"Did anything unexpected happen on your trip to the Magic Sheep Sect?" Chen Yu asked about the matter of the Magic Sheep Sect.
"Father, this time, what happened was..." Naturally, there was no need for Chen Hong to report this. Chen Xun honestly and thoroughly described the course of events.
"Old Hong, not bad. You old brat, I thought you'd have no hope of obtaining a domain in this lifetime." Chen Yu first glanced at Chen Hong.
Chen Hong shot back irritably, "Get lost. Facts prove you were blind. Back in the day, this old man was also a peerless prodigy."
"I suppose that also settles a knot in your heart," Chen Yu replied faintly.
Then Chen Yu glared at Chen Xun and said, "If you'd properly learned even one move from Sword Step, you wouldn't have needed your Hong-bo to save you!"
Chen Xun gave an embarrassed smile. There was nothing wrong with what Chen Yu said, but he really couldn't learn it well.
Chen Hong cut in at this moment. "Xun Er, in the Magic Sheep Sect's treasury, why didn't you choose a Soul Bone and instead chose that bottle of blood?"
"Hong-bo, look." As he spoke, Chen Xun took out that bottle of Dark Gold blood from his Soul Tool. "Even through the bottle, I could feel my own blood boiling because of this bottle."
"Oh? It could resonate with you. At the time, none of the others felt that way, only you did. Then what could have caused it?" Chen Hong was somewhat puzzled about this.
Chen Xun circulated his Soul Power, and his left arm shone with the same understated yet luxurious Dark Gold glow. "I think the one resonating with the blood is this Vajra Giant Ape left arm Soul Bone of mine, so I suspect this is the essence blood of a Vajra Giant Ape or a high-level Soul Beast closely related to it. I feel that after a Soul Master uses it, their physique could increase by a large margin."
Chen Yu agreed. "Mm, that makes sense. But first, go to your second uncle's place and let him study it. See if he can find out what Soul Beast's blood it is before deciding how to use it."
"Got it, Father."
"Xun Er, send this damaged Jade Crown to your second uncle as well later." As he spoke, Chen Hong took out the Jade Crown he had chosen from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to Chen Xun.
Then Chen Hong took out the Soul Bone he had obtained from killing Hesus Weiss and said, "Old Taro, this time we obtained two Head Soul Bones: a forty-thousand-year Dark Blood Demon Wolf Head Soul Bone and a sixty-thousand-year Three-Eyed Magic Sheep Head Soul Bone. This can be considered a huge harvest."
Chen Yu could not help sighing. "Murder and arson pave the way to riches! Keep that Soul Bone. That Darkness Attribute Head Soul Bone is fairly suitable for our Seven Kill Sword. Xun Er should keep his too."
The Seven Kill Sword was filled with killing intent. A Darkness Attribute Soul Beast's spiritual skull bone was not especially compatible, but it could still be considered an above-average choice.
"This Head Soul Bone isn't especially useful to me. Put it in the Clan Treasury," Chen Hong said, shaking his head.
"If you don't use it, can't Jian Zun use it?" Chen Yu's words made Chen Hong put away that thought.
Outside, when Ma Zhibin saw Xue Tianming, he leisurely slipped inside without needing to be invited.
"Tell me, what are you here for this time?" Chen Yu had no good temper when facing Ma Zhibin.
Chen Yu and his father were friends who had faced life and death together, and after dealing with Ma Zhibin so often, he knew this fellow's nature.
"Uncle Yu, I purely came along with them. Isn't it the Chen Clan Celebration? I figured I should come by at least once." Ma Zhibin grinned.
"Speak human!" Chen Yu rolled his eyes.
"Heh heh, it's just a private matter," Ma Zhibin said shamelessly.
"If you've got a fart, let it out!"
"Didn't I get a fire-type Right Arm Bone of more than twenty thousand years from the Magic Sheep Sect this time? I already have a right arm bone. When I passed by my clan before, I wanted to exchange it for another one, but my father said there wasn't one. I figured our two families are pretty close, right? Could we swap?" Ma Zhibin said this in an extremely casual tone.
"Isn't your family closer to the Long Family?" Chen Yu shot back irritably.
"But I'm only close with Long Wenkai. I can't piss in the same pot as the others. After all, this is a private matter. You're different. Who are you? You're my father Ma Tianyang's sworn brother, that Old Bastard, with a life-and-death friendship forged through fighting. This little nephew came here to trade on an old face." This fellow was at least telling the truth.
"Heh, now it's an old face? Aren't you still young, suave and elegant, as handsome as a jade tree in the wind?" Chen Yu had clearly heard Ma Zhibin teasing Xue Tianming earlier.
"That still can't compare to you, old sir. You're a Banished Immortal who has fallen to the mortal world, detached from worldly things. Even an old tree blooming again would be nothing difficult for you." Ma Zhibin's face changed as fast as a dog's. When it was time to curry favor, his tongue moved very nimbly.
"Stop, stop, stop..." Chen Yu knew nothing good would come out of his Dog Mouth. He guessed Ma Zhibin's old man had thrown him to Soul Fighting City just so he'd be out of sight and out of mind, lest the old man make himself sick with anger.
"Old Hong, what Soul Bones does the family have that would suit him?" Chen Yu helplessly asked Chen Hong, who managed the Clan Treasury.
"Very few people in our family use fire-type Soul Bones. Last time, we recorded a Purple Flame Crane fire-type Left Leg Bone, eighteen thousand years old. It's definitely not as good as your twenty-thousand-plus-year one, though. Do you want it?" Chen Hong looked at Ma Zhibin and let him decide for himself.
"Yes, yes, yes! Anyone who doesn't trade is a bastard!" At this point, how could Ma Zhibin care about that small difference? Having one at all was good enough, and besides, the Purple Flame Crane fire-type Left Leg Bone was truly quite decent.
"Chen Xun, go to the Clan Treasury and bring it over." When there was work to be done, the son took the trouble. Chen Yu called Chen Xun over for the errand.
After a dozen minutes, Chen Xun brought over a dazzling purple-red Soul Bone.
"Hurry up and get lost."
"Right away."
"Hahahaha, an old tree blooming again, huh? Not bad, Old Taro." Chen Hong could not hold it in anymore.
"Did his stupidity infect you too?" Chen Yu curled his lip.
"As for Xue Tianming's proposal, Xun Er, what do you think?" Clearly, if they sent someone this year, Chen Jianjun happened to be due, and he was also the only candidate, so they had to ask Chen Xun's opinion first.
"I think it's possible. Jianjun happens to be going out this year, so he can consider going to Soul Fighting Academy." Chen Xun nodded.
"Jian Zun went to Sword Rain Academy last year. Originally, I planned to have Jianjun go this year too, so they could temper each other and improve together. Besides, we have a lot of people over there," Chen Yu sighed.
Sword Rain Academy was located in the Star Luo Empire. Behind it was the Chen surname clan group. Many of the Chen Branch Families and Separate Lineages studied there. The academy had gathered many geniuses with Sword Martial Souls and cultivated many high-level Soul Masters with Sword Martial Souls. It was very famous on the continent and was a Holy Land for sword-type Soul Masters.
The Chen Clan's residence was in the Heaven Dou Empire, yet Sword Rain Academy was in the Star Luo Empire. They were very good at not putting all their eggs in one basket.
Chen Hong thought for a moment, then said, "That's not really a problem. They can be opponents too. Jianjun is our Chen Clan's heir in line. It would benefit him to get to know the Branch Families and Separate Lineages, but conversely, going to Soul Fighting Academy, seeing more of the world, and clashing more with Soul Masters who have Top Martial Souls would also be good."
"Mm. Zhang Er, what do you think?" Chen Yu looked toward Chen Zhang, who had been sitting quietly to the side all this time.
Compared to Chen Xun, Chen Zhang resembled Chen Yu more. His features looked as if they had been carved, his face sharply defined, showing a masculine, virile beauty. He wore a deep-blue fitted combat outfit beneath a light gray-blue high-collared, front-opening robe. Chen Zhang was stationed in Soul Fighting City year-round and understood the situation better.
"We can't really refuse, either. Don't forget, we were the ones from the Chen Clan who proposed punishing the Magic Sheep Sect this time."
Yes, punishing. That was Soul Fighting City's internal term for it.
"That's true. They came all the way from Soul Fighting City, from so far away, and even made our Chen Clan their first stop when several other clans are much closer than us," Chen Xun chimed in.
"So, having our Chen Clan be the first party they consult feels somewhat natural. If we agree, everything will go much more smoothly," Chen Hong continued.
"Good. Then let Jian Jun go," Chen Yu decided in the end.
"What about Ning Ze?" Chen Yu turned to Chen Hong. Chen Yu was the Clan Leader, and could not leave lightly. Chen Hong was the only candidate. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had always been the vortex of the world, and there was danger there.
"According to the agreement from back then, our family hasn't gone to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in many years. I'm not that old, so I can consider it. Besides, the Ning Family really is offering a lot," Chen Hong said calmly.
"Damn rich bastards!" Chen Xun let out a breath and sighed.
Before you continue