After the Great Dao died

Chapter 37 Beast Fighting

Chen Lingxi followed Liu Zhu through the moon gate of the west courtyard and onto the bluestone path leading to the east hall.

The morning breeze in July blew in from the garden, carrying the fragrance of the early-blooming lotus flowers in the pond, mixed with the damp smell of the grass on the bank after it was warmed by the sun.

He walked to the east hall gate, where Liu Zhu stopped and gestured for him to go in.

Chen Lingxi stepped over the threshold.

There are already people in the hall.

Lin Longyue sat in the main seat, wearing a moon-white cloud-patterned jacket and a silver-white gauze shirt over it. Her hair was adorned with only a white magnolia hairpin, making her look simple and almost plain.

Princess Yunhe sat to her right, dressed in a pale yellow jacket, still with that languid air, one hand supporting her chin, the other holding a piece of osmanthus cake, which she was slowly eating.

Two maids stood behind her, their heads bowed and eyes lowered, remaining silent.

"As expected, Princess Yunhe is here as well."

Chen Lingxi was not surprised; Princess Yunhe had probably spent much more time at the Marquis of Baosu's residence than at the Princess Yuanjiang Palace.

His gaze suddenly paused as it swept over Princess Yunhe.

After several months of cultivation, his five senses became much more acute than before.

At this moment, he clearly noticed that Princess Yunhe's breathing rhythm was different from that of ordinary people.

Her breathing was not a normal inhale and exhale, but a very subtle, almost imperceptible sucking.

With each breath, a faint wisp of spiritual energy circulated in her throat. This energy was colorless and formless, and he would not have been able to detect it at all unless he had reached the third level of Qi cultivation and greatly enhanced his perception.

What surprised Chen Lingxi the most was...

The spiritual energy wasn't drawn from the heavens and earth, but rather... from Lin Longyue herself.

He saw it clearly.

Lin Longyue sat there, her blood and qi flowing naturally around her, her Silver Bone Realm foundation as deep as an abyss.

Yet, within her circulating blood and qi, a faint trace of breath was drawn out by some force, silently dissipating and entering Princess Yunhe's breath.

Princess Yunhe held a mouthful of spiritual energy in her mouth, absorbed that trace of energy, and slowly swallowed it, a faint look of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

That expression flashed by in an instant; if Chen Lingxi hadn't been paying close attention, she would have almost missed it.

Chen Lingxi felt a slight chill in her heart, but her face remained calm. She walked to the center of the hall with her hands at her sides and bowed, saying, "Chen Lingxi greets the Princess and Miss."

Lin Longyue waved her hand, signaling him to get up.

"Chen Lingxi," she said, "The Crown Prince has returned to Yuanjiang and is hosting a banquet at the Beast Fighting Palace on Mangyang Mountain, inviting young men from all the families in Yuanjiang Prefecture."

She paused, then took a sip of tea.

"The daughter of the manor lord, Chu Linzi, is also present."

"I have provided you with cultivation resources several times, and allowed you to leave the manor each month to purchase medicinal herbs, and permit you to peruse the books in the library." Her gaze returned to Chen Lingxi, her tone calm, yet carrying an unyielding pressure: "Now is your time to prove yourself. Are you ready?"

"To perform meritorious service?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Lingxi was puzzled, but her face showed just the right amount of respect and gratitude.

"Miss, Chen Lingxi has been cultivating for several months and has not dared to slack off in the slightest." His voice was steady and unhurried: "Now he has entered the minor completion of the Copper Red Realm, and his Mountain Collapse Force has also achieved minor completion."

"If Miss commands, Chen Lingxi will do her utmost and will not disappoint Miss."

Copper red, minor completion.

This was a level of understanding he deliberately downplayed.

Using the Concealed Edge Technique to conceal his true nature, he had only entered the Silver Bone stage. His blood and qi were far from being transformed into Silver Marrow Blood and Qi; he still possessed Copper Fire Blood and Qi. The blood and qi fluctuations he revealed to the outside were indeed only at this level.

"Minor Completion of the Copper-Red Body." Lin Longyue raised an eyebrow slightly, a slight smile playing on her lips. "From an Iron Body to the Minor Completion of the Copper-Red Body in just a few months, that's truly remarkable."

She stood up, put her hands behind her back, and paced back and forth a couple of steps.

Princess Yunhe remained seated, one hand supporting her chin, her gaze sweeping over Chen Lingxi, the smile on her lips deepening.

That gaze made Chen Lingxi feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Because she seemed to have seen something interesting, or perhaps she was plotting something.

He lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze.

Lin Longyue paced back and forth in the hall for a couple of steps, then suddenly stopped and let out a cold snort.

"In terms of background, Chu Linzi is far inferior to me." Her voice carried an uncontrollable chill: "But she thinks that by attaching herself to the Crown Prince, she can surpass me."

She turned around, looked at Chen Lingxi, and her eyes flashed with cold light.

"I must win against her in front of the Crown Prince."

Princess Yunhe put down the osmanthus cake in her hand, took the handkerchief handed to her by the maid, wiped her fingers, and slowly began to speak.

"This servant in your household does indeed have some talent, but he started cultivating too late." She glanced at Chen Lingxi with a meaningful look in her eyes: "I just wonder if he will be able to achieve anything when he arrives at the Beast Fighting Palace and faces the ferocious beasts under Chu Linzi's command."

Princess Yunhe stood up and nodded slightly to Lin Longyue.

"I'll go first, see you at Mangyang Mountain."

Having said that, she walked gracefully out of the east hall with two maids.

Lin Longyue watched her figure disappear behind the moon gate, her expression turning slightly indifferent.

"Liu Que," she called out.

Liu Que, the steward of the west courtyard, stepped in from outside the door and stood at his sides to receive orders.

"Prepare the carriages and horses." Lin Longyue put down her teacup, her tone calm: "We'll depart after a cup of tea."

Liu Que bowed in agreement and withdrew.

Lin Longyue straightened her clothes and her gaze fell on Chen Lingxi.

"You should also go and prepare yourself, change into a clean set of clothes, so as not to disgrace the Marquis's mansion."

Chen Lingxi bowed and said, "Yes."

-

Outside the side gate of the Marquis's mansion, carriages and horses were already prepared.

Two carriages with blue curtains were pulled by tall, large horses with glossy coats and hooves wrapped in cloth, which made only a dull thud when they stepped on the bluestone slabs.

Lin Longyue got into the first car, and the curtain was drawn down, covering her completely.

Chen Lingxi and two other young martial artists got into the second car.

He had seen both of them before; they were disciples of the West Academy Martial Arts Hall, one named Zheng Qingya and the other Zhou Xian.

When Zheng Qingya was chosen by Jiang Yuan, he thought it was a sure thing, but unexpectedly Chen Lingxi appeared out of nowhere. Jiang Yuan said in public that Chen Lingxi's aptitude was superior to his.

Several months have passed since then, and although Zheng Qingya did not show it on his face, he probably had not forgotten it in his heart.

He sat opposite Chen Lingxi, his gaze fixed on him, his lips slightly pursed, and he remained silent.

Zhou Xian was quite composed. After getting into the car, he nodded to him and then leaned against the car wall to rest with his eyes closed.

The carriage moved slowly, its wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs with a rumbling sound.

Chen Lingxi closed her eyes and silently breathed in and out as the car swayed.

As the carriage left the city, the road gradually became uneven and the ride became bumpy.

He opened his eyes, lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and looked outside.

On both sides of the official road were vast fields of farmland, where the rice stalks had already sprouted ears, turning green with a hint of yellow, and drooping heavily.

In the distance, the mountains rise and fall, appearing and disappearing in the thin mist of a summer morning.

The carriage traveled westward for about half an hour before turning onto a side road.

The road gradually rises higher, and the surface changes from dirt road to gravel road, making a rustling sound when the wheels roll over it.

Mangyang Mountain.

The mountain is not high, but it is extremely steep. From a distance, it looks like a giant sheep lying down, hence the name Mangyang (meaning "grass sheep").

The mountaintop is flat and wide, where a temporary palace was built, exclusively for the crown prince to visit during his stays.

There was a road at the foot of the mountain, and a checkpoint was set up at the intersection. Dozens of armored soldiers stood with halberds in hand, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

The carriage stopped, and a soldier stepped forward to inspect it.

Liu Que jumped down from the carriage shaft, handed over a token, and whispered a few words.

The soldier nodded and waved for them to pass.

The carriage continued upwards.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the mountain path suddenly opened up, revealing a flat hillside.

Chen Lingxi lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.

There was a person sitting on the hillside.

The man sat cross-legged on a protruding rock, facing east, meditating with his eyes closed.

He was dressed in golden armor, his beard and hair were all white, but his face was as rosy as a baby's, without a single wrinkle.

The body's Qi and blood circulate continuously, yet it is all in a state of confusion, and its depth cannot be discerned.

Silver bones? Golden body?

neither.

Chen Lingxi's gaze fell on that person, and she felt that his blood and qi did not burst outward or recede inward, but circulated slowly in his body with a strange rhythm.

It is like a great river, calm on the surface, but with immense power surging beneath.

A thought suddenly popped into his mind—this person's cultivation level might even exceed the Golden Body Realm.

"Is it the legendary Jade Qi Realm?"

The carriage drove past the man, but the old man never opened his eyes, as if he were completely unaware.

Chen Lingxi lowered the carriage curtain and withdrew her gaze.

After another short while, the carriage finally came to a stop.

Chen Lingxi lifted the curtain and went out.

Before me stood a magnificent palace, with vermilion walls, golden tiles, and upturned eaves, gleaming in the afternoon sunlight.

The palace gates were wide open, and two rows of armored soldiers stood on either side, all clad in silver armor and helmets, holding long spears, and remained motionless.

Liu Que led them through a side gate, through several courtyards, and to a spacious square.

At the end of the square stood a tall palace with its doors open, through which figures could be vaguely seen.

Chen Lingxi followed Lin Longyue into the hall.

The hall was extremely spacious, with a high dome that was resplendent in gold and green.

The ground was paved with solid lapis lazuli bricks, so shiny they could reflect a person's image.

Huge brocade curtains, embroidered with dragon and cloud patterns, hung on the four walls, gleaming dimly in the candlelight.

Many people were already seated in the hall.

There were more than ten seats on each side, with men and women sitting on them, all dressed in fine clothes and exuding an extraordinary air.

Princess Yunhe sat on the first chair on the right, still looking languid, holding a cup of tea in her hands, sipping it slowly. When she saw Lin Longyue enter, she nodded slightly as a greeting.

Lin Longyue sat down on the third chair on the left, with Liu Que standing behind her.

Chen Lingxi, Zheng Qingya, and Zhou Xian were led by a palace attendant to the side of the hall, where more than thirty people were already standing. They were all young people, dressed in different clothes, and their expressions ranged from tense to indifferent.

Chen Lingxi stepped into the crowd and discreetly surveyed her surroundings.

A woman was sitting on the second chair from the left.

She was about twenty years old, extremely tall, with shoulders and back as straight as a spear.

He wore a black close-fitting outfit with a scarlet cloak over it, and a long sword hung at his waist. The scabbard was dark and undecorated.

It was none other than the daughter of the manor lord, Chu Linzi.

She turned her head and looked at Chen Lingxi with a hint of surprise.

"Another step forward?"

"I wasn't wrong about it."

Behind her stood three young men, all dressed in short, tight-fitting clothes, with bulging muscles and powerful auras.

The three stood straight as spears, their eyes fixed straight ahead, their aura emanating from them, clearly indicating that they were all at the Bronze Crimson Realm.

Chu Linzi was speaking in a low voice to the young man sitting in the first seat on the left.

The man was about twenty-two or twenty-three years old. He was exceptionally handsome, with a face like jade, lips like painted rouge, and a pair of slightly upturned peach blossom eyes that exuded charm with every glance.

He wore a moon-white brocade robe, a white jade belt around his waist, and a jade crown on his head. His overall demeanor was far superior to that of most people present.

Chen Lingxi's gaze fell on that person, and her heart stirred slightly.

He heard someone addressing him—"Brother Zhu Ri".

The Chen family was once an official family, and Chen Lingxi also had academic achievements in his early years.

He had naturally heard of this person's name.

Yang Zhuri, son of General Chi Ri.

Yang Zhuri was not only the only son of General Chi Ri, but also a well-known scholar in the capital.

This man was skilled in flower arranging, horsemanship and archery, and proficient in poetry, lyrics and songs. He was the dream man of countless young women.

Yang Zhuri seemed to sense Chen Lingxi's gaze, and turned his head slightly to look at him.

That glance was extremely indifferent, as if he were looking at an insignificant decoration, before he withdrew his gaze and continued talking to Chu Linzi.

Below Princess Yunhe sat seven or eight other people, men and women, all from noble families, dressed in fine clothes and exuding an extraordinary air.

Their gazes frequently fell on the thirty-odd people on the side of the hall, their eyes filled with undisguised scrutiny and disdain.

Chen Lingxi raised an eyebrow, suddenly realizing what was happening.

Animal fighting.

Lin Longyue was referring to the "Beast Fighting Palace".

He stood to the side of the hall, lined up with the thirty-odd people, like goods waiting to be sold, for the nobles on the throne to inspect.

The way they looked at them was like how they looked at cockfighting, dogfighting, or cricket fighting—they were looking at their teeth, muscles, and spirit, calculating how many rounds they could last in the arena and how much face they could bring to their owners.

How humiliating!

Chen Lingxi lowered her eyes, suppressing the surging emotions, her face remaining completely expressionless.

The Concealing Edge Technique circulated within his body, wrapping the azure Qi in his dantian even more tightly.

The faint silvery-white light on the surface of the bones was almost completely suppressed by him.

He stood there like an inconspicuous, dull rock, attracting no one's attention.