Chapter 558 - 308: Sun Residual Fire
Soon, a few more Star Seeds walked over, and Shen Yi’an introduced them to him one by one. "This is Sheng Huaixu, the Star Seed from the True Martial Sect."
He was a slender young man who gave a slight smile.
"Luo Yao, the Star Seed from the Star Dome Sect," Shen Yi’an said, gesturing to the man beside him who faintly exuded a fierce aura.
Su Chen glanced at the two men before him and greeted them both. ’Divine Dawn Level Star Seeds...’
"Tier Six..." Luo Yao clicked his tongue in amazement. "I never thought I’d see the day I’d fight a Tier Six at the Peak Star Conference. I wonder how many guys will lose to you this time."
Judging by the strength Su Chen had displayed, he was destined to make it to the later stages of the Peak Star Conference. Some of the Star Seeds present were currently even weaker than Wei Zhenghong.
Hearing this, the Star Seeds who hadn’t come over looked displeased, their expressions turning sour.
’This guy...’ Su Chen shot him a glance, his own expression unchanging. "When the time comes, I hope you’ll all go easy on me."
"It seems like there’s no suspense left for who the next Star Chief will be, or even the one after that," Han Xingliu suddenly commented. His voice wasn’t quiet, and the discussions elsewhere died down for a moment.
No one doubted that Su Chen could advance to Tier Seven within ten years; it was a foregone conclusion.
Barring any accidents, the title of Star Chief in the next conference would belong to no one else.
If another conference passed, it seemed Su Chen could still participate. By then, could he possibly have advanced to Tier Eight?
Participating in the Peak Star Conference as a Tier Eight... there seemed to be no such record in all of history.
’Why are these guys all flattering me to death, practically handing me the title of Star Chief for the next two conferences?’ Su Chen felt something was off and his expression became more reserved.
A short distance away, a crowd had also gathered around Qin Tianlin. Because Qin Yun hadn’t faced further consequences, the Qin Family had become quite active recently.
However, because Su Chen’s performance had been even more terrifying, no one dared to offend him.
Qin Yun was talking in low tones with a few people, but she kept stealing glances in this direction. When she heard Han Xingliu’s words, she almost lost control of her expression.
"He’s Su Chen?"
A voice suddenly sounded in his ear. Qin Tianlin was already used to such abrupt interruptions and replied in his mind, "That’s right."
"He doesn’t seem that special. Get closer so I can get a better look."
Qin Tianlin’s brow furrowed slightly. He also wanted to join that circle, but he lacked the proper standing.
Although he was at the Divine Dawn Level, he wasn’t a Star Seed. Getting closer would only be asking for humiliation.
"Aren’t you curious about his secrets?" the voice in his ear sounded again.
Qin Tianlin’s heart stirred. "You can see them?"
"Let’s give it a try."
Hearing this, Qin Tianlin couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation. He shifted slightly in that direction, the movement small enough to look like he was just stretching.
Some of the people gathered around him moved as well, causing a slightly larger stir.
"How is it?" Qin Tianlin asked in his mind.
"Still too far."
Qin Tianlin’s face darkened. After a brief hesitation, he moved in that direction again. The people around him followed, and the two groups now appeared quite close.
He had already noticed people glancing over.
"How about now?"
After a moment of silence, the voice replied, "I can’t see through him. If you can make physical contact, I might be able to find some clues."
’Physical contact?’ Qin Tianlin cursed inwardly. Everyone knew he and Su Chen were enemies. If he made contact out of the blue, even an idiot would know something was up.
Although he was dissatisfied with Qin Yun’s indifference to Su Chen’s rise, his grandfather’s words did have a point. If any clues were discovered, he would truly have to pay with his life.
The voice in his ear was reassuring. "Don’t worry. None of these Morning Star Tiers here can detect my methods. Besides, I won’t cause him any harm. It’s just a probe."
"Are you sure?" Qin Tianlin hesitated. He didn’t fully trust this entity, but he was truly curious about Su Chen’s situation.
"If something happens to me, you won’t get away either," he warned inwardly. After a moment’s hesitation, he started walking toward Su Chen. A few people by his side wanted to follow, but when they saw where Qin Tianlin was headed, they stopped in their tracks.
Su Chen was idly chatting with Han Xingliu and the others when he noticed their gazes shift. He also sensed someone approaching from behind.
However, when he turned to look, he was somewhat surprised. It was actually Qin Tianlin?
"Star Seed Su..." Qin Tianlin called out, his expression normal. He also greeted Han Xingliu and the others.
Among the group, some recognized Han Xingliu and some didn’t, but no one was too familiar with the grudge between Su Chen and Qin Tianlin.
"May I have a word in private?" Qin Tianlin asked.
Su Chen’s eyes flickered. He could count the number of times he’d met Qin Tianlin on one hand, and as for actual conversations, they’d exchanged perhaps half a sentence.
After a moment of thought, he gave the others an apologetic smile and followed Qin Tianlin to the side.
"Star Seed Su, there seem to be some misunderstandings between us," Qin Tianlin said with a hint of resignation. "In our positions, we are more or less pushed around by others. Some things were not of my own volition."
’This...’ Su Chen was a little surprised but said nothing.
Qin Tianlin continued, "You are a Star Seed, and I am at the Divine Dawn Level. In the future, we will both be pillars of the Sect. We have a long road ahead of us defending it."
"I’ve wanted to visit you for a long time to clear things up, but too many parties are involved. A reckless visit might have started all sorts of rumors. I’m taking this opportunity to explain things, and I hope we can bury the hatchet."
As he spoke, he extended his hand, as if to shake on it and make peace.
’Bury the hatchet?’ Su Chen found it amusing. ’Can we really just bury it with a few words?’
’Besides, where’s the sincerity in an apology without a gift?’
’Trying to shake hands and make peace under these circumstances... is he trying to put me on the spot?’
Su Chen could already feel many subtle gazes fixed on them. Their feud was hardly a secret within the Bronze Sect. Seeing Qin Tianlin initiate a conversation and the two of them step aside to talk had already attracted a great deal of attention.
Qin Tianlin wasn’t trying to hide anything either. Everyone present was a High-tier Professional; if they deliberately tried to eavesdrop, they would naturally hear everything clearly.
The reactions varied. Some were quite surprised, some hoped the two would reconcile to avoid internal strife, and others watched with cold detachment, doubting Qin Tianlin’s sincerity.
The people from Qin Yun’s faction were the most stunned. They exchanged glances, filled with a mix of shock and anticipation. They had nearly made mortal enemies of two Star Seeds, Wei Zhenghong and Su Chen.
If they had managed to replace them, it would be one thing. The problem was, they hadn’t managed to replace a single one. A reckoning was likely in the future, so it was best to ease tensions now.
Qin Yun and Chu Lingyuan also cast subtle glances their way.
Su Chen feigned contemplation, a look of surprise on his face. "We are both disciples of the Sect. What grudge could there be between us?"
Qin Tianlin’s expression stiffened slightly. Many of the things they had done were shady, not things that could be brought out into the open. It was something to be understood, not spoken.
Su Chen’s response was incredibly ambiguous. It could be interpreted as him not caring about past events, or it could be interpreted as, ’Dream on if you think we can reconcile.’
"I have things to attend to over there." Su Chen couldn’t be bothered to say more and turned to leave. Qin Tianlin’s face was grim. He had no intention of reconciling; he just wanted to use this chance to probe Su Chen’s secrets.
But Su Chen gave him no opportunity at all.
"Get closer!" the voice in his ear suddenly snapped.
Qin Tianlin subconsciously took a step forward. "Wait..."
Qin Yun’s expression shifted slightly, and a runic light flashed in her eyes. Chu Lingyuan glanced over, a little surprised, having faintly detected an incredibly powerful and scorching aura that vanished in an instant.
Su Chen’s brow furrowed tightly. He felt a scalding heat surge up from the soles of his feet, and a bad premonition instantly washed over him.
But then, a panel popped up—
[Special Substance Captured—Sun Residual Fire: A residual flame containing a trace of the Sun’s Traits, carrying the Spirit Fragment of some life form.]
[The dormant Great Venerable Red Flame Thunder Resonator seems to be reacting to the Sun Residual Fire. You can choose to fuse it with him, allowing him to end his dormancy prematurely. This may also bring about certain unpredictable changes.]
Qin Tianlin’s face changed abruptly in shock. A suppressed, pained wail echoed in his ear, along with a voice filled with disbelief and a hint of terror, "How could this be?"