Chapter 660: The Well-Intentioned Young Boy

“Fourth Grade Recovery Divine Pills here! The essential Elixir Pills for recovering during the Ascension Divine Hall’s trials!”

“Got equipment to reduce the pressure of the trials! Great deals, honest prices! Come on over and take a look!”

“I’ve got a special Martial Art right here! Cultivate it, and I guarantee you’ll pass the trials with ease!”

“Bullshit! If it was so easy, why didn’t you cultivate it yourself?”

“If I cultivated it, would any of you even have a chance? I’m giving you all an opportunity, get it?”

…

Inside the spacious corridors of the Ascension Divine Hall, Cultivators lined both sides, hawking their wares. All sorts of Treasures were displayed, resembling a bustling marketplace. The difference compared to the Netherworld was simply staggering. The Ascension Divine Hall in the Netherworld was directly occupied by the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom, yet this one was completely open to all, which was quite strange.

It was impossible that the Celestial Realm lacked factions as powerful as those in the Netherworld. In fact, there were surely even stronger powers here, yet no one had claimed this place for themselves. It was certainly peculiar.

‘This place is really lively. It seems the Celestial Realm respects the Creation Celestial Divine King more than the Netherworld does, so they don’t dare to monopolize this place.’

The young man surveying his surroundings in the corridor was none other than Yi Tianyun, who had just descended from above. He had learned the general situation from the Illusion Spirit here. He knew why this place hadn’t been monopolized: the Creation Celestial Divine King had originally decreed that it would be permanently open to the public, allowing anyone to enter for the trials.

The trials were held once every ten years. Any more frequently, and the Ascension Divine Hall wouldn’t be able to withstand the strain. It consumed too much Spiritual Power and required a long period of slow recovery. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have enough power for even a single trial.

This didn’t mean the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom was being arrogant; rather, the open access was limited only to the Celestial Realm. The one in the Netherworld was not open to outsiders. Because the Creation Celestial Divine King had his own faction in the Netherworld, he didn’t open that one to the public.

Since he had no faction in the Celestial Realm, it was opened to the public, allowing anyone to enter for the trials. However, it was only for the trials. The other areas were not open to just anyone. Roaming around freely here was likely impossible.

Aside from the period leading up to the trials, it remained closed at all other times.

However, no matter how heaven-defying a genius appeared here, an Inheritor would never be chosen. That was reserved exclusively for the Ascension Divine Hall in the Netherworld. The reason was simple: the Creation Celestial Divine King’s descendants were in the Netherworld.

No matter how impartial the Creation Celestial Divine King was, he still favored his own descendants in his heart, so it was perfectly normal for him to designate the Netherworld as the place to choose an Inheritor. It was just that he had left later on and could no longer change the rules.

The Illusion Spirits here looked incredibly lifelike, as if they were living beings. But no matter how alive they seemed, they were ultimately just constructs, bound to act according to the rules.

The Creation Celestial Divine King was powerful, but he was not a true god. He could not create life.

Thus, the Ascension Divine Hall in the Celestial Realm was opened to all. Coupled with the limitations of its rules, no one could monopolize it even if they wanted to. Unless a Divine King even more formidable than the Creation Celestial Divine King were to appear, it would be impossible to forcibly occupy the Ascension Divine Hall.

The reason the Ascension Divine Hall in the Netherworld could be so easily occupied was mainly because its restrictions were not as strong. The Creation Celestial Divine King had originally set it up that way, so there was no issue.

“Hey kid, how about a weapon?” a Cultivator at a nearby stall shouted at him. “With this weapon, I guarantee your trial will be much easier! The price is a steal—only five hundred thousand Spirit Stones, and it’s all yours!”

Yi Tianyun smiled, walked over to the stall, and picked up the shortsword. Onlookers couldn’t help but shake their heads, thinking a naive kid was about to take the bait.

“This is just a Low-Grade Soul Artifact, yet the price is as high as five hundred thousand Spirit Stones. Besides, is it really effective?” Yi Tianyun said with a faint smile, tossing the shortsword in his hand.

“How could it not be effective? The effect is absolutely amazing! Just buy it, and if it doesn’t work during the trial, you can come find me anytime!” the vendor said, slapping his chest with confidence.

Yi Tianyun sneered inwardly. ‘Finding him after the trial ends would be a real miracle.’

He had approached the vendor simply to gather information; five hundred thousand Spirit Stones was an acceptable price for intel. He had chosen this particular vendor mainly because he seemed like the type who would be in the know, so he decided to ask him on a whim.

Just as he was about to speak, a young man nearby suddenly shouted, “Friend, don’t buy that stuff! It’s completely useless!”

“Kid, what nonsense are you spouting!” the vendor snarled, pointing a finger at him furiously. “If you’re not buying, then keep your mouth shut! Didn’t your master teach you not to run your mouth in public?”

Startled by the shout, the young man took a few fearful steps back but still muttered in a low voice, “This is what my master taught me. He said it’s completely useless…”

Yi Tianyun, standing to the side, immediately laughed. The vendor laughed too, but his was a laugh of pure anger.

“Looks like you’re courting death!” The vendor angrily raised his hand to slap the boy away. A customer was about to take the bait; if he scared him off, this whole trip would have been for nothing.

The young man’s face paled, and he scrambled to dodge, but there was no way he could evade the slap. His cultivation was only at the first level of the Core Formation Stage—he had likely just broken through not long ago. The vendor, however, was at the second level of the Spirit Core Stage, a massive gap in power.

If the vendor didn’t even have that much cultivation, he wouldn’t dare try to make a living here. At the very least, you had to be able to fly. If you couldn’t fly, how would you escape after a successful scam?

A hand shot out and firmly gripped the vendor’s wrist, stopping him in his tracks. The one who had stopped him was none other than Yi Tianyun, who had reached out and blocked the attack.

The vendor was inwardly shocked. His slap wasn’t packed with power, but it certainly wasn’t something that could be blocked so easily. The fact that Yi Tianyun had caught his wrist with such ease meant his cultivation was definitely not low!

“Kid, what’s the meaning of this? Are you with him or something?” the vendor said, displeased. He immediately suspected the two were working together. Why else would he have intervened?

A glint flashed in Yi Tianyun’s eyes, and the vendor’s gaze immediately went vacant. He didn’t say another word, easily brought under Yi Tianyun’s control.

This place was crowded and chaotic. If he were to slap the vendor, it would be difficult to gather information afterward. Controlling him was the best option.

The young man, who had braced himself to be hit, saw the vendor freeze and immediately got scared enough to turn and run. However, Yi Tianyun quickly grabbed him.

“I don’t even know your name yet.” Yi Tianyun was somewhat intrigued by this young man. He seemed kind-hearted, willing to warn a complete stranger.

“I-I’m He Rongkun…” He Rongkun said, his face pale as he stared at the motionless vendor. He was terrified the man would suddenly attack again; he could never withstand an attack from a Spirit Core Stage Cultivator.

“He Rongkun, is it? You can go back for now. I’ll come find you later and give you a fortunate encounter.” Yi Tianyun smiled, gesturing for him to leave.

“A fortunate encounter?” He Rongkun scratched his head in confusion, not understanding what Yi Tianyun meant. But, worried the vendor would come after him, he hurried off. “Friend, don’t trust anyone here! I have to go, my master is waiting for me…”

With that, he vanished into the crowd.