Chapter 333: A Peerless Grand Array! Here Only to Kill!
After hearing Ye Chen’s admission, Elder Qingcheng’s expression became incredibly complicated.
Upon breaking through, she had believed herself to be the only Great Advancement expert in Great Yan Province, filled with elation.
Yet, upon her return, she faced consecutive blows.
First, she learned the shocking news that Elder Jinwu had broken through to Great Advancement Realm but was obliterated by Ye Chen in a single strike.
Now, she personally witnessed Ye Chen achieving Great Advancement Realm as well.
Ye Chen, already capable of killing Great Advancement cultivators while still in the Deity Transformation Realm, would be unimaginably powerful after breaking through to Great Advancement Realm.
This left Elder Qingcheng in utter disbelief.
How could someone as monstrous as Ye Chen exist in this world?
The Jade Pond Saint Master gazed at Ye Chen, her eyes growing even brighter.
Amid her shock, Elder Qingcheng’s unparalleled beauty softened into a smile as her mature voice rang out, “Congratulations to Saint Master Ye on achieving Great Advancement.”
Ye Chen also smiled. “Thank you!”
Elder Qingcheng then continued, “Since Saint Master Ye has broken through, the current crisis of the Heavenly Origin Sacred Land now has a better solution.
“During my trials in Mingwang Province, I obtained an ancient grand array diagram. If we can trap the mid-stage Great Advancement experts of the four Sacred Lands within it, their combat strength can be greatly diminished for several hours.
“With the Saint Master’s formidable combat prowess, you should be able to hold off three of them. Meanwhile, I am confident that within the array, I can temporarily contain one of them.
“We don’t need to defeat them. As long as the Saint Master can injure them, we have a great chance of repelling the enemies and turning the tide.”
Elder Qingcheng believed more and more that Ye Chen had boundless potential and was worth befriending.
Though Ye Chen had broken through, it was clearly impossible for him to single-handedly face four opponents across realms.
Thus, she presented her suggestion.
Upon hearing Elder Qingcheng’s words, the elders of the Heavenly Origin Sacred Land brightened up.
An array capable of weakening Great Advancement cultivators was incredibly rare and precious. That Elder Qingcheng was willing to offer it was a tremendous favor.
The elders also agreed with her suggestion, believing it to be the safest approach. They did not wish their Saint Master to take unnecessary risks.
All eyes turned to Ye Chen.
Ye Chen, however, smiled faintly and shook his head.
“Thank you for your kind intentions, Elder Qingcheng.
“But that seems too troublesome
“Besides, I have other matters to attend to and don’t want to wait for them to come.
“So I’ve decided to head directly to Mingwang Province and resolve this matter quickly.”
Elder Qingcheng was stunned.
“Head directly to Mingwang Province?”
Considering the strength of Mingwang Province’s cultivators, Ye Chen heading there of his own accord was no different from seeking death.
Elder Qingcheng thought that Ye Chen might have grown overconfident, having repeatedly succeeded in crossing realms to defeat his enemies.
But the truth was, the strength of Mingwang Province’s experts far exceeded anything seen in Great Yan Province.
Not to mention, the Supreme Elders of the four Sacred Lands possessed power that transcended their realms.
Elder Qingcheng wanted to persuade him otherwise, but the Jade Pond Saint Master’s soothingly beautiful voice rang out first, “Fellow Daoist Ye Chen, there’s no need for such actions! Even relying on the array to contend with the Supreme Elders of the four Sacred Lands would already be an astonishing feat.
“You must understand, Fellow Daoist, that you’ve cultivated for less than thirty years. Please don’t put yourself in danger just to impress me.”
As her words fell, the room grew silent.
Even Nangong Wan couldn’t help but frown slightly.
The implication of the Jade Pond Saint Master’s words was that Ye Chen wanted to go to Mingwang Province to show off in front of her.
This…
Nangong Wan glanced at Ye Chen with suspicion.
Could it be that Ye Chen truly had some sort of secret relationship with the Jade Pond Saint Master?
Ye Chen’s lips twitched.
He had initially felt a bit moved by the Jade Pond Saint Master bringing reinforcements.
But with these words, all that sentiment vanished.
Heading to Mingwang Province was the decision that best aligned with his interests.
Yet, according to the Jade Pond Saint Master, it now sounded as though he was acting recklessly just because of her!
This was utterly absurd.
The Jade Pond Saint Master’s narcissism was truly beyond saving.
Ye Chen knew her overactive imagination well.
No matter what he said, she would interpret it in her own way.
It was like playing music to a cow — completely futile.
Thus, he couldn’t be bothered to respond.
Instead, he stood up, swept his gaze over the crowd, and firmly declared, “The ten elders selected earlier, go and prepare yourselves. We leave for Mingwang Province in fifteen minutes.”
The elders immediately nodded and left to handle their affairs in preparation for departure.
Seeing Ye Chen’s determination, Elder Qingcheng frowned, hesitating slightly.
Eventually, she decided to take a gamble.
Ye Chen was an exceptional talent. Though he might be proud, he wasn’t a fool.
If he dared to venture into Mingwang Province, he must have a trump card.
Moreover, Elder Qingcheng had obtained an ancient escape technique in a faraway ruin, capable of saving lives.
Ye Chen’s future was bright, and anyone could see that.
If she could save Ye Chen at a critical moment, it would be an immense favor.
Thus, Elder Qingcheng decided to accompany Ye Chen to Mingwang Province.
The Jade Pond Saint Master, on the other hand, sighed softly.
She believed Ye Chen was simply too stubborn.
Even though she had explicitly stated that she didn’t care, he still insisted on heading to Mingwang Province to prove himself.
As for Ye Chen ignoring her, she thought it was likely because he feared her persuasion might waver his Dao heart.
Meanwhile, Nangong Wan, Ye Chen’s master, didn’t even spare the Jade Pond Saint Master another glance.
When Nangong Wan had served as the Heavenly Origin Saint Master, she had had numerous interactions with the Jade Pond Saint Master and found her conduct particularly distasteful.
She could only look forward to the second round of the Immortal Net’s beauty competition.
She was confident she could take her first-place spot and see how the Jade Pond Saint Master could remain smug then.
While Nangong Wan was still pondering, the Jade Pond Saint Master approached her warmly and greeted her with enthusiasm, “Sister Nangong, long time no see!”
Nangong Wan was taken aback by this.
The Jade Pond Saint Master dared to call her Sister Nangong?
Was this still the woman who held herself above all others, believing no other woman on heaven or earth could compare to her?
When something seems abnormal, there’s usually a reason behind it.
However, since the other party had come with good intentions to help, Nangong Wan felt it wouldn’t be appropriate to entirely reject her.
She simply nodded indifferently.
“It’s true. It has been a while.”
The Jade Pond Saint Master didn’t mind Nangong Wan’s coldness in the slightest.
Instead, she retrieved a light azure fruit from her storage ring.
The fruit emitted a fresh fragrance, carrying a mysterious aura.
Its surface was covered with intricate and extraordinary patterns, making it clear at a glance that it was no ordinary object.
The fruit immediately caught Nangong Wan’s attention.
“This fruit is called the Immortal Grace Fruit. My mother obtained it from an ancient ruin. In today’s world, this fruit is already extinct.
“Consuming it not only has miraculous effects in enhancing cultivation talent, but for female cultivators, it also has an irresistible benefit. It preserves one’s youthful appearance and body forever. Even at the end of one’s lifespan, there will be no signs of aging.”
Hearing this, Nangong Wan’s eyes lit up.
Even cultivators couldn’t maintain eternal youth.
They could only extend the duration of their prime based on their lifespan.
Once their lifespan dwindled, aging would inevitably follow.
Thus, elderly men and women were not uncommon in the cultivation world.
But this Immortal Grace Fruit, capable of preserving one’s appearance and body, had astonishing effects.
Though her heart was moved, Nangong Wan frowned slightly.
Was this woman here to show off?
What Nangong Wan hadn’t expected, however, was that the Jade Pond Saint Master would directly offer the fruit to her with both hands.
“This fruit comes in three. My mother and I have each consumed one. The last one, I present to Sister Nangong as a gift.
“Only those with unparalleled beauty are qualified to consume this fruit, and Sister Nangong is undoubtedly deserving.”
Nangong Wan was stunned.
Was the Jade Pond Saint Master possessed by someone else?
Offering such a precious fruit was one thing, but even complimenting her beauty?
This was absurd.
However, the allure of the fruit was too great.
Recalling the recent trending topics on Immortal Net, Nangong Wan vaguely guessed the reason behind the Jade Pond Saint Master’s sudden friendliness.
She glanced at Ye Chen, feeling quite satisfied.
Having this disciple was an absolutely correct decision.
From Lin Ke’er to Gu Yunyun and now the Jade Pond Saint Master, she had received gift after gift with ease.
Although she had previously disliked the Jade Pond Saint Master, her sincerity now led Nangong Wan to reluctantly accept the Immortal Grace Fruit.
Not long after, the two were calling each other sisters as if they had been best friends for years.
Watching this scene, Ye Chen’s mouth twitched.
His master had previously been quite displeased with the Jade Pond Saint Master.
Yet after accepting her gift, the change in attitude was almost instantaneous.
Before long, the elders arrived, having completed their preparations.
Ye Chen rose, ready to lead everyone on their journey.
Naturally, Nangong Wan followed.
To his surprise, Elder Qingcheng also expressed her desire to accompany them.
After a moment of hesitation, Ye Chen agreed.
The Jade Pond Saint Master also wanted to go.
Ye Chen, however, had no interest in bringing her along, as it would ruin his mood.
Before Ye Chen could speak, Elder Qingcheng refused on his behalf.
The trip to Mingwang Province carried significant risks.
Bringing the Jade Pond Saint Master along could lead to unforeseen complications.
Facing her mother’s stern expression, the Jade Pond Saint Master had no choice but to stay behind.
She looked at Ye Chen with bright eyes.
Now that her mother had returned, she could finally step down as the Jade Pond Saint Master and become Ye Chen’s Dao companion.
She had already made up her mind. Once Ye Chen returned from Mingwang Province, she would share this good news with him.
As for whether Ye Chen would return?
Recalling his invincible presence during battles in her memory, the Jade Pond Saint Master was firmly convinced that Ye Chen would undoubtedly make it back.
—
Thanks to Immortal Net Express Delivery and the dense teleportation formations in Great Yan Province, after several transfers, the group reached the Eastern Sea in less than half an hour.
Just as Ye Chen and his group were about to step onto the inter-provincial teleportation array, Ye Chen opened his Heavenly Origin Little Spirit Communicator and posted on Immortal Net.
This trip to Mingwang Province wasn’t just about killing enemies but also about sending a message.
It would pave the way for future developments. Thus, it was necessary to make a big splash and draw the attention of all forces in Mingwang Province.
“Half a day from now, I will descend upon Mingwang Province. This descent is for one purpose only: to kill.”
The message was short, direct, and brimming with killing intent.
Before countless cultivators could even react to the post, the inter-provincial teleportation array activated, and Ye Chen’s group vanished from Great Yan Province.