Chapter 631: The Battle That Caused Cao Jin To Have a Mental
Breakdown
Cao Jin had an ugly expression on his face when he saw the
veritable flood of Goldbiter Rats carpet the ground. They were so numerous that
every square inch within ten meters was completely covered. He knew that he was
in great trouble now. As strong as the six wolverines were, his first thought
when confronted by so many Goldbiter Rats was that they were done for.
“You have a lot of trump cards, don’t you, Jiang Chen?” Cao
Jin’s face was dark as he lifted his gaze to stare at Jiang Chen. It wasn’t
until right then that Cao Jin realized he’d still underestimated Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen seemed to have no end to the cards he could pull out, and worse,
they were completely unpredictable! The six wolverines had been one of two
major trump cards that he had held to use against Jiang Chen. He had hardened
his heart to take Jiang Chen down, and had immediately slapped it down as soon
as they faced off. But who would’ve known that his first trump card would be of
no help at all, but rather end up being wasted instead! Cao Jin was rocked by
astonishment as well as a growing anger.
“As one of the ten great disciples of the Sky Sect, Cao, you
too have quite a few trump cards at your disposal, hmm? What else do you have?
I’ll give you a chance to use them all.” Jiang Chen smiled faintly. He wasn’t
the slightest bit afraid even though he was facing off against Cao Jin.
Instead, the will to battle burned ever more brightly. Cao Jin did have another
trump card left, but he didn’t want to use it lightly now. The loss of his
first trump card still more or less affected him.
He sneered and burst upwards like lightning, giving a long
whistle. “Why do I need to use a trump card against a mere petty thief like
you? My usual techniques are enough to kill you!”
He pointed down at Jiang Chen as he spoke, and the heavens
shone with a radiant splendor as they violently surged towards Jiang Chen. This
was one of the trademark techniques of the Sky Sect, the “Milky Way Point”! It
was as stunning as the celestial heavens, and the point as if a shooting star.
Jiang Chen was a bit surprised by this technique, but a
somewhat strange smile crossed his face in the next instant. Of all things, he
hadn’t expected such a coincidence! The “Milky Way Point” was actually
identical to the “Supernova Point” he practiced, but the mysteries and changes
encompassed within Cao Jin’s strike was noticeably less complex than the
“Supernova Point”. This also meant to say that it was very likely that Cao
Jin’s method was the novice version of the “Supernova Point”.
Jiang Chen sidestepped, easily evading the attack. Since he
was familiar with the technique, he knew exactly what the enemy’s next move
was. Cao Jin’s “Milky Way Point” was indeed bedazzling and very domineering,
but much to his chagrin, his most vaunted technique seemed to be completely
useless! He didn’t even hit a hint of Jiang Chen’s shadow, let alone striking
down his enemy!
How… how was this possible?
Even the supremely confident Cao Jin felt that things had
gone all too awry. Everything had taken a queer turn since meeting Jiang Chen.
His best technique, one of the ultimate arts of the Sky Sect, was something
that Cao Jin had always relied on to kill enemies, and it had never failed him
before. In fact, he’d sent many of the Regal Pill Palace elders flying with a
single point when he had shown up at the sect. But now it seemed ineffective
against a minor disciple from the same sect!
What the hell is this?!
It almost seemed as though Jiang Chen had practiced his
technique before since he seemed to be able to anticipate every one of Cao
Jin’s moves. No matter how Cao Jin tried to switch up his rhythm to execute his
“Milky Way Point” to its utmost power, it was all for naught. Jiang Chen was
always able to anticipate his next step. How was this a fight to the death?
This was more like a martial spar between peers!
“Tsk tsk, Cao, the Ninesuns Sky Sect is a first ranked sect
at the end of the day, no? These little unorthodox tricks are all you’ve
learned? It’s not enough to even scratch an itch!” Jiang Chen could see that
Cao Jin’s dao heart had been slightly affected. After all, it was just one
bizarre occurrence after anothe. As resolute as Cao Jin’s mentality was, it was
impossible for him to be completely unaffected by this point.
Cao Jin grew incensed as he grabbed at the air, and an
ancient sword with an exceedingly keen edge appeared in his hand. “Jiang Chen,
your death is a worthy one as you’ve forced me to bring out my weapon!”
Cao Jin was thoroughly enraged now. His sword moved through
the air like water, leaving scars in the air like a whip of stars as they
layered and intersected with each to form a net that roiled towards Jiang Chen.
What seemed like a simple stroke was actually one that’d
condensed many complex notions and embodied an exceedingly strong intent.
“Jiang Chen, do you think you’re on the same level as me just by using a few
tricks as a first level sage realm? I’ll use the truth to let you know just how
ludicrous your thoughts are!”
Cao Jin’s sword technique wasn’t flashy at all, but every
seemingly careless stroke had great meaning behind it. Every single move and
strike came together to form a marvelous sword formation.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The air around them was quickly filling with Cao Jin’s
furious sword intent. This prickly intent wasn’t just the demonstration of the
dao of swords anymore, but encompassed even the very meaning of this profound
technique within them. The space was fully enclosed by Cao Jin’s cutting sword
intent before long.
Rumble.
The technique contracted violently, eviscerating at least a
million Goldbiter Rats, leaving behind nothing but ground flesh and bloodied
gore across the ground. Cao Jin laughed coldly as he sheathed his longsword. It
was obvious that he felt that it was impossible for Jiang Chen to survive his
“Sword Ocean Cover”, even if the latter had bones and tendons made of iron.
However, he didn’t know which bloody pile was Jiang Chen out of the numerous
ones in this area. After a careful look around, he started rummaging through
the mess in search of Jiang Chen’s storage ring.
However, he didn’t find it no matter where he looked!
“How is that possible?” Cao Jin was baffled. “Blood and
flesh are reduced to nothing under the cover of the ‘Sword Ocean Cover’, so
there should be a storage ring somewhere here.”
His ears twitched at this moment as he suddenly swept his
arm backwards, snatching a few arrows out of the air. “Mm? Not dead yet?”
Cao Jin was flabbergasted. He’d seen with his own eyes just
now how the raging “Sword Ocean cover” had enclosed Jiang Chen! He’s not dead?
How’s that possible?
“Cao, you’re much better than that Ding Tong.” Jiang Chen’s
voice sounded from the void.
Cao Jin regarded his surroundings as he fully opened up his
consciousness, but still couldn’t locate Jiang Chen’s precise location. This
made him feel vaguely uncomfortable. His consciousness was at the peak of the
sage realm, with a corresponding level of power. How could he not sense where
Jiang Chen was? How strong was Jiang Chen’s consciousness? He was still
hesitating when a golden mountain came crushing down on him. When Cao Jin
noticed it, he immediately remembered when Jiang Chen had used it to preoccupy
him and taken advantage of the distraction to kill Fatty Wu.
“Repeating the same trick! Get the hell away!” Cao Jin
viciously flung a punch out to send the magnetic golden mountain flying away.
However, since Jiang Chen was manipulating the mountain, it only skidded back a
few meters before it came hurtling back towards Cao Jin again. At the same
time, twelve beads rolled towards him and transformed into twelve balls of
golden light, shifting into twelve golden-armored warriors who charged towards
Cao Jin.
The battle had already developed to the point where both of
them were holding nothing back. There wasn’t a need to hide anything anymore.
Of the twelve golden-armored warriors, three were of the sky sage realm, three
earth sage, and six mortal sage realm. Their combat ability was certainly
nothing to scoff at. However, Cao Jin’s potential was also very stunning given
his ability to cultivate to the level of the ten great disciples. He was wholly
unafraid of this kind of attack and met them head on with his fists and kicks.
He slowly defeated the twelve golden-armored warriors. If it
wasn’t for the fact that they were puppets, those warriors with the lower
cultivation level might’ve been reduced to bloody messes already. Jiang Chen
sighed with admiration from his vantage point in the shadows. He had to admit
that Cao Jin was the strongest and most difficult to handle opponent that he’d
met so far in his life. He’d deployed almost all of his trump cards and had
made use of countless schemes, but still had yet to take this person down. He
hadn’t even caused any tangible injury to Cao Jin!
“Cao is a source of trouble alright. If I don’t kill him,
I’ll be constantly plagued with trouble when I leave this area.” Jiang Chen
knew that he had become the Ninesuns Sky Sect’s hated enemy. If he didn’t kill
Cao Jin today, he would be visited by endless harassment in the future. It was
a good thing that his plan had yet to come to an end.
Just as the magnetic golden mountain was slamming itself
against Cao Jin without pause, countless lotuses had arranged themselves in a
radius of thirty some meters around him. Although Cao Jin was being attacked by
the magnetic golden mountain and the twelve golden-armored warriors, he still
had enough attention to spare for his surroundings. He knew that Jiang Chen
would certainly have kept a few tricks up his sleeve.
Indeed, there was suddenly a violent trembling beneath his
feet as numerous ice lotus vines erupted from the ground, shooting furiously
towards Cao Jin like innumerable tentacles.
“What the hell?!” Cao Jin was almost numb to Jiang Chen’s
ever-changing techniques. It was a good thing that his own strength possessed
an overwhelming advantage, so no matter what tricks Jiang Chen brought out, Cao
Jin felt that he could solidly stand his ground in the face of it all. He’d be
able to handle it all in the end!
Therefore, when he saw these countless vines snarling
towards him, Cao Jin swept his sword in an arc and severed them. But in that
moment, the magnetic golden mountain once again came hurtling down on his head.
Resigned, he could only raise his fist and slam it into the magnetic golden
mountain again. But at that exact moment, the twelve golden-armored warriors
furiously pounced on him, and the vines beneath his feet split the earth like
spring bamboo after a rain shower.
Even an expert like Cao Jin couldn’t maintain a perfect
defense in the face of a simultaneous attack from the sky, the ground, and
below the ground. “Jiang Chen!!” Cao Jin threw his head back and howled to the
skies, thoroughly enraged by his opponent’s shameless methods. However, there
was nothing he could do about it. Jiang Chen did indeed have more tricks up his
sleeve than Cao Jin.
Bam!
As quick-witted and responsive as Cao Jin was, the furious
stream of attacks was enough to tie up his defenses. A sky sage warrior managed
to deal him a vicious blow in the back. Even though this blow wasn’t fatal, it
still caused the blood in his chest to froth to the point where he almost spat
it out in a bloody mouthful. This solid blow hadn’t been an easy one to
withstand. Cao Jin had never once been forced to such a disgraceful state since
he’d made his debut in the world. Even when he’d been defeated by that
mysterious expert that day in the Regal Pill Palace, he hadn’t ended up like
this either. That had also been at the hands of an emperor realm cultivator, so
he hadn’t felt it to be an embarrassing matter.
But now, his opponent today was a mere ant of the first
level sage realm! This really frustrated Cao Jin to the point where he wanted
to spit blood!
Chapter 632: Cao Jin Dying With Everlasting Regret
“Jiang Chen, you coward! Do you dare reveal yourself and
meet me head-on?” Cao Jin was at the height of his rage. Although an attack on
this level wasn’t life-threatening, it was still maddening to be humiliated by
an ant like Jiang Chen.
Whoosh!
Jiang Chen’s figure suddenly halted in midair about a
hundred meters away.
“Meet you head-on?” One could clearly see the hints of
mockery in his smile. “Cao, you’re at peak sage realm and want me to fight you
in single combat. Should I call you naive or am I the idiotic one?”
Jiang Chen wasn’t the sort who blindly followed established
rules. Even if he’d met a mortal sage or earth sage realm cultivator, he felt
that he would be able to take them on in battle. But Cao Jin was one step away
from emperor realm. Jiang Chen wasn’t so overconfident to think that he could
go toe to toe with such an opponent. He wasn’t a typical hotheaded youth who
could be provoked with one line. He only acknowledged one point, that any
method was a good method as long as it defeated the opponent.
Jiang Chen wasn’t so much of a fool as to face off against
one of the ten great disciples of the Sky Sect with his cultivation of a mere
first level sage realm. The resources and treatment he’d enjoyed in this life
was less than one hundredth of what his opponent had had thus far. If it wasn’t
for his memories from his past life, the difference between him and Cao Jin was
that of heaven and earth due to the circumstances of their births. It was
because of this point that Jiang Chen had the right to fight Cao Jin. He’d
never do something so brainless as to give up his only advantage and go toe to
toe with his opponent.
By this time, the Goldbiter Rats had defeated the six
wolverines. Cao Jin watched it happen with his own eyes, but was in no
condition to help his contracted spirit beasts. He was already completely
preoccupied with the attacks from the three entities. Although his life wasn’t
in danger at the moment, the situation was far too precarious for him to free a
hand to help the six wolverines. His mind wasn’t on them either.
He’d split out part of his consciousness to try and lock
onto Jiang Chen’s position. He’d decided this time that he would completely
take out Jiang Chen, even if he ended up a bit injured for his troubles. His
Sword Ocean Cover previously hadn’t locked onto Jiang Chen’s consciousness,
which had allowed the latter to escape through using some smoke and mirrors
technique. Cao Jin wasn’t going to allow that to happen again when Jiang Chen’s
true body revealed itself this time.
“I must hit him with one fatal blow this time!” Cao Jin
clenched his fist, holding another talisman inside. This was his other trump
card, the Apocalyptic Darklightning Rune!
This rune could erupt forth with dark lightning capable of
destroying the world, unstoppable in its might. If Jiang Chen was targeted by
this rune, he’d be unable to run to anywhere within a radius of fifty
kilometers. The bolt of lightning was akin to a thunderstorm, denying all
chances of escaping.
“The Apocalyptic Darklightning Rune is my final ace. I’ll
have to rely on my own techniques if I still can’t kill Jiang Chen.
Unfortunately, I’m unable to even draw close to him in the face of all his
tricks!” Cao Jin knew that this was his last chance. He locked on with his
consciousness—
In a burst of speed, Cao Jin employed some fancy footwork to
evade the attack from the vines and punched upwards to blast the magnetic
golden mountain away. In return, he took some blows from the golden-armored
warriors in his back.
Bambambam!
Using the momentum from the blows, he shot forward, once
again locking on with his consciousness. His chance was here! He opened his
hand and activated the Apocalyptic Darklightning Rune.
“Die!” Cao Jin grimaced as the light from the rune flashed,
causing the skies and earth to darken.
Rumble.
Countless streaks of darklightning descended from the skies
in the next instant. Darklightning wasn’t ordinary lightning. It was said to be
the accumulated vengeful thoughts of the underworld, ascending to the clouds
thanks to the power of reincarnation and condensing to form darklightning.
Darklightning was wrathful and fiendish, sinister beyond comparison. When
struck, endless malicious intent would entangle around its target and quickly
reduce the victim to a skeleton.
“A thunder rune?” Jiang Chen started when he saw Cao Jin’s
ace, but it was his next move that stunned Cao Jin in return. Jiang Chen raised
both hands up and adopted a welcoming posture, as if very much welcoming the
darklightning’s arrival!
Just as Cao Jin was standing there, stunned, the magnetic
golden mountain above him came crashing down viciously again. It was a good
thing that his reflexes were fast enough to allow him to push upwards with both
hands, arresting the mountain in its tracks. He was about to push it away when
the twelve golden-armored warriors pounced fearlessly. Some wrapped themselves
around his head, others around his legs, and more around his waist. Countless
vines surged upwards furiously at the same time and entwined around his body,
trussing him up in the blink of an eye.
Cao Jin was immensely enraged as he shouted loudly, “Get
away!”
Rumble!
He struggled free of all of the vines as the force of his
shout fragmented them into small pieces. The golden-armored warriors however,
weren’t alive and so didn’t know the meaning of fear. They came back for
another round after being shrugged off. Since Cao Jin’s hands were preoccupied
with the magnetic golden mountain, he could only use his shoulders and knees to
attack. This undoubtedly hampered his movements.
This was when something astonishing happened. The lightning
descended, but—
Just as they were about to reach Jiang Chen, some mysterious
power seemed to halt their attack, causing them to disappear into the void. It
was as if there was a miraculous black hole on Jiang Chen that could swallow
the darklightning!
Cao Jin felt like an iron weight had just crashed into his
chest. His eyes witnessed everything, but his mind refused to make sense of it.
He had been able to bear the loss of the six wolverines to the Goldbiter Rats,
but this ace of the Apocalyptic Darklightning Rune was something that could
kill even an ordinary emperor realm cultivator once they were caught by it! And
yet they hadn’t even scratched Jiang Chen. It was more as if he’d absorbed them
all.
Cao Jin was utterly stunned senseless by this bizarre scene.
He almost wondered if Jiang Chen was a ghost or a demon at this point! Was he
immortal? Was any sort of attack effective on him? Although he was just first
level sage realm, Cao Jin had the misconception in that instant that it was
impossible to beat Jiang Chen!
Jiang Chen retracted his hands as the smile on his face
widened. His posture was as relaxed as though he was enjoying the spring wind.
He looked at Cao Jin, “Cao, looks like you’ve used another trump card!”
Cao Jin opened and closed his mouth, having the feeling of
wanting to cry but being unable to.
“Jiang Chen… I swear I’ll kill you!!” He had almost
completely lost his mind in the depths of his rage.
“What a coincidence, that’s what I want to say to you!”
Jiang Chen suddenly smiled and snapped his fingers. In the next moment, the
scene changed.
Cao Jin was still hesitating when he felt the air constrict
around him. Layers of strange walls in the air appeared in the next instant,
and no matter how he charged at them, Cao Jin would only rebound.
“What’s going on?” Cao Jin was really panicking now. He’d
been nonplussed when his aces had failed just now, but not to the point of
panicking. Now, not only was he a bit frantic, he was even a bit afraid.
Matters had completely gone out of hand, and he was now locked in a storage
space, like he’d been confined to an independent jail in space in this area! He
was unable to break through no matter how he charged at it.
“Is this a formation?” Cao Jin was startled and thought that
he’d met with a formation again. He took out the Moonshatter Awl. He attacked
the air fiercely with the formation splitting technique, but realized that this
cage in the air was no formation at all. The formation splitting technique had
no effect.
“This isn’t a formation?!” Cao Jin was even more frightened
and screamed out. “Jiang Chen, you devious little prick! What trick are you up
to now?”
Jiang Chen laughed leisurely and looked at the struggles of
a caged beast. He knew that Cao Jin would be unable to escape this time. He
immediately brought out the magnetic golden mountain, activated the Soldier
Rosary Beads, and furiously smashed towards Cao Jin. He also called out at the
same time, “Do it, Brother Long!”
There was a violent trembling in the air as a true dragon
appeared in the sky in the next instant, materializing in a mysterious manner.
“Dragon? True dragon?!” Cao Jin’s reaction was the same as
Ding Tong and Elder Chen’s, reacting like they’d seen a ghost. As strong as he
was, his heart sank when he saw a true dragon from the ancient times. Although
he felt that this dragon was likely a young one, even the weakest of dragons
were still a real dragon!
Dragons were by nature a fighting race, and one of the most
superior bloodlines from the ancient times. Their combat ability and potential
were practically innate, and even the weakest of them would be a supreme genius
in the human race. Not to mention that Cao Jin had discovered by now that it
was this dragon’s domain that was restraining him!
Amongst the humans, only the emperor realm cultivators could
deploy their own sphere of influence, their domain. However, this dragon seemed
to be able to do so having yet to enter the emperor realm! It was apparent from
this just how great this race’s potential was!
Cao Jin so greatly regretted his actions now. He finally
understood that Jiang Chen had been deploying all sorts of smoke and mirrors
with him, but his final ace was this true dragon! If he’d summoned this dragon
immediately, then Cao Jin would’ve recognized his inevitable defeat and ran.
But Jiang Chen had put on the act that they were evenly matched, making Cao Jin
think that he could handle his opponent and thus hadn’t wanted to run away at
all. He’d become gradually numb to all of Jiang Chen’s actions, resulting his
current predicament of being locked in the dragon’s domain.
There were no words to describe Cao Jin’s regret, but there
was nothing he could do in the face of the dragon’s domain, even with all the
arts and techniques available to him. Under Long Xiaoxuan and Jiang Chen’s
continued assault, Cao Jin was thoroughly beaten like a dog fallen into water.
His eyes were still full of everlasting regret in the very moment that the last
breath left his lungs.
Long Xiaoxuan however, picked up his body unceremoniously
and crunched it a few times. Cao Jin’s equipment kept falling out, such as the
Ocean Cover Sword, Moonshatter Awl, and multiple richly stocked storage rings.
This was an unexpected windfall for Jiang Chen. Shi Zhen and Fatty Wu storage rings
also naturally made their way into his hands.
Chapter 633: Jiang Chen’s Departure
There were quite a few nice things in Cao Jin’s storage
ring. Apart from the two emperor level spirit equipment of the Ocean Cover
Sword and the Moonshatter Awl, there were many more precious items. Multiple
martial techniques, all sorts of pills, and quite a few talismans. There was
even a sky rank spirit herb and a few earth rank spirit herbs!
Jiang Chen wasn’t that enthused about the martial techniques
since he had all sorts of divine systems already in his mind, so he could
tailor any sort of technique he cared to practice for himself. As for the
pills, although the pills of a first rank sect were quite good, they weren’t to
the point where they would cause Jiang Chen to drool over them. It was rather
the sky and earth rank spirit herbs that had given Jiang Chen an unexpected
delight. Of course, what he liked most were the dozen or so talismans.
They were all different types; some for attacking, some for
movement, and some for defense. Although there weren’t any as incredible as the
Apocalyptic Darklightning Rune, the level of these talismans weren’t that low
either. Jiang Chen unceremoniously put them all away. These would become vital
tools in his arsenal when he faced off against enemies in the future.
As for the fatty’s storage ring, it greatly depressed Jiang
Chen. The fatty had come prepared, so his storage ring was empty. There was
almost nothing of any value. Jiang Chen was so irritated after finding out that
he almost threw it away. The second rank pill king he’d killed off first had
had the same thoughts as the fatty. His storage ring was almost empty as well
because he’d been afraid some accident would happen. His ring only contained
some of the spirit herbs he’d harvested since entering the mountain, apart from
his identity medallion as second rank pill king.
“It looks like these two were also on their guard against
Cao. They didn’t bring any of their treasures with them.” Jiang Chen identified
the crux of the problem after a brief moment.
He wasn’t overly excited about doing away with the three
invading Sky Sect disciples. Matters wouldn’t end because they’d perished, and
in fact might even worsen things from here on. The instant the Tristar Sect had
revealed the secret, the Myriad Domain was destined to no longer enjoy peace.
Destroying these three might’ve just added fuel to the flames. However, Jiang
Chen had had no other recourse. These three would’ve killed him had he not
killed them. Jiang Chen wouldn’t have disregarded his personal safety out of
consideration for the Myriad Domain, not to mention that the Sky Sect’s designs
on the Myriad Domain wouldn't stop just because Jiang Chen refrained from
killing these three.
“That these three could enter the forbidden area means that
the formation on the outskirts of the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect has really
declined in power since ancient times. Otherwise, it would be exceedingly
difficult for even an emperor realm expert to forcefully crack open a rift in
that formation.”
According to the notes in the sect’s journals, the formation
on the outskirts could defend against Great Titled Emperors at the very least.
Only empyrean cultivators would be able to break through the formation on the
outskirts. But now it looked like the various blockages in the spirit veins
powering the formation, formed as the aeons passed, had still affected the
formation’s power in the end. Before Jiang Chen had seen those notes, he’d
thought this formation was everlasting and enduring.
Using the three Sky Sect disciples as a standard, Jiang Chen
understood that the formation on the outskirts was at less than a tenth of its
peak form, possibly even less than one twentieth. But, it wasn’t beyond repair.
As long as he could unclog the spirit veins beneath the formation and repair
the fragmented parts, the formation could still return to its peak condition.
However, it wasn’t something that could be accomplished in one night, and Jiang
Chen naturally had no time to attend to it now.
Besides, the three fellows had only barged into the ancient
herb garden, such had been their limits. This was only the very outskirts of
the ruins of the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect. Its true heart would only reveal
itself after going through the formation on the altar. Even Great Titled
Emperors would have almost no hope of barging in, much less these three young
disciples.
Jiang Chen still decided to leave the mountain and return to
the Regal Pill Palace for a look. Having been absent for two years, he really
was impatient to go back.
……
In a secret location of the Ninesuns Sky Sect. Tens of
thousands of soul lamps dotted the room.
They all belonged to the most important personages of the
Sky Sect. The highest of them were naturally the heavyweights of the sect, such
as the sect head, elders, manor heads, high level inspectors, and the division
heads of the larger divisions. The soul lamps of the young geniuses were
located to the right. The elders’ lamps were tinged green, and the young
geniuses, a red hue.
This location was one of the forbidden zones of the Sky
Sect. Entrance into this location required a special medallion, and those in
charge were higher level administrators.
On this day, the patrolling administrator suddenly heard a
sharp crack as a red soul lamp shattered. Whenever this forbidding sound rang
out, it meant that one of the sect had perished. Those who could have a lantern
here were all important people in the sect. They were either heavyweights or
geniuses, the present and future of the sect. Therefore, every lamp being taken
care of here was very important.
When the administrator heard the lamp shatter, his heart
jumped and he took a hasty look at the name on the shattered lamp. It was Shi
Zhen.
“Shi Zhen? Second rank pill king Shi Zhen?” The
administrator’s heart spasmed. When it came to Shi Zhen, he was at most a
psuedo first-rate genius in terms of martial dao, but absolutely the pinnacle
when it came to pill dao. It was why he had the right to place his soul lamp
here, and in a position closer to the front at that. The further ahead one’s
placement was, the higher their position.
The administrator sighed when he saw Shi Zhen’s soul lamp
shatter. Sigh, a second rank pill king! Such a young pill king absolutely had
the ability to ascend to sixth, even seventh rank pill king! The heavens envy
the talented. What a pity for Shi Zhen.
Although he was surprised, the administrator wasn’t in a
hurry to make a report. He planned on notifying his superiors only when his
shift was over. After all, although Shi Zhen’s position wasn’t low, it wasn’t
to the point where the sect had to tremble because he’d perished. As a Sky Sect
disciple, it was a common thing for one or two to be lost when they travelled
about outside. No one usually minded if their status wasn’t too high up.
Half an hour passed, and another crisp shattering sound rang
out. The administrator’s heart spasmed again. What’s going on? What kind of day
is this? Why are there two lamps shattering on the same day?
It was a very rare occurrence for two lamps to shatter on
the same day. This would only happen if the sect was at war, but the sect
hadn’t declared war on anyone recently. The administrator scrambled for a look
and saw that it was formation genius Wu Zheng who’d fallen.
“Wu Zheng? That fat head with the big ears? Wait, this kid
is more cowardly than a rat, and more cautious than a fox, how could he…”
The administrator almost wondered by now if a mistake had
been made. Fatty Wu Zheng was like a turtle, and usually kept his head and
limbs inside his shell.
“Odd, so odd. A pill dao genius and a formation genius. Am I
seeing ghosts?” The administrator murmured to himself, his expression growing ugly
as he wondered if he should make an early report. After all, it was a bit out
of the ordinary for two geniuses to perish in one day.
However, he immediately discarded this thought. After all,
he had a great responsibility to look after the soul lamps, and it was a great
taboo to leave his station for no reason. “Forget it, the life and death of
these two aren’t enough to affect the sect’s fortunes. There’s no need to
overreact. Perhaps it’s just a coincidence?”
After much waffling, the administrator held fast to his
decision to make the report after his shift was over. However, the stunning
matters still weren’t over with. Just as he’d regained his calm, another soul
lamp shattered with a crisp sound.
The lamp that shattered this time caused the administrator
to leap straight up in the air. It was one in the first row of the young
geniuses! When he took a closer look, he saw that it was one that was ranked
ninth!
“Cao Jin? Cao Jin of the ten great disciples?” The
administrator couldn’t remain calm anymore. He’d realized that something major
had happened. Three young disciples had perished within a day. He could
overlook the first two, but the third was no trifling character. He was one of
the ten great disciples! Someone perishing on this level would absolutely send
ripples throughout the entire sect.
After all, there were more than a million young geniuses.
Those who could emerge from their countless number to make it into the top ten
were incredible, whether in terms of potential or fortune. It was absolutely a
grave matter that a genius of that sort had fallen, not to mention that Cao Jin
had a venerated master. He was the personal disciple of Elder Chen Lei, one of
the four venerated elders of the Sky Sect. The four venerated elders were
second only to the sect head, the grand inspector, and on par with the vice
sect heads. That such a personage had finally raised a disciple who ranked in
the top ten, but had now perished for seemingly no reason—the administrator
felt horrified at the very thought. He didn’t even know how to make the report.
However, he knew that he couldn’t drag this matter out. The
longer he did, the more trouble he’d be in. And so, he didn’t hesitate and
instructed one of his men, “Keep watch over this place, I’m making a trip to
headquarters.”
……
“What?! Say that again!” Elder Chen Lei almost thought
something had gone wrong with his ears when he heard the administrator’s
report.
“I… I… this subordinate was keeping watch over the soul
lamps and saw that… Sir Cao Jin’s soul lamp had shattered.” The administrator’s
teeth were chattering in the face of Elder Chen Lei’s terrifying aura.
Elder Chen Lei surged to his feet . A look that seemed like
it would devour everything shot out of his eyes as he grabbed the
administrator, flying towards where the soul lamps were kept.
Fifteen minutes later, Elder Chen Lei’s enraged howl
reverberated throughout the entire sect. Various heads poked out of residences,
as members of the sect began to wonder. Exactly what incredible thing had
happened in their sect?
Chapter 634: Conflict in the Regal Pill Palace
News of Cao Jin perishing instantly traveled through the Sky
Sect. Even ordinary elders had to make way in front of one of the ten great
disciples, because for those people, becoming a powerhouse in the sect was only
a matter of a few decades. If no accidents happened, they would always end in a
position higher than an elder.
“Investigate this closely! Whoever supplies valuable
information will be awarded a hundred thousand saint spirit stones and one
thousand Heroic Sage Pills!” Elder Chen Lei was enraged beyond measure after he
confirmed that Cao Jin had perished and immediately promised a heavy reward.
The Sky Sect was extremely large and spread out, with over
tens of millions of disciples. Elder Chen Lei had many personal disciples, but
Cao Jin was undoubtedly the one he was most proud of. He had bestowed the
Moonshatter Awl, Ocean Cover Sword, and Apocalyptic Darklightning Rune onto Cao
Jin after all. It could be seen from this just how much Elder Chen Lei spoiled
Cao Jin.
Elder Chen Lei was more than a thousand years, and had two
disciples whose cultivation had surpassed the emperor level. However, they were
ones he’d taken in hundreds of years ago. They had all formed their own
factions now, their wings fully grown, and were sect heavyweights in their own
right. However, Elder Chen Lei was still most satisfied with Cao Jin because
the latter was so young with much untapped potential. He was already half step
emperor realm at his young age. His potential was obviously not something that
an initial emperor realm cultivator of several hundred years of age could
compare to.
Elder Chen Lei had also always practiced a laissez-faire
philosophy when it came to his disciples. He didn’t overly discipline them and
didn’t even really restrict their movements. Thus, he wasn’t very clear on Cao
Jin’s latest adventures.
This was actually the attitude that most in the Sky Sect
held as well; very few would ever ask about the matters of others. Therefore,
no one responded immediately with any valuable intelligence when Elder Chen
Lei’s reward was announced. This meant that no one knew where Cao Jin had
perished.
This both infuriated and shocked Elder Chen Lei. He’d always
felt that someone who had free rein would have more ambition and vision. But
who knew that Cao Jin had been given so much freedom that Elder Chen Lei didn’t
even know where he’d died!
The elder immediately summoned all his subordinates and
disciples, howling at them, “Investigate this!! Get to the bottom of this even
if you have to overturn the heavens and earth!”
Elder Chen Lei clenched his teeth as boundless killing
intent overflowed from his his eyes. As an expert of eighth level emperor
realm, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the entire sect trembled when
he was enraged. There were very few who had an eighth level emperor realm
cultivation, after all.
……
Jiang Chen was able to control the formations at his whim
after refining the Crimson Heaven formation disk, and could naturally come and
go as he would. There was still a bit of time until the Myriad Grand Ceremony,
so he took a detour to take a look at Mt. Rippling Mirage before he departed.
Two years of time had passed, just like that, and his heart naturally filled
with emotion. However, Jiang Chen knew that he would be back.
The two wyverns had actually wanted to leave with Jiang
Chen, but he’d felt that that would be too conspicuous, so he left them within
the mountain.
Since entering the sage realm, not only had Jiang Chen’s own
strength grown immensely, but so had the Cicada Wing art. It was now very
suitable to use for flight. It only took him a few days to arrive in Regal Pill
Palace territory. But with his cautious nature, he didn’t hurry back to the
Regal Pill Palace, but dressed up as a wandering cultivator.
Since the Tristar Sect had revealed the secret, Jiang Chen
had no idea what the current situation in the Myriad Domain was and naturally
wouldn’t make any move lightly. But it looked like the region was calm for now.
There didn’t seem to be any drums of war beating just yet.
……
The Regal Pill Palace had returned to normal after Cao Jin’s
disturbance. However, because of the Tristar Sect revealing the secret, the
entire Myriad Domain had sunk into a bizarre fear, the feeling that disaster
was coiled and just waiting to strike.
Although Palace Head Dan Chi often stepped forward to boost
morale, this emotion more or less lingered and spread. It was a good thing that
the Regal Pill Palace wasn’t entirely without good news. There were only a few
days left until Myriad Grand Ceremony, and second genius Jun Mobai also broke
through to the sage realm, right behind Shen Qinghong. This was an undoubted
boost to Myriad Domain morale that two geniuses had broken through, one after
another.
However, as the Ceremony drew near, the other sects all
secretly put forth their strongest efforts as well. They weren’t willing to be
left behind as the Regal Pill Palace continuously reported their good news. On
the Sacred Sword Palace side, Wang Han broke through to second level sage realm
and managed to keep his fierce momentum all the way to peak second level sage
realm, just one small step away from third level sage realm. The Great
Cathedral was even more ridiculous. Their top geniuses Xiang Qin and Yue Baize
all broke through to third level sage realm, and Xiang Qin must’ve eaten some
sort of heaven defying item as he looked poised to breaking through to the
earth sage realm! This left all the other sects speechless. Xiang Qin was so
young, yet already showed signs of breaking through to fourth level sage realm.
This alone made the top geniuses of other sects pale in comparison.
“Sigh, it looks like all the other sects have made good use
of the vast amounts of earth rank spirit herbs that they received.” Palace Head
Dan Chi sighed lightly.
Now that the Tristar Sect had revealed the secret of the
ancient herb garden, everyone in the Myriad Domain knew of this matter. So
there was no compulsion to keep it a secret anymore.
Elder Yun Nie sighed. “The Great Cathedral has always been
extraordinarily strong. They’ve gained much this time and have come out ahead.”
“It’s a pity that the only person I favored to challenge the
order of the Myriad Domain, Jiang Chen, was unable to emerge from Mt. Rippling Mirage.
Of all the plans we’d made, that was the one development we overlooked.” Palace
Head Dan Chi was still full of regret when speaking of Jiang Chen even today,
two years after the fact. Elder Yun Nie had spent so much time with Jiang Chen
that he too quite valued the boy. He also felt extremely depressed.
Elder Lian Cheng however, laughed coldly. “He brought it
down on himself! If he’d left with Yun Nie and the others, he might not have
gone through all that then.”
Some of the other elders were also thinking this, but they
weren’t at liberty to say it. Elder Lian Cheng was in fine spirits now because
his disciple Shen Qinghong had broken through to the sage realm, cementing his
position as first amongst the younger generation. Without Jiang Chen, there was
no one to block his glory. Elder Lian Cheng was naturally happy to see this
unfold.
“Alright, more than two years have passed since that
incident. We should look forward. Palace Head, what is the goal of our Regal
Pill Palace in the Myriad Grand Ceremony this time?” It was Forefather Qi, the
junior brother of the previous palace head, who spoke up.
Dan Chi didn’t dare hide anything in front of the forefather
and said solemnly, “We can only do our best this time. Shen Qinghong and Jun
Mobai have broken through, but the geniuses of the other sects are quite
stunning as well. Setting the Great Cathedral aside, those of the Sacred Sword
Palace are our death rivals. I’m worried that they’ll seek public retribution
for private wrongs. As for Wang Han’s strength, the younger generation of our
Regal Pill Palace…”
Dan Chi didn’t finish his words, but everyone knew his
meaning.
Elder Lian Cheng however, was openly displeased. “Palace
Head, although Wang Han is strong, Shen Qinghong has broken through to the sage
realm and isn’t necessarily that much worse than him. When one engages in a
serious spar, one has to have the momentum and courage to fight for victory. If
we start cowering before the battle, how will our Regal Pill Palace rise above
all the sects?”
Elder Lian Cheng’s mentality had undergone a slight shift
since Shen Qinghong had broken through to the sage realm. The most important
thing was that he had been sorely injured after Cao Jin had visited last time,
and his mindset had been affected as well. He felt that he’d been purposely
kept out of the loop for the ancient herb garden and left to wallow in his
ignorance. Due to all of these reasons, Elder Lian Cheng now had a belly full
of anger towards Dan Chi and Yun Nie.
Although information about the ancient herb garden had been
restricted due to the heavenly oath, that clearly hadn’t passed through Elder
Lian Cheng’s mind. He felt that he’d been ostracized by Dan Chi and Elder Yun
Nie. He hadn’t received a single spirit herb stalk out of so many! He was
naturally infuriated.
Dan Chi flicked a noncommittal glance at Elder Lian Cheng.
“Stubborn blindness is not the way forward for cultivators of our generation.
If Elder Lian Cheng had gone to Mt. Rippling Mirage, you would’ve known how
much hostility the Sacred Sword Palace bears towards the Regal Pill Palace.
Wang Han hates our sect with a passion.”
Elder Lian Cheng snorted coldly again. “Wang Han has just
broken through the sage realm not long ago, why is he able to ascend to the
second level and even come close to third level? This is because his sect
values him enough to willingly expend resources on him! Our sect has sky and
earth rank spirit herbs far in excess of the Sacred Sword Palace. I don’t
understand why we still refuse to use resources on our geniuses?!”
Not only were these words a precursor to a tantrum, but they
were also interrogative. Elder Yun Nie couldn’t help but speak up, “Brother
Lian Cheng, this is a bit out of line, isn’t it? Of the two sky rank herbs we
received, one went to the palace head and the other went to me. No one had any
objections to this. As for the earth rank spirit herbs, we obtained 45 of them
and already split them up! Brother Lian Cheng, you took two yourself, isn’t
this right?”
Although 45 stalks seemed plenty, there were many senior
executives in the Regal Pill Palace as well. Two going to each one meant that
many of the elders wouldn’t get any, even if distribution was limited to one
each. As for the younger generation, they’d reached a consensus of not
distributing any for the time being.
After all, only those in the sage realm and above had the
right to receive earth rank spirit herbs in the ancient herb garden. Shen
Qinghong and the others hadn’t gotten any either. Out of consideration for
this, it was reasonable that the younger generation didn't get any. After all,
there wasn’t enough to go around in the older generation, so why would the
younger generation be satisfied first?
However, it would’ve been better had Elder Yun Nie not said
this. Elder Lian Cheng grew incensed when he heard this. “Hmph! Are there only
two sky rank spirit herbs? 45 earth rank spirit herbs? I’ve heard that Jiang
Chen gave you half his spirit herbs when he left, so there are three sky rank
spirit herbs, hundreds of earth rank, and almost three thousand blades of Sage
Fledgling Grass!”
So this was what Elder Lian Chen was most put out about.
Elder Yun Nie didn’t hide anything. “Jiang Chen gifted these to the sect, and
it wouldn’t be good if we split it up before he emerges. Therefore, this all
goes to the public domain and no one has the right to divvy it up. It belongs
to the sect.”
“Since it’s in the public domain, why can’t people who need
it, such as Shen Qinghong, use them?” Elder Lian Cheng pressed further.
“Shen Qinghong is one of your disciples. Since you’ve
received earth rank spirit herbs, why don’t you give one to him? Not to mention
that having just broken through to the sage realm, it’s too early for him to
use earth rank spirit herbs. His ability to use them isn’t in question, but it
would just be a waste. He’ll be able to use them sooner or later, so why the
rush now?” There was sense in Elder Yun Nie’s words.
Chapter 635: Return to Regal Pill Palace
In reality, what Elder Yin Nie said made a lot of sense.
Forget Shen Qinghong, even if he were to use an earth rank spirit herb himself,
he wouldn’t be able to fully absorb its effects either. After all, earth rank
spirit herbs were made for emperor realm cultivators. It was considered a
lavish expenditure beyond one’s rank if even a sage realm expert used it. While
the effects would be splendid, wasn’t it a waste if one could only absorb ten
percent of such a good spirit herb? Right now, Shen Qinghong was only at the
first level sage realm. If he were to use an earth rank spirit herb, he would
at best absorb ten percent of it and raise his cultivation by one level. What was
the meaning in that?
One could certainly use earth rank spirit herbs, but not in
such a wasteful way. After all, there was a finite amount of earth rank spirit
herbs. What was the difference between using it this way and just completely
wasting it?
However, in Elder Lian Cheng’s eyes, Palace Head Dan Chi and
Elder Yun Nie were purposefully limiting and suppressing Shen Qinghong. The
elder had only obtained two earth rank spirit herbs himself. He was naturally
unwilling to give one to Shen Qinghong. Therefore, Elder Lian Cheng’s goal was
earth rank spirit herbs that’d been labelled for public use. The reason he was
making such a fuss was because he was targeting the pool of public spirit
herbs. He wasn’t just aiming for the earth rank spirit herbs. He was also
aiming for the sky rank ones as well.
Jiang Chen had left behind three sky rank spirit herbs for
the sect. Earlier, Palace Head Dan Chi and Elder Yun Nie had split up the two
that the sect had obtained amongst themselves. The reason for this distribution
was because one of them was a palace head, and the other person was the Herbal
Hall Hallmaster, who’d accomplished a great merit in the ancient herb garden.
Therefore, they deserved their share, whether one looked at it from the
standpoint of reason or sentiment. However, a further three sky rank spirit
herbs had been provided by Jiang Chen. If it was a contribution by Jiang Chen
to the sect, then why couldn’t it be shared amongst the rest?
“Forefather Qi, Elder Hu, both of you are people of great
virtue and prestige in the sect. I, Lian Cheng, feel that this is quite unfair
to the two of you. Are the two forefathers of the sect not qualified to obtain
even one sky rank spirit herb?” Elder Lian Cheng adopted a flattering tone as
he turned to them.
He was obviously voicing words they wished to hear while
plotting for himself too. Forefather Qi and Elder Hu held incredible status in
Regal Pill Palace. After the two elders had gotten their share, then would come
Elder Lian Cheng’s turn. Coincidentally, there were only three sky rank spirit
herbs in the public domain. After the two elders had taken one spirit herb
each, only one would be left. No matter how one looked at it, it should go to
Elder Lian Cheng.
Elder Lian Cheng had previously been injured by Cao Jin, and
he’d fixated on the feeling that he’d been wounded for the sect’s sake. He
believed that he had toiled hard and performed a valuable service for the sect,
so there was no reason he should fail to obtain a sky rank spirit herb! If Elder
Yun Nie could receive a sky rank spirit herb, then Elder Lian Cheng should also
have one too! He would feel quite put out otherwise.
Forefather Qi and Elder Hu exchanged glances with each
other. They would be lying to themselves if they said they weren’t tempted.
“Dan Chi, since this is for public use, then us old fellows
should have first priority to use them no matter what. A sky rank spirit herb
is something that one only encounters serendipitously, so in my opinion, why
don’t we…” As the former palace head’s junior brother, Forefather Qi was
someone who even Dan Chi had to call senior uncle. He was a person of great
virtue and prestige, and his words were weighty in their own right.
“Senior uncle, the agreement regarding the public spirit
herbs is a matter of public accord. There are two reasons why I haven’t
distributed them. One is because Jiang Chen’s location remains a mystery. It
would be doing him a disservice if we give away his spoils of war without
careful consideration. Two, the method of distribution isn’t an easy choice to
make. If we distributed all three sky rank spirit herbs beforehand, then the
youngsters below us wouldn’t any hope at all. It is a bit unfair to them.”
In reality, Forefather Qi knew that Dan Chi was a man who
lacked selfish motives. That was why Forefather Qi had no intention of
targeting the palace head and didn’t shame him after these words. “Dan Chi, you
are now the palace head. As the head, your word is law. I am old, and while I
do have great use for a sky rank spirit herb, I am happy to leave it for the
young geniuses as well.”
On the other hand, Elder Hu said, “That is not the case, ole
brother. The situation in the Myriad Domain is currently quite complex, so I
believe that us old fellows should continue to increase our strength. An
increase in our strength will affect the sect’s fate more in critical moments
than our young disciples’.”
“Elder Hu’s words make sense. After the previous incident, I
too believe that our young disciples are still incapable of standing on their
own for now,” Elder Lian Cheng latched onto the elder’s words. He’d seemed to
unintentionally bring up the previous incident, obviously wanting to emphasize
the fact that he had gotten hurt for the sect’s sake, and had rendered a
valuable service for the sect.
Elder Yun Nie suddenly smiled, “Since everyone wants a share
of the sky rank spirit herbs, I happen to have the perfect method that will be
the best compromise.”
“What method is it?” Elder Hu’s eyes lit up.
“There are three sky rank spirit herbs left. Forefather Qi
is a person of great virtue and prestige, and the eldest senior of the sect.
Naturally, he deserves a sky rank spirit herb. There are no objections to this.
As for the remaining two sky rank spirit herb, we can distribute one to the
most influential elder based on status and prestige. The final one shall be
offered as a reward to the genius with the most talented performance during the
Myriad Grand Ceremony. This way, both the elder and younger generation are not
neglected. This is the perfect method to satisfy both worlds.”
Elder Hu laughed heartily when Elder Yun Nie finished, “This
method is wonderful. I agree!”
Palace Head Dan Chi was also laughing on the inside. Elder
Yun Nie’s plan had a clear purpose. It perfectly cut off Elder Lian Cheng’s
attempt to obtain a sky rank spirit herb. The elder had kicked up such a fuss
for a sky rank spirit herb, but it just so happened that he wouldn’t get one
through this distribution method. Since two of the sky rank spirit herbs were
to be split amongst influential elders, Forefather Qi would acquire one without
a doubt. As for the last remaining sky rank spirit herb, Elder Hu was even more
qualified than Elder Lian Cheng. This meant that Elder Lian Cheng wouldn’t get
a single sky rank spirit herb despite having argued until he was blue in the
face.
If you think you’re capable, then go compete with Elder Hu
for the spirit herb!
Forefather Qi cast a meaningful glance at Yun Nie and was
inwardly impressed with the latter’s quick wittedness. This method might appear
fair, but in reality it had split apart the tacit understanding between Elder
Hu and Elder Lian Cheng. Originally, the two elders had joined forces to obtain
a sky rank spirit herb each for themselves. However, this suggestion had put
Elder Hu and Elder Lian Cheng in direct conflict for one sky rank spirit herb
instead.
This way, the unspoken alliance between the duo had
naturally fallen apart.
Most importantly, Elder Yun Nie’s suggestion appeared to be
the epitome of objectivity and selflessness. It was a suggestion that took care
of his old comrades and encouraged the youngsters as well. It was a perfect
method that satisfied both sides. No one could criticize it.
Elder Lian Cheng pondered for a moment and immediately
deduced Elder Yun Nie’s intentions. His expression instantly sank. “Elder Yun
Nie, what do you mean by this? Are you targeting me on purpose?” Elder Lian
Cheng couldn’t quite maintain his facade as his expression turned dark.
Elder Yun Nie was absolutely innocent, “What do you mean,
Elder Lian Cheng?”
Forefather Qi smiled and interjected before Elder Lian Cheng
could respond, “In my opinion, this suggestion is worth considering. The
seniors should take precedence, and the youngsters shouldn’t be neglected
either.”
Elder Lian Cheng didn’t dare refute Forefather Qi’s words.
Palace Head Dan Chi nodded, “If there are no objections,
then the decision is made. Forefather Qi and Elder Hu are the two most
qualified forefathers of the sect. They will both obtain a sky rank spirit herb
each. The last sky rank spirit herb will be put up as the reward for the Myriad
Grand Ceremony. Any Regal Pill Palace disciple who obtains the best result
shall obtain this sky rank spirit herb.”
Forefather Qi smoothed things over while laughing, “Don’t be
dejected, Lian Cheng. Your Shen Qinghong is the top talent among the younger
generation. In my opinion, this sky rank spirit herb would most likely fall
into your faction.”
Elder Lian Cheng opened his mouth, but wasn’t sure what to
say. If he argued any further, then it would mean that he planned to fight for
the sky rank spirit herb against his own direct disciple Shen Qinghong.
“Alright, let us end things here today.” Palace Head Dan Chi
adjourned the meeting with a wave of his hand.
Elder Hu was all smiles as he chatted with Forefather Qi. He
was naturally happy since he’d obtained the sky rank spirit herb he wanted, and
thought that both Palace Head Dan Chi and Elder Yun Nie had given him much
face. As for Elder Lian Cheng, Elder Hu naturally wouldn’t care what the former
was thinking.
Just as Palace Head Dan Chi was about to return to his
residence, a ray of light suddenly flashed into his hand and landed on his
palm. It was a message glyph.
Palace Head Dan Chi opened it for a look. At first he was
unconcerned, but a rapt expression instantly appeared on his face after he read
its contents. The message glyph was actually from Jiang Chen! Jiang Chen! He’s
emerged from Mt. Rippling Mirage?
Palace Head Dan Chi exited a side door of the sect’s
formation at a certain corner of the Regal Pill Palace and was greeted by a
sight for sore eyes, Jiang Chen, the boy he had not seen for two years.
“Well met, Palace Head.”
“Haha, Jiang Chen! I knew it! You were no average person,
and a mere Mt. Rippling Mirage wasn’t enough to hold you. It would appear that
my predictions are very much accurate!” Palace Head Dan Chi was absolutely
overjoyed. Today was the happiest day of his life in the past two years.
“Palace Head, has news of the Tristar Sect’s betrayal and
surrender to the Ninesuns Sky Sect already been exposed?”
“Have they truly flocked to Ninesuns Sky Sect’s banner?” Dan
Chi had deduced this earlier, but had had no evidence in the end to prove his
theory.
“It’s absolutely true. I learned of it just a few days after
I entered Mt. Rippling Mirage. I’d simply refrained from saying so because it
is a matter of the utmost importance. Tristar Sect’s Ding Tong pursued and
attempted to kill me the day I entered Mt. Rippling Mirage. That kid was in
fact a disciple sent by the Ninesuns Sky Sect into the Myriad Domain to set up
their plans. Not only have Ninesuns Sky Sect set their eyes on the Myriad
Domain, this wasn’t a plan that’d only sprung up a couple of years ago. They’ve
likely prepared for this for a very long time.” Jiang Chen knew how important
this matter was, so he had to report it in full to the palace head.
“Let’s head inside first before discussing anything
further.” Dan Chi came to solemn attention inwardly, but didn’t panic.
He carefully asked about the relevant details once they’d
returned to his residence. Jiang Chen told Dan Chi everything he’d learned from
Ding Tong and some of the evidence he had discovered. Now that things had reached
this point, Jiang Chen didn’t even conceal the matter of Cao Jin.
“You’re speaking of Cao Jin, that blue browed youngster?”
Dan Chi’s expression changed considerably upon hearing this. “Did... did he
entered the forbidden area of Mt. Rippling Mirage?”
“You know about him, Palace Head?” Jiang Chen remembered Cao
Jin claiming that he had came by Regal Pill Palace before. Was that actually
the truth?
“Not only do I know him, I’ve even fought against him once.
This kid’s strength is unfathomable, and I barely managed to take a blow from
him. If I wasn’t aided by a benefactor, I do not know if I could even block
three moves from him.” Dan Chi had bowed to no one in his life, but to this day
he couldn’t help but feel less capable than he would’ve liked when thinking of
Cao Jin, even though the palace head was currently at seventh level sage realm.
Dan Chi immediately reiterated the story of the disturbance
that Cao Jin had caused.
A mysterious cloaked person? A beautiful figure abruptly
flashed across Jiang Chen’s mind. He couldn’t help but think, could that have
been her? Jiang Chen might not have witnessed it with his own eyes, but the
first thought that crossed his mind had to do with that mysterious Miss
Huang’er.
Chapter 636: Rumors from Ancient Times
Jiang Chen had his own speculations, but he didn’t lay them
bare. In fact, Dan Chi was the one who stared at Jiang Chen with surprise in
his eyes, “Jiang Chen, you said that that blue-browed young man entered Mt.
Rippling Mirage. In that case you… how… did you…”
Jiang Chen had only said that Cao Jin had entered Mt.
Rippling Mirage, but the disciple hadn’t said that he’d killed Cao Jin. After
all, that was much too outlandish. Dan Chi was extremely curious. With that
blue-browed young man’s strength and the fact that he’d entered Mt. Rippling
Mirage to chase and hunt Jiang Chen down, Jiang Chen had still been able to
escape at leisure? Not to mention that the Mt. Rippling Mirage’s restrictive
formation was completely intractable.
At this point, Jiang Chen understood that there were some
things he could no longer keep secret. He immediately confessed in full to Dan
Chi about the inheritance of Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect, but he didn’t admit
that he was the one who’d killed Cao Jin. Instead, he arranged the story such
that Cao Jin had accidentally barged into the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect’s
formation and had been killed by the formation. He wasn’t afraid of letting the
palace head know that the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect’s inheritance was
already in his hands.
That being said, he still couldn’t reveal the secret that
Long Xiaoxuan had killed Cao Jin. After all, the bloodline of true dragons was
a critical matter. As for the inheritance of the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect,
Jiang Chen had given it a lot of consideration. He thought that it was fine if
he revealed it to Palace Head Dan Chi.
Surprisingly, Palace Head Dan Chi wore a solemn look on his
face, and fell into a long silence after Jiang Chen finished his explanation.
It was only a long time later that the palace head muttered with wonderment,
“So, the rumors from ancient times are actually real! The Ancient Crimson
Heavens Sect… the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect!”
“What rumors from ancient times?” Jiang Chen asked in
surprise. He hadn’t heard of any rumors from ancient times when gallivanting
around the Myriad Domain. There were no such records amongst the Regal Pill
Palace’s records either.
He couldn’t help but feel a little curious when he heard
Palace Head Dan Chi muttering. Jiang Chen was extremely interested in the
history behind the Divine Abyss Continent. While this continent appeared
separate from his previous life, there always seemed to be this vague
connection between the two of them. He just couldn’t seem to find the
connection between the two together with the information and intelligence he
currently possessed. That was why he couldn’t help but investigate every time
he heard the words ‘rumors from ancient times’.
“Jiang Chen, do you still remember what I said back when the
Regal Pill Palace formed an alliance with the Precious Tree Sect? I said that
the Myriad Domain would soon fall into chaos in the next ten years, and that an
era of chaos might descend upon the entire Divine Abyss Continent”
Of course Jiang Chen remembered that. Back then, Dan Chi had
brought up the general situation of the Myriad Domain and placed a lot of hope
on him. Dan Chi had said then that he’d simulated the Myriad Domain’s future
countless times. However, Jiang Chen was the only odd factor in the equation
that the palace head hadn’t been able to puzzle out.
Back then, Dan Chi had stated clearly that Jiang Chen might
be the only person who could solve this predicament.
“Palace Head, what does all this have to do with the rumors
from ancient times?” Personally, Jiang Chen was more concerned about the
rumors.
“Jiang Chen, I don’t know much about the rumors from ancient
times either. I’ve only heard some scattered bits when I was exploring the
Upper Eight Regions.
“It is rumored that there were countless sects and experts
on Divine Abyss Continent during ancient times. Amongst them, some powerful
ancient sects possessed large groups of experts who’d transcended the level of
a Titled Great Emperor.” Palace Head Dan Chi himself didn’t know what the level
beyond Titled Great Emperor was called.
Jiang Chen added it in for him, “Empyrean expert.”
“Empyrean expert?” Palace Head Dan Chi’s eyes lit up, “How
do you know this, Jiang Chen?”
“I learned this from the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect.” In
reality, Jiang Chen had known of it a long time ago from the memories of his
past life. All secular planes had their own ways to differentiate between the
boundaries between martial arts, but when someone exceeded the limits of the
mundane and broke through the void, they would be recognized by the heavenly
laws and be given a unified title of “empyrean expert”.
“Empyrean expert, empyrean expert…” Palace Head Dan Chi
muttered a couple of times in fascination and awe. “In the ancient times,
empyrean experts ruled this land, and the Divine Abyss Continent was far
stronger than it was now. The Divine Abyss Continent back then was likely in
its final era. However, that era had came to an abrupt stop. Due to a disorder
in the orbit of the celestial bodies, the Divine Abyss Continent and multiple
other planes overlapped with one another in areas that allowed for
teleportation. This allowed many alien races who were much more powerful to
invade through these regions.”
Palace Head Dan Chi paused for a moment before smiling
ruefully, “Although the disorder of the heavens’ orbit only lasted for a year,
it was enough for countless alien races to invade the Divine Abyss Continent.
They clashed furiously against the indigenous forces of the Divine Abyss
Continent. Their goal was to take over the Continent and enslave every living
being. No one knew how many months and years this protracted war lasted. In
fact… no one even knew what the final outcome was. It was as if the history of
that time had been utterly obliterated after that enormous battle. To this day,
that part of the history is blank, and no records of that time can be found
anywhere. It was as if history itself had been separated by a great chasm.”
Palace Head Dan Chi sighed, “Of course, these are just the
rumors I heard in passing. There is no way for me to confirm whether that is
truly the truth. The Myriad Domain’s status is too low, and no valuable clues
can be found at all.”
Although the amount of information Dan Chi provided was
pitifully small, Jiang Chen was more of a mind to believe it as real. This was
because the records of Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect matched the scattered bits
of information Palace Head Dan Chi had found. The text and diagrams on the stone
walls and journals of Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect both mentioned the invasion
of powerful enemies from beyond the region. These powerful enemies from beyond
the region should be the alien races mentioned by Palace Head Dan Chi.
“Palace Head, could it be that these invaders are the
ancient demon race?” Jiang Chen asked curiously.
Dan Chi nodded, “Correct. After the ancient times, those
invaders were all collectively known as the ancient demon race. In reality,
there was more than one race who invaded the Divine Abyss Continent, but we
simply call them collectively as demons.”
Jiang Chen remembered that the term ‘ancient demons’ had
appeared more than once in the Myriad Domain. In fact, the sixteen kingdom
alliance had always been considered to be at the cusp of where the demons were
sealed. It was just that these rumors had never been validated before.
“Jiang Chen, the fact that you discovered the Ancient
Crimson Heavens Sect’s inheritance proves that you are a man of great fortune.
However, you must keep this information a secret, just as I will not reveal
this to a third person. This matter is of the utmost importance. Who knows,
perhaps the forbidden land of Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect may be the Regal
Pill Palace’s safeguard in the future.” Dan Chi was more joyful than surprised
in regards to the revelation of Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect.
“Palace Head, do the Ninesuns Sky Sect’s arrangements share
any connection with these ancient sects?” Jiang Chen asked curiously.
Dan Chi thought for a moment, but contrary to Jiang Chen’s
expectations, he responded, “Who knows how many forbidden areas on the level of
Mt. Rippling Mirage exist on the Divine Abyss Continent? There are also
numerous ancient ruins much superior than Mt. Rippling Mirage in the Upper
Eight Regions. These ancient ruins exist in even the sixteen kingdom alliance.
We can see from this that there are many such ancient ruins that’d survived the
ancient era. But how would they know which ancient ruin contains an ancient
sect’s inheritance?”
It made sense to Jiang Chen. Back at Skylaurel Kingdom, even
the likes of him had obtained the inheritance of the Bewitching Lotus of Fire
and Ice at the Maze Realm Autumn Hunt. He had also obtained the magnetic golden
mountain back at the trials of the sixteen kingdom alliance. Ultimately, he was
simply picking up scraps left behind by other cultivators. If he could pick up
such scraps from even such small places, it was clear that there were countless
ancient ruins on the Divine Abyss Continent, as many as the hairs on an ox.
Of course, if it hadn’t been for Jiang Chen being uncommon,
a normal person would find it very difficult to stumble across ‘scraps’ like
the Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice and the magnetic golden mountain. But no
matter what the Ninesuns Sky Sect’s intentions were, their great ambition and
designs on the Myriad Domain had been made abundantly clear.
“Jiang Chen, it would appear that the Ninesuns Sky Sect is
confident in their ability to swallow the Myriad Domain. Even a sect like the
Tristar Sect has fallen under their sway. I’m worried that they might have some
kind of conspiracy set up during this Myriad Grand Ceremony. Therefore, the
Myriad Grand Ceremony may very well be a turning point for the Myriad Domain.”
“You think so too, Palace Head?” Jiang Chen was surprised.
The reason he had left Mt. Rippling Mirage so urgently was because he’d been
driven by a powerful hunch. He had the niggling feeling that something of great
import would happen during the Myriad Grand Ceremony. He thought that it was just
his intuition alone, but he didn’t think that the palace head had thought the
same as well.
Palace Head Dan Chi’s gaze was laden with weight, “I’m not
the only one who has felt this. It is likely that all the great leaders of the
Myriad Domain and those who are even slightly sensitive have had a similar
premonition. I’m guessing that every sect will be making some sort of
preparation of their own. I am worried that many sects will buckle beneath the
Ninesuns Sky Sect’s aggression, and our Regal Pill Palace may very well be the
only one who stands in defiance against them.”
It was possible that such a thing might happen. However,
Jiang Chen thought that Ninesuns Sky Secy might not even accept the compromise
offered by the sects of the Myriad Domain. It was obvious that the Ninesuns Sky
Sect saw value in Myriad Domain as a territory, not as a forces. After all,
even the strongest sect in the Myriad Domain, Great Cathedral was just average.
Even a hundred Great Cathedrals couldn’t compare to one Ninesuns Sky Sect.
“What is your plan, sect master?” Jiang Chen knew that Dan
Chi had his own ambitions, and his own plan. However, there was nothing Palace
Head Dan Chi could do against the giant that was Ninesuns Sky Sect in a short
period of time, no matter how shrewd he was.
“Jiang Chen, you’ve known about my thoughts and aspirations
for a long time now. However, I’m in no hurry to build my kingdom overnight
either. If there is truly nothing that can be done, I will not be so foolish as
to try and smash an egg against a rock. The best way is none other to break up
the Regal Pill Palace temporarily and bide our time. If ten years is
insufficient, then we wait a hundred years. If a hundred years is insufficient,
then we wait five hundred years… As long as our legacy remains, it is only a
matter of time until we recover our homeland and unify the Myriad Domain!” Dan
Chi’s eyes shone with the light of resolution. It was a light filled with
grave, determined intelligence.
It was obvious that Dan Chi would never agree to bend his
knee and submit to Ninesuns Sky Sect. The second he did so, the spirit of the
sect would break along with him. A sect could be dissolved, but as long as the
kindling of their spirit hadn’t extinguished yet, then the sect would still be alive.
Similarly, even if a sect hadn’t yet been destroyed, if their legacy was
extinguished, then it was no different than them being destroyed.
A sect’s inheritance wasn’t determined by the integrity of
its territory or the number of its disciples. It was determined by whether its
spirit was still alive. In this regard, the spirits of both the Regal Pill
Palace and Precious Tree Sect were well and alive, despite their relative
strengths. Just like the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect, although they had died out
completely, their powerful spirit had continued to shine for eons. Jiang Chen
had been inspired by that powerful mentality the moment he entered the
forbidden land of Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect. This was the power of a legacy.
This type of strength was stronger than a fist, and more reliable than a
weapon!
Chapter 637: The Young Master Has Ascended to the Sage
Realm?
One had to say, although Palace Head Dan Chi’s strength was
nothing more than a wisp of smoke in front of the Ninesuns Sky Sect, his
ambitions and magnanimity, as well as vision, were all things that were worthy
of Jiang Chen’s admiration. It was a true achievement for a sect head to be
such a martyr, even temporarily. Only those who could be so resolute and
decisive held the truest hope of reaching the stars they aim for.
“Palace Head, although the Sky Sect is strong, they still
pale in comparison to the ancient sects. I trust that if the Sky Sect
purposefully suppresses the Myriad Domain, it will be reviled beneath the
heavens. Even if it is capable of consolidating its power in short order, it
will not be able to hold onto that power for long.” Although Jiang Chen didn’t
know what the Sky Sect’s plans were, he believed that the Divine Abyss
Continent wasn’t a place where they could simply could dictate order. What he
was most worried about wasn’t the Sky Sect, but the legendary ancient demon
race. Moreover, his worries weren’t without ground.
He’d once returned to his old home, the territory of Jiang
Han, in the Eastern Kingdom. He’d run into an odd event on its lands,
discovered by his younger cousin Jiang Yu. The spirit herbs on a certain patch
of land had ripened overnight. This matter had left a deep impression on Jiang
Chen, and he’d sent men to investigate. Although the investigation hadn’t been
very thorough, it was enough to indicate various types of strange sealing power
hidden in that area.
Jiang Chen had been weak back then, so he hadn’t looked
deeply into the matter. However, even then he’d been able to conclude that it
was a gravely ill portent. So now that he thought back on it, it was quite
possible that the sixteen kingdom alliance was a place where the demons were
sealed.
Looking at it more closely, it was now apparent to him that
the omen was quite frightening. If it took shape, it was possible that even the
Myriad Domain, much less the Eastern Kingdom, would not be able to bear the results.
In addition, Jiang Chen had bumped into a spirit creature called Mang Qi in the
Boundless Catacombs when undergoing the Hidden Dragon Trials in the Eastern
Kingdom. That had also been a strange place.
It looked like Mang Qi had been sealed there since ancient
times, but it was still alive. How many years had passed since then? If Mang Qi
was merely a first level spirit realm creature, how could it live for so long?
The lifespans of spirit creatures were longer than humans, but not to such a
ridiculous extent!
If he thought about it carefully, the Boundless Catacombs
that Mang Qi had resided in were also full of peculiarities. Jiang Chen could
almost be certain now that the spirit creature’s display of power back then had
just been the barest tip of the iceberg. Its true strength was absolutely not
that simple. A spirit realm creature from the ancient times would never be able
to survive the ravages of time to live until now. Even the king of tortoises
wouldn’t live for so long. It seemed that the Eastern Kingdom had truly hidden
many bizarre riddles. Back then, his ability only in the true qi realm, Jiang
Chen only had a shallow understanding of most things and hadn’t delved deeply
into them. With what he knew now, a careful appraisal of the events had
revealed all the inexplicably bizarre points. Jiang Chen naturally wouldn’t
forget that he had a promise with Mang Qi that he would try to save it from its
seal, “The Great Formation of Myriad Souls Confinement”.
“The Great Formation of Myriad Souls Confinement?” Jiang
Chen’s eyelid suddenly twitched as he remembered something.
Palace Head Dan Chi started when he saw Jiang Chen’s strange
action. However, Jiang Chen didn’t say anything as he grabbed at his head with
both hands, thinking furiously. He hadn’t had much of an impression when Mang
Qi had first mentioned the “Great Formation of Myriad Souls Confinement”. But
now that it had crossed his mind once again, he remembered that the journals of
the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect had mentioned this formation. They’d spoken of
an exceedingly strong sealing formation that the sect hadn’t been able to set
up by its own strength alone. The notes had said that the Ancient Crimson
Heavens Sect had combined efforts from a few other formation sects to set up a
“Great Formation of Myriad Souls Confinement”. As he connected the dots, Jiang
Chen suddenly felt sweat pour down his back.
“Can it be… can it be that Mang Qi is one of the ancient
demons…” Jiang Chen felt that he’d plunged into an icy cavern. He really did
feel a cold draft on his back. He’d made a heavenly oath that he’d help Mang Qi
break free! If that spirit creature was really of the ancient demon race… then
hadn’t he been tricked by Mang Qi?!
However, Mang Qi had also sworn that if Jiang Chen helped it
break out of its shackles, it would recognize Jiang Chen as its master and
listen to the boy’s bidding. He too had sworn a heavenly oath.
The more Jiang Chen thought, the more of a headache he had.
However, with things the way they were now, there wasn’t much point to thinking
too much about this now. His current level of strength wasn’t enough to evoke
more than a lazy swat from the Ninesuns Sky Sect, much less the ancient demon
tribes.
“Palace Head, we need to make quite a few preparations in
advance of the Myriad Grand Ceremony.” Jiang Chen brought the topic back to the
upcoming event.
“Mm. The Grand Ceremony is in half a month. I’ll make some
preparations during this time. Jiang Chen, you’ll be the focus of attention.
Don’t reveal yourself for now, let’s make our decisions accordingly later.”
Jiang Chen’s status was exceedingly awkward at the moment.
Those of the six great sects would be holding a certain prejudice against him
because of what’d happened in the ancient pill garden. Jiang Chen’s name had
also entered into the Sky Sect’s vision time and time again. Perhaps that sect
already had their eyes set on Jiang Chen. Thus, Palace Head Dan Chi didn’t want
Jiang Chen to easily expose himself.
Jiang Chen wasn’t much interested in the Myriad Grand
Ceremony. However, there was a martial sparring aspect to it in which the
winners could enter the Paramount Realm. He was really looking forward to the
realm.
The Paramount Realm was where the emperor realm cultivators
in Myriad Domain history released the essence of their lives in their last
moments, leaving behind the purest essence of their martial dao. Such a place would
have traces of the cultivator’s martial spirit. It would be a fortuitous
occurrence to any cultivator who could inherit the martial dao comprehension of
an emperor realm cultivator. Jiang Chen naturally wanted to go try his luck.
Although he had the memories of his past life, there was
much Jiang Chen didn’t understand about this world’s experts. Since he had the
opportunity to understand them further, Jiang Chen didn’t want to pass it up!
The two agreed in the end that if no other mishaps arose, Jiang Chen would
participate in the Myriad Grand Ceremony.
“Jiang Chen, the sect has been arguing nonstop the past
couple of days over the sky rank spirit herbs that you’ve gifted to the sect.
Let’s not announce your return just yet, I’m afraid Elder Lian Cheng will want
the sky rank spirit herbs in your possession.” Although Palace Head Dan Chi
knew that Jiang Chen wasn’t necessarily afraid of Elder Lian Cheng, he still
didn’t want the two to erupt in open hostilities out of consideration for the
sect.
It didn’t matter to Jiang Chen either way, and he smiled.
“I’ll return to my residence and then make a trip to senior sister Bi’er’s
residence. I promised to help cure her father’s poison three years ago. Who
would’ve thought that this matter would drag on until now!”
“Haha, good! A man’s word is worth its weight in gold.” Dan
Chi looked admiringly at Jiang Chen and clapped his disciple’s shoulder. “Go on
back first!”
Jiang Chen rose to take his leave. When he reached the mouth
of the Rosy Valley, he had no other recourse but to pretend that he was Mu
Gaoqi to fool the guards. They didn’t take a close look at him either, just
seeing a figure flash by in front of them.
“Eh, was that senior brother Mu Gaoqi just now?”
“I think so, but when did senior brother Mu Gaoqi become so
fast?”
“I think it’s weird too. I heard that senior brother Mu
Gaoqi is in closed door cultivation, attempting to assail the sky origin realm.
Are the rumors false?” The guards chattered at each other as they were
completely baffled by the situation. If Mu Gaoqi was in closed door
cultivation, why would he appear at the mouth of the Valley?
When it came to Mu Gaoqi, the guards’ tone were full of
respect and reverence. They weren’t talking about the cowardly and shrinking Mu
Gaoqi of yesteryear, but a true top genius of the sect. The sect had fully
excavated Mu Gaoqi’s potential as an innate wood constitution, and had tailored
a cultivation path for him to greatly enhance his martial dao level.
Over the past two years, his innate wood constitution had
been aptly developed and he’d bounded from third level origin realm to the
point of trying for the sky origin realm. His rate of improvement was the most
furious one in the Regal Pill Palace in the last two years.
Equally crazed was Tang Hong of the Precious Tree Sect.
After undergoing a baptism in the wood spirit spring and receiving many
benefits from Jiang Chen, his already strong potential had once again taken a
large step forward. Add his decidedly mad bent when training to the mix and he
too had made large strides forward to peak fifth level origin realm in the past
two years. His cultivation level was catching up to Lordmaster Ye Chonglou!
However, Ye Chonglou was different from Tang Hong. Although
both had been baptized in the wood spirit spring, Jiang Chen had gifted dragon
blood and crystals to Ye Chonglou. The latter’s miraculous rate of improvement
had been because he’d refined the dragon blood. On the other hand, Tang Hong
had made it to the fifth level origin realm purely on the basis of excavated
potential. This kind of cultivation speed was one that even the best geniuses
in the Regal Pill Palace might be hard pressed to match.
When Jiang Chen arrived at the entrance to his residence and
saw everything in order, his heart settled with relief. Over the past two
years, he’d been most afraid that something might’ve happened at home.
Thankfully, everything was still peaceful.
Huang'er was playing the “Ethereal Soothing Melody” within
the residence when her strings of her qin suddenly vibrated. A trace of delight
flashed through her clear eyes as she dampened the strings with both hands,
then ran out barefoot. “Sir Jiang?”
Jiang Chen smiled to see Huang'er walk out barefoot. “Miss
Huang’er, your ‘Ethereal Soothing Melody’ has truly reached the peak of an
ethereal realm after two years.”
Huang'er laughed softly, “You’re finally back.”
Figures began to dash out from the residence one by one. It
was first Ye Chonglou, then Gouyu and Xuetong, then all the other personal
guards… everyone was delighted to see Jiang Chen.
“Jiang Chen, you… you…” Ye Chonglou stared at Jiang Chen,
surprise brimming from his eyes. “Your cultivation…”
“Congratulations to Sir Jiang for ascending to the sage
realm.” Huang'er smiled charmingly.
Everyone was stunned, and then was immediately overcome with
joy. It’d been two years since they’d seen the young master, but now that they
had, he was already in the sage realm! One had to the know that even the most
exemplary genius, Shen Qinghong, had only broken through to the sage realm in
the past two years. Jiang Chen had only entered the Rosy Valley three years
ago, and had only been first level origin realm then. But now, three years
later, he was of the sage realm!
Chapter 638: Dispelling the Divine Befuddlement Miasma,
Senior Sister Reveals Her Thoughts
Ye Chonglou was at the peak of fifth level origin realm.
Gouyu and Xue Tong were both at fourth level, and the rest were both at peak of
second level origin realm. Tang Hong was now an earth origin realm genius of
the Rosy Valley, also at peak fifth level origin realm and was one of the more
preeminent geniuses in the valley. However, Tang Hong had his own residence,
and so didn’t live with Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen was quite satisfied with everyone’s improvement.
It’d only been three years after all, so it was very difficult already to
improve themselves to this degree.
“Ah yes, Lordmaster, I’d like to speak privately with you.”
Jiang Chen said to Ye Chonglou after greeting everyone. Ye Chonglou knew that
it wouldn’t be a small matter if Jiang Chen was taking such precautions, so he
quickly walked out with Jiang Chen.
“Jiang Chen, is something important about to happen?”
Although the lordmaster didn’t normally set foot outside the residence, he was
still very sensitive to the developments of the greater picture.
Jiang Chen nodded. “It’s very possible that some notable
matters will happen. The Tristar Sect is colluding with the Ninesuns Sky Sect.
I anticipate that disaster will soon descend upon the Myriad Domain. The scale
and strength of this disaster may be large enough that a fourth rank sect such
as the Regal Pill Palace may not be able to remain steadfast in its face.
Therefore, for the sake of the future of the Precious Tree Sect, I have to
recommend that the lordmaster take Tang Hong and the others back to the
Precious Tree Sect right away.”
“Right now?” Ye Chonglou was a bit surprised. “Are we in
that much of a hurry? Tang Hong would still like to participate in the Myriad
Grand Ceremony and vie for a placement on the Myriad Hidden Dragon ranking!”
“There’s no meaning in that anymore.” Jiang Chen waved his
hands. “In fact, it’s still up in the air whether or not the ceremony can be
successfully held.”
“Things are that serious?”
“They might be even more serious than I’m describing. Palace
Head Dan Chi is already prepared to dissolve the Regal Pill Palace at any
time.”
Ye Chonglou’s expression instantly darkened as his tone
turned grave, “Then it looks like the situation is at its worst.” He was an
altogether decisive person. “Alright, then I’ll immediately go find Tang Hong
and the others to take them back to the Precious Tree Sect. If the greater
picture has reached this point, we’ll temporarily disband the Precious Tree
Sect as well.”
To a certain extent, the Precious Tree Sect was the same
kind of sect as the Regal Pill Palace. It was the sort that held the mentality
of passing down their legacy of spirit through the ages. They would never bend
their knee to enemies and be enslaved by others.
Jiang Chen nodded. “It’d be best to dissolve the sect
immediately if you hear of anything and leave the Myriad Domain. No matter how
troubled the times ahead may be, we will still meet again as long as we are all
alive.”
Ye Chonglou patted Jiang Chen’s shoulder. “Jiang Chen, the
luckiest thing I’ve ever encountered in my life, and my proudest, is getting to
know you. Don’t worry, although my strength is humble, I’ve long since
anticipated that there would be great changes in the Myriad Domain. To that
end, I've made many preparations beforehand. Although they won’t affect the
Myriad Domain as a whole, I’ve been able to design a few escape routes.”
“Ah. When does the lordmaster plan on departing?”
“Tomorrow.” Ye Chonglou was very firm. “I will take my leave
from Palace Head Dan Chi tomorrow.”
Jiang Chen gifted another batch of Origin Fostering Pills to
the elder. “Lordmaster, take these upper rank Origin Fostering Pills with you.
You and Tang Hong will be able to use them for a long time.
“Also, here’s an Origin Doubling Pill for you. You’ll be
able to rise a level without conditions after ascending to sixth level origin realm,
and you’ll be able to assail seventh level origin realm in a short amount of
time.” Jiang Chen took out a million upper rank origin spirit stones as well.
“Here’s also a million spirit stones that I gained in the Mt. Rippling Mirage
Pill Battles. It should be enough for the next couple of decades of use.”
Ye Chonglou felt a bit abashed and he sighed, “Jiang Chen,
I’ve been benefiting from you all along. I am truly ashamed.”
“Please don’t speak this way, lordmaster. If it wasn’t for
you taking care of me in the Skylaurel Kingdom, there wouldn’t be the Jiang
Chen of today either.”
Ye Chonglou didn’t stand on ceremony with Jiang Chen and
accepted everything. “Jiang Chen, as long as the Precious Tree Sect has you,
the sect will undoubtedly one day be revived even if it is destroyed.” His
voice thrummed with emotion.
“Oh right, Lordmaster, how is your Five Winged
Phoenix-Dragon after it assimilated the bloodline of a true dragon?”
Ye Chonglou responded joyfully, “The Phoenix-Dragon is a
descendent of the dragons alright! It absorbed the true dragon bloodline even
better than I did. Its cultivation level has long since broken through the
human sky origin realm. In my opinion, right now, it has more right than me to
assail the sage realm.”
“The sage realm won’t be a problem after the baptism in the
wood spirit spring. The lordmaster has great hope of making it to the sage
realm.” Jiang Chen continued, “On another note, Tang Hong’s potential is
excellent and I hope that the Precious Tree Sect will show him preferential
treatment. If he can develop fully into his strength, his accomplishments in
the future will be unfathomable.”
Even geniuses in small places have potential, but they
simply lacked the resources to excavate it from youth. The differences between
them and geniuses in large territories wasn’t in innate potential, but the amount
of support and resources received during their development. This point was
particularly noticeable for Tang Hong. After receiving large amounts of
resources from Jiang Chen upon joining the Regal Pill Palace, the rate of his
cultivation had improved ferociously, even faster than some Regal Pill Palace
geniuses. From Jiang Chen’s perspective, if Tang Hong had received Cao Jin’s
level of treatment, then his current accomplishments might even be on par with
Cao Jin.
Xue Tong walked in after Ye Chonglou had finished speaking.
“Young master, Miss Bi’er has sent over cultivation resources again.”
“What do you mean?” Jiang Chen started. Did Ling Bi'er know
he was back? That was impossible.
“Ever since she returned from Mt. Rippling Mirage, Miss
Bi’er has sent over cultivation resources every month and has taken great care
of us. Some fellows came by a few times to start trouble in front of the
residence, but Miss Bi’er soon taught them a lesson.”
Jiang Chen smiled and felt a certain empathy with Ling Bi’er’s
desire to save her father. He’d owed the other a promise for three years now.
It was high time to make good on it. He waved his hand, “I’m going out.”
Ling Bi’er was standing outside the residence, her frozen
bearing at great odds with the rest of the surroundings. Even after three
years, the ruthless blade of time had left no discernable marks on her. She was
still as pure as water and detached as frost. However, her figure seemed to be
a bit thinner and her charming face a tad skinnier.
It was usually Gouyu greeting Ling Bi’er, but this time the
former hadn’t, instead sending Xue Tong notify Jiang Chen. After all, she’d
come on time every month for the past three years, regardless of rain or shine
to deliver cultivation materials. Gouyu had wanted to rebuff her in the
beginning, but Ling Bi'er didn’t pester them or make any explanations. She
merely put the items down and turned to leave.
Gouyu’s heart wasn’t made of rock or iron. She was slowly
touched over the years by Ling Bi’er’s quiet, caring ways. Although they hadn’t
exchanged many words over the past three years, only a look or a small gesture
was needed to communicate between women, just as the fall of one leaf is enough
to indicate autumn’s arrival. Gouyu was certain that one like an icy mountain
such as Ling Bi'er was only extending her affections to them because of someone
else.
Gouyu’s reaction to this had slowly melted from her initial
rejection to hesitant acceptance. She now both admired and respected Ling
Bi’er. To be able to continue steadfastly in this fashion for three years, no
matter what her motives were, it was worthy of Gouyu’s respect.
When Ling Bi'er heard the footsteps, she was about to put
her items down and leave, when she suddenly wavered. A look of disbelief shot
out of those clear eyes.
Jiang Chen?
Indeed, the one who entered her sight this time was the
familiar face that had always marked her dreams, and the one she’d thought
about for a thousand days and nights.
Their eyes unexpectedly met. It was as if the last thousand
days and nights hadn’t happened at all, as if time itself had been rewritten.
Seemingly, she had only just left his residence yesterday, and had merely come
again today.
“Have you been well, senior sister Bi’er?” Jiang Chen smiled
leisurely.
Ling Bi'er suddenly whirled around and strode quickly in the
other direction. After putting some distance between them, she couldn’t hold it
in anymore, leaning on a nearby tree to quietly sob. She was a strong girl and
naturally didn’t want Jiang Chen to see her crying.
After a while, she heard Jiang Chen’s footsteps coming from
the distance and hurriedly composed herself, wiping her face clear of tears and
adjusting her emotions. She knew that Jiang Chen had purposefully made his
footsteps sound loudly from far away, likely to remind her that he was coming.
When she thought about how a man with such a heroic air as him was so
conscientious as well, Ling Bi'er couldn’t feel help but feel a surge of
sweetness in her heart.
“Senior sister Bi’er, my promise to you is late by three
years. How is your father? Let’s go take a look.”
Ling Bi'er knew that Jiang Chen was afraid she’d feel
awkward and was proactively mentioning her father to distract her. The two
walked side by side and soon arrived at Ling Bi’er’s residence. It was a good
thing that Ling Hui’er was absent, so they were fortunately spared her antics.
Jiang Chen walked up to Ling Su’s bed to see that his eyes were greatly sunken
in. At first glance, he was all skin and bones.
“Thankfully I’m not too late. Senior sister, where are the
spirit herbs?”
Ling Bi’er took out the four spirit herbs they had prepared
in advance. Now that Jiang Chen had entered the sage realm, the strength of his
consciousness had greatly improved. He was much more confident in curing this
Miasma when compared to three years ago. It could even be said that he was now
absolutely assured of success.
Yet even so, it took him seven days and seven nights before
he finished thoroughly cleansing the Miasma from Ling Su’s mind. When he
dragged himself out of the room with footsteps that spoke of exhaustion, he was
greeted with the sight of an anxious Ling Bi’er.
“Senior sister, your father’s Miasma has dragged on for too
long. It wouldn’t have been so complex to cure if it’d been just when he’d been
poisoned.”
“Junior brother, then…”
“He’s completely fine. He’ll return to his usual self after
a few days of rest and recovery.” Jiang Chen smiled easily.
Ling Bi’er swayed where she stood, and hastily reached out a
hand to support herself, barely managing to keep her composure. Her lips
vibrated slightly, tears welling up in her beautiful eyes. “Junior brother,
thank you, thank you! I once swore an oath that I would serve whoever cured my
father. In the future…” She bit her lip lightly and gathered up her courage to
say, “I… I won’t refuse anything that junior brother wants me to do in the
future.”
With Ling Bi’er’s personality, it was already an enormous
act of courage that she could voice such words.
Chapter 639: Upgrade to the Nine Gates Incineration
Formation
A rumor had begun to run rampant within the Myriad Domain as
of late. Moreover, the rumor had a proverbial face to attached to it, which was
why those who heard it couldn’t help but look favorably on its authenticity.
The rumor went that two treasures of the Myriad Empire had mysteriously
disappeared when the nation had met its demise. Not even the Great Scarlet Mid
Region, the force who had crushed the Myriad Empire, had been able to discover
those two treasures. It was said that the day these two national treasures
appeared once more would be the day the Myriad Domain was revived.
Meanwhile, another rumor spoke of an expert, skilled in
divination and calculation, who predicted that the two treasures, the Imperial
Jade Seal and the Guardian Dragon Seal, would appear during this upcoming
Myriad Grand Ceremony. Although this rumor wasn’t widespread, everyone amongst
the six great sects of Myriad Domain had heard about it one or another. The
rumor was very much like a cat’s claw, scratching against the hearts of the
various sect heavyweights; an indescribable itch that simply wouldn’t go away.
The attraction that these two treasures had was undeniable.
Obtaining these two treasures symbolized the ownership of the inheritance
tokens of the Myriad Empire. Obtaining them meant grasping the right to unify
the Myriad Domain under one rule. Nearly every top sect in the Myriad Domain
shared a similar ambition in this regard.
Who didn’t wish to unify and rule the Myriad Domain as its
master?
Who didn’t wish to recreate the Myriad Empire’s glory and
bring about eternal supremacy?
The benefits were obvious in terms of the increase in status
and the monopoly of resources. Any ambitious expert would seek to gather all
these for themselves. Palace Head Dan Chi was no exception.
Although danger lay in wait on all sides for the Myriad
Grand Ceremony this time, and a devastating storm seemed ripe to descend upon
the region, opportunities always coexisted with risk.
Jiang Chen had kept an unusually low profile upon his return
from Mt. Rippling Mirage. After sending those from Precious Tree Sect off and
curing Ling Su’s Divine Befuddlement Miasma, he no longer had any concerns he
needed to take care of. However, it didn’t mean that he was idle. On his way
back from Ling Bi’er’s, Jiang Chen had decided to further perfect his Nine
Gates Incineration Formation. It certainly had plenty of room to improve. Back
then, Jiang Chen could only allow the formation to display fifty to sixty
percent of its maximum strength. At best, it could defend against a sky sage
realm expert.
“I don’t know what misfortune will strike the Myriad Grand
Ceremony. This formation should be improved for when I am absent from the
sect.” Jiang Chen didn’t lack for wealth at the moment. Previously, he’d only
had several tens of thousands of upper rank origin spirit stones that he could
spare. But now, he literally had tens of millions in his pocket, from the
various harvests he’d had. He wasn’t short on spirit stones for formations at
all. Not to mention that he also had the two sets of formation flags from the
Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect. These two sets were the Ancient Crimson Heavens
Sect’s trump cards. Since the primary and secondary flag could be used
separately, Jiang Chen took out the secondary set for his use.
He was of the mind to make his designs grander. Therefore,
he decided to use the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect’s formation flag to
construct the Nine Gates Incineration Formation.
The base of the formation had been constructed a long time
ago. Switching to a more powerful formation flag would no doubt strengthen it
further. Thanks to the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect, Jiang Chen now had a
decent grasp on some of the profound mysteries of formations. Using that, he
managed to improve the Nine Gates Incineration Formation further. He used almost
a million spirit stones to upgrade it.
Each detail and step required to upgrade the formation was
done to perfection. After spending a full four days on the task, Jiang Chen was
finally done upgrading the Nine Gates Incineration Formation. After the formation
had been improved, it was instantly ten times more sophisticated than it was
before.
“Not even the formation splitting art executed by Cao Jin’s
group of three can find a gap in a formation at this level!” Since Jiang Chen
knew of the formation splitting art, he had purposely designed his formation to
counter it. He closed all the loopholes he could find in this formation.
Besides, the only reason the trio had managed to enter Mt.
Rippling Mirage was because the outer formation of the Ancient Crimson Heavens
Sect had been massively weakened over the years. Many flaws had appeared on the
formation itself, and the spirit veins beneath it had been blocked. In reality,
their success hadn’t been due to the trio’s strength at all. If it were otherwise,
not even three emperor realm experts would have been able to cut through the
ancient formation with their arts.
Of course, Mt. Rippling Mirage was just one part of the
outer ring of the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect. It was obvious that the Ancient
Crimson Heavens Sect hadn’t bothered to make its outer formation overly
complicated. In addition, the sect had to leave a glimmer of hope to its
inheritor. If they built the outer formation to be impervious to everything,
then how would their inheritor manage to enter? In the end, Mt. Rippling Mirage
was just a part of Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect’s outer formations. It wasn’t
the core of the sect’s formation. The forbidden area of inheritance beyond the
altar was the true core of Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect’s formation. It was
those formations that were the real proof of the sect’s true strength.
If Jiang Chen hadn’t had the sect’s keepsake, he wouldn’t
have even gleaned hints of how the formation operated, much less enter it.
Considering the breadth of his experience Jiang Chen possessed during his
previous life, the fact that even he hadn’t been able to puzzle out how the
formation worked showed just how much effort Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect had
put into their inner core formations. The setup of Ancestor’s Cliff and the
tower of inheritance had been closely intertwined with each other. In
comparison, Mt. Rippling Mirage’s formation could only be considered trivial at
best. It hadn’t been built to completely seal the path from the outside at all.
Jiang Chen walked around the formation several times and
felt relatively satisfied with his handiwork. “I haven’t spent three years in
the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect in vain. My ability in formations has reached
a different level of proficiency, and I can use formations a lot more flexibly
than I used to. An ordinary first level emperor realm expert should not be able
to break through this formation.”
Satisfied, Jiang Chen created jade formation tokens. This
time however, he refined only three tokens. He kept one for himself, one for
Gouyu, and was planning on giving Huang’er the last.
However, when Jiang Chen came to pass the jade token to
Huang’er, she said, “Sir Jiang, I’ve heard that the Myriad Grand Ceremony is an
extremely grand proceeding. Huang’er wishes to follow you and broaden her
horizons. Is that acceptable?”
Jiang Chen stared blankly at Huang’er for a moment. Then he
remembered that she was likely fraught with boredom after cooped up inside the
residence for several years. Being cooped up all the time would not do well for
her illness either. After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen nodded, “It is good
for Miss Huang’er to travel and divert your boredom if you are feeling stifled.
However, the Myriad Grand Ceremony this time is particularly dangerous…”
Huang’er smiled charmingly, “No, no, I am not afraid. If
anything happens to me, then only Huang’er is to blame. I guarantee that Elder
Shun will not make trouble for you, hee hee.”
Jiang Chen wasn’t afraid that Elder Shun would trouble him.
Rather, he was missing that old fellow a little. Many years had passed by
already. He wondered if Elder Shun had found the Requiem Wood yet. Although
Huang’er’s condition was very stable right now, the Generation Binding Curse
would still exist as a hidden threat after a decade or two. The curse couldn’t
be eradicated completely without the Requiem Wood, and thus Huang’er’s
condition at present couldn’t be considered good.
Huang’er was an incredibly intelligent and understanding
person. She immediately guessed that Jiang Chen was worrying about her illness
when she saw the slightly odd look on his face.
“Sir Jiang, all life and death are ruled by fate. Thanks to
your skillful treatment, Huang’er has never lived an easier life than these
last three years. I am satisfied with this already.” Huang’er’s attitude was
incredibly optimistic. She actually consoled Jiang Chen instead. Jiang Chen was
seldom impressed by anyone, but he greatly admired Huang’er’s optimistic and
magnanimous temperament.
Of the many women he’d come to be acquainted with, Gouyu was
bold and vigorous, Dan Fei quiet and elegant, Ling Bi’er reserved as ice, and
Ling Hui’er cute and innocent. Last but not least, Wen Ziqi was cultured and
refined. However, no one could compare to Miss Huang’er in terms of unearthly
manner and magnanimous bearing.
Miss Huan’er seemed to carry the bearing of a well-mannered
noble lady since birth. Her words and actions were ever perfectly appropriate
and gracious. What was even rarer was her innate kindness and lack of
competitiveness. Jiang Chen wasn’t familiar with Huang’er’s true identity, but
he could guess that her birth was anything but common. In fact, she might just
be greater than his imagination.
Since Huang’er was now going to the Myriad Grand Ceremony,
Jiang Chen had no choice but to give Xue Tong the last formation token. He
instructed him carefully on how to use it. Thankfully, Xue Tong was an
extremely reliable person. He would memorize anything Jiang Chen said in his
heart and execute them strictly to the letter. Out of all of Jiang Chen’s
personal guards, Xue Tong’s ability to execute matters was unparalleled among
them all.
Looking at the time, Jiang Chen noted that there were still
a few days left before the beginning of the Myriad Grand Ceremony. Therefore,
he took the opportunity to enter closed door cultivation for several days and
refine some pills.
He had two to three thousand blades of Sage Fledgling Grass
in his possession right now. Every Sage Fledgling Grass could be used to refine
a cauldron of Heroic Sage Pills. In the best case scenario, one refining would
result in seven to eight Heroic Sage Pills; in the worst case, perhaps five to
six pills. The overall production value was quite high.
Jiang Chen took the opportunity to refine over one hundred
Heroic Sage Pills. Ever since he’d ascended to the sage realm, his demand for
pills had grown with each passing day.
No matter how superior Jiang Chen’s memories from his
previous life, cultivation was still ultimately attained through the
accumulation of countless resources. No theoretical knowledge could replace
this truth.
Apart from the Heroic Sage Pills, Jiang Chen also refined a
cauldron of Longevity Pills. This time however, he successfully refined a total
of five Longevity Pills. Four of the five pills were middle rank products, but
the last one was actually of upper rank quality. Adding these to the three Longevity
Pills he had left, Jiang Chen had a total of eight Longevity Pills.
“The empyrean expert level pill masters of ancient times
were all wealthy beyond imagination. Pill refining is truly a skill that
creates wealth.” Jiang Chen couldn’t help but sigh ruefully. The Longevity Pill
he’d sold - a lower rank pill no less - at the auction last time had netted him
over tens of millions of spirit stones. If he were to auction these middle and
upper rank pills again, the prices would only be far greater than before.
The last time Jiang Chen had refined the Longevity Pill,
he’d taken a total of seven days to succeed. However, he was only at earth
origin realm at the time, and the strength of his consciousness at the time was
far inferior to his present level. This time, the amount of time Jiang Chen
spent to refine the Longevity Pill didn’t even reach half the amount of time he
spent last time. The amount of consciousness he exhausted was also far less
than last time. Almost every aspect of Jiang Chen had greatly benefited as his
cultivation and level of consciousness increased.
Jiang Chen had heard of Elder Yun Nie’s multiple attempts to
refine the Longevity Pill. He hadn’t succeeded even a single time. Jiang Chen
could understand why. After all, a pill wasn’t something that could be refined
just because one had a recipe. This was particularly true for an extremely
complicated pill like the Longevity Pill. There were a lot of things that
needed to be taken into consideration. It was unlikely that Elder Yun Nie would
discover a path to success without ten to twenty years of research.
Naturally, Jiang Chen remembered that the Regal Pill Palace
had promised the Dark North Sect’s Honored Master Tian Ming a Longevity Pill.
Therefore, Jiang Chen took three Longevity Pills - one lower rank pill and two
middle rank pills - and delivered them to Palace Head Dan Chi.
Chapter 640: Setting Out for the Myriad Grand Ceremony
Three Longevity Pills? Palace Head Dan Chi was stunned when
he saw what Jiang Chen had brought out. “Jiang Chen, you refined all of this?”
Jiang Chen smiled and didn’t deny anything. “I’m afraid that
Honored Master Tian Ming will come asking for the pills again this time at the
ceremony. We can’t keep delaying the matter of making good on our promise.”
The look in Palace Head Dan Chi’s eyes was complicated as he
gave a long sigh. His eyes remained fixed on Jiang Chen. “Those with ability
can accomplish anything! Jiang Chen, it is the Regal Pill Palace’s greatest
fortune to have you. If I take a moment to think back, although I have a few
achievements to my name since becoming the palace head, mostly due to my
ambitions, they’ve had a relatively minor impact on the greater picture over
the past decade. But the most important thing I’ve done since becoming Palace
Head is bringing you from the Precious Tree Sect to the Regal Pill Palace.”
With how the situation had developed, Dan Chi had to admit
that all he’d done for the Regal Pill Palace had indeed greatly improved the
sect’s standing in martial dao and immensely decreased the gap between the
Regal Pill Palace and the other four sects. But the fortunes of a sect wasn’t
something that could be changed by the careful planning and execution of a few
decades. And yet the current situation of the Myriad Domain was so precarious
that there was no more time left for Dan Chi to realize his goals and
ambitions.
This was what depressed Dan Chi the most. He had so many
thoughts, plans, and ambitions.
However—
With the current changes in the greater picture, there
wasn’t enough time for him to realize them! Everything he had now was nothing
more than a rock thrown into a lake when chaos inevitably descends. It would
raise some ripples when thrown in, but nothing after it sank. It wouldn’t give
rise to any waves at all. Now that he thought about it, the only thing he could
be thankful for was the discovery of a group of young geniuses for the Regal
Pill Palace. Jiang Chen for instance, and Mu Gaoqi. When it came to Shen
Qinghong or Jun Mobai, Dan Chi still didn’t think much of them even though
they’d broken through to the sage realm. There was too great a cultivation gap
between them and their peers in the Myriad Domain, and they had much further to
go to be compared to Dan Chi.
One had to know that at their age, Dan Chi had been poised
to break through to the earth sage realm, and he’d been nominated to be the
next palace head. His peers at that time in the various other sects had been
dallying around the middle management tiers of their sects, with very few
making it to an elder level. Yet Dan Chi had already guided the Regal Pill
Palace for a few decades.
Whether it was compared to their peers in the Regal Pill
Palace or in other sects, Shen Qinghong and Jun Mobai had nothing to boast
about by breaking through to the sage realm after thirty years old.
The earth sage realm would be a dividing line, as would the
sky sage realm. Even Dan Chi, with his heaven defying potential, had spent a
few decades in the mortal sage realm. He’d only broken through to the sky sage
realm in the past two years due to some fortuitous circumstances. Elder Shun’s
pointers for one, and the benefits brought about by earth rank spirit herbs.
Those had been critical. If it wasn’t for those, he would’ve needed another
five to ten years to break through to the sky sage realm. Therefore, Shen
Qinghong and Jun Mobai’s results didn’t put him in an optimistic frame of mind.
On the other hand, Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi were different,
particularly Jiang Chen. When he’d first entered the Regal Pill Palace, he’d
only been at first level origin realm. Now three years later, he’d taken an
enormous leap forward and was now first level sage realm. This kind of speed of
improvement would’ve left even Dan Chi in the dust back in the day. It’d be one
thing if he only had a heaven defying cultivation speed, but his ability to
challenge opponents levels higher than him was even more perverse!
He’d been able to render a ninth level origin realm opponent
helpless when he’d been only at earth origin realm. Jiang Chen had been at ease
even when facing off against a first level sage realm opponent! Although he
hadn’t mentioned how he’d thrown off Elder Chen’s pursuit, it went without
saying that Jiang chen had somehow killed Elder Chen! It was apparent from this
just how stunning this boy’s potential was. As for being able to take down
someone like Cao Jin, Dan Chi didn’t even dare think too deeply about it. He
was now certain that the terrifying phenomenon he’d seen that day in the
Precious Tree Sect had been from Jiang Chen breaking through to the origin
realm. Otherwise, there would’ve been no reason for such stunning phenomena to
appear without reason in a mere sixteen kingdoms alliance.
Dan Chi was now very much aware that Jiang Chen must be a
genius who’d inherited the fortune of the heavens and earth. Even the Sky Sect
wouldn’t be able to suppress him. The Regal Pill Palace wasn’t qualified to
contain someone of such fortune. Dan Chi didn’t treat Jiang Chen as a mere
disciple anymore, but as a potential who could impact the future of the entire
Divine Abyss Continent! Of course, Dan Chi didn’t mention any of this to
anyone, even those he was closest to in the sect.
Heaven’s secrets were not to be spoken of.
No matter what, the stronger Jiang Chen was, the more likely
it was that the Regal Pill Palace would have to make use of his strength. No
matter where his future lay, the legacy of the Regal Pill Palace wouldn’t
perish as long as Jiang Chen lived. Therefore, Dan Chi firmly believed that it
wouldn’t matter even if the Regal Pill Palace was disbanded. Its fortunes
wouldn’t dissipate as long as Jiang Chen still survived. This was why he’d told
Jiang Chen his thoughts of temporarily disbanding the sect. Dan Chi had wanted
to see what Jiang Chen’s thoughts were. If Jiang Chen agreed, then Dan Chi
would feel that his move was the right one to make.
As he thought about Jiang Chen, so did he think about Mu
Gaoqi. Compared to Jiang Chen, the latter’s light was a bit more subdued, but
with his innate wood constitution, he would absolutely grow into a powerhouse
that would impact the sect’s fortunes for the next millennia. With Mu Gaoqi’s
potential, he’d grow into someone who would be able to shoulder the sect in a
hundred or two hundred years, even without Jiang Chen. He’d be able to lead the
Regal Pill Palace into the ranks of the third rank sects!
However, what was different about the two was that while Mu
Gaoqi’s future could be estimated, what Jiang Chen would bring to the sect was
something that even Palace Head Dan Chi couldn’t fathom. Jiang Chen’s potential
was simply too strong, so strong that he’d be able to affect the entire chessboard
of the Divine Abyss Continent.
“Palace Head, Elder Yun Nie has come to visit.” Elder Yun
Nie came to visit as Jiang Chen and Dan Chi chatted.
“Haha, good timing! I haven’t told Elder Yun Nie that you’re
back yet. His concern for you isn’t any lesser than mine.” Dan Chi waved his
hand at Jiang Chen. “Your return can set his heart at ease.”
Elder Yun Nie seemed to be a bit thinner after three years.
It was apparent that the pressure on his shoulders had been quite a burden over
the years. Apart from the Longevity Pill, he was also preoccupied with the
matter of the sky and earth rank spirit herb distribution.
“Oh? You have guests, Palace Head?” Elder Yun Nie tossed out
an offhand comment when he glimpsed two shadows through the door. He
immediately froze afterwards as the door opened to reveal Jiang Chen. “You…
Jiang Chen?”
Jiang Chen rose to bow. “Greetings to Elder Yun Nie.”
Elder Yun Nie rubbed his eyes, shock writ all over his face.
“It’s really you? Am… I dreaming?”
“Haha, Yun Nie, this is the biggest piece of good news that
our Regal Pill Palace has received in the past three years. Jiang Chen actually
returned a few days ago, and I’d planned on telling you before we set out for
the Myriad Grand Ceremony.” Palace Head Dan Chi smiled.
Elder Yun Nie was delighted. “That’s absolutely wonderful!”
Palace Head Dan Chi summarized what had happened to Jiang
Chen, and Elder Yun Nie’s face also flitted through a variety of expressions
when Cao Jin was mentioned. He also greatly worried on Jiang Chen’s behalf.
“Good, fantastic! Jiang Chen, with your potential and
fortune, you would outshine even the top genius of a first rank sect, much less
the Myriad Domain. The heavens are smiling upon the Regal Pill Palace!” Elder
Yun Nie sighed.
When Palace Head Dan Chi brought out the three Longevity
Pills, the sight left Elder Yun Nie completely flabbergasted and unable to
speak. He looked at Jiang Chen, commendation and anticipation in his eyes.
So what if the Myriad Domain was in a precarious situation
and its future shrouded with uncertainty?
As long as the sect had geniuses like Jiang Chen and Mu
Gaoqi, they would rise again even if all the various forces in the Myriad
Domain perished tomorrow.
“Ah yes Palace Head, I came to ask if the list for the
Myriad Grand Ceremony has been decided upon yet? Now that things in the region
are shifting, I think that it’s best we prepare.” Elder Yun Nie recommended.
“I’ve already decided on the names, Yun Nie. We’ll only
bring Shen Qinghong, Jun Mobai, Ling Bi’er, Nie Chong, and… Jiang Chen this
time. I will lead with Elder Lian Cheng, you and Forefather Qi, Elder Hu will
be in charge of protecting the sect.”
Dan Chi wanted to travel light this time and take less
people with him. Elder Yun Nie had come this time to actually speak on Mu
Gaoqi’s behalf. He had entered a critical moment at this time, and there was no
need to give up on his closed door cultivation for the ceremony. Even if he was
successful in making it to the sky origin realm, it would be very difficult for
him to obtain a high ranking amongst the young geniuses. Therefore, it was
better if he stayed behind.
When he saw that Palace Head Dan Chi hadn’t named Mu Gaoqi,
Elder Yun Nie nodded. “That is just as well. It will be easier to respond if
anything happens if we take fewer with us. Ah, Palace Head, what are your
thoughts on the rumors of the Imperial Jade Seal and Guardian Dragon Seal?”
Dan Chi spread out his hands. “Rumors are rumors. Although I
am tempted, we have no guarantee of making a play for these two items.
Therefore, let’s leave it to fate.”
Elder Yun Nie thought for a moment and felt that this made a
great deal of sense. Jiang Chen didn’t interrupt when he heard of this new
topic. He wasn’t interested in the two treasures that signified power and
authority, but the Paramount Realm.
Elder Yun Nie took his leave after the three chatted some
more. They’d come to an agreement that the Longevity Pill would still be
announced under Elder Yun Nie’s name, but they would reveal only one for now to
sell to Honored Master Tian Ming. No one knew what would happen in the upcoming
uncertainty, so there was no need to share the news of the rest of the pills.
Three days later, the Regal Pill Palace retinue for the Myriad Grand Ceremony officially set out. Palace Head Dan Chi and Elder Lian Cheng brought the group along, with only five young geniuses and a few elders and followers from the Hall of Might. Roughly thirty in number, Huang'er traveled with them as Jiang Chen’s follower.
