Chapter 612: Bai Clan’s Favor
Xiao Chen was not afraid of the Bai Clan’s people learning his Four Season Saber Technique and becoming a threat to himself. The Four Season Saber Technique could only bring out its greatest might when it matched up with the cultivator’s states.
If Xiao Chen followed someone else’s method for practicing the Four Season Saber Technique, it would already be pretty good if he could bring out even a tenth of the might that he had. The Bai Clan’s people were taking the wrong path.
That being the case, it did not matter if Xiao Chen gave away his own comprehensions. Before a Saber Sage, he did not have much bargaining power, either.
A few kilometers above the Bai Clan’s warship, a small warship remained hidden in the white clouds. A few of the Sima Clan’s elders were on that warship. With faces full of suspicion, they watched Xiao Chen’s and Bai Feng’s every move.
“First Elder, the Bai Clan and Xiao Chen seem to have reached some agreement. We probably will not have any opportunity to make a move,” a gray-robed old man said sullenly.
“If we make our move after they enter the Great Qin Nation, it will cause unnecessary trouble,” someone else said.
The Sima Clan’s First Elder thought to himself for a while before saying, “Let’s return first. Unexpectedly, this Bai Feng ruined this matter at the crucial moment. However, we still have half a year. There will be plenty of opportunities.”
Without anybody noticing the Sima Clan’s presence, the Sima Clan’s small warship turned around silently and left.
—
After fifteen minutes, Bai Feng carefully put away the secret manual that Xiao Chen wrote and handed over. Many thoughts went through Bai Feng’s mind. He had a hard time imagining that there could be a person with such talent.
Xiao Chen was not even twenty-two years old yet, and he managed to create such an exceptional Martial Technique. He was comparable to those ancient Sages.
“I really admire Little Brother’s talent and bearing. In the future, if you need help, just send word to me. The Bai Clan owes you a favor.”
Bai Feng made Xiao Chen a promise as the Bai Clan’s Clan Head, surprising Xiao Chen.
Without the obstruction of the Bai Clan, their journey continued smoothly. Three days later, Xiao Chen and the rest arrived back at the Heavenly Saber Pavilion.
When news of Xiao Chen obtaining the first rank got out, the emotions of the entire Heavenly Saber Pavilion surged. The five-thousand-odd inner disciples all became very excited.
Every day, many disciples would arrive at the foot of Qingyun Peak, all of them hoping to transfer to Qingyun Peak.
The reason for this was Xiao Chen’s King Grade True Dragon Luck. Within the Heavenly Saber Pavilion, Qingyun Peak would have the most Luck.
Luck was something very ethereal. However, its usefulness to cultivators could sometimes be even more important than talent. Everyone wished to obtain more Luck.
Xiao Chen left such trifling matters to Liu Suifeng to handle. As for him and Liu Ruyue, they went into the back mountains and led a simple life together by themselves, enjoying a hard-earned period of leisure.
After a week, as more cultivators returned from Dragon Sealing City, the True Dragon Ranking List started to spread to every corner of the Great Qin Nation.
The news that the Great Qin Nation’s bladesman Xiao Chen obtained the first rank in this Five Nation Youth Competition became common knowledge. The reputation of the Heavenly Saber Pavilion soared. An unending stream of people came to join the sect.
There were even several people who did not use the saber but were willing to start from scratch and pick up the saber in order to enter the Heavenly Saber Pavilion. First Elder Jiang Chi’s days became awfully busy, but he never stopped smiling.
The Heavenly Saber Pavilion did not lack in resources; it merely lacked opportunity. By using Xiao Chen’s fame to recruit disciples now, its foundation would become even firmer.
The Luck that Xiao Chen brought would have a profound impact on the Heavenly Saber Pavilion. For the next five hundred years, the sect would certainly flourish, playing a leading role in this great age.
The bustle outside did not affect Xiao Chen’s mentality. After spending half a month with Liu Ruyue, he resumed cultivating bitterly.
The road was still long. On this long journey along the martial way, Xiao Chen stood only at the starting point. He needed to put in more effort and could not afford to relax.
Meeting Bai Feng had amplified this feeling, further intensifying it. Only when he became truly strong could he firmly grasp his fate with his own hands.
If Xiao Chen truly had a choice, how could he have given away the Saber Technique he had comprehended? However, faced with such a puissant force, no matter how smart or wise he was, resistance would be futile.
“Pu ci!”
The four Superior Grade Spirit Stones in Xiao Chen’s hands shattered. Then, he woke up from his state of cultivation and looked at the exhausted Spirit Stones. Shaking his head slightly, he tossed them aside.
Xiao Chen had used half a month to completely consolidate everything he had experienced and learned during the Five Nation Youth Competition. After that, he spent all his time cultivating.
Every day, Xiao Chen exhausted ten Superior Grade Spirit Stones, but his progress in cultivation remained slow. He was still far from the bottleneck of half-step Martial Monarchs.
Xiao Chen asked Ao Jiao with some frustration, “Ao Jiao, is there any way for me to reach the bottleneck of half-step Martial Monarch in half a year?”
Ao Jiao smiled gently and said, “I have been waiting for you to ask. There is a method. However, it depends on whether you are willing to take the risk.”
Everything in the world carried risk. It was impossible to gain anything without putting in effort, earning an easy profit.
Naturally, Xiao Chen understood this principle. He said, “What is the method?”
Ao Jiao did not answer the question straightforwardly. Instead, she said, “You know about the Spirit Vein’s origin below the Heavenly Saber Pavilion, right? The thing that the Fiend King of the Heavenly Wolf Race tried to obtain.”
A Spirit Vein’s origin, the foundation of a Spirit Vein, contained an immeasurable amount of Spiritual Energy.
Naturally, Xiao Chen knew that the Heavenly Saber Pavilion had a Spirit Vein’s origin. Back when he was in the underground world, he had even experienced it for himself once.
However, the energy contained within the Spirit Vein’s origin was simply too much. It was not something that Xiao Chen could use. If he forcefully tried to absorb it, he might end up exploding if he was not careful.
Leng Liusu could cultivate with it because the founder of the Heavenly Saber Pavilion had laid down a restriction, limiting the amount of Spiritual Energy flowing out.
Otherwise, given Leng Liusu’s cultivation then, she would not have been able to cultivate using it.
Thinking of this, Xiao Chen shook his head slightly and said, “The method that you are thinking of is not that, right? The Heavenly Saber Pavilion’s Spirit Vein’s origin has a restriction on it, limiting the flow of Spiritual Energy. Furthermore, only the descendants of the founder can use that Spirit Vein.”
Ao Jiao smiled gently and said, “Naturally, it is not that. I am merely using it as an example. After all, that is not the only Spirit Vein in this world.”
Xiao Chen responded, asking, “You mean that there are undiscovered Spirit Vein’s origins? That is impossible, right? The various great sects have already divided all the Spirit Veins among themselves..”
There was no way to hide a Spirit Vein. People within five kilometers of it would readily feel the Spiritual Energy that it emitted.
The value of a Spirit Vein was priceless; there would be Spirit Stone Mines in its vicinity. Spirit Stones were the common currency of cultivators. The wealth one could obtain from a Spirit Vein was easy to imagine.
Sometimes, the amount of Spirit Veins controlled described the strength of a sect. They were the foundation of a sect, without which, the sect would end up dissolving.
The Great Qin Nation’s three great sects had lasted for so long because they each controlled a Spirit Vein.
The various factions had already divided up the Spirit Veins of the world many millennia in the past. Xiao Chen could not afford to offend any of the sects that controlled a Spirit Vein.
Ao Jiao scolded in a lighthearted manner, “Stupid, since I even mentioned it, there certainly is. You don’t have to doubt that. However, it is just that with your current cultivation, there is a seventy percent chance of you failing to absorb the Spirit Vein’s origin. Once you fail, you will definitely explode and die.”
Seventy percent failure rate. This risk was rather high. Xiao Chen sank into deep thought. After a while, he made a decision. He said, “If it was fifty percent, I could gamble on it, but seventy percent is too high. It is not worth it.”
Xiao Chen had already opened his sea of consciousness long ago. All he had to do was wait for his cultivation to catch up, and he would definitely become a Martial Monarch. There was no need for him to rush into advancing to Martial Monarch within half a year and lose his life over it.
Ao Jiao smiled gently and said, “I have not finished yet. If you can cultivate the Firmament Body Tempering Art to the sixth layer, your chance of success would become fifty percent.”
“I’ll bet on it, then,” Xiao Chen said without hesitation, his face intent.
When Xiao Chen was in Dragon Sealing City, his Firmament Body Tempering Art reached peak Consummation of the fifth layer the instant he gained the true dragon. If he focused on the Firmament Body Tempering Art, he would be able to break through to the sixth layer in half a month.
Having made up his mind, Xiao Chen sprang into action. After he said his goodbyes to Liu Ruyue, he prepared to embark on a new journey.
The Spirit Vein that Ao Jiao talked about was within the Ancient Desolate Land’s Heavenly Extermination Lake, at a mountain range at the bottom of it. The Spirit Vein was in a dangerous place, and Demonic Beasts roamed in groups there. It would be extremely difficult to enter the area.
The Thunder Emperor discovered this Spirit Vein in the past. Because no one had managed it, its Spiritual Energy had been leaking for the past millennia. It was hard to say how much Spiritual Energy the Spirit Vein’s origin still had.
After five thousand years, the Spirit Vein might already have depleted.
To save time, Xiao Chen spent only three days in preparation. The entire Heavenly Saber Pavilion was still fired up and bustling. Xiao Chen left quietly. Aside from Liu Ruyue, no one knew where he had gone.
—
High in the skies of the Great Qin Nation, a relatively small scarlet cloud, in comparison to the vast sky, moved quickly, like a beam of scarlet light.
Even the cultivators with good eyesight on the ground would not discover the existence of this scarlet cloud. When the strong Spirit Beasts in the air felt the surging killing Qi of the scarlet clouds, they immediately fled, not daring to face it.
A scarlet throne more vibrant than the scarlet clouds nestled in them. As Xiao Chen sat on the scarlet throne, he closed his eyes to cultivate the Firmament Body Tempering Art.
Xiao Chen’s long hair fluttered in the strong wind. An indistinct tyrannical air of a king came from it. Because of the scarlet throne, Xiao Chen still faintly emitted this might, which overflowed beyond his control, even though he had withdrawn all his aura.
In reality, Xiao Chen realized that his attitude had changed ever since the moment he obtained the true dragon.
In the past, a peak Martial Monarch like the half-Sage Shen Manjun would cause Xiao Chen to feel enormous pressure. Now, however, he could remain calm and indifferent before them. He even occasionally had the feeling of “that is all.”
Before he knew it, the King Grade True Dragon had significantly expanded his horizons, making him slowly recognize his identity as a future king.
This happened all unawares. Xiao Chen could not reject it. Whether he wanted it or not, his future path would inevitably be thorny, bloody, and not peaceful.
A king would not settle for second place. If Xiao Chen advanced to Martial Monarch, he had to become the strongest Martial Monarch. If he became a Martial Sage, he had to become the strongest Martial Sage. If he advanced to Martial Emperor, he had to become the king of Martial Emperors.
