Chapter 159: "Please convey my greetings to your esteemed elders."

Chapter 159: "Please convey my greetings to your esteemed elders."

Soon, the sky darkened.

A knock on the door could be heard outside Chen Qiu's inn.

"Young Master Ren, the Debate Conference has begun. Young Master Su has asked me to invite you downstairs."

"Mm-hmm."

Chen Qiu responded and, together with Fat Dragon and Scholar, opened the door to their room. Following the servant, they headed downstairs to the inn's first floor where the Debate Conference was about to commence.

By this time, the area around the inn had been cleared.

A large formation was set up outside the inn, ensuring that the situation inside remained unknown to the outside world.

As he entered the inn's main hall, led by the servant, he saw that the hall was already filled with numerous Talented Ones, chatting in groups of three or two.

Upon spotting Chen Qiu, the young master of the Su family's eyes lit up, and he quickly approached Chen Qiu. Leaning close, he whispered, "Um, Young Master Ren, I have some bad news. Your identity might have been exposed, and now everyone knows your real name is Chen Qiu."

"Mainly because a few days ago, a person named Chen Qiu suddenly appeared on the Quzhou Virtue Ranking with 9.8 billion virtue points."

"And you, Young Master Ren, happened to emerge in Quzhou at this time. Before this, Quzhou had never heard of such a person, and it is said that you killed a little monk with 100,000 virtue points near Dayuan City, without suffering any backlash."

"Many families have been inquiring about you, and they have basically confirmed that you are Chen Qiu."

"Oh."

Chen Qiu chuckled lightly, "It's fine. Chen Qiu is Chen Qiu, it's all the same."

He had never intended to hide his identity. When he chose the alias Ren Zhi, it was purely to tease Qi Mei.

'Qi Ren Zhi Mei'—a play on words, meaning 'to share the beauty of others and complete the beauty of oneself.'

Unfortunately, Qi Mei wasn't very quick-witted, and even at the moment of her death, she hadn't figured it out, leaving Chen Qiu feeling a bit bored. Perhaps this was indeed too difficult to associate?

Chen Qiu then scanned the Talented Ones in the hall, and each of their gazes towards him was complex.

"Alright!"

The young master of the Su family heaved a sigh of relief, "Then we'll just call you Young Master Chen. Tonight's Debate Conference is mainly to bring together the Talented Ones of Quzhou, so they can get to know each other. There will surely be many questions on the path of cultivation, and everyone here is among the top of the younger generation in Quzhou. By gathering and discussing, we can better understand our own hearts and there's also a little bonus."

Led by the young master of the Su family, Chen Qiu sat down in a corner.

There were about three to forty Talented Ones in the hall.

It had to be said that the number of Talented Ones was a bit excessive. In addition, there were also the Talented Ones' followers and their Guardian behind them, and many Talented Ones had a Nascent Soul Guardian following them, looking quite formidable.

At this moment—

On the second floor of the inn, the current head of the Su family looked calmly at Chen Qiu, who was seated on the first floor. He took a sip of tea before casually saying, "So, this is the Talented One you mentioned?"

"Mm-hmm."

The young master of the Su family, standing by his side, said seriously, "His name is Chen Qiu. He scored 100 points in the Talented Path Realm's initial screening, and he passed the first two levels in a single breath. In the third level's Golden Core grade comparison, he even suppressed Li Shi Yi, which means he is at least a Ninth Level Golden Core."

"If the Divine Transformation Body in the Heritage Realm must be given to a Talented One as a favor, he would be the best choice."

The head of the Su family glanced at his son and casually said, "Are you really willing? You know that you don't even have a Divine Transformation Body right now. The Divine Transformation Body in the Su family's Heritage Realm was originally prepared for you, so you could use it to form a Fourth Rank Nascent Soul."

"Sigh."

The young master of the Su family helplessly sighed, "There's no other way. I've tried the Su family's Heritage Realm many times, but I can't pass it. I don't know why the ancestors made the inheritance level so difficult."

"Speaking of which, Father, you are also a powerful Divine Transformation master. You could use your Divine Transformation Body, or you could just die early, and then your son could form a Fourth Rank Nascent Soul."

"If it doesn't work, you could kill a Divine Transformation master from another family and use his body."

"Please speak some sense."

The head of the Su family expressionlessly glanced at his son, but he didn't get angry at his son's rebellious words. He had a good relationship with his son: "You think it's that easy to kill a Divine Transformation master?"

"Why don't you go and try?"

"Even without a Fourth Rank Nascent Soul, a Third Rank Nascent Soul would do. Anyway, your talent in cultivation has always been average. Leave it at that. The ancestors were mainly proud, thinking that an Ultimate Heaven's Pride Fortune would definitely appear among the later generations, so they set the difficulty of the level a bit higher."

"A Third Rank Nascent Soul is fine too. Your old man, back then, also broke through to the Divine Transformation stage without passing the Su family's Heritage Realm. Many of the Talented Ones from my time had Fourth and Fifth Rank Nascent Souls, but after so many years, they are still at the Nascent Soul stage, while I'm the only one who broke through to the Divine Transformation stage."

"Many times, an early lead doesn't mean much. Cultivating immortality is a long journey. As long as you live long enough, there will always be opportunities."

The Debate Conference began soon after, a simple exchange meeting.

It was a battle of wits, not a physical confrontation.

The Talented Ones discussed vigorously, but Chen Qiu just sat quietly in the corner, as this was his weak point, and he wasn't suited for intellectual battles.

The so-called battle of wits.

Was when two people held different viewpoints and then persuaded the other.

In his opinion, trying to persuade someone with a different viewpoint was foolish. This wasn't something a battle of wits could resolve; it should be settled through physical confrontation.

However, he still sat quietly in the corner because the Su family would be opening the Heritage Realm tomorrow, and it was only right to give them some face. Leaving halfway would be inappropriate.

Just then—

A veiled woman carrying a cup of wine walked over, sat down opposite Chen Qiu, leaned back slightly, and with a hint of intoxication in her eyes, she smiled at Chen Qiu, "The Sect Leader of Mock Heaven Sect, you're so young and already a sect leader."

"He's very calm."

"But a young man should have some spirit. Being too mature isn't a good thing either. Everyone is discussing what to do if you encounter someone with a higher cultivation level who insults you to your face."

"I don't know."

Chen Qiu shook his head expressionlessly. "I don't understand why you're discussing this issue at all."

In his eyes, the top talents of Quzhou seemed to have turned into newborn babies. He thought that the Debate Conference would discuss profound topics, but these discussions didn't even spark a desire for him to interject.

However, he looked up at the woman in front of him, sizing her up for a moment before leaning back in his chair, a slight smile curling his lips.

Now he had something to say.

"This seems like a shallow question, but it actually contains a lot."

Even though the woman wore a veil, partially concealing her face, her stunning beauty was still evident. Dressed in a white dress, with a hint of laziness and intoxication in her eyes, she was like a ripe peach, tempting one to devour it.

Her body was curvaceous, and as she sat sideways in the chair, her entire being seemed to melt into it, hugging her legs to her chest and resting her bare feet on the edge of the chair.

At that moment, she held a wine cup in the dimly lit inn hall, and said with a tilted head, "Think about it. If you were to turn around and leave, you'd definitely feel angry, right? That would mean your Dao heart would be slightly damaged, as a blocked Dao heart is not a good thing."

"But if you fight back, you can't win."

"So, what should one do?"

Leaning back in his chair, Chen Qiu laughed lightly. "I can beat him."

"Really?"

The woman sitting in the chair across from him suddenly laughed, raising her bare foot and slowly sliding it up and down Chen Qiu's calf. "Then, can a man as powerful and confident as you resist the allure of a beautiful woman?"

"All men in the world find it hard to resist the charms of a beauty."

She sized up the man in front of her, who was wearing a cloak, and a hint of a smile flashed in the depths of her eyes. Even the most talented and exceptional individuals couldn't resist the allure of a beautiful woman.

This was the puppet she desired.

As long as she could completely control this man, having such a Nine-level Golden Core, or even a Ten-level Golden Core talent, become her puppet, she could advance further on her cultivation path.

She knew that for such an exceptional talent, a beautiful woman might not be enough to move them. Instead, a seemingly gentle and soft woman could ignite their desire to protect.

The white dress she wore was carefully chosen, knowing that any man who had spent a lifetime fighting in a world of swords and shadows would yearn to lie in the embrace of a woman in a white dress and share his past glories with her.

This was the nature of the human heart.

If she could bear his child, she would have complete control over this exceptional talent for life.

This was her strategy, and she didn't bother to hide her beauty. With her allure, no man could resist her. This was her absolute confidence in her appearance and figure.

"I don't know."

Chen Qiu shook his head with a smile. "Why don't you try?"

"Okay."

A seductive charm gradually filled the woman's eyes, contrasting with her white dress. Just as she was about to take it to the next level, Chen Qiu suddenly stood up and swept the woman into his arms.

"Hehe."

A crisp, bell-like laughter rang out as the woman buried her head in Chen Qiu's embrace, feeling his heartbeat against his chest. In her intoxicated state, she imagined the future where she would help Chen Qiu dominate the four directions of Quzhou.

Chen Qiu paid no heed to the strange looks from the others.

He strode towards the second floor of the inn.

"Ahem."

The fat scholar and Long Shusheng, who were originally standing in the same spot, coughed lightly before exchanging glances, both seeing the amusement in each other's eyes.

Last time, Brother Qiu said he wasn't going to get entangled in worldly affairs.

The host of the Debate Conference, the young master of the Su family, also froze slightly upon seeing this scene. Although he understood that it was common for exceptional talents to develop feelings for each other, was this not too fast?

He couldn't help but smile.

For some reason, he felt that Chen Qiu suddenly seemed more human, more approachable than before. The initial coldness was gone, and although Chen Qiu's smile remained gentle, he didn't feel any warmth, only coldness.

He then turned to the other exceptional talents and waved his hand helplessly. "Alright, let's continue the discussion."

The exceptional talent carried away by Chen Qiu was a true disciple of the Maiden Sect, named Mei Ya. It was a sect dominated by female cultivators, and due to their unique cultivation method, all the disciples were exceptionally beautiful. Mei Ya, as a true disciple, was already a beauty that could topple nations, and after cultivating their sect's secret technique, her allure became even more captivating.

She had many suitors.

For example, the young master of the Su family suddenly looked weakly at a young talent in the corner. As expected, this man was staring at his wine cup with a gloomy expression, his clenched fist revealing his tense state.

This man was one of Mei Ya's suitors, and the most aggressive one at that.

But he hadn't even held her hand.

After pursuing her for several years, his goddess had thrown herself into the arms of a man she had just met. Anyone would struggle to control their emotions, and if not for the knowledge that the Su family had a Divine Transformation cultivator, this man might have erupted in anger.

"Tsk, this is a tricky situation."

The young master of the Su family shook his head helplessly. Mei Ya's actions had inadvertently made Chen Qiu many enemies.

He knew Mei Ya, and she had always wanted to find the strongest talent as her Dao companion. It seemed that tonight, she had chosen Chen Qiu. One had to admit that this woman was decisive. After their first meeting, she had assessed his potential and didn't hesitate to throw herself into his arms.

Chen Qiu had only been in the mortal world for a short time, and if his mental fortitude were any weaker, he would have likely ended up as a subservient follower of Mei Ya, bowing down to her every command.

At that moment, in a private room on the second floor of the inn...

Mei Ya, her eyes glazed over with intoxication, slumped onto Chen Qiu's body like a boneless doll. Her fingers casually trailed across his chest, and in a dazed voice, she murmured, "Be gentle, okay?"

"I'm still a virgin, and I'm afraid it will hurt."

"Mmm-hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded and reached out, gently caressing Mei Ya's abdomen. After finding the right spot, he unleashed a surge of spiritual energy!

"Shred!"

Accompanied by the sound of tearing flesh, a gush of blood began to flow uncontrollably. Mei Ya, who hadn't activated her protective spiritual energy, instantly went limp under this attack.

Gritting his teeth, he quickly stopped the bleeding and lay on the ground, a hint of terror flashing in his eyes. Her Golden Core, which had been in her abdomen, was now gone, and he didn't know when it had appeared in Chen Qiu's palm.

"You..."

Mei Ya, overwhelmed with fear, trembled as she looked at Chen Qiu and stammered, "Wh-what are you doing?"

The Golden Core represented her lifeline.

If the core shattered, she would die.

And now, her Golden Core was in Chen Qiu's hand, which meant that with a slight squeeze, he could crush her core and end her life, a disciple of the Maiden Sect, in such a humiliating way!

She had never expected Chen Qiu to take action, and she didn't understand why he had done so!

At least give me a reason, right?

Are you going to kill me just because I seduced you?

You could have just rejected me!!!

"It's nothing."

Chen Qiu stood inside the room, carefully examining the Golden Core in his hand. "I'm checking for any enchantments to avoid any unforeseen accidents."

He still didn't know how many enchantments there could be.

What if there was an enchantment like, 'Whoever has a union with me will die'? In that case, his death would be unjust, so it was natural to first extract the Golden Core and carefully inspect it for any potential dangers.

After a thorough examination...

Confirming there were no dangerous enchantments, he stored the Golden Core in his pocket world and then turned to Mei Ya, whose strength had significantly diminished without her Golden Core. He approached her and sealed her spiritual energy.

Only then did he use his spiritual energy to create a rain shower, cleansing the blood from her body.

During the act of union, one wouldn't activate protective spiritual energy, which meant defenses were at their weakest. Normally, he wouldn't have cared, but today he felt like intervening. Since Mei Ya had taken the initiative to use her beauty to seduce him, he decided to go along with it.

But he needed to be cautious to avoid any unforeseen accidents.

"Alright, that's done."

After completing everything, Chen Qiu turned to Mei Ya, who was lying on the bed, and smiled gently. "Now it's safe. I'll return your Golden Core tomorrow morning."

The next day...

After a refreshing morning routine, Chen Qiu met up with Fei Long and the others, guided by the Young Master of the Su Clan, as they prepared to enter the Su Clan's Heritage Realm.

Meanwhile, in the guest room...

Mei Ya, her eyes vacant, lay on the bed, her once-white dress now torn and discarded on the floor. The bedsheets were stained with blood that had flowed from her abdomen. After a long while, she turned her gaze to the Golden Core that had returned to her Dantian.

The seduction technique her master had taught her seemed to have worked.

But why did the process feel so different from what her master had described?

Was this the normal procedure?

That man had even dug out her uterus in front of her, cleaned it thoroughly, and then put it back!

Could he be that cautious?!

She had never imagined experiencing something like this in her life!

After a long while...

She finally retrieved a set of new clothes from the storage ring that Chen Qiu had placed on the bedside table the night before. Shaking, she stumbled out of the room, no longer interested in the Heritage Realm. All she wanted was to return to her sect.

She longed to retreat to her pink cave abode and never leave the sect again.

Outside the guest room, in the corridor...

A man stood with a face twisted in grief, watching Mei Ya's unsteady departure. He was the most persistent of Mei Ya's suitors, and he couldn't believe that she had willingly embraced Chen Qiu the previous day.

Enough.

After a moment, the man took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

He had pursued her for three years, and he was exhausted.

In those three years, he had done countless things for Mei Ya, but she had never accepted him. It was time to put an end to this story. He took a deep breath and prepared to enter the room to collect the bedsheet stained with Mei Ya's virgin blood as a memento of their unfulfilled love.

But as he stepped into the guest room...

He froze, his face filled with disbelief as he stared at the blood-soaked bedsheet and whispered, "So much blood?"

Su Clan, Rear Mountain.

The Young Master of the Su Clan turned to Chen Qiu, winking and grinning. "How was last night, Chen Gongzi? Mei Ya is a renowned beauty among the talents of Quzhou, and many pursue her. I never expected her to embrace you so willingly last night."

"Many people must be jealous of you."

"It was alright."

Chen Qiu leaned on his staff and smiled calmly. "Forgive me, Su Gongzi. I usually stay away from mortal affairs, but last night, Mei Ya must have used some kind of heart-enticing spell on me, and I couldn't resist."

"Is that so?"

The Young Master of the Su Clan's expression turned peculiar. How could he not know that Mei Ya had such a spell? The Maiden Sect wasn't some kind of evil cult.

Then, his expression turned serious. "Please wait patiently, Chen Gongzi. The Su Clan's Heritage Realm requires bloodline activation, and it will open in one incense stick's time. I'll go and inform the other talents."

"Go ahead."

After Su Clan's Young Master left, Feilong expressed some concern, "Brother Qiu, are you alright? Embracing a woman who throws herself at you is either deceit or treachery. What if that Mei Ya gets pregnant with your child and uses it to threaten you? It would be a difficult situation to handle."

"Impossible," Chen Qiu shook his head dismissively. "There's no need to worry. It's highly unlikely that she'll get pregnant."

After a brief conversation, everyone present felt an incredibly powerful pressure bearing down on them. Chen Qiu's pupils contracted as he looked towards a middle-aged man slowly approaching them from a distance. He sensed a cultivation base even stronger than the Nascent Soul stage from this man!

A Soul Transformation Master!

With his current cultivation, even if he used all his hidden trump cards, he might not be able to survive against such a powerful opponent.

Of course—

The "Virtue Defense Token" and the "Virtue Attack Token" might be of use.

But he hadn't tested them yet. Although 9.8 billion virtue points was an impressive number, he hadn't tried them out and didn't know their true effectiveness.

This was the most powerful cultivator he had ever encountered. He couldn't sense any spirit qi fluctuations from the man, but every move he made seemed to be in perfect harmony with heaven's will, blending seamlessly with the entire world. Each gesture and step exuded a sense of natural Tao.

The pressure he felt from the man far exceeded that of the Yuanzong Sect Leader.

Soon,

The middle-aged man approached and stood before all the Heaven's Pride gathered there. With a calm expression, he scanned each of their faces and spoke softly, "Thank you, Heaven's Pride, for giving my son face and coming to participate in the Su Clan's Heritage Realm."

"It's embarrassing to say."

"The Su Clan's Heritage Realm was left behind by our ancestors, but for over a thousand years, no one has passed through it. Rather than letting the Su Clan's Heritage Realm gather dust, it's better to let it shine in the hands of one of you Heaven's Pride."

"Rest assured, Heaven's Pride."

"Whoever obtains the Su Clan's Heritage Realm can take any items they find within it. The Su Clan will not stand in your way."

"Also..."

"Please convey my greetings to your elders back home."

As his words fell,

The middle-aged man turned and casually waved his hand. A mighty surge of spirit qi burst forth and slammed into the air, followed by a white vortex slowly appearing in mid-air.

"This is the entrance to the Su Clan's Heritage Realm. It will close in ten breaths."

"After you, Heaven's Pride."

The gathered Heaven's Pride, standing below, exchanged glances. They had expected to pay some spirit stones as a price for entering the realm, but to their surprise, nothing was required. They couldn't help but admire the Su Clan's generosity.

However, this wasn't the time for gratitude. The entrance to the realm had a time limit, so it was best to enter quickly. They could express their thanks after exiting the realm.

". . ."

Chen Qiu narrowed his eyes, looking up at the middle-aged man standing on the high platform. He couldn't make out the man's features; the forces of nature in front of the middle-aged man were distorted, making it impossible for vision or divine sense to penetrate.

A Soul Transformation Master...

Chen Qiu wondered when he would be able to cultivate to such a level. He was currently at the peak of Golden Core Perfection, two major stages away from the Soul Transformation stage.

However, through yesterday's Debate Conference, he had gained some insights.

Many people didn't possess a Spirit Transformation Body, which meant that not every sect or family's heritage included one. Qi Mei's claim that joining Yuanzong would give him a chance to obtain a Spirit Transformation Body was likely just a ploy.

It was precisely because of this that the Su Clan's "Heritage Realm" had attracted so many Heaven's Pride. They were all here for the Spirit Transformation Body within the Su Clan's Heritage Realm, a clear and singular goal.

And at that moment—

The middle-aged man, the Clan Head of the Su Clan, also turned his gaze towards Chen Qiu. With a calm expression, he said, "Please."

Chen Qiu nodded and, without further delay, took Feilong and the others into his pocket world before transforming into a radiant light and shooting towards the white vortex.

The vortex quickly closed.

Soon, a massive screen shrouded in clouds appeared, displaying the situation of each Heaven's Pride within the Heritage Realm. Those outside could clearly see the Heaven's Pride's performance in the realm.

"Father,"

The Young Master of the Su Clan spoke softly, "You're more generous than I thought. I didn't expect you to agree to my plan. After all, if the Heritage Realm is passed, a Spirit Transformation Body will be taken away."

"It's a fair exchange."

The middle-aged man stood in place and spoke softly, "That Chen Qiu you praised so highly, for now, aside from his high-grade Golden Core, possibly a Ninth or Tenth Level Golden Core, and his 9.8 billion virtue points, I don't see anything special about him."

"Father..."

The Young Master of the Su Clan sighed, "Are you getting carried away? Do you have a Ninth Level Golden Core? Do you have 9.8 billion virtue points? The third-ranked cultivator on the Xuantian Continent's Virtue Monument, to say the least, if Chen Qiu were to insult you to your face, would you dare to kill him?"

". . ."

The middle-aged man remained silent for a moment before his lips twitched slightly, "I wouldn't dare."

The backlash from 9.8 billion virtue points was something he didn't think he could withstand, and he didn't know who could.

"I'm not looking down on him. I just feel that he's still a bit short of that position. He needs to demonstrate more to gain recognition from that place."

"Never mind."

The middle-aged man shook his head and didn't continue, "Let's see how he performs in the Su Clan's Heritage Realm first."

Just then—

Not far away, a subordinate of the Su Clan hurried over and whispered, "Clan Head, according to our intelligence, on the day of Yuanzong's destruction, no Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation cultivator set foot in Yuanzong's territory."

"Today, several forces around Yuanzong are fighting for its territory, and many have already died."

"Hmm."

The Clan Head of the Su Clan nodded slightly and waved his hand, indicating that the subordinate could leave.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end