Two Realms: I Will Become the Immortal Emperor

Chapter 446: Chapter 415: Refusing to Rejoin the Clan

After a half-day stop at Jinghai Island Reef, Chen Che and his group quickly returned to Jinyun Valley. The Valley was in an uproar, with various parties arriving to seek an audience, each procession more magnificent than the last.

After meeting with everyone, Chen Che had only Yu Sihai stay behind.

”Yu Sihai pays his respects, Valley Master.”

Yu Sihai wasn’t sure what this was about. When he met Chen Che in the Quiet Chamber, he first prostrated himself in a formal bow. Then, he noticed Yu Yunko sitting as Chen Che’s equal. She wore a bamboo hat and veil, concealing her identity. Suspecting she was a person of high status, he made sure to bow to her as well:

”I pay my respects, Senior!”

”Please rise, Sihai.”

With a light gesture, Chen Che summoned a pumpon and got straight to the point:

”Fellow Yu, do you know the origins of the Chi State Yu Clan?”

”I only know a little. My family, the Yu Clan, split off from a greater clan over a thousand years ago. It seems we were forced to settle here in Chi State after suffering a great calamity. However, there are no written records of this within the clan. The story is passed down orally from one clan head to the next, and I am now the only one who knows it.

It seems our clan... originates from the Yu Clan of the Star-Picking Sect.”

Yu Sihai said sincerely, his head lowered.

”That is correct. Now, there is an opportunity for the Yu Family to return to the main branch. Are you willing?”

Chen Che appreciated his honesty and proceeded to introduce Yu Yunko. ”Fellow Daoist Yu here is the current matriarch of the main lineage of the Yu Clan from the Star-Picking Sect. She has come in the hopes that the Chi State Yu Clan will acknowledge its ancestors and return to the main family.”

?

Stunned, Yu Sihai looked up at the woman in the bamboo hat and veil.

He had been wondering why Chen Che had kept him behind, but he had never imagined this would be the reason.

”During the internal strife within the Star-Picking Sect years ago, our Yu Clan, in order to preserve our bloodline, secretly sent out seven or eight branches of the family. Most have since perished, and very few remain. Only the Yu Family of Chi State still retains some prominence.”

Yu Yunko lifted her bamboo hat and veil, revealing a lovely face. She spoke gently to Yu Sihai:

”Jinyun Valley falls under the jurisdiction of the Primordial Sect, and our sects are rivals, so I was unable to visit in person before. Fortunately, I have a personal connection with Valley Master Chen, which is why I could take this opportunity to come. If you are willing to return to our clan, I can promise you the position of an Elder...”

”Your clan members can also be integrated into the main clan as a side branch. If, in the years to come, someone from your branch achieves the Golden Core Realm, they can be elevated to the direct lineage.”

”This...”

Yu Sihai glanced at Chen Che.

Chen Che’s eyes were half-closed, and he remained silent, making his intention not to interfere clear. After a moment of deliberation, Yu Sihai said, ”I am willing to acknowledge our ancestors, but my clan does not wish to return to the Star-Picking Sect. I ask for your understanding, Senior.”

”If that’s the case, I won’t force the matter. The Chi State Yu Clan can remain an independent branch. Just set aside some time to return with me to our clan’s home to pay respects to our ancestors.”

Yu Yunko had anticipated this. After more than a thousand years of separation, anyone would be wary of a ”main family” suddenly appearing. Moreover, the Chi State Yu Clan had established itself here, and its power was flourishing.

Meanwhile, the direct lineage of her own clan was entrenched on a single mountain, and their lives were not necessarily as comfortable as this branch’s.

’If I were in his shoes, I might not be willing either.’

With this in mind, Yu Yunko paused in thought before taking out a jade bottle and offering it to him. ”For a thousand years, the main lineage has not been a part of your journey. As a gift upon our meeting, please take this. This bottle contains Profound Silver Liquid, which can aid your Cultivation.”

Profound Silver Liquid was a derivative of Golden Liquid, though considerably weaker. It was only Tier Two High Grade, making it a perfectly suitable gift.

”If the Chi State Yu Clan changes its mind in the future, you may still rejoin the main clan. Even if you don’t, should you ever face hardship, you can still turn to the clan for help. We are of the same blood; we should support one another.”

”Thank you, Senior. I will keep this in mind.”

Yu Sihai took the jade bottle and bowed again.

Chen Che waved his hand, signaling for him to leave.

After excusing himself, Yu Sihai bowed and withdrew.

”Valley Master Chen, you are very considerate of your subordinates. It is truly the Chi State Yu Clan’s good fortune to be under Jinyun Valley’s protection. Since he is unwilling, I will not force the issue. If the main lineage of the Celestial State Yu Clan were ever to be extinguished, it would be good to know that another branch still exists in this world.”

Yu Yunko felt a slight sense of regret but understood his reasoning. If the Chi State Yu Clan had been treated unfairly here, he would have accepted her offer without a moment’s hesitation.

The only possible reason was that life here was good. It is only human nature to pursue benefits and avoid harm.

Chen Che did not respond. Instead, he rose and walked out.

Yu Yunko followed.

The pair crossed the Valley’s central plaza and headed straight for the rear mountain.

A Chixia True Cauldron, the size of a small hill, sat in a clearing. Inside its fathomless depths were Mudskipper Shrimp and two Flood Dragon Heads, steeped in Spiritual Water that was dense with Spiritual Qi. A variety of freshly picked Spirit Herbs had also been added, piled so high they overflowed the rim of the Pill Furnace.

Several chains formed of True Essence crisscrossed over the Pill Furnace, sealing it to prevent any Spiritual Qi from escaping.

Of course, the refining process for this batch hadn’t begun.

In addition to adding a few more Spirit Herbs, they also needed to prepare enough Taibai Jade Bamboo to use as fuel. If that ran short, they would have to supplement it with Spirit Stones. Refining such a massive batch of pills would take two to three months, even with seven or eight Golden Core True Masters working together tirelessly, day and night.

One could not possibly begin the refining without exhaustive preparations. A single mistake would mean all these materials would go up in smoke. Under normal circumstances, it might take a hundred years just to gather the ingredients for a single batch like this.

Naturally, Chen Che was being exceptionally careful.

Even with Jinyun Valley’s current resources, the preparations would still take one to two months. And that was with the Meng Family, the Lu Clan, and the Chen Clan all pitching in.

All that was left to do was wait.

...

An empty room in the Valley was cleared out for Yu Yunko to stay in temporarily.

Next, Chen Che turned to the affairs that had piled up recently. He first paid a visit to the Forging Hall, intending to ask Liang Yuan about the Hall’s business. However, upon entering, he saw a Red Gold Copper Box already sitting there. It was about five feet long and half a foot wide, its surface engraved with numerous imposing figures of dragons, birds, and flying fish.

Clearly, this was a Sword Box.

After dismantling two Sword Boxes, Liang Yuan had gained a general understanding of the forging process and had now even attempted to craft one himself. Of course, a Sword Box wasn’t merely a simple container for Flying Swords.

In addition to a nurturing function, it had to incorporate Spatial Law and mechanisms for retracting and deploying a Flying Sword based on a series of Sword Formulas. Without sufficient skill, forging one was simply impossible.

Chen Che was quite satisfied with Liang Yuan’s progress.

Unfortunately, Liang Yuan was not yet a proper Tier Three Artifact Refiner, and Chen Che was reluctant to hand over top-grade materials just for him to practice.

He then asked about the Anomalous Copper Ore. Fortunately, the supply was large—more than enough for Liang Yuan’s practice.

”Set aside your duties in the Forging Hall for now and go invite your master. In a few days, a Third-rank Casting Master will be coming to the Valley to forge a Magical Artifact. It will be a good opportunity for you and your master to observe.”

”Is that really happening?”

Liang Yuan was overjoyed.

Both Forging and Alchemy were secretive arts. To protect their techniques, masters rarely allowed observers, lest their secrets be stolen. The old saying ”a method is not passed to a sixth ear” spoke to this truth. ”I’ll go invite my master at once.”

”Be careful not to let word of this slip out. Very few people know about the Magical Artifact being forged.”

As Chen Che gave the warning, he also handed him three Wangxian Pills.

After that, he paid a visit to the Talisman Hall.

The Talisman Hall had become the second-largest Hall in Jinyun Valley, filled with countless disciples, each at their own workbench with ink, brushes, and Talisman paper. Periodically, the Sect would issue missions to collect specific types of Talismans. These would either be sold in bulk or stockpiled as strategic resources.

Disciples would turn in the Talismans they created to the Sect in exchange for Contribution Points. Any extras could be kept for personal use or sold at stalls within Jinyun Valley for additional Cultivation resources.

Chen Che summoned Li Changqing and casually tested his skills. He found that Li Changqing had reached a point of complete mastery with Tier Two Talismans.

The only thing now limiting his Talisman Making was his Cultivation Realm.

”Focus on your Cultivation for now. In your spare time, you can try to deconstruct some Tier Three Talismans.”

Chen Che gifted him three Wangxian Pills.

Finally, he made his way to the Pill Hall. Under the instruction of Zhao De’an and Xing Lin, most of the disciples’ Alchemy Skills were decent. However, for the Hall that was supposed to be the backbone of the Valley, it was still a bit lacking. Chen Che gave both men a Wangxian Pill and told them to gather the disciples.

”Today, I, your Valley Master, have come to lecture on the art of Alchemy. I expect your full attention.”

Chen Che began to speak, his voice unhurried yet resonant, like a sound from the heavens.

A jolt of energy went through every disciple in the Hall. They immediately sat down where they stood, waiting with rapt attention for the lesson to begin.

If they could grasp even a sliver of a Golden Core True Master’s experience in Alchemy, it would benefit them for the rest of their lives.

...