Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Arrival at the Imperial City

"Let's find a place to rest. I'll grill some meat for you," Mu Chen said, offering Ye Shi a warm smile.

Ye Shi eagerly nodded, his face brightening, "Sounds delightful!"

"Mu Chen, are you planning to roast the meat with a mystical flame?" Ye Shi playfully asked, sidling up to Mu Chen.

With a resigned look, Mu Chen sighed, "Shi, I'd love to use that flame, but if I did, all we'd be eating today would be ash."

Ye Shi blinked in disappointment, "In that case, let's just use a regular fire."

Mu Chen expertly prepared the beef. The tantalizing aroma soon wafted through the air. Impatiently, Ye Shi took the grilled meat from Mu Chen, taking a bite and exclaiming, "Delicious!"

Mu Chen gazed at Ye Shi's gleeful expression and sighed, "Eat slowly, don't choke."

As Ye Shi chewed, he pondered: How did Mu Chen come up with such seasoning? The grilled meat was irresistibly fragrant and perfectly tender, tempting one to savor every bite—even perhaps the fingers.

"Mu Chen, how long did it take you to master cooking? I've heard that spiritual chefs spend at least three years training before setting out," Ye Shi inquired, tilting his head.

Mu Chen chuckled, dismissing the notion, "It's just cooking. It's not that hard."

"You're so clever!" Ye Shi couldn't hold back his admiration.

"Many have said so," Mu Chen replied humbly, remembering how he had always been praised since childhood for his intellect.

Ye Shi continued, "That's not what I heard. When I first came to Mo City, many people I asked described you as dim-witted, one said you were beyond hope, and another said you couldn't hold your own."

Mu Chen: "..." Those comments weren't about him at all!

Confused, Ye Shi added, "You're clearly intelligent, so why do so many call you foolish? And it's not just rumors; apparently, you were once quite dense."

Mu Chen took a deep breath, "Have you ever heard of the term 'awakening'?"

Ye Shi blinked rapidly, "Awakening? I was actually wondering if you had been swapped out or something. You seem entirely different from the rumors."

Isn't it just the two of them? "What are you daydreaming about? Eat up," Mu Chen said, somewhat irritated.

Ye Shi shrugged, "Alright then."

Mu Chen lowered his gaze, a glint of cold determination flashing in his eyes.

"Congratulations! You've become an Eight-Star Martial Artist. You must be thrilled," Ye Shi exclaimed, his eyes shimmering.

Mu Chen simply nodded, "Of course."

"I suppose so. You're one step closer to breaking free from the Shuoyang Pill's shackles. You must be pleased," Ye Shi pondered aloud.

Mu Chen rolled his eyes. "Is it really appropriate to discuss this during a meal?" Before waiting for an answer, he hurriedly stuffed the grilled meat in his hand into Ye Shi's mouth, urging, "Eat up, eat up. It'll get cold."

Ye Shi's eyes widened, cheeks bulging.

Watching Ye Shi, Mu Chen thought: Ye Shi, or 'Stone', is cuter when he's silent.

……

Imperial City, Junior Alchemist Guild.

"Grandpa, what are you looking at?" a curious young girl asked.

An elder dressed in a brocade robe smiled, "I received a letter from Master Fu. He mentioned encountering a prodigious talent at the guild. The young man is soon to arrive in the Imperial City, and he has asked me to keep an eye out for him."

"A prodigious talent? Master Fu rarely heaps such praise on anyone," Xie Dan Yan remarked, a hint of envy in her tone.

"Indeed. When you, Xie Dan Yan, achieved the rank of a second-level pill alchemist at fourteen, Master Fu merely remarked that you did well. Yet now, he describes this young man as a prodigious talent."

"Who is this person?" Xie Dan Yan inquired.

"His name is Mu Chen. Do you recall someone who answered over two hundred questions in a day at the guild, earning over forty thousand yuan stones? That's him," Xie Qiong explained nonchalantly.

Xie Dan Yan tilted her head, "Was the person who answered all those questions really just a youth?"

Xie Qiong confirmed, "Yes, indeed."

"This guy is genuinely impressive. I initially thought a high-level pill master, out of sheer boredom, had been answering our guild's questions," Xie Dan Yan mumbled.

"I've heard you've been spending a lot of time with someone named Lan Ruo Feng?" Xie Qiong remarked, his gaze sharpening.

A blush crept onto Xie Dan Yan's face, "Yes, that's true."

Lan Ruo Feng, with his handsome features, formidable skills, and mastery in alchemy, had captivated Xie Dan Yan from their first encounter. Yet his aloof demeanor intrigued her even more, as she was used to being surrounded by men who catered to her every whim.

"Lan Ruo Feng is indeed talented. However, I've heard he's already close with a young man named Zhuang Yu," Xie Qiong noted with a hint of resignation.

Xie Dan Yan dismissively said, "Ruo Feng only keeps Zhuang Yu around because of his potential. There's nothing going on between them." Although she said this, she secretly felt that Zhuang Yu was a bit of an eyesore.

……

"We've finally arrived," Mu Hong exclaimed, leaning out of the carriage window with a look of keen curiosity at the scene before him.

Gazing at the towering city gates, Chen Yuetian remarked, "The imperial city truly is magnificent."

With a furrowed brow, Shui Qiancheng expressed apprehensively, "The entrance examination for Shengxing Academy is in seven days. I can't help but wonder how it will turn out..."

Mu Hong squinted, pondering. Shui Qiancheng had recently advanced to a two-star martial artist, so his odds of passing the Shengxing Academy test seemed slim. Mu Hong, now a four-star martial artist and the most powerful among them, was likely the best bet for admittance.

"The imperial city is not like Mo City. The imperial city is teeming with hidden experts. If you cause trouble and get killed here, your clans will not come to your rescue. Be careful, and leave your arrogance at home," Qian Dong Ting warned coldly.

The young men wisely nodded in agreement.

Qian Dongting hailed from Mo City. Although he was an independent cultivator, unaffiliated with any clan, he was quite powerful. This time, several prominent families from Mo City had jointly requested his assistance in escorting their disciples to the imperial city.

"Mu Hong, where's your brother, Mu Chen? I've heard he's also qualified for the Shengxing Academy admissions. Why didn't he come with us? It's not like Mu Yuanfeng to skimp on the 30,000 elemental stone hiring fee!" Shui Qiancheng inquired with a curious tone.

Mu Hong wryly smiled, saying, "My second uncle probably has his reasons."

"Mu Hong, I've heard that since your brother's awakening, not only has his strength surged, but he's also become a pill master. What's his current strength?" Chen Yue Tian asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Like all of you, I haven't seen him in a while. I genuinely have no clue about his current strength," Mu Hong replied with a shake of his head.

"I heard that before leaving the Mu family, your brother was already a five-star martial artist?" Bilin asked.

Mu Hong's face twitched slightly. Over the past year, Mu Chen's strength had inexplicably soared as if he had tapped into some unimaginable potential. "Yes, he was."

"He truly is impressive," Bilin couldn't help but admire.

With a forced smile, Mu Hong agreed, "Indeed."

…………

While on their journey, Mu Chen and Ye Shi trained diligently. After over a month of hard work, Mu Chen had fully integrated with the Qingming Flame, solidifying his power at the eight-star martial student level, with Ye Shi steadily reaching the same rank.

Ye Shi's rapid progress surprised Mu Chen, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. The books had mentioned Ye Shi's exceptional talent. If not for Zhuang Yu and Lan Ruofeng overshadowing him, Ye Shi could have been a world-class master.

"So this is the imperial city," Ye Shi said, staring at the towering gates, eyes gleaming.

Mu Chen nodded, sighing with relief, "We finally made it."

Turning to Mu Chen, Ye Shi expressed concern, "How many Yuan Stones do we have left? I've heard things are expensive in the imperial city."

Mu Chen gave a dry laugh, saying, "About 10,000. Don't worry; we won't starve..."

With a long face, Ye Shi anxiously remarked, "I hope it's enough." 10,000 elemental stones—Mu Chen could spend more than that on just one talisman.

Pinching Ye Shi's cheek, Mu Chen reassured, "It'll be enough."

Puffing up his cheeks, Ye Shi suggested, "Let's find an inn first, then maybe take a beast-blood bath."

Nodding, Mu Chen simply responded, "Alright!"

The imperial city guards were quite strict, but Mu Chen's second-tier alchemist credential sufficed. The guards let them in without charging an entry fee.

"Those two youngsters who just passed by don't seem very old, yet both are already eight-star martial artists."

"They're probably here for the Holy Star selection. This year's student quality seems to have increased again. Among the two, one is even a second-level alchemist."

"The young generation nowadays is truly extraordinary. Just a few days ago, a second-tier alchemist visited, and he appeared quite young as well."

"Speaking of which, it's quite a coincidence. The young alchemist who arrived today has a twin with him, just like the one who came half a month ago. However, the twin from the previous pair was stunning, whereas today's seems quite ordinary..."

"To each their own."

"..."