In Guangling Prefecture, atop a certain inn.

Chen Yuan and Shangguan Yu stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, gazing at the distant, surging waters of the Guangling River.

After the matter of Zhao Hao's assassination was concluded, the two did not linger. At Shangguan Yu's invitation, he followed him to this restaurant.

The restaurant was named Wangjiang Pavilion (Viewing River Pavilion), named for its view of the Guangling River outside the city.

It was the finest restaurant in Guangling Prefecture and even in several nearby prefectures, open only to martial artists. It had four floors: the ground floor was for Foundation Establishment martial artists, the second for Core Forging martial artists, and the third for Profound Connection martial artists.

The top floor, where they were, was usually closed to the public, reserved only for Core Realm Grandmasters.

As for why they could overstep the bounds, it was naturally because Wangjiang Pavilion was a property of the Shangguan clan. As the direct descendant, Shangguan Yu had that right.

Moreover, inviting Chen Yuan was not considered undignified.

A genius in the top ten of the Hidden Dragon List was definitely qualified to enter the top floor.

As for Yue Shan and the others, they were arranged downstairs.

This place was indeed worthy of being open only to Grandmasters. The decoration was antique, every detail extremely exquisite. Even the incense was mind-refreshing, and of considerable value.

"Brother Chen, what do you think of this view?"

Shangguan Yu asked softly.

"Not bad, Brother Shangguan has found a good place."

Chen Yuan smiled faintly.

Shangguan Yu's words and manners were very proper. He showed no transgression towards Chen Yuan, nor the slightest arrogance. His personality was just a little colder than Chen Yuan's.

But this was more in line with the identity of a direct descendant of the Shangguan clan.

And this was the cultivation of a scion of a prominent family.

Those who were arrogant, looked down on others, and acted recklessly were those who had no future in martial arts and were spoiled by their elders, leading to self-abandonment.

Anyone with some ambition was generally very polite.

Even if they harbored hatred in their hearts, they generally would not show it on their faces.

After gazing at the scenery by the window for a while, the two chatted casually, talking about recent events in the martial world. Shangguan Yu asked several questions about the events in Tangshan Prefecture.

Expressing that Chen Yuan's style of doing things was very much to his liking.

To this, Chen Yuan only smiled.

As they talked, they mentioned the events of the day. Shangguan Yu laughed, saying that Chen Yuan's slaying of Zhao Hao and his battle with Bai Changqing to a draw would surely stir up some waves in Shu Prefecture.

In fact, this was indeed the case. Bai Changqing had a great reputation in Shu Prefecture, and the news that Chen Yuan had fought him to a draw was spreading through Shu Prefecture like a hurricane.

And Chen Yuan's name had finally broken out of Qing Prefecture and officially began to spread on a large scale in Shu Prefecture. Before, when he reached the top ten of the Hidden Dragon List, although it shocked the martial world.

But most people, especially those outside of Qing Prefecture, only mentioned it occasionally.

Many were waiting to see him make a fool of himself, feeling that he would not be able to hold his position as seventh on the Hidden Dragon List. But after the news of this battle spread,

Everyone felt that he deserved his reputation.

In effect, he had used Bai Changqing's reputation to truly reveal his fangs. Almost all the geniuses in the top ten of the Hidden Dragon List began to understand his information.

More or less....

"Sit."

Shangguan Yu took the lead in sitting down opposite Chen Yuan, gesturing.

Chen Yuan was not polite and sat down directly.

Shangguan Yu reached out and picked up the teapot, pouring two cups of tea. A fragrant aura of spiritual energy wafted over, refreshing the mind. Chen Yuan took a sip and his eyes lit up.

This spiritual tea used to entertain Core Realm Grandmasters was indeed extraordinary, the finest among the spiritual teas he had tasted. As for Jiang He and Zhang Xuan,

They drank imperial spirit wine, which was different.

"Crude tea in a humble room, I hope Envoy Chen will not take offense," Shangguan Yu said modestly.

Chen Yuan: "If this counts as crude tea in a humble room, then there is probably no place of extravagance in the world."

After these two joking remarks, the corners of their mouths curved into smiles as they looked at each other. Shangguan Yu suddenly asked in a deep voice:

"This year's Immortal Ascension Battle, Brother Chen will probably go, right?"

"Chen has always cultivated alone, and has always wanted to see the heroes of the world. The Immortal Ascension Battle is a good excuse, so Chen will naturally not miss it."

Facing Chen Yuan's answer, Shangguan Yu was not surprised. In fact, before Chen Yuan rose to fame in the martial world in a short period of time and made his way into the top ten of the Hidden Dragon List against the odds,

Many people had already guessed that his goal was the Immortal Ascension Battle.

"It's a pity. If it were the Immortal Ascension Battles of previous years, I might have had a glimmer of hope of entering the top five, or even the top three. But this year's Immortal Ascension Battle... I'm afraid I won't even be able to squeeze into the top ten."

Shangguan Yu suddenly sighed.

"Brother Shangguan is already ranked eighth, how can you say you can't even squeeze into the top ten?" Chen Yuan asked, pretending not to know.

Sure enough, after Chen Yuan said this, Shangguan Yu replied:

"Brother Chen is joking. You know the real situation yourself. Why pretend not to understand? This year's Immortal Ascension Battle is probably the most difficult one in nearly a hundred years.

Those in the top three of the Hidden Dragon List are simply not like Profound Connection martial artists. Plus other hidden masters, or dark horses like Brother Chen, my hopes are slim."

"Brother Shangguan is too modest."

Chen Yuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and smiled.

"It's not modesty, it's just being aware of my own abilities. Zuo Chengzong has a natural thunder physique, evil spirits retreat. If he explodes with all his strength, he can even hope to kill a Core Realm Grandmaster.

Monk Xuanming's physical body is invincible, and he is very likely a reincarnation of a great power. Wei Wuyai possesses a demonic eye, and once it opens, nothing can escape...."

"Also, Brother Chen has risen rapidly, and can now be evenly matched with Bai Changqing. If you break through to Celestial Palace, you will definitely be a very strong existence. With you all here, how can people not despair?"

Finally, Shangguan Yu praised Chen Yuan again, but unfortunately, he did not fall for it.

"Brother Shangguan is joking. Chen is just an average person, unremarkable, how can I compare with the top three?" Chen Yuan smiled.

Although he said so, his words contained a very strong confidence.

Shangguan Yu could naturally feel this, and was not surprised. Among these people in the top ten of the Hidden Dragon List, including himself, who did not have some confidence?

He only said this to pave the way for what he was about to say.

"Brother Chen, you and I can be considered to have hit it off at first sight. I wonder if I can be so bold as to ask a question?" He looked at Chen Yuan intently and asked.

Chen Yuan frowned slightly. If it were someone else, he would naturally retort, "If you know it's presumptuous, then don't ask." But after all, he was eating their food and Shangguan Yu was not annoying, so he said:

"Brother Shangguan, please ask."

"Brother Chen was born into poverty, but has managed to reach where you are today step by step. There are rumors in the martial world that Brother Chen's origins are actually from some hidden ancient clan or hidden sect. I wonder if this is true?"

Shangguan Yu stared at Chen Yuan without blinking, as if he could see through whether he was hiding anything.

It was not unprecedented for geniuses like Chen Yuan who suddenly rose to fame in the martial world. There were indeed such hidden forces in the world. At least the Shangguan clan knew of several.

But none of them had the surname Chen, so he was quite curious.

"Brother Chen, rest assured, I will never spread it out," Shangguan Yu quickly assured.

Chen Yuan looked at him, meeting his gaze for a moment, and smiled without hesitation: "Even if it is spread out, so what? Chen is not from any hidden ancient clan. That is a fact. Brother Shangguan, don't you see, is there any ancient clan scion who started as a constable?"

Shangguan Yu's eyes flickered. This was indeed a point of doubt. Generally, those hidden forces were unwilling to get involved with the imperial court, let alone directly enter the imperial court's ranks.

"As for Chen's strength, hehe... I have come this far entirely through my own efforts, because I know that only strength is everything in this world!

Chen is of average appearance and ordinary talent. I have no choice but to cultivate diligently."

He was not wrong. He owed his achievements today entirely to himself. The Destiny Altar was just an aid... Yes, that was it.

He, Chen Yuan, did not cheat!

Chen Yuan's direct denial actually made Shangguan Yu even more suspicious, feeling that his background must be extraordinary, or that there were forces behind him protecting him. Otherwise, how could he have risen so quickly? And Jiang He directly gave him a talisman to protect him.

However, he did not continue to pursue the matter.

Since the other party had already denied it, it would be a bit unkind to continue to ask.

Chen Yuan had no choice but to let him think what he wanted.

If he could make himself more mysterious, it might be beneficial to him, at least it could scare away some guys who harbored ill intentions towards him.

Shangguan Yu chuckled twice, and the two began to change the subject, talking about astronomy and geography, and discussing their own views on the path of martial arts.

The other party was indeed a descendant of a prominent family, and he was of great help to Chen Yuan. Through him, he also learned some information about the Five Surnames and Seven Sects.

Of course, Chen Yuan's sometimes incisive insights also made Shangguan Yu feel that inviting Chen Yuan was worthwhile.

The two chatted happily, becoming more and more compatible.

Shangguan Yu spoke more about the general trend of the world, while Chen Yuan was often able to offer insightful comments based on his keen eyesight and ideas that did not conform to this world.

This was what it meant to discuss the Dao....

Only martial artists of roughly the same level could be considered to be discussing the Dao. If one party's realm was too high or too low, it could only be considered guidance.

As they talked, Chen Yuan inadvertently mentioned Mount Emei.

Shangguan Yu frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:

"Brother Chen is interested in Mount Emei?"

"Just a little curious," Chen Yuan put down his wine cup and smiled.

"It's not just curiosity, is it?"

He looked at Chen Yuan with a half-smile.

Seeing the other party's smile, Chen Yuan knew that Mount Emei must not be that simple. Otherwise, Shangguan Yu would definitely not have acted this way. He then said:

"I heard that the scenery on Mount Emei is good, so I want to go take a look."

"I suppose Brother Chen is going for that wordless stele on the summit of Mount Emei?" Shangguan Yu did not beat around the bush, and directly pointed out the opportunity indicated by the Destiny Altar.

Chen Yuan's heart shook, and he nodded with a faint smile.

"I wonder how much Brother Shangguan knows about that stele?"

Since the other party had revealed the stele, then he naturally had nothing to hide.

"I only know some rumors,"

"I would be grateful for the details."

"The rumor is that during the Great Chu Dynasty of the previous dynasty, there was a rogue cultivator who obtained the inheritance of a martial artist on Mount Emei when he was young. Later, that strong man became unstoppable, and his cultivation gradually reached an unfathomable level.

Even if he didn't dominate the world, he was definitely a rare master. But later, this person seemed to have offended some enemies, injured his origin, and was buried in Mount Emei before his lifespan was exhausted.

And he left behind a stele, saying that it contained an immortal fate. If one could understand it, one could obtain an opportunity."

"When this news first came out, it caused a shocking wave in the martial world, attracting countless martial artists to compete for that wordless stele. Later, a Transformation Yang Real Person won. Just as he was about to take the stele, he seemed to have sensed something and fled Mount Emei in a panic. Someone went to ask him for confirmation, and he said that there was a demon suppressed under Mount Emei, and that the stele was the key to the formation.

If the stele was pulled out, there would be widespread suffering...."

Later, it was verified that this statement was false. The stele was covered with a large array, which was connected to the entire Mount Emei's ley lines, making it impossible to take away unless one had the power to reach the heavens."

"After that, countless martial artists went to Mount Emei to comprehend the immortal fate, but over the years, no one has been able to comprehend anything.

As time passed, fewer and fewer people went to Mount Emei to comprehend it. Only some rogue cultivators with no inheritance would go there with hope, but they all returned empty-handed."

"Hundreds of years have passed, and Mount Emei is no longer known to the world. Only some rumors are circulating..."

Shangguan Yu roughly recounted what he knew.

He only learned about it because it was recorded in the Shangguan clan's records.

After listening, Chen Yuan couldn't help but frown and asked:

"Brother Shangguan, is this true?"

"Brother Chen, please take it as a reference. I don't actually know the real situation. These are all the situations recorded in the clan. Perhaps they are just one of the rumors.

Over the years, there have been many legends surrounding Mount Emei."

"What is the real situation then?"

"To be honest, when I was young, I was also proud and arrogant, thinking that others were stupid because they couldn't comprehend anything, and that I would definitely be able to do it. But after going to Mount Emei, I was greatly disappointed."

"Mount Emei is neither high nor low, and is quite ordinary. The surrounding heaven and earth's spiritual energy is thin, and it is not suitable for martial artists to cultivate. As for that so-called wordless stele, in my opinion, it is just an ordinary stone, well... except that it is slightly harder."

"As for the matter of being connected to a large array, I don't know if it is true or false. I once wanted to move this stone, but I failed. Now, fewer and fewer people go to Mount Emei. Most of them are just some hunters and villagers at the foot of the mountain.

If Brother Chen is going for the stele, it is best not to have too much hope," Shangguan Yu sincerely advised.

He was telling his own personal experiences, without any falsehoods.

"Thank you for telling me, Brother Shangguan. Chen is actually just going to Mount Emei to take a look. To be honest, I am going there at the request of someone to find an old friend."

When it came to telling lies, Chen Yuan did not need to think at all. He just opened his mouth and said it.

"If Brother Chen has time, you can also go up and try to comprehend it. Maybe you can really comprehend something..." Shangguan Yu laughed as he spoke.

Over the centuries, countless people have gone to comprehend it. Chen Yuan is not the son of God, how could he really comprehend anything?

That's absolutely impossible!

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Brothers, give me some monthly votes, I'll try to save up a bit for an update.