Chapter 3297: Chapter 3317: We Are Contending for the Saint’s Path!
At the residence of the Seven-colored Immortal Monarch, exquisite dishes and fine wine were laid out on a delicately crafted Eight Immortals Table.
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch dismissed his handmaids and personally invited Lin Chen to take a seat.
"Come, sit."
Lin Chen sat across from the Seven-colored Immortal Monarch, his eyes scanning the table’s delicacies, and said with a laugh, "This table is truly lavish. It seems the Immortal Monarch has quite the expertise in gourmet food."
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch laughed, "I have a mouth that enjoys good food but not the hands of a chef. After eating so much, my palate has become quite picky. Eating this kind of good stuff all the time has made everything else seem a bit dull. In fact, I often don’t have even one proper meal for a long time."
Lin Chen said with a laugh, "Perhaps this is the typical state of an immortal. Unlike me, who hasn’t rid myself of this mortal heart; whenever I see something tasty, I want to eat it. Going a few days without it, and I feel like something’s missing."
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch picked up the wine and personally filled Lin Chen’s glass, then lifted his wine glass.
"Eating alone, even if it’s dragon liver or phoenix marrow, feels meaningless. But with a friend, even if it’s just a dish of green vegetables and a pot of thin wine, the feeling is completely different."
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch raised his glass, sincerely thanking, "This first glass of wine is for you. After you saved me last time, I never had the chance to thank you formally. By the time I recovered, you had already returned to the Crimson Immortal Domain. We’ve only met again today."
Lin Chen said with a laugh, "Immortal Monarch, you’re too polite. We were on the same boat at that time, naturally advancing and retreating together. Helping you was helping myself, too. Besides, with your magnanimity, giving me an innate Spiritual Treasure like a Tao Ding, how can you say I didn’t thank you?"
After downing a glass, the Seven-colored Immortal Monarch laughed, "My real name is Xu Cong. No need to keep calling me Immortal Monarch, it feels too distant. You can either call me by my name or call me Brother Xu or Brother Cong. I think, given my age, it shouldn’t be an overstatement."
Overstatement?
Considering your age, you’re an Ancestral Master-level existence. Calling you ’brother’ gives me a huge advantage.
Lin Chen originally intended to use his relationship with the Seven-colored Immortal to inquire about certain matters. Since the Immortal Monarch showed goodwill, Lin Chen gladly agreed.
In Lin Chen’s heart, he didn’t feel he was reaching too high. After all, besides the fact that the Seven-colored Immortal Monarch had an awesome Saint as a master, which Lin Chen couldn’t compare to, Lin Chen didn’t believe he was any lesser in other respects.
Lin Chen felt this way even before becoming a Quasi-Saint, let alone now that he was a Quasi-Saint, with strength not much inferior.
"Brother Cong!"
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch looked at Lin Chen with honest eyes, feeling quite pleased inside.
He was genuinely grateful to Lin Chen, as the despair he felt was something outsiders couldn’t comprehend.
He also admired Lin Chen, who, though of ordinary talent, became a Quasi-Saint at just over a hundred years old. This was something beyond his own reach, so he believed Lin Chen was fully qualified to stand as an equal and be treated as such.
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch had seen many powerhouses. These people, even if they were Quasi-Saints and not much weaker than himself in strength, treated him with excessive politeness—that kind of politeness mixed with a sense of detachment and distance.
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch knew very well that the respect shown wasn’t for him but for his master.
These people might not like him, or truly admire him, but since his master is the Immortal Emperor, that’s how it was.
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch had previously appreciated Lin Chen and wanted to recruit him, but now changing his mindset, he found it quite comfortable to be friends with someone like Lin Chen.
Lin Chen had a strong confidence within him, and would not be cautious and sycophantic just because the Seven-colored Immortal Monarch’s master was the Immortal Emperor.
How does this feel?
It’s like a billionaire surrounded by people sucking up to him, but now suddenly meeting someone who, though rather poor, has a backbone so rigid that he dares to discuss reason with the billionaire, not indulging him just because of his wealth.
This made the Seven-colored Immortal Monarch feel very comfortable because in such interactions, Lin Chen’s words and actions were directed at him, not the Immortal Emperor behind him.
The wine kept flowing, and the topics between the two became more casual. The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch asked about Lin Chen’s path of growth and also shared the story of his opportunity to become a disciple of the Immortal Emperor. Ultimately, the conversation inevitably returned to the task of visiting the Starry Sky Demon Clan.
"Originally, I wanted to go with you, but Master chose the second Junior Brother instead. What a pity..."
Lin Chen said with a laugh, "I haven’t had much interaction with the Qingluan Immortal Monarch. What should I be mindful of during this trip together?"
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch fixed his gaze on Lin Chen’s eyes, showing a hint of hesitation in his expression.
Lin Chen took the initiative to speak, "If it’s inconvenient, just pretend I didn’t ask. I was just making a casual inquiry."
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch revealed a wry smile, "It’s not that it’s inconvenient, it’s mainly that I haven’t figured out how to say it... What’s your view on the relationship between you three Senior and Junior Brothers?"
Lin Chen hesitated for a moment, "From my personal feeling, the three Immortal Monarchs seem harmonious on the surface, but it feels like there’s a competitive relationship underneath, always guarding and targeting each other, outwardly together but not inwardly united."
"Outwardly together but not inwardly united."
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch repeated, revealing a wry smile, "The Jade Star Lord is actually also a disciple of Master, he’s my Junior Brother. You know that, but do you know why his relationship with Master is not public, and why Master doesn’t even acknowledge it externally?"
Could this matter be related to the Jade Star Lord?
Lin Chen shook his head in confusion, "I naturally don’t know. I only confirmed from meeting the Qingluan Immortal Monarch before that the Jade Star Lord is the Immortal Emperor’s youngest disciple."
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch suddenly turned his head towards the door, seemingly worried that someone might overhear what he was about to say.
"It’s actually very simple. Master doesn’t want the Jade Star Lord to join our competition, and the Jade Star Lord himself doesn’t want to either, so he never mentions that he is a disciple of the Immortal Emperor and has no interactions with the Holy Heart Palace, always going his own way."
Lin Chen pondered, "In mortal empires, princes vie for power, compete against each other for the position of Crown Prince, and to be the next Emperor. But an Immortal Emperor is a Saint and never ages. The position of Immortal Emperor is likely to last indefinitely. What’s there to compete for?"
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch answered softly, "We aren’t competing for the position of Immortal Emperor. After all, that position has always been occupied by those who possess the strength, not inherited or passed down."
The Seven-colored Immortal Monarch’s gaze was subtle, "What we’re competing for is the Saint’s Path."
The Saint’s Path!
Lin Chen came to a realization but was still very puzzled, "The Saint’s Path isn’t something one comprehends individually? Others can’t assist. Just like Little Demon Emperor Cheng Tuo, who was forcibly propelled into the Saint Realm by the Demon Emperor, but his strength was lacking so much that he’s only considered a Fake Saint. Do you also wish to become such an existence?"