Chapter 409 -409-Thorne’s Recruitment for a Companion
Chapter 409: Chapter409-Thorne’s Recruitment for a Companion
How could Thorne possibly look down on him now?
He immediately changed his tone, his voice becoming noticeably more enthusiastic.
"So it’s you! I’ve long heard of your reputation—your name is known far and wide!"
Daniel blinked.
That attitude changed rather quickly.
"Thorne," he asked, "why are you still staying in Chaosverse?"
From what Daniel remembered, countless powerful cultivators had been desperate to escape.
Why would anyone voluntarily remain behind?
Thorne let out a long sigh, one filled with unmistakable helplessness.
"I offended an Oracle-grade powerhouse and had no choice but to flee here."
"The current situation in Chaosverse is incredibly complicated. That Oracle-grade expert doesn’t dare pursue me here recklessly."
"Right now, I’ve already reached the peak of the Divine Descendant Realm. I’m only one step away from becoming a Quasi Oracle."
"So I urgently need a sacred cultivation ground where I can advance in peace."
"Unfortunately, that place is open to the public. Everything there is decided by strength."
"If I go alone..."
"I honestly don’t have complete confidence."
Daniel immediately understood.
A so-called public sacred land was not ownerless territory.
It was always controlled by one or more powerful factions that simply allowed outside cultivators to enter after paying a certain fee.
As for what level of cultivation chamber one could occupy...
That depended entirely upon one’s own strength.
Ordinarily, a peak Divine Descendant was already strong enough.
However, Thorne was an extremely cautious person who preferred minimizing unnecessary risks.
That was why he had decided to recruit a trustworthy companion.
"How many people have you recruited so far?"
Daniel asked.
"None."
Thorne answered honestly.
"There simply aren’t many Golden Holy Mountain experts left in Chaosverse."
"Ever since the seal weakened, everyone who could leave already departed."
"I contacted quite a few people."
"In the end..."
"You were the only one who accepted my request."
So that was the reason.
The number of Golden Holy Mountain cultivators remaining inside Chaosverse had already dwindled to such an extent.
Daniel wasn’t particularly surprised.
"All right."
"Where shall we meet?"
"At the harbor of the Azurebird Star System."
"The sacred land lies within that star system."
"Once we leave the harbor, we’ll reach it very quickly."
"I happen to be inside the Pyroflare Star River right now."
"I’ll head over to Azurebird Star System immediately and wait for you there."
"Sounds good."
Daniel ended the communication.
Taking out his Star Chart, he examined his current location.
There was still quite a considerable distance between him and the Pyroflare Star River.
Several days later...
The Imperial Bow Ark slowly docked at the harbor of the Azurebird Star System.
After paying a batch of Origin Crystals as the entrance fee, Daniel followed the address Thorne had provided and arrived at a stone-built tavern beside the port.
Thorne was a burly member of the human race with crimson skin, though Daniel couldn’t immediately tell which human branch he belonged to.
His face was framed by a thick beard, giving him the appearance of an honest and straightforward man.
However...
Daniel could immediately tell that beneath that simple exterior hid someone remarkably meticulous and thoughtful.
"Thorne?"
"Lord Faustus!"
Thorne’s eyes immediately brightened as he stood to greet him.
"I’ve admired you for a very long time."
"Now that I’ve finally met you in person..."
"Your reputation truly lives up to its name."
"You flatter me."
Daniel preferred not to waste time.
"Do you have any unfinished business here?"
"If not, let’s depart immediately."
"None."
"Let’s go."
Thorne was equally decisive.
The two transformed into streaks of light and shot into the starry sky.
"That sacred land is jointly managed by several different factions."
Thorne began explaining.
"Paying ten thousand cubic units of Origin Crystals grants ten days of residence."
"The energy concentration inside is astonishing."
"More importantly..."
"It contains an ancient spacetime formation."
"At the highest-tier sanctuaries, cultivating for ten thousand years inside only corresponds to a single day passing outside."
A ten-thousandfold time flow...
Daniel couldn’t help recalling his own Chrono Temple.
However, that temple only allowed a single cultivator inside.
This sacred land, on the other hand, could accommodate numerous people simultaneously.
The difference was substantial.
"However..."
Thorne continued.
"Those ten-thousandfold sanctuaries have long been occupied by Oracle-grade experts."
"They’re beyond our reach."
"The best we can realistically hope for are the second-tier sanctuaries."
"They don’t reach ten thousand times, but several thousand-fold acceleration is still available."
"That’s already exceptionally good."
Several thousand times?
Daniel silently considered the matter.
He wasn’t entirely convinced that he had no chance of competing for one of the ten-thousandfold cultivation chambers.
After all...
He possessed several Oracle-grade treasures.
Even against genuine Oracle-grade experts, he wasn’t completely without confidence.
Naturally, he kept those thoughts to himself and simply listened.
The two continued chatting while traversing countless starfields.
Soon...
The outline of the public sacred land gradually appeared on the distant horizon.
From afar, it resembled a miniature world floating quietly within the depths of space.
Like a piece of amber abandoned among the stars.
Streams of light continuously flowed through its entrance.
The entire sacred land resembled an eternal marketplace built upon the edge of the void.
Bustling.
Lively.
Overflowing with cultivators.
Daniel and Thorne stopped before the glowing entrance.
Looking at the portal through which countless figures entered and departed...
Thorne continued his explanation.
"Most sacred lands are formed through the fusion of a living world and a secret realm."
"Certain life worlds naturally evolve special regions known as Treasure Lands."
"The spiritual energy gathered there is extraordinarily dense."
"Some Great Oracle-grade experts take those Treasure Lands as their foundation."
"They then infuse them with supreme Holy Relics before constructing numerous formations."
"In the end..."
"A sacred land is born."
"Of course..."
"There are also naturally occurring sacred lands created by the universe itself."
"You’ll occasionally encounter those within the Chaos Star Sea."
Daniel nodded thoughtfully.
Back then, the Star Relic he had obtained had likewise originated from one such naturally formed sacred land.
Without lingering further...
Both of them paid the entrance fee of ten thousand cubic units of Origin Crystals before passing through the portal.
For Daniel...
Ten thousand Origin Crystals weren’t worth mentioning.
But for the overwhelming majority of Divine-grade cultivators...
It was an amount painful enough to make one’s heart ache.
Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel noticed the obvious reluctance flashing across Thorne’s face.
He almost laughed.
Ten days...
No matter what...
I’d better secure one of those ten-thousandfold sanctuaries.
Anything with merely several times—or even dozens of times—the normal flow of time simply wasn’t worth the price.
After cultivating there for ten days, only a few months would pass outside.
Naturally, very few people chose those lower-tier chambers.
The most sought-after locations were the middle and upper levels, offering hundreds, thousands, or several thousand times faster cultivation.
Ironically...
The supreme ten-thousandfold sanctuaries were almost deserted.
Not because they lacked value.
Quite the opposite.
Almost every one of them had long since been claimed by Oracle-grade experts.
Anyone below Oracle Grade shouldn’t even dream of competing for them...
Unless they possessed the confidence to challenge an Oracle-grade cultivator directly.
Thorne’s original plan had been simple.
Find two sanctuaries with roughly a thousandfold time acceleration.
Occupying chambers at that level with his peak Divine Descendant cultivation wouldn’t involve excessive risk.
The method was equally straightforward.
If someone was already inside...
Throw them out.
Then move in yourself.
He planned to occupy one chamber while Daniel occupied another, allowing them to watch over each other if necessary.
Just then...
A lean, wiry figure suddenly emerged from the crowd.