The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

Xiayun River was supposedly a neutral zone, yet its most powerful figure was mixed up with the Yun Gu Daoist, and with a fawning, sycophantic expression at that.

Chen Dong sneered inwardly. 'It seems the five major sects have the Wangyou Realm completely under their thumb.'

At the same time, he stated calmly, "Five Low-Grade Spirit Stones can produce one jar."

A bewitching smile appeared on Zhang Jun's face. "Selling this brew for thirty Spirit Stones isn't the least bit excessive. Add in the fact that we're the only ones who can make it... let's price it at thirty-five Spirit Stones."

Then, he exclaimed in admiration, "Ah, Gu Chuan, Chen Dong isn't just one massive mineral vein—he's several!"

He then commanded Chen Dong, "Teach the formula to Gu Chuan. You'll leave with me tomorrow. A treasure like you is too dangerous to be left in Xiayun River!"

Perhaps it was due to his Cultivation Technique, but Zhang Jun's gaze seemed to crackle with electricity. The way he'd said "treasure" made Chen Dong's skin crawl.

The next day, just as the twin suns rose, a treasure carriage pulled by four Thunderbolt Divine Steeds flew out of Xiayun River. Ten Golden Core Stage guards surrounded the carriage, while Chen Dong and Zhang Jun sat inside.

The interior of the treasure carriage was spacious. Zhang Jun sat in the center, meditating with his eyes closed. Chen Dong kept his distance, leaning against one side and flipping through a book titled *Gleanings in Alchemy*.

Time slipped by in a blur. The sky darkened, and Chen Dong finished the book in his hands.

The treasure carriage was still flying. Even with his immense patience, Chen Dong couldn't help but ask, "Where are we going?"

Chen Dong's voice sounded somewhat listless. He was sick of these days without freedom. He had been tormented in his past life, and now in the Wangyou Realm, he was constantly being coerced. The Wang Family, the "Eight Immortals," Gu Chuan, and now Zhang Jun... He swore to himself that he would fight back with all he had if he ever got the chance.

But he quickly dismissed the thought. He wasn't the same person who had just come down from the mountain. Now he had Li Wang, Murong Qing, and maybe even Tian Sisi... With people to care about, Chen Dong was always forced to act with complete caution.

"The Qixia Sect!" Zhang Jun said casually.

Chen Dong's eyebrow twitched, and he frowned. "What are we going to the Qixia Sect for?"

"The Dragon and Phoenix Valley is opening. We're representing the Yun Gu Sect to observe the ceremony."

Alarm bells went off in Chen Dong's mind. He quickly asked, "Will the other Daoists be there too?"

Zhang Jun replied, "Most of them will be."

'What if I run into Li Zhixuan, the Daoist of the Wangyou Sect? Judging by Zhang Jun's strength, Li Zhixuan can't be any weaker. If I get too close to him, the Yuqing Immortal Technique inside me will be exposed. Mu Qingzhu once said that Li Zhixuan cultivates the Daoist Scripture of Void Forgetfulness, which shares the same origin as the Yuqing Immortal Technique. If we get within a thousand zhang of each other, he's sure to discover me. Once I'm discovered, it's a dead end. I won't just be facing Li Zhixuan, but the entire Wangyou Sect.'

After thinking it over, Chen Dong said bluntly, "I don't want to go!"

Zhang Jun shook his head. "No. I'm not the only power faction within the Yun Gu Sect. I wouldn't feel safe leaving you in the sect, either. Besides, we're almost there!"

"Almost there? So soon?" 'It's only been a day to get from Xiayun River to the Qixia Sect? Back then, it took us two days just to fly from Xiayun River to Drunken Immortal City.'

"The Thunder God Steed is the fastest creature at the Golden Core Stage. Though this type of demonic beast has no combat strength, even I couldn't catch it without using a Secret Technique. Besides, Xiayun River is right on the border of the Qixia Sect's territory."

As soon as Zhang Jun finished speaking, the treasure carriage came to a stop.

The two of them disembarked. They had to wait for a Qixia Sect disciple to announce their arrival before they could ascend the mountain. Even someone with Zhang Jun's status as a Daoist had to follow the same procedure, though the announcement would be expedited. Trespassing on another sect's mountain was a major taboo, after all.

Chen Dong gazed at the magnificent and imposing mountain gate before him. It far surpassed the extravagant sets seen in movies. A row of glowing lamps illuminated a long stretch of the Immortal Dao, which wound its way slowly up the mountain.

With his life on the line, Chen Dong couldn't care less about being abrupt or raising suspicion. He asked Zhang Jun directly, "Have the other Daoists arrived yet?"

The question did indeed make Zhang Jun frown, but he answered anyway. "Probably not. They'll likely arrive for the ceremony tomorrow. I came early to gauge the Qixia Sect's attitude toward the Drunken Immortal Brew."

Chen Dong nodded. 'Barring any surprises, I have one night. I have to find a way to escape this place, and preferably ditch Zhang Jun while I'm at it.'

In the time it took to exchange just a few words, the messenger returned. He bowed to Zhang Jun and said, "If Daoist Zhang would please come this way..."

Chen Dong was carefully observing his surroundings, searching for an opportunity, when he suddenly heard Zhang Jun say, "See that chasm in the clouds over there? That's the passage to the Dragon and Phoenix Valley."

Chen Dong looked into the distance and saw, amidst the light clouds obscuring the moon, a massive black disk that looked just like a black hole.

The guide chuckled. "Daoist Zhang, you are truly knowledgeable. Our Qixia Sect's Dragon and Phoenix Valley opens on a ten-year cycle. It is the very origin place of our sect... Everyone who enters can gain one to three years' worth of enlightenment, and those with exceptional talent may comprehend the Dragon and Phoenix Treasure Manual... Our Qixia Sect's founding ancestor made his start there... Unfortunately, each person can only enter once in their lifetime, and they must be below the Golden Core Stage. It is a great regret of mine that I failed to comprehend the manual!"

Chen Dong didn't hear anything else. The only words that registered were "below the Golden Core Stage" and "only enter once in their lifetime." 'If I could escape into that valley, I could perfectly avoid this crisis.'