Chapter 64: 64. Ling Qingzhu Arrives in the Great Yan Dynasty
After much effort, the two men finally gathered some information. They had traveled a great distance, crossing mountains and rivers.
But in the end? They came up empty!
The man in black robes sighed helplessly, his expression equally frustrated.
After a pause, he turned and asked, "So what should we do now?"
The man in gray robes thought for a moment and replied, "He's definitely still in the Great Yan Dynasty. We keep searching!"
Having come all this way, it would be a waste to leave empty-handed. Besides, almost every major sect in the Eastern Xuan Region was searching for him.
Finding him first would mean a major advantage!
He had even suggested bringing along a few beautiful female disciples, but unfortunately, there weren't any suitable candidates from their sect, the Dao Sect.
The Sky Hall had talented disciples like Ying Xiaoxiao and Ying Huanhuan, but their special statuses—and the fact that Qi Lei wouldn't part with them—made it impossible.
"Yet, even though the Great Yan Dynasty is a minor kingdom, its territory is vast. Searching for one person is like finding a needle in a haystack," muttered Wu Dao, the man in black robes, with a frown.
"I…" The gray-robed Chen Zhen was about to respond when he suddenly turned to look in a certain direction. Wu Dao sensed it too.
In the next instant, two streaks of light swept in from the horizon, materializing into two figures before them.
One wore a blue robe and carried a specially crafted sword box on his back, exuding a sharp, almost overwhelming sword aura. The other was a burly man, bare-chested, his body rippling with muscle, veins pulsing like coiled dragons.
Occasionally, the pulsing veins emitted the faint sounds of tiger roars and dragon growls, indicating his physical strength was highly refined.
Seeing the two robed men, the blue-robed swordsman looked surprised, then smiled. "Heh, I didn't expect to run into friends from the Dao Sect here in this small empire."
The black-robed Wu Dao scoffed, "What? Is the Sword Sect allowed here, but not the Dao Sect?"
He gave the two men a quick glance, already knowing their purpose. They were potential rivals, so he wasn't inclined to show any friendliness.
The blue-robed swordsman smiled and got straight to the point, "It seems we share a common goal."
"Haha! Let's each try our best to win him over!" The bare-chested man laughed heartily, exuding confidence.
Wu Dao sneered, "Our Dao Sect may be few in numbers, but all our members are elites! How can you compete with us?"
The blue-robed swordsman sighed, "The Desolate Hall of the Dao Sect does have many elites, but ever since Zhou Tong, there hasn't been anyone of note."
"Just wait! Chen Xuan is destined for the Dao Sect!" Wu Dao scoffed before he and Chen Zhen disappeared into the distance.
In the previous sect tournament, Yuan Gate had killed many from the Dao Sect.
If they could recruit Chen Xuan, his strength and reputation would easily overshadow Yuan Gate's so-called Three Kings and Eight Spirit Generals.
The blue-robed swordsman and the bare-chested man understood this all too well.
They, too, were determined to recruit Chen Xuan and had come with great sincerity.
They exchanged a look and then flew off in a different direction.
Not long after they left, two more figures appeared in the plaza of the Huangpu Clan.
As soon as they arrived, they released a vast, ocean-like mental force, probing the surroundings.
Finding nothing, they left together, heading in another direction.
Shortly after, an elderly man in gray and white robes arrived.
A thick aura of darkness lingered around him, and a powerful puppet followed him as he wandered around the plaza.
Failing to find what he sought, he quickly departed.
Then, two more figures arrived.
One was a tall woman in red, strikingly beautiful, with delicately arched eyebrows that hinted at her prideful nature.
On her chest, she wore an insignia resembling a mountain cliff, a clear mark of her status.
The woman in red glanced around, her pretty face clouded with disappointment. "Elder, his aura is here, but he's not."
The woman in red had encountered Chen Xuan before, and even after several years, she still remembered his aura.
She had once confessed her feelings to Chen Xuan, but at the time, he was about to marry Ling Qingzhu, so he gently declined.
Now, however, the two of them had separated.
She believed this was a chance from the heavens, and she had to seize it—otherwise, it would slip away.
That's why she had volunteered to accompany the elder on this journey.
"Let's go and ask around elsewhere. We can't let other sects get ahead of us!" The gray-robed elder waved his sleeve and disappeared with the woman in red.
A few minutes later, in the sky, a ripple spread through the air, and an elderly figure in a gray-and-white robe appeared—it was Lu Feng, the Grand Elder of Yuan Gate.
This time, he had personally come to acquire the powerful secret technique.
Unfortunately, his mission wasn't going smoothly; he had come up empty-handed.
"Chen Xuan! You will join Yuan Gate, whether you like it or not. That secret technique of yours—I'll have it, and no one else will!"
With those words, Lu Feng's figure faded and vanished from sight.
Soon after he left, the air above the plaza rippled once more, and a graceful figure emerged.
Though her face was veiled by a thin, white gauze, it couldn't conceal her breathtaking beauty—instead, it added a touch of mystery. She wore a simple robe with a light-colored sash around her waist, accentuating her curves in a way that was captivating.
Her bare feet floated atop a lotus, and her beautiful eyes scanned the area below, her dark brows knitting slightly.
He had indeed been here!
Chen Xuan, you've become truly remarkable—so many people are here for you.
She intended to see who dared to compete with her, who had the strength to take him from her.
After all, she was Chen Xuan's wife.
Divorced? Perhaps in his mind, but she hadn't agreed to any separation.
Moreover…
This time, her plan to win him back was to reveal that every sect here was only interested in his secret technique.
That proverb, "A treasured gem invites trouble," couldn't be more true.
If she could win him back and secure the technique, it would be the best of both worlds!
Ling Qingzhu took out a jade pendant, gazing at it for a moment before heading in the direction of Yan City.
Unbeknownst to her, just after she left, another figure appeared, watching the direction in which she'd gone and murmuring, "Did you really think I came unprepared?"