CHAPTER 355: CHAPTER 22: FAREWELL TO THE ELDEST APPRENTICE BROTHER

「Seven days later」

Wudao Tian and Changsun Yunming, after many detours, finally arrived at the Purple Butterfly Domain.

"Who goes there? Stop right there!"

Two Asuras, fierce-looking and wielding long spears, appeared before the Flying Boat.

Changsun Yunming was about to step forward and explain their origins when, SWISH, Wudao Tian made his move. Transformed into a small giant, Wudao Tian found dealing with two True Immortal Asuras quite easy. He grabbed one Asura by the neck, his face engorged with blood, and demanded, "Where is my junior brother?"

"COUGH, COUGH. What junior brother are you talking about? You dare to invade the territory of the Asura Clan!"

No sooner had he spoken than the Asuras above, sensing the commotion, soared into the sky. Thousands of figures soon surrounded the Flying Boat, the leading few radiating the aura of Golden Immortals, followed by nearly a hundred Heavenly Immortals.

Changsun Yunming touched the cold sweat on his forehead and forced a smile. "Everyone, this is a misunderstanding. We’re just here to find someone."

"I don’t care who you’re looking for! You dared to attack our people! Take this!"

After a brutal and inhumane beating, the leading Golden Immortal, Luo Ze, waved his hand and declared, "Take these two from the Human Clan to the Divine Son! This achievement is mine, Luo Ze’s!"

Hearing this, Luo Zhen, another Golden Immortal beside him, instantly bristled. "Luo Ze, you’re becoming more shameless by the minute! Was this achievement yours alone?"

"Why not? I was the first to arrive! The credit is mine!"

Arguing heatedly, the two soon began fighting each other.

「Purple Great Hall」

Chen Jiuge looked at the documents Ziyi brought, a hint of hesitation on his face. Beyond the territories of those Loose Cultivators, the lands further out were primarily controlled by affiliates of major clans, all possessing significant strength.

Luo Wencheng, seeing Chen Jiuge’s indecision, reminded him, "Divine Son, you can attack whichever territory you wish. Domains in the Star Sea Realm are constantly being fought over and seized."

Hearing this, Chen Jiuge hesitated no longer. "Then let it be this one."

"Divine Son! Divine Son! This is a gift from Lord Luo Ze!"

"What Lord Luo Ze? It was clearly Lord Luo Zhen!"

"Nonsense! Lord Luo Han also had a part in it!"

Ignoring the three quarreling Asuras, Chen Jiuge put down the documents and stepped down from the dais. After carefully looking at the two cultivators whose faces were swollen like pigs’ heads, a puzzled expression crossed his face. "Senior Brother?"

"MMPH! MMPH! MMPH!" Wudao Tian, his mouth covered, nodded excitedly.

Chen Jiuge immediately freed the two. "The other must be Changsun Yunming, Elder Changsun, right?"

Using Mana to dispel the bruises on their faces, the two finally restored their original appearances.

Wudao Tian immediately grabbed Chen Jiuge, intending to flee, but Changsun Yunming held him back.

"What are you doing? We’ve found him! Why aren’t we running?" Wudao Tian asked anxiously.

"Why run when a Daluo is here?" Changsun Yunming gestured towards Luo Wencheng with his chin and continued, "Besides, didn’t you notice that your Junior Brother Chen holds the highest position here?"

Calming down, Wudao Tian took a good look. Indeed, it was so.

"Junior brother, when did you become so formidable?"

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Chen Jiuge turned to Luo Wencheng. "Brother Cheng, I have some personal matters to attend to. Let’s put the matter of conquest targets on hold for a few days."

"Alright. You’re the Divine Son; you decide."

Luo Wencheng and Luo Zhenhai then left the great hall.

Once there were no outsiders, Wudao Tian asked, somewhat confused, "Junior brother, what’s this situation you’re in now?"

Taking out a jug of Spiritual Wine, Chen Jiuge poured some for the two and said with a wry smile, "It’s a bit complicated. Let me explain."

「After a long while」

Wudao Tian said with some envy, "This truly is a heaven-sent miraculous fortune!"

Changsun Yunming, however, frowned slightly. "So, are you now considered an Asura or a member of the Human Clan?"

Hearing this, Chen Jiuge demonstrated a change in his Bloodline.

Seeing Chen Jiuge switch his Bloodline effortlessly, Changsun Yunming was speechless. What kind of situation is this?

"Elder, I am a disciple of Hundred Herbs Peak! You must find a way to help me!" Chen Jiuge implored.

"Let me think... let me think." Changsun Yunming paced back and forth in the great hall, his mind racing, until he finally identified a loophole. "Jiuge, you mentioned earlier that the Great Leader of the Asura Clan knows you’re from the Human Clan, and he said that as long as you don’t appear in your human form at Asura Clan occasions, it would be fine, right?"

"Yes, the Great Leader is quite reasonable."

"Then it’s simple." Changsun Yunming revealed a slight smile. "Listen, our Heavenly Realm Sect established a presence in the Star Sea Realm some time ago. We’ve been relying on merchant caravans to explore, as we’re not very familiar with the environment and powers of the Star Sea Realm. It wasn’t yet time for us to formally reveal ourselves, but a major event recently occurred in the Star Sea Realm, forcing us to emerge earlier than planned. The Asura Clan is one of the powerful clans in the Star Sea Realm. With your connection, Chen Jiuge, we should be able to ally with them and occupy more territory. By then, we’ll be allies, and your problem, Jiuge, can also be temporarily resolved," Changsun Yunming stated confidently.

"Temporarily?" Chen Jiuge sounded somewhat dissatisfied.

"Junior brother, you’re overthinking it. Cultivators are like that. Let me tell you a secret: the Senior Brother of the Core Disciples is in a situation similar to yours, though his is slightly worse. While he was traveling in the Star Sea Realm, the direct heiress of a large clan took a liking to him and directly captured him to marry into her clan," Wudao Tian whispered mysteriously.

"HISS... Really?" Chen Jiuge’s eyes widened. That’s some juicy gossip!

"COUGH, COUGH! Don’t talk nonsense! Is this something you can just blabber about?" Changsun Yunming voiced his dissatisfaction. Wudao Tian is such a loudmouth. That person is a key figure in the Sect’s future plans.

"Let’s follow Elder Changsun’s idea for now. However, communication with the Sect will have to rely on you," Chen Jiuge said. "Please inform my Senior Sister and Master that I am safe. Also, if you can find my Spiritual Beast, it would be great if you could send it over too," he added, sounding somewhat helpless.

"That won’t be a problem, but sending it over will be somewhat challenging. The space in this Star Sea Realm is somewhat chaotic. Each teleportation consumes a great deal of resources, and accidents are common. Traveling by Flying Boat would take a very long time, and we might encounter Chaos Giant Beasts. However, I will do my best to clearly communicate your requests to the Sect," Changsun Yunming explained.

"Alright then."

In the end, Changsun Yunming left alone, mumbling as he departed, "Ah, people these days... making an old fellow like me run around like this."

Wudao Tian released Mo Yang to find Mo Yu. Then, he took out a large jar of wine and sighed, "In the blink of an eye, Junior Brother Chen, you’ve become the Divine Son of the Asura Clan. You’re much stronger than your Senior Brother now."

Chen Jiuge shook his head. "Senior Brother, you’re being too distant by saying that."

The two drank and discussed recent changes, and any awkwardness from their long separation completely vanished.

The discussion proceeded smoothly. The next day, Chen Jiuge convened another meeting.

Looking down at Luo Wencheng, Ziyi, and the Twelve Golden Immortals, Chen Jiuge asked directly, "Luo Zhenhai, has that member of the Shadow Clan you captured yesterday spoken yet?"

Luo Zhenhai shook his head. "He’s too tight-lipped. He hasn’t spoken yet."

"Then forget about him. The Shadow Clan’s territory isn’t far from us. We’ll target them directly. Their strength isn’t formidable; we can easily conquer them and also observe the Netherworld King Clan’s reaction. Brother Cheng, there’s a strong probability—nine out of ten—that the Shadow Clan has a Daluo Immortal Golden Immortal. This time, you’ll need to accompany us. We’ll set out in seven days. Ziyi, during these seven days, have your people prepare as many supplies—Healing Pills, Magic Artifacts, and so on—as possible. I will compensate you later. Everyone, we cannot lose this first battle!"

The Asuras below responded in unison: "We vow to seize victory for the Divine Son!"

Wudao Tian, watching Chen Jiuge’s seamless and decisive actions from behind, was quite impressed. I didn’t expect Junior Brother to be so commanding.

Chen Jiuge waved his hand, a little embarrassed. "I’m merely relying on my status as the Divine Son."

Wudao Tian’s expression suddenly turned serious. "Junior Brother, you’re being too modest. So what if you’re relying on the status of Divine Son? Being able to obtain that status is, in itself, a symbol of your strength. The path of Cultivation is unpredictable. No one knows what will happen, but everyone aspires to stand at the very peak. As long as you become the strongest, there’s nothing that cannot be reversed. If that’s not enough, then continue to cultivate. One day, even time itself will be but a toy in your hands."

Chen Jiuge bowed in response. "I have been taught a valuable lesson."

"Alright, Junior Brother, don’t be so serious. I have some good news for you. My Master knows about your situation. He discussed it with the old ancestors, and they’ve decided to ally with you. With additional help from other factions, it will be enough for the Myriad Beasts Sect to break away from the Heavenly Realm Sect and establish itself as an independent Sect."

"Break away from the Heavenly Realm Sect?" Chen Jiuge frowned.

"Once we’re strong enough, of course, we should break away! You don’t know about the incessant infighting within the Heavenly Realm Sect; it’s an absolute mess. If it weren’t for the major powers in the Star Sea Realm being so formidable that we had to band together for survival, it would have disbanded long ago," Wudao Tian said, shaking his head. "Junior Brother, you will be very important in what comes next. Oh, and your Spiritual Beasts have been found; they will also be brought over this time."

「Seven days later」

The Twelve Golden Immortals, each leading their respective subordinates, looked up at Chen Jiuge on the Commander’s Platform, their faces filled with battle intent.

Experiencing this kind of atmosphere for the first time, Chen Jiuge felt his own spirit surge and shouted, "Depart!"

He then rode Tian Que, who had transformed into a nine-tailed tiger, taking the lead at the head of the army.

This feeling really isn’t bad at all, Chen Jiuge muttered to himself.

Tian Que, still not quite used to it, said, "I don’t feel so great about this."

Chen Jiuge stuffed a piece of high-quality beast meat into Tian Que’s mouth and asked with a smile, "How about now? Are you used to it?"

Smacking its lips, Tian Que said, somewhat gleefully, "If I had a few more pieces, I think I’d get used to it."

"You glutton! Look how fat you’ve become. None of the other Lu Wu are like you; you’ve turned into a ball!" Though Chen Jiuge spoke with disdain, he still stuffed several more pieces of beast meat into its mouth.

The Shadow Clan’s ancestral land was still some distance from the Purple Butterfly Domain. Especially with the entire army moving together, they had to accommodate the marching speed of the True Immortals. They couldn’t have the True Immortals arrive at the battlefield only to collapse from Mana exhaustion before the fighting even began.

「Shadow Clan Ancestral Land」

The current Clan Leader of the Shadow Clan bowed towards the reclusive old ancestor in the back mountains. "The survival of our clan is at stake. We implore the old ancestor to lend us his aid!"

"Sigh... why not leave this area? Our Shadow Clan isn’t so weak that we can’t find another place to inhabit."

"The younger generation wishes to fight for the clan’s future! If we remain confined to such a remote place, we will eventually become prey for others. The Netherworld King Clan promised me that if we can kill this new Asura Divine Son, we will be granted a superior resource-rich land, located right in the central region of their territory!"

"Very well, very well... The two of us will give it a try. Have the Fire Seeds of our clan been sent away?"

"I have already arranged for the Vice-Clan Leader to evacuate the talented members of our younger generation in advance. The Shadow Clan will not perish!"

"Then so be it. I, too, am quite curious about the strength of these Asuras."

As his words fell, two pillars of dark light shot into the sky.

Luo Wencheng, who had been at ease, sensed the two challenging auras, a hint of surprise on his face. They dare to challenge me instead of fleeing? After quickly sending a message to Chen Jiuge, Luo Wencheng’s face revealed a bloodthirsty expression. A colossal, red Asura phantom rose from his body, enveloping him as he soared towards the black pillars of light.

The collision of the red Asura phantom with the two black pillars produced a deafening roar.

The battle between Daluo Immortal Golden Immortals had begun ahead of schedule.

"Maintain combat readiness and increase our speed of advance!" Chen Jiuge ordered, feeling the intense pressure emanating from high above, which ignited the fighting spirit in his heart.

The Asuras, their eyes bloodshot, roared with battle intent, "CHARGE! CHARGE! CHARGE!"

The Asura army, as if injected with adrenaline, surged rapidly towards the Shadow Clan’s ancestral land.

Wudao Tian remarked with curiosity, Why does it feel like Junior Brother has become a different person? Could it be because he’s been with the Asuras for too long? Although somewhat puzzled, Wudao Tian found he quite liked this feeling. Shaking off the thoughts in his mind, he roared and energetically followed the troops.