Leaving the Peak of Taihua

Chen Chang'an stepped into the barrier and indeed sensed the presence of oppressive pressure. However, this pressure was utterly insignificant to him.

With a light tap of his toes, he had already appeared atop the peak of Taihua.

Hmm?

Strangely, there was no oppressive pressure at all at the summit of Taihua.

Chen Chang'an had initially assumed that the strongest pressure would be found here, yet upon arriving, he discovered none.

It seemed that once one reached the peak, the pressure would vanish entirely.

Could it really be as simple as whoever arrived first claiming first place?

Was it really this arbitrary?

If Mu Yunyao were here, Chen Chang'an would have loved to ask whether the previous Earth Ranking had been the same.

"He's back already?"

"How did Chen Chang'an return so quickly?"

"Damn, did he already reach the summit of Taihua and come back down?"

"That fast? The pressure had no effect on him at all?"

"Of course not. Who do you think Chen Chang'an is? Even the Heavenly Sword Emperor is his disciple. His strength must be at the pinnacle of the Emperor Realm—how could such trivial pressure affect him?"

"Well, that makes sense."

Though surprised by Chen Chang'an's swift return, the onlookers found it perfectly reasonable.

"How was it?" Da Huang asked, looking at Chen Chang'an.

"Mediocre. No challenge at all. And there’s no oppressive pressure at the summit of Taihua."

"But for Chen Yunxuan and the others, it’ll be a significant trial."

"The further they climb, the pressure will multiply by dozens, even hundreds of times."

"Unless they break through to the peak of the Ninth-Level Sovereign Realm—or even the Undying Realm—they won’t be able to reach the top."

What?

The Undying Realm?

Even with their monstrous talent, they’d need to reach the peak of the Ninth-Level Sovereign Realm or even the Undying Realm to summit?

How long would this Earth Ranking take, then?

Would they be trapped here for centuries?

"Da Huang, let’s go."

Go?

Da Huang was taken aback. Were they leaving already? Not even waiting a little longer?

"Even with their exceptional talent, it’ll take Chen Yunxuan and the others some time to break through to the Ninth-Level Sovereign Realm, let alone the Undying Realm."

"Surely we’re not going to sit here idly for years, are we?" Chen Chang'an said with a faint smile.

"Ah? No way, absolutely not!"

"That’d be so boring."

The thought of doing nothing for years reminded Da Huang of its past life in the Forbidden Forest—dull and torturous.

No, absolutely not!

"Let’s go, let’s go explore… ahem, let’s go wander around."

With so many people around, Da Huang had grown more conscious of its image. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have swallowed the words "brothel" at the last moment.

"Palace Master, where do you plan to go next?"

"Will you continue searching for the beads?" Hua Wulei asked.

"Yes, that’s still the priority," Chen Chang'an nodded.

"Understood. I’ll stay here, cultivating while waiting for the Earth Ranking to conclude."

"You can rest assured, Palace Master."

"I’ll stay as well, Master. Don’t worry," the Heavenly Sword Emperor said with a smile.

Apart from Chen Chang'an, everyone else chose to remain. For them, cultivating for a few years was nothing.

But for Chen Chang'an, staying here without being able to cultivate would be unbearably tedious.

Under the puzzled gazes of many, Chen Chang'an and Da Huang departed from the peak of Taihua.

The vast Central Heaven Domain stretched before them, yet Chen Chang'an found himself unsure of where to go next.

Before the Earth Ranking began, Chen Chang'an had already searched extensively but found no trace of the fetal beads.

As he and Da Huang wandered aimlessly, Chen Chang'an suddenly frowned and looked into the distance.

"Someone from Tianji Pavilion?"

"Could it be that Wang Tianji has a lead on the beads?"

The newcomer was none other than Know-It-All Wang Budiao, who had previously followed Chen Yunxuan.

Since Chen Yunxuan was participating in the Earth Ranking, Wang Budiao had returned briefly to Tianji Pavilion.

"Know-It-All pays his respects to the senior," Wang Budiao greeted respectfully.

"Did Wang Tianji send you to find me?" Chen Chang'an asked.

"Yes."

"I was heading to the peak of Taihua anyway, so the Ancestor asked me to relay a message to you."

"What message?"

"The west… may yield results."

The west?

Was Wang Tianji pointing him in a direction?

Though Wang Tianji’s strength was modest, his expertise in divination was profound.

He couldn’t deduce matters related to Chen Chang'an, but he could employ other methods to predict where the beads might be found.

"Anything else?" Chen Chang'an asked.

"No. But… after saying this, the Ancestor seemed unusually grave."

"I suspect whatever you seek may prove difficult, though the Ancestor didn’t elaborate."

Chen Chang'an nodded. He didn’t need to be told—he already knew it wouldn’t be easy.

But with a clear direction now, at least he wouldn’t have to search blindly.

The west?

It was a region Chen Chang'an had rarely ventured into.

"You’re from Tianji Pavilion, so you must know more than most."

"What can you tell me about the west?" Chen Chang'an asked.

"Senior, the most notable feature of the west is undoubtedly the Temple of Heavenly Sound."

"The Temple is immensely powerful, with countless devotees. It operates independently, never interacting with other factions or individuals in the Central Heaven Domain."

"As for its exact strength… that remains unknown."

The Temple of Heavenly Sound?

A monastery?

Chen Chang'an had never encountered monks in the Central Heaven Domain before, suggesting the Temple seldom ventured beyond its borders.

But whether the beads were there remained uncertain.

For now, heading west was the only option.

"Very well. If you return to Tianji Pavilion, convey my thanks to Wang Tianji for this information."

"Senior, the Ancestor said thanks are unnecessary. He only seeks to ensure Tianji Pavilion’s prosperity and a reliable ally."

"I understand. But gratitude should still be expressed."

"Go attend to your affairs."

"Yes, Senior. This junior takes his leave."

After Wang Budiao departed, Chen Chang'an glanced at Da Huang and smiled.

"Seems like we’re heading west."

"Let’s go! I’ve never visited a brothel in the west before."

"Is that all you ever think about?"

"Well… there’s plenty else, but nothing as important."

"Already forgotten the female disciples of Luo Shen Palace?"

"Ah, now that’s unfair. How could I forget them? But there are countless other damsels in distress awaiting my salvation."

"This is a noble endeavor—you wouldn’t understand."