Chapte 91 The Palace

Night had just fallen. Xiao Chen sat cross-legged on his bed, mobilizing the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method around his body over and over again. He did this to stabilize his Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm. He was thinking: had I simply left in the day, and Senior Sister Luo not pulled me back, maybe, just maybe, two of us might not meet again...

Sudden footsteps resounded from the outside. Xiao Chen knew who it was even without using his Divine Sense. He left his bed lightly, pushed open the door and went out. He cupped his fists. "I wonder why Master has visited me so late in the night?"

Liu Yunzheng smiled lightly and entered the house with him. After some time, he pressed down on the back of his hand and said, "Han Chen, you have been with the Teal Jade Sect for almost a month. Tell me, how have your Senior Sister Liu and Senior Brother Gu treated you these days?"

Xiao Chen wondered if it was that daytime matter. Did he see something wrong in his and Senior Sister Luo's eyes? He gave a slight smile. "All my senior brothers and sisters have treated me well."

No one needed to mention how Liu Fenghuang treated him. Gu Hanxuan also visited him before and taught him some sect skills attentively. He did not treat him like an outsider, nor was he haughty. Even Shen Qian had changed her attitude toward him somewhat. And Mo Yaozhui had never treated him like an outsider either.

Liu Yunzheng nodded and smiled. After some time, he asked again, "Actually, there are times when even I cannot make the decisions. As for you, your prospects are limitless... isn't that so?"

Xiao Chen understood what he meant. He just needed to add that a true man would need a wife. He nodded and smiled as well, without saying a word. Liu Yunzheng took out something from his bosom. It was that dragon pill. He said, "You have been here for a month. I have nothing to give you as your teacher. This dragon pill can help improve your cultivation greatly."

"But..." When he thought about how Liu Fenghuang and the rest almost lost their lives earning this dragon pill, Xiao Chen got up in a hurry. "It's too precious. Your disciple dare not accept it."

Liu Yunzheng gave a gentle smile and placed the dragon pill in his hand. He continued smiling. "Your Senior Brothers Gu and Duan... " When he mentioned "Senior Brother Duan", a look of grief flashed across his face. He continued, "And your Senior Sisters Chu and Shen, Senior Brother Mo... I have given all of them gifts a month after their acceptance into the Sect. How can you be any different?"

"Errr... thank you, Master!" Xiao Chen could no longer reject.

Liu Yunzheng nodded and smiled. He got up. "I shall not interrupt your training. I take my leave." Xiao Chen answered, "I will see you out, sir."

Liu Yunzheng shook his head and smiled. When he reached the door, he turned back again. "By the way, we need to visit the palace in three days' time. I will arrange two disciples to be with you these few days. You can either ask them to do something, or make them leave." After he said this, he left the courtyard.

Watching his retreating figure, Xiao Chen did not know what to think. Was it he himself who was at fault these days? It seemed that Liu Yunzheng was not at all on his guard against him. It was he himself who had been over-vigilant. Now that so many heroes were on the rise, Liu Yunzheng had to prop the sect up entirely on his own. It was not easy. Besides, there was that Third Prince, who obviously thought poorly of him.

He shook his head forcefully and told himself again and again, "Your mission here is the zither strings. You cannot harbor any feelings for a flower or a tree here!"

At this time, in the Zhou imperial palace.

Yu Wenmu told everything he saw at the Teal Jade Sect to his father Yu Wenji, the Emperor. Yu Wenji did not look too pleased. The latter flicked his sleeve and said, "If he were such a rare talent, why did you not treat him well? Why treat him so coldly?"

Yu Wenmu said indifferently, "No, it's just that I don't like the way he looked at Shangyan. After all, he's just a divine zither player. Once he loses the divine zither, how different is he from a commoner?"

"You!" Yu Wenji shook his head and sighed. "Mu'er, there are times when you are really not sensible. The Qing State is getting more and more powerful, and our surrounding countries are all glaring at us covetously. Once our country loses the Spiritual Meridian, we will find it hard to regain it. We must try to pacify and recruit all kinds of talents now... "

"Very well, Father. I'm here for the Immortals League Competition. If you are not happy with me, I shall return to the Nanzhan Subcontinent tomorrow."

"You!" Yu Wenji could not help shaking his head and sighing. "Very well. Your Second Elder Sister will be back soon. Visit her if you can spare the time."

…

Three days passed very quickly. Teal Jade Sect was immensely busy today. All its disciples had rushed off to the mountain gate square. According to the past rules, every participating sect must prepare itself at the palace three days before the competition.

Xiao Chen was among the crowd. He heard the disciples disputing among themselves.

One said, "I heard that the Qing State has got the No. 7 on the Heaven List, None-flower Dust, to take part!"

Another was surprised. "You can't be serious! You mean that None-flower Dust whom they quipped "a blade of flower, a blade of dust, a nightfall of flowers without dust"? If he's here we don't have to fight. Our Zhou State is sure to lose!"

That earlier disciple said in a whisper, "But seriously, with all his abilities, that None-flower Dust can even beat our Master for fun... "

Although the two said in a whisper, Xiao Chen heard everything. He wondered if that None-flower Dust was really as powerful as they claimed. Liu Yunzheng was already in the middle stages of the Core Forming Realm. Could that man be at the Peak of the Core Forming Realm, or even in the Nascent Soul Realm? All the fighters in the Heaven List were young superiors. What kind of a monster was this man?

After nearly an hour, all the disciples gathered at the mountain gate square. Liu Yunzheng summoned the Flying-cloud Stone. More than twenty disciples mounted up the stone. Those below them cheered them on. "Senior Brother Gu! Senior Sister Chu! You must return in triumph!"

The three disciples representing Teal Jade Sect this time were Gu Hanxuan, Chu Lingjiao and Xiao Chen. Since Xiao Chen was a new disciple, very few sent him off with cheers. However, a few female disciples were screaming below. "Junior Brother Han! All the way! We're waiting for you here!" Their cheers were not less rousing than those male disciples cheering Chu Lingjiao on.

Liu Yunzheng gave a cough and said to the disciples below, "When I am not around these days, the elders shall take care of all sect business!" When he had finished, he moved his fingers to cast a spell. The Flying-cloud Stone immediately soared up to the horizon.

On this trip to the palace were not only Liu Yunzheng's Core Disciples, but also Luo Shangyan. Yet Xiao Chen could faintly discern that she was avoiding him, intentionally or unintentionally.

After about two hours, the Flying-cloud Stone landed on a busy metropolis. It was the capital of the Zhou State, White Cloud City. It was much bigger than even Cloud City in the Human World.

Two columns of Zhou State soldiers stood guard at the city gate, inspecting all who seeked to enter the city. Not only were all the participating sects from the surrounding countries gathering here for the Immortals League Competition, an idle assemblage was here as well. There would be a motley mix of every conceivable person in the city for the next few days.

Upon entering the city, one could see households everywhere hanging colored lanterns, setting off firecrackers and hitting gongs. Old people and children were scattering flowers along the streets, welcoming every sect participating in the competition. The Earth Spiritual Meridian held the fate of the country, hence all its participating sects enjoyed peerless privileged esteem.

With the army leading the way, the twenty-odd contingent from the Teal Jade Sect soon arrived at the city center, where the imperial palace was. Seen from a distance, its ornamented balustrades and jade terraces seemed endless. One have to admit that the palace of Violet Manor was much more imposing than the palace of the Human World.

Even more different was the fact that the top of every building was encircled with some Taoist secret sorcery. The Human World simply could not compare with it. It seemed that even in the palace, there were many cultivators. Xiao Chen began to experience a faint worry, wondering whether Chu Lingjiao's schemes could succeed.

Some moments later, an attendant brought them into a grand hall named the Xuanyuan Hall. Liu Yunzheng brought only Xiao Chen and the other Core Disciples in. The rest stood guard outside.

Leaders and disciples of the other sects were already in the hall waiting, When they saw Liu Yunzheng enter, they all greeted eagerly, "Oh, so Sect Leader Liu is here! Bring him in quickly!"

"Sect Leader He, Sect Leader Xu... how are you doing?" Liu Yunzheng smiled and greeted each in turn.

Seats were already prepared well in advance in the hall. Xiao Chen and the rest all left for the left hall with the Sect Leader to take their seats. A middle-aged man opposite smiled and said, "I have heard that Sect Leader Liu has gotten himself a disciple who can play the divine zither. It is truly a thing to be delighted over!"

Liu Yunzheng smiled lightly. "Don't laugh at me, Sect Leader He. I have heard that your top disciple has almost broken into the Core Forming Realm. That counts as something to be delighted indeed."

Sect Leader He guffawed and looked very glad. "My good friend, you are too modest." With that, a young man in white beside him rose and beamed a smile. "Chenyi pays his respect to Sect Leader Liu."

Xiao Chen glanced at him carefully. This man must be in the later stages of the Foundation Building Realm. His cultivation exceeded even Gu Hanxuan's, who was the highest from their side. Liu Fenghuang spoke into his ears in a low voice, "Junior Brother Han, you will surely be renowned throughout the Zhou State after the Immortals League Competition."

Xiao Chen gave a slight smile. Maybe, just maybe.

Suddenly, from outside the hall came a loud cry. "Perfected Immortal Zhang from the Penglai Island!" Every Sect Leader, regardless of which sect they were from, all rose to their feet. They all cupped their fists in the direction of the doorway. "Our greetings to Perfected Immortal Zhang!"

From the outside of the hall sauntered in a cyan-robed elder with the bony demeanor of an immortal. Three disciples followed behind him, two men and a woman. They were all strutting with uplifted bosoms and raised heads. An arrogant air could be sensed in their eyes. Four of them walked to the foremost seat in the right hall. Only then did the cyan-robed elder smile. "No need for such ceremony, Sect Leaders." As he said this, he gave his robe sleeve a downward wave and sat down.

"How is Perfected Immortal Zhang these days?"

"Perfected Immortal Zhang has just come out of his retreat. I'm sure your cultivation has reached a new realm!"

All at once, the Sect Leaders started congratulating him. Liu Fenghuang spoke close by Xiao Chen's ear, whispering. "Penglai Island is the biggest sect of the Zhou State. This Zhang Qinglian once tried to ally all the sects and factions to become their Alliance Leader... "

Liu Yunzheng's countenance darkened and he shouted out in a deep voice, "Fenghuang, shut up!" He thought that Zhang Qinglian had such an unfathomable cultivation; even if she spoke in a lower voice, he would have heard her. He immediately stood up and smiled obsequiously. "With Perfected Immortal Zhang helping us after his retreat, I'm sure the Zhou State will triumph again in the upcoming Immortals League Competition."

Thanks to the single-handed power of Penglai Island, they had managed to hold on to the Earth Spiritual Meridian after the last Immortals League Competition. So many were the talents of the Penglai Island, they referred to themselves as the foremost Immortals' sect in the country. Though the other sects were unhappy, they did not dare challenge them.

Zhang Qinglian gazed at him and his eyes narrowed. "Oh? I'm sorry for my ignorance, I wonder who this young friend is." When he proposed the alliance years ago, Liu Yunzheng had valiantly opposed it. How could he have not recognized him? He simply wanted to embarrass Liu Yunzheng.

Liu Yunzheng smiled awkwardly at the slight. "I'm sorry for my lack of talent. I am the Sect Leader of Teal Jade Sect..." Before he had finished, Zhang Qinglian nodded deliberately. "Oh, so it's Sect Leader Liu. I heard that there is another young talent emerging from your Sect again. I wonder if Sect Leader Liu brought along with you that divine Archean zither?"

During the last Immortals League Competition, Liu Fenghuang had tried to play the divine zither, but his inner strength was not up to the task. The upshot was for all to see. He made a fool of himself. Zhang Qinglian referred to this matter again so as to ridicule him, as everyone could see now for themselves.

All at once, the faces of Liu Fenghuang and her fellow disciples fell. Even the Teal Jade Sect disciples outside the hall felt so ashamed that they could not raise their heads. Liu Yunzheng looked even more embarrassed. An awkward silence reigned. Quite unexpectedly, Xiao Chen spoke up with a nonchalant smile. "Of course my Master brought the divine zither along. Perfected Immortal Zhang, you don't need to worry about that on our behalf."