The venerated forefather smiled wryly when he noted Jiang Chenâs glum mood.
He knew the young man wasnât terribly happy. Jiang Chen had made great contributions to the Eternal Sacred Land, but in return, the sacred land hadnât offered much to him.
There were the resources in the vault, but the forefather had only let Jiang Chen take whatever he wanted because the most valuable hadnât been stored there. What had been available for selection was far from the best treasures.
Moreover, rewards had been promised to Jiang Chen for aiding the Martial Sacred Land, but the promised payout had yet to materialize. Heâd been too busy to even meet with Jiang Chen until now.
âJiang Chen,â the forefather said with a smile. âItâs not like you to be so quiet.â
Jiang Chen shrugged and responded with a hint of displeasure, âYou made a lot of promises before you sent me to the Martial Sacred Land, Forefather. You havenât fulfilled any of them.â
Feeling guilty, the forefather smiled coyly. âItâs all my fault. The sacred land is running a little low on resources. But... for those who have contributed to our cause, the sacred land wonât be stingy. Tell me what you want. Iâll make it happen.â
âI donât want to make things difficult for the sacred land,â Jiang Chen replied faintly. âI only want spirit stones.â
If heâd asked for anything else, the sacred land mightâve been able to weasel out of it, claiming that the times were too tight to give him what he wanted. However, spirit stones were something the sacred land must be able to afford.
âSpirit stones?â The forefather smiled. âHow many? I know you want to reactivate the Great Formation, but that will consume a considerable amount of stones. Even we may not be able to afford to do so. You know, Jiang Chen, the sacred land canât even keep everyone fed now...â
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. He hadnât even gotten started and the forefather was already claiming to be poor..
âIâm not asking for much,â Jiang Chen said with a smile. âHow about the sacred land contributing ten percent of the stones I need?â
The forefather considered the proposal, rubbing his chin. He slapped his thighs. âAs long as you agree to partake in the genius competition, weâll try our best to get you the stones!â
âTry your best?â Jiang Chenâs voice was tinged with annoyance.
âWe... we will get you the stones,â the forefather promised through gritted teeth.
He hadnât been lying when he said the sacred land was poor. If they hadnât raided a few families after putting down the rebellion, theyâd have been even poorer. The offworld battlefield was an endless maw of consumption. No matter how wealthy one was, the wealth would be depleted sooner or later.
More importantly, the invaders had grown a lot more active these days. The sacred land was finding it very difficult to fight them off, which was why the forefather barely had any time to stay in the sacred land.
Noting Jiang Chenâs disinterested mood, the forefather couldnât help but ask, âHow many more stones do you need, Jiang Chen?â
âMany. The more the merrier.â Jiang Chen had realized that he needed to keep some secrets from the forefather. If he admitted he only had to collect twenty percent of the total he needed, the forefather wouldnât take his request seriously and might even complain even more loudly about how poor he was.
The venerated forefather tried to bring Jiang Chen to his side. âThe genius competition this year is different from what it was before. Itâs being jointly hosted by all ten sacred lands. Every genius, no matter where you come from or what cultivation level youâre at, will be given priority.
âItâs going to be a very exciting event. Many rewards are being offered. Itâll be a great opportunity for you to make a fortune! Donât you know how to refine the Taiyi Skymender Pill and the Crowning Empyrean Pill? At the competition, you can exchange the pills for a good amount of spirit stones.â
Jiang Chen smiled wryly. âHas the sacred land stooped so low that you need me to sell pills for money?â
âTo be honest with you, the sacred land isnât in decline. Itâs just that weâre really very poor. The offworld battles are sucking up all of our resources. You donât know how difficult it is to maintain the faction!â The venerated forefather was determined to play up his suffering.
Jiang Chen shrugged. âI can sell pills for the stones, but Iâll need the sacred land to provide the ingredients. How else am I going to find all the rare ingredients otherwise?â
The forefather pulled a reluctant face. He responded after a moment, âYouâre our most promising young genius. Of course weâll do our best to fulfill your request. Ah yes, the offworld battlefield is seeing a lot of action lately. Are you interested in checking it out?â
Jiang Chen shook his head without hesitation. âNo, not for now.â
The forefather cackled but didnât insist. Heâd promised Jiang Chen that the young man wouldnât have to go until the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement was activated, ensuring that the human domain was fully protected. The domain was their back door, and securing it was of utmost importance.
So seeing how resolute the young genius was, he didnât try to convince otherwise.
The young man was no longer someone whom the sacred land could order around. Instead, they had to cater to the young manâs needs. For one, Jiang Chen had the Vermilion Bird on his side. In addition, his personality, ability, and potential alone warranted the sacred landâs special treatment.
If they failed to keep Jiang Chen happy, other factions would immediately make a move to steal him away.
Sensing the forefatherâs single-minded focus on the offworld battlefield, Jiang Chen asked, âWhat do the ten sacred lands think about the inmates escaping from the Boundless Prison, Forefather?â
âThe Boundless Prison? Quite a lot have escaped, but they havenât gained a foothold in Myriad Abyss yet. I donât think theyâre going to cause that much trouble anytime soon.â But the forefather wasnât entirely sure of his answer.
Jiang Chen frowned. âForefather, the ten sacred lands will suffer greatly if you underestimate them.â This wasnât him being an alarmist.
âWhat do you mean?â the forefather asked with a grave expression.
âMy instinct tells me that those fugitives will try to topple the ten sacred landsâ rule over Myriad Abyss.â
Jiang Chen had already met two groups of fugitives: Divine Kasyapa and his men, and the group at Cloud Camel Mountain. Neither were easy prey. If allowed to settle down, they were bound to stir up trouble and plunge Myriad Abyss into chaos.
The forefather looked a little lost. He sighed. âIf they have even a lick of conscience, they wonât do anything now. Myriad Abyss canât afford another civil war. If conflict breaks out again and we run out of people and resources to sustain the war against the offworld invaders, Myriad Abyss will meet its doom...â
Everyone understood that logic.
Jiang Chen reminded him, âForefather, donât forget that not all of the inmates are from Myriad Abyss.â