172: Chapter 172 Meeting

In the night, the moonlight did not shine brightly.

Obscured by thick clouds, the surrounding environment was blurry.

The figure in black wore a bamboo hat, stood tall, and had their aura completely restrained, making it impossible to discern anything.

At a glance, they felt just like an ordinary person.

Snap.

The sound of a tree branch breaking was extremely distinct in the quiet night.

Chen Ran slowly raised his eyes, only half of his face visible beneath the bamboo hat.

He looked at the woman in the red dress in the pavilion in the distance and spoke indifferently:

"Long time no see, to think you have returned to the capital."

"Heh, that was only thanks to someone's blessing that I was able to leave the capital."

Jiang Mengli spoke with a smile, her voice crisp and melodious, radiating a natural charm.

As she spoke, even the surrounding air went quiet for a moment, as if waiting for her words.

...

Outside the long pavilion, in several shadows.

The members of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult stared unblinkingly at the man in the bamboo hat in the distance.

"Hey, I have not seen this person before. Who exactly is he that he could make the Saintess wait specifically for him?"

"How would I know? Judging by this, it seems the Saintess knows him."

The many cult members exchanged glances, their hearts filled with curiosity.

To be able to make the Saintess of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult wait, this person's identity is definitely not simple.

It is just unclear what major event the two are conspiring about, that the Saintess would risk being discovered by the imperial court to meet him.

In the shadows, a tall man holding two crescent moon blades, with a face like a poker face, spoke:

"Hey, can you tell the depth of this person?"

"Aura restrained, footsteps steady, it is truly strange. How can there not be a single trace of True Qi fluctuation..."

The short man crouching beside the poker-faced man with dual blades muttered to himself, his tone full of confusion:

"What about you, Old Wu?"

"I cannot tell either."

The poker-faced man shook his head; as an Elder-level figure in the Red Lotus Demonic Cult, he could not tell either.

Their strength was that of Return to Truth Realm experts, and looking at the entire Jianghu, they could be considered top-tier experts.

But when facing this person, they could not perceive his strength at all.

It was as if an invisible barrier blocked their investigation.

To be able to do this, he was either an expert specializing in concealment Cultivation Technique, or his strength far exceeded theirs.

If it were the former, it would be fine, but if it were the latter...

The poker-faced man straightened up, gripping his two differently colored curved blades in his palms, his expression serious.

His legs bent slightly, muscles tensed, his attention focused on the man in the bamboo hat.

If any accident occurred, he would not hesitate to strike and kill this person.

...

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The night breeze blew, and the leaves in the forest swayed continuously.

Chen Ran's gaze swept over the shadows in the trees, paused slightly, and then withdrew.

An invisible mental wave, like an ocean wave, was following his body, wrapping around everything within a few hundred zhang.

At this moment, in his mind, there were at least ten Aperture Condensation Realm Martial Artists hiding in those woods, and even a few figures with powerful auras whose True Qi was like raging fire.

"So many Return to Truth Realm experts."

Chen Ran clicked his tongue secretly; just the experts surrounding this area were enough to be considered top-tier in the capital.

If the other side attacked with full force, even if he acted himself, it would take some extra effort.

Chen Ran slowly moved forward, stepping up to the steps of the long pavilion:

"With so many experts here, it seems your main force has all arrived today. Are you planning to raid the capital?"

Chen Ran muttered to himself, sitting on the stone chair opposite the woman in the red dress.

A tea stove was placed on the stone table, with tea cups around it; clearly, this was the place Jiang Mengli had specifically waited for him.

Jiang Mengli crossed her fingers and rested her chin on them, her peach-blossom-like eyes staring ahead.

"It is rare. To think such words would come from your mouth; I thought you were never afraid of these things."

"It has been a while since we last parted. I wonder, having watched the winds and clouds of the Demonic Cult during this time, what are your thoughts?"

Jiang Mengli smilingly raised the teapot. The tea had long since gone cold while waiting, but an imperceptible wave of True Qi swept over it.

Gurgle.

In the teapot that had originally gone cold, steam suddenly emerged, and piping hot tea was poured out.

"Try it. This is Moon Spirit Tea that I specifically asked someone to find. It is brewed using century-old Frost Snow Lotus seeds."

"It is said to have the effect of nourishing the Divine Soul and stabilizing the state of mind."

Chen Ran did not refuse, naturally picking up the tea cup and taking a light sip.

The tea did not feel piping hot upon entering his mouth, but rather had a mint-like coolness that flowed down his throat.

In his perception, this tea was truly more useful than he had imagined; just one sip calmed his state of mind.

Chen Ran looked at the stunning woman in front of him and sighed in a low voice:

"Good tea."

In the bright moonlight, Jiang Mengli's skin was as white and lustrous as thousand-year-old cold jade, her eyebrows sharp and elegant, the corners of her peach-blossom eyes slightly upturned.

In his perception, only a few months had passed.

The aura on Jiang Mengli's body had undergone an earth-shattering change.

Just the ability to heat the tea stove proved her mastery of True Qi.

Her increase in strength was also exceptionally rapid, at least reaching the Peak Aperture Condensation Realm, and even hovering in a very strange state.

"You have improved your strength a lot during this time."

"That is natural. Our Demonic Cult's methods are not something you can imagine."

Jiang Mengli's beautiful eyes swept over the man in front of her; on the surface, she was calm, but inside, she frowned.

"Strange, why can I not perceive this person's aura?"

She had originally thought that by relying on the imperial family's last Heaven And Earth Treasure, fused into a Bloodline medicinal formula, her strength had been raised by two Realms in a short time.

At the very least, her strength would exceed Chen Ran's, or at the worst, be on par.

But now, she still could not perceive the depth of the man's strength before her.

It was as if a mass of fog shrouded Chen Ran, covering all probing gazes.

"Then let me test your current depth."

Seeing this scene, curiosity arose in Jiang Mengli's heart.

The next moment, before anyone could react,

Jiang Mengli spread her five fingers, True Qi surging on her body, constantly churning in her palm.

"Cloud-Turning Palm!"

She struck out with one hand towards Chen Ran; this palm technique was once a first-class martial art, with Moves that were grand and open, later recorded by the previous dynasty.

After the previous dynasty fell, this palm technique became the signature martial art of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult.

Boom!

Her attack was extremely fast, the True Qi condensed and tearing through the air.

Although Jiang Mengli's palm was only intended as a probe, the power it unleashed was not a bit weaker than a full-force strike from a Peak Aperture Condensation Realm Martial Artist.

But the expected scene did not happen. Only a slap sound was heard, and her palm stopped abruptly.

Chen Ran grabbed Jiang Mengli's wrist with one hand; the palm was only a few centimeters away from his chest.

Boom, a burst of wild wind erupted from the center of the two, turning into a wave of air that washed over them.

The ground and lawn behind Chen Ran were snapped and destroyed by that powerful wind.

Chen Ran's mouth curled up, and as if commenting, he slowly spoke:

"Your strength has improved, but unfortunately, it is still lacking a bit..."