The spiritual food was just served on the table when Long Ziqian walked over.
"Fellow Daoist Chu, are you leaving?"
"Yes." Chu Lingwei gestured for Long Ziqian to sit opposite her. "Are you here to see me off?"
Disappointment flickered in Long Ziqian's eyes. He hadn't expected Chu Lingwei to leave so soon. "Sort of. I thought I could take you to see the Jingliang Forest."
"If there's a chance, I'll go someday." Chu Lingwei was not disappointed. She could always visit the places she wanted to go.
"Good. If Fellow Daoist Chu ever comes to Lingzhou again, I will definitely host you well." As Long Ziqian spoke, he took out his communication talisman and handed it to Chu Lingwei. "This is my communication talisman."
Chu Lingwei accepted Long Ziqian's communication talisman with a smile, gave him hers in return, and then took out a storage bag, handing it to him. "Thank you for your hospitality."
"What is this?" Long Ziqian did not take the storage bag, looking puzzled.
"Consider it payment for the meal." Chu Lingwei picked up her chopsticks and began to eat. She had to leave the city tonight, or her father and uncle would worry.
Long Ziqian thought for a moment, a meaningful smile appearing in his eyes as he put away the storage bag. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Chu."
After the meal, Chu Lingwei, with the phantom cat, walked towards Lingzhou City.
As she walked out of the city gate, she turned and smiled at Long Ziqian.
"Young Master Long, we shall meet again."
"We shall meet again." Long Ziqian cupped his hands towards Chu Lingwei.
Chu Lingwei summoned her flying artifact and, with the phantom cat on board, flew towards the direction of the Cultivation Academy.
Long Ziqian watched Chu Lingwei's figure disappear before turning and re-entering the city.
"Weiwei, do you think Young Master Long already knows your identity?" the phantom cat, squatting beside Chu Lingwei, asked. He had specifically gone to inquire, and the Young Master Long was known to be quite overbearing in Lingzhou City, acting as if he were superior to everyone. Yet, he was exceptionally friendly towards Chu Lingwei, which was very different from the rumors.
"There's a possibility."
Chu Lingwei nodded. Since he was the Young Master of the Long family, the Long family must have provided him with some special training.
"I think he should know your identity." The phantom cat nodded vigorously. Otherwise, why would Young Master Long try so hard to befriend Chu Lingwei?
"I hope so."
Chu Lingwei actually hoped that Long Ziqian had guessed her identity.
The two sat on the flying artifact, Lingzhou shrinking further behind them.
As dawn broke, Chu Lingwei stood up and looked at the faintly brightening sky, a smile appearing on her lips. Those who had been following her could finally return to report.
When Chu Lingwei left, she had sent a communication talisman to her master in front of her father, Chu Ze, informing him that she would be returning to the Cultivation Academy soon. This was her master's command, and if Chu Lingwei did not return, she would be disobeying. It was clear that Chu Ze hoped she would return to the Cultivation Academy as soon as possible.
Chu Lingwei felt helpless. Her mother and a hundred cultivators from the Phoenix Clan were still in her ring space. She didn't know if her father knew about this. Her father remaining in the Phoenix Clan now indicated his decision; he would stand with the Phoenix Clan.
Three days passed in a flash.
Chu Lingwei arrived at a small city. Standing on her flying artifact, as she passed over its airspace, she was immediately captivated by its prosperity. So prosperous? Even Lingzhou, which she had just left, was not as prosperous and lively as this place.
"Let's go down and take a look." Chu Lingwei, with the phantom cat, landed before the city gate. There was only one word above it: "Six." All cultivators entering the city had to pay three low-grade spirit stones.
After paying the spirit stones, Chu Lingwei entered the city's main street. All the cultivators here were discussing one topic: the ongoing arena competition. If a cultivator could achieve a top-five ranking in this arena, they would qualify for a recommendation from the City Lord to study at the Cultivation Academy.
Since it was related to the Cultivation Academy, Chu Lingwei became interested and, with the phantom cat, headed straight for the venue.
At this point, the arena competition was nearing its end. It was now the ten-into-five matches.
On the arena stage, a female cultivator in red was fighting against a frail-looking young man. They had been fighting for a long time, and the frail young man looked like he could fall at any moment.
Chu Lingwei stared at the frail young man, her brow furrowing. Why did she feel a sense of familiarity with this young man?
"Weiwei, this young man seems to be... from the Dragon Clan." The phantom cat wanted to say he was from the Phoenix Clan, but he worried about eavesdroppers. Some powerful beings could hear the telepathic communications between cultivators.
Chu Lingwei understood the phantom cat's veiled words and knew that the young man before them was from the Phoenix Clan. After staying in the Dragon Manor for two days, she knew a rule of the Dragon Manor: no one from the Dragon Manor was allowed to cultivate in any sect. If they wanted to cultivate, they either had to cultivate within the clan or become rogue cultivators.
"He's about to lose," the phantom cat sighed. The young man's cultivation was far inferior to the female cultivator's. The fact that he had lasted this long was already remarkable.
"If you concede now, I won't kill you." The female cultivator in red shared the phantom cat's thoughts. A confident expression of victory appeared on her lips, and her voice was arrogant.
"Until the last moment, I haven't lost." The young man's eyes were filled with determination.
This statement clearly angered the female cultivator in red. Killing intent flashed in her eyes, and she thrust her sword towards the young man. "You court death."
Just as everyone was holding their breath for the young man, and as the female cultivator's sword was about to strike him, her body seemed to be blocked by something. She was violently thrown backward, falling off the stage.
Only the frail young man remained on the stage. All the spectators were stunned. What was happening? httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Even the referee was bewildered.
"I win." The frail young man bowed to the referee and said calmly.
The referee recovered and announced the young man as the fifth-place winner of the arena competition. Chu Lingwei remembered his name: Zhong Xuan.
"Zhong Xuan, you actually used a trick!" The female cultivator in red was furious and cursed.
"I am a formation master, so naturally, I would use formations to deal with you." Zhong Xuan's answer was forthright. He had never hidden the fact that he was a formation master; she had been careless.
Chu Lingwei and the phantom cat turned away. She mused that perhaps in the future, she might encounter this Zhong Xuan at the Cultivation Academy.
Just as she passed by a wine shop, a familiar aura pressed down on her. Chu Lingwei's expression changed, and she circulated her spiritual energy to counter it.
"Hehehe."
A charming laugh reached Chu Lingwei's ears. "Weiwei, still so cautious?"
"Mei Ji." Chu Lingwei's face darkened. She hadn't expected to encounter Mei Ji here. Her luck was truly something, wasn't it? "Why are you here?"
Chu Lingwei glanced around the wine shop and successfully spotted her enemy.
"We were planning to head to Lingzhou, and seeing how lively it was here, we decided to take a look. We didn't expect to run into you." Mei Ji stepped forward and grabbed Chu Lingwei's hand. "You're still alive. You truly have a thick skin."