Chapter 29: Starting the road to becoming the empress ahead of time?
"My lady, you smell so good. Which sachet do you use?" Chen Qing leaned his nose close to Xia Qingyue's neck and suddenly asked.
"Did I wake you up?" Xia Qingyue counter-questioned.
"My lady, there's no need to blame yourself," Chen Qing explained. "I sleep more soundly than most, so I don't sleep for very long."
Hearing this, Xia Qingyue was relieved, having thought her small movements had woken Chen Qing.
"My lady still hasn't answered my question," Chen Qing continued the previous topic.
"I don't use any sachet," Xia Qingyue denied.
"No sachet? Then it must be your natural scent. No wonder it smells so good."
"It tickles, stop sniffing," Xia Qingyue felt strange and squirmed.
Chen Qing stopped there and then said, "My lady's natural scent, I'm afraid when the season for butterflies to emerge arrives, they won't even bother collecting nectar."
"It's not as exaggerated as you say." As the words left her mouth, Xia Qingyue thought about it carefully. Indeed, when the season came, butterflies would often fly around her and alight on her.
After a few casual exchanges, Xia Qingyue turned around to face Chen Qing.
With their eyes meeting at close range, Xia Qingyue hesitated, feeling shy under Chen Qing's gaze.
"What's wrong, my lady?" Chen Qing asked, feigning ignorance.
Xia Qingyue calmed herself down, forced herself to be composed, then changed the subject and said seriously, "Husband, there's something I want to discuss with you."
"My lady, please speak freely. As long as it concerns my lady, this husband will do his utmost," Chen Qing's attitude was firm.
Hearing this, Xia Qingyue's heart was inevitably touched. Xia Qingyue genuinely felt Chen Qing's kindness towards her.
"To be honest, husband, I also want to Cultivate." After experiencing the events of these past few days, Xia Qingyue's desire to Cultivate grew stronger and more resolute.
Especially after witnessing Chen Qing's battle with Heaven Feather Sect, it made Xia Qingyue realize even more clearly that to have a say in this era where the strong are respected, relying solely on background and intellect is not enough; one must be strong oneself!
Xia Qingyue had been pampered since childhood, and Martial Emperor doted on her especially, unwilling for Xia Qingyue to participate in the conflicts of fighting and killing. Naturally, she had no contact with matters related to Cultivation.
Not to mention Cultivation, Xia Qingyue had never even tested her talent and had no idea if she had a Spiritual Root.
Therefore, she wanted Chen Qing to take her to test her Spiritual Root talent.
'Is this to pave the way for her future ascension to the throne as the Empress of Destiny?'
Chen Qing thought to himself, while verbally agreeing, "No problem."
"Thank you, husband," Xia Qingyue beamed with joy.
"However..." Chen Qing hesitated, deliberately keeping her in suspense.
"However what?" Xia Qingyue's smile disappeared as she asked in confusion.
"If my lady turns out to be a once-in-a-million-years Cultivation Genius and surpasses me in Cultivation in the future, you wouldn't cruelly abandon this husband, would you?"
Seeing Chen Qing's pitiful and wronged expression, Xia Qingyue naturally knew he was faking it and almost couldn't hold back her laughter.
Mainly, she had personally witnessed Chen Qing single-handedly and domineeringly destroy a Sect just last night, and this contrast was simply too great.
Those who didn't know would probably genuinely think Chen Qing was a harmless little pitiful person.
"If husband doesn't believe me, Xia Qinyue can swear that if I ever do anything to betray husband in the future, may I be struck by five bolts of lightning..."
"Hey!" Seeing this, Chen Qing gently pressed his finger on Xia Qingyue's thin lips and smiled, "My lady having such a heart is enough for this husband; there's no need to make a poisonous oath."
Afterward, Chen Qing and Xia Qingyue successively got out of bed.
[Successful Wife-Pampering! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Grade 4 Beauty Medicinal Pill + 50!]
Chen Qing naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to farm rewards, so he personally helped Xia Qingyue change her clothes.
Xia Qingyue also helped Chen Qing change his clothes in return, the difference being that she didn't have a System and couldn't get husband-pampering rewards.
"My lady, I suddenly remembered that I unexpectedly obtained a bottle of Beauty Medicinal Pills earlier. I wonder if you're interested?" Chen Qing asked.
'Beauty Medicinal Pill!'
Xia Qingyue knew very well how precious this Medicinal Pill was; it was a treasure that the concubines in the palace fought over, willing to spend huge sums of money to obtain, a treasure hard to find even with a thousand gold.
If Xia Qingyue remembered correctly, one Grade 1 Beauty Medicinal Pill could preserve youth for a year, and if put up for auction, it would be worth at least tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.
Grade 2 Beauty Medicinal Pills were even rarer, not only testing the Alchemist's Alchemy skill, but the Materials were also scarce and hard to come by. After consumption, it could preserve youth for five years; even the skin of someone eighty or ninety years old would regain vitality.
"If husband has any extra Beauty Medicinal Pills..." Xia Qingyue spoke half a sentence, embarrassed to continue.
As a woman, she naturally also hoped to remain youthful forever.
Chen Qing immediately conjured the freshly obtained bottle of Beauty Medicinal Pills from his System backpack, contained within a white jade Medicinal Pill bottle.
He gave them all to Xia Qingyue.
Chen Qing's undying and imperishable nature included eternal youth, so he didn't need these Medicinal Pills.
It was better to get a wave of wife-pampering rewards and exchange items for more and stronger Magic Treasures.
Xia Qingyue carefully took the bottle of Beauty Medicinal Pills with both hands, opened it, and saw at least thirty or forty pills. She exclaimed in surprise, "So many!"
"Husband, may I ask what Grade these Beauty Medicinal Pills are?" Xia Qingyue looked up at Chen Qing.
"Grade 4," Chen Qing replied.
"Grade 4!" Xia Qingyue was so startled that her hand trembled, and the Medicinal Pill bottle almost slipped and fell, but fortunately, she gripped it in time.
Xia Qingyue roughly calculated in her mind that a single Grade 4 Beauty Medicinal Pill was worth at least one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones and could preserve youth for a hundred years!
Even the auction houses in the capital might not easily see them.
Then she looked at Chen Qing, who could casually produce dozens of them...
'It turns out that everything last night was still just the tip of his iceberg.'
Xia Qingyue dared not think any further about how strong Chen Qing truly was, because it had already exceeded the scope of her imagination.
"Xia Qinyue only needs one. The rest..."
Xia Qingyue's words were cut off by Chen Qing, "If my lady truly considers me her husband, considers me family, then please accept them all."
Are you kidding? The wife-pampering reward was about to be in hand, how could Chen Qing just watch it slip away?
"This... well, alright then." Since Chen Qing had spoken to this extent, Xia Qingyue could only accept.
She first took out one Beauty Medicinal Pill and consumed it, gaining a hundred years of youth preservation.
Then she asked Chen Qing, "Husband, would you like one?"
"No need, these Beauty Medicinal Pills are all for my lady alone," Chen Qing politely declined.
If there was one less, the quality of the wife-pampering reward he would receive next might decrease, and the quantity might decrease.
Xia Qingyue didn't insist, thinking that Chen Qing must have already consumed some before this.
Seeing Xia Qingyue put the Beauty Medicinal Pills into her spatial ring.
Chen Qing then eagerly opened his System panel, wanting to see what quality of wife-pampering reward he would receive for giving away these fifty Grade 4 Medicinal Pills.
The System panel opened before his eyes.
A line of text automatically appeared.
[Successful Wife-Pampering! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Heaven Rank High Grade Lightning Spiritual Root + 1!]
***
Chapter 30: Master Zhang
'Heaven Rank Supreme Grade Spiritual Root! And it's the Thunder Spiritual Root, known for its domineering nature?!'
The moment he saw the reward, Chen Qing couldn't help but smile.
The reason was simple: Chen Qing's current Spiritual Root talent was a Medium Grade Earth Rank Water Spiritual Root.
Heaven Rank quality Spiritual Roots were already as rare as Phoenix feathers and Qilin horns in the entire Great Wu Dynasty.
As far as Chen Qing knew, there might not even be a second Heaven Rank Supreme Grade Spiritual Root.
The only Heaven Rank Supreme Grade Spiritual Root—this was truly exhilarating!
Chen Qing immediately opened his System backpack, selected the Heaven Rank Supreme Grade Thunder Spiritual Root, and confirmed the binding.
"Binding Heaven Rank Supreme Grade Thunder Spiritual Root..."
"Heaven Rank Supreme Grade Thunder Spiritual Root successfully bound!"
It's worth mentioning that after the Heaven Rank Supreme Grade Thunder Spiritual Root was bound, Chen Qing's original Medium Grade Earth Rank Water Spiritual Root did not disappear; both coexisted perfectly.
Chen Qing was both surprised and delighted. A dual Spiritual Root talent, with one Earth Rank and one Heaven Rank—it was hard to imagine how fast his Cultivation speed would become.
Fifty Grade 4 Beauty Pills for such a reward was incredibly worthwhile for Chen Qing!
He became even more eager for the'Spoiling Wife' rewards once Xia Qingyue truly embarked on the Cultivation Dao.
The things he gave out not only yielded high-quality returns, but after completely winning Xia Qingyue's heart, he would also gain a Empress of Destiny as a backer—a true double kill!
"Husband?" Seeing Chen Qing standing still, looking like he had lost his soul, Xia Qingyue called out.
"It's nothing, let's go." Chen Qing came back to his senses, waved his hand to hide the System panel, and left the Chen Residence with Xia Qingyue.
For breakfast, Chen Qing naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to earn'Spoiling Wife' rewards. Even a mosquito's leg, no matter how small, was still meat.
What if his Luck was Heaven-Defying and he randomly got a big prize?
He casually bought a few pastries.
"Spoiling Wife successful! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Comprehension Ability +30!"
Not bad.
Chen Qing felt that if his Comprehension Ability continued to increase like this, one day, even a Heaven Rank Cultivation Technique placed before him would allow him to achieve an Epiphany at a glance.
If he truly reached that point, an excellent idea for'stealing' knowledge popped into Chen Qing's mind: find a reason to visit the Gongfa Pavilions of various Sects, and not look much, just one glance.
As for why he only got one'Spoiling Wife' reward?
Chen Qing wanted to get more, for example, by personally feeding Xia Qingyue pastries, but there were too many people on the road, and she felt embarrassed.
"Husband, where are we going?" Xia Qingyue asked curiously, seeing that Chen Qing hadn't mentioned their destination.
"Qingcheng Sect. Their Sect Master has a very good private relationship with my father. It's a good opportunity to use their place to test your talent," Chen Qing replied.
"I see." Xia Qingyue responded, no longer asking questions.
After that, the two rented a carriage and got in.
Although Qingcheng Sect was not far from the capital, walking would take at least half a day.
Chen Qing originally wanted to fly over directly with his sword, but he was worried about exhausting Xia Qingyue, who was a mortal.
Besides that, Chen Qing had other plans.
"Wife, it's just the two of us in this carriage now. You won't be shy, will you? Come, I'll feed you." Chen Qing picked up a horseshoe pastry and brought it to Xia Qingyue's mouth.
At this point, Xia Qingyue no longer refused. She opened her small cherry mouth and ate the pastry Chen Qing offered.
"Spoiling Wife successful! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Free Attribute Points +20!"
"Spoiling Wife successful! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Grade 3 Moisturizing Qi Pill +100!"
"Spoiling Wife successful! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Grade 4 Medicinal Herb Cold Moon Grass +10!"
...
One reward per bite, which greatly surprised Chen Qing.
Unfortunately, Xia Qingyue was not a big eater; she shook her head after only a few bites, indicating she was full.
There was nothing Chen Qing could do but stop while he was ahead. He scavenged the remaining pastries and filled his own stomach.
The carriage traveled for an unknown amount of time before suddenly shaking.
Chen Qing was quick-witted and extended his hand to protect Xia Qingyue's head, preventing her from hitting the window frame.
"Spoiling Wife successful! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Immortal Brew +1!"
Just as Xia Qingyue was about to ask what happened, she heard the sound of horse hooves from outside the carriage.
After a "Whoa!" several rough voices rang out.
"People in the carriage, get out quickly! Either leave your toll money, or leave your lives!"
"Hurry up! Hurry up! If you waste my Young Master's time, you'll lose both your money and your life!"
Upon hearing this, Xia Qingyue knew they had encountered mountain bandits.
However, she wasn't worried at all. She looked at Chen Qing sitting beside her, as if with him there, even if the sky fell, there was nothing to fear.
"Wife, you stay here. I'll go out and see." Chen Qing stood up and said.
"Husband, please be careful." As the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry. Xia Qingyue did not forget to remind him.
She did not ask to accompany him, knowing that even if she went out, she wouldn't be able to help Chen Qing, only hinder him.
Chen Qing lifted the curtain and stepped out.
He glanced to the side; the coachman was already kneeling on the ground, not daring to make a sound.
"Boss, looking at this kid's clothes, he's either rich or noble, a wealthy master! We must extort a hefty sum from him!" The bandit said without concealment.
The bandit leader, however, remained silent, squinting his eyes, carefully discerning Chen Qing's face.
Then, his eyes widened, "You, you are Chen Xiong's son, Chen Qing!"
"Hoh, am I that famous?" Chen Qing said in surprise.
"Since it's Young Master Chen, please forgive our disturbance. Make way!" The bandit leader was not foolish; it wasn't worth making an enemy of the Prime Minister for a bit of money.
In Great Wu, who didn't know that the name Chen Xiong accounted for half of Great Wu's territory?
And who didn't know that Chen Xiong had only one precious son, Chen Qing, and doted on him immensely? If even a single hair on him was harmed, it probably wouldn't be long before the Great Wu Iron Cavalry flattened the entire Black Wind Mountain.
Chen Qing said no more and summoned a Shadow Puppet.
Although they didn't know what a Shadow Puppet was, the bandit leader and dozens of mountain bandits felt immense pressure from it.
"Young Master Chen, it was a misunderstanding. One should be lenient where possible. Why must you be so ruthless?" The bandit leader had long heard that Chen Qing was a ruthless fellow who regarded human lives as grass. He hadn't expected that even after he proactively lowered his head, Chen Qing still intended to kill.
Seeing Chen Qing indifferent to his words, the bandit leader said in a hurry, "Young Master Chen, our Black Wind village has survived until now because there's a master overseeing it. In this deep mountain forest, if it truly comes to a life-or-death situation, it won't be good for you!"
"Please summon Zhang Immortal!" The bandit leader shouted.
"Please summon Zhang Immortal!" The bandits chanted in unison.
The next moment, a white mist rose out of nowhere, and an old man holding a whisk and wearing a long robe walked out from it.
"Who dares to disturb this humble Daoist's Cultivation!" Zhang Immortal asked with a cold face.
"Zhang Immortal, this was truly out of necessity, which is why we troubled you to act. Please don't be offended, don't be offended." The bandit leader was servile, forcing a smile.
The entrance was quite grand, but Chen Qing took a look and saw he was barely at the Foundation Establishment Realm.
This was the fish he was trying to catch!
***
Chapter 31 One-click Third-Rank Alchemist
Relying on his hobby of reading novels in his previous life, Chen Qing could be said to be thoroughly familiar with various tropes, especially the plot where a younger, more powerful individual appears after an older one is defeated.
Thinking again, Black Wind Mountain was neither too far nor too close to the capital; the bandits who dared to rob travelers here must have had something to rely on.
Chen Qing was fishing for that reliance. Since he had to get the 'Doting Wife' reward anyway, he naturally wanted to make the bet a little bigger so that the harvest would be greater.
Sure enough, the so-called Zhang Immortal was lured out by him.
Even though he was just a small Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator, the reward standard was many levels higher than that for dozens of bandits.
Worried that the System wouldn't acknowledge it, Chen Qing specifically raised his voice and said, "Madam, please rest assured, with me here today, they won't even be able to harm a single strand of your hair!"
Listening to Chen Qing's words and looking at his majestic figure, standing like a single man holding off ten thousand, through the gap in the curtain, Xia Qingyue's heart couldn't help but stir.
"Mere rats, daring to act presumptuously before this Immortal Venerable, you seek death!" Zhang Immortal said, then fiercely swung the whisk in his hand.
Immediately, a powerful gust of wind arose, stirring up sand and stones. Then, accompanied by a loud bang, a large tree, as thick as a man's waist, was forcefully shattered and broken.
Seeing this, the bandit leader was overjoyed and quickly said, "Immortal, please calm your anger, Immortal, please calm your anger."
He then looked at Chen Qing, with an expression that he believed showed he had victory in his grasp, "Young Master Chen, I think it's best if we all take a step back to avoid hurting our feelings."
Zhang Immortal, meanwhile, snorted lightly, acting arrogant and looking down on everyone.
The next moment.
With a thought in Chen Qing's mind, the Shadow Puppet lifted its foot and stomped down.
Immediately following, a vast Divine Might descended upon Zhang Immortal and the group of bandits.
The horses' legs were forcefully broken, and they fell to the ground, emitting sharp neighs, while the bandits tumbled down from them one by one.
Before the bandit leader could figure out what was happening, he saw Zhang Immortal, who was prostrate on the ground beside him, just like himself, saying in terror, "Soul Emergence Realm?! Immortal Venerable, spare my life! Immortal Venerable, spare my life!"
There was no need to calculate how many Realms higher the Soul Emergence Realm was than the Foundation Establishment Realm; just that one address of "Immortal Venerable" told the bandit leader that he was in big trouble!
Chen Qing had no desire to waste words with them.
He glanced at the Shadow Puppet.
The Shadow Puppet's raised arm dropped heavily.
"Please, Immortal Venerable, spare my life, I am willing to offer..."
Bang! Boom!
After a tremor that shook the ground, Zhang Immortal and the dozens of bandits were all crushed and exploded, their blood splattering everywhere.
The Shadow Puppet moved swiftly, found a Storage Pouch from the bloodied ground, used spiritual energy to clean the bloodstains from its surface, then came before Chen Qing, knelt on one knee, and offered it with both hands.
Chen Qing took the Storage Pouch and teased, "Do you need to offer it? You're dead; these things are still mine."
After that.
Chen Qing signaled the coachman to continue driving along the original route.
Returning to the carriage, he simultaneously dispatched the earlier Shadow Puppet to quickly go up the mountain and completely eradicate the remaining bandit remnants!
Of course, the most important thing was to gather all the treasures they had accumulated over the years for himself.
It was still the same saying: even a mosquito's leg is meat. Chen Qing had the patience to accumulate little by little, in case there was a hidden Opportunity.
"Is everything resolved?" Xia Qingyue asked, carefully observing Chen Qing up and down to check if he was injured.
Although she knew that all those people combined couldn't compare to a single one of Chen Qing's fingers, it was always good to be cautious.
Fortunately, Chen Qing was indeed not injured.
"Hah, a bunch of mortals, not worth mentioning." Chen Qing waved his hand, telling Xia Qingyue not to worry.
Then, accompanied by the coachman's "Hup!" and the sound of the whip cracking, the carriage resumed its journey.
"This is a Storage Pouch?" Xia Qingyue recognized the item Chen Qing was holding.
"Mm." Chen Qing nodded, "I picked it up from a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator. I wonder what treasures it holds."
"Madam, you open it." Chen Qing handed the Storage Pouch to Xia Qingyue.
Compared to this Storage Pouch, Chen Qing was more interested in the 'Doting Wife' reward for killing those bandits and a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator.
Xia Qingyue said "Oh" and took the Storage Pouch from Chen Qing's hand.
Chen Qing, meanwhile, summoned the System panel to check the reward notifications.
"Doting Wife successful! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a random reward: Third-Grade Alchemist Experience Pack +1!"
Chen Qing looked at it. Using this experience pack, similar to cultivation experience, he would instantly become a Third-Grade Alchemist.
'After being a martial Cultivator and a Formation Master, now another Alchemist identity…'
Chen Qing's philosophy was to have many skills and not be burdened. He selected and used it.
"Using Third-Grade Alchemist Experience Pack..."
"Usage successful!"
The next moment, Chen Qing clearly felt a surge of unfamiliar Alchemy memories, not his own, pouring into his mind. They contained various Pill Formulas, Alchemy methods, herb identification techniques, and so on.
They quickly integrated with this body.
'I wonder how long it will take for me to become a Ninth-Grade Alchemist with my current Comprehension Ability?'
The promotion standard for Alchemists was different from martial Cultivators; as long as one could refine a Nine-Rank Pills, one could become a Ninth-Grade Alchemist, without needing to advance level by level.
Chen Qing planned to find an Opportunity to try it out.
He continued to scroll down and was startled.
"Doting Wife successful! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a random reward: Third-Grade Qi Nourishing Pill Formula +1!"
He had just become a Third-Grade Alchemist, and immediately a Third-Grade Pill Formula was given. Chen Qing didn't know whether to call this a coincidence or praise the System for being thoughtful?
...
"Doting Wife successful! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a random reward: Comprehension Ability +150!"
Killing a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator could exchange for 150 points of Comprehension Ability. For Chen Qing, it was definitely a huge profit with no loss.
It added a lot of leverage for him to charge towards the Ninth-Grade Alchemist Realm.
"Ah!"
Chen Qing had just closed the System panel when Xia Qingyue's scream came from beside him.
"Madam, what's wrong!" Chen Qing almost drew his sword directly.
"What, what is all this inside?!" Xia Qingyue disdainfully threw the Storage Pouch away.
"Hmm?" Chen Qing looked puzzled, bent down, picked up the Storage Pouch, opened it, and injected his Divine Sense into it.
He didn't know until he looked, and once he did, he couldn't help but curse, "You really can know a person's face but not their heart, this old pervert!"
The Storage Pouch only contained a few scattered Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills; the rest were all women's intimate apparel.
Xia Qingyue did not possess Divine Sense, so she could only take them out one by one by hand. When she discovered what kind of items they were, one could imagine how she felt.
He kept the Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills, then ignited a ball of fire in his palm, burning the entire Storage Pouch to ashes.
"You, you didn't look inside beforehand and deliberately played a trick on me, did you?" Xia Qingyue pouted playfully.
"Madam, I'm innocent! If you don't believe me, the coachman witnessed the whole thing; he can testify that I truly didn't look inside." Chen Qing explained.
"If Madam doesn't believe me, I can swear to the heavens, if I've lied in the slightest, may I be struck by five bolts of lightning..."
"Hey! There's no need for that!" Xia Qingyue raised her hand and gently pressed Chen Qing's lips, not wanting him to make such a harsh vow.
Chen Qing smiled knowingly, raised his hand, and grasped Xia Qingyue's delicate hand, "Madam, don't you find this scene a bit familiar?"
Hearing Chen Qing say this, Xia Qingyue recalled how Chen Qing had done the same to her when she wanted to make a harsh vow earlier.
"It seems, Madam and I are truly becoming more and more in sync."
Chen Qing teased.
***
Chapter 32 Heavenly Grade Spiritual Root
"Who, who is becoming more and more in sync with you…?" Although Xia Qingyue said that, she had a different feeling in her heart.
Chen Qing smiled knowingly, saying nothing more.
The carriage continued to travel, heading towards Qingcheng Sect…
In a blink of an eye, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn passed.
With the coachman's "Whoa," the carriage slowly stopped.
The coachman's voice came from outside the curtain, "Young Master, Young Miss, we have arrived."
Chen Qing lifted the curtain, "Madam, please."
He stepped down first, then helped Xia Qingyue out of the carriage.
Successfully pampered the wife! Congratulations to the host for receiving a random reward: 50 Third-Grade Moon Spirit Pills!
Such a small action, yet the reward feedback was quite substantial.
Now, Chen Qing had fully maximized his proficiency and attention to detail in pampering his wife, handling it with ease and not missing a single opportunity.
Seeing Xia Qingyue take out her money pouch, the coachman quickly shook his head and waved his hand, "No need, no need. If Young Master hadn't acted righteously, I would have lost my life on Black Wind Mountain long ago. How could I possibly charge you two?"
Since the coachman had spoken to that extent, Xia Qingyue did not insist, said thank you, and went up the mountain with Chen Qing.
Unlike Heaven Feather Sect, at Qingcheng Sect, once Chen Qing revealed his identity, they proceeded unimpeded, and no one dared to block them.
No one wanted to challenge the authority of a Sect Master. It was rumored that there was a life-and-death friendship between their Sect Master and Chen Xiong.
They couldn't afford to gamble, and certainly didn't dare to.
The two had just gone up the mountain and hadn't even entered the outer courtyard when they saw an Elder-dressed old man guarding the main gate.
Seeing Chen Qing appear, the old man immediately stepped forward, bowed, and saluted, "Greetings, Young Master Chen."
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Grand Elder of Qingcheng Sect's inner courtyard, named Li Sifan."
"Elder Li." Chen Qing responded, then explained his purpose, wanting to test Xia Qingyue's Spiritual Root talent.
He then asked, "I wonder if you could facilitate this?"
"No problem, of course!" Li Sifan had thought that Chen Qing, coming in person, would make some difficult request to fulfill. After hearing that it was only to test Xia Qingyue's Spiritual Root talent, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He had also heard about Chen Qing's notorious reputation in the Great Wu Dynasty.
"Young Master Chen, Your Highness, this way please." Li Sifan turned sideways and raised his hand, gesturing for them to follow.
The two exchanged glances, nodded, and followed Li Sifan to the training ground where talents were tested.
On the stone platform in the center of the training ground, there was a huge crystal.
Through Li Sifan's introduction, the two learned that by simply stepping onto the platform and touching the crystal with their hands, they could ascertain the attribute and quality of their Spiritual Root talent.
Xia Qingyue glanced at Chen Qing.
Chen Qing nodded.
Xia Qingyue quickly made up her mind, clenched her fists, and stepped onto the testing platform.
"Your Highness, please." Elder Li raised his hand and said.
"Alright." Xia Qingyue replied, and as she raised her hand, her long sleeve slid down, revealing her fair arm, which she extended to touch the cold crystal.
After a burst of light flashed and the crystal became covered in white frost, a line of text appeared on the crystal: Heaven Rank Supreme Ice Spiritual Root!
'Heaven Rank Supreme?!'
Not only was Li Sifan stunned by this result, but Chen Qing's eyes also widened slightly.
He mused, 'As expected of the female protagonist, she comes with a Heaven Rank Supreme Spiritual Root!'
Fortunately, Chen Qing had already obtained the even more formidable Heaven Rank Supreme Lightning Spiritual Root, so he didn't feel inferior.
Moreover, Xia Qingyue's current identity was his wife, not an enemy. She was merely enjoying the Luck of the female protagonist. The stronger she was, the more beneficial it would be for Chen Qing.
"Oh my goodness! Heaven, a Heaven Rank Supreme Spiritual Root! Looking across the entire Great Wu Dynasty, I doubt a second one could be found."
"Who exactly is this woman? Is she here to join our Qingcheng Sect?"
"With her joining, our Qingcheng Sect will surely become an eternal and immortal force!"
…
Upon hearing that someone had tested and awakened a Heaven Rank Supreme Spiritual Root, more and more Qingcheng Sect Disciples came to watch.
Among them, there were even Prodigies ranked high in combat strength.
Xia Qingyue's Heaven Rank Supreme talent was already astonishing enough, and coupled with her captivating beauty, it immediately made many male Prodigies, upon arriving, harbor the thought of becoming her Dao Companion.
To obtain such a Dao Companion, in their eyes, would mean no regrets in this life!
Chen Qing saw through their thoughts, stepped onto the platform, and asked Li Sifan, "Elder Li, may I borrow the testing stone?"
"Of course!" If Li Sifan remembered correctly, Chen Qing should have already tested his talent a long time ago, which seemed to be Earth Rank.
Although Earth Rank was excellent, compared to Heaven Rank Supreme…
Of course, even if Li Sifan had a hundred, a thousand times the courage, he would never dare to utter such words.
"Madam, next, watch your husband perform." As he brushed past her, Chen Qing gave Xia Qingyue a confident smile.
"Alright." Xia Qingyue replied, her tone still a bit stiff. After all, she hadn't expected that she would possess the world's most top-tier Spiritual Root.
At the same time, the two words "Madam" from Chen Qing's mouth clearly entered the ears of all the Disciples present.
As cultivators, their senses were far, far more acute than ordinary people.
"Did you, did you hear what he called her?"
"If I didn't hear wrong, it seemed to be 'Madam'!"
"Madam? He, how can he be worthy of marrying such a Madam who is not only peerlessly beautiful but also possesses top-tier talent?"
"Judging by her expression, she must be testing her talent for the first time. Now that she knows she possesses top-tier talent, she probably won't be content with such a mediocre Dao Companion. She must break up with him!"
"Yes, at the moment the results came out, they were destined not to be from the same world."
Hearing these scattered voices, each more certain than the last, that her first action after Awakening a Heaven Rank Supreme Spiritual Root would be to sever ties with Chen Qing.
Xia Qingyue's first thought was not agreement, but disgust. She didn't think of herself as such an ingrate, nor had she ever thought of severing her marital relationship with Chen Qing.
Her gaze swept over them coldly.
Those people felt the pressure in Xia Qingyue's eyes and immediately shut their mouths, knowing they had spoken too much and made her unhappy.
How could they dare to offend such a great figure who possessed top-tier talent, would surely be sought after by various major forces in the future, and was destined to become a Supreme expert?
Keeping her in their hearts and worshipping her like an ancestor was more like it.
They were resolute: toward Xia Qingyue, one could only revere and fear, and never offend or stand against her. Otherwise, with just a word from her, their own lives would be hard to save.
They couldn't afford to provoke her, truly couldn't!
Seeing them all shut up, Xia Qingyue's mood calmed considerably.
Regaining her composure, she turned to look at the testing stone, wanting to know what Chen Qing's talent was.
Meanwhile, Chen Qing had already approached the talent stone, raised his hand, and touched the crystal.
Boom!
After a surge of majestic energy waves dispersed and rushed out, and a hundred lightning patterns could still be clearly seen flashing around, a line of text slowly appeared on the crystal: Heaven Rank Supreme Lightning Spiritual Root!