Chapter 308: Success in Research! All for the Children!

“What?

“Didn’t you all just say that the Heavenly Origin Saint Master was only at the late Deity Transformation Realm, on par with Bailu’s cultivation level?”

“A Deity Transformation defeating a Great Advancement? That’s utterly absurd and impossible!”

The Supreme Elder immediately voiced his disbelief.

As a mid-stage Great Advancement powerhouse, he understood the terrifying might of the Great Advancement Realm better than anyone.

Even the most talented Deity Transformation cultivator in Mingwang Province would be leagues apart from the weakest Great Advancement expert.

They were on completely different levels.

Let alone defeating one with a single punch. That very thought was laughable.

“A small place, full of misguided arrogance.

“In the weak Dao of Great Yan Province, cultivators seem to lack reverence for true strength.

“Even I, wielding my strongest sword technique, might not be able to slay a Great Advancement early-stage cultivator.

“How could that young Heavenly Origin Saint Master possibly accomplish such a feat?

“More importantly, it’s ridiculous that he’d boast about it, and even more so that you’d believe it!

“If word of this got out, wouldn’t our Celestial Sword Sect become a laughingstock?”

The Supreme Elder reprimanded the other elders harshly.

He thought he had been quite clear.

But the elders present continued to wear those strange expressions on their faces.

Yan Bailu even stretched out her slender hand, offering him a recording stone with a design different from those of Mingwang Province.

The Supreme Elder frowned, showing some irritation, but still accepted the stone, sending his spiritual sense into it.

In the next instant, his expression changed…

His eyes widened, pupils contracted, and his hand began to tremble slightly.

For a Great Advancement expert to react this way, it showed just how stunned he was.

But after hundreds of breaths, the Supreme Elder’s face regained its calm. With an indifferent gaze sweeping over everyone, he said, “I’ve suddenly had an epiphany and must go into seclusion. You all focus on your cultivation.”

With that, the Supreme Elder stood up and departed.

Most of the elders lowered their heads, pretending nothing had happened.

The Supreme Elder was known to hold grudges, and anyone who spoke up now would surely suffer later.

The Supreme Elder left the silent hall, transforming into a stream of light, and in a few breaths, returned to his secluded cave.

As soon as the doors closed, he could no longer hold back.

“How can the Heavenly Origin Saint Master be so powerful?

“He actually shattered the Heaven and Earth Dharma Body with a single punch, and it even had a companion phenomenon!

“That punch almost tore apart the void. The sound of spatial rifts was clear as day.

“I’ve barely seen spatial rifts appear in my entire life.

“No wonder that Taoist Jinwu was killed with one strike.

“Even for me, surviving that punch would be uncertain.

“This person is a complete monster.

“The Heavenly Origin Saint Master’s true strength might be close to the mid-stage of Great Advancement.

“Good thing I was stopped before I went to Great Yan Province to offer him my support.

“If I had gone, it would have been utterly humiliating!

“I was only in seclusion for five years, and now a Deity Transformation can defeat Great Advancement?

“The cultivation world is getting increasingly dangerous. I’d better stay in seclusion.”

In his cave, the Supreme Elder was in a state of shock and disbelief, no longer showing the dignity of a Great Advancement expert.

In the days that followed, the recently exited Supreme Elder actually went back into seclusion.

No one in Celestial Sword Sect mentioned revising the revenue share again.

Though they only received thirty percent, the profits were still substantial.

Over the next four months, the overseas shopping business stabilized.

Aside from slight increases in sales with new product launches, revenue remained steady.

On average, Celestial Sword Sect earned about one million high-grade spirit stones each month.

In four months, they amassed four million high-grade spirit stones, equivalent to their income over eight years.

This substantial influx of wealth allowed the sect to elevate elder benefits, increase disciple welfare, and freely activate the sect’s Spirit Gathering Arrays, leading to a noticeable rise in spiritual energy density.

They even added a few more floating immortal mountains to the sect’s landscape.

Externally, people began to notice the changes in Celestial Sword Sect.

Previously, sect members rarely appeared at high-end auctions in Mingwang Province, and even when they did, they’d mostly watch in silence as mere spectators.

But in the past two months, things were different.

Celestial Sword Sect elders actively bid in high-end auctions, and their robes and artifacts had visibly improved in quality.

The sect’s disciples, no longer poverty-stricken with only a single sword to their name, now exuded a more prosperous aura.

This transformation shocked many other factions.

How had the impoverished Celestial Sword Sect suddenly become wealthy?

And not just with a small fortune, but a significant one.

As they observed Celestial Sword Sect sweeping up goods in various stores, many leaders of other factions began to grow curious and wanted to uncover the reason behind their newfound fortune.

—

In Heavenly Origin Sacred Land, Ye Chen emerged from the forbidden area and glanced around, not seeing the Foreign Affairs Elder anywhere.

A slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

It seemed that during his time in seclusion, Heavenly Origin Sacred Land had been peaceful.

He opened the Heavenly Origin Little Spirit Communicator, sent a message to the Foreign Affairs Elder, and then flew straight toward his cave.

In these past four months, Ye Chen had continued to study the Secret of the All Character,

while also researching and refining the functionalities of the Immortal Net’s Sutra Library.

Of course, in his spare time, Gu Yunyun and Gu Xun’er occasionally visited.

Once, Gu Yunyun was too busy, so Gu Xun’er bravely came to Heavenly Origin Sacred Land alone.

Even Ye Chen hadn’t expected the sweet and lovely Gu Xun’er to be bolder in certain ways than her aunt, Gu Yunyun.

Especially when hearing her call him “Uncle,” it felt entirely different, making him feel a deep affection for this girl who felt like a first love.

Returning to his cave, Nangong Wan was dressed in Feathered Immortal Robe, basking in Lin Ke’er’s praises.

When Lin Ke’er saw Ye Chen, a trace of resentment appeared in her eyes.

She hadn’t expected…

When he went to attend the Dao Discourse Assembly, a fire broke out at home, and things changed dramatically.

The Ancestor Nangong, who was quite dissatisfied with Gu Yunyun, unexpectedly approved of her and even set a date for the ceremony.

But Gu Yunyun was acceptable, as she was the Dao companion chosen by the Saint Master himself.

Lin Ke’er accepted it. At worst, she could compete for favor in the future.

But what about Gu Xun’er?

A woman ranked only tenth on the Beauty List, how could she also be married to the Saint Master on the Celestial Ascension Day two years later?

Was it a “buy one, get one free” deal?

All she did was attend the Dao Discourse Assembly, and her place had been taken.

Feeling as if she had been overshadowed, Lin Ke’er looked at Ye Chen with resentment, her voice soft and pleading, “Saint Master, I got first place in the Dao Discourse Assembly!”

Ye Chen felt a chill run through him, and he tapped his cheeky saintess on the forehead. “Speak normally!”

Lin Ke’er pouted, but her voice returned to a normal tone. “Saint Master, you haven’t forgotten what you promised me, right?”

She looked up at him with a pitiful gaze.

Of course, Ye Chen remembered, and he could tell that Lin Ke’er had put in tremendous effort to win first place at the assembly.

So he smiled and patted her on the head. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten.

“From today, you’re my one and only disciple.”

Ye Chen didn’t like taking on disciples, so if he was accepting Lin Ke’er today, she’d be his only one.

Hearing this, Lin Ke’er leaped up in excitement.

She had finally become the Saint Master’s disciple and his only disciple at that.

Overjoyed, she hugged Ye Chen’s arm and shook it, calling him “Master” over and over.

Ye Chen took out a special artifact sent from Mingwang Province, one that even a Golden Core cultivator could use, and handed it to her.

“This is a gift from your teacher.

“Since you’re now my disciple, cultivate well, and don’t get any bold ideas.”

Ye Chen, who was no iron-willed man, understood Lin Ke’er’s intentions well.

She was indeed a typical rebellious disciple with a crush.

When Lin Ke’er saw he’d prepared a gift for her, her face lit up, her eyes curving like crescent moons, and she accepted it eagerly, cherishing it.

But she completely ignored Ye Chen’s last words.

Ye Chen sighed and exchanged glances with Nangong Wan.

When he saw her expression, as if saying, “You’re one to talk,” Ye Chen reflected on his own actions… and suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

It seemed he really wasn’t qualified to lecture Lin Ke’er.

After a brief moment of awkwardness, Ye Chen prepared to head to the Sacred Land’s main hall.

The two women looked curious, seeing him ready to leave right after returning.

“I’ve been working on a new app, and now I need to inform the elders to prepare for its launch,” Ye Chen explained casually.

The Immortal Net’s Sutra Library app had just completed all its features today, and it was time to launch.

He had come out of seclusion for this purpose.

Hearing this, both women’s eyes lit up.

A new app?

Nangong Wan’s beautiful eyes sparkled with anticipation. “Will the new app also earn spirit stones?”

Ye Chen chuckled and nodded.

Indeed, uploading techniques to the Immortal Net’s Sutra Library would earn spirit stones.

Upon hearing this, Nangong Wan became excited, even wanting to attend the meeting, though she usually avoided sect affairs.

Ye Chen looked at her in puzzlement. “Master, since when are you so interested in spirit stones?”

Despite her claims of being pitiful, Nangong Wan was actually quite wealthy.

The spirit stones he occasionally gave her, along with the frequent tributes from Gu Yunyun, Lin Ke’er, and others, had all been saved up by her.

Her Immortal Net Cloud FlashPay account held a hefty sum of 400,000 high-grade spirit stones, collecting daily interest.

Nangong Wan gave him a playful look and said, “Master watched you grow up and knows you best.

“You’ll likely take on more Dao companions in the future.

“As your master, I must be prepared, and my gifts can’t be too stingy!

“Sigh, it’s all for the children!”

She sighed deeply at the end.

Lin Ke’er quickly chimed in, “Master Ancestor, in the future, you won’t need to give me any gifts. I’m different from those other women. I don’t want anything. All I want is the Saint Master’s…”

Ye Chen interrupted her flirty words with a gentle flick to her forehead.

He looked at Nangong Wan, feeling helpless.

Her words left him wanting to retort yet somehow a bit touched at the same time.