"Zhi Rui, what makes you so happy?"
An elderly man with a snow-white beard and an air of otherworldly wisdom, sitting opposite Lin Zhirui, asked.
"It is naturally a joy to have friends coming from afar."
Lin Zhirui put away the jade compass and smiled.
"Oh, who is this talented young man this time?"
Seeing the smile on his face, the old man with the air of a hermit became curious.
His disciple seemed calm and gentle, and was very kind to everyone.
In reality, he has extremely high aspirations, and ordinary people are simply not worthy of his attention.
Therefore, he was also curious about what kind of person could make his most outstanding disciple so happy.
"Master should also know this person. He is the Chen Songqing, the senior Chen, whom I mentioned to you before, who lives in Cangzhou."
"Oh, is that the Innate Realm expert you mentioned, the one who possesses the light of merit?"
The old man, with his sage-like demeanor, immediately became interested.
“That’s right. More than two years ago, I gave Senior Chen a jade tablet. I thought he would come to Zhongzhou a year or two ago, but I didn’t expect him to come only now.”
"He must have sensed the changes in the world, which is why he came to Zhongzhou," the venerable old man guessed.
After the changes in heaven and earth, the spiritual energy of the world revived, with the most dramatic changes occurring in the Central Plains.
Anyone with even a modicum of knowledge at the Innate Realm would certainly not want to miss such an opportunity.
"Perhaps, but I wonder if his disciple, that young friend Lu Qing, came along," Lin Zhirui said.
"Is it that young man who defeated the martial arts grandmaster of the Heavenly Azure Sect while only at the Bone and Tendon Realm?"
"Indeed, that young man is exceptionally talented and has outstanding martial arts skills. I wonder if he has reached the Innate Realm in the past two years."
Lin Zhirui recalled Lu Qing's calm face.
That boy was one of the most mysterious people he had ever met.
He was also the only person he couldn't see through after taking control of the sect's rare treasures.
"Master, Senior Chen should be nearby by now. I need to go and greet him. I'm afraid I won't be able to finish this game of chess with you."
“Go ahead. The situation in the city is tense right now. It would be a good thing to have such a kind-hearted and powerful person here,” said the old man with an air of otherworldly wisdom.
Lin Zhirui felt a slight tightness in his heart as he thought about what had happened in the Holy City recently.
I felt it necessary to explain the situation in the city to the old doctor later, so that he wouldn't be caught up in the turmoil without knowing the full story.
"Master, this should be the place."
Looking at the towering tower in front of him, and the seven-star symbol on it that was exactly the same as the one on the Heavenly Mystery Tower in Azure Dragon City, Lu Qing said.
"Yes, I can feel that the fluctuations received by the jade tablet also come from here," the old doctor nodded.
Magu asked, "Then how do we get in? Do I need to deliver a visiting card?"
“No need.” Lu Qing’s expression suddenly changed, and he smiled. “An old friend has come out to pick us up.”
No sooner had the words been spoken than a figure dressed in plain clothes walked out of the tower.
Who else could it be but Lin Zhirui, whom I haven't seen for more than two years?
"Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?"
Lin Zhirui's demeanor was even more gentle than it had been two years ago, and he walked up with a smile on his face.
"Senior Chen, young friend Lu Qing, it's been over two years since we last met. How have you been?"
"It's been a long time, Zhi Rui," the old doctor said with a smile.
"Thanks to Your Excellency Zhi Rui's good fortune, everything is fine," Lu Qing said, bowing.
"Greetings, Your Excellency Zhi Rui."
Magu and Wei Zian also bowed in the same manner.
Wei Zian, in particular, was extremely respectful.
He knew that if it hadn't been for His Excellency Zhi Rui's intervention back then, the Wei family would probably no longer exist.
"Young Master Wei is here too?" Lin Zhirui was also somewhat surprised to see Wei Zian. "Is Senior Wei Shanhai well?"
"Our ancestor is still in good health. He instructed me to greet you when I see Lord Zhirui," Wei Zian said respectfully.
"Senior Wei Shanhai is too kind."
Lin Zhirui secretly sized up Lu Qing and the old doctor.
More than two years had passed since they last met. Lu Qing had grown much taller and his face had become much more handsome. The old doctor, on the other hand, had not changed at all and still looked like an old man.
But to Lin Zhirui's surprise, he was unable to see through Lu Qing and the old doctor's cultivation levels.
Even if he secretly used the power of the rare treasure, he still gained nothing.
This was quite a shock, leaving Lin Zhirui somewhat incredulous.
You must know that he is now at the Innate Realm, and after this period of seclusion and consolidation, he has reached the peak of the initial stage of the Innate Realm, and is only one step away from the minor completion stage of the Innate Realm.
Not to mention that over the past two years, through day and night refinement, he has completely refined and mastered the rare treasure bestowed upon him by the sect.
Even so, he still couldn't see through the cultivation levels of Lu Qing and his disciple.
Is it that these two have reached a level of cultivation that he cannot reach, or that they also possess extraordinary treasures that can completely block his calculations and investigations?
Lin Zhirui's heart was in turmoil.
However, he remained expressionless and continued chatting with Lu Qing and the others.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Lin Zhirui slapped his forehead and said, "Look at me, I got too excited and lost my manners. Please come in with me."
After saying that, he was about to lead Lu Qing and the others into the tower.
"Your Excellency Zhi Rui, what should we do with our carriage?" Ma Gu asked.
"That's fine."
Just as Lin Zhirui was about to make arrangements, he suddenly saw Lu Qing's carriage and was stunned for a moment.
"Senior Chen, your horses..."
"On the way here, a few nights ago, a strange phenomenon suddenly occurred, with countless moonbeams falling down. These two beasts were lucky enough to receive two of these moonbeams, and that's how they ended up like this."
Lu Qing said, half-truthfully.
"Young friend Lu Qing, are you referring to the strange celestial phenomenon that occurred a few nights ago?" Lin Zhirui's eyes flashed.
"Indeed, the two horses that pulled our carriage absorbed two streams of moonlight that night. For some reason, they turned into this state the next day. Fortunately, although their appearance changed, their temperament remained the same. On the contrary, they became much stronger, which made our journey much faster and saved us a lot of time."
"Those two horses have certainly had a good opportunity." Lin Zhirui praised, his expression returning ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) to calm. "Don't worry, I'll have the disciples in the sect make the arrangements. These two divine steeds will not be treated unfairly."
Following Lin Zhirui's instructions, disciples from Tianji Tower immediately offered to help lead the horse.
"Wait a minute, we still have injured people in the carriage." Lu Qing walked to the front of the carriage and knocked on the door. "Xiao Yan, help Sister Hu out of the carriage."
"Xiaoyan is here too?"
Lin Zhirui was even more surprised upon hearing this.
However, when he saw Hu Zezhi stepping down from the carriage, his expression suddenly changed.
"Young friend Lu Qing, this young lady..."
"Your Excellency Zhi Rui noticed?" Lu Qing asked in a deep voice.
Lin Zhirui first stared at Hu Zezhi's eyebrows, then gave Lu Qing a deep look.
However, he didn't reveal the truth. Instead, he said with a somewhat solemn expression, "Please come in with me first."
Lu Qing and the others followed Lin Zhirui into the Heavenly Mystery Tower, but they did not notice that a figure in black robes was hiding around a corner a hundred meters behind them.
Those eyes, with their two pupils, emitted an eerie light.
"A person with great fortune! A body of profound yin! And what is that, the light of merit?"
This small carriage actually houses so many exceptionally talented individuals!
Could this truly be divine intervention?
A fanatical glint appeared in the eyes of the figure in black robes.
If he can devour those people in front of him, his demonic body will transform to an unbelievable degree.
At that time, not only will the formations in this broken city be unable to suppress him, but he will also no longer fear those old monsters on the Holy Mountain!
"This matter requires careful consideration. Once I devour these people, I can lay the first step in establishing my supreme demonic foundation!"
The figure in black robes had madness in his eyes, but his mind was incredibly calm.
Although he spoke of the holy city with disdain.
However, it must be admitted that he does not yet have the power to do whatever he wants in this city.
He might not even be able to defeat those old guys in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, let alone those old monsters on the Holy Mountain.
Therefore, everything must be done in secret, gradually and meticulously.
The figure in black robes gave Tianji Tower a deep look before gradually disappearing from sight.
...
Lu Qing and the others followed Lin Zhirui into the tower, but instead of going up, they passed through the tower and arrived at a large area of buildings behind it, finally stopping in a quiet courtyard.
"Senior Chen, this is my residence. It's rather simple, please don't mind," Lin Zhirui said apologetically.
"If you call this place shabby, then my place can only be called a dilapidated hut," the old doctor chuckled.
"How can this compare? Senior's residence, just that plum blossom spirit tree alone surpasses countless luxurious mansions." Lin Zhirui shook his head slightly.
"So Zhi Rui missed the plum blossom tea. Luckily, I brought a lot with me this time, so we can brew some."
The old doctor took out a packet of plum blossom tea that had been prepared in advance.
"The one who truly understands me is Senior Chen."
After entering the Innate Realm and condensing his Innate Body, Lin Zhirui smelled the faint fragrance of plum blossom tea and immediately exclaimed with delight.
They immediately went to prepare the tea set.
After Lin Zhirui took out the tea set, the next step was the tea-making process, which Lu Qing was very familiar with. He was extremely familiar with this task.
She took the initiative to do the work, quickly boiling water and brewing tea.
Soon, a perfectly brewed pot of plum blossom tea was ready.
Lin Zhirui picked up one of the teacups, took a sip, and slowly savored it, a look of delight on his face.
After a long while, he sighed and said, "I have traveled all over the world in the past few years and have drunk countless famous teas, but the one that I like the most is your plum blossom tea, Senior Chen."
"Your Excellency Zhi Rui, didn't you say that you would cultivate a plum blossom tea plant when you broke through to the Innate Realm? Did you fail?" Lu Qing asked curiously.
The plum blossom tea tree in the hillside courtyard was cultivated unintentionally by the old doctor when he entered the Innate Realm, drawing upon the primordial energy of heaven and earth.
When Lin Zhirui learned about the origin of the plum blossom tea tree, he expressed his desire to emulate it. He also wanted to cultivate a plum blossom tea tree using the energy of heaven and earth when he reached the Innate Realm.
Seeing that he had already reached the Innate Realm, Lu Qing asked this question.
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhirui looked embarrassed: "When I broke through, it was during my travels that I suddenly had a feeling and broke through unintentionally. At that time, I didn't have time to find the plum tree."
For the vast majority of martial artists, the opportunity to break through to the Innate Realm is something that can only be encountered by chance and cannot be sought after.
That spark of inspiration is fleeting; once you grasp it, few people would be willing to let it go.
Lin Zhirui was no exception. After he sensed the opportunity to break through, he did not hesitate and broke through immediately.
Only afterwards did I remember about the plum blossom tea tree, but it was already too late.
"That's a pity," Lu Qing said regretfully.
He knew very well how much this person loved drinking tea.
"It's all a matter of chance, there's nothing to regret." Lin Zhirui shook his head. "It only means that I didn't have that chance."
"Zhi Rui is right," the old doctor nodded approvingly.
He has always been a calm and easy-going person, and he greatly admires Lin Zhirui's mindset.
"Senior Chen, you flatter me. Speaking of which, why have you only come to Zhongzhou now? I thought you would have come a year or two ago."
"To be honest, I'm ashamed to say that I'm just too lazy. After getting used to living a carefree life in the countryside, I haven't been able to muster the energy to go out, which is why it's been delayed until today," the old doctor said.
"Senior is joking. I think it's because of your personality that you've never taken that so-called opportunity to heart."
If I'm not mistaken, Senior's trip to Zhongzhou this time wasn't solely for the opportunity at the Sacred Mountain, was it?
Although Lin Zhirui had not known the old doctor for long, he knew him to be a kind and benevolent person.
The fact that the other party didn't come to the Holy Mountain in the past two years indicates that they didn't value the opportunity there very much.
There must be other reasons for their sudden arrival.
Unfortunately, he had tried to calculate it before, but he couldn't figure it out at all.
"The old man isn't as detached from worldly desires as he seems," the old doctor chuckled. "However, besides the opportunity at the Holy Mountain, there are indeed some other things I want to clarify when I come to Zhongzhou this time."
"Is it about this young lady?" Lin Zhirui asked Hu Zezhi.
This startled the pretty young girl who was listening with great interest, and she didn't understand why she was suddenly being brought up.
"This is just one of them, but it is the most important thing right now. Zhi Rui, you should be able to see the problem with Miss Hu, right?" the old doctor said.
"There was an invisible black aura lingering between the girl's brows, which was difficult to dissipate."
This is an omen of impending great danger, indicating that in the near future, this young woman will encounter something far worse than death.
Lin Zhirui's expression turned serious, and he spoke slowly.
“Indeed, Aqing and I also vaguely sensed the calamity befalling Miss Hu, but we couldn’t figure out where it came from. I wonder if Zhirui has any way to deduce it?”
The old doctor knew that the Tianji Tower lineage was most skilled in divination.
If it were Lin Zhirui, perhaps a clue could be deduced.
However, to the doctor's surprise, Lin Zhirui simply shook his head.
"I couldn't calculate it. To be honest, senior, I had already secretly calculated it when I first saw this young lady."
The result, however, was that the celestial secrets were shrouded in mystery, making calculation impossible.
"If even Zhi Rui can't figure it out, then this is troublesome." The old doctor frowned.
"Senior Chen, Your Excellency Zhi Rui, what are you talking about? I don't understand."
At this moment, Hu Zezhi finally couldn't help but ask.
