Free Web NovelChapter 370: Chapter 175: Forbidden Land 2
The words went unsaid, and the two fell silent once more.
After speaking, Qiao Hongyun stood and brushed off his robes. "The auction is the day after tomorrow. I’ll come find you then, and we’ll go together."
Shen Xiuyong laughed at his words. "With a local bully like you leading the way, we won’t have to worry about getting lost."
.....
Lin’an City, in a private courtyard.
News of Chen Qing’s victory over Chen Lin spread like wildfire throughout Lin’an Prefecture.
When Miao Zhicheng heard the news, his blood boiled with such fury that he couldn’t calm himself.
Chen Qing!
That brat from the Wutai Sect who snatched his Profound Iron Box, causing all his efforts to crumble at the last second and leaving him in a wretched state!
Not only had he survived the Nether and Ghost Guards, but he’d brazenly appeared in Lin’an Prefecture. And to top it all off... he had defeated "Sea-Covering Sword" Chen Lin in a direct confrontation on the Haisa Sect’s Martial Arts Arena!
"How is this possible?!"
Miao Zhicheng was filled with disbelief and a chilling sense of dread.
’Just who was Chen Lin?’
’He was a true genius, ranked third on the list of candidates for the Haisa Sect’s Sect Leader, and his actual combat prowess was rumored to be the second-strongest!’
’He had mastered the Cyan Cloud Sword Technique to the point of Perfection, possessed profound and enduring Vast Sea True Qi, and even wielded the Top-Grade Treasure Artifact, the Sea-Covering Sword.’
’Miao Zhicheng knew with certainty that he was no match for that kind of power.’
’And yet, that Chen Qing had actually won!’
After the intense jealousy came a deeper sense of apprehension and fear.
’With the terrifying combat strength Chen Qing had displayed, once he reached Perfection, his chances of successfully breaking through to the Astral Force realm would be incredibly high!’
’It was very likely... he would advance before I do!’ ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
The thought of Chen Qing stepping into the Astral Force realm before him made Miao Zhicheng feel a suffocating pressure.
"No! I absolutely cannot let that happen!"
A vicious glint flashed in Miao Zhicheng’s eyes. ’I have to trip him up before he breaks through. I absolutely cannot let his Cultivation continue so smoothly!’
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down as his mind raced, weighing his options.
’A direct attack?’
’Absolutely not.’
’Putting aside the fact that Chen Qing was now stronger than him, his martial uncle, Shen Xiuyong—a newly advanced Astral Force expert—was someone he absolutely could not afford to provoke.’
’Kill him with a borrowed knife? Sow discord?’
Miao Zhicheng’s eyes flickered as ideas flashed through his mind one after another.
....
「Two days later.」
Qiao Hongyun led Shen Xiuyong, Chen Qing, and a few disciples from the Haisa Sect down from Dinghai Peak on horseback, making for Lin’an Prefecture City.
The walls of Lin’an Prefecture City were tall and thick, creating a grand and imposing sight, a stark contrast to Yunlin Prefecture City, which was built along the water with a network of crisscrossing rivers.
The streets within the city were wide and paved mostly with bluestone slabs. A constant stream of carriages, horses, and pedestrians flowed by, and the roads were lined with shops, many of which sold ore, weapons, and armor.
At a street corner in the distance, a stage had been set up where a local opera troupe was performing. Their high-pitched, robust melodies filled the air as the surrounding crowd cheered from time to time, creating a lively atmosphere.
The aroma of the street food was also distinctive. There were all sorts of baked pastries, smoked meats, and cakes made from a local specialty root vegetable—quite unlike Yunlin Prefecture, with its abundance of fish and other aquatic foods.
This area was further inland and surrounded by numerous mountain ranges, and the local people seemed a bit more rugged and hardy.
Qiao Hongyun, knowing the way like the back of his hand, led the group through several bustling streets to a quiet, secluded district of courtyards within the city.
As one of the two dominant powers in Lin’an Prefecture, the Haisa Sect naturally owned numerous properties within the city.
The courtyard, with its white walls and black tiles, was an oasis of calm in the bustling city. The interior was elegantly and fully furnished, having already been prepared by the sect’s servants.
"You can rest here. I’ve already given instructions that all your needs will be attended to."
Qiao Hongyun explained, "I need to go visit a few old friends who are also here for the auction and gather some information. I’ll be back later."
Shen Xiuyong smiled. "Go on and do what you need to do. We’ll take the opportunity to rest our feet."
After Qiao Hongyun left, Shen Xiuyong sat on a stone bench in the courtyard and gestured for Chen Qing to join him. He asked with a smile, "Well? Now that you’ve had a look around, what differences do you see between Lin’an Prefecture and our Yunlin Prefecture? Are the arrangements for this trip to your satisfaction?"
"The style is completely different; it has its own unique character. The arrangements are impeccable. Thank you for your efforts, Martial Uncle and Elder Qiao."
Chen Qing nodded in agreement, though he was also thinking to himself.
’Having connections with an elder from a major sect really makes things much more convenient. Whether it’s finding a place to stay or accessing channels of information, it’s a world apart from what I could have managed on my own.’ fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
’Connections are an incredibly important resource in their own right. At critical moments, they can save you from countless troubles and even play an unexpected role.’
’I’ll have to make a conscious effort to cultivate my own network in the future.’
With this in mind, Chen Qing took the opportunity to ask, "Martial Uncle, you and Elder Qiao seem to be old acquaintances with a deep friendship. How did you two meet?"
Shen Xiuyong smiled at the question. "That was many years ago. I hadn’t yet been promoted to Elder, and I’d accompanied my master here to the Haisa Sect for an exchange. That fellow Qiao Hongyun was already the prodigy of his generation in the Haisa Sect, famous at a young age and at the peak of his prestige."
"I wasn’t half bad in the Wutai Sect myself, and you know how it is with young people. We were rivals, secretly competing and not seeing eye to eye. Later, by a stroke of luck, we ended up crossing blades, and from that fight, we became friends who admired each other’s abilities."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "After that, we often went out adventuring together. As you know, the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp are exceptionally dangerous, and the depths are even more so—every step is fraught with peril. It’s extremely unwise to go alone, so traveling in a team is the best option. But your teammates must be people you can absolutely trust."
"He and I, along with a few other like-minded friends, ventured deep into the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp together many times to search for Treasure Medicine, hunt Exotic Beasts, and hone our Martial Arts. We even... we even attempted to enter the core region once, but the place was simply too bizarre and dangerous. We ultimately failed to get far and had to retreat."
