Chapter 23: Black Inn

Tiandu was bustling and prosperous, filled with throngs of people and countless powerful cultivators. The magnificent buildings stood tall before Xiao Chen's eyes.

"Wow! Tiandu is so different! It's much more bustling than Fengyue City! So lively, and look, there's a big river too!" Xiao Chen exclaimed joyfully, running around the streets with curiosity, looking at everything.

"The human world is indeed full of joy! Tiandu is so beautiful!" The Ancient White Tiger was also extremely excited. Though it was within the Storage Ring, it could see everything in Tiandu clearly.

Xiao Chen soon ran onto a large bridge named Longevity Bridge. Men and women stood on the bridge, gazing at the slowly flowing river below, making wishes, all hoping to gain eternal life like the bridge.

"Xiao Chen, look at those people!" Just as Xiao Chen was happily looking at the enormous river, the voice of the Ancient White Tiger came from the Storage Ring.

Xiao Chen looked ahead and saw a procession passing through the street. A luxurious and massive carriage was pulled by fine horses, led by a middle-aged man on horseback. Following behind were numerous guards, several of whom were at the Heart Movement Stage.

"Such a strong presence! Little White Tiger, the one at the front is a Golden Core Stage expert! So powerful! And several of those guards are at the Heart Movement Stage, and the ones beside the carriage are at the Fasting Stage. They must be from a prominent family; there must be an important figure inside the carriage!" Xiao Chen said, this being the first time he had seen such a powerful lineup.

As the procession moved along the street, cultivators on the street made way, not daring to obstruct them. The cultivators' eyes were filled with respect and awe.

"The strength of the Liu family is exceptional. Even a casual procession has such powerful individuals. They are indeed one of the three major powers in Tiandu!" a cultivator on the street exclaimed enviously.

Hearing this, Xiao Chen quickly asked the cultivator, "Brother, who are the other two major powers?"

"Hehe, of course, they are the Ge family and the Su family. All three families are incredibly powerful and have deep foundations. The disciples they cultivate are also very formidable," the cultivator replied with a slight smile. Then, looking at Xiao Chen with curiosity, he asked, "Little brother, is this your first time in Tiandu? How come you don't know this?"

Xiao Chen nodded and smiled, "Yes, it's my first time here."

Xiao Chen then asked, "Where are they coming from?"

"The one in the carriage is the young master of the Liu family, Liu Feng. Naturally, they are returning from training in the Beast Mountain Range. The Liu family's young master is already at the late Heart Movement Stage and is only fifteen years old. He is a young genius of Tiandu!" the cultivator explained with a smile.

"Why take so many people for training?" Xiao Chen asked in surprise. Training was supposed to be done alone, so why bring so many people along? Xiao Chen found it odd, but hearing the words "Beast Mountain Range" also excited him.

"Hehe, the young master of the Liu family is a dragon among men and the only heir of the Liu family, so he naturally needs protection. The future of the Liu family rests on him!" the cultivator patiently explained.

"I see." Xiao Chen nodded, thinking that a fifteen-year-old at the late Heart Movement Stage was a genius in Tiandu, but still far behind him. After thanking the cultivator, he ran off.

Admiring the Liu family's power, Xiao Chen felt envious, but it was unrelated to him. Knowing the surface details was enough, there was no need to waste time delving deeper.

After wandering around Longevity Bridge, Xiao Chen explored other places, spending about two hours in total until he was so hungry that he decided to find a tavern to eat.

Although he had only explored a small part of Tiandu, it was enough to broaden Xiao Chen's horizons. He encountered numerous strong cultivators, further fueling his desire for power.

Xiao Chen knew that Tiandu was merely the most remote prosperous region of the Tianyue Continent. The true strong cultivators resided in the cultivation world of Tianyue Continent. The so-called strong in Tiandu were only powerful to the weak.

The true powerhouses were in the cultivation world of Tianyue Continent! Xiao Chen's goal was also the cultivation world of Tianyue Continent! That was where he truly belonged.

"Enough playing. It's time to focus on cultivation," Xiao Chen thought to himself. After eating his fill, he left the tavern with a heart full of determination.

"Xiao Chen, where are we going? I haven't played enough yet! Tiandu is so much fun!" the Ancient White Tiger transmitted, its excitement evident in its voice.

Leaving the tavern, Xiao Chen said, "I originally planned to go straight to the Beast Mountain Range, but it's getting late. It's better to find an inn to stay at, and also ask for the exact location of the Beast Mountain Range. We can go tomorrow."

"What? Going to the Beast Mountain Range so soon? I haven't had enough fun yet!" the Ancient White Tiger said dejectedly, feeling a bit frustrated.

"Little White Tiger, I need to get stronger, so I must go to the Beast Mountain Range for training. Once I become powerful, I'll take you to have fun, okay?" Xiao Chen said with a smile, knowing that the Little White Tiger was unhappy, so he tried to comfort it.

"Fine!" the Ancient White Tiger reluctantly agreed, but knowing Xiao Chen needed to train, it could only comply.

Xiao Chen found a fairly luxurious inn, booked a top room, and after asking about the location of the Beast Mountain Range, he went upstairs to the guest room, arranged his spirit stones, and then sat cross-legged on the wooden bed to cultivate.

As time passed and night fell, the inn became eerily quiet, almost like a haunted house, with an ominous atmosphere beginning to spread.

"Xiao Chen, this inn feels strange. The aura here is very unusual," the Ancient White Tiger transmitted.

Xiao Chen had sensed it too and whispered, "I feel it too. It's indeed strange."

"Boss, that kid must have a lot of spirit stones; otherwise, how could he afford a top room? And they're top-grade spirit stones," a faint voice sounded outside the guest room, where several people dressed in nightclothes were standing.

"Keep your voice down. Once we get in, kill the kid quietly. We'll split the spirit stones. The kid probably doesn't have much cultivation; just make sure he doesn't make any noise so others don't hear," one of them whispered, likely the innkeeper.

Inside the room, the Ancient White Tiger transmitted, "Xiao Chen, there are people outside. It's the innkeeper and the inn's staff. They intend to kill you for your wealth!"

"What? The innkeeper and the staff?" Xiao Chen was shocked. So this was a black inn!

"Yes! I heard their conversation. They're planning to attack you!" the Ancient White Tiger transmitted. As a divine beast, its hearing was naturally powerful and highly alert.

"Damn it! I can't believe this is a black inn! They're actually planning to kill me for my money!" Xiao Chen whispered angrily, his eyes filled with killing intent.

"Xiao Chen, don't be impulsive. There are four of them, all at the Heart Movement Stage. I'll use my escape technique to hide you. Just stay quiet, and we'll leave through the window once they're gone," the Ancient White Tiger transmitted.

"Okay!" Xiao Chen nodded.

"Creak."

Before long, the door to Xiao Chen's room was gently opened. Several black figures carefully entered and then quietly closed the door behind them.

One of the black-clothed men made a few hand gestures to the others, and three of them swiftly approached the wooden bed, their movements practiced as they pressed down on the pillow, intending to silence their target, while the other two used dark energy to strike the bed. Their actions were perfectly synchronized.

"Huh? No one's here?" The one pressing on the pillow suddenly exclaimed in surprise. He quickly lifted the blanket, finding no one there!

The other two also voiced their confusion, "What's going on? The kid was clearly in the room the whole time. How is he gone?"

The innkeeper came in, looking puzzled as well, "Where's the kid? How did he disappear? Weren't you keeping an eye on him?"

"Innkeeper, I don't know what happened. The kid didn't leave the room, and the window is closed. He just vanished!" the staff member said with a bitter smile, clueless about what had happened.

"Humph! How ruthless! If we hadn't been alert, they would have killed me. If my cultivation wasn't weak, I'd kill them all right now!" Hidden in the darkness, Xiao Chen watched the innkeeper and his men with extreme anger, though his weak cultivation meant confronting them now would be suicidal.

"Humph! They'll get what's coming to them eventually. Xiao Chen, don't get angry over such people. It's not worth it. My mother told me when I was born, good deeds bring good rewards, and evil deeds bring evil rewards. It's just a matter of time," the Ancient White Tiger transmitted, hating these people just as much.

"Little White Tiger, let's go," Xiao Chen whispered, not wanting to stay any longer, nor did he want to see such vile people.

Leaving the inn, Xiao Chen headed to a forested area in Tiandu. With the Ancient White Tiger accompanying him, he could rest assured and cultivate.

The next morning, as the first warm rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves onto Xiao Chen's youthful face, he slowly opened his eyes, waking from his cultivation. A night of cultivation had slightly improved his skills and left him feeling refreshed, with the unpleasantness of the previous night dissipated.

Stretching, Xiao Chen stood up and smiled, "That was refreshing. My cultivation improved a bit. Not bad. Let's have something to eat and head to the Beast Mountain Range."

"Xiao Chen, there's a group of people coming this way!" the Ancient White Tiger transmitted.

Hearing this, Xiao Chen looked over and saw a group of over a dozen people riding towards him, with a luxurious carriage in the middle. It was clear they were from a prominent family.

"It's either the Ge family or the Su family!" Xiao Chen muttered, his gaze fixed on the carriage. Unlike the one he saw yesterday, this one was different, so it couldn't be from the Liu family.

At this moment, the middle-aged man at the front shouted at Xiao Chen, "Kid, who are you? Why are you here?"