Chapter 58

"Li Chen has seen the Master of the Academy!"

At the top of Nanyun Peak, inside the academy, Li Chen stood respectfully below the hall.

"Brat, don't tell me you think that by refusing the main academy's summons, you're coming to this old man to claim credit?"

The slender Hou Danchen casually played with the flowers in front of him, not even turning his head to speak.

"Disciple wishes to leave the academy for a period of time!"

Li Chen was not surprised that Hou Danchen knew about what had happened this morning.

If it weren't for the agreement he had made with Hou Danchen and Zang Xingqian that day, which forbade him from leaving the academy, he wouldn't have to come here for such a trivial matter.

"Hmph, leave the academy? What could be so important that you need to leave? Why not focus on cultivation and break through to the True Refinement Realm as soon as possible? What academy are you leaving?"

Hou Danchen immediately jumped up in agitation.

"Disciple is precisely leaving the academy to find a place to break through!"

Li Chen did not hide his intentions and revealed the cultivation technique he had chosen.

"What? Are you out of your mind?"

Hou Danchen flashed to his side, gently touching his forehead to check if he had a fever. After a few tests, he found that Li Chen was not feverish.

"Uh, thank you for your concern, Master of the Academy. Disciple has always been in good health!"

Li Chen awkwardly shook his head, dodging the 'mischievous old man's' hand.

"The 'Ninefold Pure Yang Technique' is said to have been left by the founding ancestor Xuan Yun when the sect was established 9,700 years ago. However, the cultivation conditions are extremely strict. Even the few geniuses in the sect over the years have found it difficult to cultivate successfully and had to give up.

Later, countless elders tried to decipher this technique, but no one has succeeded. If you choose this cultivation technique, it's not that this old man is discouraging you, but you will most likely waste your time!"

Hou Danchen's brows furrowed, his eyes flashing with an indescribable light.

"Disciple knows this technique is hard to cultivate. If I really can't do it, I won't force it!"

Li Chen scratched his head, but he had already made up his mind.

"Hmph, not only do you have to cultivate it, but you must succeed for this old man!"

To Li Chen's surprise, Hou Danchen's face turned stern, and he coldly said.

"Ah?"

Li Chen was confused, wondering why Hou Danchen's mood changed so quickly.

"Wait here!"

Hou Danchen's face darkened as he turned and entered the room.

Despite being the master of the academy, no one could match him on Nanyun Peak except for the few hall masters. However, he had no servants, living like a solitary old farmer.

After a short while, Hou Danchen reappeared, casually tossing a jade box to Li Chen and said impatiently, "Go, go, go! 1,200 miles east of Xuan Yun Peak, Yanyang Mountain!"

"Thank you for your generous gift, Master of the Academy!"

Li Chen understood that this was a treasure from Hou Danchen. He put it in his backpack, bowed, and left the courtyard.

"Damn brat, why did you have to choose the 'Pure Yang Technique'?"

Hou Danchen looked up at the sky, his eyes shimmering with a crystalline light.

"Old monkey, do you miss Xiao Hou?"

Suddenly, a hoarse and harsh voice came from the courtyard. Zang Xingqian's dark figure appeared out of nowhere.

"Hmph, zombie face!"

Hou Danchen coldly snorted, his face as usual.

"It was my mistake back then!"

Uncommonly, Zang Xingqian sighed, his eyes filled with reminiscence.

"It's been decades, no need to bring it up!"

Hou Danchen's face darkened, and he finally said coldly.

"This time, our little actions have likely been noticed by the main academy. They might send some of the younger generation to obstruct us. Should we send disciples from the Punishment Hall to secretly protect this brat who is leaving to break through?"

Zang Xingqian pondered for a moment, looking worried.

"Protect what? If that brat can return alive, it will be his fortune. The old fellows from the East, West, and North Academies are all waiting for us to fail. If we send people, where would we put our faces?"

Hou Danchen's eyes widened, his beard twitching like a rooster's.

"But it concerns our teacher's lifespan. Any slight mistake..."

Zang Xingqian looked hesitant.

"No, our teacher said that if we interfere again, he will choose to enter a deathly seclusion!"

Hou Danchen shook his head dejectedly.

"Damn, those old fellows will eventually face the end of their lifespans. Our teacher has devoted his heart and soul to the sect. Don't they feel any guilt?"

Zang Xingqian clenched his fists, a powerful aura surging, causing the flowers in the courtyard to scatter.

"At least we still have Ziyun. She is now in seclusion to break through to the True Refinement Realm. It shouldn't take long, perhaps a year from now..."

Hou Danchen patted his shoulder, his eyes scanning the courtyard with a pained look. These flowers were his life's work.

"Go!"

On the eastern side of Xuan Yun Peak, a black steed suddenly burst out of the forest path. The rider on the horse swiftly wielded a whip, but not a single strike landed on the black horse.

On the horse's neck, a small monkey tightly gripped the long mane, its eyes filled with excitement.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, an eagle's cry echoed from the sky.

"Hmph, they've indeed come after me. They really won't give up!"

Li Chen's ears twitched, and he gently spurred the horse with his legs.

The black horse reared up and neighed, its hooves pounding the ground as it sped away like a black shadow.

Having been a slave in the Li family for over a decade, he had done all sorts of dirty and tiring work, including being a stable hand.

Riding a horse was child's play for him.

This black horse was a crossbreed of a demon horse from the Ancient Cang Mountains and a regular horse, known for its endurance and speed.

The speed of this black horse was even faster than Li Chen's full-speed Wind Walking Step. After all, everyone has their specialty.

With Li Chen's keen eyesight, he naturally chose the best horse from the academy's stables. Of course, he didn't forget to take the horseshoes from a few other good horses when the stable disciples weren't paying attention.

Several miles behind Li Chen, three strong horses galloped like arrows, heading straight for him.

However, their speed was always just a bit slower, and they could only trail behind, unable to truly catch up.

As time passed, two hours later, one of the three strong horses suddenly reared up and fell to the ground.

The rider, caught off guard, nimbly landed on the ground, clearly having considerable cultivation.

Shortly after, the remaining two strong horses followed suit, throwing their riders off.

Although these horses had demon horse blood, their hooves without horseshoes could not withstand the friction during high-speed galloping. Despite their efforts, they only lasted two hours.

The riders, watching Li Chen disappear into the distance, could only sigh in frustration.

Even though they had considerable cultivation, chasing a strong horse, especially one known for its endurance and speed, was beyond their capabilities.

"Chase him, I don't believe we can't find him!"

The three riders, two men and one woman, gathered together. The tall man said coldly.

The other two hesitated for a moment but finally nodded in agreement. The three of them continued to track the horse's hoof prints, pursuing Li Chen.

After several hours of galloping, Li Chen directed the black horse north and used the Wind Walking Step to head east. By the middle of the night, he finally arrived at a towering, lush mountain with a fiery red maple forest, looking like a burning volcano.

This was his destination—Yanyang Mountain.

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