Chapter 109: Yao Xi’s Failure

“Middle Mountain Secret Realm?”

The moment Ye Chen heard the name, it sparked a memory. It was said to be a place from ancient times when immortals still existed in this world. Back then, powerful beings were constantly battling, and the outer universe had shed many fragments of space. These fragments were then used by the cultivation world to create various secret realms.

This was the general origin story of secret realms. Green Cloud Sect had its own secret realm in Middle Mountain, where many spiritual herbs were said to be found. Additionally, the spiritual Qi there was especially abundant, three times as much as in the outside world.

But only Qi Refining disciples were allowed to enter. And the secret realm only opened once every three years. Entering it to gather spiritual herbs could yield great resources, and even just the act of cultivation there was beneficial. So,the disciples were always eager to go.

Occasionally, someone would even find a top-tier spiritual herb and instantly become wealthy. However, Ye Chen wasn’t too interested. Entering the secret realm took a month, wasting precious time that could be spent on accumulating rewards and cultivating with his maidservants.

As for the spiritual herbs, to be honest, Ye Chen didn’t care much about them. If he needed anything, he could just buy it with spirit stones. In short, Ye Chen felt no real attraction to the secret realm and didn’t see any reason to go just for the sake of joining the crowd.

“Can the spot be given to someone else?” Ye Chen asked.

There were only ten spots available for each secret realm entrance. Since Ye Chen didn’t want to go, he considered passing the spot to someone else. Perhaps they could find something interesting there.

The steward immediately shook his head. “Apologies, Direct Disciple Ye, the spots cannot be transferred.”

Seeing Ye Chen raise an eyebrow, the steward hurriedly explained, “This is a new rule implemented by the Sect Leader after the Sect Competition. It’s not a decision made by the Internal Affairs Hall.”

The steward had more to say. The reason for the new rule was entirely because of Ye Chen. After learning that Ye Chen had given away a spot for the Five Elements Cave, the Sect Leader felt it was too casual and that it undermined the sect’s resources. That was why the rule had been introduced.

Ultimately, everything had stemmed from Ye Chen himself. And now, even though he had no interest in going, he couldn’t pass the spot to someone else.

Ye Chen felt increasingly uninterested. But the steward spoke up at this moment: “Three years ago, a disciple in the secret realm found traces of spiritual fire, but they couldn’t locate the secret realm before it closed, so they had to leave without success.”

Spiritual fire?

Hearing this, Ye Chen’s eyes immediately lit up! He certainly knew what spiritual fire was—one of the rarest and most powerful types of spiritual beings in the cultivation world.

Spiritual fire was crucial for alchemists and weapon smiths. It could directly control flames without the need for any formations. Moreover, since spiritual fire was a naturally occurring phenomenon from the heavens, it was far stronger than ordinary earthly fire. It enhanced the effects of pill refining and qi refining, and it could even add a variety of effects related to fire.

But the value of spiritual fire wasn’t limited to this. Spiritual fire itself was extremely powerful. Owning spiritual fire was almost equivalent to having the most advanced fire-type magic, and it could also enhance other fire-type spells.

The most important aspect, however, was that spiritual fire could help cultivators refine spirit Qi or medicinal potency, significantly speeding up their cultivation. It could also completely purify any impurities, making a cultivator’s spiritual energy even more refined and potent.

Ye Chen had been interested in spiritual fire for a long time. After all, anything that could increase the speed of cultivation was something Ye Chen would love. But it was practically impossible to buy. Now that he had heard news of spiritual fire, Ye Chen’s interest was piqued.

“Do you know what grade the spiritual fire is?” Ye Chen asked curiously.

“They say it’s third-grade, probably the Green Stone Fire… but the disciples didn’t get a clear enough look, so they can’t be certain.”

Third-grade?

Ye Chen’s eyes brightened even more.

Spiritual fire was ranked in nine grades, starting from the first grade and going up to the ninth grade, with the ninth grade being the best. A third-grade spiritual fire was already quite impressive.

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The most important thing, however, was that Ye Chen had the system’s feedback. If his master needed it, the fire’s power could be multiplied by a hundred times. Though most sword cultivators didn’t care much about external things,

Ye Chen’s master might not value a third-grade spiritual fire. But even if his master didn’t want it, there was still Yao Xi, who had a thirty-fold multiplier waiting for him. With a thirty-fold multiplier plus a critical hit, he could soar to new heights…

“I want a spot!” Ye Chen spoke without hesitation, claiming the spot for himself.

The steward nodded immediately. He then informed Ye Chen that Middle Mountain was over a thousand miles away from Green Cloud Sect, so an elder would be leading the group. The departure would be early in seven days.