Urban Peerless Expert

"You're leaving?"

Shepherd Heavenly Monarch stared at Lin Chen, his gaze curious: "The next battle might be our chance to turn the tide. Aren't you going to participate?"

Lin Chen replied cheekily: "As long as kryptonite works, we're destined to win! With my level of strength, my presence on the battlefield won't make much of a difference. I'm planning to handle some personal matters—let's just call it a vacation. That Star Sea journey earlier utterly exhausted me."

Shepherd Heavenly Monarch's eyes bore deeply into Lin Chen. "Was your journey really as Qingluan Immortal Monarch described?"

Lin Chen laughed and said, "There were some discrepancies, but it's not important. Hall Master, wouldn't you agree?"

Shepherd Heavenly Monarch nodded slightly. "If Qingluan Immortal Monarch can ascend to Saint, assisting him would indeed be a wise investment."

Look at that, such shrewd minds—nothing escapes their grasp!

Lin Chen shrugged with a wry smile and spread his hands. "Honestly, I didn't really want to get involved with the three Immortal Monarchs. But then I saved Seven-colored Immortal Monarch, and he started treating me as a friend. From others' perspectives, this situation got misinterpreted. Sometimes it's not about what I want to choose, but what I have no choice but to choose."

Shepherd Heavenly Monarch remained silent for a few seconds, and a hint of sympathy flashed in his gaze toward Lin Chen.

If someone else said this, Shepherd Heavenly Monarch wouldn't have believed it.

After all, we're talking about the direct disciple of the Immortal Emperor. If Qingluan Immortal Monarch earns the recognition of the Immortal Emperor and becomes a new Saint, clinging to someone like that is a dream come true!

But coming from Lin Chen, Shepherd Heavenly Monarch believed it.

Lin Chen had already reached the Quasi-Saint level. Even though he'd never exposed his strength through fights, judging by his circumstances, there was no doubt Lin Chen possessed extraordinary power. Across the entire Immortal Realm, only a handful could rival him.

Not only had Lin Chen become a Quasi-Saint, but his wife, friends, and master had all similarly ascended to Quasi-Saint. With such strength, why would anyone willingly subordinate themselves to another?

Even if the other person was Qingluan Immortal Monarch, even if they might achieve Sainthood—so what?

Following you and assisting you—what can you offer me?

Can you help me achieve Sainthood?

You can't!

If you can't, then why should I lower myself? Isn't it better for me to dominate freely and independently?

The current situation was not that Lin Chen was choosing Qingluan Immortal Monarch; rather, Qingluan Immortal Monarch had set his sights on Lin Chen, leaving Lin Chen with no choice but to make a decision. If he refused and even offended Qingluan Immortal Monarch, it might seem fine now. But once Qingluan Immortal Monarch ascends to Saint, if he bears a grudge—a small-minded one at that—that would become a major problem.

"Alright, I'll grant you a vacation. Stay as long as you'd like, but if there's an urgent matter, you must return immediately."

Lin Chen grinned. "Of course, no problem at all. Hall Master, you know me—I'll leap across the starry skies and be back in a blink, no delays whatsoever."

Shepherd Heavenly Monarch pointed at Lin Chen, his heart secretly tinged with envy.

Who wouldn't covet a Great Divine Power that even Saints long for?

Even with Shepherd Heavenly Monarch's level of strength, if he wanted to reach another Star Domain, he'd need to rely on teleportation gates and then traverse at his highest speed to the destination. But for Lin Chen, it took merely the time of a single blink.

Such abilities—who wouldn't envy them?

After securing his leave, Lin Chen proactively inquired about the opportunity Shepherd Heavenly Monarch had mentioned. "Hall Master, how much longer until that opportunity you mentioned earlier?"

Shepherd Heavenly Monarch replied, "Soon. Within a year or two, at most. Once the time comes, I'll notify you. But as I said before, I can recommend you to participate, yet whether you'll gain access to the opportunity depends on your own fortune. That part, I cannot guarantee."

Lin Chen chuckled. "Naturally. Opportunities rely on the individual; they're not something that can be forced. I understand that principle well."

Shepherd Heavenly Monarch paused for a moment of contemplation. "This matter hasn't been finalized yet. Ultimately, it will depend on the Emperor's decision. However, I did mention you to the Emperor earlier, and he didn't object..."

Hearing this, Lin Chen's heart sank instead of feeling reassured.

"Hall Master, when exactly did you bring this up with the Emperor?"

Shepherd Heavenly Monarch answered, "When you saved Seven-colored Immortal Monarch..."

Lin Chen's brows furrowed slightly as he lowered his voice. "This matter... could there be complications?"

Previously, when Seven-colored Immortal Monarch had been captured, and five Saints had all been injured by the Abyss Lord's descent, it was a time of ultimate darkness and despair. Surely the Immortal Emperor, realizing the lack of strength by his side, had accepted Shepherd Heavenly Monarch's suggestion with the hope of fostering new Saints to lend their power.

But now, with the arrival of the kryptonite, the Abyss Demons likely would no longer pose a threat to the Saints' advance. The Abyss Demons were likely about to be entirely vanquished, eradicated from the Immortal and Demon Worlds.

With the Abyss Demons no longer a threat, why would the Immortal Emperor still want the emergence of new Saints to share power with?

The words of the Great Wilderness Saint from days past still lingered vividly in Lin Chen's memory.

The Saints desperately hoped there would never again be another new Saint. For this, they would secretly resort to all kinds of shadowy measures to prevent others from becoming Saints.

Times have changed, and so have circumstances!

The Immortal Emperor's mindset at this moment would certainly differ from before. Would he still tolerate so many people heading to the fortune place to seek Sainthood opportunities?

Lin Chen felt a deep unease.

Seeing the worry in Lin Chen's frown, Shepherd Heavenly Monarch seemed to sense his thoughts but held no authority over the matter.

After all, he was merely an enforcer, a subordinate of the Immortal Emperor.

"In any case, just wait for the notification."

Those words from Shepherd Heavenly Monarch deepened Lin Chen's concern by several degrees.

Who could understand the Immortal Emperor better than his loyal subordinate Shepherd Heavenly Monarch? Shepherd Heavenly Monarch had previously reassured Lin Chen about this matter, but now even he was hesitant to make promises—it was evident he himself had no confidence.

If Lin Chen had foreseen this, he would have prioritized visiting the fortune place before going to seek out the Starry Sky Magical Beast Clan.

After bidding farewell, Lin Chen left discreetly, not alerting anyone, taking the Tao Ding and the three women cultivating inside it, and vanishing from the camp.

Lin Chen reappeared at the Immortal Realm army's base in the Crimson Immortal Domain.

During his last visit, Lin Chen had sought out those preparing to ascend to Quasi-Saint, even enlisting the help of Shepherd Heavenly Monarch.

This time, Lin Chen returned as a Quasi-Saint himself and no longer needed any assistance. Merely by spreading the word of his presence, people actively came to him for guidance.

Six months after Lin Chen's promotion to Quasi-Saint, he'd advised many at the Daluo Peak level. In turn, many had successfully broken through to the next realm, leading to widespread acclaim that Lin Chen's direct guidance significantly increased one's chances of a successful breakthrough!

What you didn't understand, he'd explain until you did. What you already understood, his explanations would deepen and refine.

Lin Chen welcomed everyone but had one particular condition: when they decided to break through, they must allow him to bring a few people along to observe the process.

This request, of course, was met without objection.

And so, Lin Chen quickly identified suitable individuals for Gu Yuexi and the other two women to observe and understand the art of breaking realms. Before long, the practical learning had already begun...