Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy

The elders of the Divine Fist Sect felt that Wu Tian must have had conditions for teaching Zhou Butong this fist art. Otherwise, why would such a powerful technique be taught to someone so casually? Perhaps it required Zhou Butong to do something against his conscience and morals, maybe even sell his soul.

"No, you’re overthinking it." Zhou Butong shook his head. Wu Tian had taken him as a disciple as part of their wager, and after teaching him the fist art, Wu Tian hadn’t asked for anything. Anyone else would have certainly used such a formidable technique to threaten him into doing their bidding. But Wu Tian had not. Such a profound art was given to him, just like that. Thinking about this, Zhou Butong, the stubborn old man, was inexplicably moved.

He treats me as a man of great worth, and I shall repay him as one! At this thought, a tremor ran through Zhou Butong’s body, his eyes filling with resolve. He had to repay Wu Tian. And what did Wu Tian need most right now?

Soldiers, of course.

Only a few days remained before Wu Tian’s scheduled battle with Zhan Sha. The Azure Empire, a Five-Star nation, possessed military forces that were incomparably stronger than those of the Xiuyuan Realm. Wu Tian needed soldiers, and as repayment, Zhou Butong would provide them.

"Do you truly recognize me as your Sect Leader?" Zhou Butong’s gaze was piercing as he looked at the Divine Fist Sect elders and disciples before him.

"Of course," the elders and disciples replied in unison, their tone certain.

"Good. Bring me the Sect Leader Seal. I assume you have it with you?" Zhou Butong said.

One of the elders produced the Sect Leader Seal. It was a Jade Seal entwined with three dragons. This was a rule set by the Divine Emperor in the Immortal Emperor Realm: a One-Star Power’s seal had one dragon, a Two-Star Power’s had two, and a Three-Star Power’s Sect Leader Seal naturally had three dragons.

Then, Zhou Butong announced, "I will issue three commands. The first is to find Mr. Wu Tian’s location."

"This..." The elders and disciples didn’t know what their new Sect Leader was planning.

"What? You hesitate? Do you still not see me as your Sect Leader?" Zhou Butong boomed.

The elders and disciples had no choice but to start their search immediately. Using their connections, they soon learned that Wu Tian had gone to the Blood Refiner Shrine. Wu Tian hadn’t hidden his movements; he had gone there openly, so the Divine Fist Sect disciples were able to find him with a simple inquiry. The Blood Refiner Shrine itself wasn’t hard to find for someone with enough silver taels and gold.

"The Blood Refiner Shrine?" Zhou Butong frowned slightly. What was Mr. Wu Tian doing there? But since Mr. Wu Tian was there, he naturally had to go as well. "All of you, come with me now," he declared. "We will go see Mr. Wu Tian together." He had decided to repay Wu Tian. He was treated as a man of great worth and would repay in kind.

He led the Divine Fist Sect elders and disciples toward the Blood Refiner Shrine. Soon, they entered a small alley and arrived at the shrine, where Meng Xue greeted them.

"What? Mr. Wu Tian is currently reading books on Blood Refinement Experience?" Zhou Butong frowned upon hearing this from Meng Xue, not understanding what Mr. Wu Tian was doing.

Noticing how familiar they were with Wu Tian, Meng Xue explained further. "He said that after he finishes reading the books, he will create the true Art of Blood Refinement."

"The true Art of Blood Refinement?"

Zhou Butong, along with the Divine Fist Sect elders and disciples, was stunned. The elders and disciples, in particular, wore expressions of utter disbelief. For thousands of years, generations of people had thrown themselves at the Path of Blood Refinement, but only one woman had ever succeeded, and that was by sheer coincidence. It was said her success was a chaotic fluke; if she were to try again, she might not succeed. This meant that no one had ever created the true Art of Blood Refinement. Many had dedicated their entire lives to the pursuit, only to die unable to rest in peace, their work unfinished.

And Wu Tian? He was so young. How could he possibly create the true Art of Blood Refinement? The complete systems of Array Masters and Alchemists were the result of tens of thousands of years of research, allowing later generations to enjoy the shade of trees planted by their predecessors. The path of creating a new discipline was incredibly difficult. How could someone as young as Wu Tian possibly succeed?

"I think it’s impossible," an elder from the Divine Fist Sect couldn’t help but say. "He’s too young and impetuous. This is an impossible task."

Meng Xue, who had initially been Wu Tian’s adversary, now found herself inadvertently pinning all her hopes on him. She huffed, "Who says he has no hope? He is the most promising person in the history of Blood Refiners! You should know, he scored an unprecedented 90 points on the assessment!"

"What?" The doubtful elders and disciples of the Divine Fist Sect stood with their mouths agape, their jaws nearly hitting the floor. It was rumored in the outside world that the Blood Refiner assessment was notoriously difficult and covered a wide range of topics. Anyone who could score 60 points was already considered a talent on the Path of Blood Refinement. But 90 points? That was a score the Divine Fist Sect members wouldn’t even dare to imagine. For the first time, they began to wonder if they were wrong. Could it be that Wu Tian couldn’t be judged by ordinary standards?

Meng Xue clenched her fists. "I believe he can succeed." Her father, Meng Tian, had placed all his hopes on Wu Tian. She could only do the same.

"Ridiculous! How utterly ridiculous!" At that moment, Mr. Ke, who had been pursued and brought back by the other Blood Refiners, returned just in time to hear Meng Xue’s declaration. Mr. Ke told himself to remain patient and not stoop to the level of a junior, but he couldn’t hold back. "The Path of Blood Refinement is so arduous! I could spend my entire life on it and never decipher its secrets. How could a junior like him possibly succeed? It’s laughable that you and your father, so foolish and ignorant, would actually believe in a junior! Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! This is, without a doubt, the most laughable thing in the history of Blood Refiners!"

The Blood Refiners who had brought Mr. Ke back nodded in agreement.

"For thousands of years, we Blood Refiners have dedicated our lives to the Path of Blood Refinement, generation after generation, even as our numbers dwindle each year," a very old Blood Refiner said. "He is just a young man. Even if he began studying Blood Refinement in the womb, it’s impossible for him to succeed at such a young age."

So what if Wu Tian’s assessment score was an unprecedented 90 points? The Path of Blood Refinement was thousands, tens of thousands, even millions of times more difficult than any mere exam. Sometimes, these aged Blood Refiners even wondered if the Path of Blood Refinement was a dead end—that even after tens of thousands of years, it would still result in failure.

"Shut up." Seeing these old men casting doubt on his Sect Leader, Zhou Butong couldn’t help but roar. He immediately unleashed a powerful aura that intimidated the Blood Refiners, who had little to no Martial Arts Cultivation. He didn’t know if Wu Tian could succeed, but Wu Tian had taught him the Five Directions Fist without reservation. Therefore, no matter what path Wu Tian chose, he, as his disciple, would follow in his footsteps with unwavering resolve.

Anyone who dares question my Sect Leader is my enemy and will suffer the might of my fists!