134. Elder Qian's Birthday Celebration

“Howl...”

At first, the shadow fiend struggled fiercely, roaring incessantly. But as the cultivation system devoured and absorbed it, the malevolent aura around it grew weaker, its roars faded, and its resistance waned.

Only when the cultivation system could no longer absorb any more of the dark energy did Chen Fengyun notice that the shadow fiend’s body had stiffened. Its green fur had all turned to ash, revealing a desiccated corpse beneath.

Chen Fengyun used his flying sword to blast a pit into the ground, swept the corpse into it, and then buried it with respect. Since defeating it earned him 26 attribute points, he was in high spirits and chose not to incinerate the body.

“Huh, the soil here seems to still contain a faint spiritual energy. It must have been long influenced by the lingering dark aura. Now that it has dissipated, the spiritual energy within the earth has surfaced.”

Soon after, Chen Fengyun discovered an area of soil inside the molten cave that was somewhat unusual. Upon closer inspection, he was greatly pleased and immediately relocated all the soil into his miniature realm.

With the shadow fiend dealt with, the residents of the Bishui Manor community would no longer suffer from the intrusion of dark energy. From now on, the plump and tall man would no longer be plagued by nightmares at night.

Chen Fengyun decided to remain in the molten cave, pulling out some materials and spending 15 attribute points to upgrade the Mystic Yin Mirror to the first tier of the Yellow Rank, significantly amplifying its power.

He still had remaining attribute points that could be used to enhance another skill, but he preferred to save them. Once he had accumulated enough points, he planned to first upgrade the Spirit Gathering Formation Flag to Yellow Rank before improving other skills.

The next day, unexpectedly, Gao Xiaohua called to complain, “Crazy guy, isn’t it strange? Today the house suddenly felt so hot that it was unbearable without air conditioning.”

“That’s really odd. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but I didn’t have any nightmares last night and slept much more soundly than before. I feel I can finally rest easy now.”

“I told you, with science so advanced nowadays, there’s no such thing as ghosts or monsters. You believe me now, right?” Chen Fengyun chuckled.

They chatted a little longer and agreed to meet again before school started. Gao Xiaohua had no idea that it was Chen Fengyun himself who had allowed him to sleep peacefully, but Chen Fengyun had no intention of revealing the truth.

A few days later, Qian Yuejin suddenly called Chen Fengyun. “Mr. Chen, the 25th is my father’s ninety-fifth birthday. Our entire family cordially invites you to the capital to attend the old gentleman’s birthday banquet. Will you be available?”

“Uncle Qian, I was originally planning to arrive in the capital on the 28th to prepare for the school term. But since Mr. Qian’s birthday is on the 25th, I’ll come a day earlier.”

Chen Fengyun pondered for a moment. The elder Qian was a respected senior, and since they had invited him to the birthday celebration, declining might disappoint them. So he accepted.

“Excellent, excellent. I’ll have Qingping pick you up on the 24th,” Qian Yuejin, a senior executive at the Emperor Glory Group, said excitedly.

Though a bit unaccustomed, Chen Fengyun understood that after his feats of slaying five or six foreign masters in the Changbai Underground Palace spread, more and more people would treat him with such deference. He said no more.

Indeed, after the events at the Changbai Underground Palace concluded, whether from the northern or southern sects, or among the Chinese masters, many had mentioned Mr. Chen to those around them. Gradually, the news of him slaying a group of foreign masters had spread.

However, few knew Mr. Chen’s real name was Chen Fengyun. Even among northern sect masters, only a handful such as Martin Dang, Hong Zhongshan, and Wan Jianlin knew his true identity. The same applied to Chinese masters; only a few knew his real name.

As for masters from other countries, after learning of the scattered incidents in the Changbai Underground Palace, they came to regard Eastern China as forbidden territory, fearing encountering Mr. Chen and being killed.

Thus, Chen Fengyun became a figure feared by the many prestigious families and martial sects in China and rose as a new star—and deadly force—in the global martial arts world. Yet this reverence was for “Mr. Chen,” not for Chen Fengyun the man.

On August 24th, Qian Qingping personally came to pick up Chen Fengyun. Together, they took a flight from Rongcheng International Airport to the capital. Originally, Zhang Qingyan and An Jingru had arranged to travel with Chen Fengyun by train, but he had to break that promise.

“Mr. Chen, don’t you have any luggage?” Qian Qingping hesitated before asking, noticing Chen Fengyun’s empty hands.

“My luggage was already shipped to the capital yesterday. Traveling light is more convenient,” Chen Fengyun replied, carrying only a shoulder bag containing his admission letter, some documents, and some change.

Qian Qingping said no more and respectfully accompanied him to the capital. Chen Fengyun, however, remained casual, addressing him as “Qian Ge” (Brother Qian), which pleasantly surprised Qian Qingping.

“Mr. Chen, the apartment in the capital has been thoroughly cleaned. All the furniture and appliances are brand new. You can move in immediately. Also, my father has an old Audi Q7 parked in the garage downstairs. It’s just over a year old. If you don’t mind, you can use it for transportation.”

Qian Qingping said this as they got off the plane. The Qian family had considered that if they gifted a brand-new car, Chen Fengyun might refuse, but an older car would likely be accepted.

“Thank you very much,” Chen Fengyun nodded and accepted the family’s kindness.

The apartment the Qian family provided was only two or three kilometers from Capital University. It was an ordinary complex, with buildings over ten years old but well maintained and fully equipped. Chen Fengyun was very satisfied.

“Mr. Chen, here are all the house and car keys. You should rest well this afternoon. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow afternoon.” Since the birthday banquet was in the evening, Qian Qingping said this after escorting Chen Fengyun to his residence.

“That sounds good. I need to prepare a birthday gift for Mr. Qian. See you tomorrow,” Chen Fengyun nodded.

After Qian Qingping left, Chen Fengyun discovered that the refrigerator was stocked with various ingredients.

“The Qian family has truly thought of everything. Still, my giant crocodile meat tastes better.” Chen Fengyun took some giant crocodile meat from his miniature realm, cooked it right away, and the savory aroma stirred a sensation throughout the entire neighborhood.

That evening, Chen Fengyun carved a jade pendant for the elder Qian. Inside, he embedded a defensive formation and a vital energy formation, capable of protecting the elder in emergencies and regulating his qi and blood to prolong his life.

Though casually made, if placed on the market, its value would likely exceed hundreds of millions, and it would be fiercely sought after by the powerful and wealthy elite.