Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 477: Chapter 477 My Friend is Called Xiao Xiao

After getting his things in order, Ye Qingchen headed toward Eternal City. After traveling nonstop through the night, he was now just over two days away. Considering there was still a week until the competition, he felt no need to rush.

As the most prosperous city in the Central Region, Eternal City exuded a different atmosphere, which Ye Qingchen began to sense as he drew near. Perhaps due to the upcoming Newcomer Sect Competition, the closer he got to the city, the more Martial Artists he saw.

What surprised Ye Qingchen was that nearly every Martial Artist he encountered was above the Martial King Realm, and it was not uncommon to see those in the Martial Emperor Realm. In the Northern Region, a Martial King could become the patriarch of a sect. By comparison, it was clear that the Central Region boasted several more tiers of powerful experts. It had truly reached a point where Martial Kings were as common as dogs and Martial Emperors roamed everywhere.

After two days of travel, Ye Qingchen finally arrived at the outskirts of Eternal City.

Contrary to his expectations, Eternal City did not have towering, massive walls, nor was its footprint exceptionally large. What he had seen and heard over the past few days made him understand that Eternal City’s reputation as the most prosperous city in the Central Region was not due to its size or population. Rather, it was because nearly all of the Central Region’s resources were concentrated within its bounds. Many sects and clans had established their own exclusive branches inside the city. Moreover, the population consisted almost entirely of Martial Artists, all pursuing an elite path.

”Ye Qingchen?” A grating voice called out as Liu Feng approached him with a look of disdain.

Initially, Liu Feng thought that Ye Qingchen, having given up hope of pursuing Senior Sister Zi Xing, had already returned to Central Celestial Academy alone. He was surprised to see him just outside of Eternal City. In his view, Ye Qingchen must have deliberately waited here for them, hoping to stage a ”fateful encounter” to win Senior Sister Zi Xing’s attention. This brat, Ye Qingchen, looked so proper, but he was actually a schemer!

”Junior Brother Ye Qingchen, it really is you! What a coincidence!” Zi Xing and the others walked over, and she took the initiative to greet him. Ye Qingchen responded politely.

However, their simple exchange clearly irritated Liu Feng, who could not help but blurt out, ”Ye Qingchen, I never thought someone could be so shameless!”

The other disciples from Central Celestial Academy quickly chimed in.

”Exactly. We thought you had tucked your tail between your legs and left. It seemed you had some self-awareness, but you actually chased us all the way here.”

”You have no real skill, yet you’re trying to play hard to get. So what if you followed us here? Eternal City is under lockdown. Other than the locals, no one gets in without a Spectator Invitation Scroll for the Newcomer Sect Competition.”

”He’s like a clingy pest. Even if he can’t get into Eternal City, he’ll just stubbornly linger around here. I honestly don’t get what he hopes to achieve besides annoying everyone.”

”That’s enough! All of you, hold your tongues!”

Zi Xing glared at them fiercely. The mocking finally ceased, but they continued to eye Ye Qingchen with scorn and disdain.

Zi Xing offered Ye Qingchen an awkward smile. ”Junior Brother Ye, please don’t mind them. We waited for you at the inn for a long time that day, hoping to invite you to travel with us to Eternal City. We didn’t expect you to leave without a word, making us wait for so long.”

Though she said this, her tone held no hint of blame. This made Ye Qingchen feel a little embarrassed, and he explained, ”I’m terribly sorry, Senior Sister Zi Xing. I promised a friend I would watch her compete. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her, and I was just too eager, so I left ahead of you.”

Hearing Ye Qingchen mention his friend again, Zi Xing could not help but ask curiously, ”Who exactly is this friend of yours, Junior Brother Ye? I’ve only heard that you come from the Northern Region, so this must be your first time in the Central Region, correct? But from what I understand, there aren’t any sects of seven stars or higher in the Northern Region...”

Zi Xing phrased her question tactfully, not intending to mock him. The cultivation resources in the Northern Region were simply far too scarce compared to the other major regions, so it had not produced any particularly powerful sects. This Newcomer Sect Competition was only for seven, eight, and nine-star sects, which was why Zi Xing was puzzled as to how Ye Qingchen, a native of the Northern Region, could have a friend participating.

Ye Qingchen smiled, knowing she was just curious and meant no harm. Besides, Zi Xing was also competing and would naturally meet Xiao Xiao eventually, so there was nothing to hide. He explained, ”My friend is exceptionally talented. She was noticed by the nine-star Wuji Immortal Palace, which specially brought her from the Northern Region to train. In fact, we haven’t seen each other for almost a year.”

”Wuji Immortal Palace?” Liu Feng sneered. ”Ye Qingchen, will it kill you to stop bragging? Wuji Immortal Palace? Do you even know which way their gates face? How dare you claim to have a friend there?”

Ye Qingchen chuckled, shaking his head. ”I admit, I don’t know which way their gates face. But does that change the fact that my friend cultivates there?”

Liu Feng shot back with a cold smile, ”Fine. You say your friend is at Wuji Immortal Palace? Then what’s her name? A contestant in this competition surely isn’t a nobody, right?”

Ye Qingchen glanced at Liu Feng, not wanting to indulge him. But seeing the curiosity on Zi Xing’s face as well, he replied, ”My friend’s name is Xiao Xiao.”

”Xiao Xiao?”

Hearing his answer, everyone present, including Zi Xing, looked astonished.

Then, Liu Feng burst out laughing, pointing at Ye Qingchen. ”Oh, Ye Qingchen, I’ve really got to hand it to you. Not only are you still clinging to Senior Sister Zi Xing, but now you’re pretending to be friends with Xiao Xiao? There has to be a limit to how you try to build yourself up, right?”

The other Central Celestial Academy disciples also erupted in laughter and jeers.

”Xiao Xiao is as famous as our Senior Sister Zi Xing, a renowned beauty from the Northern Region. Everyone knows she’s from the Northern Region and cultivates at Wuji Immortal Palace! She’s their most talented newcomer in this generation. You must have put a lot of thought into choosing her to be your ’friend.’”

”Has this Ye Qingchen gone delusional? Does he really think a toad like him is worthy of Senior Sister Zi Xing and Little Girl Xiaoxiao?”

”Ye Qingchen, you should watch your mouth. If the people from Wuji Immortal Palace find out you’re tarnishing their goddess’s name, they’ll probably kill you on the spot.”

”Hmph, if it weren’t for our shared sect connection, I would’ve already dealt with him for pestering Senior Sister Zi Xing,” Liu Feng said with a cold snort.

But Ye Qingchen did not hear a word he said. His gaze was completely captivated by a graceful figure approaching in the distance. A smile of long-awaited reunion slowly spread across his face.