After receiving Shang Tianhua's message, Lei Tianying sent someone to inform Lei Tianding. He himself was full of fear, as he couldn't contend with Qin Longhan, who was a Half-Step Venerable Realm practitioner.
As the situation remained deadlocked, the time for the Azure Cloud Ranking Grand Assembly drew nearer. Some Loose Cultivators, as well as outstanding young talents from various Sects and Families, arrived in Holy Martial City.
In Central State, Holy Martial City and the Five Great Holy Families were the strongest, but other forces should not be underestimated. There were still some Genius figures, though they were naturally inferior to those of the Five Great Holy Families.
For the White Tiger Holy Family, Blazing Thunder Holy Family, and Black Tortoise Holy Family, the current situation was quite awkward. With Qin Chu present, if their Family elites were to fight and encounter Qin Chu, they would definitely not end well; they would be killed. Elites were hard to come by, and they didn't want their future powerhouses to be killed by Qin Chu before they could fully mature.
They also knew that, given Qin Chu's character, asking him to hold back or be merciful was absolutely impossible.
That night, after Cultivating until midnight, Qin Chu left the Alchemist Guild through a secret passage. In a corner, he changed into his demon cloak and then went to the Demon Castle.
Upon entering the Demon Castle, Qin Chu threw back his cloak and requested an audience with Grand Elder Su.
This matter had weighed on Qin Chu's mind for several days because the situation had been turbulent. He hadn't come over then, but now that the storm was not as intense, he came. He owed the Demon Castle a favor, and not just one.
Not long after, a Demon Enforcer, who had received Qin Chu, led him into a room.
In the room, Qin Chu saw Grand Elder Su wearing a golden cloak.
Qin Chu bowed slightly to Grand Elder Su, "Qin Chu thanks Grand Elder for your assistance."
"Are you here to give thanks?" Grand Elder Su's clear voice reached Qin Chu's ears.
"Yes! And also to see if Grand Elder needs anything from Qin Chu," Qin Chu asked.
Grand Elder Su shook her head, "You are a Demon Hunter of the Demon Castle. If I can help, I naturally will. There's nothing you need to do; it's enough if you remember the Demon Castle's kindness."
"Qin Chu will always remember the Demon Castle's assistance. If the Demon Castle ever needs help, as long as it doesn't go against my principles, Qin Chu will not hesitate," Qin Chu said.
Elder Su's laughter rang out, "Qin Chu, don't be so formal. Is the Demon Castle so terrifying? We haven't done anything truly heinous, have we?"
Qin Chu also smiled, "Junior didn't mean that. Junior has received a favor from the Demon Castle, so I felt I should give an explanation, which is why I came."
"Hmm, I don't expect you to join the Demon Castle. When the Demon Castle needs help, it's enough if you do your best to assist," Elder Su said.
To reach the position of Grand Elder in the Demon Castle, one must possess not only exceptional strength but also first-class intelligence. Some time ago, in such a critical situation, Qin Chu didn't join either the Alchemist Guild or the Demon Castle, and Grand Elder Su saw Qin Chu's unwavering resolve.
After exchanging a few words with Elder Su, Qin Chu left the Demon Castle and returned to the Alchemist Guild through the secret passage of the Medicinal Pill Pavilion.
Back at the Alchemist Guild, Qin Chu began to Cultivate. He was Cultivating the Vermilion Bird Holy Fire; in fact, he had been Cultivating the Vermilion Bird Holy Fire recently.
The ancient text Mei Tianling gave Qin Chu was about nurturing and Cultivating spiritual fire.
After this period of Cultivation, Qin Chu could now control the energy of the Vermilion Bird Holy Fire as easily as moving his arm. The Holy Fire energy could protect him and enhance his Sword Qi attacks.
Days slipped by, and in the blink of an eye, a month passed. Eating top-grade Heavenly Origin Medicinal Pills for Cultivation every day, Qin Chu's cultivation had approached the Peak of the Heavenly Origin Realm Level Two. His Heaven-Shattering Sword Body also kept pace, and Qin Chu felt he could Breakthrough once more before the Azure Cloud Ranking Grand Assembly.
On this day, a major piece of news spread throughout Holy Martial City: the White Tiger Holy Land was attacked. Qin Longhan, with a single sword, caused rivers of blood, and several sixth-tier Elders were killed in battle. It was only by relying on the Holy Land's defensive Formation that Qin Longhan was held back. The heavily depleted Qin Longhan retreated; otherwise, the White Tiger Holy Family's Holy Land would have been breached.
Even so, the White Tiger Holy Family suffered heavy losses.
Upon receiving this news, Qin Chu quietly slipped back to the Vermilion Bird Holy Family's stronghold.
When Qin Chu arrived at the Vermilion Bird Holy Family's stronghold, he found Qin Longhan, Qin Longxuan, and Qin Lingxi all there.
"Grandfather, did you make a move?" Qin Chu asked Qin Longhan.
"After Cultivating in seclusion for more than twenty days, Grandfather wanted to stretch his limbs, so he took a stroll around the White Tiger Holy Land," Qin Longhan said.
"Grandfather, you've only just recovered. It's better to stabilize yourself first," Qin Chu said, his eyes filled with worry. Attacking the White Tiger Holy Land alone was no laughing matter.
Qin Longhan smiled, "Grandfather knows his limits. If it became unfeasible, I would have retreated."
"Tomorrow, I'll say hello to the Alchemist Guild and then return here to Cultivate. It's not ideal to Cultivate Sword Intent and Battle Intent at the Alchemist Guild," Qin Chu said. Releasing Sword Intent and Battle Intent had a significant impact on the surroundings, making it indeed inconvenient to Cultivate within the Alchemist Guild.
"Alright, then you can come back," Qin Longhan nodded.
Returning to the Alchemist Guild, Qin Chu found Mei Tianling. Mei Tianling and Ji Xin were drinking tea. Seeing Qin Chu, Mei Tianling gestured for him to sit down and have a cup.
"Senior Mei, Qin Chu plans to stay at the Vermilion Bird Holy Family's stronghold for a while to Cultivate Sword Intent," Qin Chu said, bowing to Mei Tianling and Ji Xin before stating his purpose.
"Then you go back. No one else will live in that small courtyard. You can return whenever you wish," Mei Tianling told Qin Chu.
Qin Chu bowed to Mei Tianling and then left.
"President, you've been very considerate to that young man," Ji Xin said with a smile.
"If he doesn't die young, he will hold up a whole sky in the future. Furthermore, a fifth-tier, five-star Alchemist is worth nurturing and valuing! Ji Xin, you must understand one thing: the Alchemist Guild also needs strong allies. Even if we can't bring them into the Guild, we should engage in some exchanges so that when the Alchemist Guild faces trouble, it won't be left to struggle alone."
"President, Ji Xin understands," Ji Xin nodded.
"In fact, it's not just us doing this; the Demon Castle is the same. As for the City Lord's Mansion, they haven't made a move because Qin Chu is a member of the Vermilion Bird Holy Family, so they can't win him over. If he were a Loose Cultivator, would you still see no action? The effort would definitely be fierce," Mei Tianling told Ji Xin.
Qin Chu returned to his courtyard but didn't leave immediately. He was waiting for people, for Lang Lang and Shang Shuyu. He wanted to tell them about his situation.
After Lang Lang learned of the situation, he told Qin Chu that he would post an announcement at the stall tomorrow.
Shang Shuyu arrived, and Qin Chu told her he would be leaving for a while. Shang Shuyu nodded, "Please be careful. We'll see each other at the Azure Cloud Ranking Grand Assembly. Also, there's one more thing: when you go to the Azure Dragon Holy Family, I hope you'll meet our Princess before making a decision."