Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

"Yi Taoist, are you interested in joining our East Sea Effortless Heaven?" The mysterious person continued to speak as Yi Chen was still deep in thought.

"Effortless Heaven? Never heard of it." Yi Chen looked puzzled upon hearing this.

The mysterious person was not surprised by Yi Chen's guarded demeanor and instead began to explain gently.

Effortless Heaven in the East Sea is an organization formed by those seeking the Great Dao and personal freedom, with 'Effortless Heaven' signifying a state of ultimate freedom and transcendence.

But the Great Dao is difficult to master, and the power of one person is inevitably limited. Hence, the first Heavenly Master of Effortless Heaven used great mana to find a fragment of space, refine it, and establish the Effortless Heaven organization.

In Effortless Heaven, by carrying the token of command, one can tear through the void to enter, sit and discuss the Dao, post tasks, and conduct transactions.

Everything comes with a price, and if members ask for help from one another, compensation is required.

This compensation is in the form of contribution points.

Contribution points can be exchanged with Effortless Heaven for wondrous skills, divine techniques, and rare treasures, or earned by completing certain tasks for Effortless Heaven.

For every task or transaction posted by an individual, the Heavenly Master takes a small 'service fee.'

After listening to the mysterious person's explanation, Yi Chen roughly understood the nature of this organization. It was basically a platform brokerage...

"Yi Chengzi, do you know what immortals are? How does one ascend to immortality?"

"Our Effortless Heaven was founded for realms beyond that of a True Monarch, for ascending to immortality and obtaining the Dao. If you weren't so young with such high cultivation, you wouldn't even think of receiving an invitation from our Effortless Heaven."

"Only those with astonishing talents and potency to aid the pursuit of the immortal Dao can join Effortless Heaven. Now tell me, what is an immortal?"

Yi Chen was silent for a moment, then spoke, "An immortal is like a mountain among men, so naturally, it's a person as high as a mountain. When my True Yang Spirit surpasses the height of a mountain, that probably means I've become an immortal."

"Thank you for your kind intentions, elder, but I will not go to Effortless Heaven."

His choice to decline the kind offer was a decision Yi Chen made after careful consideration.

Even though this person seemed to have a connection with his master and appeared to have no ill intentions, Yi Chen was not the kind of person to easily trust someone just because of smooth talk.

Besides, they sat discussing the Dao, but how could he fit in? He didn't know how...

Before he becomes a True Monarch, Yi Chen was absolutely not going to get involved with such a mysterious organization. It was akin to a huge gamble; the benefit was just another way to acquire resources, but who knows if this Effortless Heaven was like a transfer point in northern Myanmar.

Nope, not doing it.

It was unclear whether Yi Chen's refusal surprised the mysterious person or whether Yi Chen's unique understanding of immortality had rendered him speechless.

After a long while, the mysterious person finally said, "So be it, true geniuses do have some privileges."

"I have a Great Shift command here, crush it and you will be able to teleport directly to the secret realm of our Effortless Heaven, which may save your life in a moment of crisis."

"If you use it, it means you owe Effortless Heaven a life, and you'll have to repay it with your own life later. Are you willing?" The mysterious person took out a black diamond-shaped golden token. The token, covered with dense runes and emitting a faint glimmer, clearly was no ordinary item.

You can only do certain things once, not twice. After thinking for a while, Yi Chen nodded and agreed on the spot.

"If you change your mind one day, come to the shore of the East Sea, to Dragon King Castle in Royal City at night. Show this golden token I gave you, and someone will naturally come to guide you. Remember not to disclose matters of Effortless Heaven, Yi Taoist. Otherwise, no one can save you, whether you flee to the heavens or hide in the earth. Effortless Heaven's strength is beyond your imagination."

"Considering Bai Yunzi's sake, I'll remind you once more: don't think you are already very strong. This world is vast; do not only set your sights on Great Qin's corner of land."

"Beyond the boundless sea, there are two other continents, only quite far from Great Qin and hidden due to the dangerous waters, only crossable by True Monarchs and unknown to most people. In this world, there are no fewer than ten of your peers whose talents surpass yours."

"For instance, the lands of Spirit State of the Eastern Overseas belong to the state of Great Qin, whose power even surpasses the Great Qin Dynasty. There are giants like the Immortal Dao Sect, Taiyi Dao Sect, Creation Dao Sect, Subhuti Zen Temple, and others. Great Qin's aggression is fierce; if not for the barrier of the sea, heh heh."

"Now the world is undergoing strange changes, and the Heavenly Master once said that it is both a great disaster and great fortune. Keep striving, for some things once missed, may not come again in this lifetime."

Seemingly aware of Yi Chen's wariness, the mysterious person tossed the golden token on the ground, gave a final admonition, and then vanished into thin air.

The words of the mysterious person were like cold water splashed on Yi Chen's head, shocking him to his senses, but at the same time, they kindled a raging passion in his heart.

"Immortal Dao Sect, Taiyi Dao Sect, Creation Dao Sect, Subhuti Zen Temple, just hearing their names makes them sound like holy places for cultivation. These are all wings for me. In the future, I must go there to check in, to help me prove my Dao."

"It's too much to take in; I simply can't grasp it all."

Yi Chen narrowed his eyes, already plotting in his heart, though no one knew exactly what he was thinking.

The secrets of the world peel away like layers of an onion; as one's strength increases, the mysterious veils drop, revealing an enticing form, exposing the alluring essence hidden beneath.

Great Qin, Great Qin, the mystery of the world's transformation, Yin Manor, the other continent that the mysterious person did not mention, as well as the great calamities and opportunities spoken of by the Heavenly Master of Effortless Heaven—Yi Chen believed that everything would gradually draw closer to him as his strength grew.

Eventually, enlightenment dawned.

Like now, having traveled far from home, he had already learned so much about these secrets. When the strength is there, when the social rank is reached, secrets are no longer secret.

Stepping on the firm ground, Yi Chen looked up at the sky, feeling that there were layers of mist in the unknowable reaches above, yet a faint thread seemed to be hidden within.

"Could it be as I suspect?" A bold idea emerged in Yi Chen's mind.

A shadow darted past; Little Miao had returned with a golden token clutched in her mouth, interrupting Yi Chen's thoughts.

Coming back to his senses, Yi Chen thought for a moment and then decided to place the golden token into a storage ring by itself.

After killing the beautiful woman and the child, Yi Chen had acquired two new storage rings, and there was plenty of space to put things.

"Hehe, Yan Family."

"The assassins sent by them this time have been killed by me, I'm afraid the next ones to come won't be so simple, and the lull period certainly won't last long."

"Now it seems I must accelerate my pace and strive to find more Deep Red Points, and for that, even taking some risks is inevitable."

Yi Chen sighed deeply within his heart, yearning for tranquility as the storm outside raged on.

He indeed wished to be the peerless swordsman of Ten Mile Slope, but the current situation gave him no time for such aspirations, thus he had no choice but to change his strategy slightly.

He must take the initiative to strike out and search for places where Deep Red Points might exist.

Great Yue · Shuiyue Convent.

It was a scene of brilliant spring beauty.

Inside a certain convent courtyard, a graceful nun didn't meditate today but instead sat on the windowsill, gazing at the scenery outside, her face cold as frost. Beside her lay an opened letter with its wax seal broken.

"You say you like snow, but why couldn't you wait for me to become a True Monarch and then come seek you?"

"You lie buried under the spring, your bones turning to mud, while I send my snowy hair to the human realm."

With those words uttered.

An icy, deadly intent suddenly filled heaven and earth.

The splendid spring light of Shuiyue Convent instantly transformed, and heavy snow began to fall from the sky, turning the whole courtyard into a world clad in silver and white.

The Grand Princess swept her wide sleeves and rose, stepping out through the courtyard gate as snowflakes settled on her head.

...

...

Twenty days later.

Lingyang City.

The beautiful Emerald River flowed like a jade belt over mountains and hills, entering a green ravine.

Flocks of sheep and herds of cattle thrived in the valley, while deer were everywhere, and occasionally the silhouette of a tiger or leopard would flash through the shrubs.

Screech!

Vultures circled in the sky above, eyeing the prey on the ground attentively.

Next to a large ancient tree in the valley, a tall figure with a hood over his head stood in the valley.

He was broad-shouldered, wearing a black cloak, and his black hair draped over his shoulders. Just standing there, he exuded an unshakable presence.

Yi Chen lifted his hood and glanced at the vultures overhead, then turned his gaze toward the broad cliffs.

On the cliffs stood a massive fortress, a large white city - Lingyang City.

In Yi Chen's eyes, a faint black aura seemed to shroud the entire Lingyang City.

"This little city must be plagued by demons, such an omen is indeed ominous."

"Perhaps, en route to inspecting it, I may obtain quite a few Deep Red Points."

"Don't consider victory without preparing for defeat, for safety's sake, I must reach the Agility-Breaking Realm before proceeding, only then will it be a foolproof plan."

With that thought, Yi Chen allocated all the recently accumulated Origin Points into his agility.

A warm current flashed by.

Ten seconds later, Yi Chen successfully reached the Agility-Breaking Realm.