Two Realms: I Will Become the Immortal Emperor

Half a month later, Chen Che began receiving a series of reports.

The first was about Tan Chen.

After collecting his 120,000 Spirit Stones from the auction house the next day, the man immediately went on a spending spree. Not only did he buy a private courtyard in Jinyun Valley, but he also purchased several shops purely for collecting rent.

In just a few days, he had already spent most of the Spirit Stones he had acquired, an ostentatious display of wealth to the extreme.

Chen Che had no comment on the matter.

It was his personal gain, after all. His reach didn't extend to meddling in other people's private affairs.

The second piece of news concerned the Divine Court Wood.

After learning the origin of the Divine Court Tree from Tan Chen, Liu Yuanqing had been ordered to immediately send people to search along the river. After several days of effort, they had found two more, slightly smaller, Divine Court Trees.

One was four zhang tall, the other about six.

Of course, what pleased Chen Che the most was the discovery of what appeared to be Divine Court Tree Seeds.

Upon inspection, most of them were still viable but had never sprouted, having been buried deep underground where Spiritual Qi was insufficient. These seeds were now with the Liu Family, who were attempting to induce germination. As soon as they sprouted, they could be planted.

"Excellent. Tell Liu Yuanqing I'll reward him with two thousand Spirit Stones for every seed that sprouts!"

Chen Che was incredibly pleased.

Once these Divine Court Trees were planted, he wouldn't have to worry about his Divine Sense cultivation anymore. The trees might even continue to be useful after he reached the Nascent Soul Realm.

Third, Wang Chen had entered seclusion to prepare for Foundation Establishment.

As a first-generation disciple of the valley, he was naturally someone Chen Che valued. Moreover, not only was Wang Chen destined for a high position in the Law Enforcement Hall, but he also had a Golden Core Remnant Soul assisting him.

However, at his current level, his success in Foundation Establishment was practically guaranteed.

Once his cultivation stabilized, they could immediately begin preparations for the Law Enforcement Hall.

Of course, the jurisdiction of the Law Enforcement Hall wouldn't be limited to the valley; it would also cover all the subordinate powers under their control.

If it weren't for the Night Rain Hall, establishing the Law Enforcement Hall might have required a fair bit of his effort. But as things stood, Chen Che could be a hands-off manager.

However, of the three most outstanding disciples of this generation, there was still Yu Daogui from the Yu Family of Chi State. Chen Che hadn't yet decided how to place him, though he was considering putting him in charge of the Sacrificial Hall in the future.

After all, since Lu Qinglian's departure, the Sacrificial Hall had been left without a leader.

This hall was a mixed bag of characters. If the Law Enforcement Hall was a sharp sword pointed inward, then the Sacrificial Hall was the bared fangs facing outward. It required a person of sufficient strength and courage to oversee it, a task no less difficult than managing the Law Enforcement Hall.

He would have to wait until Yu Daogui achieved Foundation Establishment and then observe him for a while before making a final judgment.

After all, not every Cultivator was suited to managing a hall. The other disciples were a tier below; under normal circumstances, it would take them anywhere from a few years to three or four decades to reach Foundation Establishment.

The first three reports all concerned matters within the valley.

The last few were from the outside world.

First, the Evil Cultivator who had previously slaughtered several mortal cities had appeared again. This time, his methods were even more ruthless; he had devoured an entire mortal kingdom. A few Cultivators managed to escape and claimed to have seen him wielding a white Soul-Calling Banner.

For a time, rumors that Xiao Chan had struck again ran rampant.

But Chen Che knew that the culprit this time was likely Gongyang Shuo, the one wanted by Jinyun Valley. And according to a message from Yu Yunko, the man had probably already made contact with the Star-Picking Sect.

In addition, a large force of Star-Picking Sect Cultivators, numbering over a hundred, had invaded the territory of the Primordial Sect.

They included not only the sect's own Golden Cores, but also some Loose Cultivators hoping to fish in troubled waters.

Multiple subordinate territories had come under attack.

Countless minor Foundation Establishment clans were hit, but most importantly, two Golden Core Clans were attacked. The newly advanced Golden Core King, Wang Yuanqing—the very person who had delivered a letter to Chen Che—was killed in action.

Besides him, none of the several thousand Cultivators in his clan, including the Foundation Establishment Cultivators they had gathered, survived.

Another Golden Core who was attacked also perished on the spot. Only a single Fake Pill Cultivator from his clan managed to escape and spread the news.

Putting down the three letters, Chen Che's expression grew solemn.

The Star-Picking Sect clearly couldn't hold back any longer and had begun to make its move. In a single strike, they had eliminated two Golden Cores. This was a huge blow to the morale of the Cultivators under the Primordial Sect's command...

But what truly worried him was the Primordial Sect's slow response.

Logically, faced with such a major move from the Star-Picking Sect, the Primordial Sect should have counterattacked immediately. Yet now, not only had he received no orders to retaliate, but neither had any of the other Golden Cores in the subordinate territories.

His gaze distant, Chen Che looked out at the disciples cultivating outside the valley and fell deep into thought.

If the Primordial Sect couldn't hold them off, his Jinyun Valley certainly wouldn't be able to withstand an assault from over a hundred Golden Cores.

'Whatever Duobao's plans are, they have nothing to do with me!'

'In the face of this turbulent tide, the only thing that matters is improving my own strength.'

...

"This Divine Court Tree has been a huge help!"

Chen Che slowly opened his eyes.

After obtaining the Divine Court Tree from Tan Chen, he had immediately begun readjusting the dosage. Thanks to his prior experience, it only took him two or three days to recreate the 'Divine Court Incense'.

The amount of Divine Court Wood it contained was thirty percent more than the dose from his first attempt, the one that had nearly scattered his soul.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator would have their Divine Soul pulled away just by smelling a wisp of the smoke. Therefore, whenever he cultivated with it now, he would set up an Array to prevent the fragrance from escaping and causing unnecessary casualties.

This was a perfect example of the saying, 'one man's Immortal Herb is another man's poison'.

Items used by High Tier Cultivators were no different from the world's most virulent poisons to Low Tier Cultivators.

Take the 'Fierce Beast Pill', for example.

If a Foundation Establishment Cultivator consumed even half a pill, the power contained within it would immediately overwhelm their entire body.

"A month of hard cultivation, and I've finally caught up with my Divine Sense, reaching the Seventh Layer. With the boost from 'Fierce Eyes', I can even clash head-on with a Golden Core Great Perfection cultivator when it comes to Divine Sense!"

Glancing at the burnt-out stick of Divine Court Incense, a sharp light flashed in Chen Che's eyes. His Divine Soul, shimmering with an azure glow, swept out from the mountain, blanketing everything in its path!

His immense Divine Sense, like a vast tide, enveloped the entire Jinyun Valley and its subordinate territories in a matter of breaths. It even had power to spare, continuing to spread outward.

Two hundred thousand zhang!

This was the Divine Sense strength of a Golden Core Seventh Layer, and that was without the enhancement from 'Fierce Eyes'.

While such a powerful Divine Sense wouldn't allow him to dominate the battlefield in the coming war between the two sects, it did at least grant him sufficient ability to protect himself.

A moment later, he retracted his Divine Sense and slowly walked out of the Quiet Chamber.

In the valley, the disciples were busy with their cultivation.

The two most conspicuous among them were, naturally, the old Li Cang and the young Zhou Lian. Due to their unique backgrounds, the two had hit it off immediately, forming an unlikely friendship that transcended age. Although their Cultivation Realms weren't high, they had gained a small measure of fame within the valley.

But Chen Che wasn't a babysitter; why would he meddle in his disciples' private lives?

It was a cruel reality.

Even a Golden Core True Master had limited energy. He could only afford to pay attention to the ones who stood out from the pack. If a disciple's strength and aptitude were merely average, they would likely never enter his notice in their entire lifetime.

If you weren't outstanding in any way, just another face in the crowd, how could you expect anyone to notice you?

And this was the reality for the vast majority of Cultivators.

Withdrawing his gaze, Chen Che's figure flickered and he swiftly headed toward the main hall.

When he had spread his Divine Sense just now, he had detected that a messenger from the Primordial Sect had arrived at Jinyun Valley.

...

「The Main Hall」

Cui Zhen looked utterly disheveled, his face a mask of anxiety as he spoke:

"Vice Valley Master, can't you make an exception? I truly have urgent business with the Valley Master!"

"The Valley Master is in seclusion for intensive cultivation. It's been over a month, and he's not seeing any visitors. If you want to see him, you can go to the back courtyard and find him yourself. I won't stop you," Hu Yao said slowly, holding his teacup.

"Ah, this..." Cui Zhen was dumbfounded.

It was one thing to say it, but he had to have the guts to actually do it.

Disturbing a Golden Core during their cultivation could really get you killed without even a corpse left behind.

He paced back and forth in the main hall, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Just as Hu Yao was about to ask him what was the matter...

WHOOSH—

An azure figure seemed to step across space itself, appearing directly in the main hall.

"Valley Master."

Seeing the newcomer, Hu Yao put down his teacup and called out respectfully.

Cui Zhen was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands. "Valley Master, you've finally come out of seclusion..."

Chen Che walked straight to the chief's seat, sat down cross-legged, and poured himself a cup of tea before asking unhurriedly:

"Speak."

Cui Zhen could hardly believe his ears. He had expected to have to engage in some verbal sparring first, as this Valley Master wasn't known for being easy to deal with. The last time he delivered a message, the man hadn't even glanced at it.

'Why is he being so easy to talk to today?'

But since the man had spoken, Cui Zhen had no choice but to take him at his word. He cupped his hands and said:

"The Interim Sect Leader wishes for you to go and guard Celestial Ghost Ridge!"

Chen Che raised an eyebrow.

"Celestial Ghost Ridge?"