CHAPTER 190: I, LU CHEN, AM IN PURSUIT OF THE TRUE ESSENCE OF CULTIVATION

"Why doesn't it hurt?!" Nantian Yijian opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the curtain of water shimmering before him. His face lit up as he exclaimed, "This is the Yang Purifying Water's barrier! Boss, you've finally come out!"

"I am Lu Chen of Greenheaven Village, a cultivator pursuing the true essence of cultivation," Lu Chen declared calmly. "Fellow Daoist, may I ask why you are attacking my companion?"

Hearing Lu Chen's introduction, Zhou Long furrowed his brow, sifting through the sects and clans he knew. Greenheaven Village? Lu... was there even a great family with that surname?

Lu Chen's voice turned cold. "Why aren't you answering?"

With a sharp snap, he shut his folding fan against his palm. One of his brows arched as his aura slowly surged outward. "Who are you people, and how dare you block our path?"

The black-robed men glanced at one another, unease flashing in their eyes. They quietly retreated a few steps, not wishing to be caught in whatever this was turning into.

Zhou Long felt the oppressive pressure radiating from Lu Chen, and before he realized it, fear had already seeped into his heart. He stammered out the truth. "We... We are servants of the lords. The noise just now disturbed them in their cultivation, so they sent us to investigate."

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed on him. "The lords? You mean they've already gathered at the rear of the courtyard?"

He turned toward the cliffside, muttering under his breath, "Is the mist finally about to surge? If that's the case, we should be making our way there as well."

Seeing Lu Chen showed no fear but instead revealed his purpose, Zhou Long's mind raced. He quickly assumed Lu Chen was a descendant of the black-robed figures and probed cautiously, "Head over? Could it be that you're also waiting for the mist to erupt?"

"Yes."

That single word chilled Zhou Long to the core. Strictly speaking, he was nothing more than a Sunken Core Realm servant of the black-robed men. The mist's eruption required attendants, which was why he had come to serve.

When Nantian Yijian had shouted and disrupted the black-robed men's cultivation, Zhou Long thought he could seize credit by capturing the troublemaker. Never did he imagine he would stumble upon the young master of a powerful clan instead.

Cursing himself inwardly, Zhou Long quickly dissolved the trapping formation and freed Nantian Yijian. "Young Master Lu, you are one of us after all, then. I thought you were an intruder."

Bowing low with a smile plastered on his face, he said, "May I ask which lord you descend from, Young Master Lu? I can personally escort you to the rear, so you won't have to trouble yourself searching."

By now, Nantian Yijian had scurried behind Lu Chen. Standing beside Jun Laoye, he puffed himself up, chin tilted high as he looked at Zhou Long with smug arrogance.

Lu Chen shot him a glance before turning back to Zhou Long. He hadn't expected the disguise Red Fox had prepared would actually convince others he was a true young master.

Delight surged within him, but outwardly he kept a cold, severe expression, careful not to let Zhou Long see through his act.

"Hmph." With a sharp snort, Lu Chen took out a token belonging to the Jun Clan's black-robed men. He waved it briefly in the air before tucking it back into his robes. "Did you see clearly? Senior Jun brought us here."

Zhou Long staggered back three steps, his mind reeling. "T-That's... Lord Jun's token! You're from the Jun Clan!"

He had thought Lu Chen might be from a mid-tier sect at best, but never did he expect him to take out a token belonging to the Jun Clan.

Seeing that, Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He had only intended to test whether the token would be of use. He hadn't expected the Jun Clan's standing here to be so high.

Lu Chen reopened his fan and strode down the steps. "Hmph... At least you have some discernment. Get up and lead the way."

"Of course, of course..." Zhou Long kept his head lowered, though inwardly he seethed. With such a lofty status, why didn't they show it sooner? They nearly dragged me into disaster.

At the sight of the token, the other black-robed men shuffled back, eager to distance themselves from Zhou Long and avoid being mistaken as his accomplices.

"Lord Jun is one of the foremost figures here. Half of the black-robed men here follow him. How could I possibly mistake his token?" Once more, Zhou Long bowed deeply and spoke with flattery. "Young Master Lu, this young lady at your side must be your wife. As for the ones behind you... Judging from their appearance, are they your servants?"

"Hm?" Lu Chen's eyes flashed coldly at Zhou Long. "Don't ask what you shouldn't. Just lead the way."

Zhou Long wiped the sweat from his brow, bowing even lower. "Yes, yes, I overstepped. Please forgive me this once, Young Master Lu."

He had tried to probe their identities again, but instantly regretted it.

Some of the onlookers sneered, while others looked on with disdain. "Zhou Long, you really have no sense of judgment. How dare you test him again?"

By now, everyone was convinced that Lu Chen truly was the Jun Clan's young master.

On the Eastern Pole Continent, social ranks were rigidly defined. In the eyes of great clans, ordinary cultivators were worth less than dogs. If Lu Chen had explained himself patiently, it might have sown doubt. But his cold reprimand, treating Zhou Long like a mere servant, only cemented his identity as genuine. Just this alone was enough to prove Lu Chen's identity as a true young master of an influential clan.

"Why aren't you asking anymore? What's wrong, scared? Or are you just another brat who looks down on others?" Jun Laoye sneered from behind Lu Chen. "Since you're so curious about our identities, I'll be merciful enough to tell you. We're not from the Heavenly Mandate Hall. We are from the Jun Clan of the Central Continent, and the Nantian Sect of the Nantian Region."

"The Jun Clan of the Central Continent... and the Nantian Sect of the Nantian Region..." Zhou Long bent over, muttering. "Why does that sound so familiar? Where have I heard that before?"

"Zhou Long, stop courting death," one of the black-robed men behind him whispered urgently. "Lord Jun hails from the Central Continent. And in the Nantian Region, only the Nantian Sect may bear the surname Nantian."

Lu Chen's voice sounded in Jun Laoye's mind. "Little Jun, don't mention your identity here. Didn't Uncle Jun warn you to keep it hidden?"

"Ugh... fine, I know," Jun Laoye grumbled under his breath. "But that guy really looks down on people. If you had tried to explain yourself just now, I bet he would’ve attacked on the spot."

Before Zhou Long could manage to turn around, he froze at those words. Cold sweat poured down his back. He had only voiced a suspicion, yet it had been confirmed outright, and the truth was the worst possible one. For a moment, he felt utterly doomed.

Without hesitation, Zhou Long dropped to his knees before Lu Chen. "Young Masters, Young Ladies, I meant no offense! I'm just an ordinary cultivator. Please spare me. I was only following orders. I never intended to target you!"

Lu Chen snorted coldly, dispersing his three avatars in secret and sending them back into the small world. Then he said, "Lead the way. The mist could erupt at any moment. You've already wasted enough of our time. Don't expect a good outcome if you delay us further."

Bowing again and again, Zhou Long scrambled to his feet. "Yes, yes! Thank you, Young Master Lu. Thank you, Young Masters!"

He signaled his followers to hurry toward the backyard of the Scripture Hall, then ran ahead himself to lead the way. “Young Master Lu, this way. Lord Jun is over here.”

The remaining squads of black-robed men watched his retreating figure, snorted derisively, and returned to their camps.

***

At the backyard of the Scripture Hall.

With Zhou Long leading the way, Lu Chen and his companions threaded through the crowd. Every time they passed a camp, divine senses swept over them.

At first, Lu Chen paid it no mind. The enchanted treasures on him concealed his aura well. But as they neared the cliff, the number of probing senses multiplied until the pressure became almost tangible.

Nantian Yijian let out a cold snort, forcing himself to endure. He could barely withstand the oppressive weight with his cultivation, but to avoid disrupting Lu Chen's plan, he clenched his teeth and pressed forward step by step.

Noticing his struggle, Lu Chen's eyes grew cold. He revealed a Jun Clan token at his waist. In an instant, all probing senses disappeared, and wherever he walked the crowd parted to open a path.

Step by step, Lu Chen approached the cliff's edge, the closest, and therefore the most advantageous position to the erupting mist.

The mist below surged and was less than a meter from spilling over.

Lu Chen glanced back. By now, more than a dozen factions had claimed spots along the cliffside, each with two to three cultivators cloaked head to toe in black robes.

He knew these figures were the true guardians of the Scripture Hall, the very ones the Jun Clan's black-robed senior had spoken of. Each was a top-tier cultivator who had waited here for millennia, watching over the eruptions.

Circles of cultivators surrounded them. As Lu Chen probed the area, he found the auras grew weaker away from the center. At the edges, some black-robed men were only at the Qi Regulation Realm.

Shifting his gaze in another direction, Lu Chen caught sight of a familiar face. A wry smile tugged at his lips.

Nantian Yijian caught the expression and hurriedly asked, "Boss, what are you smiling at? Did you notice something?"

"Nothing much. It's just that the crisis at the Serene Void Academy should be over now," Lu Chen chuckled, then gestured ahead. "Look over there. Don't those faces seem familiar?"

"Huh? Aren't those the disciples who besieged us days ago?" Nantian Yijian stared, puzzled. "Why would they be here? And what makes you so sure the Serene Void Academy's crisis is over?"