Exquisite Elegance!

"Boom!"

The Fire Scale Sword spewed scarlet sword light, outlining a qilin projection that stomped furiously across heaven, earth, rivers, and mountains. It opened its mouth and blasted out tens of millions more streaks of sword light.

Everything was made of starforce matter. Once wielded, it could strike with little consumption, making killing Three Realms experts as easy as turning over a hand.

Chen Fusheng had thought some enemy had come to the household, so he charged inside with his greatsword in hand.

"Buzz!"

Han Yu Rou sat cross-legged in the mist. With a flick of her finger, sword light shot from her crystalline fingertip and condensed into a jade-green greatsword, blocking the Fire Scale Sword's edge.

Lei San stood dumbfounded. First, he had been frightened by the greatsword Chen Fusheng carried, and now this woman had stopped the Fire Scale Sword with a mere flick of her finger!

It was somewhat terrifying. Even with the Fire Scale Sword boiling over with starforce matter, it could not shatter the jade-green greatsword. He could even sense an indescribable sharpness from it, as though a divine weapon that had been sleeping had come back to life!

"It's you!"

Golden light bloomed in Chen Fusheng's pupils. He saw Han Yu Rou's true form clearly, and all sorts of possibilities surfaced in his mind.

The bamboo raft elder? Cold Abyss Poison? The former enemy of Huang Tiancheng?

Without stopping to think, Chen Fusheng struck first. The Star Cloud Bag opened, its mouth radiating a force of suction, and with a whoosh, it swallowed the woman sitting cross-legged.

Old Han's forehead was covered in black lines. What kind of nonsense was this? The True Phoenix Body had been swallowed by a nobody?

Chen Fusheng thought he had successfully subdued Han Yu Rou. Who could have known that the Star Cloud Bag would thunder violently, tremble, and swell, seemingly on the verge of exploding.

"What kind of demon is this?"

Chen Fusheng jumped in fright. When he noticed that Huang Tiancheng was unharmed, he hurriedly loosened the bag's mouth. Instantly, dazzling sword light swept across the sky, and an exquisite beauty soared into the air, resembling a celestial being flying down from beyond the heavens.

"Boom!"

Han Yu Rou was radiant and sacred. Her black hair glimmered, her robes billowed, and her body was veiled in a holy halo. Her snow-white spine seemed to echo with the cry of a True Phoenix as it soared, displaying Exquisite Elegance!

Chen Fusheng was horrified. The woman seemed like a phoenix reborn through Nirvana. She descended with a sword embryo in hand, and he felt as if the entire world had been smashed apart by her charge!

Such energy, such fluctuations of matter—they were so forceful that even the void trembled. In an instant, she could have blasted ten Xu Changfengs to pieces!

Chen Fusheng had nowhere to dodge and nowhere to flee. The starforce matter radiating from the Fire Scale Sword was on the verge of collapse at any moment.

"Heavenly Star Master, Innate Treasure Body!" Chen Fusheng's instincts told him so.

"Stop!"

Old Han was so furious that his nose nearly crooked. He had just praised Han Yu Rou as though she were a flower from the Ninth Heaven, yet she had suffered a hidden loss the moment they clashed.

Although the Star Cloud Bag could not effectively restrain Han Yu Rou and would be torn apart by her in a short while,

she had indeed lost the initiative. What if she encountered a powerful enemy? She might be cut to pieces in an instant!

This sent Old Han into a rage. When experts fought, victory or defeat was decided in a single breath. If Han Yu Rou encountered an assassin from a hostile faction, she would surely die.

"Old Han, you take excellent care of your granddaughter. She's nothing like my grandson, who's a mud-legged peasant." Old Huang laughed heartily.

He had been shaken when Chen Fusheng escaped, and he was also surprised by Chen Fusheng's current condition.

For in Huang Tiancheng's perception, Chen Fusheng showed no extraordinary signs, and even his life force was perfectly normal!

Of course, Huang Tiancheng stared at Old Han. Had he also failed to notice anything wrong with Chen Fusheng? If that was truly the case, it seemed Fusheng really had encountered some opportunity.

Old Han's face fell. Han Yu Rou was extremely vexed and said, "I was merely careless just now."

Old Han glared fiercely at her. Han Yu Rou felt terribly aggrieved, but she did not dare talk back. She also reflected on herself. Ever since coming to this small place, she had indeed let her guard down, never imagining that anyone would dare offend her.

Of course, neither Han Yu Rou nor Old Han recognized Chen Fusheng. The main reason was that he had changed far too much compared with last year.

Chen Fusheng was bursting with questions. They knew each other?

He had witnessed how formidable the bamboo raft elder was. He had even dared fish for a flood dragon. It could only be said that Huang Tiancheng's former identity had been utterly outrageous.

Suddenly, the Fire Scale Sword in Chen Fusheng's hand broke free from his palm and fell into Old Han's hand.

Chen Fusheng showed no emotional fluctuation. Old Han did not even care for Top Grade Spirit Fish. Although the Fire Scale Sword was somewhat valuable, Old Han would not stoop to snatching his treasure.

Huang Tiancheng was also surprised. "The scales on this sword embryo seem to have some connection with the qilin race. Could it have been forged from Fire Scale Beast Scale?"

"It should have been."

The bamboo raft elder examined it briefly and said, "The Fire Scale Beast is a collateral bloodline of the qilin clan. Judging from its material, it can be shaped into a Top Grade Star Artifact."

"However, this Fire Scale Sword has lost too much of its material potential. It probably belongs to an ancient treasure."

Chen Fusheng was delighted. It was inherited from the Ancient Era? It seems the Fire Scale Sword's potential is far greater than this. I need to find a way to repair it.

Old Han handed the Fire Scale Sword back to him and also glanced at Chen Fusheng. He looked plain and unremarkable, with nothing outstanding about him.

After putting away the sword embryo, Chen Fusheng said to Han Yu Rou, "It was a misunderstanding just now. Please don't take offense, miss. I was also worried that something had happened to Grandfather."

Han Yu Rou was just about to erupt, but recalling the purpose of this trip, she gave a cold snort. "Don't get handsy the moment you come up next time. Be careful. Otherwise, if I lose control, you'll be in for a world of trouble."

Chen Fusheng smiled, then saluted Old Han. The latter could see that the relationship between the two was absolutely incomparable to that between Chen Fusheng and Lei San, so he did not act petty.

"Whoosh!" He flicked his wide sleeve, and a sandalwood box carved with dragons and phoenixes landed before Chen Fusheng.

Chen Fusheng opened it and took a look. A Gathering Star Pearl!

"Senior, what kind of treasure is this?" Chen Fusheng discovered that its quality was even somewhat higher than Xuan Yuanchang's. This welcoming gift was rather precious.

"Take it. I was once a good friend of your grandfather's. We haven't met for many years, so I came to reminisce. Don't be nervous."

Old Han smiled. The item was neither too heavy nor too light—just right.

"Thank you, Senior, for bestowing this treasure."

Chen Fusheng was delighted. Han Yu Rou ground her teeth, sitting in the mist and sulking. Where is my welcoming gift?

Chen Fusheng noticed Huang Tiancheng cooking in the inner room, his hands moving so deftly, and could not help asking Old Han.

"It's rare for you to be so filial."

Old Han was happy for his old friend as well. Chen Fusheng had known there was danger and still rushed in just now. How could he fail to see such devotion?

When a person died, it was like a lamp going out. To have a filial junior care for one in old age and see one through to the end was a great blessing. He also did not say that the poison was incurable. Instead, he casually mentioned the Treasure Land in the Abyss Realm, which would become the subject of his next discussion!

Chen Fusheng thought of the Supreme Treasure Land Xu Changfeng had mentioned!

"A ninth-grade star that perished during the Ancient Era can cure the Cold Abyss Poison. Of course, no one can say for certain whether that ninth-grade star was completely destroyed." Old Han could only say this much.

"A ninth-grade star—the only hope of detoxification!" Chen Fusheng fell silent for a moment, a flame leaping in the depths of his eyes.

He had no lofty ideals and no long-term goals. He only wanted Huang Tiancheng to live well, repaying the kindness of having been raised.

They had even escaped the great calamity of the Black River. Chen Fusheng did not believe there was anything more difficult than life and death.

Han Yu Rou noticed Chen Fusheng's gaze and really wanted to walk over and mock him. Do you even know what the Supreme Treasure Land is?

With his cultivation, he could not even stand firm while fighting in the outer regions, let alone glimpse the scenes in the depths.

However, with Huang Tiancheng and Old Han both here, she could only suppress her irritable temper.

Chen Fusheng took the opportunity to ask Old Han about the Forbidden Path. His question did not seem abrupt. It appeared that the issue had originated from the Starry Sky Phenomenon!

Chen Fusheng grew vigilant. Normal cultivation would naturally not trigger a phenomenon. Could it be that breaking through major realms in the future would always bring forth phenomena?

If that was truly the case, the road ahead would be difficult.

He even noticed that Old Han was unwilling to discuss the topic in depth. Instead, he was puzzled by the light mist emerging from the star map and the fine sand within it gradually brightening in color. It gave him the feeling of compressed stars?

He believed the star map was evolving, or perhaps mutating. Once it finished, he might still be able to communicate normally with the Star Chart Heavenly Pillar.

It was almost night. Chen Fusheng was lured by the enticing fragrance. The kitchen shimmered with five-colored halos, making mouths water.

Not to mention him, even Han Yu Rou kept looking over. Having a top grandmaster of the Spirit Chef World personally cook was truly a rare treat.

"Fusheng, that old man said he wants to take me as his disciple. Do you think he's trustworthy?"

Lei San pulled Chen Fusheng aside to ask. He could only remain composed and say, "This senior is definitely an expert. You have to seize the opportunity."

Old Han, who was secretly eavesdropping with his mental power, smiled broadly. It seemed the gift he had given earlier had not been wasted.

Chen Fusheng saw it clearly. Lei San probably possessed an Innate Treasure Body that had yet to awaken!

With Old Han's status, if he could treat Lei San as a direct disciple, would that not truly allow Lei San to ascend to the heavens in a single step?

"I'm going to become a disciple." Lei San was delighted, expectant, and excited. He had never thought he could become a cultivator too. It truly felt like a dream.

At present, the Ten Thousand Li Black River was in turmoil. Vast treasure ships condensed from the power of the stars were returning toward Tian Yuan Star Observation Manor with the momentum of sweeping clean a courtyard and emptying a cave.

"This little monkey has been jumping around for so long, but in the end, he still can't escape my palm."

Xuan Yuanchang held great power and acted with thunderous decisiveness. It was as if he stood atop the position of a Star Lord, looking down on all living beings.

He was filled with pride and laughed without end. Beside him, Huang Li was brimming with excitement. Xuan Yuanchang had told her that once everything settled, she would be able to rise to become a High-Ranking Star Official—the youngest High-Ranking Star Official in the history of Tian Yuan Star Observation Manor!

The opportunities of life were truly wondrous. Perhaps an even greater surprise was waiting for her!

Mu Zhen gazed from afar at the man and woman standing at the ship's prow. As the treasure ship returned, Huang Li had actually managed to stand beside Xuan Yuanchang. She could not shake the feeling that this spearhead seemed to be pointing toward Chen Fusheng, who was believed to have been buried in the Black River.

Xuan Yuanchang had not announced any details to the outside world. By now, the banks of the Black River were already faintly visible in the distance.