181: Chapter 181 Let's Go to the Central Region

"Heavenly Spiritual Root, Wendao Palace—putting these two matters together made the 'Sect Binding' in his mind a bit clearer."

Elder Wang rushed into the room, dug out a message Jade Slip, and sent a message to the headquarters.

Chu Sheng did not rush to speak.

He walked to Yue Jianli's side and naturally put his arm around her shoulder.

Yue Jianli's body stiffened for a moment, but she did not pull away.

After sending the message, Elder Wang turned around and saw this scene, freezing for a moment: "Young Master Chu, what is this..."

Chu Sheng smiled, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the weather: "Dao Companion. I forgot to introduce her."

The corner of Elder Wang's mouth twitched.

He hadn't examined Chu Sheng carefully before because Chu Sheng had been restraining his aura, appearing to be just an ordinary Loose Cultivator.

But now, Chu Sheng was not deliberately hiding it.

The aura of the Sea Opening realm spread from him like a thin mist; it was not ostentatious, but heavy.

Elder Wang's expression changed.

Compared to Chu Sheng, his Spirit Spring cultivation was like a small oil lamp standing next to a sun.

Elder Wang steadied himself and asked tentatively: "Young Master Chu, what is your current... cultivation level?"

Chu Sheng did not answer directly; he summoned a sword from his Dantian.

The Zhu Immortal Sword, a single blade, had dark red patterns flowing across its pitch-black body, and its Sword Qi was awe-inspiring.

Elder Wang took a step back, the expression on his face incredibly vivid.

Chu Sheng put the sword away and said: "Not worth mentioning."

The corner of Elder Wang's mouth twitched again.

Not worth mentioning? You call this not worth mentioning?

"Young Master Chu, who is your master?" Elder Wang asked.

Chu Sheng thought for a moment and said three words: "A mere Loose Cultivator, and I know Ye Wuhen."

Elder Wang's pupils constricted sharply.

Ye Wuhen.

These three words were a secret that could not be spoken within the Wendao Palace branch.

The higher-ups had given instructions to secretly look after that young man who swept the streets.

Elder Wang naturally knew the weight of Ye Wuhen.

And this young man before him had a connection to Ye Wuhen?

"Some days ago on the East Street, when Prince Jiang Yan was causing trouble for Ye Wuhen," Chu Sheng said, "I happened to pass by and helped him out of the situation."

Elder Wang was silent for a moment, his expression shifting from relief to enthusiasm.

He cupped his hands: "So that's how it is. Young Master Chu, thank you for your righteous action; this old man will... thank you on behalf of Young Master Leaf."

Then he changed the subject, saying something that caught Elder Wang off guard.

"Elder Wang, I heard that Wendao Palace has a position for an Outer Sect Elder, which doesn't require formal entry, just a nominal title to handle some errands for the Sect?"

Elder Wang paused, then nodded, saying yes.

Chu Sheng said, "Then I would like to try."

Elder Wang looked him up and down.

Early Sea Opening cultivation, a Heaven Rank sword, a connection to Ye Wuhen, and a Dao Companion with a Heavenly Spiritual Root.

This person was indeed qualified to be an Outer Sect Elder.

But the position of Outer Sect Elder wasn't up to him; it had to be reported to headquarters and pass an assessment.

He told this to Chu Sheng, and Chu Sheng nodded, saying no problem.

Elder Wang reached into his robe and pulled out a token, bronze-colored, with the words "Wen Dao" engraved on the front.

"This is a temporary token for an Outer Sect Elder. Take it, and you can go to the headquarters to take the assessment. If you pass, you will be an official Outer Sect Elder."

Chu Sheng took the token and looked it over repeatedly.

It was bronze, had a good texture, and there was a faint fluctuation of spiritual power on it.

He put the token into his Storage Pouch and then looked at Yue Jianli.

Elder Wang also looked at Yue Jianli: "Girl Yue, the headquarters has replied regarding your matter. They want you to go to the Central Region to participate in the selection for Inner Sect Disciple. Given your Aptitude, there shouldn't be a problem."

Yue Jianli nodded without speaking.

Her gaze fell on Chu Sheng, and when Chu Sheng smiled at her, the tips of her ears turned red.

Elder Wang arranged for the two of them to rest in the branch's guest rooms, saying they would set off early tomorrow morning and he would personally escort them to the Central Region.

Chu Sheng thanked him and took Yue Jianli to the backyard.

The guest room was not large but was clean, with a bed, a table, and a window, outside of which was a small bamboo grove.

Yue Jianli stood in front of the window with her back to Chu Sheng, wondering what she was thinking about.

Chu Sheng did not disturb her.

He sat on the bed, closed his eyes, and regulated his breath to recover.

He opened his eyes, called up Heavenly Secret Calculation from the backup slot, and stared at the golden keyword for a while.

Binding to Wendao Palace was too big a matter; he had to cast a divination.

He recited silently in his heart: "How is the fortune for this trip to Wendao Palace?"

Then he chose one year of his lifespan.

A phantom of a bamboo slip container appeared, shook, and a slip jumped out.

Chu Sheng reached out to catch it, turned it over, and looked—it was a Medium-Grade Slip.

Corresponding to neutral.

Good and bad mixed; neither good nor bad.

Chu Sheng frowned.

The Old Grandfather floated out of the ring, looked at the slip, and said in a grave tone: "A Medium-Grade Slip. It means you might suffer a backlash, or you might achieve a complete victory; it all depends on your actions. Are you sure you want to gamble?"

Chu Sheng was silent for a while, then put the slip away.

Gamble.

Wealth is sought in danger; he never lacked the nature to gamble.

Wendao Palace was a behemoth; if he could successfully parasitize it, the Luck he could absorb would be enough to stuff him full.

As for the risk—what in the Immortal Realm didn't have risks? Even eating could make you choke to death.

The Old Grandfather sighed and did not try to persuade him further.

He knew Chu Sheng's temper; once this kid made a decision, ten cows couldn't pull him back.

Chu Sheng returned Heavenly Secret Calculation to the backup slot, then called up the Sect Binding keyword to study exactly how to operate it.

He read the description of the keyword from beginning to end three times and extracted a few key points.

After binding, he needed to regularly "feed" the Sect; he couldn't just suck blood without contributing.

If he only picked fruit without nurturing, the tree would die, and he would be finished along with it.

However, Wendao Palace was big enough; such a giant tree didn't need him to fertilize it.

He conceived a preliminary plan: first, use Yue Jianli's connection to enter Wendao Palace, then establish a foothold in the palace through Ye Wuhen.

Then, help Wendao Palace solve some troubles, such as wiping out a few Demonic Path strongholds or recovering a few lost Magic Treasures, using these merits to gain trust.

While gaining trust, secretly absorb the Sect's excess Luck, keeping it balanced so that the Sect's Luck would not show obvious fluctuations.

This way, it would neither attract the attention of the higher-ups nor would it prevent him from draining blood in a steady stream.

After hearing his plan, the Old Grandfather was silent for a while and said: "Wendao Palace has many Dao Palaces; your little tricks might not be enough in front of them."

Chu Sheng nodded, saying that, of course, he wouldn't be doing things under the noses of the big shots.

He would hide his Heavenly Demon Body and only use the Phoenix Immortal Sword Technique and the Zhu Immortal Sword.

The Zhu Immortal Sword was a top-tier Heaven Rank item, its Sword Qi sharp and domineering, which could perfectly conceal the aura of the Taixu True Scripture.

No matter how powerful Ye Gucheng was, it was impossible for him to see through the concealment of a top-tier Heaven Rank Magical Artifact at a glance.

The Old Grandfather thought about it and felt it was feasible.

But he still reminded him: "Caution is the parent of safety. There's a reason Wendao Palace has been able to stand in the Central Region for a thousand years."

Chu Sheng said, "I understand."

Everything was ready.

Chu Sheng stood up and walked to the window.

Yue Jianli was still standing there, with her back to him; the moonlight shone on her, casting her shadow on the ground, long and thin.

Chu Sheng stood behind her, reached out, and gently took her hand.

Yue Jianli's hand felt cold for a moment, then slowly warmed up.

Chu Sheng said, "Aren't we going to the Central Region together?"

Yue Jianli did not turn back, but she nodded gently.