Chapter 506: The Vestigial Hegemon

Meng Tingfeng brought Ding Mian to a mansion allocated specifically for new guest elders. He would live there under supervision. Only after passing the Numinous Sword Sect’s test would he be given the status of outer guest elder and be gifted a land of his own on one of the outer peaks.

After settling Ding Mian, Meng Tingfeng flew toward one of the central peaks to report Ding Mian’s presence. When he entered the hall to report, his figure instantly attracted several gazes full of admiration. Among those gazes, there was hostility.

He didn’t find it strange. Although he was one of the two most likely people to become an immortal emperor, it didn’t mean everyone liked him. Especially since he was originally an ascender. Compared to him becoming a decision maker of the sect, they would rather a native become the decision maker.

Meng Tingfeng found them boring. They spent all their efforts on political intrigue, no wonder their cultivation stalled. Or was it because their cultivation stalled that they focused on external power?

Becoming an immortal monarch was far more difficult than becoming a true immortal. Geniuses who became true immortals instantly lost their brilliance in front of the insurmountable wall known as the worldly law.

After reporting Ding Mian’s presence, he turned to leave. On his way out the doors, he paused and saw a man leaning on it with his arms crossed. Next to him stood a beautiful woman in pink robes.

The man wore white like him, but it was obvious his clothes were more luxurious at first glance. More than that, the man had a youthful vitality on his face. Unlike Meng Tingfeng. Although he appeared in his thirties, the hair on his temples had already turned gray and he exuded an air of vicissitude.

“I didn’t expect to see you here. Were you watching for me, Ye Chen?”

The seemingly young man in his early twenties, snorted. “Don’t put gold on your face. What qualifications do you have to make me specially come to see you? Ever since Bao Ling disappeared, no one has been my opponent.”

Although the man’s words seemed arrogant, there was a trace of loneliness to them.

“Yes, it’s a pity that Bao Ling suddenly disappeared,” Meng Tingfeng said. Although the world called the Numinous Realm called them the junior emperors of the Numinous Sword Sect, there was once a genius that overshadowed their brilliance. However, that genius mysteriously disappeared one day. With time, people forgot about that dazzling star.

“What’s to pity? It’s only bad luck. That guy disappeared before I could surpass him,” Ye Chen said, a hint of regret and anger in his voice.

Meng Tingfeng didn’t agree physically nor verbally. However, he also had some regrets. Ye Chen was proud, but so was he.

Compared to Bao Ling’s genius was like a dazzling star in the sky, he was only a lantern on the ground. However, that only aroused his fighting spirit. Since young, he had always been the one chasing others. Time after time, he had used his own hands to pull down those lofty stars.

Without Bao Ling, Meng Tingfeng felt a bit empty. There were always the immortal emperors above him and even Ye Chen, who equalled him, but he felt that compared to his previous motivation, they could not force the same pressure onto him as Bao Ling had.

“Okay, let’s not talk about him,” Meng Tingfeng said. “I have an important question to ask you.”

He walked toward Ye Chen until he was only standing less than a meter apart. He used a voice that only the two of them could hear. “Did you notice that it seems to be getting harder to sense the worldly laws?”

Ye Chen didn’t immediately answer. Instead, he narrowed his eyes. “Your cultivation may have slowed down, but mine won’t.”

“You didn’t say I was wrong,” Meng Tingfeng said. “You should have sensed that something in the world has changed. War has broken out in the Huang Realm. Wars aren’t new, but this time, it feels different. The number of forces attacking the Buzhou Immortal Sect isn’t even the peak it endured in the past, but there are hints that the Buzhou Immortal Sect might fall. It doesn’t have the foundation of yore and resembles a paper tiger. If it really was a paper tiger, it would have fallen ages ago.”

“What are you trying to say?” Ye Chen asked.

It was not a secret that Meng Tingfeng had an experience with a woman in the lower realms. Because of that one event, he felt responsible and was determined to find her. People called it true love, and because of his unwavering search that lasted thousands of years, many people had good feelings toward him. Women, too.

“That guy is too rude. Doesn’t he know that he is an outsider, no matter how long he stays?”

Well, most women.

Ye Chen grabbed the woman’s waist and pulled her to his chest. “Forget about that boring guy. Come, I heard that the Void Jade that is important to you appeared in the Northfrost Islands.”

The woman gave a smile that could light up the night sky. “Yes, Brother Chen.”

It didn’t take long for the Numinous Sword Sect to accept Ding Mian’s position as a guest elder. In fact, it took much shorter than he’d thought it would take. He expected them to keep him there for at least a few years to investigate his background. Even if he had the guarantee of the Sword Embassy, the Numinous Sword Sect should have investigated his origins more deeply.

Still, he wasn’t complaining.

What he would complain about was that they immediately put him to work. The Numinous Sword Sect wanted him to concoct as many sixth and seventh rank pills as soon as possible. If he hadn’t just ascended and was too young, they would have wanted him to concoct eight rank pills, too.

Ding Mian lost count of how many Concealed Vitality Pills he concocted. For him, it was easy to concoct top-rank Concealed Vitality Pills in batches without wasting any of the materials. However, he only showed that he could concoct high-rank Concealed Vitality Pills in batches.

The real tasks were to concoct Heaven and Earth Restoration Pills. They were rank seven pills that could heal true immortals. He had to spend a month to concoct each one and the highest quality was only middle-rank, but the Numinous Sword Sect gave him a generous amount of contribution points for each one.

Compared to the other alchemists of the sect, his speed was six times faster. It really showed that the Numinous Sword Sect’s alchemists were really average.

Ding Mian only set his level as a talented immortal alchemist, but he didn’t expect that there would be no competition from the Numinous Sword Sect. At the rate his contribution points grew, he would be promoted as an inner guest elder within thirty years.

He didn’t immediately use up the contribution points. For now, he saved them. Some resources could only be exchanged after he accrued a certain amount. Once it dipped below that amount, he wouldn’t be able to exchange them, even if he had enough points.

Ding Mian had to acknowledge the Numinous Sword Sect’s black-hearted tactic. This meant that he always had to keep a reserve, limiting the amount of contribution points.

At least, the materials to refine pills were delivered to him free of charge. No contribution points would be deducted from the pills he exchanged. He didn’t think the Numinous Sword Sect was so generous. It only showed how desperately they needed the pills.

After completing a batch of pills, Ding Mian wiped his forehead, even though there wasn’t a single drop of sweat. He waved his hand and the finished pills flew into a bottle.

“Damn, they’re really working me to the bone, this damn sweatshop. There needs to be an alchemist union to protect our rights,” Ding Mian muttered. He stretched a bit before sitting down.

He held a jade slip and inserted his immortal sense into it. There, he could read a list of all the materials and techniques he could exchange. “There’s really a lot. Oh, there’s some rare pill recipes I haven’t seen. I’m not really interested, but to keep up my act, I should buy some and improve my alchemy.”

“Oh? Heaven Severing Sword Art? That sounds like domineering. I should buy it. Hmmm? I guess I can’t find any techniques from the primordial era like the Seven Star Sword Art.” When Ding Mian finished speaking, his expression twisted a bit. A mask appeared over his face and his aura changed from frivolous to serious. “That guy, why is he always clinging to me? Doesn’t he have anything better to do?”

Ding Mian walked out, holding the bottle containing the pills in his hand. He looked at Meng Tingfeng. “Are you here to pick up the pills?”