NOVEL WEB Chapter 243: Cultivation Progress
Chapter 243: Cultivation Progress
Xu Lian had spent three comfortable years in the ancestral land of the Divine Clan. His days were filled with leisure – lying drunk on the laps of beauties and waking up beside his children.
The happy times always seemed to pass quickly, and if it weren’t for the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land urging him three times to report his cultivation progress, he might have almost forgotten about the strange and dangerous world outside.
“Father-in-law, the Holy Lord, I know, I know! Stop rushing me!” Xu Lian vented his frustration at the token given to him by the Heavenly Mystic Holy Lord, and then ended the communication from the Elder Hall.
Currently, he had 57 progression points. Although he had already accumulated enough to advance to the Supreme Realm, there was still the Ascension Stairway beyond that.
Who knew how long the Ascension Staircase would take? Thus, his “small goal” of saving up 100 progression points was still not complete.
However, having been in seclusion in the Divine Clan’s ancestral land for three years without emerging, he had effectively been dormant for three years. The Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land, seeing that the cultivation levels of the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens from the other eight sacred lands were steadily increasing, had grown impatient with him and Yu Qingyao, the Nine Heavens Holy Maiden.
The elders of the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land had convened three times, urging the Heavenly Mystic Holy Lord to deliver their message three times, demanding that Xu Lian and Yu Qingyao come to the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land to assess their cultivation progress over the past three years.
“What’s wrong with my cultivation stagnating for three years? Isn’t it for the sake of having more children and accumulating progression points? For the sake of explosive growth in the future, what’s wrong with delaying for three years?
Those old fogies are forcing me to improve my cultivation. As my cultivation improves, my physique will develop, my bloodline will become stronger, and it will be harder for me to have children. This is like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs-it’s shortsighted!
But if I disobey the Elder Hall’s order and don’t go to the cultivation assessment, they’ll strip me of my status as a Holy Son of the Nine Heavens and stop providing me with the Supreme Cultivation Resource Package.”
Xu Lian felt a headache coming on. He couldn’t explain the issue of progression points to the Elder Hall, nor could he clarify why his cultivation had stagnated for three years. If he ignored the Elder Hall, he would anger them, lose his position as a Holy Son of the Nine Heavens, and forfeit his Supreme Cultivation Resource Package-something he couldn’t bear to lose.
After all, he needed a total of five Supreme Cultivation Resource Packages to advance to the Supreme Realm. The one provided by the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands was crucial for him.
Don’t underestimate a single Supreme Cultivation Resource Package-it was essentially a “Supreme Gift Package,” containing controlled cultivation resources for the Return to Void Realm, Return to Truth Realm, Nine Tribulations Realm, Unity Realm, Sage Realm, and Supreme Realm.
No amount of Spirit Stones could buy such a package; only top-tier forces could provide it. Even second- or third-tier powers would have a hard time gathering the resources for such a package!
Therefore, the top-tier powers attached great importance to those who received a “Supreme Gift Package” and constantly monitored their cultivation progress. If their progress slowed down even a little, the top-tier forces would become worried.
Xu Lian hadn’t been to the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land for three years, so the Sacred Land had no idea about his cultivation progress. How could they not be worried? They had invested a “Supreme Gift Pack” in him, hoping to cultivate an expert at the highest level. If his progress didn’t meet the standards and he couldn’t surpass his peers, what was the point?
Therefore, the Elder Hall had issued a strict order, demanding that Xu Lian and Yu Qingyao report to the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land within five days to assess their cultivation progress. If he failed to show up, the Elder Hall would strip him of his position as a Nine Heavenly Holy Son, stop providing him with the Supreme Cultivation Resource Package, and select a new Nine Heavenly Holy Son to receive the package instead.
“Fortunately, the women’s cultivation hasn’t lagged behind in the past three years. Their physiques and bloodlines have improved slightly, so my advancement in cultivation rank won’t affect our ability to have children.”
After some thought, Xu Lian made a decision. He would advance his cultivation to satisfy the Elder Hall, then go back into seclusion for two more years to have more children and fully accumulate 100 progression points.
“Rank, add points!”
It had been three years since he had last added points to advance. He wondered if his golden finger had become rusted.
[Rank points added successfully. Adding 16 Void God Flowers will allow you to advance to the Divine Source Realm, Stage 5].
No rust, smooth as ever.
He took out 16 Void God Flowers, added the materials, and advanced to Divine Source 5.
Keep adding points!
Keep adding materials!
Add more points, add more materials…
And so on.
[Name: Xu Lian]
[Rank: Divine Source Realm, Stage 9]
[Skills: Nine Elements Escape Technique, Four Symbols Battle Tactics, Great Desolate Dragon Grasping Technique, Sacred Spirit Record (Immortal Law Supplement), Breaking Wind Sword Technique (Volumes 1-3)…]
[Items: Skull (Immortal Bone), Sword of Destruction (Not Equipped)]
[Note: You currently have 52 progression points, pending use.]
“I wonder what the rank of the Holy Sons of the Eight Sacred Lands is now. Three years ago, the highest level among them was Divine Source 3. Now, after three years, assuming they advance two levels a year, they should be around Divine Source 9th Stage. Advancing to Divine Source 9th Stage should be enough to pass the Elder Hall’s evaluation.”
Xu Lian estimated that Divine Source 9th Stage would be enough for the upcoming examination. After some thought, he added one more point to his rank to see what materials he would need to advance to the Return to Void Realm. He could gather the materials during the examination.
[Rank points successfully added. Adding one Return to Void Pill will allow you to advance to Return to Void Realm, Stage 1].
Xu Lian frowned. The Return to Void Pill was definitely some kind of pill. The Nine Heavens Sacred Lands would provide him with 100 pills at most. Where would he get the remaining 400 or so pills from? This was a problem.
“Qingyao, let’s go to the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land for the Elder Hall’s evaluation.”
He called to Yu Qingyao who was cultivating under a tree. She smiled and ran over. Perhaps due to having given birth, her figure had become more voluptuous, but her enthusiasm for Xu Lian had never waned. She willingly took his hand.
Xu Lian liked her enthusiasm. Holding her hand, he traversed space and headed for the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land.
Although Yu Qingyao hadn’t received a “Supreme Cultivation Resource Package” as the current Nine Heavens Holy Maiden, she still had to undergo the Elder Hall’s assessment.
As soon as Xu Lian and Yu Qingyao stepped into the first layer of the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land’s small world, they felt the world spin around them and appeared in the Elder Hall.
A group of white-haired elders, both men and women, were already present, their sharp eyes fixed on Xu Lian, scrutinizing him as if he were a product they had manufactured, wondering if he would retain or increase in value.
In addition to the elders, the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens from the other Eight Sacred Lands had also arrived one by one.
“Nine Heavenly Holy Son Xu Lian, Nine Heavenly Holy Maiden Yu Qingyao, in the past three years, the Elder Hall has sent the Heavenly Mystic Holy Lord to deliver our message three times, urging you to come to the Elder Hall for evaluation. Why have you not complied?”
The gray-robed Grand Elder posed the question.
Xu Lian replied, “We were cultivating in seclusion. It wasn’t convenient to attend.”
The grand elder said, “Attending an examination wouldn’t have taken much time. Were you in seclusion every moment of those three years?”
Xu Lian replied, “In addition to seclusion, I also had to work on having children so that my cultivation would not become too high and make it difficult to have children.”
The elders exchanged glances, somewhat speechless, not knowing how to respond.
The Grand Elder said, “Although higher cultivation makes having children more difficult, given enough time it will happen. There’s no need to rush. This is not an excuse or a reason.”
With that, the Grand Elder announced, “We will now begin to evaluate the cultivation progress of Nine Heavenly Holy Son Xu Lian and Nine Heavenly Holy Maiden Yu Qingyao. As Nine Heavens Holy Son and Nine Heavens Holy Maiden, you should have overwhelming cultivation and strength compared to your peers.”
“Elders, I request to be the one to test the Nine Heavens Holy Son’s cultivation progress!”
The Heavenly Pivot Holy Son stepped forward.
Three years ago, Xu Lian had broken the rules by getting close to Heavenly Mystic Holy Maiden Dou Qianxue and becoming the Nine Heavens Holy Son. At that time, the Heavenly Pivot Holy Son was already displeased.
Now, the Heavenly Pivot Holy Son volunteered to test Xu Lian’s cultivation progress. If Xu Lian’s progress didn’t meet the standards, the Heavenly Pivot Holy Son would certainly not accept it.
The Grand Elder nodded. “Granted.”
With that, the Heavenly Pivot Holy Son immediately attacked Xu Lian, and the two began a duel.
From the first exchange, Xu Lian could tell that the Heavenly Pivot Holy Son’s cultivation had reached Divine Source 9th Stage, the same as his.
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”…
Ten moves, twenty moves, thirty moves…
After over fifty moves, the Heavenly Pivot Holy Son was sent flying by an ancestral land of the Divine Clan summoned by Xu Lian, coughing up blood and suffering internal injuries. He was defeated.
The Heavenly Pivot Holy Son wiped the blood from his mouth and nose, glaring coldly at Xu Lian. “Three years ago, you were at Divine Source 4th Stage, two minor levels above me. You defeated me in only three moves. Now I’ve caught up with you at Divine Source 9th Stage, and it took you over fifty moves to defeat me. I am very dissatisfied with your cultivation progress over the past three years!
As the leader of our generation, the Holy Son of Nine Heavens should be far ahead of his peers. At this rate, sooner or later I will surpass you. How will you carry the banner of the Nine Heavens Holy Land in the future?”
“…” Xu Lian didn’t know what to say. The Heavenly Pivot Holy Son didn’t mean any harm – he was just too loyal to the Nine Heavens Sacred Lands, too driven. He held himself to high standards and expected the same from his fellow disciples, hoping that they would all work together to uphold the glory of the Nine Heavens Sacred Lands.
The Grand Elder also frowned, somewhat dissatisfied with Xu Lian. He pointed at the Heavenly Jade Holy Son. “His cultivation is even higher than the Heavenly Pivot Holy Son – he has already broken through to Return to Void 1st Stage. If the Heavenly Jade Holy Son were to fight you, you might lose. As the Nine Heavens Holy Son, you cannot afford to lose to your peers.”
Xu Lian said, “My cultivation has already reached the peak of Divine Source 9th Stage, just one step away from Return to Void. If the Elder Hall approves the Return to Void cultivation resources for me, I can advance to Return to Void at any time. I just haven’t applied for the Return to Void resources yet, and that’s why I’m stuck at the peak of Divine Source 9th Stage.”
The Grand Elder said, “Even though you have advanced to Return to Void 1, your cultivation progress in these three years is still a bit slow. Three years ago you were at Divine Source 4th Stage, while the Heavenly Jade Holy Son was at Divine Source 3rd Stage-you were one minor stage ahead of him. Now you’re at the same level as him. This shows that your progress has indeed been slow, and you can’t deny that.”
Xu Lian simply said, “All right, even if my progress has been a bit slow, is the Elder Hall going to strip me of my position as the Holy Son of the Nine Heavens?
The Grand Elder thought for a moment. “That won’t be necessary, but you need to work harder from now on and speed up your cultivation. You can’t afford to fall behind anymore.”
Xu Lian knew that he had barely passed this assessment.
Next, the Elder Hall assessed Yu Qingyao’s cultivation progress and selected the Holy Maiden with the highest cultivation from the eight sacred lands to be her opponent.
After a round of duels, Yu Qingyao ended up in a draw with the highest-ranking Holy Maiden.
The Grand Elder said to Yu Qingyao, “Your cultivation progress has also been a bit slow. Three years ago, you defeated all the Holy Maidens with absolute superiority to claim the position of Nine Heavens Holy Maiden. Now, one of them can fight you to a draw. This shows that your progress has slowed down.”
Yu Qingyao acknowledged this with a bow.
Xu Lian looked at Yu Qingyao with a touch of guilt. Over the past three years, she had given birth to a son and a daughter, which had indeed delayed her cultivation.
Yu Qingyao smiled at him, showing no regret for having children.
The Grand Elder didn’t say much more. For the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands, Xu Lian, the Nine Heavens Holy Son with the laws of a divine kingdom, was the most important. This assessment was primarily to check his progress. As for Yu Qingyao, the Nine Heavens Holy Maiden, they could afford to be a little more lenient. Her slower progress was no big deal.
“I am about to enter the Return to Void realm. I request Return to Void Pills from the Elder Hall.”
Xu Lian seized the opportunity to make the request, saving Cheng Pu the trouble of applying on his behalf.
The Grand Elder exchanged glances with the other elders, then raised his hand slightly.
Elder Cheng Pu and the Law Enforcement Elder immediately raised their hands as well, one being Xu Lian’s master and the other being Tao Qian’s ancestor, so of course they agreed.
The other elders raised their hands as well.
With unanimous approval, the request was granted.
The Grand Elder said to Xu Lian, “Wait here. I will go to the Sacred Treasury to get the Return to Void Pills for you.”
“Get some more,” Xu Lian shouted.
The Grand Elder stumbled and almost fell. He turned to glare at Xu Lian. “The Void God Flowers for the Divine Source Realm are already controlled cultivation resources, let alone the Return to Void Pills needed for the Return to Void Realm. The ingredients to refine the Return to Void Pills are extremely precious. You can’t take as many as you want. One hundred pills is enough for the entire Return to Void Realm. If you need more, you’ll have to find a way yourself.”
With that, the Grand Elder left.
A short while later, he returned with one hundred Return to Void Pills and handed them to Xu Lian.
Xu Lian sighed. “This is still not enough.”
The Holy Sons and Holy Maidens were seething with envy, wishing they could strangle him. Only he could receive one hundred Return to Void Pills at once-this was a special allocation from the higher-ups of the Nine Heavens Sacred Lands. For them, receiving one or two pills for cultivation was already a great privilege. And yet, he still wasn’t satisfied.
The Heavenly Divine Son stared at Xu Lian. “You have the laws of a divine kingdom protecting you, the guidance of the Goddess of Time, and the best cultivation resources from the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands. I hope you won’t be like this at the next examination.”
Xu Lian said, “Next time, I’ll beat you all to a pulp, how about it?”
The Heavenly Pivot Holy Son smiled. “That’s more like it. That’s the strength a Nine Heaven Holy Son should have.”
“…” Xu Lian couldn’t help but wonder if this guy had a masochistic streak.
The Grand Elder waved his hand. “Xu Lian, stay. The rest of you may leave.”
The Holy Sons and Holy Maidens from the Eight Holy Lands, along with Yu Qingyao, bowed their heads and left the Elder Hall.
Xu Lian was confused. “Elder, why did you ask me to stay? Is there something else?”
The Grand Elder pointed to a seat. “Nine Heavens Holy Son, please sit down. Let’s talk.”
Xu Lian’s impression of the Grand Elder improved slightly. During the assessment, the elder had been strictly businesslike, but now that it was over, he was treating Xu Lian, the Holy Son of Nine Heavens, with some respect.