Volume 1, Chapter 391 – Emperor Domain

The rewards for the top ten outer sect disciples were extremely generous. Aside from spirit crystals, there were all sorts of pills that increased cultivation. The top three were even each awarded a top-grade treasure. If they nurtured it with care, it would soon develop spiritual awareness and advance into a spirit treasure.

Compared to the outer sect, Yunlai Immortal Palace had only a little over four thousand inner sect disciples. But even those ranked at the very bottom were formidable figures among the Earth Fiend Realm. The overwhelming majority were very young Heavenly Astral Realm martial artists who had broken through the profound gate of life and death.

At this level, their strength was already enough to rank among the true inheritance in many third-grade forces. Compared with the outer sect disciples, the battles between them were far more intense.

Even Li Jingzhou on the raised platform had grown somewhat more serious. With a little cultivation, talents of this caliber would be useful in the future.

From time to time, discussion also rose from the surrounding towers and halls, and the atmosphere was extremely lively.

Shi Lan watched with great attention. Stones from other mountains could be used to polish jade. She had never looked down on others because of the strength or weakness of their cultivation.

A lion used its full strength even when pouncing on a rabbit. That had always been her style.

Stories of people capsizing in the gutter were as numerous as fish crossing a river. She would not make such a low-level mistake.

“If you want to ascend the imperial throne, you will also need followers of your own and a force of your own. Do you need help with that?”

Chu Hanzhou took a light sip of tea, gazing with interest at the images reflected in that imperial mirror.

At the mention of this, Shi Lan thought of the system’s main quest. After a brief pause, she still shook her head. She did not quite dare keep people provided by Chu Hanzhou at her side.

There was plenty of time ahead. Her own force would be the foundation she relied on in the future. She could cultivate it slowly. There was no need to rush.

Just because Shi Lan had always been alone did not mean she liked fighting single-handedly. If she had a powerful force assisting her, it would save her untold effort.

Rеаⅾ οn ΚatRеаԁіngCafe

As Shi Lan was considering this, a point of light flew in through the window, landed in Chu Hanzhou’s palm, and transformed into a tiny jade sword no longer than a finger.

The jade sword glowed faintly in Chu Hanzhou’s palm. A moment later, he looked up.

“A portion of the spiritual materials you wanted has already been gathered. They will reach Silverfrost City in two days.”

Although Shi Lan knew those spiritual herbs and materials might not amount to much for a Human Emperor, that level of efficiency still exceeded her expectations.

“Thank you… Senior.”

“There is no need to thank me yet. This batch of spiritual materials will count as the deposit on our transaction. Before I give it to you, I need a guarantee.”

Chu Hanzhou waved a hand, his eyes gleaming with an unreadable light.

“What guarantee?”

“In this grand competition of Yunlai Immortal Palace, I want you to defeat every young prodigy present until they are all convinced.”

Chu Hanzhou spoke each word with weight. Earlier, he had once suspected that Shi Lan might be a giant figure from the Ancient Age or even the Primordial Age, reincarnated from the Yellow Springs of the underworld after using a heaven-shaking Dao Fruit to conceal the aura of reincarnation.

After observing her these past few days, he had dismissed that idea.

He was very satisfied with Shi Lan. She was neither arrogant nor impetuous.

Reaⅾ оո ΚаtRеаԁіnɡCafе

But regrettably, she lacked a certain sharpness. Any true prodigy ought to possess towering pride and sky-piercing ambition.

If one was not a little wild, how could one still be called young? If one was not unrestrained, how could one be called a prodigy?

To keep reverence in one’s heart was a good thing. To know one’s own limits was not bad either. But without a conviction of invincibility, how could one nurture the overwhelming momentum of standing alone above all others? How could one be called a prodigy then?

“All right.”

Shi Lan answered without hesitation, almost casually. She had thought it would be something difficult.

Seeing the calm lightness in Shi Lan’s expression, Chu Hanzhou was somewhat surprised. He had thought she would hesitate. Had he misjudged her?

Naturally, Shi Lan had no idea what doubts were passing through Chu Hanzhou’s mind. She was simply staring without blinking at the glazed treasure mirror suspended above the plaza, absorbing the essence of the martial combat reflected within it.

It was not that she was arrogant. Looking at the current younger generation of the human race, one could already see enough from the prodigy rankings. Not a single one of them was her match.

In Shi Lan’s heart, she had never treated these prodigies of similar age as her opponents. She possessed things others did not. She had gone through circumstances others had never experienced. There was simply no need to compete with them.

What she thought about was only when she would truly be able to control her own fate, when facing a Human Emperor, or even a Sovereign, she would no longer have to restrain herself at every turn.

Her horizons extended far beyond the Lingyang Realm. She wanted to see the sky beyond the sky, that true sea of stars.

…

Reаⅾ оn КаtReаⅾіոɡСαfе

The contests between the inner sect disciples went faster than those of the outer sect. The higher the cultivation, the more victory and defeat were often decided in an instant. A hair’s breadth of difference could mean a thousand miles of error. Nothing could have been more fitting.

In less than a day, the top ten inner sect disciples had been decided. The rewards for the inner sect disciples were far richer than those for the outer sect. The top five were all awarded spirit treasures of considerable grade, while the champion of the inner sect was even granted a Dao Weapon.

“Senior, can you tell me about the realms above Emperor level?”

Seeing that the fighting on the arenas had paused for the moment, Shi Lan turned to look at Chu Hanzhou. She had been curious about this for a long time.

“That is still far too distant for you.”

Chu Hanzhou answered instinctively. Then, after another thought, he realized that for Shi Lan, it might not actually be that distant. After pondering for a moment, he spoke again.

“Once one enters the Heaven-Man Realm, a martial artist undergoes tribulations of heavenly lightning, using the life force contained within the tribulation to temper the little world within themselves. As cultivation rises, the power of the lightning tribulation grows increasingly terrifying, until one reaches the world-destroying tribulation of the ninth layer of the Heaven-Man Realm.”

“If one can preserve one’s little world and withstand that world-destroying tribulation, then the little world undergoes a qualitative transformation and evolves the rudiments of a Heavenly Dao. That realm is called the Heavenly Tribulation Realm.”

Shi Lan nodded, listening carefully and committing every word to memory.

“After the Heavenly Tribulation Realm, the Emperor Domain gradually begins to take shape, and one’s strength increases a hundredfold. Once it has taken initial form, one can step into the Sun-Moon Realm and move through the cosmic starry sky unbound, able to grasp a Golden Crow in hand and suppress the Taiyin with one’s palm.”

Among the stars of the universe, more than half had been formed from the Golden Crow race. Because of the ferocity of their true fire, its utter hardness, and its supreme yang nature, it was the ultimate form of flame. Thus, they were also called suns.

The laws of heaven and earth maintained a balance of yin and yang. The Taiyin Star followed the sun in its movement, and the supreme yin qi gathered upon it happened to balance the fierce Solar True Fire.

Rеаd οո ΚаtRеаⅾіոgСαfе

“The third heaven of Emperor level is also called the Observing Heaven Realm. In that realm, one uses the Emperor Domain to engrave the forms of certain terrifying living beings and thereby unleash a portion of their power. In a sense, depending on whether the creatures engraved into the Emperor Domain are strong or weak, there can be an enormous gulf in actual combat strength between Human Emperors.”

“The fourth level of Emperor level is the Blood Cloud Realm…”

Since he had already started, Chu Hanzhou simply went all the way and told Shi Lan about all the realms beyond Emperor level, from the lower to the higher ones.

…

“Yunlai Immortal Palace’s inner sect disciples may choose one hundred to enter my Spiritguard.”

On the raised platform, Li Jingzhou unfolded his jade fan and spoke calmly. His face was as fair as carved jade, the long hair at his temples stirring in the wind. His aura was ethereal and untouched by dust, like an immortal banished from the Nine Heavens.

“Many thanks, King Ling!”

The people of Yunlai Immortal Palace beside him were instantly elated. Under the Sovereign, the four great princes and marquises each had their own personal guard. The Spiritguard under King Ling numbered eight hundred in total, and every one of them was a martial artist above the Myriad Phenomena Realm.

Ten people formed a squad. Only great cultivators of the Nascent Soul Realm were qualified to serve as captains. The Centurions were all great powers of the Heaven-Man Realm. As for the commander of the Spiritguard, he was an invincible first-heaven Emperor-level expert, a true Human Emperor.

As a personal guard of a prince or marquis, one could not only obtain abundant cultivation resources but also receive direct guidance from a great power. For these disciples, it was unquestionably a heaven-sent opportunity.

No matter what positions these disciples eventually attained within the Imperial Court, they had still gone out from Yunlai Immortal Palace. In the future, they would all bring influence back to Yunlai Immortal Palace. This was foundation.