Royal Palace, Imperial Study.

Jingtai sat calmly, holding a red-covered book in his hand, seemingly searching for something with great concentration. After a long while, he slowly put it down and exhaled a long breath of stale air.

Outside, after being announced, Cao Zhengxian entered the Imperial Study with a solemn expression, bowed to Jingtai, and clasped his fist, saying:

"This old minister greets Your Majesty."

"How is it?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the governor of Shu Prefecture has sent a memorial, stating that those demons of the Wusheng Sect have once again launched a blood sacrifice, resulting in the deaths of nearly ten thousand people. He earnestly requests that Your Majesty dispatch powerful court officials to hunt down these demons."

Jingtai frowned and reprimanded:

"All they know is to ask for assistance. What kind of governor is the governor of Shu Prefecture? What kind of Golden Envoy is the Shu Prefecture Golden Envoy!"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The movements of those Wusheng Sect demons are indeed too elusive. With the capabilities of the Shu Prefecture government, it may be quite difficult to track them down."

Jingtai snorted coldly:

"I don't want to hear any excuses."

"Yes."

"Pass on my decree to the Sky Patrol Department to dispatch two more Grandmasters to cooperate with the Shu Prefecture government to capture the demons of the Wusheng Sect."

"Your Majesty, should we send a Divine Envoy to oversee the situation?"

Jingtai raised his hand:

"This matter is not urgent. The Divine Envoys of the Sky Patrol Department have other important missions."

"This old minister obeys the decree."

"How is Chen Yuan?" Suddenly, Jingtai changed the subject and asked.

"According to the Imperial Surveillance Department, Chen Yuan left the capital at noon today to take office in Liang Prefecture." Cao Zhengxian reported the information truthfully.

"Hmm."

"When sending the decree, order the Grand Commandant to come to the Imperial Garden. I have important matters to discuss with him."

"Yes."

"Alright, withdraw. I am tired."

"This old minister takes his leave."

Cao Zhengxian bowed slightly and quickly exited the Imperial Study.

Jingtai looked at the red book on the desk, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Qingyun Temple.

The old abbot leisurely reclined on a lounge chair, looking at a bamboo scroll with an extremely serious expression. However, if one were to get closer, they would see that the bamboo scroll in his hand was clearly blank.

Suddenly, the old abbot frowned slightly, as if sensing something. He said without changing his expression:

"Since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived, why not show yourself?"

"Old fellow, you are still so perceptive. It seems your cultivation has improved again."

In front of him, the void suddenly began to distort, and a vague, blurry face slowly solidified, appearing very abrupt, yet simultaneously blending in well with the surrounding void.

The old abbot slowly put down the bamboo scroll, stared at the face in front of him, his expression gradually becoming solemn. He said in a deep voice:

"It is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince whose cultivation has improved significantly. After decades apart, you have actually reached such a realm. This poor Taoist is ashamed to admit his inferiority."

"Humph."

The person snorted lightly.

"How did His Royal Highness the Crown Prince find this Qingyun Temple?"

The old abbot asked with a slight frown.

He had used some means to conceal the secrets of heaven, but he didn't expect to still be found by this person.

"This seat has its own methods. What can a little concealment of the secrets of heaven amount to?"

"Then I wonder what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince seeks from this poor Taoist? To think you would risk your life to enter the capital rashly. If you were to be discovered by that Sima family's individual,

I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to leave even if you wanted to."

The old abbot asked with some curiosity. He felt that he shouldn't have any connection with the Xiang family. Back then, when he helped the Sima family dismember the former Chu, the Taixu Palace had also remained on the sidelines.

"Heh... This Divine Capital City originally belonged to the Xiang family. What am I afraid of someone discovering upon entering?" The person replied, seeming to have no fear here.

The old abbot simply smiled and didn't say much.

If the other party truly didn't fear that Sima family's individual, why wouldn't he come in person? He would have already started a full-fledged rebellion long ago.

"Who would have thought that the dignified Taixu Palace, one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects, would now have fallen to such a state, that even the Sect Master Supreme can only hide in the capital."

The old abbot didn't get angry, he only said:

"Did His Royal Highness the Crown Prince come all the way here just to say these useless words?"

"I have come to ask you to help me refine a rare treasure."

"Is this how His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asks for help? What if this poor Taoist doesn't agree?" The old abbot stared at the blurry face in front of him with a calm gaze.

"Not agree? Heh... There is nothing that I, Xiang Qianqiu, want to do that I can't accomplish. Tianxu Old Taoist, are you sure you want to reject my request?"

The blurry face in the void chuckled lightly, as if he was certain of victory.

The old abbot frowned, vaguely feeling something was amiss:

"What do you want to do?"

"It is you who will do as I wish, Tianxu. Refining this rare treasure is nothing to you. I will owe you a favor. When Great Chu is restored in the future, I can allow your Taixu Palace to become the state religion."

"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, you can save those words. I can help you, but you must also do me a small favor."

"Speak."

......

......

Meanwhile, Chen Yuan, after leaving the Divine Capital City, headed towards Liang Prefecture. He didn't delay along the way. Of course, there was nothing worth delaying.

With his strength, simply releasing some aura could prevent many troubles. Apart from those who directly targeted him, ordinary martial artists wouldn't be foolish enough to seek death by provoking a Core Realm Grandmaster.

This was Chen Yuan's first time coming to the northern part of the Central Plains. Although it was already close to March, there was still a slight chill in the air. The people here generally wore more clothes than those in the south.

Compared to the numerous rivers in the south, where water resources were abundant, the north seemed much more barren. At least in Chen Yuan's journey, he had only seen one large river, called the Yellow Sand River.

As the name suggests, there was quicksand in the river...

Chen Yuan's inevitable route to Liang Prefecture was through Bing Prefecture, which served as a barrier between Central Prefecture and You and Liang Prefectures. It was the safeguard of Central Prefecture.

It had been mentioned before that Central Prefecture wasn't large, only about five prefecture-level cities in area. The surrounding Yang Prefecture, Yun Prefecture, and Bing Prefecture were much larger.

Compared to the flourishing martial arts scene in the south, the north, although known for its tough and sturdy populace, was actually somewhat inferior. Perhaps it was due to the threat of the Northern Barbarians over the millennia.

In Chen Yuan's understanding, only one immortal sect was publicly known in half of the north: Wudang Mountain!

This immortal sect was located in Liang Prefecture and enjoyed great renown.

After crossing the borders of Bing Prefecture, Chen Yuan originally wanted to go directly to Liang Prefecture City to take office first. However, Senior Moro, who had been silent for some time, suddenly awakened. His first words were:

"Go to Wudang Mountain first."

Chen Yuan paused, hovering in the void, his brow slightly furrowed. He asked:

"Does Senior want to go to Wudang Mountain?"

"Yes."

"To do what?"

He was somewhat puzzled because, if Wudang Mountain was classified, it should belong to the Taoist sect. Everyone in the world knew that the founding ancestor of Wudang Mountain was the True Martial Emperor, who shook the world during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

To be called 'Emperor' was enough to prove the terror of the True Martial Emperor. Although he had long since passed away, his sword, the True Martial Sword, was still the sacred sword of Wudang Mountain.

He didn't know how strong it was, as the Immortal Ascension Tower didn't list any divine weapons. He only knew that being able to be passed down for over a thousand years meant it must be exceptionally terrifying.

Senior Moro, on the other hand, was a former Buddhist expert. Logically speaking, he shouldn't have any connection with Wudang Mountain.

"To see the Celestial Master Zhang of Wudang Mountain."

Chen Yuan's eyes flickered. He knew that the 'Celestial Master Zhang' that Senior Moro mentioned referred to the Madman Zhang, who was famous in the martial world and feared by countless people.

This person was truly terrifying. Although he wasn't included in the Immortal Ascension Ranking, he had long been recognized as the number one in the world. Even Ye Xiangnan, the City Lord of Martial Emperor City, could only humbly take second place, daring not claim to be the first.

"Has something happened?"

"Nothing. I just happened to be passing by and wanted to see him."

Moro said.

"Will Senior's identity be exposed?"

Chen Yuan didn't quite believe Moro's statement. After all, in his understanding, the news of Moro's escape was still a secret that couldn't be leaked.

The other party had always been very careful.

"It doesn't matter."

Moro's ethereal voice slowly emerged.

Chen Yuan had no choice but to nod. Since Moro had already said this much, he naturally wouldn't try to dissuade him further. He might as well take this opportunity to meet Zuo Chengzong.

He really wanted to thank the other party for their previous flattery!

No sooner said than done, Chen Yuan deviated slightly from his course and began heading straight for Wudang Mountain, known as a blessed land of immortals.

Liang Prefecture was relatively large. Even at Chen Yuan's speed, it took him a full day to cross half of Liang Prefecture, reaching the middle area,

And arriving at the foot of Wudang Mountain.

He didn't rush in rashly. Instead, he found a property of Wudang Mountain in a prefecture-level city near the foot of Wudang Mountain, announced his identity, and said that he wanted to meet Zuo Chengzong.

Upon hearing that it was the famous Demon Blade Chen Yuan of the martial world, the person in charge of Wudang Mountain was immediately shocked. After verifying his identity, he immediately sent someone to Wudang Mountain to inform them of this news.

The Wudang Mountain disciple who received Chen Yuan solemnly invited Chen Yuan upstairs for tea.

As Chen Yuan closed his eyes to breathe and rest, a clear cry startled him, even shaking up nearly half of the people in the city.

They all looked towards the commotion in the void.

"That... that is the crane of Wudang Mountain?"

"Yes, yes... it is the crane. This old man witnessed it a few years ago."

"Why are the cranes descending for no reason?"

"There must be distinguished guests arriving who wish to ascend the mountain."

This was a custom of Wudang Mountain. Whenever there were distinguished guests, Wudang Mountain disciples would ride cranes to welcome them.

"It's not just ordinary distinguished guests. It's probably a Huayang True Being." Someone said, looking at the six cranes circling in the void with a look of shock.

Martial artists near Wudang Mountain knew the rules of Wudang Mountain. Ordinary distinguished guests were led by three cranes, while higher-level Huayang True Beings were welcomed by six cranes.

As for the most top-tier guests, the True Lords, there would be nine cranes in the sky to greet them.

However, such a scene wouldn't occur very often. Most often, it was the three-crane escort, and the six-crane welcome was relatively rare.

Chen Yuan opened his eyes upon hearing the clear crane cries outside. Before he could speak, a familiar voice came from outside: "Upon hearing of Brother Chen's arrival, Zuo has come to welcome you!"

"It's Zuo Chengzong!"

"It's him?"

"How is that possible? It doesn't seem like Zuo Chengzong should be personally welcoming him given his status, right? Who is this Brother Chen that he speaks of? I wonder what his background is?"

The discussions below became even more lively.

Zuo Chengzong's appearance made people start to have various speculations. After all, although Zuo Chengzong hadn't become a Wudang elder yet, he had always been the sole candidate for Sect Master.

He was hailed as a peerless genius from Wudang Mountain in five hundred years. If Chen Yuan hadn't appeared out of nowhere, Zuo Chengzong would definitely have been the most powerful genius in the world.

Countless people considered him to be the future Celestial Master of Wudang Mountain.

Generally, the people who rode cranes to welcome distinguished guests were Wudang Mountain's Core Realm elders, along with a few disciples. Zuo Chengzong's personal welcome was definitely a first for many people.

Chen Yuan waved his hand, and a massive, formless Gang energy blew open the doors and windows. Chen Yuan said with a light smile:

"Brother Zuo, it's been a long time!"

Zuo Chengzong leaped down from the crane, stepping on the air with each step. Dressed in a black Taoist robe with his long hair tied up, his temperament was calm. He truly looked like an immortal descending from the heavens. He bowed to Chen Yuan and said with a smile:

"It has been several months since our separation in the East Sea. Brother Chen's demeanor is even more impressive than before."

"Brother Zuo is the same."

Chen Yuan sized up the familiar figure in front of him and said:

"I didn't expect that Brother Zuo would personally welcome me."

"For a distinguished guest like Brother Chen, if I didn't personally welcome you, wouldn't it seem like I, Zuo, lacked courtesy?" Zuo Chengzong smiled faintly. Of course, this was just polite talk.

In fact, Chen Yuan's arrival was truly well-timed. He had originally planned to go down the mountain to travel the martial world recently. If Chen Yuan had come one day later, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to welcome him, even if he wanted to.

After speaking, Zuo Chengzong directly entered the room. Just as he was about to exchange a few more pleasantries, he suddenly sensed the faintly revealed aura on Chen Yuan's body. His gaze sharpened, and he quickly noticed the changes around Chen Yuan. He asked:

"Brother Chen, you... you have entered the Celestial Core Realm?"

"I was fortunate enough to break through a while ago."

Hearing Chen Yuan's confirmation, Zuo Chengzong couldn't help but click his tongue. He still remembered the words he had once said to Chen Yuan, that the two of them would have another competition in the Core Realm.

But now, there was no need for a competition. With Chen Yuan's combat power and cultivation, he would definitely be able to overwhelm him.

Truly... terrifying!

Previously, Chen Yuan's slaying of Celestial Core Grandmaster Tang Xianzhuo and his strong ascent to the twenty-first place on the Wind and Cloud Rankings were already enough to shock him. This time, he was preparing to go out and travel the martial world because of this.

As a result, only a little over a month had passed since then, and the other party had undergone such a change again. It was truly unbelievable.

"Brother Chen's talent is unmatched in the world. To be in the same era as someone like you is both fortunate and unfortunate." Zuo Chengzong sighed.

"Brother Zuo is being modest. Haven't you also broken through to the Solid Core Realm and made it onto the Wind and Cloud Rankings?" Chen Yuan smiled. He knew his own situation very well.

He was able to achieve his current status thanks to his diligent cultivation, but the opportunities guided by the Destiny Altar had also helped him a lot. If he had truly relied on arduous cultivation alone, he might not have been able to break through to the Solid Core Realm yet.

This also showed how strong Zuo Chengzong's talent truly was.

"Brother Chen is making me feel ashamed." Zuo Chengzong was a little unnatural. He hadn't relied entirely on arduous cultivation to break through. Now, when facing Chen Yuan, he inevitably felt inferior.

"Alright, let's leave out the flattery. We should both be happy about having such progress."

"Brother Chen is right."

Among the martial artists of the same generation, Zuo Chengzong did have quite a few people he noticed, but only Chen Yuan was worthy of his attention, and even made him feel inferior.

The rest were nothing.

Similarly, Chen Yuan was the same.

He still valued such a peerless genius. Although the two of them hadn't known each other for a long time and hadn't interacted much, they had developed a sense of mutual appreciation.

After chatting for a while, Zuo Chengzong asked:

"Brother Chen has always stayed in the south or the capital. Why did you suddenly come to Liang Prefecture today?"

He was still a little curious about this point. He didn't believe that Chen Yuan had come specifically to see him. Although they had a bit of mutual appreciation, their friendship obviously hadn't reached that point yet.

"I have come to take office." Chen Yuan said.

"The Golden Envoy of Liang Prefecture?"

Zuo Chengzong raised an eyebrow and asked with some surprise.

"Exactly."

"Then that is truly a promotion. Congratulations to Brother Chen. To ascend to the high position of Golden Envoy of a prefecture at such a young age, your future prospects are limitless." Zuo Chengzong said sincerely.

In the Sky Patrol Department, if one wants to rise to the top, they must have the experience of overseeing a territory outside the capital. The Four Divine Envoys have all had such qualifications.

Like Zhang Xuan, even with Zhang Yantong as his backing, he still had to accumulate experience overseeing a territory outside the capital in order to improve better. He, who had connections, didn't need to start step by step from the position of Deputy Envoy.

As long as one breaks through to the Core Realm, they can serve in the capital. When the time is right, they are basically sent out as Golden Envoys.

"It is all for serving the imperial court." Chen Yuan smiled.

"Then I suppose Brother Chen's visit to Wudang today is not just to see Zuo, right?" Zuo Chengzong quickly thought of some key points. Chen Yuan taking office as the Golden Envoy to govern Liang Prefecture would inevitably have to deal with Wudang Mountain.

"To be honest, besides wanting to take the opportunity to have a small gathering with Brother Zuo, I also want to pay my respects to the Old Celestial Master." Chen Yuan didn't play any guessing games and directly stated his intention.

"Want to see the Old Celestial Master?"

Zuo Chengzong frowned. He thought Chen Yuan wanted to see the current Sect Master of Wudang, but he didn't expect that he actually wanted to pay his respects to the founding ancestor. This was indeed a little tricky.

"I wonder if Brother Zuo can introduce me?"

Chen Yuan looked at him and said.

Zuo Chengzong pondered for a moment, not immediately agreeing. Instead, he asked:

"I would like to boldly ask, what is Brother Chen's purpose in seeing the Old Celestial Master?"

Chen Yuan's eyes flickered. He knew that if he didn't say something, Zuo Chengzong probably wouldn't agree. After all, the gap between Chen Yuan and the Old Celestial Master was too great, and it would be very inappropriate to introduce him rashly.

Immediately, he said:

"Actually, I am entrusted by a senior expert to deliver something to the Old Celestial Master."

"Oh?"

"Is that possible?"

Zuo Chengzong smiled and nodded slightly:

"Since it is Brother Chen's request, I will do my best to help."

"Then I thank Brother Zuo."

"It's nothing. Friends should naturally help each other. Brother Chen... please." Zuo Chengzong stood up and extended his hand.

"Please."

Then Zuo Chengzong came to the window, his lips moved slightly, seemingly transmitting something.

Afterwards, the Wudang Mountain disciples controlling the cranes in the void all cupped their hands and said in unison:

"Welcome Green Envoy Chen to Wudang. Please ascend the mountain, Green Envoy!"

————

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