Chapter 29: The Lord of Rōmoku Castle

  Liang Jianying stood beside Chen Yuan and asked after a while:

  "How is it? Grand?"

  Chen Yuan nodded in agreement, and sighed:

  "Only by walking out of a small world can one see a broader landscape. Cultivation requires traveling extensively and traversing thousands of mountains and rivers to be on the right path. This time, I traveled tens of thousands of miles to arrive at Ruo Mu City, broadening my horizons and gaining new insights, which is already equivalent to the sum of ten years of life spent in a small manor."

  Liang Jianying said with a helpless expression:

  "My childhood dream was to travel the world, but unfortunately I was caught and brought back within three months of my last trip. The only fortunate thing is that I met you, Brother Chen."

  "Traveling all over the world, there will always be opportunities." Chen Yuan also felt a surge of ambition.

  However, neither Chen Yuan nor Liang Jianying knew how vast the world of Jiuzhou was. The Yunzhou they were in was already as wide and endless as it could be, and if they wanted to walk through it, they had no idea when they would finish.

  Empty talk about ideals is just adding sorrow. Liang Jianying was naturally optimistic, and after being slightly disappointed, he invited Chen Yuan to climb the tree.

  "Come on, Brother Chen!"

  "Please lead the way, Brother Liang."

  The two of them were being overly polite, and Liang Jianying chuckled: "Why do I feel like we're being too courteous? Aren't good friends and brothers in this city supposed to be close and informal?"

  "Perhaps it's because we haven't spent much time together." Chen Yuan smiled faintly, relationships like this still need time to change, although they hit it off, but it's not something that can become intimate in an instant.

  The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked into the tree gate, but there were no guards outside the city master's mansion, and the large gate was only a few feet wide. On it were carved the three characters "City Master's Mansion", the calligraphy was very ancient, if Chen Yuan hadn't studied hard for a while, he would have had trouble recognizing them. On either side of the gate were symbols that resembled couplets, these symbols were strange and unusual, at first glance they seemed to be pulling people's souls into them, Chen Yuan quickly shifted his gaze.

  "This is 'Primary Wooden Armor Divine Seal Pattern', when on guard, it can transform into two wooden spirit soldiers in the initial stage of foundation building." Liang Jianying made friends with Chen Yuan.

  "Awesome." Chen Yuanshan exclaimed.

  "In the study of talismans, this can only be considered a lower-level talisman, not worth mentioning. In the Heavenly Strategy Pavilion, there is a great expert who can suppress the power of the Great Dao with just one character talisman, that's what a true talisman master looks like."

  Liang Jianying's family learning is rich and profound, Chen Yuan learned a lot from him.

  "I recall that in the Jade Stele's mid-grade item exchange, there was a 'Divine Invitation Pattern Record' worth exactly 1,000 mid-grade demon spirits. Do you want to make the exchange?"

  Chen Yuan heard that Fuwen was fierce and had some thoughts in his heart.

  "You little scamp, you've obtained my life-saving talisman, yet you still think about those inferior talismans? This thousand-year-old mid-grade demon spirit listens to me, exchanging it for the Shennong Hundred Herb Garden will absolutely not be wrong." The divine snake sensed Chen Yuan's thoughts and reprimanded him with some annoyance.

  "Are you referring to the 'Silver Snake Mark' between my eyebrows?" Chen Yuan replied.

  The Nine Mystical Serpent's solemn and serious teachings said:

  "It's true. That one mouthful of my vital energy contains the power of my nine-xuan divine snake's millions of years of cultivation, and the Silver Snake Divine Communication is just a transformation of the Symbolic Way. Its power far exceeds what you can currently use. After I transformed into human form, I sought the way in 'Biyu Tian', where the master of Biyu Tian was the founder of the Symbolic Way. I studied under him for 500 years and although I only grasped its surface, I also gained insight into the eleven true symbols passed down by our ancestor. Why do you need to seek far and waste this precious spirit that cost a great price?"

  "I understand. When I have time, I still have many things to ask you." Chen Yuan replied in his heart. The divine snake had been dormant for too long after its first appearance, and for a while, Chen Yuan had almost forgotten about it. Now it seemed that the role of this divine snake's remnant soul was far from just providing him with a vital energy source.

  "Hmm! There's a knot in this tree that I need to attend to later. It's not suitable for me to chat with you anymore. This Liang Jianying is a decent person, suitable for deepening our relationship." said the divine snake.

  Chen Yuan nodded in agreement, it seemed that even the divine snake had acknowledged Liang Jianying's character after their brief time together.

  Climbing up the wooden stairs, walking upwards for about a kilometer, I finally saw the inner gate.

  The gate is open, but the law is flowing, and it's clear that you can't just rush in.

  Liang Jianying took out a jade token, and the jade token hovered in mid-air, shining brightly. The magical force at the entrance dissipated.

  "Come on in!"

  As I stepped inside, I was immediately struck by a sense of luxury.

  Amethyst lamp, golden floor, silver wall, and the four walls have various ancient paintings. This luxurious decoration makes Chen Yuan, who has lived in a mountain cave for half a year, feel as if he has crossed into another world.

  "Cough... My father has a bit of a nouveau riche taste, Brother Chen, please forgive him!"

  Chen Yuan could only smile slightly and called a late-stage Jiedan, the number one person in Ruo Mu City, a nouveau riche. Chen Yuan had not become so arrogant yet.

  Liang Jianying's teasing remark obviously did not escape the master's ears.

  "Jianying, do you want to go to Heimushan confinement?"

  A loud noise came from inside the house, and the invisible pressure made Chen Yuan dare not move, his whole body trembling.

  "Father, please spare your Golden Elixir Might, just scare your son and don't implicate his friends, losing the entire family's dignity." Liang Jianying was also uncomfortable, but his cultivation was deeper than Chen Yuan's, and he had obviously been sensing this aura for years, so he replied slowly and calmly.

  The master of Rangmu Castle was in a fit of rage, but after all, he also considered his face and withdrew his power, allowing Chen Yuan to regain his senses, as if reborn.

  "You little scoundrel, if your cultivation could be as smooth as your mouth, it would save me a lot of trouble."

  After the voice fell, a majestic young man stepped into the magnificent golden hall with his head held high. This person's face was 70-80% similar to Liang Jianying, and he was only 3-5 years older than him.

  "It is said that the master of Ruo Mu City, Liang Qianqiu, built his foundation at the age of 15 and achieved the Golden Elixir at the age of 50. Now, at just 120 years old, he is a peerless genius with a promising future as a True Sovereign. Today, I have finally met him, and indeed, his reputation is not exaggerated." Chen Yuan had some understanding of Ruo Mu City's customs and people, but this information about the number one person in Ruo Mu City was even more impressive. Such a talented individual truly made one's heart feel astonished.

  Liang Qianqiu sat up on the main hall's upper seat, full of grandeur. At this time, Liang Jianying came forward and arrived at his back, pressing and rubbing him gently, softly begging for forgiveness:

  "Hey! Old man, don't be angry, don't be angry. Today is for entertaining honored guests, so let's not spread the word about your son's shameful affair."

  "Ah!" Liang Qianqiu let out a sigh of exasperation, finally shifting his gaze to Chen Yuan. A pair of piercing eyes, with a hint of law and order in their depths, scanned him, and Chen Yuan felt as if his very soul was being scrutinized.

  "Chen Yuan, I have seen the master of Liang City," Chen Yuan said, not daring to be rude.

  After a glance, Liang Qianqiu smiled at Chen Yuan and praised: "The elixir of the Wu Ling Dan protects the body, but chooses to disperse its power and rebuild it. It requires an extremely strong determination. Your willpower is several times stronger than Xue Ying's."

  Chen Yuan was slightly startled in his heart. This Liang Qianqiu indeed lived up to being a True Person of the Congealing Dan stage, and with one glance, he had seen that Chen Yuan's scattered cultivation had been re-cultivated. However, it was clear that although his Law Eye was formidable, he still hadn't discovered the existence of the Jade Monument within Chen Yuan's body.

  Li Jianying was more surprised and asked: "Old man, how did you see that Brother Chen had dispersed his skills and re-cultivated?"

  "Hmph! You, this unlearned and stubborn child, my 'Observing the Truth' technique has fallen into your hands, how much success can you achieve with it?" Liang Qianqiu scolded Liang Jianying a few times before explaining: "This friend of yours, all three yang meridians have been burned by fire in the past, clearly he had practiced the Three Yang Gathering Fire Technique. However, later on, he should have had an extraordinary encounter and switched to practicing a higher-level technique. Nevertheless, it seems that there was no spiritual elixir or divine medicine to protect his body, so he chose to disperse his energy and restart from scratch. When the three yang fires broke through, they damaged his three yang meridians. For now, it doesn't seem to be causing any harm, but when he reaches the later stages of refining his energy and needs to refine his hundred meridians to establish a foundation, this will become the weak point that will lead to collapse. Establishing a foundation is what I fear will be difficult."

  Liang Qianqiu pointed this out, and Chen Yuan suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. He had truly not noticed that the Triple Burner Yang was so harmful. Although he had been practicing quietly every day with some hidden pain, he had not considered the consequences for the future.

  Chen Yuan was about to speak when Liang Jianying had already spoken up for him:

  "Old man, you've already pointed it out, won't you give a meeting gift to my friend?"

  "Do you want me to be more talkative?" Liang Qianqiu glared at him, and with a casual pinch, an extra crystal-clear elixir appeared in his hand.

  "This Jade Flower Pill is highly effective in repairing damaged meridians. Take it at a suitable time, then find a cold pool and immerse yourself in it every day at noon when the sunlight is strongest, allowing the cold energy to nourish your body. Continue for half a month, and you will be able to recover from this illness."

  Liang Qianqiu snapped his fingers and a pellet of medicine flew in front of Chen Yuan.

  This was a gift from his seniors to their juniors, and Chen Yuan naturally would not refuse.

  "Thank you, Lord, for the gift of medicine."