Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jiang Chen notified Venerable Fengyu before he went to start his advancement into the Celestial Venerable Realm. He left the Cliff Mountain secretly and looked for a secluded place.
Meanwhile, Huo Kun and Yang Fan already found a way to deal with Jiang Chen, and they sent someone to notify the Constellation Palaceâs Young Master Shenji.
âWe can achieve our objective by either killing him or kicking him out of the Cliff Mountain.â They didnât hope for Young Master Shenji to barge into the Cliff Mountain to kill Jiang Chen. They just hoped for him to force the Cliff Mountain to kick out Jiang Chen.
As for Jiang Chenâs status as a Heaven Alchemist, Huo Kun didnât care about it at all. It wasnât like he had waited for the Cliff Mountain to kick out Jiang Chen because he was afraid of the former. He did it because he wasnât capable of attacking him while he was still in the Cliff Mountain. He couldnât deal with Jiang Chen if he stayed in the Cliff Mountain all along. Huo Kun wasnât aware that Jiang Chen had left secretly, as none had noticed the latterâs actions.
After two days passed, Jiang Chen found a suitable location in a forest deep in the mountains. There were ferocious beasts in the vicinity, but Jiang Chen didnât care about them.
He took the Elixir Associationâs Heaven Elixir and swallowed it down directly. It didnât fall into his stomach but instead submerged in his bodyâs Holy Sea. After a short while, a turmoil started from his Holy Sea and spread to his whole Divine Body. The disturbance caused by it wasnât insignificant at all, and the dirt in the forest almost quaked.
However, it was fortunate that Jiang Chen had set up a formation to absorb the impact before he started. Thus, even if someone flew over this place, he or she wouldnât notice that there was someone here trying to advance into the Celestial Venerable Realm.
After he consumed the Heaven Elixir, he would need to go into secluded cultivation for a long time. If it was really possible to reach the Celestial Venerable Realm on the spot just after swallowing a Heaven Elixir, its effects would be ridiculous.
The Heaven Elixir was like a turning point that would help Jiang Chen get into a state suitable for him to start secluded cultivation.
Time started elapsing after that, and one day passed after another. Before he started his secluded cultivation, it was still late autumn, but in the blink of an eye, a heavy snowfall started.
Jiang Chen was sitting below an ancient thousand-year-old tree, and he kept his former posture all along, not changing it at all. Even the movement of his chest, which was heaving up and down, became unnoticeable. He was in a mysterious state, and the worldâs spiritual energy was surging unceasingly into his body. However, none could detect it because this place was covered by a barrier.
Even a long colored python that passed by Jiang Chenâs side didnât notice him, and it didnât spare him even a single glance. The current Jiang Chen wasnât any different than the rocks beside him. This was a true fusion with nature. Moreover, it wasnât just his soul, which fused with it; it was his whole body.
In the past, Jiang Chen had managed to fuse with nature in the Realm of Beasts, but such a state could only be used to further his comprehension of the creation of nature and martial arts techniques, and the latter wasnât even worth mentioning in comparison to a Celestial Venerableâs state of fusion with nature.
The creation of nature and martial arts techniques was a concept that all Celestial Venerables learned, like how all people possessed two hands. This was what was extraordinary about the Celestial Venerable Realm. The Spiritual Venerable Realm could turn even oneâs mediocre techniques into magical ones, while the Celestial Venerable Realm could let one reach a higher level.
A realmâs power was forever the base of anyoneâs fighting prowess, and even though challenging people whose realm was higher than oneâs own seemed impressive, oneâs realm power was still an irreplaceable and important factor.
For example, people like Young Master Blood Moon were aware that they couldnât rival other geniuses in martial art techniques aspect, thus they only concentrated on promoting their realmâs level.
Returning to the main topic, the forestâs weather was becoming colder and colder. It was almost bone-chilling, and this was especially the case since it had snowed continuously for several days.
At first, Jiang Chen just turned into a snowman, while later, he was covered by a layer of snow so thick that even his outline couldnât be discerned. People unaware of his presence there might even have assumed that he was just a big rock covered in snow.
On that day, the sky still didnât stop snowing. Instead, it was snowing more intensely. The signs of ferocious beastsâ activities were becoming few, as they all started hibernation. The whole forest turned quiet and peaceful, as there wasnât any sound in it besides wind and snow.
All of a sudden, the big pile of white snow on Jiang Chenâs body shook, and it started melting quickly as if there was an intense temperature emanating from the inside. Even the sound of flowing water could be heard from it.
Jiang Chenâs body outline was gradually revealed. His heartbeat and breathing returned to normal, while a powerful force surged out of his body. After he went through such a long cultivation, Jiang Chen was already near the Celestial Venerable Realm, and he would shortly reach it.
In another place, Young Master Shenji, who had heard the news, finally brought people with him to go to the Cliff Mountain.
âI assumed that he wouldnât come.â Three months had already passed since then, and Huo Kun had assumed that Young Master Shenji didnât dare to come because he was afraid of the Cliff Mountain.
However, when he witnessed Young Master Shenji, he understood why he was this late. His realm had risen by another level, and he had now reached the peak of the late stage of the Celestial Venerable Realm. His ranking among all Three Middle Realmsâ geniuses had advanced greatly.
âThere will be a good show to watch now,â Yang Fan said excitedly. He noticed that there was still another person who possessed a powerful aura near Young Master Shenji. Moreover, many people from other factions of the ten prefectures had come there along with them.
Young Master Shenji wasnât afraid of him. He was just making adequate preparations for it. When he thought of this, Yang Fan looked in the direction of Jiang Chenâs residence.
âWe didnât see Jiang Chen at all in the past three months. He wouldnât have fled, would he?â he asked, worried.
âIt shouldnât be the case, as the Cliff Mountain has a record of disciples entries and departures, and it should be impossible unless he was capable of fooling the formation.â When Huo Kun spoke of this, it was obvious from his tone that he wasnât certain about it at all.
In the past three months, it wasnât just the Fire Departmentâs members who hadnât seen Jiang Chen. It was also the case for the Wind and Rain departments.
âToday, the truth will become clear.â Since Young Master Shenji had already come here, it wouldnât matter where Jiang Chen was hiding.
âSirs, itâs snowing so intensely. Why did you go through all the trouble of coming here?â
The snow drifting from the sky almost completely engulfed Young Master Shenjiâs teamâs flying ships.
âWe came here for Jiang Chen.â Young Master Shenji was as arrogant as before, and even though he had received a severe blow while facing Young Master Feng in the Civil and Martial Arts Institute, he still managed to pull himself together.
âDidnât you both agree to fight in the Title Battle?â Venerable Fengyu flew to the sky.
âThis is your agreement with my familyâs uncle, and Iâm not interested at all in having a battle with a Spiritual Venerable from the Three Lower Realms.â Young Master Shenji didnât give Venerable Fengyu his due respect and spoke strongly.
âThe Divine Martial Trial is already a matter of the past, yet your Constellation Palace is raising the same topic again. You really arenât respecting tradition.â The Fire Venerable was also aware of Jiang Chenâs affair with the Constellation Palace. He said, âFactions who donât respect the tradition wonât survive for long.â
âThen, can you please reply to three of my questions?â Young Master Shenji obviously didnât get his confidence just from his cultivation, which was at the peak of the late stage of the Celestial Venerable Realm. Instead, he got it from the people who were standing quietly behind him.
âWho carried out the previous Divine Martial Trial with Jiang Chen?â He asked his first question.
Venerable Fengyuâs expression changed. He said, âIt was my disciples.â
The Fengyu Duo, who were in the Cliff Mountain, furrowed their brows. They knew what Young Master Shenji meant by this.
âWhich person meddled in the Three Lower Realmsâ battle, and saved Jiang Chen?â Young Master Shenji continued and asked.
âIt was me,â Venerable Fengyu replied.
âMy last question is, did Jiang Chen become a disciple of the Cliff Mountain?â
Young Master Shenji took a deep breath, and shouted loudly, âSirs, please consider this matter from my point of view. Did Jiang Chen and the Fengyu Duoâs Divine Martial Trial seem fair and just?â
His speech was quite convincing, and his former three questions put the Cliff Mountain in an awkward position.
This Young Master Shenji seems skilled, Yang Fan and Huo Kun thought inwardly. Young Master Shenjiâs performance greatly surpassed their expectations.