Ye Qingchen was indifferent to imperial power. The Emperor had invited Pavilion Master Zhang and Deputy Pavilion Master Liu solely due to their status. If he went along, he would only make things awkward. Moreover, Ye Qingchen truly had no enthusiasm for such social occasions.
With this in mind, Ye Qingchen cupped his fists toward Deputy Pavilion Master Liu and said helplessly, "I would really like to follow the two of you to broaden my horizons, but the Alchemy Dao Competition is about to start, and I'm still feeling a bit anxious. So, I want to take these next few days to prepare."
Deputy Pavilion Master Liu nodded approvingly and said to Ye Qingchen, "It's good that you're always thinking about improving yourself. You don't need to go today. But Qingchen, you must also understand the principle that haste makes waste. A balance of work and rest on the path of cultivation might just make your efforts twice as effective."
