CHAPTER 201: CHAPTER 201: ULTIMATE REALM, OLD CURED MEAT!

At night, the starry sky was like a painting.

On the rooftop deep within Purple Cloud Academy, two figures sat cross-legged across from each other: Qin Chuan and the Purple Cloud Palace Master.

A gentle breeze came, the water was calm, they drank wine while gazing at the moon, reciting poetry to the bright moon, singing verses of elegance...

After a long time, Qin Chuan shook his head self-deprecatingly and said with a smile, "Thousands of years have passed. The world has seen its ups and downs, constantly changing, and new techniques have emerged. It seems we old folks are becoming obsolete..."

"Why belittle yourself, senior?"

The Purple Cloud Palace Master shook his head and said with a smile, "If it weren’t for your bloody battles back then, securing the Forbidden Divine Mountain from beyond the heavens, how would the Nine Heavens Continent enjoy today’s prosperity and splendor?"

"Heh heh..."

Qin Chuan chuckled again and then fell into silence.

It seemed that his complex emotions needed to be calmed through silence.

And the Purple Cloud Palace Master didn’t speak either.

He could understand Qin Chuan’s feelings—or at least, he thought he could understand.

In his view, Qin Chuan must have been a proud and resilient Martial Emperor type of figure.

A life led with strength, yielding to no one!

But after dying in battle and barely surviving to return, he found the world had changed, the entire world had risen, not only had the Human Race collectively improved, but even the cultivation system had evolved!

And those who were once on par with him might have already reached much higher realms, leaving him far behind...

He had a spirit and pride not weaker than others, yet he had to face the harsh reality of falling behind.

How cruel is that?

After a long time, Qin Chuan, with a hint of loneliness on his face, hoarsely said, "Can you tell me about the new techniques?"

"Of course."

The Purple Cloud Palace Master smiled gently and began to speak in detail.

"The new techniques are actually insights that the top Human Race experts gleaned from the Forbidden Divine Mountain."

"Initially, it was the Dragon-Catching Martial Emperor who noticed traces, and later, the Sun-Devouring Emperor also found some clues. More and more novel things were discovered with the devoted research of the Human Race."

"These things were fragmented, but after thousands of years of research and integration by numerous Human Race Martial Emperors, they finally formed a system."

"In general, there are traces of a higher cultivation system in the Forbidden Divine Mountain. We suspect it comes from the legendary Upper Realm, but these traces are very incomplete and seem to contradict the world rules here, making them unsuitable for our cultivation."

"Therefore, according to the characteristics of this world, our Human Race predecessors improved that which was suitable for us into new techniques!"

The Purple Cloud Palace Master smiled mysteriously, saying, "In fact, below the Martial Emperor realm, there’s not much difference between the new and old techniques. The real difference is... the new techniques can surpass the Martial Emperor!"

"What?!"

Qin Chuan cooperatively showed a look of shock.

The Purple Cloud Palace Master enjoyed Qin Chuan’s reaction, his face even more radiant, the arc of his mouth even larger.

"Yes, the new techniques can surpass the Martial Emperor."

"Originally, the limit of our world was the Martial Emperor realm; this was the highest realm allowed by the world rules."

"But the new techniques ingeniously found a way, bypassing the barriers of world rules, allowing us to forcefully add a new great realm—the Extreme Realm!"

"Put simply, it’s like a completed house, with walls thinned from inside the room, making the internal space larger."

Qin Chuan asked, "Aren’t you afraid the house would collapse?"

"Hmm, I used to worry about that, too, and then my mentor told me it was unfounded."

The Purple Cloud Palace Master said with a smile, "Our world is far more powerful than we imagine. What little destruction we can do is just it indulging us, like a mother indulges her child... If it doesn’t allow it, we can’t do anything."

"My mentor once said that if the world rules don’t allow it, it will suppress human strength; even a Martial Emperor will be as weak as an ordinary person, unable to fly, and gasping just from running..."

"Who is your mentor?"

Qin Chuan suddenly became curious; someone who speaks like that mustn’t be a simple person.

At least a wise one.

The Purple Cloud Palace Master showed admiration on his face and said, "My master doesn’t like revealing names, and calls himself... the East Land Layman."

East Land Layman!

Qin Chuan gasped; for some reason, he felt a significant karmic connection with this name.

He thought about it and asked, "Before the Martial Emperor realm, are the new techniques really no different from the old ones?"

"Not much difference, perhaps some strange and mysterious methods, but little difference in combat strength."

The Purple Cloud Palace Master confirmed.

Now, Qin Chuan was completely relieved; as long as there was little difference in combat strength, his "invincible in the same realm" remained effective.

He knew well that any invincibility is relative; his invincibility was a brute-force crush, but if others’ skills were too strong, reaching the level of using minimal strength to achieve great effect, he might not be invincible.

"I’ve asked all I wanted to, sorry to disturb you."

Qin Chuan stood up, courteously saying.

"Don’t you want to ask for two scrolls of new techniques to have a look?"

The Purple Cloud Palace Master suggested with a smile.

"No need."

Qin Chuan shook his head with a smile and then disappeared into the darkness.

No reward without achievements!

There was no personal relationship, and people had already helped him with his doubts, which was kind enough, so why take their things?

He could steal, could rob, because those would be obtained by his skills, but he would never... accept charity.

Dignity is something.

It may be spoken of as worthless, and hidden under all sorts of humor, but ultimately, it cannot be lost.

The Purple Cloud Palace Master watched Qin Chuan’s graceful retreating figure, unwittingly showing a look of admiration on his face.

"As expected of a senior figure, such pride and demeanor, I truly am inferior..."

Soon, Qin Chuan returned to his residence.

This was a luxurious palace.

Purple Cloud Academy was vast, encompassing endless mountains, with pavilions, towers, and palaces in abundance, naturally not short of one for him.

"Dad!"

Qin Zi ran over and said, "Dad, just now, an Elder came to find me, one I hadn’t seen during the day. Seems to be from the Lu Family, one of the top ten families in the Purple Cloud Domain."

"What did they want with you?"

Qin Chuan asked.

"Well, rumor has it... the former Academy Elder from the Lu Family went to Shattered Star Academy to block the gate with a prodigy ten years ago, and something happened—the Elder was killed by a Demon Race expert from Shattered Star Academy, and pickled into jerky..."

Qin Zi struggled to hold back laughter, saying:

"That old jerky is still hanging outside Shattered Star Academy’s main gate. The Lu family feels it’s a shame and hopes I can go to Shattered Star Academy, confront the Demon Race of the same realm, and claim back that old jerky."

Qin Chuan was stunned and then asked, "Did you agree?"

"Not yet, I found that Elder a bit arrogant, that superior attitude made me a bit uncomfortable."

Qin Zi paused, then smiled fawningly and said, "Of course, the most important thing is... I should ask for your opinion first!"

(Gathering opinions!)