Enduring humiliation for three years, seizing the elixir, the treasure, and the holy maiden.

The wind outside the hall made the half-open window sway slightly.

Li Ziran remained silent for a long time before finally sighing.

"I thought about that in my younger days too."

"I once dreamed that I shattered the clouds and stepped into the upper realm."

Li Ziran shook his head self-deprecatingly.

"Even if such an opportunity arises, I would still refuse to stay."

"But that's precisely why this city must be handed over to you."

"After this battle, Luoyan City is a place that no one dares to touch."

"With you in charge, this is exactly what I need."

Li Ziran straightened her back slightly.

"The handover ceremony will be held before the ceremony between you and Bai Luwei."

"It's been exactly three months; it's time for this old man to emerge from seclusion."

Looking at that thin, old face, Su Chen couldn't bring himself to say the words of refusal.

Seven days ago, Li Ziran, knowing full well that his opponent was a mid-stage Void Refinement cultivator, still stormed into the Starry Sky Dao Sect's training ground alone.

It was all for his own marriage, all for his woman.

That feeling is heavier than a city.

"it is good."

Su Chen stood up and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Su answered."

"I'll keep an eye on things for my great-father-in-law for now."

Li Ziran let out a long breath, as if expelling all the fatigue of the past seven days.

"Then let's talk about the third thing."

Li Ziran took out a black jade slip from his sleeve and ran his fingertip across the slip.

A spiritual image emerged from the jade slip and slowly unfolded in mid-air.

Mountains and seas, an extremely thin golden thread meanders down from the center of the image, ending in a single point.

Su Chen's gaze fell on that point, and his eyebrows twitched.

The source of the Xuanhuang spiritual vein.

"Over the past few months, I have gone through all the old archives in Luoyan City."

Li Ziran tapped the end of the gold thread with his finger.

"Found it."

"Nine thousand feet below that dead swamp in the far south of the fantasy continent."

Su Chen took the jade slip, clasped his hands together, and put away the spirit map.

His thoughts, however, had already wandered to Qingzhou, hundreds of thousands of miles away.

Li Changfeng, that old man, was forming a new physical body, but what he lacked was the source of spiritual veins from the three continents.

We have the ones from Heishan, and we have the ones from Qingzhou.

The only problem is that the Xuanhuang part is stuck in Su Chen's hands.

Su Chen wasn't in a hurry to deliver it.

His profound knowledge and understanding of Mahayana Buddhism are boundless.

Cultivation techniques from the upper realm, elixirs from the upper realm, and secret treasures from the upper realm.

If we don't squeeze that old man for a hefty sum now, why would he be willing to give it to us once his new body is formed?

Su Chen stuffed the jade slip into his sleeve, his face remaining expressionless.

"Thank you very much, Father-in-law."

"I, Su, will find this very useful."

Seeing Su Chen's expression, Li Ziran suddenly smiled.

"You little rascal, you're always calculating."

"As long as you've figured it out, that's fine."

"I'm sleepy."

......

The door to the side hall was half-closed, and most of the medicinal aroma emanating from the stove had dissipated at some point.

Su Chen felt something was wrong as soon as he stepped across the threshold.

Li Tianqi sat on the soft couch by the window, holding a poorly folded letter in her hand.

Lin Wanwan stood next to her, her slender hand twisting the side of her skirt repeatedly until the fabric was wrinkled.

In the past, these two would have pounced on him long ago, one grabbing his left arm and the other his right.

They complained that they had worked hard for seven days and needed to recover.

today...

"What's wrong?"

Su Chen loosened the collar of his furious blue robe.

Lin Wanwan raised her eyes, and there was a thin layer of dark circles under her eyes.

"My husband."

"Sister Yuyan... hasn't replied."

Su Chen paused for a moment.

"How many letters did you write?"

"Four letters."

Lin Wanwan pushed a stack of communication jade talismans on the table over; there were four of them, and their spiritual light was still shining.

"The first letter was seven days ago, asking her when she would depart."

The second letter was sent five days ago.

"The third and fourth letters were from the last two days, only asking if I was safe."

"The jade talismans have all been delivered."

"The inspiration hasn't died out, but the person hasn't returned."

Su Chen examined the four jade talismans one by one.

The light was still shining.

There are only two possibilities if the jade token was delivered but not returned.

Wang Yuyan either doesn't want to go back.

Either Wang Yuyan can't return.

"Yu Yan stayed in Qingzhou for her father's sake."

Li Tianqi folded the letter and placed it under the paperweight.

"We understand that."

"The meager resources of Yanyu Pavilion are all supported by Uncle Wang."

"But if she just doesn't want to leave, replying with a single sentence wouldn't take much effort."

Su Chen remained silent.

Su Chen knew Wang Yuyan's personality best.

She's usually so soft and gentle around me.

Ever since Qingzhou, when he overpowered Lu Feng.

Perhaps it's because they feel indebted to themselves, or perhaps it's because of their special feelings for themselves.

She always shows her gentle side when she's with me.

Can...

Being Su Chen's woman definitely means you won't be a good person.

If Wang Yuyan really had that thought...

"I'm going to Qingzhou."

Su Chen put the jade talisman into his sleeve.

Li Tianqi looked up.

"You've only been back for three days."

"It's alright."

Su Chen reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair from Li Tianqi's forehead behind her ear.

"I was supposed to go on this trip anyway."

"Grandfather Taiyue has found the map of the source of the Xuanhuang spiritual vein. I, Su, happen to have this map with me to exchange for some opportunities with Master Deng."

"If Yu Yan is alright, just pick her up on the way."

"If something really happens."

Su Chen's tone softened.

"We can't wait."

Lin Wanwan bit her lip and nodded, then suddenly raised her hand and took a small brocade pouch from her waist and stuffed it into Su Chen's hand.

Osmanthus cake.

"Made yesterday."

"If Master Hongfu wants it next time, it has to be made fresh."

Su Chen weighed the brocade pouch in his hand, chuckled, and turned to step out the door.

The last bit of snow that lingered in the cracks of the bluestone outside the hall eventually melted away.

......

The clouds were pressed very low.

Two streaks of light fell from the gaps in the clouds and landed on a cluster of sharp, pointed peaks.

There was no grass on the stone, only wind.

The wind howled through the mountain pass for a whole hour.

Wang Mang plopped down on the stone ridge and laid the sword across his knee.

Three-tenths of lightning still clung to the sword, hissing as it scattered.

"I, Wang Mang, have done many foolish things in my life."

"This is the number one case today."

That round face looked so bitter it could be wrung out.

"What a tragedy."

"If I had known this would drag me into this, if I had known..."

He turned his head and glanced at it halfway through his sentence.

Wang Yuyan stood three steps away, with her back to the wind.

The plain white gauze dress was stained from waist to knee with a large patch of stained skin. It had dried long ago, turning into a dark red scab, and fine flakes would fall off when the wind blew.

One hand was still covering her mouth, but laughter was leaking through the gaps between her fingers.

Thank you.

Wang Mang's words were shut down by these two words.

"...You can still laugh."

"Laughable? Then kill him!"

Wang Yuyan spoke quite naturally.

Wang Mang opened his mouth, but suddenly felt that Wang Yuyan in front of him was somewhat unfamiliar.

Such ruthlessness and decisiveness are no less than Su Chen's...

Moreover, they actually killed Han Ye without hesitation...

After a long pause, he squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth.

"Now is not the time to talk about this."

"Leisha has already sent people out."

"When I left the sect, I saw communication talismans flying everywhere, and the old stone bell at the mountain gate was even rung."

Wang Yuyan raised her hand and tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear.

"What's the harm in sending someone?"

"Besides you, the only other Nascent Soul cultivator in the Falling Cloud Sect who can be considered competent is Lei Sha."

"The Supreme Elder is at the Mahayana stage; he wouldn't move his post for such a trivial matter."

"Send a few Nascent Soul cultivators up here, do you think they can catch me?"

...