Chapter 11 Master!
"Daddy, you, you, you can't leave, you can't leave Luo Luo!" Baba cried out, filled with worry.
When Luo Luo understood, the little princess became anxious, raising her tiny arms with teary eyes.
Su Chen quickly reassured her, saying, "Luo Luo, Daddy is just going to take care of some things."
"No, I don't want Daddy to go."
Luo Luo burst into tears, looking pitiful.
"Su Chen, what could be so important?" Chen Shiyan grumbled, "Can't you just take care of Luo Luo honestly? If you're short on money, let me know, and put aside all your messy personal matters for now!"
Seeing Luo Luo cry so intensely, Chen Shiyan felt a pang of sympathy. She spoke firmly, "Luo Luo, no more tears. Daddy won't go anywhere, he'll stay at home with you."
Su Chen fell silent for a couple of seconds and sighed gently, "Alright, Daddy will stay at home with you, and even if I have to go somewhere else, I'll take you with me."
According to Su Chen's thoughts, he would go out take care of these things, and even if his daughter cried, he would still leave.
In the turbulent times he lived in, which general went out to fight and would stay because of his children's love?
In the end... He felt sorry for his daughter.
In the more than two years after Luo Luo was born, he was not there, and the guilt, made him extra concerned about Luo Luo.
Su Chen hurriedly went to coax his daughter.
Luo Luo's mood gradually improved.
Perhaps because of the crying out, the little princess's sadness dissipated with her tears.
On the way home, the little princess was full of happiness.
And Su Chen's decision, too, had changed.
According to Su Chen's original plan, he intended to leave the next morning, visit Xihang City, and then head to the Kunlun Mountains to retrieve some items. But since his daughter couldn't bear to part with him, he decided to leave overnight.
It might be a bit rushed, but he could make it in time.
"What a clingy little girl." Su Chen thought, shaking his head slightly. His expression remained neutral, but inside, he felt a warm glow.
Being a father and having such an affectionate little companion was truly heartwarming.
After a day of playing, Luo Luo grew tired. When they returned to their rented room, she started to feel sleepy.
Just before bedtime, Luo Luo stood in front of Su Chen, raised her little arm, and bent her pinky finger.
With her shiny, earnest eyes, the little princess said, "Baba, you can't lie to me. You promised to take me with you everywhere."
Su Chen chuckled and replied, "Daddy will never lie to you."
"Promise?" Luo Luo asked in her sweet, childish voice.
"Of course." Su Chen nodded and lifted his pinky finger, connecting it with his daughter's tiny finger.
"Pinky promise, unbreakable for a hundred years!"
As if it were a solemn vow.
As Su Chen rushed to Xihang City under the cover of night, the sweet, melodic voice of his little princess echoed in his ears.
His delicate and adorable daughter had truly melted Su Chen's heart.
Su Chen remained oblivious to it, but an instinctual warmth curled up the corners of his lips.
Moments later, Su Chen arrived at the Tianyun Mountains in the eastern suburbs of Xihang City.
Deep within the Tianyun Mountains, a sparsely visited, low-lying forest area was none other than the Forest of Ecstasy.
Not a cloud marred the sky; the brilliant moon hung high, casting its radiant light upon the earth.
At the edge of the Forest of Ecstasy, the trees stood densely, soaring into the sky like giants.
Any ordinary person standing by the Forest of Ecstasy would surely feel their own insignificance.
Su Chen stood quietly on the edge of a canyon, gazing ahead.
Within the forest, there was an eerie stillness devoid of mosquitoes and bird calls. At the end of the canyon lay the beginning of the Forest of Ecstasy, enveloped by a faint blue mist. As his gaze extended, the mist thickened.
In the forbidden lands of Tianyun, even the outermost fog-covered forest could easily bewilder ordinary individuals, let alone the existence of a hidden small world deep within.
Su Chen made a subtle movement, gracefully leaping down from the enormous boulder and drifting toward the lush forest in the distance.
Suddenly, from behind a massive rock on the canyon's left side, three young men dressed in azure garments sprang out. The leader sported short hair and had an attentive gaze. He spoke with caution: "Halt! Who are you?"
Oh?
Su Chen had already detected the concealed figures there, initially mistaking them for subordinates of Dark Shadow Hall.
Su Chen remained silent, his gaze calmly assessing them.
Apart from the short-haired man, the other two appeared visibly tense.
They were martial practitioners, with the short-haired man as their leader and the most formidable in terms of strength.
"What business brings you sneaking here in the dead of night?"
The short-haired man retorted coldly, "Let me inform you that dealing with people from our Tianyun Sect is no trifling matter. I am the senior brother of Tianyun Sect, and my strength is considerable."
His words carried a hint of menace.
In the midst of the night, the sudden appearance of an individual with intentions to enter the forbidden area indicated either remarkable courage or sheer foolishness. Regardless of which, it instilled a sense of unease.
"I am on a journey to the forbidden area. Kindly step aside." Su Chen calmly remarked.
"Is it so easy for you to venture into the forbidden area?" The short-haired man sneered, "You should introduce yourself first. If you wish to enter the forbidden area, first inquire whether our Tianyun Sect grants permission! Nowadays in the martial world, who doesn't know about the Forbidden Tianyun Land? It belongs to our Tianyun Sect."
Su Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke in a composed tone, "Are you implying that I must seek permission from your Tianyun Sect to enter the forbidden area?"
Su Chen was slightly stunned.
He suddenly remembered something.
In this world, there were a large number of forbidden lands, and each forbidden land was almost always surrounded by one or more forces who considered the forbidden land to be untapped wealth.
Over time, some sects would think that the forbidden lands belonged to them.
Su Chen still remembered that more than sixty years ago, the official martial arts department, the Dragon Hall, had ordered that this matter be dealt with, and that the forbidden land did not belong to any power.
Now, it seemed that the effect was minimal.
Su Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as he said indifferently:
"Are you saying that if I want to go to the forbidden land, I still need to consult your sect?"
"Indeed, that's the case. Our Tianyun Sect is not a minor sect..."
Before the senior brother of Tianyun Sect could finish his sentence, his expression abruptly changed.
The three of them turned to look towards the Forest of Ecstasy.
They spotted black-clad men suddenly leaping out from the towering trees at the forest's edge.
These individuals appeared to glide through the air, and dozens of them materialized out of nowhere, like phantoms!
"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed the eldest brother.
To glide at such a low altitude, one's martial prowess must be at least at the innate realm!
As Su Chen floated closer, barely half a meter above the ground, the senior brothers couldn't clearly make out what was happening. They thought he was running towards them and moved forward to intercept.
However, this group of people had all descended from over ten meters above!
This was truly a startling sight!
For himself, he was merely a normal person, still nurturing the dream of reaching the innate realm someday.
Yet, here were so many innate masters before them?
In just a moment!
He felt a chill creeping up his spine and piercing into his mind.
Dozens of black-clad figures floated closer.
As they drew near.
The senior brother from Tianyun Sect could clearly see that the leader was an elderly man with flowing white hair, a lengthy white beard, and eyebrows resembling the eyes of an eagle.
"Who... who are you?" stammered the senior brother, his voice hushed.
The leader of the group gave him a cold glance.
"We are the Dark Shadow Hall, and I am Feng Wuya."
"Wait! Are you... you... Feng, Feng... the Demon King, Feng Wuya? Hmm!" The short-haired man's eyes bulged, nearly causing him to faint on the spot!
This, this, this...
It was said that anyone who gazed upon Feng Wuya's countenance met their demise!
After all, he was a legendary Demon King!
This can't be happening!
The short-haired man was barely able to catch his breath.
However, upon hearing Feng Wuya's name, the two individuals behind him were overwhelmed with fear. Their minds were severely jolted, their eyes rolled back, and they lost consciousness.
The senior brother managed to keep his composure!
Although he felt his legs quivering.
"I have resolve; I represent the dignity of Tianyun Sect!" he thought.
The senior brother immediately bowed and paid his respects, his forehead soaked with cold sweat, and his tone turned soft: "Gentlemen, I'm just a mountain patrolman. You can treat me as insignificant, please spare me."
Yet, no one acknowledged his plea.
In his peripheral vision.
Feng Wuya, the dreaded Demon King of their era, lowered himself before the enigmatic young man and said with utmost respect:
"Master!"
As soon as he spoke, the dozens of people behind Feng Wuya echoed in unison:
"Master!"
"Master!"
"Master!"
Their words echoed in the air!