Chapter 153: Face

“Uncle-Master, Elder An from Medicine King Peak invites you for tea.” Ding Xiaoxia stood at the door, handing over the invitation sent by Medicine King Peak.

In recent times, he had primarily been running errands for Chen Luo. In return, Chen Luo generously gifted him numerous medicinal pills and provided guidance on correcting his cultivation mistakes, much to Ding Xiaoxia’s gratitude.

Huang Ying had also fully recovered and sat quietly nearby, still in disbelief.

Her Senior Brother achieved Foundation Establishment!

When she first heard this news upon waking up, Huang Ying was utterly dumbfounded.

It had only been three years, not thirty!

She had never heard of anyone reaching Foundation Establishment so swiftly. Huang Ying even wondered if she had slept too long and was experiencing hallucinations.

“I understand.”

With a simple gesture, Chen Luo caused the invitation in Ding Xiaoxia’s hand to fly towards him and land gracefully within his grasp.

“Elder Sister Shen is doing well now.”

After quickly scanning the contents, Chen Luo handed the invitation to Huang Ying. She remained deeply concerned about Elder Sister Shen, as their ordeal had been incredibly perilous. Without Elder Sister Shen risking her life, they surely would not have escaped.

“Ah?”

Huang Ying swiftly took the invitation and glanced at it. The message was personally written by Elder An of Medicine King Peak, with traces of a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s spiritual energy still lingering on the text, ensuring its authenticity. The content was straightforward: the initial part congratulated Chen Luo on achieving Foundation Establishment, formally acknowledging his entry into the immortal path. The latter section outlined the sequence of events, emphasizing ‘misunderstandings’ throughout, suggesting a conciliatory tone.

“How does Senior Brother plan to handle this?” Huang Ying asked, somewhat concerned.

The involvement of the Medicine King Peak Lord seemed monumental to her, akin to her own Shizun’s stature. Considering that Chen Luo had just reached Foundation Establishment, he could not possibly match these seasoned peak lords.

“Why don’t we let it go? After all, none of us were harmed,” Huang Ying whispered softly.

She still found it hard to adjust to calling Chen Luo uncle-master; instinctively, she continued addressing him as Senior Brother. Even now, memories of their farewell three years ago when they descended the mountain resurfaced in her mind. At that time, she had even fantasized about starting a cultivator clan together with her senior brother back in Luxury Nation.

“Don’t worry; I will handle this matter appropriately,” Chen Luo reassured her with a smile, understanding Huang Ying’s concerns.

“Focus on recovering from your injuries. Once healed, find a mission to go down the mountain.”

Considering the sect’s rules, he couldn’t be explicit but dropped a subtle hint, confident that Huang Ying’s intelligence would grasp his meaning.

Initially puzzled, Huang Ying suddenly realized something, and her expression changed instantly. Recalling her senior brother’s status as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she understood right away.

“Many thanks, Senior Brother,” Huang Ying expressed her gratitude.

“I’ll head to Medicine King Peak now,” said Chen Luo as he rose and departed.

He had no intention of staying longer at the Divine Lake Immortal Sect. During his time here, he had learned all he could, and remaining further would only entangle him deeper with the sect. It was best to leave early.

As for Elder An’s attitude at Medicine King Peak, it did not concern him.

Medicine King Peak.

Chen Luo arrived by sword, directly landing within the secluded courtyard deep inside the peak.

The layout of Medicine King Peak differed significantly from Wu Dao Peak.

At the summit of Medicine King Peak stood a serene little courtyard, filled with lush flowers and plants whose fragrances permeated the air. In its center lay an artificially created lake, with a pavilion standing on the water’s edge. Beneath the pavilion was inscribed a three-meter-wide Spirit Gathering Array.

This spot boasted the most abundant spiritual energy on Medicine King Peak. Unlike Daoist Wuwei’s austere Cultivation Hall, Elder An clearly valued comfort and luxury more.

Elder An sat within the pavilion, rocking gently on his bamboo chair, while two female disciples from Medicine King Peak stood nearby, fanning him with palm leaf fans.

Nearby, Elder Qu from Divine Fire Peak also occupied the pavilion, slowly brewing tea. Accompanying him was another disciple, who remained silent and stoic, resembling a wooden post.

“He’s arrived.”

As Elder Qu, still preparing the tea, set down his cup, he announced calmly.

Elder An paused as well, and together they rose to their feet, flying out of the pavilion, leaving behind three disciples who dared not move from their spots.

“I can’t believe he reached Foundation Establishment.”

The Divine Fire Peak disciple accompanying Elder Qu watched as figures descended from the sky, envy flickering in his eyes. Among them was none other than Lian Qiang, the same Divine Fire Peak disciple who had partnered with Chen Luo on a mission years ago.

Several years had passed, and Lian Qiang’s cultivation base had indeed advanced, albeit still at Late Stage Qi Refinement, far from reaching Peak Qi Refinement. While his progress wasn’t slow by most standards, compared to Chen Luo, it paled significantly. Reflecting back, the so-called Rookie Competition now seemed quite meaningless.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, you’re half an hour late for the appointed time,” Elder Qu remarked with a smile as he observed Chen Luo descending.

“Apologies for keeping both elders waiting; I didn’t expect Elder Qu to be here too,” Chen Luo replied, glancing briefly at Elder Qu.

“Elder Chen, good to see you.”

Elder An scrutinized Chen Luo, a similarly insincere smile appearing on his face. As Foundation Establishment cultivators, regardless of their true feelings, maintaining proper etiquette on the surface was essential.

“It’s purely coincidental that our schedules aligned; such serendipity is unexpected.”

Elder Qu chuckled lightly as they all returned to the pavilion at the lake’s center.

The three disciples from the Qi Refinement Realm and Lian Qiang had already stepped back. Foundation Establishment cultivators’ discussions were not for those in the Qi Refinement Realm unless specifically invited by a senior member.

“Regarding this incident, I’ve outlined it in the invitation letter; it appears to be a misunderstanding between some younger generation members,” Elder An began once they were seated.

By framing it as a misunderstanding right away, Elder An signaled his intent—to act as a mediator and resolve the conflict amicably.

Chen Luo glanced at him without responding immediately.

“If it’s indeed a misunderstanding, clarifying it should suffice. As elders of the immortal sect, there’s no need to let such minor issues strain our harmony. Moreover, escalating matters would certainly displease the venerable sect leader,” Elder Qu chimed in appropriately, mindful of both Chen Luo’s standing as a newly ascended Foundation Establishment cultivator and their shared identity within the sect hierarchy.

Being fellow elders of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, any grievances should remain internal, reminding them that above them stood a Core Formation stage sect leader. The very location where they now sat was the sect leader’s cultivation domain.

“Elder Qu speaks wisely.” Chen Luo nodded, appearing agreeable. With plans to descend the mountain soon, he wouldn’t pass up on this opportunity presented by these easy targets.

Recovering from Foundation Establishment breakthrough would require replenishment, and Junior Sister Huang Ying also needed compensation. If their offer was substantial enough, sparing their lives wasn’t out of the question; merely crippling their cultivation bases would suffice.

Seeing Chen Luo’s acquiescence, Elder An’s smile widened further.

This newly promoted elder seemed quite pragmatic.

“I won’t leave you at a disadvantage, Elder Chen.”

As Elder An spoke, he waved his sleeve, causing a pile of spirit stones to appear within the pavilion, accompanied by a small gourd containing Qi Nourishing Pills.

“That’s five thousand spirit stones and a gourd of high-grade Qi Nourishing Pills, totaling approximately ten thousand spirit stones.”

Ten thousand spirit stones?

“Is that all?” The smile on Chen Luo’s face faded.

It felt like they were treating him as a fool. Although ten thousand spirit stones sounds significant, it only sufficed for ten days of cultivation in a Class A room at Divine Lake Peak. For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, such an amount wouldn’t even cover sending disciples on errands. Moreover, including the so-called ‘worth ten thousand spirit stones’ with a gourd of Qi Nourishing Pills likely reduced the actual value to less than seven thousand spirit stones.

“This is another ten thousand spirit stones, making it over twenty thousand in total. How does this sound, Elder Chen? We are all elders within the immortal sect, and once you assume leadership of Tianming Peak, there will inevitably be dealings between us and Medicine King Peak. Straining our relationship benefits neither party.”

Upon hearing this, Elder An produced another bag of holding, his expression no longer as pleasant as before.

“As your senior, I still hope Fellow Daoist Chen will consider carefully.”

Two thousand spirit stones? Senior? Both being at Initial Foundation Establishment, who was he to act superior?

Chen Luo glanced at him, feeling too disinterested even to respond.

He began contemplating finding an opportunity after leaving to return and crush those five Plunderer Cultivators, along with excavating the rear mountains of Medicine King Peak. It would be time for those ‘seniors’ lying beneath to breathe some fresh air!

“Elder Chen, if you have any concerns, please voice them. We are all elders within the immortal sect,” Elder Qu interjected, attempting to mediate the situation.

His original intention had been to once again invite Chen Luo to accept the elder’s token and assume the role of Tianming Peak Lord. He did not anticipate things escalating so quickly, especially with Old Man An showing no willingness to back down, clearly taking advantage of Chen Luo’s recent advancement to Foundation Establishment.

“What about those five?”

Ignoring Elder Qu’s words, Chen Luo posed a question instead.

“Situ Feng, come forward and greet Elder Chen, all of you.” From his seat, Elder An transmitted his voice to the five disciples standing nearby.

The group of Plunderer Cultivators swiftly approached, having observed from a distance until now.

Unwilling to approach Chen Luo, they hesitated and stood timidly behind Elder An.

“Greetings, Shizun. Elder Qu, Elder Chen.” The leader of the Plunderer Cultivators, Situ Feng, immediately bowed his head, addressing Chen Luo and Elder Qu with respect.

“Your shizun offered me twenty thousand spirit stones, and this matter would be considered settled.”

Chen Luo glanced at the five individuals, memorizing their appearances while casually sipping from the tea on the table.

Twenty thousand spirit stones?

‘After selling you the entire Situ Clan’s spirit fields, is that all you’re willing to give?’

Situ Feng silently cursed the old man for being greedy, but maintained utmost outward respect.

“Everything rests upon Shizun’s decision.”

“Not bad, not bad.” Chen Luo put down the teacup with a smile. “I appreciate young ones who understand when to yield.”

Just as everyone thought he was relenting, Chen Luo abruptly stood up and turned to Elder Qu.

“Elder Qu, let us consider today’s incident concluded. I have a batch of medicinal pills still refining at Wu Dao Peak, so I mustn’t delay further.”

As he spoke, he didn’t forget to collect the medicinal pills and spirit stones left by Elder An.

Twenty thousand spirit stones were still valuable; one couldn’t afford to waste them.

“Let’s not bother with farewells.” Elder An’s face darkened further, visibly displeased that Chen Luo wouldn’t even mention his name.

“Sigh, we are all from the same sect. Must it come to this over conflicts among the younger generation?” Elder Qu sighed and decided against any further attempts to detain Chen Luo.