Chapter 723 287: Tempering (Part 3)

"In that case,"

A faint smile touched Chen Qing's lips. 'I'll take this opportunity to thoroughly subdue Lu Chenming and avoid any future trouble.'

'And that's not all…'

His gaze swept past the courtyard toward the main peak. 'Now that I've stepped into the True Essence Realm, I'm finally qualified to contend for a Human Position in the Dubhe Pavilion! Li Yu-jun, Li Vein Master, your rules can't hold me back anymore.'

Sect contributions, opportunities to cultivate in a Grotto Heaven, resources from the secret treasury... He had long coveted these core benefits of the Dubhe Pavilion.

How could he have felt nothing when his Cultivation had previously barred him from them?

Now that he had broken through to a new Realm, all of this was within his grasp.

"Qing Dai."

"I'm here."

"Reply to the Steward of the Seven-Star Platform. Tell them I have emerged from seclusion and accept Junior Brother Lu's challenge. Let's set the date for five days from now," Chen Qing said calmly.

"Yes, Senior Brother!"

Qing Dai's spirits lifted. Seeing Chen Qing so composed, most of the worry in her heart vanished in an instant.

...

As night fell, a spacious disciple's residence on Profound Sun Peak was brightly lit, filled with the clinking of cups and lively conversation.

Zhang Baicheng was enjoying drinks and pleasant conversation with several of his fellow brothers from the Mystic Sun Lineage.

The men present had all joined the Sect at the same time as him and were very close.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation naturally turned to the hottest topic in the Sect recently: the True Inheritance challenge.

"Lu Chenming's breakthrough has given him unstoppable momentum."

A Late-stage Astral Force disciple with a slightly flushed face took a sip of wine and sighed. "Junior Brother Chen is exceptionally talented and even has Elder Luo's favor, but he hasn't reached the True Essence Realm. This time… I'm afraid it'll be difficult for him."

A tall, thin Mid-stage Astral Force disciple next to him chimed in, his tone tinged with regret, "Isn't that the truth? For Junior Brother Chen to have achieved so much at such a young age… It's a pity, a real pity."

"A pity?"

Hearing this, another disciple scoffed and shook his head. "Junior Brother Wang, you're still too young. Potential is just potential, and strength is strength! In this Martial Arts World, talent isn't everything. Potential that hasn't been converted into actual strength is nothing more than a fleeting illusion."

"Back then, wasn't Senior Brother Ma from our lineage astonishingly brilliant? Didn't the Vein Master have high hopes for him, believing he had what it took to compete for a True Inheritance spot? But what happened in the end?"

At the mention of "Senior Brother Ma," the expressions of everyone present darkened, and they shook their heads and sighed with regret.

Junior Brother Wang opened his mouth, but in the end, couldn't find any words to refute the point.

The fate of Senior Brother Ma was indeed a thorn in the side for many in the Mystic Sun Lineage. The fall of a once-promising genius was a stark warning to those who came after.

"Brother Li has a point."

The disciple with the flushed face from before nodded in agreement. "In the end, everything comes down to strength. Lu Chenming has entered the True Essence Realm and earned a place in the Dubhe Pavilion. One rises as the other falls…"

Zhang Baicheng listened to the discussion quietly, swirling the wine in his cup without interjecting, but the look deep in his eyes showed that he agreed.

He also believed that in the face of such an absolute gap in strength, Chen Qing had no chance of winning this time.

Although he still harbored an indescribable resentment that Chen Qing had been accepted as a disciple by Luo Zhixian, he had to admit that if Chen Qing lost his True Inheritance seat because of this battle, it would be a rather lonely outcome for him.

Just as the group was clinking glasses and making toasts, a soft knock came from the courtyard gate.

An Outer Disciple on duty at Profound Sun Peak hurried in, holding a letter. He respectfully presented it to Zhang Baicheng. "Brother Zhang, someone just delivered this letter, specifying that you must open it yourself."

"Oh?"

Zhang Baicheng was a little surprised. Who would be sending him a letter at this hour?

He asked casually, "Who sent it?"

The Outer Disciple replied respectfully, "It was Chen Qing from the True Martial Lineage, Brother Chen."

"Chen Qing?"

As soon as he said the name, the once-rowdy table fell silent.

All eyes focused on the ordinary letter, their faces filled with shock and confusion.

"Chen Qing? Why would he send Brother Zhang a letter now of all times?"

"Exactly. Shouldn't he be frantically preparing for the challenge in five days? How does he have the spare time to be writing letters to Brother Zhang?"

"Could it be… he knows he can't win and wants to ask Brother Zhang to mediate? That's impossible. A Sect challenge is no child's play, is it?"

The men whispered amongst themselves, speculating wildly, all of them thoroughly bewildered.

Zhang Baicheng's brow furrowed slightly, a fog of confusion rising in his own mind.

He broke the wax seal, pulled out the paper inside, and his eyes quickly scanned it.

The letter was brief, containing only a few lines.

The others couldn't contain their curiosity and hurriedly asked, "Brother Zhang, what does it say?"

"Is it about the challenge?"

Zhang Baicheng put the letter down, his brow furrowing even deeper. "Chen Qing writes that for his battle with Lu Chenming at the Seven-Star Platform in five days, he is specially inviting me to come and watch."

"Inviting Brother Zhang to watch?"

"What does that mean?"

The men present looked at each other, even more confused than before.

Although Chen Qing and Zhang Baicheng both cultivated the Spear Path, they belonged to different lineages. They rarely interacted on a daily basis, let alone shared any deep friendship.

For Chen Qing to not focus on preparing for battle at such a critical time, but instead go out of his way to invite a peer with whom he had a casual relationship to watch, was truly strange.

"What is he playing at?" someone muttered to himself.

Thoughts raced through Zhang Baicheng's mind.

He recalled his brief encounter with Chen Qing outside Prison Peak not long ago, when Chen Qing had refused a spar on the grounds of being in seclusion.

Now, this sudden invitation to watch… A ridiculous yet strangely logical speculation surfaced in his mind—'Could it be that Chen Qing wants to use this battle with Lu Chenming to show me his Spear Technique?'

'Or rather… he's still confident, and even wants to use this battle to answer my challenge from before?'

'Impossible…'

Zhang Baicheng immediately dismissed the thought.

Lu Chenming was already in the True Essence Realm. His strength was on a completely different level from when he was at the Astral Force Realm.

Even if Chen Qing's talent in the Spear Technique was unparalleled, what could he possibly display in the face of such an absolute chasm in strength?

He'd be lucky to even protect himself, let alone prove anything to him.

"Maybe he just wants to invite more fellow disciples to witness it so his loss doesn't look so bad?"

someone next to him guessed, drawing a few low murmurs of agreement.

Zhang Baicheng shook his head, pushing aside his distracting thoughts. He raised his cup to the others and said, "Forget it. There's no point in overthinking it. Since he invited me, I'll take a trip to the Seven-Star Platform in five days. Everything will be clear then."

"Right, drink up, drink up!"

"We'll see what's what in five days!"

Hearing this, the others also temporarily set aside their doubts and went back to drinking and toasting, the lively atmosphere returning once more.

...