"Tang Qiao, why are you still keeping this brat? How long has it been, and you're still not tired of him?"
Within Tianwu City, a bustling crowd suddenly parted, making way for Yue Jun, who emerged with his arms crossed. He leisurely sized up Chu Tianle, his gaze filled with insolence and disdain.
"Hey, you brat, I didn't say anything wrong. Why are you glaring at me?" Yue Jun, unaccustomed to such treatment, immediately mobilized his full oppressive aura and directed it towards Chu Tianle.
This was Chu Tianle's second year in the Chongyuan Middle World. Not long after learning the truth from Tang Qiao that the Divine Revelation Small World could not achieve immortality, he had been cultivating desperately day and night. His cultivation had only reached the late stage of Soul Transformation.
Caught off guard by Yue Jun's pressure, Chu Tianle bent over, about to kneel. However, just as his knees were about to touch the ground, Chu Tianle forcefully stopped himself.
"You've got some backbone! I want to see just how tough you are!"
Yue Jun raised an eyebrow and intensified his oppressive aura. But no matter how hard he tried, Chu Tianle did not kneel. Instead, he straightened his back little by little, slowly standing up.
The sound of bones being crushed permeated the air.
Yue Jun's expression gradually turned grim.
Tang Qiao had initially stood by without intervening. Seeing that Chu Tianle's meridians would be ruined if she didn't speak up, she immediately said, "Enough! Yue Jun! Did you come to my place just to cause trouble for Chu Tianle?"
Only then did Yue Jun retract his oppressive aura.
He said arrogantly, "He's not worth my special attention. He's just an ant."
With that, Yue Jun turned to Tang Qiao and said, "I just returned from the Divine Revelation. Liu Tianyun did something, and I reckon the Prefecture Lord will be angry. You need to help me think of a way to make amends, so it doesn't implicate me."
Tang Qiao asked, "What happened?"
As Yue Jun was about to speak, he caught sight of Chu Tianle eavesdropping. He let out a soft snort and, pulling Tang Qiao along, said, "Let's talk elsewhere."
Chu Tianle was not surprised by this.
During his year in Tianwu City, he had witnessed firsthand the disdain, contempt, insults, and reprimands that high-level cultivators had for Earth-level cultivators. He had also grown accustomed to gossip.
Some said he had bewitched Tang Qiao, which was why Tang Qiao eagerly pursued him.
Even more excessive individuals directly sought his advice on how to please high-cultivation women, using it to mock him.
But Chu Tianle cared not for any of this.
Chu Tianle took his token and went to the Sky Curtain Treasure Pagoda.
"Young Master Chu, aren't you going to rest a few more days?" The guard on duty was deeply impressed by Chu Tianle. Firstly, he was the only peculiar cultivator who treated his sword like a saber. Secondly, Tang Qiao had specifically instructed them to take good care of him.
A couple of days ago, Chu Tianle had taken a great fall in the second level. When he exited the pagoda, he was covered in wounds. The guard had thought he wouldn't be coming for several days.
Chu Tianle nodded and strode into the Sky Curtain Treasure Pagoda. As soon as he entered, he was directly teleported to the second level.
This time, he was mentally prepared. Although it still took some time, he passed. However, the moment he stepped into the third level, Chu Tianle's expression changed.
"Sister Li?"
Chu Tianle looked at the familiar face before him, taking an unbelievable step forward to get a closer look.
It was indeed Li Shiqing, breathing and with a shadow.
"Tianle?" Li Shiqing, with the same youthful warmth and thoughtfulness, waved at Chu Tianle. "I've finally waited for you. Hurry over, I need your help with something."
"It's because Murong didn't pass this assessment this time, and she came to me for help. But our Li family has no foundation in the Divine Revelation these past few years. I'm truly helpless, so I wanted to ask you if you could ask your esteemed elder to make arrangements?"
Chu Tianle's body stiffened, and he froze on the spot.
Even though so much time had passed, he still remembered this matter.
At that time, they had only recently entered the Divine Revelation Academy. He spent his days with Sheng Yi, Fei Hua, Wu Ya, and Zhu Wu, while Li Shiqing was with Bai Murong.
Initially, he knew that Li Shiqing had mistaken her childhood savior and believed Bai Murong was Bai Sheng Yi, who had saved them back then. However, Li Shiqing insisted that she treated Bai Murong like her own sister, and the friendship that had developed over the years could not be so easily dismissed with just a word of gratitude for being saved.
Seeing that he could not persuade her, Chu Tianle did not interfere further. Later, Li Shiqing sought him out regarding Bai Murong's entry into the Divine Revelation Academy, even offering to give up ten percent of the Li family's spirit stone mine for the latter half of the year. Not wanting Li Shiqing to waste these resources, he personally went to plead with that elder and refused Li Shiqing's spirit stone mine.
"Sister Li, Bai Murong is not a good person. She gets close to you, but she uses you. Why do you need to do so much for her?"
Chu Tianle couldn't help but ask Li Shiqing this question again.
Li Shiqing's expression instantly turned cold. "Tianle, you can't say that about Rong'er. She's young, and her actions are a bit rash, but she has no ill intentions."
Chu Tianle fiercely swung the sword in his hand.
"Tianle, what are you doing?" Li Shiqing's expression suddenly changed, and she glared at him ferociously.
Chu Tianle lowered his gaze, remaining silent. The sword in his hand moved with great sweeping strokes, like a broad saber, striking Li Shiqing. The thing hidden beneath Li Shiqing's skin could no longer restrain itself, transforming into a white flame and rushing out.
"How did you recognize me?" Xun Bai Yin Yan [Seeking White Silver Flame] thought to itself that in this pagoda, after hundreds of years, it was the first time someone had identified its illusion with just a few words.
Chu Tianle remained silent, his face grim, and swung his sword again.
He seemed to be venting his inner frustration, or perhaps he was simply focused on clearing the level. Each move was executed with full force. In no time, he had broken through this level.
"Hey! Youngster, you haven't answered my question yet!" Xun Bai Yin Yan chased after him, but Chu Tianle did not continue to the next level. Instead, he had already exited the Sky Curtain Treasure Pagoda.
"Chu Tianle! Where are you going?"
For some reason, Tang Qiao was waiting outside the Sky Curtain Treasure Pagoda.
Chu Tianle glanced at Tang Qiao, then turned and headed in a different direction, walking away briskly. He walked with great haste until he reached a corner by the city gate, spotted a tavern, and turned to walk in.
"Innkeeper, a pot of your strongest wine!"
"Coming right up!"
The wine was quickly served. Chu Tianle poured a bowl and drank it down.
At this moment, Chu Tianle deeply regretted being a cultivator. Cultivators did not get drunk easily, and their memories were sharp. For instance, at this very moment, he could clearly recall when Li Shiqing and Qing Bu Li were engaged, and he had used his drunken state to aggressively question Bai Sheng Yi in front of everyone.
"...Sheng Yi, do you truly like me? If you do, shall I immediately go to your family to propose?"
But Bai Sheng Yi did not like him, just as Sister Li did not like him.
He thought his deep affection was unrequited. Later, he realized it was merely his excessive affection that was not genuine.