Chapter 266: Chapter 261: Arrival
The mountain road was bumpy and uneven, but the Hurricane Horses pulled the carriage southward at high speed as if on level ground. Lowering the window curtain, Mu Chen turned to look at Wan Xian’er beside him, only to find the young lady staring intently out the window. Perhaps this was her first time experiencing the joy of riding in a Beast Vehicle, as a faint smile constantly graced her lips.
A corner of his mouth lifted imperceptibly. Due to the carriage’s constant jolting, Mu Chen didn’t immerse his soul into the Extreme Spirit Pearl to study the Spirit Nourishing Couch. Instead, he sat upright and fell into deep thought.
’As I meet more and more people, I’m gradually realizing how inadequate my Martial Artist Realm is. Perhaps this is the fundamental difference between a Low-class Empire and the Middle and High Level Empires. Let’s not even talk about Brother Xu Fei; after all, given how long he’s been cultivating, it wouldn’t be surprising if his Martial Artist Realm reached the Martial Arts Grandmaster Realm.’
’But this Wan Xian’Er I just met is what truly astonishes me. She seems to be around my age, yet her Martial Artist Realm is terrifyingly high—just a hair’s breadth away from the Martial Emperor level. Someone with such power must come from a High-class Empire, or perhaps even a Dynasty with a background more fearsome than a High-class Empire. You have to understand, even He Long, the Crown Prince of the Celestial Eagle Empire, a Middle and Upper Class Empire, only reached the Third-Ring Martial King realm at the age of eighteen. Given the aura Wan Xian’Er radiates, the family behind her must be extraordinary. It’s even possible she started her Cultivation in her mother’s womb.’
In truth, even if Mu Chen’s guess wasn’t entirely correct, it wasn’t far off. Wan Xian’Er’s Cultivation had indeed begun in the womb. Her background wasn’t some Dynasty, nor was it any High-class Empire. It was the Ding Palace, one of the Nine Great Influences of the Central State! The Ding Palace, hailed as the undisputed number one in Alchemy Technique on the continent!
And Wan Xian’Er was the one and only daughter of the Ding Palace Master, Wan Xianzhong. Because of this, even before she was born, Wan Xianzhong had his wife bathe daily in an extremely precious Cultivation Medicine. The purpose was to allow the fetus’s body to begin accepting the baptism of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi before birth. This would enable her body to directly absorb the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi from the moment she was born. Coupled with her family’s resources, she never lacked the best enhancement pills for every level of her Cultivation. It could be said that even a Martial Artist of mediocre talent, if nurtured in such an environment for fifteen years, would have their Martial Artist Realm absolutely surpass the Martial Arts Grandmaster Realm—let alone someone as exceptionally talented as Wan Xian’Er.
In stark contrast, there was Mu Chen. A cripple from a young age, his Dantian was shattered and his body broken. He was tormented day and night by a merciless illness, his health deteriorating steadily. For eleven years, Mu Chen had almost no contact with martial arts Cultivation. Furthermore, being born in a Low-class Empire like the Xuanling Empire, forget being nurtured with Cultivation Medicine from a young age—until he was eleven, Mu Chen didn’t even know what a medicinal pill tasted like.
But now? In just three short years of martial arts Cultivation, Mu Chen had gone from a cripple to a Five-Ring Martial Spirit capable of killing High-level Martial Artists of a higher Great Tier. He had relied on his own perseverance, tenacity, and a baptism of blood. Therefore, even though his Martial Artist Realm was only that of a Five-Ring Martial Spirit, it was no exaggeration to say that with his Profound Dragon Arm, combined with his Purple Sky Demon Pupils and Red Lotus Ice Technique, Mu Chen could easily slay any Martial King Strong Person without even needing to use the Secret Techniques of the Profound Jade Fan and Shattered Star Lock Chain. If he put forth his full strength, he even had the power to fight a Martial Arts Master.
To possess the strength to fight a Martial Arts Master in just three years—such power was something that even Qin Shang, the Young Master of Tingyu Pavilion, could only look at from afar. If all the geniuses on the Extreme Martial Continent were placed on the same starting line as Mu Chen, it could be said with certainty that not a single one of them could have reached his current heights.
But the world has never been fair. They possessed incomparable backgrounds and both innate and Postnatal Cultivation Resources. If Mu Chen wanted to surpass them, he could only rely on his own diligence and his ability to seek out opportunities.
Clenching his fists, Mu Chen silently vowed, ’One day, I will surpass everyone and reign supreme over the entire continent! Netherworld Purgatory, I, Mu Chen, will rise to power! Since Master gave me this heaven-defying opportunity, wouldn’t I be letting him down if I didn’t even have this much resolve?!’
As he silently made this resolution, an unprecedented aura erupted from Mu Chen—the aura of a world-conquering sovereign. Even Wan Xian’Er turned her head in shock, staring at Mu Chen in astonishment. At that moment, Mu Chen’s entire disposition had changed. For an instant, Wan Xian’Er was stunned to see the image of Mu Chen overlapping with that of her own father. That’s right, she had once seen this same aura on her father. However, with the passage of time, that quality in Wan Xianzhong had been completely replaced by a restrained gentleness. She never expected to discover the air of a superior being in Mu Chen now. ’Is he really just an ordinary person from a Border Empire?’ A huge question mark appeared in Wan Xian’Er’s mind.
Outside, Xu Fei’s sharp gaze merely swept over the carriage’s interior before he smiled profoundly. ’Looks like I’ve met a very interesting little fellow... Giddy-up!!’
Following Xu Fei’s cry, the Hurricane Horse Carriage crossed mountain mists and traversed green fields. 「Two days later.」 It finally approached its destination: the Fenglan Imperial City. It was now nighttime, but under the moonlight, visibility was still clear.
Even before entering the Fenglan Imperial City, they could hear the extremely loud and festive sound of firecrackers. It was obvious this was to welcome the Fenglan Empire’s annual Spirit Selection Conference. Because of this, as the Hurricane Horse Carriage neared the Imperial Capital, it was already joined by countless other Beast Vehicles. After all, there were only four roads leading to the Imperial Capital, and the one Xu Fei had chosen happened to be a frequently traveled route.
Curious, Mu Chen opened the curtain and glanced outside. He saw that dozens of Beast Vehicles had already gathered on a wide avenue. However, most of them used Level 2 or Level 3 transportation-type Magical Beasts; only Xu Fei was using Hurricane Horses, a Level 4 Magical Beast exclusive to the nobility.
"Well, well! Isn’t it Master Xu Fei from Stone City? What a grand display this year, actually riding in a Hurricane Horse Carriage that only nobles and high officials can afford. After ranking last for nine consecutive years, it looks like Master Xu has spent a pretty penny, ready to bet it all on one last desperate struggle!"
Just as Mu Chen was lowering the curtain, a loud, sharp voice suddenly came from outside. Slightly stunned, Mu Chen gently pulled the curtain open just a crack. His gaze extended out, and what met his eyes was an extremely high-class carriage. Although it was difficult to see who was driving the other carriage as they rode side-by-side, it was clear from the words alone that this person knew Xu Fei. Furthermore, the words were dripping with sarcasm. It seemed they were a foe, not a friend.
Xu Fei just let out a couple of hearty laughs and said, "So it’s Master Ma Gedan. It’s been a year, and you’ve gotten even thinner. No wonder your finances only allow you to ride in a Third-level Horse Carriage. Your strength as a Martial Artist still needs improvement."
Hearing the name Xu Fei used, Mu Chen, who was inside the carriage, almost spat out his drink. ’The Ma family is certainly creative with names,’ he thought. ’Ma Gedan... isn’t that basically a curse word?’
Ma Gedan knew Xu Fei was deliberately using his name to mock him, but after so many years, he had long grown used to the ridicule. He could only silently blame his uncultured parents for the name they gave him. Look at the excellent name he gave his own son: Ma Bi! It evoked success upon arrival, a sharp and revealed talent—heroic and domineering! Let’s see who can make fun of that name.
"Heh heh, Xu Fei, you should worry about yourself. In our Fenglan Empire, the Martial Artist Realm isn’t the only thing that matters. Although your realm is indeed high, don’t forget that the end of this tenth Spirit Selection Conference will be the day of Stone City’s demise. With our geographical advantage, heheh, perhaps we’ll be fated to live in the same city. I’m wondering if I should bestow the position of stable boy upon you. Maybe then you could still make a living," Ma Gedan said with a confident smile, as if he didn’t see Xu Fei as a threat at all.
"Oh? Then I must thank Master Ma Gedan for his generous offer. Hmm? We’re entering the city. See you later." After speaking, Xu Fei let out a sharp cry. With a WHOOSH, the Hurricane Horses shot through the city gate, kicking up a huge cloud of dust that enveloped Ma Gedan’s carriage behind them. This caused many of the surrounding contestants to burst into laughter.
Furious, Ma Gedan spat a thick glob of phlegm and cursed, "Fuck your mother, Xu Fei! You’re still acting so smug when you’re about to die! At this Spirit Selection Conference, I’ll make sure you die a very rhythmic death! Ma Bi, your old man’s reputation is all on you this time!"
"Hmph." An arrogant snort came from within the carriage, but there was no other reaction.
Because Xu Fei had the status of an Empire resident, the city gate guards didn’t stop his carriage at all. They sped all the way in. Although the Level 4 Hurricane Horse Carriage attracted some attention in the Imperial Capital, it didn’t cause a major shock. Why? Because in the Fenglan Imperial City, almost everyone who could afford to live here had a certain status. Therefore, let alone a Level 4 Beast Vehicle, they had even seen Level 5 Beast Vehicles.
Xu Fei drove the Hurricane Horses until he stopped beside an exceptionally luxurious building. Mu Chen heard a soft thud, and Xu Fei’s figure appeared at the side of the carriage. Mu Chen opened the curtain and saw Xu Fei looking at him with a gentle expression. "Brother Mu Chen, after a two-day trek, we’ve finally arrived. Come on out. I’ll take you to check in and get registered first.
Mu Chen nodded and turned to Wan Xian’Er. "Looks like we’re here. Let’s get out."
Wan Xian’Er hummed in agreement and followed Mu Chen out of the carriage. However, the moment she stepped down, she stunned the crowd of onlookers. Although she hadn’t been able to wash up or groom herself properly for two days, Wan Xian’Er’s nation-toppling, frosty beauty was not the least bit diminished. Combined with the Spiritual Qi she had accumulated over many years, she easily attracted countless gazes.
Feeling the fervent gazes from all around, Mu Chen frowned but said nothing. Wan Xian’Er, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed. A long-unseen smile appeared on her face when she saw the massive, magnificent building before them.
"Finally, I can take a nice bath." With that, she even stretched languidly, revealing her perfect curves for all the world to see.
Xu Fei also seemed to notice the disturbance. He flashed to Mu Chen’s side, his eyes sweeping over the surroundings with a cold glint. A vast pressure erupted from his body.
Mu Chen and the surrounding people were all stunned for a moment. The difference was that Mu Chen was surprised by Xu Fei’s Martial Artist Realm, while the onlookers bowed their heads in fear and went back to their own business.
"Yo, yo, yo! Master Xu, who’s gone and made you unhappy now? Weren’t you in a fine mood when we met just a moment ago?" Just as Xu Fei had achieved his deterrent effect, a familiar voice called out from behind Mu Chen and the others.
