Seen in that light, the Celestial Cicada Court truly commanded a great deal of respect.

Jiang Chen’s airboat landed at the court’s entrance in the next instant.

All the executives came forward to receive him, both excited and joyful at his coming. At the same time, they were mildly anxious as well.

This legendary youth had long become the human domain’s public icon. Even these relatively important people greeted him in a worshipful way.

Jiang Chen was far above them in strength and achievement, someone who was so unreachably high that they had no hope of approaching.

“Heh, how are you doing, Sect Head Su?” The young man stepped off the airboat.

Venerated Skysoarer followed right behind him. Behind him were a handful of followers, as well as Wang Xuetong. He hadn’t brought all his subordinates, because Jiang Chen didn’t want to make the Celestial Cicada Court feel pressured.

Yes, they were here to assimilate the faction, but he wanted to take a gentler method.

Su Huanzhen came forward as well. “Very well, thank you. You’ve improved an incredible amount yet again since we last met, young lord Jiang Chen. I am far below you now.”

Jiang Chen chuckled. He liked Su Huanzhen quite a bit to begin with. She was the one who had guided him to Myriad Abyss, since the site of the ancient transportation formation had been within Celestial Cicada Court territory.

For this and other past acts, he felt that he owed her. Also the transportation formation remained with the Celestial Cicada Court still.

While she exchanged niceties with Jiang Chen, Su Huanzhen noticed the old man by his side was looking at her in a peculiar way. It was difficult to describe precisely how, but it felt inexplicably rude regardless.

Nevertheless, no one who stood at Jiang Chen’s side could be an ordinary man. Though Su Huanzhen was displeased, she remained silent about the matter.

Jiang Chen noticed the change in her mood. He cleared his throat, then loudly proclaimed, “Come, come, let me introduce you. This is Venerated Skysoarer, an… ancient senior. Sect Head Su, this senior is a very important man. You should acquaint yourself with him.”

At the same time, he nudged Venerated Skysoarer with his elbow. “Skysoarer, this is the head of the Celestial Cicada Court, Su Huanzhen. Er, she’s ah, Daoist Peafowl’s… paramour, in a manner of speaking?”

Su Huanzhen’s heart trembled a little. This was the first time in many years that someone had pointed out the story between her and Peafowl.

She was actually rather happy. Both he and her had become prominent individuals in the human domain and her emotions long under control, but she had merely hidden her youthful affections at the bottom of her heart – and there it remained to this day.

Venerated Skysoarer chuckled, then rolled his eyes. “No need to mention Peafowl. I’m not looking to steal his woman, alright? Don’t misunderstand me.”

The old man thought himself clever in understanding what Jiang Chen had meant, but his declaration was embarrassing in itself.

A wave of confused silence and bizarre looks surged through the crowd.

Jiang Chen nearly laughed out loud. “Yes, yes, you’re an ancient cultivator who has seen through the vexations of the mortal world long ago.”

He turned to Su Huanzhen. “Sect Head Su, Venerated Skysoarer is a little... naïve. He’s not great at social interactions, so please excuse his lack of decorum. However, I should mention that he is very likely strongly related to the Celestial Cicada Court.”

Venerated Skysoarer became grew unhappy.

“What do you mean, ‘very likely’? We are certainly, absolutely, and definitely related!”

Definitely related?

Everyone else blinked in ignorance. How related could they possibly be to this old man?

Now that he was speaking about his area of expertise, Venerated Skysoarer became rather animated. “On my way here, I looked at your formations myself. The way they’re designed and set up show that you are doubtless part of our sect’s heritage. Still, the methods you used, the skill levels on display, they’re just…”

The old man seemed determined to prove Jiang Chen wrong in regard to his lack of social skills. He bit his tongue on the overt criticisms he was about to speak.

“Just speak your mind.” It was Jiang Chen’s turn to roll his eyes. “You’re an ancient leviathan anyway. No one will care whether you’re telling the truth or exaggerating.”

Venerated Skysoarer looked sour. “Alright, then. The way the formations were set up was far too crude! Whoever did the work was incompetent through and through.”  

These words were insulting indeed.

Every executive on Su Huanzhen’s side became annoyed.

The old man was young lord Jiang Chen’s friend and a senior, yes, but had he come solely to mock and belittle?

Couldn’t he have offered more constructive advice instead?

Venerated Skysoarer wasn’t of the opinion that he had done anything wrong. He began to run his mouth. 

“For example, the formation right next to us is supposed to have seven strokes both horizontally and vertically. But there are only three and four! Some guy did only half the work, then called it a day! And why are these strokes carved so unevenly, eh? Did the formation master responsible go hungry half the time?

“That path over there should connect only one node to another. A simple and easy conjunction, but you’ve added six nodes for no reason. This is superfluous behavior of the highest degree, like taking your pants off after a fart…

“Ah, and here, here as well…”

Venerated Skysoarer was so involved that he was utterly absorbed in his speech. He flailed his arms around, causing spittle to fly everywhere in the process.

The fact that the Celestial Cicada Court’s executives’ faces were as black as cast-iron pots completely escaped him.

However, Jiang Chen curiously didn’t stop the old man’s prattling.

Some of the executives with shorter fuses were almost about to blow.

Thankfully, Su Huanzhen was restrained enough to listen seriously to every detail rather than take offense. She became more and more thoughtful as Venerated Skysoarer went on.

The old man was so enamored with the sound of his own voice that he went over every detail he had seen on his way here, going over their deficiencies in excruciating detail.

More than four hours later, even Jiang Chen began to yawn.

By this point, Su Huanzhen was thoroughly amazed by what she had heard. Was the old man really an ancient senior? How was he related to the Celestial Cicada Court?

Why were all his comments entirely correct and accurate? Even she couldn’t digest some of them immediately.

Nevertheless, she realized the depth of his actual knowledge. The wisdom he knew was tenfold that of the Celestial Cicada Court’s in every way. She recalled the magpie that had sung outside her residence earlier that day.

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