klisemfg Chapter 203 Uninvited Guest
Chapter 203 Uninvited Guest
Chapter 203 Uninvited Guest
The guests who were invited to witness the ceremony were already stunned, their eyes wide open, and their mouths agape as if they had just swallowed a hundred cockroaches, unable to close them.
That's it? The heavenly lightning just vanished like that? The Grandmaster broke through just like that? Where's the thrill and excitement I was promised?
After a long while, a burst of enthusiastic cheers suddenly erupted from the crowd, and people rushed forward to offer their congratulations.
"Congratulations, City Lord, on your successful advancement to the Grandmaster realm!"
"The City Lord's divine skills are unparalleled. With a wave of his hand, he can turn clouds and rain upside down. Even the heavenly lightning dares not challenge the City Lord's power!"
This is flattery.
"Congratulations, City Lord, on your successful breakthrough to the Grandmaster realm! Your continued progress has been courageous and diligent, putting us all to shame!"
This shows a willingness to learn.
"Brother Sheng, you single-handedly withstood the might of Heaven and finally achieved your goal. Congratulations! You were really scared to death just now!"
This person has a deep friendship with Sheng Chunshui.
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Sheng Chunshui remained silent, slowly walked up to Xiao Chong, and surprisingly bowed deeply.
"Senior Sheng, what are you doing? You're really making this junior feel ashamed!"
Xiao Chong was taken aback and tried to step aside to show that he dared not accept such a great courtesy.
But Sheng Chunshui didn't give him that chance at all, and without any apparent action, he simply pressed down with both hands in a perfunctory manner.
Xiao Chong felt his body stiffen, as if he were bound by an invisible force, unable to move at all.
Sheng Chunshui didn't explain, but meticulously completed the grand ceremony before dispelling the power.
Xiao Chong felt a sense of relief and was finally able to move freely.
"This breakthrough to the Grandmaster realm may seem smooth, but it was actually extremely dangerous. A slight mistake could have led to utter ruin. I am very grateful for the Tribulation-Crossing Pill you gave me."
After performing the ceremony, Sheng Chunshui solemnly addressed Xiao Chong.
Xiao Chong laughed and said, "This junior only offered a pill, and dares not take credit. Senior Sheng was able to safely overcome this tribulation because of his own profound cultivation."
"No, you don't need to be modest. If it weren't for your Tribulation-Crossing Pill, I would have died eight hundred times over, and now I'm afraid there wouldn't even be a bone left!"
Sheng Chunshui looked at Xiao Chong with a complicated expression, then glanced at Sheng Xueyan beside him, and suddenly smiled meaningfully: "We'll be family sooner or later, so you don't need to keep calling me 'senior' all the time. If you don't mind, just call me Uncle Sheng."
Disdain? Who would disdain a grandmaster? Especially such an understanding grandmaster!
Xiao Chong was overjoyed and immediately stepped forward to pay his respects, changing his address without hesitation: "Uncle, please accept my bow!"
In his excitement, he not only omitted the other party's surname and addressed him as "uncle," but almost blurted out "son-in-law."
Fortunately, he was quick-witted and managed to swallow the word "son-in-law" just as it was about to be uttered.
Although their performance was somewhat affected, the guests in the room didn't find anything wrong with it. Their minds were already in turmoil because of the two's earlier conversation about "Du'e Dan".
"I was a little skeptical at first, but it turns out that the Calamity-Crossing Pill really has such amazing effects!"
"I really didn't expect that such an inconspicuous little pill would be so powerful!"
"It seems I need to hurry up and build a good relationship with Xiao Chong. I won't feel at ease until I get my hands on a Tribulation-Crossing Pill!"
"Even if we can't get our hands on the Tribulation-Crossing Pill, given Xiao Chong's relationship with the Sheng family, we still have to curry favor with him!"
After some thought, some of the guests, who preferred to plan things out before making decisions, looked at Xiao Chong with a completely different expression.
But action-oriented people are much more decisive in their actions.
"Master Xiao is truly a promising young man with a bright future ahead of him. I hope you will take good care of him then!"
Some people started playing the emotional card.
"Master Xiao, please visit my humble abode sometime. I've recently acquired quite a few fine items and would like to ask you to take a look at them!"
Some people are planning to offer direct bribes.
"Stop with the nonsense! Master Xiao, let's become sworn brothers! Let's go chop off the chicken's head and burn some yellow paper right now!"
In their haste, some people speak even less reliably.
Sensing the deep affection of these people, Xiao Chong smiled slightly and said, "It's alright, it's alright. I understand everyone's feelings, but there's no rush."
I plan to make another ten or eight batches of this Crossing-the-Tribulation Pill in a couple of days, ensuring everyone gets a share. However, refining this pill is extremely costly, therefore…”
"Master Xiao, just focus on refining it. We'll take as much as you have! As for the price, it's all up to you, Master Xiao. Name your price!"
Hearing that Xiao Chong wanted to continue opening the furnace, the guests didn't care about the price at all and all appeared extremely generous.
The atmosphere in the training ground was lively, and everyone's face was beaming with joy.
The Lord of Refining Heart City successfully broke through the barrier and reached the Grandmaster realm as he wished. Naturally, such a grand event deserved a grand banquet for his guests.
The banquet was of extremely high standard, and every item on the table was a rare and precious treasure that was rarely seen in ordinary times. Sheng Chunshui was also quite generous, even offering each guest a "Life-Creating Pill" at the banquet.
Although the Life-Creating Pill is not as precious as the Tribulation-Crossing Pill, it is still a rare and top-grade pill that is of great benefit to martial artists below the Martial Master level.
Therefore, the guests were all smiles, feeling that their trip today had indeed been worthwhile.
The banquet lasted for three whole days. In any case, all the guests who were invited were highly skilled and could go without sleep for several days without feeling any discomfort.
On the afternoon of the third day, seeing that it was almost time, the guests whispered among themselves and prepared to bid farewell to the Lord of the Mansion so that they could rush home before dawn.
But just then, a stranger arrived uninvited, interrupting everyone's discussion.
The man was dressed in gray clothes, his face was sallow and thin, and his physique was not robust, as if he had not eaten meat for many years and was suffering from malnutrition.
However, the man in gray was very imposing, and the martial aura emanating from him was exceptionally strong, not inferior to Sheng Chunshui.
It should be noted that Sheng Chunshui had just broken through to the Grandmaster level, and his martial arts cultivation had reached the Great Grandmaster realm. This gray-clad man who suddenly appeared had an aura comparable to Sheng Chunshui, so his cultivation was naturally not weak, at least at the peak of the Grandmaster realm or even higher.
"Who is this person? How can he have such a terrifying aura?"
"When did another martial arts master emerge from Refining Heart City? I wonder who he is and how come I've never heard of him before?"
Upon seeing the gray-clad man appear expressionlessly at the banquet, the leaders of various factions, unsure of his origins, secretly speculated.
Not only were the guests puzzled, but Sheng Chunshui was also secretly alarmed.
As the city lord of Lianxin City, he naturally couldn't hide any disturbances within the city.
But at this moment, a martial artist of profound skill suddenly appeared. Not only was he completely unaware of this, but the other party also broke into the city lord's mansion. How could he not be shocked?
Amidst the puzzled gazes of the crowd, the man in gray spoke up: "I heard that City Lord Sheng has successfully broken through and reached the Grandmaster realm. This is truly a cause for celebration."
I share in the joy of the city lord's celebration, and thus I have come uninvited, hoping to have a drink of celebratory wine. I wonder if I have disturbed your enjoyment?
The man in gray kept repeating the word "happiness," but there was no trace of joy on his face.
The gray-clad man's silence only amplified his aura, causing the guests to feel an invisible pressure bearing down on them, making them feel suffocated with tension.
Fortunately, Sheng Chunshui moved at this moment. He stood up slightly and coughed softly. With this cough, the guests felt the pressure ease and their emotions calmed down again.
"May I ask who you are and where you come from? If you only wish to have a drink, I, Sheng, will naturally welcome you with open arms. However, I fear your intentions may not be so simple?"
Sheng Chunshui faced the man in gray and asked with a solemn expression.
The gray-clad man's expression remained unchanged, showing no alteration. He said in a soft voice, "We must drink the wedding wine, but we cannot neglect our business."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill, thinking to themselves that good people don't come, and those who do come are not good people.
"Please speak freely, Your Excellency. I am all ears!"
As the master of this place, Sheng Chunshui naturally wanted to get to the bottom of things.
The man in gray slowly scanned the room, his gaze finally settling on Sheng Chunshui. He said, "I'm sure you all know about the Martial Elders' Association, right?"
Sheng Chunshui was startled and said sternly, "You come from the Martial Elders Association?"
"Indeed, I am an envoy of the Martial Elders Association."
The man in gray was clearly pleased with the other party's surprise and continued, "Having heard that the city lord has successfully broken through to the Grandmaster level, I have come here on the orders of the Martial Elders Association to recruit the city lord into the association."
"So he's from the Martial Elders' Association. No wonder his cultivation is so profound, yet I've never seen him before!"
"How did the Martial Elders' Council get involved so quickly? I wonder what the City Lord will do."
"What other choice do we have? Are the Martial Elders' Association easy to deal with?"
Upon hearing the man in gray introduce himself, some guests who had heard of the Wu Lao Hui's reputation and powerful background were even more surprised and began to whisper among themselves.
Some naive young people, unaware of the power of the Martial Elders' Association, asked: "What is the Martial Elders' Association? Is it very powerful? Why should we be afraid of it?"
"Shut up! You're so young, yet you don't know your place! How dare you comment on the Martial Arts Association? Be careful not to bring trouble upon yourself and your family!"
An older person quickly covered the young man's mouth and whispered a reprimand.
Upon hearing this, Sheng Chunshui's expression changed several times, and he was secretly alarmed.
After much deliberation, he declined, saying, "My cultivation is still shallow, and I am also burdened with many worldly affairs. I am afraid I will have to decline your kind offer."
"So you're not going to agree?" The gray-clad man's expression, which had remained blank until now, finally changed, and he said in a gloomy tone.
Sheng Chunshui remained silent, but everyone could understand his meaning.
After waiting a while and seeing that Sheng Chunshui did not answer, the man in gray said again, "According to the rules, all martial artists on the Tianyun Continent must join the Martial Elders Association after entering the Grandmaster realm. This is a fixed rule, so you should think it through."
Sheng Chunshui solemnly said, "This matter need not be mentioned again. I will not join the Martial Elders Association."
"I'm afraid this matter is not up to you! You have to go today, whether you like it or not!" the gray-clad man sneered.
"Then you may try to take me out." Having said that, Sheng Chunshui said without any politeness.
"Then I'll give it a try and see how much of a grandmaster you really are!"
The man in gray let out a strange laugh and struck Sheng Chunshui's chest from a distance with a palm strike.
Sheng Chunshui's expression changed, and he raised his hand to meet the attack with a palm strike.
People in the seats quickly moved aside to both sides.
There was no wind or unusual noise, but a ripple appeared in the air between their palms, spreading like water waves, as if forming an invisible channel.
Sheng Chunshui swayed slightly, while the gray-clad man retreated two steps, clearly having lost a move. Both men stared intently at each other, not daring to make any further rash moves.
The man in gray was slightly inferior to Sheng Chunshui in cultivation, while Sheng Chunshui was afraid that if the two started fighting again, it would hurt many relatives and friends at the table.
Wow!
The ripples in the air disappeared, but the cups, bowls, plates, and dishes on the table quietly shattered, turning into piles of dust.
Everyone was shocked.
Amidst the horrified gazes of the crowd, the man in gray suddenly turned his attention to Xiao Chong.