I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 887 Reunion with Zhou Qiucheng

Xie Lingyun was no ordinary woman. She may have lost her composure at the time, but after that moment, she had calmed down.

Xie Lingyun had no ordinary romantic feelings; all she desired was immortality and eternal life. Of course, from Zhang Chen's perspective, Xie Lingyun's heart might not truly be pure.

"What an amazing pill! I can't believe I could break through to the tenth level one day." Xie Lingyun looked at Zhang Chen, her voice still filled with shock and amazement.

The transition from Yin Spirit to Yang Spirit is a hurdle, but the gap between the ninth-level Yang Spirit and the tenth-level Immortal Skin and Jade Bones is even greater than the gap between the eighth and ninth levels.

No ninth-tier Yang God level expert dared to say they were confident in breaking through from Yang God to Jade Bone level.

“You need to take some time to settle down and solidify your foundation, because it’s already a bit unstable,” Zhang Chen reminded Xie Lingyun.

"Of course I know. Logically, I should continue to consolidate my cultivation in the secret chamber, but I'm too excited and just want to share the good news with you." Xie Lingyun said, "Besides, consolidating my foundation is not something that can be done in a short time. I need to resolve the issue of your identity first before I can continue my secluded cultivation."

As they were talking, a guard from the Inspection Office handed over a card: "Commander, Zhou Qiucheng, the seventh teacher of the academy, requests an audience."

"It's Mr. Zhou! Please invite him in quickly!" Xie Lingyun's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she hurriedly said to the guard.

The guard obeyed and left. Not long after, Zhou Qiucheng walked in from outside the door. After several years of cultivation, Zhou Qiucheng not only did not age, but became younger and younger.

"In principle, I should pay my respects to you, Master, but my current status is somewhat troublesome, so I can only trouble you to see me." Zhang Chen saw Zhou Qiucheng walk in and quickly bowed respectfully.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qiucheng smiled slightly and stepped forward to help Zhang Chen up: "Our friendship transcends such formalities. Don't worry about your identity; we will do everything in our power to smooth things over for you."

"Thank you very much, sir!" Zhang Chen bowed again.

But Zhou Qiucheng shifted his gaze to Xie Lingyun beside him: "Congratulations, Commander Xie, on reaching the tenth level and becoming one of the few who control the fate of all living beings in the world. I will need your guidance in the future."

Zhou Qiucheng was by no means a pedantic scholar; he was quite quick-witted, otherwise he would not have had the opportunity to become the head of the academy.

Look at Chen Sanliang, he was also incredibly talented, but his fate was the complete opposite of Zhou Qiucheng's.

“You are my teacher, so we are family. There’s no need for formalities. If you ever encounter any problems in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask. For Zhang Chen’s sake, I will definitely do my best to help you.” Xie Lingyun replied, but the high regard she had for Zhang Chen surprised Zhou Qiucheng. He had underestimated Zhang Chen’s abilities.

The three men entered and sat down. Zhou Qiucheng looked at Zhang Chen and asked, "Why haven't we heard from you in years? Where have you been?"

"I caused some trouble and had no choice but to hide and eke out a living. Recently, the situation has eased up, which gave me the opportunity to escape," Zhang Chen replied with a smile.

He didn't tell Zhou Qiucheng the truth. Zhou Qiucheng was different from Xie Lingyun. Xie Lingyun's inner demons were in Zhang Chen's hands, and he could trust Xie Lingyun completely, even more than his own younger brother and sister.

Zhou Qiucheng nodded upon seeing this, and did not continue to ask questions. Instead, he turned to Xie Lingyun and said, "Chief Xie is so fortunate to have broken through to the tenth level. At such a young age, you have become a powerful figure. It is truly enviable."

"I was just lucky. If you can stay true to yourself and do good from beginning to end, you will surely be blessed. Breaking through to the tenth level will be just a matter of a snap of your fingers." Xie Lingyun replied with a smile, her words carrying a hidden meaning. It was unclear whether the other party understood.

Xie Lingyun meant that if Zhou Qiucheng could continue to uphold his original nature and wholeheartedly assist Zhang Chen, Zhang Chen would definitely not be stingy with elixirs in the future. Xie Lingyun knew that Zhang Chen was by no means a stingy person.

The only thing that puzzled Xie Lingyun was why Zhang Chen gave Zhong Wubai a pill without hesitation, but didn't give it directly to Zhou Qiucheng?
If Zhang Chen knew Xie Lingyun's words, he could only smile wryly. He had a good relationship with Zhou Qiucheng, but his relationship with Chen Sanliang was not bad either. Zhou Qiucheng wanted to find Chen Sanliang to take revenge, and Zhang Chen would certainly not hand over the pills to him casually before the hatred between the two was resolved.

The difference between the tenth and ninth ranks is beyond description. If Zhou Qiucheng breaks through to the tenth rank, and with the support of the imperial court, and if he borrows a twelfth-rank treasure, Chen Sanliang's chances of failure are extremely high. Zhou Qiucheng was unaware that Zhang Chen was helping Xie Lingyun break through, and naturally couldn't understand Xie Lingyun's implied meaning. He simply sighed softly, "Breaking through to the tenth rank of a cultivator is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Even if I have now grasped the essence of the Great Dao, proving the Dao is still extremely difficult."

Zhou Qiucheng changed the subject at this point: "As for the question of this kid's identity, I wonder what the procedure is? Chief Xie, just give the order, and I will not hesitate to go through fire and water."

Xie Lingyun explained her plan, and Zhou Qiucheng said, "That's somewhat possible. The only difficulty is Grand Tutor Ji Chuan. He's a stubborn old man, and it won't be easy to persuade him. I can shamelessly ask the Grand Tutor to personally go and persuade him."

Xie Lingyun smiled and continued, "Although Ji Chuan was difficult to deal with, we still managed to get him on our side. Zhang Chen cured Ji Feihua's strange illness. Ji Feihua's importance to the Ji family goes without saying. We have about a 70% chance of persuading the Grand Tutor."

Just then, a guard came to report: "Grand Tutor Ji Chuan and Ji Feihua have come to visit."

"You all stay here, I'll go and invite the Grand Tutor in." After saying this, Xie Lingyun turned and walked out.

After confirming that no one was around, Zhou Qiucheng turned to Zhang Chen and said, "Why did you come directly to the Inspectorate? That's too risky! The Inspectorate is the Emperor's territory. The news of your arrival will surely reach the King. If the King decides to kill you, you won't even have a chance to escape!"

Zhou Qiucheng's voice was low as he simultaneously mobilized his qi to seal off the surrounding void: "No one in the capital can be trusted, not even the Zhang family behind you. I have already investigated for you. Most of the people in your Zhang family are thinking of killing you and handing you over to the King of Pingbian in exchange for control of the North. The King of the Imperial Palace is also hesitant and still weighing the pros and cons. Now that you have come to the Inspectorate, you are simply walking into a trap."

"Although it's like walking into a trap, I also want to test the King's attitude. If the King directly orders the experts of the Inspection Division to capture me, I won't need to strive for a legitimate identity anymore; I can simply abandon all my plans. As for the experts of the Inspection Division, you should know my strength, but you may not know that my cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds in the past few years. I am no longer what I used to be. Although the Inspection Division has many experts, they are still a bit short of the skill to capture me." Zhang Chen's voice was full of strong confidence.

Upon hearing Zhang Chen's words, Zhou Qiucheng was taken aback, looking at Zhang Chen with surprise: "Your cultivation level... never mind, I can't ask that, it's the bottom line for survival! But you can't trust anyone in the capital. After you resolve your identity issue, I will arrange for you to enter the academy. There is an immense opportunity within the academy. The academy seems to have discovered a new world, but the information about the other side of the world is not yet confirmed, and the world barrier has not been fully opened. You've come at just the right time. If you can enter that world, it will be a great opportunity for you. That world seems to have just been created, and the order of heaven and earth has not yet stabilized. The academy dares not risk opening a spatial passage. If you can obtain the qualification to enter it, and then reap the creation of the world within, I really don't know how incredible your cultivation level will reach."

"A new world has really been opened up?" Zhang Chen was startled upon hearing this.

Zhou Qiucheng nodded upon hearing this: "This matter is not a secret within the academy, nor even among the powerful figures in the capital. The reason the court allows the demon race to run rampant is because all its energy is focused on the creation of that world. If they could control a newly created world and cultivate powerhouses beyond the twelfth rank, sweeping across the world would be a piece of cake. What Tiger Power Immortal, what Peacock Ancestor, could be annihilated in the blink of an eye." Zhou Qiucheng said.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen's expression turned serious. This news was somewhat shocking, and Zhang Chen was filled with astonishment.

Just as he was about to continue speaking, he heard footsteps outside the door. Then he saw Xie Lingyun leading Ji Chuan and his grandson in. Upon seeing this, Zhou Qiucheng quickly withdrew the energy he had set up.

"Grand Tutor, this is Zhang Chen, the one you wish to see!" Xie Lingyun led Ji Chuan into the room and pointed to Zhang Chen, saying this.

"Greetings, Grand Tutor." Zhang Chen quickly bowed respectfully.

"Wait, don't stand on ceremony! I should be the one bowing to you. If it weren't for your help, I don't know when my granddaughter's strange illness would have been cured. Stand still and let me bow to you." Ji Chuan was about to bow to Zhang Chen, but Zhang Chen grabbed him: "Grand Tutor, don't be so polite. I have a connection with your granddaughter, so there's no need for such a grand ceremony."

Xie Lingyun seized the opportunity to interject, "That's right. The Grand Tutor is an elder, how can an elder greet a junior? If the Grand Tutor really wants to repay this favor, there is something we need to ask for your help with."

Xie Lingyun seized the opportunity to steer the conversation directly to the main topic.

Upon hearing this, the old Grand Tutor turned his head and glanced at Xie Lingyun: "Just like your father, you're the kind of person who seizes every opportunity and never suffers a loss. I know what you want to say, but you don't need to elaborate. Just tell me what your plan is."

Without further ado, Xie Lingyun explained the plan in detail, then looked at Ji Chuan and asked, "Please advise me, sir, on whether this plan can succeed?"

Xie Lingyun was very respectful.

(End of this chapter)