“I really never thought that Ying Zongtian was such a pure and single-minded person. From the start, he obstinately clung to his stance, standing behind you, all just for this one reason.”
After Xiao Chen returned to the recuperation room, Ao Jiao could not help but sigh.
Indeed, compared to others, Ying Zongtian’s dedication to his thoughts was rather pure, making others respect him sincerely.
After consuming the Heavenly Essence Pill, Xiao Chen discovered that his injuries healed even faster than he expected. In less than three days, his recuperation would be complete.
He was not sure whether this was due to the King Grade Medicinal Pill or his strong physical body.
Since he no longer had to focus on recovering anymore, it was time for him to do something else. Now that the King conferral ceremony was over, naturally, the most important thing was to take inventory of his congratulatory gifts.
The first gift was from Xiao Chen’s First Senior Sister—a Heavenly Ice Pearl, a precious treasure that allowed one to comprehend the will of ice directly after consuming it.
Xiao Chen mainly cultivated the will of thunder. However, for something like wills, clearly, the more, the better. The additional will of ice would make his combat prowess more comprehensive.
In the future, if he encountered any ice-type Saber Techniques or Cultivation Techniques, he would not need to sell them. He could just practice them.
After this was the great gift from Xiao Bai. It was a Holy Spirit Vein. Clearly, with Xiao Chen’s current cultivation, he had not reached the level where he could consume it.
However, he could use the Holy Spirit Vein on his conferred land. It and the remaining thirty-odd Peak Spirit Veins would equal the accumulation of some weaker Rank 9 sects.
This way, anyone willing to go to Heavenly Star Island would not lose out from the transfer.
Next up was the gift from Ye Chen—a two-hundred-meter-long True Dragon spine. This gift completely stunned Xiao Chen back then.
If this was not a King of True Dragons, it was not far from it. Xiao Chen knocked on it and found that the dragon marrow was still intact. He immediately rejoiced.
An old problem plaguing Xiao Chen might be solved as a result of this dragon marrow.
Xiao Chen’s strength already reached five Dragon Force long ago. By using Deities Descending to increase his strength tenfold, in theory, he could achieve fifty Dragon Force.
How strong exactly was fifty Dragon Force? It was something that would hurt even a quasi-Emperor.
Even a strong great grandmaster-level Martial Sage of the same generation would explode with one punch.
Unfortunately, Xiao Chen’s physical body could not support it. At best, he could only explode forth with twenty Dragon Force. Any more and the only result would be his body bursting and him dying.
Before Xiao Chen could even punch, he would explode as a result of his own actions.
However, now that he had so much dragon marrow, things were different. How effective was dragon marrow? He already experienced this before. When he refined the dragon marrow in the spine, his physical body would grow even stronger.
It might be possible for him to burst forth with fifty Dragon Force.
Xiao Chen’s gaze shifted around and found the Beautiful Mountain and River Painting. This was legendary Immortal Equipment.
After checking the Beautiful Mountain and River Painting carefully, he was slightly disappointed to find it incomplete. A corner was missing from the painting, so its might was much lower.
However, this would not impact the value of this painting. It was still an extremely rare treasure. If he sold it, he could obtain tens of millions of Black Astral Coins.
Next up were Qing Cheng’s, Yao Yan’s, Ying Qiong’s, and the others’ congratulatory gifts. After taking inventory of them, it had to be said that the value of all the gifts Xiao Chen received reached an extremely horrifying level.
All these would tempt any quasi-Emperor.
“Anyone who robs you would instantly become rich. All of these are precious objects,” Ao Jiao said with a sigh.
Xiao Chen smiled and did not deny it. How wealthy was he exactly? The wealth in his hands equaled that of a Rank 8 sect.
“What is this?” Ao Jiao asked when she found an ordinary painting among Xiao Chen’s many congratulatory gifts. She felt it was somewhat strange.
Even the gifts that Xiao Chen’s old friends gave, people like Feng Xingsheng, Yue Chenxi, and Gong Yangyu, were not as ordinary as this.
The painting was mostly done in two colors—black and white. At the end of the sea of bitterness beyond the Bridge of Helplessness was an azure-clad man looking at the broken paths of reincarnation, presenting a distinctly melancholic view of his back.
Ao Jiao said, “This is strange. This scene is off. At the Yellow Springs, there is only black and white. Why are this person’s clothes azure?”
“Because this person is the Azure Emperor,” Xiao Chen replied calmly.
He had seen the Azure Emperor’s Drawing the Saber painting and the Azure Emperor’s Standing Tall Seeing Far Painting before, so he immediately recognized this back view of the azure-clad person with one look.
“Who gave this painting?”
“I don’t know.”
Xiao Chen shook his head. He had been to the broken paths of reincarnation before. When he went there, he resolved a preoccupation in Qing Cheng’s heart, as well as one of his own.
He did not know who gave this painting or what the giver’s intent was.
Actually, Xiao Chen had a vague answer in his heart. He guessed the giver’s identity, but he did not dare to be sure.
“It seems like there is a note inside the painting,” Ao Jiao said suddenly.
There is a note in the painting?
Back then, there had been many eyes on Xiao Chen, so he did not have much time to examine this painting carefully, only giving it a few glances. When he heard what Ao Jiao said, he could not help but feel excited.
He extended his Spiritual Sense. Indeed, there was an extremely thin piece of paper wedged into the painting. When he carefully pulled it out, he saw a note that read:
Congratulations, Brother Xiao, on being conferred King. If you have time, if you want to know the origin of this painting, I will be waiting for you at the largest inn of Supreme Sky City.
Ao Jiao was confused. “Who is this person? How could he did not even sign it off?”
Xiao Chen carefully put away the note. Now, he was sure who sent the painting.
Whether Xiao Chen’s guess was correct or not, he would know when he arrived at Supreme Sky City.
The Central Province was several other provinces distant from Supreme Sky Province. Even with the Supreme Sky Sect’s warship, they had to fly continuously for seven days rushing back.
Even a great grandmaster-level Martial Sage would not traverse this distance in a single flight. The energy consumption would be too high and would take at least ten days.
A Superior Grade Martial Sage would take one month to rush over; an Inferior Grade Martial Sage, three months; and a Martial Monarch, at least half a year to a year.
Xiao Chen thought about the past. When he first left the Supreme Sky Sect, it had taken him most of a year to travel through Hunluo Province.
Now, this world was still the same; it had not changed. However, in his eyes, it had become very small.
This was the worldview that came with an increase in strength. The higher he went, the more different the world would look to him.
Xiao Chen wondered, What is the difference between the view I have now and the view a Martial Emperor has? How is it different from that of a Prime?
------
Seven days passed. Xiao Chen’s injuries were already completely healed, and he had regained his peak state.
The light flickering in his eyes lent him a particularly intimidating atmosphere. Even though he did not do anything after that great battle, his aura had undergone a nebulous change.
Every move Xiao Chen made gave off a natural air of a grandmaster. If not for his young face, most people would mistake him for an eighty- or ninety-year-old old man.
Currently, he showed a cultivation at the peak of great grandmaster-level Martial Sage. If this aura became any more natural, he would reach the threshold for a quasi-Emperor.
Quasi-Emperors were already very close to being a Martial Emperor. Anywhere they went, they were influential. Every move they made had major implications.
One would return to their natural state. The air of a grandmaster would begin transforming into an even higher-leveled aura, the heart of an emperor, which others would no longer be able to perceive.
“Junior Brother Xiao Chen, we’ve arrived at Supreme Sky City. You should focus on all the comprehensions you gained on this trip. I will help you manage the many trifling matters,” Shui Lingling said to Xiao Chen as the warship hovered in the sky of Supreme Sky City.
Many trifling matters?
Xiao Chen’s thoughts raced as fast as lightning. He soon guessed what Shui Lingling referred to. He could not remain at the Supreme Sky Sect for too long and would have to set off on his journey to Heavenly Star Island in the near future.
Several disciples were also willing to leave with him. This should be the matter that Shui Lingling referred to.
“In that case, I shall impose on First Senior Sister. Thank you in advance.”
Shui Lingling said, “Yue Chenxi and the others spoke to me about it long ago. However, the procedures are complicated, and there are many rules involved. I’m afraid it will take some time.”
Xiao Chen still felt worried. “When these people leave with me, I’m afraid the sect will take a huge loss.”
Shui Lingling said gently, “It is not really a loss. Even until today, we have not finished using the Medicinal Pills refined from your blood. You created many elite disciples for the sect. Compared to that, it is truly nothing.”
When Xiao Chen was in the Heavenly Dew Divine Spring, he had absorbed more of its essence than the geniuses of the other races—several times more than even what the others had, combined.
The flourishing of the Supreme Sky Sect was mainly due to him.
Without the Medicinal Pills refined from Xiao Chen’s blood, the sect would not have so many elite disciples advancing quickly to Martial Sage.
Shui Lingling’s explanation put Xiao Chen at ease. After the two parted, he immediately headed for the largest inn in the city.
Supreme Sky City was the capital of Supreme Sky Province. However, only the sect disciples could enter it. As for outside the city, aside from the Supreme Sky Sect disciples, most of the people were cultivators from other places.
The city had many streets and alleys, which were extremely lively.
The inn bustled with guests; all the seats were filled. It was very noisy and loud with chatter. If one listened carefully, one would discover that all the discussions focused on the recent King conferral ceremony.
News traveled very fast. Now, the entire Tianwu Domain knew that Xiao Chen was conferred the Azure Dragon King.
The gathering of six Primes made the news of Xiao Chen’s King conferral ceremony spread even further. The entire Kunlun Continent discussed this matter.
After ten thousand years, there was an Azure Dragon King once again. The various twists and turns of the King conferral ceremony that followed one after another fanned the flames of interest far and wide.
Xiao Chen stood outside the inn. His azure robes fluttered in the wind. After muttering to himself for a while, he raised his leg and stepped in.
Soon, he would know for sure who sent the painting of the Yellow Springs.
He passed the first floor and the second floor. When he reached the third floor, he stopped climbing up. There, he found an empty table and took a seat before ordering wine and food. While eating, he betrayed no anxiety.
Since the other party said to look for him in the largest inn in the city, the other party would have noticed Xiao Chen the moment he entered.
If it really was the person that Xiao Chen suspected, that person possessed many ways to avoid detection. All Xiao Chen could do was wait patiently.
“Haha! Brother Xiao, congratulations on successfully being conferred King.”
At some point in time, all the other customers on the third floor had left.
The moment Xiao Chen raised his head, he saw a person already sitting across him. This person was dressed in blue and bore a long sword on his back. That unchanging carefree smile remained on his face.
Chu Chaoyun. The Yellow Springs painting had indeed come from this person!
After an absence of so many years, Chu Chaoyun was still the same as before. No matter how he changed, he had an aura of calm confrontation.
Even now, Xiao Chen still could not plumb the mysteries of this person.
During the many years they had not met, Chu Chaoyun had advanced to grandmaster-level Martial Sage.
However, even though Xiao Chen’s cultivation had soared greatly, becoming much stronger, when he looked at the nearby Chu Chaoyun, he did not feel confident of winning.