Chapter 49: The Destined Son-in-Law (11)
Su Chen firmly and righteously declined the Great Yan Emperor's attempt to win him over with beauty. In his first and second lives, such temptations might have held some allure. But as experiences accumulated over lifetimes, these ordinary painted faces and powdered cheeks no longer stirred even the slightest interest in him. Beauties turned to withered bones in time. He preferred souls that were truly interesting.
After settling matters for the Xia family, Su Chen brought the Xia siblings back to the Profound Origin Sacred Land with him. He devoted himself entirely to cultivation.
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, five years went by.
Su Chen's cultivation broke through to the seventh layer of the Spirit Soul Realm, advancing at an astonishing pace. Yet he felt no pride in it. In the Profound Origin Sacred Land, any random disciple pulled from the crowd would be considered a genius in the outside world. Among them, some sequence disciples—those ranked at the very top—had become kings before even reaching the age of twenty.
"The once-in-a-decade Dao Inquiry Assembly is about to begin. It is one of the grandest events in the Eastern Wasteland. Countless prodigies from across the land will gather to participate. Disciple, you should join the senior brothers of the sacred land and take part in the trial. Broaden your horizons and witness a vaster sky."
Prison-Suppressing Sovereign summoned Su Chen. The Dao Inquiry Assembly. Core disciples from the sacred lands would attend in force.
Su Chen felt genuine anticipation stir within him. He had never yet crossed blades with the true pinnacle geniuses of the sacred land. Heroes from across the world. He wanted to meet them.
On the sacred land's warship stood rows of young men and women.
Su Chen curiously observed his surroundings. Every single one of them exuded at least the aura of the Spirit Soul Realm. Some of the prodigies gave off presences so deep that even Su Chen could not fully gauge them. They far surpassed the version of himself from his previous life. He could not help but sigh inwardly at the Prison-Suppressing Sovereign's true intention. So this was how vast the sky truly was.