Seeing Ye Chen's displeased expression, Gu Yunyun immediately shook her head, "You must go."

Ye Chen was now curious. His master was usually indifferent and rarely concerned herself with minor matters. However, whenever there was a significant benefit involved, she always remembered to remind him. For instance, she had personally taken him to the Five Elements Cave when the spirit Qi was overflowing and to the Middle Mountain secret realm for the spirit fire.

So, what benefits did the Divine Will Assembly hold to warrant such attention from his master?

Seeing that Ye Chen genuinely didn't understand, Gu Yunyun explained, "The Divine Will Assembly is a grand event held once every ten years by the Divine Will Sect. All loose cultivators within the Divine Will Sect's domain, as well as cultivators from major families and sects, can participate in a grand competition.

"There are competitions for both the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages. You're no longer in the Qi Refining stage, so we'll skip that. As for the Foundation Establishment stage, the first-place winner will be granted the status of a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect...

"Moreover, there's also an entry spot for the Divine Will Pool. The Divine Will Pool is a special treasure site controlled by the Divine Will Sect. Every ten years, it is stimulated by the heavens and earth to produce a burst of Earth Fiend Spirit Spring.

"The Earth Fiend Spirit Spring contains a unique type of spirit energy that is miraculous because it doesn't harm the cultivator's meridians when absorbed. Only eleven spots are available each year. Ten are for inner sect disciples, and only one is given to an outsider. You should understand what this means!"

At this point, Gu Yunyun glanced at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's eyes immediately widened. Of course, he understood what this meant. Wasn't this to say that one could continuously absorb from the Earth Fiend Spirit Spring without stopping? Being able to cultivate around the clock, wouldn't one's cultivation level surge dramatically?

Seeing Ye Chen's understanding, Gu Yunyun continued, "Because the concentration of spirit Qi inside is extremely high, cultivating there for one day is equivalent to cultivating for a month outside!"

Ye Chen was visibly excited by this revelation. Having just attained a Heavenly Spiritual Root, which already significantly accelerated his cultivation speed, the prospect of cultivating in the Earth Fiend Spirit Spring seemed like an opportunity for an exponential increase.

"Ten days to Golden Core, thirty days to Nascent Soul, a hundred days to Deity Transformation?" he thought optimistically.

Reading Ye Chen's expressions, Gu Yunyun guessed his thoughts and smiled gracefully, "It's not as miraculous as you think. There's always a give and take in the world, and the Earth Fiend Spirit Spring is not without its drawbacks.

"Firstly, the Earth Fiend Spirit Spring is not infinite. There's only enough for about ten or more Foundation Establishment cultivators to use for about ten to twenty days.

"Secondly, the Earth Fiend Spirit Spring inherently contains Earth Fiend Qi. His type of Earth Fiend Qi is extremely difficult to purge and requires various methods to refine. If only a small amount of Earth Fiend Qi enters the body, it's manageable. But if a large amount is absorbed, it can corrode the foundation of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, potentially ruining their cultivation path...

"However, you don't need to worry too much, there are various methods to counteract the Earth Fiend Qi. For instance, spiritual fire can filter out some of the Earth Fiend Qi from the spring.

"Additionally, under non-severe circumstances, items like Clear Meridian Pills can also be used. There are various other techniques as well. You have the Myriad Star Fire, which is a seventh-grade spiritual fire, and top-grade Clear Meridian Pills. As long as you don't overdo it, you should be fine."

Ye Chen appeared contemplative upon hearing this. His Myriad Star Fire was indeed powerful, and coupled with his Heavenly Spiritual Root's top-tier filtration efficiency, he might not need to worry about the Earth Fiend Qi at all. He could potentially absorb it aggressively without concern...

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With his master's explanation, Ye Chen's interest in the Divine Will Assembly was indeed piqued. He was always interested in anything that could rapidly enhance his cultivation.

After all, the world of cultivators was perilous; who knew when a powerful being might fight overhead, and a drop of their blood could accidentally kill a bystander like him.

Seeing Ye Chen's renewed interest, Gu Yunyun smiled, "You managed to kill two direct disciples of the Divine Will Sect, one of whom was at the later stage of Foundation Establishment. Your combat power is definitely far beyond your peers. There's a good chance you could take first place."

Gu Yunyun had quite a bit of confidence in Ye Chen. After all, direct disciples of the Divine Will Sect were considered prodigies of the heavens, standing at the pinnacle among their peers.

Ye Chen's ability to kill such individuals was a clear testament to his extraordinary combat prowess. But Ye Chen wasn't worried about this. It wasn't boasting on his part...

Even including all the major sacred lands, Ye Chen didn't believe there was any Foundation Establishment cultivator he couldn't defeat. With his Heavy Pupils considered an invincible path, his possession of the Western Empress Scripture, the Myriad Star Body, and being at the Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment stage...

If it weren't for the presence of stronger cultivators in the realms of Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Deity Transformation, Ye Chen might well have shouted: "Who else?"

...

"Besides, winning first place can make you a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect! As an upper sect, the Divine Will Sect controls more opportunities and treasures. Training there would bring you greater benefits and a broader stage. If you win first place and gain the position of direct disciple, then you should stay at the Divine Will Sect!"

Hesitating slightly, Gu Yunyun finally voiced this last thought. Ye Chen was momentarily stunned... was his master actually suggesting that he join the Divine Will Sect? Encouraging her disciple to leave his current sect?

Seeing Ye Chen frown, Gu Yunyun looked towards the heavens and said, "This isn't betrayal! A thousand years ago, a genius from the Green Cloud Sect also won first place at the assembly and became a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect. He stayed there and later advanced to become a Golden Core elder.

"When the Green Cloud Sect faced a crisis later on, thanks to this elder's influence, they quickly received support from the Divine Will Sect and survived the ordeal! The Divine Will Sect is a behemoth; having our own people inside can be beneficial. It allows us to gain more advantages.

"Therefore, our sect does not oppose talented disciples entering the Divine Will Sect; we even actively push for it. After all, everyone understands that forcefully retaining such disciples might breed resentment. It's better to part on good terms and maintain connections within the upper sect. This is a win-win situation. I've already discussed it with the sect leader. If you win first place, you should stay there."

Listening, Ye Chen came to appreciate this line of reasoning. He also couldn't help but admire the prowess of the Divine Will Sect. With just one Divine Will Assembly, they effortlessly harvested top talents from lower sects and families. Those lower sects and families couldn't even object. They even had to actively support it. A blatant strategy, indeed.

Most importantly, attracting a large number of cultivators to Divine Will City would inevitably lead to considerable consumption. This was a clear and profitable setup. No wonder they were the upper sect.

Ye Chen's response was decisive. If it were before his master attained an Earth spiritual root and a 200x multiplier, Ye Chen might have hesitated. But now, his master was readily accessible and more beneficial than An Miaoli could ever be. Even if he became a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect, he wouldn't have such easy access to An Miaoli.

"Why bother going to the Divine Will Sect when everything I need is right here with my master?" he thought. Unless An Miaoli's multiplier rose to four or five hundred times, it wouldn't be worth considering.

Ye Chen's refusal didn't surprise Gu Yunyun.

Ye Chen, who had unhesitatingly given her such a precious treasure as the Blood Sea Golden Lotus Seed, was unlikely to leave her just for a direct disciple status at the Divine Will Sect.

However, Gu Yunyun still tried to persuade him, "Don't worry, even if you become a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect, our relationship as master and disciple won't change. In this life, I will only have you as my disciple."

Ye Chen could sense that his master seemed really keen on him staying at the Divine Will Sect. Considering the things she had said when he gave her gifts, he realized she might have misunderstood his intentions. By heaven and earth, his gifts were purely out of filial respect. Was Ye Chen the kind of person to harbor ulterior motives against his own master? To think his master could misunderstand him so deeply was truly heartbreaking.

After a moment of thought, Ye Chen decided not to dwell on this topic with his master. Instead, he sat beside her and smiled, "Master, let me tell you a story about a friend of mine..."

Gu Yunyun was slightly taken aback but didn't refuse.

Ye Chen began slowly, "I've given this story a name—it's called 'The Condor Heroes'."

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