Chapter 1 Brother and Sister

  "Huh?"

  Lu Chen was taken aback, hastily withdrawing his gaze from the small bottle of green lizard venom, and looked at Xue Yang in surprise: "Who? Li Yuan? I don't know him."

  Lin Hongjin's expression was serious, and he asked, "Xue brother, what happened?"

  Xue Yang's sweat had all come down, and he said: "Just now I came out of my house and saw that the members of the Youxian team were inquiring about Mr. En's whereabouts everywhere, and some people had even found my home. However, since I hadn't been in contact with Mr. En recently, I didn't know his whereabouts, so I didn't say anything. Later, I heard that Li Yuan's younger brother was dead, killed by Mr. En."

  Xue Yang and Lin Hongjin looked at Lu Chen simultaneously.

  Lu Xun thought for a moment and asked: "Li Yuan's younger brother? Is his name Li Tao?"

  It seems this thing is true after all.

  Xue Yang and Lin Hongjin exchanged a glance, their faces full of surprise.

  Lu Chen didn't seem to care, he had no idea what Li Yuan was all about. He put the bottle away and said calmly: "That's right, Li Tao has been looking for me, I heard that after I got the Xianmeng Jade Symbol, he harbored evil intentions, but I've already killed him... The Green Lizard Corrosive Liquid was obtained from Li Tao's body."

  Upon hearing Lu Chen personally admit it, and still being so nonchalant about it, Lin Hongjin furrowed his brow and said: "Brother Yuhu doesn't know who this Li Yuan is, but you've gotten yourself into big trouble this time."

  "What's the big deal? What's Li Yuan's background?"

  This kid obviously hasn't realized the severity of the problem yet, with a disdainful expression on his face, making Xue Yang and Lin Hongjin speechless to the point where they almost fell onto the white jade tea table.

  Lin Hongjin coughed lightly and said, "This Li Yuan is the leader of several small teams in the Xianmeng City scattered repair forces. He has more than 30 Qi-refining seventh-layer cultivators under his command, and his strength can be seen at a glance. In Xianmeng City, except for Tianxing and Xiaoyue gangs, no one can surpass him. Moreover, Li Yuan is also a Qi-refining eighth-layer cultivator."

  "Qigong eight layers?" Lu Chen just snorted and didn't say anything.

  This expression was seen by both of them, and they were shocked at the same time.

  Lin Hongjin has already made it clear that the power of Qi Xing Ba Ceng is not to be underestimated, with more than 30 people under his command. Who would have thought that Lu Chen didn't take it to heart at all? The disdain in his eyes is proof enough.

  "Could it be that Jade Lake Daoist has already reached the 8th layer of Qi Refining? How is that possible?" Xue Yang and Lin Hongjin simultaneously felt a thread of shock.

  "When I came, it was the fifth layer of Qi training, and in half a year, I reached the eighth layer?" These words, even if spoken out loud, would not be believed by anyone. However, at this moment, Xue Yang and Lin Hongjin had some doubts about their own conjectures.

  "Is it really eight floors?" The two of them silently asked themselves, but didn't say a word.

  "It seems that Yuhu Dao friend must have something to rely on." Lin Hongjin shook his head and smiled bitterly, thinking to himself that after many years of cultivation, he was still at the seventh layer of Qi refinement, and compared to Lu Chen, well, it was really impossible to compare. Not to mention other things, just this calm state of mind alone, he would never have been able to achieve.

  "But... the tone of his words changed, Lin Hongjin still didn't look at Lu Chen, and said: "The Youxian team is not so simple, Li Yuan is indeed very powerful, but he is only a cultivator of the 8th layer of Qi Refining, and the reason why the Youxian team can be on par with Tianxing and Xiaoyue is because the true leader of the Youxian team is a master of the 9th layer of Qi Refining."

  "Oh? Cultivating Qi for Nine Layers?"

  This time, Lu Chen opened his eyes, but still without any shock or fear.

  "Hiss~"

  Looking at Lu Chen's fearless appearance, Lin Hongjin and Xue Yang couldn't help but take a cold breath: "Damn it, what kind of person or ghost is this kid? Not being afraid of the 8th layer of Qi training is one thing, but not even being afraid of the 9th layer, what kind of capital does this kid have?"

  Xue Yang thought so too, his eyes gleaming with a strange light as he sized up Lu Chen.

  Lu Chen was indeed fearless. With his current strength, facing a Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivator was nothing to him. He believed that he would absolutely not lose. Moreover, he still had Jin Xiu. With Jin Xiu's physical body, she could also compare to a Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivator. The two of them working together would definitely be able to match up against a Qi Refining Ninth Layer expert.

  Of course, Lu Chen still listened to some of it, especially when he heard that there were more than 30 Qi-refining seventh-layer cultivators in the Youxian team. His eyes began to flicker non-stop, as if thinking about something.

  "Ah, I've already reached the 6th layer of Qi cultivation. According to the records of Soul Nourishing Technique, with Golden Cultivation, it's possible to further increase my strength by one more layer. This requires the souls of 63 Qi cultivators at the 7th layer. Just now, I collected four, and Golden Cultivation still needs to absorb, lacking 59 more... If Golden Cultivation advances to the 8th layer of Qi cultivation, wouldn't it be even simpler and more enjoyable to deal with the leader of the Wandering Immortals?"

  Lu Chen asked, "Lin brother, does this Youxian team really have more than thirty cultivators?"

  "Gotcha, scared now?" Lin Hongjin nodded with a hint of self-satisfaction, thinking to himself: "This expression is still within normal limits."

  "Is there an accurate number?" Lu Chen asked again.

  "Uh..." Lin Hongjin was slightly startled, and then said: "About half a year ago, there was news that they had thirty-three people."

  "Thirty-three..." Lu Chen let out a long sigh.

  Lin Hongjin and Xue Yang obviously misunderstood Lu Chen, thinking he was afraid, just as they were about to speak up, but unexpectedly, Lu Chen muttered to himself: "It's far from enough, how can this be enough?"

  “……”

  The two of them fell silent...

  As soon as Lu Chen's careless remark fell, the small package was suddenly plunged into a dead silence...

  "Not enough, come on, what kind of cultivation is this kid, how can he not know fear at all?"

  The two men's gazes, which had been filled with worry as they looked at Lu Chen, suddenly turned strange and eerie.

  They certainly did not know what Lu Chen was planning, nor did they know whether his strength was really as strong as it is now.

  Lu Chen wouldn't explain, after all these things were his own secrets. He was just thinking to himself: "I've reached the sixth layer of Qi refinement, now I can cultivate the Earth Escape Technique of the Earth System Dao method. Hmm, that shouldn't be difficult, I'll be able to learn it quickly."

  Earth Concealment Technique, can use magic to merge one's body into the ground, and then move through the earth, used for escape and stealth, is a great technique.

  "I've mastered the Earth Escape, and the sixth move of the Void Origin Sword Technique has been unlocked. It's not hard to grasp it either. Plus, I have three door techniques, over a hundred talismans, the Flowing Sand Finger, the Five Lohan Cloud Step, and the Dark Ghost Shadow. After some time, I'll also be able to craft the Six-Arrow Talisman device. And let's not forget my Golden Cicada Symbol Armor, the Life-Saving Five Thunder Curse, and the strongest of all - the Sleeve Cloud Arrow Talisman. Hmph, Li Yuan, you'd best not mess with me, or else I won't mind taking your Wandering Immortal Squad and giving it to Jin Xiu as a snack..."

  The eyes of a certain two people kept wandering on Lu Chen's body, thinking about the meaning was chaotic and couldn't find the theme under Lu Chen's expression. However, what the two didn't know until now is that Lu Chen not only wasn't afraid, but also started to play with the idea of the You Xian team, for example...

  "There's a team of Youxian led by a master with nine layers of Qi refinement, tsk tsk, that must be worth a fortune." Lu Chen sighed inwardly.

  Like this, quietly maintaining, after a while, Lu Chen finally came back to his senses from his contemplation and said to Xue Yang: "Xue brother, thank you for this time, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have known that someone was watching me."

  Xue Yang was a man of his word, and he patted his chest, saying: "Yu Hu, how could you say such a thing? I recall that day when Lu Chen saved my brother's life with his own hands. I haven't had the chance to repay him yet. Don't worry, sir, even if the You Xian team is formidable, I'll risk my life to ensure they don't harm you in the slightest."

  Lu Xun heard this and was deeply moved, thinking to himself: "Now this is what you call a good person."

  But...

  He smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Xue brother. However, this matter is too big, and Yu Hu doesn't want to implicate you in it. This is something that Yu Hu has done alone, and he will take responsibility for it alone."

  "Joking aside, with you around, Master Dao would be exhausted to death. If something happens, I'd probably have to rescue you too, no way, no way." Although Lu Chen politely declined, this was actually his true thoughts.

  "Thank you." Xue Yang saw this and wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by Lu Chen's hand gesture.

  He didn't bother with him anymore, Lu Chen turned to Lin Hongjin and said: "Brother Lin, how much longer will it take for the arrow shaft?"

  Lin Hongjin suddenly understood and secretly thought that this kid might have been prepared early, and replied: "This thing still needs some time, half a month, it should be done."

  "That's good," Lu Chen said: "I'll be staying here for a while, won't be a bother, will I?"

  "No trouble, Mr. Yu Hu is a major client of our auction house, so he naturally gets this kind of treatment. I'll go arrange for a private room for him to rest..." Lin Hongjin replied with a pat on his chest.

  "That's good, then Yu Hu won't bother us."

  After that, the three of them parted ways. Xue Yang left the Immortal Alliance Auction House with a face full of disappointment and guilt. But Lu Chen held onto Lin Hongjin and said: "Brother Lin, actually this matter has some relation to your auction house too."

  "Oh?"

  Lin Hongjin was stunned and asked in confusion: "Brother Yuhu, why did you say that?"

  Lu Chen told Lin Hongjin what he had heard Li Tao and Gen Yu say before he killed Li Tao in anger. It naturally mentioned that a certain follower used some unscrupulous means to pry into the matter of selling demon beast materials from Qian Ye, which made Lin Hongjin furious with rage, shouting that this matter must be found out by Qi Xianghai and Qian Ye punished.

  Lu Xun didn't mind, this kind of thing using bribery to gather information was too normal. It's just that this time, more or less because of the money, he almost got himself into trouble, so he had to vent his anger somehow.

  So...

  "Alas, it's all about money too. You're unlucky because of your own greed."

  What happened next, Lu Chen naturally wouldn't ask again. As for Qian Ye's subsequent fate, it wouldn't be too severe, but it couldn't be light either. Accepting bribes was something everyone did, but once someone was singled out as an example, they would inevitably be expelled from the Immortal Alliance. This is a later story and doesn't need to be mentioned again.

  Afterwards, Lu Chen traded the materials from the 1,500+ solo-horned fire wolves he had hunted with Lin Hongjin. After deducting the 5,400 yuan spent on buying arrowheads, he still had over 2,000 low-grade spirit stones left.

  Why so many?

  Don't forget, he still has the flying swords of Li Tao and his three companions in his hands.

  In short, the greatest gain this time is the Green Lizard's corrosive liquid. Lu Chen has no intention of selling it for now. After all, he is currently being targeted by the You Xian team and may need to rely on this thing to hide his tracks in the future, so he absolutely cannot sell it, at least not for now.

  The transaction was completed, and under Lin Hongjin's shocked expression that could not be concealed, Lu Chen was sent to the backyard of the Xianmeng Auction House by the maid.

  From now on, Lu Chen could only stay here for half a month. On the one hand, he had to wait for the arrival of the six symbol arrows, and on the other hand, he still needed to cultivate the Earth Escape Technique and the Sixth Form of the Void Element.

  The greatest hiding is hiding in plain sight.