78: Chapter 78 Chen Xuan's First Battle

His eyes narrowed slightly.

A handsome, slender Qi Refining Cultivator in white robes entered the Divine Wood Hall.

"It's actually him?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Xu Changsheng's eyes, hidden beneath his bamboo hat.

The newcomer was none other than...

...Lin Fan, whom he hadn't seen in a long time!

Lin Fan showed no particular reaction upon seeing Xu Changsheng dressed in night-traveling clothes.

He walked straight to the Divine Wood Vortex, produced enough secret keys, and exchanged them for the Laurel Wood.

Then, he found a throne and sat down on it carelessly.

Seeing this.

Although he didn't know Lin Fan's intentions, Xu Changsheng didn't want to have too much contact with this Cultivator who was suspected to be a 'Child of Luck'.

Years ago, while serving as a gang leader at Black Wolf Mountain, he would have fallen at Lin Fan's hands if not for the warning from his intelligence.

The old man within Lin Fan should have already awakened, so staying here wasn't a good idea; his primary goal for this trip had already been achieved.

He walked toward the Yi Wood Azure Thunder Formation, intending to put away the Formation and leave the Divine Wood Hall.

[Todays Intelligence (White): People subsequently entering the Secret Realm]

[Within the Ancient Wood Secret Realm, most Cultivators are having trouble collecting secret keys. In the next half-day, only two others will be able to enter the Divine Wood Hall: Mo Linyuan of the Ghost Shadow Sect and Chen Xuan of the Chixiao Sect. The former, using the Incarnation of the Robber Cultivator You Wuying, purchased twenty-five secret keys and will enter in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. The latter collected twenty-three secret realm keys and will enter in half a quarter-hour.]

Todays Intelligence arrived as expected.

After reading it carefully.

Xu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly.

He quickly made a decision.

He wasn't leaving.

The grudges he held against Su Xiaojing and Chen Xuan for all these years should finally be partially settled.

He would kill Chen Xuan first this time and settle the score with Su Xiaojing after leaving.

He found a throne that faced Lin Fan across the hall and sat down as well.

Witnessing this.

Lin Fan's calm expression rippled slightly: "Fellow Daoist, you're still not leaving? Do you plan to spend the night in the hall?"

Xu Changsheng shook his head: "No, I am waiting for someone."

"Who?"

"A dead man."

Hearing this.

Lin Fan was stunned at first, then burst into laughter: "It seems Fellow Daoist and I are of the same mind; I am also waiting for a dead man."

He laughed heartily: "I am Lin Fan, the Young Lord of the Lin Family from the borderlands of the Ancient Wood Mountain Range. May I ask for Fellow Daoist's name?"

Hearing this.

How could Xu Changsheng not know that the person Lin Fan was waiting for was the Mo Linyuan mentioned in the intelligence?

He casually gave a fake name: "I am Li Feiyu."

It was impossible for him to reveal his real name; regardless of Lin Fan's Heart-Nature, there was always a possibility of it being leaked.

He didn't want to end up on the Chixiao Sect's wanted list.

Lin Fan cupped his hands: "So it is Fellow Daoist Li. Since you have as many as thirty-five secret keys, your strength must be unfathomable. Why don't we join forces and deal with our enemies separately?"

Xu Changsheng didn't reply, only shaking his head.

Just as Lin Fan was about to say something.

Another pillar of azure light appeared.

Both of them looked over.

A male Cultivator with a sinister face and an aquiline nose suddenly appeared.

His skin was cold and pale, and he wore ink-colored Daoist robes.

Lin Fan ignored Xu Changsheng and laughed loudly: "Mo Linyuan, you've finally come. This Lin has been waiting for you for a long time."

Mo Linyuan's calm face twitched suddenly, his sword-like eyebrows knitting into a knot.

Lin Fan struck out boldly!

The two fought fiercely in the east, their battle radiating countless flashes of spiritual light.

Xu Changsheng remained with his legs crossed, calmly watching their duel.

The strength of these two was at the top tier among Qi Refining Cultivators, and their various combat techniques were a dazzling sight, truly opening Xu Changsheng's eyes.

Occasionally, stray sparks of spiritual light would fly toward him, but being in the Late Stage of Body Refining, he carelessly slapped them away.

After a short while.

Another pillar of light descended.

Chen Xuan also entered.

Before he could even recover from the dizziness caused by the spatial fluctuations, his heart suddenly leaped.

"Killing intent!"

With a wave of the folding fan in his hand, he summoned an Ink Wash Shield.

In the next instant.

A shadow enveloped him as a massive object slammed into the shield.

Although he blocked the strike.

His body was sent flying dozens of feet away, landing in a corner of the hall.

"This is simply too much!"

Chen Xuan roared, intending to use his techniques.

Suddenly, thunder and lightning flashed around him, with continuous roars of thunder.

The air was filled with the sharp scent of vegetation, like a forest after rain.

Looking around.

Thick fog surrounded him, and countless slender azure lightning snakes either erupted from the tips of spiritual threads or suddenly flashed from within the mist.

As a veteran Qi Refining Cultivator.

Chen Xuan immediately recognized it and laughed instead of getting angry: "A quasi-second-tier Formation! I wonder how this Chen has offended Fellow Daoist that you would use such lethal means against me."

Xu Changsheng had already placed several Vision Obscuring Talismans outside the Formation.

Combined with the Divine Sense isolation of the Formation itself, he felt at ease confronting Chen Xuan.

When Chen Xuan saw Xu Changsheng, dressed in night-traveling clothes and a bamboo hat, appear before him, he looked stunned.

"You're the Cultivator who entered the Divine Wood Hall with thirty-five keys!"

"This Chen has no grievances with you. Why is Fellow Daoist targeting me like this?"

Hearing this.

The corner of Xu Changsheng's mouth curled into an arc.

"No grievances? Fellow Daoist Chen, why don't you see who I am?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Chen Xuan's heart jolted.

"Could it be that you are...?"

The voice of the black-clad Cultivator was eighty to ninety percent similar to the Cultivator he shared an irreconcilable hatred with.

"Naturally, it is I."

Xu Changsheng chuckled as black light flowed over him, revealing his original appearance in azure robes.

"Xu Changsheng!"

Chen Xuan showed a look of horror.

"Impossible! You only reached the top of the list by riding on Fairy Chi Ni's coattails. How could you have thirty-five keys!"

Xu Changsheng sneered: "Fellow Daoist Chen, death is imminent, yet you're still wondering where my keys came from?"

"If Fellow Daoist can truly survive this Yi Wood Azure Thunder Formation, This Xu might consider telling you."

Chen Xuan suddenly looked around.

The Thunder Baleful Qi grew denser, and azure electric arcs transformed into towering Thunder Axes, emitting a terrifying pressure.

A look of deep wariness flashed in the depths of Chen Xuan's eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, I never thought that my unintentional actions back then would cause you such great trouble."

"This Chen no longer has any feelings for Su Xiaojing and is preparing to pursue the Yuanyang Twin Beauties of the Jinyang Sect. How about I return Su Xiaojing to you and we clear the air?"

Hearing this.

Xu Changsheng's pupils constricted, and he laughed out of anger: "Fellow Daoist Chen, do you take me for a three-year-old child?"

He opened his folding fan and smiled slightly: "This Chen is even willing to pay a usage fee for Su Xiaojing. Two hundred Spirit Stones a year for over five years—how about a flat rate of one thousand Spirit Stones?"

"Let me tell you, your former Dao Companion has already undergone the Awakening of the Hundred Flowers Physique and is a top-quality Cauldron. This Chen spent countless days and nights discovering this!"

Xu Changsheng said nothing more, quietly watching Chen Xuan talk nonsense with a straight face.

Suddenly, something occurred to him.

He noticed that Chen Xuan had been keeping his hands behind his back.

He understood instantly.

His mouth curled: "To stall for time, Fellow Daoist Chen is playing the fool; it truly disgraces your status."

"Today, only one of us shall walk out of the Divine Wood Hall!"