Chapter 92: Leaving

Cultivation.

Cultivation!

He was already at the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage. Now, by combining the herbs from the forty-six storage rings of Tribulation Stage cultivators with the ones he’d obtained from the Heaven’s Chosen Ancient Battlefield, he had refined a pill perfectly suited for his current level.

The pill didn’t need a fancy name. It just had to meet his needs.

And his need was simple—to take the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul stage and push it one step beyond.

Even his Nascent Soul was beginning to swell.

The terrifying medicinal force transformed into the purest energy, surging through Lu Ye’s body.

The Nine-Life Undying Sutra circulated endlessly, pushing his cultivation speed to its limits.

The rolling tide of energy converted into true essence, which flowed into the Nascent Soul, expanding it. As the Nascent Soul grew, it began to release vast amounts of true essence on its own, synchronizing and refining the medicinal properties.

Lu Ye’s body started to swell and enlarge.

But it was no issue—his physique had already undergone countless refinements. The Nine Tribulations Immortal Body allowed him to withstand such overwhelming power without breaking.

He kept refining, and his reservoir of true essence grew deeper and denser. His Nascent Soul became more tangible, more vivid, and much, much larger.

Fortunately, the space within his dantian was limitless—no matter how large the Nascent Soul grew, it would still fit.

The more real his Nascent Soul became, the more he successfully transformed falsehood into reality—advancing through the final level of the Nascent Soul stage.

Like this, three days passed.

All the medicinal energy had been consumed.

Lu Ye opened his eyes. There was no cold light flashing through the void, only a calm and natural sense of completion.

It was enough.

Lu Ye couldn’t help but feel a little sentimental—his cultivation at the Nascent Soul stage had really been... luxurious.

Not long after breaking into Nascent Soul, he’d received the blessing of the Eternal Heaven’s Chosen Ranking, and the purity of that energy went without saying.

He’d broken through all the way to the ninth level in one go.

And then came this latest pill—refined from the top-tier herbs of multiple Tribulation Stage powerhouses.

As for the age-old claim that “cultivation mustn’t rely on external aids”?

Don’t kid yourself. That was just something people said to fool the ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) poor.

If external aids were useless, then why would sacred sects and divine clans fight to the death over blessed lands?

Why did people crack each other’s skulls open for resources?

If you’re a poor man, they’ll tell you that true cultivation must rely on hard work, that every step you take on the Dao must come from bitter struggle—that’s the righteous path.

But if you’re rich, they’ll tell you how miraculous their pills are, how taking them will let you surpass your peers, gain the upper hand from the very start, and keep it forever—that this is the true competition between cultivators.

All Lu Ye could say was: he ate really well.

Now that cultivation was done, Lu Ye rose to his feet.

He headed for Grand Dao Peak.

"Disciple Lu Ye requests an audience with the Sect Master."

Upon hearing this, Liu Changfeng smiled and came out to greet Lu Ye in person.

"Hahaha, Lu Ye, how’s your recovery? Do you need the sect to prepare some restorative elixirs?"

Lu Ye smiled as well.

"Many thanks for the Sect Master’s concern. This disciple is fully recovered. I came today because I’ve had a new idea and hope that the Sect Master will approve."

"Oh? Let’s hear it."

"This disciple is currently at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, only one step away from Dao Integration. But since the Grand Dao Sect has no method for integrating the Dao, I must leave for a while."

"That urgent?" Liu Changfeng’s brow furrowed slightly.

"One must not delay cultivation."

"What do you need to break through to Dao Integration? Let me see if the sect has it. Right now, things are precarious. I’ve already received word—the foreign clans beyond the realm are growing restless. Even though the other sects haven’t yet sought revenge, they absolutely won’t let things lie. If you go out now and are discovered, you won’t just face attacks from other sects—you’ll be targeted by the foreign clans as well."

Liu Changfeng was being truthful.

If Lu Ye left the sect now, without the protection of the Grand Dao Sect’s great defensive array, and was found out, then he would truly be facing the whole world as his enemy.

"The treasure I need is called Withered Man Wood. It only exists in the Western Extinguished-Buddha Desert."

"Withered Man Wood..."

It was the first time Liu Changfeng had heard of this item.

The Western Extinguished-Buddha Desert had once been a Buddhist nation. Later, a monk known as the Buddha Who Crosses the Heavens arose there. He wished to save the entire world, to make all people disciples of the Buddha, and made a grand, world-spanning vow.

And so, the sacred Buddhist lands of the West... were reduced to desert.

The entire Buddhist sect was expelled from the Great Wilderness, severing ties completely with the human race.

Now, the Buddhist sect no longer even considered itself part of the human realm. Their sole obsession was to return to the Great Wilderness and once again ignite the light of the Buddha.

"Don't be in such a rush. I’ll have people look for it."

But Lu Ye already knew—the Grand Dao Sect didn’t have Withered Man Wood. He’d searched in his previous life.

Back then, even though he had only ranked thirty-third, that was still enough to place him among the top Heaven’s Chosen of this era. When he returned from the Heaven’s Chosen Ancient Battlefield, he was treated with the utmost honor by the sect.

At that time, when he wanted to find Withered Man Wood, he also commissioned the Grand Dao Sect to search. They didn’t have it, so he turned to the Heaven’s Secrets Pavilion—and only then did he learn of its existence.

Liu Changfeng gave the order to begin searching.

In the meantime, he spoke with Lu Ye.

"If we truly can’t find it, there’s no need for you to personally seek it out. I can send someone else to retrieve it for you."

Lu Ye couldn’t help but laugh.

"Sect Master, I’m not some clueless child. Every step I take, I take after careful thought. No one else needs to look for it—I can retrieve it myself."

"If even this needs someone else to handle for me, then no matter if I’m ranked first on the Eternal Heaven’s Chosen Ranking, I’d still be raised into a useless cripple."

Liu Changfeng, of course, knew Lu Ye was right.

But it was just too dangerous.

Soon, Ji Changming returned with an answer.

No trace of Withered Man Wood had been found.

Lu Ye rose to his feet and cupped his hands.

"Then this disciple shall depart from the Grand Dao Sect. Please be at ease, Sect Master—no matter how vast the Great Wilderness is, there are only two or three people who might be able to stop me. I won’t give them that chance."

Liu Changfeng let out a long sigh.

"Very well. If you insist on leaving, then at least take the Grand Dao Bell with you!"

Lu Ye...

"Truly unnecessary. Farewell!"

Lu Ye turned and left.

Liu Changfeng fell silent for a moment, then said, "Contact Ancestor Qingfeng. Have him secretly protect Lu Ye. Make sure Lu Ye doesn’t notice."

"Yes!"

That was all Liu Changfeng could do.

He knew—from the moment Lu Ye stepped onto the Eternal Heaven’s Chosen Ranking, trial after trial would await him.

Forty-six Tribulation Stage cultivators—that was just the first gate.

But what did it mean to be ranked first on the Eternal Heaven’s Chosen Ranking?

It meant fearlessness. It meant forging forward without hesitation, breaking through every obstacle no matter how deadly. That was the true way of a Heaven’s Chosen.

Even if it ended in death—there would be no regrets.

Of course, that was Lu Ye’s path. Not Liu Changfeng’s.

Liu Changfeng was the sect master—the leader chosen by all of Grand Dao Sect. His duty was to lead the sect toward even greater glory.

Lu Ye stepped out of the Grand Dao Sect.

His brow twitched slightly.

Ancestor Qingfeng, huh...

Better shake him off now, or he’d interfere with the escape plan. There was no way Qingfeng could smooth things over if Lu Ye stirred up trouble.

So, half an hour later—

Ancestor Qingfeng, white-haired but child-faced, stood with a faint trace of confusion in his eyes.

He looked around at his surroundings. Looked at heaven and earth.

Then pulled out a transmission stone.

"What happened?" Liu Changfeng’s voice came through.

"...Lost him."

Liu Changfeng: ???

A Loose Deity... lost track of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Liu Changfeng understood.

Lu Ye did it on purpose.

Just what the hell was that kid planning?