"After scaring away two Battle Emperor Experts from the Leng Family and Xu Family,"
Xu Nian commanded Ice Blue to lead people in cleaning up the aftermath.
As for the disciples of the Artifact Refining Sect, they were utterly in awe of Xu Nian, prostrating themselves in admiration.
If it were not for the Great Elder chiding them,
they would've likely surrounded Xu Nian day and night for three days and nights without dispersing.
The Third Elder and that group of disciples who feared death were punished by the Great Elder.
Although they weren't expelled from the Sect, they were basically stripped of their positions.
While the entire Artifact Refining Sect was busy,
Xu Nian secluded himself within the Sect Master Palace.
Because after the previous battle,
Xu Nian seemed to have gained some insight.
After a period of cultivation,
his Cultivation also advanced to the Two-star Battle Emperor Realm.
His Body Cultivation had reached the peak of the Two-star Body Emperor as well.
However, these were not his greatest gains.
The biggest gain was that he made progress with the Wind Vibration Profound Argumentation through his understanding of Wind Wave.
Now, as for the understanding of Wind Wave,
Xu Nian directly ascended to the Second Level Wind Wave Realm.
He had officially entered the initial stage of Profound Argumentation.
Xu Nian slapped towards the void fiercely.
Immediately, an invisible fluctuation swept out, striking a distant pillar.
Affected by this fluctuation, the pillar was instantly shattered into powder.
Although the pillar did not topple over,
the entire pillar had been reduced to dust.
Seeing this, Xu Nian's face also revealed a smile.
The power of this Second Level Wind Wave was clearly many times greater than before.
It appeared to be just an overlay of two levels of fluctuation.
But the mutual enhancement of the two levels of fluctuation resulted in a destructive force that was geometrically multiplied.
And as Xu Nian's understanding of the fluctuation deepened in the future,
the power of this attack would become even more tremendous.
Xu Nian slowly stood up and walked out of the hall.
The breakthrough in cultivation also made him feel refreshed and clear-headed.
Ice Blue had been waiting outside Xu Nian's hall.
Knowing Xu Nian was cultivating, she did not enter, nor did she allow anyone to disturb him.
"Eh, Ice Blue, have you broken through?" Xu Nian looked at Ice Blue in surprise.
He discovered that Ice Blue had also reached the Nine-star Demon Emperor Realm.
Not so long ago, Ice Blue was still an Eight-star Battle Emperor.
The sudden breakthrough took Xu Nian by surprise.
"Yes, Hall Master," Ice Blue respectfully answered, "just recently I have made a breakthrough. As I might have mentioned before, my cultivation speed increases several times whenever I am by the Hall Master's side."
He, being the possessor of the Nine Dragons Supreme Body.
Although his aura was now restrained, his body still naturally emitted a faint trace of the Dragon God's Energy.
This formidable physique,
for someone like Ice Blue, the ice blue coral,
carried a natural bonus effect.
This was also the reason why Ice Blue chose to follow beside Xu Nian.
"Are the bodies all taken care of?" Xu Nian asked.
"They have all been dealt with, and basically, the Cultivation Resources found on these Battle Kings, Battle Saints, and Battle Emperors have been collected and handed over to the Great Elder of the Artifact Refining Sect," Ice Blue reported.
These Battle King and Battle Saint level resources were extremely abundant.
Just these resources alone were enough to sustain the Artifact Refining Sect disciples' cultivation for ten years.
"By the way, Hall Master, we found this on one of the Battle Kings and I thought it was peculiar, so I brought it for Hall Master to see," Ice Blue spoke.
After saying that, a black object, resembling a mud eel, appeared in his hand.
At first glance, it looked like a stone.
However, the object was not hard, but soft.
It also emitted a faint, almost indiscernible fragrance.
"Eh, kid, you're quite lucky. This is a Black Jade Sky Spirit Mushroom, the main ingredient in refining the Top-Grade Spirit Pill—Spirit King Pill. Looking at its color and quality, it's aged quite well, at least ten thousand years. If you can find the other two main ingredients, you should be able to refine the Spirit King Pill to awaken your 'Empress consort.' " The voice of Wentian Demon Sovereign echoed in Xu Nian's mind.
Xu Nian was speechless.
What did he mean by 'Empress consort'?
If Emperor Ye Tian were conscious now, she would have surely fought Wentian Demon Sovereign to the death.
And he would suffer the consequences as well.
After all, Emperor Ye Tian was never someone to be trifled with.
But the words of Wentian Demon Sovereign did bring joy to Xu Nian's heart.
He hadn't expected this unremarkable black object to be a piece of spiritual medicine.
And also the main ingredient for refining a Top-Grade Spirit Pill.
Previously, he had been worried about how to awaken Emperor Ye Tian.
Now, the appearance of this spiritual medicine had given him a direction.
"By the way, Senior Wentian, what are the other two main ingredients?" Xu Nian continued to inquire.
"One is Taichu Water, the other is a hundred-thousand-year-old Azure-water Green Bamboo Branch. Don't even think about getting these two on this continent for now, especially the Azure-water Green Bamboo Branch. This planet might not even have it. You'll need to travel to other planets to find them," Wentian Demon Sovereign said.
Then he clenched his fist tightly.
Even if those two items were hard to find, he was determined to find them.
After all, Emperor Ye Tian had shown him tremendous kindness.
Consequently, Xu Nian carefully stored away the Black Jade Sky Spirit Mushroom.
"Hall Master, what should we do next?" Ice Blue looked at Xu Nian and asked.
Now that the strong beings from the Wild Beast Forest and the Dragon God Palace were here.
They couldn't just stay at the Artifact Refining Sect forever.
"Tell Guard Zhu Yan to lead the strong Demon Beasts from the Wild Beast Forest back first, and have those from the Dragon God Palace stay at the Artifact Refining Sect and await orders. As for the disciples from Penglai, let them do what they should, they can go cultivate on their own," Xu Nian instructed.
Ice Blue quickly conveyed Xu Nian's intentions to the White Flood Dragon King.
Soon, the strong beings from the wild forest and Penglai left the Artifact Refining Sect.
Their appearance this time seemed ineffective.
But in reality, the effect Xu Nian wanted had been achieved.
Their appearance had been witnessed by countless cultivators along the way.
This matter would soon spread throughout the entire empire.
What Xu Nian wanted was deterrence.
He wanted those with malicious ideas about him to weigh their own strength.
Of course, the main target of this deterrence was the Imperial Family.
The time had not yet come for a decisive battle with the Imperial Family.
Xu Nian might have the Evil Extermination Sword Array, true.
But the Imperial Family had an undying existence.
The strength of this undying one was hard to predict.
At the very least, he was of the Supreme Battle Emperor level.
It was even possible that he had already broken through the bounds of Zifu.
Because a Battle Emperor level expert definitely could not live beyond a thousand years.
This undying one had lived for so long.
Xu Nian could not guarantee that the Evil Extermination Sword Array could deal with him.
Therefore, the most important thing for Xu Nian now was to enhance his strength.
He absolutely should not engage in a frontal battle with that undying one until his power reached a certain level.
However, at this moment inside the Emperor Palace, Emperor Tianhen was furious.