222: Chapter 222 Master of Long Names

The appearance of the words "chaos stone essence" caused Jiang Changge's eyes to flicker slightly.

He had previously obtained a wisp of Chaos Qi through signing in, which had already integrated into his dao foundation, significantly enhancing his comprehension of the Laws of myriad Daos.

As for the chaos stone essence, judging solely from the System's description, its grade was at least one tier higher than Chaos Qi, especially the note: "Using five of them together can drastically upgrade the grade of the Creation Sutra."

Although he had cultivated the Creation Sutra to an extremely profound level by now, he had always felt that this Cultivation Technique had an even higher level that he had yet to reach.

If he could use these five pieces of chaos stone essence to push the Creation Sutra up another level, his combat power would undoubtedly soar once again.

He withdrew his gaze from the System panel, already having a plan in mind.

The Heaven and Earth Spirit Embryo needed time to be nurtured, while the supreme stone heart and the Immortal-Grade mineral vein would have to wait until he returned to Kunlun to be set up. However, he could take advantage of the two days spent waiting for the canyon barrier to dissipate to first refine a portion of his insights into the Immortal Dao Origin and the chaos stone essence.

In Huaiyang City, Lu Jinghan and the other two strolled deep into Liuli Plaza for another half an hour. Zhou Tianchen bought a miscellaneous assortment of Medicinal Pills and spiritual materials, making it a highly rewarding trip.

Duan Xinghe still held his pitch-black longsword. Other than the sword tassel from earlier, he had not made any other purchases, as if the rare treasures filling the plaza had nothing to do with him.

Lu Jinghan walked at the very front, his pace neither fast nor slow. His gaze occasionally swept across the stalls on both sides, as if he were searching for something, yet also as if he were just looking around casually.

As the three of them reached the depths of the plaza, a nine-story pavilion appeared ahead. It was built entirely of green jade, with upturned eaves from which bronze wind chimes hung, chiming crisply and pleasantly in the afternoon breeze.

A plaque hung above the entrance, with three gilded characters reading "Liuli Residence" written in a powerful hand, faintly shimmering with spiritual light.

It was a tavern, but far grander than ordinary ones. Two stone-carved Pixiu stood at the entrance, baring their claws and fangs in a lifelike manner.

The Cultivators entering and leaving were all dressed in luxurious robes and possessed extraordinary auras, making it clearly not a place that ordinary Loose Cultivators could afford.

Zhou Tianchen looked up at the plaque and was about to say something when a figure suddenly stepped out from the door and came to a halt right in front of the three of them.

The newcomer was dressed in dark brown martial attire, with a resolute face and a steady aura. He was the very guard who had been following behind Sun Mingcheng earlier at Liuli Plaza.

He bowed to the three with cupped hands, his posture respectful. There was not a hint of hostility in his voice, only a perfectly measured politeness: "Young Masters, my Young Master has prepared a private room upstairs and specifically ordered me to wait here for you. Please do us the honor of joining him for a chat."

Lu Jinghan and Zhou Tianchen exchanged a look, understanding what was happening.

Although the voice transmission just now had been discreet, Sun Mingcheng had clearly guessed who had secretly helped him.

With the Sun Family's influence in Huaiyang City, it was not difficult to find three outstanding-looking foreign Cultivators in Liuli Plaza.

Lu Jinghan nodded slightly. The guard's face lit up with joy, and he stepped aside to make an inviting gesture, leading the three of them through the first-floor lobby and up the brocade-carpeted stairs to the third floor.

The private rooms on the third floor were much quieter than the first floor. Soundproofing Formations were embedded in the walls on both sides of the corridor, completely shutting out the clinking of glasses and lively chatter from below.

The guard stopped in front of the innermost carved wooden door, knocked gently twice, and then pushed the door open, stepping aside to let them pass.

The private room was not large, but it was decorated very elegantly.

A round table was set in the center, on which lay several dishes of exquisite spiritual fruits and pastries. A pot of fresh tea was steaming gently, releasing a delicate fragrance.

Sun Mingcheng was sitting by the table, still holding his jade-boned folding fan. Seeing the three enter, he immediately stood up to welcome them. The smile on his face was a bit more sincere and grateful than when he had faced Zheng Lingfeng on the plaza.

"Fellow Daoists, please sit, please sit," Sun Mingcheng said, folding his fan and bowing to the three with cupped hands.

"Just now at Liuli Plaza, if not for this Fellow Daoist's secret assistance, I'm afraid I would have had to fight Zheng Lingfeng to the bitter end."

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon Lu Jinghan.

He remembered the voice from the transmission very clearly; it belonged to this young man dressed in black martial attire with an ice-blue longsword hanging from his waist.

Lu Jinghan sat down on a chair by the window and said in a flat tone, "Young Master Sun, there is no need for this. Zheng Lingfeng was using his influence to bully others and force a sale in the city. What I did just now was merely a minor effort to teach him a lesson."

Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Sun Mingcheng's eyes, and he cupped his hands again to ask, "May I ask for your honored names, Fellow Daoists? I will keep your kind assistance today close to my heart, and if there is an opportunity in the future, I will surely repay you generously."

Lu Jinghan did not speak, but merely glanced at Zhou Tianchen.

Zhou Tianchen understood. He cupped his hands to Sun Mingcheng and introduced the three of them, "I am Zhou Tianchen, this is my Eldest Senior Brother Lu Jinghan, and this is Duan Xinghe of the Heavenly Sword Sect."

Sun Mingcheng's hand holding the folding fan suddenly froze, and his pupils dilated slightly.

He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly stood up, the calm smile on his face replaced by an undisguised shock.

"The Personal Disciples of the Lord of Kunlun of the Southern Wilderness? And the closed-door Disciple of Elder Jianchi?"

Sun Mingcheng's voice rose by several decibels. Realizing his loss of composure, he quickly adjusted his robes and sat back down, though the shock in his eyes remained hard to conceal.

"Forgive my lack of manners, truly forgive my lack of manners. I thought I had merely met three warm-hearted Fellow Daoists, but I never expected you to be the Prodigies who won the xuanhuang keys at the Southern Wilderness's Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony."

"The news of the Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony has already spread to all the major great families of the Central State. It is said that Fellow Daoist Lu suppressed his peers with a single sword strike using the Law of Time and Space, and Fellow Daoist Duan's Star River Sword Intent was even more breathtaking. Although Fellow Daoist Zhou is a pill cultivator, his combat power is by no means inferior to his peer Prodigies. It is truly the honor of my lifetime to make your acquaintance today."

Lu Jinghan nodded slightly, not saying much.

Duan Xinghe maintained his cold and aloof demeanor, but when he heard the words "Star River Sword Intent," the longsword in his arms buzzed ever so slightly.

Zhou Tianchen took over the conversation and began chatting with Sun Mingcheng.

Both of them came from great families and were obsessed with the Dao of Alchemy. Within a few sentences, they found common ground, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Lu Jinghan sat by the window, occasionally chiming in with a word or two, but mostly just listening quietly.

Duan Xinghe did not speak from beginning to end, but the frigid aura that kept people a thousand miles away had softened a bit compared to when he first entered, at least not making Sun Mingcheng feel uncomfortable.

Just as they were discussing a crucial point in the Dao of Alchemy, there was a gentle knock on the door of the private room.

The guard from earlier pushed the door open, walked quickly to Sun Mingcheng's side, and whispered a few words in his ear.

After listening, the smile on Sun Mingcheng's face grew even wider. Waving the guard away, he turned to the three and said, "Fellow Daoists, my servant just reported that Great Master Changming has arrived in Huaiyang City today and is currently lecturing at the Yuelan Dojo."

"This Great Master Changming is an Advanced Earth Rank Alchemist. It is said that he is only a step away from the Heaven Rank and could make a Breakthrough at any moment. The Alchemy lectures he holds in Huaiyang City are packed to the brim every single time. Since we happened to run into it today, I wonder if the three of you would be interested in going together?"