Chapter Six: Farewell to Jiangbei

Before ten breaths had passed after the crane bell rang, a graceful figure clothed in white descended into the small courtyard.

“From the Imperial Dining Pavilion: braised pork knuckle in oil, double-fresh shrimp, three-shred salad, steamed dragon-tail fish, and two bowls of spirit rice,” Xu Chen recited the menu, his mouth watering.

“Four spirit coins,” the delivery crane replied at once.

Xu Chen fished four spirit coins from his storage pouch and tossed them to the crane.

With a sweep of its wings, the crane soared elegantly out of the courtyard, heading toward the busiest street in Cloudbeast City.

A quarter of an hour later, the crane carved a food box, landed on the stone bench, and placed the box on the stone table.

“Could you give me a good review?” the crane’s clear voice rang out, its eyes full of longing.

“Uh, a good review is expensive. How about I give you a free thumbs up instead?”

Xu Chen extended his thumb to the crane.

The crane lowered its head pitifully and fluttered away into the sky.

“A good review costs two spirit coins—enough to pay for an ordinary person’s day of labor.”

His own father’s monthly salary was three thousand spirit coins. Although that was more than most commoners made, it was still finite; Xu Chen would not waste a single coin.

Stomach rumbling, Xu Chen opened the food box and began to devour the meal. After three days and nights of exhausting his blood and energy, he was famished.

As the braised pork knuckle and spirit rice slid down his throat, Xu Chen gradually returned to his peak condition.

After eating, his mind drifted to the powerful figure he’d seen above Cloudbeast City that day, stirring his heart with excitement.

“I must become that strong one day!”

After a brief rest, Xu Chen began practicing the Twelvefold Wave Body-Tempering Technique.

“Mighty waves surge to the heavens!”

With the final palm strike, the sound of five consecutive sonic booms erupted in the little garden, rumbling like muffled thunder.

Feeling the resonance of five sonic booms, Xu Chen’s eyes shone.

“Three booms mean you’ve entered the basics; five means you’re at the proficient level.”

“My talent isn’t so bad after all~” he said, then hurried eagerly back to his room and sat cross-legged, entering the Holy White Space.

The Holy White Space stretched boundlessly, with two wooden doors standing in its center.

“Let’s see how much I’ve improved!” Xu Chen pushed open the door to the Six Forms of the Sacred Ape, excitement coursing through him.

“Three days apart, and you should look at me with new eyes. Seems I can’t call you Little Loser anymore.”

A doppelgänger stepped out, striding toward Xu Chen, with a spectral image of the Sacred Ape roaring behind it.

The doppelgänger sped up, launching a cannon fist straight at Xu Chen.

“This time I’ll withstand twenty moves!” Xu Chen declared with high ambition, striking a wave-palm posture.

Bang!

Xu Chen borrowed the force of the blow, retreating over ten yards.

“Not bad, you’ve improved. Both strength and speed are up.”

“Come on, show me if you’ve got anything new!”

The doppelgänger charged at him even faster, the Sacred Ape’s phantom leaping high behind it, hands clasped, smashing down toward Xu Chen.

Feeling the immense pressure, Xu Chen dodged quickly.

He managed to evade for nineteen moves, but on the last, carelessly let the doppelgänger grab his throat and lift him into the air.

“You’re much stronger than you were at your weakest.”

With one hand, the doppelgänger crushed Xu Chen’s conscious avatar.

Huff!

Back in his room, Xu Chen’s eyes snapped open, breath ragged from the sensation of being choked.

“Nineteen moves—not bad.”

Just as he was about to resume his blood and energy cultivation, the bell of the courtyard’s formation sounded.

“Xu Chen! Xu Chen! I know you’re home, come out!” a clear voice called from outside.

Xu Chen’s face showed resignation.

He opened the door to see the spirited face of a handsome youth.

“Xu Chen, the sect just started holiday, so I came to find you,” Jiang Beici greeted him cheerfully.

“My father told me not to hang out with you,” Xu Chen replied, pouting.

“That’s just your father’s prejudice. No matter what path we take in life, we’ll always be brothers.”

“Come on, let’s go for a ride. Didn’t you always want to fly as a child? I’ll take you.”

Jiang Beici waved his hand, and a flash of spirit light in the courtyard transformed into a flying vessel two zhang long, with a pair of transparent wings beating on either side.

“You’ve reached the Body Treasure Realm!” Xu Chen exclaimed in awe.

“I broke through a month ago. As soon as the holiday started, I came to find you.” Jiang Beici pushed Xu Chen onto the vessel and then guided it skyward.

From a hundred yards above the ground, Xu Chen sat on the flying vessel and gazed down.

“How’s the view, brother?” Jiang Beici asked, wrapping an arm around Xu Chen.

“It’s beautiful.”

In truth, when he was younger, his father had taken him flying a few times. But the feeling now was much stronger.

“Let’s go see somewhere else,” Jiang Beici suggested.

The flying vessel suddenly accelerated, soaring out of Cloudbeast City.

“What is the Human Emperor Continent like?” Xu Chen suddenly asked Jiang Beici.

“The heartland of the human race—prosperous, thriving, filled with the mighty. Even a Golden Immortal must behave properly there.”

“There, even those with the most ordinary surnames can easily cultivate to the Body Treasure Realm. Children with good bloodlines and talent are sometimes born directly at the Blood-Energy Realm,” Jiang Beici replied. Then, remembering Xu Chen had yet to reach the Blood-Energy Realm, he stopped himself.

“Go on, keep talking!” Xu Chen urged, engrossed.

“There’s not much more to say. These years, except for holidays when I can leave the Human Emperor Avenue Palace to see the Continent, there’s no chance at all,” Jiang Beici piloted the vessel, looking down at the landscape.

“Time flies, doesn’t it? We met at the children’s academy when we were three. It’s been nine years now.”

They had known each other since the children’s academy, where they were the fastest at learning human script and classics.

Back then, both were model students—until their aptitude tests at age six.

Xu Chen, with ordinary talent, stayed home to be taught by his parents. Jiang Beici, with immortal-grade talent and an unknown Dao bloodline, was given a special recommendation to the Human Emperor Avenue Palace—the greatest academy and sect of the human race.

From then on, both remained ‘model children’, but one’s path ascended while the other’s descended.

Still, none of this affected their friendship. Whenever Jiang Beici was on holiday, he would come to see Xu Chen.

“How are things at home? Looks like you’re close to entering the Blood-Energy Realm,” Jiang Beici observed.

“It’s nothing special. My parents are both at the front lines. Once I reach the Blood-Energy Realm, I’ll enter the Grand Creek Sect, find a wife from another race, and continue the Xu family line.”

“Then I’ll look up to my father becoming a god and down to my son becoming a sage—life will be more and more promising.”

“How about you? Slaying all rivals at the Human Emperor Avenue Palace?” Xu Chen looked at Jiang Beici.

“Slaying rivals? I’m just glad I’m not at the bottom.” Jiang Beici sighed. “The Palace only selects disciples with immortal-grade talent at the very least. I can barely keep from falling behind.”

“You’re worried about nothing. Disciples at the Human Emperor Avenue Palace are all prodigies. Next time I see you, I’ll probably have to address you as ‘Immortal Senior’!” Xu Chen joked.

“No need for that. If you like, you can stay by my side as a Little Immortal in charge of treasures,” Jiang Beici teased, raising his eyebrows.

“Dream on~”