Chapter 527

Chapter 527: Shu Anshi’s Ambition

At Absolute Heart Peak’s Small Courtyard, Ye Yun and Shu Anshi sat with their sect brothers around a stone table.

"Youngest Junior Brother, what’s your suggestion?" Kun Huazi squinted with a playful grin.

Ye Yun shrugged. "As long as we four get in, the older brothers can decide the rest."

Kun Huazi chuckled. "Obviously! The ten slots should only go to Absolute Heart Peak disciples."

Zhuge Chong nodded. "Of course. Why give spots to outsiders?"

The silent Shu Anshi narrowed his eyes. "I want to reserve two slots for others."

All three stared at him in surprise.

"For whom?" Kun Huazi leaned forward.

Shu Anshi answered calmly, "Demon Suppression Peak."

The trio gaped in disbelief until Kun Huazi smirked. "Heh! Elder Brother wants to give one to Senior Sister Suxin, right?"

Ye Yun and Zhuge Chong exchanged knowing smiles.

Shu Anshi shook his head. "Suxin would refuse."

"Then who?" Ye Yun pressed.

"Ding Qian… and Elder Kuang Wuwei."

"Ding Qian? Elder Kuang?"

Zhuge Chong nearly choked. None had anticipated these choices.

"Though distracted by flattery and politics, Ding Qian’s talent rivals Suxin’s," Shu Anshi explained. "Proper training could make her Divine Grace Palace’s future pillar."

"That’s your only reason?" Kun Huazi raised an eyebrow.

"Aren’t we all Divine Grace disciples?" Shu Anshi countered quietly before adding, "Our peace won’t last."

The others exchanged confused glances.

"What about Elder Kuang?" Zhuge Chong asked.

"His cultivation’s mediocre, but his determination’s unmatched." Ye Yun interjected. "Losing to Second Brother today might’ve strengthened his resolve. Does Elder Brother want him tempered in the Spiritual Pond?"

"But Nascent Soul experts gain little there!" Kun Huazi objected. "They can’t refine the spiritual energy!"

Shu Anshi smiled. "Elder Kuang’s true strength lies not in cultivation level… but his physique."

"His body?" Ye Yun’s eyes lit up.

"His physical cultivation nearly matches yours, Second Brother. The Pond’s pressure hones the flesh. If he endures long enough, both he and Youngest Brother could benefit greatly."

"What pressure refines the body?" Ye Yun pressed. For him, advancing his Ice Spirit False Pill and nearing completion of his Thunder Spirit False Pill made Golden Core attainment feasible. But bodily improvement had stalled since reaching the second layer of Great Demon Body – strong against Golden Core stage foes up to the fourth level, yet vulnerable against sixth level experts despite his Ice Spirit Barrier.

Kun Huazi spread his hands. "Its mysteries can’t be explained."

"Beyond words," Shu Anshi agreed.

Ye Yun’s curiosity burned. Could the Pond help him condense his Golden Core while boosting his physique? Even a modest improvement might multiply his strength tenfold.

"I’ll notify Ding Qian immediately!" Kun Huazi declared.

"Elder Kuang’s loyalty justifies his inclusion," Zhuge Chong conceded grudgingly. "But that woman…"

"Unnecessary. I’ve already informed Suxin." Shu Anshi stood abruptly. "Tomorrow you enter the Spiritual Pond. Endure as long as possible – absorb every wisp of spiritual energy. The Great Qin Empire’s two-century peace… ends soon."

Kun Huazi’s grin vanished. "What’s coming, Elder Brother? You’ve never spoken like this before!"

Zhuge Chong’s breath hitched. "The Saint’s Secret Vault…?"

Ye Yun’s eyebrow twitched. The millennium-old legacy of the Immortal Sword Sect’s saint – opening prematurely?

Shu Anshi sealed their surroundings with two finger taps before speaking gravely. "The royal family leads Misty Sect and Divine Grace Palace to breach the Vault. Success is mandatory. They’ve forged a treasure to smash the seals, then sacrifice lives to fully break through."

"Lives?" Kun Huazi paled.

"Whose lives?" Zhuge Chong whispered.

"Ours." Shu Anshi’s voice hardened. "Golden Core and Foundation Establishment disciples – human fodder for the Vault’s arrays that annihilate Nascent Soul intruders."

Understanding dawned. This was why Shu Anshi pushed their training – stronger cultivation meant survival.

"But Tian Yunzi’s disciples aren’t ordinary cannon fodder!" Shu Anshi’s sudden roar startled them. "Let others die first! When our turn comes, power alone matters – power to make the royal family kneel!"

The gentle elder brother vanished, replaced by a warlord’s blazing aura.