Chapter 328: Was Master Doing It on Purpose? The Saint Master’s Unbelievable Feat!
This time during closed-door cultivation, whether it was breaking through to the Great Advancement Realm or mastering the Secret of the Person Character, it was an enormous boost for Ye Chen.
As a result, he was in an exceptionally good mood.
However, when Ye Chen stepped out of the forbidden grounds, he was surprised to see the area outside completely empty.
The Foreign Affairs Elder wasn’t present.
Ye Chen’s face showed a trace of amusement.
In the past, whenever something happened in the Sacred Land and the elders couldn’t reach him, the Foreign Affairs Elder would always wait here until he emerged.
Ye Chen circulated his cultivation technique, casually releasing a strand of his aura.
The elders who were busy coordinating the mountain-sealing efforts suddenly looked up in astonishment, their gazes unconsciously turning toward the forbidden grounds.
That aura was far too familiar. If it wasn’t the Saint Master, who else could it be?
The Saint Master had finally emerged from seclusion.
The elders felt their spirits lift immediately. They abandoned their tasks and transformed into streaks of light, flying toward the forbidden grounds from all directions.
The Heavenly Origin Sacred Land was vast, but the speed of these powerful cultivators was beyond comprehension.
The moment Ye Chen released his aura, Nangong Wan was the first to arrive.
Clad in a pure white dress, she was stunningly beautiful, her bright, lively eyes filled with joy.
Ye Chen smiled upon seeing his master.
Before they could exchange words, the other elders began arriving one after another, landing at the peak.
Gazing at Ye Chen, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Over the years, Ye Chen’s actions had won over every elder. He was undoubtedly the most respected Saint Master in the history of the Heavenly Origin Sacred Land — a true pillar of stability.
Now that their Saint Master had emerged, even though they weren’t confident in facing the four major Sacred Lands, his presence brought them an unshakable sense of calm.
Looking at the Foreign Affairs Elder, Ye Chen quipped with a smile. “This time, I didn’t see you waiting outside the forbidden grounds, and I must say, it felt a bit unusual.”
The Foreign Affairs Elder responded with a wry smile, “These past few days have been overwhelmingly busy. We’ve been intensively mining resources from every secret realm and mineral deposit we have, while also liaising with various factions to purchase a massive stockpile of supplies. Every elder has been tied up with responsibilities, leaving us stretched thin.”
Hearing this, Ye Chen smiled.
The preparations — stockpiling resources and extracting their own — were clearly efforts to prepare for sealing the mountain.
The elders’ proactive approach pleased Ye Chen. This was how it should be. Even without him around, they needed to make decisive choices rather than simply waiting for his instructions.
Still, Ye Chen chuckled and shook his head.
“You’ve done well. But now that I’ve returned, there’s no need for such concerns.
“Put the mountain-sealing plans on hold for now.”
Hearing this, the Refining Elder, Wang Changchun, immediately stepped forward and said, “Saint Master, you may not yet be fully aware of the current situation…”
Ye Chen looked at Wang Changchun and waved him off with a smile, saying nothing further.
Instead, he unleashed the full force of his previously restrained aura.
In an instant, an overwhelming pressure enveloped the entire Heavenly Origin Sacred Land.
Countless disciples shivered in fear.
Numerous spirit beasts were paralyzed with terror.
The entire Sacred Land fell utterly silent.
The elders widened their eyes in shock, their faces filled with disbelief.
This wasn’t just overwhelming strength — it carried a suppression of their very life essence, invoking fear deep within their souls.
The pressure quickly dissipated as Ye Chen retracted his aura, but the elders remained speechless for a long time. The world seemed to have fallen into a deep stillness.
Finally, after a long pause, Elder Wang Changchun managed to speak, his voice trembling with disbelief. “Saint Master… have you… broken through to the Great Advancement Realm?”
The other elders were equally tense, their hearts pounding as they fixed their eyes on their Saint Master.
Ye Chen, accustomed to such reactions, smiled faintly and nodded openly. There was no need to hide it.
The gap in cultivation between himself and the elders was simply too vast. Unless he actively released his aura, they had no way of discerning his level.
Yet Nangong Wan’s expression stood out to him.
It was a peculiar mix of joy and expectation, tinged with a “just as I thought” air. There was even a hint of pride, but notably absent was any sign of shock.
Could it be that my master had already anticipated I would break through?
But then, why would she make a bet with me if she believed in my success?
At that moment, a bold idea emerged in Ye Chen’s mind: is it possible that his master had deliberately lost the bet?
If so, didn’t that mean…
Noticing Ye Chen’s gaze, Nangong Wan quickly turned her head, her expression shifting to one of feigned astonishment.
Unfortunately, her acting left much to be desired, prompting Ye Chen to chuckle.
“Master truly is a bit… tsundere.”
Seeing his amused smile, Nangong Wan’s cheeks flushed crimson.
Her beautiful eyes carried a mix of anger and panic.
Could it be… Ye Chen had seen through her act?
While Ye Chen and his master exchanged subtle glances, the elders were still grappling with the enormity of the situation.
Great Advancement!
This was the Great Advancement Realm!
For three millennia in the Great Yan Province, countless prodigies had risen like shooting stars, but only the Elder Jinwu had ever reached the Great Advancement Realm.
This demonstrated just how difficult it was to achieve this level.
Even in the Mingwang Province, with its cultivator population ten times that of the Great Yan Province, Great Advancement experts were rare.
The elders had thought that while their Saint Master was a prodigy, breaking through to the Great Advancement Realm would still require years, if not decades, of preparation.
They had resigned themselves to sealing the mountain for a century if needed.
But shockingly, in just a matter of days, their Saint Master had already achieved the Great Advancement Realm and stood before them.
This was simply beyond belief.
Half a year ago, Ye Chen had only just reached the late Nascent Soul Realm.
Their Saint Master’s absurdly rapid progress continuously shattered their expectations, leaving them questioning reality.
Were they even practicing the same cultivation?
After a long period of silence, the elders finally began to accept this truth.
Following the shock, their faces lit up with joy.
With a Saint Master this extraordinary, one who could fight opponents far above his level, sealing the mountain was no longer necessary, right?
However, Wang Changchun, who had spent a year in Mingwang Province, stepped forward earnestly. “Saint Master, your breakthrough to Great Advancement is wonderful news, but I believe we should still adhere to the mountain-sealing plan.”
His words drew puzzled looks from the other elders, as well as a curious glance from Ye Chen.
Wang Changchun explained his reasoning:
“Saint Master, you are undoubtedly the greatest genius the cultivation world has ever seen. Overcoming enemies beyond your level is second nature to you. This is beyond question
“But the four Supreme Elders of the Mingwang Province Sacred Lands are also top-tier experts with illustrious reputations.
“To face four of them alone carries immense risk.
“Furthermore, countless factions in Mingwang Province covet our Heavenly Origin Little Spirit Communicator. Many might take action during the chaos of battle.
“This presents enormous danger to you, Saint Master.
“Saint Master, with your exceptional talent, there’s no need to take such a risk.
“We have an abundance of resources. With your breakthrough speed, in a hundred years, you’ll undoubtedly sweep across the cultivation world.
“Time is on our side, so I believe sealing the mountain is the safer option.”
As Elder Wang Changchun spoke, the other elders nodded in agreement, lost in thought.
Indeed, what he said made sense. The number of powerful figures in Mingwang Province was considerable.
Rather than taking risks, it would be better for the Saint Master to cultivate in peace.
With the Saint Master’s astonishing breakthrough speed, in a hundred years, he might even achieve the legendary Great Ascension Stage.
That realm, close to that of immortals, could briefly wield immortal artifacts.
At that point, the Saint Master could emerge with an immortal artifact, crush the four Sacred Lands, and truly dominate.
For a moment, the elders were all persuaded, their gazes collectively falling on their Saint Master, hoping Ye Chen would agree.
Ye Chen, however, merely smiled.
What Wang Changchun said was logical, but the problem lay in the immense resources Ye Chen required to progress.
Just reaching the mid-stage of the Great Advancement realm required five hundred million high-grade spirit stones.
While Ye Chen’s talent was indeed peerless, sealing the mountain and forsaking external benefits would be akin to severing his path to immortality.
Even with his current pace, it would take a thousand years, let alone a hundred, to break into the Integration Stage, much less the Great Ascension Stage.
Thus, sealing the mountain was out of the question.
As for the risks of facing the Supreme Elders of the four Sacred Lands?
To Ye Chen, they were nonexistent.
Before breaking into the Great Advancement Realm, he could easily defeat an early-stage Great Advancement cultivator and handle a mid-stage one with a bit of effort.
Now, having officially entered the Great Advancement Realm, his combat power had multiplied several times over.
And with the Secret of the Person Character granting him near-limitless lives, claiming invincibility among Great Advancement cultivators was no exaggeration.
Even if every mid-stage Great Advancement expert in Mingwang Province joined forces, Ye Chen was confident he could swat them down one by one.
As for late-stage Great Advancement paragons? If they dared interfere, Ye Chen would ensure they understood the meaning of a perfect breakthrough.
With this confidence, Ye Chen calmly waved his hand.
“This small matter doesn’t warrant sealing the mountain.”
The elders twitched at his words.
That was four Sacred Lands with Great Advancement experts.
Not to mention the myriad powers of Mingwang Province ready to pounce, possibly leading to a confrontation with half the Province’s experts.
Yet, in their Saint Master’s words, it was merely a small matter?
Their Saint Master was indeed overly confident.
Despite harboring differing opinions, the elders refrained from speaking further.
Over the years, they had grown accustomed to placing unconditional trust in the Saint Master’s decisions.
Ye Chen glanced around at the gathered elders.
“Why isn’t Elder Chen here? Could it be he’s still recovering in Mingwang Province?”
Elder Chen, the head of the Formation Peak, had sustained an origin injury while delivering longevity pills and was later assigned to oversee the construction of the cross-province teleportation array.
He was given substantial resources for out-of-province medical treatment, with all expenses covered.
An elder familiar with Elder Chen responded despondently. “Saint Master, Elder Chen returned after the teleportation array was completed. We’ve tried every method, but not only could we not heal his injury, we couldn’t even suppress it.
“Elder Chen’s realm is now unstable, and he’s on the verge of falling back to the Golden Core Realm. As such, he’s been in seclusion and refuses to emerge.”
The elder’s words elicited a collective sigh from the others.
Only those who had wielded great power could understand the agony of losing it.
To know one could never again reach the heights they’d once attained was a cruelty few cultivators could endure.
Over the past two years, while the Sacred Land elders had advanced rapidly thanks to abundant resources, Elder Chen’s condition had only worsened, deepening his gloom.
Ye Chen nodded calmly. “If that’s the case, I’ll visit Elder Chen at Formation Peak.”
The elders were moved by his words.
While their Saint Master was decisive and ruthless when needed, he was also compassionate and generous toward his people.
Even after reaching the Great Advancement Realm, he did not forget a Nascent Soul elder whose future was bleak.
Still, they worried that Elder Chen might feel even more despondent upon seeing the Saint Master’s meteoric rise.
As these thoughts crossed their minds, Ye Chen and Nangong Wan took to the skies.
“The four Sacred Lands are of no concern.
“Before heading to Mingwang Province, I will heal Elder Chen’s injuries first.
“Otherwise, if his realm falls to the Golden Core Realm, he’ll have to start all over again.”
As Ye Chen’s voice faded, he and Nangong Wan transformed into streaks of light, heading toward Formation Peak.
The remaining elders were left stunned, their eyes wide.
Did they hear correctly?
Their Saint Master intended to go to Mingwang Province — the enemy’s home turf?
And most shocking was his latter statement.
Healing Elder Chen’s injuries to prevent his realm from falling to the Golden Core Realm?
How was that possible?
Elder Chen’s origin injury was considered incurable.
Despite purchasing countless precious remedies from the Immortal Net Auction House and hiring Mingwang Province’s top experts at great expense, no progress had been made.
For cultivators, origin injuries were akin to terminal illnesses, untreatable by any conventional means — even Mingwang Province’s prosperous immortal sects had no solution.
Only an immortal’s intervention could offer hope.
Yet now, the Saint Master claimed he could heal Elder Chen.
The elders exchanged incredulous glances.
Then they recalled the surging life energy and rapid growth of spiritual herbs in the Saint Master’s secluded cultivation area.
Could the Saint Master truly have a way to cure origin injuries?
With a mix of anticipation and apprehension, the elders hastily followed toward Formation Peak.