Chapter Thirty-Nine: Combat Talent

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“There was once a rogue spirit, ennobled by a great lord of our continent, who spent a fortune to borrow a terrestrial-grade immortal artifact from the continent’s treasury and escaped from the human clan.”

“I, along with several senior brothers, was ordered to pursue him,” Jiang Beici recounted with a hint of excitement.

“How long have you been in the Void Return realm? And you’re already on such missions,” Xu Chen said, concern evident in his voice.

“There’s a senior brother in the Spirit-Nourishing realm accompanying us for protection, so it’s not a dangerous task.”

“Our clan’s cultivation techniques and divine abilities are exceptionally complete. On top of that, we’re disciples from the strongest Human Emperor Dao Palace. Facing those naturally born rogue spirits, it’s not too difficult to defeat them while crossing realms.”

As he spoke, Jiang Beici glanced around at Xu Chen’s living quarters and could not help but pull out a spiritual array disk from his storage treasure, intending to hand it to Xu Chen.

“As long as you’ve got someone protecting you.”

“Hold on, I’ll accept the tea leaves, but this thing is too much,” Xu Chen instantly recognized the disk as a treasure-grade array, the kind that came with its own spatial dwelling.

“You truly are my good brother, always worried I’m not living well,” Xu Chen said, moved yet slightly helpless.

“In the Human Emperor Dao Palace, there are countless great families who wish to form good ties with me. The resources offered just to foster goodwill are limitless.”

“Just a little bit leaking through my fingers is more than enough for you, so don’t refuse.”

Seeing his brother’s sincere gaze, Xu Chen felt he couldn’t afford to be underestimated.

In the family training ground, Xu Chen and Jiang Beici stood several yards apart.

“Good brother, I’m delighted you came to see me.”

“But your attitude, I really don’t like it,” Xu Chen beckoned with his hand.

“Right now, I have the strength of four tigers and half a bull.”

“If you suppress your power to the Blood and Qi realm, and manage to defeat me, I’ll accept anything you give.”

Hearing this, Jiang Beici’s eyes lit up.

“We’ve fought since childhood and I’ve never beaten you—maybe it’s time for revenge?” Jiang Beici laughed, lowering his cultivation and strength as if coaxing a child.

“Agreed, if I defeat you, you won’t refuse what I offer.”

“Come then.”

In an instant, Jiang Beici appeared behind Xu Chen, raising his hand to grab Xu Chen’s neck.

Xu Chen responded immediately, turning and striking with his palm!

“You’re cheating—four tigers and half a bull of strength shouldn’t move so fast!”

Their palms collided, causing Xu Chen to retreat.

Jiang Beici also stepped back half a pace, feeling the strange force in his arm and looking at Xu Chen with surprise.

“I’ve trained in nine sets of blood and qi foundation techniques. One is the Nine-turn Divine Wind Body, and another is the Kunpeng Traveling World Visualization.”

“The combination of both gives me such speed.”

Jiang Beici smiled faintly, his figure vanishing once more.

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“Just from that last strike, I admit I underestimated you,” came a voice from the air. Xu Chen immediately unleashed his full strength, striking at a spot in the void.

Jiang Beici’s figure flashed in the air. Xu Chen met palm with fist, and a thunderous boom erupted.

“Bang!!”

Xu Chen retreated over a dozen steps.

Jiang Beici stepped back three paces, looking at Xu Chen in disbelief.

“Your combat talent!”

“Let’s continue!”

Jiang Beici’s figure vanished again, rushing at Xu Chen with astonishing speed.

“Damn, nearly lost this round.”

Xu Chen pushed his Twelve-layered Wave Body Technique to its limits. Under the fierce barrage from Jiang Beici, he was like a lone boat tossed on stormy seas.

Yet, even as a solitary boat, he did not capsize.

The battle raged for half an hour. When they finally stopped, Jiang Beici wore a shocked expression.

“The Twelve-layered Wave Body Technique—a most ordinary blood and qi foundation method—actually managed to withstand me at the same realm.”

“Xu Chen, you truly are the brother I believe in!” Jiang Beici’s surprise was tinged with excitement.

“Don’t think a higher cultivation means much. One day, I’ll bloom late and surpass you.”

Xu Chen folded his hands behind his back, striking a martial master’s pose.

“I believe you.”

Just then, a delivery immortal crane landed in Xu Chen’s small courtyard, holding a spatial food box.

“Come, let’s drink.”

A round table five yards long was laden with sumptuous delicacies.

Each held a wine jar, chatting as they drank.

“When do you leave for the mission?”

“Tomorrow. The rogue spirit’s location is already pinpointed. It should be resolved within four days,” Jiang Beici said, taking a relaxed sip.

“I can’t figure it out—a Spirit-Nourishing rogue spirit actually dared to abscond with a human clan immortal artifact.”

“Those rogue spirits, born of nature, are mostly foul-tempered and greedy.”

“No matter how powerful our human clan gets, there’ll always be reckless rogue spirits.”

“Let’s drink. Who knows when we brothers will meet again?”

They clinked jars and drank heartily.

They drank until dawn, when Xu Chen saw Jiang Beici off.

“Brother, I’m off~”

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Without further words, Jiang Beici transformed into a beam of light and vanished beyond the horizon.

“Alone again,” Xu Chen murmured, a strange melancholy stirring within him.

Yet it lasted only half an hour before he began a new day of cultivation.

On the lawn outside his door, Xu Chen’s movements flowed like ocean waves, unbroken and continuous.

Just as he was reaching a state of enlightenment, a spirit boat landed on the nearby grass.

Ye Bai, clad in white, appeared before Xu Chen.

“What now? Here to settle karma again?”

Xu Chen laughed, recognizing his ‘wealth-bringing child.’

“Let’s put karma aside for now.”

“You were once a registered disciple of our master, entitled to an opportunity in the cultivation secret realm.”

“In the end, I took your place, so Master instructed me to return that opportunity to you.”

Ye Bai tossed a token, which Xu Chen caught, his expression growing meaningful as he gazed at it.

The ways of the world, the everyday smoke and fire—his former master seemed to partake of it as well.

“I’ve delivered the secret realm token; I’m off.”

“Once I’ve cultivated a while longer, I’ll surely trample you underfoot!”

With that, Ye Bai boarded his spirit boat and departed.

“Such arrogance now comes with a hint of steadiness—not as adorable as before,” Xu Chen murmured, watching the spirit boat recede.

“Back to training.”

At that moment, Xu Chen sensed the ground tremble slightly.

Bathed in the morning light, a golden figure was running through the dense forest, carrying a massive stone weighing a hundred thousand pounds.

“Junior Brother Xu, I’m back!!”

The shout echoed through the woods.

Effortlessly, Niu Dali carried the hundred-thousand-pound stone to the riverside, setting it in its usual spot.

“Senior Brother Niu, now that you can carry this massive stone while running freely, your strength must have soared,” Xu Chen remarked, glancing at the stone.

“One dragon, one tiger, three bulls of strength.”

“When I returned from the trial realm, I heard that the small world allowed cultivation. Instead of entering the sect, I detoured there.”

Seeing Xu Chen, Niu Dali was delighted and could not wait to share all he had experienced.

“By the way, Junior Brother Xu, I brought you a gift.”

With his fan-sized palm, he flipped over a phantom pearl.