Chapter 24: Seal, Downgrade, Set the Tone

"Elder Ancestor??"

A look of shock was splashed across Luo Li’s small face, unable to comprehend why the Elder Ancestor would be so ruthless towards them.

Their cultivation base had been decreased by an entire Major Realm.

From the Shaping God Realm, they were brought straight down to the Origin Sea Realm!

Ye Yun didn’t speak, merely flicking his finger lightly.

The class of the two Emperor Level Robes was promptly lowered to Earth Level.

Next, the level of the two Divine Swords in their hands also drastically dropped to Earth Level.

Everything was being downgraded.

...

Luo Li and Jun Moxiao exchanged glances, a soul-scattering terror washing over them.

"Elder Ancestor, what are you trying to do?" Jun Moxiao wiped away a tear, his voice choked with sobs.

"To make you stronger!" Ye Yun stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Seeing their confused expressions, Ye Yun spoke softly, "True Sword Dao geniuses don’t rely on external objects. You two, however, currently rely too much on external aids. If you want to become unparalleled Sword Cultivators on the Cangnan Continent, remember this: you must strive to temper your Sword Heart as much as possible."

"The Sword Heart—the less it relies on external objects and the more it is continuously tempered, the more transparent and clear it becomes, and the more powerful it will grow."

"At that point, there will be nothing that cannot be slain by a single slash of your sword!"

After hearing the Elder Ancestor’s words, Jun Moxiao and Luo Li exchanged glances, blinking vigorously.

This cultivation of the Sword Heart had reshaped their long-held perceptions.

Ye Yun smiled faintly.

It appeared these two inexperienced children needed more time to digest his words.

This course of action was the result of Ye Yun’s careful deliberation along the way.

That Old Sword Saint, who had already achieved invincibility a hundred years ago, undoubtedly possessed transcendent skill in the Sword Dao. Once a Sword Cultivator reaches a certain realm, their combat strength becomes terrifyingly high. And one more important thing: the Old Sword Saint’s Sword Heart had long been incomparably clear, unstained by worldly dust. Such a person, even without a Divine weapon, could unleash supreme swordsmanship with even a simple wooden stick. Of course, this isn’t to say that weapons are to be rejected. If one possesses a Divine weapon, especially one of King Level or higher, it naturally enhances their power like a tiger growing wings. Ye Yun guessed... that Old Sword Saint, a Sword Infatuation deeply immersed in the Sword Dao for many years, must possess a nearly invincible and pellucid Sword Heart. Even if Luo Li and Jun Moxiao were aided by Divine Weapons, they would hardly be a match for the Old Sword Saint.

To hasten their growth, Ye Yun had sealed their cultivation bases. He also sealed their Emperor Level Robes and Divine Swords. This effectively cut off their retreat. It would force them to focus more on their Sword Dao cultivation, free from distractions, and temper a clear Sword Heart. Lowering their cultivation bases would also subject them to greater pressure. Breakthroughs achieved under such immense pressure are even faster than those made during normal cultivation in the Shaping God Realm. To defeat the Old Sword Saint of the Sword God Sect, Ye Yun had set Jun Moxiao and Luo Li on a treacherous path, akin to the perilous trails of Mount Hua. Once they successfully navigated this dangerous path, the future benefits for these two children would be immense. They would become the strongest Sword Dao titans on the Cangnan Continent, their radiance outshining all others.

This method of suppressing one’s cultivation base had also been used on Ye Yun by his master back then. The technique his master employed was identical to Ye Yun’s current approach. That was why, after Ye Yun later cultivated to the Cangnan Continent’s highest echelon, the Eternal Realm, no one at the same level was his opponent. Even ten Eternal Realm Strong Persons combined would not have been his match.

...

「After emerging from the Check-in Space.」

Ye Yun had obtained an unimaginable hoard of resources. Therefore, his initial thought was to simply pile resources onto Jun Moxiao and Luo Li to raise them. However, the appearance of the Old Sword Saint from the Sword God Sect suddenly made Ye Yun realize that this line of thinking had its pitfalls. Resources should, of course, still be used when appropriate. However, he had to impose some restrictions on the two children, forcing them to advance under pressure, so they could achieve even greater accomplishments in the future. He wanted them to strive to one day reach the glorious realm he himself had attained.

"Have you two figured it out?"

After an incense stick’s worth of time had passed, Ye Yun saw their expressions gradually calm, and he smiled gently.

"Elder Ancestor, I think I understand now," Luo Li was the first to speak.

"What about you?" Ye Yun turned his gaze to Jun Moxiao again.

Jun Moxiao’s small face flushed red, and he also quickly nodded.

"That’s good!" Ye Yun shrugged and chuckled, "Next, we will journey and challenge the Disciples of Heaven’s Pride from all major sects, letting you experience the thrill of breakthroughs under pressure."

"Okay, Elder Ancestor." Luo Li grew excited, her small face flushing crimson.

Challenging the Disciples of Heaven’s Pride from various major powers was something she had never even dreamed of before. Just the thought of it... felt exceptionally thrilling. In her eyes, these Disciples of Heaven’s Pride from major powers had always been lofty, untouchable figures. But now, she could defeat them! For a girl like Luo Li, challenging experts in the Shaping God Realm offered no sense of accomplishment at all. After all, those experts in the Shaping God Realm were all Elder Level figures in their sects, and quite old. But challenging Disciples of Heaven’s Pride in the Origin Sea Realm was different. These prodigies weren’t much older than them; some were even of similar age.

Seeing Luo Li’s excited expression, a thought struck Ye Yun. He gently patted her shoulder and said with a smile, "Luo Li, as the current Sect Master of the Dragon God Sect, have you ever considered the future development of the Dragon God Sect?"

Luo Li was momentarily stunned into silence.

When she joined the Dragon God Sect as a child, the sect had only four members in total. As the newly appointed Sect Master of the Dragon God Sect, she truly hadn’t given any thought to how the sect would develop.

"Jun Moxiao, what do you think?" Ye Yun then turned his gaze to the blushing Jun Moxiao beside her.

"Elder Ancestor..." Jun Moxiao stammered, "Could it be... you want us to start recruiting sect members now?"

Ye Yun shook his head.

Then he paused, giving the two of them a few minutes to ponder.

After another incense stick’s worth of time, seeing that neither of them had an answer, Ye Yun wasn’t disheartened. After all, these two children were still too young and had experienced too little.

"Hehe!" Ye Yun chuckled, looked at them, and said earnestly, "The development of any sect is inseparable from cultivation resources. If you start accumulating cultivation resources now, then one day, when the Dragon God Sect throws open its mountain gates and recruits disciples far and wide, you won’t have to worry."

Luo Li’s eyes instantly lit up. She giggled, clapping her hands, "Elder Ancestor, you mean... you want us to start plundering resources from the major sects while we challenge them?"

Ye Yun merely smiled without speaking.

Is that really okay?

Jun Moxiao, beside her, looked utterly shocked.

He looked helpless and said, "Senior Sister, we are the dignified Successors of the Dragon God Sect. Are we really going to rob others of their resources?"

"Hmph!" Luo Li placed her small hands on her hips, looking fierce and declared with conviction, "Why not rob? The Cultivation World has always been one where the strong prey on the weak! If our Dragon God Sect wants to grow and prosper in the future, resources are indispensable. The Elder Ancestor can’t shield us forever... We, senior sister and junior brother, will have to face the turbulent storms sooner or later, so we must start preparing now!"

Hearing Luo Li’s words, Jun Moxiao blinked, seeming to understand.

Luo Li waved her small fist and continued fiercely, "Little Junior Brother, the Elder Ancestor has already reached the True God Realm. He might leave the Cangnan Continent at any moment. When that time comes, everything will depend on us, senior sister and junior brother. So, while the Elder Ancestor is still with us, we must seize the opportunity to gather as many resources as possible!"

Hearing Luo Li articulate her thoughts so clearly, a look of admiration appeared on Ye Yun’s face.

Back then, when he was cultivating in the Dragon God Sect, he himself had plundered resources from countless sects. That was precisely what laid the foundation for the Dragon God Sect’s eventual promotion to an Eternal Sect. Now, this responsibility fell upon this pair of senior sister and junior brother.