Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Being christened at the Goddess’ Eternal Spring was equivalent to receiving the blessing of the Goddess.

The entrance to the Goddess’ Grotto slowly opened, revealing a waterfall. This cave was reminiscent of the Shuilian Cave featured in Sun Wukong’s adventures. Cai Ling led Ye Mo into the grotto, followed by the Hua and Liu Factions’ disciples.

Ye Mo felt a cool breeze as he entered the grotto and noted spring water gushing out of the two large eye-shaped fissures located above the gurgling stream.

These two fissures resembled eyes with tears flowing out of them, like a weeping woman.

A layer of mist, pulsing with the vigor of life, saturated the air. Taking in a deep breath, Ye Mo could feel the inhaled air mingling with the Rising Dragon Pillar within his Energy Center, causing it to rumble, as if it was awakening.

It turned out that this mist was actually some form of energy!

As Ye Mo internally gasped in surprise, Cai Ling piped up, “Stand amongst the waters of the Goddess’ Eternal Spring and receive her blessing!”

Nodding at her, Ye Mo went up to the two eyes. The others stood on the side and stared intently at him.

Whoosh!

The two eyes stirred restlessly, with great torrents of spring water spurting out of them, shooting towards Ye Mo.

A highly condensed bout of energy surged into his body, nurturing his every cell. The Rising Dragon Pillar rumbled once more, awakening the 91st, 92nd and 100th dragons. Mighty roars reverberated within his Energy Center, and Ye Mo felt, once more, the explosive power it was capable of delivering.

Crack!

The golden Yuan seed residing within him furiously sucked in the condensed energy, its slightly cracked surface becoming increasingly fractured. Within a split second of undergoing fission, the process was complete: a radiant gold Yuan seed was created.

Ye Mo had levelled up once more, reaching Spirit Cultivating Eighth Realm!

Sensing the growth of his abilities, Ye Mo internally leapt for joy. But as he was rejoicing, he was abruptly transported to a strange location. Rather than the Goddess River, before him was a young woman who was floating mid-air. She looked as if she was formed from the spring water itself, with crystal clear droplets rolling down her robes of rich gold brocade.

She emanated power like the vast river, striking fear in those who saw her. In her hands was a jade bottle.

The woman looked frail, but Ye Mo could not move a single muscle when standing before her. Even the Rising Dragon Pillar stopped absorbing the energy, a testament to the great power possessed by her.

Could this possibly be the legendary Heavenly Goddess? Ye Mo thought. In a respectful tone, Ye Mo said, “May I ask if you are the renowned Heavenly Goddess, the patron saint of the Women City? And why have you brought me here?”

“I take that you are the new Chieftain of the Women City, Ye Mo?” Without giving Ye Mo an answer, the woman calmly shot him a question of her own, while still hovering in the air.

“That’s me, yes.”

“How did the breakthrough feel?” she asked.

“It was wonderful. If Your Highness would so kindly bless me with your generosity once more, I might even be able to reach Energy Shaping Realm!” said Ye Mo, testing the waters.

“I am indeed the Heavenly Goddess from the legends. Although I have parted with the physical world, my spirit essence still remains, and they reside within the eyes of this spring. I’ve been watching you, every step you take, every move you make. In your battle against Hua Cuican, it was astonishing to see someone on your level win against her. Surely, you must be hiding some secrets or some sort of legendary artifact, hence why I have summoned you here before bestowing upon you the blessing of the spring.”

“There is no such thing within me. I’ve merely been studying a set of very special techniques,” Ye Mo said carefully. The Heavenly Goddess was a deity based on a myth. As the nature of her intentions was still unknown, he had to be cautious around her.

“A set of very special techniques? You’ve been studying Deity Level techniques? No, that’s not possible. Not even Deity Level techniques could increase one’s power so quickly. What sort of technique is it, exactly? Why don’t you tell me? As long as you say it, I should know what it is.”

“Five-Elements Cultivation!” answered Ye Mo.

“What!”

Her face paled upon hearing his answer. Without missing a beat, she said, “You’ve been studying Five-Elements Cultivation? No, that couldn’t possibly be it. This technique yields next to nothing at the beginning, so most people wouldn’t even think of studying it. Only those in the Transcendence Realm could unleash its full potential. Yet you’re merely in Spirit Cultivating Eighth Realm at this moment… what were you thinking, practicing the Five-Elements Cultivation!”

“Your Highness, I am indeed practicing the Five-Elements Cultivation. Please see for yourself if you still don’t believe me,” said Ye Mo, revealing his hand on which five different colored masses of Yuanli danced on his fingertips but then quickly dissipated.

“So it is indeed Five-Elements Cultivation. And I had thought by some miracle you were sent to me. What a shame it is!” said the Heavenly Goddess, shaking her head in disappointment.

Ye Mo clasped his hands together, did a small bow, and said, “Your Highness, if you are experiencing any difficulties, please do tell me.”

“In the legends of Tianwu Kingdom, I fell in love with a mortal. Yet, due to the shackles of love, I died in the Women City. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, I foresaw an apocalypse looming over Lingwu Continent in perhaps ten or twenty years. This will cause chaos within Lingwu. Cities will be flooded with demons and darkness will befall the land, akin to the Ancient War many millennia ago.”

“Lingwu Continent? An apocalypse?” gasped Ye Mo.

“Correct. Initially, I had thought that you had the potential to be the savior of the world, then perhaps I could strengthen your abilities, helping you reach Energy Shaping Realm. Unfortunately, you practice the obscure Five-Elements Cultivation, meaning that you would probably hit a bottleneck by the time you reach True Energy Realm and will probably never reach the legendary Transcendence Realm,” said the Goddess, shaking her head in dismay.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness. Could you possibly release me now?” said Ye Mo quietly.

“Young man, know your place! Reveal the secret artifact within you at once. If you indeed have the potential, I shall bestow upon you my strength. The fate of Lingwu Continent rests on your shoulders!” the Goddess said hastily, a note of displeasure in her tone.

“I’m not suitable for this kind of mission or responsibility. I apologize, Your Highness, but please release me now!” Ye Mo sneered internally. This woman clearly wanted to force him to reveal the Rising Dragon Pillar, but since it was his trump card, something that aided him again and again, it was a secret that he would take to his grave. However, this woman exuded enormous power, and she was not someone that he could take on at this point in time.

“Young man, you’re asking for it! I can inspect the inside of your body with my True Energy as a probe and even take your artifact away. Afterwards, I will slay you, so you will be put in your place!”