Su Chen refused the opportunity offered by the Jade Pool Sacred Land. But he did not refuse the Jade Pool Sacred Maiden.
Within an ancient pavilion, the Jade Pool Sacred Maiden played celestial melodies, while Su Chen studied the ancient texts he had borrowed from the Sacred Land.
The Jade Pool Sacred Maiden became his follower. The origin of the Immortal Tree's fruit alone guaranteed a talent no lower than that of a Heavenly King-level prodigy.
The Jade Pool Sacred Land was one of the oldest sanctuaries of the human race, harboring countless secrets. It preserved records from countless eras and possessed cultivation techniques as vast as the stars. While Su Chen could not access its deepest mysteries, the Sacred Maiden had set her sights on him, and the Sacred Land was more than willing to invest in a genius with the potential to attain the Dao, forging a favorable bond.
Su Chen remained in the Jade Pool Sacred Land for three years without returning to the Ye Family. Then, all of a sudden, countless Dao patterns intertwined around him, light and shadow weaving together into myriad phenomena.
The Jade Pool Sacred Maiden stopped playing, her eyes shining with astonishment. Three realms in three years. At nineteen, he had already reached the seventh level of the Nirvana Realm. Even across the entire span of recorded history, such achievements were exceedingly rare. Most ancient Emperors had been far inferior to the young man before her at the same age.
The fluctuations soon faded, and Su Chen's cultivation advanced once more, breaking through from the sixth level of the Nirvana Realm to the seventh.
Nirvana Realm, Seventh Layer. Even among the strong, this was the mark of a true powerhouse.
During these three years in the Jade Pool Sacred Land, Su Chen had continuously refined his own path. The embryonic form of a supreme avenue gradually took shape in his mind. Through cycle after cycle, lifetime after lifetime, he would only continue to grow stronger.
Suddenly, a shocking phenomenon erupted within the distant Sacred City.
Su Chen looked up.
It was as if all things were awakening, vitality surging across the heavens and earth.
The Jade Pool Sacred Maiden said, "Someone in the Sacred City has uncovered a sacred medicine. It has been a hundred years since anyone last had such fortune."
Stone gambling was an industry shared by all major top-tier forces, including the Ye Family.
Relics buried within divine source stones came from fallen powers and vanished eras. Over time, no one knew what lay hidden inside. There might be legendary divine medicines, sealed sacred artifacts, even items connected to an Emperor, or creatures preserved since ancient times.
One cut could bring heaven. Another could cast one into hell.
Countless cultivators threw themselves into it without hesitation.
Having just broken through, Su Chen was in high spirits. With the emergence of a sacred medicine in the Sacred City, he took the Jade Pool Sacred Maiden with him to take a look.
Within the Sacred City, countless people gathered around a source workshop. Someone had unearthed a sacred medicine.
A sacred medicine, something even Saints would fight madly over. Hidden old monsters within the city had emerged, driving its price to an astronomical level. And the one who uncovered it was a young man.
Ignoring all offers, the young man turned to another source stone. As the blade flashed, thunder roared across the sky. A bolt of lightning struck down, revealing a small blade of grass bathed in lightning, utterly unmoved.
"It's actually Thunder God Grass. A supreme treasure for body cultivators. Its value rivals that of a sacred medicine!"
Once might be luck. But twice in a row?
"Could he be a Source Master, trying to make a name for himself?"
The crowd speculated.
Source Masters cultivated the Dao of source. They excelled at setting formations and reading the grand势 of heaven and earth, possessing an acute sensitivity to the aura within divine source stones. It was an extremely sought-after profession. Once they reached mastery, any major faction would treat them as honored guests.
The third source stone emitted a radiant glow. Inside, the crowd saw a fragment of a medicinal root. Even after countless years, faint runic laws still flickered upon it.
"This… is a remnant root of a divine medicine!"
The sacred city shook. Even a remnant medicinal root of a divine medicine was a top-tier treasure, no less valuable than a full Saint Medicine.
The crowd trembled with shock… Was this Divine Source Master planning to sweep away every treasure in the entire sacred city today?
No one doubted the youth's ability anymore.
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Three cuts, three Saint-level items. This could no longer be explained by mere luck.
Just as the youth was about to open the fourth divine source, A calm voice rang out.
"I advise you not to open this one."
The youth and the crowd turned toward the voice. The people parted to form a path. A handsome youth with an almost demonic beauty appeared, followed by an unparalleled beauty. Even though her face was veiled by a light gauze, it could not conceal her peerless appearance. In an instant, she drew every gaze.
"That's… the Ye Clan's Emperor Son and the Jade Pool Sacred Maiden!"
Someone recognized their identities, his tone filled with awe.
The youth looked at Su Chen and spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, "May I ask why the Emperor Son Ye says this?"
Su Chen smiled faintly and pointed at the fourth divine source. "The thing inside… You cannot subdue it."
The youth was surprised. "Does the Emperor Son Ye know what is contained within?"
He then shook his head. "Even the most top-tier Divine Source Masters cannot know what lies inside each divine source. How could you possibly know?"
Su Chen simply replied, "Intuition."
The youth rolled his eyes and did not hesitate. He brought his blade down.
The divine source instantly erupted with violent light and exploded. A terrifying aura burst forth, causing everyone's expressions to change drastically.
"It's actually a Holy Spirit!"
Holy Spirits were the most powerful race between heaven and earth. Every Holy Spirit possessed terrifying talent from birth. Becoming a Great Saint was merely their starting point. A fully matured Holy Spirit could even rival those who had attained the Dao through alternative means.
And this Holy Spirit… seemed to be a person?
A fist shot out. The youth tried to block it but was sent flying. His expression changed in horror. This Holy Spirit was so powerful that a single casual strike had nearly killed him.
The Holy Spirit tried to rush outward. An elderly Saint extended a large hand to stop it, but countless runes suddenly appeared on the Holy Spirit's body. The runes decomposed and formed a terrifying Saint Sword. With a single slash, it severed the Saint's arm. And this Holy Spirit had not even completed its final step to become a Saint!
Just as the Holy Spirit was about to escape, Time and space seemed to fall into stagnation. Everything froze in place.
Su Chen appeared before the living Holy Spirit. At this moment, the Holy Spirit was covered in dense fur and wore tattered clothes. Its body could not move, and it could only stare at the approaching Su Chen.
That familiar aura… it was none other than the fourth brother from Falling Emperor Mountain — Ji Changkong!
Su Chen had not expected to encounter an old acquaintance here.
Back then, Ji Changkong had chosen to seal himself because he could not suppress the Holy Spirit within him. He had fought with his life on the line, and there had been no news of him since.
In his previous life, Su Chen had never returned to the Azure Nether Dao Domain. After a hundred thousand years, the changes in that domain must have been considerable. Dynasties and powers were like branches and leaves on a tree—they could flourish vigorously or wither and fall.
The Ji Clan had been one of them. It had once prospered, but in the end, it could not withstand the passage of time and had declined into obscurity. Even the divine source in which Ji Changkong had sealed himself had traveled from the Azure Nether Dao Domain all the way to the Origin Prime Celestial Domain.
At this moment, Ji Changkong's condition was not good.
"So you ultimately failed…"
Su Chen sighed softly. Ji Changkong's aura fluctuated unsteadily, leaving only the most primitive instincts. In the end, the will of the Holy Spirit had suppressed Ji Changkong.
Su Chen slowly pressed a finger to the center of Ji Changkong's brows. Ji Changkong's body trembled violently. The dense fur covering him rapidly fell away as divine light bloomed from his body. He looked like a war god.
"You… who are you?"
Ji Changkong was extremely confused. He seemed to recall something, yet he could not grasp anything. His eyes were blank and helpless.
Su Chen said, "My name is Ye Chen."
Ji Changkong looked puzzled. "Ye Chen? Then who am I? Where did I come from?"
Su Chen shook his head. "I do not know who you are. However, if you follow me, you will eventually discover who you are and where you came from."
Ji Changkong said joyfully, "Really? If I follow you, I can truly find out who I am?"
Su Chen nodded. "I will not lie to you."
My foolish junior brother…
Su Chen silently thought to himself.
Just like that, a flawless Holy Spirit—a prodigy comparable to taboo-level geniuses and capable of contending for the position of Emperor—had fallen easily into Su Chen's hands. He would become one of the strongest generals under Su Chen's command in the future, helping him resist the Supremes of the forbidden zones and awe the myriad spirits!
Time and space instantly returned to normal. No one knew what had just happened.
The unmatched Holy Spirit now stood quietly behind the Ye Clan's Emperor Son, completely motionless.
Hiss!
That was an innate Holy Spirit. Once fully matured, it could stand shoulder to shoulder with those who had attained the Dao through alternative means—an unrivaled supreme being. Yet now it obediently stood behind someone else like a follower…
A terrifying thought rose in everyone's minds.
"Don't tell me… the Ye Clan's Emperor Son has really subdued such a terrifying creature. That's a ferocious being capable of tearing apart Saints with its bare hands!"
There was no doubt that such a terrifying creature had been subdued by Su Chen. Subduing Ji Changkong was an unexpected delight.
Just as Su Chen was about to leave, the young Divine Source Master struggled to his feet and called out, "Emperor Son Ye, please wait!"
Su Chen paused. The youth hurriedly caught up and said, "I wish to follow the Emperor Son Ye!"
Everyone in the sacred city was shocked. First, Su Chen had subdued a newly born Holy Spirit, and now a Divine Source Master genius wanted to follow him!
The youth's abilities were obvious to all. He was undoubtedly a monster of the Source Dao. Many major forces in the sacred city had been thinking of recruiting him as an honored guest. Yet now this youth was actively choosing to follow the Ye Clan's Emperor Son… Could it be that the saying was true? Was the Ye Clan's Emperor Son truly favored by heaven and destined to attain the Dao in this life?
The youth said earnestly, "Although our Source Dao lineage is extremely mysterious and possesses many methods, it cannot stand alone. If you attain the Dao, my Source Dao will be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the founding ancestor and reach the highest realm of Heavenly Master in the history of Divine Source Masters. I am betting that the Emperor Son Ye is destined to attain the Dao!"
Su Chen chuckled softly. "Interesting. From today onward, you may follow me."
Joy flashed across the youth's face. He had been instructed by his master to seek out monsters with the potential to become an Emperor. He had originally planned to display his Source Dao techniques to create some commotion, but a small accident had occurred. Still… the outcome was good. He had successfully latched onto a thick thigh. As long as Su Chen attained the Dao, he would become the tenth Heavenly Master in the history of Divine Source Masters!
The youth's name was Yuan Ming. For Su Chen, this was another unexpected delight.
Upon returning to the Jade Pool Sacred Land, Su Chen noticed the Jade Pool Sacred Maiden's beautiful eyes scanning him from head to toe.
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