Sovereign of the Three Realms

Thanks to this pair of sisters, one as cold as frost and the other as innocent as a newborn, Jiang Chen was now a bit worse for the wear. He cleared his mind before raising his head with a rueful smile, lifting a foot and preparing to enter closed door cultivation. His ears suddenly twitched as he shot a look towards the dense forest. “Who is it?”

Scattered yet leisurely footsteps sounded from the trees as a slender, pale arm lightly lifted aside a tree branch and revealed a charming figure.

“Miss Huang’er?”

The slender girl was wearing a pale green robe, and her other arm was hooked into a bamboo woven basket. It was obvious that she’d been picking something in the woods.

The current Huang’er was wearing a mask that neatly hid her face. The faint mist of the woods wreathed around her lithe body as if unfurling from her very being, subtly hinting at an ethereal, celestial bearing.

Jiang Chen was stunned. He’d seen everything beneath the heavens in his past life and had made the acquaintance of many wondrous girls in this life as well. The sexy and direct Gouyu, the demure and noble Dan Fei, the gentle and shy Wen Ziqi, the icily removed Ling Bi’er from earlier and the innocent and naive Ling Hui’er were all examples of stunning, rare beauties of this world. Yet, it was this exceedingly ugly, young girl hiding behind her mask who was now causing Jiang Chen to lose his composure.

He lost himself to thought. The people of the world liked to compare girls with unusual bearing to deities, but Jiang Chen had to admit that if it came to one who seemed like a god, the current Huang’er was the most perfect representative he could think of.

If one set aside the matter of her features, Huang’er’s refreshing and otherworldly demeanor made her seem like she’d walked out of a painting. Her refined and tasteful behavior, along with her charming manner and grace, truly make her seem like a fairy. A portion of her pure, white arm was currently revealed as she floated over on dainty footsteps that seemed to be unsullied by dust. It was incredibly difficult to describe her, as if one really had set foot into a painting. “Sir Jiang, there are some flora within the woods that Huang’er likes very much. I’d like to take some back to plant, but seemed to have alarmed you instead.”

Huang’er’s voice was gracious and suffused with a sense of compassion, lifting the mood of those who heard up to a happy lightheartedness.

Jiang Chen was feeling a bit guilty at the moment as he chuckled, “Then I won’t disturb Miss Huang’er.” He waved his hand as he finished speaking and strode back in.

Huang’er dimpled, focusing her gaze on the somewhat bedraggled Jiang Chen. Hints of a kind smile appeared in her eyes, as if thinking this version of Jiang Chen was more interesting. “Sir Jiang is a rather honest gentleman. The Ling sisters each have their own strengths, and to see them is to love them. It’s quite rare that Sir Jiang can treat them with such courtesy.”

She’d actually seen all of Ling Hui’er’s actions from far away, and for some reason, a trace of emotion had rippled through her serene heart in that moment. But when she saw Jiang Chen jerk his hand away and not act with abandon like an ordinary, frivolous man, a hint of happiness actually flashed through her heart. She didn’t think this was her bearing any feelings for Jiang Chen, but more a sense of admiration for his actions. However, these were all just thoughts in her mind. With how empathetic she was and her bearing as a girl from a cultured family, she would never tease Jiang Chen with this.

If it’d been Dan Fei, she would’ve absolutely grown jealous and spoken a few noncommittal words in teasing jest.

If it’d been Gouyu, she would’ve formed some biases against Ling Hui’er even if she hadn’t said anything.

Only Huang’er had ever so kindly changed the topic, saying that she was here picking spirit herbs. It was plain to see that she was afraid that Jiang Chen would worry that she’d seen something and would be embarrassed because of the misunderstanding. One had to say, her sympathetic gesture had given Jiang Chen an opportunity to resolve the situation without having to leave awkwardly.

……

After returning to his training grounds, Jiang Chen sat down cross legged and meditated for a while before clearing out all of the random thoughts in his heart. After all of his beautiful emotions had been dispelled, what left the deepest impression on Jiang Chen’s heart wasn’t Ling Hui’er’s full, buoyant chest, but Huang’er’s stunningly elegant image.

He’d actually felt his heart pound with emotion then.

It was as if that feeling had always been there, a stirring of the heart that had seemed destined to happen in that moment and circumstance. However, Jiang Chen wasn’t the sort to lose himself in a daydream. The experiences of two lifetimes had long since left him in control of his emotions.

“My task at hand is to assail the fifth level origin realm. I can’t be distracted any longer. The Pill Battles of Mt. Rippling Mirage will be a meeting of masters, and it is certain that strong experts will arrive en masse. Each additional increase in strength is one additional bit of ability to my name.” As Jiang Chen’s thoughts reached its natural end, he fished out some Origin Fostering Pills and origin spirit stones to begin his training.

Assimilating the Firelizard core had filled him with abundant spirit energy. Add to that the pills and stones, he had no need to make use of the dragon crystals at all. To be honest, when it came to origin qi, the dragon crystals were by far superior to the stones and pills. However, he didn’t want to use them for now. It would be a waste of such supreme material if one were to refine it for the fifth level origin realm. It wouldn’t be too late to use the crystals when he was at sixth level origin realm and attempting to reach the sky origin realm. To Jiang Chen, breaking through to the fifth level after biding his time and efforts for so long was only a matter of time.

He successfully broke through to fifth level origin realm after roughly twenty days and could feel the noticeable increase of origin spirit power in his body. He believed that if he faced off against the eighth level Rong Zifeng in his current state, he would have at least a fifty to sixty percent chance of winning.

Jiang Chen spent another three days consolidating his new level and enhancing all of his techniques and methods. As one’s cultivation level increased, all of one’s techniques would absolutely improve as well. What Jiang Chen hadn’t thought would happen was that he seemed to sense the pulses of the Golden Cicada bloodline. It seemed as if the Cicada Wing was about to appear.

“Haha, it looks like I perfectly assimilated the Cicada bloodline! If all goes to plan, I’ll be able to utilize the Cicada Wing when I break through to sixth level origin realm. If I can make it into the sky origin realm, the Cicada Wing would add to my abilities as if giving wings to a tiger, allowing me to fly. What fear would I have of mortal sage realm cultivators then?”

If human cultivators wanted to fly, the sage realm was the starting point. Those at the mortal sage realm could fly for a short time, and even longer in the earth sage realm. At that point, even aerial fighting was possible. True freedom in the skies would come upon reaching the sky sage realm. However, no matter what stage one was at, flying was an activity that posed an excessive drain on origin power.

The Cicada Wing would grant him a pair of invisible wings on his back, making flight one of his own abilities. Being his own ability, it would not consume any origin power at all. This would be an absolutely lethal trump card up Jiang Chen’s sleeve.

“The sky origin realm!” When Jiang Chen thought of the benefits of entering the sky origin realm, he could only shiver in anticipation. Once he entered that realm, not only would he be able to train the Cicada Wing, he’d also be able to refine the magnetic golden mountain and truly turn it into a treasure for his own use.

He thought about how suddenly summoning a mountain in the midst of battle would result in an unforgettably lethal effect when he challenged those greater than him, not to mention his peers, given the strong magnetic power of this treasure and the mountain’s own weight. And if he could summon the Lord of the Golden Seal in its strongest form, his battle strength would be even more astonishing!

Even Jiang Chen himself didn’t know how much potential lay within the Lord of the Golden Seal, and how frightening his final form would be. But he could predict that the potential of the mountain would only be equal, if not greater, to the potential of the Lord of the Golden Seal.

Jiang Chen was inwardly brimming with expectation.

He took a look around after emerging from closed door cultivation and noticed that those around him had also drastically improved their cultivation during his closed door session. Gouyu and Xue Tong had consolidated their cultivation in the first level origin realm, whereas a new flower had bloomed on the old tree that was Ye Chonglou. After receiving so much attention and help from Jiang Chen, his cultivation had risen greatly as well, making him a fourth level origin realm cultivator.

The others such as Guo Jin and the Qiao brothers were also showing signs of breaking through to the origin realm. It was truly a scene of prosperity and growth.

There were only seven days left until the retinue set out for the Pill Battles. Jiang Chen didn’t forget his promise to the Ling sisters, and sent a message glyph over to Ling Bi’er’s residence.

She quickly appeared at the door to welcome him in, but Ling Hui’er was nowhere to be found this time. “Junior brother Jiang Chen, Hui’er is young and has committed many ludicrous acts. Please forgive her nonsensical words. I’ve shut her in for half a year’s worth of closed door cultivation, and she’s not allowed to set one foot out of the residence before I come back from Mt. Rippling Mirage.” Ling Bi’er displayed the air of a stern sister.

Circumstances change with the passage of time, and Jiang Chen was an easy going person who’d long since forgotten the matters of that day. He smiled slightly. “Junior sister Hui’er still retains the heart of a child. It’s not a major concern if she makes the occasional startling statement. Please go ahead, senior sister.”

Ling Bi’er nodded slightly and took the lead, showing Jiang Chen the way into her residence. She was obviously one of those who cared a great deal about her reputation, as she kept a certain distance even when walking with Jiang Chen. It wasn’t that she was predisposed against Jiang Chen; it was simply her natural personality.

Ling Bi’er’s residence was different from Jiang Chen’s grand style. It was much more exquisite, the mood as quiet and beautiful as a fairy realm.

The two sister’s father was named Ling Su, and he looked to be around forty years old. However, his long coma coma had left him with a wan complexion, making him appear as haggard as the withered branches of a tree. If it wasn’t for the faint hint of breath about him, one would almost wonder if this was a corpse.

Jiang Chen took out a set of silver needles from his storage ring and placed them into Ling Su’s body, then sent his consciousness to probe the patient.

“Don’t do that junior brother Jiang Chen! The Miasma is within my father’s consciousness. It could infect you.”

If it was any other pill master or alchemist, they never would’ve dared to rashly probe the patient with their consciousness, because the Miasma was highly infectious. It would spread as soon as another consciousness touched it.

However, Jiang Chen was prepared. The Cicada’s bloodline would render him impervious to all poisons, and that didn’t account for all the methods at his disposal for avoiding poison in the first place. The Miasma wouldn’t find an opening from him.

The greatest barrier to curing Ling Su was the inability to probe his body with consciousness. No great pill master, including even Elder Yun Nie, was willing to risk their consciousness in a probe. This was why they hadn’t been able to suggest a treatment of the symptoms.

Jiang Chen smiled slightly and spread out his hands. “Senior sister Bi’er has no need to worry about me, I have own my methods to avoid the poison. There can be no cure for your father if we cannot inspect him with our consciousness.”