Chapter 691: Seeing Ning Hao Again

「The next morning.」

On a giant rock at the edge of the Gen Palace Stone Forest, Ji Lingxiao, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly stood up and gazed into the distance toward the center of the Stone Forest.

She was waiting for the senior who called himself Xiu Chen to come for their battle.

The Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi near the Gen Palace Array Hub was now depleted, and the power of the Gen Palace Array had become extremely weak.

Since this senior hadn’t chosen to leave the Array Hub and head for the Central Palace Array Hub, he must have decided to settle things with her first.

Having previously tested this senior’s strength, Ji Lingxiao took this battle extremely seriously and had been watching his every move.

Since yesterday, this senior had remained at the Gen Palace Array Hub, not even using the Gen Palace Array to probe her location.

He was clearly conserving his energy and building up his strength for today’s battle.

‘Without the Lingxiao Sword, I might not be a match for this senior! His power is truly formidable!’

An hour later, her sense of the Array Flag Jade Stones showed that the Kan Palace and Gen Palace Array Flag Jade Stones were still at the Gen Palace Array Hub, showing no activity.

A hint of suspicion appeared on Ji Lingxiao’s exquisite face, and she laughed in spite of herself. “It seems this senior is also waiting for me to come to him for our battle. He seems to prefer fighting in terrain like the Gen Palace Stone Forest!”

With that, Ji Lingxiao shot into motion, flying swiftly toward the center of the Stone Forest.

Before long, she arrived at the cave entrance. Standing atop a large rock, Ji Lingxiao called out in a clear voice,

“Senior, please come out for our battle!”

There was no response.

All around was dead silent.

Ji Lingxiao grew more suspicious. After carefully sensing her surroundings, she found that the Kan Palace and Gen Palace Array Flag Jade Stones were still at the Array Hub, and she detected no unusual auras nearby.

‘Has this scoundrel set up an ambush at the Array Hub, waiting to launch a sneak attack after I go in?’

At this thought, Ji Lingxiao’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She called out again in a clear voice, “Senior, please come out for our battle!”

Still no response!

“In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony!”

Ji Lingxiao spoke in an indifferent tone, then swung her Longsword, condensing streaks of five-colored light. Her body followed her sword as she shot toward the cave…

It wasn’t until she entered the Gen Palace cavern and saw the two Array Flag Jade Stones on a stone platform that understanding finally dawned on her.

This Senior Xiu Chen had actually left without a word!

Leaving the two Array Flag Jade Stones behind was also a statement of his intent to withdraw from the contest for the Central Palace Array Hub.

‘The image of Xiu Chen’s strikingly beautiful face and his calm, profound bearing flashed through her mind, and Ji Lingxiao suddenly felt a surge of respect!’

‘His Martial Arts Power was formidable, and he was adept at assessing situations. Truly worthy of being an expert who had crossed the threshold of Opening the Profound Passage to reach the Innate realm at such a young age.’

‘His grace was truly unparalleled!’

“Huh?” Suddenly, Ji Lingxiao let out a soft sound of surprise, a hint of suspicion once again appearing on her exquisite face.

She noticed a large stone vat in the cavern. The water inside had been dumped out, but the faint scent of Low Grade Marrow Cleansing Pills still lingered.

‘This senior actually bathed with Low Grade Marrow Cleansing Pills…’

‘Could it be that Low Grade Marrow Cleansing Pills also have youth-preserving effects? I should try it myself in the future.’

Ji Lingxiao would never have dreamed that this senior was merely a Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm Martial Artist!

After all, with such overwhelmingly powerful combat strength, how could he possibly be a Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm Martial Artist?

Chen Cheng, for his part, had not expected that leaving behind the two Array Flag Jade Stones would startle Ji Lingxiao so much and cause her to have so many strange ideas.

The Array Flag Jade Stones were crucial for opening the Central Palace Array Hub, so they were naturally extremely important.

However, since the Array Flag Jade Stones could sense each other, Chen Cheng had no choice but to painfully abandon them to avoid exposing his disguise as Xiu Chen.

“I’ve finally found the main group!”

Arriving in a valley shrouded in mist, he sensed the auras of the Great Dao Sect members’ Identity Jade Tokens, all within a thirty-mile radius.

A faint smile appeared on Chen Cheng’s face as he sped off in their direction.

He was now dressed in green robes, a faint black aura enveloping his body. His handsome face was slightly tanned, a Long Saber hung at his waist, and he carried a large bundle over his shoulder.

No one in their right mind would ever connect him with the mysterious Young Master Xiu Chen!

The bundle contained many precious Medicinal Materials, as well as some Tier Five Demon Beast Meat and other Demon Beast Materials!

Of course, compared to the various top-tier Organ Refining Internal Medicine Herbs and Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects that Chen Cheng had privately stashed in his ring’s Sumeru Space, this collection was truly shabby.

This made it even more unlikely that he was Young Master Xiu Chen!

But it fit perfectly with Chen Cheng’s persona: a cautious disciple who had hidden his tracks and explored stealthily after entering the mystic realm.

He was the very picture of prudence!

After leaving the valley, Chen Cheng traveled for another dozen miles. The surrounding mist grew thicker, and visibility dropped to the point where it was difficult to see clearly beyond a few dozen yards.

Chen Cheng leaped to the top of a large tree and saw a colossal, cloud-shrouded mountain peak standing over thirty miles away.

Because the Nine Palaces Spirit Lock had shifted to the Central Palace Spirit Lock, Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi from all over the mystic realm was gathering here, making the Qi in this area extremely dense.

Before the Kan Palace Array Hub was broken, the density of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi on Lake Heart Island was only half of what it was here.

Chen Cheng continued forward, occasionally discovering some valuable Medicinal Materials, which he naturally pocketed.

“A five-hundred-year-old Rainbow Grass!”

When he reached a mountain ravine, he was overjoyed to see a vibrant green medicinal herb, faintly visible amidst the clouds and mist on a cliff face two to three hundred feet high, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance.

This Rainbow Grass was a top-tier Organ Refining Internal Medicine Herb and a primary ingredient for refining Low Grade Organ Refining Pills.

Because its fragrance was so rich, it was often eaten by Demon Beasts after growing for only a few decades or a century.

A hundred-year-old Rainbow Grass was worth as much as a Source Crystal Jade.

One that could grow for over five hundred years was extremely rare, its value at least five Source Crystal Jades.