CSMCDB - Chapter 141
Chapter 141
After that communication, Wen Yuncheng visited two more small sects before hearing the news about Lin Jinyu challenging the Blood Fiend Sect... and that she had really given the sect's Young Master a beating.
This incident completely stole Wen Yuncheng's limelight. The reason, of course... was the sword intent Lin Jinyu had unleashed. The Young Master of the Blood Fiend Sect had faced her sword intent directly. His star rank was already lower than hers, and on top of that, her sword intent suppressed his strength, allowing him to use only eighty percent of his power. As if that weren't enough, he had wielded a Profound-rank long halberd, only for Lin Jinyu to shatter it with a single sword technique?!
What was important was that Lin Jinyu didn't have any "Star Power Mutation." For a while, many sects grew envious of Sect Master Lin. He had acquired two elites of the younger generation!
Wen Yuncheng found the recent news rather amusing. The whole affair from the Xuanhuang Tomb... thinking back on it now, the Young Master hadn't really offended her that much. At the time, she had only wanted to divert the Little Ice Mountain's attention. After all, Wen Yuncheng didn't know much about the major sects, and the Blood Fiend Sect was the only one that had left a deep impression. Who would have thought the Little Ice Mountain would actually go and challenge them, even shattering the man's Profound-rank Spirit Treasure—she wondered if it could even be repaired.
She hadn't expected it, but...
Who cared! That guy from the Blood Fiend Sect had offended her first! This was probably a case of what goes around, comes around.
Wen Yuncheng felt no guilt whatsoever. She took out her list, flipped through it, and decided on her next destination.
Then, she discovered that the martial arts hall had actually changed its name. No matter, a name change wouldn't spare them...
She had only struck the challenge drum twice when the hall's main gate opened.
"Miss Wen, we've already deregistered our sect with the Empire. We're just an ordinary local martial arts hall now." The hall's master pointed to a new sign they had hastily made overnight.
"...?!" Wen Yuncheng was dumbfounded. She had never expected such a maneuver.
Wait, no, I just wanted a friendly spar! Why did you go and deregister your sect?! This was just not right. Wen Yuncheng stared at the hall's master for a long moment before turning away in regret.
Fortunately, though she had wasted two days, none of the subsequent small sects she chose resorted to such tactics. After all, registering with the Empire offered many benefits and lent them legitimacy. Unregistered sects had to pay higher annual taxes. She was only challenging them once; she had no idea what had possessed the hall's master... Perhaps he was a rich heir who didn't care about Star Stones? Or maybe it was a case of... a gentleman prefers death to dishonor?
Wen Yuncheng couldn't make heads or tails of it. Luckily, there were plenty of sects registered with the Empire, so she wasn't lacking for targets. The main issue was that a pitifully small martial arts hall that wasn't even registered with the Empire wouldn't count as a "faction" for 1947's mission. Even if she forced a challenge, she wouldn't gain any experience.
A month and a half later.
Wen Yuncheng had challenged a total of twelve small sects, making her way through every non-deregistered sect on the third-tier list. In the process, she advanced to the third layer of the Star Spirit realm.
Host: Wen Yuncheng
Race: Human
Age: 21
Class: Mechanical Overlord
Level: 57
Experience: 15435/65000
Points: 16588
Such a rapid rate of advancement made jaws drop across the Empire. Was the path of invincibility really that powerful? Did all those challenges and spars that the prodigies of old engaged in truly help? But hadn't that path gradually fallen into decline, with no one walking it anymore?
The path of invincibility, which had long been in decline and all but forgotten, was now showing signs of a revival thanks to Wen Yuncheng's flashy series of challenges.
The elites trained by the various sects, the children of the Protectors... every notable figure of the younger generation now wanted to try the path of invincibility. And because some who attempted challenges on their own gained no enlightenment, they began to copy Wen Yuncheng's route exactly, starting with the Zhongyi Martial Tower and following her footsteps precisely.
In a way, Wen Yuncheng had once again set the trend for the younger generation.
Of course, Lin Jinyu didn't join this trend. After her one challenge at the Blood Fiend Sect, she returned to the Flowing Cloud Sect to focus on her cultivation. Though Wen Yuncheng hadn't said it outright, she had hinted that the enlightenment she gained from this path was unique to her. Lin Jinyu knew Wen Yuncheng kept many secrets. A Star Power Mutation? But Wen Yuncheng's own meridians were shattered, and she possessed no Star Power; the source of her abilities was a mystery... Since Wen Yuncheng said she couldn't speak of it, Lin Jinyu didn't ask.
Since Wen Yuncheng had told her she wouldn't gain anything extra by walking the path of invincibility, Lin Jinyu naturally wouldn't waste her time. Coincidentally, the allied sects were about to open a secret realm, so Lin Jinyu informed Wen Yuncheng and went inside to cultivate.
At a certain stronghold.
"Wen Yuncheng... is at the third layer of the Star Spirit realm? The path of invincibility..." a certain Star Venerate mused. His intuition told him this person was a likely candidate for the next Protector. Most importantly, she was only twenty-one years old, her future limitless...
"Wen Yuncheng, Lin Jinyu..." Both were elites of the Empire's current generation. Lin Jinyu belonged to the Flowing Cloud Sect, which maintained a cooperative relationship with the Empire. That was manageable; once their lord made contact with the people from the other continent and the situation shifted, it might be possible to win over such sects. But Wen Yuncheng...
She was close to the First Princess and was under the protection of the Star Auction House. If she were merely on good terms with the auction house, it would be one thing, but she was clearly part of the First Princess's faction and affiliated with the imperial family. Furthermore, she had been on their wanted list, had later helped annihilate one of Fu's vassal families, and then destroyed one of our strongholds, leading to the capture of two Star Venerates by the Empire. During that incident, Chu Han had even been secretly protecting her.
This person is tied closely to the Empire and has a mortal feud with "Fu" that can never be resolved. Now, this junior has actually reached the third layer of the Star Spirit realm... a twenty-one-year-old Star Spirit! The rumors used to say her Star Power Mutation was a temporary surge and that she would inevitably stall at the Star Master, Star Lord, or Star Spirit level. And the result? How long did it take her to go from the second to the third layer of Star Spirit? Even if her foundation is unstable, she still successfully advanced. An enemy like this cannot be allowed to live.
"If you must blame someone, blame yourself for being too conspicuous..." The Star Venerate picked up a communication stone, preparing to request instructions from his superiors. Lin Jinyu shattering a Profound-rank Spirit Treasure had initially drawn their lords' attention, but now... Wen Yuncheng was simply too dazzling. If they let her be, she would be even more difficult to kill once she reached the Star King realm.
Challenging sects? It was true that tracking her was difficult, but so what.
Sacrificing a few of their hidden agents... might just be worth it.
The communication connected quickly. The Star Venerate respectfully reported Wen Yuncheng's recent movements and briefly explained his concerns. The lord on the other end pondered for a moment before speaking. "When you make your move this time, you must ensure it is foolproof."
Six days later.
Wen Yuncheng emerged from the sect, feeling quite pleased with herself. This was the third second-tier sect she had challenged. As usual, no one from the younger generation was her match. There was nothing a single magnetic pulse couldn't solve. If there was, she'd just add a stun grenade.
Cradling Xiao Shi'er, Wen Yuncheng headed straight for the flight station. Who would be the next lucky sect, she wondered.
Once aboard the Gugu Bird, Xiao Shi'er stirred restlessly in her arms, its fur bristling slightly. Wen Yuncheng smoothed it down. "What's wrong? Hungry again?" This little one had eaten plenty of salt-baked chicken lately! All the points she had scraped together from the Heart of a Victor had ended up in Xiao Shi'er's stomach.
Because she was constantly on the move, the assembly of the Air Wing and the Star Cannon had been put on hold. Only at night, while Wen Yuncheng slept, would Number One, Number Two, and Number Three sit by her side, painstakingly putting them together. Though progress was slow, Wen Yuncheng hadn't slacked off on acquiring the necessary parts from the templates. As a result, her storage ring now held a considerable number of components for both the Air Wing and the Star Cannon.
"I sense... danger. Something is very wrong." Demonic beasts like the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox possessed extremely strong intuition. Even though Xiao Shi'er only had three tails, her bloodline was undeniable. If she said something felt wrong and dangerous, then it was likely true.
Wen Yuncheng's expression tightened. She was flying on a Gugu Bird; could someone be following her? If so... they had to be at least at the Star King level. "1947?"
[...If someone is following you, their power must be immense.] 1947 strained its senses but came up with nothing.
Wen Yuncheng's heart sank. Was it Fu? It made sense. She had been getting carried away lately; it was unlikely Fu would remain idle. Wen Yuncheng showed no outward change. She carefully retrieved the bead Chu Han had given her from her storage ring, clutching it in her palm. She tucked her hand into her sleeve, resting it in front of Xiao Shi'er. Pretending she hadn't noticed anything, she continued to stroke the little fox's fur while her mind raced, planning an escape route.
...If it was Fu, they would surely wait until she was far from any major city to strike. If they were impatient, they would act the moment she left the city limits. Star King or above... The lord of this city was only a first-layer Star King, and the city's expert defenders were only at the Star Spirit level. With that kind of power, they would be of little help even if they sensed trouble. Should she have the Gugu Bird turn back? But even then, her pursuers might just decide to act ruthlessly and attack her within the city...
Wen Yuncheng began to regret bringing Xiao Shi'er with her. She had all sorts of life-saving items and disguise skills, but what did this little fox have? She rubbed Xiao Shi'er's head. "The second something happens, you run. Don't worry about me; I have my own ways of getting away."
Xiao Shi'er lowered her head and licked Wen Yuncheng's finger, saying nothing.
Not long after they left the city, a tyrannical wave of Star Power swept toward them. Wen Yuncheng looked up to see a colossal hand descending from the sky to crush her. She instantly crushed the bead from Chu Han and threw it out. A phantom condensed into Chu Han's form, who raised a palm to meet the giant hand—and in the next instant, the clone shattered!
A Star Emperor?! Damn it, Fu was playing for keeps this time. They actually sent a Star Emperor?!
Wen Yuncheng tossed Xiao Shi'er away. No words were needed; Xiao Shi'er immediately reverted to her true form and fled with all her might. A Star Venerate appeared at her side, raising a palm to strike her down. Star Power erupted, tearing her flesh open. A phantom image of a nine-tailed fox appeared on Xiao Shi'er's forehead, and in the next instant, a clone of the Celestial Fox King materialized. The enormous Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox pounced on the Star Venerate. Ignoring her injuries, Xiao Shi'er fled for her life.
The Star Venerate cursed his rotten luck. He hadn't expected the Celestial Fox King to have placed a protective ward on the child he had sent out into the world. He had no choice but to retreat for the moment, letting Xiao Shi'er escape.
Xiao Shi'er had escaped, but Wen Yuncheng wouldn't have it so easy. This was her first time directly facing a Star Emperor. Her headband continuously emitted a warmth that tried to dispel the immense pressure, but its effect was minimal. The Star Emperor sneered, and seeing that the Star Venerate had let Xiao Shi'er get away, he cursed, "Useless trash."
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