Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Imperial Palace Receives a Visitor

  A gray little monkey is frolicking in the shade, occasionally plucking a flower bud, and occasionally darting into the vines. A gray eagle flies from the wall to the ridge of the house, playing happily.

  Bang bang!

  Li Chen sat on the rattan chair, his right hand subconsciously tapping the stone table lightly, making a faint irregular sound. Since waking up, he had been sitting there for an entire morning.

  His eyelashes covered his eyes, making it impossible to see what he was thinking, but the quiet atmosphere around him filled the courtyard with a hint of oppression.

  "Among the three, Qiu Qianni should be the strongest, Li Yuqing second, and Zhang Chulang the weakest. With my current cultivation level, I can at most match Zhang Chulang, or perhaps be slightly stronger, but only marginally so."

  The top priority is to break through to the Refining Truth Realm as soon as possible. If I don't, and they unite against me, I'll be at a disadvantage!

  He muttered softly, mentioning a few people's names at dawn, all of whom had some connection with him and were not low in their resentment.

  In a moment of contemplation, he suddenly looked up and gazed towards the entrance of the courtyard.

  The little monkey and Lei Peng saw the approaching person, suddenly flying to Li Chen's side, vigilantly looking at the newcomer.

  Hmph!

  The scattered footsteps sounded, and five or six figures appeared in front of the courtyard gate.

  "Brother Pang, Brother Liu..."

  Seeing the arrival of the person, Li Chen stood up and smiled in welcome.

  It's no surprise at all that a few people can find out where I live.

  "You can't say that, you can't say that. You're now someone who can fight evenly with Zhang Shixiong, how dare we call him Shixiong in front of you?"

  The newcomer was the one who had fought against the wolf pack with him in the ancient Cangshan Mountains. The speaker was Liu Ziqing, and after a year, his cultivation had reached the eighth layer of Nei Xi.

  "Haha!"

  Everyone burst out laughing, it was clear that Li Chen hadn't become arrogant and distant just because his cultivation had increased.

  "Li Shidi, Zi Yun Shimu has made a breakthrough in her closed-door cultivation and reached the Refining True Realm. She didn't come, so I'll congratulate you on her behalf!"

  Pang Wenshan sat down with everyone, saying some words of nostalgia.

  "Breakthrough in closed quarters? Could it be......"

  Li Chen was somewhat surprised, after all, he had seen him just two days ago, but then thought of something.

  Yang Huan Tian, indeed worthy of being a genius of the Xuan Yun Sect that appears only once in a thousand years. At just fourteen years old, he broke through his shackles and became a Quan Zhen realm warrior, with an unlimited future ahead of him.

  Some people even claimed that he would become a Star Sea Realm Grandmaster of the Profound Cloud Sect in the future, a realm that no one had reached for countless years!

  Pang Wenshan's face was grave.

  "A fourteen-year-old Quanzhen Realm martial artist!"

  Li Chen nodded slightly, and in his mind flashed the proud figure he had seen that day.

  Yang Huan Tian's talent is indeed worthy of being called a proud son of heaven, and even Chu Zi Yun, who has similar exceptional talent, seems to be inferior to him.

  "Heh heh, don't underestimate Zi Yun, Young Master Lei. I've heard her say that Yang Hua Tian's progress may be fast, but his foundation isn't necessarily stable, which will inevitably affect his future progress. After Zi Yun breaks through, she might not be his opponent!"

  Seemingly seeing through Li Chen's thoughts, Pang Wenshan smiled awkwardly.

  Everyone knows that when they were outside the door, Pang Wenshan had a crush on Chu Ziyan, but unfortunately, the fallen flowers have intentions and the flowing water has no feelings. Chu Ziyan never responded, he was just having a one-sided love affair.

  "Haha!"

  Li Chen smiled and nodded, but in fact he didn't entirely agree with his own words.

  With such qualifications and talent, how could the seniors of the sect not know this point, they must have prepared a complete strategy to let him break through with ease.

  Squeak! Hiss!

  Two crisp sounds rang out, causing Li Chen to look towards the gate, where he saw three bright and beautiful figures walking together.

  Everyone turned their heads to look, and when they saw who had arrived, their expressions changed instantly.

  The newcomers were none other than the three Li sisters, led by Li Yueqing, who had threatened to take away many of their valuable treasures in the past.

  "What a coincidence, you're all here!"

  Li Yuqing was still as arrogant and domineering as she had been in the past, her eyebrows raised high as she swept a disdainful glance over the crowd.

  At her age of less than thirty, she has the qualifications to look down on everyone present in the initial stage of her Zhen Yuan Realm cultivation, of course, excluding Li Chen.

  "Are you here to return the Yuanyu Stone?"

  Li Chen slowly got up, his eyes surprisingly calm.

  He himself was somewhat unbelievable, having fantasized countless times about how he would avenge the three sisters who made his teeth itch with hatred if they met again, but unexpectedly, when it came to the moment, there was not even a hint of murderous intent.

  Even so, he didn't want the other person to bully his friend in front of him.

  "Hmph, Young Master Li is indeed clever. I did come to return the Yuan Stone, but how could such a valuable thing be carried on one's person?"

  Li Yuqing's face changed slightly, but she immediately smiled and said.

  Li Yuehua and Li Yuexiang by her side looked at Li Chen with complex expressions, the medicinal slave who was once beaten and scolded under their hands no longer existed, having grown into a genius that even they had to look up to.

  "That's good, I'll go get it another day!"

  Li Chen nodded and said seriously.

  "Hmm, that's a good idea. You see, our family's ancestor has been thinking about the events of half a month ago and is still worried about it. Half a month from now is our family's ancestor's birthday, and originally my two sisters were planning to come home to prepare for this occasion, but they didn't expect to run into you, our young master. Our family's ancestor wants to take this opportunity to invite you over for a cup of water wine, what do you think?"

  Li Yuqing smiled coyly, her flower-like fingers trembling with an indescribable charm.

  "Alright!"

  Li Chen hesitated for a moment before agreeing, as it happened that he had some questions to ask Li Kunfeng anyway.

  "Brother Li..."

  Pang Wenshan's face changed slightly, but he was too late to stop him.

  "Well, I won't disturb your reunion then!"

  Li Yuqing smiled and swept her eyes over the crowd, unknowingly or intentionally emphasizing the two words "reunion" extremely heavily.

  Having said that, he led the two women away with a gentle smile.

  "Come on, come on, I'll treat everyone to a drink!"

  Seeing that everyone was still trying to persuade him, Li Chen turned around and walked into the house, took out He Kongming's treasured good wine, and shared it with everyone.

  Seeing this, they also didn't dare say more, and secretly made up their minds in their hearts.

  "Is Lí Chénkě within the inner courtyard of Nányún Fēng?"

  Just as everyone was about to take a drink, a majestic voice suddenly came, filled with pride and superiority, and even surpassed Li Yueqing who had just left.

  "Disciple has seen Master Chen!"

  Everyone was stunned and didn't know who the newcomer was. They all turned their heads to look, only to see Chen Chong, the instructor of the inner courtyard, walking slowly with someone.

  "Li Chen, come here! This is Master Song of the Main Institute, he has something to ask you!"

  Chen Chong Su beckoned to Li Chen and introduced him.

  "Li Chen has seen Master Song!"

  Li Chen walked up and bowed with his hands clasped together.

  "There's no need to be so polite, with your talent you'll soon break through the Refining Truth Realm, follow me to the Main Hall!"

  Song Gonglu looked up and down at Li Chen, slightly restrained his pride, and nodded.

  "Master uncle, forgive me, I have already joined the ranks of Hou Yuanzhai and Zang Tangzhai, I cannot follow you into the main hall!"

  Li Chen said calmly and slowly.

  "What?"

  Song Gong Luo seemed to have heard something unbelievable, but he immediately calmed down and looked at the unusually calm Li Chen, saying coldly: "You've thought it through clearly, entering the main courtyard not only provides the best spiritual elixirs and treasures of the sect, if you're lucky enough to be taken in as a disciple by an elder, that's a shortcut to success!"

  "The disciple has already joined the two masters' sects. If he were to back out now, wouldn't that go against the sect's rules?"

  Li Chen was unmoved.

  "Hum, ungrateful!"

  Song Gongluo's mouth twitched, and he let out a cold snort before turning his head and walking away.

  Chen Chong Su gave a comforting glance at Li Chen, seeming to know something about the situation, but immediately turned anxious and rushed towards Song Gong Luo, trying to comfort him with kind words.