Chapter 30 Visitors from Chang'an

Three days had passed, and Jiang Chen had been in the quiet room for three full days.

Li Hanguang had felt slightly uneasy for these three days, finding it difficult to calm his mind even while meditating.

Jiang Chen was someone Li Hanguang had personally brought back to the Maoshan Sect, and it was he and his fellow Disciples who had provided Jiang Chen with his initial enlightenment.

Therefore, in Li Hanguang's heart, although Jiang Chen was his Junior Brother, he felt more like his Disciple.

After Jiang Chen entered to comprehend the Shangqing Image-Aspect Sword, Li Hanguang had said he would wait forty-nine days before entering, but in reality, that was merely the maximum time limit set by the Ancestral Master for comprehending this Divine Ability.

If one failed to comprehend it within this time limit, the only outcome was death.

But in reality, among the many Ancestral Masters in history who had tried to comprehend this Divine Ability—not counting those who succeeded—none of those who failed had managed to persist for even a month.

Thus, Li Hanguang had made up his mind that if Jiang Chen did not come out of seclusion within half a month, he would enter and forcibly bring Jiang Chen out.

Although this would have severe aftereffects, it was still better than dying in the quiet room.

However, before the fifteen days he anticipated had even passed, after merely three days, uninvited guests arrived at the foot of the Maoshan Sect.

A luxurious eight-bearer sedan chair was being carried by strongmen, flanked by armored soldiers in the front and back.

Before they could ascend the Maoshan Sect, they were stopped by a Disciple in grey robes.

"Halt! Ahead lies the mountain gate of the Maoshan Sect; unauthorized personnel are not permitted to enter!"

The sedan chair stopped at the foot of the mountain, and the curtain was lifted, revealing a middle-aged man with a fair, beardless face and feminine, sinister eyes.

He looked at this Maoshan Disciple, his gaze turning a bit more vicious, and with a cold snort, he sat back down in the sedan chair.

The captain in front shouted loudly, "Audacious! Do you not know whose sedan chair this is? The person sitting inside is a trusted confidant of Your Majesty, Minister Wang Chongxian. We have come to the Maoshan Sect this time to convey an imperial decree from Your Majesty!"

The Maoshan Disciple was stunned for a moment, then stammered, "Then please wait a moment, I will go up the mountain to notify the Elders of the mountain gate."

However, just as the Disciple was about to turn back, a distant, ethereal voice drifted down from the mountaintop.

"There is no need; I am already aware."

Wang Chongxian no longer put on airs at this moment; instead, he took the imperial decree and stepped out of the sedan chair.

At this moment, at the foot of the mountain, everyone saw a young man wearing a Daoist robe with a long sword on his back suddenly appear in a spot where no one had been standing before.

Wang Chongxian narrowed his eyes slightly. He also possessed cultivation, yet he could not see through when Li Hanguang had arrived at the foot of the mountain at all.

"Imperial Envoy, may I ask what decree Your Majesty has to convey to the Maoshan Sect?" Li Hanguang asked, his expression unchanged.

Wang Chongxian chuckled, took out the imperial decree, and personally handed it to Li Hanguang.

"I shall not read this imperial decree aloud. It is just that Your Majesty and the Princess heard that the Immortal Master Headmaster has taken in another Disciple and are very curious. Since the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, Your Majesty invites the Immortal Master's latest Disciple to attend a banquet in the palace, that is all."

Li Hanguang took the imperial decree, opened it, and read it through before saying, "I thank Your Majesty for this grace on behalf of my Junior Brother. However, at this very moment, my Junior Brother is at a critical juncture of his seclusion; I cannot determine when he will emerge."

Wang Chongxian's gaze darkened for a fleeting moment before he smiled again. "No matter. There are still over ten days until the palace banquet. With the speed of the Immortal Master's Disciple, surely it would not be a problem to reach Chang'an in two or three days, right?"

Li Hanguang's expression remained unchanged. He simply looked at Wang Chongxian indifferently, saying nothing, until Wang Chongxian's face grew increasingly pale. Only then did Li Hanguang speak:

"I have already said that my Junior Brother is at a critical juncture of his seclusion, and I do not know when he will emerge."

Wang Chongxian's expression became increasingly ugly, but facing such a high-ranking Immortal Master of the Daoist sect, he truly did not dare to lose his temper.

From two eras ago until now, the strongest figures were Grand Master Sima Chengzhen, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, the monk Shenxiu, and Master Xuanzang.

Among them, Grand Master Sima Chengzhen of the Maoshan Sect was in a league of his own.

Below them were people like Li Hanguang and State Preceptor Zhang Guolao.

Wang Chongxian did not know how strong Li Hanguang was; he only knew that before departing, even Your Majesty had repeatedly instructed him to be polite to the Maoshan Sect.

"Immortal Master Hanguang, if you act like this, how am I, this humble servant, supposed to report back to Your Majesty?" Wang Chongxian said with an ugly expression.

"If the Immortal Master insists on making things difficult for this humble servant, then I shall just have to stay at the Maoshan Sect and wait for the little Immortal Master to come out of seclusion!"

Li Hanguang was in a dilemma at this moment because what he said was the truth. Jiang Chen was currently comprehending the Shangqing Image-Aspect Sword; making him leave seclusion midway would be equivalent to destroying his Foundation. Li Hanguang could not possibly do such a thing.

However, this imperial decree from Your Majesty had arrived so coincidentally—so coincidentally and logically that it left one with nothing to say.

"Then please, Imperial Envoy Wang, take a short rest on the Maoshan Sect for a few days."

Wang Chongxian choked. Why on earth did he have to compete with Gao Lishi for this errand and become this Imperial Envoy?

Why give up the life of luxury in the palace to come here and eat meager rations?

Just as Wang Chongxian wanted to argue a few more points, he suddenly saw Li Hanguang turn his head abruptly, a look of pleasant surprise appearing on his face.

"He succeeded! My Junior Brother has succeeded!"

"Succeeded… succeeded at what?" Wang Chongxian asked subconsciously.

"My Junior Brother has emerged from seclusion. Imperial Envoy Wang, this time you can go back to report on your mission."

At this very moment, on the peak of the Maoshan Sect, within the Shangqing Sect, a streak of Sword Qi like a rainbow shot up into the sky.

Then, a figure smashed through the quiet room's main hall, leaped straight into the sky, and then landed.

"I did it! This Daoist has succeeded again!"

After three days of painstaking effort, having spat out most of his life force and Qi, and having lost thirty pounds, Jiang Chen finally comprehended the Shangqing Image-Aspect Sword and turned the Sword Intent into his own.

"Revered Master's judgment truly is never wrong!" Li Hanguang exclaimed in admiration.

Wang Chongxian also wanted to go up and take a look; he wanted to see this person who had made both Your Majesty and Princess Yuzhen curious.

"Immortal Master Hanguang, would it be possible for this humble servant to go up and witness the demeanor of this little Immortal Master?"

Li Hanguang naturally had no objections; he raised his hand and made a gesture of invitation.

"Imperial Envoy Wang, please!"

When Jiang Chen landed, the first to arrive was not his Senior Brothers or Senior Sisters, but the Elder in charge of the Maoshan Sect's finances, Gao Zhen.

That Elder looked at Jiang Chen unkindly. "The Maoshan Sect's finances are already tight, and yet you dare to destroy the main hall! The silver for repairs will be deducted from your future stipends!"

Jiang Chen was in the wrong, so he stammered, "Yes, Junior Martial Uncle."

This Junior Martial Uncle then immediately revealed a kind smile. "What you just unleashed, was that the Shangqing Image-Aspect Sword?"

Jiang Chen performed a Daoist salute. "Exactly!"

"Good! The Headmaster Senior Brother truly has unique judgment in taking you as a Disciple."

This Junior Martial Uncle nodded and left with a gratified expression.

After the Junior Martial Uncle left, Jiang Chen suddenly felt his stomach rumbling with hunger. He had truly spat out three liters of blood over these past few days and now urgently needed to replenish his nutrition.

Thus, he rushed hurriedly to the dining hall.