The dark river's final destination was a waterfall hundreds of feet high, with no path down beside it.
"Miss Chu, we're not planning to jump down from here, are we?" Chen Xiao asked, pointing at the waterfall.
"Mr. Chen is joking, of course not," Chu Qingluan replied with a sweet smile. She then put her index fingers to her lips and let out a whistle.
*Li—*
Immediately, a massive flying beast flapped its wings and descended.
"Mr. Chen, please ride the Qingluan!" Chu Qingluan said, making a welcoming gesture.
Chen Xiao naturally didn't mistake Chu Qingluan's intention as carrying him down the mountain. It turned out this colossal flying creature was the legendary Qingluan. He hadn't seen such a magnificent bird in the immortal realm from his dreams.
With a light leap, Chen Xiao landed on the Qingluan's broad back. Chu Qingluan followed suit, her movements agile and graceful, exuding a sense of ethereal beauty.
*Li—*
The Qingluan let out a clear cry and flapped its wings again, taking to the sky. The great bird soared upwards, reaching an altitude of a thousand meters. Clouds swirled around them, the whistling wind rushed past their ears, and below lay an endless expanse of mountains and rivers, with no discernible beginning or end.
A faint, delicate fragrance wafted into Chen Xiao's nostrils, which he knew came from Chu Qingluan. The bird's back was wide, just enough for one person, but a bit cramped for two. Their bodies inevitably brushed against each other. Although Chu Qingluan was consciously leaning back slightly, Chen Xiao could clearly feel the contours of her body. Especially the soft fullness of her chest, which pressed lightly against his back. Coupled with the intermittent fragrance, Chen Xiao couldn't help but feel his thoughts wander, his heart rate quicken, and his breathing become a little ragged.
To ease the awkward atmosphere, Chen Xiao deliberately initiated a conversation. "Miss Chu, I understand that the 'Zhu' in your Zhushen Hall means 'to slay.' Does your sect's name have any deeper meaning?"
Chu Qingluan chuckled softly and replied, "There's no other profound meaning, just the literal one. The purpose for which Zhushen Hall was established from the very beginning was to slay gods!"
"Slay gods?" Chen Xiao was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Zhushen Hall to have such an ambitious goal. "Which gods do you intend to slay?"
"Naturally, the gods of the Heavenly Dao. Mr. Chen, since you are aware of the calamity five hundred years ago, you should know about this, shouldn't you?" Chu Qingluan asked with a hint of confusion.
"Oh? The gods of the Heavenly Dao? I'm not really clear on that..." Chen Xiao was slightly shaken and pressed further, "Didn't the gods of the Heavenly Dao disappear after that calamity? Where do you plan to slay them?"
Chu Qingluan fell silent for a moment before replying with a wry smile, "They did leave, but they will return, just as they did five hundred years ago, appearing and disappearing out of thin air... Whether it's cultivators from the Immortal Hidden Realm or martial artists from ancient sects, everyone is waiting for that day and dreading its arrival."
"When will that day arrive?"
"Perhaps in three to five years, perhaps in eight to ten years, perhaps... they have already arrived." Chu Qingluan offered an ambiguous answer.
At that moment, the Qingluan bird slowly descended and landed steadily before the grand hall nestled within the mountains. The true Zhushen Hall was not just a single hall but comprised many courtyards and buildings, its scale comparable to a small town.
As the two dismounted from the bird's back, a handsome young man with an elegant demeanor hurried towards them.
"Qingluan, where have you been? Why are you still here? Hurry back to your chambers to get ready to welcome Young Master Huangfu!" The young man said, reaching out to pull Chu Qingluan away.
Chu Qingluan shook off his hand, displeased. "What are you doing, Second Brother? I was sent by Father to welcome a peerless genius. Don't interfere. I still need to take Mr. Chen to see Father. As for welcoming this Young Master Huangfu, I have no interest!" She then introduced Chen Xiao to her brother, "Mr. Chen, this is my second brother, Chu Longxiang..."
Before she could finish, Chu Longxiang grabbed Chu Qingluan's arm again. "Qingluan, I'm also here on Father's orders. He commanded you to personally welcome Young Master Huangfu. They will arrive shortly. How can you meet them dressed like this? Hurry and come with me..."
Hearing her brother's words, Chu Qingluan hesitated. "Is it really Father's will? You're not lying to me, are you? And if I go with you, what about Mr. Chen?"
"Qingluan, even if you take him there now, Father won't have time to see him. As for him, Elder Gao should be back soon. We can have Elder Gao arrange things for him," Chu Longxiang said with a hint of impatience.
Chen Xiao frowned slightly at this, but being new to the place, he didn't say anything.
"Alright then." Chu Qingluan agreed to her brother's request. She turned to Chen Xiao with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Mr. Chen. Please wait here for a moment. I'll come find you when I have some free time."
"It's alright, Miss Chu. You go ahead and attend to your matters," Chen Xiao replied calmly.
Chu Qingluan nodded apologetically at Chen Xiao again. Chu Longxiang, impatient, grabbed her and strode inside.
"Qingluan, what's wrong with you? Why are you being so polite to a secular martial artist? And you even rode the same Qingluan bird with him! What if Young Master Huangfu sees this?" Once they were some distance away and Chu Longxiang was sure Chen Xiao couldn't hear him, he began to reprimand his sister with displeasure.
"So what if he sees it? What's the big deal?" Chu Qingluan mumbled, her eyelids lowered, pouting her lips.
"Qingluan, have you forgotten your identity? You are betrothed to Young Master Huangfu. If he sees you entangled with a secular man, he will look down on you!" Chu Longxiang said earnestly.
Chu Qingluan curled her lips. "Second Brother, don't talk nonsense. Mr. Chen is not an ordinary secular man. He is the peerless genius chosen by the Zhen Tian Gong. While Young Master Huangfu is the young master of Ling Xiao Hall, he's not on the same level as a peerless genius!"
"What peerless genius? My foolish sister, you don't actually believe a secular man could be a peerless genius, do you?" Chu Longxiang said with a helpless, wry smile and a shake of his head.
"But he's the one who shattered the Zhen Tian Gong! Surely you haven't forgotten the ancestor's teachings? The one who shattered the Zhen Tian Gong is the peerless genius who will save all living beings!" Chu Qingluan retorted defensively.
"Of course, I remember the ancestor's teachings. But shattering the Zhen Tian Gong makes one a peerless genius? This legend is too unreliable! Besides, Father has already confirmed that the Zhen Tian Gong shattered because it reached the end of its lifespan. Anyone could have shattered it!" Chu Longxiang argued logically. "If there truly is a peerless genius born to save the world, it can only be one person!"
"Who?" Chu Qingluan asked.
"It must be my nephew," Chu Longxiang said seriously, "that is, your child with Young Master Huangfu!"