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Chapter 286: Chapter 285: Lingering Orders
Chapter 286: Chapter 285: Lingering Orders
"You... where have you been all these years?" The frail old man's body trembled slightly as he had always treated Lu Chen as his nephew. His disappearance back then had left him deeply disturbed for a long time.
"Uncle He, after returning from that new secret realm, I was taken under the wing of a major sect's disciple who happened to be there. With the unexpected ambush by the evil presence in the secret realm and wanting to distance myself from the Wang Family's turmoil, I hastily departed for the sect." Lu Chen, sensing the old man's intense concern, replied with a hint of apology in his tone.
Sensing a disturbance in his spiritual sense, Lu Chen spoke to the frail old man, "Uncle He, let's find another place to catch up. It's a bit noisy here."
"It's him! He brought spiritual herbs to create trouble at the Hundred Herb Hall. Kick him out!" The arrogant middle-aged cultivator approached the main hall with two High-level Qi Refining cultivators in tow.
Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, he immediately realized that Lu Chen was mocking him. Enraged, he called over the two High-level Qi Refining cultivators who maintained order in the Hundred Herb Hall to prevent any disturbances.
Lu Chen, facing the two rushing towards him, coldly snorted. Immediately, his spiritual energy surged, and a sword qi as cold as snow shot out from his fingertips.
The sword qi, like a fine whip, coiled around the two High-level Qi Refining cultivators and the middle-aged cultivator, causing them to feel countless tiny, icy sword qi penetrating their skin and seeping into their blood and flesh.
The cold air permeated, freezing their bodies as if they had turned stiff. Their movements slowed, and a thin layer of frost appeared on their skin and hair.
However, even colder than their blood and bones was their hearts. The three had lived in the market town for decades, and if nothing else, their discernment was sharp.
Their equally cold divine senses instantly understood what Lu Chen's action meant.
A simple sword qi move had incapacitated the two High-level Qi Refining cultivators, indicating that Lu Chen's understanding of the sword path and cultivation far surpassed theirs by several realms.
There was only one possibility—the handsome young man before them was a Foundation Establishment cultivator! This realization filled them with shock and bewilderment.
"A slight punishment, you can recover from it on your own," Lu Chen said casually as he left the Hundred Herb Hall with Uncle He.
The sword qi he had casually unleashed was the Winter Snow Sword Intent of the Four Seasons Sword Technique. With precise control, he had frozen the trio's qi and blood, requiring specific pills or talismans to dissolve, or else it would leave hidden dangers.
Uncle He, as the manager of the Hundred Herb Hall, despite his diminished status now, still had a sizable residence in the central area of the market town.
"Lu Chen, have you reached the Foundation Establishment stage?" Uncle He took a few deep breaths and asked tentatively.
He was well aware of the two guards' backgrounds, and Lu Chen's effortless move to subdue them could only be achieved by someone with the cultivation base of the Foundation Establishment stage.
"That's right, I'm now a Foundation Establishment cultivator," Lu Chen replied proudly.
"So, how about it? Was the surprise good enough?" Lu Chen regained some of his youthful playfulness in front of the old man, winking as he spoke.
"Even after reaching Foundation Establishment, you still haven't matured," Uncle He chided, his expression softening as this gesture reminded him of the past.
"But I must say, this surprise of yours is truly extraordinary, giving an old man like me quite a fright," the old man said, patting his chest.
He couldn't imagine that the once destitute and poor Qi Refining cultivator at the second layer had become a lofty Foundation Establishment cultivator.
In other words, this unruly young man before them was now on par with the esteemed alchemists of the Hundred Herb Hall, whom they had always looked up to?
Lu Chen smiled lightly at the thin old man's prolonged astonishment.
"Uncle He, do you remember what happened after you introduced me to the Hundred Herb Hall and we established our cooperation?"
"Back then, I suddenly discovered that I had a talent for cultivating spirit herbs. It was as if I could inherently sense their vitality," Lu Chen reminisced, lost in memory.
The thin old man nodded along, these details were deeply etched in his memory.
As Lu Chen brought in batch after batch of high-quality Spirit Glow Grass, he had facilitated a relatively free cooperative relationship between Lu Chen and the Hundred Herb Hall.
Later, when Lu Chen even cultivated perfect quality Spirit Glow Grass, and when the city was infiltrated by a corrupt presence that polluted countless spirit plants, he stepped in to rescue the afflicted plants, and the two of them profited greatly from it.
At that time, due to his recommendation of Lu Chen, he had received much praise within the Hundred Herb Hall.
"Later, in a secret realm, I encountered a cultivator from a major sect. When they discovered that I could cultivate a unique spirit herb from their sect, they offered me an opportunity to join. Seizing this chance, I smoothly entered the sect and gradually progressed to where I am now." Lu Chen continued.
"You've endured much these years," the thin old man said heavily. He could only imagine the countless trials and tribulations Lu Chen must have faced to advance from a rogue cultivator with no background to a Foundation Establishment cultivator in less than a decade.
"It wasn't that hard," Lu Chen shook his head in denial.
"I just cultivated day and night, worked hard to cultivate spirit herbs, traded them for pills to improve my cultivation, and eventually broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage by sheer luck."
He portrayed himself as extremely diligent and hardworking.
However, the thin old man still thought that Lu Chen was only sharing his joys and not his woes, downplaying the difficulties he had faced. He sighed repeatedly.
Lu Chen began to doubt himself because of the old man's reaction.
The two chatted about the past, laughing and reminiscing together.
Half a day later, as the sky began to darken, Lu Chen stood up to bid farewell.
"Uncle He, I came out this time because I have a sect mission. I dropped by to visit you out of concern, but now it's time for me to leave."
"Here are a few small gifts. They should be of some use to you or your descendants."
"This spirit fruit can improve one's physique, but its medicinal properties are too strong. With your mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation, Uncle He, you shouldn't consume too much at once."
"This bead is called the Burst Flame Pearl. It can instantly burst into a wide range of scorching flames. If you encounter any danger, you can directly throw it out."
"And this talisman is called the Spirit Purification Talisman. If you encounter any corrupt presence, it can purify and dispel it, dealing significant damage even to formidable corrupt beings."
"Lastly, this token is called the Green Cloud Token. Holding this token will make it easier to join the Celestial Sword Sect, increasing your chances of success."
"If any of your descendants have outstanding talent, they can bring this token to the Celestial Sword Sect."
As Lu Chen spoke, a red stone bead, a white jade talisman, a spirit fruit wrapped in layers of jade-like peel, and a light green token floated towards the thin old man.
(End of Chapter)
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