You must be joking I'm fighting against the Tribulation Sovereign

Chen Yi had no idea that something sinister was preparing to stab him in the back. At the moment, he was cheerfully looking at Fang Fan, his eyes full of admiration. "Xiao Fang, you’ve done remarkably well!"

Fang Fan had a purple halo suspended behind his head, his entire being exuding an ethereal Daoist aura, flickering between reality and illusion, elusive as if he might vanish at any moment. Though he now wielded a Chaos Supreme Treasure and no longer needed to rely on others, he still bowed respectfully to Chen Yi. "Had it not been for the Venerable One’s guidance, how could I have reached this point? Your grace is something I shall never forget!"

Chen Yi accepted the bow without hesitation, then waved his hand dismissively. "No need for formalities. It was all your own perseverance and effort. I merely gave you an opportunity at the right time. If your abilities hadn’t been up to par, even the best chance would’ve slipped through your fingers!"

Fang Fan smiled faintly. "Venerable One, countless heroes in this world spend their entire lives trapped without progress, all because they lack that one opportunity. Strength is important, yes—but without a stage to showcase it, it’s all just empty talk!"

"So, the two of you were in cahoots all along? Stirring up chaos in the secret realm just to force my hand?"

At this moment, the timid spirit of the Myriad Phenomena Mystic Wheel, who had been avoiding Chen Yi, spoke up in a whisper.

A little girl with twin pigtails materialized, peeking out from behind Fang Fan’s purple halo, shrinking back as she looked at Chen Yi.

She felt like she’d been set up—but had no proof.

Everything seemed like mere coincidence, as if her choosing Fang Fan had been predestined, with this scoundrel Chen Yi merely acting as a catalyst.

Yet, there was an indescribable sense of having been played, like being sold out while still helping the seller count the money...

"That’s not quite accurate. What do you mean ‘in cahoots’? Didn’t Xiao Fang tell you from the very beginning? He’s from the Purple Star Celestial Court—and so am I!"

Chen Yi chuckled as he explained. "Originally, everything was going smoothly, and I had no intention of causing trouble. But when I discovered that the terminal stele in the Treasure Maze City bore no trace of Xiao Fang’s mark, tell me—how could I not lose my temper?"

"Later, when I found Xiao Fang’s inscription on the stele in the fifth trial, the Scales of the Heart Abyss, didn’t I immediately back off?"

"So, when you think about it, this isn’t entirely my fault. You share some blame too. Xiao Fang left his mark on every other stele—why was the one behind the Treasure Maze City the exception? Maybe you should reflect on your own shortcomings!"

He had anticipated this question from the little artifact spirit long ago, so he’d prepared his rebuttal in advance and delivered it without hesitation.

The pigtailed girl was left speechless.

How was this her fault?!

Wasn’t it because this scoundrel refused to take the proper path?!

But setting aside the facts, now that the deed was done, could she really claim to be blameless?

If she hadn’t placed that redundant stele at the exit of the Treasure Maze City—when the Scales of the Heart Abyss could’ve been accessed directly from the center—this troublemaker wouldn’t have thrown the secret realm into chaos!

Fine, she couldn’t keep up the act. The truth was, she just didn’t want to put Fang Fan in a difficult position—not because she was afraid of this villain!

After consoling herself with this thought, the little girl muttered something about being tired to Fang Fan and retreated into the artifact’s inner space to sulk in private.

Only then did the helpless Fang Fan dare to offer a bitter smile. "Venerable One, you could’ve shifted the blame onto me. The Mystic Wheel is still young, newly born, and a bit too earnest..."

Before he could finish, Chen Yi shook his head. "Silly boy, it may have just been born, but it’s not ‘young.’ If you don’t discipline it properly now, who do you think will be calling the shots in the future—you, or it?"

Fang Fan’s pupils constricted. "Venerable One... is this something we should be saying out loud?"

He wasn’t ignorant. He understood that the Venerable One was playing the strict role to help him establish authority, which was why he’d taken on the gentler role to ease tensions and foster goodwill.

But he never expected the Venerable One to be so blunt, laying everything bare without hesitation. Was this really appropriate?

"Though scheming has won hearts since ancient times, I still believe that sincerity between people is paramount—because sincerity is the ultimate weapon!" Chen Yi declared solemnly.

Fang Fan didn’t fully grasp it, but he trusted that the Venerable One had his reasons!

And sure enough—

He soon sensed the little girl in the artifact space burst into laughter, though it was tinged with frustration.

This was a good sign. Sulking in silence led to brooding, making it hard to appease her. But once she laughed, the tension dissipated. All she needed now was to vent a little, and reconciliation would follow swiftly.

Hiss—

As expected of the Venerable One!

Even I, her contracted master, don’t understand my own artifact spirit as well as he does!

At this, the Creation Disc and the Primordial Mirror had something to say.

Care to guess why he’s so familiar with the temperaments of Supreme Treasure spirits?

Only a Chaos Supreme Treasure can truly understand another Chaos Supreme Treasure!

Little Golden Dragon: Don’t forget to pay my script fee.

Primordial Mirror: And my consultation fee is non-negotiable.

"By the way, Xiao Fang, what’s your current cultivation realm? Can you still return?" Chen Yi suddenly asked.

Now that they’d taken everything they came for—and then some—they were stuffed to the brim. It was time to head back and digest their gains.

The critical issue now was that Fang Fan had earned the Myriad Phenomena Mystic Wheel’s initial acknowledgment. As a Chaos Supreme Treasure, the eons of accumulated wisdom and power it had amassed during its gestation had all been bestowed upon him!

This was a fortune vast enough to propel him straight to the realm of a Dao Ancestor!

But Fang Fan was still green. To avoid forcing his growth too hastily, most of this inherited Daoist essence had been sealed deep within his body by the Mystic Wheel, left to settle and mature.

Combined with the artifact’s concealment abilities, even Chen Yi couldn’t discern Fang Fan’s current cultivation level.

After a moment of contemplation, Fang Fan gave an uncertain reply. "Venerable One, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure what realm I’m in now. The Mystic Wheel contains an Infinite Realm with nine layered spaces, each holding a version of ‘me.’ The first layer is the past me—an ordinary mortal with no cultivation."

"The second layer is the present me—a pseudo... no, a Jade Immortal. Not divided into early, middle, or late stages, just a singular, perfected Jade Immortal realm, as if all phases have merged into one flawless state."

"From the third layer onward, it’s all future versions of me. The third holds a perfected True Immortal, whom I can summon as a manifested avatar in battle."

"The fourth layer is a perfected Heavenly Immortal, also summonable as an avatar."

"Things start getting absurd from the fifth layer. That’s the Profound Immortal me, holding up an entire universe, radiating Daoist essence I can’t even comprehend."

"The sixth is similar—the Golden Immortal me is shrouded in unpredictability. The seventh is the Great Unity realm, encircled by divine kingdoms. The eighth is the Great Luo realm, transcending all worldly fates. The ninth... is as if standing at the end of the Dao, or perhaps its very origin. It defies definition, resists description, and cannot even be observed. What I see is merely my own perception—but in truth, it might not even be me..."

Hearing this, Chen Yi raised his sword-like brows, instantly intrigued. Gripping the halberd's shaft with a backhanded hold, he fixed Fang Fan with a fiery gaze and said:

"From the way you talk, you sound pretty badass. Since you don’t even know what realm you’re at right now, let me help you test your true level!"

"Come on, Fang Fan—give it everything you’ve got!"

Fang Fan: !!!

Are you kidding me?!

Me, fight the Tribulation Sovereign?!

Sweat poured down Fang Fan’s back as he hastily replied, "Sovereign, please—calm down. The highest I can summon is the Celestial Immortal’s True Form. Anything beyond that is incomprehensible to me... I can’t even call it forth."

"Is that so..."

Chen Yi couldn’t hide his disappointment. The Tribulation Halberd, which had just taken shape in his grip, instantly dissipated.