Chapter 2406 Taking Advantage of the Situation
"I was just testing your abilities, fellow Daoist. I meant no harm."
Li Qiong couldn't figure out Chen Qingyuan's background, and since there was no conflict of interest, she had no reason to offend him.
The pressure I just applied was merely to test Chen Qingyuan's strength.
Chen Qingyuan's performance clearly demonstrates that he is a true prodigy with extraordinary talent, a rare find throughout history.
Even those who had cultivated their expertise in the Imperial Path for many years could not withstand this terrifying imperial might. However, Chen Qingyuan not only withstood it, but also appeared relatively relaxed.
This shows that Chen Qingyuan's abilities far surpass those of ordinary emperors.
Although the ninth step of the Divine Bridge is known as a quasi-emperor, he is ultimately a mortal being, separated from the Great Emperor by countless chasms, and cannot be compared at all.
Chen Qingyuan forcefully broke the established rules and boundaries of the universe.
This matter was so outrageous that even the two peak-level beings of the Extreme Path felt it was somewhat unrealistic.
"It's best if there's no malice involved."
Chen Qingyuan didn't want to make enemies of someone of this caliber unless absolutely necessary. Mu Cangyan was already giving him a headache; if another top-tier being of the same level appeared, it would be even more troublesome.
Chen Qingyuan spoke in a cold and disrespectful tone, and his demeanor suggested that he was on the same level as the visitor.
If it were any other quasi-emperor, let alone engaging in a confrontational conversation with Li Qiong, they wouldn't even have the courage to stand up straight.
To be honest, Li Qiong disliked Chen Qingyuan's attitude, but the other party did indeed possess a talent rarely seen in history and was quite powerful. If there were no conflict of interest, there was no need to make enemies.
"You are worthy of the title of Your Excellency."
Putting aside personal emotions, Li Qiong offered an objective assessment. He honestly admitted that when he was at Chen Qingyuan's level, even if he encountered a newly ascended Emperor-level being, he would have been suppressed with a flick of his finger.
In a contest between cultivators of the same realm, even a hundred Li Qiongs wouldn't be a match for Chen Qingyuan. This was a fact, one he knew perfectly well and wouldn't deny.
"Your Excellency is too kind."
The other party suddenly became polite, and Chen Qingyuan's tone softened noticeably as he responded modestly.
He is a true uncrowned king, overlooking the myriad galaxies and standing proudly above all heroes throughout history.
"Could the scheme to achieve immortality have been orchestrated by you, fellow Daoist?"
Having lost her youthful beauty, Hong Yan no longer cared about her clothes and appearance, and lived a very simple life. She took a few steps forward and raised a very serious topic.
Neither of them was aware of the true situation in Shenzhou; their understanding was limited to what ordinary cultivators knew.
In their view, Chen Qingyuan hadn't even entered the Emperor's Realm, so he wasn't qualified to set up a scheme for immortality. But then they thought, given Chen Qingyuan's extraordinary abilities, he might have obtained some earth-shattering fortune, giving him a one in a billion chance of making a move to set up the scheme.
"I don't have that ability."
Chen Qingyuan denied it.
"Who did that?"
Li Qiong's eyes narrowed, and her tone became cold and sharp.
"You'll know once you're inside."
The first meeting between the two was not very harmonious, and Chen Qingyuan was too lazy to say much.
Li Qiong and Hong Yan stared at Chen Qingyuan, slightly displeased. Based on Chen Qingyuan's answer, they could deduce something.
Chen Qingyuan should know who orchestrated this, but he's unwilling to explain, which is a bit immature of him.
If Chen Qingyuan were to respond with a smile when the other party immediately puts pressure on him, wouldn't that be demeaning to himself?
If you want to know certain key information, you either need to be polite or offer some equivalent resources.
In that case, Chen Qingyuan certainly couldn't say it outright.
Whether the two distinguished guests can understand it or not depends on their own discernment.
Under normal circumstances, the two of them stand at the very top of all the heavens and myriad realms, looking down upon all living beings, and it would be impossible for them to give gifts to a quasi-emperor.
However, information about the Longevity Strategies is extremely valuable; the more you know about it, the more advantages you can gain.
Therefore, Li Qiong suppressed the slight displeasure welling up inside him, remained expressionless, and made a decision after careful consideration. He took out a purple Ganoderma lucidum, a top-grade sacred medicine, which flowed with a unique Daoist aura different from that of the Divine Continent, and was of considerable value.
"Please enlighten me, fellow Daoist."
Li Qiong gently pushed the sacred herb to Chen Qingyuan, her tone mild.
Sensible!
Looking at the purple Ganoderma lucidum so close to him, Chen Qingyuan felt a slight sense of goodwill towards Li Qiong. "If she had been so polite earlier, I would have done my best to answer any questions you might have asked. There would have been no need for gifts."
Although the sacred medicine was right in front of him, Chen Qingyuan did not reach out to catch it. Instead, he glanced at Hong Yan not far away, his meaning clear.
You can't go empty-handed when someone gives you something!
It was just a holy medicine, nothing to Li Qiong. However, he didn't want Hong Yan to take advantage of him, so he was happy to see her do so.
"This petty thief's style of doing things is exactly as rumored."
Hong Yan's expression remained unchanged, but she cursed inwardly.
If Chen Qingyuan were even slightly weaker, the two of them might have directly used soul-searching techniques; why go through all this trouble?
For now, the two can indeed suppress Chen Qingyuan, but they cannot resolve the situation swiftly, for fear that the circumstances might change and bring about unknown trouble.
Since Chen Qingyuan dared to act this way, he must have something to rely on.
I have reservations and don't want to take action.
"Take it!"
A moment later, Hong Yan took out a precious medicinal herb of equal value, and a light green spiritual fruit.
Now, Chen Qingyuan was completely satisfied. His previously cold and stern expression immediately softened into a smile.
"Thank you two seniors."
With a flick of his wrist, he pocketed the treasure before him. Then, Chen Qingyuan bowed respectfully to the two distinguished guests, speaking with utmost courtesy.
What a shameless face!
Upon hearing Chen Qingyuan address him as "senior," Li Qiong and Hong Yan's expressions changed slightly, leaving them speechless.
Looking across the vast universe, Chen Qingyuan is an unparalleled genius, a rare talent indeed. That such a genius would be so mercenary leaves one speechless.
"No need for formalities, just reply!"
Hong Yan admired Chen Qingyuan's quick change of expression, a few black lines appearing on her face as she urged him on.
Considering the resources provided, Chen Qingyuan naturally wouldn't hold a grudge over such a trivial matter as tone of voice, and still smiled, saying, "Okay."
Then, Chen Qingyuan began to explain to the two: "The person who orchestrated this is named Mu Cangyan. This person was born in..."
When introducing Mu Cangyan's life story, Chen Qingyuan spoke fluently and without any pauses.
Mu Cangyan, who was at the core of the game, naturally observed Chen Qingyuan's actions, and his heart was stirred by them.
This guy actually used me as a tool for profit! Damn it!
Although Mu Cangyan wanted to stop it, he couldn't show his face.
After all, he couldn't possibly give such a detailed self-introduction, could he? Nor could he possibly imprint his entire life story in the void.
Doing that would be too degrading.
If he were in that situation, he would also try his best to find out useful information.
Therefore, this gave Chen Qingyuan the opportunity to seek personal gain.
"Three emperors reigned together, the Great Emperor was refined into a puppet..."
Through Chen Qingyuan's narration, the two distinguished guests learned many things that ordinary people would not have access to.
