**Section 10: The White Emperor’s Reward**
By Gu Zhenren (Author) | 2014-06-18
The Azure Emperor deployed eighteen Tribulation Demons, including three Innate Demonic Creatures, to assault Chu Yun’s Immortal Pouch World. They retreated in defeat, having lost six of their own. The surviving Tribulation Demons were also heavily wounded and in a sorry state.
The Azure Emperor was secretly astonished by this outcome; Chu Yun’s strength far exceeded her estimations. How had such a genius emerged in Xingzhou? A mere King-level expert, yet he possessed a Supreme grade Immortal Pouch and so many Innate Demonic Creatures – how had he collected them? Had he inherited the treasury of a fallen Emperor-level or Sovereign-level figure?
After a moment of silence, she gazed at Chu Yun with unfathomable eyes. “Young man, what is your name?” Her voice echoed through Chu Yun’s Immortal Pouch World.
Chu Yun mused that after this battle, his identity could easily be discovered by anyone who sought it. Thus, he decided to reveal his name.
“Oh, so you are the Wushuang King,” the Azure Emperor exclaimed, a look of realization dawning on her face.
“You know me?”
“Of course. Xingzhou has informants from Bingzhou. I not only know you, but I also know of the Night Emperor’s failed rebellion and the emergence of another Dragon Emperor in Xingzhou,” the Azure Emperor said calmly.
Chu Yun nodded, immediately thinking of Nine Nether City and the Bitter Tuo Temple, which served as outposts for Ghost Continent and Tuo Zhou in Xingzhou. By extension, Bingzhou would naturally have its own hidden forces; it was not difficult to understand.
“Meeting you today reminds me of the saying, ‘Seeing is believing.’ You are truly a heaven-sent prodigy, a dragon among men. You can even be compared to the one from Hezhou,” the Azure Emperor smiled, her gaze towards Chu Yun filled with admiration.
Chu Yun blinked, somewhat bewildered. Why was the Azure Emperor suddenly praising him?
“Alright, that’s enough for today. I look forward to meeting you again.” With that, a great commotion ensued, and the Azure Emperor’s Immortal Pouch World slowly retreated, disengaging from Chu Yun’s world. Immediately, the dark currents of the Sea of Chaos surged in, filling the void. In less than three breaths, the Azure Emperor and her Immortal Pouch World had vanished into the Sea of Chaos.
Chu Yun was slightly surprised; he had expected to endure for three more months. He hadn’t anticipated the Azure Emperor would simply concede and withdraw so readily. Could this be a trick? Chu Yun’s heart tensed. He lacked sufficient understanding of an Emperor’s methods and dared not let his guard down.
“White Emperor, it seems you’ve found a good helper this time. We will fight again next time,” a voice echoed from the black and red Immortal Pouch World. It was the Iron Emperor’s voice. Though not loud, it resonated through the heavens, sharp and clear like striking metal, leaving a profound impression. Following this, his world also began to retreat. Despite leaving behind tens of thousands of Demon Soldiers on the battlefield, he abandoned them without hesitation. Two breaths later, the currents of the Sea of Chaos rushed in, quickly filling the gaps between the two worlds and obscuring Chu Yun and the White Emperor’s view.
The White Emperor stood still for a long moment before exhaling a breath of turbid air and beckoning to Chu Yun. “It’s safe now.”
Only then did Chu Yun put away his Immortal Pouch and use his Xingzhou Token to appear beside the White Emperor. The White Emperor chuckled, gazing at Chu Yun with emotion. “I thought we would have to endure a difficult battle for three months before they retreated. I never expected you, Brother Chu, to have already collected fifty-five Innate Demonic Creatures and fully integrated the ten major formations of your Immortal Pouch World, making it an impregnable fortress. I truly owe this victory to you.”
“Not at all…” Chu Yun replied humbly, still puzzled by the Azure Emperor’s and Iron Emperor’s easy withdrawal.
The White Emperor smiled and explained, “Brother Chu, you may not know, but vast as the Nine Provinces are, there are only so many Emperor-level and Sovereign-level figures. The nine Saints sometimes ally, sometimes oppose each other, creating a constantly shifting and chaotic situation. Though Xingzhou and Bingzhou are currently enemies, they might join forces tomorrow. We all see each other frequently, and unless there’s a significant advantage, no one wants a fight to the death.”
Chu Yun suddenly understood. The wisdom of the Saints was boundless. Each province had a Saint, and these nine Saints vied against each other. It was like a chessboard on which nine equally matched players were engaged in a game. Alliances, defections, and betrayals were common, leading to unimaginable chaos.
“Furthermore, the creation of a Supreme grade Immortal Pouch requires the painstaking accumulation of effort from a Monster Tamer. An outcome of mutual destruction is something even Emperor-level and Sovereign-level experts wish to avoid. Even a Pyrrhic victory, in our eyes, is equivalent to defeat and is unacceptable.” The White Emperor sighed and then said earnestly to Chu Yun, “Brother Chu, you will fully understand the difficulty of forging a Supreme grade Immortal Pouch in the future. Although you repelled the Azure Emperor today, this all-out fighting style, which damages oneself to harm the enemy, is not advisable.”
Chu Yun nodded, indicating his understanding. In fact, he had already anticipated this. Generally, once fifty-five Innate Demonic Creatures were used to suppress the formation cores, they could not be moved easily. They were the foundation of the Immortal Pouch World, like the piers of a bridge. If the piers shook, the bridge would collapse. Chu Yun’s Immortal Pouch World, though it had repelled the Azure Emperor, was now a mess, a veritable upheaval. For now, since Chu Yun had not yet moved demonic creatures in to breed, the impact was not significant. However, if his world developed to the White Emperor’s level, and all fifty-five demonic creatures agitated simultaneously, let alone defeating enemies, the Spirit Monsters, Great Demons, and Lesser Demons within his own world would perish instantly.
“Using the formation core demonic creatures to gang up on an enemy certainly feels good. But it’s like a desperate bandit, cornered and with nothing to lose. It’s a fight to the death. It’s less that I repelled the Azure Emperor than that she knew when to retreat. Ha, as the saying goes, the barefoot are not afraid of those with shoes.” Thinking this, Chu Yun couldn’t help but wear a wry smile. The White Emperor’s words were subtle, but Chu Yun, being intelligent, immediately recognized the vast gap between himself and the Azure Emperor.
Seeing Chu Yun’s pained expression, the White Emperor inwardly praised him as a receptive student. Chu Yun had come to his aid and freed him from a difficult situation. Moreover, he was an ally. The White Emperor intended to offer some guidance. “Once Innate Demonic Creatures are used as formation cores to suppress an Immortal Pouch World, they cannot be easily deployed. Therefore, it’s best to reserve your own capable demonic creatures for offensive purposes. I observed for a moment, Brother Chu, and your formation core demonic creature lineup is unbalanced. There are flaws and weaknesses in the composition. For instance, the Golden Armor in the Yang eye of the Two Powers Formation is inferior to the Netherworld Umbrella. The two powers should be balanced. In the Three Powers Formation’s Heaven formation eye, you used a battle saber; its immense killing aura is detrimental to the future breeding of demonic creatures.”
Chu Yun nodded repeatedly. He had already sensed the flaws in his Innate Demonic Creature lineup before. His battle with the Azure Emperor had further convinced him that he needed offensive power. He must seek suitable Innate Demonic Creatures to replace some of the formation cores. The formation core demonic creatures could not be easily moved, so the replaced Innate Demonic Creatures could form an assault team, much like the Azure Emperor’s Tribulation Demon squad, to serve as an offensive force in future battles.
“Regarding formation core demonic creatures, I suggest you refine Innate Demon Soldiers. Like my White Gold City, they form a set of demon soldiers that consume less Innate True Essence but can suppress formation cores. They are economical and practical. There’s no need for these formation core demon soldiers to fight; refining them simply is sufficient. Overly complex refinement would only consume more Innate True Essence, making it uneconomical.” This was the advice of an elder statesman, saving him from many detours.
However, as he spoke, a strange expression appeared on the White Emperor’s face. “Everything I’ve said might be too late for you, Brother Chu. It’s truly remarkable that you’ve collected so many Innate Demonic Creatures. Did you obtain the treasury of a fallen Emperor, or the inheritance of an ancient Sovereign?”
“Nothing more than the Blissful Joy Ship,” Chu Yun was about to say, but as the words rose to his lips, his heart suddenly stirred, and he ultimately did not utter them, merely laughing heartily. From the White Emperor’s words, Chu Yun could sense the scarcity of Innate Demonic Beasts and Demonic Plants, compelling even Emperor-level experts to refine simple Innate Demon Soldiers as substitutes. His Blissful Joy Ship, however, could continuously produce Innate Original Essence. To these Emperor-level powerhouses, this was an immense temptation. Although the White Emperor was on the same side, this was their first meeting. Even if the White Emperor harbored no greed, if word of this leaked out and attracted others, it would cause significant trouble. Furthermore, without the consent of the Blissful Immortal Consorts, Chu Yun had no right to reveal their existence.
Finally, Chu Yun said to the White Emperor, “I merely acquired some Innate Original Essence by chance and used it to nourish the demonic creatures I possess.”
The White Emperor’s eyes lit up. “Such a vast amount of Innate Original Essence, enough to advance over fifty demonic creatures to the Innate level! Brother Chu, your fortune is immense!” The White Emperor’s exclamations and undisguised envy continued. At the Emperor level, ordinary treasures held little value, and common Supreme grade demonic creatures were no longer cherished. However, Innate True Essence, regardless of the quantity, was a colossal divine treasure. Ordinary Monster Tamers, upon obtaining Innate True Essence, could not control Innate Demonic Creatures and thus could not benefit from it. But once a Monster Tamer possessed an Immortal Pouch World, the demand for Innate True Essence became enormous. No Emperor-level or Sovereign-level Monster Tamer would ever consider having too much Innate True Essence. Thus, Innate True Essence became a hard currency, the most important measure of an Emperor-level expert’s wealth.
The Innate Original Essence Chu Yun had obtained, capable of elevating over fifty demonic creatures to the Innate level, made the White Emperor’s eyes gleam, seeing it as a significant windfall—equivalent to his own efforts over fifteen to sixteen years. Listening to the White Emperor’s admiration, Chu Yun’s resolve to keep his secret only strengthened. The existence of the Blissful Joy Ship likely was known to the White Emperor and others, or they could discover it. However, they did not know its secret capability of manufacturing Innate Original Essence.
“Enough about other matters. Here is your promised reward for your assistance earlier,” the White Emperor said, handing Chu Yun a piece of stone.
