But this time, she didn't notice him.
That was because Su Chen didn't want to be noticed.
Suppressing his presence completely, he walked over to the reception counter and gently tapped the wooden table with his knuckles.
"I'm checking out," he said calmly.
The receptionist blinked, startled by the sudden voice. She looked up and finally noticed him standing there. Recognition flashed in her eyes.
"Young Master, please do visit us again!" she said with a professional smile, quickly reaching below the counter to prepare his change.
But before she could finish, she looked up again—only to find that Su Chen had vanished without a trace.
Just then, a light voice echoed from somewhere behind her.
"Keep the change."
She froze for a moment, stunned. Then slowly looked up toward the ceiling, her hands still holding the unused change.
A soft sigh escaped her lips.
"Heavens… please keep sending us customers like this. No trouble, no complaints… and they even tip more than the actual bill."
Meanwhile, Su Chen was already soaring high above Green Willow City.
Having successfully broken through to the Core Formation Realm, both his spiritual capacity and control over flight had increased dramatically. In a remote city like this—mainly a stopover for traveling merchants and low-level cultivators—even Foundation Establishment experts were rare. So, there was no one in the skies to watch him or question his actions.
Taking full advantage of that, Su Chen spread his arms wide, enjoying the sensation of flight. The wind rushed past him, fluttering his sleeves and robe. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the crisp spring air.
Freedom.
Then he tilted his body slightly and shot off in a specific direction—the same one the other young cultivators were heading in. Their destination? Mist Island, where the Thousand Peak Pavilion was holding its disciple selection.
Su Chen kept his speed high—not because he was in a hurry, but because he simply liked the thrill.
"Wuhuu—!"
Though his current speed wasn't quite fast enough to cause a true sonic boom, the whipping of his clothes and the roar of wind created a dramatic whooshing noise. It was satisfying enough.
The only thing that caught him off guard was his hair. It had grown long during his five months in seclusion and was now flailing wildly behind him in the wind like a chaotic black banner.
"Tch... should've tied it up," he muttered, narrowing his eyes as strands flew across his face. But after a while, he got used to it.
He shot forward like an arrow, leaving only wind and faint echoes behind.
As he streaked across the sky, robes fluttering wildly in the wind, Su Chen kept his spiritual sense constantly active. The Wood Sovereign Script: Sensing technique was silently operating beneath the surface, like roots extending through the air, linking him to the vast network of trees below.
Through this connection, he could perceive faint conversations echoing beneath the canopy—whispers of wandering cultivators, debates over the direction of Mist Island, and muttered guesses passed between strangers. The trees relayed it all to him like a living network, their silent language translated by his technique.
As he moved swiftly through the air, the wind brushing past his robes, his mind continued to calculate. If I want cultivation resources once I reach the sect, I'll need to prove I have value. Sects only invest in talent. That's logical—no one wants to pour spirit stones into a hopeless cause.
Still, he had no intention of revealing everything. His true strength—Core Formation Realm—and his Innate Physique would remain hidden. He suppressed his cultivation aura to the early stage of Foundation Building.
A sixteen-year-old at that level is already considered a prodigy. That alone will get me access to good resources and protection. I just need to avoid attracting the kind of attention those so-called 'sons of heaven' get. Too much light invites too many moths.
The sky gradually shifted. Sunlight stretched long and golden over the treetops, dipping lower and lower with each passing breath. The clouds burned orange, and the cool bite of evening wind began to creep in.
Su Chen exhaled slowly. Even with his ridiculous stamina, flying at high speed for so long—while keeping his technique active—wasn't free. His shoulders ached, his mind buzzed faintly from the constant strain.
"I need to rest," he muttered to himself, tone flat.
Su Chen gradually reduced his speed, spiritual energy retracting slightly as he shifted his focus. Instead of rushing straight to rest, he began scanning the surroundings more carefully through the Wood Sovereign Script: Sensing.
A forest stretched out below him like a sea of green veins. Tapping into it, he spread his perception outward—and soon caught traces of human voices weaving through the trees.
He adjusted his flight angle and moved toward the nearest cluster of spiritual activity. Within moments, a city appeared in the distance—walls made of stone and spirit wood, banners fluttering, streets faintly visible beneath the gathering dusk.
But what he sensed inside made him pause in mid-air.
There were too many people. Too many young cultivators. Too many robes embroidered with sect symbols, family crests, and flying swords. Some were talking nervously, others loudly bragging, but the topic was always the same.
"Thousand Peaks Pavilion… selection…"
"I heard the first test is brutal…"
"Third Young Master of the Zhou Clan is participating too…"
Su Chen's brow twitched slightly. So everyone and their cousin is here for the disciple selection.
This wasn't some back-alley recruitment. This was a regional event.
Looks like the Thousand Peaks Pavilion isn't fishing for some random talent… They're throwing a net wide enough to drag in half the young cultivators in this central continent.
He narrowed his eyes as he hovered just outside the city's sensing range, thinking.
That… might actually work in my favor.
Big events meant lots of people. Lots of people meant less attention on him specifically. He could slip in, perform just well enough to get noticed, and walk away with the sect's resources—without having to explain why a "Foundation Building junior is so mesterious.
He gave a small snort.
"Perfect. A crowd of hopefuls chasing dreams. Nothing more natural than hiding a handsome man and charming man like me."
He giggle and his body tilted forward again as he flew lower, the city lights growing clearer beneath him.
Still… better stay low-key. Don't want to attract attention from some Young Master protagonist with a seven-colored sword and a destiny problem.