The Arts of Sages

After the Ji Family Disciples left, Lu Chen and Ye Fan departed with the Peacock King, disappearing from the sight of the gathered cultivators.

Their names, however, soon spread far and wide. Those who dared challenge the authority of a Desolate Ancient Family had been rare throughout history.

What was more, Lu Chen had plundered the Ji Family Disciples' treasures in full view of everyone. He clearly thought nothing of the Ji Family!

"Over the long years, a few wild, defiant souls have appeared, but they all met tragic ends. No one can shake the immortal Desolate Ancient Families or the lofty Holy Lands."

"Take one step back, and the sea broadens beneath an open sky; endure a moment, and the wind stills and the waves settle...!"

"That boy surnamed Lu could overpower a Ji Family Eminent at such a young age. His talent is truly exceptional, but against a Desolate Ancient Family, I fear he will find no path to survival..." an old cultivator sighed.

"What do you know? The Peacock King dared fight the Yaoguang Holy Lord and smash the Ji Family's gates, yet he's still alive and well. Those two boys are probably cut from the same cloth. Who can say for certain that they'll fall beneath the Ji Family's might?" Someone offered a different view of Lu Chen and Ye Fan.

At that moment, they were rapidly becoming the center of attention throughout the region.

Lu Chen in particular had subdued an Eminent Elder and robbed the disciples of an ancient family-things the other cultivators dared not even imagine. Now his name and appearance had spread, becoming a topic of conversation among cultivators.

The Qixia Mountain Range in the Jin Kingdom was a vast chain of mountains, but the battle between the Peacock King and Nangong Zheng, a mighty figure of the Human Race, had left it barren, without a single blade of grass.

What was a mighty figure? Someone who could summon clouds with a turn of the palm and rain with a flip of the hand, who could blot out the heavens with one hand, standing at the pinnacle of the world and looking down upon heaven and earth. Once such a figure acted, mountains and rivers shook. This desolate mountain range was one testament to their divine might.

Whoosh!

Far away on the horizon, ten thousand rays of rosy light and a thousand streaks of auspicious radiance suddenly appeared. A hazy avenue swiftly unfurled toward them, descending upon the barren mountains. The Peacock King had arrived with Lu Chen and Ye Fan.

No outsider would have imagined that the Peacock King's secluded home lay near the site of his great battle with Nangong Zheng, less than five hundred li from the devastated mountain range.

The terrain here was steep, with peaks clustered together. It was not especially picturesque, and clouds and mist shrouded it year-round, with lakes, mountain streams, and waterfalls scattered throughout.

Among the peaks stood an unremarkable rocky mountain. It looked bare, with almost no vegetation apart from a few withered vines clinging to its slopes.

Upon arriving, Lu Chen saw the Peacock King sweep out a ray of divine light. Heavenly Stars actually emerged, as though a vault of blue sky were descending, radiating a mysterious azure glow. A doorway immediately took shape on the unremarkable rocky mountain.

He and Ye Fan followed the Peacock King into a dim, hazy passage. Only moments later, the view ahead suddenly opened up, sunlight spilling down as fresh air drifted toward them on the breeze.

An entirely different world lay within!

It was a world of fragrant flowers and birdsong, as poetic as a painting. Plants flourished, rivers ran clear, and streams wound around the mountains like jade ribbons. This Small World brimmed with life.

"Is this a world created by a Primordial Saint?" It was Lu Chen's first time seeing one of the legendary Small Worlds. Though it was not as vast as the greater universe, a sparrow might be small, but it still had all its vital organs: mountains, rivers, sunlight, and life were all present.

This was true creation!

The Peacock King smiled and nodded. "This is a world created by an ancient sage, isolated from the outside. It spans roughly fifty li. When I discovered it, it was badly damaged and on the verge of collapse. It took considerable effort to restore it to its present state."

"The arts of sages are no different from those of gods," Ye Fan marveled.

"You can stay here for now. Some old acquaintances of yours are here as well, young Brother Ye..." After settling them in, the Peacock King left the Small World, saying he was going to fetch an old friend.

"Lu Chen, thank you so much for this." Only now, with things temporarily settled, did Ye Fan solemnly thank Lu Chen.

"It was nothing!" Lu Chen shook his head dismissively. "Whatever else, we both came here from Earth. When one of us is in danger, we ought to support each other."

"A great kindness cannot be repaid with mere thanks!" Ye Fan valued loyalty and affection deeply, and he engraved this kindness in his heart.

The two stayed in a few wooden cabins covered in vines. A broad, level meadow stretched before them, filled with the breath of nature.

This Small World was like a pure land. None of the animals panicked at the sight of them. Those grazing continued to graze, and those wandering continued to wander. When someone passed nearby, they merely cast a casual glance or two.

Before the cabins lay a lake, clear enough to see the bottom, its waters bright and crystalline. Every so often, a fish leaped from its surface.

"We've only been on the Big Dipper for a little over three years. How did you cultivate so quickly?" When Ye Fan learned that Lu Chen had already reached the Dao Palace Realm, he was astonished. He did not even have a Dao Palace Profound Art yet.

"What's so surprising about that?" Lu Chen thought nothing of it. "For the two secret realms, the Sea of Bitterness and the Dao Palace, you can quickly cultivate to the peak as long as you have enough resources."

Ye Fan smiled bitterly at that. "It sounds simple enough, but how could an unaffiliated cultivator have so many resources?"

"Without the support of a major power, you can only go find them yourself."

"Exactly! I've met some old cultivators who never achieved much in their entire lives because they lacked resources."

Since Lu Chen and Ye Fan both came from the modern world, they had far fewer reservations when talking to each other.

After a long while, Lu Chen waved his hand and brought out a pile of pure source weighing over a hundred jin. Dense vital essence spread from it, and even the grass on the ground seemed to tremble with delight.

"What are you..." Ye Fan looked at all that source with great envy.

"It's for you." Lu Chen knew that, given the consumption of the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body, the Other Shore realm alone required more than a hundred jin of source. What he had given was enough for Ye Fan to break through into the Dao Palace Realm.

As for further resources, Ye Fan would have to find those himself. After all, their Immortal Paths had only just begun, and the road ahead was long. Every cultivator had to rely on himself.

"But... you went to so much trouble to get all this!" Ye Fan desperately needed resources, but he felt too embarrassed to accept them. He had just incurred an enormous debt of gratitude, and now this would be another great favor.

"Haha, you mean I went to so much trouble to rob people of it!" Lu Chen laughed. He had plundered over a thousand jin of source from those Ji Family Disciples, and he had also obtained the Source Heavenly Arts. Ordinary source was no problem for him at all.

"Then let me borrow it from you." Ye Fan still put the source away. He and Lu Chen were merely ordinary friends and fellow Earthlings; he could not casually accept someone else's resources with a clear conscience.

If Pang Bo had given it to him, he would have taken it and used it without hesitation. After all, they had been the closest of friends, as dear as brothers, for many years.

"As you like." Lu Chen waved a hand indifferently and rose from the grass. "If you want resources, go to the Northern Region of the Eastern Wilderness. That's where most source is produced."

"I've heard that the Northern Region produces source. I was already thinking of going there."

"We can go together when we get the chance. For now, I'm going to see what demons are here!" Lu Chen walked across the grass toward the depths of the Small World.