ISWI Chapter 1231-1232 (Patreon)

Chapter 1231: Layers of Outsourcing!

A late-stage Golden Immortal with a golden divine pillar above his head was shuttling through the chaos in search of the next opportunity, his harvest already looking respectable. The next moment, however, he sensed a terrifying aura roaring toward him.

His pupils contracted at once as he summoned immortal light to shield himself. The Chaos Secret Realm was vast; so long as one paid attention to avoidance, encounters with others were rare. The other party was clearly coming for him.

The newcomer appeared the following instant. The moment the late-stage Golden Immortal saw who it was, despair filled his eyes. It was a bald head—the Tianzhang Monk, the current-generation walker of Shaolin Temple. The other's talent surpassed his own, and his cultivation had already reached the peak. He was no match.

In that moment, the late-stage Golden Immortal abandoned any thought of resistance and spoke with a bitter smile. "So it is Master Tianzhang. If Master has taken a fancy to the treasures in my hands, simply say the word, and I will present them at once."

As the words fell, several divine items radiating treasure light appeared in his hands. The late-stage Golden Immortal's heart was clearly filled with pain, yet by offering them proactively, he could at least keep his life. Otherwise, he would lose both life and fortune.

Looking at the man's demeanor, the Tianzhang Monk immediately frowned. "Fellow Daoist, what are you doing? I come from Shaolin Temple. How could I possibly seize another's treasures by force?"

The man gritted his teeth inwardly at the Tianzhang Monk's act. I have already handed them over of my own accord, and you are still pretending… Do I have to beg you to accept them as well?

He immediately bent at the waist. "Heavenly materials and earthly treasures belong to those of virtue. I hold Master's moral character in the highest esteem. These treasures rightfully belong to Master. Please, Master must accept them."

The corner of the Tianzhang Monk's mouth twitched. He hastily raised a hand through the air. The other was forced to straighten at once. Throwing caution to the wind, the man glared at the Tianzhang Monk in fury. What more do you want from me after I have already gone this far? Do you insist on killing me to silence me?

"Bald donkey, are you never going to stop? I always knew that Shaolin Temple was rotten from top to bottom. That Green Lamp Ancient Buddha once tried to seize the Heavenly Emperor's possessions and was slapped to death by him. It was truly satisfying. You bald donkey will die sooner or later as well!"

Knowing death was certain, the cultivator completely lost restraint. The Tianzhang Monk's brows twitched at the words. He looked at the other with a complicated expression. "Fellow Daoist, I am not that sort of person. I sought you out because I hope to conduct a transaction with you. My junior sister's strength is insufficient, yet I still wish to help her, so I am willing to offer treasures in exchange for those you obtained inside the secret realm. I observe that Fellow Daoist's foundation is not particularly solid. May I exchange this Myriad Daos Heart-Condensing Divine Pill for the treasures in your hands?"

As the Tianzhang Monk finished speaking, he took out the pill and sent it before the other. The man's eyes widened instantly. The Myriad Daos Heart-Condensing Divine Pill? Even the elders of his own family were not qualified to obtain such a divine pill. Its value was inestimable, several times or even dozens of times more precious than all the treasures he had gathered in the Chaos Secret Realm combined. The Tianzhang Monk was actually willing to trade it away simply to help his junior sister secure a place among the Ten Outstanding Ones? This was far too much of a simp!

The man complained inwardly yet nodded without the slightest hesitation.

The Tianzhang Monk smiled faintly, allowed the other to take the divine pill, and only then collected the treasures. A divine pillar instantly appeared above his previously empty head. The Tianzhang Monk smiled slightly. "Now that the transaction is concluded, let us discuss the matter of Fellow Daoist cursing me."

The man stored the divine pill away in wild joy, yet at these words he shuddered again and hastily waved his hands. "Master, my earlier words were spoken without thought. I have always held Shaolin Temple in the highest respect!"

The Tianzhang Monk raised a hand lightly and delivered a single slap. Half of the man's body was smashed to pieces. The crisis of death enveloped his heart. After that single strike, however, the Tianzhang Monk withdrew his hand, pressed his palms together, and spoke with exceptional humility. "I have violated the precept against anger. It was truly improper. Fellow Daoist will forgive this humble monk, will he not?"

The other hurriedly nodded.

The Tianzhang Monk finally smiled. "Fellow Daoist, if you obtain more treasures afterward, you may seek me out at this set of coordinates. Transactions will still be possible then."

With those words, the Tianzhang Monk drifted away, leaving the cultivator both relieved at his narrow escape and filled with wild joy. Such a profitable arrangement still offered further chances?

He knew his own limits and understood that a place among the Ten Outstanding Ones was hopeless. Gathering treasures from the Chaos Secret Realm and turning them over for several times or even ten times their value was a heaven-sent opportunity to rise overnight. Without further hesitation, and paying no more attention to his injuries, he flew off at once to search for more treasures.

When he spotted a cultivator with a divine pillar above his head, his eyes lit up. Why search for treasures himself when he could simply collect them from others? A single transfer would bring massive profit, and it would be both easier and faster. Who knew how much that bald simp of a Tianzhang Monk was willing to pay for his junior sister? If he delayed, he might miss the chance entirely.

At that thought, he immediately took out the treasures his family had prepared for him upon entering the secret realm and roared toward the cultivator with the divine pillar. After a brief misunderstanding, some exchange, and mutual delight, the transaction was completed. He even gave the other a set of coordinates so that whenever more treasures were obtained, the man could wait for him there.

In the blink of an eye, a year and a half passed. Ye Chen looked at the Tianzhang Monk with a smiling face. "Little Zhang, your luck has grown better and better during this period."

The Tianzhang Monk hurriedly offered an embarrassed smile. "Perhaps it is because I have spent so much time in contact with Fellow Daoist Ye that my fortune has improved as well."

The corner of Ye Chen's mouth curved upward. He did not press the matter. After asking what the other wanted, he simply provided it without the slightest delay.

The Tianzhang Monk looked at the treasures in his hands, then at Ye Chen, who showed no heartache whatsoever, and finally at the towering divine pillar above his own head. He could not help lamenting that Ye Chen was a true simp. After handing out so many treasures, the Heavenly Emperor's treasury was probably nearly empty. Yet Ye Chen was still willing to give them away. The man could truly lick.

Behind the Tianzhang Monk stood the Zhao Tianxing brothers. The two who had once been early-stage Golden Immortals had now advanced to the mid-stage. Their foundations were clearly more solid, and the compression ratio of the immortal power within their bodies had reached five hundredfold. Their improvement over this period had been enormous. The two also produced several dozen treasures.

Ye Chen smiled faintly, exchanged them for the items the brothers desired, and then waved them off without further concern.

Once the Tianzhang Monk and the Zhao Tianxing brothers had both departed, Ye Chen turned and selected a gift for his aunt. After hearing the feedback prompt, he spoke seriously. "Aunt, I am about to break through to the peak of the Profound Immortal realm. After that, I will take advantage of the momentum and break through to the Golden Immortal realm. Therefore, I must set up a grand formation."

Yan Ruyu nodded lightly, placed a gentle kiss on Ye Chen's cheek, and spoke in a warm voice. "I will stand guard outside the formation for you."

She felt not the slightest worry. If even Ye Chen could not pass the Golden Immortal tribulation, then no one in this realm would ever be qualified to advance to the Golden Immortal stage.

Chapter 1232: Not Seeking the Top Ten, Only Seeking to Harvest Madly!

During this period, Yan Ruyu's improvement had also been enormous. Not only had her foundation become solid, but by refining the leg bone of the Immortal Radiant Beast along with numerous other treasures, her compression ratio had surged to a thousandfold, with vast room still remaining for further growth.

Her combat strength had already reached the level of the earlier batch that included Yu Xinghan, standing essentially at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm. She could even advance another step and match the level of the Tianzhang Monk. She was fully qualified to stand guard for Ye Chen.

Such tremendous progress could be attributed entirely to the treasures; there had been no effort on her part at all.

Ye Chen smiled and nodded lightly. "For the time being, let the treasures delivered by the Tianzhang Monk and the others remain with them. Once I emerge from seclusion, I will collect everything together."

At his words, Yan Ruyu thought of the many treasures Ye Chen had bestowed upon her and could not help feeling a pang of heartache. She spoke softly. "I feel the treasures I have already obtained are sufficient. Do we still need to continue collecting them?"

Over the continuous span of two and a half years, Yan Ruyu had received a gift every week. The divine light above her head now towered to a frightening height and glowed a vivid red. Only the divine pillar above Ye Chen's head had already shifted from red to purple; otherwise, the two of them would have looked like a pair of suns squeezed together in this place. All of it had undoubtedly come at enormous cost. Yan Ruyu worried that Ye Chen might empty the Heavenly Emperor's treasury for her sake.

Ye Chen smiled at once upon hearing this. "The Other Domain will arrive in less than a thousand years. The Dao Academy that follows will be the sole opportunity for the younger generation to grow rapidly. Such an opportunity allows not the slightest negligence. What we have collected so far is far from enough. Therefore, from now on we must not only continue collecting but collect on a grand scale."

For Ye Chen, even without regard for rankings, the collected treasures could still be used for gift-giving. With the feedback ratios of the female cultivators around him, recovering the cost would be effortless.

The Heavenly Secrets Hall carefully stored treasures suitable for those above the Great Luo level and would later invest them in the Dao Academy. The items placed inside the Chaos Secret Realm were essentially those suited to Golden Immortals and Great Luo Golden Immortals, perfect for present use. Such a fine opportunity naturally could not be missed.

Ye Chen waved a hand and said no more. He then smoothly laid down a formation that enveloped him. The next moment, the immortal power around his body boiled as he entered deep seclusion, intending to push straight through to the perfection of the Profound Immortal realm and take advantage of the momentum to break through to the Golden Immortal stage.

Yan Ruyu silently watched the grand formation, her eyes gentle. Ye Chen was willing to empty the Heavenly Emperor's treasury if necessary just to secure a place among the Ten Outstanding Ones for her. He truly loved her so much! She herself must also strive harder. Should anything unexpected ever befall Ye Chen in the future, she would be able to take him away.

As the successor of the Seven Emotions Female Buddha, she understood the matters of the Other Domain far better than most. She also understood its terror more clearly. Without the Heavenly Emperor, the Immortal Realm would be utterly fragile before the Other Domain. Even if one wished to surrender, it would not be easy.

The Other Domain possessed absolute strength and would never grant the Immortal Realm too many places. Yet her master had also said that beyond surrender and a fight to the death there existed another path: to leave this realm and choose to wander.

The Compassionate Ferry Quiet Monastery possessed the method for refining the Universal Salvation Divine Boat. Only by cultivating the Great Salvation Technique and achieving the Immortal King realm could one refine the divine boat. The Universal Salvation Divine Boat could sever all connection with one's native world so that even if the native world was destroyed, the self remained unharmed, allowing escape.

This would be the final path of retreat for herself and Ye Chen. Therefore, she had to seize every opportunity to raise her strength. If within a thousand years she could master the Great Salvation Technique and break through to the Immortal King realm, she would grasp that faint thread of survival. Thus even though her heart surged the moment she saw Ye Chen, she still chose to suppress it firmly. Everything was for the sake of the future.

Yan Ruyu gazed seriously at the formation in which Ye Chen was secluded for a long while before sitting cross-legged and continuing her earnest cultivation, relying on the many treasures Ye Chen had gifted her to polish herself in preparation for the future breakthrough to Great Luo Golden Immortal.

After the Tianzhang Monk and the several members of the Zhao group departed, the Tianzhang Monk stood calmly before Zhao Tianxing. Zhao Tianxing trembled, terrified that the Tianzhang Monk intended to turn on them and seize everything. After all, their harvest during this period had been truly enormous.

Originally, the Zhao Tianxiang brothers had still been diligently searching for treasures, yet their efficiency remained low; they might obtain only one item per month. Later they discovered that the Tianzhang Monk needed only a single outing each month to bring back large quantities of treasures, leaving the two thoroughly puzzled. Only afterward did they understand. They therefore chose to head out and follow the same method, continuously developing their own subordinates.

In the short span of two and a half years, the two felt their personal wealth had already surpassed that of their family, and their own advancement had been enormous as well. Because of this they remained especially uneasy, fearing the Tianzhang Monk might rob them and cause all their efforts to come to nothing.

The Tianzhang Monk, however, had no intention of acting. He merely chuckled lightly. "The two of you have not told outsiders about Fellow Daoist Ye collecting treasures, have you?"

At his words, the two immediately nodded. Only a fool would speak of it. If they spoke, how could they continue acting as middlemen?

The Tianzhang Monk smiled with satisfaction, pressed his palms together in salute to the pair, and prepared to leave for the various coordinates he had set in order to collect more treasures.

Of course the Tianzhang Monk knew that his own subordinates had also begun collecting treasures to earn the price difference.

Yet he paid it no mind. After all, no one earned more than he did. His greatest regret was that the time inside the secret realm was too short. Two and a half years had already passed. If he were given another three years he was confident he could empty Ye Chen's Heavenly Emperor's treasury completely.

The Zhao Tianxing brothers breathed a sigh of relief, yet looking at the Tianzhang Monk's completely empty bald head that showed not the slightest divine light, they could not help speaking. "Master, the two of us know our own limits and cannot contend for places among the Ten Outstanding Ones, so it does not matter to us. Yet does Master no longer intend to compete either? Why hand everything over? Why not keep some treasures and contend for a place among the Ten Outstanding Ones? Cultivation and opportunity are what matter most. In the future, when Master becomes a Buddha or a patriarch, the benefits will be even greater."

Their eyes were especially sincere; they truly hoped the Tianzhang Monk would strive for a ranking among the Ten Outstanding Ones. After all, who knew how many treasures remained in Ye Chen's Heavenly Emperor's treasury? One fewer competitor meant greater profit for themselves.

The Tianzhang Monk smiled faintly at their words. "Fellow Daoists need not concern yourselves. I have my own plans."

With that, he drifted away. Of course, the Tianzhang Monk understood the pair's little schemes and would never act according to their wishes. Yet he truly no longer intended to contend for a place among the Ten Outstanding Ones. He understood the Immortal Realm far too well. The establishment of the Dao Academy itself was the result of joint support from all the top-tier forces and also the opportunity the Heavenly Secrets Hall used to unite those forces.

As the current-generation walker of Shaolin Temple, a pillar force of the Buddhist Realm, if he failed to obtain a chance to cultivate inside the Dao Academy, would the Buddhist Realm agree? Would Shaolin Temple agree? Would the many Buddhas of the Buddhist Realm agree?

Certainly not. Otherwise, enmity would arise. Therefore, in order to draw the Buddhist forces into cooperation, the Heavenly Secrets Hall would inevitably make concessions. A walker of Shaolin Temple such as himself would absolutely be able to enter the Dao Academy.

Under those circumstances, there was simply no need to care about rankings. Seizing the opportunity to furiously harvest those cultivation treasures from the Heavenly Emperor's treasury that did not even exist in the Immortal Realm was the true great path.