Jiang Chen showed no surprise when An Kasyapa and his companions broached the matter of joining Veluriyam Palace.

He’d gone out of his way to bring them to the human domain and let them stay for this long in the sect residences. Why for, if not to entice them with the sect’s benefits?

These cultivators were very important. Their strength was a cut above the likes of Lan Tianhao or Yu Gong, thanks to the chasm in cultivation levels between the two groups. Two or three among the guests almost rivaled even An Kasyapa.

So the young lord naturally welcomed them with open arms.

“It’d be my pleasure if you can join and fight the demons by my side. But I need to get the unpleasant part out of the way first.”

No artifice marred the sincerity in his eyes.

“Veluriyam Palace is the leading ancient sect. It possesses the inheritances and the resources to match, but also the constraints. Its boons can be yours to enjoy, but you need to abide by the rules as well. Are you prepared for such?”

He didn’t sugarcoat the requirements, so to avoid potential unpleasant misunderstandings down the line.

An Kasyapa smiled. “To tell you the truth, I’ve already warned them in advance. These fellow daoists know full well what’s required of them.”

Everyone looked at Jiang Chen and added sincerely, “There’s no need to worry, young lord. We might be easygoing, but we know proper conduct. We’re naturally ready to follow the rules if we can join a faction this prestigious. You won’t find us besmirching the sect’s reputation.”

“Indeed, it would be our honor to participate in the rebuilding. As privileged witnesses of Veluriyam Palace’s second rising, we’ll naturally do our utmost.”

These words came from the heart.

Joining this early would make them founding elders. As such, they naturally had to contribute to the sect’s renewal in order to cement their positions.

No one was foolish enough to bring shame upon Veluriyam Palace at this important juncture.

Jiang Chen reacted with an easy, happy laugh.

“Great, very good! Let me represent Veluriyam Palace and welcome you all into our ranks. After the ceremony, you’ll be made sect elders. The seat of a high elder awaits you if you can break through to mid divine realm.”

A high elder was an even loftier position than a common elder. No high elders existed yet, only a single venerated elder in Xia Tianze.

Of course, the latter was an ancient founding elder to begin with. His status was special, and his strength overwhelming. No one disputed his position.

The immediate promotion to elder sent a wave of elation through the group and added to their enthusiasm.

An Kasyapa also exclaimed, “To think I’d join a sect one day! I just couldn’t resist the lure of the greatest ancient faction!”

True enough, he’d never considered saying no from the very start.

“I won’t interfere with Old Brother Xia’s promise to you. But now that you’re one of us, I’ll make another pledge. One day, I’ll provide you with an opportunity to unconditionally advance your cultivation by one level.”

The young lord’s solemn promise shook the crowd.

An Kasyapa cried out despite himself, “One level, unconditionally?”

True, the young lord did possess a recipe for a pill called the Crowning Empyrean Pill that advanced an empyrean cultivator’s level.

But the same seemed inconceivable in the divine realm. Everyone knew how difficult each step forward was at that stage, not to mention the unconditional part.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

“Correct. Unconditionally.” Jiang Chen smiled as if it were a foregone conclusion.

“Young master, I’m truly curious. Does such a miraculous pill exist for the gods?” An Kasyapa had no qualms probing further, given his familiarity with the young lord.

The latter nodded with a chuckle. “Just like the Sage Smile Pill, the Emperor Supremacy Pill, or the Crowning Empyrean Pill in earlier realms, there’s naturally a similar pill for the divine realm. I’m simply short of a supplemental ingredient. As soon as I find it, I’ll refine the pills.”

“You...” Shaken once more, his new elders couldn’t hide their emotions.

Any headway in the divine realm was oh-so-difficult. An unconditional advancement of a full level sounded like an impossible tale of legends.

“May I know the name of this pill?” Divine Kasyapa inquired.

“The Divine Transcendence Pill,” replied the young lord with a smile.

The older man murmured, “So you already have the core ingredients and merely lack a supplemental one? Is it rarer than the main ones?”

Jiang Chen shook his head. “Not necessarily. I simply haven’t found it so far, but it definitely exists somewhere on the continent.”

It wasn’t blind confidence. Since the continent had Amaranth Clouddew Fruits, it certainly had the supplemental ingredients to match as well, according to the rules of the heavens.

In the heavenly planes, this ingredient was far more common than the Amaranth Clouddew Fruit. Stumbling upon the latter was harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

Even in his former life, he’d spotted it no more than once or twice.

“Young lord, if I may be so bold, what is it you’re missing?” Divine Kasyapa asked, full of curiosity.

The young man chuckled. “There’s no harm in telling you. It’s a spirit herb called the Divine Dwelling Grass.”

Divine Dwelling Grass?

The crowd looked blankly at each other in obvious perplexity. They were peak existences on the continent, but it was their first time hearing this name.

A little disappointed, An Kasyapa sighed, “Alas, my knowledge seems sorely lacking. It must be very uncommon, judging by the name.”

The others also shook their heads. “Likewise, I’ve never heard of it either.”

Jiang Chen merely smiled. “It’s rare, true enough, but I’ll certainly find it one day.”

His declaration seemed as bold as brass, but the crowd wasn’t unduly puzzled. He must have had a good reason for his confidence. After all, his knowledge was vastly superior to theirs.

Reports of another batch of divine realm cultivators joining Veluriyam Palace quickly spread throughout the human domain. It was yet another fantastic piece of news that roused the domain from top to bottom.

The continuous emergence of divine realm cultivators was a ray of hope in the eventual war against the demons.