King of Creation
Chapter 531 - 525: Slip-up

Chapter 531: Chapter 525: Slip-up

"Young Hero Ye, this year’s Spirit Returning Assembly will be held in just over half a year, and there’s no way you can make it in time. In six years, Young Hero Ye will have fully grown. By then, the timing will be perfect!"

After a pause, Tian Guizhang continued, "I won’t hide it from you, Young Hero Ye. Within our True Spirit Domain, talents emerge one after another. Normally, a martial artist of thirty years old would only reach the Soul Sea Realm.

But still, there are quite a few geniuses who can break through to the Vein Forging Realm.

At every Spirit Returning Assembly, over two thirds of the martial artists are geniuses from the Vein Forging Realm! Although Young Hero Ye has previously taken down the Vein Forging Realm powerhouse Yang Zhengxi, I believe, Young Hero Ye, you must have used quite a few methods!"

"That’s right! With my current combat power, there’s no way to take down Yang Zhengxi head-on," Ye Zhen admitted frankly.

"That’s exactly it, which is why I plan to give Young Hero Ye a nearly six-year growth period. After six years, Young Hero Ye’s cultivation may well reach the third or even fourth stage of the Soul Sea Realm.

With your cultivation at the peak of the Fifth Stage of the Spirit Transformation Realm, you were able to take down seven martial artists at the peak of the Fifth Stage of the Soul Sea Realm, one against nine. So, when Young Hero Ye’s cultivation reaches the third or fourth stage of the Soul Sea Realm, dealing with a powerhouse of the Vein Forging Realm won’t be a difficult task."

"That’s right!" Ye Zhen nodded, "But six years is too long! Perhaps, I might be able to participate in the Spirit Returning Assembly in half a year!"

Tian Guizhang did not respond immediately, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, apparently thinking that Ye Zhen was somewhat arrogant.

"Of course, I’ll need a bit of cooperation from your Sect!" Ye Zhen said.

"Please speak, Young Hero Ye!"

Tian Guizhang understood that Ye Zhen was beginning to state his conditions. However, the furrow in his brow didn’t relax. Although it’s common for geniuses to be proud, Ye Zhen’s arrogance seemed to have no bounds.

In half a year, if Ye Zhen’s cultivation had only advanced to the Soul Sea Realm at best, he was thinking of entering the top three ranks dominated by the Vein Forging Realm powerhouses?

It was really underestimating the talents of the world too much.

Could any martial artist participating in the Spirit Returning Assembly in half a year not be a stunning genius?

"I need at least one Black Lotus Pill, a good Divine Soul Technique, and, yes, Purple Spirit Jade—no less than a thousand pieces! As long as you can provide these three things—I can purchase them with Spirit Crystals myself—I can join the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.

I’ll be able to compete in the Spirit Returning Assembly, even the one in half a year!" Ye Zhen declared.

The Black Lotus Pill and Divine Soul Techniques need no further comment. Ye Zhen’s request for the Purple Spirit Jade was naturally intended to further elevate his Red Jade Battle Body.

The Shattered Jade Scripture is currently the most potential-laden cultivation technique Ye Zhen possesses, with each layer stronger than the last.

With the Shattered Jade Scripture at the fourth layer, Ye Zhen had only cultivated to the Red Jade Realm. Above that, there’s the Purple Jade Realm and the Shattered Jade Realm, offering significant room for improvement.

In the Black Dragon Domain, Purple Spirit Jade was nowhere to be found. Ye Zhen believed that the richer True Spirit Domain should be able to provide enough Purple Spirit Jade for him to cultivate the Purple Jade Spiritual Power Seed.

As long as he could cultivate the Purple Jade Spiritual Power Seed, his strength could greatly improve in a short time, even if his cultivation remained the same.

Not to mention anything else, the defensive capability of the Purple Jade Spirit Armor alone would be twice that of the Red Jade Spirit Armor. The Red Jade Spirit Armor already allowed Ye Zhen to withstand a full-strength blow from an ordinary martial artist at the peak of the Fifth Stage of the Soul Sea Realm. What about the Purple Jade Spirit Armor?

Let alone the enhancement of his War Body, the increase in power once the Red Jade Spiritual Power advanced to Purple Jade Spiritual Power.

"One Black Lotus Pill, no problem. It can serve as a gift for Young Hero Ye’s initiation into the Sun and Moon Divine Sect."

A hint of joy suddenly spread across Ye Zhen’s face.

Without needing to say more, just with this aspect alone, joining the Sun and Moon Divine Sect was well worth it for Ye Zhen.

"As for Divine Soul Techniques, that’s even simpler. New members of the Moonlight Hall can choose an Inner Cultivation Technique of the Heavenly Level Lower Grade from the Sect for free. I remember there’s one in the Sect called the Dark Soul Art, also of the Heavenly Level Lower Grade. Young Hero Ye, you can directly choose that when the time comes.

That Dark Soul Art is also quite good. The only drawback is that there are quite a few practitioners within the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, so it can’t be considered an exclusive secret manual.

However, Young Hero Ye can start practicing it, and when a better Divine Soul Technique is discovered later, you can replace it. How about that?"

"That works!"

The drawback of the Dark Soul Art mentioned by Tian Guizhang was actually acceptable before a better option came along. After all, even if one purchased Divine Soul Techniques from Stars Tower, they wouldn’t be exclusive and many people could buy them.

"The only tricky part is acquiring the Purple Spirit Jade," Tian Guizhang said.

This piqued Ye Zhen’s curiosity. Initially, he thought that Purple Spirit Jade would be the easiest task since the Sun and Moon Divine Sect was one of the five great forces of Qinglan Martial City, and getting a thousand pieces of Purple Spirit Jade should not be difficult.

"Young Hero Ye might not be aware, but this Purple Spirit Jade is an extremely scarce resource in our True Spirit Domain. The main reason is because of talisman communication.

Our True Spirit Domain is vast, and typical Talisman Communications have a range of fifty to a hundred thousand li, which is not enough. Purple Jade Tokens made from Purple Spirit Jade can reach a range of five hundred thousand li.

And with high consumption rates for these talismans, the supply is very tight.

Nevertheless, I’m willing to go to great lengths, even at the expense of my face, to gather a thousand pieces of Purple Spirit Jade for Young Hero Ye. However, when the time comes, I’ll need Young Hero Ye to..."

"Vice Sect Master Tian, rest assured, I will fully bear the cost myself. Moreover, the more, the better. You don’t have to worry about my financial capacity not measuring up," Ye Zhen said.

"Understood, Yang Zhengxi’s assets weren’t trivial either."

As soon as he said this, Ye Zhen and Tian Guizhang exchanged glances and burst into hearty laughter.

"Good, in that case, I’ll toast to warmly welcome Young Hero Ye into our Sun and Moon Divine Sect!" Tian Guizhang raised his bowl again and drained it in one gulp!

"Please!"

Another bowl of Ziling Brew entered his belly, producing a sheen of perspiration and that extraordinary sensation of clarity, prompting Ye Zhen to exclaim in praise of the fine liquor.

"Now that Young Hero Ye has agreed to join our Sun and Moon Divine Sect, please wait a moment, as I will take you back to the Main Temple soon for the entry ceremony,"

"At that time, Young Hero Ye may be required to make a Divine Soul Oath. I hope you will not take offense," Tian Guizhang cautioned in advance.

"I understand! However, regarding the Spirit Returning Assembly, whether it’s in half a year or six years, as long as I take one of the top three spots, that will suffice, right?"

Hearing Ye Zhen bring up the matter again, Tian Guizhang couldn’t help but give a wry smile. Truly a case of the young calf not fearing the tiger, he was about to dissuade him when Ye Zhen spoke up again.

"Vice Sect Master Tian, do not worry, I, Ye Zhen, am not the type who is recklessly boastful. Whether it’s the Spirit Returning Assembly in half a year or six years, there should be some rules and regulations within the Sun and Moon Divine Sect on who can participate. When the time comes, everything will be done according to the rules," Ye Zhen reassured him.

Hearing this, Tian Guizhang was taken aback and agreed. Since Ye Zhen had spoken so, there should be no problems.

As a result, Tian Guizhang’s understanding of Ye Zhen deepened by a few degrees.

Anyone who judged Ye Zhen as conceited and limitless from his words alone would be gravely mistaken.

Having settled the matter of joining the sect, Ye Zhen and Tian Guizhang shared some more food and drink, hosting each other amicably before leaving the tavern.

As they just stepped out of the tavern, a group of more than ten martial artists came marching toward the tavern, apparently heading there for a meal and drinks.

However, the uniform robes of those people were particularly eye-catching, allowing anyone to recognize at a glance that these were martial artists from the Longevity Sect.

Encountering so many martial artists from the Longevity Sect so suddenly, Ye Zhen was not the least bit flustered. The news of Yang Zhengxi’s death had not yet spread, and with the Sun and Moon Divine Sect’s Vice Sect Hierarch Tian Guizhang by his side, what did Ye Zhen have to fear?

That said, even without the presence of Vice Sect Hierarch Tian Guizhang from the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, Ye Zhen was confident in his own strength and did not fear them.

Even if the martial artist at the center of the Longevity Sect group, whom they treated as a star holding up the moon, emanated an aura that was even more profound than that of Yang Zhengxi.

"Vice Sect Hierarch Tian!"

"Hall Master Duan!"

Closing in to about forty or fifty meters, Tian Guizhang respectfully greeted with a cupped fist salute from a distance.

Although the Longevity Sect and the Sun and Moon Divine Sect were mortal enemies, their high-ranking members didn’t fight to the death upon meeting; they maintained basic civility.

Of course, this basic civility was limited to a casual greeting with a cupped fist salutation.

As the two groups approached each other, Ye Zhen sensed that Hall Master Duan of the Longevity Sect’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment before moving on, with no anomaly in sight.

The few dozen meters between them closed in the blink of an eye, and just as the two groups were about to pass each other, a subtle killing intent suddenly burst forth.

In an instant, Hall Master Duan sprang forth like lightning, his hand moving as fast as a flash to lock onto Ye Zhen’s throat, aiming to capture him alive.

This sudden move was not only unexpected, but the timing was also impeccably chosen. Just as they were passing each other, Hall Master Duan of the Longevity Sect made his stealthy, unanticipated attack from behind both Ye Zhen and Tian Guizhang, catching everyone unprepared — even the other members of the Longevity Sect were visibly taken aback.

Almost the moment Longevity Sect Master Duan Yingnian made his move, Tian Guizhang felt it. But when he realized that Duan Yingnian’s target was Ye Zhen, his face turned pale with shock.

When experts strike, it happens in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the members of the Longevity Sect, Tian Guizhang was already on guard. If Duan Yingnian had struck him, he could have responded immediately due to the pulling of their auras, preventing Duan Yingnian from taking advantage of him.

But Duan Yingnian’s target was Ye Zhen, and he chose the precise moment when Tian Guizhang could least afford the distraction.

"Stop!"

Tian Guizhang thundered, counterattacking against Duan Yingnian, but as he struck out, Tian Guizhang already saw Duan Yingnian’s fingers reaching Ye Zhen’s throat.

"Too late..."

Tian Guizhang was filled with regret. He had just recruited a potential genius for the sect, and before he could even join, the Longevity Sect had captured him. He had been too careless.

However, just as Tian Guizhang was steeped in regret, his eyes suddenly widened in disbelief, for he saw that the moment Duan Yingnian’s fingers touched Ye Zhen’s throat, Ye Zhen’s figure instantly shattered.

Afterimage!

Duan Yingnian had grabbed nothing but an afterimage left behind by Ye Zhen’s excessive speed.

Almost simultaneously, the eyes of Longevity Sect Master Duan Yingnian also widened dramatically, filled with incredulity.

He, a mighty Fourth Stage Vein Forging Realm powerhouse, had failed to ambush Ye Zhen, a mere peak Fifth Stage of Spirit Transformation Realm? How was this possible?

The instant Tian Guizhang turned to look, he saw Ye Zhen standing a mile away, watching him with a meaningful gaze.

Tian Guizhang immediately understood that Ye Zhen was witnessing how their Sun and Moon Divine Sect would protect him.

"Ye Zhen, speak up! Where did you take Yang Zhengxi?"

Almost at the same time, Longevity Sect Master Duan Yingnian bellowed, and tendrils of Spiritual Power burst out like vines from around him, shooting towards Ye Zhen like lightning.

Divine Power Martial Skill, Spirit-binding Rope! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)