Chapter 334: Lu Chen
The central balcony was bathed in brilliant golden light as the Imperial Envoy presented Yilan with her champion rewards, a storage ring brimming with high-grade spirit stones, rare Tier-4 herbal seeds, and the coveted Imperial Alchemy Seal, granting the Tang Clan unprecedented trade privileges and the empire’s backing across the jurisdiction of the Thousand Waves City.
Yilan accepted the honors with pristine grace, her calm demeanor drawing even further praise from the surrounding elders and dignitaries.
Once the formal ceremonies concluded and the deluge of congratulatory praises from City Lord Wu Shan, the He Clan patriarch, and various noble houses finally subsided, Shen Yu turned toward his circle.
"Head back to the estate for now," Shen Yu instructed smoothly, his tone leaving no room for debate.
Looking at Meng Yan, he added, "You as well, Matriarch Meng. Return to the estate with them. There are a few matters I wish to discuss with you later."
Lixue, her sharp eyes lingering on him, offered a knowing smirk.
"Are you off to hunt down that new Refining Champion, Lu Chen?"
Shen Yu simply smiled, a subtle, dark glint flashing in his golden eyes.
Without needing further words, the women took their leave under the protection of the estate guards.
Yilan, flush with victory, shared a brief, meaningful look with Shen Yu before departing alongside Lixue, Meng Yan, Xu Yi, and Li Qiu.
Once the women were safely en route, Shen Yu adjusted his robes and walked calmly toward the neighboring forging arena.
Down on the main floor of the weapon refining stadium, the scene was utter chaos.
Lu Chen, having just received his official Imperial Champion plaque and rewards, was swarmed by a desperate mob of elders, guild masters, and noble representatives.
They shouted lavish offers over one another, promising elder positions, mountain-sized piles of spirit stones, and high-status concubines just to bind his forging talents to their banners.
Despite the suffocating pressure, Lu Chen’s expression remained unyielding, his sharp, dark eyes cool and detached.
With practiced indifference, he rejected every immediate contract, casually agreeing only to grant brief, formal meetings at a later time.
However, the moment Shen Yu stepped into the arena, the atmosphere shifted.
As Shen Yu’s striking, white-haired figure cut effortlessly through the dense crowd, Lu Chen’s eyes suddenly locked onto him. A sharp, brilliant glow ignited deep within the forge master’s pupils.
Shen Yu approached with absolute composure, stopping a few paces before him.
"Congratulations on taking first place, Master Lu. If you have a moment, I would be honored to have a private meeting with you."
A genuine smile broke across Lu Chen’s face. He clasped his hands politely and chuckled.
"How could I possibly say no to the famous Golden Paragon of the Silver Moon?"
Shen Yu smiled, looking deeply into Lu Chen’s dark eyes, suspicious of how easily Lu Chen had agreed to a meeting.
"After you, Master Lu," Shen Yu offered smoothly, guiding him toward his personal luxury carriage waiting near the grand gates.
Together, they boarded the coach, leaving the frustrated, swarming crowd behind as the heavy wheels set off directly toward the headquarters of the Jade Spring Pavilion.
The carriage stopped smoothly along the stone-paved grand avenue, the muffled roar of Thousand Waves City fading into a dull hum behind the heavy, privacy-arrayed velvet curtains.
Inside the spacious, sandalwood-scented cabin, the atmosphere was deceptively tranquil.
The carriage rolled smoothly along the stone-paved grand avenue, the muffled roar of Thousand Waves City fading into a dull hum behind the heavy, privacy-arrayed velvet curtains.
Inside the spacious, sandalwood-scented cabin, the atmosphere was deceptively tranquil.
Shen Yu sat comfortably on the cushioned bench, pouring a cup of warm spirit tea with unhurried, graceful motions.
Across from him, Lu Chen sat with his arms crossed, his posture relaxed yet brimming with the quiet, dense vitality of a master blacksmith.
"I must admit, Master Lu," Shen Yu began smoothly, setting a delicate porcelain cup before the forge champion.
"You accepted my invitation with astonishing eagerness. Most rogue cultivators who achieve your level of acclaim are far more cautious when approached by influential figures."
Lu Chen looked at Shen Yu deeply.
The casual smirk on his face vanished, replaced by an expression of profound, solemn emotion.
Unexpectedly, he leaned forward, clasped his hands tightly, and bowed his head low.
"Young Master Shen... first of all, I must offer you my deepest gratitude."
Shen Yu raised a single eyebrow, his golden eyes flashing with quiet surprise. He was entirely certain he had never crossed paths with this man before. "Oh? Gratitude?"
"When the Peng Clan first flooded the market with their low-cost pills, I bought a large batch for my only son," Lu Chen explained, his voice thick with repressed pain.
"He is currently at the Qi Condensation realm. Though he possesses spiritual roots, his body has been naturally frail since birth, preventing him from advancing. I brought him to dozens of famous doctors and high-ranking alchemists across the territory, but none could diagnose his condition. They all claimed that if his cultivation progressed, his physical body would naturally strengthen."
Lu Chen gripped his knees, his knuckles turning white.
"In my desperation, I placed my hopes on those Peng Clan pills to force a breakthrough. But those wicked bastards sold poisoned trash! The moment my son consumed them, the hidden toxins shattered his foundation and brought his fragile body to the brink of death. His cultivation collapsed overnight."
He lifted his gaze, looking at Shen Yu with burning intensity
"Just as I was driven to utter despair, news reached me of the miraculous remedies released by your Tang Clan. I spent a fortune to secure a supply."
"The results were nothing short of a miracle," Lu Chen continued, his breath shaking.
"Your pills completely cleansed the Peng Clan’s residual poison and repaired his broken foundation! Not only that, his physical vitality reached a state better than it had ever been, allowing him to finally break through his bottleneck."
Lu Chen paused, a dark shadow falling over his eyes as his tone faltered.
"But... a few weeks later, his progress ground to a sudden halt once again. His body has begun to wither anew. The only thing keeping him alive right now is the continuous dosage of your Tang Clan’s high-grade spirit pills."
-x-
A/N:
Weekly PS: 27 / 80
Monthly GT: 20 / 30