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nThe old Daoist showed a faint, kind smile.

nHe did not accept Jiang He’s offer immediately, and instead questioned him in return.

n“I’m not bothered to do anything that wouldn’t benefit me.”

nJiang He grinned. “My item refinement and pellet refinement skills are self-made and quite unique. I could rapidly develop my abilities in both fields if I am allowed to refine loads of such treasures.”

n“That is good.”

nThe Daoist of Guidance said, and turned towards Puti Zushi and said, “Puti, send word to the disciples at the treasure vault to bring out all the medicinal pellets and mystic treasures stored.”

nThen, turning towards Jiang He again, he asked, “Would you be able to improve all medicinal pellets and mystic treasures provided?”

n“My career in item refinement has been brief and I’m therefore not very accomplished in that discipline. That’s why I could even upgrade superior-grade acquired soul treasures to premium-grade acquired soul treasures at best, and unable to upgrade acquired soul treasures to innate soul treasures, let alone innate soul treasures,” Jiang He replied, mixing reality with fiction.

nHis refinement technique was all nonsense, since all he would do is bring them home, plant them, and have a nap… wasting a pack of Living Soil of the Nine Heavens was all it takes, at most.

nEach of those costs three million Farm Points, and even inferior-grade immortal items would earn Jiang He ten million Farm Points, securing him a profit of seven million Farm Points.

nOn the other hand, the Daoist of Guidance was stumped.

nThat was supposed to be ‘not very accomplished’?

nInnate soul treasures were born from nature itself, whereas premium-grade acquired soul treasures were the ultimate pursuit of item refinists…

nBeing a Saint who usually spent his time in cultivation and secluded meditation, the Daoist of Guidance clearly was not familiar with the term ‘humblebragging’.

nAs such, he simply smiled, “You’re being too humble, Brother Jiang He.”

nHe then offered Jiang He an invitation to join the Western Sect, saying, “If you’re willing to join us, Brother Jiang He, you shall be our sect’s third patriarch. With that, I’ll be representing you to mediate the grudge between you and Lord Swelling Sky.”

nJiang He refused with a smile. “Thank you for your concern, Great Saint, but I will resolve my differences against Lord Swelling Sky on my own.”

nThe Daoist of Guidance appeared to find that a pity, but he did not insist on his request either.

nAround six hours later, Puti Zushi rushed toward them.

nTaking out several Spatial Rings, he said, “Master, all the medicinal pellets and mystic treasures in the treasure vault have been taken out.”

n“There is a total of 2.3 million inferior-grade immortal items, 1.1 million mediocre-grade immortal items, four hundred and sixty thousand superior-grade immortal items, forty-thousand premium-grade immortal items, along with sixty-eight acquired soul treasures.”

n“There are also 3.8 million immortal pellets of grade three, four and five, a hundred and twenty thousand rank-six immortal pellets, nine thousand and eight hundred rank-seven immortal pellets, eighty-eight rank-eight immortal pellets and six rank-nine immortal pellets.”

nA huge gap existed between immortal pellets between those higher and lower than rank-six, and it was obvious from the number of pellets that the Western Sect gave Jiang He.

n“How powerful is the Western Sect actually?”

nJiang He mused to himself after hearing him list those numbers. “I could completely cultivate the Fist of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and learn two or three words of the Esoteric Nine.”

nHe kept impassive even if he was discreetly delighted. Accepting the Spatial Rings, he flatly said, “Please come to Biyou Palace of the Jie Sect in half a month to receive the refined medicinal pellets and mystic treasures.”

n“Sorry for the trouble, Brother Jiang He.”

nAfter the Daoist of Guidance’s offer, Jiang He offered a fist-palm salute in parting before Puti Zushi escorted him out of Spirit Mountain.

nAfter he left, Jiang He promptly vanished by casting teleport. It left Puti Zushi doing a double-take, exclaiming in surprise, “Such a profound spatial shift technique… I didn’t sense any spatial ripples.”

nHe returned to the Spirit Mountain, sought out the Daoist of Guidance, and asked in confusion, “Master, those medicinal pellets and mystic treasures are everything we have in our treasure vault. I’ve even done as you instructed in secret, and asked every sect disciple to offer the mystic treasures they would use.”

n“You’ve done well.”

nThe Daoist of Guidance smiled. “Perhaps you’re trying to ask, ‘What if Jiang He doesn’t return the mystic treasures’?”

nPuti Zushi did not answer, but it was clearly what he meant to say.

nMoreover, the Western Sect had been getting plenty of information recently regarding Jiang He.

nIn less than ten years of cultivation, Jiang He had been acknowledged Puti Zushi’s own master as being peerless barring the Saints. His profound skills at refining items and pellets were also absolutely illogical!

n“Don’t worry, my disciple.”

n“The Celestial Court, the Jie Sect, and the Chan Sect have all benefited from Jiang He’s refinement technique, and even the disciples of those three sects have had their mystic treasures upgraded by one level. Now, the Spirit Mountain shall have its turn.”

nWhoosh!

nThe Daoist of Guidance waved his hand and took out a stone pearl then, saying, “I condensed this pearl from the primordial qi out of a small, dead world which I extracted from the depths of chaos. It’s a premium-grade innate soul treasure.”

n“Go to the Jie Sect personally in ten days. This pearl—the Yellow World Pearl—will be Jiang He’s reward.”

nPuti Zushi took the Yellow World Pearl before leaving reverently.

nAfter he was gone, there was a flash in the air and the Daoist of Tranquility appeared beside the mountain spring, asking in confusion, “Brother, Jiang He is connected to our sect by faith. Why don’t we convert him directly?”

nThe ‘conversion’ at the Western Sect could actually be considered a form of enslavement. Those who went through that process would mysteriously feel a sense of positivity and belonging to Spirit Mountain, and the Western Sect just need to offer a little guidance to subjugate them to their own ends.

nNonetheless, the Daoist of Guidance shot a side glance at the Lesser Saint and said, “Even our eldest senior brother holds Jiang He in such high regard. Aren’t you afraid that everyone else would destroy Spirit Mountain if we dared to convert him?

n***

nAt the God Realm…

nThe Gods’ recent strings of defeats had left their ranked leaders in low morale…

nOn the other hand, the lower-ranked individuals of their race were too weak in cultivation, and so a war of this level was far beyond their paycheck.

nUp in the skies of their homeworld, a towering Demonic Qi arrived.

nThe Demons’ Patriarch once again came to visit the God Realm.

nThe Gods and Demons’ patriarchs met, and quickly put together a series of plan for their counterattack.

nNow, they would win against the Three Realms when it came to Grand Luo and Demi-Saints. However, when it came to Heavenly Immortals, Golden Immortals and True Immortals…

nThem and their vassals had so many immortals that they outnumbered what the Three Realms had by three times.

n“Neither of our races can win when it comes to Grand Luo and Demi-Saints… which is why we must fight hard when it comes to battles amongst Heavenly Immortals, Golden Immortals and True Immortals!”

n“If we really withdraw our forces and cease struggling, we would never win against the Three Realms after dozens of thousand years.”

nThe war between races was waged over resources and destiny.

nAs such, the many races fought over the Secret Realms in the Celestial Battlefield. If the Gods and Demons conceded those, the Three Realms would grow in power on their own.

nWhen that happens, the Three Realms would gain Grand Luo and Demi-Saints, where the elite Gods and Demons would develop a stark inequality between tiers.

nOn that day, various orders were issued by the Gods and Demons.

nSoon, the Heavenly Immortals, Golden Immortals and True Immortals of those two races along with their vassal races all charged into the Celestial Battlefield, pouring into the battlegrounds for their respective tiers.

nThe situation of the Celestial Battlefield became agitated all at once.

nThe Jade Emperor quickly dispatched all Heavenly Immortals, Golden Immortals, and True Immortals of the Three Realms to the Celestial Battlefield in response.

nAnd yet, the Gods and Demons did not expect that. Despite their wild assault, the Three Realms were not at a disadvantage. In fact, they were fighting harder, and after several major battles, the Gods and Demons suffered losses of a five to one ratio.

n“We have three times the number of Heavenly Immortals, Golden Immortals, and True Immortals compared to the Three Realms! If this continues, we would be losing the battlegrounds for the immortals as well in centuries!”

nThe Gods’ and Demons’ patriarchs were shaking with rage, and they ordered the elites of various races to scout the situation.

nSoon, they received a reply… that the Heavenly Immortals, Golden Immortals, and True Immortals of the Three Realms were winning because of their advantage in weapons, medicinal pellets, and other supplies.

nThe Heavenly Immortals troops all wielded True Immortal-tier medicinal pellets and mystic treasures, while the Heavenly Immortals troops wielded Golden Immortal-tier medicinal pellets and mystic treasures.

nAs for Golden Immortals…

nWord had it that the Three Realms’ Golden Immortals were all armed to the tooth, having a full set of premium-grade immortal items. Even worse, seventy percent of them carried soul treasures!

nWhen it came to the combat ability between cultivators, mystic treasures were a major deciding factor aside from their own cultivation tier.

nAnd when it came to mystic treasures, the Three Realms directly overwhelms the Gods and Demons.

nSoon, more information came in, suggesting that the mystic treasures and medicinal pellets were likely to have come from Jiang He.

nOn that day, the palace of the Demons’ Patriarch deep in the Demonic Abyss blew up, and the guards were said to have heard his raging bellow.

nMeanwhile, at the God Realm—

n“Jiang He… must die!”

nThe Gods’ Patriarch was glowering, and he turned toward Lord Swelling Sky, growling, “The Saints stopped me from attacking. However, Jiang He had insulted you, and it’s not a violation of the pact if you kill him.”

n“Right now, you shouldn’t be moving around. Feel out the karmic connection between yourself and Jiang He, divine it every day… and kill him immediately once Jiang He leaves the Three Realms!”

n“Eh?”

nThat was when Lord Swelling Sky’s face stiffened and he gasped in surprise, “Jiang He has already left the Three Realms…”

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