Chapter 604 - 290: Grandmaster Tomb

Chapter 604: Chapter 290: Grandmaster Tomb

"Elder Shen..." Chen Cheng let out a laugh.

"Let’s go!" Shen Zhaoyi waved, then shot off into the distant sky.

Chen Cheng shook his head. Not bothering to spare the crowd another glance, he bounded after him in a few leaps.

"Ah Cheng, keep going!"

Shen Zhaoyi came to a halt on the roof of a house.

Chen Cheng paused, momentarily stunned. He watched as Shen Zhaoyi raised a hand and pointed. A bone-chilling aura instantly condensed, forming a bridge of ice.

With a flash of realization, Chen Cheng darted forward. He fully unleashed his Frost Snow Condensation Realm, and a thick white mist instantly enveloped the area!

Shen Zhaoyi roared with laughter. With a series of gestures, he caused one white ice bridge after another to appear before Chen Cheng.

Chen Cheng stepped onto the bridge, and Shen Zhaoyi followed close behind.

The old man and the young man crossed the ice bridge, their figures receding into the distance.

The crowd erupted into another uproar at the sight! Their blood boiled with excitement as they cheered and roared!

...

「Ice Castle」

It was the same, somewhat simple hut of ice and snow.

Before the bonfire, Chen Cheng and Shen Zhaoyi sat on the floor, each holding a porcelain bowl, their eyes fixed hungrily on the Ice Spirit Fish in the pot.

There were two Ice Spirit Fish in the pot. They had already begun to break down, releasing waves of an incredibly rich, sweet, and savory aroma.

"Elder Shen, cooking two Ice Spirit Fish at once... isn’t that a bit extravagant?"

Chen Cheng offered politely.

Shen Zhaoyi chuckled, boasting, "It’s fine. Before I cultivated the Second Layer of the Frost Snow Realm, my icy aura wasn’t strong enough, so I didn’t have many Ice Spirit Fish. I was lucky to eat one every few years."

"But now that I’ve cultivated the Second Layer of the Frost Snow Realm, I can raise many more Ice Spirit Fish. I can manage to eat a few every year."

Chen Cheng’s interest was piqued. "Elder Shen, could you spare me some of your Ice Spirit Fish to breed?"

"I can condense an icy aura, so I’d like to try raising some myself."

"Hah, you wish, kid!"

Shen Zhaoyi shot him a look, speaking with a touch of arrogant pride. "Raising Ice Spirit Fish requires an extremely dense icy aura."

"I possess the Ice Soul Jade Marrow, and on top of that, it took me ten years to build this Ice Castle. Only with both is the icy aura just barely sufficient for the Ice Spirit Fish to survive."

"If you were to start preparing now, it would take at least ten years before you could possibly meet the conditions."

"Ten years doesn’t seem that long," Chen Cheng said. "If I succeed, I can treat you to a few meals in return, Elder Shen."

The Ice Spirit Fish were excellent for replenishing Qi Blood Power. If ten years of preparation was all it took to raise them, it was well worth a try.

Shen Zhaoyi chuckled. "That’s not a bad idea. I’d love to try a meal of the Chens’ Ice Spirit Fish."

"But instead of counting on you to raise them, I’d have better luck counting on those two girls, Qingyao and Qingshuang."

"The three of us can raise them together, then," Chen Cheng said.

"You won’t have the time." Shen Zhaoyi picked up a wooden spoon and ladled a scoop of the rich fish soup into Chen Cheng’s bowl.

He then ladled a scoop into his own bowl, took a savory sip, and smacked his lips, an expression of pure bliss on his face.

Chen Cheng also took a sip of the soup. An immense surge of Qi Blood Power flooded his abdomen before spreading throughout his entire body, bringing with it an indescribable sense of comfort.

The Ice Spirit Fish not only replenished Qi Blood Power but also provided a great boost to one’s Spiritual Power.

Chen Cheng’s mind grew clear and sharp, and he understood the meaning behind Shen Zhaoyi’s words.

’Once your Martial Arts Power reaches a certain level, you can’t just remain idle. You have to serve the Sect.’

’That was why his master, Mr. Zheng, had to go to the Great Dao Sect and serve as a Steward.’

’Now that I’m starting to make a name for myself, with Martial Arts Power that surpasses everyone in Linji City, I’m bound to be noticed by the Sect.’

’If I can stay in Linji City, that would be for the best. I could focus on my Cultivation in peace.’

’But from Elder Shen’s actions today, I’m afraid the Great Dao Sect has other rules.’

"Elder Shen, what’s the assessment process for becoming a True Disciple of the Great Dao Sect?" Chen Cheng asked.

’If I have to serve the Sect, I should obviously try to become a True Disciple to get the most resources.’

Seeing what was on Chen Cheng’s mind, Shen Zhaoyi suddenly sighed. "There’s no assessment."

"No assessment?" Chen Cheng was taken aback.

Shen Zhaoyi said, "In the Great Dao Sect, all Inner Sect Disciples join one of the Main Peaks. They take either a Guardian or a Peak Master as their master."

"True Disciples, on the other hand, are chosen by the Peak Master from among the Inner Sect Disciples. Normally, a Peak Master’s own disciple has a better chance of becoming a True Disciple."

"However, there are also some with exceptional Martial Arts Talent who first study under a Guardian and then switch to the Peak Master only after becoming a True Disciple."

The selection being up to the Peak Master sounded a bit arbitrary. Chen Cheng asked doubtfully, "The Peak Master just appoints a True Disciple directly? Isn’t that a little... careless?"

Shen Zhaoyi smiled. "You might think the Peak Masters would prioritize appointing their own relatives as True Disciples."

"And that is indeed the case. If the Inner Sect Disciples competing for the position have comparable Martial Arts Talent, the relatives of the Peak Master or the Sect Elders often have an edge."

"But the Sect took this into account long ago. The True Disciple of each peak must be the one with the greatest Martial Arts Power."

"Any Inner Sect Disciple who disagrees can challenge the True Disciple directly. If they win, they take their place."

"Furthermore, a True Disciple represents the Sect in the outside world. If they are defeated by a True Disciple from another Sect, they will also lose their status."

"Whoa!" Chen Cheng said in surprise. "In that case, wouldn’t the Great Dao Sect’s True Disciples be afraid to fight True Disciples from other Sects?"

’They’re all True Disciples of Major Sects; no one can guarantee they’d win against anyone else!’

’Losing means your position as a True Disciple is at risk. That’s a huge loss!’

"Hahaha!" Shen Zhaoyi let out a hearty laugh. "That does happen sometimes."

"However, a True Disciple represents the Sect and is supposed to be the strongest disciple of their peak. Refusing to fight a True Disciple from another Sect is often more shameful than losing, so those who shy away from battle are few and far between."

"Usually, as long as the loss isn’t too embarrassing, the Inner Sect Disciples of the peak won’t object, and you can continue on as a True Disciple."

"That’s not so bad, then," Chen Cheng said, nodding lightly. After a moment’s thought, he asked, "I assume whether one can become a True Disciple has something to do with the Martial Dao inheritance for the Innate Realm?"

Shen Zhaoyi nodded. "Precisely. After cultivating to Organ Refining Realm Perfection, you must open your Human Acupoints to advance to the Puncture Realm. Each peak’s inheritance has a different focus for this."

"As for the specifics of those differences, you’ll understand once you get to the Great Dao Sect."

"Elder Shen," Chen Cheng said, "when you had me demonstrate my Realm of condensing icy aura earlier... was it because you intend for me to join Celestial Phenomenon Peak?"

"Yes, that was my intention." Shen Zhaoyi nodded, then sighed softly. "Although Celestial Phenomenon Peak isn’t as powerful as Five Elements Peak or Xuanshuo Peak, its inheritance has many advantages. It allows one to progress faster when cultivating various Realms in specific environments."

"When you reach Organ Refining Realm Perfection and attempt to break through the Profound Passage to the Puncture Realm, it still offers many benefits."

"However, you’re afflicted by the Demon Thought Cage and your acupoints are sealed. It will likely be very difficult for you to compete for the position of True Disciple."

"After all, sealed acupoints mean it’s very difficult to open your Human Acupoints and advance to the Innate Realm. The Peak Master of Celestial Phenomenon Peak will inevitably take that into consideration when selecting a True Disciple."

"But you don’t need to worry too much. With your Martial Arts Talent, you have a very good chance of reaching Organ Refining Realm Perfection before you turn thirty."

"When that happens, you’ll naturally be valued by the Sect. The Sect will find a way to ask a Grandmaster Level expert to undo the Demon Thought Cage for you."

"How many Martial Arts Grandmasters are there in the Great Yu?" Chen Cheng asked.

This kind of information was highly secret and rarely heard in Linji City.

Shen Zhaoyi thought for a moment. "Martial Arts Grandmasters are all peerless experts who have cultivated to the Qi Meridian Fusion Realm. Anyone who reaches that level is nothing short of a living legend."

"Back when I was at the Great Dao Sect, there were only a handful of Martial Arts Grandmasters in the entire Great Yu."

"Our Five Northern States are known as the Grandmaster Tomb; we don’t have a single one."

"The closest Martial Arts Grandmasters would be the Palace Master of the Kunlun Divine Palace in the Western Extreme Land and the Island Master of Penglai Island in the East Sea."