“You rotten brat, you almost made me do something shameful.”

Within a private room, Shui Wuhen was rebuking Long Chen. Currently, she no longer had any of her austere dignity and seemed more like a big sister that was reprimanding Long Chen.

This was Shui Wuhen’s private cultivation room. She had never had anyone else in here. Long Chen was the first.

But as soon as Long Chen entered, she unleashed a scolding on him. Only now did Long Chen find out that the reason Shui Wuhen had had to leave in the middle of the meeting wasn’t because someone had touched the restrictive formations. That had just been an excuse to cover up that she hadn’t been able to hold back her laughter.

As the monastery head, if she were to laugh in front of everyone like that, it would truly be lacking propriety and dignity. So now she was scolding Long Chen.

But as she scolded, a laugh occasionally sneaked out. She shook her head. “You really are a devil. Is there ever a time you’re afraid?”

Long Chen’s nerve was really too great to repeatedly give Sha Tonghai slaps in the face. If Sha Tonghai ended up going berserk, losing all reasoning and not giving a damn about the consequences, then Long Chen would very likely be instantly killed.

“Of course, there are times when I’m afraid. But I definitely wouldn’t be afraid of them. A bunch of petty cowards like them don’t have the courage to kill me.

“And even if they wanted to kill me, then if I couldn’t beat them, couldn’t I still run? I don’t believe that you would just watch as your own house was torn apart. That would just be slapping yourself in the face.” Long Chen laughed.

“Little fellow, you really are wicked. Even I’ve been included in your calculations. Are you so sure that I would protect you?” asked Shui Wuhen.

“Of course. What happened just now was just some trivial matter. But I know if something happened, you’d protect me, or you wouldn’t have saved me back then.” Long Chen smiled.

“Ah, you… Sometimes I feel you’re smart enough to scare me, but sometimes you’re foolish enough to scare me as well. I still don’t know whether or not you’re truly smart or stupid,” sighed Shui Wuhen.

“Me? I have a smart side and a stupid side. However, my smart side is reserved for my enemies, while my foolish side is reserved for my brothers.”

Shui Wuhen’s heart shook ever so slightly, as Long Chen’s words were indeed true. He had an intelligence and a vision that could easily see through all schemes, but even so, he would always do some foolish things that others couldn’t comprehend. What happened previously in the first monastery was a perfect example.

By going to the first monastery, he had just been accompanying everyone to die. That kind of conduct was idiotic, and extremely so. But that had been what Long Chen had done.

That made it so Shui Wuhen was unable to tell just what was inside Long Chen’s head. Furthermore, his foolish conduct had ended up infecting others as well.

As sect leader, Ling Yunzi had actually started a slaughter just for one disciple, killing multiple sect leaders without caring about his own life.

Perhaps sometimes foolishness was just part of human nature, and sometimes, it was the most precious thing.

“Then sect leader, by having me stay behind, are you planning on punishing me?” asked Long Chen.

“I really do need to punish you. You need to reserve yourself more, or I really won’t be able to have any more peaceful days,” said Shui Wuhen harshly.

Hearing that, Long Chen relaxed a great deal. So all she was doing was making life a bit more difficult for him.

“Long Chen, I look very favorably upon you. Once you grow up, you’ll definitely be a world-shaking figure. But your temperament…” Shui Wuhen involuntarily shook her head.

“I’m just like that. Unless I die, I won’t change myself,” said Long Chen.

He also felt a bit powerless about that. He had to be like this, as this was the path of the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art. Since he had stepped onto this path, he had to advance without fear.

Lu Fang-er and Ye Zhiqiu’s deaths had made it completely clear to him that if he continued to deny the direction of the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art, he would end up losing even more companions.

Now there was hope for Ye Zhiqiu to revive, but Lu Fang-er was forever dead.

Although Lu Fang-er had said she was just an extra, an accessory to Meng Qi, she had still been a pure-hearted woman. She had liked a person, and she had dared to admit it.

In the beginning, Long Chen really hadn’t completely approved of that feeling. But when Lu Fang-er had died, he had felt a heart-wrenching pain. Her death made him completely realize that he couldn’t be so cowardly. Otherwise, everybody beside him would die one by one.

So now, whatever Long Chen wanted to do, he would do. He would not submit to any restrictions. He needed to nurture his domineeringness, to use his bloody methods to intimidate all enemies.

When Long Chen had made that determination, he had felt his mental realm instantly become completely clear. He was able to see things clearer and with more depth.

“Alright, it’s not like I want to change you. Are you aware that before Ling Yunzi left, he came to see me?” Shui Wuhen hesitated for a moment before saying this.

“The sect leader came to see you? Oh, could it be…?” Long Chen looked at Shui Wuhen. She appeared to be only twenty-five to twenty-six years old, and she was extremely beautiful.

“You… you little rascal, you really are looking for a beating! Where did your thoughts end up wandering?!” Seeing Long Chen’s odd expression, Shui Wuhen raged, “Ling Yunzi and I are not from the same generation! Why is your head only filled with such crazy thoughts?!”

“Oh? Then that really is a pity.” Long Chen scratched his head, feeling that it was regretful.

“You! Tch, when I made my name, Ling Yunzi had yet to be born in the world! Furthermore, as people who chase after cultivation, how could we throw our mental realm into disorder just for some romantic feelings?” Shui Wuhen shook her head. But a sliver of sadness appeared in her eyes.

Long Chen’s heart shook. Perhaps Shui Wuhen was also someone with her own story. He hastily shut his mouth. It was best not to know that much gossip, or you might end up being killed to keep silent.

“When Ling Yunzi came to see me, he came to challenge me to a battle.” Shui Wuhen smiled slightly.

“What? Then wasn’t he just looking to be crushed?” A Xiantian expert had challenged a Sea Expansion expert?

Although Long Chen didn’t know what kind of concept a Sea Expansion expert was, when Shui Wuhen had appeared back then, heaven and earth had trembled in front of her, and a terrifying pressure had enveloped the entire monastery.

Under that pressure, Long Chen had felt himself to be only an ant without any ability to resist.

As for those Xiantian experts, although they could also kill him, their pressure was far from lacking compared to Shui Wuhen’s. There was really no comparison.

Ling Yunzi had gone to challenge Shui Wuhen? Was he trying to ascend to the heavens?

“As a result, I lost,” said Shui Wuhen.

“What?!”

Long Chen almost jumped up. How was that possible?

“We each only made one move. I lost that move, and we didn’t make a second move, as there was no more meaning behind fighting. He was just giving me a display,” said Shui Wuhen.

“Displaying what?”

“He said he had obtained immense benefits from you, and he wanted to show his achievements to me. That sword attack of his was truly brilliant.

“In the Xiantian realm, perhaps there is no one who can receive a single attack from him anymore. That’s why he left.” Shui Wuhen sighed, shock appearing in her eyes as it seemed she sank back into her memories of his sword.

That sword attack had contained a destructive aura that could destroy the blue dome of the sky. That was a sword that could end the heavens, end the earth, end gods, and end devils.

Although it was just an embryonic sword intent, it already contained a will to destroy everything. Even Shui Wuhen had been astonished by that sword’s power. She had no idea how he had comprehended such a thing.

“Uh, I’m a bit bewildered,” said Long Chen.

“So even you have times when you’re bewildered? Good, then stay confused.” Shui Wuhen laughed. “In truth, Ling Yunzi did this for my benefit. He hoped I would treat you well. If I did, I would definitely gain a profit in the future.”

Long Chen couldn’t help being moved. Before leaving, Ling Yunzi had still been worried for him and had gone to Shui Wuhen to ask her to look after him.

However, Long Chen didn’t know just how incredibly daring Ling Yunzi had been. He had actually absorbed the destructive will from the lightning tribulation that had been attacking his body.

That kind of energy was something that would destroy a person’s Dao foundation once it was absorbed into the body. A single mistake would turn a person into a cripple.

But Ling Yunzi had actually stored a thread of that destructive energy in his body for him to comprehend the true essence of the Annihilation Dao. By merging it into his Sword Dao, he ended up creating a unique Annihilation Sword Dao.

After comprehending the Annihilation Sword Dao, Ling Yunzi had seen a vaster sky for himself, and so he had gone to pursue greater heights.

But he had still been worried for Long Chen. Although he knew Divergents wouldn’t die to the hands of humans, that was just something said in legends. He didn’t want to hear the news that Long Chen had died while he was pursuing greater heights of his Sword Dao.

So he had gone to see Shui Wuhen. No matter what, Shui Wuhen was someone who had saved his life, and he also felt she wasn’t a bad person. He had shown off the power of his sword to tell her she would benefit from looking after Long Chen.

“Then I’ll have to thank monastery head.” Long Chen hastily thanked her.

“Little fellow, your skin really is thick. I haven’t even said whether or not I would look after you. Aren’t you saying thanks too early?” laughed Shui Wuhen.

“You’ve long since been looking after me. If it hadn’t been for you, I would already be stirring up trouble in another world. So, of course, I have to thank you.” Long Chen smiled.

“You really know how to talk. It’s no wonder those girls are all willing to stay by your side.” Shui Wuhen rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. “But let me warn you, don’t think that just because I’m looking after you, you can do whatever you want. Don’t stir up any trouble, or I’ll have you imprisoned.”

After their two interactions, she was well aware of Long Chen’s fearless nature. He was capable of doing the craziest things.

In front of her, he had even dared slap a sect leader multiple times. Even after living for so long, Shui Wuhen had never heard of anyone doing such a thing.

However, not only had Long Chen done it, but he had even caused his opponent to willingly admit defeat and give up on investigating the truth. Such a person would either not cause any trouble, or cause enough trouble to bring down the very heavens. She had to first warn him harshly, or else he really might end up ascending to the heavens, and not in a good way.

“I had you stay behind this time because I have some news I want to tell you. Do you want to know about Yin Luo and the others?”