Chapter 31

What a substantial fortune!

Chen Xi picked up the inconspicuous storage ring and, after a brief inspection, couldn't help but be amazed.

This storage ring had a space of only ten zhang in diameter, clearly not of high quality, but inside it were piled up three thousand spirit crystals rich in spiritual energy, which could be exchanged for three hundred thousand essence stones!

"This stupid ox actually stored so many spirit crystals, perhaps to prepare for a future breakthrough to the Purple Mansion Realm? Unfortunately, it's a windfall for me."

Chen Xi was very excited. For some large families and prestigious academies in Songyan City, perhaps three thousand spirit crystals were not much, but for Chen Xi, who had grown up in poverty, this amount of spirit crystals was absolutely astronomical. With these spirit crystals, he could buy numerous magical treasures, elixirs, martial techniques, and even cover all expenses without having to struggle for a living anymore.

However, Chen Xi still did not plan to quit his job as a spirit chef apprentice because he had already promised the owner of Qingxi Tavern, Du Qingxi, that within three years, as long as he did not leave Songyan City, he would never resign.

A man without integrity cannot stand. To ruin one's own promise for a small gain is no different from destroying one's own Dao heart.

Chen Xi still remembered when he was four years old, the Southern Border's Su family sent over a dozen experts of the Yellow Court Realm, standing in the sky, tearing up the marriage contract in front of all the people in Songyan City, breaking their promise, and then drifting away. He and his grandfather were subjected to endless ridicule and mockery. That deep-seated humiliation and pain inflicted a great wound on his young heart, a wound he would never forget.

Therefore, he valued and cared about promises more than others.

"Huh! What is this?"

Chen Xi's gaze inadvertently glanced at a corner of the storage ring and suddenly saw a palm-sized strange object. Upon closer inspection, he found a black jade pendant shaped like a key, inscribed with three ancient characters—Dongming Order.

After trying various methods, Chen Xi found no peculiarities in the Dongming Order and had to give up. He hid the storage ring in his bosom, looked up at the sky, and, without lingering, turned and left.

A quarter of an hour later.

Chen Xi finally walked out of the Southern Barbarian Forbidden Zone and returned to the dense forest.

"Quite a good harvest."

Ji Yu, lying in a rattan chair and dozing, slowly opened his eyes. His gaze swept over Chen Xi, as if he had already seen through all of Chen Xi's secrets, and he chuckled.

Chen Xi thought about all the encounters of the night and said, "Only through real life-and-death battles did I realize how many shortcomings I have. If it weren't for the luck of encountering a clumsy Purple Rhinoceros, I would have been in danger tonight."

Ji Yu smiled slightly, took two sips of strong liquor from a green-skinned gourd, and said, "That's the benefit of actual combat, it can make you clearly recognize your own shortcomings. Let's go, it's almost dawn, we need to return."

As he spoke, Ji Yu waved his hand, and the next moment, the two of them disappeared from the spot, leaving only a faint trace of alcohol in the air.

...

In the main hall of the Li family, many elders who had been in seclusion gathered today.

"Steward Wu, my Li family's thirty elite guards, each at the initial stage of the Innate Realm, died at the hands of a useless trash who only knows how to make talismans. It's absurd and laughable!"

The speaker was an old man with black beard. Though his face was aged, his skin was like jade, his eyes clear, and he exuded a cold and stern aura. He was the Li family's most powerful elder, Li Fengtu.

With a thud, Steward Wu knelt on the ground, his emaciated face drenched in sweat, repeatedly trembling and saying, "This old servant is incompetent, this old servant is incompetent..."

"A month ago, because of the involvement of Luo Chong from the General's Mansion and Meng Kong from the Songyan Academy, the Li Han brothers were brutally killed in the civilian district, and Chen Tianli's grandson, Chen Hao, fled Songyan City. I can forgive all of this."

"But I will not let this matter rest. To obtain the Ling from the Purple Rhinoceros, my Li family has already paid too much over the past ten years. This failure is something I cannot bear, and the entire Li family cannot bear it either!"

Elder Li Fengtu's voice was low and cold, filled with boundless anger, and the atmosphere in the hall became increasingly silent and oppressive, with no one daring to make a sound.

"It's all my fault, I've been neglecting the surveillance of Chen Xi..." Li Yizhen felt like sitting on pins and needles, his forehead drenched in sweat, his expression filled with guilt and unease, completely losing the dignity of the clan leader.

"Humph."

Elder Li Fengtu snorted coldly, but his expression softened somewhat, "The fault is not yours. The most important thing now is to seize the Dongming Order before the Southern Barbarian Nether Region trial in three months. Otherwise, if the Longyuan Su family finds out..."

Longyuan Su family!

Though only four characters, they struck Li Yizhen's heart like a heavy hammer, his face turning extremely ugly. He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "Elder, rest assured, I will use all the power at my disposal to seize the Dongming Order back!"

Creak!

At this moment, the tightly closed main hall door was opened. All the elders present were enraged. Who was so bold as to dare to barge into the main hall?

Thud!

A huge black shadow fell to the ground, revealing the corpse of the Purple Rhinoceros killed by Chen Xi.

"The Purple Rhinoceros has been killed, and the Dongming Order should have fallen into Chen Xi's hands."

Accompanied by a cold and indifferent voice, a tall figure slowly walked in. He had sword-like eyebrows, star-like eyes, and long hair flowing over his shoulders. As he walked, a terrifying aura spread out.

Young Master!

He... When did he come out of seclusion from the ancestral house?

Steward Wu, kneeling on the ground, felt a chill in his heart and dared not raise his head.

This person was none other than Li Huai, hailed as a rare genius in the Li family for a thousand years!

He started cultivating at the age of three, reached the Innate Realm at nine, and attained the peak of the Innate Realm at thirteen. After four years of seclusion in the ancestral house, he had now broken through and laid the foundation of the Dao, entering the Purple Mansion Realm!

Seeing that it was Li Huai, the anger of all present instantly disappeared, and the elders all smiled. In their hearts, Li Huai, like a son of heaven, had the qualifications to participate in the main hall deliberations.

"Father."

Li Huai nodded slightly to Li Yizhen and sat down, unmoving.

Li Yizhen felt a surge of comfort and pride. With a son like this, the Li family's future glory was just around the corner!

"The Purple Rhinoceros was also killed by that Chen family's trash? It seems this boy has grown up!" Li Fengtu glanced at the corpse on the ground, his voice tinged with surprise.

Steward Wu, kneeling on the ground, quickly said, "Elder, your insight is sharp. According to my observations, that boy has not only reached a very high level in cultivation but has also practiced a profound body-strengthening technique, reaching the Innate Realm. If we don't eliminate him soon, he will become a great threat."

Body-strengthening Innate?

Upon hearing this, everyone present showed a look of astonishment. Among peers, body-strengthening cultivators could crush all qi-cultivators, and although there were few body-strengthening cultivators who had reached the Innate Realm in Songyan City, no one dared to underestimate their power.

"I will go and kill him!"

Li Huai, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly spoke, his handsome brows filled with killing intent, seemingly extremely averse to Chen Xi's growth.

Li Huai's reaction seemed to be within everyone's expectations. Hearing this, Li Yizhen hurriedly said, "Huai, don't be hasty. Chen Xi's marriage contract with the Longyuan Su family has been annulled. No matter how much he progresses, he will never be able to marry Su Jiao."

"Father, the Su family once promised us that they would abolish Chen Xi's cultivation and humiliate him to death in exchange for Su Jiao marrying me. Now that this boy is about to become a threat, if we don't take action soon, it will be too late." Talking about this unfinished marriage, the usually cold and indifferent Li Huai finally showed a human side.

"Huai is right. Now that we can confirm that the Dongming Order is in Chen Xi's hands, we should take action as soon as possible."

Elder Li Fengtu pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Steward Wu, where is this boy staying now?"

"Qingxi Tavern."

Steward Wu quickly answered, "Since the failed assassination last month, that boy seems to have sensed the danger and has been staying at Qingxi Tavern."

"Qingxi Tavern? Humph, just a tavern with a good relationship with the General's Mansion. Yizhen, arrange some people tonight to bring that boy back. If anyone dares to obstruct, kill them without mercy!"

Li Fengtu snorted coldly and slowly said, "I want everyone in Songyan City to know that offending the Li family means death!"

"Elder, rest assured, I will complete the task!" Li Yizhen solemnly accepted the order.

"Du Qingxi is not that easy to deal with."

At this moment, a pleasant and clear voice accompanied by a light fragrance drifted into the main hall, causing everyone's faces to change.

Elder Li Fengtu's expression did not change, but he felt a surge of shock. Who? Someone was eavesdropping outside the main hall under his nose. What level of cultivation could this person have reached?

---

I am working hard to update, hoping that everyone will also click and collect with effort...

Previous page AD starts

Previous page AD ends