Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

Ye Chen stopped and looked outside.

A large group of people was striding past the door, their presence imposing.

Leading them were two burly men.

They both wore kasaya robes, their upper bodies bare, and an intimidating light glinted in their eyes.

Their auras, as heavy as mountains, terrified countless onlookers by the roadside.

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. 'Why do their clothes look so familiar?'

"Elder Ye, there's no need to worry. They're just people from the Vajra Temple."

Elder Chen walked out of the shop. Seeing the massive crowd outside, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Elder Ye, you must be from out of town, right? You seem unaware of the local situation."

"Some time ago, someone from the orthodox path colluded with the Demon Dao and annihilated several orthodox sects! Among them, even the Sect Leader of a major power like the Cold Wind Sect couldn't escape!"

"Not only that, but the villain is astonishingly arrogant, even killing people from the Vajra Temple and the provincial government! Two of the province's three Law Enforcement Commanders have already been lost. The entire provincial government is in an uproar!"

"The Grand Commander of the law enforcement squad has come personally to oversee the changes at the Dragon Prison Cave! At the same time, he has also secretly dispatched people to investigate that criminal."

"The Vajra Temple hasn't been idle either. As you can see, Elder Ye, they've also dispatched two of their War Buddhas here!"

"The way I see it, with the Dragon Prison Cave about to open and the Demon Dao running rampant again, I'm afraid Luoyun City… no, all of Lei Province, will not know peace for a long time to come."

Hearing this, Ye Chen couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly.

'So, things only seemed calm these past few days. In reality, a storm has been brewing in the shadows.'

He had thought that after he killed the Thunder Sound War Buddha and the law enforcement commander, both factions would have acted quickly.

That was why he had set up the Five Elements Ultimate Killing Formation to protect the Demon Gate.

He never expected that the legendary grotto-heaven, the Dragon Prison Cave, would show signs of opening, coincidentally drawing the attention of all the major powers in Lei Province.

This was what had given the Demon Gate some breathing room.

Otherwise, if a true expert at the Primordial Mansion Realm or above were to arrive, even Ye Chen in his current state would find it incredibly difficult to handle!

'I have to form a golden Spiritual Sea and increase my strength as quickly as possible!'

A glint flickered in Ye Chen's eyes.

He suddenly asked, "As a guest Elder, can I make use of the Treasure Pavilion's Spirit Stone reserves?"

"Spirit Stones?" Elder Chen was taken aback.

Across the Eastern Wilderness Continent, there were Spirit Stone veins formed from the condensation of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Small veins could produce hundreds or thousands of Spirit Stones… As for large ones, it wasn't uncommon for them to contain hundreds of millions.

Spirit Stone veins contained pure Spiritual Qi, making them an extremely versatile cultivation resource for Cultivators.

Gradually, Spirit Stones also became the common currency among Cultivators.

Spirit Stones came in different qualities: Low Grade, Medium Grade, High Grade, and Top Grade.

One Medium Grade Spirit Stone was equivalent to ten Low Grade Spirit Stones. Following this logic, one Top Grade Spirit Stone was equivalent to one thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones.

The higher the quality, the rarer the Spirit Stone.

Within Lei Province, the most commonly seen were Low Grade Spirit Stones.

Only the major powers possessed Medium Grade Spirit Stones. As for High Grade Spirit Stones… those were incredibly rare. You basically couldn't find any in circulation in Lei Province.

Ye Chen had previously set up two large formations within the Demon Gate, and now he had spent a considerable amount of Spirit Stones at the Treasure Pavilion to buy Spirit Medicine.

He had very few Spirit Stones left on hand.

To form a golden Spiritual Sea and break through to the Spirit Sea Realm, he would undoubtedly need a massive amount of Spiritual Qi to supplement his own.

Therefore, Ye Chen had no choice but to ask if he could request some Spirit Stones from the Treasure Pavilion in his capacity as a guest Elder.

Elder Chen gave a wry smile. "Elder Ye, that is, of course, not possible."

"While being an honored guest Elder certainly grants you many conveniences within the Pavilion, the Treasure Pavilion's resources cannot be used so casually."

Ye Chen wasn't surprised by this answer. "What if I help the Treasure Pavilion with Alchemy? Would the Treasure Pavilion be willing to buy the pills I create at market price?"

As soon as he said this, a look of delight flashed across Elder Chen's face.

'Wasn't this the whole point of going through all the trouble to give him the title of guest Elder?'

"Of course, no problem!"

"This is a win-win situation!" Elder Chen replied hastily.

Ye Chen nodded slightly. "In that case, please find me a quiet room, Elder Chen. I'll start the Alchemy now."

Luoyun City was currently a gathering place for powerful forces, making it extremely unstable.

'And I'm a wanted criminal with a bounty on my head.'

Ye Chen planned to leave only after he broke through to the Spirit Sea Realm and had enough power to protect himself.

"Excellent!"

His face beaming with excitement, Elder Chen led Ye Chen back into the rear chamber of the Treasure Pavilion.

"This is a list of pills the Treasure Pavilion is currently out of stock of. The prices are marked on the side."

"Elder Ye, just choose which pills on the list you are capable of creating!"

"Once the pills are made, we will buy them from you at the listed prices."

"Alright." After Ye Chen agreed, Elder Chen quietly departed.

Before long, servants carried baskets of medicinal ingredients into the quiet room.

'The grades of medicinal pills in this world, just like Cultivation Techniques, are divided from the First to the Ninth Grade.'

'Among them, Ninth Grade pills are the most powerful!'

Ye Chen mused to himself, 'For example, the Three Corpse Soul-Returning Pill is a Peak Fourth Grade pill. Generally, only someone who has reached the Primordial Mansion Realm can create a pill of this level.'

'But I'm different! After absorbing the memories of the Ancient Demon God, my true Alchemy proficiency has long since surpassed the Ninth Grade!'

'However, my cultivation realm is still relatively low, so I lack the power to create high-grade pills!'

Ye Chen scanned the names of the pills on the list and quickly made a decision.

'I'll just make these Fourth Grade pills, then!'

'An ordinary Fourth Grade pill is worth tens of thousands of Low Grade Spirit Stones.'

'If I can create High Grade or even Top Grade versions, the price will increase significantly!'

Having made up his mind, Ye Chen immediately began.

Flames soared into the air, and soon, a faint medicinal fragrance began to waft from the cauldron.

…

"Elder Chen, have you seen this person?"

Outside the Treasure Pavilion, a number of guards in the Yan family's livery were holding up a portrait of Ye Chen, respectfully questioning Elder Chen.

"Never seen him."

Elder Chen shook his head. As he looked at the likeness of Ye Chen in the portrait, he suddenly became lost in thought.

'Elder Ye?'

He froze.