Chapter 277: "That Bowl of Noodles, Unforgettable."

Chapter 277: "That Bowl of Noodles, Unforgettable."

At this moment, in the Celestial Palace within the Mystic Heaven State, Chen Qiu was sitting cross-legged on the Mystic Heaven Throne, cultivating his heart technique. It was time to leave the Vast Continent, as most of the matters there had been settled.

His next destination was the Heaven-Reaching Continent.

Only Xiong Gao remained by Chen Qiu's side.

After completing a round of cultivation, Chen Qiu slowly opened his eyes and gazed into the distance. His cultivation was still not deep enough, and he felt like a mischievous child about to embark on a long journey, unable to calm his mind before departure. He was filled with both apprehension and anticipation for the journey ahead, making it difficult to focus on his cultivation.

Xiong Gao, who had been standing by, noticed Chen Qiu's pause in cultivation and quickly took out a small notebook from his pocket. "Patriarch, before we leave the Vast Continent, I have made a simple plan based on the events that have occurred in the Mock Heaven Sect over the past few days."

"There are also a few matters that remain unresolved."

"First, during the Sole Emperor Contest, a self-proclaimed third young master of the Qi family, one of the strongest families in the Vast Continent, launched a sneak attack on you. You imprisoned him permanently, and he has yet to escape. His family may pose a threat."

"Second, during the beginning of the Sole Emperor Contest in the Mystic Heaven State, several forces launched an attack on us. Each of them has a powerful Body Fusion Stage cultivator backing them, but they were not in the Mystic Heaven State at the time and were traveling elsewhere. Now that the provincial shackles have been lifted, these wandering cultivators with deep grudges may also pose a threat."

"Third, there's also that..."

Chen Qiu's expression grew peculiar as he listened to Xiong Gao's incessant words. He didn't interrupt but waited until Xiong Gao finished before responding with a complex look, "You seem to hold grudges more than I do."

"Patriarch, you have a thousand tasks to attend to, so it's understandable that you don't remember these petty villains. I, on the other hand, fear that these unresolved matters might bring harm to the Mock Heaven Sect in the future, so I've kept them in mind, not daring to forget even a little."

"Mhm."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly. "There's no need to seek them out. If they come to us, we can just kill them on the spot. It's not worth wasting time searching for them."

"Understood."

Xiong Gao nodded heavily, deciding not to voice his own thoughts since the Patriarch had already made his decision.

Chen Qiu then turned his attention to his cultivation panel floating above his Dantian.

- Cultivation: Body Fusion Tier Four (0.6%).

- With his current cultivation at Body Fusion Tier Four, he planned to spend one month wrapping up minor matters on the Vast Continent and helping Fei Long complete his task in the Dragon Clan. After that, he would be ready to depart for the Heaven-Reaching Continent.

Reaching the Heaven-Reaching Continent was simple; he only needed to pass a test—defeating a puppet with peak Body Fusion cultivation.

The puppet's strength and cultivation were not overly exaggerated, unlike the one he had encountered in Daxia Country, which was practically unbeatable. This puppet's cultivation was relatively normal.

It was a typical peak Body Fusion cultivation.

However, few had passed the test, not because of a high death rate, but because few dared to attempt it. Unlike the Foundation Establishment Stage, where battles were more interactive, the Body Fusion Stage was more straightforward. When cultivators met, they would immediately unleash their Body Fusion killing techniques, knowing they had only one chance to strike. It was a fight to the death.

As a result, in Body Fusion battles, unless there was a significant power disparity, there was no option for minor injuries. Even the victor would often sustain severe injuries. Under such circumstances, even with a certain level of strength difference, the stronger side might still face unexpected setbacks.

In other words, except for specific cultivators who focused on defense, most Body Fusion cultivators had excessive offensive power. Once they landed a hit, it was often fatal. The biggest challenge in combat was not hitting the opponent but avoiding their deadly attacks.

For these reasons, few peak Body Fusion cultivators were willing to challenge the puppet and travel to the Heaven-Reaching Continent.

After all, it would be a shame to die in the Heaven-Reaching Continent after finally reaching the peak of Body Fusion cultivation without enjoying the fruits of their labor. Who would they complain to? Typically, cultivators waited until their lifespan was almost exhausted before taking the risk, hoping to find an opportunity to break through to the Great Dharmic Stage in the Heaven-Reaching Continent.

His task was to go there in a month and defeat the puppet to gain entry to the Heaven-Reaching Continent.

Time passed quickly.

A month flew by in the blink of an eye.

Outside the Celestial Palace, an uninvited guest sat waiting. This person had been there for a month—none other than the Bai Family Patriarch of the Heaven-Reaching Continent. Half a month ago, the Bai Family Patriarch had personally visited with rich gifts, but upon learning that Chen Qiu was in closed-door cultivation and wouldn't emerge for another half month, he decided to wait.

Over the past few days, he had become acquainted with Fei Long and the others, exchanging greetings when they met.

At that moment, the Bai Family Patriarch was playing with a dragon cub.

"Grandpa, Grandpa!"

The dragon cub, transformed into human form, tugged at the Bai Family Patriarch's sleeve, eagerly awaiting, "I haven't heard your story about the 'Three Immortals Return to Cave' from your youth in a whole hour!"

The Bai Family Patriarch let out a hearty laugh and patted the dragon cub's head. It wasn't for show; he genuinely loved these little ones. He was fond of children, and although this dragon cub had been accelerated to adulthood, its mind was still quite young.

In reality, Chen Qiu was considered a junior in his eyes, but if it weren't for Chen Qiu's outrageous cultivation and strength, in terms of age, everyone here combined wasn't as old as him.

"Alright, alright, Grandpa will tell you the story of the Three Immortals Returning to the Cave once more."

Bai Jia Jiuzhu smiled and said, "That was when I was at the peak of Qi Condensation. I was very poor back then, and I had a woman I deeply loved. All I could think about was how to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill and give it to her, so she could have a decent foundation for her cultivation."

"I secretly went to a Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm, a place that only allowed cultivators at the peak of Qi Condensation to enter. But at that time, I didn't have any martial arts skills, nor did I have any spiritual treasures or talismans for protection. Compared to others who entered the Mystic Realm, my strength and foundation were the weakest, and I didn't have the confidence to compete with them."

"In fact, even before entering this Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm and while still in the waiting state, I already regretted it."

". . ."

Bai Jia Jiuzhu's voice slowly echoed outside the Celestial Palace, "Later, she didn't accept the Foundation Establishment Pill, and I didn't use it either. That Foundation Establishment Pill has been stored in my storage bracelet until now."

"What about her then?"

The dragon cub blinked with shining eyes and asked, "What happened to her later? Did she find a new love?"

"No."

Bai Jia Jiuzhu shook his head, remaining silent for a while before speaking softly, "She passed away later. She married a woodcutter from the village, and throughout her life, her cultivation never broke through the Foundation Establishment stage. She lived to be over a hundred years old before passing away."

"That's why I've never really liked woodcutters."

"Before she passed away, I asked her if she regretted it. If she had accepted me, she would have risen rapidly in her cultivation, and her lifespan would have been much longer. She could have seen the vast world instead of spending her entire life in this small village."

"She said she didn't regret it. She told me that she was very familiar with every blade of grass and every tree in the village, and she liked staying in an environment she knew well. She enjoyed the peace and stability of her life. She admitted that she had feelings for me, but when she saw me risking my life in the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm, she knew I wasn't the right match. She didn't want to live in fear and anxiety, nor did she want to be a widow."

"That woodcutter, although not very talented, was a very honest and simple man. He never ventured into the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm and only worked on his own small piece of land, farming from sunrise to sunset. She said she liked this kind of peaceful and stable life."

"That's when I realized that everyone desires different things. Even if I gave her a Rainbow Entry, she might not have been willing to leave her small village."

"Is that all?"

The dragon cub blinked, "I feel like something is missing from this story. Grandpa's words seem to carry a hint of regret and remorse."

". . ."

After a long silence, Bai Jia Jiuzhu's voice turned hoarse, "Actually, she agreed to my confession, but she had one request. She asked me not to improve my cultivation further and never to enter the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm. As long as I fulfilled this request, we could be together."

"I refused at that time."

"So, Grandpa, do you regret your decision to refuse?"

"No, I regret being too honest back then. I should have just taken her by force and made it a done deal. Sometimes, being too much of a gentleman isn't really being a gentleman."

"Bai Jia Jiuzhu."

Just then—

The fat dragon walked over and casually said, "I think your story isn't quite right. If you really gave her a Rainbow Entry, I don't believe she would have stayed in her small village. But that's not important. Qiu Ge is about to come out of seclusion, and you just mentioned that you don't like woodcutters."

"I have to remind you."

"Qiu Ge is a woodcutter himself."

". . ."

Bai Jia Jiuzhu's expression changed slightly, and he quickly nodded to show that he understood and wouldn't offend him.

At this moment, Chen Qiu, after receiving the report from Xiong Gao, learned that Bai Jia Jiuzhu had been waiting for him at the Celestial Palace for half a month. As soon as he stepped out of the Celestial Palace, he saw Bai Jia Jiuzhu sitting at the stone table outside, and he immediately strode towards him.

Bai Jia Jiuzhu also stood up and welcomed him with both hands.

"Elder Chen," Bai Jia Jiuzhu said respectfully, placing the gift he was holding to the side, "Some days ago, a young family member of mine acted impetuously and visited you without permission. I hope he didn't disturb you."

After a brief conversation, they got straight to the point.

Bai Jia Jiuzhu looked at Chen Qiu with a serious expression, "I'll be straightforward. Qiu'er is my daughter, the girl you met some days ago. She's a good girl, and I want to betroth her to you."

"Pfft!"

Chen Qiu, who had been patiently waiting for the continuation of the story, couldn't hold back and sprayed the thick tea in his mouth into the air, some of it splashing onto Bai Jia Jiuzhu's clothes.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

After a while, Chen Qiu regained his composure and then looked at Bai Jia Jiuzhu, "This is only our second meeting, and you're already offering your daughter in marriage? Do you know what kind of person I am and whether I'm willing?"

"If you agree, my daughter can be your concubine, and the position of the main wife can be reserved for the future madam. This is just an added bonus, and it's fine if it doesn't happen."

Bai Jia Jiuzhu decided to be straightforward, "I have an extremely powerful intelligence network, and recently I received information that when you were in the Profound Heaven Continent, you entered the Yin Realm multiple times. With your strength and character, I believe you must have obtained the Soul of Shadows' Fortune."

"My daughter is suffering from Immortal Cancer, and she urgently needs the Soul of Shadows' Fortune to save her life. For this, I'm willing to offer everything I have. The Bai family's entire intelligence network will be shared with you, and I'll also give you two great opportunities."

"One opportunity cannot be spoken of, and neither can the other."

"..."

Chen Qiu remained silent, gazing intently at the Bai family head. The Soul of Shadows' Fortune held no use for him, but as a bargaining chip, he was naturally willing to trade. However, what exactly was he trading for? Two blind boxes of opportunities?

Sensing Chen Qiu's gaze, the Bai family head reluctantly said, "Senior Chen, I can assure you that these are two great opportunities. However, both of them are 'Heavenly Dao Opportunities' that cannot be known. Once they are known, one will no longer possess these opportunities."

"For example, the Heavenly Dao opportunity that the Bai family obtained not long ago was a chance to visit a small town. The town was filled with ordinary people, but treasures were everywhere. Any single item brought out would be a tremendous opportunity. However, before leaving the town, you wouldn't know that the town itself was the opportunity. How many treasures you could take out and the grade of those treasures all depended on your luck."

"And once you become aware of this opportunity, it will never open its doors to you again."

"How about this."

After hesitating for a moment, the Bai family head said, "I can tell your sect's Grand Elder about these two opportunities. The Grand Elder can then evaluate them, and you will also know the value of these two opportunities. But you must not reveal any information, or there will be no chance to enter these opportunities again."

"Agreed."

Soon—

Fei Long, who had received the transmission through divine sense, was stunned for a moment before turning to Chen Qiu and saying seriously, "Brother Qiu, if we compare opportunities to a score of ten, then these two opportunities are both at nine. At least, in my understanding, they are very profitable and powerful."

"Mmm."

Chen Qiu nodded. Nine strands of the Soul of Shadows' Fortune in exchange for the intelligence network of the entire Heaven-reaching Continent and two blind boxes of opportunities. Not too bad, but...

He looked at the Bai family head with some skepticism, "Are you sure your Bai family's intelligence network is strong?"

"Absolutely!"

The Bai family head's expression turned serious. "Over the years, the Bai family has spent most of its wealth on building connections. After all this time, our network has grown to an impressive size. To be blunt, as long as the Bai family is willing, there is no one in our Fourth Tier Continent and below that we cannot eavesdrop on. This web of relationships is as intricate and complex as a spider's web, and it is irreplaceable."

"Is that so?"

Chen Qiu's face became even more doubtful. "The fact that I went to the Yin Realm in the Profound Heaven Continent, and you managed to investigate that. It's quite impressive. But... this matter is not something hidden, right? If you had just investigated the progress of my Celestial Palace milestone tasks, you would have seen that I've been to the Yin Realm over a dozen times. Why investigate such a thing? And you only received this information recently."

"..."

The Bai family head fell silent for a long time before speaking softly, "Recently, the Vast Continent's shackles have made it difficult to gather intelligence from the Profound Heaven State. But rest assured, Senior Chen, with the full assistance of the Qi family, you will soon experience the terror of this intelligence network."

"Apart from that..."

"There's one more opportunity, which is a gift for our meeting."

"In a few dozen days, a large-scale Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm will open. This is a high-level Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm, an extremely rare Body Fusion Stage Mystic Realm. It is a one-time large-scale realm that will not only open an entrance in one continent but will simultaneously open entrances in several continents."

"Among a total of ten Third Rank Continents, all entrances will be born. This Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm offers many rewards, and one of them is the ability to split the 'Celestial Talent's Fortune' and the 'Soul of Shadows' Fortune' from a cultivator's Dantian into jade slips. I have recorded some of the rewards from this Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm in this jade slip, Senior Chen, so you can see if there's anything of interest to you."

The Bai family head looked at Chen Qiu with sincerity. Before coming, he had considered various ways to approach the conversation. His needs were straightforward: he required the Soul of Shadows' Fortune that Chen Qiu might possess. Although Chen Qiu hadn't directly admitted it, he had tacitly acknowledged its existence.

However, he didn't know the exact number of strands.

All he could do was offer his utmost sincerity.

"..."

Chen Qiu scanned the jade slip with his divine sense and immediately realized that he would have to enter this Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm. The reason was simple: one of the rewards mentioned was a "Time-Limited Seven-Color Secondary Jade Slip."

There was no way to refuse now.

If a seven-color jade slip had an effect of 1 on others, its effect on him would be 100.

The Bai family head continued, "The entrance to this Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm is directionally opened. The tickets were purchased three years ago for a price of 100 million spirit stones, which is not expensive. Almost all the cultivators who will enter this realm are geniuses from other Third Rank Continents."

"So strong?" Chen Qiu raised his eyebrows. "They all sound like formidable opponents?"

"Senior Chen, you're joking."

The Bai family head smiled bitterly. "This is a cross-continental Body Fusion Stage Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm. The highest cultivation level of those who can enter this realm is only at the Body Fusion Apex. For someone of such cultivation, in your hands, they are no different from children."

"These geniuses have no idea what they're about to face. It's their bad luck."

"However, this Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm is exclusive to the Third Rank Continents. To enter this realm, Senior Chen will first need to break through the shackles of the Vast Continent and head to the Heaven-reaching Continent."

After some discussion, the two temporarily settled on a cooperative tone.

The subsequent matters would have to be discussed after the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm ended. Otherwise, even with the Soul of Shadows' Fortune, there would be no way to extract it.

After seeing the Bai family head off, Chen Qiu turned to Fei Long beside him and casually asked, "Well, how's the progress?"

"Perfect, of course."

Fei Long laughed heartily, "That old man is very pleased with me, and my cultivation has improved significantly. I hope there are dragons in the Heaven-reaching Continent too, so my cultivation can soar again."

"The Dragon Clan is the most suitable for him. The saying, 'A woman with three thousand followers is like holding a golden brick' is true, and their cultivation indeed skyrockets."

"The process, however, is a bit torturous."

"But when I think of the rewards, I find everything acceptable."

"Don't even think about it."

Ao Tian shook his head. "The Jiangbei Continent will never have the Dragon Clan. The Jiangbei Continent has been polluted to such an extent that the Dragon Clan cannot survive there. Even if they existed before, they should have gone extinct by now."

"Enough, let's not talk about this anymore."

Chen Qiu glanced at the crowd around him. "Pack up your belongings. In three days, we set off for the Jiangbei Continent."

"As for you..."

He looked at the Heavenly Axe Sect Leader and the Dao Sect Patriarch, who were standing by with eager eyes, and said with a smile, "Since you want to go to the Jiangbei Continent, you might as well come along."

"Thank you, Senior!"

The Heavenly Axe Sect Leader and the Dao Sect Patriarch exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement in each other's eyes. They had served the senior for so long, and this was the day they had been waiting for. Otherwise, with their strength, it would have been uncertain when they could go to the Jiangbei Continent.

It was indeed unfair to think about it.

They were both at the Essence Refinement Peak cultivation, yet they were still unable to travel to the Jiangbei Continent on their own. Many natives of the Jiangbei Continent had a cultivation level of only the Nascent Soul Golden Core stage, which was inferior to theirs.

It could only be attributed to good fortune.

They were born on a Third Rank Continent, giving them a natural advantage. With just a little cultivation in the rich spiritual energy and the abundance of opportunities, their cultivation skyrocketed.

It was indeed much easier than for them.

However, they also encountered their own opportunities, and that was the senior.

"Finally, I can see the long-awaited Jiangbei Continent."

The Heavenly Axe Sect Leader had a blood-red axe on his shoulder and looked at the Mock Heaven Sect disciples who were packing their belongings, laughing. During these days, he had basically not considered himself as the sect leader but as a mere disciple of the Mock Heaven Sect. Whatever the Mock Heaven Sect needed him to do, he would do it.

He was afraid that the Mock Heaven Sect would leave him behind.

Now, his wish had finally come true.

They were not looking forward to the Jiangbei Continent; they had long known that it was polluted. There was nothing to look forward to in the Jiangbei Continent, but they were looking forward to their future, the senior's future, and whether the senior could lead them to the Third Rank Continent or even the Fourth Rank Continent.

The higher-grade continents were what they truly anticipated. They wanted to see how people lived on those high-grade continents and experience the richness of spiritual energy on those lands.

"Who's to say otherwise?"

The Dao Sect Patriarch, standing by his side, also enjoyed the moment. "I plan to bring a group of my trusted followers and leave the Dao Sect's legacy behind. Many people don't want to leave anyway, and many have already insisted on staying. They prefer to be Mountain Overlords in the Mystic Heaven State, so let them be."

"Especially these days, the Dao Sect has earned quite a lot of Spirit Stones by selling formation disks. But many of the Spirit Stones have been given to the senior, and now that the senior is leaving, these people will surely think that all the Spirit Stones can go into their own pockets. Under such temptation, who wouldn't want to stay?"

"Me too," the Heavenly Axe Sect Leader nodded. "I also plan to bring only my trusted followers. By the way..."

He paused for a long time before continuing with a complicated expression, "I entrust my sister to you. Take good care of her; she's my only family."

"Rest assured."

The Dao Sect Patriarch, who was usually a bit eccentric, spoke with unusual seriousness. "Old Kui, so many years have passed, and you've seen my character. There are many women in this world, but I only love your sister."

"This will never change."

A long time ago, he had fallen in love with the Heavenly Axe Sect Leader's sister. At first, he didn't feel anything special, thinking that the girl was a bit slow. Later, he learned that the girl was born with the "Fallen Immortal Body" Entry, with an intelligence comparable to that of a human child. And anyone who fell in love with her would gradually have their intelligence regress to that of a human child.

When they first heard the news of their love, the Heavenly Axe Sect Leader strongly opposed it, and the two didn't speak to each other for a long time because of this.

In the Heavenly Axe Sect Leader's eyes, his sister was still a child. What kind of beast would fall in love with a child? Moreover, who would fall in love with their friend's sister? That would be even more beastly. The combination of these two factors made him the beast among beasts.

He also knew about his sister's Entry and that those who loved her would not have a good ending. He didn't want to see his old friend end up as a fool.

But time can smooth over many things, yet it cannot crush love.

The two looked at each other and smiled, seeing the reflection of time in each other's eyes. After a long while, the Heavenly Axe Sect Leader spoke softly, "When did you fall in love with my sister? She has the intelligence of a human child. Are you sure she truly loves you?"

"Yes."

The Dao Sect Patriarch whispered, "She's not entirely like a human child in terms of intelligence. She's just slow to react. In reality, she has her own emotional thinking. You all misunderstood her."

"When did it start?"

"After I returned from the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm once, she cooked a bowl of noodles for me."

"In this life, I've killed countless people and ventured through mountains of blades and seas of fire. Countless people have given me gifts, and countless have sought my help in setting up formations. But it was the first time... someone cooked a bowl of noodles for me."

"That bowl of noodles, unforgettable."

"No wonder."

The Heavenly Axe Sect Leader suddenly spoke with a hint of melancholy, "No wonder my sister suddenly started cooking noodles for me every day during that period. I guess she was practicing on me, but how could you eat such terrible noodles?"

"The taste of love is beyond the tongue's description."

"Seriously, didn't you find it difficult to eat?"

"It was indeed a bit difficult, but I blocked my taste buds and focused on savoring the taste of love."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end