That staid young man who previously put a stop to Zhu Jiu arrived in front of the Elder. He approached the Elder’s ear, and whispered a few words. Soon after, the Elder’s gaze fell upon Gongyi Tianheng.
The corner of his mouth twitched, but because he was always solemn and his face was stretched taut, he had no way of showing a warm smile so quickly. Instead, it appeared a little creepy.
Gu Zuo: “…”
The Elder was better off keeping a straight face. Wanting to smile, but being unable to smile made him look like a bad guy.
Contrary to what one might expect, Tianheng allowed that Elder to size him up. Moreover, he courteously took a step forward: “Greetings, Elder.”
That Elder nodded his head, and said: “The younger generations shall surpass us in time. Your luck is truly amazing.”
He looked like a swift and decisive person. At this moment, he spoke forthrightly: “Student, what plans do you have? Do you want to return to the Sect with us?”
Tianheng eyed his surroundings.
Huangfu Zhanghao and the majority of his group had returned safely. It seemed that there wasn’t anyone who was doing poorly. This caused some people with discerning eyes to become suspicious. Had they already obtained the inheritance? If not, they should’ve encountered a fake tomb, and ended up empty-handed.
However, because of Qingyun Sect’s reputation, other forces suspected even more that the inheritance had already been obtained by them. As a result, there was a sense of scrutiny and a nearly imperceptible trace of malice amid the gazes of the many people who were looking over.
If Tianheng left this place by himself, he would certainly become the target of a multitude of arrows — He was also someone who came out of the tomb. The others all left with Qingyun Sect, he would naturally be out of luck.
How could Tianheng allow himself to fall into such dire circumstances?
This problem soon had a precise solution.
Not long after they departed, those eighteen entrances all started to collapse!
The members of the other organizations suddenly weren’t in the mood to preoccupy themselves with this matter. What they were worried about right now was the safety of those geniuses who previously entered those tombs!
If they all died here…
This incident wasn’t beyond Tianheng’s expectations because, once the inheritance was obtained by someone, it indicated that the innermost tomb had been opened and there wasn’t anything left to guard against. Human King Yan Ruo hadn’t wanted to be disturbed. It was only natural that the tomb would be sealed once more. As for the situation of those entrances collapsing, it was presumably to give her inheritor some cover.
The facts really were as such. Although Tianheng and company had received lots of attention just now, when the entrances of the Human King’s tomb started to collapse, those geniuses who were being worried over by the other forces all appeared one by one. And at this time, if the members of numerous organizations didn’t go to rescue them, they would perish due to that collapse!
This time was lucky. There was a ninety percent probability that the inheritance had fallen into the hands of a Qingyun Sect disciple. However, they currently didn’t have the energy to investigate.
— In Human King Yan Ruo’s original plan, if things had reached this stage, her inheritor would’ve possessed her treasures and should’ve been able to escape in one piece.
The tomb was collapsing faster and faster. Although the other forces couldn’t take action for the moment, who knew how many would cause trouble for Qingyun Sect once this incident ended? As the continent’s number one sect, Qingyun Sect wasn’t afraid of this matter at all. But in the end, the one who came was merely an Elder, not the entire Sect. It would be good if they were able to muddle their way through.
It went without saying that Tianheng also had plans in mind. He wanted to extort what he could from the Sect’s hands. There wasn’t any need for hesitation. He promptly said: “If this Elder doesn’t mind, this disciple hopes to follow this Elder back to the Sect.”
The corners of that Elder’s mouth twitched again. After discovering that he still couldn’t form a good-natured expression, he decisively gave up. He waved his sleeve: “Good. Let’s go!”
After he finished speaking, everyone from Qingyun Sect boarded the flying ship, regardless of what thoughts they had.
Even at this juncture, Tianheng didn’t forget to keep things hidden. Without any trouble, he swept Gu Zuo into his arms and soared into the air while embracing Gu Zuo. Tianyang and Dragon One followed close behind, but the Ling Clan siblings were hesitating…
Tianyang said: “With the current situation, it’s better to go together with us.”
Tianheng had told Tianyang long ago about his intentions of receiving this brother and sister pair. On top of that, Ling Ziwei possessed the inheritance and Ling Ziqi had performed quite well the entire time. Surely his elder brother wouldn’t blame him for making such a decision at this moment.
The Ling Clan siblings exchanged glances, and followed after them.
Yes, they wouldn’t lag behind now after journeying with their benefactor all this time. Moreover, if they had that luck… The brother and sister pair suppressed the hope in their hearts, but they had a certain understanding based on Tianyang’s bearing.
After boarding the ship, Tianheng put Gu Zuo down.
That Elder dispersed the others, leaving only Huangfu Zhanghao and the protectors of the two groups. The very few who remained were all trusted aides of the Sect Master’s bloodline.
Although some people of the Grand Elders had also followed, they could only wait outside under the current circumstances.
In the end, it was still the Sect Master’s bloodline which had the most power.
Moreover, even if the faction members of the other branch bloodlines united, their forces were still somewhat weaker.
What surprised Gu Zuo was that Zhu Jiu had also been left outside, which was completely different from Zhanghao. After that, Gu Zuo used his psychic power to observe everyone’s expressions. He discovered that the attitude of the Sect Master’s bloodline towards Zhu Jiu was rather alienated. It appeared like…they weren’t on the same side? Contrary to what one might expect, Zhu Jiu’s protectors also seemed to be part of the Sect Master’s bloodline.
He couldn’t help secretly thinking that maybe there was an ulterior motive for splitting the people who came to the Great Tomb into two groups.
Gongyi Tianheng’s location was within the airtight hold of the ship.
His people were all present with Gu Zuo and the others. Not a single one was missing. Merely, they looked like they were only Tianheng’s subordinates. After receiving several glances, aside from Gu Zuo and Dragon One, none of the remaining three were even Xiantian. Their existences were practically the same as part of the background.
Tianheng looked very modest, but at this time, he should’ve wanted to negotiate for advantages. To avoid being led by the nose, he naturally spoke first to seize the initiative: “I won’t hide it from this Elder. There was indeed an inheritance in that Great Tomb, and the inheritance was indeed taken by us.”
That Elder’s expression stirred: “Oh? I’d like to hear the details.” He paused somewhat, “This student’s meaning is?”
In addition, some didn’t expect Tianheng to be so blunt and decisive. On the contrary, they looked at him with astonished gazes.
Zhanghao was also emotionally moved, and soon let out a light sigh.
Always being able to make the most cool-headed decisions during the most optimal times. On this point, he wasn’t like Gongyi Tianheng.
It was also because of this that he had always maintained some restraining fears towards Tianheng — Even though he was now full of experience and was greatly valued, and it seemed like his position was much higher than that of Tianheng, things hadn’t changed.
Tianheng smiled and said: “As a member of the Sect, since I luckily obtained some achievements in the Great Tomb, I naturally have to consider the Sect. Disciples aren’t saints, but they also aren’t selfish and cold-hearted.”
The Elder’s eyes flashed with a glimmer of appreciation: “If this disciple has given thought to the Sect, the Sect also won’t seek this disciple’s benefits. Student Gongyi, this old man can give you this promise.”
Tianheng cupped his hands: “Many thanks, Elder.”
The things he wanted weren’t merely just these, but the transaction’s first step was already tentatively achieved.
Gu Zuo blinked his eyes.
Okay, his big brother had always been courageous. He duped others before, and he could dupe the Elder now… He silently withdrew.
As he waited, he was optimistic about the outcome.
Following this, Tianheng’s expression underwent a change.
At first, he was just a bit despondent, but then he subtly gestured at Tianyang and Ling Ziwei. Those two were accustomed to listening to him, and walked forward at this moment. Under Tianheng’s instructions, they paid their respects to everyone inside — In any case, there wasn’t a single individual whose status or strength were lower than theirs. So, they had to be humble.
When the Elder saw these two people, his mind flashed with an idea. Immediately following which, he asked: “Student, this is?”
Huangfu Zhanghao and the couple of protecters all furrowed their eyebrows.
Could it be that the inheritance had been — It couldn’t have, right?
But, in fact, it did.
Tianheng sighed and said: “This tomb was actually a Human King’s tomb. When we arrived at the innermost tomb, we saw a carved statue and a woman in a coffin…”
Rather than his usual measured pacing where he’d hide or select some things, he explained most of the matter that Ling Ziwei told them to those people of the Sect Master’s bloodline.
As Gu Zuo listened, he inwardly compared it with the real facts.
After that, Gu Zuo discovered that, although his dear big brother still hid some things this time, Tianheng really didn’t utter a single false or misleading statement. Even the matter of that Remnant Soul was narrated systematically and in full detail. Nothing was omitted — Gu Zuo thought about this, and found it reasonable. This definitely wasn’t a negligent person. This Elder of the Sect Master’s bloodline was a pseudo Atomic Realm martial artist. It wasn’t known how many years this Elder had lived, but trying to act clever in front of him was just too foolish.
When concealing a little bit, perhaps the guy wouldn’t notice, but even if it was noticed, it was better than having a story full of holes. What’s more, it was said earlier that the Sect wouldn’t take a hold of its disciple’s opportunities. His big brother acting in this way would instead reassure the other party.
Just as expected, that Elder behaved as Gu Zuo anticipated. There definitely wasn’t the least bit of displeasure, and there was a profound meaning to his expression.
Tianheng finished talking: “Consequently, because my biological younger brother’s attributes were identical to that General Huo Zhan, he obtained the general’s cultivation method. As for the Young Lady Ling, because of her special constitution, she became that Human King Yan Ruo’s true inheritor!”
Amid all this, he explained that the key which opened the Human King’s tomb was the Ling Clan siblings’ family heirloom, which connected to the mission he did previously. However, he didn’t mention that the secret key returned to their side after its activation; he only said that it disappeared and was never seen again. He also talked about how they faced several challenges and eliminated the ghost corpses and blood corpses. But as for what they specifically obtained in each tomb chamber, he only said they got some cultivation methods and a few spirit weapons without mentioning the exact amounts. For the others, this was just to hint that the obtained spirit weapons had recognized masters.
The Elder finished listening. Just as he said, the things Tianheng and the others took out of the tomb chambers weren’t seized — Because it wasn’t known that there were also Golden-Level spirit weapons which were worth Atomic Realm martial artists fighting over, not a single question was asked. In addition, the gaze that fell upon Ling Ziwei was also very ordinary.
But with Gu Zuo’s keen psychic power, he realized that there was a trace of happiness in the Elder’s expression — He wanted to rope in Ling Ziwei! Moreover, he certainly knew about special constitutions and that people who possessed special constitutions were all unequivocal geniuses!
Perhaps it was also due to this reason that he feigned ignorance and didn’t even get to the bottom of this? Yes. After all, what he cared about were still the things within the innermost tomb. Those things were the most valuable.
But had this valuation fallen onto Ling Ziwei herself?
Gu Zuo inwardly shed a few tears for Tianyang’s future bumpy road to love.
According to this situation, Ling Ziwei would likely become a proud genius of Qingyun Sect in the future. Most of all, she had a Human King’s inheritance. At the very least, didn’t this mean that she could reach the same level as a Human King? It would be strange if such a personage wasn’t confessed to!
In contrast, there was Gongyi Tianyang. He had actually obtained General Huo Zhan’s inheritance, but his constitution was unfortunately limited. If he wasn’t able to invest ten thousand times the effort, then he wouldn’t be a match for Ling Ziwei. Rather, he would fail to chase after Ling Ziwei. Granted that they had the Ling Clan siblings’ favor, this also wasn’t an exception.
But after Gu Zuo shook his head, his heart became determined.
If Ling Ziwei later had a falling out with them and became hostile, it wasn’t necessary to pay attention to that kind of weak-willed behavior. It was better to allow Tianyang to reconcile his losses. But if Ling Ziwei stood by Tianyang, Gu Zuo didn’t believe that he and Tianheng didn’t have a way to collect enough for Tianyang’s betrothal gift!
If nothing else, there was still that jade circlet spirit weapon which suited Ling Ziwei… He had the craftsmanship of medicine refinement, and his big brother had business management skills and exceptional talents. With the two of them working together, even if Tianyang was a wooden club, they could elevate him up to match Ling Ziwei’s realm!
Because Gu Zuo had become increasingly experienced, the things that the system gave him were also gradually upgrading. On top of that, Gu Zuo had been able to let himself shine brightly when refining medicine several times, which allowed Gu Zuo to develop lots of confidence. In fact, in his heart, his self-confidence was so full to bursting that he clenched his fists silently.
At any rate, the future was a long ways away, and it was better to just speak about the present. He believed that when his big brother handed over his gains, Tianheng could obtain even more suitable benefits from the Sect!
Things weren’t beyond Gu Zuo’s expectations.
Tianheng had moved onto the matter of the inheritance, and discussed some things with the Elder first. One of the more crucial ones was that Ling Ziwei would be taken in by the Sect Master’s bloodline. However, a request needed to be made to the Sect Master if she specifically wanted to take on a powerhouse as her teacher. Of course, they had already came to an agreement at the start that it needed to be a peak Immortal Realm or pseudo Atomic Realm Elder who had true authority.
Ling Ziwei listened to Tianheng and that Elder’s discussion, and her heart was even more grateful towards Tianheng.
Soon after, Ling Ziqi smoothly obtained the identity of an Outer Sect disciple. Furthermore, he also obtained an Inner Sect disciple token. He didn’t need to pay the monthly tax of Scarlet Blood Rice. Rather, so long as his strength reached a certain degree, he wouldn’t have to take any tests and would directly become an Inner Sect disciple.
As for Tianyang, he similarly obtained a token. And apart from the same treatment as Ling Ziqi, he could also obtain ten nominal disciple tokens in advance. Also, there was something considered as the added benefit of being Tianheng’s biological younger brother — In other words, he could also start recruiting a team.
This portion of the transaction was to everyone’s delight and satisfaction.
It seemed that Tianheng hadn’t done anything and allowed Tianyang to take some small advantages, but it couldn’t be said as such. Tianheng had equivalently gifted the Sect a genius with a special constitution! As a result, the benefits given to Tianyang were actually to replace Ling Ziwei, who was already classified as a genius of the Sect. This was to express their gratitude to Tianheng and to show the value they had placed upon Ling Ziwei.
Everyone was very satisfied.
But, the transaction still wasn’t finished yet.
Gu Zuo composed himself, and discovered that Tianheng clutched three sheets of ancient paper in his hand. The contents of these three sheets of paper were observed by that Elder and the people of the Sect Master’s bloodline!
At this very moment, that Elder’s face was twitching even more severely. What kind of an old fox was he? At a glance, he could see the worth of these three pill prescriptions! Moreover, there was a high-level pharmacist among the trusted aides who had arrived. That pharmacist had a look where he was itching to snatch them immediately, which illustrated the might of these pill prescriptions.
These pill prescriptions represented Qingyun Sect’s peak strength!
Although the eminent and unapproachable status of Qingyun Sect was related to the Sect’s size and the prosperity of the disciples at all levels, what truly allowed them to stand tall was that they had an unbroken lineage of those at the Atomic Realm and above who could always press down upon the heads of other forces.
At this moment, Tianheng wore a smiling expression. His tone was clear and lively: “This humble disciple hopes to donate these three pill prescriptions to the Sect.”
If it was said that the Elder was happy about the smooth recruitment of the Moon Siren Body’s Ling Ziwei, then now, he was ecstatic. No matter how promising Ling Ziwei was, she was only a single individual. However, the ones who benefited from the existence of the pill prescriptions were all those who possessed peak martial power — So long as the medicinal pills were successfully made, their strengths could advance to another level! For the people who had been unable to make breakthroughs, perhaps they could take the next step!
Even if it was a little dangerous, the search for riches and honor was fraught with peril. As martial artists, was there anything that wasn’t dangerous?
Originally, Elder Zhong of the Sect Master’s bloodline wasn’t a someone who could only show dignity with a straight face, but when he saw the pill prescriptions, he couldn’t conceal a hint of excitement.
After this excitement, Elder Zhong promptly made numerous calculations in his heart. He also made a sufficient mental outline of Tianheng’s future treatment!
The Moon Siren Body couldn’t be lost. It also seemed that Tianheng’s luck and potential were both excellent, and he was discreet. They, the members of the Sect Master’s bloodline, had always known how to convert disciples. They certainly wouldn’t miss the opportunity here!
Gu Zuo held his breath.
His big brother… What could this be exchanged for?
Elder Zhong reluctantly withdrew his line of sight from the pill prescriptions. When he looked at Tianheng, his expression was almost like he was looking at a child bearing treasure. He spoke solemnly and quickly: “Student, this virtuous act is a contribution to the Sect. My Sect Master’s bloodline will certainly be generous with its treatment! This student’s current strength is already at Xiantian stage five. Normally, you wouldn’t be able to become a Core Disciple, but this old man can take charge of this decision and give this student a payment comparable to a Core Disciple. When this student reaches the Immortal Realm, you can immediately become a Core Disciple.”
— Not all Immortal Realms were Core Disciples, but a Core Disciple had to be an Immortal Realm martial artist.
And what treatment did Core Disciples have?
To say nothing of the higher monthly salary, there were often discounts when using contribution points for transactions within the Sect. For example, there were some very good and precious things that were basically impossible for non Core Disciples to select. In addition, if Core Disciples had a high degree of contribution, many good things could be discounted when making exchanges.
With regards to one’s foundations, Core Disciples could freely obtain a storefront or some other business in the Business District, allowing them to accumulate wealth. But the most important thing was still one’s team. Not only would the nominal disciple quota increase by over a hundred slots at once, even the twenty Inner Sect disciple positions could be obtained in advance!
Of course, the twenty positions didn’t mean that one could pick twenty individuals who’d yet to reach Xiantian to become Inner Sect disciples. However, this could allow some nominal disciples to enjoy the treatment of the Inner Sect ahead of time. They would even be capable of dodging the assessment just like Ling Ziqi. Once the realm was reached, a promotion was only to be expected.
Core Disciples didn’t need to reside in courtyards or valleys. They could directly have a small hill. And all of the small valleys in the vicinity of the hill also belonged to them. In addition, they could establish farmlands at their discretion on the hill, and the harvests would belong completely to them… One could also obtain a good price if they wanted to sell the crops to the Sect.
Beyond that, if one wanted to construct a mansion house on the hill, it could be submitted for the Sect to oversee for a one-time offer. Even if it was damaged someday, the Sect would come to repair it. Merely, the total expenditure couldn’t exceed a certain amount — But with things like this, the highest amount absolutely wasn’t a small number.
And so on and so forth.
Gu Zuo was envious when he first became aware of the difference between Core Disciples and Inner Sect disciples. But how long had it been since his big brother entered the Sect for him to have such treatment!
Sure enough, when following his big brother, there was meat to eat… Ah, that wasn’t right. There was good living conditions and large handfuls of medicinal ingredients.
That Elder Zhong continued to speak: “Because of the enormous contribution of this student to the Sect, you will be promoted to first-class quasi Core Disciple and will be given an additional ten thousand contribution points to show our gratitude. This student has two options for the medicinal pills refined from the Sect’s Pharmacist Hall for improving your strength. The first is to arbitrarily choose ten types of medicinal pills suitable for Immortal Ream martial artists. You may have ten pills of each type. The second is that this student may arbitrarily choose three types of pills suitable for Atomic Realm martial artists, with one of each type. These will be provided for this student’s use of cultivation.
“Aside from this, you may go to the Spirit Weapon Pavilion to choose one spirit weapon. This student will also get a token which will allow you to pass through each floor of the Martial Scripture Pavilion, and you may choose a cultivation method to peruse. Only, this student must exercise caution. You mustn’t be greedy, or else it will harm your own cultivation…”
This Elder Zhong declared the benefits that the Sect would bestow one by one. Gu Zuo listened in a dumbstruck manner. He knew that the three pill prescriptions were very useful, but he didn’t expect that there would be so many things in exchange… Soon after, he thought it over again, and realized that his big brother’s goal had been reached.
As Elder Zhong previously said, all of this was to improve his big brother’s status. This would allow his big brother to possess massive conveniences in the Inner Sect.
After that, Tianheng calmly expressed his thanks: “This disciple humbly accepts. I can’t thank you enough.”
T/N: Thanks for the corrections, Charysa.
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