Chapter 505: Benefit Distribution, Advantages and Disadvantages? |
The person who came was naturally Chu Lingyuan. The originally excited and high-spirited crowd immediately died down.
Especially Chu Ran, who shrank back into the crowd like a quail, seemingly looking somewhat guilty.
The crowd consciously made way, and Chu Lingyuan walked in with tightly furrowed brows, scanning everyone.
Many people had erratic gazes and awkward expressions. Wei Zhenghong rubbed his nose, too embarrassed to meet his teacher's eyes.
Those who could come to congratulate immediately were basically those who had quite a good relationship with Su Chen. People like Jiang Mufeng and the others were all there, and they were also the group of people who had been most dissatisfied with Chu Lingyuan a while ago.
"Uttering vulgarities, gathering and clamoring, if others saw this, they would think my Bronze Heaven is full of savages!" Chu Lingyuan reprimanded sternly.
These little guys truly needed discipline. Previously, when the dust hadn't settled, they actually dared to show him attitude. Catching this opportunity, he definitely had to scold them thoroughly.
Su Chen's eyes flickered. Why was Old Chu so angry?
Chu Lingyuan normally wouldn't get angry over such trivial matters; there must be a hidden reason.
"Old Su?"
Chu Lingyuan reached out and directly pinched Chu Ran out of thin air, holding him mid-air, his gaze cold and stern: "Is 'Old Su' for you to call? Today you dare to show no respect for your elders; I think tomorrow, you probably won't even recognize me as your grandfather!"
Chu Ran was stunned. What was going on here? It wasn't his first day calling him that.
Wei Zhenghong's gaze flickered. He could hear that his teacher was Pointing at the Mulberry while Scolding the Locust, and the others also felt somewhat embarrassed.
He was indeed making a mountain out of a molehill... Su Chen became increasingly certain of this point.
"All of you, get out!" Chu Lingyuan felt much more comfortable inside. "Chu Ran, don't you still have a Profession Requirement unfulfilled? Roll yourself to the 'Dragon Blood Pool' and stay there for a month!"
"Ah..." Chu Ran's face was full of dismay, frequently looking at Su Chen, seeming to signal him.
Su Chen hadn't even figured out what exactly happened, so naturally he wouldn't speak up, pretending not to see.
After everyone was chased out, Chu Lingyuan reined in his expression, looked at Su Chen, and only then grinned, "These little bastards avoided me for several days. I knew that once you came back, they would definitely come to congratulate you. I finally caught them."
"What's going on here?" Su Chen was quite puzzled.
"What else..." Chu Lingyuan shot him a glance, his tone rather resentful: "You went to participate in the leaderboard update without a word. Outsiders all thought I forced you to go, and even Wei Zhenghong and those few harbored such thoughts."
"Uh..." Su Chen finally understood, but seeing Chu Lingyuan's somewhat resentful look also made his scalp tingle a bit. After all, this senior brother had always been steady and proper.
He couldn't help but explain: "It wasn't to deliberately hide it from you, Senior Brother. It's just that you warned me that day, if I mentioned this matter to you, you probably wouldn't let me participate."
Chu Lingyuan paused slightly. Actually, these past few days, he had also been thinking about why Su Chen didn't tell him.
Later he figured it out. Because he had revealed that he still harbored hope for Su Chen to become the Sun-Chosen Spiritist, he definitely wouldn't have allowed him to participate in the leaderboard update.
What would Su Chen say then? Could he tell him to rest assured, that he was confident he could sweep away all incoming enemies?
If he had said this previously, he probably truly would have been somewhat skeptical.
"It's just that I haven't quite adapted yet..." Chu Lingyuan blurted out this sentence out of nowhere. No wonder that guy Qing Cang had more smiles on his face ever since bringing Su Chen here.
If he got carried like this a few more times, he'd probably be grinning all day long too.
Chu Lingyuan sorted out his mood and his expression turned solemn, "However, you've made quite a stir this time. Defeating Xu Yingshen, inheriting his Ordained Path, and stepping ahead of everyone all at once; I'm afraid you'll be targeted."
"I didn't expect to inherit Xu Yingshen's Ordained Path." Su Chen shook his head.
Chu Lingyuan sighed, "It can't be helped, ultimately our foundation is too shallow. We haven't experienced the process of other Radiant Sun Elects at all."
There was only competition among The Recognized of the Morning Star Spirit; there was no explicit rule on how many people one needed to defeat.
And regarding this kind of matter, if one didn't ask carefully, no one would mention it either.
"Right now, the other Pillars probably view you as the number one great enemy. If you want to undergo the Azure Deity Metamorphosis, I'm afraid it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven." Bringing up this matter, Chu Lingyuan appeared quite powerless.
Summarizing it, there was still only one sentence: Bronze Heaven's foundation was too shallow.
Previously, he only had some hope for Su Chen to become the Radiant Sun Elect, but right now, he was almost only two or three steps away.
With the High Three Heavens' foundation, not to mention doing it with ease, there was a great hope of completing it. Alas.
"Gaining it is my fortune, losing it is my fate." Seeing Old Chu's face full of worry and resentment, Su Chen also couldn't help but comfort him.
"Sigh..." Chu Lingyuan smiled bitterly, "You certainly take things philosophically."
"However..." Chu Lingyuan changed the subject and added, "It's not without its benefits either."
"Oh?" Su Chen became interested.
A sharp gleam gradually appeared in Chu Lingyuan's eyes, "Since you defeated Xu Yingshen, people from the other eight Heavens have continuously come. The High Three Heavens merely sent some things to show their congratulations."
"Our time joining High Heaven is too short. It's very normal that the High Three Heavens find it hard to treat us as their own people. However, the other five Heavens have all shown deeper intentions."
"More or less, they all made some hints, willing to place some bets on you."
"These people are quite perceptive." Su Chen looked thoughtful.
Chu Lingyuan continued, "Among them, Eternal Dragon Heaven and Sangwu Heaven showed the least sincerity, only giving verbal promises. The one with the greatest sincerity is undeniably Jade Sea Heaven."
"Its Deputy Celestial Sovereign, Ni Zhan, directly guaranteed to me that he can find one or two materials used for the Azure Deity Metamorphosis for you."
"Oh?" Su Chen was somewhat surprised. Right now, the other Pillars had probably already taken action, exerting influence on the Abyssal Void to blockade any relevant materials.
For Jade Sea Heaven to actually be able to get one or two kinds, one could only say their foundation was robust.
Chu Lingyuan continued, "Not only that, that Ye Chutong also obtained the Recognition of the Three Dragons and can fight you, helping you take a step forward on the Ordained Path. This matter alone is worth four to five thousand Faith Essence."
"Four to five thousand?" Su Chen was astonished, "What do you mean, the fighting qualification of someone who obtained the Recognition of the Three Dragons is worth this much?"
This was enough for him to buy a kind of material used to evolve into an Azure God.
"Yeah." Chu Lingyuan was also very emotive. "Within each Pillar, the number of people who can obtain the Recognition of the Three Dragons is just that many. Defeating one means one less, so the price keeps rising."
Then by defeating Xu Yingshen, theoretically, I gained the equivalent of thirty thousand Faith Essence. Su Chen couldn't help but start calculating. Although there was no way to withdraw it, this number somewhat delighted him.
"Right now, some people have already suggested going to the Abyssal Void to find guys who meet the qualifications to come and make up the numbers." Chu Lingyuan added.
Su Chen nodded, but said, "I'm not in a hurry regarding the Ordained Path. Could you ask that Deputy Celestial Sovereign if it can be converted into Faith Essence?"
"Convert to Faith Essence?" Chu Lingyuan was slightly taken aback, somewhat unable to understand. Under the current circumstances, getting those materials required far more than just Faith Essence.
"Are you very short of that stuff?" Chu Lingyuan hesitated. "Over here, during this time, we have also accumulated several hundred portions."
"Not enough, far from enough..." Su Chen shook his head.
Chu Lingyuan wanted to ask, but in the end, he didn't voice it out, nodding and saying, "I understand. If it's just Faith Essence, it will actually be simpler."
Su Chen thought to himself, Old Chu is still steady, not possessing heavy curiosity like Lao Qing. If it were Lao Qing, he would probably directly ask him what he needed so much Faith Essence for.
Chu Lingyuan was somewhat helpless: "The Sect is still preparing. The procedures for refining Faith Essence are numerous, and the Compass hasn't been completely deployed yet. To truly form a scale, it will probably take a few years. By that time, we shouldn't be lacking it."
The scale of the Dust Star Sea was truly too massive. Even with the Zhenwu Ancient King and the Bronze Sect competing, taking sixty to seventy percent was enough for them to digest.
Although the Bronze Sect could only take a portion of it, this portion was enough to make them stuff their pockets full.
"Mm." Su Chen nodded.
Chu Lingyuan paused and asked again, "You climbing to the top of the leaderboard comes with many rewards from High Heaven. Regarding catalyzing Morning Stars, do you have any thoughts?"
"Shouldn't this matter be reported to the Sect Master for him to decide?" Su Chen hesitated.
"If you have thoughts, I can report them together." Chu Lingyuan said.
After communicating with the Sect Master not long ago, he understood that the connection between this junior brother and the Sect Master was even closer than he imagined.
"Leave a share for Senior Brother Qing Cang. As for the rest... let the Sect Master decide." Su Chen thought for a while and only thought of Qing Cang.
Catalyzing Morning Star Spirits also required qualified Dual Ninth-Rank Professionals. Among those Heads of Seats, he truly didn't have a very good relationship with anyone.
"Alright." Chu Lingyuan wasn't surprised either. Qing Cang probably never thought that there would be a day in his life when he could advance to Morning Star.
Su Chen thought for a moment and added, "As for the five opportunities to evolve into Divine Dawn, I actually suggest they can be given to Wei Zhenghong and Shen Yi'an."
"The two of them?" Chu Lingyuan hesitated. Although he felt it was a pity for the two, them evolving into Divine Dawn actually wouldn't maximize the value.
"Senior Brother..." Su Chen advised, "The opportunity to evolve into Divine Dawn actually isn't that hard to come by."
"We have already obtained many good things and have deployed them all. Over time, innate Divine Dawns might even be born. Keeping three is already enough."
"That makes sense." Chu Lingyuan didn't persist for too long. Rather than being convinced by reason, it was more like being convinced by Su Chen.
After all, these things were all earned by Su Chen. If he really wanted to give them to Wei Zhenghong and Shen Yi'an, Chu Lingyuan naturally wouldn't stop him.
"He didn't stay in the Martial Proof Hall. As soon as he came out, he directly returned to Reality..."
In Upper Firmament Heaven, Qi You was currently reporting to Tang Huai.
"Not arrogant or rash, truly a good seedling." Tang Huai squatted on the ground, his pruning of branches pausing, carrying heartfelt admiration.
He genuinely felt that Su Chen was almost flawless, not haughty despite gaining power. Even with such strength, he hadn't insisted on showing off when facing Taixuan Hong back then.
In comparison, his disciple Tong Zhuo was truly... thinking of this, Tang Huai couldn't help but sigh.
"Logically speaking, as a member of High Heaven, with Su Chen's hopes being so high, we ought to support him."
"Master!" Qi You couldn't help but say, "It's too short. Bronze Heaven's time since joining is truly too short. Even the first-generation Heavenly Lord hasn't fallen yet. They probably only treat High Heaven as a place to stay, not a true home."
"If Su Chen becomes the Radiant Sun Elect, I'm afraid chaos will instantly erupt."
Without undergoing long-term Assimilation, Bronze Heaven merely belonged to High Heaven in name. This wasn't about trust or distrust; it was the fact.
"I know." Tang Huai appeared helpless. "If it were another Heaven, even if it was Zhong Yue replacing Su Chen, I wouldn't be this conflicted."
Qi You's expression was somewhat strange, but he quickly concealed it.
"Forget it." Tang Huai shook his head gently, his back to Qi You. "It's one thing for the other Pillars to influence the Abyssal Void, but internally, we cannot target Bronze Heaven. If he truly succeeds, we won't end up with resentment."
Not targeting, but not supporting either. Relying solely on Bronze Heaven, even with the addition of those few Outer Heavens, it would be impossible to break through the joint blockade of the other Pillars.
"Also, send over a Jade Tree as congratulations." Tang Huai added.
Qi You stagnated, "We already sent congratulations a few days ago."
"Then congratulate again!" Tang Huai's voice sank.
"Yes." Qi You hurriedly nodded and left in a hurry.
Snip! Snip!
After Qi You left, only the sound of pruning scissors rubbing against branches remained in the hall.
A long while later, the rubbing sound also disappeared. Tang Huai's eyes were profound. "Why did it have to be Bronze Heaven?"
"With all this commotion, the disadvantages might not truly be bad, but the advantages are indeed solid."
After sending off Chu Lingyuan, a holographic screen reflected in front of Su Chen. High Heaven's actions were quite fast; the Faith Essence reward due to him had already arrived in his account.
...
Five thousand Faith Essence, plus what remained from before, his balance had almost reached seven thousand Faith Essence.
Without hesitation, he directly purchased the [Mysterious Mother Soul Core]. High Heaven only had one unit of this item, and who knows how long it would take for the next one to appear. Having money now, he definitely had to buy it directly.
Four thousand five hundred portions of Faith Essence flowed out just like that. Seeing that it was already in a delivery state, Su Chen only then checked the other rewards.
"One unit of Perfect-Grade Eldritch Source Power from Great Heaven, two Grand Vow Crystals from Buddha Land..."
They were all specialties from the other Pillars. Because they had their own market prices, they could also be converted into Faith Essence, roughly translating to nearly three thousand Faith Essence.
Su Chen thought for a moment: "Things like Perfect-Grade Eldritch Source Power and Grand Vow Crystals, although they are not ordinary either, can be bought with money. Right now, I still have to hurry up and buy those things that have a price but might not have a market first..."
He had checked the materials for evolving into an Azure God before. Only three units were in a stocked state, and the Mysterious Mother Soul Core had already been acquired.
After converting the rewards, he still had over five thousand portions left. First, he acquired the Nine-Orifice Flesh Lingzhi Heart, valued at four thousand two hundred portions of essence.
The seller of this item was a faction named "Imperial Mausoleum Fortress". Because of its precious value, an additional four hundred essence was needed for the handling fee, and the delivery time wasn't short either, taking a full five months.
After a round of splurging, he only had three to four hundred portions of essence left in his hands. Su Chen couldn't help but shake his head. He didn't feel much heartache; after all, it was gained relatively easily.
"As for the Imperishable Bone..." Su Chen pondered, "Perhaps I can ask that Ni Tianzhu for help."
"But the other two materials aren't even sold in the Black Market. I wonder if he has channels."
While calculating, Su Chen couldn't help but tug at the corners of his mouth, feeling a rare sense of joy. "I wonder how those Pillars plan to blockade me."