C23 Liancheng jade

The carriage slowly drove through the wide streets of Tianhuang City. Canfeng, who was driving, waved his whip and lightly hit the body of a snow-white horse.

Hong Ling sat in the carriage as he flipped through the golden invitation card in his hand in boredom. Looking at the vigorous words written on it, a trace of doubt flashed past his eyes. He truly could not understand why the Young City Lord of the Tianhuang City would invite such a small character like himself to participate in the City Lord's Mansion banquet.

He had only stayed in Tianhuang City for less than half a month, and had almost never interacted with City Lord's Mansion before.

"Young master, City Lord's Mansion is up ahead, do you think we should stop here?" Canfeng stopped the carriage and asked respectfully.

Hong Ling pulled open the curtain of the carriage, looked at the few attendants who were welcoming him, and nodded: "Stop here, pass the carriage to them to park, and follow me to the mansion to greet the young city lord!"

He and his master followed the people from the City Lord's Mansion who were guiding them. They walked forward, passed through many pavilions, and also passed through a huge garden. Only then did they see the pavilion under the artificial lake in City Lord's Mansion.

A group of youngsters surrounded a green-clothed youngster who was talking with a face full of smiles. When the green-clothed youngster saw Hong Ling and Canfeng who was behind him, he nodded at the two of them from afar.

"Sir Hong Ling and Mr. Canfeng have arrived with great respect, I hope that both of you will forgive me for being disrespectful!"

Lian Chengyu was the real name of the Young City Lord of the Tianhuang City. His surname, Lian Cheng.

Seeing that he was being courteous, Hong Ling did not dare be rash, and returned the greeting: "I have troubled Young City Lord and everyone else for a long time. Hong Ling has arrived late, please do not take offense!"

Hong Ling knew that this was a trap that Lian Chengyu had set up, and wanted to see what kind of methods he and his master had up their sleeves.

"Canfeng, send me over, and meet up with the Young City Lord and the others!" He turned and said to Canfeng.

Canfeng nodded his head, he walked to the lakeside and placed his hand on the lake, the pure Authentic Qi gurgled and rushed into the lake.

Canfeng raised his palm, and a handful of water shot towards the pavilion in the middle of the lake. An enormous current of water rose into the sky from the lake at his side, and fell toward the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

A trace of cold energy flashed across his hand, and his eyes were filled with a black light. The cold energy rampaged out from his body, continuously eroding the stream of water.

Crack! Crack! Crack! The water flowed through the ice pillars and instantly froze. Under the dumbfounded gazes of the crowd, a wide, crystalline ice bridge quickly took shape. It extended from the shore to the pavilion at the center of the lake.

"Young master, the bridge is ready. Please move to the Heart Pavilion and gather with the young city lord and the others." Canfeng bowed and said respectfully to his young master.

Hong Ling nodded his head. He elegantly stepped onto the ice bridge and slowly walked to the center of the lake. Lian Chengyu and a group of youths looked at his figure with eyes filled with praise. This youth, who was only at the early stage of the Essence Refinement into Qi, actually had an early stage Qi Refinement into Spirit cultivator who had awakened his bloodline following behind him.

In Tianhuang City, other than the City Lord Lian Cheng Lie, who was a cultivator who had refined the Spirit, only the cultivators of the Qi Refinement into Spirit were the strongest.

A Qi Refinement into Spirit cultivator with an awakened bloodline, who came from an assassin's background, was so powerful that even an aristocratic family with Tianhuang City wouldn't easily offend him.

After all, many of the young generation members of the clan were only at the Essence Refinement into Qi level. Once the early stage Qi Refinement into Spirit cultivator got angered, no one could guarantee that this Qi Refinement into Spirit cultivator wouldn't attack the young generation of the clan.

Hong Ling stepped onto the pavilion at the center of the lake, his eyes brimming with smiles. He did not know beforehand that Lian Chengyu would be able to invite him.

As the Young City Lord of the Tianhuang City, Lian Chengyu was only slightly over twenty years old, and with his cultivation, he had already stepped into the early stages of Qi Refinement into Spirit.

Initially, he had no intentions of inviting Hong Ling to the young elites of the Tianhuang City. However, after hearing that this person had mastered the Imperial Sword Technique and that he also had a servant of the Qi Refinement into Spirit who had his bloodline awakened, he wrote the young man's name on the invitation card.

He was born in a noble family and had already comprehended the sword intent. Adding on the fact that his cultivation was at the very peak of existence among the Tianhuang City's young generation, he would hold banquets from time to time, with the intention of drawing in people's hearts for his use.

However, although his plans were good, it was a pity that the geniuses of the young generation were not willing to stay below others. As a result, most of the banquets were to interact with others, and there were very few who genuinely attached themselves to Lian Chengyu.

Lian Chengyu had always had his eyes set on the top, his powerful cultivation gave him the qualifications to look down on his peers. Adding to the fact that his own father was the master of Tianhuang City, there would naturally be many people flattering him.

Unfortunately, even though this was the case, it was still difficult to find a strong follower. Even though he had already broken through to Qi Refinement into Spirit's cultivation level long ago, there still wasn't a single follower who was able to reach Qi Refinement into Spirit's.

At this time, looking at Canfeng who was respectfully standing on the lakeside, Lian Chengyu's eyes were filled with fanaticism. If he could take this Qi Refinement into Spirit's expert as his subordinate, then it would undoubtedly be a powerful aid to his future development.

"I have long heard of Young Noble Hong Ling's great name. Seeing Young Noble like this today, really makes Lian Chengyu feel ashamed!"

Seeing Hong Ling entering the Heart Lake Pavilion, Lian Chengyu immediately welcomed him. His own appearance was not ordinary, but he gave off a type of easygoing atmosphere, and what was even more admirable was that he did not put on any airs, which made the master and servant secretly exclaim in surprise.

"Hong Ling greets Young City Master, I came late, Young City Master does not blame me, how can I deserve Young City Master's warmth!" The young man returned the greeting with a serious face. After doing some superficial work, Lian Chengyu was extremely happy.

Lian Chengyu had never been too close to anyone just because he was very unruly to begin with. However, at this moment, this youth, who possessed the Qi Refinement into Spirit's servants, was able to give him this kind of face, which made him feel extremely excited.

After all, to be able to make a Qi Refinement into Spirit's Bloodline Cultivator recognize him as master, in Lian Chengyu's eyes, Hong Ling's own background was definitely not inferior to his, this Young City Lord of Tianhuang City.

He brought Hong Ling to wander around the vast pavilion in the middle of the lake, and carefully introduced all the heroes present to him. No one dared to show off their skills, and all of them greeted the young cultivator.

The group of youths exchanged cups as they chatted and laughed merrily. Halfway through the alcohol, Lian Chengyu raised his cup and toasted to everyone present.

Firstly, I, Lian Chengyu, have invited everyone here to celebrate this day. Firstly, I wish to welcome Young Noble Hong Ling, since Hong is a newcomer, and is unfamiliar with my Tianhuang City. Secondly, I hope that everyone can help me out!

Lian Chengyu drank another cup of strong alcohol himself, and his face slowly flushed red.

"As everyone knows, three days from now, it will be the day of my Tianhuang City's triennial martial arts competition. This tournament was originally a chance for many of my Tianhuang City's heaven's pride experts to show themselves. Unfortunately, the current Heavenly Desolate Martial Tournament is controlled by the Tianhuang City's Zhou, Zhang, and tens of thousands of other families. "

"As for my City Lord's Mansion and the other rogue cultivators, in the past few sessions of the Martial Competition, none of the heaven's pride level experts have obtained any good points." As for my City Lord's Mansion and the other rogue cultivators, in the past few sessions of the Martial Competition, none of the outstanding heaven's pride level experts have obtained any good points.

Lian Chengyu paused for a moment, his eyes showing signs of fanaticism.

"In the recent years, the three great clans have increasingly looked down on City Lord's Mansion. They have violated the decree and controlled the resources of the Tianhuang City, causing the resources obtained by the rogue cultivators to be much more difficult than before."

"Today, Lian Chengyu beseeches everyone to lend me a hand. In the Martial Arts Conference three days from now, help me suppress the young disciples of the three great families, kill them off and return to me, a rogue cultivator, a cultivation environment that is fair in obtaining cultivation resources. After this is done, this humble one will definitely repay you for what you have done!"

His feet lightly tapped on the surface of the lake, and he swept towards the pavilion in the center of the lake. The woman gently landed in the pavilion, and placed the silver tray in her hands on the white marble table.

"A maid with perfect Essence Refinement into Qi!"

Everyone looked at the beautiful and quiet maid, their eyes filled with shock. Even Lian Chengyu, who was in the early stages of Qi Refinement into Spirit, was only one level higher than this maid in comparison.

If everyone is willing to help me, I am willing to give this pill to you all as a gift. Furthermore, after this is done, you will also receive a generous gift! "

When Lian Chengyu mentioned the Desolate Heaven Transforming Qi Pill, his face had a proud look. A medicinal pellet that could raise one's level, even just by raising one's level in Essence Refinement into Qi, was enough to make many people scramble for it. Even Hong Ling was extremely moved at this moment.

"I wonder what kind of requirements Young City Lord has for the cultivators who represent their Tianhuang City in three days' time?"

A youth could not help but ask. He was only at the early stage of Essence Refinement into Qi, but he was very interested in pills like the Desolate Heaven Transforming Qi Pill. To him, the temptation was too great, so he was not tempted.

When Lian Chengyu saw the fiery passion in everyone's eyes, a proud look flashed past his eyes but he knew that the vast majority of these people simply weren't enough to represent their Tianhuang City to participate in the Heavenly Desolate Martial Tournament.

Although those people were young geniuses, even among geniuses, there was a huge gap. And that gap was the difference in fighting strength between them.

"The requirements of the Tianhuang City's Martial Meet for the age of participants is that they must not exceed eighteen years old, and must reach the cultivation of the early stage of the Essence Refinement into Qi. As for the participants of my City Lord's Mansion, other than being under eighteen years old, their cultivation must also surpass the cultivation of the middle stage of the Essence Refinement into Qi!"

Lian Chengyu looked at the dozen or so youths around him, saw that most of them were frowning, and a trace of a smile condensed in his eyes.

"Of course, if all of you are able to defeat a cultivator in the middle stage of the Essence Refinement into Qi, then you can also represent my City Lord's Mansion in battle and also obtain a Heaven Desolating Qi Pill!"

"Hmm?"

Hong Ling was originally a little disappointed, but after hearing this, his eyes lit up. To defeat a cultivator at the middle stage of the Essence Refinement into Qi, he grinned and his clear eyes were filled with confidence.