With Chen Guan's current level of cultivation, even a strike without using fighting skills would be too much for Lingquan to withstand.
Locked in by the blade's light, the icy murderous intent seemed to freeze his soul, leaving Lingquan frozen, unable to resist.
After all, he was only a one-star Dou Zun.
"Where did this foolish young man come from? How dare he resort to violence in the Ancient Saint City?"
"What a waste of talent! The Ancient Clan won't sit idly by."
"..."
As the blade was about to fall on Lingquan's head, some of the onlookers couldn't help
but shake their heads. As they expected, the sharp blade didn't strike. Three feet above Lingquan, a large seal quietly emerged, immovable as a mountain, blocking the fatal blow.
"Brother Chen, calm down. Today's incident was Xun'er's fault. In my hasty departure, I forgot to leave the invitation. Please, for Xun'er's sake, don't argue with Commander Ling."
With a cold voice, Gu Xun'er suddenly appeared.
After a slight nod to Chen Guan and the others, he turned to Ling Quan.
"Commander Ling, Brother Chen is the disciple of Danta's Xuankongzi, a candidate for one of the Danta's three great leaders, and a guest personally invited by this young lady. Are you so reckless? Are you questioning my decision?"
"Ling Quan wouldn't dare!"
"Then why don't you apologize to Brother Chen?"
Seeing Gu Xun'er's scowl, Ling Quan, despite his reluctance, could only obey. With a sullen face, he bowed slightly to Chen Guan and the others, forcing a rather awkward smile.
"I'm sorry,"
Chen Guan simply ignored him.
In his opinion, this scene was most likely planned by Gu Xun'er.
Ling Quan, the so-called "Ling Quan," was probably just a tool, kept in the dark, unworthy of mention.
Chen Guan's disregard filled Ling Quan with deep humiliation. Veins bulged on his forehead, and he clenched his fists. He wished he could explode on the spot, but under Gu Xun'er's gaze, he could only grit his teeth and endure.
"Champion of the Alchemy Contest, disciple of Xuan Kongzi! So he's Master Chen Guan!"
"No wonder! I've always said that no matter how many hidden talents there are in Zhongzhou, such a monster wouldn't keep appearing. Now it's no surprise."
"Seeing is believing. Compared to this, most of our lives have been wasted."
Gu Xun'er, also hearing this, immediately revealed Chen Guan's identity.
By now, Chen Guan was well-known throughout Zhongzhou, though most people never had the chance to meet him in person.
"Brother Chen, this isn't the place to talk. Please follow me."
Gu Xun'er smiled apologetically, leading the two into the Ancient Saint City.
Chen Guan glanced at Ling Quan, whose face flushed red with anger, but didn't attack again. He gestured slightly to Xiao Yan and followed Gu Xun'er.
With the real culprit out, there was no way they could do anything to Ling Quan.
But then again, this was a predictable outcome.
"Brother Guan, Xun'er...what's my cousin's strength like now? She's changed so much I can't even recognize her."
Following behind Gu Xun'er, Xiao Yan telepathically inquired. It was hard to imagine such a freak of talent remaining hidden within the Xiao family for years!
Her motives were likely more complex than simple.
Chen Guan glanced at Gu Xun'er in front of him, his curiosity growing.
"I don't know, I can't be sure. She has a hidden aura, but judging by her attack just now, she's no less capable than me."
While the other party appeared to be using fighting skills, that didn't prove anything.
After all, Chen Guan knew that once members of the Imperial Clan possessed their clan crests, their strength could be further enhanced.
Therefore, Gu Xun'er's true strength remained a mystery.
Following Gu Xun'er's footsteps, the three of them passed through the city wall and entered the city, permeated with an ancient atmosphere.
Ancient Saint City was quite bustling these days, with regular foot traffic on the streets. While not as overwhelming as in other cities, most of those able to walk through it were formidable figures of considerable strength.
"Brother Chen, Xun'er will first take you and Cousin Xiao Yan to the resting place specially established by our Ancient Clan. The spatial gate to the Ancient Realm won't open for another five days. After that, Xun'er will join you on the journey to the Ancient Realm."
"Regarding Commander Lingquan, Xun'er apologizes again. I forgot my invitation, so I came all the way to Ancient Saint City to wait. I didn't expect this to cause any unpleasantness."
After traveling through the city for about ten minutes, they arrived in the city center. Here, a vast manor towered over the attic. At the entrance, a constant stream of people streamed in and out, and the powerful aura that permeated the air drew even Chen Guan's gaze.
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At this moment, Gu Xun'er chuckled and explained.
"It's okay, Miss Xun'er is thoughtful."
Chen Guan shook his head slightly. Relations with the ancient clan shouldn't be strained for the time being; a subtle approach would undoubtedly be best.
With Gu Xun'er personally guiding them, check-in was naturally a breeze. They were quickly ushered into three secluded rooms on the top floor by a charming maid. For
the next few days, perhaps thanks to Gu Xun'er's advance notice, everything went smoothly.
Under Gu Xun'er's guidance, Chen Guan and Xiao Yan made a thorough tour of the Ancient Sacred City, learning a wealth of information about the not-so-secret Eight Ancient Clans and the situation within the Heavenly Tomb.
However, Xiao Yan felt uneasy following Chen Guan and Gu Xun'er around every day, often finding excuses to go on his own. He gained considerable intelligence on the Black Annihilation Army.
For example, within the Black Annihilation Army, there was a strict hierarchy, with eight commanders.
The arrogant Ling Quan was only ranked seventh.
Beyond these, above the eight great commanders stood the four great generals and the two true leaders of the Black Annihilation Army.
The Black Annihilation Kings!
Even among the ancient clans, teeming with genius, these individuals were undeniably top-tier geniuses, each one a breathtaking talent. While their Dou Di bloodlines might not rival Gu Xun'er's, few within the ancient clan could match their abilities. In the future, they would undoubtedly become the true core figures of the ancient clans.
"Brother Guan, are all the eight ancient clans so terrifying? Then what about my Xiao clan before..." Recounting the news he had learned, Xiao Yan felt a mixture of shock and profound disappointment. They
were also one of the eight ancient clans, yet today the Xiao clan existed in name only.
He would never believe there wasn't a story behind this.
"I have some knowledge of the Xiao Clan, but it's not comprehensive. If you want to know more, wait until we enter the Ancient Realm and visit the Heavenly Tomb. There are powerful figures from the eight clans, including those from the Xiao Clan. Their stories will surely be more authentic and trustworthy than what we've learned,"
Chen Guan said, shaking his head. He didn't intend to overload Xiao Yan with information all at once.
Honestly, with Xiao Yan's current strength, telling him wouldn't do any good; it would only cause him more trouble.
Xiao Yan fell silent, accepting Chen Guan's advice.
Even without Chen Guan's words, he could still guess at some things, but he simply couldn't be certain.
"These past few days, Dou Zun has been crowned one after another. I'm almost numb. I just wonder how many Dou Sheng masters this ancient clan has?"
"Hehe, don't overthink it. Becoming a Dou Sheng isn't easy anywhere. Possessing Dou Emperor bloodlines does make cultivation smooth, but that speed only holds the edge above Dou Sheng. Even in an ancient clan like the Ancient Clan, where Dou Zun seem to be everywhere, there aren't many who have truly reached the Dou Sheng level. Otherwise, your teacher would have already been a Dou Sheng."
"To reach this level, we can only rely on ourselves. In fact, at this point, a Dou Emperor bloodline would even become a burden. So, your Xiao clan's decline, and my lack of it, isn't actually a bad thing."
One must always look forward.
Chen Guan used to envy those from these ancient clans. With Dou Emperor bloodlines, they could easily reach heights others could never reach in their lifetimes.
But today, that thought has gradually faded. As his strength has increased, the impact of having a Dou Emperor bloodline has become negligible.
Of course, Xiao Yan, not yet at that level, couldn't comprehend what Chen Guan was saying and could only offer a wry smile.
A well-fed man doesn't know the hunger of a hungry man!
While Chen Guan was trying to comfort Xiao Yan, some of the distinguished guests from the ancient clan in the surrounding rooms were also discussing them.
In a wing adjacent to Chen Guan's, four figures sat, three men and one woman. Each of them bore a burning flame mark on their foreheads, resembling a real flame, giving off a fiery sensation.
"This Chen Guan is quite interesting. He's actually been valued by Gu Xun'er, and she's strictly forbidding those reckless Black Annihilation Army members from causing trouble. Do you think there's some ulterior motive?" a man with a slightly frivolous expression chuckled, seeming quite gossipy.
"Watch your mouth! If those Black Annihilation Army members hear this, we won't be able to help you," a middle-aged man with bushy eyebrows said calmly from the man opposite.
"I watched Chen Guan and Xiao Yan from afar today; they were both quite interesting. If I were Gu Xun'er, I wouldn't let my men do anything reckless." The last man, dressed in a white robe, was extremely handsome, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, giving off a warm and welcoming vibe.
As he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to the woman beside him.
She wore a pale red dress, her face hidden by a veil, but even so, the silhouette revealed through the veil was incredibly captivating. Her bright eyes were devoid of any emotion, and she didn't respond to the three people's conversation, as if nothing else piqued her interest.
"Huo Zhi, can you please stop treating us like we don't matter?" Seeing her expression, the man in white couldn't help but shake his head helplessly.
"I'm very interested in Chen Guan." Hearing his words, the woman in red finally raised her head slightly and spoke in a clear, yet pleasant voice.
Then, as if realizing this might lead to misunderstanding, he added, "I can sense he doesn't have Dou Di bloodline. Also, the strange fire within him seems to have the aura of several different kinds of fire. Even the clan leader only managed to forcibly fuse two different fires."
"Look at Chen Guan, his age isn't much different from ours, yet he possesses such strength. Even among the eight clans, he'd be a leader. I know Danta, but I don't believe they possess such a strong foundation."
"Chen Guan holds a great secret!"
(End of Chapter)