Li Boyang, covered in dust from his journey, had already returned to his small courtyard.
He returned alone; Zhang Junbao and Xueying remained in the Quanzhen Sect.
Before breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm, there's no point in bringing Zhang Junbao back; it's better to leave him in the outer sect for further training.
Qiu Chuji's matter, however, is more troublesome.
Li Boyang really didn't know how to describe Qiu Chuji.
Calling him a saint is not entirely accurate; at least Qiu Chuji had his own selfish motives in everything he did.
He may be considered an ordinary person, but his sentiments are rather grand, and he often does things that he cannot understand.
Qiu Chuji's purpose in taking the Linglong Grass was completely unexpected by Li Boyang.
While it could save his life, the more crucial effect of the Linglong Grass after it was combined with the elixir was that it could give Qiu Chuji a final burst of energy and restore him to his peak fighting strength.
However, this has a side effect: once the effects of the Linglong Grass wear off, Qiu Chuji will die.
Why did Qiu Chuji want to restore his peak combat power? It was actually to eliminate Shi Le's successor. This was something Li Boyang couldn't understand. At least, if it were him, he couldn't do it.
Qiu Chuji had about two years left to live. When he left the Quanzhen Sect, Li Boyang agreed to let him participate in the battle to kill Shi Le Jizu.
As for when to take action, that depends on when Qiu Chuji concocts the miraculous elixir made from the Linglong Grass.
This matter was naturally not his own affair; Qiu Chuji had already secretly contacted Qi Refining Realm experts in the Central Plains martial arts world.
Li Boyang could roughly guess that at that time, the top sect leaders of the Central Plains martial arts world would probably appear. No one could remain unaffected by such a thing, whether out of morality or for the sake of their sect.
A showdown between the pinnacle of foreign martial arts masters and the pinnacle of the Central Plains martial arts world is now inevitable.
Qiu Chuji's grand move could not be kept secret from the Yuan Dynasty. It would only be a contest between the martial arts traditions of the Central Plains and those of foreign martial arts.
Whoever loses will see an era of decline.
Li Boyang had already foreseen that countless Qi Refining Realm experts would perish in this peak confrontation.
In such a great battle, no one can escape; the only way to survive is to fight to the death. No one knows whether they will survive.
Now that I've decided to participate in this ultimate battle, the only thing I can do is to focus on improving my strength.
A sense of urgency welled up in Li Boyang's heart.
Upon returning to the Shen residence, Li Boyang announced that he was entering seclusion, causing Shen Wansan to refuse all requests for an audience.
He must seize every second to improve his strength, and ideally, he should master the Nine Yin Manual to perfection before the final battle.
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Chapter 138 Showdown
*** Shen Mansion in Jinling.
Inside Li Boyang's study.
"Shen Rong, I think we need to have a serious talk."
Looking at the stunningly beautiful woman before him, Li Boyang felt a deep headache. As soon as he returned to the Shen residence, Shen Rong began to pester him. Knowing that things couldn't continue like this, Li Boyang specially summoned Shen Rong to his study today.
"Teacher, I have something to do. How about we talk another day?"
Shen Rong looked at Li Boyang with a wary expression, having a premonition that something bad was about to happen.
As quick-witted as she was, she sensed something was off as soon as she entered Li Boyang's study. The teacher had a stern face, as if he had made some important decision.
Shen Rong sensed something was wrong, so she decided to slip away first and then not give the teacher a chance to speak. A woman's intuition told her that this was the right thing to do.
"stop."
With a gentle wave of his hand, Li Boyang created a gust of air, and the study door closed by itself. Shen Rong, caught off guard, almost bumped into it.
Li Boyang looked at Shen Rong with a serious expression, "Shen Rong, what exactly do you like about your teacher? I'll change."
Shen Rong stuck out her tongue and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "I like everything about you."
Li Boyang, with his excellent hearing, could naturally hear it. He looked at Shen Rong speechlessly and asked helplessly, "Teacher is almost a full twelve years older than you. We are not a good match."
Indeed, he was already thirty-four years old when he entered the Wudang world, and now more than three years have passed in the Wudang world. He is now unknowingly approaching the age of forty.
Shen Rong was only eighteen when they met at Huangjue Temple, and she is now in her early twenties. The reason why Li Boyang felt that things could not continue like this was precisely because of Shen Rong's age.
In modern society, although he wouldn't accept Shen Rong, he wouldn't interfere with her choice either.
In modern society, too many people don't get married until they're thirty. Even if Shen Rong remains devoted to herself, when she disappears from this world one day, time will erase the other person's memory.
The social environment is not like this nowadays. If you are not married by the age of twenty, you are already considered a grown woman. At least since returning to the Shen family mansion, Shen Wansan has come to see him privately two or three times.
From his conversation with Shen Wansan, he could sense that Shen Wansan was anxious about Shen Rong's marriage, and that Shen Wansan wouldn't object if he were interested.
However, after making it clear to Shen Wansan that he would only pursue martial arts and would not waste time on matters of the heart, Li Boyang felt that making Shen Rong give up completely was an urgent matter.
Shen Rong immediately retorted, "How will you know it's not suitable if you don't try it?"
It's clear from this one sentence that Shen Rong has been unknowingly changed a lot by Li Boyang's unintentional modern way of thinking; otherwise, she wouldn't have said something so modern.
"Why are you so stubborn, girl?"
Li Boyang was speechless after hearing Shen Rong's words.