Chapter 688: Black Tuo Acknowledges a Master

“Logically speaking, more than one major family within the Sect should have approached you.”

The young man before him held a teacup. He lowered his head, pondering for a moment, then looked up and said firmly, “You are different from them. Your lineage has no heirs left.”

Zhou Yunyang’s face darkened. He sneered, “No heirs left? What is that supposed to mean?”

The young man said earnestly, “Since I want to take you as my teacher, I naturally must speak clearly. You are of the Morning Star Legacy, but your bloodline has withered. It has completely ended with you. If I can become your student, you will inevitably devote all your efforts to nurturing me. All your resources and connections will be poured into me. Those major families, on the other hand, do not lack someone like me. Better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.”

As his voice fell, a faint glimmer of black light seemed to flash in his eyes.

“A big fish?” Zhou Yunyang’s expression was icy. He stared at the resolute young man before him, feeling somewhat surprised inward. He had thought this person would spout some excuses or justifications, but he never expected him to be so straightforward.

He had ambition, and he had Talent. Looked at this way, it wasn’t impossible to nurture him. Of course, what truly moved him was that, for some unknown reason, he could faintly see a shadow of his past self in this boy, which inexplicably gave rise to a sense of familiarity.

In the stagnant atmosphere, his gloomy expression gradually melted away, and he let out a laugh. “Hahaha! You certainly are straightforward, without any pretense.”

The young man’s expression shifted slightly. Seeming both probing and excited, he said, “In the presence of my master, I dare not hide anything.”

“Ha.” Zhou Yunyang first shook his head, then nodded. “Then I will tentatively accept you as my student for now.”

“Yes, Teacher!” He Peiting’s face lit up with joy. He hurriedly stepped back, moved his chair aside, and immediately kowtowed three times on the spot.

“Get up, get up,” Zhou Yunyang waved his hand. “Under my tutelage, there is no need for such red tape.”

He pondered for a moment. “You have just arrived at the Sect, so you likely don’t have a place to stay. How about this: I still have a few properties at Silver Mountain. You can go and stay there for now.”

He Peiting did not yet have the qualifications to reside on a Floating Island near Copper Heart. Even Zhou Yunyang didn’t; he still had to commute back and forth from the nearby satellite cities every day.

“Thank you, Master!” He Peiting looked thrilled. Then, he asked carefully, “I heard that Master has an excellent relationship with Su Chen, Su Xingzhong?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it excellent.” Zhou Yunyang glanced at him and said indifferently, “But we are somewhat on speaking terms. Why, do you want to meet him?”

He Peiting hurriedly shook his head. “No, no, no. I watched the live broadcast of the Peak Star Conference on my way here, so I was filled with admiration.”

“It is only right to feel admiration.” Zhou Yunyang smiled. “When there’s a chance in the future, I can take you to meet him.”

He Peiting was overjoyed. “Thank you, Master!”

The master and disciple exchanged pleasantries for a moment before Zhou Yunyang let him take his leave. However, a flash of doubt crossed Zhou Yunyang’s mind. “Did I really just take in a student just like that?”

While He Peiting was present, he didn’t feel anything amiss, but now he was faintly beginning to regret it. Yet, having just accepted him, it would be inappropriate to reject him so soon.

“Forget it. Let’s see what his Heart is like first,” Zhou Yunyang muttered, shaking his head.

He Peiting walked out the door and went downstairs, vaguely noticing gazes sizing him up. Stepping out of the Artifact Hall, his expression restrained itself, and a glint of black light flashed and vanished in his eyes.

This Zhou Yunyang was indeed not simple. There was a chance he knew that information.

He Peiting was naturally Black Tuo’s descended vessel. It had taken considerable effort for him to infiltrate this Bronze Sect. He sought out Zhou Yunyang at the first opportunity. He had several purposes for coming here, but first and foremost, he needed to confirm whether this Zhou Yunyang had been deceiving him. This priority was even higher than his other goals. He had asked around and learned that Zhou Yunyang was well-connected in many places. If he claimed to have discovered that previous information, it was entirely plausible.

Next on the list was Su Chen.

However, he raised his head to glance at the dazzling Flame Fire above. “To think those guys actually entered the Flame Space. I originally thought there was no hope for the falling fire, but looking at it now, it doesn’t seem impossible. Who knows what went wrong with those Believers. They actually haven’t prayed to me for so long.”

The power this descended vessel could wield was limited. Just slightly influencing Zhou Yunyang a moment ago had nearly exhausted him. Moreover, this was Copper Heart. If he used too much power, he would be discovered immediately. If he really wanted to make a move, without the help of those Believers, the time and energy required would increase drastically.

“This Zhou Yunyang is on speaking terms with Su Chen. For the short term, I still have to keep him around…” Black Tuo muttered to himself, merging into the flow of the crowd.

***

At Copper Heart, Su Chen’s eyes seemed unfocused yet simultaneously intensely concentrated. He stared fixedly at his interface. The moment the word “Completed” appeared at the end of the observation requirements, he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

“Finally done…”

Putting away the interface, he cast his gaze around the area. The operating gear structures continued to CLICK AND CLACK ceaselessly. However, in his eyes, it was an entirely different scene. The rotational speed, angle, and even the exact meshing timing of every gear flowed vividly within his mind.

The simulated speed of the surrounding environment had been pushed to its extreme, yet in the span of just a few flashes of thought, Su Chen had already replicated the rotational trajectories of these gears in his head countless times. Not only that, but the conceptual requirements had also been completed a while ago.

In other words, his Holy Profession, Shadow Shattering Body, was now essentially only one step away from official induction.

Su Chen felt a sense of impatience. After emerging from Copper Heart, he saw Ku Baiye lying in the corner as always. Su Chen walked up and greeted him familiarly, to which the other party replied with an almost imperceptible “Mm.”

Only then did he walk out of the grand hall and open his Wristband to check his messages. During this period right after the Ancient Kings had disappeared, people’s minds were unsettled, and there was no telling if some major event might occur.

Sure enough, he quickly spotted a message Chu Ran had sent him not long ago:

“Holy crap, Han Xingliu got taken out! They say his fate is unknown.”

Han Xingliu was attacked?

Su Chen was astonished. He narrowed his eyes and scrolled through the information a few times, but Chu Ran had only given a brief overview.

Ever since the end of the Peak Star Conference and the disappearance of the Ancient Kings, the Dust Star Sea could be described as surging with undercurrents. All sorts of rumors, true and false, flew everywhere, leaving people dazzled and confused.

This news was from a month ago. Han Xingliu had been ambushed and attacked on his way back to the Royal Court. The assassin had been slapped to death on the spot by the furious Peng King.

“Tsk…” Su Chen was also quite surprised. This guy was the son of the Hanhai Emperor and a Star Seed of the Royal Court. For someone of that caliber, let alone facing an assassination attempt, bystanders normally wouldn’t even dare to look at him too long.

Who had made the move to assassinate Han Xingliu was now the center of attention for the entire Dust Star Sea.

Opinions were divided. Some pointed their fingers directly at the Long River Family. Others said it was the work of people with ulterior motives secretly stirring up trouble. Some even claimed it was infighting within the Royal Court. Yet, despite suffering such a provocative humiliation, the Royal Court had still not made any response to this day.

“Who would be in such a rush? Someone with a grudge against the Royal Court? Could it be one of the Five Great Sects? That shouldn’t be the case…” Su Chen muttered to himself as he walked toward the port.

Before he even reached his destination, a figure suddenly blocked his path. “Su Xingzhong…”

Su Chen’s eyes flickered. The person standing in his way was none other than Qin Yun’s son, Qin Lie.

“Mr. Su…” Qin Lie kept his attitude very humble, appearing even more respectful than the last time he visited the Floating Island to invite him. “It’s like this: my father hosted a banquet last time, but because he was restricted, he couldn’t have a long, heart-to-heart talk with you. After the banquet ended, he mentioned it several times and repeatedly urged me to invite you over for a chat.”

“Qin Yun is inviting me…” Su Chen pondered. “He probably really considers me to be that Residual Spirit. Should I make a trip?”

Su Chen knew very well in his heart that Qin Yun had already treated the Residual Spirit as his final lifeline. If the person he believed to be the Residual Spirit didn’t fulfill the promise, there was no telling what kind of trouble this guy would stir up. Yeah, putting everything else aside, if Qin Yun were to expose the matter of the Residual Spirit himself and produce some evidence, Su Chen would likely have to expend quite a bit of effort just to prove his own innocence.

“Perhaps I should go and pacify him as the Residual Spirit?”

The moment this thought crossed Su Chen’s mind, he abandoned it. Even though he still had the trump card of “Great Venerable, save me,” he didn’t want to take the risk. Interacting with the other party as the Residual Spirit would only leave behind more evidence against him.