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At this point, it was already deep into the night, and the lanterns were dim or completely out.

Su Chen walked alone through the dark alleyway, which was empty and desolate.

He walked for some time before stopping. “Com out.”

A large group of figures spilled out into the alleyway, surrounding Su Chen.

However, when they came in front of Su Chen, they all knelt in and orderly fashion and said, “Greetings to Commander!”

It was Le Feng and the others.

However, the person kneeling at the very front was not Le Feng, but an exceptionally tall man.

Iron Cliff!

He had finally returned, and was standing amongst the seventy-three human soldiers at this moment.

“Master!” Iron Cliff stared at Su Chen as he said with excitement.

Su Chen ran over and gave Iron Cliff a big hug. “How come you’re here? Aren’t you taking care of the Hurricane Stoneskins right now?”

Iron Cliff revealed a sheepish smile. “The Hurricane Stoneskins can survive without Iron Cliff, but I cannot live without Master.”

Su Chen stared at Iron Cliff before nodding firmly. “Good, very good, exceptionally good!”

His simple words gave Su Chen quite a bit of gratification.

After looking at everyone, Su Chen said, “Alright, you all can stand up now.”

The group of soldiers all stood up.

Su Chen asked Le Feng, “How come you guys didn’t return to your stations?”

Le Feng chuckled bitterly, “Return to what stations? We hadn’t even reached the fort when we heard about the dissolution of the Heavenly Might Battalion. Where would we go back to? We brothers have no home to return to!”

Su Chen was stunned as he stared at everyone.

The seventy-three soldiers stood silently in the night.

They didn’t say anything, but their silence was representative of their grieving, sorrow, and dissatisfaction.

As such, Su Chen understood their frame of mind.

He gently nodded. “So what are your plans after this?”

Le Feng said, “Prince Su, our lives have belonged to Long Sang Country ever since we enlisted. Now, we don’t owe Long Sang Country anything any longer. You were the one who saved us, so we would prefer to continue to follow you.”

This answer was within Su Chen’s expectations. He had guessed that this might happen when he found out that Le Feng and the others had returned but had not returned to their stations. This was merely a confirmation at this point.

After thinking for a moment, he replied, “The path that I take is extremely dangerous and risky, and the future outcomes are impossible to predict. Are you sure you......”

Le Feng chuckled, “No matter how dangerous it gets, could it be more dangerous than being in Ravager territory? Could it be more dangerous than being imprisoned by the Ravagers?”

When he heard this, Su Chen nodded slightly. “Fine. Since you all think this way, then I agree to take you in.”

“Wonderful!” The seventy-three soldiers were ecstatic.

“However, you need to keep this a secret. You absolutely cannot let the military catch wind of this,” Su Chen said.

“Master, don’t worry. We understand. We will leave the fort tomorrow and wait for your orders outside of the city,” Le Feng said with some excitement.

“Master?” Su Chen froze slightly.

“Yes. From this day forwards, Prince Su, you are our Master. Is there something wrong with that?” Le Feng said with some curiosity.

Su Chen chuckled and shook his head. “No, no. I never intended on being your Master. You should be independent and free.”

When they heard this, everyone was stunned.

If they didn’t call him Master, what was their relationship with him?

They couldn’t call him general, could they? That would be the same as committing a crime on his behalf.

Su Chen thought for a moment, then said, “I had a certain thought, which was to distribute the Immaculate Cultivation Technique so that the human race can begin to cultivate it. This time, however, I’m not planning on using the Dreamrealm to sell it.”

The others didn’t understand why he would suddenly say something like that, so they remained silent and listened intently.

Su Chen said, “Any knowledge that gets distributed through the Dreamrealm will be able to increase the strength of the human race more rapidly as well as fill my coffers incredibly quickly, but if experience has taught me anything, doing so will only cause gratitude to turn into hatred. My Instructor’s warning from many years ago still holds true today - the very humans I am trying to help grow stronger are my biggest obstacle when it comes to fulfilling this dream of mine. Under these kinds of circumstances, perhaps it would be best for me to be a bit more selfish.”

As he spoke, he turned to look at Le Feng and the others. “I am planning on creating a sect. Any cultivation techniques or battle techniques will not be distributed through the Dreamrealm any longer but by this sect. Secret techniques will be restricted access only and be forbidden from spreading. From now on, anyone who wants to reach a higher realm will need to join my sect before they are allowed to inherit these methods. As for you all, I suppose you can be my first group of disciples.”

Le Feng and the others were extremely happy. They asked, “What will the sect be called?”

Su Chen thought for a moment, then said, “In today’s world, bloodlines are everywhere and are highly exalted. Only the sect I create will rely on the strength of humans alone to reach unknown heights. Let’s call it the Unbounded Sect. And you all will be the Unbounded Sect’s Seventy-Three Disciples.”

“Yes, sir!” Le Feng and the others responded in unison.

From that day onwards, the Unbounded Sect had come into being.

The Unbounded Sect’s establishment was very rushed, with no real rules or guiding principles to speak of, nor a piece of territory where the sect could be started. The core of the sect was an ambitious ideal and Su Chen himself.

From Su Chen’s ideals alone, it sounded as if he was just a big con man.

However, this was often the case - if you hadn’t succeeded yet, you were a con man, but once you did succeed you would be lauded for your exceptional foresight.

Su Chen did not merely possess exceptional foresight; he had the ability to bring all of this into being.

The Immaculate Cultivation Technique would serve as the beginning for everything.

Su Chen had faith that he would create other cultivation techniques and combat techniques in the future. Both of these would only be allowed to be passed on in the Boundless Sect itself.

Su Chen didn’t know how this would affect his ability to break through the restrictions of bloodlines, but he was very clear that there would be an effect.

The butterfly had begun to flap its wings.

The storm began to brew.

Le Feng and the others hurriedly left that night. From that day onwards, they permanently disappeared from the Flowing Gold Fort, cutting off all relations with the past.

Iron Cliff remained. As an important participant in clearing a path out for the Heavenly Might Battalion, he absolutely had the right to remain.

The next morning, Su Chen received an invitation.

It was from the Crown Prince.

Su Chen said to Iron Cliff as he inspected the Crown Prince’s invitation, “Iron Cliff, why do you think this Crown Prince wants to see me at this moment?”

“Probably because he wants to discuss the matter of charging into higher cultivation realms without a bloodline.”

“He most likely is unaware that I am already at the Light Shaking Realm.”

“But he will find out sooner or later.”

“That’s correct,” Su Chen muttered to himself. He tore up the invitation and tossed it.

“You aren’t going to go?” Iron Cliff was a bit surprised.

“Why should I go? Since I already know what he wants to talk to me about, and I already know what my answer will be, then the outcome is obvious...... neither of us will part on good terms,” Su Chen said with a chuckle. “See, since I will have a falling out with him no matter if I go or not, then I’d rather not go and save myself the trouble. right?”

“......” Iron Cliff felt like his reasoning was quite sound.

“So rather than wasting time on that Crown Prince, I’m going to go pay a visit to my Instructor.”

As Su Chen spoke, he stepped out the front door and went to go see Shi Kaihuang.

Shi Kaihuang was being confined within a small courtyard located in the Flowing Gold Fort. The courtyard had mountain-shaped rocks and flowing water, as well as plenty of beautiful maidservants. Actually, Shi Kaihuang’s life was pretty easy.

Since he was under house arrest, there was not really any crime committed to speak of. In name, it was to give Shi Kaihuang some time to rest and recover and to keep him from wandering around if there was no particular urgent need. A few personal guards had been stationed here as well to keep an eye on him.

In other words, Shi Kaihuang was free to do as he pleased so long as he didn’t do research.

The main goal of this house arrest was to prevent Shi Kaihuang from making any progress in his research of how to reach the next cultivation realm without a bloodline.

When Su Chen arrived, Shi Kaihuang was lazing around next to the lake and catching fish with a hookless rod. Beside him, Chu Yingwan was pouring him tea.

Su Chen walked over to Shi Kaihuang and said respectfully, “Instructor, General Chu.”

“You’re back.” Shi Kaihuang smiled. “Tell me what really happened with the Ravagers. Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes like you did with those guys yesterday. I want to hear the most interesting part.”

“The most interesting part...... I’m afraid you’ll smack me on the ears if you hear it,” Su Chen replied.

“Oh? Why is that?” Shi Kaihuang was stunned.

Su Chen shrugged. “Because I handed over a few things.”

“What did you give?”

“I made an exchange with Danba......” Su Chen began to recount his transaction with Danba. Chu Yingwan was stunned when she heard it.

“No matter what, helping the Ravagers control Origin Energy was truly a bit much,” Chu Yingwan said with a frown.

Shi Kaihuang, however, didn’t address the topic directly. Instead, he said in a low voice, “It’s good that you’re ambitious. I’m just worried that your view is far too long-term and that you might trip yourself up before you get there because you aren’t looking at your feet.”

“Actually, things are fine before my feet. This is part of the reason I was able to successfully break into the Light Shaking Realm.”

“Oh? How so?”

Su Chen explained everything that he had accomplished in Gullan Castle.

As Su Chen explained how he had broken into the Light Shaking Realm with the aid of the Origin Energy Temple, became Anubi’s close subject, saved the seventy-three soldiers, instigated Anubi into personally leading his army into battle, and killing the Scarlet Heart, Shi Kaihuang and Chu Yingwan’s eyes began to dazzle.

Because of how quickly Su Chen had returned, most of this news had yet to reach the Flowing Gold Fort. As such, Shi Kaihuang and Chu Yingwan were extremely stunned by Su Chen’s recounting of his exploits.

“Well done, kid! You really had it in you!” Shi Kaihuang said as he began to stroke his beard in excitement. “So you managed to dump hundreds of thousands of Ravagers into a pit just like that?”

“That’s not all. The Inferno Tribe’s source of power has been greatly diminished, while the Gravel Lizard Tribe, which now possesses the ability to use Origin Energy, has only increased in influence and strength. Danba took advantage of the situation to unify the south and will primarily focus his attention on the north for now. They are currently at odds, and the Iron and Blood Country will probably fragment very soon.”

Once this civil war broke out, it might take more than a hundred years to determine the victor.

During this period of time, Long Sang Country could begin to grow more and more powerful without hindrance. Regardless of who won the civil war, neither of them would be able to pose much of a threat to Long Sang Country.

This was the contribution Su Chen had made for Long Sang Country.

Unfortunately, these contributions had no way of coming to light because of Su Chen’s transaction with Danba. Otherwise, that crime of colluding with the enemy might actually begin to have some substance to it. It was highly probable that the nobles who didn’t see eye-to-eye with Su Chen wouldn’t care about what his motive was for such a collusion.

“Forget about it. In any case, this contribution of saving the Heavenly Might Army is already quite impressive. Soon, you will return to Long Coiling City to be rewarded. Kid, have you thought about what rewards you want? I know you don’t particularly care for those material things, but sometimes you shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” Shi Kaihuang said.

Su Chen chuckled. “As Instructor has said, your student does in fact have a small need that the imperial family can satisfy. I trust that it won’t be much of a problem for Long Sang Country.”

“What’s the need?”

Su Chen was just about to reply when Chu Yingwan suddenly exclaimed with surprise. She pulled out an Origin Formation Disk - a transmission-type disk, to be precise.

Chu Yingwan’s expression changed drastically as soon as she looked at the transmission disk. “Not good - they’ve made a move on Xiang Rui!”