Lore City of the Gesun Kingdom became as peaceful as it had been before. However, the current Lore City was no longer the same as before. It had become a sacred city on the continent and this sacredness had even spread among the Sea race and magical beasts.
This was because the experts of the three races would never forget the great increase in strength they had experienced there. Not only had the name of the city been permanently engraved in the hearts of the people who had successfully broken through, but even the experts who had not fulfilled the requirements held some respect for the city.
This was because several thousand Saint Kings and several tens of thousands of Saint Rulers had been born outside the ordinary city in just a few short days.
As Lore City became renowned among the three races, the position of city lord became a representation of status as well. Although the city lord of Lore City was not an impressive expert, the position’s status increased with the city’s fame and became extremely special.
However, the position as city lord had been taken up by a member of the Changyang clan long ago and the king had given the city to the Changyang clan quite some time ago as well.
Although Lore City became as peaceful as it had been before the gathering, everyone felt that the population of the city had clearly increased. Countless unfamiliar people poured into the city daily, forming groups of threes or fives. They were quite powerful and spent extravagantly, clearly originating from large clans or organizations.
However, without any exceptions, all these people of great statuses would immediately become obedient when they entered the city. They would temporarily stay there as if they were on a pilgrimage, gazing in the direction of the Changyang clan from far away. Their eyes would be filled with respect and admiration.
There were even many Sea race, magical beast, and Hundred Races Saint Rulers and Saint Kings who settled there permanently. They all dismissed the violent temperaments they usually showed and become obedient law-abiding citizens of the city.
Although the four races now gathered in Lore City and the city became a great mixture of powerful and weak organizations, with some that had enmity with others, there was no conflict at all to everyone’s surprise. No one dared to make trouble in the city, let alone start fighting.
After gaining the agreement from his three aunts, Jian Chen used valuable heavenly resources to purify their bodies and alter their talent in the Changyang clan. They all embarked on a journey of cultivation, just so they could live longer.
Bi Yuntian chose to continue her path as a Radiant Saint Master. The cultivation methods she practiced were valuable ones personally gifted to her by the president of the Radiant Saint Master Union. Coupled with the personal guidance from the president and grand elder whenever they visit the city, Bi Yuntian’s cultivation increased extremely quickly.
Jian Chen’s uncle, Bi Dao, had consumed a fifth grade Violet Cloud Peach and reached Saint Emperor as well. However, since his strength mostly came from venerable Poisonsword, he continued to practice his supreme poison arts after becoming a Saint Emperor. He sparred with Nubis many times to perfect them.
The ancient Tianmu clan had gained two Saint Kings as well, making up for the death of their ancestor and their lack of a Saint King. However, Jun Mohao and Wang Yinhong had both consumed first grade peaches because of Tianmu Ling, unlike the other Saint Rulers who had only gained a piece. This allowed their strength to increase drastically. They could not be compared to ordinary Saint Kings.
As one of Jian Chen’s few friends, Jian Chen had gifted a fourth grade Violet Cloud Peach to Tianmu Ling, allowing her to reach the Ninth Heavenly Layer as a Saint Ruler.
In the City of God within the Holy Empire, just the city itself took up a space equivalent to half of the Gesun Kingdom. The masters of the city, the Zaar family, were not in a great position. Of the two Saint King ancestors they possessed, Zaar Veimos had died in the battle against the foreign world, while their strongest ancestor, Zaar Caiyun, had vanished completely. Without the protection of Saint Kings, the Zaar family’s influence immediately plummeted in the city and the Radiant Saint Master Union seemed to replace them.
If it were not for the fact that the Radiant Saint Master Union had unintentionally started to lead the city, the masters of the city probably would have been replaced long ago. Even though that was the case, the many organizations and clans there all accepted the Radiant Saint Master Union as the masters of the city.
At this moment, a violet streak of light suddenly appeared. It shot across the City of God with lightning-like speed and disappeared in the next moment.
Jian Chen stood on the Zi Ying Sword within the violet streak of light. He looked at the enormous, prosperous city below as a sliver of reminiscence filled his eyes. He could not help but think of everything that had happened when he had come to this city as a Radiant Saint Master.
Even though the City of God was vast, Jian Chen crossed it in just a few seconds. The city below him vanished soon after.
After traveling another ten thousand kilometers, Jian Chen finally arrived in an ancient mountain range. On one of the mountain peaks stood a simple, lonely wooden hut.
Jian Chen slowed down. After reaching a distance of a hundred meters from the hut, he dropped like fallen leaf. He drifted away from the sword and landed before the door of the wooden hut. The Zi Ying Sword flew over by itself and stuck tightly to his back.
Almost the same time Jian Chen landed, a creak rang out and the door to the wooden hut opened. The white-robed Hao Wy walked out. He was haggard, worry and sorrow filled his face.
He immediately became stunned when he saw Jian Chen. However, he responded quickly and immediately tried to bow to Jian Chen.
Jian Chen stepped forward to stop Hao Wu. He said,
There’s no need to be like this, senior Hao Wu. I’ve come without warning, so I hope I haven’t disturbed you.
Sovereign Jian Chen is welcome at my humble abode. It’s It’s an honor, and I can’t even express my joy, so how could it be described as a disturbance?
Hao Wu replied. Jian Chen’s arrival came as a surprise to him.
The two of them conversed a little before Jian Chen then asked in a straightforward manner,
Senior Hao Wu, I’ve come this time because I have something I want to ask you. How are you related to the Heavenly Enchantress?
Jian Chen had kept this question to himself for a very long time. He had already guessed the answer, but he needed to confirm it. After all, he had had a child with the Heavenly Enchantress.
Hao Wu became gloomy as soon as he mentioned the Heavenly Enchantress. He gently sighed and said,
The person referred to as the Heavenly Enchantress on the Tian Yuan Continent is actually my daughter. Her name is Shangguan Mu’er.
Jian Chen’s opinion of Hao Wu immediately underwent some slight changes. He had guessed this already, but he had still just been guessing in the end. There was still a chance that he could have been wrong. Learning the actual truth was completely different than just guessing.
Then what about Shangguan Mu’er’s mother?
Jian Chen continued with his questions.
Hao Wu’s face became filled with sorrow. He gently sighed,
When Mu’er turned ten, her mother passed away. Her death is directly connected to me. You can even say that I was the one who caused Mu’er’s mother to die. It’s all because I had far too many enemies back then, which caused this tragedy.
Senior Hao Wu, I sensed that your relationship with her doesn’t seem great. She seemed to hate you very much. Is it because of what happened in the past?
Jian Chen asked.
Sovereign Jian Chen, may I know why you’ve suddenly come to me with these questions?
Hao Wu asked with a strange expression.
Jian Chen hesitated for a while before responding,
Senior Jian Chen, to be honest, the Heavenly Enchantress and I were on good terms in the past. If I could help the two of you reconcile, it would obviously be for the best.
Hao Wu’s face lit up when he heard Jian Chen’s reason. He said,
If that’s the case, I’ll tell you what happened before. Sovereign Jian Chen, I really do hope that you can help me out. I don’t want Mu’er to hate me anymore.
I will definitely do everything I can,
Jian Chen replied in a serious voice.
Hao Wu eagerly nodded. After another period of silence, he said with some sorrow,
The death of Mu’er’s mother is only one of the reasons why she hates me. The other is because I still can’t forget about Caiyun. I met Caiyun even before her mother. Back then, if it were not for the objections of Caiyun’s seniors, we would have married and I wouldn’t have met Mu’er’s mother. It’s just a pity that I was just a mercenary back then, without any background, while Caiyun was the treasured daughter of the Zaar family. The tremendous difference in our statuses became the obstacle that prevented me from being with Caiyun.
After that, I met Mu’er’s mother. At that time, I was just a mercenary. I accepted a mission to escort the daughter of a large clan to a place several tens of thousand kilometers away. She was Mu’er’s mother, Shangguan Xueyan.
Shangguan Xueyan’s clan, the Shangguan clan, had some enemies. As I escorted her, the party was attacked time and time again by those enemies. Along the way, all the guards died, leaving only me and Shangguan Xueyan. We fled together. Because of an accident, Shangguan Xueyan became pregnant with Mu’er…
It was a complete accident. Back then, Shangguan Xueyan and I entered a zone of danger. We were both heavily poisoned and intoxicated, which lead to the mistake. Afterward, I married Shangguan Xueyan with no other choice; we became partners. However, I always longed for Caiyun, and Xueyan had learned about my story with her as well. Although I spent those years living with Xueyan, my mind was not present at all. Xueyan was never happy during the years we spent together and her unhappiness was passed onto Mu’er in her youth. Not only had I failed to be a good husband back then, but I had failed to be a good father as well. I basically did not show any concern for the two of them at all.
One day, my enemies suddenly came looking for me. I just happened to be out, and when I returned, the Shangguan clan had been wiped out because of me. Xueyan had collapsed in her own pool of blood. Mu’er only managed to avoid the disaster by hiding in a secret room. I was only a Heaven Saint Master back then, so I did not have the right to invite a Class 7 Radiant Saint Master to save Xueyan with origin energy, so she left me forever. My daughter always hated me because of that incident and has never accepted me as her father.
