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墨書 Inktalez
Descending from the mountain, Lu Chen found a place to rest for the night before continuing his journey the next day.
Last night, he acquired three items: a True Yang Scripture, a Silver Needle, and a Golden Toad, all of which were carried by an old man he did not recognize. It was purely opportunistic theft, and he did not consider the consequences.
After exiting the gorge, Lu Chen traveled alone, crossing several mountains. By midday, he heard beast roars coming from ahead in the Gorge, and it seemed quite intense.
Lu Chen cautiously approached along the slope and peeked out from behind some grass to observe.
It turned out to be two reckless individuals who had somehow provoked a group of Human-Faced Iron Spiders and were currently being besieged.
The Human-Faced Iron Spider was unique to the Five Element Sect and was likely an exotic species introduced after being subdued, raised in the mountains.
These spiders stood half a person tall and had human face patterns on their backs, which is why they were named "human-faced." Their eight long legs could stretch up to four or five meters, with sharp claws. Notably, their two venomous fangs were about a foot long, dripping with disgusting saliva, making them formidable opponents.
The two youths appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old; one was barehanded while the other wielded a folding fan. Upon closer inspection, Lu Chen recognized one as He Zai Jin and the other as Di Wanren, both members of Qi Kingdom and protectors of the Crimson Lotus Princess.
"How could it be them? Where is the Crimson Lotus Princess?"
Lu Chen retreated slightly and murmured. These two were supposed to be guarding the Crimson Lotus Princess but now found themselves battling the Human-Faced Iron Spiders.
"Brother Wanren, I fear the Princess is in danger. We must escape quickly to save her!"
The speaker was He Zai Jin, a serious individual known for his ruthless strikes. He threw his folding fan into the air; it spun around and sliced through over ten spiders before returning to his hand.
"Bang bang," Di Wanren swung his iron fists, knocking down two large spiders as he shouted, "Zai Jin, I will cover your retreat; you go find the Princess!"
The two quickly broke through the defense line of the large spiders. Di Wanren held back to prevent the swarm from advancing while He Zai Jin charged up the mountain alone.
Lu Chen listened carefully to their conversation; Crimson Lotus Princess was definitely in danger on the mountain, so the two were very anxious.
"Although the Spider with Human Face is strong, these two will eventually escape. If I go save Crimson Lotus Princess now and do her a favor, wouldn't that be a perfect opportunity to make a connection?"
Lu Chen thought to himself. Since Crimson Lotus Princess and Prince Fu were rivals, he could easily stir up trouble by inserting himself into the situation.
"Alright, let's do this!"
Lu Chen kicked off and took a detour, rushing up the mountain ahead of He Zai Jin.
When he reached the top of the mountain, he saw that Crimson Lotus Princess was indeed alone, wielding a long sword as she fought against twenty or thirty large spiders.
The spiders had the advantage in numbers, but Crimson Lotus Princess was quite skilled and would eventually eliminate them all. Plus, He Zai Jin was on his way. He had to act now to gain familiarity and goodwill.
Lu Chen jumped out from the forest like a raging serpent, stepping onto Seven Stars, and in the blink of an eye, he charged into the spider swarm. He performed a flip, striking the ground with his palm and leaping into the air.
"Dragon and Serpent Rising, Cup Bow Phantom!"
Activating the Crazy Serpent Seven Star Classic, electric snakes danced around him as Lu Chen moved like a Specter, weaving through the crowd and delivering powerful punches. The large spiders hit by his strikes immediately exploded, splattering black-green disgusting liquid everywhere.
Crimson Lotus Princess, who had been struggling against the large spiders, was momentarily stunned when she saw such a fierce young man charging into the spider swarm. His powerful punches were overwhelming and intimidating, leaving her both surprised and delighted.
In that moment of distraction, a group of large spiders took advantage and lunged at Crimson Lotus Princess, nearly costing her life. Fortunately, Lu Chen was prepared; he quickly maneuvered over, wrapped his arms around her soft waist, lifted her out of the swarm, saving her life.
With her face flushed red, Crimson Lotus Princess watched as Lu Chen fell to the ground with a final roar that was rough and violent like a Tiger Roar in the Mountains. The remaining spiders were all pushed back.
"May I ask your esteemed name? I owe you my life," said Crimson Lotus Princess, who had seen much of the world. After a brief pause to gather herself, she quickly eased the awkwardness and spoke up.
"One does not dare to claim such a title. I am Lu Chen, merely someone who helps when seeing injustice; there is no need for formality," Lu Chen said with a shy smile, his attitude sincere, showing no hint of seeking praise.
"So it is Brother Lu Chen. Thank you very much for your help just now. I, Huangfu Xun, am not one to forget kindness. You must be participating in the Five Element Sect's disciple assessment as well, right? I prefer to make friends with talented individuals; why don't we travel together for mutual support?"
Huangfu Xun clasped her hands, exuding a dignified charm, ultimately hoping to recruit Lu Chen.
How could Lu Chen be so easily deceived? Unfazed, he replied, "The surname Huangfu? May I ask if you are from the Great Zhou Royal Family?"
Huangfu Xun nodded, not hiding her identity, and said generously, "My father is Huangfu Yi, the king of the Northeast Qi Kingdom."
"Ah, so you are Princess Huangfu. It is an honor to meet you. Are you perhaps inviting me to your residence for a proper reception as thanks? There is truly no need for that; I have no interest in wealth or beauty and am accustomed to a carefree life. I merely offered a little assistance just now; you need not take it to heart," Lu Chen declared with righteous demeanor.
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Xun felt even more favorable towards him, believing Lu Chen to be humble and self-disciplined—someone worth befriending. If she could recruit him to serve her, it would indeed be a significant achievement.
However, from Lu Chen's words, it seemed that persuading him to join might not be so easy. She smiled and said, "Brother Lu Chen values integrity and regards money as worthless; you are a model for us all. Since you do not seek repayment, how about this: I run the largest tavern at the foot of the Five Element Sect mountain. If Brother Lu Chen would honor me with your presence, I would treat you well and show my hospitality."
"The largest tavern? Princess has quite the ambition!" Lu Chen feigned surprise, though he had already heard this information from Prince Fu.
Huangfu Xun blushed slightly from the insinuation and invited again, "I still wish to ask Brother Lu Chen to travel with us. Firstly for mutual support; secondly, I genuinely want to invite you to my tavern as a guest. If you do not mind, I hope you will consider it."
"Haha, no need for that. I have some matters to attend to and cannot impose," Lu Chen casually made up an excuse to decline.
"Matters? What urgent matters does Brother Lu Chen have?"
Feeling slightly disappointed at being unable to persuade Lu Chen, Huangfu Xun reflected on her stunning beauty; usually, with just a little charm and the prestige of the Qi Kingdom, ordinary people would rush to offer their services. Yet here was Lu Chen repeatedly rejecting her invitations, which had begun to undermine her confidence.
"Princess!"
At that moment, He Zai Jin rushed up from the foot of the mountain. Upon seeing Lu Chen, his expression immediately turned cold.
"Princess, are you hurt?" He Zai Jin asked, his eyes fixed on Lu Chen with an icy demeanor.
"Don't be reckless, He. If it weren't for Brother Lu Chen, I might have already perished in the belly of that spider," Huangfu Xun said, somewhat annoyed. She was very dissatisfied with the efficiency of He Zai Jin and Di Wanren.
"Princess, please calm down," He Zai Jin was not one to be easily insulted, but when mistakes were made, punishment was warranted. Those who did not understand how to admit their faults were nothing but uncivilized brutes.
"I apologize for letting Brother Lu Chen see this. This is a household servant who has failed in his duties. I will certainly punish him properly when I return."
Lu Chen smirked disdainfully and said, "The Princess indeed has her rules; no wonder she is a national Princess. I admire that. However, this is a family matter for the Princess, so I shall not interfere. I bid you farewell."
With that, Lu Chen turned to leave. Huangfu Xun still held a glimmer of hope in her eyes; Lu Chen had already established a great impression in her heart.
As Lu Chen walked away, He Zai Jin's gaze grew colder. Although Huangfu Xun intended to punish him—merely as a formality—servants were still servants; how could they confront their master in front of others?
After Lu Chen left, He Zai Jin leaned closer to Huangfu Xun and said, "Princess, this young man is smooth-tongued and full of flattery; I suspect he has ulterior motives!"
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Xun's expression changed immediately as she admonished, "He Zai Jin, you better not act recklessly. This young man does not pose a threat to us. Your master sent you to protect me, not to kill indiscriminately. Lu Chen possesses great skill in Qigong; his words are appropriate and his demeanor extraordinary; he should be utilized by me!"
In her words, there was a strong sense of feminine grace. Compared to the Korean Princess, she displayed much more strategy and had a broader mindset.
Of course, Lu Chen could not hear any of this.
At this point, three hours had already passed halfway; calculating the distance, they had roughly traveled half the way as well.
After descending the mountain, Lu Chen continued on his journey. He encountered sheer cliffs that required him to climb with his bare hands, as well as wide rivers where Flesh could not fly and had to swim across. There were also treacherous mountains that posed great danger. He faced numerous ferocious beasts, all of which he defeated one by one.
By the third evening, Lu Chen finally returned to the registration area at the foot of the Five Element Sect and re-registered. He then entered his information into the Stone Mirror, officially becoming a registered disciple of the Five Element Sect.
Before him, there were about ten others who had already arrived. Judging by their appearance, they seemed to have exerted little effort. These individuals were the elite among all those who participated in the assessment.
Lu Chen noticed that one of them was the cold youth wielding the Azure Steel Sword. Besides him, there were Huangfu Xun and two others, along with several memorable figures, including a beautiful brother-sister pair with the surname Yin, the Great Zhou Fortune King, Chen Shihu, son of the Governor of Luzhou, and an arrogant boy with a staff, as well as a Green Robed Girl.
The Green Robed Girl had a somewhat different appearance from those in the Central Plains; her face was broader, especially with a prominent nose that stood out.
However, one should not judge by appearances; these individuals all possessed top-tier strength.
What surprised Lu Chen the most was that among them was a Blind Girl. She appeared to be around twenty years old, dressed simply without her hair styled, letting it fall loosely. She wore a light blue robe and had clean skin without any blemishes.
A Blind Girl could participate in the assessment? Moreover, she passed it very smoothly; it was truly incredible!
Now that three hours had not yet passed, more people would continue to arrive. As long as there were no more than three who exceeded the time limit, they would all be considered successful.
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