After Sun Shihai left, Zhou Chen pointed to the seat in front of him and impatiently called out to Yan Ying, "Come over!"
Yan Ying threw him a flirtatious look and said, "Didn't you throw me aside a few days ago after working me to death? Anyway, how do you plan on dealing with Huang Xiaolong?"
Zhou Chen snorted, "Deal with him? He's merely in the God King Realm. Originally, I was planning to let him live for a little longer, but he can't blame me for my actions now! Let's not talk about him, instead, let me deal with you first!"
He then pulled Yan Ying into his embrace.
Following which, spring filled the hall.
...
Huang Xiaolong returned to his Dragon Tiger Palace after he left the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
On his way back, news of what had happened inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony spread like wildfire, and even Fang Gan and Zhao Lei learned of the incident. When they heard the news, everyone reacted differently.
Some were shocked at the frightening growth of Huang Xiaolong's combat power, whilst others were frightened at Sun Shihai's rapid advancement.
Discussions broke out everywhere.
When Zhao Lei received news, he was at Fang Gan's palace discussing matters about the selections one month away. Hence, they received the news at the same time.
The two of them were stunned when they heard Huang Xiaolong's antics and they stared at each other in disbelief.
"This brat! In the end, he still went over to register." Zhao Lei smiled, "Mid-Second Order God King Realm? That's pretty close to what I guessed, but it is surprising to see that his combat power is at the mid-Fifth Order God King Realm."
Fang Gan laughed, "Well, it's normal for young people to be competitive, but who would have thought that he would actually tease Yan Ying in public. Zhou Chen should be hopping mad right now."
Zhao Lei grinned, "He's indeed a cuckold now."
The two of them broke into laughter.
"Who would have thought that Sun Shihai would have reached the peak of the mid-Fifth Order God King Realm?! Isn't his increase in strength a bit too abnormal?" Zhao Lei frowned as he pondered.
Fang Gan fell deep into thought as well. "Something seems strange here. Could Zhou Chen have used some sort of secret art on Sun Shihai? Even though his cultivation base can rise quickly now, his foundation will definitely be affected…"
Zhao Lei shook his head, "That may not be so." He then smiled bitterly and continued, "However, during the selections, if Xiaolong encounters Sun Shihai, I'm afraid he will be in a lot of trouble. Sun Shihai will definitely not let him off easily."
Fang Gan helplessly said, "Once Xiaolong transforms into the primordial divine dragon, he shouldn't be defeated too badly right?" Fang Gan could already feel a headache coming.
As everyone talked about him, Huang Xiaolong passed his days as usual. He chatted with Li Lu and Yao Chi in his Dragon Tiger Palace without a care for the rumors flying around. In his free time, he would refine pills, research the Tianwu Array Records, or he would start refining dragon crystals, dragon pearls, and Fortune Divine Fruits.
His days passed comfortably and peacefully.
Deep into one of the nights, Li Lu and Huang Xiaolong sat on the roof of the palace as they stared at the stars shimmering in the night sky.
"Recently, there have been lots of disciples talking about you and Sun Shihai. The general consensus out there is that you will lose miserably if you meet Sun Shihai in the selections." Li Lu asked in a concerned tone.
"Then what do you think?" Huang Xiaolong grinned.
Li Lu was stunned as her beautiful eyes landed on Huang Xiaolong's handsome and confident face. A soft smile formed on her face as she looked at her feet. "You'll definitely be able to beat him…"
Huang Xiaolong held her small, smooth hands, and felt a soft warm current flowing into his own. "You're the one who knows me the best." A chuckle escaped his lips all of a sudden, "Don't worry, I definitely won't let my woman down."
Li Lu's face reddened as she retorted, "Who's your woman?!"
Huang Xiaolong held her hands tightly and smiled, "Of course it's you! Even my mother acknowledged you as her daughter-in-law!"
Li Lu felt a burst of sweetness in her heart. When she thought of Su Yan and the other members of the Huang Family, a melancholic light flashed through her eyes. "I wonder how Uncle and Auntie are doing in the lower planes?"
Huang Xiaolong sighed, "I wonder how my mother is doing..."
Xiao Fei, are you doing well in the lower planes?
Huang Xiaolong secretly wondered in his heart.
During his trip to the Floating Twilight Land, he had asked Jiang Hong if there were ways of bringing him back to the lower planes. However, Jiang Hong was helpless about this matter as well.
The lower planes were considered Mortal Worlds. Both Divine Worlds and Mortal Worlds had their rules and laws. Even an existence surpassing the Emperor Realm like Jiang Hong would be helpless in the face of the laws set by Heavens and Earth.
If Huang Xiaolong wanted to return to the lower planes, there was only one way. It was just as the little cow had said, he had to look for the Ancient Chaos Formation.
After the selections, Huang Xiaolong was planning to make a trip to the headquarters of the Silver Fox Chamber of Commerce. With their connections and resources, there might be a chance for them to locate the lower planes' envoy.
"What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about Xiao Fei, Uncle, and Auntie?" Li Lu gently asked when she saw that he was lost in thoughts. Huang Xiaolong nodded in response.
"Oh right, did Xuanxuan mention if her older brother will be back for the selections this time?" Huang Xiaolong suddenly asked.
Li Lu was startled, and shook her head, "She doesn't know either. However, it's unlikely that he's coming back as there still isn't news about him."
Huang Xiaolong's mood dipped a little when he heard the news.
He had originally thought that Fang Xuanxuan's older brother would be back in time to join the selections. However, from the looks of it, he wouldn't be able to make it back in time.
It was a little strange as the Battle of the Heavenly Court was a major event...
Did he meet with some trouble when cultivating in the Hell Asura World?!
"Xuanxuan is actually very worried about her brother." Li Lu continued, "Even though her older brother is quite strong, the Hell Asura World is chaotic and dangerous. Even an Emperor would think twice before entering. I really don't understand why her brother chose that place!"
Huang Xiaolong's heart shook. "Perhaps her brother is cultivating a unique skill that requires him to enter the Hell Asura World."
Li Lu came to a realization, "That sounds reasonable!" She smiled and continued, "Didn't you head over to the Floating Twilight Land to temper yourself?! Sometimes, I really don't understand men's thought process…"
The two of them continued chatting, and before they knew it, the first rays of daylight broke through the darkness of night.
Twenty days passed in a flash and the day of the selections was upon them.
Huang Xiaolong was consolidating his knowledge on formations when he saw Sun Shihai flying towards him. Looking at the cocky expression on Sun Shihai's face, his face turned cold.
"Why are you here?" Huang Xiaolong's voice was flat.
Sun Shihai chuckled, "Why does junior brother Huang seem to not welcome me? Oh, that's right, tomorrow is the day of selection. After tomorrow, your Palace will belong to me." He sauntered into the palace and nodded with every step he took. "Not bad, the spiritual qi here is a lot richer than that in my palace. I like it."
"Is that really what you think?" Huang Xiaolong asked indifferently.