Gou can devour and become a saint in the cultivation world.

Chapter 449 Down on His Luck

A few days later, Chen Yi decided not to delay any longer and prepared to leave the capital of Qi with Qin Chengcheng.

As he had predicted, things unfolded exactly as he had expected.

Outside the main gate of the palace, on the spacious white jade square, three figures were already waiting, their invisible pressure blocking all paths.

The leader, dressed in a black robe with dragon patterns and possessing a dignified appearance, was none other than the current Emperor of Qi. He simply stood with his hands behind his back, calmly watching Chen Yi without uttering a word.

But standing beside him, on his left and right, were two Nascent Soul cultivators with profound auras.

One of them blocked Chen Yi and Qin Chengcheng's way. This man was as tall and strong as an iron tower. His crimson-gold armor gleamed in the sunlight, and his bare arms were bulging with muscles, exuding explosive power.

He was none other than the Grand Marshal of the Qi Kingdom, a powerful expert at the peak of the early stage of the fourth level of Body Refinement, whose combat strength was comparable to that of a cultivator at the peak of the early stage of Nascent Soul.

At this moment, he stared intently at Chen Yi, and spoke in a deep voice, his voice like a resounding bell, making the air buzz.

"Fellow Daoist Chen."

He reached out and blocked it, his arm like an insurmountable mountain range.

"You may come and go as you please, and the Qi royal family will not stop you. However, the Qin fairy beside you has signed a contract with the royal family. Within a hundred years, she may not leave the royal domain without the royal family's permission, unless she can successfully form her Nascent Soul on her own."

The Grand Marshal's tone was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

"You may leave, but Fairy Qin must stay."

The Qi Emperor remained silent, clearly indicating that the Grand Master's words reflected his own opinion as emperor.

The other companion was an elderly man with white hair and beard. He wore a simple gray robe, his body was somewhat hunched, and his face was covered with the wrinkles left by the years, making him look like he didn't have much time left to live.

His cultivation aura was also at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, but when Chen Yi scanned him with his divine sense, he could feel that this person's eyes were bright and piercing, and the strength of his divine sense far exceeded that of an ordinary early stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Chen Yi had a hunch: this person had probably fallen from the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Therefore, his identity was obvious—most likely the previous Qi Emperor.

Seeing this, Qin Chengcheng instinctively gripped Chen Yi's sleeve, a hint of nervousness flashing across her face. Chen Yi patted her hand calmly, reassuring her.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Back in the day, the State of Qi was considered a powerful nation, but now it can only offer these three Nascent Soul cultivators as a facade.

One was at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, another was at the peak of the early-stage Nascent Soul realm, and the last was an old emperor who had fallen from the mid-stage and whose lifespan was nearing its end.

If this level of strength were placed in the Central Continent, where the cultivation civilization was at its peak, it would probably not even be comparable to a medium-sized cultivation sect.

Ugh.

After all, it was the place where he grew up in his youth. Even if he didn't give face to the current Emperor Qi, he still had to consider some old feelings.

In the state of Qi, he still had some friends with whom he had once had dealings. Going too far would ultimately not be good.

Chen Yi raised his eyes, his gaze passing over the burly Grand Marshal, and looked directly at Emperor Qi, speaking in a calm tone.

"Since this fellow Daoist has objections to Chen taking his Daoist partner away, there's no point in saying more."

His gaze slowly moved upwards, looking up at the cloudless sky.

"How about we talk in the Five Elements Heaven?"

Upon hearing this, the Grand Marshal's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he then let out a cold laugh.

Above the Five Heavens, the fierce winds are extremely depleting the magical power of cultivators. On the contrary, body cultivators who specialize in physical cultivation have a great advantage.

In his view, the young man was courting death.

"Fine! I'd like to see what kind of scriptures this monk from Zhongzhou can chant!"

Before he finished speaking, the burly man emitted a burst of golden light, stomped his foot, and transformed into a thick streak of light, soaring straight into the sky with overwhelming force, as if he were about to smash a hole in the heavens.

Beside him, Emperor Qi remained expressionless and nodded slightly to the old man.

As someone who was there to provide cover, he also had to be wary of any tricks Chen Yi might pull. So, he quickly transformed into a swifter golden rainbow and followed closely behind.

The old emperor remained there, his murky yet sharp gaze fixed on Qin Chengcheng, clearly tasked with keeping an eye on her.

Chen Yi didn't say much, but gave Qin Chengcheng a reassuring look before his figure transformed into an extremely fast streak of light and soared into the sky.

His speed seemed slow, lacking any earth-shattering momentum, yet it possessed a strange rhythm, as if it were integrated with the space itself.

In the blink of an eye, he had already overtaken the Emperor and the Grand Marshal of the Army, leaving them far behind without even having to go full speed.

He was the first to arrive at the Five Heavens.

The sky here is an eerie gray-white, and invisible gales, like billions of steel blades, howl from all directions, leaving subtle ripples in the air wherever they pass.

The wind here is biting cold. Even if an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator were to exert all their protective power, it would be difficult to stand here for even a quarter of an hour, as their power would be quickly depleted.

A moment later, the Grand Marshal of the Army finally arrived.

He barely managed to release a layer of body-refining golden light to protect himself. The golden light flickered erratically under the raging gale, clearly indicating that he was under tremendous pressure.

Immediately afterwards, Emperor Qi also appeared to the side.

He was, after all, at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and his magical power was far more abundant. A thick layer of magical power shield covered his body, isolating him from all the fierce winds. Although it could protect him, he still needed to use his magical power to maintain it at all times.

In contrast, Chen Yi simply stood there calmly.

No protective magic was released, nor was any golden shield activated.

His simple monk's robe fluttered slightly in the strong wind, but there were no other unusual phenomena.

The fierce winds, powerful enough to tear apart metal and stone, blew three feet in front of him and then, as if encountering an invisible reef, automatically split to both sides.

One can stroll leisurely here using only one's physical body.

Seeing that Chen Yi was so relaxed, Emperor Qi was very surprised, and his pupils involuntarily contracted.

A deep look of shock flashed across the eyes of the Grand Marshal, but he quickly attributed it to external factors.

"Hmph, he must have some kind of powerful treasure on him, putting on airs here!" He sneered inwardly, but didn't say it aloud; his fighting spirit only intensified.

The next moment, the young man, who looked to be no more than twenty years old, spoke calmly: "Fellow Daoists, I don't want to waste my breath on you."

His gaze swept over the two of them, carrying an undeniable calm.

"If you can withstand even one of my moves, I will turn around and leave, and Qin Chengcheng will remain in your Qi royal family."