New Goals

On Falling Sunset Mountain, as the sun began to rise, Meng Qi's beautiful eyes flickered with a trace of reluctance as she looked at the marriage contract Long Chen handed her. Her jade hand stretched out, then retracted, never quite reaching for the thin piece of paper.

Long Chen smiled slightly, gently took Meng Qi's jade hand, and placed the marriage contract in it.

As he touched those jade hands, as white as frost and snow, Long Chen's heart couldn't help but flutter. He managed to calm himself down with great effort.

"Take it. You are a kind girl. Even though things have come to this, I don't hate you at all," Long Chen said softly, looking at Meng Qi's flawless jade face.

With one hand held by Long Chen, Meng Qi's delicate body trembled. Instinctively, she wanted to pull her hand back, but she also felt a pang of reluctance.

Long Chen's words made Meng Qi's heart ache. Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes and fell like raindrops. She choked out, "Long Chen, I'm sorry..."

She's truly a kind girl. I should strike while the iron is hot.

Long Chen rejoiced inwardly, but his expression remained gentle, like that of an older brother. He reached out and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of Meng Qi's eyes.

It took immense self-control for him not to get lost in that perfect jade face. Meng Qi's charm was truly astonishing.

If Long Chen's soul power wasn't so incomparably strong, he would have been breathing heavily and his heart would have been pounding like thunder. However, he needed to continue his efforts now.

He smiled slightly. "Meng Qi, this isn't your fault. If anyone's to blame, it's our fathers. They had such good relations, why did they have to force us into this by getting married themselves?"

Meng Qi, who had been choking back sobs, suddenly burst into laughter at Long Chen's rebellious words.

Her beautiful eyes, filled with laughter and tears like pear blossoms after rain, were as radiant as jade dew welcoming spring. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Long Chen blurted out, "Meng Qi, you're so beautiful."

He regretted it as soon as he said it. Damn it, I still lost control. My true colors as a wolf are showing. Long Chen was so angry he wanted to slap himself.

Fortunately, Meng Qi didn't get angry at Long Chen's compliment. Her pretty face flushed, her beautiful eyes darted around, and her shy demeanor was another kind of beauty altogether.

I'm done for, I'm done for. Long Chen, Long Chen, if you miss out on a beauty like this, what's the point of living?

That's right, I need to use any means necessary. First, don't fear danger. Second, don't be ashamed. How bold you are is how productive you'll be.

Long Chen took a deep breath and released Meng Qi's hand, but the marriage contract remained in her grasp.

"Actually, given your current status, you could completely disregard my feelings and pretend I don't exist. We are people from two different worlds.

But you still came. I know you don't want me to hold onto false hope, to face a cruel outcome after endless waiting.

You did nothing wrong by doing this. On the contrary, I'm very grateful to you," Long Chen said, nodding at Meng Qi.

"Long Chen, are you saying this to alleviate my guilt?" Meng Qi asked, her voice trembling slightly as she looked at the marriage contract in her hand.

"No, I'm just speaking the truth. However, from today onwards, I have a grand goal," Long Chen said with a smile.

"What is it?" Meng Qi asked.

"From today on, I will cultivate diligently. When my strength is sufficient, I will come to find you. The marriage contract is void now, but it doesn't stop me from pursuing you again, does it?" Long Chen said with a smile.

Although he was smiling, his eyes were filled with determination. Coupled with his resolute face, it was impossible to doubt his resolve.

Meng Qi was stunned for a moment. It was the first time she had ever seen someone confess to her so boldly, especially a man she had deeply hurt.

Meng Qi's heart was in turmoil, and she didn't know how to answer, whether to refuse or accept.

"You don't need to feel pressured. This is just my one-sided wish. Someone as kind as you deserves for me, Long Chen, to protect you with my life.

However, before I pursue you, I need to cultivate diligently and become a true powerhouse to have the right to protect you.

For that right, I will cultivate desperately, whether you accept it or not, I will do this," Long Chen said firmly.

A blush crept across Meng Qi's pretty face. Although she came from humble beginnings, everything changed after she joined a sect.

This was the first time someone had dared to confess to her so boldly and directly. Looking at Long Chen's determined eyes, her heart fluttered, and she was speechless for a long time.

There's hope! Seeing Meng Qi's flustered expression, Long Chen secretly rejoiced. At least Meng Qi wasn't showing any dislike or aversion towards him, which was a small step forward. Now he needed to put in more effort, continue to stir her emotions until he moved her.

Just as Long Chen was about to press his advantage, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted, a fierce aura that made one's heart tremble.

Meng Qi's expression changed slightly. She took a step forward, blocking Long Chen behind her. Her jade hand moved slightly, about to act, but upon seeing the situation clearly, she withdrew her hand.

A giant hornet appeared before them, nearly five zhang long. Its aura surged, and its colorful patterns made one's scalp tingle.

Long Chen was startled. It was a second-order magical beast, and a very ferocious one at that – a Rage Blood Bee.

Even third-order magical beasts rarely provoked it, because even they, if stung by its tail stinger, would be severely injured or even die.

However, after a brief moment of shock, Long Chen looked at the beautiful figure before him and was deeply moved: If you can stand in front of me once, I can stand in front of you for a lifetime.

Whoosh!

The giant Rage Blood Bee landed. As the terrifying roar subsided, a man jumped down from the Rage Blood Bee's back.

He looked to be in his early twenties, tall and well-proportioned, with regular features, giving him a noble aura. However, a hint of unconcealable arrogance in his brows marred his overall image.

As soon as the man appeared, he looked at Meng Qi, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

"Junior Sister, the Master is displeased that you haven't returned to the sect for so long. He sent me to find you," the man said with a fawning smile. However, upon seeing Long Chen, he frowned. "Who is this? Could it be...?"

As he spoke, a cold glint appeared in the man's eyes, though he quickly concealed it.

"Don't talk nonsense. I was just asking this young master some questions," Meng Qi, clearly not good at lying, had a flicker of panic in her beautiful eyes.

She turned to Long Chen and said, "Young Master, thank you."

After saying that, she glanced at Long Chen. That glance contained many things. Before Long Chen could fully comprehend it, Meng Qi had already summoned her mount and flown away.

The man glanced at Long Chen, snorted coldly, and pointed a finger, conjuring a transparent arrow that shot straight towards Long Chen's face.

Long Chen was still contemplating the meaning in Meng Qi's eyes when he never expected the man to suddenly strike, and it was already too late to dodge.

It was an arrow formed from Soul Force, intangible yet solid. Anyone struck by this arrow would immediately have their soul shattered, turning them into an idiot.

Long Chen was shocked. It was too late to dodge, so he hurriedly circulated his Soul Force to resist. Although his Soul Force was powerful, he had never practiced soul techniques before, so the chance of resisting it was minuscule.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, another arrow appeared out of thin air and collided with the man's attack, emitting a loud bang. Long Chen was knocked back four or five steps by the force.

"Senior Brother Qi, attacking a mortal like this, I'm afraid Master won't be pleased if he finds out,"

At some unknown time, a young girl appeared beside the two and said calmly to the man called Senior Brother Qi.

The man surnamed Qi's expression changed slightly, but he quickly smiled and said, "Junior Sister, you misunderstand. I was merely testing him. How could I truly harm him?"

Long Chen's expression turned ugly. With his Soul Force, how could he not tell that scoundrel clearly intended to turn him into an idiot?

A surge of anger rose within Long Chen. Especially the way that scoundrel looked at Meng Qi, which enraged him. Now, he even wanted to kill him, making Long Chen grit his teeth in anger.

"Young Master, this is an inner disciple of our Wind Soul Pavilion, with profound cultivation. You'll have to do your best!"

After speaking, the young girl even winked at Long Chen. Long Chen's heart skipped a beat. Was she specifically giving me a hint?

"Senior Brother Qi, let's go,"

The young girl said to Senior Brother Qi, but her posture clearly indicated she intended to leave with him.

Senior Brother Qi glanced at Long Chen, smiled faintly, and leaped onto a Rage Blood Bee. After they left, Long Chen couldn't help but curse loudly:

"Son of a bitch Senior Brother Qi, I'll remember this grudge!"

After the anger subsided, Long Chen calmed down. Regardless, he had gained something today. Although the engagement was broken, he had at least left a good impression on Meng Qi.

Most importantly, he noticed that when Meng Qi left, she carefully put away the marriage contract instead of destroying it immediately, leaving him with greater hope.

However, at the same time, he felt a great sense of crisis. Meng Qi was such an outstanding woman; how many could resist her charm? Moreover, with that dog-like Senior Brother Qi appearing beside her, it was truly too dangerous.

What if there were other dog-like or shit-like brothers besides Senior Brother Qi? No, he had to quickly improve his cultivation.

Although he had now connected with the Alchemist Guild, the Alchemist Guild was a neutral force and did not participate in any conflicts. Everything still depended on himself.

Li Hao's words before his death that day had sounded an alarm for Long Chen. If the other party only used himself and his mother to restrain his father.

His father had already refused the Royal Family's summons several times. His father must have understood something long ago. The longer time dragged on, the less value Long Chen and his mother would have, and the more dangerous it would become.

Returning home, Long Chen locked himself in his room, instructing no one to disturb him, and took out the medicinal ingredients from his space ring one by one.

The bronze cauldron that Yun Qi had given him at the Alchemist Guild last time had been a great help to Long Chen. As one of the essential tools for an Alchemist, there was a great deal of knowledge within a cauldron.

Long Chen's original cauldron was the worst of the worst. Not only did it have poor thermal conductivity during alchemy, but it also consumed a great deal of Long Chen's Pill Fire.

Furthermore, its quality was extremely poor. It couldn't seal the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth during alchemy; miscellaneous energies entered the cauldron, while Spiritual Energy escaped. It would be strange if such a cauldron could refine good pills.

Moreover, the craftsmanship required for casting a cauldron was extremely strict. Long Chen's original medicine cauldron was clearly made by an ordinary craftsman.

But there was no choice. A decent medicine cauldron would cost at least hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins, often millions, which Long Chen couldn't afford.

The cauldron Yun Qi had gifted Long Chen was a first-grade medicine cauldron, which usually only Pill Apprentices had the qualification to possess.

With this medicine cauldron, Long Chen had truly upgraded. Looking at the brand-new medicine cauldron, Long Chen nodded.

"It's time to speed things up, or my wife will fly away."