97: Challenger

South of Yuntian City, inside an inn specifically for Cultivators, the hall was filled with guests attending Xie Chen's wedding.

The Xie Family held some renown in the Cultivation World, and various Sects and Jianghu forces would all give them sufficient Face.

In a dark corner, Shen Lian gently waved his Folding Fan and rested with his eyes closed, while listening intently to the surrounding discussions, searching for useful clues.

Unfortunately, after listening for about fifteen minutes, he lost interest.

This was because the Cultivators in the hall mostly discussed experiences related to Secret Realm adventures, or which Heaven-Defying Disciples a certain Sect in the Cultivation World had recently recruited.

These messages were directly filtered out of Shen Lian's mind. Seeing that he couldn't gather any useful clues, he decided to change locations to inquire further.

Just as he was about to get up, a Female Cultivator, lightly braiding her dark hair and deliberately displaying an innocent expression, said to Shen Lian, "Fellow Daoist, may I sit here?"

"No, scram!"

Shen Lian refused bluntly without even raising his head.

The Female Cultivator was visibly stunned. After glancing thoughtfully at Shen Lian, she turned and left.

"What a pity. This man is quite handsome and strong, but his temper is too poor. It's clear he's not someone to provoke."

The Female Cultivator had originally been attracted by Shen Lian's handsome appearance and the fact that he was alone, moving her to desire Dual Cultivation with him that night to enhance her cultivation.

However, she never expected Shen Lian's personality to be so blunt, so she reluctantly chose to give up.

Just as Shen Lian threw down a Spirit Crystal, contemplating whether to expend Spiritual Power to use the Great Dao Heavenly Pupil to check the location of the Outer Domain, he heard a commotion erupt in the hall.

"Look, aren't those people from the Xuan Sheng Immortal Dynasty? Why are they here too?"

Suddenly, three Cultivators dressed in brocade robes entered the inn from outside.

They scanned the hall, and after their eyes met Shen Lian's, they walked straight up to the second-floor chamber without saying a word.

Shen Lian withdrew his gaze and was about to leave when he heard whispers from the next table.

"Hasn't the Xuan Sheng Immortal Dynasty always been at odds with Yuntian City? Especially the Xuan Sheng Empress Nalan Mingyue; there have been hundreds of years of bad blood between her and the Xie Family. How is it that they've now sent people to attend the wedding?"

"Why even ask? Yuntian City is now allied with the Ice and Snow Sect, so how could they still fear the Xuan Sheng Immortal Dynasty?"

"That's right. Liu Yixue, the Sect Master of the Ice and Snow Sect, and Young City Lord Xie Chen were originally master and Disciple. Now that the two have become Dao Companions, it's double the joy."

"Indeed. With the assistance of the Ice and Snow Sect, the gap between the Xie Family and the Xuan Sheng Immortal Dynasty has narrowed considerably. The Xuan Sheng Empress isn't foolish; shaking hands and making peace with the Xie Family now is the wisest choice."

Shen Lian frowned, thinking, "So it turns out that bitch Liu Yixue is getting married? No wonder the scale of this event is so massive."

Thinking of the hundreds of years of effort the Original Body put in, only to receive such a ridiculous outcome in the end, Shen Lian silently cursed the entire family of the Original Body that had occupied his current physical shell hundreds of times over.

"You want to get married and pursue your happiness? Heh, too bad. Maybe next life, if you get the chance.

In this life, you two are destined to be a pair of tragic lovers. I'll be kind enough to send you to the Yellow Springs to continue your relationship there."

Shen Lian's lips curled up. He had already decided to give Liu Yixue a grand gift.

Just then, someone else in the inn said, "By the way, have you heard that the City Lord's Mansion is recruiting Family Retainers?"

"I heard. As long as you can force the Guardian to retreat half a step within three strikes, you can become an elite member of the City Lord's Mansion, and the benefits offered are quite generous."

"It's a shame our cultivation is low; going there would just be inviting humiliation."

Hearing this, Shen Lian immediately walked to the table where they were speaking: "What were you just saying? The City Lord's Mansion recruiting Family Retainers? Where is this place?"

Everyone looked up simultaneously at Shen Lian's cold and arrogant Face. After glancing at each other, one of them said, "The City Lord's Mansion recruiting elite Disciples hasn't been a secret for a while now. Haven't you heard?"

"Yes, it's at the Xie Family's old residence on Guyue Peak. If you can force the Xie Family's House Guardian to retreat half a step within three strikes,

you can be directly promoted to the Mansion Lord's Personal Guard. You get three hundred Spirit Stones per month, plus countless resources for cultivation."

Shen Lian folded his Folding Fan: "Where is Guyue Peak?"

"Fellow Daoist, are you planning to challenge them? I advise you to calm down. The salary from the City Lord's Mansion isn't as easy to earn as you think."

"That's right. Although the House Guardian only defends and doesn't strike back, the rebound from his Protective Qi Energy is enough to seriously injure you.

Few people have managed to pass the three-strike test so far. Many have suffered severe internal injuries and become cripples because of it."

Hearing this, Shen Lian sneered, "In that case, that's truly excellent. I'd like to see for myself

where the City Lord's Mansion gets the nerve to set such a rule. Tell me the location of Guyue Peak."

Seeing that Shen Lian was determined to go invite humiliation, the few people stopped trying to dissuade him: "Guyue Peak is thirty miles north of the city. You'll see it when you get there."

Shen Lian said nothing more, immediately stepped out of the inn, and headed toward Guyue Peak... On Guyue Peak, a Cultivator stood in front of the Xie Family's old residence, confronting Xie Chen.

Cultivators who had come for the test surrounded the area.

Being able to enter the City Lord's Mansion and become an elite member was a huge incentive for their lives.

After a cold wind blew past, the Cultivator cupped his hands and said, "I didn't expect to meet the Young City Lord guarding this place today.

I heard that the Young City Lord's wedding day is in two days. I offer my congratulations in advance."

Xie Chen returned the salute: "Fellow Daoist, please don't be so polite. I appreciate your gratitude. Time is short, please make your move."

"Then I ask the Young City Lord to be merciful. I am Tang Wen. Please forgive my offense."

As soon as Tang Wen finished speaking, he quickly gathered a vast amount of Spiritual Power in his palm and slammed a strike toward Xie Chen.

"Tiger Yang Pill Energy!"

Instantly, the palm energy transformed into the phantom image of a fierce tiger, roaring as it rushed toward Xie Chen.

Xie Chen, however, didn't even lift his hand and simply turned his back.

Boom—

The fierce tiger exploded behind Xie Chen. The Spiritual Qi instantly dissipated, fluctuating in the air for a moment before immediately turning into nothingness.

"Pfft—"

After that one strike, Tang Wen violently spat out a mouthful of blood, clutched his chest, and stumbled back several steps, looking at Xie Chen with a Face full of shock.

Xie Chen's demeanor remained unchanged. A faint smile lingered on his Face, and he showed no sign of injury whatsoever.

Tang Wen knew he couldn't shake Xie Chen in the slightest, so he forced himself to ignore his physical discomfort and voluntarily conceded: "Young City Lord's cultivation is profound and his Foundation is solid. I admit my inferiority."

"Fellow Daoist Tang is too modest. With Fellow Daoist Tang's capability, you will certainly surpass me given enough time."

Yet, he thought to himself, "A mere seventh level of Qi Gathering dares to come and challenge? It's a miracle you weren't killed by the rebound of the Guyue Array's Spiritual Qi."

Tang Wen turned his Face away, cupped his hands toward Xie Chen, and then turned to leave.

Xie Chen continued to look at the others: "Fellow Daoists, who else is willing to step forward and try?"

Everyone exchanged glances. After witnessing the result of the previous test, the few people who were initially full of confidence instantly lost their fighting spirit.

Xie Chen didn't even raise a hand to defend himself, yet he easily withstood his opponent's strongest move. Wouldn't they Face the same outcome if they went up?

The gap was simply too large, so large that they didn't dare to even entertain the thought of challenging him.

The crowd scattered sparsely, and in the blink of an eye, Guyue Peak returned to tranquility.

Seeing that no one would be coming to challenge him anytime soon, Xie Chen simply turned and entered the house, picked up an ancient book, and began reading it while sitting on the couch.

Time passed minute by minute, and in the blink of an eye, it was midnight.

"It seems no one is coming back."

Standing at the highest point of the Guyue Peak Hall, witnessing the magnificent night view of Yuntian City, Xie Chen couldn't help but shake his head.

"I should return to the City Lord's Mansion to prepare the wedding venue. The wedding is tomorrow."

Just as Xie Chen was preparing to return to the City Lord's Mansion, he suddenly sensed a fluctuation in the Guyue Spiritual Array.

"At this hour, someone is still coming to challenge? It seems the conditions offered by my Xie Family are truly too generous. I should go and see who it is."

At this moment, in front of the Xie Family's old residence on Guyue Peak, Shen Lian activated the Great Dao Heavenly Eye to observe, and a look of joy appeared on his Face.

"So the location of the Chaos Rift is right here at the Xie Family's old residence on Guyue Peak! That is truly wonderful!"

As soon as Shen Lian finished speaking, a flash of spiritual light appeared, and Xie Chen materialized ten zhang away from him.

"Fellow Daoist, do you wish to accept the challenge?"