Yan Wanjun and Ziju Min didn’t expect Jiang Chen’s sudden gift. They knew that he had gotten his hands on a number of divine decrees, but never imagined that they would be the recipients of such valuable things.

When Jiang Chen expressed his intention to give one to each of them, both men beamed with serendipitous joy.

Ziju Min was especially pleased. His position in the Eternal Sacred Land was far lower than the three primes. Before discovering Jiang Chen, he had only been an elder – not even a venerated one.

Jiang Chen’s incredible deeds had increasingly elevated his prominence, to the degree that his word was as effective as the primes’.

The divine decree would allow him to surpass them in stature, directly rising to that of the venerated forefather.

Ziju Min never would have dreamed of such a thing before. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out except a hoarse choking. His eyes reddened with emotion.

Jiang Chen could understand what he was feeling.

“Elder Ziju, I would hardly call myself a perfect gentleman, but I have at least a basic understanding of how to repay others’ kindness. Truthfully, you’re the only one who’s been my greatest benefactor through and through. I’ve only had a mutually beneficial agreement with the others – yes, even the venerated forefather. He’s helped me many times, but each instance has had conditions attached as well. But you, Elder Ziju, you single handedly picked me out from House Yan purely because you appreciated my talent.”

“Your graciousness deserves compensation many times over. Don’t be flustered about receiving this divine decree, Elder Ziju. Rest easy knowing that you fully deserve it.”

Jiang Chen’s words made Ziju Min even more speechless. He had taken an interest in Jiang Chen and brought him to the Eternal Sacred Land entirely out of affectation for the young man’s pill dao potential.

Back then, he couldn’t possibly have known that Jiang Chen would do all the amazing things he had done to this day. It was clear now that his decision back then was the wisest he had made in all of his life.

“If I refuse your goodwill, Jiang Chen, I would do so with insincerity. I will accept your divine decree. If one day I may break through to divine realm, I will follow you wherever you lead.”

Ziju Min was insightful enough to see that though the Eternal Sacred Land seemed great now, especially after attaining the leadership of the other sacred lands, all of its status hinged on Jiang Chen’s continued presence here. If one day he was to depart, exactly how long would Eternal remain worthy?

Myriad Abyss Island was about to undergo cataclysmic change. It was hard to predict how the ten sacred lands would change in the future. Eternal’s forefather would definitely not be the one to lead the direction of the realm. Rather, it would be this incredible youth before him.

A young man like Jiang Chen was worth following.

Ziju Min knew better than anybody that he would never be able to break through to divine realm with his own strength alone. Refining a divine decree was his only path possible.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Not long before, this path had been entirely forbidden. Before the loosening of the Boundless Prison, no gods existed in Myriad Abyss besides the divine forefathers. There were no divine decrees for anyone to refine.

Any that did come to existence would only have done so as a part of some secret ritual of the sacred lands. And it was nothing that would possibly be awarded to an ordinary elder like him – there were three primes far above in the hierarchy!

“You’re not quite a demigod yet, Elder Ziju. It will take some time for you to refine the divine decree. However, I will give you some divine life essence as well that can accelerate the time you need to get there. Once you do reach that level, you can start thinking about refining your divine decree. Perhaps I’ll hear good news from you in only a year or two!”

The twofold gift was generous enough to make Ziju Min cry.

Yan Wanjun, on the other hand, was a lot calmer. As Huang’er’s grandfather, he was quite aware of the possibility that he would be given a divine decree. It was a completely reasonable conclusion to make.

For the sake of Huang’er’s happiness alone, it would be worthwhile for him to be given one.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen believed that Yan Qianfan and An Yu’er weren’t yet at the limit of their martial potential. Because of this, there was no need to give them divine decrees so soon.

Plus, Divine Kasyapa would be a big help in their natural attempts to break through to divinity.

What Yan Wanjun did have mixed feelings about was his current circumstances. He reminisced about House Yan’s actions over the years, as well as its difficult history. The house was no more, but its heritage had rebounded and grown even greater.

If he broke through to divine realm, House Yan would have an eternal god. His son Yan Qianfan was sure to have a bright future in his own right, and his grandson Yan Qingsang had his friend Jiang Chen to help him. There was no need to even talk about Huang’er:

Divine Kasyapa had given her innumerable treasures and opportunities to increase her cultivation, such that she was mid empyrean realm now.

Advanced empyrean wasn’t far off. Her talent meant that divinity would be no problem for her, and her grandfather had boasted as much.

An Kasyapa couldn’t make that guarantee for his daughter and son-in-law, since the best time for advancing their cultivation was past. Huang’er, on the contrary, was in her prime.

Yan Wanjun’s descendants were all flourishing.

He found it hard to judge whether the demise of House Yan was entirely bad after all. He was sad that his extended family was no more, but very proud that his children and grandchildren were growing stronger by the day.

In fact, he wished the rest of the house was still alive to see their incredible prosperity. Alas, the dead had no eyes with which to see. The most he could do was preserve his lineage and make an attempt at creating a new, thriving future for his surname.

Jiang Chen was hardly content to sit still himself. The life essence of divine cultivators was greatly beneficial for his cultivation as well. He planned to hit eighth level empyrean while he had the time to do so.

Doing so was much smoother than he’d imagined. The life essence removed all obstacles to his journey upwards.

The energy from it fueled a rapid surge, all the way to the peak of his current level. He was only inches away from the next, and had a pretty good shot if he brute forced it.

He didn’t want to rush any step of his cultivation though. He held back in favor of stabilizing his foundations.

After Long Xiaoxuan broke through to ninth level empyrean and absorbed more and more life essence, he underwent the greatest change. The awakening remnants of his ancestral divine blood meant that he was increasingly closer to divinity.