Chapter 527: Murky Skies
Jian Chen and Ming Dong both left the Huang family. However, Ming Dong was not a Heaven Saint Master and could not fly through the sky; therefore, Jian Chen needed to carry him.
Seeing how his legs trailed behind him through the sky, Ming Dong had a yearning look on his face. With a sigh of admiration, he spoke, “Jian Chen, being a Heaven Saint Master seems great. Not only can you fly through the sky, you can go fast and at your own leisure as well. I really hope that I can hurry up and become a Heaven Saint Master.”
Jian Chen could only chuckle in response. “What are you hurrying for? Being able to become a Sixth Cycle Earth Saint Master at your young age is not something most can do. With your current strength, I don’t even know just how many people are envious of it. There’s only a short amount of time before you become a Heaven Saint Master anyways. Give it two years or so before you become one. For now, just focus on refining your foundation and listen to uncle Tian — you can’t go wrong listening to him.”
“I know that much as well, but when I see just how easily you all fly through the sky, I feel an urgent feeling in my heart. I simply want nothing more than to become a Heaven Saint Master; that way, I will be able to fly through the air by myself.” Ming Dong spoke.
“That day isn’t too far away. It’s been half a year already, all that remains is another two and a half years. That’s not a long time, it’ll come quickly.” Jian Chen replied.
“En, you’re right, I just can’t wait until that day, that’s all.” Ming Dong spoke with an expectant look on his face. Becoming a Heaven Saint Master was a dream for every single cultivator that had not yet reached such a realm.
Suddenly, Ming Dong remembered something. His eyes turned to look at Jian Chen with a gleam, “Ah, Jian Chen, just what happened between you and Huang Luan now?”
Jian Chen immediately thought about the lingering emotions he had felt between him and Huang Luan within her pavilion. A complicated expression arose on his face as he grew quiet, “Let’s not talk about that, I’ve no time to consider settling down. I’ve still plenty of things to do and plenty of responsibilities to shoulder still.”
“Is it because of the Shi and Jiede families?” Ming Dong asked with a serious expression. The Shi family and the Jiede clan were both problems that uncle Tian had been unwilling to resolve, leaving the problem to Jian Chen and Ming Dong to resolve by themselves. With Saint Rulers holding a position in both families, the two powers held a significant amount of pressure over Jian Chen and Ming Dong.
Jian Chen gave a curt nod. “Back then, I killed the experts of the Shi family and Jiede clan and even destroyed the Ruler Armaments from their families. This has led me into a neverending cycle with them, and since I am not a Saint Ruler, I simply have no way to defend myself against them.”
“Saint Ruler!” Upon hearing those two words, Ming Dong showed a look of yearning on his face. The enticement brought forth from the power of a Saint Ruler was truly too great. This was simply a whole new domain to step into.
“Jian Chen, uncle Tian once said that to become a Saint Ruler, one must be able to comprehend the mysteries of the world. Are you attempting to understand them now as an aside?” Ming Dong asked.
Jian Chen shook his head, “Understanding the mysteries of the world requires a foundation built off of the energy of the world. As long as one reaches a pinnacle state with their control over the energy of the world, they will be able to touch and start to comprehend the mysteries of the world. Although my power of thought is far stronger than any other Heaven Saint Master, my comprehension over the energy of the world is still superficial and nowhere close to being able to understand the mysteries of the world. When the day comes for me to reach a deep level of comprehension, I will naturally try to understand the domain that is the mysteries of the world. But this is a path with no shortcuts.”
Ming Dong revealed a crestfallen look, “So it seems that we can only take one step at a time then.”
Two days later, Jian Chen and Ming Dong finally returned to Changyang Manor. Xiao Tian and the others had been extremely curious on how they had managed to disappear so suddenly. It was because of their extreme confidence in Jian Chen’s strength that they did not panic when the two had disappeared. However, they did wonder just what business was so important for the two to disappear so out of the blue.
No one found it prudent to ask where Jian Chen had gone off to, for they simply had no right to ask. Even Jian Chen’s parents Changyang Ba and Bi Yuntian did not ask Jian Chen. As parents, they knew that their own child had already matured to become an independent man capable of doing his own thing. His own position and responsibilities were no longer within the domain of the two.
After exchanging several words of greeting with everyone, Jian Chen walked by himself to his own personal hall. Increasing in speed, his footsteps finally took him to his expansive bedroom where his bed was.
Seated at the head of the bed was the white tiger cub with its head still drooped down in slumber. By its side were several thousand year old ginseng and other ingredients.
Seeing the scant amount of heavenly resources left, Jian Chen revealed a worried look on his face. “I left a large pile of heavenly resources, but now there’s only a small amount remaining. Ai, the tiger cub’s appetite grows more and more each day.” With that, Jian Chen retrieved another pile of heavenly resources and placed them beside the cub before walking out.
Afterward, Jian Chen remained in the Changyang clan for two days. In those two days, he spent the time with his group of friends and the princess You Lan within the interior of the manor. On the second day, Qin Ji had received a letter from the Qinhuang Kingdom, prompting him to return to the Qinhuang Kingdom as soon as possible.
Having received the letter, Qin Ji had no plans to stay in Changyang Manor any longer. Bidding farewell to Jian Chen, he and the five other Imperial Advisors made an impromptu exit. However, Xiao Tian, the other four Imperial Advisors, and the three generals remained behind. A party of the Eastern Deity Soldiers remained stationed in Lore City while another party had been garrisoned at the Changyang clan.
Jian Chen wore an expensive white robe as he accompanied Sans and his mother around the area. Sans and his mother had received a cordial level of treatment from Changyang Ba and Bi Yuntian, causing the son and mother pair to gain a high level of treatment within the clan. They had been given their own courtyard and servants to wait on them. The head caretaker of the clan, Chang Wuji had even stipulated that the expenditures from the two would be footed by the Changyang clan, and a specialized group of soldiers would stand guard over the two. Such a treatment like this was basically on par with the treatment of the master of the family, Changyang Ba.
Sans and his mother had been very well-behaved and had lived in content within the Changyang clan. Although they would stroll outside of the manor to see the hustle and bustle of Lore City, they would never buy anything.
When Jian Chen found Sans and his mother, it seemed the two were in discussion. Their eyebrows were creased together, and there was a thoughtful but embarrassed look on their faces.
“Aunty, Sans, have you become accustomed to living here yet? If there is anything you need, please seek uncle Chang. Uncle Chang will make sure to meet your expectations.” Jian Chen smiled.
Jian Chen’s sudden visit caused Sans and his mother to be surprised. Bolting upright, they said respectfully, “We pay our respects to the fourth master!” The mother even bent over in salute.
In their short time within the Changyang clan, Sans and his mother gained a deep understanding of the character Jian Chen. They knew that his status within the clan was as high as it could possibly be, and that he was also the Imperial Protector of the Gesun Kingdom. Such a tremendous difference in status between him and them caused the mother and son to feel extremely panicked.
“Aunty, Sans, we are all family here, there is no need to be too polite.” Jian Chen used his mind to control the energy of the world and temporarily freeze the area around the mother and son so that they could not bow to him any longer. The two of them were the family of Kendall, just how could Jian Chen let them bow to him?
Jian Chen walked freely over to the nearby table and sat down with a smile. “Aunty, Sans, come and sit. I saw you two talking earlier, was there something troubling you?”
The mother and son hesitated for a moment before Sans finally said something first, “Fourth master, my mother and I are extremely grateful for your consideration for our well-being, but the two of us had already grown accustomed to our ordinary lives from before. Living here like this is still a bit strange, so my mother and I wish to move out”
Jian Chen’s eyebrows creased together as he listened, but before he could speak, the mother beat him to it, “Fourth master, my son is correct. The two of us are not ones to live our lives in luxury and nobility. We truly cannot adjust ourselves to such a lifestyle. I wish to use the savings I have to purchase an inn in Lore City and continue my days working there if the fourth master allows it!”
Jian Chen continued to think for a moment, but in the end he valued the opinion of the two and sighed, “Very well then. If aunty and Sans wish to live such a lifestyle, I can only support your endeavors. Aunty, I will have uncle Chang take care of the arrangements, so you needn’t worry about the matters with the inn for now.”
……
An extremely far distance away from the Gesun Kingdom, a suspended shrine could be seen floating a hundred meters up in an empty space.
“Grand elder, we have recently discovered the men from the Bloodsword Sect moving about, but they are mostly moving around the coastal areas in frequent amounts.” An elder cupped his hands respectfully. Right in front of him was a middle-aged man that floated in mid-air, this was the uncle Tian of Ming Dong — Tian Jian!
“Bloodsword Sect!” Tian Jian’s eyebrows narrowed together. “It has been a thousand years since their last movement on the continent. If they’re appearing now near the coast, just what in the world are they planning?”
“Grand elder, could the Bloodsword Sect possibly be planning something big?” Another elder wondered aloud.
Muttering to himself, Tian Jian spoke, “It has been a thousand years since Houston retired from the Tian Yuan Continent to live in seclusion without a care for the continent. If the Bloodsword Sect is appearing out of nowhere now…” Tian Jian’s eyes narrowed as he thought.
After a while, Tian Jian sighed and smoothed out his eyebrows. “Twenty-third elder, from now on, report these matters to the second and third elder. There is no need to report to me.”
“Yes, grand elder!” The elder retreated afterward.
After the elder had left, Tian Jian’s legs fell to the ground to let him walk. His hands were placed behind his back as he stared at the murky sky with a spellbound look.