Chapter 251: "Qiu, where are the twelve statues in the Celestial Palace?"

Chapter 251: "Qiu, where are the twelve statues in the Celestial Palace?"

But he quickly realized the situation and whispered, "Master, I only have one incense stick, which I obtained by chance in a Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm. I don't have any more."

"But Master, rest assured, if I have more in the future, I'll keep them for you."

"No need."

Chen Qiu waved his hand impatiently, "You really don't understand humor at all. Didn't you see I was joking with you? Think about it, with my status, if I ask for something from you, don't you find it humorous because of the contrast?"

". . ."

The Seventh Prince's expressionless face twitched slightly at the corners of his mouth. Perhaps his sense of humor was indeed lacking.

"Never mind."

Seeing that the Seventh Prince couldn't understand his humor, Chen Qiu didn't want to say more. After searching through the Heavenly Path Ring for half a day, he finally tossed some items into a storage ring and casually threw it to the Seventh Prince, saying, "Here, some suitable Entry Scrolls, Sword Technique Talismans, Spirit Treasure Talismans, and so on. There's also a Hundred Tribulations' Fortune Talisman, a Heavenly Dao Fortune Talisman, several Primordial Soul Bodies, and a Primordial Soul Domain Totem suitable for Sword Cultivators. You won't need this for now, but it will be useful when you break through to the Primordial Soul stage later."

"There are also ten thousand medium-grade spirit stones."

"Consider this as your official disciple's welcome gift. Although you're a bit weak, I did promise to formally accept you as my disciple once you left Daxia Kingdom. I can't go back on my word, and I never expected that you would actually manage to escape."

"Most of these items aren't very valuable. Only the Hundred Tribulations' Fortune Talisman and the Heavenly Dao Fortune Talisman are of the highest value."

"Get yourself a good Primordial Soul-grade item. These are all quite important, not only for combat power but also for the future."

"Is this enough?"

"Th—"

The Seventh Prince's divine perception probed the storage ring in front of him. His eyes flashed with astonishment, and his mouth unconsciously widened. After a moment, his expression gradually calmed down, and he muttered with trembling hands, "Master, I was planning to rely on myself."

He had intended to rely on his own strength. When his master threw the storage ring over, he had made up his mind that no matter what, he wouldn't accept anything. He wanted to rely on his abilities.

But...

Damn it, he couldn't resist! There were too many good things!

Almost instantly, he was armed from head to toe.

"Do you want it?"

"Yes!"

The Seventh Prince nodded heavily and quickly stuffed the storage ring into his chest. Then, he spoke softly, feeling a bit embarrassed, "Isn't it a bit too precious?"

"Hehe."

A hint of pride flashed in Chen Qiu's eyes, "Your vision is limited. For me, what I can give you is something I don't value. If you want to catch up to me, I hope to see you in the Vast Continent."

"By the way."

The Seventh Prince asked with a hint of longing, "Master, what's your reputation in the Vast Continent? Has anyone oppressed you?"

"You'll understand when you're qualified to come to the Vast Continent."

After saying this, Chen Qiu didn't linger for long. He chatted with the Seventh Prince for a while, learning that there had been no significant changes in Daxia Kingdom before the prince's departure. Everything was as it had been before. Then, Chen Qiu returned to the Vast Continent.

Vast Continent, Celestial Palace, Heaven Sovereign Throne.

Chen Qiu was taking stock of his own foundation.

-

One strand of Prideful Person's Fortune, two strands of Heaven's Pride Fortune, one strand of Clan Fortune, one strand of Thunder Fortune, two strands of Hundred Tribulations' Fortune, and four strands of Heavenly Dao's Fortune.

And one strand of Clan Fortune Talisman, one strand of Shadow Soul Fortune, one strand of Shadow Emperor Fortune, and one strand of Imperial Fortune.

-

The Prideful Person's Fortune was of little use to him in terms of upgrading. It could only be used as a consumable.

As for the Heaven's Pride Fortune, he only had two strands, and the Heavenly Dao's Fortune was only four strands.

To be honest...

Regarding the Hundred Tribulations' Fortune Talisman and the Heavenly Dao Fortune Talisman that he gave to the Seventh Prince, he actually felt quite heartbroken.

It was very painful!

But...

At that time, in order to show off in front of his fellow townsman, he gave them away even though it hurt a little. Opportunities to show off in front of fellow townsmen were rare, and although it was painful, the Seventh Prince's expression of disbelief and awe still made him feel quite pleased.

How should I put it...

He was a straightforward person. He cultivated to achieve a carefree mindset, and naturally, this included showing off when he wanted to.

It was worth it!

After settling everything, Chen Qiu took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the Heaven Sovereign Throne, operating his cultivation method to begin his daily practice.

His goal was the Peak Refinement Void!

Profound Heaven Continent.

At the moment the Heavenly Dao Edict sounded, many faction leaders fell silent. Originally, everyone felt a huge burden lifted when Chen Qiu left, but with the sound of the edict, that burden returned.

Everyone also became aware of one thing.

Chen Qiu could freely travel between the Vast Continent and the Profound Heaven Continent.

Most factions didn't take this matter to heart, as they had no grudges with Chen Qiu. Even if he returned, he wouldn't cause them trouble without reason. Chen Qiu was a reasonable person.

However, some factions that had interacted with the Seventh Prince had already started internal investigations within their sects.

They separated and questioned everyone who had come into contact with the Seventh Prince.

They wanted to ensure whether there were any conflicts between the prince and their members.

This was to make an early cut-off.

In the cultivation world, having a faction was essential. Even the strongest individuals needed the support of a faction, as one person's mental strength was limited, and they couldn't handle everything personally. But a significant drawback of having a faction was that if management was lax, and disciples caused trouble, it would often be attributed to the faction.

Therefore...

Early internal investigations and cut-offs were very necessary.

This way, when Chen Qiu came knocking, the situation would be different. Although cutting ties early didn't guarantee complete immunity, at least the attitude was clear—blame would be placed solely on a specific disciple, not directly on the sect. These were two different matters.

A few more months passed.

It had been almost a year since Chen Qiu had secured his position on the Heaven Sovereign Throne. On this day, he sat cross-legged on the throne, exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, and slowly opened his eyes to look at the cultivation progress panel above his Dantian—

-

"Cultivation": Peak Refinement Void (100%).

-

His cultivation progress was full, and he had officially entered the Peak Refinement Void stage.

In fact, he had already reached the Peak Refinement Void stage, but after breaking through, he didn't immediately exit seclusion. Instead, he operated his cultivation method to solidify his cultivation realm. This process didn't consume many spirit stones; it only required a basic supply of spiritual energy, which could be maintained with a few hundred medium-grade spirit stones daily.

And the daily consumption of the Celestial Palace's top-grade Spirit Gathering Array was mostly shouldered by Chen Qiu.

Chen Qiu let out a sigh of relief, stretched his body, and removed the fatigue that had accumulated from his long seclusion. There weren't many Spirit Stones left, and not long ago, Brown Bear had whispered to him, saying that the Spirit Stones were almost depleted.

It was just about time.

It was time to come out of seclusion. This time, Chen Qiu's seclusion had lasted for nearly a year.

Next, it was time to prepare for the breakthrough to the Body Fusion Stage.

Just then—

The top-grade Spirit Gathering Array, which had been maintained for several months, suddenly dimmed, and the dense spiritual energy in the air weakened instantly. The Mock Sky Sect disciples within the Celestial Palace noticed the change and, one after another, opened their eyes.

They all looked at Chen Qiu at the same time.

Seeing this, Chen Qiu smiled lightly and said, "No need to look, the Spirit Stones are exhausted. It's time to come out of seclusion!"

His words echoed through the entire Celestial Palace, which instantly filled with a cacophony of voices. Chen Qiu didn't say more but walked out of the Celestial Palace, taking the remaining Spirit Stones from Brown Bear's hand—there were only about two hundred thousand left.

This was all the wealth of the Mock Sky Sect, and all the Spirit Stones they currently had added up to just over two hundred thousand.

They were truly poor.

This was still after Liu Zide and the others returned once a month to replenish the Spirit Stones, increasing Chen Qiu's cultivation speed by twenty times and providing him with a large amount of heavenly materials and treasures.

Up to now, the heavenly materials and treasures within the Mock Sky Sect had accumulated to the point where they were almost overflowing, and there was no way they could use them all.

If these items could be converted into cash, it would be a huge fortune. Many of the heavenly materials and treasures were not needed by the Mock Sky Sect, and Chen Qiu himself didn't even know what they were. He only knew that the Mock Sky Sect's warehouse was getting more and more crowded with them.

There were also various Spirit Treasures, and at first, these treasures could arm all the Mock Sky Sect disciples, but later, there were too many treasures, and these disciples couldn't handle them all. They picked and chose, and eventually, the treasures overflowed.

Chen Qiu estimated that if all the heavenly materials, treasures, talismans, and other miscellaneous items collected by the Mock Sky Sect over the years were sold, they could at least fetch over a million Spirit Stones.

But the problem was here.

It was really difficult to convert them into cash.

If they were sold to individual buyers, it would take ages, and if they were sold to wealthy families, there were not many in the Vast Continent who could afford such a large number of Spirit Stones at once. If they could, why would they need to sell? They could just take it by force.

So, the problem lay here.

Often, after taking them by force, not only would the heavenly materials and treasures continue to pile up in the warehouse, but they would also gain a new batch, like an endless supply from a perpetual motion machine.

Chen Qiu didn't wait for the Spirit Stones to be completely exhausted before coming out of seclusion. He kept a small amount for emergencies, at least enough to pay for meals when he went out.

He could rob the wealthy families.

But if he ran off without paying for meals, it would be quite embarrassing.

However, the problem wasn't too big.

In a few days, his traveling companion, Liu Zide, would return, and his pockets would be full again. So far, he had visited five out of the eleven Lower Continents, and sometimes he would spend a little more time on some continents, not because Liu Zide and the others were inefficient, but because he would occasionally forget about them and not go to pick them up, which caused some delays.

The main reason was that he had too many things to remember every day, and it was completely understandable if he forgot some things occasionally.

"Brother Qiu!"

Fat Dragon, full of energy, strode out of the Celestial Palace. He hadn't cultivated in the Celestial Palace but had been dual-cultivating with the group of mother dragons in the small world. In this nearly a year, he had done nothing but cultivate.

His speed was quite impressive, and his cultivation had reached the sixth layer of Primordial Soul.

"Um..."

After a long time without seeing Chen Qiu, Fat Dragon was a little excited, but soon he suddenly remembered something and said awkwardly, "Brother Qiu, those mother dragons are only at the Primordial Soul stage, and their help is getting smaller and smaller. Can you find some Refinement Void cultivation-level cauldron partners for me?"

"Sigh."

Chen Qiu let out a long sigh, turned his head, and looked at Fat Dragon, "Can you not use the word 'cauldron partner'? It makes you sound like a villain. Wouldn't it be better to use the term 'cooperative partners'? We can all make progress together."

"I'll see. After the State Continent Constraint disappears, I'll go to the Dragon Clan's main branch in the Vast Continent and take a look. Maybe I can find you some new cooperative partners."

"Have you produced a lot of dragon cubs this year?"

"No."

Fat Dragon shook his head and said seriously, "Ao Tian said he couldn't afford to raise them, so I controlled it. Anyway, I can only dual-cultivate with one mother dragon at a time, so I focused on one. After this one gives birth, I'll move on to the next. In total, I've only produced two dragon cubs, and one is still in the mother's belly."

"By the way—"

Fat Dragon looked puzzled.

"Brother Qiu, where are the twelve statues in our Celestial Palace?"

In this nearly a year, he had been in seclusion in the small world and wasn't very clear about the outside world. He only knew that during their seclusion, Brother Qiu had created the top-grade Twelfth Stage External Body and the Heavenly Path Entry Group "Great Nine".

That was all he knew.

He clearly remembered that there were twelve statues in the Celestial Palace, but after coming out of seclusion, they were all gone.

"Here."

Chen Qiu waved his hand, and twelve miniature statues floated in his palm.

Then, without further explanation, he waved his hand.

"Go and summarize the cultivation progress of the Mock Sky Sect disciples, and see what level they've reached after this small year of cultivation with so many resources."

"Understood."

Fat Dragon nodded heavily, then turned and ran off.

After Fat Dragon left,

Not far away, Ao Tian also walked over and stood by Chen Qiu's side, sensing the unconcealed fluctuations in Chen Qiu's cultivation. After a long silence, he said with a complex expression, "Brother, have you reached the peak of Refinement Void cultivation and are preparing to break through to the Body Fusion Stage?"

"Hmm?"

Chen Qiu nodded slightly and smiled casually, "How's your cultivation going, brother?"

"Still at the first level of Refinement Void, and I'm halfway to the second level."

Ao Tian's face was filled with desolation as he spoke. He had already tried his best to cultivate. To be honest, the Dragon Clan had a long lifespan and was naturally lazy. Very few dragons were as diligent as him.

After all, the Dragon Clan's cultivation would increase as they slept, just at a slower pace, but it was effortless. Most dragons preferred to sleep instead of cultivating. He was already considered very diligent among the Dragon Clan.

With the large top-grade Spirit Gathering Array, the Monster-Suppressing Tower, the Chickens and Dogs Ascend to Heaven domain, and various other boosts, his cultivation speed was already very fast.

Normally, it would take a dragon at least a dozen years to cultivate from the first level of Refinement Void to the second level, and that was with an abundance of resources. But Chen Qiu had only spent a small year, and his cultivation had reached halfway through the first level of Refinement Void. This speed was already very fast, and if he continued at this pace, in a year and a half at most, he would enter the second level of Refinement Void!

He had originally felt quite satisfied.

Upon exiting seclusion, Chen Qiu was contemplating his cultivation progress, thinking that if he maintained this pace, he would reach the peak of Refinement Void and prepare for the Body Fusion Stage within twenty years, becoming a powerful dragon.

However, upon sensing Chen Pingde's cultivation fluctuations, his initial joy instantly turned to dismay.

Before they entered seclusion together, Chen Pingde was also at the first level of Refinement Void, and by the time they emerged, he had yet to break through to the second level, while Chen Pingde had already reached the peak. The gap between them was almost suffocating.

"So slow?" Chen Qiu asked, surprised by Ao Tian's response. But he soon realized that he possessed the "Far-Reaching Reputation" entry, which granted him a slightly faster cultivation speed than ordinary cultivators.

"It's fine," Chen Qiu reassured him, noticing Ao Tian's dejected expression. "Back when we were on Dragon Island, your resources helped me a lot. Once I'm back on my feet, I won't forget you, brother."

Ao Tian remained silent for a while, his usual playful demeanor gone. "I can't call you my little brother anymore," he said, his voice heavy with emotion. "Really, I can't bring myself to say it. Brother Chen, I know your goal is the Upper Continent of the Vast Continent, and perhaps even further."

"I might not be able to accompany you all the way," Ao Tian continued. "I plan to lead our clan back to the main branch of the Dragon Clan in the Vast Continent after the State Continent Constraint disappears. My cultivation will never be able to keep up with yours. Staying by your side will only cause trouble and be of no help."

"We might have to part ways soon," Ao Tian added.

Chen Qiu shook his head and pointed to the nearby group of Mock Sky Sect disciples and the awakened Brown Bears. "It's normal for their cultivation to lag behind mine. For example, the Mock Sky Sect disciples will never catch up to me, but I still bring them along because, most of the time, I need someone to assist me."

"And there are also those Brown Bears," Chen Qiu continued. "I provided them with a top-grade Spirit Gathering Array and various methods to enhance their cultivation speed. But after entering winter, most of them fell into hibernation in the Celestial Palace, and now they're constipated and defecating in the backyard. These Brown Bears are only at the Golden Core stage, but I still keep them around."

"Brother, don't overthink it," Ao Tian said. "Those who follow me don't need to have high cultivation or combat power. The path to immortality is a lonely one, and having a few friends to talk to is a rare happiness. Besides, if you stay in the Vast Continent, your potential might be limited. But if you follow me, your future won't be capped at the Body Fusion Stage. Believe me, brother?"

"I believe you," Ao Tian replied.

After a brief pause, Ao Tian said, "But..."

"Don't just say 'but,'" Chen Qiu interrupted, patting Ao Tian's shoulder. "We can discuss this later. There's no rush."

Just then, Chen Qiu felt a jolt and sensed a dense concentration of heavenly power rapidly gathering. He looked up and saw dark clouds swiftly covering the sky above the Celestial Palace. From within the tribulation clouds, he felt an overwhelming aura.

To his surprise, it was not his Body Fusion Tribulation but his Refinement Void Tribulation. Logically, each minor breakthrough in Refinement Void required enduring a heavenly tribulation.

However, since his first minor breakthrough, Chen Qiu had not encountered any tribulations. This tribulation was a culmination of all the tribulations he should have faced for each minor breakthrough in Refinement Void. It seemed that even Heaven found it pointless to strike him with minor tribulations, as they would not kill him. Instead, Heaven had gathered all the tribulations together to strike with full force.

"Wow," Chen Qiu muttered, raising his eyebrows as he looked up. Amid the flickering lightning in the tribulation clouds, he also saw faint traces of heavenly fire. This was a combination of thunder, fire, and heart demon tribulations.

Without further delay, Chen Qiu quickly gave Ao Tian a few instructions and shot towards the horizon, ensuring that the tribulation did not engulf the Celestial Palace.

Protected by a large amount of virtue points, Chen Qiu believed that this tribulation should not pose a significant threat. However, sensing the increasingly intense pressure from the tribulation above, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. After all, there were also wind and fire tribulations, which were less powerful but more troublesome. Most defensive spirit treasures were designed to withstand thunder tribulations, and it was rare to find ones specifically for wind or fire tribulations. When faced with such tribulations, cultivators could only lament their bad luck and endure them with their physical bodies.

"Damn it!" Chen Qiu cursed.

At that moment, in the backyard of the Celestial Palace, the younger Brown Bear Clan Leader glared at his fellow clan members who were squatting in a line, defecating. "Such a great cultivation opportunity, and you're all sleeping! You can't even wake up! What are you trying to do?"

"Can't you have some ambition?" he added.

"There's nothing we can do," the older Brown Bear Clan Leader replied, squatting on all fours. "Hibernating in winter is in our nature. We just feel so sleepy, and there's no controlling it."

"Sleep my ass!" the younger Brown Bear Clan Leader retorted. "Do Brown Bears hibernate because they're sleepy? Isn't it because they can't hunt in winter and have to rely on their fat reserves to reduce energy consumption? Do you take me for a fool?"

"Maybe it was like that tens of thousands of years ago, but after so many generations, it's become a conditioned reflex. As soon as winter comes, we feel sleepy," the older Brown Bear Clan Leader explained, his face contorted. After hibernation, they always suffered from constipation, and it would take a couple of days to get things moving again. But it was undeniably comfortable to hibernate in a place with dense spiritual energy, feeling warm and secure.

At that moment, a terrifying heavenly pressure enveloped the entire world. Amid the raging storm, the older Brown Bear Clan Leader, still squatting, pointed towards the distant rolling thunder with his outstretched hand. Thousands of heavenly thunderbolts rained down like a cleansing flood, each carrying immense power, targeting the young man's silhouette in the air.

"Besides," the younger Brown Bear Clan Leader said, "do you think we can ever cultivate to that level, no matter how hard we try?"

"I think instead of cultivating, we should return to the small world earlier and loosen the soil around the Earth Pines and water the fruit trees," the older Brown Bear Clan Leader suggested.

The younger Brown Bear Clan Leader remained silent, his expression blank as he stood in the midst of the storm, gazing at the distant rolling thunder. After a long silence, he whispered, "Shut up. You just focus on defecating."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end