"Chong Jingtian wants to wait a little longer and see if anything else changes. He speculates that Qing Cang and his group’s origins might be somewhat different from the Royal Court as we know it."

"Since this group could find Red Thunder Star, it’s not impossible for others to find it too," Xia Hanshi said. "But some people are already starting to have other ideas."

"But no matter what, they still have to make a trip to those ruins to merge the two halves of the Spirituality so Qing Cang can take it away."

At this, Xia Hanshi let out a rare sigh. "I heard from Wu Chenpei that when you caused the three dragons to manifest, you were very likely to become the chosen one. That made Hongxuan wary. But for now, you need to keep that matter, and the vision of the three dragons, under wraps."

"If it’s no longer possible..." His voice was tinged with suppressed frustration and anger. He drained his cup of tea in one gulp before continuing, "Then just leave Red Thunder Star as one of the recognized individuals."

As if to avoid any misunderstanding from Su Chen, Xia Hanshi quickly explained, "They originally intended to take both you and Hongxuan. But when Chong Jingtian mentioned that Hongxuan was already dead, they showed no reaction at all. They didn’t even ask how he died. They clearly don’t care."

This point alone showed that they didn’t care about Su Chen and Hongxuan, the two recognized individuals; they were just following orders.

"Besides, he brought three juniors with him who also seem to be seeking to be chosen by the Great Venerable." Xia Hanshi then added that if they sensed Su Chen might become the chosen one, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill him to free up a spot.

"Understood." Su Chen appeared calm as he processed this information. ’With my panel, I don’t need to take risks to compete. Playing it safe is the best option.’

"That’s about it. Get ready. They want to see you first, then they’ll take you to see the Professional Spirituality," Xia Hanshi instructed finally, then prepared to leave.

Seeing him get up, Su Chen hesitated for a moment. A current of wind stirred near his lips as he whispered, "Make the person before me stumble."

The moment the words left his mouth, Su Chen’s eyelid twitched. Most of the Spiritual Power he had just generated in his mind was instantly drained.

And Xia Hanshi, with a sway of his body, actually stumbled.

"Hm?" He turned to look at Su Chen suspiciously. "Was that you?"

Su Chen gave an awkward smile. "Just testing a little ability."

"To think it could actually affect me..." Xia Hanshi was increasingly astonished. Even if it was just a stumble, it was still unbelievable.

’This kid... He has a boundless future. It’s a shame Red Thunder Star isn’t big enough to support him.’

"Don’t show off in front of that group from the Royal Court," Xia Hanshi warned. He was about to leave but looked back at Su Chen, seeming to hesitate for a moment before saying, "I want you to take another gamble."

"Gamble on what?" Su Chen was still mulling over the recent energy expenditure and was a beat slow to respond.

"Yuan Capital, Lieyang, and Celestial Joy hold some of the Deceitful God’s Power. That group from the Royal Court is unwilling to help us resolve the Holy Banquet," Xia Hanshi said grimly.

"I want to gamble on your precognitive ability. It might be our only hope. If we can find the location of the Holy Banquet’s ritual, we’ll be in a much better position."

’This...’ Su Chen started to speak but stopped himself. He had been planning to bring this up with Old Xia, but the arrival of the people from the Royal Court had thrown his thoughts into disarray. He never expected Xia Hanshi to bring it up first.

"I’ll do my best," Su Chen sighed inwardly. It was all he could say.

After seeing Xia Hanshi off, Su Chen’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. The sudden arrival of the visitors from the Royal Court had disrupted many things. In the end, he could only sigh. ’Plans can never keep up with changes.’

Yuan Capital had prepared for years, and Hongxuan had laid low for a long time, but both of their plans were thwarted by Xia Hanshi’s decisiveness. Now, the current situation had been thrown into chaos by the arrival of the Royal Court.

"I hope there’s another twist... otherwise..." Su Chen murmured to himself, his voice trailing off as his thoughts drifted.

He couldn’t influence any of these events, so he could only focus on himself. He gathered his thoughts and assessed his body, which was still in a fused state:

’My overall strength is about seventy to eighty percent higher than normal. Thanks to the consumption reduction from the extra reward, the drain on my Physical Strength and Spiritual Power is about half of what it was during the first fusion.’

’My endurance has increased dramatically.’

This state was also a burden on the body. Otherwise, when he first fought Hongxuan, his opponent wouldn’t have waited until the very end to use it, only to be completely drained afterward.

And in their last battle, his opponent hadn’t used it at the start, clearly saving it as a trump card, only to be taken out by him in a single move.

’But I can use it as a routine ability. In this state, combined with Gulping, I should have no problem fighting at full power for half an hour.’

"As for this new Fusion Ability," Su Chen estimated briefly, then said, "it’s very powerful."

Making Old Xia stumble hadn’t even completely drained his Spiritual Power; he’d had some to spare. In the past, a Word Spirit command like that would have been impossible to enact.

Deactivating the fused state, he felt a bit unaccustomed to the sense of weakness that followed.

He glanced at his panel--

[Word Spirit Law Master: 20%]

[Calamity Patrol Envoy: 20%]

[C-level Cloud Dragon Training Method, Mastery: 40%]

[C-level Mirage Sea Meditation Technique, Mastery: 40%]

The Great Venerable’s favor was truly potent; the development progress for his professions was advancing rapidly.

...

"This place really has the feel of a city among the stars..." Qing Cang stood on the street, observing the bustling crowds around him. He ignored their strange glances, his gaze fixed on the Hovercars zipping back and forth overhead with a constant whoosh, and sighed in admiration.

He enjoyed experiencing the local customs and lifestyles of different places; they always offered a unique feeling.

In contrast to Qing Cang, who was thoroughly enjoying himself, the three young people with him were not so patient. After following him around for half a day,

Lan Hao finally couldn’t hold back any longer. "Master Qing, are we just going to let them go off and plot a counter-strategy so easily? What if they’re unwilling to hand over the Professional Spirituality and try to pull some trick behind our backs?"

Qing Cang’s gaze fell on a massive virtual advertisement on the side of a nearby skyscraper as he shook his head faintly.

"Give them some time to process it. I trust they’ll make a wise choice. It’s not like we haven’t given them a way out. With their level of strength, they’re still quite valuable."

"Delays breed trouble..." Lan Hao couldn’t help but say. "With your strength, do you even need to waste words on them?"

A flicker of disdain passed through Lin Yue’s eyes as she reminded him, "This place is covered by the Nether Fog. We’d have to be extremely careful if we fought. It’s better to be safe."

"Besides, Master Qing has already explained the dangers of the Nether Fog and promised to take them away to solve their problem. Even if one person is foolish enough to resist, the others won’t agree to it."

Hearing this, the gloom in Lan Hao’s eyes vanished in a flash. Qing Cang couldn’t help but nod. "Not only that, this place is, after all, my master’s junior brother’s home planet. It’s where he was born. Although he didn’t grow up here, there’s still a sentimental connection. If we can avoid using force, we should."

"I’m sure Master would be gratified to know."

At the mention of the Bronze Ancient King, the expressions of the three youths shifted slightly. Wan Chen chimed in at the right moment, "The Ancient King is benevolent. He sits alone upon a star, sheltering countless living beings."

"You, you..." Qing Cang chuckled. "What, are you all thinking of becoming the chosen one of the Great Venerable Red Flame Thunder Resonator, thereby catching Master’s eye?"

The eyes of the three youths flickered. The value of the Great Venerable Red Flame Thunder Resonator wasn’t just because he was a Morning Star Tier profession, but more so because of his close connection to the Bronze Ancient King.

This 1+1 relationship was of ineffable importance.

"Master Qing, who in the Dust Star Sea wouldn’t want that?" Wan Chen replied with a placid smile, defusing the blunt question.

Qing Cang smiled faintly. "Exactly. Securing this opportunity for the three of you was no small feat. If word got out, I’m afraid the entire Dust Star Sea would be in an uproar."

"We will not forget your grace, Master Qing," the three said in unison, their voices laced with genuine sincerity.

"However, I suggest we resolve this matter as quickly as possible," Wan Chen said in a low voice. "Putting aside the fact this planet could become a meal for a Deceitful God at any moment, it’s not guaranteed that we’re the only ones who know about the Great Venerable Red Flame Thunder Resonator."

"Your sudden and unusual movement, coming to such a small place, may have already been noticed by interested parties."

Qing Cang turned back and gave him a deep look. "You certainly are thorough in your considerations."

"Just minor details," Wan Chen said quickly.

Qing Cang glanced up. "By my calculations, they should be about done with their discussions. Let’s go, then. It’s a good time to meet the living recognized individual. Perhaps... I’ll gain a fine disciple."

"Then, congratulations in advance, Master Qing," the three said one after another. They had no real desire to experience local culture; they just wanted to get to the Spirituality of the Great Venerable Red Flame Thunder Resonator as quickly as possible. That was their only concern.