Chương 342: Chapter 341: Comparable to the Nine Secrets!

After recruiting the first batch of disciples, Ye Chen no longer paid attention to the outside world. Instead, he devoted himself to cultivating the Great Emperor Scripture. After all, cultivation was the foundation of everything. During this time, Ye Chen also passed down the Hundred Flowers Immortal Scripture to the female cultivators around him. An Miaoli, who practiced the Eternal Cosmos Sutra, didn't need the Hundred Flowers Immortal Scripture but could still study it for insight.

The other female cultivators, upon receiving the immortal scripture, were utterly astonished. Even heaven-grade techniques had once been lofty and unattainable for them, let alone an immortal scripture. And now, it had come into their hands so easily? However, not everyone received a copy of the immortal scripture. An Yuyi and An Miaoli naturally did, as did the maids like Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er.

The Hundred Flowers Immortal Scripture not only extended lifespan and boosted cultivation speed but also enhanced one's appearance. Allowing them to practice it might even amplify their potential. As for the elders and disciples of Ascension Peak, like Lin Qingtan, Li Feihuang, and Mo Yuzhu, they didn't receive it. Relationships had their degrees of closeness, and if everyone got such treasures without any threshold, they would seem cheap.

Only after these female cultivators made contributions to Ascension Peak would Ye Chen consider bestowing the scripture. This was also a form of motivation. In the days that followed, Ye Chen spent his time either cultivating or giving gifts. The process of gifting was primarily focused on his own improvement, such as mastering the six arts of cultivation. In just two months, thanks to the system's feedback, he had elevated all of them to the perfect fourth-grade level.

Beyond that, the main focus of his gifting was resources needed for Nascent Soul stage cultivation—pills, spells, spiritual treasures, and the like. For an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, these were things that took years or even decades of effort to gather after a breakthrough. But for Ye Chen, it was as simple as eating or drinking. With a single act of gifting, thousands of top-grade pills would appear in his storage bracelet. As for spiritual treasures, they piled up in heaps within the bracelet.

This feeling of never having to worry about cultivation resources was something countless cultivators could only dream of. Just thinking about it was enough to realize how exhilarating it was. Time passed swiftly, but the discussions within the Holy Land about Ascension Peak showed no signs of fading. On the contrary, the buzz around the peak only grew hotter.

The rumors about the Fourth Holy Son—his apparent laziness and penchant for surrounding himself with female cultivators—drew scorn from many disciples, especially the male ones. They viewed him as a man without ambition. After all, who among the truly elite prodigies would indulge in the pleasures of romance? Take Senior Brother Hua, for instance. He only had eyes for the First Holy Maiden, Dantai Xuan, and other female cultivators could barely get close to him, no matter how hard they tried.

Then there was the Yao Family's Holy Son, a generational prodigy. Countless goddesses admired him, yet he remained aloof, never swayed by their affections. As for the Holy Son of the Heavenly Intention Holy Land, he treated female cultivators like playthings, discarding them without a second thought. Man or woman, anyone who crossed him was obliterated with a single punch. But their own Fourth Holy Son?

Not only did he bring a retinue of female cultivators to the Holy Land, but the first thing he did upon arrival was select female disciples to join him, practically building a harem. This was utterly lacking in the demeanor of a top-tier prodigy. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The cultivation world was full of talented individuals who had fallen from grace. One such tale, widely known, was that of Zhong Yong from ancient times.

Said to be the reincarnation of an Immortal Emperor, Zhong Yong had reached the Qi Refining stage at three, Foundation Establishment at seven, Golden Core at fifteen, Nascent Soul at twenty-eight, and Deity Transformation before forty. His combat prowess was unparalleled, and many believed he could become the next Heavenly Emperor. Yet, he fell into decadence, spending his days carousing with female cultivators, drinking with prodigies, and basking in flattery while neglecting his cultivation.

In the end, on the path to immortality, he was crushed by a great enemy with a single punch—a tragedy that left many sighing in regret. If the Fourth Holy Son continued down this path, he was destined to become another Zhong Yong. Despite the criticism swirling behind Ye Chen's back, the female cultivators' anticipation for Ascension Peak only grew. Word had spread about the peak's remarkable benefits.

For the same level of cultivation, the resources and treatment provided to disciples and elders at Ascension Peak were five times the Holy Land's average. And that wasn't all. The Fourth Holy Son was extraordinarily generous with female cultivators. If you caught him in a good mood, you were likely to receive a gift, and not just any gift. His presents were exceptional: pills, spiritual artifacts, treasures, you name it. Take Mo Yuzhu, the first to join the Holy Lord Peak.

Her friend had once griped to others that when Mo Yuzhu was practicing a spell a month ago, she happened upon the Holy Son strolling by. With a casual gesture, he gifted her a heaven-grade spell. Other female disciples who joined Ascension Peak had also received generous rewards from the Fourth Holy Son—spells, treasures, pills, almost everything one could imagine.

There was even a rumor that the Fourth Holy Son possessed a complete immortal scripture, and the female cultivators he brought with him were all practicing it. What's more, disciples of the Holy Land who made significant contributions to Ascension Peak could also be granted this immortal scripture. When this news broke, the outside world was stunned. An immortal scripture! Such texts were reserved exclusively for Holy Sons and Holy Maidens. To think that ordinary disciples at Ascension Peak could access them?

It was almost too incredible to believe. Though most people were skeptical and unsure whether the rumors were true, the discussions still stirred the hearts of countless female disciples. Many resolved to sign up next year when Ascension Peak opened its gates. There were whispers that joining the peak meant dual cultivating with the Holy Son, but that wasn't seen as a big issue. For some, it was even acceptable—desirable, even.

After all, the Holy Son was extraordinarily talented, with boundless prospects and dashing looks. Dual cultivating with him? It wasn't clear who'd be getting the better deal. Some female disciples were outright eager, planning to dress their best on the day of the ascent to catch the Holy Son's eye. Regardless, there was no doubt about Ascension Peak's laid-back attitude. Everyone knew resources in the Holy Land were finite.

Providing one disciple with five times the resources was tempting, but it limited the number of disciples who could be nurtured. This made it unlikely for the peak to rank well in the Holy Land's grand competition. It was obvious to many that the Holy Son was using the Holy Land's resources to pamper his women. At this rate, within a couple of years, Ascension Peak's overall strength would likely fall to the bottom among the Holy Land's peaks. In the blink of an eye, nearly a year had passed.

Ye Chen sat cross-legged atop Holy Son Peak, his eyes deep as an abyss, a fleeting glimmer of a true dragon flashing within them. From his body, vibrant Imperial Dragon Qi flowed out through his pores. Over the year, Ye Chen had fully mastered the Great Emperor Scripture, bringing his Imperial Dragon Qi to perfection. The Great Emperor Scripture was renowned among immortal scriptures, its offensive power considered unmatched in the world, rivaled only by the legendary Nine Secrets.

The Great Emperor himself was a legend, a human who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Heavenly Emperor. In the Mahayana stage, he defied immortals, shaking both heaven and earth. When his Imperial Dragon Qi was unleashed, no one in his era could match him—a testament to its terrifying might. Now, Ye Chen's Imperial Dragon Qi had also reached perfection, boosting his combat strength by far more than just a few times.