Personal reading (I can track anything)

by Legrev

This is the continuation of i can track anything since I love the story and Stayrr coudnt continue the story. Also, don't complain that it has some mistakes, I just made this for myself

4. 201-234

Chapter 201: I Won't Be At Ease If You Don't Go

"It's not as good as your personal guidance, Senior Brother!" Chen Chen answered solemnly.

The two looked at each other, and both saw the glint in each other's eyes.

"Let's not bother choosing a day, we'll set off today!"

The second Senior Sister who was at the side, couldn't contain her excitement as she wished she could fly straight to that Cave Abode now and look at the ancient formulas.

The other Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters also felt the same. After all, they were all passionate about alchemy.

They felt just as eager and excited as Chen Chen was when he found out that there was a delicious mussel in a faraway place.

The only difference was that the mussel was too far away and Chen Chen couldn't leave in a short period of time.

However, the State of Jin was in the human frontier. To the eight honest people, it wasn't considered too far.

However, Chen Chen seemed to be conflicted after hearing his words.

'What a joke, there's no such Cave Abode at all.'

"Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, I've come to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan only for a few days. If I leave now, my master will definitely be displeased with the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan... Let's wait for a while. After a while, I'll bring you guys there personally!"

Hearing Chen Chen's words, the eight honest people were slightly stunned but they soon looked ashamed.

They had indeed failed to consider things properly. Chen Chen had only come to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan for a few days, and he had yet to experience the impressive power of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan. Yet, they were thinking of making him go back. It was indeed too inhumane of them.

"Junior Brother, you're right. Besides, at our current level, we won't be able to read those ancient words even if we go to the Cave Abode. It's only going to feel like a fresh sense of novelty."

Yu Huo shook his head and then looked at the other seven honest people with a solemn expression.

Seeing this, the seven of them suppressed their excitement.

...

Time passed like flowing water, and half a month had passed in a flash.

Chen Chen was still sitting by the desk and writing.

As the saying goes, everything is difficult at the beginning.

After he figured out the formula of the Foundation-Building Elixir, refining the other pills were a breeze for him.

For the past two weeks, he would take half of his time every day to deduce the equations of five pill formulas.

Although those five pill formulas were not that advanced, they were much more complicated than the Foundation-Building Elixir as they were all pills that the State of Jin lacked the most now.

"Chen Chen, the ancient Cave Abode that you want has been set up and the stone walls have also been erected. What exactly do you want?"

Xiao Wuyou's question came from the messenger token.

"Master, you'll find out in the future that I'm doing this for the good of the two states," Chen Chen said, deliberately making things up.

"When you go out, cheat less people.Otherwise, I'm worried you might not be able to pass the Essence Soul realm tribulation."

"Don't worry, Master, I know, I'm doing it for others' good."

After replying, Chen Chen put the messenger token away and shook his head slightly.

'How is that cheating others?'

He took his eight Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters to the State of Jin to learn the ancient formula, and they would inevitably have to practice a lot. He would then have to provide materials for them to refine elixirs.

Under such circumstances, accepting elixirs wouldn't be considered overboard.

Chen Chen dare bet that if he told his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters to refine elixirs for him in exchange for an opportunity to learn the formulas from him, they would definitely agree.

However, that would be too utilitarian and seem impersonal.

By doing that, he would not only allow his eight eight Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters learn alchemy, he could also let them experience the warmth of the human world.

What's not to like?

Thinking of this, Chen Chen could not help but be moved. He had been really worried sick and gone to great lengths for the eight of them.

However, before he could continue to be moved, he heard Yu Qiong's voice ringing in his ear.

"Come with me."

...

A few moments later, Chen Chen came to the palace hall.

Chen Chen and his few Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters arrived at Yu Qiong's residence.

Yu Qiong still looked like an expert and there were no changes in her appearance.

However, after seeing the nine disciples, she subconsciously frowned.

She felt that when they looked at her, they seemed less reverent than before.

However, when they looked at Chen Chen, there was lots of concern and admiration.

"Does this kid want to reap the benefits I sowed and take away the disciples I've nurtured?"

Yu Qiong was shocked after that thought came to mind.

She felt that she might have caused trouble to herself.

'This kid is immoral.'

If it wasn't for the intense war between the two clans, she would have chased him away a long time ago.

"You should know about the situation in the human race now too. There are lots of senior alchemists of the clan who have gone to the other three sects to provide aid."

"Apart from that, the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan has to refine a large number of pills everyday for the Jade Tripod City. So you guys can't be idle either. Now, there is an affiliated clan asking for assistance from the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan and the elder in charge of Foreign Affairs has asked me to send three alchemists to that clan to refine pills for a month. Which one of you is willing to go?"

The eight of them looked at each other.

As the disciples of the Saintess, they had high statuses in the clan too, and their alchemy talent was also considered the best of the bunch. Hence, they definitely wouldn't be sent to another clan.

They were surprised that they had to be sent away now.

That showed how serious the war was.

Faced with such a righteous task, of course they couldn't turn it down.

Apart from Chen Chen, the other eight of them spoke in unison.

"Master, I'm willing to go!"

Looking at her disciples, Yu Qiong nodded in satisfaction before saying, "Yu Huo, Su Lian, take Chen Chen with you."

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Hearing his name, Chen Chen's heart skipped a beat.

Second Senior Sister's name was Su Lian, and he was not surprised that Yu Qiong would send Yu Huo and Su Lian. After all, their alchemy knowledge was the most advanced among the nine disciples.

In particular, Yu Huo could refine the pills that Essence Soul realm powerhouses needed.

'But why did she send me? That's creating unnecessary trouble. Am I supposed to refine Foundation-Building Elixirs all day?'

At the thought of this, Chen Chen subconsciously wanted to refuse.

"Master... I've been researching pill formulas lately but I don't quite know how to refine pills..."

Before he could finish his words, Yu Qiong suddenly said sternly, "This is the first time your Senior Brother and Senior Sister are going to other clans, so you must go!"

After he said those words, a subtle and almost unnoticeable voice entered Chen Chen's mind.

"If you don't go, I won't be at ease."

Hearing this, Chen Chen stopped saying what he wanted to.

If he was Yu Qiong, he would be worried too because it was their first time out and they weren't very street smart.

'But what does Yu Qiong mean?'

'She's making it sound as if I'm old and experienced!'

'Mind you I'm only a teenager!'

'Damn it, why won't this lousy master worry about me? I'm young too!'

Chen Chen secretly despised Yu Qiong for being biased.

The rest didn't understand Yu Qiong's intentions as they looked at Chen Chen with sympathy.

'What did Junior Brother do to displease Master? He's only been here for less than a month but she's already sending him away.'

'Is Master upset that he's returning to the State of Jin?'

Thinking of this, they began to feel guilty and indebted to Chen Chen.

"Junior Brother, here are some pills I made. They're essential for traveling. Take them all."

"I have some here too."

The remaining six Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were generous, and Chen Chen soon had a bunch of pill bottles in his arms.

Yu Huo and Su Lian looked at Yu Qiong and begged, "Master, Junior Brother is still young. If he has done something wrong, please be more understanding..."

Yu Qiong nodded slightly, not surprised by their honesty.

Seeing this situation, the two of them immediately assured, "Master, don't worry, we'll definitely take good care of Junior Brother!"

"Yes, Junior Brother is sincere to everyone and he's prone to suffering a loss but with us around, you don't have to worry!"

Yu Qiong continued to nod with a straight face. 'Your Junior Brother can kill all eight of you easily, why would he need you to take care of him?'

"Master, which clan are we going to?"

Chen Chen came over and asked.

Hearing this, Yu Qiong thought about it for a while before answering, "A medium-sized clan called Gray Immortal Sect. They fled from the northern border, and have only been affiliated to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan for a while."

"Gray Immortal Sect?"

Hearing this name, Chen Chen's pupils immediately constricted.

He didn't expect to hear the name of that sect in the Eastern Border.

Chapter 202: Demons' Mass Dance

When he was guarding the Sixteenth City, he stopped by the ancient battlefield to pick up something but ended up meeting a half-demon who robbed him halfway.

After a battle of wits, he found the identity token of the Gray Immortal Sect from the half-demon's storage ring.

The half-demon's cultivation level was not too bad, but there was no movement from the Gray Immortal Sect afterwards.

In Chen Chen's opinion, he obviously had a guilty conscience.

However, he did not have time to pay much attention to this Gray Immortal Sect because the second line of defense collapsed, and the battlefield also shifted to the human frontier.

He didn't expect to hear about the Gray Immortal Sect here again.

'No, I must tell the Master about this,' Chen Chen secretly made up his mind.

Knowing clearly that there might be a situation there, he couldn't barge into it aimlessly.

Of course, he was not afraid, but he wasn't sure if his Senior Brother and Senior Sister would be.

...

After Yu Huo and Su Lian each went back to prepare, and the other six honest people dispersed, Chen Chen finally had a chance to spend some time alone with Yu Qiong.

"If you have something to say, just get straight to it," Yu Qiong said when she saw that Chen Chen was hesitant to speak.

Chen Chen didn't hesitate either, immediately telling her about the incident that happened that day, as well as the doubts within him.

That wasn't all. He even took out the token of the Gray Immortal Sect from the storage ring in the corner to prove that he wasn't lying.

Seeing that token, Yu Qiong frowned slightly and said hesitantly, "After coming to the eastern border, the Gray Immortal Sect has won several big victories, killed countless demons, and even offered a large number of demon pills to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan. If not, the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan wouldn't have sent so many alchemists to the Gray Immortal Sect. Do you suspect that such a clan might have a connection with the demons?"

Chen Chen secretly thought, 'What's so strange about that? Didn't Lao Hei also win repeatedly in the State of Zhou? He even beat Zhou Renlong! But what's the truth? He's my pig!'

Although he thought so in his heart, Chen Chen could not possibly say it out loud.

"Master, I just suspect it. We have to keep our guard up!"

Yu Qiong nodded slightly and replied, "It makes sense, but it still has to pass. Also, remember not to spread rumors without concrete evidence. The Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan has unified thousands of large and small clans, and we have to convince others with reason."

Chen Chen was speechless. After a moment of silence, he muttered softly, "Master, do you know how powerful the Gray Immortal Sect is?"

"There are three peak Nascent Soul realm cultivators, but they're negligible to you."

Hearing his words, Chen Chen immediately perked up and said with a worried expression, "That's just the ones they show on the surface. If they have any hidden Essence Soul realm powerhouses, I will not be able to do anything!"

After saying that, they looked at each other again with an obvious meaning in their eyes.

Seeing this, Yu Qiong said coldly with a trace of suspicion, "Did you badmouth the Gray Immortal Sect because you want to take something from us? Did you rob that token?"

'To be honest he's really vile and it won't be surprising if he does it.'

Hearing those words, Chen Chen was stunned, and he stumbled backwards while looking at his master in disbelief.

He muttered, "Master... Are you doubting my character?"

His disbelief turned into feelings of aggravation, misery, and sadness.

His eyes were completely red.

"I, Chen Chen... I may not be a good person, but I'll do my best to protect the person I'm sure about. Moreover, as a human, I have a big heart. I can't frame a good clan for my own selfish desires..."

After saying that, Chen Chen wiped his tears, disappointment in his eyes.

Seeing this scene, Yu Qiong felt that she had gone overboard.

"Master... I thought that I'd earn your trust after joining you. That's also the reason that I decided to tell you about this without any concrete evidence. Now it seems that I had thought too much. You do not trust me, and we are not at the point where we can be honest with each other. Master, I am going! If I don't make it back..."

Before Chen Chen could finish his words, another black dagger appeared in his hand.

"This Soul Extinguishing Blade contains a blow from a powerhouse at the peak of the Essence Soul realm. It's very precious. Take it and don't try this trick with me again," Yu Qiong said with a look of disdain because she had nothing better to say to this disciple of hers.

Chen Chen put away the Soul Extinguishing Blade and said solemnly, "Master, don't worry. I'll do my best to find out the truth!"

Yu Qiong nodded with a trace of killing intent in her eyes.

"If there is really a problem, remember to get rid of the root of the problem, and don't leave any trouble behind. Of course, if you gain anything, you'd better..."

"Master, this matter is very important. I still have to go back to make preparations. Goodbye!"

Chen Chen raised his hands and turned around to leave. Before Yu Qiong could react, he had already vanished without a trace.

Yu Qiong was left alone in the wind.

'I seem to have suffered a loss today, huh? It's so hard to guard against this kid!'

...

Half a day later, Chen Chen returned to the State of Jin.

Chen Chen Chen, Yu Huo, and Su Lian flew in a small flying boat towards the place where the Gray Immortal Sect resided.

Chen Chen took Yuan Qingtian along with him while Yu Huo and Su Lian each took a late Nascent Soul realm cultivator with them.

Chen Chen could tell from the sharp gaze in their eyes that they were not weak at all. In terms of combat power, they were definitely stronger than Yu Huo and State of Jin.

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He, too, would have to slap them at least twice to kill them.

"Junior Brother, when we reach the Gray Immortal Sect, just leave it to me to deal with those you want to deal with. However, you have to take some time out to learn how to interact with others. You're so young, after all. Such an opportunity to experience is quite rare for you," Yu Huo said earnestly with a caring expression.

Chen Chen nodded obediently.

He didn't tell Yu Huo and Su Lian of the suspicions he had about the Gray Immortal Sect.

Otherwise, they would probably arouse the suspicion of the Gray Immortal Sect, and by then, they wouldn't be able to even investigate.

They headed all the way South.

After flying for tens of thousands of kilometers, they finally landed in a large city.

It was called Fukun City, which was originally an important city in the Eastern Border. Due to the fact that the Gray Immortal Sect performed well there, they were in charge of the border.

The Gray Immortal Sect was also very competent, defeating several demons together with the tens of thousands of cultivators in the city.

...

As soon as the flying boat landed, a group of cultivators wearing black and white clothes lined up to greet them.

The two old men at the head of the group were both very kind. When they saw Chen Chen and the others, they immediately grinned like they had seen their father.

"Cultivators of the Gray Immortal Sect, greet the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan's emissary! It is really a blessing for us!"

"It is rumored that the alchemists of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan are all extraordinary, and now that I see it is true! Your presence here is a great blessing to our clan!

"Please come this way. We have prepared a banquet to welcome you all."

Yu Huo and Su Lian, both of whom were ordinary looking, grinned widely when they were praised. After saying some pleasantries, he followed behind them.

Chen Chen originally had an extraordinary aura in the first place, and such praises were ordinary to him. Hence, he remained calm and pretended to be glad.

Soon...

The group of people walked into a large residence in the city, in which there was a luxurious banquet taking place. There were also lots of beautiful female cultivators who were exhibiting their skills.

Feeling valued by the Gray Immortal Sect, Yu Huo and Su Lian felt much better. However, they were alchemists, and could not adapt to such extravagance.

"Clan Master, Great Elder, there's no need to perform the dance. There's a war between two clans now, and it's not suitable," Yu Huo said indifferently.

He, Su Lian, and Chen Chen sat in the master seats while Yuan Qingtian and two other attendants stood closely behind them.

The two old men of the Gray Immortal Sect answered respectfully after hearing their words, "The Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan is indeed worthy of being a great clan of the human race. You guys are so righteous. We are far inferior and we're just making fools out of ourselves!"

Yu Huo humbly waved his hand repeatedly.

Su Lian grinned without speaking, but her expression was solemn.

Chen Chen remained silent, an indifferent expression on his face.

Chapter 203: Traces and Clues

Chen Chen exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, gradually looking like he had subdued again.

The human frontier had always been relatively tolerant to the half-demons, not driving them to extinction.

As a half-demon, at most, they would face the disdain of the people of the world, even if their identities were exposed.

However, a clan composed of only half-demons was unheard of.

There seemed to really be something wrong with the Dark Immortal Sect.

Looking at Yu Huo, who was chatting and exchanging glasses with several senior members of the Dark Immortal Sect, Chen Chen felt a little sad.

He finally knew what leading an enemy to one's home ground meant.

'Why did the Dark Immortal Sect come to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan to ask for aid?'

...

"You have become an alchemist at such a young age. You're so talented, it's really admirable and awe-inspiring!"

A moment later, the two old men of the Dark Immortal Sect focused their attention on Chen Chen.

Those two fools were already flattered to the point of being conceited, but the young man had a calm expression.

He seemed to be determined.

Chen Chen did not say anything and simply bowed while Yuan Qingtian, who was behind him, said, "Of course, my Senior Brother is invincible!"

Hearing this, Chen Chen turned around to glare at him. However, when he turned back again, he had a humble smile on his face.

Today would test his acting skills.

On the one hand, he couldn't seem overly smart, as that would alarm the enemy.

On the other hand, he could not act like a fool, as that would make all the demons and monsters of the Dark Immortal Sect focus their attention on Yu Huo and Su Lian, which would probably put them in danger.

The slightly drunk Yu Huo also smiled at this moment.

"My Junior Brother is indeed a natural talent, but he came here mainly to learn and observe. As for the matter regarding alchemy, don't worry. Su Liang and I can handle it."

"We naturally believe in your abilities!" the surrounding senior members of the Dark Immortal Sect said respectfully.

The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves at the banquet.

Afterwards, Yu Huo went to the Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect to talk to him about the matter of refinement while Chen Chen and Su Lian were each arranged to stay in an exquisite courtyard abode.

In addition to two maids, there was also a Nascent Soul realm cultivator who acted as a guard to protect them.

However, in Chen Chen's opinion, the three of them were there to monitor them.

"I don't like to be disturbed by others when I'm studying, so please stand down."

Chen Chen found a random reason and sent the three of them away.

Although they seemed to be conflicted, they had no choice but to retreat out of the courtyard.

"Senior Brother, the cultivators of the Dark Immortal Sect are quite nice. Not only are they enthusiastic and hospitable, they are also very careful. It's no wonder that they become a medium-sized clan."

After the three of them left, Yuan Qingtian spoke softly, as if to express that he hadn't made this trip in vain.

With a sullen expression, Chen Chen cursed, "What do you know?!"

Immediately afterwards, he told Yuan Qingtian about his discovery.

Hearing his words, Yuan Qingtian's expression changed and he exclaimed in shock, "So that's what happened! You can never judge a person by their appearance!"

"Do you think everyone is as nice as me?" Chen Chen laughed coldly.

"Senior Brother, what should we do then?"

"Go out and do some reconnaissance for information. Remember to be very careful."

"Yes, Senior Brother!" Yuan Qingtian answered, his figure gradually disappearing.

Chen Chen took out an illusion stone and, in a moment, another "Yuan Qingtian" appeared behind him.

Although Yuan Qingtian was a little dull, he was very skilled in other technical aspects. Otherwise, Chen Chen wouldn't have brought this fool over.

Of course, the most important thing was that he had used the system to search inside the residence and learned that there were no Essence Soul realm powerhouses there.

...

In the afternoon, Yu Huo and Su Lian started running their great alchemy business.

Both of them used precious elixir cauldrons. In particular, Yu Huo's Nine Dragons Blazing Sun Cauldron could allow him to refine nine pills at the same time, something that was a huge eye-opener for Chen Chen!

The pills required by the Dark Immortal Sect were not unusual either. They were either meant for enhancing one's cultivation level or healing wounds.

They spent a great deal of time refining, another wave of demons coming from outside the city to provoke them, but they were soon driven away by the two peak Nascent Soul realm cultivators of the Dark Immortal Sect.

Everything seemed normal.

Chen Chen even saw the Dark Immortal Sect cultivators dragging back a bunch of bloodied demon corpses.

In addition, many of the Dark Immortal Sect cultivators were also injured.

Seeing those injured Dark Immortal Sect cultivators, Yu Huo and Su Lian both worked even harder to refine pills. They even decided not to sleep.

...

Late at night.

Chen Chen remained seated, deep in thought.

He couldn't figure out what the Dark Immortal Sect had in mind, but he was certain that they were not out to kill him.

It wasn't worth wasting so much effort on that.

'Could it be that this group of half-demons doesn't have ill intentions?' Chen Chen couldn't help but suspect.

He was not a headstrong person. If he couldn't figure something out, he would consider it from another perspective.

At this moment, Yuan Qingtian's figure gradually appeared from behind him.

"Senior Brother, the cultivation levels of those two Dark Immortal Sect cultivators are too high so I didn't dare to get too close, but I still vaguely heard some unpleasant things."

Chen Chen lowered his voice and asked, "What did you hear?"

"Those two old guys mentioned the word lord many times, so I guess there are people above them!

"They also said that they would kill two out of three people and leave one as a witness. They must be talking about the three of you!

"I also heard them mention something about Soul-Devouring and a blood sacrifice, which are obviously diabolic. This Dark Immortal Sect must be an evil sect!"

After saying this, Yuan Qingtian quietly waited to be complimented. After all, he felt that his analysis was very reasonable and justified, thinking that he had picked up a thing or two from Chen Chen.

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However, Chen Chen fell into deep thought.

Yuan Qingtian's analysis meant nothing to him because it was something that even a fool could deduce.

What he was thinking about was the link between the words.

"Witness... I see..."

After a long time, Chen Chen came to a sudden realization.

They, the group of people from the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan, had another role besides refining pills.

That was to bear witness.

The Dark Immortal Sect was probably up to something really evil, which didn't seem to have anything to do with them in the first place.

The presence of this group of people, including Chen Chen, would prove the innocence of the Dark Immortal Sect so that the Dark Immortal Sect would be able to answer to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan and continue staying at the Eastern Border.

In all probability, the heinous scheme they had devised was related to the blood sacrifice and Soul-Devouring.

"Senior Brother, does my conjecture make sense?" Yuan Qingtian couldn't help but ask when he didn't get the response he wanted from Chen Chen.

"It makes sense, you've become much smarter," Chen Chen praised him perfunctorily.

He obviously wouldn't be stingy with his praises for Yuan Qingtian since it didn't cost any Spirit Stones to give a compliment, and it would also motivate his subordinate.

Yuan Qingtian was overjoyed to hear his words, feeling that he was another step closer to becoming the commander!

"Senior Brother, I think we should keep a low profile now, lest we alarm the enemies. We have to quietly wait for them to give themselves away!"

"Qingtian, you're really getting smarter and smarter."

"Senior Brother, should I lower my cultivation a bit more to prevent attracting attention from the Dark Immortal Sect?" Yuan Qingtian asked, flailing his arms about and gleefully doing a happy dance.

"No, you're already weak enough," Chen Chen replied distractedly.

Yuan Qingtian's smile stiffened when he heard that, and immediately afterward, he sulked and returned to the corner to draw circles in the air.

...

On the following day, Chen Chen left his abode on the pretext of strolling around Fukun City.

To put it nicely, the two Dark Immortal Sect cultivators who accompanied him served as "guides."

Chen Chen wasn't bothered. When hovering over Fukun City, he used the system in his mind to track constantly.

"System, where is the strongest being within a hundred-meter radius?"

"It's you, Host."

...

By the time Chen Chen flew over a certain abandoned corner, he finally heard a different answer.

"It's the Essence Soul realm half-demon 70 meters down on the left."

Hearing this answer, Chen Chen kept a straight face, continuing to look around as curiously as he did before. He looked exactly like most ordinary young people would when they arrived at a strange place.

He also saw that abandoned corner.

It was an uninhabited alley that seemed to have been completely wrecked and deserted because of the battle that had taken place.

However, Chen Chen noticed something unusual.

The trees on the land where the alley was situated had withered to the point that only the trunks were left.

He looked over again, only to realize that the area around the alley... It seemed to be devoid of life. There wasn't a single tuft of grass growing!

Chapter 204: Battle of Wits

"The Dark Immortal Sect has killed many demons in this place, so much so that the evil aura here is too intense. You'd better not stay here, lest you get bad luck."

A Dark Immortal Sect guide's eyes flickered, and his tone was rather nervous.

Chen Chen nodded calmly and did not look any further, but deep down, he utterly despised those two people of the Dark Immortal Sect.

'These people from the Dark Immortal Sect are really foolish. They gave themselves away.'

They had merely passed by the place, yet they made such a big fuss. They were practically telling him that there was something fishy there.

'If they were my subordinates, I'd definitely teach them a good lesson!' Chen Chen sighed.

After all, there were many stupid people in this world, and those who were worthy of fighting with him were few and far between.

After strolling around Fukun City for a while, Chen Chen returned to the residence.

He was glad that the native cultivators in Fukun City were still good-natured and decent humans.

However, after thinking about it, he got worried once again.

If the Dark Immortal Sect wanted to conduct some "blood sacrifice" and "soul-devouring," there seemed to be no other choice for a victim except the cultivators of Fukun City...

...

'How can I deal with this?'

At night, Chen Chen pondered over this, flipping through some books about diabolism while Yuan Qingtian continued to go out and scout for information.

At this moment, a communication token lit up.

"Chen Chen, the Chen Shuang Sword has been built. It suits me very well and I've used it to reach the late Nascent Soul realm. But... We haven't seen each other in a long time, and I miss you."

Seeing the message from Xia Xishuang, Chen Chen grinned, power immediately emerging from his body.

"What bullshit Dark Immortal Sect? Those who block me shall die!"

...

A few moments later, Chen Chen came to the palace hall.

Chen Chen finally found out some clues from the books.

Due to the fact that the diabolic cultivators were punished by everyone, they were generally well hidden and were no different from ordinary cultivators.

Otherwise, the diabolic cultivators would have been killed and annihilated before they could grow.

It was obviously abnormal that the Essence Soul realm diabolic cultivator today had affected the surroundings and caused the grass to be unable to grow.

The only explanation was that the evil cultivator of the Essence Soul realm was injured, or his cultivation had met a bottleneck, thus his aura could no longer be concealed.

That was also the reason for the "blood sacrifice" and "Soul-Devouring".

The targets meant to be used for the blood sacrifice and the Soul-Devouring were definitely the cultivators of Fukun City.

If only a few hundred people were killed, the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan would not spare the time to take care of it. After all, there were nearly a hundred big cities like Fukun City in the entire Eastern Border.

Only when the entire city was in trouble would the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan seriously begin to investigate.

The reason that the Dark Immortal Sect invited them here was to prove that the destruction of the city had nothing to do with the Dark Immortal Sect.

"Everything makes sense. After the Dark Immortal Sect did this, they still want to continue to live in the human race."

A brilliant light flashed in Chen Chen's eyes. Although they were just conjectures, he was 80% sure that the truth was exactly the same as he had guessed.

'Yu Huo, Su Lian, and I are here. Only one of us can stay. If nothing goes wrong, it should be Senior Brother Yu Huo. After all, he's the most honest and he has the highest status. He should be the most convincing witness,' Chen Chen sighed softly, the corners of his mouth curled slightly into a smile.

'If the two old guys of the Dark Immortal Sect had learned of my deduction, they would definitely be shocked, right?

'They might even exclaim in amazement of my intelligence! Hehehe!'

...

"Senior Brother, I'm surprised there's actually such an intelligent person like you in this world!"

In a dark room in the residence, the clan master of the Dark Immortal Sect looked at the Great Elder beside him with reverence.

The Great Elder smiled calmly and said, "Just leave the oldest one behind and lure the demons into the city. Then, knock him out, and when he wakes up, he will only see a large area of ruins and a large number of seriously injured Dark Immortal Sect cultivators.

"In the future, when the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan pursues the matter, he naturally can't say that the Dark Immortal Sect didn't do its best. However, you must remember that if you get injured, don't pretend. If you're really injured, just make those two alchemists compensate with the pills that they've refined."

"Understood, but how can those two alchemists be killed? The younger one in particular looks like he's a bit smart. How about we poison them?" the Dark Immortal Sect master asked.

"You want to poison an alchemist? Trust you to come up with such an idea. Those two alchemists have no power in their hands, just use thunderbolts. The key is that there are two attendants who might not be easy to deal with. No matter what, prepare the isolation array in advance to prevent them from spreading the news."

"Senior Brother, aren't there three attendants?"

"The one at the Core Formation realm is useless, there's no point in mentioning him."

...

As soon as he said that, the void outside the dark room suddenly trembled.

...

The following morning, Chen Chen was in a good mood, taking the initiative to go to Yu Huo's residence to observe the refinement of pills.

Meanwhile, Yuan Qingtian's face was extremely sullen, and he had been staying silent along the way, as if everyone owed him money.

At this moment, the master and the Great Elder of the Dark Immortal Sect happened to be in the courtyard.

The two praised Yu Huo, who was extremely touched. If he wasn't busy refining pills, he would have made them his sworn brothers.

'Senior Brother Yu Huo is silly but blessed!'

Seeing this scene, Chen Chen couldn't help but sigh.

The Dark Immortal Sect Master and Great Elder were obviously sucking up to Yu Huo and allowing him to live.

On the other hand, Chen Chen, the smart one, was destined to be the target of a slaughter.

At the thought of this, Chen Chen sighed and took the initiative to walk towards them, interrupting their friendly conversation.

"Senior Brother, I have a question."

"Junior Brother, ask away! I must clear your doubts!"

Yu Huo was in a good mood. At this moment, the furnace was burning and he just had to look at it for a while. Hence, he could completely divide his attention to chat with them.

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"Senior Brother, there is a secret method for refining the Essence Soul Condensation Pill that can help increase the chances of breaking through the realm for experts. The main ingredients needed are water-element Essence Soul realm Demon Pills. Can they be substituted with wood-element pills?"

Hearing these words, Yu Huo's face stiffened.

The Essence Soul Condensation Pill was indeed a secret formula of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan. It was generally not available to the public, so it would be inappropriate for Chen Chen to talk about it here.

With that thought in mind, Yu Huo began to wink at Chen Chen.

The master and Great Elder of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan were all so shocked that their faces began to twitch.

'You're such a fool, can you not be so obvious with your hints?! We can't even pretend if we want to!'

"Ahem, since it involves the secret tradition of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan, we'd better leave," the two coughed lightly, voluntarily leaving the courtyard.

Seeing this scene, Yu Huo smiled faintly, like he was wise and omniscient.

"They are quite smart to have been able to figure out what we meant. Junior Brother, don't think that I was just winking at you. Actually, I'm doing it for their sake. This is the way to deal with people in the world."

After sharing some life experience with Chen Chen, Yu Huo lowered his voice and said softly, "Junior Brother, it can't be replaced by a wooden-attribute pill. Water is the mildest attribute, and the powerful thing about the Essence Soul Condensation Pill is its extremely mild medicinal properties, which can make an Essence Soul realm powerhouse enter a state of ethereality, thus increasing the chances of breakthrough."

"So that's how it is."

Chen Chen revealed a look of sudden realization.

In his mind, however, he was secretly asking the system some questions.

"System, how many half-demons are there around here?"

"Two, located 25 meters away to the west."

Hearing this answer, Chen Chen glanced at the courtyard's fence.

It was about 25 meters away.

'Hah, those two sly men are indeed eavesdropping. I'm relieved, then.'

At this moment, Yu Huo seemed conflicted.

"Chen Chen, this Essence Soul Condensation Pill is a secret formula of the clan, and it's hard to refine. It's better not to mention it in front of others... The two people of the Dark Immortal Sect have reached the peak of the Nascent Soul realm and it might not be useful. The pill has mild properties, and anyone can use it. If they find out, they might ask me for help.

"I can refine it, but it's too tiring."

The effort required for refining the Core Formation realm pill and that of the Essence Soul realm pill was worlds apart.

Not to mention that the two people of the Dark Immortal Sect were not his brothers. Even if they were, he wouldn't be willing to expend enormous energy to refine the Essence Soul Condensation Pill.

After all, he came with the money given by the clan, without additional remunerations.

Hearing this, Chen Chen said apologetically, "Sorry, I was being too reckless. Senior Brother, if they really bring it up in the future, we'll just say that the medicinal properties of the Essence Soul Condensation Pill are too tyrannical and unsuitable for cultivators who have just entered the Essence Soul realm."

Yu Huo nodded and chuckled, "Good... Anyway, they're fools who don't know a thing about alchemy."

...

Meanwhile...

Outside the fence, the Dark Immortal Sect master and Great Elder looked at each other after hearing the conversation.

Using the diabolic method to enhance cultivation may be fast, but it would easily cause one to go astray.

If there was an Essence Soul Condensation Pill, the risk during the blood sacrifice would be reduced greatly.

With that thought, their eyes were full of excitement.

Chapter 205: Clear Arrangement

Half a day later, Chen Chen returned to the State of Jin.

The Dark Immortal Sect Master and the Great Elder appeared in Yu Huo's courtyard again.

Compared to before, they were more than ten times extra attentive!

It made Yu Huo a bit flattered and surprised.

'What is going on?'

Seeing this scene, Chen Chen sneered and thought to himself that they were just trying to impress Yu Huo so that he would not turn them down once they ask him for help.

'Essence Soul Condensation Pill... I finally found a pill that even a diabolic cultivator can take. I refuse to believe you won't take the bait.'

To be honest, the only threat to him in this city was the Essence Soul realm half-demon evil cultivator.

If he could take care of that guy, then everything would be fine.

Although Yu Qiong had given him the dagger, that treasure was so precious that he could not use it unless it was his last resort.

After all, even Xia Xishuang probably did not have such a treasure.

Otherwise, she could have used seven or eight of them back then instead of touching the Breaking Dawn Sword.

"My alchemist master is really rich. He's absolutely richer than the Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan! However, I just don't know if he has any children. If he dies, I wonder who's going to inherit his assets."

Chen Chen thought about it and then returned to his own courtyard.

He was not interested in hearing the two scheming men brag to Yu Huo.

Upon returning to the courtyard, Chen Chen hesitated for a moment, but he eventually told Yu Qiong about his discovery of the Essence Soul realm half-demon.

He soon received Yu Qiong's reply through the communication token.

"Once you find a good opportunity, you can use the dagger that I gave you to seriously wound him. Besides, you still have the Soul Stabilizing Pill to protect your body, it is not difficult to destroy him. Of course, I can send someone to help you, but if you gain anything afterwards, you should hand it to..."

Chen Chen hurriedly replied, "Master, I don't mean that. Nowadays, there are great wars all over the Eastern Border. How can I ask you to send more people over? I told you this just to prove that I wasn't spouting nonsense. This is all the Dark Immortal Sect is capable of."

After saying that, Chen Chen put away the communication token.

On the surface, he asked Yu Qiong not to send support, but he did not believe that Yu Qiong would really not worry about him.

Her three adorable and honest disciples were at risk of dying.

"She would probably secretly send someone to our aid, right? After all, she's not inhumane."

Chen Chen muttered to himself.

After informing Yu Qiong, he was completely free of worries.

However, whenever he talked to his master, he would have to expend a lot of his intelligence.

The duel between true powerhouses may just remain verbal, but it was just as dangerous as a physical fight.

Each word may determine the ownership of a large number of Spirit Stones and treasures. It was indeed really terrifying.

...

Three days later.

The Dark Immortal Sect master and the Great Elder finally raised their request to Yu Huo.

For the past three days, they had not only been sucking up to him verbally, but they also had also given lots of substantial gifts. Hence, they reckoned that it should work.

"I may not be smart and talented, but I've also wanted to step into the Essence Soul realm and contribute more for the human race. A few days ago, I heard you mentioning the Essence Soul Condensation Pill and since then, I've been tempted... However, that incredible heavenly pill is the precious pill of your clan, so I suppressed my desire."

"However, in the past few days, the demons have been attacking with more and more aggression, and I'm afraid he won't be able to last long given my current cultivation level. So, I would like to take the liberty of asking you for an Essence Soul Condensation Pill..."

Hearing his coercive words, Yu Huo immediately frowned and sighed.

'Junior Brother is still too young after all, he doesn't understand that the more you speak, the more mistake you will make.'

Seeing the changes in Yu Huo, the Great Elder of the Dark Immortal Sect immediately said, "Please rest assured, the Dark Immortal Sect will not only provide original material but also the remuneration you deserve."

Yu Huo had clearly wavered.

The Dark Immortal Sect had been nice to him in the past few days, and they had already developed some ties with each other. If he turned them down, it would be too callous.

At this moment, Chen Chen suddenly walked over from the distance and stopped, "No, no, no! The Essence Soul Condensation Pill has vigorous medicinal properties, and it's not suitable for Essence Soul realm cultivators!"

The two members of the Dark Immortal Sect wished they could smack him dead after hearing that.

'Who are you lying to? Do you think we didn't hear you?'

Despite being furious, the two members of the Dark Immortal Sect immediately forced a smile.

The Great Elder bowed respectfully and said, "Cultivation goes against the nature of heaven in the first place and I'm willing to take the risk, so please give me a chance."

Touched by the Great Elder's sincerity, Yu Huo gritted his teeth and was about to answer.

At this moment, Chen Chen said, "Saintess Yu Huo, before we left, Master once told us that as disciples of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan, we have to charge double when refining pills for others, or it'd be a disgrace to her."

Yu Huo recalled what Yu Qiong said and then nodded solemnly.

Decades ago, it seemed that she had indeed said such a thing to him. 'How does Junior Brother know? After all, it's not like he can refine pills for others.'

Seeing that Yu Huo somehow accepted it as the truth, Chen Chen was astonished too.

He was just making things up, and he didn't expect it to resonate with Yu Qiong.

The two from the Dark Immortal Sect lowered their heads because they were afraid that they couldn't hide the killing intent in their eyes that were directed at Chen Chen.

'We must torture this kid to death with the most brutal and cruel means!'

'After killing him, we must snatch all his things!'

The two men roared in their hearts but eventually took a deep breath, raised their heads, and forced themselves to smile dashingly.

"Doubling the fee is reasonable."

Hearing this, Chen Chen smiled in satisfaction. If he didn't make things difficult for the two of them, they would not know how precious they were.

As for the remuneration, he didn't really care for it.

The reason being, they would belong to him sooner or later, and even if he gave it to his Eldest Senior Brother now, it would belong to him in the future.

"Ahem, this Essence Soul Condensation Pill is so precious! My Senior Brother might need a long time to refine it, you guys have to wait patiently," Chen Chen added after thinking for a moment.

The master of the Dark Immortal Sect was very straightforward as he immediately said, "That's fine, of course, as long as it can be successfully refined within five days."

Hearing these words, the Great Elder next to him immediately said, "In five days, the demon race may move, but Sect Master is afraid that the aftershocks would be too great and affect your refinement process."

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After saying that, he glared at the sect master of the Dark Immortal Sect.

Chen Chen sneered.

'Five days from now, I think it should be the time for the semi-demon evil cultivator to break through, and also the time for the Dark Immortal Sect's conspiracy to be commenced.'

'I've exposed your scheme, didn't I, you two cunning fogies? Hmph, you can't outsmart me.'

...

Next, Yu Huo began to refine the Essence Soul Condensation Pill.

In addition to the water attribute Essence Soul realm internal alchemy pills, the Dark Immortal Sect also paid a large number of low-grade Demon Pills.

That made Yu Huo feel a little embarrassed.

The Dark Immortal Sect had fought bravely to kill the enemy, while he was just refining pills, and yet, he was getting nearly all of the spoils,

'How shameless of me!:'

Despite feeling ashamed, Yu Huo had no reason to return them, so all he could do was to refine pills attentively and repay the Dark Immortal Sect.

The two old guys of the Dark Immortal Sect did not trust Yu Huo either as they would be secretly watching the refining process, afraid that Yu Huo would tamper with the pills.

Seeing how scheming they were in guarding against the honest Yu Huo, Chen Chen could not be bothered to intervene.

He silently hid in his courtyard to formulate a low-grade elixir.

It was called the Painkiller Elixir, but strictly speaking, it should not be considered an elixir because it was too low-grade and could be refined by any alchemist.

Yuan Qingtian watched silently from the side, his face full of amazement.

"Senior Brother, what are you doing poisoning this Painkiller Elixir?"

Chen Chen smiled and answered, "That group of people from the Dark Immortal Sect will definitely hurt themselves in advance when the time comes in order to pretend to be injured. I'm afraid that they will be in too much pain, so I made this Painkiller Elixir."

"Uh, what if they find out?"

"We'll give a few real ones to those who are injured so that they can feel the effect. In five days, we'll give them this batch. This poison was given to me by the Poison Division master, they won't find it so easily. Don't worry."

Hearing this answer, Yuan Qingtian inhaled sharply.

'This Dark Immortal Sect might be cunning, but Senior Brother schemed against them all the same!'

'It's such a torture and an ordeal to be an enemy of Senior Brother! Fortunately, I've never been Senior Brother's enemy!"

Chen Chen added poison to the Painkiller Elixirs while making some calculations in his mind.

Be it the humans or half-demons, they would have an excess of adrenaline in their bodies during fights and battles. Hence, the adrenaline would take away the pain during those moments.

However, self-harm was different and would really induce pain.

He was certain that the Dark Immortal Sect cultivators would not give in to the temptation of using the Painkiller Elixirs.

Of course, strictly speaking, it wasn't exactly fake.

After all, a dead man can't feel pain.

While thinking about it, Chen Chen's smile gradually turned cold.

Seeing this smile, Yuan Qingtian subconsciously sympathized with Chen Chen's enemies.

'I wonder what would happen to all those people in the end.'

Chapter 206: Attack!

Five or six Painkiller Elixirs were sent on the following day. They were so well-received that many cultivators of the Dark Immortal Sect made requests for them to be refined in bulk.

Chen Chen didn't bother asking or finding out about it, as he merely sent a few pills to the cultivators of the Dark Immortal Sect each day so that they would slowly let their guards down.

On the other hand, he had already instructed Yu Huo to slow down on his refinement of the Essence Soul Condensation Pills.

...

Before he knew it, five days had passed.

"Junior Brother, the Essence Soul Condensation Pills are going to be ready soon."

A message from Yu Huo came from the communication token.

Chen Chen frowned slightly, and the next moment, he flew to Yu Huo's courtyard in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, Yu Huo was already at the final stage of the refinement of the Essence Soul Condensation Pills. Both the Sect Master and Great Elder of the Dark Immortal Sect were present, looking at the pills with excitement in their eyes.

Chen Chen could sense that the pills were not the only things that they were excited about.

Boom!

A soft sound was emitted from inside the elixir cauldron, and with a casual move of Yu Huo's hand, a turquoise blue pill emitting rich spiritual energy and light appeared in his hand.

"It's actually a superior-quality Essence Soul Condensation Pill!"

Looking at the elixir in his hand, Yu Huo was overjoyed, and he turned to look at the two members of the Dark Immortal Sect.

"Kindness truly begets kindness! You two are blessed!"

The Sect Master and Great Elder of the Dark Immortal Sect were overjoyed to hear that, but they were also secretly crestfallen.

They found it a pity because they were unfortunately not the ones who were truly blessed.

Just as they were about to receive the pill, someone beat them to it and stepped out to snatch the Essence Soul Condensation Pill.

"Superior-quality Essence Soul Condensation Pill! Senior Brother Yu Huo, you're so capable!"

Chen Chen held the pill in his hand and exclaimed in awe, his eyes filled with admiration and passion for alchemy.

"Junior Brother, with your impeccable talent, you'll be able to refine such a pill in no time too."

Yu Huo stroked his beard and chuckled with joy, heartened to see how passionate Chen Chen was about alchemy. Yu Huo was certain that with Chen Chen's incredible talent, he definitely had a promising future.

On the other hand, the Sect Master and the Great Elder of the Dark Immortal Sect secretly sneered!

'This kid can refine such pills too? Hah! Probably not in this life, because he will die today!'

"Congratulations to you both on obtaining these superior-quality Essence Soul Condensation Pills. It's worth more than what you paid for them."

As Chen Chen spoke, he reluctantly handed the Essence Soul Condensation Pill to the Great Elder of the Dark Immortal Sect.

The Great Elder hurriedly put it away into a pill bottle that he had prepared long ago, then complimented, "Master Yu Huo deserves all the credit. The first disciple of the Saintess really lives up to our expectations! It's a huge blessing of the Dark Immortal Sect to have you here!"

As soon as he said that, a cultivator of the Dark Immortal Sect dashed in in a panicked manner.

"Sect Master, Great Elder, bad news! A large number of demonic cultivators have gathered about 50 kilometers away! There have never been so many of them before! It looks like they are heading for Fukun City!"

Hearing these words, both of them were aghast, ordering sternly, "Set up the Great City Protection Array and gather all cultivators across the city to prepare for the attack! No matter what, we must defend Fukun City!"

After saying that, they glanced at Yu Huo and Chen Chen apologetically.

"Emissaries, the demons have invaded. Forgive us for not being able to stay for longer. Once we deter the demons, we will throw a banquet to celebrate the success of the refinement of this pill!"

Hearing this, Yu Huo spoke despondently with a worried expression, "Go ahead! It's a shame that we alchemists have little combat power and can't help you out with the invasion of Fukun City. We can only count on you two to defend us."

Hearing this,the two members of the Dark Immortal Sect were touched and looked at Yu Huo miserably, reluctant to part with their new friend. The atmosphere in the courtyard became extraordinarily somber!

"Master Yu Huo! There might be millions of demons, but I will go and fight them!"

The Great Elder hollered and decisively brought the Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect away from the courtyard.

"Ah, such good cultivators... The human race has managed to prosper and rise to our current height because of these people... They're the backbone of the human race. Junior Brother, why don't we wait for them to come back and return them half of the remunerations?"

Staring at their backs and watching them leave, Yu Huo gently wiped the corners of his eyes.

Chen Chen was speechless.

'If they're the backbone of the human race, the human race would have become extinct,' he thought.

"Senior Brother, I'll go check out the situation."

After saying that, Chen Chen flew outwards.

...

There were more than 10,000 demonic cultivators gathered outside Fukun City!

However, they were all blocked outside the City Protection Array.

The governors of the Eastern Border were wealthy, so most of the City Protection Arrays were very powerful, such as the one in Fukun City. Even Essence Soul realm demonic cultivators would have to spend a long time breaking through it.

Outside the array, the Great Elder of the Dark Immortal Sect was fighting with a peak Nascent Soul realm demonic cultivator one-on-one. They were going toe-to-toe against each other and the battle was so intense it caused the ground and mountains to shake.

Behind the city wall, tens of thousands of cultivators from Fukun City were quickly assembling on barren land where grass could not grow.

All the cultivators felt slightly uncomfortable when they arrived at this place, but no one said anything.

At such a juncture, they didn't have the time to think that much.

"The Dark Immortal Sect is indeed planning to strike today."

Looking at the vast number of demonic cultivators outside the city walls and the cultivators of Fukun City, Chen Chen took a deep breath.

'This move will decide if they gain victory or not!'

With that thought in mind, he flew back and returned to the courtyard of his Second Senior Sister, Su Lian.

Su Lian was also one of the targets that the Dark Immortal Sect planned to kill, so he had to protect her at all times.

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On the other hand, Yuan Qingtian went to distribute the Painkiller Elixirs.

...

Meanwhile...

In the underground of the place where a group of Fukun City cultivators had assembled, a pale, wrinkly, old man was sitting cross-legged, his veins bulging across his face and his cloudy eyes bloodshot.

There was black gas around him and faint roars from resentful spirits could be heard, making him seem extremely terrifying.

The Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect was kneeling respectfully in front of him with an exquisite pill bottle in his hand.

"Your Excellency, this is the Essence Soul Condensation Pill that I mentioned to you previously! It's a miraculous pill that Yu Huo, the first disciple of the Saintess of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan, has spent five days and five nights refining!

"Yu Huo is an honest, loyal, simple-minded, and gullible person, and we managed to deceive him entirely. I've also monitored the entire pill refinement process for several days, so please rest assured that there is no problem with this pill!"

The thin old man nodded after hearing that, and with a single thought in his mind, the Essence Soul Condensation Pill flew towards him.

"How are the preparations going for the other matters?"

The Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect didn't answer his question immediately, instead taking out a communication token to send a message.

Soon, he received replies from the several communication tokens that he had.

"Junior Brother, don't worry, all the Fukun City cultivators have already assembled, and once the array is activated, they will not escape the fate of being sacrificed!"

"Sect Master, all three alchemists are under our surveillance and there aren't any abnormal issues. We can attack at any time!"

"Haha! Despicable half-demons, we demons are prepared too. Once your array is activated, all the demonic beasts under my command will rush into the city to feast on all of you. Not a single corpse will be left."

...

Looking at the messages coming from the messenger tokens, the Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect's face gradually started turning red as he continuously thought about the execution process of the entire plan.

Once he issued an order, the tens of thousands of cultivators of Fukun City above his head would be trapped in the array.

At that time, once their lord broke through, those cultivators would have no choice but to be sacrificed.

He would then lure the demons into the city and create the illusion of a fallen and wrecked city.

In the end, the Dark Immortal Sect cultivators who had been "severely injured in battle" would then lead the alchemist of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan, Yu Huo, out of the siege.

They reckoned that Yu Huo would definitely put in a good word for them when they reached the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan, in order to repay them for saving his life.

The Dark Immortal Sect would not only be able to smoothly let the Lord put the cultivators of the city up for the blood sacrifice, they could also continue to stay in the Eastern Border.

"There are no problems with the process! This plan will definitely succeed!"

After carefully recalling all the details, the Dark Immortal Sect Master solemnly looked at the thin, old man in front of him and reassured him in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Lord! Everything has been prepared! There will be no mistakes!"

The thin, old man nodded in satisfaction, but the red light in his eyes was getting more and more intense, as if he was no longer able to suppress the power of evil within him.

"Okay, let's strike then. I... I can't wait any longer to drink blood."

The Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect lowered his head with a ruthless expression and issued orders through the few communication tokens.

"Strike!"

Chapter 207: With Money, You Can Do Whatever You Want

A single order from him put the entire Fukun City in turmoil.

Tens of thousands of Fukun City cultivators had gathered and a thick array suddenly rose in the sky, trapping everyone in it.

The cultivators looked at each other in confusion.

The cultivators of the Dark Immortal Sect hiding in the shadows sneered, gloating when they saw that scene.

'These people are on the brink of death, but they still have no idea.'

...

On the other side, Su Lian looked in the direction of the city worriedly.

The battle had caused a huge uproar today, and even though she was staying in her abode in the courtyard, she could still hear the sound of the ground and mountains shaking outside the city.

"Junior Brother, do you think the Dark Immortal Sect can defend Fukun City?" Su Lian asked softly with some melancholy in her voice.

Chen Chen smiled faintly and replied, "Rest assured, Second Senior Sister, we will pull through."

As soon as he said that, an isolation array suddenly lit up in the abode.

Su Lian was a little surprised to see this scene, but she soon seemed to have come to a sudden realization.

"The Dark Immortal Sect is so thoughtful to have set up an array to protect us."

"Protect us? Hah!"

Chen Chen chuckled in disdain when five Dark Immortal Sect cultivators sprang out from around the walls to surround him and Su Lian.

All five of them were at the Nascent Soul realm and had once previously exchanged glasses and chatted with Chen Chen and Su Lian at the banquet. However, they weren't smiling at all right now, and all that there was in their eyes was cold, harsh, killing intent.

"What do you mean by this?" Su Lian frowned slightly.

Even though she was gullible and simple-minded, she could sense that something was amiss at the moment.

Without saying anything, the five cultivators of the Dark Immortal Sect charged towards them and released their terrifying spiritual pressure at the same time, completely preventing Chen Chen and Su Lian from retreating.

Seeing this, Su Lian hurriedly shielded Chen Chen behind her and hollered, "How dare you attack an alchemist?! You people are really outrageous and unruly!"

As she said that, five talismans flew out from her body and burst into flames, turning into five powerful strikes that blasted at the five Dark Immortal Sect cultivators!

Boom!

Five muffled sounds of thunderous explosions filled the air, causing all the Nascent Soul realm cultivators to simultaneously vomit blood before retreating and colliding with the array formations around them.

"Wow... Senior Sister Su Lian, you're impressive!"

Chen Chen stared wide-eyed in shock. The situation was vaguely beyond his expectation because Su Lian's combat power seemed to be much stronger than he had imagined!

The five Nascent Soul realm cultivators of the Dark Immortal Sect had never expected this to happen either. After lying on the ground and wincing in pain for a long time, they transformed into hideous half-demons while their aura immediately surged, and they reached the late Nascent Soul realm stage.

At this moment, in a certain room within the compound, Su Lian's escorts dashed out with spears in their hands, shielding Su Lian and Chen Chen.

"Master Su, there's something fishy about this Dark Immortal Sect. The array formations around them blocked off all transmissions, and I can't relay a message back to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan to inform them of the situation."

Su Lian looked at the five half-demons with a grim expression and asked coldly, "How many can you deal with?"

"Two at most."

After receiving that answer, Su Lian sighed and took out a hood-like protective treasure.

"It seems like we can only use this Light-Fixing Hood. Unless there are Essence Soul realm powerhouses, there's no way it will be broken."

After saying that, she was about to toss the Light-Fixing Hood, but Chen Chen stopped her.

"Senior Sister Su Lian... There are only five Nascent Soul half-demons, let me deal with them."

To be honest, Chen Chen was a little worried. The reason being that he had underestimated the strength of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan, as well as the competency of Yu Huo and Su Lian, Su Lian's disciples.

Although they were Nascent Soul realm cultivators who were weak in combat, they probably had a lot more treasures than most Essence Soul realm powerhouses. The variety of their treasures was also endless.

He was really afraid that those half-demons might force Su Lian into taking out some powerful magic treasures to kill them.

That would make him seem like he wasn't contributing much.

"Junior Brother... You..."

Su Lian was a little hesitant.

Before she could finish her sentence, Chen Chen took a step forward while the Omni Divine Blade emerged from his sword case, which was made out of Divine Wood. It then transformed into a five-meter giant sword that rose to the sky before plunging down into the middle of the courtyard!

Boom!

With a loud thunderclap, five golden World-Destroying Divine Thunderbolts darted out of the sword and shot directly at the five half-demons.

The five half-demons panicked and maximized their spiritual power. However, the Divine Thunder made them seem fragile, like paper. In just a moment, the five of them had turned into ashes, along with their Nascent Souls.

Seeing this, Chen Chen finally put away his Omni Divine Blade, appearing indifferent and pretending to be mysterious and enigmatic.

Initially, he didn't need the Omni Divine Blade to summon five destructive Divine Thunderbolts.

However, that wouldn't be cool enough, and he wouldn't be able to fit in with the powerhouses.

As for going up and slashing and killing the enemy, he didn't even think about it, because that would make him the same as Su Lian's escorts, pushing him to a lower position.

Looking at the ashes on the ground, Su Lian's eyes were full of amazement while the spear-wielding followers were astonished too.

'The disciples of the Saintess... Are indeed powerful and not to be trifled with. Even her most junior disciple is so terrifying!'

Su Lian was just about to say something, but Chen Chen waved his hand and acted as if it was just a normal thing.

"Senior Sister Su Lian, don't say that much. Just stay here while I go check on Senior Brother Yu Huo."

After saying that, he ignored their gazes and took out the Omni Divine Blade. He then smashed it at the arrays, soon forming a huge hole in the courtyard.

As soon as he left the courtyard, Chen Chen wiped the cold sweat off of his forehead.

'I've finally succeeded in boasting!

'Ah, indeed, pretending to be a powerful person is much harder in the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan. Even I have to do my best to make others feel like I'm impressive.'

Although Su Lian was definitely not comparable to him in terms of wealth, he had lots of heavenly treasures, but very few of them were fancy.

'It must all be from Master. I don't know where she got it from... No, I must go back and suck up to her too.'

After secretly making up his mind, Chen Chen arrived above Yu Huo's courtyard.

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Yu Huo was lying in the middle of the courtyard, seemingly unconscious.

However, there was a jade pendant that was flickering with light in front of his chest. The light turned into a thick shield with dense spiritual power that protected him.

Next to him, there was a Dark Immortal Sect cultivator who seemed to want to carry him away, but to no avail.

In the next courtyard, Yu Huo's escort was fighting five Nascent Soul realm cultivators of the Dark Immortal Sect alone. Although he was at a disadvantage, there were no signs of retreat.

Seeing this scene, Chen Chen came to a sudden realization.

Having enough assets and treasures gave one the ability to change everything, and the same rule applied, even to those who were gullible and weak in combat!

In short, the rich could do whatever they wanted!

On the other hand, if one was poor, they would have no choice but to stand by and watch, regardless of what fancy tricks and schemes they may have.

Seeing that the Dark Immortal Sect cultivators were still trying in vain to shake Yu Huo's spiritual power shield, Chen Chen smacked him dead with tears in his eyes.

Just as he was about to go to the next courtyard to help out, a massive black cloud suddenly appeared in the distant sky, its dense evil aura felt clearly from dozens of kilometers away!

"That Essence Soul realm diabolic cultivator is about to break through. I wonder if my formula is of any use to him," Chen Chen murmured, his gaze filled with anticipation.

...

"What is this?"

The cultivators of Fukun City were astonished!

Not only were they trapped here, but the dark cloud in the sky was also devouring their spiritual energy!

Among these cultivators, there were a few knowledgeable Nascent Soul realm powerhouses who could not help but yell in horror!

"That's an evil method! There are diabolic cultivators nearby!"

Before the cultivators could continue being shocked for long, a peculiar laughter filled their ears.

"Hahaha! You are my feast for today. Today, I will use your blood to step into the late Essence Soul realm!"

Outside the array, the Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect quietly watched the scene with a menacing grimace.

At this moment, he no longer had the aura of an immortal, as he seemed bloodthirsty and maniacal!

'Slaughtering tens of thousands of cultivators in one fell swoop, what a feat! Only a mighty figure can do that!'

The dark cloud in the sky rotated and formed a massive vortex while tens of thousands of cultivators rose into the vortex at a speed that was visible to the naked eye.

Once all their spiritual power was devoured, the dark cloud would go on to suck their vitality and fresh blood. Eventually, their souls would be devoured too!

By then, all that would be left would be a pile of corpses on the ground!

"Sect Master! Activate the array and let us out!"

Some cultivators wailed desperately, but the Dark Immortal Sect Master remained unwavering, sneering.

"Sect Master, Yu Huo's escort is quite difficult to deal with. We can't take him down."

He received this message from his messenger token.

The Dark Immortal Sect Master frowned slightly and said coldly, "Don't worry, Senior Brother has already gone to deal with them. Just stall for time and act according to the plan. It's normal for those alchemists to be somewhat competent. As long as the lord succeeds in breaking through, there will be no problem at all."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, the dark cloud in the sky suddenly stopped revolving.

Immediately afterwards, a furious roar of horror and fright spread across half of Fukun City!

"Damn it! What did you put in that pill?!"

Chapter 208: Secret Battle

Hearing this explosive roar, a group of Dark Immortal Sect cultivators, whose wounds were deeply bandaged, were extremely startled.

The recovery abilities of the cultivators were much stronger than humans and they had already harmed themselves once, in order to prevent Yu Huo from finding out that their wounds were fresh.

"Lord, do you think there's something wrong with the pill?"

A cultivator whose arm was broken muttered incessantly while his expression turned sullen.

The person beside him shook his head and said, "There shouldn't be a problem with that. The Painkiller Elixir is truly effective. I had my leg amputated, but I didn't feel any pain at all."

The other cultivators nodded in agreement.

With the Painkiller Elixirs, they would go through painless and pressure-free injuries when harmed.

They would not worry about the severe disabilities and serious ailments that they encountered because they could just quickly recover through the healing powers of some spiritual medicines.

The only strange thing was that they seemed to have bled a lot today.

Of course, it was also their first time inflicting harm on themselves. Since they didn't have any experience with this matter, they might have inflicted severe injuries on themselves and lost an excessive amount of blood.

'Forget it, I'll rest and wait for the orders.'

While thinking about it, the cultivators leaned against the corner and dozed off.

...

In the dark room under the gloomy clouds...

The thin, wrinkly old man's face turned pale before turning red again. His complexion kept changing.

No one would believe it, but...

At this critical moment, he, an Essence Soul realm expert... Actually wanted to take a dump!

'Take a dump!

'How long has it been since I did that!?!'

However, the urge to take a dump was reminding him that he wasn't dreaming.

He had to admit that the effects of the Essence Soul Condensation Pill were indeed very impressive, as his mind was completely blank and devoid of messy thoughts. All he wanted was to take a dump...

"Damn it!" the thin old man cursed again softly under his breath.

At this moment, he was at the critical juncture of a breakthrough and he could not move an inch at all. Hence, he had no choice but to divide a part of his attention and commit to suppressing that urge to relieve nature's call.

However, every breakthrough of a diabolic cultivator would be full of danger. How could he possibly let himself get distracted and divide a portion of his attention to deal with it?

Yet the urge to take a dump was getting stronger and stronger, so he had no choice but to suppress it!

Seeing that the clouds had stopped rotating and seemed to be showing vague signs of backlash, the thin, old man's expressions began to change repeatedly, and a bold idea surfaced in his mind.

His expression eventually became completely calm once again.

Perhaps that was the calamity that he was destined to face.

From the first day he set foot on the diabolic path to become an Essence Soul realm powerhouse, he had experienced countless trials and tribulations.

He considered himself to be a man of great perseverance to have made it this far.

'How can a man of great perseverance be stumped by the urge to defecate!?'

"Why don't I just let go of everything..."

After murmuring to himself, the thin, old man soon appeared solemn.

Crack!

Chaotic sounds filled the air and he calmly defecated in his pants.

A sense of comfort immediately filled his entire body. Although the desire to defecate was incessant, the crackling sound also rang continuously. The offset allowed his breakthrough to remain unaffected.

A foul odor spread throughout the dark room.

The thin, old man's expression remained unchanged as he tried to move the gloomy clouds in the sky.

Soon, the gloomy clouds began to move again.

"As a diabolic cultivator, shouldn't this freedom and carefree life be what I pursue?"

Hearing the crackling sounds, the thin, old man comforted himself, feeling as if his state of mind had once again been raised to a higher level.

Sensing this, he could not help but sneer, 'Which shameless person tampered with the medicine and tried to disrupt my mind to make me slip into obsession?

'Just with this alone? You're belittling an Essence Soul realm powerhouse!'

"We Essence Soul realm experts have physical bodies made of flesh. Even if we defecate in our pants, we can only remain calm. Even if we have to eat..." the thin, old man muttered to himself.

At this moment, the Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect suddenly interrupted him by asking him a question out of concern.

"Lord! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

After replying, the thin, old man continued to drive the gloomy clouds and a powerful suction force immediately appeared around him, followed by a scene that was truly horrifying!

A large mass of filth and impurities rose up in the air, rotating around him and vaguely showing signs of entering his body!

"Damn it!" the thin, old man cursed again softly under his breath.

After cursing softly, the thin, old man's gaze flickered, and some spirit fire darted out to turn all the filth into ash. The odor of the air began to turn bizarre too.

Some of the unidentifiable dust began to converge with the thin, old man's body.

The thin old man subconsciously wanted to stop running the cloud, but he was now stuck in a spot because if he were to stop it, he would have to suffer inevitable backlash.

"Forget it... I'll just let it go..."

The thin, old man closed his eyes, tears rolling out from the corners of his eyes. He then tried his best to move the gloomy clouds and absorb all the strange things and smell in the air into his body.

However, compared to the sense of relief that he previously felt, he was now feeling extremely upset; even his face had turned pitch black!

"Nothing can stop me from forming the Dao!"

After roaring softly, the thin, old man completely gave up on himself as he suddenly opened both his eyes, which were full of a maniacal rage!

The crackling sounds were incessant, and the pungent odor once again appeared in the air, but before it could spread, it was swallowed up by him.

An Essence Soul realm powerhouse of great perseverance was just that terrifying!

At this moment, his face was suddenly flushed, and his heart was filled with a long-lost desire...

However, he had completely let go of it, and thus merely smiled calmly.

"Inferior method... It's just the cause of my worries. Since I've let it go, I've let it go."

After he said that, some spiritual energy flowed out, and the thin, old man's body and his desire vanished too.

Pain was considered nothing to diabolic cultivators like him because they had already gotten used to it long ago.

"What other means do you have?"

The thin, old man quietly decided to go against the person who had schemed against him. When he held the Essence Soul Condensation Pill in his hand, he felt peace, and thus knew that there was nothing wrong with the pill.

They would at most play around, but those things could be overcome with just some willpower.

Soon, his armpits began to itch again, and the feeling was so overwhelming that the old man broke his arm without uttering another word!

...

After a while, the old man was covered in blood, but his eyes were full of ruthlessness!

"That pill is not too big; it can't erase too many things. At most... There's one more round, I can win!"

He took a deep breath and regained his composure.

At this moment, a strange desire surged within him, seeming to have infiltrated the depths of his mind like a tsunami. Under the effects of the Essence Soul Condensation Pill, it seemed extraordinarily clear!

The thin, old man subconsciously wanted to castrate himself, only to realize that his member was long gone.

Afterwards, he finally realized...

He had been yearning desperately... For a man!

"Despicable villain!"

The thin, old man hit the roof and roared into the sky!

Only then did he realize that he had fallen into that man's trap!

That desire came from within his body and he had just castrated himself, so the balance in his body had been disrupted. With that desire overwhelming him, he couldn't resist it at all!

'Unless...'

The thin old man looked at his genitals, which had been severed from his body, his eyes brimming with tears.

'I used to think that you were just the useless root of all problems, but now that I've lost you, I finally realized that you're still an indispensable part of me...'

After that thought flashed past his mind, the thin, old man was soon consumed by a powerful sense of desire that made his eyes turn bloodshot. Coupled with a grief that felt greater than death, he finally went off the rails.

The cloud in the sky quickly turned chaotic and soon vanished completely.

Within the dark room, the cloud appeared and enveloped the old man while beams of red light flashed past. In an instant, he was sucked dry!

Woosh!

There was a muffled sound!

The now dried-up old man collapsed to the ground. He was now on his very last breath and on the verge of dying.

Looking at the various bodies he had decapitated, his eyes were filled with resentment.

"I have... Underestimated how despicable you can be! Although I don't know who you are... I won't let you off, even after I become a ghost!"

After muttering softly, he struggled and took out a communication token, which he used to send a message. He then ended his sinful life.

...

Outside the dark room.

The Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect's expression changed drastically while a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind when he saw the gloomy cloud above his head vanish.

'Did... Lord fail to break through?'

With that thought, he walked towards the dark room in a bid to check on the situation of his lord.

He didn't know that there were two people standing tens of thousands of meters above him, watching everything coldly.

"It looks like there's no need for us to strike."

"The Saintess' new disciple does have some wonderful tricks up his sleeve. He's very much like how the Saintess used to be back then. Maybe he can be the true successor."

The other person shook his head at those words and said, "It's better not to make him the successor. Otherwise, our efforts will be wasted in vain."

They then looked at each other in silence, both noticing the bitterness in each other's expressions.

With a deep sigh, the two flew into the distance to carry out the real mission that they had to complete.

The recovery abilities of cultivators were much stronger than humans and they had already harmed themselves once in order to not let Yu Huo find out that their wounds were fresh.

"Lord, do you think there's something wrong with the pill?"

A cultivator whose arm was broken, muttered incessantly while his expression turned sullen.

The person beside him shook his head and said, "There shouldn't be a problem with that. The Painkiller Elixir is quite effective, I had my leg amputated but I didn't feel any pain at all."

The other cultivators nodded in agreement.

With the Painkiller Elixirs, they would feel a lot less pain and pressure when harming themselves.

They were not very worried about the disabilities and permanent ailments that they would suffer because they could just make up for it later with some spiritual medicine.

The only strange thing was that they seemed to have bled a lot today.

Of course, it was also their first time inflicting self-harm on themselves. Since they didn't have any experience, they might inflict severe injuries on themselves and lose an excessive amount of blood.

'Forget it, I'll rest and wait for the orders.'

While thinking about it, the cultivators leaned against the corner and dozed off.

...

In the dark room under the gloomy clouds...

The thin and wrinkly old man's face turned pale before turning red again. His complexion kept changing.

No one would believe it but...

At this critical moment, he, an Essence Soul realm expert...actually wanted to take a dump!

'Take a dump!'

'How long has it been since I did that!?!'

However, the urge to take a dump was reminding him all the time that he wasn't dreaming.

He had to admit that the effects of the Essence Soul Condensation Pill were indeed very impressive as his mind was completely blank and devoid of messy thoughts. All he wanted was to take a dump...

"Damn it!" The thin old man cursed again softly under his breath.

At this moment, he was at the critical juncture of a breakthrough and he could not move an inch at all. Hence, he had no choice but to divide a part of his attention and commit to suppressing that urge to relieve nature's call.

However, every breakthrough of a diabolic cultivator would be full of danger. How could he possibly let himself get distracted and divide a portion of his attention to deal with it?

Yet, the urge to take a dump was getting stronger and stronger so he had no choice but to suppress it!

Seeing that the clouds had stopped rotating and seemed to be showing vague signs of a backlash, the thin old man's expressions began to change repeatedly and a bold idea surfaced in his mind.

His expression eventually became completely calm again.

Perhaps, that was the calamity that he was destined to face.

From the first day he set foot on the diabolic path to become an Essence Soul realm powerhouse, he had experienced countless trials and tribulations in the process.

He considered himself to be a man of great perseverance to have made it this far.

'How can a man of great perseverance be stumped by an urge to defecate!?'

"Why don't I just let go of everything..."

After murmuring to himself, the thin old man soon appeared solemn.

Crack!

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Chaotic sounds filled the air and he calmly defecated in his pants.

A sense of comfort immediately filled his entire body. Although the desire to defecate was incessant, the crackling sound also rang continuously. The offset allowed his breakthrough to be unaffected.

A foul odor spread throughout the dark room.

The thin old man's expression remained unchanged as he tried to move the gloomy clouds in the sky.

Soon, the gloomy clouds began to move again.

"As a diabolic cultivator, shouldn't this freedom and carefree life be what I pursue?"

Hearing the crackling sounds, the thin old man comforted himself and he felt as if his state of mind had once again been raised to a higher level.

Sensing this, he could not help but sneer.

'Which shameless person tampered with the medicine and tried to disrupt my mind to make me slip into obsession?'

'Just with this alone? You're belittling an Essence Soul realm powerhouse!'

"We Essence Soul realm experts have physical bodies made of flesh. Even if we defecate in our pants, we can only remain calm. Even if we have to eat..."

The thin old man muttered to himself.

At this moment, the Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect suddenly interrupted him by asking him a question out of concern.

"Lord! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

After replying, the thin old man continued to drive the gloomy clouds and a powerful suction force immediately appeared around him, followed by a scene that was truly horrifying!

A large mass of filth and impurities rose up in the air, rotating around him and vaguely showing signs of entering his body!

"Damn it!" The thin old man cursed again softly under his breath.

After cursing softly, the thin old man's gaze flickered and some spirit fire darted out to turn all the filth into ashes. The odor of the air began to turn bizarre too.

Some of the unidentifiable dust began to converge on the thin old man's body.

The thin old man subconsciously wanted to stop running the cloud, but he was now stuck in a spot because if he were to stop it, he would have to suffer inevitable backlash.

"Forget it... I'll jut let it go..."

The thin old man closed his eyes and tears rolled out from the corners of his eyes. He then tried his best to move the gloomy clouds and absorb all the strange things and smell in the air, into his body.

However, compared to the sense of relief that he felt previously, he was now feeling extremely upset and even his face had turned pitch black!

"Nothing can stop me from forming the Dao!"

After roaring softly, the thin old man gave up on himself completely as he suddenly opened both his eyes that were full of a maniacal rage!

The crackling sounds were incessant, and the pungent odor once again appeared in the air, but before it could spread, it was swallowed up by him.

An Essence Soul realm powerhouse of great perseverance was just that terrifying!

At this moment, his face was suddenly flushed and his heart was filled with a long-lost desire...

However, he had completely let go of it and thus merely smiled calmly.

"Inferior method... It's just the cause of a worry. Since I've let it go, I've let it go."

After he said that, some spiritual energy flowed out and the thin old man's body and his desire vanished too.

Pain was considered nothing to diabolic cultivators like him because they had already gotten used to it long ago.

"What other means do you have?"

The thin old man quietly decided to go against the person who had schemed against him. When he held the Essence Soul Condensation Pill in his hand,he felt peace and thus knew that there was nothing wrong with the pill.

They would at most play around but those things could be overcome with just some willpower.

Soon, his armpits began to itch again and the feeling was so overwhelming that the old man broke his arm without uttering another word!

...

After a while, the old man was already covered in blood but his eyes were full of ruthlessness!

"That pill is not too big, it can't erase too many things. At most... There's one more round, I can win!"

He took a deep breath and regained his composure.

At this moment, a strange desire surged within him and seemed to have infiltrated the depths of his mind like a tsunami. Under the effects of the Essence Soul Condensation Pill, it seemed extraordinarily clear!

The thin old man subconsciously wanted to castrate himself, only to realize that his member was long gone.

Afterwards, he finally realized...

He had been yearning desperately...for a man!

"Despicable villain!"

The thin old man hit the roof and roared into the sky!

Only then did he realize that he had fallen into that man's trap!

That desire came from within his body and he had just castrated himself so the balance in his body had been disrupted. With that desire overwhelming him, he couldn't resist it at all!

'Unless...'

The thin old man looked at his genital, which had been severed from his body, his eyes brimming with tears.

'I used to think that you're just a useless root of all problems but now that I've lost you, I finally realized that you're still an indispensable part of me...'

After that thought flashed past his mind, the thin old man was soon consumed by a powerful sense of desire that made his eyes turn bloodshot. Coupled with the grief that felt greater than death, he finally went off the rails.

The cloud in the sky quickly turned chaotic and soon vanished completely.

Within the dark room, the cloud appeared and enveloped the old man while beams of red light flashed past. In an instant, he was sucked dry!

Woosh!

There was sa muffled sound!

The now dried up old man collapsed to the grown. He was now at his very last breath and on the verge of dying.

Looking at the various bodies he had decapitated, his eyes were filled with resentment.

"I have...underestimated how despicable you can be! Although I don't know who you are... I won't let you off even after I become a ghost!"

After muttering softly, he struggled and took out a communication token, which he used to send a message. He then ended his sinful life.

...

Outside the dark room.

The Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect's expression changed drastically while a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind when he saw the gloomy cloud above his head vanished.

'Did... Lord fail to break through?'

With that thought, he walked towards the dark room in a bid to check on the situation of his lord!

He didn't know that there were two people standing tens of thousands of meters above him and watching everything coldly.

"It looks like there's no need for us to strike."

"The Saintess' new disciple does have some wonderful tricks up his sleeves. He's very much like how the Saintess used to be back then. Maybe,he can be the true successor."

The other person shook his head at those words and said, "It's better not to make him the successor. Otherwise, we'll have to keep having our efforts go in vain."

They then looked at each other in silence, both noticing the bitterness in each other's expressions.

With a deep sigh, the two flew into the distance to carry out the real mission that they had to complete.

Chapter 209: Designated Tracking

After they flew for several miles, a stream of light flew in and blasted on top of the trapping array.

A ray of light suddenly lit up between heaven and earth, and the array that trapped tens of thousands of cultivators in Fukun City was broken.

Tens of thousands of cultivators cried tears of joy, but they didn't know who to thank.

...

As soon as the Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect entered the darkroom, he was overwhelmed with a pungent stench, but he forced himself to endure the discomfort and quickly delved deeper. Soon, he saw the thin old man who had been sucked dry.

"Lord... Lord!"

Although that scene was within his expectations, he still could not help but feel astounded and be filled with despair when he saw it with his very own eyes!

'Lord has failed!'

Diabolic cultivators usually progressed very quickly in their cultivation, but breakthroughs were extremely difficult for them. Those who managed to cultivate the Essence Soul realm after enduring perils in small breakthroughs and facing backlashes in major realm breakthroughs were all people with great perseverance.

The Lord had now suffered a backlash because he had gone off the rails, and even his primordial spirit was completely obliterated.

"There's something wrong with the Essence Soul Condensation Pill!"

The Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect said with a miserable expression.

He had always been a refined and easy-going person who would never speak uncouthly or hurl expletives. However, when he cursed today, everyone across half the city could hear him. He had encountered something intolerable and unacceptable!

Even an ordinary cultivator might slip off the right track if there was an accident during the breakthrough, let alone a diabolic cultivator.

"That scoundrel Yu Huo! I didn't expect your loyalty and honesty to all be a pretense! It's all my fault for being careless and causing the Lord to die..."

The Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect was full of self-reproach, and he thought of Yu Huo's kind and honest smile, which now seemed to be twisted and sinister in his opinion. He perceived Yu Huo as a demon from hell!

"Senior Brother! There's something wrong with the Essence Soul Condensation Pill refined by that scumbag Yu Huo, which caused Lord to go off the rails and suffered a backlash that resulted in his death. Kill that bastard to avenge our lord!"

The Sect Master took out his communication token and sent that message to many other people. He took away the old man's storage ring, and then grabbed a torch and set fire on the thin old man's corpse, turning it into ashes.

Since the matter had been exposed, there was no way he could continue to stay at the Eastern Border, and thus, fleeing was the only option.

With that thought in mind, he quickly flew away from the darkroom.

However, as soon as he left, he saw countless cultivators of Fukun City who had broken free and were all glaring at him with burning anger in their eyes.

...

The Great Elder of the Dark Immortal Sect had just arrived at the abode. He was dumbfounded when he received the news from his Junior Brother.

Who would have thought that underneath the loyal and honest appearance of Yu Huo, lies a vicious and wicked heart?

"Yu Huo, you scumbag! I must kill you!"

He roared into the sky and then flew straight towards the courtyard where Yu Huo was.

In the courtyard, Yu Huo had just woken up with Chen Chen and Su Lian beside him.

The Dark Immortal Sect Nascent Soul realm cultivators had all been killed by now.

Seeing the corpses on the ground, the Great Elder of the Dark Immortal Sect's eyes were wide open, and he pointed at Yu Huo while cursing, "Yu Huo! Bastard, you're so ruthless!"

Yu Huo was dumbfounded because Chen Chen hadn't had the time to tell him the truth of the matter.

The expression on Yu Huo's face made the Great Elder even angrier as his chest heaved up and down vigorously.

'This scumbag is still pretending at this point!'

However, the corpses on the ground made him understand that with his current strength, he wouldn't be able to kill Yu Huo.

Without hesitation, the Great Elder turned around and left at a much faster speed than that of when he just arrived.

Yu Huo's escorts subconsciously tried to chase after him, but Chen Chen was one step ahead of them.

"This old bastard is a half-demon who's at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm. He's very powerful, let me deal with him."

...

Minutes passed.

There was a charred black corpse lying on the ground beneath Chen Chen's feet, holding onto a storage ring.

The storage space in the storage ring was rather large and it was full of all sorts of resources, especially Demon Pills. There were at least a thousand of them, among which there were five Essence Soul realm Demon Pills!

That was the storage ring belonging to the Great Elder.

"The Dark Immortal Sect is so rich. If that Sect Master and other Essence Soul realm diabolic cultivators are all this rich, they'd have a third of what I have... This is just a medium-sized sect."

Chen Chen felt that something was wrong.

There were too many Demon Pills, many of which were fresh.

That meant that the people of the Dark Immortal Sect had personally killed many demons in addition to robbing and resorting to other means to get money.

"The demons placed more emphasis on bloodlines than humans do. Besides, the treatment that the half-demons get is not even comparable to that of humans..."

Chen Chen murmured, somewhat suspecting that the Dark Immortal Sect was a double spy that sat on the fence between the humans and the demons while taking benefits from both sides.

It was extremely difficult for a medium-sized sect to be able to do well while snitching on two sects.

After all, everyone couldn't be as wise as Chen Chen and carry a tracking system.

"Is there a greater force that the Dark Immortal Sect is subservient to?"

That idea flashed through Chen Chen's mind, and then he carefully searched the storage ring again, only to find that except for a communication token that allowed him to communicate with the demons, there were no other special communication tokens.

"That Essence Soul realm demon should have the answer, but I don't know if he's dead or not."

Thinking of this, Chen Chen summoned Yuan Qingtian.

Yuan Qingtian was attacking a certain corner of Fukun City.

There were fifty to sixty cultivators of the Dark Immortal Sect hidden in this corner, all of whom had revealed their original forms and were already dead. They were lying on the ground. Although the blood on the ground flowed into streams, this group of half-demons had died peacefully. Some were even smiling like they were having a beautiful dream.

Yuan Qingtian collected their storage rings and then received a message from Chen Chen. Without hesitation, he headed straight towards the place where the cultivators of Fukun City were assembled.

Soon, he saw the Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect was charging around furiously near the tens of thousands of cultivators, who were currently in their true forms.

Yuan Qingtian observed quietly in stealth, his vision as sharp as that of a falcon. He had perfectly embodied the qualities of a top assassin.

A few moments later, he lurked into a dark place from a distance based on his observations.

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The Dark Immortal Sect Master blew himself up after another 15 minutes, leaving only a single Nascent Soul that darted out and surrounded Yuan Qingtian.

At this moment, he was already severely injured and at a loss for what to do. However, he subconsciously flew towards the place that he felt was the safest. He didn't expect that others had already predicted his breakout path.

When he was paying full attention to his attackers behind him, a dagger emerged from the void in front of him and was stabbed straight into his Nascent Soul.

All kinds of toxins instantly erupted, and the Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect turned around with horror all over his face. However, he saw nothing but an indifferent, cold, and handsome face.

"How dare you call me good-for-nothing! To hell with you!"

Hearing the shout of a curse, the Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect completely lost consciousness.

Yuan Qingtian took the two storage rings in the hands of the Nascent Soul realm cultivator and once again vanished in the void.

"Senior Brother, everything has been settled."

...

Chen Chen smiled in satisfaction when he received the news. At this moment, he was using the system to track within the residence and had obtained some treasures. Although they were far inferior to the contents of the storage ring, they were equivalent to one percent of his assets.

They were sufficient for raising a few Nascent Soul realm cultivators.

He didn't intend to pocket the treasures to himself this time, especially the materials used for refinement. Hence, he gave most of them to Yu Huo and Su Lian.

He had to nurture his relationship with them slowly.

"Congratulations to the host for using the system 10,000 times and completing the achievement of a professional hack. You are rewarded with a designated tracking opportunity within a realm."

Chen Chen's heart skipped a beat when he received the system alert in his head.

'A new tracking function has appeared!'

"What is the designated tracking opportunity?" Chen Chen asked in his head.

"When tracking a specific item, only a result closest to the host will be displayed." Chen Chen quickly understood the system's brief and concise answer.

For example, if he wanted a piece of Omni Divine Gold now, he could use this tracking opportunity to search for a piece of Omni Divine Gold that was the nearest to him within a realm.

The advantage of this function was a large tracking range that would allow one to obtain specifically what he wanted, instead of receiving a bunch of unknown treasures like he would when using a fixed-range tracking opportunity.

The disadvantage was that he could only take one item at a time.

Chen Chen took a deep breath and did not rush to use it. Although he had come up with lots of impressive treasures in his head, some of which would allow him to become immortal right after consuming them, they were all just legendary objects. If there were no such items in this world, he would have suffered a major loss by wasting his tracking opportunity on it.

Hence, he had to plan for the future and use it only when he was at a critical juncture.

...

While he was pondering about making various deductions in his head...

Somewhere, in a super blessed land distant from him...

An old man with white hair who was sitting cross-legged took out a communication token and looked at the message he received.

"Master, I was tricked by the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan and I've already been disgraced. From now on, I can no longer share your burden...but I will watch over you and fight for a place for us half-demons at the borders of the two tribes. Master... take care!"

Seeing this message, the white-haired old man calmly crushed the communication token.

"How hard is it to fight for a place of our own in this world?"

After muttering softly, the white-haired old man closed his eyes and continued to cultivate, as nothing had happened at all.

Chapter 210: The Sunlight Is A Little Blinding

"You may know a person, but you will never know a person's true thoughts of the mind and the intentions of the heart!"

In Fukun City, Yu Huo sighed. At this point, he had learned the truth behind the entire matter. While admiring how intelligent and resourceful Chen Chen was, he also pondered about human nature.

"Senior Brother Yu Huo, I managed to find some clues because I've dealt with the Dark Immortal Sect before. Otherwise, I would have been kept in the dark too!"

Chen Chen was filled with decency at indignation.

Yu Huo and Su Lian finally felt relieved after listening to his explanation.

'It's not that we're too stupid! The Dark Immortal Sect is just too cunning! Yes! That's it!'

"Junior Brother, how are those demons outside the city?" Su Lian asked.

Hearing this, Chen Chen sighed softly with some regrets. "They've retreated. That was such a pity, or else, we would have tried to set up a killing array inside the city to lure them out. How clever would that be?"

Yu Huo and Su Lian looked at each other before lowering their heads at once.

'Why haven't we thought of that?'

'It seems that we're not good at venturing into unknown territories. We'd better stay in the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan. There are too many schemes and dangerous traps out there.'

Of course, they still had to go to the ancient Cave Abode in the State of Jin.

Yu Huo suggested, "Junior Brother, we'd better hurry up and head back. I've already reported the matter here to the clan. They have arranged with other people to take over the matters here at Fukun City. They should arrive here in the afternoon."

To be honest, he was intensely hurt after this incident. He intentionally thought of becoming sworn brothers at first with the Sect Master and Great Elder of the Dark Immortal Sec, yet, they turned out to be cheating him.

Hence, he was now a little withdrawn and unwilling to befriend outsiders anymore.

Although Su Lian was less traumatized than Yu Huo, she also had similar thoughts, so she immediately expressed her support for the suggestion.

Of course, Chen Chen naturally didn't express any objections.

Hence, the three of them soon resumed their journey back to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan.

...

They were on the flying boat.

Chen Chen quietly sensed the two storage rings that Yuan Qingtian gave him.

The storage ring of the Sect Master of the Dark Immortal Sect contained the same amount of resources and treasures as that of the Great Elder. However, no special communication token was contained.

As for the other storage ring, it contained a divine ability called 'Bloodthirsty.' That was in addition to some diabolic cultivation methods and treasures.

Chen Chen did not hesitate to destroy the secret manual.

His cultivation speed was much faster than that of the diabolic cultivators, so he thought those secret manuals and methods were no longer necessary.

There was no communication token in this storage ring also.

Chen Chen didn't think much of it. Regardless of whether the Dark Immortal Sect was subordinate to an even more powerful force or not, he was in no place to meddle with them.

Only the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan would be held responsible for this incident.

After flying for half a day, he finally arrived at the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan.

Chen Chen was pondering many things.

Foremost, he had to continue deducing the "Ancient Pill Formula" upon his return. The more he deduced, the longer his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters could stay in the State of Jin.

Second, Yuan Qingtian performed well this time, but his cultivation level was too low and had seriously dragged him down. Thus, he decided to find ways in improving Yuan Qingtian's abilities. Otherwise, it would be an overwhelming disgrace and embarrassment to him, when he brought him out in the future.

Thinking about it, the three of them came to the courtyard where Yu Qiong was.

After returning from a mission, the first thing that he would do was to report to his master, Yu Qiong.

Yu Qiong happened to be sitting outside the courtyard during this time.

However, there was a white-haired and bearded person, seated in front of her and smiling warmly, clad in the Senior Elder uniform of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan.

There were seven jade boxes on each side of the stone table between the two of them.

"Master... I have returned."

Yu Huo lowered his head, surfaced with shame when he saw Yu Qiong.

His performance had been mediocre this time. Although his master was gentle-mannered, and he knew that she wouldn't blame him, he still felt bad about it.

Yu Qiong's expression was calm and her posture was as elegant as ever. She said softly, "I already know about what happened. Wait at the side while I gamble with Elder Ouyang."

Hearing this, Yu Huo immediately took two steps back and waited at the side.

Chen Chen looked at Yu Qiong and the jade boxes on the stone table with some curiosity. He could tell that she liked gambling with others.

Otherwise, Yu Huo wouldn't have taught the new disciples on her behalf for a hundred years and might continue doing so.

'Why are they gambling with treasures?'

Before he could figure it out, Yu Qiong and Elder Ouyang had started gambling.

They each selected a jade box from the pile in front of them, pushed them to the middle of the table, and then disclosed them at the same time.

At once, two heavenly auras emerged.

Both Elder Ouyang and Yu Qiong had a gleam of excitement in their eyes.

A moment later, Elder Ouyang chuckled.

"Disciple-Niece Yu Qiong, this 70,000-year-old Water Cloud Ginseng of mine is worth a lot more than your 60,000-year-old Wood Beard Root."

After saying that, he placed the two jade boxes into his storage ring.

"Uncle-Master, you're in luck today."

Yu Qiong's expression was still calm, but Chen Chen could see the trace of murderous aura on her face when he looked at her from the side.

Her murderous aura was very familiar to him since it had appeared on Yu Qiong's face on several occasions when she looked him in the eye. An example would be when he took the Soul Stabilizing Pill and the dagger from Yu Qiong...

On the other hand, Elder Ouyang was not an ordinary person either. Although he appeared kindhearted and benevolent, Chen Chen could acutely sense that he was incredibly scheming.

Yu Qiong was already over 200 years old, so her Uncle-Master must be much older! He was extremely intelligent and ingenious!

Looking at the two old and cunning figures who were gambling with the treasures, Chen Chen felt that Yu Huo and Su Lian were just like dimwits in comparison to the former two.

They seemed to be out of place in this high-level battle of wits.

'I have to impress my master and get into her good books. This happens to be a good opportunity, I won't have to pay anything either...'

Chen Chen secretly thought to himself before starting to use the system.

"System, where is the most valuable thing within a ten-meter radius?"

"System, where is the second most valuable thing within a ten-meter radius?"

...

The system results gave him a tremendous fear!

Only after the tenth most valuable thing was tracked that the system began to mention the contents of those boxes. The first nine most valuable treasures were all adorned by Yu Qiong and Elder Ouyang.

Even Yu Qiong's inner garment and clothing were worth more than the heavenly treasures that were 100,000 years in age!

If not for the fact that he had entered the Cave Abode of the Void Refinement realm powerhouse back then, he probably would have developed an inferiority complex.

Indeed, the assets of an alchemist could not be calculated using normal logic.

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Chen Chen secretly sorted the treasures in the remaining twelve jade boxes according to their value. He then stood motionlessly at a spot that was more than ten meters behind Elder Ouyang, looking as if he was admiring the beautiful scenery from the distance.

After a conversation that was full of subtle threats and aggression, Yu Qiong and Elder Ouyang began their second round of gambling.

Seeing that Yu Qiong had chosen another treasure that was less valuable than Elder Ouyang's, Chen Chen shook his head gently and tied his hair at the same time.

Yu Qiong had a sharp vision and she immediately noticed Chen Chen using her peripheral vision.

However, there were no changes in her expression when she merely placed her hand on the other jade box.

Chen Chen shook his head again and also scratched it a little.

Yu Qiong changed the treasure and seemed to be contemplating which one to choose.

Chen Chen finally nodded again this time.

Yu Qiong pushed the jade box out without saying a word.

She removed the lid of the jade box and won by a close margin.

"Uncle-Master Ouyang, pardon me."

Yu Qiong smiled calmly and placed the other two jade boxes into her storage ring.

Elder Ouyang merely regarded it as a coincidence and remained calm. Shaking his head slightly, he said, "Disciple-Niece Yu Qiong, I didn't expect you to bring out a treasure of such a fine grade. My loss is justifiable."

Yu Qiong smiled without saying much. She knew that he was just hinting to her that the value of the treasure he laid down wasn't that high.

However, the truth was that the value of the items in this old man's jade box was even higher than hers!

'He even took these treasures out and used them as bets. Seems like he values that thing.'

...

The third round of gambling soon began and Chen Chen was still giving crazy hints to Yu Qiong from afar. However, she was still contemplating.

In the end, she won by a close margin again.

Although Elder Ouyang was smiling, his smile had become a little stiff.

...

During the fourth time, Elder Ouyang's face gradually turned pale.

...

During the fifth round, Elder Ouyang finally won but his face instantly turned sullen because that treasure was the most precious one present. Yet, it only trumped the most inferior treasure that Yu Qiong had!

...

The results of the sixth and seventh-round were the same and Elder Ouyang continuously lost.

"I'm...not very lucky today..." Elder Ouyang was shivering vigorously and at the same time, he took out a specially made wooden box from his storage ring and handed it to Yu Qiong.

The seven treasures that he had used as a bet for the gamble just now were just add-ons. This treasure was the real stake.

Yu Qiong grabbed it smilingly and placed it into her storage ring without even checking it.

Right from the beginning, she did not take a single glance at Chen Chen.

On the other hand, Chen Chen was now squatting on the ground in the distance and playing with some mud like an ignorant but fidgety and hyperactive young man.

"Thank you so much, Uncle-Master Ouyang, you let me win after all. Otherwise, it'd be a piece of cake for you to defeat me, considering the treasures that you have." Yu Qiong was very modest and she smiled warmly.

"Haha... Haha... Goodbye!"

Elder Ouyang could no longer force himself to smile because his heart was aching. For some reason, he felt that the sunlight today was a little glaring and harsh on his eyes. He chuckled twice and flew away from the courtyard.

After Elder Ouyang flew away, Yu Qiong finally saw Chen Chen who was playing with the mud from a distance.

At this moment, Chen Chen put down the mud and looked at Yu Qiong.

The two of them made eye contact with a tacit understanding.

Chapter 211: Is There Such A Good Thing?

"Master is so lucky today!"

"Congratulations Master!"

Neither of the two simple-minded people, Yu Huo and Su Lian, understood what terrible things had just happened. They naively congratulated Yu Qiong.

Yu Qiong nodded slightly and comforted both of them. Then they left, feeling surprised and overjoyed.

Yu Qiong naturally wouldn't be that casual with Chen Chen.

That jade box could block out divine senses, but Chen Chen managed to detect the specific value of the treasures it contained. That was just too terrifying.

If he had just detected some of its aura, he wouldn't have hinted her to compare her most inferior treasure to Elder Ouyang's most precious one.

"Can this kid see through opaque things?"

After this thought flashed in her mind, Yu Qiong's gaze subconsciously became dangerous.

Chen Chen was frightened to see that look in her eyes.

'What is that woman trying to do? Is she trying to covet my ability?'

Thinking of this, he hurriedly laughed and said, "Ahem, when I was a child, an old man did some fortune-telling for me and said that I'm a blessed person because I had done a lot of kind deeds in my previous life... So, I'm a little bit talented and I'm extremely sensitive to all kinds of treasures. Master, don't be surprised, this is not a divine ability that just anyone can learn."

Yu Qiong shook her head disdainfully and said, "Who do you think I am? Why would I covet your divine ability? But you did a good job today, and I'm not a stingy person, take this."

Yu Qiong then handed a strange stone that had a black side and a white side to Chen Chen.

Chen Chen took the stone, only to be taken aback!

'Why is Yu Qiong so kind as to give me a treasure today? How can there be such a good thing? There must be something suspicious about this!'

Before he could continue thinking about it, Yu Qiong explained, "This thing is called the Yin-Yang stone. If you channel your spiritual energy into this Yin-Yang stone, the one I hold will be detected, no matter how distant you are from me."

"If you encounter any danger in the future, you can use this Yin-Yang stone to ask me for help. Remember, if you channel spiritual energy to the white side, it means that there's no danger. If you channel it to the black side, it means there is danger."

Chen Chen was moved at first, but as she explained further, the more he felt that something was amiss.

If he encountered danger, he could just use the communication token. There was no need for him to do it silently.

Besides, if there was no danger, why would he have to inform her?

After taking a careful look, he realized that there seemed to be the word 'win' carved vaguely on the white side of the stone and the word 'lose' carved on the black side.

"Damn!"

Chen Chen cursed furiously.

He had helped Yu Qiong but never planned to return the favor. She even gave him that stone for cheating!

'Is she asking me to help her cheat in the long term?'

'I can help her cheat, but she's gone overboard by using the excuse of giving me a way to call for help during times of danger! This is so shameless!'

However, he eventually figured out what Yu Qiong had in mind.

Yu Qiong probably felt that his hints were too obvious.

Although an expert of the Essence Soul realm wouldn't keep his divine senses on all the time, their senses were still sharp. If he kept hinting at her all the time, those who were smart would be able to tell that there was something suspicious.

"You're being so stingy even when you're asking me for help. Hmph!"

Chen Chen humphed coldly and then put away the Yin-Yang stone. He then said respectfully, "Master, don't worry, I'm well aware of my abilities, and I usually don't use this unless I'm in danger."

Chen Chen was trying to tell her that he wouldn't help her cheat all the time.

They then looked at each other.

After a long time, Yu Qiong waved her hand, and eight alchemy cauldrons appeared in the space at the side.

"I heard Yu Huo say that you can refine Foundation Establishment Pills, is that true? Since this is the case, you are also considered an alchemist. There are eight elixir cauldrons here, pick one."

When Chen Chen saw the eight alchemy cauldrons, he gained a new understanding of his assets again. The eight alchemy cauldrons were emitting several rays of light and each cauldron was on par with that of Yu Huo's.

Now it seems that this thing was not only linked to one's ability but also one's intelligence.

Chen Chen silently used the system to choose the most precious one and put it away. "Thank you, Master, since I've become an alchemist. Others might desire what I have. If I encounter any danger then, I'll use the Yin-Yang stone to ask you for help."

After saying that, both of them fell silent for a while before finally smiling in satisfaction.

...

After leaving Yu Qiong's place, Chen Chen began to scrutinize the alchemy cauldron that he had chosen.

The alchemy cauldron was called the Fire Essence Dipper Cauldron. It was a genuine treasure of which value could not be measured by Spirit Stones at all.

Logically speaking, novice alchemists should not be given such alchemy cauldrons because it would be too difficult and fatal.

However, Yu Qiong probably didn't have any rubbish against him and whatever he tossed out was a treasure of such a level.

"Ah, Master is so generous. In that case, I'll help her find the things that she lacks whenever I'm free."

Chen Chen smiled and answered.

Before returning, Yu Qiong told him the names of the three treasures, which seemed to be the starting material of some invincible treasure or herbs. Hence, he asked him to keep a lookout.

The treasures that Elder Ouyang used as a bet today were also ones of such materials.

Chen Chen had one of the three treasures that Yu Qiong mentioned.

However, he had already taken something from Yu Qiong today. Even if he took out those treasures, he probably wouldn't be able to cheat Yu Qiong out of more treasures.

He thought that he might as well give it to her when the time was right. Anyway, she still lacked three items, and she couldn't collect all three quickly.

While making plans, Chen Chen returned to his courtyard.

Without the slightest delay, he began trying to refine pills with the Fire Essence Dipper Cauldron. This time, he was refining a type of elixir to increase the cultivation level of Core Formation realm cultivators. It was called an Essence-Boosting Elixir.

Core Formation realm cultivators were the power of two states, so such Essence-Boosting Elixirs were extremely rare.

Putting aside the Foundation-Building Elixirs, Chen Chen's first deduction was also the formula for this Essence-Boosting Elixir.

The main material of the Essence-Boosting Elixir was the internal alchemy of demons, which Chen Chen had in abundance.

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With the help of the Fire Essence Dipper Cauldron, Chen Chen refined the Essence-Boosting Elixirs, ten times in the afternoon.

In the end, he failed all ten times.

Chen Chen was not discouraged, however. Nearly 20 types of materials were required to produce the Essence-Boosting Elixirs and the fire had to be controlled. Hence, it was natural to fail too.

Besides, he was using a new alchemy cauldron.

...

The failure lasted for three days.

During those three days, Chen Chen spent the morning deducing the pill formulas before refining pills in the afternoon. Finally, he succeeded in refining the first "inferior-quality" Essence-Boosting Elixir today.

Chen Chen naturally gave it to Yuan Qingtian.

Yuan Qingtian was extremely touched. In his opinion, Chen Chen was refining elixirs day and night to help him improve his cultivation level.

'Now that's what I call a brother!'

Hence, not to mention that the surface of the elixir was pockmarked and of very poor quality, Yuan Qingtian would not hesitate to swallow it even if it was poisonous.

He didn't want to let his Senior Brother down!

"Senior Brother, the elixirs you've refined are not only very effective, but they also taste great too!"

After swallowing it whole, Yuan Qingtian did not forget to encourage Chen Chen.

After the first time, the subsequent refinements were much easier. In the next few days, Chen Chen would refine a few Essence-Boosting Elixirs every day and the quality of each batch would get better and better by each day.

Yuan Qingtian finally experienced the kind of treatment that the disciples of the great clans, who would be fed a ton of elixirs every day, received.

Half a month later, his cultivation level increased smoothly from the mid-stage to the late-stage of the Core Formation realm.

On this day, Chen Chen was still deducing the "Ancient Pill Formula," when he received a message from Xiao Wuyou in the messenger token.

"Disciple, an envoy, has come from Great Xia and said that the Black Pig King is overly arrogant. They're planning to send us support, but he wants to talk to you face to face about the details."

Chen Chen was a little surprised to see that news.

'How can there be such a good thing? It can't be that there's something suspicious in this too, right?'

However, after calculating the time, he reckoned that he should make a trip back. Once he had fooled his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters to refine a batch of elixirs for the two states, he would go back.

Thinking of this, he replied, "Master, tell them to wait for me for seven days, I will come back after seven days."

After sending that message, Chen Chen asked Yuan Qingtian to come over and he handed a storage ring to him.

"Qingtian... This contains ancient pill formulas and their values speak for themselves. Go back and carve these formulas on the stone walls of the ancient Cave Abode. Remember to look for the Puppet Division Master and make the traces look older. Do you understand?"

Chen Chen's expression was solemn. Although his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were all honest and gullible, he couldn't insult their intelligence. He had to treat them like they were smart people.

That was also a form of respect.

"I understand! Rest assured, Senior Brother, I'll complete the task!" Yuan Qingtian answered solemnly.

After thinking about it, Chen Chen still felt rather worried, and he took out a large pile of protective treasures from his storage ring and handed them to Yuan Qingtian. He said, "Get going, tell me when it's done."

"Yes!"

Feeling cared for by his Senior Brother, Yuan Qingtian felt more and more touched. His eyes reddened and he left resolutely.

He knew that he wasn't holding an ordinary storage ring but the future of two states!

Chapter 212: Please Accept A Bow From Us!

All eight of Chen Chen's Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were excited to know that Chen Chen would soon return to the State of Jin. Although there were still seven days to go before he set off, they were so eager to embark on early preparations.

After all, the purpose of their trip to the State of Jin this time was not only to study the Ancient Pill Formula but also to dedicate a pilgrimage in honor of the ancient alchemists who were gifted with exemplary abilities.

Hence, they began to cleanse themselves and fast three days in advance, to seek spiritual peace and solemnity.

...

Before Chen Chen's departure, Yu Qiong again asked him to go to her courtyard alone.

"Chen Chen, you have a month. I hope you'll know your limits and not go overboard. Within a month, you must bring them back to me intact. Don't wait until I send someone to look for you, or else, you'll get it from me!"

Yu Qiong warned with a stern expression.

"Yes, I got it... One month is enough," Chen Chen said with an awkward smile.

To be honest, he felt slightly abominable for taking Yu Qiong's disciples away.

"Good to hear. Also, remember to bring me a copy of that Ancient Pill Formula too. Okay, now leave."

After saying that, Yu Qiong waved her hand, and Chen Chen flew out of the courtyard.

"I thought you were really smart. Turns out you want the Ancient Pill Formula too."

Chen Chen got up from the ground and humphed in disdain before leaving.

...

Compared to their trip to the Dark Immortal Sect a month ago, the team had expanded by nearly ten times this time!

In particular, Yu Huo seemed to have learned his lesson since he had not only brought three Nascent Soul realm cultivators as chaperons this time, he also brought seven or eight alchemy apprentices. He even brought along a wise and intelligent adviser who seemed to be fawning over Yu Huo all the time.

Su Lian should not be underestimated either. Apart from two chaperons and a few alchemy apprentices, she also brought three or four of her best friends who were all alchemists too.

Although the other Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were a bit less exaggerated than them, they also traveled in small cliques of their own, each consisting of four to five people.

"Junior Brother, where is your chaperon?"

His Eight Senior Sister, Zhou Shu, looked around and asked Chen Chen with some curiosity.

"Qingtian has returned early to make preparations. After all, we are expecting a large number of guests at the State of Jin, so we can't be oblivious to the hospitality."

Chen Chen said half-truthfully.

However, as soon as he said that, Zhou Shu surprisingly flashed a trace of frustration in her eyes.

Her reaction made Chen Chen slightly stunned, and he inhaled sharply.

Candid people like them tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves, so how could he not be able to tell?

'What's up with Eight Senior Sister's expression? Does she have a crush on Yuan Qingtian?'

Chen Chen was shocked, but he couldn't help but make that mischievous impression...

'Yuan Qingtian's looks are mediocre, and he's remarkably slow-witted. Even his cultivation level is only at the Core Formation realm. Yet, someone fancies him?'

However, when he observed Zhou Shu's similarly mediocre appearance and figure, Chen Chen seemed to have figured out something.

'Maybe this is the mutual attraction between average-looking people.'

'It's just like how an elite like me is attracted to an outstanding girl like Xia Xishuang...'

Thinking of this, Chen Chen asked in a bid to test the waters, "Senior Sister, you seem unhappy. Did that chaperon of mine commit something to upset you? If he has, I'll skin him alive when I return!"

Hearing his words, Zhou Shu panicked and explained. "No, not at all! He just looks sincerely honest and interesting. Moreover, he seems to have suffered some kind of trauma, I find him sparingly pitiful."

Seeing how defensive Zhou Shu was getting, Chen Chen was speechless.

'Seems like I can trade Yuan Qingtian out.'

...

They reached the border of the State of Jin.

Chen Chen was already thinking about asking Yuan Qingtian how much money he should ask for as a betrothal gift then marrying him afterwards.

A few moments later...

The giant boat was guided to space above a large mountain where it slowly fell.

The mountain was called Mount Wufeng, which was located at the border between the State of Zhou and the State of Jin. It was incredibly beautiful, and Chen Chen selected it for a Cultivators' Abode. It signified peace between the two states in the future.

The original level of spiritual energy in this mountain was mediocre, but after some drastic transformations, the standards of the spiritual energy in it had far surpassed the Tianyun Clan and other clans in the State of Jin. It had reached the level of the Haoran Sword Clan.

Although it was still a little inferior to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan, it was an amazing feat for such an excellent cultivators' abode in a tiny state like the State of Jin.

The daily consumption of Spirit Stones each day was extremely horrifying. Even with Chen Chen's current wealth, he could only maintain the Spirit Gathering Array of the clan for 3,000 years.

That contributed only a small part to the consumption of the clan.

"Senior Brother, everything has been settled."

Yuan Qingtian was the first to appear beside Chen Chen. He spoke frankly without hiding anything because he knew that the other people around weren't aware of what he was referring to.

Chen Chen had received a message from him previously, and after getting his confirmation again, his eyes were full of affirmation.

Noticing that Chen Chen seemed to be looking at him with some admiration in his eyes, which was different from before, Yuan Qingtian was overjoyed!

He had never seen such a gaze in Chen Chen's eyes before!

"My efforts and conscientiousness were not in vain. Finally, I've lived up to my Senior Brother's expectations!"

Yuan Qingtian felt emotional when Chen Chen suddenly patted his shoulder.

"Qingtian, my Eight Senior Sister, is having some trouble adapting to a foreign environment. Do look after her."

Yuan Qingtian immediately looked more solemn, and he said seriously, "Rest assured, Senior Brother! I promise that the task will be completed!"

Hearing his words, Chen Chen nodded and turned around to leave quietly without explaining his plans.

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...

Since his eight Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were fasting, Chen Chen chose not to host a banquet.

"Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, that ancient Cave Abode is within the boundaries of Mount Wufeng. I believe you guys can tell that Mount Wufeng is newly built, and it's set up for the sake of protecting that ancient Cave Abode."

Chen Chen explained to his honest Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters.

Yu Huo's adviser nodded with a respectful expression after hearing his words.

"How thoughtful of you to build a cave to protect that ancient Cave Abode, Your Excellency. Only someone who truly loves alchemy would be willing to go to such extents!"

Chen Chen smiled modestly and said, "You flatter me, Sir. The relics left behind by the ancient alchemists are too precious, and they must be protected in the best way possible. Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters, I shall stop keeping you in suspense and bring you guys there now."

Chen Chen then walked to the front to lead the way.

Chen Chen didn't deliberately dismiss the chaperons.

On the first hand, they wouldn't be able to understand ancient handwriting. On the other hand, his eight Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters did not intend to monopolize the formula in the long run either.

After all, the human race was suffering a great calamity at this time, and the development of the entire community should be the priority concern at all times.

Chen Chen led them on a journey of several turns, and they entered the depths of Mount Wufeng where they traversed in a narrow crevice for a long time before finally seeing a paradise.

Beautiful sceneries and rich spiritual energy surrounded a small lake. They could also see the entrance of a Cave Abode on the mountain wall at the edge of the lake from afar.

"That's the place, everyone, please!"

Chen Chen pointed at the cave with his eyes full of excitement.

The eight honest people were not only excited, but they were also carefully fixing their clothes and hair with pious expressions.

By the time they were done, Chen Chen flew towards the ancient Cave Abode, taking them along with him.

The cave was very deep, and there were traces of ancient vicissitudes everywhere. The eight honest people marveled in awe and amazement as they walked. Many times, they wanted to touch something but didn't dare to. They feared that they might accidentally damage something in the Cave Abode.

By the time they were about a hundred meters deeper into the cave, a huge stone room appeared in front of them.

The twelve-sided stone room covered an area of hundreds of square meters, with each wall about dozens of square meters in size. They were painted with all sorts of symbols like " – xyz" that seemed profound and enigmatic.

It was Chen Chen's first time to reach the place too. When he saw the stone wall for the first time, he was flabbergasted.

This place is simply the nightmare of some struggling math students in his previous life!

Despite being an academically-inclined student, Chen Chen couldn't stand it!

This place was piercing great pressure in his soul!

However, the eight honest people were reverent and in awe, like they had been brought to heaven.

Yu Huo's adviser even seemed a little despondent, and he muttered, "Yes, those are ancient texts that have appeared in many ancient books I studied. Unfortunately, I'm not educated enough so I can only understand a little bit of them..."

Thud!

The eight of them dropped to their knees consecutively!

Kneeling on the ground with their robes flung to the side, they bowed to the stone wall that was covered in "ancient writings" and symbols.

Yu Huo even got all worked up and exclaimed agitatedly, "Senior, pardon us for taking the liberty of coming here to see the amazing pill formula left behind by you. Our hearts are full of gratitude that cannot be expressed in words. Senior, please accept our obeisance!"

Chapter 213: The Commander of the Land of Two States

After the ritual, all eight of Chen Chen's Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters began to carefully scrutinize the pill formulas.

Having received some teaching from Chen Chen, they were not entirely clueless at this juncture, as they would occasionally even exclaim in admiration and applaud after noticing some subtle but amazing details.

As for the other chaperons, they chimed in at the back for the sake of fitting in.

There was peace and harmony in the Cave Abode, full of an academic atmosphere.

About two hours passed.

Yu Huo suddenly took a deep breath and walked towards Chen Chen with a grave expression, seemingly drained and deficient.

"Junior Brother, let's stop here for today. We've already spent the entire time looking at the stone wall and I think that's enough. If we continue, it will only disrupt my previous thoughts."

"Is it that serious? Okay, then," Chen Chen nodded, somewhat agreeing with Yu Huo's statement.

"Junior Brother, is there a quiet place here? My elixir cauldron cannot wait any longer... There are too many ideas in my head, and I have to put them to practice in order to test my theories."

Yu Huo kept squeezing his hands, which was an action that he would subconsciously perform whenever he had a strong desire to refine pills.

Chen Chen had been waiting for him to say that. He hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, yes! I've not only prepared a place, I also prepared all the materials for you long ago. Senior Brother, just go ahead and try your hands at it! Don't stand on ceremony for me."

"Okay! That's so thoughtful of you! But I've brought a lot of materials with me too. I'll ask you for some if there's anything I'm short of later."

After saying that, Yu Huo left straight away, without mentioning a single word about who the elixirs he refined would belong to.

That made Chen Chen a little dumbfounded, but Yu Huo was obviously too excited and wasn't in the mood to pay attention to the minor details...

With that thought, Chen Chen hurriedly whispered something to Yuan Qingtian, who was beside him.

Hearing his words, Yuan Qingtian's body flickered and he quickly flew far away from the ancient Cave Abode.

After saying some polite things to Yu Huo, he took him away too.

As soon as they left the Cave Abode, the sounds of metal clanging attracted everyone's attention.

The sounds were made by seven or eight scrawny cultivators who were drenched in sweat and digging into the ground.

After painstakingly digging seven or eight times, they finally dug out a piece of low-grade Spirit Stone, which made them burst into tears of joy.

Looking at the low-grade Spirit Stone that was covered in sweat, Yu Huo frowned slightly and asked, "Junior Brother, is the State of Jin in need of Spirit Stones to such an extent?"

Hearing his words, Chen Chen smiled coldly and chastised them furiously, "Didn't I tell you not to dig here? What if you offend our distinguished guests!?!"

Those people were so frightened that they dropped to their knees and started begging for mercy, their eyes full of panic.

Seeing this, Chen Chen looked at Yu Huo and spoke with an apologetic smile, "Senior Brother Yu Huo, the State of Jin has put in all our resources to build Mount Wufeng... So we're a little financially poor now, but rest assured, we will absolutely supply you with a sufficient amount of all the medicinal herbs that you need.

"The State of Jin is just a small country. Even if we get exterminated, it won't affect the overall situation of the human race. However, your research in alchemy can bring endless benefits to the entire human race. I know the priorities."

Hearing this, Yu Huo was astonished, because no one expected that a small country like the State of Jin would pay such a huge price for them!

'Yeah... They're just a small country after all.'

The adviser who was beside him covered his face and started weeping. He murmured, "They're so small, but they're taking care of everyone... Lord Chen Chen is really a peerless warrior, I feel so ashamed of myself!"

Chen Chen had a look of bewilderment.

'I don't remember hiring this adviser to put on an act with me. Why does he always know how to say the right thing at the right time?'

"Junior Brother, we are too selfish, please don't blame them. I have some elixirs here, you may take all of them. All the elixirs that we refine during our stay here will be given to the State of Jin too.

"Although these pills can't repair the damage done to the State of Jin, we alchemists can only do so much. Please don't mind it."

"But alchemists have rules to follow too. How can I accept your elixirs for free?" Chen Chen said with a conflicted expression, holding onto several bottles of elixirs.

Hearing this, Yu Huo pretended to be angry.

"Now that the human race is in danger, the State of Jin has already sacrificed everything to help! As an alchemist, how can I have the cheek to be so particular about the rules? Junior Brother, you're underestimating me! Let's not dwell on this any further. It's settled!"

After saying that, Yu Huo left nobly without giving Chen Chen time to respond.

Looking at Yu Huo's back, Chen Chen was slightly dazed for a moment, but he soon had a heartfelt smile on his face.

Although Yu Huo was honest, he was a man of principle. In short, he was quite adorable, and Chen Chen decided that he would surely take good care of Yu Huo if he became invincible one day.

Thinking of this, he waved his hand and instructed the cultivators, whom he had hired to pretend to dig the soil for Spirit Stones, to leave.

Since Yu Huo declared that all the elixirs he refined during his stay would be given to Chen Chen, the other Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters would naturally follow suit too. If Chen Chen continued deceiving them, he would seem a little mean for doubting their morals.

...

After the matter of the pills was decided, Chen Chen contacted his master, Xiao Wuyou.

Mount Wufeng was to be kept confidential for now, and most people were unaware of its existence. Hence, both the emissaries of Great Xia and Xiao Wuyou were in the Tianyun Clan at this juncture.

"Master, has the emissary of Great Xia not left yet?"

"Yes, he hasn't left yet. He even helped drive many demons out of the State of Jin. I feel that they're being too proactive and kind."

Even Xiao Wuyou felt it, let alone Chen Chen.

However, no matter what the other party's agenda was, he still had to meet them.

After all, strictly speaking, the State of Jin was a vassal state of the Great Xia Dynasty.

After pondering over it for a moment, Chen Chen arranged the affairs of Mount Wufeng and flew towards the Tianyun Clan.

...

An hour later, Chen Chen arrived back at the Tianyun Clan.

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The so-called emissary of the Great Xia had been waiting in the Clan Master's hall for a long time.

When he saw the emissary of Great Xia, Chen Chen got a great shock because the person looked rather familiar, as he felt that he had seen him somewhere before.

"You must be Chen Chen, the successor of the Tianyun Clan who has defeated all the demons, right? I've heard a lot about you. My name is Jiang Chu, the Imperial General of Great Xia, and I've been ordered to provide aid to the State of Jin, as well as deliver a decree from the higher-ups."

Jiang Chu was extremely polite, and when he saw Chen Chen, he didn't put on airs, seeming extremely humble and modest.

That was the proper attitude that a cultivator with an innate spirit body should have.

Hearing this name, Chen Chen came to a sudden realization.

'No wonder he looks so familiar. It turns out he resembles Jiang Ran, whom I killed back then.

'If I'm not wrong, they should be brothers.'

However, his identity in the Demon Clan was not exposed, so Chen Chen reckoned that Junior Clan Master probably did not know that he was the Junior Clan Master of the Demon Clan, and also the culprit behind his brother's assassination.

"Hello fellow Daoist Jiang Chu. During this period of time, I went to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan and managed to join them. I've been learning alchemy, so I haven't been in the Tianyun Clan. Please forgive me."

Chen Chen kept a straight face, but his attitude was very polite.

Of course, he was not just being polite but also warning Jiang Chu not to get any funny ideas.

Jiang Chu was shocked to hear his words at first, but he soon smiled and said, "It's alright. Congratulations on being able to join the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan. In fact, the Great Xia Dynasty values you as much as the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan does.

"I'm here on behalf of the Great Xia, and I would like to officially appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the two states. We are in charge of all human cultivators in the two states!"

Hearing this, Chen Chen was surprised.

That was equivalent to giving him a formal title as an official, just like Hu Xian'er's identity in the demon clan.

It wouldn't affect him much, but it was a righteous title.

After all, the State of Zhou had officially come under his rule too.

'Is it simply because they don't like Zhou Renlong?' Chen Chen could not help but wonder.

He knew that the strongest cultivator within the two states should be Zhou Renlong, thus it would only be right to let Zhou Renlong take on that position.

However, they chose Chen Chen instead. If he wasn't close to Zhou Renlong, the latter would undoubtedly feel uneasy about it.

Although he didn't understand what they were thinking, there was no reason for him not to accept the position.

"I, Chen Chen, will certainly live up to the expectations of the military of Great Xia and the entire human race!" Chen Chen said seriously, accepting the position.

Jiang Chu was quite pleased to see this. He then very solemnly handed a token engraved with intricate patterns to Chen Chen.

"Fellow Daoist, my main mission has been completed. I will return to the Great Xia Dynasty after exterminating the remaining demons in the State of Jin. If you have any doubts, feel free to come to the military camp to look for me! I have some military affairs to attend to, so I shall take my leave now!"

After saying that, Jiang Chu turned around and walked out of the hall.

The expression on his face changed as soon as he turned around. His gleeful smile turned into a sinister sulk.

Chapter 214: Future Of The Heroes

Staring at Jiang Chu's back, Chen Chen pondered, 'What does this person mean? Does he want to support me in going against Zhou Renlong? That doesn't make sense.'

To be honest, although Zhou Renlong was somewhat powerful and competent, it wouldn't be worth it to go to such great lengths to deal with him.

After a moment of silence, Chen Chen decided to tell Zhou Renlong about the fact that he had become commander of the allied forces of the two states.

Now that the Demon Clan Master had become his subordinate, of course he had to be smug about it.

"Oh... I see."

After learning this news, Zhou Renlong replied with a simple answer, but Chen Chen could clearly imagine his furious appearance.

Although he was clearly the Clan Master, he was actually a subordinate to the Junior Clan Master.

Zhou Renlong, who was extremely prideful, definitely couldn't stand it.

"Old Zhou, there's no need to say anything about the relationship between you and me. Just like before, you don't have to be too polite to me when you see me, nor do you have to bow. I'm not the type to put on airs just because I've become an official," Chen Chen answered with a smile.

Zhou Renlong stayed silent while Chen Chen was secretly smug.

After a few moments, Chen Chen had no choice but to change the subject because Zhou Renlong still hadn't replied to him.

"Old Zhou, how's that rival of yours, Jiang Wang of Great Xia? Do you think that it's his doing that I've become your superior now? Is he trying to suppress you through me?"

"That old scoundrel died while fighting at the front line of the war. His state funeral was held half a month ago, and it's said that he killed three Essence Soul realm Demon Emperors before his death. Although I hate to admit it, he's pretty gutsy," Zhou Renlong answered.

"He's dead?"

Chen Chen was slightly shocked.

He was surprised that a powerful figure like Jiang Wang had died just like that.

However, he did not dare conclude that his promotion to Commander-in-chief had nothing to do with Jiang Wang. After all, Jiang Chu had been in the State of Jin for a month already.

"Let's take one step at a time and play it by ear."

Chen Chen shook his head and stopped dwelling on it. After all, he was not a fortune teller, so he couldn't see through everything.

While his Senior Brothers were refining pills, he had to make a trip to the Demon Clan, as well as Lao Hei's place.

Although Lao Hei had brought Green Bean along with him, he was only at the Core Formation realm, and it would be hard for him to fight so many demons.

At the end of the day, he was just a domestic pig.

Besides, what if Lao Hei became a stray pig after not seeing its owner for a long time? After all, there were a bunch of other animals beside it now.

...

Meanwhile, Jiang Chu returned to the military camp 1,500 kilometers away, heading to the middle of the tent that had been set up.

The tent was surrounded by twelve people clad in black robes, all of whom had locked and sealed the entirety of the large tent. That way, outsiders couldn't get close to it at all.

The twelve men in black robes were the Dark Guards of Great Xia, which was a secret force that was directly subordinate to Jiang Wang.

These Dark Guards had undergone training from a young age, accustomed to being emotionless, ruthless monsters who only knew how to follow orders.

Additionally, their cultivation levels had all reached the peak of the Essence Soul realm, and they were equipped with all sorts of amazing treasures and arrays that could restrain Essence Soul realm powerhouses.

There was a wooden box in the middle of the special array in the large tent.

Jiang Chu slowly walked towards the wooden box and gently lifted its lid. Soon, a wisp of essence soul floated out from inside it.

Looking at the essence soul, Jiang Chu immediately fell to his knees and said in a deep voice, "Master... Chen Chen has joined the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan of Saintess Yu Qiong... Yu Qiong is known for having plenty of treasures. If she has given Chen Chen some treasures to protect his soul, our plan will most likely fail."

Hearing his words, the essence soul didn't say anything, but he seemed to be very fatigued.

"Jiang Chu, since the destruction of my physical body, my primordial spirit has been debilitating every day. If I take over an ordinary body and do a soul replacement, I will only end up living feebly for a few days. In that case, I might as well die.

"Chen Chen is my last chance. If Yu Qiong has already given him treasures to protect his soul, even though he only joined her sect a short while ago, I admit defeat."

"But..."

Not giving Jiang Chu a chance to continue, the essence soul interrupted, "I can't last ten days with this essence soul. Do you understand?"

Hearing his words, Jiang Chu suddenly lowered his head and teared up before muttering, "I... I'm willing to contribute my physical body!"

The essence soul smiled and waved its hands.

"Hey, Jiang Chu, I'm not trying to be a wet blanket. You might have good aptitude, but you're still far from being qualified. Okay, let's put this matter aside. Have you found out about Chen Chen's life and background?"

Hearing this, Jiang Chu immediately took out a book from his storage ring, one which contained biographical information about Chen Chen that he had found out after asking around in the State of Jin.

Since a state funeral had already been held for Jiang Wang in Great Xia, even the descendants of his family thought that he was deceased. Hence, they would never think he would appear again.

According to the original plan, he would take over Chen Chen's body, conduct a soul replacement, and then continue cultivating using Chen Chen's identity.

In order to not give himself away in the future, he naturally had to get to know Chen Chen better.

After the book appeared, the pages began to flip automatically, but the essence soul managed to skim through everything in just a few moments.

Jiang Wang's essence soul could not help but be amazed by what he saw.

"This person... He is indeed a genius. He rose and progressed so quickly... Geniuses like him are unheard of."

Jiang Chu was silent, speechless as he clenched his fists.

He never would have expected his master to continue with the soul replacement, even after learning that Chen Chen had joined the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan.

In his opinion, Jiang Wang was a heroic person who would rarely make decisions he wasn't confident about, especially since they were in a life-or-death situation, like now.

"I'll do the soul replacement myself."

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After a long time, Jiang Wang's essence soul suddenly spoke up.

"Master!" Jiang Chu exclaimed in horror, his face covered in disbelief.

"Don't fight with him. Based on Chen Chen's experience, he is a very intelligent and vengeful person. If you fight with him but the soul replacement ends up failing, you'll definitely die," the essence soul said indifferently, seemingly having resigned to its fate.

Jiang Chu lowered his head. He and his brother were both orphans whom their master adopted when they were children. They were obviously loyal to him.

He was extremely touched that Jiang Wang was still considering his wellbeing, even at such a juncture.

"Master... How can I tell if the future Chen Chen is you? Do I need a special code word? Chen Chen is very smart; he might impersonate you and talk to me."

The essence soul shook his head and replied, "There's no need for a code word. Regardless of whether I succeed in the soul replacement or not, take the Dark Guards with you and pledge allegiance to him in the future."

"What?!"

Jiang Chu couldn't believe his ears.

'Master wants me to pledge allegiance to Chen Chen? It will be fine if he succeeds in the soul replacement, but if he fails, Chen Chen would still be my enemy. How can I pledge allegiance to the enemy?"

"There's no feud between me and Chen Chen. If I succeed, everything will be fine, but if I fail, then he will inevitably be angry with the Jiang family.

"With his talent and background, it won't be hard for him to annihilate us in the future. So, if I fail, I must let him get some benefits, all in order to make him simmer down."

Hearing this, Jiang Chu became silent.

His master always considered the consequences and had steps to take after failure.

'Why doesn't Master want to take revenge?'

Before he could ask the question he had in mind, the essence soul took the initiative to explain it to him.

"Jiang Chu, even if I die, I would have brought it upon myself. You don't need to avenge me. Besides, once my form and essence soul are destroyed, I won't know if you've avenged me or not. I won't be bothered about it either. Besides, if I can't kill him, how can you? When the time comes, it will only result in a greater disaster for our family.

"After all, he has an Innate spirit body. Do you understand?"

Jiang Chu gritted his teeth and assented after hearing that.

"I... I understand!"

Of course he knew what an Innate spirit body signified.

That meant that if he couldn't kill Chen Chen, who had an innate spirit body, right now, he wouldn't be able to kill him even after decades of cultivation. He would get crushed to death by Chen Chen if he simply lifted a finger.

That was the real difference between elites and mortals, which made others feel desperate and helpless.

"It's good that you understand. Before you go, I have to remind you again, no matter what, do not resort to heretical means. After thinking carefully, I still feel that I must have been schemed against back then. Otherwise, I wouldn't be reduced to this point today."

After saying that, Jiang Wang's essence soul floated away.

When he was out of the tent, he finally said, "As a human... I still can't betray humans after all."

Watching the despondent essence soul from afar, Jiang Chu knelt down and remained still for a long time.

He knew that once his master left this time... He might never return again.

Chapter 215: Gift You With A Creation

After spending a day in the Tianyun Clan, Chen Chen prepared to leave.

Before leaving, he gave Xiao Wuyou a lot of pills. Being someone who got shy easily, Xiao Wuyou couldn't accept taking advantage of his disciple all the time.

However, he had no choice because he really couldn't offer anything of value now. Even his combat abilities were inferior to his disciples.

At this point, he just wished that he had a daughter... Otherwise, everything would be easier.

'Huh? Wait, that's not right, I seem to have a daughter.'

Xiao Wuyou thought about it carefully and realized that something was not right.

You Lanxin, the Saintess of the Youshui Clan, was his daughter. However, she had been raised by her mother ever since she was a child and thus, did not bear his last name... She didn't quite acknowledge him as her father either.

'In that case, forget it, I'll just give him my wishes.'

"Chen Chen, be extra careful along the journey!"

Watching Xiao Wuyou leave, Chen Chen smiled and nodded before flying towards Mount Wufeng.

'Master is over-worried. I'm merely going to a place that isn't too far from here, yet he asked me to be extra careful.'

'What else should I be extra careful about between the two states?'

...

Nonetheless, soon after he flew away from the Tianyun Clan, Chen Chen felt a palpitating breath.

Some cultivators whose cultivation level had reached the Nascent Soul realm would be able to detect the dangers of the unknown.

Chen Chen might be exceptionally sensitive because he was extremely talented.

At this moment, he had truly sensed the danger, like he was somehow attacked by a menacing beast.

"It's all because of the crows' cry, Master!"

Chen Chen secretly cursed while asking the system some questions in his mind.

"System, where is the strongest person in a 100-meter radius?"

"It's you, Host."

Hearing this answer, Chen Chen remained vigilant because it meant that the person who targeted him was very conscientious and was very likely to have not entered the 100-meter radius.

"Could it be an Essence Soul realm expert?"

Chen Chen could not help but wonder.

To be honest, at his current strength, Nascent Soul realm cultivators should be no match for him, but he wasn't sure if he could defeat an Essence Soul realm cultivator.

His only reliance against an Essence Soul realm expert was his Golden Divine Thunder.

He had checked the ancient books and learned that the Golden Divine Thunder was called the Apocalyptic Divine Thunder that only very talented Nascent Soul realm cultivators or diabolic cultivators could produce.

Such Divine Thunder would commonly occur when a peak Essence Soul realm cultivator transcended the tribulation.

That Divine Thunder was something that would shock all high-level cultivators like it had an intense appearance of destruction. Not only could it destroy one's physical body, it could also extinguish one's soul too. Since ancient times, many elites, geniuses, and even expert diabolic cultivators have perished under this Apocalyptic Divine Thunder.

While secretly thinking about his trump cards, Chen Chen flew in another direction towards the State of Zhou.

The Clan Master was at least an Essence Soul realm powerhouse, and if someone wanted to harm him, he should be able to resist.

Thinking of this, Chen Chen took out his communication token. "Clan Master..."

"Commander-in-chief, please just call me Old Zhou."

Chen Chen sulked. 'I didn't expect Old Zhou to still hold a grudge!'

However, it wasn't the time to talk about this now. Just as he was about to explain the situation, he suddenly felt a massive pressure on his body that was akin to a boulder weighing down on him.

Under this majestic pressure, Chen Chen did not have any means of resisting and simply fell from the sky, landing on the forest below.

Before he could resist, a sinister and chilly power surged into his mind, giving him a huge headache.

Soon after his fall, the scene in front of him turned into a pitch dark room where a wisp of soul essence was floating quietly.

The essence soul had white hair and looked energetic and unique.

"Soul replacement?"

Chen Chen immediately realized what was going on.

The thing that he dreaded and feared the most had still happened after all. Someone was gazing at his physical body!

"System, who is the strongest person within a 100-meter radius?"

"It's Jiang Wang who is in your sea of consciousness."

Chen Chen was a bit surprised to hear this answer, but on second thought, it made sense to him.

Jiang Wang was a peak Essence Soul realm powerhouse who wouldn't want to possess an ordinary physical body. However, among the humans who had innate spirit bodies, his background was not powerful enough.

"Little friend, I'm here to borrow your physical body. If I succeed, I won't forget your kindness. From now on, I will treat your family well, including your partner Dao."

Jiang Wang's essence soul smiled calmly, but based on his expression, Chen Chen felt that he wasn't there to borrow his physical body but rather, five low-grade Spirit Stones.

"Your Highness Jiang Wang, if you fail, I will have to be the father of your son."

Chen Chen said coldly.

Jiang Wang was being polite to him, only because he was scrupulous. As the victim, there was no need for Chen Chen to be nice to him.

"I didn't expect that you would recognize me, it seems that I'm still somewhat famous among the humans."

Jiang Wang was a bit surprised, but he didn't appear considerably shocked nor angered by Chen Chen's words.

Just as when Chen Chen was about to curse a few more times, the essence soul flashed and arrived in front of him in the blink of an eye while an immense soul-strangling power instantly inflicted pain upon his body.

Chen Chen groaned in agony. At the same time, a round pearl suddenly appeared and emitted rays of spiritual light. It looked like a small sun in a dark space.

After the light shone on Jiang Wang's essence soul, it immediately kept him fixed in place.

When it shone on Chen Chen, he felt like he was bathing comfortably in the warm sunlight.

"Soul Stabilizing Pearl? I didn't expect that the Saintess of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan would truly give you a treasure to protect your soul."

Looking at the pearl, Jiang Wang sighed softly, but he didn't give up.

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Although the Soul Stabilizing Pearl was powerful, he was not an ordinary Essence Soul realm expert. He had reached the pinnacle.

Although the Soul Stabilizing Pearl had kept him fixed in place, he could still slowly get closer to Chen Chen's sea of consciousness.

After moving for an hour, he finally arrived in front of Chen Chen's sea of consciousness. But when he saw the scene within Chen Chen's sea of consciousness, he fell silent.

There were 700 to 800 golden threads, each representing one Apocalyptic Divine Thunder.

They intertwined to form a huge net that protected Chen Chen's sea of consciousness.

Existences like souls and spirits were the most terrified of thunderbolt, let alone him, a diabolic cultivator.

Such an Apocalyptic Divine Thunder that represented the will of heaven and earth was simply his natural nemesis.

"No one can do a soul replacement with this person."

With that thought, Jiang Wang closed his eyes, and finally sighed despondently. "Little friend, your freaking luck is bewildering. You have the willpower of heaven and earth to protect you, I admit defeat."

Chen Chen barked furiously, "Who's betting with you!?!"

Jiang Wang ignored Chen Chen's anger and continued. "Since I've lost, I naturally have to leave something behind. Here is some indulgence as a token of apology."

After saying that, Jiang Wang's essence soul suddenly lit up before turning into countless rays of light.

Chen Chen's sea of consciousness constantly absorbed the light, but Chen Chen's sea of consciousness quickly expanded countless times.

...

Half a day later, Chen Chen returned to the State of Jin.

Chen Chen slowly opened his eyes, and a ray of lightning flashed in them.

At this moment, he felt like his soul had undergone a metamorphosis, and the world in front of him seemed different too.

With a single thought, all the movements within a few kilometers were presented in a three-dimensional image in his mind.

"System, is there anything valuable within a 100-meter radius?"

"Yes, there is a spiritual herb, 75 meters to the right, which can increase your spiritual energy after consumption."

Hearing this answer, Chen Chen quickly found the spiritual herb referring to the image in his mind. He then turned a wisp of spiritual energy into a hand and grasped the spirit herb.

"My efficiency has increased tremendously, this should be the divine sense, right?"

Chen Chen couldn't help but marvel.

Unfortunately, the divine sense formed only an outline image in his mind. There was no specific color, and he couldn't see the internal structure of the substance either.

"Jiang Wang is really interesting. He came all the way to send me this?"

Chen Chen stood up and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead.

Summing all up, it was a day bombarded with dangers, although eventually was fruitful and rewarding too.

However, the moment he stood up, a storage ring slowly fell from his body.

After sensing it, Chen Chen curled his finger, and the storage ring flew to his hand immediately.

There was a small character 'Jiang' engraved on the storage ring which, needless to say, belonged to Jiang Wang.

That made Chen Chen very surprised.

Who would have thought that Jiang Wang had not only handed him some treasures, he even bequeathed him his storage ring...

Chapter 216: This Person Is Extremely Narrow-minded

When Chen Chen opened the storage ring, he was stunned by the huge variety of treasures in it!

Counting the basic resources such as Spirit Stones and elixirs alone, there were already more than what Chen Chen possessed!

However, there were few immensely valuable treasures, and the items in the storage ring had been carefully curated.

In addition to the basic resources, there was also a note inside.

Although the note wrote only one sentence, Chen Chen fell silent and could barely think of words to say.

"Beware of a certain mighty figure from the Void Spirit Clan whose cultivation is at the Void Refinement realm!"

Looking at this note, Chen Chen could infallibly deduce that Jiang Wang deliberately arranged the providence of his death, so he relinquished the note to him. He understood the perils of returning alive.

'This person truly imbibed how powerful his opponent is, so he stipulated the early anticipation of the circumstances of the rational events. But what does this mean? Why is he keeping me in great suspense?'

Chen Chen thought about it for a long time, but he still couldn't figure out anything.

He just bore in mind the message on the note.

'Jiang Wang probably has no clue as to whom one needs to be careful of. Relationships are vague.'

However, he felt that this sentence between the lines held significant advice, so he decided to regard the note as a reminder to himself.

He had to admit that Jiang Wang was a very genuine person.

'After realizing that he's no match for me, he succumbed right away and bestowed me with so many things. He should be worried about plotting revenge on other people who are related to him after he dies, right?'

Every living person in this world, be it a villain or a hero, would be emotionally attached to someone or some people whom they care about.

After a slight sigh, a trace of confusion beamed in Chen Chen's eyes.

'Everyone has their network of relationships, and once they're stained with karma, how can they separate themselves from the network easily?'

Just as he was about to leave and continue flying in the direction towards Mount Wufeng, thirteen streams of light flared in the sky behind him. They quickly appeared before Chen Chen, thus preventing him from leaving.

All thirteen people were the peaks of the Nascent Soul realm, whose leader was Jiang Chu. Chen Chen had dealt with this leader before.

As for the other twelve people, all of them were wearing black robes and masks that hide their faces. However, they all exuded a cold and austere aura that sent chills down Chen Chen's spine when they looked at him.

"Master..."

Jiang Chu's eyes were red, and he called out in a voice slightly trembling.

Just as Chen Chen was thinking about pretending to be Jiang Wang, Jiang Chu suddenly shook his head and said coldly, "No, you're Chen Chen. Master will never look at me with such a gaze in his eyes. Master has failed after all."

After saying that, Jiang Chu showed a look of resentment on his face, but he quickly concealed it.

Chen Chen questioned haughtily, "Why? Are you trying to trap me here to avenge Jiang Wang?"

Jiang Chu continued to shake his head while his eyes gradually turned glassed over. He then slowly walked towards Chen Chen and knelt on one knee.

"Lord!"

He was also holding a black token with the word "Dark" engraved on it.

"Lord, this is a token from the Dark Guards. Master once used a diabolical method to sacrifice and fuse a trace of the soul from each of the Twelve Dark Guards with this token. As long as you control this token, it means that you control the life and death of the twelve peak Nascent Soul realm Dark Guards standing behind me."

Although a sudden twist shocked Chen Chen, he didn't reach out for the token and stared at Jiang Chu instead.

'Is this another valuable treasure that Jiang Wang has bequeathed for me?'

'But why would I trust Jiang Chu?'

Jiang Chu ignored the look in Chen Chen's eyes and continued. "The Twelve Dark Guards have been trained to be assassins ever since they were children. The resources they've consumed are enough to nurture several Essence Soul realm experts..."

"These are the lifelong efforts of my master and also his secret force. Apart from my master, the Dark Guards will only obey the beholder of the token. They don't cultivate evil and diabolic cultivation methods, so release your mind from suspicions and use it."

Jiang Chu wasn't too surprised seeing Chen Chen hesitant about whether to accept the token or not. He simply left the token beside Chen Chen's feet.

When Chen Chen witnessed that, he sparingly felt that there seemed to be something wrong with Jiang Chu.

"Lord, the entire Great Xia and the human race have been informed of the Master's demise. Apart from me and the Dark Guards, no one else knows about this matter. You don't have to worry that someone will come to seek revenge later. I hope you won't vent your anger on the Jiangs, on account of the Dark Guards!"

At this point, Jiang Chu pressed his head against the ground in a humble manner.

To be honest, the peak Nascent Soul realm powerhouses were not considered weak in the human race. Even when they met experts, kneeling on one knee would be adequate.

However, Jiang Chu seemed to have no dignity at all, as he kowtowed to a cultivator whose cultivation level was lower than his.

However, even so, Chen Chen wasn't kind and righteous enough to promise that he wouldn't hold it against them.

How can such a great feud that involved the death of a person, be settled so easily?

'You tried to kill me, but you failed, so you are giving me a bunch of things in a bid to just make me forget about this feud. How can there be such marvelous things in this world?'

'Do you think there's a cure for regret?'

However, Chen Chen shelved his temper and the thought of lashing out at Jiang Chu.

Otherwise, if Jiang Chu felt humiliated and furious, he might just besiege Chen Chen together with the twelve other Nascent Soul realm Dark Guards. Chen Chen would then have to pay a high price to flee.

That'd be doing himself a disadvantage.

Hence, he merely stayed silent and watched what Jiang Chu would do.

After kneeling on the ground for a moment, Jiang Chu changed his direction and looked into the distant sky while muttering, "Master, I've done what you wanted me to... Since I set foot on the path of cultivating immortality, I've never disobeyed your orders and even till now, despite your unvarying absence."

After saying these words, Jiang Chu looked at Chen Chen with a sharp gaze in his eyes.

"Chen Chen, I know you can't possibly trust me, but you can truly trust the Dark Guards. I hope you will treat them well."

Hearing this, Chen Chen frowned, and he realized that Jiang Chu's gaze immediately transformed ambiguous again!

"What are you doing?"

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"Now that my master is dead, I am all alone and it's meaningless to live alone in this world. So, I might as well end my life after a good cause. From now on, the only people in this world who know that Master lived for half a month after his supposed death, will be you and the Dark Guards."

After murmuring that sentence, Jiang Chu's gaze became completely despondent as he chose to end his own life.

Looking at Jiang Chu's corpse that was lying in front of him, Chen Chen couldn't calm down for a long time.

'This man is a truly ruthless...but loyal and righteous man.'

"There are people in this world who are not afraid of death."

Chen Chen sighed.

He understood the first sentence of Jiang Chu's last words, but there was a profound meaning beneath the second sentence.

Once he died, there would be no evidence of the matter about Jiang Wang taking over his body and doing a soul replacement.

The puppet-like Dark Guards couldn't testify against anything.

Who would believe Chen Chen's one-sided statement?

After all, everyone was told that Jiang Wang had died half a month ago while fighting at the front line of the battle against the demons.

Hence, there was no way Chen Chen could take revenge now even if he wanted to.

Neither the Great Xia nor the humans could allow him to harm a meritorious family.

"Hey, I've been schemed against."

Chen Chen couldn't help but laugh. Although he didn't have the time to take it out on the Jiangs now, Jiang Chu's death left him with no means to take revenge.

Everything was through the efforts of Jiang Wang and Jiangchu.

They were both ruthless people, but unfortunately, they did not use their ruthlessness in the right way.

Chen Chen vaguely found it a pity, but he was also a little smug.

He was just a Nascent Soul realm cultivator, but others were truly that scared of him!

It was indeed something to be proud of.

The surrounding Dark Guards were indifferent to Jiang Chu's death, and they remained standing quietly. Only when Chen Chen put away the Dark Guards' token which was on the ground, did the Dark Guards slightly react.

Looking at Jiang Chu's corpse, Chen Chen sighed, and spirit fire darted out to cremate him.

On the other hand, he also worthily stripped out Jiang Chu's storage ring.

He opened to see that there weren't many things inside, but a book in the corner caught his attention.

It contained descriptions and narrations of his life, and most of them were compliments. The more Chen Chen read it, the more excited he got.

However, after reading a paragraph, his expression changed drastically and eventually turned hostile!

"During the Ranking Battle at the State of Jin, the successor of a certain clan injured Chen Chen's chaperon, and Chen Chen not only killed him overnight, but he also killed the two other innocent successors. This clearly shows that Chen Chen is extremely narrow-minded and vengeful. He seeks revenge whenever it's due and loves to take it out on others. If the soul replacement fails, the consequences are unimaginable."

"Bullshit! Am I such a person!?"

Chen Chen set all the books on fire in a fit of anger.

Chapter 217: The Tragedy Beyond The Peace

Chen Chen was injured on his return to Mount Wufeng.

He did that only because he valued and treasured the people around him more than he did himself.

'Wasn't that being loyal and righteous? How is that being narrow-minded?'

'Is this how the world sees me?'

'Am I a narrow-minded and vengeful person in the eyes of everyone in this world?'

"The people in this world are foolish..."

Chen Chen sighed gently, feeling rather aggrieved.

At the same time, the pity and sympathy he had for Jiang Chu eventually disappeared without a trace.

'This person can't even provide intelligence reports properly. He's probably incompetent.'

However, the Dark Guards behind him were not too bad. They would unconditionally accomplish and completely follow whatever orders he gave.

They had probably been brainwashed, trained, and accustomed to becoming emotionless tools for others to use, ever since they were children.

...

"Kid? What happened?"

"On the account that you still address me as the Clan Master, I'll help you as much as I can. Just tell me what happened."

It was a message from Zhou Renlong, sent through a communication token. Although Zhou Renlong was sharp-tongued, Chen Chen could tell that he was slightly worried about him.

"It's okay, old Zhou, you may resume your business, I've settled the matter."

Chen Chen answered after giving it some thought.

"Ugh, screw you, I'm already on my way to the State of Jin!"

Chen Chen joked, "Since you're here, don't let your trip be wasted. Go to Mount Wufeng and collect some pills to bring home with you. I've just made a windfall, I have a lot of money to spare."

'Since Old Zhou is innately concerned about me, I have to give him something in return.'

Of course, it was not necessary to do that because strictly considering, Zhou Renlong was now his subordinate.

"That's more like it!"

Zhou Renlong was finally appeased.

...

When Chen Chen returned to Mount Wufeng, his eight Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were all refining pills, except his eight Senior Sister, Zhou Shu, who was taking a walk with Yuan Qingtian. They were delightedly chatting and gleefully smiling, as if having hit it off, rather well.

"There's love in the air... I miss Xishuang too."

Chen Chen sighed and then took out the communication token to express his thoughts.

Xia Xishuang soon replied, but she was now in a somber mood.

"Chen Chen, two small vassal states were destroyed three days ago. The Demon Emperors who destroyed the two small vassal states were personally received by the so-called descendant of the Demon God. I don't know what benefits they received, but their bloodline has greatly improved to the level of the eight great Demon races. Now, many Essence Soul realm Demon Emperors are spotting the small vassal states, you must be careful."

When Chen Chen saw that message, the smile on his face stiffened, and he started to feel depressed too.

'With a great war ahead, where is home? The peace enjoyed by the two states now is only short-term glory. God knows what will happen down the road.'

Xia Xishuang said that the two vassal states were destroyed, but Chen Chen didn't know exactly to what extent.

However, he was certain that it must be tragic.

"Senior Brother, you're back..."

Yuan Qingtian finally saw Chen Chen from a distance and hurriedly ran over, leaving Zhou Shu behind.

"Qingtian, what do you think of my eighth Senior Sister?" Chen Chen asked with a smile.

"She's a very kind and a good person," Yuan Qingtian subconsciously answered with a gentle gaze.

Chen Chen could tell from the look in his eyes that Tang Qing was not a ladies' man.

Chen Chen patted Yuan Qingtian on his shoulder and said ambiguously, "Qingtian, you have to seize the opportunity."

Yuan Qingtian knew what Chen Chen meant and he rashly shook his head. "No, no... Senior Brother, don't make fun of me. I'm just a cultivator at the Core Formation realm who lacks talent and a powerful background. I'm not even worthy of being her chaperon... I wouldn't dare to harbor any other thoughts."

Chen Chen was surprised that Yuan Qingtian had overgrown an inferiority complex.

However, to be honest, he would develop inferiority too if he was in Yuan Qingtian's shoes.

After a moment of silence, Chen Chen said with a stern expression, "You're my junior brother. That identity alone has given you the right to be good enough for anyone!"

Yuan Qingtian was stunned to hear his words. Not only that he never felt encouraged by others, his self-esteem was also further humiliated.

The huge gap in talent and power between him and Chen Chen would never make him catch up and match with Chen Chen in this lifetime.

Once Chen Chen became even stronger, he would probably be deprived of the right to even follow him.

Thinking of this, he subconsciously lowered his head, and at that moment, a token was suddenly shoved into his hand.

The token was black and had the word "dark" engraved on it.

Before he could figure out clearly what the token was, the twelve peak Essence Soul realm Dark Guards surrounded him. They had exuded only a wisp of their powerful aura, but it made him shudder.

'This is not the injured master of the Dark Immortal Sect who only had the essence soul left but twelve terrifying experts who are at their peak!'

"Qingtian, these are my newly acquired subordinates. They're called the Dark Guards, and you'll be in charge of them from now on."

Chen Chen smiled calmly with his eyes full of expectations.

The twelve of them were like walking corpses that gave him the creeps. He thought that it would be better to hand them over to someone he trusted.

For example, Jiang Wang had also handed the Dark Guards to Jiang Chu.

"Senior Brother... are they all from the peak of the Nascent Soul realm?"

Yuan Qingtian was in disbelief, and he felt like he was dreaming.

'Senior Brother wants me, a Core Formation realm cultivator, to be in charge of twelve peak Nascent Soul realm Dark Guards? He's not kidding, is he?'

"You should also be able to feel what kind of people they are. To be frank, I obtained those Dark Guards from an enemy, so there might be risks involved when they're under your supervision. Of course, if you don't want to take on this task, I'll let someone else who trusts me take over."

Chen Chen said truthfully with a burning gaze.

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Without the slightest hesitation, Yuan Qingtian nodded solemnly and exclaimed, "Senior Brother! Of course, I am willing! This risk is nothing! Thank you for giving me this opportunity!"

Hearing this, Chen Chen finally showed a heartened smile on his face.

...

Meanwhile...

In the middle of a wilderness that was rather distant, a figure was walking alone forlornly.

He was the quasi-successor of the Void Spirit Clan named Ding Yi. He had been breaking through during the war between the two races and had just reached the Essence Soul realm. He had also joined the front line of the war a short while ago.

Ding Yi had an innate spirit body and had already achieved great accomplishments at a young age. He was a famous elite among the human race. He rose to fame more than a decade before Xia Xishuang did.

However, an elite like him appeared alone in the wilderness.

The wilderness was located at the border of Qi Kingdom, which was his hometown.

A month ago, the Berserk Lion Demon Emperor entered the border of Qi Kingdom and launched a massacre to kill the humans. In just two weeks, tens of millions of people in the Qi Kingdom were slaughtered!

Not only were all the clans in Qi destroyed, but even the mortals were completely reduced to becoming the food for the demonic beasts.

The entire Qi Kingdom was almost completely reduced to a dead region where miserable cries of wailing souls could be heard everywhere in the entire Qi Kingdom late at night.

As the elite of the Void Spirit Clan, his family naturally received the best protection.

Three days ago, the Void Spirit Clan sent several Nascent Soul realm cultivators to pick up his family.

However, when they reached the border of Qi Kingdom, they were ambushed by the Crimson Fox Demon Emperor, stationed in a neighboring country, and were trapped in a large formation.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians and nearly 10,000 cultivators accompanying him were annihilated. Not a single member of his clan survived.

Looking at the corpses strewn all over the ground in the wilderness, Ding Yi was devastated and full of despair. At the same time, he also resented the demons to the core.

He returned to his hometown without permission, in defiance of the orders he received from the front line.

At this moment, he couldn't care less about anything else, because there was only one desire in his mind.

He wanted to take revenge!

He would slay the Crimson Fox Demon Emperor who slaughtered his people, and crush him into pieces! He would do the same to the Berserk Lion Demon Emperor who ruined the Qi Kingdom!

While he developed the ferocious killing intent, his powerful spiritual pressure killed the demonic beasts that happened to appear in the wilderness.

After walking slowly along the wilderness for dozens of kilometers, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

A disturbing view that was built together by human heads, appeared in his eyes.

The heads belonged to the people he knew, including his parents, grandparents, uncles, and cousins.

He was born into a family of cultivators who were rather powerful and competent. However, his family members had all become trophies for others to show off their achievements.

If the elders of his clan hadn't insisted on taking the civilians away, such a thing wouldn't have happened.

However, as a powerful cultivator, he was obligated to protect the civilians.

If there were no civilians, there would be no means for cultivators to be nurtured. Besides, they were civilians who had been affiliated with the Ding family for generations.

A demonic aura surged in the air around him, and there was a murderous vibe in the entire wilderness.

Ding Yi suddenly became extremely collected as he said coldly, "Come out."

As he said that, a burst of maniacal laughter spread from afar, and there was a drastic change in the environment.

Thousands of demons emerged from a certain array formation, and the two leading demons were the Crimson Fox Demon Emperor and the Berserk Lion Demon Emperor who had slaughtered almost all the people of Qi Kingdom and the neighboring Wei Kingdom.

Chapter 218: The Calamity Of the Southern Region

"The Void Spirit Clan is getting worse by the day, it can't even keep an eye on a single person."

Within a large city in the Western Border, the Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan looked at an intelligence report in her hand and sighed deeply because she had expected better.

Half a day ago, the human elite, Ding Yi who had an innate spirit body, was ambushed at the Qi Kingdom where he killed himself after four hours of an intense battle.

Although he had killed thousands of demons and two ordinary Demon Emperors, he failed to utterly slay the Crimson Fox Demon Emperor and Berserk Lion Demon Emperor.

He had fallen into a trap and was abruptly tortured to death.

Despite the Void Spirit's Clan's knowledge about the untimely demise of Ding Yi's family, they failed to watch over Ding Yi. Hence, they had significant responsibility to bear.

Xia Xishuang, who was at the side, fell silent when she heard about that.

Putting aside the mighty figures of the Void Refinement realm, there were less than ten humans with innate spirit bodies. Now that one had fallen, there would probably be an upheaval within the entire human race.

The demons would outrightly extend arrogance and obstinance too.

"Xishuang, be overly cautious about your safety during this time. The demonic crimes of the Berserk Lion Demon Emperor and the Crimson Fox Demon Emperor have been granted and delineated by that Demon God. Now, many have been stimulated to follow their robust deeds coveting power. I am afraid that there might be demons scheming against you too."

The Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan looked at her disciple and said despondently.

Xia Xishuang nodded and asked, "Master, did the Clan Master send anyone to avenge Senior Brother Ding Yi?"

"He sent the Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord," the Saintess said, her voice turned lethargic as she seemed to be somewhat disgusted with the person she had just mentioned.

Hearing that it was the Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord, Xia Xishuang heaved a sigh of relief.

The Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord was the future helmsman of the Seven Lethal Demon Clan whose status was comparable to that of the Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan. However, he was far more famous than her.

It was because he was ferocious, possessing a Baneful Body. When he was born, there was so much evil aura around him that he ended up being a jinx to his family who died because of him. Afterward, he began cultivating, but his path of cultivation was full of bloodshed. He was known as the most ruthless person among all cultivators of the Void Refinement realm and below.

He was initially in charge of guarding the southern border. But now, their only choice is to transfer him elsewhere.

However, he would be able to suppress the Berserk Lion Demon Emperor and Crimson Fox Demon Emperor.

'Maybe, this is what Senior Brother Ding Yi wants to see...'

The upper echelons of the human race didn't quite value the small vassal states. Of course, it was mainly because they didn't have the time to focus some of their attention on them.

Hence, she thought that she had to remind Chen Chen a few more times... It would be best if he left the State of Jin.

...

"Chen Chen, take your Senior Brothers with you and come back here to refine elixirs."

In Mount Wufeng, Chen Shan looked at the message transmitted by Yu Qiong with a bitter expression.

He was aware of some of the things that happened during the war between the two races in the past few days.

In particular, the people in the two small vassal states of Qi and Wei had been slaughtered by the demons while the demons in other places had begun to follow suit.

Chen Chen could feel that even some of the random demons who used to be small fries lurking in the State of Jin, had become a bit more arrogant these days.

However, despite this, not many human cultivators came to support such a small vassal state like the State of Jin.

At the end of the day, the essence of the entire human race was in the four major frontiers. In the situation of insufficient manpower, the vassal states would have no choice but to be abandoned.

"Master, I'll send someone to escort Senior Brothers back to the clan. The State of Jin is my hometown, after all, I can't leave just like that."

As a loyal and righteous person, Chen Chen wouldn't leave his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters in the lurch, especially now that they were facing danger. Hence, he had no choice but to proceed.

As for the matter of alchemy...

Since he had given them the materials, they could just stay in the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan and refine elixirs.

Once they were done refining, they could just deliver some to him. Wouldn't that be the same?

"No, I can't trust anyone but you!" Yu Qiong quickly replied furiously.

Chen Chen was silent. 'Do I deserve to be that reliable?'

However, a disciple could not outrightly refuse his master's request. The fastest way to get to the Eastern Border from here would be to travel using a flying boat, which would take him two days to and fro.

He could afford to delay for two days.

Thinking about this, Chen Chen went to the ancient Cave Abode to persuade his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters.

They had also received Yu Qiong's message, so although they were reluctant to leave, they did not stubbornly insist on staying in the State of Jin.

However, it was already late, so they decided to wait until dawn before leaving.

...

It was getting late at night.

In a small city in the southern region of the State of Jin, there were only a few scattered lamps at this time.

The southern region was adjacent to the sea, and most of the people in the city fished for a living.

This small city by the sea did not get implicated in the battle between the humans and demons.

"Big Brother, did we make such a big detour just to exterminate this mortal city?"

Someone in the pitch-black gloomy clouds asked in confusion.

"We have to pass through another vassal state to reach the State of Jin from the Northern Domain. They've long caught wind of our plans and have taken precautions. Now that we have made a detour and arrived here, who will find out?"

The voice from the cloud gradually dissipated and a total of 5,000 or 6,000 demons landed on the beach.

Nearly a hundred demons from the Bear Demon Clan led them, which were all pitch black and obviously of the same kind.

Only the majestic one at the very front had white fur and was largely different from the rest.

However, all the demons looked at the white-furred demon with fear and respect.

"Everyone, scatter yourselves, and kill all the humans within a 500-meter radius. We have to first establish an absolute demon territory in this State of Jin before making further plans."

The white-furred demon proclaimed an order, and the five to six thousand demons began flying in all directions, vanishing in no time.

The white-furred demon looked at the small city in the distance with zealousness in his eyes.

He was born in one of the branches of the lineage of the Heavenly Berserk Bear, which was one of the eight top demon races.

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It was known as the Robust Giant Bear which was also considered superior among the demons.

However, his body had mutated while his bloodline was raised to the same level as the eight major demon races.

Among the entire demon race, he was a famous Demon Emperor.

However, his ambition was far beyond that.

The Berserk Lion Demon Emperor and Crimson Fox Demon Emperor who everyone feared now, were once just as famous as him. But due to the destruction of the two small states, they were greatly rewarded by the Demon God and were given the chance to have their bloodline improved.

Since those two Demon Emperors could do it, of course, he could do it too.

Hence, he set his sights on the State of Jin.

The State of Jin was a small vassal state that was isolated from the four frontiers, but there wasn't a single Demon Emperor there. Moreover, there was a human with an innate spirit body.

It was the perfect place for his fame to soar high.

He bet that there must already be many Demon Emperors on their way to this small vassal state. He had merely arrived in advance.

"Big Brother, are you going to strike or do you want me to do it?"

A fellow member asked with a murderous tone.

The White Bear Demon Emperor licked his lips and said indifferently, "It's just a small city, there's no need to waste time, I will do it myself."

As soon as he said that, the size of his body expanded by nearly a hundred times, after which, he slammed his giant palm against the city walls of that small city.

Boom!

With a loud and startling sound, the walls of the small city immediately crumbled and collapsed while the massive impact spread towards the surroundings. In just a few moments, nearly half of the houses inside the small city were shattered into pieces.

A large number of mortals did not have time to react, they were crushed to death in their sleep.

The other half of the city was also affected by the shockwave. Soon, many families woke up and many people of all ages and gender panicked and dashed out from their houses, only to see the tragic state that the city was in. They were so frightened that they turned pale and shrieked incessantly.

As the White Bear Demon Emperor listened to the chaotic commotion, a bloodthirsty smile appeared on his face.

'The majority of such an inferior race like humans can't even cultivate. They're fragile like paper.'

'Yet, they're occupying the same land as the demons.'

'Ridiculous.'

'These fragile weaklings deserve to die.'

After muttering under his breath, the White Bear Demon Emperor struck with his palm again.

With a groundbreaking boom, the world fell completely silent.

The small city was completely reduced to ruins, and only a few fish boats docked on the sea were still intact. However, the owners of those boats will never return.

"Let's go to the next place. We have to clear 500 kilometers before daybreak."

The White Bear Demon Emperor spoke while he shrunk back to his original size before flying towards the depths of the State of Jin.

At the same time, thousands of demons embarked on a killing spree and wreaked havoc in the entire southern region in the State of Jin.

Some ordinary cities were easily destroyed by a few Essence Soul realm demons.

In just one night, hundreds of cities in the southern region of the State of Jin were wiped out along with several small clans. No one managed to escape.

Chapter 219: Being Attacked By The Enemy

"Chen Chen, there is a Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor who crossed the flame mountain range with several thousand demons. They're on their way to the State of Jin, be careful."

In the early morning, Chen Chen was cultivating when he received the message from Lao Hei.

"A few thousand demons... They're giving me damned problems as soon as they come up."

Chen Chen secretly cursed.

Generally, those who could gather a few thousand demons were extraordinary figures like the Crimson Fox Demon Emperor and the Berserk Lion Demon Emperor who had just gained fame. They would usually demolish through kingdoms, taking a bunch of elites with them and gathering thousands of demons.

The Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor was probably on par with the Crimson Fox Demon Emperor and the Berserk Lion Demon Emperor before their fame. There was no way the Venomous Dragon Demon Emperor that had escaped from the State of Zhou before, could be compared to them.

"We can't let this group of demons enter the State of Jin. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Chen Chen subconsciously wanted to defend against the enemy and stop them from entering the state.

Although the strength of several thousand demons was truly terrifying, his subordinates were not weak, and if he joined forces with the State of Zhou Demon Clan, they might be able to defeat the enemies.

Just as he was thinking about how to lay a trap for the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor, he received some bad news from the cultivators who were subordinates to him.

"Successor, a White Bear Demon Emperor who emerged out of nowhere, has landed on the State of Jin and wiped out the hundreds of cities in the southern region overnight."

The cultivator's face turned pale and his eye pupils constricted in horror.

Such a massacre was never heard of in the entire history of the State of Jin.

There were nearly ten million ordinary civilians in the hundred cities of the Southern Region!

The demons were really brutal!

Chen Chen's face turned instantly sullen.

They slaughtered nearly ten million civilians!

How could Chen Chen, who had received modern education in his previous life, tolerate such a thing? At this moment, his heart was overflowing with wrath and vengeance, but he couldn't be too despondent in front of his subordinates.

The White Bear Demon Emperor had launched a massacre in the southern region, while the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor arrived in the north.

The two states were now struggling to deal with one Demon Emperor at a time, let alone two.

Chen Chen sighed a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "Has the White Bear Demon Emperor done anything else?"

"No... I heard from a cultivator who fled and returned safely that they've already entered the Southern region. They started taming the demonic beasts."

Seeing how composed Chen Chen was, the cultivator subconsciously calmed down too and eventually composed less panic in his voice.

"Tame the demonic beasts..."

Chen Chen muttered softly.

The demons had special means of quickly transforming ordinary beasts into demonic beasts. There were many large mountains in the Southern region where many beasts were hidden. If the demons were to stay in the Southern region for some time, they would probably be able to create a million demonic beasts.

When the time comes and they are about to enter the other territories of the State of Jin, the consequences can be imagined.

"Got it, you can leave now."

Chen Chen said calmly after a long time.

The cultivators bowed and retreated.

After he left, Chen Chen imagined a map of the two states in his mind, on which various forces were crisscrossing.

The Southern region had already been occupied by the White Bear Demon Emperor. The Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor was about to cross the territory of the State of Zhou before entering the State of Jin. On the other hand, Chen Chen commanded the cultivators of the State of Jin and the State of Zhou Demon Clan.

In addition to that, he could also exert influence on the demons on Lao Hei's side.

Unfortunately, he couldn't let Lao Hei attack the two Demon Emperors.

The demons were not fools either. They were following Lao Hei for the sake of establishing their careers, not to kill each other. Once Lao Hei gave some unreliable orders, the cohesion of this group of demons would rapidly decline.

"What do we do?"

Various thoughts flashed past Chen Chen's mind one after another. The strength he maintained now was probably enough for him to deal with only one Demon Emperor, even after joining forces with the State of Zhou Demon Clan.

After pondering for a moment, he received a message from Yu Qiong via a communication token. She was urging him to rush and immediately leave the State of Jin, just as Xia Xishuang said earlier.

Chen Chen could only smile bitterly.

When people are in different positions, their vision and perspectives would be different.

Be it Yu Qiong or Xia Xishuang, both of them grew up as nobles, and thus, they would naturally look at things from the perspective of the entire human race.

From the perspective of the interests of the entire human race, it was indeed appropriate to strategically abandon some smaller states.

However, being a native of the State of Jin, he couldn't forgivably allow himself to do it...

"Kid, do you want to follow the fate of that fool Ding Yi? Let me tell you, Ding Yi has at least been famous for a long time. If he dies, the upper echelons of the human race will consider the influence and then find someone to avenge him. However, if you die, I'm afraid no one will avenge you!"

Yu Qiong's furious admonishment came from the communication token again.

Hearing this, Chen Chen considered some serious thoughts before laughing out loud.

He was confident that if he truly died, Xia Xishuang would avenge him.

Besides, there was also Zhang Ji, who was far away in the Seven Lethal Demon Clan. He reckoned that Zhang Ji would devotedly take revenge for him.

Knowing that there would be two people to avenge him if he died, he was serene.

Thinking of this, Chen Chen replied, "Master, I'm afraid I won't have time to personally escort Senior Brothers back to your place but don't worry, I'll find a time to let them leave while I'm fighting the Demon Emperor. They should be safer that way. By the way, there's one more thing I didn't tell you, I have a certain herb that you specifically desire. I forgot to tell you about it before."

"Good! Very good! Chen Chen, are you deliberately trying to enrage me!?! I..."

Considering that she was a demure lady, Yu Qiong decided not to curse.

Chen Chen shelved the communication token gleefully before looking solemn.

"Pass down the order to gather the civilians from all the cities of the State of Jin and close in towards Wufeng City."

With that order, the thousands of cultivators gathered on Mount Wufeng immediately began to carry out the orders.

Chen Chen then sent a message to Lao Hei after receiving the order.

"Lao Hei, take your people with you and attack the State of Jin. Whether the civilians of the State of Jin can have a place in this world or not will depend on you, the Black Pig Demon Emperor."

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...

At the same time, thousands of diabolic cultivators dressed in black were fighting with tens of thousands of demons at the border of Qi and Wei, causing chaos to erupt in the area within a 50-kilometer radius.

From time to time, there would be corpses falling from the air and onto the battlefield. The battle scene was very murderous.

However, the more murderous the battlefield became, the higher the morale of the diabolic cultivators. The demons were gradually unable to resist.

There was a lone figure standing behind the diabolic cultivators, exuding an intense evil aura that affected the entire battlefield.

Even if the disciples of diabolism died on the battlefield, their evil aura would allow them to continue to fight for nearly 15 minutes.

Space surrounded the figure, and a single young man was standing behind him distractedly with a shifty gaze.

A few moments later, tens of thousands of demons were suppressed by the diabolic cultivators to the point of being unable to retaliate while some cries of reluctance conveyed from the distant demon clouds.

"Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord, you just wait!"

"Once my cultivation level goes up one more level, I will chop off your head for a wine cup!"

...

The Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord's face remained unchanged even after hearing those words. In his opinion, it was just the clamoring of the incompetent ones.

Seeing that he had already won a big victory, he suddenly said, "Zhang Ji, you want to return to the State of Jin?"

The young man behind him was naturally Zhang Ji who fell to his knees after hearing his master's words.

"Master, the State of Jin is my hometown, and there's no reason that I should wait for the State of Jin to be doomed before retaliating! Taking revenge is for the sake of pleasure and gaining peace of mind. However, will those who have died feel anything?"

Zhang Ji's tone was solemn. Ever since he joined the clan, his strength had suddenly improved rapidly. Apart from that, he had a few encounters in the Southern Border and had also entered the Nascent Soul realm a few months ago.

Now that he was cultivating body refinement and had cultivated some evil aura, ordinary Nascent Soul realm cultivators were no match for him, even though he was only at the early-stage Nascent Soul realm.

Gratitude was all to the Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord in front of him.

Logically speaking, he shouldn't be leaving his benefactor now that there was a great war.

'However, the State of Jin is now in danger... Big Brother is still there. If I don't return, I'd be frustrating him and that land as well.'

The Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord sighed gently when he heard that.

Zhang Ji was his only disciple and the only person he was close to.

As someone with a Baneful Body, he had jinxed to death most of the people who were close to him. His strength was so terrifying that even his master died in the Thunder Tribulation.

Zhang Ji was the only one who wouldn't get jinxed to death by him.

He had finally found someone he could jive with and thus, he saw Zhang Ji as one of his own too.

Now that Zhang Ji wanted to return to his hometown, he shouldn't have prevented him, but it was desperately dangerous in the State of Jin...

"Master, we, the diabolic cultivators, have to be sincere to our hearts!" Zhang Ji exclaimed sobbingly, pressing his forehead against the ground.

The face of the Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord suddenly stiffened, but there was a trace of tenderness.

"Go ahead then. Bring some Demon-Slayer Guards with you. The battle is urgent, I can only help you so far."

"Thank you so much, Master!"

Zhang Ji was extremely touched. After kowtowing several times, he quickly stood up and turned around to leave.

Chapter 220: I'll Be Waiting For Him Here

At sunrise, the civilians in the entire State of Jin started moving out towards Mount Wufeng.

Compared to the countries of the world where he came from during his previous life, the expansive land of the State of Jin was considered rather sparse and less densely populated. There was only one city with a 50-kilometer radius, surrounded by only a few small counties and villages.

The population of the entire state was only tens of millions of people.

According to Chen Chen's plan, there was enough space around Mount Wufeng to contain considerable people.

If he lost his territory, he could recover it in the future. But if the people died, there was no way he could restore them to life.

Compared to the frontiers of the demon race and other ethnic groups, most of the spiritual energy of the small vassal states was scarce. The Nascent Soul realm cultivators were continuously being suppressed by the experts and the amount of pressure they were bearing was thoughtfully enormous.

Hence, he had to plan every step properly. Otherwise, it would be massive destruction for the entire State of Jin.

"Senior Brother, if the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor and the White Bear Demon Emperor combine force and attack us, I'm afraid we'll die."

Yuan Qingtian stared at the giant sand table in front of him, his forehead dripping with cold pore sweat.

'As the saying goes, you can't make bricks without straw. My Senior Brother might be powerful, but the truth is that it's too difficult to be impressive.'

'The war between cultivators and mortals is different, as water and fire would be enough to cause mass casualties.'

'If Senior Brother isn't omnipotent, I would have persuaded him to flee and find another opportunity of returning to avenge in the future.'

Chen Chen looked at the sandbox in front of him with a slight frown. Of course, he understood that.

Since last night, he had been thinking about how to resolve the situation.

After a long silence, Chen Chen suddenly spoke. "I can't stay in Mount Wufeng, too many people hate me. There are always demons trying to kill me for fame."

"Yes, Senior Brother, you're a scourge," Yuan Qingtian said with a serious nod.

"Huh?"

"Uh, I can't think of many words to describe you, it's just roughly what I mean," Yuan Qingtian said awkwardly while scratching his head.

"If you're so uncultured, you should read more books! Don't babble nonsense!"

Chen Chen rebuked him angrily and then pointed at the symbol of the State of Jin on the sandbox before saying coldly, "Take me to the Southern region in the afternoon with the Dark Guards. We'll attack from behind!"

"Yes!"

Yuan Qingtian nodded without any fear or hesitation.

After making up his mind, Chen Chen quickly started announcing his orders without delay.

Now, time is more precious than ever. There would be more trouble if he does not strike while the iron is hot.

"Lao Hei, take your subordinates with you and leave quickly. Go to the State of Jin first and occupy the entire area of Mount Wufeng. I will create the conditions for you, as long as you occupy Mount Wufeng and the area around it. The Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor will have no place when he arrives.

After informing Lao Hei, Chen Chen contacted Zhou Renlong again.

"Clan Master, please create some trouble for the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor and slow down their entry into the State of Jin."

Hearing how respectful Chen Chen's tone was, Zhou Renlong gladly agreed.

After giving his instructions, Chen Chen immediately began to pack his things and prepared to leave.

Before leaving, he made use of his close relations to the eight Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters and sought help from them to guard over Mount Wufeng and the surrounding area.

Although he finds it phantom to admit, without him and the Dark Guards, the forces of the State of Jin defenders would be inferior to the chaperons of the eight Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters.

The three peak Nascent Soul realm escorts of Yu Huo could easily defeat the Tianyun Clan, which was the strongest clan in the State of Jin.

Yu Huo patted his chest and assured. "Junior Brother, don't worry, the State of Jin has done so much for us. It's an honor that we contribute."

The other Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters also pledged.

Chen Chen silently cherished their kindness in his heart. When he was about to leave, he activated the Five-Fold Mountain Protection Arrays of Mount Wufeng to maximum protection.

As the clan residence where Chen Chen devoted his efforts to build, Mount Wufeng possesses strong defensive means besides rich spiritual energy. When the Mountain Protection Arrays were pivoted to the maximum, ordinary Essence Soul realm experts would not be able to invade.

He could leave with the mind at peace only through the provision of the Mountain Protection Arrays.

At this juncture, he was completely untroubled with the Spirit Stone consumption.

...

After making all the appropriate arrangements, Chen Chen held Yuan Qingtian and the Dark Guards away from Mount Wufeng to enter the southern region of the State of Jin.

Along the way, civilians were migrating everywhere.

Using his divine senses, he got a clear view of everything.

There were tycoons and their families traveling at the forefront in their luxurious carriages.

There were also poor villagers hobbling at the back, all gaunt, jaundiced and emaciated.

Some former big shots had given benefits to the cultivators in exchange for escorting them to Mount Wufeng.

Looking at the procession that stretched across nearly 50 kilometers, Chen Chen had an indifferent expression like he didn't feel many emotions.

At this moment, he could somehow understand Yu Qiong and Xia Xishuang's mentality.

As the saying goes, when one stands at greater heights, they will be able to see further. Hence, when he stood above and looked down at the entire State of Jin, he no longer had any time to take into account the sorrow and happiness of the people below.

If he was one of the people below, he might help those in need out of righteousness.

That was the difference in viewpoint that comes with a height difference.

...

After entering the southern region, they were greeted with another scene.

The death aura that was similar to the ancient battlefield of the northern border began to appear above the ground.

There were large ruins and wrecked cities located some dozens of kilometers apart from each other.

Looking at these scenes, Chen Chen could even recall a scene that happened last night.

Those that had turned into ruins were attacked by demons that were above the Nascent Soul realm, who could destroy an entire city just by flying over it and attacking from above.

On the other hand, the wrecked and crumbled cities were attacked by demons that were below the Nascent Soul realm. They had charged into the city, went on a rampage, and conducted mass killings. Eventually, they destroyed the city but not yet to the extent of turning it into ruins.

However, this scene was much more tragic because there were piles of corpses and vast pools of blood everywhere.

The massacre happened only last night so the corpses were still bleeding, but they all appeared ghastly and horrible.

Chen Chen, tragically heartbroken, decided to fly away because he couldn't bear the sight of them at all.

Mortals were fragile compared to cultivators and akin to ants in the face of demons.

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It must be extremely difficult for mortals to survive during such brutal warfare.

There was no doubt that the four major clans wanted to guard the human borders and form two lines of defense. The people were truly defenseless.

"Senior Brother, I've decided that as an assassin, I'll have to assassinate that Demon God. If he hadn't unified the eight great Demon clans, this wouldn't have happened!"

Although Yuan Qingtian was foolish, he was also heartbroken and dismayed to see the tragic scene.

Chen Chen interpreted his words differently.

Honestly, Chen Chen also thought about how he should invade the internal department of the demons and kill them.

Fifteen minutes later...

Chen Chen landed on a mountain range where there were faint sounds of demonic beasts roaring and yelling. There were demons stationed there.

As soon as he landed, a demonic beast flew towards Chen Chen.

Before Chen Chen attacked, Dark Guard severed the demonic beast into two with a scythe.

"Who's that!?!"

There was a furious curse coming from the distance, and immediately afterward, a demon flew over from the depths of a forest.

That demon was not weak and its cultivation level was roughly in the late-stage of the Core Formation realm. However, after seeing Chen Chen and the others, he was truly frightened even demonstrating loss for words.

Seeing this, Yuan Qingtian wanted to attack, but Chen Chen promptly prevented him.

The two parties stared at each other for an entire minute before the demon shrieked in terror!

"The enemy has attacked! There are human cultivators!"

After yelling, Chen Chen finally nodded in satisfaction before smacking it and crushing it into bits. He then retrieved the Demon Pill and placed it in his storage ring.

A few moments later, a rustling sound came from the surroundings, followed by nearly a hundred demonic beasts that poked their hideous heads out.

In the sky, there were even more demons flying, and it didn't take long for nearly a hundred demons to assemble.

However, the strongest among them was only the Nascent Soul realm Demon King.

The Nascent Soul realm Demon King looked at the crowd of human cultivators below with his forehead throbbing.

He couldn't tell what their cultivation levels were, but he vaguely felt that they were dangerous.

"Human cultivator, what is your name?" the Nascent Soul realm Demon King asked coldly, forcing himself to bear with the discomfort.

"Chen Chen."

Chen Chen answered truthfully without hesitating.

Hearing his name, the Nascent Soul realm Demon King pondered for a moment, but he suddenly became horrified and wanted to flee without hesitation. However, as soon as he turned around, the twelve Dark Guards had already seized him.

"The White Bear Emperor will avenge me!"

The Nascent Soul realm Demon King knew he would die so he tried to self-detonate and kill himself immediately. However, he was interrupted by the Dark Guards before he could finish.

Immediately afterward, the twelve Dark Guards got into some kind of formation and surrounded the demons, keeping them trapped in the middle.

In just a few minutes, nearly a hundred demons were slaughtered, leaving only one of the weakest demons that was at the Foundation Establishment realm, shivering like he was brought to Chen Chen.

"Lord... Lord, please spare me, I'm a local demon that only joined the White Bear Demon Emperor for four hours. I didn't kill anyone!"

The Foundation Establishment realm demon directly kneeled, his face covered in tears of devastation.

Chen Chen nodded, gently patted the demon's shoulder, and then said with a faint smile, "I won't kill you, but you must return and tell that White Bear Demon Emperor or whatever, that I, Chen Chen, will be waiting for him here.

Chapter 221: Killing The Innate Spirit Body

When the Foundation Establishment realm demon flew away in panic, Yuan Qingtian began to take out his treasure and scrutinized it, as if he had resigned to fate and was ready to die.

After all, they were going to face an Essence Soul realm demon who was probably extraordinary. Hence, he must be prepared to die in battle.

After thinking for a while, he released a communication token and intended to leave some last words to someone. However, he wasn't well accustomed to imparting any profound words. After brainstorming for a long time, he said, "I'm leaving to face a battle with a Demon Emperor, and I'm afraid I might not be able to make it alive and return. Take care!"

As soon as he said that, Chen Chen held him along on a flight, and they soon flew away.

"No... Senior Brother, aren't we going to wait for the White Bear Demon Emperor?"

Yuan Qingtian was dumbfounded.

"What for? I'm just teasing him. We'll just cause a small ruckus here in the southern region."

Chen Chen cursed softly.

For the sake of the State of Jin and the humans, he had no choice but to honor his word no matter how prideful he usually was.

He understood the logic that he should disturb the enemy if he couldn't defeat him.

Fifteen minutes passed.

The White Bear Demon Emperor arrived at the mountain peak where nothing else was visible except the demon corpses.

He wasn't angered or anything, and he asked calmly, "How many people did Chen Chen bring?"

"More than ten! They're all experts!" the Foundation Establishment realm demon said confidently after being released.

"How high are their cultivation levels?"

"I don't know... They're at least at the Core Formation realm and above."

The White Bear Demon Emperor frowned when he heard that. That demon was only at the Foundation Establishment realm, so he didn't have broad horizons.

However, he could roughly deduce the other party's abilities.

Anyway, it was inferior to him.

While he was thinking about Chen Chen's direction of operation, he received a message from a communication token.

"Lord, we have been attacked. The location is..."

After the venue was mentioned, there were no longer any messages from the communication token.

The White Bear Demon Emperor removed the token he burst into laughter. "Are you playing that trick with me? Hah, relay my orders. Tell all the divisions to stop nurturing the demonic beasts and gather here. We must catch that innate spirit body today!"

...

There was a game of hide-and-seek going on in the Southern region.

They were fighting with each other at the border of the Southern region and in the end, Lao Hei brought thousands of demonic cultivators to the State of Jin border and even marked the area within 500 kilometers around Mount Wufeng, as his turf.

The Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor was delayed by the demonic cultivators for a while. By the time it reached the border of the State of Jin, he could only glare at the demonic cultivators under Lao Hei.

After all, Lao Hei was also considered a Black Pig Demon Emperor in the Demon Courts, so he couldn't openly attack. If he started a battle in the internal sector, the Demon Courts definitely wouldn't let him off.

Hence, he could only head East and occupy the land where there was nobody.

...

In the neighboring area of Mount Wufeng.

All Lao Hei could see were the migrating civilians, and he could also sense the killing intent that the demons at the back were suppressing.

As long as he relayed an order, his subordinates would turn into executioners and slaughter all the mortals below.

After the silly dog behind him saw this and gradually held back, it eventually couldn't suppress its emotions any longer and said, "Lord, why don't we..."

He then swiped his hand against his neck.

"What a fool!"

Lao Hei hollered furiously, giving the dog a huge shock. At the same time, it began to recall the words that Chen Chen taught him to say.

"What's the point of killing these scoundrels?"

Hearing this, the dog remained silent. 'Indeed, there is no use in doing that, but we were encouraged to do that...'

The Crimson Fox Demon Emperor and Berserk Lion Demon Emperor had both gained a bloodline improvement while Lao Hei, the Black Pig Demon Emperor was genetically inferior.

If his genetics could be improved, he would probably be as famous as the two Demon Emperors.

At the thought of this, the dog, Er Gou began tearing up, feeling extremely aggrieved to have been called a fool even though he was sparing a thought for Lao Hei.

"Er Gou, we can't just focus on the demons. The Crimson Fox Demon Emperor and the Berserk Lion Demon Emperor may be enjoying glory now, but the outstanding ones always get killed first. They earned the Demon God's appreciation but also became the human race's target of hatred. Look, haven't the humans sent the Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord to deal with them?"

Lao Hei rubbed Er Gou's head and began mimicking Chen Chen's expression, making himself look smart and wise.

"However, the Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord might not be able to conquer them..." Er Gou was still being muttered.

"Hehe, so what if he can't take them down? Even if we, the demons, annihilated the humans, they'd be able to escape and then avenge. The Crimson Fox Demon Emperor and the Berserk Lion Demon Emperor are the ones who started the extermination. Don't you think they are the best targets for revenge? Even if they are powerful, can they still escape the revenge of Void Refinement realm cultivators?"

Lao Hei made a lot of sense because Er Gou gradually seemed to have understood.

"Lord, I seem to have understood something."

"Good that you understand. It's just a small vassal state, all the humans have died. It initially shouldn't warrant the Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord. However, it concerns the morale of all the humans, so the upper echelons made such an arrangement."

"Even if the Seven-Slaughtering Demon Lord fails, there will be other experts. Although humans are inferior to us demons, it's still possible for them to kill two Demon Emperors."

Er Gou was already drenched in a cold sweat, thinking that the Crimson Fox Demon Emperor and the Berserk Lion Demon Emperor were going to die.

They had indeed received the reward from the Demon God, but they had become the humans' subject of hatred.

That was not a good thing.

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'The Black Pig Emperor's wisdom is not something I can compare to.'

The demons at the back also had naturally heard Lao Hei's words as they suppressed their intent to kill.

Seeing this, Lao Hei was slightly relieved. He glanced at the countless commoners before saying calmly, "Wait for the other Demon Emperors to attack first. Once the attackers reach their number at seven or eight, we won't stand out when we do the same. By then, the hate will still be directed at those few Demon Emperors. As for these ants below, you can just kill them whenever you want, right?"

"You're so wise, Lord Black Pig Emperor!"

The demons were in awe. During this battle, it was important to rise in fame, but staying alive would always be the most important priority.

They would have the prodigious chance of strategically surviving only if they followed such a Demon Emperor.

Just like the Crimson Fox Demon Emperor and the Berserk Lion Demon Emperor, they might be enjoying glory now, but many of their subordinate demons have died.

They didn't want to die on the battlefield.

...

The situation in the State of Jin gradually stabilized with Chen Chen's operations.

A few days later, the migration was finally completed, although many people died or sustained injuries during the process. Finally, the humans of the State of Jin were kept alive.

The land was divided by the three Demon Emperors, and in the eyes of the entire human race, the State of Jin was no different from the states of Qi and Wei.

Chen Chen and Lao Hei were the only ones who knew what happened.

On this day, Lao Hei was sleeping in some cave within the territory, when Er Gou suddenly ran in.

"Lord, the White Bear Emperor of the southern region has sent an envoy!"

Hearing this, Lao Hei rubbed his eyes, came to his senses, and said indifferently, "Let him in."

A moment later, a demon in black entered in a dignified manner, but after seeing Lao Hei's dazzling golden armor, a trace of awe flashed in his eyes.

With such treasures, the strength of the Black Pig Emperor could be imagined.

"Lord Black Pig Emperor, the State of Jin may have fallen into the hands of the demons, but that innate spirit body still rambled in the southern region. The White Bear Demon Emperor probably fled the Southern region, so he sent me to ask you to slay that innate spirit body first!"

The demon sounded a little helpless because they had been besieging Chen Chen and the humans, but they never managed to succeed and hold them back.

They had no choice but to invite the other two Demon Emperors in the State of Jin for help.

Otherwise, if Chen Chen left, they would end up with nothing.

"Uh, invite me? Did the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor invite me?" Lao Hei asked with a yawn.

The demon smiled and said, "Lord, Heavenly Wolf has led a Demon Emperor along while 20 Demon Emperors have headed to the Southern region. As long as you're willing to go, that innate spirit body will die too!"

"So soon!"

Lao Hei panicked and stood up in shock.

"He ordered, all those above the Nascent Soul realm, to follow me to the Southern region and kill Chen Chen, the innate spirit body!"

With that order, more than twenty Nascent Soul realm demons gathered beside him and were all waiting, ready to set off.

Chapter 222: All Humans Have Feelings

Chen Chen was a bit flustered now. The White Bear Demon Emperor was accustomed to chasing him and gained subtle skills. The ten Demon Emperors were divided into three groups and chased after him.

Apart from the White Bear Demon Emperor's team, the other two were accompanied each with an Essence Soul realm powerhouse.

Honestly, with Chen Chen's current strength, he could already compete with the weaker Essence Soul realm powerhouses.

Coupled with the powerful Dark Guards, he could defeat the other two groups.

Unfortunately, after experiencing several battles, the other two teams also learned their lessons. Thus, they merely tried to restrain Chen Chen instead of fighting him head-on.

"Senior Brother, don't ask me to leave this time, I won't leave even if you hit me!"

Yuan Qingtian seemed to have realized something and was very resolute.

Chen Chen surprisingly glanced at Yuan Qingtian and delighted at once that he had thrived smarter.

However, Yuan Qingtian may not also be able to survive even if he leaves, because he was only at the Core Formation Realm and the divine senses of an Essence Soul realm expert will easily detect and catch him whether he uses his Divine Concealment Technique. If Chen Chen was left alone, any team would favorably defeat him.

The risk was too extensive, so Chen Chen practically decided to let Yuan Qingtian stay with him.

Just when Chen Chen was thinking about how to escape, another team of demons appeared from a distance and lashed towards him.

Sensing the powerful fluctuations, Chen Chen's expression changed drastically because the demons were not the subordinates of the White Bear Demon Emperor.

"Could it be that the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor is also here?"

There were only just three demon forces within the State of Jin, so Chen Chen naturally thought of the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor.

However, at this moment, it was more important to escape. By the time they were 50 kilometers away, Chen Chen received a message from Lao Hei.

"Chen Chen, escape to the north, you might meet me there. I'm here to hunt you down too."

Chen Chen's face suddenly turned sullen. Since Lao Hei was coming too, he reckoned that the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor should be coming too.

'Where else can he escape?'

The demons' noses were instantly responsive to smells like that of dogs. They would often be proficient to detect slim clues and traces from the air, before besieging their targets.

He was fraught with danger against the White Bear Demon Emperor, and the presence of the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor would probably make his escape extremely murderous.

He automatically ignored Lao Hei.

After all, Lao Hei was not a real Demon Emperor. Even if he were to withdraw on the battlefield, it would still be difficult for him to inflict any injuries or kill those under the command of the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor.

"Chen Chen! I've been waiting for you here for a long time!"

With a menacing roar, a massive black bear appeared out of nowhere, and a pair of large palms even smacked against Chen Chen from several meters away.

Hearing the voices, Chen Chen knew that the White Bear Demon Emperor's younger brother, the Robust Bear Demon Emperor, didn't want to fall sharply, so he dodged.

At the same time, the White Bear Demon Emperor's other brother, the Second Robust Demon Emperor, appeared from the other side while they blocked Chen Chen's way.

"Keep trying to run then!" the Robust Bear Demon Emperor barked with a threatening smile on his face.

Seeing this, Chen Chen stopped and berated. "You two are fools. What are you slaying so hard for? All for the glory of the White Bear Demon Emperor? Granting that you kill me, whose blood is going to be improved? It would be the White Bear Demon Emperor's, never yours!"

"Don't think of driving a wedge between us!" the Second Robust Bear Demon Emperor hollered furiously.

Chen Chen retreated by a hundred meters, still looking overwhelmingly disdainful. "Brother? What nonsense. Both of you are Black Bear demons, he's different from you, how can you be brothers?"

"My brother is a mutant! You know nothing!"

Chen Chen had studied biology before, so he practically needed to argue with him.

"Your parents should also be black bears, right? Don't you think it's strange that two black demon bears have given birth to a white one? Let me ask you, is there any elder who is very close to you and is white!?!"

Hearing Chen Chen's words, the two Demon Emperors subconsciously began to recall carefully. Then they remembered that there was a Nine-Tailed Fox senior who was genuinely close to their clan.

Besides, that senior was truly nice to the White Bear Demon Emperor and she would bring some gifts over from time to time. When they follow the White Bear Demon Emperor around, they would gain some benefits too.

'But what does this have to do with Big Brother being a mutant?'

'Could this be... Ah!'

The two Demon Emperors gasped and looked at each other, both noticing the astonishment in each other's eyes. It was like they had discovered a shocking secret!

By the time they came back to their senses, Chen Chen had already flown dozens of kilometers away.

"Cunning human! You messed with our minds!"

"Atrocious!"

Although the two Demon Emperors said so, they still had a hint of doubt in their hearts about the White Bear Demon Emperor.

"Big Brother seems to be different from us in his true form. Don't you remember that his tail seems to look different from ours?"

"I do. Big Brother's tail seems to be split into a few tassels."

"Damn it, it doesn't matter, capture that human first!"

...

Two hours passed.

Chen Chen was besieged in a mountain.

Five Essence Soul realm Demon Emperors were located in five areas of this mountain.

The White Bear Demon Emperor and the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor were also among them.

"Chen Chen, do you believe that I'll flatten this mountain if you don't come out!?!"

The White Bear Demon Emperor's majestic voice spread throughout the entire mountain.

The Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor laughed and said, "Brother White Bear, there's no point wasting your time talking nonsense with him. If we don't attack the soonest, the Black Pig Demon Emperor will be arriving soon. When that moment happens, insignificant credits will be ascribed to you!"

After saying that, he waved his hand, and the demons under him started destroying facets of the mountain.

'Chen Chen is extremely sly, he should be hiding in the mountains so he managed to avoid the detection of the divine senses. However, the smell of this mountain has betrayed him.'

Once the mountain was completely wrecked, there would be helplessly nowhere to hide, no matter how smart he tried.

Seeing this, the White Bear Demon Emperor also waved his hand and his subordinates began attacking the mountain.

Suddenly, the mountain visibly crumbled and vividly started to flatten at a raging speed.

Only half of the mountain was severed when an angry scolding sound roared from a distance.

"Fools, who are you looking for?"

The demons looked in the direction of the sound, only to find that Chen Chen was squinting at them from a few kilometers away.

"Damn it! How is this possible?"

The demons looked at each other in astonishment. Seeing that Chen Chen was about to escape, they chased after him before they could think any further.

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...

Soon...

In the mountain below, Chen Chen stood out with a look of surprise in his eyes.

'Who impersonated me and scared the demons away?'

Finally, only one person glimmered in his mind and he was Zhang Ji.

'Could it be that Zhang Ji has returned?'

'Yes, except for that fool Zhang Ji, who else in this world is willing to die on my behalf?'

Chen Chen could not help but smile bitterly, feeling even more upset.

'I owe this brother of mine too much.'

"Brother, it's too late to think any further, let's hurry up and leave!"

Yuan Qingtian pulled Chen Chen along in a bid to flee. If they could escape, they would be considered lucky. It was not a practical moment to ponder who their savior was.

However, no matter how paramount his efforts in pulling him away, Chen Chen did not budge nor move by a single inch.

A breeze blew and Chen Chen's voice became a little hoarse.

"Qingtian, go first."

"Senior Brother, what happened?" Yuan Qingtian asked in bewilderment.

"Nothing, I'm a little tired of living and I want to die because it's not worth living in this world."

After saying that, Chen Chen used the 50-kilometer tracking opportunity in his mind again.

"System, where are the Nascent Soul realm demons within 50 kilometers?"

"In the Southwest..."

Before the system finished answering, Chen Chen first released two Apocalyptic Divine Thunderbolts in that direction. Just as he was about to fly in that direction, a majestic pressure suddenly struck him and made him freeze on the spot!

Immediately afterward, a delicate cry rang in his ears.

"Chen Chen! You made me, an alchemist, come all the way here to save you. Aren't you supposed to be apologetic?"

Before Chen Chen could figure out what was going on, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

Looking at the enraged Yu Qiong, Chen Chen was filled with mixed emotions.

After all, humans had feelings. When he was in danger, the people he cared about actually rushed over to rescue him.

If only Yu Qiong was not a woman, he would have truly hugged her and burst into tears to express how touched he was.

"Don't try that trick with me. Let me tell you, since I set foot on the path of cultivation, I have never fought with anyone. Do you know that I came out this time with the risk of ruining my image?"

Before Yu Qiong finished speaking, a jade box was handed to her. When she opened it, her eyes were filled with joy that turned her initial anger vanish instantly.

"Forget it, blame it on the fact that you're my disciple. I'm very soft-hearted."

Yu Qiong sighed gently and put the jade box away, her expression once again becoming indifferent.

Seeing this, Chen Chen wore a deferential smile and said, "Master, please save my brother!"

Yu Qiong's gaze subconsciously turned ambiguous when she heard that, but before she could think of how to bargain with him later, Chen Chen placed a storage ring in her hand.

"Master, please..."

After carefully sensing the contents of the storage ring, Yu Qiong's expression changed repeatedly. She then flew towards the southwest.

Chapter 223: That's Enough

"I'm not Chen Chen. How about you guys be kind and let me off?"

Surrounded by a group of demons, Zhang Ji removed his mask, which Xiao Wuyou had given to him back then. He never thought that it would come in handy now.

The demons almost died of anger, especially a few Demon Emperors who were overwhelmed with fury.

If this impersonator of Chen Chen hadn't appeared and fled so quickly, they wouldn't have fallen for such a childish trick.

Now they could no longer find Chen Chen, because they were certain that he must have gone far.

At the thought of this, they became more and more determined.

'We can't let this punk die so easily! We must torture him in the most brutal means possible!'

Despite being glowered at by the demons, Zhang Ji remained fearless; he seemed to be ready to die.

After spending some time in the Seven Lethal Diabolism sect, he had grown very much.

If it was the past, he would have definitely charged towards the demons and fought alongside Chen Chen. Now, he had learned to make wiser options.

He had also driven away the Demon-Slaying Guards that his master had arranged for him.

They were just four Nascent Soul realm diabolic cultivators, and they would be prone to dying or getting injured if he brought them along.

"Ahem! I'm taking this person away with me. Do any of you agree or disagree?"

Just when a group of demons were rubbing their fists together, a strange voice came from somewhere near them.

The group of demons looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a lone woman staring at them. Although her expression was calm, anyone could tell how eager she was.

...

Yu Qiong was indeed a little bit nervous right now.

She wasn't lying. As an alchemist, she had almost never fought with anyone before.

If there was anyone she disliked, she would just send a few Essence Soul realm followers out to deal with them.

However, now that her followers were busy rescuing others, she had no choice but to go to the State of Jin in person.

'Master said during his last moments that it's a disgraceful thing for an alchemist to have to fight themselves... If that kid Chen Chen hadn't given me so much in return that I couldn't turn him down, I would never embarrass myself like this! I'm only going to do this once! Just once! Once I'm done, I'll go back to refining pills and finish the task arranged by those old guys!' Yu Qiong continuously comforted herself while looking at the group of demons.

The first time she fought, she did not have much experience, so she did not hide her peak Essence Soul realm fluctuations to make herself appear weaker than she really was.

Sensing the massive pressure, the demons could not help but have a change of expression.

'Where did this female human cultivator come from? She's so scary.'

Seeing that the group of demons did not react, Yu Qiong flew directly towards Zhang Ji and pulled him away.

"Hold it!"

An Essence Soul realm Demon Emperor who was a subordinate to the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor bellowed, stepping forward to try and stop her.

Yu Qiong released a ball of golden flames, almost subconsciously, that immediately engulfed that Demon Emperor before he could understand what was going on.

"Ah!"

"Lord Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor, save me!"

Miserable screams echoed all around, and the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor's pupils constricted a little while he channeled his powerful spiritual power towards the flames. However, there was nothing he could do about it.

He ended up drawing the flames towards himself.

Looking at the Demon Emperor, who kept struggling in the flames, Yu Qiong's face became pale.

However, for some reason, there was also a sense of excitement deep within her.

Her excitement intensified with the shrieks.

Zhang Ji vaguely felt that there seemed to be something wrong with this woman beside him, because the fire spiritual energy between heaven and earth converged towards her at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The temperature around her was also rising.

"This is... An innate fire spirit body..."

Zhang Ji subconsciously wanted to stay away. He had gained a lot of knowledge in the Seven Lethal Demon Clan.

He knew quite a lot about innate spirit bodies too.

Due to the violent, fire spiritual energy, cultivators with innate fire spirit bodies were mostly hot-tempered and irritable, with strong desires to destroy.

Such people were very dangerous, and even diabolic cultivators would have to stay away.

A few moments later, Yu Qiong was surrounded by a blazing golden flame, the unbridled fire spreading for hundreds of meters. Seeing this scene, the demons were horrified and immediately scattered.

Even the White Bear Demon Emperor and the Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor felt the same.

'This female cultivator is too terrifying; we can't afford to provoke her. There's no need to fight her in a moment of anger.'

While the demons scattered, Yu Qiong gradually regained consciousness, and the flames on her body completely dispersed.

However, there was a tinge of disappointment in the depths of her eyes.

As for the Essence Soul realm Demon Emperor, he had already had his soul scattered and destroyed. Even his essence soul had failed to escape.

"Fighting... Seems to be more interesting than alchemy."

Recalling the scene of the Essence Soul realm Demon Emperor getting ambushed and killed with a mere point of her finger, Yu Qiong seemed to have discovered something flabbergasting, and she could not help but develop several new ideas.

They were all about setting people on fire.

However, a moment later, her master's voice and the smile he had on his face before he died appeared in her mind.

"Yu Qiong, you are the gentlest woman I've ever seen. Promise me that you'll never fight with others in the future. We alchemists can achieve everything with the pills that we refine. Fighting is for the boors. We can't do something so embarrassing."

Thinking of this, Yu Qiong took a deep breath.

"I have to be elegant... I'm a gentle woman..."

After a few murmurs, Yu Qiong finally calmed down completely.

Only then did Zhang Ji dare to come a little closer.

"Thank you for saving my life, Senior!"

"If you want to thank me, thank my disciple," Yu Qiong said indifferently.

The next second, Chen Chen, Yuan Qingtian, and the Dark Guards flew over from afar. Seeing that the one who saved him was really Zhang Ji, Chen Chen was extremely touched.

Zhang Ji was equally excited to see Chen Chen, and there were some tears in his eyes.

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"Big Brother!"

"Brother..."

After two months of being away from each other, they actually met again in such a setting. They were both a little speechless.

Brotherhood!

Coughing, Yuan Qingtian's gaze flashed and he vaguely felt that his position as the best underling was threatened. He hurriedly stood in the middle to block them from looking at each other.

At the same time, a trace of hostility towards Zhang Ji rose within his heart.

'This person is full of evil aura; he must be a crook! I can't let Senior Brother get too close to this person!'

"Senior Brother, this is not the place to talk. Let's go back to Mount Wufeng."

However, Chen Chen shook his head and replied, "I'm not going back. I'll only be inviting hate and trouble for the State of Jin if I stay there."

After saying this, he took out the communication token and informed Lao Hei that he shouldn't come.

With Lao Hei's speed, he wouldn't be able to arrive in time to get the fresh corpses.

Afterwards, Chen Chen scanned the surroundings, his voice spreading across dozens of kilometers.

"White Bear Demon Emperor! Heavenly Wolf Demon Emperor! I'll come back to take revenge against you for destroying my country! Just you wait!"

Chen Chen wasn't just issuing a threat for the thrill of it. Rather, he was also telling the demons that he was about to leave the State of Jin.

...

Far away.

Xia Xishuang looked at Chen Chen and the others with a smile on her pale face.

"Apart from me, he has his brothers and Master... That's good."

Thinking about this, Xia Xishang looked at the bloodstains and wounds on her body before shaking her head.

'I'd better not let him see me in such a miserable state.

'All I need to know is that he's safe.'

She had sneaked back from the front line and was chased along the way. After a long time traveling, she had finally arrived in the State of Jin, but she hadn't been able to help him. Thus, she felt a little ashamed.

"Xishuang! Hurry up and come back! Do you know how many demons are out there looking for you? If you die, how huge of a blow would it be to the human race?!"

She heard her master's furious words coming through the communication token.

Her master had once berated the Void Spirit Clan by failing to keep an eye on Ding Yi. Now that she had sneaked away, she could imagine how furious her master was.

"Master, I was wrong. I'll go back now."

After replying, Xia Xishuang looked at Chen Chen from afar once again before silently turning around to leave.

...

Chen Chen kept flattering Yu Qiong while looking into the distance with his peripheral vision.

After seeing that familiar and somewhat despondent back, he felt a sharp pain in his heart.

"Master, wait for me for a moment!"

After saying that, Chen Chen hurriedly chased after that figure.

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Chapter 224: Declaring Sovereignty

Sensing the fluctuation from behind, Xia Xishuang subconsciously turned around.

However, as soon as she did, Chen Chen hugged her tightly.

"I couldn't hug Master or Zhang Ji, but I can hug you, right?"

Hugging Xia Xishuang tightly in his most emotional predicament, Chen Chen felt extremely delighted and warm.

"Xishuang, since you are here, please allow me to coddle you before leaving?"

"I'm sorry... Chen Chen, I couldn't help you."

Xia Xishuang whispered.

Chen Chen looked at the woman in his arms, whose beautiful face was stained with a wisp of blood. He was full of complicated emotions.

His thoughtful hand gently wiped away the bloodstains on Xia Xishuang's face before hugging her even more tightly.

"It's my fault, I promised to weather all storms and protect you, but I've even caused you more pain."

Xia Xishuang shook her head sparing self-reproach in her eyes. "If you hadn't saved me that day, you wouldn't have exposed your innate spirit body... You wouldn't be targeted by so many demons today either."

Chen Chen kept quiet and merely smiled at Xia Xishuang while holding her in his embrace.

'If we continue exploring in detail, who can be sure about it?'

'Well, blame it on fate.'

Ever since Chen Chen embarked on the path of cultivation a year ago, he had gained a comrade who was willing to die on his behalf, as well as a Dao partner who had traveled miles just to see if he was safe.

There was nothing more he could ask for.

Compared to those heavenly treasures in the storage ring, these are treasures far more valuable to him.

At this moment, Chen Chen yearned, even more, to become stronger.

Only by becoming stronger could he protect these people whom he cared about.

"Chen Chen, look, this is Chen Shuang."

After a long hug, Xia Xishuang suddenly thought of something. She smiled and summoned a longsword afterward.

This longsword was translucent and shrouded in spiritual energy that vaguely contained some ethereality. However, as soon as it appeared, Chen Chen's Omni Divine Blade protruded a soft cry of pleasure.

Nowadays, he would usually keep his Omni Divine Blade in the Divine Sheath to be nurtured.

The sheath contained Xia Xishuang's aura, and now that it had suddenly sensed the source, it felt a sense of intimacy.

"Whenever I see Chen Shuang, I feel as if I'm looking at you, and it gives me a sense of salvation," Xia Xishuang said, gazing at the Chen Shuang sword with a genuine smile.

At this moment, a stroke of frail coughing sound streamed from afar.

Seeing that outsiders had arrived, Xia Xishuang depressingly tried to break free from Chen Chen's embrace but to no avail.

Yu Qiong's face turned sullen, displeased that Chen Chen ignored her despite having heard of her frail hem.

'Are youngsters nowadays so liberal and rude?'

'Or is Chen Chen deliberately pretending not to notice my presence?'

Before she continued to think about it further, Chen Chen spoke up with his back facing her.

"Master, I have to send Xishuang back to the Western Border, please return to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan first!"

'This kid is pragmatic... Now that he has his Dao partner with him, he just wants to shoo me away.'

Slightly angered, Yu Qiong humphed coldly and exclaimed, "I'm giving you three days. If you don't return to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan within three days, be prepared to face the music! As for your incompetent Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, I'll take them with me now."

After saying that, Yu Qiong flew directly towards the direction of Mount Wufeng.

Chen Chen glanced at Yu Qiong's back and concluded in his heart that she must be intending to take him with her to gamble. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so eager and pushy.

'Hmph! A mercenary woman who only cares about benefits! She's inferior to my Dao partner!'

After secretly criticizing Yu Qiong in his heart, Chen Chen looked at Zhang Ji and Yuan Qingtian.

Zhang Ji has become much smarter lately. When he saw Xia Xishuang, he immediately bowed and greeted, "Greetings, Sister-in-law!"

Yuan Qingtian, who was beside him, seemed to be slightly astounded, but he hurriedly followed suit.

"Greetings, Sister-in-law!"

He then glared at Zhang Ji like a sore loser.

Zhang Ji ignored this and said to Chen Chen with a grave expression, "Big Brother, my master is fighting against the demons now, and I have to leave. I'll come to see you again after I destroy the Crimson Fox Demon Emperor and Berserk Lion Demon Emperor."

"Okay, but you don't necessarily need to wait until then. I'll go and help you once I've taken care of some matters."

Chen Chen smiled and answered.

He couldn't stay in the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan forever. If he wanted to become stronger, he had to rely on constant fighting besides having good luck and opportunities.

Apart from the State of Jin, the States of Qi and Wei were the best places for him to hone and sharpen his skills.

Deep down, he wanted to go to the battlefield of the Western Border, but he reckoned that Xishuang's master loathed the mere sight of him.

Besides, since he had promised her that he would officially get into a relationship with Xia Xishuang only after he reached the Essence Soul realm, he couldn't retract his word now.

That wasn't something that he would do.

Zhang Ji's eyes lit up when he heard that, he exclaimed with a delightful expression, "Big Brother! I'll wait for you in the States of Qi and Wei!"

"Okay, take care!"

"Take care!"

Zhang Ji cupped his fists and flew directly towards the distance. Soon, four Nascent Soul realm experts emerged from nowhere and tailgated him.

After Zhang Ji left, Chen Chen looked at Yuan Qingtian again.

"Qingtian, return to Mount Wufeng and tell the cultivators of the State of Jin to cultivate hard. If I don't see twenty Nascent Soul realm cultivators the next time I return, I'll slap them to death!"

"Uh, don't you need me to escort you?" Yuan Qingtian asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"No, hurry up and get lost!" Chen Chen was irritated and angered.

Hearing this, Yuan Qingtian hurriedly flew towards Mount Wufeng together with the Dark Guards.

Seeing that the surrounding area was clear, Chen Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It would take at least a day and a night to send Xia Xishuang back to the Western Border. It was really difficult for him to spot a chance of spending so much time alone with Xishuang.

...

Xia Xishuang didn't turn down Chen Chen's offer of sending her back. If she had seen Chen Chen rushing over from a faraway place, battered with wounds, she would also be worried and wouldn't let him return alone.

The Western Border was quite far from the State of Jin. After passing the flame mountain range, they would still have to travel more than 50,000 kilometers to the West.

During the journey, their feelings developed further and they got even closer.

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Except for doing the deed, Chen Chen had already shared a lot of physical intimacy with Xia Xishuang. Although the affection seemed tumultuous at first, she couldn't get used to it until gradually felt mutually cherished.

After all, they only had one day to spend together.

By the time they arrived at the Western Border, Xia Xishuang looked less ethereal, and instead, she looked more like a meek woman who was blushing coyly.

"Chen Chen, we've arrived."

Xia Xishuang looked at a huge city in the distance, her eyes filled with some reluctance.

Chen Chen also saw the city, and judging from the fluctuations emanating from that city, he was certain that it was a massive treasure.

"The warfare at the Western Border is far beyond what the small vassal states can compare to."

As the first frontier to be invaded by the demons, the battle at the Western Border was the most intense. Many Void Refinement realm powerhouses took part in the battle, so even the Essence Soul realm experts didn't dare to act rashly because of the risk of falling at every turn.

The four great clans had deployed a lot of manpower to the Western Border, making it the place with the most number of human elites at the moment.

Before the two of them reached the city, Xia Xishuang's master, the Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan, appeared to receive them.

Seeing that her disciple was unharmed and intact, she finally heaved a sigh of relief before glaring at Chen Chen who was beside her.

"I'm surprised that you know how to hand Xishuang back. You still have a conscience after all."

"Nah, Master, it's what I should do," Chen Chen said embarrassedly.

"Who are you to call me Master!?!" the Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan exclaimed with a dumbfounded look.

"Since you are Xishuang's master, you're naturally my master too," Chen Chen said righteously.

The Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan was speechless. 'Why haven't I discovered how shameless this kid is in the past?'

"Senior Sister Xishuang is back!"

Several cries came out from that city, and soon, a bunch of disciples of the Haoran Sword Clan rushed out.

Xia Xishuang was prestigious and held with great respect in the Haoran Sword Clan.

Apart from the disciples of the Haoran Sword Sect, there was also a group of disciples from other sects, including many of the elites of the other three major clans.

However, many of them glared at Chen Chen hostilely after they saw him, especially some male disciples.

Noticing their gazes, Chen Chen subconsciously moved a little closer to Xia Xishuang.

Their animosity immediately turned worse, and some of them even emitted powerful cultivation fluctuations, like they were showing their prowess to Chen Chen without restraint.

'Tsk, there are truly few people who are envious and jealous of me.'

Chen Chen secretly thought in his heart.

He had long expected this situation to happen. Xia Xishuang was a famous elite of the human race, and she was pretty too. Now that she had become his Dao partner, there would naturally be many envious people.

Likewise, in the State of Jin, many young female cultivators detested Xia Xishuang because they were jealous of her.

All outstanding people with stellar achievements would have many admirers.

It was the case for both him and Xia Xishuang, and it was inevitable.

'No, we have to make my status as her Dao partner known and make them give up!'

With that thought in mind, Chen Chen ignored the look of astonishment in the eyes of the Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan and kissed Xia Xishuang on her lips.

Although he had kissed her during their journey to this place too, it was the first time he had ever kissed her in public. Xia Xishuang was so shy that she blushed, her face as red as a tomato. Even her neck was flushed.

Chen Chen pulled away only after a long kiss.

Chen Chen looked at Xia Xishuang, who was still dazed and confused. Then he took out three or four storage rings. He placed them in her hand and said loudly, "Xishuang, here are some treasures that might be of use to you. As for those 700,000 to 800,000 Spirit Stones, just take them as a meeting gift from me to the Junior Sisters and Junior Brothers of the Haoran Sword Clan."

After saying that, he cocked his head slightly to the side.

All he could see was a bunch of elites storming away indignantly with loud footsteps.

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Chapter 225: Lost Treasure

"Hah, just a motley crowd of losers who can't take a blow!"

Chen Chen smirked smugly.

At this moment, an angry face was right in front of him. She turned out to be the Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan.

"You bastard! How could you do such a thing in public? How can Xishuang face anyone in the future!?! And what were you talking about regarding those 700,000 to 800,000 Spirit Stones? How can you spout nonsense just like that?"

'What a pleasantry, it's 700,000 to 800,000 Spirit Stones we're talking about! I don't even have Spirit Stones that swell!'

After saying that, she grabbed the storage rings in Xia Xishuang's hand and sensed them carefully.

She fell silent, and her expression became extremely unnatural.

There were truly 700,000 to 800,000 middle-grade Spirit Stones, which turned out to be the least valuable among all the things in the storage rings.

"Could it be that there is suddenly an excessive supply of Spirit Stones in this world?"

The Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan couldn't help but suspect.

"Master, it's just a mere 700,000 to 800,000 Spirit Stones, don't make such a big fuss out of it. The Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan is not deficient in Spirit Stones."

Chen Chen smiled calmly, but his heart was full of disdain.

'Compared to Yu Qiong, this Saintess is too inexperienced. She hasn't seen much of the world at all. She's probably poor too. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so shocked by the sight of these Spirit Stones.'

'Fortunately, this Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan is not the same as Yu Qiong. Otherwise, if she turns Xishuang into naive fools like my eight Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, who should I gripe with?'

The Saintess of the Haoran Sword Clan stopped talking and quietly handed the storage rings back to Xia Xishuang. She gradually looked increasingly confused, seemingly doubting life.

Xia Xishuang thought about it and handed over the storage ring that contained the Spirit Stones to her master.

After all, Chen Chen said that they were meant for her Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters.

Chen Chen's actions won him the favor of many disciples of the Haoran Sword Clan. Many of the young female cultivators even gazed at him with admiration in their eyes.

Xia Xishuang deliberately blocked those gazes and said softly, "It's too far to travel from the Western Border to the Eastern Border. It's been hard on you throughout this journey."

"It's okay, I might have an interesting encounter on the way."

Chen Chen said with a hidden meaning.

Chen Chen lingered for a long time since they were both reluctant to part ways, but Chen Chen eventually had no choice but to leave.

...

On the way back to the Eastern Border, Chen Chen naturally used the tracking system throughout the entire journey, to pick up treasures and make up for all those that he had given away.

However, by the time he got to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan, it was a day later than the time limit Yu Qiong warned him.

Yu Qiong was just about to lose her temper, but Chen Chen quickly gave her a few wooden boxes.

"I found some specialties along the way. Please accept them, Master!"

Hearing his words, Yu Qiong finally looked abstemiously angry. She knew it was normal for couples to be wishy-washy about parting ways so she could understand Chen Chen's delay in arriving back at the clan after sending his Dao partner back.

Besides, traveling from the Western Border to the Eastern Border was the same as crossing over the entire territory of the human race.

"I'm going to bet on treasures with Elder Dongfang tomorrow, come along with me."

Yu Qiong said indifferently a few moments later.

Surprised to hear this, Chen Chen asked, "Master, could it be that the last ingredient required for the elixir that you want to refine is with Elder Dongfang?"

"No, it's because Elder Dongfang has taken a fancy to one of my treasures." Yu Qiong shook her head.

However, she still couldn't help but have a trace of excitement in her eyes when Chen Chen mentioned the elixir.

Seeing her reaction, Chen Chen became increasingly curious, and he asked in a bid to sound her out, "Master, what kind of elixir are you going to refine? Is it worth going to such great lengths? If you refine more than one elixir, can you give one to me?"

"Get lost!" Yu Qiong didn't answer him and simply said those words to make him get those ideas out of his head.

Chen Chen wasn't discouraged, and his desire to become stronger wouldn't cease there. All people with great perseverance and determination were like that. Hence, he asked again, "Master, I have once cultivated in the Haoran Sword Pool of the Haoran Sword Clan before. Those days... Tsk! My cultivation level soared, and I improved rapidly! Is there such a place in the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan?"

"Of course, there are 72 Heaven and Earth Spirit Fires on the peak of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan that constitute the Divine Fire Illusory Realm."

"Only the most devout alchemists can enter it and have the chance to obtain one of the Spirit Fires. Those who obtain the Spirit Fire of the Divine Fire Illusory Realm will eventually, without exception, all become the top alchemists of the human race."

Yu Qiong said proudly.

Chen Chen was speechless.

What he wanted the most right now was to become stronger, not refine pills.

Yu Qiong seemed to be able to tell what Chen Chen was thinking since she snickered and said, "If you just want to raise your cultivation level, it'd be simple to do so. I have at least ten elixirs that can help increase the cultivation levels of Nascent Soul realm cultivators! However, you have an innate spirit body, so it won't be appropriate to enhance your cultivation level with elixirs because it will affect the purity of your constitution.

"However, you can find some top treasures and swallow them as they contain almost no impurities, unlike elixirs. Back then, I just...uh, relied on my great perseverance to cultivate this realm."

Chen Chen nodded. He had such treasures too, though not many. Currently, they were only enough to increase his cultivation level to the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm. However, he was about to reach the Essence Soul realm, and thus, consuming them now would be quite a waste.

What he was most worried about at the end of the day was the Thunder Tribulation.

The increase in strength from cultivation alone was not enough for him to deal with the Thunder Tribulation and reach the Essence Soul realm.

What he needed was a qualitative change, such as the birth of divine senses and a change in the constitution.

After a long silence, Chen Chen thought of the designated tracking opportunity he had, and he reckoned that Yu Qiong should know more about the secrets and treasures of this world than he did.

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Chen Chen continued. "Master, are there any lost treasures in this world that haven't been found?"

"Or is there any bigwig who declared that the person who finds something he left behind before his death, would be able to inherit his legacy and have everything?"

Yu Qiong was a little amused by his words. 'Instead of thinking about cultivating, he thinks about these surreal things all day.'

'Of course, there are treasures, but it's not that easy to find them. Otherwise, if it was that easy to find, there wouldn't be any legends.'

However, she still answered Chen Chen's question eventually.

"Of course there are. More than five thousand years ago, the devil of the Seven Lethal Demon Clan and the chiefs of two of the top eight demons went missing together. It's said that they died together, but the place of their death is unknown. The demon that brings supreme heretical treasure, the Demon Halberd, every day has also vanished.

"More than three thousand years ago, the Haoran Sword Clan's Supreme Elder who was at the peak of the Void Refinement realm, also broke through and ascended. Before he did, he left his legacy casually in the human frontier, but no one has found it so far."

...

After talking about almost all the other three major clans, Yu Qiong finally sighed softly.

"Of course, the most unfortunate thing is...that the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan lost a supreme treasure 4,300 years ago."

"What happened?" Chen Chen was interested.

He had already been coveting the treasures that she mentioned, and he wished he could use the designated tracking opportunity to find some on the spot. However, seeing the way Yu Qiong was now, he was extremely curious. It seemed that the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan's treasure was more valuable than the other treasures.

"So 4,300 years ago, the previous clan master of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan had just retired and was ready to transcend the tribulation, then broke through the peak of the Void Refinement realm to ascend."

"To do so, he prepared a supreme divine elixir, but unfortunately, it fell short of a single herb. Later on, rumor had it that the herb was available elsewhere, so he went to search for it alone. At that time, the old clan master was full of vigor, and his cultivation level reached the peak of the Void Refinement realm. With the treasure on him, he roamed in an unbridled manner. However, he never came back again after he left. We sent many people to search for him but to no avail..."

"What treasure is it?" Chen Chen swallowed his saliva.

Yu Qiong glanced at Chen Chen before sighing.

"It's the treasure that the predecessors of the human race used to ascend. It's called the Divine Condensation Pearl, which is an extremely rare treasure that attacks the divine senses."

"Apart from that, bringing this Divine Condensation Pearl will also allow you to continuously enhance the power of your soul and protect it. When the alchemists reach the Essence Soul realm and above, we rely mostly on our divine senses. So, this supreme treasure has been given to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan. Unfortunately, it had only stayed with us for a thousand years..."

"Divine Condensation Pearl..."

Chen Chen immediately decided in his heart when he heard the name of the treasure.

He was bent on searching for this treasure!

Now that nothing was cultivating both Qi Refinement and Body Refinement, he was deficient in divine senses. If he could obtain a treasure, he would be able to make up for his last flaw!

Chen Chen was a decisive person. If the Divine Condensation Pearl was not in this world, he would admit defeat.

"System, use that one designated tracking opportunity to find the Divine Condensation Pearl, which is a divine sense treasure."

The system paused for a moment and gave him an answer.

"The Divine Condensation Pearl is located 170,000kilometers to the east..."

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Chapter 226: Lacking Only One Element

Hearing this answer, Chen Chen felt relieved.

Fortunately, it was still within this realm. However, he didn't know how the treasure of that Void Refinement realm expert lost the treasure there.

If he went more than 150,000 kilometers east from the Eastern Border, he would reach the Boundless Sea.

As the name implied, the Boundless Sea was endless, and the countless areas of the sea were larger than the territories of the human race and demons.

There were few human cultivators in the land near the sea and some scattered islands. However, the further depths of the sea were the complete ocean.

It was the territory of the underwater demons.

Rumor had it that some extremely old demons had lived for tens of thousands of years and were massive in size. They would remain dormant and stationary for thousands of years. Once they moved, there would be tsunamis and destructive disasters that would make the earth crumble.

Chen Chen suspected that the delicious mussel was an old demon.

Those monsters had terrifying strength, and most cultivators normally wouldn't dare to dive deep into the Boundless Sea.

Hence, the underwater demons had no interest in the mainland and would hibernate in the sea all year round, completely isolating themselves from those on land.

Chen Chen pondered quietly for a moment.

'More than 150,000 kilometers to the east... That should be the deep waters of the sea.'

'Since it's deep in the sea, it means that the Divine Condensation Pearl hasn't landed in the hands of a certain cultivator.'

Of course, if it was in the belly of some great underwater demon, or in a place where even Void Refinement realm cultivators could not escape, Chen Chen could forget about it too.

Regardless, however, he had to go take a look at the situation, or he would never be willing to accept it.

Yu Qiong chided in disdain. "Kid, what are you thinking about? Are you coveting these treasures? I suggest that you save and devote your energy to cultivation. If you had done so, you would have had a breakthrough by now."

She seemed to have guessed what Chen Chen was thinking.

Chen Chen nodded distractedly without retorting.

However, in his opinion, treasure hunting was equivalent to cultivation.

'What do these mortals know?'

...

Chen Chen returned to his residence and began planning a trip to the Boundless Sea.

The Boundless Sea was incredibly dangerous, and he couldn't possibly lose his life for the sake of obtaining the Divine Condensation Pearl. No matter how precious it may be, his life was more precious.

"I just don't know if there's a treasure like the Water-Repelling Pearl."

In his previous life, Chen Chen read many myths and legends, in which treasures that could allow one to move in the water like they were walking on land, such as the Water-Repelling Pearl, were often mentioned. Hence, he naturally thought about it.

Of course, he was just thinking about it. He spent most of his time checking the various books about the Boundless Sea, as well as some travelogues written by some predecessors who had gone to the Boundless Sea before.

Soon...

He saw a piece of information that made his eyes light up with excitement.

It was a biography left behind by a senior of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan 800 years ago, in which a certain dangerous encounter was mentioned.

"That day, I encountered a vicious turtle which seemed to be of the Black Tortoise bloodline. It was superb at controlling water. My cultivation level is much higher than it, but it's an overlord of the sea. It roared once and a group of sea demons was awakened. I had no choice but to flee quickly. It took me three days and nights to escape."

It was just a short paragraph, but it was a complementing hint to Chen Chen.

The Northern Black Tortoise was one of the Four Great Divine Beasts and the strongest marine Divine Beast in the world. They were rumored to have been born in the sea of the Northern Underworld and possessed the best water-controlling abilities in the world.

'It happens when I have Green Bean.'

Thinking of this, Chen Chen was almost moved to tears.

Although Green Bean was still small and looked similar to a tortoise, it was genuinely a Divine Beast.

Chen Chen used to secretly dislike Green Bean for not being as appealing as the Green Dragon, White Tiger, or Vermilion Bird, but he gradually changed his mind about Green Bean after learning that it can break arrays.

Now...

Green Bean beats the power utilities of the Green Dragon, White Tiger, or Vermilion Bird, his intelligence so deduced.

The subtle abilities that were latent beneath its naive and wimpy appearance were extremely suitable for Chen Chen.

With that thought, Chen Chen immediately notified Yuan Qingtian, who was still in the State of Jin, to bring Green Bean on his return from Lao Hei. He decided that he would leave Lao Hei under the protection of the Dark Guards for the time being.

He couldn't bring the Dark Guards with him to the Boundless Sea.

...

The next day.

Yu Qiong personally asked Chen Chen to accompany her to the summit of the mountain, which wrought her other disciples green with envy.

Although Chen Chen had only joined the clan for a short period, he had elicited Yu Qiong's favor.

In short, Yu Qiong had never brought any disciple to the peak with her before.

Seeing how envious his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were, Chen Chen comforted them.

After all, they had been studying the Ancient Pill Formula in the past few days and helping him refine some elixirs.

He could understand why Yu Qiong chose not to take any of them with her.

It was because they were too gullible and embarrassing.

In terms of appearance, he was much more handsome than the eight of them. In terms of wit, they were probably inferior to him assuming eighty of them brainstormed together.

If Chen Chen was in Yu Qiong's place and had taken in such disciples, he'd be too embarrassed to take them out.

"Once we reach the summit of the mountain, don't show off your acting skills. Remember to use the Yin-Yang Jade, do you understand?"

Yu Qiong asked calmly along the way to the summit of the mountain.

"Don't worry, Master, I know what to do," Chen Chen said with a similarly calm expression.

It's just a trivial matter that wasn't worth getting worried about.

When they reached the summit, they saw Elder Dongfang and a few other old men who were beaming radiantly, including Elder Ouyang who had been defeated previously. Elder Ouyang seemed to be bent on getting back at Yu Qiong for what she had done previously.

"Disciple-Niece Yu, I heard that you and Senior Brother Dongfang are going to bet on treasures. You don't mind taking us along, right?"

Elder Ouyang smiled and seemed to be extremely confident.

When Yu Qiong saw their expressions, she already had a rough idea in her heart and quietly turned her treasures into more precious ones. She then smiled and said, "Since you guys are interested, I naturally won't refute, Uncle-Masters. However, I don't have many treasures to offer, please be kind to me..."

"Hahaha! That's for sure! How can we possibly bully those who are younger?"

The few old men smiled, but their expressions were cunning.

...

Two hours passed.

The smiles on their faces vanished, and their slyness turned into confusion and despair.

Yu Qiong still appeared as indifferent as usual.

Seeing that Elder Dongfang was removing his robe, which was a treasure, Yu Qiong stopped him. "Elder Dongfang, do you really have to do this? It's just a bet, how about I give you those heavenly treasures you want?"

"No...you don't have to."

Elder Dongfang's face was unusually flushed, which was strangely common among gamblers who had lost all their money.

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He initially wanted to refine a cauldron of Divine Elixirs, but he fell wanting of a certain type of herb, which Yu Qiong happened to possess. Hence, he decided to bet with her.

However, now that he had already lost all the other medicinal herbs that he originally collected and saved, he no longer falls short of anything

"Disciple-Niece, why are you so lucky!?"

Elder Ouyang asked with some confusion.

"Hah, maybe it's because of this disciple I've taken under my tutelage. He's barely capable, but he's lucky. He's like my lucky charm when I bring him around."

Yu Qiong explained.

'Hey! You're the incapable one!'

Chen Chen secretly cursed.

'Lucky charm? That's Zhang Ji's job, not mine. What does it have to do with me? I'm your accomplice in cheating!'

"Uncle-Masters, you guys weren't lucky enough today, you shouldn't continue gambling, or else you might hurt your tendons. I'll leave now. Goodbye."

After saying that, Yu Qiong slowly brought Chen Chen down the mountain.

The few elders merely smiled awkwardly when they saw this.

They would have died!

...

On the way down the mountain, there were no outsiders, so Yu Qiong lowered her status and laughed in a carefree manner.

After laughing, she didn't forget to give Chen Chen a warning.

"Remember not to breathe a word about me laughing."

While Yu Qiong was still in a good mood, Chen Chen hurriedly said, "Master, I want to go to the Boundless Sea..."

"What for? Do you want to find that Divine Condensation Pearl?"

Yu Qiong's laughter stopped abruptly, and her expression became dangerous too.

Chen Chen had a sincere expression on his face.

"Master, that last heavenly treasure that went missing should also be from the Boundless Sea, right? I want to go there and find it for you, only then can I repay your kindness to me, Master."

"Do you think I believe you?" Yu Qiong said with a smirk. She seemed to be saying to Chen Chen: "You think I don't know you well enough?"

Hearing her words, Chen Chen's tone turned slightly conceited, and he spoke compellingly.

"I'm sure you know that I'm very sensitive to treasures. Otherwise, I wouldn't have so many assets... Rumor has it that there are many treasures within the Boundless Sea, maybe I can find some for you. Remember, you're missing one treasure for the refinement of your elixir!"

Hearing this, Yu Qiong grabbed Chen Chen's hand with a gleaming gaze.

"Chen Chen, do you want to go to the Boundless Sea?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, I'll believe you just this once. Here's a storage ring for you. Remember, don't be too greedy, return immediately if you encounter any danger. Don't put on a strong front."

As Yu Qiong spoke, she placed the storage ring onto Chen Chen's hand.

Chen Chen sensed it carefully and realized that it contained treasures that could be used in the Boundless Sea. There wasn't any Water-Repelling Pearl, but there was a Water-Repelling Mask.

Yu Qiong had plans of delving into the Boundless Sea, but she hadn't pushed through with her plan yet.

"Don't worry, Master, I won't escape with your items."

Chen Chen chuckled and put away the storage ring.

Now, he just had to wait for Yuan Qingtian to bring Green Bean over, and he would be able to try delving into that unknown sea.

However, he wondered if he could successfully find that Divine Condensation Pearl, which had been lost for thousands of years.

Chapter 227: Boundless Sea

Yuan Qingtian took Green Bean along with him, feeling somewhat excited.

'Why would the Senior Brother need Green Bean? It's definitely for stealing...I mean, taking something. I wonder where his target is.'

While flying, Yuan Qingtian secretly planned to perform well this time and strive to impress his Senior Brother's heart.

The thought of Zhang Ji made him perceive extremely under duress.

Zhang Ji's Nascent Soul realm cultivation level was much higher than his, and he was allegedly the disciple of the Seven Lethal Demon Clan, whose background must be stronger than his.

'This time, Zhang Ji impersonated the Senior Brother and protected him from an ordeal. My Senior Brother must be commending him even more.'

'I must work harder.'

He maintained clandestine throughout the entire journey, and there were no mishaps. Yuan Qingtian rushed to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan and saw Chen Chen.

"Senior Brother, I've brought Green Beans here. Where are we going now!?"

Yuan Qingtian handed the Little Carefree Immortal Palace to Chen Chen with an expectant gaze.

Chen Chen glimpsed at him and said, "I'm going out alone this time. Stay in the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan and cultivate well. Try your best to break through to the Nascent Soul realm as soon as possible."

Yuan Qingtian's expression froze and his face petrified when he heard his words, feeling as if he had been dealt with a huge blow.

'Senior Brother is not going to take me along...'

'Well, that's not hard to understand. Now, all the opponents that Senior Brother is facing are Essence Soul realm cultivators, whom I can't escape from since I'm only at the Core Formation realm. I'll only be a burden to him.'

Thinking about this, Yuan Qingtian gradually felt depressed and frustrated with his weakness.

"Cultivate well, don't think too much. The place where I'm headed this time is truly dangerous. I would rather spare you and wrestle the perils alone."

Chen Chen smiled and comforted while giving Yuan Qingtian many items to enhance his cultivation.

'I have to spite this kid a little. His Core Formation realm cultivation level is too weak.'

"Yes, I know, Senior Brother, I will cultivate well."

Yuan Qingtian lowered his head and agreed. Although he was dense, he could still tell that Chen Chen despised him for being too weak.

Having figured that out, he can't help but be racked with low spirits again.

"You should go outside more often together with Senior Sister Zhou Shu. Having a goal will strengthen your belief in becoming stronger!"

After saying those words, Chen Chen and Yu Qiong bade goodbye to the other disciples and then left the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan to head to the east.

...

The Eastern Border was located in the easternmost part of the human territory, and if one were to head further east, they would reach the Boundless Sea.

Rumor had it that there was also the Boundless Sea at the Western Border of the demon territory.

Chen Chen studied geography in his previous life and this world, there was also such a thing as a horizon. Hence, he was almost certain that this world was round.

However, it was much larger than the world.

He reckoned that there shouldn't be any great discoveries as others would have already found them, given how powerful the Void Refinement realm powerhouses were.

...

After a day's journey that included passing through several small vassal states, Chen Chen found the Boundless Sea.

Compared to the inner sea in the southern region of Great Jin, the spiritual energy above the Boundless Sea was quite dense. Although it was not as good as some blessed lands, its standard was comparable to that of the Eastern Border.

The dense spiritual energy was the very reason why there were so many demons under the sea.

Needless to say, there were also treasures.

"Senior, do you want to explore the sea?"

As soon as Chen Chen landed, there was a shriek that appeared from somewhere nearby. He examined the peripherals, only to see a spirit boat stationed on the sea near him. There were three or four cultivators on the spirit boat, all of whom were dressed in gray robes and were waving their hands at him.

Seeing this, Chen Chen directly flew over, and in a flash, he boarded the spirit boat.

Seeing how fast Chen Chen was moving, the few gray-robed cultivators had drastic changes of expression, but they soon smiled again.

"Senior, if it's your first time here in the Boundless Sea, I can work as your tour guide. We're more than 1,500 kilometers away from land. The cultivators on the Flying Dragon Island are very familiar with the sea area within 5,000 meters here. With us leading the way for you, you may take a lot fewer detours."

"How many Spirit Stones do you charge?"

Chen Chen was straightforward.

Although he had the system with him and was not likely to get lost, he still wanted to have more contact with the cultivators of the Boundless Sea to deepen his understanding of it.

"1,000 Spirit Stones...for a day."

The leader of the group mustered the courage to say.

Chen Chen glanced at them and could tell that their cultivation levels were all at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Being able to earn at least a thousand Spirit Stones a day with such a low cultivation level was something that those on land wouldn't dare to think about at all.

In small vassal states like the State of Jin, even some Core Formation realm cultivators didn't have that many assets.

Seemingly having seen through what Chen Chen was thinking, the leading cultivator in gray robe said, "We have to pull plenty of connections and use lots of resources to pass this sea without any hindrance. We will directly receive less than a third of the 1,000 Spirit Stones... Senior, please rest assured that we do not mean to deceive you."

Chen Chen felt relieved. He understood that there were rules in the Boundless Sea too.

"Okay, take me to the east, to the farthest island from here."

The few of them were shocked to hear his words.

Those who usually intended to explore the depths of the ocean, and those who dared to explore the Boundless Sea were truly at least at the Nascent Soul realm.

They didn't expect Chen Chen to have already reached the Nascent Soul realm despite being at such a young age. They thought that he should be the disciple of a certain large clan on the mainland.

Thinking of this, their expressions gradually turned increasingly respectful.

"No problem, Senior, please take a seat inside," the leader bent his hand and pointed at the interior of the cabin.

Chen Chen didn't stand during the ceremony either. He simply walked straight in to see that the decor inside was extremely luxurious and worthy of 1,000 Spirit Stones a day. Apart from that, there was also an obedient and lovely female cultivator who should be a maid.

When she saw Chen Chen, she immediately served him formally with some tea.

Soon, the spirit boat began to move. Although it was not as fast as flying, it was much faster than those warships in the world where Chen Chen had come from previously.

After traveling hundreds of kilometers, Chen Chen began to search using the system in his mind.

"System, are there any precious objects within a radius of 50 kilometers?"

"Yes, there's a 4,000-year-old blood coral 78 meters below you, the Deep-Sea Spirit Spiritual Herb 90 meters diagonally below, and the 10,000-year-old water spirit herb 85 meters diagonally below..."

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Hearing the answers, Chen Chen could imagine the scene under the seabed.

It was the sea area that countless cultivators had searched before. If they were in the depths of the sea...

There would be treasures everywhere!

'Tsk, tsk, tsk!'

Thinking of this, Chen Chen's heart was filled with enthusiasm.

However, he searched again with the divine sense, but the sense is very fuzzy and only a shadow of some underwater scenes could be seen while he felt as if he was looking at the world through a veil.

Divine senses were not as good as the system after all. He wondered if things would change as one's cultivation level increased.

At this time, the female cultivator came in, carrying several plates of seafood in her hand. She said with a smile, "These are some specialties of the Boundless Sea, it will be our pleasure if you try."

Chen Chen didn't stand on ceremony, nor was he worried that it might have been laced with something. He took a few bites, found its taste great, and then complimented it a few times before looking at the female cultivator.

"Aren't you afraid of encountering evil crooks when running your business? There isn't anyone else on this Boundless Sea, and your cultivation levels are not high either."

The female cultivator smiled bitterly after hearing his words that made her face slightly stiffened. "Senior, you flatter us. No one who can make it to this sea will be interested in the meager assets that we have... If we encounter such a person, the island owner nearby would not let them escape."

Chen Chen didn't probe further, but he perceived it rather unbelievable.

'Island owner? Bullshit. If I'm a bad goon and kill all of them before throwing their corpses, how can the island owner know anything? If I'm the evil gangster, I won't even give them a threadlike chance of relaying a message to anybody.'

The female cultivator perhaps said that out of fear.

A pre-boarding identity mandatory registration can easily settle this kind of problem.

However, he had read many records about this Boundless Sea before coming and knew that many cultivators headed to the Boundless Sea for the sake of hiding from their enemies and assassination.

People like them could not have their identities exposed.

Hence, if their identities were registered, their business will lose half.

'It's pretty hard on these low-level cultivators too. Their lives depend on whether others have a conscience or not. They're lucky they met someone like me or else, the consequences would be unimaginable.'

Chen Chen thought to himself and could not help but smile.

"System, who is the most conscionable person within a hundred-meter radius?"

"It's you, Host."

Chen Chen was pleased to hear that answer.

However, after thinking about it, he felt that there seemed to be something wrong.

"System, are there any evil crooks within a 100-meter radius?"

"Yes, two meters ahead, and four meters ahead..."

Soon the system listed five answers, and it happened that there were five people in this boat aside from him.

"Damn it!"

Chen Chen slammed his chopsticks and spat out the food in his mouth.

'I rarely take sympathy from others and now that I have, it turns out that they're just a bunch of fake and evil people.'

'It's barely easy to trust people!'

"Senior, what's wrong? Is the seafood not delicious?" The female cultivator asked feebly.

"Nothing, it's just that I'm suddenly in a bad mood."

Chen Chen stared at the harmless female cultivator and stopped speaking after sighing.

Chapter 228: There Are Lots Of Traps In The Sea

'Life is like a show, and people wear an act every single day. These people are not easy. Am I in trouble?'

Chen Shen frowned slightly. In his previous life, he had read some historical novels which stated that unscrupulous merchants would usually act according to the situation.

When encountering rich and gullible customers, they would resort to ruthless means; not only would they rob them of their money, they would even kill them.

When encountering those who were poor, they would spare them off. To put it nicely, they were robbing the rich to help the poor.

'Do they have the same business model here?'

However, on second thought, he presumed otherwise.

'What can this bunch of low-level cultivators do? Who can they attack? Rob me of money? They gotta have what it takes before they can do that.'

Chen Chen shook his head. At the end of the day, he was still just a young man who hadn't had much experience in life and didn't understand the darkness of the world.

God knows what arrangements this group of low-ranking cultivators had made for him, a mighty figure of the Nascent Soul realm.

Chen Chen did not want to take any risks, nor did he want to jeopardize himself in the hands of unconscionable people.

'I don't want to think about it anymore! I'll bid them goodbye!'

With that thought in mind, Chen Chen stood up and said to the female cultivator, "Something cropped up, I badly need to leave."

The female cultivator was startled by his words and hurriedly asked, "What is so important, Senior? There are few islands here. It'll be very troublesome if you get lost."

Chen Chen was unsure whether they planned any evil intentions towards him or not, but he was certain about it after hearing those words.

'Why would an unethical person be so nice?' He didn't want to believe it.

He placed himself in the shoes of the female cultivator. If he was, he would not be willing to serve a person who could kill them effortlessly.

The fact that they didn't laugh out loud despite seeing that the guests were about to leave, was an act of professionalism.

They wouldn't make him stay unless they had other thoughts in mind.

Chen Chen almost could not help but notice and analyze them again. As a cultured person, he didn't like cursing, but it was atrocious that a bunch of Foundation Establishment realm cultivators dared to scheme against him!

"You don't have to worry anymore. Goodbye!"

Chen Chen sneered and walked straight out of the cabin. Without even looking at the few Foundation Establishment cultivators outside, he flew towards the distance.

He did not have the time to feign vulnerability and pretend to be weaker than he was in front of those few Foundation Establishment cultivators.

He couldn't be bothered to kill those low-level cultivators just based on suspicion too.

Besides, since they had the guts to run an unscrupulous business at sea, it was more likely than not that they had some backup plans for instances that unfavorable circumstances do not happen accordingly. He didn't wish to use himself to find out what they were.

If his plan backfired, there would be no way he could reason with anyone. Xia Xishuang was still waiting for him on the Western Border, so he couldn't die.

When on foreign land, it would be better to be careful.

...

Chen Chen flew thousands of kilometers to the east before finally stopping on an island.

The island was called the East Pole Island. As its name suggests, it was the easternmost island on the Boundless Sea. Any further would reach them in the deep sea.

The island was very prosperous, and there were all sorts of amenities on it, with large human traffic.

Chen Chen decided to stay behind and explore, to get more information before proceeding to the east. The location of the Divine Condensation Pearl was still more than 100,000 miles east from this East Pole Island.

Chen Chen didn't dare to imagine what kind of sea it was.

If possible, he would prefer to follow some ships to the sea instead of going alone. Otherwise, traveling such a long distance alone would be scary.

A few moments later, he arrived at a large restaurant on the island.

There were quite a few cultivators in the restaurant, and almost none of them was below the Core Formation realm. Besides, most of them were emitting a strong odor of the sea. They were cultivators who had been lurking in the Boundless Sea for years.

"Senior, you've just arrived at the Boundless Sea, haven't you? What would you like to eat?"

Seeing that Chen Chen was a fresh face, the waiter of the restaurant hurriedly rushed over to attend to him.

"Just something to eat. My main purpose of coming here is actually to inquire about something."

Chen Chen said while giving a few dozen more Spirit Stones.

Seeing this, the waiter didn't stand during the ceremony and instead gave some instructions to the staff in the kitchen before sitting beside Chen Chen, looking as if he was all ready to talk.

Chen Chen first told the waiter about his encounter on the boat.

Hearing this, the waiter immediately pretended to be scared while giving Chen Chen a thumbs-up.

"Senior, you are truly impressive. Those people are indeed bandits. There aren't many great demons in the sea within a 5,000-kilometer-radius, but there are still some terrifying sea demons of the Essence Soul realm."

"Those people often feed cultivators to these terrifying sea demons of the Essence Soul realm which are intelligent creatures. After eating the high-level cultivators, the demons would spit out the storage rings belonging to those cultivators and throw them at those people."

"In the long run, both parties have formed a tacit agreement that would bring them mutual benefit. Over the years, countless Core Formation realm cultivators have died in their hands without knowing the reason."

"Those few low-level cultivators can do that?" Chen Chen was a bit surprised.

The waiter hurriedly waved his hand and said, "No, the group I'm talking about is a major faction. One of the reasons they sent the low-level cultivators to do it is to let the people who board the boat lower their guards."

"Secondly, the lives of these low-level cultivators are worthless to them so that even if they die, they can be replaced easily."

"Lastly, the native islanders on this Boundless Sea who are tour guides have very low levels of cultivation. Hence, the cultivators sent by that faction can easily pretend to be one of them."

Chen Chen had an epiphany.

'I have to admit that there are plenty of dangers in the sea. It's much better on land.'

Of course, if he ran into that group of people next time, he might have to slap them to death.

"I want to travel to the deep sea, is there a crew who is heading there too?"

Chen Chen asked again.

"Haha, you must be kidding Senior, almost everyone in East Pole Island wants to explore the depths of the sea to search for treasures."

"If you'd like to search for treasures also, there are more than a dozen of large spirit boats that you can choose from every day."

"Some of the boats are operated by cultivators, and some belong to those who specialize in this industry. Some would dare to travel as far as 35,000 to 40,000 kilometers deep into the ocean, and the entire trip to and fro would take nearly a month."

"It all depends on your own choice, Senior. Of course, if it's your first time in the Boundless Sea, I suggest that you board the boat of those who specialize in this industry. There is truly high danger in the sea, and once those cultivators find any great treasures, they won't hesitate to kill and snatch the treasures."

As the waiter spoke, his eyes lit up with the light of Spirit Stones.

He could work part-time as an agent.

Chen Chen could not be bothered to look for others either. He simply said, "I want to get on a ship that goes farthest of the sea and will set off preferably within three days."

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When the waiter heard his words, his eyes glistened even more brightly, and he hurriedly said, "There's a large boat that is set to sail 35,000 miles into the depths of the sea tomorrow. The owner of the boat is a cultivator from an Essence Soul realm powerhouse, and under his escort, your safety will be guaranteed, although it's quite expensive. A round trip will cost you 20,000 middle-grade Spirit Stones."

,000 middle-grade Spirit Stones...

That price naturally meant nothing to Chen Chen.

'However, if the owner of the ship can bring a hundred cultivators on board at a time, will he not earn two million Spirit Stones in one trip?'

Chen Chen marveled in his heart. Although that efficiency of making money could not be compared with his, it was much better than that of the Essence Soul realm powerhouses on land.

"So, how are you considering it, Senior? Are you interested?" The waiter asked nervously.

"Sure, please reserve a spot for me," Chen Chen immediately agreed.

'Since he runs such a huge business, he cares about his reputation. He probably won't ruin his business for the sake of robbing a few cultivators.'

Chen Chen was not worried about that.

Of course, the most important thing was that he could silently assess the risks of the Boundless Sea when he was on the ship before finally deciding whether to take the Divine Condensation Pearl or not.

...

He spent the night in the restaurant which doubled as an inn.

In the following morning, the waiter led Chen Chen to board the large boat at sea.

The large ship was 200 meters long and 50 meters wide, with a various densely packed array of patterns engraved on it. Chen Chen could tell at a glance that its value was astonishing.

There were three or four other boats around the large ship.

"Senior, do you have underwater treasures? To find treasures in the deep Boundless Sea, you will have to personally dive underwater. If you don't have a few underwater treasures, I'm afraid it'd be difficult for you to get something after delving down the sea."

Seeing that the shopkeeper still wanted to do business, Chen Chen waved his hand and boarded the ship.

Yu Qiong had prepared those things for him a long time ago.

After boarding the ship, he realized that there were more cultivators on board than he had imagined. There were a total of more than 150 people!

'Three million Spirit Stones! Damn it!'

Chen Chen was greatly astonished. 'Damn it, if there are three or four of such ships here, they can form a large clan!'

'Luckily, this trip takes a month, otherwise, this money-making efficiency can catch up with mine.'

"Is everyone here?"

A majestic voice came from the center of the ship.

"Yes!" a cultivator answered.

"Let's set off now then. I hope you can all gain something this time."

After the majestic voice gave the order, the huge boat was immediately engulfed in the light of a vastly complex array. However, it was just a shield of spiritual power that was not inferior to the great Mountain Protection Arrays.

The giant ship seemed to be sailing towards some desolate land instead of the depths of the sea.

Many cultivators on the boat immediately became nervous when they saw this.

Chen Chen was looking up into the distance.

The Boundless Sea was truly endless, and the turquoise seawater had completely blocked the divine senses.

Under the deep sea, rare treasures and terrifying sea demons were lurking everywhere, which even some Essence Soul realm experts were unaware of.

At this time, a layer of large waves suddenly stirred up in the distance, reaching a height of ten meters. It was like an abyss had suddenly been opened on the calm sea. It was inordinately eerie and terrifying.

Although the ship had yet to depart, they were faced with a huge sense of mystery.

Chapter 229: Plain, Simple, And Mundane

The giant ship gradually began to set sail, and the group of cultivators each returned to their temporary abodes on the giant ship.

Since it was a trip that cost 20,000 Spirit Stones, the decor in the rooms was extremely luxurious.

Seeing this, Chen Chen felt much better.

The cost of construction of the giant ship alone was remarkably expensive.

Besides, the array had to be open at all times throughout the journey, making the consumption of Spirit Stones extremely high.

Besides, the Spirit Stones that they earned would not be remitted entirely to that Essence Soul realm expert alone.

When Chen Chen first boarded the ship, he sensed it carefully and detected that ten Nascent Soul realm cultivators were acting as guards in addition to the shipowner who was at the Essence Soul realm.

There were also nearly a hundred other people who played different roles.

Although he would still be raking in lots of profits, Chen Chen was no longer envious. After all, what he did to make money didn't require capital or taking risks.

The rules for treasure-hunting were considerably simple.

Foremost, the cultivators may delve down and search through the sea at any time they desire, but they have to withstand within 10 kilometers from the ship.

Next, the giant ship will stop for half a day for every 5,000 kilometers traveled. During this half a day, the cultivators' search area can be spread to a 250-kilometer radius with the giant ship as the center.

...

When the giant ship had just set off, the cultivators on board did not have much desire to pitch into the sea to search for treasures because small boats were searching the sea near the East Pole Island every day.

The probability of them finding some excellent treasures in the sea was somewhat low.

Besides, the rich people in this giant ship all maintain an aura of superiority, if they rummage around the sea now, that would make them appear famished as the poor people on the small boat.

After the giant ship traveled for 500 kilometers, some rushing cultivators finally started plunging down the core of the sea.

Chen Chen noticed their equipment. Most of them were wearing specially tailored clothes that would allow them to be isolated from the seawater, thus saving lots of spiritual power.

During this journey, the cultivators spent most of their time under the water. To them, the giant ship was not only a supply point but also a pillar of emotional support.

Spiritual power could not be replenished underwater. If they could use lesser spiritual power to protect their bodies, they would be able to save more spiritual power and have ample time searching for treasures under the sea.

Chen Chen naturally wouldn't slack off on the ship because he had long wanted to delve into the depths of the ocean.

Chen Chen took out the Water-Repelling Shield that Yu Qiong had provisioned him and dived into the sea.

Compared to other cultivators who swam around in the endless sea, he was moving freely on the sea like he was walking on land.

Yu Qiong's treasures were superiorly efficient. The Spirit Stones entirely intensify the Water-Repelling Shield. Not only could it protect the bearers from seawater erosion, but it would also allow them to control and move freely. It was just like a small submarine treasure.

However, the underwater treasures could not allow one to have a wider view like the Water-Repelling Shield could.

As soon as Chen Chen reached the heart of the ocean, he saw a huge point of light in the coral reef below before he could even use the system.

He went over to inspect, only to behold a human head-sized pearl in the crevice of the coral reef!

Holding that pearl in his hand, Chen Chen was suddenly speechless. If it was placed in a room, it could light up the entire room and serve as a main source of light.

"So tacky! It's too tacky! Xishuang probably wouldn't like this, though Master might."

After muttering to himself, Chen Chen moved the luminous pearl away.

"System, what are the precious items within a hundred-meter radius?"

"There are some deep sea crystal ores in the coral reef in front of you, internal alchemy of fallen Core Formation realm sea demons in the sand, 30 meters to the left, and a 7,000-year-old Deep Sea Spirit Ginseng, 50 meters below you..."

The system listed seven or eight answers at once. Chen Chen marveled in awe.

'It's almost as if I used wide-range tracking.'

'Within just a hundred meters, a myriad of treasures are already visible. Wouldn't it be grandiose if I keep exploring further?'

Chen Chen was a little worried that he might get carried away before he could even find the Divine Condensation Pearl.

He safely stuffed those seven or eight items into the storage ring while observing the other cultivators in the sea. At this point, they were all like mermaids who were searching everywhere.

However, it gradually turned extremely dark under the sea. Apart from the human head-sized pearl, the other treasures weren't that easy to find.

It was especially tough because some treasures were covered by the sea sand or hidden among the coral reefs. Hence, there was no chance for them to find them. They still had to follow behind the giant ship.

Getting a glance was good enough. There was no time to search in detail at all.

"Hurry up and find some treasures! Are you swimming for fun?"

Seeing that the group of people was moving past all sorts of excellent treasures while still searching desperately, Chen Chen felt worried about them but placed all those items into his storage ring.

Before he knew it, he had already traveled for a thousand kilometers with the giant ship.

Collecting treasures was an exhausting endeavor. Along the way, Chen Chen had collected numerous treasures, and his arms were already getting numb. For treasures that were less than 10,000 years old were basically out of his consideration.

He was about to fall asleep while collecting the treasures when the system suddenly prompted him with an alert.

"There is a million-year-old Crimson Blood Coral, 98 meters below you."

Hearing this prompt, Chen Chen instantly perked up. He focused on what sounded like it was a million-year-old treasure.

Almost instantly, he arrived at the location provided by the system.

There were countless swimming fishes in the reef, and the Crimson Blood Coral was nowhere in sight.

Refusing to resign from fate, Chen Chen gently rubbed the reef at the designated location of the system.

He swept away the finger-thick seaweed, and all of a sudden, a red ray of light emerged out of the sea surface like a laser!

At the same time, a rich wave of blood energy swarmed towards Lin Li, almost knocking him unconscious.

"Damn!"

Chen Chen shrieked in shock before quickly putting that "reef" into the Little Carefree Immortal Palace.

Several cultivators near him also seemed to have been attracted by the red stream of light as they all subconsciously looked over, but Chen Chen ignored their gazes and left calmly.

Once he left, a group of people swam into the reef and began to look around.

After searching for about a minute, and seeing that they were about to stray more than 10 kilometers away from the giant ship, the crowd had no choice but to leave reluctantly.

...

Chen Chen sensed the "reef" in the Little Carefree Immortal Palace and was at a loss for words.

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The million-year-old Crimson Blood Coral was wrapped in seaweed, and only the portion that he had rubbed was revealed.

However, it emitted an extremely dazzling ray of light.

When Green Bean saw that, it crawled over and spurted a mouthful of water to wash the seaweed away. The true appearance of the Crimson Blood Coral, which was the size of a small house, was revealed.

However, Chen Chen could not see the true appearance of the Crimson Blood Coral because the entire Little Carefree Immortal Palace was red, and he felt as if he had entered a brimming blood-colored world. All he could see was a vague red sun in the middle!

In addition, there was also the majestic power of Qi and Blood!

It was truly a terrifying treasure!

Chen Chen reckoned that if he gave it to Zhou Renlong, who mainly cultivated the power of Qi and Blood, he would be able to reach the Essence Soul realm.

"It's too scary and pompous... I have to cover it with something."

Chen Chen could not help but shake his head.

On the other hand, Green Bean showed a strong desire to come out.

Seeing this, Chen Chen grabbed Green Bean by its shell and pulled it out of the Little Carefree Immortal Palace.

As soon as Green Bean entered the sea, it jumped around happily but soon after, the surrounding fishes vanished without a trace. It then had no choice but to send Green Bean back into the Little Immortal Palace.

Back in the Little Carefree Immortal Palace, Green Bean was still moving its limbs around, and when it saw that the surrounding fishes had vanished, it crawled back to the Crimson Blood Coral while looking at Chen Chen pitifully with its beady eyes.

"I'll let you go out when there's no one around anymore! Now's not the time!"

While Chen Chen spoke, he drew some seawater into the Little Carefree Immortal Palace as a form of consolation to Green Bean.

He then put away the Little Carefree Immortal Palace and continued to hunt for treasures.

Once again, he collected treasures throughout the journey, and Chen Chen began to feel numb. He felt like he had turned into a machine that did nothing except collect treasures while shuffling through the areas designated by the system.

He didn't get carried away but merely got numb and sick of it.

At the same time, his standards of evaluating treasures were improving.

By the time the giant ship had traveled for 5,000 kilometers, the scenery in Little Carefree Immortal Palace had changed.

The boulders had all turned into shiny corals, and there were colorful spirit pearls in the room, as well as Deep Sea Spirit Ginsengs that were of different ages while displayed in an orderly manner on the shelves.

The little morning glory was extremely busy with organizing the treasures, but she also found joy in doing so.

On the other hand, the Ochre Yellow Spirit was also frolicking happily in the sea full of spiritual energy.

The scene was very fancy and flashy.

However, that was only a small part.

Chen Chen stuffed most of the things into the storage ring.

Seeing that the giant ship had finally come to a stop, Chen Chen emerged from the sea and heaved a sigh of relief.

After traveling for 5,000 kilometers in the sea, hunting for treasures was no longer pleasing him.

Seeing that the other cultivators had stopped because of the giant ship, he was so agitated that he almost burst into tears realizing that he could search seriously.

Chen Chen finally smiled genuinely.

The joy for those who had secret hacks was just that simple and mundane.

Chapter 230: Don't Forget Your Initial Resolution and You Will Reach The End

The giant ship stationed there for half a day, and the treasure hunting range of the cultivators has expanded to 250 kilometers.

However, very few cultivators would go that far.

It would be good enough for them that they could search within a few kilometers around the ship.

Of course, not everyone conceives the same regard. There were also a few cultivators who traveled dozens of kilometers away in hopes of finding some valuable treasures.

Seeing that each and everyone had their own goals, Chen Chen took a deep breath and imagined the poverty aura of the cultivators of both states, as well as his acquaintances, which aroused his desire in searching for treasures.

"System, use one 50-kilometer tracking opportunity to trace valuable treasures around me."

Chen Chen deliberately used the word 'valuable' to describe the treasure this time, but even so, the system still gave him 50 to 60 results.

"..."

"The Demon Pill left behind by the Void Refinement realm sea demon at the end of its life 1"

"800,000-year-old Deep Sea Spirit Ginseng 1"

"Deep Sea Spiritual Liquid 1"

"Remains of Armored Sea Demon that had been killed by the Thunder Tribulation 1"

...

Two hours later, Chen Chen arrived near a certain sunken ship at the sea bottom.

The wrecked ship should have been submerged in the sea for a long time, and a Nascent Soul Realm Sea Demon has lived in it. Without delay, Chen Chen smacked it to death and then began exploring the wrecked ship.

There were some corpses inside, whom he secretly collected some storage rings from.

He had no other choice but to accumulate abandoned storage rings because there were no other containers to store the treasures that he had collected throughout his journey. He ran out of storage rings provision.

Well, half of the storage rings that he brought were already full before he came here.

"Life is hard."

After sighing, Chen Chen destroyed the sunken ship and then ran around to collect dozens of treasures before flying towards the giant ship.

However, before he could see the giant ship, he felt a strong wave of spiritual power surging from the ship.

"Is this the aftershock of a battle?"

Chen Chen's expression changed, and he immediately accelerated.

When the giant ship entered the range of his divine senses, Chen Chen finally detected what was happening there.

A horrifying shrimp sea demon whose size was nearly twice of the giant ship was ravaging around manically, while the hundreds of cultivators besieged against it, desperately launching various attacks that blasted into spiritual storms.

The battle was extremely intense.

However, everything was within control. Although the sea demon had a massive physical size, its cultivation level was only at the middle of the Essence Soul realm, which was equivalent to that of the giant ship owner.

Although the sea demons had the advantage over the sea, the ship owner had the help of a huge number of cultivators who boarded the ship, in addition to his ten-odd Nascent Soul realm escorts.

Most of the cultivators were above the Nascent Soul realm in terms of the status of cultivation.

Hence, the human cultivators eventually suppressed the sea demon.

When Chen Chen reached the side of the giant ship, the sea demon had been finally defeated, and the ship owner had one of its giant pincers severed using a knife. It eventually sank into the water and fled.

They carried the giant pincer onto the giant ship, and the burly ship owner immediately appeared overjoyed. He exclaimed loudly, "Since we've defeated the sea demon, we will stay here for two more hours! Those of you who have just contributed to this battle will only need to pay half of the usual price during your next visit to this ship again! In addition, I'll also treat all of you to the meat of this Essence Soul realm sea demon! Hahahaha!"

As soon as he said that, the cultivators on the giant ship began praising the ship owner for his generosity.

After traveling for 5,000 kilometers and searching for a long time, it was indeed time for them to board the ship and get some rest to replenish their spiritual power.

...

Of course, the so-called rest didn't mean idling about and zoning out.

The group of cultivators on the giant boat organized a small trade fair where the cultivators would each exchange the treasures that were not of any use to them with another cultivator who might need them.

The ship owner also organized an auction where the cultivators would place bids for the treasures that were handed to him by some cultivators who were afraid of being harmed out there because of the treasures they carried.

However, some pompous cultivators were overjoyed with the valuable treasures they had obtained, where they outrightly paraded their treasures. However, that resulted in the antipathy of the cultivators around him, and some even exhibited deceitful stares, like they had developed something evil in their thoughts.

Seeing that there seemed to be something amiss with the expressions of the other cultivators, those showboating cultivators subconsciously smiled ambiguously while seemingly thinking about something.

Chen Chen seemed particularly out of place when he tried to blend with them.

'The deceit of the world out there has nothing to do with me, I'm just silently maintaining my inner peace and tranquility.'

'I'm not marred by this world.'

He imagined the bloodbaths that would arise somewhere in the future due to the treasures where he was unimpressed. A few Nascent Soul realm cultivators might even end up losing their lives because of them.

He had a heartened smile on his lips.

'The life of a rich man is just so mundane.'

"Little friend, is there something you want to exchange?" asked a middle-aged cultivator next to Chen Chen who got curious at the sight of Chen Chen observing the trade quietly.

Looking at the middle-aged cultivator's face, which was full of vicissitudes from living at sea for years, Chen Chen smiled coyly.

"It's my first time across the sea, and I don't have much experience nor have I found many valuable things. I'm embarrassed."

Seeing Chen Chen's kind appearance, the middle-aged cultivator was convinced of a better impression about him. He also regarded some sympathy for him because he seemed to have preserved his accounts of unforgettable experiences when he first went out to the sea.

He was also that youthful and puerile.

Hence, he began to teach Chen Chen some treasure-hunting skills without being stingy at all.

There were all sorts of tricks that involved deception and trickery.

There was even a method that involved metaphysics— one would have to find ten scrap objects and place them in their bodies to suppress the bad luck before they would get the chance to find a true treasure on the eleventh search.

It was called "after rain comes fair weather".

Looking at the middle-aged cultivator who seemed to be serious about it, Chen Chen kept nodding while listening to the things he was taught.

...

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.

The giant ship had already traveled 35,000 kilometers across the sea.

The deeper they went, the more treasures they would find.

Chen Chen even had a Deep Sea Spirit Ginseng that was over 200,000 years old in his storage ring.

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It was indeed a Spirit Ginseng because it looked just like a large tree.

Those who were unaware would think that it was just an underwater tree because no one has thought about collecting such a large Spirit Ginseng in this world. However, Chen Chen doesn't know why it didn't become a spirit yet.

The heavenly material that his Master Yu Qiong needed, was called the Green Spirit Algae. Chen Chen had found it seven days ago, and he even found three or four of them which ranged from 100,000 to 700,000 years old.

...

"If you go deeper into the Boundless Sea, you might encounter the great demons who are in the Void Refinement realm. All Daoists, we'll stay here for an hour before embarking during our return trip!"

At this moment, the ship owner's words spread throughout the giant ship.

Chen Chen silently looked into the distance, his face continuously stayed calm and composed as ever.

The other cultivators seized the time in delving down the sea in search of treasures.

Chen Chen was not in a hurry because to him, the most precious thing was the beguiling view of the Boundless Sea.

'How sad is it that that group of people has become so obsessed with treasures that they've ignored the most precious thing here?'

'Here comes the problem. Should I risk diving the ocean just to search for the Divine Condensation Pearl?"

Chen Chen was feeling rather conflicted.

For the past half a month, he hadn't been able to figure out Green Bean's deterrent effect.

All the sea demons and marine beasts would all flee in fear whenever they detected Green Bean's aura.

Even when the giant ship encountered the attacks of a few Essence Soul realm sea demons, they fled in fear when Chen Chen secretly released Green Bean.

'I wonder if Green Bean can deter Void Refinement realm sea demons.'

After dwelling on it for a moment, Chen Chen suddenly looked ashamed.

Without realizing it, he had lost himself and forgotten his initial purpose of going out to the sea.

'So what if I have even more treasures with me? Even the Divine Condensation Pearl no longer seems as precious as it used to be...'

'However, I will reach my destination only if I don't forget my original intention.'

'If I do forget it because of all the treasures I've collected along the way, how am I different from those mortals who are so engrossed in treasure hunting that they ignore the true beauty of the sea?'

"Treasures will bewitch the heart, even for a person with extraordinary determination like me."

Chen Chen secretly sighed and decided to find an opportunity to leave the giant ship to search for the Divine Condensation Pearl alone.

Halfway through the journey, a few cultivators lost contact with the ship owner. After several failed attempts to contact them, the ship owner had no choice but to give up.

Chen Chen felt that the only outcome of his silent departure would be that the middle-aged man whom he spoke to, would feel saddened.

After half a month of interaction, they had formed a friendship with each other, and he had also understood a lot of information regarding the Boundless Sea from that man.

While he was feeling melancholic, a wave of mournful music spread from the large boat at the right time.

Hearing the melancholic tune, Chen Chen almost couldn't help but burst into tears.

'That middle-aged man...would probably be really sad for a long time after finding out that I've gone missing.'

'Unfortunately, we have to part ways here.'

'This ship owner may look scruffy, but he has maintained good taste in life. He even played some music to set the mood.'

Chen Chen gently wiped the corner of his eyes, feeling rather surprised.

Immediately afterward, the ship owner, whom Chen Chen thought had good taste, roared furiously, and his voice spread everywhere!

"Who's that!?! Who's playing the demon-luring music!?"

Chapter 231: Ravage In The Deep Sea, The King Descends

Hearing his holler, all the cultivators near the giant ship had a change in expression, especially some who knew the Boundless Sea very well. They were truly frightened and began searching for the source of the sound near the giant ship without uttering a single word.

Boom!

A moment later, a human figure blasted from the giant ship cabin and flew high into the sky. The ship owner subsequently ran after. Shortly after the chase, both of them started fighting intensely on the giant ship.

"It's him!"

"How can it be him!?!"

"It's the mystery man! It's over! It's all over for us!"

...

When the cultivators saw that figure, their eyes bewailed with hopelessness, and their hearts draped with despondence like it was doomsday.

Chen Chen beheld the masked figure who was wearing a red robe, and then walked towards the middle-aged cultivator and asked, "Brother, who is this man? Why is everyone so afraid of him?"

The middle-aged man's body trembled slightly, and he was implicitly terrified. He muttered, "There is a group of mysterious forces in the Boundless Sea who relies on sea demons in hunting cultivators! This mysterious man is one of the chiefs of this force!"

"Rumor has it that he can awaken the great demons that are of the Void Refinement realm and have been hibernating in the depths of the sea! In recent decades, he has massively destroyed five or six giant ships, and the cultivators who could escape are few and far between! Since he was always wearing a mask, no one knows his true identity... So, all the cultivators of the Boundless Sea call him the mysterious man!"

After saying this, the middle-aged cultivator began to mutter to himself in bewilderment.

"Before I left, I've already been unlucky eight times, why have I encountered such a situation again... This doesn't make sense! It shouldn't be the case..."

Chen Chen ignored his metaphysics theory and quietly looked into the sky above.

He reckoned that the so-called mysterious man should belong to the same force as the few low-level cultivators who had counted on him more than half a month ago.

He didn't expect to be so unlucky as to run into that force after he boarded a ship...

While Chen Chen pondered about it, many cultivators had joined the siege against the mysterious man.

However, there were even more cultivators who were running in all directions and were drastically deterred by the mysterious man's reputation.

However, the terrifying aura blasted the fastest few cultivators into pieces that descended before they could even run far.

Only a few of the remaining Nascent Soul realm cultivators were flying towards somewhere in the sea in an unstoppable manner.

Upon sight of this, the others froze in their tracks, but before they could vividly figure out what was going on, waves that were hundreds of meters tall suddenly surged up from the calm surface of the sea. A large pincer of which size was tantamount to the giant ship, which was covered in green algae, emerged from the sea surface.

'Boom!'

The only sound left was that of the gigantic waves.

The giant ship undulated above the surface of the sea. When the waves sparingly tamed, the cultivators spotted a clear glimpse of the object that emerged.

It was a giant black-colored crustacean-type sea demon that had only half of its shell exposed on the surface of the sea. If it didn't have those large pincers, most people would think that it was just a small island.

Who would have thought that the black floating object was the armor of a sea demon!?!

Chen Chen inhaled sharply.

Even a bold person like Chen Chen couldn't help but be stunned when he saw that.

The other cultivators were undoubtedly horrified.

The mysterious masked man was truly wild and excited, and with a wave of his hand, a hood-like treasure protected him completely.

"Nan Pinghai, this is the price you pay for not remitting your offerings regularly!"

The mysterious man snickered, released a piccolo, and began to play it.

The tune of the piccolo was still as mournful as ever. Soon, "small islands" began to float over in other directions.

The ship owner Nan Pinghai's face gradually turned sullen, and he immediately summoned the other cultivators to attack the protective light shield together.

Under all kinds of powerful attacks, the light shield did not show any immediate signs of being broken, although it was trembling violently.

The mysterious man sneered while playing the piccolo.

The pincer of the Giant Crab sea demon smacked towards the giant ship!

Although the giant pincers did not touch the sea surface, a vigorous gust of whirling wind has split the entire sea surface into two!

"Turn on the formation to the maximum!"

The ship owner yelled loudly and in an instant, the ship's protection array was several times stronger! The spiritual power was so rich that others couldn't see it at all!

'Boom!'

Instantly, there was a shocking sound! The giant pincer and the protective array formation of the ship collided!

The entire ship was blown up into the sky like a toy, and it spun around seven or eight times in the air before crashing down to the sea.

'Bang!'

After falling into the sea, the ship protection array shattered with a crisp sound.

The cultivators on the ship took the initiative of jumping into the sea whilst in a trance.

Chen Chen was no exception.

Even though he was a Nascent Soul realm cultivator who practiced body refinement, he still endured excruciating pain after the collision. He reckoned that the other cultivators must have been badly injured.

When Chen Chen returned to the sea, he popped his head out to search the surroundings.

There were a total of three terrifying sea demons who were surrounding the giant ship. In this situation... they would die unless they could break through the siege of the three Void Refinement realm demons.

It wouldn't be that easy breaking through.

The difference between the Void Refinement realm and the Nascent Soul realm was negligible but once they got close, the aura of the sea demons would be enough to shake a Nascent Soul realm cultivator to death.

"Green Bean, I can only count on you..."

Chen Chen couldn't express his misery in words, and he quickly opened the water shield before diving underwater to release Green Bean.

Deep down, he was hoping that Green Bean could communicate more with the seniors in the sea relaying that they could let them escape.

The greatest tragedy in life is dying before one could get to spend their money.

For Chen Chen, it was not a matter of money. He was carrying dozens of storage rings brimmed with heavenly treasures so if he died there, he would haunt the mysterious man even as a retaliating ghost!

As soon as Green Bean dived into the sea, it began flopping around while squinting its beady eyes. After determining that he wouldn't be sent back, Green Bean began swimming around Chen Chen.

He kept switching positions too. One moment he would be swimming in backstroke and another moment in breaststroke. He was so excited that he even spurted water at Chen Chen's face.

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Its mood was the opposite of Chen Chen's.

"Green Bean, I'll leave it to you. I have to go hide in Little Carefree Immortal Palace! Take me out!"

Chen Chen was not in the mood to play with Green Bean so he directly plunged into the Little Carefree Immortal Palace.

As soon as he entered, Chen Chen felt multitudes of terrifying eyes staring in his direction.

At this moment, Chen Chen felt his soul trembling, like the sky was about to collapse!

Without even having to think about it, he knew that they were the gaze shots of the three great sea demons!

Green Bean was originally swimming on its back. After sensing the three gazes, a small pair of eyes suddenly opened and Green Bean's expression immediately turned sullen while it stopped moving.

Immediately afterwards, it directly shrunk into its shell before sinking to the sea bottom, clearly wanting to play dead.

Chen Chen, who was hiding in the Little Carefree Immortal Palace, was speechless.

However, if he could muddle through, it would be quite a good plan.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Before the Giant Crab sea demon could sink to the bottom of the sea, it was engulfed in shocking waves.

Its speed was more than twice as fast as the previous attack on the giant ship!

The entire seabed was turned upside down as if an underwater earthquake had occurred!

Chen Chen subconsciously wanted to fly out and run away with Green Bean, but before he could do so, he was rendered immobile by the massive power.

Immediately afterwards, the giant pincer clamped onto Green Bean!

The world seemed to have started spinning for Chen Chen.

When Chen Chen came back to his senses, Green Bean had already been clamped by the Giant Crab sea demon.

It was like a two-meter-tall man was pinching a grain of rice.

Looking at the eyes of the giant crab in front of him, which was several times larger than his body, Chen Chen felt a chill down his spine.

Little Carefree Immortal Palace was tied to Green Bean's body. If Green Bean was devoured, then Chen Chen, the Ochre Yellow Spirit, and the little morning glory would all die.

Green Bean finally extended its limbs and began struggling.

It was whimpering too.

There was silence in the Boundless Sea, and only the bizarre wailing of Green Bean could be heard.

Next, an incredible scene took place.

Looking at the small and almost negligible Giant Crab sea demon, the Giant Crab sea demon's eyes were full of melancholy. Immediately afterwards, two large droplets of tears dropped into the sea.

Before Green Bean could react, the Giant Crab sea demon gently placed Green Bean on its back and roared into the sky!

It was a miserable roar!

'Bang!'

With the roar, two great sea demons surfaced from the sea, one was a giant octopus while the other was a terrifying turtle.

The two demons began roaring as soon as they appeared too.

The roars of the three sea demons shook heaven and earth while the weather changed. The waves surged up, and countless creatures surfaced from the sea, which seemed to be boiling. A few Essence Soul realm sea demons also appeared with a spirit of murder in their eyes!

Green Bean, which was lying on the Giant Crab's back, was confused but...

At this moment, it felt like he was a king looking down at the world!

Chapter 232: Neither Success Nor Failure Will Last Long

When they saw the strange scene going on within 50 kilometers around them, the cultivators of the Boundless Sea were all aghast!

Who would have thought that there would be so many sea demons hidden in the Boundless Sea!?!

Unfortunately, they wouldn't have the opportunity to go back and brag about this phenomenal encounter that they had experienced.

The blockade made up of the three great sea demons that were at the Void Refinement realm alone would be impossible for them to break through.

Thinking of this, the faces of the cultivators gradually turned pale, and even Nan Pinghai's eyes were full of hopelessness.

The mysterious man's eyes were full of shock.

Although he had the ability to somewhat communicate with the great sea demons, he was far from being able to create such a phenomenon.

'Did something go wrong with the music that was played just now? Did I do something taboo?'

With that thought in mind, he began to think about each note of the music that he had just played. He gradually began to get more and more agitated, as if he was about to discover a shocking secret.

...

Only Green Bean seemed to understand the roars of the sea demons as its face gradually began to look majestic.

It had a domineering expression on its face that didn't match the size of its body.

Roar!

Afterward, ten thousand demons fell silent.

All the sea demons that had developed sentience poked their heads out of the surface of the water to look at the tiny figure on the Giant Crab sea demon like they were waiting for orders.

Roar!

Green Bean roared again, and a moment after the sea demons fell silent, they dived deep and began moving towards the east of the Boundless Sea.

Even the three Void Refinement realm sea demons were no exception.

All of a sudden, the waves rolled and surged towards the east.

The giant ship and the human cultivators who were in the middle were automatically ignored by them.

Seeing this, the mysterious man's expression gradually began to stiffen, and the mournful tune was filled with some anxiousness.

The other cultivators didn't dare to move at all, for fear that they would disrupt the departure of the demons.

As the sea demons gradually moved further away, the tone of the tune that the mysterious man was playing with his piccolo seemed to have changed completely due to their eagerness to leave. The cultivators in the sea who were severely injured began to consume recovery pills while continuously looking at the mysterious man with the corner of their eyes.

The murderous intent could not be concealed at all.

The mysterious man was only an Essence Soul realm of cultivation.

Apart from the ship owner, there were nearly a hundred Nascent Soul realm cultivators on board, and regardless of how bright the light shield may be, it would still eventually vanish at some point. As long as they worked together, they could easily get rid of him.

After sensing the killing intent of the crowd, the mysterious man's expression kept changing, and in a moment of quick-wittedness amidst his anxiety, he decided to follow behind the group of demons.

While flying, he played the piccolo. He didn't think that the cultivators that had been frightened soulless by the sea demons would dare to catch up to him.

Just as he was thinking about it, the cultivators moved forward one after another.

Although taking revenge was important, it wasn't as important as their lives, and they really couldn't afford to provoke the sea demons.

...

However, Chen Chen who was hidden in the Little Carefree Immortal Palace was displeased.

'It's fine for me to leverage on Green Bean's abilities to look like I'm formidable since I was the one who saved Green Bean with my fresh blood after all. But who is this guy? How dare he pretend, and showboat behind us too?'

Thinking about the fact that he had almost been killed by this mysterious man, Chen Chen became more and more indignant. In a moment of anger, he began to complain to Green Bean.

Green Bean and Chen Chen shared a telepathic connection, so it immediately glared at the mysterious man furiously.

Roar!

It roared faintly!

There were ripples on the calm surface of the ocean again! Seven or eight tentacles that were hundreds of meters long appeared from underwater, and in the blink of an eye, they surrounded the mysterious man!

The mysterious man did not have time to react at all, as the tentacles had already been slammed against the light shield around him.

Bang!

With a loud explosive sound, the light shield that Nan Pinghai could not shake was shattered into bits!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With a few more booms, the mysterious man laid in front of Green Bean like a dead dog.

Struggling to raise his head, the mysterious man finally saw Green Bean that no one had been paying attention to. At the same time, he also realized what happened.

Although Green Bean looked rather inconspicuous when it was on the Giant Crab, the Giant Crab was a Void Refinement realm sea demon after all. How could it be willing to let a tortoise ride climb onto its body?

The mask on his face was already a little damaged. Without thinking any further, the mysterious man bore with the pain and removed his mask to reveal his ordinary-looking face.

He then took out the remaining half of the piccolo that had been severed into two, in a bid to communicate with this sea overlord that had appeared out of nowhere.

Seeing this, Green Bean spurted out a mouthful of Black Tortoise water and blasted the piccolo into pieces.

It then roared at the Giant Crab sea demon below it.

Hearing this, the Giant Crab sea demon opened its mouth and sucked everything. It turned out that the mysterious man's essence soul had been sucked out and devoured by the Giant Crab sea demon too.

In the eyes of the Giant Crab sea demon, the mysterious man who played the piccolo was only its tool. Since the overlord's descendant, Green Bean, wanted the mysterious man to die, he would naturally have to die.

Seeing that the mysterious man had turned into a corpse, Green Bean was extremely satisfied, and he patted Little Carefree Immortal Palace.

Chen Chen was brave enough to emerge from Little Carefree Immortal Palace.

Standing on the body of this Void Refinement realm Giant Crab Demon, he had mixed feelings.

Unfortunately, there were very few treasures in this immortal martial world that could allow him to capture images. Otherwise, he would have taken a picture of it and showed it to Yu Qiong to let her see how impressive he was.

He wouldn't show it to Xiao Wuyou and Zhou Renlong, lest he frightened them.

After taking another look at the mysterious man. Chen Chen realized that he did not have the slightest impression of him. Chen Chen thought that the mysterious man should have worn another mask when he boarded the ship, to blend in with the rest, just as he did when he sneaked into the Demon Clan.

After a moment of silence, Chen Chen found four storage rings from his body. In addition to an empty one, the rest were filled to the brim.

In Chen Chen's opinion, going out with more than one storage ring was an impressive feat.

As a terrifying existence that the cultivators of the Boundless Sea had been scared of for decades, the mysterious man...was the boss of all bosses.

Unfortunately, he died there.

'I wonder if there's any shocking conspiracy...'

'What would those random forces do in the future?'

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'The young men who were zealous for revenge were probably going to be disappointed.'

"Success and failure are only temporary."

Chen Chen sighed and kicked the mysterious man towards the human cultivators.

When they saw the mysterious man's face, many cultivators shrieked.

"How is that possible!?! It's him!"

"Isn't he known to be a kind Samaritan in the Boundless Sea?!"

They were all exclaiming a name that Chen Chen had never heard before. They then turned to look at Chen Chen who was standing on the Giant Crab sea demon with his hands by his side and bathing in sunlight.

All of a sudden, everyone felt that Chen Chen was as dazzling as a god.

"It's that young cultivator with an extraordinary aura! I remember him!"

"I remember too, I thought this kid was just outstanding in appearance, but I didn't expect him to be so unfathomable!"

"What kid... Watch your words! He's very likely to be a super terrifying demon that transformed into a human form! You should call him Senior!"

Smack! Smack!

The cultivator who called Chen Chen a 'kid' hurriedly slapped himself twice.

The middle-aged cultivator who was on good terms with Chen Chen was in tears, and he kept murmuring.

"I knew it... It was to have been unlucky eight times previously! I can't believe I got to know such a terrifying figure!"

The cultivators next to him all looked at him, green with envy. At the same time, they silently noted down the fact that the cultivator had been unlucky eight times.

"Everyone, farewell!"

Chen Chen waved his hands at the crowd and then turned around to leave.

Green Bean wanted to reveal his figure but was intentionally blocked by Chen Chen.

Looking at Green Bean sticking its head out at his feet, Chen Chen suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly.

Before he started cultivating immortality, he used Lao Hei to kill a small killer.

He didn't expect to have to still rely on a tortoise like Green Bean now that he had already become a Nascent Soul realm cultivator.

...

Before he knew it...

Chen Chen had already been laying on the Void Refinement realm demon's body for two days while the sea demons also silently traveled tens of thousands of kilometers.

At this moment, there were already seven sea demons following Green Bean!

There were nearly a hundred Essence Soul realm sea demons too!

The other sea demons were traveling closely together in the distance, and they seemed endless.

With such a great army following him, Chen Chen felt truly conceited.

'The Boundless Sea may be large, but there's nowhere I can't go!'

'As for that Divine Condensation Pearl, I can get it easily.'

"Hmph! I'm the king of the Boundless Sea!"

Chen Chen looked at the surrounding demons and could not help but raise his head and roar into the sky!

In the next second, the aura of the surrounding demons suddenly changed. Chen Chen was shocked, and he hurriedly picked up Green Bean while raising it above his head!

"You! You're the king of the Boundless Sea!"

Chapter 233: Divine Condensation Pearl

After the aura of the sea demons gradually dissipated, Chen Chen slowly put down Green Bean.

"These sea demons are truly standing on ceremony."

Chen Chen wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, feeling extremely speechless. 'We've already known each other for days, and we've spent so much time together. Must they be so serious?'

...

As time passed, more and more sea demons gathered.

The sea demons were merely following them quietly and from afar, they looked just like a piece of floating land.

After heading 100,000 kilometers to the East, the team had already expanded to an extremely massive size. The area they occupied was nearly 500 kilometers. and there were no less than a hundred million sea demons!

Chen Chen felt that if he landed with these sea demons, he would be able to trample the other demons on land in a minute.

Unfortunately, it was not very realistic.

Seeing that he was getting increasingly closer to the location of the Divine Condensation Pearl, Chen Chen was a little nervous, but he was also looking forward to it.

When he arrived at the place, Chen Chen nodded at Green Bean.

Green Bean called out to the Giant Crab sea demon below it, and the Giant Crab sea demon immediately roared into the sky. The sounds gradually spread, and great sea demons in a faraway place began to respond.

Soon the demons stopped.

Looking at the sea demons that were advancing and retreating in an orderly manner, Chen Chen was full of confidence.

According to the system's guidance, the Divine Condensation Pearl was in the water below him.

And at this moment, he wouldn't panic even if there were Void Refinement realm demons below him.

Just when he was thinking about whether to go into the water to investigate, the calm sea surface suddenly vibrated violently before splitting into two and forming shocking waves that were a thousand meters high!

Some weaker sea demons' eyes were full of fear.

Even the Giant Crab sea demons had gloomy gazes!

"Who woke me up?"

Chen Chen suddenly thought of the aged voice that was full of vicissitudes.

Soon, a hideous head that was the size of a mountain slowly appeared. Under the slight vibration, a large amount of sand and soil was turned into dust while a pair of terrifying horns hundreds of meters long appeared under the sun.

"Is this... a dragon?"

Chen Chen subconsciously took two steps back.

There was a black dragon which appeared from under the sea, but its skull was as large as a Giant Crab sea demon! As for the body hidden beneath the sea, nothing could be seen except a long string of shadows.

The Black Dragon which Xiao Wuyou killed back then was just like an earthworm compared to this one!

Chen Chen did not doubt that it was a creature that was at the pinnacle of the world!

As soon as the dragon's head emerged from the sea, the Tribulation Cloud began to appear in the sky, and soon, they spread outwards quickly to cover a large portion of the sky that was nearly 500 kilometers in radius.

The dragon ignored it because all it could see at the moment was Green Bean, which was on top of the Giant Crab sea demon.

The Giant Crab sea demon and the great sea demons were all staring at the dragon with wary gazes.

After a long time, the dragon lowered its head slightly. At the same time, a voice resounded in the brains of all the sea demons in the surroundings.

"I, Ao Yu, the Commander of the Eastern Region of the Boundless Sea, welcome the return of the descendant of the Sea God."

Hearing this voice, the demons finally relaxed.

Seeing that the thunderstorm in the sky was getting more and more violent, the Giant Dragon quickly dived into the water.

However, that voice didn't just vanish.

"I'm no longer tolerated by this realm. Descendant of the Sea God, please forgive me."

Green Bean didn't seem to care about manners, but it kept drawing circles in the air with its forelimbs.

It then began to gesticulate indiscriminately while seemingly muttering some gibberish.

Chen Chen told Green Bean what the Divine Condensation Pearl looked like, but he didn't inform Green Bean how to express his intentions. Anyway, what Green Bean meant was, "I'm just here to look for a pearl, give it to me."

After gesturing, there were no longer any sounds from the bottom of the sea.

A few moments later, dozens of large and small pearl-like objects emerged from the water before falling onto the back of the Giant Crab sea demon.

Chen Chen took a casual glance, and the corner of his eyes kept twitching.

The dozens of pearl-like objects were all treasures of the utmost value, and there was even a giant mussel pearl that was emitting colorful light. However, as soon as it appeared, the surrounding spiritual energy began to become thicker at an alarming rate.

"System, is there a Divine Condensation Pearl within a ten-meter radius?"

Chen Chen had never seen a Divine Condensation Pearl either. He had merely heard Yu Qiong's description of it.

However, the Divine Condensation Pearl had been missing for thousands of years after all, and it was normal to have changes and discrepancies from the original description. Hence, for safety reasons, Chen Chen decided to ask the system about it.

"There is no such thing nearby."

The system quickly answered.

Chen Chen hurriedly and carefully told Green Bean about it.

Green Bean began gesticulating again while muttering some incoherent gibberish.

The surrounding sea demons seemed to have understood what Green Bean meant as they began to look enraged. The Giant Crab sea demon waved its giant pincers, seemingly trying to show its prowess.

There was silence in the sea.

After a long, long time, another pile of treasures flew out. This time, there were also a bunch of other treasures in addition to the pearl-like objects.

Chen Chen did not use the system, but he saw the grape-sized golden pearl at a glance.

The golden pearl was emitting a soft glow, but it made one feel pleasant and comfortable.

It was the same as the description of the Divine Condensation Pearl that Yu Qiong gave him.

"The Divine Condensation Pearl! I never thought it would be so easy to get my hands on it!"

Chen Chen was excited, but he didn't grab it himself. Instead, he glanced at Green Bean.

Seeing this, Green Bean crawled over and held the God Condensation Pearl in its arms.

As soon as it touched the pearl, the sea surface trembled slightly, but it soon calmed down again.

The dragon was not too happy about the fact that Green Bean had his sights on the Divine Condensation Pearl.

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After a long time, there was a deep sigh that spread to the surroundings.

"Descendant of the Sea God, I obtained this by painstakingly killing a human cultivator with seven or eight great sea demons. It's very valuable to me, but now that my power has already reached the pinnacle of the world, it's no longer of much use to me. Since you like it, you may have it."

"However, I hope you can promise me one thing."

Guli-Gula.

Green Bean waved its forelimbs and looked like a big shot.

"If you come to the Boundless Sea in the future but I'm no longer in this realm, please treat the Eastern Region Sea Dragon well, and support the descendants of my clan to continue to rule the Eastern Region of the Boundless Sea."

After saying those words, calmness was restored in the sea, and the massive shadow under the sea gradually disappeared.

The pearls and treasures that flew out previously were all remaining still on the Giant Crab sea demon's back at this moment.

"Indeed, he's worthy of being a big shot. How generous! Legend has it that the dragons are all petty. It seems that it's not true."

Chen Chen sighed. He didn't dare to take those items, at least not in front of the sea demons.

The sea demons were intelligent since they could cultivate the Void Refinement realm. He couldn't let the sea demons think that Green Bean was at his disposal.

With that thought in mind, Chen Chen looked at Green Bean affectionately.

His gaze was subservient and filled with a little admiration.

Green Bean also looked at Chen Chen with a puzzled gaze, seemingly trying to ask, "What do we do next?"

Chen Chen glanced at the sea demons and immediately realized a serious issue.

He was in a good mood at first, but his heart immediately became heavy.

Green Bean was a Black Tortoise that originally belonged to the Boundless Sea. The sea demons recognized Green Bean as the Lord of the Boundless Sea.

Even the dragon, whose strength reached the peak of the world, had publicly expressed his subservience to Green Bean and asked him for a favor.

'Can I take Green Bean back to the land then?'

If he obtained the Divine Condensation Pearl, but lost Green Bean, he would be at a huge loss.

However, when he recalled how much Green Bean seemed to love the sea, Chen Chen felt bitter.

He was not a selfish person and would be caring towards people and even demons he cared about.

Hence, he couldn't deprive Green Bean of its right to stay in the Boundless Sea and force it to stay with him just because it was useful to him.

At the thought of this, Chen Chen sighed and then turned around to glance at Green Bean, giving it the right to choose.

Green Bean did not hesitate and instead leaped up onto Chen Chen's shoulders while roaring at the sea demons in the surroundings.

Soon, the sea demons seemed humanely shocked and reluctant to see Chen Chen go.

When Chen Chen saw the look on the sea demons' faces, he naturally understood Green Bean's choice.

He couldn't help being touched.

'Indeed, it's the tortoise I raised with my own blood... We are related by blood after all.'

However, after Green Bean revealed its intentions, countless sea demons glowered at Chen Chen furiously! They seemed to have understood something.

Knowing that he was wrong, Chen Chen closed his eyes and continued pretending to be dead.

After a long time, Chen Chen's forehead was already covered in sweat droplets.

At this moment, a ray of light appeared among the sea demons, after which a sea demoness that had taken form, leaped into the sky and flew towards Chen Chen and Green Bean.

Chapter 234: Returning to East Pole Island

The sea demoness was dressed in black leather clothing and had green hair with blue eyes. Although her features were exquisite, and she had a great figure, she looked rather demonic.

However, she was the most humanoid-looking demoness among the billions of sea demons.

Sea demons were inferior to demons so it was extremely difficult for them to take form. Besides, the sea demons were not interested in taking human form because it would affect their mobility in the sea.

The sea demoness was different. Of course, she could be a mermaid.

Chen Chen kept speculating in his mind.

...

At this time, the Giant Crab sea demon was muttering some gibberish to the sea demoness who nodded and then knelt on one knee in front of Green Bean.

"King, it's possible to return to that land, but you must let me, your slave, accompany you so that I can protect your safety."

When Chen Chen heard the word 'slave,' his heart twitched.

If he sensed correctly, the cultivation level of the sea demoness should be at the Essence Soul realm.

It was the first time he had seen an Essence Soul realm powerhouse calling herself a slave without feeling any discomfort.

Green Bean subconsciously looked at Chen Chen while the surrounding sea demons began to glare at him with a threatening gaze.

Chen Chen nodded awkwardly, and the angry gazes finally vanished.

Although the sea demoness did not look much like a human, she could accept it as long as she put on some makeup.

'I'll at most let her and Green Bean stay together in Little Carefree Immortal Palace.'

At the thought of this, Chen Chen was a little envious.

'Green Bean is just a tortoise, but he has beauty as his bodyguard. Why don't I have one too?'

'This is a bit unreasonable.'

Thinking about the pile of heavenly treasures in his storage ring, Chen Chen felt that he should be able to hire a few bodyguards. At the very least, he had to be as glorious as Green Bean.

...

A few moments later, under the command of Green Bean, the sea demons of the Boundless Sea scattered reluctantly while the Giant Crab sea demon teared up before sinking to the bottom of the sea.

Only the Giant Shark that was 20 to 30 meters, was left on the entire surface of the sea. It acted as Chen Chen's mode of transport.

The demoness stood quietly behind Green Bean with a cold and ruthless expression.

When the shark traveled for 500 kilometers, Green Bean moved its eyes and then handed the Divine Condensation Pearl to Chen Chen.

Chen Chen first looked at the sea demons and confirmed that they didn't have any reactions before grabbing the Divine Condensation Pearl carefully.

Chen Chen did not know what material the Divine Condensation Pearl was made of, but it seemed ethereal. Chen Chen tried to stimulate his spiritual energy to control the Divine Condensation Pearl, but to his surprise, it vanished and fused with his brain.

As soon as the Divine Condensation Pearl entered his body, Chen Chen felt his divine senses becoming several times stronger.

The range that his divine senses could detect was initially only a few kilometers, but with the Divine Condensation Pearl, the range immediately expanded to more than ten kilometers.

Although he could now see things that were more than ten kilometers away, the divine senses would allow him to have a 360-degree-view of everything without any blind spots. His eyesight was also far better than before.

"Divine sense treasures are truly amazing."

Chen Chen clucked his tongue in amazement. Apart from personal treasures, ordinary treasures would not fuse into one's body.

Besides, once a Divine Condensation Pearl fused with one's sea of consciousness, it would not only continue nurturing the sea of consciousness, it would also allow one's divine senses to be strengthened rapidly as if it could launch attacks.

Chen Chen gave it a try and realized that he could indeed condense his divine senses using the Divine Condensation Pearl and launch it. However, he did not know how lethal it would be.

Chen Chen scanned his surroundings before looking at the demoness.

After traveling 500 kilometers and having a few short conversations, he had gained a certain understanding of the sea demoness.

The demoness was named Qinglin, and her cultivation level was at the middle of the Essence Soul realm. It was a rare type of demoness in the Boundless Sea.

Demonesses like her were special for having strong divine senses by nature. A single stare from them would be enough to kill someone. Hence, even if they were on land, their combat power would not be affected.

After a moment of silence, Chen Chen moved his gaze away from Qinglin and looked at the sea near him.

A wave of divine senses darted out and caused the water to splash up by a meter as if a small stone had been tossed into the sea.

Chen Chen was quite satisfied to see this. He could understand that the destructive power of the divine senses wasn't that strong. He just needed it to be effective.

Bang!

Just when he was secretly being smug, Qinglin looked out at the ocean to see that the water had been splashed up by more than ten meters!

Afterward, Qinglin looked at Chen Chen with some contempt.

'This demoness is trying to embarrass me!'

Chen Chen's face gradually turned red and in the end, he waved his hand quietly and a majestic wave of spiritual energy was blasted out.

Boom!

With the loud sounds of an explosion, waves that were dozens of meters tall splashed up from the water!

After doing all this, Chen Chen closed his eyes, thinking to himself that he should keep his merits and name a secret.

Qinglin was just Green Bean's maid, so he wouldn't bother to hold it against her.

...

The Giant Shark was moving extremely quickly.

Chen Chen was too lazy to go down to search for treasures in the sea.

In his eyes, the Boundless Sea was like his backyard since Green Bean was the king of the Boundless Sea.

If he needed anything in the future, he could just come here to get some. He decided to let the treasures be nurtured in the sea.

Because they were purely rushing off, their speed was far greater than that of the giant ship. In the short span of two days, they arrived within a 35,000-kilometer-radius of the East Pole Island.

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It meant that they might meet other humans here.

Chen Chen thought about it and decided to keep a low profile. After sending the shark away, he arranged for Green Bean and Qinglin to move into Little Carefree Immortal Palace, where he acted as their mode of transport and flew towards East Pole Island.

Along the way, they met several giant ships that were on their way back, but when they saw that the cultivators were hunting for treasures blindly, Chen Chen couldn't bring himself to be happy.

He felt that they were stealing from him.

To suppress the discomfort within him, Chen Chen casually took a 10,000-year-old Deep Sea Spirit Ginseng and swallowed it.

The Spirit Ginseng was very large, and Chen Chen was extremely full after eating it.

However, his cultivation level also reached the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm when he did so, and it was even continuing to increase.

Sensing the improvement of his cultivation level, Chen Chen smiled.

If not for his fear of the Thunder Tribulation, he wouldn't have been able to step into the Essence Soul realm within a month, given the resources that he currently had.

Anyway, he had already obtained divine senses a long time ago, and there was no bottleneck from the Nascent Soul realm to the Essence Soul realm for him.

"Now, we just have to consider the issue of the Thunder Tribulation. When I find some more treasures that can allow me to deal with the Thunder Tribulation, I will enter the Essence Soul realm."

Chen Chen made some calculations.

The triangular crystal was still in his storage ring. Although it would not be of any use when dealing with the Apocalyptic Divine Thunder Tribulation, he could still use it to deal with an ordinary one.

If he hadn't done himself a disservice by transcending both the Qi Refinement and Body refinement realm at the same time, he wouldn't have been in such a sorry plight.

...

More than half a day later, Yu Qiong sent a message when Chen Chen was about to reach East Pole Island.

"Kid, I heard that there are changes in the Boundless Sea, and many sea demons have changed. If you really can't make it, come back to the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan. Staying alive is more important."

After receiving the message, Chen Chen thought about it for a while and answered, "Master, I didn't expect you to have caught wind of this. To be honest with you, I've indeed encountered seven or eight big sea demons along the way, and I had a close shave with death. After risking my life on so many occasions, how can I give up halfway? I haven't found the treasure that I wanted to, but I also haven't found the treasure you need. I must find it for you no matter what!"

After replying, Chen Chen felt really touched too. He then described in detail the appearance of the sea demons, for fear that Yu Qiong wouldn't believe them.

After Yu Qiong stopped sending him messages, Chen Chen finally put away the communication token with satisfaction.

...

By the time Chen Chen returned to East Pole Island, it was already dark.

Unlike in the past, there were many ships of all sizes docked around East Pole Island today. They had obviously been affected by the movement of the sea demons. Hence, the ships didn't dare to go out to sea.

Chen Chen did not move and returned to the port where he heard the sounds of several cultivators chatting.

"Have you heard? The mysterious man's corpse was brought back by the ship owner, Nan Pinghai. Rumor has it that he was killed by sea demons who were under the control of a handsome young man."

"When one does too much evil, they are bound to die one day... The mysterious man has been dealing with sea demons for years, but he eventually died at the hands of sea demons."

"By the way, do you know what the young man who manipulated the sea demons looks like?"

"I heard from those people who returned... that his looks are extraordinary! He looks just like a god!"

Hearing these discussions, Chen Chen smiled.

Just as he was getting ready to find an abode where he could rest for a night, a figure suddenly flew over from afar and arrived beside him. It then knelt onto the ground without hesitation.

"Senior! I knew you would surely come back... I, Nan Pinghai, thank you for saving my life!"

:)