Shen Xiuyong and Qiao Hongyun exchanged a smile, then pushed open the door and entered.
Shen Xiuyong said in a ringing voice, "Nephew-Disciple Chen, congratulations! Twenty-sixth floor—your ranking should be secure now!"
Chen Qing welcomed the two to the stone table in the courtyard and said modestly, "Uncle Shen overpraises me. It was merely luck. Compared to those ahead of me, I still fall far short."
"Ah, excessive humility is pride."
Qiao Hongyun laughed and patted Chen Qing's shoulder. "With Gang Strength Early-stage cultivation, you made it to the twenty-sixth floor. This ability and foundation to fight across realms are enough to make people see you in a new light. We came this time to tell you something else as well."
Shen Xiuyong took over, his expression turning more serious. "While you were challenging the tower, something major happened on the mountain. Lu Chenming, the tenth-ranked True Disciple, sent Wu Anren an invitation and invited him to a banquet. Not only him—apparently Luo Qianjue, Qiu Qixing, and several of the highest-ranked ones received invitations as well."
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing's hand holding the teacup paused slightly. "Lu Chenming... invited Wu Anren and the others to a banquet? How was the atmosphere?"
"I heard it was very harmonious. They laughed and chatted, and spoke most pleasantly."
Shen Xiuyong said, "Lu Chenming even generously offered them a few pointers, appearing quite magnanimous."
Chen Qing took a light sip of tea and pondered. "Things are probably not that simple, are they?"
He knew that the calmer the surface of certain matters seemed, the more turbulent the undercurrents beneath.
This True Disciple Lu was surely no harmless fellow who simply enjoyed nurturing juniors in his spare time.
He held the tenth True Disciple position. That was not an easy seat to occupy.
Qiao