Chapter 41: Wind and Rain Approaching? I'll Pierce the Heavens First!

Having broken through to the mid-stage of Golden Core, Lin Xuan was not complacent; instead, he felt even more clear-headed. The waters of the Imperial Capital were too deep; relying solely on his current strength to cultivate in peace was nothing more than wishful thinking. Passive defense would only make those who coveted his assets increasingly unscrupulous.

"I must take the initiative and break this stalemate," Lin Xuan thought, his gaze profound. "At the very least, I must let them know that I, 'Mu Xuan,' am not a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered, but a hedgehog that can bite back."

Just at this moment, Qian Duoduo brought news that provided an excellent opportunity.

"Elder Mu, in three days, there will be a high-level cultivator exchange meeting at the 'Heaven-Reaching Tower' in the east of the city. The organizers have a mysterious background, rumored to be linked to the Imperial family. The standards are very high; they only invite cultivators at the late Golden Core stage and above, or... those with special talents or backgrounds," Qian Duoduo said, handing over a gold-stamped invitation. "The Ninth Elder specifically secured this for you. It is said that Ye Chen, the Third Imperial Prince, and direct descendants of several protector families will all be in attendance."

Heaven-Reaching Tower? A high-level exchange meeting?

Lin Xuan took the invitation; it felt warm and smooth, the material extraordinary. This was clearly no simple exchange meeting; it was more like a social arena for the top circles—a place to display strength, build connections, and... settle scores.

"Special talents?" Lin Xuan caught this keyword.

"That's right," Qian Duoduo lowered his voice. "For example, attainments in alchemy, artifact refining, or formations. I heard that the reason Ye Chen was able to get an invitation, besides his Ye family background and his own potential, is the rumor that he has quite a talent for alchemy. Of course, the main factors are still strength and background."

Lin Xuan was thoughtful. His "background" was as a core guest of the Four Seas Trading Firm, and his strength was the mid-stage Golden Core he had just broken through to (though his true combat power was far beyond that). As for "special talents"... with the system in hand, he was "capable" of a little bit of everything.

"This is an opportunity," the corners of Lin Xuan's mouth curled up. "It's the perfect time to meet the 'young talents' of the Imperial Capital."

Three days later, at dusk.

Located on the east side of the Imperial City, the Heaven-Reaching Tower was a nine-story pagoda-style building with flying eaves and arched brackets, its momentum magnificent. Tonight, it was brightly lit and flickering with spiritual light, yet heavily guarded; idlers could not even get close.

Lin Xuan was still in his plain green robe, holding the invitation as he walked calmly toward the main gate. The guards verified the invitation and, sensing the unfathomable and obscure mid-stage Golden Core aura within him (a result of the system's disguise), dared not be negligent and respectfully invited him inside.

Upon entering the Heaven-Reaching Tower, it was as if he had stepped into another world. The spiritual energy was so dense it was almost tangible, and the decorations were extremely luxurious yet elegant. There were already dozens of people in the main hall, gathered in small groups, chatting.

These people—the men either high-spirited or deep and restrained, the women either bright and moving or cold and ethereal—were, without exception, extremely powerful. Most were at the late Golden Core stage, and a few had even reached the peak of Golden Core! They naturally exuded the graceful bearing of those who had long held positions of power; they were clearly of extraordinary birth.

Lin Xuan's arrival did not attract much attention. A stranger at the mid-stage of Golden Core appeared somewhat "plain" in such a setting. Only a few people let their gazes linger on him, seemingly recognizing his identity as "Mu Xuan," but they only nodded slightly and did not come forward to talk.

Lin Xuan was happy to be left alone. He walked to a corner by himself, took a cup of spiritual wine, and sipped it leisurely while secretly activating his Eye of Truth to observe the crowd.

He spotted Ye Chen at a glance. Ye Chen was standing with several young cultivators of extraordinary temperament, chatting and laughing, vaguely serving as the center of the group. His aura was condensed, with lightning light contained within; he was a bit stronger than he had been in the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range, clearly having gained something from his seclusion after the auction.

On the other side, a young man wearing a bright yellow python robe and a jade crown was surrounded by several people; it was the Third Imperial Prince. He looked arrogant, his gaze sweeping across the room with a natural sense of superiority.

Lin Xuan also saw several auras he had sensed in the VIP boxes at the auction, coming from the protector families and hidden sects.

"A real gathering of heroes," Lin Xuan thought to himself.

Just then, a slightly mocking voice sounded beside him:

"Yo, who do I see? Isn't this Fellow Daoist Mu Xuan, who 'spent a million' at the auction? Why are you hiding here drinking alone? Could it be that you're feeling the pinch for your spirit stones?"

Lin Xuan turned his head to see a young man in fine clothes with a somewhat pale complexion, holding a female companion and looking at him with a half-smile. This person's cultivation was at the mid-stage of Golden Core, his aura floating—he was clearly a playboy who had piled up his cultivation with elixirs. Lin Xuan recognized him; he was a direct descendant of the Wang family, one of the four great protector families, named Wang Teng, who was said to be quite close to the Zhao family.

It seemed the Zhao family or the Ye family had instructed him to come and stir up trouble to test his bottom line.

Wang Teng's voice was not loud, but everyone present had sharp ears and keen eyes, and many gazes were immediately drawn over, filled with amusement and scrutiny.

Lin Xuan didn't even lift his eyelids. He gently swirled his wine glass and said indifferently, "Spirit stones are merely external objects; spend them and you can earn them back. As for Young Master Wang, your complexion is poor and your forehead is dark. It would be best to stay away from women for a while and focus on recuperating, lest you damage your foundation."

His voice was calm, yet it clearly reached everyone in the vicinity.

"Pfft..." several female cultivators nearby couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Wang Teng's face instantly turned the color of a pig's liver. He hadn't expected Lin Xuan to not only ignore his provocation but to directly expose his shortcomings! He was indeed suffering from a floating foundation due to excessive indulgence; this was his sore spot!

"You... you're talking nonsense!" Wang Teng's fingers trembled with rage.

"Whether it's nonsense, Young Master Wang knows in his own heart," Lin Xuan took a sip of wine, his tone still flat. "Or, you could ask the Third Master Zhao beside you; he should be very clear about your physical condition."

Lin Xuan's gaze flicked to a corner not far away, where a middle-aged man with a sinister aura sat. He was a powerful figure in the Zhao family, a clan uncle of Zhao Lie. This man was at the late Golden Core stage and was currently watching this side with cold eyes.

Pointed out by Lin Xuan, Third Master Zhao's face darkened, but he found it difficult to act.

Wang Teng was even more stuck in a dilemma. Should he make a move? Not to mention whether he could win, making the first move in such a setting would cause the Wang family to lose face.

"Hmph! Sharp-tongued!" After holding it in for a long time, Wang Teng could only leave a harsh threat and slink away with his female companion.

This brief confrontation, while seemingly plain, made many people present look at Lin Xuan with new eyes. This composure, combined with the sharpness of hitting exactly where it hurt, was not something an ordinary rogue cultivator could possess.

Ye Chen also saw this scene from afar, his eyes narrowing slightly; his assessment of this "Mu Xuan" rose another level.

After this small interlude, no one else came to provoke him easily. Lin Xuan was happy to be free and continued his observations.

The main body of the exchange meeting was not about eating and drinking, and it soon entered the main topic. An old man (early Nascent Soul) who was hosting the meeting announced that the next segment would be "free sparring and exchange of Dao techniques," held at the "Technique Platform" on the top floor of the Heaven-Reaching Tower.

Everyone moved to the top floor. The Technique Platform was extremely spacious, with sturdy formations inscribed on the ground and powerful forbidden light curtains rising around it, sufficient to withstand battles at the peak Golden Core level.

Soon, someone could not hold back and jumped onto the platform to issue a challenge. Most were cultivators who were not well-known and wanted to use this opportunity to make a name for themselves, or those who had personal grudges and wanted to settle them here.

The battles were quite spectacular, with all kinds of divine abilities, spells, and magic treasures appearing one after another, drawing bursts of applause from the audience.

Lin Xuan watched with great interest; these were all good opportunities to understand the strength of the top young generation in the Imperial Capital.

After a few bouts, a burly young man with a domineering aura leaped onto the Technique Platform. His gaze swept across the room and finally settled on Ye Chen.

"Ye Chen! I have long heard that your lightning techniques are divine. I am Xiao Zhan of the Northern Pacification Marquis's Mansion, and I have come specifically to seek your guidance!"

The Northern Pacification Marquis's Mansion was also one of the four great protector families, known for their formidable combat strength. This Xiao Zhan was at the late Golden Core stage, his blood and Qi as vigorous as a dragon; he clearly followed the path of dual cultivation of body and magic.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow but did not refuse. With a flash, he appeared on the Technique Platform.

"Please."

The two did not waste words and instantly engaged in battle!

Xiao Zhan's punches were like dragons, his blood and Qi transforming into a primeval giant elephant that trampled the void! Ye Chen's sword drew heavenly lightning, the brilliant thunder light tearing through the darkness, supreme in its yang and rigidity!

Their battle was several times more intense than the previous ones; the Technique Platform roared continuously, and the forbidden light curtain shook violently. The crowd below watched, mesmerized and filled with wonder.

In the end, relying on his superior thunderous power and precise grasp of combat opportunities, Ye Chen broke through Xiao Zhan's defense with a single sword strike, leaving a scorched mark on his chest, though he did not deal a heavy blow.

"I concede." Ye Chen stood with his sword retracted, his breathing steady.

Although Xiao Zhan had lost, he was not dejected; instead, he cupped his hands and said, "Brother Ye's strength is astonishing; I admire you!" Having said this, he jumped off the stage cleanly.

Ye Chen had won two consecutive matches, his momentum unmatched for the moment. He stood on the stage, his gaze sweeping across the room again with a look of disdain. Finally, his gaze passed over the crowd and landed on Lin Xuan in the corner.

The entire room fell silent instantly.

Everyone knew the main event had arrived! Ye Chen was going to settle the score from the auction!

"Fellow Daoist Mu Xuan," Ye Chen's voice was calm but carried an unquestionable challenge, "At the auction that day, your financial resources were astonishing, and I felt inferior. I wonder if you would do me the honor of coming up to spar a little today, so that I may also learn from your divine abilities?"

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on Lin Xuan.

Qian Duoduo clenched his fists nervously on the side.

The Third Imperial Prince had a playful smile on his lips.

Third Master Zhao's eyes were cold.

Wang Teng wore a look of schadenfreude.

Facing Ye Chen's public challenge and the expectant or mocking gazes of the entire room, Lin Xuan slowly set down his wine glass, looked up, and revealed a smile that was impossible to fathom.

This was the opportunity he had been waiting for!

"Since Brother Ye Chen has so graciously invited me," Lin Xuan stood up and straightened his robes, his tone as relaxed as if he were just going for a stroll, "then I... shall not decline."

As his voice fell, he took a step, his figure appearing on the Technique Platform like a ghost, without a trace of smoke or fire, standing across from Ye Chen.

The atmosphere on the top floor of the Heaven-Reaching Tower instantly tightened to the extreme!

(End of Chapter 41)