Chapter 45: Returning to the Sect, Long Xuan and the Elder Shocked!

The azure sky was as clear as washed cloth, and Little Crane flapped its wings, darting across the heavens, returning toward the Feather Ascension Gate.

The mountains and rivers below receded rapidly.

On its back, Chen Zheng was inventorying the spoils placed in the chaotic space.

"Not bad, a total of fifty‑five spirit artifacts of lower, middle and upper grades, over five thousand Primordial Essence Pills, and more than ten thousand White Goat Pills; I'm not lacking cultivation resources for the time being."

Chen Zheng smiled, poured a handful of Yuan Ying Pills from a gourd, and, without counting them, stuffed them into his mouth to chew.

After finishing this batch of pills, his physique would surely become stronger, forging an even sturdier foundation.

When the Inner Gate assessment comes, absorbing a massive amount of celestial demon refinement will catapult him to Shen Tong Mi Jing, and his magical power will surely reach over a thousand ma.

The haul from this underground world can be called Chen Zheng's first real pot of gold since he began cultivating the True Demon Ten‑Thousand‑Eons Unbreakable Body.

A pot of gold that soars skyward!

However, this trip also left some regrets.

Among the more than fifty spirit artifacts looted, not a single absolute (extreme) grade artifact was found.

Even a wealthy Taiyi Sect disciple rarely possesses an absolute‑grade artifact in the Mortal Secret Realm.

As for the Feather Ascension Gate, it's even rarer.

Without exaggeration, a Feather Ascension Gate disciple with an absolute‑grade artifact would surely dominate among hundreds of thousands of inner and outer gate disciples, ranking within the top thirty.

This shows how rare absolute‑grade artifacts are.

As for treasure items, they are even more scarce; many Shen Tong cultivators may not even own a single one.

Free Cultivators overseas such as Liu Suiyun, Xiao Buye, and Qing Ling Daoist are basically still using absolute‑grade spirit artifacts.

They can't afford treasure items.

The journey was silent.

Little Crane carried Chen Zheng across the outer Feather Ascension mountain range, drawing ever nearer to the Feather Ascension City encircled by the peaks.

"Brother Chen, after I see you back to Feather Ascension City, I'll head back to Jia Lan Peak."

Its long neck drooped, and the pills and spirit artifacts hanging on it no longer smelled fragrant.

"Oh."

Chen Zheng merely gave a casual nod.

"Chen… Brother Chen."

Little Crane hesitated repeatedly, then turned his head, eyes eagerly fixed on Chen Zheng, and tentatively asked, "Brother Chen, don't you have anything to say to me?"

"Focus on flying, don't fall."

Seeing Little Crane wobble left and right, Chen Zheng unceremoniously reached out and struck its large head hard.

"Ah… Oh!"

The little crane winced in pain, feeling aggrieved, and obediently turned its head back to focus on flying.

Before long, a person and a crane arrived over Feather Ascension City and landed on the plaza before the Inner Immortal Courtyard.

Chen Zheng leapt down from the crane's back, hoisting the pre‑prepared Asura Bone Spike, and walked toward the entrance of the Inner Immortal Courtyard on his own.

"Alas."

Little Crane hung its head in dejection, watching Chen Zheng's retreating silhouette, sighing deeply.

After returning, it could only continue to be an ordinary mount.

It would never carry Chen Zheng again.

It would have to let those stinky women ride it.

This life, that's all there is…

"I will soon become a True Disciple, establish a foundation on the mountain, and the peak still lacks a Spirit Beast Overseer; then you shall take that role."

Chen Zheng's airy words suddenly echoed from afar, causing the newly wing‑flapping Little Crane to wobble and nearly tumble from mid‑air.

Immediately, Little Crane shook off its dejection, as if injected with adrenaline, and let out a series of "Aooo‑aooo‑aooo" cries.

Those who didn't know would think a wolf was flying in the sky.

"That foolish crane."

Crossing the threshold of the Inner Immortal Courtyard, Chen Zheng heard Little Crane's odd cry, smiled, and shook his head.

He quickened his pace, heading toward the very center of the Inner Immortal Courtyard.

According to Little Crane, an Elder Hall stood there.

As long as he hands the Asura Bone Spike to the Elder and it passes inspection, he can obtain the Inner Gate assessment qualification.

"Junior brother, are you aware that, unless necessary, outer gate disciples may not casually enter the Inner Immortal Courtyard," a faint female voice called out as Chen Zheng was walking.

He looked in the direction of the voice.

There, a beautiful woman dressed in goose‑yellow robes, tall and with skin like congealed cream, stood not far away, her eyes calmly gazing at him.

The breeze fluttered her sleeves, giving her an ethereal air, like a dragon maiden from the Dragon Palace.

Chen Zheng sized her up for a moment, then smiled, "Miss, I have come to the Inner Immortal Courtyard to find an Elder and obtain the Inner Gate assessment qualification."

"Oh? You completed the outer‑to‑inner task alone?" the yellow‑clothed woman's eyes flashed with surprise as she stepped forward.

The tasks dispatched by the Elders are widely known to be extremely difficult; they involve either seeking the White Sea Zen or slaying the Flying Night Demon, feats no ordinary person can accomplish.

Especially when done alone.

The Chen Zheng before her was indeed alone.

The implication was that the task had already been completed.

This novel you…

Could it be that this person possesses some extraordinary quality?

She ceased her nonchalance, her gaze now earnest, scanning Chen Zheng up and down, and soon exclaimed in surprise, "Huh, you killed an Asura?"

She noticed the object Chen Zheng was holding in his hand, a pitch‑black, massive bone spike.

Chen Zheng was about to reply, but she seemed to have spotted something remarkable on the bone spike, and her pupils narrowed slightly.

Then she blurted out, "Junior brother, may I have a look at this Asura Bone Spike?"

"Sure."

Chen Zheng did not refuse the woman's request and casually tossed the Asura Bone Spike toward her.

The woman in yellow extended her slender jade‑like fingers, pinched the heavy Asura Bone Spike between them, and examined it closely.

Upon looking, a deeper surprise flashed in her eyes, and she mused, "There is a faint dark red on this bone spike; it must be an Asura with Demon Emperor bloodline. This person can even slay a royal Asura… Its strength is probably not far behind Yuan Jian Kong, who ranks among the top ten of the Mountain River List."

She drew a slight breath, looked at Chen Zheng again, her gaze now markedly different, and solemnly said, "Junior brother, come with me to see the Elder."

Having said that, she headed straight toward the depths of the Inner Immortal Courtyard.

"Long Xuan?"

Chen Zheng watched the back of the woman in yellow, a thoughtful glint flashing in his eyes, and followed.

The woman in yellow must be Long Xuan, who, like Xu Yueer and the others, is also a member of the Jialan Association.

She, however, is even more formidable, an inner‑sect elite, possessing a trace of human‑dragon bloodline within her.

Human‑dragon is the offspring born from the union of the Primordial Dragon Clan and the human race.

Many emperors of various dynasties and small states in the secular world are of human‑dragon lineage, thus being called True Dragon Son of Heaven.

No words were exchanged along the way.

The two passed artificial hills, lakes, pavilions, towers, and winding corridors; soon ahead the path opened onto a towering grand hall.

In the hall's center stood a white‑jade table over ten zhang long and three zhang wide, behind which three elderly men with crane‑like hair and youthful faces sat, their eyes shining with divine light.

They were evidently Elders of the Feather Ascension Sect.

In front of the long table, several outer‑sect disciples were carrying the corpses of Flying Night Yaksha forward.

The three Elders nodded repeatedly as they watched.

One Elder placed several jade tablets on the long table, smiled, and praised them, "You who slew the Flying Night Yaksha are rare talents of our sect; three days later, take this order to the Sky Courtyard for inner‑sect assessment."

"Thank you, Elder!"

The disciples hurriedly picked up the jade tablets from the long table as if they had found treasure, repeatedly thanking the Elder.

At that moment, the woman in yellow and Chen Zheng entered the hall from outside, one after the other.

"Ah! Senior sister Long Xuan!"

"Senior sister Long Xuan, hello…"

The disciples walking outward, upon seeing her, instantly wore flattering smiles and offered their respects.

Seeing this, Chen Zheng's eyes flashed with the expected expression.

Facing the disciples' salutations, Long Xuan didn't even glance at them, hurried to the long table where the three Elders sat, placed Chen Zheng's Asura Bone Spike on it, and whispered a few words.

"What?"

"Someone killed a royal Asura?"

The three Elders abruptly rose from their seats, each old face filled with shock.

(End of chapter)