True Martial World - Chapter 1238: Stirring the Cauldron

Batch after batch of candidates let out their blood in a bid to stir the Ascending Dragon Cauldron. However, all of them failed. Most of the blood dissipated in the vortex storms, and there were some who resented the outcome so much that they bit at their fingertips after failing the first time, producing more blood to try again.

The four personal disciples did not stop these continued attempts. They knew that it was impossible to succeed on a second try after failing the first time.

Meanwhile, Snake Girl was hesitating as she stood beside Yi Yun. Then, she took out a dainty snake-skinned dagger from her interspatial ring.

"You want to give it a shot too?" Yi Yun looked at Snake Girl in astonishment. He originally believed that Snake Girl would not be willing to join the Myriad God Ridge.

"I'll just give it a try. Joining the Myriad God Ridge wouldn’t be the worst thing. Since my master is here, I'm too lazy to return. Robbing isn't a long-term plan, anyway."

As Snake Girl spoke, she cut her index finger and a drop of blood floated out.

"Aren't you going to try?"

Snake Girl looked at Yi Yun.

"Let me watch first. I have a nagging feeling that there’s something strange about the Ascending Dragon Cauldron."

"Are you worried that a trap might activate when your blood touches the cauldron?" Snake Girl read Yi Yun's mind. "We are only a bunch of lowly candidates. There's no reason for them to scheme against us. Even if it was really a blood contract, the contract's contents would still need to be sent to your soul. If you didn't agree to it, they couldn’t bind you to a contract with just a drop of blood."

As Snake Girl spoke, her drop of blood floated off.

What Snake Girl said wasn't without reason. Warriors unintentionally lost blood during battles all the time. It would be too easy to obtain another’s blood, so it was naturally impossible to use a drop of blood to force the signing of a soul contract.

Yi Yun nodded, but he still didn’t move as he watched Snake Girl's drop of blood.

When the blood flew into the vortex, it remained coagulated within the storms. When it approached the Ascending Dragon Cauldron, the drop of blood emitted wispy crimson beams of light.

This is…

Yi Yun pricked up his brows. At the same time, he heard the bronze cauldron hum.

"Weng–"

The Ascending Dragon Cauldron let out a sound like a heavy divine bell being struck. The black dragon carved on the cauldron seemed to be flying within the Yuan Qi wantonly as its eyes emitted a glimmer that left people apprehensive. Many of those present were being watched by the pair of dragon eyes, and they felt as though their hearts were being struck a heavy blow. Their organs churned as a result.

Even the four personal disciples felt immense pressure. They were unable to maintain their aloof expressions, for the humming noises from the Ascending Dragon Cauldron numbed their ears.

"Who… who stirred the Ascending Dragon Cauldron?"

Senior Brother Ji was astonished. There had been too many drops of blood flying in the air for him to notice. Only when the cauldron vibrated suddenly did he react.

Then, something else happened.

"Whew!"

Two dark golden beams of light shot out from the flying dragon's eyes towards Snake Girl. They were like two swords bestowed by the heavens.

Snake Girl similarly did not expect it. She made no effort to dodge the two beams of divine light, partly because she couldn't react in time.

"Cha!"

When the divine beam entered her body, it went straight for her dantian.

Snake Girl felt as though something was inside her dantian. Following that, her entire body began to float up. Amid the tempest, her clothes and long hair flared in the wind.

"Snake Girl's blood stirred the Ascending Dragon Cauldron?"

Yi Yun was astonished as well. He had heard the four personal disciple's private conversation. Stirring the Ascending Dragon Cauldron was an extremely difficult task. He never expected Snake Girl to be someone that possessed the so-called 'wisdom root'.

The storm lasted for about two minutes before it calmed down. The people present looked at Snake Girl in astonishment.

Apart from the disbelief in his eyes, the gorgeously-dressed youth from earlier felt a deep sense of envy when he looked at Snake Girl.

A drop of her blood stirred the cauldron! She could become a core disciple, at the very least. This girl actually had such good luck? He originally thought that, by having the crazy old scammer as a master, she was likely a lowlife. However, he never expected that her single drop of blood could stir the Ascending Dragon Cauldron, allowing her to soar instantly.

"Swish!"

At that moment, a flash appeared at the stone gateway's entrance. A middle-aged man stepped out. He was the one that the four personal disciples had addressed as Martial Uncle Mo.

In a blink of an eye, he had appeared in front of Snake Girl with fanatical delight.

He had clearly seen that two beams of divine light had been shot into Snake Girl's dantian. According to past experiences, the two divine beams of light were actually two treasures!

The treasures were hidden in the world within Snake Girl's body. That was what the Patriarch paid great attention to.

"You have stirred the Ascending Dragon Cauldron. Great! Great! Great!"

Mo Shanqing complemented her thrice and there was a glow in the way he looked at Snake Girl.

"There's no need for you to continue participating in the test. I'll send you straight into the sect. From today forth, you will be a core disciple of our Myriad God Ridge!" Mo Shanqing said excitedly.

He originally thought that presiding over the test would be a waste of his time, but here he had encountered a girl that could stir the cauldron. As such, the Patriarch would likely reward him handsomely.

Snake Girl never expected such a thing to happen either. She was momentarily flustered. Although she believed that she would have no problem passing the test, she was basing her beliefs on the second and third round of the Myriad God Ridge's entrance test.

She had never expected to become a Myriad God Ridge disciple by passing the so-called 'wisdom root' test.

"Thank you, Senior. I'll follow you up the mountain in a while."

As Snake Girl spoke, she looked at her master, Old Snake, and Yi Yun.

Old Snake did not express himself in any way. As for Yi Yun… it was unclear what he was ruminating over.

Although Snake Girl had been forcefully brought to Myriad God Ridge by Yi Yun and had spent more than ten Spirit Jade because of him, she did not have any malice towards him. Instead, she had quite a favorable opinion of him and wanted to see how his test unfolded.

In fact, apart from Yi Yun, there were a handful of people left who had not produced their blood.

"Who else hasn't attempted. Produce your blood together now."

After recruiting a disciple, Mo Shanqing was in great spirits. Although it was unlikely that the remaining people stood a chance, they were not to be missed.

When they heard Mo Shanqing's words, the remaining candidates naturally bit their fingers and produced drops of blood.

They had previously been too nervous to produce their blood. They had waited all this time.

As such, only Yi Yun was the one who had yet produced his blood. At the instant the Ascending Dragon Cauldron stirred, Yi Yun had sensed an immense ruggedness when the Ascending Dragon Cauldron shot out the beams of divine light. They possessed an aura he seemed familiar with. It resembled the pure Yang broken sword that he once had!

Could the Ascending Dragon Cauldron be related to the pure Yang broken sword?

If the cauldron was truly related to the pure Yang broken sword, then Yi Yun could not miss this opportunity. Perhaps, he could take advantage of this opportunity to figure something out.

Should I produce my blood?

Yi Yun looked at Mo Shanqing, who was beside him. He hesitated for a moment.

He could not predict what the outcome would be. Under the present circumstances, it would not be a wise choice to probe the Ascending Dragon Cauldron as it would cause a huge stir.

The final candidates that produced their blood finally ended with failure. Only a few of their blood drops even reached the Ascending Dragon Cauldron, and they failed to instigate any reaction.

These people were immensely disappointed. They felt greatly set back when they compared themselves to Snake Girl, who had stirred the cauldron.

"It's over. Then, let's put an end to this."

Although Mo Shanqing noticed that Yi Yun had not produced his blood, he did not mind if a person or two was left out.

"Yes, Martial Uncle."

The four personal disciples walked over and were about to withdraw the Ascending Dragon Cauldron and disperse the crowd of people.

"Yi Yun, why aren't you giving it a try?" Snake Girl whispered from the side.

Yi Yun exhaled and with his finger as a sword blade, he cut his finger.

A drop of blood fluttered into the sky.

Yi Yun had largely ascertained that sending his blood to the Ascending Dragon Cauldron did not pose any danger. Furthermore, the similarities between the Ascending Dragon Cauldron and the pure Yang broken sword made him want to give it a try.

Upon seeing Yi Yun produce his blood, Mo Shanqing came to a halt and looked up. Although he wasn't pleased with the candidate's slow reaction, he did not mind waiting a little while longer.

High in the sky, wind and thunder interleaved one another. The drop of blood appeared inconspicuous amid them.

It easily penetrated the black vortex and smacked right between the eyes of the dragon engraved on the Ascending Dragon Cauldron!

The drop of blood infused into the dragon eye like a blood teardrop.

Instantly, the Ascending Dragon Cauldron fell silent. Even the howling wind quietened.

Mo Shanqing's face flashed a look of uncertainty. This is…

Roar—!

Suddenly, a bold and vigorous dragon roar emitted from the Ascending Dragon Cauldron.

The dragon's roar instantly penetrated the firmament and echoed throughout the land in a deep baritone. The people present found themselves squelched. The candidates with weaker cultivation levels could not even resist the dragon's repression as they collapsed to the ground immediately.

Even the candidates with higher cultivation levels felt their minds and hearts palpitating.

Accompanied by the dragon's roar, a gray mist spewed out from the Ascending Dragon Cauldron, as though something was peeking out from it.

Amid the wind and thunder, the Ascending Dragon Cauldron rapidly expanded to the size of a hill. The black winds made the cauldron turn blurry as a black lightning bolt as thick as a water bucket tore through the clouds.

"What's that?" Someone exclaimed from the crowd.

The black clouds in the sky curled but there were people who could vaguely make out that within the cauldron that had expanded dozens of times in size, a humongous dragon head phantom had gradually surfaced.

Dragon!?

Was there a dragon sealed within the cauldron?

Yi Yun held his breath. The dragon head was simple but infinite. The terrifying dragon repression surged over everyone with its appearance. Its gaze seemed to penetrate the vestiges of time, and it was cast directly on him.

Instantly, Yi Yun felt the Purple Crystal within his body quiver gently. In his mind, a sound seemed to ring. It was the dragon roar that came from the clouds, and there was a language hidden within it that Yi Yun did not understand. It was ancient and profound.

But the feeling it left could only be described as ephemeral.

"This is… This is…" Mo Shanqing suddenly became agitated as he turned his head suddenly, looking at Yi Yun with disbelief.

The dragon roar and the dragon head that surfaced was a phenomenon that had never been seen before. Could this candidate that appeared slow to react be able to completely stir the Ascending Dragon Cauldron?

Although there was no apparent standard for the 'wisdom root' needed to stir the cauldron, Mo Shanqing was actually a little aware of what it took. He never expected that the youth in front of him would be able to satisfy the Patriarch's conditions.

It was already fairly impressive to discover a few people that could stir the Ascending Dragon Cauldron in a year but today, one had managed to pull out treasures from the cauldron. Two, in fact. The other one was getting an even more exaggerated response. With such lucky circumstances, he was wondering how the Patriarch would reward him!

Just thinking of it made Mo Shanqing increasingly excited. It was truly an unknown what special treasure would be coming out; if they were anything short of amazing, there wouldn't have been such an exaggerated phenomenon!

However, just as Mo Shanqing was reeling in excitement, the black dragon's phantom gradually dissipated. The resounding dragon roar also vanished.

The wind and thunder that surged around the Ascending Dragon Cauldron gradually shrunk, and in moments, the cauldron returned to its original state. It silently floated in the middle of the vortex as though whatever had happened before was a dream that had never happened.

Mo Shanqing’s eyes widened as he stared intently at the Ascending Dragon Cauldron. He anticipated a few divine beams of light to shoot out from the Ascending Dragon Cauldron and into Yi Yun's dantian. But after a long wait, nothing happened.

That was… it!?

Were there no treasures?

Mo Shanqing was stupefied. The entire process of Yi Yun's stirring of the cauldron was more exaggerated than the girl from before. Yet, there was no reaction. How could that be?

He believed he had accomplished something big but, in a blink of an eye, he found that he had rejoiced too soon.

"Martial Uncle, what's going on?"

The four personal disciples gathered around and looked at Mo Shanqing before sizing up Yi Yun curiously. Wasn't this punk the one that promised to treat that old scalper to alcohol if he entered the Myriad God Ridge? This fellow is actually one that possesses a wisdom root?

"Martial Uncle, this youth has also passed the test, right?" Ji asked.

Mo Shanqing was immersed in his vicissitude of emotions and still in a daze. Only when he heard the inquiry did he return to reality with a hesitant expression.

This situation was something he had never seen before.

If the criteria was to stir the Ascending Dragon Cauldron, then Yi Yun naturally passed. However, he was puzzled by the youth’s lack of treasures despite the huge commotion.

"You… produce a drop of blood and give it another try," Mo Shanqing said as he looked at Yi Yun.

Yi Yun frowned. Although producing a few drops of blood meant nothing, the way Mo Shanqing gave him orders displeased him.

True Martial World - Chapter 1237: Ascending Dragon Cauldron

The moment the middle-aged man appeared, the three men and the woman in the pocket world greeted him with deference.

"Martial Uncle Mo!"

"Martial Uncle Mo!"

The Myriad God Ridge's test was held very frequently, so it was sufficient for the personal disciples to preside over it. But if the sect's divine item was being taken out, an expert at the Elder level was needed.

When the middle-aged man appeared, Yi Yun sensed an aura as vast as the seas. He immediately withdrew his perception.

"Oh?" Mo Shanqing looked up, seemingly sensing something.

"Master Uncle, what's the matter?"

"Nothing…" Mo Shanqing shook his head. "Maybe there's some old fellow interested in our Myriad God Ridge's test. It doesn't matter. There’s no point in coveting our Myriad God Ridge's divine item."

Mo Shanqing didn't bother over who was there. Although his presiding over the test involved the sect's divine item, he could not influence the divine item at all. It was even more impossible for others.

"I'll be staying in this pocket world and not going out. All of you can go out and continue the procedure as usual," Mo Shanqing said indifferently.

He had no interest towards such a test. The candidates that registered were of too low a standard and it was basically a waste of his time. Trying to find someone that could stir the divine item in a test was too difficult.

"Yes, Martial Uncle Mo!"

The four acceded to the order and stepped out of the stone gateway.

The warriors on the square saw a light membrane appear out of thin air from the stone gateway. Following that, four Myriad God Ridge disciples dressed in purple stepped out of the void.

"Purple clothes and golden words. They are personal disciples of the Myriad God Ridge!"

Many of those that had come numerous times were not surprised by this scene. Only the candidates that were there for the first time were astonished.

However, be it a newcomer or an experienced candidate, all of them showed pangs of envy towards the four Myriad God Ridge personal disciples.

They were personal disciples after all. Most of these candidates, even if they managed to become Myriad God Ridge disciples, would very likely be outer sect disciples, which was a glorified way of saying they did miscellaneous chores. There was a huge gap between them and personal disciples.

The quartet was already accustomed to being the object of envy. Their purple clothes made them the highlight of wherever they were.

"Welcome, fellow warriors participating in our Myriad God Ridge's recruitment test. Our Myriad God Ridge selects disciples primarily based on their wisdom roots! If one possesses a wisdom root, regardless of how bad their cultivation level is, they would be able to enter our Myriad God Ridge and become at least an inner sect disciple!"

"We feel sorry for those that do not have the wisdom root. But then, at least, we can consider you based on bone age and talent. However, we do not consider anyone that has not entered the Dao Manifestation realm before the age of hundred. Even if they have entered the Dao Palace realm, we would need to ascertain their nomological insights."

The person who introduced the recruitment rules was Senior Brother Ji.

There were three aspects of the Myriad God Ridge's recruitment test. The first aspect evaluated one's wisdom root, the second tested their cultivation level and bone age, while the third tested one's laws.

In fact, with so many people gathered, a large number of the candidates did not even meet the second aspect's standards. They pinned all their hopes on the first aspect.

No one knew what the wisdom root was. Only the Myriad God Ridge paid attention to it. For many, it was their only chance to make a meteoric rise.

However, over the many years of testing, the number of people with wisdom roots were few and far between.

"Alright, without further ado, let's begin now!"

Senior Brother Ji waved his hand as he spoke. The stone gateway's light screen flashed as a gray mist flew out from it.

The moment the mist appeared, the atmosphere changed immediately. What was once a bustling square turned into a gray and fuzzy scene. A strong repressive feeling made people unable to speak. The warriors with weaker cultivation levels had to stop themselves from kneeling towards the gray mist.

The gray mist gradually rose into the sky, fusing with the layer of clouds. Finally, it formed a gigantic gray vortex that spun slowly. In its black core, lightning spewed out as though it was connected to another world.

"This is…"

Yi Yun squinted his eyes as he could see a bronze cauldron through the black vortex. The cauldron had three feet and two handles. The walls of the cauldron were thick and unadorned. There was a swirling black divine dragon engraved on it and, as wisps of black gases spewed out of the cauldron, the divine dragon seemed to come to life as it was immersed in the black gases.

"This is the Ascending Dragon Cauldron, which is also the cornerstone item of the Myriad God Ridge," Senior Brother Ji said proudly. Although the cauldron was claimed to be the cornerstone item of the Myriad God Ridge, even the Patriarch could not refine and control it.

They could only conjure it, but there was no worry that someone might snatch it up. The cauldron was sentient, so no one would be able to take it.

"Now, produce a drop of your blood and cast it into the cauldron. If you can cause the Ascending Dragon Cauldron to resonate, it's considered a pass! You will become our sect's inner-sect disciple!"

"If you can cause the Ascending Dragon Cauldron to produce a sliver of divine light, you can become a core disciple of our Myriad God Ridge!"

"If you can stir the Ascending Dragon Cauldron, as long as you do not have atrocious talent, you can even become a personal disciple!"

Senior Brother Ji did not continue after saying that. In fact, stirring the Ascending Dragon Cauldron might even produce treasures. That was what the Patriarch was truly looking out for.

However, that was a secret of the Myriad God Ridge. Only personal disciples were allowed to know of it, so there was no need for him to announce it in public.

"Then, let's begin now! All you need to do is to cast a drop of blood!"

"A drop of blood?"

Yi Yun frowned slightly. He did not mind if it were only his perception, but if he needed to cast his blood, which contained his lifeblood mark, he had a nagging feeling that it wasn't safe.

Yet at that very moment, there were examinees beside Yi Yun who had already bitten their fingers and flicked a drop of their blood from their fingertips.

They naturally did not consider things as much as Yi Yun. The Myriad God Ridge's recruitment test had been held numerous times and, every time, nearly ten thousand people cast their blood into the Ascending Dragon Cauldron.

They watched as their blood flew into the vortex, but most of the blood droplets were instantly dissipated by the violent Yuan Qi when they flew into the vortex. They became blood mists that eventually vanished.

Less than ten percent of the remaining blood drops reached the Ascending Dragon Cauldron.

However, they directly disappeared upon contact with the Ascending Dragon Cauldron as though they had been absorbed.

The Ascending Dragon Cauldron did not undergo any changes. It remained floating amid the huge vortex as its massive and majestic stance repressed the heaven and earth.

Many people were unwilling to admit defeat. They continued watching the blood that had been splattered elsewhere, hoping that a miracle would happen. However, the Ascending Dragon Cauldron remained unyielding like a mountain. They had ultimately failed.

"It's too difficult."

Some people shook their heads. What exactly was this 'wisdom root?' How was it possible to stir the Ascending Dragon Cauldron?

Yi Yun watched all of this silently. After the first batch of people failed, another batch of people bit open their fingers and flicked their blood.

The cauldron was odd! Just as Yi Yun was pondering over the matter, he suddenly saw that, in a corner of the square, Old Snake also looked up at the floating Ascending Dragon Cauldron. Within his tiny eyes, there was an inadvertent glint.

Oh? This old man…

Was he interested in the Ascending Dragon Cauldron?

Yi Yun's impression of Old Snake was that of a jolly old scammer. It was rare to see him looking so serious.

Could it be…

Yi Yun suddenly realized a possibility. Perhaps the old man was spending his days in the Myriad God Ridge because of the Ascending Dragon Cauldron?

Recalling the conversation between the four Myriad God Ridge personal disciples beyond the gateway, and how Old Snake was scalping tickets at the recruitment line, Yi Yun felt that it was not an impossible conclusion.

True Martial World - Chapter 1236: Miraculous Item

The venue of Myriad God Ridge's entry test had a stone gateway erected on the square. It had four columns and a stone door made of three slabs. Gateways such as these were typically erected in front of villages in the mortal world to honor top scholars or chaste and heroic women. The design was very rarely seen in a warrior's world.

On the surface, the stone gateway wasn’t special in any way. It even seemed a little out of place, standing in the middle of the square. However, when Yi Yun saw the stone monument, his brows pricked up slightly. He could tell that behind the stone gateway was the path to a pocket world.

If he circled behind the stone gateway there would be nothing, but if he were to travel through the gateway's stone door, he could step into that pocket world.

However, there was a restriction set up in front of the stone door. If one did not understand the restriction's rules, it would be impossible to gain entry.

At that moment, a group of people, including Yi Yun, had obtained their registration tokens and were standing before the stone gateway. They were waiting for the test in a daze, unsure of what the stone gateway was for.

"Senior, if I were to be recruited by the Myriad God Ridge, would you give me the honor of treating you to some alcohol?"

Yi Yun stood in front of the stone gateway and, after gathering his thoughts, he quipped with Old Snake. The old fellow would probably not reject an offer of alcohol.

Indeed, Old Snake beamed when he heard that. "That sounds good. I'm warning you, I'm very picky about my alcohol and I do not fancy any of the ordinary stuff."

As Old Snake spoke, he took out an alcohol gourd. He deliberately shook it and the sound of alcohol splashing emitted from it. Following that, he pulled out the stopper and took a delightful swig.

When the people around them heard their conversation, they were rendered speechless. What sort of person was this? Why did his tone sound as though the Myriad God Ridge was some tea shop that he could enter as he pleased?

Such behavior could be expected from a crazy old man, but the youth was equally dimwitted.

Yi Yun naturally ignored the people around him. As he observed the stone door, he sneered. The examinees were making a din but none noticed that three men and a woman were standing behind the stone gateway, watching them indifferently!

They were dressed in purple and the words 'Myriad God' were embroidered on their chests. Yi Yun could tell that despite the purple clothes appearing to be made of a soft fabric, they were, in fact, superior-grade defensive clothes. Even the 'Myriad God' words that were embroidered were sewn using heavy gold from the deep sea. The gold powder from such deep-sea metal was great for writing Dao patterns. Although the 'Myriad God' words looked like text, they were actually a Dao pattern in and of themselves. Carved within them were laws that were no trifling matter.

Without a doubt, the three men and woman must have had illustrious standing in the Myriad God Ridge.

At that moment, the four of them stood in the pocket world and, with the stone gateway's restrictions isolating them, no one could see them. Amid their indifferent expressions were haughty looks that seemed seared into their faces.

A man with thick brows glanced at Yi Yun because he had heard Yi Yun offer to treat Old Snake to alcohol after he entered Myriad God Ridge. It incurred his displeasure.

"Senior Brother Ji, look at the kind of people that want to enter our Myriad God Ridge as disciples. Every time, we see a bunch of useless people coming to join in the buzz. Listen to what they say. He's even more confident of entering the sect than me. They seem to think that the Myriad God Ridge will accept anyone."

Upon hearing the thick-browed man grumble, the woman shook her head and said, "The recruitment test is held once every three days, with ten thousand entrants every time. The ones that we should recruit have mostly been recruited. So it's natural that we are only left with the useless ones. It is only normal for these situations to occur."

After hearing the woman's comment, the thick-browed man asked perplexedly, "Senior Sister Jin, I have never understood this matter. Our Myriad God Ridge is one of the best major sects in the Calm Sea region, but isn't the recruitment test being run too frequently? Are we really only doing this for the tens of thousands of Spirit Jade in recruitment fees? That is what the women from Clear Lunar Island say of us. Their strength might not be on par with our Myriad God Ridge's but they only do a disciple recruitment every two years. Furthermore, it is an extremely stringent selection, taking in only geniuses. They mock our recruitment test as a gathering ground of mediocrity."

The woman wanted to explain but stopped mid-sentence. At that moment, the man that had been addressed as Senior Brother Ji spoke. He said, "Junior Sister Jin, there's no need to be apprehensive. In a few days, Junior Brother Song will become a disciple of Elder Taiqing. In a way, he will become a personal disciple as well. The matters in question are no longer secrets among personal disciples, so there's no harm in telling him."

"Alright then." The woman nodded and looked at the thick-browed man. She said, "Our Myriad God Ridge has a miraculous item. Its actual origins are unknown even to the Elders of Myriad God Ridge. It seems to seal a world inside of it, and that world contains precious treasures. And this miraculous item will only recognize certain fated people. This fate is hard to determine, too. One would imagine that people with higher talent would be first in line with this fate, but it is not so. Decades ago, there was a youth whose talent was ordinary and his nomological insight was as terrible as could be. He managed to stir the object and attract something out. That something was valued greatly by the Patriarch and as a result, the youth became a core disciple."

"P… Patriarch?" Upon hearing that word, Junior Brother Song, who had spoken, widened his eyes. The Myriad God Ridge's Patriarch was very seldom heard of much less seen. It was frequent not to hear anything from him for hundreds of thousands of years and it was unknown if he was in seclusion or touring the world.

In the Calm Sea, the Myriad God Patriarch was feared by all. He was not born from the Calm Sea but came from the depths of the Sinkhole. He was like a godlike existence to the Myriad God Ridge. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

For people like Junior Brother Song, it was rare for them to even meet the sect master, so the Patriarch was someone they couldn't even cast their sights on.

Now that he managed to hear some information regarding the Patriarch, Junior Brother Song felt extremely excited.

"Therefore, with that precedent, and according to the instructions of the sect master, we have been searching for people of fate all these years. However, even the amount of fate that one has can vary. It's very rare to find someone with great fate. You might think nothing of these candidates, but what if one of them is a person of fate?"

Senior Sister Jin's explanation made Junior Brother Song's blood boil with excitement. The Myriad God Ridge indeed had deep roots. Furthermore, he had chanced upon news of the Patriarch. As long as the Patriarch was around, the Myriad God Ridge would remain lord of the Calm Sea.

It would be great if he could become a personal disciple of the Patriarch. Such a thought flashed across Junior Brother Song's mind but such an extravagant hope was only in his imagination.

"Alright, stop discussing such matters. You just need to do your job. Let's begin the recruitment test."

At that moment, a middle-aged man's voice sounded as a middle-aged man dressed in purple robes walked out from the deep depths of the pocket world.

He was lanky in build and his body effused a blade-like aura. Behind him was a blurry haze that seemed like a void of Chaos. Even a single glance at it made one feel like their gaze was being sucked into it.

True Martial World - Chapter 1235: Impervious

The old man thought nothing of Snake Girl's tirade. His skin was thicker than the city walls and he did not seem to notice the strange looks people were casting at him.

"How can that be? As the mantra goes, a teacher that teaches you for a day should be regarded as a father for life. I taught you all the means to make a living and now that I'm old, it's about time I enjoy my retirement. Look at me, even at this age, I'm still waking up early in the morning and going back late at night to do a little business. It’s such a tiring life."

When the old man said that, the surrounding warriors’ eyes nearly popped out from their heads. They had seen shameless people before, but they had never seen one as shameless as this. He even managed to claim that 'robbing' was a means of living.

Although a warrior's world was one in which survival of the fittest ruled and robbery wasn't a rare occurrence, to speak of it in such a perfectly justified manner would make even bandits blush slightly.

When Yi Yun saw that the duo was about to engage in another round of banter, he hurriedly interrupted them. "Senior… if you lack money for alcohol, I have some means of my own. I can earn money for you, but first I have something I need to ask you. Senior, I wonder if you can spare me some time to speak in private."

Yi Yun wanted to take out Huan Chenxue's letter, but it did not seem suitable to take it out in public with so many wandering eyes.

Old Snake had originally written Yi Yun off, but when he heard that there was money to be made, his tiny pair of eyes lit up. He turned back to look at Yi Yun. "Lad, you have some brains. How about it, do you want to be my disciple? The benefits of being my disciple are nearly infinite. In Myriad God Ridge, just say my name and no one will dare bully you."

Old Snake said this in an 'earnest and patient' manner, but the people around them were already bursting with laughter.

Yi Yun was a little dumbfounded. He had originally guessed that Huan Chenxue had instructed him to seek Old Snake to be his disciple. He already felt that Old Snake's personality was somewhat unique and there should be some difficulty in being accepted as his disciple. He never expected Old Snake to throw himself forward and offer himself as a master. Wasn't such a master worthless? Where was his dignity as an expert?

Although it sounded unreliable, Yi Yun considered the matter. Since Old Snake had already said so, he might as well go with the flow and acknowledge this master as he was. After all, there was no harm.

But just at that moment, Snake Girl rolled her eyes at the old man and grumbled, "So far, I’ve paid the fee for the teleportation array and the city entrance fee. Twelve inferior-grade Spirit Jade. I don't even earn that much from one business transaction."

Snake Girl was feeling displeased so she deliberately exposed Yi Yun.

When the old man heard that, he immediately looked Yi Yun in a different light. No money? If he had no money, what was he doing here acting like a wealthy young master?

He immediately coughed dryly and said, "My standards for a disciple are very high. Most people can forget about being my disciple. I would never consider it unless I received two hundred Spirit Jade as a courtesy gift."

When the old man said that, a few wealthy young masters present flapped their fans in contempt. Two hundred Spirit Jade was considered a high standard? What an ignoramus.

The youth in gorgeous clothes said with a laugh, "Two hundred Spirit Jade. Hehe, that's really a little expensive. It can barely pay for a meal at Heavenly Joy Tavern."

When he said that, the laughter became even more uproarious.

They were watching the comedy show of the old man, Snake Girl, and Yi Yun. They originally thought that the old man and Snake Girl were a one of a kind master-disciple duo, but they never expected the youth to also be a clueless ignoramus. This was obviously an old trickster that scammed for food and drink, yet Yi Yun continued addressing him as senior and even tried to show him respect. One had to wonder if he was slow in the head.

At that moment, Yi Yun felt a string of curses running through his mind. He did not mind how others viewed him, what bothered him was that the old fellow was such an oddity. He even began to suspect if he had found the wrong person.

The Boundless Mountain he needed to find was no longer Boundless Mountain but Boundless Chapter. In addition, the name Old Snake wasn't so rare. Could it be that this old scammer shared a name with the expert Yi Yun was meant to find?

At that moment, Yi Yun did not think it was wise to take out the letter. Yi Yun believed that Huan Chenxue belonged to a family clan that was reclusive. He did not know what sort of mission the family clan had but he definitely could not expose their existence to strangers.

Upon thinking of this, Yi Yun secretly measured the elder's cultivation level.

On the surface, the elder was only at the Dao Palace realm. He had an ordinary foundation and was a classic example of not having reached that level by his own strength.

However, Yi Yun had the Purple Crystal. With the Purple Crystal's energy vision, nothing could be hidden. He activated the energy vision and looked at the elder. What he saw made him gasp.

In the energy vision, the elder's cultivation level was still as bad as ever. However, what caught Yi Yun's attention was a blob of hazy gray light in the elder's body. Even with the energy vision, Yi Yun could not identify it.

The old man was extraordinary after all.

Yi Yun now believed that he had found the right person. He said with a voice transmission, "Senior, Miss Huan gave me a letter that I'm supposed to hand to you."

Yi Yun only mentioned the surname. In that way, the possibility of exposing Huan Chenxue was greatly reduced. If he was Old Snake, he should know the name. He carefully observed Old Snake's expression, hoping to find some minute change in it.

However, Yi Yun never expected that the old man would fail to hear it. After bantering with Snake Girl all day, he suddenly seemed to recall something. He turned and glanced at Yi Yun, saying blankly, "Lad, did you speak to me just now?"

Yi Yun was rendered speechless. The old fellow was truly impervious.

"I want to buy one of your registration tokens."

Yi Yun had made up his mind. He was bent on following the old man and since he had already gotten to the Myriad God Ridge, all he needed to do was enter the sect.

Old Snake rolled his eyes at Yi Yun. "Do you have money?"

At that moment, Snake Girl quickly pressed down on her interspatial ring, worried that he would have thoughts on her money. She knew very well that the old man would not give Yi Yun a discount.

"I do not have Spirit Jade but what do you think of this fruit?"

Yi Yun took out a red and plump fruit. It was a supplementary herb needed for alchemy. It wasn't an extremely expensive fruit but it was great for brewing alcohol. Because of that, it was always in great demand.

Even in the Sinkhole, such a fruit could be sold for about two to three hundred Spirit Jade.

Indeed, Old Snake's eyes lit up when he saw the fruit.

"Red Brewing Fruit. Great item. In that case, I'll accept it grudgingly. This token is yours."

Old Snake threw a token over. The crowd shook their heads when they saw this. The youth was truly dumb. He had bought a token from the old trickster for more than two times the price. He was taking a huge loss.

However, Old Snake still had some integrity. He did not demand money from his disciple and gave Snake Girl a registration token for free.

With that, the rich scions behind them realized that the buzz was over. They rushed over to buy a registration token. Instantly, Old Snake's business was surprisingly good. He did not have many tokens to begin with, so he sold them all very quickly.

Yi Yun walked to the front of the line. The registration booth was in a square up ahead. On one side was a registration booth that accepted money, and on the other was an ordinary testing ground. After obtaining a token, one had to immediately undergo a small test. This meant that before the token could even warm in their hands, they had to return it to Myriad God Ridge. It was a complete waste of money.

Yi Yun already had a token so he directly went to the testing ground.

True Martial World - Chapter 1234: Your Robbing Business is Doing Well

Yi Yun was rendered somewhat speechless when he heard the scholarly man flaunt himself. Why were these people who had taken the test as many as seven times qualified to do it again? It was no wonder the test was packed with so many candidates. Many people who failed the first time would come again, but wasn’t that a waste of manpower?

From Yi Yun's point of view, the Myriad God Ridge's test must have been very stringent. Perhaps, there might be several rounds of selection. Those that failed fell very short of the standards required so, no matter how many times they came, it was pointless.

But very quickly, Yi Yun understood why the Myriad God Ridge did not mind allowing warriors to participate in the test numerous times. Anyone who registered needed to pay a registration fee of ten Spirit Jade for a test token. As there were so many people, about seven to eight thousand of these registration tokens would be handed out. According to his calculations, that meant that every test that was held gave the Myriad God Ridge an income of seventy to eighty thousand Spirit Jade.

Upon realizing this, Yi Yun was somewhat at a loss for words. It was no wonder they held tests with such great ardor. There were large amounts of Spirit Jade to earn, so why not? It was only bad for people who were far off the mark but continued dreaming of entering the Myriad God Ridge. Who else was to blame if they were unable to see the truth for themselves?

"This line sure is long…"

A line of ten thousand people moved at a turtle's pace despite there being multiple registration points. Every person that registered needed to fill out a form with their particulars; therefore, Yi Yun estimated that it would take a day before it reached his turn.

Warriors had extremely good patience but this did not include Yi Yun. Especially considering the fact that he did not place much importance on this matter. He wasn't truly interested in joining the Myriad God Ridge, he was only interested in looking for Old Snake.

"Hey, do you need a registration token and particulars form? It's just a hundred Spirit Jade. There's no need to queue."

Amid the noisy environment, Yi Yun heard a voice. When he took a glance, a few shady people were mixed in the crowd, going around and selling the registration tokens.

When Yi Yun saw this, he was tickled. Weren't these scalpers?

In his previous life, at the ticket-selling booths of train stations or popular concerts, there were always scalpers who would sell tickets they had obtained through various means at a high price.

It seemed this world was not an exception to that.

Should I… also buy a scalped ticket?

Just as Yi Yun was pondering over the matter, he noticed Snake Girl watching him warily. The young lass seemed a little dimwitted at times but, whenever it had anything to do with money, she was like an alert mouse. She had a natural sensitivity towards any danger her money purse might suffer.

Yi Yun coughed dryly once and was about to speak.

But at that moment, Yi Yun suddenly heard an old man shout at the top of his lungs, "Great offer for registration tokens! Only ninety-eight! Ninety-eight, folks! You'll only suffer if you can't buy it and you'll be scammed if you don't buy it. Money transaction on the spot and the token will be yours."

When Yi Yun heard the shout, he nearly choked. Even other scalpers who was selling registration tokens were doing it covertly and privately asked examinees if they wanted one. No one was like the old man who seemed to wish he had a loudspeaker.

Yi Yun turned over to take a look and indeed, he saw a few Myriad God Ridge supervisors sporting extremely ugly expressions. Although earning Spirit Jade was a goal for holding a recruitment test, it was a more covert goal. On the surface, they were doing it as part of the process to select disciples for the Myriad God Ridge. It was an extremely solemn occasion. With the old fellow yelling like this, the atmosphere became more like a market.

Just as Yi Yun was considering whether or not to try negotiating with the scalper, or if they should spend ninety-eight Spirit Jade to buy a registration token, he noticed that Snake Girl's expression was a little odd.

"Uh… What's wrong?"

"That… That old man that's shouting about the great offer for the registration token… is my master… Old Snake…" Snake Girl said in embarrassment.

She was rendered completely speechless by her master’s actions. After being separated for so many years, she never expected to meet him again in such a manner.

"He's Old Snake?"

Yi Yun blinked his eyes. Although he had guessed that the expert would be somewhat different from others, the present situation left him a little dumbfounded.

Since he had found Old Snake, there was no need for him to participate in the Myriad God Ridge's recruitment test. With a thought, he walked to Old Snake.

"Ninety-eight Spirit Jade! Ninety-eight Spirit Jade! Registration token fire sale!" Old Snake was shouting with all his might when he suddenly saw Yi Yun walk over. His old face immediately beamed with a wide smile. He truly resembled a pimp from the brothels.

"How about it, young lad. Do you want to buy a registration token? After buying this registration token of mine, I guarantee you that it will become a golden opportunity, allowing for your meteoric rise. You will enter the sect within a decade, become a Guardian in a century, and an Elder in a millennium!"

"About that…" Yi Yun felt a dark cloud hanging over his head when he heard that. "Senior… I'm not here to buy a registration token. I was instructed by a friend to look for you."

"Friend? What friend?"

When the old man heard that Yi Yun wasn't there to buy a token, he immediately wiped away the smile on his face.

"Senior, can we speak in private?" Yi Yun said as he cupped his fists.

Although the Old Snake in front of him was a little unique, he still gave him the required respect. Regardless of anything, a person introduced by Huan Chenxue must have something special about him. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

"Say anything you would like to say here. Don't mess up my business. Right here, right now is the best time to sell registration tokens. Speaking of which… Eh?"

When the old man saw Snake Girl among the crowd, he immediately stared with widened eyes. "Lass, what are you doing here!?"

As the old man spoke, he left Yi Yun behind and walked towards Snake Girl. "Lass, it's been years since we have met. Your cultivation level has grown. How has it been? Has your robbing business been doing well over the past two years? Maybe now you have some spare cash, and you are here to give your master some alcohol money as a form of filial piety?"

Old Snake had a naturally loud voice. With him deliberately not hiding his voice, many warriors present immediately looked towards Snake Girl.

So the old man was the young girl's master.

At that moment, Snake Girl yearned for a hole in the ground to burrow in. When she first saw the old man, she was quite delighted. After all, she had not seen the old man in years. Although he was flawed in many ways, he had brought her up and taught her many things.

However, this sense of filial affection lasted less than three seconds. Snake Girl wished she could kick the old man away and claim that she did not know him.

This was too fucking embarrassing.

Although I am in the robbery business, will you not shout about it?

It was out there for all to see that the master was a scalper that capitalized on illicit trading, while the disciple was a petty thief that robbed. The master-disciple duo sure was one of a kind!

Indeed, there were people who could not help but laugh. The gorgeously-dressed youth that had participated in the Myriad God Ridge's test for seven times looked at Snake Girl with a teasing expression. He had planned on buying a scalped token, but now that there was an interesting development in the line, he was in no hurry. He could continue queuing in line.

"Old Man, darn you. I only have the bit of money I need for cultivation. How can I have any spare cash for you to go around squandering on vices?"

Upon mentioning that, Snake Girl turned infuriated. The old man was bent on being indecent. Although rearing a child was a tiring task, he had begun engaging in vices when she was in her teens. He did not do a single good deed.

Her cultivation all these years was arduous. She never had what she needed, and could only rely on herself to 'earn' it.

True Martial World - Chapter 1233: Myriad God Ridge

Most of the Sinkhole's Calm Sea domain was a calm sea that appeared to be boundless. It was uniform and uninteresting. Although there were some natural treasures in the sea, they were usually accompanied by the presence of danger. Since Yi Yun did not plan to explore it, the best way of traversing the great distance of the vast sea was naturally to use a teleportation array.

These long-distance teleportation arrays that could easily allow one to travel millions of kilometers were not cheap.

At that moment, Yi Yun came to a teleportation array. The person responsible for collecting the teleportation fee was a girl with Fey blood. She had malt-colored skin and was more slender than the average human. She had strong legs and a furry tail behind her back.

"The teleportation fee is ten inferior-grade Spirit Jade."

The girl hung a standard smile as she said this sweetly.

Yi Yun was taken aback when he heard that. Spirit Jade?

He suddenly realized that he had a problem. The common currency used in the Sinkhole was clearly completely different from that of the 12 Empyrean Heavens. And most embarrassingly, he did not have this currency.

In fact, the 12 Empyrean Heavens did not have an officially recognized currency. Every region used different currencies and, most of the time, things were done through a material exchange. For example, the Myriad Divine Territory's Myriad Runes were obtained from the exchange of goods.

Noticing how Yi Yun did not respond or take out any Spirit Jade, the corners of Snake Girl's mouth twitched. "Bro, don't tell me you didn't bring any money?"

Yi Yun stroked his chin, turned to her, and said, "Indeed, I didn't bring any. Pay for me this time."

"…"

Snake Girl was left stunned for a moment. What a scam. In the end, she was still responsible for paying the fees?

Although she wasn't happy about it, she had failed to rob Yi Yun. She was now at Yi Yun's mercy, so she had no choice but to grudgingly comply.

It pained Snake Girl's heart to take out ten inferior-grade Spirit Jade. It was clear that she lacked money in the first place. If it were her alone, there was no way she would be willing to pay to use the teleportation array.

"Okay. Might I ask where you are going?" The girl asked with a smile as she accepted the Spirit Jade.

"Myriad God Ridge," answered Snake Girl unhappily.

As the teleportation array was activated, a beam of light flashed. Yi Yun and Snake Girl appeared millions of kilometers away.

The surroundings had changed completely. They were no longer by the seaside but a lush mountain range. Beneath the mountains was a large city that looked exuberant at a glance.

Just after Yi Yun and Snake Girl stepped out of the teleportation array, it lit up again, and someone else appeared out of the teleportation array.

"This Myriad God Ridge sure is lively."

"That's natural. Myriad God Ridge might be said to be a sect, but in fact, it's not much different from a large country. It’s not just warriors; there are many mortals living here as well. It is a very large city that's extremely lively!" Snake Girl explained with smug delight. Although Yi Yun was powerful, he was a foreigner that needed her to answer his questions.

Yi Yun remained silent and gave Snake Girl a cursory glance. He said, "Let's go. Onward to Myriad God Ridge."

Although they had arrived in the continent where the Myriad God Ridge was, they were still a fair distance away from the actual Myriad God Ridge. They flew for a period of time before arriving at their destination.

The continent was named after the Myriad God Ridge. Although there were tiny sects, they paled in comparison when compared to the Myriad God Ridge.

Myriad God Ridge was a truly powerful super sect. Countless subsidiaries depended on the Myriad God Ridge. Snake Girl's description of Myriad God Ridge being a massive country was in no way hyperbole.

During Yi Yun and Snake Girl's flight, they saw many bustling cities and towns. However, those were not the core regions of the Myriad God Ridge.

Soon, a towering and majestic mountain ridge appeared in front of them. Its peak pierced straight through the clouds and it looked extremely magnificent. And at the foot of the mountain was a huge city. Its circumference spanned nearly five hundred kilometers and the populace numbered tens of millions.

"This is the Myriad God Ridge." Yi Yun looked at the city and found it grand and lofty. There was also fluctuations from array formations.

Flying was forbidden at high altitudes in Myriad God Ridge; therefore, Yi Yun and Snake Girl landed at the city gates.

"Two inferior-grade Spirit Jade is required for entry," said the guardian of the gate.

Yi Yun glanced at Snake Girl, causing her to make a long face while helplessly taking out two inferior-grade Spirit Jade from her interspatial ring.

Attempting to rob Yi Yun was definitely the unluckiest move she ever made.

It only ended with her becoming penniless.

"As Old Snake's disciple, do you have any means of finding him in the fastest way possible?" Yi Yun asked Snake Girl.

The city was huge and there were just too many people. The Myriad God Ridge was also extremely imposing and filled with countless warriors, so it was impossible for Yi Yun to search for a needle in a haystack.

Snake Girl sighed and flipped her hand. A tiny snake slithered out from her sleeves.

"Let's use this little guy. However, this little guy can only detect the scent in a ten thousand foot range. Any further and it won't work," explained Snake Girl.

"Let's give it a try first." Yi Yun looked at Snake Girl. "Speaking of which, how do we enter this Myriad God Ridge?"

The true core of Myriad God Ridge was in the spirit mountains. Yi Yun guessed that they needed to head there to find Old Snake.

"Simply pass the entrance test. It happens every few days as there is a high demand for entering Myriad God Ridge. However, most people fail to even pass the first round." Snake Girl said contemptibly. Clearly, she despised people who attempted to enter Myriad God Ridge because it was popular.

"Didn't you say you could easily pass the Myriad God Ridge's test? Then let's give it a try."

Yi Yun was a little baffled as to why Old Snake would spend his days in Myriad God Ridge, even going as far as doing miscellaneous chores. However, since he was introduced by Huan Chenxue, it was highly unlikely that Old Snake was useless. Perhaps the enlightened had their own ways of doing things.

As a super sect, the Myriad God Ridge would attract large numbers of people for every test. Yi Yun and Snake Girl headed for the Myriad God Ridge's entry test registration venue and were astounded by the crowd ahead of them.

There was a lot of people!

Even with a test happening once every few days, there were still myriad people registering.

Yi Yun thought back to the people that came right behind them at the teleportation array. A number of them were probably rushing here for the Myriad God Ridge's test.

Seeing the large number of people, it did not seem like an exaggeration when Snake Girl said that the disciples of the Boundless Chapter failed to pass the test. The Myriad God Ridge would definitely only choose a tiny portion of candidates; otherwise, its entrance would burst from the sheer number of people.

They stood and waited with the group of people. And at that moment, a middle-aged man walked out from inside.

"It's Steward Luo."

"Hey, quiet. It looks like Steward Luo will be helming today's qualifying examination."

When Yi Yun heard the discussion, it was apparent that these people were very familiar with the Myriad God Ridge. They even knew the names of a steward.

"It looks like all of you understand the Myriad God Ridge very well?" asked Yi Yun.

The group of people looked over and noticed that it was a youth with a girl about the same age as him that said that. Judging from his clothing that was obviously that of a foreigner, and how the girl dressed in a villager's attire, they immediately understood what was going on.

They must have rushed here for the test from some remote place, so they knew nothing.

"Heh heh, you must not know. Many of the people here have participated in the test numerous times. The few of us have participated about seven times and we basically know all the examiners of Myriad God Ridge." A scholarly-looking man dressed in an opulent garb said complacently as he flapped his fan.

Snake Girl rolled her eyes. So they were trash, but what was there to be smug about?

True Martial World - Chapter 1232: Snake Girl

It was fine if Boundless Mountain and Boundless Chapter only had similar names. Most critically, the name of Old Snake was the same as well. In addition, the map pointed here so it was quite impossible to chalk it up as a coincidence.

Could the person Huan Chenxue wanted him to seek out be that Old Snake?

The sect's territory had been snatched and the disciples disbanded. The Myriad God Ridge had annexed Old Snake's sect and Old Snake had even entered it to do miscellaneous chores. That was way too ridiculous.

"How about it? I've told you everything I can tell. Speaking of which, what relation do you have to Old Snake?"

The girl's eyes moved about nimbly as she probed Yi Yun with a question while watching his expression as though she was attempting to figure out if Yi Yun was lying.

"A friend of mine told me to find Old Snake," Yi Yun answered honestly. He did not have any reason to conceal it.

As the girl meticulously ascertained the matter, she believed that Yi Yun had told the truth. She finally heaved a sigh of relief. "You gave me a fright. So we are all one big family. I'm from the Boundless Chapter. Speaking of which, I'm Old Snake's final disciple! Haha, we are family. Family!"

As she spoke, she smacked Yi Yun on the shoulder obstreperously. However, when she finished smacking, she noticed that Yi Yun's expression was unkind. Her smile froze on her face as she awkwardly rubbed her hands together. "About that, can you first let me go…"

Yi Yun put the girl down and asked casually, "Are you really Old Snake's disciple?"

"Yes… Yes. Didn't you notice that I rear snakes…"

"…"

Upon hearing the girl's reply, Yi Yun felt like numerous mud-hoofed horses were running through his mind. "That Old Snake also rears snakes?"

"Well… not really." The girl shrugged. "However, the things he used are adorned with snake patterns. For example, the double-handed sword he uses is engraved with two coiled snakes."

"Alright then…"

Yi Yun sighed helplessly as he sized up the girl. Although she had employed some fascinating techniques, compared to Yi Yun’s impression of a genius from a large clan, she was greatly inferior. Was Old Snake's final disciple only at this level?

Furthermore, when he first met her, she appeared rather heretic. But after being defeated by him, she lost all her backbone. She even appeared to be a little simple-minded. She probably acted fiercer when committing a robbery and returned to her true form when she realized she was not his match. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

"Why didn't you go to Myriad God Ridge? Is it because you failed to pass the entrance test?" asked Yi Yun.

The girl stared at him. "How could I not pass that test? If I were to go to Myriad God Ridge, I'd at least be a core disciple. I just have no intention of going. I was born here and grew up here. Why would I go to the Myriad God Ridge?"

"So you began robbing people?" Yi Yun scoffed.

The girl's face turned red as she said, "I still need cultivation resources, don’t I… I just never knew that you were that powerful. I really overestimated myself."

The girl hurriedly placed Yi Yun on a pedestal, hoping that he would release her as soon as possible.

"In that case, bring me to Myriad God Ridge."

Although Old Snake sounded like an oddity, Yi Yun believed in Huan Chenxue. Since he was someone recommended by Huan Chenxue, he had to meet him no matter what.

"Ah?" The girl's expression turned bitter. However, being inferior to him, she could only nod. "Alright then. But, Myriad God Ridge is very far. You'll have to fly for half a year. If you want to get there faster, you need to use a teleportation array. The teleportation fee isn't cheap either…"

As the girl spoke, she stuck her tongue out. She had lived for the past few years through robbery. She was not very wealthy.

"It's fine. I'll pay it. What's your name?"

"I… I'm an orphan and without a name. When Master found me, I was amid snakes. Master said his name was Old Snake and that fate had brought us together. So he brought me up. You can call me Snake Girl. That's what Master calls me."

"Snake Girl…" Yi Yun nodded. He never expected the girl to have such a tragic background. "By the way, do you know of a person named Bai Yueyin?"

"Bai Yueyin?" Snake Girl came to a pause. "Are you talking about… The White Lunar Goddess Empress of the Seven Desolates?"

"Oh? Goddess Empress? It appears she's rather famous. Tell me any stories you know about her."

"She's far more than famous!" Snake Girl looked at Yi Yun oddly. Her gaze looked like she had seen a wild man from the mountains. "The Seven Desolates are formed by seven ancient continents. Each continent has an area that even the Calm Sea cannot be compared with. Furthermore, there are all kinds of experts there! Tens of millions of years ago, there was chaos in the Seven Desolates. In a struggle for the Seven Desolates, seven powerful sects engaged in a mighty world war. The war continued for a thousand years intermittently. Blood flowed like rivers and countless numbers of warriors and mortals died or were injured!"

"Finally, the White Lunar Goddess Empress appeared and, with her transcendent strength and personal charm, she gathered a bunch of experts and defeated the seven mighty sects successively. In the Seven Desolates, she established a divine empire that ruled over all—White Lunar Divine Empire."

"No one expected that outcome. The war between the seven mighty sects ended with a newly risen faction. Having won the Seven Desolates, the White Lunar Divine Empire ruled the Seven Desolates and inspired awe throughout the Sinkhole. For tens of millions of years, there were no more revolts. The White Lunar Goddess Empress is too strong and no one can beat her."

"Compared to the White Lunar Divine Empire, the Myriad God Ridge is very tiny. It can only have a commanding presence here in the Calm Sea." Snake Girl fell dispirited when she came to that. She seemed reluctant on leaving her personal fief but also yearned to live a grand and spectacular life like the White Lunar Goddess Empress.

White Lunar Goddess Empress… Seven Desolates Divine Empire…

Yi Yun felt mixed emotions upon hearing all of that. It had been tens of millions of years. Who would remember the Great Qian dynasty of the Central State Divine Territory of yesteryear? Ignoring the Sinkhole, even people from the Central State Divine Territory might not remember that a grand empire that inspired awe everywhere once existed on that piece of land.

Furthermore, even at the Great Qian Empire's peak, it paled in comparison to the Seven Desolates Divine Empire.

Years ago, Azure Yang Lord was young and spirited. He had boundless enthusiasm, hoping to establish a foundation that lasted for billions of years with outstanding deeds but, eventually, Bai Yueyin's strike burst his hopes like bubbles.

Now, Bai Yueyin had established her own White Lunar Divine Empire, writing a glorious history.

As for the Azure Yang Lord of yesteryear, there were no legends of him. He was reduced to the embers of history.

Thinking back on such a history left one sighing endlessly.

"I say, why are you asking about the White Lunar Goddess Empress? Also… it's best you do not mention the White Lunar Goddess Empress's name. This is the Calm Sea so it should be fine. But in the Seven Desolates, you might be executed for the crime of defiance."

Snake Girl blinked as she saw Yi Yun's wistful look after hearing of Bai Yueyin's history. Why did this fellow appear in such a deranged state? What sort of person was the White Lunar Goddess Empress? How could she have any relationship with a punk like him?

"Never mind." Yi Yun shook his head. "Let's go. Onwards to Myriad God Ridge."

Yi Yun did not want to be too ostentatious, as he had just arrived in the Sinkhole. He did not use special items like the God Advent Tower. All he chose was a superior-grade spirit boat.

Once the spirit boat was taken out of his interspatial ring, it grew in length upon contact with the wind. Soon, it expanded to a hundred feet.

"Come on up!" said Yi Yun.

Snake Girl blinked her eyes. She coveted the spirit boat she saw. Yi Yun was indeed rich. That was something she was right about.