Chapter 190

Inside the golden palace.

At this moment.

A trace of regret flickered slightly in Shen Yuan's eyes.

She came from a minor aristocratic family, a lineage spanning a thousand years; although far less prominent than the Twelve Great Clans, she was by no means someone truly without a background.

Many years ago, before Shen Yuan had been noticed by the elders and entered the Lower Court to cultivate,

the Green Jade Elixir Manual left behind by her clan's ancestors had been coveted by an elder of the Bai Zhu Xie Clan, who seized it by force. Because of this, it brought about the ruin and destruction of Shen Yuan's clan.

Although no one dared to speak of this matter openly in the Changying Court, it was truly no secret.

Those who were well-informed all knew it clearly.

For this reason,

she could be considered the only one among the three great masters of the court who harbored undisguised resentment toward the Twelve Great Clans.

Yet, before Chen Hang challenged the various clans at Bai Shi Peak, instead of conserving his spiritual energy and cultivating in seclusion, he had specifically gone to the Lu Zhao Peak to borrow earth fire and an elixir furnace, refining a Red Lead Great Ring Elixir.

The intention behind this was clear as day.

Shen Yuan herself was also perfectly aware of it.

As for a master of the Lower Court coming forward to take on a disciple and establishing the master-disciple relationship early, this did not violate the sect's regulations and was a common occurrence.

On the contrary, because of the advantage of being close to the source, these masters were often able to select truly excellent talents, making their fellow disciples in the Xiao Ming Xiao Daze green with envy.

And Chen Hang, by challenging the various clans with his own strength, had since then become the center of attention, his name resounding through the four courts.

This had already been firmly confirmed.

Whether in temperament or ability, he was a top-tier figure!

Furthermore, being able to independently refine the Red Lead Great Return Elixir while only at the second layer of Foundation Establishment,

in terms of alchemy attainments,

he was also a figure rarely seen in sixty years!

No matter from what angle she considered it, she, Shen Yuan, had no reason to refuse Chen Hang.

Between the two of them,

there should be a master-disciple affinity!

But it was a pity...

Shen Yuan lifted her eyes faintly, letting her gaze fall upon Chen Hang's face.

She was originally a woman of slender and tall stature, yet in front of Chen Hang, she was still half a head shorter.

The two stood side by side, making Shen Yuan appear even more fresh and slender, like a green willow facing the wind by a pond...

Chen Hang noticed her gaze, lowered his head slightly, dropped his eyelids, and said plainly with a smile:

"Although this disciple yearns for the profound principles and wishes to listen to your teachings by your side, this matter must naturally be prioritized by your considerations, Master. This disciple dares not argue further."

"Are you not going to ask me why I am unwilling to take you on?"

Shen Yuan's willow-leaf brows furrowed slightly.

"To obtain it is my fortune; to lose it is my fate. Why say more?" Chen Hang smiled softly and said, "If you, Master, wish to tell this disciple, this disciple will naturally know the reason. But if you, Master, have no such intention, even if this disciple were to speak a thousand times, it would merely be a waste of breath and a disturbance to others."

Shen Yuan was not surprised upon hearing this, but her eyes flickered slightly.

After a long while,

she finally smiled suddenly and said faintly:

"Chen Hang, you are indeed very good."

At this time,

Shen Yuan waved her fair hand gently.

Inside the inner hall, two streaks of spiritual light suddenly flew into the air, trailing brilliant flame tails a zhang long, and like tired birds returning to the forest, they headed straight toward Chen Hang.

"Your battle at Bai Shi Peak has already spread your name to the Xiao Ming Xiao Daze. This is a bestowal from the Yuchen Upper Sect, specifically to commend your meritorious service. The Superintendent entrusted me to pass it on to you. Today, it is returned to its rightful owner."

She said.

Chen Hang caught the two streaks of spiritual light with his true qi. After the brilliance faded, he saw it was a dharma robe and an iron seal.

He first picked up the dharma robe and examined it, feeling slightly surprised in his heart.

Held in his palm, it was as light and thin as cicada wings or cloud wisps, as if it had no weight, yet its inner form and quality were extremely hard.

With his current physical strength, even a slight exertion of force into it was like a clay ox entering the sea, unable to stir up the slightest ripple, and not even a single wrinkle could be seen.

The robe was also embroidered with various cloud talismans and true forms, sun, moon, and stars. Dharma light covered its left, purple qi emerged from its right, auspicious clouds circled it, and auspicious mist steamed from it, impressively possessing the momentum of piercing clouds and illuminating the void, extremely magnificent!

One look was enough to know it was by no means a shallow, ordinary item; it was a true supreme treasure for self-protection!

"This item is too eye-catching, I wonder..."

Chen Hang looked at the purple dharma robe in his hand and frowned slightly.

And at this moment,

Shen Yuan suddenly spoke up:

"This robe is called the 'Purple Mi Treasure Robe,' belonging to the category of High-Grade Talisman Artifacts. It possesses some ability for self-protection and defense. Among the Lower Court disciples, unless one has rendered great service, it is not easily bestowed... If you wish to change its form and quality, you only need to inject a streak of true qi into it, and you can manipulate it according to your will."

Chen Hang felt a stir in his heart upon hearing this and acted accordingly.

After a burst of brilliant light, the "Purple Mi Treasure Robe" transformed into a white robe without any embellishments, spotless, and no longer possessing any strange phenomena.

"And this small seal is called the 'Sinking Mountain Seal.' Although it is only a Mid-Grade Talisman Artifact, for you, it can also be put to use..."

After Shen Yuan finished speaking, half a stick of incense passed, and Chen Hang had already barely familiarized himself with the functions of these two talisman artifacts.

"Many thanks, Master, for clearing up my doubts."

He bowed solemnly and said.

Whether it was the "Purple Mi Treasure Robe" or that "Sinking Mountain Seal,"

these two talisman artifacts bestowed by the Yuchen Upper Sect were of great use to him, and in the future, if he were to fight others, he would have a few more methods at his disposal.

However, the fact that his reputation for challenging others had reached the Yuchen Upper Sect and earned him such a bestowal still made Chen Hang feel slightly amused.

"Painstakingly calculating, fearing a single misstep throughout, yet in the end, it still earned me a moment of fame."

Chen Hang sighed inwardly.

And at this moment,

Shen Yuan spoke again:

"Chen Hang, the reason I summoned you here today is not just for the Upper Sect's bestowal, but for another matter."

"Please, Master, enlighten me."

Chen Hang retracted the light in his eyes and said.

"Recently, the Upper Sect had three gambling matches with the Chiming Sect and won the ownership of a small mystic realm."

Shen Yuan said:

"That small mystic realm is named Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation. If there are no accidents, all four courts will send several disciples inside to cultivate and gain experience."

"Am I also included?"

Chen Hang's heart couldn't help but stir slightly upon hearing the words "mystic realm."

But after all, his cultivation of mental composure was deep, and he quickly suppressed that trace of strange expression, his face returning to normal.

"With your current reputation, I'm afraid it would be difficult for you not to enter it. However..."

Shen Yuan changed the subject:

"This matter may not necessarily be a good thing for you."

Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm.

This mystic realm was an inner-scene void dojo opened up ten thousand years ago by the Fire Glow Ancestor, a giant of the heterodox path.

Later, because of a rare supreme medicine, the Fire Glow Ancestor had a dispute with the disciples under the Haha Monk of the Boundless Light Heaven. The Fire Glow Ancestor's words were filthy and offensive, provoking the Haha Monk to personally take action and use great divine powers to crush him to death with the sun.

So much so that even his primordial spirit could not be reincarnated.

He was collected by the Haha Monk into the Heavenly Dragon Treasure Pagoda, refined into golden juice, and completely turned to dust.

After the Fire Glow Ancestor perished, the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm he opened up also vanished into the void due to his arrangements before death, leaving no trace.

Although the Haha Monk wanted to find the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm to loot the treasures and materials that might be stored inside, before he could take action, he was hindered by a major event in his temple and had no choice but to return to the Boundless Light Heaven to help his uncle compete for the position of Abbot.

However, the Haha Monk never returned to the Xu Du Heaven after that departure.

This person failed in the factional struggle and was imprisoned by his fellow disciples in the Trapped Dragon Cave for ten thousand years, and to this day, he has not been released.

Day and night, he must endure the torture and torment of the Golden Phoenix Fierce Fire, suffering unspeakably.

And since even escaping alive was still just a luxury, naturally, the Haha Monk could not find the whereabouts of the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm.

As for this time, the reason the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm suddenly appeared in the world

was because after ten thousand years, since there was no one to preside over and manage the mystic realm, the Yang Nine-Hundred-Sixty disaster arrived, beating the mystic realm to the verge of collapse.

It was about to sink from the void of the firmament to the surface of the earth, demoted from a mystic realm to a blessed land.

This movement was occasionally observed by two Upper True Ones of the Yuchen Sect and the Chiming Sect while they were visiting friends and traveling, so they took up the interest of playing around and agreed to have three gambling matches between the two sects to decide the ownership of the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm.

After the two Upper True Ones returned to their sect, they each called upon friends and companions. Although the stakes were not large, it caused quite a stir and was extremely magnificent.

It tired the several True Persons of the Huzhao Sect who were traveling outside, making them frown and feel alarmed. They hurriedly returned to the sect to report, thinking that the two sects were going to perform another act of defending the Dao and destroying demons, leading the Eight Sects to fight the Six Sects, and they were all vigilant and on guard.

Finally, this gambling match

ended with the Yuchen Sect winning two to one against the Chiming Sect, obtaining the ownership of that Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm...

However, although the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm was a mystic realm, the Fire Glow Ancestor who opened it was after all just a heterodox Pure Yang, and his divine powers and magic were limited after all, incomparable to the Pure Yang True Ones of the orthodox immortal path.

Among the ranks of mystic realms, the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm could far from be called a superior mystic realm, and it was even far from a medium mystic realm.

It could only be considered a lower-class mystic realm, barely usable.

And to this day, ten thousand years have passed since the Fire Glow Ancestor was crushed to death by the sun by the Haha Monk of the Boundless Light Heaven.

In these ten thousand years, because there was no one to preside over it, the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm drifted in the void universe, suffering from the erosion of the internal and external five qi, and finally, because it could not withstand the Yang Nine-Hundred-Sixty disaster, it was about to be beaten down into the Xu Du Heaven and return to its original site.

Even sinking from the profound firmament to the surface of the earth and being demoted from a mystic realm to a blessed land was destined by fate and could no longer be recovered.

Like this,

the already low value of the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm was even more heavily discounted...

And the reason why that Upper True One of the Yuchen Sect engaged in the gambling match was nothing more than an act out of extreme boredom. To say that he truly valued these stakes was not necessarily true.

Therefore, after Yuchen won against Chiming,

that Upper True One generously bestowed the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm to the Four Lower Courts, leaving it to the four Superintendents to handle, and no longer cared about it.

However, although the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm was insignificant to those Upper True Ones and Great Virtuous Ones, merely a leisure pastime after tea and meals,

for Chen Hang,

it was truly a rare great opportunity and great fortune!

Since he began cultivating the Dao, he had always been forced by strong enemies, and what he lacked most was time for cultivation.

As for mystic realms, they formed their own small inner-scene worlds in the universe.

No matter what rank of mystic realm it was, they all had the ability to regulate the flow of time.

Even the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm was no exception!

And Chen Hang already possessed the Golden Cicada, which could allow him to enter the "True Yizhen Yizhen Fa Jie," where "one day in the world is ten days in the Yizhen Yizhen Fa Jie"—

If he could enter the mystic realm to cultivate, supplemented by the function of the "True Yizhen Yizhen Fa Jie,"

with these two combined—

Thinking to this point,

Chen Hang was slightly distracted, his heart inevitably surging.

"However..."

Quickly,

he slowly lowered his eyelids, covering his gaze, and said: "Master said earlier that I became famous in the four courts because of the battle, so among the candidates to go to the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm, there should be a place for me."

"But that is not necessarily a good thing." Shen Yuan's tone was flat.

"Because of the clans?"

Chen Hang spoke in a deep voice.

Shen Yuan nodded slightly and said: "The tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind... Although you became famous in one battle at Bai Shi Peak, I am afraid you have also become a thorn in their side. If you enter the mystic realm, with no one to supervise, I am afraid that with a slight lapse, that territory will become your burial ground."

According to the regulations of the Lower Court,

if the inner disciples have not secured a seat among the Ten Great Disciples, they cannot be admitted into the Yuchen Upper Sect.

But if their cultivation has already reached the Golden Core Realm, or they have reached the age of one hundred and twenty,

then,

they can no longer remain in the Lower Court to cultivate, and there are only two paths to find...

The first is to be assigned duties by the Ten Directions Hall of the Upper Sect.

Either go to serve in the major Dao lineages of the Eastern Territory, or remain in the Lower Court to serve as a Great Officer; this is still a good job, fought over by countless inner disciples.

But if one cannot obtain favors or performs poorly in the Lower Court, it is also possible to be assigned to some lands or void realms to establish a Dao lineage and propagate the teachings of the Yuchen Sect.

Nominally, this is to educate the sentient beings of the lower realms, but in reality, it is no different from exile.

Leaving Xu Du, one of the sixteen great heavens.

If one wants to make further progress in cultivation in the future, unless one can obtain rare fortune, there is barely a one or two percent chance...

And if one is unwilling to obey the arrangements of the Ten Directions Hall,

the other path is to erase one's name from the Golden Register.

From then on, one has no further connection with Yuchen and must fend for oneself...

For this reason,

among the disciples of the Lower Court, those with the highest cultivation are not the Purple Palace High Officers like Jiang Tongyuan and Wei Yang, but those who have not yet reached the age of one hundred and twenty and whose Dao practice has already achieved Cave-Mystic.

These people usually cultivate bitterly in their respective cave dwellings and rarely appear in the world. Even the lectures given by the three great masters are mostly excused, as they have no time to spare.

Because the next Four Courts Grand Competition is only six years away...

If they miss this session and cannot secure a seat among the Ten Great Disciples, they will have to wait another twenty-four years for the next Four Courts Grand Competition.

And by that time,

some of them will have long exceeded the age of one hundred and twenty, and naturally, they will have to leave the Lower Court, losing the chance to be admitted into the Yuchen Upper Sect.

Chen Hang understood the meaning in Shen Yuan's words.

The appearance of the Flowing Fire Macro-Transformation Mystic Realm this time might attract those Cave-Mystic disciples who are cultivating in seclusion.

And among them,

perhaps there will be one or two from the clans...

At that time, if Chen Hang encounters them, it will certainly not be a friendly situation.

"That small mystic realm is on the verge of collapse and is about to sink to the ground. It cannot accommodate too many living people, otherwise, with the disturbance of qi, it will only prematurely disrupt the foundation of the mystic realm."

Shen Yuan's voice was as faint as light smoke from a distant mountain, faintly carrying a trace of inquiry:

"I summoned you here today to tell you that the mystic realm is likely a disaster rather than a blessing for you. As for whether to go or not, you should think thrice before acting."

"Many thanks, Master, for your special reminder..."

After a moment of silence,

Chen Hang stepped forward, bowed, and said with a carefree smile:

"However, with such a great opportunity before me, how could I have any reason to miss it!"

"If you die, everything will be empty."

Shen Yuan said.

"The fork in the road is difficult to travel, and the body is like a temporary lodging, but this disciple cannot care about so much afterward."

Chen Hang smiled plainly and said in a loud voice:

"Right now, I only wish to seize the day!"

End of Chapter