“Miss Hong, how’s my show-off game looking?”
Chen Ping turned to Hong Yao and asked!
Hong Yao was too stunned to speak, nodding furiously!
At that moment, in a tavern along the street, a man in a fiery red cloak sat by the second-floor window, exuding an air of refined elegance!
The man’s attire was striking, as if his entire body were ablaze with flames!
His face was covered by a mask, concealing all features except for a pair of eyes peering out!
Those eyes were locked intently on Chen Ping!
Chen Ping seemed to sense the gaze, slowly lifting his head to meet it!
Their eyes locked, and Chen Ping’s brows furrowed slightly!
He felt those eyes were oddly familiar, yet he couldn’t place them!
“Fellow Daoist Chen, care to join me for a chat?”
The man, seeing Chen Ping look his way, spoke up!
Chen Ping nodded, tapped his foot lightly, and landed right across from the man!
“Do we know each other?” Chen Ping asked!
The man shook his head, “No, but I’ve long heard of your great name.”
“I feel a strange familiarity toward you, though I can’t pin it down, those eyes of yours remind me of a friend.”
Chen Ping studied the man as he spoke!
“A friend?” The man’s body visibly tensed for a moment, “Which friend of yours?”
“Let’s not talk about him, I know we’ll cross paths again soon, he’s always wanted to kill me, but every time, he fails.”
“No clue what realm he’s cultivated to this time, probably still planning his next move, only to be disappointed again!”
Chen Ping gave a faint smile!
The friend he spoke of was Ning Zhi, who’d been hunting him from the mortal world all the way to the Celestial Realm, yet never succeeded!
Each time, Ning Zhi refused to give up, like an unkillable cockroach!
Honestly, Chen Ping no longer saw Ning Zhi as an enemy!
Sometimes, he even mused that it’d be great if Ning Zhi kept chasing him all the way to the Heavenly Realm!
Ning Zhi’s talent wasn’t half-bad, ascending to the Heavenly Realm wouldn’t be out of reach!
Having such a rival, Chen Ping felt, was a stroke of luck!
“Your friend’s bound to be disappointed, a third-grade Mahayana slaying a third-grade Transcendent Immortal with one strike, I doubt anyone under the heavens could match that.”
The man’s eyes glinted with a touch of envy!
“My friend’s got talent too, if he focused on cultivating, his realm might not lag behind mine!”
Chen Ping smiled lightly, then asked, “May I know your esteemed name, friend? Why the mask, afraid of enemies recognising you?”
“I’m Ning Zizai, I wear the mask just to avoid being recognised, that’s all.”
The man replied slowly!
“Ning Zizai?” Chen Ping murmured the name, then said, “My friend’s surnamed Ning too, wonder if it’s a coincidence.”
“Brother Ning, which sect are you from? Where’s your residence?”
“I’m just a lone cultivator, no sect, no residence, you wouldn’t look down on me for being too weak to chat with, would you, Fellow Daoist Chen?” the man said!
“Not at all, you’re at the peak of ninth-grade Mahayana, on the verge of breaking into Transcendent Immortal, that kind of cultivation makes you a dragon among men in the Celestial Realm, how could I think you’re too weak?”
“Just curious, what exactly does Brother Ning want to talk about?” Chen Ping asked!
“Let’s talk about the Heaven-Climbing Ladder, a third-grade Mahayana daring to tackle it, I hear that’s never happened before.”
“So I’d like to invite you, Fellow Daoist Chen, to climb the ladder with me, I’ve heard the sixth tier holds a wealth of resources and immortal mines.”
The man explained!
“The sixth tier?” Chen Ping frowned, “Has anyone ever reached the sixth tier? How do you know there are immortal mines there?”
“Of course people have made it to the sixth tier, but most who do stay inside the ladder, never coming out.”
“Even those who do return from the sixth tier wouldn’t spill the beans to outsiders.”
The man replied!
