Affairs in Chu Yun, an Unexpected Twist

"Lin Chen, we're leaving now. Remember to come find us soon!"

Above Qingshan Town, on a strange two-headed crimson dragon, two little girls rode on the dragon's head, one of them dressed in purple waving goodbye.

Below the dragon, countless mercenaries stared in disbelief, their exclamations of wonder filling the air.

"My God, it's Fifth Tier magical beast!"

"Someone can actually tame Fifth Tier magical beast as a mount? Even the Misty Cloud Sect might not have such an ability, right?"

"Sigh, who knows? I've heard that the Imperial Family's guardian magical beast, the Nether Sea Flood Dragon Beast, is Sixth Tier magical beast that has protected the Jia Ma Imperial Family for hundreds of years. The Misty Cloud Sect might also have its own guardian magical beast..."

In the town, a group of mercenaries whispered among themselves. Some of the younger mercenaries looked at the crimson dragon in the sky, their faces flushed and their eyes filled with envy. They couldn't help but utter bold words like "A true man should be like this!" which made the surrounding crowd laugh.

"Old Hai, it's getting late, let's say goodbye."

"By the way, after you go to the Imperial Capital, remember to collect the medicinal herbs for refining the Purple Spirit Recovery Pill. Although your seal has been broken, your strength has not fully recovered. This pill can perfectly alleviate the aftereffects of breaking the seal."

Above the sky, Lin Chen handed a scroll to Hai Bodong and solemnly instructed him.

"Thank you so much, sir. I am truly grateful and know not how to repay your kindness."

Hai Bodong took the prescription for the Purple Spirit Recovery Pill, a look of excitement flashing in his eyes. He was about to bow to Lin Chen when Lin Chen stopped him.

"No need for that, Lao Hai. Just focus on your cultivation. Although your talent isn't great, things are different here compared to others. You can take pills if you can. Once you recover your strength, if you perform well, I'll reward you with an Emperor's Extreme Pill. Then you can prepare to break through to the high-level Dou Emperor."

Lin Chen smiled and helped Hai Bodong up by the arm, then patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly.

"Emperor's Extreme Pill?"

Upon hearing this, Hai Bodong's face showed a look of shock. As a Dou Huang expert, he had naturally heard of the famous Emperor's Extreme Pill.

It is a high-grade Sixth Grade pill. In terms of rarity, it is second only to the Sect Breaking Pill, which is at the peak of the Sixth Grade. After Dou Huang expert takes it, he can be promoted by one or two stars. Looking at the entire Jia Ma Empire, no one can refining this kind of pill reliably.

He was already incredibly envious when his master refined the Sect Breaking Pill for Queen Medusa; now, was he actually willing to refine the Emperor's Extreme Pill for him as well?

A complex emotion welled up in Hai Bodong's heart. He took a deep breath, solemnly clasped his hands, and said, "Rest assured, my lord, I will take good care of Zi Yan and Miss Qing Lin. If anything happens to them, it will be after I have passed away."

Lin Chen smiled and nodded, then said, "Go ahead, I should also set off for the Chu Yun Empire. See you in the Imperial Capital."

After saying that, he turned to look at Zi Yan and Qing Lin on the Twin-Headed Fire Spirit Flood Dragon beside him and waved to them.

"Let's go, Qing Lin. Take good care of Zi Yan, don't let her get fat. See you in the Imperial Capital later!"

After saying that, a pair of dazzling ice crystal wings slowly unfolded behind her, then transformed into a streak of ice-blue light and flew away into the distance.

"Brother Lin Chen, be careful!"

Seeing this, Qing Lin reached out her little hand to grab forward, seemingly wanting to stop Lin Chen, but she couldn't grab anything. With a worried look on her face, she cried out reluctantly.

Zi Yan glanced at Lin Chen's departing figure, pursed her lips, and a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

Then, looking at Qing Lin beside him, he pinched her chest and asked curiously, "Qing Lin, you've gained weight recently..."

"Sister Zi Yan, what are you doing!"

Qing Lin's face flushed red, and she quickly covered her chest, exclaiming in surprise, "You've been corrupted by Brother Lin Chen!"

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan chuckled and said, "Lin Chen is gone, no one can stop me now. Qing Lin, let me see how you and I are different!"

"Sister Zi Yan!"

Not long after,

On the Chu Yun Empire, a magnificent city stands at the junction of the Jia Ma Empire and the Chu Yun Empire.

This important city, named "Abundance," is entirely constructed of massive black rocks. It resembles a black lion crouching on the plains, its enormous mouth open, swallowing and spitting out the coming and going crowds.

At the city gate, a long queue had formed, with a pair of elite black-armored guards standing on either side, checking the passing caravans and pedestrians in turn.

At this moment, a man dressed in Alchemist's robe, with three wavy lines on his chest, walked towards us. The badge on his chest featured an ancient medicine cauldron pattern, indicating his identity.

"My lord, this way please. Our Chu Yun Empire has a special passage reserved for Alchemist."

At this moment, a guard captain stepped forward, his face showing a hint of flattery, and took the initiative to approach the "third-grade" Alchemist, introducing him to the customs of the Chu Yun Empire.

"Hmm, has anything major happened in your Chu Yun Empire recently?"

Disguised, Lin Chen smiled and nodded rather reservedly, then asked casually.

"Major events? Nothing major has happened in the Empire recently. I did hear that His Majesty the old emperor passed away peacefully, and not long ago, the princes fought for power, but in the end, the Third Prince, supported by the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect, ascended the throne. Now, the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect is the Guardian religion of our Chu Yun Empire, sharing the fate of the nation..."

The captain of the guard readily accepted the Qi Recovery Pill handed to him by Lin Chen, looked around, lowered his voice, and said cautiously.

"The Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect?"

A glint of light flashed in Lin Chen's eyes, and he nodded thoughtfully.

As far as he knew, the former sect leader of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect was a powerhouse on par with Jia Xingtian and Yun Shan. He should have successfully broken through to the Dou Zong realm and could be considered a prominent figure in the four great empires.

Of those older generation powerhouses, Hai Bodong is in the worst situation now, still struggling at the low-level Dou Emperor. He can be considered to have been born at the wrong time.

"Alright, I'm leaving. You can go ahead and get busy."

Lin Chen waved his hand, stepped through the checkpoint, and headed into the city.

Upon seeing this, the captain of the guard quickly nodded and turned back to his guard post.

Just then, a group of figures clad in black robes emerged from the city gate. The leader was completely shrouded in black robes, wore a demon mask on his face, and had a scorpion-patterned badge on his chest. The badge was entirely emerald green, giving off a sinister feeling.

"Master Gui Li!"

Upon seeing the newcomers, the captain of the guard quickly let them pass, bowing and scraping to them.

The person wearing the demon mask continued walking, about to leave the pass, when suddenly his gaze sharpened, and he turned around to see a figure in an Alchemist's robe.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze sharp as a knife as he fixed it on the guard before him, and asked in a somewhat grave tone, "Who was that person who just passed by?"

"He is a Third-Grade Alchemist."

The captain of the guards was taken aback for a moment, then answered truthfully.

"Third rank?"

The Ghost-Faced Man sneered and said noncommittally, "Are you blind? That's clearly a Fifth-Rank Alchemist."

Having said that, a look of greed flashed in his eyes, mixed with a hint of hesitation, and for a moment he stopped in his tracks.

"Fifth rank?"

The captain of the guard looked horrified and was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

Just then, a gaunt man in black robes approached the Ghost-Faced Man man from behind and whispered, "My lord, the Guardian has ordered that capturing Gu He is the priority. That other man isn't necessarily stronger than Gu He, Sixth-Grade Alchemist's soul is far more valuable."

"What do you know! Do you think Gu He is so easy to deal with? It's said he's fallen out with the Misty Cloud Sect. He has connections as Sixth-Grade Alchemist, and if he fails, how many of us will survive!"

The Ghost-Faced Man glanced at his subordinate with disdain, thinking the man was utterly foolish.

"Then what should we do...?"

The Black-Robed Man paused, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

"Let's capture this fat sheep first. Even if the mission fails, we'll still have a Fifth-Rank Alchemist's soul to report to the Guardian."

"This guy, Fifth-Rank Alchemist, is disguised and acting all sneaky. He's obviously a lowly scoundrel! He's got a piece of the action delivered to his doorstep—why not take it?"

A greedy glint appeared in the Ghost-Faced Man's eyes, and he spoke with a sinister tone, his voice filled with murderous intent.

"Your Excellency is indeed wise!"

The Black-Robed Man looked enlightened, his expression one of utter admiration.

"Of course. Go and capture that Alchemist. I'll celebrate your success."

As he spoke, the Ghost-Faced Man pointed at the Black-Robed Man and said with a sinister expression.

Me?

The Black-Robed Man froze, and said in disbelief.