Chapter 565: Chatting About the Past

Chapter 565: Chatting About the Past

January 30, 2025

After her escape, Sun Xue Rong's first priority was to heal her injuries.

She knew her wounds were severe and would require an extended period of recuperation.

But she was certain she wouldn't die.

As soon as she felt slightly better, Sun Xue Rong began writing a letter to inform Fan Chengyan about the events that had transpired that day.

The news of Su Chen's advancement to the Transformation Realm had to be conveyed as soon as possible.

This was a significant event that would have a substantial impact on the overall situation.

Sun Xue Rong had also considered keeping this matter hidden for the time being.

If she informed Fan Chengyan about Su Chen's advancement to the Transformation Realm, her value would diminish significantly.

She might even be abandoned by Fan Chengyan.

Sun Xue Rong thought of delaying the news for a while, hoping for a different opportunity to present itself.

However, after much contemplation, she couldn't come up with a solution.

She simply didn't have the ability to resolve this matter entirely.

Su Chen had already reached the Transformation Realm.

What could she do?

Did she, Sun Xue Rong, expect to eliminate Su Chen?

If she appeared in her current state before Su Chen, she might even lose her life.

In the letter Sun Xue Rong sent out, she divided the news into two parts.

She revealed half the information and requested Wuluan Mansion to send someone to assist her and prepare potions for her.

But deep down, Sun Xue Rong was uncertain.

A major sect like Wuluan Mansion made decisions based solely on their interests.

Interests were their primary criterion for judgment.

If she couldn't bring benefits to Wuluan Mansion, she would undoubtedly be abandoned.

During the waiting period, Sun Xue Rong constantly pondered in her mind.

She tried to figure out what kind of benefits she could offer to Wuluan Mansion.

If she couldn't come up with anything, Wuluan Mansion would surely forsake her.

As the news of Su Chen's advancement to the Transformation Realm spread throughout the entire Zhou Kingdom, the power dynamics within the country began to shift.

After the decline of the Zhou Royal Family, several major sects in the Zhou Kingdom jointly controlled the court.

Among them, Tian Gang City was undoubtedly an important sect.

They held significant influence.

After Su Chen's advancement to the Transformation Realm, Tian Gang City subtly indicated its intention to take the lead.

This wasn't surprising.

People considered not only the present but also the future.

When the timeline was extended, although they couldn't predict Su Chen's future path, they believed it would surpass that of any current warrior in the Zhou Kingdom.

On this return, Su Chen spent more time resting in Tian Gang City.

He no longer concealed his presence in the city.

Su Chen even offered to teach and guide his junior disciples and fellow disciples in Tian Gang City.

Today marked Su Chen's first lecture.

Naturally, the disciples under Ouyang's guidance were the ones receiving his instruction.

During Su Chen's cultivation in Tian Gang City, Ouyang had provided him with much guidance.

Even when Su Chen faced a crisis, Ouyang stood firmly by his side, disregarding his personal safety.

This brief rest in Tian Gang City was an opportunity to repay Ouyang's kindness.

It was a minor matter for Su Chen, a way to relax and rest.

"You've been making a ruckus for days, so I've invited Senior Brother Su to join us.

Ask whatever you want.

If you thought I was boasting before, now's your chance to clarify.

That way, you won't spread rumors about me speaking nonsense later."

Ouyang spoke with a smile, and the pride in his words was unmistakable.

Su Chen was his disciple, an achievement he could boast about for centuries.

The Tian Gang City disciples below looked excited.

They had all witnessed Su Chen's presence in recent days.

However, face-to-face communication opportunities like this were indeed rare.

Many of them might never reach the Fifth Rank in their entire lives.

Yet, Su Chen had entered the Transformation Realm before the age of thirty.

They were naturally curious about his methods.

But Su Chen was well aware that he had limited knowledge to impart.

His current abilities were significantly aided by his extraordinary destiny.

Perhaps it was also related to certain unique qualities he possessed.

However, the junior disciples before him couldn't emulate his path to success.

Looking at the slightly bewildered junior disciples, Su Chen could only answer the questions they asked to the best of his ability.

"Senior Brother Su, we heard that you initially went to Yunyang Sect before coming to our Tian Gang City.

Could you tell us why?

How could Yunyang Sect let you leave so willingly?"

The junior disciples' first question surprised Su Chen; instead of asking about martial cultivation methods, they were interested in gossip.

Su Chen smiled, finding the topic of their conversation indeed more interesting.

"The reason I left Yunyang Sect is actually very simple. I was looked down upon by others."

After being rejected, I left Yunyang Sect.

Or rather, after being driven out, I finally left Yunyang Sect.

It was through a senior female disciple's recommendation that I arrived in Heaven Pole City."

Su Chen's response genuinely surprised the disciples.

"Brother Su, you were rejected by Yunyang Sect? How could the people of Yunyang Sect be so blind as to not recognize your talent?"

"Yeah, how could they possibly reject you, Brother Su? Do the warriors of Yunyang Sect have such low standards when evaluating a disciple's talent?"

Su Chen's words further piqued the disciples' curiosity.

They never expected that Su Chen would have been driven out of Yunyang Sect back then.

The word "driven out" made their hearts tremble.

Even though they weren't part of Yunyang Sect's leadership, just hearing about it made them feel sorry for the sect.

"At that time, my Martial Dao strength was indeed quite low. When I arrived in Heaven Pole City, I had just barely broken through to the Sixth Rank, so it wasn't surprising that I was looked down upon."

Su Chen explained that he was only at the Sixth Rank back then, which made the surrounding disciples even more puzzled.

"Brother Su was only at the Sixth Rank at that time? But wasn't he already in Yunyang Sect for more than two years? How is that possible?"

The more the disciples listened, the more confused and suspicious they became.

Ouyang Chuan, sitting nearby, couldn't bear to listen anymore and waved his hand.

"Let me explain it to you. There's a big difference between Yunyang Sect and our Heaven Pole City. In Yunyang Sect, disciples who aren't valued are left to earn their own contributions and exchange them for cultivation techniques. Su Chen, back then in Yunyang Sect, received very little guidance. His cultivation achievements were all a result of his own training. You shouldn't misunderstand and think that his talent is lacking. In Martial Dao cultivation, talent is still a very important factor."

Ouyang Chuan's words cleared up the disciples' doubts.

However, some of them couldn't resist taking a dig at Yunyang Sect.

"Even with such rules, the people of Yunyang Sect are indeed blind. Brother Su's talent should have been recognized early on. Who knows how many top geniuses they've overlooked like this."

"Exactly, no wonder Yunyang Sect is in decline. The top sect in the Great Zhou now is our Heaven Pole City."

The disciples of Heaven Pole City were still in the habit of comparing themselves to Yunyang Sect.

"Speaking of which, it was Mr. Ouyang's keen eye that recognized Brother Su's talent. He saw Brother Su's potential at a glance and recruited him. From this, we can already see that we are superior to Yunyang Sect."

One of the disciples was flattering Ouyang Chuan.

But upon hearing this, Su Chen turned and smiled at Mr. Ouyang.

Mr. Ouyang's face, on the other hand, showed a hint of embarrassment.

After a brief hesitation, Mr. Ouyang took the initiative to explain the situation back then.

"Actually, when Su Chen first came to our Heaven Pole City, I also misjudged him. Yunyang Sect had spread the word that Su Chen was greedy for credit and caused many disciples to get injured when he was in Yunyang Sect. I had a preconceived notion about him, and I also had my doubts about him."

Hearing Ouyang Chuan's words, the disciples in attendance didn't dare to openly criticize him, but their disdainful expressions said it all.

Ouyang Chuan shook his head helplessly.

"You can say I was blind or brainless, I accept that. My first impression of Su Chen was indeed very negative, and all I heard from others were negative comments about him."

"What happened later? How did you, Mr. Ouyang, eventually change your view of Brother Su? Did Brother Su demonstrate his Martial Dao potential?"

The disciples below eagerly asked, listening with great interest.

Su Chen found a spot and sat down, listening to Mr. Ouyang's recollection of the past.

It had been a long time since these events, but for Su Chen, it felt like just a fleeting moment.

The memories of the past flashed before his eyes, leaving him a bit dazed.

"If I had to say when my view of Su Chen changed, it was when he risked his life to save people. This rascal and I didn't get along at the time. But when I heard that my disciples were abducted by demonic beasts, he fearlessly rushed into the wilderness to rescue them. Fortunately, in the end, everyone was safe and rescued. It was then that I saw Su Chen's character. How could someone greedy for credit be willing to risk their life to save others?"

The disciples listened intently to this account.

One of them seemed to have discovered an issue.

"Mr. Ouyang, from what you're saying, wasn't Brother Su your disciple at that time?"

Ouyang Chuan nodded.

"Su Chen was brought under my tutelage later on. Before that, he was under the guidance of another senior instructor."

"Did he agree to that willingly? I mean, with such talent, would his previous instructor let him go so easily?"

"Moreover, it's a bit inappropriate for you, Mr. Ouyang, to take a disciple from the same sect like that."

The disciples listening to Ouyang Chuan's words were filled with confusion.

Ouyang Chuan wore a slight smile, signaling for everyone to calm down.

"Su Chen's previous instructor was Ji Sheng. Those of you who keep up with the latest gossip should know him, right?"

"Back then, Su Chen was constantly looked down upon by Ji Sheng. He thought Su Chen was too hardworking, and it disturbed his peace."

"The other instructors couldn't bear to see this, so they took Su Chen under their wing. Later, Ji Sheng even went to find another disciple to prove that he only nurtured geniuses and not mediocre talents."

Among the disciples present, many were familiar with Ji Sheng.

They whispered to each other, recalling past events.

Ouyang Chuan led the group in reminiscing about various past incidents.

What were once trivial matters had now become legendary tales due to Su Chen's current status.

Su Chen had assumed that he would be asked about his cultivation techniques upon arriving here.

To his surprise, everyone was discussing amusing anecdotes instead.

Mr. Ouyang shared Su Chen's past experiences with the group.

There were some stories that Ouyang Chuan didn't mention.

For instance, the trip to Heavenly Wind Valley, which he had heard from Gu Feng and then retold to his disciples.

The disciples listened with enthusiasm as they heard about how Su Chen brought glory to Heaven Pole City and the Great Zhou Kingdom.

The current border stability in Heaven Pole City was also established by Su Chen and his team back then.

The peace in Heaven Pole City today was a result of Su Chen's achievements.

Ouyang Chuan couldn't help but continue with the storytelling, becoming more enthusiastic as he went on.

It took a while for them to realize that they had invited Su Chen to join them today.

Listening to Mr. Ouyang's stories would be a waste of time.

"Come on, think of something to ask Su Chen. If you want to hear my stories, you can listen to them some other time."

Ouyang Chuan shifted the conversation to Su Chen.

The other disciples snapped back to their senses and began asking the questions they had prepared.

As the atmosphere became more serious, the questions naturally turned to martial arts.

Su Chen shared his understanding with his junior brothers and sisters.

However, after listening to his words, many of them unconsciously furrowed their brows.

They were probably trying to comprehend Su Chen's teachings.

But the more they thought about it, the more confused they became, and some even started to feel dizzy.

It was evident that their thoughts were beyond their current cultivation level.

Their foundation in martial arts was still too shallow.

Su Chen's guidance was a bit too advanced for them.

"Hold on, if you can't understand what Su Chen is saying, don't force it. Liu Jie Xin, take notes on paper, and everyone else, don't delve too deep into it for now. Wait until your strength improves, and then revisit Su Chen's words."

After giving these instructions, Ouyang Chuan turned his attention back to Su Chen.

"It's better to ask about some amusing stories. Your senior brother Su's path of cultivation is not something others can easily emulate. Following his path might lead you astray."

Ouyang Chuan felt a bit helpless, allowing his disciples to ask about playful matters.

The disciples present were quite obedient and trusted Ouyang Chuan not to lead them astray.

Insisting on cultivating something beyond their abilities would only harm themselves.

So, sharing amusing stories seemed like a good idea.

"Senior Brother Su, what about that senior sister? Is there anything between you two?"

One of the bolder disciples spoke up, asking about gossip.

Su Chen asked, "Who?"

The disciple's question was half-asked and half-hidden, leaving Su Chen puzzled.

"It's that senior sister over there."

The junior brothers and sisters seemed to know who they were talking about.

But Su Chen had no idea.

"Which senior sister?"

Seeing Su Chen's confused expression, they finally stopped speaking in riddles.

"It's Senior Sister Liu, Liu Xing Wan."

"Liu Xing Wan?"

Upon hearing Su Chen say those three words, the junior brothers and sisters nodded vigorously.

"Is there something between me and Senior Sister Liu?"

Su Chen was still perplexed, unsure what they were getting at.

His reaction was a response in itself.

"So, it turns out there's nothing between Senior Brother Su and Senior Sister Liu. We were just overthinking it."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end