Chapter 192: Newcomer Challenges the Holy Son (1)

Finally, the Elder handed a black iron Token representing the identity of an Inner Sect Disciple to Chen Chuan.

“He really broke through!”

“Spirit Transformation Realm! My god, how long has it been since I started??”

“The Inner Sect is going to be lively now! Senior Sister Su Mengxi just entered the Inner Sect, and Chen Chuan followed right after. It seems the rumors are true!”

“Tsk tsk, I’m afraid the Inner Sect won’t be short of storms in the future!”

Under the shocked, envious, and complex gazes of everyone, Chen Chuan took the Token and left the Examination Hall with a calm expression.

Next, he took the Token to the Inner Sect Affairs Hall to certify his identity and was officially recorded in the Inner Sect Disciple register.

Then, it was time to choose a Cultivation Cave.

Inner Sect Disciples have independent Cultivation Caves, and challenging and seizing each other’s Cultivation Caves is allowed, with strength being paramount.

Chen Chuan had no interest in this; he didn’t want to cause trouble as soon as he arrived, nor did he want to waste time competing for a Cultivation Cave.

He chose an unoccupied Cultivation Cave located in a peripheral area, with relatively ordinary Spiritual Qi and a rather simple appearance. After a simple arrangement, he was settled.

After settling in, Chen Chuan immediately set off for the Inner Sect’s Pill Refining Assembly registration office.

The Inner Sect area was far more vast and magnificent than the Outer Sect, with numerous peaks, lingering mist, and Spiritual Qi several times more abundant.

Chen Chuan followed the guide, passing through pavilions, towers, and white stone paths.

Just as he was passing through a Purple Bamboo Forest, his gaze inadvertently swept across and saw a familiar slender figure.

It was Su Mengxi.

However, at this moment, she did not seem to be alone.

Beside her stood a handsome young man in Core Disciple attire, with an extraordinary temperament.

The man had a gentle smile on his face and was saying something to Su Mengxi, his attitude seemingly modest.

But the heat and possessiveness contained in the man’s eyes could not be hidden from Chen Chuan’s perception.

Chen Chuan reflected that a beauty like Su Mengxi would be very popular even in the Inner Sect; after all, her beauty was right there.

Moreover, her Cultivation talent was not bad, and she had an outstanding Alchemy talent.

There was a trace of hard-to-detect annoyance and helplessness between Su Mengxi’s brows.

She turned slightly, seemingly wanting to keep her distance from that man.

But the other party always inadvertently took a step closer, using the exchange of Alchemy insights as an excuse to persist in his pestering.

This person’s name was Gu Chen, one of the ten great Holy Sons of the Taiyi Holy Land. Not only was his Cultivation profound, but he was also an Alchemy Genius with a very high reputation in the Inner Sect.

Su Mengxi had just entered the Inner Sect and quickly attracted attention with her exquisite face and extraordinary talent, and this Gu Chen was one of them.

Facing the pursuit of a Holy Son, although Su Mengxi was disgusted in her heart, she did not dare to offend him easily and could only deal with him perfunctorily.

Her heart, however, had long since flown to the person who had touched her heartstrings back in the Outer Sect.

Just as she didn’t know how to get rid of Gu Chen’s pestering, out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught sight of that familiar figure on the path outside the Purple Bamboo Forest.

Her delicate body trembled slightly, and Su Mengxi suddenly turned her head, her beautiful eyes widening instantly, her face full of surprise.

Then, the touch of annoyance and helplessness on her face melted away like ice and snow, replaced by a radiant and heartfelt surprise, as if the brightest star in the night sky had suddenly lit up.

“Chen Chuan!”

She almost blurted it out, her voice filled with unbelievable joy.

And at this moment, Chen Chuan, who had just felt the figure looked a bit familiar and was about to quietly bypass them, felt his footsteps freeze upon hearing this call.

He thought to himself, “Not good!”

Frozen in place by Su Mengxi’s call, which was filled with pleasant surprise, Chen Chuan cursed his luck as his footsteps stiffened.

It seemed this trouble was unavoidable after all.

He turned around helplessly, forcing a slightly surprised smile onto his face as he looked at the slender figure walking quickly toward him.

“Senior Sister Su, what a coincidence.”

Chen Chuan greeted her in a calm tone.

Su Mengxi seemed not to notice his slightly distant attitude. She jogged over to his side under the gaze of Gu Chen, whose eyes had instantly become sharp.

She very naturally reached out with both hands and grabbed Chen Chuan’s arm, leaning her entire weight slightly against him.

“Chen Chuan, when did you enter the Inner Sect? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Su Mengxi’s voice carried a hint of flirtatious complaint, her tone so intimate it was as if the two were already inseparable Dao Companions.

At the same time, using her body as cover, she quickly winked at Chen Chuan, her eyes full of pleading and hints of “help me quickly.”

Chen Chuan understood instantly.

She was using him as a shield to get rid of the entanglement of that Core Disciple who clearly had a powerful background.

Feeling the soft, warm touch on his arm and the faint fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose, Chen Chuan sighed in his heart.

Fine, he would consider it returning a favor; after all, Su Mengxi had helped him quite a bit back in the Outer Sect.

The helplessness on his face quickly transformed into a doting gentleness. He very cooperatively reached out his other hand and gently put it around Su Mengxi’s slender waist, pulling her closer into his embrace.

His movements were smooth and natural, as if they had been practiced countless times.

“I just passed the assessment and was about to go look for you. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

He played along with the act, his tone tender.

Feeling the warm palm on her waist, Su Mengxi’s body trembled almost imperceptibly, and a flush quietly climbed up her earlobes, but her heart felt sweet.

She took the opportunity to lean her head on Chen Chuan’s shoulder, appearing like a delicate, happy, and satisfied woman.

This scene caused the corner of Gu Chen’s eye to twitch violently.

The gentle smile on Gu Chen’s face was almost impossible to maintain.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging anger and jealousy in his heart as he stepped toward the intimately huddled pair.

He tried to keep his voice calm and steady: “Junior Sister Mengxi, who is this? Won’t you introduce us?”

Although he had already guessed eighty or ninety percent of the truth, he was still unwilling to believe it—or rather, unwilling to accept it.

Su Mengxi looked up, her face overflowing with a happy glow, and said firmly:

“Senior Brother Gu, this is the Chen Chuan I’ve often mentioned to you. He is the Dao Companion I chose back when I was in the Outer Sect.”

She specifically emphasized the words “Dao Companion,” her meaning couldn’t be clearer.

To play the part fully, Chen Chuan also cooperatively tightened his arm around Su Mengxi’s waist.

He nodded slightly toward Gu Chen and said neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Chen Chuan greets Senior Brother Gu.”

Seeing Su Mengxi almost entirely pressed against Chen Chuan, their loving appearance was like a thorn stabbing into Gu Chen’s eyes.

On the surface, he remained elegant, but his fingers hidden within his sleeves had quietly clenched into fists.

He sized Chen Chuan up, and when he felt Chen Chuan’s Aura—which had just reached Spirit Transformation Realm First Level and was not yet particularly stable—a flash of subtle contempt crossed his eyes.

“So it is Junior Brother Chen.” The corner of Gu Chen’s mouth curled into an arc that seemed friendly but carried a sense of superiority: “Congratulations on your promotion to the Inner Sect. However…”

He changed his tone, his gaze sweeping over Su Mengxi’s beautiful profile before returning to Chen Chuan:

“Senior Sister Mengxi has extraordinary talent, peerless beauty, and is even more gifted in the path of Alchemy.”

“Junior Brother Chen, you… heh, this Cultivation of Spirit Transformation Realm First Level is likely a bit unworthy of Senior Sister Mengxi’s brilliance, isn’t it?”

“Furthermore, I have some insights into the Dao of Alchemy and was hoping to give Senior Sister Mengxi more guidance to help her reach the next level.”

These words seemed like concern, but in reality, they were belittling Chen Chuan while elevating himself, implying that Chen Chuan’s Cultivation was low and that he couldn’t help Su Mengxi with Alchemy.