Chapter Sixty-One: Return to the Sect at Last

Soaring through the vast, boundless expanse of azure sky, Chen Yi felt an incomparable tranquility settle in his heart. Reflecting on all that he had done today, he found it both perilous and exhilarating. Yet, without danger, how could he have acquired the mountains of ivory now piled within his spatial ring, or attained a physique rivaling that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

“Brother Ao Xuan, if you hadn’t arrived in time just now, I would’ve left a few hundred pounds of myself behind in Elephant Valley,” Chen Yi said with genuine gratitude to Fu Ao Xuan, standing upon the deck of the flying vessel. Today’s ordeal had truly been dangerous, and were it not for Fu Ao Xuan’s timely arrival, Chen Yi would have become prey to the demonic elephants of the valley.

“Brother Chen, there’s no need for thanks. This is only what I ought to do, especially since we were following the plan we agreed on beforehand,” replied Fu Ao Xuan, seated at the center of the vessel, his attention divided as he both controlled their flight and responded to Chen Yi.

Standing at the prow of the flying boat, Chen Yi resembled a steadfast pine perched atop a cliff, his form unmoved even as wild winds battered him. He seemed impervious to the tempest. Though Fu Ao Xuan’s words were gracious, and he had indeed followed their prior plan, Chen Yi still harbored a lingering worry: that Fu Ao Xuan might have abandoned him at the crucial moment. After all, this was a harsh world of cultivation, not the lawful, ethical society of Chen Yi’s previous life. Here, turning a blind eye to others’ peril and acts of murder and robbery were commonplace.

Fortunately, Fu Ao Xuan was not such a heartless man. In Chen Yi’s hour of crisis, Fu Ao Xuan had extended a helping hand, even at the cost of a priceless high-grade spirit stone. The three brothers—Fu Ao Xuan and his kin—were indeed friends worth having. Chen Yi engraved their kindness deeply in his heart, vowing he would one day repay Fu Ao Xuan for his aid. To repay both kindness and enmity in equal measure—this was the principle by which Chen Yi lived.

Calling the three brothers over, Chen Yi stood at the prow, letting the brisk wind rush past. With a thought, a great pile of ivory, pure and lustrous as jade, suddenly appeared on the deck. The ivory gleamed with a white radiance, beautiful to behold—these were the spoils Chen Yi had risked his life for, the treasures taken from the Elephant Tomb after countless brushes with death.

Originally, he had intended to wait until returning to the Five Elements Sect before revealing these. But seeing Fu Ao Xuan risk his life to save him, Chen Yi could not resist showing off the ivory he had stolen from the tomb at such great peril. He wanted to give Fu Ao Xuan and his brothers a tremendous surprise.

And what a surprise it was! The three brothers were utterly stunned. After their initial shock at the mountainous heap of ivory, joy flooded their hearts. Their eyes lit up, their bodies seemed wrapped in honey, a sweet satisfaction filling them.

In their eyes, this pile of ivory meant tens of thousands of contribution points, which could be exchanged for powerful magical artifacts. Thinking of those treasures they had coveted but could not afford due to a lack of points, excitement and nervousness warred within them. They were thrilled at the prospect of acquiring so many points and formidable artifacts, yet anxious lest it all prove an illusion.

Slowly, the three brothers approached the ivory, trembling hands reaching out to caress the smooth, jade-like tusks. The sight sent shivers down Chen Yi’s spine; he quickly moved away, finding their behavior quite repulsive.

Once they confirmed the ivory was real, they glanced at Chen Yi and saw his expression of disdain. Instantly, they composed themselves, shedding their unsightly expressions and regaining their composure.

“Brother Chen, we should return to the Five Elements Sect at once and exchange this ivory for contribution points before anything can go awry. This ivory is simply too valuable,” Fu Ao Xuan said, his face free of embarrassment.

“Agreed. Let’s set off immediately.” With a wave of his left hand, Chen Yi swept the ivory back into his spatial ring.

To expedite their return, Yu Ming and Wang Haochen joined Fu Ao Xuan in piloting the flying vessel. With three Foundation Establishment cultivators channeling their spiritual power into the craft, its speed soared. In just over an hour, less than two, they safely returned to the Five Elements Sect.

Passing through the grand protective array of the sect, the vessel soared to the peak of Fu Ao Xuan’s mountain. Then, in a flash, the flying vessel vanished, leaving only Chen Yi and the brothers behind—Fu Ao Xuan had taken the craft back into his body.

Without pausing to rest, they immediately took to the air, flying toward the sect’s mission hall. Four figures—three Foundation Establishment cultivators and one at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining—sped across the sky, attracting the attention of many disciples below.

Yet they paid no heed to the curious gazes or speculations of others. The number of points at stake was simply too great; the sooner they exchanged the ivory, the sooner they could put their minds at ease.

In barely a moment, they arrived at the bustling mission hall. To expedite matters, each of them unleashed their aura, four powerful presences radiating out. Though Chen Yi was still only at the peak of Qi Refining, his physical strength rivaled that of the Foundation Establishment, and his aura was just as formidable.

Most of those gathered before the hall were outer sect disciples, with a few inner sect Foundation Establishment cultivators mixed in. Yet none wished to provoke four such powerful figures over a trivial matter, so Chen Yi and his companions quickly gained entry.

Approaching the steward, Chen Yi handed over the spatial ring they had prepared—a ring containing two-thirds of the ivory he had taken from the Elephant Tomb.

On their way back to the sect, Chen Yi and the brothers had discussed the matter and agreed not to exchange all of the ivory at once. Such a rare material could be invaluable in the future. They decided to exchange only two-thirds for contribution points, keeping the remaining third for unforeseen needs. Thus unfolded the scene at the mission hall.