Nibi, perched comfortably in Mu Chen's arms, was signalling her intense displeasure with her current state of hunger. It wasn't just the golden cat, however; the rest of the group found that their own stomachs were beginning to echo her sentiment.
Yielding to the feline's demands, the group decided to eat something. Mu Chen set to work, preparing the meat of a high-grade Spiritual Beast they had acquired during their travels.
Mu Chen carefully sprinkled a blend of rare seasonings over the roasting skewers. Soon, a tantalizing, savory aroma began to waft through the woods.
He eventually distributed the perfectly cooked portions. While everyone received a share, the major portion was quite clearly reserved for Nibi, who accepted it with the air of a queen receiving tribute.
Xiao Li took a large, eager bite of the meat, her eyes widening as the Flavors hit her tongue.
"It tastes good, Mu Chen. Have you ever thought to open your restaurant?" she asked, looking at him with genuine curiosity between mouthfuls.
Mu Chen paused, looking at the fire for a moment as if actually weighing the possibility.
"Not a bad idea," he said, his voice characteristically flat. "I can try them any other time when I am bored."
Xiao Li nearly choked on a piece of meat, staring at him in total disbelief. "You must be joking?" she asked.
In her experience, a person with Mu Chen's strength would never dream of wasting their talent on mundane, earthly affairs like a kitchen.
Shen Xi, who was eating her portion with much more elegance, didn't look up as she chimed in.
"He can do it when he is really bored," she said with a soft smile. She knew Mu Chen better than anyone; his actions were governed by his own sense of novelty, not the expectations of the cultivation world.
As the conversation continued, the atmosphere in the clearing shifted. A powerful aura was approaching—cold, sharp, and focused. There was no killing intent, but the sheer weight of the presence made the air feel thin.
Soon, a figure emerged from the shadows of the towering trees. It was a young man clad in a weathered gray robe. He carried a massive, pitch-black sword on his back that seemed to swallow the flickering light of the campfire.
A strip of black cloth was tied firmly over his eyes. As he walked, the trees in his immediate path seemed to peel away; where his cloak brushed the bark, smooth, mirror-like slashes appeared, carved by an invisible, overflowing sword intent that travelled with him.
Xiao Li's eyes sharpened as she recognized the man. "So it's Blind Sword Li Chen of the Sword Dynasty. I didn't expect to find him here," she murmured, her voice laced with surprise.
The blind swordsman stopped a few paces away. His head tilted, his other senses clearly mapping out the group.
"Hmm? I didn't expect to find the little princess of the Xiao here either," Li Chen replied, his voice hoarse and raspy.
He turned toward Mu Chen and Shen Xi, and clasped his hands in a respectful, if stiff, greeting.
Mu Chen and Shen Xi both offered a polite nod in return. Mu Chen looked at the travel-worn swordsman and gestured toward the fire.
"Would you like some?" he invited.
"Thank you, but no need," Li Chen he said firmly as he stood straight, his pride as a wandering ascetic evident in his posture.
Hardly had the refusal left his lips when a loud, echoing growl erupted from his stomach. The sound was so distinct that it shattered the serious atmosphere instantly.
Li Chen didn't blush—his skin was too weathered for that—but his jaw twitched in a visible show of embarrassment.
Xiao Li and Shen Xi couldn't help but let out a laugh, and even Mu Chen's lips curled slightly.
Nibi, who was busy tearing into a piece of meat, paused to hit Mu Chen's hand with her paw and let out a sharp meow. She looked at the blind man with a gaze that said, Humans are so strange; if you are hungry, just say it directly.
"Mn," Mu Chen smiled, reaching down to scratch the cat behind her ears as she purred in contentment.
Yielding to his body's demands, Li Chen sat on the dirt and began to devour the offered food. He ate with a ferocity that suggested he was a ravenous ghost reincarnated. The refined seasonings were unlike anything he had tasted in his life of bitter training.
His voracious appetite met its match in Nibi, and the two of them began a silent, high-speed competition to see who could clear their plate faster.
"Well, well, if the others knew that the famous Blind Swordsman had that side, they would probably be very astonished," Xiao Li exclaimed, watching him with an amused grin.
Li Chen paused for a moment, his face smeared with a bit of grease.
"I don't need other people's opinions," he said flatly.
To him, the thoughts of the world were irrelevant; they didn't sharpen his blade or strengthen his heart. He was a man who had sacrificed his sight for the path of the sword, a dedication that few could comprehend.
Shen Xi studied him with a flicker of admiration. She could see that his Sword Heart was blossoming, his will as unyielding as a mountain. A figure with such a dedicated heart was destined for greatness.
Once the meal was finished, Li Chen rose and strapped his heavy sword tighter to his back.
"For this meal, I, Li Chen, owe you a favor," he said solemnly.
Without waiting for a response, he tapped his foot and shot into the sky like a gray streak. However, he had only traveled a short distance when Xiao Li's voice rang out from below, full of mirth.
"You are going in the opposite direction! The ancient ruins are the other way!"
The gray streak in the sky faltered, and for a second, Li Chen seemed to freeze in mid-air. He adjusted his course with a frantic burst of energy, clearly too ashamed to look back. If Xiao Li hadn't shouted, his habit of trusting his divine sense to lead him on a "fateful" path would have seen him wander into a different dynasty entirely.
Mu Chen watched the distant dot of gray vanish.
"He looks like a lost guy," he remarked dryly.
Nibi meowed in agreement, her stomach finally full, and decided it was time for a nap in Mu Chen's arms.
"That's undeniable, but his strength is enormous. At least now, I feel a lot of pressure," Xiao Li admitted, looking at the sky where the sword intent still lingered.
"His future achievement will be no less," Shen Xi added, nodding her head.
...
The group continued their journey, and after another week of travel, the colossal, white-walled silhouette of the Great Xia Imperial City finally loomed before them.
The city was a sprawling marvel, teeming with a sea of people that made the Ling Kingdom's capital look like a quiet village.
As the central hub of the Northern Domain and the primary gathering point for the opening of the Ancient Relics, the Imperial City was currently the most bustling place in the Sky Continent.
Whoever had travelled here for the ancient runes, each one of them possessed a certain level of talent, and the air hummed with the collective spiritual pressure of thousands of cultivators.
The anticipation surrounding the ancient site was at a level never seen before. The gathering of prodigies like Ling Xi and Li Chen was a century-defining event. And thus the crowds who came to witness the spectacle were numerous.
"What a magnificent city!" a young cultivator nearby shouted, his voice full of genuine awe.
He looked around with wide, wandering eyes, appearing for all the world like a country bumpkin. He had traveled from a small kingdom for the first time, and the scale of the Imperial City was clearly overwhelming his senses.
As the people around him began to whisper and cast condescending looks his way, a bright heat flushed across the boy's face. He stammered a quick apology and sprinted off into the crowd, eager to hide his embarrassment.
"I heard there's a Tower of Pride in the city. It must be quite lively right now. Shall we go and check it out?" Xiao Li suggested.
She knew that such a place would be the best source of information regarding the movements of the various sects and geniuses.
Mu Chen and Shen Xi had no objection. They began to walk toward the central district. In the distance, they could see a majestic, resplendent pavilion. The massive plaque hanging above the entrance read "Tower of Pride" in bold, sweeping calligraphy.