Immortal and Martial Dual Cultivation

Xiao Chen thought about what Pan Huang said. If the Hidden Spirit Temple invited me over because of the Ancient Yan Emperor Tomb’s matter, then what about Yuan Zhen?

If I recall right, Yuan Zhen also has an Ethereal Immortal Palace key. Furthermore, he is the strongest true inheritor of his generation.

Could it be that the Hidden Spirit Temple does not know that Yuan Zhen already has an Ethereal Immortal Palace key?

Strange! I had better ask the abbot later.

Putting this matter aside for now, Xiao Chen asked, “Senior, how much do you know about the Ancient Yan Emperor Tomb?”

Pan Huang scratched his head. After some thought, he said, “Let me think about it. I entered the Ancient Yan Emperor Tomb once. However, that was very long ago. The Ancient Yan Emperor Tomb is a Royal Clan secret realm that gathers all of the Yanwu Dynasty’s Luck. All the dynasty’s accumulations are concentrated there, among which are many inheritance treasure troves that open only during the succession race.

“If I recall right, every prince has a certain number of slots for guests during the succession race. This is to help them snatch Luck and take the crown prince position. However, these guests have to be younger than five hundred years old. Aside from that, there are no other conditions.”

Finding it strange, Xiao Chen asked, “Why do they have to be under five hundred years old?”

Pan Huang smiled and said, “Just think about it. That place abounds with inheritance treasure troves. What if an overly strong old monster showed up and took away all the inheritance? If that person felt murderous, he could kill all the princes. Haha! At that time, there would be no successor in the entire dynasty.”

Xiao Chen understood. The hearts of men were hard to predict. Instituting some restrictions was necessary.

“However, the competition inside is flabbergastingly great. Everyone knows about the Ancient Yan Emperor Tomb’s benefits. During every succession race, all the experts under five hundred years old in the entire Great Thousand Realms, or more accurately, the entire Martial Epoch, will gather at Yan City to fight over these limited slots.

“The various sects and Noble Clans in the dynasty made preparations long ago, focusing on nurturing talents under five hundred years old. Even if the prince they support does not become the crown prince, they can take away the inheritance they obtain there.

“Those ambitious princes with high statuses search and visit experts in the Martial Epoch. The guests of those princes will absolutely be experts among experts.”

Xiao Chen felt slightly stunned. He had heard that the succession race would be very intense, attracting all the Sovereign Emperors in the Martial Epoch. Now, it looked like it was true.

If it was as Pan Huang said, after the many rounds of selection, the Sovereign Emperors who managed to get a slot would be the best in their fields.

Pan Huang paused here. Then, he smiled and asked, “What do you think about the Ancient Yan Emperor Tomb?”

“Me?”

“That’s right. What are your thoughts?”

Xiao Chen thought for a while before answering, “I am not very interested in the inheritance treasure troves. However, I will not shun them, either. After all, no one would shun treasures. However, the focus would be on the Ethereal Immortal Palace.”

Pan Huang said indifferently, “The predictions about the Ethereal Immortal Palace had never been right before. I chased after it twice in the past and returned with nothing both times.”

“Senior is interested in the Ethereal Immortal Palace?”

“That is natural. The Wings of Time is now the only Transcendent Grade Soul Tool in the Martial Epoch. Which Faux God would not care? However, I’m not too interested now. Not to mention the accuracy of the predictions, it is impossible to gather the seven Ethereal Immortal Palace keys, especially the inheritance key.”

“Then, why is the Hidden Spirit Temple so nervous about this?”

“It is always wise to play safe.”

Pan Huang raised his eyebrow. Then, he looked behind Xiao Chen and said, “The abbot is here.”

Xiao Chen turned his head back and saw three old monks outside the courtyard. Their cultivations were incredibly horrifying, unfathomable.

One of the three old monks wore a golden kasaya and held a Buddhist monk’s staff. Barring any surprises, this should be the Hidden Spirit Temple’s Abbot Xu Ye. The one on the left was Xu Yun. The unknown old man on the right looked at Xiao Chen with some hostility.

Xiao Chen did not know where this hostility came from, as he had never met that person before.

“Benefactor Xiao, this is my senior brother, the abbot. And this is my junior brother Xu Ming,” Venerable Xu Yun introduced to Xiao Chen after stepping forward.

“You chat first. I’ll give you some privacy.”

Pan Huang stood up and smiled faintly. Before he left, he sent a voice projection to Xiao Chen. If you want more benefits, then don’t be soft. Don’t judge their wealth by this plain and simple place; they are actually very wealthy.

Xiao Chen felt speechless. This Senior Pan Huang is really unbridled in his speech; there is no semblance of an expert or a senior at all. I wonder what the abbot would think if he knew about Pan Huang’s voice projection.

“Greetings, Seniors,” Xiao Chen saluted calmly as he performed a cupped-fist salute.

After returning the greeting, Abbot Xu Ye said straightforwardly, “I believe you know that Junior Brother Xu Yun still has things that he has not told you yet. I was the one that orchestrated his invitation of you here, so I’ll explain it.”

“Please, do speak frankly.”

“The Ancient Yan Emperor Tomb will be opening in two months. This old monk already knows that Benefactor Xiao holds an Ethereal Immortal Palace key and will enter with the Ninth Prince.”

Indeed, it was as Pan Huang guessed.

Xiao Chen’s expression did not change. “Indeed. Does the Venerable Abbot have any instructions for me?”

Abbot Xu Ye paused for a moment before replying, “If the Ethereal Immortal Palace does appear, I would like to ask Benefactor Xiao to do your best to ensure that the Wings of Time does not fall into the demonic cultivators’ hands.”

Xiao Chen felt slightly surprised. As he looked at Abbot Xu Ye, he asked, “Senior, are you that sure that the demonic cultivators will enter the Ancient Yan Emperor Tomb?”

Venerable Xu Yun said, “Some of the Royal Clan Elders had been working with the Azure Lotus Church in secret for a long time. They are bolder now, even permitting them to enter a Royal Clan forbidden land like the Ancient Yan Emperor Tomb.

“They think that no one knows, but my Hidden Spirit Temple has the means to find out.”

Xiao Chen frowned. “I don’t understand. Isn’t working with the Azure Lotus Church working against their interests?”

The abbot sighed helplessly, “The people of the Royal Clan have their own ways of doing things. They think that they can manipulate the Azure Lotus Church and use them to counter my Hidden Spirit Temple. In reality, it is as Benefactor Xiao said; they are just working against their own interests. However, there are always people who consider themselves smart, thinking that they can control everything.”

“I understand.”

Xiao Chen nodded to indicate his understanding. Perhaps to the Royal Clan, both the Azure Lotus Church and the Hidden Spirit Temple were not good things. The best choice would be to let the two balance each other.

However, Xiao Chen had another question. Does the Hidden Spirit Temple know that Yuan Zhen has an Ethereal Immortal Palace key as well?

“Has your honored temple ever thought of working with a prince? Wouldn’t that be more direct?” Xiao Chen probed after some thought.

Venerable Xu Yun smiled bitterly. “The Royal Clan sees the Hidden Spirit Temple as a tiger to flee from. Even if the Hidden Spirit Temple supports a prince in the succession race, they will not permit the Hidden Spirit Temple disciples to enter. Otherwise, we would not have to bother Benefactor Xiao.”

Xiao Chen said after some silence, “I find this strange. Even if you did not say anything, I would not just stand by and watch someone else snatch away the Wings of Time.”

Xu Ming, who had been silent all the while, said coldly, “Are you going to stop them? With what? With your strength, it would already be very good if you don’t end up dying.”

Xiao Chen found this strange. From the moment Xu Ming arrived, he showed hostility in his eyes. Now, his words were so harsh.

Xu Yun quickly said, “Benefactor Xiao, please don’t take offense. My junior brother’s words are a little harsh, but they are the truth. Senior Brother Abbot sought you out because he is worried that you and the Ninth Prince are not strong enough to stop the Azure Lotus Church.”

“So?”

Abbot Xu Ye said, “So, this old monk decided to lend you a hand. This is a bodhi seed that was placed at Spirit Vulture Mountain’s summit for ten thousand years. It has powerful suppression effects on the evil Buddhist sects. If the Ethereal Immortal Palace really appears, Benefactor Xiao can use this item to suppress the evil Buddhist sect experts.”

Xiao Chen received the item, a scarlet bodhi seed. When he looked carefully, he discovered dense and tiny carvings on the seed. These were divine characters, more than ten thousand of them.

“What is carved on it?”

“The Kāśyapa Scriptures, the supreme scriptures of the Buddhist sect. Before this scripture, any heresy will be suppressed. Those not strong enough might even turn to ashes on the spot. However, it is not very useful on people not of the Buddhist sect. This item is exceptionally precious. If the Ethereal Immortal Palace does not appear, I hope Benefactor Xiao will preserve it,” Abbot Xu Ye instructed softly as he looked at the bodhi seed in Xiao Chen’s hand somewhat reluctantly.

Xiao Chen smiled faintly and did not say anything more. Now that it was in his hands, he naturally had no reason to give it away.

However, just this scarlet bodhi seed alone would be insufficient to convince Xiao Chen. He said calmly, “I still want one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“A copy of the manual for the last six moves of the Mahāmāyā Abstinence Violation Saber Technique.”

Although rumor had it that the secret manuals were already lost and that the Hidden Spirit Temple did not have a complete copy, Xiao Chen did not believe it.

Even if the original was already gone, the Hidden Spirit temple should have preserved copies.