Chapter 245-246 (Patreon)

245. Worry-free Sovereign

"Who are you?" Lin Fei demanded, each word deliberately enunciated.

It had been this very man before him. He had done nothing but stand there, taking Lin Fei's saber with nothing but his flesh and blood as a shield! This saber of Lin Fei's had even rendered Jiang Tianyun to feel utter despair. Even a martial saint with Three Flowers could not have endured his saber unscathed.

Behind the man in white robes, Jiang Tianyun trembled visibly. He immediately bowed deeply and said, "Master, I greet you." The others, like Liu Hong, were even more reverent, falling to their knees and proclaiming, "We greet the Worry-free Sovereign!"

Witnessing this scene, everyone understood the identity of the man in white.

"The Worry-free Sovereign! It's actually the Worry-free Sovereign!"

"Why would a Martial Sovereign appear here?"

"Probably for Jiang Tianyun? After all, Jiang Tianyun is his disciple, the one he values the most, and the one most likely to become a Martial Sovereign."

"It'd be the joke of the century if Jiang Tianyun were to die in Illusion Worry City."

"Lin Fei and those from the Ancient Origin Sect are in real trouble now. Regardless of Lin Fei's incredible talent, against Worry-free Sovereign, he doesn't stand a chance."

Lin Fei's gaze remained fixed on the Worry-free Sovereign, sensing the magnitude of the man's identity. A grand Martial Sovereign was right in front of him. One of the two rulers of Illusion Worry City.

"Do you intend to kill me, Worry-free Sovereign?" Lin Fei inquired icily. Though confident, he was well aware that in the face of a Martial Sovereign, his present state wasn't enough. Even if he had all three flowers, without becoming a Martial Sovereign, he wouldn't be a match for Worry-free Sovereign. Killing him would be child's play for the sovereign.

"Kill you?" The Worry-free Sovereign chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I only intervened to prevent my wayward disciple from meeting his end at your hands. No matter how lacking Tianyun might be, he remains my disciple. Besides, I would not bully the weaker by attacking you. What's more, do you truly believe that if I were to strike, I could certainly kill you?"

Lin Fei was puzzled by his words. At that moment, the Worry-free Sovereign turned, gazing at the distant horizon, and called out, "Wind Sovereign, what do you think of my words?"

From Lin Fei's vantage point, he couldn't see outside the city, but from the implication of the Worry-free Sovereign's words, had the Wind Sovereign also arrived?

"Hey! Worry-free Sovereign, after all these years, you haven't changed a bit," came a voice from beyond the city walls. "I simply came to have a look. With you in charge of Illusion Worry City, I can't help but feel uneasy."

It truly was the voice of the Wind Sovereign! It seemed he had always been outside and hadn't entered Illusion Worry City. But with the mystical abilities of a Martial Sovereign, even from outside, he could discern all that transpired within. It was likely he had seen the entire clash between Lin Fei and Jiang Tianyun.

"Enough, be on your way. However, let there not be a next time. Next time, even the face of the Wind Sovereign will not suffice..."

Though the Worry-free Sovereign's face still bore a smile, Lin Fei and the martial saints of the Law Enforcement Hall seemed to feel an icy chill to the bone. Soon after, the Worry-free Sovereign took a single step, transforming into a beam of flowing light, disappearing without a trace.

"Lin Fei, come back," came the voice of the Wind Sovereign, transmitted to Lin Fei's ear, clear and sharp despite the distance of an entire city. This was the prowess of a Martial Sovereign! Such abilities, almost supernatural, far beyond the imagination of ordinary martial artists, even beyond that of martial saints.

Lin Fei did not hesitate. The previous words of the Worry-free Sovereign were clearly a warning. Though the Worry-free Sovereign seemed affable and approachable, perhaps such a person was the most terrifying of all.

Lin Fei could vaguely guess that if the Wind Sovereign had not been outside the city, the Worry-free Sovereign might indeed have executed him and all the martial saints of the Law Enforcement Hall.

"Go!"

Lin Fei did not hesitate, leading the dozen or so martial saints of the Law Enforcement Hall, quickly transforming into a beam of flowing light, leaving the Illusion Worry City.

This scene caused a shock to many martial artists and Qi cultivators within Illusion Worry City, and they dared not even discuss it. This matter involved the two great Martial Sovereigns of Illusion Worry City and the Ancient Origin Sect; it was not something they could casually comment on. They dispersed quickly.

However, the name of Lin Fei, the Dao Seeker of the Ancient Origin Sect, would likely soon spread throughout Illusion Worry City, even reaching various other places.

At this moment, outside Illusion Worry City, Lin Fei and the martial saints of the Law Enforcement Hall had already arrived whereupon a small hill stood the Wind Sovereign.

"Greetings, Sovereign!" they hurriedly advanced to pay their respects.

"Elder Lin, you have many doubts, right?" Wind Sovereign said with a smile.

Lin Fei nodded. He indeed had many questions.

"Wind Sovereign, why did you come to Illusion Worry City but not enter it?" Lin Fei asked.

"Enter the city?" Wind Sovereign shook his head, sighing deeply. "In the beginning, our three great forces made an agreement with Illusion Worry City. Sovereigns cannot enter the city. Therefore, I could only stay outside, intimidating the Worry-free Sovereign. So that he dare not lay hands on you. If he were to act, it would break the rules. We, the Ancient Origin Sect, would immediately level Illusion Worry City!"

Lin Fei said nothing, for his heart held its own judgment. Was Wind Sovereign's reluctance to enter Illusion Worry City truly due to the agreement? Perhaps it was not so simple. If it were truly possible to level Illusion Worry City, it would likely have been done long ago. Why wait until now?

The Wind Sovereign did not enter Illusion Worry City for one singular reason: apprehension. The Wind Sovereign was wary of certain individuals within the Illusion Worry City. Or perhaps, he feared a particular power. Even the Ancient Origin Sect, Profound Light Cave Heaven, and the Red Hades Mansion harbored a hesitancy towards a specific force within Illusion Worry City. Thus, they permitted such a unique place as the Illusion Worry City to exist.

However, all of this had no relevance to Lin Fei. After this event, Lin Fei vowed never to set foot in Illusion Worry City again. Otherwise, the Worry-free Sovereign might truly take action against him.

"Lin Fei, you executed this mission impeccably," Wind Sovereign praised, "You upheld the prestige of our Ancient Origin Sect! Moreover, you even made the Worry-free Sovereign swallow a bitter pill. Hahaha! Outsmarting the Worry-free Sovereign is no mean feat."

The Wind Sovereign seemed thoroughly pleased with Lin Fei's performance during this mission. Under the gaze of all, Lin Fei had defeated Jiang Tianyun. Even the Worry-free Sovereign felt compelled to intervene personally, rescuing Jiang Tianyun from the clutches of defeat. In essence, this made the Worry-free Sovereign suffer a setback. Such a revered Martial Sovereign, held in such high esteem, was forced to stoop so low as to intervene on behalf of a lesser, rescuing Jiang Tianyun. For someone as proud as the Worry-free Sovereign, this was an unprecedented event.

It seemed that the Wind Sovereign took great delight in seeing the Worry-free Sovereign's loss. Perhaps the two had crossed paths more than once in the past.

"Very well. You all have performed exceptionally on this mission," Wind Sovereign continued, "Each of you shall receive a substantial amount of contribution points. Lin Fei, your reward is even greater! Now, let's head back."

And with that, the Wind Sovereign personally led the group away from Illusion Worry City, heading back to the Ancient Origin Sect.

246. Century Flood Dragon

Inside the cave dwelling of the Ancient Origin Sect, Lin Fei was awarded a whopping 30,000 contribution points. According to Wind Sovereign, the sect usually only gave out 20,000 contribution points. However, considering Lin Fei's exceptional talents, deeming him a potential Martial Sovereign, an additional 10,000 points were added.

But at this moment, Lin Fei wasn't concerned about the contribution points. He was awaiting something else. During the battle, he had barely noticed a notification from the system in his mind. There was one notification: his Holy Spirit Saber Technique had experienced an epiphany due to his audacity to challenge a Martial Sovereign. And this epiphany hadn't yet concluded.

This epiphany seemed more extended than usual. Unlike the Flame Burning Heaven Saber and Rainbow Transformation Saber Technique, the Holy Spirit Saber Technique seemed to grow stronger against more potent foes and thrived in situations where it was the underdog.

In the heat of the battle, Lin Fei had merged three saber strokes into one and aimed it at the Worry-free Sovereign. This led the Holy Spirit Saber Technique into its profound epiphany.

"Your Holy Spirit Saber Technique's epiphany has concluded, and it has successfully grasped the 'Holy Realm'. Your Holy Spirit Saber Technique has now reached perfection!"

Boomed the system's voice in Lin Fei's mind. A sudden surge of memories flooded his consciousness—these were insights into the perfected Holy Spirit Saber Technique.

Swiftly, Lin Fei integrated this newfound knowledge, mastering the perfected state of the Holy Spirit Saber Technique. The power of this Martial Saint-level saber technique was beyond Lin Fei's imagination. Once perfected, it was immensely formidable.

With the Holy Spirit Saber Technique in its perfected state, Lin Fei could instantly immerse himself in the "Holy Realm". The might of his saber strokes under this realm would be tremendously amplified. When combined with his triple saber merge, its power would see an exponential increase.

"For the first time, my saber technique has progressed directly from mastery to perfection," Lin Fei mused a gleam of realization in his eyes.

However, he was well aware that this was an exception—a very special situation, something serendipitous. Encountering a Martial Sovereign as a Martial Saint was rare, let alone challenging. Though Lin Fei didn't directly challenge the Martial Sovereign, his triple merged saber stroke had genuinely struck the Sovereign. Hence, the significant improvement in his Holy Spirit Saber Technique.

Not only did his Holy Spirit Saber Technique see such an upgrade, but his Flame Burning Heaven Saber and Rainbow Transformation Saber Technique also experienced growth. But back then, with his focus wholly on the Worry-free Sovereign, Lin Fei had ignored the system's notifications.

"System," Lin Fei muttered, invoking the system's interface to inspect his current martial arts status.

Host: Lin Fei

Martial Arts Realm: Limit Martial Saint

True Intention Myriad Transformation Technique: Perfection

Blood Essence Nine Transformations: Seventh Transformation (Progress: 12%)

Holy Spirit Saber Technique: Perfection (Progress: 0%)

Flame Burning Heaven Saber: Perfection (Progress: 0%)

Rainbow Transformation Saber Technique: Perfection (Progress: 0%)

Saber Momentum: Transcendence (Progress: 0%)

Lin Fei stared at the system's display, noting that the Holy Spirit Saber Technique, Rainbow Transformation Saber Technique, and Flame Burning Heaven Saber had all reached perfection. Clearly, this was due to the combined strike he unleashed on Worry-free Sovereign.

Thoughts of ambition and slight recklessness began to emerge in Lin Fei's mind. If one strike could bring about such rapid improvement, what could multiple strikes achieve? Would he then grasp the saber intents of the three saber techniques and subsequently evolve their saber momentums?

But such thoughts were dangerous. Following this train of thought, Lin Fei might be tempted to seek out and challenge another Martial Sovereign. However, confronting a Martial Sovereign was no small matter. Even with his current perfected techniques, challenging a Martial Sovereign would likely be suicidal. If not for Wind Sovereign's presence outside the city during his encounter with Worry-free Sovereign, the consequences might have been dire.

Shaking his head, Lin Fei tried to rid himself of these dangerous notions. He might have perfected three Martial Saint-level saber techniques, and even with the power of combining these techniques, challenging a Martial Sovereign—a being who had broken the shackles of Life Wheel and harnessed ultimate power—was still out of his league. The power gap between Martial Saint and Martial Sovereign was vast.

"I now have 30,000 contribution points," Lin Fei mused. "My Qi Flower has formed, but my Spirit Flower, despite the perfected saber techniques, can't be enhanced for now. However, I can enhance my Energy Flower by consuming the flesh and blood of exotic beasts, pushing my Blood Essence Nine Transformations to the ninth transformation."

With his current wealth, Lin Fei considered visiting the Treasure Exchange Pavilion. While he could hunt exotic beasts in the sea, he no longer needed ordinary ones. He required beasts on par with Limit Martial Saints. Even in the vast seas, encountering such beasts was rare. Venturing deeper would only increase the risk of encountering beasts equivalent to Martial Sovereigns, which would spell trouble.

Lin Fei now possessed a large number of contribution points. Exchanging these for the flesh and blood of exotic beasts was the safest approach. So, he headed straight for the Treasure Exchange Pavilion.

At the pavilion, Lin Fei returned the remaining thirty-six Essence Enhancement Pills and received 3,600 contribution points in exchange. Combined with the 30,000 contribution points he earned from completing the Illusionary Worry City mission, he now had a total of 33,600 contribution points - a truly impressive number in the Ancient Origin Sect.

"Do you have the flesh of any powerful exotic beasts?" Lin Fei inquired straightforwardly.

"Of course. Elder Lin, I presume you want it to enhance your blood essence? Our Ancient Origin Sect offers an extensive collection of such materials," the attendant replied.

Lin Fei nodded. The flesh of exotic beasts was more abundant than pills that increase one's inner energy. Many Martial Saints, given sufficient resources, could elevate their physical bodies to the pinnacle and form an Energy Flower. Unlike Qi Flower, which required specific cultivation techniques and pills to progress, the Energy Flower was mostly about resource accumulation. The challenge, however, lay in obtaining the vast amount of resources required.

Of all the Limit Martial Saints, those who formed an Energy Flower were the most numerous due to the straightforward nature of its cultivation.

"I require flesh corresponding to the level of Limit Martial Saints," Lin Fei stated. Regular exotic beast flesh would be too slow for his needs. To advance his Blood Essence Nine Transformations to its ninth stage, he needed the essence of more potent creatures.

"No problem. How about a Century Flood Dragon?" the attendant suggested. "It hasn't matured to a millennium yet, so it hasn't transformed into a true dragon. Once it does, it would be at the level of a Martial Sovereign. We can't dare to mess with or capture a Millennial Flood Dragon. However, a Century Flood Dragon, which rivals a Limit Martial Saint who has formed an Energy Flower, can be obtained. But it's expensive, costing 10,000 contribution points."

"10,000 points? Show it to me," Lin Fei responded, eyes gleaming.

Before long, he was presented with a Century Flood Dragon. Its massive form, spanning hundreds of feet, lay listlessly as if its internal power was sealed. Seeing its potential, Lin Fei agreed to the deal. "10,000 contribution points. Deliver the Century Flood Dragon to my cave dwelling."

"Understood."

Lin Fei then returned to his dwelling, waiting patiently for the Century Flood Dragon to be delivered.