Entering the City

"Did you see the look in those commoners' eyes!"

Among the group, a Qi Condensation Realm early stage disciple, who was female, excitedly said to the male Outer Court Disciple beside her:

"Admiration, reverence, awe, hahahaha, is this what it feels like to be a cultivator?"

Cutting through the market of Taiyun City, in the alley heading towards the Cloud King's Mansion, the female Outer Court Disciple seemed unable to contain her excitement from her first time traveling down the mountain.

The other male Outer Court Disciple simply smiled, but the expression in his eyes still revealed his current pride.

On the way to Taiyun City, these disciples who were following Lu Li in the Qi Condensation Realm had already introduced themselves briefly.

The female Outer Court Disciple's name was Li Xiuxiu, and the male Outer Court Disciple's name was Zheng Fei.

"Noisy."

A disciple from Yuanhua Mountain sneered.

This Yuanhua Mountain disciple was named Qian Xun. From the moment they met at the sect's gate, he hadn't given the two Outer Court Disciples a single pleasant look.

Li Xiuxiu and Zheng Fei weren't fools either. They could naturally see Qian Xun's bad attitude, so they both simply treated Qian Xun as if he were invisible.

"Finding a sense of superiority from those mortals?"

Qian Xun continued to curse to himself:

"You're truly disgracing the Empty Mountain Sect!"

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone present could hear it.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Li Xiuxiu and Zheng Fei, who were being insulted, cast displeased glances in Qian Xun's direction.

"..."

But the two of them didn't retort a single word.

It was only because Qian Xun was an Inner Sect Disciple of Yuanhua Mountain. Although their ages and cultivation levels were similar, who knew what kind of powerful backing he might have?

So, facing Qian Xun's behavior of strong self-awareness and desperately seeking attention, Li Xiuxiu and Zheng Fei chose to endure and ignore him.

"We're all traveling down the mountain for the first time, so it's normal to be excited."

Chen Yan, who was an observer, tried to smooth things over, not wanting this trivial matter to interfere with the mission.

Because this was not a big deal at all; it was merely vanity at play.

Recalling countless cycles ago, when Chen Yan first came to Taiyun City wearing an Empty Mountain Sect Outer Court Daoist Robe, he was the same.

Who wouldn't enjoy this feeling of being admired by everyone?

"Excited?"

Qian Xun said with continued displeasure:

"If you don't even have this kind of temperament, what kind of immortal cultivation are you even doing?"

"Be careful not to overcorrect."

Chen Yan was somewhat speechless. He simply left those words, not wanting to get too involved with him anymore.

Among the people present, the one with the biggest personality problem was this Qian Xun.

Lu Li, walking at the very front, also completely ignored the words of these junior disciples.

As long as they didn't cause any trouble, he wouldn't interfere in the conflicts between these juniors.

Afterward, Qian Xun's gaze once again fell on the gilded cloud crane pattern on Chen Yan's sleeve cuff.

Qian Xun pondered for a moment, then took the initiative to speak:

"I recall the brother from Kongyuan Mountain, your name is Chen Yan, correct?"

"That's right,"

Chen Yan replied.

"It's quite a coincidence. I remember not long ago, there was a huge uproar in the sect about the Outer Court Grand Competition cheating case. The disciple of Elder Lin Qifeng of the Outer Court was also called this name."

Qian Xun said.

Hearing him say this, Li Xiuxiu and Zheng Fei also cast their gazes upon Chen Yan.

At the Outer Court Grand Competition over a month ago, neither Li Xiuxiu nor Zheng Fei were present.

They didn't know what Chen Yan looked like.

"After he disgracefully murdered Senior Brother Qi of Kongyuan Mountain, he was locked up in the Outer Court's Detention Center. After only half a month, he was released..."

As he spoke, Qian Xun let out a cold snort, his eyes showing disdain:

"In my opinion, that beast should have been executed. How dare he harm a heavenly talent like Senior Brother Qi, causing such a great loss to the sect!"

"Oh?"

Chen Yan's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"I heard that after Lin Qifeng was stripped of his Outer Court Elder position, that beast also followed him into Kongyuan Mountain?" Qian Xun stared at Chen Yan as he spoke.

"Perhaps, it sounds like Brother Qian has quite a deep opinion of that Chen Yan?" Chen Yan asked.

"Naturally. Letting such a fame-seeking parasite from the Outer Court mix into the inner sect is simply a disgrace to the Empty Mountain Sect!" Qian Xun said, his gaze sweeping over the gilded cloud crane pattern on Chen Yan's sleeve again.

"Slap!"

The next moment, a bright red palm print slowly appeared on Qian Xun's left cheek.

"You have a foul mouth." Chen Yan smiled as he looked at Qian Xun's swollen cheek and said so.

"You bastard!" Qian Xun circulated the True Qi in his meridians. As a cultivator in the early Qi Condensation Realm, his True Qi was quite thin.

The instant he moved to strike Chen Yan, Qian Xun's wrist was suddenly gripped by an immense force, and the surging True Qi was suppressed.

"Cloud King's Mansion is just ahead, do not cause trouble." Lu Li, who had grabbed Qian Xun's wrist, said slowly.

Qian Xun's cheeks gradually turned red. He looked very unconvinced, but in front of the Martial Spring Realm cultivator leading the group, he didn't dare to act rashly.

He's the type to bully the weak and fear the strong.

"Senior Lu, he was the one who caused trouble, he made the first move!" Qian Xun argued.

"I know." Lu Li said calmly. "But I didn't stop him just now, and now that I've stopped him, it ends here."

"...Yes." Qian Xun finally backed down.

Lu Li hadn't actually failed to stop him; he simply hadn't intended to. Qian Xun had revealed his discrimination and harshness towards the Outer Court of the Sect from the very beginning. Coincidentally, everyone present, except for him, had some background in the Outer Court to varying degrees. Lu Li had deliberately indulged Chen Yan in slapping Qian Xun. It was satisfying and exhilarating.

Soon, Li Xiuxiu and Zheng Fei began to surround Chen Yan, looking at him cautiously.

"Are you truly Elder Lin's personal disciple, Senior Brother Chen Yan?" Li Xiuxiu asked.

"Indeed." Chen Yan nodded.

"This junior, Li Xiuxiu, greets Senior Brother Chen!"

"This junior, Zheng Fei, greets Senior Brother Chen!"

The two consecutively bowed to Chen Yan. These two cultivators from the Outer Court, both in the early Qi Condensation Realm, appeared to be only around seventeen or eighteen years old. They could definitely be considered exceptionally talented in the Outer Court. If they developed well, their future would either be advancement to the inner sect or securing a position as a steward or even an elder in the Outer Court.

"Thanks to Senior Brother Chen, this junior achieved great victories at the betting tables in the third and fourth rounds, although the interest rates were not high," Zheng Fei said, scratching the back of his head.

"Where did all the spirit stones you won go?" Li Xiuxiu's tone seemed to carry a hint of exposing a secret and teasing. It appeared these two were acquainted. It wasn't surprising; breaking through to the Qi Condensation Realm at this age made them absolute top-tier existences in the Outer Court, so it was normal for them to know each other. Just like Sun Lu had once found it strange that he suspected he didn't know Cheng Ziying.