True colors revealed

Chu Yao's beautiful eyes suddenly flashed with a playful look: "Don't you want to know why Tang Waner and I both call each other 'Big Sister'?"

"That's right," said Long Chen.

"Heehee, actually we have a special connection because we were born on the same year, same month, and same day. What's even more incredible is that we were both born at exactly the third quarter of the Zi hour (midnight). So, neither of us knows who is older. We just decided to call each other 'Big Sister.' How about that? Didn't expect that, right?" Chu Yao linked her arm with Tang Waner's and winked at Long Chen.

Long Chen couldn't help but gape. Could such a coincidence really happen in this world? Being born on the same year, month, and day was one thing, but to be born at the exact same moment was just too exaggerated.

Seeing Long Chen's shocked expression, Chu Yao and Tang Waner exchanged a knowing smile. Although they had known Long Chen for a long time, they rarely saw him look truly shocked.

Seeing this shocked expression, the two women felt very proud. They lowered their heads and smiled at Long Chen, their eyes filled with triumph.

"Fine, I admit it, I'm shocked," Long Chen said, shaking his head and sighing. This world was too crazy.

"Heehee, so while I'm away, Tang Waner will take care of you for me. You are not allowed to bully her, okay?" Chu Yao said meaningfully.

"She'll take care of me? I don't know if I'll even survive long enough to enter the Nine Li Secret Realm," Long Chen said, looking at Tang Waner with some concern.

"Long Chen, do you distrust me that much? Actually, I have a careful side too," Tang Waner said, looking like she was about to cry.

"Long Chen, you are not allowed to bully Tang Waner. Hurry up and apologize to her," Chu Yao scolded playfully.

"Alright, alright, I was wrong. Tang Waner is virtuous, gentle, and lovely. I shouldn't have doubted her character!" Long Chen's shamelessness had reached a certain Realm; words like these came easily to him.

Tang Waner finally turned her tears into smiles. Looking at the two beauties before him, with their shifting eyes and delicate, charming faces, Long Chen's heart couldn't help but race.

One was gentle and lovely, the other was pretending to be gentle and lovely, but both were so intoxicating. If he could marry both of these beauties, his life would truly be worth it.

However, Chu Yao hadn't spoken very clearly, and he didn't know what their situation truly was. Trying to thoroughly understand a woman's heart was harder than becoming a god.

Therefore, Long Chen had to maintain that hazy, half-understanding feeling; otherwise, if he misread the situation, it would be awkward.

If it were just awkward, that would be fine, but if it led to a falling out and hurt both of them, that would be a disaster. So, good things take time.

People are more beautiful than flowers. Looking at Chu Yao and Tang Waner, Long Chen unconsciously thought of another face—long hair fluttering, skin as white as snow, like a Fairy descending to the mortal world. He wondered how she was doing.

"Long Chen, are you thinking of Big Sister Meng Qi?" Chu Yao said softly.

Long Chen was stunned. He thought for a moment and nodded. He wasn't good at lying. Although he was a bit shameless, he had to admit that for some reason, Meng Qi occupied a very important place in his heart.

Logically, he had spent the least amount of time with Meng Qi, but she had left a very deep impression on him. Previously, Long Chen thought he was just attracted to her beauty, a kind of infatuation.

But as time passed, he felt things weren't that simple. He felt as if he had known Meng Qi for lifetimes.

Although this thought was absurd, Long Chen really had this feeling—a sense of intimacy coming from the depths of his Soul.

"Who is Meng Qi?" Tang Waner asked, looking confused.

Chu Yao smiled slightly and said: "Everyone is full now, let's go. We can talk while we walk."

After speaking, Chu Yao pulled Tang Waner and walked forward. At this time, A Man was also full. Although a first-tier Demonic Beast couldn't fill his stomach, it gave him the energy to walk without having to constantly eat.

A day later, the group arrived at the end of Tianmu Mountain. Tianmu Mountain looked like a long blade slashing across the earth. The Xuantian Branch and the Tianmu Palace were just on either side of Tianmu Mountain.

If measured by a straight line, the two were only ten thousand miles apart, but Tianmu Mountain pierced the clouds and was impossible to cross.

Therefore, the effective distance between the two Schools was hundreds of thousands of miles, which made the two feel very helpless.

Chu Yao reached out her jade hand and gently straightened Long Chen's collar. Her beautiful eyes were slightly red. Although she knew it was only a short parting, she still couldn't help but let her tears flow.

Long Chen reached out and pulled Chu Yao's fragrant body tightly into his arms, letting her sob in his embrace. This was the only thing he could do.

Don't know how long it had been, Chu Yao finally released Long Chen and hugged Tang Waner. Tang Waner also had tears in her eyes, holding onto Chu Yao tightly.

Chu Yao was the first friend she had truly bonded with. Although they hadn't known each other for long, they told each other everything and had long since become sisters.

"Take care."

Chu Yao finally said goodbye and left. However, the reluctance before she left made Long Chen's heart ache as if pricked by needles.

Watching Chu Yao's retreating figure, Long Chen swore to himself that he must become stronger and never again endure the pain of such helpless separation.

"Big Sister Chu Yao has left, but it doesn't matter, I will take care of you. Don't worry," seeing Long Chen looking depressed, Tang Waner said to comfort him.

"You taking care of me? To be honest, I'm really a bit worried," Long Chen said with a sigh.

"Bastard, you are courting death."

As soon as Long Chen finished speaking, Tang Waner grabbed him by the collar, pouncing on him like an agile leopard and knocking him to the ground.

"Long Chen, do you know that I've been tolerating you for a long time? You bastard, did you think you could turn the world upside down just because you went out once? Now that your wings are hard, you don't put me, your president, in your eyes anymore? If it weren't for Big Sister Yao'er, I would have already taught you a lesson."

Beside them, A Man and Little Snow watched the two in confusion. Tang Waner, who had been gentle and lovely the whole way, suddenly turned into a tigress, leaving them stunned. A Man, in particular, felt bewildered.

"As expected, her gentleness was all an act."

Long Chen finally understood the truth. He had thought Tang Waner had been influenced by Chu Yao and had changed her nature.

Now, it truly lived up to that saying: You can change the world, but don't try to change a woman; that will only get you hurt.

However, Long Chen still liked this kind of Tang Waner. This was the real Tang Waner, and he loved this personality of hers.

"What are you laughing at?" Tang Waner demanded angrily.

However, as soon as she said that, she realized their position was very ambiguous. Tang Waner was almost entirely lying on top of Long Chen, and she could even feel his heartbeat and smell his unique masculine scent.

Tang Waner's pretty face flushed red, but she still pinned Long Chen down, refusing to let go. "Say it, are you wrong?"

"I was wrong," said Long Chen.

"Where were you wrong?"

"I was wrong everywhere," said Long Chen.

"Be specific."

"I have many faults, but I know my biggest mistake was misunderstanding the beautiful Tang Waner. Actually, Tang Waner has always been a virtuous, gentle, intelligent, elegant, and soft-spoken woman." As Long Chen spoke, he took a short rod out of his spatial ring and held it above his head, pointing at the sky. He looked extremely bizarre.

Tang Waner was struggling to hold back her laughter, but seeing Long Chen's actions, she couldn't help but ask curiously: "What are you doing?"

"I'm making a lightning rod," Long Chen said, looking at the sky with a serious face.

Tang Waner didn't understand what Long Chen meant at first. She looked up at the sky and saw that it was cloudless, so she frowned and asked: "What the hell are you doing?"

"I heard from the Elders that if you tell lies, you get struck by lightning," Long Chen said, looking earnest.

Tang Waner was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant and flew into a rage: "Bastard, you're playing me!"

Long Chen laughed out loud, used his waist strength to push Tang Waner away, and bolted.

"You stop right there!"

Tang Waner gave chase. A Man and Little Snow watched the two with blank expressions and could only silently follow them.

When Long Chen and Tang Waner returned to the Branch, the entire Branch immediately boiled over. Both new and old Disciples came out to welcome them.

This battle between the Righteous Path and the Evil Path had brought great fame to the Xuantian Branch. Long Chen had led the Righteous Path Disciples to kill several times their number of Evil Path Disciples, creating a legend.

He alone killed a Dao-Deriving Expert and an Evil Path Elder at the eighth stage of the Bone Forging Realm, and he even chopped off the leg of a person hailed as a once-in-a-millennium Genius.

Long Chen was a legendary figure, and this legendary figure was right by their side, leading them in a real battle.

After this battle, every Disciple in the Branch saw what true power was and what a real battle was.

The image of Long Chen leading the Disciples, fearless of life and death, charging and killing Evil Path Disciples on the battlefield, was forever etched in everyone's hearts.

Ye Zhiqiu, Gu Yang, Song Mingyuan, and other core Disciples all came forward. Senior Brother Wan also came over with the Enforcers to greet Long Chen.

Seeing Senior Brother Wan, Long Chen couldn't help but exclaim: "Bone Forging Realm!"

At this moment, the Aura on Senior Brother Wan was surging, carrying an extremely powerful pressure—this was the manifestation that only appeared after entering the Bone Forging Realm.

"Hahaha, thanks to you, Long Chen. Just luck, just luck," Senior Brother Wan laughed.

Senior Brother Wan was originally at the Peak of the Tendon Tempering Realm. Based on his Aptitude, it should have taken at least three to five years to advance to the Bone Forging Realm.

Even if it took ten years, it would have been within reason, because the further one progressed in the Realm, the tighter the Bottleneck became and the harder it was to achieve a Breakthrough.

However, after this battle, influenced by the battlefield and fighting without regard for his life, Senior Brother Wan had completely cast aside the fear and hesitation in his heart, which caused his Bottleneck to loosen significantly.

Just the second day after returning to the Branch, he successfully advanced to the Bone Forging Realm, becoming the first expert among the Branch's Senior Brother-level Disciples to reach the Bone Forging Realm.

"Hehe, congratulations, Senior Brother Wan. No, I should congratulate Elder Wan," Long Chen laughed.

According to the Branch rules, once an Enforcer advances to the Bone Forging Realm, they are automatically promoted to Elder, enjoying Elder-level treatment.

"Long Chen, you tease me like this, aren't you afraid I'll make things difficult for you?" Senior Brother Wan couldn't help but laugh.

Everyone came forward to greet Long Chen, their eyes filled with excitement. Long Chen discovered that almost everyone's Aura had skyrocketed, and quite a few had directly advanced in their cultivation.

As for those who hadn't advanced, their Auras were fluctuating, which was a sign that a Breakthrough could happen at any moment.

"Long Chen, when are you going to take us to fight again? Damn, the last fight was so satisfying," Gu Yang said, looking excited.

Long Chen laughed and was about to reply when an Elder suddenly walked over and said to Long Chen: "The Sect Leader wants to see you."