This concession shocked everyone, including Long Chen. This was admitting defeat! Not only would they lose their woman, but they would also lose all their faces.
âGrandfather!â Huo Wufang was extremely unwilling.
âItâs just a woman. If you want to play, you have to be able to accept losing. Furthermore, with your status, what woman couldnât you get?â
Huo Changsheng turned to Long Chen. âThis time, my Huo family admits defeat. But this game still isnât over. The final winner is something weâll only know in the future. As for you, youâre just a chess piece. When you run out of use, hehe, I want to see just what youâll do.â
After saying that, Huo Changsheng didnât give Long Chen any chance to reply. He directly bowed to the Tower Ancestor and led his people away.
âŚ
BANG!
A delicate jade chessboard was viciously thrown to the ground, shattering into pieces. It was like the destruction of this chessboard could relieve some of Huo Wufangâs anger.
âGrandfather, why did you have me admit defeat?! Iâm confident in being able to kill Long San!â raged Huo Wufang.
âYouâre looking down on Long San too much. Heâs extremely strong. If you were to fight now, youâd only have a fifty percent chance of winning. For a woman, you would expose your strength? Itâs extremely unworthy. Right now, this game of chess has only been half-played.
âThe Fang family has managed to obtain a strong piece, and the situation seems favorable to them for now. But that doesnât mean that they have any chance of winning.
âFurthermore, your bones havenât completely adapted to you. You still need more time. When theyâre perfectly adapted, wonât you be able to exterminate Long San with a wave of your hand?
âThe most important thing for you is to focus on the finals. If you can take first place, hmph, then the Fang and Chai families will all die without a burial ground,â said Huo Changsheng.
Huo Wufang said, âBut that Long San is extremely strange. His alchemy arts are too profound to see through. If I killed him today, wouldnât first place be in my pocket?â
Huo Changsheng shook his head. âYouâre thinking too simply. Even assuming you could defeat him, the Tower Ancestor wouldnât have let you kill him.â
Huo Wufang said, âWhat cultivation base does the Tower Ancestor have for you to be this deferential to him?â
Huo Changsheng sighed, âOriginally, I thought that the person in charge of the Pill Emperor Competition would be the tower administrator. I never expected a Tower Ancestor to personally come. The reason I have to be deferential toward him is both because of his supreme authority as well as the fact that he is an Ancestor-level expert.â
âAncestor-level? What realm is that?â asked Huo Wufang.
âThe Ancestor level is just a nickname, referring to the leaders and ancestors of the top sects. Their actual realm is above Sea Expansion, and is called Foundation Forging. Foundation Forging experts are peak existences in the Eastern Wasteland. Such experts only exist within the supreme sects.
âBut such figures are so powerful that we rarely come into contact with them. Let alone Foundation Forging experts, Iâve rarely even seen any half-step Foundation Forging experts,â said Huo Changsheng.
âGrandfather, arenât you at the peak of Sea Expansion? According to reason, arenât you just one step away from Foundation Forging?â
âHehe, thatâs not entirely correct. The so-called Sea Expansion realm refers to expanding the qi sea. The goal is to push the qi sea to the greatest possible size.
âSomeone at Sea Expansion has more than a hundred times the spiritual yuan of someone at the peak of the Xiantian realm. The Xiantian realm is just a stepping stone. Only when you reach Sea Expansion will your qi sea grow to an immense size. It wonât just be able to store spiritual yuan, but youâll also be able to summon your qi sea manifestation when you fight.
âOnly by reaching Sea Expansion can you truly control heaven and earthâs energy, using magical arts to kill your opponents. It is a dividing line in the cultivation world.
âCelestials are said to be able to battle across realms. In Meridian Opening, they can dominate the Xiantian realm. But Celestials that reach the Xiantian realm will find it difficult to fight against Sea Expansion.
âThatâs because Sea Expansion experts can rely on their control of natural energy to resist the suppression of the Cry of the Heavenly Daos. So although there are some Xiantian Celestials capable of fighting Sea Expansion experts, that only refers to the early stage. Being able to fight against the mid stage is not very likely, let alone the late stage.
âWell, in truth, even knowing these things doesnât have any use to you. You should adjust your mental state and focus on alchemy. Reach your peak state for the finals!â
âYes, grandfather. I know. Iâll take first place, and at that time, when the Chai and Fang families are exterminated, Iâll personally handle Long San and that slut Hua Biluo. Iâll make them live a life worse than death.â Huo Wufang clenched his teeth.
âŚ
Long Chen couldnât help feeling like something was strange as he watched Huo Changsheng and the others leave. This was a bit off from his expectations. Was the Huo family really just going to accept this loss?
Although he didnât really understand it, at least Hua Biluoâs matter was settled. Long Chen cupped his fists toward the Tower Ancestor.
âTower Ancestor is truly righteous and impartial, all-seeing and insightful, incorruptible, brilliant, and intelligent. Long San thanks you for carrying out justice.â
Chai Liehuo and Fang Chang couldnât help but admire Long San. Just how had he cultivated his face? He didnât even feel embarrassed about saying such fawning words.
âHaha, are all the children these days so interesting? You can continue with what you were doing. This old man doesnât have the energy to accompany you. I am in charge of the finals, so try not to mess around too much. I wonât be able to keep up.â
After saying that, the Tower Ancestor directly left. The tower administrator hastily followed.
Fang Mingyuan and Chai Gaoyang hastily bowed. His final words were clearly a warning to them. While the competition was still going on, they should be more careful.
Although the Tower Ancestor seemed like a benevolent senior, this kind of personâs fury never revealed itself on the face. But if they did anger him, they would be doomed.
The Fang and Chai familiesâ people also left now. In the end, Long San was the greatest winner. He had managed to snatch Huo Wufangâs woman.
This news traveled throughout the large powers. It was absolutely shocking. Despite how powerful the Huo family was, their bride had been snatched away. It was said that the Huo family was indescribably furious because of this, and they went to the Hua family and cursed them. They threatened them, saying that if they didnât give the Huo family a satisfactory explanation, they should just wait for the consequences.
Obviously, the Huo family was releasing their rage on the Hua family. Due to Hua Biluo, the Huo family had lost all their face.
Long Chen ignored all of this. When he returned to the Fang family, he directly brought Hua Biluo to his new room.
âHaha, beauty Hua, we meet again,â he laughed. Long Chen had always owed Hua Biluo a debt.
Although Hua Biluo had originally chosen to stay neutral in the final battle of the Jiuli secret realm due to Huo Wufangâs threat, she had still firmly stood by Long Chenâs side when the Corrupt path had joined in.
Long Chen had been in a desperate situation back then. For her to have helped him at that time was not just because of their cooperation. It involved the trust between them.
âLong Chen, you really are a demon.â Hua Biluo didnât know whether to laugh or cry. It was like it was fated that wherever Long Chen went, pandemonium would follow. He always did things out of peopleâs expectations.
âHehe, why stay bored? Itâs much more fun for everyone to laugh and celebrate together.â Long Chen laughed and had Hua Biluo sit, handing her a cup of tea. âHere, taste some of this five flavor mythic pine tea. Hehe, this is something special to the Pill Tower, and outsiders canât even buy it.â
Hua Biluo smiled and received the tea. Lightly sipping it, a burst of fragrance enveloped her. Just a sip of this could completely refresh a personâs mind.
âIt seems you have it very good here. Are you planning on changing professions?â Hua Biluo smiled.
âWhy would I change professions? Alchemy is just a side hobby. It was the Huo family who attacked me first. All Iâm doing is striking back. Hehe, Iâm not doing too bad. In this first round, I managed to win such a beautiful wife,â teased Long Chen.
Hua Biluo reddened and rebuked, âIf you tease me like this, itâd be strange if Tang Wan-er didnât beat you into a pancake when she finds out.â
âHer? Tch, you underestimate her.â Long Chen shook his head.
âWhat? She wonât beat you?â asked Hua Biluo.
âI said you underestimated her. I was referring to how you said sheâd beat me into a pancake. You just donât understand her. When she beats up people, she never cares about the shape,â sighed Long Chen. A helpless expression appeared on his face. It had been a long time since he had bullied that fiery girl. Who knew how much she missed him right now?
Hua Biluo covered her mouth and laughed. âHahaha, you are really entertaining. No wonder all those peerless beauties are so devoted to you.â
Long Chen shamelessly said, âBut of course. Isnât that why I previously said that if you go with me, youâll wake up every morning from laughter?â
Hua Biluo blushed. She recalled her acting with him. Thinking of her intimate actions, she couldnât help being embarrassed.
Seeing that Hua Biluo wasnât used to this kind of teasing, Long Chen changed the subject. âWhat are your plans now?â
Hua Biluo sighed sadly. âWhat can I do? My family has already abandoned me. They clearly knew what kind of person Huo Wufang was, but to curry favor, they still gave me away.â
Her voice might be calm, but her eyes were filled with unwillingness and anger. Recalling those apathetic faces, she was filled with endless hate.
Long Chen asked some simple questions about her situation. She was truly in a pitiful state. She had no one to rely on.
He hesitated for a moment. In the end, he made his determination. âHua Biluo, if I could let you become a Celestial, what would you do?â