"Instructor Chen has quite the demeanor. Such a person, confined to being an instructor at the Lingyin Sect, is truly a pity. Not long ago, I heard someone caused trouble for Junior Martial Uncle Miaofang. That person must be you, right? Remarkable, truly remarkable. There’s no one in the world who could make Junior Martial Uncle Miaofang suffer a setback with the Kitchen Daoist. These days, the Junior Martial Uncle has been tirelessly researching spiritual cuisine."
Chen Ye’s mouth twitched slightly.
What does this guy mean?
Qing Jun was very displeased as he looked up, glaring at Hua Wuyin: "Are you trying to steal Qing Jun’s credit? It was clearly Qing Jun who made that fat chef stumble!"
The little girl was filled with anticipation.
Listening to this person, neither male nor female, saying that fat Daoist is studying spiritual cuisine?
It seems my disdain that day spurred him on, and he wants to convince me wholeheartedly!
But this is a good thing too, Qing Jun doesn’t need to do anything, and the fat chef will come to feed me of his own accord!
Hua Wuyin was taken aback, with a hint of anger on his face, but upon catching sight of Qing Jun’s adorable little face, his fury dissipated and turned into a smile: "Alright, alright, it’s all your credit."
He has always hated ugly and filthy things, which explains his cleanliness obsession.
But he always had a high tolerance for good-looking people.
He thought to himself, "He Qinyuan asked me to test these people... but these people are much better looking than He Qinyuan. If they were to die or get injured, wouldn’t that be too wasteful?"
Thinking of this, the poisonous technique Hua Wuyin had prepared in his hand unconsciously softened, turning into a gentler method.
"Meeting by chance is a form of destiny."
Hua Wuyin picked up the wine pot on the table, poured himself a glass, and looked at Chen Ye with a smile on his lips,
"Since Junior Martial Uncle Miaofang values you and you have such good looks, I’m sure Instructor Chen has more than just a handsome face, but also outstanding abilities under your command."
"I raise this glass to Instructor Chen."
The dagger revealed at last!
Hua Wuyin’s hand holding the glass seemed steady, yet the liquid inside the glass started to swirl mysteriously, forming a tiny vortex, releasing an intoxicatingly exotic fragrance.
The aroma was all-pervasive, gentle yet heavy, and if it touched you, not only would your spiritual power be slowed, but even your divine soul would experience a brief confusion!
This was Hua Wuyin’s famous technique—Drunken Flower Shade.
Seemingly elegant, yet filled with danger every step of the way.
This was a test.
If Chen Ye couldn’t even handle this move, then in Hua Wuyin’s eyes, he was just an empty shell only fit to be refined into a Tripod Furnace!
But then,
Hua Wuyin’s gaze condensed.
Only to see the man before him lift his eyes and cast a cold glance at him, then leisurely pick up the teacup before him, gently skimming the foam with the tea lid, moving with a calm and unhurried grace.
Clink—
The tea lid fell gently onto the edge of the cup, making a crisp sound.
This sound, extremely light.
Yet in Hua Wuyin’s ears, it was like thunder on a clear day!
Buzz!
The surrounding space twisted slightly, a vast divine sense surged forth!
His proud Drunken Flower Shade crumbled instantly under this terrifying divine sense!
More than that.
Instead, it was drawn by his divine sense, crashing directly towards the wine glass in Hua Wuyin’s hand!
"Hmm?"
Hua Wuyin’s face changed slightly.
He felt his wrist suddenly heavy, as if holding a mountain!
Crack—
The jade porcelain wine glass couldn’t withstand the pressure, cracks spread, the wine splashed, yet was bound by an invisible force mid-air, not spilling.
"What... a skill!"
Hua Wuyin’s pupils shrank sharply, the playful look in his eyes faded, replaced by deep fear.
This divine sense is too terrifying!
He had only ever sensed this from True Man Dongshan!
Hua Wuyin abruptly closed his folding fan, the spiritual power of his sixth-layer Foundation Establishment burst out, only then barely offsetting the oppressive pressure of that divine sense,.
Otherwise, he would have been utterly disgraced on the spot!
But the cold sweat on his back had already come down.
"Friend Hua, the wine has spilled."
Chen Ye spoke indifferently, waving his hand casually.
The wine suspended mid-air fell back into the glass, not a drop spilled.
"..."
Hua Wuyin stared at the cracked wine glass in his hand, silent for a moment, then said solemnly,
"Taoist Friend Chen, you are deeply hidden, it’s my oversight."
He drained the cup of wine to cover the astonishment in his eyes,
"This Hunyuan City indeed hides dragons and tigers."
"Sorry for the disturbance today, this meal’s on me."
Although his steps remained casual, a closer look would reveal they were much faster than before, slightly hurried.
It wasn’t until he walked out of the elegant room and closed the door.
that the smile on Hua Wuyin’s face completely faded, turning somber and grave.
Returning to the City Lord’s Mansion.
"Wuyin, how was it?"
He Qinyuan asked coldly,
"Miaofang is odd and has a unique identity, anyone who catches his attention likely has secrets."
Hua Wuyin exhaled deeply, extremely solemn:
"Very strong. Especially the Divine Sense, unfathomable. My ’Drunken Flower Shade’ was simply dispelled by him."
"Oh? Sixth-Layer of Foundation Establishment, with such formidable Divine Sense?"
He Qinyuan looked hesitant.
The path of Divine Sense has always been unfathomable.
In this remote place of Yan Kingdom, where would there be any legacy of Divine Sense?
"Could it be the Songyang Sect’s heritage of Divine Sense? Or perhaps... the Heart Slaughter Sword Master’s legacy?" She mused to herself.
"Heart Slaughter Sword Master?" Hua Wuyin was puzzled.
"Hmm, you may not have heard of him. The Heart Slaughter Sword Master was a figure from a thousand years ago, best known for his prowess in Divine Sense and the Flying Sword path, unfortunately, he was killed by the Songyang Demon Path, perishing in Yan Kingdom, perhaps his legacy fell here."
He Qinyuan, knowledgeable about countless strange and exceptional people, immediately responded.
"I see..." Hua Wuyin understood, coldly chuckling, "This person claims to be an instructor of the Lingyin Sect, but is merely Sixth-Layer Foundation Establishment; he likely also aims for the Luoxiao Grotto Heaven."
"I believe this person is our greatest rival on this Luoxiao Grotto Heaven journey!"
No matter how much Hua Wuyin thought,
he never imagined, his true opponent wasn’t Chen Ye, but the young girl by Chen Ye’s side...
...
Inside the elegant room.
Chen Ye let out a relieved sigh, discreetly wiping the sweat from his palms.
That was close.
To put on a show in front of the disciple and to intimidate these people, he had fully exerted his Divine Sense just now.
His Divine Sense was indeed powerful, yet still within the realm of Foundation Establishment.
Relying on Divine Sense alone to suppress Hua Wuyin was nearly impossible.
Of course, if it came down to it and he used the Heart Slaughter Sword, Hua Wuyin could be dealt with in one strike.
"Master, did that weirdo really pay?"
Qing Jun finished off the last piece of bone with relish,
"Should’ve ordered a few more plates of that eight-treasured duck, since it was on someone else’s tab."
"Be content with what you’ve got."
Chen Ye laughed, tapping her on the head,
"Let’s go, now that we’re full, it’s time to get back to business."
The said business naturally was—lie low, don’t be reckless, cultivate!
In the following days, on the surface, Hunyuan City was calm, but undercurrents were surging.
Especially the four heroes from Huayue, who often engaged in duels under the guise of practice with elites from various sects... Unfortunately, not a single elite was their match!
This was akin to slapping the face of Yan Kingdom’s cultivation realm, leaving Hunyuan City’s cultivators intensely humiliated.
Huayue Mansion had only sent over these so-called four heroes; even the latent dragons hadn’t taken action, yet not one of Yan Kingdom’s elites could stand against them?
Perhaps intimidated by Chen Ye’s display of Divine Sense, the four heroes of Huayue didn’t challenge the Lingyin team’s skills.
Zhiwei once commented: "Master, these four came prepared, despite Yan Kingdom’s weakened state, it shouldn’t be this bad. Surely, each of Yan Kingdom’s sects has elites who can surpass them, but they’re either already in the late Foundation Establishment stage or simply didn’t come to Hunyuan City—like cultivators from the Refining God Sect. Heh...this is probably Huayue Mansion purposefully trying to create momentum."
Chen Ye wasn’t concerned.
He enjoyed the peace, using these few days to nurse his meridians damaged by a failed breakthrough, while frantically improving his cultivation technique proficiency.
[Life and Death Profound Light Limit Break: 650/800]
"Life and Death Profound Light is nearing mastery, yet transitioning from mastery to grandmaster involves no qualitative change; merely reaching mastery might not be enough to push me to late Foundation Establishment... Oh well, don’t bite off more than you can chew."
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, the day of the opening of Luoxiao Grotto Heaven arrived.
"Dong—! Dong—! Dong—!"
Three resounding and far-reaching bell chimes rang from Hunyuan City’s Heaven-Suspended Tower, scattering the clouds in all directions, leaving a clear blue sky as far as the eye could see.
Luoxiao Grotto Heaven, about to open!