Chapter 51: It Feels So Good to Have Someone to Rely On

Hearing this, Yun Li’s eyes widened, and the look she directed at Lu Xingchen was filled with sheer disbelief.

"My god, are you serious? That’s a Martial Spirit expert! You’re merely a ten-star Martial Master, what gives you the confidence?"

Lu Xingchen replied indifferently, "That is my concern, you needn't worry about it." He paused, then added, "So, can you give me a hand? Consider it a favor I owe you. If you ever run into trouble in the future, I will help you in return."

Yun Li chuckled, "Alright, I can use my status as a disciple of the Cangxuan Sect to prevent the Tianhui Kingdom from continuing its support to the Fengming Kingdom, but as for the rest, it will all depend on you."

She looked at him with a grin, "Lu Xingchen, is it? You truly are an interesting person! I'd love to see how you manage to turn the tide."

With a faint smile, Lu Xingchen said, "A gentleman's word is as good as a bond sealed with four horses."

With that, he lifted the seal on the Primordial Chaos Umbrella.

Regaining her freedom, Yun Li let out a long sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease. She then stroked her storage ring, and a paper kite materialized in her palm.

Yun Li scribbled a few words onto the kite and released it into the air.

"Alright, I've written to my senior brother. He will help me pressure the Tianhui Kingdom so they won't dispatch further troops."

Lu Xingchen smiled, "My thanks. You certainly act with great promptitude. Since that is settled, let us part ways here for now! You can continue with your trials, and I must go rescue my old man."

Yun Li flashed a mischievous smile, "Who said I'm leaving? Training can be done anywhere. I've decided to stick by your side and witness with my own eyes how you turn the tide."

Frowning slightly, Lu Xingchen asked, "Won't you just slow me down?"

Placing her hands on her hips, Yun Li retorted playfully, "You look down on me far too much! I am a Saintess, after all. How about this: I won't follow you for nothing; if you need help, you can call on me. However, with the seal on my cultivation, I can only display the strength of a five-star Great Martial Master." She narrowed her eyes slightly, "And your commands mustn't be too excessive, or I will refuse them."

Hearing this, a surge of joy washed over Lu Xingchen.

Although Yun Li's cultivation was currently suppressed to the five-star Great Martial Master realm, her actual combat prowess was undoubtedly much higher. Combined with her exquisite archery skills, she would prove to be a tremendous asset.

"Very well. In that case, I offer my thanks in advance, Miss Yun Li."

With an excited tone, Yun Li asked, "So what do we do next? How do we go about reviving the Great Yan Kingdom?"

Lu Xingchen said in a deep voice, "The first step, naturally, is to rescue my old man. Every extra day he spends in Zigui City is another day of suffering for him."

Yun Li looked slightly surprised upon hearing this.

"You want to rescue your father? Zigui City has a Martial Spirit expert stationed there! Not to mention you couldn't possibly defeat him, even someone like me at my current state wouldn't be able to win against him."

Lu Xingchen responded calmly, "I am merely breaking into the prison; I don't necessarily have to fight that Martial Spirit expert head-on. I have my own plans."

Yun Li grew even more excited, "Yay, yay! This sounds like so much fun! I'm coming too."

Lu Xingchen said gravely, "No, this trip is far too dangerous, and I won't have the bandwidth to protect you."

Yun Li smiled brightly, "It might be dangerous for you, but it's hardly any concern of mine. Should we really run into that Martial Spirit, I'll just flash my Cangxuan Sect token and be done with it. Even if he doesn't respect the token, I can always voluntarily lift my seal."

"Ah, this..."

At a loss for words, Lu Xingchen remained silent for a moment before finally replying, "It must be wonderful to have powerful backers!"

"Alright, Miss Yun Li, go and get some rest. I need to go into seclusion and make some preparations for the prison break."

"Got it! Do your best!"

With those words, Yun Li turned and left the room.

Suddenly, a system notification chimed in Lu Xingchen's ear.

[Congratulations to the host for receiving the quest: Rescue the Old Man]

[Quest Requirement: Rescue Lu Zhaoyang from Zigui City]

[Rewards: 2,000 EXP, 2,000 Exchange Points, and the Earth-tier High-grade spiritual weapon, Sunset Bow.]

A wave of elation surged through Lu Xingchen's heart.

Rescuing his father was something he had to do anyway; now that it had triggered a system quest, wasn't this like wealth falling straight from the heavens?

Advancing from a ten-star Martial Master to a one-star Great Martial Master required 1,500 EXP. As long as he completed this system quest, he would instantly break through into the realm of a Great Martial Master!

Lu Xingchen immediately checked his attribute panel.

[Host: Lu Xingchen]

[Realm: Ten-star Martial Master]

[EXP: 100/1500]

[Exchange Points: 2220]

[Talents: Eagle Eye (20), Heavy Strike (20), Berserk (50), Sword Blade (30), Shattered Jade (50), Devour (50)]

[Profession: Tier-3 Alchemist (1000/10000), Tier-3 Spirit Array Master (0/10000)]

[Mount: Nether Dragon (Tier 3)]

[Quest: Rescue the Old Man]

Having gained another twenty Exchange Points upon advancing to a ten-star Martial Master, Lu Xingchen promptly allocated them to "Sword Blade".

[Sword Blade (50): Increases damage dealt with sword-type weapons by 100 points.]

Without hesitation, Lu Xingchen opened the system mall and purchased an Earth-tier Medium-grade spiritual equipment and an Earth-tier Medium-grade martial skill.

[Windwalking Boots: Significantly increases movement speed.]

[Ghost Shadow Steps: Enhances movement speed and evasion capabilities.]

In an instant, his 2,000 Exchange Points vanished completely.

Going toe-to-toe with a Martial Spirit expert was entirely unrealistic; the key lay in speed—extracting his father before the enemy could even react. Therefore, the Windwalking Boots and <Ghost Shadow Steps> were of paramount importance.

Lu Xingchen retrieved the Windwalking Boots from his storage ring, slipped them onto his feet, and then mentally touched the manual for <Ghost Shadow Steps>.

In a flash, a vast amount of movement techniques flooded his mind, making it feel as though he had practiced them for many years.

Following that, Lu Xingchen produced the two corpses of the one-star Great Martial Masters along with the Cyan Stone Cauldron, deciding to refine two more Earthly Fiend Puppets.

Aside from that Martial Spirit expert, Zigui City undoubtedly harbored other formidable experts. To avoid getting bogged down and unable to break away, bringing along a few extra puppets was a foolproof measure.

It took a full day and night before Lu Xingchen successfully refined the two Earthly Fiend Puppets.

By the time he finished, dawn had just broken.

Stepping out of his room, Lu Xingchen walked over and knocked on Lin Jing's door.

Three minutes later, Lin Jing emerged.

"Junior Brother Lu, is there anything you need me to do?"

Lu Xingchen said solemnly, "Senior Sister Lin Jing, I am heading to Zigui City to rescue my father. I must leave the crucial task of defending the royal city in your hands."

With a solemn expression, Lin Jing asked, "Are you truly going?"

Lu Xingchen nodded firmly, "My father raised me and nurtured me with immense grace. I have no choice but to go."

"Very well. The safety of the royal city is entrusted to me. With me here, the soldiers of the Fengming Kingdom will never advance a single step further. Junior Brother Lu, I await your triumphant return!"

Lu Xingchen smiled faintly, "May your words bring me good fortune."

After bidding farewell to Lin Jing, Lu Xingchen knocked on Yun Li's door.

"Miss Yun Li, I am ready. It's time to set off!"

Unable to contain her excitement, Yun Li cheered, "Yay, yay! A good show is about to begin!"

The two mounted their horses and galloped toward Zigui City.

Lu Xingchen chose not to summon little You, fearing that it would alert the enemy prematurely.