Proving Immortality Starting with Hextech Runes

As Li Yuan spoke, he observed Chen Xu's reaction.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu raised an eyebrow, his tone somewhat amused: "Oh? Since it was your oversight..."

"Then you should give me some compensation."

"Forehead?"

The smile on Li Yuan's face froze instantly.

He never expected Chen Xu to be so shameless as to demand compensation to his face.

All the prepared arguments and probes seemed so powerless in the face of this one sentence.

Li Yuan was speechless for a moment, staring blankly at Chen Xu.

Even Qingling, who was standing to the side, widened her eyes slightly and turned her head to look at Chen Xu in surprise.

In her memory, Senior Brother Chen had always been gentle and polite, and rarely showed such an aggressive side.

She actually found Chen Xu somewhat...cute?

As soon as this thought crossed Qingling's face, it turned even redder.

To Chen Xu's surprise, Li Yuan flipped his wrist and took out a bead that was entirely crimson.

The surface of the bead has subtle, flowing fire patterns, emitting a strange spiritual energy fluctuation.

"Brother Chen!" Li Yuan handed the bead forward, his tone sincere.

"This item is called the Crimson Yuan Pearl. Although it is not a priceless treasure, wearing it can protect you from ordinary fire attacks."

"Consider this my apology, Brother Chen, please accept it and do not refuse."

Chen Xu's gaze lingered on the crimson pearl for a moment, and a sense of alarm suddenly arose in his heart.

Li Yuan's attitude is far too obsequious; there must be something fishy going on.

Furthermore, even if Li Yuan didn't have evidence, he should have at least suspected that I had given him the Forget-Dust Pill...

Chen Xu, unsure of Li Yuan's true intentions, refused to accept the Crimson Pearl and said coldly:

"No need, Fellow Daoist Li should keep this for himself."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan calmly withdrew the Crimson Yuan Pearl and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Brother Chen is so righteous, he doesn't hold grudges, I admire him."

Just as he was about to speak, a gentle yet authoritative voice resounded throughout the Cold Pine Sect:

"quiet!"

The noisy square fell silent instantly, and all the disciples felt a chill run down their spines as they looked toward the source of the sound.

Suddenly, a refined-looking cultivator dressed in a gray-blue Taoist robe appeared on the high platform directly in front of the square.

It was Wen Tianhe, the sect leader of Hansong Sect and a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.

Wen Tianhe calmly swept his gaze over the disciples below, and then said:

"Today's meeting is to announce one thing."

"Recently, the ruins of an ancient sect have been discovered."

"The outer barriers of the ruins have been worn down over the years and are now loose, allowing cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage and below to enter and explore."

He paused slightly, and a gasp of amazement immediately rose from the square.

The ruins of an ancient sect—this is an incredible opportunity!

Wen Tianhe raised his hand and made a pressing motion, and the arena fell silent once more.

"This site is in a special location, within the sphere of influence of Moyun Valley."

"After discussions between the two factions' leaders, in order to avoid unnecessary disputes and damage the future foundation of the sect,

It was decided to take this opportunity, using the ruins as a testing ground, to hold a competition.

"Each side will send 500 disciples at or below the Foundation Establishment stage to enter, with a time limit of one month. The winner will be determined by the value of the relics and treasures obtained at the end."

"The ruins will open in one month. Those interested in participating can register at the Mission Hall, and the final selection will be made after screening."

"This is both an opportunity and a danger. I hope you will act according to your abilities and take good care of yourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Tianhe's figure transformed into a streak of light and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The crowd in the square instantly erupted in cheers.

"Anyone below the Foundation Establishment stage can get in? I have to take the risk!"

"People from Moyun Valley are going too? The competition will be fierce, and there will definitely be danger..."

"What's there to be afraid of? Fortune favors the bold!"

Amidst the commotion, Li Yuan gave Chen Xu a deep look and smiled, "Brother Chen, let's... reunite at the ruins."

After saying that, he turned and left without waiting for Chen Xu's response.

Chen Xu looked in the direction Li Yuan had left, his brows slightly furrowed.

The ruins mentioned by Wen Tianhe should be the site of the First Sage Sect...

Having already seized most of the treasures inside, he naturally wouldn't go back.

But what did Li Yuan mean by saying that?

At this moment, Qingling gently tugged at Chen Xu's sleeve and whispered:

"Senior brother... I think you'd better not sign up."

Chen Xu had no intention of getting involved, but upon hearing Qing Ling's initiative to dissuade him, a thought crossed his mind:

"Why? Didn't the sect leader say this was a rare opportunity?"

Qingling looked around nervously, lowered her voice even further, and whispered almost in Chen Xu's ear:

"This trip to the ruins will involve many Foundation Establishment cultivators, so it's bound to be extremely dangerous."

"Moreover... I overheard my grandfather mention that the sect leader wanted to find something in these ruins."

"All treasures obtained must be handed over."

"Although the final reward was quite generous, it still felt like a huge loss."

Chen Xu was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

What exactly is Wen Tianhe looking for in the ruins of the First Saint Sect?

A treasure vault? An evil spirit? Or the Primordial Holy Spear?

He remained outwardly calm, but his mind was racing.

After a moment, Chen Xu nodded slowly and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for telling me the inside story, Junior Sister. It's better not to go to this ruin."

Seeing that Chen Xu had listened to her advice, Qingling's tense face visibly relaxed, and she visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's good that you understand, senior brother! But please don't mention this to anyone else, or Grandpa will definitely punish me if he finds out."

Chen Xu replied calmly, "Yes, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

He then casually asked, "By the way, you've been in seclusion for so long, how far have you progressed in your cultivation of the Spirit Fusion Technique? Is it going smoothly?"

Upon hearing this, Qingling's face fell immediately, and her voice was somewhat disappointed:

"Sigh, it's too difficult... I've been driven crazy by that technique lately, and I still haven't even gotten the basics down."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke: "Grandpa said I'm not allowed to leave seclusion until I've mastered the skills."

"If it weren't for this sect-wide meeting, I wouldn't even have a chance to breathe..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that what Old Deng said was true; Qingling indeed failed to master the "Spirit Fusion Technique," so I don't need to worry about Qingling's safety for the time being.

Then today, I can try to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, the gray-haired clone can also attempt to cross the Storm Sea and head to the Inner Sea.

Thinking of this, Chen Xu comforted Qingling, saying, "The path of cultivation is inherently fraught with difficulties, so junior sister need not be discouraged."

"Now that the conference is over, I'll return to my cave to meditate..."

……

After returning to the cave.

Xiao Jin's figure was by the spiritual spring, busily manipulating several arms formed from water.

Four plates of delicious-looking dishes and a pot of steaming fish soup were already laid out on the stone table.

"Gurgle..." (Dinner's ready!)

Little Gold noticed Chen Xu's return and happily blew bubbles.

After equipping the [Incense Godhood Emblem], Xiao Jin thought he had awakened a strange supernatural power.

They can gain more power by cooking, and their passion for cooking has soared to an unprecedented level.