Chapter 1547 - 1124: Ancient Crow’s Commission

Inside the palace of the Demon-Vanquishing City, several Nascent Soul Cultivators were currently gathered. Seated at the head was True Monarch Xingyuan, with State Governor Liu, Wang Kewei, and Xiao Wankun beside him.

Although the recent operation was executed by the three of them, the diversion created by State Governor Liu and others from the Righteous Sect was equally crucial. Otherwise, True Monarch Gui Xuan and True Monarch Jie Ye wouldn’t have been the only ones pursuing them at the time.

In terms of the spoils, the Sect was entitled to thirty percent. Therefore, as soon as the trio returned to Xiaoshan Prefecture, they headed straight to the Demon-Vanquishing City to report.

As True Monarch Xuan Kui delivered the report, the others—despite having seen countless grand spectacles in their lives—widened their eyes in shock. They looked Ye Jingcheng up and down, unable to recover their wits for a long time.

After all, an Early Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator slaying a Late Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator was simply too bizarre. One had to know that Ye Jingcheng had broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm less than fifty years ago at most. Furthermore, the gap between the Early and Late Stages of the Nascent Soul Realm was like a celestial chasm. If it weren’t, the title of "Late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator" wouldn’t exist.

"Daoist Qianchen, you truly hide your depths well..." True Monarch Xingyuan couldn’t help but sigh in admiration after a long silence.

As for Xiao Wankun and Wang Kewei, they were still lost in their shock. They both believed they had reached the Nascent Soul Realm earlier than Ye Jingcheng. But now, it seemed he must have possessed a Nascent Soul Secret Technique and Nascent Soul Treasure Medicine all along. He had likely broken through far earlier than them and merely concealed his progress. Otherwise, how could he have killed a Late Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator when they still struggled against veteran Early Stage ones?

"Senior Xingyuan, you praise me too highly. I merely relied on external forces," Ye Jingcheng quickly replied. "Moreover, True Monarch Yin Yuan used an Evil Cultivation Method to break through, leaving his True Essence volatile and his foundation unstable. Coupled with Daoist Xuan Kui possessing Late Stage Nascent Soul combat power, we only barely managed to kill him."

When True Monarch Xuan Kui gave the report, he had intentionally omitted any mention of Ye Jingcheng’s three Demon Emperors. Now that the group assumed Ye Jingcheng personally possessed Late Stage Nascent Soul combat power, he felt the need to offer an explanation, though he had no intention of revealing his three Demon Emperors. He also made sure to emphasize True Monarch Xuan Kui’s formidable strength, which truly rivaled that of a Late Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator.

"Regardless, you’ve made a massive contribution this time. I can grant you one request. Specifically, if you have a Lifebound Magical Treasure or any Spirit Materials, you can bring them out and let the Sect refine them for you!" True Monarch Xingyuan didn’t press for details on how the kill was achieved. Ye Jingcheng’s current combat power was beneficial to their Blood Red Faction. Besides, as mentioned before, Divine Monarch Zheng Yuan had intentions of taking him as a disciple.

A disciple of a Divine Monarch could practically be considered the next Young Sect Leader of the Righteous Sect. Naturally, the higher his strength, the better. All True Monarch Xingyuan needed to do was provide assistance. As for standard Sect rewards, ordinary treasures would no longer catch Ye Jingcheng’s eye now that he was in the Nascent Soul Realm, while Tier Five High-Grade treasures were something even the Righteous Sect itself lacked.

"I actually do have one item that requires Senior Xingyuan’s help," Ye Jingcheng said, taking out a massive, blood-colored wing.

It was none other than the wing of the Taiyin Ancient Crow.

"This Ancient Crow Wing was found in True Monarch Gui Xiao’s Storage Bag. He likely obtained it after killing True Monarch Heiyu," Ye Jingcheng explained vaguely. After the brief introduction, he asked, "I wonder if this can be refined into a Tier Five High-Grade Flying Treasure?"

"Of course it can. It’s just a pity that this Ancient Crow lost too much Essence Blood and was forcefully activated several times. Otherwise, it could have been refined into a Tier Five Top-Grade Magical Treasure," True Monarch Xingyuan said after a single glance.

Being an Artifact Refiner himself, he didn’t need to hand the wing over to anyone else; he could personally help Ye Jingcheng with the refinement. However, it was exactly because of his profession that he felt such profound pity for the damaged material. Even so, he understood that this damage was the result of a Demon Cultivator recklessly pushing the artifact and draining its Essence Blood. It most likely had nothing to do with Ye Jingcheng, so he refrained from commenting further.

"Will you need any supplementary materials?" Ye Jingcheng asked.

"There is no need for you to provide supplementary materials or Spirit Stones; the Sect will cover it. Xuan Kui, Daorong, you two also performed well this time. If you have any good Spirit Materials, you can hand them over, and I will refine a Magical Treasure for you as well," True Monarch Xingyuan said, turning to the other two.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Xingyuan, but we know we haven’t made any significant contributions. We will wait until we perform better before troubling you," the two replied with trepidation.

They could naturally tell that True Monarch Xingyuan wasn’t just being polite, but if they accepted the Magical Treasures, they would definitely be expected to risk their lives in the upcoming battles. As for Ye Jingcheng, he had already slain two Nascent Soul Demon Cultivators, so it was only natural for him to receive such treatment. They felt no envy.

"There’s no need to keep calling me ’Senior.’ Addressing me as Elder Xingyuan or Senior Brother Xingyuan will do," True Monarch Xingyuan said, correcting the three of them at once.

True Monarch Xuan Kui and Jiang Daorong’s expressions became even more complex. They understood perfectly well that "Elder" was meant for them, while "Senior Brother" was directed at Ye Jingcheng. The difference in status was massive. Because of this, their respect for the Ye Family deepened significantly.

"You don’t need to worry too much about the current situation. I went to inspect the World Gate, and there are no signs of it opening yet. It’s likely that those Evil Cultivators are planning to use a Blood Sacrifice with Cultivators’ Souls to pry it open, so there’s no need to be overly anxious," True Monarch Xingyuan explained further.

Hearing this, True Monarch Xuan Kui and Jiang Daorong’s expressions visibly relaxed. If the enemy was merely after souls, the ensuing war wouldn’t necessarily be fought to the bitter end. While it might be a devastating blow to Purple Mansion and Golden Core forces, the threat to Nascent Soul powers like themselves was much smaller.

However, Ye Jingcheng didn’t see it that way. The Central Domain itself contained several World Gates that led to other Cultivation Realms. He had even encountered people from other Cultivation Realms in the Earth Immortal Realm. This proved that Cultivation Realms were either adjacent or distant from one another. Since opening the gate required a massive amount of Spirit Stones and a Blood Sacrifice of Cultivators’ Souls, it meant the distance between their realms was either vast or heavily obstructed. It was entirely possible that even the Divine Souls of Nascent Soul Cultivators would be required. The situation was absolutely not as simple as True Monarch Xingyuan made it out to be.

Naturally, Ye Jingcheng kept these thoughts to himself.

Just at that moment, Ye Jingcheng sensed a chorus of roars echoing from outside the palace. When he swept his Divine Sense outward, he discovered that the Demon Cultivator army led by the Profound Celestial Demon Sect had already arrived at some unknown point.

As Ye Jingcheng looked outside with concern, the others followed his gaze. Clearly, none of them had expected the enemy to arrive so quickly.

"Daoist Qianchen, you can stay in the back when the time comes. Just focus on engaging Early Stage Nascent Soul Cultivators, and look for opportunities to kill a few more," True Monarch Xingyuan said with a smile.

True Monarch Xingyuan’s nature was inherently ruthless and scheming. The moment he spoke, Ye Jingcheng immediately understood his intentions. He clearly wanted to deal a heavy blow to the Demon Sect and crush their arrogance. Killing Golden Core or Purple Mansion Cultivators wouldn’t amount to much; only slaying Nascent Soul Cultivators would yield the greatest effect.

"Then I’ll rely on all of you to hold the line initially!" Ye Jingcheng replied. By feigning weakness early on, he naturally wouldn’t reveal his true strength from the start. He needed the others to bear the brunt of the attack first, making it much easier for him to seize the opportunity to kill a few enemies later.