Chapter 430: The Iron Family Submits
The lordmaster was the epitome of das.h.i.+ng grace as he laughed heartily after pressing the fruit into Jiang Chen’s hand and then drifted away.
“Jiang Chen, all resources are available to you in the Precious Tree Sect. I am but adding brilliance to your present splendor. Continue training! There are still roughly seven days to the induction ceremony. I hope you will appear on it with an even stronger posture.”
The lordmaster came and left as he would. This was also to prevent putting Jiang Chen under any psychological pressure.
Jiang Chen knew that the lordmaster was acting like this on purpose. This weighty gift was no superfluous item.
Jiang Chen had also heard of the Precious Tree of the Rosy Dawn.
However, forefather Thousandleaf hadn’t mentioned the fruit of this tree to him in the days that he’d entered the sect. It was obvious that this resource wasn’t something that a young man, even one such as Jiang Chen, could commandeer.
The lordmaster had gifted him even the Divine Fruit of Rosy Dawn, how was this possibly just mere added grace? This was absolutely a precious gift.
Jiang Chen’s gaze flickered as he looked at the fruit that was so red, it seemed to be glowing. What he lacked most at this moment were resources like this.
“It looks like joining the Precious Tree Sect was a truly wise decision. With the lordmaster’s personality, the fact that he has returned to old grazing pastures in the Precious Tree Sect is surely because he wishes to be my protector. The lordmaster’s intentions were very touching.
With Jiang Chen’s knowledge of the lordmaster, he would’ve never returned to the sect without reason after he’d left. His return was more than likely a reflection of his desire to pave the way for Jiang Chen.
“The lordmaster values me so highly. I naturally cannot forget this debt of grat.i.tude. Perhaps I should seek out some opportunities to repay his kindness.”
It wasn’t that Jiang Chen was arrogant—he did have many ways to help the lordmaster. It was that he’d purposefully held back at times in order not to make too many stunning and shocking moves.
This was because if he wanted to help the lordmaster, whatever he took out would be an enormous feat that was sure to shock and awe.
Therefore, he’d always exercised quite a bit of restraint and had almost never made a move unless a chance cropped up by coincidence. He also made his moves with utmost skill and caution.
Like when he’d resolved the issue of the Five Winged Phoenix-Dragon for instance, or that time when he’d written down his thoughts on cultivating spirit creatures, or when he’d given the lordmaster pointers to breaking through to the origin realm.
Jiang Chen had done all of that very cautiously to prevent himself from coming across as too out of this world.
He flung up the Divine Fruit of Rosy Dawn in his hand and decided to make good use of it. It could help a cultivator unequivocally break through to another level in the spirit realm. It was more than your typical beneficial item.
“My cultivation is now at the peak of the eighth level spirit realm. If I take this fruit, does that mean I can immediately set foot into the peak of the ninth level?”
Jiang Chen was greatly moved when his thoughts traveled here.
The temptation of the ninth level spirit realm made him urge to try.
Although there were seven or so days left until the induction ceremony, Jiang Chen still decided to give it a try. If the Divine Fruit of Rosy Dawn was as legendary as rumored, then this time would be plenty enough.
He summoned his followers when his thoughts traveled here.
“Gouyu, you’re now third level spirit realm and there is much room for you to improve. I have a batch of Fire Raven cores here. It should be enough for you to break through to the sky spirit realm. Some other resources you’ll need are also here as well.”
“Xue Tong, your path is different from Gouyu. The Fire Raven cores are unsuitable for you. I’ve prepared some pills for you and some spirit essence distilled from spirit medicines. They will all be extremely useful for your training.”
“Qiao Shan, Qiao Chuan, Guo Jin, and Wen Ziqi, I’ve prepared a gift for each of you. All of you take a Five Dragons Opening Heavens Pill and break through to the spirit realm first.”
Jiang Chen had also grown aware that the strength of his followers needed to improve. Otherwise, if great disruptions really occurred in the Myriad Domain, it wouldn’t do to be without sufficient strength.
He announced that he was entering closed door cultivation after making all of his arrangements.
The only people unhappy ever since Ye Chonglou and Jiang Chen had announced joining the Precious Tree Sect was the Iron family.
The Iron family and their confidantes quickly realized that the atmosphere within the sect had changed. The senior levels that had close relations.h.i.+ps with them before suddenly distanced themselves.
Apart from a few neutral senior executives, the previous situation in the sect had been one of the Xie family and the Iron family being equally matched rivals to each other.
Yet in a short few days, everyone apart from the Iron family’s lineal branches all seemed to form an accord and deliberately estrange themselves from the Iron family.
It was obvious that no one was dumb and all could see the awkward situation that the Iron family was in now. The forefather had been dissatisfied with their performance to begin with.
They were also sworn rivals of the Xie family, not to mention the past conflicts that new members Ye Chonglou and Jiang Chen had had with them.
The two strongest forces in the Precious Tree Sect were enemies with the entire Iron family. Given the circ.u.mstances, the decline of the Iron family was a foregone conclusion.
Elder Iron Long gave a long sigh within the Iron family’s headquarters, his face appeared aged and resigned.
Iron Dazhi was like a gamec.o.c.k that had lost the fight. His head trailed as he was in low spirits. He’d perceptively realized over the past couple of days that he’d lost the feeling of superiority of being able to summon the wind and call for rain as he was able to previously.
The sect geniuses who’d always called him “Brother Iron” also began avoiding his presence.
“A petty villain glorifying in his success, truly a petty villain becoming triumphant!” Only Iron Can seemed very unwilling to accept this outcome. “Jiang Chen is but a country b.u.mpkin, what right does he have to climb on top of our heads? Why are the heavens this unfair? Our Iron family has a thousand years worth of heritage, is a country b.u.mpkin to lord it over us like this?”
Iron Can gritted his teeth outraged, injustice suffusing his tone.
Iron Long glared angrily, “Shut up! Aren"t you the cause of all of our troubles? Would this be the situation today had you been able to keep Yang Zhao and Lu Wuji under control? Perhaps Jiang Chen would even be in our camp! How do you not say that you’re not good enough to accomplish anything, but more than enough to spoil things?”
Iron Long felt rage grow whenever he looked at Iron Can.
Even Iron Long had accepted things wholeheartedly now that things had progressed to this point, whereas that trash Iron Can was still running his mouth. This incensed Iron Long, making him deeply disappointed that his son didn’t live up to his expectations.
When he thought about it, Jiang Chen’s various grudges and conflicts with the Iron family had arisen because of Lu Wuji. And Lu Wuji happened to be the nephew of Iron Can’s woman.
If Iron Can had been slightly stricter with Lu Wuji, would Lu Wuji have dared act so wildly? Would Lu Wuji have offended Jiang Chen to the point where relations couldn’t be salvaged?
Therefore, everyone else had the right to speak about Jiang Chen, Iron Can alone did not.
Iron Long huffed out angrily and turned to look at the motionless Lian Canghai. He was Iron Long’s true disciple and once the first within the sect.
“Canghai, you trained with Jiang Chen in the same quadrant. What do you think of him?”
Lian Canghai’s mouth was filled with a bitter taste when he recalled the past matters. He’d originally been completely dismissive of Jiang Chen, noticeably underestimating this secular genius.
And now, Jiang Chen’s momentum was set in stone, but he’d tragically discovered that he was unable to become closer to Jiang Chen because of his master’s stance.
However, Lian Canghai still responded to his master’s question carefully. “When Jiang Chen was farming points in the sky quadrant, I’d thought him one to employ trickery and be opportunistic—someone who wouldn’t amount to much. It was only when he barged into the meeting of the most high by himself that I realized that no matter in terms of bravery or strength, this person was bound to rise up. To be able to defeat two of Master Shuiyue’s top disciples in a row means that his rise wasn’t a fluke. In addition, it’s said that he even killed an expert like Master Shuiyue in the Shangyang Kingdom. It isn’t that I wish to bolster another’s prestige, but it’s truly unsuitable to become enemies with him.”
Iron Long sighed softly. He too knew that Jiang Chen wasn’t someone to be enemies with. However, given how things were now, was there hope for the two parties to be reconciled?
Black lines of ill temper descended down Iron Can’s face when he heard this. “Canghai, don’t you think your words help the enemy too much and should go against your conscience?”
Lian Canghai was Iron Long’s true disciple, and so his seniority wasn’t lower than Iron Can’s. His brows arched when he saw Iron Can thus out of line and he snorted derisively. “Go against my conscience? Elder Iron, isn’t this hyperbole? Everyone is now part of the Precious Tree Sect, could it be that Elder Iron thinks that the Iron family should fight to the death with Jiang Chen? Forgive my bluntness, but your thoughts will push the Iron family into a bottomless abyss.”
Although Lian Canghai was young, he wasn’t the least bit inferior to Iron Can in terms of ident.i.ty, status, and strength.
Therefore, he didn’t give Iron Can any face when he acted so wildly.
Iron Long slammed his hand on the table and glared ferociously at Iron Can, “Iron Can, if you continue to refuse to see the error of your ways, then don’t blame me for destroying you with one palm for the future of the family!”
“Dazhi, you’re my lineal grandson. You tell me, how should my Iron family should interact with Jiang Chen?”
Although Iron Dazhi’s personality was also domineering, he differed from the narrow-minded Iron Can. He knew when to advance and when to retreat, he knew what the bigger picture was.
He laughed ruefully, “Grandfather, I used to hate Jiang Chen very much, but now I feel I don’t even have the right to hate him. Think about it, he’s younger than me, but has already killed three elders of the Purple Sun Sect. In his eyes, even our entire Iron family is likely nothing, much less me. I rather think that if our Iron family is to survive, there’s nothing humiliating about lowering our posture and asking to reconcile with him. With the momentum of his rise, the Precious Tree Sect will be unable to keep him sooner or later, but our Iron family must forever remain in the sect.”
Even Lian Canghai was slightly astonished by Iron Dazhi’s words and revised his opinion of the latter.
It looked like failure wasn’t a bad thing for some people.
It looked like Iron Dazhi had matured quite a bit after several setbacks and failures. He could actually a.n.a.lyze the bigger picture and come to this conclusion.
Lian Canghai also nodded. “Dazhi’s words make great sense. If Jiang Chen truly rises, the sect is but a small temple in the end and cannot keep him. If he does not, then the Purple Sun Sect is first in line to wish to destroy him, what need is there for the Iron family to make a move? Therefore, no matter from what angle we pursue things from, there is no reason for the Iron family to continue being at odds with him. We should go along with the flow for survival and make peace with him, and even with the Xie family. This will show those both within and outside of the sect that the Iron family can see the larger issues!”
Iron Long was delighted by these words. He could tell from them that Lian Canghai and Iron Dazhi had truly grown up. They were thousands of times better than that good-for-nothing Iron Can.
“Good, I am much gratified that Canghai and Dazhi hold these opinions. What face can our Iron family not put down for the sect? If Jiang Chen rises, the Precious Tree Sect is sure to benefit and so we must reconcile with him beforehand.”
Iron Long had been of this mind to begin with, and now that Iron Dazhi and Lian Canghai’s words had paved the way, it was much easier to make this decision.