Chapter 856: Chapter 856 Thousand Star Assembly Chapter 856: Chapter 856 Thousand Star Assembly As is widely known, the Thousand Star Immortal City was jointly established by over a thousand merchant families, and its scale and strength are categorized as “Earth” level. Moreover, it is one of the most prosperous cities within the Nine States Immortal Alliance system.

The Thousand Star Assembly was established even before the Thousand Star Immortal City, and the requirements for joining are to be a member of the Thousand Merchant Clan and to have a Cultivation Level above the Purple Mansion!

Because the Thousand Star Assembly never publicizes itself and keeps a very low profile, ordinary Cultivators know very little about it.

“Sorry.”

However, Wang Chen wasn’t very interested in this so-called Thousand Star Assembly, “True Person Chen Ming, I currently have no intention of joining any alliances, please forgive me.”

According to Wang Chenming’s introduction, the power of the Thousand Star Assembly was undoubtedly immense and frightening.

If even just one person from each of the Thousand Merchant families were to join, then the whole Thousand Star Assembly would boast over a thousand True Persons–just thinking about it could make one’s scalp tingle.

The benefits of joining such a massive organization are obvious.

Connections, backing, resources–you’d have them all immediately!

But there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world; enjoying privileges inevitably means bearing responsibilities and even finding oneself restricted and restrained.

One of the requirements for joining the Thousand Star Assembly is to be a member of the Thousand Merchant family. As an outsider, for Wang Chen to meet this criterion, he would likely have to first become a member of the Three Ridge.

This was equivalent to imposing a double shackle upon oneself!

Wang Chen was currently cultivating and running a shop on his own; his life was leisurely and carefree, so why bother courting trouble?

His refusal was very firm, yet Wang Chenming seemed to have anticipated this and smiled, saying, “True Person Wang, do you know the most important condition for Breaking the Golden Core to Condense the Nascent Soul in the Haotian Realm?”

The most important requirement for Breaking the Golden Core to Condense the Nascent Soul?

Wang Chen was stunned.

He genuinely didn’t know!

Without waiting for Wang Chen’s answer, Wang Chenming continued, “It is to settle Karmic debts and repay nature’s spiritual energy!”

Any Cultivator living and practicing in the Haotian Realm would inevitably consume large amounts of nature’s spiritual energy; the higher one’s cultivation, the greater the consumption.

This is the Karmic debt owed by Cultivators.

If a Golden Core Peak Cultivator wishes to break his core to condense a Nascent Soul, he must repay some or all of the Karmic debts he owes. Otherwise, he is certain to face a heavenly tribulation at the time of advancement.

At that point, forget Breaking the Golden Core to Condense the Nascent Soul–just surviving would be incredibly fortunate!

This secret is not something that cultivators with ordinary aptitude and no hope of immortal ascension are qualified to know.

Knowing it wouldn’t make any difference to them.

However, for a newly promoted Golden Core Cultivator with unlimited prospects like Wang Chen, the situation is entirely different.

According to Wang Chenming, it is better to repay Karmic debts to nature at an earlier stage; otherwise, if they accumulate day by day during the Golden Core Stage, the power of the accumulated Karmic debts will be enormous, ultimately creating a severe hindrance to Breaking the Golden Core to Condense the Nascent Soul!

After listening, Wang Chen fell silent.

He originally thought that the most important condition for Breaking the Golden Core to Condense the Nascent Soul was like needing the Eight Treasures of Core Condensation to condense a Golden Core.

Wang Chen wasn’t concerned because he had completely relied on his own power to condense his Golden Core. The Condensing Core Treasures he had painstakingly collected before ended up not being used at all.

And he had even achieved a First Grade of Golden Cores!

With such a precedent, Wang Chen naturally had a plan in mind.

But after hearing what Wang Chenming said, he realized that the situation was not that simple; Condensing the Nascent Soul actually involved Karmic debts with heaven and earth.

This was not something that could be resolved with innate talent alone.

He even doubted cheating would work!

Wang Chen’s thoughts raced as he asked, “May I ask, True Person, how can one repay these Karmic debts to heaven and earth?”

“It’s simple!”

Wang Chenming was candid and comprehensive, “Go to the Lower Realm, seize the Spirit Mechanism, and return it to Haotian!”

Wang Chen suddenly realized and immediately thought of the Questioning World Bell that the Fox Empress of Green Hill held, which connected to the Foggy Mountain Realm!

Regrettably, at that time, he did not know about this matter of Karmic debts with heaven and earth. When he ascended from the Foggy Mountain Realm back to the Haotian Realm, he had not taken even the slightest bit of the Foggy Mountain Realm’s Spirit Mechanism back with him.

Would it still work if he went back to the Foggy Mountain Realm?

Intuition told Wang Chen that this was probably a big problem!

Only to hear Wang Chenming speak at length, “The Lower Realms are boundless, as numerous as the stars in the Milky Way. However, all the ones that can be found are claimed, and it is extremely difficult to borrow and plunder their Spirit Mechanism!”

It’s impossible to count the number of Lower Realms, but finding one and grasping the means to enter it is certainly not a simple task.

The human and material resources that need to be invested could likely be astronomical.

With such a heavy investment, there must be a return.

This return would naturally be taken from the Lower Realms!

But not all Lower Realms have abundant resources; some may have been desolate and barren for millions of years, so obtaining them would be pointless, serving no purpose whatsoever.

This further escalates the cost of searching for and developing Lower Realms!

Therefore, a small world with resources is immeasurably valuable; how could it be so easily lent out for plundering its Spirit Mechanism?

Moreover, once a small world’s Spirit Mechanism has been harvested, unless it is thoroughly exploited, it requires a long time to recover.

Those with ownership of this small world must then queue and wait their turn if they wish to harvest its Spirit Mechanism!

It could be a few decades short, and a hundred years or two to three hundred years long!

Wang Chenming said, “Our Three Ridge Wang Clan owns a small world, but five years ago, an Elder of our family went down to plunder its Spirit Mechanism. It will not recover for at least a hundred years.”

Wang Chen was intrigued as he listened.

This was very different from the situation in the Foggy Mountain Realm!

Many Nascent Soul and Golden Core Cultivators had descended into the Foggy Mountain Realm, but apart from one Demon King of the Fox Tribe, they had all perished within.

Based on Wang Chenming’s tone, going to the Lower Realm to plunder Spirit Mechanism did not seem like a particularly dangerous task.

The issue seemed quite serious!

Regrettably, after Wang Chen’s ascension and return to Haotian, he had lost the Reincarnation Pearl; otherwise, he could have inquired Elder Yao, the Nascent Soul True Immortal, and would likely have learned many secrets.

He also didn’t know whether Elder Yao had also managed to escape the Foggy Mountain Realm’s earthly prison and reentered the cycle of reincarnation in Haotian after his return!

While pondering, Wang Chen asked, “Does it mean that if I join the Thousand Star Assembly, I will have the chance to go to the Lower Realm to plunder?”

“Correct!”

Wang Chenming clapped and laughed, “The Thousand Star Assembly owns a batch of unexplored small worlds. True Person Wang, if you are willing to join the magical vein of our Three Ridge Wang Clan, then we are willing to compete for a spot on your behalf!”

Is it that simple?

Just by joining the Three Ridge Wang Clan, one could get such a precious spot in the Lower Realm?

Wang Chenming wasn’t Wang Chen’s real father, and Wang Chen wasn’t that naive, “Then what price do I need to pay?”

“Ahem!”

Wang Chenming coughed twice, “You need to hand over half of the gained Spirit Mechanism. Additionally, the risks involved with unexplored small worlds are unpredictable–a descent could put one at risk of perishing.”

Indeed, there are no pies falling from the sky!

And Wang Chen suspected that Wang Chenming was still holding back some information.

He pondered and then said, “True Person Chen Ming, this matter is of great importance. May I take some time to consider before I respond?”

“Of course.”

Wang Chenming smiled, “Whenever you decide, the doors of the Three Ridge Wang Clan will always be open to you!”

“Come, let’s drink!”

——
The first update is sent.