CHAPTER 1458: CHAPTER 1429: JIANGHU LAUGHS

The cultivation of a Martial Artist is long and tedious.

Especially for someone like Li Chen, who is not even thirty years old. When he first arrived in the Heaven Realm and heard about closed-door cultivation lasting dozens or hundreds of years, just the thought made his scalp tingle.

In terms of age, he is merely a child among the warriors of the Heaven Realm.

But as he sees it, he does not have the luxury of time to cultivate.

He needs to quickly refine the Past-Dust Memories Pill to help Lin Yi restore his memory. Moreover, in the Lower Realm, he has family and friends, and he doesn’t want one closed-door cultivation to mean a century of time passes. When he finds the entrance to the Lower Realm, he fears everything would have changed beyond recognition.

Thus, he is pressed for time.

He needs to gain enough power in the shortest possible time. Even if he can’t help Lin Yi restore his memory, he must at least find the people in the Lower Realm.

Though the people around Li Chen have all cultivated to a respectable level, even reaching the level of Earth-level Experts, capable of living for several centuries, Li Chen does not actually want to vanish for a few hundred years and then reunite.

He cannot bear such a thing.

The years are too cruel. Compared to living a lonely and eternal life, Li Chen would rather grow old gradually with the ones he loves.

Thus, he needs to improve quickly.

After killing Mystic Cave Heaven, Li Chen examined Mystic Cave Heaven’s ring and found that this guy was indeed a fat sheep, with plenty of good things.

He found a staggering hundred thousand superior-grade Spirit Crystals. There were also many pills, Spirit Herbs, and Spirit Instruments. Surprisingly, Li Chen also found a Fourth Grade Vajra Talisman.

"No wonder he runs a chamber of commerce," Li Chen nodded, putting away the ring.

What he didn’t know was that these Spirit Crystals were the savings Mystic Cave Heaven had accumulated over a hundred years.

And that Vajra Talisman was acquired through Mystic Cave Heaven spending most of his life’s savings; it could momentarily block attacks from a Higher Heaven Realm Powerhouse, a life-saving artifact.

Tragically, Mystic Cave Heaven didn’t even get the chance to use the Vajra Talisman within Li Chen’s formation.

The Killing Formation could have been deployed, but to Mystic Cave Heaven’s helplessness, it also contained a Trapping Formation, actually two layers of it!

This was one of the main reasons Mystic Cave Heaven was almost driven to death out of frustration.

Too bullying! Placing two layers of Trapping Formation, what on earth were you planning to do?

For Li Chen, of course, this was nothing to be concerned about. He looked at the formation he had set up with a hint of regret.

He was indeed preparing to leave, but even if he retracted the formation, he couldn’t retrieve the materials used for setting up the formation.

"Forget it, just leave it," Li Chen shook his head and turned back to Auspicious Clear Town.

In Auspicious Clear Town, a group of Martial Artists saw Li Chen returning, and smiles appeared on their faces.

The harvest from the people of Xuanlian Commerce Chamber was not small. To loose cultivators, the people of the Xuanlian Commerce Chamber were rich people, and even if divided among two or three hundred people, each loose cultivator made a small fortune.

Of course, all of this was thanks to Li Chen.

Especially the Martial Artists who had gone to Devil Ruin Mountain last time, they looked at Li Chen with smiles almost ingratiating. Even if Li Chen stopped doing alchemy and led them to do some tickets, that would be a path to wealth.

Li Chen naturally guessed these people’s thoughts, shook his head with some helplessness, and found Hujin and others.

"Senior Brother Lin, have you really decided?" Yu Ge looked at Li Chen and couldn’t help but ask again.

"Yes," Li Chen nodded: "Unknowingly, I have stayed in Auspicious Clear Town for more than half a year, and it’s time for me to leave."

With a smile, Li Chen continued: "To be honest, you might laugh at me, but I came here to seek refuge."

"Seek refuge?" Hujin was a bit curious. He met Li Chen in Heiya Town, and it was Li Chen who actively sought him out for alchemy help.

"I trust all of you here, so I won’t conceal it. I rubbed my face and revealed my true appearance.

"Actually, my name is Li Chen. Not long ago, I killed a disciple of an elder of the Extreme Wing Sect. Now, that elder is probably chasing me all over the place," Li Chen said self-deprecatingly.

"Senior Brother Lin, are you really Li Chen?" Ba Meng’s eyes widened.

"The Extreme Wing Sect is this formidable; even in Auspicious Clear Town, there’s a pursuit order for me?" Li Chen was surprised. Is that elder of the Extreme Wing Sect really this powerful, that the whole world is searching for him, even the people of Auspicious Clear Town know?

Ba Meng shook his head: "Senior Brother Lin, I also heard people saying that now several prefectures nearby are looking for someone named Li Chen."

Li Chen frowned, realizing he had underestimated the power of a Five-Star Sect.

"A friend told me that there are not only one but several forces looking for someone named Li Chen, but the exact reason seems unclear."

Are several prefectures looking for him?

A chill suddenly arose in Li Chen’s mind.

This was just within the range Ba Meng could inquire about. In other places, maybe even more people were searching for him.

Houmeng, no matter how powerful, is just a disciple of an elder in the Extreme Wing Sect and could not have mobilized such a large force.

The size of a prefecture, Li Chen had come to understand somewhat.

In his own world, this was not even a global manhunt but a galaxy-wide manhunt for him.

Could an elder of a Five-Star Sect have such influence?

Then, besides killing Houmeng, what else in himself is worth being hunted down for?

The first thing Li Chen thought of was "Taoist Magic."

He also remembered the notebook he saw in Remnant Cloud Forest, and a cold chill rushed straight to his brain.

"Taoist Magic" is a treasure that can incite the ultimate powerhouses of the Star Continent to fight over. If he was exposed, Li Chen couldn’t see any way for him to survive.

Looking at a few people, Li Chen never thought of silencing them. After six months together, he trusted their character, but he didn’t want to expose them, reminding: "Everyone, I hope that after I leave, you will never mention seeing me; otherwise, it may bring disaster to you."

Seeing Li Chen’s solemn expression, everyone quickly nodded to assure him.

"Let’s drink."

"Perhaps this is a farewell, and who knows when we might meet again," Hujin also raised his glass.

"Hope to meet again someday," Li Chen smiled. His path was too long, and he really didn’t know if there was a day for meeting these people again.

After three rounds of drinks, no one used True Yuan to suppress the effects of the drink, and even Li Chen became a bit hazy with drunkenness.

Suddenly, Li Chen thought of a song he had heard in the Lower Realm.

"Jianghu laughs, grudges resolved. People exchange blows, smiles hide the knives."

"Red dust laughs, lonely laughter. Too high a heart, out of reach."

Hujin, a bit tipsy, patted Li Chen on the shoulder: "Old pal, what is that you’re singing, is it a song written by Martial Artists?"

Even the always serene Yu Ge was a bit drunk: "It’s surprising; Senior Brother Lin seems to understand music."

Li Chen shook his head: "Just something I heard before."

Nonetheless, his singing grew more resounding, filled with boldness.

In these moments before parting, an inexplicable feeling welled up in him.

"Appears like flowers, not flowers, appears like fog, not fog, raging river waters cannot be held back."

"With a spirit of heroism and pride like iron bones, it turns out heroes are lonely."

"Jianghu laughs, loves to roam free, play the zither or blow the flute, pour the wine."

"Look up and laugh, forget everything, carefree like the wind, floating above it all."

Li Chen’s voice carried a hint of weariness; all these years, he had roamed the Jianghu, experiencing both bitterness and sweetness, sorrow and laughter. Just like in the song, there was a touch of solitude amidst the smile.

In the end, even the drunk Yu Ge and others joined in the singing.

The next morning, Li Chen shook off the effects of the alcohol, looked at the still-sleeping group, smiled, packed his things, left a few bottles of pills and a note, and left alone.

Without the slightest pause, just like the previous night’s song of his.

Carefree like the wind, floating above it all.