Chapter 533: The Origins of Dongfang Canglang

Qian Duan City.

Lin Chen stayed at the inn for three days, during which he heard the rumors circulating in the city.

There was no need to actively inquire; as long as he dined at the inn, the martial artists eating there would voluntarily speak up.

Throughout Qian Duan City, only two matters were being discussed, and both concerned him.

In the Qianji Domain’s Alchemy Competition, the obscure Xiao Yan won first place.

The Young Master of the Medicine King Valley was killed; numerous Primordial experts from the valley were dispatched to hunt the murderer of Young Master Jiang Yaoyan, with a hefty reward offered for any useful information.

“That Young Master of the Medicine King Valley was a Primordial Third Stage martial artist, said to be guarded by two Primordial Fourth Stage experts—how could he be killed so easily? What kind of background does this murderer have?”

“Who knows? In my opinion, it’s most likely the work of the Medicine King Valley’s enemies.”

“Shh, watch your tongue!”

In the second-floor private room, Lin Chen listened to the murmurs below, his eyes filled with doubt; even though he had heard these rumors the day before, he still couldn’t resolve his confusion.

Jiang Yaoyan had two Primordial Fourth Stage experts guarding him—I killed only one, and the other escaped. Logically, the Medicine King Valley should already know who the killer is—why are they still offering a reward?

To deliberately mislead me?

Impossible. I knew there was a survivor—this would be pointless.

All day, Lin Chen pondered the reason behind it, yet could not figure it out.

The only plausible explanation was that the escaped Primordial Fourth Stage expert never returned to report the news—he was killed on the run, just as the martial artists below speculated: the Medicine King Valley’s enemies had struck.

But that’s too much of a coincidence?

Moreover, the Medicine King Valley specializes in alchemy; few factions would willingly anger a group of top-tier alchemists, since no one could guarantee they wouldn’t need their help with alchemy in the future.

As for super sects like the Qianji Sect, the Medicine King Valley would never provoke them.

As Lin Chen pondered, the door to his private room suddenly opened—but Lin Chen showed no surprise; his spiritual sense had already sensed the intruder.

“Are you puzzled as to why the Medicine King Valley doesn’t know you killed Jiang Yaoyan?”

Yin Yue stepped into the room, her face showing a mischievous expression for the first time. Hearing her words and seeing her expression, Lin Chen’s face lit up with realization: “You?”

“I don’t have that kind of ability. An elder took care of the aftermath for you—but even that elder didn’t expect you could instantly kill a Primordial Fourth Stage expert. He was utterly stunned.”

Yin Yue spoke softly; the elder wasn’t the only one stunned—when she heard this from Yang Bo, she too was shocked for a long while.

She understood Lin Chen’s strength well: Primordial Third Stage was his peak, and while he could fight a Primordial Fourth Stage, being able to fight and being able to instantly kill one were two entirely different things.

The former meant barely holding on; the latter meant total domination.

The only explanation was that Lin Chen had gained a great fortune within the Tongtian Tower; as for the opportunity to observe the Nine Revolutions Mixture Scripture and the Taiyi Qingling Record from winning first place in the alchemy contest, she hadn’t considered that possibility.

Both of these scriptures were alchemy techniques; though they were also cultivation methods, Lin Chen’s Canglan Scripture was no worse than either.

“It was just luck—the opponent was too careless, caught off guard by me.”

Lin Chen explained briefly, then asked curiously: “Who is this elder?”

“He’s not from my clan. He once owed my grandfather a favor. I sought him out to escort me to Qian Duan City—but you gave him quite the shock.”

Yin Yue did not reveal the identity of this elder to Lin Chen.

Yang Bo was the mayor of Qian Duan City, tied to the entire city and the Yang family, and he wished to avoid getting involved in any disputes—especially ones involving Dongfang Canglang. He helped her only to repay her grandfather’s debt.

Even Yang Bo had not asked about Xiao Yan’s identity. Yin Yue understood clearly: this was Yang Bo’s way of signaling that after repaying the favor, the Yang family would stay out of it.

“I see…”

Lin Chen’s eyes flickered with thoughtful expression. He had some guesses about the identity of Yin Yue’s elder, but since she didn’t speak, there was no need for him to point it out—some things were better left unspoken.

“I have another question about this alchemy competition.”

“What question?”

“When I decided to join the alchemy competition, you didn’t seem to want me to compete for first place. Was there some hidden reason?”

Lin Chen stared intently at Yin Yue. Hearing his question, she didn’t answer immediately, but asked in return: “Did you meet him?”

“No.”

Lin Chen shook his head and briefly recounted how he had refused the woman’s offer.

Yin Yue’s attitude toward his participation in the competition had clearly changed after he decided to compete for first place. At the time, he hadn’t understood why—he assumed she simply didn’t want him to draw too much attention and risk exposing his identity.

But now, with the appearance of that arrogant woman and Jiang Yaoyan daring to target him, all the things he hadn’t understood suddenly became clear.

Yin Yue must have known who that young master was.

Yin Yue’s expression turned complex: “I wasn’t supposed to tell you—but you’ve likely offended him.”

With his status, Lin Chen wouldn’t know of him unless he reached a certain realm—even as a prodigy of the Canglan Sect, Lin Chen wouldn’t be privy to such knowledge. She herself knew only because she was the princess of the Yin Po Clan.

She had merely suspected before, but after hearing Lin Chen’s account, she knew her suspicion was correct.

In the entire Yan Emperor’s Realm, only that person’s maid would dare treat a genius alchemist with such arrogance.

“Is this person of extremely noble birth?”

“Thirty years old, Primordial Fifth Stage.”

Thirty years old and Primordial Fifth Stage?

Lin Chen’s pupils contracted. Even now, with his strength capable of fighting a Primordial Fourth Stage, he couldn’t guarantee he’d reach Primordial Fifth Stage by thirty.

“Primordial Fifth Stage peak.”

Yin Yue added. Lin Chen smiled bitterly: “The Yan Emperor’s Realm truly hides dragons and tigers.”

Thirty years old and Primordial Fifth Stage peak…

“Someone who reaches Primordial Fifth Stage by thirty must have an astonishing background.”

“I can only tell you this: his father’s background is astonishing. If it’s this young master targeting you, the Canglan Sect might still manage to handle it—but if it’s his father, even if your entire Canglan Sect mobilized its full strength, it couldn’t protect you.”

Hearing Yin Yue’s words and seeing her serious expression, Lin Chen’s demeanor turned solemn.

Even the Canglan Sect couldn’t protect him?

Yin Yue didn’t mean the opponent merely intimidated the Canglan Sect—she meant that even if the Canglan Sect chose to defend him with all its power, it still wouldn’t be a match for the opponent.

Super sects were already the pinnacle of power in the Yan Emperor’s Realm. The Canglan Sect had existed for hundreds of thousands of years—could anyone truly threaten to destroy it?

Even the Central Plains Imperial Family probably couldn’t do it so easily.

It wasn’t that Lin Chen doubted the Central Plains Imperial Family’s strength—he knew that if they moved against a super sect, they’d face opposition from other super sects.