robe that exuded a dignified aura.


    His appearance was too heroic, making it unforgettable at a glance.


    This is none other than the Bai Family Patriarch Bai Zhi.


    Compared to his previous appearance, the current Bai Zhi looked much weaker, with a pale face that couldn''t hide his weakness, and he seemed to have aged many years.


    "You summoned me, is there anything you need to explain?" Bai Zhi calmly asked after arriving at Chen An''s residence.


    During this period of time, he had been closed-door practice in his own residence, trying to digest the aftermath of the Reverse Blood Dan and adjust his body''s condition.


    He was very clear about his current position.


    In the past within the Bai Family, he was an absolute core figure.


    But with Chen An''s appearance, his position suddenly became awkward.


    From Chen An''s various actions, it seemed clear that he wanted to take control of the entire Bai Family.


    As the Bai Family Patriarch, Bai Zhi was the biggest obstacle to Chen An''s control of the Bai Family.


    In this situation, no matter how much he was overlooked and suppressed by Chen An, it was not excessive.


    Bai Zhi was also mentally prepared for this.


    Chen An''s previous actions seemed to prove this point.


    In the past, whether it was summoning the elders or recruiting the captured Gang Qi warriors, it did not involve Bai Zhi, as if deliberately ignoring him.


    And in this case, Chen An suddenly summoned Bai Zhi for a secret meeting.


    This made people feel puzzled.


    "Please sit, Patriarch."


    In response to Bai Zhi''s confusion, Chen An just smiled and gestured for Bai Zhi to sit down.


    Then, he took out something.


    It was a black wooden box, and when opened, it contained some sparkling fragments that looked exceptionally beautiful.


    These sparkling fragments seemed to be petals of a certain plant ground into powder, emitting a divine light, looking extraordinarily beautiful, with a faint fragrance that was moving.


    "This is..."


    Feeling the unique scent, Bai Zhi couldn''t help but be moved.


    He looked up subconsciously at Chen An in front of him, "Could it be..."


    "That''s correct."


    Chen An nodded and admitted Bai Zhi''s thoughts, "Pure Spirit Flower, except for those three petals and seeds, the rest is here."


    In front of him were the other parts of the Pure Spirit Flower, including leaves and roots, ground into powder by Chen An and stored in the box to prevent the loss of divine properties.


    "Please accept it."


    In response to Bai Zhi''s puzzled look, Chen An didn''t hesitate and directly said, "You are only one step away from congenital, you just need something to help you take that further step and reach that level."


    "I believe that even if there are no flower petals of the Pure Spirit Flower, only these things in front of you are enough to help you take that step, right?"


    "Why?"


    Listening to Chen An''s words, Bai Zhi did not feel joy, instead, a look of doubt appeared on his face.


    The current situation, for Chen An, Bai Zhi already had no influence and was not worth his efforts to win over.


    On the contrary, if Chen An wanted to further control the situation, Bai Zhi would be his biggest stumbling block.


    In this case, why did he do this?


    "You may not believe it if I tell you."


    Chen An glanced at him, then smiled, "From start to finish, I have never thought of taking over the position for myself."


    "Everything I do is just to protect Zhilan and them."


    This was true.


    Chen An, in fact, had a very relaxed personality and did not have too much ambition.


    So instead of being a boss, he preferred to be a slacker somewhere.


    "Protect?"


    Bai Zhi became even more confused, "You are already congenital, who can harm them under your control?"


    Right, you are already congenital, you have reached the pinnacle of this world.


    With you here, who would dare to harm your family?


    "While I am present, nothing will happen, but I fear that one day, something might happen to me."


    Chen An spoke softly.


    After a moment of contemplation, he reorganized his words and began to explain.


    He informed Bai Zhi about the issue of the passage to the foreign realm, but concealed some of the hidden aspects.


    "I see."


    Bai Zhi suddenly realized, "Princess Chang Ping has been lingering in my Bai Family all along, it turns out she was waiting for you."


    Yes, Liang Yao has not left until now.


    The day after Chen An showed his congenital strength, Liang Yao, after the initial surprise, immediately showed a look of excitement.


    For her, she needed the help of several congenital forces to go to the passage to the foreign realm.


    Now that Chen An has become congenital directly, it is naturally much easier for her.


    "Unfortunately, for such a grand event, I cannot participate."


    After understanding the situation, Bai Zhi sighed heavily.


    By the looks of it, he also wanted to join and venture into the passage to the foreign realm.


    This is actually very normal.


    Although the environment in the main world seems much better than in the Great China world, with a significant increase in Gang Qi warriors and many congenital beings, the path of cultivation is still difficult.


    The limitations are real, and even though there are no immortals, most warriors can only cultivate to the congenital level at most.


    In this situation, anyone who desires to cultivate would be moved upon hearing about the passage to the foreign realm.


    "I understand."


    Understanding the whole story, Bai Zhi nodded, "I have accepted your gift."


    "From now on, as long as I, Bai Zhi, live a day, I will take care of your wife and children, and will not allow anyone to offend them!"


    "Thank you very much."


    Chen An smiled and nodded in the end.


    He had observed Bai Zhi for quite a while before making this decision.


    Different from others, Bai Zhi was indeed a bold and straightforward warrior.


    This can be seen from his past deeds.


    In other words, he passed the test of character and his strength and talent were suitable.


    Compared to others, the recognition of such a person is more trustworthy.


    Of course, this is just a contingency plan.


    If there are no problems during the exploration of the passage to the foreign realm this time, and after confirming safety, Chen An will come back to take Bai Zhilan and the others to the foreign realm.


    If he does have an accident, then Bai Zhilan and the others will have to rely on Bai Zhi and others for protection.


    Chen An remained calm, with various thoughts flashing through his mind.


    During the next period of time, he was not idle and began to teach.


    The main work was to teach Bai Zhi some tips and experiences to advance to the congenital realm.


    In this regard, Chen An was quite experienced.


    After all, he had been promoted to congenital twice before, which was quite rich in experience compared to others.


    Bai Zhi was also listening attentively, trying to absorb as much experience as possible.


    It was a rare opportunity for him to receive teachings from a congenital without reservation.


    In ordinary times, not to mention a congenital, it was difficult to find someone with similar strength.


    During this process, Bai Zhi became more and more amazed.


    He found that Chen An''s knowledge was incredibly vast, and he seemed to be knowledgeable in many aspects, almost omniscient.


    The depth of this knowledge could almost scare a person.


    If all his achievements since childhood could be verified, and his age was indeed real, Bai Zhi would almost think that he was a monster pretending to be a young man.


    Of course, in a way, his thoughts were not wrong.


    After all, Chen An had lived for over two hundred years. Compared to others, he was indeed an old monster, wasn''t he?


    Chen An''s knowledge base brought absolute shock to Bai Zhi.


    Similarly, Bai Zhi also brought many surprises to Chen An.


    In many fields, Bai Zhi couldn''t compare to Chen An, but he had spent many years researching Yin Martial Arts, and he also had strong expertise and insights in Yin Martial Arts.


    Those ideas and experiences also gave Chen An a lot of insights and sparked many inspirations.


    After communicating for more than two months, they were still not tired of it, feeling a hint of regret for not meeting each other earlier.


    "The ancients said, ''True friends are hard to find, and fellow cultivators are hard to seek.'' Only now do I understand what it truly means."


    In a quiet hall, Bai Zhi looked at Chen An and couldn''t help but sigh, "If I had met you ten years earlier, I might have been on the Heavenly Ranking long ago."


    "Unfortunately, there is no such thing as too many ''ifs.''"


    Chen An also smiled, "If it were ten years ago, I might still be fooling around with a bunch of hooligans in Fengcheng County."


    Bai Zhi couldn''t help but be amazed by his words, and then fell silent.


    After spending a long time communicating with Chen An, he almost forgot.


    The Chen An in front of him seemed to have all-encompassing knowledge, but in fact, he was still a young man under twenty.


    If they went back ten years, Bai Zhi was still the same Bai Zhi, the prestigious Bai Family Patriarch.


    But Chen An would have gone from a top Heavenly-ranked master to a worthless son of hooligans.


    This also shows the great change in Chen An.


    The two indulged in their exchange for over two months, still not feeling enough, with some regret at their late encounter.


    "The ancients were right, true friends are hard to come by. I truly understand the meaning now."


    In a quiet hall, Bai Zhi looked at Chen An and couldn''t help but sigh, "If I had met you ten years earlier, I might have already been on the Heavenly Ranking."


    "Unfortunately, there are no many ''ifs'' in this world."


    Chen An also smiled, "If it were ten years ago, I might still be messing around with a bunch of hooligans in Fengcheng County."


    Bai Zhi was astonished, then fell into silence.


    Having interacted with Chen An for a long time, he almost forgot.


    Although Chen An seemed knowledgeable in many areas, he was still a young man under twenty.


    If they went back ten years, Bai Zhi would still be Bai Zhi, the formidable Bai Family Patriarch.


    But Chen An would have gone from a top-ranked Heavenly powerhouse to a son of hooligans.


    This change was quite significant.


    The knowledge repository that Chen An possessed brought Bai Zhi absolute shock.


    Conversely, Bai Zhi also brought Chen An many surprises.


    In many fields, Bai Zhi couldn''t match Chen An, but he had spent many years researching Yin Martial Arts, and he also had strong expertise and insights in that field.


    These ideas and experiences also gave Chen An plenty of gains and sparked many inspirations.


    After communicating for more than two months, they still didn''t feel satiated, feeling a hint of regret at their tardy encounter.


    "The ancients were right, true friends are hard to find, and fellow cultivators are hard to come by. It''s only now that I truly understand what that means."


    In a quiet hall, Bai Zhi looked at Chen An and couldn''t help but sigh, "Had I met you ten years earlier, I might have already been on the Heavenly Ranking."


    "Unfortunately, in this world, there are no many ''ifs.''"


    Chen An also smiled, "If it were ten years ago, I might still be messing around with a bunch of hooligans in Fengcheng County."


    Bai Zhi was astonished, then fell into silence.


    During their lengthy exchange, he almost forgot.


    Although Chen An appeared knowledgeable in many areas, he was still a young man under twenty.


    If they went back ten years, Bai Zhi would still be Bai Zhi, the formidable Bai Family Patriarch.


    But Chen An would have gone from a top-ranked Heavenly powerhouse to a son of hooligans.


    This change was quite significant.


    The vast knowledge that Chen An possessed brought absolute astonishment to Bai Zhi.


    Conversely, Bai Zhi also brought many surprises to Chen An.


    In many fields, Bai Zhi couldn''t match Chen An, but he had spent many years researching Yin Martial Arts, and he also had strong expertise and insights in that field.


    These ideas and experiences also gave Chen An plenty of gains and sparked many inspirations.


    After communicating for more than two months, they still didn¡¯t feel that they had talked enough, with some regrets at not meeting each other earlier.


    "The ancients were right, true friends are hard to find, and fellow cultivators are hard to come by. It¡¯s only now that I truly see what that means."


    In a quiet hall, Bai Zhi looked at Chen An and couldn''t help but sigh, "If I had met you ten years earlier, I might have already been on the Heavenly Ranking." S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Unfortunately, there are no many ''ifs'' in this world."


    Chen An also smiled, "If it were ten years ago, I might still be messing around with a bunch of hooligans in Fengcheng County."


    Bai Zhi was astonished, then fell into silence.


    In their long exchange, he almost forgot.


    Despite Chen An appearing knowledgeable in many areas, he was still a young man under twenty.


    If they went back ten years, Bai Zhi would still be Bai Zhi, the formidable Bai Family Patriarch.


    But Chen An would have gone from a top-ranked Heavenly powerhouse to a son of hooligans.


    This shift was quite significant.


    Thinking about this, Bai Zhi couldn''t help but sincerely feel emotional, "With your talent, you shouldn''t be confined to this small world, but should have greater achievements."


    In just a short period of time, Chen An had transformed from a worthless gang disciple into a congenital existence.


    If this can happen in a short time, what about in ten or a hundred years?


    Bai Zhi couldn''t help but imagine and look forward to it.


    "I am truly looking forward to it."


    Bai Zhi couldn''t help but speak, sincerely expressing, "I really want to know where you will reach in the future."


    "There will be opportunities."


    Chen An maintained a smile, "Going to the foreign realm doesn''t mean I won''t come back in the future."


    "I believe as long as my cultivation level is sufficient in the future, there will always be a day when I can return."


    This statement is correct.


    The so-called passage to the foreign realm is not naturally formed, but was arranged by past strong individuals.


    If those past strong individuals could arrange it, then when Chen An becomes powerful enough in the future, perhaps he could also create a similar passage.


    And at that time, returning to this side might not be impossible either.


    Considering the nearly two hundred-year lifespan of a congenital existence, as long as Bai Zhi can advance to congenital, there may still be a possibility of seeing that day in the future.


    "Yes."


    After a moment of silence, Bai Zhi nodded heavily, "Then I will wait patiently."


    A smile appeared on his face, as if he was truly looking forward to that day.


    After that, they continued their conversation.


    Their main topics were mostly centered around martial arts and other related fields.


    As for other trivial matters, they rarely mentioned them. Even if they did, it was just a brief mention and not much elaboration.


    In this regard, the two of them were quite compatible.


    Chen An didn''t like to bring up those trivial matters because he was afraid of trouble.


    If necessary, he could brag like he did with Cheng Zhengyi before, flaunting and mesmerizing people.


    But if he could, he would prefer to discuss relatively technical professional issues in these more specialized fields.


    This may be a habit from his past life as a tech geek.


    Although Bai Zhi was the Bai Family Patriarch, he was a martial arts fanatic.


    He also didn''t like to deal with those trivial matters.


    This could be seen from his previous behavior.


    In the past, various internal affairs of the Bai Family were managed by the elders, while Bai Zhi, as the public face of the Bai Family Patriarch, always remained closed off and didn''t involve himself in much.


    This shows his personality, as someone who focuses on martial arts, not liking those trivial professional people.


    When the two met, they found each other to be quite compatible.


    In just over two months, they felt a sense of regret for not meeting each other earlier.


    Besides discussions and exchanges, they also gained many other benefits.


    Chen An improved several martial arts techniques and gained more insights into the ways of combat.


    As for Bai Zhi, with Chen An''s help, he temporarily suppressed the backlash of the Reverse Blood Dan and had begun to undergo a transformation.


    His current state had stabilized, and he could enter seclusion at any time to attempt a breakthrough and advancement.


    However, because Chen An was still around, he temporarily suppressed the urge in his heart and did not enter seclusion yet.


    This was quite rare.


    In the outside world, over these two months, the entire Shangyuan County was in turmoil.


    Everywhere was chaotic.


    The previous major battle had depleted the Gang Qi of various families, with many either dead or surrendering.


    The few that remained were perhaps still around, but not fearsome anymore.


    In this situation, the Bai Family also revealed its fangs, starting to aggressively seize the industries of other aristocratic families to strengthen itself.


    If everything went smoothly, with these compensations from the industries, the Bai Family would grow rapidly and become the ruler of Shangyuan County in the shortest time.


    If Bai Zhi successfully advanced and became a congenital, then even within the entire Dahua, the Bai Family would probably be considered a hegemon.


    Even the position of the Great Liang Emperor might be within reach?


    Of course, this step was still far away.


    Currently, the Bai Family was still in the state of wretched development, with its influence limited to Shangyuan County and not extending too far.


    Just these industries within Shangyuan County were already enough for the Bai Family to prosper for a long time.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 181: Cultivation and Appraisal

    When the Bai family expanded in Shangyuan County, Chen An wasn''t idle either.What was he doing?


    Cultivating.


    Yes, cultivating.


    Although his cultivation had already reached the innate level, cultivation couldn''t be relaxed in any way.


    Over the years, cultivation had become an instinct ingrained in Chen An''s bones, something he couldn''t erase.


    In addition to his daily cultivation, Chen An was also thinking about other things.


    Like cultivation.


    Yes, cultivation.


    Bai Qing was currently cultivating, and now that she no longer had the Empress of Luoshan hindering her, she seemed to be on the right track.


    After entering the sect, she directly passed on the techniques to Chen An, asking for help with comprehension.


    Of course, she passed on the nameless ancient scriptures she had obtained, not the scriptures given by the Empress of Luoshan.


    If it were the scriptures given by the Empress of Luoshan, Bai Qing wouldn''t dare to give them, and Chen An wouldn''t dare to practice them.


    So she gave Chen An her own cultivation scriptures.


    Although it may not be as profound as the scriptures given by the Empress of Luoshan, at least it was safe and reliable, allowing for cultivation with peace of mind.


    This was a good thing.


    In this sense, Bai Qing was more generous than Princess Liang Yao.


    She directly told him her only set of cultivation scriptures without any hesitation.


    On the other hand, Princess Liang Yao clearly wanted to enlist Chen An''s help but hadn''t given him anything so far.


    She definitely had some top-notch cultivation scriptures with her, but so far, she hadn''t shown any intention of giving them to Chen An.


    Even if she did give them to him, whether Chen An would dare to practice them was another matter.


    When it came down to it, Bai Qing''s scriptures were more trustworthy.


    During the period when the Bai family was actively expanding, Chen An was also actively cultivating.


    He was indeed a warrior, and although he had come a long way on the path of martial arts, he didn''t mind dabbling in cultivation as well.


    After all, cultivation sounded much more advanced than martial arts.


    However, a regrettable event occurred once again.


    Perhaps the current environment was not suitable for cultivation, or perhaps Chen An''s aptitude didn''t measure up to Bai Qing''s.


    In any case, no matter how hard he cultivated, he couldn''t even make a breakthrough with these scriptures.


    Yes, he couldn''t even make a breakthrough.


    To be honest, this was truly a first.


    In the past, Chen An had experienced many difficult martial arts techniques, and although he might have practiced them very hard, he could always make a breakthrough.


    Like this time, not being able to make a breakthrough was truly a first.


    And then the problem arose.


    In order to add some cheats to his upgrade template, Chen An needed to make a breakthrough in a certain lineage.


    And now, he couldn''t even make a breakthrough.


    In other words, even if he wanted to cheat, he couldn''t.


    This was frustrating.


    But Chen An was still Chen An.


    Seeing that he couldn''t make a breakthrough on his own, he didn''t hesitate and went directly to Bai Qing without any airs of a Master of the Innate Realm.


    And then he was once again struck with disappointment.


    "Cultivation?" Facing Chen An, Bai Qing looked puzzled. "It seems quite simple."


    "It doesn''t feel difficult at all."


    As soon as these words fell, like a sharp arrow piercing his heart, Chen An couldn''t help but twitch his mouth.


    Are you speaking human language?


    Suppressing the urge to turn and leave, Chen An smiled and spoke out about his problem.


    Bai Qing shook her head in confusion. "This problem of yours is something I''ve never encountered before."


    The scriptures she gave to Chen An definitely had no problems, they were the same ones she used for her own cultivation.


    But why was it that while she had no problem cultivating with those scriptures, Chen An found it so difficult?


    Both of them were puzzled.


    In the end, it was Empress of Luoshan who came forward to answer their difficulties.


    "Feeling difficult is normal," Empress of Luoshan spoke up. "This world has just undergone a recovery, with the energy being dormant, cultivation is naturally difficult. Even the most self-focused warriors can only reach the innate level, let alone cultivators."


    "You can cultivate successfully because your aptitude is top-notch, allowing you to cultivate successfully under the heavy suppression of the world. But the kid here can''t."


    In one sentence, it was the unsuitable environment and inadequate aptitude.


    The scriptures themselves were fine, but the person cultivating with those scriptures had issues.


    Chen An remained silent in response.


    This damned aptitude.


    He had suffered enough because of his aptitude when he was practicing martial arts, and now that he finally had the opportunity to cultivate, he found himself facing the same issue.


    This was truly...


    "Young man, don''t be discouraged," noticing Chen An''s despondency, the Empress of Luoshan smiled and said, "There is nothing perfect in this world."


    "Those with top-notch aptitude on the martial path often have average aptitude on the path of immortality, and vice versa."


    "Take Xiaoqing for example, although her aptitude in immortality is top-notch, her aptitude in martial arts is only average, far from comparing to you."


    "Comparatively, your aptitude in martial arts is top-notch, while your aptitude in immortality is average, which is quite normal."


    She tried to console him, thinking she was comforting him.


    However, these words sounded even more distressing to Chen An''s ears.


    Top-notch aptitude on the martial path?


    If that were true, it would be great.


    My aptitude is clearly trash on both paths!


    And you call Bai Qing''s aptitude in martial arts average?


    Then what does that make my aptitude?


    A piece of garbage in the garbage pile?


    He felt uncomfortable and didn''t know what to say.


    In the eyes of Empress of Luoshan, Bai Qing''s aptitude in martial arts was only average, while Chen An''s was top-notch.


    But in reality, Chen An didn''t rely on aptitude.


    After being hit hard once again, Chen An chose to give up, quietly retreating to his own residence to recuperate for a while.


    For the time being, he gave up on cultivation.


    There was no way to overcome the limitations, no matter how hard he tried.


    But it was okay.


    If he could go to a different realm in the future, in a suitable environment, cultivation should be much simpler.


    By then, there might still be hope for his cultivation path.


    Well, at least he could make a breakthrough.


    As long as he could make a breakthrough, he could add cheats.


    It would be the same by then.


    Time passed slowly.


    Since cultivation wasn''t working out, Chen An gave up and focused on recuperating in his own residence.


    Two months passed in the blink of an eye.


    Unknowingly, the Bai family''s influence in Shangyuan County grew stronger, almost on the verge of unifying the entire Shangyuan County and forcibly seceding it from the Great Liang.


    In reality, several elders of the Bai family did have such an idea.


    They felt that the Great Liang had already lost power, with various rebel forces rising up and noble families seeking their own benefits, showing signs of decline.


    In that case, with their current strength, directly establishing control over Shangyuan and establishing a new nation wouldn''t be a problem.


    Then, the Bai family would be upgraded from a noble family to a royal family.


    This was typical daydreaming.


    At a timely moment, Chen An held back their impulse and opposed it when it was critical.


    Experience told Chen An that those who stood out died quickly.


    Past experiences also told him that the fewer nails on a rotten ship, the better.


    There were still three nails left on a rotten ship.


    The Great Liang Emperor did seem to have weakened, but the issue was that his decline wasn''t something that happened overnight.


    From the past to the present, the decline of the Great Liang court had already lasted for decades.


    During this long period, who knows how many challenges they had faced, yet the imperial court still existed.


    This alone spoke volumes. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Great Liang court clearly still had some foundation and couldn''t be underestimated.


    Moreover, the Bai family''s current situation wasn''t much different from that of a country.


    Even if they established their own nation, what significant changes would it bring?


    There were no benefits, but there were plenty of negative aspects and hidden dangers.


    This was something Chen An disliked the most.


    So, he decided to let it go.


    It was best to stay honest and quiet.


    Another morning arrived.


    The sunlight outside was perfect.


    The outside world was bright.


    In Bai Qing''s residence, Chen An took out a few things.


    "These should be the essence of spirit stones, valuable items that can be used for refining tools or cultivation. When we exchange them, we should at least be able to get a few high-grade spirit stones."


    Looking at the ruby in Chen An''s hand, the Empress of Luoshan spoke up.


    In Bai Qing''s courtyard, a strange scene unfolded.


    In the center of the courtyard, a large wooden table was laid out with various odds and ends.


    These items were all different in appearance, many of them looking quite strange, but they had one thing in common.


    They all looked quite old, many of them appearing to be antiques.


    These were all Chen An''s collections.


    In the past, while collecting eerie items, Chen An had also collected some items rumored to be related to immortals.


    Because the era of immortals had long passed, these items supposedly related to immortals had all fallen into obscurity, showing no signs of any divine power.


    So Chen An didn''t know if these items were authentic or not, and simply collected them.


    Over time, he had accumulated quite a collection.


    Now, he had brought all of them in front of the Empress of Luoshan.


    Who was the Empress of Luoshan?


    She was a powerhouse among former immortal cultivators, a big shot who could even be reborn after countless years of being dead and turning to dust.


    For someone like her in the world of cultivation, what hadn''t she seen?


    So, for Chen An, she was a ready-made appraiser.


    Taking advantage of her presence here, he brought all his belongings to her for evaluation.


    This way, it would be easier to pack up his things, take the important ones with him, and avoid any trouble.


    He didn''t have any spatial bags or anything like that, so he carried everything by hand. If he carried too much, it would indeed be troublesome.


    So, the evaluation was necessary.


    And the Empress of Luoshan seemed quite enthusiastic about this.


    After all, she had been asleep for too long, trapped in Bai Qing''s body. Other than enjoying the scenery, she could only chat with Bai Qing, which was quite boring.


    Now, finally having something interesting to do, it was a form of entertainment for her.


    Since she was willing to cooperate, things became much easier.


    And so, this evaluation lasted for over an hour.


    There were simply too many items.


    Over a hundred pieces.


    And out of these over a hundred pieces of collection, less than a tenth were truly related to immortals, with even fewer having any significant value.


    As expected, the top three items that stood out were revealed in the end.


    One was a ruby, which Chen An had taken from a group of people, later gifted to him by Song Ziyang.


    According to the Empress of Luoshan, this should be the essence extracted from spirit stones, a valuable item that was good for both cultivation and tool refinement.


    Its value was considered good by the Empress of Luoshan, so it should be quite precious.


    The second piece was an ancient jade pendant that looked very simple and had a long history. It seemed ordinary, but according to the Empress of Luoshan, it held hidden mysteries, probably containing some kind of heritage, making it a unique item of inheritance.


    As the Empress of Luoshan explained, during the peak of immortal cultivation in the past, many small sects preferred to use such items of inheritance to pass down their teachings to the next generation.


    The current item indeed seemed to be that kind of object.


    Similarly, it was given to Chen An by Song Ziyang. It was believed to have been left by Song Ziyang''s master.


    Hmm, it fit the definition of a small sect''s inheritance provided by the Empress of Luoshan.


    These were the two most valuable items, both left by Song Ziyang.


    It seemed that Song Ziyang truly was a lucky charm for Chen An, leaving him something valuable almost every time they met.


    It''s just that Chen An wondered how Song Ziyang was doing now.


    Recalling Song Ziyang''s appearance, Chen An couldn''t help but feel a little regretful.


    Deep down, he felt that Song Ziyang wasn''t a bad person at all. It''s just that he seemed to have a touch of bad luck, always being chased or on the run whenever they met, and always seemed to have something on his mind.


    He seemed like a person with a lot of stories.


    In the past, Chen An didn''t have the ability to help him, but now, with his current strength, he could probably help him.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t find him.


    It was a bit of a pity.


    Besides the two items provided by Song Ziyang, there was another item that stood out.


    It was a golden ancient jade left to Chen An by Huang Yuexuan.


    This was a gift from Huang Yuexuan before she left, a seemingly ordinary item with a certain origin.


    Chen An had only considered it as a common collection in the past, but during this evaluation, he uncovered something unexpected about it.


    "This should be a token of a certain cultivation family," the Empress of Luoshan said while looking at the golden ancient jade, a little uncertain. "It''s certain that it was refined by a cultivator, but exactly what purpose it serves is unclear."


    "It might just be a mere identity token, or it could have other uses."


    In other words, its importance lay in its significance as a token, rather than just its physical properties.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 182: Shabby and Ready

    Alright, another item that is temporarily useless.Chen An silently shook his head, then solemnly accepted the ancient jade.


    No matter what this thing is, it should have great significance to Huang Yuexuan.


    Chen An was still prepared, if there was a chance in the future, he would return this thing.


    Just hoping that there would be such a day.


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    Besides these three items, there were of course some surprises in the other things.


    Unfortunately, most of them were just ordinary items. Although some had value, they were far less valuable than the previous three items.


    After preparing, if it was convenient, Chen An would bring these things with him. If it was inconvenient, he would leave them in the Bai family.


    It was like setting aside some family assets for the Bai Zhiran and the others.


    However, the appraisal business in front of him seemed to be able to continue.


    Chen An thought so in his heart.


    Thinking carefully, now was a good time to scavenge.


    The era of change was coming, and the items related to immortals would revive.


    Fortunately, Chen An had the support of a big shot like Luo Shan Empress to help identify the items.


    Although it was like finding a needle in a haystack, the really good things were definitely very rare, but there were definitely some truly interesting things.


    For Chen An now, as long as he found one item, that would be a gain.


    Don''t look at these things being useless now, because the main world was in the last phase, so they didn''t have much value.


    But if you go to another realm, the situation would be different again.


    As long as it was in a realm with active spiritual energy, these items related to immortals would revive.


    Then they would be useful, right?


    The plan was a success.


    After discussing the plan with Bai Qing and the others, it was not surprising that Bai Qing and Luo Shan Empress were both very interested.


    After all, like Chen An, they were now in a poor state.


    Bai Qing naturally didn''t need to say much, while Luo Shan Empress, on the other hand, may have been very wealthy in the past, but now, after so many years, she had also become a pauper and had to start over just like Bai Qing and the others.


    Being poor and having the motivation to strive naturally followed.


    So they quickly got to work.


    The three of them worked together, with each person having a clear division of labor.


    Luo Shan Empress was the behind-the-scenes big shot, responsible for identification, Bai Qing was responsible for the specific execution, going to various places to collect.


    As for Chen An, he just quietly cultivated and did nothing, just honestly slacking off.


    Well, it was not that he did nothing.


    After all, he still had a reputation.


    The title of Innate Grandmaster still had some weight today. Not to mention the elders in Bai''s family, even in the entire Dalian, many people would give him face.


    Even in front of the current emperor, Chen An was someone with face.


    He was someone even the current Emperor Dalian would personally welcome.


    Even if Chen An did nothing, just relying on this reputation could make Bai Qing''s work much easier.


    Not to mention, all those guest elders under Chen An''s command, one by one, all had to be obedient, eagerly offering various treasures for her.


    Sometimes Bai Qing didn''t even need to take action personally, and the people around her who wanted to flatter her would automatically bring things to her.


    It could be said that it was very thoughtful.


    So Bai Qing couldn''t help but feel amazed and think that holding onto Chen An''s thigh felt really good.


    She felt good, and as for Chen An, he felt even more comfortable.


    After all, Bai Qing needed to work hard, in order to get her own share.


    Chen An was even more comfortable, just cultivating at home, things automatically coming to him.


    The three of them had discussed it a long time ago, and once they got the things, they would split them evenly.


    Due to the fact that Chen An was currently the strongest, he would take more than the other two, a share of forty percent for himself.


    The remaining sixty percent would be split between Bai Qing and Luo Shan Empress.


    After a few months, the results were quite fruitful.


    Not to mention the various odds and ends, just the so-called spirit stones mentioned by Luo Shan Empress, they had collected hundreds of them.


    Even if they split them among the three, each person could get about a hundred.


    As for other things, there were even more of them.


    The results were quite fruitful.


    Chen An was quite satisfied.


    According to Luo Shan Empress, the assets they now had would not be considered thin even in her era, and they were considered wealthy.


    Of course, this wealth referred to ordinary cultivators.


    For someone like Luo Shan Empress, a former big shot, it was a different story.


    But at this point, it was almost the limit.


    There was no way, the treasures of the immortals in Shangyuan County were limited after all.


    Now they had basically been emptied by them.


    If they wanted to look for more, they would have to go to other counties.


    This kind of thing could have been done at ordinary times.


    But now it was impossible.


    Because Liang Yao''s people had come again.


    Shortly after Chen An dealt with Ning Ming that day, Liang Yao had made an agreement with Chen An and then left temporarily.


    According to her, she was going to contact other people and then work together to break open the passage to another realm.


    But Chen An was deeply suspicious of this.


    He had a feeling that Liang Yao was actually going out to make a fortune, and without bringing him along.


    As for why she didn''t bring him, that was easy to explain.


    It was simply because she felt she couldn''t control him.


    Originally, Chen An was just at the Qi Energy Realm.


    This strength was good, but Liang Yao was confident she could suppress it.


    But if it was an Innate expert, then Liang Yao would not be foolish enough to bring Chen An along to search for treasures.


    Otherwise, when the treasure was found, who would it belong to, her or Chen An?


    Liang Yao, the Princess Changping, was very clear about this account.


    And now, after a few months, Liang Yao had finally sent someone over.


    "Red Dragon Mountain?"


    Opening the envelope and looking at the place name written on the letter, Chen An couldn''t help but be surprised.


    It''s not that the place name was particularly special.


    On the contrary, this place name was so common that Chen An had to ask someone where it was to know.


    "Your Highness has instructed you to arrive within three months at Red Dragon Mountain. I suppose that shouldn''t be a problem, right?"


    Looking at Chen An, Mr. Zhong, who was serving as a messenger this time, had a respectful look on his face as he spoke.


    Yes, this time, the messenger who had come was none other than Mr. Zhong, who was by Liang Yao''s side.


    "Naturally, there shouldn''t be a problem."


    Chen An nodded, indicating that it wasn''t a problem.


    Liang Yao had given him three months.


    This time frame was quite generous for Chen An.


    As an Innate Grandmaster, he already had a fast pace, and with three months'' time, he was confident he could arrive even if it was outside the Dalian realm.


    The only difference was the time.


    "Then I will go back to report first."


    Mr. Zhong said respectfully. Before leaving, he reminded Chen An to make sure to arrive on time, not to be late.


    In the process of speaking, he even gave Chen An a map, as if afraid that Chen An wouldn''t find the place.


    This cautious attitude left Chen An speechless.


    After all, he was a dignified Innate Grandmaster, could he still get lost?


    But just to be on the safe side, he accepted the map and then watched Mr. Zhong leave.


    After Mr. Zhong left, Chen An returned to his residence. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At this point, his residence had been completely renewed.


    The people inside had mostly been replaced, returning to the original group.


    Compared to the flashy people that Bai Qing and the elders had brought to Chen An, this old group may not have had such high looks, but at least they looked pleasing and wouldn''t disgust people.


    That was the biggest advantage.


    Walking into the courtyard, Bai Zhiran was sitting there, seemingly leisurely sunbathing.


    Beside her were two maids, one was chatting with Bai Zhiran while the other was fanning her.


    Look at this life.


    Chen An felt envious just looking at it.


    Since becoming pregnant, Bai Zhiran''s belly had been growing day by day, and now she was five months pregnant.


    Her belly was becoming more and more obvious.


    Bai''s family up and down were all delighted with her pregnancy.


    After all, Bai''s family''s situation was precarious, and they were basically relying on Chen An alone.


    If Chen An ever had any bad thoughts and felt that the Bai family was too much of a bother, wanting to wipe them out, then it would be a disaster.


    So at this time, Bai Zhiran''s pregnancy was the best news.


    For the sake of Bai Zhiran and her child, Chen An should at least be friendly with Bai''s family, right?


    That was their mindset.


    Chen An knew all this very well, but he didn''t say anything.


    As for Bai Zhiran, she was originally a very lively person, always wanting to go out and play during her free time. Even after getting married, she still wanted to go out hunting regularly.


    But now the conditions didn''t allow it.


    With a child in her belly, she couldn''t go hunting now, and even walking a few extra steps would be difficult.


    So she had to stay at home and couldn''t think about anything else.


    "I''m back."


    Hearing footsteps in the distance, Bai Zhiran turned and beckoned Chen An to come and sit down.


    The two maids next to her quietly walked away.


    Chen An took the fan and continued blowing, taking a breath of air.


    "Why are you back so early today?"


    Looking at Chen An, Bai Zhiran asked curiously, "Did you not have any gains today?"


    Chen An and Bai Qing and the others had recently made a lot of noise collecting immortal items, so much so that Bai Zhiran knew what Chen An had been busy with recently.


    So when Chen An came back a bit early today, she immediately asked.


    "I basically didn''t gain much."


    Chen An said helplessly, "All the good things have been pillaged."


    "That''s just how it is."


    Bai Zhiran smiled, "With your looting skills, no matter how many things there are, they''ll all be stripped clean. How can it last so long?"


    "Wife is right."


    Chen An nodded in agreement.


    They chatted for a while in the quiet courtyard.


    It was not until a moment later that Chen An suddenly said, "I''m leaving."


    The place fell silent immediately.


    Bai Zhiran remained silent for a moment before looking at Chen An, "Have you confirmed the time?"


    Chen An''s plan had not been kept from her, including the deal with Liang Yao, which Chen An had also mentioned.


    So Bai Zhiran naturally understood what Chen An was referring to.


    "Yes, after three months, at Red Dragon Mountain."


    Chen An nodded, "But for now, I won''t be leaving so quickly. It should be about two weeks before I set off."


    "Alright."


    Bai Zhiran smiled, "Go ahead."


    "Such an opportunity doesn''t come by often, and it would be a shame to miss it."


    This realm was currently in the end times, with cultivators extinct, and even martial practitioners could only cultivate to the Innate Realm at most.


    In other words, Chen An had already reached the peak, and no matter how hard he worked in the future, he could only revolve in the Innate Realm, never going higher.


    For a talent like Chen An, this was a bit cruel.


    Bai Zhiran was also a martial artist herself, so she understood what that felt like.


    So she also supported Chen An''s choice.


    "I don''t think there should be a problem with this expedition."


    Chen An said seriously, "If everything goes smoothly, when the passage is opened, I will come to pick you up."


    "Alright."


    Bai Zhiran nodded, her expression equally serious, "I''ll be waiting for you."


    The two of them smiled at each other, their expressions seemingly more relaxed.


    "I left something in the study for you and the child."


    Chen An casually said, "If I don''t return this time, you and the child should secretly hide them and not reveal them."


    What he had left behind were not other things but his own inheritance, including the full set of Profound Ice Strength and many other associated inheritances.


    Chen An had learned so much, especially during his time in the Great Hua world, that he had collected several Innate-level martial arts.


    The Profound Ice Strength was just one of them.


    Now they were all left behind by him.


    Bluntly speaking, the inheritances he left in his study might not amount to much in terms of quantity, but in quality, they could surpass the martial arsenal of ninety-nine percent of the aristocratic families in the world.


    These were all prepared for Bai Zhiran and the future child.


    It was still the same principle, to consider possible failures before success.


    If he hadn''t prepared in advance, if things happened in an accident, then it would be too late to regret.


    If he really got to that point, patted his butt, burped, and left, what would Bai Zhiran and the future child do?


    So it was necessary to prepare in advance.


    "I have informed the family head about this as well."


    Chen An continued, repeating the matter with Bai Chi.


    Knowing Bai Chi''s situation, Bai Zhiran was also surprised, "Uncle Zhan is also going to break through to the Innate Realm?"


    "That''s right."


    Chen An nodded, affirming Bai Chi''s talent, "He was just one step away from the Innate Realm, and with my help, it''s just a matter of course for him to take that step."


    "With his protection, no matter what happens in the future, you can always be stable."


    He said quietly, already having considered everything.


    As it looked like he was preparing for his afterlife.


    "Regardless of what happens, I want you to come back safely."


    Bai Zhiran''s face gradually turned serious, "You should be present as a father when the child is born, right?"


    "I understand."


    Chen An nodded, smiling softly.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 183: Gathering

    Chen An did not want to miss the days when Bai Zhilan was giving birth.Although he was once the father of two children, that was all in the past.


    This was Bai Zhilan''s first time giving birth, so her mood was easy to imagine.


    If Chen An had the opportunity, he would also want to come and accompany her at that time.


    But unfortunately, although he had the intention, he might not be able to do so.


    There was no way.


    The time was a bit too tight.


    Within three months, he had to reach the Chilong Mountain and then it was unknown how long he would be delayed there.


    Chen An didn''t naively think that as long as he went there, he could easily use the existing passage.


    That was nonexistent.


    If it were really that easy, Liang Yao wouldn''t have intentionally invited him over, she could have gone by herself, why go through all this trouble?


    So Chen An was certain that when he arrived there, he was bound to encounter a lot of trouble.


    In the short term, as long as the delay was not too long, he might still be able to try to rush back.


    But if the delay was too long, then it would probably be difficult.


    One slight mistake, and he might miss it.


    Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but sigh.


    There was no way.


    But fortunately, Bai Zhilan also understood Chen An''s difficulties, so she did not insist, just comforting him with a smile.


    Compared to when Chen An would return, what she cared more about was whether Chen An could return safely.


    For her, as long as Chen An could return safely, then there would be no problem at all.


    Time passed slowly.


    Soon, several days had passed.


    Before leaving, Chen An specially visited Bai Zhi.


    In the familiar closed-door space, Bai Zhi''s aura was present all around.


    Compared to a few months ago, Bai Zhi''s aura was even more powerful now.


    Although it didn''t seem obvious on the surface, in secret, that aura was even more intense, becoming more prominent as time passed.


    This was a good sign.


    Feeling the situation around him, Chen An felt relieved.


    It seemed that before long, Bai Zhi might be able to come out of seclusion and become a true innate grandmaster.


    When that time came, even if Chen An left, the entire Bai family wouldn''t have to worry about anything.


    "You''re leaving?"


    As he was pondering, a voice sounded in front of him.


    Chen An was surprised and said, "Your strength has improved again."


    Chen An''s aura had always been very secretive. If he deliberately concealed it, even an innate grandmaster would not be able to sense his aura.


    Just like that day with Ning Ming, it was not until Chen An made a move that Ning Ming noticed his presence, that was how it was.


    Of course, this was the effect of concealing all his strength, and not something that could be compared to usual.


    But even so, Chen An''s aura was not something that just anyone could sense.


    From this point of view, Bai Zhi had indeed made noticeable progress.


    "The heritage you left behind is very complete. After I comprehended some of it, I also gained some understanding, perhaps not far from reaching that level."


    Bai Zhi did not show up, only his voice came from the closed-door room, explaining the reason.


    It was clear that he had gained quite a lot now, enough to be able to easily do things that he couldn''t do before.


    Chen An felt relieved.


    This was also the result of his changes.


    Originally, Bai Zhi seemed to be in a situation where he was bound to die.


    But even in such a situation, Chen An was able to turn it around, and now he was about to break through and become the next innate grandmaster.


    One had to say that there was some sense of accomplishment in this.


    After chatting with Bai Zhi for a few moments, Chen An left and walked outward.


    In the following time, everything seemed calm and nothing special happened.


    In this quiet time, Chen An silently left the Bai family and headed towards the direction of the Chilong Mountain.


    Of course, he was not the only one traveling.


    Bai Qing and some other servants were among them.


    After all, the road they were taking was a bit long, so it was more comfortable to bring more people with them under suitable conditions.


    Bai Qing agreed with this.


    After all, who would want to travel in a hardship when they could travel comfortably.


    Time passed slowly.


    Soon, over a month had passed.


    Chen An walked on the path.


    On this journey, they encountered many people.


    There were good people and bad people among them.


    The good ones were naturally fine, but the bad ones, for the most part, had ended up in a bad situation.


    This was normal.


    After all, those who dared to show their bad intentions in front of Chen An and the others basically didn''t have a good ending.


    It was like asking for trouble.


    After going through various twists and turns, they finally found their destination.


    However, at the same time, there were some new problems.


    "This place is too big."


    Looking at the winding mountains ahead, Chen An''s face looked puzzled.


    "Indeed."


    Bai Qing also looked puzzled and nodded.


    "The terrain of this mountain range looks quite perfect."


    The Empress Luo Shan also exclaimed, "If this were in the era of Qi revival, this terrain would be enough to nurture an extraordinary dragon vein and become the foundation of a sacred place."


    Her vision was quite high, so saying all this now also meant that this place was indeed unique, probably a good place.


    Chen An and Bai Qing exchanged a glance, and both had the same thought.


    It sounded ridiculous.


    When Mr. Zhong came to deliver the map, Chen An had looked down on it, thinking how big the place was, did they really need a map?


    Could innate grandmasters not find directions using their aura?


    But now, thinking about it, he was just thankful that they brought the map with them this time, otherwise they might have had a hard time finding the place.


    To be precise, even with the map as a guide, it was still difficult to find the exact location.


    The terrain of this mountain range was too unique, making it difficult to navigate.


    That was the problem.


    However, with the map in hand and Chen An''s slow exploration, they were still able to slowly find their way.


    In this regard, Chen An still had some confidence.


    After all, he used to be known as a skilled pathfinder.


    It didn''t make sense that now, in a different world, this pathfinder would turn into a lost man.


    With this thought in mind, Chen An continued forward, actively searching for the way.


    He did not disappoint.


    After nearly a month of time, he finally arrived at his destination.


    It was a very unique village, with some farmers working in the fields, everything looked harmonious.


    The only thing that was not so harmonious was the faint aura emanating from the place.


    "We''re here."


    Chen An looked up, his gaze forward.


    In his senses, two auras were approaching, subtly pressing towards him.


    Two innate grandmasters!


    Boom!


    In the sky, there was the sound of a collision, as if there was a clash happening, very clear.


    Bai Qing instinctively took a step back, preparing to stand behind Chen An.


    This had become a habit of hers in recent times.


    There was no way.


    She was not as strong as others.


    Her cultivation before was probably at the level of Internal Energy Great Completion, and now, she was still at this level.


    Yes, nothing had changed.


    After all, most of her time was spent on cultivating immortality.


    With limited time spent on martial arts, at this level it was fine within the Shangyuan County, but outside it was a bit insufficient.


    Over time, she had developed this habit.


    At the beginning, it was a bit embarrassing.


    After all, Bai Qing was not an ordinary person, she had her pride.


    But soon, she realized the benefits of doing so.


    It was just too effortless.


    Being with Chen An, all kinds of troubles could be easily resolved.


    Since that was the case, why bother exerting herself?


    Why not just lie flat?


    With this thought in mind, she gradually relaxed and had completely let go of herself.


    Oh, another fallen person.


    The battle between the innate grandmasters began quickly, and it ended just as quickly.


    After a short while, Bai Qing noticed that Chen An had stopped, and his face returned to normal.


    She was quite surprised, "Is it over?"


    "Yes, it''s over."


    Chen An nodded and then continued walking forward.


    Can''t be, it was over so quickly?


    Bai Qing was a bit puzzled.


    She thought that even if it was impossible for the innate grandmasters to immediately fight, they should at least compete for a while, right?


    The quick end made her feel a bit disappointed.


    But disappointment aside, there were still things to be done.


    Seeing Chen An gradually moving forward, she quickly followed.


    Entering the village, various scenes greeted their eyes.


    Everything looked normal.


    Old dilapidated houses, dried meat hanging everywhere, and some dirty-looking children with curious eyes.


    Everything seemed normal.


    The only thing that was a bit abnormal was the reaction of the people there.


    Facing Chen An and Bai Qing, the locals didn''t show any special reaction, they looked as if they were used to it, as if they didn''t treat them as outsiders at all.


    Except for a few children who looked at them with curiosity, most of the others directly ignored them, as if they were treating them as air.


    This situation was undoubtedly strange.


    But the fact that such a village existed in this rundown place was strange enough, so there wasn''t much to say about other things.


    As they walked in, someone was already waiting for them.


    It was the familiar Mr. Zhong.


    He was dressed in a robe, wearing a headdress similar to the attire of the local minority groups, looking a bit out of place.


    Seeing Chen An and the others, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Mr. Chen, you''re here."


    "And this is Miss Bai."


    He then looked at Bai Qing, his face showing a hint of hesitation and awkwardness.


    Awkwardness was inevitable.


    After all, he was once ordered by Liang Yao to go and assassinate Bai Qing.


    If he had succeeded, it would have been fine, but the key was that not only did he fail, he was also exposed by Chen An.


    Now the person directly standing in front of him was Bai Qing, so it was impossible for him not to feel awkward.


    But Mr. Zhong was an old hand in the game, so he only felt a little awkward and then quickly regained his composure, looking serious again.


    "It''s good that you''re here."


    He smiled and said with a radiant smile, looking very enthusiastic, "Miss is already waiting for you inside."


    "Alright."


    Chen An glanced at Mr. Zhong, seeing his awkwardness, he just smiled slightly, and then spoke, "Thank you for leading the way."


    As soon as the words fell, Mr. Zhong nodded and quickly turned to walk into the building.


    They walked a distance and arrived at a large courtyard.


    In the courtyard, several people were sitting cross-legged.


    One of them was Liang Yao.


    After not seeing each other for a few months, Liang Yao seemed to have undergone some changes, her aura becoming much calmer.


    There were also two people standing beside her.


    Chen An''s gaze shifted to them.


    The two people standing next to Liang Yao looked very special. One of them had a fierce appearance, a burly figure, with eyes that seemed to be thoughtful, he looked like a tough guy, exuding a unique masculine aura.


    As for the other person, he was a strange man wearing an iron mask. He was thin and frail, his face covered by the iron mask, making it impossible to see his features.


    Under the dark iron mask, a pair of calm eyes looked at Chen An, making Chen An almost have an instinctive reaction, almost wanting to take action.


    Experts!


    Chen An felt a sense of awe in his heart.


    Undoubtedly, these two people were the experts Liang Yao had recruited from all over.


    These two experts both had strong personalities, and their strength was unquestionable, even among the innate grandmasters, they were not weak.


    At least compared to Ning Ming who died at Chen An''s hands before, these two were much stronger.


    "This is Iron Grandmaster."


    Seeing Chen An, Liang Yao''s face immediately broke into a smile, and she began to introduce Chen An, "As for this one, he is called Blood Butcher, the Grandmaster of the Southern Observers."


    She explained for Chen An.


    The one with the iron mask was the Iron Grandmaster, while the burly and fierce-looking one was the Southern Observer.


    Chen An couldn''t help but make a mental joke about the name.


    "I''ve heard a little."


    The Iron Grandmaster and the Southern Observer nodded, indicating that they were familiar with Chen An.


    They had already clashed once outside, so they had a rough idea of each other''s strength, making the current scene appear particularly harmonious.


    Because although Chen An was young, his strength and aura displayed were not inferior to theirs at all.


    Naturally, their attitude followed suit.


    There was no way.


    After all, strength was the foundation.


    "Now that we have arrived as agreed, should we start?" Seeing Chen An sitting down as well, the Southern Observer turned around and looked at Liang Yao in front of him.


    "Of course."


    Liang Yao smiled at the Southern Observer in response, then continued with a smile, "Just need to make some preparations, let me find the place first."


    "That''s reasonable."


    Chen An and the others nodded.


    In the courtyard, they whispered to each other, exchanging information.


    From their conversation, Chen An learned some specific details.


    The number of innate grandmasters invited by Chen An was not too many, there were only three of them.


    This might be due to cautious consideration.


    After all, not every innate grandmaster was easy to deal with.


    Some people, upon hearing the news, might immediately try to capture Liang Yao, use coercion or torture to force her to confess.


    Although Liang Yao was not afraid, she also didn''t want to invite trouble out of nowhere.


    Moreover, once the news leaked, it could lead to more than just trouble.


    It would be a big trouble.


    In the end, only the three of them could stand here.


    They chatted, discussing the details and preparations for the upcoming confrontation.


    Only Bai Qing stood outside, looking around somewhat bored. s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    She appeared here as Chen An''s servant, and due to her strength, she did not attract much attention.


    Of course, she was not the only one standing here.


    The other two grandmasters also had their servants with them to some extent, and they had also brought them along this time.


    So at this moment, Bai Qing showed her initiative, actively mingling with these people.


    She was both winning them over and secretly gathering information, looking for any details that might have been missed.


    A few days later, the group set off again.


    Led by Liang Yao, they explored the Chilong Mountain and finally found a place after much effort.


    "This should be it."


    Looking at the place in front of them, Liang Yao breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly walked up to it.


    In front of them was a flat mountain wall, with no visible paths to pass through.


    However, Liang Yao managed to find a way.


    With the combined strength of the three grandmasters, they cleared a path, walked deep into the mountains, and finally unearthed an altar along with an extremely ancient-looking mountain gate.


    The mountain gate looked very ancient, with intricate patterns carved on it, clear and bright.


    Seeing this scene, the three grandmasters looked forward, their gazes finally focusing on Liang Yao.


    As per the previous agreement, this was the moment for her to shine.


    Under the gaze of the three grandmasters, Liang Yao did not disappoint.


    She stepped forward and, with a slight manipulation, activated the long-dormant altar, opening the mountain gate.


    Indeed, since Liang Yao dared to invite three grandmasters over, she must have had something up her sleeve.


    "This is a rune formation arranged by ancient cultivators. Ordinary people wouldn''t understand it at all, yet she managed to activate this altar."


    In Bai Qing''s mind, the surprised voice of Empress Luo Shan timely rang out, looking very surprised.


    Chen An had intentionally brought Bai Qing by his side for a reason.


    Setting aside other reasons, just the presence of Empress Luo Shan could give him a peace of mind.


    Empress Luo Shan was an old hand in the industry, and she could easily see through anything related to immortals.


    With such a big shot keeping an eye on things, if Princess Changping, Liang Yao, tried to pull something out of her hat with precognitive abilities and attempted to harm Chen An and the others, it would be quite difficult.


    But fortunately, that didn''t happen.


    "It''s done."


    The voice of Liang Yao came from the front.


    Looking up, the ancient mountain gate had opened, revealing what lay beyond it.


    Including Chen An, the three grandmasters tried to see through what was inside, but in the end, they couldn''t.


    It was as if an invisible force existed, blocking their scrutiny.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 184: The Gate of the Exotic World Opens!

    "It''s here, right?""It should be."


    "So, do we go in now?"


    Looking at the scene in front of them, Chen An and the other two exchanged glances.


    According to the agreement with Liang Yao, opening the altar and unlocking the mountain gate were tasks that Liang Yao was responsible for.


    As for other tasks such as exploring the path and dealing with enemies, that was the responsibility of Chen An and the other two.


    This was a clear division of labor.


    Now, a new problem arose.


    Who should go first?


    "Cough, I''m old and can''t keep up with you young people, so I won''t fight for this exploration task."


    Nan Jue looked at Chen An and the other two in front of him and spoke.


    Wow, with your physique and appearance, you dare to call yourself old?


    You really dare.


    "I wouldn''t dare."


    Chen An smiled wryly, "Although the senior is old, with a valiant appearance, it''s obvious at a glance that you are extraordinary. It''s most suitable for the senior to take the lead in this vanguard task."


    They praised each other here, but in the end, the meaning was the same.


    No one wanted to go first. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no choice.


    By inertia, in a place like this, it was basically not calm at all. Who knows what surprises were inside.


    If there were traps set up by ancient immortals inside, the people at the back might be fine, but the person in the front would suffer.


    It wasn''t good to be directly dealt with on the spot, it was quite possible.


    That''s why they were reluctant to take the lead.


    No one wanted to take risks.


    "Alright, stop arguing."


    The Iron Grandmaster spoke coldly, interrupting their refusals directly, "The three of us will go together, then there won''t be as many issues."


    "If something goes wrong, the three of us can die together here."


    With that, he took the lead and walked in front.


    Behind him, Chen An and Nan Jue exchanged glances, but ultimately followed.


    No matter what, the three of them going together was much better than one person going alone.


    It was acceptable.


    In the end, Liang Yao watched this scene and also smiled before following them.


    Later, Bai Qing and the others hurriedly followed suit.


    The group proceeded in a grand manner.


    And then they hit the jackpot.


    With a thud, a large number of traps shot towards them, a strong sense of danger hitting them.


    The powerful aura from the innate realm was in play, giving them an inexplicable sense of danger.


    If this were on another occasion, they would definitely dodge directly.


    However, it wasn''t possible now.


    There was no way.


    The place was too small.


    The passage was only so narrow, and with three people walking together, it was already quite cramped.


    It could be said that Chen An and the others could hardly turn around now, they would probably bump into the person behind them with just one turn.


    Not to mention the fact that Bai Qing and Liang Yao were still standing behind them.


    If they dodged, what would happen to the people behind them?


    Of course, they would care about the safety of Liang Yao and the others. This wasn''t because they were so kind-hearted that they considered such things, but out of practical considerations.


    Leaving aside the others, Liang Yao couldn''t afford to have any accidents.


    If something happened to her, who would help guide them?


    They might be in big trouble then.


    Of course, Chen An had his own thoughts.


    He had more than one person around him who knew about cultivation techniques, not just Liang Yao.


    Empress Luo Shan was also one.


    If something really happened to Liang Yao, he could push Empress Luo Shan up instead, which should achieve the same effect.


    Of course, he didn''t want to go that far unless absolutely necessary.


    After all, compared to Liang Yao, Empress Luo Shan was obviously not a good person.


    Now that they were in the light and Empress Luo Shan was in the dark, it was good to have her secretly keeping an eye on Liang Yao. If it wasn''t under Empress Luo Shan''s control and there were any problems, she would speak up.


    She definitely wouldn''t stand for it.


    In this situation, Chen An could be relatively at ease.


    So it was time to act when necessary.


    The thoughts in his mind passed quickly.


    The three of them quickly made a decision and chose to take action directly.


    With a loud boom, a powerful aura of innate energy erupted, facing the traps ahead and advancing relentlessly.


    Everywhere around them, beams of light turned into long arrows, charging towards them.


    These long arrows looked unique, although they were condensed into the shape of long arrows, they were invisible, making them look very special.


    And the power of these long arrows was very strong!


    A strong impact swept over them, making Chen An and the others feel a bit shaken, involuntarily shrinking back.


    After several rounds of this, the overwhelming impact from the front finally began to weaken.


    Chen An and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "It seems to be over."


    The three of them glanced at each other and felt a bit fortunate.


    The power of the traps just now was too strong.


    Who knew how the ancient immortals had set it up, so that even after so long, this place still had such terrifying power.


    Truly amazing.


    Fortunately, the three of them were all Grandmasters of the innate realm, with their innate energy protecting them, which barely allowed them to withstand it.


    Otherwise, if it were an ordinary person, even a warrior with innate energy probably would have been severely injured in that last wave.


    It was quite thrilling.


    Chen An subconsciously looked up and saw something wrong in the distance.


    "No!"


    His sense of aura was very keen, perhaps because he had deliberately strengthened his divine attributes, he could clearly feel more things compared to the other two.


    Like that strong sense of danger.


    Without any hesitation, he reached out his hand.


    The profound ice innate energy condensed and rushed towards the front, ultimately using the faint moisture around to ice this place.


    It was an extraordinary scene.


    Centering on Chen An, the passageway ahead was directly frozen, probably several meters thick.


    "Master Chen?"


    The people behind him were a bit puzzled, not understanding the meaning of Chen An''s actions.


    Then they heard a muffled sound.


    Bang!


    A strong sound came from the front, a terrifying roar and shock wave spreading, making the place look very unsightly.


    Under such power, the arrangements made by Chen An were crushed in an instant, the pieces of profound ice he had condensed collapsed and shattered.


    Fortunately, because of this buffer, the three Grandmasters quickly reacted.


    They quickly acted, using their innate energy to the fullest when the power of the long arrows weakened, blocking the attack.


    "That was close!"


    After doing all this, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    That scene just now was truly perilous.


    If Chen An hadn''t detected it early and made the right arrangements, they would have probably been severely injured even if they didn''t die.


    "Let''s continue."


    Chen An spoke softly, his face looking somewhat pale, as if he had exhausted his strength in the last wave of attacks, "Everyone be careful."


    "This place is not as simple as it seems on the surface."


    There was no need for him to say this.


    After the scene just now, if they still thought that way, they would be purely foolish.


    Apparently, there weren''t many fools who had reached the level of cultivation in the innate realm, or even if they were fools, as long as they lived long enough, they would eventually become smarter.


    They continued on.


    But this time, they were much more careful than before, almost taking care to inspect every few steps, fearing that some special traps might appear around them.


    Perhaps out of luck, or possibly because this place had been neglected for so long and the traps had largely corroded away.


    After that, they didn''t encounter any more similar dangers.


    Slowly, they reached a spacious hall.


    The grand hall in front of them was very magnificent. Despite the dim light around them, the people on the scene could still see the appearance of this place.


    Here, there were murals everywhere, as well as some complex patterns and decorations, making it look like a hall for receiving guests?


    Normally, places like this wouldn''t have any danger.


    After all, few normal people would set up traps in a reception area.


    What if the guests were accidentally injured?


    "Is this where we''re going?"


    Looking at the spacious hall around them, Grandmaster Nan Jue seemed a little incredulous.


    Before this journey began, he thought it would be very difficult.


    But unexpectedly, things were resolved so easily.


    Although they encountered some traps along the way, it seemed that it was not as intense as he had imagined.


    It was too easy.


    Their actions were also very unified, directing their gaze to Liang Yao, who was slowly gathering the attention of everyone.


    The meaning of that gaze was simple, obviously to let Liang Yao come out and explain the current situation.


    Facing the current situation, Liang Yao also seemed a bit confused.


    She spoke softly, her words tinged with a hint of uncertainty. It seemed like she was not too confident.


    As the saying goes, thanks to the power of the formation, Liang Yao could foresee the future in her dreams, but she certainly could not know many details.


    So even she, in reality, did not know much about many things, just the general process and result.


    Just like this ancient ruin in front of her, she knew the final result was the opening of the passage, and she also knew that there was some danger here, with many people dying here in the past.


    But she had no idea what specific danger it was, or how dangerous it was.


    So Chen An and the others asked the wrong person.


    "Is it really true? We''ll know once we go in."


    Beside them, the Iron Grandmaster''s stern voice came, sounding decisive.


    With that, he took the lead and walked straight into the main hall ahead.


    Once someone took the lead, the rest naturally followed without saying much.


    Chen An and the others quickly caught up.


    As they entered the main hall, there were some changes quickly happening around them.


    As if sensing the presence of outsiders, the main hall quickly lit up.


    It seemed like there was some special arrangement all around, emitting light that illuminated the hall, making it look like daytime.


    Even from the surface, there was no difference between inside and outside, as if it was daytime.


    Chen An and the others looked at each other, unsure about the scenes around them.


    Finally, Liang Yao stepped forward and found the right path for them.


    "Yes, this is it," she said.


    After searching for a while, she finally found an altar in the corner.


    Compared to the one outside earlier, this altar looked much more complex, filled with intricate patterns and various other things.


    A glance could make one feel its sophistication.


    "Yes."


    In Bai Qing''s mind, the voice of Empress Luo Shan sounded excited: "This is indeed the teleportation formation to the exotic land!"


    "But the specific coordinates cannot be clearly seen, further observation is needed," she said.


    According to her, the coordinates of such teleportation formations were already pre-determined to protect the inscribed runes, usually embedded within the formation, and could not be known without activating the formation.


    It was certain that the current situation would not allow her to open the formation.


    Not to mention whether doing so would damage the formation, even Liang Yao and the others beside her would not agree.


    So this idea had to be abandoned.


    But according to Empress Luo Shan, the teleportation formation should not have any problems.


    It was a legitimate teleportation formation.


    It was just that due to the passage of time, the formation looked somewhat damaged and required repairs before being usable.


    This was a major problem.


    Because, as she said, this formation was not something an ordinary person could inscribe.


    To repair such a formation, one needed a profound level of formation cultivation, which was not easy at all.


    How profound of a cultivation level was needed?


    Even Empress Luo Shan herself couldn''t do it.


    "Don''t overthink it."


    Faced with Bai Qing''s astonished gaze, Empress Luo Shan sighed and defended herself: "Do you think formation cultivation is that simple?"


    "A true master of formations needs a deep understanding in many areas such as arithmetic and terrain. It¡¯s a completely different system from cultivation that ordinary people cannot grasp."


    In other words, inscribing formations was a technical skill that had little to do with personal cultivation.


    However, generally speaking, skillful formation masters were often strong cultivators.


    As for the inscriptions in front of them, Empress Luo Shan truly could not inscribe them.


    And what surprised her quickly happened.


    Among the crowd, Liang Yao quickly walked out and then tidied up the formation in front of her, making it glow again and activating it once more.


    "This is impossible!"


    Empress Luo Shan''s eyes widened: "How old is she, and without any mentor, how could she have such a deep knowledge of formations?"


    She looked shocked, and her face was somewhat embarrassing.


    Naturally, she was.


    She had just said that the formation was difficult to repair, and now someone had fixed it just like that.


    Wasn''t that a slap in her face?


    "Humph, even if she can repair the formation, so what?"


    She continued to be defiant: "It is already the end of an era, and the formation requires spirit stones to activate. Without our help, I don''t believe she can produce so many spirit stones out of thin air!"


    And then another surprising scene occurred again.


    In front, Liang Yao casually waved her hand and then directly took out a pile of things.


    These things seemed to be taken out from her ring.


    Chen An and the others couldn''t help but focus their attention on Liang Yao''s hand.


    There, an ancient-looking bronze ring was placed, with a grey gem embedded on it.


    "A spatial ring! And so many high-quality spirit stones!"


    Empress Luo Shan was once again shocked. She couldn''t maintain her composure: "Did she rob the treasure vault of a venerable one? How is she so rich!"


    The wealth displayed by Liang Yao shocked even Empress Luo Shan, who was once a big shot.


    The so-called spatial ring did exist among cultivators, but the materials required for its creation were very special.


    To make a spatial ring, one needed to use a special treasure that could open up space easily, or one needed to have extremely high cultivation to create a space out of nothing and condense it into a physical form.


    Needless to say, neither of these methods was simple.


    So, possessing a spatial ring was a symbol of wealth even among immortals.


    To have such a rare item, Liang Yao actually had one.


    And there were so many high-quality spirit stones.


    Chen An observed for a moment.


    The things Liang Yao took out were mostly spirit stones.


    And they were all high-quality spirit stones.


    These spirit stones were much more valuable than ordinary ones. Earlier, Chen An and Bai Qing had worked hard to identify a dozen of them, and in the end, they only found enough for each of them to get five.


    Now, from just what Liang Yao pulled out, there were more than a hundred high-quality spirit stones.


    And that surely wasn''t all she had.


    Who knows how many good things were inside the spatial ring!


    It was unbelievable.


    At that moment, Chen An couldn''t help but have the urge to rob her.


    Liang Yao was just too rich. If he could rob her, he could probably escape poverty overnight and become a tycoon directly.


    Not only him, even the other two Grandmasters beside him were having the same thoughts.


    They had been in the world for so long and had some knowledge, albeit limited, so they were all thinking about it.


    But even so, they didn''t dare to act.


    They still hoped for Liang Yao to lead the way for them.


    If they offended her now, who would open the passage for them in the future?


    Liang Yao seemed unaware of Chen An and the others'' thoughts.


    At that moment, she was squatting, carefully arranging the formation in front of her.


    By inputting each high-quality spirit stone in a specific order, along with other materials, they became the energy source to activate the formation.


    Then, in an instant, the formation started to operate.


    A golden door slowly opened, like a gateway to the divine, sacred and inviolable, with various textures on it.


    "All right, the gateway to the exotic land is now open."


    Looking at the open door in front of her, Liang Yao turned back and smiled at the people behind her: "My part of the agreement is fulfilled. The next steps depend on you all."


    "If nothing unexpected happens, this passage will continue for half an hour, the specifics are up to you."


    With that, her figure slowly dissipated, then merged directly into the golden door in front of her.


    And she disappeared.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 185: Rejection

    She just left like this?Wait, we were still planning to rob you!


    As they watched Liang Yao''s figure gradually disappear, Chen An and the others were dumbfounded.


    They were about to rob her as Liang Yao showed her rich side.


    Just a moment ago, they had made eye contact, ready to attack as soon as Liang Yao opened the portal.


    But before they could react, she had already run away.


    This speed, even a flying person couldn''t catch up!


    Doesn''t this portal teleportation need to buffer?


    Chen An and the others looked at each other, not knowing what to say now.


    As they watched Liang Yao''s figure disappear, the idea of taking advantage of the situation was dispelled.


    And now they were faced with one question.


    Should they enter or not?


    After hesitating for a moment, the three of them eventually took action.


    "I don''t have much time left, so I''ll go first."


    The Iron Grandmaster made the first move, taking a step forward and walking towards the portal.


    Behind him, the few people who came with the Iron Grandmaster also quickly followed, heading towards the front without hesitation.


    Without any hesitation.


    There was no choice.


    They had been brought here by Liang Yao for a reason.


    Compared to Chen An and the others, the Iron Grandmaster''s lifespan was short, and he was already close to his natural limit.


    Although a Pre-Celestial Grandmaster had a lifespan of two hundred years, it was only a hundred years more than an ordinary person, and they could still die of old age.


    Staying in this world, the Iron Grandmaster probably wouldn''t live long.


    So he had no choice.


    By going to another world full of aura, not only was there hope for further breakthroughs, but he could also obtain treasures that could extend his lifespan from that world.


    These were all hopes of extending his life that he couldn''t refuse.


    "I''m also leaving."


    The Iron Grandmaster led the way.


    And after him, the South Realm Grandmaster also seemed to have made up his mind, stepping forward and walking ahead.


    Not long after, a large group of people disappeared in front of Chen An''s eyes, directly vanishing inside the gate.


    In just a short time, the once lively hall was left with few people.


    Well, actually only three people.


    Chen An, Bai Qing, and Empress Luo Shan.


    "Aren''t you going in?"


    Bai Qing''s gaze turned to Chen An, seeming to be puzzled: "Or are you still worried about Zilan over there?"


    Chen An nodded, looking somewhat hesitant.


    "There''s not much time left, you need to make a decision soon."


    Bai Qing nodded, but didn''t urge, just stood there, waiting for Chen An.


    They both appeared unconcerned, but Empress Luo Shan beside them was particularly anxious.


    "Just go in!"


    In Bai Qing''s mind, Empress Luo Shan''s voice quickly sounded: "Why are you hesitating? That''s your own business, what does it have to do with you?"


    "Do you still want to cultivate? Hurry up and go in!"


    She urged, seeming a bit impatient.


    However, despite her urging, Bai Qing remained calm, with a serene expression, as if she hadn''t heard anything at all.


    Some time passed.


    There was suddenly some movement outside.


    Bai Qing looked up and then shook her head, "It seems like you don''t need to be torn anymore."


    Chen An frowned thoughtfully, then looked into the distance and nodded slowly, "It seems like you''re right."


    In their eyes, the distant hall was collapsing.


    It seemed that the activation of the enchantment had triggered something here, and the relics here were starting to break apart, with the whole mountain range seeming to shake.


    Once that catastrophic power spread, even a Pre-Celestial Grandmaster wouldn''t be able to escape.


    After the retreat was cut off, they seemed to have no other choice now.


    Chen An sighed, then turned around and followed Bai Qing into the golden gate in front of them.


    The enchantment was still vibrating, with light radiating in all directions, looking very bright.


    In just a moment, their figures disappeared here, seemingly directly transported away.


    After they had left for a while, about ten minutes later, the entire hall began to collapse, everything here was buried, completely destroyed.


    Everything was buried.


    A strange feeling began to emerge in their hearts.


    For Chen An, the feeling of being transported by the enchantment was very special.


    He could maintain his consciousness, but he couldn''t see the surroundings.


    It was dark all around, with invisible walls everywhere, and a strange power surging within.


    A feeling of fainting began to emerge, making Chen An feel strangely nauseous, as if he were experiencing motion sickness.


    This was very uncomfortable.


    In his past life, Chen An had experienced motion sickness, and it was really terrible.


    He thought he had traveled through, and there were no vehicles in this world, so he didn''t expect to have a similar experience again.


    But now, he was experiencing it.


    He didn''t know how long it had lasted, but the surroundings began to change.


    Light reappeared in front of Chen An.


    That was the sun!


    As the light of the sun reappeared in front of Chen An, he finally arrived in another land.


    "This is..."


    A completely unfamiliar aura emerged and was felt by Chen An.


    Just as he touched this aura, Chen An immediately felt the difference of this world.


    It was so active!


    That''s right, it was active.


    For a Pre-Celestial martial artist with a keen sense of aura, he could sense the level of activity of the aura in the surroundings.


    In the previous world, the auras he sensed were extremely lifeless, silently accumulating in various corners, difficult for people to use.


    But the aura in this area was different.


    The auras were extremely active, seemingly floating in the air, making people feel extremely comfortable.


    In a place like this, the effects of cultivating martial arts should be much stronger than in the previous world.


    Feeling this, Chen An already understood that he had succeeded.


    Through the passage of the previous ruins, he had successfully arrived in another realm.


    And this realm was indeed as Liang Yao had said, a world abundant in aura, with an active nature.


    The previous world was in its final stage, with stagnant aura, and in decline.


    This world, on the other hand, was the opposite, in its most active state.


    In comparison, the difference was huge.


    However, despite the huge difference, Chen An had a strange feeling.


    He felt that something was not quite right. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He felt a strange sensation all over his body.


    "What''s going on?"


    Feeling the strange sensation all over his body, Chen An couldn''t help but furrow his brow.


    At first, he thought this sensation was an illusion, caused by being in an unfamiliar environment, and that it would go away after he got used to it.


    But as time passed, he felt more and more uneasy.


    Why was this abnormal feeling all over his body not only not fading, but becoming more and more prominent?


    What was the problem?


    Chen An was puzzled.


    He was now certain that there was a problem.


    So his first goal was to find out where the problem was.


    He quickly discovered that his strength was being limited.


    The specific manifestation was the expression of his Pre-Celestial aura, which seemed to be affected by something, causing a strange resistance to appear when he turned it on.


    The power had not changed much, but there was a resistance when it was activated, making him feel particularly uncomfortable, as if he were being rejected by the heavens and the earth.


    Was this world rejecting me?


    Chen An furrowed his brow.


    No, that couldn''t be it.


    Chen An quickly made a new discovery.


    The faint sense of rejection didn''t always appear, but only when he used his Pre-Celestial aura.


    What was going on?


    Chen An was completely baffled.


    As it turned out, the state on Chen An''s body was not unique to him alone.


    For those who were transported here by the enchantment, they all experienced this to some extent.


    "What''s with this rejection of internal energy in this world?"


    On a desert, Bai Qing''s figure appeared, feeling the inexplicable sensation around her, she couldn''t help but furrow her brow.


    She had entered the teleportation enchantment with Chen An, but for some reason she hadn''t appeared in the same place as him, but was transported here.


    Of course, this could be a problem with the teleportation mechanism.


    She hadn''t seen any of the people who had been transported here before, including Liang Yao and the Iron Grandmaster.


    Perhaps this teleportation was truly random, locking onto a general location, and not very precise.


    This caused Bai Qing to be separated from Chen An.


    Like Chen An, after a brief exploration, Bai Qing also discovered the special and abnormal nature of this world.


    "So it''s like this."


    In contrast to Bai Qing''s confusion, Empress Luo Shan seemed to know what was going on.


    "Tell me, what''s going on?"


    Bai Qing frowned and asked.


    She naturally didn''t believe that this world was rejecting her.


    If entering another realm would truly be rejected, Empress Luo Shan would have warned her long before.


    Since it wasn''t a rejection of her as a person, then it must be a rejection of the internal energy within her.


    "The reason behind this is a bit special, but the principle is quite simple."


    Empress Luo Shan''s expression was strange, "Both martial artists and immortals will become stronger as they progress."


    "And when your strength reaches a certain level, you will gradually influence the outside world."


    "Where a Martial Saint resides, is the Holy Land of Martial Arts, and where an Immortal resides will also become a Celestial Paradise."


    "And when you reach the pinnacle of cultivation, those legendary figures are said to be able to influence a realm, even make it the center of their lineage."


    "Wait a minute."


    Bai Qing was starting to understand, a sense of unease rising in her heart, "This world, is it..."


    "That''s right."


    Empress Luo Shan nodded, seemingly unconsciously swallowing, "This world should have once had an Immortal Emperor, who long dominated this realm, to the point where his aura affected the operation of the world."


    "In this situation, the entire world will suppress all cultivation methods outside of the Immortal''s lineage, including martial arts cultivation."


    Bai Qing fell silent.


    Wow.


    The further one cultivated, the more terrifying they could become.


    Even if they were already considered a great power, like Empress Luo Shan who could maintain her soul even after many years of death, and even return to life, in Bai Qing''s eyes, she was already a formidable figure.


    But she didn''t expect there was someone more outrageous.


    With just one person''s strength, they could influence the entire world, forcibly suppress any cultivation that differed from their own path, it was truly domineering.


    Such figures were called Emperor Immortals, and it seemed quite fitting.


    After all, the supreme power and demeanor of such domineering power was quite similar to that of an Emperor.


    Wait a minute.


    Thinking of this, Bai Qing suddenly realized that Empress Luo Shan''s name also contained an emperor character.


    Could it be...


    Seemingly sensing Bai Qing''s thoughts, Empress Luo Shan appeared a bit embarrassed, "Don''t think too much."


    She explained in detail.


    Although she was called an empress, the character emperor in her name was just an honorary title.


    Its origin came from Empress Luo Shan''s past life.


    She had been a ruler of a country in the mortal realm, and she had later been honored as an empress, a position of high status.


    "In fact, many people have used the emperor title as a title, after all, it does sound quite grand."


    Empress Luo Shan continued, "But in reality, how many people are truly related to the supreme Immortal Emperor?"


    Bai Qing suddenly understood.


    These so-called empress and emperors were just titles, meant to make people feel more prestigious, but in reality, they were of no significance.


    Ninety-nine percent of those who had used similar titles were unrelated to the Immortal Emperor, and were insignificant compared to the actual Emperor.


    It was just that true Emperors were rare, said to be seen only once in a lifetime, so it wasn''t a big deal.


    If there truly was an Emperor in the world, there would probably be no one daring to use such titles.


    Empress Luo Shan was now wondering if she should change her title in the future.


    Maybe something like Empress Luo Zun would be good?


    Bai Qing didn''t think as much.


    She was only concerned about one thing.


    "Will this situation here have any impact?"


    She continued to ask.


    "It won''t."


    Empress Luo Shan replied, "This world had a Divine Immortal Emperor, and as a result, it will suppress all systems outside of the Immortal''s system."


    "Your martial arts cultivation is also being suppressed because of it."


    "But that''s not something you rely on anyway."


    Bai Qing''s aptitude for cultivation was much stronger than her martial arts aptitude.


    Combined with her not being particularly strong in martial arts cultivation, this suppression wasn''t a big deal for her.


    "It''s nothing to you, but for that kid Chen An, it''s different."


    Empress Luo Shan''s words rang out once again.


    Bai Qing''s heart tightened.


    Yes, there was still Chen An.


    "Will this affect him greatly?"


    She hurriedly asked, "Will it endanger his life?"


    "It shouldn''t."


    Empress Luo Shan replied, "But in this environment, his future martial arts cultivation will be very difficult."


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 186: Understanding

    Indeed, it is troublesome!Bai Qing can directly give up martial arts and switch to cultivating immortality, but what about Chen An?


    He is a peerless genius in martial arts, not a peerless genius in cultivation.


    It would be a huge waste to have such a martial arts genius switch to cultivation!


    "What should we do?"


    Bai Qing became nervous.


    This kind of reaction made Empress Luo Shan somewhat speechless.


    My goodness.


    Just a moment ago, she was calm and composed, how did she suddenly become so nervous?


    Where''s your strong woman persona?


    She secretly criticized in her heart, but still spoke up on the surface, "What can we do?"


    "Well, there''s nothing much we can do."


    "But don''t worry, aside from being unfavorable for martial arts, this suppression doesn''t have much impact."


    "That kid Chen An is lucky, he doesn''t look like someone doomed to die young, so there''s no need to worry too much."


    She spoke softly, comforting Bai Qing.


    Of course, this was just lip service, still maintaining her usual style of talking nonsense.


    Yes, what luck and destiny, how could she discern these things?


    Perhaps Liang Yao, a practitioner of fate, can see a bit, but Empress Luo Shan is better off not trying.


    It''s pointless to try.


    She belongs to the pure cultivators, those overly professional matters have nothing to do with her.


    Nothing can be done, one should focus on improving oneself rather than putting thoughts on others.


    Empress Luo Shan continued, trying to shift Bai Qing''s attention, "Although this world suppresses all systems except for cultivation, it also blesses cultivators. And you, are the top material for cultivation."


    "With your talent and my guidance, in just a dozen years, you can become a powerful figure in this realm. By then, you will have the ability to take care of your loved ones."


    "You have been wanting to surpass that kid for a long time, isn''t this situation exactly what you desire?"


    She spoke, hitting the nail on the head, voicing out Bai Qing''s thoughts.


    Bai Qing is, after all, a strong woman at heart.


    Although her body is honest, facing an opponent she can''t handle, she will subconsciously want to hide behind Chen An. But that doesn''t mean she wants to be like that all the time.


    In fact, she''s been thinking, wanting to surpass Chen An.


    Under normal circumstances, this is hard to achieve.


    She is only at the Internal Energy realm, while Chen An is already a Master of the Innate Sect. The gap between the two is already immeasurable, and not comparable at all.


    Comparing herself to Chen An, Chen An might not know how Bai Qing feels, but Bai Qing is certainly ashamed.


    As for aptitude?


    According to Empress Luo Shan, she has the top aptitude in cultivation.


    But does Chen An''s aptitude fall short?


    He also has excellent talent in martial arts, even monstrous.


    Under normal circumstances, Bai Qing thinks that she probably won''t be able to surpass Chen An in her lifetime.


    But now, this situation has given her a glimmer of hope.


    Coming to this world suppressed by the imperial road method, Chen An''s martial arts path is restricted, but Bai Qing''s future is smooth. And because of the imperial road method, she has an advantage in cultivation.


    It seems like the positions and futures of both sides are about to reverse.


    If she could surpass Chen An in a short time, perhaps Bai Qing will have a calm face, but with bright eyes.


    "There''s another crucial aspect."


    Empress Luo Shan smiled, somewhat alluringly, "That kid''s wife, as well as your ancestral clan, are no longer here."


    Bai Qing''s eyes lit up.


    Yes.


    This is a whole new world.


    Chen An''s wife Bai Zhilan, and all the people from Bai''s clan are no longer here.


    Only she and Chen An arrived in this world.


    And this means that all the worries she had about them are now gone.


    Marvelous!


    "Understood."


    Seeing Bai Qing seemingly coming back to herself, Empress Luo Shan breathed a sigh of relief, "This world is your stage. As long as you are willing to work hard, everything will be in your hands in the future."


    "You will eventually become stronger than that kid, and then you can once again surpass him just like in the past."


    "Isn''t that great?"


    "Don''t talk."


    Bai Qing''s cold voice rang out.


    She seemed to have completely recovered, then looked at the desolate grassland in front of her, took a few steps and walked away.


    Empress Luo Shan had a smile on her face.


    It''s good to have some vitality.


    After finally escaping to this world, she still hopes that Bai Qing will work hard in cultivation and find a suitable soul here for her in the future.


    This is her only hope now.


    There''s no way.


    Bai Qing was originally her best choice, but now that Bai Qing has embarked on the path of cultivation and even has some spiritual power in her body, possessing her is no longer an appropriate thing to do.


    It can only change the target.


    And to change the target, it is inevitable to rely on Bai Qing in the process.


    The relationship between the two has already shifted from the initial mutual distrust to leaning towards mutual cooperation.


    On the desolate grassland, Bai Qing''s figure slowly walked past and disappeared in that area.


    On the other side, Chen An was still struggling.


    Unlike where Bai Qing was teleported, he was now in a jungle.


    There were many wild beasts around, and it seemed like there were few people, which made him furrow his brows.


    Fortunately, although this world seemed to have some opinions on warriors, there was no major problem with the use of power.


    As long as he adapted to it.


    And then Chen An found out that although the spiritual energy in this world was abundant, his strength here was not weak at all.


    Along the way, he dealt with many bandits.


    In the beginning, he was very cautious, afraid of offending powerful figures or causing troubles that would affect him in the future, but later he found that he had overthought it.


    It seemed that these bandits didn''t have any martial artists among them.


    This was very strange.


    In the previous world, even among bandits, there were often martial artists present because of the strong martial arts atmosphere.


    Of course, most of them were just some body-forging martial artists, but occasionally, there were also some Internal Energy martial artists among them.


    But it was different in this world.


    Chen An had encountered hundreds of people along the way, and he had encountered some strong bandits as well.


    Although some of them were stronger than ordinary people and had the means and strength equivalent to body-forging martial artists, he hadn''t seen a single Internal Energy martial artist among them.


    What was even more surprising was that when Chen An captured some people and asked for information, all he got was a blank look.


    It seemed that these people had no concept of Internal Energy.


    Chen An had a bad feeling.


    Sure enough, after some questioning, his suspicion was confirmed.


    These bandits had no idea about Internal Energy.


    It seemed that in this world, there was no such thing as Internal Energy martial artists.


    He had practiced martial arts on their own, but Chen An had also seen that most of them were just practicing some superficial martial arts techniques, at most reaching the body-forging level.


    There was nothing beyond that.


    Yes, nothing beyond that.


    This world seemed to have some kind of discontinuity, with no concept of Internal Energy.


    This wasn''t right.


    Chen An couldn''t help but ponder.


    If these bandits had not practiced any body-forging techniques, perhaps their ignorance could be explained by their lack of knowledge.


    But the problem was that these were all legitimate body-forging martial artists, some of them even reaching the pinnacle of body-forging, which was considered very strong, even in the previous world.


    But even with such strength, they still had no knowledge of Internal Energy.


    This was very unreasonable.


    And their way of addressing Chen An was also very strange.


    Facing Chen An, who easily captured them, they were nervous, but instead of calling him a Master, they respectfully called him an Immortal.


    In their eyes, Chen An seemed not to be a martial artist but a figure like an immortal.


    In other words, they might not even believe that a martial artist could possess such strength.


    The information he gathered filtered through his mind and returned to him.


    Combined with the previous situation where he couldn''t use his Innate Qi and faced inexplicable resistance, Chen An suddenly felt more uneasy.


    This world wasn''t right.


    To verify his suspicions, he decided to continue investigating.


    Over the next few days, he kept a low profile, lurking all day like an ordinary person.


    Following the directions given by the captives, he found the road leading to the nearby town.


    According to these people, there would be so-called immortals in those towns, coming regularly to collect taxes.


    Chen An walked.


    He disguised himself as an ordinary body-forging martial artist, then seized an opportunity to save a merchant caravan that was under attack and thus joined the caravan.


    Although this world seemed to lack martial artists above the body-forging level, Chen An''s strength, displayed outwardly, was at the peak of body-forging.


    However, this could be easily justified.


    People are always different.


    One''s physique cannot be generalized.


    Like Chen An, his current image is of someone with innate divine power, and his strength in martial arts is top-notch among body-forging martial artists.


    And such a person, perhaps not much in front of cultivators, but in an ordinary merchant caravan, can be considered a big shot.


    Naturally, Chen An received respect and eventually, he smoothly joined the caravan.


    In this way, he had guides and people to exchange information.


    Chen An was originally following the directions given by others, but he later found this to be inefficient.


    The roads in this area were rugged and difficult to navigate, too primitive.


    In this situation, even though Chen An didn''t consider himself directionally challenged, he still found it difficult to find the right path in such conditions.


    It was more reassuring to follow others.


    The caravan went on various routes, although the destination was uncertain, it was always going to places where people were.


    This was natural.


    After all, what''s the point of doing business if there are no people?


    Following the caravan, Chen An didn''t have to worry about getting lost, which was a benefit.


    Another benefit was that it made it easier to exchange information.


    Although the information provided by the captives was useful, they mostly operated in one area, so the information was limited.


    It couldn''t compare to the roaming merchants.


    By following the caravan''s journey, Chen An was able to gather a lot of information.


    "I''ve heard that it''s possible for martial artists to cultivate another level above body-forging, is that true or false?"


    Taking the opportunity, Chen An pretended to be curious and asked.


    He asked the owner of the caravan, a man named Lin Bo.


    Lin Bo appeared to be in his fifties, his skin roughened by years of wind and sun, but his body still looked strong and robust, and he appeared very warm.


    "Haha, you''ve asked the right person!"


    Faced with Chen An''s question, Lin Bo laughed heartily, showing an expression that said Chen An had asked the right person, "If it were someone else, they probably wouldn''t know the situation here!"


    "Dad, tell him quickly!"


    Beside him, a girl with curiosity urged him.


    The girl''s name was Lin Yuer, she was Lin Bo''s daughter.


    Chen An also smiled, timely served a cup of wine, and made a very curious appearance.


    "It is said that above body-forging, it is indeed possible to cultivate Internal Energy, but it''s just very difficult."


    After drinking a cup of wine that Chen An personally served, Lin Bo finally spoke, "It is said that thousands of years ago, there were martial artists on par with immortal figures, who could easily move mountains and reverse seas, but somehow, these people became fewer and fewer."


    "The number of martial artists has decreased year by year, and eventually, even Internal Energy disappeared."


    After drinking, he said, speaking for a while before adding, "Of course, this is something I happened to read in an ancient book. I''m not sure if it''s true or false."


    "If you''re interested, Mr. Chen, you can ask others later."


    "Perhaps those Immortals will know more."


    "Alright."


    Chen An nodded with a smile.


    Lin Bo didn''t care much.


    In his opinion, as a pinnacle body-forging martial artist, Chen An would naturally want to break through further.


    After all, Chen An looked very young, but he had already reached this level, he must be hoping to break through.


    Asking such a question was normal.


    But besides what he had mentioned, he didn''t know much else. S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An was not disappointed either, just smiled complimentingly, then changed the topic, trying to get more information about the nearby area, shifting the conversation to other aspects as much as possible to gain more information.


    That''s where he excelled.


    Chen An''s knowledge was extensive, and through various interactions with people, although he usually preferred to be quiet, once he started talking, he was completely engaging, quickly hitting it off with the people around him, creating a harmonious and lively atmosphere.


    Who started it, they began to challenge each other to drink, drinking heartily.


    And then, they all fell down.


    Except for Chen An.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 187: Trash

    People around were falling down, but Chen An stood proudly.There was no way.


    His past alcohol tolerance was just average.


    But after all, he was an innate martial artist, and his foundation was better than ordinary people.


    If it was a special kind of wine, it would be fine. But the current ordinary wine in front of him was difficult to get him drunk.


    Chen An was helpless.


    Otherwise, he also wanted to experience the feeling of drowning sorrow in alcohol.


    He hadn''t felt that feeling for a long time and missed it a little.


    After a night of revelry, people around were falling down one by one.


    Then Chen An had to help clean up.


    He helped the people around him carry the fallen drunkards into the tent.


    After doing all that, Chen An looked to the side.


    There, someone was looking at him.


    She was an attractive and lively girl, Lin Yuer.


    Lin Yuer was young and looked quite lively.


    At this moment, besides the people responsible for guarding the perimeter, she was the only one as sober as Chen An.


    After cleaning up the mess around, helping the drunk people into the camp, she finally stopped and looked at Chen An somewhat embarrassedly.


    At that moment, Chen An also looked over.


    Their eyes met, and then quickly separated.


    Lin Yuer turned around and acted as if nothing happened.


    But just a moment later, she couldn''t help but turn her head to look in the direction where Chen An was.


    But at that moment, Chen An''s figure had disappeared, and he had directly turned back to his own tent.


    Watching this scene, she felt happy at first, but then a sense of loss crept in.


    Time slowly passed.


    In the following days, Chen An was like a real martial artist. Apart from daily practice and exercises, he chatted with Lin Bo and others.


    They discussed ancient and modern times, talked about the customs of different places, and seemed to get along well with each other.


    Of course, during this process, Chen An also gained what he wanted.


    "It seems that the number of cultivators in this world is not as many as I imagined."


    Under a tree, Chen An reflected on the information he had gathered during this time.


    During this period, he was not idle.


    Besides focusing on his practice and trying to overcome the inexplicable rejection, he was also actively gathering information.


    And through the information provided by Lin Bo and others, he supplemented a lot of relevant knowledge about this world.


    For example, information about cultivators.


    Contrary to what Chen An had thought, the number of cultivators in this world seemed to be fewer than he had imagined.


    He found this out from Lin Bo''s explanation.


    According to Lin Bo, to become a cultivator in this world, one must first have enough qualifications.


    And those qualifications were rare, even among a thousand people, perhaps only one person had them, which was very rare.


    It was much less compared to the number of martial artists.


    The practice of martial artists was much simpler; as long as you were a normal person with a healthy body, you could practice, but it couldn''t be guaranteed how far you could go.


    But as for cultivation, even the first step was so difficult.


    How to say it.


    But the power of cultivators was undeniable.


    According to Lin Bo, even the weakest cultivator could easily suppress the top martial artists from the outside world.


    The gap in strength between them was enormous.


    From this perspective, martial artists and cultivators were very different.


    One anyone could practice, typical lenient admission.


    Another had strict entry requirements, but once they practiced successfully, they immediately became experts.


    Each had its own characteristics.


    As for qualifications, it seemed that Chen An had them too.


    Yes, he had the qualification to cultivate.


    The Empress Luoshan had told him that a long time ago.


    And during this time, he had officially confirmed this.


    The way of confirmation was, of course, through practice.


    He still remembered the nameless ancient scripture that Bai Qing had given him before. He dared not forget it.


    During his time in the Daliang World, he couldn''t practice successfully because of the environment, but it was different here.


    During this time, Chen An had tried.


    And he was pleasantly surprised to find that the nameless ancient scripture, which had no effect before, had a clear effect in this world.


    With his practice, he could gradually sense the spiritual energy around him and even try to absorb it into his body.


    But the efficiency was still very low.


    But from this perspective, he undoubtedly had the qualifications.


    Although Chen An seriously suspected that this little bit of his cultivation qualification was not innate but was obtained through the projection.


    When the projection returned before, most of the source energy in his body was reinforced, and during this process, perhaps his cultivation qualification was also enhanced, hence the current effect.


    But in any case, this was good news.


    Chen An sighed.


    The surroundings were weird, seeming to reject martial artists.


    Under these circumstances, he had no choice but to focus on the path of cultivation.


    But that was okay.


    Cultivation was already within his goals.


    He wanted to go back.


    Even though he was in this world now, Chen An still wanted to go back to his previous world.


    His wife and unborn child were waiting there.


    And to go back, he needed to build a spatial array.


    And to build a spatial array, he needed to cultivate.


    The logic behind it was very clear.


    Just doing it would be a bit troublesome.


    But Chen An wasn''t in a hurry.


    If it were an ordinary person facing his current situation, they would probably have given up already.


    But Chen An wasn''t an ordinary person; he could cheat.


    It would just take a little longer, but other than that, there was nothing to worry about.


    After all, he still needed to have a goal.


    As long as he quietly moved forward, there would be a day when it would be achieved.


    Just as Chen An silently cheered himself on and worked hard, someone else also came over.


    A crisp sound of footsteps came from outside.


    Chen An instinctively turned around, looking towards the person approaching him.


    It was the familiar girl Lin Yuer, who was now walking towards him.


    "Mr. Chen."


    Feeling Chen An''s gaze on her, she smiled brightly, "It''s almost time for dinner, my father sent me to remind you!"


    "Okay, I''ll be there soon."


    Chen An nodded with a smile, then got up and silently followed Lin Yuer out.


    Walking along the road, the people around couldn''t help but smile as they saw the two of them walking together, and there were even some whispers.


    This was how Chen An had changed during this period.


    During the journey, Lin Yuer for some reason often came to see him.


    If it was just a normal situation, it would be fine, but she came a bit too often, so much so that Chen An was somewhat surprised and had a sense of foreboding.


    And it seemed that Lin Bo, as the father of the girl, didn''t mind her behavior; he even seemed to encourage it.


    Of course, he was willing to.


    Chen An''s conditions were not bad.


    Although he disguised himself as an ordinary person, his appearance was something that couldn''t be changed.


    With Chen An''s appearance, one could easily tell that he was from a prominent family, well-mannered, and knowledgeable.


    And at such a young age, he had already reached the peak of martial arts, making him one of the most outstanding young talents in this region, second only to those immortal cultivators.


    Lin Yuer was just an ordinary person, and if something good really happened between them, Lin Bo would naturally be delighted.


    After all, he was just a common merchant; having a martial artist as a son-in-law was already good enough, so he wouldn''t mind.


    So slowly, the situation had become like this.


    Seeing Lin Yuer becoming more enthusiastic day by day, Chen An thought about whether he should find a time to run away?


    It wouldn''t be good if something happened.


    It wasn''t that he was focused on cultivation and not interested in love.


    That was pure nonsense; if that were the case, he wouldn''t have married Bai Zilan in the first place.


    But doing so would complicate things.


    Bai Zilan was still waiting for him to return, and if he started a new family here, what would he do when he went back?


    He only had one life; would he return or stay here?


    This kind of problem was too troublesome, and just thinking about it made Chen An feel a headache.


    So, to avoid any unexpected occurrences, it would be better to stay away directly.


    Half a month passed.


    The merchant caravan finally arrived at a large city nearby.


    "Jilin City?"


    Standing outside the city walls, Chen An looked at the name hanging above the city walls in front of him and couldn''t help but look a few more times.


    The scenery around was very beautiful, and there were people everywhere, moving constantly in front of Chen An.


    Beside him was a guide arranged by Lin Bo.


    During the journey, Chen An had helped Lin Bo solve several troubles, so as a reward, Lin Bo had arranged a guide for him, who would show him around in various places since he was unfamiliar with the surroundings.


    They roamed around this city, exploring various places.


    The city was large, and Chen An, along with the guide, spent almost half a day without being able to cover the entire city area. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This was just a rough look.


    If they were to visit every area in detail, it would probably take even longer.


    Occasionally, they came across some interesting things, and Chen An would stop to observe with interest for a while, also taking the opportunity to ask the guide.


    Through this method, he was learning about the differences between this world and the Daliang World and getting used to the environment here.


    After half a day, he already had an idea in his mind.


    The size of Jilin City was about the same as Shangyuan City, both being the head of a county and considered quite prosperous places.


    But compared to Shangyuan City, there were more people here.


    Perhaps due to the more abundant spiritual energy in this world, there were many more rare medicines and exotic beasts in the market here.


    Some exotic beasts and medicines that were considered expensive and only a few noble families could afford in the Daliang World were available even to ordinary people in this world.


    Of course, by ordinary people, it meant rich merchants and local tyrants.


    Only they had the financial resources to afford them.


    As for the real common people, no matter which world they were in, they were like livestock, living a particularly miserable life.


    Chen An observed for a moment.


    Even in this world with abundant spiritual energy, there were still many poor people around.


    Some busy streets were fine because someone came to clean them regularly.


    But in some old city areas, there were beggars everywhere.


    In some hidden places, there were more corpses lying around.


    There were flies buzzing around, but no one came to manage them.


    "Why are there so many beggars in this city?"


    Looking at the beggars and corpses along the way, Chen An couldn''t help but ask.


    The number of beggars and corpses in this city seemed to be more than he had seen in Shangyuan City.


    It seemed as if no one cared, letting them roam around like that.


    "No one is willing to manage them."


    The guide sighed, "The rich families in the city only need to offer regular offerings to ensure their prosperity and wealth, but these ordinary people have never been taken care of."


    Through the guide, Chen An learned more.


    Unlike the Daliang World, many areas in this world did not have the concept of a country.


    Yes, this area had no country; there were only factions of cultivators.


    These factions competed with each other and each occupied a large piece of land.


    Under their pressure, ordinary kingdoms had no room to survive.


    And that was where the problem arose.


    In a normal country, there would be officials in charge of managing various places, most likely even developing irrigation systems, providing relief in times of famine, and such.


    This was how it was in the Daliang World.


    Even though the world of Daliang had long since declined, the local governments still functioned, even though they had become puppets, they could still exert some influence.


    But in this world, the eyes of these cultivators had no room for ordinary people.


    Their ruling model, in Chen An''s view, was very primitive.


    Real cultivators rarely managed worldly affairs; they focused on cultivation.


    So they established noble families in their respective territories to serve them, providing everything that the mundane world could offer.


    As for the life and death of ordinary people?


    This was not within their consideration.


    For cultivators, those noble families only needed to regularly pay what they should pay.


    And for these noble families, as long as they gathered enough resources, as long as their background remained strong, they would never have any problems.


    If there was a problem, independent cultivators would come and suppress them.


    Under their great power, all resistance was futile.


    In this situation, even though the world had more abundant spiritual energy, ordinary people might not necessarily live better.


    Because they were cut off from the path of martial arts.


    Not to mention whether there were appropriate inheritances, even if there were, it could only reach the level of martial arts, what was the use of that?


    And as for cultivation, the probability of one among thousands becoming one was so small that it couldn''t change anything.


    So the ordinary people in this world were probably more desperate than in the Daliang World.


    Of course, even within the Daliang World, the state of ordinary people wasn''t good.


    It was just worse here.


    Thinking about this, Chen An seemed thoughtful.


    They continued to walk forward, passing through one area after another.


    Finally, a very lively scene came into view.


    "What''s happening there?"


    Looking at the scene ahead, Chen An couldn''t help but ask.


    In his line of sight, the area ahead was crowded with people, with everyone seemingly pushing forward.


    (The End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 188: Testing

    Chen An looked at the crowded scene ahead and couldn''t help but fall into contemplation.For some reason, looking at the lively scene ahead, he always had a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    Just like going back to the past and seeing those old men and women pushing each other for a bit of cheap discount.


    Isn''t it?


    The scene in front of him is just like a grand sale.


    Of course, in this world''s situation, such a grand sale is unlikely to happen.


    But even so, it is mostly a good thing.


    Chen An continued to observe for a while.


    Then he discovered more.


    He found that among the crowded crowd in front, there were basically all kinds of people.


    There were ordinary people, wealthy people, beggars, and even some warriors in unique attire.


    According to the situation in this world, these people should belong to completely different classes, and if they met in normal times, they would not only not stand together, but most likely fight.


    Unlike the past life, the class opposition in this world is much more severe.


    Can''t help it, it''s a feudal society.


    "What are they doing?"


    Doubts aside, but for the current situation in front of him, he was very curious.


    He was thinking, what kind of good thing could make so many people with different backgrounds so enthusiastic, like a big sale.


    The guide quickly gave him an explanation.


    "Screening."


    The guide was concise and quickly gave an explanation.


    It turns out that the prominent families in this world not only provide resources and manpower to the high-level practitioners, but also have the obligation to provide talent for the practitioners.


    This is normal.


    After all, a sect of practitioners certainly needs a continuous influx of fresh blood to operate healthily.


    Otherwise, over time, the people in this sect will become fewer and fewer, how can they win in the competition with other sects?


    So fresh blood is very important.


    But expecting those high and mighty celestial beings to do this themselves, that''s not too realistic.


    After all, this job is really too annoying.


    So over time, they have also played their traditional skills.


    Distribution!


    All the prominent families they support have the obligation to send talents to them, and there are fixed limits every year.


    Those who send can receive rewards, but if they send less...


    Well, there will be consequences to bear.


    So the scene in front now appears like this.


    Can''t help it.


    If it''s something else, these spokesmen can still use their imagination to try to shift the burden onto the lower class people as much as possible.


    But this matter cannot be deceitful.


    What they want are talented seeds who have the qualifications for cultivation. Even if you try to shift the burden, can you create these people out of thin air?


    To collect as many talented seeds as possible, these spokespersons are doing their best.


    That''s the situation.


    The reason why the front is so lively is for testing qualifications.


    The whole process is sponsored by the prominent families, completely free, with only one purpose, to test as many potential practitioners as possible.


    For most people in the world, as long as they have the qualifications, it is equivalent to stepping into the sky, with the possibility of becoming a high-ranking celestial being in the future.


    Plus it''s free, so everyone is rushing, afraid of falling behind.


    So the current lively scene appeared.


    "The front should be the measuring point set up by the Liu family."


    Looking at the lively scene ahead, the guide said with some gloating: "The relationship between their clan and the celestial beings is very distant, and there are not many good seedlings left in the clan. They can only slowly look for them from the outside, and it has been three years since they handed over enough celestial seedlings."


    "If they can''t hand people over again this time, I''m afraid their good days are over."


    The guide was gloating, looking forward to it.


    It seems that no matter where you are, envying the rich is instinctual.


    Chen An, on the other hand, looked sideways.


    From the situation described by the guide just now, the distribution of these celestial seedlings is gradually downward. The top is naturally the sects of practitioners.


    They hand over the task to the city lords and the like, and then the city lords distribute the task to the various prominent families below.


    The major prominent families distribute the task to smaller prominent families below.


    Distribution step by step, sinking step by step.


    Why does this seem familiar in a way?


    Chen An fell into contemplation.


    At the same time, he was pondering another question.


    According to the current situation, potential practitioners should be considered rare in this world.


    As long as you have the qualifications for cultivation, you can easily become an influential person, even being supported by various parties.


    Just by looking at the current situation, if a person with the qualifications appears, the Liu family, responsible for handing over celestial seedlings, would probably be jumping with joy to complete the task.


    And by coincidence, Chen An is someone with the qualifications for cultivation.


    Although his qualifications may not be top-notch, at least he has them.


    Just because his qualifications are not top-notch doesn''t mean he shouldn''t take them seriously.


    And in this world, having the qualifications for cultivation is the top asset, more important than anything else.


    So Chen An was thinking, should he find a place to mix in, and then try to sneak into one of the sects of practitioners?


    This way has many benefits.


    As part of the top class in this world, those practitioners are the ones who have the most resources and channels.


    And within the sects of practitioners, there are large numbers of practitioners.


    As long as he gets into a sect of practitioners, he will be able to access the most abundant resources and channels in this world.


    It will be convenient for both cultivation and gathering information.


    Chen An has not forgotten his goal.


    He wants to cultivate, but he also wants to learn how to depict spiritual arrays.


    Cultivation requires techniques and teachers, and spiritual arrays also need someone to guide him.


    The nameless ancient scripture that Bai Qing gave him before is not the foundation, it only serves as a basic traction for spiritual energy. As for the specific cultivation techniques, Chen An doesn''t have them on hand.


    To obtain them, he needs to interact with those practitioners.


    Thinking about it, becoming a celestial seedling and then mixing into those sects of practitioners is also a good choice?


    Chen An pondered.


    "Mr. Chen?"


    In front of him, the confused voice of the guide came.


    It seems that Chen An''s contemplation has been going on for too long, prompting the guide to wake him up.


    "Ah, it''s nothing."


    Chen An quickly reacted, with a smile on his face: "Let''s continue exploring."


    "Okay."


    The guide also nodded: "Mr. Chen is from out of town, if you''re willing, you can also go ahead and try in front, it''s just kind of difficult to get in line."


    He seemed to sense some of Chen An''s thoughts, so he suggested.


    "Okay."


    Chen An nodded, then glanced at the long line of people in front, shaking his head: "Let''s go over when there are fewer people, it''s too crowded right now."


    Yes, the queue in front has become a long line.


    The situation, even Chen An had only seen it during the nucleic acid testing and vaccination in his past life, and he still has some lingering fears.


    "But when will there be fewer people."


    The guide was not convinced: "Although this testing only needs to be done once, there are always some people who are not satisfied, so even if the results are out, they still secretly come to line up."


    "With so many people like this, the queue will never be short."


    "Indeed."


    Chen An nodded in agreement.


    Then they left and walked around.


    They continued to visit various areas.


    While Chen An admired the scenery around him, he also gathered information.


    He soon found that there were similar testing points in every corner of the city.


    And each place has a long line, with basically no shortage of people.


    This momentum is even crazier than when he got vaccinated in the past life.


    But with this momentum, Chen An seemed to have not seen any results.


    According to the guide, this testing had started several days ago, but so far, no one has found any results.


    "Wasn''t it said that one in two thousand people can be found?"


    Chen An was puzzled.


    The people who came to test today, most of them had been tested several times in the previous years, just coming for the fun of it.


    Chen An suddenly realized.


    It turned out that this testing is held several times every year.


    In other words, as long as you are not a newcomer or a newborn with only a few years of experience, everyone else has been screened several times before.


    The potential to cultivate is something you either have or you don''t, it can''t be developed later.


    Those people who didn''t get any results before can''t suddenly develop the potential now.


    So it''s normal not to have any results.


    Because those with potential had already been selected.


    Only newborns and outsiders have some hope.


    Even outsiders are a bit uncertain.


    Because according to the temperament of this world, those outsiders in their own living place, may have been tested several times as well.


    Calculating this way, it seems quite normal for the current situation to appear?


    Chen An could somewhat understand the anxiety of those prominent families.


    On one hand, there are fixed task indicators from above, and on the other hand, the people who have been screened over and over again from below, still need to meet the promised task, the pressure can''t be small, right?


    In the past life, if the company''s task indicators were not met, the worst that could happen was losing your job, but in this world, if the task indicators given by the celestial beings are not met, the consequences could be losing your head!


    Can they not be anxious and panic?


    Chen An put himself in the shoes of those prominent families, and felt that even he would start to panic.


    Can''t help it. S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It''s crucially important, the survival of the entire family is at stake.


    Fortunately, he is not one of them.


    And in a way, the more serious the situation, the more beneficial it is to him.


    The reason is simple.


    For those prominent families, Chen An with the qualifications for cultivation is a living task indicator.


    As long as he is willing to join, they would be begging for him, right?


    The more anxious they are, the better treatment Chen An can expect to receive.


    This is definitely a good thing.


    Thinking this way, Chen An''s mindset relaxed, and he walked around casually.


    While collecting information about the celestial beings, he was also actively exploring information about the warriors.


    This step went smoothly.


    Unlike the subtle information about the celestial beings, information about the warriors was open in many ways, maybe because they had already declined and had no deterrent power, so many pieces of information were openly available.


    There were similar records in many magazines and ancient books, clearly stating the decline and reasons of the warriors.


    "The Heavenly Emperor oppresses the Four Sides?"


    After collecting various ancient texts, when Chen An learned about this, his face was full of surprise.


    He never expected that the reason would be like this.


    He is not Bai Qing, he doesn''t have a predecessor like the Empress Luo Shan to teach him, so he doesn''t know the secret stories of cultivation.


    But that doesn''t stop him from being shocked.


    Just like White Qing before, he never thought that there was such an existence in the world that could forcibly modify the rules of a realm.


    This truly broadened his horizons.


    Chen An was amazed.


    Although due to the level issue, the ancient texts in his hands are limited, the descriptions of the legendary Heavenly Emperor are not very detailed. Some descriptions even seem particularly absurd.


    For example, there is a description that says the Heavenly Emperor was born from the forces of nature, creating the heavens and earth, with his eyes becoming the sun and moon, and his body becoming the mountains, rivers, and oceans.


    Wow, the Heavenly Emperor directly became Pangu.


    This is obviously false, because Chen An is from another world.


    In that world, there is no description of a Heavenly Emperor.


    From this, it can be seen that the existence and influence of the Heavenly Emperor are mostly limited to this world, far from the absurd descriptions in those ancient texts.


    But even so, it is frightening.


    Chen An sighed.


    He felt like he had fallen into a trap.


    When he was in the Big Beam world before, although he couldn''t cultivate immortality, he could at least practice martial arts.


    Now, in a new world where the spiritual energy is active enough for cultivation, he can finally cultivate immortality, but his practice of martial arts is restricted.


    In any case, it seems like there are always restrictions.


    But overall, being here is better.


    At least he can live longer in the future.


    He is still pondering.


    In the next few days, he continued to explore various areas, silently contemplating his next steps.


    However, during this process, his guide changed.


    Perhaps sensing Chen An''s interest in Jilin City, and coincidentally having some free time, Lin Yuer volunteered to serve as Chen An''s guide.


    Compared to the previous guide, she was no less familiar with Jilin City, and in the past few days, she had been taking Chen An around, learning a lot of new things.


    Chen An''s mood is hard to say, but she seems to be quite happy.


    She had a smile on her face all day long.


    And after these few days of inspection, Chen An finally made a decision.


    At a certain moment, he finally took a crucial step.


    It was at the familiar testing point, with the familiar crowd and people bustling around, everywhere was packed.


    But this time, Chen An walked straight up.


    Behind him, Lin Yuer followed quickly.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 189: Qualification

    Lin Yuer looked at Chen An''s figure walking forward, feeling a bit hesitant.It''s not for any other reason, it''s just that there were too many people in front of her.


    Yes, too many.


    The crowded appearance of the people in front of her looked intimidating.


    For Chen An, he had experienced the tempering of his past life, so he had some resistance to the scene in front of him.


    But Lin Yuer was a local, where had she seen such scene before?


    It was lucky that she wasn''t scared.


    And then, in her gaze, Chen An walked forward.


    As she expected, Chen An was directly blocked.


    There were just too many people.


    But to her surprise, the unexpected situation soon appeared.


    Chen An negotiated with the people in front for a moment, and then directly stepped over the huge crowd, walking into Lin Yuer''s sight like that.


    Just like that, walking in directly?


    Unconsciously, Lin Yuer opened her mouth wide.


    So easily walking in?


    She still remembered the situation she encountered when she was tested, the crowded scene that still made her feel a little scared.


    She didn''t want to experience that feeling of not being able to line up in her lifetime.


    And then the question came.


    Why was it so easy for Chen An to walk through here?


    Lin Yuer was puzzled.


    However, the actual situation was quite simple.


    Because Chen An had money.


    Throughout history, no matter which world, wealthy people always had privileges.


    As long as you had money, why would you be afraid that no one would give way to you?


    Even give you a VIP channel.


    Did Chen An have money?


    He sure did.


    Just look at what he had experienced along the way.


    Although those road bandits and robbers were doing all sorts of evil, they still saved up some money.


    Chen An had absorbed those experiences he encountered along the way, so naturally he was wealthy.


    In terms of actual wealth, he not only had money, but his wealth was probably even greater than Lin Bo''s.


    That''s just the strength.


    Just give a few silver coins, and the responsible examiner immediately opened a special channel for him.


    Compared to the people queuing outside, this channel was not only spacious but also more comfortable.


    Because it was in the courtyard, so there was no need to endure the scorching sun, or be squeezed with a bunch of inexplicable people, which made it extremely awkward.


    Of course, for Chen An, the biggest function here was actually to save him some time.


    After all, time is life, saving a bit is always good.


    But when Chen An arrived here, he found himself queuing up as well.


    However, the number of people queuing here was not as exaggerated as outside, there were only a dozen people.


    It seemed that no matter where you were, there were always wealthy people.


    Chen An sighed quietly, then he looked ahead.


    In his line of sight, the figures of those people ahead came into his eyes.


    Hmm, they all looked very young.


    It seemed that all the old people had already been tested, and the people in front of him all looked very young.


    Among them, there were even some children who looked very young at first glance, most likely under ten years old.


    Among this group of people, Chen An was surprised to find that he was actually the oldest of them all.


    This was quite a rare thing.


    In the past, no matter what the occasion was, he was known for being young. He had already won countless titles like young genius, unparalleled in the world, etc.


    But now, he had become a young adult, standing among a group of children.


    This was really a bit heartbreaking.


    Chen An sighed quietly, then obediently queued up behind the people around him.


    Fortunately, although the testing process sounded very high-end, the efficiency was actually quite high, otherwise there would be no way to deal with hundreds of people in a day.


    With just a dozen people, things would be concluded soon.


    Chen An was able to wait for this amount of time.


    "Brother, may I ask for your surname?"


    During the wait, a voice rang out.


    Chen An turned to look, and saw a young man in a blue robe, looking dignified and elegant, standing there and bowing to him.


    "I am Chen Changming."


    Chen An smiled slightly, "May I know your name?"


    Being away from home, out of past habits and for caution, he changed his name to others.


    Because who knew what kind of means this world had.


    Even the Demon Empress Luo Shan had appeared, who could take possession of others. What if there were those who could curse you by knowing your real name? S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As a precaution, it was better to use a fake name.


    "I am Liu Jian, a local in Jiulin."


    Upon hearing Chen An''s alias, the young man in front of him brightened up, "So, are you from out of town?"


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded, then smiled and asked, "Are you a member of the Liu family by any chance?"


    "Just a collateral, nothing worth mentioning."


    Liu Jian laughed heartily and replied.


    The two of them continued chatting.


    Of course, their conversation was actually quite simple.


    Liu Jian took the initiative to chat with Chen An, probably just to ease the awkwardness.


    There was no choice.


    Looking around, everyone here wanted to gain recognition, so chatting with each other could reduce the awkwardness.


    After all, they were young people, and their faces were still thin, so they couldn''t remain calm.


    Although Chen An was also a bit shy, his experience was deep enough, far beyond his appearance, so his confidence had naturally been honed.


    As long as I don''t feel embarrassed, then it won''t be me feeling embarrassed.


    But if someone wanted to chat, then that wouldn''t be bad.


    It was just a pastime when bored.


    With this in mind, Chen An chatted with Liu Jian while watching the decreasing queue in front of them.


    Soon, Liu Jian also went up.


    He took a step forward, placed his hand on a stone slab, watched the still stone slab for a moment, and then quickly stepped back.


    "The process is quite simple, Brother Chen, don''t be nervous, just go up normally."


    After coming down from the platform, Liu Jian looked a bit disappointed, but he put on an air of generosity and began to comfort Chen An in advance, "Even if there is no response, it''s not a big deal, most people are like this!"


    He hadn''t finished speaking, but there was already movement in front.


    With Chen An quietly standing on the platform, his hand resting on the stone slab, his expression particularly calm.


    But as his hand fell, the stone slab immediately showed some activity.


    The stone slab that had been silent for a long time suddenly blossomed with light, and the patterns on it began to glow, like a blooming flower.


    And this light was spreading, continually moving forward.


    This sudden movement shocked everyone present.


    Could it be true that this actually existed?


    The attendants nearby hurried over, eager to be the first to reach Chen An, nervously staring at the stone slab in front.


    "One! One completely lit up!"


    Excited voices rang out, echoing all around.


    Liu Jian looked up and saw that there was indeed a flower blooming on the stone slab, shimmering with golden light, resembling a blooming golden flower.


    Even if you ignored its symbolic meaning, just looking at this golden flower itself was extremely beautiful.


    But the most fascinating thing was actually the meaning it represented.


    The rules for measuring qualifications on the stone slab were quite simple. As long as a person with talents touched the stone slab, it would make the stone slab glow with golden light, outlining a golden flower.


    Generally speaking, as long as someone could make the stone slab light up a bit, it could prove that they were a qualified immortal seedling.


    Being able to light up a golden flower would be a solid third-class qualification.


    And the situation in front of them was far from over.


    The light on the stone slab was still shining.


    "Two! Two!"


    "It''s still going! It''ll be three soon!"


    Excited voices continued to sound.


    The phenomenon appearing on the stone slab made everyone around them red-faced, looking extremely excited.


    Chen An stood on the platform, watching this scene, feeling a strange feeling in his heart.


    This was quite something.


    Looking at this, one would think that the test wasn''t for Chen An, but for the people in front of him.


    Even giving you a VIP channel on site.


    In terms of wealth, he not only had money, but his wealth was probably even greater than Lin Bo''s.


    That''s just the power.


    Just give a few silver coins, and the responsible examiner immediately opened a special channel for him.


    Compared to the people queuing outside, this channel was not only spacious but also more comfortable.


    Because it was in the courtyard, so there was no need to endure the scorching sun, or be squeezed with a bunch of inexplicable people, which made it extremely awkward.


    As for Chen An, the biggest advantage here was actually to save him some time.


    After all, time is life, saving a bit is always good.


    But when Chen An arrived here, he found himself queuing up as well.


    However, the number of people queuing here was not as exaggerated as outside, there were only a dozen people.


    It seemed that no matter where you were, there were always wealthy people.


    Chen An sighed quietly, then he looked ahead.


    In his line of sight, the figures of those people ahead came into his eyes.


    Hmm, they all looked very young.


    It seemed that all the old people had already been tested, and the people in front of him all looked very young.


    Among them, there were even some children who looked very young at first glance, most likely under ten years old.


    Among this group of people, Chen An was surprised to find that he was actually the oldest of them all.


    This was quite a rare thing.


    In the past, no matter what the occasion was, he was known for being young. He had already won countless titles like young genius, unparalleled in the world, etc.


    But now, he had become a young adult, standing among a group of children.


    This was really a bit heartbreaking.


    Chen An sighed quietly, then obediently queued up behind the people around him.


    Fortunately, although the testing process sounded very high-end, the efficiency was actually quite high, otherwise there would be no way to deal with hundreds of people in a day.


    With just a dozen people, things would be concluded soon.


    This time he was intending to drink a little and chat with his friend before discussing the important matters.


    The words sounded good.


    But the actual situation was that he was going to run away.


    There was no way not to run.


    The scene in front of him made everyone feel shocked and scared. Even though Chen An felt quite okay, he didn''t want to get tangled up with these people.


    After all, these people who could stay here were basically lackeys, and chatting with them was just a waste of time.


    Chen An was also planning to show up later and put some pressure on the people here to raise his own value.


    How could he just leave like this?


    That would be too demeaning.


    Although he had a certain inclination, he still wanted to fight for the treatment he deserved, otherwise he would be at a loss.


    So Chen An decisively ran away.


    But the people around him were not so easy to deal with.


    The attendants in front quickly rushed forward, trying to stop Chen An, looking like they wanted to eat him up.


    But Chen An was not flustered at all.


    He was a "Tempering" martial artist, and he had innate divine power, how many people in the vicinity could really stop him?


    Even if there were people with that kind of ability, they wouldn''t dare to do so.


    After all, this was an immortal seedling, and even if the head of the Liu family came, they would still have to treat him respectfully, for fear of a minor mistake in hospitality.


    After all, based on the other party''s qualifications, he would probably become a senior immortal in the future, and if he offended him, life would be tough in the future.


    Without the need for the other party to personally take action, they just needed to give an order.


    Thinking of this, the people present looked at each other, finally watching Chen An leave without saying anything.


    This is quite a rare thing.


    In the past, no matter what the occasion was, he was known for being young. He had already won countless titles like young genius, unparalleled in the world, etc.


    But now, he had become a young adult, standing among a group of children.


    This was really a bit heartbreaking.


    Chen An sighed quietly, then obediently queued up behind the people around him.


    Fortunately, although the testing process sounded very high-end, the efficiency was actually quite high, otherwise there would be no way to deal with hundreds of people in a day.


    With just a dozen people, things would be concluded soon.


    This time he was intending to drink a little and chat with his friend before discussing the important matters.


    The words sounded good.


    But the actual situation was that he was going to run away.


    There was no way not to run.


    The scene in front of him made everyone feel shocked and scared. Even though Chen An felt quite okay, he didn''t want to get tangled up with these people.


    After all, these people who could stay here were basically lackeys, and chatting with them was just a waste of time.


    Chen An was also planning to show up later and put some pressure on the people here to raise his own value.


    How could he just leave like this?


    That would be too demeaning.


    Although he had a certain inclination, he still wanted to fight for the treatment he deserved, otherwise he would be at a loss.


    So Chen An decisively ran away.


    But the people around him were not so easy to deal with.


    The attendants in front quickly rushed forward, trying to stop Chen An, looking like they wanted to eat him up.


    But Chen An was not flustered at all.


    He was a "Tempering" martial artist, and he had innate divine power, how many people in the vicinity could really stop him?


    Even if there were people with that kind of ability, they wouldn''t dare to do so.


    After all, this was an immortal seedling, and even if the head of the Liu family came, they would still have to treat him respectfully, for fear of a minor mistake in hospitality.


    After all, based on the other party''s qualifications, he would probably become a senior immortal in the future, and if he offended him, life would be tough in the future.


    Without the need for the other party to personally take action, they just needed to give an order.


    Thinking of this, the people present looked at each other, finally watching Chen An leave without saying anything.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 190: A Perfect Match

    Chen An ran away very quickly.As for Liu Jian, he was in a daze the whole time.


    It wasn''t until Chen An pulled him outside the main hall that he barely regained his senses.


    After a brief moment of clarity, he was immediately overjoyed.


    Great things were happening!


    Of course, they were great things.


    According to the introduction Chen An had given him before, he was considered a descendant of the Liu family, but only a distant branch. Normally, he was neglected by his parents, just carrying the title of a member of the Liu family.


    Although he had a noble status, it wasn''t quite right to say that.


    But if he could connect with a potential immortal seed, it would be a different story.


    Especially with someone like Chen An in front of him, with outstanding talent and a high probability of becoming an immortal in the future.


    As long as he flattered him now, when this brother Chen became an immortal in the future, just saying a word for him would immediately open up opportunities for him.


    By then, not to mention the direct descendants of the Liu family, even he could go further.


    Thinking about this, Liu Jian couldn''t help but feel excited and looked more respectful and kind towards Chen An.


    Naturally, Chen An saw through his thoughts. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Liu Xiong, what''s wrong?" Chen An turned around, his gaze fixed on Liu Jian, looking like he was smiling but not smiling.


    "No, nothing." Liu Jian quickly regained his composure, speaking respectfully, "I just saw Brother Chen earlier and felt that Brother Chen is indeed outstanding."


    "Brother Chen, please accept my bow," he said, lowering his body to bow.


    However, he didn''t manage to bend down completely before Chen An stopped him halfway.


    "Liu Xiong, there''s no need to be so polite." Chen An smiled politely and said, "I am new to this city and unfamiliar with the people and places here. I still need Brother Liu''s guidance in many ways."


    This was the reason he brought Liu Jian out with him.


    Although Liu Jian looked a little pitiful, he was still a member of the Liu family, considered a noble family.


    Compared to the common people around, he was sure to know more information and provide Chen An with more valuable things.


    Anyway, it was just a matter of attitude, not much of a cost, and Chen An was happy to put on a show.


    Likewise, this was also a signal to the Liu family, providing another channel for contact.


    After the talent assessment, his next step was to wait for various families to bid.


    However, among the various families in the city, he preferred the Liu family.


    After all, this family was the most eager, and the bid they could offer was probably the highest.


    Liu Jian happened to be a member of the Liu family, and even if he couldn''t find out much information, he could still be a good contact with the Liu family.


    A friend who could gather intelligence and deliver messages could not be found easily, so where else could he find one?


    With this in mind, Chen An casually brought Liu Jian along with him.


    As they left the main hall and were about to leave the place, looking for a quieter tavern to have a quiet chat over some dishes and wine.


    But then he was dumbfounded.


    Just as he stepped out of the main hall, a large group of people immediately surrounded him.


    These people were all dressed in magnificent clothes, looking extraordinary, and were not ordinary folks. But when they saw Chen An, they rushed forward as if they had seen some rare treasure.


    "Is this Young Master Chen? Truly talented!"


    "A young genius, indeed!"


    Praises came from the crowd, as if it cost them nothing.


    But soon, they revealed their true intentions.


    "Young Master Chen, I have a daughter at home, 28 years old. I wonder if Young Master Chen would like to marry her?"


    "Get lost! With the looks of your daughter, she''s not worthy of Young Master Chen''s grace!"


    Before the first person finished speaking, another interrupted, followed by another smiling face, "I have three daughters at home. If Young Master doesn''t mind, you can pick one of them as a concubine or servant, whichever you prefer, Young Master."


    "My family..."


    Sounds kept coming from all around.


    It had to be said that this group of people once again left Chen An in a daze.


    Wait, I just came out of there.


    How did you all get such quick information?


    Chen An was puzzled and subconsciously looked at Liu Jian beside him.


    Seemingly aware of Chen An''s confusion, Liu Jian whispered softly, "These are wealthy residents of the city. They have been keeping watch nearby for a while, and they rush over as soon as there is any movement."


    "Brother Chen, if you don''t hurry, more people will come later."


    What? More people?


    Chen An''s body trembled, feeling a headache as he looked at the endless crowd of people in front of him.


    It seemed that the city of Nine Lin had long-established traditions in this regard.


    Just like the selection of husbands among scholars in his previous life, this world was no different.


    And compared to scholars, immortal seeds were much more valuable. If you caught one, you were likely to live a prosperous life.


    Even ordinary immortal seeds were in such high demand, let alone someone with exceptional talent like Chen An.


    As long as he caught one, he would profit immediately!


    How could this not drive people crazy?


    So that was why there was this crazy scene before him.


    Far away, Lin Yuer stood there, looking at the scene in front of her, feeling a bit stupid.


    It''s not that she lacked insight. As the daughter of a merchant, she had traveled far and wide with her father and seen many scenes, so she wasn''t an ignorant peasant woman.


    But the scene before her was truly unprecedented.


    She had seen a few immortal seeds appearing in her ten-plus years of life, but never had she seen such a lively one.


    Of course, she quickly realized what was happening here.


    Although immortal seeds were popular, it wasn''t usually this exaggerated.


    So this exaggerated scene meant that...


    Before she could react, Chen An''s figure appeared in front of her.


    With a smile on his face, he kept pushing through the crowd.


    After all, he was naturally gifted and a glorious "Body Forger," so he quickly cut through the crowd and walked to Lin Yuer''s side.


    "Let''s go!" A low and familiar voice rang in her ears.


    Before Lin Yuer could react, she was pulled away by Chen An. The action was so swift, as if they were afraid of being eaten if they were too late.


    Behind them, Liu Jian quickly followed, afraid of falling behind.


    Of course, he couldn''t afford to lose this chance to secure his wealth and status for the rest of his life.


    If he missed this opportunity, he probably wouldn''t be able to rest in peace for the rest of his life.


    The three quickly walked out and, after reaching a quiet alley outside, the crowd slowly dispersed.


    Chen An finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "I didn''t expect the people of Nine Lin City to be so aggressive." He sighed and looked at Liu Jian, asking with a smile, "What do you think I should do in the current situation?"


    Raising his glass, Chen An asked with a smile.


    "Luckily, you asked the right person. While others may not understand, although I am not talented, I have known you for a few years and have seen a lot." Liu Jian said with a smile.


    "In my humble opinion, Brother Chen, you should just sit back and observe for now."


    "Oh?" Chen An was interested and asked for more details.


    Liu Jian then explained in detail.


    The city of Nine Lin was large, but there were many noble families.


    Although they all obeyed the commands of the city lord, they were not always united.


    When an immortal seed appeared, if they were not born into one of these noble families, there would be room for competition.


    These noble families were always active in such matters.


    After all, they had performance targets.


    For the performance targets, those who hadn''t achieved them yet were eager to fulfill them, while those who had already achieved them were happy to show off to others and make their performance even more outstanding.


    After all, those with outstanding performance were more likely to stand out and catch the eye of the immortals.


    Who knows, maybe there would be rewards from the immortals in the future?


    So, no matter what noble family it was, they would welcome an immortal seed like Chen An.


    In other words, Chen An was a hot commodity at the moment.


    "Brother Chen chose to leave the residence instead of staying, and that was the right decision," Liu Jian explained, complimenting, "Otherwise, Brother Chen would find it difficult to maintain the current situation."


    He then recounted some previous cases.


    Some immortal seeds came from the lower classes. Although they had the qualifications of immortals, they might lack knowledge due to their environment, so they tend to stay where they were tested.


    These were the kind of immortal seeds that many noble families favored most because they wouldn''t run away.


    They could just sit back and wait for them.


    But by doing so, they would be selling themselves directly, losing their bargaining power.


    On the other hand, someone like Chen An, who left the Liu family residence and waited for various noble families to come and make offers, would definitely get a higher price.


    Undoubtedly, this approach would provide more benefits.


    "Brother Chen, with your extraordinary talent and freedom, as long as you are willing, many noble families will come to court you," Liu Jian explained while asking, "I wonder if Brother Chen is married?"


    Upon this question, Chen An was first stunned, but then nodded.


    Although he had changed worlds, he didn''t want to delve into that kind of matter, so he just nodded.


    "It''s a pity," Liu Jian said regretfully. "If Brother Chen is still single, with your talent and appearance, even the city lord may be smitten and willing to give his eldest daughter in marriage."


    If Chen An was still unmarried, with the talent he displayed today, even the most outstanding individuals in Nine Lin City would be interested in marrying their daughters to him to forge connections.


    It was clear that there would be great benefits from such a marriage. On one hand, he would receive a handsome dowry, and on the other hand, he could directly leverage the power of his wife''s family.


    It would be a win-win situation.


    However, if he was already married, the conditions would change significantly.


    Although the top noble families were interested in him, if he couldn''t marry their daughters and was only a concubine, they wouldn''t be as eager.


    This was the reason for Liu Jian''s regret.


    "But it doesn''t matter," he quickly added, "With Brother Chen''s talent, these things are trivial."


    "As long as Brother Chen is willing, I am willing to be a subordinate and assist you with some trivial matters," Liu Jian said with a smile, looking at Chen An with eager eyes.


    He couldn''t help but want to climb up.


    Unable to resist, he wished to attach himself to Chen An. Since he didn''t have daughters, he could only rely on himself to do so.


    Chen An turned around, looking at Liu Jian''s eager expression with a smile that wasn''t a smile, then nodded slowly, "It''s no bother, Brother Liu."


    After a meal, Liu Jian quickly bid farewell to Chen An.


    Perhaps eager to make a name for himself, Liu Jian rushed away, heading towards his next move.


    On the other hand, Chen An got up leisurely, filled from the meal and ready to head towards the inn where Lin Bo was staying.


    As he prepared to leave, he reached for money to pay the bill, only to find out that Liu Jian had already paid.


    He was a bit surprised but left the shop with the respectful gaze of the shopkeeper.


    Over the next few days, a piece of news spread rapidly.


    The news was simple: an immortal seed had appeared within the Liu family residence area.


    The immortal seed was named Chen Changming, an outstanding candidate with an intermediate-grade qualification.


    Most crucially, this immortal seed had not immediately stayed at the Liu family residence but chose to spend time outside.


    In the shortest amount of time, this news spread throughout Nine Lin City.


    Subsequently, the noble families within the city could not sit still.


    Faced with this news, their reactions were quite uniform.


    Could it be true?


    Yes, that was their first reaction.


    Immortal seeds were hard to come by, and finding one was already difficult.


    (End Of Chapter)

 Chapter 191: Sit and Watch

    It is not easy for the immortal seedlings in Jiulin City to appear.After all, most people have been tested before, and the annual test is basically only useful for newborns.


    Most of the indicators of the major families in the city have not been completed yet.


    But now, a immortal seedling with Grade B qualifications suddenly appeared!


    You know, the treatment of immortal seedlings with different qualifications is different.


    The lowest-grade immortal seedlings can only be considered insignificant, and the possibility of becoming an immortal leader in the future is very small, basically just used to make up the numbers.


    Grade C immortal seedlings are the main force to become immortal leaders.


    And now, a Grade B qualified immortal seedling has suddenly appeared.


    Compared to the immortal seedlings from previous years that can barely be used to make up the numbers, isn''t this a lowering of the standards?


    What''s more important is that this immortal seedling is actually wild!


    The Liu family didn''t keep the people here right away!


    This is really great!


    After hearing this news, the first reaction of many major families was to rush to grab people.


    Anyway, immortal seedlings, it doesn''t matter even if you discover them first, but what really matters is to be able to send people over.


    A Grade B qualified immortal seedling can easily match ten ordinary immortal seedlings.


    If you can win them over, the performance for this year will be exceeded.


    And coincidentally, the location of this immortal seedling Chen was directly posted in the spread news.


    This is really considerate, as if they were afraid that people couldn''t find it.


    Therefore, during this period of time, people from all over flocked here, one by one came to Chen An''s residence for a visit.


    For a while, this originally ordinary small inn became exceptionally lively, crowded every day.


    If seen by someone who didn''t know the situation, they might think that there was a hidden treasure in this inn.


    Otherwise, why would it be so lively?


    More importantly, those who came back brought gifts every time they came.


    This is very awkward.


    At first it was fine, anyway, just accept it.


    But over time, Chen An''s room was almost full of gifts, and had to open another room specifically to store these gifts.


    The whole process stunned Lin Bo and others, feeling complicated.


    And these news, unsurprisingly, were spread by Liu Jian.


    For his own future, he worked very hard. During this period of time, he had been spreading news all over the place, spreading the news of Chen An.


    For the current effect.


    There was no way, the smell of wine was afraid of the deep alleys.


    In order to constantly increase Chen An''s value, there must be enough competitors.


    Otherwise, without competition, how could the price keep increasing?


    The reason is simple.


    So, this series of actions occurred.


    In the early morning, the sun shone on the earth.


    A hurried footsteps sounded.


    Lin Bo and others had just got up and walked out of their room, and saw another group of people walking out in front of them.


    They walked in a hurry, looking respectful, and brought gift boxes with them, obviously here to give gifts.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Bo couldn''t help but sigh, "This is the nth batch"


    "I guess it''s the third batch."


    Lin Yu''er looked up at the sky and also sighed, "It''s probably going to be lively today."


    Yes, it''s only morning and three groups of people have already arrived. If it continues like this all day?


    It is estimated to be lively from beginning to end.


    Sure enough, after a while, another group of people came over to visit.


    They walked upstairs and saw Lin Bo and Lin Yu''er standing at the door. After a moment of astonishment, they quickly reacted and greeted them warmly, "Are you Mr. Chen''s elder relatives?"


    "A small gift, please accept it."


    As he spoke, he took out silver and tried his best to stuff it into their hands, wanting to get rid of them.


    Lin Bo and Lin Yu''er had completely different reactions to this situation.


    While Lin Yu''er was trying to decline, Lin Bo already made a move to accept.


    And in the end, Lin Yu''er couldn''t decline either.


    Because the man was so direct, he put the money in her hand and left without chatting, without any intention of staying.


    This arrogant attitude of not treating money as money made Lin Yu''er, who was used to doing business, stunned.


    "Dad, what should we do with this?"


    After the man left, Lin Yu''er looked at the heavy money bag in her hand, feeling a bit hesitant.


    Of course she knew why they were given this money, probably hoping that they could speak well for Chen An in front of him, even if it didn''t work out, they wouldn''t offend him.


    If they were really close to Chen An, or even relatives as those people thought, then it wouldn''t be a problem.


    The key is that they are not that close.


    Although there is a certain relationship between them and Chen An, it is not that close.


    Is it appropriate to take the money?


    "There''s nothing inappropriate."


    Looking at his daughter, Lin Bo said with emphasis, "Accept it, more benefits in the future."


    "And there''s nothing wrong with it."


    Accepting it would bring many benefits.


    Because this could indirectly prove that they were connected to Chen An, otherwise they wouldn''t dare to openly receive money from the immortal seedling, right?


    And as long as this tiger skin is mentioned, they can be prosperous in the future.


    Even if they continue to do business in the future, it will probably be much easier, and they may even consider some positions they never dared to think of before.


    If Chen An can become an immortal leader in the future, then they will also be related to the immortal leader, and probably no one will dare to offend them in the future.


    After all, even though they are insignificant, they do have a relation with the immortal leader.


    Who knows when the immortal leader, who is high above, will remember them?


    This kind of thing has happened before.


    In fact, most of the major families who are eagerly sending gifts right now are also doing so for this reason.


    Most major families have given up on the idea of winning over Chen An after realizing the competition.


    But even if they gave up, they still had to send gifts.


    Otherwise, if everyone sends gifts everywhere, and only one doesn''t, wouldn''t that make them stand out?


    Although it''s uncertain whether they will remember exactly what you sent, most likely they will remember who didn''t come to send gifts.


    The immortal leader''s memory is as long as his life.


    Those major families who have survived in Jiulin City basically know this rule of the game.


    Those who do not understand it have already been eliminated.


    So, this lively scene is happening now.


    By now, Lin Bo and others made a rough calculation, and at least two to three dozen families have come to give gifts.


    Of course, not all of them are major families, a large number of small families also came, just having some connection with the immortals, also brought gifts.


    In addition to these people, there are many others who, even if they want to come and give gifts, cannot find a way.


    There''s no way, the status of the immortal in this world is too high, even if you are just a reserve immortal, not everyone has the qualifications to climb.


    This is where it is now.


    With two or three dozen families, basically all the major families in Jiulin City have been included.


    There are not many families left.


    But Chen An still hasn''t made a decision yet.


    The reason is simple.


    During these days, he hasn''t seen much sincerity, even though he''s received a lot of gifts.


    At least the heavyweight figures in those major families haven''t been seen yet.


    And on the Liu family side, Liu Jian is still working hard.


    Chen An feels that he can still wait a little longer.


    But now, it should be almost time.


    Thinking of this, Chen An raised his head and looked into the distance, as if his gaze fell on the grand hall.


    Meanwhile, inside the Liu family''s residence. S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is it really a Grade B qualification?"


    Inside the Liu family''s residence, a middle-aged man looked at the many people below, and said solemnly.


    "Yes."


    The steward below nodded.


    The scene of Chen An''s test that day was witnessed by everyone in public, so the specific situation was soon seen by all, it couldn''t be faked.


    "Is it really a Grade B qualification?"


    The breath of everyone around suddenly became tense.


    Including the middle-aged man and the several elders behind him, all of them were like this.


    There was no way, the situation of the Liu family at this moment was really too bad.


    According to the information Chen An had inquired about before, the Liu family had not been able to meet the quotas specified by the city lord for three whole years.


    Not meeting the fixed quota means bad luck.


    In fact, they are already unlucky.


    But outsiders can''t see it.


    But insiders know their own business, and the clan elders of the Liu family are well aware of their own situation.


    It can be said to be very bad.


    Orders have already been given, and if they can''t meet the target this time, it''s likely that the city lord will take action.


    By then, the current days of the Liu family are probably gone forever.


    Just thinking about it is terrifying.


    The head of the Liu family sighed, then raised his head, trying to cheer up.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 192: Liu Family

    "No matter what, since there''s an immortal seed, there''s hope."The head of the Liu family sighed and spoke in this way.


    He didn''t blame the subordinates too much.


    On the one hand, he had a good temper, and on the other hand, he knew that the stewards below didn''t really have any good solutions.


    An immortal seed appeared there, but these people really dared to stop them from leaving?


    Joking!


    Not to mention that the other party had extraordinary temperament, obviously a person with insights and background, even if the other party really had no background, so what?


    Grade B talent, probably will become an immortal in the future, dare to offend the other party today, the other party just needs to say a word and can take the lives of your whole family in the future. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Who would dare to stop it.


    Moreover, as cunning as he was, he naturally understood the deep meaning of Chen An''s actions.


    After all, everyone was old foxes, and how could anyone be fooled by Chen An''s reasons.


    But knowing was one thing, and what needed to be done was still to be done.


    No way.


    After all, it was about life.


    "Bring the person up to me."


    He pondered for a moment, then spoke.


    The few people below nodded.


    So quickly, someone came up from below.


    It was not someone else, it was a young man who looked very elegant, and he was also an old acquaintance of Chen An.


    Yes, it was Liu Jian.


    At this moment, Liu Jian really looked very confident, very pleased, looking very pleased.


    Looking like this, he had been living well during this period.


    Of course, it was actually the case.


    "See the head of the family."


    Liu Jian walked slowly forward, looking at the many old men of the Liu family in front of him, with a calm face, a very calm and composed appearance.


    Of course, in reality, he was still nervous, but he also knew that being nervous in this situation would not change the outcome, so he might as well stay like this.


    After all, as long as this matter was done, he would be a great contributor to the Liu family, and after that, even the legitimate sons and daughters of the family would not dare to underestimate him, so there was nothing to worry about.


    "Is the situation you mentioned true?"


    Looking at the approaching Liu Jian, the head of the Liu family spoke softly and asked.


    "Of course, it is true."


    Feeling the gaze of the head of the Liu family, Liu Jian immediately lowered his head, his face showing a respectful expression: "How dare this one deceive the head of the family and the elders?"


    "That immortal seed does have the intention of joining our Liu family."


    With these words, the people around immediately showed joy.


    "Good, good, good."


    The head of the Liu family said three good words in a row, then smiled, "In your opinion, what conditions does he have?"


    "The conditions are hard to say, but as long as the head of the family is willing to provide strong support, I believe Master Chen would also be willing to join our Liu family."


    Liu Jian said respectfully.


    The head of the Liu family suddenly felt a headache.


    What do you mean by strong support?


    If you really have sincerity, why not just name a price!


    This kind of ambiguity, are you really asking us to bleed heavily?


    Hearing Liu Jian''s words, the elders of the Liu family understood that they might have to pay a price for this.


    Originally, if the other party didn''t know the specifics and the market well, they might be able to easily deceive them with some random things.


    But now it was less likely.


    Liu Jian was still here.


    Despite his respectful appearance, it was clear that he was an insider.


    And this insider happened to be a member of the Liu family.


    Although he was only from a collateral branch, he knew something about the Liu family''s background and details, so it was not easy to deceive him.


    Thinking of this, the head of the Liu family and the elders exchanged a glance, and both saw the seriousness in each other''s eyes.


    "Is this Chen Master married?"


    After a moment, an elder suddenly interjected, and began to inquire about Chen An''s marital status.


    Obviously, they were beginning to consider forming a marriage alliance.


    But the answer they received was disappointing.


    "He is already married."


    Liu Jian''s reply disappointed the people present.


    Using marriage alliances to connect with talents has always been the common practice of these noble families.


    No way.


    Investments made by noble families also need certain guarantees.


    If there is no marriage alliance as a guarantee, how can they ensure that what they have invested in can receive sufficient returns?


    "However."


    Liu Jian''s tone changed, then continued, "Although Master Chen is already married, his wife should no longer be in this world, he just cherishes his deceased wife and has no intention of remarrying."


    This statement was not fabricated by him on purpose, but a guess.


    He had unintentionally probed Chen An earlier, and the response he got was that she was not in this world.


    Of course she was not in this world living in another realm, it would be ridiculous.


    But in Liu Jian''s understanding, since she was not in this world, it meant that she was already dead.


    So he came up with this explanation.


    "Master Chen''s wife has passed away, and as long as the head of the family is willing to provide support, with the cooperation between the two sides, and with some outstanding young Liu family women accompanying him, there is still hope."


    Liu Jian started to continue to deceive.


    It had to be done.


    His position was already compromised, completely on Chen An''s side, so he had to consider for Chen An.


    Now that he could deceive a little more, his position in front of Chen An would be more secure in the future.


    Sure enough, with this explanation, the eyes of the head of the Liu family and the elders of the Liu family lit up again.


    In the end, they accepted this explanation.


    No way.


    An unfortunate fact was that they had to do everything they could to win over Chen An as an immortal seed, and they had to accept the huge price for it.


    Otherwise, the days ahead would be difficult.


    Liu Jian''s explanation actually provided them with a step and a reason to convince themselves.


    Liu Jian also understood this, so he was not worried that the head of the Liu family would not agree.


    Time passed slowly, and soon several days passed.


    Finally, on a clear morning, the head of the Liu family personally went to visit.


    He had a long conversation with Chen An in his room, chatting for a long time, and then they left together.


    After he left, Chen An stood up, nodding slightly satisfied.


    It had to be said that Liu Jian''s efforts had indeed paid off.


    If it were not for his efforts, the Liu family might still come looking for him, but they probably would not have paid such a high price as they did now.


    In the end, they reached a satisfactory agreement.


    At least Chen An was satisfied.


    "The name of Haoshan Sect sounds good."


    Recalling the information revealed by the head of the Liu family, Chen An was quite satisfied.


    After a moment, Liu Jian also followed, appearing anxious, his breathing somewhat hurried, seeming like he had rushed all the way here.


    "How did it go?"


    As soon as he arrived at Chen An''s residence, he looked at Chen An with anticipation, as if he wanted to know the final result.


    After Chen An informed him of the result, he nodded in satisfaction.


    "Brother Chen, the head of the family really paid a heavy price this time."


    He introduced himself to Chen An: "Our Liu family has been operating in Jiulin City for hundreds of years, and over the years we have sent many immortal seeds to Haoshan Sect. Although most of them died young, there are also some who have made great achievements, and our Liu family also has some connections with them."


    "Brother Chen, with the support of the head of the family, you can directly use these connections after entering Haoshan Sect, which will be of great benefit to your future development."


    He looked respectful, and it seemed like he was sincerely congratulating Chen An: "I congratulate Brother Chen here."


    "Why be so polite between brothers."


    Chen An smiled and personally helped Liu Jian up, emotionally saying, "If I become successful in the future, I will definitely lend a hand to Brother Liu."


    "Your affairs in the future will be mine, Brother Liu''s worries will be mine, this is the way of the world."


    Liu Jian was overjoyed.


    During this period of time, he had been running around, doing various operations, all for this promise.


    After comforting Liu Jian, Chen An saw him off and then closed the door, deep in thought.


    According to the head of the Liu family, he shouldn''t have much to do in this period.


    After the immortal seed was selected, they would not be sent away immediately, but would be sent to the Haoshan Sect at a designated time.


    And now there was still more than a month until that time.


    It was kind of relaxed.


    During this time, Chen An felt that he might still be able to do something.


    However, what exactly to do was worth considering.


    "Forget it, let''s continue to gather information."


    After pondering for a moment, Chen An shook his head, and this thought crossed his mind.


    Although he had been in this world for quite a few months now, he was still exploring the secrets of this world.


    In addition, along the way, he had been searching for mysterious information.


    Yes, mysterious.


    No way.


    Although his leveling up template had not been used for a long time, Chen An had not forgotten that it was his greatest asset for survival.


    Without leveling up with the template, relying solely on his mediocre aptitude, he probably wouldn''t be able to return alive.


    To go back, he needed to level up using the template, and to level up, he needed to recharge.


    To recharge, he needed to find a source of "pay to win".


    In the world of Dahua, the source of "pay to win" was in those treasure troves.


    In the world of Daliang, the source of "pay to win" was in those mysterious things.


    But in this world


    Chen An had been searching for a few months and had finally determined one thing.


    There were probably no mysterious things in this world.


    Or even if there were, they were probably extremely rare, negligible in quantity.


    This was great news for the general public, but not so friendly to Chen An.


    After all, his ability to progress was mainly dependent on dealing with mysterious things.


    Without mysterious things, how could he pay to win, and how could he level up?


    Alright, in fact, he could still do it.


    The energy bar in the projection section was still slowly accumulating, but without the energy from mysterious things, the energy bar was now mainly accumulating naturally, which was extremely slow.


    In general, he could simulate once in about a month, and on average could gain seven or eight of source power each time.


    For Chen An at this point, this amount of source power was just a drop in the bucket, barely better than nothing.


    Therefore, besides immersing himself in the practice sect, finding a new source of source power was a major problem that troubled Chen An.


    And it was urgent.


    Chen An was ready to continue exploring for information, to see if he could find a new source of source power.


    But soon, he was disappointed.


    After searching for over a month in Jiulin City, he still couldn''t find any new sources of source power, just wasting time in vain.


    Of course, he had not gained nothing.


    At least the unnamed ancient scripture he obtained from Bai Qing was now completely understood by him.


    Now Chen An''s level had reached the point where he could easily connect with the nearby elemental energy.


    This was not cheating, but completely achieved through his own efforts.


    It was something to be celebrated.


    But at this point, Chen An didn''t know what to do next.


    No way.


    He was idle in his practice, and had no cultivation techniques.


    If he were back in the world of Daliang, he could at least go hunt for some mysterious things in his spare time.


    But coming to this world, he was deprived of even the freedom to hunt mysterious things.


    It was truly pitiful.


    Fortunately, he soon had something new to do.


    Blinking an eye, more than a month had passed, and someone from the Liu family came to notify him to get ready to leave.


    It was almost time to go to the Haoshan Sect.


    This was good news for Chen An.


    No way.


    It was too boring here.


    During this waiting time, he had been exploring for information in Jiulin City, using the Liu family''s resources to browse some confidential information that was not known to outsiders.


    This was one of the benefits of Chen An''s cooperation with the Liu family.


    Through the Liu family, he could learn many things that he couldn''t inquire about before.


    This was Chen An''s way of adjusting his boredom.


    Of course, the information from the Liu family was only relatively helpful.


    After all, they were only related to practitioners, not actual practitioners, so their knowledge was limited.


    Among the many noble families in Jiulin City, their background was not that deep, they were more of a younger generation among the noble families.


    On this day, Chen An got up early and went to the Liu family hall.


    Upon arriving, Chen An found that there were already people waiting inside for him.


    They were two children who looked very young, barely ten years old, dressed in fancy clothes, but their faces showed some uneasiness, as if they were not used to the current atmosphere.


    This situation surprised Chen An.


    He looked at the two children in front of him, seeing them standing shakily there, seeming fearful and anxious, the emotions were directly written on their faces.


    However, even in this situation, there was no one looking after them around, not even the servants passing by paid attention to them, treating them as if they were just passersby.


    On the other hand, around Chen An, there were many people trying to please him, and even Liu Jian, the first minion, was following him closely as if he was afraid that Chen An would be unhappy about something.


    It was an amazing difference for two immortal seeds, wasn''t it so?


    It seemed because they realized Chen An''s doubts, Liu Jian whispered and explained, "Brother Chen may not know, although these two are immortal seeds that the head of the family has put a lot of effort to collect, they are the lowest quality with inferior aptitude, only bought from elsewhere by the head of the family just to complete the task."


    Immortal seeds can actually be bought?


    Chen An was suddenly stunned, and then he noticed that crucial phrase "inferior aptitude".


    It seemed that in the world of practitioners, aptitude was more important than Chen An had imagined.


    Just a slight difference in aptitude led to such different treatments.


    Of course, after staying in the Liu family for a while, Chen An also understood the reason behind it.


    An immortal seed was an immortal seed, but an immortal leader was an immortal leader.


    Not every immortal seed had the chance to become an immortal leader.


    For these immortal seeds with inferior aptitude, they might spend their whole lives at the stage of transporting elemental energy, destined to never become immortal leaders.


    Their only purpose was to be used by noble families like the Liu family to meet their quotas.


    But for someone like Chen An, it was different.


    With a proud Grade B aptitude, as long as he cultivated diligently, becoming a practitioner in the future was almost certain.


    In other words, his future prospects were vast, so naturally, everyone wanted to get close to him.


    If his aptitude was slightly worse, even just like those two children, he would be treated differently.


    The Liu family might not treat him as generously as they were now, and it was even possible that they would hand him over directly.


    After all, with inferior aptitude, even in the sect of immortals, they were just consumables.


    It was the harsh reality.


    Chen An couldn''t help but fall silent, then he could only turn around and look at the two children with some pity.


    Even though he didn''t know what these immortal seeds with inferior aptitude were needed for by those practice sects, Chen An could be sure that the future of these children probably wouldn''t be too bright.


    Time passed bit by bit.


    After a while, the head of the Liu family appeared, accompanied by a group of elders.


    These elders looked very old, but each one of them moved with agility, looking nothing like a normal elderly person.


    Chen An pondered.


    After this period of contact, he had discovered.


    The ordinary people in the Liu family were fine, but important figures like the head of the Liu family and the elders all had some cultivation.


    Of course, it was not cultivation of immortality, but martial cultivation.


    They all had body forging cultivation, and some were even speculated to have reached the peak of body forging.


    This was why they all moved so agilely, so robust, even though they were old, they were much stronger than ordinary people.


    The only strange thing was that, though they had cultivation, none of them seemed to have practiced martial arts.


    Even when Chen An previously asked indirectly, the head of the Liu family and others bluntly expressed their disdain for warriors, believing that only those who had nothing would practice martial arts.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 193: Practitioner

    Only those who have nothing will practice martial arts.This sentence stunned Chen An at the time, leaving him silent in place for a long time, unsure of what to say.


    Then he understood where the martial arts skills of the Liu family master and others came from.


    They took drugs.


    Yes, they took pill drugs.


    In this world, there are not only cultivators, but also many practitioners who refine pills.


    And purely in terms of effectiveness, they are much stronger than the pills in the Great Liang World.


    For example, the cultivation of the Liu family master and others was achieved by taking drugs. They didn''t suffer any hardships throughout the process and never seriously practiced martial arts. They just took drugs directly and became powerful.


    This really made Chen An envious.


    He, on the other hand, although he spent most of his time cheating in his martial arts training, he still suffered a lot. At least, the sweat he shed was real, without any faking it.


    Even when he could spend money on source energy for cheating, he accumulated it bit by bit on his own.


    Unlike the people of the Liu family, who could directly improve their cultivation by taking drugs.


    Seeing this, Chen An suddenly felt that the decline of martial arts in this world seemed to have some basis.


    Compared to cultivation, martial arts practice is tiring and time-consuming, with a limited ceiling. In this world, one can only cultivate up to the level of body forging.


    As for those related to immortals...


    They don''t even need to be practitioners themselves. They just need to have some connection with the practitioners to obtain pills through those relationships, effortlessly improving their cultivation.


    Who would be willing to practice martial arts hard laboriously?


    Chen An sighed quietly to himself, then his face returned to normal.


    A moment later, led by the Liu family master, they walked to the other side.


    It was a grand hall, very close to the location of the city lord''s mansion.


    There were people already counting in front of the hall.


    "Three from the Chen family, two in the lower grade."


    Voices drifted over, sounding like they were counting the number of people.


    "Isn''t this the Liu family master?"


    Seeing the person responsible for counting, the Liu family master politely bowed and then led Chen An and the others forward.


    "Two from the Liu family, one in the intermediate grade."


    The hoarse voice continued to echo in place, pausing slightly when it reached the intermediate grade.


    And as this voice echoed around, all eyes turned towards Chen An, focusing on him.


    Even with Chen An''s senses, he could easily feel the faint discussions going on around, despite being weak.


    Many of the prestigious families in Jiulin City had a fair idea of Chen An''s presence.


    After all, the uproar caused by Chen An previously was quite significant.


    However, they were somewhat surprised by Chen An''s final choice of the Liu family. They even found it somewhat astonishing. Among the prestigious families, the Liu family''s power was not particularly strong, just a rising star.


    "Congratulations, Master Liu."


    Glancing at Chen An, the announcer soon turned his gaze to the Liu family master, showing a smile. "It seems that this time, Master Liu will definitely receive a reward."


    "A talent of intermediate grade, I wonder what rewards will be given."


    His tone sounded envious.


    The Liu family master, however, remained calm and just smiled apologetically, "Where, where, it''s just luck, I dare not ask for rewards."


    "Alright, please proceed inside quickly."


    Nodding, the announcer let Chen An and the others enter.


    As for the Liu family master, he was left outside and couldn''t follow them in.


    Chen An was not surprised, just leading the two behind him to walk forward.


    Special servants came forward to guide them.


    After a while, they entered the hall.


    Many people were already standing inside.


    A rough estimate revealed about fifty to sixty people, and the number was still growing.


    These should be the immortal seedlings gathered by the various prestigious families in Jiulin City.


    The numbers seemed to add up.


    Chen An nodded inwardly, then was guided to the front by the servant.


    The two children behind him instinctively wanted to follow but were held back and stood at the back.


    Although there were many people here, there was still a basic order.


    The fewer people up front, the more at the back.


    As for the criteria for sorting, it seemed to be based on talent?


    Chen An pondered, then, unconsciously, found himself at the front.


    Looking up, except for those standing behind, there were no people on either side at the front.


    This startled him.


    Could this be possible?


    How is this place organized, leaving only one person in the real talent, even in the intermediate grade?


    He looked behind, feeling a sense of absurdity.


    He was well aware of his talent and it was definitely not top-notch.


    Back in the Great Liang World, the Empress Luoshan had evaluated his talent and deemed his martial arts talent top-notch but his cultivation talent mediocre. He was just an ordinary choice.


    At that time, Chen An was a bit discouraged, feeling that he might never escape the curse of mediocre talent in his lifetime.


    But now, looking at it...


    Isn''t this still good?


    What Luoshan the Empress called mediocre, in this place, was almost a downgrade.


    With a glance, he realized that even in the group behind him, there were fewer people than there were in the intermediate grade, let alone the primary grade, accounting for only a third of all.


    The rest were all lower grade talents.


    Could it be this way?


    Chen An felt speechless. At that moment, he understood why the Liu family treated him so well and protected him like a treasure.


    He had felt a bit embarrassed before.


    But now, it seemed he was naive.


    In the eyes of these people, he was truly a treasure.


    Indeed.


    At this moment, Chen An stood there, essentially the core and focus of everyone.


    If this wasn''t being treated like a treasure, then what would be?


    Ignoring the gazes from all around, he couldn''t help feeling awkward.


    It''s hard for me to get used to this.


    He silently complained in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged, always maintaining a calm demeanor, exuding a sense of being indifferent to honor or disgrace like a great general.


    After a while, Chen An wasn''t the only one standing there.


    A girl walked in from the outside, looking proud with her head held high. She was dressed in a red robe, resembling a proud phoenix displaying her colors, garnering attention from all around.


    "This is Liu Roujun, the eldest daughter of the City Lord''s family."


    Chen An listened to the whispers around him. "I didn''t expect her to come this time."


    The eldest daughter of the City Lord''s family? s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An had this thought in mind and followed the gaze of the others.


    As his gaze fell on her, the girl walked forward, and then, to Chen An''s somewhat surprised gaze, she walked up to him.


    This daughter of the City Lord, turned out to be an intermediate-grade talent.


    And judging by the reactions and whispers of those around, she wasn''t just any ordinary talent like Chen An but an upper-tier intermediate-grade talent.


    In other words, this daughter of the City Lord was just one step away from being a top-tier talent, with a noble background, making her a precious daughter of heaven.


    It seemed the girl sensed Chen An''s gaze, turned around, nodded at him, and then moved to the side, not showing any interest in talking.


    Chen An smiled in return but then, seeing her lack of interest in conversation, he didn''t want to embarrass himself and kept quiet, just standing quietly to the side.


    In a way, the arrival of this daughter of the City Lord finally made Chen An less awkward.


    Earlier, being the first in the front row was really chilling.


    Now, he finally had someone to share the pressure with him. Wasn''t this a good thing?


    Time passed slowly.


    About half an hour later, people started to enter from outside.


    Then, some walked into the hall.


    It was a middle-aged man with a serious face, wearing a gray Taoist robe, looking serious overall.


    He stood in front of the high platform, gazing at the people beneath and didn''t say much. He simply said, "Everyone, follow me."


    With that, he left directly.


    Behind, Chen An and the others exchanged glances and then walked forward without hesitation.


    Leaving the grand hall, they approached a row of carriages.


    Chen An was somewhat surprised.


    He originally thought that practitioners like them, although not making a big scene, would have different modes of transportation than ordinary people, right?


    To his surprise, they ended up using carriages.


    But even though he was astonished, he didn¡¯t say anything on the surface. He just sat neatly inside the carriage.


    The treatment of an intermediate-grade talent took a hit again.


    Around them, others shared carriages with six or seven people, but in the case of Chen An and Liu Roujun, it was just the two of them.


    There was no choice. It was because they were the only two intermediate-grade talents.


    The man seemed to distribute them straightforwardly.


    Before entering the carriage, Chen An looked back at the middle-aged man and curiously pondered.


    This was the first time he had seen the lifestyle of practitioners, apart from Bai Qing.


    Although Bai Qing was also a practitioner, in the Great Liang World, due to the nature of that world, many of the peculiarities didn''t manifest, making it seem just like before, with no difference.


    Compared to that, the practitioner before him was more worthy of study.


    "Strength roughly equivalent to internal energy?"


    Chen An glanced at him, the thought crossing his mind.


    The man was not a martial artist, so his strength could not be assessed based on martial arts characteristics.


    However, as a Grandmaster of the Pre-Natal Sect, his own Qi sense was still strong. By sensing the other party''s strength, he could understand it roughly.


    And after sensing it, the man''s strength seemed to be roughly equivalent to a Grandmaster of Internal Energy.


    This strength didn''t seem like much to Chen An, but here it was quite remarkable.


    After all, the highest level a martial artist could cultivate to was the peak of body forging.


    In that case, a practitioner with the strength equivalent to a Grandmaster of Internal Energy was a considerable advantage here.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 194: Haoshan Sect

    "There are some unique aspects to it," Chen An thought to himself as he looked at the distant man in gray robes.The man gave him the feeling that his level should be around the peak of the Internal Qi realm.


    But this was just the level of cultivation, which did not necessarily represent combat power.


    Combat power required actual confrontation to be understood clearly.


    Chen An was already thinking about whether he should find a few solitary practitioners to test out their skills and see what they were capable of.


    Of course, even if he had this idea, he would have to wait until later to put it into practice.


    As for now, it was still a bit too early.


    Facing the gaze of the middle-aged man, Chen An smiled gently and then obediently climbed onto the carriage, behaving exceptionally well from beginning to end.


    As he boarded the carriage, the red-robed girl from before was already seated there.


    She seemed much more decisive in her actions compared to Chen An, as she was already meditating at that moment.


    Her meditation posture was unique, and combined with the pulsations of her body and breath, it presented a unique sense of rhythm in Chen An''s eyes.


    "Oh?" Chen An recognized what this was at a glance.


    Because he had been doing similar things himself recently.


    This was the practice of drawing in Qi and enhancing one''s affinity and connection with the surrounding Qi.


    In the past few months, Chen An had already completed this step and had become quite proficient at it.


    But now, it seemed that the girl in front of him was also doing the same thing, and she had even taken it a step further, reaching a higher level of proficiency.


    It made sense after all.


    The girl in front of him was not an ordinary person. She was the daughter of the Lord of Jiulin City.


    As the daughter of the Lord of Jiulin City, it was a simple matter for her to obtain a basic breathing technique.


    Coupled with Liu Roujun''s excellent aptitude, just a step away from Grade A, it seemed that she had already walked a long way on this path.


    It remained to be seen how far she had gone.


    After observing for a moment, Chen An casually sat down on the side and then began to meditate as well.


    Like Liu Roujun, he was also drawing in Qi and trying to guide the surrounding Qi into his body.


    "Oh?" The fluctuations of Qi naturally brought awareness to people.


    Just as Chen An had sat down, Liu Roujun opened her eyes and looked at him with a curious expression. "Which family do you belong to?"


    "I''m just a wanderer, dare not say I belong to any family." Chen An opened his eyes and smiled, "I just happened to come across a fragment of an ancient scripture, so I occasionally walk this path."


    "I see," Liu Roujun suddenly realized, "Could it be that your Qi cultivation is so shallow because you were not taught by anyone, so you took some detours?"


    She was making assumptions. Seeing Chen An meditating, she subconsciously thought he was a direct descendant of some prestigious family; otherwise, how could he be practicing at this time?


    "I am just an average person with moderate aptitude. It is fortunate enough for me to be able to practice, and I cannot compare to Miss Liu."


    Chen An said softly with a smile.


    "No worries." Liu Roujun nodded, "Since we will be entering the Haoshan Sect together in the future, we are now fellow disciples."


    "If you don''t mind, I can teach you a few things."


    "Thank you for that," Chen An thanked her with a bow and a smile.


    This worked out well.


    As he had said, his cultivation was entirely based on his own exploration. Although with his rich experience, he had no problems in his cultivation, there were still some details where he needed guidance.


    Originally, if Bai Qing and the Empress Luoshan were still around, this would not have been a problem. But unfortunately, they were separated from each other.


    Now that someone was willing to be a teacher, Chen An naturally welcomed it.


    So, in the coming days, Chen An had something to do.


    Practically speaking, Liu Roujun was not a good teacher.


    Her tone was stiff when she explained things, and she would only say things as they were, regardless of whether others understood or not.


    If it were someone else, they would probably not understand what she was saying.


    But that was okay.


    Chen An was the best kind of student himself.


    Although in terms of aptitude, Chen An might not be the best, but in terms of comprehension, he was confident enough.


    If it came down to comprehension, Chen An had some confidence in himself.


    He did not dare to say he could handle anything too difficult, but in terms of basic content like this, he had no problem at all.


    And it was precisely because of his good comprehension that the experience between the two of them was not too bad.


    Liu Roujun seemed to be intentionally making friends with Chen An and building relationships, so she would take some time each day to teach him.


    Occasionally, she would also show concern for Chen An, just like other elders, but unfortunately, her stiff tone and cold demeanor prevented her from having a warm effect most of the time.


    But Chen An was very cooperative.


    After all, Liu Roujun wanted to be friends with him, and he also wanted to be friends with her.


    After all, she was the daughter of the Lord of Jiulin City, with a rich network of connections, most likely much stronger than that of the Liu family within the Haoshan Sect.


    Since he had established a connection in advance, it was a good thing.


    After all, it was better to chat than to be idle.


    Just in case there were surprises.


    Time passed slowly.


    Unknowingly, more than half a month had passed.


    During this time, things were fine elsewhere, but these practitioners provided Chen An with quite a few surprises.


    Firstly, there were these carriages.


    These carriages seemed ordinary, just simple carriages, but they provided a very good experience when used. Not only were they fast, but there was no sense of turbulence while inside, as if they were sitting on level ground.


    Occasionally, when Chen An looked closely, he could see runes shimmering in the corners of the carriage, working as the carriage moved.


    It seemed that this was the black technology of the cultivators.


    There were many other similar black technologies.


    For example, even in the hot summer, they could take out chilled drinks at any time.


    Although it may not seem like much, the details revealed the application of the entire system of practitioners.


    "These cultivators in this world seem to be people who know how to enjoy life," Chen An mused quietly as he sat in the carriage, feeling the comfortable temperature inside the carriage.


    The cultivators in this world may not be much different from warriors in terms of strength, but in terms of using external objects, they were far beyond.


    Regardless of how strong a warrior may be, they mostly just focus on increasing their combat power and lifespan.


    But on the other hand, the cultivators could transform the external world through various means and create various useful tools.


    The difference between the two was significant.


    Chen An was already looking forward to what scenes he would encounter inside the so-called Haoshan Sect.


    In the blink of an eye, they finally arrived at their destination.


    Haoshan Sect.


    "Hmm?" Sitting inside the carriage, Chen An looked ahead through the window.


    In his gaze, the front seemed empty, as if there was nothing there.


    At first glance, it seemed plain and ordinary, without any special features.


    But Chen An could clearly feel a unique fluctuation looming in that place.


    After a moment, they passed through that area.


    Suddenly, the surroundings opened up.


    The scene in place seemed much richer.


    Mountains appeared in front of them, as if they had suddenly manifested and lay sprawled in that place.


    This sudden change was quite abrupt, and those who were not prepared in advance probably wouldn''t have thought of it.


    "This is the illusion array outside the sect," a voice came from beside them.


    Compared to Chen An, she seemed to know more about this situation: "Basic protective arrays exist outside most immortal sects to avoid external disturbances."


    "At the same time, they can also serve a defensive purpose."


    "I see." Chen An nodded, indicating his understanding, and then continued to observe the surroundings, showing a keen interest in the scenery of the place.


    Seeing his demeanor, Liu Roujun did not continue to interact with him and simply continued to meditate silently.


    "A very rich Qi here," Chen An silently thought, feeling the dense Qi around.


    Due to his past experiences, he was very sensitive to the fluctuations of Qi and could clearly feel the changes in external Qi.


    At this moment, he clearly felt that the concentration of Qi here was much higher than outside the protective array.


    It seemed that the purpose of the protective array, in addition to confusion and defense, was also to lock in the Qi and prevent it from overflowing.


    Chen An thought to himself.


    The carriage continued to move forward, carrying them slowly to the core.


    Once they arrived there, the concentration of Qi around them was even higher, comparable to some treasure lands.


    "A good place," Chen An thought to himself, while they finally reached their destination and began to disembark from the carriage.


    "This time there are two Grade B disciples?" a surprised voice came from the front.


    The steward in charge of the handover looked at Chen An and the others in front of him, showing a hint of surprise on his face, "Not bad."


    "I am Hao Fa, you may call me Senior Brother Hao from now on," a person stepped forward, looking at Chen An and the others, with a friendly expression on their face, "In the future, if you need anything in the Haoshan Sect, you can come to me."


    "Yes." Chen An and Liu Roujun looked at each other and nodded slowly.


    The two with the highest aptitude were soon taken away.


    As for the others, the practitioners of the Haoshan Sect were not so patient, and they directly sent a few servants to escort them away. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is your residence."


    Hao Fa led Chen An and the others forward, finally arriving at a certain area, "There are just two courtyards left here, one each for the two of you, providing mutual care, is that alright?"


    "Thank you, Senior Brother Hao," Chen An said.


    After a while, Hao Fa left.


    Chen An and the others also walked to their own courtyards, starting to inspect their residence.


    It was very nice.


    The two courtyards were set up very well, although not too large, they had everything they needed, and were basically fully equipped.


    The entire compound was enveloped by a large formation, dispersing all insects and at the same time, allowing the temperature to be adjusted freely, keeping the environment inside in a comfortable state.


    In one of the rooms, Chen An even found something similar to a refrigerator.


    It was like having air conditioning and a refrigerator all in one.


    "Brilliant."


    Chen An nodded to himself.


    After tidying up their belongings for a moment, he walked out of the room, ready to follow his traditional habits and go out to gather some information.


    No matter where you are, information always comes first.


    Time passed slowly.


    In the blink of an eye, three months had passed.


    In three months, Chen An had already figured out the situation in the vicinity.


    At the same time, his cultivation journey had officially begun.


    "Senior Brother Chen, why can''t I seem to capture the surrounding Qi?" someone in the quiet hall looked at Chen An''s body, feeling the obvious Qi fluctuations, with a hint of envy on their face.


    There were people all around, with dozens of them when roughly counted.


    These were the immortal seedlings who had arrived with Chen An at the Haoshan Sect.


    After three months of settling in, they had gradually progressed and started their cultivation.


    Of course, even though everyone was cultivating, there were significant differences between them.


    Such as the progress of their cultivation, as well as their understanding of spells and runes.


    Among this group, Chen An was undoubtedly one of the most outstanding individuals.


    The reason why he said one of the most outstanding was because there was also Liu Roujun.


    Compared to ordinary people, both of them were early Qi users, having already completed the first stage of their cultivation, while others were still trying to understand the Qi and increase their affinity with the external world.


    Chen An and Liu Roujun were both near this step by now.


    Unfortunately, he lacked a suitable cultivation method, otherwise Chen An would have already reached this step.


    Previously, if Bai Qing and the Empress Luoshan were still around, this step would have been easy for him.


    Chen An and Liu Roujun were the fastest among the group.


    Since there were the fastest, there naturally had to be the slowest.


    In fact, most of the group had similar levels.


    Among the fairy seedlings who were brought along, the vast majority of them were just beginning to sense the presence of Qi after three months, barely able to feel the Qi but not influence it directly.


    This speed could be considered slow.


    Chen An recalled his own speed of cultivation.


    He had been cultivating alone, with no one to guide him and no pills or herbs to support him.


    But even so, he had already completed the preliminary steps in just two or three months.


    Originally, Chen An thought his progress was too slow, but looking at it now, it wasn''t bad at all.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 195: Mysterious Substitute

    Chen An''s feeling was still okay.Maybe distance makes beauty, before entering the Haoshan Sect, Chen An subconsciously imagined the horror of the Haoshan Sect.


    But after actually contacting and understanding many details, he found that he had imagined the Haoshan Sect too well before.


    The cultivators in this world seem quite intimidating on the surface, and in rumors, they seem to be able to do anything, omnipotent.


    And that''s true.


    According to what Chen An knows, there are indeed some cultivators within the Haoshan Sect who can do this.


    But most of them are elder level, even within the Haoshan Sect, they are still a minority.


    As for the vast majority of other cultivators, they are not much different from martial artists.


    Of course, this is in terms of combat power, in terms of actual performance, there are still many differences.


    From Chen An''s perception, martial artists tend to focus on themselves, their cultivation is mainly focused on their bodies and rarely pay attention to external objects.


    But cultivators are different.


    Alchemy, artifact refining, need I say more.


    As for focusing on external objects, there are also many cultivators who are dedicated to it.


    Overall, martial artists'' styles are mostly uniform, while cultivators'' styles vary, each with their own characteristics.


    This is quite interesting.


    Walking out of the main hall, a few figures dressed in grey robes passed by, causing Chen An to pay slight attention for a moment.


    Compared to ordinary people, these people dressed in grey robes, wearing exclusive clothing of the Haoshan Sect, all seemed to be members of the Haoshan Sect.


    But unlike those people Chen An had seen before, these people had indifferent expressions, with eyes devoid of any emotions, looking like emotionless tools.


    Of course, they are indeed tools. S?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An hasn''t wasted the past three months.


    In addition to cultivation, he has also connected with several cultivators within the Haoshan Sect through the Liu family''s relationship.


    How should I put it.


    For Chen An''s visits, the majority of these people expressed welcome, but their attitude was mostly lukewarm, not as enthusiastic as he had imagined.


    Chen An was not surprised by this, just continuing his visits as usual.


    Over time, he also learned some information.


    Such as the origins of these people in front of him.


    These are all miscellaneous disciples.


    The so-called miscellaneous disciples within this sect are basically means tool disciples.


    Most of the fairy seedlings with mediocre qualifications sent to the sect will basically become miscellaneous disciples.


    As miscellaneous disciple disciples, their future is already destined, constantly using the limited divine power within their bodies to do all kinds of labor.


    Specifically, they are responsible for breeding, artifact refining, and even setting up large arrays and other trivial matters.


    The divine power of cultivators is a good power, with a wide range of uses.


    The seeds of spirit medicine need divine power to germinate, and the materials for refining artifacts also need divine power for refinement to become more excellent.


    Theoretically, even just a piece of ordinary iron, as long as it can receive a continuous supply of divine power, will eventually transform into divine iron.


    This is why these tools are needed.


    Although everyone is a fairy seedling, the treatment between fairy seedlings is different.


    Those fairy seedlings with mediocre qualifications are probably destined to be kept in the sect for their entire lives, working for the Haoshan Sect for a lifetime.


    And it''s a bit of an exploitative kind, ensuring that the daily tasks make full use of the divine power in their bodies, leaving none behind.


    Capitalists would cry when they see this.


    Chen An understood this.


    Before entering the Haoshan Sect, he thought that the Haoshan Sect would be somewhat surprising.


    But after entering, he found that this place was not much different from the Three Rivers Gang where he had been before.


    If the Haoshan Sect is considered as a company, then the miscellaneous disciples composed of many lower-ranked fairy seedlings are like unpaid 007 employees, the fairy seedlings who can actually open up the Purple Mansion are the technical management staff, and the elders and managers are the backbone.


    As for places like Jilin City, they are a source and supply of fresh blood.


    It is not surprising that the Haoshan Sect basically does not refuse any fairy seedlings, even if they have mediocre qualifications.


    They are all free labor, what is there to dislike?


    The operation of the entire Haoshan Sect is mainly maintained through the exploitation of the subordinate territories and miscellaneous disciples.


    In essence, it is no different from places like the Three Rivers Gang.


    As for strength, in Chen An''s view, it doesn''t seem to matter much.


    After more than three months of understanding, he is no longer a novice, and he now has a bit of understanding of the bottom line of cultivators.


    The mainstream cultivators in this world can generally be divided into three levels.


    Sensing the Yuan energy, absorbing the spirit, and opening the Purple Mansion is the Qi Refinement stage.


    Qi Refinement is divided into nine layers, roughly equivalent to the stage between Body Tempering and Internal Energy in martial arts.


    After Qi Refinement is Spiritual Transformation.


    Spiritual Transformation cultivators nurture the Purple Mansion, give birth to original divine power, cultivate spiritual sense, and their level is roughly equivalent to the Qi Condensation in martial arts.


    As for after Spiritual Transformation, it is the Golden Core stage.


    It''s not clear to Chen An what kind of wonders this stage has, but based on his speculation, the level should be roughly equivalent to the Innate stage in martial arts.


    These are the three stages of cultivation.


    Of course, cultivators certainly have more than just these three levels, there are higher levels of cultivation after that.


    But with Chen An''s current status, the information he can know is only this.


    And specifically, according to Chen An''s perception, although there are many cultivators within the Haoshan Sect, the official disciples and miscellaneous disciples together number tens of thousands, but the vast majority are miscellaneous disciples, and only a few thousand can open up the Purple Mansion.


    Cultivation above the sixth level of Qi Refinement is already considered elite.


    At the peak of Qi Refinement, one is already capable of being a manager, or even being sent out to guard a place.


    As for Spiritual Transformation?


    This is a cultivation that only elders can have.


    Golden Core? Officially only the Sect Master of the Haoshan Sect has this cultivation.


    And the battle strength of the Golden Core stage is only equivalent to the Innate stage.


    In other words, even the strongest in the Haoshan Sect is only equivalent to Chen An alone.


    Chen An felt relieved on the spot.


    It''s better to be weaker.


    If the sect''s strength is weaker, it would be more convenient for him to move around unnoticed. If anything really happened later on, he could escape at the first time.


    Of course, escaping is for the future.


    At least for now, Chen An still needs to use the platform of the Haoshan Sect to do some things.


    Such as gathering information, and absorbing various knowledge of cultivators.


    "Your simulation has ended."


    "You have gained eight points of source power."


    Familiar words appeared in front of him.


    Chen An looked at the empty energy bar once again, couldn''t help but sigh silently.


    It''s really difficult.


    Since he came to this place, he has only been able to accumulate that bit of energy he gets every day on his own with the upgrade template, accumulating a few points of source power per month.


    In the past, this speed was actually not bad, but for the current Chen An, accumulating this source power day by day felt like crawling like a snail, which was starting to become unbearable.


    After all, at his current level, each promotion probably consumes hundreds of points.


    Relying on the monthly increase of only a few points of source power, it would probably take decades to use it.


    He doesn''t have that long a life span, and he probably can''t wait that long.


    The more crucial issue is that this world is hostile to martial arts. In the future, if he wants to improve his martial arts cultivation, he probably can only rely on the upgrade template to forcefully increase it, and even his own cultivation will be useless.


    This really hurts the heart to see.


    Chen An couldn''t help but sigh, not knowing what to say.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (11.2), Body (11.7), Spirit (3.8)


    Source Power: 1428


    Inheritance: Ice Seals the World (Initial Completion), Profound Ice Force (First Stage of Innate), Haoshan Scripture (First Stage)


    Projection: Charging


    The familiar upgrade template appeared in front of Chen An.


    Compared to the past, the data above hasn''t changed much.


    But some less important options are now selectively ignored by Chen An, to avoid obstructing his observation.


    After all, at this point, those miscellaneous inheritances are of no use to him.


    The Haoshan Scripture, this scripture is naturally what the Haoshan Sect has been teaching during this period, and Chen An has already grasped the basics, and it seems that he is about to open up the Purple Mansion.


    The other data is actually good, except for the source power section, which now rarely sees major changes.


    Of course, with only an increase of a few points of source power each month, it would be strange if there were any major changes.


    For Chen An, this is a bit sad.


    Fortunately, after this period of exploration, he already has some clues about new sources of source power.


    Now it all depends on how to prepare for the future.


    Thinking of this, Chen An''s steps unconsciously quickened, walking more quickly towards his destination.


    He was going fast, and before he realized it, he had arrived at a marketplace.


    When eating mangosteen, he accidentally injured his thumb with a thorn, it is inconvenient to type now, so this is all for today.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 196: Golden Spirit Stone

    The market in front of him was still bustling, with people walking everywhere, giving the appearance of a normal market for mortals.To be honest, Chen An was somewhat surprised by the scene here when he first arrived.


    He hadn''t expected to see such a lively place in a place crowded with cultivators.


    Of course, considering the size of the cultivators within Haoshan Sect, the liveliness of this place was not surprising.


    There were over ten thousand cultivators in the entire Haoshan Sect alone, and that was just the ones with aptitude. The number of servants responsible for taking care of the cultivators'' daily lives was even larger, totaling at least hundreds of thousands.


    Cultivators also had offspring.


    For the cultivators born in Haoshan Sect, their descendants either left or stayed near Haoshan Sect, similarly protected by Haoshan Sect and living here.


    With a population of hundreds of thousands, it was enough to generate a certain amount of commercial exchange activities.


    It was not surprising that a market like this would appear.


    It was all normal.


    The people in this place were naturally not all cultivators.


    Real cultivators were not likely to have so much free time, either busy cultivating or working as laborers. They didn''t have the time to just stand around here.


    So most of the people staying here were agents, or servants of the cultivators, or other people closely related to the cultivators.


    But regardless, the things they had were good.


    Chen An walked forward with a steady pace.


    Soon, he arrived at a small shop.


    The shop had a nice sign that read "Cloud Clear Pavilion," and its location was quite good, not the best, but considered the core of this place.


    This small shop looked small, but its background was strong. It was set up by an elder named Yunqing within Haoshan Sect, and they sold some good things.


    Compared to other places, the reputation of this place was still good, at least based on the information Chen An gathered, there were very few fake products here.


    And because of the Elder¡¯s connections and channels, the things in this shop were relatively complete.


    That was also the reason why Chen An chose to come here.


    Walking in skillfully, there were already people waiting inside.


    "Elder, you''re here."


    The steward of Cloud Clear Pavilion saw Chen An and immediately bowed respectfully, showing a friendly demeanor.


    Of course, they treated most people this way.


    Chen An didn''t mind at all, just smiled and said, "Mr. Liu, have the things I asked you to prepare ready?"


    "Since Young Master Chen gave orders, how could I dare to delay," Steward Liu politely smiled, "The goods are already inside, if Young Master wants to inspect, he can do so anytime."


    "Thank you then."


    With that, Chen An felt relieved.


    By the way, the reason why Chen An came to Cloud Clear Pavilion was also an important reason for the current steward.


    Although the current steward was just a mortal with no cultivation, his surname was Liu.


    Yes, he was related to the Liu family, one of the connections of the Liu family within Haoshan Sect, whom Chen An directly took advantage of after coming to Haoshan Sect.


    Both sides hit it off right away.


    Chen An needed someone familiar with Haoshan Sect to help, and Steward Liu was also willing to make friends with a talented cultivator who was likely to become an Elder in the future.


    Both sides were willing, so the time spent together was naturally pleasant.


    Entering the room, Steward Liu didn''t waste any time and directly brought out the prepared items.


    On the clean stone table, several black wooden boxes were quietly placed there, looking exquisite.


    A servant came forward and opened the boxes, revealing several jade-like items inside.


    Each piece of jade was different, looking special and resembling ordinary spirit stones, but also different.


    A familiar feeling emerged, making Chen An excited.


    Because he hadn''t felt this kind of feeling for a long time.


    It was the taste of source energy.


    Without much hesitation, he quickly locked onto his target.


    It was a piece of golden spirit stone, shining like a gem, very bright and unique.


    If it wasn''t for its crystal-clear appearance, people might even believe it was a piece of gold.


    "What is this?"


    Chen An subconsciously reached out, played with the golden spirit stone in his hand, and felt a bit reluctant.


    There was indeed a hint of source energy on the golden spirit stone, but unfortunately it was too shallow to provide much source energy.


    "This is a type of rare material called a golden spirit stone, one of the exotic spirit stones," Steward Liu looked at Chen An''s actions and explained patiently, "It''s considered a good material for refining tools and formations, with a high value."


    The world of cultivators basically didn''t use gold and silver.


    For cultivators, gold and silver were not rare and couldn''t be used as trading currencies.


    The recognized currency among them was spirit stones, which had great practical value.


    Most spirit stones contained pure elemental energy, which could be used by any cultivator, whether for cultivation or other uses.


    But in spirit stone mines, there were often some spirit stones with unique properties. s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    These spirit stones could be collectively referred to as exotic spirit stones.


    The golden spirit stone was one of them.


    Compared to ordinary spirit stones, the elemental energy contained in a golden spirit stone was more violent and sharp, making it a good material for refining tools and formations, but not suitable for direct cultivation.


    Because of its excellent refining effect and rare production, its value was relatively high.


    "If you want it, I can give you a discount here. Fifteen regular spirit stones for one golden spirit stone," Steward Liu saw Chen An''s interest in the golden spirit stone and added.


    Fifteen regular spirit stones for one golden spirit stone, this price was indeed quite high, almost comparable to the exchange rate of a superior spirit stone.


    The exchange rate between regular spirit stones and superior spirit stones was usually twenty to one, which meant twenty regular spirit stones for one superior spirit stone.


    Now the price of one golden spirit stone was almost as high as a superior spirit stone.


    It was somewhat outrageous, but the price was relatively reasonable.


    During this period, Chen An had been spending his time wisely and was well aware of the prices of nearby goods.


    The price quoted by Steward Liu was not only fair, but he also gave Chen An a certain discount.


    If it were somewhere else, Chen An would have to pay the price of a superior spirit stone to get a proper golden spirit stone.


    Thinking about this, Chen An couldn''t help but feel a bit reluctant.


    But that was only for a moment.


    In the next moment, he immediately spoke, "Give me two pieces first."


    Either way, let''s try two pieces first.


    The piece he had in his hand was just a sample, it only possessed the aura and properties of a golden spirit stone, not an actual one.


    To find out how much source energy a golden spirit stone could provide him, he needed to test it practically.


    Steward Liu looked at Chen An with some suspicion, but didn''t say much, he just turned around and had someone bring two boxes over.


    Soon, two wooden boxes were placed in front of Chen An. Inside were two unused golden spirit stones.


    Under the somewhat surprised gaze of Steward Liu, Chen An cleanly and decisively took out the money to buy these two golden spirit stones, spending thirty regular spirit stones.


    The whole process was even without a hint of hesitation, showing his wealth and boldness.


    Steward Liu couldn''t help but feel astonished.


    Even though he had offered Chen An a discount earlier, he didn''t really believe that Chen An could afford to buy this item.


    For the cultivators of Haoshan Sect, spirit stones were a rare commodity.


    Not to mention the menial disciples, who probably only earned a spirit stone''s worth for their hard work until death.


    Even the ordinary disciples were all poor, with limited purchasing power. Even elite disciples would probably hesitate to buy a golden spirit stone.


    But the reality was a big surprise.


    Two golden spirit stones, thirty regular spirit stones, and he just paid without any hesitation?


    Did he not even need to hesitate?


    In that instant, Steward Liu felt that Chen An was not simple.


    This person probably had some mysterious background, possibly even coming from a prestigious family. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been so generous?


    Even the daughter of the Nine Lin City Lord didn''t seem so generous.


    Steward Liu kept guessing about Chen An''s identity and background.


    But the truth was actually very simple.


    Chen An didn''t have any connections in this world, as he had come here all alone and didn''t bring any of his followers.


    But don''t forget, he had been studying archaeology in the world of Da Liang.


    At that time, he, along with Bai Qing and Empress Luo Shan, had explored and plundered numerous immortal artifacts, collecting a large amount of items.


    While he couldn''t use these items in the Da Liang world, he could use them here, right?


    That was the reason behind Chen An''s lavish spending.


    After buying the two golden spirit stones, Chen An returned to his courtyard.


    On the opposite side of his courtyard, the figure of Liu Roujun was still there, with several servants busy and handling various trivial matters.


    After some consideration, Chen An decided not to visit and instead returned to his own courtyard.


    The matters at hand were more important.


    Chasing the two servants out, he locked himself in his bedroom alone, and then opened the boxes.


    Inside the boxes, the two golden spirit stones emitted a faint light, looking beautiful like some kind of gem.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 197: Others Messages

    "It does look pretty good."Looking at the two spirit stones in his hand, Chen An nodded involuntarily.


    Purely from the appearance, the two golden spirit stones were almost flawless, obviously high-quality gemstones.


    If placed in the mundane world, it would probably easily attract the attention of a large number of people.


    It could be considered a precious treasure.


    However, for cultivators, the most precious thing about these things is their utility value.


    Although some cultivators may care about appearance, it is relatively weaker compared to practicality.


    Of course, from another perspective, it can also be considered that these things are not beautiful enough, at least not qualified to be called beautiful in the eyes of cultivators.


    Various thoughts flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    But he didn''t think too much, and quickly took action.


    His hand reached out and touched the spirit stone directly, slowly absorbing the energy within.


    And that familiar feeling began to emerge.


    Got it!


    Chen An felt happy.


    He was already familiar with this feeling, but it had been a long time since he had experienced it.


    There was no way.


    Since leaving the Da Hua world, he had not come into contact with anything that could directly increase spiritual power.


    Carefully calculating, it had been about a year or two.


    Chen An thought randomly.


    But the number of spiritual power in front of his eyes was jumping, very clear.


    Chen An stared at it carefully.


    Soon, one gold spirit stone was completely absorbed by him.


    "Fifteen points."


    Chen An nodded, and then picked up the next one, repeating the previous action.


    So soon, the other spirit stone was also completely absorbed by him.


    These two spirit stones that he absorbed did not disappear, they still remained there, but now they had become empty shells, like glass, showing a transparent appearance.


    This was the appearance of a spirit stone after it had consumed all its energy, showing the appearance of a pure spirit stone.


    It can also be called an empty shell spirit stone.


    It is said that if these empty shell spirit stones are placed in a spiritual vein and absorb enough energy, these empty shell spirit stones will recover.


    This is something that has been proven.


    Spirit stones are not disposable consumables, but can be reused.


    Of course, it is estimated that no one would do this.


    Because the downside of doing this is that it takes too long, sometimes thousands or even tens of thousands of years.


    What''s the point of doing something for so long, why bother focusing on a few spirit stones?


    Isn''t it faster to do something else that doesn''t bring in money?


    Furthermore, if one really has such a long lifespan, then they probably don''t need those few spirit stones.


    So the regeneration of spirit stones is only theoretical, and no one actually does it.


    But that doesn''t mean that these empty shell spirit stones are useless.


    In fact, they are still somewhat useful.


    It''s just that their use is more limited.


    After careful thought, Chen An thought of a few possible uses.


    Maybe they can be used in alchemy as cornerstones?


    Or as fuel for spiritual fire?


    Anyway, they are worthless things.


    But Chen An still kept them.


    Although he was a rich man now, every little bit counts, so it''s better not to waste anything.


    After putting away the things, he began to observe the upgrade template in front of him.


    The first spirit stone added fifteen points of spiritual power to him, and the second one added sixteen points.


    It seems that even spirit stones of the same size and quality may contain slightly different amounts of energy. There are minor discrepancies.


    But that''s not surprising, it''s within expectations.


    Roughly calculated, a spirit stone like this golden spirit stone can provide him with fifteen points of spiritual power.


    It''s almost this number.


    Incidentally, the price of purchasing one golden spirit stone is also fifteen spirit stones.


    From this perspective, it''s almost like one spirit stone is equivalent to one point of spiritual power.


    Chen An couldn''t help but ponder.


    Coming from the Great Liang World, he had quite a few things on him.


    But excluding a bunch of unquantifiable worthless scraps, the actual currency spirit stones were probably only three hundred, plus twenty high-quality spirit stones.


    Converted, it looked like seven hundred spirit stones, equivalent to seven hundred points of spiritual power.


    Seems okay?


    The numbers look okay, but in reality, it''s not that simple.


    After all, Chen An couldn''t invest all his spirit stones in purchasing spiritual power, he had to save some for his own cultivation.


    Otherwise, he couldn''t just wait like other people, eagerly waiting for the Haoshan Sect to allocate resources to him.


    When will he have to wait for that?


    "It''s better to find a way to increase revenue."


    In his room, Chen An murmured to himself.


    At this moment, he suddenly remembered the many miscellaneous disciples he had seen before.


    Many miscellaneous disciples were mixing in the Haoshan Sect, working for the Haoshan Sect nine hundred and ninety-six times a day, just for the meager supplies and spirit stones provided by the Haoshan Sect each year.


    Even the elite disciples within the Haoshan Sect, besides being excellent themselves, also need to constantly work for the sect, either going out for exploration or guarding certain areas.


    In other words, it is impossible to rely on the Haoshan Sect to support you.


    Unless you are an elder or a descendant of an elder, otherwise, for the Haoshan Sect, you are the exploited one, not the provided one.


    Of course, if you have the ability, you can join the disciples of those elders, and enjoy the resources provided by those elders, which seems like a good path.


    However, Chen An knew that this path was not easy to walk.


    On the one hand, it is difficult to join the disciples under the elders, and on the other hand, even if you join the disciples under the elders, you have to work hard.


    After all, the elders are unlikely to have only one disciple, and in a situation where you and others come, how much you can get in the end will be a competition.


    And Chen An was also quite confident, and did not want to take this restrictive path.


    After all, the elders of the Haoshan Sect were just like that to him.


    "I wonder how the guards of the Haoshan Sect are?"


    After thinking for a moment, Chen An suddenly had this idea.


    Yes, he was thinking of robbing.


    This was also his subconscious reaction.


    Chen An, a young man from modern society, was slowly being corrupted by this world.


    Based on his experience from multiple worlds, when you are poor and have a weapon, robbery is always the fastest way to get rich.


    After all, compared to other ways, this path is a quick way to make money.


    However, while making money quickly, the disadvantages are also great.


    Especially in a situation where he is unfamiliar with the people, it is not easy to rob.


    Not to mention, finding someone to rob is a problem.


    After thinking for a moment, Chen An finally decided not to think about it, and instead focused his gaze on what was in front of him.


    He looked at the Haoshan Sect column and was contemplating whether he should advance the Haoshan Sect first.


    He had already entered the Haoshan Sect, and only needed to advance one more level to reach the level of opening the Purple Mansion.


    At that point, even if he officially entered, he could skip the level of the miscellaneous disciples and become an official disciple.


    But after thinking about it, he decided to give up.


    Let''s save a bit.


    After all, it was just the beginning, he could completely rely on himself, there was no need to rely on cheats.


    Thinking like this, he continued to diligently cultivate for a month.


    In the early morning, all things began to revive.


    As the sun shone on the earth, in a hall full of abundant spiritual energy, Chen An began to attempt to breakthrough.


    After months of cultivation, the spiritual energy in his body was already very full, showing signs of further transformation.


    This was the sign of a successful completion of the Nascent Soul cultivation, indicating that his cultivation had reached a higher level and could achieve even greater heights.


    And Chen An was prepared for this.


    The hall let out a loud roar, and drop by drop of spiritual energy vibrated, emanating from it.


    Taking this opportunity, Chen An also exerted his strength.


    As the Haoshan Sect operated, the spiritual energy in his body continuously gathered towards the center, eventually forming a point.


    Once this step was reached, the next thing was the outbreak.


    As the spiritual energy brewed, the Haoshan Sect''s techniques seemed to produce some kind of unknown change.


    A small area was opened up, located at the center of the body.


    As this area was opened up, a strange feeling emerged, as if another organ had been added to the body, very unique and novel.


    After this area was opened up, the originally boiling spiritual energy in the body, not knowing where to go, seemed to have found a home, beginning to gather here and settle in this area.


    Only then did Chen An relax.


    For a martial artist to give birth to internal energy, they need to open up meridians to accommodate internal energy. Similarly, for a cultivator to give birth to divine power, they also need to open up the Purple Mansion.


    This Purple Mansion is the place where divine power is housed, and all a cultivator''s divine power originates from here.


    In other words, this is the foundation of cultivation, the basis of everything.


    Only cultivators who have opened up the Purple Mansion can be truly called cultivators.


    And Chen An had already taken this step.


    This step took Chen An four months from start to finish.


    This did not include the time he spent cultivating outside before.


    If included, it would probably be more than half a year.


    But even at this speed, it was already quite remarkable.


    After all, among those miscellaneous disciples, some people couldn''t even open up the Purple Mansion after more than a decade of trying.


    There was no way, the gap in aptitude was there, no matter how hard you tried, it was difficult to cross.


    This was quite frustrating.


    After opening up the Purple Mansion, Chen An silently stood up, beginning to sense the changes in his body.


    After a period of sensing, he had a novel experience.


    He was an innate martial artist, his body was already filled with powerful innate astral energy.


    But the divine power he was birthing at this moment was different from astral energy.


    The nature of astral energy is extremely fierce and useful for combat.


    The nature of divine power, on the other hand, was much gentler.


    And it seemed that there was no significant difference between the divine powers cultivated from different scriptures for cultivators.


    No matter if you cultivate in the Haoshan Sect or other scriptures, the divine power cultivated has no significant difference, only the differences in the cultivation process and the differences in your Purple Mansion.


    On the other hand, for martial arts scriptures, the astral energy cultivated is different, often carrying the unique characteristics of different martial arts legacies.


    This difference was significant and worth remembering.


    Of course, due to the different body constitutions of individuals, even if they cultivate in the same scriptures, the divine powers of different people may have subtle differences.


    It was said that if a person cultivated to a high level, due to the different body constitutions of individuals, their divine powers would also carry different characteristics.


    There were many legendary people with spiritual bodies who would have different divine powers due to their different spiritual bodies.


    Regarding this, Chen An was very interested and even wanted to research it a bit.


    Unfortunately, people with spiritual bodies were very rare and highly valued, so according to rumors, even in those top fairy sects, they were quite rare, let alone in third-rate minor forces like the Haoshan Sect.


    So in the short term, this was something he couldn''t think about.


    He could only see if there was an opportunity in the future. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking in his heart, Chen An then walked out.


    Just as he walked to the doorway, someone came to congratulate him.


    "Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen, on successfully opening up the Purple Mansion."


    Haofa stood outside the main gate, bowing to Chen An and congratulating him, with a smile on his face.


    Haofa was a disciple recruited by the Haoshan Sect from the outside world. Because he had no parents, he was just an orphan, so he took Haofa as his surname.


    During this time, he purposely made friends with Chen An and helped Chen An with some small favors.


    The two were quite familiar.


    "Thanks for your help, Brother Haofa."


    Chen An smiled, "But my speed is already considered slow. Miss Liu had already opened the Purple Mansion half a month ago and is now trying to break through the second level."


    Liu Roujun had already successfully opened up the Purple Mansion half a month ago.


    This was not surprising.


    Her aptitude was better than Chen An''s, and she was the daughter of the Nine Liang City Lord, with a good upbringing and excellent training since childhood.


    The speed at which she advanced was quite normal.


    This was just the beginning, and as time went on, the speed of their cultivation would continue to diverge, and the gap would only widen in the future, growing larger as time went on.


    The difference at this moment may seem insignificant, but it may not be in the future.


    However, Chen An remained calm, just smiling faintly.


    "In any case, opening up the Purple Mansion is a good thing. Today, as a brother, let me treat you to a drink, shall we?"


    Haofa smiled and made this proposal.


    Chen An readily agreed.


    They went out for a stroll for a while and ended up not until several hours later.


    As they were about to leave, Chen An looked up to the outside world.


    "What''s happening outside?"


    Sitting in the high-rise building, Chen An looked towards the outside, somewhat surprised, "Why is it so lively today?"


    "Oh, something happened."


    Haofa seemed not surprised, but casually explained to Chen An, "The Yue Sect sent an invitation, asking several elders of our Haoshan Sect to go out and kill a Martial Master."


    "Martial Master?"


    Chen An was taken aback.


    "So-called Martial Master, that means..."


    Sure enough, the next moment, Haofa continued to explain.


    "Seems that not too long ago, there were traces of a teleportation array in the south, a group of martial domain warriors crossed the array and sneaked in, only to be caught by the Yue Sect disciples."


    "It seems that the group of warriors is quite powerful. After a fierce battle, the Yue Sect people didn''t gain much advantage and had to ask for help from our immortal sect."


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 198: Immortal and Martial Arts Are Not Compatible!

    "Wait."The more Chen An Yue listened, the more he felt something was off, and he quickly asked, "Aren''t cultivators only able to cultivate up to the Body Refining stage at most? How can there be martial artists who are so powerful that even the immortals can''t deal with them?"


    In this world, cultivators are mainly suppressed by the rules of the Immortal Emperor''s Dao, unable to cultivate their internal energy and can only cultivate at the Body Refining level. How could they possibly be able to compete with the cultivators in the immortal sects?


    Unless, these martial artists are not from this world.


    "That''s the problem."


    Hao Fa clapped his hands and smiled, "According to various speculations, these martial artists mostly come from the Martial Domain, sneaking in without knowing their true purpose."


    "Their strength is not weak at all, even though they are few in number. It is said that each of them is on par with the elders of my Hao Mountain Sect, with the leader even comparable to a Golden Core cultivator."


    "So strong."


    Chen An felt even more uneasy, "And then?"


    "It''s like this now."


    Hao Fa smiled and said, "In my estimation, the people from the Yue Sect originally wanted to take them down on their own, but found out that they were no match on their own. That''s why they had to come to contact our immortal sect."


    "I see."


    Chen An nodded, then asked, puzzled, "But what benefit does this have for us?"


    Suddenly appearing, sneaking in, and with considerable strength. The strongest among them is equivalent to a Golden Core cultivator...Chen An now can be sure that this group is probably the same group who teleported with him, whether the leader is Master Iron or Master Nen.


    Moreover, the attitude of these immortal sect members also puzzled him.


    They just sneaked in a few martial artists, why have such an attitude, as if they wanted to capture them all in one go?


    The strength of those people is quite strong, definitely a tough nut to crack. Why rush to attack them like this?


    Chen An was puzzled.


    "Junior brother, you don''t know about this."


    Hao Fa smiled, not feeling strange about Chen An''s doubts, "The reason why the Yue Sect is so concerned is naturally for their own benefit."


    "Junior brother, do you know that martial artists, due to their physical training, the more they cultivate, the more valuable their physical body becomes. At the level of Martial Dao innate, this is even more so."


    "Under Martial Dao innate, their flesh and blood can be used as a great elixir, one of the materials for longevity pills, which is extremely precious."


    He patiently explained, "Just imagine, if we can capture these martial artists alive, drain their blood every day and night, how much profit could we gain from it?"


    Capturing alive, draining blood every day and night...


    Chen An''s gaze gradually changed.


    Wow, it turns out that''s your plan! It''s like a version of a cultivator''s blood slave, right?


    Chen An was speechless, not knowing what to say.


    And there was even more shocking information to come.


    "In addition, since the two domains have been at war, the Sacred Land has issued a bounty. Anyone who can kill someone from the Martial Domain will be rewarded by the Sacred Land."


    Hao Fa laughed and said, "Immortal and Martial Arts are not compatible, this is a rule that most cultivators know, and junior brother will understand it in the future."


    What, Immortal and Martial Arts are not compatible?


    Chen An was shocked.


    There''s more to this?


    At this moment, he realized that something was wrong.


    It seems that not only is the world itself not very friendly to martial artists, even the masters of this world are also not very friendly towards martial artists.


    The war between the two domains, the Sacred Land''s bounty...there must be a story behind all of this!


    Chen An has already sensed that something is not right.


    So he continued to inquire.


    The results were not very good.


    It turned out that this world had once been mortal enemies with another world in a distant past, warring against each other for many years, and even continuing to fight to this day.


    In the borders of the two domains, there are still cultivators and martial artists fighting each other.


    Because of this, the two sides have become mortal enemies, and cultivators and martial artists can no longer coexist.


    Not only do the cultivators in this world reject martial artists, but the martial artists from the other world also reject cultivators.


    The mutual animosity between the two sides is particularly fierce.


    Chen An suddenly felt fortunate.


    Fortunately, he was cautious enough by nature, and there weren''t many people around him, so he had long since disguised himself as an ordinary person and moved around freely, without revealing his identity as a martial artist with innate talent.


    Otherwise, he would probably have been hunted down, and he wouldn''t be able to sit here peacefully and chat with Hao Fa, a fellow cultivator, without any reaction.


    That was truly fortunate.


    Sitting in place, he chatted with Hao Fa, while remaining cautious.


    In the future, he would not actively reveal his martial cultivation unless necessary.


    But now with Master Nan Jue and Master Tie, he would probably be next.


    "No, that''s not secure enough!"


    Chen An thought to himself.


    Although he was cautious enough, he did not hide his appearance.


    If he were to be recognized by others, that would be a problem.


    Thinking of the current situation of Master Nan Jue and Master Tie, Chen An felt that he should be more low-key and try not to leave Hao Mountain Sect as much as possible.


    At least until those two were done, he should keep a low profile and stay close to Hao Mountain Sect.


    Otherwise, it would be a big deal if he was recognized.


    On the other hand, Hao Fa seemed unaware of Chen An''s active thoughts and continued to introduce recent events with great enthusiasm.


    Seeing his happy appearance, he must have been holding back for a long time.


    After all, Hao Mountain Sect was not a big place, and most of the fellow disciples around were either busy or in seclusion. It was probably difficult to find someone to socialize with.


    Now that he finally had a junior brother who liked gossip, he couldn''t help but hold onto him.


    "If we can capture this group of people this time, we will likely gain a considerable reward later on."


    Hao Fa said with interest, then couldn''t help but be a little regretful, "Unfortunately, I won''t be able to witness it."


    "Why?"


    Chen An asked unconsciously.


    "Brother, I have been staying in the sect for long enough. I have to go out and do something."


    Hao Fa said with some helplessness, "I estimate that I will have to go out on assignment in less than half a year to guard a certain area."


    Only then did Chen An realize.


    A cultivator like Hao Fa also needed to work within the sect.


    There was no way around it, as Hao Mountain Sect was not a charity organization and couldn''t afford to support idle people.


    If you wanted to enjoy the privileges, you had to work. But if you weren''t the disciple or offspring of an elder, sorry.


    So cultivators like Hao Fa also needed to work.


    Based on his cultivation level, he would probably be sent out to help guard a certain area and maintain stability and control in that region on behalf of Hao Mountain Sect.


    Likewise, if nothing unexpected happened, Chen An would probably end up doing the same.


    This process was completely mandatory, as you couldn''t just refuse.


    After all, if you didn''t work, how would Hao Mountain Sect recover the resources spent on you?


    That would be unacceptable.


    Therefore, for the prosperity of the sect, they had to go out and work, and work hard. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Hao Fa was in such a situation now.


    After chatting for half an hour, they discussed many things.


    Through Hao Fa, Chen An learned a lot of the latest news.


    Although they were in an immortal sect, there were still plenty of gossip and interesting tasks inside.


    All sorts of rumors, some lucrative tasks, and rumors about someone striking it rich by obtaining a treasure outside.


    In Hao Fa''s words, it seemed that what he said was no different from what others said.


    Chen An listened quietly, mostly hearing complaints from the others.


    If it were someone else, they would probably have been influenced by the abundance of negative energy and become impatient.


    But Chen An was a good listener, smiling silently and listening attentively, giving Hao Fa a great experience.


    Time passed slowly.


    Unknowingly, two more months had passed.


    In these two months, Chen An''s life continued to move forward.


    He established his Purple Mansion, so he skipped the menial tasks and became an official disciple.


    In the midst of all the new disciples, his speed was considered very fast, even leaving others in the dust.


    But he didn''t attract much attention, not even a ripple.


    Because there was still a Liu Roujun in front of him.


    Unlike Chen An''s low-key nature, Liu Roujun was competitive wherever she went, always striving to be the best.


    She had only been here for a short time and had already caused some commotion due to some minor quarrels. Her story afterwards was even more exciting, causing quite a stir.


    The eyes of the people around were naturally drawn to her.


    No one paid much attention to Chen An, and he was fine with that.


    After all, following Hao Fa''s introduction earlier, he just wanted to keep a low profile, focusing on studying or improving himself every day.


    He was absorbing all kinds of knowledge from the cultivators, and studying hard.


    For Chen An, this was quite important.


    He could directly increase his cultivation level and other attributes through the upgrade template, but knowledge was something he had to work hard for.


    Even if he could directly elevate himself using the template, he still had to fully grasp the contents of the inheritance, didn''t he?


    The lack of knowledge in the cultivation world was currently a weakness for Chen An, which he seemed only able to fill through diligent study.


    In the martial arts world, he had once had this flaw.


    But he had already made up for this over the two hundred years in the Great Huaxia World.


    However, he still had this problem in the world of cultivation.


    So he had to work hard.


    At Chen An''s effort, he quickly made up for his shortcomings in various aspects.


    "Very well, that''s it."


    In a spacious hall, there were intricate arrays everywhere.


    In the center of the hall was a large alchemy furnace.


    Chen An was busy in front of the furnace.


    His method of practice was quite ordinary, he continued to refine pills without stopping.


    "Finally, I succeeded."


    After a long time, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and presented his results of hard work.


    There were over a dozen pills of varying sizes, all molded into a round shape, resembling small pellets, with a unique delicate feeling.


    Chen An packed these pills and took them to the alchemist nearby for identification.


    As expected, most of them were good, although not top-grade, they could be considered qualified.


    "In just two months, you''ve really made progress?"


    The alchemist responsible for the test was quite shocked.


    Chen An had only come to apprentice two months ago.


    Of course, this behavior itself was not unusual.


    After all, the Hao Mountain Sect offered alchemy courses, so there were always some people coming to practice.


    The quality of the cultivators in other places was unknown, but the cultivators inside Hao Mountain Sect were generally versatile. They all had some skills and could cultivate some basic skills in alchemy.


    Cultivation skills couldn''t be neglected, and even the low-ranking disciples had to learn some basic alchemy.


    Such things were quite common, and it was said that they had done it many times over the years.


    There was also a special pharmacy in the Hao Mountain Sect, responsible for supplying pills to the cultivators within the sect, as well as teaching alchemy.


    However, the teachings were not very profound, just some basic theories to barely get you started.


    If you really wanted to become an alchemist, you needed careful cultivation.


    This rough method of training could not cultivate any good talents.


    However, even with this rough method, someone had somehow completed the practical training in just two months and produced finished pills?


    Although these pills were not of high quality and were most likely just the small elemental pills used by the menial disciples in daily practice.


    But it was still quite rare.


    After all, Chen An had managed to learn in just two months.


    "You are very good."


    The alchemist praised Chen An''s talent, unable to stop talking about it. "I have seen many talented young people in my workshop, but compared to you, they are nothing."


    "You are praising me too much."


    Chen An remained humble as usual. "I just happen to be good at this."


    "Haha, don''t be too modest."


    The alchemist, Huang, smiled and looked at Chen An. "Are you interested in working under me in the future?"


    "I can pass on all my knowledge to you."


    Is this a good thing too?


    Chen An was surprised, feeling somewhat skeptical.


    Was he running into a good samaritan today?


    "However, my lessons are not free."


    Huang chuckled and said, making a gesture. "Three spirit stones per month, I will give you ten lessons, and you can assist me in my work when you''re free, or watch me do alchemy on the side."


    "Of course, in your spare time, you can also use this alchemy furnace. What do you think?"


    Ah, it''s a paid job.


    That made sense.


    Chen An was relieved and immediately agreed.


    Huang''s terms were quite good. Although there was some suspicion of selling courses and using free labor, the benefits were also good.


    Huang was a legitimate alchemist, and for three spirit stones, to get ten lessons from him was definitely worth it.


    As for assisting him and watching him work, it could be seen as free labor, but it was also an opportunity to gain practical experience while observing.


    Moreover, getting to use the alchemy furnace for free in his spare time was the most important condition for Chen An right now.


    He still had some spirit stones on him, so he could barely afford some basic alchemy materials.


    But when it came to buying an alchemy furnace, that was truly out of his budget.


    There was no way, this thing was just too expensive, the prices made Chen An want to turn away at just a glance, afraid that his heart couldn''t handle it.


    Even the cheapest one cost over a thousand spirit stones.


    Being able to use the alchemy furnace for free now was naturally the best.


    "It seems like I''m on the right track with this."


    Watching Huang''s figure move away, Chen An pondered.


    He had only come to learn alchemy before to acquire another skill.


    Of course, deep down, he was more interested in learning about formations, as he would have to set up formations to return to the Great Huaxia World in the future.


    But that was not possible.


    Hao Mountain Sect had an advantage in alchemy, so they had established specialized alchemy courses.


    But when it came to formations, Hao Mountain Sect had no advantage, so they didn''t have any related courses at all.


    Chen An had nowhere to go to learn them.


    Given no choice, he had to learn alchemy.


    But as he studied, he suddenly realized that he seemed to have a bit of talent in alchemy.


    The most direct evidence was that even without cheating, he still ranked first among his classmates, far surpassing the others.


    Of course, while his talent was sufficient, his ability to reach the level of operating an alchemy furnace within just two months was mostly thanks to cheating.


    Through the calculation function of the upgrade template, he greatly accelerated his learning progress by forcefully memorizing the teachings of several alchemists and successfully replicating them.


    But the reason he cheated was mainly to achieve a spectacular effect to gain benefits.


    For example, now, Huang was impressed by Chen An and was preparing to invest in him.


    That was exactly the effect Chen An wanted.


    On his way back, Chen An also pondered if the path of alchemy could be further developed, which seemed like a good idea?


    He was in need of money, and if he could improve his alchemy skills, it would be a good way to fill his wallet.


    Purchasing spirit stones was too expensive.


    Furthermore, if he could master a skill, even if he left Hao Mountain Sect in the future, he wouldn''t live a bad life, right?


    That was Chen An''s current thinking, and he couldn''t help but be straight to the point as usual.


    In the following days, he studied under Huang.


    His learning progress was rapid, partly due to his good comprehension, and also because he could quickly understand and absorb difficult concepts by cheating, allowing him to assimilate them into his mind. With this dual approach, his progress couldn''t be anything but fast.


    (End of this Chapter)

 Chapter 199: Alchemy, Add Some to Me!

    Chen An''s process of learning alchemy went relatively smoothly.He followed Steward Huang to learn while continuously optimizing his learning structure.


    Previously, he had mainly focused most of his energy on cultivation, but now things were different.


    In order to better gather resources to support his cultivation, he adjusted his learning structure and spent most of his time learning alchemy.


    For Chen An, this was an easy choice to make.


    After all, his aptitude in cultivation was limited, so he decided to redirect his focus to alchemy, in which he had some talent.


    From a practical perspective, he indeed needed alchemy as a skill to accumulate resources and earn spirit stones for himself.


    Otherwise, where would the money come from later on?


    Through his experiences in various worlds, Chen An vividly understood a principle.


    With principles, one can travel far and wide; with money, there is no need to panic about anything.


    Principles refer to physical principles, while money refers to various resources.


    It could be gold and silver, numbers, or even spirit stones. Everything else could be lacking, but principles and money, these two things are absolutely indispensable.


    Once they are lacking, it means that your days will be tough. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An deeply understood this principle.


    He temporarily lacked principles, although they were somewhat shady, but when it came time to use them, they were not inferior to others.


    But money was still lacking.


    Spirit stones were harder to earn than gold and silver.


    During this time, Chen An tried various methods in different places, carefully studying various ways to make money.


    He also had some ideas, such as exploiting loopholes in the rules, or doing some small business.


    But in the end, he decided that alchemy was better.


    Because if possible, he still wanted to truly master this skill.


    Having more skills would not be a burden.


    If possible, the more things he could learn, the better.


    Not only alchemy, but also array formation, forging, and other things Chen An wanted to learn if he had the opportunity in the future.


    After all, they could all be useful.


    Chen An firmly believed in this.


    At this moment, he was on the road of practice.


    In Steward Huang''s great hall, Chen An studied almost day and night.


    He followed Steward Huang to learn the theory, stayed by the side while Steward Huang was alchemy, and helped Steward Huang with various tasks along with other disciples. In just one or two months, his progress was rapid.


    The specific quality was not clear to Chen An himself, but he could tell from Steward Huang''s repeatedly moved expression.


    Since Chen An began, Steward Huang''s surprised expression had not stopped.


    Chen An was quite satisfied with his progress.


    In just a few months, he was able to make such progress, thanks to the boost from the template upgrade, but his own efforts were certainly an important factor.


    His efforts were absolutely not in vain.


    Although Chen An was not like some freaks who could stay up all night when he was determined, like a perpetual motion machine, he also wouldn''t just lie down flat. He basically squeezed out time every day to study.


    With this state, coupled with his talent in alchemy, he gradually began to make progress.


    It seemed that his efforts moved the heavens, and at some point, some surprises finally appeared.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (11.2), Physical (11.7), Spiritual (3.8)


    Source Power: 1445


    Inheritance: Ice-bound Thousands of Miles (Partial Mastery), Profound Ice Force (First Layer of Innate), Haoshan Scripture (First Layer), Small Origin Pill (Entry Level)


    Projection: Charging


    The familiar upgrade template appeared before his eyes.


    Compared to before, many of the data above had not changed much, only the amount of source power had increased.


    As for the attributes, there was no change at all.


    What really made Chen An dumbfounded was the inheritance section.


    At this moment, a new message appeared in the inheritance list.


    Small Origin Pill, this was a type of pill that cultivators used, an entry-level pill that cultivators were very familiar with.


    It had a relatively simple formula and was not difficult, so many people would refine it.


    After following Steward Huang to study alchemy for a few months, this was the only formula that Chen An had mastered so far.


    And now, this formula appeared in the inheritance list.


    What did this mean?


    It turns out that this template can not only enhance martial arts, but also enhance alchemy and other things!


    Surprise, undoubtedly a surprise.


    Chen An now felt like he had won a big prize, and even his somewhat indifferent face couldn''t help but show a smile, looking especially happy.


    Of course, he was happy.


    Although he didn''t know what effect upgrading the formula would have, the fact that it could be upgraded was better than not being able to upgrade.


    Based on past experience, as long as the upgrade template could be enhanced, there would definitely be changes.


    This time shouldn''t be any different.


    So Chen An quickly tried it out.


    He looked at the amount of source power needed to upgrade the Small Origin Pill inheritance, which seemed to be only thirty points.


    He gave it!


    A faint warm flow surged, and the familiar feeling once again struck him.


    In just a blink of an eye, the knowledge about Small Origin Pills that was stored in Chen An''s brain kept resurfacing, with a completely new understanding.


    After a moment, this change disappeared.


    The surroundings gradually calmed down.


    Chen An slowly opened his eyes.


    He instinctively reached out his hand and looked at his palm.


    Hmm, there seemed to be no change.


    But a smile appeared on Chen An''s face.


    Without any hesitation, he directly took a step and walked towards the main hall outside.


    Not long after, he returned to the familiar grand hall of the medicine hall, where Steward Huang was still inside explaining something. Now, as he watched Chen An hurrying in from outside, Steward Huang couldn''t help but be surprised, "Chang Ming, you?"


    "Apologies for disturbing Teacher."


    Chen An smiled and saluted, "Just now, the disciple had some thoughts at home and wanted to borrow the cauldron for a moment. Is that possible?"


    "Go ahead."


    Steward Huang did not refuse, just smiled and said, "There should be no one at the cauldron now. Remember to put it back after you''re done."


    "Understood."


    Chen An nodded.


    This was the advantage of having connections; you could just say if you wanted to borrow something.


    If it were a lone cultivator, they wouldn''t have this advantage. They would have to buy whatever they wanted to use.


    With Steward Huang''s permission, Chen An walked directly to the side.


    In the room where the cauldron was located, the spiritual fire burned fiercely all around, as if it would never go out.


    Under normal circumstances, the spiritual fire here would not go out.


    Because it was difficult to preserve this kind of spiritual fire; once it went out, it would require a huge cost to reignite.


    So under normal circumstances, the spiritual fire in the medicine hall would not go out but would continue to burn.


    But this also made it convenient for Chen An.


    Chen An walked up to the cauldron and started alchemy directly.


    Sure enough, changes immediately appeared.


    Before, Chen An''s alchemy had been somewhat green, and in many places, he would feel a bit obstructed and not be able to proceed smoothly.


    But now it was different; from the beginning to now, the entire process went exceptionally smoothly, as if he were an old hand at alchemy who had been refining for many years.


    This kind of skilled operation was not something everyone in the medicine hall could do; it often only appeared in some veteran alchemists.


    But now Chen An could do the same.


    After a while, the pills took shape.


    Chen An spread them out and indeed found a change.


    First of all, compared to the pills he had refined before, the pills in front of him were larger and whiter.


    This was just a superficial change.


    From the perspective of an alchemist, the quality of these pills had clearly improved.


    If the pills he had refined before were only qualified, or even many could be considered defective products.


    Now the quality of these pills was excellent.


    The quality had increased by a level.


    Chen An''s eyes brightened.


    He smelled a business opportunity.


    If it were just simple Small Origin Pills, he wouldn''t make much money.


    After all, most cultivators in Haoshan Sect knew alchemy, although most of them were not very good. But as a basic pill, there would still be many people who could refine it.


    If Chen An refined them and sold them, he probably wouldn''t be able to sell them for much.


    Excluding the cost of materials, he would probably only make a profit from labor and such.


    But if the quality could be improved, the situation would be different.


    The excellent quality Small Origin Pills in front of him would probably be popular if he put them out for sale.


    After all, the higher the quality of the pills, the fewer the medicinal residues and toxins left in the body, and the less obstruction to cultivation.


    These quality Small Origin Pills would be profitable if he sold them.


    It''s just that he didn''t know how much profit he could make after excluding material costs.


    Wait a minute, material costs?


    Chen An suddenly realized something.


    Just now, the process of alchemy had been extremely smooth, without the stumbling blocks and occasional furnace explosions that he had experienced before.


    Could it be...


    To verify his thoughts, he refined the pills nine more times in one go, together with the previous one, making a total of ten times.


    Indeed, out of the ten times he refined the pills, he failed only three times, with the cauldron exploding and the pills being destroyed.


    Of the seven successful times, he basically produced high-quality pills each time.


    Sure enough.


    Chen An couldn''t help but smile.


    It was indeed satisfying to be overpowered.


    The enhancement brought by adding points was comprehensive, not only improving the quality but also the success rate.


    After upgrading the template, his current success rate in pill refining was terrifyingly high.


    Even if Steward Huang was asked to come over and refine Small Origin Pills like him, the success rate and quality rate would be the same.


    And this was just the result of one upgrade.


    Chen An looked down.


    His mastery level of Small Origin Pills that he had mastered before had become proficiency after upgrading it once.


    But there was still a plus sign, indicating that there could be another upgrade.


    Without much hesitation, Chen An directly clicked on it.


    Just one upgrade had already brought him such a big surprise; he was very curious to see what would happen if he continued to upgrade.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 200: Adding Some Drama

    After a moment, Chen An stared at the elixir in front of him, lost in thought.Yes, after adding some points, he decided to try again.


    Just like before, he tried ten times this time as well.


    But the results this time were very different from before.


    Ten attempts at alchemy, all successful!


    And each elixir he produced was of extremely high quality, without any flaws.


    Undoubtedly, these elixirs could be considered top-notch, with very minimal residue or toxicity.


    Even though they were just small elemental elixirs, they could probably fetch a good price, and most likely have no trouble selling.


    The reason why Chen An was lost in thought was because he was so pleasantly surprised that he hadn''t fully processed it yet. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After a while, he finally came to his senses and a smile returned to his face.


    This was definitely a good thing.


    Previously, he had thought that only cultivation could be boosted by adding points, while other things like alchemy would still rely on his cultivation.


    But now, it was clear that he had underestimated the power of the leveling up template.


    Boosting cultivation was just the tip of the iceberg. The real cheat was in boosting everything, whether it was cultivation or alchemy.


    As long as there was enough source power, everything could be boosted.


    Thinking carefully, it made sense that alchemy techniques could also be boosted.


    The leveling up template didn''t just boost cultivation, it boosted specific inheritances.


    As long as you had a specific knowledge system and had mastered it, the template could boost it based on what you had mastered.


    Therefore, martial arts could be boosted, martial skills could be improved, and even alchemy techniques could be enhanced.


    After all, these inheritances were not much different.


    It was only a difference in knowledge systems.


    But for the leveling up template, this was clearly not a problem.


    And that''s how he ended up with the results he had now.


    For Chen An, this was undeniably good news.


    It meant that in the future, as long as he mastered a certain alchemy technique, he could quickly boost it using the leveling up template, without having to go through countless trials like other alchemists to improve a meager success rate.


    This was truly a great thing.


    Chen An could already see countless spirit stones beckoning to him.


    Everything was so wonderful.


    With a smile on his face, he looked ahead.


    After another boost, the formula for the small elemental elixir had changed again.


    At first, it showed mastered, then after the first boost, it became proficient. Now, it had turned into perfect.


    But there was a plus sign after perfect.


    However, this was no longer an addition of points, but a deduction.


    Chen An didn''t move again.


    Just the second boost alone had cost him one hundred source power. If he continued to deduce, who knows how much source power it would consume.


    That was money at the end of the day.


    The more critical issue was that he still had many alchemy techniques to learn, so there was no need to consume source power to deduce new formulas, which could be both costly and unnecessary.


    What benefit would he have from deducing a completely new alchemy technique?


    On one hand, new elixirs might not sell well, and on the other hand, they might raise suspicions.


    Why bother?


    Chen An had no intention of causing trouble for himself, so after trying, he left.


    Before leaving, he took out the small elemental elixirs he had refined and handed them over to the pharmacy.


    There was no way around it; this was the rule.


    Although Steward Huang had given Chen An face by allowing him to use the alchemy furnace for free, the materials needed for alchemy still had to be provided by Chen An himself.


    According to the pharmacy''s regulations, the consumption of these materials could either be offset by the refined elixirs or paid for with spirit stones.


    Previously, Chen An had mostly paid out of his own pocket, taking out spirit stones from his pocket to settle the bill.


    There was no way around it. Although he could refine some elixirs before, the success rate was too low, and the failure rate was too high to offset the materials he used.


    The excess portion had to be offset with spirit stones.


    Fortunately, the refining materials for the small elemental elixir were not expensive, and he didn''t lose much, otherwise he might not have been able to afford it.


    Now the situation was much simpler.


    Simply taking out some good elixirs from the refining materials was enough to settle the debt.


    And this was only part of it; Chen An had plenty more, and they were all of superior quality.


    This was pure profit for Chen An.


    As he walked out of the main hall, Chen An looked up and saw that it was already dark outside.


    At this time, according to the usual routine, Chen An would have already gone back to rest.


    But this time, Chen An didn''t go back, instead heading in another direction.


    After a short walk, he arrived at a bustling market and strolled around there.


    Having not visited for a month or two, the market had changed considerably.


    A new product was being sold here, and it was quite popular.


    Chen An looked and was surprised to see the main product was blood.


    It was human blood, but not ordinary blood, it was the blood of warriors.


    In the market now, there were many sales of the blood of warriors, mostly from martial warriors with Gang Qi.


    Even more outrageous was that the blood of innate warriors was also being sold.


    Compared to the blood of Gang Qi warriors, the value of this innate warrior blood was very high, often being snatched up and bought at a high price.


    Chen An even saw a cultivator buy a small bottle of innate warrior heart''s blood for one hundred spirit stones.


    The whole scene made Chen An question life.


    At this time, he even wondered if he was right to learn alchemy.


    Looking at the prices and the market, he couldn''t help but think maybe he could earn more by selling blood instead.


    Why bother with alchemy?


    Of course, this was just a joke.


    It would be one thing for Chen An to sell some ordinary blood, but he wouldn''t dare to sell blood like what was being sold here.


    Just look at what was being sold.


    The heart''s blood of innate warriors, bones tempered by innate Gang Qi, and even news of hearts, flesh, and multiple organs being sold.


    Just seeing this scene was scary enough to scare people away.


    If ordinary people sold blood like this, where would they end up?


    Most likely, they would have turned into a pile of minced meat long ago.


    "Have they gotten into trouble?"


    This thought crossed Chen An''s mind.


    Previously, he had heard from Hao Fa that the members of the Yue Sect were planning to join forces with nearby immortal sects to attack a group of incoming warriors.


    Now, it seemed like they had succeeded.


    Otherwise, there wouldn''t be so many rich materials for sale.


    It was just unclear who had the misfortune.


    Chen An inquired and eventually got some concrete information.


    Some said they had seen the body of a master, tall in stature, fierce in appearance, and very heroic.


    Listening to these details, it seemed to be Master Nan Jue.


    It made sense; among the group of incoming masters, he was the most high-profile, not only in his demeanor but also accompanied by several Gang Qi followers.


    With such a high profile, if things really went wrong, he would be the first unlucky one.


    The current situation only confirmed this.


    Chen An wasn''t particularly concerned about the death of Master Nan Jue.


    Of course.


    They weren''t close, and their relationship was just a passing acquaintance, so there was no close bond between them.


    When he heard the news of the other party''s death, he remained calm, without much emotional fluctuation.


    However, another piece of news he heard later made him uneasy.


    "According to the captured person, there are still two innate escapees outside, hiding somewhere unknown, probably lurking."


    "Unfortunately, they are smart and haven''t exposed themselves. Otherwise, we would have had a big harvest."


    "Who says otherwise."


    The surrounding discussions were lively, but Chen An''s mouth twitched, not knowing what to say.


    At this moment, he was extremely grateful that he had changed his name early on.


    Otherwise, this group of people could have easily found him just by his name.


    That would have been trouble.


    Although Chen An could cheat, he didn''t want to experience the traps of these immortal sect people.


    One could imagine that it wouldn''t be too pleasant.


    So it was better to be inconspicuous.


    Chen An sighed to himself.


    But even so, he decided to keep a low profile in the future, at least until the heat died down.


    Otherwise, if something went wrong, it would be very troublesome.


    With this in mind, he quietly walked to the side and finally approached the familiar Qingfeng Pavilion.


    Inside the Qingfeng Pavilion, Manager Liu was still busy, but when he heard Chen An approaching, he quickly came over and smiled at Chen An.


    "I''ve got a batch of good elixirs. I don''t know if Manager Liu is interested?"


    Seeing Manager Liu, Chen An got straight to the point, asking directly.


    This time, he had refined a considerable number of elixirs, and selling them individually at a stall would take a long time.


    Instead of slowly retailing them, it would be better to sell them to Manager Liu, even at a lower price, to avoid a lot of trouble.


    "Oh, let me have a look."


    Manager Liu immediately became interested.


    Because of the Liu family''s relationship, he was very interested in Chen An and naturally knew that Chen An had been in the pharmacy for some time now, and his relationship with several alchemists there seemed good.


    He didn''t even think that Chen An had refined these elixirs himself; he thought Chen An had obtained a batch of good elixirs through the relationship with an alchemist.


    Chen An didn''t waste time and took out the elixirs.


    One by one, the small elemental elixirs were poured out and placed on the tray in front of him.


    Looking at the small elemental elixirs, Manager Liu was initially disappointed, but after checking the quality, he nodded in approval, "The small elemental elixir, though ordinary, has good quality and freshness."


    "Looking at the color and texture of this elixir, it seems like it was just refined recently, right?"


    After checking for a while, he said confidently.


    In fact, they had just been refined today.


    Chen An thought so, but his face looked calm, just nodding in agreement, "Yes."


    "Well, that makes it easy."


    Manager Liu nodded as well, thought for a moment, and then said, "The small elemental elixir is quite common, but it has a large consumption quantity. Your elixirs have good quality and freshness, so they should have no problem selling."


    "I''ll give you thirty spirit stones for all of these. How about that?"


    "Deal."


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 201: Clear Mind Pill

    Thirty spirit stones, this price is actually quite good.Although it doesn''t seem high, but for Chen An, this batch of pills originally had no cost.


    In other words, these thirty spirit stones are pure profit.


    Thinking about it this way, it feels much better all of a sudden.


    According to the conversion ratio between Jinling Stones and Source Power, this is thirty points of Source Power.


    Thirty points of Source Power is also not bad.


    This is just the result of one day''s work.


    One day is thirty points of Source Power, so there are nine hundred in a month.


    Isn''t this a good deal?


    Of course, this is only theoretical.


    In practice, once there are too many pills, their value will definitely depreciate, and who knows if the Clear Wind Pavilion will stop accepting them in the future.


    More importantly, this is just too tiring.


    Isn''t it?


    In order to refine this pile of pills in front of him, Chen An basically didn''t go out today, he spent the whole day refining pills in the alchemy room.


    The intensity of work, the level of concentration, are all at a level that would make other alchemists amazed.


    That''s the so-called 996.


    Chen An embarked on the path of cultivation not just for a 996 job.


    It''s okay occasionally like today, but if it goes on for a long time, Chen An may not have time to do other things.


    This is a typical case of losing sight of the big picture.


    So this can''t go on in the long run.


    Chen An thought about it.


    Since he can cheat through upgrading templates now, he just needs to make use of this advantage.


    In other words, he should learn more pill recipes.


    After all, the Little Elemental Pill is a basic pill, not only with a single effect, but many people can refine it themselves, so it doesn''t sell for much.


    Other pills are different.


    Those with high difficulty in refining, wide range of uses, and high markups are all abundant in the alchemy room.


    Are these not better than ordinary Little Elemental Pills?


    Chen An made up his mind and then turned and left.


    Of course, before leaving, he didn''t forget to take two Jinling Stones from Manager Liu.


    No need to carry spirit stones.


    Although spirit stones are not heavy, thirty spirit stones still have some weight.


    Two Jinling Stones are much more convenient to carry, one hand can take them away.


    Chen An walked away, leaving Manager Liu with a chic figure.


    Looking at Chen An''s departing figure, Manager Liu seemed to be thoughtful, as if he had thought of something.


    Time slowly passed.


    In the following time, Chen An continued to study in the alchemy room.


    He deliberately revealed his excellent skills in refining Little Elemental Pills a few times, successfully attracting the admiration of people like Yellow Alchemist, and then took the opportunity to request to learn other pill recipes.


    To be honest, this request is a bit beyond the scope.


    Although the alchemy room will teach basic alchemy techniques, they will not teach pill recipes.


    Basic pill recipes like the Little Elemental Pill are fine, after all, there are too many people who know them, so it doesn''t matter whether they are taught or not.


    But other pill recipes are different.


    These thoughts are not only rare and precious, but even the pill recipes of alchemists are hard to come by, and many people can''t obtain them even if they pay a high price.


    However, in the end, Yellow Alchemist still met Chen An''s request.


    This is because of Chen An''s extraordinary talent.


    After several performances by Chen An, many alchemists in the alchemy room unanimously believe that Chen An is definitely a genius in the field of alchemy, and most likely will surpass them and become a well-known alchemist nearby.


    For such a rising star, it is natural to cultivate him.


    After all, this is also to cultivate talents for the Haoshan Sect, it is a matter of public interest.


    Of course, under this public interest, the gifts that Chen An gave in private also played a little role.


    However, whether it is Chen An or the several alchemists, they all remain silent, as if nothing had happened.


    Chen An is actually quite distressed in private.


    Since joining the Haoshan Sect, his scattered expenses have not exceeded two hundred spirit stones in total.


    However, this time, in order to pave the way and open the door for Yellow Alchemist and other alchemy stewards to help him, he gave out quite a few gifts.


    In total, the value of these gifts alone exceeded three hundred spirit stones, more than half of Chen An''s current wealth.


    This is really painful.


    Fortunately, such a huge investment still pays off in the end.


    Not long after, Chen An received a new pill recipe and began a new round of learning.


    Among the alchemists in the alchemy room, the relationship between Yellow Steward and Chen An is the best and most conscientious, so he deliberately taught Chen An a few pointers, spending a bit of time to teach him the essentials of pill refining, and telling him the important points of refining this pill. S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This made Chen An somewhat comforted.


    Fortunately, the money was not spent in vain.


    In the following period of time, Chen An completely entered the phase of burning money.


    His upgrade template can directly enhance the control of pill recipes, but this enhancement requires Chen An to have already grasped the corresponding pill recipe.


    According to previous standards of the Little Elemental Pill, he should be able to freely refine a furnace of pills, and the furnace should have a qualified finished product.


    Before reaching this level, even the upgrade template cannot cheat.


    At this moment, Chen An is working hard towards this goal.


    He invested most of his time here, hanging around in the alchemy room every day, almost staying there every day.


    His almost crazy appearance made many onlookers look at him with suspicion, thinking that he might have some problem.


    You''re refining pills all day long, aren''t you cultivating?


    They expressed their doubts, but alchemists like Yellow Steward showed appreciation and support.


    In their view, only with Chen An''s attitude can he achieve results.


    Otherwise, if he is lazy like others, how can he go far on the path of pill refining?


    Although Chen An knows about their thoughts, he does not fully agree.


    But it is undeniable that such crazy practice has its effects.


    After two months of hard work, Chen An finally succeeded.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (11.2), Physique (11.7), Spirit (3.8)


    Source Power: 1374


    Inheritance: Icebound Miles (Initial Mastery), Profound Ice Force (First Layer of Innate), Haoshan Scripture (First Layer), Little Elemental Pill (Perfection), Clear Mind Pill (Mastery)


    Projection: Charging


    The familiar attribute panel appeared in front of him.


    Chen An''s eyes turned red, looking at the data in the inheritance column in front of him, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    It''s not easy.


    After more than two months of hard work, he finally succeeded.


    In the inheritance column, the new pill recipe has been revealed, just like the Little Elemental Pill before.


    The pill recipe he has been studying recently is called the Clear Mind Pill.


    As the name suggests, the Clear Mind Pill is a pill that can calm the mind and increase enlightenment, which is very beneficial for cultivators, can be used in many ways, and consumes a lot.


    The consumption amount is large, the difficulty in refining is high, and the selling price is high.


    Chen An specifically inquired outside.


    In the market outside, one spirit stone can buy several Little Elemental Pills, but the selling price of one Clear Mind Pill is at least two spirit stones.


    If the quality is good, the price will be even higher.


    At first glance at a pile of pill recipes, Chen An directly chose this pill recipe.


    Of course, although this pill is effective, the difficulty in refining is indeed quite high.


    At least after so long, Chen An has only slightly grasped some tricks, and can barely refine one or two pills.


    With his current level, if he really wants to refine pills by himself and sell them, he will probably lose a lot.


    But that''s okay.


    For the upgrade template, just being able to do this is enough.


    The rest is just cheating.


    Chen An rubbed his hands nervously, then nodded at the inheritance column again.


    "Would you like to upgrade?"


    The familiar words appeared in front of Chen An, directly in front of him.


    Chen An naturally didn''t hesitate, and directly chose to confirm.


    Swipe


    In an instant, one hundred Source Power disappeared directly.


    The Clear Mind Pill is much more advanced than the Little Elemental Pill, and the effect is much better.


    However, the higher the level, the more expensive it is to upgrade.


    The first upgrade cost Chen An one hundred Source Power.


    "So expensive."


    Chen An''s mouth twitched, even though he was mentally prepared, at this moment he still felt a sense of suffocation.


    But since he has come this far, he will not hesitate, and directly continued to nod.


    Continue upgrading!


    Swipe


    The light in front of him flourished, with purple Source Power burning, rushing forward.


    Then Chen An was startled again.


    It''s not that his mental composure is lacking, but the amount of Source Power he lost this time is a bit high.


    It''s not one or two hundred, but a full five hundred.


    Five hundred?


    Chen An is already at the Innate realm, and now it only takes two hundred Source Power to upgrade once, which is less than the amount needed for this pill recipe.


    Chen An didn''t expect that, just a pill recipe, the final required Source Power for upgrade is higher than upgrading once in his cultivation.


    If he had known, he wouldn''t have upgraded so harshly.


    Chen An regretted secretly.


    But now it''s too late for regrets.


    The only thing he can do now is to work hard to refine pills, and then make the money back.


    Thinking of this, Chen An gritted his teeth, his eyes focused on the pill furnace in front of him.


    In the following time, the room in the alchemy room was constantly filled with noises, and the roaring of the pill furnace never stopped, and the noise was very loud.


    It wasn''t until near dusk that Chen An walked out somewhat tired.


    For Chen An''s figure, people around have become accustomed to it, and just smiled and checked the materials consumed, then waved their hands to let Chen An leave.


    Chen An paid the spirit stones, then left, and went back to the Clear Wind Pavilion.


    Under Manager Liu''s astonished gaze, he took out the fruits of today''s efforts.


    A total of twenty extremely exquisite Clear Mind Pills.


    Ordinary Clear Mind Pills are probably two spirit stones each.


    However, the Clear Mind Pills refined by Chen An have a very good quality, almost perfect in appearance, so they can naturally be sold at a higher price.


    In the end, Manager Liu purchased them for five spirit stones each, taking them all away.


    One hundred spirit stones were directly credited to Chen An''s account.


    Chen An breathed a sigh of relief.


    He''s been through a lot.


    Calculating carefully, his wallet has been empty for a long time, and has reached the bottom.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 202: Each Has Their Own Ambition

    Chen An''s money pouch had long been empty.There was no way around it.


    Back when he first entered Haoshan Sect, Chen An''s family wealth was actually quite substantial.


    With the foundation from his previous life in Daliang World, when all the odds and ends on his body were counted, he had six to seven hundred spirit stones alone, which was definitely considered a local tyrant within Haoshan Sect.


    Even Liu Roujun, the city lord''s daughter, definitely didn''t have as much wealth as he did.


    But no matter how wealthy one''s family was, it couldn''t withstand extravagant spending.


    Chen An had spent a lot of money during this time. He had spent a bit on purchasing gold spirit stones and the like before, and alchemy also required expenses.


    He used the alchemy furnace in the medicine hall for free, but the materials used were not free, they had to be paid for.


    All this had cost quite a bit, all were major expenses.


    And then, a while ago, Chen An had bribed several alchemists in the medicine hall in order to learn the formula for the Clear Heart Pill.


    In order to bribe a few alchemists in the medicine hall, Chen An had spared no effort and had even given away three hundred spirit stones.


    Just thinking about it made him feel a little heartbroken.


    Calculating like this, Chen An''s family wealth had long been exhausted. If there were no more income, not to mention learning alchemy in the future, he might not even be able to afford the basic materials for alchemy.


    In this situation, the one hundred spirit stones given by Manager Liu this time was crucial, which made Chen An heave a sigh of relief.


    It was also fortunate that most of the major expenses had already been paid off.


    In the days to come, it should be all profit.


    Thinking like this, Chen An left with a smile on his face.


    In the next month or so, everything was calm.


    But there had been a great change in Chen An during this time.


    To be honest, he had been in Haoshan Sect for about half a year now, staying for quite some time.


    Compared to half a year ago, he now appeared much more confident, with a more vigorous spirit. However, his footsteps were more hurried, as if he was ready to dive into work at any moment.


    During this period, he had been refining pills almost every day.


    The pills he refined were mainly Small Elemental Pills and Clear Heart Pills, and the quality was quite good. He had already made a name for himself within Haoshan Sect.


    In order to earn more, Chen An had simply hired a few servants and had them open a store in the market to specialize in selling pills.


    Although the sales were a bit slower, the prices were higher.


    Retail prices are always higher than wholesale prices.


    Although Manager Liu was good to him, no matter how much Chen An had to sell, he could swallow it all in one go, but the price he offered was too low.


    In just over a month, the attitude of the medicine hall had changed again.


    There was no way around it.


    Chen An had not concealed the fact that he refined pills from them, although he had hidden the success rate a little, the general process of alchemy was not hidden from them.


    In fact, it couldn''t be hidden.


    With so many Clear Heart Pills suddenly appearing on the market, the eyes of the alchemists in the medicine hall would eventually focus on Chen An.


    Instead of doing more, Chen An might as well just come clean.


    And then, he shocked the alchemists in the medicine hall again.


    Now, Steward Huang''s attitude towards him had changed further.


    If he had treated him as a disciple before, now he treated him like a treasure, always taking him wherever he went, as if he was afraid he would get into trouble.


    This change in attitude was quite obvious.


    It was also a good thing.


    With a smile on his face, Chen An returned to his courtyard.


    Today his mood was good, he had just exchanged a few gold spirit stones from Qingfeng Pavilion and was now preparing to absorb them.


    However, in front of the courtyard, he saw a familiar figure.


    Liu Roujun was wearing red clothes and was standing in front of the courtyard, looking like she was also preparing to return to her residence?


    Chen An and Liu Roujun were arranged to live very close to each other, so according to common sense, they should be able to see each other often.


    However, the reality was the opposite.


    In the past six months, Chen An had hardly seen Liu Roujun.


    Chen An, of course, spent most of his time in the medicine hall every day, either refining pills or on his way to refine pills.


    As for Liu Roujun, she seemed to have her own arrangements as well. During this time, she had been practicing in Haoshan Sect and rarely returned to her residence.


    According to the information Chen An had learned, she seemed to have caught the attention of an elder in Haoshan Sect and even had intention of taking her as a disciple.


    If this news was true, then Liu Roujun was undoubtedly on her way to greatness.


    In Haoshan Sect, ordinary disciples had no chance to stand out, only those who joined the elders had the chance to shine.


    With the best scriptures, the best resources, and the best treatment, it was far superior to what ordinary disciples could compare to.


    With Liu Roujun''s talent, if she really could be taken as a disciple by the elder, her future would be limitless.


    "Why did you suddenly come back today?"


    Seeing Liu Roujun on the roadside, Chen An was surprised at first, but soon he reacted and smiled, "It''s been a long time since we last saw each other."


    Calculating carefully, he had rarely seen Liu Roujun in the past six months, and they were already somewhat estranged.


    But they had come from the same place and had gotten along quite well at the beginning, so there was still some relationship between them.


    "Yes, it''s been a long time."


    Looking at Chen An, Liu Roujun''s somewhat cold face also couldn''t help but show a smile, although it looked a bit stiff.


    "I came to pack my things."


    She stated her purpose, which was to move.


    While Chen An was learning alchemy, Liu Roujun had been practicing in the inner sect of Haoshan Sect, and she had finally received recognition recently and had been officially taken as a disciple by an elder.


    According to the custom of Haoshan Sect, Elder disciples naturally had top-notch accommodations arranged for them, so there was no need for them to live in these outer courtyards anymore.


    "Congratulations."


    Chen An congratulated with a smile, "After half a year of hard work, you finally got what you wanted."


    "Yes."


    With a smile on her face, Liu Roujun also said, a little stiffly after examining Chen An for a moment, "How about your cultivation?"


    She noticed other aspects.


    Chen An''s current breath seemed to be not much different from before, he was still at the Qi Refinement stage.


    In other words, Chen An was still at the Qi Refinement stage.


    "Well, as you can see."


    Chen An smiled, his expression a bit helpless, "For the past half year, I''ve been following the alchemists in the medicine hall to learn the art of alchemy, so my cultivation has been delayed."


    This was the truth. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    During this long period of time, Chen An''s energy had been mostly focused on the art of alchemy, and proper cultivation had been put on the back burner for him.


    There was no way around it, things always needed to be prioritized.


    For Chen An, he could easily raise his cultivation level by cheating, but he still needed to strive to learn the art of alchemy.


    As a matter of fact, he had a foundation in martial arts from his previous life, and he was in a safe environment like Haoshan Sect, so the need for cultivation was not that great for him, but the need for earning money was quite large.


    When compared, the choice was clear.


    It was quite normal for Chen An to make this choice.


    But when this normal choice was seen by others, it wasn''t that normal.


    "You''re going to delay yourself like this."


    Liu Roujun looked at Chen An, hesitated for a moment, before speaking, "If you are determined to refine pills, you might as well focus on breaking through to the Foundation Stage first, so that your lifespan can be prolonged."


    "Although alchemy is good, the difficulty is great, and even if successful, it''s hard to extend your lifespan, eventually it will all be dust."


    "I know."


    Chen An nodded, then smiled, "But my goal is not in cultivation, so I can only do this."


    "It''s better for Miss Liu to join the Elder''s side, it''s likely that you will have a chance to ascend to the Foundation Establishment Stage in the future. I congratulate you on that first."


    To a certain extent, what Liu Roujun said was right.


    If Chen An couldn''t cheat and didn''t have a powerful martial arts cultivation, he would definitely follow her advice.


    But his situation was obviously not ordinary, so he could only appreciate Liu Roujun''s good intentions.


    "Alright."


    Seeing Chen An''s firm attitude, Liu Roujun nodded, and didn''t try to persuade him any further.


    But deep down, she felt a little disappointed.


    When they first met, she had a good impression of Chen An.


    They both came from the same place, and Chen An had a charming and extraordinary demeanor.


    Although Chen An''s talent was inferior to hers, he was more insightful, and they were evenly matched.


    Such a person should have been able to accompany her on the path of cultivation, but instead of choosing the right path, he was obsessed with the minor path of alchemy.


    How ridiculous was that?


    Liu Roujun felt disappointed in her heart, and the little thought she had about Chen An had completely shattered.


    In her mind, unless there were surprises, their future was already destined to be in two different worlds.


    With her joining the elder''s side, her future cultivation would undoubtedly be smooth sailing.


    But Chen An, with his talent, was focusing on alchemy, and his future achievements would most likely be limited.


    The gap between them had already been drawn at this moment.


    Thinking of this, Liu Roujun couldn''t help but sigh inwardly, and finally left a sentence.


    "I''ll be in the inner mountains, so if you need anything in the future, you can come find me for help."


    Leaving behind this sentence, she left directly, heading to her courtyard, appearing to be busy.


    Chen An stood in place, listened to what Liu Roujun had said, watched her quietly leave, and felt no particular emotions in his heart, just a slight smile on his face, then walked away.


    Each has their own ambitions, everyone''s situation is different, so they can''t be lumped together.


    In any case, Chen An had his own path to follow.


    After parting ways with Liu Roujun, the courtyard next to him was completely empty.


    Before long, Chen An heard the news.


    Liu Roujun had taken refuge under Elder Qingfeng and had become the youngest disciple under Elder Qingfeng.


    This made Chen An sigh, there was still some fate between them.


    The Qingfeng Pavilion he often went to was owned by this Elder Qingfeng.


    Although this elder was just a figurehead and had no real power, there was still some connection.


    He hadn''t expected Liu Roujun to end up under this elder in the end.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 203: Saints Secret Realm

    "When we meet again, she should have more than just this level of cultivation."Chen An turned to look into the distance, recalling Liu Roujun''s appearance, and couldn''t help but have this thought.


    He could somewhat guess Liu Roujun''s thoughts, and also understand her incomprehension.


    But like he always said, if Chen An wasn''t extraordinary, he would have made the same choice as Liu Roujun, instead of what he was doing now.


    Since that''s the case, what''s so hard to understand?


    Chen An smiled and walked back to his residence.


    The following time was peaceful.


    Chen An steadily practiced alchemy, living his life step by step.


    Originally, he didn''t plan to stay in Haoshan Sect for long, just using it as a stepping stone.


    But because he was engrossed in alchemy, he changed his mind and decided to stay a bit longer.


    The medicine hall in Haoshan Sect had a complete inheritance of alchemy, with many alchemists and abundant alchemical knowledge.


    If he left this place, Chen An didn''t know when he would find a similar place.


    So it''s better to stay here.


    He followed his own pace and was now ready to try learning some other alchemy techniques.


    Selling Clear Mind Pills was good, but it was getting a bit monotonous.


    Boom!


    The sky and earth trembled, the land began to boil.


    The spiritual energy in all directions surged and roared, as if a great storm was erupting, releasing its power as if to destroy everything in this world.


    A terrifying force rose from afar, as if to extinguish the stars, suppressing everything around.


    The sun and moon lost their color, the sky dimmed, even using all the words in Chen An''s mind couldn''t describe the terror of this scene. S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Before this, he was somewhat confident about his strength and felt there were few rivals in Haoshan Sect.


    But in the face of this suddenly erupting terrifying force, his innate strength in martial arts seemed insignificant.


    Just like an ant.


    "What is that?"


    Chen An stood inside Haoshan Sect and clearly saw the eruption outside.


    Outside Haoshan Sect, the tide of spiritual energy had already become chaotic to a certain extent, with terrifying power constantly erupting and disrupting the external spiritual energy.


    Even with the protection of the mountain-guarding array, the entire environment of Haoshan Sect was still affected, with large areas falling into chaos.


    This was just the aftermath, and it was already so terrifying.


    It wasn''t clear what the source of this scene was.


    Bang! Bang!


    Sounds of rumbling came from a distance.


    Chen An looked up and saw the sound coming from the main gate of Haoshan Sect.


    The bell that was ringing at the moment came from that direction.


    "It''s the bell to summon the elders of the sect."


    Chen An thought to himself, "What major event has happened?"


    The bell of Haoshan Sect rarely rang, and once it did, it meant that the sect leader had summoned the elders to discuss matters.


    At this critical moment, it was probably because of the situation outside, right?


    It''s just not clear what the reason is.


    Chen An looked at the outside and his eyes were full of curiosity.


    Although that scene just now was only a momentary thing, it still had a great impact on Chen An.


    The immense power that seemed to destroy the heavens and the earth was too terrifying, leaving a deep impression on him.


    Chen An couldn''t help but wonder what kind of existence could possess such terrifying power.


    It was certain that it exceeded the Golden Core stage, but the only question was by how much.


    The answer to the question didn''t take long to arrive.


    Haoshan Sect soon announced the news.


    In the Sichuan Region, there was a sacred site where the remnants of the divine power of a sage had erupted earlier, causing the scene just now.


    Now the elders of Haoshan Sect had made a decision to go to the site together to try to obtain the legacy of the sage.


    After hearing the news, Chen An was stunned.


    It turned out to be a remnant left by a sage.


    The so-called sage, also known as the ancient sage, held a lofty position and occupied the pinnacle in the cultivation world.


    According to legend, no one could deceive the ancient sage, even the Emperor had to be respectful and dare not show any disrespect.


    The power of the sage was probably not much lower than that of the Emperor.


    And the legacy left by such an existence could be imagined in value.


    Just thinking about it made it clear how precious it was.


    "I just don''t know which sage left this."


    Chen An thought to himself, feeling a sense of yearning at this moment.


    Every sage was the pinnacle of cultivation, a figure engraved in the history of cultivation, and certainly not an unknown person.


    If the sage in front of him was born in the mortal realm, there must be traces left behind, and perhaps his identity and origin could be judged from some things in the legacy.


    Chen An thought so, but also felt a little regret.


    What a pity.


    This time, the remnant left by the sage was in the Sichuan Region, so it was quickly known by many sects in the region, and they had sent people one after another.


    But with Chen An''s status in Haoshan Sect, it was unlikely that he would be taken along in any way.


    Or even in the entire Haoshan Sect, there was unlikely to be many people going over.


    After all, although Haoshan Sect was a dominant force nearby, it was still not comparable to those top sanctuaries in the Sichuan Region.


    They would be able to explore the outskirts of the site and it would be good if they had some gains.


    Even the whole Haoshan Sect was like this, let alone Chen An.


    He could only lament silently, and then put the matter behind him and continue to live his life.


    The distance was good, but life had to go on eventually.


    However, Chen An didn''t expect that his chance would come soon.


    The team sent out by Haoshan Sect quickly returned, and soon issued an order.


    Within the sect, all practitioners below the age of thirty were summoned, and they were to go together to the sage''s secret realm.


    The opportunity had arrived.


    In Haoshan Sect, Chen An was not considered old, only nineteen years old.


    Although his cultivation was low, it happened that he had just opened the Purple Mansion, meeting the conditions for this journey to the secret realm.


    Chen An walked away looking confused.


    It was only after inquiring carefully that he learned that the sage''s remnant left several secret realms in the secret realm, which were still intact to this day.


    These remnants were presumably left by the sage for the younger generations, and they were filled with spiritual energy, as if they were still in the peak of the ancient world, with various precious materials abundant.


    The only drawback was that the sage had left restrictions inside, limiting the conditions for entry.


    To enter, one must be under thirty years old and have already opened the Purple Mansion.


    This condition immediately eliminated a large group of people.


    It was easy to find practitioners who opened the Purple Mansion, but to be both under thirty and have the Purple Mansion opened narrowed the field.


    Many senior practitioners who had been practicing for years were excluded, and only those who had recently embarked on the path of cultivation were eligible.


    And there weren''t many such people in each sect.


    So that''s why the scene was like this now.


    Chen An happened to meet the conditions.


    Although his cultivation was low, in the past few months, he had been focusing on alchemy, but he had still opened the Purple Mansion, so he was considered a legitimate practitioner.


    For Haoshan Sect, this was enough.


    The secret realm left by the sage was obviously prepared for young practitioners, and had nothing to do with old people like them.


    This opportunity was rare, so every eligible practitioner in Haoshan Sect was taken away, even if they didn''t want to go.


    Of course, there were probably not many people who refused to enter the secret realm.


    After all, no matter how you put it, this was a rare opportunity.


    No one could enter even if they wanted to, so who would refuse such an opportunity.


    Chen An left Haoshan Sect.


    This was his first time leaving the place, and the journey along the way was somewhat novel to him.


    This time, he didn''t leave by carriage, but directly through the teleportation formation.


    It seemed to be a benefit given by the major sanctuaries in the Sichuan Region, allowing practitioners from small sects to enjoy the same treatment as the big practitioners.


    Outside a desolate area.


    Chen An stood in a crowd, quietly waiting in line.


    "Each of you will have about three months to stay inside. After three months, no matter what you are doing inside, you will be expelled by the residual power of the sage in the secret realm."


    Someone in front of the crowd was explaining, "I don''t care what you find inside, it''s your own opportunity, and after you come out, you must hand over half of the things you find, understand?"


    The crowd fell silent for a moment.


    It wasn''t until a while later that someone spoke, "What about scriptures and techniques, do we also split them in half?"


    "If it''s scriptures and techniques, there will be a specialist responsible for transcribing them, and you will definitely not miss out."


    The person in front coldly said, "Don''t worry, my Taiyin Sect is not so greedy for your things."


    It seemed that the reputation of Taiyin Sect had some influence, and people around fell silent.


    Sichuan Region was one of the five domains in the mortal world, with many cultivation sects.


    But Taiyin Sect was also considered top tier among the various immortal sects, at least it was much stronger than sects like Haoshan Sect.


    The two were simply not in the same league in terms of strength.


    After explaining some things, the crowd began to move forward slowly.


    Chen An looked at the crowd around him, feeling a bit dazzled.


    He wondered why top sects like Taiyin Sect would be so kind as to specifically allow small sect practitioners like them to enter and share the treasures inside.


    It turned out that each person could only stay inside for three months.


    Thinking about it, it was not surprising.


    Top sects like Taiyin Sect would have already sent their eligible practitioners inside to explore and plunder everything in there.


    Only when the disciples inside the sects could no longer stay in there, did they target small sect practitioners like Chen An.


    After all, no matter what, they controlled the entrance to the secret realm, so they wouldn''t lose out.


    Once Chen An understood this, things became simple.


    He also slightly let go of his worries and followed the crowd inside.


    According to the information he had gathered, although the Secret Realm was vast and the environment was similar to the ancient times, it was not too dangerous.


    It should be safe.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 204: Scripture and Inheritance

    "Another one."In a desolate dense forest, Chen An casually moved his hand and found another spiritual herb.


    This was a good spiritual herb, with a wide range of uses and high value.


    Looking at the appearance of this spiritual herb in front of him, he estimated that it had been around for at least a few hundred years, making its medicinal effect even more precious.


    "It''s a shame, there''s no alchemy furnace."


    Chen An felt a bit regretful, but he did not hesitate and directly swallowed this spiritual herb.


    Yes, that''s how simple and brutal it was.


    There was no other way.


    There were no alchemy furnaces in this place, and yet spiritual herbs were everywhere. If he wanted to make use of them, he could only use this most direct method.


    As for taking things out?


    A joke, there were people watching outside.


    If he took things out, before he could even get them in his hands, he would be cut in half, and the remaining half would most likely not all belong to him.


    Chen An could easily figure out that with the temperaments of the elders of Haoshan Sect, wouldn''t they try to get a share of his harvest?


    If he were like Elder Disciple Liu Roujun, with status and background, maybe he could keep more things.novellise


    But someone like him, with no status or background, would probably only be able to keep one or two tenths of what he found, once he took them out.


    Chen An was not interested in gambling on other people''s consciences.


    So his method was very straightforward, find something and use it.


    Many spiritual herbs were directly swallowed, and although they would not cause much change in a short period of time, over time their medicinal effects would gradually change his physique, eventually even slightly improving his talent.


    After all, it was costless, no matter what, it wasn''t a loss.


    Walking out of this area, Chen An looked up towards the distance.


    "Getting closer."


    He muttered to himself.


    Under his gaze, a giant pillar stood in the distance, like a pillar supporting the spine of this world.


    This was the most prominent sight in this secret realm.


    No matter which direction you were in the secret realm, you could clearly see that pillar, very clearly and obviously.


    Even at night, there would be a faint divine light shining from there, illuminating all directions.


    There was no moon in this secret realm, and the light at night was provided by that pillar, barely allowing for visibility.


    "According to the information I gathered before, that pillar is the core of this secret realm. The closer you get to the pillar, the better things you can find nearby, but the more dangerous the environment becomes."


    Chen An''s eyes were deep, his mind filled with various thoughts.


    This secret realm was not completely peaceful, as there were also dangers.


    For example, the various natural disasters that existed in the secret realm, as well as the occasional appearance of terrifying exotic beasts, were all sources of danger.


    This secret realm was a restoration of the ancient environment, with many exotic creatures with extraordinary bloodlines, naturally powerful.


    It was said that inside that pillar, there might be life forms strong enough to rival the Gold Dan or even surpass it.


    The outside cultivators had discussed this matter, and finally agreed that this was a trial set up by the sage.


    The sage was compassionate, deliberately setting up the secret realm for the benefit of future cultivators, but also leaving behind trials for future generations.


    That pillar was the guide, as you got closer to the secret realm the better things you could find, but the dangers also increased.


    This trial tested the personal abilities of the cultivators.


    The greater the difficulty, the greater the rewards, which was very reasonable.


    Chen An looked up, gazing at the pillar in the distance, then stepped forward without hesitation, walking towards it.


    Naturally, he wanted to get closer to the pillar.


    For him, this was a very beneficial thing. If he succeeded, he could get many rewards, and even if he failed, he wouldn''t lose much, he could just withdraw.


    At the same time, all over the secret realm, he didn''t know how many people had made similar choices.


    As for others, Chen An was not clear, but he had experienced many things on his way.


    He passed through dangerous places, engaged in fierce battles in several areas.


    The closer he got to the pillar, the more terrifying the crises became all over.


    Eventually, Chen An encountered several exotic beasts that were comparable to the Gold Dan, and fought several battles with them.


    These exotic beasts possessed powerful bloodlines, natural strength, and although they lacked intelligence, they had innate strength.


    Fortunately, they did not cultivate, so their methods were somewhat single-minded, not as good as those of cultivators of the same realm.


    As Chen An walked along, he solved many troubles and gained considerable benefits.


    However, most of the things he obtained were swallowed on the spot to replenish himself and heal his injuries.


    There was no other way, even as a cultivator of the Xiantian realm, he was very uncomfortable after walking for so long.novellise


    Fortunately, there were many treasures to be picked up everywhere, and as long as he refined their divinity and essence, he could quickly recover his body.


    During this process, Chen An also gained refinement, and his strength improved significantly.


    In this secret realm, he already had a feeling.


    Perhaps if he continued like this, he wouldn''t need to upgrade his template, and could directly advance to the second level of the Xiantian realm.


    Perhaps it was because he was in the secret realm of the sage, the restrictions and suppression that existed in the outside world were much weaker here, and could no longer affect Chen An''s breakthrough.


    This was perhaps the result of the sage''s legacy.


    After all, this was a secret realm left by the sage, and even the doctrine of the Emperor could not fully play its original role.


    Because of this, Chen An had the opportunity to break through.


    But compared to his martial cultivation, what was more obvious was the transformation of Chen An''s Purple Mansion.


    In just one month, his Purple Mansion had undergone tremendous changes.


    Before entering the secret realm, his Purple Mansion was originally chaotic, with a small space opened up and weak divine power, almost close to nothing.


    But in just over a month, his Purple Mansion had changed drastically, filled with powerful divinity.


    The rolling divine power brewed within it, constantly expanding the Purple Mansion, turning it into a new look.novellise


    This Purple Mansion was no longer comparable to what it was when it was first opened.


    The reason for such a huge change was because Chen An had swallowed too many treasures during this time.


    The essence of those treasures remained in his body, slowly changing his physique and causing his Purple Mansion to begin to transform and expand on its own.


    One must know that Chen An had killed several Gold Dan level exotic beasts before, and had refined their blood essence into his body.


    With such vigorous and powerful spiritual power, if not for Chen An''s martial body absorbing most of it, his Purple Mansion would have burst open.


    Right now, it was only partially expanded, which was not a big deal.


    Chen An remained calm about this.


    After a month had passed, his cultivation had automatically changed, unknowingly reaching the second level of the Foundation Building stage.


    This was without him practicing at all.


    After this trial ended, once he left the secret realm and focused on cultivating for a period of time, he could probably advance in the shortest time possible. At that time, his cultivation level would increase by several levels at the very least.


    But Chen An was not moved by this, he remained indifferent and continued to move forward.


    After experiencing numerous battles, his mind was slowly changing and he was gaining insight into the omnipresent forces, silently transforming himself.


    And now, he was very close to his goal.


    The pillar was right in front of him.


    "Almost there."


    Standing in front of the pillar, Chen An muttered to himself, thoughts flashing through his mind, then he stepped forward and headed towards it.


    Chen An originally thought that there should only be him under the pillar.


    After all, the dangers around this area were visible to the naked eye.


    There were terrifying exotic beasts everywhere, even the weakest of them could match the Foundation Building stage, and the slightly stronger ones could match the Core Formation stage.


    There were even exotic beast kings that were comparable to the Gold Dan level, and there were more than just one or two of them in this place.


    This kind of place was obviously not somewhere an ordinary person could come to.


    But after he really arrived at this place, Chen An found that there might not be many people who came here, but there were not too few either.


    Around the area, Chen An clearly saw some traces, evidence that other people had been here.


    This made him a bit interested.


    He himself had found the journey quite difficult, and he guessed that if one''s strength was a bit weaker, they would have died on the way.


    If even he, as a Foundation Building stage cultivator, found it so difficult to get here, how did those people come here?


    Curious in his heart, he carefully investigated and finally found the answer.


    By chance, he saw a group of people rushing out from a corner, being chased by a Core Formation level exotic beast.novellise


    The scene was quite interesting.


    Although the Core Formation level exotic beast was powerful, the group of people had various methods at their disposal, and in just a short moment, they used all kinds of magical instruments to escape from the beast''s chase and leave the place.


    The whole process left Chen An speechless.


    At that moment, he probably understood what was going on.


    Indeed, poverty blinded his imagination.


    Compared to Chen An, others did not have his kind of strength.


    But others had money!


    As the saying goes, with money you can go anywhere, as long as you have money, nothing is impossible.


    After all, this secret realm only restricted the age of the cultivators, but did not restrict their other methods.


    Methods ¨C as long as they existed, they were reasonable.


    Even if it was a Foundation Building stage cultivator, holding magical instruments and talismans bestowed by a Core Formation stage cultivator, wasn''t that very reasonable?


    This was why these people were able to get here.


    Rich and willful.


    From their words, Chen An also learned some interesting information.


    After a long exploration, some rules of this secret realm had already been discovered by people.


    For example, on the last day of each month, a portal would open under the pillar in this secret realm.


    On that day, as long as someone could climb the nine steps, they could pull down a treasure from it.


    "Pull down? A key?"


    After hearing the information, Chen An knocked that person out, then turned around and left.


    That night, he silently sat next to the pillar as the person had said.


    Sure enough, with his mental focus, a strange aura appeared, floating out from the pillar beside him.


    It was a scripture!


    Chen An opened his eyes in an instant.


    In just a blink of an eye, he had received a complete teaching of a scripture.


    This scripture had a very loud name.


    The Art of Spiritual Transformation. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 205: The Nine-level Heavenly Stairs

    "Spiritual Arts"Chen An stared ahead, his eyes flickering with flowing light and evolving into beautiful streaks of light.


    Spiritual Arts, a scripture passed down from the Heavenly Pillar, is a unique secret technique that can be used to cultivate the soul and strengthen the spirit.


    And this scripture is also an important way to communicate with the Heavenly Pillar.


    Based on what Chen An knew, if he wanted to communicate with the Heavenly Pillar and obtain the inheritance left by the ancient sages, he probably had to practice this Spiritual Arts to a certain extent.


    Since that''s the case, let''s begin.


    Without any hesitation, Chen An sat cross-legged on the ground and quietly cultivated.


    His cultivation speed was very fast, in just a short moment, he had already mastered this secret technique.


    This speed even surprised Chen An.


    What''s going on? Could it be that he has unknowingly transformed into a rare cultivation genius?


    Chen An pondered, his mind filled with doubt.


    But soon he realized.


    It''s not that his talent is good, it''s just that this secret technique is extremely easy to master.


    Practicing the scripture of the Spiritual Arts is easy, but mastering it deeply is difficult.


    By the time he reached the second level, Chen An could already feel the difficulties.


    Chen An completed the first level of the Spiritual Arts in just a moment.


    But when he reached the second level, it took him five full days.


    By the time he reached the third level, the time needed was much longer, even reaching a difficulty level that made Chen An feel troubled.


    At this moment, Chen An already had a feeling.


    If he must continue to practice, I''m afraid that by the time his time is up here, he wouldn''t be able to complete the third level of the Spiritual Arts.


    He could practice slowly, but time waits for no one.


    Finally, at a certain moment, the Heavenly Pillar lit up again.


    Boom!


    The entire secret realm trembled, a powerful aura emanated from it, a terrifying aura belonging to the sages.


    At this moment, everyone near the Heavenly Pillar''s sight brightened because they saw colorful lights flashing on the Heavenly Pillar.


    The power of the sages shook, combined with the splendor of the colorful lights, forming nine levels of stairs, lying in front like a ladder connecting heaven and earth, sacred and inviolable.


    Just by looking at these colorful stairs, everyone''s eyes couldn''t help but radiate light, one after another rushing forward.


    "The legacy of the sages, today will be mine for sure!"


    Some people rushed towards the stairs, wanting to climb the Heavenly Pillar and enter it.


    But unfortunately, only a few succeeded.


    Chants of scripture continued to sound, being recited by practitioners all around.


    Strands of pure thought power surged from them, floating forward, and finally heading towards the Heavenly Pillar.


    And being attracted by this power, the Heavenly Pillar also began to take action, letting the colorful lights fall. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, the brilliance on most people only flashed by, unable to obtain the favor of the Heavenly Pillar.


    Streams of light gushed out from within the Heavenly Pillar, treasures hidden inside, were now being attracted and erupted by the brilliance.


    This is the significance of the Heavenly Pillar''s trial.


    Those who could come before the Heavenly Pillar were definitely outstanding talents, the pride of the heavens.


    As long as these people move the scripture of the Spiritual Arts, they can attract enough light from the Heavenly Pillar to obtain its treasures.


    Streams of light dispersed in the air, some were spiritual artifacts, while others were dazzling elixirs.


    Various lights flickered, each shining differently.


    "Opportunity!"


    People everywhere were fighting over it.


    The opportunity to attract treasures by chanting the scripture of the Spiritual Arts can only be used once by everyone.


    So after they exhausted their opportunities, some people inevitably started looking at others.


    After all, just because the treasures were attracted down doesn''t mean they will necessarily fall into the hands of the one who chanted the scripture.


    As long as their strength is enough, they can still grab it.


    Chen An frowned.


    Many people near the Heavenly Pillar were chanting, and he was one of them.


    But no matter how hard he tried, he could only attract a little light, with a weak soul light barely being pulled down, but it was so weak that it was almost insignificant.


    At this rate, his gains would be limited.


    Should he go and grab from others?


    It seems like that also works.


    However, looking around, although what others obtained was good, there were no eye-catching treasures appearing.


    Obviously, most people''s comprehension of the Spiritual Arts is not deep enough, their chanting of the scripture is not enough to attract powerful treasures.


    Of course, there are also exceptions.


    In the distance, the faint cry of a phoenix sounded.


    In that direction, chants were constantly heard echoing in place.


    With this sound, the lights from all over began to gather and move towards that area.


    Boom!


    Attracted by this chant, a light descended from the Heavenly Pillar, forming a virtual image of a phoenix in the sky, directly shaking the four directions, making some people who had some ulterior motives involuntarily stop and take a deep breath.


    "Respected Elder''s Artifact!"


    Some knowledgeable people exclaimed, some couldn''t believe it.


    The aura of the phoenix image in the sky was too powerful, with many Dao runes flashing, representing the truth of the heavens and earth.


    Just from the appearance, it was definitely a strong respected elder''s artifact, containing some ancient respected elder''s power.


    But this was clearly not the end.


    Further away, a flash of light shimmered.


    Seemingly activated by the aura of the phoenix artifact, a thunderous dragon roar resounded, with a faint respected elder''s aura as well.


    It was a red dragon knife, with some cracks on the blade, but still strong and terrifying, with the Dao runes shimmering, each one seeming to be able to suppress the heavens and earth, destroying the stars.


    A flying dragon shadow emerged from it, enveloped by the aura of the four directions, rushing towards a distant direction.


    Watching this scene, countless people showed envy on their faces.


    Many people were itching to take action, but were too afraid to do so.


    There''s no way, they''re afraid of death.


    Respected Elder''s artifacts were refined by ancient respected elders, containing the lingering power of ancient respected elders, and once triggered, they could wipe out anything below a respected elder''s level.


    Although this group of practitioners had outstanding talents and extraordinary backgrounds, they could not possibly face an existence like this.


    Even if the opponent may not be able to use the respected elder''s artifact, unleashing the full power of the artifact was still possible.


    After all, respected elder''s artifacts, even if only a trace of aura remained, were extremely extraordinary and not something ordinary people could contend with.


    Chen An quietly watched as the dragon soared through the sky, and finally made a decision.


    Sitting in place, he began to chant quietly.


    As his mind sank into the purple palace, the chants around him gradually grew louder, becoming clearer and clearer.


    In all directions, the purple qi that was everywhere seemed to be affected, beginning to converge towards this place.


    But this was not enough.


    Chen An could feel the abnormal movement of the purple qi and the changes in the surroundings.


    But if he were to accept them, he estimated that he would only be able to attract some ordinary items at most.


    That won''t do.


    Upgrade template, upgrade for me!


    Inaction means obsolescence.


    With such a great opportunity now, if he were to miss it, Chen An wouldn''t be able to forgive himself.


    In front of him, a purple light flickered, shining with the brilliance of the source power.


    The source power light flickered, illuminating the surroundings, and silently enveloped Chen An.


    Spiritual Arts, upgrade!


    "Hmm?"


    At this moment, people all around suddenly felt that something was wrong.


    "Is it an illusion?"


    Someone muttered to themselves, feeling that something seemed to have changed, but couldn''t pinpoint what exactly had changed.


    "Wait!"


    Until a certain moment, they suddenly realized the source of the change.


    It was the direction where Chen An was.


    There, streaks of light spread, dispersing above his head, forming layers of stairs that connected the Heavenly Pillar in the distance.


    "Five levels!"


    Voices gradually grew excited all around.


    After staying in this place for so long, everyone had already figured out the rules.


    Generally speaking, the higher the level of the stairs condensed, the better the things that could be attracted.


    Just like the two people who attracted the respected elder''s artifacts by condensing a seven-level staircase, they finally attracted two respected elder''s artifacts from within the Heavenly Pillar.


    And besides those two, this was the first time someone had condensed a five-level staircase.


    "Six levels!"


    "Seven levels!"


    Excited cries echoed all around.


    They looked in the direction of Chen An, unable to help but exclaim in amazement.


    A seven-level staircase was a qualitative transformation in this place.


    Before this, those two people managed to attract respected elder''s artifacts because they had condensed a seven-level staircase.


    Could it be that now, in addition to those two, there was a third person who could do the same?


    They thought of this, feeling shaken.


    But obviously, what astonished them was still yet to come.


    The seven-level staircase trembled, but after a brief moment, it continued to advance.


    An eighth-level staircase condensed in the blink of an eye, flourishing with light and covering the surroundings.


    "Surpassing the previous two, he is truly the first person worthy of praise!"


    "The staircase is still condensing, could it be that he''s"


    Excited cries rang out from all sides, resonating in the area.


    Everyone focused their attention on the distant Chen An and stared at the staircase above.


    At this moment, they had a premonition.


    Perhaps today, they would witness the greatest surprise.


    Just by condensing a seven-level staircase, they could attract respected elder''s artifacts and obtain such treasures.


    If it were a nine-level staircase, what kind of heavy object would it attract?


    This was truly something to look forward to.


    Just thinking about it, countless people felt short of breath, unable to help but want to see the result.


    And the result did not disappoint them.


    Boom, a surge of light enveloped the area, and the nine-level staircase slowly took shape, vibrating at this moment.


    As the nine-level staircase formed, the Heavenly Pillar was suddenly shrouded, seemingly forming a strange and harmonious scene.


    An inexplicable light radiated, spreading out in this place.


    At this moment, countless people felt suffocated.


    "Who is that person exactly?"


    At this moment, many people looked up at the sky, thinking to themselves.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 206: Extraordinary Treasure

    "Impossible?"On one side of the Tianzhu, a phoenix shadow flickered, and a woman dressed in a purple dress was sitting cross-legged on the ground, her face showing a look of confusion.


    She was a very beautiful woman, with a beautiful appearance, but a cold expression.


    If Chen An were here, he would definitely find the woman''s appearance very familiar and would directly call out her name.


    Daliang Princess, Liang Yao.


    Yes, this woman was none other than Liang Yao.


    She was also the one who had previously obtained the Phoenix artifact, and was now sitting cross-legged with a look of confusion.


    "How is this possible?"


    She muttered to herself, feeling puzzled: "I used the power of the formation to deduce in advance, and began to practice the spiritualization technique half a year earlier, only then did I achieve this result, so why is that person able to do it?"


    If her words were to spread out, it would probably cause an uproar.


    So, this is cheating.


    Liang Yao had inherited a part of the commandments, so she gained the ability to deduce part of the future trajectory.


    It was because of this ability that she knew everything that happened today early on and began to make arrangements in advance.


    Her means were also very simple, she simply obtained a part of the inheritance of this sage through various means in advance, started practicing the spiritualization technique in advance, and thereby gained the advantage.


    Because of this, she was able to evoke the seven-layered ladder in a short period of time and obtain the sage''s artifact.


    This was also the reason for her confusion.


    With her talent and intelligence, obtaining the inheritance of spiritualization early on could only lead to such a result. So, how did those two people in the distance do it?


    Previously, the person who also exchanged for the seven-layered ladder and obtained the sage''s artifact could be temporarily ignored, but the nine-layered ladder, wasn''t that a bit too much?


    "I didn''t cheat as much as you did!" Liang Yao was puzzled.


    She knew that the other party had definitely cheated just like her, but she couldn''t figure out what method they had used.


    Could it be that the other party also had the inheritance of the commandments, so they were able to predict the situation here in advance and start practicing the spiritualization technique in advance?


    Liang Yao was perplexed, and the same was true on the other side.


    On the other side of the Tianzhu, a dragon shadow lay horizontally, blocking the surrounding aura.


    In the midst of this artifact''s coverage, Bai Qing couldn''t help but raise her head and look at the nine-layered ladder in the distance with some confusion.


    "What''s going on now?"


    Bai Qing was puzzled, with a big question mark seeming to hang over her head: "Didn''t you say that under normal circumstances, even a supreme genius can activate at most six layers of the heavenly ladder?"


    "Now what''s going on here?"


    "I don''t know."


    The voice of Empress Luo Shan rang out quickly, with a hint of doubt in her tone: "It can be certain that the other party must have also used some means."


    "But this is too much."


    Yes, just like Liang Yao before them, they both cheated as well.


    It''s just that their cheating methods were somewhat different.


    Liang Yao''s cheating method was similar to obtaining the exam questions in advance, so she started targeted revision half a year in advance.


    While Bai Qing was like a direct proxy.


    When reciting scriptures, it seemed like it was Bai Qing who was exerting effort, but in reality it was Empress Luo Shan.


    Purely in terms of talent and intelligence, Bai Qing and Empress Luo Shan should have been evenly matched, or Bai Qing might have been slightly higher.


    But in terms of experience and cultivation, Bai Qing was far behind.


    Empress Luo Shan''s cultivation back then was indeed at the level of a true sage, and her strength was even at the top tier within the mortal realm.


    And now, although she had lost all her cultivation, her previous state was still intact, so if she were to practice the spiritualization technique again, she would naturally progress much faster than Bai Qing.


    This had nothing to do with talent and intelligence, but purely with experience and realm.


    Letting Empress Luo Shan take Bai Qing''s place in reciting scriptures was like letting a doctorate go back and take a primary school exam, the result was naturally natural.


    The seven-layered ladder was just normal performance.


    "How did he do it?"


    Empress Luo Shan was puzzled.


    Was it the same situation as hers?


    But that didn''t seem right.


    The Sacred Sage''s secret realm had the arrangements left behind by the ancient sage. If an ordinary person wanted to sneak in, they would only be rejected by the secret realm.


    The reason why Empress Luo Shan was able to successfully infiltrate was not only because she had lost her physical body and her soul clung to Bai Qing, but also because her methods were special. She happened to have inherited some of the ancient sage''s teachings, so she keenly found some loopholes, and with Bai Qing''s presence, she was able to sneak in.


    Except for her case, it was extremely difficult for other entities to infiltrate, and it was even impossible.


    The likelihood that the other person had taken the exam on behalf of someone else was low, so how did this person do it?


    Was it really on their own?


    Unbelievable, right?


    Empress Luo Shan found it hard to believe.


    To become a sage, her talent was definitely at the top level no matter how you looked at it.


    But even if she were to be pulled over, and she couldn¡¯t cheat, she estimated that she would only be able to activate at most five levels of the heavenly ladder before reaching her limit.


    Nine layers of the heavenly ladder, how terrifying a person was that?


    Were there really such monsters in this world?


    Empress Luo Shan thought the probability was low.


    They had also cheated, but she didn''t know what specific methods they had used.


    In the distance, at this moment, Chen An was unaware that he had attracted the attention of everyone.


    He also didn''t know that two acquaintances of his were lying well in the secret realm at this moment, and each had obtained a considerable reward through their respective cheating methods.


    His entire mind and body were already captivated by the scene before him.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (11.9), Constitution (12.4), Spirit (10.4)


    Source power: 82


    Inheritance: Frozen Miles (Intermediate), Profound Ice Force (First innate layer), Haoshan Scripture (First layer), Small Element Pill (Perfect), Pure Heart Pill (Perfect), Spiritualization Technique (Ninth layer).


    Projection: Charging


    ¡°My money!¡±


    The familiar upgrade template appeared before him.


    Chen An looked at the familiar data, feeling a bit pained.


    In just that short period of time, he had spent all his savings.


    That was the result of his efforts for several months before.


    Previously at Haoshan Sect, through continuous efforts, Chen An had successfully accumulated his source power to around 1,500.


    And now, he was back to square one in just one go, with less than a hundred source power left. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Instantly going from a rich man to a penniless person.


    Such a huge discrepancy, even with Chen An''s strong psychological resilience, he couldn''t help but feel some fluctuations.


    However, fortunately, after making a huge effort, there was also quite a significant return.


    The most obvious reward was the spiritual attribute.


    The improvement of the spiritualization technique was not ineffective, on the contrary, this secret technique had a quite powerful effect.


    Practicing the spiritualization technique could rapidly increase the mental power and spirit of a cultivator.


    Raising the spiritualization technique to the ninth level instantly made Chen An''s spiritual attribute perfect, catching up with the other two attributes.


    This was the first good news.


    As for the second...


    Chen An raised his head, looking at the sky.


    There, the rolling light and haze spread outwards, forming the appearance of the nine-layered ladder.


    And in Chen An''s perception, there was already a mysterious connection that had appeared.


    Inside the Tianzhu, something was in contact with him, and it seemed to appear as long as he thought about it.


    Feeling this, Chen An didn''t hesitate at all and directly took action.


    Boom!


    The nine-layered ladder was rippling, and a powerful aura spread out in all directions, rushing towards the ground.


    At this moment, all living beings in the Tianzhu were trembling, feeling a heavy aura of the Sacred Sage spreading.


    This was the residual aura left by the Sacred Sage in the Tianzhu, which was now spreading along with the trembling of the Tianzhu, shocking everyone.


    The Sacred Sage was supreme, even in the face of an emperor, they could still cope calmly. This was not a false claim, but a truly terrifying power.


    Facing this supreme aura of the Sacred Sage, even the mindless beasts around were only able to tremble, unable to resist this aura at all.


    And this also made it easier for Chen An.


    In the thick light and haze, he clearly saw a stream of light flashing in the Tianzhu, and something in it rushed toward Chen An and merged with his body.


    All of this happened very quickly, and it all took place within the cover of the light and haze, without being noticed by anyone.


    Without any hesitation, Chen An turned around and left, leaving this place.


    Moments later, the mist gradually dissipated, and everything looked calm again.


    As for Chen An?


    He had long since fled.


    If he hadn¡¯t run away, would he have stayed here waiting to be surrounded and attacked?


    But at that moment when he fled, the aura he had hidden so well inadvertently leaked out and was captured by people around.


    This aura was not very noticeable here, after all, there were too many people hidden here, and it was impossible to know who this aura belonged to.


    But for some people, it was a different story.


    "It''s him!"


    At the moment when Chen An left, Empress Luo Shan and Liang Yao were both stunned at the same time, with expressions of disbelief on their faces.


    Compared to Bai Qing, one was a former sage and the other was the inheritor of the commandments, two people with unpredictable methods, both possessing unique abilities that ordinary people could not reach Naturally, they were the first to capture the aura belonging to Chen An.


    Their facial expressions changed quite richly and dramatically at this realization.


    But Chen An couldn''t know about this.


    He was still around the Tianzhu at this moment, but had already changed his location.


    "What is this thing, exactly?"


    Confirming that the surrounding area was safe enough, Chen An began to inspect his gains.


    When he saw the object that flew out of the Tianzhu, he couldn''t help but be stunned.


    There was no change on the surface of Chen An, but if one were to look inside his body, they would see that inside his Purple Mansion, a pagoda was standing tall.


    The pagoda seemed to be made of white jade, but it only had three layers and looked obviously incomplete.


    It appeared in Chen An''s Purple Mansion and immediately occupied the best position, suppressing the entire Purple Mansion.


    What was this thing?


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 207: Return to the Sect

    What is this?Chen An stared at his Purple Mansion, carefully observing what was inside.


    The white tower looked like it was made of white jade, but there was a misty aura spreading from it, as if it originated from chaos, especially deep and mysterious.


    Chen An observed for a while, but there was no movement.


    This white tower was like a dead object, always silent in his Purple Mansion, no matter how he activated it, there was no response.


    "What''s going on?"


    Chen An was puzzled.


    Without a doubt, this white tower was what he drew down from the Heavenly Pillar.


    And before, the other two people only linked the Seven Heaven Ladder, and they already obtained treasures like the Pinnacle Artifact.


    The two before were so strong, they wouldn''t slack off when they got to him, right? S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He drew down the Nine Heaven Ladder, and the rewards he got should be better than the previous two, right?


    Chen An had many thoughts in his mind.


    Finally, he, with a try-it-out attitude, injected a bit of divine power into the white tower.


    The Purple Mansion immediately boiled, divine power poured into the white tower, as if something had been opened.


    Chen An instantly had a unique feeling.


    He seemed to have opened a unique space, right inside the white tower.


    "This is."


    Feeling this scene, he was first stunned, then slightly surprised, "It can still be like this!"


    Next, he began his testing.


    He placed various spiritual herbs he had collected inside the white tower.


    Indeed, there was a huge unique space inside the white tower, no matter how much he put in, the space remained the same, as if it could never be filled.


    This was equivalent to having a huge storage space, and it was portable.


    Not bad.


    Chen An felt a bit better.


    The white tower obviously had an extraordinary origin, but for some reason, it was still in a broken state at the moment, silent in his Purple Mansion.


    But even so, this white tower was quite extraordinary. Although it couldn''t be activated like a normal artifact, at least it could serve as a large storage bag.


    Not bad.


    He thought to himself, and then continued with the testing.


    The results of the testing came quickly.


    The space inside the white tower was not static, time flowed inside as well.


    After things were placed inside, if there was not enough preservation method, whatever was supposed to expire would still expire.


    As for living things, they could also be placed inside, but for a limited time. If left for too long, they would turn into corpses when taken out.


    After several tests, Chen An finally confirmed these.


    And then he was at ease.


    "There''s still more than half a month left, I can search around."


    Chen An stood in place, looking at the distant land, a thought flashed through his mind.


    He had spent a lot of time on this journey, plus his previous practice of the Spiritualizing Art, the time he spent sensing the Heavenly Pillar, now there wasn''t much time left until the three months'' deadline.


    But that didn''t matter.


    Chen An had been lurking around this area for so long, he was already familiar with the terrain around here.


    Half a month''s time, if used wisely, would be enough.


    With this thought in mind, he wasted no time and quickly began to act.


    Half a month later.


    One by one, people walked out of the secret realm and were forcibly expelled.


    The deadline for three months had arrived, so whether you liked it or not, you would be expelled from the secret realm according to the rules.


    And most likely, they wouldn''t be able to come back later.


    Chen An was among the crowd.


    There were dense crowds of cultivators everywhere, and everywhere you looked there were people, making it a bit overwhelming.


    Most of these people carried a lot of things on them, some were spiritual herbs and treasures, while others were scriptures and the like.


    All of these were undoubtedly things obtained from the secret realm, and they all looked quite divine, obviously good things.


    In theory, with so many good things obtained, the atmosphere here should be quite harmonious.


    But in reality, it wasn''t.


    With interest, Chen An looked at the scene around him, finding it quite interesting.


    Most of the people standing nearby looked regretful.


    "Too bad, just a little bit more!"


    "My precious medicine!"


    "Give me a few more days, I am sure I will have a big harvest, maybe even break through one or two more realms."


    Regretful voices echoed around.


    It seemed that these people not only had obtained something in the secret realm, but they also wanted more.


    It was quite normal.


    After all, people were always like this.


    What they already had didn''t matter, it was the things they didn''t have yet that mattered.


    Chen An looked at these people''s reactions with interest, until someone walked up to him and greeted him.


    It was a middle-aged cultivator with a serious expression, from the Taiyin Sect based on his attire, his face was filled with coldness.


    He walked up to Chen An, looked at him and said in a flat tone, "Goods."


    Chen An then reacted.


    He didn''t say anything, just took out a medicine bag and opened it.


    Inside, a bunch of spiritual herbs and treasures were exposed, attracting the attention of many people around.


    Of course, it was only for a moment.


    Because compared to the people around him, what Chen An obtained was actually quite ordinary, just average.


    But considering Chen An''s cultivation and background, it was quite good that he could get so many things.


    After all, not everyone had the identity, background, and resources to support them all the way to the Heavenly Pillar.


    And if you couldn''t reach the Heavenly Pillar, and searched around the periphery of the secret realm, the things you could collect would be just like these.


    Pretty normal, right?


    "Mm, you can go now."


    The Taiyin Sect cultivator looked at Chen An for a moment, making sure nothing was missing, then nodded.


    Of course, before leaving, he also took some things from Chen An''s medicine bag.


    Chen An looked and was somewhat surprised.


    Not because too much was taken, but because relatively little was taken.


    According to previous statements, the Taiyin Sect would take half of his harvest, but in fact, not so much was taken, leaving some for Chen An.


    So fair?


    Chen An was a bit surprised.


    He originally thought that the Taiyin Sect would be a bit sneaky, saying half verbally, but actually taking most of your harvest.


    He didn''t expect that they still had a bit of conscience.


    Chen An sighed silently, feeling a bit ashamed, thinking he was thinking too badly of people.


    After the spiritual herbs were taken away, he was given a token, holding this token you could directly return to the residence of the Haoshan Sect through the array.


    Before leaving, Chen An looked around.


    In various areas, there were many riots happening at the moment.


    For many people, they were still honest, not prepared to make any small moves.


    But with so many people around, there were always some who had some thoughts.


    But without exception, all these people were caught.


    Then, let alone half of the harvest, all of their harvest would be cleared out, all of it accepted by the Taiyin Sect.


    Watching these scenes, Chen An shook his head silently.


    His sense of qi was very sensitive, he could clearly sense that there were many inexplicable senses around.


    Those spiritual senses were subtle but powerful, at least at the level of Golden Core, and maybe even above, secretly watching.


    With these people secretly watching, if they wanted to hide, it would be impossible to succeed.


    Of course, not everyone would be caught.


    Those with special means wouldn''t be caught either.


    Like Chen An.


    The harvest he took out earlier was just a small part of his true harvest.


    As for the real big gains, they had already been stored in the white tower.


    The white tower had an independent space, although it seemed ordinary, its effect was outstanding.


    At least, no one had noticed anything unusual about the white tower along his journey, let alone the treasures hidden inside.


    After watching the show for a while, Chen An turned and left.


    Holding the token, he walked into the array, and then followed several stewards of the Haoshan Sect to return to the Haoshan Sect.


    Back in the Haoshan Sect, Chen An was stunned.


    In all directions, he saw several familiar faces.


    Such as Liu Roujun.


    The cultivators sent out by the Haoshan Sect this time all returned together, so Chen An and Liu Roujun naturally returned at the same time.


    After the journey through the secret realm, Liu Roujun''s cultivation seemed to have advanced again, reaching the third layer of Qi Refinement at the moment.


    This speed, relative to the time she had been practicing, was already quite remarkable.


    It seemed that sensing Chen An''s gaze, Liu Roujun turned back, showing a hint of surprise on her face as well.


    Because she suddenly realized that Chen An''s cultivation level had caught up with her.


    Before entering the secret realm, she had already reached the second layer of Qi Refinement, while Chen An was still at the stage of opening up his Purple Mansion, barely reaching the first layer of Qi Refinement.


    The gap between the two had already widened.


    But unexpectedly, after this trip to the secret realm, Chen An''s cultivation had suddenly caught up, instantly reaching the third layer of Qi Refinement, on par with her.


    How did he do it?


    Liu Roujun was puzzled.


    She herself had worked hard in the secret realm, and also had some unexpected opportunities, finding several spiritual fruits and herbs, which at least reduced her labor by ten years.


    But in the end, she was still caught up by Chen An, their cultivations were at the same level.


    How did he do it?


    Liu Roujun felt puzzled.


    If she knew about Chen An''s experiences, she probably wouldn''t be surprised by this.


    After all, Chen An had stayed in the core area of the Heavenly Pillar for three months.


    The core area of the Heavenly Pillar was full of natural treasures, various rare spiritual fruits and herbs that were not abundant but not rare either.


    Not to mention that Chen An also refined the blood essence divinity of several Gold Core exotic beasts.


    These were unimaginable great fortunes.


    Nourished by such a huge amount of spiritual power and divinity, Chen An''s martial cultivation had advanced by one level, and now he was already at the Second Layer of Innate.


    As for his Qi Refinement cultivation, although it was not deliberately improved, it had also advanced by two steps due to the nourishment of the enormous divinity, and now was at the Third Layer of Qi Refinement.


    Liu Roujun soon calmed down.


    The other party''s swift advancement in the secret realm couldn''t mean anything, it could only mean that the other party had better luck than her.


    But she believed that as long as she kept firm and continued on her path, she would eventually leave Chen An behind.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 208: Outsourcing

    Standing in place for a moment, the representatives from Haoshan Sect also arrived.These were the people sent by Haoshan Sect to welcome them and bring them back to the sect.


    At the same time, they were also here to take advantage.


    "Why should I give you a share of the things I worked hard to find?" A young man glared angrily at the cultivator in front of him.


    "Why?" The young man in black robe, handsome in appearance, couldn''t help but smirk: "Just because you are from Haoshan Sect."


    "My sect nurtured you, now it''s only fair to take something from you, isn''t it excessive?" With that, the young man in front of him was pushed to the ground.


    Powerful spiritual force erupted from him, bright like a small sun, causing the people around to pale.


    Nine layers of Qi Refinement!


    The man in the black robe was indeed at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, which was considered strong even within Haoshan Sect.


    Apart from the many elders, this level of cultivation was already among the strongest.


    Even Liu Roujun, feeling the aura from the man in the black robe, couldn''t help but frown.


    "Now, does anyone else want to say anything?" Taking everything from the young man, the man in black robe looked around with a playful smile: "If you voluntarily hand over your belongings, you may still keep half, but if you refuse, you should think carefully."


    He smiled in a threatening tone: "I, Weili, have some abilities within the sect. If you don''t behave, don''t blame me later."


    This was a direct threat.


    "Wei Junior Brother." The people present fell silent, but Liu Roujun frowned and spoke directly: "Is this too much?"


    "Oh?" Looking at Liu Roujun, Weili''s expression changed, his smile looking particularly warm: "If it''s you, then there''s no problem, you can leave directly."


    This was a clear sign of underestimating someone.


    Compared to those without a backing, Liu Roujun was an elder disciple and couldn''t be easily oppressed.


    Moreover, according to past practices, a considerable portion of what Liu Roujun obtained this time would also have to be handed over to the elders as offerings.


    If he dared to snatch things from Liu Roujun, it would be tantamount to snatching from the elders behind Liu Roujun''s back, which he wouldn''t dare to do even if he had ten times the courage.


    This was also the reason why he was being so polite.


    Liu Roujun was let go, but others weren''t so lucky.


    Weili waved his hand and his subordinates immediately moved forward to search the other cultivators.


    Compared to the cultivators of Taiyin Gate, their methods were much rougher and involved physical actions directly.


    If they encountered resistance, they would even strip the cultivators of their clothes without any regard for their feelings.


    The scene was embarrassing, but also quite realistic. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, it was Chen An''s turn.


    "This person is my fellow townsman and good friend. Wei Junior Brother, could you please be lenient." Suddenly, Liu Roujun spoke up.


    The actions of Wei''s men were too rough.


    While they searched others, Liu Roujun remained silent because she knew she couldn''t stop them.


    But when it came to Chen An, she couldn''t help but speak up.


    "Oh?" Weili was surprised: "This person is a friend of Liu Junior Sister?"


    He frowned: "We are all fellow disciples, Liu Junior Sister, please don''t make things difficult for me."


    "The things I obtained this time need to be shared with more than just me."


    That meant there were more people with Wei than just him, sparing Liu Roujun was already giving Elder Qingfeng some face.


    If they continued, it would be too much.


    Liu Roujun naturally understood this and fell silent, feeling somewhat conflicted.


    "Thank you, Junior Sister Liu, I understand the rules."


    Chen An smiled and opened his medicine bag, revealing its contents.


    "I am Chen Changming, a disciple of the Medicine Hall. Senior Brother Liu from the Qingfeng Pavilion is my fellow town elder brother. Sister Song Dan from the Medicine Hall and Senior Brother Jin are also my friends. I wonder if Senior Brother Wei can go easy on me for their sakes and leave me with some things."


    Chen An smiled and said: "Many alchemists in the Medicine Hall like spirit medicines. These spirit herbs may seem to be mine, but they are actually prepared for the alchemists and disciples of the Medicine Hall."


    This statement caused a change in the expressions of everyone present, including Wei.


    It seemed that Chen An also had a strong backing.


    Although not as strong as the elders behind Liu Roujun, the names mentioned carried significant weight.


    The alchemists and disciples of the Medicine Hall were not to be underestimated.


    In Haoshan Sect, these alchemists held high status too, and many elders would often seek their help.


    They were true technical talents, and one never knew when they might be needed.


    Wei''s expression changed, then he quickly put on a smile.


    He patted Chen An on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Where are you going, Junior Brother Chen?"


    "Since you are a friend of Junior Sister Liu, you are naturally my friend as well."


    "Come, feel free to choose something, take a few items as gifts to Senior Brother Huang and the others."


    He spoke warmly, showing a complete transformation from his previous attitude.


    "You changed your attitude so quickly."


    The people around murmured silently.


    Just moments ago, they attempted to rob him, but after revealing his background, he instantly changed his behavior.


    He appeared affectionate now, a complete contrast to his previous demeanor.


    "Thank you, Senior Brother Wei." Chen An smiled and picked up two items from a nearby box without hesitation.


    Of course, these were just ordinary items with some value but not too high.


    Wei sighed in relief covertly, but maintained a warm appearance: "Why only pick these two items, take a few more, don''t be so polite to me!"


    "No need, this is enough."


    Chen An smiled sarcastically, staring at Wei.


    Wei breathed a sigh of relief.


    After a while, they left.


    "Be careful in the future."


    Before leaving, Liu Roujun reminded Chen An once again, "Although the Medicine Hall is good, your cultivation is the most important. If possible, focus on your practice."


    She reminded him again, not wanting her friend to stray from the right path.


    "I understand."


    Chen An nodded, indicating that he understood.


    Without saying much, Liu Roujun turned and left.


    Chen An stood still, watching Liu Roujun''s figure leave before walking to the side.


    He returned to the Medicine Hall, visiting Senior Brother Huang and others one by one.


    Strictly speaking, the words he had said to Wei and the others were not lies.


    The items he brought back this time were indeed not intended for himself but to give away.


    On one hand, Senior Brother Huang and the others had taken care of him greatly in the past and he viewed this as a way of giving back.


    On the other hand, he also wanted to gain more benefits from this opportunity.


    As expected, Senior Brother Huang and the alchemists were overjoyed with the various spirit medicines and herbs that Chen An had brought.


    As alchemists, they naturally loved various precious materials for alchemy.


    The spirit herbs Chen An brought this time were collected from the Sage''s Secret Realm, many of which had been nourished by rich spiritual energy. Even ordinary spirit herbs had greatly enhanced effects, making them the top choice for alchemy.


    By giving these things to them, Chen An had managed to please them.


    However, he didn''t lose out either.


    Through his gifts, he had successfully secured promises from Senior Brother Huang and the alchemists, and had obtained the things he wanted most.


    Several alchemy prescriptions.


    These were the alchemy prescriptions that Chen An had been eager to learn but couldn''t get due to their rarity. This opportunity was just right for him.


    For the alchemists of the Medicine Hall, this was a pleasant surprise.


    Chen An didn''t lose out either.


    By giving gifts, he had managed to obtain promises from Senior Brother Huang and the alchemists, and in return, he had obtained the alchemy prescriptions he had been eyeing for so long.


    Through this exchange, everyone benefited.


    The following days once again became quiet.


    With the new alchemy prescriptions, Chen An continued with his days, immersing himself in the Medicine Hall day and night to refine alchemy.


    He was studying hard, aiming to master the alchemy prescriptions as quickly as possible to accumulate more experience.


    In addition to alchemy, he was also contemplating how to use the white tower.


    Unfortunately, this step proved to be extremely difficult.


    The white tower remained silent, showing no reaction no matter how hard he tried or what methods he used. It just lay quietly in his Purple Mansion, absorbing his spiritual power for sustenance.


    During this period, most of the spiritual power that Chen An transformed through his cultivation was absorbed by the white tower.


    This result left Chen An feeling somewhat speechless.


    From the current situation, he didn''t seem to have gained a treasure but rather had invited a big shot.


    This big shot would lie in his Purple Mansion, do nothing most of the time, yet absorb his spiritual power, leaving him in a constant state of emptiness.


    At the moment, he couldn''t see any benefits but there were plenty of downsides.


    However, Chen An didn''t mind.


    What was there to mind about?


    Even if the white tower wasn''t useful, it could still serve as a large storage space.


    In the cultivation world, a natural storage space was considered quite precious.


    Natural storage bags had to be made from spatial stones, which were very rare.


    Within the entire Haoshan Sect, it seemed that only the Sect Master had one, passed down from the sect''s founder.


    With just a bit of spiritual power, Chen An could now possess an extra-large storage bag. What was there to be dissatisfied about?


    Letting out a silent sigh, Chen An continued to work hard.


    If nothing unexpected happened, he might have to stay until he learned everything before leaving.


    However, the most frequent occurrence in this world is the unexpected.


    "Outsourcing?"


    One morning, Chen An looked somewhat surprised at the person in front of him.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 209: Ninepeace City

    Standing in front of Chen An was an ordinary cultivator, probably just a miscellaneous disciple.He stood in front of Chen An, looking a bit nervous, "This is an order from the stewards."


    "I know."


    Chen An nodded, not bothering the disciple who delivered the message, and directly asked the other party to leave.


    Back at the medicine hall, he couldn''t help but frown.


    The disciple who came to pass the message just now transmitted an order for Chen An to go to a valley to search for the trace of a cultivator from the demonic path.


    It was said that recently, there were traces of demonic cultivators appearing nearby, lingering around with apparent intent to encroach on the territory of the Haoshan Sect.


    This was no small matter.


    In the Dust Realm, cultivators can be divided into many sects based on their traditions.


    Among them, those who cultivate orthodox methods are part of the Xuanmen sect, while others are part of the demonic path.


    The two sides were distinct, with significant differences in cultivation methods and training, but they could generally coexist peacefully, not interfering with each other.


    However, this time, the appearance of traces of demonic cultivators within the territory of the Haoshan Sect was strange.


    This caught the attention of the Haoshan Sect.


    Sending someone to investigate was only right.


    The only thing that puzzled Chen An was why someone like him was being sent for something like this?


    The disciples of the Haoshan Sect all had duties to fulfill.


    This was normal, after all, the Haoshan Sect did not keep idle people.


    Except for senior disciples like Liu Roujun, who could directly enjoy the provisions of the Haoshan Sect, the other disciples, even those at the level of cultivation like Wei Li, had to work honestly to receive their own allowances.


    But Chen An was an exception.


    He had long been attached to the medicine hall through Huan Dan and others, so logically speaking, even if there were tasks assigned, it would at most involve gathering medicinal herbs or refining pills, the tasks that members of the medicine hall should be doing.


    How could something like investigating people from the demonic path fall on him?


    Chen An was completely baffled.


    In a distance, within the Haoshan Sect.


    "Everything has been arranged?"


    In the main hall, a middle-aged man sat on a high platform, looking down with a indifferent expression.


    Under his gaze, several people stood there, including someone familiar to Chen An.


    This person was named Wei Li.


    "Everything has been arranged properly."


    Wei Li respectfully spoke, "According to your instructions, those arranged are of low cultivation level but quite crucial."


    "Well."


    The middle-aged man nodded lightly, "After arriving at the location, find an opportunity to make them drink the God Water to control them. If that doesn''t work, just eliminate them directly."


    "Yes."


    Wei Li nodded respectfully, "Should we inform the other elders?"


    "No need for that."


    The middle-aged man shook his head, "The other elders have other people working, not our responsibility."


    "Don''t worry, within three months at most, we will be able to handle it."


    "At that time, all of you will be the next batch of stewards in the Haoshan Sect. If you perform well, you might directly receive the Sage Pill in the future, forging the foundation for spiritual transformation is not impossible."


    "Yes."


    Listening to these words, everyone below immediately nodded, bowing to the middle-aged man with an expression of fanaticism.


    Apparently, unbeknownst to most, a vortex had already formed within the Haoshan Sect.


    But this obviously had nothing to do with most people.


    A few days later, Chen An set out with his belongings.


    He rode in a horse-drawn carriage towards the outside world.


    The speed of the carriage was fast, taking only a few days to reach the destination.


    "Is this the place?" S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An looked around, feeling the aura coming from all directions, and couldn''t help but be surprised, "Indeed, there is the aura of demonic cultivators."


    After cultivating the Spiritual Transformation Technique, his sensitivity had increased significantly compared to before, and he could easily sense things that ordinary people could not perceive.


    For example, at this moment, he could clearly sense the demonic aura around him, although it was well hidden, he still noticed it.


    But what puzzled him was the extent to which this demonic aura was spreading, wasn''t it supposed to be just one hidden demonic cultivator?


    Why was the demonic aura so obvious in this city?


    Chen An was puzzled and realized that something was wrong.


    This place was likely problematic.


    So he began to seriously consider whether he should run away.


    He wasn''t afraid, he wasn''t even afraid of fighting the Golden Core Divine Beast in the secret realm, so a few demonic cultivators would not be more terrifying, right?


    But if he were to be exposed, it would be troublesome.


    The world''s hostility towards cultivators was too strong, once he revealed his identity as a cultivator, it would probably be troublesome.


    The fates of Nan Jue and Master Tiesmith were lessons for him.


    So it was better to be cautious.


    Even if he just went back like this, no one could say anything.


    At most, he would be fined some spirit stones.


    But while he was thinking this, someone had already approached.


    "May I ask if you are Junior Brother Chen?"


    A gentle voice came from the front.


    Chen An looked up, and a middle-aged man dressed in white, with a handsome face, was already standing there, seemingly greeting him.


    Well, there was no way to escape.


    As Chen An saw the other party, he understood that his plan to escape was probably doomed.


    The other party''s cultivation level was slightly higher than his, reaching the fourth level of Qi Refinement.


    Unless he directly fought the other party, there was no way he could run away.


    "I am Chen Changming, may I ask for Elder Brother''s name?"


    Chen An got off the carriage and spoke softly.


    "I am Song Qing, the lord of Ninepeace City."


    The middle-aged man''s face was gentle, and he seemed to have a good temperament, "It is rare for fellow sect members to visit this place. It is a joy for Junior Brother to come, please allow me to entertain you properly."


    "Thank you."


    Chen An glanced at him deeply and then followed him inside.


    Around the place, there were representatives of the noble families everywhere, all seemingly ready with some intentions.


    Sure enough, after a while, Song Qing spoke.


    "Junior Brother, have you brought someone to serve you during your visit this time?"


    Song Qing smiled and pointed to the representatives of the various noble families below, "We don''t have much in Ninepeace City, but we do have quite a few beautiful women."


    "If Junior Brother is interested, you might as well take advantage of one or two, it would be quite a pleasant experience."


    He said with a smile.


    And at his words, the people around suddenly became excited.


    It seems that as long as Chen An nodded, they would immediately send someone over.


    "No, thank you."


    Chen An smiled and declined, "I am already married, so I don''t need such things."


    "Is that so."


    Song Qing seemed a bit regretful, but didn''t say much, "Junior Brother is indeed a dedicated person."


    "If the beauties are not willing to enjoy, how about enjoying some delicious food?"


    He smiled and clapped his hands.


    Immediately, servants brought out dishes that had already been prepared.


    These dishes all looked very unique and exquisite, with many dishes carrying a certain fragrance, which seemed to have been seasoned with a lot of spices.


    There were even many spirit herbs used as fillings, adding them into the dishes.


    Chen An didn''t refuse these and politely enjoyed them.


    He seemed to enjoy the meal quite happily.


    There was no way.


    In his past life, Chen An was a foodie, with no other hobbies, he just loved to eat all kinds of delicacies.


    Especially the more flavorful dishes, he liked them even more.


    And after crossing over, this hobby was never able to be exercised.


    He had had enough of the food in this world, and even the ones that looked decent turned out to be tasteless when actually eaten.


    For Chen An, this kind of food was truly not enjoyable, so he had given up on it long ago.


    But the dishes in front of him seemed to be of a quality, and many of the items looked quite good and delicious.


    This piqued his interest.


    "If you are satisfied, you can take a few chefs with you when you leave."


    Seemingly noticing Chen An''s satisfaction, Song Qing smiled and said, "My chefs here are all specially trained and are quite outstanding in Ninepeace City."


    "If Junior Brother is interested, it would be worth a try."


    "Thank you."


    Chen An did not refuse.


    This was one of his few hobbies.


    He had grown tired of the food in this world, and now that he had the opportunity to have a few decent chefs, he didn''t want to miss it.


    After the meal, the relationship between the two sides seemed to have gotten closer.


    Song Qing''s words became more daring.


    (This chapter is complete)

 Chapter 210: Magical Taoist Practice

    Song Qing''s words became bolder.At the dining table, fueled by alcohol, he began to constantly talk to Chen An, expressing his various frustrations.


    "My junior brother can practice with the support of the sect''s power, but I am miserable. I was sent to Nine An City, where even if I want to practice, I don''t have the conditions," complained Song Qing, looking miserable and frustrated. "I must admit, my talent was good back then, and I should have achieved something. But I accidentally offended a steward''s son and ended up being suppressed and sent to Nine An City."


    Are you really having such a hard time now?


    Chen An couldn''t help but think as he looked at the respectful and nervous people from prestigious families below.


    In his view, Song Qing''s current life was quite good.


    Although he had no hope of further advancement in cultivation, he could still dominate and enjoy various things in Nine An City.


    Apart from the lack of spiritual stones and elixirs, he could satisfy most of his daily luxuries and live like a king.


    You''re already in this situation, what more do you want?


    Chen An couldn''t help but complain in his heart.


    However, he also knew that human desires were insatiable.


    When you enjoy good things, you always want more, never satisfied.


    This was the case for Song Qing.


    For cultivators like them, the mundane pleasures of ordinary people were nothing, just easily obtainable things.


    As long as one was willing, even a cultivator who had just opened up his Purple Palace could dominate outside, easily ruling over a mountain, enjoying privileges that ordinary people could not imagine.


    For a cultivator like Song Qing at the fourth level of Qi refining, he had even more choices.


    The worldly pleasures meant nothing to him.


    In comparison, these things were far less rare than opportunities for further advancement.


    Opportunities for cultivation, that was the rarest thing in this world.


    And this opportunity could only be obtained within Haoshan Sect.


    Because only within the sect would there be enough fellow cultivators and seniors, sufficient spiritual stones and elixirs, and various opportunities for advancement.


    "If possible, I really want to return to the sect, even if I have to be controlled by others," Song Qing complained, exuding negative energy.


    What else could Chen An say?


    Considering that the other party was the host after all, he could only nod in agreement.


    It was also a good opportunity to see what exactly Song Qing was up to.


    Seemingly encouraged by Chen An''s cooperation, not long after, Song Qing drunkenly grabbed Chen An''s hand and began to speak, "My brother, I have an opportunity here. As long as things are done well, there will be great benefits. It is even possible to become an elder in the sect. I don''t know if Brother is willing to do it."


    "Oh?" Chen An showed a look of interest. "I''m curious, what opportunity is this exactly?"


    "It depends on how you perform, junior brother," Song Qing grinned mysteriously, then laid back as if he were drunk.


    Of course, it was definitely an act.


    This wasn''t an ordinary situation.


    As a cultivator at the fourth level of Qi refining, his physical strength was comparable to that of an Internal Energy Realm martial artist. How could he get drunk so easily?


    Chen An thought to himself and glanced around unconsciously.


    Unbeknownst to him, most of the aristocratic representatives had already left, leaving only a few.


    And these people had similar characteristics.


    "The aura of demonic cultivators," Chen An murmured as he raised his glass.


    He could sense the aura of demonic cultivators emanating from these people.


    Of course, it was just a trace.


    Because these people were fundamentally ordinary people, not cultivators.


    But from this aura, it was clear that most of them were Song Qing''s close followers.


    Otherwise, they would have been driven away long ago.


    "Is this considered guarding the house against thieves?" Chen An thought to himself as he looked at the fallen Song Qing.


    From the situation of these people present, it was obvious that the current Song Qing was definitely not unrelated to those demonic cultivators.


    Even if he dared to think boldly, the demonic cultivator appearing in Nine An City might be none other than Song Qing himself.


    This was entirely possible.


    However, Chen An wasn''t prepared to do much.


    After all, he wasn''t really planning to give his all to Haoshan Sect.


    What did it have to do with him if it involved demonic cultivators?


    Just the fact that he had come to carry out this task was already giving them face.


    To be honest, Chen An was regretting it now.


    If he had known it would be so troublesome, he wouldn''t have come out.


    Wouldn''t it be better to stay obediently in the alchemy room and refine elixirs?


    But it was too late to regret now.


    Chen An shook his head inwardly, then got up, bid farewell to Song Qing with a nod, and left directly.


    A servant came forward and led Chen An to his room. S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After Chen An left, the main hall began to stir.


    In just a moment, Song Qing raised his head from the table and sat back in his seat.


    His face was calm, his expression composed, without a hint of alcohol.


    He didn''t look drunk at all in this posture.


    Like Chen An had expected, he was faking it.


    Of course, not only Chen An knew he was pretending, but Song Qing also understood that Chen An knew he was pretending.


    Both of them were clear, but neither of them exposed it.


    Some things couldn''t be said in normal circumstances.


    They could only be spoken of in a semi-drunken state.


    Otherwise, it wouldn''t be testing the waters, but showing their hands.


    "Has Junior Brother Chen returned to his room?" Song Qing raised himself from the table, stretched lazily, looking as if he had just had a good rest.


    "Yes, he has."


    A servant responded from the side, "Will the City Lord take action?"


    "No need," Song Qing shook his head and looked at the person, "My Junior Brother Chen is from the alchemy hall and has a good relationship with several alchemists. It''s better not to make any moves. Even if we manage to seize Haoshan Sect later, those alchemists are pillars and cannot be touched."


    This was the truth.


    Whatever their plans might be, even if they wanted to seize Haoshan Sect, the supply of pills was essential.


    And the alchemists who could produce enough pills were core talents in many sects, not easily recruited.


    Apart from a large number of fixed assets such as spiritual veins and mountain protection formations below, the group of alchemists were also valuable resources of Haoshan Sect.


    If they were disposed of, who would compensate for the losses?


    Song Qing understood this, so he wasn''t planning to act against Chen An.


    "Take the items over," he thought for a moment and said, "Let''s see how Junior Brother''s attitude is."


    "Yes, sir."


    The servant nodded and respectfully withdrew.


    On the other hand, Chen An had already returned to his room and was preparing to rest.


    There were candles lit around the room, and the light activated by spiritual power shone brightly, making it look as clear as day.


    "Come in."


    A knock came from outside, and Chen An, unsurprised, let them in.


    The door opened, and a beautiful maid walked in.


    In her hands was an item, which she placed in a box and put down.


    "The City Lord has asked me to give this to you, Immortal Elder."


    She said respectfully as she placed the box down.


    "Put it down."


    Chen An nodded and let her place the item down.


    After a moment, the maid left, and the door closed again.


    Chen An opened the wooden box and looked at the contents.


    "Huh?"


    Chen An''s face showed surprise.


    In the box were two things.


    Several black pills with faint blood streaks on them, giving them a mysterious look.


    And the other was a scroll.


    "Blood Demon Sutra."


    Chen An opened the scroll, read it briefly, and then frowned.


    This was undoubtedly a demonic cultivator''s scripture.


    Unlike the Haoshan Sutra of Haoshan Sect, this scripture revealed the unique aspects of demonic cultivation from the beginning.


    The biggest difference between cultivators of orthodox sects and demonic cultivators lay in their ways of cultivation.


    Cultivators of orthodox sects generally followed the purest way of cultivation, seeking the purest qi of the heavens and the earth to cultivate their divine power.


    On the other hand, demonic cultivators tended to use various external substances to enhance this process.


    For example, blood sacrifice.


    The Blood Demon Sutra before him was such a scripture. According to its teachings, practitioners needed to devour the blood qi of others, continuously kill people, and cultivate their divine power by consuming blood, thus opening up the Purple Mansion for cultivation.


    And the cultivation that followed was even more about killing.


    In theory, as long as one killed enough people and consumed enough blood, one could continue to advance endlessly.


    A crisp sound echoed.


    Chen An closed the scripture and couldn''t help but frown.


    This demonic cultivator was truly quite demonic.


    The cruel scenes described in the cultivation method were clear just by reading the cultivation method.


    Relatively speaking, although cultivators of orthodox sects weren''t much better, they wouldn''t seek blood sacrifices from ordinary people or seek human lives without reason.


    But undeniable as it was, this demonic cultivation method also had its advantages.


    The biggest advantage was speed.


    Although their cultivation process required killing many people, using this cultivation method could greatly speed up one''s progress.


    Under the same conditions and talent, these demonic cultivators would probably advance much faster than orthodox sect cultivators.


    And they barely needed resources.


    In theory, even without spiritual pills or herbs and other resources, these demonic cultivators could rely on blood sacrifices from ordinary people to advance without much hindrance.


    Of course, the drawbacks were significant as well.


    Future cultivation would likely encounter many problems with blood sacrifice as it was easy to lead to various issues, such as falling into demonic practices or transforming into various monsters.


    Chen An had heard quite a bit about this type of practice within Haoshan Sect.


    "What is he trying to say?" Chen An pondered after reading the Blood Demon Sutra.


    Song Qing deliberately sent this item over for a reason.


    Was it a test or a showdown?


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 211: Collaboration

    Chen An was pondering the question.Without a doubt, Song Qing brought this thing to test his reaction.


    So the question arises.


    For such a surprise, what reaction should he make that would be appropriate?


    Chen An was very distressed about this.


    And on the other side.


    In a quiet room, Song Qing sat at his position, looking down the room: "So, after he received the thing, he stayed in his room the whole time without any other reaction?"


    "Yes."


    A voice suddenly appeared around, even though the room was empty, someone still responded.


    Song Qing didn''t find this strange, just smiled and said, "It seems that this junior Chen is quite a clever person."


    "That''s right, he has just entered, and he has no loyalty to the Haoshan Sect."


    When he mentioned the Haoshan Sect, his tone had a hint of disdain, sounding a bit complicated.


    For someone like Song Qing, he didn''t need Chen An to do much, he could see some things from his actions.


    After receiving the things he sent, Chen An should have understood that Song Qing had a connection with the demonic cultivator, and even a close relationship.


    In this situation, if he were loyal enough to the Haoshan Sect, his first reaction should be to quietly leave, take advantage of Song Qing''s absence and run back to the Haoshan Sect to inform them.


    But he didn''t do that, instead, he had no reaction at all.


    From this action, Chen An''s attitude could be seen.


    He was probably not that loyal to the Haoshan Sect.


    And this was the attitude that Song Qing wanted.


    For him, it would be best if Chen An directly sided with him on this side.


    Even if that wasn''t possible, as long as he wasn''t loyal to the Haoshan Sect, he could accept it.


    After all, he was just a minor character, it wouldn''t matter much.


    "It''s just one night, perhaps it still doesn''t mean anything."


    Song Qing thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "When the time comes, invite this junior Chen to visit me again."


    "Let''s see what his reaction will be then."


    "Yes."


    A voice came from below, with a hint of indifference, like an emotionless machine.


    Song Qing didn''t mind, allowing him to leave like that.


    A few days later, the City Lord''s Manor became lively again.


    Song Qing once again invited Chen An to come and be a guest.


    Compared to the last time, this time the feast was even more luxurious, but there were fewer people.


    This was normal.


    Last time, Song Qing, as the City Lord of Jiuan, invited Chen An, the representative of the Haoshan Sect, to dine with many nobles and families in Jiuan City.


    This time, Song Qing invited Chen An privately, so it was naturally less lively.


    But besides the festivities, everything else was not inferior, not only was everything there, but many things were even more sumptuous.


    For example, various dishes, there were rare delicacies everywhere, and even some were precious exotic beasts, all laid out on the table by Song Qing''s people.


    Such a meal, even for the noble families, was considered extravagant, let alone ordinary people.


    Chen An was somewhat surprised.


    You certainly know how to enjoy.


    Look at this table of dishes, you eat much better than usual.


    Chen An looked at the dishes in front of him and had this thought in his mind.


    The dishes were good, the wine was good.


    It''s a pity, the person is not a good person.


    Chen An quietly ate, sighing in his heart.


    "Why are you sighing, junior brother?"


    Song Qing asked, seeming curious.


    "I sigh because there are so many dishes and fine wine here, but only me and junior brother are enjoying it, it''s a bit of a pity."


    Chen An glanced at Song Qing and casually made up a reason.


    "Haha."


    Song Qing couldn''t help but laugh: "Junior brother is indeed a clever person."


    "But compared to spiritual pills and elixirs, these things are not worth much. If junior brother likes it, you can come as a guest often in the future."


    I would like, but I''m afraid you''re not well-intentioned.


    Chen An looked at Song Qing, his face still calm.


    The two drank for a while, then slowly got to the point.


    "The gift from yesterday, how did junior brother feel about it?"


    Song Qing suddenly asked, inquiring this way.


    "Gift? What gift?"


    Chen An was puzzled, as if he hadn''t realized: "Did junior brother give me a gift yesterday?"


    "Junior brother drank too much yesterday and couldn''t remember, I hope junior brother can forgive me."


    Song Qing also seemed puzzled, but quickly laughed, "Yes, I made a mistake."


    "The gift that was prepared for junior brother hasn''t been sent out yet. When junior brother leaves, I''ll have someone send it over, how about that?"


    "In that case, Junior brother, thank you."


    Chen An nodded, thanking Song Qing.


    "As brothers, there''s no need to be so polite."


    Song Qing smiled and said, seeming quite generous.


    For a while, the two drank with each other, and the atmosphere was quite warm.


    This meal lasted until dusk, and it wasn''t until both of them seemed a bit tipsy that it ended.


    By then, Chen An went back to his room.


    As for Song Qing, he returned to his calm demeanor, not showing any signs of being drunk.


    "Master, should we take action?"


    As someone suddenly spoke, walking out from the corner.


    The person was dressed in black robes, shrouded in shadows, looking unremarkable but exuding a unique aura that only a demonic cultivator would have.


    "No need."


    Song Qing smiled: "He is a clever person."


    "Before the situation becomes clear, he may not side with us, but he won''t cause trouble either."


    When the sect changes hands, he will be the first to come over and even convince some alchemists to join, it''s only natural."


    He said lightly.


    From Chen An''s actions before, he already understood Chen An''s attitude.


    He knew that Song Qing had major issues and was likely colluding with demonic cultivators, maybe even being a member of the demonic cultivators, but he remained silent, not making any moves to leave or inform the Haoshan Sect.


    Even though the demonic scripture and Blood Elixirs were in front of him, he acted as if he hadn''t seen them.


    This attitude was already very clear.


    He was a fence-sitter, he might not choose to join Song Qing''s side before the situation becomes clear, but he also wouldn''t easily inform the Haoshan Sect to avoid trouble.


    Of course, this attitude alone doesn''t guarantee anything.


    If it were an ordinary person, Song Qing would probably have to take some action and do something to ensure their loyalty.


    But Chen An''s identity was special.


    According to what Wei Li said, this person had a good relationship with many alchemists in the pharmacy, and even many of the medicinal pills in the Haoshan Sect were personally refined by him, he was a genius alchemist, most likely a great alchemist in the future.


    For such a person, it would be best to build good relations and not force him if possible.


    Seeing the way he was behaving, it''s likely he would join directly when everything settles down.


    "Should we really fear this?"


    As he listened to Song Qing''s words, the person who had asked to take action hesitated: "But if we don''t force him to drink the holy water, what if he informs the Haoshan Sect?"


    Indeed, if we don''t take any countermeasures, and if Chen An informs the Haoshan Sect, wouldn''t everything be over?


    This was a big problem that had to be considered.


    However, Song Qing just smiled: "Do you really think we would be afraid of that?"


    "Just a Qi Refinement Cultivator, if he understands the situation, then it''s fine. But if he doesn''t understand it, then there''s nothing more to say."


    Song Qing said lightly.


    As the person in charge here, he obviously knew more inside information and had absolute confidence in his faction.


    Just a Qi Refinement Cultivator, if he dares to do something extra, then there''s no need to say more, it''s just seeking death.


    I guess even before he meets the Sect Master of Haoshan Sect, the person next to him will deal with it.


    "It''s fine."


    In the end, he made the final decision, saying it lightly.


    Seeing this, the servant who had intended to take action did not say anything more and obediently backed down.


    Next, Chen An stayed here for a few more days.


    Until the last day before leaving, Song Qing once again came to see him.


    Chen An was not surprised by this.


    "Song Junior Brother is a bit late."


    In the quiet room, Chen An looked at Song Qing in front of him and couldn''t help but smile.


    "Oh?"


    Song Qing was a little surprised by Chen An''s attitude: "From the look of junior brother, did you already expect me to come?"


    "I could guess a little."


    Chen An nodded at Song Qing''s words, openly admitting.


    "This is interesting."


    Song Qing smiled and said, "Junior brother deliberately waited for me here, I wonder if there''s something you want to ask."


    "Of course there is."


    Chen An nodded, then spoke, "If I cooperate with you, what benefits can I expect?"


    This question was straightforward.


    But Song Qing was not surprised, just smiled and said, "It depends on what junior brother wants."


    "The collection of the pharmacy, and the elixir recipes."


    Chen An did not conceal his intentions and directly spoke up.


    He wasn''t lying, these were indeed what he wanted.


    In the days before, he had been mingling in the pharmacy, trying to learn more from there.


    Yellow Elder and the others also cooperated, providing him with many alchemical formulas he wanted.


    But even so, there were still many limitations.


    The pharmacy had collected many elixir recipes since the founding of the Haoshan Sect, as well as corresponding alchemist notes, everything was there.


    And these things were not something Chen An could obtain during ordinary times.


    Even if the Yellow Elder and the others wanted to give it to him, they couldn''t.


    After all, Chen An was just an ordinary disciple, not an Elder, so his status was there.


    "This is simple."


    After hearing Chen An''s request, Song Qing smiled and said, "If it''s just about the pharmacy''s elixir recipes and such, I can give you quite a few right now."


    "Even if it''s all the books in the Haoshan Sect, I can get them for junior brother."


    "Oh?"


    Song Qing''s tone was really bold, making Chen An somewhat surprised.


    But upon careful thought, it seemed reasonable. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Song Qing''s appearance, they probably had many allies within the Haoshan Sect.


    Thinking further, perhaps even some Elders of the Haoshan Sect had joined them.


    Just some books, it was nothing at all.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 212: Change

    "Different prescriptions, precious medicinal books, as long as Junior Brother wants, Senior Brother can get them for you."Looking at Chen An, Song Qing smiled and said, "It all depends on Junior Brother''s intentions."


    Hearing this, Chen An suddenly understood, "I just don''t know how I can help Junior Brother."


    "Not difficult."


    Song Qing smiled, "I heard that Junior Brother is a rising star in the medicine hall, and many elders are very fond of you?"


    "It''s just others flattering me."


    Chen An replied.


    "What about the Little Yuan Dan and Qingxin Dan sold in the Qinfeng Pavilion, don''t they have anything to do with Junior Brother?"


    Song Qing suddenly asked.


    This time, Chen An was really surprised.


    His private sale of pills couldn''t be completely kept secret, someone would always know.


    After all, even if he could keep it secret, he couldn''t ask the people of the Qinfeng Pavilion to do the same.


    And many alchemists in the medicine hall also had some suspicions about Chen An''s actions, some of them could guess a little bit.


    All of this was normal.


    But even so, it''s unlikely that ordinary people would know these things.


    Unless they specifically investigated.


    Thinking of this inexplicable mission this time, Chen An frowned, thinking of many things, "This mission of mine, is it done by the people behind Senior Brother?"


    "Yes."


    Song Qing admitted frankly, "We always need to make more preparations for big things."


    "Geniuses like Chen Junior Brother should be paid attention to early."


    This was a lie.


    In fact, they pay attention to Chen An, all because of Chen An''s own words. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If that day he didn''t boast in front of Wei Li, revealing his various relationships, Song Qing and the others wouldn''t investigate a new Junior Brother who had just joined recently.


    Do they have nothing better to do, everyone pays attention to him?


    After the investigation, they discovered the anomalies and realized Chen An''s value.


    Chen An not only had valuable connections but also had excellent alchemy skills.


    In less than half a year after joining, he could refine high-quality Qingxin Dan. If given more time to cultivate, wouldn''t he become a great alchemist?


    That''s why they made such a move.


    Song Qing treated Chen An so politely because of this.


    After all, he was a rare talent and should be treated well.


    Who knows, one day he might seek refuge in them.


    "This is a gift I prepared for Junior Brother."


    Song Qing placed a wooden box in front of Chen An, attracting Chen An''s attention.


    "Junior Brother might as well open it and take a look."


    He said with a smile.


    Chen An glanced at Song Qing, pondered for a moment, and finally opened it.


    Upon opening the box, the contents immediately appeared.


    It was not anything else, but two pieces of golden spirit stones.


    Golden spirit stones.


    When these two spirit stones appeared, Chen An immediately sensed the movement of the upgrading template.


    The aura of the source power.


    Chen An glanced deeply at Song Qing and finally accepted the gift, saying, "Very nice, I''m satisfied."


    The other party''s information gathering was quite comprehensive, knowing even about his liking for golden spirit stones.


    Leaving aside everything else, just the ability to gather information like this was already quite strong.


    "As long as Junior Brother likes it."


    Song Qing smiled and said, "If Junior Brother is willing, I have more here, and I can send them to you as long as you want."


    "What do I need to do?"


    Chen An didn''t say much, he asked directly.


    There''s no such thing as a free lunch, and Chen An was well aware of this.


    Since Song Qing said so much and put in so much effort, there must be something that he needed Chen An to do.


    "For Junior Brother, it''s not too difficult."


    Song Qing said and then stated his request.


    His request was simple, he just hoped that Chen An would refine pills for them.


    As long as the quantity of pills was sufficient, the spirit stones would not be a problem.


    Especially for pills like Qingxin Dan, the more the better.


    As a practitioner of the demonic path, they were prone to problems like demonic possession due to their cultivation methods.


    Pills like Qingxin Dan were necessary for them.


    The conditions he proposed were also quite favorable, three Qingxin Dan could be exchanged for one gold spirit stone.


    The price was similar to that of the Qinfeng Pavilion, but the advantage was that they needed a larger quantity, basically as much as possible.


    As for why Song Qing and the others didn''t directly buy from the market but instead went through Chen An for purchases, this was easy to explain.


    On one hand, buying directly from the market would be more expensive, it was more beneficial to exchange through Chen An.


    On the other hand, they probably feared alerting others.


    Pills like Qingxin Dan were generally not in high demand for regular practitioners, but were often needed by demonic path cultivators who were prone to demonic possession.


    If someone was seen buying a large quantity of Qingxin Dan or similar pills in the market, it would be an obvious sign.


    It would be too easy to raise suspicions.


    Working directly with Chen An to help refine pills would not only avoid drawing attention but also be more cost-effective.


    For Chen An, there were clear benefits in this as well.


    At the very least, he could now obtain valuable information and recipes that he couldn''t obtain through the medicine hall before through Song Qing and his backers.


    This was definitely good news.


    As for the other conditions, while they were also good, they weren''t as important to Chen An.


    After some thought, Chen An finally nodded, "Okay."


    Song Qing smiled.


    In the end, the two of them parted ways like this.


    Both of them were satisfied with this cooperation.


    Chen An didn''t need to say much, as he now had a new channel to get valuable information that he couldn''t obtain before.


    Also, reaching an agreement with Song Qing and the others could prevent direct confrontation.


    That was also a good thing.


    Otherwise, it would have been troublesome.


    Just as long as Song Qing was satisfied too.


    In his eyes, as long as Chen An was willing to cooperate with them, he would eventually be theirs.


    To put it bluntly, after cooperating with them, Chen An wouldn''t be able to communicate with Haoshan Sect.


    Communicate with them?


    You''ve already sold pills to Song Qing and them, do you really expect Haoshan Sect to trust you?


    In addition, if Chen An later obtained scriptures and prescriptions from Haoshan Sect through them, wouldn''t he be afraid of Haoshan Sect seeking retribution?


    Whichever way you look at it, once the cooperation is reached, Chen An won''t be able to get off the thief''s ship, and he won''t be able to get off afterwards.


    Of course, this was just Song Qing''s wishful thinking.


    In reality, if he knew what Chen An was thinking, he would probably be confused.


    Chen An never intended to get involved in the grudges between them and Haoshan Sect.


    Song Qing, demonic path cultivators, Haoshan Sect, they were all just passing through to Chen An.


    From the beginning, he didn''t plan to stay long in Haoshan Sect, he just saw this place as a suitable platform and springboard.


    The goal was simple, to obtain the rich knowledge of cultivation within Haoshan Sect, and even various inheritances.


    As long as he achieved this goal, everything else didn''t matter.


    And who he worked with didn''t matter either.


    In the end, he would leave anyway.


    With the mindset of leaving eventually, Chen An had no psychological burden in cooperating with Song Qing.


    Both parties agreed easily.


    On the day Chen An returned to Haoshan Sect, Song Qing paid the deposit.


    A full ten gold spirit stones.


    This generous amount made Chen An''s breath stop for a moment.


    He gave too much.


    There was no way around it, if it was just ordinary spirit stones, Chen An wouldn''t care given his wealth.


    After all, he was once rich and wouldn''t be surprised by a few spirit stones.


    But these were gold spirit stones, which were a source of power.


    Chen An couldn''t remain indifferent.


    Especially after the expedition, Chen An''s source power reserves were almost depleted, he had hardly any left.


    Ten gold spirit stones, according to the conversion rate, was one hundred and fifty units of source power, which was already quite a lot.


    Even just taking one boost and advancing one cultivation level would be enough for Chen An.


    "Don''t worry, the pills will be delivered soon."


    Upon receiving the gold spirit stones, Chen An pledged on the spot that he would deliver the pills.


    According to the previously agreed conditions, all the materials needed for pill refinement would be provided by Song Qing''s backers.


    Chen An just needed to be a tool and focus on refining pills.


    This was a rare good thing.


    With a full harvest, Chen An returned to Haoshan Sect.


    As for the mission, it was very simple.


    Before leaving, Chen An deliberately took a look around and then reported the situation.


    Demonic cultivators?


    Non-existent.


    Where were the demonic cultivators, clearly they were all good citizens.


    Especially Jiuan City Lord Song Qing, who worked diligently to make Jiuan City prosperous, should be greatly rewarded.


    After this operation, it was like a free trip.


    Surprisingly, the people of Haoshan Sect didn''t say anything, not even a follow-up investigation.


    This made the things Chen An prepared in advance completely useless.


    But less trouble was better.


    Chen An felt that this was also good.


    After returning to Haoshan Sect, everything seemed to return to normal.


    Although he had reached an agreement with Song Qing and the other demonic cultivators, Chen An''s days seemed to have changed much from before.


    He used to spend all day in the medicine hall refining pills, with each day spent either practicing or selling pills.


    And now, it seemed more or less the same.


    But the recipients of the pills had changed slightly, from the Qinfeng Pavilion to the people behind Song Qing.


    Overall, there wasn''t much change.


    And due to the cooperation with Song Qing and the others, Chen An''s treatment was slightly improved.


    The pill recipes that Chen An had always wanted but couldn''t obtain before, could now be obtained directly through Song Qing and the others.


    The conditions were simple, he only needed to provide some pills.


    And these things were definitely non-negotiable within Haoshan Sect.


    (The end of this chapter).

 Chapter 213: Omen

    Within the Haoshan Sect, status is still valued.After ordinary disciples are admitted, although they can learn many things, the truly important parts are not open to them.


    For example, various precious alchemy formulas and information, as well as scriptures for cultivation.


    It goes without saying that the scriptures that the elders possess are unique to them, even the Haoshan Scriptures specifically used for ordinary disciples within the Haoshan Sect, it is a bumpy road for ordinary disciples to obtain them.


    The methods before the fifth level of Qi Refining can be obtained directly, as long as the cultivation base reaches it. However, it is difficult to obtain the Haoshan Scriptures after the fifth level of Qi Refining.


    Only by meeting strict conditions and making significant contributions to the Haoshan Sect can one obtain them.


    As for the inheritance after Qi Refining?


    Forget about it, that belongs to the elders exclusively.


    Without being accepted as a disciple under an elder, it is impossible to obtain the corresponding inheritance.


    Naturally, there are a lot of dissatisfied people.


    But what can they do?


    In the eyes of many elders of the Haoshan Sect, the lower-level disciples are just tools. Being able to embark on the path of cultivation is already a great favor. Do they dare to ask for more?


    Isn''t it asking for rebellion?!


    Well, indeed it is asking for rebellion.


    Chen An and the group behind Song Qing have been cooperating for a while, and they have a clear understanding of what they want to do.


    Frankly speaking, they want to rebel against the Haoshan Sect, and they are truly determined to achieve this goal, preparing to implement it.


    What''s more terrifying is that a large number of lower-level cultivators within the Haoshan Sect are probably members of their group.


    This is easy to understand.


    The cultivation within the Haoshan Sect is extremely difficult. Apart from the elders and their disciples, everyone else is just a tool, completely cutting off any hope of further progress.


    For example, Wei Li, who has already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, doesn''t he want to advance further and try to break through to the Core Formation stage?


    Surely he does.


    But in the current system within the Haoshan Sect, this requirement is impossible to achieve.


    Since that is the case, they can only rebel.


    And there are definitely many people like him within the Haoshan Sect.


    Even Chen An himself is extremely dissatisfied with the various rules of the Haoshan Sect.


    Wanting something from the Haoshan Sect is extremely difficult.


    On the contrary, the group of people led by Song Qing, as long as you pay, they will give you whatever you want, no matter what.


    This is the ideal partner for cooperation.


    Through cooperation with Song Qing and others, Chen An has been living quite comfortably recently.


    Because he doesn''t have to go through the Qingfeng Pavilion for distribution, he has been quite bold during this period, and under full force, he has been producing a large quantity of pills every day.


    The terrifying amount of pills, when seen by people like Wei Li, left them in shock and almost took a cold breath.


    Before meeting Chen An, they never thought that pills could be refined in this manner.


    More importantly, even though Chen An refines pills every day in large quantities, the quality of each furnace is basically good, with the lowest being a good product.


    Stable like a robot.


    This is truly heart-wrenching.


    Looking back at their own difficult alchemy process, and then looking at how easy and effortless it is for Chen An to refine pills as if it were eating and drinking, they can''t help but feel some doubts about life.


    However, besides that, they are satisfied with their cooperation this time.


    Both sides got what they wanted.


    Chen An obtained the alchemy formulas and scriptures he wanted, and Wei Li, Song Qing, and the others obtained a large number of risk-free pills from Chen An.


    It can be said that both sides got what they needed.


    The cooperation between the two sides was quite pleasant.


    And the more pleasant their cooperation was, the closer Chen An was to his goal.


    "Hmm?"


    One night, Chen An suddenly looked up, somewhat surprised, and looked ahead.


    Under his gaze, there was a faint aura of demonic cultivators suddenly surging in various places.


    This aura was very subtle, hidden very well, not to mention ordinary people, even a legitimate Golden Core cultivator would probably not be able to detect it.


    With the blessing of the Core Formation Technique, Chen An was able to grasp some details and thus sense the existence of this aura.


    How come there is suddenly a demonic aura in the Haoshan Sect?


    Chen An couldn''t help but feel puzzled.


    He knew that there were definitely a large number of demonic cultivators hidden within the Haoshan Sect. Many cultivators who appeared normal on the surface were probably members of the demonic cultivators, just lurking within the Haoshan Sect.


    But even so, exposing their aura directly, isn''t that a bit too arrogant? Aren''t they afraid of being discovered?


    Chen An felt puzzled, but quickly realized.


    "Are they finally going to make their move?"


    This thought flashed through his mind.


    In his view, the sudden appearance of this anomaly could only prove one thing.


    The group behind Song Qing and Wei Li were finally going to make their move.


    Calculating the time, it seems that it''s about time.


    As early as two to three months ago, Song Qing had discreetly hinted to Chen An that they would soon make a move against the Haoshan Sect.


    At that time, Chen An didn''t think too much about it and just casually agreed.


    But judging from the current situation, their actions are indeed very fast.


    They are ready to make their move.


    Oh well.


    Chen An just silently watched, not intending to get involved.


    On the contrary, he had already made plans to run away.


    The preparations for running away were something he had planned for a long time, but due to previous constraints, he had not been able to implement it.


    After all, even if he wanted to run away, he had to empty out everything in the Haoshan Sect, right? It''s almost there now.


    As for the various alchemy formulas in the Haoshan Sect''s pharmacy, the valuable ones had already been obtained by Chen An through the demonic cultivators, although there were still some omissions, but the remaining ones were not that important.


    As for the Haoshan Scriptures of the Haoshan Sect, he had also obtained them, at least there was no problem with cultivation before Core Formation.


    With everything he wanted in hand, there should be no problem next.


    After thinking for a while and confirming that he didn''t miss anything, Chen An began to prepare to pack up.


    His luggage was not much, or rather, most of the important things were kept with him in the White Tower, so the remaining things were not that many.


    After tidying up, Chen An did not leave immediately. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    There is a mountain guarding array within the Haoshan Sect. Without the token, it is impossible to leave, otherwise it will alarm the array and cause a disturbance.


    This is not the result Chen An wants.


    So he decided to follow the proper procedure.


    That is, to accept a task within the Haoshan Sect and then leave directly with the token given by the Haoshan Sect.


    This is the proper procedure for a cultivator leaving the sect.


    This was how Chen An left before.


    Early the next morning, Chen An rushed to the main hall, intending to take on a task that would allow him to leave.


    His plan was very well thought out. Once he accepted a task, he would leave the Haoshan Sect and run away directly.


    By then, all the grievances within the Haoshan Sect would no longer be his concern, and whether he lived or died would not matter.


    However, the reality proved that he was being too naive.


    "Not even one?"


    Looking at the miscellaneous disciple in front of him, Chen An''s face showed a look of surprise.


    "Indeed, Senior Brother."


    The miscellaneous disciple responsible for registration in front of him looked helpless, with a strange look on his face. "Senior Brother, I also find it strange."


    In the past, there were always a lot of errands and tasks within the Haoshan Sect.


    Either a certain place needed someone to guard it, or someplace needed to be investigated. In any case, there were many odd jobs to be done.


    However, the number of people willing to leave and complete tasks was quite small.


    There was no way around it. Everyone was unwilling to leave the Haoshan Sect.


    For cultivators, the environment within the Haoshan Sect is unique.


    The entire Haoshan Sect is built on spiritual veins, with large formations guarding everywhere, sealing off spiritual energy and divine essence.


    Living here, even if it''s just an ordinary place, it is equivalent to a treasure land, a great place for cultivation.


    Being within the Haoshan Sect is not only beneficial for cultivation, but other things like elixirs and treasures can also be found, just by paying some spirit stones.


    Almost everything can be found here. But what about the outside world? Desolate spiritual energy, ordinary mortals everywhere, there is no place for cultivation and no fellow practitioners to interact with. It''s even difficult to buy a few elixirs.


    So, the tasks assigned outside the sect generally involved unpleasant jobs that nobody wanted to do. Even if they were paid, not many people were willing to do them.


    In the past, because no one was willing to do them, these tasks were often left vacant in the Haoshan Sect, so as long as someone was willing to do them, they could usually be found.


    But now, these tasks have disappeared altogether.


    It feels too deliberate.


    Needless to say, this is definitely the work of those demonic cultivators.


    The reason is simple, they want to wipe out the entire Haoshan Sect, swallow it whole if possible.


    The Haoshan Sect''s value lies not only in its spiritual veins and formations but also in the tens of thousands of cultivators within it who are equally important assets.


    Once they capture the Haoshan Sect, these will all become their property.


    Naturally, they have to find a way to block it, to prevent them from taking actions that could lead to losses for them.


    By canceling all the tasks assigned outside the sect, it becomes impossible to run away, even if one wanted to.


    Chen An thought for a moment, then didn''t pay too much attention to it, just looked at the miscellaneous disciple in front of him. "I am Chen Changming, a disciple of the Medicine Hall. If you come across similar tasks in the future, please inform me as soon as possible."


    As he spoke, he took out two elixirs.


    Elixirs were not precious items, they were just two high-quality Small Yuan Elixirs, which were completely worthless to Chen An now.


    But for the low-cultivation, even those who hadn''t opened their Purple Mansion yet and could only serve as cheap laborers like the miscellaneous disciple, this was clearly a different story.


    Receiving the elixirs, the miscellaneous disciple in front of him brightened up. "Sure, sure."


    "Senior Brother, you can go back and wait for the news. If I come across similar tasks, I will visit you as soon as possible."


    He readily agreed to Chen An''s request.


    It wasn''t a big deal anyway.


    Just running an errand to deliver a message could earn two elixirs, which was a profit no matter how you looked at it.


    Chen An nodded, then left.


    (The End of this Chapter)

 Chapter 214: Chaos Rising

    Chen An didn''t have much hope of leaving through the external branch of Haoshan Sect.Since the group behind Wei Li and Song Qing was acting like this, it was obvious that they were planning to make a move soon.


    And it was probably going to be fast.


    It was estimated that before the external task came down, Haoshan Sect had already encountered changes.


    So he just tried it out and didn''t pin his hopes on it.


    "If it really doesn''t work, I''ll just have to force my way in."


    Walking on the way back, Chen An thought to himself.


    The defense array of Haoshan Sect was indeed quite troublesome. Without the token, it would likely alarm the cultivators of Haoshan Sect and cause a commotion.


    Usually, Chen An wouldn''t do this.


    But when the cultivators of the devil path made a move, the situation was different.


    By that time, the two forces were fighting inside Haoshan Sect, and they probably wouldn''t have the energy to deal with others.


    When Chen An left at that time, even if Haoshan Sect discovered it, they probably wouldn''t have the time to deal with him.


    It would still achieve the goal.


    "That''s fine."


    As he walked past a crossroad, Chen An turned to look at the inner mountain of Haoshan Sect, muttering to himself, "Let''s take a look and see what happens that night."


    He was actually curious about what would happen that night.


    If he could leave directly, that would be great, but since he couldn''t for the time being, he might as well take advantage of the situation and see what would happen that night.


    He felt that it would definitely be lively.


    He expected the scene not to disappoint him.


    Chen An was looking forward to it.


    Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, several days had passed.


    During these days, there was often a faint magic energy lingering above Haoshan Sect, but it was very subtle.


    At least in Chen An''s perception, it was like this, and it was not easily observed without careful observation.


    Even he, probably others were the same.


    The strongest cultivator on the surface of Haoshan Sect was the Haoshan Sect Master at the Golden Core stage, and it was normal for him not to be aware.


    Haoshan Sect appeared calm on the surface, as if everything was normal, without any changes.


    But an undercurrent was already surging, just waiting to erupt.


    On the day of the outbreak, this force would probably attract attention.


    Finally, that day arrived.


    "Kill!"


    In the middle of the night, there were bursts of howls in the sky above Haoshan Sect.


    A roar sounded from the sky, and then the entire inner mountain of Haoshan Sect exploded.


    Terrifying power emanated, and looking up, the sky was filled with vast runes, shining here.


    These were Daoist runes, each representing the mysteries of heaven and earth, containing a great power.


    And at this moment, all these runes flew, and finally exploded inside Haoshan Sect.


    Boom!


    The powerful force shook, a terrifying aura spread, directly spreading in all directions.


    Almost in an instant, the defense array of Haoshan Sect trembled, then fell silent.


    The entire Haoshan Sect was protected by the defense array. If someone wanted to attack Haoshan Sect, no matter from which direction, this protective array would be a huge problem.


    So to address this issue, the group of people acted accurately.


    As soon as they made a move, they targeted the core of Haoshan Sect.


    That place was none other than the core of the defense array.


    Under such an attack, the terrifying power shockingly seemed to have quickly made the defense array of Haoshan Sect fall silent, unable to play its original role and effect.


    Clearly, those who made this move were very clear-headed.


    No matter how strong the array was, it was ultimately controlled by people.


    As long as one or two key points were affected, causing problems within the cultivators responsible for the array, with internal and external forces acting together, even a strong defense array like the one in Haoshan Sect couldn''t function as intended.


    This also indicated that Haoshan Sect was in a really bad state.


    For the devil cultivators to find the core of the defense array so accurately, there must have been a traitor, and a core-level one at that.


    It''s possible that not just one elder had defected within Haoshan Sect, in order to achieve the current effect.


    And the move they made was huge.


    "Respectful Elder''s Artifact."


    Standing alone in place, feeling the aura spreading in the sky, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh, "Truly a huge move."


    The so-called Elder''s Artifact was something he had seen before.


    That was when he was in the holy sage''s secret realm, and at that time, two people had pulled up the ladder of the sky, successfully drawing down two Elder''s artifacts from the Heavenly Pillar.


    However, at that time, those two individuals were limited by their cultivation, and couldn''t fully unleash the power of the Elder''s artifacts, only feeling their extraordinary aura.


    And now, the display of this Elder''s artifact was truly extraordinary.


    With one strike, the entire Haoshan Sect was shaken, and the powerful aura seemed to be able to stir up the galaxy, effortlessly obliterating everything in this world.


    Chen An was sure that if the defense array hadn''t been there to protect it, the blow just now would probably have been enough to flatten the entire Haoshan Sect, and most of the cultivators would probably have perished.


    This was the power of an Elder''s Artifact, at the top of cultivators.


    But it was just one strike.


    After that strike, the Elder''s Artifact seemed to have exhausted its power, and the runes on it quickly dimmed, and the overbearing Elder''s aura that filled the surroundings also retracted, disappearing.


    Was this Elder''s Artifact only capable of one strike?


    "Damaged Artifact?"


    Through keen perception, Chen An saw the appearance of the Elder''s Artifact, a broken large bell.


    The bell was red-gold in color, covered with cracks, and with runes dancing on its surface, exuding a dizzying aura.


    What was most eye-catching was that the bell was covered in cracks and missing many fragments, not a complete artifact.


    Obviously, this was a damaged Elder''s Artifact, but it already had such power.


    Truly terrifying.


    Chen An sighed in his heart, and then couldn''t help but think of the White Tower in his body.


    Just a damaged Elder''s Artifact had such power when unleashed.


    What if it was a complete Elder''s Artifact?


    Or what about the White Tower in his body?


    Although it hadn''t shown much power yet, Chen An speculated that the White Tower in his body was probably far superior to an Elder''s Artifact, not just acting as a large space bag.


    It''s just that he didn''t know how much power the White Tower would exhibit once it awakens.


    Chen An was quite looking forward to it.


    But anticipation aside, what was important was the present.


    With the appearance of the Elder''s Artifact, the Haoshan Sect defense array was brought down in one blow, losing most of its power.


    And this battle had finally entered a critical moment.


    "Ning Ming, meet your end!"


    In the inner mountain of Haoshan Sect, a roar rang out, echoing through the entire Haoshan Sect.


    There was a hidden divine power in it, as well as a crazy demonic aura soaring into the sky.


    The vast magic energy was no longer hidden, rushing straight into the sky, covering the entire sky of Haoshan Sect.


    Chen An''s heart stirred.


    Ning Ming, the name represented none other than the current Sect Master of Haoshan Sect.


    It seemed that the group of devil cultivators had finally made their move.


    From the fluctuations, Chen An could sense that the strength of this devil cultivator was quite strong.


    When he roared, his aura made even Chen An feel wary, his strength definitely surpassing Chen An''s.


    "At least at the Golden Core Late stage."


    Chen An whispered to himself, a thought flashing through his mind.


    Before, in the holy sage''s secret realm, Chen An had tested his own strength.


    The realm was filled with Golden Core beasts that were not inferior to Golden Core cultivators.


    After a series of battles, Chen An probably had a judgment on his own strength.


    Although he was only in the early Xiantian stage, his combat power was not bad. Even facing higher-level beasts, he could still fight.


    With his Frozen Miles Technique, even if he was facing a Golden Core Late stage cultivator, he could still put up a fight.


    Of course, it was just a desperate fight.


    When it came down to it, with just one move, he was definitely not an opponent.


    The devil cultivator leading the attack on Haoshan Sect at this moment was undoubtedly stronger than Chen An.


    However, that alone wasn''t enough.


    Chen An looked up at the inner mountain of Haoshan Sect, watching the burning fires within, and silently had this thought in his mind.


    This devil cultivator was indeed powerful, but Chen An believed that there wouldn''t be too many cultivators with such strength in this battle.


    Moreover, Haoshan Sect was not to be trifled with, and the sect master''s strength was also formidable.


    When two tigers fight, there probably wouldn''t be time to deal with him.


    "It''s time to leave."


    Gazing at the fires burning in the distance, Chen An silently stood up, ready to leave.


    He had already packed up everything, and even if there were some things left, they were mostly just odds and ends, not worth much.


    The servants in the residence had been dismissed a few days ago, given a dismissal fee, so he should have no problem with his future life.


    It was time to leave.


    Chen An left his residence and walked towards the outer area of Haoshan Sect.


    Normally, his actions would definitely be noticed.


    But with the silence of the defense array and the key areas being fiercely attacked by the devil cultivators, there was no one who could pay attention to Chen An''s actions.


    Or even if they noticed, they wouldn''t have the energy to care about him.


    This also meant that Chen An''s actions went extremely smoothly.


    He left his residence and soon arrived at the foot of the mountain.


    As long as he crossed this area, it would no longer be within the range covered by the defense array of Haoshan Sect.


    He could leave.


    "It seems there''s still some reaction."


    Feeling the reactions of the defense arrays around him, Chen An frowned.


    He found that although the defense array was mostly silent, there still seemed to be a powerful force lurking, not completely paralyzed.


    So he decided to wait a little longer.


    Chen An was not in a hurry.


    The defense array was still running, with a strong force, but he believed in the ability of those devil cultivators.


    As time passed, the confrontation between the devil cultivators and the cultivators of Haoshan Sect became more intense. By then, there would definitely be no one left to maintain the defense array.


    It was just a matter of wasting a little more time.


    Chen An could afford to wait.


    Sure enough, only a few hours later, the runes of the defense array before him quickly dimmed, and the divine power that supported its operation was rapidly depleting.


    (End of this Chapter)


    s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 215: Get Away

    It''s time!Looking at the appearance of the mountain protection array in front of him, Chen An understood that it was time to leave.


    Obviously, after a fierce battle, the power of Haoshan Sect had weakened to the extreme at this moment, and even the mountain protection array was unable to continue to maintain.


    It was also time to leave.


    Confirming this, Chen An immediately thought of getting up.


    But before he could move, someone from afar moved faster than him.


    "Let''s go!"


    A group of people rushed out from afar and quickly walked away.


    These people looked hurried, as if they had just come down from the inner mountain, and most of them seemed a little unstable on their feet.


    But they had just come down from the inner mountain of Haoshan Sect and happened to collide head-on with Chen An.


    This was actually inevitable, because if you wanted to leave Haoshan Sect, there weren''t many options if you didn''t take the main road.


    The road in front of them was the most suitable one for sneaking away.


    It could only be said that the intentions of both sides coincided.


    "Junior Brother Chen!"


    A cry came from afar.


    At this moment, while Chen An was still thinking about what to do, whether to take them down directly or leave without hesitation, he heard the voice and instinctively looked up, and then was stunned.


    There were about seven or eight people standing far away, each of them with strong aura, averaging at the cultivation level of the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refinement. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Among them, there was also someone familiar to Chen An.


    Liu Roujun.


    Compared to before, Liu Roujun''s appearance at this moment was a bit disheveled, with some dirt on her red robe, and her once handsome face was now covered in sweat, looking completely different from before.


    She stood at a distance, looking at Chen An in front of her, with a hint of astonishment on her face.


    Looking at Liu Roujun, Chen An sighed softly and then clasped his hands, "Sister Liu, it''s been a long time."


    "It''s a coincidence."


    "Sister Liu, who is this person?"


    On the side, a young man in white spoke, looking quite outstanding in the dark night. At this moment, he looked at Chen An with obvious hostility in his eyes.


    "This is a fellow disciple from my hometown, a disciple of the Medicine Hall."


    Liu Roujun explained.


    "A disciple of the Medicine Hall? I think he''s a spy from the Demon Sect!"


    The man in white gritted his teeth and raised his long sword towards Chen An, "As a member of our Haoshan Sect, why are you here in the dead of night instead of fighting the enemies, but came here sneakily?"


    "What am I doing?"


    Chen An turned around, looking at the man in white, his face slightly surprised, "Brother, your words are really unreasonable."


    "I see several brothers are extremely powerful, each of them is a dragon among men, elite figures, why don''t you go to the front line and fight against those demonic cultivators, but instead sneak here in the middle of the night?"


    His face showed understanding, "Could it be that you several brothers think that the front line battle is too dangerous, so you decided to run away directly?"


    "You!"


    This statement seemed to touch a nerve for many people, including the man in white in front of him, many people''s faces drastically changed.


    "That''s enough."


    Chen An looked at the people in front of him, his face calm, as he spoke lightly, "You are all prepared to run away, who has the right to judge whom?"


    "All of you have such profound cultivation levels, yet you don''t go fight against the demonic cultivators at the front line, instead you sneak away in the dead of night, it''s simply shameful."


    As he spoke, a tall figure walked out of the shadows and revealed his face with a faint cold smile, "I think what he said makes sense, don''t you guys agree?"


    "To me, you guys are indeed like that, always used to being high and mighty, but when it comes to trouble, you all run away. It''s truly despicable."


    As he spoke, a tall figure walked out of the shadows, revealing his appearance.


    Soon, the people in front of him were stunned.


    "Senior Brother Wei."


    Liu Roujun stood still and looked at the tall figure in front of her, somewhat incredulous.


    The person standing there was none other than Wei Li, whom she had encountered before.


    However, compared to before, Wei Li''s appearance at this moment was much more frightening.


    He was tall and muscular, with a layer of black veins spreading on the surface of his skin, and a surging blood aura all over his body, looking particularly terrifying.


    Without even needing to do much, just by looking at his appearance, one could tell that this person''s hands must have been stained with countless souls, typical of a demonic cultivator.


    "Wei Li! Even you have betrayed us!"


    The man in white and others roared, "What have those demonic cultivators given you as benefits?"


    Compared to other people, Wei Li''s identity was not simple at all, and within the entire Haoshan Sect, he was considered special.


    As mentioned earlier, within the Haoshan Sect, even the so-called elders were only at the Essence Transformation stage, equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage in the martial world.


    And Wei Li''s cultivation level was already at the ninth level of Qi Refinement.


    At the ninth level of Qi Refinement, this cultivation level was only second to the Essence Transformation stage, in other words, even in the entire Haoshan Sect, he was only second to the elders in terms of cultivation level.


    With such cultivation level, Wei Li''s identity was also evident, even though he was not an elder disciple, he had no official position, he was still the number one figure in the Haoshan Sect.


    Even the other elder disciples, who were not to be underestimated, most likely would not dare to underestimate him if they were to encounter him.


    But they never expected that this staunch member of the Haoshan Sect, this person crucial to the Haoshan Sect, would eventually defect and directly join the demonic cultivators.


    This fact made the people present pale, with a bad premonition growing in their hearts.


    Obviously, Wei Li appeared here to block them.


    The group of demonic cultivators who had already made their move had probably anticipated their preparations and predicted that they would definitely run away, so they had already arranged for Wei Li to wait for them here.


    "Wei Li!"


    At this moment, someone scolded angrily, "You are also a member of our Haoshan Sect, enjoying the sect''s favor, how dare you turn against us and attack us?"


    "Why wouldn''t I dare?"


    Wei Li sneered, "Back then, I cultivated to the seventh level of Qi Refinement, thinking that even if I couldn''t become an elder disciple, I could at least become a steward."


    "But what happened?"


    "Because I offended the son of an elder, I was suppressed, and not to mention becoming an elder disciple, even the various stewards looked at me with disdain and made things difficult for me."


    "I''ve had enough of this sect long ago!"


    He stared with wide eyes, looking at Liu Roujun and the others in front of him, a chilling smile on his face, "My cultivation requires human blood essence, and with your extraordinary cultivation levels, I believe your blood essence will be very effective."


    "I hope my junior brothers can help me and assist me in advancing my cultivation."


    With these words, he made a move.


    A bloody hand suddenly stretched out, as if reaching out from the shadows, silently and quietly pressing down.


    The power of the gods shook as a long sword was waved.


    In an instant, the young man in white widened his eyes, the long sword in his hand fell powerless, and his entire chest was pierced through.


    Swoosh


    The sound of flowing blood echoed in the area.


    (The End of this Chapter)

 Chapter 216: Taking Action

    The white-clothed youth looked in shock in front of him.A bloody hole pierced through his chest, causing all the strength in his body to dissipate, unable to even use his divine power.


    "You..."


    In the end, he could only weakly look at the Wei Li in front of him, his eyes full of deep reluctance.


    But what could reluctance do?


    In the end, his blood flowed backwards, rushing towards his core under the effect of divine power, only to be directly sucked dry.


    Wei Li''s attack was fierce and merciless, showing no mercy as he cleanly and decisively sucked out all the vital blood in his body, condensing it into a blood essence.


    As for the white-clothed youth, at this moment he no longer bore any resemblance to his previous self, leaving only a dried-out corpse.


    Leaving aside everything else, just looking at his dead appearance, it was truly ugly.


    Chen An couldn''t help but sigh.


    Judging from the tone of the white-clothed youth before, he thought this person was extraordinary.


    But the result was just someone who was easily defeated in one move.


    Is this the level of an elder disciple?


    He felt somewhat disappointed in his heart, but didn''t say anything, just silently watched.


    "Wei Li!"


    At this moment, the others in front of him finally reacted.


    Looking at Wei Li in front of them, they were both shocked and angry, their eyes showing their raging anger, clearly showing, "How dare you kill someone!"


    "Just a waste, what does it matter if you kill them?"


    Wei Li casually replied, his gaze fixed on the others in front of him, "Don''t worry. It will be your turn soon."


    His words carried a dangerous atmosphere.


    Without any hesitation, the people in front of him immediately took action.


    Someone took out a pre-prepared formation talisman and tore it open directly.


    With a strong dragging sound, a powerful aura rose up.


    The spiritual energy from all directions surged, erupting with a powerful attack.


    That was the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator.


    "The formation talisman left behind by the elders is quite good."


    Looking at this scene, Wei Li nodded.


    The so-called formation talisman was a kind of application of the formation, which could engrave part of one''s own strength into specific materials and burst out at critical moments, roughly equivalent to the power of a single strike from the one who inscribed the formation talisman.


    This kind of thing was rare, because even many elders of the Haoshan Sect rarely studied formation talismans, most of them only had relatively strong cultivation bases, but were lacking in other aspects.


    It still holds true that whether it is an alchemist or a formation master, they are professionals, not something that can be produced casually.


    The formation talismans on the bodies of these elder disciples were naturally at the level of Nascent Soul, and now when they burst out, their power was equivalent to an attack from a Nascent Soul cultivator.


    Although the strength of the 9th level of Qi Refining was strong, when facing a Nascent Soul attack, one could only sit and wait to die.


    Even if the difference was just one level, it was like heaven and earth.


    But Wei Li remained calm and did not panic, just standing there, looking quite calm.


    His reaction made people curious.


    Chen An stood by and watched Wei Li''s reaction, also somewhat surprised.


    The power unleashed by the formation talisman in front of them was formidable, but Chen An remained calm.


    What could be done with such strength?


    In the Holy Sage''s secret realm before, Chen An had not only seen Nascent Soul formation talismans, but had also seen them more than once.


    Compared to that, the current situation was just child''s play.


    Wei Li''s face was indifferent as he calmly stepped forward, facing the attack alone.


    And then a shocking thing happened.


    A jade pendant on Wei Li''s body began to glow, emitting a faint light and shimmering with the power of Wei Li, offering protection, actually blocking the attack in front of him.


    The divine energy everywhere was chaotic, even the protective mountain formation in the distance seemed to have been triggered, as if stimulated by this terrifying power.


    The elder disciples in front of him looked at this scene with disbelief on their faces.


    "How is this possible?"


    They were astonished.


    Because in front of them, Wei Li had withstood the attack of the formation talisman, but he seemed completely unscathed, as if nothing had happened to him.


    But how was this possible?


    That was a Nascent Soul attack, theoretically capable of crushing even a mountain, let alone a mere Qi Refining cultivator like Wei Li.


    Not only did Wei Li withstand it, he seemed completely unaffected.


    But no matter how unbelievable they found it, the fact was right in front of them.


    "Not bad, do you have any other tricks?"


    Wei Li looked at the people in front of him, a sly smile on his face. "Since you don''t, then it''s my turn."


    As he spoke, he walked towards the front.


    The terrifying slaughter began.


    In close combat, Wei Li''s displayed combat power far exceeded his cultivation level, only slightly weaker than Nascent Soul.


    With such strength, how could a group of cultivators who hadn''t even reached the peak of Qi Refining be his opponents?


    After their trump cards given by the elders proved ineffective, their fates were sealed.


    In a short moment, blood was everywhere in front of them, several bodies lying powerless on the ground, their faces still showing their unwillingness.


    But this was only a moment, and before long, their blood essence was sucked dry, their bodies turning into dried corpses, no longer resembling their former selves.


    "Sister Liu is a fellow hometown friend of mine, Brother Wei, could you spare her for my sake?"


    Finally, after most of them had perished, Chen An spoke up.


    He looked at Liu Roujun who had survived in front of him, speaking softly.


    At this point, only a few people remained.


    Aside from Wei Li and Liu Roujun, there was one female disciple who was still alive.


    This female disciple seemed to be quite special, deliberately left by Wei Li, lying motionless there, her divine power already imprisoned, unable to resist.


    Because of her low cultivation, Liu Roujun had not been taken seriously by Wei Li, and fortunately survived till now.


    However, if Chen An had not spoken up, she would probably have met the same fate as the others before, ending up as a dried corpse.


    "Oh?"


    Wei Li looked at Chen An, then at Liu Roujun, and finally nodded, with a hint of a playful smile on his face. "Since Junior Brother Chen has requested, then of course everything is negotiable."


    "Sister Liu has a beautiful appearance and outstanding talent, a good match indeed."


    "Junior Brother has a good eye."


    "Thank you, Brother Wei."


    Chen An smiled.


    At a distance, Liu Roujun finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    She was completely blank from just now until now.


    The demonic aura on Wei Li''s body was too strong, even though it wasn''t completely directed at her, just the overflow of his aura was enough to suffocate her.


    The fear of death enveloped her, making her unable to move, unable to muster the courage even to escape.


    But now, at least she could avoid death.


    With a somewhat complicated look, she glanced at Chen An, unsure of her feelings at this moment.


    "However, Brother, may I ask what you want from me, if I help you with this?" s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Li looked at Chen An, a playfulness in his eyes. "It''s late at night, why is Junior Brother not resting at home, but coming to the edge of this formation?"


    "It''s quiet at night, the scenery outside is good, I come here for a walk, to calm my mind, is that so wrong?"


    Chen An replied casually.


    "A casual walk."


    Wei Li chuckled, his face gradually turning cold. "Brother, do you think I''m a fool?"


    "When Song Qing passed on the message earlier, he said you were a smart person who wouldn''t do anything stupid, and I believed it."


    "But now, it seems that is not the case."


    He coldly said, and then took out a black blood pill.


    Made from refined blood essence, the black blood pill also had unique runes on it. As soon as it was taken out, a unique fragrance permeated, causing the divine power in the person''s body to stir and yearn for it uncontrollably.


    "This is a blood pill refined from blood essence, very beneficial for cultivation."


    He sternly said, "I''ve noticed that you''ve been slacking off in your cultivation due to your alchemy work, so why not swallow this blood pill to improve your cultivation?"


    "I wonder what Junior Brother thinks?"


    "Not much."


    The blood pill was obviously suspicious.


    Perhaps as Wei Li said, it could really improve cultivation, but it was likely to come with other side effects.


    In the end, Chen An sighed, "Brother, if you say so, do I even have a choice?"


    Wei Li was obviously up to no good.


    But there was no choice, he had dug his own grave.


    For the devil cultivators in front of him, as long as Chen An didn''t run away, perhaps they would still continue to cooperate with him amicably based on their previous cooperation, and continue to let him make pills for them.


    But now that Chen An had exposed his intention to flee, there was nothing more to be said.


    They would not kill him immediately, as they probably hoped he would work like a slave for them in the future, making pills for them.


    "Then it depends on whether Junior Brother knows what''s good for him."


    Wei Li maintained his cold smile and calmly said, "Brother, you''re a smart person, I believe you won''t disappoint me."


    "That''s a given."


    Chen An''s face remained unchanged, reaching out to take the blood pill.


    Wei Li showed a smile, which quickly froze.


    Because after taking the blood pill, Chen An did not immediately swallow it, but directly threw it aside, showing no intention of taking it at all.


    Before Wei Li could speak, he reached out and a powerful divine power exploded, instantly stirring the surrounding spiritual energy, condensing into a palm strike.


    "You!"


    A strong sense of danger struck Wei Li, instinctively avoiding it.


    At that moment, he felt a strange sense of absurdity in his heart.


    Even when dealing with those elder disciples before, he hadn''t felt any danger.


    But now facing Chen An, he felt a sense of crisis.


    The Chen An in front of him was very dangerous.


    Why?


    Wasn''t he just at the third level of Qi Refining? How could his divine power be so strong?


    Wei Li was puzzled.


    But soon, his question was answered.


    In front of him, Chen An remained calm, approaching him.


    As this process unfolded, the divine power on him was rapidly erupting, completely unleashed.


    Looking at the powerful divine power fluctuations, it was clear that he was not at the third level of Qi Refining, but had already reached the ninth level!


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 217: Qi Refinement

    A sudden change took everyone by surprise.Whether it was Wei Li or Liu Roujun next to him, they did not expect such a turn of events.


    The person who had previously behaved like a lamb suddenly turned into a fierce tiger in the blink of an eye, which was truly too exciting.


    Neither Wei Li nor Liu Roujun had expected it at all.


    "Refining the Qi to the ninth level."


    Liu Roujun stood dumbfounded in place, her face showing a look of astonishment: "How did he do it?"


    Compared to the other people present, she had been with Chen An for a long time and had seen him step by step enter the Hao Mountain Sect, so she knew his background very well.


    Liu Roujun was certain that Chen An was definitely just an ordinary mortal without cultivation before entering Hao Mountain Sect.


    So, did he only gain this cultivation after entering Hao Mountain Sect?


    Recalling Chen An''s previous scenes of indulgence in alchemy, neglect of cultivation, and her previous admonitions to him, as well as his calm and casual attitude, she finally came to a conclusion.


    Chen An had been pretending to be a fool all along.


    His talent was probably even stronger than what he had revealed, and the benefits he had gained from the secret realm were probably greater than ordinary people could imagine.


    He was not indulging in alchemy and neglecting cultivation, but rather confident that even while learning alchemy, he could also reach the peak of cultivation.


    On the other hand, she had been indulging in meaningless things, thinking that the other party was beyond redemption.


    Am I the clown in this situation?


    Realizing this, Liu Roujun''s expression became much more complex, and when she looked at Chen An, her eyes were filled with many inexplicable emotions.


    If Chen An knew what she was thinking, he would surely tell her with a smile: Miss, you are overthinking it.


    Chen An didn''t have so many thoughts at all.


    In fact, he had only been at the third level of Qi Refinement before.


    And now?


    It was just temporary.


    Yes, the all-powerful upgrade template had once again come into play.


    Before this, through cooperation with the demonic cultivator, Chen An had already obtained all the contents of the Hao Mountain Scripture, and now he had all the cultivation methods of Qi Refinement at his disposal.


    So, it was quite convenient for him to raise his cultivation level at this moment.


    In the end, as long as he had enough source power, it was quite simple for Chen An to raise his cultivation level.


    The Qi Refinement realm of cultivators was roughly equivalent to the body forging to the completion of internal energy realm for martial artists.


    At this level, the source power consumed by Chen An''s cultivation level increase was not too outrageous, so even if he raised it to the top in one go, it was acceptable.


    This led to the explosion before his eyes, reaching the peak of Qi Refinement in an instant.


    The powerful divine power erupted and collided in mid-air.


    The terrifying forces canceled each other out, and then both of them retreated a step.


    "You!"


    Wei Li was both shocked and angry at Chen An''s sudden attack.


    He never thought that this seemingly ordinary cultivator in front of him was also pretending to be a fool.


    Although the other party had the terrifying cultivation level of the ninth level of Qi Refinement, he was willing to stay in the medicine hall, be with elixirs every day, and never reveal his true strength.


    How deep was this scheming?


    "Do you think that you can escape from my hands just because you have the strength of the ninth level of Qi Refinement?"


    Wei Li sneered, "What a joke!"


    "Even if you are at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, I Wei Li have also killed before!"


    "Today, let me show you the true strength of Wei Li!"


    With that, a figure appeared in front of him, and a long knife fell across.


    The silver-white long knife was dazzling in the dark night, infused with powerful divine power, turning into numerous knife rays that directly cut off the defensive divine power on Wei Li''s body.


    If Wei Li hadn''t dodged fast enough, just this one strike would have cut him in half.


    Before he could catch his breath, the person in front of him threw a punch.


    This punch was powerful, as if it gathered a heavy divine power, falling like a landslide with an incomparable terrifying momentum.


    Hai Sha Fist!


    This was a martial skill that Chen An practiced in his early years, and he hadn''t used it for a long time, but now it came in handy.


    With a punch, the terrifying divine power poured out, creating a majestic force that pressed forward.


    Wei Li''s body retreated, and there were several concave marks on his chest and he spurted out several mouthfuls of blood before barely stopping his footsteps.


    "If you want to fight, then fight. No need for so much nonsense."


    Chen An''s expression was indifferent as he looked at Wei Li and spoke calmly.


    The next moment, the long knife swept down.


    Faintly, there were roars of dragons and tigers all around, and the terrifying momentum exploded, striking forward with a slash.


    Five Tiger Blade Technique, Tiger Roar!


    "Block for me!"


    Wei Li''s face was ferocious, feeling the power of this knife in front of him, and he had already thrown caution to the wind.


    The divine power surged in his body, a fierce demonic aura quietly spread outward, forming a shield in front of him.


    However, this was of no use.


    As the long knife fell, the silver-white knife rays cut through the divine power under the divine power, like cutting melons and vegetables, slashing towards Wei Li.


    Clang!


    A crisp sound was heard.


    On Wei Li''s body, the jade pendant that had previously blocked the attack from the Ephemeral Realm emitted a light, and then a crack appeared on it and it shattered directly.


    As for Wei Li, a faint bloodline appeared on his neck at this moment.


    His consciousness gradually became dim, about to plunge into deep darkness.


    Before falling into complete death, Wei Li''s only remaining thought was: Why is he so strong?


    Yeah, why is he so strong?


    This question was not only in Wei Li''s mind, but also in Liu Roujun and another female cultivator''s mind.


    Chen An''s divine power was only at the level of Qi Refinement Nine, but his combat power far exceeded this level.


    This was not an ordinary Qi Refinement Nine.


    Where did the problem lie?


    They, like Wei Li, couldn''t figure it out.


    But the answer was actually very simple.


    In addition to being a cultivator, Chen An also had the identity of a martial artist.


    He was a true innate martial artist, with a level of strength far surpassing that of the so-called Qi Refinement cultivators.


    Even though he was restricted by this world''s suppression and rejection of martial artists, some martial abilities such as internal energy and innate qi couldn''t be used, just his strong physique alone was enough to crush the existence below the Golden Core.


    Even if a Nascent Soul cultivator stood in front of Chen An, facing his formidable physique, they would probably only have a fifty-fifty chance of winning, unable to defeat him.


    Would this reveal his identity as a martial artist?


    You couldn''t say for certain.


    Chen An intentionally didn''t use innate qi, did he?


    Despite having used a lot of martial skills before, he didn''t use innate qi to drive them, but rather the divine power of a cultivator.


    In this world, cultivators had absorbed some essence from the practice of martial artists, and they also had similar means such as martial skills.


    So Chen An''s style wouldn''t attract attention.


    As for his overly strong physique?


    That was even less of an issue.


    After all, even among cultivators, there were many who specialized in tempering their bodies.


    Some cultivators tempered their bodies to an extreme degree to the point that their physique was even stronger than martial artists of the same realm.


    So just having a strong physique alone couldn''t explain anything.


    For Chen An, as long as he didn''t actively reveal the means such as innate qi that only martial artists could use, he didn''t have to worry about anything.


    After dealing with Wei Li, Chen An did not immediately leave, but returned to his old ways.


    His so-called "old ways" were naturally robbing the corpses.


    This was an opportunity not to be missed.


    Tonight, so many people fell here, all of them with significant backgrounds, either senior disciples or cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, and their backgrounds were definitely wealthy.


    Chen An was a poor fellow, so naturally he would take the opportunity to scavenge a bit.


    After all, in the previous battle, he had raised his cultivation to the ninth level of Qi Refinement.


    Although the source power required for the cultivation level increase in the Qi Refinement realm was not too high, raising nine levels in one go was still a considerable consumption.


    Chen An had now emptied his source power reserves again, returning to a state of poverty.


    If he couldn''t find another good place to replenish his pockets, he was afraid he would be a poor fellow for a long time to come.


    So looting the corpses could only be considered normal.


    While Chen An was happily robbing the corpses, the two people beside him were trembling with fear.


    Liu Roujun and the other female cultivator exchanged a glance, and then looked at Chen An who was looting the corpses in front of them, feeling hesitant.


    For Liu Roujun, her feelings towards Chen An at this moment were somewhat complicated, with various emotions brewing within her.


    However, overall, she was still at ease. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, she had a certain amount of friendship with Chen An, had spoken up for him several times before, and had kindly advised him to cultivate, making her a good friend.


    Since they were friends, letting him go was fine.


    But the other person beside her was not so lucky.


    She was also aware of this, so she kept looking at Liu Roujun pleadingly.


    The implication was clear - she hoped Liu Roujun could help her speak a few words of favor.


    Liu Roujun sighed and nodded in the end, agreeing to do so.


    After a while, when Chen An finished looting the corpses and finally remembered the two people beside him, Liu Roujun spoke up.


    "Senior Brother Chen..."


    She subconsciously wanted to call Chen An Junior Brother, but then felt it was inappropriate and corrected herself, "I wonder how you want to deal with us."


    "Don''t worry, we have met once, and I won''t harm you either."


    Chen An glanced at Liu Roujun and said, "But this young lady may not be so lucky."


    He turned around, his eyes full of interest as he looked at the other person.


    In his gaze, the appearance of the female cultivator was revealed.


    At first glance, she seemed very delicate, probably around fifteen or sixteen years old.


    At this age, she was younger than both Liu Roujun and Chen An.


    But her cultivation was not weak at all. At this age, she already had the cultivation level at the sixth level of Qi Refinement and had an extraordinary temperament.


    From the reactions of Wei Li and others before, it could be seen that the woman in front of him had a significant background, or else she wouldn''t have been treated so specially before.


    This piqued Chen An''s interest.


    For him, whether to spare the two people in front of him was actually up to him.


    But since Liu Roujun had some friendship with him and had spoken up for him before, she was considered a good friend.


    Since she was a friend, Chen An decided to let her go.


    But the woman in front of him was different.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 218: Going Public

    For Chen An, Liu Roujun was her friend, but the person in front of her was not.Since they were not friends, if she wanted him to spare her, she had to give something in return.


    Since this person''s identity was probably prestigious, money was even more necessary.


    If she didn''t take advantage of this big fat sheep, Chen An felt like she wouldn''t be able to sleep well.


    "Who are you?"


    Right now, Chen An looked at the other person with interest and asked the first question.


    Under Chen An''s gaze, the girl opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but considering the fierceness Chen An showed when fighting Wei Li before, she decided to answer the question honestly: "Ning Wanli."


    Ning Wanli?


    Ning''s surname?


    Chen An pondered for a moment and subconsciously asked: "You are the daughter of the Ning Sect Master?"


    As soon as the words fell, both Liu Roujun and Ning Wanli were surprised. "How did you know?"


    "Just a random guess."


    Chen An said casually, "It''s not hard to guess, considering you can make Wei Li intentionally spare your life and your surname is Ning. It''s quite easy to connect the dots within the Hao Mountain Sect."


    Wei Li had killed many elders and disciples before. If she wasn''t of a special status, how could he let her live? Moreover, the Sect Master of the Hao Mountain Sect happened to be called Ning Ming, so it was easy to make the connection.


    But it was good that way.


    A smile appeared on Chen An''s face.


    As the daughter of the Sect Master, her status was prestigious, and her family must be rich, right?


    He looked at Ning Wanli with a gaze that resembled a wolf eyeing a fat sheep.


    It seemed that his gaze was too intimidating, as Ning Wanli''s body trembled, appearing a bit scared. "What do you want?"


    "Don''t be afraid, I am a good person."


    Chen An explained casually, then realized that this explanation seemed to be useless, so he directly got to the point: "Don''t worry, I am not interested in you. I am interested in the things on you."


    He glanced at Ning Wanli and said, "Your life is in my hands now. Whether you can keep it or not depends on how much you can offer in redemption."


    "If the things are not enough, don''t blame me."


    He said lightly.


    "Senior Brother Chen..."


    On the side, Liu Roujun looked at Chen An, wanting to say something, but was intimidated by Chen An''s cold eyes.


    Chen An didn''t forget his position.


    Wei Li was up to no good, but the people representing the Hao Mountain Sect were not to be underestimated either.


    If Wei Li hadn''t suddenly appeared earlier, Chen An would have definitely acted against these people.


    At that time, if Chen An''s strength was not enough and he was caught by them, would they spare him?


    Forget about buying life with money, they might directly crush him to pieces.


    Compared to that, asking for money now and letting them buy their lives was already quite generous.


    If it was someone with a blacker heart, they would directly kill the person, and then all the belongings would be theirs.


    Ning Wanli trembled as she took out things from her body.


    Compared to the others around her, she didn''t have many things on her.


    Five special spirit stones, each worth at least a hundred normal spirit stones.


    Five stones were equivalent to five hundred spirit stones.


    A gourd of elixir containing ten foundational pills, each worth at least fifty spirit stones. Ten of them were worth at least five hundred spirit stones.


    In addition, there was one item that caught Chen An''s eyes.


    It was a very detailed map, recording the surrounding terrain and major cities, with the gathering places of cultivators marked.


    Looking at this, Chen An''s eyes lit up.


    Compared to the previous two items, this map was the most needed thing for him right now.


    After leaving the Hao Mountain Sect, he would definitely have to go to other cultivator gathering places.


    Having this map at this time would save him a lot of effort.


    Otherwise, if he had to find places on his own, who knows how much time he would waste.


    Having a map made things much easier, just follow the map to find what he needed.


    From other people before, Chen An had also found similar maps, but most of them were incomplete and not detailed, far less useful than the map in front of him.


    "Not bad."


    Chen An nodded. With this huge gain, his gaze towards Ning Wanli softened.


    Aside from the map, just the value of the spirit stones and elixir combined was at least a thousand spirit stones.


    This was already considered quite wealthy, making Chen An feel inadequate.


    Although he could make money through alchemy, the expenses were high. Learning new alchemy techniques and buying Gold Spirit Stones to replenish his energy source meant he didn''t have much spirit stones left.


    Finding these items now was a windfall for him.


    Thinking about this, his gaze towards Ning Wanli softened even more.


    He didn''t think much of it, but in front of Ning Wanli, she felt frightened by his gaze and almost cried out, "I really have nothing left."


    "I have taken out everything I have."


    She thought that Chen An was not satisfied with what she had brought out, so he was preparing to kill her.


    "Cough, don''t worry."


    Chen An realized this and coughed lightly before speaking, "Don''t worry, I''m satisfied. I won''t take everything from you. These are for you."


    After his words, he threw some miscellaneous items over.


    Most of these items were random and chaotic, such as some blood pills taken from Wei Li and some maps taken from others before.


    These things were of no use to Chen An, and he found it troublesome to sell them, so he decided to leave them for the two women.


    It just happened that they had been robbed clean, so they probably wouldn''t mind these items.


    Holding these miscellaneous items, Ning Wanli''s expression immediately softened.


    On one hand, she didn''t have to die, and on the other hand, she didn''t expect to be able to keep some things.


    Although they were all miscellaneous items, when calculated, they could still be worth some money, which was better than nothing for her who was currently broke.


    At this moment, she unexpectedly had a feeling that Chen An seemed like a decent person.


    It was quite strange.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen An''s voice came from in front.


    Liu Roujun and Ning Wanli looked up and saw that within the range covered by the mountain protection formation, a gap had appeared, allowing them to pass through.


    Obviously, this gap was opened by Chen An just now and had not disappeared yet.


    Seeing this scene, Liu Roujun and Ning Wanli hurried forward and left through the gap.


    In the blink of an eye, they were outside the Hao Mountain Sect.


    The desolate spiritual energy of the outside world engulfed them, giving them a feeling of being in a desert, which was quite uncomfortable.


    Having been accustomed to the rich spiritual energy environment within the Hao Mountain Sect, experiencing the desolate environment of the outside world felt like being in a desert.


    After a while, they finally adapted to this feeling, and Liu Roujun quickly looked around, but couldn''t find the familiar figure.


    Obviously, Chen An had already left.


    Realizing this, Liu Roujun felt a bit lost.


    Several days passed quickly.


    After leaving the Hao Mountain Sect, Chen An quickly arrived in a distant city.


    In this city, he disguised his identity as a cultivator from the Hao Mountain Sect and approached the city lord, getting to know several cultivators in the area through the city lord.


    From them, Chen An also learned about the final result of the Hao Mountain Sect.


    It had been five days since that night of chaos.


    The turmoil within the Hao Mountain Sect had already ended.


    The specific changes that occurred were unknown to outsiders.


    The only information they knew was that the Hao Mountain Sect had sealed the mountain.


    The former Sect Master of the Hao Mountain Sect had fallen, and his death had been announced to the public.


    However, strangely, in the external announcement, the Hao Mountain Sect Master did not die in battle but accidentally lost control during seclusion and perished.


    Due to this incident, many troublemakers within the Hao Mountain Sect united with external cultivators to commit wrongdoing, resulting in many casualties. s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Under the strict control of the Hao Mountain Sect, the attacking external enemies were repelled, and now the sealing of the mountain was just to handle internal matters. After some time, everything should return to normal.


    This was the outside world''s understanding of the situation within the Hao Mountain Sect.


    Listening to this version of the story, Chen An''s expression became strange.


    To outsiders, the turmoil in the Hao Mountain Sect seemed to be just a rebellion by external cultivators.


    Taking advantage of the Hao Mountain Sect Master''s loss of control, they rebelled and were eventually suppressed by the Hao Mountain Sect.


    It sounded normal.


    But as a witness to that night''s events, Chen An knew things were not that simple.


    The Hao Mountain Sect Master did not die from losing control but was clearly killed by someone.


    It wasn''t just a simple rebellion, but an attack by demonic cultivators to seize the foundation of the Hao Mountain Sect.


    And it seemed like they had succeeded.


    The external statement of the Hao Mountain Sect completely failed to mention the existence of demonic cultivators.


    It was as if this turmoil was just a normal conflict.


    Demonic cultivators? Nonexistent.


    Chen An estimated that these demonic cultivators, after seizing the Hao Mountain Sect, would not reveal themselves and would instead use the facade of the Hao Mountain Sect to disguise themselves.


    In the Land of Rivers, which was a stronghold of orthodox cultivators, demonic cultivators were rare. In such a place, a group of demonic cultivators would draw too much attention, so it was better to parasitize the Hao Mountain Sect and develop silently.


    In a thousand years, they would probably be indistinguishable from orthodox cultivators.


    By then, who would know that they were not the original owners of the Hao Mountain Sect but a group of bandits?


    Chen An couldn''t help but sigh as he mourned his friends he had known in the Hao Mountain Sect.


    He hoped that the people from the Medicine Hall would be safe.


    Most of Chen An''s friends were alchemists, and with their abilities, as long as they remained honest, he believed the demonic cultivators wouldn''t harm them.


    Chen An could only hope for the best now.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 219: Summer King City

    Actually, the reason why Chen An was in a hurry to leave was also because of those group of demonic cultivators.In order to return to Daliang, he must master enough knowledge of array formations and become a skilled enough array master in order to set up a teleportation array to return to the world of Daliang.


    There was no corresponding inheritance in Haoshan Sect, so it was inevitable that he would leave.


    But if it weren''t for those demonic cultivators, he wouldn''t have left so soon.


    After all, he was still young. Even if he stayed in Haoshan Sect for a while longer and saved up more resources before leaving, it wouldn''t be too late.


    But the situation didn''t allow him to stay.


    If the demonic cultivators barged in, they could easily take over Haoshan Sect.


    If Chen An didn''t leave at this time, he might not be able to leave later.


    The reason is very simple.


    Do not be fooled by the fact that Chen An was getting along well with those demonic cultivators, it was only because they still needed him to do the work.


    Once the demonic cultivators took control of Haoshan Sect, could Chen An''s situation still be as pleasant as before?


    Don''t count on it.


    No matter what, Haoshan Sect was a sect of cultivators. Even if there were many problems, at least the people inside were somewhat normal.


    In terms of the lower limit, the demonic cultivators were much lower than the people in Haoshan Sect.


    If Chen An dared to continue staying in Haoshan Sect, with the methods of those demonic cultivators, the probability of being controlled was very high.


    By the time he wanted to leave, it wouldn''t be so easy.


    Just like now, those group of demonic cultivators had probably already taken over Haoshan Sect.


    And the first thing they did after taking over Haoshan Sect was to seal off the mountain, control all the disciples of Haoshan Sect, and not let anyone escape.


    It was estimated that the brutal cleansing and oppression had already begun within Haoshan Sect.


    The demonic cultivators often practiced with human blood, so when they started, they wouldn''t go easy.


    Chen An couldn''t help but sigh, thinking of his friends in Haoshan Sect.


    Most of his friends within Haoshan Sect were alchemists, who were professional talents who mastered core techniques and were unlikely to be troubled much.


    But being controlled was inevitable.


    He could only hope that they could hold on for a while longer.


    When Chen An felt he could deal with those demonic cultivators, he didn''t mind going back to Haoshan Sect to rescue those people.


    And in the name of restoring order, he would take control of Haoshan Sect.


    The title for Chen An had been decided.


    A while back, Chen An deliberately spared Ning Wanli. It was actually for this reason.


    Ning Wanli was the daughter of the Sect Master of Haoshan Sect, while Liu Roujun was an elder disciple. The two of them naturally had the righteous title of inheriting Haoshan Sect, and they could rally the many disciples of Haoshan Sect to the greatest extent.


    In the future, when he had enough strength, with the names of these two, as long as he drove away those demonic cultivators, he could easily restore order and take control of Haoshan Sect.


    But that was something for the future.


    For now, it was better to forget about it.


    The appearance of the artifact of the venerable that night still made Chen An a little shaken.


    Until he found a way to counter that artifact of the venerable, Chen An had made up his mind not to touch that hard bone.


    Various thoughts flashed through Chen An''s mind.


    Staying in this city, he continued to gather information, and after understanding the situation for a while, he left directly.


    Three months later.


    In the area of Chuanyu, in the Summer King City, invisible changes began to occur.


    The Summer King City, this was a large city in Chuanyu.


    Compared to the ordinary cities scattered throughout Chuanyu, Summer King City was a city where cultivators gathered, and traces of cultivators could be seen everywhere.


    Here, cultivators were not unattainable myths, but a common presence seen everywhere.


    In this area, even if they were just ordinary mortals, they mostly had close ties with cultivators, mostly descendants of cultivators who had been reproducing for many years.


    Compared to other places, this city appeared to be much more prosperous, with developed trade and a rich variety of scenes.


    A while ago, on a street in Summer King City, a shop quietly opened.


    The name of the shop seemed very plain, called Chen''s Pill Shop, and it was obvious that they sold pills.


    This wasn''t uncommon in Summer King City.


    Although alchemists were rare, Summer King City was a well-known gathering place for cultivators in Chuanyu, attracting some alchemists.


    Many alchemists were brewing pills and doing business here.


    However, this pill shop was a bit out of the ordinary.


    Compared to other places, although the types of pills sold in this shop were not many, they were of good quality and reasonably priced. Not only were the prices relatively affordable compared to other places, but the quality was also excellent, with each pill being at least top quality.


    Even the common Small Element Pills in this shop were of top quality.


    This was quite rare.


    This affordable place naturally attracted a lot of attention in a short period of time.


    But this kind of place also had its drawbacks.


    The pills sold were still somewhat limited in quantity; although they were sold every day, they would soon be snatched up by people and sold out, making it impossible for those who came later to buy any.


    But this was normal.


    In other shops, there were usually several alchemists working together, each responsible for refining different pills to sell.


    But in this pill shop, there was only one person, and even if the efficiency was high, the output was still limited.


    Naturally, it couldn''t meet everyone''s needs.


    However, this situation also relieved the competitors on the side.


    The pills sold in this newly opened pill shop were cheaper than theirs, and the quality was stable. Each pill was of top quality.


    If the quantity could be increased, their business would probably be affected.


    But if the quantity was limited, it would not have much impact on their business.


    Those who couldn''t buy pills at Chen''s Pill Shop would still come to them in the end.


    Nevertheless, the commotion caused by the opening of Chen''s Pill Shop in a short time still attracted a lot of attention.


    People couldn''t help but be curious about the owner of this shop, how could he refine such high-quality pills?


    It was said that several local prestigious families were already prepared to contact this alchemist and wanted to recruit him into their clan.


    While people outside were curious, what was the owner of Chen''s shop doing?


    He was studying.


    Yes, studying.


    "Today, stop here, friends, please leave."


    In a spacious room, a spiritual aura permeated the air, depicting a series of array diagrams in mid-air, which looked quite profound.


    Chen An was sitting at his position, writing diligently, even after the class had ended, he was still drawing array diagrams.


    Only after a while, someone reminded him, and he came back to his senses.


    "Brother Chen, we should go."


    Hearing the voice by his side, Chen An raised his head somewhat dazedly, then reacted.


    Standing in front of him was a young man.


    The young man looked tall and straight, wearing a long robe. He looked quite extraordinary, and at this moment, he looked somewhat helpless as he looked at Chen An. "Master Song has already left, we should also go back."


    "Is that so."


    Chen An nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed at this moment. "I apologize, I was too engrossed and inadvertently neglected."


    "No problem, it''s just a minor matter."


    The young man also smiled and said, not caring about it.


    Both of them were students here.


    This place was a private academy in Summer King City.


    In Chuanyu, Summer King City was one of the largest gathering places for loose cultivators.


    It attracted a large number of loose cultivators, forming a city mainly composed of cultivators.


    With a large population, various commercial activities became frequent.


    There were not only pill shops but also various classes being sold.


    For example, the place in front of them was a place for teaching.


    The content taught here was none other than array diagrams.


    Of course, this was paid, and the price was quite high.


    To attend classes here, Chen An had already spent hundreds of spirit stones, and it seemed that he hadn''t finished yet and would need to spend more.


    As for the young man in front of him, he was his classmate, Zhao Ji, a member of the Zhao family in Summer King City. He was also a cultivator, already at the sixth level of Qi Refining.


    Both of them were taking classes here, so they had gotten to know each other slowly.


    "Brother Chen, what are your plans for the next few days?"


    As they walked out of the school, Zhao Ji looked at Chen An in front of him and couldn''t help but ask.


    "Me?"


    Chen An thought for a moment and then said, "I should continue refining pills."


    "The inventory in my pill shop is sold out again, so I need to replenish it, or else I won''t have any pills to sell later."


    He said.


    "That makes sense."


    Talking about this, there was a touch of envy on Zhao Ji''s face. "Brother Chen, at such a young age, not only do you have such deep cultivation, but you also have such superb alchemy skills. You are truly enviable."


    "Let me tell you, Brother Chen, with your great talent, you should continue on the path of a pill master, why bother coming here to learn array diagrams?"


    He couldn''t help but say.


    This was indeed a heartfelt statement.


    Cultivation was already difficult enough, and someone like Chen An, who had reached the ninth level of Qi Refining at such a young age, was already a rare talent among cultivators. Even the geniuses in those prestigious families were only at this level.


    What was more rare was that he not only had such cultivation, but also an extremely superb alchemy skill that made many alchemists in Summer King City admire him.


    According to common sense, a talent like him should continue to develop and put more effort into alchemy and cultivation.


    Why divert from the good path and come here to learn array diagrams?


    Although being an array master was also profitable, Chen An''s skills in alchemy were no less, so was it necessary to jump ship and learn this? S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Aren''t you afraid of being too greedy and not digesting it all?


    In Zhao Ji''s eyes, Chen An''s decision to come and learn array diagrams was somewhat of a waste of time and spirits.


    This was also the opinion of many people around them.


    To Zhao Ji''s words, Chen An did not explain anything, just smiled and said with some helplessness, "I also wish to advance further in my cultivation, but as a lone cultivator, it is already difficult to reach this level. I really don''t know how to proceed next.¡±


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 220: -Opportunity

    Chen An expressed his helplessness to Zhao.In short, it was tragic.


    What is a wandering cultivator?


    The name sounds quite free-spirited, not bound by the constraints of sects or clans, free to do whatever they want.


    But in reality, they are a group of people with no background, no resources, and no cultivation techniques.


    They may be ordinary people who accidentally embarked on the path of cultivation through various means, or they may have left their own sect for various reasons, thus becoming wandering cultivators.


    But no matter what kind of wandering cultivator they are, their situation is mostly not very good.


    Having no background means that they are not entitled to many benefits, and they are suppressed wherever they go.


    They have to earn their own pills and other things, and most of them don''t even have a complete scripture.


    Someone like Chen An is already considered luxurious among cultivators.


    At least his cultivation level is high, with a Qi refining cultivation level of nine layers, and he also has the ability to refine pills, so he won''t starve to death.


    But he also has his own helplessness.


    "I once obtained a heritage by chance, and embarked on the path of cultivation, but I have reached the peak and there is no further heritage. Even if I want to continue cultivation, I have no way."


    Chen An complained, "As for pill refining, although I want to make further progress, it is difficult to find pill recipes, and there is no one to teach me."


    "In this situation, what can I do?"


    These complaints are very normal and a common problem among cultivators.


    In Chen An''s current situation, what he said is not false at all.


    He only obtained the cultivation method of Qi Refining realm from the Haoshan Sect''s Haoshan Scripture. Now he has reached the peak, and there is no trace of further cultivation methods.


    As for pill recipes and the like, he really has no way to find them.


    It is quite helpless.


    However, listening to Chen An''s complaints, Zhao''s eyes lit up: "Brother Chen''s helplessness, I can also understand."


    "However, if Brother Chen is willing, I have a way here."


    Waiting for you to say that!


    Chen An was first taken aback, then a look of joy appeared on his face: "Is what Brother Zhao said true?"


    "Of course it''s true."


    Zhao nodded solemnly, "Do you know about the Xia King''s Tomb?"


    "Naturally, I know."


    Chen An nodded.


    The so-called Xia King''s Tomb refers to a very large tomb complex.


    It is the remains of an ancient cultivator battlefield, related to the legendary Xia King, hence the name Xia King''s Tomb.


    This is one of the famous secret realms nearby, but it has always been controlled by several major families in the Xia King''s City.


    The reason why the Xia King''s City has been able to develop and become what it is now is because of the Xia King''s Tomb secret realm.


    "The Xia King''s Tomb opens every ten years, and it will open in half a year."


    Zhao said softly.


    "What does this have to do with us?"


    Chen An was puzzled.


    Many people in the Xia King''s City know about this Xia King''s Tomb secret realm.


    But this secret realm has always been controlled by several major families, and ordinary people have no chance to enter.


    Even the people of those families, if they are not direct descendants, cannot enter, let alone someone like Chen An, a wandering cultivator.


    Even if he knows this news, what''s the use?


    Seeing Chen An''s confusion, Zhao looked around, confirmed that no one was around, and then spoke softly: "This time is different."


    "Do you know about the Chen family in the city?"


    Zhao whispered, intentionally lowering his voice as if afraid of being heard by others.


    "I''ve heard something."


    Chen An nodded, indicating that he understood.


    As a habit, whenever he comes to a new place, he will always gather information about that place.


    The Xia King''s City is no exception.


    In addition, he has established a pill shop, and he is friendly with some cultivators, so he is quite well-informed about the news in the Xia King''s City.


    The Chen family is one of the major families in the Xia King''s City, said to have a history of over a thousand years in the city, which is long and ancient. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Although it is not a top power in the Xia King''s City, it is not something ordinary people can provoke.


    However, in this generation, it seems that there are some problems in the Chen family.


    The previous head of the Chen family was seriously injured and missing, leaving only a legitimate daughter.


    According to normal rules, when the head of the family disappears, it should naturally be inherited by the legitimate daughter.


    But many elders of the Chen family obstructed this, citing the low cultivation level of the young lady of the Chen family, refusing to let her inherit the position of the head of the family.


    This is the reason stated on the surface.


    As for the actual internal struggles, anyone can see it.


    This kind of thing is quite normal in Chen An''s view.


    Where there are people, there are factions and conflicts.


    For a family like the Chen family, the position of the head of the family represents extremely substantial benefits.


    If the head of the family is still there, those elders may not do much, they have to behave honestly.


    But now that the head of the family is missing, leaving only an orphaned daughter, even those who didn''t have any ideas before, are afraid to have some inappropriate thoughts now.


    Chen An had paid attention to this matter for a while before, but mostly just listened to gossip, and didn''t think it had anything to do with him.


    After all, although his last name is Chen, he has no real connection with the Chen family.


    Even if there are any benefits, they won''t fall into his lap.


    But looking at Zhao''s expression at the moment, it seems that there is still room for manipulation in this matter?


    Curious, Chen An couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Brother Chen may not be clear about this."


    Zhao smiled and said, "As far as I know, every time the Xia King''s Tomb opens, many families have fixed quotas, and the Chen family is no exception."


    "And coincidentally, that Miss Chen from the Chen family, as the legitimate daughter of the family, has a few spots."


    Chen An''s eyes lit up, as if he understood something: "Are you saying..."


    "Yes."


    Zhao nodded, saying, "Those elders of the Chen family are naturally unwilling, and want to seize the spots from Miss Chen, but Miss Chen is not easy to deal with."


    "She has spread the word that as long as someone can hand in a certain amount of spirit stones, they will be able to enter the Xia King''s Tomb in the name of Miss Chen''s guard."


    As the conversation finished, Chen An''s eyes brightened.


    Interesting!


    It must be said, Miss Chen''s move is indeed very clever.


    On the surface, it seems embarrassing to sell the spots that originally belonged to her for spirit stones.


    But in reality, she is gaining many benefits.


    By selling the spots, on the one hand, she directly obtains the spirit stones, and on the other hand, she can also befriend those who buy the spots, thus forming a relationship.


    Those who have the conditions to purchase these spots must be powerful individuals.


    These people originally did not have the means to enter the Xia King''s Tomb, but now they can use the line of Miss Chen to enter, although they have to pay for it, but they also have to owe her a favor.


    Through this line, she can make connections with these people, and later she can use their power to confront those Chen family elders.


    It''s killing two birds with one stone.


    "I wonder what the specific conditions are for purchasing these spots."


    After understanding this, Chen An smiled and said, "How many spirit stones does it cost?"


    "If my financial situation is sufficient, I would also like to purchase a spot and see the Xia King''s secret realm."


    Chen An still has some wealth on him.


    Before, he made a fortune in the Holy Sage''s secret realm, and there are still several Golden Core beast corpses'' blood essence in the White Tower that have not been sold.


    The blood essence of the Golden Core beasts'' corpses should be worth tens of thousands of spirit stones at least, right?


    And then when he escaped from the Haoshan Sect, through robbing and extortion, he gained about two to three thousand spirit stones.


    Frankly speaking, Chen An is now a small nouveau riche, and even compared to ordinary wandering cultivators, let alone the direct line of those major families, they may not be able to compare with him.


    With such wealth, Chen An naturally has the confidence.


    If there is no way, then so be it, but since the spot can be directly purchased, then Chen An is confident that he can buy one directly.


    Of course, he has money, but the spot in the Xia King''s Tomb is precious, but he also has to see the price tag.


    If the price is too high, to a certain extent, Chen An will not play the fool.


    So he is prepared to listen to the price.


    Zhao also has confidence in Chen An''s financial situation.


    Although he doesn''t know how much wealth Chen An has specifically, those who can become alchemists are not poor people.


    Furthermore, Chen An''s pill shop is there, and the bustling business is something he can see.


    As long as he is not stupid, he will know that Chen An is wealthy.


    However, to Chen An''s question, Zhao smiled, a bit mysteriously saying, "If it were someone else, it would naturally cost a huge price."


    "But if it''s Brother Chen, you won''t need to spend too many spirit stones, and you may even receive a generous reward."


    "Oh?"


    Chen An was surprised.


    Joining the secret realm, not only getting a spot for free, not having to pay, or even possibly making a profit?


    Is there such a good thing in this world?


    "This is indeed the case."


    Zhao nodded and said, "I think Brother Chen can guess why Miss Chen is doing this."


    "In reality, Miss Chen has big ambitions. Selling the spots is more about attracting talents like Brother Chen to use for her own purposes."


    He shook his head, smiling and saying, "In the end, with the wealth and resources of the Chen family, how could Miss Chen, as the legitimate daughter of the family head, be lacking spirit stones."


    Understanding dawned on Chen An''s face.


    Indeed, as he suspected.


    Miss Chen is not selling the spots for the sake of earning a few spirit stones, but to attract talents like Chen An to serve as her team.


    So as long as one catches the eye of Miss Chen, it is indeed possible not only to not have to pay but to possibly receive a reward.


    "I just don''t know what kind of talent Miss Chen is looking for."


    Chen An smiled bitterly, "Miss Chen is from a prestigious family, while I am just a wandering cultivator. I''m afraid she won''t look favorably upon me."


    "In this regard, please rest assured, Brother Chen."


    Zhao smiled and said, "From my point of view, Brother Chen definitely has the qualifications."


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 221: The Price

    "The number of quotas in Miss Chen''s hands is not too many, but definitely not few."Zhao Ji smiled and said, "In my opinion, with Brother Chen''s talent and status, it will be no problem to obtain a quota."


    "If you are lucky, you might even gain favor from Miss Chen, which will save you a lot of trouble."


    He hinted at something as he spoke.


    Obviously, he did not know that Chen An was already married and was now urging Chen An to make a move.


    But in his opinion, even if he is already married, if he can really win the favor of Miss Chen, divorcing and remarrying is not a big deal.


    After all, Miss Chen is the legitimate daughter of the Chen family, the future head of the Chen family.


    The Chen family has been rooted in the Xia Wang City for many years, with a huge influence and profound background.


    If one can become the future son-in-law of the Chen family, the benefits can be imagined, needless to say.


    In the face of such huge benefits, what does it matter even if he is already married?


    Chen An just smiled and said softly, "In that case, I will trouble Brother Zhao."


    "If it succeeds, I will definitely reward you in the future."


    "No problem, no problem."


    Hearing this, Zhao Ji''s smile on his face suddenly became more intense. "Everything is on me."


    At this point, Chen An also understood.


    The Zhao Ji in front of him seems to be working for Chen''s Miss, and incidentally pulling strings.


    After all, with the wealth and status of that Miss Chen, it is easy to gather a group of people to work for her.


    Chen An didn''t say much.


    There are quite a few people like this around him.


    Especially after he opened the alchemy store, various forces came one after another to negotiate and draw him in, one after another, so much that it was difficult to count.


    Zhao Ji is just one of them, but with someone special behind him.


    Leaving here, Chen An returned to his residence.


    His residence in Xia Wang City is just an ordinary courtyard, not too expensive, just a few spirit stones.


    Initially, this place belonged to a mortal rich man, with everything very complete, even servants.


    After Chen An moved in, there was basically nothing more to add, just moved in directly.


    As for the place for alchemy, it is in another location.


    As mentioned earlier, there are many cultivators in Xia Wang City, so commercial activities between cultivators are quite developed.


    Selling various courses is not uncommon in this city, and so is alchemy.


    After Chen An came here, he easily found a place where he could rent a furnace for alchemy and practice there.


    This is one of the reasons why he came here.


    If he went to a place where cultivators were rare, then Chen An would have trouble with alchemy.


    If he can¡¯t find a suitable place for alchemy, even the fire and ground would need to be rearranged and developed, which would be very troublesome.


    Of course, recently, Chen An has also been thinking about finding a place to buy a furnace.


    This way, if he really needs to run away in the future, it will be convenient for him to practice alchemy.


    For other alchemists, furnaces are particularly cumbersome, and not easy to carry around.


    After all, although the furnace is a kind of magic weapon, it is still very heavy even if it is the lightest furnace for people.


    Some high-quality furnaces made of god-gold are even heavier, and ordinary cultivators can¡¯t even move them.


    It is a difficult task to carry such a huge thing with you.


    But Chen An doesn''t have this problem.


    He has the White Tower with him, so he can directly put the furnace in the White Tower, which is basically no burden for him.


    When he really leaves Xia Wang City, as long as he finds a place to take the furnace out of the White Tower, it will be useful.


    That''s how Chen An plans to do it.


    Fortunately, he now has plenty of spare spirit stones, which can be used for other purposes.


    The reason why there are extra spirit stones at hand is mainly because the number of gold spirit stones is limited.


    As mentioned before, the gold spirit stone is a companion to the spirit stone, belonging to a kind of exotic spirit stone, and its quantity is extremely rare.


    In addition to its unique function in refining tools, although ordinary cultivators have little demand for it, many forces choose to hoard a bit of it as a stockpile.


    As a result, the amount of gold spirit stones circulating on the market is quite limited.


    Chen An is facing this problem now.


    He has plenty of spirit stones on hand.


    Even if he doesn''t, once he sells the things left in the White Tower, he can easily get tens of thousands of spirit stones.


    But there are not so many gold spirit stones that he can buy.


    During this period, Chen An has been sweeping around the market, purchasing materials such as gold spirit stones, but the quantity he can buy in a period is still limited.


    Even with a higher price offer being limited.


    There is no way, this thing is of little use to ordinary people, with a small output, naturally resulting in limited quantities.


    As a result, Chen An now has quite a few spirit stones in hand, which can be used for other purposes.


    Walking alone in the city, Chen An watched the passing crowd continuously.


    After a while, he went to an alchemy store, replenished some stock, and then returned home to practice.


    Not long after, good news came from Zhao Ji.


    Miss Chen seemed to be very interested in him and wanted to meet him intentionally.


    Although Chen An was a bit surprised by this request, he did not refuse.


    Even though the current situation of Miss Chen is a bit difficult, her status is there.


    Meeting her and having a conversation would not be a bad thing.


    It may even lead to some good things happening.


    With a trial mentality, Chen An went to the appointment and met Miss Chen.


    In a quiet courtyard, Chen An changed into a clean outfit and waited silently.


    Not long after, there were faint footsteps outside.


    Chen An turned to look and saw a woman walking towards him in that area.


    The woman was very beautiful, wearing a purple dress, not the extremely stunning type at first glance, but quite pleasant to look at, giving a gentle and mild feeling in every move.


    Her temperament is good.


    Looking at the woman who came late, Chen An thought to himself. S?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sorry, there was something outside that delayed me for a moment, and I apologize for keeping you waiting, Brother."


    Arriving in the courtyard, the woman, with an apologetic expression on her face, spoke softly.


    Her voice was gentle, matching her appearance, giving a very friendly feeling, making people feel a sense of goodwill unconsciously.


    If you didn''t know her identity beforehand, probably few people could guess that the person in front of him was actually Miss Chen, the future head of the Chen family.


    "It''s okay."


    Chen An smiled and said, "It''s an honor for me to meet you, Miss, and how can I blame you for being a bit late."


    "After all, I just arrived, and did not wait for too long."


    In any case, no matter how you say it, saying a few words of praise is okay.


    Who doesn''t like to hear good words, and it doesn''t cost a thing, it''s good for you, good for me, good for everyone.


    What a good thing it is, right?


    Chen Wanjun smiled, "Although I say so, I was indeed late, and there will be some compensation later, I hope Brother will not refuse."


    With the other party saying so, what else could Chen An say?


    Of course, he could only accept with a smile.


    They chatted for a while, and then surprisingly found that they enjoyed each other''s company.


    This is normal.


    Both Chen An and Chen Wanjun are the kind of people who are good at socializing.


    Not to mention Chen Wanjun, as the legitimate daughter of the Chen family, she can support herself in this unfavorable situation, and even seems to be in a stronger position, clearly not an ordinary person.


    People with such high emotional intelligence are generally very good at speaking.


    As for Chen An, not to mention more.


    As a senior worker, he may not be good at other things, but when it comes to catering to others and talking to others, he is definitely excellent.


    The past Bai Qing, Cheng Zheng and others, weren''t they all fooled by him like this?


    It''s just a change of target now.


    When two socially astute people meet, the end result is the current scene, a harmonious atmosphere that is inexplicably pleasant.


    Those who know naturally understand that they are meeting for the first time, but those who don''t may think that they are old friends who have not seen each other for many years.


    Just say, they had a good conversation.


    "Zhao Xiong said that Brother Chen is also interested in the opening of the Xia Wang Tomb?"


    After chatting for a long time, Chen Wanjun finally got to the point, bringing the topic back to the main point.


    "That''s right."


    Chen An nodded and admitted frankly, "The opening of the Xia Wang Tomb is a rare event in Xia Wang City, although I am not talented, I also have an interest in going in to take a look."


    "Please quote a price, Miss."


    He directly asked, looking very frank, "Whatever I can afford, I will definitely get it for you, Miss."


    This was of course just a polite gesture.


    Despite Chen An''s beautiful words, if he were really asked to pay, he would hesitate.


    A price of one or two thousand spirit stones can be considered, but over three thousand spirit stones would make him think twice.


    As for exceeding this amount, it would be even more difficult for him to consider, and he would just turn around and leave.


    Although the Xia Wang Tomb secret realm is good, it is not as good as the previous Sage Secret Realm, and it has been developed for many years.


    In this situation, Chen An is skeptical of how much benefit he can gain from going in.


    If the price is too high, he might even end up losing.


    You can¡¯t do such a thing.


    "To be honest, the price I offer to others is three thousand spirit stones."


    Chen An was so frank, so the host, Chen Wanjun, naturally could not fall behind, and directly stated the bottom price.


    Listening to this price, Chen An couldn''t help but nod secretly.


    Indeed, Miss Chen is not an ordinary person, she has a unique vision.


    The price of three thousand spirit stones is just at a critical point, making people feel heartache, but still willing to pay.


    Chen An had previously analyzed that the true value of this quota is roughly around this number.


    If it exceeds that, it would be a loss.


    "However."


    After quoting the base price, Chen Wanjun''s tone changed, and she smiled at Chen An, "If it''s Brother, then it''s a different story."


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 222: Fortune

    "If it''s Brother Dao, that''s a different matter," Chen Wanjun''s words echoed all around.Hearing this, Chen An couldn''t help but be stunned.


    What does she mean?


    Could it be that, as Zhao Ji said earlier, good things will really happen?


    He couldn''t help but have this thought, but his face remained calm, just softly opening his mouth, "Miss, what do you mean by that, please speak freely."


    "Alright."


    Chen Wanjun nodded and smiled, "Brother Dao is a talented person with outstanding talent. I want to make friends with Brother Dao."


    "I will give you the spot for free this time, as a token of our friendship."


    "How do you feel, Brother Dao?"


    Good things really happened!


    Chen An looked deeply at Chen Wanjun, and it wasn''t until a long time later that he finally spoke, "Miss, you are really generous."


    The place is worth three thousand spirit stones each, saying it''s a gift, and it is. This is definitely a generous offer.


    You know, the number of three thousand spirit stones would be enough to hire a spirit refining master even in the market.


    Now it''s being used as a greeting gift, isn''t that extravagant?


    But this also indirectly highlights the wealth and boldness of this Miss Chen family.


    Yes, giving away three thousand spirit stones is indeed a show of wealth.


    It set her image in an instant.


    At this moment, even Chen An was a little moved and suddenly felt that if he could, it might not be a bad idea to join this Miss Chen family in front of him?


    After all, she is really generous, definitely a generous boss.


    If it wasn''t for the fact that Chen An is no longer a poor beggar now, he would probably consider it.


    Even Chen An is like this, let alone other people.


    When those self-taught cultivators see this kind of deal, they will be smashed to death by the money and will immediately want to join in?


    The financial power is indeed horrifying.


    Chen An looked deeply at Chen Wanjun, and it wasn''t until a long time later that he finally spoke, "A free spot, I would be happy to accept."


    "Just wondering, what does Miss need me to do?"


    In the end, Chen An accepted the bait thrown by the other party.


    There was no way, she gave too much.


    But at the same time, he also asked about the other party''s motives.


    There was no way. This money was given too generously.


    If the other party doesn''t let Chen An do something, he will feel uneasy holding the money.


    From this perspective, Chen An is indeed an honest person with some basic bottom line.


    Chen Wanjun looked at Chen An unexpectedly, as if she didn''t expect him to say that.


    However, she didn''t have a big reaction, just smiled and said, "I heard from Brother Zhao that Brother Chen is an alchemist with a good reputation in the city. Is the Chen Alchemy Shop under Brother''s control?"


    "Yes."


    These are easy-to-find out information, Chen An admitted directly.


    "In that case, please help me with a small favor, Brother."


    Chen Wanjun smiled and said, "I have recently hired a lot of people, and our mansion is in need of some high-quality elixirs. If Brother is willing, you can send some over?"


    "Of course, Brother doesn''t have to worry about payment, I will pay in spirit stones."


    At the end, she looked at Chen An again, "How about that?"


    "No problem."


    Chen An nodded and agreed.


    Selling elixirs is no different, no matter who you sell them to.


    In a sense, having Chen Wanjun as a big client is a good thing for Chen An.


    This way he can refine more elixirs.


    Before, to avoid causing jealousy among colleagues in the city, Chen An was relatively cautious in selling elixirs.


    Now with Chen Wanjun as a big customer, he can consider going all out.


    "Brother Chen, do you need any help from me?"


    Chen Wanjun said, "Seeing each other today, I feel like we are old friends, and now we are friends."


    "As friends, if Brother Chen has any troubles, feel free to ask for help."


    Finally, she smiled, "Maybe it''s not appropriate to say in other places, but in Xia Wang City, I still have some abilities."


    The implied message is that she has a great influence, and if you need anything, please come to me.


    A word, wealth and generosity is me.


    Faced with such a person, Chen An couldn''t help but fall silent.


    Speaking of which, he really doesn''t have any troubles that need help from the other party.


    After all, he has always been careful in his actions, even in selling elixirs, he has to be cautious to avoid arousing jealousy among his colleagues.


    But now that the other party said that, if he said he didn''t have any troubles at all, wouldn''t it be a bit awkward?


    It doesn''t seem right.


    After thinking for a moment, he finally found something troublesome.


    "If possible, Miss, could you help me find a batch of Gold Spirit Stones?"


    He said with a smile.


    The Gold Spirit Stones on the market outside are very rare now, and he has basically depleted them by acquiring them, and even if he can find them occasionally, he has to pay a higher price.


    Even if Chen An wants to buy them, it''s very difficult to get them.


    But Chen Wanjun in front of him is different.


    As a top-tier family, the Chen family must have a considerable amount of stock in their family, and they are likely to store some Gold Spirit Stones, which are rare materials.


    And for such things, ordinary people may not have the qualifications to touch them, but for Chen Wanjun, as the Miss of the Chen family and the future head of the family, it''s just a matter of a word to take some Gold Spirit Stones from the inventory.


    Sure enough, hearing Chen An''s words, Chen Wanjun was first surprised, then nodded directly, "This is a small matter, there should be no problem."


    "However, Gold Spirit Stones, as rare materials, are not likely to be abundant in my Chen family''s inventory, I don''t know if it will be enough for Brother Dao''s needs."


    "Regardless of whether it can meet your needs or not, thank you, Miss."


    Chen An said with a smile.


    It is certain that it will not be enough, it will never be enough in this life.


    After all, Chen An''s source power deficit is like a bottomless pit, no matter how much source power comes in, as long as he wants to spend it, it will be spent quickly in the end.


    So for the Gold Spirit Stones, which can directly increase source power, Chen An will not consider it inadequate, but rather, consider it too little as he wants as much as possible.


    Seeing Chen An''s reaction, Chen Wanjun didn''t say much, just silently sat there, looking like a lady.


    The two of them chatted here for a long time.


    Until a moment later, a maid came over, and Chen Wanjun got up, apologized, and left.


    Seeing her hurried steps, Chen An speculated maliciously.


    He had enough reason to believe that Chen Wanjun today was probably seeing more than one person. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Apart from him, there were probably several lucky chosen ones who were being received today.


    But that''s none of Chen An''s business.


    After Chen Wanjun left, he was led to the side by a maid.


    "Master Chen, this is what the miss instructed me to give you, please take it."


    The maid walked up to him, followed by several guards.


    Chen An looked up for a moment and found that these maids were not ordinary people, they were cultivators with cultivation levels, and judging by their appearances, their cultivation levels were quite good, mostly around the third or fourth level of Qi refining.


    Although in Chen An''s eyes, it was nothing, it was still somewhat surprising to have such cultivation levels as maids.


    It''s a testament to the Chen family being a top-tier family, with even the most random maids being cultivators.


    They carried a large box and placed it in front of Chen An.


    The box was black, not too large, but definitely not small either, with some runes inscribed on it, seeming to have protective and stealth functions.


    After a moment, the box was opened right in front of Chen An.


    A dazzling golden light shone forth.


    Chen An couldn''t help but widen his eyes.


    Not because he was ignorant, but because the scene in front of him really moved him.


    In front of him, there were gold spirit stones in the box.


    And the number, estimated to be over a hundred.


    This was a huge quantity that Chen An had never seen before.


    During his time at Haoshan Sect, he had acquired quite a few gold spirit stones through various means.


    But after all the hard work he had done, the total number of gold spirit stones he had collected from various places should be about the same as in front of him, around a hundred.


    And now there were a hundred gold spirit stones laid out.


    Chen An couldn''t help but feel excited.


    It was an uncontrollable feeling.


    Because when those gold spirit stones appeared in front of his eyes, his body began to move involuntarily, with a sense of excitement from deep within his soul.


    It was the agitation emanating from his soul that made Chen An unable to control it.


    "The lady said she wants to purchase elixirs from you in the long term, and these will serve as a deposit."


    Seeing Chen An''s reaction, the maid smiled and said, "I wonder if these are enough?"


    "They are enough, more than enough."


    Chen An glanced at the gold spirit stones in front of him, forced himself to look away from the box, and then said, "The elixirs will be delivered soon."


    "Please let Miss Chen know that if there are any other needs, please inform me."


    "If I can help, I will do my best."


    If he said this before, it might have been a bit insincere, but now it was sincere.


    She gave too much.


    Chen An can ignore the special spot in the secret realm, and all the other benefits he can do without. But he can''t refuse the gold spirit stones.


    After all, these are his source of power, the basis of his cheating.


    Feeling Chen An''s change of attitude, the maid was also a little surprised, but still spoke, "Someone will deliver the goods to the young master''s residence later."


    This was in consideration of the weight.


    The box was not too big, but the quantity was quite heavy.


    Although Chen An would take it, it wouldn''t be very dignified to carry such a large box.


    It''s better to have someone deliver it directly.


    "Well, thank you."


    Chen An thanked her, then left his address before leaving.


    After he left, it was not until a long time later that Chen Wanjun''s figure reappeared.


    By this time, the sky was already dark, and an hour had passed.


    Chen Wanjun walked in from outside, with a hint of fatigue on her face, as if she had endured some fatigue.


    "Miss, all done?"


    Seeing Chen Wanjun''s appearance, the maid couldn''t help but be curious, "Why so fast this time?"


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 223: Power Balance

    Chen Wanjun glanced at her, "What do you mean?"Perhaps because there were no outsiders present, she looked much more natural at this moment, far from before, although friendly, but with a hint of elegance and detachment.


    "No need to say more."


    The maid smiled and said, "Miss met with that Chen son before, they chatted for two hours, and almost forgot about other things."


    "But now, after seeing the other gentlemen, you came back so quickly, doesn''t that mean something?"


    "What does it mean?"


    Chen Wanjun calmly responded, neither confirming nor denying.


    "It means that Miss values that Chen son in a special way."


    The maid said.


    Chen Wanjun couldn''t help but recall Chen An''s appearance and their previous conversation, then nodded involuntarily, "That Chen son does give off a different feeling compared to others."


    "Miss, are you... falling for him?"


    The maid was a bit curious.


    "I can''t really say."


    Chen Wanjun shook her head, with a hint of hesitation on her face, "It''s just that compared to the others, he is indeed special, and he suits my taste." S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Unfortunately, his cultivation is a bit lacking."


    Chen Wanjun is the eldest daughter of the Chen family and the future head of the Chen family.


    If she really wants to choose a husband, she may not be able to say anything else, but cultivation certainly has a hard requirement, it cannot be too low.


    Chen An''s cultivation at the ninth level of Qi refining may be considered high in other places, but when compared to Chen Wanjun, it is a bit too low.


    "I think this Chen son is quite good."


    Xiaolan spoke up, "Compared to others, this Chen son has such cultivation at a young age, and he also has excellent alchemy skills, his aptitude must be top-notch."


    "If he is cultivated properly, he will definitely be successful in the future, and he can be a good match for the young lady."


    She spoke softly.


    Chen Wanjun couldn''t help but fall into contemplation.


    This statement seemed to make sense.


    Now does not represent the future, the current cultivation level may not be great, but it does not mean it will always be like this in the future.


    Chen An''s talent is undoubtedly top-rated based on his current performance, and being an alchemist, he is a professional talent.


    If he can be cultivated well, then in time, he will likely achieve limitless success.


    As one of the top aristocratic families in Xia King City, the Chen family has the strength and confidence to cultivate anyone with sufficient talent and talents.


    In the end, this is a promising stock.


    Chen Wanjun couldn''t help but feel a little moved.


    Some thoughts are fine not to dwell on, but once one starts to ponder, they will find that it doesn''t seem right.


    Chen Wanjun suddenly felt that Chen An''s conditions seemed quite suitable.


    A weak cultivation level at the moment means he can be obedient enough, even if they marry in the future, he won''t obstruct her in controlling the Chen family''s power.


    With extraordinary talent, his future achievements will be exceptional, deserving of her status as the future head of the family.


    As an alchemist, it''s even better, not only does it represent considerable professionalism, but also reduces trouble.


    Because technical talents who like to develop professional skills tend to have less desire for power and profit, making him a suitable husband for Chen Wanjun, the future head of the family.


    A perfect match!


    The more Chen Wanjun thought about it, the more she felt it was appropriate and the more she felt moved.


    However, emotions aside, suitability aside, what needs to be done is what needs to be done.


    While suitability is important, the present is the most important.


    "Unfortunately."


    Chen Wanjun sighed with regret, "In normal circumstances, this Chen son would indeed be a good match, but currently, it''s not the right time."


    As she spoke, the maid Xiaolan beside her fell into silence.


    She was Chen Wanjun''s personal maid, having grown up with Chen Wanjun since childhood, she naturally understood Chen Wanjun''s current situation very well.


    Describing Chen Wanjun''s current situation as a bit difficult would be an understatement, it could only be described as challenging.


    After the disappearance of the former family head, she, as the only daughter of the family head, had become the center of attention.


    Almost everyone with ambitions for the family''s assets had their eyes on her, their intentions all set on her.


    There was no choice, the industry was so rich, and wealth moves people''s hearts, as it has always been.


    In this situation, what Chen Wanjun needed most was not a promising stock, but someone who could provide her with support.


    While promising stocks are good, they still require time and effort to cultivate and grow into towering trees that protect and shelter others.


    But if Chen Wanjun couldn''t pass this test, then she might not have a future.


    Future plans could be put aside.


    Power struggles are the most cruel.


    If Chen Wanjun loses this time, then her best outcome would be to be confined and controlled for the rest of her life.


    In this situation, Chen An as a promising stock didn''t seem so suitable anymore.


    Thinking of the situation she was currently facing, Chen Wanjun couldn''t help but sigh, a hint of weariness showing on her face.


    Meanwhile, Chen An had returned to his home.


    When he arrived home, before he could do anything, guests arrived outside.


    These were people sent by the Chen family to deliver gifts, they were specifically carrying a box.


    They placed the items down and then respectfully left, their actions were efficient from start to finish.


    Of course, they did not refuse the small gifts Chen An gave them, a few moderately priced but suitable elixirs.


    After sending off the guests, Chen An placed the box in the courtyard and slowly opened it.


    As the box opened, the items inside were revealed, shiny gold spirit stones.


    Simply looking at them, these gold spirit stones were beautiful, with a pure golden hue as if they were the most perfect gemstones, pure and beautiful.


    Of course, these items were not just beautiful to Chen An, they held more practical significance as well.


    Looking at these gold spirit stones before him, Chen An took a deep breath, then slowly moved forward and extended his hand.


    His hand reached out and grasped one of the gold spirit stones.


    In the next moment, pure power flowed into his body, giving Chen An a sensation akin to being electrified.


    The feeling was so unique and subtle that it left a deep impression.


    A smile unconsciously appeared on Chen An''s face.


    He looked at the template in front of him, the power increased by fifteen points.


    As expected, one gold spirit stone could increase the power by about fifteen points.


    This number was already considered good.


    In the past, in the Daoliang world, after arduous struggle, the power he obtained in a simulation was about the same as this number.


    Sometimes even less.


    Now, one gold spirit stone could provide this number, and Chen An was already very satisfied.


    One gold spirit stone could provide approximately fifteen points of power.


    And there were a hundred of these gold spirit stones before him.


    In other words, this was a total of one thousand five hundred points of power.


    Chen An''s eyes lit up immediately.


    After experiencing so much time, he had finally accumulated a considerable amount of power.


    During the few months he had spent in Xia King City before, he had also purchased many gold spirit stones, accumulating some power.


    But while accumulating power, he also had various expenditures, such as improving his alchemy, as well as learning array formations with the array master, both of which required expenses.


    So, all in all, the final accumulation was not that much.


    But with this hundred gold spirit stones this time, his power balance suddenly became much more abundant.


    Now, he could try to do things that he had wanted to do but couldn''t before.


    Such as learning various array formations, alchemy, all of which he had wanted to learn before.


    Of course, if possible, what Chen An wanted most was to improve his cultivation of Qi refining.


    Compared to his martial cultivation, his cultivation as a cultivator was still a bit low.


    Being at the ninth level of Qi refining might be considered quite good in a small sect like Haoshan Sect, second only to those elders, but in Xia King City, it was just average.


    After all, this place was a city of cultivators, with many experts, not comparable to ordinary places.


    If Chen An wanted to establish himself and stand firm in this place, his cultivation would need to be raised to the level of Core Formation.


    Only then could he directly negotiate with the aristocrats, have a higher say, and gain more benefits.


    Unfortunately, although he wanted to improve, the scripture restricted him.


    He did not have a suitable cultivation method on hand, so even if he wanted to improve, he couldn''t.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t mind experiencing the feeling of being overpowered again.


    Just hoping that the Miss from the Chen family would give him some surprises.


    Chen An thought to himself.


    For now, if he wanted to obtain a cultivation method to reach the Core Formation level, the Miss from the Chen family seemed like a reliable path.


    She happened to be in a difficult situation, but also had the strength to provide him with a cultivation method.


    Looking at her proactive attitude in the past, as long as the price was right, Chen An could completely obtain a suitable cultivation method from her.


    Just not sure what he would have to give in return.


    The thought flashed through Chen An''s mind, then he quietly left.


    It was already dusk at this moment, everything around was shrouded in darkness.


    The mortals around had finished their busy day and were preparing to rest, while Chen An''s work had just begun.


    Alchemy, learning array formations, managing business, with these various tasks, Chen An was quite busy.


    And now he had an additional task, to alchemize for Chen Wanjun, the Miss of the Chen family, and provide enough elixirs.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 224: Another Projection

    Chen An''s days were busy and fulfilling, step by step. Even though these days were busy and exhausting, they were full of hope. At least the gradual improvement of his life was satisfactory.This was the biggest difference from his past life. After the last meeting with Chen Wanjun, Chen An had not seen her again. He only occasionally visited the Chen family to deliver elixirs to the people there. As for the Xia King''s Tomb secret realm, it was still far away.


    According to Chen Wanjun, the Xia King''s Tomb would not open for at least another six months. During this long period of time, Chen An had plenty of time to focus on his own matters.


    Chen An had thought that he would spend this time continuously refining elixirs. However, unexpected events always happened unexpectedly.


    "Huh?"


    In the quiet courtyard, Chen An sat alone.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (12.4), Body (12.8), Spirit (10.8)


    Source power: 1910


    Inheritance: Sealed for Thousands of Miles (Minor Completion), Profound Ice Force (Second Layer of Innate), Haoshan Scripture (Ninth Layer), Qingxin Pill (Complete), Transformation Technique (Ninth Layer),.


    Projection: Available


    In front of him, the familiar source power template appeared again, floating in front of his eyes, clearly displayed.


    However, compared to before, there were some changes in the upgraded template at this moment. The projection column now showed "Available."


    What''s more, Chen An had just tried to project, and found that the option had unknowingly lit up, no longer grayed out.


    Has the cooldown ended? Chen An was pleasantly surprised.


    Since the last projection, he had been wanting to project again. The benefits of projection were obvious. Not only could he experience and learn various inheritances and scriptures in the projection world, but he could also obtain a significant amount of source power if lucky.


    Furthermore, after the projection returned, it could greatly improve Chen An''s aptitude and overall strength.


    With such benefits, he naturally paid attention to it.


    However, the reality was still there. Since the last projection ended, the projection column of the upgraded template had been in a cooldown state and could not be used.


    Because it had been a long time since the last use, Chen An had gradually forgotten about it.


    Unexpectedly, just when he was about to forget about it, the projection feature suddenly became usable.


    It was a pleasant surprise for Chen An.


    With a smile on his face, he directly got up and headed towards the outside after a moment of contemplation.


    It took him two to three days to prepare.


    He temporarily closed the alchemy shop he had opened before for a while, then went to rent a place in a nearby seclusion area.


    These secluded places were specially opened by cultivators for others to use. They had the most advanced formations and protections. It was said that there were even several Golden Core cultivators guarding them to ensure the safety and experience of the users.


    The spirit formations sealed off the spiritual energy inside, making it the perfect place for cultivators to break through.


    Both safety and experience were guaranteed.


    Of course, with such high security, the price was naturally high.


    It was not cheap.


    But Chen An didn''t mind. Although the projection function was good, it had some flaws. The biggest flaw was that when projecting, the original body was relatively vulnerable and unable to move. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If someone were to attack the original body at this time, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Chen An didn''t know if his original body would wake up or continue to simulate if it was attacked during the projection. But regardless, he didn''t want to take the risk.


    Some troubles that could be avoided should be avoided.


    As for another issue, if the simulation lasted too long, his original body would likely starve to death.


    After all, people had to eat.


    But this issue had been resolved with Chen An''s gradual increase in strength. The innate martial artist had the ability to absorb and digest spiritual energy to replace meals, although he still needed to eat, the requirement was greatly reduced.


    Especially in a place with rich spiritual energy like the seclusion room, he could go without eating for a long time without any problems.


    That''s why Chen An chose to come here. This was the best place for him to go.


    After renting this place for half a year and paying a hefty price of six hundred spirit stones, Chen An finally closed himself off to start projecting.


    "Would you like to project?"


    In front of him, faint subtitles appeared and presented in front of his eyes.


    Chen An took a deep breath, then selected "confirm."


    In an instant, the familiar feeling enveloped him again. Under Chen An''s gaze, the upgrading template in front of him began to glow, as if a light was gradually spreading, eventually covering Chen An''s entire body.


    Boom!


    As if from the void, a ringing bell could be heard, causing Chen An to fall into a trance.


    In the trance, his original source gradually disappeared and followed the guidance of the upgraded template to an unpredictable place.


    Deep, dark.


    All around was nothingness, everything seemed invisible and only an endless black shadow could be seen.


    After a while, Chen An slowly opened his eyes.


    As his consciousness finally disappeared, he fell into a body once again, being reborn as an adult.


    "So this is how projection works!"


    At the moment his consciousness disappeared, Chen An had this thought in his mind.


    Previously, he had been curious about the mechanism of projection. But now it seemed that the mechanism of projection was somewhat similar to reincarnation.


    It was just that in reincarnation, one would eventually recall memories belonging to the original body.


    Before he had the chance to think more, Chen An''s consciousness completely disappeared, plunging into a hazy state, and was silent.


    He was like a baby, truly returning to his original innocence and ignorance, with past memories being sealed away.


    Everything fell silent.


    It was unknown how long had passed. Chen An''s consciousness gradually returned.


    A strange sense of exhaustion appeared on his body.


    He suddenly felt that his body was very heavy and tired. There was a sense of inexplicable weakness.


    There was a strong feeling all over his body, seemingly accompanied by intense pain.


    Therefore, Chen An opened his eyes.


    In front of him was a desolate scene.


    The surroundings should be an abandoned old temple, covered in dust and traces of the past.


    Dirty everywhere.


    Occasionally in the corners, human excrement and some unpleasant things could be seen.


    Those were human bodies.


    Chen An couldn''t help but be stunned. This kind of environment, this kind of place. The beginning of this projection didn''t seem very good.


    As this thought flashed through his mind, the memories of this body returned with it, beginning to merge with him.


    With this process, the memories in Chen An''s mind became clearer. He now had a clear understanding of his current situation.


    In this projection, he was the son of an ordinary farmer.


    However, his luck didn''t seem very good. When this body was five years old, his parents were separated due to a natural disaster. The mother and sister of this body were forcibly sold by the father and turned into servants for others. Only Chen An was left, because he was a boy and was never sold no matter how difficult it was.


    But the good times didn''t last long. With time passing, after the natural disaster, man-made disasters followed. Half a year ago, a group of bandits looted this place.


    In the chaos, the father of this body was killed. Chen An was the only survivor, barely managing to make it through.


    Without the protection of his parents, this body became a beggar and had to beg for a living every day.


    "This beginning is quite difficult."


    After digesting the memories of this body, Chen An felt a little helpless. Compared to the last projection, this time the identity of the projection was much worse.


    In the last projection, at least in name, he was still the son of the Duke of Chen Guo. Although he was oppressed, as long as he was smart enough, eating and living were not a problem.


    But this time was different.


    The start was the death of both parents, directly falling into the role of an abandoned child.


    This beginning was quite difficult.


    Chen An struggled to get up, trying to stand up, but it was quite difficult. This body seemed to have been injured before, with many scars all over it and in a very poor state. It seemed like it hadn''t eaten for a long time.


    During the process of standing up, a rumbling sound occasionally came, making Chen An feel a bit silent.


    It seemed that the first thing he needed to do after awakening his memories this time was to get himself a good meal.


    Otherwise, this rare opportunity for projection he had worked hard for might be wasted.


    Because he might starve to death.


    But here was the problem.


    Where could he get a good meal?


    Chen An fell into contemplation.


    Under normal circumstances, even if he were not in his original body and only an ordinary person, he probably would not have such trouble.


    If he couldn''t get it normally, why not just go and rob?


    It was just a good meal, nothing difficult.


    But now, this wasn''t possible.


    With his current body, did he think he could go out and rob?


    Probably even a half-grown child could knock him down.


    However, it seemed not entirely impossible.


    Chen An looked at his template and observed the current data. Then he discovered something abnormal.


    Other data had shrunk corresponding to the changes in the body, reaching the level of a child. However, there was one piece of data that hadn''t changed.


    That was the Spirit attribute.


    This data didn''t change much; it had been fully carried over by Chen An.


    Regarding this, Chen An was a little surprised, but after thinking for a moment, he understood.


    The Spirit attribute not only affected spiritual awareness and perception, but also seemed to be closely related to a person''s spiritual essence.


    That was why, in the previous Holy Sage''s secret realm, the Transformation Technique was used as a trial.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 225: Changchun Hall

    The divine attribute is closely related to a person''s original spiritual essence, and Chen An''s projection seems to directly project the original spiritual essence, directly reincarnating in another world, once again forming a completely new body.In this way, it seems normal for the divine to be able to bring to this body to a certain extent.


    Because the original essence hasn''t actually changed, only the body has changed.


    And since the divine attribute is still there, even if Chen An has lost a strong body, he still has some means to use.


    The alchemy technique obtained in the Holy Sage Secret Realm before, in addition to recording the method of refining the primordial spirit, also includes corresponding attack methods.


    As long as it is used correctly, even though Chen An''s body is now in ruins, it should not be a problem to deal with a few ordinary people.


    He didn''t ask for much, just to grab a meal, and there shouldn''t be a problem, right?


    Chen An thought to himself.


    Standing in place, he carefully observed his body, using his robust primordial spirit to inspect his body, wanting to see what this body was like.


    The process went smoothly.


    Chen An was quite satisfied with his new body.


    Perhaps influenced by Chen An''s original essence, although this body has suffered a lot, working in the fields since childhood, and then begging on the streets, rarely having a full meal.


    But even so, this body is still fine, at least there are no serious problems, just a little malnourished due to long-term hunger.


    But this slight malnutrition can be completely resolved as long as it is well taken care of in the future. novellise


    Not bad.


    Suddenly, Chen An was stunned.


    Because he found something outrageous.


    In his abdominal area, which is the original dantian position, there is actually a quite abrupt existence.


    That''s the White Tower?


    This time, Chen An was truly startled.


    Before this, he never thought that the White Tower could be brought along by him.


    What does this mean?


    He was a little dumbfounded.


    In the previous simulation, he basically just reincarnated directly, without being able to bring anything with him.


    Unexpectedly, this time, he could still bring the White Tower with him.


    In a sense, this actually shows the extraordinary nature of the White Tower.


    Yeah, even after projection, it can still come along with him, how can it not be extraordinary?


    Chen An couldn''t help but sink into thought.


    Currently, it is known that the projection is directly placed in another world by his original essence, forming after the reincarnation.


    Because his original essence is unchanged, the divine attribute can be brought over, because this attribute is closely related to the original essence, it can be brought over to the maximum extent, and does not have much influence on the body.


    As long as the White Tower can be brought along, it also means that this artifact is closely related to his original essence.


    In other words, this artifact is very likely to be bound to his original essence?


    Coming to this conclusion, Chen An unconsciously couldn''t believe it.


    But the fact is there.


    Moreover, the White Tower was obtained from the Holy Sage Secret Realm, and from its uniqueness, it is very likely related to the original Holy Sage.


    If it is related to the Holy Sage, then having such divine and mysterious powers seems to make sense?


    Chen An thought to himself.


    From the current perspective, it seems that this is the only explanation.


    Thinking about this point, Chen An thought of the benefits of bringing the White Tower along.


    During the previous projection, Chen An had always regretted it.


    Because in the Great Liang World, as a Taiyi Grandmaster, he had already mastered most of the resources of that world.


    With his status and position, he could easily get whatever he wanted.


    However, because of the projection, those things couldn''t be brought back, which limited the help to his main body.


    Why did Chen An behave so disinterested in the world in his previous life, indifferent to fame and fortune?


    Isn''t it because those things simply couldn''t be taken out?


    No matter how many good things there are, if they can''t be taken out, they are useless, right?


    But with the White Tower, the situation is different.


    At this moment, Chen An couldn''t help but smile.


    At this moment, he suddenly felt that the White Tower was not useless.


    With this thing, he could also search this world thoroughly in the future.


    This is undoubtedly a good thing.


    Gurgle


    While Chen An was thinking of good things, his stomach was very honest and started growling.


    Feeling this, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh and return to reality.


    Before considering those issues, it''s better to find a way to solve the food and clothing problems first.


    After all, with the current situation of this body, he can''t continue waiting.


    He was about to get up and find some innocent people to see if he could get something.


    But at this moment, a small figure stumbled and ran over from outside.


    "Iron Pillar! Iron Pillar!"


    A small figure ran over from the outside, looking ragged, similar to Chen An.


    He ran all the way here, with a happy look on his face, "Good news, Changchun Hall is handing out porridge, as long as you''re willing to go, you can get a bowl of porridge and a steamed bun."


    "Really?"


    Hearing this, Chen An also became interested and got up directly.


    The child in front of him is named He Er, named because he is the second child at home.


    Like Chen An, he is also a poor child, both parents are deceased, and he roams around this area with Chen An''s previous self.


    The two depend on each other and have a good relationship.


    So when good news came, the other party notified him for the first time.


    The two quickly set off and walked forward.


    When they arrived, there were already many people queuing up.


    The place was crowded.


    This is very normal.


    After all, there are not many people who can eat their fill in the midst of natural disasters and man-made calamities.


    In such a situation, suddenly someone said they were giving out free food, so people naturally came rushing over. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It''s not for nothing.


    Chen An and He Er found a place to queue up, looking around at the crowd.


    Soon, he noticed something.


    Although there were many people queuing up here, they were all young people.


    More accurately, they were mostly young children.


    Even the oldest among them probably only looked like teenagers.


    Of course, this judgment was based on height.


    There was a stick standing next to him, and anyone taller than this height couldn''t get over and would be kicked out by the people from Changchun Hall.


    The people around could only obediently listen.


    There was no choice but to obey.


    Changchun Hall is a major power locally, monopolizing the business of herbs and clinics in the area, and also has relations with other gangs.


    In Chen An''s view, it belongs to a kind of gang, just covering it up with legitimate business so as not to have to pay protection fees and the like.


    But in reality, its behavior is no different from a gang.


    You can tell by looking around.


    This time, Changchun Hall is handing out porridge with more than a dozen big men with knives following along.


    If anyone dares to cause trouble, they will probably see how these guards'' knives work.


    Chen An couldn''t help but feel something was wrong.


    If it is simply for relief, to gain a good reputation, why only give porridge to children?


    Sure enough, a voice came from the front.


    "Those who have received the porridge, if you are willing to join our Changchun Hall, you can go to the side."


    A big man on the side shouted, constantly saying, "Three meals a day, you can also learn martial arts!"


    Three meals a day, and you can learn martial arts?


    Hearing this, everyone''s eyes lit up even more.


    In this world, learning martial arts is the best way out.


    As long as you can achieve something, the future prospects will almost be smooth sailing.


    There are all kinds of benefits, no need to say more.


    Even a three-year-old child knows the benefits of this.


    So as soon as this was said, the people around immediately became more enthusiastic.


    Even some people who didn''t meet the conditions were now racking their brains, trying to take advantage of the situation.


    Chen An frowned among them.


    Out of long-term habit, he instinctively began to doubt.


    There are no free pies in the world.


    Changchun Hall doesn''t seem like a place for free charity either.


    With Changchun Hall''s power, if they want to recruit disciples to learn martial arts, they can easily select talented children or arrange for the children of their followers, and will surely find enough disciples.


    But they insist on going the opposite way, they want to pick from these beggars and refugees.


    What''s going on here?


    Chen An couldn''t help but feel puzzled.


    His long experience made him instinctively suspicious.


    However, this was just a subconscious thought.


    He didn''t do much about it.


    With Changchun Hall recruiting so many beggars, there must be a reason for it.


    But this purpose might not necessarily be bad for Chen An.


    As long as he can use this opportunity well, he might be able to save a lot of effort.


    Even if it doesn''t work out, he could at least get a good meal.


    It''s no big deal, he''ll just run away later.


    Just a group of ordinary martial artists, Chen An is confident he can handle it.


    He stepped forward, received his portion of porridge, and then went to the side.


    "Name."


    "Chen An."


    "Hmm?"


    The clerk responsible for registering couldn''t help but look up, somewhat surprised, looking at Chen An, "Are you a nobleman''s son?"


    In this world, the names of most farmers'' sons are usually lowly names, like Chen An''s previous self, Iron Pillar, and the names of his friend He Er being names that are generally chosen to be easy to feed.


    These names are usually based on the principle of easy maintenance.


    But the name Chen An is different from those lowly names.


    "My parents are deceased, and I am fortunate to be here."novellise


    Chen An slightly bowed, didn''t say much, just explained.


    The clerk immediately understood.


    In this day and age, under natural disasters and man-made calamities, not only the ordinary people but even the wealthy families are suffering, and one misstep could lead to the destruction of a family.


    In his view, Chen An might have ended up in such a situation of wandering.


    Who knows, maybe in the past, Chen An was still a young master of a noble family.


    Thinking like this, the clerk''s eyes showed a hint of pity, and his tone softened, "Wait over there, you can come back later to get another bowl of porridge."


    "Thank you, sir."


    Chen An was a little surprised but still thanked politely.


    Not long after, he received another bowl of porridge and slowly ate it while being watched enviously by the people around.


    Watching him eat, the people around couldn''t help but nod in agreement, confirming their earlier speculations.


    (End of this chapter - novellise)

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226 - The ElixirOrdinary children, in general, eat in a crude manner, with many not even knowing how to use chopsticks properly and instead using their hands to grab food, making their eating habits quite unappealing.


    In normal times, this behavior is still acceptable, but it''s even worse when they have been hungry for so long.


    However, Chen An''s dining behavior appeared to be quite orderly, with every movement reflecting a sense of etiquette as if he had been well-educated.


    Although his tattered clothes couldn''t hide his embarrassment, that unique quality in him was still visible.


    As he finished the bowl of porridge under the envious gaze of the children around him, Chen An quietly stood up and walked to the side.


    After registering their names, their ordeal was not over yet.


    Someone on the side would examine them, checking for any physical defects.


    During the process, some people were kicked out from time to time.


    Most of these were physically impaired individuals, and some even had bone development far exceeding their reported age, clearly lying about their age.


    The members of Changchun Hall were not lenient towards these people and simply drove them away.


    Chen An watched this process silently from the side.


    After sitting there for a while, members of Changchun Hall came over to take them away to the nearby residence of Changchun Hall.


    In that residence, they were given accommodation and new clothes.


    In the following days, they started training their muscles and bones and officially began martial arts training.


    Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, over half a month had passed.


    During this period of time, Chen An had been staying here.


    To his surprise, it seemed that Changchun Hall was really nurturing them.


    They were not doing anything extra, but were actually teaching them martial arts and guiding them in their martial arts training.


    Although the martial arts they were taught were quite basic, equivalent to the Five Tigers Knife Technique and Sanda Boxing, it was still real martial arts.


    For ordinary people in this world, being able to practice martial arts was already a great expectation.


    Could it be that Changchun Hall had no ulterior motives and just wanted to recruit disciples?


    Chen An was puzzled.


    It seemed like that was the case based on the current situation.


    But if they were really intending to seriously recruit disciples, weren''t they recruiting too many people?


    There were already hundreds of people here before.


    And after that, every day, hundreds of people gathered from all over, probably children brought from various residences of Changchun Hall.


    If Changchun Hall was really planning to train disciples seriously, then weren''t there too many people involved?


    It was not the more, the merrier when it came to training disciples.


    Chen An had experience in the Sanhe Gang and was well aware of the training of disciples.


    Training disciples required resources.


    It''s not just about teaching martial arts; there were also significant manpower and material resources involved.


    Meals were one thing, but various medicinal items and ingredients were also essential.


    Overall, the cost of training a disciple was not low.


    If the disciples trained in the end turned out to be weak, then it would be a loss of investment.


    If a sect suffered too many losses, it wouldn''t be able to sustain itself.


    So, the most sensible approach was to focus most resources on a few exceptionally talented individuals.


    One elite was worth ten average talents.


    This was the approach of most sects.


    But Changchun Hall''s approach was different.


    They seemed to accept everyone regardless of the number and directly nurtured them.


    It seemed like they didn''t care about the cost.


    This was clearly a bit unusual.


    Chen An was puzzled, but couldn''t pinpoint exactly what was wrong.


    Could it be that Changchun Hall was really that compassionate, that they were genuinely doing charity work this time?


    Chen An was puzzled but couldn''t find what was wrong.


    However, for him, it didn''t really matter how Changchun Hall was run for the time being.


    His focus was still on his own cultivation.


    As long as his strength was sufficient, no matter what Changchun Hall''s intentions were or if they had other motives, it wouldn''t matter.


    In the end, strength was what mattered in this world.


    Chen An continued to work hard.


    Soon, he stood out among thousands of people.


    With thousands of children, almost half of them had been practicing for several months before Chen An even started.


    But Chen An surpassed them and became one of the top performers.


    It was only natural.


    After all, Chen An was a grandmaster reborn from the Xiantian Sect, and his past experiences and knowledge were apparent.


    Now, he was simply practicing an ordinary body forging martial art, so it was an easy task.


    Among the disciples here, even though there were some geniuses, none could compare to Chen An.


    Because Chen An''s progress was extraordinary.


    How extraordinary?


    In less than four months since he joined, he had already mastered the Changchun Boxing technique taught here to a perfect level, reaching the limit of progression.


    It could even be said that if he had been a bit older and had a better foundation, he would have reached the body forging stage.


    By the way, based on Chen An''s current physical condition, he should be nine years old now.


    Just a nine-year-old, but he was just one step away from body forging.


    What kind of extraordinary talent was this?


    This terrifying talent had even alarmed many of the leaders of Changchun Hall, prompting them to visit personally to observe and assess Chen An''s progress and training.


    From their actions, it was clear that they initially doubted the news and thought it was fabricated by subordinates to gain merit. s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But upon seeing it for themselves, they were astonished.


    What kind of genius was this?


    Chen An mastered the Changchun Boxing to perfection, and with his physical limitations, he could have easily reached the body forging stage.


    As for other martial arts, he learned them just as quickly.


    After attempting to teach him a few martial skills, the leaders of Changchun Hall were shocked.


    At the moment, Chen An, with his exceptional prowess, was not the average talent he appeared to be.


    Any martial skill he learned seemed to come effortlessly to him, without any obstacles.


    Compared to the current Chen An, all the so-called geniuses they had seen before seemed inferior.


    This performance was simply astounding and left everyone in awe.


    In the end, even the Hall Master of Changchun Hall personally stepped forward, attempting to take Chen An as his disciple.


    Naturally, Chen An did not refuse.


    He had joined Changchun Hall to use it as a platform to find opportunities.


    And within this platform of Changchun Hall, what position was bigger than being the disciple of the Hall Master?


    Chen An had gained the highest status.


    It was quite good.


    Upon calculation, from the time Chen An started training to becoming the disciple of the Hall Master, it hadn''t even been half a year.


    And by this time, the other disciples who were training outside started to receive their arrangements.


    In Chen An''s observation, the initial disciples were called out and were then given a large amount of elixirs to swallow.


    Chen An noticed this process and felt that something was off.


    What was going on?


    Martial artists taking elixirs during training wasn''t unusual, as it was part of their cultivation practice.


    But the amount of elixirs these people were given to swallow was too much, and often, those selected for this practice were not the most talented individuals.


    The truly outstanding talents, like Chen An, had been identified early on and weren''t included in this practice, avoiding the ingestion of these elixirs.


    So what was the purpose of this scene?


    Chen An felt that something was not right.


    "An''er, don''t overthink it."


    Beside him, a big hand patted Chen An''s shoulder.


    Chen An''s current master, the Hall Master of Changchun, had a smile on his face and, with a distant look in his eyes, said, "These are all expendables."


    Expendables?


    What did that mean?


    Chen An stood there, looking at the Hall Master of Changchun, not understanding his words but sensing something from his attitude.


    The term "expendables" was not a good one.


    But the Hall Master of Changchun clearly did not want to say more and left after a moment.


    In the following days, the majority of the disciples who had been gathered over the past year were involved in similar activities.


    Under the guidance of Changchun Hall, they swallowed a large amount of elixirs and practiced a unique inner skill.


    Officially, this was all for their benefit, allowing them to digest the elixir and cultivate internal energy through the inner skill.


    It all seemed legitimate.


    But in reality, any martial artist knew how ridiculous this sounded.


    Nurturing internal energy was not as simple as it seemed, or else martial artists wouldn''t be so rare in the world.


    To think that these kids, who hadn''t even reached the body forging stage, could cultivate internal energy was a pipe dream.


    But these children were oblivious to this and threw themselves into the practice with joy.


    They had a vague understanding of cultivation, knowing that cultivating internal energy was a sign of a true martial artist and that once they cultivated internal power, they would become superior beings and no longer have to endure hunger and suffering.


    They worked hard with single-minded determination.


    Meanwhile, onlookers expressed a sense of pity and mockery in their eyes.


    Time passed slowly.


    As time went by, Chen An finally understood what was happening here.


    One day, he was taken by the Hall Master to an open area.


    Of course, he wasn''t alone; the Hall Master''s son, Mei Changliu, was also brought along.


    As the Hall Master of Changchun Hall, he held high status and had many wives and children, not just one.


    But while he had many children, not all of them had the same martial talent.


    Among the Hall Master''s offspring, Mei Changliu was not the oldest, but was the one with the best martial talent.


    Of course, this so-called best talent was still far from being able to compare to Chen An in the eyes of others.


    Or to put it less politely, he wasn''t even worthy of standing in Chen An''s shoes.


    Unfortunately, Chen An''s martial talent on the surface was simply too terrifying.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227 - The ArrivalChen An and Mei Changliu stood side by side, silently following the Hall Master of Changchun.


    Beside them, other leaders of Changchun Hall also stood nearby, admiring the scene in front of them.


    Chen An looked up and then froze.


    In front of them, a vast open space was filled with figures.


    From the silhouettes of these people, it could be vaguely seen that they were the children who had been cultivating together before.


    In the past, these children were innocent and bright, all dreaming of a beautiful future.


    But now, they were all lying on the ground in this place, emitting screams of pain.


    Their appearance had become very strange, their whole bodies had swollen up, looking like bloated fat people, showing a strange and deformed appearance.


    Their skin had turned into a bizarre purple color, with lines of veins spreading on the surface, resembling meridians or blood vessels.


    In this place, they lay there, emitting cries of pain.


    The scene was quite tragic for a moment.


    Looking at this extremely pitiful scene in front of him, Chen An was stunned.


    Calculating carefully, he had experienced a lot in his life, and his life experience added up to two or three hundred years.


    In his long life, he had seen many dark things, but he had never thought that someone could do something like this.


    At this moment, as he lay there screaming in pain, looking like deformed monsters, they were clearly the children from before.


    "Are they refining human medicine?"


    At this moment, Chen An finally realized. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Previously, Changchun Hall had been gathering children on a large scale, almost indiscriminately collecting all the children nearby, which was clearly not an act of charity.


    They were not being charitable, they were clearly playing with human lives.


    They let the children practice martial arts, and those with excellent aptitude were collected, while those with less aptitude were quietly cultivated into what they were now.


    They made the children practice martial arts not for the purpose of cultivation, but just to make their bodies stronger so they could withstand stronger medicinal effects and not fall apart so easily.


    Their true purpose was to use the bodies of these children as a foundation for cultivating a great medicine that could assist in cultivation.


    The many elixirs and so-called internal energy scriptures before were mostly problematic.


    These children were unknowingly practicing this internal energy, and the more they practiced, the closer they got to the scene before them.


    In this way, they had refined themselves into a kind of human medicine, becoming the nourishment for the cultivation of others.


    The things refined in this way were given a unique name in the material world, human medicine.


    The method of refining this human medicine was not commonly used by cultivators, but it was a technique that the cultivators of the devil path loved the most.


    Chen An had only heard about this in the records of Haoshan Sect before.


    But he had never expected to see it now in a different world.


    This was really -


    "An Di, there''s no need to be like this."


    Apparently seeing Chen An''s reaction, Mei Changliu spoke up, smiling and comforting him, "These people are just materials, the first time you see it you may find it hard to stomach, but it gets easier the more you see."


    Chen An remained silent for a moment, then spoke, "But isn''t this too cruel to do so?"


    "Cruel?"


    Mei Changliu was disdainful, saying, "These people were meant to die anyway."


    "Most of them were beggars and refugees before, never getting enough to eat, even if they didn''t die here, they would have starved to death somewhere else."


    "Compared to that, they were well-fed and clothed here for so long, and they should give something back to us in return."


    To Mei Changliu, scenes of cruelty like this were commonplace, and he didn''t see anything wrong with it.


    And there were clearly more people present who thought the same way.


    "The Young Hall Master is right, these beggars were meant to die, we fed them for so long, it''s only fair that they pay back in some way!"


    "Debt must be repaid, that''s only natural. These people have been freeloading from us for so long, it''s only normal to expect some return now."


    "Chen Xian nephew, don''t think too much. This is their fate, sooner or later they are all destined to die. Dying here with us is at least a few more days of living."


    In the end, someone even turned around to comfort Chen An, speaking nonsense with a straight face.


    If Chen An wasn''t an old man at heart, but a nine-year-old child, he might have been really fooled by them.


    After a moment of silence, he finally looked up and calmly spoke, "You are right."


    "I understand."


    With that, a smile appeared on the faces of those around him, including Mei Changliu.


    Mei Changliu patted Chen An''s shoulder, showing a clear sense of closeness between them.


    This was actually the intention of the Hall Master of Changchun.


    After the Hall Master of Changchun accepted Chen An as his disciple, he arranged for Mei Changliu to stay with Chen An often, clearly intending for Chen An to become Mei Changliu''s supporter and companion in the future.


    Chen An''s face remained calm as he quietly looked forward.


    On the surface, he seemed to have accepted this situation and no longer felt anything about it.


    But in reality, no one knew what he really thought.


    "What will be the final fate of these people?"


    After a while, they left, and on the way, Chen An suddenly spoke up.


    "After a period of time, when the medicinal power stabilizes in their bodies, they will be harvested and disposed of together."


    Mei Changliu explained to Chen An.


    It turned out that this type of great medicine synthesized from children was called flesh pills by them.


    The reason why Changchun Hall could spread around and have such a huge influence was that they controlled the methods and channels for refining flesh pills.


    In just a few years, they would come to harvest the nearby children like this.


    Situations like natural disasters and man-made disasters in recent years were the most favorable for Changchun Hall.


    Because during these times, there were a large number of people selling their children, and there were also a large number of beggars, making it easy to obtain a large amount of materials.


    This was the most convenient time.


    If it was during normal times, they would just mobilize their faction members and purchase them through various channels.


    Changchun Hall operated as a pharmacy, selling medicinal materials on the surface, but in fact, they were the largest buyers of human traffickers in the area.


    They engaged in the buying and selling of people, but on the surface, they appeared charitable, and no one suspected anything until now.


    Even if someone did suspect, it didn''t matter.


    After all, besides their abundant financial resources, Changchun Hall also had top-notch local martial strength.


    For this type of gang power, ordinary people could do nothing but despair, seemingly unable to do anything.


    Time passed slowly.


    In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed.


    During this time, batches of flesh pills were harvested and became the flesh pills in the mouths of Mei Changliu and others.


    Changchun Hall Master and others did not take any action against these flesh pills, they were just sealed.


    Until one day, the buyer of these flesh pills came in person.


    She was a beautiful woman, dressed in light gauze, looking like a fairy.


    She had a unique temperament that made people''s eyes light up at first sight, making her seem like a perfect woman.


    But at this moment, such a fairy stood in a place filled with blood and flesh, looking around with interest at the scene, listening to the cries of pain coming from afar without any emotion.


    "Mei Yue, it''s been a while since you came to this place."


    The woman looked around and listened to the cries coming from afar, a smile on her face, "I hope this time won''t disappoint me."


    "It will not."


    Changchun Hall Master Mei Yue smiled, then made a welcoming gesture.


    The two turned and walked ahead.


    The surrounding view gradually became clear.


    She looked ahead and saw the scene there clearly.


    On a spacious platform, many children were screaming in pain.


    Mist filled the front, with a unique aura drifting everywhere.


    The mist kept boiling, then slowly merged into the bodies of those children, gathering within them.


    This process would last for about half an hour.


    When the mist around them was completely integrated, the lives of those children would basically come to an end.


    By that time, someone would step forward to open their mouths and cut open their abdomens, extracting the condensed flesh pills from their bodies.


    Their task would be completed at this point.


    The woman looked satisfied watching this scene, nodding from time to time, looking quite excited.


    As for the bloody scene in front of her, she didn''t seem to think much of it, just considering it a normal occurrence.


    Perhaps for this woman, such scenes were commonplace and easy to see.


    "Huh?"


    After casually looking around for a while, the woman suddenly felt surprised.


    She looked behind Mei Yue and saw one of the children.


    He looked young, only about eight or nine years old, dressed in ordinary clothes, and didn''t look particularly luxurious.


    But his aura was unique, clearly young but exceptionally calm, facing such a cruel scene with an equally calm expression, showing a sense of composure.


    The woman was drawn to this child''s gaze, and after a moment, she couldn''t help but speak, "What a handsome child."


    "Is this your son, Hall Master Mei?"


    "No."


    Upon hearing the woman''s question, Mei Yue also realized and smiled, "He is my new disciple, and also my most proud student."


    "Oh?"


    The woman was surprised, showing interest, "With your discerning eye, Mei Yue, you can still take on disciples. This child must be quite exceptional?"


    "If he can practice well on the path of martial arts, he will surely surpass me in the future."


    Mei Yue nodded and said so.


    This kind of remark surprised the woman once again.


    Mei Yue was not a simple person.


    He was the Hall Master of Changchun, one of the strongest martial artists in the area, and his strength had already reached the stage of internal energy completion, only one step away from the Realm Transformation.


    For him to say that this child would surely surpass him, wouldn''t that be -


    The woman looked around and was surprised to find that when Mei Yue said this, the several helmsmen who accompanied him and even his son Mei Changliu didn''t say anything, and even showed signs of agreement on their faces.


    Obviously, they were quite in agreement with Mei Yue''s words.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228 - Descendant of CultivatorsThe woman''s interest was piqued.


    At her current status, ordinary martial artists were not much to her.


    The formidable body-cultivating martial artists that appeared powerful in the eyes of mortals were just roles she could easily deal with.


    But after reaching the Internal Qi Realm, it was different.


    The martial artists in the Internal Qi Realm were quite formidable, at least equivalent to cultivators above the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement.


    Martial artists like Mei Yue, who had achieved the perfection of Internal Qi, were even more remarkable, equivalent to the perfection of Qi Refinement.


    Such individuals were no small roles for cultivators.


    If it was the Gang Qi, then it was even more significant.


    In the martial dao, Gang Qi corresponded to the Soul Transforming stage among cultivators.


    In some small sects, this was a level of power only elders possessed.


    And hearing what Mei Yue was saying about the child in front of them, did this child really possess such potential? S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The woman''s interest was piqued.


    If that was the case, then this child could indeed be considered a promising individual worth paying attention to.


    If Long Chun Hall had a Gang Qi expert in the future, their influence would probably become even more substantial.


    Ahead, the sound of wailing continued to echo, resonating in all directions.


    However, whether it was the woman or Mei Yue and the others, they were chatting and laughing as usual, unaffected by what was happening.


    Only Chen An, at this moment, silently closed his eyes, seeming to be somewhat reluctant.


    The others around did not pay much attention, just chatting and laughing amongst themselves.


    But suddenly, at a certain moment, Chen An heard a familiar voice.


    He immediately opened his eyes and looked towards the front.


    Among the group of children who looked nothing like humans, he spotted a familiar figure.


    It was He Er, his former good friend and the person who had called him to collect porridge back then.


    Long Chun Hall''s residence was large, and for convenience, when Chen An and He Er joined Long Chun Hall, they were assigned to different places.


    Chen An was not sure what had happened to He Er in the end.


    Unexpectedly, he had ended up here like the others.


    This was his negligence.


    In front, He Er seemed to have also recognized Chen An.


    His voice sounded hoarse, filled with pain as if he had to exert all his strength for each word he spoke.


    "Iron Pillar, save me!"


    The muffled voice came from the front.


    Chen An silently watched this scene, unsure of what to do.


    Apart from Chen An, no one knew who the Iron Pillar that He Er called for was.


    The people present assumed that they were just witnessing a digestion process, quietly enjoying the struggle before death.


    "Master."


    Without much hesitation, Chen An turned around and looked at Mei Yue in front of him, "Can you spare one of them?"


    "Oh?"


    Mei Yue turned around with some confusion.


    "In there, there is one person who was a good friend of my disciple when he begged in the past."


    Chen An continued.


    Mei Yue instantly understood his intention.


    He did not refuse and directly turned to Mei Changliu beside him, "Changliu, you go and arrange it."


    "Alright."


    Mei Changliu nodded without refusal.


    For them, this was just a trivial matter.


    Chen An''s current status was different; he was Mei Yue''s disciple and a seed of Gang Qi, and thus highly valued.


    In comparison to Chen An''s potential and status, sparing one person was a minor issue.


    Mei Changliu quickly took action.


    Not long after, He Er was brought out by someone and moved outside.


    Someone went to check on him, then showed a regretful expression, "The medicine has penetrated his bones. Most likely, he won''t make it."


    "It''s a bit too late."


    Mei Changliu said, "When he was brought here, the medicine had already penetrated his bones. Even if we save him now, he might only have a few days left."


    "In my opinion, An Di, you better give him a peaceful death, then give him a decent burial afterward."


    Mei Changliu suggested.


    In his view, He Er was as good as dead.


    Many Dan medicines he had consumed had already taken effect in his body, the mixed Qi in his body would eventually take his life.


    This life would not be saved.


    Instead of letting him continue to suffer, Mei Changliu thought it would be better to give him a peaceful death.


    Watching this scene, the woman on the side also looked interested.


    Swallowing Dan medicines, having Qi entering the body, this situation was basically hopeless for martial artists.


    But for her, she had a way to solve it.


    If it were ordinary people, she wouldn''t bother.


    But since the child in front of her had potential, she didn''t mind giving face.


    Just as the woman was about to speak, Chen An suddenly moved.


    In front of Mei Yue and the others, he took a step forward, then gently placed one hand on He Er''s chest.


    This sudden scene stunned everyone.


    Before they could react, an unexpected sight appeared.


    Qi was flowing all around.


    With Chen An''s movement, He Er''s constant wailing suddenly weakened.


    Under the gaze of the onlookers, the chaotic Qi in his body began to shrink, being absorbed by a new force.


    This was the Qi accumulated in He Er''s body from swallowing Dan medicines and absorbing miasma.


    This kind of Qi was extremely chaotic and harmful if it remained in the body for a long time.


    And it was because of this residual Qi that He Er had turned into his current state.


    But as this Qi was absorbed, He Er''s body naturally returned to normal.


    To the astonishment and confusion of everyone present, He Er''s bloated body quickly changed, shrinking rapidly like it was dehydrating until it looked like a normal child again, restoring his usual physique.


    This scene shocked and puzzled everyone.


    What just happened?


    How did he do that?


    Everyone looked at Chen An, then they saw his current condition.


    At this moment, Chen An''s appearance wasn''t as good as before.


    His complexion looked somewhat pale, his skin seemed devoid of any color, and his overall aura had become much weaker, with some strange patterns appearing on his skin.


    Although he showed some characteristics similar to those who had taken medicines, it wasn''t as severe.


    At least his body didn''t swell up, but his aura had become somewhat chaotic.


    "An Er?"


    Seeing Chen An''s appearance, Mei Yue was surprised and uncertain, subconsciously wanting to go forward and check on him.


    Although he was the hall master, the scene before him was something he had never seen before, and he didn''t understand what had happened.


    "Chief Mei."


    The woman on the side reacted and shook her head at this moment, speaking, "You better not touch him now."


    Her face showed some complexity, "Rest assured, your disciple is fine."


    "This time, it seems you have come across a treasure."


    "Are you saying..."


    Mei Yue interrupted, listening to the woman''s words and immediately guessed something.


    "Yes."


    The woman nodded and then walked up to Chen An, placing one hand on his shoulder.


    In just a short moment, the rampant Qi within Chen An''s body disappeared, directly absorbed by the woman.


    Chen An''s complexion quickly returned to normal, no longer looking as bad as before.


    Compared to before, his only change at this moment was that his complexion was still somewhat pale, and he had a little sweat on his back.


    But other than that, he was fine.


    Earlier, he had used a method to alleviate the trouble in He Er''s body by absorbing the chaotic Qi into his own body.


    The aftermath was that the chaotic Qi went rampant in his body, making his condition somewhat worse.


    Initially, this kind of condition would take some time to ease, but since someone was now helping, the situation would be different.


    "Are you called Chen An?"


    At this moment, the woman suddenly spoke.


    Chen An nodded, "Yes."


    "Do you know who your parents are?"


    The woman continued, "Also, the method you used to extract the Qi from that person''s body just now, where did it come from?"


    One could see a master''s hand from their actions.


    The woman herself was a cultivator and naturally understood some methods.


    While it seemed easy to solve the rampant Qi within the body, extracting the Qi from someone''s body as Chen An did required specific techniques and knowledge of Qi manipulation.


    And these were something that ordinary people couldn''t achieve.


    "It was passed down from my parents."


    Under the gaze of the crowd, Chen An''s expression seemed hesitant, but he slowly spoke out the prepared script he had in mind.


    According to his background, his family was just a normal scholarly family, and everything at home seemed perfectly ordinary.


    As for the technique he used, it was inherited from his ancestors, and he had been practicing it since childhood, treating it as a unique martial art.


    Never did he expect it to work this wonders today.


    Listening to this explanation, not only the woman but also Mei Yue understood what was going on.


    Apparently, he had hit the jackpot.


    Chen An''s background was anything but simple.


    Most likely, his ancestors were cultivators.


    In other words, Chen An was a legitimate descendant of cultivators, and that was why similar inheritance practices were present within the family.


    The probability of descendants of cultivators having talents was often higher than that of ordinary people, but it wasn''t a guarantee and would decrease gradually with each generation until they eventually became regular mortals.


    Thinking in this way, most likely, Chen An''s ancestors were beings who had gradually become ordinary mortals over generations until the recent calamity that led to his family''s collapse, leaving Chen An as the only survivor.


    This explanation seemed quite logical, didn''t it?


    Mei Yue and the others immediately believed it.


    One reason was that Chen An was still a child, and they didn''t think such a young child would dare to lie in front of them, and the explanation he gave was so reasonable.


    Another reason was that the facts were right there.


    Excluding his background, the way Chen An carried himself, his every move, and his temperament and demeanor, all of these clearly indicated he was no ordinary commoner.


    Most likely, he came from a prestigious family.


    If he was truly a descendant of cultivators, then everything made perfect sense.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229 - Transfer"The bloodline of the descendants of immortals, after a long period of time, will eventually produce immortal seedlings with spirit roots again."


    The woman sighed and smiled, "It seems that this time, Master Mei, you have picked up a treasure."


    "Even with the ancestral secret technique, it''s rare to see a child who can successfully manipulate Qi at this age," she continued.


    Being able to manipulate Qi, absorb the chaotic Qi in others'' bodies into their own, at least indicates an entry-level proficiency in manipulating Qi.


    This fully illustrates one thing.


    Chen An is not far from reaching the Qi refining realm at this moment. With the appropriate Qi refining method and guidance, he may soon break through and become a true cultivator.


    And this is still the case when he is young, only nine years old, and has no one to teach him before.


    His talent is truly terrifying.


    "Master Song, you are too kind."


    Meyue smiled and looked at Chen An in front of her, her gaze filled with complexity.


    Originally, she thought of Chen An only as a martial arts genius. But now, she realized she had underestimated his talents.


    Chen An is not only a martial arts genius, but he may also be the same in the path of cultivation, an absolute prodigy.


    Such a person is truly formidable.


    "Master Mei, may I test him?" a woman named Song Qi smiled and asked, "I believe you also want to know how talented your disciple is."


    "Of course," Meyue nodded, agreeing without hesitation.


    Having a disciple with spiritual roots is always a good thing.


    In this world, martial arts are not suppressed by the rules of the world, but martial artists are still in the minority.


    The top experts are often cultivators rather than martial artists.


    Cultivators have longer lifespans and stronger means compared to martial artists, so their status is naturally higher.


    If Chen An can have spiritual roots and become a cultivator, that wouldn''t be bad either.


    So Meyue did not refuse.


    Song Qi quickly performed the test, and the results soon appeared.


    "Grade B lower."


    When the results appeared, Song Qi''s face lit up with surprise.


    For her, this was indeed a pleasant surprise.


    Originally, she only came to buy the muscle elixirs from Meyue and take them back. She did not expect to come across such an immortal seedling with this level of talent.


    With a Grade B lower qualification, although not top-tier, it can be considered above average. With proper cultivation, there is hope for spiritual transformation in the future.


    "Meyue, would you consider letting go of him?" She turned and asked Meyue, "His talent is outstanding. I want to take him back to the sect for proper cultivation. What do you think?"


    "This..."


    Meyue hesitated, his face showing reluctance.


    "It''s not that I''m stingy, but my disciple has extraordinary talent, and I have arranged things for him early on."


    He explained, feeling conflicted.


    From the moment he took Chen An as his disciple, Meyue had a plan for him.


    That is to assist Meyue Chang in stabilizing his position as the Master of Changchun Hall.


    Meyue was currently the strongest in Changchun Hall, and his cultivation level was dominating in the area, making him one of the top few.


    But Meyue Chang''s talent was far inferior, and his future achievements might not surpass Meyue.


    In this situation, if he wanted to secure his position as the Master of Changchun Hall and take over from Meyue, it would be quite challenging.


    That''s why Meyue wanted to cultivate Chen An, let him grow up together with Meyue Chang, cultivate a brotherly bond, and use him as a support for Meyue Chang in the future.


    To achieve this goal, he even planned to let Chen An grow up a bit more and then marry his two daughters to Chen An to solidify the relationship.


    But now, Song Qi''s words undoubtedly disrupted his plans.


    This made Meyue conflicted and hesitated.


    Song Qi naturally noticed Meyue''s conflict.


    However, she didn''t mind and just smiled, saying, "As long as Master Meyue is willing to let go, I am willing to pay fifty spiritual stones in addition to the purchase of the muscle elixirs. How about that?"


    "Really?"


    Meyue was immediately moved, his expression changing slightly.


    "Of course."


    Song Qi said matter-of-factly, "We have been working together for many years, and I believe my reputation should speak for itself."


    Meyue remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, "An''er is my only disciple."


    "Eighty pieces."


    Song Qi casually added.


    "Deal."


    Meyue immediately agreed, looking eager, as if afraid Song Qi would not accept.


    Chen An watched silently from the side, his mouth twitching.


    At this moment, he really didn''t know what to say.


    Although it was his goal and plan to catch Song Qi''s attention in order to enter the immortal sect, it still felt a bit too much to be sold off like this right in front of him.


    "I''m still here, you know."


    Unfortunately, neither Meyue nor Song Qi would care about Chen An''s thoughts.


    In their eyes, Chen An was still a child, despite his exceptional talent, he still had the mentality of a normal child.


    If he had any objections, they would just coax him.


    Just give him a few more candies.


    But to Chen An''s surprise, his obedience seemed to please Song Qi.


    Upon hearing the news of his upcoming departure, Chen An did not react much, just looking at Song Qi timidly, seeming a bit shy.


    "This child has always been like this, he does whatever the adults ask him to do, unlike other children who are unruly, but he is very obedient," Meyue explained with a smile. "Everyone in my family really likes this child. If it weren''t for his future prospects, I wouldn''t want him to leave."


    "You''re just pretending," Song Qi glanced at Meyue, not saying much, but her meaning was clear.


    However, she was quite satisfied with Chen An''s obedient behavior. s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen An had always been afraid of naughty children, even in his past life.


    If he was dealing with a mischievous child, Song Qi might have been really troubled.


    Overall, obedient and well-behaved children are more likable.


    With that in mind, Song Qi smiled and reached out to touch Chen An''s head.


    Considering Chen An was still a child, she found some candies and fed them to him.


    "You''re really feeding me candy."


    Chen An was speechless.


    He was genuinely being treated like a child.


    But on the surface, he really was a child, including the facade he had maintained all this time.


    So he had nothing to say.


    With Song Qi''s actions, Chen An did not stay in place and left with her.


    That night, Song Qi began to assess Chen An''s progress to see how well he was cultivating.


    After a thorough examination, she was stunned.


    The Qi manipulation chant that Chen An had mentioned was quite simple, almost like a basic Qi manipulation method.


    Song Qi did not doubt this, as she thought that Chen An''s family lineage might have lost most of their hereditary techniques after a long period of time, leaving only this remnant.


    This was normal.


    If the descendants of the cultivators could not produce immortal seedlings with spiritual roots, the hereditary techniques passed down within their family would eventually be lost.


    Chen An''s situation was quite common in this regard.


    But Chen An had managed to cultivate to his current level solely based on this rather simple chant.


    In Song Qi''s observation, Chen An''s manipulation of Qi was very skilled and smooth, allowing him to absorb Qi into his body effortlessly.


    At this point, it could be said that all barriers before Qi refinement had been cleared.


    He only lacked a suitable Qi refinement method.


    As long as he had a suitable method to learn, Chen An could advance quickly and become a true cultivator.


    For an ordinary person, achieving this would probably take seven or eight years.


    But Chen An had already reached this level at just nine years old.


    This kind of progress astonished Song Qi, making her somewhat incredulous.


    "Do you have anyone in your family teaching you?" she asked Chen An, looking at him.


    In her opinion, Chen An must have been taught by someone to achieve this level.


    Otherwise, it would be almost unimaginable to cultivate to this extent without any correction.


    However, when faced with her question, Chen An just shook his head, his eyes showing some confusion, seemingly unable to understand what she meant.


    Doesn''t learning a cultivation technique just involve study?


    Song Qi was a bit disbelieving.


    But soon, she started to believe it.


    Because shortly after, she tried to teach him some basic cultivation principles, and the results were astonishing.


    She was not a good teacher, and the things she taught were quite complex. It would overwhelm most people, with only a few able to remember even a small part.


    But Chen An managed to memorize everything, not missing a single detail.


    Was he capable of photogenic memory?


    Song Qi was stunned.


    Photographic memory was almost legendary for ordinary people.


    Even among cultivators, only a few would be able to achieve it as they advanced in their cultivation.


    But Chen An, who was currently just a child, had not even begun his cultivation yet, and he could already do this.


    This could only be explained as a natural talent.


    After a more thorough evaluation, even more terrifying results emerged.


    Chen An not only memorized everything, but he also quickly comprehended and understood it, forming his own unique interpretation in a short time.


    Upon seeing this, Song Qi was dumbfounded.


    For others, they could explain Chen An''s prior exposure to these concepts.


    But many of the things she had just taught him were unique to her sect and not something a child like Chen An would have come into contact with.


    Aside from Chen An''s extraordinary comprehension, she was surprised to see that he seemed like a seasoned cultivator who had been practicing for many years.


    At that moment, Song Qi was at a loss.


    If it were something else, perhaps she could explain it by saying Chen An had encountered it earlier.


    But the content she taught him just now included many unique elements of her sect, which Chen An, a child, could not have possibly known about.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230 - Changyue SectSong Qi was a little dumbfounded.


    At this moment, she was somewhat at a loss, completely shocked by Chen An''s performance, not knowing what to say.


    "Senior Sister Song, what''s wrong?"


    Chen An looked at Song Qi with some confusion, his face looking somewhat innocent and ignorant, as if he didn''t know anything.


    He seemed puzzled, not understanding why Song Qi had such a reaction.


    And as for the title of Senior Sister, it was requested by Song Qi.


    After Chen An entered the sect later, according to seniority, he would be her junior brother.


    At the moment, it was just an early use of the title.


    "No, nothing."


    Song Qi quickly came back to her senses.


    She glanced deeply at Chen An, then somewhat stubbornly continued, "Come on, let''s continue."


    For the next few days, Song Qi couldn''t leave the house.


    After five days, when Mei Yue and others saw Song Qi, they were surprised to find that Song Qi had completely changed her appearance.


    At that time, Song Qi looked pale, a bit lost, as if she had lost her soul.


    It looked quite miserable.


    Together with her good looks, she appeared like a beauty, evoking a sense of pity in people''s hearts.


    While Mei Yue and others were somewhat puzzled, they couldn''t help but feel a strange sense of familiarity.


    For some reason, looking at Song Qi''s current appearance, they unexpectedly had a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    It was as if they had experienced something similar before?


    Indeed, Song Qi was a bit lost.


    To be precise, she had lost some confidence.


    During these few days, she had been constantly teaching Chen An various things.


    At first, it was just basic principles of cultivation and some etiquette, but later it turned into techniques, methods of cultivation, and so on.


    But no matter the aspect, as long as she could teach it, Chen An could immediately grasp it, even coming up with his own understanding.


    What kind of monster was he?


    There is a saying, "The gap between people is greater than the gap between people and dogs."


    At this moment, Song Qi felt that way.


    She felt as if her years of hard cultivation were wasted, as if she had lived like a dog.


    For the first time in her life, she felt so foolish, unable to compare to a child in terms of understanding.


    Of course, in reality, it wasn''t that she was incompetent, it was just that the child next to her was too much of a monster.


    Song Qi knew this herself.


    But every time she looked at Chen An, who seemed ignorant and innocent, but supremely intelligent, able to learn everything instantly, she couldn''t help but feel a complex emotion.


    At this moment, she finally understood the feelings of Mei Yue and the others.


    Before, she had heard Mei Yue and others describe Chen An, saying that he had outstanding talent and could learn anything instantly.


    At that time, Song Qi was a little skeptical, thinking that it was just Mei Yue and the others exaggerating.


    But now, she believed it.


    There really were such monsters in the world.


    At this moment, she suddenly felt a bit eager.


    If this kind of monster could really embark on the path of cultivation in the future, what level of achievement would he reach?


    Song Qi was very hopeful.


    At this moment, she suddenly felt a bit of a sinister pleasure.


    Perhaps out of a sense of schadenfreude, she suddenly wanted to know what the reaction of her sect''s true disciples, even the elders, would be when they saw Chen An?


    It must be interesting, right?


    Song Qi secretly looked forward to it.


    And under her gaze, Chen An sat quietly in the distance, already starting to draw in spiritual energy into his body.


    And he was doing quite well in this step.


    Not to mention compared to those with similar talent, even compared to those with top-tier talent, he was not far behind, as if he had done this process hundreds of times and had it memorized by heart.


    But Song Qi knew that Chen An had never practiced cultivation before, so this could only be explained by his talent and understanding.


    This made her sigh silently.


    A person like Chen An, as long as he had spiritual roots, he would probably surpass everyone else.


    Because compared to him, even the most intelligent people seemed like fools, incomparable.


    In her musings, time slowly passed.


    After half a month, Song Qi left with Chen An.


    They rode in a carriage and before leaving, Mei Yue and others personally came to see them off.


    "If you have time in the future, remember to come back and visit often," Mei Yue said kindly to Chen An. "This is your home, don''t forget that."


    "As for your friend, don''t worry," he continued. "I have arranged for him to stay at a pharmacy, he will be the owner of that pharmacy in the future, enough for him to live a safe life."


    With that, he showed enough goodwill.


    "Thank you, Master."


    Chen An nodded, maintaining his usual silent demeanor.


    On the other hand, Song Qi smiled and said, "Don''t worry, in our sect, there is no need to hide away."


    "If Master Mei wants, in the future, having Chen junior brother marry and settle down is also possible, our sect does not restrict such matters."


    She seemed to see through Mei Yue''s thoughts and said with a smile.


    Sure enough, as soon as those words were spoken, Mei Yue''s eyes lit up.


    Before, he had wanted Chen An to become a supporter for Mei Changhai in the future to ensure the long prosperity of the Mei family.


    But that plan was disrupted by Song Qi.


    But now, it seemed like the plan could continue.


    Even though Chen An had left Changchun Hall, if he could become a powerful cultivator in the sect in the future, he could still be a help to Mei Changhai and the others.


    And this way, it could be even more perfect.


    Originally, by leaving Chen An in Changchun Hall, although it could provide support, there was still some risk involved.


    After all, if Chen An turned against them, after Mei Yue''s death, Mei Changhai alone might not be able to control him. If things went wrong, the support could become a crisis.


    To avoid this, Mei Yue had Mei Changhai befriend Chen An and even tried to marry his daughter to him in order to become in-laws, to minimize the risk.


    But now, with Chen An going to the sect, although it was further away, the risk was greatly reduced.


    At least, it was highly unlikely that the people of the sect would come to contend for Changchun Hall''s foundation.


    In this way, it not only served as support but also minimized the risk.


    How clever!


    Mei Yue''s eyes lit up, and he became energized again.


    Song Qi smiled and looked at Mei Yue''s current demeanor, not saying anything.


    Everyone was astute enough to understand each other without the need for many words.


    Just like now, Mei Yue didn''t say much, but Song Qi already understood what he was thinking.


    Of course, Song Qi was just there to watch the show.


    If Chen An really hadn''t left Changchun Hall, growing up there since childhood, then everything might still go as Mei Yue intended.


    But now that Chen An had left Changchun Hall, there would be no connection with Changchun Hall in the future.


    As for his future marriage?


    It''s not that Song Qi underestimated the Mei family.


    It''s just that in Song Qi''s eyes, Chen An''s future was bound to be bright.


    Once he grew up, he might even become so accomplished that many elders in the sect would vie to marry their daughters to him.


    Mei Yue was just a small faction leader, so what worth did he have? Was he even qualified to have ideas about Chen An?


    So, Song Qi was prepared to watch Mei Yue''s scheming from the beginning.


    However, even though she was watching the show, she still had to do what she had to do.


    Outwardly, she exchanged pleasantries with Mei Yue, completed the necessary formalities, and then left with Chen An.


    The carriage moved slowly, with many attendants guarding by the side.


    Song Qi didn''t travel alone on this journey, she brought along many attendants.


    This was normal.


    The storage bags were valuable, and Song Qi was in charge of procurement tasks. If she were alone, there was no way she could transport a large amount of resources back.


    So bringing people was a necessary choice. S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At first glance, their group looked like a bustling merchant convoy heading forward, with no hint of an immortal cultivator among them.


    And so, Chen An followed Song Qi and left, returning to the sect where he belonged.


    And the name of this sect was Changyue Sect.


    Inside the Changyue Sect.


    When Chen An was brought back by Song Qi, it didn''t really attract much attention.


    Because this kind of thing was quite normal.


    People like Song Qi, who were buyers, would often encounter spiritual seedlings on the road and bring them back as well.


    If they happened to find good seedlings on the way, it would be a great achievement.


    Not only Song Qi, but in the same group of buyers, there were more than just one or two immortal seedlings brought back.


    In this situation, Chen An''s presence seemed quite inconspicuous, not at all strange.


    Chen An was also happy to see this situation unfold.


    For him, as long as he could enter the sect smoothly through Song Qi, it would be a success.


    Although Changchun Hall was good before, but the future was limited, even the strongest Mei Yue only had the cultivation of Internal Energy Completion, so his limits were apparent.


    For Chen An, Changchun Hall could be tolerated as a stepping stone for a short time, but for a long time, it was not quite suitable.


    The Changyue Sect in front of him was much better.


    At least as a sect, the power of the Changyue Sect was no less than that of the Haoshan Sect in the mortal realm, and it might even surpass it.


    For Chen An, this was the most suitable platform, a place where he could stay long-term.


    (End of Chapter).

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231 - Four YearsIn Chen An''s view, entering the Changyue Sect has several advantages.


    First of all, it''s safety.


    Compared to the Changchun Hall, the strength of the Changyue Sect is much stronger. Being a disciple of the Changyue Sect, as long as you pay attention, you can always be assured of safety.


    This is much better than the Changchun Hall.


    Furthermore, the Changchun Hall is just about practicing martial arts, while the Changyue Sect is a sect of immortals.


    Only by being a part of it can Chen An openly cultivate the scriptures and become a cultivator.


    Of course, this is not to say that the path of a cultivator is better than that of a martial artist, but simply a matter of suitability.


    Chen An is still too young.


    To be precise, he is only nine years old now.


    At this age, his body is still not fully formed, no matter how much martial arts he practices, he is destined not to achieve great success in the short term.


    Because the body is not yet fully formed, practicing martial arts recklessly will have consequences.


    The most obvious consequence is the premature setting of the body, which will have to maintain its current appearance forever, even after growing up, the body will look like that of a child.


    Not only is it unsightly, but it will also affect future potential, making the road ahead even more difficult.


    But cultivators don''t have this problem.


    Cultivation of a cultivator is more focused on breathing in the vital energy, cultivating the spirit, and spirituality, and the initial requirements for the body are not so great.


    Even though Chen An is underage, it doesn''t matter.


    This is the second advantage.


    As for the third advantage, it is the ability to obtain related inheritances of cultivators at the lowest cost.


    This can be considered a kind of helplessness.


    Previously, Chen An had collected a lot of martial arts classics in the Dahua world, but there was a lack of cultivation inheritance.


    At the moment, he only has a Haoshan scripture in his hands, and can only cultivate up to the ninth level of Qi refining at most.


    As for the scriptures of the Nascent Soul stage?


    None.


    Within the Haoshan Sect, the scriptures of the Nascent Soul stage can only be taught to elder disciples.


    With Chen An''s previous position within the Haoshan Sect, he couldn''t even come into contact with such high-level scriptures.


    But within the Changyue Sect, he has the opportunity to obtain them completely.


    Because he is currently a child, he looks like a nine-year-old child on the surface.


    At this age, as long as he performs well, he believes that it is quite easy to be admitted under the guidance of a certain elder of the Changyue Sect and obtain the corresponding inheritance.


    By then, won''t he have the Nascent Soul scriptures in his hands?


    Perfect.


    So no matter from which perspective, it is a suitable thing for Chen An to join the Changyue Sect.


    And by joining the Changyue Sect, Chen An has basically achieved his goal.


    He didn''t plan to do much more, just to grow up normally, perform well, and strive to be accepted as a disciple under an elder.


    But he wanted to keep a low profile, but others wanted to stir up trouble.


    Like Song Qi.


    The reason she wanted to stir up trouble was simple.


    She had seen Chen An''s talent and insight.


    And most importantly, Chen An was brought into the Changyue Sect by her.


    According to the rules, if Chen An performs well in the future, she, as the recommender, will have some credit.


    Not to mention that she had not interacted with Chen An much during this period, and almost treated him as a sibling during their time on the road.


    With this relationship in place, she naturally had more desires.


    Under such circumstances, the more attention Chen An received, the more benefits she could naturally gain.


    If Chen An could directly win the favor of a certain elder, that would be even better.


    At that time, maybe Chen An could also help her, his senior sister.


    With this mindset, she began to take action actively.


    Soon, Chen An found himself in a helpless situation.


    But no matter how helpless he was, he had to deal with it.


    Fortunately, no matter what, he was still a grandmaster of the innate and a Qi refining cultivator.


    It was just a small matter, he could handle it.


    Soon, a new legend rose slowly within the Changyue Sect, attracting everyone''s attention.


    When Chen An first entered the Changyue Sect, he was nine years old in terms of age.


    That year, he officially attracted Qi into his body, officially entering the Qi refining stage and becoming a Qi refining first level cultivator.


    Although this speed attracted attention, it was still within reason.


    There were many cultivators in the Changyue Sect, with a number close to nearly a hundred thousand.


    With such a large base of cultivators, there were naturally many young cultivators like Chen An.


    Someone like Chen An could be considered normal.


    But soon, people began to notice something was amiss.


    Because Chen An''s cultivation speed seemed a bit too abnormal?


    He joined the Changyue Sect at the age of nine, reached the Qi refining first level at ten, broke through three barriers and reached the fourth level at eleven.


    By the second year, at the age of twelve, he broke through two barriers and reached the sixth level.


    In the third year, he reached the eighth level.


    In the fourth year, at the age of thirteen, his cultivation finally stopped.


    But before everyone could relax, an even more surprising result appeared.


    Because he became an alchemist.


    A true alchemist, capable of refining top-grade pills.


    Not only could he steadily refine top-grade pills, but he could also independently develop new pill formulas.


    For example, the recently appeared Xiao Yuan Pill and Qingxin Pill in the Changyue Sect were both developed by Chen An alone.


    To independently develop pill formulas, and such mature and effective ones?


    What is this?


    A heaven-defying talent.


    For a while, everyone in the Changyue Sect was in an uproar.


    In the early morning, the sun shone on the earth.


    On a spacious platform, a group of cultivators were listening to lectures.


    This was an internal arrangement of the Changyue Sect, teaching about the principles of cultivation.


    Compared to the ordinary lectures, the difficulty of the lectures here was high, and everyone sitting here was the elite disciples of the Changyue Sect.


    Generally, those who could become elite disciples of the Changyue Sect were not young.


    In general, becoming an elite disciple of the Changyue Sect before the age of thirty was already quite remarkable.


    But among these people, there was a young man sitting there.


    The young man looked young, only about thirteen or fourteen years old, sitting at the front of the classroom at the moment, with a serious expression, listening attentively to the lecture in front of him.


    He seemed very serious, completely focused on listening to the lecture in front of him.


    Around them, from time to time, there were glances cast at him, but the young man didn''t seem to care at all, just sat there calmly, without any reaction.


    After a while, the lecture ended, and the young man got up to leave.


    Immediately, a group of people crowded around him.


    "Junior Brother."


    A Qi refining ninth level senior of the Changyue Sect smiled and looked at Chen An, saying, "Junior Brother, I heard that you recently refined a batch of Foundation Building Pill. I am currently in the process of building my foundation and I need this kind of pill. Can you sell it to me?"


    The Foundation Building stage is another name for the Nascent Soul stage among cultivators. At this stage, having a Foundation Building Pill can greatly increase the success rate.


    As for how much this success rate can be improved, it depends on the quality and grade of the Foundation Building Pill.


    Generally speaking, the newly refined Foundation Building Pill has the best effect.


    Because at this stage, the medicinal power of the pill is intact and there is no loss, making it the best time to take it.


    And at this moment in the Changyue Sect, there was only one alchemist who could refine top-grade Foundation Building Pills.


    That was the young man in front of him, Chen An.


    "This Senior Brother."


    Chen An looked at the elite disciple in front of him and couldn''t help but smile, "I''m sorry, that batch of Foundation Building Pills had already been reserved by the senior brothers and sisters before, there are no leftovers."


    "If Senior Brother wants, can you wait for a while? When I refine pills next time, I can leave one for you, alright?"


    "Deal!"


    The man quickly agreed, overjoyed, "Thank you Junior Brother Chen, the brother doesn''t ask for much, just one will do."


    "Don''t worry, I understand Junior Brother''s offer, three hundred spirit stones are ready, just come to pick them up!"


    "No problem, no problem."


    Chen An''s smile remained unchanged on his face as he chuckled softly, looking very polite, making people feel a sense of goodwill towards him.


    "Junior Brother, what about me!"


    Seeing the first person''s success, many more people immediately jumped out, "I am also about to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, can Junior Brother sell me five Foundation Building Pills? I will give you a satisfactory price no matter how much I have to pay!"


    "Junior Brother Chen."


    Voices suddenly erupted.


    "Step aside, all of you!"


    At this moment, a loud roar suddenly resounded like thunder in the area, startling everyone present.


    A burly figure, exuding a powerful aura, appeared nearby and immediately stood in front of Chen An, scanning the surroundings with fierce eyes.


    As soon as this person appeared, everyone around quieted down, and no one dared to speak anymore.


    Because they knew that Chen An was easy to talk to, as long as they didn''t act against him, he wouldn''t say much, at most just refuse.


    But this person in front of them was really capable of taking action.


    And with his identity, even if he did take action against them, they couldn''t do anything about it, they could only swallow this loss.


    In this situation, naturally no one dared to act.


    "Don''t you all see what your identities are."


    Looking around, the burly man stood in front of Chen An, sneered, "It''s fine to want the Foundation Building Pill, but still dare to ask for five or ten?"


    "Have you even looked at what your identities are? Are you even worthy of asking Junior Brother Chen for pills?"


    "If it weren''t for Junior Brother Chen''s good temper, I would have thrown you shameless people out long ago."


    "Now get lost!"


    With a low growl, it seemed like there was a force of divinity in it, carrying a majestic momentum.


    Around them, except for those Qi refining masters who were still unaffected, everyone else who was surrounding them grunted, apparently taking some damage. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Senior Brother Liu, there''s no need for this."


    Behind him, Chen An looked helpless, "We are all brothers and sisters, there is no need to be hostile."


    "Let''s go."


    After saying this, he arched his hand at the many cultivators in front of him, his face showing a look of apology, "Senior Brother Liu''s temper is a little impatient, I hope everyone understands."


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232 - Treatment"Liu Senior Brother, let''s go!"


    Giving a polite gesture to the surrounding cultivators, as if afraid that the irritable senior brother next to him would say something rash, Chen An quickly pulled the big man and left, walking away like that.


    After they left, the people around looked at each other and sighed.


    Many regretted that they were too slow in taking action, so they couldn''t fulfill the promise.


    Some were secretly resentful, feeling that the man had blocked their path.


    In short, there were all kinds of emotions.


    However, no matter what, after Chen An left, most of the people here immediately left, leaving only a few scattered individuals behind.


    The lecturers around were not surprised at this scene, and had even become somewhat accustomed to it.


    Not a big deal.


    This scene was a new phenomenon that had appeared in recent years.


    In the past one or two years, wherever Chen An appeared, a large number of people would follow.


    These people''s purpose was not really to listen to the lessons, but to establish a relationship with Chen An and get a few Foundation Establishment Pills from him.


    There was no harm in listening to the lesson, the important thing was to establish a relationship with Chen An and get a few Foundation Establishment Pills from him.


    There was no harm in listening to the lesson, the important thing was to establish a relationship with Chen An and get a few Foundation Establishment Pills from him.


    There was no harm in listening to the lesson, the important thing was to establish a relationship with Chen An and get a few Foundation Establishment Pills from him.


    Foundation Establishment Pills may not look like much, but they were an important resource needed for ascending to the Foundation Establishment stage.


    In theory, with enough Foundation Establishment Pills to assist, combined with the right environment, it could even increase the probability of a cultivator ascending to the Foundation Establishment stage by forty percent.


    This probability was already quite remarkable.


    Of course, while Foundation Establishment Pills were good, they were also precious.


    The Changyue Sect itself was not good at alchemy, and there were very few skilled alchemists within the sect.


    As for the alchemy of Foundation Establishment Pills, that was even rarer.


    It was not until the past two years that Chen An emerged, and with his own strength and the formula for Foundation Establishment Pills, he mastered the method of refining Foundation Establishment Pills, thereby providing Foundation Establishment Pills to the Changyue Sect.


    In the past, the cultivators within the Changyue Sect did not have Foundation Establishment Pills available.


    Because such a good thing that could assist cultivation and help with advancement would usually be consumed internally as soon as it appeared, so how could it flow out?


    Not to mention, the Foundation Establishment Pills refined by Chen An not only had rich medicinal effects and outstanding effects, but also had high stability and yield.


    Even ordinary alchemists could only produce a few pills in one furnace.


    Chen An not only had a high yield, but also ensured that every Foundation Establishment Pill he produced was top quality, without a single defective one.


    To be able to refine such a difficult elixir so easily, it could be imagined how talented he was in the path of alchemy.


    It was precisely because of this that although Chen An had only been in the sect for four years, he was already the most well-known genius in the entire Changyue Sect.


    Even the nearby immortal sects were aware of his reputation and would come from afar to seek pills.


    Chen An followed Liu He and left.


    "Junior Brother, you are still too kind to these people."


    Walking on the road, Liu He advised Chen An, "Listen to your senior brother, you must not be too kind to these people. Otherwise, as time goes on, they will inevitably become more demanding and have bigger appetites."


    "I understand."


    Chen An smiled and said in his usual polite manner, "We are all senior brothers, there is no need to make things too tense."


    "After all, they just want to pursue progress and get a few Foundation Establishment Pills." S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Just a few Foundation Establishment Pills."


    Listening to this, Liu He shook his head, "Junior Brother, do you know how popular the Foundation Establishment Pills you refine are outside?"


    "Three hundred spirit stones are just common Foundation Establishment Pills, the quality of the Foundation Establishment Pills you refine is excellent. If they were sold outside, they could fetch at least five hundred spirit stones. Selling them for only three hundred is really."


    "That''s outside."


    Chen An still shook his head, with a smile on his face. "We are all fellow disciples, there is no need to argue about these things. Three hundred spirit stones are enough."


    "Junior Brother, you are still too kind."


    Liu He shook his head, somewhat displeased.


    "It doesn''t matter. Most of the pills I make are sold by several elders, so the quantity sold to these senior brothers and sisters is actually quite limited."


    Chen An said softly, "It doesn''t interfere with anything."


    The power of Changyue Sect was much greater than that of the Haoshan Sect in the dust realm, with many outstanding cultivators.


    But the internal conflicts here were much more serious.


    Take the Foundation Establishment Pills refined by Chen An, for example, most of them flowed into the hands of the high-ranking members of Changyue Sect and were eventually consumed by their disciples.


    As for those ordinary disciples, it was almost impossible for them to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, let alone in the past.


    Relatively speaking, Chen An was their last hope.


    Because of this, Chen An was happy to occasionally give away some things.


    After all, the quantity was not large, it was just like spending money to buy a good reputation.


    But this kind of behavior was undoubtedly not understood.


    For example, Liu He in front of him, as a true disciple of the elder, had always had a good relationship with Chen An, so he couldn''t understand Chen An''s behavior of being taken advantage of.


    "Speaking of which, I have already refined the pills you asked for before, Senior Brother. You can send someone to pick them up later."


    Walking on the road, Chen An suddenly remembered and said.


    "Really?"


    Sure enough, Liu He''s face showed joy, somewhat overjoyed. "Thank you so much, Junior Brother."


    "With this furnace of pills from Junior Brother, I think I can make further progress."


    As he laughed, he suddenly felt something was wrong and felt the changes in Chen An, bewildered.


    "Junior Brother, did you have a breakthrough?"


    He sensed the aura that Chen An had just flashed by, and said so.


    "Mm, that''s right."


    Chen An nodded with a smile and said, "I had a breakthrough unintentionally while cultivating some time ago, and I barely caught up with your pace, Senior Brother Liu."


    Liu He took a deep breath.


    Chen An had already cultivated to the eighth level of Qi Refining, and now, with this breakthrough, he had reached the ninth level of Qi Refining.


    This was without focusing on cultivation, only on alchemy and learning.


    Even without focusing on cultivation, this achievement was terrifying. If he were to focus solely on cultivation, how terrifying would he be?


    It had to be known, Chen An was only thirteen years old this year.


    He was truly the most arrogant person in the Changyue Sect.


    "Compared to you, I really feel like a fool, Junior Brother."


    Liu He said with a bitter smile.


    "Senior Brother, there''s no need for that."


    Chen An smiled and comforted, "Everyone''s circumstances are different, just like different flowers bloom at different times."


    "I am just shining now, but Senior Brother Liu, your time is still to come, you are a late bloomer."


    Late bloomer


    Listening to this, Liu He''s mouth twitched.


    He was no ordinary person to become a true disciple of the elder, and was also a renowned genius, the kind of child that everyone envied.


    He had achieved the perfect Qi Refining level before the age of thirty, only one step away from Foundation Establishment, which was enough to boast about.


    But compared to Chen An in front of him, he could only be considered a late bloomer.


    This was the effect of comparison.


    Liu He deeply suspected that if Chen An was willing, he could achieve Foundation Establishment before the age of twenty with his full efforts.


    When that time comes, it would be quite exciting.


    Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but shake his head and invite, "Senior Brother Song invited me to have a drink before, Junior Brother, do you want to come along?"


    "No."


    Chen An shook his head and said with a smile, "It''s getting late, I have a formation class to attend later, so I won''t accompany you."


    "A formation class?"


    Liu He frowned, "Junior Brother, with such achievements in alchemy, why do you want to learn formations?"


    "There''s nothing special about it, I''m just interested in it, so I want to learn and see."


    Chen An smiled and said, "After all, it''s good to have multiple skills."


    That''s just for you.


    Liu He silently complained.


    With your ability to cultivate, refine pills, and also learn formations, if it were an ordinary person, they would have already collapsed and probably wouldn''t have been able to accomplish anything.


    But for you, it''s just like that.


    After all, the rules that were like iron for ordinary people were not applicable to the monster-like talent in front of him.


    So he quickly bid farewell and left after giving Chen An a salute.


    Chen An stood in place, watching him leave.


    He watched Liu He''s figure gradually disappear, a faint smile appearing on his face.


    Moments later, he returned to his residence.


    His residence was personally arranged by the elders of Changyue Sect, and in terms of treatment, it was no less than that of the true disciples, and could even be compared to the cave mansions of the elders.


    Throughout the area, the spiritual energy turned into mist, drifting and fluctuating, with intricate spirit arrays drawn in various areas, firmly locking the spiritual energy of this place.


    Without going anywhere else, this area alone was a good place for cultivation, where one could practice in seclusion for long periods of time.


    Chen An returned to his residence and sat down quietly, crossing his legs.


    "I finally reached the ninth level of Qi Refining."


    Sitting cross-legged in place, Chen An''s thought crossed his mind.


    In his four years in Changyue Sect, his talent as a genius had already become deeply ingrained in the minds of others.


    But only Chen An himself knew that he was not really a genius.


    He was just gaming the system.


    Many of the things he displayed before were mostly due to the accumulation of his past life and the gaming ability of the upgrade template.


    The reasoning ability of the upgrade template could allow him to gain a learning and understanding ability different from ordinary people by consuming source energy, combined with his previous accumulation, which formed that powerful insight and swift learning ability that could be applied to anything he learned.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233 - Advantages and DisadvantagesHowever, although Chen An''s accumulation is substantial, at this point, he has basically exerted most of it.


    Take cultivation, for example.


    Chen An''s previous cultivation was at the ninth level of Qi Refinement.


    And now, after spending four years in Changyue Sect, he has also restored his cultivation to the level of his original body.


    The accumulation has almost been exhausted, and the road ahead will require him to explore on his own.


    Of course, this problem is not a big deal.


    From the ninth level of Qi Refinement to Foundation Building, this bottleneck is not difficult for Chen An.


    Although the path of martial arts and cultivation do not necessarily overlap, at higher levels, practicing another system would still be relatively easier.


    Foundation Building, Chen An is confident that he can handle it.


    As for the difficulties after Foundation Building, that seems to be another story.


    But that level is still far from where Chen An is now, so there is no need to rush.


    Thinking this way, Chen An then took out some elixirs that he had prepared long ago.


    They were some pills.


    On the far left were some golden pills with a faint texture resembling dragon patterns, giving off a unique fragrance.


    Just placed there, a refreshing fragrance wafted out, giving people a unique feeling.


    If the other cultivators in Changyue Sect were to see these pills, their eyes would definitely turn red with jealousy, even Liu He, a true disciple.


    Because these pills have a very famous name, Foundation Building Pill.


    The Foundation Building Pill can help cultivators build a foundation and assist in advancing to Foundation Establishment, so it is extremely rare outside.


    And here, there were fifty to sixty of them.


    These were left behind from Chen An''s alchemy in the past, and over time, they accumulated to this number.


    To the right of these golden pills were some other pills.


    These pills were white, emitting an alluring aroma, although the fragrance was faint, it had a unique flavor.


    These white pills were also Foundation Building Pills.


    However, the difference was that the golden Foundation Building Pills on the left were refined using the alchemy method in Changyue Sect, while the white Foundation Building Pills on the right were refined by Chen An using the alchemy method in Haoshan Sect.


    The Dust Realm and the Origin Realm have different developments, so although cultivation is similar, cultivators on both sides have produced different things during their cultivation.


    Apart from the cultivation realm, which does not change much due to the rules of heaven and earth, the rest of the inheritance, scriptures, alchemy methods, etc., are basically not similar.


    In this situation, although both ancient worlds have Foundation Building Pills, their pill refinement methods and effects are actually quite different.


    Their only similarity is that they both assist cultivators and help them advance to Foundation Establishment.


    For Chen An, this was a good advantage.


    Simply taking one type of pill would have limited effects, and the effects that could be exerted would naturally be limited as well.


    But if two types of pills were taken together, the effects could be correspondingly superimposed, thereby achieving better assistance.


    According to Chen An''s estimation, the Foundation Building Pills from the Origin Realm should be able to increase the Foundation Building success rate by up to forty percent.


    This probability was already quite high, but if combined with the Foundation Building Pills from the Dust Realm for use, the success rate of Foundation Building and advancement to Foundation Establishment could increase by another twenty percent, reaching around sixty percent.


    This was quite remarkable.


    Of course, this probability cannot be achieved by simply taking one Foundation Building Pill; it requires taking a considerable amount of pills.


    For ordinary people, even if they knew about this method, they probably wouldn''t be able to do it.


    After all, Foundation Building Pills are precious, and they probably wouldn''t have enough pills even if they wanted to use this method.


    But Chen An was different.


    After all, he was an alchemist himself and had mastered these two alchemy methods, allowing him to refine the pills himself.


    Of course, due to the different world''s spirit medicines, the original materials for the Foundation Building Pills from the Dust Realm were a bit troublesome, so there would be some problems in refining a large quantity.


    However, Chen An had initially solved this problem through four years of exploration and had found alternative materials in this world.


    Using the spirit medicines of this world as raw materials, the Foundation Building Pills refined from the Dust Realm would have effects that were not much different from the original.


    "I''ll wait a bit longer."


    Looking at the accumulated pills in front of him, after pondering for a moment, Chen An flashed this thought.


    He had just made a breakthrough not long ago, and his cultivation was not yet very stable, so he needed some time to stabilize his cultivation.


    Moreover, there was still some time now that he could use for other things.


    Although Chen An could cultivate through Insight Hang, there were still many things he needed to learn.


    He was able to do so many things in a short period of time, not only because of his previous accumulation but also because of the important reason of using the Insight Hang to learn quickly.


    Considering it carefully, he had accomplished quite a lot in these four years.


    In terms of cultivation, he had reached the ninth level of Qi Refinement, restored his previous cultivation, and even attempted to advance to Foundation Establishment.


    In the path of alchemy, he had also demonstrated his superior alchemy skills.


    Of course, he actually hadn''t done much; he had merely slowly displayed his normal level.


    But obviously, what he considered his normal level was a blow to the other people within Changyue Sect.


    After all, Changyue Sect did not have many alchemists, nor was it a sect that was good at cultivating alchemists.


    This was completely different from Haoshan Sect.


    In this situation, the normal level that Chen An had displayed was already a level that others could only look up to.


    Considering his age, he was undoubtedly a genius in alchemy, an absolute pride.


    To achieve these things was actually quite simple for Chen An.


    He not only displayed his alchemy skills, but also took advantage of the convenient conditions in Changyue Sect to successfully replicate and recreate several elixirs from the Dust Realm.


    Of course, these elixirs that were originally from the Dust Realm had become entirely Chen An''s creations in this world.


    In the eyes of others, these elixirs were creations of Chen An, things he had discovered and explored as an alchemist alone.


    Because of this, his reputation was so great, even spreading to other immortal sects far away.


    Using his convenient status, Chen An had also acquired many alchemy methods unique to this world, such as the Foundation Building Pill of this world and some other alchemy methods.


    Compared to the Foundation Building Pills from the Dust Realm, the effects of the Foundation Building Pills in this world were much better, and he believed that if he could replicate and refine them in the Dust Realm later, they would definitely be welcomed.


    This was the benefit of being able to move freely in different worlds.


    To eat from both sides and not be found out.


    Even the only area where he was somewhat lacking, the formation diagrams, Chen An had already begun to master and learn, and his level was much stronger than before.


    Of course, this was only the beginning, and there was still a long way to go before he could be considered a proficient formation master.


    But Chen An also had a long time in this world.


    Chen An believed that through his cultivation in this world, he would eventually achieve his goal and become a professional formation master.


    These were all good news.


    Of course, it wasn''t without bad news.


    Firstly, the first bad news was that in this world, Chen An had not yet found a large source of replenishment for source power.


    Indeed, in the previous world, as a source of source power, he could collect a large amount of Gold Spirit Stones, but in this world, there were not as many.


    It''s not that they didn''t exist, but the quantity was extremely scarce.


    This was due to the differences in the worlds themselves.


    Actually, even within the Dust Realm, Gold Spirit Stones, as a companion spirit stone, were also very rare.


    But in that world, the quantity at least was within a controllable range.


    Coupled with the fact that not many people used them, in the end, Chen An could still collect a considerable amount.


    But in this world, the situation was significantly different.


    Gold Spirit Stones in this world were a scarce commodity.


    Among the various unusual spirit stones that appeared as companions to spirit stones, Gold Spirit Stones were rarely seen.


    This led to one result.


    The quantity of Gold Spirit Stones produced in this world and circulating in the market was quite scarce.


    And with a scarce quantity, it also meant it was even more difficult to obtain.


    Chen An couldn''t help but sigh.


    In these four years, although he had mostly relied on his previous accumulation to barely maintain his image, he had still used quite a bit of his upgraded template''s Insight Hang ability to learn new things.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to master so much in just four years, including learning many alchemy methods and formation diagrams from this world.


    As a result, the consumption of source power had intensified.


    But just as luck would have it, the Gold Spirit Stones that could serve as a supplement were extremely rare in this world.


    This was awkward.


    As time passed, now at this point, Chen An had somewhat reached a point where his expenses were exceeding his income.


    This could not continue.


    Chen An looked at his source power balance.


    Fortunately.


    Due to his relatively frugal nature over the years, he had been relatively restrained in spending money, so there was still quite a bit left in his balance.


    But if he continued spending like this, it would only be a matter of time before he became a poor guy.


    So finding a way to make money was the most urgent matter for him right now.


    "After breaking through Foundation Establishment, I''ll find a way to go out."


    Looking at his template, this thought crossed Chen An''s mind.


    His current predicament was that he couldn''t leave Changyue Sect.


    At first, it was because he was too young, but later on, it was because he had performed too well.


    Now, Chen An was the only alchemist in the entire Changyue Sect who could refine Foundation Building Pills, and from his displayed talent, there was a great expectation for future Golden Core Pills as well.


    In this situation, Changyue Sect would not easily let him leave.


    Even if Chen An wanted to go out, it wouldn''t be that easy.


    Thinking about this, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh, then quietly got up and continued his closed-door cultivation.


    Time passed slowly.


    Soon, more than three months had passed.


    On this day, Chen An finally began preparing to break through.


    (End of Chapter) S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234 - Promotion to SpiritualizationIn the quiet and spacious closed-door cultivation ground, Chen An sat quietly in place, staring earnestly ahead.


    This was the closed-door cultivation ground within the Changyue Sect, specially built for the disciples to break through. The environment here was excellent, both in terms of safety and cultivation.


    Inside, countless large spiritual arrays silently operated, continuously attracting the abundant spiritual energy from the outside to infuse into this place.


    The rich spiritual energy lingered in the air, almost like it was going to transform into liquid form. It condensed into layers of mist in the air, forming specific shapes that looked quite unique.


    From time to time, chanting could be heard from the outside.


    Those were the Nascent Soul elders guarding outside, quietly protecting and reciting scriptures to help the disciples in closed-door cultivation to awaken.


    "Not bad."


    Sitting quietly, feeling the special environment around him, Chen An nodded in satisfaction.


    Compared to the places he had been before, the place in front of him was the best he had experienced.


    Being here, even the breakthrough seemed to have a higher probability.


    Of course, this was just an illusion.


    "Let''s begin." S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    When the time was right, Chen An began to act.


    He took out the things he had prepared one by one and placed them in front of him.


    It was a luxurious setup.


    First, there were fifty of each of the two foundational pills, both of which were of the highest quality.


    These pills were all refined by Chen An himself, each one belonging to the highest grade in his refined pills, intentionally left for his own use.


    Just this setup alone was enough to make people envious.


    But Chen An''s preparation didn''t stop there.


    On the side, there were various treasures bestowed by the entire Changyue Sect, such as the divine water that could help calm the mind and replenish the body''s original source.


    Various treasures, each one of them was enough to make people go crazy, but here they were everywhere.


    This was the treatment that a genius could enjoy.


    Within the Changyue Sect, Chen An received the absolute treatment of a genius, even better than the personal disciples under those elders.


    After hearing the news that Chen An was about to break through, all the elders of the Changyue Sect bestowed corresponding treasures to help Chen An better overcome this hurdle.


    This was all about relationships.


    The various actions that Chen An had taken towards the elders before were not in vain.


    After paying so much, there was finally a return at a critical moment.


    The luxurious setup in front of him was proof of that.


    With just this pile of heavenly treasures in front of him, let alone ascending to spiritualization, it was estimated to be more than enough to breakthrough to Nascent Soul.


    Many cultivators who ascended to Nascent Soul didn''t even prepare as much as Chen An did.


    This was all about having money.


    Now, Chen An only had money left.


    He lacked direct usable source power, but he did not lack things like spiritual stones.


    So for things that could be solved with spiritual stones, he was never stingy.


    Placing the items down one by one, Chen An did not hesitate, and directly picked up a foundational pill and swallowed it.


    As the pill entered his body, the fresh medicinal fragrance reverberated inside him, giving a unique feeling.


    Chen An slowly closed his eyes and began to break through along with the scriptures.


    In the mortal world, Chen An didn''t have the transformation scriptures.


    But it was different within the Changyue Sect.


    Through his own connections, Chen An had already gathered enough scriptures for this time.


    Not only for spiritualization, but also for Nascent Soul.


    Having money was just that amazing.


    As the pill entered his body, the medicinal power was quickly absorbed and digested.


    For an ordinary cultivator, at this point they would have to push through with all their might, striving to ascend before the effect of the pill disappeared and achieve success.


    But Chen An remained calm and composed, leisurely taking out another foundational pill and calmly put it into his mouth.


    Thud!


    Another medicinal power burst forth, even stronger than before.


    Chen An sat still and repeated this process continuously.


    Finally, after an unknown period of time, Chen An stopped.


    At this moment, the spiritual medicinal power in his body had accumulated to an extremely strong level.


    The strong divine power dispersed in his body, spreading everywhere, and then slowly converging under the guidance of Chen An''s primordial spirit, flowing towards his Purple Mansion.


    The surging divine power boiled.


    Seemingly sensing Chen An''s state, a white tower in Chen An''s Purple Mansion began to light up slowly, with lines unfolding like runes, interpreting the Dao runes and shimmering in this place.


    "Huh?"


    The anomaly in the Purple Mansion quickly caught Chen An''s attention.


    Sensing the situation in the Purple Mansion, he was somewhat surprised.


    This was unexpected.


    In Chen An''s Purple Mansion, the white tower had been dormant, seeming to be in a deep slumber, quietly absorbing Chen An''s divine power for nourishment and quietly settling.


    This revival was indeed a rare experience.


    But from Chen An''s perspective, this didn''t seem to be a bad thing.


    With the revival of the white tower, the spiritual and medicinal power that had been flowing in Chen An''s body began to gather together, being pulled by an unknown force and rushing towards the Purple Mansion.


    As the white tower lit up, the Purple Mansion also slowly expanded.


    Chen An could clearly feel that his Purple Mansion was slowly expanding. It seemed to be even larger than the average spiritualization level. This was all thanks to the white tower.


    It was quite a fortunate surprise.


    The larger the Purple Mansion, the more divine power could be transformed and accommodated, and the better the future achievements.


    From this perspective, this was indeed a good thing for Chen An.


    He slowly closed his eyes and began to continue the profound transformation.


    Time passed slowly.


    In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed.


    On this day, a beam of light soared into the sky from the closed-door cultivation ground of the Changyue Sect.


    A powerful aura burst out from the closed-door cultivation ground, directly attracting the nearby spiritual energy and disrupting the airflow in the area.


    Just by its own aura, the appearance of this place had completely changed.


    Especially the aura contained within, a fleeting but awe-inspiring momentum, attracted the attention of many.


    "This aura... spiritualization?"


    The Nascent Soul elder responsible for guarding this place was somewhat surprised as he looked up at the sky, a hint of astonishment on his face, "In just a short time, he actually succeeded?"


    "If I''m not mistaken, he''s only thirteen years old now, right?"


    Another Nascent Soul elder also showed a look of surprise, seemingly completely unexpected, "Spiritualization at thirteen years old, this is really..."


    "If there are no surprises, he will likely reach our level in the future, or even surpass the two of us."


    They exclaimed, thinking of Chen An''s many feats before, and couldn''t help but sigh at this moment.


    Chen An successfully broke through and ascended to spiritualization.


    This was not a strange thing for Chen An.


    After all, his conditions were just too good.


    Due to the reason of rebuilding, his cultivation was very solid, and his foundation was extremely strong without any flaws.


    With such a foundation, the probability of breaking through was already low.


    Not to mention that Chen An also had financial resources, he could just spend all the way through.


    Look at the various pills and treasures he swallowed this time.


    Just swallowing two types of foundational pills for refining, a total of one hundred pills.


    If an ordinary person had his conditions, the probability of breaking through would be very high, and there would be no need to worry about failure.


    Not to mention the assistance of the white tower, which helped stabilize and expand the Purple Mansion, also playing a significant role during the ascension process.


    But these things were known only to Chen An.


    For others, his breakthrough this time was real.


    A thirteen-year-old spiritualization.


    As the news spread rapidly after Chen An walked out of the closed-door cultivation ground, it quickly spread throughout the entire Changyue Sect.


    For a while, everyone didn''t know what to say.


    Even Liu He, who had always had a good relationship with Chen An and could easily joke around, felt a bit strained after hearing this news.


    From the beginning of knowing Chen An, he knew that with the level of talent Chen An displayed, it was only a matter of time before he surpassed him.


    But he never thought that Chen An''s progress would be so fast.


    Spiritualization at thirteen years old!


    Are you really human?


    Thinking back to when he was thirteen years old, probably still cultivating and refining Qi, Liu He couldn''t help but feel a bit bitter.


    Even Liu He, who had a good relationship with Chen An, felt this way, let alone others.


    But fortunately, after four years of operation, Chen An had successfully established his own extraordinary reputation.


    So the entire Changyue Sect was already prepared for his extraordinary talent.


    Even if they were surprised when they heard the news at this moment, it was just a bit surprising, nothing more.


    It was just that after Chen An came out of seclusion, there were many more people coming to his cave to give gifts.


    "Troublesome."


    After sending another group of people away, looking at the mountain of gifts piled up on the side, Chen An couldn''t help but shake his head and sigh, feeling exhausted.


    The process of breaking through was nothing to him, just a bit of effort.


    But the many visitors that followed the breakthrough were quite exhausting.


    There were too many people, and he couldn''t refuse them.


    Because these people were usually those with relationships, either disciples of the elders or some officials.


    During this time, to entertain these people, Chen An''s smiling face twitched a bit.


    But fortunately, it was finally over.


    The faint spiritual sense spread outward, keenly sensing in all directions.


    Standing in the center of the cave, Chen An nodded slightly in satisfaction.


    "This feeling is not bad."


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235 - RarityIn terms of hierarchical comparison, Huned Ling and Gangqi should stand in the same dimension.


    But in actuality, these two levels are similar yet different.


    At this moment, Chen An was experiencing this difference.


    In terms of transformation, both Gangqi and Huned Ling will undergo a transformation at the success of their promotion, resulting in becoming much stronger.


    After a martial artist promotes to Gangqi, the internal energy in the body will be transformed into Gangqi.


    And after a cultivator promotes to Hune Ling, the mana circulating in the Purple Abode will also be elevated and condensed into true divine power.


    At this thought, Chen An reached out his hand.


    In the palm of his hand, a strand of divine power was swirling, emitting a strange radiance, very beautiful, giving a thrilling feeling.


    And in his line of sight, this strand of divine power condensed into a tangible form, lying still like a droplet of water, appearing without any abnormalities.


    But in reality, just this droplet of water, once erupted, its power would be terrifying beyond imagination for ordinary people.


    Cultivators start their cultivation journey from the Purple Abode.


    The Purple Abode condenses the four directions'' elemental qi and transforms it into one''s own elemental qi, which can be directly manipulated by cultivators as mana.


    However, only at the Hune Ling stage, the elemental qi transformed by the Purple Abode will completely transform into divine power.


    From then on, cultivators will be able to do more things.


    For example, some spells, Chen An can now perform.


    If he reaches the later stage of Hune Ling, he can even do things that seem divine-like to ordinary people.


    This is a change in strength.


    And in subtlety, there are also changes.


    As Chen An''s thoughts moved, his spirit vision also unfolded.


    After elevating to Gangqi, there will be a qi resonance; after reaching the Hune Ling stage, cultivators will also elevate their own divine soul and turn it into a unique spirit vision.


    The two may seem similar, but there are actually some differences.


    A martial artist''s qi resonance is more focused on the outside world, sensitive to subtle changes, sometimes sensing things before they happen.


    But a cultivator''s spirit vision resonance is more focused on the inside.


    Chen An silently closed his eyes.


    Under the spirit vision resonance, every organ and every drop of blood flowing within his body was so clear and distinct.


    This was a unique feeling, as if having X-ray vision, able to sense every movement within the body at any time, and thus be aware of all changes within oneself.


    The advantages of this are self-evident.


    With spirit vision resonance on the inside, one can always observe the state inside the body and make adjustments.


    This may seem useless, but in reality, it is essential.


    For the simplest operation, if someone tried to poison Chen An later on, it would probably be useless.


    At the first moment of being poisoned, Chen An can feel that something is wrong through various reactions in his body and then take targeted measures.


    Similarly, when refining pills, one can observe the absorption of medicinal power through spirit vision.


    Various subtle operations are quite useful.


    Overall, the spirit vision of cultivators and the qi resonance of martial artists each have their benefits, and it''s hard to say who is stronger.


    But for Chen An, both are obviously stronger than just one alone.


    This kind of operation undoubtedly gives him a much greater advantage compared to pure martial artists or cultivators.


    Satisfied, Chen An nodded, quite pleased with his changes.


    Emerging from seclusion, he had been staying in his residence during this period of time.


    For more than three months, he had been here, hardly moving except for occasionally going out to refine pills.


    As for refining pills, it was not his personal choice but rather something someone forced him to do.


    It couldn''t be helped.


    Chen An was the only pill master in Changyue Sect who could refine Foundation Establishment Pills. Some things required him to do them, and no one else could.


    He had enjoyed many benefits from Changyue Sect, and now, when it was time to work, he obviously couldn''t escape.


    The monotonous days passed slowly.


    Finally, one day, an unexpected event occurred.


    "Invitation from the Dan Tower?"


    Sitting in his courtyard, Chen An looked at the visitor before him, his face filled with surprise.


    Standing in front of him was a young man, with a steady expression and no sense of oppression when facing Chen An, as if he felt no pressure at all.


    "That''s right."


    Facing Chen An''s gaze, he smiled and said, "Master Dan Tower accidentally discovered a prescription from a ruin and is now inviting various pill masters to discuss it together."


    "Brother Chen is also a pill master, and the most famous pill genius in the Southern Region, so he should naturally be invited."


    "Is that so?"


    Chen An pondered for a moment, then raised his head and said, "In that case, please go back and tell my senior brother to inform him that Chen An will definitely come to the appointment."


    "With Brother Chen''s words, I can rest assured."


    The young man nodded with a smile, then turned and left.


    After he left, Chen An still sat there, lost in thought.


    The Elemental Realm is vast, but based on geography, it can be divided into five regions.


    In these five regions, the strength of the Southern Region is considered average.


    The Dan Tower is the top power within the Southern Region and is also a very special power.


    It is said to be special because the Dan Tower is mainly formed by several top pill masters, with many pill masters among them.


    Although the Dan Tower is powerful, it has always stayed out of external conflicts, only focusing on refining pills for people.


    Previously, Chen An had dealt with the people of the Dan Tower several times.


    He had obtained quite a few pill prescriptions from the pill masters of the Dan Tower.


    This time, the invitation from the Dan Tower to participate in the discussion of the pill prescription was not surprising.


    The only thing that made Chen An curious was what the content of that pill prescription was that even the people of the Dan Tower had to invite external pill masters to discuss it together.


    It seemed like it would be very interesting.


    With this thought in mind, Chen An got up and silently began to prepare.


    In the next few days, some people from Changyue Sect also received the news.


    They began to gather.


    "Junior Brother Chen, are you really going to the Dan Tower?"


    Liu He was the first to arrive.


    He had a good relationship with Chen An, so when others were considering whether to visit, he had already rushed over.


    Chen An looked at Liu He in surprise: "Your news is so fast?"


    It was indeed very fast.


    He had just agreed to the invitation, how come you came over so quickly?


    Are you planting spies near me?


    Chen An looked at Liu He with suspicion, and his gaze made Liu He feel somewhat uncomfortable, with a strange sense of oppression.


    At this moment, Liu He sensed it.


    This was a matter of cultivation.


    In the past, Chen An and Liu He were probably at the same level of cultivation, so there was naturally no feeling between them.


    But now Chen An had already reached Hune Ling, surpassing Liu He in terms of cultivation.


    When he looked at Liu He like this, without deliberately masking his aura, Liu He, who was still in the Qi Refining stage, would naturally feel it.


    Fortunately, Chen An also noticed this point and quickly restrained his spirit vision.


    Otherwise, Liu He would have run away soon.


    "I heard that Junior Brother Chen is going to the Dan Tower for an appointment, and this matter has spread throughout the sect."


    When Chen An restrained his spirit vision, Liu He said, "I''m just the first one, I expect there will be more people coming over."


    "Just going to the Dan Tower, why make such a fuss?"


    Chen An smiled and didn''t care about Liu He''s reaction.


    Just going to the Dan Tower?


    Liu He was speechless: "Junior Brother, you still don''t realize your importance."


    "Do you know that several elders are currently arguing?"


    "What are they arguing about?"


    Chen An asked subconsciously.


    "Of course they are arguing about whether to let you leave the sect."


    Liu He felt helpless, "They are afraid you will be captured on the way."


    Chen An was stunned.


    "Is it really that bad?"


    He regained his senses and was a little uncertain: "I''m already at Hune Ling."


    "Hune Ling so what?"


    Liu He glanced at Chen An, "Do you know how many known pill masters in the Dan Tower can refine Foundation Establishment Pills?"


    Before Chen An could answer, he directly said the answer to the question, "Only nine in total."


    In the vast Dan Tower, there are numerous pill masters, but only nine of them are known to be able to refine Foundation Establishment Pills.


    Chen An couldn''t help but sigh, realizing it.


    It seemed that he had underestimated the attraction of Foundation Establishment Pills.


    Within this Elemental Realm, a pill master who could refine Foundation Establishment Pills was indeed a rare talent.


    Whether or not he had reached Hune Ling, they dared to make plans.


    The strength of the cultivators in the Southern Region was quite formidable.


    In this situation, it seemed that the cultivation level of Hune Ling was not very safe.


    "The elders are currently debating whether or not to let you leave the sect, and if you do leave, which elder should escort you."


    Liu He said.


    Upon hearing this, Chen An suddenly felt a sense of relief.


    Fortunately, this time the invitation was from the Dan Tower. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If it weren''t for the Dan Tower, the elders in Changyue Sect would probably have rejected the idea of Chen An leaving outright.


    Want to leave the sect?


    Dream on!


    It was just that the power of the Dan Tower was too great, and Chen An had already agreed, so it couldn''t be easily offended, hence the elders'' hesitation.


    "So Brother, you also came to persuade me?"


    Chen An looked at Liu He and jokingly said.


    "Why would I come to persuade you?"


    Liu He smiled and said, "Do you think I can''t tell? You have been wanting to leave the sect for a long time."


    "I just came to remind you this time, to be careful when you go out, and don''t be tricked by others."


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236 - TravelLiu He quickly left.


    But before leaving, he also left a lot of things behind.


    According to him, these things were all the good things he had accumulated over the years, things he temporarily couldn''t use, so he handed them all over to Chen An for safekeeping, asking him to be careful when he went out later.


    Chen An looked at the heavy pile of things, feeling a little moved.


    This friend is really generous with his money.


    Chen An counted the things inside.


    Although Liu He''s cultivation level was not high, he had a lot of good things.


    Among the pile of things, not to mention the other stuff, there were three array symbols made directly by the Golden Core Elder.


    This was a good thing. Once activated, it was equivalent to a strike from a Golden Core cultivator, enough to crush any existence below Golden Core.


    And besides this, there were also many other good things.


    It was obvious that Liu He had really emptied his family''s treasures.


    Chen An nodded and then put away the things, storing them in the White Tower.


    After a short while, the rest of the people also arrived.


    With his current identity, those who dared to visit him directly were basically not simple, either they were the Elder''s personal disciples or the inner sect attendants.


    In any case, they all had status and position.


    They visited, not empty-handed, each bringing a lot of things.


    Similarly, they also tactfully tried to persuade Chen An to dispel the idea of going out.


    This should be the intention of the Elders.


    For many Elders of Changyue Sect, asking them to stop Chen An from going out would easily offend the people of the Dan Tower.


    But if it was Chen An himself who didn''t want to go, saying that he had something temporary or didn''t want to go out, it would be easier to explain.


    At least on the surface, it was not that they were preventing him from going, but that Chen An had changed his mind.


    This sounded much better in terms of reputation.


    Of course, Chen An''s determination to go out was firm.


    He was running out of money.


    On the way here, he had almost used up the resources he had accumulated in the mortal realm over the years, most of the pill formulas that could be extracted had been taken out, and his cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul stage.


    In this situation, if he wanted to maintain his reputation as a genius, he would continuously have to spend resources.


    And to get resources, he needed to go out and find rare treasures.


    Staying in Changyue Sect was safe, but without a supply of resources, it would be a waste of time for Chen An to stay.


    So he still had to go out.


    The minds of these Elders were destined to be disappointed.


    Fortunately, in the last few days, many Elders in Changyue Sect seemed to understand that Chen An''s mind was set, so they no longer sent people to persuade him, but instead began arranging people to accompany and protect him.


    And the personnel they arranged were quite luxurious.


    Two Golden Core Elders accompanied them, along with several core disciples.


    "An Junior Brother, long time no see."


    On the day before leaving, Chen An saw a familiar figure.


    Outside the courtyard, a woman in white stood there, with exquisite beauty and a smile on her face, looking very friendly.


    Looking at this person, Chen An was stunned, then reacted: "Senior Sister Song!"


    "You''re back?"


    The person standing in front of him was none other than Song Qi.


    Back in the day, it was Song Qi who brought Chen An into Changyue Sect.


    And in the four or five years since then, along with Chen An''s rise, Song Qi had also gained many benefits and improved.


    Because of her close relationship with Chen An, she could get a lot of pills from him, whether for cultivation or for personal relationships.


    And Song Qi was also quite good at managing herself.


    So in the second year after Chen An entered Changyue Sect, she was taken in as a disciple by one of the Elders, and now she was a member of the core disciple team.


    And in the past half year, Song Qi had been sent out to suppress rebellious cultivators in an area until recently returning.


    This time, Changyue Sect may have considered Song Qi''s close relationship with Chen An, so they deliberately arranged for her to take care of Chen An''s daily life.


    After all, Chen An was still only a thirteen-year-old child.


    People of this age still need to be taken care of.


    Chen An looked at Song Qi, looking very happy, while Song Qi also showed some nostalgia in her eyes as she looked at the much older Chen An in front of her.


    When she brought Chen An to Changyue Sect, she had thought that Chen An would one day rise rapidly and grow quickly.


    But even if she imagined, she never expected Chen An to grow to such an extent today.


    Today, Chen An had achieved accomplishments that others could not achieve in a lifetime, both in terms of cultivation and alchemy.


    In terms of cultivation, a thirteen-year-old Nascent Soul cultivator was already breaking records in Changyue Sect and was amazing anywhere else.


    In terms of alchemy, although Chen An had not studied alchemy for a long time, he could already refine top-quality Foundation Building Pills on his own.


    These two achievements were stunning.


    With such a genius, if given a little more time, no one knew where he would ultimately end up.


    "I heard that you''ve been studying array formations recently."


    Looking at Chen An, Song Qi asked.


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded with a smile, then waved his hand.


    Under the amazed gazes of the others around him, a strand of divine power dispersed from Chen An''s palm, then arranged itself in mid-air, forming a complex array formation that manifested within it.


    "Setting up an array out of nowhere, and it''s even the most difficult Spirit Gathering Formation in the array."


    Song Qi''s face also showed amazement, surprised by Chen An''s ability.


    The standard for an array master''s entry was being able to set up a complete array formation.


    Generally speaking, the higher the completeness of the array formation, the better the effect, which meant the higher the memory of the array master.


    Powerful array masters could even use the simplest materials to achieve excellent results.


    And setting up an array out of thin air, relying solely on one''s own divine power to lay out the array, was a result that could only be achieved by mastering the array formation.


    In other words, at this moment, Chen An was definitely an elite even from the perspective of an array master.


    How old was he!


    Song Qi looked at Chen An''s obviously young face, feeling a bit complicated and not knowing what to say. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Logically speaking, the stronger Chen An''s talent, the more monstrous his performance, the more advantageous it would be for her.


    After all, emotionally speaking, Chen An was also someone she had watched grow up and was quite important to her, like a younger brother.


    Of course, although she said brother and sister, in reality, Song Qi had always treated Chen An as her son.


    But looking at Chen An''s seemingly knowledgeable and capable appearance, and thinking about her own difficult cultivation, the hardships she had experienced on the path of cultivation, she felt an urge to grab Chen An and give him a beating.


    How can you waste your talent like this! How can you be so arrogant!


    Is having good talent a license to do whatever you want!


    Song Qi smiled on the surface, her mind filled with various thoughts, and in the end, she had to calm down and say, "Junior Brother An, this is not good."


    "At your age, it''s still time to focus on cultivation. As for array formations and the like, it''s better not to get too involved, so as not to delay your cultivation."


    Song Qi smiled and said, "When you reach Golden Core in the future, it''s not too late to study these things."


    In her opinion, alchemy and array formations were still less important than cultivation.


    This could also be seen from the perspective of lifespan.


    Although alchemy and array formations were also noble paths, as long as they did not reach the pinnacle, they could not bring about a great transformation in the level of life.


    And if the physical body could not transform, the lifespan could not increase, and in the end, having a set of skills would only lead to death.


    This was a common consensus among cultivators.


    Song Qi did not want to see Chen An go down this path either, so she took every opportunity to advise him.


    In her view, Chen An had already devoted enough time and energy to alchemy, there was no need to continue focusing on array formations as well.


    "I understand."


    Chen An just smiled at Song Qi''s sincere advice and did not take it to heart.


    Song Qi didn''t say much more and could only sigh.


    They chatted for a while in place, and then Song Qi turned and left to make preparations.


    The next day, the group finally set off towards the direction of the Dan Tower.


    ......


    On a bustling street, people were coming and going, with crowded figures everywhere.


    Chen An walked on the street, looking around, with an interested expression on his face.


    This place looked very prosperous, with many cultivators and a level of prosperity that Chen An had never seen before.


    In the past, Chen An had been to many places where cultivators gathered, but none of them were as prosperous as this place.


    Here, not only were there many cultivators, but there were also many rare treasures.


    The various rare beasts, treasures, and unique pills that could be seen along the way were not rare in this place and could be found everywhere.


    This was quite normal.


    After all, in the Southern Region, the Dan Tower was a top force that rarely opened up to outsiders, and this entire Dan City was the Dan Tower''s outreach, naturally becoming the most prosperous place nearby.


    Not to mention places like the Haoshan Sect or Changyue Sect, even in the entire Southern Region, it was rare to find a place as prosperous as Dan City.


    Chen An and his group had been here for about five days.


    Since there was still some time until the agreed time with the Dan Tower, during this period, Chen An and his group rested nearby.


    For this purpose, the Dan Tower deliberately arranged a guide to facilitate Chen An and the others to tour the surroundings of Dan City.


    During this time, Chen An also gained a lot of knowledge.


    Previously, in order to obtain source power, Chen An had also found many things while in the Changyue Sect.


    So-called rare treasures, various unique treasures, Chen An had collected them from various sources.


    But the things in Changyue Sect were still incomparable to what was in front of him now.


    So during this time, Chen An had been wandering around the area, exploring in all directions.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237 - The Treasure HuntChen An has been traveling around during this period.


    Of course, he wasn''t really traveling, but rather purposefully searching for his target.


    After finally coming out for a trip, Chen An hasn''t forgotten his purpose, which is to search for Source Power.


    The area near the Dan City is much more prosperous than other places, and naturally, there will be many exotic treasures gathered here.


    The probability of finding substitutes for Jinling Stones here is much higher.


    This is Chen An''s current priority and most important matter at the moment.


    However, obviously, what is important to Chen An may seem like just sightseeing to other people.


    But the people around them don''t object to it.


    In the eyes of Song Qi and others, it''s normal for a person of Chen An''s age to enjoy bustling and fun, just like when he was in Changyue Sect before, he was always serious, either studying or refining pills all day long, which is not like a normal child at all.


    What child doesn''t like to play all day and study every day!


    Now, Chen An''s current appearance seems more in line with his age.


    In the eyes of the accompanying Changyue Sect cultivators, Chen An has also released his childish side during this time, which is also beneficial for his body and mind.


    So they have no intention of stopping him, and even welcome it.


    As for the things Chen An bought along the way?


    These are trivial matters.


    Not to mention Chen An, who is a real rich, but even people like Song Qi, their wealth is quite substantial as well.


    After all, they are true direct disciples, who have status and position within the entire Changyue Sect.


    For them, Spirit Stones are not lacking, any one of them can easily take out hundreds or thousands of Spirit Stones without any hesitation, which is nothing.


    Although hundreds or thousands of Spirit Stones are not much for Chen An, for ordinary wandering cultivators, this is already a huge number.


    Many wandering cultivators may not have this amount of Spirit Stones accumulated in their lifetime.


    Chen An doesn''t have any special hobbies, just as a Pill Master and Array Master, so he has a preference for things like pill formulas and array diagrams.


    As for other things, there isn''t much.


    Oh, there is one more thing.


    If the pill formulas and array diagrams are something Chen An collects out of his identity as a Pill Master and Array Master.


    Then there is something that makes people a little strange.


    During the sightseeing process, besides pill formulas and array diagrams, Chen An also occasionally collects seeds from various places.


    These seeds are mostly seeds of spirit herbs and plants.


    If it''s the seeds of cherished spirit herbs, that''s fine, after all, many of these seeds are good materials for refining pills, so it''s normal for a Pill Master like Chen An to collect some to use as alchemy materials.


    But what puzzled Song Qi and others was that many of the spirit herb seeds collected by Chen An were of ordinary quality and didn''t have much use.


    If he only bought a little of each, it would be fine, but Chen An bought a lot at once, and even actively asked people about planting methods.


    This behavior is somewhat strange, to the point that Song Qi and others suspect whether Chen An is planning to learn about planting spirit plants and become a specialized spirit plant master in the future?


    Given Chen An''s past deeds, this doesn''t seem impossible.


    After all, if he has learned alchemy and array techniques, why not learn about spirit plant cultivation as well?


    Moreover, learning about being an alchemist or an array master has similarities with being a spirit plant master.


    Learning the system of being a spirit plant master after mastering these two seems to be simpler.


    Song Qi and others speculated silently, but considering Chen An''s past deeds, they didn''t interfere much and just followed Chen An honestly, acting as payers and moving goods.


    In fact, what Chen An is doing is not as complicated as others imagine.


    It''s purely about collecting.


    As mentioned earlier, the environments of the Dust Realm and the Yuan Realm are different.


    While the cultivation in both worlds is similar in general, the different environments have formed different systems and completely different spirit herbs and plants.


    Chen An has suffered a lot before because of this.


    If the spirit herbs and plants in the two worlds were the same, Chen An wouldn''t have had to spend so much effort to find alternatives in this world and then take so long to recreate the pill formulas of the Dust Realm.


    Some things weren''t considered before, but now that he knows, he naturally has to learn from it.


    With the White Tower in hand, Chen An can bring out some materials from this world.


    And what Chen An prioritizes bringing out are the unique materials of this world.


    Such as the unique spirit herbs and plants of this world.


    Chen An plans to bring the seeds of spirit plants from this world to the Dust Realm and cultivate them there.


    When the time comes, with these unique spirit plants, he can also make a fortune and establish his own unique style.


    Some unique pill formulas unique to the Yuan Realm won''t need to search for alternatives so laboriously in the future.


    Just cultivate the original spirit herbs from the Yuan Realm and use them for alchemy.


    It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.


    In fact, Chen An has been doing similar things before.


    It''s just that when he was in Changyue Sect, he could only collect limited things, and his preferences were not so obvious.


    His quirks are now so apparent because of the bustling city of Dan City outside, which is completely incomparable to the limited things he could collect in Changyue Sect.


    So his preferences are now so clearly exposed.


    In the past, Chen An''s quirks were actually well hidden, and few people knew about them.


    Apart from a few close friends like Song Qi and Liu He who knew a little, even the elders of Changyue Sect only had a general idea.


    During this process, Chen An also noticed something strange.


    Chen An wasn''t a top student in his past life, but he was a surfer on the internet, and he also had a basic understanding of biological knowledge.


    From the process of biological evolution, if the two worlds had no communication at all, then even if the environments of the worlds were roughly similar, the species that evolved should not be completely identical.


    Even the same species, after a long period of isolation, would gradually evolve and eventually become two species with reproductive isolation.


    But in the Yuan Realm and the Dust Realm, Chen An could find many identical spirit herb species.


    Although there may be some differences in names due to the different worlds, they are indeed the same thing.


    While the two worlds have completely different varieties of spirit herbs, there are also quite a few spirit herb beasts that are the same in both worlds.


    And in terms of the cultivation system, there also seem to be many similarities between the Yuan Realm and the Dust Realm.


    For example, the system of cultivators, from Qi Refining to Golden Core, the names are almost identical to those in the Dust Realm.


    Although there are some changes in details, overall, the changes are not too great.


    All these traces seem to point to the same result.


    The Dust Realm and the Yuan Realm, like the Great Beam World and the Dust Realm, may have had connections in the distant past, and even had long-term exchanges with each other, which is why they have formed the current results.


    It''s just that for some reason in the future, the connection between the Dust Realm and the Yuan Realm was severed, leading to the current situation.


    No, there is even a possibility.


    The connection between these two worlds may not have been severed, but it is not known to others.


    This possibility also exists.


    Chen An pondered in his heart, various thoughts flashing through his mind.


    But no matter how many thoughts were in his mind, his actions did not slow down, still moving forward resolutely, without any sign of fatigue.


    This is certain.


    Even now, Chen An is a Nascent Soul cultivator.


    With the cultivation of a Nascent Soul cultivator, how could he feel tired because of something like shopping?


    Not to mention Chen An, even Song Qi and the others beside him didn''t feel tired, and they were full of energy all the way, looking very spirited.


    By the looks of it, the prosperity of Dan City has a great attraction for them.


    They have seen many interesting sights along the way, so naturally, they didn''t feel tired.


    Chen An continued forward.


    After wandering around for several days, Chen An finally found his target.


    It was an old street with vendors everywhere.


    Compared to the neat shops and streets outside, the vendors in this place seemed chaotic, with no set layout in place, they just stood wherever it seemed suitable.


    This place is also a special place in Dan City.


    Most of the vendors who set up stalls here are nearby wandering cultivators who can''t afford a permanent shop, so they have to come here temporarily to set up a stall.


    In terms of the quality of the items, it may not be better than outside, but due to the large number of people, there are also many rare and unique items that can''t be seen outside.


    Chen An came to this place clearly looking for treasures.


    During this period, the essence of Dan City has been explored by him for the most part, but he hasn''t found anything to his liking.


    He had no choice but to come to such a place to see if he could find any surprises.


    He walked with interest, looking around at the sights and turning back from time to time.


    Finally, at a certain place, he had a detailed feeling.


    It was a very weak feeling, in a relatively remote place, Chen An directly walked over and found something there.


    It was a piece of green crystal, in the shape of a prism, like a crystal, very special and beautiful in both shape and color.


    "What is this?"


    As Chen An walked past here, he picked up the item in front of the vendor without hiding his interest in it.


    While picking up something good is nice, at Chen An''s level, there is no need to hide anything.


    Anyway, he''s only left with spirit stones, which is nothing compared to the spiritual items sold by a wandering cultivator, so there is no situation where he can''t afford it.


    "This is a Land Crystal produced in a rare place in the Northern Region, only a few spiritual lands produce it."


    Seeing Chen An''s unhidden interest, the owner of the stall in front of him immediately smiled.


    (This chapter is complete) S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238 - Golden Lotus Pill"The so-called Geo Crystal is a spiritual item produced in some treasure land."


    The owner of the stall in front of him was a middle-aged casual cultivator, with a calm demeanor and a clear-headed look.


    He looked at Chen An and his group in front of him and immediately judged that this group of people were extraordinary and were probably a group of rich men, so he became enthusiastic.


    He explained warmly, "This is a rare item that is only produced in a few treasure lands, and the conditions for its formation are very special. It is very rare in the Southern Region."


    "This piece will cost fifty spirit stones."


    He glanced at Chen An and then quoted a price.


    "Why don''t you try to haggle?"


    As soon as the words fell, a true disciple next to Chen An immediately changed his expression, "With just this item, you dare to sell it for fifty spirit stones?"


    Fifty spirit stones may not seem like a lot, but in reality, it was already a large sum of money.


    Near Dan City, due to the large number of cultivators, various commercial activities were quite prosperous.


    But fifty spirit stones were enough to buy many things in this area, and even if a frugal cultivator were to save some, they could support their cultivation for several years.


    Previously, Chen An had spent only a few hundred spirit stones on purchases outside, so the fact that just this Geo Crystal cost fifty spirit stones was considered an outrageous price.


    "Rare items are expensive."


    Not alarmed by the rebuke, the middle-aged man just smiled and spoke softly, "This item is quite rare in the Southern Region. Since you''ve come across it, don''t miss the opportunity."


    "I''ll take it for twenty spirit stones."


    Suddenly, Song Qi beside him spoke up, unexpectedly.


    Seeing the middle-aged casual cultivator about to speak, she smiled and said, "If you don''t agree, just tell us what this thing is good for."


    "If it''s really useful, not to mention fifty spirit stones, we would even buy it for five hundred spirit stones."


    The middle-aged casual cultivator opened his mouth, but after thinking for a moment, he nodded helplessly.


    It''s not that he didn''t want to say anything, but the Geo Crystal didn''t really have much use.


    This was normal.


    Cultivators were practical, and if something was really useful, even if it was rare in the Southern Region, many people would have seen it.


    The reason for this could only be explained by one thing.


    That is, this item itself is not very useful.


    And that''s the reality.


    In the Northern Region, Geo Crystals, although they were spiritual items, were quite cheap. They were only used in a small amount when refining treasures, and they had no other use most of the time.


    They were basically useless except for being pleasing to the eye.


    Of course, if it were an ordinary person, the middle-aged casual cultivator would not hesitate to say a few more words. Whether it was lying or not, as long as he got the spirit stones, he would run away immediately.


    But the people in front of him were obviously not ordinary people, and a few of them had a cultivation level not lower than his.


    In this situation, deceiving people would most likely not end well.


    "Twenty spirit stones it is."


    With a helpless nod, the middle-aged casual cultivator sold the item to Chen An as if he was taking a loss.


    But in reality...


    "I think this thing should only cost a few spirit stones at most, twenty spirit stones is a big loss."


    As they walked away from there, a true disciple couldn''t help shaking his head, looking back at the middle-aged casual cultivator at the stall with some annoyance.


    "It doesn''t matter, it''s just twenty spirit stones."


    But Song Qi just smiled, looking indulgently at Chen An, "Brother An''s happiness is the most important thing."


    "I haven''t seen him this happy in a long time."


    She looked at Chen An in front of her and muttered to herself.


    This was true.


    Among all the people, Song Qi had the longest contact with Chen An.


    But in the four years that Chen An had been in Changyue Sect, except for a few times, Song Qi hadn''t seen Chen An so happy.


    Even if it was to improve Chen An''s mood, spending twenty spirit stones on this item was quite worth it.


    Song Qi thought to herself.


    On the way back, Chen An continued to stroll around.


    But compared to before, his mood was indeed much better now.


    Of course he was in a better mood.


    In addition to the Golden Spirit Stone, he had finally found another source of power for his cultivation.


    This was something to be celebrated.


    And the spiritual item called Geo Crystal provided Chen An with a considerable amount of power.


    Almost twenty points of power per crystal.


    This number was much larger than what a Golden Spirit Stone could provide.


    This was definitely good news for Chen An.


    "I''ve already sent someone to inquire."


    Song Qi spoke up, her voice soft, "These kinds of spiritual items do exist in the Southern Region, but they are relatively rare. Combined with their limited usefulness, not many people pay attention to them."


    "But if we specifically send someone to buy them, we can acquire quite a few, and the price is not high. A few spirit stones can buy one."


    "Then I''ll trouble Senior Sister."


    Chen An smiled and said, "This thing is very useful for me, the spirit stones are not a problem."


    "How much do you need?"


    Song Qi asked.


    "Naturally, the more the better."


    Chen An replied.


    For him, Geo Crystals now meant a source of power.


    Since it was something that could increase his power, the more the better.


    Song Qi nodded, indicating that it was not a problem.


    In the following days, Chen An continued to visit various places.


    But compared to before, his mood was much better now, and he was more relaxed to observe his surroundings.


    But at this point, the time for the invitation to the Dan Tower was also approaching.


    "All of you are elite talents within the Southern Region, and also the top figures among alchemists. I won''t waste your time with pleasantries,"


    In a hall, an old man stood at the front, smiling as he spoke, "The reason why you are invited here this time is because we need your help with something."


    "Please take a look."


    As he spoke, he handed out a prescription, which fell into the hands of everyone present.


    Chen An was among the crowd and naturally received a copy.


    After receiving the prescription, he was surprised.


    To be honest, he had some psychological preparation before coming here.


    The fact that the Dan Tower treated this prescription with such solemnity meant that it was not something simple.


    And now, looking at it, it was indeed the case.


    The prescription he held in his hand was for a pill called the Golden Lotus Pill.


    According to the description of the prescription, this pill should nourish the body of the cultivator and strengthen their spiritual power.


    And this effect should be quite strong, enough to provide significant assistance to even a Nascent Soul cultivator.


    "Huh?"


    As he looked at it, Chen An''s face suddenly showed a look of surprise.


    "Has Master Chen discovered something?"


    The old man in front noticed Chen An''s reaction and smiled as he spoke, "This prescription..."


    After pondering for a moment, Chen An stood up and said, "Is it somewhat incomplete?"


    With his words, everyone else suddenly realized.


    "That''s right!"


    Someone spoke up, "Zhao steward, although this prescription seems fine, there are some obvious inconsistencies in it. Is the prescription incomplete?"


    "Haha, the talents of Changyue are indeed extraordinary."


    Zhao Feng smiled and looked at Chen An, then said, "Yes, this prescription is indeed incomplete."


    "In fact, this prescription was discovered by our Dan Tower in a ruin, and it is a prescription from ancient times."


    He explained the origin of the Golden Lotus Pill.


    In the Elemental Realm, there were many ancient relics left behind.


    The prescription for the Golden Lotus Pill was excavated from one of these relics.


    However, due to the passage of time, by the time it was excavated, the prescription for the Golden Lotus Pill was already mostly incomplete.


    The current version was actually a version that many alchemist masters from the Dan Tower had worked together to perfect.


    But the prescription for the Golden Lotus Pill was by no means simple, and even after being researched and improved by many alchemist masters, there were still many errors and omissions in it.


    This was why the Dan Tower had summoned the many alchemists before them.


    "All of you here are elites in your respective fields and are among the most outstanding alchemists in the Southern Region in recent years. I believe you all have your own unique understanding of alchemy."


    Zhao Feng smiled and said, "This time, our Dan Tower seeks to leverage the expertise of all of you to perfect this prescription together."


    "I wonder how you all feel about this?"


    "In such a prosperous era, we are willing, of course."


    After a moment of contemplation, everyone nodded in agreement.


    No one refused.


    In itself, being able to participate in the refinement and discussion of such a complex prescription was a great opportunity.


    And if they were successful, the rewards would be even greater.


    At least they would obtain a copy of the Golden Lotus Pill prescription.


    Even Chen An didn''t refuse.


    But he had no clue on how to perfect this prescription.


    The prescription for the Golden Lotus Pill was just too complicated.


    After years of diligent study, Chen An''s skills in alchemy were no longer comparable to ordinary people. Even though he was not as good as those top alchemist masters, he was far superior to ordinary alchemists.


    But even so, when he looked at the Golden Lotus Pill prescription in front of him, he felt a sense of helplessness.


    While most of the prescription had been perfected by the alchemist masters, it seemed quite close to perfection in theory.


    No matter how carefully Chen An looked, he couldn''t find any issues.


    But there was definitely a problem with this prescription.


    Chen An tried to refine it twice, and then confirmed his thoughts. s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In both attempts, he inexplicably failed.


    It was obviously not a problem with his technique, but rather, there were significant errors and omissions in the prescription itself, which led to these results.


    Where was the problem exactly?


    Chen An was pondering.


    What he didn''t know was that while he was contemplating, there were also hidden eyes secretly watching, observing the situation.


    Of course, even if Chen An knew, he wouldn''t mind.


    After all, this was the Dan Tower, one of the top powers in the Southern Region.


    In such a place, it was normal to have experts lurking and guarding the area, so it wasn''t surprising at all.


    Unbeknownst to him, more than two months had passed.


    During this time, more than thirty alchemists had been discussing together, and new discoveries were made every day.


    Feeling that he had become lazier after returning home.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239 - Wool HarvestTime passed slowly.


    During this period, Chen An had been inside the Alchemy Tower, discussing with many alchemists around him.


    During this period, he felt quite comfortable.


    For these alchemists who came from afar, the treatment provided by the Alchemy Tower was quite good, with almost everything they needed readily available.


    As long as the requests were not too unreasonable and related to alchemy, their reasonable requests were mostly met.


    It was much more comfortable than being inside the Changyue Sect.


    Although Chen An could also have his requests met within the Changyue Sect, no matter what conditions, the upper and lower levels of the sect would try their best to fulfill them.


    However, no matter how you put it, there were still not enough alchemists within the Changyue Sect, and many of Chen An''s requests could not be met.


    Unlike the Alchemy Tower, which was well-off, capable of providing all sorts of things for him.


    If it weren''t for other considerations, Chen An wanted to stay in the Alchemy Tower indefinitely and not leave.


    There were many alchemy materials here, almost everything related to alchemy was readily available.


    Similarly, there were also the most elite and abundant alchemists in the Southern Region available for day and night exchange and communication of various experiences in alchemy.


    For an alchemist like Chen An, this place was indeed a good place.


    Chen An was quite satisfied with his stay here.


    However, satisfaction aside, in order to continue these days, he still needed to show some real strength.


    "What went wrong?"


    With a loud bang, a huge alchemy furnace next to him made a dull sound, followed by black smoke rising everywhere, looking somewhat peculiar.


    It was a furnace explosion!


    Spirit formations rose up all around to directly dissipate the impact within the furnace, so as not to affect the outside world.


    Chen An sat alone in front of the furnace, looking at the furnace in front of him, puzzled.


    He had been researching the recipe for the Golden Lotus Pill for a long time and had tried to make up for some of its flaws.


    This was the result of the efforts of over thirty elite alchemists putting their heads together, finally piecing together a new recipe that filled in some of the gaps in the previous one.


    In theory, there should be no problems with this recipe anymore.


    But the results were still the same, the furnace kept exploding.


    Where exactly was the problem?


    Chen An was not sure.


    He had been involved in the process of perfecting the recipe from start to finish, and considered himself to be quite knowledgeable about the recipe, with almost no issues remaining.


    But the results were still the same.


    The reality unfolded before his eyes, as if mocking them silently, slapping the group of alchemists in the face.


    Chen An stood still, silently lost in thought.


    It was fine if there were problems with the recipe, he could accept that.


    But not being able to find where the problem was located was frustrating.


    "Let''s try it again."


    In the end, Chen An looked forward.


    He glanced at the source power indicator in front of him, and the number displayed indicated that there was about a thousand left.


    A considerable part of this was supplemented by collecting geocrystals over the past few months.


    While Chen An was researching the recipe, Song Qi and others had not been idle, and had been purchasing geocrystals as per Chen An''s request.


    Like the Golden Spirit Stone, the biggest problem with Chen An purchasing geocrystals was not the spirit stones, but the quantity of this material itself.


    Geocrystals were also rare spiritual materials in this world, rarely used in normal times, and the production was not rich.


    However, the Alchemy Tower was one of the most prosperous places in the Southern Region, so with a little searching and spending a lot of money to buy them, they could still find some.


    As for more, that could come later.


    Chen An looked at his source power balance, then at the recipe in front of him that had been heavily scrutinized, and finally made a decision.


    Soon, the scenery in front of him began to change slowly, as if the world was unveiling its true face.


    And in front of Chen An, the purple source power began to burn slowly.


    Simulation function, activated!


    The simulation function of the upgrade template was essentially a unique state achieved by consuming source power in order to put Chen An into a special state.


    In this unique state, everything around would become clear, making it easy to see the true nature of everything hidden behind the surface.


    A large amount of information flooded into his mind.


    All the information about the Golden Lotus Pill, including discussions among many alchemists, all flowed into his mind without missing a beat, reappearing in his mind.


    Materials began to rearrange and combine.


    In a short period of time, Chen An easily calculated a terrifying number that ordinary people could not calculate in their lifetime.


    This was something that could only be achieved with the assistance of source power.


    Under the influence of source power, not only was Chen An''s understanding fully maximized, even his perception of the world seemed to have suddenly improved, raising all kinds of states to their best.


    Finally, after careful calculation, Chen An found the flaw that everyone had overlooked.


    "So that''s it."


    A sense of enlightenment arose in his heart, giving Chen An an instant feeling of clarity.


    At that moment, he had finally identified several flaws in the recipe, pinpointing the problem.


    Understanding this, he didn''t stop there, immediately taking action.


    Boom!


    The furnace in front of him was instantly cleaned, then a large amount of medicinal herbs were thrown into it, sinking directly into it.


    The dropping of various medicinal herbs into the furnace seemed somewhat hasty, almost like ordinary people casually dropping things, but these seemingly random actions were unusually precise, without causing any adverse reactions.


    Though the actions appeared urgent, they had all been calculated in advance during the simulation phase, leaving no room for error.


    From the surface, the whole process flowed smoothly without any issues.


    A wave of fragrance wafted from the furnace in front of him.


    Golden clouds slowly rose, appearing extraordinary.


    The vigorous vitality within the pill could easily be felt even across the furnace.


    When the furnace was opened, Chen An looked inside, finally relieved that the simulation phase was over.


    Inside the furnace lay several golden pills.


    Upon the pills were mysterious textures resembling dragon patterns, giving them a unique appearance.


    Placing the pills in front of him, a light medicinal fragrance spread out, causing him to take a deep breath, feeling his entire body become lighter.


    Without a doubt, this batch of pills had been successfully refined.


    The pill lying on Chen An''s palm was the authentic Golden Lotus Pill.


    According to Chen An''s calculations, this Golden Lotus Pill should fully possess the complete effects recorded in the recipe, helping cultivators increase their cultivation, even benefiting Nascent Soul stage cultivators greatly.


    Now, what were the real effects?


    Chen An was very interested.


    To test the real effects, he checked the pills briefly, confirmed that there were no issues, and directly swallowed them.


    A refreshing sensation rushed to his head.


    Compared to the pills he had swallowed in the past, the vital energy contained in the Golden Lotus Pill was quite pure, instantly merging into his body upon ingestion, transforming into various pure divine powers flowing into his body.


    Boom!


    A sound of thunder erupted from within Chen An''s body.


    In his Purple Mansion, roaring divine power reverberated, the power within growing every moment and accumulating strength that, once unleashed, could overturn mountains and rivers, easily destroying many things.


    But within his body, this divine power was all constrained by the Purple Mansion, not erupting easily but remaining inside.


    "It''s effective!" S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Feeling the roaring in his Purple Mansion, a smile appeared on Chen An''s face. He immediately crossed his legs and began trying to refine the medicinal power of the Golden Lotus Pill.


    He had swallowed many pills before that could increase his cultivation, but their effects were limited and mostly only effective in the Qi Refining stage.


    This was the first time Chen An had seen such a potent effect on Foundation Building cultivators, and he was quite surprised.


    As the Changyue True Classic circulated, the Purple Mansion continued to roar, converting divine power that drove the Purple Mansion to expand outward.


    Slowly, the scene within the Purple Mansion began to change, various transformations taking place.


    After a while, Chen An opened his eyes slowly, a smile appearing on his face.


    "The effect is good."


    This thought flashed through his mind.


    Compared to his previous simulations, this Golden Lotus Pill had a significant impact on cultivation.


    Just one Golden Lotus Pill could drastically reduce the years of hard work for Chen An.


    Of course, it would take time to refine the medicinal power and completely assimilate the divine power into his body.


    This process would probably take about half a month.


    Overall, it was quite good.


    Chen An looked ahead.


    Scenes flashed before his eyes.


    Yes, after the struggle earlier, Chen An''s source power balance had decreased by three hundred, completely exhausted during the simulation process.


    But this consumption was not in vain.


    In the inheritance section, the recipe for the Golden Lotus Pill had already appeared.


    However, currently, he was only in the beginner state regarding this recipe.


    Chen An tried to manipulate it.


    The label behind the Golden Lotus Pill recipe quickly changed from the initial beginner state to adept mastery.


    In a short time, Chen An had improved his proficiency in this recipe twice.


    The cost was a full five hundred source power.


    With his already limited source power dwindling further, he now had only about seven hundred left.


    Looking at his source power balance, Chen An felt a bit regretful, but he still walked forward, silently sitting in front of the furnace, and began trying to refine pills.


    After all the effort put into enhancing the recipe, it was necessary to make good use of it.


    Otherwise, it would be a waste of source power.


    Of course, the reason for such urgency was also due to Chen An''s desire to harvest some wool from the Alchemy Tower.


    During the period in which these alchemists had been researching and perfecting the Golden Lotus Pill recipe, all the materials needed for refining the Golden Lotus Pill were provided free of charge, although not unlimited, there was still a considerable amount.


    For Chen An, he didn''t want to miss out on this opportunity.


    The Golden Lotus Pill was an absolutely top-grade pill, requiring precious materials for its refinement, and if he didn''t take advantage of this opportunity to get a good deal, it would be extremely difficult for him to find materials on his own later.


    Chen An had already figured this out in his mind.


    So during this period, Chen An used up all his material supplies every day.


    All the materials were used for alchemy.


    Later on, he even found it too slow, and went to borrow materials from others.


    The alchemists invited to the Alchemy Tower this time had limited quotas for raw materials, and theoretically, if they couldn''t use them all, they could be handed over to others.


    Even if he quietly took the materials for himself and filled his pockets, it wouldn''t be a problem.


    Just that these alchemists were people of status and position in the Alchemy Tower and couldn''t do such a despicable act.


    Others might have some scruples, but Chen An didn''t care.


    Not to mention he was someone who liked getting a good deal and taking advantage, even in his current childlike appearance, even if he was caught red-handed, so what?


    He could always play the cute card.


    Chen An was already used to such things.


    Over a month passed in the blink of an eye.


    During this time, Chen An''s stock of pills had greatly increased.


    In the White Tower, there were hundreds of Golden Lotus Pills stored.


    Chen An estimated that even if he broke through to the Golden Core stage, he probably wouldn''t be able to use up so many Golden Lotus Pills.


    This wool-harvesting move he made this time was quite cunning.


    At this point, Chen An finally stopped.


    Don''t get it wrong.


    The reason he stopped was not because his conscience suddenly kicked in but simply because he couldn''t continue to harvest the wool.


    After all, the Alchemy Tower was not a charity.


    The Golden Lotus Pill was important and deserved a certain investment of resources, but if the recipe couldn''t be perfected, and no profits could be gained, then the Alchemy Tower wouldn''t continue like this indefinitely.


    A project that required continuous input without any returns couldn''t be sustained by anyone.


    And as time passed, by now, it was very close to the deadline set by the Alchemy Tower.


    The batch of invited alchemists had already begun to prepare to leave.


    Chen An''s wool seemed like it was no longer worth harvesting.


    So at this point, he was also preparing to change his strategy.


    One morning, he walked out of his alchemy room, and after a long absence, went to find Zhao Feng.


    Without waiting for Zhao Feng to say anything, he directly reached into his pocket and took out something.


    It was a pill with golden dragon patterns on it, giving off a faint fragrance that seemed exceptional.


    And that unique scent was even more dazzling to cultivators, making Zhao Feng''s eyes light up as he stared at it, his breathing becoming more hurried.


    "Friend Chen, could it be..."


    His breathing quickened, and with eager eyes, he looked at Chen An, as if he wanted to say something.


    And Chen An did not disappoint him.


    Under his expectant gaze, Chen An smiled tiredly, then bowed slightly, "After many days of research, Chen An has luckily succeeded, not disappointing your expectations."


    Sure enough!


    This was indeed the Golden Lotus Pill!


    Upon receiving the confirmed answer, Zhao Feng''s eyes became extremely bright.


    (End of this chapter)."

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240 - ConditionsThe purpose of gathering all the alchemy masters at the Dan Tower was the Golden Lotus Pill.


    To be blunt, the reason why the Dan Tower had summoned alchemy masters like Chen An and paid such a large price for their conditions was to improve the formula of the Golden Lotus Pill.


    However, until now, the improvement of this formula had made little progress.


    Gathering many alchemy masters together had some effects, but the results were still not satisfactory.


    No matter how much they improved it, the formula of the pill just couldn''t succeed.


    After paying so much, and still failing to achieve the goal, it was undoubtedly extremely disappointing for everyone.


    Zhao Feng had originally given up hope and was ready to abandon the matter.


    But unexpectedly, just when he was about to give up, Chen An reported some good news.


    This was truly a turn of events.


    "Friend Chen, please wait!"


    Zhao Feng hurried over, looking like he was ready to report something.


    Shortly after, another elder from the Dan Tower walked out and hurried towards Chen An, his eyes fixed on him as if he was paying special attention to him: "Has this young friend really improved the formula?"


    "I was just fortunate enough to succeed."


    Chen An nodded and smiled, speaking modestly.


    "No need to downplay it."


    The elder smiled and then said, "What we elderly have been unable to accomplish for so long, and yet you have managed to do it, if it can only be explained as luck, then it can only mean that we are incompetent."


    "You just wait."


    Soon after, a meeting was convened.


    Most of the alchemy masters from the Dan Tower participated in this high-level meeting.


    It was a high-level meeting indeed.


    After all, several elders within the Dan Tower were grandmaster alchemists, and even outside the Southern Domain, they were well-known and respected wherever they went.


    And now, all these people were gathered around Chen An, eagerly waiting for him.


    In this setting, Chen An was definitely the main focus.


    Facing the expectations of these people, Chen An did not disappoint them and directly spoke out, presenting the improved formula of the Golden Lotus Pill.


    Of course, he wasn''t completely honest and didn''t reveal the final version he had perfected.


    The formula he presented was just the initial improved version.


    This version of the formula, while it could be used and actually produce the Golden Lotus Pill, had significantly increased difficulty and resource consumption, and the final result was not as good as the version Chen An had in his hands.


    This was the pit Chen An had set.


    After all, it wasn''t quite possible for him to give away all the good things so easily.


    He wasn''t that honest.


    But even this primitive version of the formula was still very valuable to the many alchemists in the Dan Tower.


    Before, they had tried various methods to improve the formula, and now that they had finally succeeded, the significance of this could be easily understood.


    So in the following days, Chen An became even busier.


    Of course, he was busy, as there were so many alchemists within the Dan Tower, each wanting to pull Chen An over to exchange experiences, some of whom were top masters within the Dan Tower.


    Under the attack of so many people, it was impossible for Chen An not to be busy.


    But despite being busy, there were still things that needed to be done.


    During this time, Chen An was able to obtain many benefits from the Dan Tower again.


    Aside from the fame and other benefits, the Dan Tower also showed its gratitude for his selfless contribution of the formula.


    In response to this, Zhao Feng specifically approached Chen An once to ask him if he needed anything.


    But Chen An''s reply to this question was very simple.


    "What? Just need Geocrystals?"


    In the room of the Dan Tower, Zhao Feng looked somewhat dumbfounded as he gazed at Chen An: "Are you sure?"


    He felt dumbfounded not because Chen An''s request was extreme.


    Quite the opposite, Chen An''s reason for the request was extremely simple, so simple that Zhao Feng even subconsciously doubted it.


    The Dan Tower was one of the top forces in the Southern Domain, and among these forces, it was definitely among the top.


    Faced with such a rich force, if someone had the opportunity, they would usually ask for very high conditions!


    Instead, Chen An simply made the simplest request.


    Yes, it was simple.


    Collecting Geocrystals might be a bit difficult for others, as this item was indeed rare in the Southern Domain.


    But for a top force like the Dan Tower, Geocrystals were just ordinary items.


    Zhao Feng had originally prepared himself for a large request from Chen An, but he didn''t expect such a result.


    How could he not feel surprised?


    However, no matter how surprised he was, he still agreed to Chen An''s request.


    "Since the friend only needs Geocrystals, I wonder how many you need exactly?"


    Zhao Feng asked, "So I can have people go find them."


    He didn''t take Chen An''s request lightly at first.


    After all, Geocrystals were not very valuable, often just a few spirit stones each, and for a top force like the Dan Tower, they were almost nothing.


    But the result undoubtedly caught him off guard once again.


    "I don''t have high demands, let''s start with five hundred pieces."


    Chen An''s face showed a shy expression, and he seemed somewhat embarrassed, "This item is useful to me, the more I can collect, the better."


    "Five hundred pieces?"


    Zhao Feng was dumbfounded.


    You really know how to ask for it.


    Geocrystals weren''t expensive, each piece usually just a few spirit stones, and even five hundred pieces would only be a few thousand spirit stones at most, which was still extremely precious compared to the formula of the Golden Lotus Pill.


    But the problem was that this item was rare, and not often found in various places.


    Where could he get five hundred pieces in a short time to give to Chen An?


    Create them out of thin air?


    But as he looked at Chen An''s shy and embarrassed expression, Zhao Feng couldn''t bring himself to reject the request.


    He had no choice; the request was just too low.


    Five hundred pieces of Geocrystals, at market prices, were just a few thousand spirit stones.


    Compared to others, Chen An''s condition was already very low, almost like giving it away for free.


    If he refused even this simple request, then if the matter spread, people might think that the Dan Tower was going back on their word and didn''t even want to give a mere one thousand spirit stones of goods.


    Give! They must give!


    "Friend, please wait for a moment, and give me some time."


    Zhao Feng clenched his teeth and said, "Within three months, I will make sure to obtain the items you need."


    "Then I will wait for the good news from friend Zhao."


    Chen An spoke softly with a smile on his face, as Zhao Feng quickly left.


    And Chen An stood there, watching Zhao Feng leave, a smile appearing on his face.


    Yes, this should take care of his power replenishment.


    Chen An thought to himself.


    Geocrystals, like Gold Spirits, were very rare and difficult to collect in large quantities.


    Facing such spiritual items, it was sometimes very difficult to collect a sufficient amount even with enough spirit stones.


    Only by having a huge force like the Dan Tower take action would the effect be much better.


    Indeed, that was the case.


    After agreeing to Chen An''s conditions, Zhao Feng quickly took action.


    In just a few days, the first batch of spiritual items had already been delivered.


    There were a hundred Geocrystals.


    When Chen An saw these Geocrystals, a rare smile appeared on his face.


    And when he had absorbed all the Geocrystals, converting their power into source power, that smile became even brighter.


    One Geocrystal could provide twenty source power points.


    A hundred pieces amounting to two thousand points.


    This was a sudden increase of two thousand source points.


    And this was only the first batch.


    Of course, after this batch of Geocrystals, the next batch of spiritual items would probably take a long time to arrive.


    This batch of Geocrystals should have already been stored within the Dan Tower, so they were sent to Chen An directly.


    But the rest of the Geocrystals would need to be collected from other places by the Dan Tower, through purchase or trade.


    The entire process would likely take some time.


    Chen An was not in a hurry.


    During this period, he had already spread the news of perfecting the Golden Lotus Pill formula, along with the conditions he had proposed to the Dan Tower, making it public knowledge.


    In this situation, if the Dan Tower reneged on their agreement, the loss would be more than just a few spirit stones.


    Even for the sake of their reputation and credibility, the Dan Tower had to make an effort to fulfill the agreement and deliver the remaining four hundred Geocrystals to Chen An intact.


    Of course, this process would certainly be quite slow.


    The three-month deadline Zhao Feng had set might not be enough.


    Chen An hadn''t just been waiting around here.


    After all, the improvement of the pill formula had concluded, and the benefits provided by the Dan Tower to them had also ceased.


    Staying here next, refining pills and such would all require money.


    Since he couldn''t take advantage, Chen An was ready to leave.


    He would wait for the people from the Dan Tower to send the items later.


    With that thought in mind, Chen An slowly left the area.


    As they left, a huge black eye slowly opened in the sky, emitting a mysterious aura that passed through the void.


    Inadvertently, a strange change seemed to be imminent.


    Within a few days, they quickly left the Dan Tower and headed towards the direction where the Changyue Sect was located.


    Their actions were swift, crossing the Dan Tower''s influence area in just a few days and approaching the range of the Changyue Sect.


    However, as they were about to enter the territory of the Changyue Sect, an unexpected incident occurred.


    "Attack!"


    In a certain area, a shout resounded from the void, like a thunderclap suddenly erupting.


    "Kill!"


    Battle cries echoed from the front, causing a stir in all directions.


    Beside Chen An''s carriage, a gold core elder responsible for guarding looked at him, his pupils shrinking as he reacted quickly.


    He raised his hand and was about to take action to stop the attackers.


    BOOM!


    Powerful divine power burst forth from the front in an instant. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In that void, a huge surge of power emerged, directly sweeping through the mountains and rivers in all directions.


    In the void, faint traces of Dao runes and various inexplicable scenes could be seen.


    "What!"


    The gold core elder responsible for guarding Chen An was shocked.


    Underneath those countless runes, there was a powerful aura.


    The aura above the gold core realm?


    Sensing this, the two accompanying elders from the Changyue Sect changed their expressions.


    Above the gold core realm was the Inscriptive Realm.


    A master at this level was already considered top-notch in the Elemental Realm.


    If there really was a master at this level attacking them, they would have no chance of resisting at all, and would only be able to surrender.


    "Why?"


    In an instant, the two of them had the same thought.


    A dignified master of the Inscriptive realm was among the top class in the Elemental Realm, top-notch everywhere.


    Why would such a master attack them without cause?


    In a split second, they both felt doubtful.


    Was it because of the Golden Lotus Pill formula?


    This thought crossed their minds.


    At this moment, it seemed like the only explanation.


    Chen An had perfected the formula of the Golden Lotus Pill, and this matter had already been spread by the Dan Tower, not exactly common knowledge, but it was still public information.


    If someone had set their sights on the Golden Lotus Pill formula, then it was indeed possible that they would attack them.


    The Dan Tower''s influence was too strong, making it easier to strike at the Changyue Sect.


    Once they captured Chen An, the formula of the Golden Lotus Pill would essentially fall into their hands.


    It was all the same.


    They couldn''t let them succeed!


    In an instant, the two gold core elders exchanged glances and both firmly held their thoughts.


    Fortunately, they were not far from the residence of the Changyue Sect.


    They only had to hold out for a moment longer, and then they could wait for reinforcements from within the Changyue Sect.


    Although the task was difficult, it was not without hope.


    However, just as they thought this, a strange disturbance came from behind them.


    In the several carriages behind them, a mist began to spread, enveloping the carriages completely before finally merging with the mist.


    In the void, a powerful surge of energy continued to manifest, carrying unique and mysterious Qi that far surpassed a gold core cultivator.


    But this wasn''t a person, just a tool.


    Someone was operating a powerful tool from behind, creating such a horrifying scene.


    This was a powerful artifact!


    In the Elemental Realm, such existences were known as powerful artifacts, and they were something that ordinary people could not easily touch.


    A powerful artifact like this, even if wielded by a Nascent Soul cultivator, would be able to contend with the two gold core cultivators in a short period of time.


    And in this short period of time, the setup they had behind them had already been successful.


    "Not good!"


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241 - Magic Cultivation"Not good!"


    Someone realized that something was wrong and quickly looked back.


    At that moment, his ominous premonition was confirmed.


    Behind him, black mist rose from several carriages, with traces of runes passing through it.


    The power of a powerful artifact was being unleashed, erupting completely at this moment.


    Although it couldn''t last too long, the power that erupted in this short moment was terrifying.


    "No!"


    Before the two Foundation Establishment Elders could react, several carriages in front were swept away and disappeared directly in front of them.


    Divide and conquer!


    From beginning to end, the target of this group of people has always been the people inside the carriages.


    It was clear they were not sure of Chen An''s exact location, so they simply decided to grab all the people inside the carriages.


    "Who could it be?"


    The two Foundation Establishment Elders looked at each other, seeing the confusion and anger in each other''s eyes.


    Having their genius taken by outsiders was something worth being angry about no matter whose perspective it was from.


    But amidst their anger, they were also shocked.


    Who could have done this? To be able to wield such a powerful artifact and make such arrangements, there were not many forces within this Southern Region.


    Although the influence of Chang Yue Sect was not top-tier within the Southern Region, it was definitely not something that anyone could provoke.


    Ordinary forces could hardly stand a chance against Chang Yue Sect.


    Yet someone had dared to forcefully snatch people under the hands of Chang Yue Sect, especially in this place.


    They must not let this go!


    The two Elders looked at each other and immediately reached a consensus.


    Regardless of the situation, their task was to protect Chen An, the genius of Chang Yue Sect, and safely escort him into the sect.


    But now, both of them were fine, while Chen An had been taken away.


    What was going on?


    Whether for the reputation of Chang Yue Sect or for the sake of their own task, they had to chase the person back.


    With this in mind, they began to carefully observe, trying to find any clues from the traces left by the other party.


    Soon, their expressions changed.


    "This aura... could it be..."


    They made a startling discovery.


    However, Chen An was unaware of their discovery.


    He had already arrived at another place.


    In a dim place, several carriages were teleported over and quietly placed in the area in front of him.


    "Has it stopped?"


    As the carriages came to a halt, Chen An felt it instinctively, subconsciously raising his head and looking ahead.


    His sense was very keen. He had already sensed something during the previous confrontation and understood everything.


    But sometimes, understanding alone was not enough.


    If it was just at the Foundation Establishment level, Chen An''s strength could still resist to a certain extent. But seeing the power of that artifact so clearly, directly in front of him, it dispelled any thoughts he had.


    The level of an inscription master was something he was definitely not a match for.


    Since he was destined not to be a match, he decided not to do anything unnecessary and just focus on watching the changes ahead.


    Of course, this attitude did not mean he was heartless, it was just indifference.


    After all, his current body was just a projection. Even if he was really taken out, he could simply return to his original body and start over.


    Since he wouldn''t really die, he naturally had nothing to fear.


    Feeling the environment stabilizing around him, Chen An looked around and was already planning to get off the carriage and look at the scenery around him.


    At that moment, a voice came from the side. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mr. Chen, my lady has requested your presence, would you please come for a conversation?"


    On the side, a hoarse voice rang out, sounding like a middle-aged man.


    Chen An was taken aback for a moment, then quickly reacted.


    Getting off the carriage, he looked ahead.


    Indeed, the environment had changed, and there was a closed-off space around them, with intricate arrays glowing everywhere.


    At the back, there was a complex teleportation array, currently active.


    Chen An''s eyes lit up.


    A teleportation array, this was his current goal.


    While in Chang Yue Sect, Chen An had been studying arrays diligently, hoping to one day master the inscription of teleportation arrays to return to the Great Liang world.


    However, even among inscription masters, not everyone could create a teleportation array.


    At least the inscription masters in Chang Yue Sect couldn''t.


    He had never expected to see this kind of array in this place.


    It was truly a pleasant surprise.


    "Mr. Chen?"


    In front of him, the hoarse voice continued.


    Chen An looked up, his gaze fixed on the figure in front of him.


    There were a few people standing in front of him.


    They were tall, with the leader being a unique middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man was thin, not too old, but exuded a sense of deathly silence all over him. He wore a black robe that looked very distinctive.


    His aura was different from the orthodox cultivators, giving Chen An a familiar feeling.


    It was somewhat similar to... the demonic path?


    No, it was the demonic path.


    Chen An suddenly realized the source of this familiar feeling.


    The aura of these people in front of him was somewhat similar to the demonic cultivators he had encountered before.


    The only difference was that these people''s cultivation was obviously much deeper, with many more variations.


    "Who are you?"


    Standing still, Chen An raised his head and looked at the middle-aged man in front of him, speaking softly.


    "I''m Lin Qiu, under the orders of my lady, I have come to invite you to visit."


    Looking at Chen An in front of him, the middle-aged man smiled faintly.


    "Visit?"


    Chen An looked around and laughed, "Is this how you invite guests?"


    "Of course not."


    Lin Qiu didn''t seem embarrassed by Chen An''s gaze, he just smiled and said, "If it was usual, we would definitely come to pay our respects in person and invite you to visit."


    "It''s just that the situation is special right now, so we can only do this, please don''t mind, sir."


    He spoke apologetically, looking quite polite.


    But Chen An couldn''t see any sincerity in him.


    Of course, he didn''t care about that. He just nodded slightly and asked, "Who is your lady?"


    "It''s... a bit inconvenient to say for now."


    Lin Qiu smiled apologetically, "When you meet her, you will know."


    "In that case, lead the way."


    Chen An nodded and said directly.


    This clean and neat appearance surprised Lin Qiu and the others.


    They had thought someone like Chen An would be difficult to talk to.


    But it turned out he was quite cooperative.


    Nevertheless, it was a good thing.


    Lin Qiu and the others led Chen An forward.


    Along the way, various sceneries came into view.


    This area seemed to be in a closed-off space, devoid of sunlight. Only the glow of activated arrays illuminated the surroundings, making everything bright.


    Chen An walked in this area, looking around with interest.


    For him, the layout of this place was quite unique, and there were many things to learn from the array formations in various places.


    Just from some details, it was clear that the array skills of these people were quite good.


    At least much better than the array masters in Chang Yue Sect.


    If he could learn from them, it would be great.


    Out of long-standing instinct, Chen An subconsciously had this thought in his mind.


    He always wanted to learn whenever he saw something.


    Especially when it came to array formations and alchemy.


    But now was not the time to bring that up.


    Chen An turned around and looked ahead.


    By this time, they had arrived at a new place.


    In front of them was a spacious hall, where someone was already waiting for him.


    Chen An raised his head and looked forward.


    PS: Sorry for missing the update, there was an issue in the South today, and the stock market also fell with it. I just don''t have the mood to write now, I just want to have a good sleep and wait peacefully for tomorrow''s results.


    .


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242 - NegotiationThe faint demonic energy permeated the surroundings, with a unique aura lingering in the air.


    Chen An furrowed his brows and looked ahead.


    There, someone was sitting at the moment.


    It was a person who looked quite young, dressed in a black robe, with handsome features that stood out under the dim light, exuding a mysterious charm.


    What was most surprising was that the person in front of him was clearly a woman, but her heroic spirit was so unique that it was no less than that of a man.


    Such a character was obviously not ordinary.


    "May I ask who you are?" Chen An couldn''t help but furrow his brows and ask.


    "I am Qi Rou, I have seen Young Master Chen before." In front of him, the woman looked at Chen An with a faint smile on her face. "I originally wanted someone to go to Changyue Sect to invite Young Master over, but due to some considerations, it was not very convenient. I had to resort to this method. I hope you don''t blame me."


    Blaming her was impossible.


    Anyone who was brought to such a place for no reason would probably not be in a good mood.


    But in front of others, Chen An wasn''t stupid enough to tell the truth, just shaking his head gently. "Although it''s a bit unique, it''s fine."


    "But Miss Qi went to great lengths to bring me here. It''s probably not just to see me, right?" He looked at Qi Rou in front of him and spoke softly.


    "Of course not." Qi Rou smiled, "There have been rumors near the Dan Tower that the Golden Lotus Pill has been perfected by you, Young Master?"


    Clearly, she was after the pill formula.


    Chen An understood: "Miss is here for the pill formula of the Golden Lotus Pill?"


    This should be the most reasonable explanation.


    After all, the most valuable thing on Chen An was this.


    Other than the pill formula for the Golden Lotus Pill, he didn''t have much else.


    However, to Chen An''s surprise, when Qi Rou and Lin Qiu in front of him heard his words, they couldn''t help but laugh.


    In that laughter, there seemed to be some disdain.


    "Please take a look at this." Facing Chen An''s confused gaze, Qi Rou didn''t explain much, she just handed something over to Chen An and placed it in his hands.


    Chen An took it and glanced at it briefly.


    Then he froze.


    Lying in his hands was a piece of paper.


    The content recorded on the paper was none other than a pill formula.


    The name of that pill formula was the Golden Lotus Pill.


    And it wasn''t incomplete, but a version that had been perfected by Chen An''s hands.


    Even though Chen An was prepared, he still couldn''t help but be stunned at this moment.


    Damn.


    Calculating the time, it had only been two months since Chen An handed the pill formula to the Dan Tower.


    Did they leak the information? S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    What kind of efficiency was this?


    If Chen An hadn''t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn''t have believed it.


    The Dan Tower was a top force in the Southern Domain and shouldn''t have acted so recklessly, right?


    But the fact was before him, and it seemed there was nothing more to say.


    "You understand now, Young Master." Seeing the complexity in Chen An''s heart, Qi Rou smiled and said softly, "Ever since the Golden Lotus Pill pill formula was perfected by you and handed over to the Dan Tower, it has fallen into my hands."


    "Do you have people in the Dan Tower?" Chen An raised his head and looked at Qi Rou and Lin Qiu in front of him.


    That seemed to be the only explanation.


    From the surface, the Dan Tower was a top force in the Southern Domain, powerful enough that no ordinary person would dare to provoke them.


    But if there were moles, then it was another matter.


    "Young Master should know." Qi Rou smiled and spoke naturally as if it were just a small matter.


    "Honesty is the best policy." Chen An spoke calmly, "You have the pill formula for the Golden Lotus Pill in your hands. I doubt it would be of any use to you."


    "Miss went to such great lengths to bring me here, it''s probably not just to see me, right?"


    "Very well." Qi Rou''s smile remained unchanged, "Since Young Master is straightforward, I won''t hide anything."


    "You, Young Master, are a famous pill dao genius in the Southern Domain, unmatched by anyone within the entire Southern Domain."


    "Even the ancient pill formula like the Golden Lotus Pill, Young Master, you were able to perfect it on your own. This ability, even the so-called masters of the Dan Tower, might not be able to match."


    She didn''t mince her words and praised Chen An without reservation.


    But Chen An furrowed his brows.


    "Miss is overpraising me." Chen An furrowed his brows and spoke softly, "If you have something to say, please be direct."


    He had a bad feeling in his heart.


    Generally speaking, the better the words, the more troublesome the task in the end.


    Sure enough, Qi Rou finally spoke up next.


    "I have a pill formula here, I don''t know if Young Master can help me take a look?" Qi Rou looked at Chen An and finally spoke.


    Indeed.


    Chen An understood, his expression unchanged. "Come here."


    Qi Rou waved her hand, and Lin Qiu immediately stepped forward and placed a pill formula in front of Chen An.


    Chen An opened it and carefully examined it.


    Then his scalp began to tingle.


    It was real, his scalp was tingling.


    Before this, the most difficult pill formula Chen An had encountered was undoubtedly the Golden Lotus Pill.


    But although the pill formula for the Golden Lotus Pill was incomplete, it had been perfected by many pill dao masters of the Dan Tower, and there were very few mistakes.


    But the pill formula in front of him was different.


    The pill formula in front of him should be called the Heavenly Yuan Pill.


    From the name alone, it was clear that this pill was extraordinary.


    In fact, it was.


    The Heavenly Yuan Pill, once successfully refined, could theoretically transform the body into an original state, back to the time of birth.


    In simpler terms, it meant returning to the most complete state.


    Taking this pill would theoretically increase the innate energy in a cultivator''s body, change their aptitude, and transform their physique.


    At that time, no matter what injuries a cultivator had, even if their meridians were broken and their purple palace was destroyed, they could still recover with the power of the Heavenly Yuan Pill.


    That''s where the name of this pill, the Heavenly Yuan Pill, came from.


    The effect was terrifying.


    Even Chen An was somewhat tempted by the effects alone.


    His aptitude was not very good, so if he could refine the Heavenly Yuan Pill, theoretically, he could once again improve his aptitude, and even achieve the effect of restoring his body to its peak.


    Of course, such an outstanding pill naturally had a typical problem.


    It was difficult to refine.


    After looking at the pill formula, feeling the difficulty of the pill formula, Chen An couldn''t help but fall silent.


    Before this, the Golden Lotus Pill had already seemed very difficult to him.


    But compared to the Heavenly Yuan Pill, the Golden Lotus Pill seemed to be less difficult.


    He really didn''t know what to say.


    "Young Master, how is it?" In front of him, Qi Rou couldn''t help but ask.


    Her face was calm, but there was a hint of urgency in her attitude, as if she was anxious about this matter.


    Seeing this, it seemed that Qi Rou was the one who needed the Heavenly Yuan Pill the most.


    Chen An understood, showing a difficult expression, shaking his head: "It''s very difficult."


    "I won''t say more, I believe Miss Qi should have consulted other pill masters before, right?"


    He looked at Qi Rou and said.


    With a dull expression, Qi Rou looked disappointed: "Even the famous Chen Young Master, who perfected the pill formula for the Golden Lotus Pill, can''t help me, the top genius of the Southern Domain?"


    "Maybe there is a way, but it''s definitely not a quick fix." Chen An took a look at Qi Rou''s face and decided not to say anything that could endanger his life: "The perfection of the Golden Lotus Pill formula was not done by me alone, but a joint effort of many fellow pill masters from the Dan Tower. I only completed the final step."


    "The difficulty of the Heavenly Yuan Pill is greater than that of the Golden Lotus Pill, and if I were to work on it alone, it would probably take a lot of time."


    "Is that so?" Qi Rou gradually calmed down, pondered for a moment, and nodded.


    Indeed.


    The perfection of the pill formula for the Golden Lotus Pill, first went through the efforts of many masters of the Dan Tower, then gathered the most elite group of pill masters in the Southern Domain to study together, consuming a long time and a lot of manpower and resources, before finally achieving success in Chen An.


    The difficulty of the Heavenly Yuan Pill was still higher than that of the Golden Lotus Pill, and now if Chen An wanted to perfect the pill formula from scratch on his own, it was not such a simple matter.


    "I have been too careless." Qi Rou smiled apologetically and then said, "How about this?"


    "Where I am is not a famous place, but it''s not bad either. It''s probably not inferior to the spiritual veins of the Changyue Sect."


    "If Young Master Chen has no other business, you can stay here with me, and let me show some hospitality, what do you think?"


    "You can rest assured about your daily expenses here. I believe they will not be inferior to what you had in the Changyue Sect."


    This was a form of house arrest.


    Since it would take a long time to achieve any results, you can slowly study here.


    Chen An looked deeply at Qi Rou, "It seems that Miss is determined to keep me here."


    "If I can, I don''t want to, but I have no other choice." Qi Rou''s face showed a bitter smile as she said this.


    She looked somewhat pitiful.


    But unfortunately, Chen An didn''t trust her.


    No matter what, the deep demonic aura on her was not fake, and her mastery of demonic techniques must have been perfected.


    And those who practice demonic techniques usually have committed countless sins.


    For people like that, if you have value, you can disguise yourself, not just pretend to be pitiful, even act humble, or play the role of your trusted friend.


    These were all common tricks.


    "How are my senior brothers and sisters now?" Chen An looked at Qi Rou in front of him and spoke calmly.


    "They are all here as guests, just like you." Qi Rou smiled and said, "Don''t worry, their treatment is not lacking. At least it matches their status as disciples of true transmission."


    "Let them leave." Chen An spoke in this manner.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243 - Change of Location for Wool Cutting"Let them leave."


    In the quiet hall, there was silence everywhere, only the voice of Chen An rang out clearly.


    Qi Rou frowned, "Does the young master dislike my place here, thinking it''s not good enough for them?"


    "Miss, I know exactly what you want to do," Chen An said calmly, "I can cooperate with you, on the condition that they leave safely."


    Chen An could make his own decisions, he wasn''t afraid of death anyway, even if he died here with Qi Rou, it didn''t matter, he could always start over later.


    But he still didn''t want to involve others in his own affairs.


    It was a matter of principle.


    People like Song Qi and others may have had ulterior motives in using Chen An, but they were still fairly decent to Chen An and could be considered his few friends in this world.


    Therefore, Chen An wouldn''t stand by and watch them being held hostage together.


    If he couldn''t do it, then so be it. But if he could, then he would.


    Qi Rou frowned, wanting to say more, but Lin Qiu shook his head beside her and interjected, "Since the young master requests, then there''s no problem."


    "Don''t worry, I will let them leave tomorrow."


    "Before they go, I want to see them."


    Chen An looked at Qi Rou in front of him and said.


    This time, Qi Rou didn''t hesitate, she just nodded directly.


    Since they had decided to let them go, it was just a minor matter to see them before they left.


    With this settled, Chen An didn''t say anything else and left directly.


    After he left, only Qi Rou and Lin Qiu were left in the same place.


    "Uncle Lin, your previous advice to treat the true disciples of Changyue Sect well seems to be correct."


    Watching Chen An leave, Qi Rou smiled and a hint of bloodlust appeared in her eyes, "Otherwise, if they were killed, it would be a bit difficult to end this situation."


    "Xuanmen cultivators are different from our demonic sect, they act very differently."


    Lin Qiu explained, "As for the current young master Chen, he is young and has a reputation, naturally it is so."


    "So you mean, everyone in Xuanmen cares for each other like brothers and sisters?" Qi Rou asked curiously.


    "It''s not exactly like that."


    Lin Qiu pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "Most Xuanmen cultivators are not much different from us demonic sect, they just tend to be more secretive in their actions, but fundamentally they are quite similar." S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s just that, relatively speaking, the current young master Chen is more special."


    "I see."


    Qi Rou finally understood.


    "I''ll leave this matter to Uncle Lin to handle."


    She said softly, "Make sure to do it cleanly."


    "I understand."


    Lin Qiu nodded and then left directly.


    The next day, as agreed before, the several people from Changyue Sect met with Chen An.


    "This matter started because of me, thank you for your hard work, senior brothers and senior sisters."


    Looking at the true disciples of Changyue Sect, Chen An spoke softly.


    Then, he took out something from his pocket.


    It was a talisman paper, covered with dense runes and Chen An''s unique seal.


    "Junior Brother An?"


    Seeing Chen An''s actions, Song Qi raised her head in confusion, "What is this?"


    "It''s a talisman paper that I specially refined."


    Chen An smiled and then infused divine power into these talisman papers.


    In an instant, the talisman paper slowly lit up, the runes on it flickering intermittently, looking very unique and bright.


    "These talisman papers are refined by me, once infused with divine power, even if you are far away, I can still sense it."


    Chen An said with a smile, "As long as you, senior brothers and sisters, infuse your divine power into them, I can sense your condition for at least several months."


    As this was said, everyone around was stunned.


    Then Chen An added, "If any senior brothers or sisters fall, I can immediately sense it."


    What?


    Song Qi and the others were shocked and then fell silent.


    "Junior Brother''s thoughts are thorough, we can''t wait as well."


    Someone regained their senses and sighed.


    In simple terms, this was a precautionary measure.


    If Qi Rou and the others broke their promise and then harmed Song Qi and the others to prevent leaks, then Chen An would immediately know.


    This was also to cover his own bases.


    After all, no matter what, they were all demonic cultivators.


    It was better to be cautious if possible.


    That''s what Chen An thought.


    Of course, what he did might be considered unnecessary.


    But it didn''t matter.


    He had refined many similar things, and he didn''t lack such gadgets.


    With a lot of wealth, it was inevitable.


    From a distance, Lin Qiu, who was responsible for monitoring, watched the scene and quietly left.


    And Chen An seemed to sense his departure.


    The following time passed smoothly, as usual.


    After Song Qi and the others were released, Chen An was soon assigned to an alchemy room by Qi Rou and the others.


    Life there was not bad.


    At least for Chen An, there was no difference between here and when he was in Changyue Sect before.


    It was the same alchemy, the same study of pill formulas, just with some differences in specifics.


    Of course, there were differences.


    After all, Changyue Sect was the main sect, so while Chen An was refining pills, they also hoped that he would focus on cultivation.


    But Qi Rou was not so particular.


    To be precise, she brought Chen An here to refine pills.


    If she could, she would want Chen An to be by the furnace twenty-four hours a day, how could she urge him to cultivate?


    If possible, it would be best if Chen An didn''t cultivate at all.


    In such a situation, if it were an ordinary person, they would probably be ruined.


    But fortunately, Chen An was not an ordinary person.


    He didn''t care much about his cultivation.


    After all, when the time came, he could just add some points anyway.


    Compared to how to cultivate, he was more focused on how to make some profits in this place.


    So, just half a month later.


    "Earth Crystal?"


    Qi Rou looked at Chen An and asked with some confusion, "Isn''t that something that only a few Refiners need?"


    "Right."


    Chen An nodded and said, "But from my previous research, it seems that if the Earth Crystal is used in alchemy, it might have some good effects."


    "If you could give me a batch of Earth Crystals, I believe the effect of the Heavenly Source Pill would be greatly improved."


    "Really?"


    When it came to the Heavenly Source Pill, Qi Rou couldn''t sit still.


    After confirming the effect of Earth Crystal on the Heavenly Source Pill, she immediately called Lin Qiu to gather it from all around.


    Chen An''s goal was also achieved.


    In a way, what Chen An said was not wrong.


    The Earth Crystal could enhance Source Power, and Source Power could activate the deduction function, thus accelerating the improvement of the Heavenly Source Pill.


    From this perspective, Earth Crystal indeed played an important role in perfecting the Heavenly Source Pill.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244 - Walk into the Devil?As expected by Chen An, Qi Rou immediately agreed to his request.


    Not only because she cared about the Tianyuan Pill, but also because the earth crystal was quite cheap.


    But what can be bought with just a few spirit stones, how precious could it be?


    Although Chen An was not sure about Qi Rou''s background, judging from her ability to control a golden core cultivator like Lin Qiu and possessing powerful magic tools, it was obvious that her family background was quite good.


    Moreover, she could influence the Pill Tower and even suspected that there might be a spy inside the Pill Tower, which made her even more noteworthy.


    In Chen An''s eyes, this was definitely a big fat sheep that must be taken advantage of.


    The first batch of earth crystals was quickly delivered.


    The quantity, also one hundred pieces.


    Chen An didn''t know if these people had an obsession with the number one hundred, but every time they sent them it was always in increments of one hundred.


    But that was none of his business.


    So he turned around and accepted these things directly.


    Two thousand source powers gained.


    With one hundred pieces of earth crystal in hand, now calculating the source power balance, Chen An''s reserve had almost reached five thousand.


    It was considered a small rich person.


    With nearly five thousand source power reserves, it should be enough to deduce a formula for the Tianyuan Pill.


    Of course, Chen An was not that dumb, he wouldn''t start working right away.


    Even for a Pill Tower that hired him to work, he still needed to procrastinate, take advantage of all the benefits before starting to work.


    The place in front of him was even more so.


    Chen An strongly suspected that with the temperaments of these cultists, if he really perfected the Tianyuan Pill, he might be silenced afterwards.


    Of course, this possibility was slim, after all, he, a Pill Dao genius, was quite valuable.


    Unless there was no other choice, they wouldn''t kill him.


    But this possibility couldn''t be ruled out either.


    In the following days, Chen An continued his life.


    Unlike before, where he had to balance cultivation with learning other things, now he only needed to refine pills.


    This was not good.


    The good thing was, they were quite generous here, except for the rare earth crystal that couldn''t be collected in large quantities at once, everything else would be sent to Chen An immediately.


    In this situation, Chen An''s life was quite stable.


    As a long-time oppressed worker by the Pill Tower, he deeply understood the mentality of people like Qi Rou, so he didn''t hold back anything, squeezing out things slowly like squeezing toothpaste.


    Regarding the improvement of the Tianyuan Pill, he already had ideas in his mind, but he still took out a little something every now and then. S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It could achieve some success, but there was still a distance from completing the project, this was Chen An''s strategy.


    And on Qi Rou''s side, there didn''t seem to be any urgency.


    So, a year quickly passed.


    In the quiet alchemy room, there was no one in sight except for Chen An.


    In front of him, a huge black pill furnace was placed there, with a vigorous spirit fire burning inside, looking very strong.


    After a while, the pill furnace slowly opened, and several pills had formed.


    Don''t misunderstand, this was not the Tianyuan Pill, but the Golden Lotus Pill.


    In this year, Chen An had gradually become acquainted with Lin Qiu and others, gradually gaining some conditions.


    Of course, it was more like a mutual benefit.


    In his spare time, Chen An helped Lin Qiu and others refine pills, and Lin Qiu and others also paid him corresponding rewards.


    And most of the pills he made here were Golden Lotus Pills.


    Taking out the pills from the pill furnace, Chen An picked out the best few and swallowed them directly, then put away the rest of the pills, preparing to give them to Lin Qiu and others later.


    This ratio was roughly half and half.


    This was agreed upon by Lin Qiu and others.


    The Golden Lotus Pill could increase cultivation, even for Hua Ling cultivators, it was extremely effective, so it was definitely a good thing.


    This good thing was something Lin Qiu and Qi Rou and others needed.


    Or even if they didn''t need it, the people beneath them would.


    Chen An helped them refine pills, materials provided by them, and Chen An''s reward was half of the pills he refined, which was the labor fee.


    Of course, it was said to be half, but in actuality, it was much more than half.


    Chen An''s success rate in pill refining was much higher than others, so for an ordinary pill master, it was half the amount, but for him, it was much more.


    There was no way, after all, he was cheating.


    After refining the pills, Chen An silently got up and walked to the side.


    "Mr. Chen, is it ready?"


    In a quiet room, Qi Rou was waiting inside and when she heard the movement outside, she opened her eyes.


    She raised her head, focusing her gaze, and then turned her eyes to Chen An.


    "These days I''ve been quite well, so I finished a bit earlier."


    Chen An nodded gently, then placed the things in front of Qi Rou, removed the box, revealing what was inside.


    Ten Golden Lotus Pills were neatly arranged inside, each one quite beautiful with a faint pattern floating on it, very unique.


    Looking at the Golden Lotus Pills in front of her, Qi Rou''s eyes also showed some subtle changes.


    "The Golden Lotus Pill truly lives up to its ancient formula, it has a great effect on me as well."


    After a long time, she spoke.


    It seemed like she had already taken the Golden Lotus Pill.


    "The effect of the Golden Lotus Pill is indeed good."


    Chen An nodded, and said, "But Miss, your current state doesn''t seem to be as simple as just taking the Golden Lotus Pill."


    He noticed that Qi Rou''s state was wrong.


    Compared to usual, Qi Rou''s appearance at this moment looked normal, with her black hair hanging down, looking very peaceful and serene.


    But upon closer observation, one could see that her aura was somewhat chaotic, seeming unstable.


    This was obviously not normal.


    Of course, considering her identity as a cultist, this seemed normal again.


    After all, how many times do cultists walk into the devil every year?


    Chen An vaguely remembered that what he refined the most in this year was not the Golden Lotus Pill, but the Clear Mind Pill, which could stabilize the mind and suppress walking into the devil.


    Seeing Qi Rou''s appearance now, there were some signs of walking into the devil.


    "There seems to be a problem with cultivation, but it''s no big deal."


    Qi Rou smiled, then said, "How is the progress of the Tianyuan Pill?"


    This was a simple diversion.


    But Chen An didn''t mind and continued along with her words, "The initial draft has almost been finalized."


    "But the specific effects will depend on the situation."


    As he spoke, he handed over the prepared pill formula.


    The pill formula was genuine, something Chen An had prepared long ago.


    But there was still a considerable gap from the final pill formula, with many additional things and a very important item for Chen An.


    The earth crystal.


    Yes, Chen An directly added the earth crystal to the pill formula.


    The purpose of this was obvious.


    "Huh?"


    Qi Rou was puzzled, "What does it mean by the processed earth crystal?"


    "It means what it says."


    Chen An''s expression remained unchanged, and he took out two earth crystals from his pocket.


    Although they were both earth crystals, the appearance of these two earth crystals was completely different, immediately catching Qi Rou''s attention.


    Of the two earth crystals, one was blue, maintaining the usual appearance of an earth crystal, looking like a normal earth crystal.


    As for the other one, it was transparent, looking like it had been decolored, presenting a unique luster.


    In fact, this was the earth crystal that Chen An had drained of energy.


    After passing through Chen An''s hands, the source power in the earth crystal had been absorbed by him, leaving only an empty shell, which explained the unique luster.


    But Qi Rou was clearly unaware of this change.


    So Chen An began to make up a story, "The earth crystal is effective in the refining of the Tianyuan Pill, but only the processed earth crystal has this effect."


    "If impurities are retained, the effect cannot be preserved, so processing is necessary."


    He explained in this way.


    In simple terms, only the transparent earth crystal, after processing, would be effective.


    But how to process it?


    Qi Rou would have to ask Chen An.


    As for whether it would have any effect, Chen An could only say that he didn''t know.


    In theory, this material should be ineffective, but it wouldn''t affect the pill refining, it was the kind of thing that would work whether added or not.


    But Qi Rou obviously didn''t understand all this, so she was really fooled by Chen An, nodding half-understood, "If that''s the case, I will send people to collect more of this material from the outside world."


    "That would be great."


    Chen An remained calm and nodded.


    Qi Rou wanted to say more, but her expression suddenly changed.


    Under Chen An''s gaze, Qi Rou''s face quickly changed from calm to pale, looking as if there was no blood left in her face.


    Her aura was also changing, becoming chaotic at a visible speed, reaching a very obvious level.


    Was she walking into the devil?


    Sensing the change in Qi Rou''s body, Chen An was a little surprised, and couldn''t help but have this thought in his mind.


    "Mr. Chen, please step back for now."


    After a moment, Qi Rou seemed to have barely controlled herself.


    She struggled to raise her head, looked towards Chen An, and asked him to step back.


    Chen An didn''t hesitate and left directly.


    He had already sensed the danger.


    If he continued to stay here, who knows what might happen next.


    To be on the safe side, it was better to leave directly.


    As he walked out of Qi Rou''s room, Chen An met someone outside.


    More accurately, it was an acquaintance.


    "Elder Lin."


    Chen An looked at Lin Qiu in front of him and greeted him respectfully.


    He didn''t find Lin Qiu''s arrival surprising.


    After all, when Qi Rou''s aura was so chaotic, someone with Lin Qiu''s strength would naturally sense it.


    It was quite normal for him to come and check on it.


    "Mr. Chen, did you see Miss''s condition just now?"


    Looking at Chen An, Lin Qiu asked.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245 - Perfecting the Spiritual Transformation"I saw it myself."


    Chen An nodded and calmly spoke.


    If he could, he would rather not have seen what happened just now.


    But unfortunately, he had just walked out of Qi Rou''s room, and even if he wanted to deny it, he couldn''t.


    It was just unavoidable.


    Since he couldn''t deny it, he could only admit it.


    "The young lady''s problem has been going on for several years."


    Lin Qiu sighed and said, "This is not just a case of being possessed by fire, the reasons behind it are quite complicated."


    Since it''s quite complicated, why continue talking about it?


    Chen An silently complained in his heart.


    He was well aware that in this world, there was a kind of death called knowing too much.


    Sometimes, knowing too much might not be a good thing.


    Who knows what pitfalls are waiting for you ahead.


    "As the years go by, the young lady''s condition is getting worse."


    Lin Qiu sighed and said, "At this rate, in at most ten years, the young lady may not be able to hold on."


    "And the only way to help her is through the Heaven Origin Pill."


    "I''m saying this, do you understand, Master Chen?"


    With that said, he paused, looked at Chen An, and the meaning in his words couldn''t be clearer.


    What? So there''s still ten years left!


    To Lin Qiu''s surprise, Chen An was somewhat pleasantly surprised by these words.


    That''s the difference in perception.


    Lin Qiu''s words were originally a threat, intending to urge Chen An to speed up the completion of the Heaven Origin Pill.


    After all, Qi Rou could only last for ten years at most. If the Heaven Origin Pill wasn''t ready by then, Chen An would be practically useless.


    His fate at that time didn''t need to be said, it was basically death.


    But for Chen An, ten years was a big surprise.


    He had thought that he only had a year or two left at most, and Lin Qiu and the others might start making a move on him.


    Never did he expect to have ten years.


    That was great.


    In ten years, how much wool could he shear, how many tricks could he do?


    This was the result of different perceptions.


    For traditional cultivators like Lin Qiu, ten years was just a blink of an eye, and they couldn''t do much during that time.


    At their level, sometimes just a casual seclusion could last for decades.


    Ten years was just a blink of an eye.


    But for Chen An, it was quite different.


    Ten years.


    As long as there was enough source power, do you believe you could start anew in just one day?


    Thinking of this, Chen An suddenly felt good.


    Of course, no matter how he felt inside, on the surface, his face remained calm as he simply said, "I understand."


    "Master Chen is different from ordinary people, Miss and I have always trusted you."


    Seeing Chen An''s reaction, Lin Qiu also nodded, then continued, "By the way, there''s some news related to Changyue Sect, I don''t know if Master Chen is interested?"


    "Speak?"


    Chen An frowned and had a bad feeling.


    "About half a year ago, a spiritual vein emerged in the Southern Region, right between Changyue Sect and Lingqiu Sect."


    Lin Qiu said, "After that, to fight for this spiritual vein, Changyue and Lingqiu Sects fought each other."


    "And it has been half a year already."


    "Lingqiu Sect."


    Chen An furrowed his brow, pondering over this news.


    Lingqiu Sect was a nearby immortal sect to Changyue Sect, and both were powerful forces.


    However, in Chen An''s impression, the relationship between Changyue Sect and Lingqiu Sect seemed to be good.


    Never did he expect that in just a year, the relationship between the two major sects had changed so dramatically.


    Thinking about it carefully, he could understand.


    After all, immortal sects competed with each other.


    When there was nothing to fight over, everyone got along just fine.


    But now, with the emergence of the spiritual vein, their past relationship didn''t mean much.


    Fighting each other was just a normal thing.


    Chen An found it reasonable.


    "I understand."


    He nodded to show that he understood.


    This calm attitude surprised Lin Qiu.


    "Aren''t you concerned about the current situation of Changyue Sect?" he couldn''t help but ask.


    Chen An smiled, "I am more clear about the strength of Changyue Sect than you, Mr. Lin."


    "Even if the two sects have some conflicts, they are far apart, and it''s unlikely that any major incidents will happen soon. At most, there may be some friction, but it won''t cause serious harm."


    Changyue Sect had tens of thousands of cultivators.


    With such a large number, they possessed extremely powerful strength.


    In front of Changyue Sect, sects in the Dust Realm like Haoshan Sect could only serve them.


    With such a powerful force, it brought at least one advantage - it would not easily perish.


    After all, with such a large family business, even if they wanted to fail, it wouldn''t be that easy.


    Even though Lingqiu Sect was powerful, it wasn''t to the point where it could destroy Changyue Sect.


    So there was no need to worry.


    "That makes sense."


    Lin Qiu nodded in agreement with Chen An.


    "But."


    Standing still, he looked at Chen An and said meaningfully, "Sometimes, the crisis is only on the surface."


    "If we wait until the end, what will happen, that''s uncertain."


    With that said, before Chen An could ask, he walked away.


    Chen An stood there, frowning as he watched Lin Qiu leave.


    For some reason, he felt that there was more to Lin Qiu''s words, as if he knew something.


    Perhaps there were some insider information about Changyue Sect that Chen An was unaware of.


    After thinking about it for a while, Chen An decided to let it go.


    There wasn''t much of a choice anyway.


    He was stuck here, and even if he knew the news, what could he do?


    Moreover, with Changyue Sect''s power, if anything happened that affected the entire sect, even if Chen An went back, it would be a death sentence.


    He was destined to be powerless.


    So no matter how much he thought about it, it was meaningless.


    Chen An packed up his things and then looked into the distance.


    Time slowly passed by.


    After meeting Qi Rou that day, Chen An''s days returned to normal.


    For Chen An, these were the most familiar days.


    On a daily basis, the materials he needed were constantly being sent to him, including the materials needed to refine the Heaven Origin Pill.


    Not to mention, the ability to collect these materials was quite impressive, which surprised Chen An.


    The Heaven Origin Pill was a highly advanced pill with outstanding effects.


    Great effects meant that the materials needed for it were equally precious and terrifying.


    For example, one of the ingredients called the Golden Dragon Tree was already extinct in the Elemental Realm. Only a few were said to survive in the Pill Tower, obtained from some ruins.


    But even with such rare ingredients, Qi Rou and the others managed to get their hands on them.


    Of course, only a small amount.


    As for other materials, like the Earth Crystal, they were relatively easier to find.


    The collection of these materials to assist Chen An in completing the Heaven Origin Pill was a task that required a lot of effort.


    Over the past few years, the number of Earth Crystals sent to Chen An''s place was quite substantial.


    If there was something that pleased Chen An about this place, it was probably this.


    Time passed slowly.


    In the blink of an eye, another two years had passed.


    On this day, Chen An sat in his room.


    An invisible wave spread out from him, but was quickly suppressed.


    "Is it already at this stage?"


    Opening the alchemy furnace in front of him, Chen An took out the pill inside and quietly stood up, feeling somewhat surprised.


    He felt something unusual in his body.


    Unknowingly, his spiritual power had undergone a transformation, reaching a new level.


    In other words, Chen An was now only a step away from the Golden Core level.


    If outsiders knew about his progress, they would be shocked.


    But Chen An was not surprised.


    After all, the past few years had been unimaginable for others.


    While helping Qi Rou and others refining pills, Chen An was also constantly taking advantage of the materials here to refine pills. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the past two or three years, Chen An had almost been taking pills every day, with the Jinlian Pill for increasing his cultivation almost becoming a regular item.


    By conservative estimates, Chen An had eaten at least a hundred top-quality Jinlian Pills in these two years.


    With hundreds of top-quality Jinlian Pills ingested, even if Chen An didn''t have time to practice, his cultivation would be forcibly pushed up by the rich medicinal power, reaching the perfect level.


    This was what they called pill addiction.


    In fact, it proved that cultivation was not only about aptitude and hard work, but also about spending money and playing games.


    Although Chen An hadn''t been cheating much in the past two years, he had been spending money consistently.


    However, while it was easy to improve his cultivation, controlling it was not so simple.


    Using the God power at the Master level to control the spiritual power, assisted by the Violet Palace suppressing the Purple Mansion, he barely managed to control his aura and prevent it from leaking out.


    Otherwise, as soon as he completed the breakthrough in front of him, Lin Qiu and Qi Rou would know about it.


    "It''s time."


    Chen An looked at the source power column in front of him.


    Compared to two years ago, the number on top had changed again, with a balance of up to eight thousand source power.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246 - Dan Cheng"It seems almost done."


    Chen An looked at the remaining source power in front of him, silently thinking to himself.


    With eight thousand units of source power, this was definitely the richest he had ever been since his debut.


    At any time in the past, he had never been this rich before.


    With eight thousand units of source power, it was enough for Chen An to do many things.


    Such as raising his cultivation, directly promoting to the perfection of the Golden Core stage?


    It seemed possible.


    Eight thousand units of source power were enough.


    But here comes the problem.


    Even if he really promoted to the perfection of the Golden Core stage and reached the peak of the Golden Core through the allocation, could he break through and escape from this place?


    Chen An pondered.


    Probably not.


    The reason was simple.


    This place was someone else''s stronghold.


    In the past two to three years, Chen An had already explored it.


    There were dense arrays everywhere, and a hidden mountain protection array was hidden, always in an activated state.


    Although it couldn''t be seen usually, once exposed, the power was probably not something an ordinary person could withstand.


    Although the cultivation at the level of the perfection of the Golden Core was strong, it still seemed insufficient under the protection of the mountain array. S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Not to mention Lin Qiu and others.


    Although Chen An didn''t know how many Golden Core cultivators there were in this place, there were definitely more than just Lin Qiu.


    Considering the powerful artifact Lin Qiu had shown before.


    The probability of breaking through seemed to be even smaller.


    It was not impossible, just very slight.


    Chen An thought that if he really wanted to break out, his only chance of success would probably be finding an opportunity to capture Qi Rou, and then escaping through her.


    But here''s the problem.


    These people were all cultivators of the demonic path.


    Would kidnapping a hostage be effective for these people?


    Chen An thought it was a bit mystical.


    So for safety, he decided to wait a little longer.


    The current situation was fine.


    Chen An looked towards the other side.


    Since the possibility of breaking through with force was low, he decided to continue cooperating.


    It was time for the Tianyuan Pill to come out.


    Originally, Chen An had planned to delay it for ten years.


    But recently, Qi Rou''s condition had been getting worse, and the symptoms of being possessed by fire were becoming more and more obvious.


    If this continued, she probably wouldn''t last ten years.


    In this situation, Chen An decided it was better to show some results now and stop dragging Qi Rou and others along.


    So, he activated the deduction mode again.


    Familiar information emerged in his mind, and in this state, everything in the world seemed to have no secrets, as if it was completely transparent to Chen An.


    Various pieces of information kept pouring into his mind, past records were revisited, rearranged directly into another form.


    After an unknown amount of time passed, his vision gradually cleared.


    A brand new pill formula appeared in his mind.


    "So that''s how it is."


    Feeling the new pill formula emerging in his mind, Chen An felt a bit enlightened and reluctant.


    Leave aside everything else, this state under the influence of source power was extremely refreshing.


    The feeling that all knowledge was open to you, as if you could understand everything in an instant and resolve all doubts, was truly joyful.


    No matter who it was, after experiencing it once, they would feel a sense of reluctance.


    The only downside was that it cost a lot.


    For example, this time, the deduction cost him over a thousand units of source power.


    Just in a short period of time.


    And there was more to come.


    Thinking of this, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh and look at the perfected Tianyuan Pill formula on the inheritance panel, making a firm decision.


    Upgrade the template, add it to me!


    Swish


    Purple light flickered, momentarily overshadowing Chen An''s vision.


    Then, under a force, these purple lights gathered on the inheritance panel and slowly dissipated.


    All settled.


    Chen An perfected the Tianyuan Pill formula in one go.


    This approach seemed unnecessary, maybe even wasteful at first glance, but it was actually necessary.


    Because the materials needed for refining the Tianyuan Pill were too precious, with many materials being hard to find, and some being irreplaceable.


    In this situation, if he failed to refine it once, the wasted materials would be irretrievable.


    So Chen An decided to upgrade the pill formula to perfection all at once to avoid waste.


    Generally speaking, once the pill formula was upgraded to perfection, there would be very few accidents in the subsequent pill refining.


    If Chen An was more careful, there would be basically no problems, refining one correctly each time.


    The high success rate he had before was basically from this.


    The cost was also significant.


    Upgrading the Tianyuan Pill formula to perfection cost another three thousand units of source power.


    Including the previous deduction of a thousand units, the total was four thousand units of source power.


    Such a huge consumption of source power would have severely distressed the old Chen An, but now he was calm, with a nonchalant attitude.


    Not a big deal.


    Source power was gone, he could earn it back later.


    Regardless of how much loss there was, Qi Rou, the scapegoat, could cover it all.


    Chen An had thought it through.


    In the future, apart from other things, by adding more materials to the Tianyuan Pill formula, increasing the amount of Earth Crystal needed, he could earn back the source power.


    Anyway, he was the one who wrote the pill formula, so he had the right to make decisions.


    Could Qi Rou really refuse?


    As Chen An had planned, in the future, to refine one Tianyuan Pill, at least twenty Earth Crystals would be required to cover the cost.


    By doing this a few more times, the four thousand units of source power would soon be recovered.


    Plan confirmed.


    Of course, for now, he still needed to continue his efforts to verify the success of his pill formula.


    "Then let''s begin."


    He looked outside and then smiled lightly as he started his actions.


    Soon, the spiritual fire in the pill furnace in front of him began to burn slowly.


    Chen An began to refine pills again, and this time he was refining the Tianyuan Pill.


    The Tianyuan Pill required very precious materials, so even Chen An had to apply for them in advance to start the refining process.


    Chen An only had one set of materials with him now.


    So it had to succeed, not fail.


    Luckily, because the pill formula had been upgraded to perfection, Chen An''s operation this time was quite good, with all the details perfected without any mistakes.


    This round of pill refining lasted for half a day before it finally ended.


    As the pill refining ended, a faint blue smoke rose from the pill furnace.


    However, Chen An did not immediately fix the pill furnace. Instead, he felt it.


    A pill master needed to put his mind into the pill furnace to subtly manipulate the changes inside.


    So at Chen An''s level, he didn''t need to open the pill furnace to know what was inside.


    The refining of the Tianyuan Pill was successful, and three pills were produced with this set of materials.


    Hmm, lucky.


    According to Chen An''s previous calculations, with the materials he used before, he should have produced two pills.


    But now he had three.


    This extra pill was obviously thanks to the perfection of the pill formula.


    Good, good.


    As Chen An praised himself silently, he made some adjustments, using the White Tower directly to remove the pills from the pill furnace.


    He did it this way inside the pill furnace because there were probably people outside monitoring.


    This was very obvious.


    Qi Rou was both a member of the demonic sect and the first party.


    When one party commands others to work, how can they really trust them?


    Therefore, sending people to monitor from time to time was quite normal.


    Chen An had known this for a long time, so he usually operated like this when refining pills.


    Opening the pill furnace again, a strong fragrance escaped from it.


    A pure white pill appeared.


    Compared to the Golden Lotus Pill, the pill in front of him looked quite ordinary, like some common pills, all pale white, seemingly nothing special.


    But looking closely at this pill, Chen An could clearly feel a strong desire welling up from within him.


    It was an extremely eager feeling, like a person in the desert who had been thirsty for a long time seeing water, or a hungry person seeing a feast after a long time. The desire that arose from the heart was unstoppable.


    This was the miraculous aspect of the Tianyuan Pill. Even without swallowing it, just looking at it could make a person irresistibly eager.


    Chen An gazed at the pill, feeling the intense desire for it. After a while, he carefully stored it, putting it in a wooden box.


    Then, he got up and walked towards the room where Qi Rou was.


    The way was clear.


    For some reason, in recent days, there seemed to be fewer people here, not even a few regular guards were seen.


    Passing through the checkpoints, Chen An arrived outside Qi Rou''s room.


    "Is it Mr. Chen?"


    Before Chen An could speak, Qi Rou''s voice came from inside the room.


    And her voice sounded particularly hoarse, as if she was suppressing something.


    Chen An pushed open the door and entered.


    Then, he frowned.


    Qi Rou''s room was originally quite clean, although there weren''t many women''s things inside, but there were the essentials, and there were cleaning arrays everywhere, making it look very neat and tidy.


    But now, it was dirty everywhere.


    Several bodies lay scattered around, with crimson blood splattered everywhere, looking particularly terrifying.


    The faces of these bodies still had a fierce and fearful expression, indicating that they were torn apart alive.


    The whole scene was extremely terrifying and made people feel uncomfortable.


    "I''m sorry."


    As if sensing Chen An''s discomfort, Qi Rou''s face showed a hint of apology. "I accidentally let out some anger, and haven''t had a chance to have someone clean it up. I''m sorry for letting you see this."


    Let out some anger?


    Your way of releasing anger is really quite different.


    "No worries."


    Chen An silently complained in his heart, but on the surface, he remained calm and softly said, "I have something to bring to Miss."


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 47 - Effect"I will bring something for Miss."


    Chen An said softly, then took something out from his arms.


    Qi Rou hadn''t reacted yet, but her gaze fell on Chen An''s hands.


    Because with Chen An''s movements, the contents were already revealed.


    It was a pale white pill, accompanied by a very charming medicinal fragrance.


    Although it was a very ordinary pill, it felt extremely tempting.


    "Is this...?"


    Looking at the pill in front of her, Qi Rou''s voice trembled slightly.


    "Yes."


    Chen An smiled and then said, "In three years, I have kept my promise."


    "This Tianyuan Pill has finally been refined by me."


    Crackle


    Just as Chen An''s voice fell, Qi Rou''s figure in front of him suddenly disappeared.


    In an instant, the Tianyuan Pill in front of him was directly taken by Qi Rou, and she eagerly swallowed it.


    This kind of behavior surprised Chen An.


    So eager?


    Even if the pill in front of her was genuine Tianyuan Pill, according to common sense, Qi Rou, with her identity, should have someone come to test it and verify it before swallowing it so hastily.


    Swallowing it so carelessly, what if Chen An had given her poison instead?


    Wouldn''t she be in danger right away?


    From this perspective, Qi Rou''s situation was probably very serious, so much so that after seeing the Tianyuan Pill, she didn''t even think, she just swallowed it.


    Fortunately, Chen An still had some scruples.


    The Tianyuan Pill was indeed genuine, not something else used as a substitute.


    After swallowing it, Qi Rou froze in place, and only after a while did she show some changes.


    Her previously pale face began to recover some color, and even the chaotic and violent aura she had before was now suppressed by a new force, making her appear much calmer.


    With Chen An''s spiritual sense, he could sense a vigorous vitality awakening within Qi Rou''s body, nurturing her entire body.


    So this was the effect.


    Chen An looked with interest at Qi Rou, silently observing the effects on her.


    After taking the Tianyuan Pill, there was usually a lot of movement, so for safety reasons, Chen An himself had not swallowed it yet.


    Qi Rou''s condition gave him an object to observe, allowing him to roughly understand the mechanism of the Tianyuan Pill.


    Qi Rou''s changes lasted for quite some time, until after a while, she finally stopped and looked at Chen An in front of her, sighing.


    "Thank you, Sir Chen."


    She raised her head, looked at Chen An, and smiled rarely, "This Tianyuan Pill is truly genuine." S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "If it wasn''t genuine, could there be fakes?"


    Chen An asked.


    "Of course."


    Qi Rou sighed, "To be honest, I also asked many alchemists before to help me refine the Tianyuan Pill."


    "But these people wasted a lot of materials, and the results were nothing."


    "Just these isn''t so bad, but some people clearly didn''t refine anything, but they still used other pills as fake Tianyuan Pills."


    It turns out some people really do that.


    Chen An raised an eyebrow, admiring their audacity.


    Because the risk of doing such a thing was really great.


    It was quite difficult to pass off fake pills as real in alchemy.


    Leaving aside the different effects of the pills, trying to fake something as unique as the Tianyuan Pill was a really difficult task.


    In other words, those who could do such a thing probably not only lacked skills but also had some issues with their brains.


    Of course, it could also be that they were forced into a corner and had no other options.


    After all, Qi Rou and the others in front of them were not easy to deal with.


    If they were delayed for too long, given the other party''s temper, they would probably end up in a bad situation sooner or later.


    Chen An glanced at Qi Rou in front of him, silently pondering this thought.


    "The fate of those people in the end?"


    Looking at Qi Rou in front of him, Chen An finally asked.


    He was quite curious about the answer to this question.


    "In the end?"


    Qi Rou was surprised, seeming not to expect Chen An to ask this question.


    But she didn''t hide anything, she simply pointed around, "They are all here."


    Chen An was silent for a moment, now not knowing what to say.


    Although he was curious about the fate of those people, in a sense, Chen An was actually in the same boat as them.


    The moral of the story was simple.


    Chen An''s personal safety was still in the hands of Qi Rou and the others.


    If he couldn''t escape from this place, when he lost all his usefulness, these people in front of him would probably meet the same fate.


    It was a lesson learned.


    Chen An sighed silently, saying, "Could someone collect their bodies and bury them properly?"


    After all, they were all alchemists, to some extent, they were colleagues. Chen An didn''t mind showing some kindness and giving them a proper burial.


    "Of course."


    Qi Rou looked at Chen An in surprise, without hesitation, she nodded.


    Originally, she had planned to turn these bodies into medicinal pills once they had no more use. This was a common practice among cultivators of the demonic path.


    In other words, if you fell into the hands of cultivators of the demonic path, you couldn''t expect to leave with your body intact.


    If they hadn''t drained your last bit of usefulness, they wouldn''t let you go.


    Even if these alchemists were dead, what could they do? They still had vitality that could be extracted, right?


    Even if the vitality was drained, their bones could still be useful.


    The bones of a cultivator were valuable and could be used as materials for refining tools.


    Qi Rou had originally planned to tidy up these bodies, make some use of them, and use them to refine some trinkets.


    But now that Chen An had said so, she decided to do a good deed.


    After all, Chen An still held a significant position in her eyes.


    After swallowing the Tianyuan Pill, Qi Rou''s condition seemed to be much more stable. Her emotions had calmed down and she was no longer as agitated as before.


    At this point, she could finally study the alchemical formula in her hands.


    She was quite curious about this refined Tianyuan Pill formula by Chen An.


    After looking at the formula, she frowned.


    "To refine a Tianyuan Pill, you need twenty earth crystals?"


    She looked at Chen An with a puzzled expression, seeming to be confused, "Do you really need so many?"


    Twenty earth crystals were quite a significant amount, compared to all the other materials.


    Just to refine one Tianyuan Pill, would they need all of those?


    "You are mistaken, Miss."


    Facing Qi Rou''s doubt, Chen An remained calm and just smiled, "Earth crystals are a material that can assist in alchemy, and for me, they are essential in alchemy."


    "This pill can still be made without the earth crystals, but the success rate will decrease significantly."


    He calmly explained, his expression calm, as if he had nothing to hide.


    His words sounded sincere and reasonable.


    However, in reality, earth crystals were of no help in alchemy, only useful for Chen An himself.


    "Oh, I see."


    Qi Rou nodded, looking like she somewhat understood.


    In fact, it was true.


    She was a traditional demonic path cultivator and excelled in killing, but when it came to alchemy, that was her blind spot.


    And not just her.


    The alchemical formula refined by Chen An was flawless, even the alchemy experts in the alchemist tower couldn''t find any faults in it.


    Because by following this formula, one could indeed refine a Tianyuan Pill, although the probability was very low.


    But even if the probability was low, it was still possible.


    If one couldn''t refine it, it was just a problem with the alchemist''s skills, not with the formula.


    Since the formula was genuine, there was no issue.


    "Anyway, I must thank you, Sir, for perfecting the Tianyuan Pill formula for me. I don''t know how to repay you, so is there anything you want?"


    Qi Rou smiled, a warmer smile than before, "Whether it''s anything, as long as I can do it, I will get it for you."


    So there were rewards?


    Chen An was surprised.


    He thought that doing tasks for Qi Rou and the other demonic path cultivators was destined to be a thankless job, but it turned out there was a reward.


    It made him feel a bit embarrassed because he had already taken advantage of them before and now he was getting rewarded, which seemed a bit unfair.


    Nevertheless, he remained composed and after some thought, he said, "If possible, can you find me a few formation masters?"


    "Formation masters?"


    Qi Rou was puzzled, not following Chen An''s train of thought for a moment.


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded, "To be honest, I have a great interest in formations. I studied them carefully when I was in the Changyue Sect, but there were no excellent formation masters there, so I had to study on my own."


    "Here, Miss, you should have many such masters. Can I follow and learn from them?"


    He said with interest.


    "Of course."


    Upon hearing this request, Qi Rou immediately agreed, relieved.


    She had been worried that Chen An would want to leave this place.


    After all, they had promised earlier that once Chen An refined the Tianyuan Pill formula, they would let him leave.


    If Chen An had requested them to fulfill this promise now, it would have been difficult for Qi Rou to handle the situation.


    Fortunately, Chen An didn''t mention it and just made a simple request.


    This pragmatic attitude made Qi Rou secretly pleased.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248 - Doubt"If we''re talking about alchemists, no one here may be able to compare with you, young master."


    Sitting in front of Chen An, Qi Rou smiled and said softly, "But when it comes to formation masters, not to mention the Changyue Sect, I''m afraid there are few places in the entire Southern Domain that can compare to here."


    These words sounded a bit arrogant, but Chen An still nodded inwardly.


    Because it was the truth.


    Chen An had visited many forces within the Southern Domain in previous years and had observed many formation arrays.


    Whether it was the Changyue Sect or the Alchemy Tower, the formation arrays within their jurisdiction could not compare to this place.


    Especially in the use of teleportation formations, this place was quite advanced, surpassing other places by a large margin.


    If not for this, Chen An would not have had the idea to learn here. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, his understanding of the situation was also a reason.


    After all, even if he wanted to leave casually, Qi Rou in front of him would definitely not let him go.


    Let him go?


    Who will refine pills for me then!


    "Young master, do you really not want to leave this place?"


    After discussing the matter of inviting a formation master to teach Chen An, Qi Rou couldn''t help but be curious, "It''s been more than two years since you''ve been here, don''t you miss your fellow disciples in the Changyue Sect?"


    Qi Rou was quite clear about Chen An''s situation, knowing that he had grown up in the Changyue Sect since he was a child.


    And from the performance of the past two years, Chen An had a good relationship with the disciples of the Changyue Sect.


    But the strange thing was that Chen An never expressed a desire to leave in these two years.


    Even this time, he hadn''t mentioned leaving.


    This unusual attitude made Qi Rou curious and a tinge of curiosity rose in her heart.


    Chen An hesitated for a moment, then looked at Qi Rou in front of him with some confusion, as if he was surprised that she would bring up this question.


    But in the end, he smiled and said, "Do you mean if I say I want to leave, Miss Qi won''t let me go?"


    "Why wouldn''t I?"


    Qi Rou also smiled and asked back.


    "What do you think, Miss Qi?"


    Chen An spoke, his expression still calm.


    Silence fell around.


    Neither Qi Rou nor Chen An said anything else, and the atmosphere seemed a bit stagnant.


    It wasn''t until a moment later that Chen An got up and bowed to Qi Rou in front of him, "It''s getting late, so I''ll leave first."


    "If you need me later, you can have someone call for me."


    "Okay."


    Qi Rou nodded.


    Chen An walked away.


    After he left, the servants entered and began cleaning the room and clearing the debris.


    Qi Rou didn''t care about these trivial matters, she just stared fixedly at Chen An''s figure as he walked away, a smile suddenly appearing on her face, her thoughts unknown.


    Time passed slowly.


    After the Heavenly Pill, more and more materials were delivered in the following days.


    After proving his alchemy skills, Qi Rou became more generous with the supply of materials.


    The materials for refining the Heavenly Pill were quite precious, and in the past, the supply of these materials was limited, usually only provided at long intervals.


    But this time, Qi Rou had ten sets of materials sent over at once.


    The meaning was obvious, she wanted Chen An to hurry up and refine the pills.


    Refine, refine to the extreme!


    Give me as many as you can refine!


    After taking a Heavenly Pill, Qi Rou seemed to be not satisfied and still yearning for the elixir.


    Chen An estimated that this was due to the insufficient potency of the pill.


    The effect of the Heavenly Pill was to slowly transform the body of the user, gradually turning it into a celestial body, returning to the original state.


    But obviously, to achieve this effect, one Heavenly Pill was not enough, more were needed.


    Qi Rou''s problem was quite serious, and one Heavenly Pill was probably not enough.


    According to Chen An''s previous estimate, to completely solve Qi Rou''s problem, at least five Heavenly Pills would be needed.


    And now there was only one.


    Take it slow, take it slow.


    Chen An continued to be busy.


    In just over half a month, the ten sets of materials sent by Qi Rou were consumed.


    Chen An''s alchemy skills were not bad, except for one mishap, he succeeded almost every time with the ten sets of materials.


    On average, each set of materials produced about two pills.


    But Chen An naturally wouldn''t be foolish enough to take out everything.


    After all, on the surface, there were only two successful attempts with the ten sets of materials, and each time only one pill was produced.


    The success rate directly went from ten out of nine to one out of five, and the number of pills produced was halved.


    But even so, no one said anything.


    There was no way, these were top-grade pills.


    Pills like the Golden Lotus Pill and the Heavenly Pill were very difficult to refine in the first place.


    If it were another alchemist, even a so-called Grandmaster of Alchemy, succeeding once in ten attempts would be considered a good probability.


    And Chen An''s success rate was one out of five, double that of those Grandmasters.


    So what else is there to say?


    Therefore, Qi Rou and Lin Qiu were all very satisfied with Chen An''s performance during this time, and they praised him endlessly, each one praising him to the skies.


    For a moment, Chen An felt a little embarrassed.


    In their eyes, he was already comparable to a Grandmaster of Alchemy.


    This was only the part of Chen An that he showed.


    If they knew the actual success rate of Chen An''s alchemy, wouldn''t they go crazy?


    Of course, it was more likely that they would want to get rid of Chen An.


    After all, Chen An had taken quite a big share this time.


    Other than taking a small share, he had taken most of it.


    In appearance, Qi Rou and the others had only received three Heavenly Pills from Chen An.


    But Chen An''s inventory in the White Tower had nearly twenty Heavenly Pills.


    That was the benefit of taking a share.


    Of course, compared to these pills, Chen An''s greater gain was the Source Force.


    The Source Force that he had previously consumed to deduce the Heavenly Pill formula had been completely replenished.


    As mentioned earlier, there was an issue with the Heavenly Pill formula that Chen An provided to Qi Rou and the others, with twenty extra pieces of Earth Crystal on the formula.


    An additional twenty Earth Crystals per set of materials, which totaled two hundred for the ten sets.


    That was four thousand Source Force, just enough to completely make up for the losses Chen An had incurred during alchemy earlier.


    It seemed pretty good, didn''t it?


    Chen An was quite happy about it.


    As for Qi Rou and Lin Qiu, they seemed equally happy.


    They were very satisfied with Chen An''s performance during this time, so the conditions Chen An had requested from them were quickly met.


    In a short period of time, several formation masters were summoned and became Chen An''s teachers in the way of formations.


    These formation masters were very skilled, and in Chen An''s eyes, they were probably not far from the level of a formation Grandmaster.


    So in the following days, Chen An''s life returned to peace.


    His daily life was quiet, either refining pills when he had tasks to do or studying formations with the formation masters.


    Although life was simple, it was still comfortable.


    "Is he really learning formations?"


    In the quiet room, Qi Rou looked at Lin Qiu in front of her, her face full of surprise.


    "Indeed."


    Lin Qiu nodded, seeming to understand what Qi Rou was thinking, and a bitter smile appeared on his face, "To be honest, I also thought he was hiding something, but after careful observation, it seems that he really is like that."


    "During this recent period, Chen An has not shown any difference. He is just learning with the formation masters after refining pills."


    When he said this, Lin Qiu also looked surprised.


    Qi Rou and Lin Qiu were both serious practitioners of the Magic Sect.


    As practitioners of the Magic Sect, what they were most used to doing was to speculate about others with the worst intentions.


    They had done the same with Chen An before.


    But then they found that their usual way of understanding didn''t seem to work with Chen An.


    Lin Qiu had never relaxed his vigilance towards Chen An during the two years he had been around, monitoring him whenever he had the chance.


    But no matter how much he monitored, Chen An always seemed to be there, looking like a truly honest person.


    He was really that honest.


    Because whenever Lin Qiu monitored him, he saw almost the same scene.


    Chen An was either refining pills or researching pill formulas, living a truly simple life.


    In theory, this should not be the case.


    If an ordinary person was taken captive by them, even if they had to cooperate with them, they would still try to do something, secretly do something, it would be quite normal.


    But Chen An was not like that.


    He had truly cooperated with them for these two years, doing whatever they asked him to do.


    Such a cooperative appearance that anyone would find hard to fault.


    Even the formula for the Heavenly Pill, Chen An had only taken two years to perfect it himself, a very fast speed.


    His performance could be said to be perfect.


    But here came the problem.


    A person with such outstanding talent and extraordinary abilities, would he really be willing to stay here all the time, knowing that Qi Rou and the others wouldn''t let him leave easily, without any other thoughts?


    Qi Rou found it hard to believe.


    "Maybe, this Chen An is really a person who is content with a simple life."


    Lin Qiu pondered for a moment, and in the end, could only come to this conclusion, "Such people exist, but they are not very common."


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249 - Chat"Maybe."


    Qi Zhi nodded in remembrance of Chen An''s appearance.


    After all, Chen An really had this kind of demeanor.


    To outsiders, Chen An seemed to be indifferent about everything.


    He didn''t care about his treatment, nor did he care about spiritual stones and elixirs, or even cultivation.


    Other than a bit of cleanliness and a love for good food, this young master Chen seemed to be indifferent to everything, showing an unusual indifference.


    It was probably because of this personality that he didn''t do much.


    Qi Rou could only think so.


    "Miss, how is your body?"


    Beside her, Lin Qiu suddenly asked, "The effect of the Tianyuan Pill should be enough to make up for your deficiencies, right?"


    "It''s more than enough." S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    A smile appeared on Qi Rou''s face, then she continued, "The Tianyuan Pill lives up to its reputation, even for my spiritual body, it has a great effect, able to make up for my congenital deficiencies."


    "But even until now, it''s still a bit lacking."


    "To completely complete the body with the Tianyuan Pill, to transform the physique into a Tianyuan body, at least five pills are needed."


    Lin Qiu spoke, "Miss, you have only used three pills, so naturally there is still a lack."


    "However, even at this level, it''s already quite remarkable."


    Speaking of this, he smiled, "Miss, you are a naturally spiritual body, as long as you make up for your innate deficiencies, the Golden Core is just a simple matter for you."


    "In the future cultivation of the Demonic Scripture, among the several holy sons and holy daughters, Miss will definitely be the first."


    "It should be so."


    Qi Rou also smiled, filled with confidence between her eyebrows, looking a bit radiant.


    "In two years, the new generation of sacrifices will begin, and the Demonic Scripture will inevitably fall into my hands."


    She looked at Lin Qiu in front of her, a faint smile on her face, a strange sense of confidence.


    "It should be so."


    Lin Qiu also nodded in agreement with Qi Rou''s words.


    Meanwhile, Chen An was still studying hard.


    He was not aware of the discussions of Qi Rou and the others, or maybe even if he knew, he wouldn''t care.


    At this moment, he was fully immersed in the formation.


    "So that''s how it is."


    Understanding another key point, Chen An felt a wave of enlightenment in his heart.


    Indeed, having a teacher and not having a teacher were completely different concepts.


    In the recent days, with the guidance of several formation teachers, Chen An''s proficiency in the formation had greatly improved.


    Now, Chen An had already mastered the basics of the formation, and could even be considered an elite.


    Of course, he still didn''t have many formations mastered, and he was still far from being able to set up the legendary teleportation formation.


    According to the formation teachers in front of him, among the many formations, the formations used for teleportation were definitely among the most difficult, and it was extremely difficult for ordinary people to learn.


    And even if they learned it, they needed to meet many conditions to achieve teleportation.


    As for cross-border formations?


    Let''s not say much, it''s even more difficult, extremely difficult.


    For an ordinary person to master a teleportation formation, they had to be a master in the field of formations.


    As for cross-border teleportation, it was even more difficult.


    If you wanted to set it up, relying on one person alone was probably not enough. It required several master formation experts to work together, along with a huge amount of manpower and resources, before it could be accomplished.


    In other words, it was extremely difficult.


    Chen An knew that it would be very difficult to achieve his goal of returning to the Great Liang World through teleportation.


    However, he didn''t care much about the difficulties.


    Difficulties were not a problem.


    What he feared was not being able to do it.


    As long as there was a way to do it, it was worth trying for Chen An.


    After all, he was capable, and as long as it was theoretically possible, it was achievable for him.


    It was just a matter of time.


    And time wasn''t a big deal for Chen An, who could travel between worlds.


    With this in mind, Chen An began to study diligently.


    But every time he studied hard, there was always someone who wanted to come and disturb him.


    "Please come in."


    In the quiet room, Chen An was still writing diligently, recording every detail of the formation, when a knocking sound came from outside.


    After a moment, the door opened, and a girl walked in.


    "Sir, Miss wants to see you the day after tomorrow."


    This was Qi Rou''s maid, who seemed to be bringing a message from Qi Rou.


    "The day after tomorrow?"


    Chen An raised his head, somewhat surprised, but without much hesitation, he said, "Please tell Miss Qi that I will be there on time for the appointment."


    "Yes."


    The maid bowed and left.


    Chen An stood in place, but couldn''t help but ponder.


    Why did Qi Rou want to see him?


    Elixir? It didn''t seem right.


    He had just handed her a Tianyuan Pill a few days ago, and the medicinal power should still be digesting, so it shouldn''t have been finished so quickly.


    But if it wasn''t about the elixir, what could it be?


    Chen An was curious.


    With this curiosity, Chen An arrived on time for the appointment.


    However, this time, they didn''t meet in Qi Rou''s room, but on a spacious plain.


    It seemed like a grassland everywhere, occasionally with some flowers blooming, making the wilderness look especially beautiful.


    Qi Rou''s figure was among them.


    But her appearance was different from before.


    Usually, Qi Rou always wore her black robe, dressed very simply, looking almost no different from a man, showing a heroic aura.


    But this time, she was wearing a long dress, her long hair carefully groomed and adorned with a hairpin.


    The faint sunlight shining down on her made her complexion look much rosier.


    At this moment, Qi Rou, with a bit less of her past heroic demeanor, but more of a gentle and delicate aura of a young girl.


    "You''re here."


    Qi Rou waved from a distance, smiling at Chen An, indicating he come over quickly.


    Chen An walked over, somewhat surprised, looking around at the scenery, seeming a bit puzzled.


    "Didn''t expect this, huh."


    Qi Rou''s face was full of smiles, "There''s such a place nearby."


    "That''s indeed unexpected."


    Chen An nodded, saying, "I thought everywhere here was gloomy."


    "Most places are indeed like that, but there are also normal ones."


    Qi Rou looked at the expansive grassland in front of her, saying, "Even cultivators like spacious and comfortable places."


    "In those dark places, it''s fine to stay during cultivation, but after a long time, it''s also boring."


    "Indeed."


    Chen An looked at the grassland in front of him and then recalled the gloomy area he had seen before, agreeing with her.


    "Don''t be so nervous."


    Qi Rou looked at Chen An and couldn''t help but speak, "I''m not here this time to rush you to refine elixirs."


    "I know."


    Chen An nodded, then added, "After handing you the last batch of elixirs, you still haven''t given me the materials needed for the next batch of refining."


    "About that."


    Bringing up this matter, Qi Rou seemed a bit embarrassed, "It will be fine after some time."


    Other materials for alchemy were fine, mainly the Earth Crystal, the demand was a bit too large, and it was too difficult to collect.


    It was not difficult before because with the influence of Qi Rou and others, collecting a batch was not difficult.


    But as time passed, the Earth Crystals in the vicinity became scarcer, and their acquisition speed also became slower.


    Chen An had already prepared mentally for this, so he didn''t urge them.


    After all, he had already made a lot of profit, so there was no need to hurry.


    However, what surprised him more was Qi Rou''s attitude.


    This witch princess had called him over, and it turned out she really wasn''t here to rush the project''s progress, but just to have a chat?


    Did the client finally learn how to act like a human?


    Chen An never expected that.


    In the vast grassland, intermittent sounds continued to echo.


    However, most of the time, it was Qi Rou asking questions and Chen An answering.


    In the short term, it was quite harmonious.


    "I heard that you entered the Changyue Sect at the age of nine. What were you doing before the age of nine?"


    Qi Rou asked curiously.


    "Farming and begging."


    Chen An spoke softly.


    Qi Rou was stunned.


    Chen An didn''t have any intention of hiding his past experiences, and he straightforwardly talked about them.


    Accurately speaking, this was not his experience, but what he did before awakening his memories.


    From farming as a child, to later losing his family, begging on the streets, being taken in by Changchun Hall, becoming a disciple of the hall master, then being taken back to Changyue Sect by Song Qi - Chen An had not hidden anything, and he said it straight.


    Listening to this story, Qi Rou found it very interesting and occasionally made some comments.


    "That Hall Master Changchun is not a good person. If you weren''t so talented, you would probably have ended up as a meat pill."


    "Your Senior Sister Song was lucky to have met you. I''m afraid she only got the position of true disciple under your wings."


    "None of these people are truly good-hearted; they treat you well just to use you."


    "There are no truly good-hearted people in this world."


    Chen An smiled, "Judging from actions rather than intentions, it doesn''t matter what they think or what their goals are."


    "I just need to remember that they helped me in the past, and that''s enough."


    "Delving too much into it is of no practical significance."


    "Really?"


    Qi Rou was a bit surprised.


    She had never heard anyone say such things before, whether it was Lin Qiu or others, they often talked about the deceitful nature of people.


    They had never met someone like Chen An in such a state.


    At some point, Chen An suddenly noticed that Qi Rou next to him had stopped talking.


    Turning around to look, he saw Qi Rou lying quietly on the grass, seemingly asleep.


    And she seemed to really be asleep.


    Chen An''s spiritual perception and aura sensing were normal, and he could only sense a silence.


    "Is it the effect of the Tianyuan Pill?"


    Chen An quickly found an explanation.


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250 - The Kind PersonQirou¡¯s cultivation was not weak.


    Despite her young age, she seemed to be in her early twenties, but her cultivation level was already at the Spirit Transformation level.


    And she was considered strong even among those at the Spirit Transformation level.


    Chen An was not sure about the specific level, but he was sure she was not weak.


    A person like her wouldn''t fall asleep without reason.


    After all, Chen An himself hadn''t slept in a long time.


    If she wasn''t sleeping on her own, then it was probably the influence of the Tianyuan Pill.


    Of course, it was also possible that she was pretending to be asleep.


    Both were possible.


    But Chen An didn''t care.


    Whether she was pretending to sleep or actually sleeping, it was all the same to him.


    He didn''t do anything extra, just sat quietly, looking at the scenery in front of him.


    Time slowly passed.


    The sunlight gradually receded, dusk descended.


    And Qirou still showed no signs of waking up.


    Chen An was thinking whether he should wake her up himself when Qirou suddenly moved.


    Under Chen An''s gaze, Qirou''s eyes flickered, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, showing signs of movement.


    Then, she slowly opened her eyes, gazing at Chen An, looking as though she hadn''t fully woken up yet.


    "Is it already this late?" she asked softly, looking at Chen An.


    "Yeah," Chen An nodded. "It''s almost evening." S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "The medicinal power in your body hasn''t been fully absorbed yet, you should make sure to do so soon," he reminded her. "The Tianyuan Pill''s medicinal power is very intense. If possible, you should try to absorb it all to avoid any negative effects on yourself."


    Chen An didn''t want anything bad to happen to Qirou.


    It was a natural thing.


    If Qirou didn''t get into trouble, Chen An could continue to stay in this place comfortably, whether it was taking advantage of the situation or anything else.


    But if something happened to her, and someone else took her place, things might not be as easy.


    There might be more trouble in the future.


    And Chen An naturally didn''t like that.


    "Okay," Qirou listened to Chen An''s words and suddenly smiled. "I''ll listen to you."


    "Good," Chen An nodded and then stood up silently. "It''s getting late, I have a class to attend, so I''ll leave now."


    "Wait," Qirou''s voice came from behind.


    Chen An turned back, puzzled.


    Behind him, Qirou was lying on the grass with her long, finely groomed hair now in a bit of a mess, her delicate face looking slightly flushed, perhaps due to being exposed to the sun for too long.


    Compared to before, Qirou at this moment looked more like a normal girl.


    She lay there, looking at Chen An, but didn''t speak for a while, just staring at his confused face, and then smiled, "It''s okay, I''m fine."


    "Take care on your way," she said.


    "Okay," Chen An nodded, gestured to Qirou, and then turned around, silently leaving.


    Qirou didn''t say anything behind him, just silently watching Chen An''s retreating figure until he disappeared from her sight.


    The faint sunlight shone down from the sky, casting a lazy feeling over everyone.


    Qirou sat on the ground, lost in thought, her eyes showing a hint of confusion.


    "How do you feel?" a voice suddenly sounded not far away, with the usual hoarseness.


    Lin Qiu''s figure appeared not far away, standing beside Qirou without her noticing, "I feel very comfortable," Qirou smiled and said, "This Mr. Chen is really different from others."


    "Just now, when I used the magic book to detect, I really didn''t feel any malice from him, not even a thought of harming others."


    "Such a person is truly rare."


    "Is that so?" Lin Qiu was also a bit surprised.


    The magic book practiced by Qirou could discern people''s hearts and sense the good and evil in them.


    This was a very outstanding ability, and had been very useful in the past.


    The only downside was that in order to specifically sense the good and evil in others, it required a certain amount of time and close contact.


    Qirou''s nap just now was actually to immerse herself in this state in order to sense Chen An''s thoughts.


    But the result of the sensing was so unexpected.


    Lin Qiu asked himself, if he were Chen An, how could he not have any hostile thoughts looking at Qirou who seemed completely defenseless?


    Not to mention any lecherous thoughts, just in terms of the current situation, could it be that he had no thoughts of taking Qirou as a hostage to leave?


    "In this world, there are great evil people, and naturally there are also great kind people."


    He pondered for a moment, then spoke.


    "Why is it that there are great evil people everywhere in the world, while great kind people like Mr. Chen are so few?" Qirou asked.


    "The great evil people can do evil, but the great kind people, may not necessarily have a good result."


    Lin Qiu said, "Heaven''s laws are unchanging, kind people are always difficult to be, even a naturally kind person may end up dead or no longer pure under the current circumstances."


    "Like Mr. Chen, who has such talents and a pure personality, is rare in the world."


    He explained.


    In simple terms, evil people can do evil, and this can be sustainable, but kind people may not always have a good outcome.


    Most of the time, doing good deeds does not necessarily lead to good results, and may even lead to bad things.


    As time goes on, kind people are either killed or no longer kind, so they gradually become rare.


    But the rarer they are, the more precious they become.


    "Is that so," Qirou thoughtfully listened to Lin Qiu''s words.


    "Miss, it seems like you really like this Mr. Chen?" Lin Qiu suddenly asked.


    "A little bit," if it were an ordinary woman, even if she had feelings, she would feel embarrassed about this topic. But Qirou nodded directly without any concealment, "Compared to others, being with this Mr. Chen, at least feels quite safe."


    Practicing the magic book was both lucky and unlucky.


    Practicing this inheritance allowed Qirou to have a brilliant future.


    But because of practicing this inheritance from a young age, Qirou had experienced many ugly things.


    If the time was short, it was okay, but as time passed, she would sense any malice in anyone''s heart. The longer the time, the clearer and more obvious it became.


    Everyone has some evil thoughts in their hearts, even a universally recognized good person would have fleeting evil thoughts.


    These things were of no concern to most people, but for someone like Qirou, it was a very real issue.


    Being in the place she was at, in the devil''s gate, she could easily imagine what kind of people were around her.


    She had grown up in a world of malice, and she was almost used to it.


    For Qirou, Chen An was like a different world.


    At least before Chen An, she had never thought there could be such a person in the world.


    "If Miss has a plan, then go ahead."


    Seeing Qirou''s reaction, Lin Qiu smiled and said, "The practice of the magic book emphasizes the need for a clear mind."


    "If Miss is willing, then go ahead and do it."


    If it were a righteous person, there might be some hesitation and concerns.


    But the devil''s cultivator didn''t consider that.


    Devil''s cultivators valued having an open mind and doing as they pleased.


    As a result, devil''s cultivators were proficient in taking various shortcuts, but they were also prone to falling into madness for various reasons.


    In this case, if there were any blockages in the mind, it was possible that they could fall into madness at any time.


    This was the main reason why devil''s cultivators valued having an open mind.


    In comparison, the cultivators of the Dao didn''t have as many issues.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Chen An was still busy.


    After leaving Qirou, he returned to his lodging and continued to work on drawing diagrams, preparing to continue studying array formations.


    He didn''t know that Qirou and Lin Qiu had already regarded him as a great kind person.


    If he knew, he would probably be very confused.


    Of course, in a way, it wasn''t entirely wrong.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, compared to the overall cultivation level of the cultivators in this world, Chen An''s moral standards were relatively high.


    Compared to these cultivators, Chen An''s reputation as a great kind person was quite legitimate.


    It was certainly a unique comparison.


    In the quiet room, Chen An was still busy writing, studying hard.


    Calculating the time, it was already considered night, and it was almost time to go to sleep.


    But as mentioned before, Chen An didn''t sleep much these days.


    This was the benefit of advancing to the Spirit Transformation level, as his cultivation deepened, his need for sleep gradually decreased. At this point, he could go several days without sleep without any issues.


    This was just the Spirit Transformation level; if he reached the Golden Core level, he wouldn''t have any problems with not eating or sleeping.


    Not needing to eat or sleep, coupled with a strong body and vigorous spirit of a cultivator.


    Chen An could endure even more than a 9 to 5 job.


    The capitalist of the previous life would probably cry and beg him to come work for them if they knew.


    Unfortunately, despite having such abilities, Chen An could only push himself.


    After all, learning this kind of thing had always been a hands-on process, and no one could replace him.


    "The teleportation array should be ready soon."


    Chen An recorded the diagram in front of him, and then the thought flashed through his mind.


    His learning progress was still very fast.


    With enough source power support, he could open the modeling process at any time, which accelerated his learning progress, even scaring people with how fast he progressed.


    Chen An had already learned what he wanted to learn now.


    The teleportation array diagram.


    The teleportation array was a big category in the array formations, with many branches included.


    The one Chen An was currently learning was the basic one, called the Small Teleportation Array.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251 - Small Teleportation ArrayThe small teleportation array is considered the foundation of the array path, and its function is naturally teleportation, which can teleport people to a farther place.


    Of course, the prerequisite is that you must draw the array in a specific place, otherwise you won''t be able to teleport.


    As for how long the array you draw can last, it also depends on the materials you use.


    It is said that top-notch materials can last for several decades, whereas ordinary things may be rendered useless after one use.


    Although it is considered basic, the difficulty is not small at all.


    Chen An quickly learned it through deduction, and he is still working hard to learn.


    However, the progress is also quite slow.


    Chen An estimated that at this rate, to completely master this small teleportation array, it would take at least several years of effort.


    It seems too long.


    So he decided to cheat.


    After glancing at the array, he directly opened the inheritance panel and began to add points.


    A large amount of information rushed into his mind and began to reorganize.


    The array, which had seemed like a cryptic book before, was instantly understood thoroughly and no longer seemed as obscure and chaotic as before.


    The cost was not small either, upgrading this array to a perfect level cost a total of two thousand source power.


    Another big expenditure.


    Chen An felt a bit pained.


    This small teleportation array was the place where he spent the most money in learning arrays.


    If we include the source power he spent on opening deductions before, just to completely master this array, he had already spent a total of three thousand source power.


    But the rewards were also plentiful.


    With a perfect small teleportation array as the foundation, it would be much easier for him to understand other teleportation arrays in the future.


    One method includes all methods, this is the principle.


    "Let''s give it a try."


    Feeling the various information in his mind, Chen An thought to himself.


    So he waved his hand.


    A drop of divine power emerged from his purple mansion, gathered in front of him, and finally formed a prominent array.


    If the several array masters who had taught Chen An arrays before saw this scene, they would probably be shocked out of their wits.


    Condensing an array out of thin air is not something an ordinary array master can do.


    Especially for a high-difficulty array like the small teleportation array, it would be even more difficult.


    The previous array masters could definitely not do it.


    Chen An was able to do it because he had reached the perfect level of this array.


    Condensing an array with divine power, although useful, would not last too long because it lacked specific material reinforcement.


    If there was no external interference, it would probably collapse and disappear after a dozen breaths.


    But during this time, another array was also completed.


    The completion of two arrays created a connection invisibly.


    Then Chen An started moving.


    With a light sound, divine power enveloped Chen An''s body, and then his body disappeared and reappeared on the other side.


    It seemed like a success.


    But Chen An frowned.


    "This distance is so short?"


    He observed the distance and discovered an awkward fact.


    Although the array he had engraved could carry out teleportation, the distance of this teleportation was very awkward.


    The maximum teleportation distance was only about ten meters!


    Ten meters?


    This distance may sound significant, but in reality, it''s actually quite pitifully short.


    For an ordinary person, ten meters would require a few more steps to walk.


    But cultivators are not ordinary people.


    For them, ten meters is just a blink of an eye.


    Considering that this teleportation also required setting up an array and other actions, it would consume a considerable amount of time.


    Overall, it didn''t seem very useful.


    At least it was impossible to use it in a combat situation.


    Of course, this ten-meter distance was not the limit, it was just a starting point.


    The array that Chen An had just created with divine power alone still had some issues.


    Arrays condensed with divine power are too fragile in structure, and would collapse under slightly higher pressure.


    But as long as it can be reinforced with materials to make the structure more solid so it can withstand more force, then it should be able to teleport longer distances.


    Thinking about it, Chen An immediately took action and began to experiment.


    After some testing and reinforcement with various materials, the completed small teleportation array was indeed much more stable.


    The teleportation distance suddenly increased from about ten meters to one hundred meters.


    However, this distance was probably close to a limit.


    Even if better materials were used, it probably wouldn''t increase by much.


    One hundred meters may still not be very useful, but at least it was a lot more practical.


    Barely useful.


    Chen An consoled himself in this way.


    After all, this was just the beginning.


    Now that he had learned the small teleportation array, the big teleportation array was still far away.


    As long as he continued to develop slowly, he believed that the day when he could return to the Great Liang World was not far away.


    Chen An believed in this.


    In the days that followed, Chen An continued to study diligently.


    The array masters gathered by Qi Rou all had a similar reaction to Chen An''s progress.


    They felt that Chen An was probably a natural prodigy.


    Otherwise, they couldn''t explain his learning speed.


    Who in the world could look at an array and learn it immediately?


    Especially the small teleportation array.


    This array was considered difficult among all arrays, yet Chen An learned it so quickly.


    Was there any justice in the world?


    As they watched Chen An make progress step by step, the array masters were at a loss for words. They didn''t know what to say at this point.


    In the past, they had never encountered such a prodigy.


    Today, they had finally encountered one, and their feelings were quite complicated.


    It was normal.


    Anyone who had spent most of their lives learning something and then saw someone learn it in a few days would likely have the same reaction.


    But Chen An didn''t pay too much attention to their opinions, he continued to study on his own.


    There was no other choice.


    His time was limited, he had to make the most of it.


    The current learning opportunity was something he had fought hard for from Qi Rou.


    Who knows when Qi Rou''s intentions might change again, and he might not have this environment anymore.


    So he had to study.


    As long as he didn''t die while studying, he would study to the bone!


    With his learning enthusiasm, he was probably making the students who had taken the college entrance examination in his previous life ashamed, and the students from Huanggang would probably feel inferior.


    Yes, no matter how hard they study, they still have to eat and sleep.


    But Chen An?


    For the sake of learning, he even omitted sleep, and only ate when necessary.


    He gave up all unnecessary things and focused solely on studying.


    But it had to be said that this kind of learning enthusiasm was still useful.


    Although most of the results were achieved through upgrading the template, Chen An''s efforts were not in vain.


    It was still somewhat useful.


    Chen An firmly believed in this.


    However, in the process of growth, he would inevitably encounter many difficulties and stumbling blocks.


    For the students of his past life, these stumbling blocks might be games or invitations from friends.


    But for Chen An at this moment, the stumbling block was Qi Rou.


    Yes, it was Qi Rou.


    After meeting that day, in the following days, for some reason, Qi Rou would call Chen An out every once in a while.


    Sometimes it was for serious discussions about alchemy and cultivation, and sometimes it was just for casual chat or to go out and play.


    Chen An handled each of these situations.


    At first, he didn''t pay much attention, thinking that the other party was just bored and looking for someone to talk to.


    But as time passed, he gradually realized something was off.


    The frequency with which Qi Rou came to find him was increasing, and Chen An''s sighs grew heavier.


    In the early morning, the sun was bright.


    The garden was filled with blooming flowers everywhere.


    The fragrance wafted through the air, creating a beautiful atmosphere.


    Many of the flowers in this garden were spiritual flowers and herbs from the outside world, each with its unique spirit and divine nature, making them quite special, with a stronger divinity compared to ordinary flowers and herbs.


    In this garden, Chen An and Qi Rou walked around, casually exploring.


    "I didn''t expect there to be such a place here."


    Chen An looked around at the flowers and the surrounding layout, feeling somewhat surprised.


    "Didn''t expect it, did you?"


    Qi Rou smiled and said, "Do you think we only know how to fight and kill?"


    "Yes."


    Chen An admitted candidly, "When I was in Changyue Sect, the elders always said that."


    Whether it was Changyue Sect or the previous Haoshan Sect, both were serious orthodox sects.


    The descriptions of rogue cultivators in these places were naturally not very good, focusing mainly on their prominent traits.


    In those descriptions, rogue cultivators were often portrayed as ruthless killers, who enjoyed using people to refine pills, cultivating innocent mortals for their own purposes, and were almost unscrupulous. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But in reality, rogue cultivators were not as extreme as portrayed.


    They may indeed be ruthless and bloodthirsty, but they also had a human side.


    At least they had the same aesthetic sense as ordinary people.


    "This garden was specially built by my father for me when I was a child, as a gift to me."


    Qi Rou looked around, seemingly recollecting, her gaze gradually softening, "But later, he died, and I rarely came here."


    "My condolences."


    Chen An didn''t know what to say.


    "Condolences for what."


    Qi Rou suddenly laughed, "That was so many years ago, I don''t feel anything anymore."


    "And that man, although he claimed to be my father, he wasn''t good to me at all."


    "He''s dead, and it¡¯s a good thing for me."


    She said indifferently, recounting the past story.


    Qi Rou''s father was a typical rogue cultivator.


    For him, his daughter Qi Rou was just a tool, nothing to care about.


    Chen An nodded, gaining a further understanding of the relationships between rogue cultivators.


    Normally, due to the long period of solitary cultivation, cultivators had a distant relationship with others, lacking the human touch that mortals had.


    But between parents and children, there was still affection normally.


    However, in the case of rogue cultivators, they even lacked this, and father and son could even be enemies.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252 - IntimacyThe relationship between Qi Rou and her biological father in front of her was just ordinary.


    According to Qi Rou, when her biological father was still alive, she had several older brothers in front of her.


    However, all of those older brothers ended up dying at the hands of her father, becoming objects of blood sacrifice.


    Evil cultivators love blood sacrifices, and many people practice cultivation through this method.


    And blood sacrifices from direct descendants are even more beneficial due to the similarity in origin.


    Most of Qi Rou''s older brothers in front of her died this way.


    If it weren''t for the fact that Qi Rou''s father died later due to demonic possession, she probably couldn''t escape this fate, and would eventually follow in the footsteps of her older brothers.


    "Don''t be fooled by the fact that this place was given to me. In fact, before me, many people had been transferred here," Qi Rou looked at the garden in front of her and sneered, "I''m just the last owner here."


    "Under those spiritual plants, there are many cultivators¡¯ bones, and some of them are my former brothers and sisters," she continued.


    Chen An couldn''t help but fall silent.


    At this moment, he just wanted to say, "the cultivation world is really chaotic."


    Living in a world where people kill each other, it''s not something a normal person can handle.


    In this situation, Qi Rou was able to grow into what she is now, which was quite remarkable.


    Although superficially, Qi Rou seemed a bit abnormal.


    As they walked along the path, Qi Rou looked around and then turned back.


    "Speaking of which, I''ve been coming here to find you often recently, pulling you out of those people. Are you not happy?" she suddenly asked with a smile.


    "No," Chen An subconsciously shook his head, but then felt a pain in his palm.


    Looking down, he saw his hand being held by another hand, squeezing hard.


    "No lying," Qi Rou glared at him. "You obviously are."


    "Okay, I am," Chen An could only nod helplessly.


    And then, he was pinched again.


    This time, the force was even greater.


    Chen An couldn''t help but twitch his mouth.


    You can''t say polite words, and you don''t like it when I tell the truth.


    What do you want from me?


    "I have some good news for you," Qi Rou looked at Chen An, and seeing his helpless look, she couldn''t help but give him a playful look, "I''m leaving soon, and after that, I won''t bother you anymore."


    "How about that, are you happy?"


    "Why should I be happy?" Chen An asked.


    "After I leave, no one will dig you out of that pile of drawings anymore. Isn''t that a good thing?" Qi Rou said with a smile.


    "Well, it''s okay," Chen An smiled, "To be honest, I don''t mind your company. It''s quite boring being alone in this place. Having someone come keep you company and take you around is not bad at all."


    Chen An always maintained a normal attitude.


    He had been studying arrays diligently before, but no matter what, burying his head in a pile of arrays every day was quite boring.


    Chen An''s will was strong enough to endure this long-term boredom, but after a long time, problems would naturally arise.


    In this situation, Qi Rou''s presence was also a peculiar pleasure.


    So, despite not liking being disturbed, Chen An didn''t actually mind Qi Rou''s company.


    Qi Rou knew this as well.


    The demonic scriptures could sense emotions, so she could naturally feel Chen An''s mood.


    If Chen An truly objected, she wouldn''t have come to disturb him repeatedly and forced him to spend time with her.


    Glancing at Chen An, a smile suddenly appeared on Qi Rou''s face.


    She felt comfortable hearing his words.


    She paid special attention to some of the words he said.


    If he doesn''t dislike being with me, does that mean he likes me?


    A cold feeling spread from her hand through her body.


    Chen An lowered his head in confusion.


    Unconsciously, a slender hand had already grabbed his hand and was tightly grasping it.


    A fresh scent, typical of a young girl, came from beside him.


    Chen An looked up and found himself looking directly at Qi Rou.


    Their faces were close together, their eyes meeting each other''s.


    And then, they drew closer until they were almost touching.


    After a moment, a gentle voice filled the air and continued to echo.


    It was unclear how much time had passed.


    Chen An sat among the flowers, looking at Qi Rou in his arms, who was now lying lazily and seemingly asleep. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Compared to the last time, this time she seemed to be genuinely asleep; her breathing was steady.


    "Are evil cultivators always this direct?" Chen An couldn''t help but think in his mind.


    There had been similar scenes before.


    That was the time when the Empress Luo Shan controlled Li Baiqing''s body.


    The Empress Luo Shan was undoubtedly an evil cultivator.


    Qi Rou in front of him was the same.


    And their actions were similar.


    Looking at it now, it seemed that these women from the evil path might have more passionate and unrestrained temperaments compared to normal women.


    However, Chen An had some understanding of Qi Rou''s intentions.


    He just didn''t expect Qi Rou''s actions to be so bold.


    Gently reaching out, he stroked Qi Rou''s long hair and suddenly thought of a problem.


    If before he had a chance to escape, that chance had now become even slimmer.


    After all, things had progressed to this point, and Qi Rou would probably be more vigilant towards him in the future.


    From this perspective, things seemed to have become more complicated.


    But on the bright side, it might make it easier for Chen An to do certain things in the future.


    Such as continuing to study, gather materials like Earth Crystals, and so on.


    Various thoughts flashed through his mind, and there was suddenly some movement in front of him.


    Looking up, Qi Rou had already woken up and was now partially open one eye, sneakily peeking at Chen An.


    "What are you looking at?" Chen An asked.


    "I''m looking at my husband," Qi Rou said softly.


    However, compared to the confident tone she had before, her voice this time sounded lighter and quieter.


    It seemed that even the rough and hot-tempered princess of the demonic sect would feel shy in a situation like this.


    Chen An couldn''t help but smile.


    After that, Qi Rou began to visit Chen An more frequently.


    Chen An was a bit puzzled by this.


    He vaguely remembered that Qi Rou had said she was about to leave.


    So why did it seem like she had no intention of leaving now?


    It turned out that Qi Rou had just spoken casually before.


    Of course, it was also possible that she really intended to leave for a while but after experiencing the events of the past few days, she had changed her mind.


    This was normal.


    After all, young people, when they first enter a relationship, often can''t bear to be apart from their partner.


    Chen An was fine with it.


    He had been through a lot in his past lives, so he had already experienced a lot.


    But Qi Rou seemed to be experiencing this for the first time, clinging to Chen An all the time and wanting to be with him every day.


    Most people didn''t comment on her behavior.


    Or even if they wanted to comment, they didn''t dare.


    The only one who could speak was Lin Qiu, and he was quite pleased with this development.


    In his view, there was nothing wrong with Qi Rou being with Chen An.


    Cultivators were not monks; they didn''t avoid marriage and companionship, especially evil cultivators.


    Many evil cultivators not only didn''t mind such things, but actively sought pleasure and entertainment.


    In a way, finding a partner was not only good for physical and mental health but also for mutual support until the end.


    So both Lin Qiu and Qi Rou didn''t actually object to finding a partner.


    However, at their level, ordinary people couldn''t catch their attention.


    Lin Qiu thought Chen An was quite good.


    First of all, in terms of character.


    In Lin Qiu''s view, Chen An''s character was undoubtedly good. He was pure and kind-hearted, although he may not be able to be called a great saint, he could definitely be called a kind person.


    A person like this wouldn''t have any problems with their character; getting along with them would save a lot of trouble and worry.


    Secondly, in terms of talent, Chen An was exceptional.


    Regardless of cultivation, just his talent and accomplishments in alchemy and array formation alone were definitely worthy of Qi Rou, the saint of the demonic sect.


    In Lin Qiu''s view, Chen An''s talent was rarely seen in the world, and given time, even the alchemy masters of the Pill Tower might not be able to compare to him.


    Such a person was someone everyone wanted to keep close and under control.


    Now that Qi Rou and Chen An had become partners, it was just right, as it was like directly controlling this genius.


    Wasn''t this a win-win situation?


    Others may not understand, but Lin Qiu was quite satisfied with this marriage.


    "Ah, it''s finally come to this point," hiding in the shadows, Lin Qiu observed Chen An and Qi Rou sitting together, holding hands. He couldn''t help but feel a wave of emotions and feel that he was getting old.


    After observing for a while, he left directly.


    He had just left when there was a reaction from Qi Rou.


    "What''s wrong?" Chen An looked at Qi Rou in front of him, feeling her movement.


    "It''s nothing, Uncle Lin finally left," Qi Rou smiled and answered, then pounced directly into Chen An''s arms.


    "Uncle Lin, indeed. I''m at this age already, and he''s still staring at us all the time, making it hard for us to relax," she complained while lying in Chen An''s arms.


    "Is there a possibility," Chen An glanced at her, "that Mr. Lin is standing there not to watch you, but to monitor me?"


    Qi Rou stopped talking.


    Because that seemed to be the truth.


    There was nothing for Qi Rou to watch.


    She had the demonic scriptures for cultivation, which could sense the emotional fluctuations of others, and she was in this stronghold. Was there anything that could happen to her?


    Lin Qiu was hiding here, it seemed more like he was monitoring Chen An.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253 - Swallowing"Should I go talk to Uncle Lin when I go back?"


    Qirou looked at Chen An cautiously, as if afraid of making him angry: "Should I ask him not to come over later?"


    "We''re already like this, and he still watches you all the time, it''s a bit too much."


    In Qirou''s heart, Chen An was already her husband, considered as family.


    Since they were already family, there was no need for him to keep watching them every day, it wasn''t very appropriate.


    Even for a normal person, being watched all the time wouldn''t feel good.


    "No need."


    Chen An shook his head, indicating that he didn''t mind: "Do you think he will listen just because you say so?"


    "Besides, there''s nothing for him to watch me for. If he wants to watch, let him watch."


    Chen An really didn''t care about this.


    Because his spiritual perception and sense of Qi were very strong, he would notice every time Lin Qiu came over in a short time.


    It had been like this for the past two to three years.


    Only Lin Qiu himself thought that his surveillance was very discreet, so he often came over.


    In fact, he had been discovered long ago.


    On the other hand, Chen An really had nothing to hide.


    He spent his time either studying or studying, except for occasional alchemy, the rest of his time was spent with the few formation masters studying various formations.


    It was mostly legitimate activities.


    If Lin Qiu wanted to watch, let him watch.


    Speaking of which, Chen An sometimes really admired Lin Qiu.


    You see, whether it''s alchemy or engraving formations, it''s actually a quite boring process.


    The fact that Lin Qiu could watch for so long was quite impressive.


    It''s hard to say how others view it, but Chen An was quite admiring in his heart.


    "Well, that''s true."


    Qirou agreed and nodded: "You''re so boring, you''re always either alchemy or immersed in those formation diagrams, there''s nothing to be afraid of."


    "Originally, you had someone capture me and bring me here just to make alchemy for you."


    Chen An looked at Qirou somewhat speechlessly: "Have you forgotten that now?"


    Don''t forget your original purpose.


    Chen An still remembered how Qirou had forced him to make alchemy by threatening and tempting him when he was brought here.


    Now, the two of them ended up making alchemy together.


    Chen An was quite speechless about the development of this situation.


    Listening to Chen An''s words, Qirou blushed and smiled shyly, not saying much, and simply hugged Chen An, burying her head in his chest.


    The two of them hugged like that for a long time.


    Until a moment later, Qirou suddenly spoke up.


    "So, do you still want to leave now?"


    She looked at Chen An and asked softly.


    When asking, her face was quite calm, but upon closer observation, one could still see a hint of nervousness between her brows.


    "Of course, I want to."


    Chen An looked at Qirou, reached out with his hand, and smoothed the strands of hair on her head: "But I don''t want to leave you, there are just some things I need to do."


    "What things?"


    Qirou looked puzzled.


    "Some of my former friends, I still want to see them."


    Chen An smiled and said, "For example, the senior brothers and sisters from the Changyue Sect, many of them were quite good to me before. If I have the chance, I always want to visit them."


    "In any case, since we have finally become a family, I should bring my new bride to visit our relatives and friends."


    Perhaps stimulated by the word "bride", Qirou''s face immediately flushed, burying her head deeper in Chen An''s chest, appearing even shyer.


    This could be understood as shyness.


    After all, girls, they always like this.


    Qirou''s age was not to the point where she could ignore such things.


    "Besides, I want to learn more things."


    Chen An continued, saying slowly: "There are many things in this world that I am not clear about, those unknown pill formulas and formation diagrams. If possible, I would like to explore and see if I can grasp their essence."


    "Your alchemy has reached such a level, why do you want to learn about those so-called formation diagrams?"


    Qirou was puzzled.


    So, she asked the question that many people had asked Chen An in the past.


    This question, Song Qi had asked before, and many people within the Changyue Sect had also asked before.


    But at that time, Chen An could easily give an answer and cover up the truth.


    But in front of Qirou, who could sense people''s hearts, those answers used to cover up the truth could not be said.


    So, after pondering for a moment, Chen An spoke again, "I should say, it''s more about wanting to explore."


    "Explore?"


    Qirou was puzzled.


    "Yes."


    Chen An smiled and said, "The mysteries of this world are so numerous, the secrets are so vast."


    "I want to keep moving forward and learn as much as possible, no matter how much I can grasp."


    "After all, having more skills doesn''t hurt, even if I may not need them in the future, but learning more things is always good."


    He said so.


    This was his true thought.


    In addition to learning about formation diagrams, Chen An wanted to return to the Great Liang World, see his wife and children, and fulfill his responsibilities.


    The mysteries of this world were so abundant and exciting.


    The more Chen An mastered, the further he might be able to go in the future.


    Of course, this was also a matter of time.


    If Chen An''s time was limited, even if he could cheat, he wouldn''t do it, as learning so many things would cost him a lot.


    But in the foreseeable future, with the ability to project, Chen An''s time should be quite abundant.


    So naturally, he would make such a choice.


    After all, if given the choice, being a versatile talent was naturally much better than being specialized.


    "Is that so?"


    Qirou listened understandingly but didn''t completely understand, feeling a bit puzzled.


    "Then you should focus on cultivating."


    She smiled and said, "The world is so beautiful, if you want to learn all those things, you need to improve your cultivation level."


    In the past, people like Lin Qiu didn''t want Chen An to cultivate, they wanted him to focus all of his time on alchemy.


    But now, things were different.


    Today, Qirou was extremely eager for Chen An to focus more on cultivating.


    After all, many things in this world were ephemeral, only those that lasted long were real.


    And the higher the cultivation level, undoubtedly the longer one could live.


    From any perspective, only with a higher cultivation level could Chen An spend enough time with Qirou.


    That was why Qirou hoped that Chen An would focus more on cultivation.


    It was a pity, though, that Chen An didn''t respond much to Qirou''s expectations.


    Before being with Qirou, Chen An spent all his time making alchemy, studying formation diagrams or being a workaholic.


    Even now, aside from occasionally spending time with Qirou, the rest of his time was spent the same way, either making alchemy or studying formation diagrams.


    Cultivation? Non-existent!


    "Well, I understand."


    Chen An smiled and nodded, then softly said, "After all, time is always enough."


    The equivalent of a Nascent Soul cultivator was probably a Qi-Refining warrior.


    But in terms of lifespan, at least in the early stages, a cultivator''s lifespan was much longer than that of a warrior.


    A Qi-Refining warrior could only live for over a hundred years, but a Nascent Soul cultivator could have a lifespan of two hundred years.


    And at the Golden Dan level, a cultivator could live for five hundred years, much longer than a warrior''s two hundred years.


    Chen An''s current cultivation level had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, just one step away from the Golden Dan level.


    And at this moment, his body, even in full calculation, was only sixteen years old, far from the end of his lifespan.


    In this situation, Chen An naturally wouldn''t be in a hurry. s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was others who were in a hurry.


    "After you refine the pills, don''t give them to Uncle Lin and the others, just use them yourself."


    After lying in Chen An''s arms for a while, Qirou suddenly spoke up, "And there''s this."


    She took something out from her bosom.


    It was a box, and when she opened it, there was a pure white pill inside.


    Tianyuan Pill.


    Chen An looked at Qirou with some confusion.


    This Tianyuan Pill was naturally given to Qirou by Chen An.


    And not long ago.


    But it seemed that Qirou didn''t immediately take it.


    "Take it."


    Facing Chen An''s gaze, Qirou''s face flushed slightly, and she said softly, "This is the one you gave me last time, I haven''t used it all this time, I kept it for you."


    "I have already used four Tianyuan Pills, the issues on my body are almost resolved, I don''t really need them anymore."


    "But you, you have refined so many pills for me, but you haven''t used them yet."


    "I-"


    Just as Chen An was about to decline, Qirou covered his mouth.


    She looked at Chen An fiercely, "Are you going to take it or not?"


    "If you don''t take it, I''ll feed you."


    Chen An immediately fell silent.


    Meeting Qirou''s gaze, he hesitated slightly, then reached out his hand and swallowed the pill.


    At that moment, his mood was somewhat complicated.


    If he could, he would have wanted to tell Qirou that he had many more of these pills on his body and didn''t care for them at all.


    But obviously, he couldn''t say that.


    So right now, his emotions were a bit complicated.


    Qirou could sense this, but she didn''t take it to heart.


    She thought that Chen An was just being stubborn and nothing more, not realizing the true reason behind it.


    "This is it."


    Seeing Chen An swallow the pill, her mood immediately improved, "I have many good things in my inner storage, I''ll have Uncle Lin bring you some things later."


    "With your talent, as long as you cultivate a bit, you will definitely not be weak in the future."


    Thank you.


    Qirou''s words made Chen An feel like he was being patronized again.


    And for some reason, he felt that this feeling seemed somewhat familiar.


    As if he had experienced it before?


    After a moment, Qirou left happily.


    Chen An sat alone in the same spot, silently closing his eyes.


    At this moment, the medicinal power of the Tianyuan Pill was still brewing in his body.


    Different from other pills, once the Tianyuan Pill entered his body, the divine nature inside the pill spread out, diffusing all over his body and merging into Chen An''s body.


    This feeling was quite unique, as if he had returned to his mother''s womb, giving him a very comfortable feeling.


    In this state, Chen An could feel many changes happening all over his body.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 253 - SwallowingStarting from the five internal organs, to various positions all over the body, it seems that every part is undergoing changes, and the feeling is very clear.


    At least for Chen An, this whole process is extremely clear, and he can feel it very clearly, quite thoroughly.


    According to this situation, when the medicinal power is completely digested, Chen An''s body will undergo a transformation.


    Perhaps the strength will not increase too much, but the foundation will increase to a whole new level.


    Tianyuan Pill is different from pills like Golden Lotus Pill that can directly enhance cultivation. It is something that expands potential and increases foundation.


    Chen An sat quietly in place and meditated for a long time.


    Then, he suddenly reached out his hand, and during a certain gap, several things appeared in his hand.


    They were five pure white pills.


    They are none other than Tianyuan Pills.


    Feeling the situation around him, Chen An did not hesitate at all and directly swallowed them.


    The pills melted in his mouth and quickly turned into a warm flow rushing into his body.


    Boom!


    The powerful medicinal power exploded in his body, quickly rushing to all parts of his body, cleansing every part.


    As for the invisible wounds, they seemed to have disappeared as well.


    Within these few days, he did nothing else but quietly sense the changes in his body.


    He now has the feeling that if he continues to cultivate now, the effect will definitely be better than a few days later.


    Realizing this, a hint of joy appeared in his heart.


    Everyone has their own difficulties and joys.


    The joy of pills is the obvious qualification improvement.


    In this case, the pills dare to swallow Liu Sheng without any hesitation, trying the effects of Tianyuan Pill.


    If nothing goes wrong, he really dares to do so.


    Because if he is discovered, it will be over.


    Although pills do not care about death, they also want this journey to start like this.


    Because if you think about the time, he doesn''t have much lifespan left.


    Therefore, it is necessary to slowly seek death.


    Before swallowing Tianyuan Pill, he stayed in Chen An''s closed-door room for several days.


    For his actions, others did not find it strange.


    Chen An is the holy man here, and his closed-door room is the best place to practice in this area.


    Not to mention the pill, even if it is another person, if given the opportunity, they will absolutely want to stay in Chen An''s closed-door room.


    But Chen An is willing.


    Due to this background, it is not conspicuous for the pills to stay in the closed room.


    And after a few days, the transformation of the pills is also coming to an end.


    "Oh, so that''s how it is."


    In the quiet closed room, the pills closed their eyes and felt the changes in their body, feeling somewhat enlightened.


    Pills can confirm that if they cultivate now, the effect will definitely be better than a few days later.


    Realizing this, a hint of joy appeared in the pills.


    Everyone has their own difficulties and joys.


    And the pills'' happiness is obviously the improvement in qualifications that were dragging behind.


    Whether it is in martial arts qualifications or spiritual root qualifications, the pills'' qualifications are actually quite low. The reason they have come this far is mainly due to cheating.


    And now, this unique shortcoming is finally about to be rectified.


    This is certainly something to be excited about.


    Realizing this, the pills silently got up and took out a set of things.


    This is a set of tools used to test spiritual root qualifications, and the pills had placed several sets outside the White Tower, and now they took one out for use.


    After a test, the results appeared.


    "Sure enough, qualifications have improved."


    Liu Sheng''s face showed a smile.


    The pills felt a bit wrong.


    With the promotion of Tianyuan Pill, his qualifications had improved to a new level.


    After this promotion, the pills could sense that the time before they broke through seemed to be further away.


    The pills'' cultivation was already at the peak of the Hualing stage, just one step away from Liu Sheng.


    In fact, if he deliberately cultivates like everyone else, let alone regressing, it would be difficult to maintain the progress.


    But the situation of the pills is obviously different.


    He had swallowed too few Golden Pills, and due to the nature of swindling, pills like Golden Lotus Pills that directly increase cultivation had basically stopped appearing.


    With the promotion effect of Golden Pills, even if he didn''t cultivate, his cultivation level continued to drop.


    And now, with the promotion effect of Tianyuan Pill, he took another step back, and was now close to that bottleneck.


    The pills could feel that Liu Sheng''s small gate was opening.


    In his body, the surging divine power was raging, now converging towards a certain area in the Purple Mansion, forming the embryonic form of Qi Rou.


    This was not something he actively did, but his body''s instinct had already made it look like this.


    Just like this, it was naturally a matter of course for him to condense Qi Rou, advance to the Qi Rou stage; a step forward.


    "Let''s wait a bit longer."


    After thinking for a while, the pills still restrained the urge to immediately break through.


    After all, he had just swallowed Liu Sheng, and there was still some medicinal power lurking in his body that had not been completely digested.


    Waiting until all of this was done, to condense Qi Rou, the effect would be much better.


    The promotion of Liu Sheng''s cultivation required the condensation of Qi Rou, but the condensation of Qi Rou among cultivators would also make a difference.


    In particular, the better the quality of Qi Rou condensed, the smoother the path to future advancement would be.


    For the sake of his future, the pills felt that waiting a bit longer was acceptable.


    After all, he was lacking in life span and strength, so it was necessary to slowly break through.


    It would be best to break through quickly.


    With this thought in mind, the pills turned around and left, heading inside.


    Time passed quickly.


    In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.


    And half a month ago, Chen An once again found Liu Sheng.


    "Leaving?"


    The pills looked at Liu Sheng with some confusion. "Where are you going?"


    Chen An had come this time specifically to bid farewell.


    (The end of this chapter) S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255 - Demon Scripture"The inheritance of the Demon Scripture is about to begin. According to the rules, I will wait for you at the ancestral altar."


    Qi Rou whispered in Chen An''s ear.


    Seemingly afraid that Chen An wouldn''t understand, she then explained in detail.


    Qi Rou belonged to a sect called the Yaoling Sect.


    Of course, this was just an internal name. In reality, in the outside world, this sect should be called the Yaomo Sect.


    The Yaomo Sect had a long history.


    According to legends, the Yaomo Sect had split from a demonic holy land.


    At that time, the Yaomo Sect suppressed the heavens and the earth, dominating the world. Demonic cultivators were the mainstream in that era.


    The cultivators of the orthodox sects were suppressed and could only survive in a few places.


    Until later, a change occurred.


    The last Patriarch of the Yaomo Sect died, and the entire sect fell into turmoil, with its major branches splitting apart.


    This was how the Yaomo Sect came into existence.


    "Back then, a total of fifteen sects were split from the Yaomo Sect, but now, only four remain," Qi Rou sighed. "However, despite the split for many years, there is one rule that has never changed."


    "That is the inheritance of the Demon Scripture."


    She said so.


    The inheritance of the Demon Scripture was also brought from within the Yaomo Sect.


    This scripture was very powerful. Even within the Yaomo Sect in the past, only the Patriarch''s line had the qualification to cultivate this scripture.


    After the split, each branch took a part of the scripture with them. After thousands of years of integration, it has now concentrated in the hands of the four major demonic sects.


    However, what they possessed was only a partial inheritance.


    The true inheritance of the Demon Scripture always existed within the ancestral land of the Yaomo Sect, within a vast altar.


    Therefore, every few years, the four major sects would agree to go to that ancestral land to hold a sacrifice, to pay homage to their ancestors and to obtain the subsequent inheritance of the Demon Scripture.


    This rule has been passed down to the present day.


    "Hmm?"


    Hearing this, Chen An suddenly felt something was amiss.


    According to Qi Rou, this kind of sacrifice was held every few decades.


    So in the thousands of years since then, it is likely that this kind of sacrifice has been held many times already.


    So here comes the question.


    Those who held the sacrifice in the past must have received the subsequent inheritance of the Demon Scripture.


    They must have also left behind the inheritance they received.


    If so, why did the generation of inheritors from the demonic sect still need to go to the ancestors to obtain the inheritance of the Demon Scripture?


    Could it be that the previous inheritors failed to leave behind the inheritance?


    Faced with Chen An''s doubts, Qi Rou smiled and explained seriously, "The Demon Scripture is different from ordinary scriptures; it does not have a specific meaning."


    "Except for the scripture before the Foundation Establishment, each person who cultivates the Demon Scripture will receive different scriptures subsequent to that, which will be slightly adjusted according to their physical constitution."


    With that said, Chen An suddenly understood.


    The Demon Scripture was not just an inheritance; it was a treasure left by the founder of the Yaomo Sect, containing the profound insights of the Demon Ancestor.


    The inheritance of the Demon Scripture, except for the specific scriptures before the Foundation Establishment that laid the foundation, would change afterwards.


    Due to everyone''s differing physical constitutions, different scripture inheritances would be derived. Some might be somewhat similar, but others could be completely different.


    This way of automatically adjusting the inheritance based on the practitioner was the key reason why the descendants of the demonic sects held a ancestral sacrifice every few decades.


    Without this factor, they would not be so actively pursuing it.


    "The subsequent scriptures of the Demon Scripture are adjusted based on the differences in each person''s physical condition, as if tailored to each individual."


    Qi Rou continued, saying, "But precisely because of this, even if the practitioners of the Demon Scripture leave behind their own scriptures, very few people can actually cultivate them."


    This statement was quite understandable.


    The Demon Scripture would produce a unique scripture for each individual based on their physical constitution.


    But because of this, these scriptures were like exclusive methods for that person.


    This raised another question.


    Even if they left behind these exclusive scriptures, could future generations cultivate them?


    Probably not.


    After all, everyone''s conditions were different. If one were to practice another person''s exclusive scripture without preparation, accidents were highly likely to occur.


    Demonic cultivators were already prone to demonic possessions. If they tried something like that, it would likely become even more dangerous.


    Compared to these exclusive scriptures, the common scriptures circulating in the world might not be as powerful as the inheritance of the Demon Scripture, but they were undoubtedly more universal.


    As long as the basic conditions were met, one could practice with spiritual roots without the need for complex conditions.


    That was the difference.


    "Nevertheless, being able to leave behind the Demon Scripture, and to adjust and change the scripture along with the user, the founder of the Yaomo Sect was probably."


    Standing there, Chen An had this thought in mind.


    There were records of different levels of cultivation in the mortal world, including records of sages and emperors.


    In Chen An''s opinion, the ability to adjust and change the scripture along with the user, was probably close to that of a sage.


    Even though the founder of the Yaomo Sect may not have reached that level, he was probably not far off.


    Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but sigh.


    "You''ve stopped so much, don''t you have any interest at all?"


    In front of him, Qi Rou looked at Chen An and suddenly smiled.


    "What?"


    Chen An was puzzled.


    "The Demon Scripture."


    Qi Rou maintained her smile and said, "I''ve said so much, don''t you have any interest in the Demon Scripture?"


    "Interest, of course, I do."


    Chen An said, "But even if I have an interest, what can I do?"


    The Demon Scripture of the Yaomo Sect was likely an inheritance created by a cultivator close to a sage.


    If Chen An had no interest at all, it would be a lie.


    After all, he was still troubled by scriptures every day.


    Previously, in the Changyue Sect, due to his outstanding talent, Chen An had been designated as the next true disciple by the Sect Master, and had already received the teachings of the Changyue Sect''s inheritance. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He had the scripture of the Golden Core.


    But after the Golden Core, he was at a loss for the subsequent inheritance.


    If he could obtain the complete inheritance of the Demon Scripture, then Chen An wouldn''t have to worry about the inheritance anymore.


    So naturally, he wanted it.


    But he was also self-aware.


    On one hand, the Demon Scripture was the highest inheritance of the demonic sects.


    This kind of inheritance would generally only be passed down to the Patriarch''s line. As an outsider, Chen An theoretically would not be able to receive the transmission.


    On the other hand, as Qi Rou mentioned earlier, the practice of the Demon Scripture required pure demonic bloodline, which Chen An obviously did not possess.


    His body was that of an ordinary person, even his spiritual roots were most likely brought over by his original body. How could he have the so-called demonic bloodline?


    Thinking about it, it was obviously impossible.


    So even if he was envious, Chen An could only reluctantly give up.


    But seeing Qi Rou''s appearance now, could there still be hope?


    Chen An was somewhat surprised, looking at Qi Rou, "Didn''t you say that without the demonic bloodline, you can''t cultivate the Demon Scripture?"


    "Stop guessing."


    Qi Rou waved her hand, smiled, and urged, "Just tell me if you want to learn!"


    "As long as you want to learn, I will figure out the rest for you."


    With that said, if Chen An continued to decline, it would probably not be good.


    So he sighed and nodded in agreement.


    After Chen An nodded, Qi Rou mysteriously left, seemingly preparing something.


    Chen An didn''t know what she was preparing, but judging from Qi Rou''s expression, she seemed quite happy.


    Chen An shook his head and quietly left.


    Several days later, when Qi Rou came to find Chen An again, Chen An was startled by her appearance.


    Before, Qi Rou looked perfectly normal, but perhaps due to her physical condition, she seemed a little gloomy and uncomfortable, resembling a typical demon.


    But after taking the Heavenly Element Pill several times, and with her congenital deficiencies being compensated, she gradually returned to normal. After being with Chen An, she had resumed her youthful and lively appearance, looking like a cute and tall woman.


    But now the situation was different.


    In Chen An''s eyes, Qi Rou appeared pale, with no trace of color in her face, as if she had lost a lot of blood.


    Her overall state was clearly abnormal.


    What''s going on?


    Chen An was puzzled.


    Faced with Chen An''s confusion, Qi Rou appeared somewhat weak, but still smiled at him, not explaining much, just quietly pulling him into a room to the side.


    It was a unique seclusion room, where some special things had already been prepared.


    In a large bronze cauldron, crimson blood was flowing, which looked similar to ordinary blood on the surface, but emanated a deep divine aura.


    This was...


    Seeing this scene before him, Chen An was stunned.


    Especially in the blood, Chen An sensed a familiar aura.


    That aura belonged to Qi Rou.


    "You..."


    He looked at Qi Rou beside him, saw her weak complexion, and instantly figured out the answer.


    "Don''t guess."


    Qi Rou smiled at him and urged, "Hurry and go in."


    She pointed to another large cauldron on the side.


    The large cauldron was about four or five meters high, covered in various formations and shimmering runes. It seemed to be a very powerful artifact.


    Inside the cauldron, a unique medicinal liquid was already filled.


    After special refinement, various spiritual herbs had been processed to form the medicinal liquid in the cauldron, which contained a huge divine power.


    Even if an ordinary person took a sip, they could probably extend their lifespan by several years.


    (End of this chapter).

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256 - Magic BloodLooking at the medicinal liquid in the medicine cauldron in front of him, Chen An couldn''t help but fall silent.


    At this moment, he almost knew what was going to happen.


    Among cultivators, there is a method called blood exchange.


    This method was perhaps created by some indifferent cultivators in the early days, in order to allow more people to have their own bloodline, or it may have been developed while studying how to plunder the bloodline of others.


    This world is unfair, not to mention the different spiritual roots brought by each person at birth. Some people are born with spiritual bodies, while others have weak spiritual roots and can only reluctantly embark on the path of cultivation. There are even some who are simply ordinary people, without even spiritual roots.


    In this world, there will always be some people who are born with unique bloodlines. As long as they continue on the right path, they are destined to be stronger than others.


    Qirou in front of him is one of them.


    She is a direct descendant of the Moon Demon Sect from back then, inheriting the purest magic blood, with a powerful bloodline and outstanding talent that is awe-inspiring.


    This situation naturally attracted the attention of many people, so in the past, many cultivators set their sights on this, hoping to strengthen themselves by taking special bloodlines from others through various means.


    The blood exchange technique in front of him is one of them.


    However, techniques like this, although they can indeed allow others to obtain bloodlines, cause great harm to the provider.


    Chen An had never thought that Qirou would go this far.


    "You have already helped me so much, why can''t I help you once?"


    Qirou smiled, then directly said, "Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and enter it for me."


    "These things here are the blood I have accumulated for a long time. If you dare to waste it, don''t blame me for being rude later."


    Alright, since you''ve said so much, what else can Chen An say?


    He sighed and then went forward. Under Qirou''s gaze, he directly entered the medicine cauldron in front of him.


    The medicinal liquid slowly seeped into his body.


    A satisfied smile appeared on Qirou''s face, then she reached out her hand.


    In an instant, the array around them activated, directly starting to operate.


    A loud rumble echoed all around, appearing particularly vivid.


    Along with the activation of the array, changes began to occur in front of them.


    Qirou looked ahead.


    In the medicine cauldron, the crimson blood slowly flowed forward, drawn out by the array, and fused with the medicinal liquid.


    The crimson blood and medicinal liquid merged, under the divine stimulation, gradually revealing their true appearance, presenting a strange black-gold color, with faint golden threads swirling, exuding an extraordinary and splendid aura.


    And as time passed, the faint blood color gradually merged with Chen An''s body, slowly integrating into one.


    Thus, the blood exchange began.


    As time passed, the cauldron slowly closed, and the scene inside could no longer be seen from the outside.


    Qirou, outside, looked nervously at the cauldron, then found a place to sit cross-legged.


    Time passed slowly.


    In the next five days, Qirou did not leave, staying in one place, waiting without moving, afraid of any accidents.


    Fortunately, it seemed that no accidents had occurred.


    As time passed, there were often faint sounds coming from the cauldron, echoing around.


    Chen An slowly closed his eyes.


    During these five days, his body was undergoing drastic changes internally.


    The changes were very subtle, almost imperceptible if one didn''t observe carefully, but Chen An''s perception was extremely abnormal, far exceeding that of ordinary people.


    The consequences of these changes began to gradually manifest during this period.


    With a thought, a familiar upgrade template appeared in front of him.


    At this moment, there was something new above it.


    The blood of the Demon Saint!


    Looking at this scene, Chen An couldn''t help but be stunned.


    Oh man.


    It turns out that Qirou''s bloodline source is a former saint.


    The Demon Saint, it seems to be a saint who walked the path of demons, achieving the position of saint through the path of demons.


    The bloodline passed down from this former saint gradually became the bloodline of Qirou, which had long since established the glory of the Moon Demon Sect.


    And as Qirou''s blood kept flowing into Chen An''s body, his internal organs were also slowly changing.


    Change was necessary.


    There are subtle differences between each individual.


    This belongs to the basic difference in details.


    But if we magnify this difference to the level of cultivators and ordinary people, the difference can be seen clearly.


    Because of the different powers they possess, the structure of their bodies could no longer remain the same.


    As time passed, the life structure of a cultivator would slowly be optimized and transformed into a different form.


    In the end, between high-level cultivators and ordinary people, they were almost like two different species.


    The same goes for bloodlines.


    As his bloodline was replaced and infected, Chen An''s body structure was slowly changing, and there was a drastic change brewing within him that could erupt at any moment.


    Chen An silently experienced this change, silently calming down.


    And so, time passed slowly.


    In the blink of an eye, another few days had passed.


    Finally, at a certain moment, the name on the upgrade template in front of him gradually stabilized, no longer flickering as before.


    This could possibly mean that Chen An''s condition had finally stabilized, no longer as chaotic as before.


    Boom!


    With a fierce impact, the massive cauldron in front of him opened, revealing the scene inside.


    Chen An slowly stood up.


    After staying in the cauldron for so long, he was somewhat weak at this moment.


    This was unavoidable.


    Although as a Spiritual Transformation cultivator, he could reduce his food intake and directly absorb essence from the outside world, he still needed a certain degree of food intake.


    Chen An had not been able to eat in the cauldron, essentially going hungry for ten days.


    Going without food for ten days would inevitably make one feel weak.


    However, even so, Chen An did not feel weak at this moment. Instead, he felt excited in his mind.


    Because at this moment, a new feeling was emerging throughout his body.


    With the contamination of the magic blood, Chen An''s bloodlines were being replaced, and in terms of strength, there didn''t seem to be much change.


    Chen An looked the same as before.


    But in terms of the level of life, Chen An''s strength had undoubtedly increased significantly at this moment.


    Magic blood originated from a saint, equivalent to the inheritance of a saint.


    Even if it was just a part of the bloodline, it was still quite precious.


    After all, not everyone could have the bloodline of a saint.


    Apart from the bloodline, there was also an inheritance.


    Since Qirou''s magic bloodline originated from a saint, then the magic tome from the Moon Demon Sect likely also contained the inheritance of a saint.


    With the magic bloodline, Chen An could naturally cultivate the magic tome later and gain this inheritance.


    By then, the disadvantages of not having an inheritance at the moment would naturally be resolved.


    A great thing.


    From a feeling perspective, Chen An could also feel his own changes.


    The transformation of the magic blood on his body was all-encompassing.


    Chen An felt that if he were to test his qualifications now, he would probably find some changes.


    Of course, he didn''t take action immediately.


    After all, the bloodline was just beginning to transform, and the changes from the magic blood had just started. It wasn''t at the point of complete completion yet.


    Wait a while longer until the change in his body stabilized, and then it would be accurate to test it.


    As for now, it wasn''t a big deal.


    "Not bad."


    On the side, Qirou''s voice came.


    Chen An looked up, seeing Qirou in the distance, couldn''t help but be stunned.


    Not far away, there was a large dining table set up.


    The table was filled with various delicacies, not only ordinary food but also food with spiritual substances added.


    Qirou was sitting there, looking somewhat lazy, eating.


    Nearly ten days had passed, and her complexion had improved a lot, no longer as pale as before, but still showing some signs of weakness.


    But compared to her physical weakness, her mental state seemed quite good, with an excited look on her face.


    Seeing Qirou like this, and then looking at the table full of delicacies, Chen An couldn''t help but fall silent.


    It seemed that his stomach was starting to growl.


    He had been hungry for quite some time now.


    At this rate, he probably wouldn''t make it.


    "What are you looking at?"


    Qirou looked at Chen An. "Haven''t you seen me eat before?"


    "Not really."


    Chen An shook his head and then said, "Why do I feel like you seem very happy?"


    "You noticed."


    Qirou couldn''t help but smile, "Because the blood exchange was very successful."


    Seeing Chen An''s puzzled expression, she went on to explain.


    It turns out that although this blood exchange ritual was effective, it was not always successful.


    To be precise, the accuracy of this blood exchange ritual was quite worrying.


    Why?


    If the bloodline of others was easy to obtain, then those special bloodlines in the world would have been abundant long ago.


    In reality, these special bloodlines are quite difficult to obtain.


    Trying to obtain these special bloodlines through blood exchange has a very low success rate, and even if successful, the bloodline would be greatly diluted. s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, this was quite normal.


    After all, bloodlines obtained from someone else''s essence were naturally not as concentrated.


    But this time, Chen An''s blood exchange was quite successful.


    Not only did he obtain Qirou''s magic bloodline, but the level of the bloodline was also considerable.


    In normal circumstances, the likelihood of such a situation occurring was very low.


    And this magic bloodline, which was Qirou''s reason for being happy.


    "You have awakened the magic blood, so rest well during this time."


    Qirou softly said, "After a period of time, when the magic in your body has awakened, I will pass the magic tome to you."


    "By then, you will be able to practice the magic tome like me and go to the sacrifice together."


    She said that with anticipation in her eyes, clearly looking forward to it.


    "Okay."


    Chen An nodded in agreement.


    So for the next period, Chen An spent his time according to Qirou''s arrangements.


    Every day, he had to consume a considerable amount of treasures, and the food used for each meal was made from precious exotic beasts, some of which were added with rare spiritual herbs.


    The foundation of the entire Yamo Sect was very powerful, with many things that had already disappeared from the outside world but were still present in the sect''s inner treasury.


    And during this time, all these things had entered Chen An''s mouth and become his feast, becoming one of his foundations.


    A full half-month passed like this, and the changes in Chen An''s body were quite clear.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257 - The Second Purple MansionName: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (12.1), Physical (12.4), Spirit (11.3)


    Source Power: 9,300


    Bloodline: Sun and Moon Demon Blood (Weak)


    Inheritance: Frozen Miles (Intermediate), Minor Teleportation Array (Perfection), Foundation Pill (Perfection), Gold Lotus Pill (Perfection), Clear Heart Pill (Perfection), Spiritualization Technique (Ninth Layer),......


    Projection: In Use


    Looking at the front, a familiar projection template appeared, just like that, presenting itself in place.


    Chen An looked at the front and nodded involuntarily.


    After this period of cultivation, there have been quite a few changes in his body.


    Almost all the basic data has increased.


    Although it doesn''t look like much, it''s actually quite remarkable.


    After all, at Chen An''s level, every bit of progress is difficult.


    At present, the Demon Body has just awakened, and he has already reached this level, which is quite remarkable.


    Chen An silently opened his eyes, then stretched out his hand.


    On his arm, faint patterns appeared, showing a dark golden luster.


    At the same time, his appearance seemed to have changed slightly, although the appearance didn''t look much, but inexplicably added a strange aura.


    This is the change brought by the Demon Body.


    Overall, the changes brought by the Demon Body are not small.


    The biggest change should be in aptitude.


    Chen An had tested it before, and his aptitude has successfully crossed that barrier and reached the first-class level.


    Of course, it''s just the lower level of the first-class, which is considered the bottom in this level.


    But even so, it''s still quite remarkable.


    After all, the first-class aptitude is already a critical point.


    Even in those powerful forces, cultivators with such aptitude are not ordinary, they are definitely geniuses.


    For Chen An to reach this level, even if he is at the bottom, it is still quite remarkable.


    Chen An felt happy about his aptitude.


    But unfortunately, even with such aptitude, it still cannot compare to Qi Rou''s aptitude.


    Qi Rou is not only of pure Demon Body bloodline, but also a natural spiritual body.


    And the aptitude of spiritual body is often above the first-class.


    The so-called first-class and second-class aptitude are only used to describe ordinary immortals.


    For true spiritual bodies, their aptitude is above this.


    Just being a spiritual body already puts them above countless others in the mortal world.


    If ordinary cultivators are considered elite compared to ordinary people, then spiritual bodies are the same compared to ordinary cultivators.


    This is the result of the comparison.


    Qi Rou is such a spiritual body.


    Let alone now, even if Chen An raises his aptitude to the upper first-class, it still cannot be compared to a spiritual body like Qi Rou.


    Unless he can continue to advance his aptitude, and even transform himself into a spiritual body.


    In that case, maybe he can compete with them.


    Speaking of which, besides Qi Rou, Chen An has actually seen another pure spiritual body.


    For example, Bai Qing.


    Bai Qing seems to be a pure spiritual body, so she was chosen by the Empress Luo Shan at first glance and directly selected as the candidate for possession.


    With the discerning eyes of Empress Luo Shan, if Bai Qing did not have such aptitude, she would not have been chosen. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In addition, Princess Liang Yao, as the inheritor of the fate, should also have underestimated aptitude, and most likely has aptitude comparable to a spiritual body.


    Otherwise, she would not have been chosen by the fate.


    Thinking of this, the satisfaction in Chen An''s heart suddenly dissipated, and he felt a sense of chasing again.


    In fact, bloodlines also affect aptitude to a certain extent.


    The changes in aptitude in Chen An''s body now prove this.


    So the question is.


    If he enhances his demon blood, can he continue to improve his aptitude and even reach the level comparable to a spiritual body?


    Chen An is very eager for this.


    For this reason, he deliberately tried.


    "Will you use 5,000 source power for enhancement?"


    In front of him, a familiar prompt appeared.


    Chen An suddenly fell into contemplation.


    At this moment, he suddenly doubted his vision.


    What is this.


    5,000 source power?


    Chen An subconsciously turned around and looked at his source power balance.


    During this period, through the exploitation of Qi Rou, he was able to accumulate a considerable amount of wealth.


    With a balance of 9,300 source power, this number is definitely not small.


    But now, just improving the bloodline once requires a full 5,000 source power?


    Chen An couldn''t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth, feeling that he still seemed to be a poor devil.


    As expected, source power is like money, it is never enough.


    Whenever Chen An feels that he is already wealthy enough, as a small local tyrant, reality will always tell him in the simplest way that he is still a poor devil!


    How to relieve worries? Only by getting rich.


    Unfortunately, Chen An doesn''t have a way to get rich quickly.


    He has indeed been exploiting the entire Yao Demon Sect to collect spiritual crystals from various places to obtain source power.


    But this method has gradually become difficult as of now.


    No way.


    Compared to Changyue Sect, the exploitation ability of Yao Demon Sect is indeed much stronger.


    But no matter what, there is always a limit.


    In recent times, Chen An has clearly felt that the number of spiritual crystals available for exploitation in the surrounding area has significantly decreased.


    Obviously, after the previous period of exploitation, most of the spiritual crystals that can be exploited in the vicinity have been collected.


    The remaining ones are difficult to obtain, so the overall speed is no longer as fast as before.


    In the Dust Realm before, when Chen An collected Gold Spiritual Stones, it was the same.


    At this rate, Chen An doesn''t know how long it will take to collect 5,000 source power.


    Considering all this, Chen An finally fell silent and did not take action.


    Anyway, for the time being, this level of demon bloodline should be enough.


    According to Qi Rou''s words, the cultivation of the Demon Scripture only requires possessing the demon bloodline, not much else.


    The level of bloodline only affects the speed of cultivation, nothing else.


    And as for the progress of cultivation, Chen An can directly increase points through source power, so self-cultivation seems unnecessary.


    Plan accepted!


    In the distance, faint sounds of activity are heard.


    Chen An looked up, his gaze towards the distance, just in time to see Qi Rou''s figure slowly approaching.


    She had a smile on her face, as if something good had happened, and she pounced directly into Chen An''s arms.


    Time passed slowly.


    In the following days, under Qi Rou''s guidance, Chen An began to seriously cultivate the Demon Scripture.


    And inevitably, various problems arose at this moment.


    Compared to the other inheritances Chen An had rested on before, the content of the Demon Scripture is much deeper, and the content is more profound.


    But it''s just the Qi Refining stage, which is still within Chen An''s understanding.


    After all, his level is much higher than Qi Refining, so there should be no problem practicing at a higher level.


    But before that, there was a new problem.


    "There are two ways to cultivate the Demon Scripture, which one do you choose?"


    Facing Chen An''s gaze, Qi Rou asked with a smile.


    In a quiet room in front, surrounded by arrays that completely blocked the area.


    The rich aura pervaded, to an astonishing degree.


    "Two ways?"


    Chen An was puzzled and asked, "Which two ways?"


    "The orthodox way is naturally to cultivate through the Purple Mansion, like the traditional cultivators who open up the Purple Mansion and circulate their spiritual power in it."


    Qi Rou explained, "But if you choose this way, there will be a big problem."


    The orthodox way is relatively convenient, like ordinary cultivators of the sect who can practice accordingly.


    But there is a big problem if, like Chen An, one has already cultivated the Purple Mansion through other methods.


    To walk this path and cultivate the Demon Scripture, it is necessary to abolish the Purple Mansion and reopen it according to the method of the Demon Scripture.


    But if so, there will obviously be a big problem.


    The most obvious problem is the cultivation base.


    Most of a cultivator''s cultivation base is in the Purple Mansion.


    Once the Purple Mansion is abolished, most of the cultivator''s cultivation base will disappear.


    And this kind of action can easily affect the cultivator himself, which will affect his future potential, and might even directly ruin him if not done well.


    Therefore, few people are willing to do this.


    "Is there any other way?" Chen An asked with some confusion.


    Abolishing the original Purple Mansion, and then reopening the Purple Mansion based on it, is quite dangerous.


    But in normal circumstances, there doesn''t seem to be any other way.


    But looking at the current situation in front of Qi Rou, it seems not to be the case?


    Are there other ways?


    "Open a second Purple Mansion."


    Under Chen An''s gaze, Qi Rou slowly gave the answer.


    "The second Purple Mansion."


    Chen An was stunned.


    Then, Qi Rou continued to speak.


    In simple terms, the so-called second Purple Mansion is to open up another Purple Mansion at another location within the body.


    The Purple Mansion is where spiritual power gathers, and it is the most concentrated area of divinity in the human body, thus able to undertake the transformation and gather spiritual power.


    But the area where the divinity gathers in the human body is not only in one place.


    The Purple Mansion can also be opened in other locations, but the effect is far less than in the abdominal area.


    The method of the second Purple Mansion mentioned by Qi Rou is to open a new Purple Mansion in another location, thereby having a second place for the conversion of spiritual power.


    In this way, it is possible to practice the Demon Scripture without affecting the original Purple Mansion, and to open a second Purple Mansion again.


    There are many benefits to this approach, the most obvious one being to avoid self-influence, keeping the original Purple Mansion intact and preventing damage.


    It also maximizes the retention of the original cultivation base.


    Similarly, in Chen An''s situation, opening a second Purple Mansion also has a covert function.


    Because on the surface, his previous cultivation base has not been abolished, and his spiritual power still retains the pure natural characteristics of ordinary cultivators, which allows him to better disguise himself and not reveal his identity as a cultivator of the demonic path.


    "In the past, many demonic predecessors infiltrated other sects by relying on this trick and were difficult to detect," Qi Rou said with a smile.


    According to her, many generations of demonic cultivators in the Yao Demon Sect have infiltrated other sects by relying on this trick to become insiders of the Yao Demon Sect.


    Because the second Purple Mansion itself has strong concealment, combined with the practice of the Demon Scripture, it is difficult to be discovered in normal times.


    Theoretically, as long as the difference in cultivation base between the two parties is not too great, it is impossible to be discovered.


    Similarly, opening a second Purple Mansion can often make the combat power stronger due to the accumulation of more divine power, allowing one to exhibit a stronger strength.


    But there are naturally disadvantages.


    Having two Purple Mansions side by side will to a certain extent burden cultivation.


    After all, while others only need to cultivate one Purple Mansion, you have to cultivate two Purple Mansions, which naturally slows down the progress of cultivation.


    But besides the slower cultivation and greater consumption, this method has no other flaws.


    "Which one do you choose?" Qi Rou looked at Chen An with a smile.


    "Do I need to say?" feeling Qi Rou''s gaze, Chen An was a bit speechless.


    Qi Rou had already made it so clear, if he still didn''t know how to choose, then that would be strange.


    In simple terms, the only flaw of the second Purple Mansion is that the progress of cultivation will be hindered, and the cultivation required will greatly increase.


    In other words, it requires spending money.


    Poor people simply cannot afford this second Purple Mansion and may be dragged down by it.


    But does Chen An have this problem?


    No.


    He is very rich.


    Not to mention his alchemy skills, the many treasures hidden in the White Tower, and just the existence of Qi Rou in front of him, it is clear that he will not let himself be impoverished.


    With his abilities, not to mention other things, just eating a free meal would be enough to support his cultivation.


    So, the shortcomings of practicing the second Purple Mansion do not really exist for him.


    Since that''s the case, what''s there to hesitate about?


    At that moment, Chen An did not hesitate, and directly made his choice.


    A smile appeared on Qi Rou''s face.


    In the following days, Chen An seemed to have returned to the beginning of his cultivation.


    He stayed in Qi Rou''s practice room every day, cultivating and absorbing spiritual energy.


    Of course, the daily elixirs were also indispensable, delivered regularly every day.


    With the nourishment of these things, Chen An''s cultivation progressed rapidly.


    Boom!


    The surging spiritual energy was inhaled by Chen An, then under his control, it flowed to another location, gathering in another area.


    And that place is none other than where the heart is located.


    According to the Demon Scripture, apart from the abdomen, the area where the heart is located is considered the most concentrated area of divinity.


    This is also the best place to open the second Purple Mansion.


    Apart from this location, if one wants to open a Purple Mansion elsewhere, although it is also possible, it will require much more time and effort.


    Time passed slowly.


    Finally, with the surge of spiritual energy, a strand of divine power began to be born, nurtured and brought forth.


    The first strand of divine power converted by the Demon Scripture finally appeared and infiltrated the newly opened Purple Mansion.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258 - Ancestral Land"How is it?"


    The Zi Palace opens up, and the surging divine power is born from it, directly emerging in all directions, and then after the operation of the Zi Palace, it goes towards other areas.


    Not far away, Qi Rou looked at Chen An with concern, especially concerned about his every move.


    "It feels good."


    Chen An smiled and then said softly, "At least that''s how it feels right now."


    He explained in detail about his feelings.


    In short, opening the Zi Palace did not have much benefit for his current strength growth.


    However, Chen An could still feel the changes.


    After all, this was the second Zi Palace, and opening it would still bring some changes.


    Chen An closed his eyes and began to carefully feel.


    The first change was the reactions all over his body.


    In addition to the original divine power in the Zi Palace, a brand new divine power emerged, with a completely different nature from the previous divine power.


    It was a very special feeling.


    Having two divine powers in the body at the same time, but being accommodated by two Zi Palaces at the same time, they would not affect each other.


    "Can I have the same ability that you have?"


    Looking at Qi Rou in front of him, Chen An curiously asked.


    The demon scriptures, in addition to normal practice, could also bestow unique abilities on practitioners.


    For example, Qi Rou in front of him had a unique ability to sense the emotions of others and know good and evil.


    For this ability, Chen An couldn''t help but be interested.


    After all, if he could clearly know the thoughts of others, know the good and evil in their hearts, then it would undoubtedly save a lot of trouble.


    Even for Chen An, there would be great benefits.


    So he was very curious about this question.


    Facing Chen An''s gaze, Qi Rou smiled softly and said, "Of course you can."


    "But what exactly it will be, that''s not certain."


    She explained, "The practice of the demon scriptures varies depending on each person''s bloodline, so the awakened abilities will also be different."


    In simple terms, practicing the demon scriptures, the abilities that are finally awakened will be different.


    This stems from the differences in each other''s practice.


    Everyone''s physique is different, even if they have the same bloodline.


    The practice of the demon scriptures varies from person to person, so the abilities that are ultimately awakened will also be different.


    Qi Rou awakened the ability to sense people''s hearts, but if Chen An practiced, the abilities he awakened afterwards might not be the same.


    In the end, it depends on fate.


    Chen An nodded, indicating that he understood.


    But in his heart, he also had a sense of anticipation.


    He was undoubtedly curious about what kind of abilities he would awaken in the future.


    But curiosity aside, at least at the present moment, he couldn''t know.


    Because to truly awaken the ability of the demon body, at least he needed to practice the demon scriptures to the level of Soul Transformation.


    Because only at this level, can he truly tap into the power hidden in the new bloodline of the demon body, and awaken the various special powers of the demon body.


    Chen An couldn''t do it right now.


    Because his second Zi Palace had just been opened, according to the level of his cultivation, he was only in the Qi Refinement stage, still far from Soul Transformation.


    But Chen An felt that as long as he was willing, this distance was not that great after all.


    After all, the treatment he was enjoying right now was too good.


    Even if he was aiming for those heavenly materials and earthly treasures, Chen An''s progress in cultivation would not be slow.


    Not to mention that Chen An''s aptitude had already changed, and he was already a different person from before.


    In the days to come, Chen An continued to practice diligently.


    Qi Rou acted as Chen An''s teacher and became the main instructor for Chen An''s practice of the demon scriptures.


    Of course, this was also not optional.


    Although the Yao Mo Sect was large, there were not many people qualified to practice the demon scriptures.


    The ones who had truly practiced it to a certain extent were only Lin Qiu and Qi Rou.


    Compared to Lin Qiu, who needed to deal with many affairs in various places and oversee everything within the Yao Mo Sect, she didn''t have much leisure time.


    Therefore, the only one who could do this now was Qi Rou.


    Of course, in itself, Qi Rou was willing to do this.


    Even from the surface, Qi Rou seemed quite enthusiastic, waiting there early every day before Chen An arrived.


    Perhaps as the saintess of the Yao Mo Sect, she valued the inheritance of the demon scriptures more than the people around her, so she was particularly concerned about Chen An''s cultivation of the demon scriptures.


    Under her guidance, Chen An made rapid progress.


    In just a short amount of time, his cultivation of the demon scriptures quickly broke through from just Qi Refinement to the ninth level of Qi Refinement.


    The reason for this fast progress was both due to the favorable environment here and also due to the change in Chen An''s aptitude.


    After all, his current aptitude was not the same as before, he had reached a whole new level. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    For his current aptitude, the speed of cultivation would naturally be much faster.


    Seeing that the time was not far from his breakthrough to Soul Transformation and reaching a higher level, unfortunately, at this time, Qi Rou had to leave.


    She was about to leave the area where the Yao Mo Sect was located, preparing to go to the ancestral land of the Sun and Moon Sect to hold a ceremony.


    Chen An could only put down his cultivation and leave with Qi Rou.


    This was unavoidable.


    The ceremony of the Sun and Moon Sect was held once every few decades, and if they missed this one, Qi Rou and Chen An would have to wait for several decades again.


    This was obviously unacceptable no matter what.


    So the two of them left slowly, leading a large group of people towards the unknown region.


    Of course, accompanying them were Lin Qiu and that powerful artifact.


    In preparation for this ceremony, Qi Rou and Lin Qiu had almost brought the entire foundation of the Yao Mo Sect with them.


    The preparations seemed more like going to battle rather than participating in a ceremony.


    But thinking about it carefully, this caution and seriousness seemed understandable.


    After all, the demon path was different from the cultivation sects, and they paid attention to different things.


    Facing other practitioners, if Lin Qiu and Qi Rou didn''t prepare anything, they would probably be in trouble.


    Chen An nodded inwardly as he watched their actions.


    As the saying goes, facing the evil path, there''s no need to talk about chivalry.


    The current situation was the same.


    Facing a group of demon path practitioners, there was no need to be courteous, whatever was bad should be done.


    After all, those people were probably already prepared for it.


    If you didn''t use this approach, they might even feel embarrassed.


    So more effort was needed.


    That''s what Chen An thought.


    And obviously, Lin Qiu and the others did the same.


    Time passed slowly.


    Following Qi Rou, Chen An left the Yao Mo Sect''s residence.


    They crossed a long distance and finally left the Southern Domain, arriving in another vast domain.


    "To think it''s in the Northern Domain?"


    Looking at the scene in front of him, Chen An was somewhat surprised.


    The Yao Mo Sect had a large number of array masters and corresponding teleportation arrays.


    Although they couldn''t be considered outstanding teleportation arrays, they were still capable of a certain level of travel.


    Through this array, Chen An and the others crossed a long distance and arrived directly in the middle of the Northern Domain.


    This was the reason why they had such fast speed.


    Otherwise, in such a vast domain, even if Chen An and the others were skilled cultivators, they probably couldn''t have arrived in the Northern Domain in such a short time.


    "How much further?"


    At one point, Chen An spoke, looking at Qi Rou in front of him.


    "We''re already there."


    Qi Rou smiled and pointed in the direction ahead.


    Chen An looked up and was suddenly stunned.


    In the distance, a unique scene appeared.


    A towering sacred mountain stood there, with flashing runes and ripples, emanating in all directions.


    Under the sacred mountain, there was a hidden divine aura, rippling everywhere.


    Even without careful observation, anyone could feel the extraordinary nature of this sacred mountain.


    Chen An looked carefully ahead and was astonished.


    Previously, he was certain that there was definitely no trace of this place around.


    Otherwise, with the uniqueness of this spiritual place, he would definitely remember it and wouldn''t fail to recognize it.


    Since he hadn''t seen it before, it meant that there was a hidden formation covering the area and hiding it?


    Thinking about it, it seemed normal, after all, this was the ancestral land of the Sun and Moon Sect, and the protection there must be strict.


    The Sun and Moon Sect, as the former ruler of the Yuan World, had a vast power, and the atmosphere in their ancestral land was naturally different.


    To have this kind of ability could only be considered child''s play.


    Chen An speculated that this place could probably even shield the sensing of a venerable.


    Because according to Qi Rou, this ancestral land buried more than one venerable, as well as many divine treasures left behind in the past.


    Even a venerable might find it difficult to face this ancestral land and feel particularly terrified.


    Of course, this had nothing to do with Chen An.


    Coming to this place, his blood was boiling.


    The reason for the boiling of his blood was the surging demon blood in his body.


    In this spiritual place, there were many traces left by past demon scripture practitioners, and they left behind deep-seated atmospheres.


    These long-lasting traces naturally made this place naturally close to the demon body, and therefore Chen An''s body instinctively reacted, with the blood in his body starting to boil and circulate on its own.


    Chen An turned to look at Qi Rou standing beside him.


    At his side, Qi Rou stood there in a daze, seemingly having a strong reaction to the spiritual place in front of her as well.


    Her demonic blood was much stronger than Chen An''s, so she could sense more things.


    "What a treasure trove."


    After a long time, she finally came to her senses from that feeling, and exclaimed with some subconscious admiration, "For the demon body''s bloodline, this place is the best, there is no better place."


    "Yes."


    Chen An nodded in agreement, "If you practice here for a long time, one day here will be equivalent to ten days outside."


    This area had many traces left by past demon scripture practitioners, and it was rumored to have buried several venerables as well, which had caused eternal changes to this place.


    Being in this place, if one practiced the demon scriptures, they would naturally be in harmony with the surrounding heaven and earth, making cultivation much easier.


    Chen An estimated that if he stayed in this area, he would soon be able to complete the cultivation of the Qi Refinement stage and advance his demon scriptures to the Soul Transformation level.


    This would not take long.


    "Unfortunately."


    Qi Rou shook her head with some regret.


    Compared to Chen An, she obviously knew more about the situation, and at this moment, she couldn''t help feeling regretful.


    The area in front of them was a supreme treasure trove for the practice of the demon scriptures, and it was the same for Qi Rou and others who inherited the demonic blood.


    Bluntly put, for them, there was no place under the heavens better suited for cultivation than the area in front of them.


    But Chen An could detect something unusual.


    The most obvious point was that this area, as a treasure trove, had been unoccupied for so many years.


    This was truly an incredible thing.


    After all, according to common sense, even if it was such a treasure trove, let alone a common spiritual place, there would probably be many people who wanted to take it over.


    Not to mention that for someone like Qi Rou, a demon sect practitioner, the situation would be even more wary, let alone returning to this place only at the beginning of each ceremony.


    There was obviously a problem with this.


    Qi Rou and Lin Qiu obviously knew something, but they were very secretive about it and didn''t want to talk about it.


    Chen An speculated that this was probably a problem caused by the decline of the Sun and Moon Sect in the past.


    The last demon lord of the Sun and Moon Sect probably did something in this place, causing something to go wrong here, which led to this result.


    Of course, this was just speculation.


    It was difficult to say for sure what exactly happened.


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind, and then he looked ahead.


    In another area, many figures had suddenly appeared out of thin air at this moment.


    These were other practitioners, each wearing a white robe, looking dignified and graceful, with a certain air about them.


    Just looking at them, Chen An initially thought that they were legitimate cultivators of the cultivation sect.


    But after sensing carefully, he immediately realized something was wrong.


    Wow, the demonic aura on these people was quite heavy.


    It was even heavier than the demonic aura in Chen An''s body.


    Obviously, these were typical demon sect practitioners, and like Qi Rou and the others, they were practitioners of the demon scriptures.


    Glancing around, Chen An''s gaze quickly focused on a certain person.


    That person was a young man in his twenties, wearing a white robe.


    The young man had a slender figure, handsome appearance, and a pair of eyes that carried a gaze that was difficult to look at, showing that his cultivation of the demon scriptures had reached an extremely profound level.


    He walked over from a distance, and his gaze immediately fell on Qi Rou.


    Of course, Qi Rou did the same.


    As fellow practitioners of the demon scriptures, the demonic energy in their bodies immediately sensed each other''s conditions, and their gazes naturally fell on each other.


    Compared to ordinary cultivators, demon sect practitioners did not have a concept of colleagues among themselves.


    Sometimes, colleagues could be more dangerous than outsiders.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259 - Ming Zun and the Sun and Moon Demon Sect"Yao Mo Zong, Qi Rou?"


    In front of the spirit array, two groups of people collided and stared at each other.


    The young man looked at Qi Rou in front of him and couldn''t help but speak.


    His gaze scrutinized Qi Rou as if looking at an opponent.


    "Chang Jue Sect, Yang Xiao?"


    Qi Rou''s gaze also fell on the other party, although she was asking, her tone was particularly certain.


    The two stared at each other, both with intense murderous intent in their eyes, as if they were looking at their destined enemy.


    Looking at them, it didn''t look like they belonged to the same sect, but rather like bitter enemies.


    Not far away, Chen An quietly watched the confrontation between the two, finding it quite interesting.


    It wasn''t until Qi Rou mentioned Yang Xiao''s name that he was somewhat surprised.


    "Chang Jue Sect?"


    He couldn''t help but look at Yang Xiao in front of him, seeing him in his white robes, looking righteous. Even though he was prepared, he still found it quite surprising.


    This was understandable.


    It was because the disguises of these people in front of them were too good.


    Compared to the Yao Mo Zong group, the Chang Jue Sect in front of them looked too normal.


    Seeing the other party in their white robes and extremely bright white robe, they appeared more righteous than the sect''s cultivators.


    Anyone who saw this group of people would probably have a favorable impression of them at first sight, thinking that they were upright and virtuous people of the righteous path.


    However, in reality, these people were not righteous figures, all of them were madmen practicing demonic techniques.


    It could only be said that appearances are deceiving.


    Chen An couldn''t help but look sideways.


    In the past, he was a core figure in the Chang Yue Sect and a guest of honor in other forces such as the Dan Tower, so he naturally knew more things.


    The Yao Mo Zong had hidden themselves well in the past, and although their power was vast, Chen An had never heard of them.


    But it was different for the Chang Jue Sect.


    This sect was located in the northern region, belonging to the top forces in the northern region.


    And on the surface, this force belonged to the orthodox sect and had no connection to the demonic path.


    This was impressive.


    Not only did they transform themselves completely, giving themselves the appearance of orthodox cultivators, they also managed to reach the peak of that domain, and no one has noticed it so far.


    Apart from their abilities, their disguises alone were already remarkable.


    Chen An could only admire.


    However, this operation made him inexplicably think of the Hao Mountain Sect in the Dust Realm.


    Although the Hao Mountain Sect still existed in the Dust Realm, if it were to reappear later, it would probably be like the Chang Jue Sect, becoming a skin for demonic cultivators to wear.


    Various thoughts slowly crossed his mind.


    But on the surface, Chen An remained calm and composed, just quietly watching in front of him.


    In front of them, Qi Rou and Yang Xiao were still facing off.


    Unknowingly, they both had a faint demonic aura around them, the demonic scriptures in their bodies were being activated to the maximum, and their immense spiritual power was about to erupt, covering the area.


    The surrounding spiritual energy was being drawn in, as if sensing the situation here, it was about to explode.


    Seeing this, if nothing unexpected happened, the two of them would probably have a fierce battle here.


    Fortunately, someone intervened at the critical moment.


    "Both of you."


    A voice suddenly sounded.


    Under Chen An''s gaze, Lin Qiu took a step forward and walked directly to the center of the two.


    A powerful aura spread out, the kind of aura that only a Golden Core cultivator possessed, separated the auras of the two.


    In an instant, the auras that were converging on each other dispersed.


    Both sets of eyes turned to Lin Qiu.


    Facing the gaze of both of them, Lin Qiu remained calm, just smiling and saying, "The ceremony has not yet begun, and the Holy Son does not want to fight with our Sect¡¯s Saintess here and give the others an advantage."


    "If you really want to fight, wait until after the ceremony is over."


    His words were soft, but they sounded particularly heavy, giving people a strong sense of conviction.


    This was brought about by his cultivation base.


    As a top Golden Core cultivator, he had this confidence.


    "You are the protector of Yao Mo Zong of this generation."


    Facing Lin Qiu, Yang Xiao''s pupils constricted as if recognizing his identity.


    The two demonic auras quickly dissipated and returned to their bodies.


    Yang Xiao was about to turn away, but suddenly paused, subconsciously looking towards where Chen An was.


    "Huh?"


    He looked at Chen An in front of him and felt his aura, feeling somewhat surprised.


    Before, Qi Rou had always been standing next to Chen An.


    Her demonic bloodline aura was too strong, so it immediately attracted most of the attention, causing Yang Xiao to focus on her.


    But now, with Qi Rou actively concealing her demonic bloodline aura, Chen An was also immediately noticed by her.


    In Yang Xiao''s eyes, although the demonic aura on Chen An''s body wasn''t very strong, it was still evident.


    Almost immediately, he turned his gaze to Chen An and then spoke directly, "Who are you? Why do you also have a demonic aura on you?"


    Noticing the pure demonic aura on Chen An''s body, his eyes lit up, and he spoke directly, "Miss Qi, hand this person over to me, and I''ll let you set the conditions!"


    "I have a sister who is now in her prime, talented and intelligent, she is a perfect match for you!"


    His gaze turned to Chen An, directly offering the invitation, completely ignoring the gradually darkening expression on Qi Rou¡¯s face.


    "Yang Xiao!"


    A shout suddenly sounded.


    Qi Rou''s face darkened, taking a step forward and standing in front of Chen An, glaring at Yang Xiao.


    She looked very angry.


    Of course, it was impossible to say she wasn''t angry.


    After all, trying to poach someone in front of her, especially her husband, no matter how good her temper was, she would still be angry.


    Not to mention that Qi Rou''s temper was not good, she was quite hot-tempered.


    The atmosphere on the spot gradually changed, and there was a lot of tension in the air again in an instant.


    "Why is Miss Qi so angry?"


    A hoarse voice came from behind. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a very deep voice.


    Chen An looked up and saw a middle-aged woman in a gray robe with some gray hair walking towards them.


    The middle-aged woman was still beautiful, dressed in simple clothes, elegant in temperament, revealing a hint of past beauty. As she walked over from a distance, Lin Qiu''s face changed and became much more serious.


    "Yang Qi, you''re still alive?"


    Lin Qiu looked at the middle-aged woman in front of him with a puzzled expression, as if he found it very unbelievable.


    "You''ve disappointed me. Although I was seriously injured back then, I fortunately didn''t die."


    Yang Qi looked at Lin Qiu in front of her, with a faint smile on her face, "But you, before the former protector of the Yao Mo Zong passed away, he didn''t take you away, which is quite remarkable."


    "You don''t have to worry about that."


    Lin Qiu said calmly and his expression also became colder.


    Chen An stood on the side, watching the scene before him with interest.


    He could tell that Lin Qiu and the middle-aged woman named Yang Qi probably knew each other for a long time and might have had some past together.


    But that was normal.


    Golden Core cultivators have a long lifespan and under normal circumstances can live for hundreds of years.


    Looking at Lin Qiu and Yang Qi, it was likely that they were already a couple of hundred years old.


    There might have been some complicated grudges and enmities between them.


    Of course, Chen An didn''t really have any interest in getting involved in those grudges.


    He was just interested in enjoying the show and hearing some gossip.


    But unfortunately, whenever he wanted to enjoy the show, it always seemed to involve him.


    Slowly, he started to notice that something wasn''t right.


    Why are they quarreling and then all looking at me?


    Chen An was a little confused.


    "I see."


    Yang Qi looked at Chen An with interest, watching him for a while before finally speaking, "A successful transformation of the bloodline with a blood exchange ritual? This is quite rare."


    "Do you think I''m a fool?"


    Beside them, Yang Xiao spoke coldly, "Do you think you can produce this level of bloodline with a normal blood exchange ritual?"


    "Do you take me for a fool?"


    Listening to this, Lin Qiu opened his mouth, intending to say something more, but in the end, he couldn''t say anything.


    Because this was indeed a fact.


    According to the demonic scriptures, the theory of blood exchange could theoretically produce beings with a demonic bloodline.


    But the effects of such transformations were often limited, at most producing some inferior products. It was impossible to create someone like Chen An.


    To be honest, when Chen An''s blood transformation was successful, Lin Qiu also had some doubts about himself.


    "Is it possible that he is originally a bloodline inheritor of the demon bloodline, and it was only activated by the blood exchange ritual."


    In the end, he coughed and spoke, stating his opinion.


    "This is quite possible."


    Yang Xiao looked at Chen An with interest, nodding in agreement with Lin Qiu''s statement.


    But Chen An felt helpless about this statement.


    What nonsense.


    How did this body of his come about? Didn''t he himself know?


    What demonic bloodline inheritance, that was something that didn''t exist before.


    The reason why the blood exchange ritual had such a good effect was purely coincidental.


    After all, luck did exist.


    Chen An had been unlucky for so long, and now he had a stroke of good luck. It could be explained.


    However, no matter how he said it, no one believed it.


    Of course, the disbelief didn''t really matter.


    Since Qi Rou was there, they couldn''t do anything to Chen An.


    After a while, Qi Rou led Chen An away.


    They walked forward, all the way to the central area of this sacred place.


    There, the people of the other two forces were already waiting.


    When the Sun and Moon Demon Sect fell into decline, after a long period of assimilation, only four branches were left.


    The Yao Mo Zong where Qi Rou was, and the Chang Jue Sect where Yang Xiao was, were two of them. As for the other two, they were the Jing Zhong Temple and the Yin Li Sect.


    The Jing Zhong Temple was a force in the western region, similarly disguised as orthodox sect cultivators, with all its members dressed as monks.


    They looked unique, with everyone looking like great monks. They appeared even more orthodox than the traditional Buddhist cultivators.


    However, in reality, each one of these monks was a ruthless person with the aura of demonic scriptures.


    Of course, like Chen An, they all cultivated through the Second Purple Mansion method.


    Ordinary people without demonic scriptures couldn''t sense their true identities.


    Even demonic scripture cultivators wouldn''t be able to detect them with one mistake.


    After all, the Second Purple Mansion was extremely well hidden.


    As for the Yin Li Sect, it was similar to the Yao Mo Zong, both being traditional demonic sects, but their methods were even more unbridled than the Yao Mo Zong.


    When Chen An was in the Chang Yue Sect in the past, he had heard of the reputation of the Yin Li Sect and knew of the powerful style of this sect.


    These four forces were not to be trifled with, and now that they were all gathered together, the effect could be imagined.


    However, precisely because they all had extraordinary abilities, they restrained themselves from fighting here.


    This was not only for practical reasons, but also out of some special considerations.


    Somehow, after entering this ancestral land, everyone became much quieter.


    Even Qi Rou and Yang Xiao, who had been subtly hostile and ready to fight, looked much calmer, remaining silent throughout.


    "Remember to follow me later, don''t move around."


    Seemingly sensing Chen An''s curiosity and confusion, Qi Rou softly spoke, deliberately lowering her voice, "This place is very strange, it seems to have the layout of an ancient Demon Lord. It''s easy to have problems if you act recklessly."


    "My grandfather died here during a ceremony."


    She spoke softly, making Chen An feel a chill in his heart.


    Qi Rou''s grandfather was undoubtedly also a powerful figure, at least a Golden Core existence like Lin Qiu.


    For such a figure to die in this place was truly surprising.


    Chen An couldn''t help but feel a chill in his heart, looking around the place a few more times.


    Unknowingly, they had reached a great hall.


    The walls of the hall were covered with murals.


    Each mural depicted the appearance of a demon god.


    According to the legend of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect, in the ancient days when the world was first created, there were numerous demon gods in the world.


    It wasn''t until a divine figure descended later, known as the Ming Zun, and swept across the world, killing all the gods and demons in the world, clearing the world of these gods and demons, bringing clarity to the world.


    Ming Zun cleansed the world, bringing clarity to the world, and then departed. His legacy was obtained by later generations, becoming the Sun and Moon Demon Lord.


    The Sun and Moon Demon Lord then founded the sect, becoming the Sun and Moon Demon Sect.


    The murals depicted the demon gods that Ming Zun had once cleansed.


    Each of these demon god images contained a strange power, and if observed for too long, they could affect one''s mind, causing various abnormalities.


    Chen An felt a creepy aura spreading in his heart as he looked at these demonic images.


    He couldn''t help but feel a chill in his heart and quickly followed Qi Rou''s footsteps.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260 - StrangeThe strangeness in front of the main hall was clearly visible.


    Not to mention the obvious wrong paintings everywhere, just the various scenes in front of them could make people feel wrong.


    The surroundings were dimly lit, making it difficult to see too many scenes.


    The scenery was hidden under the shadows.


    Occasionally, one could feel the faint smell of blood and some other smells coming from all directions.


    Chen An followed behind Qi Rou, walking quietly towards the front.


    His face was relatively calm, but he had unknowingly lowered his head.


    But he had to lower his head.


    This place was really too strange, filled with that inexplicable special power.


    Whenever Chen An lifted his head and saw the paintings depicting demons, he could feel that special power sweeping around, spreading in his mind.


    Although Chen An was not sure what this change was all about and what kind of results it would bring, it was definitely not a good thing.


    Occasionally looking up, everyone around them had their heads down.


    Whether it was Qi Rou or Yang Xiao, they were all the same, obviously prepared early.


    Some even more exaggerated, directly covered their eyes with a cloth, relying on their spiritual perception to observe the surrounding scenery and ensure their normal walking.


    This was really something.


    Chen An looked at those dressed as demon cultivators who looked like monks, and their actions of covering their eyes made him feel a sense of deja vu, which he found quite amusing.


    Of course, it was funny, but the strength of these people in front of them was not to be underestimated.


    The leaders of the four major forces, all of them had reached the level of Nascent Soul.


    Or in other words, if they did not reach this level of strength, they would not even have the qualification to be brought to this place.


    As for people like Lin Qiu, their cultivation level was even higher, starting from the Golden Core level, and there were more than one or two peak Golden Core existences, all of them ridiculously strong, which made people sigh.


    Observing the situation of the people around him, Chen An couldn''t help but let out a sigh.


    Indeed, the power of the demonic forces was so strong.


    Seemingly, there was not a single weakling among the discovered demonic forces.


    Their strength was generally very high.


    Of course, this was also related to the distinct style and training methods of the demonic cultivators.


    As he observed in silence, a familiar gaze fell on him from the side.


    Chen An turned around and saw Qi Rou''s figure.


    She was also standing aside, looking at Chen An with her peripheral vision, her mouth slightly open, as if she was saying something to him.


    Chen An could understand what she was saying without looking up, it was nothing but words of caution to pay attention to safety.


    In fact, it was so.


    "You can''t speak loudly in this place, and you should also be careful when looking around."


    Qi Rou''s voice softly sounded in his ear, sounding very gentle at this moment.


    She noticed Chen An''s actions and solemnly reminded him.


    Chen An nodded, indicating that he understood.


    Qi Rou then relaxed.


    Indeed, this place was extremely strange, with remnants of restrictions and other things left behind from the time of the Sun-Moon Demon Sect.


    Although these things had changed somewhat after a long period of time, the effects were still considerable.


    If one accidentally encountered them, there would definitely be no escape. S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It could really be a matter of life and death.


    Moving forward, the group finally arrived at the core in front.


    To Chen An''s surprise, even in such a gloomy and terrifying place, there were already people waiting.


    In front, an old man was standing there.


    The old man was wearing a gray robe, with a thin figure, standing on the high platform, silently looking down at Chen An and the others.


    If one were to have eye contact with the old man, they would immediately feel a creepy sensation in their heart.


    In the eyes of a normal person, the appearance of the old man in front of them was undoubtedly extremely terrifying, looking like a dried corpse, with patches of corpse spots covering his face, looking particularly terrifying, like an active corpse.


    He stood there, with muddy and dead eyes staring at the people below, and seemed to react only after a long time, saying faintly, "You''ve arrived."


    "The ritual that happens every thirty years, is it starting again?"


    The faint words resounded in place and slowly spread to the ears of everyone around.


    Chen An instinctively frowned.


    Just like the strange power that existed everywhere, when the old man in front of them spoke, there was also a strange power in his body, making people feel particularly terrified.


    Even just listening to the voice as if one could feel an inexplicable power bursting out, about to invade his body.


    This strange feeling was obviously abnormal.


    What was the background of this old man in front of them?


    This thought flashed through Chen An''s mind, and he subconsciously raised his head to look forward.


    But the old man obviously did not have the energy to pay attention to him.


    After all, there were too many people here, and at first glance, the old man wouldn''t even notice such a small character like him.


    Even if he were to look, he would probably look at someone like Qi Rou.


    "High Priest."


    Lin Qiu and Yang Qi exchanged glances and then walked out together, speaking politely, "The thirty-year deadline has arrived, and we have come to prepare for the ritual."


    Although the words were clear, the old man in front seemed to be quite confused, still stiff there, until after a long time, he finally seemed to move, seeming to come to his senses.


    "So that''s the case."


    He nodded, his eyes calm, as if he was not surprised at all, "Then get ready."


    "Everything is already prepared inside."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the front.


    Behind him, Lin Qiu and the others looked at the figure of the old man and followed suit.


    They walked into the inner hall, and the surroundings suddenly became more spacious.


    The space around them seemed quite spacious, with only a black door standing out conspicuously, open there.


    "Get ready."


    The High Priest spoke lightly, looking at the black door in front of him, and said in a hoarse voice, "Those who are preparing to participate in the trial, come directly here in half a month."


    "The Devil''s Scripture is inside."


    "As for those who do not want to participate, stay away, otherwise if anything happens, don''t blame it on this old man''s head."


    With a faint voice, he sounded particularly hoarse.


    "Don''t worry, we know the rules."


    Lin Qiu and the others nodded respectfully, and followed silently as they took Qi Rou and the others back, heading towards the exit.


    "The person just now is the guardian stationed here."


    Outside the main hall, Qi Rou explained to Chen An in a low voice, "When the Sun-Moon Demon Sect split, most people left the ancestral land, but some people stayed here, guarding this place for generations."


    "They guard the inheritance of the Devil''s Scripture and the tombs of the Demon Lords of the past, to prevent the past Demon Lords from being disturbed by the puny."


    "I see."


    Chen An nodded, indicating that he understood.


    In simple terms, they were responsible for guarding the tombs.


    In such a big place, and a treasure land at that, it was still necessary for someone to take care of it.


    Otherwise, even if the natural conditions of this area were good, the spiritual formations within would eventually deteriorate over time and slowly collapse.


    The reason why it was being maintained so well, was obviously due to someone taking care of it for a long time.


    And the caretakers were obviously these guardians.


    "These people are very mysterious, usually responsible for guarding the tombs of the Demon Lords of the past, so if possible, try not to provoke them."


    Qi Rou spoke in a low voice, "There is still about half a month left before the ritual begins, so you should hurry up and break through as soon as possible, condense the Devil''s body."


    "I understand."


    Chen An calmly nodded, showing that he understood.


    The feedback from the Devil''s Scripture was not something that could be obtained easily, and it also had quite strict conditions.


    In order to receive feedback from the Devil''s Scripture, one had to have at least the level of Nascent Soul cultivation.


    Otherwise, with just the cultivation level of Qi Refinement, it would be impossible to trigger a response from the Devil''s Scripture.


    And Chen An''s current cultivation level was already at the peak of Qi Refinement, just one step away from Nascent Soul.


    That''s why Qi Rou urged him.


    "Half a month, there should be no problem."


    After thinking for a moment, Chen An gave this answer.


    His Devil''s Scripture cultivation had reached the peak of Qi Refinement, and he was just one step away from Nascent Soul.


    With about half a month''s time and the perfect place for cultivating the Devil''s Scripture, he should be able to break through to Nascent Soul level.


    It all depended on how long it would take.


    Qi Rou nodded, not saying much.


    She had great confidence in Chen An, even more so than Chen An himself had in himself.


    So in the following days, Chen An''s life gradually returned to normal.


    In this treasure land, he began to practice diligently, trying to take the cultivation of the Devil''s Scripture to a higher level and deduce it to a higher level.


    It turned out that this place was indeed a treasure land for cultivating the Devil''s Scripture.


    In just a few days, Chen An''s cultivation made great progress, reaching a whole new level.


    It seemed that he was just one step away from reaching Nascent Soul level.


    Finally, at a certain moment on a certain day, the spiritual energy around him began to boil.


    Boom!


    A strong breath spread out, directly spreading in all directions, affecting the nearby spiritual energy.


    With the rolling spiritual energy, a new Nascent Soul cultivator was born.


    Chen An sat cross-legged in his closed room, quietly feeling the changes happening within him at the moment.


    To be honest, reaching Nascent Soul level did not bring him any significant changes.


    After all, in essence, he was already a Nascent Soul cultivator.


    It was just for the first time he had cultivated his second Purple Mansion to the Nascent Soul level, which was a first for Chen An.


    He carefully felt the difference between the two.


    According to what was recorded in the Devil''s Scripture, once the cultivation reached the Nascent Soul level, a cultivator''s Devil body would begin to condense, awaking the power of the Devil''s bloodline, excavating what lay dormant in the bloodline.


    Qi Rou''s ability to sense people''s hearts, to some extent, came from this.


    And now it was Chen An''s turn, and the ability he awakened was different.


    It was an extraordinary reaction ability.


    However, unlike Qi Rou''s direct ability to sense people''s hearts, and even emotions, Chen An''s ability to sense was more about the things that existed in nature.


    For example, the various fluctuations of spiritual energy, the pulsations of the heavens and earth, even the changes in the surrounding environment, all came up in Chen An''s mind.


    In the first place, Chen An''s sensing ability was already very strong.


    And now it seemed even stronger, directly leaping to a higher level.


    To Chen An, this ability was not useless.


    Sensing ability was useful no matter where one was, only for Chen An, it might not be as effective as Qi Rou''s ability to sense people''s hearts.


    But in some specific situations, the difference between the two was not that great.


    Yeah, not bad.


    Chen An nodded in satisfaction, and then prepared to get up.


    He walked out of the room and headed straight to Qi Rou''s room.


    And in the distance.


    At the moment when Chen An broke through, an old man with a withered figure, looking like a dried corpse, turned his head and glanced towards Chen An''s direction, his face seemed somewhat surprised.


    "Another one has appeared?"


    He muttered in surprise, then quickly laughed, "It''s not bad at all."


    "The more suitable sacrifices, the better."


    He chuckled softly, but his hands did not stop, and he continued to work.


    The rolling divine power bloomed.


    With the old man lightly shaking his hand, unique runes were depicted, showing a vitality that was different from ordinary people''s.


    Faint light scattered, illuminating the scene in front of him.


    In front of the old man, a huge red coffin stood quietly, placed there.


    On the coffin, drops of blood were being scattered, constantly falling down as if it were bleeding.


    A strong smell of blood wafted over, rising directly.


    Various strange things began to happen one after another.


    Under the influence of this place, even the demonic paintings that were displayed far away seemed to start changing, with the images of the demonic gods on them beginning to transform, as if they were breaking out of the stone walls.


    However, the old man did not hear all of this, he just continued to do his own thing.


    A breeze blew across, blowing on the old man''s face and lifting his hair.


    Under the dim light, the old man''s face was reflected, revealed as a piece of eerie white bones.


    On the bones, a faint smell of decay faintly emerged, as if there were countless small bugs crawling, gnawing at his flesh.


    In front of him, in the crimson coffin, a mysterious movement took place, starting to shake constantly.


    A crimson arm suddenly shot out from the coffin, as if reaching for something.


    But the old man didn''t find this surprising at all, just smiled, "Don''t rush, don''t rush."


    "The sacrifice you want will be delivered soon."


    "Very soon"


    (The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261 - Inheritance CrystalDrip, drip, drip


    The sound of raindrops falling.


    Chen An sat still, quietly looking into the distance.


    This is a closed area in this ancestral land, chosen by Chen An at a glance because of its good scenery, so he decided to live here.


    During this period of time, he has been staying here.


    Of course, Qirou has been staying with him, living here as well.


    But now, they are almost ready to leave.


    Chen An raised his head and looked forward.


    Although the naked eye can''t see much, through his strong sense, he can already sense the movements of others.


    "They are all ready to go."


    He sighed softly.


    The people of Yao Mo Zong are basically concentrated in this area, while the people of the other three major forces naturally stay far away.


    This is the normal operation.


    After all, the people staying here are all from the demonic sect, and it''s not easy to provoke any one of them.


    If they stay together, I''m afraid they won''t even be able to sleep peacefully.


    Whether it''s out of practical considerations or other reasons, avoiding each other is necessary.


    Fortunately, this place is big enough. Not to mention accommodating these people, even if the number is ten times more, there is no problem.


    "It''s time to set off."


    Not far away, Qirou lazily stretched, looking at Chen An in front of her, she slowly got up.


    "Don''t you want to rest a little longer?"


    Chen An said with a smile.


    In recent days, because the ceremony is about to begin, in order to adjust his own state, Qirou has not rested for half a month in a row.


    The Spiritualists can indeed skip sleep to a certain extent, but this intensity is a bit exaggerated.


    However, on the surface, Qirou doesn''t seem to show much tiredness, but instead looks very energetic and excited.


    Chen An thought for a moment, but he wasn''t surprised.


    After all, for Qirou, who has been waiting for this day for a long time, it''s only normal for her to be excited now that the day has finally arrived.


    It''s normal not to be able to rest quietly.


    The two of them quickly got up and walked towards the center of this area. s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, they arrived at the central hall they had been in before.


    In the hall, Yang Xiao and others had already arrived early, standing there waiting for everyone to gather.


    The high priest was wearing a black robe, standing beside, murmuring and reciting some subtle words, I don''t know what he was saying.


    Chen An looked at their appearance and didn''t speak, just stood beside Qirou.


    For this adventure, he had already made up his mind to stay quietly on the side and observe.


    After all, with the strength of Lin Qiu and Qirou, it is already enough to deal with most troubles.


    "It seems that everyone has gathered."


    When the agreed time arrived, in the central area, the high priest finally opened his muddy eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Everyone is here, that''s good."


    "Does anyone want to leave at this point? You can still leave now."


    He looked down and asked.


    And the answer to this question was obvious.


    Most of those who came here at this time were basically here for the final demon crystal.


    Now that they are finally about to see the demon crystal, it is impossible for them to leave now.


    So it is impossible for them to leave.


    They only have one choice, to move forward.


    Chen An looked around and observed the actions of the others.


    In his observation, there may be some movements in the other three teams, but none of them wanted to leave the area.


    As the saying goes, no one wants to leave.


    Whether it''s Qirou or Yang Xiao, and the son and daughter of the Inzong Temple and the Yinfaction, their faces are calm and they don''t want to miss this grand event.


    They are all direct bloodlines of the demonic body, and the demon crystal is the most fundamental inheritance for them.


    So for others, it may be possible to choose not to continue forward, but for them, if they miss this opportunity, they will have to wait thirty years for the next one.


    Even for a cultivator, thirty years is not a short period of time.


    Waiting is not an option.


    "Very well."


    Observing the surroundings, the high priest nodded in satisfaction, seeming very satisfied with the choices of Qirou and the others, "The great door is already open. If you want to feel the demon crystal, just go straight in later."


    "The formation has been active all along, in case of any accidents, just go through the formation directly."


    He said with a faint smile.


    With his words falling, in front of them, the huge black door gradually lit up, and the runes inside seemed to be activated.


    Boom!


    With a slight sound, the runes in front were activated, the transmission formation slowly opened, revealing the passage to another area.


    "Let''s go."


    Looking at this scene, Qirou and others were all dazzled.


    Only Chen An, looking at the transmission formation in front of him, seemed to be thinking, seeing more things.


    Compared to the others present, he was half of a formation master and had been studying transmission formations, so he could see many details.


    If he was not mistaken, the formation in front of him should belong to a large-scale transmission formation, capable of transmitting people to another secret realm.


    This was just the minimum. If the effect is better, it might even be possible to use it for cross-border transmission.


    This perfectly matched Chen An''s inclinations, and it was something worth paying attention to for him at the moment.


    If possible, he really wanted to stay here and study this formation.


    But unfortunately, in front of Qirou and others, this idea was doomed to failure.


    Others were still watching.


    Chen An could only feel sorry and follow Qirou and others to the front door.


    The door in front slowly closed, and the formation inside continued to oscillate, flashing various colors.


    A moment later, they arrived at a new place.


    It was also a large hall, but quite vast.


    The hall in front of him already seemed large to Chen An, but compared to the area in front of him, it was nothing.


    The hall in front of him was particularly spacious and vast, although it was indoors, the space was terrifyingly large.


    Chen An raised his head and looked up.


    At the top, a golden ceiling stood quietly, estimated to be at least several hundred meters high.


    Just the ceiling alone had such a distance, how vast this space was can be imagined.


    The space around was vast, and one could not see the end at a glance.


    In the center of the hall, a huge crystal stood.


    The crystal was golden, lying quietly in the center of the hall, emitting a faint golden light.


    Within it seemed to contain an inexplicable power, able to easily trigger the Blood Demon vibrations in the bodies of everyone present, causing their divine power to shake uncontrollably and instinctively rotate in the direction guided by the demon crystal.


    Without a doubt, this was something used for inheriting the demon crystal, the original source of the demon crystal.


    Chen An looked at the tall crystal in front of him and silently had this thought.


    "Let''s begin."


    A calm voice sounded on the side.


    The son of the Yinfaction was expressionless, occupying a corner with a group of people, "The rules here you all understand, I don''t need to repeat them."


    "A month''s time, everyone show your skills."


    "Of course."


    The son of the Inzong Temple, dressed as a monk with a compassionate face, nodded and then found a place to sit down.


    Yang Xiao and Qirou also nodded, each with their own people sitting around the crystal.


    Since the decline of the Sun Moon Demon Sect, similar ceremonies have been held many times, and some established rules have been explored.


    The crystal in front of the demon is the body of the demon crystal, carrying the original true meaning of the demon crystal. As long as those who cultivate the demon crystal approach, they can use the original true meaning of the demon crystal to comprehend the various essences of the demon crystal and thus realize their own demon crystal.


    This is basic.


    But what different people comprehend is different, and there is also a distinction between high and low.


    As for what can be comprehended, it depends on each person''s talent.


    In other words, everyone has to rely on their own abilities.


    There was no conflict in this round, so they didn''t have any intent to fight, just occupying a corner each and then preparing to earnestly comprehend the demon crystal.


    People like Qirou, who took the opportunity to sit down in a favorable position.


    But some people were not so direct.


    Like Chen An.


    At this moment, he was still wandering around.


    This place is mysterious and unique.


    For Qirou and the others, the most important thing here is naturally the crystal that holds the demon crystal.


    But for Chen An, it may not be the case.


    There are still interesting things here.


    Such as the stone walls around.


    If Chen An remembered correctly, the stone walls in front of him are carved with the images of the demon gods from the outside world.


    But compared to the outside world, the demon god images depicted here are more vivid, with vivid forms that seem to be able to come out of the murals at any time and show their former majesty again.


    Chen An carefully observed these murals.


    In these murals, he keenly felt changes and that eerie power he had felt before.


    Yes, the eerie power that once existed in the murals here, seemed to be suppressed by something and not released.


    Otherwise, if the restrictions here disappear completely, I''m afraid it will kill everyone here in minutes.


    That eerie power is too terrifying.


    Chen An estimated that if the prohibition that once existed here completely disappeared, this place would become a dead land.


    In addition to the murals, the scenery outside was also very interesting.


    Not far away, Chen An could see many transmission formations that seemed to lead to the outside world.


    Is this place connected to other locations?


    This discovery piqued Chen An''s curiosity.


    If it weren''t for Qirou and the others still here, he would love to try and see where those transmission formations could take him.


    But unfortunately, there are more important things to do now.


    After observing for a while, Chen Yu quickly turned around and walked towards the position of Qirou and the others.


    He sat down in front of Qirou, found a place, and sat down.


    In this way, like everyone else, he fell into contemplation and started to comprehend the true meaning of the demon crystal in front of him.


    Various information began to connect in his mind, and at this moment, guided by the true meaning of the demon crystal, began to recombine.


    The demonic blood in his body also started to boil gradually and change.


    Everything seemed to be moving in a good direction.


    Perhaps.


    But in the invisible undercurrents that ordinary people couldn''t see, it seems that some things were also happening.


    It''s just that the people present didn''t know about it.


    Time passed bit by bit in deep contemplation.


    It had been a long time.


    At some point, a strong sense of danger surged into his heart.


    A creepy feeling rose from a certain area in his body.


    At this moment, Chen An''s body instinctively began to revive, starting to sound a strong warning.


    It was as if the powerful spiritual sense was also playing a role at this moment.


    But this was of no use.


    Inside his body, another inexplicable power was affecting everything.


    It was the existence of this power that was suppressing the revival of Chen An''s spiritual sense, preventing his consciousness from awakening and restoring.


    And at this rate, the life force in his body was also slowly fading, slowly disappearing at this moment.


    If this continued, he would probably end up dead sooner or later.


    Seemingly sensing Chen An''s danger, within his Purple Mansion, a damaged white tower began to vibrate spontaneously.


    A strand of power scattered from it, looking very subtle, but like a breeze sweeping away fallen leaves, it swept away the mysterious power that had been occupying Chen An''s body.


    Boom!


    When the strange power in his body dissipated, the surging divine power began to recover, and Chen An''s consciousness began to revive.


    In an instant, he woke up, opening his eyes suddenly.


    As he opened his eyes, the scene in front of him came into view, making him stunned.


    Because the scene in front of him was completely different from before.


    In front of him, the originally golden crystal had somehow changed, and now it faintly emitted a strange blood-red color.


    The touch of blood red was not obvious, but it gave an uncomfortable feeling, making Chen An frown instinctively.


    "You''re awake too?"


    Beside him, a familiar voice sounded.


    Chen An turned to look, only to see Qirou.


    Qirou was also awake, but at the moment she looked uncomfortable.


    Her face looked exceptionally pale, and her whole body seemed very weak.


    Of course, these were not the most important things.


    In Chen An''s perception, there were also a lot of strange auras appearing in Qirou''s body.


    The mysterious power was also eroding her body, making her look particularly strange at the moment.


    Is this a mutation?


    Chen An didn''t react for a moment.


    What''s going on?


    Wasn''t it supposed to be a peaceful inheritance ceremony? How did it suddenly become like this?


    What exactly went wrong?


    "It''s the inheritance crystal."


    It seemed like she noticed Chen An''s confusion, Qirou spoke somewhat laboriously, "There''s something odd about the inheritance crystal, it seems someone tampered with it."


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262 - TrialCan the inheritance magic crystal be tampered with?


    Chen An couldn''t help but stare in disbelief.


    Damn.


    This is not just any ordinary object, but the object used for inheritance.


    Is it so easily tampered with by others?


    He couldn''t help but be a little doubtful.


    However, the situation in front of him was there, and it seemed that there was no reason not to believe it.


    He couldn''t help but look around again.


    Then he couldn''t help but exclaim again.


    All around him, wherever he looked, everything had changed.


    Around the magic crystal in front of him, where dozens of people were sitting around, they had all collapsed.


    They were all sitting there, their eyes tightly closed, looking like they were asleep.


    Of course, this was just the surface.


    After observing carefully for a while, it could be noticed that these people''s bodies had a slightly yellowish hue on the surface, a strange color spreading from their brows to various parts of their bodies.


    The weird power that existed in Chen An''s body before invaded again, taking over the bodies of these people.


    Just like Chen An before, they couldn''t stay conscious, only able to sleep there powerlessly.


    They all looked like living statues, particularly eye-catching and striking.


    Looking around, the only ones who remained conscious were Qi Rou and a few others.


    Including Qi Rou and Yang Xiao, the sons of the four major forces all kept their consciousness, but they also looked like they were in a difficult situation at the moment.


    Their bodies were covered with a strange texture, and although their consciousness barely remained, their bodies remained motionless, as if they were struggling with something, looking particularly uncomfortable.


    Looking around, Chen An was somewhat shocked to find that he seemed to be the only one among the people at the scene who remained normal.


    "How are you awake?"


    In the distance, Yang Xiao''s voice came out somewhat weakly at this moment.


    For Yang Xiao to be so surprised by Chen An''s ability to stay awake, it was really surprising and intriguing.


    Before that, he felt that Chen An was different from the rest, and now that he saw this, he felt even more so.


    However, Chen An seemed indifferent to his opinion, casually saying, "I don''t know, maybe it''s just an accident."


    An accident?


    The others in the room didn''t seem to believe that.


    They could all feel the pulling force of the magic crystal.


    The terrifying power emanating from it made them all feel extremely uncomfortable.


    This was because they all had the bloodline of magical bodies, and the primordial truths contained within the magic crystal resonated with them, greatly increasing their resistance.


    If it were an ordinary person, even a Golden Core cultivator, they would probably have passed out long ago now.


    Didn''t they see all those people who had already passed out behind them?


    Those people also had magical body bloodlines, even though their blood was not as rich and noble as theirs, they still resonated with the magic crystal, but they still ended up in that dying state, showing how terrifying the power of the magic crystal was.


    You see, these people not only had the bloodline of magical bodies, but they were also at least at the beginning of the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation.


    There were even a few Golden Core cultivators among them, and they all ended up like this.


    Even they were like this, let alone ordinary people.


    Under these circumstances, the fact that Chen An could remain conscious, and even appear as if nothing was happening, was really something difficult to explain.


    Not only Yang Xiao, but the others couldn''t believe it either.


    Chen An was just saying it casually.


    In reality, he also knew the reason why he could stay awake.


    Most likely, it was because of the White Tower in his body.


    Though the White Tower in his body was damaged and had never responded directly to Chen An''s calls in the past, it was still a legacy of the sage, and quite possibly a holy artifact, its power was definitely not to be underestimated.


    It could bring him back from dormancy and keep him awake, a feat that could still be achieved.


    After all, even the founder of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect, the legendary demon lord who left behind the magic crystal, in all likelihood his cultivation was not even close to that of a sage.


    Now it was just the mischief caused by the magic crystal he left behind, no big deal.


    Chen An raised his head and looked ahead.


    The originally golden magic crystal was now showing a strange crimson color, with countless runes flashing within it, undergoing a change.


    Just by observing this magic crystal alone, there was a strange feeling, as if the whole body and mind were under its influence.


    "Don''t look."


    Beside him, Qi Rou''s weak voice came, "This magic crystal is strange. If you look at it for too long, something ominous will happen."


    As to what ominous thing, she didn''t elaborate on.


    But Chen An already understood.


    Because as he stared at the magic crystal for a longer time, the strange power that had been completely dispelled by the White Tower in him once again invaded, spawning directly in his Purple Mansion, attempting to infect his whole body through his Purple Mansion.


    Unfortunately, this strange power had just spawned and was immediately detected by the White Tower, and was directly dispersed.


    There was no way, the White Tower was just that powerful.


    This was also the reason why Chen An was safe.


    However, Chen An could also clearly feel that his current state was unsustainable.


    Because his divine power was being consumed.


    In the past, the White Tower was in Chen An''s body, and although it also consumed divine power, the amount consumed was not too much, and it could be sustained by the daily absorption and release.


    But now, with the White Tower actively reviving, although it brought with it the characteristic of invincibility, the amount of divine power consumed also increased suddenly.


    In just a short time, Chen An could feel the rapid depletion of his divine power within his body, and if this continued, he was afraid he wouldn''t be able to hold on for long.


    And once the White Tower fell silent again, in his current state, he would probably end up with a single word: death.


    Probably no other options.


    So, the only choice now was one.


    "What should I do?"


    He looked at Qi Rou, asking, "How can we stop this thing?"


    If this situation continued, everyone present would eventually die.


    Although Chen An was not afraid of death, if he could save himself, he would still try.


    After all, life was quite precious.


    Moreover, there was still Qi Rou here.


    In the past, Qi Rou had been quite nice to him, and he had taken advantage of her in some ways.


    If he could, Chen An still wanted to save her.


    Anyway, it was worth a try.


    "If you approach the magic crystal and use the magic book to activate it, you may still be able to stop it."


    Qi Rou''s weak voice came, "But the magic crystal is already acting strangely, it''s very dangerous to do so."


    Danger was a definite.


    After all, the magic crystal was the legacy of the original demon lord, in a sense, it was the treasure of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect''s lineage.


    Such a treasure, even if it was a venerable artifact, was far inferior in power.


    If it was so easy to get close to, their ancestors wouldn''t have chosen to seal this artifact in this area, they would have taken it out and placed it at their doorstep long ago.


    In fact, this thing was very dangerous, and even if you had the bloodline of the magical body, it was still quite dangerous to touch it, even for a cultivator above the Golden Core realm.


    Even with the bloodline of the magical body, touching this thing would still be very dangerous.


    This could be seen from the fact that Qi Rou and the others had kept their distance so far.


    "I understand."


    Chen An nodded, his face calm, and he stood up from his original position.


    Saying that it was dangerous was empty talk at this point.


    Is it dangerous to approach the magic crystal? Isn''t it also dangerous to stay in the same spot?


    It''s all the same.


    In the current situation, staying there meant he would eventually die, sooner or later.


    So in this case, there was nothing to lose by taking a risk.


    In case a single bike turns into a motorcycle?


    With this thought in mind, Chen An decided to take a risk.


    So he stood up and slowly walked towards the direction where the magic crystal was located.


    But before he could take a few steps, he felt an invisible force blocking and hindering his progress.


    There seemed to be an invisible force field in front of him, obstructing his way and preventing him from moving forward, making it impossible for him to continue.


    The closer he got to the magic crystal, the heavier this obstruction felt, making it impossible for him to walk forward.


    Feeling this, Chen An furrowed his brow.


    "It''s useless."


    In the distance, Yang Xiao''s weak voice came. S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He looked cautiously in the direction where Chen An was, explaining, "The magic crystal represents the inheritance of the magical body. Those with impure magical body bloodlines cannot touch the core of the magic crystal; even if they can touch it, they will undoubtedly die on the spot."


    "You''d better save your strength."


    He explained weakly, then said a few more words, as if he had suddenly used up most of his energy, looking very uncomfortable, almost curling up.


    Listening to Yang Xiao''s words, Chen An had no reaction, just remaining silent for a moment before continuing forward.


    Boom!


    The sound of flesh and blood bursting.


    As he took a few steps, his flesh and blood began to burst open, unable to withstand the pressure, unable to continue forward.


    Apparently, as Yang Xiao had said, those with impure bloodlines of the magical body could not approach the core of the magic crystal.


    Attempting to approach it was futile.


    Chen An paid no attention and continued to walk forward.


    At this moment, he seemed to have cast life and death aside, focusing single-mindedly on his goal.


    This firm and calm attitude surprised many of the people present.


    "Isn''t he afraid of death?"


    Yang Xiao''s face changed, full of incredulity.


    As mentioned before, practitioners of the Magic Canon awaken different abilities after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.


    And Yang Xiao had awakened an ability similar to Qi Rou''s.


    He could sense the emotions and thoughts of others, but the effect may not have been as good as Qi Rou''s.


    Or should he say that this ability was common among the sons of Saint-ranked practitioners who practiced the Magic Canon.


    At this level, everyone''s abilities were similar.


    But it was precisely for this reason that they found it so surprising.


    They sensed Chen An''s thoughts and were amazed to find that this person had no emotional fluctuations in his heart, facing the terrifying pressure as calmly as if he were taking a leisurely stroll in the park.


    Was he really not afraid of death?


    Didn''t the strange magical intentions emanating from the magic crystal and the various eerie powers affecting them cause any ripples in this person?


    "What kind of person is he?"


    At this moment, several Saint-ranked practitioners could not help but inhale a cold breath, feeling a person so terrifying.


    In fact, it wasn''t as mysterious as they thought.


    He was afraid of death, of course.


    But if he knew he wouldn''t die, then naturally he wouldn''t be afraid.


    Chen An knew he wouldn''t die, even if his physical body died, it would probably just return to his true form.


    In that case, why be afraid of anything?


    As for the terrifying magical intentions contained within the magic crystal? And the various strange powers that affected them?


    They had no effect at all.


    Because they were all shielded by the White Tower.


    In this situation, Chen An had no emotional fluctuations at all.


    He pushed forward, enduring the pressure from all sides.


    At the end, his body was already blurry, covered with wounds all over.


    Every drop of crimson blood flowed from his body, dripping onto the ground, leaving behind a long trail of blood.


    The whole scene was as bloody as it was miserable.


    "Husband!"


    Qi Rou couldn''t bear to look any longer, afraid that if she looked again, she might not be able to hold back her tears.


    "Truly a tough man!"


    The other three sons also admired him, thinking that Chen An was truly the number one tough guy in the world.


    Staring at the suppression of the magic crystal and the effects of the strange power, the fact that Chen An could remain calm and composed at this stage was truly something out of the ordinary.


    The abilities that practitioners of the Magic Canon awaken after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage vary.


    And what Yang Xiao had awakened, just like Qi Rou, was such an ability.


    He could also sense the emotions and thoughts of others, just as Qi Rou could.


    At this point, everyone''s abilities were more or less the same.


    But it was precisely because of this that they found it so surprising.


    They sensed Chen An''s thoughts and were amazed to find that this person had no emotional fluctuations in his heart, facing the terrifying pressure as calmly as if he were taking a leisurely stroll in the park.


    Was he really not afraid of death?


    The strange magical manifestations emanating from the magic crystal and the various influences that affected them, didn''t they cause any ripples in this person?


    "What kind of person..."


    At this moment, several Saint-level practitioners took a deep breath, their faces filled with disbelief, feeling that such a person was truly terrifying.


    However, things were not as mysterious as they thought.


    He was afraid of death, naturally.


    But if he knew he wouldn''t die, then naturally he wouldn''t be afraid.


    Chen An knew he wouldn''t die, even if his physical body died, it would probably just return to his true form.


    In that case, there was nothing to be afraid of.


    He just kept moving forward, bearing the pressure from all sides.


    As he approached the magic crystal, the pressure and the repulsive force he felt only increased.


    And at this point, Chen An had reached his limit.


    Even if he bravely charged forward, he still couldn''t take another step.


    In other words, he had reached his limit at this moment, unable to cross it.


    So he was very unsatisfied.


    He raised his head and looked ahead.


    Without realizing it, he had covered a long distance, and now there was only a dozen meters'' distance from the magic crystal in front of him.


    As long as he crossed this dozen meters, the magic crystal would be right in front of him, and he would be able to touch it soon.


    A dozen meters was very close for a practitioner.


    If it were the previous Chen An, he could have crossed it in the blink of an eye.


    But now he couldn''t do it.


    Chen An had gradually felt the weakness in his body.


    This was not only due to the suppression of the magic crystal and his own weakness, but also because the White Tower was gradually falling into silence.


    To a certain extent, this was tantamount to a death sentence.


    In this current situation, as soon as the protective power of the White Tower disappeared, Chen An would immediately die, and it would be the kind of death that could not be further death.


    But fortunately, everything has a turning point.


    At a moment when Chen An didn''t know what to do, he suddenly felt a familiar aura.


    That aura was none other than the aura of the Source Force.


    The familiar aura immediately made him tremble, subconsciously raising his head and looking towards the direction where the Source Force was located.


    And that direction was where the magic crystal was located.


    (This chapter is complete)

 Chapter 263

    Magic Crystal?Source power?


    Chen An couldn''t help but be shocked.


    If you talk about this, I won''t be tired at all!


    He immediately raised his head, staring at the magic crystal in front of him.


    Under his serious induction, some unique reactions indeed occurred in front of him.


    Under the cover of the magic crystal force field, there was indeed a reaction of source power, and the reaction was quite strong.


    How to say.


    Previously, Chen An didn''t feel the aura of source power on the magic crystal.


    Perhaps the magic crystal was disguised too well.


    Because before, the magic crystal was in a balanced state, the whole magic crystal was in a stable state, and the aura would naturally not leak out.


    But now, because of the unrest of the inexplicable force field, the inheritance magic crystal was no longer as stable and perfect as before, gradually becoming chaotic and violent.


    In this chaos and violence, some things will naturally emerge and reveal themselves.


    For example, the source power aura originally hidden in it, is the result of this.


    But no matter how you say it, this is a considerable encouragement for Chen An.


    Of course it is encouraging.


    If it''s just a magic crystal, it''s nothing to him.


    But if it''s source power, that''s his life!


    No, to describe it as life is superficial.


    After all, Chen An''s life is not valuable, if this life is gone, there will be the next one.


    But the opportunity to obtain a large amount of source power, if he misses this opportunity, there won''t be another chance.


    Charge!


    Immediately, Chen An''s spirit shook, and he made a decision.


    So in an instant, everyone around, including Qi Rou, were stunned to find that Chen An''s expression suddenly changed.


    Invisible, the aura on him began to change, a terrifying aura gradually emanating.


    That was the aura of a magic body.


    At this moment, Chen An looked at his attribute template.


    To be precise, he looked at the bloodline column.


    At this moment, he couldn''t continue forward, largely due to the rejection and obstruction of the magic crystal against him.


    But as long as this rejection and obstruction disappears, he will have a great chance to move forward and truly touch the magic crystal.


    And for Chen An, it is actually quite simple to do all this.


    Give me the magic body bloodline boost!


    In an instant, as Chen An''s mind moved, a purple flood suddenly surged, flashing past in front of him.


    Five thousand source power was instantly consumed.


    With this process, Chen An''s body began to change.


    So behind him, Qi Rou and the others were somewhat horrified to find that the aura on Chen An''s body was rapidly changing.


    The blood flowing in his body was still crimson, but at this moment, it unknowingly took on some golden threads, showing a dark golden luster.


    That was none other than the mark of a saint-level bloodline.


    At this moment, Chen An''s magic body bloodline had undergone a transformation, directly transforming into a terrifying magic body, exuding his own aura.


    The overbearing blood aura even surpassed Qi Rou and the other saint-level individuals, causing their faces to change drastically.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (13.2), Physique (13.2), Spirit (12.2)


    Source power: Four thousand seven hundred


    Bloodline: Sun and Moon Demon Blood (Medium)


    Inheritance: Ice Sealing Miles (Intermediate), Sun and Moon Magic Canon (Transcendence First Layer) Minor Teleportation Array (Perfection), Foundation Elixir (Perfection), Golden Lotus Elixir (Perfection), Clear Heart Elixir (Perfection), Transcendence Technique (Ninth Layer)


    The familiar upgrade template reappeared, but the contents displayed at this moment showed more changes.


    After the weak blood evolved with source power, it had reached a medium level.


    The price was five thousand source power.


    The price was not small.


    However, with such a huge price, the effect was obviously significant.


    At least at this moment, the aura on Chen An''s body expanded again, completely surpassing the Qi Rou and others behind him.


    At this moment, although he may still lag behind in cultivation, he had completely crushed Qi Rou and others in terms of bloodline, reaching a new level.


    Ahead, the brilliance of the magic crystal continued to envelop, but at this moment, sensing the situation on Chen An''s body, the luster on it also changed slightly, the resisting force that had existed in all directions, constantly rejecting Chen An''s power, weakened and suddenly disappeared by more than half.


    Magic crystal and magic blood are the same source. With Chen An''s enhancement of the magic blood, the affinity of the magic crystal for him greatly increased, and the repelling force greatly decreased.


    Of course, even though the repelling force had greatly diminished, the remaining force theoretically could not be resisted by ordinary saint-level individuals.


    After all, the magic crystal itself was quite extraordinary, requiring a huge price to approach it, and it could only be approached with great perseverance.


    But Chen An didn''t have that much trouble.


    "Let''s give it a try."


    At this moment, he activated the White Tower in his body to its peak.


    Boom!


    With a crisp sound, the surging divine power surged in the body, instantly rushing towards the inside of the White Tower with Chen An''s thoughts, illuminating the entire tower body.


    Blessed by divine power, the White Tower shone brightly, and its power was maximized.


    Boom!


    A terrifying force shook the surroundings, shielding the suppression force from all sides in an instant, leaving Chen An with a clear mind, free from the influence of the magic crystal.


    Then, taking advantage of the continued effect of the White Tower at this moment, Chen An rushed forward without hesitation, disregarding everything, and directly rushed towards the direction where the magic crystal was located.


    This time, he succeeded.


    After being enhanced by source power, the resistance of the magic crystal to Chen An had greatly weakened, along with the power of the White Tower, allowing Chen An to finally approach the core of the magic crystal.


    And Chen An seized this opportunity sharply.


    At the moment he touched the magic crystal, everyone present was shocked.


    "Success!"


    Yang Xiao''s face still had a look of astonishment: "He really did it." S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Touching the inheritance treasure of the magic crystal, this was something that countless people had been unable to accomplish, but Chen An managed to do it today.


    This was truly groundbreaking and broke the past deeds.


    Everyone present was amazed and some were surprised by the situation before their eyes.


    Of course, there were also consequences.


    After Chen An touched the magic crystal, the suppression power on Qi Rou and the others had indeed weakened significantly, and they were now able to move slightly.


    However, they were still far from being able to move freely.


    "Husband!"


    Qi Rou raised her head, looking at Chen An with some concern.


    Compared to others, she had more considerations.


    As the saintess of the Brilliance Magic Sect, she had a deep appreciation for the terror of the magic crystal and naturally knew the difficulties that Chen An was facing at the moment.


    Bluntly speaking, with Chen An''s current situation, one small mistake would mean death.


    Given this situation, how could Qi Rou not worry?


    She was more worried about Chen An''s current situation than herself.


    How was Chen An''s current situation?


    Good, but also bad.


    The reason why it was good was because his previous feeling was true.


    There was indeed a trace of source power on the magic crystal in front of him, containing huge source power.


    This source power could be directly converted without the need for extra steps, which was exceptionally simple.


    For Chen An, this was the best news in the world.


    After all, compared to constantly accumulating source power the previous times, this one-time absorption and consumption of source power was really pleasurable.


    It even made him a bit addicted.


    But it was painful for a reason.


    The power contained in the magic crystal far exceeded Chen An''s imagination.


    As Chen An touched the magic crystal, not only source power surged towards him, but also many other things.


    Such as the powerful force contained in the magic crystal, as well as various other things.


    These things were extremely pure elemental energy and power, extremely compatible with the magic canon, rapidly enhancing Chen An''s cultivation.


    But precisely because of this, at this moment, Chen An was in a dangerous state.


    He was in an inflated state and could be burst by the increasingly inflated elemental energy in his body at any moment.


    And this deadline was now very close.


    Bang! Bang!


    A series of crisp sounds rang out.


    At this moment, Chen An could clearly hear his own heartbeat, and the pure power emanating from it.


    It was powerful, but truly terrifying.


    If this continued, he would be blown up sooner or later!


    At this moment, Chen An flashed this thought in his mind.


    So at this moment, he had to make a choice.


    Either wait quietly for death, waiting for the moment when he would be burst, or find a way to save himself and not die so easily.


    Undoubtedly, among these two options, Chen An chose to save himself.


    The source power provided by the magic crystal in front of him was quite abundant.


    Chen An felt that even if he had to die, he would rather absorb more source power before dying.


    Otherwise, wouldn''t that be a loss?


    The great opportunity was right in front of him, and he absolutely couldn''t afford to lose.


    That''s what he thought, and that''s what he did.


    So he acted without hesitation.


    Boom!


    The surging source power erupted again, turning into a purple flood that swept everything away.


    "Continue to boost the magic body bloodline for me!"


    Another round of consumption happened as Chen An continued to enhance his bloodline.


    As the magic body bloodline was enhanced, his body underwent another transformation, increasing the capacity of his body to accommodate much larger amounts of power than before.


    Almost in an instant, Chen An could feel his own transformation.


    His cultivation, which had been stagnant before, began to rise again in a short time and reached a higher level.


    Transcendence, intermediate transcendence, peak transcendence, golden elixir!


    In a short time, he crossed a long distance and reached the level of the golden elixir.


    This was the first time Chen An had reached the level of the golden elixir.


    Whether in the Dust World before or in this Elemental World, Chen An had only reached the level of transcendence at his highest cultivation level.


    Although he was not far from the golden elixir before, there was always a step away.


    But unexpectedly, with the help of the magic crystal at this moment, his cultivation had directly broken through and reached the level of the golden elixir.


    Inside his body, he condensed a golden elixir made from the magic canon.


    The surface of the golden elixir was pure black, with golden threads, giving it an extremely noble and dignified feeling, making people feel extraordinary at a glance.


    As soon as this golden elixir appeared, it immediately integrated with the surrounding heaven and earth, stabilizing the entire space of the Violet Mansion, gradually stabilizing it.


    Then, at the boundaries of the Violet Mansion space, barriers began to emerge and take shape gradually.


    The power of the golden elixir level flowed into his heart, as if every movement could destroy a city, extremely terrifying.


    But it wasn''t enough.


    Chen An opened his eyes and helplessly found that this level of power was still not enough.


    The speed at which his body transformed was still too slow.


    At this rate, although the time of death would be greatly extended, it was just a matter of time before he died.


    There was no other way.


    Chen An turned around and continued to look ahead.


    "Continue to boost the magic body bloodline!"


    Without any hesitation, he continued to enhance.


    A powerful aura spread.


    At this moment, the surging magic energy erupted, exploding in the area and bursting forth.


    In the eyes of Qi Rou and the others, Chen An''s entire body began to change.


    With the enhancement of source power, every part of his body was transforming, strange textures appearing on the surface of his skin.


    Was this the appearance of a demon god?


    An unfamiliar demon god sketch began to appear on Chen An''s body, looking at it from the surface alone would make one''s mind tremble, feeling extremely terrifying, as if a world-destroying demon had descended into the world.


    When this demon god sketch first appeared, it was still blurry and not very clear, but as time passed, it became clearer and more obvious.


    Ah!


    In the distance, a miserable cry rang out.


    It was the many figures behind Qi Rou.


    Stimulated by Chen An at this moment, their bodies seemed to sense something, trembling spontaneously, and some even began to bleed instinctively, their bodies starting to collapse.


    These were all instinctive reactions to the aura they felt.


    The surging magic energy rose into the sky, and the terrifying power made everyone suffocate, unable to move at all.


    And in the center of it all, Qi Rou and the others felt even more clearly.


    As the leaders of their respective sects, their bloodlines were at the saint-level, starting at the intermediate level according to the leveling template.


    At this level of bloodline, they could already feel the horror of Chen An at this moment.


    In their perspective, the originally crimson blood in Chen An''s body had completely transformed into pure dark gold blood at this moment.


    A strong magic body aura was dissipating, even just a trace of insignificant aura could make them feel suffocated, an indescribable feeling.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264 - The First Generation Demon BodyThe demon blood is boiling.


    With the surge of source power once again, the demon blood inside Chen An''s body is crazily boiling.


    The powerful aura continuously sweeps through all directions, just the spontaneous flow of that aura makes Qi Rou and the others unable to stand firmly.


    Boom!


    The terrifying aura spreads out.


    In an instant, it seems like there are stars lighting up on Chen An''s body.


    The radiance of the stars gathers, eventually forming a terrifying demon god image.


    Qi Rou and the others try to open their eyes and carefully watch Chen An''s appearance in front of them.


    They keep their eyes open, not missing a single detail.


    Whether it''s Qi Rou or Yang Xiao, they are both heirs of a faction, the legitimate descendants of the Moon Demon Sect in the past.


    People like them naturally know a lot about things related to the demonic path and are aware of many secrets that ordinary cultivators cannot know.


    At this moment, the state that Chen An presents to them inevitably reminds them of those in the past.


    So, they stare firmly at the figure of Chen An, not missing any detail.


    Under their gaze, the demon god image on Chen An slowly takes shape.


    The strong aura slowly spreads, in that moment, it seems as if a demon god has truly descended, with an exceptionally powerful aura spreading.


    Roar!


    At this moment, the heavens and earth once again stagnate, everything seems to return to the scene of the creation of the world, but a demon god roars out from it, struggling to break through this heavens and earth.


    Bang! Bang!!


    A strong and vigorous heartbeat continues to sound, echoing in this place, particularly loud.


    Qi Rou and the others finally see the appearance of the demon god image clearly.


    It is a demon god in human form, with a tall body, three heads and six arms, and every inch of its skin seems to contain a sense of Dao rhyme, giving people boundless reveries.


    Just by looking at this demon god image, Qi Rou and the others'' consciousness can''t help but feel dazed, their blood trembling, feeling an urge to bow down and worship the person in front of them unconditionally.


    No, not just an impulse, someone really took action.


    With a thud, not far away, the son of the Yin sect immediately knelt down, directly bowing towards Chen An where he was.


    "This is, this is."


    He knelt on the ground, looking at Chen An''s figure in front of him with a fanatical look: "A born demon god, this is a naturally achieved demon body!"


    "Not the so-called descendants of the demon body, but the most original demon body!"


    "There is no mistake."


    He muttered to himself, a face that was originally somewhat gloomy now full of fanaticism; the level of excitement in his emotions was chilling.


    "A naturally born demon god image, is it really a naturally born first-generation demon body?"


    Yang Xiao, watching from a distance, also had a grim expression.


    What is a naturally born demon body?


    Simply put, it is the first generation of the demon body.


    The demon body is a physique naturally suitable for practicing the demonic path.


    If this kind of physique appears, once you embark on the demonic path, you will surely be unstoppable and the future will be limitless.


    It is said that even in the glorious era of the past great sages, the demon body was also one of the most top-notch natural talents, an elite physique with the hope of becoming a great sage.


    In the past, the source of the Moon Demon Sect, the one who once flattened all the impurities in the world, was rumored to be a naturally born demon body.


    And later, inheriting the clothing of the Moon Demon, creating the Moon Demon Sect''s Moon Demon, was also rumored to be a naturally born demon body.


    Today, all demon body bloodlines within the Moon Demon Sect, such as those in Qi Rou and Yang Xiao, are derived from the Moon Demon, the first generation demon body.


    A pure demon body is the top physique in this world, said to have the qualifications of a sage.


    And the descendants of this kind of physique will naturally inherit the demon blood and possess astonishing talents.


    People like Qi Rou and the others, each with talents at least in the Spiritual Body range, had a starting point that far exceeded most ordinary people in this world.


    But these descendants of the demon body, their power is nothing compared to the naturally born first-generation demon body.


    After all, they are not pure demon bodies, just inheriting part of the bloodline of the first-generation demon body, naturally they cannot compare with a complete demon body.


    In the past, when demon bodies had not yet appeared, their talents were already considered top-notch.


    But now, it seems a true demon body has appeared.


    Boom!


    Fresh blood is surging.


    As his body transforms, the blood flowing out of Chen An''s body is exuding an astonishing aura.


    The originally crimson blood has now transformed into pure golden blood, with an astonishing divine nature contained within.


    If an alchemist were to obtain it, they would probably be ecstatic to use it as the top material.


    And this transformation is far from over.


    As time passes, the aura from Chen An''s body grows stronger, completely suppressing the surroundings, making it impossible for those around to breathe.


    And this astonishing display also confirms the suspicions in Qi Rou and the others'' hearts.


    Before their eyes, Chen An is definitely a first-generation demon body.


    Otherwise, why would there be such a divine phenomenon?


    As for why his divine power was not displayed before, that is also easily explained.


    Even if one is a naturally born demon body, there will still be a considerable buffer period.


    The top physique in this world, some will cause a great commotion as soon as they appear, causing the world to change color and everyone to know.


    But some physiques are different when they appear. They not only won''t cause a great commotion, but will actively disguise themselves, making it impossible for others to know, to avoid premature death if they are too weak.


    These owners of top physiques may show mediocre performance before awakening, and may even have poor talent, not even comparable to some ordinary cultivators.


    But once they awaken their physique, they will transform overnight, directly demonstrating the terrifying power of their physique.


    This phenomenon is not uncommon, it has happened many times in the past.


    So Qi Rou and the others are not surprised by the changes in Chen An''s body.


    They simply think that Chen An may not have activated his physique before, so he has been in a dormant state.


    And now, influenced by the demon crystal, his dormant physique has finally awakened, and finally revealed the unparalleled power it was supposed to have.


    If that''s the case, then all of Chen An''s previous actions make sense.


    Clearly, by simply using a blood exchange method, he was able to possess bloodline of that level of demon body.


    Before it was attributed to luck, but now it seems that his demon bloodline has awakened partially, revealing that result.


    His monstrous talent can also be easily explained.


    After all, a naturally born demon body is supposed to have exceptional talent.


    If they had ordinary talent, that would be considered rare.


    Chen An''s situation is perfectly normal.


    But as for why he wasn''t affected by the demon crystal, that''s even easier to explain.


    The demon crystal was left behind by the Moon Demon, the first generation demon, as a treasure for passing on the demonic teachings.


    And the first generation demon is naturally the same kind of physique as Chen An.


    Thinking through all of this, Yang Xiao and the others suddenly realized, and found sufficient explanations for many confusing things about Chen An that had troubled them before.


    If Chen An knew what they were thinking, he would definitely protest loudly at this moment.


    What on earth is going on?


    His demon body bloodline was really obtained by luck, just that his luck exploded at that moment.


    The monstrous talent was fake, it was just an illusion created by the blessing and boosting of source power and attributes, not real.


    As for not being affected by the demon crystal, that''s all thanks to the White Tower.


    If you had those too, you could do the same.


    But his thoughts are irrelevant, what really matters is what Qi Rou and the others think.


    And their thoughts are undoubtedly simple.


    Even if Chen An were to jump out now and explain the truth to them, they probably wouldn''t believe it.


    You are a first-generation demon body, no need to explain!


    Fortunately, Chen An still doesn''t know about this at the moment.


    In fact, at this moment, he has no intention of thinking about what Qi Rou and the others are thinking.


    After the demon bloodline was upgraded again, Chen An immediately fell into a unique state.


    The bloodline was upgraded, and in every drop of blood, there seemed to be a strange divine awakening.


    Everything that had been dormant in the bloodline was completely opened up with Chen An''s rise, now completely revealed.


    A huge power surged from his body, making him feel like he had truly become a demon god, possessing a terrifying power to destroy everything.


    But soon, he returned to reality, understanding that everything he had just experienced was false.


    During this process, the information from the demon crystal has been continuously instilled into his mind, helping him understand some things.


    "A demon body, so that''s what it is."


    Chen An''s heart suddenly understood, feeling a sense of enlightenment.


    With the rise of his bloodline, at this moment, the pressure he can feel on his body is gradually diminishing, and finally disappearing completely.


    Just as Qi Rou and others predicted, the inheritance demon crystal left by the first-generation demon was completely non-rejecting for Chen An at this moment, instead, it was particularly close to him.


    The various powers that emerged from it also made Chen An feel extremely comfortable.


    But what the people present did not notice was that at this moment, the demon crystal had undergone some significant changes compared to before.


    These changes were not obvious.


    Although at first glance, the demon crystal still looked the same as before, with its golden brilliance shining brightly and captivating the attention, keeping the focus on it.


    But in reality, the demon crystal had already lost a lot of its power.


    A lot of the power within it had been absorbed by Chen An into his body, helping him nurture a completely new body, which was now supporting the birth of a new demon body.


    Otherwise, with Chen An''s previous situation, once he awakened his demon body, he would probably have sucked dry this entire space, robbing all the vitality, just to barely achieve a hint of success.


    The loss of power from the demon crystal is something Chen An does not care about.


    What he cares about is the depletion of the source power within the demon crystal.


    "So much used."


    Feeling the source power balance within the demon crystal, Chen An felt a bit heartache.


    Before, his source power level was already low, unable to support the further advancement of his demon body bloodline.


    So at that time, in order to obtain this upgrade, the power within the demon crystal in front of his eyes was directly absorbed by him, without being converted and directly sucked away by the upgrade template, without being converted into source power surplus.


    And after upgrading his demon body bloodline to a higher level, the source power needed for the further advancement of the demon body bloodline was so huge.


    The expenditure was quite substantial, but unfortunately, he did not have enough resources to consume, so what to do?


    Simply use other people''s resources!


    The vast energy stored inside the demon crystal was directly mobilized by the upgrade template, all poured into that bottomless pit, to fill that black hole.


    Thinking about this, Chen An couldn''t help but feel a bit sore.


    He swears, if he had known how much source power this upgrade would consume, he would never have made that choice!


    Before this, the surplus source power inside the demon crystal was quite abundant, if he had absorbed all of it, he would have at least sixty-seven thousand stored. S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But the result was that in order to upgrade this so-called demon body, all this source power was sucked away.


    What a loss!


    If that source power could have been absorbed by him, then Chen An wouldn''t have to worry anymore.


    From then on, he could live a life of using whatever he wished.


    Golden cores, array inscriptions?


    Let me add the points!


    But then again, if he had not upgraded the level of his demon body bloodline, then Chen An would probably have died and wouldn''t have even been able to see the later scenarios.


    In that case, it would still be a loss.


    Now, although all that source power is gone, he still has gained something.


    Thinking of this, Chen An''s mood finally balanced out.


    He looked ahead.


    With his change of heart, the field in front of him started to change, showing various aspects.


    Name: Chen An


    Attributes: Strength (13.2), Body (13.2), Spirit (12.2)


    Source power: Four thousand seven hundred


    Bloodline: Demon Body (First Generation)


    Inheritance: Ice Sealing Thousand Miles (Minor Completion), Moon Demon Scriptures (Foundation Layer One, Minor Teleportation Array (Perfect), Foundation Pill (Perfect), Golden Lotus Pill (Perfect), Clear Mind Pill (Perfect), Fusing Spirit Technique (Ninth Layer),


    Projection: In use


    A brand new upgrade template appeared in front of him.


    Compared to before, there seemed to be no difference in various aspects.


    At least in terms of data, there didn''t seem to be any changes, the attributes were similar to what they were before.


    But there were significant changes in other aspects.


    For example, in the bloodline section, his previous Moon Demon Body bloodline, has now become a pure demon body, with the suffix changed to the first generation.


    What does this indicate?


    Chen An pondered for a moment, and finally found the answer.


    His previous Moon Demon Body bloodline, meant that the demon body bloodline in his body was derived from the Moon Demon, the first generation demon, representing its lineage.


    But now, his bloodline has been raised to the first generation level, naturally freeing him from the restrictions of the Moon Demon, the first generation demon, becoming a pure demon body.


    After all, at this moment, he is also a first generation demon, even if the Moon Demon were to be resurrected now, he might surpass him in cultivation, but in terms of physique, they are equal.


    These messages about the demon body and demon body bloodline were imparted to Chen An by the demon crystal.


    As Qi Rou and others said before, the demon crystal was left behind by the Moon Demon for passing down the teachings.


    At the moment when Chen An awakened his demon body, the relevant information about the demon body was transferred into his mind.


    (This chapter ends here)

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265 - SubmissionThe awakening of the demon body bloodline caused Chen An''s situation to change.


    Of course, for the time being, even though the demon body was activated by the power of the demon crystal and completely awakened, the changes in Chen An''s strength were still limited in the short term.


    This was natural.


    Even for the naturally born first generation demon body, possessing the qualifications of a sage, it still needed to undergo long cultivation before it could fully tap into this potential, rather than being able to reach the peak naturally.


    So at this moment, although Chen An had obtained the demon body, there was not much change in his strength in the short term.


    For this, Chen An was also speechless.


    Before the awakening of the demon body, through the continuous infusion of demon crystal, his cultivation had skyrocketed, temporarily reaching a level comparable to the peak of Golden Core.


    But as he awakened the demon body, his previous skyrocketing cultivation also disappeared, directly melting away and merging back into his body.


    The reason for this seemed to be that the awakening of the demon body required a tremendous amount of power, so in the process of awakening, it coincidentally cut off a large portion of his cultivation.


    In the end, besides having an additional demon body, there didn''t seem to be much change in other aspects.


    What should have remained the same still remained the same.


    This was a point that left Chen An speechless.


    He now seriously suspected that the demon crystal in front of him was not an inanimate object, but something with its own spirituality.


    Otherwise, it was difficult to explain the current level of coincidence.


    You could say that his cultivation was cut off, and Chen An could accept that.


    But to just cut his cultivation to the Core Formation stage, wasn''t that too much of a coincidence?


    All in all, it seemed that they wanted to keep him at his previous cultivation level and not allow too much breakthrough?


    With these thoughts in his mind, a strand of consciousness also came along, carrying a sense of ignorance.


    "The awakening of the demon body and the rapid advancement of cultivation are not good for your future."


    Intermittent thoughts came from his mind as if they appeared out of thin air.


    Chen An was momentarily stunned.


    Goodness!


    It seemed that he hadn''t wronged it after all.


    The demon crystal in front of him actually had its own spirituality, with its consciousness that belonged to itself.


    But when he thought about it, it didn''t seem so strange.


    After all, this was something left behind by the first generation demon noble, and was even related to the legend of the legendary Ming Zun in the Sun and Moon Demon Sect.


    Such a thing was already beyond ordinary artifacts, and it was quite normal for it to have its own ignorant consciousness.


    Chen An was not surprised by this point.


    As for his cultivation, according to the demon crystal in front of him, it was purely for his future cultivation that they deliberately cut him off.


    A sudden rise in cultivation was definitely a good thing for ordinary people, but for Chen An, who was now a first-generation demon body, it was not necessarily the case.


    After all, as a demon body, his future prospects were bound to be vast, and it was not necessary to risk destabilizing his foundation just for a bit of cultivation.


    It seemed that the demon crystal thought so too, so it actively took back that part of his power.


    "Who are you?"


    Chen An asked.


    This was a necessary step of confirmation.


    Even though he had a rough guess in his mind, the established process still needed to be followed.


    "I am right before you."


    The ignorant consciousness transmitted again, sounding a bit strained, "You all call me the demon crystal."


    Indeed, it was the demon crystal!


    A hint of realization flashed in Chen An''s mind, then he continued to ask, "What exactly happened here?"


    "Why did the previous situation occur?"


    He asked, inquiring about the circumstances.


    There were still many traces of the recent changes here.


    Many of the cultivators from the four major forces who entered this place with Qirou had fallen, forever lying there.


    And all of these were caused by the change in the demon crystal.


    Such a clear change was obviously not something that could happen under normal circumstances.


    As the core of everything, the demon crystal was obviously the one who should know the source of the problem.


    On this question, the demon crystal did not speak again, but transmitted some images to Chen An''s mind.


    In an instant, the scene in front of him began to change.


    Under the influence of the demon crystal''s power, Chen An saw the scene that had happened before.


    In the dim space, it was extremely spacious everywhere.


    Under the various images of demon gods around, a figure slowly walked forward under the atmosphere, reaching the place where the demon crystal was.


    It was a thin figure, wearing a black robe, and the whole body was shrouded in shadows. There was a surge of mighty power, appearing incredibly terrifying.


    Chen An was not unfamiliar with this figure, as he had seen it several times before.


    It was none other than the high priest who had been guarding this ancestral land and protecting the demon crystal all along.


    "It''s him?"


    Looking at the scene in front of him, Chen An couldn''t help but frown, feeling surprised.


    The high priest was a direct descendant of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect and was responsible for guarding the lineage of the demon crystal.


    Guarding the demon crystal and protecting the lineage of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect was the duty of his lineage.


    Such a person, logically speaking, had no reason to take action against Qirou and others.


    After all, Qirou and others were also descendants of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect, descendants of the former demon lord.


    From the perspective of a guardian, he seemed to have no reason to take action against Qirou and others.


    If it was for personal gain, it still seemed unjustifiable.


    Chen An didn''t know the exact age of the high priest, but judging from his aura, he was at least four hundred years old.


    At this age, he was already close to the limit of a Core Formation cultivator.


    Although the lifespan of a Core Formation cultivator was much longer than that of an innate warrior, its limit was only about five hundred years, and it couldn''t be extended any further.


    With his current age, it was almost reaching the end, and it was even less likely for him to breakthrough.


    On top of that, with his aging body, it was impossible for him to talk about a breakthrough.


    No matter how you looked at it, he was already an aged body, and his life was nearing its end.


    Such a person, Chen An couldn''t figure out why he would go against his own stance and suddenly do this.


    If there really was some plan, why wait until now to act, instead of doing it in the past?


    Chen An was filled with various doubts, unable to come up with an answer.


    The scene in front of him continued.


    In that scene, the high priest slowly advanced and finally gently waved his hand, taking out a puddle of pale golden blood.


    The blood was a pale golden color, with a hint of the aura of a demon body bloodline, similar to Chen An, but far less pure than his.


    Of course, although not as pure as Chen An''s, it was much purer than Qirou and the others.


    Calculating, Qirou and the others'' bloodline was probably at the intermediate level, while the owner of that puddle of blood should be at the advanced level.


    This puddle of blood caught Chen An''s attention.


    Because the blood was full of vigorous divinity. Although the blood was tinged with decay and an aura of aging, it was still alive.


    This was blood taken directly from a living person, and judging from its appearance, it should have been taken out not long ago.


    Whose blood is this?


    In an instant, Chen An thought this.


    When the Sun and Moon Demon Sect collapsed, its branches split and eventually formed the four major forces present today.


    Based on what Chen An knew, Qirou and Yang Xiao and the four were already considered to have the most concentrated demon body bloodline in the world.


    Because only those with highly concentrated demon body bloodlines, with the highest talents, were qualified to serve as the holy sons and daughters of a sect.


    Qirou and Yang Xiao and the four being able to become the holy sons and daughters of their respective sects already indicated that their talent and bloodline were among the highest in their sects.


    And now, there were still people in the world who had a stronger and more powerful demon body bloodline than them.


    What was going on?


    Chen An immediately realized that something was wrong.


    And the scene continued.


    After taking out that puddle of blood, the next steps were simple.


    It was indeed difficult for the demon crystal to approach, and ordinary people could not tamper with it.


    But the high priest himself was also a demon body bloodline, and with that highly concentrated demon blood as a medium, he was able to make certain moves on the demon crystal.


    And the demon crystal itself did not feel anything about all of this.


    Although the demon crystal had spirituality, it was not complete and spent most of its time in a dormant state with no awareness of the outside world.


    So, the demon crystal did not prevent or realize anything about all of this.


    It was only when Chen An arrived now and awakened the demon crystal that its consciousness was restored, and the previous scene was reconstructed.


    At this moment, the scene in front of him slowly dissipated, and it was over.


    Chen An fell silent, just waved his hand, and with the operation of the Demon Book, he manipulated the demon crystal to stop its movements.


    With this process, Qirou and the others in the distance breathed a sigh of relief, and all the pressure disappeared instantly.


    Facing Chen An, who was a demon body, the demon crystal did not resist at all, and even actively cooperated with him in many actions.


    Even if the high priest personally came forward to confront Chen An here, it might not be able to match Chen An at this moment.


    Because as a demon body, Chen An was naturally the first master of the demon crystal.


    When the first generation demon lord of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect left the demon crystal behind, it was likely waiting for another demon body like him.


    "Husband!"


    After the pressure on them disappeared, Qirou struggled to get up and looked worriedly at Chen An in front of her.


    At this moment, she subconsciously wanted to sense Chen An''s condition, but was surprised to find that she couldn''t sense anything.


    Not only her, but even Yang Xiao and the others were the same.


    Previously, they could sense Chen An''s state and emotions and judge his situation from them.


    But now, when they tried to sense him again, all they could feel was the vigorous and abyssal demon energy, as well as the blood qi that made their bodies tremble and their blood boil.


    For them, at this moment, Chen An seemed like a true demon god in the world, making them feel a genuine awe, not daring to face him directly.


    Even Yang Xiao, who was as proud as he was, didn''t dare to look directly at Chen An now, subconsciously maintaining a bit of reverence.


    "Don''t worry, I''m fine."


    In front of them, Chen An''s voice came out.


    He raised his head and looked down at Qirou with a smile, his appearance still the same as before.


    This familiar smile calmed Qirou''s emotions again, and she was no longer as uneasy as before.


    No matter how Chen An''s appearance changed or the current situation, she firmly believed in Chen An''s character and personality, and that he would not do anything harmful to her.


    After all, she had already observed Chen An for a long time in the past.


    But she could relax her mood, but the other few people were not so relaxed.


    In front of him, Chen An raised his head and his gaze fell directly on Yang Xiao and the others.


    Just with a glance, it carried a deep demonic energy, instantly stirring up the demon blood in Yang Xiao and the others'' bodies, causing the blood in their bodies to boil as if it were going to ignite directly.


    "Although I don''t want to say this, in a certain sense, I also saved your lives."


    Looking at Yang Xiao and the others in front of him, Chen An slowly spoke, a faint smile appearing on his face. "I saved you once, so you should bring something to compensate, right?"


    "How do you want us to compensate?"


    Yang Xiao took a deep breath, desperately restraining the fear in his heart as he looked towards Chen An.


    "How about submitting to me?"


    Chen An spoke calmly. "Yang brother should know, I don''t like to kill, and I don''t like to fight." S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "But in the current situation, if I let you go, I''m afraid I will cause myself a lot of trouble."


    Once the matter of Chen An being a demon body was exposed, the impact would be significant.


    At least those cultivators of the sects, once they knew about this, would definitely try to come and cause trouble.


    After all, if a demon body grew up, it would definitely dominate the world in the future.


    Moreover, even just the demon body itself was an incomparable treasure.


    The essence of the demon body had many uses, and for those top cultivators, it was also a huge temptation.


    If Chen An just let Yang Xiao and the others go, he would probably face trouble later on.


    Yang Xiao and the others were aware of this, and their faces became increasingly solemn.


    "Yin Li Sect''s Holy Son Yin Li pays his respects to the Demon Lord!"


    Yang Xiao hadn''t spoken yet, but a voice came from afar.


    Looking up, at some distance away where the Yin Li Sect was, the Holy Son of the Yin Li Sect had already prostrated, kneeling in place, his face fanatically bowing to Chen An.


    Compared to other sects, the Yin Li Sect was much purer.


    They were purely dominated by the strong, and they had always maintained the tradition of flattering the demon body bloodline, with a deep-rooted belief in the supremacy of the strong.


    So at this moment, their Holy Son was the first one to submit.


    "Amitabha."


    Not far away, the Holy Son of the Well-Being Temple, the young monk named Jue Wu, sighed lightly, then also bowed his head, "This monk is called Jue Wu, willing to lead the Well-Being Temple to submit to the Demon Lord."


    Another one submitted.


    The pressure on Yang Xiao increased significantly.


    Just at this time, Chen An''s gaze fell.


    (End of the chapter)

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266 - PlanningAhead, Chen An''s gaze fell directly on Yang Xiao.


    The powerful aura, combined with the demonic energy emanating from the rolling demon blood, instantly overwhelmed Yang Xiao''s body and mind.


    In front of Chen An''s pure first-generation demonic body, the demon blood that once made Yang Xiao proud became a burden to him.


    If he were an ordinary cultivator, facing a demonic body might be terrifying, but not to the extent of such a terrifying suppression.


    But as a descendant of a demonic body, he would naturally be suppressed by the first-generation demonic body to an extreme degree.


    Of course, although the oppression on his body was great, his cultivation base was stronger than Chen An''s, so under normal circumstances, he could still barely maintain himself.


    However, Chen An also had the demonic crystal by his side.


    As the sacred object of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect, the demonic crystal had always existed as the heritage of the demon book cultivators. But now, facing Chen An, the first-generation demonic body that had appeared, it did not hesitate to betray him and directly turn against Chen An.


    With this, the oppressive force would be even greater.


    Various thoughts flashed through his mind.


    Yang Xiao knew that he had no other choice.


    So, he sighed deeply and finally knelt down slowly on the ground.


    "Yang Xiao, the Holy Son of the Changjue Sect, pays respects to the Demon Lord!"


    With this bow, the Changjue Sect, a demonic force, also submitted to Chen An.


    Seeing Yang Xiao submit, Chen An finally retracted his gaze. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    For Chen An, the submission of the four Holy Sons was a good thing.


    In this world, he did not have any background.


    Originally, he had planned to go through the regular process, become the head disciple of the Changyue Sect, and then become the head of the Changyue Sect, taking the entire sect under his wing.


    But this plan was ruined when he was captured by Qirou and taken to the Demon Sect.


    But now it wasn''t bad.


    Even if each of the four demon sects was taken individually, they were considered top-notch forces, far superior to the Changyue Sect.


    Consolidating the forces of the four demon sects into one person may not be considered the most powerful force in the entire Yuan Realm, but it was definitely one of the strongest.


    Without the Changyue Sect, using these four demon sects as his new base was also appropriate.


    As for how to integrate these four demon sects, Yadi Mu was not worried.


    At this moment, he had the demonic crystal in his hands, which meant he controlled the heritage of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect.


    Former inheritors of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect, in order to practice and inherit, would have to compromise and serve him.


    Chen An didn''t need to actually control these four demon sects, he just needed to ensure that they could be useful to him and collect various resources for him.


    Everything else was unimportant.


    "Now is the time to settle the score with that person."


    Chen An raised his head, looked into the distance, and this thought flashed through his mind.


    He was very vengeful and would not forget the mastermind behind everything, the Great Priest.


    Regardless of circumstances, the Great Priest almost caused Chen An''s downfall.


    This blood debt must be repaid.


    In addition, Chen An was also very interested in the source of the demonic blood in his hand.


    He felt that there was probably something hidden in it, and if he had the opportunity, he naturally wanted to figure it out.


    With this thought in mind, he began to communicate with the demonic crystal.


    "There is a teleportation array in the outside world."


    A faint thought came from the demonic crystal, belonging to the consciousness of the demonic crystal.


    Although this space was connected to the outside world, it was more like a unique secret realm.


    However, after so many years, the demonic crystal was naturally very familiar with the layout of this area.


    Therefore, without any hesitation, Chen An directly took Qirou and a few others and headed forward.


    At a distance, at the moment when the abnormality of the demonic crystal disappeared, someone also sensed it.


    On a vast altar, the Great Priest, dressed in black robes, paused for a moment, sensing something unusual.


    "The arrangement of the demonic crystal has disappeared, what''s going on?"


    He felt the disappearance from a distance, a look of doubt on his face. "Could it be that they are not dead?"


    In the Great Priest''s mind, he was suspicious.


    He personally laid out the arrangement on the demonic crystal, so naturally, he knew the power of it.


    To put it bluntly, with the cultivation base and strength of Qirou and the others, they could not handle it at all and would definitely die under the abnormality of the demonic crystal.


    But now, the life and death of Qirou and the others were unknown, but the aura of the demonic crystal had disappeared.


    What exactly happened?


    As the culprit of everything, the Great Priest couldn''t help but feel a little puzzled.


    "Never mind, although it''s still a bit lacking, it should be enough."


    He turned around and looked ahead, and then this thought flashed through his mind.


    In front of him was a crimson coffin.


    The coffin was made of a unique material, it seemed to be some kind of precious jade, with nourishing effects.


    On top of the coffin, there were many runes engraved at the moment, especially profound, and they were also imbued with a bright divine power.


    The one who engraved the runes on the coffin in the past must have possessed extremely powerful strength, so even though it had been a long time, the divine power on it had not dissipated.


    And at this moment, under the influence of an unknown force, the pure crimson blood qi was gathering.


    This blood qi was none other than the pure demonic blood qi generated by the deceased.


    Each deceased demonic body would produce strands of pure demonic blood qi, which would eventually converge into the coffin through the power of the altar, nourishing the entity within.


    The reason why the Great Priest targeted Qirou and the others was precisely because of this.


    After all, in the world, Qirou and the others had the highest concentration of demonic bloodlines.


    Having such pure demonic blood qi naturally made them the best.


    "Master, please recover as soon as possible."


    In front of the altar, the Great Priest muttered to himself, "The sacrifice for recovery is ready, please return as soon as possible."


    "My Sun-Moon Holy Religion will eventually reappear in the world and rule the world."


    As he muttered to himself, he seemed to see a beautiful scene, and his eyes were full of anticipation despite the weathered and dull eyes.


    In front of him, the huge red coffin was still slowly devouring the blood qi from all directions, converting those into its own power.


    Time passed slowly.


    Not far away.


    With Qirou and a few others, Chen An arrived at a new checkpoint.


    "Is this the place?".


    Guided by the demonic crystal, he arrived at a spacious area.


    In front of him was a vast cemetery, where all the buried individuals were once part of the Sun-Moon Demon Sect.


    "This is the ancestral land of our sect."


    Beside him, Qirou spoke, "Our heritage is here, and even after we die, our bodies will be buried here, becoming part of it."


    "My father and my brother are all buried here."


    Listening to his words, Yang Xiao and the others nodded.


    Like Qirou, their ancestors were also buried here, occupying a place here.


    Chen An stood in place, looking around.


    The cemetery in front of him seemed grand, with many large tombs and many from thousands of years ago, belonging to the era of the Sun-Moon Demon Sect.


    Even the generations of Demon Lords from the Sun-Moon Demon Sect were all buried here.


    Such a place should be extraordinary in every way.


    The higher a cultivator''s cultivation level, the greater the impact on the surrounding world.


    If a golden core cultivator fell, even if their body was buried in an ordinary place, they would slowly change the surrounding environment, turning it into various spiritual beings.


    If a formation expert or even a venerable existence was buried, the impact would be even more terrifying.


    It is said that if the corpse of a venerable figure became a Dao or entered a special place, it would be enough to nurture a magnificent dragon vein in that area and establish a splendid sacred place.


    The place in front of him was the cemetery of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect, where not only one venerable figure was buried, but also other powerful people and many golden core cultivators, unknown countless.


    Such a large number of cultivators, even if their spiritual energy has leaked away after their demise, the remaining ones are still a huge number.


    If being utilized by someone with ulterior motives, what kind of result would that produce?


    At this moment, Yang Xiao''s face turned pale and he spoke, "Someone has tampered with this secret realm, and it has now been activated."


    At this moment, even without Chen An deliberately explaining, Qirou and the others understood the situation.


    Someone had definitely tampered with things.


    The abnormality of the demonic crystal before and now the abnormality of the secret realm could not be coincidences. There must have been actual events unfolding.


    As practitioners of the demon path, they were very familiar with such operations, and they automatically speculated on a lot of conspiracies in the blink of an eye.


    Moreover, they had already set their sights on the Great Priest.


    "Let''s get out of here first."


    Facing everyone''s gaze, Chen An spoke calmly, without any panic due to the abnormality of the secret realm.


    He gently reached out his hand, and a golden crystal began to emit a faint light in his palm.


    The golden crystal emitted a golden light, and its power seemed to stir desires in people''s hearts, making the blood of Qirou and the others boil, unable to calm down for a long time.


    This crystal was none other than the demonic crystal.


    While the demonic crystal was once a treasure of the Sun-Moon Demon Sect''s heritage, it also counted as a magical tool in a certain sense.


    Only in the past, no one had the qualification to activate the demonic crystal.


    But now that Chen An had come, things were naturally different.


    The affinity between the demonic body and the demonic crystal was very high, and before Chen An could take action, the demonic crystal followed him, becoming his assistance.


    And at this moment, the demonic crystal once again came into effect.


    Rumble!


    A powerful aura surged from the demonic crystal, and in an instant, a majestic divine power rushed out, activating the teleportation array in front of him, forcibly opening a small teleportation channel.


    The whole process was easier than expected, causing Qirou and the others behind to be somewhat surprised.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen An said nothing more, just calmly led Qirou by the hand and strode forward, and then his figure disappeared directly into the teleportation array.


    Behind him, Yang Xiao and the others also looked at each other and followed suit.


    Soon, there was no one left in the original place, no more shadows.


    Outside.


    As the secret realm began to collapse and the demonic crystal was taken by Chen An, the world outside seemed to also be changing.


    A layer of blood-colored mist appeared in the sky above the ancestral land of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect, giving this area an eerie feeling.


    In this area, one by one, the bodies fell weakly, then were sucked dry by a strange force, and all the blood and flesh essence disappeared.


    In the midst of it, the suspicion fell on the Great Priest.


    "Let''s get out first."


    With everyone''s gaze still on him, Chen An calmly spoke, with not a hint of panic even with the abnormality of the secret realm.


    He gently reached out his hand, and a golden crystal began to emit a faint light in his palm.


    The golden crystal emitted a golden light, and its power seemed to stir desires in people''s hearts, making the blood of Qirou and the others boil, unable to calm down for a long time.


    This crystal was none other than the demonic crystal.


    While the demonic crystal was once a treasure of the Sun-Moon Demon Sect''s heritage, it also counted as a magical tool in a certain sense.


    Only in the past, no one had the qualification to activate the demonic crystal.


    But now that Chen An had come, things were naturally different.


    The affinity between the demonic body and the demonic crystal was very high, and before Chen An could take action, the demonic crystal followed him, becoming his assistance.


    And at this moment, the demonic crystal once again came into effect.


    Rumble!


    A powerful aura surged from the demonic crystal, and in an instant, a majestic divine power rushed out, activating the teleportation array in front of him, forcibly opening a small teleportation channel.


    The whole process was easier than expected, causing Qirou and the others behind to be somewhat surprised.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen An said nothing more, just calmly led Qirou by the hand and strode forward, and then his figure disappeared directly into the teleportation array.


    Behind him, Yang Xiao and the others also looked at each other and followed suit.


    Soon, there was no one left in the original place, no more shadows.


    Outside.


    As the secret realm began to collapse and the demonic crystal was taken by Chen An, the world outside seemed to also be changing.


    A layer of blood-colored mist appeared in the sky above the ancestral land of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect, giving this area an eerie feeling.


    In this area, one by one, the bodies fell weakly, then were sucked dry by a strange force, and all the blood and flesh essence disappeared.


    At this moment, Yang Xiao''s face turned pale and he spoke, "Someone has tampered with this secret realm, and it has now been activated."


    At this moment, even without Chen An deliberately explaining, Qirou and the others understood the situation.


    Someone had definitely tampered with things.


    The abnormality of the demonic crystal before and now the abnormality of the secret realm could not be coincidences. There must have been actual events unfolding.


    As practitioners of the demon path, they were very familiar with such operations, and they automatically speculated on a lot of conspiracies in the blink of an eye.


    Moreover, they had already set their sights on the Great Priest.


    "Let''s get out first."


    Facing everyone''s gaze, Chen An spoke calmly, without any panic due to the abnormality of the secret realm.


    He gently reached out his hand, and a golden crystal began to emit a faint light in his palm.


    The golden crystal emitted a golden light, and its power seemed to stir desires in people''s hearts, making the blood of Qirou and the others boil, unable to calm down for a long time.


    This crystal was none other than the demonic crystal.


    While the demonic crystal was once a treasure of the Sun-Moon Demon Sect''s heritage, it also counted as a magical tool in a certain sense.


    Only in the past, no one had the qualification to activate the demonic crystal.


    But now that Chen An had come, things were naturally different.


    The affinity between the demonic body and the demonic crystal was very high, and before Chen An could take action, the demonic crystal followed him, becoming his assistance.


    And at this moment, the demonic crystal once again came into effect.


    Rumble!


    A powerful aura surged from the demonic crystal, and in an instant, a majestic divine power rushed out, activating the teleportation array in front of him, forcibly opening a small teleportation channel.


    The whole process was easier than expected, causing Qirou and the others behind to be somewhat surprised.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen An said nothing more, just calmly led Qirou by the hand and strode forward, and then his figure disappeared directly into the teleportation array.


    Behind him, Yang Xiao and the others also looked at each other and followed suit.


    Soon, there was no one left in the original place, no more shadows.


    Outside.


    As the secret realm began to collapse and the demonic crystal was taken by Chen An, the world outside seemed to also be changing.


    A layer of blood-colored mist appeared in the sky above the ancestral land of the Sun and Moon Demon Sect, giving this area an eerie feeling.


    In this area, one by one, the bodies fell weakly, then were sucked dry by a strange force, and all the blood and flesh essence disappeared.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267 - The Legitimacy of the Sun-Moon Demon Sect"Has it started?"


    Walking out of the secret realm, Chen An, with Qi Rou and a few others, left the outer world and saw this scene.


    The ground was covered with mist everywhere, the mist was crimson red, clearly not something normal.


    And in various places, the bodies affected by the mist quickly shriveled up, rapidly shrinking until they turned into dried corpses, leaving only skin and bones.


    Not only that, even their divine essences had dissipated.


    Usually, the bodies of cultivators, even if they fall, would still retain a lot of divine essence, it was impossible to completely lose it.


    Generally speaking, even if a cultivator dies for many years, their remains would not change, they would maintain the appearance they had before death.


    But what about now?


    The bodies everywhere turned into dried corpses directly, with their divine essence sucked dry, disappearing completely.


    This was obviously not a normal situation.


    Chen An looked at this scene with interest, finding it quite fascinating.


    He knew in his heart that the occurrence of this situation meant that the mastermind behind the scenes had finally launched their plan.


    However, he wondered what the final result would be after this setup was initiated.


    Chen An thought to himself, "I wonder how Lin Shu and the others are doing now?"


    Beside him, Qi Rou''s worried voice sounded.


    She stood beside Chen An, holding his hand, with a look of concern on her face.


    Compared to others, Qi Rou had always had a good relationship with Lin Qiu.


    If possible, she didn''t want to see Lin Qiu in danger.


    But from the current situation, Lin Qiu and the others were probably already in danger.


    The mastermind who targeted them certainly would have considered people like Lin Qiu outside.


    If something went wrong, Lin Qiu and the others were probably in grave danger at this moment.


    "It''s okay."


    Chen An reassured her gently, "I can''t say how others are faring, but with Lin Shu''s abilities, he probably won''t be in danger."


    This was his sincere opinion.


    From what Chen An knew, Lin Qiu was an extremely cautious person.


    His cautiousness was ingrained in his bones, any slight unusual movement would make him vigilant.


    This was evident from his surveillance of Chen An before, it was absolutely ruthless.


    Even though he came to participate in the ceremony this time, he brought a powerful magical treasure with him, essentially bringing the entire wealth of the Demon Sect directly.


    While anything else was uncertain, Lin Qiu''s caution, combined with his formidable cultivation base, meant that the probability of him being in danger was quite low.


    In Chen An''s opinion, even if everyone else encountered trouble, the likelihood of Lin Qiu encountering such trouble was very slim.


    Of course, in this world, nothing was certain, anything could happen.


    So they had to act quickly.


    The sooner they acted, the safer Lin Qiu and the others would be.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen An raised his head and looked towards the center of the hall, speaking softly, "From the current situation, if we don''t deal with the people there, we won''t be able to leave here."


    This was the ancestral land of the former Solar and Lunar Demon Sect, covered by protective barriers everywhere.


    The High Priest was the local powerhouse, guarding this ancestral land for generations and was extremely familiar with this area.


    Without dealing with this powerhouse, Chen An and the others would find it difficult to leave.


    The others understood this principle, so they nodded and followed Chen An forward.


    No one had any objections.


    They walked forward and soon reached the center of the hall.


    This was the core of the entire ancestral land, where all the spiritual energy and divinity converged.


    According to Chen An''s experience, most of the spiritual energy and divinity in this area probably gathered here.


    To his surprise, they encountered no obstacles along the way.


    Before setting out, Chen An was prepared to be stopped by someone.


    But the outcome was different.


    Not only were there no obstacles, but the journey was quite smooth, as if they were taking a leisurely stroll.


    Excluding the crimson mist in the air and the powerful array still operating around them, Chen An would have thought that nothing had happened.


    Arriving at the center of the hall, they could finally see a figure.


    In the spacious hall, a figure dressed in a black robe stood in front, straight and upright.


    It was none other than the High Priest.


    "High Priest?"


    Facing the High Priest in front of her, Qi Rou was the first to speak, her face showing anger, "What are you doing?"


    Her voice was full of anger.


    This was understandable.


    After all, anyone who had narrowly escaped death would probably react this way.


    Hearing the sound behind him, the High Priest, facing forward, moved slightly and then turned to look at Chen An and the others behind him.


    "You''ve come."


    He looked at Qi Rou and the others in front of him, with an expression of genuine surprise on his face, "You... you''re not dead."


    "We''re not dead, but it seems that you disappointed, High Priest."


    Yang Xiao sneered coldly, "Yang Xiao would like to ask, what do you want with such a big arrangement?"


    "What do I want?"


    The High Priest paused for a moment, then nodded, "It is to restore the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect."


    "Absurd!"


    Far away, the son of the gloomy faction couldn''t help but speak out, angrily saying, "You are setting up us to die by tampering with the Demon Crystals, what is your way of restoring the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect?"


    "Do you know, if we die here, the inheritance of the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect will be cut off, what consequences will there be!"


    When the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect split, only four branches, including the Radiant Demon Sect, remained of the descendants born. S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And the four people representing the core and most pure demonic bloodlines in these four branches were Qi Rou and the others.


    Bluntly speaking, if these four people died here, while the inheritance of the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect would not be completely cut off, it would be seriously crippled and require many years to recover.


    "Even if they die here, what can you do?"


    The High Priest''s face showed disdain, "In the end, you are just a group of usurpers trying to take over the inheritance of my Demon Sect, how can you represent my Solar and Lunar Holy Religion!"


    "You are not the orthodox of the Holy Religion!"


    "We''re not, then who is?"


    Qi Rou spoke coldly, "The orthodox of the Solar and Lunar Holy Religion was already extinct years ago!"


    "Unless..."


    "Yes!"


    Suddenly, a voice from the distance sounded, a voice that Qi Rou and Chen An were quite familiar with.


    Qi Rou subconsciously looked back, then her face showed a look of surprise, "Uncle Lin!"


    Yes, the one who walked from behind was none other than Lin Qiu.


    Chen An looked back and saw Lin Qiu in a gray robe walking in from the outside.


    Compared to before, he looked a bit disheveled now, with blood stains in many places, and his face was particularly pale, as if he had just experienced a fierce battle.


    Next to him, Yang Qi of the Longjue faction was the same, with a delicate face as pale as paper, showing no hint of color, looking even worse than Lin Qiu.


    Both of them looked terrible, but at least they were alive, just severely injured.


    As they entered from the outside, Lin Qiu looked at the excited Qi Rou in front of him, and couldn''t help but show a hint of relief on his face, "Saintess, I''m fine."


    "Let''s deal with the present situation first."


    He said, and then turned around, looking at the High Priest in front of them, "If I''m not mistaken, the orthodox lineage of the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect has probably not been severed, right?"


    What?


    Everyone present was stunned.


    When the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect collapsed, the reason many branches split was because the direct lineage of the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect was already severed, and the orthodox was lost, leading to the result of the split.


    But now, Lin Qiu said that the orthodox lineage of the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect had not been severed?


    "Yes."


    Facing Lin Qiu, the High Priest fell silent for a moment, then nodded, "Indeed, as expected of the strategist of the Radiant Demon Sect, you see through things quite clearly."


    "The orthodox lineage of the Holy Sect was indeed not severed."


    "So it is true."


    The pupils of Yang Xiao and the others shrunk.


    They all knew the importance of this matter.


    When the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect split due to the severance of the orthodox lineage, the many branches that arose afterward could be said to have been established on the remains of the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect, they were the inheritors of its legacy.


    In other words, while sects like the Radiant Demon Sect were inheritors of the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect, they could also be seen as thieves taking what was left of it.


    If the orthodox lineage of the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect still existed, how would they view these people?


    This thought flashed in their minds in an instant.


    "There may be more to the orthodox lineage than just the simple straightforward lineage."


    Lin Qiu covered his chest and his face looked extremely pale, but he sneered, "If it was just a normal orthodox lineage, you could slowly infiltrate and manipulate us four major branches including the Radiant Demon Sect in various ways, there was no need to kill us in this way."


    "After all, the Demon Crystals were in your hands before, wouldn''t it have been easier to deal with us?"


    "But instead, you chose to target us, not only that, you even targeted the cemetery of the Holy Religion and extracted all the divine essences from the remains of the past ancestors."


    "It seems like you want to create a suitable body for a resurrection."


    He sneered, "From the looks of it, when the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect collapsed, there was probably some old monster who didn''t die completely, and now after so many years, they are trying to come back again?"


    The words lingered in the air, echoing in everyone''s ears.


    Chen An couldn''t help but admire silently.


    Truly, heroes think alike.


    If the High Priest only wanted to restore the former Solar and Lunar Demon Sect, he had no need to target the four major branches including the Radiant Demon Sect.


    Because no matter how you looked at it, this was a significant portion of power that could be integrated.


    Even though the four major branches had split for many years, they still cultivated demonic scriptures and had the blood of demons.


    With the appearance of the orthodox lineage of the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect, they could have easily integrated these four major branches by influencing them through the Demon Crystals.


    But they chose a different path, targeting Qi Rou and the others, completely cutting off the possibility of subduing the four major branches.


    This operation was far from what a normal person would do.


    Combined with other traces around them, there was only one possibility.


    The person representing the orthodox lineage of the Solar and Lunar Demon Sect needed the lives of Qi Rou and the others to achieve something.


    This goal was most likely a resurrection.


    Chen An had deep interactions with Bai Qing in the past, through Bai Qing he learned about the various steps required for this kind of resurrection.


    In general, for a powerful cultivator who falls, the conditions for a revival are quite strict.


    Leaving aside other factors, finding a body that can bear its own divine essence and continue its cultivation path was not easy.


    For example, Bai Qing targeted Bai Qing because of her amazing aptitude, meeting the conditions for taking over her body.


    And now, it was the turn of others, there would naturally be similarly strict conditions.


    "You want to kill them to collect their demonic bloodlines, artificially creating a suitable body for rebirth, right?"


    Chen An spoke softly, revealing the answer directly, "For this body, you not only plan to kill them, but you also target the cemetery of the Holy Religion and extract all the divine essences from the remains of the past ancestors."


    "Yes."


    The High Priest nodded, admitting it openly.


    He had no intention of concealing this matter.


    Or rather, he simply did not bother to conceal it.


    "I''m suddenly curious."


    Not far away, Yang Qi, supported by Lin Qiu, suddenly spoke, looking at the High Priest in front of him and asking, "With your status, ordinary people are not worth you going to this extent."


    "You''re paying such a high price, the person you want to bring back to life, who is it?"


    "You will know soon."


    The High Priest calmly replied, then began to act.


    As the array operated, drops of crimson blood fell, dripping into the crimson coffin.


    Boom!


    With a light sound, the coffin suddenly opened, revealing what was inside.


    Chen An and the others immediately shifted their gaze over.


    They saw a young man lying in the coffin, surprisingly young, just in his twenties, tall and handsome, even lying still, one could imagine his former majestic and heroic appearance.


    But there was a huge wound on the young man''s chest.


    It seemed to have been caused by a long spear, directly piercing his chest and leaving a permanent scar.


    But at this moment, with each drop of crimson blood falling, the wound slowly dissolved and eventually disappeared.


    Boom!


    A powerful aura rose into the sky.


    Under Chen An''s gaze, the young man in front suddenly opened his eyes and looked ahead.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268: The Return of the Last Demon EmperorGoodness!


    As soon as the young man appeared in front of him, Chen An couldn''t help but sigh inwardly.


    Just look at his aura.


    No need to say more, the person in front of him is definitely a big shot.


    Of course, this goes without saying.


    After all, he was able to exhaust the entire holy land and use so many years of resources to nurture the High Priest. His identity and strength couldn''t be lacking.


    If his identity were lower and his strength weaker, it would be a waste of resources.


    In front of them, the yuan energy was brewing.


    Terrifying divine power was boiling, forming a nodular structure here, like a layer of light shield, completely enveloping this place in a crimson mist.


    And then, under the gaze of Chen An and the others, the young man who was originally lying in the coffin slowly rose.


    His eyes slowly opened, and in an instant, a familiar aura burst out.


    That aura was none other than the surging aura of demon blood.


    And not just any demon blood, but the peak demon blood.


    Unlike Chen An, whose demon body had not yet been fully developed, the demon blood in this person''s body had been refined to the extreme. Every bit of demon blood in his body was filled with a vigorous divinity, and his aura was terrifying and unparalleled.


    Just the instinctive emanation of his aura caused the faces of Qi Rou and the others to pale significantly.


    "At least it''s high-level demon blood."


    Chen An raised his head, unable to help but frown.


    His demon body was gradually obtained through the blessing of source power, so he was especially sensitive to the levels of demon blood.


    Through his perception, although the level of demon blood in the opponent''s body was not as high as his demon body, it still had a high level of demon blood.


    The difference between high and medium levels may seem only one layer apart, but in reality, it was a gap of thousands of source powers.


    To upgrade demon blood from weak to medium only required five thousand source powers, but to upgrade demon blood from medium to high, it required tens of thousands of source powers.


    This gap could be seen.


    Compared to the demon blood in the person''s body in front of him, the demon body bloodlines of Qi Rou and the others were nothing.


    "Finally."


    In front of them, the man slowly opened his eyes, his aura slowly calming down and converging. At this moment, his face also looked nostalgic: "After so many years of slumber, I can finally return to this world."


    "Priest, thank you all."


    He looked at the high priest in front of him, his eyes becoming much gentler.


    "Who are you?"


    A voice came from behind.


    Watching the scene in front of him, Lin Qiu couldn''t help but speak at this moment, asking actively.


    "Me?"


    The young man turned around, looking at Lin Qiu and the others in front of him, and couldn''t help but smile: "I''ve had many names and titles in the past, but now they are meaningless."


    "You can call me by my name, Yang Ming."


    The young man in front of them spoke out his name.


    Yang Ming, this name seemed quite ordinary, like an ordinary person''s name.


    However, when the people present heard it, their faces all changed.


    While Qi Rou and the others were fine, the faces of Lin Qiu and Yang Qi changed in an instant, apparently realizing something.


    "Yang Ming. This is the name of the last generation Demon Emperor of the Sun Moon Saint Religion."


    Facing Qi Rou and the others'' puzzled eyes, Lin Qiu looked uneasy and explained.


    With his words, everyone present suddenly understood.


    Goodness.


    It turns out the person in front of them is a true old monster.


    His identity even seemed higher than what Chen An had previously imagined.


    The last Demon Emperor of the Sun Moon Saint Religion was indeed a respected figure in the Sun Moon Saint Religion''s heyday.


    Compared to them, Qi Rou and the others'' bloodlines were not even worth mentioning.


    "Now that you understand my identity, why don''t you kneel and submit?"


    Looking at the reactions of the people in front of him, Yang Ming smiled: "If you submit now, I won''t hold you accountable for the past."


    "How about it?"


    He offered a choice, wanting the people in front of him to submit to him.


    After all, in his eyes, the people in front of him were the most suitable team for him.


    If they had died in the ceremony earlier, that would have been fine.


    But now that they hadn''t died, he naturally wanted to make the most of it.


    That''s what he planned and thought.


    Unfortunately, the others did not agree with him.


    Listening to Yang Ming''s words, including Qi Rou, all four Holy Sons looked towards Chen An, their eyes focused on him.


    This gesture was very clear.


    Before this, they had already submitted to Chen An, recognizing him as the future leader of the demonic path as the Demon Emperor.


    But now, the former Demon Emperor had reappeared. What to do next would depend on Chen An''s decision.


    They couldn''t make the decision themselves.


    Under their gaze, Chen An didn''t keep them waiting too long.


    "If I remember correctly, just earlier, you were trying to kill us."


    Standing in place, Chen An smiled, saying, "And now, you want us to submit to you just like that? Isn''t that a bit of a joke."


    Yes, just a moment ago, you were threatening us with death.


    If it weren''t for Chen An''s strength, you probably would have already returned to your true form, with no chance to even have this conversation.


    You wanted to kill us before, and now you want us to submit, and say that you''ll forget everything that has happened in the past.


    Can we trust your promises?


    This is a serious question.


    However, faced with Chen An''s question, Yang Ming remained calm.


    Standing on the platform, facing Chen An, he spoke calmly, "Before, I needed the demon blood in your bodies to revive this body, but now that I am revived, I no longer need it."


    "As for what happened before¡­"


    As he spoke, he couldn''t help but sneer, saying, "We, as practitioners of the demonic path, have always been like this. Are you, as a member of the demonic path, going to condemn me for this?"


    Yes, for practitioners of the demonic path, saying one thing in front of others and doing another thing behind their backs is quite normal.


    As long as you don''t have enough power, no matter what the other party says, you have to obediently follow it, with no other choice.


    "Is that so?"


    Chen An also smiled, "Your words make sense."


    "However, in my opinion, you, as the Demon Emperor, are already outdated."


    "The world is always changing, and I think it''s time for someone else to take your place as the Demon Emperor."


    "Dare!"


    Hearing Chen An''s words, the high priest next to him was already furious. He almost wanted to take action against Chen An directly.


    Yang Ming waved his hand, stopping the high priest''s actions, his expression unchanged, "It seems, we cannot reason with each other." S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course."


    Chen An nodded, about to continue speaking.


    Boom!


    Taking advantage of his opening, a terrifying power suddenly erupted.


    In front of him, just as Chen An was speaking, Yang Ming decisively took action.


    It was not unreasonable to say that the Demon Emperor was indeed the Demon Emperor. He knew the essence of demonic practitioners well. Although he was a Demon Emperor, he still acted decisively and without hesitation when it came to attacking younger generations.


    The power of this strike was terrifying, containing a divine power that, if it had truly landed, would have been able to crush mountains and rivers, and shatter the divine mountain.


    However, in the face of this strike, Chen An remained calm, standing still.


    Bang!


    The terrifying power reverberated.


    When Yang Ming''s strike hit Chen An, it was neutralized by an invisible force field on Chen An, preventing it from causing any harm.


    Because, at a critical moment, something on Chen An had moved.


    That was the demon crystal.


    Don''t forget, the demon crystal that Chen An had taken with him from the hidden realm was still on him.


    The demon crystal was a treasured inheritance of the Sun Moon Demon Sect, left behind by the first generation Demon Emperor. Its power was profound and mighty, and if calculated, it was definitely a powerful artifact.


    Even though Chen An hadn''t fully refined it yet and couldn''t actively activate it, just relying on the self-defense of the demon crystal was enough to block the strike of the Demon Emperor.


    "How is this possible?"


    When his strike failed, the Demon Emperor''s face showed clear astonishment: "How can the demon crystal¡­"


    He looked at the demon crystal in Chen An''s hand and couldn''t conceal his astonishment.


    As a treasured inheritance of the Sun Moon Demon Sect, the demon crystal had played an important role in the past of the Sun Moon Demon Sect.


    As the last Demon Emperor of the Sun Moon Demon Sect, Yang Ming was naturally familiar with this treasure.


    That was why he was so shocked.


    "Don''t be surprised."


    Chen An took a step forward, walking towards Yang Ming: "You are an old relic of the past, even if you have been revived, you are nothing more than an outdated artifact. What use do you have?"


    "Just die here obediently."


    He walked forward, the demon crystal in his hand shining brightly.


    In an instant, a terrifying power erupted, sweeping in all directions.


    The unique terrifying power of the demon crystal even connected with the nearby formations, drawing in the power of the holy land and adding it to the strike.


    In an instant, the power of this strike exceeded the limit and reached a level that Chen An had not yet mastered.


    Moreover, he felt that the power was not enough, so he directly increased the intensity.


    "Lend me your power."


    Chen An mentally communicated with the demon crystal, quickly reaching an agreement.


    "Good."


    In the shortest time possible, the demon crystal responded to Chen An, increasing the intensity of the power.


    Compared to Chen An''s meager divine power, the power contained in the demon crystal was extremely powerful.


    In an instant, a formidable power erupted.


    In Chen An''s feeling, at this moment, his whole body seemed to be filled with inexhaustible power.


    The divine power within his Purple Mansion surged, almost overflowing.


    Feeling this, a smile appeared on Chen An''s face.


    However, divine power alone was not enough.


    Yang Ming, the former last Demon Emperor, was definitely a formidable force.


    At this level of power, it might not be enough for him.


    So, Chen An decided to up the ante.


    He lowered his head, looking towards the front.


    In his eyes, the advanced template was once again displayed.


    In the past, Chen An''s focus on upgrades was generally on martial arts or alchemy, or even formations.


    But now, he seemed to be paying attention to something he hadn''t focused on in a long time.


    Frozen for a Thousand Miles!


    This divine skill was obtained by him in the Great Harmony World and was created by the first Emperor of the Song Dynasty, who seemed to have reached a level unknown to ordinary people.


    This divine skill was known to be the most powerful one he knew of.


    However, in the past, due to source power limitations and the practical needs of battle, Chen An had only refined the skill to a rough level, keeping it at a quasi-mastered level without further progress.


    After all, this divine skill required a significant amount of source power to upgrade.


    If there was no need for it, upgrading it would be a waste of resources.


    However, now, with an abundant source of power in Chen An''s body, and with Yang Ming''s strength being formidable enough, the conditions for upgrading this divine skill seemed to be complete.


    If that was the case, why hesitate?


    Just go for it.


    Frozen for a Thousand Miles, upgrade for me!


    With a flickering thought, various ideas flashed through his mind.


    Then, a powerful aura began to flow, erupting outwards.


    With his purple mansion overflowing with divine power, it almost seemed like an unstoppable force.


    "Increase my power your strength."


    He mentally communicated with the demon crystal, quickly reaching an agreement.


    "Good."


    In the shortest time possible, the demon crystal responded to Chen An, increasing the intensity of the power.


    Compared to Chen An''s meager divine power, the power contained in the demon crystal was extremely powerful.


    In an instant, a formidable power erupted.


    Just Chen An''s feeling, he only felt that at this moment, his whole body was filled with an inexhaustible power.


    The divine power within his Purple Mansion surged, almost overflowing with power.


    Feeling this, a smile appeared on Chen An''s face.


    However, divine power alone was not enough.


    Yang Ming, the former last Demon Emperor, was definitely a formidable force.


    At this level of power, it might not be enough for him.


    So, Chen An decided to up the ante.


    He lowered his head, looking towards the front.


    In his eyes, the advanced template was once again displayed.


    In the past, Chen An''s focus on upgrades was generally on martial arts or alchemy, or even formations.


    But now, he seemed to be paying attention to something he hadn''t focused on in a long time.


    Frozen for a Thousand Miles!


    This divine skill was obtained by him in the Great Harmony World and was created by the first Emperor of the Song Dynasty, who seemed to have reached a level unknown to ordinary people.


    This divine skill was known to be the most powerful one he knew of.


    However, in the past, due to source power limitations and the practical needs of battle, Chen An had only refined the skill to a rough level, keeping it at a quasi-mastered level without further progress.


    After all, this divine skill required a significant amount of source power to upgrade.


    If there was no need for it, upgrading it would be a waste of resources.


    However, now, with an abundant source of power in Chen An''s body, and with Yang Ming''s strength being formidable enough, the conditions for upgrading this divine skill seemed to be complete.


    If that was the case, why hesitate?


    Just go for it.


    Frozen for a Thousand Miles, upgrade for me!


    With a flickering thought, various ideas flashed through his mind.


    Then, a powerful aura began to flow, erupting outwards.


    With a series of light sounds, waves of frost energy spread, influencing all directions.


    In front of him, Yang Ming''s face turned pale.


    "Why, would the demon crystal¡­"


    He looked at Chen An in front of him, feeling the majestic aura rising from Chen An''s body, and his face finally turned pale.


    But by now, it was too late.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269 - The Holy AllianceAfter many years, Chen An finally used this divine ability again.


    And the fact proved that even in a different world, in the world of cultivators in front of him, this divine ability still had immense power.


    As the power within the demon crystal continued to surge, a strong aura continuously spread out, transforming into waves of profound ice energy, spreading out and covering all directions.


    Ahead, the Demon Sovereign''s expression had already changed, feeling the immense power from this strike.


    After being blessed by the demon crystal, the power released by Chen An at his current level had surpassed the foundation building stage, reaching a higher level.


    At least it was the power of engraving formation.


    Of course, if it were just that, the Demon Sovereign, though surprised, would not be so panicked.


    After all, as a Demon Sovereign, his own strength naturally far surpassed the power of engraving formation. Even if his cultivation had not fully recovered at this moment, he would not be afraid.


    But the reaction of the demon crystal and the formations around made him uneasy.


    The demon crystal was the treasure passed down by Sun Moon Demon Sect, and logically speaking, it should only be controlled by the hands of the Demon Sovereigns of the generations.


    With the destruction and fragmentation of Sun Moon Demon Sect, and the core inheritance no longer existing, only Yang Ming, the last Demon Sovereign, possessed the core inheritance of Sun Moon Demon Sect and could influence the demon crystal to some extent.


    In theory, he was the only controller of the demon crystal.


    But the actual situation was very wrong.


    He had tried in secret.


    He continuously activated the secret method of the demon crystal, trying to use the method to summon the demon crystal back and control this treasure that represented the orthodox inheritance of Sun Moon Demon Sect.


    However, this attempt ultimately failed.


    No matter how hard he tried, the demon crystal remained unmoved, showing no response to his summons, just like a stone.


    In contrast to this situation, there was an extreme harmony between the demon crystal and Chen An.


    This feeling was very wrong.


    The spiritual formations around were the same.


    He was the last Demon Sovereign of Sun Moon Demon Sect, all the major formations in this ancestral land should logically be controlled by him.


    But from the current situation, these major formations were far more compatible with Chen An than with him.


    Who was the true Demon Sovereign!


    Yang Ming was silent in his heart, but he had to bear all of this.


    It was not until Chen An''s aura reached its peak and he had to reveal his original aura that Yang Ming finally realized what was happening.


    "Could it be a natural demon body?"


    Yang Ming''s face showed a look of surprise. At this moment, he finally understood.


    But at this moment, the next attack was about to come.


    Boom!


    The spiritual energy around resonated, the rolling power surging in all directions, turning the surrounding scenes into a vast expanse of profound ice, as if it had become a world of ice and snow for a moment, extremely beautiful.


    The protective mountain formations of the entire sacred land were shaking.


    The power of just this one strike alone was enough to shake the entire protective mountain formation and permanently change this place.


    However, Yang Ming''s figure disappeared amidst it.


    Not only him, even the figure of the High Priest had disappeared as well, at this moment they were also nowhere to be seen.


    "Gone?"


    Chen An stood in place, frowning as he looked at the scene in front of him.


    The power of the previous strike was strong, but in Chen An''s senses, he did not feel any impact, instead feeling empty.


    Obviously, his strike had missed, it hadn''t hit the opponent at all, it had been dodged directly.


    But it was alright.


    Regardless, the opponent was once the last Demon Sovereign of Sun Moon Demon Sect, a veteran of his kind.


    Such a person, how many secrets and trump cards he had, no one could know for sure.


    So Chen An really didn''t want to confront him head-on unless absolutely necessary.


    In that case, even if he had the demon crystal in hand and could use its power, he might not be able to win against the opponent.


    So driving the opponent away at this moment was already a good result. S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    "Next, things in the world are going to get more complicated."


    Chen An stood in place, looking at the scenery in the distance, this thought silently passing through his mind at this moment.


    With the demeanor of a cultivator of the demonic path, Chen An could already imagine how much commotion Yang Ming would cause in the vicinity in the future.


    A calamity was probably unavoidable.


    But that didn''t matter.


    After thinking for a moment, Chen An let go of his worries.


    Back then, when Sun Moon Demon Sect ruled the world, they controlled everything in this world.


    At that time, with Yang Ming''s power and status as the last Demon Sovereign, it was natural for him to command the world, and no one dared to disobey.


    But now, Sun Moon Demon Sect had long been fragmented for thousands of years.


    During this time, the cultivators of the profound gates had already developed, and the powerful cultivators they possessed were no longer comparable to those of the past.


    If Yang Ming looked at today''s profound gate cultivators with the same eyes as he did in the past, he would probably suffer a big loss sooner or later.


    Moreover, even in the past, Yang Ming, as the last Demon Sovereign, was not invincible.


    Otherwise, he would not have been so severely injured, forced to seal himself away, and had to resurrect now.


    "Yang Ming has already fled, and he probably won''t show up easily again."


    Various thoughts overlapped in his mind.


    Then, he looked at the people behind him and said, "He is in hiding, we are in the light. If we continue like this, he will probably find opportunities to isolate us one by one."


    "In my opinion, why don''t we gather together later and form an alliance? What do you think?"


    Chen An looked at Lin Qiu and the others in front of him, smiling as he spoke, "Of course, the industries and spirit veins that belong to you will still belong to you."


    "It''s just that some things need to be integrated."


    "Also, the ceremony for the inheritance of the demon canon in the future can be changed to once a year, directly held in one place."


    He said this to try to reduce the resistance of these people present.


    After all, whether it was the Yin Sect or the Chang Jue Sect, they had been developing on their own for many years.


    If they were forced to merge together, the difficulty would undoubtedly be great.


    Not to mention the resistance it would provoke.


    After all, those industries were left by their ancestors, and now Chen An was asking them to hand over all those things, no one would be willing to do so.


    It didn''t have to do with the bigger picture, it was purely a matter of human nature.


    And the four major forces, their people and needs were different, so forcing them to merge would only lead to internal problems.


    Instead of that, it was better to simply form an alliance.


    In this way, the forces of the four major powers could be combined as best as possible, without causing too much resistance.


    Once the alliance was established, it was like setting a precedent.


    Later on, Chen An also stipulated that the practitioners of the demon canon would need to practice in the alliance''s residence in the future, using the demon crystal to comprehend the demon canon.


    And most of these demon canon practitioners would become the main force of the alliance in the future, and in turn would influence the four major forces.


    As time passed, when the four major forces were gradually infiltrated to a certain extent, it would be time to integrate them.


    Some people could see through Chen An''s plan.


    But there weren''t many people ready to reject it.


    Figures like Lin Qiu and Yang Qi, of course, could see through Chen An''s plan.


    But why would they refuse?


    According to Chen An''s plan, when the four major forces were slowly penetrated and mastered, it would probably be hundreds or even thousands of years in the future.


    By then, they would definitely not be in this world.


    So what''s the point of caring about that?


    Most demonic cultivators only cared about themselves, as long as their interests were not harmed, they didn''t care about the future.


    Furthermore, the threat of Yang Ming, the Demon Sovereign, was real.


    At the time the Demon Sovereign left, lurking around this time, they also needed Chen An to stand up as a banner to resist the Demon Sovereign.


    Otherwise, if Chen An was gone, then Yang Ming would probably dominate.


    By then, the four families would have been slowly infiltrated, and they might not even survive.


    The real external threat was real, and the influence of infiltration was far in the future.


    The choice was clear.


    Lin Qiu and the others were smart people, and they wouldn''t deliberately make things harder for themselves.


    Under their leadership, a new force was born.


    The name of this force was called the Holy Alliance.


    The Holy Alliance had the word "Alliance" behind it, representing its nature.


    As for the elder "Holy" at the front, Chen An just picked it randomly.


    In fact, some people suggested to call them the Devil Alliance at first, meaning an alliance of demonic people.


    But after thinking about it, Chen An felt that the name was too straightforward, it was like putting a knife to someone''s neck and telling them they were bad people.


    Generally speaking, people don''t pretend to be villains, most of them are just scum.


    So Chen An changed the Devil to a Holy word.


    In any case, the name was not very important, the nature was important.


    The newly formed Holy Alliance was undoubtedly an empty shell.


    But soon it was not.


    Because with the support of the four major forces, various resources would soon be sent in.


    At the same time, the headquarters had already been selected, which was none other than the ancestral land of the former Sun Moon Demon Sect.


    In the past, when Sun Moon Demon Sect ruled this world, their power was unimaginable.


    With such a good place, the main reason it was not used before was because it was full of strangeness and the erosion of mysterious forces.


    But now, with the departure of the last Demon Sovereign, those mysterious aspects seemed to have disappeared all at once.


    Everything had become much more normal.


    Although a part of the divinity of this land was absorbed to help the last Demon Sovereign complete his resurrection, causing the energy to be somewhat weakened at this moment and needing time to recover, the remaining part was still extraordinary, absolutely not inferior to any other place in this world.


    Chen An had regained control of the demon crystal, allowing him to directly control the protective mountain formation of this ancestral land using the power of the demon crystal.


    Such a great place should not be wasted, and it was appropriate for it to serve as the headquarters of the Holy Alliance.


    In this way, the newly born Holy Alliance began to appear, with only a few true members, including Chen An.


    Among the members of the Holy Alliance were those who possessed the blood of demons, including Lin Qiu and Yang Qi.


    Most of the people, apart from their role in the Holy Alliance, also had part-time roles.


    For example, Lin Qiu, Yang Xiao, and others were the princes and princesses of other forces.


    As for himself, apart from being the leader of the Holy Alliance, he was also the husband of the Saintess of the Yao Mo Sect and the core disciple of Changyue Sect.


    The problem of loyalty among such a group of people was indeed a big one.


    To solve this problem, Chen An had already started thinking about collecting as many descendants with demon blood as possible within the four major demonic sects.


    The four major demonic sects all had a large number of descendants with demon blood.


    This was normal, after all, descendants were always increasing as time went on.


    From the split of Sun Moon Demon Sect to the present, it had been several thousand years, and the bloodline of the demon body''s descendants had long lost its value.


    The real valuable ones were the descendants with concentrated demon bloodlines.


    These were the truly valuable ones.


    As for those ordinary demon body offspring, due to the rarity of their bloodlines, many of them might not even have spiritual roots and were basically worthless.


    These people in the past had no access to true demon canon, and could only cultivate some normal scriptures.


    But now, due to the lack of manpower within the Holy Alliance, Chen An was already considering whether to try to find people later who could pass on the demon canon to those ordinary demon body offspring.


    After all, teaching one person was the same as teaching two.


    If a few talents could emerge from them, then that would be a huge gain.


    That''s what Chen An thought and what he did.


    So in a short period of time, the newly established Holy Alliance appeared very busy and showed a vigorous vitality.


    And at this moment, on the other side.


    "I see."


    Yang Ming walked on the nearby streets with the High Priest.


    It had been some time since Yang Ming left.


    Through understanding and contact, Yang Ming had a rough idea of the various stories that had happened after the collapse of Sun Moon Demon Sect.


    "So many things happened after the collapse of the Holy Sect."


    Looking at the street in front of him, a thought flashed in Yang Ming''s mind: "And now there are so many cultivators?"


    Back then, under the rule of Sun Moon Demon Sect, there were not as many cultivators as there are now.


    Because the demon cultivators monopolized all the resources of cultivation, except for those with demon bloodlines, others could obtain very little, resulting in fewer cultivators.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270 - Golden Core"The times have changed."


    Looking at the street in Yanbian, where cultivators were almost everywhere, Yang Ming couldn''t help but sigh.


    Of course, the High Priest next to him also felt the same. At this moment, he was gazing outside, looking a bit lost in thoughts.


    Although the High Priest was not an old monster like Yang Ming, he had also stayed in the ancestral land of the Sun Moon Demon Sect for a long time and rarely ventured outside.


    As a result, he was also not very familiar with the outside world.


    This was the first time he had stepped out of that ancestral land.


    He was also stunned by the sight in front of him, lost in thought and staring for a long time.


    And the people around them were not surprised by their reactions.


    This city was a famous large city nearby, attracting many cultivators.


    Every day, there were many cultivators from other places coming to observe, and all kinds of people were there.


    Compared to the various people, Yang Ming and the High Priest''s reactions were considered quite normal, not strange at all.


    "Let''s go."


    Yang Ming looked at the bustling pedestrians in front of him, unable to help but smile.


    It''s good to have more cultivators.


    For cultivators in the demonic path, cultivators themselves were a rare resource.


    Especially those powerful cultivators. In the eyes of cultivators like Yang Ming in the demonic path, each of them was like a rare worldly elixir, a walking treasure.


    In the past, such treasures were rare. Even if one searched hard, it was difficult to find many.


    But now they were everywhere.


    Isn''t this a good thing?


    Yang Ming realized this and quickly smiled.


    For him, this was also good news that was rare after leaving the ancestral land and recovering.


    "When I gather treasures from the outside world to restore my cultivation, it will not be too late to reclaim the devil crystal from that person."


    Yang Ming pondered for a moment, thoughts flashing through his mind. "By then, that devil body will also be mine."


    Demonic cultivators also had a special method of controlling bodies.


    For Yang Ming, Chen An''s body was quite suitable for possession.


    Because they practiced the same method, both obtained devil scriptures from devil crystals.


    As for physique? They were also highly compatible. They both had devil bodies, only that the devil bloodline in Yang Ming''s body was far less pure compared to Chen An''s.


    But even so, it did not change the fact that both had devil bloodlines.


    For Yang Ming, Chen An''s body was the best target for possession.


    Originally, Yang Ming didn''t think that way, after all, no matter whose body it was, it was ultimately not as good as having your own body.


    But after seeing Chen An''s devil body, he immediately changed his mind.


    It''s really good!


    There''s no choice.


    People always have to weigh the pros and cons.


    Yang Ming''s own body was indeed good, with a strong devil bloodline, ranking at the top in normal times.


    But this was compared to ordinary geniuses.


    If compared to the divine physique, it was far inferior, not to mention comparing, it was completely incomparable.


    If there was a chance, Yang Ming would not mind taking Chen An down and directly claiming his devil body as his own.


    If that happened, apart from other benefits, his cultivation would definitely have a completely new breakthrough, surpassing his previous realm, reaching a higher level.


    Thinking like this, Yang Ming silently left with the High Priest.


    And so, a faint breeze had already begun to blow inadvertently.


    Time was slowly passing.


    In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed.


    Within the cultivation world in the Southern Region, a force called the Sacred Alliance emerged out of nowhere.


    This force was quite low-key at the beginning, just around the Dan Tower area, but as time passed, it quickly grew and spread to many places in the Southern Region.


    Many forces in the Southern Region, including the Dan Tower, which had always been neutral, had ambiguous attitudes towards this new Sacred Alliance, feeling quite strange about it.


    Many insiders guessed that the Dan Tower and other forces must have a secret agreement with the Sacred Alliance, otherwise, it would not be like this.


    But even so, they did not know what was behind the Sacred Alliance and why it was able to rise to such prominence in a short period.


    In fact, the answer to the question was quite simple.


    The rapid development of the Sacred Alliance was naturally due to the influence of the four major demonic sects.


    Each of the four major demonic sects, when developed independently, was definitely one of the top forces in the world.


    Because of this, after the establishment of the Sacred Alliance, they also provided strong support to the Sacred Alliance.


    Many forces in the Southern Region, such as the Dan Tower, had been infiltrated by the four major demonic sects.


    In particular, the Changjue sect and the Yaomo sect had directly arranged their own people in the Dan Tower, even some of the elders were influenced by them.


    There was even a Dan Tower elder who had spent some time in the Yaomo sect and practiced the demonic scriptures.


    Similar situations to the Dan Tower existed in many places in the Southern Region.


    The combined strength of these forces provided a lot of assistance to the Sacred Alliance''s development.


    This was actually a given.


    If you have so many favorable conditions but still can''t develop, you might as well go home and sleep.


    Just wash your face and go to bed.


    However, under Chen An''s control, although the Sacred Alliance was developing rapidly, it was not too fast.


    The reason it wasn''t so fast was that people couldn''t keep up.


    There was no way.


    Other resources, whether resources or other stuff, Chen An could find a way to get them.


    But when it came to talent, he really had no way.


    Currently, the only people who could join the Sacred Alliance were those who possessed devil bloodlines.


    Strictly speaking, they must have both devil bloodlines and spiritual roots.


    This condition made it difficult to find people.


    Despite Chen An''s efforts, he had only recruited less than a hundred disciples.


    Recruiting disciples was not enough, they also had to spend a lot of effort in training and teaching them so they could be used effectively.


    In this situation, even if the Sacred Alliance wanted to expand, they simply didn''t have the time and resources to do so.


    The current size was already at its limit to some extent. If they continued to expand, they would not be able to manage it effectively. s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    General people couldn''t be put in charge of managing cultivators, right?


    That would be too troublesome.


    It wasn''t about loyalty, but the cost of maintaining them was too high.


    Letting ordinary people manage cultivators, one mistake and they could be influenced, controlled in secret, and become puppets.


    The Sacred Alliance was based on the demonic path, and such things were common. Even one mistake could be discovered.


    Therefore, even if they were reluctant, they had to use cultivators.


    So the current expansion speed was already at its limit.


    Chen An felt that this was probably not enough, so he had been thinking of a solution recently.


    He had gathered experts from the four major sects, such as Lin Qiu and others, to discuss with them and use the true meaning of the demonic scriptures contained in the devil crystal as a reference to modify and create a demonic scripture that ordinary cultivators could also practice, not just those with devil blood.


    With the devil crystal in hand, the assistance of experts like Lin Qiu, who were at the peak of the Golden Core stage, and Chen An''s own abilities, this task would definitely encounter many difficulties, but Chen An still had hope that he could solve it.


    Now he was waiting for the results.


    As long as this matter was successful, the disciples recruited by the Sacred Alliance would no longer be limited to those with devil bloodlines, but could be openly recruited from the outside world for training.


    At that time, the speed at which the Sacred Alliance advanced would be greatly accelerated.


    Chen An was waiting quietly.


    Of course, besides this matter, he was also busy with other things.


    For example, cultivation.


    In the second year since the establishment of the Sacred Alliance, with each passing day of practice and accumulation, Chen An finally took a step forward to reach a higher level.


    In the headquarters of the Sacred Alliance.


    Compared to over a year ago, the place had undergone a major transformation.


    In the past, this place had been abandoned for a long time and many areas looked very desolate, with many places losing their original function.


    This was unavoidable.


    Because in the past, although it was not completely unattended, it lacked manpower.


    Although the High Priest''s line would also maintain this ancestral land, their numbers were too few, and when it was needed, there were simply not enough.


    In each generation of the High Priest''s line, there were only about two or three people.


    With such a small number of people, it was impossible to maintain such a large ancestral land.


    Over time, the place naturally became dilapidated.


    But with the establishment of the Sacred Alliance, the situation had naturally changed.


    Although the new Sacred Alliance also had a limited number of people, they could mobilize manpower from the four major demonic sects to repair the place.


    So, over the past year, this place had been bustling with activity, with construction work almost every day.


    Under the leadership of various formation masters, the broken formations were repaired and restored to their original state.


    Of course, during this process, Chen An himself did not hesitate to contribute.


    Or should I say, he put in a lot of effort.


    He was a formation master himself, and during this time, he had been leading the other formation masters in carrying out the work.


    Within this ancestral land, there were many formations that had been left behind from the era of the Sun Moon Demon Sect thousands of years ago.


    The remnants of these formations had many that did not belong to this era, and had long been lost with the split and collapse of the Sun Moon Demon Sect.


    But by comprehending these remnants of formations, Chen An also gained a lot, and his own skills as a formation master had improved.


    At this point, Chen An felt that he had made quite a lot of progress in the path of formation masters and could be considered a master.


    This was good.


    And on this day, in Chen An''s private closed-room, an inexplicable aura emanated.


    Inside the closed-room, Chen An sat upright, his eyes closed tightly, seemingly in a certain special state.


    Behind him, Qi Rou sat silently, watching Chen An''s state, feeling a bit nervous.


    After a while, the aura around Chen An began to change.


    A powerful energy was surging within him.


    In his Second Purple Mansion, the divine power derived from the devil scriptures erupted, gathering like a torrent and rushing forward continuously.


    Boom!


    For a moment, a crisp sound of rushing rivers sounded from Chen An''s body as a large amount of divine power washed over him.


    The massive divine power flowed continuously, as if it was about to undergo some kind of dramatic change, some kind of transformation.


    The divine power rotated nine times, and eventually returned to the Purple Mansion, expanding the boundaries of the purple mansion and making it much larger.


    Some of the divinity slowly solidified, changing with the continuous squeezing and flow of the divine power.


    This process continued for a long time, and finally, a qualitative change followed.


    A small sun appeared in the Second Purple Mansion, shining through the entire mansion like a small sun.


    A Golden Core had been born!


    Yes, what Chen An was doing at this moment was not something else, but advancing to the Golden Core stage.


    He was not unfamiliar with this level as he had ascended once before with the help of the devil crystal, reaching the peak of the Golden Core stage directly.


    However, after the awakening of the devil body, Chen An''s cultivation was suppressed by the devil crystal, directly cutting off his progress.


    During that time, Chen An''s experience was like gaining a Golden Core stage experience card, just experiencing a little time before it ended, and then he was reverted back to his original state.


    But even a moment of experience was enough to have an impact on Chen An.


    At least for the current Chen An, the previously not-so-difficult stage was no longer a challenge.


    The Golden Core had been condensed and formed.


    Boom!


    A Golden Core sparkled in the Purple Mansion, shining brightly, emitting a fiery light.


    This was the Golden Core.


    After reaching the Golden Core stage, cultivators would condense a real Golden Core in their bodies.


    However, when stepping into this level for the first time, the Golden Core that cultivators condensed was just a virtual core.


    At this moment, although the Golden Core existed, it was more of a combination of divinity and divine power, just forming the initial body, not yet a real substance.


    But as time passed, as the cultivator''s cultivation gradually improved, the virtual core would gradually transform, eventually forming a real core.


    At that time, the cultivator''s Golden Core could not only be used but could even be taken out as a special prize, directly extracted.


    Yes, it could be taken out.


    The treasury of the Sacred Alliance contained many treasures, and Chen An had previously seen many cultivators'' Golden Cores, left behind after the demise of powerful Golden Core cultivators in the past.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271 - Changyue SectIn the world of cultivation, the remnants of a previous generation of Golden Core cultivators are considered valuable treasures. Even though the divine attributes of these Golden Cores have faded over time, they are still considered precious items.


    Chen An, a Spiritual Infant cultivator, indulged himself in a period of extravagance. During his cultivation, he directly refined the Golden Cores left behind by the Golden Core cultivators, using them as his power source.


    This extravagant behavior was beyond the reach of ordinary individuals, let alone Golden Core cultivators. Yet, it was something Chen An could afford.


    Sitting quietly in his place, Chen An took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief. Finally, after almost exhausting three high-quality Golden Cores, he successfully condensed a new one.


    The Second Purple Mansion''s Golden Core would undoubtedly enhance his strength significantly, allowing him to surpass ordinary cultivators.


    With two Golden Cores in his possession, Chen An was like a powerhouse. The radiance of his Golden Cores was dazzling, providing him with immense strength and power.


    Although the cultivation of this Golden Core consumed a vast amount of resources, it was worth the effort. Chen An''s strength had increased significantly, making him almost invincible against ordinary Golden Core cultivators.


    However, such progress came at a great cost. The resources expended to cultivate this Golden Core could have been used to cultivate five more Golden Cores.


    The rate of resource consumption was much higher than that of ordinary cultivators. But with Chen An''s exceptional aptitude and enlightenment, coupled with the benefit of an upgrade template, he was able to manage this feat.


    The path of the Second Purple Mansion was a technique meant for a select few elites, as its costs were exorbitant. Despite this, it was sufficient for cultivating a select few individuals.


    Having made his decision, Chen An left the residence of the Holy League, heading towards the Southern Domain. This departure would undoubtedly impact the organization, but with figures like Lin Qiu and Yang Qi overseeing affairs, the repercussions would be minimal.


    Once he arrived at his destination, the sight that greeted him left him dumbfounded. The majestic buildings of the Longyue Sect had disappeared, not through destruction, but through systematic looting.


    The core of the sect was now inhabited by mere mortals, with only a few cultivators remaining, a stark contrast to the past glory of the sect.


    Upon questioning a passing cultivator, Chen An learned of the sect''s dissolution and transformation into the Five Elements Sect.


    The revelation left Chen An and his companion in shock, realizing the gravity of the situation they were now faced with. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 272

    Chapter 272 - Old AcquaintancesAfter some twists and turns, Chen An finally figured out the basic situation.


    It was probably that one night before, a group of demons came to Changyue Sect and launched an attack under the cover of night, directly resolving many cultivators within Changyue Sect.


    The purpose of these people was very clear, they were targeting cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage.


    All cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage were targeted.


    Faced with such a demonic disaster, almost half of the strength within Changyue Sect was wiped out.


    Of course, because these people were very targeted and left quickly, there were still quite a few people alive within Changyue Sect.


    For example, those Qi Refining cultivators, as well as some surviving cultivators, were able to survive.


    Changyue Sect still existed in name.


    However, at this time, a former elder who had gone out suddenly returned and forcibly occupied the ancestral land of Changyue Sect.


    After a struggle, both sides chose to compromise.


    Changyue Sect chose to leave the ancestral land and seek another sect in the outside world, while the elder who returned forcibly occupied the ancestral land and established the current Five Elements Sect.


    However, no matter what, Changyue Sect was still the master of this place.


    In the face of the threat from the Five Elements Sect, they also made many compromises.


    For example, they allowed the original cultivators of Changyue Sect to safely leave, and also allowed them to relocate some of the protective mountain formations.


    That''s the reason for the outside appearance.


    Chen An and Qi Rou exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other''s eyes.


    "Sun Moon Demon Sect."


    Chen An pondered, and said the name of the Sun Moon Demon Sect.


    The Sun Moon Demon Sect, which includes the four major demon sects including the Yao Mo Sect, is the origin of them all.


    But with Chen An establishing the Holy Alliance, at this moment within this elemental realm, a force acting under the name of the Sun Moon Demon Sect and possessing such strength seems to be the only one left.


    "It looks like it''s probably the work of that Demon Lord."


    Chen An frowned and said, "He slaughtered the entire Changyue Sect, most likely for the essence of these cultivators."


    The essence of a cultivator''s body is a unique resource.


    For suitable people, even cultivators themselves can be used.


    Especially for devil cultivators, this is even more so.


    As the former last demon lord, Yang Ming, in order to break through and restore his former cultivation, the process would certainly not be easy.


    The essence of the body of many cultivators would be of great help to him.


    "In the demonic scriptures, there is a secret technique that can plunder the essence of others'' bodies, thus filling in one''s own shortcomings."


    Standing still, after a while, Qi Rou spoke, "But this secret technique is quite strict, requiring the essence of bodies at a high level, at least requiring cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage."


    "That seems right?"


    Chen An and Qi Rou glanced at each other, confirming their thoughts from each other''s eyes.


    It seems likely.


    Above the Nascent Soul stage, such details seem to match the self-proclaimed Sun Moon Demon Sect.


    Most likely, it was that Demon Lord who did it.


    As for why he did it?


    The reason seemed easy to explain.


    Although not many people knew about Chen An''s background, with the abilities of Yang Ming and the High Priest, they could probably find out if they investigated carefully.


    So, deliberately coming to Changyue Sect, perhaps it was to show off to Chen An.


    Of course, while at it, they could also harvest a wave of essence of cultivators to fill in their own deficiencies.


    All of these were possible.


    Of course, there must have been problems within Changyue Sect itself.


    At least when Yang Ming attacked, it was very likely that the protective mountain formations of Changyue Sect had not been activated.


    This could be seen from the remnants left behind.


    There was probably an insider within Changyue Sect as well. s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The elder who left early but returned at a critical moment had a strong suspicion.


    After all, what are the odds of that?


    When the demons came to attack, you weren''t there, but as soon as they left, you immediately returned.


    Not early, not late, it was just so coincidental.


    Do you believe it?


    Chen An wasn''t sure what others thought, but he definitely didn''t believe it.


    He estimated that when Yang Ming started investigating Changyue Sect, he probably didn''t intend to attack Changyue Sect immediately.


    After all, no matter what, Changyue Sect was considered a dominant force, although not at the top of the Southern Region, it was still powerful.


    Rashly attacking, with Yang Ming''s current strength, he might not be able to take down easily.


    After the investigation, he probably found that there was also chaos within Changyue Sect, so he directly cooperated with some of them, and they reached an agreement.


    Then came the current situation.


    After staying in place for a while, Chen An walked with Qi Rou to the front.


    There, what used to belong to Changyue Sect was now the territory of the Five Elements Sect.


    However, because it hadn''t been long, the changes here were not significant.


    At least as Chen An walked through, he felt a familiar feeling everywhere.


    He walked around casually and then formally visited the Five Elements Sect.


    What he used was none other than the identity of the Lord of the Holy Alliance.


    Away from home, the Lord of the Holy Alliance was Chen An''s identity.


    In fact, apart from internal members like Qi Rou, most people probably didn''t know much about the internal strength of the Holy Alliance, except for the name that had been quite famous and popular in recent years, who would have thought it was a demonic force?


    Coming to meet as the Lord of the Holy Alliance, Chen An immediately received full attention.


    To show respect for Chen An, the Lord of the Five Elements Sect, the former elder of Changyue Sect, personally came out to greet Chen An.


    However, when the two sides met, the situation immediately became awkward.


    "The Fourth Elder, long time no see."


    In a quiet room, Chen An looked at the person in front of him, with a smile that didn''t really reach his eyes, looking a bit strange.


    In front of him, a middle-aged man sat there, looking very majestic.


    He was tall, with a dignified appearance, even sitting there, he exuded a threatening aura that made people glance sideways.


    This was the head of the Five Elements Sect.


    For Chen An, he was quite familiar.


    As mentioned before, Chen An had spent several years in Changyue Sect.


    During that time, because of his outstanding talent and extraordinary alchemy skills, he received a considerable amount of attention.


    Due to long-term contact, some of the elders within Changyue Sect were quite familiar with him.


    Some even had a good relationship.


    The Fourth Elder in front of him was one of them.


    Because of constantly asking for pills in the past, the Fourth Elder had spent a long time with Chen An.


    But at that time, the relationship between them was quite normal.


    Chen An''s relationship with the Fourth Elder was relatively pure.


    Well, a pure mutual benefit relationship.


    This situation was quite normal.


    After all, they were all cultivators, and they were both old monsters, so they naturally valued benefits more than young people did.


    Chen An had this kind of relationship with several elders of Changyue Sect before.


    Strictly speaking, the Fourth Elder in front of him was considered good among those elders.


    At least he was efficient in his work and generous when giving things, unlike others who were dragging when giving things, and some even wanting to freeload.


    Unexpectedly, when they met again, both their identities had changed.


    Chen An had become the so-called Lord of the Holy Alliance, while the Fourth Elder in front of him had changed from a former elder of Changyue Sect to the current Sect Master of the Five Elements Sect.


    One could only say, fate is unpredictable.


    Chen An and the Fourth Elder both had this feeling at this moment.


    "Your cultivation..."


    After taking some time to accept Chen An''s current identity, the Fourth Elder''s expression changed slightly.


    At this moment, he had already sensed the aura emanating from Chen An.


    It was the aura of the Golden Core stage, and it was quite powerful.


    Suddenly, he was a bit stunned.


    Although the strength of Changyue Sect was quite good, cultivators at the Golden Core stage were still very rare within Changyue Sect.


    In general, a Golden Core cultivator, even within Changyue Sect, would qualify to serve as an elder or a steward.


    Of course, elders like the Fourth Elder, who had a ranking and a group of subordinates, had much stronger cultivation levels.


    His cultivation level was also quite powerful in the Golden Core stage, probably reaching the late Golden Core stage, far exceeding a normal Golden Core cultivator.


    Under normal circumstances, facing an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, he wouldn''t feel anything.


    But Chen An''s situation was obviously different.


    In his perception, at this moment, the aura emanating from Chen An was so deep and powerful, that thick spiritual power and surging aura almost made him feel suffocated, his whole body tensing up.


    Apparently, the aura emanating from Chen An at this moment had made him feel threatened.


    But how could this be possible?


    Chen An had just recently advanced to the Golden Core stage.


    How could his aura be so strong?


    The Fourth Elder was puzzled and didn''t understand the reason behind it.


    This was the benefit of the Second Purple Mansion.


    Although the Second Purple Mansion consumed resources and was a resource sink, it was powerful enough in terms of combat capabilities.


    At least for Chen An, even though he had just advanced to the Golden Core stage, his accumulated spiritual power was enough to threaten the Fourth Elder.


    That''s the difference.


    The Fourth Elder, after being initially shocked by Chen An''s performance, gradually became more accepting.


    He remembered Chen An''s past performance.


    In the past, Chen An was like this, he would learn everything quickly and could understand things at the fastest speed, even surpassing his teachers.


    Some things that didn''t make sense when they happened to others didn''t seem abnormal when they happened to Chen An.


    This was just an impression.


    After accepting Chen An''s identity, the two sides began to chat.


    Chen An was also inquiring about information.


    He didn''t show much hostility towards the Fourth Elder, just patiently asking questions.


    "Liu He, Song Qi?"


    Soon, Chen An brought up these two names.


    When the Fourth Elder heard these two names from Chen An, he was visibly taken aback, and it took him a while to recall.


    This was quite normal.


    After all, he was one of the core members of Changyue Sect in the past. As for Liu He and Song Qi, although they were named as direct disciples, their actual status was just like that.


    If it weren''t for cultivators having good memories and being able to remember even things from a long time ago, the Fourth Elder might not have remembered these two.


    "They''re both fine."


    After thinking for a moment, the Fourth Elder then said, "Liu He has left and followed the former Sect Master of Changyue Sect to the southern region, as for Song Qi, she is nearby."


    "Really?"


    Hearing this news, Chen An perked up a bit.


    He didn''t have many friends in Changyue Sect, and the closest ones were Liu He and Song Qi.


    But now, hearing from the Fourth Elder that these two seemed to be fine?


    It seemed that they were lucky, and with their status being protected, they had managed to survive the chaos.


    After all, during the previous attack by Yang Ming and his men, the main targets were cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage.


    Although Liu He and Song Qi were true disciples, they hadn''t reached the Nascent Soul stage yet, so they wouldn''t be targeted by devil cultivators.


    In this situation, with their identities, as long as they were lucky, they would generally be fine.


    However, the choices of Liu He and Song Qi were completely different.


    Liu He had chosen to follow the former Sect Master of Changyue Sect and move to the south.


    As for Song Qi, she stayed in the Five Elements Sect.


    Chen An asked to meet with Song Qi, and the Fourth Elder did not refuse, but kindly reminded him that Song Qi''s situation was not very good at the moment, so he should be mentally prepared.


    That day, Chen An met with Song Qi.


    "You are... Junior An?"


    In a hall, Song Qi, dressed in a white robe, looked at Chen An in front of her, showing a pleasant surprise.


    At this moment, Song Qi''s appearance had changed a lot from the past.


    She was still wearing a white robe, her figure was still the same, but her complexion was much paler, her face lacking any trace of color, making people feel sorry for her.


    There was a kind of weakness emanating from her whole body, and she looked rather miserable.


    "Senior Sister, you..."


    Chen An looked at Song Qi in front of him, feeling puzzled, "Your Purple Mansion?"


    "Yes."


    Song Qi forced a smile, showing a somewhat pale smile, "During the previous demonic disaster, when the demonic cultivators attacked, I and a few senior brothers fought together against the enemy and accidentally shattered my Purple Mansion. Now I''m just lucky to be alive."


    Shattered Purple Mansion


    The room fell silent.


    This was no small matter.


    The Purple Mansion was crucial for cultivators, and once something happened, it would affect the foundation of the cultivator, leading to a chain of problems.


    In general, when a cultivator''s Purple Mansion had an accident, it was difficult for them to continue their cultivation, let alone survive.


    But hearing this, Chen An was just surprised.


    Then, under Song Qi''s astonished gaze, he took out a special pill from his chest.


    The pill was pure white, looking very pure and clean, with fine patterns on it that looked exquisite and delicate.


    A faint fragrance emanated from it, spreading to the room, making one feel impulsive to swallow the pill whole.