Chen Qingyuan was seated in the cabin when he overheard the conversation outside. He opened the door and stepped out, where he saw a young man in purple standing in mid-air.
"So it's you, Xia Xiaochong. Long time no see!"
Chen Qingyuan smiled faintly, his appearance refined, wearing a light-colored robe, hands behind his back, exuding an elegant and scholarly air.
"You!" The young man, Xia Nanzhong, a member of the serpent clan, had once been defeated by Chen Qingyuan. Seeing him now, he coldly remarked, "Chen Qingyuan, you're still as unlikable as ever."
Earlier, Xia Nanzhong had spotted a ship belonging to the Xuanqing Sect and had come over to investigate. Upon seeing Chen Qingyuan, he immediately approached.
"You aren't even human." Chen Qingyuan retorted sharply.
Hearing this, Xia Nanzhong felt a twinge of irritation. However, he quickly realized that, in fact, he wasn't fully human himself, and so he bit back his response.
Despite this, Chen Qingyuan's words still had an edge to them, which made Xia Nanzhong snort in frustration. "Hmph!"
Over a century ago, Xia Nanzhong and Chen Qingyuan had a fierce disagreement, resulting in a violent confrontation. Afterward, Chen Qingyuan had playfully given Xia Nanzhong the nickname "Xiaochong" (Little Bug), which had amused many people.
Xia Nanzhong had lost to Chen Qingyuan and, with no way to retort, had to accept the humiliation.
"Don't you know who the intended marriage partners are between the two families?" Xia Nanzhong asked, suppressing his irritation, unwilling to stoop to a petty argument.
"I know." Chen Qingyuan responded, his expression indifferent.
"Then, knowing that, you still came? Truly impressive," Xia Nanzhong said, giving him a thumbs-up, a mix of admiration and mockery. "You were once a brilliant figure, and Qin Yutang, the young master of Tianyu Sect, certainly felt the pressure from you. But now Qin Yutang is marrying Bai Xixue. Aren't you just setting yourself up for embarrassment?"
"Xia Xiaochong, are you concerned about me?" Chen Qingyuan asked, his smile tinged with amusement.
"Care about you? Dream on!" Xia Nanzhong hated the nickname but, hearing it from Chen Qingyuan's lips, he didn't feel as angry. The two were rivals but also had a complicated, somewhat mutual respect. "Let me give you some advice. You're no longer the man you were. Staying with the Xuanqing Sect is probably your safest bet now."
"Thanks for the advice," Chen Qingyuan replied, unfazed.
"I'll just tease you a little, but others may not be so kind."
With that, Xia Nanzhong lost interest and began to walk away.
After their brief encounter, Xia Nanzhong was certain that Chen Qingyuan had truly lost his former strength, which left him feeling somewhat pleased but also a bit wistful.
As he walked away, he looked back at Chen Qingyuan's figure, sighing quietly, "What a talent… such a pity."
In just a few days, news of Chen Qingyuan's arrival within the territory of Tianyu Sect spread far and wide, causing cultivators from all corners to observe the Xuanqing Sect's battle ship from a distance, whispering amongst themselves.
"Chen Qingyuan, what secrets lie within the Abyss of Heaven? What did you find there?" a young cultivator asked, his tone full of challenge.
"That's none of your concern," Chen Qingyuan replied coldly, glancing at the young man in black. He didn't recognize him, but given his boldness, he must be someone who had risen to prominence over the past century.
"Many powerful cultivators at the Transformation God and Unity realms died in the Forbidden Zone of the Abyss of Heaven. How did you, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, survive and make it out?" the young man in black pressed, his tone insistent.
"If this were a hundred years ago, I would've slapped you against the wall," Chen Qingyuan retorted sharply.
"Hmph! Now all you can do is boast about your past achievements," the young man sneered, having heard of Chen Qingyuan's glory days. He knew he couldn't compare to him, but now that Chen Qingyuan was a cripple, there was no reason to be afraid.
Chen Qingyuan merely smiled, not bothering to engage with such an insignificant person. Talking to him was a waste of time.
He remained seated at the bow of the ship, sipping tea and enjoying the surrounding scenery, completely ignoring the incessant chatter of the young man in black.
In fact, many were curious about how Chen Qingyuan had survived the Abyss of Heaven and hoped to learn some secret from him that might be useful to them in the future.
Thanks to the influence of the Xuanqing Sect, no one dared to take extreme action against him. However, the question still lingered in everyone's mind: Chen Qingyuan had claimed to fake his death to escape, but how had he managed to survive in the Forbidden Zone for over a century? If they could discover his method, they might be able to enter the Abyss themselves and seek their own fortunes.
Time passed quickly, and soon the day of the union between Dongyi Palace and Tianyu Sect arrived.
Today, a group of elders and disciples from Dongyi Palace arrived at the venue, preparing to enter. The bride, Bai Xixue, had yet to appear and would only make her appearance on the official day of the union.
The leader of the group was Bai Xixue's master, Yao Susu.
Yao Susu wore a simple light-colored robe with a snow-white silk belt around her waist. Her long hair was neatly pinned up with a jade hairpin, and her hands were gently resting on her abdomen. Her posture was dignified and graceful, with an air of nobility that made her seem almost otherworldly.
"Hmm?" Yao Susu suddenly heard some murmurs from the crowd and turned toward the source of the noise. Her gaze fell on Chen Qingyuan, standing over a hundred meters away, and she paused in her tracks.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Yao Susu decided to approach and see what was going on, followed by over a hundred of her disciples.
"Why is Elder Chen here?"
In front of all the prominent figures, Yao Susu was polite to Chen Qingyuan and cupped her hands in greeting.
"Congratulations," Chen Qingyuan remained seated, lifting his head to glance at her. His voice was calm and detached.
The disciples of Dongyi Palace were appalled by Chen Qingyuan's apparent lack of manners and were about to reprimand him, but Yao Susu stopped them with a gesture.
"There's no need to dwell on these formalities," she said calmly. What truly concerned her was why Chen Qingyuan had appeared here. Was he planning to disrupt the union between the two sects? She cautiously asked, "Is it really just to offer congratulations?"
"Of course," Chen Qingyuan replied lightly. "I even brought a gift for the occasion."
His mind flashed to the white umbrella hidden within the jade bangle. Though it might cause some discomfort, it wouldn't do any real harm to either sect. Besides, it wasn't his original intention—it had been forced upon him.
Compared to the actions of Dongyi Palace, Chen Qingyuan almost felt like a living Buddha. He had given many treasures to Dongyi Palace in the past, but now that the marriage contract had been voided, they hadn't returned anything. That day, they had even tried to settle everything with a mid-grade spiritual vein, practically humiliating him. To Chen Qingyuan, this was nothing short of insult.
"What kind of gift?" Yao Susu's heart sank, an inexplicable sense of unease beginning to grow within her.
"Since it's a gift, I can't just tell you," Chen Qingyuan replied with a faint smile. If this were in the past, he might have shown Yao Susu some respect, but now, he no longer cared.
"Chen Qingyuan, if you dare to interfere with the union of our two sects, don't blame Dongyi Palace for forgetting our past ties," Yao Susu said, her voice colder now, losing her patience.
"Oh?" Chen Qingyuan wasn't intimidated. He chuckled lightly. "Did Xuanqing Sect and Dongyi Palace have any past ties?"
"You are truly pathetic." Yao Susu sneered, interpreting Chen Qingyuan's words as nothing more than a desperate attempt to hold onto a scrap of dignity. She slowly shook her head, her gaze filled with contempt. "You should know, cultivators live for thousands of years, but mortals only have a century at most. Now that you're a cripple, even if Xuanqing Sect extends your life, how long can you last?"
"So?" Chen Qingyuan's face remained emotionless, his tone flat as water.
"Leaving now would be better for both you and Xuanqing Sect," Yao Susu continued, trying to force him to leave. If Chen Qingyuan left Tianyu Sect, the union would proceed smoothly.
As long as he stayed, he was like a ticking time bomb, bound to say something that could cause immeasurable damage.
"My departure is not something you get to decide," Chen Qingyuan smiled.
"This is the union between Dongyi Palace and Tianyu Sect, and of course, we have some say in this matter," Yao Susu said, her anxiety growing. She decided to be more direct and issued an order to have him leave.
"I'm only asking Elder Chen to leave. I mean no disrespect to Xuanqing Sect."
As a core elder of Dongyi Palace, Yao Susu knew how dangerous it was to speak carelessly, so she quickly clarified.
Thousands of eyes were on them, and saying the wrong thing could have serious consequences.
"How dare you!"
Before Chen Qingyuan could respond, an angry voice suddenly came from within the inner cabin of the battle ship.