Chapter 201

Chapter 201

Mu Chen parked the flying ship, and together with Ye Shi, descended.

The guardians of the Imperial City tightened their expressions upon seeing the duo.

Many cultivators nearby halted upon hearing the names Mu Chen and Ye Shi, stopping to observe.

"You look quite tense. Is Mu Chen that intimidating?" Ye Shi asked, crossing his arms and curiously eyeing the lead guard.

The head guard chuckled awkwardly, "Of course not. How could Master Mu be intimidating?"

"Is it because I look fearsome?" Ye Shi teased, poking his cheek.

"Of course not! Master Ye, you look quite approachable," the guard replied with a forced laugh.

Ye Shi assessed the head guard, thinking: If neither Mu Chen nor I are intimidating, why are your legs trembling?

"Is this the capital of the Cangqiong Empire?" Ye Shi inquired, looking around.

"Indeed," the head guard promptly replied.

"Is my master Xiong Wei in the capital?" Mu Chen interjected.

"Elder Xiong Wei currently resides in the Welcome Inn," the guard replied respectfully.

"Thank you," Mu Chen said with a smile, taking Ye Shi with him as they left.

As soon as they departed, whispers erupted among the nearby cultivators.

"Are those Mu Chen and Ye Shi? I expected them to have extraordinary features, but they look quite ordinary."

"Their appearance might be common, but their aura is exceptional. What use is good looks if one lacks power?"

"I heard they both have fiery tempers, but they seemed quite calm just now."

...

Welcome Inn.

Xiong Wei greeted the several royal-level experts in front of him with a smile.

Xiong Wei silently rolled his eyes. He had been in the capital of the Cangqiong Empire for quite some time and had been largely ignored. However, the news of Mu Chen and Ye Shi's arrival brought a stream of royal-level visitors to his door. In terms of respect, he seemed to lag far behind Mu Chen and Ye Shi.

"Brother Xiong, you truly have a gift for mentoring! You've nurtured a prodigious disciple in Mu Chen."

"Genius is one thing, but what's truly rare is his loyalty and integrity."

"Indeed. Even at this critical juncture between life and death, Mu Chen returned. Such admirable courage!"

"I've heard that Young Master Mu has mastered the third tier, sixth level of array methods, and is both a talisman master and array master. Such talents are truly unparalleled in history."

"..."

Xiong Wei wore a broad smile. Mu Chen was skilled, had great character, could concoct pills, create talismans, and arrange arrays. But the young man lacked proper respect for his teacher.

"Brother Xiong, do you know where Mu Chen and Ye Shi are now?"

"Logically speaking, shouldn't Mu Chen and Ye Shi have arrived? Brother Xiong, any idea about their whereabouts?"

Xiong Wei rolled his eyes. How would he know? Those two were like shadows, arriving and departing without a trace. His intel wasn't exactly top-notch.

"Perhaps they got delayed on the road. Since they're back, they'll show up eventually." Xiong Wei chuckled.

"Elder Xiong, Mu Chen and Ye Shi have arrived!" Lin Nan hastily entered and whispered to Xiong Wei.

Xiong Wei blinked in surprise, "They're here?"

Lin Nan nodded, "Yes!"

Xiong Wei sighed in relief, "That's good to hear. Speak of the devil and he shall appear!"

By all accounts, Mu Chen and Ye Shi should have arrived two days ago. The imperial city now was a den of vipers and dragons, and considering the many enemies both had made in their early days, Xiong Wei was genuinely concerned for them.

Mu Chen and Ye Shi strolled in. Mu Chen had heard from Lin Mu that Xiong Wei had many guests today. But upon entering, he was taken aback by the assembly of "guests."

Xiong Wei was hosting over a dozen imperial-level masters.

As Mu Chen and Ye Shi entered, all the imperial-level masters stood up to greet them with respect.

Facing such an assembly of powerful figures, both Mu Chen and Ye Shi reciprocated the gesture humbly.

Mu Chen and Ye Shi took their seats beside Xiong Wei.

In a casual tone, Xiong Wei asked Ye Shi, "Didn't you leave before Yan Qingcheng and the others? Why have you only just arrived in the imperial city?"

Ye Shi's face flushed upon hearing this.

Xiong Wei's question was initially out of mere curiosity. But seeing Ye Shi's reaction, he grew more intrigued.

Observing Ye Shi, Xiong Wei noticed a softness in him and his flushed complexion, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.

He had jokingly mentioned earlier that the two might have been up to some mischief. But now, it seemed very likely that they indeed were.

Looking at Ye Shi, it was clear he had lost his virginity. That crafty Mu Chen must've finally made a move on Ye Shi!

And here Xiong Wei had thought his disciple was an upright gentleman. If Mu Chen hadn't acted, he'd have started doubting his disciple's virility.

"We had a breakthrough, which caused a two-day delay." Mu Chen stated calmly.

Xiong Wei was taken aback, realizing that Mu Chen had reached the nine-star martial king realm. He was just one step away from becoming a martial emperor.

"You've both achieved the nine-star martial king level?" Xiong Wei asked in disbelief, recalling that just two months ago, they were at the seven-star level.

Ye Shi nodded, "Yes."

Xiong Wei internally cursed, "Just how did these two practice? Not even steroids work this fast!"

The other martial emperor powerhouses exchanged glances, their gazes filled with astonishment towards Mu Chen and Ye Shi.

A nine-star martial king at seventeen – these two had far outpaced the geniuses of other nations.

...

Mu Chen, sitting aside, gave a casual glance to the martial emperors. His eyes momentarily sharpened when they landed on one of them.

Mu Chen narrowed his eyes, a hint of amusement playing on his lips as he spotted Gu Miaoyu among the martial emperors.

Feeling Mu Chen's gaze, Gu Miaoyu stood up, bowing slightly, "Young Master Mu, the misunderstandings of the past were unintentional. I hope you can be forgiving."

"Elder Gu, there's no need for such formalities. I too was at fault back then. Given our current situation with the beast tide, I hope we can leave the past behind." Mu Chen replied with a smile.

Gu Miaoyu sighed in relief, "I wouldn't dare hold any grudges."

"Master Mu, I'm deeply grateful for you saving my subordinates Yan Qingcheng, Fei Zhong, and Liu Jing," Lei Hong bowed in gratitude.

"It was a mere trifle," Mu Chen's lips curved slightly in amusement. The three men were saved by Ye Shi without even revealing his identity. Still, since Lei Hong had credited it to him, Mu Chen saw no need to argue. After all, the bond between him and Ye Shi made no room for distinction. Besides, there was likely more to Lei Hong's story.

"I've heard rumors that you can refine the Ling Huang Pill?" Lei Hong hesitated slightly before asking.

Mu Chen nodded, confirming, "Indeed."

Lei Hong looked intently at Mu Chen, "Mu Chen, with the Beast Tide approaching, the Ling Huang Pill has significant benefits for Wu Huang experts. I hope you can..."

Interrupting, Mu Chen replied, "I understand. With the Beast Tide imminent, refining some Ling Huang Pills to help our elders enhance their strength is my duty. However, I trust you won’t expect me to work for free."

Lei Hong composed himself and inquired, "What do you wish in return, Master Mu?"

Mu Chen tapped the table lightly and explained, "We're all in this together now. I won't ask for much. Any Wu Huang expert who wishes to fight the Beast Tide need only provide three sets of level-six spirit herbs and two million Yuan stones in exchange for a Ling Huang Pill. Out of the three sets of herbs, one is mandatory for refining the pill, while the other two sets can be of their choosing."

Lei Hong paused for a moment, realizing from Mu Chen's offer that his success rate in refining the pills must be quite high.

Mu Chen's proposal was reasonable. In peaceful times, such a generous offer would be rare.

"In that case, on behalf of all the Wu Huang, I express our gratitude for your generosity," Lei Hong said with a respectful bow.

Mu Chen rose casually, replying, "No need for thanks. The Beast Tide is near, and we rise or fall together. We should support each other."

Gu Miao Yu observed Mu Chen closely. After his generous offer, many Wu Huang experts would now hold him in high regard. Fortunately for those who once bore grudges against him, he did not dwell on past grievances.

After some brief pleasantries, several emperor-level experts left their boxes containing level-six spirit herbs and Yuan stones before departing hastily.

...

To Mu Chen's surprise, he quickly amassed several sets of materials for the Ling Huang Pill.

Ye Shi was examining the ornate boxes intently.

"It's astonishing how many of them possess the herbs required to refine the Ling Huang Pill," Ye Shi exclaimed.

Xiong Wei shrugged, commenting, "They're all emperor-level experts. While acquiring a Ling Huang Pill is tough, obtaining the necessary herbs is feasible for them."

"These cunning old foxes are all sharp observers. The deeds you accomplished in the Luo Yue Empire have spread. Many are aware of your pill refining skills and anticipated your return, preparing for it in advance. Now, the heavy lifting falls on you."

Mu Chen chuckled lightly, "It’s not a loss on my part. I get to practice with more spirit herbs. Level-six spirit herbs are far from ordinary."

"Glad to see you're taking it in stride," Xiong Wei responded with a smile.

Mu Chen took out a pill bottle and handed it to Xiong Wei, "Master, this is for you."

Xiong Wei glanced inside, stunned, "How come you still have this?"

Mu Chen nonchalantly replied, "From one set of spirit herbs, I can refine one to three pills. Last time I was rather fortunate and managed to refine three pills from a single batch." To outsiders, however, it appeared he had only produced one.

Impressed, Xiong Wei mused, "Your pill-refining skills are commendable! Three pills from one batch is quite a yield."

Mu Chen smiled modestly, "It's passable."

Ye Shi, deep in thought, was suddenly asked, "What's on your mind, Shi?"

"It's just... two years ago, we were at odds with Gu Miao Yu, locked in a life or death battle. Now, we stand as allies," Ye Shi mused.

Xiong Wei laughed softly, "There are no permanent friends or enemies. Such shifts are common. You're still young; with time, you'll come to understand."

Ye Shi shrugged, "Perhaps."