CHAPTER 138: CHAPTER 137: GREAT THOUSAND WORLDS (5K)_2

"Wen Ruo?" The one calling out was a delicate-looking young man.

"Jin Xiao? Did they actually agree to let you out?" Wen Ruo obviously recognized the youth.

On the side, Chen Jiuge, upon hearing Senior Sister Wen’s words, immediately became curious about the young man. What did that mean—could it be that this youth was incredibly precious? Wasn’t the current summons semi-compulsory?

Jin Xiao responded in a cold voice, "I wanted to go of my own accord, and Master agreed as well."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, it was soon Chen Jiuge’s group of three’s turn.

The Transmission Array before them was larger in scale, with even more complex runes adorning it. Most importantly, it was a random Transmission Array. To be precise, it randomly transported people to one of the many Transmission Arrays established across the Great Thousand Worlds by various Heavenly Immortals.

A flash of light passed, and as Chen Jiuge opened his eyes, he saw Wen Ruo standing beside him. Thank goodness, Senior Sister Wen is with me. If we had been separated, it would have been quite troublesome.

"Junior Brother, let’s go see which Heavenly Immortal is in charge here."

"This is Eldest Senior Brother’s territory," Jin Xiao said, striding forward with his arms crossed over his chest.

「...」

Outside the Transmission Array hall, a True Immortal elder was seated cross-legged in mid-air. After all the Direct Disciples emerged, he opened his eyes. With a kind expression, he said to Wen Ruo and the other Direct Disciples who had already become True Immortals, "Direct Disciples who are True Immortals, come directly to me. You have different arrangements."

Besides Senior Sister Wen Ruo, there were seven or eight other Direct Disciples at the True Immortal Realm. This was a high proportion, considering there were nearly a hundred Direct Disciples gathered here. The ratio was as high as one in ten, which was terrifying.

Chen Jiuge inwardly gasped. Wait. To have the status of a Direct Disciple, one’s master has to be at least of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. Just looking at this gathering, one can surmise there are dozens of Heavenly Immortals. He felt a headache coming on; that calculation made Heavenly Immortals seem not so rare after all.

"As for the rest of you," the elder waved his hand dismissively, "the instructions from above are for you to gain experience, so choose your missions on your own. This Immortal City is a stronghold of our Myriad Beasts Sect; feel free to do as you please."

As second-generation members of the Immortal Sect, many Direct Disciples, despite some being formidable, were largely inexperienced ’greenhorns’ prone to mishaps. This arrangement was, in a sense, an opportunity for them to make their own choices and learn.

The Direct Disciples left behind were all bewildered. Isn’t this too casual? Are we really that insignificant?

"I knew I’d be looked down upon for coming here. Dad really messed up this time. It’s not like our family is lacking these few resources, yet he insisted I come."

Hearing this, Chen Jiuge glanced over and saw a plump little fellow grumbling unhappily, his small face so wrinkled it resembled a steamed bun.

When the chubby boy noticed Chen Jiuge looking at him, he quickly trotted over and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother. I am Jin Yuanbao. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

"Jin... Jin Yuanbao?" Chen Jiuge was struck by the name.

"Ah, cousin." Jin Yuanbao then noticed Jin Xiao beside Chen Jiuge, and his face scrunched up even more.

"Yuanbao? You’re here too. Indeed, you do need some real-world experience. Still at the Returning to Void Realm—how embarrassing!" Jin Xiao looked quite disdainful of Jin Yuanbao.

Watching Jin Xiao leave on his own after saying his piece, Chen Jiuge was puzzled. Aren’t they clansmen? Surely he should at least stick with his cousin.

Seeing Chen Jiuge’s confused expression, Jin Yuanbao said with a look that suggested this was routine, "Hey, that’s just how my cousin is; no need to mind him. He may have an icy exterior, but he’s really warm-hearted inside, just not great at expressing himself."

"I’m Chen Jiuge."

"Senior Brother Chen, do you have a place to stay around here? If not, how about joining me?" Jin Yuanbao invited enthusiastically.

"No need, I’ll find a place myself," Chen Jiuge declined, shaking his head.

"Ah, Senior Brother Chen, what kind of place are you looking for? My Jin Family also has a trading caravan here, so finding a cave mansion is very convenient," Jin Yuanbao said, patting his belly.

Don’t people usually pat their chests? This Jin Yuanbao... Chen Jiuge felt he had truly learned something new today.

「.....」

In the end, with Jin Yuanbao’s help, Chen Jiuge successfully found a cave mansion with a small Secret Realm inside. Although the realm wasn’t remarkable and the Spiritual Energy wasn’t particularly dense, it was still quite good. At least Chen Jiuge could begin cultivating Spiritual Beasts now.

As he released the Spiritual Beasts from the Beast Taming Bag, Da Bai adjusted his sunglasses and said with disdain, "The Spiritual Energy here is so weak, and this Secret Realm is so small."

"Why are you chattering so much? Hurry up and get to Alchemy!" Yue Meng said, slapping Da Bai on the forehead.

"It is indeed a bit small. Master, if you want to raise Spiritual Beasts here, there might not be space for many," Black Eye said, squinting as he estimated how many Spiritual Beasts the area could accommodate.

"Alright, alright, stop your complaining. Pick a spot for yourselves; the remaining space will be for other Spiritual Beasts," Chen Jiuge interjected, cutting off his Spiritual Beasts’ griping. It’s not like this is the Eden Garden. If it weren’t for Jin Yuanbao, I would have struggled to find a cave mansion with even a small Secret Realm.

It wasn’t long before Jin Yuanbao showed up again.

"Senior Brother Chen, what do you plan on doing next?" Jin Yuanbao asked with an expectant look.

"Aren’t we supposed to go to the City Lord Mansion to accept missions?" Chen Jiuge asked, puzzled. This little fatty certainly isn’t shy.

"Not exactly, not exactly," Jin Yuanbao shook his head, his hands clasped behind his back. "To be precise, the region our Eldest Senior Brother oversees is a bit different."

"Our Eldest Senior Brother and the Demon Clan from the opposing side have jointly established Hunting Grounds. There are four in total: one for cultivators below the Nascent Soul Realm, and then one each for Divinity Transformation, Returning to Void, and Mahayana cultivators. Almost all the missions available at the City Lord Mansion involve fighting in these Hunting Grounds. I feel it’s too dangerous."

Seeing Jin Yuanbao shrink his neck, the image of a timid turtle hiding amongst the plants in Eden Garden inexplicably surfaced in Chen Jiuge’s mind.

"So our mission is to go to the Hunting Grounds and hunt members of the Demon Clan?" Chen Jiuge frowned. That won’t do. How would I manage as a Spiritual Beast merchant then? If I truly don’t complete a single mission, wouldn’t that be too embarrassing for Master?