Stubborn to the End

The person who arrived was none other than Zhou Yaoyang, whom Long Chen had almost smashed into a meat patty. Long Chen had to admire the resilience of martial artists.

Last time, he was almost flattened into a thin sheet of paper, and now he was as good as new. It seemed the Zhou family had spent quite a bit of money on this child.

After Long Chen's last toss, Zhou Yaoyang's bones were almost all broken. A large sum of Gold Coins was spent just to pull him back from the brink of death.

Even with the Zhou family's wealth, this was a severe blow. Today, Zhou Yaoyang had come to ask for a few more Foundation Strengthening Pills.

After all, he was currently extremely weak. Furthermore, in the middle of the night, he would start hallucinating, with countless vengeful spirits clinging to him, scaring him so much that he didn't dare sleep with the lights off.

Every morning, he felt as if tens of thousands of steel needles were piercing his soul, causing him to writhe on the ground in pain.

However, the Alchemists at the Alchemist Guild had examined him several times but couldn't figure out the cause. They only speculated that his weak constitution and qi deficiency had led to an invasion of dampness, and the best they could do was try to strengthen his foundation.

But it had been half a month with no improvement; instead, it was getting worse. Even if he stayed awake all night, Zhou Yaoyang would still see visions of vengeful spirits trying to claim his life.

In the morning, his soul was no longer being pricked by needles but roasted by a raging fire, making him wish for death. Now, Zhou Yaoyang was emaciated, his face sallow, a far cry from his former dashing self.

"Zhou Yaoyang, long time no see. How have you been?" Long Chen greeted him warmly from afar, raising his hand with a benevolent smile.

Zhou Yaoyang, already somewhat absent-minded, was startled to see Long Chen, his face instantly turning pale as if he had seen a ghost.

"Long Chen... You... What do you want?"

"Your expression makes me feel quite awkward. I was just concerned about you and wanted to ask how the experience of vengeful spirits claiming your life at night and your soul being roasted in the morning feels," Long Chen said, shaking his head.

"You... You... How do you know? Could it be... you?" Zhou Yaoyang's eyes were filled with terror.

He suddenly remembered that after Long Chen had thrown him down and knocked him unconscious that day, Long Chen had fed him a pill.

According to the Alchemist, it was an Organ Protection Pill that would prevent him from dying from organ failure in the short term.

But Zhou Yaoyang always felt something was amiss. Now, with Long Chen saying this, he immediately thought of that pill and suddenly understood.

"Long Chen, you must have done this! You're trying to harm me, how despicable of you!" Zhou Yaoyang's eyes were filled with venom.

Thinking of the torment he had endured these past few days, his eyes nearly burst from rage as he roared and lunged at Long Chen.

"Slap!"

A palm struck his face. The force wasn't great; it merely sent him flying without intending to kill him.

"Despicable? How can I dare to accept such a title? No matter how despicable I am, I'm not even one percent of you. How many despicable methods have you used against me over the years?"

Long Chen casually waved his hand and said lightly, "You probably don't even remember yourself. What goes around comes around.

Now that I, Long Chen, have made a comeback, how could I not repay you properly?"

Being slapped in the face actually made Zhou Yaoyang much clearer-headed. During his recovery these past few days, he hadn't stopped paying attention to Long Chen.

A few days ago, Long Chen's defeat of a guard belonging to a prince of the Great Xia Kingdom had caused a stir throughout the capital. That guard was a genuine expert in the Blood Condensation Realm!

Now, in terms of martial prowess, Zhou Yaoyang was no match for Long Chen. In terms of status, Long Chen was a noble Pill Apprentice, someone he couldn't compare to.

Recalling the Alchemist's words, he couldn't help but suspect that the Alchemist knew full well what Long Chen had done but refused to cure him, causing him to suffer needlessly. He gritted his teeth in hatred.

However, he didn't know that he had wronged the Alchemist. The pill Long Chen had refined was coated with Soul Chasing Liquid, and no one except Master Yun Qi could detect it.

Clearly, the Marquis of the Savage Lands didn't have the qualifications to invite Master Yun Qi, let alone him; even a prince couldn't.

"Long Chen, what must I do for you to let me go?" Zhou Yaoyang gritted his teeth.

"Zhou Yaoyang, why are you so spineless? I was tormented by you for so many years, and I never backed down.

Now it's finally my turn to retaliate, and you want to surrender? That's no fun. We have to play by the rules," Long Chen said lightly, then turned to leave.

"Long Chen, you really won't let me go?"

"If you want to escape this sea of suffering, it's simple. You have a sword. Just draw it across your neck, and it'll only hurt for a moment, then you'll be happy. Why beg me?"

Zhou Yaoyang trembled with anger. During the torment of vengeful spirits and soul scorching, he had indeed considered death as a release.

But once that period passed, he would immediately return to normal, filled with a longing for life, making him unwilling to give up his precious existence.

To live, he couldn't live well; to die, he couldn't die. Zhou Yaoyang was on the verge of a breakdown. He didn't have the courage to commit suicide, but if this continued, he would soon go mad.

"Thump."

Zhou Yaoyang gritted his teeth and knelt on the ground.

"Long Chen, please, let me go. I admit defeat."

Looking at Zhou Yaoyang kneeling on the ground, Long Chen's hatred had actually lessened. Long Chen's current standing was completely different from Zhou Yaoyang's. He didn't care about a small fry like him.

However, Long Chen wasn't the type to repay kindness with malice. Seeing Zhou Yaoyang's current miserable state, his hatred had greatly diminished.

As Long Chen happened to intend to extract some information from him, he reached for his ring. Suddenly, his Soul Force noticed Zhou Yaoyang's tightly clenched hands and the trace of venom in the corner of his eyes.

Long Chen pondered for a moment, a cold smile appearing on his lips. He touched his ring, and a pill appeared. He threw it directly to Zhou Yaoyang, saying, "Here, take this pill. I hope you won't be my enemy in the future, or you'll regret it for the rest of your life." After throwing the pill to Zhou Yaoyang, Long Chen turned and left.

Zhou Yaoyang took the pill. Only after Long Chen had walked far away did he stand up from the ground. Looking at Long Chen's receding back, his eyes narrowed.

"Long Chen, if I don't make you die without a burial place, my name isn't Zhou Yaoyang."

He wasn't worried that Long Chen would poison him. Because many people had witnessed the scene from afar, if he died from this pill, Long Chen wouldn't be able to escape responsibility. Therefore, he confidently swallowed the pill.

The next day, to Zhou Yaoyang's surprise, after taking the pill, he no longer had nightmares at night, nor did he suffer the torment of his soul being roasted in the morning.

Zhou Yaoyang let out a cold laugh in his heart: Long Chen, just you wait. The next time I make a move, I'll take your life directly. By then, you'll be the one regretting it.

Seeing Zhou Yaoyang consume that pill, Long Chen also had a cold smirk on his lips: Serves you right for digging your own grave. I originally intended to spare your life, but you insisted on courting death.

"Brother Long?"

As Long Chen was walking, a voice suddenly called out to him.

Turning his head, he saw it was Fatty Yu. Long Chen noticed that Fatty Yu had actually entered the Qi Gathering Triple Heaven realm. Because he had started cultivating, his massive physique now seemed to possess a hint of a sturdy aura.

"Fatty, not bad! You've already reached Qi Gathering Triple Heaven," Long Chen chuckled.

"Hehe, it's all thanks to you, Brother Long," Fatty Yu said somewhat shyly. "Brother Long, I was just about to visit your residence."

"Something up?"

"Well, now that I've broken through to Triple Heaven, I have to celebrate, right? Look, Shi Feng is even hosting a banquet. I can't be too shabby, can I?" Fatty Yu said.

"He just advanced to the Blood Condensation Realm, and you're only at Triple Heaven. Is it really worth such a grand celebration?" Long Chen couldn't help but laugh.

"Ahem, that's different. I couldn't cultivate before. The level of surprise I feel is definitely no less than Shi Feng's," Fatty Yu said very seriously.

"Alright, if someone's treating me to drinks, I generally won't refuse. Let's go."

"Heh, great! I've already booked the banquet. We're just waiting for you!"

The restaurant Fatty Yu mentioned was located in the southern part of the city. Although it wasn't as famous as Gathering Heroes Tower, it was close.

When Long Chen arrived, as Fatty Yu had said, Shi Feng, Monkey, and the others were already gathered.

"Haha, Brother Long, you've finally arrived!"

Long Chen also laughed heartily, greeted everyone, and immediately took his seat. Before long, the food and drinks were served.

"Today, to celebrate my promotion to Qi Gathering Triple Heaven, thus stepping through the great threshold of the cultivation path and opening a bright future, this first cup is for you, Brother Long!"

Everyone roared in agreement. All of them had their destinies changed because of Long Chen; he was their benefactor.

Long Chen didn't stand on ceremony, picked up a large bowl of wine, and downed it in one go.

They were all acquaintances, so there was no need for excessive formality. They drank heartily, but apart from Shi Feng and Fatty Yu, the others were only at Qi Gathering First Heaven. They had high spirits but not high alcohol tolerance.

After a few bowls, their tongues started to loosen.

"Brother Long, with your heavenly talent, divine might, and peerless heroism, we're all wondering what kind of woman would be worthy of you," one person said, emboldened by the alcohol.

Before Long Chen could reply, Monkey chimed in from the side: "Hehe, what's there to say? At the very least, she'd have to be of princess status. As for her appearance, she must be stunning enough to make fish sink, birds fall, the moon hide, and flowers blush. As for her cultivation? That doesn't matter. No one would dare bully Brother Long anyway. Even the princes of Great Xia don't matter to Brother Long, so our future sister-in-law doesn't need to be that powerful, haha."

"That's right! I think in our Phoenix Cry Empire, only the Third Princess fits such a standard!" Fatty Yu's eyes lit up.

"I've met the Third Princess. While she is beautiful, her temper is incredibly fierce. Most people can't handle her," one person sighed.

"Pfft, that's before she met Brother Long. If she met Brother Long, even a tiger would turn into a kitten."

Long Chen was speechless. How did the conversation get so off track? However, when they mentioned the Third Princess, Chu Yao's beautiful face appeared in his mind.

He couldn't help but feel a pang of tenderness. Chu Yao was actually a gentle and lovely woman, but she had to put on a tough exterior to protect herself.

Thinking about the time he had spent interacting with her, a warmth flowed through him. At the same time, he felt a bit conflicted, wondering if this was unfair to Meng Qi.

As Long Chen was lost in thought, a woman's cold laugh suddenly echoed:

"How dare you lowly commoners! What absurd fantasies! Are the Third Princess and her matters something you rabble can discuss?"