darknovel Chapter 1108 Invitation
Chapter 1108 Invitation
Chen Yuan didn't have to wait long before he was summoned by Master Fu.
The Hall of Ten Thousand Stars remained silent. Faint starlight shone from the far distance, illuminating the deep void. Master Fu, dressed in a blue robe, seemed to be the master of the starry sea, surrounded by the light of countless stars.
"Chen Yuan pays respects to the Sect Leader."
Chen Yuan clasped his hands in a bow. For some reason, he felt that Master Fu's figure was a little thin, as if he lacked some composure and had more of an ethereal quality.
Master Fu spoke calmly: "You have been away from the sect for eighty years before returning. Could it be that your journey has not been smooth?"
Chen Yuan replied respectfully, "Sect Leader, you are wise. Senior Zhumingzi is traveling and not in the mansion. I have been waiting outside Mingzhu Cave for eighty years, but I have never had the chance to pay my respects. I have no choice but to return to the sect."
Master Fu said, "It seems your time has not yet come. You cannot force it. After the matter of Tyrant Turtle Island is over, you can go to Bright Candle Cave Heaven again. Has the Heavenly Demon Armor been repaired?"
Chen Yuan looked ashamed: "Senior Wang's weapon-refining skills are unparalleled. The Xuan Yin Armor has been repaired perfectly. It's just that I feel ashamed that the sect leader had to use his favor."
Master Fu said, "It's alright. Your contribution in offering the World-Destroying Warship is immense, and you deserve a reward."
Chen Yuan said respectfully, "I have another matter that is puzzling me, and I humbly request the Sect Leader to enlighten me."
Master Fu asked, "What is it?"
Chen Yuan tentatively asked, "Does the Sect Leader know that Senior Wang has established a rule that if one wishes to have him refine a treasure, one must first kill a cultivator of the same rank from the Tianrui Palace..."
Master Fu said, "I am naturally aware of this matter. What, do you still want to ask Wang Yu to refine the treasure?"
Chen Yuan quickly bowed down: "I dare not. As an elder of the sect, how could I dare to assassinate an elder of Tianrui Palace for my own selfish reasons and bring trouble to the sect?"
"However, I do have a magical treasure that I would like to ask Senior Wang to refine again. But Senior Wang is unwilling to change the rules. I wonder if the Sect Leader has any way to help?"
Master Fu said, "Wang Yu has already repaid the favor he owed me, and I cannot ask Wang Yu to change the rules. If you want him to refine the treasure, you must abide by his rules."
Chen Yuan was taken aback: "But Senior Wang ordered me to kill the people from Tianrui Palace..."
Master Fu said calmly, "You are a Void Refinement cultivator. Why should others tell you how to act?"
"If you kill a Tianrui Palace cultivator for your own selfish reasons and the matter is exposed, you will be dealt with according to the rules of the Fatian Pavilion."
"But in another ten years or so, our sect will launch a major offensive into Turtle Island and establish a giant city. This is our sect's top priority, and no mistakes can be tolerated. Do you understand?"
Chen Yuan's eyes flashed: "I understand, thank you for your guidance, Sect Leader."
Master Fu nodded slightly: "If you have nothing else, you may leave."
Chen Yuan clasped his hands in a bow, and when he straightened up, he had already returned to the front of the Wanxing Hall.
He looked at the dark and deep hall in front of him, smiled slightly, turned around and walked out of the array, riding on his escape light and disappearing into the sky.
Master Fu's implication was clear: he would not stop Chen Yuan from secretly assassinating the Tianrui Palace cultivators, but if Chen Yuan made a mistake and revealed a flaw, and was discovered by Tianrui Palace, he would not step in to protect Chen Yuan.
With this, Chen Yuan had no more scruples. Although Tianrui Palace was the number one sect in the Spirit Realm, it could not cover everything and had many enemies.
Such a colossal entity has existed for millions of years, remaining prosperous and enduring. Naturally, the cultivators within its sect act tyrannically, and their reputation is far from good. Chen Yuan felt no psychological burden when he attacked.
However, he has not yet advanced to the Integration Stage, and it is extremely difficult for him to deal with Integration Stage cultivators with his physical body alone. This matter needs to be considered carefully and cannot be rushed.
As Chen Yuan's thoughts raced, he returned to his cave dwelling on Lingyun Peak, summoned Elder Song, and asked, "Is there any news about Wu Xuan?"
When he first entered the Spirit Realm, he became an elder of the Tai Xuan Sect. Wu Xuan was summoned by the Nine Palaces to set up an array in another minor world. He did not return until Chen Yuan left the Xuanling Domain.
Chen Yuan was gone for eighty years. After returning to the sect, Zhang Yanwei and Cangsong Daoist entered the Spirit Realm. Wu Xuan had also been transferred to Lingyun Peak under the instruction of Elder Yuan to serve as the guardian spirit beast, but he was still nowhere to be found. So Chen Yuan asked Elder Song to go to the Nine Palaces to inquire.
Elder Song said respectfully, "I was ordered by Master to go to the Nine Palaces to inquire about Wu Xuan's whereabouts, but the protectors in the palace only said that Wu Xuan had a sect mission to attend to and was unable to spare the time."
"I invoked your name, but the protector was only outwardly respectful and still refused to reveal Wu Xuan's whereabouts. Instead, he told me to go to Elder Tian. If Elder Tian agrees, he will personally escort Wu Xuan to Lingyun Peak."
"I had no choice but to go and look for Elder Tian again, but Elder Tian was not at Xingheng Peak. Upon asking, I learned that Elder Tian had not been on Tongtian Island for decades and I did not know where he had gone."
Chen Yuan frowned. Elder Tian was in charge of the Nine Palaces and was the only Grandmaster of Array Dao in the Tai Xuan Sect. Now that the Tai Xuan Sect was about to march on Tyrant Turtle Island, he was not in the sect to oversee the array setup and city construction...
Chen Yuan pondered for a moment, then changed the subject: "Let's put this matter aside for now. Has the Refining Hall responded to the matter of exchanging pills and herbs for spatial materials?"
Elder Song said respectfully, "The Protector of the Refining Hall has stated that the spiritual materials in the space are exhausted, and there is nothing more we can do to help. Please forgive us, sir."
Chen Yuan's eyes flashed, and he smiled slightly: "Thank you for your hard work, Elder Song. Go and cultivate."
Elder Song bowed respectfully and said, "This old man takes his leave."
After Elder Song left, Chen Yuan fell into deep thought. After a long while, he got up and walked towards the cultivation room.
……
For the next few days, Chen Yuan meditated and regulated his breathing in his cave. Before Zhang Yanwei returned, Daoist Cangsong came to see him again.
Chen Yuan was awakened from his meditation by Elder Song. He got up and went to the reception room, ordering him to bring Elder Cangsong into the mansion.
After a while, Daoist Cangsong followed Elder Song into the hall, bowed deeply, and said respectfully, "Cangsong greets Elder."
Chen Yuan said gently, "We are friends who have gone through thick and thin together. Fellow Daoist Cangsong, there is no need for such formalities. Please sit down."
He spoke politely, but Daoist Cangsong dared not be the slightest bit impolite. He carefully sat down opposite Chen Yuan, his body ramrod straight, just like a pine tree.
Chen Yuan is now a cultivator at the peak of the Void Refinement stage and an elder of the sect, while his cultivation level is still stuck at the mid-stage of the Divine Transformation stage. He joined the Tai Xuan Sect with the help of Chen Yuan.
The two were worlds apart, and he always maintained a respectful attitude in front of Chen Yuan.
Although Chen Yuan didn't value these formalities, he couldn't erase the fear that Cangsong Daoist felt towards high-level cultivators. He could only pretend not to notice and asked, "What brings you here today, fellow Daoist?"
As he spoke, two squirrels jumped onto the table and served the two of them spiritual tea. Their eyes were bright and lively, and they even imitated people by bowing with their hands clasped, which was quite adorable.
These are two level-four spirit beasts that Elder Song subdued after arriving at Tongtian Island. Their intelligence is no different from that of ordinary people. They feed on pine nuts from Elder Song's original pine tree body, regard Elder Song as family, are gentle and obedient, and serve Chen Yuan at his side, which is quite considerate.
Daoist Cangsong accepted the spiritual tea with both hands, placed it in front of him, and said respectfully, "Today, a steward from the Talisman Making Pavilion suddenly came to our door and issued a sect mission related to drawing talismans. The reward is extremely generous, but the details and location are kept secret until I accept the mission."
"Moreover, accepting this mission requires leaving Tongtian Island for at least ten years, during which time one is not allowed to return to the sect."
"I dare not act on my own, so I have come to report this matter to the elder. I would like to ask the elder for guidance on how I should respond."
Chen Yuan's eyes flashed, and instead of answering, he asked, "What are your plans, fellow Daoist?"
Daoist Cangsong hesitated for a moment before saying, "As a true disciple of Lingyun Peak, I will naturally obey the elder's orders."
Chen Yuan asked, "Is this sect mission life-threatening?"
Daoist Cangsong shook his head: "The talisman-making pavilion steward made it clear that this task only requires drawing talismans, and there is no need to fight or kill others."
Chen Yuan said, "Since that's the case, why refuse? Fellow Daoist, please accept it. Earning more sect contribution points is always a good thing."
Daoist Cangsong hesitated: "Lingyun Peak only has two true disciples. Now that Yanwei has left the sect, if I take on this sect mission, there will be no one to serve the elders..."
Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, you are overthinking it. Just agree to this matter. Yanwei will return soon. As for the lack of manpower... I have my own solutions."
Daoist Cangsong finally felt relieved and bowed with his fists clasped: "After this sect mission is completed, I will immediately return to the sect and obey the elders' orders."
He got up to take his leave, but Chen Yuan remained seated. He then summoned Elder Song and escorted him out of the cave.
Watching the figure of Daoist Cangsong disappear into the passage, Chen Yuan's eyes flashed, and he suddenly smiled, getting up and walking towards the cultivation room.
……
Chen Yuan was waiting for Zhang Yanwei to return to the sect, but he couldn't find peace. Not long after Daoist Cangsong accepted the mysterious sect mission, another guest came to visit.
Old Master Song woke Chen Yuan from his meditation and led him into the mansion: "Master, Wei Wushang, the head of the Wei family, has come to visit and is now waiting at Yingke Peak."
Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow: "Wei Wushang? What brings him here?"
Old Master Song shook his head slightly: "Not long after Master left the sect for a long journey, Wei Wushang came to visit Master, but Master was not at home, so he had to leave."
"In the following ten years, Wei Wushang came twice more, but returned empty-handed both times, and then the matter was dropped."
"But from time to time, stewards from the reception hall would come to inquire about the master's whereabouts, which must have been at his behest."
"When Master returned to the clan recently, Wei Wushang must have learned of this matter, which is why he personally came to visit."
After pondering for a moment, Chen Yuan got up and walked out of the cave. He took off and arrived at the teleportation array hall. After showing his token, he stepped into the teleportation array under the respectful gaze of the guards. With a flash of white light, his figure disappeared.
Below Tongtian Island lies the heart of Donghua City, a place of towering pavilions and shimmering lights. Yet, there is a tranquil area amidst the hustle and bustle, with rolling hills and pavilions built against the mountains, offering a serene and secluded landscape. This is the place where the Tai Xuan Sect specially welcomes visiting cultivators, and Wei Wushang was waiting for Chen Yuan on one of these mountains.
Chen Yuan arrived at this mountain under the guidance of the steward of the welcoming hall. In the Tai Xuan Sect, Nascent Soul cultivators who feel that their path to enlightenment has come to an end will be transferred from true disciples to sect stewards, who will be responsible for handling miscellaneous sect affairs.
However, such disciples are extremely rare. The vast majority of true disciples will not give up their status as true disciples even when their lifespan is exhausted, and will eventually die on the road to pursuing immortality.
Chen Yuan entered the quiet room and paused. Besides Wei Wushang, there was another person in the quiet room, Elder Yuan of Huayu Peak.
“Fellow Daoist Wei has visited several times, but unfortunately I have been away on business and have not been able to greet you. I am deeply sorry that you have made such a wasted trip. I hope you will forgive me.”
Chen Yuan bowed to Wei Wushang with a look of apology and sincerity.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, you flatter me. It is I who have been out of step with the times. I learned of your return to the sect the other day and came to pay my respects immediately." Wei Wushang stood up and returned the greeting with a smile.
Chen Yuan then clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Elder Yuan, saying, "Greetings, Senior Brother Yuan."
Elder Yuan returned the greeting with clasped hands: "I, Yuan, am here at the invitation of Fellow Daoist Wei. Junior Brother Chen, please sit down and let's chat."
After the three sat down and exchanged pleasantries for a while, Wei Wushang suddenly raised his sleeve and flicked it, and a jade box with a sealing talisman appeared out of thin air on the table. He smiled and said, "I regret that I was unable to congratulate you in person as you have been promoted to elder. This is just a small gift, and I hope you will accept it."
As he spoke, Wei Wushang pointed his finger, and the sealing talisman was removed on its own, revealing a strangely shaped fruit.
The fruit was entirely purple, uneven, and wrinkled, with a very poor appearance, but its texture was like jade, as if a piece of beautiful purple jade had been forcibly kneaded into a ball by some force.
But Chen Yuan was stunned when he saw the ugly purple fruit: "This is... the Purple Lightning Wrinkled Jade Fruit?"
Wei Wushang laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist has sharp eyes. I observed that when you sparred with Elder Su that day, you summoned the phantom of the Kui Niu, with lightning following you. You are also a practitioner of both physical and magical cultivation."
"So I specially sought out this Purple Lightning Wrinkled Jade Fruit, which should be of some use to you in your breakthrough to the Integration Realm."
Chen Yuan examined the ugly purple spiritual fruit and nodded slightly: "Fellow Daoist, you are very thoughtful."
The Purple Lightning Wrinkled Jade Fruit is an extremely rare spiritual fruit that generates lightning. Over the years, it has been struck by lightning and absorbed the power of lightning, gradually nurturing a trace of violent lightning essence. It has both the effect of tempering the body and the ability to help cultivators comprehend the laws of lightning.
After refining the Origin Pill, Chen Yuan's understanding of the Thunder Law had transcended the Refinement of Emptiness realm, but he lacked the Origin Qi.
The essence of thunder contained in this spiritual fruit can purify the blood essence of the Kui Niu and temper its physical body. It is equivalent to refining one or two ten-thousand-year-old body-tempering pills, so its effect is considerable.
Chen Yuan raised his head and said solemnly, "I appreciate your kind intentions, but this gift is too precious for me to accept."
He and Wei Wushang were not related, and there was even an old grudge between them for stealing the True Dragon's treasure. Even if Wei Wushang had no intention of seeking revenge, he should not have given him such a spiritual item. He dared not accept it easily.
Wei Wushang stroked his beard and smiled: "Although this item is precious, my Wei family does not have a cultivator like you who cultivates both body and mind and also practices the Thunder Dao. It would be better to give it to you and make the most of it."
Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "I cannot accept such a generous gift without merit. Given the friendship between us, it seems that I am not worthy of such a gift."
"If you have any requests for me, please speak frankly. If I can do it, I will do my best."
Wei Wushang's smile faded, and he exchanged a glance with Elder Yuan before saying in a deep voice, "I am giving this item because I admire your strength, and I am willing to befriend you. I also do have a request to make."
Chen Yuan's eyes flashed: "Fellow Daoist, please speak."
Wei Wushang solemnly said, "It won't be long before your sect launches a major offensive against Tyrant Island. As elders, you two fellow Daoists have an inescapable responsibility, and our sects and families, which are affiliated with your sect, will also do their utmost to help."
"The demon race will never allow your sect to easily build a city on Tyrant Turtle Island. Moreover, according to custom, the Heaven-Slaying Pavilion and various sects in the Spirit Realm will send cultivators to assist us. There will definitely be an earth-shattering battle."
"Although this battle is quite risky for us Nascent Soul cultivators, it is also a great opportunity to make meritorious contributions."
“I have some understanding of your sect’s situation. Your Lingyun Peak is newly established and has few disciples, with no one to command it, while Huayu Peak and the Wei family have many disciples.”
"If Fellow Daoist Chen can join forces with the two of us, we will have no shortage of manpower and will surely achieve some success. What do you think, Fellow Daoist?"
Elder Yuan, who was standing to the side, also spoke up to persuade him: "When Junior Brother left the sect, I had already promised to join forces with Fellow Daoist Wei to fight against the demon race."
"If my junior brother could join us, the three of us working together would surely achieve many merits and receive rewards from the Heaven-Slaying Pavilion. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Chen Yuan glanced at Elder Yuan, then at Wei Wushang, and said, "I have a very close personal relationship with Senior Brother Yuan. Since Fellow Daoist Wei has already persuaded Senior Brother Yuan, I have no objection. Why send such a generous gift?"
Wei Wushang smiled and said, "Of course I know about the friendship between you and Fellow Daoist Yuan, but if the three of us join forces and want to make meritorious contributions, you are the most crucial link. How could I not show my appreciation?"
Elder Yuan said, "To be honest, junior brother, I also contributed to this Purple Lightning Wrinkled Jade Fruit, and I specially gave it to you."
Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean by that?"
Elder Yuan explained, "At our level of cultivation, it is already difficult to distinguish who is superior, let alone to decide who is to live or die. We usually fight for several days, and once our armies have determined the victor, we retreat."
"Even if one side falls into a disadvantageous position, the human cultivators have profound supernatural powers and varied methods, and the demon saints have strong physical bodies and can overcome skill with brute force, making it difficult to completely subdue the opponent."
"My junior brother cultivates both physical and magical arts, making his physical body incredibly strong. He can directly confront the Demon Saint, entangle him, and prevent him from escaping. Then, the two of us will go all out to kill him, and our mission will be accomplished."
Wei Wushang added, "The most wonderful thing is that Fellow Daoist Chen's physical body is comparable to that of a demon saint, but his cultivation level is only at the peak of the Void Refinement stage, which allows him to hide in the army of cultivators."
"Let the two of us hold off the enemy demon saint first. Once he relaxes his guard, you can suddenly attack and break the stalemate. We will definitely gain the upper hand."
Elder Yuan laughed and said, "Even if we can't kill the Demon Saint, we can still seriously injure him. Once the Demon Saint retreats, we can take the opportunity to clear out the demon beast army. That would be a great achievement."
"Senior Brother Su and Junior Brother have a grudge. The other elders of our sect do not know Junior Brother's background, but I know Junior Brother's strength. If we can get Junior Brother's help in this battle, we will have nothing to worry about."
Wei Wushang added, "The rewards we receive will be divided equally among the three of us. If there are any items that are helpful for body refinement, you may choose first."
Meeting their eager gazes, Chen Yuan pondered for a long time before suddenly smiling and raising the spiritual tea on the table to toast them: "Back in the True Dragon Cave, it was thanks to Senior Brother Yuan's strong support and Fellow Daoist Wei's words of encouragement that I was able to safely enter the Spirit Realm."
"Now that you two have extended an invitation, and it is such a mutually beneficial matter, how could I refuse? I will do as you say."
"Excellent!" Wei Wushang laughed loudly, picked up his teacup, "With Fellow Daoist Chen's assistance, we will surely achieve great feats in this battle!"
Elder Yuan also raised his teacup: "After this battle, our sect will build a giant city on Tyrant Turtle Island and conquer the Great Thousand Worlds. The two of us will be able to break through to the mid-stage of the Integration Realm, and Junior Brother Chen will also be able to advance to the Integration Realm. Everyone will be happy."
The three drank the spiritual tea, their laughter echoing in the quiet room, creating an extremely harmonious atmosphere.
Chen Yuan's heart was like a deep pool, calm and undisturbed. How could such an earth-shattering battle, in which even Mahayana cultivators would participate, be so smooth?
Chen Yuan recalled Zhang Yanwei's words. Not long after he entered the Xuanli Realm, the Bloodtooth Demon Saint issued a Demon Saint's decree, using valuable treasures to hunt down Cangsong Daoist, Zhang Yanwei, and others. He must have already known what happened in the Xuanli Realm, at least that it was the Northern Underworld Demon General who destroyed those two Demon Saint's divided souls.
After the laughter subsided, Chen Yuan's expression turned serious, and he slowly spoke: "Senior Brother Yuan, Fellow Daoist Wei, there is something I must remind you both of."
Seeing his serious expression, Wei Wushang also put away his smile: "Fellow Daoist Chen, please speak."
Chen Yuan said, "As you both know, before I entered the Spirit Realm, I first ascended to the Burning Demon Realm, and then in the Xuanli Realm, I slew two Demon Saint's divided souls and killed three True Spirit descendants, thus incurring a deep enmity with the demon race of the Burning Demon Realm."
"After I enter Turtle Island, I will likely face retaliation from the demon race. If you two join forces with me, you may be implicated."
"Since you two have been so frank with me, I have no intention of hiding anything either. I urge you to consider carefully before deciding whether to join forces with me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Wushang laughed: "I wondered what it was about. Fellow Daoist Chen is overthinking it. We are well aware of your killing of the True Spirit Descendant and the Demon Saint's Divided Soul."
"But our opponents in this battle are demon saints, so what's the harm in having two more? They'll just be giving us more battle merits."
Elder Yuan also laughed and said, "Junior brother, don't worry. Now that the three of us are working together, one or two demon saints won't be enough to take our share."
Seeing that the two didn't seem to care, Chen Yuan felt relieved and smiled. The three chatted happily and then exchanged their cultivation experiences.
After talking for a while, Chen Yuan suddenly remembered something and looked at Wei Wushang: "Does Fellow Daoist Wei have any spatial spiritual materials? I am willing to exchange them for Void Refinement stage spiritual herbs and pills."
“Spatial spiritual materials?” Wei Wushang was taken aback. “Fellow Daoist Chen, are you perhaps unaware that my Wei family’s spatial spiritual materials have already been bought by your sect at a high price?”
"Right now, my Wei family can't even produce a single high-grade spatial material. If a short-distance teleportation array is damaged, we don't know how to repair it."
Chen Yuan frowned slightly: "Is that so?"
Wei Wushang said, "Not only my Wei family, but all the medium-sized sects and even small sects in the Xuanling Domain have had their spatial spiritual materials swept away by your sect. In the entire Donghua City, you can't find many spatial spiritual materials."
"Fellow Daoist is willing to exchange Void Refinement stage spiritual herbs and pills for it, which are at least top-grade spiritual materials. You can only go to other spiritual realms or wait for the Donghua Auction in seven years."
Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully, while Elder Yuan beside him looked puzzled: "It's strange, the Nine Palaces suddenly started buying up spatial spiritual materials on a large scale. I wonder what they're going to do with them."
Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Our sect is going to build a city on Turtle Island. We need to set up a city-protecting array and a teleportation array. These spatial spiritual materials should be used here."
Wei Wushang looked enlightened: "Fellow Daoist Chen is right, that's probably it."
Elder Yuan still had a hint of doubt in his eyes, and nodded slightly.
Chen Yuan changed the subject: "I have never participated in the Donghua Auction before. I only know that the auction gathers treasures from the entire Xuanling Domain, and cultivators from other spiritual domains also come to participate. I wonder what the rules are?"
Wei Wushang laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist Chen has come to the right person. Since the Donghua Auction began, I have never missed a single one..." (End of this chapter)