Chapter 85: You Must Learn from Me

Everyone was dumbfounded. They knew that Zhang Shen might provide some support with treasures, but they hadn’t expected there to be so many.

“This, this, this…” Ye Ruohuo’s mental state wavered.

Zhang Shen said nothing, waiting quietly for everyone to regain their composure.

After a while, they recovered from the shock.

However, this was only a surface calm. Their hearts still buzzed with excitement and astonishment. Among them, only Ye Ruohuo and Li Zhi managed to quickly regain their composure with their strong willpower.

It wasn’t that they weren’t excited anymore, but their minds were no longer unsettled.

“These are all such amazing treasures,” Ye Ruohuo said, her voice filled with fervor.

“Of course. Use them well. These items are only valuable when used for breakthroughs,” Zhang Shen said with a smile. 

These treasures were indeed precious, but using them to gain a True Core expert was absolutely worth it.

Ye Ruohuo nodded, “Before, I wasn’t very confident. Now, I have absolute confidence in reaching the True Core stage.”

Initially, Ye Ruohuo had planned to begin her breakthrough once Zhang Shen arrived to guard her. But now, with these treasures, she needed to make some adjustments. It wouldn’t take long, just half a day.

“You should all get back to your own tasks. Breaking through to the True Core stage isn’t something that happens overnight. From the moment I begin, it will take at least half a month to see results,” she said.

Not everyone was like Zhang Shen, who could directly improve his physical cultivation level using experience points.

Moreover, even when Zhang Shen reached perfection in each stage of his cultivation, he still needed to spend considerable time accumulating the experience points necessary for breakthroughs.

During this period, Zhang Shen stayed not far from Ye Ruohuo’s cave to protect her.

Forcing a breakthrough in a dangerous place, as Li Shuang once did, was not the proper and safe method.

If it hadn’t been for the intervention of the blood and flesh clone Lin Fanyun at that time, Li Shuang’s life would have ended right there.

Fortunately, no accidents occurred.

Half a month later, spiritual energy converged above the Ancient Covenant headquarters, drawing in energy from within a hundred-mile radius and forming a funnel that poured into the cave below.

A day later, a powerful aura surged out, enveloping the entire headquarters of the Ancient Covenant.

Everyone with some insight at the headquarters immediately realized that a new True Core had been born. Those who knew the in the know were even more delighted.

With one more True Core expert, the Ancient Covenant’s strength would be significantly enhanced, and their sense of security doubled.

Outside Ye Ruohuo’s cave, several beams of light descended, all of them high-ranking members of the Ancient Covenant.

Standing at the forefront, of course, was Zhang Shen.

Ye Ruohuo opened the cave door, her True Core aura unmistakable.

“Congratulations to Daoist Ye on achieving the True Core stage and gaining five hundred years of life,” Zhang Shen congratulated her.

He was genuinely happy for Ye Ruohuo’s success, as it meant that the older generation of Hongyuan City hadn’t been completely wiped out.

Ye Ruohuo bowed respectfully and said, “My achievement is entirely due to the leader’s immense support. I will repay this kindness with unwavering loyalty.”

Instantly, the high-ranking members of the Ancient Covenant understood Ye Ruohuo’s intentions.

This was both a reaffirmation of her loyalty and a way to quell any potential ambitions others might have.

In any faction, the presence of two strong figures inevitably led to factional disputes.

This was an unavoidable reality, but efforts could be made to keep such disputes within controllable limits.

Similarly, Ye Ruohuo had many followers. Now that she had achieved the True Core stage, these followers would naturally seek to gain more influence within the Ancient Covenant.

However, Ye Ruohuo’s declaration demonstrated her determination to remain subordinate to Zhang Shen.

This way, the faction she represented would still gain more benefits than before, but not excessively so. Compared to the expansion of the Ancient Covenant’s power and influence brought about by gaining a True Core expert, the minor increase in benefits shared was insignificant.

The entire Ancient Covenant would gain much more.

Zhang Shen understood Ye Ruohuo’s intentions. He wasn’t worried about factional disputes, as they didn’t affect him. If they became troublesome, he could simply suppress them.

But Ye Ruohuo’s willingness to show such deference meant less hassle for him.

“Indeed, the bonds from the Hongyuan City era still hold strong. How sensible,” Zhang Shen thought with satisfaction. 

From a bloodline perspective, Ye Ruohuo could even be considered his aunt.

“Elder Ye, you’re too kind. In the future, if we all work together, the Ancient Covenant will surely prosper even more.” 

The latter part of his statement was directed at everyone present.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Given how busy the Ancient Covenant members usually were, such gatherings were rare. With today being a day of great celebration, Zhang Shen took the opportunity to have everyone gather together.

They chatted about their recent busy work, the challenges they encountered, and the state of affairs in the Endless Wilderness.

Zhang Shen also shared some higher-level matters with them, giving them a bit of insight into the broader human situation.

He didn’t share too much. Without the necessary power, knowing more would only add to their worries.

His intention was merely to broaden their horizons a little.

After the gathering, everyone dispersed.

They had to manage the affairs of the Ancient Covenant, prepare for the upcoming ceremony for Ye Ruohuo in six months, and plan for the Covenant’s future expansion.

Indeed, they were very busy.

During these six months, Ye Ruohuo focused on consolidating her cultivation while also consulting with Zhang Shen. Being newly advanced to the True Core stage, she had many questions and needed Zhang Shen’s guidance on the common knowledge and experiences of True Core cultivators.

This was the advantage of having a mentor. Otherwise, she would have to spend years, if not decades, slowly integrating into the True Core community, much like Zhang Shen had done in the past.

Zhang Shen even took Ye Ruohuo to Lin Yuan City once.

Unfortunately, Ye Ruohuo was unable to join Lin Yuan City.

Linyuan City’s policy of preferential treatment for True Core cultivators from the Endless Wilderness limited each faction to just one True Core member.

Other True Core cultivators had to prove their worth and make contributions to be accepted.

Ye Ruohuo didn’t have much opinion on this. She didn’t fully understand the benefits of this status.

Although various pieces of information were available on the main network, some classified information was not accessible to lone cultivators. Without the identity of a major sect disciple or membership in a specific human faction, it was impossible to access certain information.

Seeing that Ye Ruohuo couldn’t join, Zhang Shen didn’t mention this point. It would have been useless anyway.

She would need to realize this herself and then decide whether she wanted such an identity, at which point they could figure out a way.

As a newly advanced True Core cultivator, Ye Ruohuo was just like Zhang Shen had been—penniless.

Looking at the numerous treasures in Lin Yuan City, she could only sigh in envy.

In the end, it was Zhang Shen who gifted her her first True Core-level artifact.

A terminal leaf!

Compared to other artifacts, this one was much more important. While it didn’t directly enhance her True Core powers, the significance of information couldn’t be overstated.

Ye Ruohuo immediately became engrossed in the terminal leaf.

It was no surprise. The world of high-level cultivators was far beyond her imagination, much more exciting and varied than she had ever dreamed.

For four or five months straight, Ye Ruohuo clung to the terminal leaf, completely absorbed in the main network. She only emerged from the virtual world for her True Core ceremony.

“Master Ye, the main network is great, but you must use it in moderation,” Zhang Shen advised, looking at the slightly weary Ye Ruohuo with heartfelt concern.

“You need to learn from me. Use it, don’t let it use you.” Zhang Shen sighed deeply. 

Look at him, traversing the main network for decades. When had he ever been so exhausted? It was all about self-restraint.

“I’ve learned my lesson,” Ye Ruohuo said, feeling a sense of realization about her excessive immersion in the main network.

“Good, just be mindful,” Zhang Shen advised, turning gracefully to head to the ceremony, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Pointing out others’ flaws was indeed satisfying.

As for Zhang Shen once being obsessed with the Lin Yuan City token to the point of neglecting sleep and meals?

Ahem, without evidence, don’t make baseless accusations. Watch out for defamation lawsuits.

The two of them headed to the location of the ceremony together. The place was already packed with martial artists. There were no outsiders present, only members of the Ancient Covenant.

Everyone from Innate and Acquired, to ordinary mortals were there.

The Acquired martial artists were the most numerous, while the mortals were promising young potentials brought in to broaden their horizons.

Zhang Shen took a guest seat. Today’s main focus was Ye Ruohuo, and he wouldn’t steal her spotlight.

“The path of a martial artist begins with the mundane, tempering the body to break barriers and then advancing to the postnatal stage…”

Ye Ruohuo, being straightforward, didn’t bother with superfluous words. She dove straight into the most crucial part of the ceremony. She began explaining her understanding of martial arts.

Starting from the basics, she spoke in a clear, engaging manner. 

How much the audience could comprehend depended on their own insight.

The benefits were obvious. A True Core expert’s explanation of their journey from mundane to True Core was enough to illuminate the path for these attendees. Even if they couldn’t follow it exactly, it would provide valuable inspiration.

This was especially true for the Innate martial artists, who found her insights most profound.

It was as if the mist before their eyes had been swept away, revealing the hazy path to the True Core stage.

Although only a few might eventually walk this path successfully, it was certain that their achievements would surpass what they had accomplished in the past.

Ye Ruohuo’s lecture lasted for three days and three nights.

No one left the venue. Opportunities like this were rare, and missing out could mean never encountering such a chance again. Even the eight or nine-year-old children, brimming with muscle and lingering at the peak of the mundane stage, managed to endure it.

What proved challenging for them was memorizing the many insights Ye Ruohuo shared, which left their minds exhausted.

Fortunately, they weren’t foolish. The Ancient Covenant had advised them before the lecture.

When they couldn’t keep up or continue memorizing, they took out paper and pen to record the information. They could ponder these insights slowly in the future.

After the lecture, everyone dispersed.

The next major event would be the expansion of the Ancient Covenant.

However, this matter could not be rushed. It needed careful planning to yield the sweetest fruits.

“Oh? Master Ye intends to take on a disciple?” Zhang Shen was surprised.

He hadn’t expected Master Ye to come to him with this matter after the ceremony.

“Yes.”

“My cultivation has stabilized, but the breakthrough was barely achieved, and my foundation is unstable. Even with the techniques provided by the leader, I fear I will only be able to cultivate to the third level of the True Core stage at best, unable to reach the peak of martial arts. Rather than continuing to spend my time on martial arts, I’d rather use it to cultivate the next generation.”

Ye Ruohuo’s gentle and serene face showed no signs of reluctance or regret. She had long made up her mind.

The path of life offered many routes beyond just reaching the pinnacle of martial arts.

Once, the Zhang, Lin, and Ye families, with their meager strength, established Hongyuan City. Along the way, due to the lack of inheritance and resources, many faced this issue and chose to pass everything down to the next generation.

Although these individuals eventually either died of old age or perished in battle, their spirit and beliefs were inherited.

When I can no longer advance, it is up to you to take my place, stepping on my fallen body to climb higher.

Zhang Shen was filled with emotion.