Translator: _Dark_Angel_ Editor: Kurisu

In truth, Ling Han, too, could try breaking through to the Spiritual Infant Tier, but he chose to delay it.

In his last life, he was only concerned with pursuing advancement through cultivation levels, but in this life, he naturally would not be so rash. Instead, he wanted to perfect his cultivation on every cultivation level before he chose to begin breaking through.

Anyways, he was still young, not even twenty years old yet, so there was no need for him to rush.

He wanted to form thirty flashes of Sword Qi and develop the Indestructible Heaven Scroll until the Diamond Tier before breaking through to the Spiritual Infant Tier. This way, when he raised his Spiritual Infant, it would be tempered by his Sword Ray and supported by the Indestructible Heaven Scroll, so it would be indestructible.

However, twenty-nine flashes of Sword Qi had been recognized as the ultimate limit since ancient times. Even Mysterious Three Thousand was only Three Thousand, and not Three Thousand and One, which showed how very difficult it was to breach this gap. Furthermore, it was also extremely difficult to form Body of Diamond. Ling Han had eaten so many natural treasures, but his body was like a bottomless pit; no matter how much he ate, there was no one instance that his body was filled to the brim.

Of course, one reason for that was also because he had cultivated the Nine Dragons Tyrant Art, so a lot of essence had been used up on the improvement and strengthening of his physique.

On Can Ye’s side, it was proceeding very smoothly. With the various alchemical pills and treasures that Ling Han provided, he had cultivated an image of himself as the spoilt young master of some hidden great clan, brandishing his various treasures and casually throwing them at others. He looked completely like an idiot who was practically inviting others to con him.

He befriended a True Disciple of the Heaven’s Sword Sect, and using various alchemical pills and precious ingredients to pave the way, he threw so much at the latter that he was extremely willing to declare Can Ye his brother. When Can Ye saw that it was about time, he threw out the secret of the ancient treasure map, and asked him to take out an ancient map so that they could make a comparison and retrieve the treasure together.

That True Disciple naturally agreed happily. Anyways, there were still over four months until the opening of the Academy, so there was completely enough time for him to make a return trip.

Now, the only thing left was to wait.

Another few days passed, and the Rain Emperor and Mu Rong Qing had returned.

They had been training all this time in the mountains, improving themselves through continuous battles with the most ferocious of beasts, and also earning some pocket money in the meantime. After all, Spiritual Infant Tier Demonic Beasts were extremely valuable as their blood, hide, flesh, and bones could all be sold for high prices.

However, now they handed all their gains over to Ling Han because only in his hands would they get the most out of these things.

Ling Han had never mistreated his own people before, and naturally gave without any reservations to these two sworn brothers of his. They could enjoy as they liked the food ingredients and various nutritious foods inside the Black Tower, as well as Spiritual Fluids. These were all extremely nutritious and nourishing items, and could rapidly speed up the accumulation of Origin Power.

For two geniuses like the Rain Emperor and Mu Rong Qing, comprehension of martial arts was nothing too difficult. On the other hand, it was the accumulation of Origin Power in which they had to make every step they took sturdy and solid as it was impossible for them to build a castle on empty air.

Thus, as the two of them increased their comprehension of cultivation in the midst of battles, accompanied with the use of Spiritual Fluid to increase the accumulation of their Origin Power, they improved very quickly, and at the rate they were going, they would be able to reach the peak of the Spiritual Infant Tier in two years at most.

This was something very scary.

Even such monsters like the Small Saber King and Lang Ya Tian had only seen hope of breaking through to the Deity Transformation Tier when they were close to their forties, so no matter how fast they were, they would only have reached the peak of the Spiritual Infant Tier after they were thirty years old.

The Rain Emperor was older in the first place, so he couldn’t be counted, but Mu Rong Qing was only twenty-five years old. This meant that he would be able to reach the peak of the Spiritual Infant Tier before he was thirty. If he was lucky, it would not be impossibly for him to break through to the Deity Transformation Tier by the time he was thirty years old.

One had to know that the Small Saber King and Lang Ya Tian had obtained the full support of ancient great sects to be able to surpass them in cultivation level; this was naturally a tremendously shocking feat.

There was nothing to be done. Ling Han was the Alchemy Emperor, and added with the fact that the Black Tower could speed up the growth of Spiritual Herbs, it would be strange if their progress was slow. How could such a godly treasure like the Black Tower be inferior to mere worldly existences like the Ultimate Saber Sect and the Heaven’s Sword Sect?

The Rain Emperor and Mu Rong Qing brought back two pieces of news; they were huge news that could stun the whole middle state, or even this whole world.

“About a month ago, the Thousand Corpse Sect bought the whole Million Treasures City,” the Rain Emperor said.

Pu, Ling Han instantly choked. They could do that?

“Neither the Spirit Treasures Pavilion nor the Alchemist Society lack wealth; how could they have possibly agreed to selling their base?” he asked in confusion. “What kind of price did the Thousand Corpse Sect offer that an ultimate Shattering Void Tier elite cultivator and two Heaven Grade alchemists had no way of refusing?”

If they had not dreaded coming up against these three, the Thousand Corpse Sect would not have lured them away the first time when they intended to attack the Million Treasures City by force and make it so that it would be too late for them to do anything afterwards. Precisely because they had not wanted to go into a head-on confrontation with these three had the Thousand Corpse Sect compromised and “bought” the Million Treasures City instead.

“The Thousand Corpse Sect definitely paid an astronomical price,” Mu Rong Qing said. “To be able to move the rich and imposing Spirit Treasures Pavilion and Alchemist Society, the Thousand Corpse Sect must have paid a great price. Furthermore, to move even an ultimate elite of the Shattering Void Tier and two Heaven Grade alchemists, I surmise that this price involved the secrets of becoming immortal, as well as Divine Pills, perhaps?”

Ling Han nodded. In these ten thousand years, aside from Jiang Yue Feng, whom he suspected to have entered the realm of immortals, he had not heard of anyone else rumored to have shattered the void and become an immortal. Even Jiang Yue Feng’s case was mere deduction on Ling Han’s part as there were no legends he had left behind.

Feng Po Yun had said as well that shattering the void now was possibly very dangerous, so he dared not break through immediately. Instead, he chose to further increase his cultivation, and wait until he had reached the ninth layer of the Shattering Void Tier before making any further moves.

For an ancient Great Sect like the Thousand Corpse Sect, their inheritance was definitely not inferior in any way to the likes of the Heaven’s Sword Sect. Thus, who knew? They might have got ahold of certain secrets regarding becoming an immortal, and it would be nothing strange if they possessed a few formulae for Divine Grade alchemical pills.

Whatever was the case, it was a fact that Million Treasures City had now fallen into the possession of the Thousand Corpse Sect.

“However, since the Thousand Corpse Sect has paid such an astronomical price, their motives… must definitely be even bigger!” Ling Han said slowly. Previously, he had already deduced that either there was a great number of Shattering Void Tier elite corpses buried in the Million Treasures City, or there might be some ultimate treasure there, which would make the Thousand Corpse Sect become even stronger than before.

“The five ancient great sects are very displeased with this matter, and have already decided to deploy troops to attack Million Treasures City. Their stand on this matter is extraordinarily firm,” the Rain Emperor said.

“From this standpoint, the five ancient great sects are really hot-blooded. This is practically unlike them!” Ling Han shook his head, confusion all over his face.

It wasn’t that there had never been unrest in history, but it was a rare case that the five ancient Great Sects would make a move. Only when the Thousand Corpse Sect appeared would they become very proactive as if they had some great enmity with the former.

“The five ancient great sects battling against the Thousand Corpse Sect, this is indeed a big issue. If not handled properly, it may implicate and cause turmoil in the whole world,” Ling Han said after some thought. He could not help but sigh. He was currently growing, and his greatest hope was for an environment in which he could cultivate quietly. He definitely did not want to witness a great war happen.

“The Thousand Corpse Sect actually dared to appear in public in such a grand manner; I’m afraid that they must be very confident to do that,” the Rain Emperor said.

Ling Han nodded. With the Thousand Corpse Sect making such a public comeback, it was obvious that they had made preparations for all sorts of scenarios. If they were to be easily destroyed by the five ancient great sects, that would be too much of a joke.

“What’s the situation now?” he asked.

“The five ancient great sects are currently gathering their troops, and have even issued a request for reinforcements to the whole world in order to destroy the Thousand Corpse Sect together,” the Rain Emperor said. “However, it’s very far from us, so the news took some time to get here. Therefore, it’s uncertain whether they have begun the battle or are still preparing.”