Cui Yunxian's Relief

Fortunately, Xiao Chen quickly remembered the strange phenomenon he had encountered at Universal Salvation Temple.

It seems that around that time, Purified Nature Zen Master said he would report the matter.

Therefore, it is very likely that the reason why the Kong Xing Ming Wang sent someone to find him this time is because of those unusual phenomena.

To put it bluntly, they're after the Sha Qi and demonic energy emanating from me.

Tsk, this is not a good thing.

Xiao Chen knew his own situation well. The reason he carried such a heavy Sha Qi was because he had actively absorbed a massive amount of the Five Elements Sars.

However, this matter involves a secret of the Profound Heaven Immortal Palace, and outsiders are unaware of it.

In such a situation, they might mistakenly believe that they are heinous Great Demon.

Xiao Chen wasn't being overly suspicious; the main issue was that Universal Salvation Temple had previously caused considerable tension between the two sides due to the matter of the Sha Qi.

Although both sides maintained relative restraint in the Compassion Sea, no conflict ultimately occurred.

But if he went to the Great Universal Salvation Temple and faced the Kong Xing Ming Wang, whose strength was clearly superior to his own, it was hard to say what the outcome would be.

Although it's not necessarily a bad thing.

It could also be just an ordinary invitation; someone might go as a guest and then come back.

But as the saying goes, one should not have the heart to harm others, but one must have the heart to guard against others.

Instead of pinning your hopes on the Kong Xing Ming Wang, whom you've never even met, is actually a great person, it's better to abandon that idea.

Xiao Chen preferred to prepare for the worst in advance.

For example, the other party might have ill intentions, and this invitation could actually be a Hongmen Banquet.

They were still bothered by the fact that they had provoked the Vajra Glare and the Bodhisattva Weeps, as well as the prophecy of being a 'reincarnation of Asura '.

Of course, there could be other situations.

Xiao Chen still remembered that later, Universal Salvation Temple came to him specifically to ask for a copy of the ' Jia Mo Sect Inheritance ' to take back.

It was also under the orders of the Bright King, but it is unknown whether it was this Kong Xing Ming Wang or someone else.

But whoever it is, it's enough to prove that Buddhist Sect is very interested in controlling Sha Qi.

Perhaps after conducting their research, the other party wants to explore further possibilities?

For example, they might call you over and ask you more about the Sha Qi.

It's even possible that they might directly target the Sha Qi they carry with them.

Putting himself in someone else's shoes, if Xiao Chen knew that someone carried a lot of Sha Qi but still acted as if nothing was wrong, and even if their cultivation level improved by leaps and bounds...

They will definitely be curious and want to find out the reason.

They even suspected that the other party might have some kind of fortuitous opportunity or extraordinary encounter related to Sha Qi.

In short, this invitation doesn't sound like a good thing.

If you have a choice, it's best not to go.

But here's the problem: a Bright King specifically sent Zen Master from the temple to deliver an order, specifying that he should go back with the other party.

In this situation, how can you politely decline?

If Xiao Chen were Spirit Transformation Venerable, this would be far too easy.

You can make up any excuse, like saying the weather is bad today and you don't want to go. The other person can't say anything about it.

However, he is not yet Spirit Transformation. If he doesn't have a plausible reason, and refuses Universal Salvation Temple in front of everyone, then...

That might offend Universal Salvation Temple, and they might see you as ungrateful.

Xiao Chen hesitated for a moment, then decided to test the wind direction first. "Oh dear, that's really unfortunate."

"I have some personal matters to attend to these past couple of days, so I won't be able to find the time."

"How about I visit the Kong Xing Ming Wang later when I'm done with my work?"

This method of probing isn't very clever, but at least it can test the other party's attitude.

If the other party is clearly unhappy but still doesn't make any demands, then it means there's not a big problem.

But if the other party insists that you have to go now, and that you can't refuse, and their attitude is extremely firm.

There's nothing more to say then; it's 99% likely to be problematic, only a fool would go for it.

After entering the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven, one must face the Kong Xing Ming Wang.

However, in Hundred Herbs City, a single Zen Master was no match for him.

It doesn't matter if there are other people lying in ambush outside to meet us.

If the other party dares to use force, he can simply rush out and find a place to hide.

Anyway, the Endless Sea is so vast that if someone is determined to hide, Universal Salvation Temple has no way of pinpointing their exact location.

However, Xiao Chen's answer took the True Lord by surprise.

Wow, you're that brave!

A Bright King has specifically requested to see you and has even sent Fourth-Order Zen Master to deliver the order.

If it were them, even if they were busy and didn't want to go, they certainly wouldn't dare to refuse like that.

You should at least appear to genuinely want to go, and then carefully explain your difficulties.

Instead of refusing without hesitation, like Xiao Chen did.

Not only them, but the Zen Master also stood there dumbfounded.

He really didn't expect that even though he had already said that this was the Bright King Edict, there would still be people who dared to make excuses.

They kindly invited you to visit the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven and even provided the World Breaking Stone for your round trip.

To refuse such generous terms would be incredibly ungrateful!

A flash of anger and disgust crossed his eyes, but he immediately suppressed it.

He simply reminded him curtly, "Layman Xiao, I hope you can think carefully before you answer."

"If there is indeed something particularly important that needs to be dealt with urgently, then this old monk will not force anyone to do anything against their will."

"I will naturally return and report this situation truthfully to Your Bright King."

Oh, you sound a little angry, but you're not particularly aggressive.

Xiao Chen felt that this should fall under the first category, and the problem was probably not serious.

Since that's the case, then it's not impossible to consider making up an excuse and putting it off until today.

That's right, although the results of the trial seem to indicate that there are no major problems.

However, he still did not intend to go to the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven with the other party.

As the saying goes, a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall.

After witnessing the immense power of the Spirit Transformation Venerable in manipulating the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in the New Cultivation World.

Xiao Chen had already decided to avoid unnecessary interactions with any fifth-tier cultivators.

Unless there is an unavoidable reason to meet.

Otherwise, follow these four words: keep your distance.

This isn't a good solution; in fact, it could be considered an escape from the problem. After all, normally, in the long process of cultivation, what's meant to happen will eventually come.

However, on the other hand, while escapism is shameful, it can be useful.

At least for Xiao Chen, stalling was indeed a good tactic.

Looking back six years, the Yin Corpse Sect was still a behemoth to him.

But looking back now, it doesn't seem so special.

Similarly, the Kong Xing Ming Wang is currently a powerful figure whom he needs to be wary of.

However, as long as we can avoid it for a while, we can study how to break through to the Spirit Transformation.

Who knows, maybe in a few years, Xiao Chen will be able to go to Great Universal Salvation Temple at his leisure.

Thinking of this, he immediately wore a troubled expression. "Oh dear, this is really too unfortunate."

"I do have something extremely important to do next."

"I simply cannot find the time; please understand, Zen Master."

"When I have time in the future, I will definitely take the initiative to visit Universal Salvation Temple to pay my respects to the Bright King."

These words surprised everyone around them once again.

Good grief, it's obvious they don't want to go.

I don't know if something really happened, or if there's something else going on.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, glancing back and forth between Xiao Chen and the Zen Master of Great Universal Salvation Temple, their minds racing with speculation.

"Amitabha!"

The Zen Master uttered a loud Buddhist chant, then his expression turned completely cold. "This old monk has noted down Layman Xiao's answer."

"I will definitely relay this to Bright King verbatim."

After saying that, he simply flicked his sleeve, turned around, and City Lord Manor without looking back.

He seemed quite angry, but ultimately didn't lash out in public.

At the same time, he didn't say anything inappropriate.

From this perspective, it seems to be a large, well-established power.

Of course, this takes into account the fact that Strength Revered in the Cultivation World.

It's also possible that the other party is very clear that if Xiao Chen really doesn't want to leave, then they really can't force him to go back.

If you can't do it, there's no need to make threats; otherwise, you'll only embarrass yourself.

Although the Zen Master left, those who remained were even more astonished.

No one expected it to turn out this way.

Many people felt that Xiao Chen had handled the situation poorly this time, showing signs of youthful arrogance.

Normally, even if someone is exceptionally talented, they shouldn't be arrogant and conceited, lest they incur resentment.

However, some people disagree, while others look on with envy.

For example, Heng Yi True Monarch's eyes lit up, hoping that one day he too could have the confidence to refuse a fifth-level cultivator as readily as Xiao Chen.

It is worth mentioning that, upon seeing this scene, Cui Yunxian felt a strange sense of comfort and relief.

It turns out that not only was her invitation rejected, but even the invitation from the Kong Xing Ming Wang was rejected.

Fellow Daoist Xiao treated everyone equally, rejecting all their invitations without discrimination.

That must mean he genuinely had important matters to attend to and couldn't spare the time, rather than making up an excuse to deliberately shirk responsibility.

In that case, it's alright.

After being rejected twice, Cui Yunxian was wondering if Xiao Chen didn't like her.

It turns out it was a misunderstanding; he was genuinely very busy.

She knew it! As fellow cultivators Path of Enlightenment, how could the other party not be interested in her, a kindred spirit?

Now I finally understand, it was actually because she chose the wrong time this time.

So if we just choose a better time next time, it should be fine.

With this in mind, Cui Yunxian regained her confidence and continued to plan how to exchange cultivation experiences.

On the other side, Huo Xinghuai had also come to his senses.

Because of this unexpected turn of events, he was unable to finish the project as planned.

So he simply coughed lightly and said directly, "Ahem, fellow Daoists, this Exchange Meet successfully concluded. Thank you all for your support."

"Before saying goodbye, I have some good news to share that I received this morning."

"According to the latest calculations from the Heaven's Secret Pavilion, the official opening time of the Vast Sea Secret Realm Inner Realm is not as imminent as some previous rumors had suggested."

"It should happen between March and April next year."

"If nothing unexpected happens, it will most likely be in late March or early April."

"In this way, everyone can make preparations for entering the Inner Realm more calmly, without worrying about insufficient time."

Upon hearing the news, some people were happy while others were sad.

Keep in mind, it's only the end of February.

This means that, according to calculations, there is still a full year to go.

This is naturally good news for some people who feel they are not fully prepared.

But for those who are fully prepared and eager to get in, this is undoubtedly bad news.

This allows the other competitors to make more preparations.

On the contrary, since they were already prepared, it was not advisable for them to concentrate on their Closed-door cultivation, lest they become too focused and lose track of time, thus missing this opportunity.

All we can do is wait a year, and while we wait, we can also take care of the younger disciples of the sect.

Many True Lord usually only have time to teach a few of their Direct Disciple.

This time, I had some extra free time by fortuitous opportunity, so I decided to check if there were any other promising talents within the sect.

They could also suddenly go to the sect's properties to inspect and see if anyone was engaging in any deception or cover-up.

In short, with this group of True Lord suddenly having free time, the fate of many low-level cultivators will likely be affected over the next year.

This is not an exaggeration at all.

In the Cultivation World, the actions of high-level cultivators inevitably affect those of low-level cultivators.

To avoid being affected, one must break through to a higher level and possess more power to control one's own destiny.

"From now until next March, that's about thirteen months."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen's lips curled up slightly; this was clearly good news for him.

He had already successfully obtained the Blazing Sun Stone, a top-tier, extremely yang spiritual item, at the Exchange Meet.

As long as it is delivered to the Shattered Gold True Monarch in time, he should be able to see the Complete Fusion Spirit Tool he has been waiting for in seven months.

Moreover, even if it is delayed by another month or two, there will still be enough time to bring the new Spirit Artifact into the Inner Realm.

This is a very important and significant upgrade!

It should be noted that Xiao Chen seems to have mastered the Crimson Sky Mountain Severing Palm, and in terms of Law Technique alone, he is almost Nascent Soul Great Accomplishment Realm Soul cultivators.

However, when it comes to a real battle of magic, it's not just about Law Technique; all aspects must be taken into account.

Without going into too much detail, the Pagoda True Lord possesses a great treasure.

If one were to rely solely on the Cloud Shattering Mountain Merging Palm to fight, regardless of the final outcome, it would likely take several hours to attempt to break through the opponent's Seven Treasures Life Protecting Pagoda.

What's more, during this Exchange Meet, the two mysterious True Lord even took out a Void Crossing Hunting Boat.

Since they can produce such Special Spirit Tool, others certainly can too.

After all, those who will be able to enter the Vast Sea Secret Realm will not only be Nascent Soul True Lord from the Eastern Domain, but also Nascent Soul True Lord from other regions and even the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven.

Who knows, at that time, even more powerful or more bizarre Spirit Artifact might appear.

Under such circumstances, it is still very necessary for Xiao Chen to possess a powerful Spirit Artifact as an aid to himself.

As the saying goes, a wise person is not born different, but is good at making use of things.

This means that a gentleman's qualities are actually no different from those of an ordinary person. The reason why his abilities are higher than those of an ordinary person is because he is good at making use of external resources.

Coincidentally, Xiao Chen's cultivation aptitude was no different from that of an ordinary person.

Therefore, from the moment he began Qi Refining, he never hesitated to use external objects, whether for cultivation or combat.

They might even specifically seek to enhance their abilities through external means.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Xiao Chen took the initiative to bid farewell to Huo Xinghuai.

After leaving Hundred Herbs City, we returned to the Outer Sea.

I ran a little further again, and then picked the nearest rock where I could stand.

Then, he used his Divine Sense to activate the Dimension Sorcerer Emblem and once again traveled to the New Cultivation World.

It was quite a coincidence.

As soon as he arrived, he keenly sensed with his powerful Divine Sense at the True Lord level that another person was hiding in the bushes about a hundred feet away to his right.

"Huh? Someone's here?"

Xiao Chen was initially startled, but quickly realized, "Huh, it seems to be just an injured young man?"

Because of the vast difference in strength between the two sides, he was able to clearly see the situation even though the other side knew nothing about it.

Hiding in the bushes was a young man who looked to be only in his early twenties, with a Flying Knife stuck in his chest, staining the originally snow-white inner lining next to him red.

But he couldn't attend to his wounds at the moment.

He gripped the Flying Sword tightly with one hand and made a concealment gesture with the other, doing his best to suppress his aura and Divine Sense fluctuations, and hide his location as much as possible.

However, his disguise could not fool Xiao Chen.

With just a glance, he easily determined that he should be a Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

"Oh, there are other people?"

Xiao Chen turned his head slightly to the left, and his Divine Sense passed through the rocks and vegetation in the valley, arriving directly at the valley entrance.

At this moment, more than ten Golden Core cultivator of varying cultivation levels, all wearing the Gui Yun Sect's standard Spirit Robe, were chasing after them menacingly.

The leader, a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator, held a Compass and emitted a beam of spiritual light from his hand.

He immediately shouted, "There's the scent of the Evil Breaking Flying Knife here; the Spirit Thief must be hiding nearby!"

"He is already injured, and must be at his last gasp now."

"Work in pairs, split up and search, find the person as quickly as possible!"

Upon hearing this, the other cultivators immediately accepted the order and spontaneously formed small teams to begin the search.

Some people went directly into the valley, some searched back in the opposite direction, and others checked the left and right sides of the valley entrance.

Judging from their posture, they clearly weren't letting any area slip by, indicating they had considerable experience in searching and capturing.

And it was quite obvious that they were after the young man hiding in the bushes.

"Interesting, we've just happened to run into the Gui Yun Sect to apprehend Rebellious Cultivator."

After sorting out the situation, Xiao Chen originally planned to leave quietly, as if he had never been there.

Before he could even leave, he noticed a group of people heading straight in his direction.

"No, what do they mean by this?"

In Xiao Chen's Divine Sense, although the two Late-stage Golden Core cultivators were not particularly fast, they did not thoroughly check the valley for places where people could hide.

It was practically heading straight for him.

At the same time, the young man seemed to have noticed this as well.

It actually struggled to get up from the ground, changing from a lying position to a squatting position, seemingly preparing to ambush the intruders.

That's very strange.

It's quite normal for pursuers to find people through special means.

However, in Xiao Chen's observation, the young man had clearly concealed his Divine Sense, so how could he still detect that the enemy was approaching?

How did he discover this?

Out of curiosity, he carefully examined the young man's movements again with his Divine Sense, but he couldn't discern anything.

Before long, the two Golden Core cultivator rushed over.

One of them looked around, seemingly trying to find his way.

Then his face lit up with joy. "The Blood Qi stops here, that kid is hiding here!"

Another person was originally standing guard beside him.

Upon hearing this, his face immediately lit up with joy. "Hahaha, you little bastard, stop hiding! You've been hit by my Evil Breaking Flying Knife, you can't escape today!"

"Get out here right now, or Grandpa will give you a quick death."

"Don't even think about putting up a fight. You can't hurt your grandpa with your meager skills."

Although that's what he said, his actions were completely different.

Almost immediately, he pulled out a spirit shield and summoned it to protect himself.

It's clear they're taking precautions against a potential surprise attack.

Another cultivator also promptly retrieved his spirit shield.

The two leaned almost against each other and began searching the vicinity from right to left for any possible hiding places.

To be fair, these people clearly have considerable experience in combat, applying pressure with words while preparing for battle.

They took turns piloting the Flying Sword, launching probing attacks on nearby bushes, large rocks, and protruding mounds.

If the investigation continues at this rate, the young man will definitely not be able to carry out the raid.

It's only a matter of time before they catch up with the pursuers.

However, Xiao Chen noticed that he showed neither panic nor despair.

Instead, he stared intently at the two cultivators, as if they were his prey.

That makes it even more interesting.

A Mid-stage Golden Core dares to lurk here alongside two Late-stage Golden Core.

Even though the other party was already on guard, he still acted like a hunter.

This is clearly not something a normal person could do, meaning that the young man must be extraordinary.

As the distance between the two sides drew closer, the scouting Flying Sword was almost reaching the bushes.

The young man remained calm and focused, watching the pursuers getting closer and closer.

Until the very last moment before the Flying Sword landed in the bushes.

That is, the moment before he was forced to expose himself.

He then suddenly rushed out, his Flying Sword pointing directly at the pursuer on his left.

At the same time, the young man seemed to be in great pain and shouted, "Ah!"

With his shout, a surge of Blood Qi suddenly erupted from his body.

In particular, a large amount of blood splattered from the wound on his chest, which then congealed into six Blood Flying Sword.

In the blink of an eye, all six Blood Flying Sword shot towards the other pursuer on the right.

Surprisingly, two of the blood- Blood Flying Sword Blood Flying Sword directly blocked the spirit shield, while the other two blocked the enemy's returning Flying Sword.

The last two Blood Flying Sword pierced through the Spirit Robe and body of the Late-stage Golden Core cultivator as easily as cutting tofu.

It was just a fleeting glance.

That young man, who was only at the Mid-stage Golden Core, actually managed to defeat a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator, a level above him.