"Rumors about the Fourth Prince, Ying Wuqing, being fond of women seem to be true. Seeing him just now, I fear he won’t let this matter rest easily," Xiao Muyu said, having walked over. She had a general understanding of the temperaments of the Wind Country’s various princes and princesses.
"If he’s a clever man, he’ll stop here. Otherwise, his chances of ascending the throne in the future will be quite slim," Ling Chen added indifferently.
He himself had no significant background. However, Xiao Muyu was the Xiao Family’s cherished daughter, and Xu Ruoyan was the pearl in the palm of Sky Void Palace. The Fourth Prince could not afford to offend either of them. If the Fourth Prince was a wise man, he should be thanking him for his timely intervention.
"Ling Chen, who allowed you to act on your own and be so rude to me?" Xu Ruoyan was still upset that Ling Chen had put the necklace on her. That guy, how dare he do something so outrageous without my permission!
"I was just helping you get rid of a fly. If I were you, I’d at least say ’thank you’ by now," Ling Chen retorted. He knew this young lady’s prickly nature. Indeed, it would have been strange if she hadn’t come to settle scores with him.
"Who wanted your gift? Take it back." Xu Ruoyan was about to remove the necklace and return it to Ling Chen.
"I don’t take back things I’ve given away. If you don’t want it, just throw it away." Ling Chen did not accept the necklace. Instead, he continued to walk straight ahead.
"Junior Sister Xu, this is Ling Chen’s token of affection. You should cherish it," Xiao Muyu said with a slight smile, before following him.
I’ll just consider this his compensation for the offense. Xu Ruoyan had initially thought of discarding it. But on second thought, throwing it away would undoubtedly mean a complete fallout with Ling Chen. For now, it was better to keep wearing it. Besides, while Ling Chen was at fault, the necklace itself was innocent; it would be a pity to discard such a beautiful piece.
After strolling around the Black Market in Wucheng, the three of them left the city, planning to return to the Divine Intent Sect before nightfall.
After agreeing with Xiao Muyu to depart together in three days, Ling Chen returned to Wuchen Courtyard.
His greatest gain from the Black Market visit was the Zhu Fruit. He had also replenished some Elixirs for his Cultivation. Moreover, Ling Chen had purchased a map of the Royal Hunting Grounds to familiarize himself with its terrain before the autumn hunt.
The Royal Hunting Ground was vast, encompassing hundreds of miles of mountains and forests. It neighbored the Demon Forest, the largest forest in the Five Kingdoms, teeming with a myriad of strange Exotic Beasts—some of which could even contend with powerful Martial Artists.
Before that, I should first advance my Cultivation to the Nine Heavy Realm.
Ling Chen took out the Zhu Fruit he had bought from the Black Market. The surface of the Zhu Fruit reflected a bright, incredibly tantalizing light.
Ling Chen licked his lips, opened his mouth wide, and directly stuffed the Zhu Fruit into his mouth.
The moment the Zhu Fruit entered his mouth, it instantly dissolved, releasing a rich, sweet flavor. Subsequently, a warm, mellow, and pure medicinal power, like flowing water, poured into Ling Chen’s body.
The medicinal power was so potent it made Ling Chen’s body tremble slightly, his lips pressed firmly together.
No wonder it’s a Zhu Fruit, truly one of the rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.
Without hesitation, Ling Chen brought his fingers together, his hands forming a series of dazzling seals. As his hand seals changed, dense, pale golden True Qi began to gather in his palms.
True Qi enveloped Ling Chen’s entire body. The sheer volume of this True Qi was far beyond what Ling Chen could normally achieve.
As the medicinal power spread, a vortex-like mass of Qi suddenly appeared in Ling Chen’s Dantian, completely absorbing the dispersed medicinal power from the Zhu Fruit.
At this moment, his mind was completely focused; he dared not be the slightest bit careless. Usually, when he refined True Qi, he would only circulate True Qi he could control. Even if he failed then, it wouldn’t cause much harm. But now it was different. The True Qi from the Zhu Fruit had caused the True Qi within him to reach an incredibly vigorous state. If failure led to a True Qi backlash, it would cause Ling Chen considerable trouble.
Under Ling Chen’s full concentration, the vortex condensed with increasing speed. Faintly, a vortex the size of a fist could be seen successfully forming.
This was a True Qi imprint, condensed using the cultivation method of the Ling Tian Sword Scripture, capable of accelerating Energy absorption.
"All of you, in!" A low command erupted in Ling Chen’s mind. He fully mobilized the True Qi in his body, channeling all of it into the vortex. The medicinal power that had spread throughout his limbs and meridians was entirely drawn into his Dantian. However, once this medicinal power entered his Dantian, he felt the previously calm True Qi begin to stir restlessly. A peculiar ripple spread through Ling Chen’s awareness.
Feeling this ripple, Ling Chen was first stunned, then his heart filled with uncontrollable joy.
This is... a sign that my True Qi is about to break through!
The True Qi in his Dantian rapidly converged, and a sound like joyous chiming echoed within it. Amidst this joyous sound, Ling Chen could clearly feel the True Qi in his body rapidly growing stronger!
This growth continued for a good while before gradually slowing. The ninth True Qi ring in Ling Chen’s Dantian, resembling a ring of starlight, finally condensed successfully.
In the room, Ling Chen opened his eyes, his lean, handsome face beaming with joy. He extended his hands, and strands of True Qi surged forth, more than twice as pure and strong as before.
Ling Chen grinned and slowly clenched his fists. I’ve restored my Cultivation to its Peak Period in less than four months. If word of this got out, it would surely cause quite a stir!
My lost Cultivation... it’s finally been fully restored...
Ling Chen lay on the wooden bed, feeling the power surging within his body. Honestly, the feeling of losing all my strength at the bottom of Soul-Burying Cliff was one of utter despair. It was like plummeting from a mountain peak in an instant. Anyone else would have likely lost their will long ago. But fortunately, I’ve cultivated it all back now. No matter the means, I’ve finally returned to where I once stood.
If Father were still alive, he would surely be very gratified, wouldn’t he?
With these thoughts, Ling Chen pushed open the window and gazed up at the starry sky. Almost four months have passed since the upheaval at the Divine Intent Sect, yet I still haven’t made any substantial progress. If Father were still alive, he should have appeared by now. Knowing his temperament, he wouldn’t just stand by and watch the Divine Intent Sect remain in its current state.
And Mother, Liu Xiling, the Saintess of the Demon Sect Saint Witch Religion, a titan of the Demon Way. She is reviled by the Righteous Martial World, yet she hasn’t shown her face even once, from beginning to end. Is she still that kind mother I knew? Or is this current image her true nature? There are still so many unknowns I need to investigate. As I see it, there’s no one in this world I can rely on anymore. I must improve my own strength to uncover all this, to change all this.