7172: Where Does the Immortal's Ethereal Grace Remain? Only in the Peach Blossom Moonlit Quarter!

In the southern region, a light spring rain falls incessantly, like a graceful mist, the raindrops as fine as smoke and powder, drifting down softly.

This damp, cold, and stuffy weather not only makes people feel sticky and uncomfortable, but also definitely puts them in a bad mood.

Lüo Bing was in an extremely bad mood at this moment. She felt that the continuous spring rain was like the disgusting spider silk that had been wrapped around her heart, making her feel oppressed and suffocated.

Since returning from the sect a month ago, she has been ambushed in Yunhua Dao.

Although she fought her way out of the encirclement with her fellow Senior Brother, the Senior Brother sensed that things were not going well and left her behind.

Left with no other choice, she had to abandon the idea of using that Senior Brother and his Lineage, and returned to her Lineage alone, only to hear the devastating news that the Lineage patriarch had been injured by the Lineage.

Faced with an imminent Lineage crisis, the patriarch ordered her to immediately marry Luo Ping, the son-in-law of the Luo family, and then take the Foundation Establishment.

During this period, all cultivators of the Luo Family, including the patriarch and the cultivators from the Luo family who came to their aid, will do their utmost to buy time for Lüo Bing's breakthrough after her marriage.

For the past month, the Zhu Family has been attacking and pressuring the Luo Family from all sides, causing the Luo Family to lose more resource points and ultimately failing to even hold onto the Xueyin mining area.

Fortunately, during this period, the forces that were supposedly cooperating with the Zhu Family, and who were suspected to be from the Lin family, never joined forces to attack; otherwise, the Luo Family would not have been able to hold out for so long.

But only recently, after Lüo Bing successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, the force suspected to be from the Lin family finally joined forces with the Zhu Family to attack the Luo Family.

With the Luo Family patriarch still recovering from his injuries, Lüo Bing, despite having broken through to the Foundation Establishment, dared not rashly wage war against these two forces. He had no choice but to completely abandon Lüojia Mountain, which possessed First-Rank Spirit Vein, and begin a migration of the entire clan.

However, during their migration, the Luo Family not only encountered pursuit from the Zhu Family and a group of cultivators who appeared to be from the Lin family, but also faced an inexplicable increase in the number of Demon Beast they encountered along the way.

They frequently encountered attacks from Spider Demon Beast, leading to a gradual decrease in the number of cultivators in the Luo Family.

Some of the Lineage's retainers gradually suffered psychological breakdowns, and some even chose to leave the Luo Family at crucial moments.

Only then did Lüo Bing and the Luo Family patriarch vaguely sense that the force that had joined forces with the Zhu Family seemed to be intentionally delaying the war, not wanting it to end quickly.

Otherwise, with the combined power of these two parties, Lüo Bing wouldn't have had time to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, and the Luo Family would have had to relocate immediately.

The war has dragged on until now, and although Lüo Bing has successfully made a breakthrough, the Luo Family has also suffered heavy losses.

Not only did the Lineage's cultivators suffer heavy casualties, but many powerful independent Rogue Cultivator who originally lived in Lüoshan City also fled when disaster struck at the moment the Luo Family moved away. Countless of them died outside afterward.

With the situation having developed to this point, the Luo Family could be described as homeless dogs living in constant fear, and could be ambushed and wiped out by the enemy at any moment.

In this extremely urgent situation, fortunately, the Luo family from the Eastern Region, who were related by marriage, finally arrived belatedly to provide assistance and will help the Luo Family move away near Yunhua Dao.

This time, more than ten Qi Cultivation High Level cultivators from the Luo family were dispatched, and the Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the Luo family was personally overseeing the operation.

The condition for the Luo family's offer was that the Luo Family change Luo Ping's status as a son-in-law.

Luo Ping will marry Lüo Bing in a formal and proper ceremony, Lüo Bing will become the daughter-in-law of the Luo family. All their children will bear the surname Luo.

Such a bizarre and tortuous marriage happened to Luo Ping, a son-in-law of the Luo family who failed to Foundation Establishment. Although he became completely mediocre after failing to Foundation Establishment, he was still a prominent figure in several Cultivation Family.

"Young Miss"

Just then, Xi'er's voice broke through the sound of wind and rain.

Lüo Bing turned around, her flawless oval face as cold as ice. Beneath her slightly furrowed brows, her bright, intelligent eyes held a deep weariness and sorrow. She sighed softly.

"What is it?"

Xi'er's pretty face also showed signs of fatigue. She bowed and said, "Uncle Qing is waiting outside. He said the Ancestor summoned him."

Lüo Bing's heart sank. Looking back at the misty Sky Dome in the distance, an ominous premonition suddenly arose within her.

She turned swiftly, leaped out of the pavilion, her white robes fluttering, and her figure disappeared into the rain.

Xi'er bit her lip, then suddenly revealed a set of snow-white teeth and chuckled, saying, "Little Xu, you're really lucky. So many people have died along the way, and you, a mere Qi Refining First Layer cultivator, are still alive and well. You're truly capable."

Behind the pavilion, Xu Wei's slender and simple figure appeared stealthily.

Even in her light clothing, her radiant beauty remained undiminished. Her fair skin now had a rosier glow than before, and her delicate, pretty nose made her even more elegant and charming than ever before.

She bowed slightly and replied, "Reporting to Sister Xi'er, I broke through to the Qi Cultivation Second Level two days ago."

Xi'er's expression changed. She turned around and glared at Xu Wei, then laughed angrily, "Oh right, I forgot. When you cultivate, you're just as crazy as that guy surnamed Chen. It's a pity that no matter how crazy that guy cultivated, he's probably already dead in some corner of the world."

"No, Brother Chen is not dead, he..."

Despite knowing that Xi'er was all bark and no bite, Xu Wei still couldn't help but argue back when Chen Dengming was mentioned.

However, she stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, not wanting to reveal too much information about Chen Dengming.

"What happened to him? Is he still alive? Where is he? Tell me, who is he?"

Before Xi'er could finish speaking, the two of them suddenly changed their expressions and looked back at the sky.

An oppressive spiritual aura emerged from the distant, misty sky, slowly pressing down upon us, faintly emanating an even more chilling spiritual power.

Spirit Boat!

The Zhu Family's spirit boat!

Moreover, it seems that even the head of the Zhu Family has come in person.

Luo Family has already migrated as a whole and is almost at Yunhua Dao, yet the Zhu Family still won't let them go. Could it be that they really intend to fight to the death?

Both Xi'er and Xu Wei's expressions changed drastically.

Almost simultaneously, in the Spirit Artifact room where they were temporarily resting, the Luo Family patriarch, who was covered in the fragrance of medicine, turned pale and immediately handed several Storage Bag to Lüo Bing, his eyes gleaming with a stern light as he said...

"Bing'er, from now on the Luo Family will depend on you. You must immediately take all the clansmen and go to Yunhua Dao. Remember! If you have no strength, then obediently become the Luo family's daughter-in-law."

"If you have the strength, don't let the Zhu Family, the Lin family, or the Luo family escape!"

Even though Lüo Bing was usually as cold as ice, she was now sobbing uncontrollably. She wanted to persuade him to stay, but in the end, she didn't know how.

This old man and this young man are both remarkably insightful and perceptive. Like the ancient Ancient Wood and the coiled dragon, they are both enlightened individuals, and they are well aware of the current situation.

"Go, go quickly. Having come this far, I, your ancestor, will find it extremely difficult to survive."

The Zhu Family, the Lin family, and the Luo family all don't want me to live; otherwise, they would all be afraid.

"You're different. You still have a glimmer of Life Force. At least the Luo family doesn't want you to die. Run!"

As he finished speaking, the Luo Family patriarch's voice turned stern.

Meanwhile, Chen Dengming was completely unaware of the Luo Family's situation and had already begun his seclusion to advance from the Qi Cultivation Seventh Level Refining.

He was in the peaceful and war-free Bright Moon Workshop.

He then devoted himself to ascetic practice in a secluded and quiet peach blossom forest area.

This situation is vastly different from the hardships and wanderings they endured on the southern border. It is as if spring has deepened and time has passed, the sky is clear and the sun is warm, and the trees are desolate. Where has the ethereal spirit lingered? Only in the Peach Blossom Bright Moon Workshop.

Now, it is the once pampered and wealthy Fairy Lüo who has begun a life of wandering and hardship, burdened with the heavy responsibility of her Lineage, suffering unspeakable bitterness.

In the complexities of human relationships, who can say that everyone's life will always be smooth sailing?

Time flies, and two months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the house.

A surge of immense spiritual power suddenly erupted, its deterrent force even greater than before.

In a courtyard dozens of meters away, cultivator Zhu Xun sensed an unusual spiritual power and nearly fell off his bed.

He frowned, got up, muttered something, walked to the window, opened it, and peered out with a puzzled look.

"Which Qi Cultivation High Level cultivator is releasing their spiritual power outside so late at night? How strange!"

"Showing off?! What are you, a high-level cultivator, showing off in this remote and dilapidated place for?"

He looked around for a while, then glanced at Chen Dengming's residence across the street. Seeing that the residence's protective Formation was still activated, he couldn't help but shake his head.

"This neighbor is strange. He's always indoors, fiddling with something, and I never see him come out. Is he cultivating some kind of spiritual practice? Doesn't he get bored? How does he make a living?"

Zhu Xun felt annoyed and slammed the window shut.

You finally find a neighbor who's good at talking and getting along with people, but this guy just stays home all the time and you never even see him.

Being able to speak makes little difference; it only makes his area even more deserted.

Inside the house at this moment.

Chen Dengming stood indoors with his hands supporting the sky. Suddenly, he opened his bright eyes, his white hair at his temples fluttering in the wind, and a smile appeared on his face.

I was really excited this time.

I'm genuinely excited; it's no longer the feeling of emptiness after a breakthrough.

Having reached the Qi Cultivation Eighth Level, one is no longer considered among the bottom of the Qi Cultivation High Level Refining cultivators.

He could clearly feel the surging Spiritual Qi filling his Dantian meridians, as well as the Spiritual Qi in the air outside, all of which were under his control and could be mobilized with a single thought.

He immediately used the flow of Innate Qi Skill, combined with hand seals, to cast the spell.

The mind must first reach a state of utmost stillness.

Chen Dengming's whole body surged, Spiritual Qi flowed through all his meridians and secret orifices, his muscles and bones writhed, and a large amount of Metal Elemental Spiritual Energy in the surrounding air gathered and began to rotate rapidly around his body, emitting a sharp and fierce golden vortex with a strong aura of deterrence.

"My Spiritual Qi is much stronger now. Using the first-order, sixth-level Dao technique 'Transforming Qi Transformation to Gold' only consumes about one-thirtieth of my Spiritual Qi."

After carefully sensing it, Chen Dengming casually clenched his fist, and a large amount of golden energy swirled into his hand, spinning rapidly, forming a golden vortex that emitted an astonishingly sharp aura.

This Daoist technique, modified by the Innate Qi Skill coiling force, displayed power and characteristics in his hands that were different from ordinary Daoist techniques.

Chen Dengming familiarized himself with his strength after Qi Cultivation Eighth Level inside the room. Seeing that the Little Array Spirit had shrunk into the array plate, he was about to call it out to tease it when he realized that the Little Array Spirit seemed to have entered a sleeping state.

"She's really exhausted lately. She still has a long way to go on her cultivation journey, so we can't let her work so hard. I think we should keep an eye on her and buy her some tonics to help her recover."

Chen Dengming felt a pang of shame and reminded himself that since the Little Array Spirit was working so hard, he should tease her less in the future and treat her better.

With the assistance of Little Array Spirit array, his daily cultivation efficiency can be increased by 20% to 30%, and he won't find it boring.

Chen Dengming sometimes wondered if he would lose the Little Array Spirit one day, and whether cultivating alone would be too boring and particularly difficult.

When he first met the Little Array Spirit, he approached it with a testing and intimidating mindset, often deliberately pressuring and exploiting it in an attempt to find out if the spirit was hiding anything from him.

As time went on, while coercion and exploitation decreased, mistreatment became a habit.

Looking back now, the Little Array Spirit was indeed hardworking and played a crucial role in helping him escape danger on many occasions. In comparison, he seemed like a heartless thief.

After inwardly condemning himself, Chen Dengming picked up the Spirit Seizing Array Disk.

I was about to habitually place it behind my waist, but after thinking about it, I tucked it into my chest instead.

The Little Array Spirit prefers air circulation, so he never puts the array plate in his Storage Bag.

He then went to the room on the other side.

"Buzz--"

Two afterimages, one gold and one red, flashed by in an instant.

The Golden Silkworm Gu and the Blood Centipede Gu swarmed around him like two headless flies, jumping up and down like two crazy old men shouting and cursing.

Chen Dengming had been cooped up at home for two months, and the two Gu worms were about to go crazy from being cooped up for so long.

All day long, all I can do is gnaw on some tasteless dried spirit meat. I'm so thirsty; I long for fresh spirit meat brimming with spirit blood and juice.

"You two little brats, it seems I'll have to put you into a deep sleep next time I go into seclusion, so you don't get too suffocated."

Chen Dengming smiled and reached out, letting the two Gu Worm land on his palm.

There are also Secret Method for using Gu-refining techniques to put Gu Worm into a dormant state, but these methods restrict the growth of the Gu Worm, so Chen Dengming basically doesn't use them.

"Buzz--"

The Golden Silkworm Gu rammed its golden iron head against Chen Dengming in protest.

Chen Dengming was surprised and shook his head, "You think I'd let you out to roam around while I'm cultivating? That won't do. If you get caught by a discerning cultivator, I won't be able to find you."

The Blood Centipede Gu bared its venomous fangs, its expression ferocious, as if to say, "Whoever dares to catch them will be killed."

Chen Dengming was speechless. He flicked the Blood Centipede Gu, then turned it over to look at the abdomen where it had been pierced. Seeing only a mark, he nodded in satisfaction.

"It seems that not only should I prepare some supplements for the Little Array Spirit, but I should also prepare some for these two little guys during my next seclusion. If they can help the Blood Centipede Gu or the Golden Silkworm Gu advance in rank, that would be great."

Chen Dengming pondered to himself, then immediately put away the two Gu, put on his magic robe and a blue shirt over it, put the Breath Concealing Bead in his mouth, then closed the courtyard's Formation and went out.

After two months of secluded cultivation, I have now reached the Qi Cultivation Eighth Level, and it is indeed time for me to go out and get some fresh air.

For the past two months, he has continued to spend only six hours a day practicing the Three Yuan Spirit Gathering Technique, and the rest of the time practicing and researching Daoist arts and martial arts.

For example, we could try to combine the Indestructible Vajra Zen Skill with the master-level Vajra Shield Technique.

An attempt was made to combine the Flame Palm Blade with the Great Fireball Technique.

An attempt was made to combine the Withered Wood Divine Skill with the Withered to Flourishing Art.

Attempts were made to combine the Divine Wind Leg with the Divine Speed Technique, etc.

Although all of these attempts ended in failure, they gave Chen Dengming a deeper understanding of the 'Martial Immortal' path he had been pursuing, and he made considerable progress in the Daoist methods he studied.

Many of these Daoist techniques have reached the point where they are on the verge of breaking through to the master level.

The Withered to Flourishing Art, a healing technique that is very difficult to practice, is gradually approaching the level of mastery.

Once these techniques break through to a higher level, Chen Dengming's Lifespan Limit will be extended again. A mere two months of seclusion is nothing to worry about; he can squander it to his heart's content.

"This."

"My surname is Chen. I bought Spirit Rice from your shop two months ago."

"Oh, oh! It's Fellow Daoist Chen. This old man's memory isn't very good, please forgive me!"

"Not at all! Shopkeeper, just call me Xiao Chen. I'm here to buy three months' worth of Spirit Rice at once. I'd like to trouble you to pick out some of the better quality for me."

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Chen, you're too kind. This old man has YunCang Rice grown in the Southern Region, as well as Northeast Rice from the Northern Region of the Eastern Region, and also..."

After a short while, Chen Dengming walked out of the Spirit Rice shop with a smile on his face. There were two more bags of Spirit Rice his Storage Bag, both of which were of medium to high quality.

Say a few sweet words and be humble, and you can save at least half a Low-grade Spirit Stone by buying three months' worth of Spirit Rice. Isn't that how you save money on daily necessities in your cultivation life?

After making his way around, Chen Dengming arrived at the cultivator market.

He wandered between the market and several Merchant Alliance shops, seeking to purchase items related to nourishing spirits and venomous Gu Creatures.

I also inquired about Daoist techniques of level seven or higher in the first tier.

The former managed to obtain some clues, while the latter's attempt to purchase the item failed.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, you should know that these high-level Dao techniques are usually controlled by local Cultivation Family or sects. Even if we shop owners in this Marketplace have them, we wouldn't dare to sell them. If we did, our business would collapse. Come, come, have some tea first."

In a shop owned by a Merchant Alliance, a round-faced owner greeted Chen Dengming with a smile and personally poured him tea, showing excellent hospitality.

This attitude didn't come out of nowhere. After Chen Dengming showed the Waist Token he got from Master Hu and then asked to buy a first-level high-grade Dao technique, the shop owner had already guessed Chen Dengming's strength. He originally addressed him as "fellow Daoist," but immediately changed his address to "brother Daoist," which was extremely natural and fluent. He was indeed a businessman.

"In that case, that's fine then. But I'll need you, Boss Hu, to help me get those materials and items for nourishing the spirit body and spirit beast as soon as possible."

Chen Dengming picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp, then casually clasped his hands in a fist salute with a smile.

"Of course, Fellow Daoist Chen, I, Hu, will definitely do my best to fulfill your instructions."

However, Fellow Daoist Chen, if you have also sought to purchase this high-level Daoist technique from other families, while I, Hu, may keep my mouth shut, I cannot guarantee that others will as well. It's quite possible that in a couple of days, the Ming family will come knocking on your door."

"Oh? Why is that? Does the Ming family not even allow us guests to ask them questions?"

"No, that's not it. It's just that things haven't been peaceful lately. First, the number of Demon Beast in the vicinity has increased, and even Qi Cultivation High Level Demon Beast have appeared. Second, a fallen Lineage from the Southern Region has migrated here."

"A fallen Lineage from the Southern Region?" Chen Dengming was taken aback and put down his teacup.

"Oh! You know what, that young lady from that Lineage was really beautiful, but unfortunately she suffered a terrible fate; it seems even the Lineage's patriarch is dead."

Now she's married to a young master of the Luo family who has no hope of Foundation Establishment.

The Luo family was making arrangements to clear out land for the Luo Family to settle in the vicinity, which put pressure on the Ming family, who began recruiting Qi Cultivation High Level cultivators. This is not peaceful, not peaceful at all!

Where is that fallen Lineage now?

"What? Fellow Daoist Chen, are you acquainted with that Lineage?"

"No, it's just that you described that female Boss Hu, and I'm curious too. If it's nearby, I can at least go and take a look, right?"

Boss Hu suddenly realized, "Ah~~~ Hehehe, Fellow Daoist Chen, we're kindred spirits! We're truly kindred spirits! How about tonight, I'll treat you to..."

"This... this isn't appropriate. We've just met, there's plenty of time for us to meet again, another day! Another day!"

After a cup of tea.

Chen Dengming crossed his arms and tucked them into his sleeves, frowning as he walked out of the Merchant Alliance shop.

The Luo Family patriarch passed away, Luo Family migrated out of the southern border region. A month and a half ago, they moved to the vicinity of Leshangou, about 600 miles away, which happened to be outside the Ming family's sphere of influence. This situation was both unexpected and seemingly expected by Chen Dengming.

He just hadn't expected the Luo Family to suffer such a fate, with even their Foundation Establishment Middle Stage ancestor dying.

He had assumed that even if the Luo Family couldn't withstand the attacks from the Zhu Family and Lin families, the wisdom of the Luo Family's patriarch would surely allow him to make a wise judgment beforehand.

Admitting defeat and calling himself a mere nobody, he quickly moved his entire clan away and fled.

At worst, they would lose their Lineage's base and Spirit Vein.

A cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage can survive by being cautious.

But now it seems that the Luo Family patriarch never intended to leave from the beginning. After fighting to the bitter end, he realized that the situation was not good and began to migrate with his entire clan. In the end, he died tragically in the Southern Region in order to escort Lüo Bing away safely.

This situation puzzled Chen Dengming.

Because if it were him, he would definitely sacrifice the pawn to save the king and immediately relocate the entire clan. How could the Luo Family patriarch be so unwise?

However, upon reflection, Chen Dengming couldn't help but chuckle, realizing that he had been thinking too much from a God's-eye view and with too much information asymmetry.

As the saying goes, "The onlooker sees more of the game than the player."

He guessed that the Zhu Family was most likely in league with the Lin family because he had already been reminded by Xu Ning and had personally experienced the beast tide orchestrated by the Lin family.

The Luo Family more than two thousand miles away from the Lin family. Unlike him, who was able to get the news and personally experience certain events, how could he know that the Zhu Family and the Lin family had joined forces?

Even if there are some guesses, it cannot be said that we can be completely certain.

In such a confusing situation, the Luo Family patriarch naturally wouldn't make the decision to immediately move the entire clan to the worst possible outcome. In the end, the delay was too long, and it was already too late.

"Actually, even if Lüo Bing hadn't returned, the Luo Family patriarch might not have died. Does the Zhu Family really dare to gamble everything?"

Only with Lüo Bing's return could the Zhu Family be completely eradicated, allowing them to launch such a reckless and large-scale attack. From this perspective, the Luo family lured Lüo Bing back here with a son-in-law and a Foundation Establishment ..."

Thinking of this, Chen Dengming stood at the crossroads for a long time, his brows furrowing and then smoothing out. He took out the map again to look at the location of Le Family Gully, sighed softly, and walked towards the Spirit Vegetable Market.

At night, the prices of all kinds of spiritual vegetables in the Spirit Vegetable Market drop significantly; this is based on life experience.

Using his sweet talk, Chen Dengming flattered several female cultivators selling vegetables until they blushed, and bought several large bags of spiritual vegetables at a low price.

In the following days, while waiting for news of the goods purchased by Boss Hu, he also inquired about the Luo Family's situation and Zhu Xun about the recent situation of wild Demon Beast, so that he could hunt some Demon Beast to feed the two thirsty Gu Worm.

"Let me tell you, Old Chen, those Green-backed Water Spider are not easy to deal with. Based on my years of experience hunting demons, this water spider is considered to be among the top in combat power among Demon Beast of the same level!"

Eight legs. So long, so big, so sharp. Last time I encountered two fellow Daoists, I was almost seriously injured, and one of them even died. Fortunately, I am strong and my Law Artifact is powerful, so I escaped back."

In the courtyard, Zhu Xun while gesturing, his expression still shaken. Seeing Chen Dengming still standing there in a daze, he glared at him and said, "Hurry up and pour the wine! What I'm telling you is experience gained at the cost of my life. You'll definitely need it when you encounter trouble in the future."

"Oh, oh, thank you so much, Brother Zhu!"

Chen Dengming hurriedly poured wine with a smile and tentatively asked, "Brother Zhu, even with your Qi Cultivation Fifth Level strength, you couldn't deal with that water spider. Was that water spider a Qi Cultivation Sixth Level Demon Beast?"

"No, that's not it—" Zhu Xun frowned, looking Chen Dengming up and down. "So, Old Chen, you're a complete novice, too naive. You need to understand that."

When we Rogue Cultivator encounter demonic Demon Beast of the same level, it's almost always a death sentence. Those who can hold their own are considered formidable figures among Rogue Cultivator, and those who can single-handedly destroy Demon Beast are extremely rare.

After all, we Rogue Cultivator are not like the disciples of Lineage or major sects. We have limited Law Artifact, and the power of those Law Artifact is also limited. Sometimes, we may not even be able to learn a good Daoist technique.

Among Demon Beast, that Green-backed Water Spider is equivalent to a disciple of a sect or Lineage, possessing extraordinary combat power. It's already quite a feat that I, brother, was able to defeat it together with two other fellow cultivators!"

"Oh, I see?" Chen Dengming feigned sudden realization. "So, the most powerful creature in the wild right now is that water spider Demon Beast? There's nothing else?"

"Tsk, that water spider Demon Beast has probably already been killed by the Qi Cultivation High Level cultivator hired by the Ming family."

"Those things came out of nowhere, a whole group of them suddenly appeared, injuring many nearby cultivators, which has made business at Bright Moon Workshop difficult lately. Nobody dares to come. How can the Ming family not be anxious?"

Chen Dengming chimed in, "That's true."

He thought to himself that it seemed the outside world wasn't too dangerous, but he was surprised that the Green-backed Water Spider had chased the Luo Family all the way from the Southern Region to this place.

Would the Lin family dare to extend their reach so far? It seems impossible... Perhaps the Demon Beast ran too far, went berserk, and lost control.

Zhu Xun took another sip of wine and boasted, "The Ming family even invited me back then, after all, I repelled a water spider. They invited me to come and offer guidance and experience, but I refused."

You want me to be a lone wolf selling meat? Fine, I can manage, but to work for the Ming family? Pshaw! How could I? I wouldn't even bend my back when I see a member of the Ming family!"

Just then, a sound came from the courtyard's Formation, indicating that guests had arrived.

Chen Dengming was surprised. He casually released a beam of spiritual light, dispelled the Formation, and opened the courtyard gate.

"May I ask if Fellow Daoist Chen resides here? We are guests from the Ming family's external affairs department, and we have come to pay our respects. We humbly request that Fellow Daoist Chen grant us an audience!"

Three cultivators stood outside the gate, two men and one woman, all dressed in the distinctive moon-white robes of the Ming family, making them particularly eye-catching. The woman speaking had bright, kind eyes and looked around the courtyard.

Zhu Xun for a moment, his wine glass hovering in mid-air. He then hurriedly got up and walked quickly toward the courtyard gate to bow in greeting.

But after taking only a few steps, he realized what was happening, looked at Chen Dengming in surprise, then at the Ming Family cultivator, somewhat bewildered.

"You... you're looking for Old Chen?"

The three Ming Family cultivator glanced at Zhu Xun, smiled politely and nodded, then turned their gaze to Chen Dengming, with the leading female cultivator bowing slightly.

"This must be Fellow Daoist Chen, right? He is indeed a man of imposing stature and composed demeanor. Would you please invite us to the courtyard for a drink and a chat?"

"Oh, this."

Zhu Xun was stunned, not knowing what was going on. He felt the alcohol had taken effect, making his brain numb and his face burning red.

Chen Dengming frowned slightly, somewhat displeased that the Ming family had come to find him in such a grand manner. It was possible that soon all the neighbors would know about his situation, and in the future, if he wanted to have a relaxed and easy conversation with others, people might not be willing to talk as much as Zhu Xun, who was so taciturn.

However, since the Ming family was the host, he composed himself, a smile returned to his face, and he warmly invited everyone to sit down and talk.

"No, no, Brother Fellow Daoist Chen, you two chat, I'll go out for a stroll first. Thank you so much, Brother Fellow Daoist Chen, for treating me to drinks today. I'll definitely bring some meat to express my gratitude in person another day."

Zhu Xun awkwardly, clasped his hands in a fist salute, avoided Chen Dengming's gaze, and hurriedly retreated, clearly no longer as relaxed and carefree as before.

(A long chapter of 7,600 words, please vote with monthly tickets!)

I recommend a friend's new fantasy novel; you might want to check it out. Hopefully, it won't be a flop!