Chapter 146: 141. Applying to Join the Heaven and Earth Sect (2/2)

141. Applying to Join the Heaven and Earth Sect (2/2)

"You...!"

The woman in the purple dress widened her beautiful eyes, never expecting Chen An to launch a sudden sneak attack.

She wanted to dodge, but it was already too late.

Very quickly.

Only a "puff" sound was heard!

A large hole was instantly torn open on the right side of the woman in the purple dress's heart.

A large expanse of delicate, snow-white skin was revealed.

Her clothes were torn.

But her chest was not broken.

It was protected by a layer of deep purple light film.

This was a high-grade defensive Dharma Artifact taking effect.

"Damn it!"

Chen An's mentality exploded, and he cursed out loud.

This woman in the purple dress was obscenely wealthy; she was covered from head to toe in high-grade protective Dharma Artifacts, making it impossible to break through her defenses at all.

How the hell is one supposed to play this!

Just as Chen An felt extreme despair.

Suddenly, his Divine Sense perceived something; that so-called Draw Ground as Prison array seemed to have disappeared!

He did not know if it was an illusion, but he could not care about the woman in the purple dress in front of him and immediately moved his thoughts to use the Wood Escape Technique to flee.

Ten meters!

Fifty meters!

One hundred meters!

Two hundred meters!

Three hundred meters!

In just the blink of an eye, Chen An had escaped a distance of several hundred meters.

There was not the slightest obstruction.

That Draw Ground as Prison array had truly disappeared!

Chen An did not know the reason; perhaps the array's duration had ended, or perhaps his previous poke had actually caused significant damage to the woman in the purple dress, shaking the array she had set up.

However, the specific reason no longer mattered.

As long as the array was broken, that was fine.

Just after Chen An fled, the woman in the purple dress's face flushed red.

Her lapel had been poked open.

She had been seen.

She had been taken advantage of.

She was still a maiden; this was a huge loss.

However, she quickly cast aside this sense of shame.

Her attention shifted to why she had failed to successfully use the Charm Technique on Chen An twice in a row.

Each time, she could only charm him for a moment.

She could not figure it out no matter how she thought about it.

"Although I don't know why I couldn't successfully charm him, I have to say, the essence of that human male cultivator is just too fragrant and sweet; it's simply addictive."

"Grandmother didn't lie to me; the more handsome a human male cultivator is, the better his essence tastes."

"I can't use the Charm Technique next time; I must use an array to bind him and suck it slowly."

The woman in the purple dress covered her poked-open lapel with one hand and could not help but stick out her pink, delicate tongue to lick her lips, lingering on the taste of the essence remaining on them.

She was not in a hurry to chase Chen An now, intending to come up with a perfect hunting plan first.

Next time, she would not let Chen An run away again.

In a forest ten miles away.

Chen An used the Wood Escape Technique to flee frantically while keeping his Divine Sense wide open to perceive what was behind him.

Seeing that the woman in the purple dress had not caught up, he stopped the Wood Escape Technique.

Then, with a thought, he took out the Flying Boat Sword from his Storage Bag and switched to Sword Flight to leave.

He had not used Sword Flight just now because it was too easy to expose himself.

But now, since the other party had not caught up, he would use the faster Sword Flight to widen the distance and, incidentally, travel to the Heaven and Earth Sect.

He had not flown for long.

Chen An saw a large group of Foundation Establishment bird Demon Beasts appear in front of him.

These bird Demon Beasts also saw him and immediately attacked him like moths to a flame.

Chen An had restrained his aura, so these bird Demon Beasts did not know his true cultivation level.

They were just a group of low-intelligence Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts.

Chen An could not be bothered to take another look and simply raised his finger to fire wildly.

In an instant.

Dozens to hundreds of bird Demon Beasts were pierced by Gold Light.

They fell one after another.

With a thought, Chen An extracted the Demon Cores from their bodies from a distance and collected them all into his Storage Bag.

Afterwards, he rode his sword and flew away.

He continued on toward the Heaven and Earth Sect.

He had not originally been in a hurry to join the Heaven and Earth Sect, but after being harassed by that fox demon three times in a row, he urgently wanted to seek protection.

As long as he joined the Heaven and Earth Sect, that fox demon would absolutely be unable to do anything to him in the future.

In truth, even without joining the Heaven and Earth Sect, that fox demon could not really do much to him.

He was mainly worried about his wife and daughter at home.

He worried that the fox demon would sooner or later find its way to his home, and he feared that his wife and daughter would meet with misfortune.

More than an hour later.

Chen An successfully arrived at the outskirts of the Heaven and Earth Sect.

The Heaven and Earth Sect had a sect-protecting grand formation to isolate it from the outside world, so he could only land on the outskirts.

Even if it did not, he would not dare to fly directly over the top of someone else's sect; that was a suicidal act.

"Who goes there?"

"What business do you have coming to the Heaven and Earth Sect?"

Just as Chen An arrived at a stone gate on the outskirts, a Foundation Establishment cultivator immediately emerged from the ground.

This was the Earth Escape Technique.

"Fellow Daoist, I am a rogue cultivator from the Red Cedar Forest, here to ask if your esteemed sect is still accepting people?"

While saying this, Chen An very sensibly took a High-grade Spirit Stone from his Storage Bag and handed it to the other party, his face wearing a kind smile from start to finish.

Originally, upon hearing that he was a rogue cultivator from the Red Cedar Forest, the Heaven and Earth Sect's gate-guarding disciple had been somewhat disdainful.

But the moment he saw Chen An hand over a High-grade Spirit Stone, this gate-guarding disciple immediately became full of enthusiasm and spoke very politely:

"Accepting, naturally we are accepting."

"As long as a fellow Daoist has outstanding talent, or possesses powerful cultivation, the Heaven and Earth Sect welcomes them at any time."

"May I ask what realm your cultivation is at, and if you have any exceptional skills?"

Chen An was surprised by the other party's respectful attitude, which changed at the sight of money.

He had thought the other party would look down on residents of the Red Cedar Forest because he was a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect.

It turned out, unexpectedly, that the other party was quite easy to talk to.

Is this the power of money?

Chen An composed his thoughts and replied with a smile:

"My current cultivation is at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer, and I am a Third-tier Primary Alchemist, not far from becoming a Third-tier Intermediate Alchemist."

He kept a bit of a guard up, not revealing his full cultivation, and only mentioned the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer.

He thought that by virtue of his identity as a Third-Rank Alchemist, it would likely be enough for him to join the Heaven and Earth Sect.

Since that was the case, it was better to hide some of his cultivation and not reveal all his cards.

One must have a trump card.

One must be cautious, and one must also be cunning.

Upon hearing that Chen An was a Third-Rank Alchemist, and a prospective Third-tier Intermediate Alchemist at that, the Heaven and Earth Sect's gate-guarding disciple's gaze toward him changed instantly.

The slight arrogance that had been barely visible to the naked eye just a moment ago turned into eyes full of respect.

A Third-Rank Alchemist!

This was a talent even rarer than a Golden Core powerhouse!

As long as one could join the Heaven and Earth Sect, the starting position was that of a Deacon.

This forced him, who was only a gate-guarding disciple, to act respectful and ingratiating.

"Alchemist Chen, please come this way; I will take you to see Tian Deacon, who is responsible for managing the sect's outer entrance."

As he spoke, the gate-guarding disciple made a gesture of invitation to Chen An.

Chen An also said politely, "Then I shall trouble you, Fellow Daoist."

On the way, he chatted a few words with this gate-guarding disciple and learned that his surname was Xu.

Soon, the two arrived in front of a Cave Abode and stopped.

This was Chen An's first time seeing a Cave Abode.

Just standing outside the cave, he could clearly feel the dense Spirit Qi inside.

In terms of concentration, it was at least twice that of Baicao Lane in the Red Cedar Forest.

"Is this the legendary blessed land of the immortals?"

Chen An looked at the simple Cave Abode before him, his heart filled with yearning.

Although simple, the Spirit Qi was dense.

A blessed land is the life pursuit of every cultivator.

Its status in the cultivation world is equivalent to a house in his previous life.

As for the wooden huts where low-level cultivators lived, those were equivalent to the space under a bridge in his previous life.

"Alchemist Chen, please wait a moment outside; I will go in and inform Tian Deacon."

After dropping these words, the gate-guarding disciple surnamed Xu walked quickly into the Cave Abode.

Before long, a male cultivator with white hair at his temples walked out of the Cave Abode.

The gate-guarding disciple surnamed Xu who had just gone in was now following behind the other party with a respectful expression.

"Alchemist Chen, hello, I am Tian Deacon, responsible for managing the sect's outer entrance."

Tian Deacon, with white hair at his temples, smiled and introduced himself.

Chen An smiled and said, "Hello, Tian Deacon."

Tian Deacon did not like to talk nonsense and asked straight to the point: "I just heard from little Xu that Alchemist Chen is currently a quasi-Third-tier Intermediate Alchemist and wants to join our Heaven and Earth Sect, is that right?"

"Yes."

Chen An nodded.

After listening, Tian Deacon handed Chen An a piece of specially made spirit paper and said, "Alchemist Chen, this is our Heaven and Earth Sect's application form. Please fill in your information briefly, and be sure to fill it out truthfully."

Chen An took the spirit paper and glanced at it.

It required filling in various information such as name, age, cultivation, Alchemy Dao realm, and so on.

It felt like a job interview in his past life.

"Tian Deacon, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave first."

The gate-guarding disciple surnamed Xu on the side said.

Tian Deacon waved his hand, telling him to go safely.

Before long, Chen An finished filling out the information and handed the spirit paper to Tian Deacon.

He did not fill in any false information.

Cultivation and the like were all filled in truthfully.

He had just thought about it and felt that there was no need for him to hide his cultivation at all.

Because whether it was Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer or Golden Core First Layer, neither counted as a powerhouse in the Heaven and Earth Sect, so it made no difference whether he exposed it or not.

Most importantly, he was worried that if he hid his strength, it would be discovered, and then he would fail to join the Heaven and Earth Sect because of that.

Tian Deacon took the handed-over spirit paper.

When he saw that the cultivation written on the paper was Golden Core First Layer, the same realm as his own, a flash of surprise immediately crossed his eyes.

A quasi-Third-tier Intermediate Alchemist with Golden Core First Layer cultivation, this future is boundless!

Then, when he noticed that forty years old was written after the age column, he was instantly so shocked that his eyes widened like copper bells, his face full of disbelief.

A forty-year-old Golden Core powerhouse?

A forty-year-old quasi-Third-tier Intermediate Alchemist?

What kind of joke is this?!

Tian Deacon steadied his mind a little, looked at Chen An with a serious face, and asked:

"Alchemist Chen, you wrote forty years old after your age, are you sure you didn't write it wrong?"

"I am sure I didn't write it wrong."

After Chen An finished speaking, he added: "If Tian Deacon does not believe me, you may use your Divine Sense to probe my bone age."

Tian Deacon: "Then Alchemist Chen, excuse the offense."

As the words fell, Tian Deacon immediately dispersed his Divine Sense to probe Chen An's bone age.

He didn't know until he looked, and he was shocked when he did; it really was only forty years old!

Tian Deacon was shocked, and then his breathing became rapid.

What kind of rogue cultivator is this?

How can his talent be so heaven-defying?

Could he be an undercover agent sent by the Xuanhuang Sect?

Tian Deacon's mind was filled with thousands of thoughts.

He calmed his mood a little, and after pausing, he said to Chen An:

"Alchemist Chen, please wait a moment, I am going to report your situation."

After speaking, he took out a Sound Transmission Talisman and walked to the side to transmit a message to a certain big figure in the sect.

Seeing this scene, Chen An discovered that the direction of things seemed a bit wrong.

He only wanted to join the Heaven and Earth Sect, not cause any big trouble.

People fear fame just as pigs fear being fat.

He was worried that once his talent was exposed, it would bring all kinds of unnecessary trouble.

Therefore, he decisively moved his thoughts and used the Memory Erasure Technique on Tian Deacon.

His cultivation was exactly the same as Tian Deacon's, so the Memory Erasure Technique could take effect.

After a moment of erasing Tian Deacon's relevant memories.

Chen An put the spirit paper he had just written into his Storage Bag.

Tian Deacon, whose relevant memories had been erased, did not find anything amiss.

Soon, he took out another piece of spirit paper and asked Chen An to fill in his personal information again.

This time, Chen An filled it out more conservatively.

He didn't care about being honest or not; at worst, he just wouldn't join the Heaven and Earth Sect.

For age, he filled in over two hundred years old.

For cultivation, he filled in Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer.

For Alchemy Dao, he filled in Third-tier Primary.

Only the Alchemy Dao realm was filled in with truthful information.

Other information was all kept reserved.

Tian Deacon picked up the filled-out spirit paper, glanced at it, and couldn't help but nod with satisfaction:

"Alchemist Chen is quite outstanding; your Alchemy Dao has broken through to the Third-tier at only over two hundred years old, and your cultivation is not low at all, reaching as high as Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer. The future is promising."

"Tian Deacon overpraises me."

Chen An said modestly.

Tian Deacon smiled and said, "Alchemist Chen, there is no need to be humble. Judging by your resume, you are more than qualified to join the Alchemy Hall of our Heaven and Earth Sect. I believe that in a short while, we will be fellow sect members."

"How about this, Alchemist Chen: you head back for today. I will report your situation to the Alchemy Hall shortly, and once there is news, I will inform you via a Sound Transmission Talisman."

As Tian Deacon spoke, he took out a Sound Transmission Talisman and handed it to Chen An.

Chen An took the Sound Transmission Talisman, and with a backhanded motion, stuffed a few High-grade Spirit Stones into Tian Deacon's hand, saying with a face full of gratitude, "Then I will trouble you, Tian Deacon."

"Not at all, not at all, it is no trouble at all."

Tian Deacon took the offered Spirit Stones, his eyes squinting into slits as he smiled.

At this moment, Chen An suddenly thought of his wife and daughters at home, and he asked with a bit of nervousness in his heart:

"Tian Deacon, there is one more thing I forgot to mention. I have six wives and daughters at home. If I truly join the Heaven and Earth Sect, will I be able to bring them over then?"

"Naturally, you can."

Tian Deacon smiled and said.

After hearing this, Chen An let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "That is good, that is good."

Soon, under the watchful eyes of Tian Deacon, he used Sword Flight to leave the outskirts of the Heaven and Earth Sect.

Just as he was about to fly out of the outskirts, several female cultivators flew toward him from the front.

They were female disciples of the Heaven and Earth Sect.

It was unclear if they had just returned from completing a sect mission.

Their appearances and figures were quite outstanding.

They could be considered beauties.

However, Chen An did not want to flirt with girls right now; he only wanted to go home early.

As for flirting, he would wait until after he joined the Heaven and Earth Sect.

"Fellow Daoist, you look very unfamiliar. Which hall are you a disciple of?"

Seeing that Chen An was overly handsome, several female disciples of the Heaven and Earth Sect could not help but use Sword Flight to approach him and strike up a conversation.

Chen An spoke the truth: "Fellow Daoists, I am a rogue cultivator from the Red Cedar Forest. This trip was to apply to join your noble sect, and I am heading home after just submitting my application form."

"So that is how it is. May I ask which hall you intend to join, Fellow Daoist?"

"The Alchemy Hall."

"Wow, Fellow Daoist is actually an Alchemist; that is truly enviable."

"Fellow Alchemist, may I ask how you are addressed?"

"My surname is Chen, the Chen from 'old and stale'. I have urgent matters at home, so I will take my leave first. We shall meet again another day, fellow Daoists."

After dropping this sentence, Chen An quickly used Sword Flight to leave.

These few female disciples of the Heaven and Earth Sect were not charming enough, so he had no interest.

His standards were very high; he did not care for those who were merely quite outstanding in appearance.

If they were quite seductive, that would be a different matter.

"Oh my, I forgot to ask him for his Sound Transmission Talisman just now. How should I contact him in the future?"

Watching Chen An's retreating back, one female disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect was very annoyed.

A female disciple beside her said, "It is fine, we can just go find Tian Deacon and ask now. He most likely has the Sound Transmission Talisman contact information for that Alchemist Chen from just now."

Red Cedar Forest.

Baicao Lane.

The tunnel in the home.

When Chen An returned home, the sky was already somewhat dim; it was time for dinner.

Just as he walked into the hall, he saw the table filled with freshly prepared food.

Eight dishes and one soup.

It was much more sumptuous than usual.

Because an hour ago, the wives and concubines at home had already learned of Chen An's application to join the Heaven and Earth Sect via a Sound Transmission Talisman.

If nothing unexpected happened, he could basically join.

Moreover, it was the kind of joining where he could bring his family along to settle down.

The wives and concubines were all very happy and specially prepared such a sumptuous dinner to celebrate.

At the dinner table.

Chen An informed his wives and concubines of everything that happened on his way to the Heaven and Earth Sect today.

Seeing the Red Fire Gang double-crossing the Black Wind Gang.

Then wiping out the Red Fire Gang.

And then, encountering that fox demon, almost capsizing in the gutter.

Hearing these things, the faces of the wives and concubines were full of worry.

Every time their husband went out recently, it was basically full of disasters and hardships, which was very worrying.

Nearly half an hour later.

The family of seven had eaten their fill.

But none of them were in a hurry to clear the table; instead, they sat and chatted.

The eldest daughter, Chen Yuejian, did not want to practice the zither tomorrow and was acting spoiled toward her mother, Song Huaying.

Wen Zhiyun was asking Shen Qingyi for advice regarding cultivation.

Gu Xinyue sat quietly, a faint smile on her exquisite, pretty face, enjoying this moment of family harmony.

The second daughter, Chen Yike, walked up to her father, grabbed one of his legs under the table, and looked up at him with her little face, waiting expectantly.

Chen An knew that his silly second daughter wanted to play on the seesaw.

So he smiled, moved the chair to the side, crossed his legs, and let her sit on his lap to play to her heart's content.

While teasing his second daughter, he moved his thoughts to open his Storage Bag and took stock of the spoils he had harvested today.

Seeing items suitable for his wives and daughters, he took them all out to give to them.

For instance, Dharma Artifacts, Dharma Spells, and so on.

The Dharma Artifacts were basically divided equally.

As for the Dharma Spells, they were distributed according to each person's individual differences.

Song Huaying possessed the Flower God Bloodline, so Chen An took a book about cultivating Spirit Plants and gave it to her, telling her to study it well so she could grow medicinal herbs for his Alchemy in the future, preventing middlemen from earning the price difference.

Gu Xinyue was an Earth Spirit Root cultivator, so Chen An took a few books of earth-element Dharma Spells for her to practice.

Wen Zhiyun was a Fire Spirit Root cultivator, so Chen An took a book on basic Alchemy for her, wanting her to become an Alchemist so she could serve as his assistant in the alchemy room.

As for Shen Qingyi, Chen An thought for a moment and selected a few fine swords to give to her for her use.

As for his two daughters, he gave them all sorts of fun and delicious things for their entertainment.

With his four wives and concubines and two daughters, Chen An treated them all with equal care, without favoring anyone.

PS: Setting out my bowl, begging for monthly tickets and recommendation votes!