Chapter 7: My Departure, Nothing to Do with You
Upon hearing those words, Chen Qingyuan pushed open the door and stepped out, seeing a young man in purple robes standing in the void.
“Oh, it’s Xia Xiaochong. Long time no see!” Chen Qingyuan’s lips curled up slightly as he stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an elegant demeanor in his light-colored robe.
“You!” The young man in purple, named Xia Nanzhong, was a member of the Snake Clan and had once been defeated by Chen Qingyuan. “Chen Qingyuan, you’re still inhuman as before.”
Having seen Mystical Azure Dao Sect’s warship a moment ago, Xia Nanzhong had come over to take a look and unexpectedly found Chen Qingyuan’s figure. Without any hesitation, he walked over.
“You’re not human either,” Chen Qingyuan retorted.
Hearing this, Xia Nanzhong became somewhat annoyed.
After a moment’s thought, he realized he wasn’t technically human, so he held back his urge to retaliate with insults.
However, the way Chen Qingyuan put it still sounded like an insult, making Xia Nanzhong snort in irritation, “Hmph!”
Over a hundred years ago, Xia Nanzhong and Chen Qingyuan had a dispute and engaged in a fierce battle. After that fight, Chen Qingyuan gave Xia Nanzhong a nickname, “Xiaochong” (Little Worm), which made many people laugh.
Xia Nanzhong lost to Chen Qingyuan and couldn’t refute it, so he had to accept the nickname.
“Do you not know who the marriage partners of the two sects are?” Xia Nanzhong restrained his anger, refusing to lower himself to Chen Qingyuan’s level.
“I know,” Chen Qingyuan replied calmly.
“Knowing that you still came, your temperament is really something,” Xia Nanzhong gave Chen Qingyuan a thumbs up, admiring him three parts and mocking him seven parts.
“You were so outstanding back then, and Tianyu Sect’s Junior Sect Master Qin Yutang must have suffered a lot from you. Now Qin Yutang is going to marry Bai Xixue, aren’t you just humiliating yourself?”
“Xiaochong, are you really concerned about me?” Chen Qingyuan said with a half-smile.
“I’ll be concerned about you in your dreams!” Xia Nanzhong disliked the nickname, but since it came from Chen Qingyuan, he didn’t feel too angry. He maintained a friendly yet hostile attitude, “Let me advise you, now that you’re already a waste, staying in Mystical Azure Dao Sect is the safest option.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Chen Qingyuan didn’t take it to heart.
“I might mock you a bit, but others might not be so lenient,” Xia Nanzhong said before losing interest and turning away.
After this encounter, Xia Nanzhong confirmed that Chen Qingyuan was indeed a waste, feeling a mix of delight and melancholy. Walking a distance away, he glanced back at Chen Qingyuan’s direction and let out a sigh, “Such a genius, what a waste!”
In just a few days, news of Chen Qingyuan’s arrival in Tianyu Sect’s territory spread to many people’s ears.
Various sect cultivators gazed at Mystical Azure Dao Sect’s warship, whispering among themselves.
“Chen Qingyuan, what’s inside the Tianyu Abyss? Did you gain something from there?”
A young man looked down from above and questioned.
“None of your business,” Chen Qingyuan answered coldly, looking at the youth dressed in black. He didn’t know this person, probably someone who had gained fame in the past hundred years.
“Back then, so many Nascent Soul and Divine Ascension Realm cultivators died in the Heavenly Abyss. As a Nascent Realm cultivator, why do you think you could come out alive?” The black-robed youth persisted, not taking Chen Qingyuan seriously.
“If we were in the past, I would have slapped you against the wall with a single strike,” Chen Qingyuan retorted sharply.
“Hmph! Now you can only bring up your glorious deeds from the past,” the black-robed youth said, aware that he couldn’t match Chen Qingyuan’s past achievements. However, times had changed, and Chen Qingyuan was now a waste, so there was no need to be intimidated.
Chen Qingyuan chose not to waste time talking to such a fool and remained silent, sipping his tea and enjoying the surrounding beauty, completely ignoring the incessant black-robed youth.
In truth, many people wanted to figure out how Chen Qingyuan managed to survive and come out alive. Some hoped to uncover secrets about the forbidden area from him, which might prove useful in the future.
Due to Mystical Azure Dao Sect’s influence, others didn’t resort to extreme measures against Chen Qingyuan.
What puzzled everyone was how Chen Qingyuan claimed to have faked his death and escaped, but what method could enable him to survive in the forbidden area for over a hundred years?
If they could obtain this method, they might attempt to enter the Heavenly Abyss and seek opportunities.
As time slipped away, it was finally the day of the two sect’s union.
Today, a group of elders and disciples from Dongyi Palace arrived, ready to enter the venue. The bride, Bai Xixue, had yet to appear and would only show up on the day of the formal union.
Leading the Dongyi Palace group was Bai Xixue’s master, Yao Susu.
Yao Susu was dressed in a relatively simple light-colored cloth garment, tied with a snowy white silk ribbon around her waist. Her long hair was fastened with a jade hairpin, and her hands lightly rested on her lower abdomen, exuding an elegant and classical temperament with exceptional grace.
“Hmm!” Yao Susu heard some discussions around her and turned her gaze in the direction of Chen Qingyuan, who was about a hundred miles away, causing her to stop in her tracks.
After hesitating for a moment, Yao Susu decided to go over and see for herself, with over a hundred people following behind her.
“Why is Elder Chen here?” In the presence of various heroes, Yao Susu greeted Chen Qingyuan politely, cupping her hands in respect.
“Congratulations.” Chen Qingyuan remained seated and glanced up.
The people from the Dongyi Palace felt that Chen Qingyuan was quite impolite and wanted to reprimand him, but Yao Susu stopped them, considering it was just a matter of etiquette and not worth bothering about.
Yao Susu was concerned about why Chen Qingyuan came here. Was he trying to disrupt the marriage between the two sects? She asked inquisitively, “Is it just a simple congratulatory visit?”
“Of course, for this occasion, I have specially prepared a gift.” Chen Qingyuan thought of the white umbrella inside the jade bracelet. Though it might cause some harm, it wouldn’t have any substantial impact on the two sects. Besides, it wasn’t his intention, but rather an unavoidable situation.
“What gift is it?” Yao Susu felt a sinking feeling in her heart, having an inexplicable sense of unease.
“Since it’s a gift, I certainly can’t tell you.” In the past, Chen Qingyuan might have given Yao Susu some face, but now he didn’t consider her important.
“Chen Qingyuan, if you dare to disrupt the marriage between the two sects, don’t blame me, Yao Susu, for not considering our old relationship.”
Seeing that Chen Qingyuan was so dismissive of her, Yao Susu no longer pretended and directly removed her mask, warning him with a cold gaze.
“Oh?” Chen Qingyuan remained fearless and chuckled, “Does Mystical Azure Dao Sect have some old relationship with Donyi Palace?”
“You are truly pitiful.” Chen Qingyuan’s words sounded nothing more than empty bravado to Yao Susu, trying to uphold a semblance of dignity. She looked contemptuous and shook her head slowly, “You should be well aware that cultivators have lifespans of tens of thousands of years, while mortals have only a hundred years at best. Now that you are a cripple, even if Mystical Azure Dao Sect prolongs your life, it won’t be for long.”
“So what?” Chen Qingyuan’s face showed no emotional fluctuations and remained as calm as water.
“Returning now would be beneficial for both you personally and for Mystical Azure Dao Sect.”
Yao Susu wanted to force Chen Qingyuan to leave for safety reasons. As long as he left Donyi Palace, the marriage alliance would surely proceed smoothly without any disturbances.
Chen Qingyuan’s presence here was like a ticking time bomb. He might say something inappropriate and cause immeasurable consequences.
“My stay or departure doesn’t seem to be up to you, right?” Chen Qingyuan smiled.
“This alliance is between my Donyi Palace and Tianyu Sect, so naturally, I have some say.”
Seeing that Chen Qingyuan refused to leave, Yao Susu became even more anxious and decided to be straightforward, issuing him an eviction order.
“Mystical Azure Dao Sect received an invitation from Tianyu Sect and traveled a long distance to celebrate. Do you really want to drive me away?” she questioned.
Why didn’t he realize before that Yao Susu, the old hag, was so irritating?
“I just want to ask Elder Chen to leave, without any intention of causing trouble for Mystical Azure Dao Sect,” Yao Susu, as a core elder of Donyi Palace, knew better than to speak carelessly, quickly explaining her position.
Thousands of people watched this scene, well aware that speaking inappropriately would have consequences.
“Outrageous!”
Before Chen Qingyuan could speak, a furious voice resounded from the interior of the warship.
