Registry

"You might as well stop cultivating. If you fail to regain an opportunity that was lost or taken away by someone else, your state of mind will be unsettled depending how much of your luck is dependent on that opportunity. If it's a small opportunity, it can be missed once or twice, but given time, drops of rain will fill a bucket with water.

Don't ever take Fortune Tribulation lightly.

If it is a big opportunity, it must not be missed, especially since it will greatly affect your luck at once, which may cause you to lose your mind. Be careful you are not thinking about giving up on fighting for something that can influence the limit you'll reach on the path of Cultivation", Su Yaoren explained and advised.

"Yes Master", Ye Chen agreed quickly. He was simply asking to know the weight of Luck on the path of Cultivation, and with what he's heard so far, Luck is a factor that can determine the limit one attains on their Cultivation path.

If someone has great luck, he would pick up cultivation resources like trash, even on the street stalls. Treasures would come to him. Not by walking to him, but, the lucky one would always pass by around the time when those treasures were there.

On the other hand, when someone is out of luck, bird shit from the sky may fall on their nose. They may be practising in seclusion, then an evil cultivator who is more powerful than they are would pass by, discover them, loot them, and ultimately kill them.

Some might encounter powerful monsters in the section of a mountain known to be safe. 

In short, Luck is very important in the journey of a Cultivator, and even a mortal.

"Take one of the Heart Calming Pills I refined for you the other time. It's the best time to use it", Su Yaoren instructed.

"But.. I was supposed to use those to break through the Integrated Union Realm when the time is right", Ye Chen complained.

"A pill can be refined again. But you cannot afford to waste a single moment of practice", rebuked.

"Okay, I will take it", Ye Chen admitted defeat. His Master is always strict when dealing with matters of cultivation. He loves it too, because it helps keep him on the right path every moment.

So he took out a Green Vial and poured out a pill from it. A rich medicinal fragrance filled the space. He gazed at the pill for a while, and then, no longer hesitating, he swallowed it.

As it entered his mouth, the pill melted and the rich medicinal properties were poured down his throat. 

And the Stomach meridians absorbed these properties and circulated them to the Dantian, and then, the meridians of the Dantian that led to the head, circulated those absorbed properties into the head, straight to the the centre of the eyebrow where the Sea of Consciousness is located.

A soothing effect washed over his mind the moment the medicinal properties touch the edge of his Sea of Consciousness. And all his anxieties were washed away.

His heart also absorbed some of the medicinal properties too, making it beat at regular intervals.

"You know what to do next", came Su Yaoren's voice.

Ye Chen then tried concentrating again when he heard the voice. And,

It succeeded!

"Now, remember you have a few hours until dawn. Your true journey to top will start then", Su Yaoren reminded, then he waved his hand, and the Void Seal was removed, he also returned into the Soul Nurturing jade.

Ye Chen's didn't stop practising until he heard

DONG! DONG!! DONG!!!

"The 'Morning Bell'", Ye Chen whispered and opened his eyes.

The Morning Bell would sound three times to wake the disciples practising in the Reception Pagoda. With that, those who had important matters to attend to in the morning would immediately end their practice. 

Those who had nothing important to attend to would continue their practice.

Ye Chen and Lin Qing'er are part of the first group this time. Before Ye Chen could get up, the door to the Holy Maiden's throne room was opened, and Lin Qing'er came out from it. Looking as beautiful and elegant as ever.

Ye Chen was once again reminded of one of the reasons why he wanted to practise hard and become stronger, 'To protect his loved ones. Especially the one in front of him'.

"You're here", he spoke first.

"Yes. We need to get going, time is of essence", she replied.

"Good. Let's turn the Inner Area of the Mountain Range upside down once again", he said with a passionate and determined voice.

Lin Qing'er nodded. She moved away from the door, and behind her, Chen Wuya and Wei Xiaoling also came out. Earlier in the throne room, they told Lin Qing'er they wanted to follow her into the Mountains. 

However, Lin Qing'er's words poured a basin of cold water on their 'illusion', "We will be practising in the Inner Area of the Mountains. If you are strong enough to not drag us, then come along. If not, just keep practising here until you're strong enough to stand alone in the outside world".

So, coming out now, they would continue practising in this waiting room until the Holy Maiden returns.

"We Wish Sister and Lord Ye a safe return", they said in unison in the waiting room.

Lin Qing'er chuckled and said, "Thank you"

Ye Chen also replied, "Thank You", blankly. He was surprised that the relationship between them has become so close in a single night that they refer to each other as 'sister'.

Ye Chen wouldn't have known that in the world, both the Cultivation world and the mortal world, girls can become friends in a moment if there is no conflict of interest. But they can also become enemies in the twinkle of an eye.

So, Ye Chen and Lin Qing'er left the Holy Maiden's Quarters. Opposite the Holy Maiden's quarter was the Holy Son's quarter. Just from the outside, it looked more luxurious. Since the status of the Holy Son has been established for a longer time.

Ye Chen again felt a surge of jealousy wave over him for a while. Perhaps he himself didn't know. But something was driving him into coveting things that belonged to others, especially Jiang Hou.

Su Yaoren would understand it as "The Hand of Destiny".

They continued on until they stood at the door on the ground floor of the Pagoda, where the four Protectors were waiting for them.

"Good morning, seniors", greeted Ye Chen and Lin Qing'er.

"You don't need to salute us like this. We are only retainers of the Holy Lord. It is our duty to serve you", the leader among them, who was the one who held the Golden Token yesterday, said. His name is Wang Wu. 

The other three are Mo Chen, Bai Yujian, and Chu Bingyue, the only woman. These three have followed the Holy Lord since when the Holy Lord became a Personal Disciple.

Wang Wu, on the other hand, has followed the Holy Lord since childhood. 

"Still, you are seniors to us. We can't neglect that either", said Ye Chen.

The four decided to give in. It is a good thing too. At least these little ones were not arrogant like some Young Masters they've met in their lives.

"Let's proceed to the registry then", Wang Wu proposed.

The others agreed, and flew in the Western direction. They passed by some Floating Palaces, and headed towards a relatively small Pavilion. It is not massive or grand like the rest of the Palaces, but it is one of the most important place in this Secret Realm. It is the Registry.

It is the place where the movements of Personal Disciples who came out to explore the One Hundred Thousand Monsters Mountain Range are recorded. It is important to keep a tab on their movements, not to control them, but to protect them.

It is the same in all the bases of the Holy Land. Also, the Inner Region of the Shiwan Yao Base also has a registry, to keep a tab on the movement of Outer Court, Inner Court and Core Disciples of the Holy Land.

There is also a branch in the Outer Region, just to keep a tab on the number of Casual Cultivators and foreign cultivation forces coming into the Base.

Ye Chen and others flew in, and as they entered, they heard a voice,

'Please present your identification token', 

Knowing it the Artefact Spirit of the Registry, Ye Chen and others took out their identity tokens.

'Identity verified', said the voice and it continued.

'State your purpose'

"Training in the Mountains", answered Lin Qing'er, her Identity is the highest in this place.

'For how long is your training going to take?', the voice asked.

"A minimum of four months and a maximum of five", she replied.

'How many Participants?'

"Two, alongside four Protectors"

There was silence for a while, then the voice came again,

'Your information has been recorded. You need to return within the specified time, beyond which you would be considered to have encountered a mishap, and the Base would send the rescue team'

"We will be mindful of that, thank you", Lin Qing'er replied.

'Have a thrilling adventure', said the voice.

Then the six of them were teleported out.

...

Outside the Registry, Ye Chen and others who were teleported out were not too shaken by the unexpected teleportation. They have experienced it before.

"So, let's begin this adventure, shall we?", Ye Chen said, a little excited.

"Yes! Let's begin", Lin Qing'er replied, feeling the same.

The four Protectors looked at each other and smiled. They have also experienced such thrills when they were young. Now however, they have grown, and only a few things can give them such excitement again, one of which was fighting alongside the Holy Lord again.

Ye Chen took out the Flying Boat from before, and they all boarded it. Wang Wu stirred the boat by Telekinesis, and they flew towards the Heart Seeking Bridge. However, the Heart Seeking Bridge would not stop people from leaving.

So, once they got to the bridge, in front of the Reception Pagoda, the Flying Boat was not let down by any force, it continued to fly forward. As it got closer to the edge of the Secret Realm, Wang Wu took out the Golden Token again, and a portal appeared in front of them, they flew into it. The portal closed, and everything else in the Secret Realm remained the same.

On the other side, the Flying Boat appeared in the Inner Region again, people can see once again, the sight that caused discussions yesterday. 

When they came in, they came in from the Western part of this Metropolis and continued Eastward to enter the Secret Realm. This time, they need to head North if they want to enter the true One Hundred Thousand Monsters Mountain Range.