Chapter 1 The Flow of the Dark River

The final destination of the dark river was a waterfall cascading down from a hundred zhang high, with no path down the mountain alongside it.

"Miss Chu, we're not going to jump down from here, are we?"

Chen Xiao asked, pointing at the waterfall.

"Mr. Chen is joking, of course not."

Chu Qingluan smiled sweetly, then put two little fingers to her lips and whistled.

*Lì—*

Immediately, the giant bird could be seen flapping its wings as it descended.

"Mr. Chen, please ride the Qingluan!"

As she spoke, Chu Qingluan gestured with a welcoming motion.

Chen Xiao naturally didn't mistake Chu Qingluan for offering to carry him down the mountain. It turned out this giant bird was the legendary Qingluan.

In the immortal realm of his dream, there were no such large birds.

Chen Xiao lightly leaped and jumped onto the Qingluan's broad back.

Immediately afterward, Chu Qingluan also jumped up, her movements skilled and nimble, possessing a delicate grace.

*Lì—*

The Qingluan let out a crisp cry, flapping its wings again and soaring into the air.

The great bird ascended rapidly, flying to a height of a thousand meters.

Clouds swirled around them, the whistling wind swept past their ears, and below them lay an endless expanse of mountains and rivers, with no beginning and no end in sight.

A faint fragrance drifted into Chen Xiao's nostrils. He knew it was the scent emanating from Chu Qingluan.

The bird's back was wide, but it was just right for one person. With two people, it became slightly cramped, and their bodies would unintentionally press close together.

Although Chu Qingluan was already consciously leaning back slightly, Chen Xiao could still clearly feel the contours of her body.

Especially the fullness of her breasts, Chen Xiao's back could feel a gentle pressure...

Coupled with the waves of subtle fragrance, Chen Xiao couldn't help but feel a little restless, his heart rate quickening slightly, and his breathing becoming somewhat rapid.

To ease the awkward atmosphere, Chen Xiao deliberately brought up a topic.

"Miss Chu, it turns out the *zhu* in your Zhushen Temple is the *zhu* of extermination. I wonder if there's any deeper meaning behind this name?"

Chu Qingluan smiled lightly and said calmly, "There's no other deep meaning, just the literal meaning. The initial purpose of establishing our Zhushen Temple was to exterminate gods!"

"Exterminate gods?"

Chen Xiao was slightly startled. He hadn't expected the Zhushen Temple to have such lofty goals. "I wonder what gods you want to exterminate?"

"Of course, the gods of the Heavenly Dao. Mr. Chen, since you know about the catastrophe five hundred years ago, there's no reason you wouldn't know this, right?"

Chu Qingluan said with a hint of doubt.

"Oh? Gods of the Heavenly Dao? I really don't know about that..."

Chen Xiao was slightly shaken and asked, "After that catastrophe, didn't the gods of the Heavenly Dao already disappear? Where are you going to exterminate gods?"

Chu Qingluan was silent for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "They did leave, but they will return, just like five hundred years ago, appearing out of nowhere and disappearing without a trace... Whether it's the cultivators of the Xianyin Realm or the martial artists of the ancient martial arts sects, they are all waiting for that day, and they are all afraid of that day's arrival."

"When will that day arrive?"

"Maybe three to five years, maybe ten to eight years, maybe... they've already come."

Chu Qingluan gave a vague answer.

At this moment, the Qingluan bird slowly descended and landed steadily in front of the great hall hidden in the mountains.

The true Zhushen Temple wasn't just a great hall; it also contained many courtyards and buildings, its scale comparable to a small town.

As the two of them got off the bird's back, a young man with an elegant figure and handsome appearance hurriedly walked over.

"Qingluan, where have you been? Why are you still here? Hurry back to your boudoir to dress up and prepare to welcome Young Master Huangfu!"

As he spoke, the young man grabbed Chu Qingluan and tried to pull her away.

Chu Qingluan shook off the man's hand and said with dissatisfaction, "What are you doing, Second Brother? I was ordered by Father to welcome a peerless genius. Don't make trouble. I still need to take Mr. Chen to see Father. As for welcoming some Young Master Huangfu, I have no interest!"

Then, Chu Qingluan introduced Chen Xiao, "Mr. Chen, this is my Second Brother, Chu Longxiang..."

Before she could finish speaking, Chu Longxiang grabbed Chu Qingluan's arm again. "Qingluan, I'm also here on Father's orders. He ordered you to personally welcome Young Master Huangfu. They'll be here soon. How can you meet them dressed like this? Hurry and come with me..."

Upon hearing her Second Brother's words, Chu Qingluan hesitated. "Is that really Father's intention? Are you lying to me? And if I go with you, what about Mr. Chen?"

"Qingluan, even if you take him over now, Father won't have time to see him. As for what to do with him... Steward Gao should be back soon, so let Steward Gao arrange it."

Chu Longxiang said with a hint of impatience.

Hearing these words, Chen Xiao frowned slightly, but as a newcomer, he didn't say much.

"Alright then."

Chu Qingluan agreed to her Second Brother, then turned to Chen Xiao and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mr. Chen. Please wait here for a moment. I'll come find you when I have time."

"It's alright, Miss Chu. Go ahead and take care of your business."

Chen Xiao said calmly.

Chu Qingluan nodded at Chen Xiao again with an apologetic expression. Chu Longxiang couldn't wait any longer, grabbed her, and strode inside.

"Qingluan, what's wrong with you? Why are you being so polite to a secular martial artist? Also, you actually rode the same Qingluan bird with him. What if Young Master Huangfu sees this?"

After the two had walked far enough away, Chu Longxiang, after making sure his words wouldn't be heard by Chen Xiao, immediately reprimanded his sister with dissatisfaction.

"So what if he sees it? What's going to happen?"

Chu Qingluan lowered her eyelids and mumbled with a pout.

"Qingluan, have you forgotten your identity? You're Young Master Huangfu's fiancée. If he sees you entangled with a secular man, he'll look down on you!"

Chu Longxiang earnestly advised.

Chu Qingluan curled her lips. "Second Brother, don't talk nonsense. Mr. Chen isn't an ordinary secular man. He's the peerless genius chosen by the Zhentian Gong. Although Young Master Huangfu is the young master of the Lingxiao Palace, he's not on the same level as a peerless genius!"

"What peerless genius? My silly sister, you don't really think a secular man would be a peerless genius, do you?"

Chu Longxiang looked helpless, shaking his head with a wry smile.

"But it was him who shattered the Zhentian Gong! You wouldn't have forgotten even our ancestor's teachings, would you? The person who shatters the Zhentian Gong is the peerless genius who will save the world!"

Chu Qingluan retorted unconvinced.

"Of course, I remember our ancestor's teachings, but shattering the Zhentian Gong means you're a peerless genius? Isn't that legend a bit unreliable?"

"And Father has already confirmed it. The reason the Zhentian Gong shattered was because it had reached the end of its lifespan. Anyone could have shattered it!"

Chu Longxiang said plausibly, "If there really is a peerless genius descending to save the world, it will only be one person!"

"Who is it?"

Chu Qingluan asked.

"It's definitely my nephew."

Chu Longxiang said in a serious tone, "That is, the child between you and Young Master Huangfu!"